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On Wednesday, July 19, 2017, President Donald Trump gave an extraordinary interview to the New York Times. The biggest headline was Trump’s displeasure with his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who he believes should not have recused himself from the federal government’s ongoing investigation of the influence of Russia on the 2016 presidential election, and whether there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian hackers trying to manipulate the results to favor Trump. (Also striking, Trump’s lack of preparation resulted in him making too many serious errors, mistakes that would embarrass most presidents but not one who feels no shame.)
Sessions, in announcing his withdrawal, said he was acting on the advice of the Justice Department’s ethics lawyers. More specifically, the attorney general testified in June 2017, “I recused myself not because of any asserted wrongdoing on my part during the campaign,” he explained. “But because a Department of Justice regulation, 28 CFR 45.2, required it.” He added, “That regulation states, in effect, that department employees should not participate in investigations of a campaign if they have served as a campaign advisor.” In short, it is a long-standing rule that guides the Justice Department.
Surely Trump knows this, for it was widely reported, so he was telling the New York Times he was angry with Sessions for following the Justice Depart rule because it resulted in the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, appointing special counsel Robert Mueller, after the president fired FBI director James Comey. In Trump’s thinking, apparently, if Sessions had not recused himself there would be no special counsel Mueller investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Trump—a man who is conspicuously manipulative and anything but subtle—in his interview thus reveals that he is deeply concerned about the Mueller investigation.
For anyone who has followed the Russian connection to the Trump campaign and presidency—here is an excellent running list of connections—the New York Times interview was something of an indication that things are happening that make Trump unhappy, and Trump is beginning to feel the investigation closing in on him. Given the way he has handled these matters in the past, he now appears worried. So in the interview, he went after Mueller, claiming the special counsel had conflicts of interest so he should not be investigating Trump. Here is how the Times summarized the attack:
Mr. Trump said Mr. Mueller was running an office rife with conflicts of interest and warned investigators against delving into matters too far afield from Russia. Mr. Trump never said he would order the Justice Department to fire Mr. Mueller, nor would he outline circumstances under which he might do so. But he left open the possibility as he expressed deep grievance over an investigation that has taken a political toll in the six months since he took office. Asked if Mr. Mueller’s investigation would cross a red line if it expanded to look at his family’s finances beyond any relationship to Russia, Mr. Trump said, “I would say yes.” He would not say what he would do about it. “I think that’s a violation. Look, this is about Russia.”
Going after Sessions and then Mueller is extraordinary. But we all now know this is standard operating procedure for Donald Trump, who is always on offense as his primary defensive tactic. For that reason, it was no surprise when the Washington Post published a follow up story on July 20, 2017, clearly based on well-placed sources within the Trump camp, as confirming the attacks by Trump.
The Post headline was not subtle: “Trump team seeks to control, block Mueller’s Russia investigation.” Nor the opening paragraph: “Some of President Trump’s lawyers are exploring ways to limit or undercut special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia investigation, building a case against what they allege are his conflicts of interest and discussing the president’s authority to grant pardons, according to people familiar with the effort.”
Tucked into the Post story was a confirmation that Trump’s attack on Attorney General Sessions from the day before had been designed to force him to volunteer his resignation. The Post reported, “Several senior [Trump] aides were described as ‘stunned’ when Sessions announced Thursday morning he would stay on at the Justice Department.” And the story reported that the recently hired spokesperson for Trump’s team of outside lawyers, Mark Corallo, had resigned. And the more recently hired legal-crisis manager, Ty Cobb, who would not be on the job formally until the end of July, had nonetheless tried to organize a meeting to coordinate what was being said, while Trump was running around unbeknownst to them all attacking his attorney general in the New York Times. Clearly, chaos and turmoil are the hallmarks of Trump’s legal operation.
I have paused to note these stories because I believe they are markers, so allow me to offer a little prognostication. These stories reveal a worried president for not only does he know that he is in trouble but he has put his family in trouble as well: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Jared Kushner. He could care less about the staffers he has placed in jeopardy, they are only useful to him so long as they protect him. So here are a few Questions and Answers these stories provoked in my mind:
Question : Was the attack on Sessions undertaken to get him to resign, and if yes, why?
Answer : Given the reaction of his senior aides, who may have learned of the president’s thinking after the fact, Trump clearly hoped to get Sessions to leave the Justice Department. Trump probably thinks he can find someone he can control, who will fire Mueller should he get close to information that will truly endanger the president or his family. (Trump seems to think he has an FBI director in Christopher Wray whom he can control, and that is true, Wray did a wonderful job of snowing the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearing. We will see on Wray.) But if Sessions leaves the post of attorney general, Trump will never get a puppet through the confirmation proceedings. Nixon tried such a ploy, but the Senate Judiciary Committee put so many strings on Nixon’s nominee, Elliot Richardson, that if he had fired Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, it would have ended not only his public career but his private career as well. If Sessions leaves there are enough Republicans in the Senate who are troubled by Trump to strengthen the position of special counsel Mueller, not weaken the post.
Question : Can Trump build a “conflict of interest” case against Mueller and his staff, which would provide a basis to fire him and them?
Answer : Very, very, doubtful. Unlike Trump and his team, Mueller and his team are experienced government officials, who have decades of public service and who know the rules as well as they do their children. The reported conflicts Trump has gathered are weak, and most are not true conflicts, like the fact that some attorneys working for Mueller have made contributions to Hillary’s campaign. That is not a conflict of interest rather a First Amendment right. Others purportedly worked at law firms that might have been involved with litigation or clients that create a conflict for them to now investigate Trump, but you can be sure that was checked closely and completely before Mueller hired them. Another conflict Trump has suggested to friends is that Mueller wanted the job of FBI director, and Trump did not offer it but that is not a conflict of interest. The Post reports the Trump teams are digging into a claim that Mueller left a Trump Country Club after some disagreement about his membership, but Mueller has denied this claim.
Question : On what basis can the special counsel be removed? And can Trump really fire Mueller?
Answer : Unlike the special prosecutor created during Watergate, the special counsel was appointed pursuant to Sections 600.4 through 600.10 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which addressed some of the earlier problems. For example, he can only be removed by personal action of the Attorney General (and since Sessions is recused, Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein). 28 CFR 600.7 states: “The Attorney General may remove a Special Counsel for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or for other good cause, including violation of Departmental policies. The Attorney General shall inform the Special Counsel in writing of the specific reason for his or her removal.” Unlike the summary firing of Archibald Cox by Nixon, to remove Mueller or any of his staff would require an investigation and proceeding by the Department of Justice, and would be subject to appeal in federal court. Indeed, these regulations were written to make it difficult to remove a special counsel, and I seriously doubt Trump can succeed. These regulations would have to be nullified by Trump, but I have little doubt Mueller could and would litigate that action, and prevail in federal court because a president cannot remove due process to accomplish his goal of removing the special counsel. Nor with a special counsel as experienced and careful as Mueller, can he exercise any control over the investigation.
I have not mentioned the potential of any of Trump action against the special counsel provoking an impeachment proceeding by Congress because I do not believe Republicans will, under any circumstances, including Trump shooting someone on 5th Avenue, undertake to impeach and remove Trump. They are spineless, and have placed party before country. But institutions like the Justice Department and the federal judiciary have not yet been corrupted by the Republicans, and they remain the check on this out-of-bounds president.
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The Polls of July: Recap and Analysis
July was filled with great Overwatch news and content. We'll be taking a look at the results of the most popular polls from our articles and what they could mean for the future of Overwatch! As always, we appreciate all of our readers' time and interest in our articles!
Top 5 most popular Overwatch polls
"Do you agree with the current ruleset including No Hero Limits?"
Yes 23% 77% No
This comes to no surprise, the vast majority of Overwatch players prefer 1 hero limit for higher level play. Many of us shiver at the memories of Twinston, Tucio, and Trey-Trey.
"Are you excited for more Overwatch coverage on television?"
Yes 94% 6% No
As fans of Overwatch, we definitely want to see this game grow! The better the competitive scene for a game, the better things are for the players. The interesting thing to note here are the 6% of No’s; why would an Overwatch fan not want to see this game on TV? TV Coverage would provide insane amounts of cash inflow to the Overwatch scene, prompting more investment and growth into Overwatch as a sport.
"What do you prefer?"
|A| 78% 22% |B|
A: Bigger Tournaments | B: More Tournaments
This question interests us. Bigger tournaments mean better coverage, funding, and growth for the Overwatch scene. More tournaments offer additional opportunities for smaller teams to have a moment in the spotlight. There is a balance and two scenes for tournaments: amateur and professional. Amateur scenes benefit from numbers rather than prize pool size, and the professional side benefits more from bigger tournaments. Most importantly, bigger tournaments attract far more viewers.
"Was the kit of abilities shown a pleasant surprise or disappointment?" [Ana]
|A| 93% 7% |B|
A: Pleasant Surprise | B: Disappointed
This is an important result because it is Blizzard’s first post launch character addition. Ana is clearly well received by the public and has a unique skill set. This is an extremely promising indication that the Overwatch scene is going to continue to grow just as strongly as it has from the beginning. Blizzard has demonstrated impressive responsiveness with tuning characters and overall design for their first FPS game.
"Did they pick the right roster?" [FNATIC picks up nubris]
Yes 81% 19% No
The community for Overwatch is one to be proud of. We all stand behind the teams in the professional scene, and cheer for them when they succeed. We see overwhelming support for nubris as they are picked up by FNATIC. Its crucial for the fans to stand behind the teams in Overwatch, and the strong support for the professionals that stream is a clear indication the community is headed in the right direction. The only question that lingers is for those that said no: what roster would you have FNATIC sign instead?
Notable Overwatch poll questions
"Do you watch many Overwatch streamers?"
Yes 84% 16% No
Following up on the comments for the FNATIC poll, we see that there are plenty of people watching Overwatch streamers. This is, again, crucial to the growth of Overwatch as a community and appealing to larger organizations and sponsors. The bigger the audience and interest in players, the more money to make from investing or sponsoring teams. Although, we don’t need a poll to see a certain bird is raking in tons of donations and subscriptions from his twitch stream. As the viewer base for professional overwatch continues to grow, we can expect similar growth for several other iconic Overwatch streamers.
"Are the rewards worth the grind?" [For reaching top 500 in Competitive]
Yes 21% 79% No
Earning the title of “Top 500” in any game, quite simply, requires an in-game item that brags for you. Many people feel underwhelmed by the reward for being in the top 500 for Overwatch (an animated spray). What about an option for a platinum or diamond weapon or character model skin? Gold weapon skins are a matter of grinding out competitive mode. It doesn’t reward climbing the ladder. A platinum or diamond weapon skin would be an extremely rewarding. Or, offering a character model skin would allow you to couple a golden weapon skin with a diamond/platinum character model skin.
"Do you think players from non-FPS games will do well in Overwatch?"
Yes 29% 71% No
Overwatch is not purely an FPS game, nor is it a MOBA. This prompts the question, “how will non-FPS players fare in this game?” The easiest answer (glances at a certain dwarf over in console land) is to play the characters that don’t require aim. “No brain, no aim, I’m a Winston main!”
The realtime decision making and situational awareness that go hand-in-hand with FPS games is ridiculously crucial for Overwatch. One does not have to be a hitscan god to do well in Overwatch, but solid game sense and intuition are required to excel. For those feeling as though their aim isn’t on par with the best, simply thinking more about the game can work wonders. A McCree that can hit the headshots but always pokes in front of the Reinhardt shield to get immediately deleted is way worse than a McCree that has decent accuracy and perfect positioning. Asking the right questions about where you should be and who to shoot first can make a world of difference.
"Saying 'Yes' to Changes: Good or bad?" [Coin flip time patch, bug fixes]
Yes 87% 13% No
This patch brought changes to the very unpopular sudden death mode in Competitive play. Timers were decreased on almost every map. This makes sense because “coin flip” is very unbalanced. Having a shorter time to capture the first point makes it more balanced for the defense. In the current state of professional Overwatch, we have had to say R.I.P. to first point defenses with the amount of nasty Genji diving (Ahem, ShaDowBurn). However, praise Torbjorn because coin flip is going away for the second season.
"Do you think this is a good way of recruiting?" [Recruiting ladder grinders]
Yes 38% 62% No
This is the last question we’ll cover. This is notable because we’ve seen a few teams recruit ladder grinders thus far. There are some rank 60-70 players that are much better suited for a professional environment than some of the highest ranked individuals. Personality factors such as attitude, professionalism, and modesty are crucial. However, due to the sheer number of Overwatch players rank is simple the quickest way to find players at the highest level. It minimizes having to test skill and you are able to focus solely on evaluating synergy with the rest of the roster.
It's simply efficient to use rank as a baseline for applicants. This is assuming, of course, that the role they try out for is what they played to earn a certain rank. A player trying out for a main tank position that reaches rank 70 playing only tanks is more impressive than a rank 75-80 player that arrived there playing mostly DPS. It can be concluded that rank is a good indicator for recruiting. Several other factors are, of course, evaluated.
If you enjoyed this recap on the month's popular and interesting poll questions, be sure to let us know!
For more competitive Overwatch news, follow us @GosuOverwatch.
QUICKPOLL Would you like us to continue this monthly article series? Yes! A good read on reviewing the community's opinions.
Thank you for voting! No, I don't care much for the poll results.
Thank you for voting!
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President Obama still opposes over-the-counter access to emergency contraceptives for women and girls of all ages. (Washington Post)
The Obama administration announced Monday it would no longer defend age limits on over-the-counter access to emergency contraceptives. That does not, however, mean that President Obama has reversed his position on the issue.
As Brady Dennis and I report in today's paper, the president still opposes allowing girls as young as 12 access to pills like Plan B One-Step without a prescription. So why did his administration drop its bid to enforce age limits?
I had the chance to talk this through late Monday night with a senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the legal reasoning.
It starts with a decision that the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued last week. In that ruling, a three-judge panel considered the administration's request to temporarily hold off on allowing over-the-counter sales of emergency contraceptives to women of all ages, as federal judge Edward Korman had ordered on April 5.
The Department of Justice wanted to stay that ruling until the appeals court issued a ruling on the merits of its challenge.
Korman had ordered that two emergency contraceptives, Plan B and Plan B One-Step, be made available without prescription to all women and girls. The appeals court partially sided with the administration: It issued a stay for Plan B One-Step because of jurisdictional issues. The case that Korman initially heard dealt only with the two-pill product, not Plan B One-Step, which could put the one-pill product outside the scope of that particular case.
On the two-pill Plan B product, however, the three-judge panel refused the administration's request for a stay. It would not allow its move to over-the-counter to be delayed.
That meant two things. First, it was a signal that Justice would likely lose its appeal. Stays are typically granted when the appeals court sees a good chance for the challenger to ultimately prevail. In this case, the Second Circuit did not see that.
Second, the ruling meant that the two-pill Plan B product now had to move in front of the counter. According to the senior official, there was worry about the two-pill product proving too complex for young girls to use it properly. The newer Plan B One-Step, which contains a one-pill dosage of levonorgesterl, is easier to use, which the administration thought made it a safer over-the-counter product.
A federal judge had ordered the FDA to allow an emergency contraceptive to be sold over-the-counter and the odds didn't look good in moving forward with the challenge. The administration, according to this official, felt like it had two not so great options.
It could continue its a relatively long-shot legal challenge while allowing a possibly complex medication to land on pharmacy shelves. Or, recognizing the long odds, it could drop the challenge and allow a simpler version of the product to become available to women and girls of all ages, without a prescription.
In the administration's best-case scenario, it would have won the stays and ultimately prevailed on appeal. That didn't happen. The Department of Justice fell back on what the administration saw as the better of two undesirable options. That's what you saw happen Monday, when Justice announced its intention to drop its appeals.
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Intensifying its campaign in Haryana ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi by releasing a 10-page booklet in Sirsa. The booklet, which also refers to several Congress ministers embroiled in corruption cases, was distributed by the party across the state.
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In it, the BJP has attacked Sonia over her real name, education and work. It also details the various alleged scams that took place during UPA’s 10-year tenure at the Centre.
Other leaders who feature in the booklet include Manmohan Singh, Sheila Dikshit, Virbhadra Singh, Suresh Kalmadi, Ashok Chavan, A Raja, Ramalinga Raju, Kanimozhi, Dayanidhi Maran, Naveen Jindal and Sonia’s son-in-law Robert Vadra.
Apart from accusing the Congress of hatching conspiracies and committing 18 different scams during its 10 years in power, the booklet, which has Sonia’s picture on the cover page, accuses her of being the prime conspirator.
The booklet mentions that Sonia’s actual name, as per her birth certificate, is Antonia Maino and goes on to allege that she lied about her education. “The claim that Sonia Gandhi did a diploma course in English from Cambridge University is a lie, while the truth is that she had never even attended college,” the booklet claims. The party also accused Sonia of being a KGB agent.
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Alleging that the Congress committed scams worth over Rs 3 lakh crore till 2011, the booklet contains details and pictures of Congress leaders and their kin allegedly involved in these scams. It also mentions controversial cases pertaining to party leaders N D Tewari, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler and Manu Sharma, whom the BJP has called “criminal personalities”.
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Iran’s Rouhani holds back from accepting resignation of foreign minister Zarif
DUBAI/GENEVA: President Hassan Rouhani held back from accepting the resignation of his foreign minister on Tuesday, standing by a leading ally in Iran’s moderate faction who has been targeted by hard-liners over a 2015 nuclear deal with the West.
Zarif — a US-educated veteran diplomat who helped craft the pact that curbed Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief — gave no reason for his decision to quit when he announced it on Instagram on Monday.
But his move thrust the schism between Iran’s hard-liners and moderates into the open, effectively challenging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to pick a side.
An ally of Zarif said his resignation was motivated by criticism of the nuclear accord, under increasingly intense fire in Iran since the United States abandoned it last year.
“There were closed-door meetings every week, where top officials were bombarding him with questions about the deal and what will happen next and so on,” a Zarif ally told Reuters on condition of anonymity. “He and his boss (Rouhani) were under a huge amount of pressure.”
Since the United States walked out of the nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions last year, Rouhani has had to explain why Iran has continued to abide by its restrictions while reaping virtually none of the foreseen economic benefits.
Despite announcing his resignation, Zarif had not officially tendered it to Rouhani by Tuesday afternoon and the president had not accepted it.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that Rouhani had not accepted Zarif’s resignation, rejecting reports in the media.
“All interpretations and analysis around the reasons behind the resignation of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, beyond what he posted on his Instagram account, are not accurate and, as the chief of staff of the president of Iran said today, the resignation has not been accepted,” spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Fars news.
Lawmakers representing the majority moderate faction sent Rouhani a letter asking him to keep Zarif on, IRNA reported.
Rouhani’s chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi said Rouhani stood by Zarif. The president’s praise was “a clear sign of the satisfaction of the representative of the people of Iran about the wise and effective positions and work of Dr. Zarif,” Vaezi wrote on Instagram.
Lawmaker Ali Motahari, like other politicians from both camps, said Rouhani was unlikely to accept Zarif’s decision since no one else could fill the demanding post.
The schism between hard-liners and moderates over the nuclear deal shows the tension in Iran between the two factions, and between the elected government which runs the country on a day-to-day basis and a clerical establishment with ultimate power.
Rouhani won elections in 2013 and 2017 on reform promises, while Khamenei, in power since 1989, is seen as above factional infighting but sympathetic to hard-liners. While Rouhani chooses ministers, Khamenei traditionally has the last say.
“If he (Khamenei) publicly backs Zarif and Rouhani, this crisis will be over in a good way and it will narrow the gap between different political camps in the country,” said an official close to the hard-line camp.
The political uncertainty comes at a difficult time for Iran’s leaders as the reimposed US sanctions have dashed hopes of an economic breakthrough. Rouhani has warned that the country is facing the worst economic crisis in 40 years.
Hardships have triggered waves of nation-wide protests, with calls for both Rouhani and clerical leaders to step down.
Some unconfirmed Iranian media reports indicated Zarif had resigned because he had not been informed about a visit by Syrian President Bashar Assad on Monday.
Zarif was quoted as condemning “factional fighting” in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday — suggesting political tensions may have played a part in his decision. The Fars news agency reported that the interview had taken place last week, before Zarif’s resignation.
A former pro-reform official warned of dire consequences of Zarif’s resignation is accepted.
“If accepted, it will have a domino effect ... and others (ministers) and even Rouhani might follow him and this is not something that the country can tolerate when pressured by America and sanctions,” he said.
“Hard-liners will be strengthened and any kind of reform will be buried for at least 10 years.”
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Cyber + Punk = Cyberpunk
The Coining The word 'cyberpunk' first appeared as the title of a short story "Cyberpunk" by Bruce Bethke, published in "AMAZING" science fiction stories magazine volume 57, number 4, in November 1983. The word was coined in the early spring of 1980, and applied to the "bizarre, hard-edged, high-tech" SF emerging in the eighties. The story itself is about a bunch of teenage hackers/crackers. Bethke himself tells, that the coining of the word "cyberpunk" was a conscious and deliberate act of creation on his part. The story was titled "Cyberpunk" from the very first draft. In calling it that, Bethke was actively trying to invent a new term that grokked the juxtaposition of punk attitudes and high technology. His reasons for doing so were purely selfish and market-driven: He wanted to give his story a snappy, one-word title that people would remember. And he really did succeed. So, William Gibson didn't invent the word 'cyberpunk'. But he invented the cyberspace and the cyberpunk science fiction. Originally the term 'cyberpunk' was meant to be a only character type name, meaning "a young, technologically facile, ethically vacuous, computer-assisted vandal or criminal". Nowadays the term means much more, it's the name for whole subculture and movement. Bethke wanted to include these notions in the term: That children have some undefined wiring which enables them to learn languages far easier than adults do, and this ability is not limited to "organic" languages. That teenagers can be dangerous because they live in a sort of ethically neutral state. They haven't got the hang of empathy yet, nor have they really grasped the linkage between their causative actions and the resulting effects. That, just as command of a language is power, technological skill is enfranchisement, and in 1980 we were 20 to 30 years away from an explosion of technology that would radically change the distribution of power in society. That parents and other adult authority figures were going to be terribly ill-equipped to deal with the first generation of teenagers who grew up "speaking computer." THEREFORE, if you thought punks on motorcycles were a problem, just wait until you meet the--- the--- Y'know, there isn't a good word to describe them?
The Fusion The term, in and of itself, is a fusion of two other and very different words, 'cyber' and 'punk', and this fusion is the key to understanding cyberpunk. 'Cyber' comes from 'cybernetics', which is a science studying control and communication in the animal and the machine, as defined by Norbert Wiener, coiner of the term. The term originates in the Greek language word 'kubernetes' which means 'pilot' or 'steersman'. Originally, cybernetic system, or any system, was a feedback loop that gives a controller information on the results of its actions. As computers were adapted for use in many control systems throughout the 1960's and 70's, the term which helped create the computer became associated with it. Wiener would have become dyspeptic at some of the uses of his word in the last forty years, but surely not with 'cyberpunk' and 'cyberspace'. It isn't cyber-anything without interaction, information, and communication. Nowadays, and in 'cyberpunk', the prefix 'cyber' means a synonym for that kind of cybernetic machine, something machinic, or something which exists or is produced via a cybernetic machine. Cybernetics also refers to machines that imitate human behaviour. 'Punk' was a an anarchistic, dense, and fast youth movement which terrorized the world in the 1970's and early 1980's. The mess was caused by the loud hard-core rock music that groups such as the Sex Pistols made popular. The word means originally 'rotten' or 'junk'. A 'punk' is a troublemaker, an 'antisocial rebel or hoodlum'. In terms of literature and social movements, 'punk' refers to a 'counterculture' and a sort of 'street-level anarchy', and tends to focus more on attitude and outlook than on music and criminal activity. In 'cyberpunk', 'punk' means the anarchistic and anti-authoritarian part of it. So, words 'cyber' and 'punk' emphasize the two basic aspects of cyberpunk: technology and individualism. Meaning of the word 'cyberpunk' could be something like 'anarchy via machines' or 'machine/computer rebel movement'. The technology of cyberpunk is ultratechnology, which mixes genetic material from animal to animal, from animal to man, or from man to animal. This technology raises human embryos for organ transplants, creates machines that think like humans and humans that think like machines. This is a technology designed to keep people within the 'system' that dominates the lives of most 'ordinary' people. This is the science of controlling human functions and of electronic, mechanical and biological control systems designed to replace them. This technology is visceral. It extends itself into people via brain implants, prosthetic limbs, cloned organs. It is not outside us but under our skin, inside our minds. Technology pervades the human self; the goal is the merging of man and machine. Cyberpunk is a combination of high tech and low life. In this world of the future cities have become 'sprawls' where only the strong survive. There is bleakness and dread and 'extacy'. In this world, as in any world, there are those who live on its margins: criminals, outcasts... and those who live in the world of the 'sinless', who are not necesserily registered in the world database. Cyberpunk focuses on these people, these 'lovers of freedom' who often use the ultratechnology designed to control them to fight back. The story lines usually bend toward the world of the illegal and there is often a sense of moral ambiguity; simply fighting the 'system' does not make these characters 'heroes' or 'good' in the traditional sense.
* * * "And you can bet any body part you'd care to name that, had I had even the slightest least inkling of a clue that I would still be answering questions about this word nearly 18 years later, I would have bloody well trademarked the damned thing! Nonetheless, I didn't, and that's the first point I want to stress. The term cyberpunk is in the public domain, and NO ONE has the right to trademark Cyberpunk™ the comic book, or Cyberpunk™ the card game, or Cyberpunk™ the crappy derivative franchised YA novel series." -- Bruce Bethke
Links & References The Etymology of Cyberpunk In foreword to "Cyberpunk", Bruce Bethke himself tells how, when, and why he invented the term cyberpunk. Defining Cyberpunk Cyberpunk word definition in "Cyberpunk and the New Myth" thesis.
By <mikel@buffnet.net> In the March 1, 1993 issue of Time Magazine, their definition was this: "With virtual sex, smart drugs and synthetic rock'n'roll, a new counterculture is surfing the dark edges of the computer age."
"They call it cyberpunk, a late-20th century term derived from CYBERNETICS, the science of communication and control theory, and punk, an antisocial rebel or hoodlum. Whithin this odd pairing lurks the essence of cyberpunk's international culture - a way of looking at the world that combines infatuation with high-tech tools and disdain for conventional ways of using them. Origionaly applied to a school of hard-boiled science-fiction writers and then to certain semitough computer hackers, the word cyberpunk now covers a broad range of music, art, psycadelics, smart drugs and cutting-edge technology." Book Escape Velocity - Cyberculture at the End of the Century By Mark Dery. Article "About a science fiction movement called CYBERPUNK" Published in Nettiset Webzine in February 1997.
By Sami Möttönen. The Cybernetic Delirium of Norbert Wiener An essay about Norbert Wiener's original cybernetics.
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Chris Christie watches as Donald Trump speaks during a news conference on April 26. | AP Photo Trump to hold rally to help Christie pay debts
Donald Trump will hold a fundraising rally in New Jersey later this month, with the proceeds going to help Chris Christie pay off his remaining debts from his presidential campaign.
The rally is set for May 19, at the Lawrenceville National Guard Armory, with attendees asked to pay $200 per person for tickets, according to the invitation.
Trump said he would self-finance his presidential campaign but after he became the presumptive nominee this week, he has begun to build out a fundraising infrastructure, including naming a finance chairman.
Christie — who endorsed Trump in February — reported $400,690 in debts as of the end of March, with $154,305 in cash left to pay off those bills. The New Jersey governor's fundraising slowed to a trickle after he ended his own presidential bid following the New Hampshire primary.
He raised less than $42,000 in March.
Correction: An earlier version of this post contained an incorrect cash-on-hand figure.
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Image caption Syrian-born Yahyah Farroukh is believed to be the 21-year-old suspect arrested by police
Police have been granted more time to question two suspects in connection with Friday's Tube attack.
On Saturday an 18-year-old man, thought to be an Iraqi orphan, was arrested in Dover port, and a 21-year-old was detained in Hounslow.
A homemade bomb partially exploded in a train at Parsons Green station, injuring 30 people in rush hour.
Police now have until 23 September to question the 18-year-old, and until 21 September to detain the 21-year-old.
The 18-year-old is a recent foster child at a home in Sunbury-on-Thames, and the 21-year-old has links to the property, where a police cordon is in place.
Police are searching the house owned by foster parents Ronald Jones, 88, and Penelope Jones, 71.
Both men were arrested under section 41 of the Terrorism Act and were granted warrants for further detention by Westminster Magistrates' Court.
They remain in custody at a south London police station.
CCTV images have emerged showing a person carrying a Lidl supermarket bag 90 minutes before the bombing.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption CCTV footage shows this Lidl bag being carried before the attack
BBC News has obtained CCTV footage showing a person leaving the property in Sunbury carrying a Lidl bag at 07:04 BST on Friday morning.
At 08.20, a device exploded on a District Line train.
The bomb was in a plastic bucket, which was transported in a Lidl bag.
The 18-year-old is thought to have moved to the UK aged 15 when his parents died.
Neighbours claimed the teenager, who is thought to still live at the foster home, tried to run away.
Neighbours who spoke to the BBC reported police cars attending the address several times over the last few months.
Resident Dave Solway said: "If they don't come back on time the police are called, that's why there will be a police presence.
"Whether that means the lads will cause trouble per se, who's to know? That's speculation."
Image copyright PA Image caption Police have cordoned off a street in Sunbury-on-Thames where they are searching a property thought to be connected with Friday's attack
A 21-year-old man, believed to be Syrian-born Yahyah Farroukh, was also arrested on Saturday in Hounslow, west London, and his house in Stanwell, near Heathrow airport, is being searched.
Mr Farroukh was a former foster child who had lived in the Jones's house in Sunbury, local council leader Ian Harvey said.
Mr Farroukh posted a picture on his Instagram page in May this year with a suitcase on Cavendish Road, Sunbury, almost directly outside the Jones's house.
Mr and Mrs Jones were made MBEs for services to children in 2010, and friend Alison Griffiths said the couple had an 18-year-old and a 22-year-old staying with them recently.
She said the couple were "great pillars of the community", adding: "They do a job that not many people do."
Map of events
Mr Farroukh is believed to have been in the UK for at least four years and learned English at West Thames College between 2013 and 2015.
Neighbours told the BBC he was a "friendly" and "chatty" young man who had been visited by family from Scotland.
Police also searched the Aladdins chicken shop in Hounslow, west London, where Mr Farroukh was arrested. A manager confirmed he had worked at the Kingsley Road shop for a number of months.
Shop owner Suleman Sarwar said police searched lockers on the premises. He added: "We didn't know him very well.
"He was quite quiet, he just worked over here and that was it.
"He was very normal. If he did do anything you would never have suspected it."
Image copyright PA Image caption The Sunbury house is owned by foster parents Penelope and Ronald Jones, who were made MBEs in 2010
The so-called Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said while there was "no evidence" to confirm Islamic State's involvement, work was being done to find out how the attacker was radicalised.
The UK's terror threat level was raised to critical - its highest level - immediately after the attack, but it was brought back to severe after the police arrests.
Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said police had gained a "greater understanding" of how the bomb was prepared but said there was "still much more to do".
Thirty people were injured - most suffering from "flash burns" - when a bomb was detonated on a Tube carriage at Parsons Green station.
Jack Durston was on the train where the bomb went off on Friday and he said: "There was a big sort of wall of fire, the whole width of the carriage, moving towards us very fast.
"My instinct was to just run. And I ran away from the fire and out the door."
Police have urged anyone with information to contact them and to upload pictures and video to the website www.ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk or to call the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.
Did you witness the arrest in Hounslow? Share your pictures, video and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
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Deep in the mountains of southwest China, lives an ex-bare knuckle kungfu fighter named Zou Fan. She says she fought “hundreds” of fights in the late 1980s and into the 1990s, before the Chinese Wushu Association, which governs combat sports, outlawed unsanctioned, bare knuckle matches. Now she spends her time practicing taiji in a courtyard of her Kungfu Eyrie, overlooking the lush valleys below.
Zou Fan came up in an interesting period for traditional Chinese martial arts. In 1979, after protracted infighting, a bout of nationwide insanity, and the death of Mao Zedong, the Head Communist in Charge, Deng Xiaoping, opened China’s doors and exhorted the downtrodden masses to get rich or die trying.
Part of that opening up included the establishment of a national Wushu Association, with provincial and local offices, each with the mandate to revive and sustain traditional Chinese martial arts on the Mainland.
Bruce Lee’s fame was already spreading across the globe and filtering through into Mainland China, despite the government’s—and many traditionalist’s—initial snub of the unpatriotic kungfu kid who had taken his skills to the West. The official line softened against Bruce Lee, and kungfu in general, after 1979. A generation of kids born in the late 1970s—brought up on Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan’s “Drunken Fist,” and other more obscure kungfu films, like the Wushu Association sponsored, “Little Heroes”—were finally able to legally and openly seek out kungfu masters.
From 1979 to the mid 1990s schools popped up across China, eventually leading to small fight circuits pitting martial artists from different styles and schools against each other. Zou Fan came up during this period, a wild explosion of martial arts fed by long pent up desires, and the appeal of modern martial arts movies.
I asked Zou Fan why she fought in bare knuckle matches.
“I loved fighting back then, I wanted to be the best. I fought anybody. We had a lot of organized matches, there were also grudge matches between people who didn’t like my master, or who wanted to discredit Kun Lun style. ”
Many traditional martial artists who fought or trained during this period believe that those days, when people fought for honor and pride, are over. Today, they say, it’s only money and bullshit. No art. No realness. It is ironic to hear that from traditional kungfu masters, who themselves are routinely dismissed by competitive fightersand Chinese society in general—for having no use in today’s modern world.
But a lot of what these old kungfu masters say is true. After the underground, regional martial arts fight circuits were dismantled and replaced with combat sports and performance wushu, a different type of Chinese fighter took the stage.
Today’s Chinese Fighter
Two major trends came together to put an end to the kungfu fight circuit: sportification and the one-child family.
China’s Wushu Associations are the agent of sportification. They promote performance wushu—the acrobatic routines based on kungfu forms—and Sanda combat sports through tournaments, standardized rules, state-sponsored training facilities, certified coaches, and most importantly, pay. Like most things communist, the system is heavy on numbers and low on excellence. The system basically relies on a continuous supply of work-horse fighters and performers to compete constantly within the regional and national circuit, generating a steady supply of cash from sponsors along the way. For strong provincial teams, or strong sports institutions, the fight game can be very lucrative.
And lucrative is the absolute key to growing anything in China today. Money and the pursuit of wealth rules this country and bothers the minds of all Chinese living in Mainland China. Traditionally, Chinese parents provide their children with education, and oftentimes their first home, whereupon the children repay their parents by taking care of them in old age. It’s common for three generations to live together in one home.
Now with the one-child policy, this tradition of taking care of each other is breaking down. Parents can’t always afford homes; children can’t afford to take care of their parents. There is a ton of pressure on everyone to be exceedingly pragmatic about their choices. Doing anything for “honor” is considered by most Chinese to be stupid, and contrary to one’s very basic self interest. Getting kicked in the face for pride is just ridiculous.
Most of China’s fighters come from the poorest regions of China. A lot of them are also ethnic minorities or farmers, in general a notch below everyone else in terms of living standards. For urban kids, fighting for a living makes no sense at all; for rural kids, fighting only makes sense if the paycheck is proper and guaranteed.
So today’s Chinese fighters often ask their promotions not what the win bonuses are, but how much they get paid to show. State-sponsored Sanda or MMA fighters in China receive room and board from their training facilities, and the best ones get a salary. They also fight a few times a month, outside of any contracts they have with say, the UFC or RUFF, to make extra cash. It’s a job, not a pursuit.
Major Western-oriented promotions like the UFC, RUFF, and OneFC have had issues with their Chinese fighters not taking fights seriously, not performing up to their best abilities, and not training properly. But in this context, “training properly” means fighting for excellence, and that may not be the major motivation for most Chinese fighters.
I spoke to Herb Dean on the sidelines of RUFF 12, and one of the things we talked about was the huge gap in living standards between an American MMA fighter and a Chinese MMA fighter. In Dean’s hometown of LA, people shot at each other over sneakers, but even in the worst neighborhoods, people had homes, yards, and refrigerators.
“These kids out here grow up with a lot less than any of those gangsters in LA,“ said Herb.
The New Chinese Fighter
The Chinese government is petrified of pretty much everything. One fear in particular is the fear of realness. Anyone living in a communist society is living in a big lie. Fake courts and fake judges, fake equality and fake morals. In China they are dealing with fake food and drink, fake faces and fake concrete. A famous Chinese author, Yu Hua, said that the only thing you can know to be real is a fake fake. Chinese politics dictates that the lie must be upheld at all costs.
But Chinese politics also dictates that globalization—controlled and filtered—is required in order for the state to survive.
Enter MMA. No sport, save perhaps football, is as powerful a globalizing force. And no combat sport is as real. MMA has its roots in parking lot matches and underground fight clubs, the appeal is both complete and utter realness and the power to tear down protectionist barriers and level the playing field. Everybody’s invited and fake fighters get stomped out, it’s that simple.
Moving toward realness in combat sports, and in society as a whole, seems to be a universal trend. In the US we may be going too far, as realness moves through irony into cliche in a heartbeat. But in China, the situation is unique because the people are in the very beginning stages of that movement. Chinese are sick to death of the bullshit, and they want some realness in their lives.
Combat sports is a good place to start. MMA is injecting realness back into the Chinese fight game, and the system is responding. Shows, even the notorious regional ones, place more emphasis on good fights. State-run schools and smaller, private gyms are getting serious about their training. The best fighters are rising to the top. The basic motivation remains the same, feed the family, but now there is more to fight for, because more is required by the game and by society itself.
Check out this related story:
Planting the Seeds of MMA in China
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Die Entführung aus dem Serail ( German: [ˈdɪ ʔɛntˈfyːʁʊŋ aʊ̯s dem zɛˈʁaɪ̯l]) (K. 384; The Abduction from the Seraglio; also known as Il Seraglio) is an opera Singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's Belmont und Constanze, oder Die Entführung aus dem Serail. The plot concerns the attempt of the hero Belmonte, assisted by his servant Pedrillo, to rescue his beloved Konstanze from the seraglio of Pasha Selim. The work premiered on 16 July 1782 at the Vienna Burgtheater, with the composer conducting.
Origins [ edit ]
The company that first sponsored the opera was the Nationalsingspiel ("national Singspiel"), a pet project (1778–1783) of the Austrian emperor Joseph II. The Emperor had set up the company to perform works in the German language (as opposed to the Italian opera style widely popular in Vienna). This project was ultimately given up as a failure, but along the way it produced a number of successes, mostly a series of translated works. Mozart's opera emerged as its outstanding original success.[1]
The inspector of the Nationalsingspiel was Gottlieb Stephanie.[2] When the 25-year-old Mozart arrived in Vienna in 1781, seeking professional opportunity, one of the first tasks to which he addressed himself was to become acquainted with Stephanie and lobby him for an opera commission. To this end, he brought a copy of his earlier opera Zaide and showed it to Stephanie, who was duly impressed. Mozart also made a strong impression on the manager of the theater, Count Franz Xaver Orsini-Rosenberg, when in the home of Mozart's friend and patroness Maria Wilhelmine Thun the Count heard him play excerpts from his opera Idomeneo, premiered with great success the previous year in Munich.[2] With this backing, it was agreed that Stephanie would find appropriate material and prepare a libretto for Mozart. Stephanie complied by preparing an altered version of an earlier work Belmont und Constanze, oder Die Entführung aus dem Serail without attributing or seeking permission from its original author Christoph Friedrich Bretzner. Bretzner later complained loudly and publicly about the theft.[3]
Composition [ edit ]
Mozart received the libretto from Stephanie on 29 July 1781. He had few opportunities to compose professionally during the summer and he set to work on the libretto at a very rapid pace, finishing three major numbers in just two days. A letter to his father Leopold indicates he was very excited about the prospect of having his opera performed in Vienna, and worked enthusiastically on his project.
At first Mozart thought he needed to finish his opera in only two months, because tentative plans were made to perform it at the September visit of the Russian Grand Duke Paul (son of Catherine the Great and heir to the Russian throne). However, it was ultimately decided to perform operas by Gluck instead, giving Mozart more time.[4]
It was around this time that Mozart articulated his views about the role of the composer and the librettist in the preparation of an opera. He wrote to his father (13 October 1781):
I would say that in an opera the poetry must be altogether the obedient daughter of the music. Why are Italian comic operas popular everywhere – in spite of the miserable libretti? … Because the music reigns supreme, and when one listens to it all else is forgotten. An opera is sure of success when the plot is well worked out, the words written solely for the music and not shoved in here and there to suit some miserable rhyme ... The best thing of all is when a good composer, who understands the stage and is talented enough to make sound suggestions, meets an able poet, that true phoenix;[5] in that case, no fears need be entertained as to the applause – even of the ignorant.[6]
It would seem that something along these lines did happen—that is, Mozart decided to play a major role in the shaping of the libretto, insisting that Stephanie make changes for dramatic and musical effect. On 26 September Mozart wrote:
Now comes the rub! The first act was finished more than three weeks ago, as was also one aria in act 2 and the drunken duet ["Vivat Bacchus", act 2] ... But I cannot compose any more, because the whole story is being altered – and, to tell the truth, at my own request. At the beginning of act 3 there is a charming quintet or rather finale, but I would prefer to have it at the end of act 2. In order to make this practicable, great changes must be made, in fact an entirely new plot must be introduced – and Stephanie is up to his neck in other work. So we must have a little patience.[7]
Mozart was evidently quite pleased to have in Stephanie a librettist who would listen to him. The September 26 letter also says:
Everyone abuses Stephanie. It may be the case he is only friendly to my face. But after all he is preparing the libretto for me – and, what is more, exactly as I want it – and by Heaven, I don't ask anything more of him.[8]
With the delays for rewriting, the composition took several more months. The premiere took place on 16 July 1782, at the Burgtheater in Vienna.
Character [ edit ]
Die Entführung aus dem Serail is in the genre of "Singspiel", thus the music lacks recitatives and consists entirely of set numbers. As Hughes notes, the action is mostly carried forward by the spoken dialogue, so the libretto gave Mozart little opportunity to display an achievement for which his later operas are celebrated, namely the construction of scenes in which the plot is both reflected in and driven forward by the music.[9]
Die Entführung is lighthearted and frequently comic, with little of the deep character exploration or darker feelings found in Mozart's later operas.[10] The opera was inspired by a contemporary interest in the exotic culture of the Ottoman Empire, a nation which had only recently ceased to be a military threat to Austria.[11][12] Mozart's opera includes a Westernized version of Turkish music, based very loosely on the Turkish Janissary band music.
Certain aspects of the opera conform to an eighteenth-century European view of orientalism. The Pasha's titular harem, for example, reprised themes of sexual libertinage. And the comically sinister overseer, Osmin, is a send-up of earlier stereotypes of Turkish despotism.[13] However, the opera also defies the stereotype of despotic Turkish culture, since its climax entails a selfless act of forgiveness on the part of the Pasha.[14]
The music includes some of the composer's most spectacular and difficult arias. Osmin's act 3 aria "O, wie will ich triumphieren" includes characteristic 18th century coloratura passage work, and twice goes down to a low D (D 2 ), one of the lowest notes demanded of any voice in opera.[15] Perhaps the most famous aria in the opera is the long and elaborate "Martern aller Arten" ("Tortures of all kinds") for Konstanze, an outstanding challenge for sopranos. Konstanze sings in a kind of sinfonia concertante with four solo players from the orchestra; the strikingly long orchestral introduction, without stage action, also poses problems for stage directors.[16]
The virtuosity of these roles is perhaps attributable to the fact that when he took up the task of composing the opera, Mozart already knew the outstanding reputations of the singers for whom he was writing, and he tailored the arias to their strengths.[2] The first Osmin was Ludwig Fischer, a bass noted for his wide range and skill in leaping over large intervals with ease. Similarly, Mozart wrote of the first Konstanze, Caterina Cavalieri, "I have sacrificed Konstanze's aria a little to the flexible throat of Mlle. Cavalieri."
Reception [ edit ]
Die Entführung aus dem Serail while [17] Mozart (at center) attended a performance of his own operawhile visiting Berlin in 1789. Franz Frankenberg performed the role of Osmin, Friedrich Ernst Wilhelm Greibe played Pedrillo.
The opera was a huge success. The first two performances brought in the large sum of 1200 florins, three times what Mozart's salary had been for his old job in Salzburg.[18] The work was repeatedly performed in Vienna during Mozart's lifetime,[19] and throughout German-speaking Europe.[20] In 1787, Goethe wrote (concerning his own efforts as a librettist):
All our endeavour ... to confine ourselves to what is simple and limited was lost when Mozart appeared. Die Entführung aus dem Serail conquered all, and our own carefully written piece has never been so much as mentioned in theater circles.[21]
Although the opera greatly raised Mozart's standing with the public as a composer, it did not make him rich: he was paid a flat fee of 100 Imperial ducats (about 450 florins) for his work, and made no profits from the many subsequent performances.[22]
The opera reached Paris in November 1801, when Frédéric Blasius conducted Ellmenreich's company in performances at the Théâtre de la Gaîté.[23]
This opera is firmly ensconced in the repertoire today.
"Too many notes" [ edit ]
The complexity of Mozart's work noted by Goethe also plays a role in a well-known tale about the opera which appeared in the early (1798) biography of Mozart by Franz Xaver Niemetschek. In the version of the anecdote printed in Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes, a reference work, the story is told like this:
The Emperor Joseph II commissioned the creation of The Abduction from the Seraglio, but when he heard it, he complained to Mozart, "That is too fine for my ears – there are too many notes." Mozart replied, "There are just as many notes as there should be."[24]
The authenticity of this story is not accepted by all scholars.[25] Moreover, the version given by the Bartlett reference (and many other places) includes a translation of the original German that is dubious. The original reads as follows:[26]
Zu schön für unsere Ohren, und gewaltig viel Noten, lieber Mozart!
"Too many notes" is not a plausible translation of the German phrase "gewaltig viel Noten". Mautner (1956:33), translating Niemetschek, renders this as "an extraordinary number of notes", while Branscombe (2006) translates it simply as "very many notes".[27] The anecdote, which is often repeated, is considered by some scholars[28] to unfairly give the Emperor a bad reputation concerning both his own musical abilities and his appreciation and support of Mozart.
Roles [ edit ]
Instrumentation [ edit ]
The singers perform with a Classical-era orchestra: pairs of flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, a set of two timpani, and strings. They are augmented with the instruments needed for "Turkish" music: bass drum, cymbals, triangle, and piccolo. The aria, "Traurigkeit ward mir zum Lose", is augmented by a basset horn.
The orchestra for the premiere included a number of eminent musicians of the day: first cellist Joseph Franz Weigl, first oboist Josef Triebensee, second horn Joseph Leutgeb, and the clarinettist brothers Anton and Johann Stadler. In the first violin section was Franz de Paula Hofer, who later became Mozart's brother-in-law.[30] The four musicians who played the "Turkish" instruments remain anonymous, though it is known that they were recruited for this purpose by one Franz Tyron, Kapellmeister of the Austrian Second Field Artillery Regiment.[31]
Synopsis [ edit ]
Place: the country house of the Pasha (German "Bassa"), in Turkey Time: 16th century[32]
Act 1 [ edit ]
After a lively overture, Belmonte enters, looking for his betrothed, Konstanze, who with her English servant Blonde has fallen into the hands of pirates and been sold to Pasha Selim (Aria: "Hier soll ich dich denn sehen" – "Here surely I must find her").[33] Osmin, the Pasha's bad-tempered servant, comes to pluck figs in the garden and contemptuously ignores Belmonte's questions (Aria: "Wer ein Liebchen hat gefunden" – "You may think, you've found a maiden"). Belmonte tries to obtain news of his servant, Pedrillo, who has been captured with the women and is serving as a servant in the Pasha's palace. Osmin replies with insults and abuse (Duet: "Verwünscht seist du samt deinem Liede!" – "The devil take you and your song, sir"). Belmonte leaves in disgust. Pedrillo enters and Osmin rages at him, vowing to get him tortured and killed in many different ways (Aria: "Solche hergelaufne Laffen" – "These young men who go a-spying"). Osmin leaves and Belmonte enters and happily reunites with Pedrillo. Together they resolve to rescue Konstanze and Blonde, who is Pedrillo's fiancée (Aria: "Konstanze, Konstanze, dich wiederzusehen … O wie ängstlich" – "Konstanze, Konstanze, to see thee again … Oh what trembling").
Accompanied by a chorus of Janissaries ("Singt dem großen Bassa Lieder" – "Sing to the mighty Pasha Selim"), Pasha Selim appears with Konstanze, for whose love he strives in vain (Aria of Konstanze: "Ach ich liebte" – "How I loved him"). Pedrillo tricks the Pasha into hiring Belmonte as an architect. When Belmonte and Pedrillo try to enter the palace, Osmin bars their way, but they hurry past him anyway (Terzett: "Marsch! Marsch! Marsch! Trollt euch fort!" – "March! March! March! Clear off!").
Act 2 [ edit ]
The Pasha has given Blonde to Osmin, to be his slave; however, she defiantly rebuffs her new master's rough lovemaking attempts (Aria: "Durch Zärtlichkeit und Schmeicheln" – "With smiles and kind caresses"), threatens to scratch out his eyes, and chases him out of the room (Duet: "Ich gehe, doch rate ich dir" – "I'm going, but mark what I say"). Konstanze enters and greets Blonde in distress (Aria: "Welcher Wechsel herrscht in meiner Seele … Traurigkeit ward mir zum Lose" – "Oh what sorrow overwhelms my spirit … Endless grief tortures my spirit"). The Pasha enters, demands her love, and threatens to use force, but she resolutely rejects him. (Aria: "Martern aller Arten" – "Tortures unrelenting") Left alone, he muses on her determination to remain chaste, which increases his desire for her.
Pedrillo informs Blonde that Belmonte has come and is planning to rescue them. Blonde is filled with joy. (Aria: "Welche Wonne, welche Lust" – "Oh, the happy, happy day"). After singing a short ditty to boost his courage (Aria: "Frisch zum Kampfe" – "Now Pedrillo, now for battle!"), Pedrillo invites Osmin to drink (Duet: "Vivat Bacchus! Bacchus lebe!" – "Here's to Bacchus, long live Bacchus"). Despite his religious prohibition against alcoholic beverages, Osmin drinks heavily and falls asleep. Konstanze joins Belmonte who declares his love (Aria: "Wenn der Freude Tränen fließen" – "When tears of joy flow"). The two couples reunite (Quartet, Belmonte, Konstanze, Pedrillo, Blonde: "Ach Belmonte! Ach, mein Leben" – "Ah, Belmonte, ah my dear one!"). After their initial expressions of love and joy, Belmonte and Pedrillo both question anxiously whether their respective fiancees have remained faithful during their forced separation; to their delight the women respond with indignation and dismay, and Blonde slaps Pedrillo's face. The two men apologize for their failure of confidence; the women forgive them for the offensive questions.
Act 3 [ edit ]
Belmonte and Pedrillo come to the garden with ladders (Aria, Belmonte: "Ich baue ganz auf deine Stärke" – "Love, only love, can now direct me"). Pedrillo gets the attention of the women by singing a ballad about a rescue similar to the one he is planning (Romanze, Pedrillo: "In Mohrenland gefangen war" – "In Moorish lands a maiden fair"). However, Osmin enters, sees the ladders, and rouses the castle. Osmin exults in the prospect of seeing them all hanged (Aria: "O, wie will ich triumphieren" – "My triumphant hour's approaching"). Belmonte pleads for their lives and tells Pasha Selim that his father is a Spanish Grandee and Governor of Oran, named Lostados, and will pay a generous ransom. Unfortunately, Pasha Selim and Lostados are long-standing enemies. The Pasha rejoices in the opportunity to subject his enemy's son to a horrible death. He leaves Belmonte and Konstanze to bid each other a last farewell; they lovingly assure each other that being tortured to death will be a pleasure, so long as they get tortured to death together (Duet: "Welch ein Geschick! O Qual der Seele.... Weh, du soltest für mich sterben" – "What dreadful fate conspires against us.... Woe, you will die because of me"). However, the Pasha decides that he can make a better point against Lostados by showing mercy and releasing Belmonte and his friends. All are set at liberty – much to the dismay of Osmin, who would prefer to see them all brutally executed (Finale: "Nie werd' ich deine Huld verkennen" – "Your noble mercy passes measure").
Recordings [ edit ]
Adaptations [ edit ]
The Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen wrote an opera called The Palace (first performed 1995); it contains characters whose names are adapted from Abduction and loosely uses elements of the plot of Mozart's opera as the starting point of a satirical fantasy.
Music professor, composer, and humorist Peter Schickele claims to have "discovered" P. D. Q. Bach's The Abduction of Figaro, a pastiche of the Entführung and Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.
References [ edit ]
Notes
Sources
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WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Tuesday’s midseason finale of Suits. If you have yet to watch, avert your eyes now. Everyone else, you may proceed…
Trouble continued to follow Mike on Tuesday’s Suits, as Louis discovered that the young associate did not have a file at Harvard. But is he really onto Mike’s secret?
Meanwhile, Rachel made a deal with Jessica, but was she playing from her heart or her brain? And holy crap, did Harvey actually get real and confessional with Scottie?
TVLine went to executive producer Aaron Korsh for answers to those questions and much more.
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TVLINE | Louis stumbled onto something pretty big there in the end. How much does he really know? Is he going to find out the truth?
I’ll say the totality of what Louis knows is that Mike doesn’t have a file there and that Sheila is super competent and likely would not lose a file. But also what Louis knows is that Sheila told him not to look in those files, and if he tells her that he looked in those files, she’s going to go ballistic. So Louis is in a little bit of a quandary, a conundrum. Also, as we’ve seen, Louis can spin out of control over the least little bit of something, so the fact that Mike’s file is not there is going to bore a hole in Louis’ crazy mind. I wouldn’t call it necessarily a cliffhanger, but we will definitely pursue that as Louis pursues what is going on with Mike. And it will have ramifications on many different people.
TVLINE | We didn’t actually see Jessica or Rachel agree to anything. Was that on purpose or are we to assume that Jessica said, “OK, I’ll make this exception,” and Rachel signed that affidavit?
Sometimes I think we’ve made things clear, and then it turns out we haven’t. And sometimes I think we’ve made them unclear, and it turns out we were clearer than I thought. … But the scene where Rachel comes in and tells Mike she’s staying, that’s meant to be the [definitive] answer to that – yes, Jessica did agree and Rachel did sign the agreement.
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TVLINE | What’s driving Rachel’s decision: Her desire to be a lawyer at the firm even though she didn’t go to Harvard or to stay with Mike?
That’s a great question. That’s something I wish we were more clear on. I think she would have chosen to stay at Columbia and stay with Mike no matter what. But it’s possible that she might have chosen Stanford had Jessica not stuck her finger in. But when someone says to you, “I’m forcing you to break up with your boyfriend,” or, “I’m forcing you to go to Stanford,” it really made Rachel realize, “Oh, my God. I love Mike. I don’t want to go to Stanford. I don’t care. I want to say here. I want to be with Mike.” Rachel’s decision is completely being driven by her feelings towards Mike. She used it all to get it all. She’s turning the challenge that Jessica’s thrown her way into an opportunity, and it shows Rachel’s growth as a lawyer. Jessica seeing that Rachel was smart enough to do that, she’s impressed by it. She’s like, “Yeah, I’ll waive the rule for you.”
TVLINE | And how open is Rachel going to be with Mike about this agreement that she made with Jessica?
I don’t even think we cover it. We just assume, of course, she’s done that. We didn’t write a scene where she tells Mike that. I just assume they’re in love, that she shared that with him.
VIDEO | White Collar Sneak Peek: Neal Enlists Mark Sheppard’s Baddie to Free Peter
TVLINE | The other big growth moment was Harvey telling Scottie he wants her in his life. What does that mean for him as a character going forward?
You think that was a big growth moment? No. I’m just kidding. [Laughs] Huge. … It has a huge impact on Scottie, and he’s offered her a job at the firm because he wants them to be in each other’s lives. But the small wrinkle is that Harvey didn’t necessarily run it by Jessica when he offered Scottie the job. So that’s going to be picked up in the new season. It’s not going to cause a major conflict because we felt like we’ve seen enough major conflict between Harvey and Jessica. But what it will do is prompt the opportunity for Harvey and Jessica to figure out how are they going to run this firm together. When they disagree on something, how are they going to work it out? That’s going to be the story of [Episode] 311, and I don’t want to say what the resolution of that is going to be, but it will have an impact on what their power structure is moving forward. And Harvey, regardless of the outcome of whether Scottie’s going to be at the firm or not, has declared he wants her in his life, so either way he’s going to pursue a relationship with her.
TVLINE | We haven’t seen Harvey in a serious romantic relationship so far, so what kind of new sides of him are we going to see?
We’re going to see Harvey navigating, probably for the first time in his life, what it means to be in a relationship, and he’s going to make some mistakes, and he’s going to have to learn from them. At the same time, he’s going to have to deal with his professional life while being in this situation. It’s going to have an opportunity for conflict, growth and tenderness, I would say.
TVLINE | You did a season-long, one-client case this season. Is that going to continue? Is Ava and Darby going to spill over into the back half of the season?
The Ava/Darby situation is finished in the back half of the season. The ramifications of it are Harvey asking Scottie to join the firm. That’s the thread that continues from that situation. As far as the legal casework of the last six, it’s not one case that they’re going to pursue for the last six. There will be a little bit more stand-alone stuff from the case perspective. As far as Season 4 goes, we have yet to determine what that will be. But in my mind, the serialization, to some degree, will continue, but not from a case perspective in the last six.
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'Hunt for Satoshi Nakamoto' Comic Book Sells For Over 20 Bitcoins
MEXICO CITY – The BitGive Foundation has been working to continue its path as an organization that leverages technology to spread philanthropy. Since the creation of BitGive in 2013, the team has helped many organizations, and is now concentrating on their own “Transparency 2.0 Project.” At the recent Latin American Bitcoin Conference Auction, the Bitcoin nonprofit raised 25.4 BTC for the transparency project from donated items and collectibles including a very special comic book.
Also read: 2015 Proves Bitcoin Is Here To Stay
At the third annual Latin American Bitcoin Conference (LaBITconf 2015) members of the digital currency community raised over $11,000 USD during the event for BitGive’s latest efforts and the local Latin American community. The money was raised through a collectibles auction with various items such as donations from Rocelo Lopes from CoinBR. Funds from a watch auction went to a local Mexican charity, Fundación Parlas, a group that helps people in poverty and suffer from mental illness. Fundación Parlas has just recently started accepting Bitcoin donations with help from BitPay and Bitso.
The Hunt for Satoshi
The auction’s main event sold a rare comic book titled Bitcoin: The Hunt for Satoshi Nakamoto, which was bought for 20.4 BTC by two buyers. Rodolfo Andragnes of Bitcoin Argentina and Sebastian Wain of CoinFabrik purchased the comic together and will share the collectible. Andragnes says: “Since there is only one book, we decided to share the book and double the help, as a way of giving back to the Bitcoin community.”
The reason the comic is so special is that FinTech Compliance Executive, Juan Llanos, got the book signed by 105 Bitcoin movers and shakers from 10 different countries worldwide. The signatures include Jeff Garzik, Roger Ver, Vitalik Buterin, Andreas Antonopoulos, and many more making it truly one of a kind item. Lastly, the second item sold was a limited edition Cryptomatic bitcoin watch purchased by Pablo Gonzalez of Bitso for 5 BTC.
The BitGive Foundation says they had an amazing year in 2015 and “are grateful for the opportunities BitGive was able to foster and take part in.” In 2016, they plan to embark on many more crusades and show the power of Bitcoin within the charity ecosystem. The team has created an image of all the international partnerships they have collaborated with since BitGive started in 2013.
BitGive Highlights of 2015
This New Year, BitGive will focus on the Donation Transparency Project as well as their efforts with other nonprofits. The effort will be a first of its kind attempt to use the blockchain to make charitable giving open and transparent through its cryptographic trust. BitGive is at the forefront of this concept, where donors can take advantage of this new technology and be sure their money goes directly to the intended charities.
Would you buy a rare comic like the one auctioned at LaBITconf2015? Let us know in the comments below!
Images courtesy of “Bitcoin: The Hunt for Satoshi Nakamoto” comic website, LaBITconf 2015, BitGive, and Redmemes
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Tom Hawkins
“I think the stage that I'm at right now is where I am just sort of vomiting. It’s what I sort of described a few minutes back.”
That’s Devin Townsend checking in from Baltimore, in a backstage area that is fucking with our cell phone reception. The 45-year-old guitarist and songwriter is getting ready for an off-day show he’s playing in between dates opening for Clutch, and we’re talking about the work Townsend has been working on in the studio before the tour.
“Whatever I feel like writing, I just start to vomit it out, and at a certain point I've vomited out 12 or 15 ideas, maybe one or two of them — if I'm lucky — start to spur on an idea that I find intellectually stimulating in some ways,” he said, adding that he'll refine and evolve the idea until it turns into a spark that lets him get the package together. “Once I get that I can start thinking about song titles, and album titles, and artwork and then start to really chip away at a specific thing.”
So right now, not even Townsend — who is touring in support of a his 17th studio album and the Devin Townsend Project’s seventh studio album, Transcendence — has a home for these ideas, but he is hopeful.
“I came up with something the other day that I have a lot of hope for, but my first inclination was to make the ending of it really complicated, and so I did that, but in listening back I was like, although I like that, what it's implying to me — emotionally or artistically — may, I may have to revisit this or it may have to be tacked on to a different song entirely, but there's certainly something there."
There’s certainly some travel on the itinerary, too.
“There's a bunch of people in Sweden that I've got these sort of small projects started with, so I am heading there in February, and I am working with four individuals,” he said, confirming that one of them is his good friend Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth.
“I'm hoping, if he's available. And we'll see what happens, but until it's something worth listening to, I'll certainly take my time on it,” Townsend said. “There's no burning desire to put out something half-ass just because it's him and I, right?”
He’s right, but is a 25-year-anniversary for Strapping Young Lad’s Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing something that’s on the table?
“No, I don't think that's in my cards at the moment.” he said.
And that’s alright — we’re perfectly happy with everything else. Read our full Q&A below, and get more information on his December 2 show at Jannus Live via local.cltampa.com.
Clutch w/Devin Townsend/The Obsessed
Sat. Dec. 2, 7 p.m. $24.50 and up.
Jannus Live, 200 1st Ave N, St. Petersburg.
More info: local.cltampa.com
Hey Devin, how we doing today?
I'm good, how are you doing?
I'm alright, thanks. Sorry we've had a hard time catching up.
Not at all, man.
I don't think I have much time with you, so I am gonna ask you a bunch of awkward questions.
[Silence.]
Hello? Devin?
Hey, sorry I think I walked down the stairs to where there was no reception. I am not down there any longer.
Sweet. I'm gonna try to ask you some questions that you haven't been asked a million times, which I'm sure is super annoying.
Nah, at this point anything you ask is totally fine.
Haha, OK, I only halfway believe you there, although you are a pretty awesome interview in YouTube videos. You're right a lot of songs that don't make your record. What happens to those shit songs?
Well the ones that are totally shit I don't ever release. There's probably, like, four levels of songwriting that I kind of find myself falling into, and, like, prior to a record taking shape I very rarely have a direction until a certain amount of time, but, I just keep writing from the hip. Whatever I feel like writing, I just start to vomit it out, and at a certain point, um, say I've vomited out 12 or 15 ideas, maybe one or two of them — if I'm lucky — start to spur on an idea that I find intellectually stimulating in some ways. Then I'll start to refine that idea, and that song may stay or it may evolve into something else that the idea had sparked, and then once I get that I can start thinking about song titles, and album titles, and artwork and then start to really chip away at a specific thing.
The rest of the stuff — the stuff that doesn't really fit into that theme exactly — it may be songs that I like, but it doesn't exactly contribute to whatever theme the main group starts to form, that usually becomes bonus material, like the bonus disc. Every record I've done for the past five or seven years, at least, has had a complete bonus record with it. Then the other stuff either starts to evolve into another project further down the line, or it just gets shelved. Like, I've got folders of material that is either just half-finished or is really, you know, ideas that aren't worth anything, right?
Right.
Yeah.
And I just wanted to confirm, I realize that your litmus test for putting out songs and records is whether or not you like it. How many of those crap songs are songs that are complete ideas are ones where you're like, "I don't necessarily like this but maybe my fans will."
I don't really, uh, utilize that criteria. Even on the last record, there was two songs that I had written, that I completed, that I presented to the band, and one of them the band really liked, but it didn't resonate enough with me for me to, uh, want to pursue as a statement, and so I let it go. There was another song that we did that I didn't like as much theme-wise, but the band really liked, and we put it on the bonus disc. To this day they're always asking me why we don't play it or, you know, if we should bring it into the set, but basically my criteria is something a little more intangible where does it resonate with me on an emotional level. And if it doesn't, then there's nothing I can really say about it right?
Like what's the point.
Exactly. And for the audience that becomes a problem really quickly. When you're trying to think, "What is the audience gonna like? Maybe they're gonna like this," or, "Whether or not I should make the chorus more accessible," those types of things, which are tempting, the more the label and management are always pushing me to think that way, but it's a slippery slope that I try to avoid, right?
No, it's a really good way to go about it — might as well never open that door. Now, I love talking with musicians who love being in the studio, and you've been in the studio lately especially in the last week or two. Working late night on some occasions. Could you explain what you're working on so you working? The chorus and choir and orchestra for the moth projects? Devin Townsend Project, Casualties of Cool etc.?
Well it's all of it, but none of it. I think the stage that I'm at right now is, um what I sort of described a few minutes back where I am just sort of vomiting, and some of the ideas, as I get them out of my system, might evolve into something that's quite different. I came up with something the other day that I have a lot of hope for, but my first, uh, inclination was to make the ending of it really complicated, and so I did that, but in listening back I was like, although I like that, what it's implying to me — emotionally or artistically — may, I may have to revisit this or it may have to be tacked on to a different song entirely, but there's certainly something there.
Right now I'm just getting those ideas out. A lot of times a completed songs, too, just end up being totally, what their completed form is gets just totally disregarded by the time other people hear it, but you're fumbling in the dark. So the stage that I'm at right now is the intense, dark fumbling.
Not a bad place. Real quick, I don't know this, but I think your kids are still young. Do your kids know who the character Ziltoid is yet?
Oh, oh my god. Nah, my son participated in my story. That's why those things are called pusitors (?). A seven-year-old trying to give you ideas, you know. Ziltoid was really cool for me, especially when I first started, because it was a way for me to be creative in a set of parameters, uh, it was almost a loophole and a way for me to participate in heavier, complex material that didn't really resonate with what I was trying to avoid with Strapping. It was, because it was sort of fantastical and science fiction, I could play these sort of heavy riffs and do these sorts of things, "Planet Smasher!!," and didn't have to feel like I would have to go deep, into that emotional abyss that I was required to go to in Strapping. I just became really uncomfortable with that, so Ziltoid was great in the begining, and at the end of the record it was really cool, too, but it was, again, much different because all of a sudden there was kids listening to it. Not just mine, but other people, like, "Oh yeah kids are listening to this stuff, so..."
[silence]
Devin, you still there? I lost you. Oh, you're back.
It's crazy, can't move six-inches in either direction here.
Oh dude, it's all good. Are you on a bus?
I'm in a venue, but we're on venue wifi, so it's a little sketchy.
You were talking about these dark places that you don't necessarily like to go, and you've talked about how your first year of sobriety was really tough for your songwriting. I like to imagine that folks trying to go on that same journey look up to you. Could you talk about where you are as far as your sobriety goes these days? How you were able to hack that first year and get your life back on track after everything and the decision to be sober.
Well, it's an interesting time for me now because, I mean, I've had a glass of wine every now and then to be fair. But I haven't been drunk at all, but I might, you know, we went on a cruise with my wife, my son and I, and I had a glass of wine. You know, it was my mother's birthday and I had a glass of wine, and, so I guess the bottom line is I don't crave it now, but I also, you know — if it's a situation like that I might do it — but I recognize, I think, after I got away from, from any sort of drugs or alcohol when my kid was born, I think was looking for an escape more than anything else. And I think, maybe now, I don't feel the need to escape as much. However, it's good for me to also recognize that my nature, very quickly, it's a slippery slope and it can devolve into things that are really unhealthy for me. Just because I think I am fundamentally self-destructive, I think, on a lot of levels, which really works for my creative process, but not so much for moderation.
Yeah.
So as much as I've had a glass of wine in a couple of situations, I have to keep a real close I on it, and I do, you know.
And kind of relating to what you were just talking about, looking back on Alien, do you feel like it was a risky move, as far as your personal life and mental health goes, to go off the meds and make that record? I know you were proud of that record, but is there a case where if it sucked that you would've hated yourself?
I think that the decision, I assumed that the decision was maybe rooted in things that, in hindsight, may be different than, um, at the time I thought it was more that I was experimenting with drinking or smoking dope or whatever, but I think in hindsight my life at that point was a conglomeration of things that I don't know that I understood, you know. My mother-in-law had moved in with me, Strapping had gotten really toxic and we were surrounded by a bunch of real negative things, and there was money problems, and all this sort of stuff, so I think with Alien I sort of experimented with a lack of accountability more than anything else, creatively.
If there's anything I learned from that, then it's that the more popular you get, and the more you progress as an artist and as a public entity, the more your words carry weight, and I think that a lot of times the insecure person in me doesn't want to admit that, but the pragmatism of my job, and everything, it certainly encourages me to be that way because whatever you say, people are going to say, "Well there it is." And 25 years of doing this, 25 years of interviews, the amount of changes that I've been through that have been public.
Yeah.
If I stop and think about it, it's fucking embarrassing, right?
Yeah, the record is unkind to emotions.
Well, with it, I was like, "Fuck it." I'm not gonna worry too much about what the audience thinks about it. I'm just gonna say things that I feel compelled to say considering where my life's at at this point, which made a piece of work that I was proud of. But ultimately what it drew to me were things that I was really uncomfortable with, so the, uh, dope, or the booze, or the social scenarios I found myself in, or my lack of desire to control my temper or whatever resulted in just a situation that, objectively, I can stand back from now and be like, "Well 1+1=2," and that's what you're looking for, there's that. And when I talk about accountability at this point, man, it's like more than anything else in my world right now, it's about defining what it is that I want. And then there's certain things that fit into that, and there's certain things that don't. And that's really the bottom line.
Right on, and to kind of switch gears a little bit. You guys played together at red rocks earlier in the year and those dudes Opeth are awesome, so any truth to the idea of you working with Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth? I feel like the metal world would bow down if that happened.
Well, we talk, and me and Mike have been buddies for a long time, and we have the same management. We've talked about it on a lot of occasions, but I also think that what happens after a certain amount of time doing this professionally is that your motivation to do these things changes from, "Wouldn't be egotistically gratifying to form a band with somebody who you have respect for," and not it's like, "If there's time" and "if the moment is right," then surely we'd do it, but we live on the other side of the planet from each other. However, there's a bunch of people in Sweden that I've got these sort of small projects started with, so I am heading there in February, and I am working with four individuals. Mike is one of them, I'm hoping, if he's available. And we'll see what happens, but until it's something worth listening to, I'll certainly take my time on it, right? There's no burning desire to put out something half-ass just because it's him and I, right?
Right, and how's it been playing the new stuff for the Clutch crowd.
We've only had one show with the Clutch crowd. I think their crowd seems to be very much like them where it's something very different, maybe on the surface, than what is underneath it. Because I've always thought of them being really progressive thinking and highly-intelligent people, and that's what I get from the audience as well, but it's also under this, uh, on the surface, it's really, it's, like, beards and dirtbike kind of vibe right?
Ha, yeah.
But when we're playing, I love the guys in the band, their crew; it's just highly-intelligent, really clued-in people, and I sense the same thing from the audience.
Right on, and the Transcendence stuff is translating? It's cool to watch them take it in?
Well, we've only had one show. I think that maybe it's not the perfect fit between bands, but I think for the sake of confusing a bunch of new people, um we're doing a pretty good job.
That's awesome. I feel like landing that Steve Vai gig changed your life in that he was a mentor, totally better than you were at the time. Are you able to pay that forward with any of the up and coming guitar players these days?
Oh yeah, I like to think that I can. I like to think that I support people around me, um, professionally and personally in ways that are healthy. I'm firmly of the mindset that if one person grows, everybody else grows, and when you're working with people, I want to see people succeed. Whether or not that's with me, or on their own separate from me. I have no desire to, like, uh, horde anybody, so if there's an opportunity that I find works for somebody else, certainly, uh help them in any ways they can.
Yeah, it's really cool to hear how much you've grown, and the warmth that's inside of you talking about your family and stuff like that, so I wanted to thank you. Are you meeting fans after the show? Friends have told me they’re bringing Strapping Young Lad vinyl to try and get signed.
Well if I find myself where there's people, then I am always willing to say, "Hi." It's hard for me to guarantee these things as well. Some days it's like I get off the stage, and I just want to sit backstage and stare at the roof, right?
Yeah.
But I also think that, if there's people that are there, and specifically if it's cold or whatever, I won't leave them hanging right, so if he's there then definitely.
Yeah, and no news, and I know Strapping was kind of a dark place, but it's been 25 years, but no 25 year anniversary on that?
No, I don't think that's in my cards at the moment.
Well thanks so much for your time. I hope you have a good show, and we'll see you down here in St. Petersburg in a couple days.
Thanks so much, buddy, I look forward to it.
Have a good one.
Cheers.
Bye.
Bye-bye.
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MOSCOW — Popular support for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his ruling party is falling as voters prepare for Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
“Opposition to Putin is huge, and it’s growing rapidly,” said Moscow-based journalist Alexei Korolyov.
“Every day, there are more and more people asking themselves, ‘Why did I go for this guy 10 years ago?’ And you hear people say this everywhere, not only in Moscow or St. Petersburg.”
State-run polls put support for Mr. Putin and his United Russia party at about 50 percent, but independent surveys suggest the true figure is much lower. Analysts say the party has a low chance of retaining the two-thirds majority it has held since 2007.
The hardening of the public’s attitude about Mr. Putin was on display at a sports event in Moscow in mid-November, when at least one section of the crowd appeared to boo him.
Alexei Navalny, an anti-graft activist and widely read blogger, said the jeers and catcalls signal “the end of an era.” He is a highly influential figure in an increasingly politicized Russian Internet community, and coined United Russia’s popular, unofficial nickname: “the party of swindlers and thieves.”
Dissent has been growing about a number of issues, such as suspected mass corruption by United Russia officials and the prospect of two more terms in the Kremlin for Mr. Putin, who will seek a third presidential election next year after being constitutionally bound to step down as president in 2008.
Opposition leader Grigory Yavlinsky, head of the liberal Yabloko party, has suggested that the sudden spark of opposition to Mr. Putin’s rule represents a “deep historical shift” in the nation’s mindset.
Others agree. “People are fed up with Putin,” senior Yabloko official Galina Mikhaleva told The Washington Times. “State-run TV earlier zombified the people, but the Internet has played a huge role in waking them up.
“When people imagine another 12 years of Putin in power, they begin to feel very bad,” Ms. Mikhaleva added.
But there is little doubt here - even among opposition parties - that United Russia will triumph in Sunday’s elections.
“Everything is decided by the Kremlin, by Putin,” Ms. Mikhaleva said, adding that it is “likely” the polls would be rigged in advance.
“We even had elections under Stalin,” she said with a laugh, a reference to the single-candidate-voting formalities of the Soviet Union.
Yabloko will field candidates on Sunday, but it is unlikely to meet the 7 percent threshold for parliamentary representation. The only opposition parties predicted to gain seats in the new parliament are the Communists, the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) and the A Just Russia party.
The Communists are largely seen as the party of the pension-age Soviet generation, but most observers dismiss the LDPR and A Just Russia as Kremlin-backed projects designed as an outlet for protest votes.
“The Putin regime is afraid of open competition and all the genuine opposition parties have been banned,” Solidarnost political committee member Ivan Tyutrin told The Times.
Solidarnost is part of the Parnas coalition, which brings together several well-known opposition figures, including former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and former First Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov. It was denied permission to run in the elections after authorities alleged it had violated poll registration procedures.
Mr. Tyutrin also said that the polls would see “colossal falsification.”
“Governors in the regions have been ordered to guarantee a good result for United Russia,” he added, saying that they face the threat of dismissal if they fail to do so.
The main independent Russian election observer group, Golos, has reported complaints from workers and students who say they are being pressured by bosses or university staffers - themselves under pressure “from above” - to cast their votes for United Russia.
Local media reported that one employer has asked his workers to photograph their ballot papers to prove they had voted “right.”
Meanwhile, the Central Election Commission (CEC), a supposedly neutral body, has come under fire after its ad urging Russians to vote was revealed to be almost identical to United Russia’s campaign posters. The only difference is the CEC version lacks a United Russia symbol.
A CEC spokesman denied any wrongdoing.
CEC chief Vladimir Churov is a United Russia member who once said, “My first rule is that Putin is also right.” He has been accused of pressuring TV companies to ban opposition ads in the run-up to the voting.
Opposition groups plan rallies in Moscow on and after Election Day. But with 30,000 Kremlin-backed youth activists planning to set up camp in the city, the opposition’s plans to demonstrate seem as doomed as their ambitions to contest Sunday’s voting.
“It is clear by now that the results will be massively rigged by the authorities to ensure that United Russia gets on top with a massive majority,” Konstantin von Eggert wrote in a column for the state-run RIA Novosti news agency’s English language website.
“It boasts of wide-ranging support, but it has to resort to dirty tricks.”
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
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OSSEO, Wis. - Why not bring the Norske Nook to the home of the Norskies?
Between the mascot and the village's desire to revitalize downtown, the restaurant administration chose DeForest as the best location for a new restaurant.
Those who run the Norske Nook considered numerous options in the greater Madison area before making the decision to develop in DeForest.
Regional manager and co-owner of the DeForest location Cindee Borton-Parker said she felt good about the welcoming environment in DeForest.
"I didn't think we'd get lost in the shuffle there. We're not a franchise," Borton-Parker told News 3. "We're not a multi-owner big company. We're each store is individually owned."
The company will take over the space at 100 E. Holum St.
The Norske Nook started off as a cafe more than 40 years ago and has rooted itself in Osseo with a tradition in baking from scratch.
"It's a lot of love, a lot of work, a lot of labor goes into them," Borton-Parker said.
"They make you feel welcome and like you're sitting in their kitchen," customer Rose Murray said.
"It speaks to my Norwegian roots," customer Eileen Pavelko said.
Since its start, the restaurant has expanded to Rice Lake, Hayward, and Eau Claire, still priding itself on its Scandinavian influences. It is those aesthetics that the owner looks forward to showing off even more in a DeForest location.
Norske Nook co-owner Jerry Bechard hopes to break ground on the restaurant this spring with a grand opening later this year.
"We wanted that hometown feel," Borton-Parker explained. "And they definitely had that there."
Village leaders hope the statewide and even international notoriety of Norske Nook will put them on the map for more tourists.
In a statement, DeForest Administrator Steve Fahlgreen said, "We have put much into making DeForest a more business friendly environment. Working through the permitting and zoning process with Norske Nook has illustrated the benefits of our streamlined process."
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Guest post by MICHAEL EDMISTON
Magic is not dead. It never died, it merely slumbers, just beneath the surface of our modern, materialist, techno-industrial globalized culture. Magic has been with us since the beginning. It is practiced in some form by every culture in the world, and has been throughout history. Today, though we in the Western, “developed” world often pride ourselves on our rationality, our objectivity, on our coldly pragmatic calculations of cost and benefit, we still feel the siren song of the irrational, the mystical, the magical, and it lurks within good luck charms, wishes, knocking on wood, the special “aura” of emotionally resonant objects, prayers for divine intervention, “jinxes”, and even within our civilization’s most ubiquitous and practical products.
The cellular phones we all carry in our pockets resemble (when powered off) the black scrying mirrors used by magicians for divinations, as does every television and computer screen. These come to life at our touch, showing us endless streams of visions and even giving us answers to our questions through the oracle known as Google, yet the deep secrets of their production and function are known only to a select few, and nobody understands all aspects of how they work. As Rene Magritte pointed out, “everything we see hides another thing”. Magic hides behind these screens, behind so much of what we see every day, underneath the skin of what most would consider mundane.
Atheism, agnosticism and other forms of secularism may be on the rise, and the ancient religions dead and gone, but the old Gods never left us. They live in the days of the week, in the months, in the names of the stars and planets, in the old holidays still celebrated at the turning of the seasons. Recently, we have even called down the powers of the Gods to earth and their terrible might is at our very fingertips. Thor’s thunder runs through the countless cables and webs of wires that are the nervous systems of our cities.
When Robert Oppenheimer witnessed the detonation of the atomic bomb, he might have made any number of comments, but he chose a quote from the ancient Indian epic, the Bhagavad Gita: “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds”. The line is spoken by the God Vishnu, and it is a fitting statement, for we do have the power to cause death and destruction on a scale far beyond any other animal, even to destroy the world many times over, and nuclear fire is not the only way we might do so.
Technology like the nuclear bomb is not generally thought of as Magic, but consider the classic fantasy image of a Wizard conjuring balls of fire to hurl at his enemies. What exactly is the difference between such an act and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? A nuclear weapon is massively more destructive, though we do also have other instruments of burning death: napalm, flamethrowers, and the multitude of guns and bombs that stock the arsenals of all the nations of the world.
These technologies are restricted to certain groups of people, and the more powerful they are, the fewer people who can access them or even understand their operation. The knowledge needed to comprehend the complex calculations required to create a nuclear weapon is so deep and specialized that only a handful of people can lay claim to it. Nuclear Physics, though it can be learned by anyone with enough time and dedication, is so esoteric that it might as well be magical. Specialized scientific expertise is perhaps the only widely accepted and respected form of occult knowledge in today’s society.
Yet, the magical, the mystical and the occult also arise in countless other forms in our culture. One need look no farther than popular fiction to witness the massive upwelling of interest in magic and the paranormal. Consider Harry Potter, that astoundingly successful breakaway book and movie series that made J.K. Rowling a multi-millionaire almost overnight.
There are a multitude of other examples of Magic appearing in popular fiction, from television shows such as “Buffy: the Vampire Slayer” and “Bewitched” to the countless fantasy novels featuring magical protagonists, from “The Lord of the Rings” to “A Wizard of Earthsea”. As Victoria Nelson puts it, “In the current Aristotelian age, the transcendental has been forced underground, where it has found a distorted outlet outside the recognized boundaries of religious expression… we turn to works of the imagination to learn how our living desire to believe in a transcendent reality has survived outside our conscious awareness.”
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While Facebook assures western powers, from Germany to the United States, that it will do everything it can to help them defend their democratic processes from malicious actors, it continues to aid, in one way or another, oppressive regimes across the world.
The debate over whether social media helps or hinders political movements in authoritarian-leaning countries is as old as the technology itself, but as Facebook is increasingly becoming the dominant news source in many parts of the world, its power to boost or undermine democracy is only gaining strength.
Censorship and content moderation
In the span of just several years, Facebook became the prevailing source of information in Myanmar, with more people having access to the platform than to steady electricity in their homes, The Washington Post reported. In today’s world, social media platforms are a crucial part of a country’s political transition from authoritarianism to democracy—where there is no long, established tradition of free and independent media, people rely on social platforms to share information, including falsities. From the very beginning, some in Myanmar have been using Facebook to stoke ethnic hatred toward the Rohingya Muslim minority. Now, as the Rohingya are being effectively purged by the Myanmar military, activists say their posts documenting the atrocities are being censored by Facebook, the Daily Beast reported, while government and military representatives spread anti-Rohingya information from their personal pages, according to the Post.
At least part of the problem in the country appears to be Facebook’s content moderation system and rules. Any user can flag a post as undesirable, and content that intends to raise awareness about atrocities or hate speech can be be interpreted by Facebook moderators as a violation of “Community Standards” that prohibit the celebration of violence. Although Facebook says it is giving the situation in Myanmar special consideration, its content moderators are usually all around the world, and, by design, have no context for flagged information.
The “Explore” experiment
While in Myanmar, Facebook’s role has mostly to do with how the information is shared and controlled by the platform, Cambodia’s Facebook-related problem is a direct result of the company’s experiment in the country.
When it turned out that the platform was testing pushing news content out of its main feed into a feature called “Explore,”publishers around the world started panicking about potential loss in revenue—but in Cambodia the move immediately felt like an attack on democracy and freedom of speech. Amid a government crackdown on NGOs and media outlets, Facebook’s experiment caused these institutions to lose even up to 60% of their traffic.
The same thing happened in Serbia, one of the many young democracies in Europe that are still quite fragile. Stevan Dojcinovic, an investigative journalist in the country wrote a poignant op-ed in The New York Times about how his independent news outlet, which relies on Facebook for traffic, was getting crushed by the Explore feed experiment. If the change were to become permanent, “pliant” mainstream news organizations who get funding from the government would be easily able to find alternative ways to reach their audience.
The political power of a Facebook campaign
In the Philippines, Facebook’s involvement has been even more straightforward. Like in Cambodia, the platform is ubiquitous—97% of the population that is online has an account. A feature from Bloomberg recently described just how instrumental Facebook had been in the election of Rodrigo Duterte, the country’s strongman president who has shocked the world with his brutal, deadly anti-drug crackdown. The company’s employees helped train Duterte’s campaign (as well as other candidates’) in how to use the platform’s tools, knowledge the team used very effectively. The problem is, the camp’s promotion of the candidate included spreading false information. After Duterte was elected, Facebook only expanded its collaboration with the new government, while an army of pro-Duterte trolls kept organizing attacks on his opponents, including the free press.
Fake news
Governments have always spread “fake news”—after all, it’s just another term for propaganda. They’ve also always disparaged alternative sources of information.
But the ever-growing heaps of internet trash, “facts” made up from top-to-bottom that reach the public eye largely thanks to Facebook, have given authoritarians or leaders with anti-democratic tendencies all over the world a convenient go-to term to discredit legitimate news that present them in an unfavorable light. The phrase, promoted by Donald Trump, who occupies the position once described as “the leader of the free world,” has entered the vocabularies of the leaders of: Syria, Venezuela, China, Russia, Libya, Somalia, Turkey, and Poland, among many others, Politico reported.
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New research suggests that advances in the production of Early Stone Age tools had less to do with the evolution of language and more to do with the brain networks involved in modern piano playing.
Around 1.75 million years ago there was a revolutionary innovation in stone tool technology, when early humans moved from making simple Oldowan flake and pebble tools to producing two-sided, shaped tools, such as Acheulian hand axes and cleavers. This advance is thought to reflect an evolutionary change in intelligence and language abilities.
Understanding the link between brain evolution and cognition is a challenge, however, because it is impossible to observe the brain activity of extinct humans. An innovative approach to this challenge is to bring together modern neuroscience methods and material artefacts from the archaeological record.
To understand the brain changes that might have co-evolved with the advance in tool use, researchers in the field of neuroarcheology - from the University of East Anglia's (UEA) School of Psychology, The Stone Age Institute at Indiana University, and the Department of Anthropology at the University of Iowa - have been examining the brain activity of modern humans as they learn to make Oldowan and Acheulian stone tools.
To test whether learning with language impacts which brain networks are involved in stone toolmaking, 15 of the 31 participants learned to knap stone via verbal instruction by watching videos of a skilled knapper's hands during individual training sessions. The other 16 participants learned via nonverbal instruction using the same videos, but with the sound turned off.
The researchers found that the co-ordination of visual attention and motor control networks were sufficient to remove simple flakes for Oldowan tools. But the production of Acheulian tools required the integration of visual working memory, auditory and sensorimotor information, and complex action-planning - the same brain areas that are activated in modern piano playing. These findings, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, are a major step forward in understanding the evolution of human intelligence.
Lead author Dr Shelby Putt, from the Stone Age Institute, said: "This work offers novel insights into prehistoric cognition using a cutting-edge neuroimaging technique that allows people to engage in complex actions while we are measuring localized brain activity.
"The study reveals key brain networks that might underlie the shift towards more human-like intelligence around 1.75 million years ago. We think this marked a turning point in the evolution of the human brain, leading to the evolution of a new species of human."
The researchers also reported that brain networks specialised for language in modern humans were only activated during Acheulian tool production when participants learned to make tools in the verbal instruction condition. Since language was likely not available 1.75 million years ago, this suggests that Acheulian tool production did not rely heavily on the evolution of language centres in the brain.
Co-author Prof John Spencer from UEA said: "Our findings do not neatly overlap with prior claims that language and stone tool production co-evolved. There is more support for the idea that working memory and auditory-visual integration networks laid the foundation for advances in stone tool-making.
"It is fascinating that these same brain networks today allow modern humans to perform such behaviours as skilfully playing a musical instrument."
Previous studies have attempted to simulate early tool making, for example, by showing participants images of tool production and then looking at brain activity.
Conducted at the University of Iowa, this is the first neuroimaging study to use a cutting-edge technique - functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) - to enable researchers to track real time changes in brain activity as participants made these two types of stone tools.
Summing up the study, co-author Prof Robert Franciscus from the University of Iowa said: "When and how humans became the exceptionally intelligent and language-using species that we are today is still a great mystery. We discovered that the appearance of a type of more complexly shaped stone tool kit in the archaeological record marked an important cognitive shift when our ancestors started to think and act more like humans rather than apes.
"The insights provided by this study into some of the biggest questions in human evolution - cognitive evolution and its relationship to the emergence of language - would have been difficult, if not impossible to achieve without the kind of interdisciplinary approach to research that this project was grounded on."
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'The Functional Brain Networks that Underlie Early Stone Age Tool Manufacture', Shelby S Putt, Sobanawartiny Wijeakumar, Robert G Franciscus, John P Spencer, is published in Nature Human Behaviour.
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At the end of last week, the French, German, Italian and Spanish versions of the Windows Phone Developer Tools were released. These versions of WPDT contain localized versions of the developer tools (including XNA Game Studio 4.0 components) and the Windows Phone Emulator. You can only install one language of the Windows Phone Developer Tools on a computer at a time, so if you already have the English version installed and want to use one of these localized versions, you will need to uninstall the English version first.
Here are links that you can use to download and get started using each language version of the Windows Phone Developer Tools.
French Windows Phone Developer Tools links
German Windows Phone Developer Tools links
Italian Windows Phone Developer Tools links
Spanish Windows Phone Developer Tools links
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Ordering Diet Coke might not be as terrible as they say
This one is controversial.
After we read that ordering a Diet Coke on your flight is one of the worst things you can do to your flight attendant, we wondered if it really bothers flight attendants quite that much or if this is a bit of hyperbole.
As Heather Poole, a flight attendant, wrote on her blog and was quoted in the above article saying, "Of all the drinks we serve, Diet Coke takes the most time to pour — the fizz takes forever to settle at 35,000 feet. In the time it takes me to pour a single cup of Diet Coke, I can serve three passengers a different beverage."
But as the headline of Poole's article suggests — "Do flight attendants REALLY hate serving Diet Coke? (How the misconception began)" — while it may be annoying to wait a little longer to pour someone's drink, flight attendants don't expect you to stop ordering Diet Coke. They certainly won't.
"For the record, I drink Diet Coke both as a flight attendant and as a passenger," Poole writes.
To get to the bottom of this one, we asked a couple of flight attendants specifically if ordering Diet Coke mid-flight is all that bothersome, and we also got mixed opinions.
One flight attendant we talked to said he's never even heard of this before — the only time he found a passenger ordering a Diet Coke annoying was when he dropped the can and it shot across the galley, spraying soda all over him. So really, nothing to do with the passenger.
And another flight attendant echoed much of Poole's sentiments:
"It takes a while to pour because of the fizz. It's just a few extra seconds, but when you're in the aisle trying to do a bunch of things it feels a lot longer. It happens with any of the diet sodas, I think. But Diet Coke is all I drink, so I can't get too annoyed."
Considering all of the far worse things you could do on a plane that we highlighted, we think you can let yourself off the hook on this one.
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Record Label Picks Copyright Fight — With The Wrong Guy
An Australian record label may have picked a fight with the wrong guy. The label sent a standard takedown notice threatening to sue after YouTube computers spotted its music in a video.
It turns out that video was posted by one of the most famous copyright attorneys in the world, and Lawrence Lessig is suing back.
Lessig, a Harvard Law School professor, has lectured around the world about how copyright law needs to adapt to the Internet age. In his lecture, he shows examples of people who have used the Internet to "share their culture and remix other people's creations."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
One of the examples he likes to show is a series of remixes that use the song "Lisztomania" by the French band Phoenix. Someone remixed that song with clips from the iconic '80s movie The Breakfast Club. The remix went viral and inspired other videos in which people pretended to be Breakfast Club actors dancing to the song.
Copyright Vs. Fair Use
Lessig posted his lecture on YouTube, which uses a technology that scans videos to find copyrighted songs.
Many labels and artists have agreed to let songs stay up in return for a cut of the money that YouTube gets from ads it runs with the videos — but some labels, like Melbourne-based Liberation Music, which owns the rights to "Lisztomania," just want them taken down.
One day, "the computer bots finally got around to noticing that I had used a clip from this song," he says. "Liberation Music then fired off threats of a lawsuit to me if I didn't take it down."
At first, YouTube took it down. But being a copyright attorney, Lessig knew his rights. He was entitled to use these clips in a lecture under a legal doctrine known as fair use.
"If I'm using it for purposes of critique, then I can use if even if I don't have permission of the original copyright owner," he says.
Liberation Music eventually backed down. But Lessig decided to invoke another part of the copyright law, "which basically polices bad-faith lawsuits," he says — threats made fraudulently or without proper basis.
Lessig is suing Liberation Music because he wants labels to stop relying on automated systems to send out takedown notices, he says.
Afraid To Fight Back
Liberation Music did not respond to NPR's numerous requests for comment, but this kind of takedown notice is fairly common, says Corynne McSherry, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital rights group, who is representing Lessig.
"I get contacted all the time by folks who have had their material taken down," she says. "And often I'll go and I'll take a look at what's taken down, and it's clearly ridiculous."
The problem is that a lot of those people are afraid to fight back. If they lose, they might have to pay up to $150,000 a song, McSherry says. "And for most regular people that's a pretty scary possibility."
It certainly was to Bob Cronin, a DJ living in Atlanta who creates mashups of songs and occasionally posts them online. His mashups mix together clips from different bands — like the Beastie Boys and the Beatles and Jay Z — and sometimes he adds electronic drumbeats.
He says he's "really just trying to make music that's fun and surprising" for people, where they recognize tracks they like.
It was fun until Cronin got a notice — take it down or be sued.
"Basically, I was scared," he says. "When you're a guy like me you have everything to lose, and you really are not going to get a lot back from fighting Warner Bros. or something."
While it's somewhat debatable as to whether Cronin's mashups are protected speech, there isn't much doubt that Lessig's lecture is a fair use.
"What we've got is this computerized system threatening people about content that's on the Web, much of it legally on the Web," Lessig says.
The problem, he says, is the impact: "what we think of as a very significant chilling of completely legitimate and protected speech."
Lessig hopes his suit will set a precedent that will persuade copyright holders to put human beings who know the law back into the equation.
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Billy J Wells is an ex-Army musician from Swaffham, in Norfolk. On his Twitter profile he describes himself as a “Wedding and event clarinetist Democratic Socialist and writer Head of PR [at] Prolestar”. He has now expanded his repertoire further to add the role of Labour politician, having proudly announced on 2nd October that he had been selected to represent Bradwell South and Hopton in forthcoming borough elections. His Facebook profile announces that “Jeremy Corbyn got my vote”.
Mr Wells is convinced that there is no evidence for antisemitism in the Labour Party. He says: “This whole saga [antisemitism] has been staged in a bid to put people off voting labour” as well as telling the actress Frances Barber: “You are a bellend…there is no antisemitism it’s just right wing propaganda”. He even thinks that Labour MP John Mann should have been suspended from the Labour Party for remonstrating with Ken Livingstone, after he claimed that Hitler supported Zionism. To Mr Wells, the Labour Party is a pure and virtuous community, being attacked on all sides by enemies who disguise their true motives by accusing people of antisemitism.
Then, with no self-consciousness, he has claimed: “…it’s the super rich families of the Zionist lobby that control the world. Our world leaders sell their souls for greed and do the bidding of Israel. They see the evil but their love for wealth makes them turn a blind eye.” He also asked on Twitter: “How much money and how much power is too much? The greed of the Rothschild family knows no bounds”. He makes several claims that the media is controlled by the “Israeli lobby”, in one instance claiming: “The Zionist Lobby would not allow our puppet government and its media lapdogs to show the truth.”
He has, in addition, shared a post that said: “Don’t give your soul energy to the parasitical Rothschild-Zion-Jesuit-Vati-lunatic nonce controllers. If they want to invade, bomb, kill & Slaughter innocent men, women and children in far away lands for an insane maniacal agenda then let them and their puppet politicians do it, not you”. He believes, despite the disgust of the wider world and of 107 of his own party’s MPs that called out Ken Livingstone’s “insidious racism”, that Ken Livingstone was right to say that Hitler supported Zionism. He also believes that the social media posts that saw Labour MP Naz Shah suspended, and which she later admitted were indeed antisemitic, were not antisemitic; in doing so he quotes the blog of Labour Council Candidate Mike Sivier, who has been suspended for his antisemitic blog posts.
Mr Wells’ posts clearly qualify as antisemitic discourse under the terms of the International Definition of Antisemitism, which has been accepted by the Labour Party, on multiple counts.
As in the case of Nasreen Khan, exposed only a few days ago, it beggars belief that an individual so obvious and extreme in their use of antisemitic discourse should have been put forward by the Labour Party as a candidate for office, when his statements were broadcast for all to see. Further, as in the case of Moshe Machover, it is clear that the Labour Party itself is not only uninterested in suppressing antisemitism in its ranks, but openly welcomes those who indulge in antisemitic discourse as elected representatives.
What Mr Wells’ case also illustrates so well, however, is the sheer scale of denial that exists within the Labour Party: That an individual so clearly antisemitic under the terms laid down by that party is so passionate in the cause of claiming that there is – simultaneously – no antisemitism in his party, is an exercise of denial and doublespeak that takes the breath away.
Mr Wells’ profile underlines the dramatic way antisemitism has managed to reinvent itself, by posing in the minds of its own proponents, and in the wider community of the Left, as an expression of virtue in itself.
Campaign Against Antisemitism is grateful to sources within the Labour party for providing key information for this post.
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Vin Diesel hides behind his glasses (Picture: Reuters)
Vin Diesel has proven just how unprofessional an actor he is by deciding an interview was the appropriate time to start hitting on the journalist sat in front of him.
Spoiler: When a woman or a man is trying to do their job, it’s never the appropriate time to start hitting on them.
On Wednesday the married Fast & Furious actor met Brazilian Youtuber Carol Moreira, who had smart and thoughtful questions for the actor about his career and how Tom Hanks had become his mentor.
But Vin didn’t want to talk about the work he was promoting, or his career, or anything professional.
Carol was left with nothing to do but say thank you (Picture: YouTube/Carol Moreira)
No, he decided that it was the right time to act like a creep and instead tell her that her beauty was too distracting, and that he wasn’t able to continue with the interview because she was just ‘so f***ing sexy’.
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Vin mate, that’s not her problem, it’s yours. Keep it to yourself.
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MORE: Here’s how sexism can be harmful for men too
He was mid-sentence when he halted and exclaimed: ‘God, you’re so beautiful, she’s so beautiful, am I right or wrong? How am I supposed to do this interview, look at this woman, talk to me baby.’
And as Carol tried to get him back on track, he ignored her requests to tell her his story and added: ‘Tell me your story, let’s get out of here, let’s go have lunch’.
At one point Vin crawls towards her (Picture: YouTube/Carol Moreira)
The rest of the interview is then peppered with Vin’s declarations of love as Carol attempts to focus his attention back on to the topic at hand – his career and the movie he is promoting – but it’s all to no avail.
Because Vin is only thinking about himself and not about how uncomfortable he is making Carol feel: ‘I love you. I love her, man she’s so f***ing sexy. I can’t do this interview, look at her’.
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Also, Vin, it’s rude to keep your sunglasses on when you are indoors.
Carol later confirmed that she was left ‘uncomfortable’ by Vin’s advances: ‘I just laughed because it was a very delicate situation. I did not like it.
‘At the time I did not know how to react, but you will see that I was uncomfortable, it was not nice that he interrupted my work.’
MORE: Men and women are sharing the most common forms of sexism they face
MORE: Madonna makes powerful speech about misogyny and sexism at the Billboard Women In Music Awards
MORE: Women are sharing how sexism affects their day-to-day lives
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Steve Snowden / Getty Images, file Santa Fe Mayor David Coss speaks during a public appearance in October 6, 2009 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Democratic mayor of Santa Fe is calling on New Mexico’s county clerks to begin issuing licenses to same-sex couples, saying it was time that everyone – including his lesbian daughter – should be treated equally under the law in a state that does not ban gay marriage.
New Mexico is one of two states in the country that neither specifically allows nor explicitly bans gays and lesbians from getting married (the other is New Jersey).
Nor does it offer civil unions or domestic partnerships to same-sex couples, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The marriage statute, which does not specify gender, is “sufficiently vague” on the issue, said Phil Sisneros, a spokesman for New Mexico’s attorney general.
Mayor David Coss and City Attorney Geno Zamora teamed up to examine that legal question and believe that nothing in the state constitution or statutes prevent county clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Zamora issued a legal analysis of these findings, and the City Council is expected to vote on a resolution in support of Coss’ call on March 27.
“People’s lives are short and when you’re waiting for your rights you know how long do you have to wait? I’m sorry we didn’t do it ten years ago. I don’t think we should wait another ten years before we push the issue,” Coss told NBC News. “Let’s start treating everybody equally under the law.”
Though the resolution does not carry legal weight, Zamora, who has a gay brother, said they wanted to send a message to the Supreme Court before it hears landmark cases next week challenging a federal law (Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA) that bars recognition of same-sex couples and California’s Proposition 8, which prohibits gays and lesbians from getting married in the Golden State.
“The decision was made … we cannot wait any longer to protect the rights of our brothers and sisters, our colleagues and our community members,” he said. “It’s very important for cities and city attorney’s offices to enter this debate recognizing equal rights for their citizens.”
In 2004, a clerk for Sandoval county issued same-sex marriage licenses for one day before the state attorney general ordered her to stop, saying the 64 licenses were not valid, according to The Santa Fe New Mexican.
Santa Fe County Clerk Geraldine Salazar told the newspaper on Tuesday that she wasn’t going to issue licenses to gay and lesbian couples, even though she’d like to, because she felt she couldn’t under the law.
“I would love to be able to issue marriage licenses (to same sex couples) but under the current law, I feel I’m not free and clear to do so. The Legislature creates the laws and the judges interpret the laws and I as a county clerk do not create or interpret laws,” she said. “And I feel that my oath of office does not allow to me act counter to the laws of New Mexico.”
Sisneros, of the attorney general’s office, said that the issue was unclear and felt nothing was likely to happen until a county clerk attempted to grant a license to a same-sex couple. At that point, an anti-gay marriage group may file a lawsuit or the attorney general could be asked to weigh in, among other possible scenarios.
“This seems more properly characterized as an expression of the city’s position on same-sex marriages since it does not carry the force of law,” Sisneros said of the Santa Fe mayor’s resolution. “Our office, though, has not had the opportunity yet to weigh in on the specific question of whether same sex marriages are legal under New Mexico law."
Previous state bills to ban or approve same-sex marriage have been rejected by New Mexico's lawmakers.
Thomas Peters, a spokesman for the National Organization for Marriage which opposes same-sex marriage, said New Mexicans should be able to decide the issue for themselves.
"Allow the debate to continue and the people to decide, not activists mayors and judges," he said in a statement.
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Jadeveon Clowney is finally healthy and wrecking backfields.
The former No. 1 overall pick leads the NFL with eight tackles for loss through five weeks, has six quarterback hits and two sacks.
"It's a great feeling to be healthy and feeling good," Clowney said, via the Associated Press. "Just getting better and better each week and hope I can sustain it for 16 games and keep going forward and keep getting better."
As Around The NFL's Chris Wesseling noted in his "Late Bloomers" feature this week, injuries thwarted most of Clowney's first two seasons. Now he's become as big a run-stuffer as there is in the NFL.
Just take a look at what he did to Minnesota last week, destroying some plays from the snap:
On Sunday night Clowney and the Texans host the Indianapolis Colts in a pivotal AFC South matchup. Colts coach Chuck Pagano knows his beleaguered offensive line will have its hands full with Clowney.
"He's a different guy," Pagano said. "The guy is playing as good as anybody in the league right now up front. He's playing with a ton of confidence, a ton of physicality. We know the athleticism. We know the God-given dominant traits that he has as a football player, but his motor is running and it's running hot. It never stops."
Clowney might not be the pass-rushing demon some projected pre-draft, but he's finally morphing into a disruptive force behind the line of scrimmage.
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_ _ __ __ __| || |__ _____ _____/ |_|__| ______ ____ ____ #antisec \ __ / \__ \ / \ __\ |/ ___// __ \_/ ___\ #anonops | || | / __ \| | \ | | |\___ \\ ___/\ \___ #laughing /_ ~~ _\ (____ /___| /__| |__/____ \ \___ \ \___ | #at_your |_||_| \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ #security /******************************************************************************* *** MILITARY MELTDOWN MONDAY: MANGLING BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON *** *******************************************************************************/ Hello Thar! Today we want to turn our attention to Booz Allen Hamilton, whose core business is contractual work completed on behalf of the US federal government, foremost on defense and homeland security matters, and limited engagements of foreign governments specific to U.S. military assistance programs. So in this line of work you'd expect them to sail the seven proxseas with a state- of-the-art battleship, right? Well you may be as surprised as we were when we found their vessel being a puny wooden barge. We infiltrated a server on their network that basically had no security measures in place. We were able to run our own application, which turned out to be a shell and began plundering some booty. Most shiny is probably a list of roughly 90,000 military emails and password hashes (md5, non-salted of course!). We also added the complete sqldump, compressed ~50mb, for a good measure. We also were able to access their svn, grabbing 4gb of source code. But this was deemed insignificant and a waste of valuable space, so we merely grabbed it, and wiped it from their system. Additionally we found some related datas on different servers we got access to after finding credentials in the Booz Allen System. We added anything which could be interesting. And last but not least we found maps and keys for various other treasure chests buried on the islands of government agencies, federal contractors and shady whitehat companies. This material surely will keep our blackhat friends busy for a while. A shoutout to all friendly vessels: Always remember, let it flow! #AntiSec /******************************************************************************* *** BONUS ROUND: BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON KEY FACTS *** *******************************************************************************/ For the Lazy we have assembled some facts about Booz Allen. First let's take a quick look of who these guys are. Some key personnel: * John Michael "Mike" McConnell, Executive Vice President of Booz Allen and former Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and former Director of National Intelligence. * James R. Clapper, Jr., current Director of National Intelligence, former Director of Defense Intelligence. * Robert James Woolsey Jr, former Director of National Intelligence and head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). * Melissa Hathaway, Current Acting Senior Director for Cyberspace for the National Security and Homeland Security Councils Now let's check out what these guys have been doing: * Questionable involvement in the U.S. government's SWIFT surveillance program; acting as auditors of a government program, when that contractor is heavily involved with those same agencies on other contracts. Beyond that, the implication was also made that Booz Allen may be complicit in a program (electronic surveillance of SWIFT) that may be deemed illegal by the EC. http://www.aclu.org/national-security/booz-allens-extensive-ties-government -raise-more-questions-about-swift-surveillanc https://www.privacyinternational.org/article/pi-and-aclu-show-swift-auditor- has-extensive-ties-us-government * Through investigation of Booz Allen employees, Tim Shorrock of Democracy Now! asserts that there is a sort of revolving-door conflict of interest between Booz Allen and the U.S. government, and between multiple other contractors and the U.S. government in general. Regarding Booz Allen, Shorrock referred to such people as John M. McConnell, R. James Woolsey, Jr., and James R. Clapper, all of whom have gone back and forth between government and industry (Booz Allen in particular), and who may present the appearance that certain government contractors receive undue or unlawful business from the government, and that certain government contractors may exert undue or unlawful influence on government. Shorrock further relates that Booz Allen was a sub-contractor with two programs at the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), called Trailblazer and Pioneer Groundbreaker. http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/12/151224 If you haven't heard about Pioneer Groundbreaker, we recommend the following Wikipedia article: "The NSA warrantless surveillance controversy (AKA "Warrantless Wiretapping") concerns surveillance of persons within the United States during the collection of foreign intelligence by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) as part of the war on terror." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_Groundbreaker * A June 28, 2007 Washington Post article related how a U.S. Department of Homeland Security contract with Booz Allen increased from $2 million to more than $70 million through two no-bid contracts, one occurring after the DHS's legal office had advised DHS not to continue the contract until after a review. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the contract characterized it as not well-planned and lacking any measure for assuring valuable work to be completed. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/27/ AR2007062702988.html * Known as PISCES (Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System), the “terrorist interdiction system†matches passengers inbound for the United States against facial images, fingerprints and biographical information at airports in high-risk countries. A high-speed data network permits U.S. authorities to be informed of problems with inbound passengers. Although PISCES was operational in the months prior to September 11, it apparently failed to detect any of the terrorists involved in the attack. Privacy advocates have alleged that the PISCES system is deployed in various countries that are known for human rights abuses (ie Pakistan and Iraq) and that facilitating them with an advanced database system capable of storing biometric details of travelers (often without consent of their own nationals) poses a danger to human rights activists and government opponents. http://multinationalmonitor.org/mm2002/02march/march02corp3.html /******************************************************************************* *** BONUS ROUND TWO: ANONYMOUS INTERESTS *** *******************************************************************************/ Back in February, as many may recall, Anonymous was challenged by security company HBGary. One month later - after many grandiose claims and several pages of dox on "members" of Anonymous which were factually accurate in no way whatsoever - HBGary and its leadership were busy ruing the day they ever tangled with Anonymous, and Anonymous was busy toasting another epic trolling. And there was much rejoicing. However, celebration soon gave way to fascination, followed by horror, as scandal after scandal radiated from the company's internal files, scandals spanning the government, corporate and financial spheres. This was no mere trolling. Anonymous had uncovered a monster. One of the more interesting, and sadly overlooked, stories to emerge from HBGary's email server (a fine example to its customers of how NOT to secure their own email systems) was a military project - dubbed Operation Metal Gear by Anonymous for lack of an official title - designed to manipulate social media. The main aims of the project were two fold: Firstly, to allow a lone operator to control multiple false virtual identities, or "sockpuppets". This would allow them to infiltrate discussions groups, online polls, activist forums, etc and attempt to influence discussions or paint a false representation of public opinion using the highly sophisticated sockpuppet software. The second aspect of the project was to destroy the concept of online anonymity, essentially attempting to match various personas and accounts to a single person through recognition shared of writing styles, timing of online posts, and other factors. This, again, would be used presumably against any perceived online opponent or activist. HBGary Federal was just one of several companies involved in proposing software solutions for this project. Another company involved was Booz Allen Hamilton. Anonymous has been investigating them for some time, and has uncovered all sorts of other shady practices by the company, including potentially illegal surveillance systems, corruption between company and government officials, warrantless wiretapping, and several other questionable surveillance projects. All of this, of course, taking place behind closed doors, free from any public knowledge or scrutiny. You would think the words "Expect Us" would have been enough to prevent another epic security fail, wouldn't you? Well, you'd be wrong. And thanks to the gross incompetence at Booz Allen Hamilton probably all military mersonnel of the U.S. will now have to change their passwords. Let it flow! /******************************************************************************* *** INVOICE *** *******************************************************************************/ Enclosed is the invoice for our audit of your security systems, as well as the auditor's conclusion. 4 hours of man power: $40.00 Network auditing: $35.00 Web-app auditing: $35.00 Network infiltration*: $0.00 Password and SQL dumping**: $200.00 Decryption of data***: $0.00 Media and press****: $0.00 Total bill: $310.00 *Price is based on the amount of effort required. **Price is based on the amount of badly secured data to be dumped, which in this case was a substantial figure. ***No security in place, no effort for intrusion needed. ****Trolling is our specialty, we provide this service free of charge. Auditor's closing remarks: Pwned. U mad, bro? We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We are Antisec. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Another Arizona behavioral health company brought in to replace New Mexico nonprofits accused of Medicaid overbilling and fraud has announced it will stop providing services in New Mexico at the end of June.
Agave Health Inc. runs treatment programs in Bernalillo, Santa Fe and about 10 other counties. The company cited ongoing financial hardships along with Medicaid rate reductions as reasons for its decision.
Agave said in a statement issued Friday that it regrets having to take such as drastic measure.
The move means three of the five Arizona providers brought in by Gov. Susana Martinez's administration in 2013 to replace the New Mexico nonprofits have pulled up stakes in the state.
The state Human Services Department says it's working to ensure there are no gaps in coverage.
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Microsoft unveiled its Xbox coffee table projector concept earlier this year, but it's unlikely to see a release any time soon. After previously describing IllumiRoom — an augmented reality projector that expands content onto living room walls — as "just research," Microsoft now says cost is an issue for bringing it to market. "I wouldn’t expect you’ll see that," explains Albert Penello, head of product planning for Xbox One, in an interview with AusGamers. "It’s really super-neat if you’re in the lab and you’ve got Microsoft money and you could totally set up this awesome lab, but... we looked at it, but for an average customer it’s, like, thousands of dollars [for the set up]."
IllumiRoom is designed to extend game content beyond a TV, by highlighting the edges of games or enhancing select game elements like weapons fire or explosions. The current prototype uses a Kinect for Windows camera alongside a projector to transfer content onto walls nearby a TV. Microsoft unveiled the research project at Samsung's CES keynote earlier this year with a flashy marketing video that fuelled speculation the company was planning to bring the concept to market. After a no-show at the Xbox One event and E3, and Penello's recent comments, it's clear that Microsoft's projector system is a long way from reality.
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Orly Taitz, the California dentist and attorney who has gained notoriety for her relentless efforts to prove that President Obama is ineligible for office, suffered another blow last week when an Orange County judge rejected her attempt to retrieve Obama's college records.
As first reported by the school's student paper, the Occidental Weekly, Taitz had filed a legal motion to compel Occidental College to release transcripts and other records from when Obama was an undergraduate there in the late '70s and early '80s, alleging that Obama was not born in the United States and is currently using a fake social security number. The private college's counsel, Carl Botterud, pointing to privacy concerns, deemed Taitz's case "frivolous" and "without merit." The self-proclaimed "queen of the birthers" then argued that the matter of Obama's alleged foreign birth was important enough to overrule privacy laws.
"Your opposition will constitute Obstruction of Justice, Aiding and Abetting in the elections fraud in forgery and treason in allowing a foreign citizen to usurp the U.S. Presidency with an aid of forged IDs and usurp the civil rights of the U.S. citizens," Taitz wrote in an email to Botterud ahead of their court date. "At any rate your opposition and your attempt of intimidation and your allegiance or lack of allegiance to the United States of America is duly noted. Just make sure not to forget to bring with you Mr. Obama's application, registration, and financial aid application."
Orange County Superior Court Judge Charles Margines rejected Taitz' argument, citing procedural errors and questioning the quality of her evidence.
“You should know that evidence is not stuff printed from the Internet,” Margines told Taitz, according to the Occidental Weekly.
Margines also ordered Taitz to pay the college $4,000 to cover the resources spent defending itself.
Taitz's birther crusade has taken several hits over the last year. She unsuccessfully attempted to block Obama from appearing on the ballot in Kansas and Vermont to no avail. She also ran for U.S. Senate in California, but failed to place in the top two of a crowded field of candidates.
Despite the string of defeats, Taitz is not giving up. Last month, she announced her plan to file complaints against state officials over Obama's reelection.
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James Batchelor UK Editor Wednesday 18th October 2017 Share this article Share
The loot box debate rages on, but very few members of the industry have joined in the discussion.
As games sites become awash with reports and opinion pieces on each blockbuster's new monetisation system, picking apart the model with which publishers are attempting to retain and monetise players through this Q4's biggest releases, the consensus seems to be that loot boxes are another attempt to nickel and dime the unassuming consumer.
Attempts to sell in-game items through full-price titles such as Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Star Wars Battlefront 2, Forza Motorsport 7 and Destiny 2 have triggered discussions as to whether AAA gaming has become akin to gambling, and driven thousands of people to sign government petitions as they demand that action be taken.
"Development costs of AAA titles are five to ten times the price they were in the '90s. But sales and prices have remained pretty static" Anonymous studio director
While ratings boards have agreed the use of loot boxes does not technically class as gambling, it's easy to understand the upset that surrounds them. Having already paid $60/£60 for a AAA title, consumers are indignant at the idea of having to spend more money in order to fully enjoy their purchase. Implementation varies between each game, with some examples - such as the Star Wars Battlefront 2 beta's implication that multiplayer progression will be locked behind loot boxes - prompting more ire than others.
Getting an official response as to why these systems are becoming more prevalent is nigh on impossible - GamesIndustry.biz received a polite 'no comment' from Activision, Warner Bros, Microsoft, Electronic Arts and several other publishers we asked to weigh in on the subject - but those who do point the finger of blame squarely in one direction: the rising costs of both development and marketing.
This is something we already discussed at length last week, and it seems to ring true for developers across the industry. In the case of Battlefront, this has dramatically increased since EA decided to forego the usual Season Pass model and provide maps and extra content for free, but it still needs to fund development.
But according to one studio director - who wished to remain anonymous - it's not just that costs are increasing, but that the disparity between how much publishers are charging and what consumers are spending is also growing.
"Development costs of AAA titles are five to ten times the price they were in the '90s," the person told us. "As technology moves forward, costs go up and teams get larger. Salaries also go up in that time both for starters and people employed for those periods of time.
"But sales and prices have remained pretty static - especially given the 'sale culture' nowadays."
Ben Cousins, CEO of The Outsiders and a former EA and DICE exec, agrees: "The number of full-priced games console gamers are buying a year is dropping and the cost of developing games is increasing, while the actual audience for console games remains static. They need to find ways for full-priced games to continue to be profitable. Big publishers have been working on plans like this for over a decade."
In recent weeks, UK sales of Shadow of War, Destiny 2, FIFA 18, Forza 7 and The Evil Within 2 are all trending below their predecessors, and this is likely to be the case in other markets. Digital downloads may be making up for some of that shortfall, but not all of it - and there's certainly no sign of significant growth in terms of audience'.
Meanwhile the 'sale culture' is also likely to be impacting revenues. Last year's Black Friday promotions saw sales of recent releases soar once available for £30 or less, many of which had been at full price just a few weeks before - and no doubt this will be repeated with this year's Q4 hits next month.
Jason Kingsley, co-founder and CEO of Rebellion, emphasises that loot boxes don't even need to convert every player into a payer in order to help offset those costs.
"Some big games are just not selling enough copies to make the development and marketing costs viable," he says. "Loot boxes mean more revenue from those who are interested.
"[Player expectations] that each game gets bigger, better and looks more modern... means it is likely going to cost more to make" Jeff Pobst, Hidden Path
"For the biggest games that are made by thousands of staff, then yes the simple boxed copy sales may not be enough to make the economics work."
Larger teams and more advanced technology aren't the only things driving this increase. Hidden Path's Jeff Pobst, who previously discussed this subject with us, says the audience has contributed to escalating costs.
"What players may not realise is their expectation that each game in a series gets bigger and better and has more content and looks more modern than before... means it is likely going to cost more to make. The creators are going to want to find a way to cover those new costs as well."
Then there are the sales expectations of the publishers bringing each game to market. Just yesterday, in the wake of Visceral Games' closure, former Dead Space level designer Zach Wilson tweeted that the second game in the series cost $60 million to make, and another $60 million to market. The title sold a seemingly respectable 4 million copies, but Wilson reports that "wasn't enough."
Again, this emphasises the damage the aforementioned 'sales culture' can have; if all 4 million copies had sold at the full price of $60, EA would have received $240 million. While this may seem to be double the combined marketing and development cost, once you take into account the retailer's share, distribution and manufacturing costs, plus tax, the publisher's share actually diminishes (In the comments below, analyst Nicholas Lovell estimates closer to $150m than $240m). The lower the sales price, thanks to promotional discounts and so forth, the lower the publisher's take.
Still, the dominant element of the loot box debate seems to be the consumer outrage and the notion that greedy publishers are simply trying to extract every last penny from customers already paying for their products. Naturally the most extreme reactions are amplified by social media, but are they in fact the minority? Does the very presence of microtransactions in full-price games really affect that many people, especially when so many publishers stress that they are optional?
"I don't know the numbers, but my experience tells me this is probably the case," says Cousins.
"Until we have hard data that the presence of loot boxes in a given title is negatively affecting sales and profitability, we should not worry about messaging issues" Ben Cousins, The Outsiders
He continues: "Until we have hard data that the presence of loot boxes in a given title is negatively affecting sales and profitability, rather than just being a thing people talk about on the internet, we should not worry about messaging issues."
Kingsley adds: "That's hard to quantify but it's clearly an issue as it's getting coverage. Whether it's an issue for most or even the majority is not as relevant as it being a big issue for some I suppose.
"The reactions to them seem to be based largely on how they are handled and whether the contents are game changing or just cosmetic."
Pobst suggests that the source of the anger is not, in fact, the transactions themselves. Instead, it stems from the changing perception of the game: initially purchased as a piece of entertainment, but starkly highlighted as a commercial product by the immersion-breaking call to spend real-world money.
"Personally, I'm not sure that individual game mechanics or features such as loot boxes are themselves the driving issue for players when you see outcry or concern about the fairness of a game, its feature set, or its monetisation," Pobst explains. "Typically if you go looking, one can find examples of where those same features or mechanics are used in other games and the players there are happy and enjoying themselves.
"Regardless of development costs, developers and publishers are going to attempt to make money - it's a business" Niles Sankey, former Bungie developer
"I think the underlying issue is really about the relationship between the product and the players, and how the expectations are set by the people making and marketing the product: the "promise" to the player by the product, as Gearbox President Randy Pitchford likes to say."
The problem most often comes, Pobst posits, when firms add monetisation mechanics to a title or series where they were previously absent. Certainly this was the case with Bungie's Destiny 2 - the earliest example in the recent wave of microtransaction controversies - where shaders that were previously reusable became one-time consumables, with the game offering to sell more to players in exchange for real money.
"Sometimes publishers and developers don't recognise that changing the monetisation can be a more significant impact in changing the promise of the game to the player than they may expect," Pobst continues. "The gameplay and content promises are still there, but the monetisation part of the promise has changed in that case. And depending on the game and the monetisation changes, players may or may not feel like the promise they are excited about is being maintained."
Equally, some consumers seem to have an entirely different view on how the relationship between themselves and the publisher or developer works. Fundamentally they seem to forget that while games are indeed provided as both art and entertainment, they are also commercial products and subject to inherent pressures.
"Regardless of development costs, developers and publishers are going to attempt to make money - it's a business," says Niles Sankey, developer of first-person psychological thriller Asemblance. Sankey previously spent ten years working at Bungie on both Halo and Destiny, although he stresses that he was not involved in monetisation.
"Developers have retirement to save for and families to feed... If people don't like loot crates and microtransactions, they shouldn't support the game by purchasing them. And I'd suggest not buying games made by companies that have previously demonstrated insincere business practices.
"I stopped developing investment heavy games and I no longer play them. In my opinion, there are better ways to spend your time and life. There are so many great non-addictive/investment games to play.. and there's so much more to life than video games."
This is also a message that sometimes gets lost in the outrage: in most cases, microtransactions in full-price games are entirely optional. Following the initial outburst, Shadow of War design director Bob Roberts told our sister site Eurogamer that the team had developed the entire game without the loot boxes activated in order to ensure balance.
Our anonymous developer has no qualms declaring that he has spent money on such items, adding: "It's normally to accelerate my progress. I don't have as much time to play now as I did 20 years ago."
"For the biggest games that are made by thousands of staff, the simple boxed copy sales may not be enough to make the economics work" Jason Kingsley, Rebellion
Emphasising that loot boxes are optional seem to do little to assuage consumer concerns. Common arguments range from accusations that developers have slowed normal in-game progress in order to sell boosters, or that the very presence of microtransactions psychologically draws players into what Cousins refers to as the "compulsion loop".
There is also an inconsistency to player reactions, albeit driven by the different implementations of monetisation. For all the flack Electronic Arts has received over the proposed monetisation system shown in the Battlefront 2 beta, it still generates $800 million per year with FIFA's Ultimate Team mode - a prime example of successfully monetising a full-price game in the long term.
Similarly, while Shadow of War and Forza 7 have been virtually crucified on Twitter, titles such as Rainbow Six Siege and Overwatch escape unscathed, despite the presence of loot boxes - although Cousins says, "Blizzard get a free pass on pretty much everything, as do Valve. Never try to get learnings from them, as they are outliers."
The consumer reaction (particularly in the run-up to launch) has the potential to be highly damaging, further preventing publishers from recouping costs and exploring new methods of monetisation. Our anonymous developer pointed to one particular practice that has hindered the debate around loot boxes.
"Review bombing exaggerates issues and causes damage to everyone," they say. "Which is why most won't talk about it as they don't want to be targeted unfairly next."
And, ultimately, such tactics are a fruitless endeavour. Despite the controversy around recent titles and their microtransactions, publishers will inevitably continue to experiment with new business models. Especially as a recent report proves that games-as-a-service systems have tripled the industry's value.
Just today, Activision was granted a patent for a matchmaking system designed to encourage more consumer spending; a system the publisher stressed has not been implemented in any game, but is something it may well consider in future. And experimentation is fine - it's essential the evolution of any industry - but as our own Rob Fahey warns, publishers need to be careful to cross the line, no matter how poorly defined that line may be.
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The aerospike rocket engine. Image: Monash University
A team of Australian engineers has successfully designed, 3D printed, built, and tested a rocket engine in just four months.
The aerospike rocket engine, called Project X, is a joint effort between Monash University and Amaero, a Monash spin-out company winning contracts with major aerospace companies around the world.
Monash University researchers and their partners were two years ago the first in the world to print a jet engine, based on an existing engine design.
The Monash engineers have now created a new venture, NextAero, to take their concepts to the global aerospace industry, starting with the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide later this month.
Here’s the new jet engine in action:
The aerospike design works by firing gases along a spike and using atmospheric pressure to create a virtual bell. The shape of the spike allows the engine to maintain high efficiency at higher altitudes.
“Traditional bell-shaped rockets, as seen on the Space Shuttle, work at peak efficiency at ground level,” says Marten Jurg, an engineer with Amaero.
“As they climb the flame spreads out reducing thrust. The aerospike design maintains its efficiency but is very hard to build using traditional technology.
“Using additive manufacturing (printing) we can create complex designs, print them, test them, tweak them, and reprint them in days instead of months.”
Professor Nick Birbilis, head of the Material Science and Engineering Department at Monash, says going from concept to testing in just four months is an amazing achievement.
“It illustrates what’s possible for research and industry,” he says. “Through our spin-out company, Amaero, Australian companies can design, print, and test metal components for everything from aerospace to surgical instruments, hose fittings to air conditioning parts.”
The development of the rocket was supported by Monash University, Amaero Engineering, and Woodside Energy.
Watch the 3D printing and assembly of the engine:
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Signal to Noise Posted by guyducker on October 21, 2013 · 6 Comments
How filmmakers throw emphasis on what’s essential ☛
Cinema is one of the most naturalistic of the arts: it’s often shot in the real world and we expect movie characters to behave pretty much as people do in reality. This naturalism can make our stories all the more compelling; the audience love to come out saying “it felt like you were really there”, even if they felt they were really there for the carnage of the Normandy landings. But this sense of reality comes with a snag: the real world is notoriously messy, muddled and imprecise. Stories don’t work if they exhibit those characteristics: they soon get boring. How do we keep our stories concise, elegant and telling in a world that rarely works that way?
There’s a concept in sound engineering called ‘signal to noise’ that might help us here. This is simply the ratio of clean signal (perhaps music or spoken word) to unwanted noise (radio static, tape hiss, interference, &c.). The more of the stuff you want to hear, and the less unwanted random background stuff the better. So much of a film director’s job, and indeed the job of every creative member of the crew, is about finding ways to improve that ratio, to filter out the noise of the real world from the signal of the story.
First of all there’s the screenwriter. They could show us any moment in the character’s day from boiling a kettle to brushing their teeth, but the good writer knows not to include any moment unless it is significant. Similarly the writer has to focus their story around core themes and ideas, or at the very least a central storyline. We can have subplots, sure, but if they don’t speak to the core story they become ‘noise’ and start to distract us from what’s important.
Writers even have a certain licence to abandon naturalism in order to save the audience from too much noise. Look at the way phone calls are conducted in movies. Often characters answer the phone with hardly a “hello” and will hang-up on callers without provocation. Screenwriters get ribbed for this habit, which often makes it onto lists of movie clichés. However, were the writer to take a more naturalistic approach and have their characters start every phone call by exchanging pleasantries about the weather and asking after the well-being of each others’ families, the audience would soon want us to return to the less natural convention. We’re happy to accept characters acting in a slightly unnatural manner if it gets us to the meat of the story significantly sooner.
Cinematographers, too, are busy sorting the signal from the noise. Most commonly it’s done with focus. One of the prime reasons for the DSLR filmmaking revolution is the narrow depth of field that cameras like the Canon 5D offer, which allows for shallow-focus photography. Throwing the foreground and the background out of focus encourages us to look at the thing or person in frame that’s most important to the story, and draws our attention away from that which is merely incidental. Like the screenwriters’ truncated phone calls, this is unnaturalistic: if our eyes are in good working order, we never actually see the world as a blur. But blur is a close parallel to how we experience things that are in our field of vision but on which we’re not currently focusing our attention – so we accept this stylisation without a second thought.
Long lenses can also be used to sort signal from noise. Ken Loach claims that he likes using the tight field of vision provided by lenses with long focal lengths to exclude inessential and distracting details from his shots. He shows us less of the world, and the ‘noise’ simply falls beyond the edge of frame.
Lighting, too, can be used to draw attention to the important and away from the inessential. This can be done naturalistically: perhaps our protagonist is working late and we see them at their desk, illuminated only by an angle-poise lamp; the rest of the room (unimportant) is lost in shadow. Subtle stylisation can also be used, as in Vertigo when Scotty sees ‘Madeleine’ whom he thought to be dead: the lights of the restaurant around her subtly dim to pull her away from the background. There are even occasions where blatant unnaturalism pays off, as when Lester in American Beauty notices Angela amongst the other cheerleaders. Suddenly Lester is alone, sitting in a spotlight and Angela has become the only cheerleader, under another spot. They have become quite literally the only people in the room.
Sound designers can do more than simply reducing the level of actual unwanted noise and delivering clean dialogue. If they take their passion for ‘signal’ to extremes they can produce some interesting results. In The Others, the sound design was so focused that there were none of the background atmosphere tracks on which most sound editors rely. If there was nothing in the scene to make a sound, there was absolute silence. This meant that when you heard a creak from another room, a room that was supposed to be unoccupied, you really noticed it.
Just as other disciplines can subtly cheat naturalism in order to remove distractions, so it is with sound editing. If a conversation is held in a noisy location – say a train station – the background sound of the rush-hour crowds and departing trains will often drop away imperceptibly when our characters start talking, so that it doesn’t distract from the dialogue. The background might even be removed completely if the director wants to take us into the world of the two lovers.
But noise isn’t always noise.
The boring, everyday world that we’d usually seek to distract from or exclude, can be an important part of the story if that world is not one with which we’re familiar. If the story takes place in the ancient past, the remote future or a distant galaxy far, far away it might be necessary for the audience to understand how that world is different from our own. For this, we often need to see how this world works in normal circumstances – what people chat about when they’re shooting the breeze, what is normal for them?
Consider I, Robot. In the opening minutes we’re shown a world where robots are part of everyday life: they walk dogs, collect trash and deliver for FedEx. We need to see this because the story will be all about how robots fit into that society, and that’s just about to change – this, then, is signal. If our little introduction to the San Francisco of the future also showed how people were just getting into using jetpacks: that would be noise. The story’s not about jetpacks.
Despite the crew’s best efforts to dial down the noise, however, directors do occasionally conspire to turn it up when it isn’t needed. Why? Certainly it isn’t always instantly obvious what is signal and what is noise. You sometimes need to have a very clear idea of what lies at the centre of your story to tell the difference. More commonly, however, I think it’s because we fall too much in love with our God-like power to create a new reality and to make the audience feel like they are really there. Creating that world is fun. We forget that making it feel real is only a small and rather basic part of telling a story. Making that story resonant: that’s the real skill, and for that you need to focus everything at your command to keep your signal strong, clean and without distortion.
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Copyright © Guy Ducker 2013
Edited by Dr Sara Lodge
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News4's Adam Tuss explains how Metro says several employees used fare cards and SmarTrip cards to steal from the agency. (Published Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016)
Nine Metro employees have been arrested for their part in an elaborate scheme to load SmarTrip cards with leftover passenger fares and resell the cards fraudulently, News4 has learned.
Seven Metro station managers and two custodians had been collecting paper fare cards from riders and allowing those riders to exit the system for free. After the employees collected a sizable stack of paper fare cards -- which still contained value -- the employees would transfer the balance of those fare cards to plastic SmarTrip cards and then sell the SmarTrip cards at a discounted price.
"It was happening because -- let's say late at night -- riders didn't have enough fare to exit the system on their fare card. The station manager would just tell them give me the card and go," a source with direct knowledge of the events tells News 4. "They were collecting all these paper fare cards."
If a Metro rider gets off a train and doesn't have enough fare loaded onto their fare card to pay the exit price, they are directed to an exit fare machine to load the correct fare and then they can exit. But the station managers and custodians were turning a blind eye to that process and were instead keeping the paper fare cards, which still contained value, for themselves.
"It's theft," Metro Chief Spokesperson Dan Stessel told News4 in an interview Wednesday. "It wasn't a coordinated effort. These appear to be employees who made a bad decision and engaged in a violation of public trust."
Not only did they steal money, but they stole from Metro, which finds itself clawing for every penny it can get as it embarks on a massive rebuilding effort.
In many cases, multiple SmarTrip cards loaded up with fraudulent money would be turned around and sold for less.
"I'm aware of one case where a $100 SmarTrip card was re-sold for $60," said Stessel.
Some of the SmarTrip cards were turning up for sale on Craigslist or eBay.
Metro says the entire issue was detected internally.
It's not clear exactly how much money Metro lost overall, but the transit agency quantified it as a relatively low amount.
The illegal activity happened in D.C., Maryland and Virginia between July and October last year. All the employees involved were arrested, fired and face misdemeanor charges.
Metro hired a new general manager late last year and has talked about the need to change its culture. The news that this scheme involved station managers, a position that requires seniority to achieve, seems to underscore that point.
"We have 13,000 employees. I defy you to find an organization with 13,000 employees where you don't have occasional issues like this," said Stessel.
Metro is currently phasing out all of its paper fare cards. The last day paper fare cards can be used at fare gates is March 6.
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U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel delivers remarks on NATO expansion and European security at the Wilson Center in Washington May 2, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Sunday the U.S. military should review its ban on allowing transgender people to serve openly in the armed forces, saying that “every qualified American” should have an opportunity to serve.
President Barack Obama has made lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights a priority during his time in office, and in 2010 signed legislation ending the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that had prevented gay men and women from serving openly in the military.
Hagel did not make clear whether he felt the ban on transgender troops should be reversed.
“The issue of transgender is a bit more complicated because it has a medical component to it,” Hagel told ABC’s “This Week” program. “These issues require medical attention. Austere locations where we put our men and women in many cases don’t always provide that kind of opportunity.”
But in backing a review of the ban, Hagel said: “I’m open to those assessments because, again, I go back to the bottom line: every qualified American who wants to serve our country should have an opportunity if they fit the qualifications and can do it.”
The National Center for Transgender Equality, a Washington-based advocacy group, said Hagel’s willingness to review the policy was “overdue but very welcome,” as it called the ban “arbitrary and archaic.”
The group said thousands of transgender people currently serve in all branches of the military “but are forced to hide who they are or risk losing their careers.”
“If the secretary were able to meet and talk with the trans service members I’ve met, he’d understand the answer is self-evident,” Mara Keisling, the group’s executive director, said in a statement. “These are amazing people who serve even though they must hide a basic part of who they are.”
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All that happy talk in Washington about getting tax reform done fast is already proving unrealistic.
Even if Congress chose to do nothing but rewrite the tax code in 2017, it would be a monumental task because there are so many constituent interests and competing demands to balance. With the Trump administration kicking up a daily dust storm, Washington is hardly laser focused on taxes.
And one of the biggest complexities is business tax reform -- an issue marked by intense special interest lobbying.
For years, the focus has been on big business, with everyone calling for lower corporate tax rates and changes to make it easier for U.S. corporations to compete internationally.
Related: How Congress could get Trump's tax returns
But now lawmakers and President Trump want to reform how all businesses are taxed.
It makes sense: The vast majority of businesses in the United States aren't corporations. They're so-called pass-through entities. They run the gamut from mom-and-pop shops on Main Street to law firms and hedge funds.
A pass-through business passes its profits through to shareholders and partners, who then report those profits on their individual tax returns. So they're paying federal income tax rates up to 39.6% on their pass-through income.
House Republicans and Trump have proposed lowering tax rates for both corporations and pass-throughs. The House plan would lower the top pass-through rate to 25%, Trump to 15%. The highest rate on regular wage income, meanwhile, would fall to just 33%.
The disparity between business and wage rates worries policy experts. Why? Shareholders and owners of pass-throughs who also happen to work at those firms will be tempted to recharacterize their paychecks as "business" income to get the lower tax rate.
It's not an idle concern.
A few years ago, Kansas lowered its ordinary income tax rates and eliminated them altogether for pass-through income. Unsurprisingly, the number of filers who claimed the pass-through exemption was more than double what the state estimated. That's been a "major contributing factor" to the state's steep drop in income tax revenue, noted Frank Sammartino, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.
So lawmakers will have to figure out a way to prevent people from gaming the system.
The House plan, for instance, indicates it would simply assume -- perhaps by some kind of formula -- a certain amount of "reasonable compensation" that a pass-through pays its employees who also happen to be the firm's owners or partners.
The affected employees would have to report their portions of that compensation as wage income on their personal returns and pay tax on it up to the 33% individual rate.
That's one way to address the problem, but it may not work well or be perceived as fair in every type of situation.
For example, what if an owner-employee wants to plow some or all of her compensation back into the business, especially at the early stages to help it grow? Should that not be considered "active business income" subject to the lower 25% rate?
Or what if an owner-employee actually pays herself less than what the House plan defines as "reasonable"?
That's why there should be a few options to calculate or justify one's compensation to the IRS, to better suit the circumstances of individual businesses, said Mel Schwarz, a partner in the national tax office of Grant Thornton, at a Bipartisan Policy Center event.
Related: A fight is coming over the border adjustment tax
How to tax compensation, of course, will be just one of the debates about pass-through taxation that could soak up real oxygen. That's why some say it would be easier and faster to address corporate taxes first and put a win on the tax reform board.
But that also would be a fast way to tick off major constituencies among everyone else in the business universe, Janice Mays, a former chief counsel to the Ways and Means Committee, said at the same event.
"This is [lawmakers'] rotary club, their donor club, the people they know back home. ... So to go home and deliver a corporate rate cut of any magnitude and not have delivered something to this group is unacceptable."
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For some photographers, filters seem redundant in a digital age. Because everything can be simulated with Photoshop, right? Not exactly. Properly used, filters protect your lens, produce some masterfully cool effects, adapt to unsavory conditions, and help manage light. Take a look at these five filters to help build your accessory arsenal.
Polarizing Filter
Just like polarized sunglasses help reduce glare for your eyes, a polarizing filter reduces reflections and glare for your lens. Sunlight naturally polarizes from electrons reflecting off of air molecules, but a polarizing filter absorbs that polarized light to prevent photographs from appearing ‘hazy.’ As a result, these filters are great for sunny day outdoor photography.
UV Filter
UV filters are another great option for super sunny days. They block annoying UV light that creates a blue-ish tint in photographs taken in bright conditions. This is especially crucial for film cameras, but much less for digital. There is some evidence that UV lenses are still worth using with your DSLR because they also reduce the purple fringing caused by longitudinal chromatic aberration. You can also use UV filters for simple lens protection.
Neutral Density Filter
Neutral Density Filters are great for landscape photography and water. They prevent light from reaching your sensor, which lets you slow the shutter speed down slightly, or use a wider aperture than you would usually. This is great for capturing subtle movements like water flowing over rocks because it creates a slight blur for a silky look.
Graduated Neutral Density Filter
Graduated neutral density filters come in two types: hard and soft. Both feature dark glass at the top of the filter and clear glass at the bottom. Hard filters mark a sharp contrast, while soft filters transition softly between extremes. They’re useful for balancing the very bright sky against the less bright earth in horizon shots like sunrises or sunsets. You may need to fine tune your shot to ensure that the dark glass doesn’t accidentally cover the top of the earth as well, but if you can get it right, then the effects are beautiful.
Warming and Cooling Filter
Okay, cards on the table: warming and cooling filters are almost totally irrelevant in a digital age. If you’re still in love with film, then they’re a lot of fun - but in the same way that an antique typewriter is ‘fun.’ Warming and cooling effects let you change your camera’s white balance to correct or add an unrealistic color contrast. Today, we call this Instagram.
There are certainly valid reasons to avoid filters. As with any additional layer of glass over your lens, filters may unintentionally reduce image quality. If you stack too many on top of one another, it creates an opaque edge around the photo. However, filters are also a really great way to adapt the unnatural eye of your camera to the natural world. Experiment! You may find a filter or two that works for you.
Focus Camera is an online retailer specializing in camera gear and electronics. With over fifty years experience, Focus is committed to helping the next generation of artists reach their fullest potential with helpful guides, videos, and more. To read more from Focus, visit their blog.
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Wie der FC Bayern München mitteilt, hat sich Abwehrspieler Holger Badstuber einen Riss des Oberschenkelmuskels zugezogen. Es sei eine Operation nötig, so der Verein. Ihm droht eine Pause von drei bis vier Monaten.
Holger Badstuber bleibt der größte Pechvogel beim FC Bayern. Der Fußball-Nationalspieler zog sich erneut eine schwere Verletzung zu und wird dem deutschen Fußball-Rekordmeister über die entscheidende Saisonphase hinaus fehlen. Der Innenverteidiger erlitt beim triumphalen 6:1 der Münchner am Dienstag im Viertelfinale der Champions League gegen den FC Porto eine Rissverletzung im Bereich des vorderen Oberschenkelmuskels und wird in den kommenden Tagen in Vail/USA operiert.
Badstuber ist "natürlich enttäuscht" "Natürlich bin ich im Moment sehr enttäuscht", erklärte der 26-Jährige in einer Vereinsmitteilung, "ich bin aber trotz alledem positiv und werde völlig gesund zurückkehren. Ich weiß, dass beim FC Bayern alles für mich getan wird, um wieder als wichtiger Bestandteil der Mannschaft zurückzukehren." Fast zwei Jahre musste Badstuber nach zwei Kreuzbandrissen pausieren, wiederholt wurde er am rechten Knie operiert. Nach dem Comeback zu Saisonbeginn verletzte er sich am 3. Spieltag erneut schwer, ein Muskelsehnenriss im Oberschenkel bedeutete fünf weitere Monate Pause. Diesmal wurde eine Ausfalldauer von drei bis vier Monaten diagnostiziert.
Rummenigge: "Es tut mir leid für Holger" "Es tut uns so leid für Holger. Er hatte so viel für sein erneutes Comeback gearbeitet - und jetzt das", sagte Vorstandsvorsitzender Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. "Aber wir haben Holger als Kämpfer kennen und schätzen gelernt. Er wird sich auch von der neuen Verletzung niemals entmutigen lassen. Er weiß, wie wichtig er für uns ist. Das wird ihn in der Rehabilitation antreiben und schnell und gesund zurückkehren lassen." Video: Boateng tanzt halbnackt in Kabine
FOCUS Online/Wochit
Die Bayern werden Badstuber im Kampf um das Triple schmerzhaft vermissen. Medhi Benatia ist immer wieder angeschlagen, Dante leistete sich zuletzt krasse Fehler. Badstuber war da fest als Größe neben Abwehrchef Jérôme Boateng eingeplant. Video: Aus Robbéry wird Thiagowski
FOCUS Online/Wochit
Denn Badstuber hat sich eindrucksvoll im Team etabliert. 841 Tage nach seinem bislang letzten Königsklassen-Startelfeinsatz feierte er im Achtelfinal-Rückspiel gegen Donez seine Torpremiere. Es war seim erster Treffer im 33. Spiel. Auch in der Nationalmannschaft hatte Badstuber beim 2:2 gegen Australien Ende März sein Comeback gegeben. Statt danach mit der deutschen Fußball-Nationalmannschaft nach Georgien zu fliegen, musste er wegen muskulärer Probleme aber vorzeitig nach München zurück. Thiago und Badstuber seien beide lange verletzt gewesen, hatte Pep Guardiola noch nach dem 6:1 der Münchner gegen Porto die hoch geschätzten Profis gelobt. "Sie sind überragend zurückgekommen und haben beide sehr gut gespielt. Natürlich haben soe uns viel geholfen." Zumindest auf Badstuber muss Guardiola jetzt erst einmal wieder lange verzichten.
Ribéry schießt Sensationstor für die Bayern in der 4. Liga
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Howard Caplan likes to talk. In fact, if you will spare the time, he will spend hours discussing his belief that “Pizzagate” is less of a crackpot conspiracy theory than shorthand for a wide-ranging, real-world, child sex-trafficking network.
After the November presidential election, the 47-year-old Northeast Philadelphian dropped his “Hillary 4 Prison” sign at the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Grant Avenue and directed his efforts toward an issue that’s come to consume most of his time these days.
Sure, Edgar Maddison Welch drew national headlines for traveling from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. in December. That’s only natural, as he allegedly fired an assault rifle inside the pizza parlor – Comet Ping Pong – that believers zeroed in on as a focal point in the conspiracy.
While that case cemented public opinion against the Pizzagaters – it’s used as exhibit No. 1 for those who state that fake news has worrisome ramifications – Caplan has become one of the fringe movement’s most public faces during the weeks and months since.
In no small part, that’s courtesy of a viral video of him bursting into the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul during Christmas Mass and going ham with a screed about the church and Pizzagate. (Stories that linked to his video no longer feature it, what with his Twitter account being suspended.)
Despite all that notoriety – bolstered by an active Twitter presence that’s gotten him suspended by the social-media outfit a few times – he wasn’t willing to answer one question when he returned to that corner with a sign reading “Expose Pedos #PizzaGate” on Wednesday afternoon.
“I will neither confirm nor deny that,” he said, when asked whether he plans to return to archdiocesan cathedral in Center City on Easter Sunday, noting it wasn’t exactly easy to pull off at Christmastime.
Marching the same path he did with the Clinton sign – toward stopped traffic along the Boulevard, then crossing at Grant when the traffic lights change – he’s getting fewer honks and comments as he did during the election season. He chalks that up to people’s lack of knowledge or unease with a troubling topic.
“I’d love to be wrong. We all would, but there’s something wrong with our country." – Howard Caplan
Caplan said he’s just as committed as ever, though, to the point of deeming the Comet Ping Pong story “a false flag.” That term is defined as “covert military operations designed to deceive in such a way that the operations appear as though they are being carried out by perpetrators other than those who actually planned and executed them.”
Caplan – who is well aware that people are quick to dismiss him as crazy – bases that opinion on his Freedom of Information Act requests (seeking police reports into the Comet Ping Pong story) being rebuffed at every turn.
(Fun fact: He writes off conspiracy king Alex Jones’ Pizzagate denials as an abdication of responsibility by someone who never understood the depth of the issue. “I’ve never been an Alex Jones guy,” Caplan said. “Everybody wrote him off but now they’re giving him credibility?”)
Over the course of an hour-long chat on the Boulevard, he acknowledged that he and his fellow amateur sleuths (their Twitter direct-message chains are a sight to behold) might be better served focusing on the undeniable reality that sexual abuse of children is prevalent worldwide.
He instantly veered back to a mantra that holds, “Pizzagate is real,” meaning people involved in sex trafficking needs places to launder their profits, and he thinks pizza parlors are ripe for that.
“Most people have never heard of Pizzagate,” he admitted. “My main thing is letting people know that it’s out there, and ask them to take a look.”
He deemed the term “pizzagate” as a symbolic umbrella and cited a wide array of high-profile cases that prove child-sex assaults are a problem of both international and local importance.
The Catholic Church clergy sex-abuse scandal. Jerry Sandusky and Penn State. The Roosevelt Inn human-trafficking lawsuit. The horrific Montgomery County life and death of 14-year-old Grace Packer.
His point? Nobody can deny that abuse is real. Couple that with “creepy pictures” on pizzeria Instagram pages and human-trafficking profiteers not exactly being able to walk into a bank and make deposits and – voila – “Pizzagate is real.”
“We’re talking about hundreds of billions of dollars, and statistics about children going missing around the world are hard to come by,” he maintained. “It’s not just about Comet Ping Pong. It’s not just about pizza. Trafficking is big business and they need to hide the money somewhere. They hide it at businesses that serve as fronts.”
Caplan said doubters seeking proof write him off by thinking they could “walk into a pizzeria and see people having sex with kids, but that’s not how it works” and rues the fact that his amateur-sleuth collective doesn’t have the investigative powers of, say, the F.B.I.
Conceding that they have nothing but “circumstantial evidence after circumstantial evidence” to make their case – like grown men taking young girls to get pizza at 8 p.m. on a Saturday – he said he can’t figure out why people are so quick to brush him off. ("Some will say that's just a father and daughter going to eat pizza, but I saw it 10 times the other night. Something just seemed off about it," he said.)
“Even if I’m wrong about this, what are they so angry about?” he said. “I’d love to be wrong. We all would, but there’s something wrong with our country. Kids are being abused. Kids are being trafficked. It’s not an isolated thing. People don’t like to think about it, but it’s not a stretch to think some very powerful people are involved.”
Caplan is well aware that some people think he’s nuts. In fact, some who’ve known him have reached out to me after the previous stories ran to say as much out of concern for his well-being.
Still, when he speaks, it’s with the authority of someone who has spent months delving into an issue, regardless of whether you believe his conclusions or not.
On Wednesday afternoon, Caplan’s sign drew several honks and thumbs up from passersby – one school bus and several work trucks among them – along with those who took pictures of him.
By sheer numbers, he’s certain that pedophiles have driven past him. He takes a certain pride in knowing, if that’s the case, that he’s made them very uncomfortable. The lack of eye contact, he said, is a tell – and he's looking for tells like a poker shark seeking out prey.
When he’s asked for his overarching message, it’s this: Just take a few minutes and look into what we’re saying. What’s the worst that can happen by doing that?
“Just don’t act like I’m just some nut out there. People don’t know what I know," he said. “They should keep an open mind about this. It’s not about politics. It’s about kids. It’ll take a while (for us to prove these accusations), but it’s just a matter of time until we do.”
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Generating electricity is not the only way to turn sunlight into energy we can use on demand. The sun can also drive reactions to create chemical fuels, such as hydrogen, that can in turn power cars, trucks and trains.
The trouble with solar fuel production is the cost of producing the sun-capturing semiconductors and the catalysts to generate fuel. The most efficient materials are far too expensive to produce fuel at a price that can compete with gasoline.
"In order to make commercially viable devices for solar fuel production, the material and the processing costs should be reduced significantly while achieving a high solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency," says Kyoung-Shin Choi, a chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In a study published last week in the journal Science, Choi and postdoctoral researcher Tae Woo Kim combined cheap, oxide-based materials to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases using solar energy with a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 1.7 percent, the highest reported for any oxide-based photoelectrode system.
Choi created solar cells from bismuth vanadate using electrodeposition -- the same process employed to make gold-plated jewelry or surface-coat car bodies -- to boost the compound's surface area to a remarkable 32 square meters for each gram.
"Without fancy equipment, high temperature or high pressure, we made a nanoporous semiconductor of very tiny particles that have a high surface area," says Choi, whose work is supported by the National Science Foundation. "More surface area means more contact area with water, and, therefore, more efficient water splitting."
Bismuth vanadate needs a hand in speeding the reaction that produces fuel, and that's where the paired catalysts come in.
While there are many research groups working on the development of photoelectric semiconductors, and many working on the development of water-splitting catalysts, according to Choi, the semiconductor-catalyst junction gets relatively little attention.
"The problem is, in the end you have to put them together," she says. "Even if you have the best semiconductor in the world and the best catalyst in the world, their overall efficiency can be limited by the semiconductor-catalyst interface."
Choi and Kim exploited a pair of cheap and somewhat flawed catalysts -- iron oxide and nickel oxide -- by stacking them on the bismuth vanadate to take advantage of their relative strengths.
"Since no one catalyst can make a good interface with both the semiconductor and the water that is our reactant, we choose to split that work into two parts," Choi says. "The iron oxide makes a good junction with bismuth vanadate, and the nickel oxide makes a good catalytic interface with water. So we use them together."
The dual-layer catalyst design enabled simultaneous optimization of semiconductor-catalyst junction and catalyst-water junction.
"Combining this cheap catalyst duo with our nanoporous high surface area semiconductor electrode resulted in the construction of an inexpensive all oxide-based photoelectrode system with a record high efficiency," Choi says.
She expects the basic work done to prove the efficiency enhancement by nanoporous bismuth vanadate electrode and dual catalyst layers will provide labs around the world with fodder for leaps forward.
"Other researchers studying different types of semiconductors or different types of catalysts can start to use this approach to identify which combinations of materials can be even more efficient," says Choi, whose lab is already tweaking their design. "Which some engineering, the efficiency we achieved could be further improved very fast."
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The Athens Medical Association (ISA) warned about major shortages in medical staff over the next years, since an increasing number of Greek doctors, especially those working in highly specialized fields, and nurses are looking for jobs abroad and leaving the country.
According to the association’s figures, more than 7,500 doctors have migrated to other countries since 2010. It was reported that in the first six months of 2015, ISA issued 790 certificates of competence, an official document required for medical sector employees who wish to work abroad. However, the report also noted that up until 2009, on average, 550 doctor were taking jobs abroad each year.
“One of the biggest losses in the crisis has been that of great minds,” ISA chief Giorgos Patoulis stated to Greek newspaper Kathimerini. “In a short time, the national healthcare system will have an aged personnel and will be unable to staff services.”
Furthermore, the data showed that a total of 8,000 unemployed Greeks have been forced to look for job opportunities abroad. The Greek Nurses Union announced that it issued 349 certificates just last year, 357 in 2012 and 74 certificates in 2010.
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We are pleased to announce that the 19 million users strong Enjin Network now supports an additional payment method — Enjin Coin.
Users are now able to purchase Enjin Plans with the Ethereum of Gaming — at a 10% discounted price!
The implementation of ENJ as a payment solution marks the first step, and a pivotal moment in the integration of our social gaming platform with Enjin Coin.
While Enjin Coin can be used to develop complex, groundbreaking digital products like gaming multiverses, the Enjin Network integration demonstrates a much simpler use-case — payments for goods and services.
As the Enjin Coin powered meta-economy grows and evolves, we believe that game industry businesses will begin to implement Enjin Coin as a payment solution for their virtual and real-life goods and services.
Use-cases range from game server hosting companies and gaming influencer marketing platforms, to game development tools & resources marketplaces and gaming hardware stores — essentially any game industry business that has gamers and/or game developers as customers.
The Enjin Network new crypto-payment gateway is simple — when the Enjin Plan is selected, the pa...
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Membership of the EU single market is the UK’s only legal defence against an onslaught of regulations aimed at forcing banks and fund managers to decamp to the eurozone, they say.
“It would be catastrophic and suicidal for Britain to leave. The UK would lose the protection it currently enjoys as the eurozone’s major financial centre,” said Athanasios Orphanides, a former member of the European Central Bank’s governing council.
Mr Orphanides said the ECB is already clamping down on payments, clearing and settlement systems conducted in euros outside its jurisdiction, a move deemed necessary to head off future crises. “The only thing stopping regulation that would shift all such activities from London to the eurozone is the legal protection the City enjoys in the EU,” he told The Daily Telegraph .
While Britain is in a “very strong” position now as an EU member outside the eurozone, this would evaporate the moment the UK tears up its membership card. “The UK would be the big loser. I don’t believe it will happen because Britain has the best technocrats in the world, and the British people are rational,” he said.
Legal guerrilla warfare is already under way and EU officials say privately that the struggle for control over the financial industry is reaching a critical point, with Britain rapidly key losing allies. The UK Treasury filed a case at the European Court in late 2011 to block ECB plans that would limit euro transactions by clearing houses if they take place outside EMU territory. It said large-scale euro contracts should come under the sway of the ECB, since no other central bank can issue the currency as a lender of last resort in an emergency.
Britain said the plans breach single market laws allowing firms to set up a business anywhere in the EU. The ECB has held fire for now but the case is still pending. “This is a very real threat,” said Mats Persson from Open Europe.
Dino Kos, a former head of markets at the New York Fed, said the City is more vulnerable to a regulatory squeeze than people realise. “Governments have the power to control where clearing happens, and therefore where trading happens. Central banks can say businesses must have an onshore presence,” he told a Bloomberg forum.
The prize is big. Some 75pc of Europe’s over-the-counter derivatives trades take place in London, and 40pc of global trades. The worldwide market is around $640 trillion in notional contracts, churned constantly.
The ECB’s proposed rules would force LCH Clearnet, and other clearers such as ICE and CME, to hive off part of their business to eurozone hubs. Leaked documents from the Banque de France in 2009 revealed that Paris was pushing behind the scenes for a French clearing house, explicitly to break London’s stronghold. France has since tried to push through a directive requiring clearers to have access to ECB liquidity for euro trades.
Graham Bishop, an expert on EU regulation, said there is a string of parallel disputes, covering such arcane areas as “UCITS” depositories for EU unit trusts or rules on fund management. “The big danger is that foreign banks and funds quietly locate their new business in Frankfurt and Paris, and after five years we will discover that the centre of gravity has moved,” he said.
Deutsche Bank bases its global business and trading in London with 8,500 staff in the UK, much to the irritation of German lawmakers. France’s top lender BNP Paribas has a big trading centre and 8,000 staff in Britain. Both banks are under political pressure to repatriate operations.
The regulatory assault on the City has been an escalating drama since the Lehman crash in 2008. Three EU agencies have been created covering banking, insurance and markets with binding powers that can overrule a British veto on key matters in extremis, effectively stripping Westminster of final control over regulation of the City for the first time in 300 years.
The key measures were signed into law by the Coalition shortly after taking power, before it understood the full significance. The ECB and the Bank of England will share oversight as the EU’s new banking union takes shape, but it is a compromise fraught with trouble.
Giles Merritt, the head of Friends of Europe in Brussels, warned that EU leaders could become vindictive if Britain’s in/out referendum degenerates into a slanging match. “If British eurosceptics turn it into a sneering campaign against Europe, then the Europeans will play hardball,” he said.
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Deep below Mazda North America's research and development offices in Irvine, California, there is a basement. It is not so much a cellar, though, as a hallowed paddock for hard-charging thoroughbreds.
As the steel entrance door rolls upwards, lights turn on in sequence, revealing machines of various vintages, in varying states of undress. For fans of the rotary engine, it is nothing short of a treasure trove. Closest to the door is the RX-2 campaigned by Car & Driver magazine's Don Sherman in 1973. Modified for International Motorsports Association (IMSA) Racing Stock class, its 12a rotary unit produces 218 horsepower at a Ferrari-like 8,400rpm.
Without mufflers, it is easily the loudest thing down here. So ear-splitting is the racket that specialised sound-suppressors were fitted so mechanics would not go deaf when the engine idled in the garage. The RX-2 provided the first competition wins outside Japan for Mazda, establishing the brand's performance credentials right from the start.
The pinnacle of Mazda motorsport history is the orange and green-liveried 787B's win at the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race. Mazda remains the only Japanese manufacturer to have won the premier prototype class, and while the race-winner currently sits at Mazda's factory museum in Hiroshima, its sister car is here, being fettled to race. While bodywork panels have been removed to facilitate a transmission service, the car itself looks essentially brand-new. It has also been modified.
“We call it the 'Davis Dimple,'” explains Jeremy Barnes, public relations director for Mazda North America (MNOA), gesturing towards a curious bump on the car’s canopy. “We had to custom-mould the door to make room, and pour a special seat.”
The roof bulge, or “dimple”, is reminiscent of the modification made to the Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 campaigned by Dan Gurney in the ‘60s, which required the change to accommodate its pilot’s long torso. Here, the tweaks were undertaken so Robert Davis, MNOA vice president of operations, could fit. Compared to the compact Japanese drivers who piloted this car to an eighth-place finish at Le Mans in 1991, Davis is a hulk, wearing the car like a 700hp, 1,800lb glove.
It doesn’t take long to suspect that nearly everyone at MNOA is involved with either racing or supporting these machines at heritage events. Barnes drives an IMSA RX-7 GTO at tracks such as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, on California’s Monterey peninsula. The RX-7 GTO is a 600hp beast that he says “is always trying to hurt you. That's why I like driving it so much.”
A more modern prototype racer is here as well, an RX-792P. Like the 787B, it is powered by a four-rotor, 700hp engine, and neither it nor any other machine here is driven gently on the track. “Our CEO Jim O'Sullivan told us, 'I want to have the cars run, and run up front,'” Barnes says.
They are also very well cared for. Randy Miller, a wiry young man with a megawatt grin and a rotary engine cutaway on his T-shirt, is charged with keeping the cars in fighting shape. “There's no Haynes manual for these things,” he quips, referencing a widely used series of mechanical guides. But he is clearly adept at his job; it doesn’t hurt that he is a certified master fabricator.
Tucked deeper in the basement is a vehicle the size of a CX-9 but with the aerodynamic properties of a lunchbox. Miller built this all-electric tool transporter from scratch, having tired of lugging tool chests back and forth to the race pits, and it includes a generator, car-lift and row upon row of sliding drawers.
Mazda works with several restoration companies to complete their cars, but also has considerable in-house resources. The mirrors on the 787B, for example, as well as the "Davis Dimple", were custom-made on premises. Miller doesn't always have to work alone either, as many staff members volunteer their time and talent to get things ready for race weekends.
This commitment to racing infuses many of the rare street cars tucked away among the competition vehicles. There are oddities such as a Japan-only three-rotor twin-turbo Cosmo from the 1990s, as well as a 1967 Luce coupe: the only front-wheel-drive rotary-powered car Mazda ever made.
More prosaically, an extremely low-mileage 1978 GLC hatchback stands as an example of the practical vehicles that helped foot the extravagant racing bills. Next to it, a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive 323 GTX demonstrates that Mazda could engineer fun into even their lowliest of econoboxes. A row of street-driven RX-7s includes a pace car, as well as the only left-hand-drive Spirit R – a special edition produced for the right-drive Japanese market – ever made.
Strictly speaking, this last one might not be considered part of the final run of RX-7s, as it was specially built at the factory for an MNOA executive. It has lightweight Recaros, upgraded brakes, specialised engine tuning and bespoke aerodynamic elements. It is also – at least during this visit – broken.
Next to the RX-7s are a few open spaces, evidence of some missing cars. These are currently upstairs, and are perhaps better loved than any other machines down below.
This year is the 25th anniversary for the Miata – also marketed as the MX-5 and Eunos Roadster – the best-selling sports car the world has ever seen. It conveys all the fierce joy of the racing cars down here, but in a tidier, admittedly more reliable little package suited to public roads. Cleaned up and drained of fuel, the cars are being readied for the 2014 New York auto show, where press previews begin 16 April. Among them are the original cars displayed at the model's 1989 Chicago auto show debut – one red, one blue – that are respectively the 14th and 15th Miatas ever produced. A supercharged concept called the Super20 has just returned from a trip to Alaska, where it cavorted with a local Miata owners club.
Further on, there are the concepts: a sleek third-generation Miata Spyder, a flared yellow first-generation car that sat alongside the stock originals at Chicago, and a one-off fastback coupe.
Southern California is the birthplace of the Miata, where the original design was carved in clay, and where the suspension and handling were refined. An original model touched by the hands of designer Tom Matano is down here, too.
Among the New York-bound Miatas is a white, slightly ratty, showroom-stock racing car. Reaching into the cockpit, Barnes pulls out the original Sports Car Association of America logbook and flips it to the first page, dated 23 September 1989. This car also shared the Chicago stage in 1989 with the red and blue cars, but would go on to podiums of another kind. Compared to the mighty beasts that sleep below, it is a simple thing, but no less battle-hardened. It makes, in fact, a nice spirit animal for Mazda as a whole: small, energetic, quietly obsessed with going fast.
Such traits do not lend themselves neatly to a museum format. But this is a paddock, remember, and its occupants were born to gallop – even right through retirement.
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AS a security professional with counterterrorism experience, I understand the threat posed by religious extremism. As a former Secret Service agent who has taught about radicalization to the C.I.A., the N.S.A., the Department of Homeland Security and the United States military, I have seen up close how Muslims are treated in European society, especially French society.
I was a Secret Service agent on the 2004 visit to France by George W. Bush, who was then president, and my responsibilities included obtaining cars, hotel rooms, cellphones and translators for a small army of agents who would arrive in advance of his trip. Two weeks before, I ordered 20 cars and 20 French drivers for members of the Secret Service advance team. The cars and drivers lined up in front of a five-star Paris hotel where members of the Secret Service, United States military and White House staff were staying.
All of the drivers were dressed professionally in suits, but only one was stopped and questioned each day by the French police. His name was Ahmad and he was clean-shaven, about 25 years old, born in France and of Moroccan descent. Almost daily I would be summoned to the outside of the hotel to verify that he was part of our team. After a few days of this, I offered to contact the police and try to stop the constant and redundant checks. He smirked and told me, “You cannot change French society.”
What seemed most strange to me was that Ahmad never complained about the police intrusion and actually accepted it as a fact of life. When I drove with Ahmad through the streets of Paris, he was stopped three times by police officers at roundabouts and traffic lights. Each time he produced identification, explained the car was not his and that he worked for a limousine service. Within minutes the police let him go, and they were always professional and polite. But while he didn’t complain, Ahmad felt humiliated, like an outsider. Not truly French.
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CHICAGO — Police say robbers have targeted women in a series of recent attacks in Logan Square and Avondale.
In the robberies, one or two men approach women who are alone from behind, knock them down and take their property, police said in a community alert.
In one instance, one of the men asked to use a victim's cellphone before robbing her.
The robberies have occurred in the:
• 3000 block of North Gresham Avenue on Nov. 1 at 1 p.m.
• 3300 block of West Belmont Avenue on Nov. 2 at 8 p.m.
• 3400 block of West Diversey Avenue on Nov. 13 at 9:45 a.m.
Police described one of the suspects as a black man, 20 to 25 years old, standing 6-foot-1, weighing 155 pounds, with long black dreadlocks, wearing all black clothing. Another suspect is described as a black man, 20 to 25 years old, 5-foo-6 to 5-foot-8, weighing 160 pounds. He wore a red puffy vest with a long-sleeved grey shirt.
The suspects in the attack on Diversey are described as black males, 15 to 19 years old, weighing 150 pounds. One wore a black hooded sweatshirt, and the other wore a black-and-red hooded sweatshirt, police said.
Anyone with information should call Area North detectives at 312-744-8263.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
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Image copyright Ali Aslam Image caption Ali Aslam grew up around the corner from the Makkah Mosque in Leeds
Over 150 mosques across the UK have staged open days to welcome members of the public.
The #VisitMyMosque event was organised by the Muslim Council of Britain as a way of encouraging questions about Islam.
Throughout Sunday the hashtag #VisitMyMosque was trending on social media, where many people shared their experiences.
'Beautiful'
Rachel Esposti described the Shah Janan Mosque in Woking as beautiful, after her visit with her daughter and husband.
Image copyright Rachel Esposti
'Sequined Hijab'
In Leicester Christina Emmett's daughter tried on a sequined hijab at the MKSI mosque.
Image copyright Christina Emmett
'First look'
In Leeds, Ali Aslam took his young son for his first look around a masjid. Ali said the Makkah Mosque was located at the end of the street where he grew up and shared the impressive interior decor on his twitter feed:
Image copyright Ali Aslam
'All our questions answered'
At Bolton's Zakariyya Jaame Mosque, Elizabeth Costello said she was proud to be there and had made a new friend.
"Abraham was so lovely. He gave us so much of his time showing us round all the mosque, prayer time, mortuary and washing room. So much information and all our questions answered." she told the BBC.
Image copyright Elizabeth Costello
'Welcoming'
At Home Farm in Leicester, Beaumont Leys police popped in for a chat.
Image copyright @LPBeaumontLeys
However, not everyone was keen on the day's activities, as pointed out by Keith:
Image copyright Keith Frankish
Compiled by Sherie Ryder, BBC UGC and Social News team
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Polarizing boutique owner throws in the towel
Virginia Highland coffee shop and boutique, Henry & June, will close for good on August 30th. The business, which opened just over two years ago, occupied one of Bill Hallman's former spaces at 784 North Highland Avenue.
Henry & June was owned by James "Jim" Chambers and his wife Camryn Park, or as so eloquently s tate d on the businesses website, "Henry & June is the lovechild of Jim Chambers and Camryn Park."
The boutique and coffee shop announced its closure via its Instagram account yesterday.
For those who may not know, Jim Chambers is the entitled grandson of Anne Cox Chambers, whose father created Cox Enterprises. Today, Cox Enterprises owns dozens of media and business properties including the AJC, WSB-TV, Manheim, Kelley Blue Book, AutoTrader and Valpak.
While Chambers claims it is in fact his wife who runs Henry & June, his poor behavior and the causes he supports have definitely impacted the business, in the most negative ways possible. (Chambers is also part owner in EAV Barbell, a gym specializing in weightlifting that opened this past spring.)
Jim Chambers and his wife Camryn Park
According to his T witter handle (@jccfergie), Chambers supports / is associated with the following groups / causes: #DontCallTheCops. Organizer. Marxist. Free Palestine. Sport. Weightlifting. Cannabis. Polyglot. Sex+. Proud Papa.
"K.G.", a former customer and Yelp.com user, left the following review on August 13th:
"I will not be a patron of this coffee shop anymore.
I'm not going write some scathing review because honestly the coffee is some of the best I've ever had but I just can't support this business any longer. I am a Police Officer's wife and I wont spend any more of my husband's (or my) hard earned money there when the owner's husband has called Police Officers "pigs" to their faces. I just can't and won't tolerate that kind of immaturity or disrespect. I'd rather walk a few blocks out of my way for a caffeine fix.
Whether you like it or not your actions and attitude outside of your business reflects on your business. Keep that in mind."
The incident the user is referring to is when Chambers was recently observed at the family friendly Grant Park Farmers Market walking up to cops and calling them "PIGS."
More recently it was also revealed that Chambers, while high on an unknown substance, "sleepwalked" naked outside of his posh Grant Park home before he was detained by Atlanta Police.
Chambers recounts the "ordeal" on his F acebook page:
: Chambers' antics have made him a constant target of ridicule on the popular website reddit. The following are just two examples of some of the comments left on the site directed at him / about him
reddit user "KomboSauce"
"Your house, your boutique, your activism, your place in this community, and everything about you is an effect of your privilege. You bought it all. And you're not even remotely grateful for any of it, because you use your privilege to support being an abuser. You hurt your family, you're hurting your neighborhood, and you're hurting our city. All without any consequence."
reddit user "imdabes"
"Someone should put a banner in his front lawn that reads: "Take whatever you want - we're marxists and we #DONTCALLTHECOPS"
Surprisingly, Chambers does frequently have dialogue with his "haters" as seen by one of his recent responses below.
"Above all else, leave Cam, and any movement, out of this. Leave Henry and June out; that's her shop, not mine. Come at me, come at my polyamory, come at my family's money, which I give away constantly, and to which I have VERY little access, because they don't like me much."
I can't imaging why Chambers' own family would not like him... or can I?
What are your thoughts on Henry & June and its closure? Do you think Jim Chambers is deserving of the ridicule he receives? What would you like to see open in place of Henry & June?
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On Thursday night Andrei Vasilevskiy picked up another win when the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in front of a sold out crowd at Amalie Arena. It was Vasilevskiy’s eighth win in a row and ninth overall this season. In the victory he also became the fifth goalie in franchise history to appear in 100 games.
I was pondering if that was a good thing or not. The Lightning are celebrating their 25th season on the ice. They’ve played over 1900 games and only five goalies have suited up more than 100 times? That seems like...not a lot. According to hockey reference the organization has had 44 goalies appear in at least one game, which also doesn’t seem like a lot. Especially since in the late 90s and early 00s they seemingly ran through every goaltender that ever strapped on the pads (Team Zac Bierk forever!).
In the last few years they’ve managed to slow down the goalie roster churn a bit. Mike Smith appeared in 118 games before taking his talents to Arizona. Then after a little fluctuation, Ben Bishop took over the job and appeared in 227 games (franchise record) while winning 131 of them (also a franchise record).
Bishop and his lanky self were shipped off to Los Angeles last season and Vasilevskiy was appointed the starter. All the Russian netminder has done since then is win 21 of the 28 games he has appeared in.
Vasy’s win on Thursday was the 50th of his career. For a young goaltender who served as a backup for the first two and a half seasons of his NHL career, that’s not bad. It’s not, however, the most wins in a Lightning goalie’s first 100 games. That distinction belongs to, who else, Ben Bishop who racked up 58 wins before hitting the century mark. Vasilevskiy also trails John Grahame, the forgotten goalie, who had 53 wins in his first 100 games with the Lightning.
Over his Lightning career Vasilevskiy has posted a .918 save percentage. That currently ranks second behind Bishop’s .921 SV% in franchise history for players who appeared in more than a handful of games. (I see your 1.000 SV% Riku Helenius.) His .925 even strength SV% trails only Bishop as well.
The main difference between Vasilevskiy and the other gentlemen with over 100 games in a Bolts jersey? He’s only 23 years old. Bishop was in his age 28 year when he played his 100th game, while Grahame, Nikolai Khabibulin and Daren Puppa were all in their age 30 season.
Barring any major injury, contract dispute, or league-wide holdout (I’ll let you guess which one of those is most likely) the owner of adorable kittens will most likely hold all of the major Lightning goaltender records within the next three seasons. Actually, with the frequency that Coach Cooper is playing him this year, he might could have them by the end of next season.
It’s a bit early to start engraving Vasilevskiy’s name on a hall of fame plaque, but his progress over the first 100 games of his career are an encouraging sign. Perhaps the best sign is that he is still learning and getting better. Despite his quick start in the league, we may not have achieve peak Vasilevskiy yet. The decline in production for goaltenders doesn’t noticeably start until after their age 30 season, so we have six or seven years of Vasilevskiy potentially being one of the best goalies in the league.
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Across the country, local newspapers are being cut to the bone or closed down. Is regional journalism doomed? And if it is, what does that mean for local democracy?
Long Eaton, a tough little former railway town in Derbyshire, is still coming to terms with the closure of its local paper, the Long Eaton Advertiser, which owner Trinity Mirror pulled the plug on last October, blaming "difficult trading conditions". Brian Keen, who I catch at an emotional moment in the Lockstone pub in the centre of town, becomes almost tearful at the loss. The paper was there for him to place the notice of his mother's death last year; it is no longer there for the in memoriam. "A lot of people are missing the Advertiser," says Keen. "This used to be a beautiful town. But it's not the town it was: it's got scruffy, it's got rough, and now we even lose the paper."
For the older generation, these things matter. "They want to know who's passed away," says the barman at the Corner Pin down the road, "and to check it's not them." But the younger generation don't much care. Carl and Katrina Smith, a married couple in their mid-30s, not only didn't know the paper had closed; they didn't even know its name - and they were born nearby and have lived in the town most of their lives. They did, though, occasionally buy the Nottingham Evening Post - mainly for the jobs. For this generation, Long Eaton as a place has almost ceased to exist, lost in a more amorphous Nottingham-Derby conurbation.
"It's only the older people who think of communities now," says Carl. "For us it's more a place to live than a community." He was an electrician's mate and worked all over the country (until he was laid off two months ago - people are as vulnerable as papers in the slump); Katrina works in Leicester. Long Eaton is a dormitory for them; they rent a house and say they have no idea who their neighbours are.
"It used to be a proper community, with the railway, the canals and the upholstery industry," says Carl, "but look round at the shops now. You've got Tesco and Asda, and everything else is in decline." There is one new shop in Long Eaton - selling Polish, Russian and Lithuanian food, to cater for migrants from eastern Europe. The shop even has free papers in those three languages, as well as Ukrainian. But they are UK-wide and won't record deaths in Long Eaton, in any language.
Philip White, who runs a newsagent in Long Eaton, says the Advertiser began to lose its way a couple of years ago, when Trinity Mirror cut back on local reporting and started printing in distant Tamworth. "It started to lose its identity when they moved it out of town," he says. "Before that, it had more of a local slant on things. It had its finger on the pulse. They had an office in the town, and you could go in and give them a story. People would come out and take local pictures."
It's a terrible cliche, but local and regional papers are caught in a perfect storm (national titles are having a hard time, too, but that's for another day). The local readership is ageing; high streets are losing their shops; the three key regional advertising markets - property, cars and jobs - have dropped dramatically. The Newspaper Society, which represents the local press, estimates the year-on-year ad slump at between 10% and 20%, but in those three key sectors all the big groups put the fall at more like 40%, with the bubble-deflating south-east the worst affected. Sixty-plus papers, mostly "frees", have already been closed - the Long Eaton Advertiser is unusual in being a paid-for casualty; 1,000 or so UK journalists have lost their jobs. This is an assignment in which I take a particular interest.
Michael Pelosi is well placed to describe what it's like out there for the 90-plus city-based and regional dailies and 1,200-plus weeklies struggling to survive in this new, net-driven world. Pelosi is managing director of Northcliffe Media - one of the big four regional press groups - and president of the Newspaper Society. On the day we meet he has just announced that Northcliffe will cut 1,000 staff - more than 20% of its workforce. The majority will be compulsory redundancies.
"This is a very difficult time for everyone in our industry," he tells me in his office at the Daily Mail HQ in Kensington, London (the Daily Mail and General Trust owns Northcliffe). "It's not easy for managers having to make people redundant; it's not easy for me. If you like doing this, then it's time to hang up your pen and stop coming in to work." Pelosi is an engaging Scot who, I suspect, means what he says. He insists this is the only way the group can stay in profit. Northcliffe made £80m three years ago; even with all the staff cuts, it will make a fraction of that this year. These big corporations don't believe in recording losses, even in unprecedentedly bad times; what happened to the £80m is not immediately clear.
Everywhere, papers are under pressure, staff are being sacked, and there is talk of a crisis in local democracy if the local press is further eroded. The situation is not yet as perilous as in the US, where some famous big-city papers have gone to the wall and plenty of others are hanging by a thread, but even here there are mutterings about the Scotsman and the Yorkshire Post, two famous titles that the debt-laden Johnston Press bought at the top of the market, and which now are worth a fraction of what they paid for them.
I visited Birmingham and had a tour of Trinity Mirror's impressive Fort Dunlop facility, which now houses the Birmingham Mail, Birmingham Post and Sunday Mercury. Trinity claims a circulation of 65,000 for the Mail, a traditional evening paper that has three editions a day (these days many other evening papers are printed overnight). It is robust, in touch with its predominantly white, working-class audience, and will be around for a good while yet. The more upmarket Birmingham Post, with a circulation of just 12,000, looks more vulnerable: another of our famous regional morning titles that no one seems to want any more. The Sunday Mercury (that Birmingham has its own Sunday reflects how strongly the Midlands is committed to its own press) will be secured by the fact that reading behaviour is different on Sundays, and that it offers no fewer than 40 pages of local sport. If you support Villa or the Blues, the name by which Birmingham City FC are universally known here, this is truly heaven.
Trinity Mirror reorganised its journalistic resources in the Midlands when it moved to Fort Dunlop last year, losing 70 of its 295 journalists (all through voluntary redundancy) and integrating the staffs of the three papers so that, apart from a few "brand champions", everyone now works on everything. Whereas previously, Mail and Mercury journalists would virtually have killed each other to protect a scoop, now an overall "head of content" decides what goes where. It is a model being adopted by papers all over the country, on national titles too.
Birmingham Mail editor Steve Dyson, who oversaw the reorganisation, says it was a case of adapt or die. "When we announced the changes [in August 2008] and how many roles we had, we effectively made everyone redundant and said we wanted people to apply for these new roles," he says. "There was some anger and we faced that down. It was brutal, but it was a case of survival. If we hadn't done that, we'd be making compulsory redundancies now."
In Bath, the response to falling circulation was to switch the Chronicle from daily to weekly publication, backed up by a rolling news service online. It seems to have worked: sales have risen from around 11,000 for the daily version to 19,000 for the weekly, even though at 70p the latter retails at double the price. The Chronicle is a Northcliffe title, and Pelosi says that, had the switch not been made in 2007, this famous old paper (it will celebrate its 250th birthday in 2010) might now be dead. "If it was a daily newspaper today, it would be losing very considerable sums of money and it might just go - we might just put the key in the door," he says. "Obviously, advertising markets are extremely challenging and the Bath Chronicle is not making much money, but I believe we've given it a chance to be on a sound economic footing by coming out once a week rather than six days a week."
The switch was overseen by editor Sam Holliday, who joined the Chronicle in 2005. He says he met initial resistance from locals who felt Bath merited a daily. "A local newspaper in a community is a bit like a local church in a village," Holliday says. "Very few people go to it, but everyone feels part-ownership of it, and if the vicar comes in and says, 'Right, we're going to throw away the pews and have a new, modern church,' a load of people who don't even go to the church object. When we first announced the change, I met people who said: 'Oh you can't go weekly, it's terrible, it deserves to be a daily paper.' And I'd say: 'Well if only more people like you were buying it every day, it would be great ... ' And they'd say: 'I don't buy it every day ... ' They regarded it as an institution."
My visit to Bath is instructive. Metro (another DMGT title) - free, generic, rootless and thus emblematic of our deracinated age - is in a dumpbin by the lift in the Chronicle's offices; an unusual example of inviting an accomplice to your murder into your house. The centre of Bath itself is devoid of newsagents; they have been squeezed out by food shops and a Sainsbury's. "That hasn't helped us," says Holliday. "The newsagents have been very loyal in the past, but they're struggling." The signage on a former newsagent, called The Editor, in Westgate Street still gleams, but it is - for one week only - a charity shop raising money for guide dogs.
The weekly Bath Chronicle will soldier on: it will celebrate its 250th birthday, and will almost certainly still be there in a decade. But it will never be the force it was. When I'm searching in vain for a newsagent, I meet a local school caretaker, Dave Stephens, and ask if he knows of any nearby. He starts describing where I might find one, but I never could follow directions, so ask him instead what he thinks of the paper. "I rarely buy it now," he says. "I just find the news is a week old by the time you're getting it, which to me seems a bit of a waste of time. I look at the website occasionally, but I rarely buy the print version unless my kids are in it because of something their school's done."
If Stephens wants information on local planning issues, he says he looks at the council website. The paper alerted him to a new park-and-ride scheme proposed for the town - thanks for that, now he'll follow it up online. "If there's something going on," he says, "there's always a website run by a support group or people who are against something." But they'll be biased, I protest, echoing what every local newspaper editor says. "Every paper has an agenda, too," he counters. He is happy to work it out for himself.
Back in Birmingham, I talk to some bloggers who have taken this a stage further: they have set up websites to cover local issues, discuss the plan to regenerate the town centre, and post documentaries about the lives of "active citizens" in the city. OK, they can't begin to do the legwork of the Birmingham Mail's 42 reporters - "You don't meet many internet reporters down at the courthouse," as The Wire creator David Simon said last week. But what they have achieved is impressive, and anything but frothy.
Former BBC political reporter Nick Booth is a key figure in what I fear I must call the "blogging community" in Birmingham, and has the apostate's disregard for conventional media. "What got me back into making media [after briefly running a quango] was realising that you don't have to use the tone of the conventional mainstream media, which is attempting to be impartial and slightly aloof," he says. "You can decide, 'I'm just going to tell the stories of active citizens. I'm not going to control the editorial process as much as I might in my old job. I'll just give them access to the medium and access to the audience.' And that suddenly felt more honest."
Booth also believes this new media can change things. "It rarely occurs to mainstream media to use its resources to make things better," he says. "It reflects them or carps about them, but doesn't do anything about them. That's an awful lot of energy going into what?" He also likes the idea that you only publish when you have something to say. It's a light news day, all quiet on the Birmingham front - go out for a walk.
Booth is about to launch a Channel 4-backed website in Birmingham called Help Me Investigate, a sort of investigative Wikipedia, where local people will raise issues - "What happened to the money that was supposed to be spent regenerating X?", "Why do the local hospital's NHS contracts have gagging clauses, and is that legal?" - and everyone else in the community will pool their knowledge and efforts to find out. If successful, it will be rolled out nationally, part of the social-networking revolution which - if the internet zealots are to be believed - will transform information gathering and civic life over the next couple of decades.
Booth's partner in the enterprise is Paul Bradshaw, senior lecturer in online journalism at Birmingham City University and someone much in demand as established media organisations thrash around to find a new model for their businesses. For a man who likens the digital revolution to the Renaissance, he is surprisingly sanguine about the future of papers; he reckons that many will survive for at least 20 years - although it will be 20 years of perpetual revolution as old and new media coexist.
Bradshaw puts the dilemma for newspaper groups, local and national, succinctly: "I think some people in most newspapers know where they're going," he says. "The problem is they're having to persuade everyone else in those organisations. They also have enormous legacy systems of printing presses and distribution networks, and the majority of their profits still come from those legacy systems. The next 20 years will be about that transition, and I don't envy them. If I was starting up a news organisation today - as in a way I am [with Help Me Investigate] - I wouldn't want those enormous costs of printing presses."
Pundits on the future of the press range from the optimistic - former Guardian editor Peter Preston, for instance, who in his Observer media column this week attacked "self-feeding hysteria" - to investigative reporter Nick Davies, who, at the start of our interview, tells me it can be a short one. How so? "As far as anyone with any sense knows," he says, "there isn't a future for local media. There isn't actually much of a future for national media."
Both are right. The newspaper industry is not going to disappear overnight. It won't be like Woolworths: there one minute, boarded up the next. In a way, it will be more painful than that: death by a thousand mutilations as reporters are cut, subeditors are centralised (or just eliminnated), dailies go weekly or - as the Guardian Media Group plans for the Reading Evening Post - bi-weekly, proud paid-fors go free, while copies of the Metro and thelondonpaper litter the streets and train carriages. Because the old business model - lots of readers attracting lots of advertising, two fast-flowing revenue streams - is, indeed, bust.
For local papers, the next 20 years will be about managing decline. They are of course developing ancillary websites, buying specialist jobs and car websites, to try to capture the digital market. But they can never exercise the same power as their control of infrastructure gave them in print, and the advertising model online - search-engine dominated and dependent on cash by results - means the ad revenue will never return in the same quantities.
Even if big media organisations survive this revolution, the switch from mediation of information by a professional elite to a more dispersed and, if we are being optimistic, egalitarian and organic model will have a profound effect on journalism. What the bloggers like to call the "priesthood" (us lot) have to give way, with active citizens (you lot) doing it for yourselves. Here Comes Everybody, as US internet guru Clay Shirky so prophetically put it. The New York Times has recognised that the news-gathering of the future is likely to be a partnership between professional and citizen journalists, and the paper is mentoring community websites in the city. This is not just a philanthropic exercise; it knows it has to catch the new wave to reach shore.
There are, however, potential class and age issues here: the blogging community is young and middle-class, readers of local papers older and more working-class. If the transition is out of synch and tracts of the country are deprived of their papers before this more organic network of news-gathering, information-sharing and social action is properly developed, the great unplugged will be left in limbo, sitting in pubs fretting about their declining communities and lost relatives.
Mark Dodson, head of regional media at the Guardian Media Group, is exercised by the possible disenfranchisement of the most vulnerable section of society. "A whole swath of the population will not be catered for by this so-called revolution," he says. "The people who can least afford to be connected to the new world are also those keenest on being involved in their local communities. Everybody has a right to be informed locally. Local news should not be means-tested." He conjures up a vision of a group of middle-class bloggers, obsessed by a series of single issues, pursuing them to the exclusion of what really matters to the wider community.
A valid point, perhaps, but one weakened by the fact that, in order to stay in profit, he recently announced that the group (which also owns this paper) was cutting 245 jobs in the north-west and south-east of England, shedding 113 journalists (including 39 on the Manchester Evening News), shutting 22 local offices serving its weekly titles in and around Manchester, and closing the Esher News & Mail and the Aldershot Mail, as well as reducing the Reading Evening Post from daily to bi-weekly publication from the summer. That announcement led GMG journalists in Manchester to take out an advertisement in this paper on Tuesday complaining of "the decimation of a great regional newspaper in the city which was the birthplace of the Guardian" and appealing to the Scott Trust, which oversees GMG, to reconsider the redundancies.
Dodson is sure the Manchester Evening News will still exist in 10 years, but says it will have changed character. "It will look fundamentally different from the way it does now," he says. "It'll be a different kind of product: it could be totally free, or part-paid and part-free; it could be two days a week, or three days a week, or weekly. There'll be a product that serves Manchester, serves it properly and is of high quality, but what it will look like ... " The sentence trails away. "It'll be a mixture of products that serve the community, and I expect to see the same in Birmingham, Glasgow and other places as well. You have to be totally open-minded, because three years ago no one would have believed we would be in this position."
This is not yet a requiem for papers, and anyone who tells you they know when they will die is fibbing. Even at what we have to assume is the bottom (or close to the bottom) of the deepest recession since the 1930s, most local papers are still making a profit, admittedly because they have shed many good journalists and other staff. The Tindle Group, run by the redoubtable 82-year-old Sir Ray Tindle, has lost virtually no one from its widely distributed 900 staff, yet he insists his network of 230 "hyper-local" titles (which includes such glories as the Barry Gem, the Ceredigion Business News, the Faringdon Folly and Diary, the Forest of Dean Prime of Life, the Hay-on-Wye Express and the Wiveliscombe Messenger) is holding its own. On the day we meet at his office in Farnham, Surrey, where I get a tour of the Farnham Herald and lunch in the boardroom, he has just bought four troubled papers in Devon.
Times are tough: the Herald's advertising in key sectors has halved. But Tindle - who, after surviving throat cancer in the 1990s, has to keep his thumb pressed against his voice box to speak - is undaunted. Churchill is his hero, and his words are couched in the same cadences: "We've been though quite a few recessions and two world wars. Our oldest papers were there before Napoleon!" He says he has never - and will never - close a paper, and loves to tell the story of the way he saved the Tenby Observer in 1978.
"I told the staff I would buy it, provided they could bring it out by Friday morning so there was no gap," he tells me, chortling. "They said, 'We'll do it.' I said, 'But I want no news from outside Tenby. Cut out Haverfordwest, cut out Milford Haven, cut out Pembroke Dock. I don't want to know. Every line must be about Tenby. The circulation went up from 3,700 to 6,000-odd; the paper went from a loss of £50,000 to a profit of £140,000." Tindle looks through the printout on his desk. "The Tenby Observer has made £108,605 in this financial year, and that's in a recession!" he proclaims. "Yet the paper had been dead for three days when I resuscitated it."
The debt-laden corporations could learn a thing or two from Tindle, who says he has never borrowed a penny. The plaque on the wall of his reception in Farnham reads: "The Tindle Group of 200 newspapers and radio stations was built by launch and purchase from absolutely nothing apart from the £300 given to a soldier at the end of the second world war, and by the dedication of loyal staff."
Personal mythologising it may be, but the staff tend to stay with him for a lifetime - Corina Larby, chief reporter at the Farnham Herald, has been with the paper "since God was a boy", or 1973 to be precise - even though the salaries are very low. That loyalty is now being repaid, though job cuts are not completely ruled out. The group has just announced a pay freeze but, before that announcement, he showed me a letter from the NUJ chapel at one of his home counties papers saying it had agreed to ask for no pay rise this year, so grateful were its members to hold on to their jobs.
Tindle's papers, serving small communities and with, for the most part, low overheads, are likely to be around for a generation or more, though it is far from clear what happens when this Churchillian figure dies. The great morning dailies, with resounding names and pathetic sales, could be gone in a few years, unless some rich businessman fancies them as a trophy. Meanwhile, the new decentralised, decorporatised media models will be emerging. The revolution may not be televised, but it will be analysed, mocked, videoed and remorselessly blogged about on a wide variety of local news and crowd-sourcing websites.
Even Long Eaton now has a web replacement for the Advertiser. Former railwayman Tony Fountain, who is 57, has added news to his existing What's On in Long Eaton site, and trails round the streets looking for stories. His site is not yet the New York Times, but I like the fact he publishes poems by local people - newspapers have always despised unsolicited poems - and there is no denying his passion. He plans to start a births, marriages and deaths column, which may bring some comfort to Brian Keen. In 20 years' time, perhaps this site will be magnificent, with local people using it to work together to smarten up their town. There will also be sections in Polish, Russian, Lithuanian and Ukrainian, and thirtysomethings might have heard of it.
At the Birmingham Mail, I meet a thoughtful young reporter called Paul Bradley, a 26-year-old who joined the paper as a trainee two years ago on £10,000 a year. Last week he came back from Basra, where he had been tracking the Queen's Royal Hussars, which draws many of its recruits from the Midlands. During his time in Iraq, he had written three differently angled stories for the Mail, Post and Mercury. On another visit to Basra last autumn, he wrote stories, blogged, took photographs and made a video. Or at least tried to: in a war zone, Trinity Mirror's expectations of what the modern, multi-platformed, multimedia journalist can achieve seem a little optimistic.
I find Bradley interesting because he has opted to enter this profession at a time of such uncertainty, when all the media rules are being rewritten. "I think it will take 20 years for things to settle down enough for people to be able to breathe easily again," says Paul Bradshaw at Birmingham City University. How does young, mustard-keen but far from misty-eyed Bradley feel about being in on the start of a revolution?
"I suppose you see the brave new world, but brave new world that's going where exactly?" he says. "I can do all the skills, I can do the videoing, I can take the not-very-good photos, I can file for three different papers. But are those papers going to be around in five years' time for me to continue working for them, or am I going to have to look for a job abroad because they can't work out how to get the advertising?"
Does that panic him? "You've just got to have some kind of faith that someone, somewhere knows what's going on and has some kind of plan. There's still a thirst for news; there's still a demand for good journalism."
The bad news is that, despite online guru Bradshaw's optimism about newspaper visionaries, no one does seem to have a plan. Barry Fitzpatrick, head of publishing at the National Union of Journalists and a man currently trying to put sandbags around organisations that are leaking jobs all over the place, puts it well: "At the moment, regional managing directors are like corks bobbing around in a stormy sea. They're not actually steering anything; they have no business plan other than cuts, and inevitably if that's the only strategy you have, quality suffers. They try to make out there's been no damage done, or it's a better product, but we all know it's a lot worse."
The good news is that the Birmingham Mail and Sunday Mercury, Bradley's current employer, surely will still be around in five years' time, though it would be sensible if they started reaching out beyond their white working-class heartlands given the nature of the Midlands demographic.
And, in the longer term, if someone like Bradley could only join forces with railwayman-turned-web enthusiast Tony Fountain in Long Eaton - which shouldn't be much more dangerous than Basra, except perhaps on a Saturday night - I'm convinced the town would have a journalistic vehicle far more powerful than the old stripped-down, clapped-out Long Eaton Advertiser. Local advertisers and well-wishers would flock to it; maybe the government could start an Arts Council-type fund to facilitate local news-gathering. And then Long Eaton could say it was in at the rebirth not just of local journalism, but of a revitalised civic life.
• Additional research by Sarah Phillips
• This article was amended on Saturday 4 April 2009. The editor of the Bath Chronicle is Sam Holliday, not Holloway. This has been amended.
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RuPaul’s Drag Race star Willam Belli stunned fans in an online show with comments about trans people.
The drag artist, who appeared on the fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, was called out by fans over comments made on her live TV show ‘Suck Less’.
During one segment on the Fullscreen show, Willam and fellow drag queen Courtney Act answered questions from viewers seeking help and advice.
The show usually involves light-hearted jokes, petty scats, and shallow comments about their viewers’ appearances, but Willam took things too far in a question about trans people.
It was sparked by an email from a female viewer who has asked for advice about dating a transgender man, and feeling uneasy about him not having a penis.
While Courtney Act tried to give some good advice, Willam stunned viewers by insisting: “just because you cut your titties off and take testosterone, that doesn’t change your chromosomes.”
Willam referenced the murder of Brandon Teena, a trans man who was brutally raped and murdered in Nebraska in 1993, whose real-life story was told in the 1999 movie ‘Boys Don’t Cry’.
The drag artist incredibly appeared to try and justify Brandon’s murder, saying: “He bamboozled the girl… he was trans but he could have told them.”
Addressing the person asking for advice, William added: “Here’s the thing, he’s not your boyfriend if he’s not a boy and he’s not f**king you… just because someone says they’re a boy, doesn’t make them a boy.
“If they haven’t had the science [referring to hormones/surgery], they’re not a boy yet. Just because you cut your titties off and take testosterone, that doesn’t change your chromosomes.”
Courtney Act derided Willam’s comments as “transphobic”, before noting that the quote mirrors trans-exclusionary feminist author Germaine Greer, who claimed that “just because you lop off your d**k and then wear a dress, that doesn’t make you a f***ing woman.”
Courtney told Willam: “You just accidentally quoted Germaine Greer!”
After the quote was recounted, Willam emphatically agreed with Greer.
“Once you do all that science stuff, then it does [make you a woman],” she said.
Thankfully, Courtney Act was there to save the day, demonstrating tact and wisdom as she debunked Willam’s claims.
“You’re dating a trans man, by the sounds of it,” she told the viewer.
“Sometimes men have vaginas, and sometimes men have penises, and that is a fact of the world we live in.
“[Just because he] does not have a penis, it doesn’t mean that he can’t pleasure you.”
She also criticised the transphobic language that had been used.
“Saying that he’s a butch lesbian is disrespectful. He’s not a butch lesbian. He identifies as a man, and you need to respect his identification.”
Courtney continued to counter Willam’s brash comments, saying: “It’s not up to you to choose how somebody identifies.”
Willam’s comments did not go down well with fans of Drag Race, which has had a number of transgender contestants.
On the Reddit, one fan wrote: “christ, as a trans man this is genuinely disappointing and hurtful.”
Another added: “I really don’t get gays being transphobic. there’s already soooo much negativity from outside the community, why just spew even more inside the community at people who’ve had similar experiences?”
Others praised Courtney Act for her calm and diplomatic answers, with one fan adding: “Courtney, if you’re one of the queens who occasionally shows up on reddit, thanks so much!”
Next: Did Hillary Clinton just reference RuPaul’s Drag Race?
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Definitive evidence that Tel Aviv gunman Nashat Milhem was hiding out in his home village of Arara was obtained when excrement found on Monday in an abandoned building in the village was tested and found to match his DNA, security officials said.
The fugitive Israeli-Arab gunman was suspected — but not known — to have fled north toward his home immediately after killing three Israelis in Tel Aviv on January 1. Israeli forces on his trail on Monday, January 4 believed they had tracked him to an abandoned building in a field in Arara but apparently arrived too late, the officials said. They found human excrement at the scene, however, tested it, and established that it matched Milhem’s DNA, Israel’s Channel 10 news reported.
In the wake of that discovery, and also the reported matching of his DNA to a cigarette butt, national police chief Roni Alsheich was able to signal to the public Tuesday morning that the likelihood of the killer still being on the loose in the Tel Aviv area was significantly reduced.
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Amid criticism that it had taken a full week to catch the killer, who was shot dead when seeking to escape security forces on Friday afternoon, officials hinted that they had delayed closing in on Milhem in order to also be able to identity and ultimately arrest numerous people who helped him while he was hiding out.
Milhem was ultimately cornered in an abandoned home that belongs to a 76-year-old female relative of his, in a building that bears the family name “Milhem” written in blue Hebrew lettering on the wall. “She is in hospital, on a breathing machine,” Ahmad Milhem, another relative, told Channel 2 news on Saturday night.
Batting away a derisive question about why it had taken a week to find a terrorist who was hiding in a building with his name on the wall, Israel’s Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told the TV channel that the operation was ongoing, and potential accomplices were still being rounded up. “We’ll catch everybody who played a role,” Erdan said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKHH7httJIs
According to officials speaking after he was killed, Milhem made his way back to the Arara area within hours of killing three Israelis on January 1. He initially hid out in the rough, then in an abandoned building, and finally in the apartment of his hospitalized relative.
Police allowed reporters into the apartment on Saturday. It was well-stocked with food and water, had a TV set and a radio, and also contained the black clothes Milhem used when he went on his January 1 shooting spree.
The building was surrounded on the afternoon of January 8, and Milhem apparently spotted the forces converging upon him. He fired on them from the window of the apartment, fled the building, and ran some 200 meters, jumping over a low wall into the yard of an adjoining building, security officials said. He fired on the forces chasing him, including at the lead officer and at a search dog (who were not injured), and was gunned down. The forces had been ordered to take him alive if possible.
TV news reports on Saturday night said Milhem had been spotted out and about in Arara by locals on at least two occasions in recent days, carrying his submachine gun. On one occasion, he was seen buying cigarettes, Channel 10 said.
One suspected accomplice acknowledged at a remand hearing Saturday that a friend had reported seeing Milhem, but he said he did not consider that the information was credible.
Relative Ahmed Milhem said of the suspected accomplices: “Maybe people didn’t want to get into a fight with him (and therefore were intimidated into helping him). The whole country knew how dangerous he was.”
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Politico reporter Ginger Gibson shocked CNN guest media critic Frank Sesno on Sunday when she said that she didn’t bother to check facts if she was told that her sources were not telling the truth.
During a segment about the increasing role of fact checking organizations like PolitiFact, Sesno asked Gibson how members of Congress responded when they got a “pants on fire” rating.
“Their press secretaries, when it’s the other guy who’s called out, will blast out those as a press release,” Gibson explained.
“And what do you do with that?” Sesno wondered.
“Most of the time, ignore them,” Gibson admitted.
“You ignore it!” Sesno exclaimed. “Wait, wait, wait. So if someone is called a liar or is exposed in a fact check and you’re the reporter of it, you ignore that?”
“Well, we ignore it when it becomes political fighting, right?” Gibson said.
“But if someone is objectively wrong,” Sesno pressed.
“As a reporter who covered the [Romney] campaign and covers the Hill now, these fact checks are great for us because sometimes when the claim keeps getting repeated, we can point to them in a story and say, look, they’ve been deemed untrue by multiple fact checkers,” Gibson insisted. “And I think that line is important, the multiple fact checkers. When it’s multiple fact checkers agreeing, we can go to that.”
“And that’s how we use it, that’s how we call attention to things — if we’re not doing the fact checking — we know not to be true.”
During 2012 presidential race, Gibson covered Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign, whose pollster once said: “We won’t have the fact checkers dictate our campaign. We will not let the truth get in the way.”
Watch this video from CNN’s Reliable Sources, broadcast Oct. 13, 2013.
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas is urging the Kansas Supreme Court to uphold a judge’s finding that the state’s criminal offender registry is unconstitutional.
The registry includes sex offenders as well as people convicted of certain violent crimes and drug offenses.
The ACLU said in a filing Tuesday that instead of improving public safety, the registry laws impede offenders from reintegrating into a community.
The arguments come in a lawsuit filed by a child molester seeking to have his name removed from the Kansas offender list. Shawnee County Judge Larry ruled a law extending his registration requirement was a punishment that couldn’t be retroactively enforced under the U.S. Constitution.
But the National Center for Victims of Crime says upholding the ruling would “profoundly affect” victims.
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James Marsters Panel 2013 St. Louis Comic Con
James Q&A at St. Louis Comic Con (clip)
James Marsters- "I wanted to be the boy that flies..."
James Marsters- "Did you lose the twenty bucks?"
Here are 4 videos from James Marsters' St. Louis Comic Con Q&A panel; with thanks to myahbr & JeanBugC:This is only part of the panel. Unfortunately I could not get the whole thing due to lack of memory on my card from taking too many pictures and I was standing in line to ask my own question.James was asked by a fan if he were to sit down with some of the characters he has played- Spike, Barnabas and John Hart- what would they say to him and what would he say to them.During James' Q&A on Sunday at St. Louis Comic Con, he was asked about auditioning with a cajun/southern accent for the role of Spike and what was his dream role to play on stage. This clip includes James demonstrating his ability to do accents and discussing his passion for "Macbeth". March 24, 2013During the Sunday Q&A at St. Louis Comic Con, a fan asked James to help settle a bet, What was the relationship between Spike and Angel...really...? March 24, 2013
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Paul poses a formidable challenge for fellow Republican lawmakers. Paul-backed group hits Republicans
Sen. Rand Paul, the tea party favorite and possible 2016 presidential candidate, is raising money for a conservative gun rights group that’s targeting fellow Republicans, including House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
And when one congressman complained, the message from Paul’s camp was: too bad.
Story Continued Below
The Kentucky Republican has lent his name to fundraising pitches for the National Association for Gun Rights, a group that says the National Rifle Association is too willing to compromise on gun rights.
( Also on POLITICO: NRA plan: Let teachers carry guns)
The group has blitzed the districts of Virginia Republicans Cantor and Rep. Scott Rigell with $50,000 worth of TV and radio ads accusing them of helping President Barack Obama pass gun control legislation.
Paul’s email pitches for the group don’t mention Cantor or Rigell by name, but his activity for an organization that attacks fellow Republicans shows the potential 2016 presidential contender isn’t afraid to pick a fight inside the party.
( Also on POLITICO: Paul hits Hollywood on gun control)
Paul chief of staff Doug Stafford is unapologetic.
“Rand signs normal, run-of-the-mill activist emails and letters for numerous groups and this is one of them,” Stafford told POLITICO. “That’s all he’s ever done for them, he’s not affiliated with the group in any way, he doesn’t control how they decide their activism should take place in terms of who the people are that need to be shored up on an issue.”
Paul poses a formidable challenge for fellow Republican lawmakers. He has a built-in base of libertarians, and his profile rose again last month after he filibustered against the Obama administration’s drone policy and won the Conservative Political Action Conference presidential straw poll.
Rigell, a second-term congressman from Virginia Beach, reelected with nearly 54 percent of the vote, this year introduced a bipartisan bill to strengthen penalties for straw purchasers — those who knowingly buy guns for people who cannot pass a background check.
( PHOTOS: Politicians with guns)
But he also has an A-minus rating from the NRA, and said the ads caught him by surprise, forcing him to air several radio spots of his own to refute their claims.
“I outright oppose any initiative that would directly or indirectly result in the creation of a national database of firearms and or firearm owners,” Rigell said in an interview. “Their charge that I am leading this, that I am supporting this, is an egregious lie, and completely unfounded.”
When he discovered that Paul was fundraising for the NAGR, he called the senator and Paul promised to investigate and get back to Rigell.
The congressman also sent Paul a two-page handwritten note asking him to repudiate the group.
“It is true your name is not on any email, direct mail piece, nor is it mentioned in the television or radio ads,” Rigell wrote, according to a copy of the letter viewed by POLITICO. “Yet it is also true, irrefutably, that your good name is being leveraged, with your permission one must assume, by a corrupt, detestable outfit.”
A day or so later, Stafford told Rigell’s office that nothing would be done, according to Rigell.
“The reply essentially was: ‘It’s between you and this group and the senator will not disassociate himself from that organization.’ Which surprised me,” Rigell said.
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Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says his company will not pull its operations out of China. The issue arose after Google said it could be forced to leave the country after deciding to no longer censor website results.
Ballmer did not discuss the censorship issue directly, but told CNBC that "We've been quite clear that we're going to operate in China." He added that "I don't understand how [pulling out] helps us and I don't understand how that helps China." (Source: washingtonpost.com)
Questioned about recent hacking attacks on Google that appear to have originated in China and may have prompted Google's decision to threaten a pull-out, Ballmer said he didn't view the attacks as particularly unusual, pointing out that Microsoft is attacked many times each day.
Microsoft Partly to Blame For Google Attacks
Ironically, Microsoft has confirmed that a previously undisclosed security flaw in Internet Explorer was the method which the Chinese attackers used against Google. It's noted the problem isn't being widely exploited and is currently working on a patch to fix the issue.
There will likely be some criticism of Ballmer for speaking on the issue and failing to support Google's new stance on human rights and censorship issues. However, with the exception of Bing, which is a very minor player in China, Microsoft does not encounter the censorship issue in most of its products, meaning it isn't usually put in a position where it has to make moral judgments.
China's Copyright Situation "Abysmal"
The main focus of the CNBC interview was the issue of copyright infringement in China, with Ballmer saying "Intellectual-property protection in China is very, very bad. Abysmal." He argued that the trade between the US and China was unfair as the US is largely paying for physical goods, while most US exports to China involve intellectual property that is too often not paid for. (Source: pcworld.com)
Some observers have noted that this may actually be reason for Microsoft to continue doing business in China, as leaving the market could leave pirates feeling they have free reign to copy its software without risk of punishment.
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As Juan Martin Del Potro prepares to face Rafael Nadal, we look at his career–from young prodigy, to tragic figure, to comeback king and national hero–and consider his chances against the world #1.
This US Open has had its fair share of heart-warming comeback stories. Semi-finalist Sloane Stephens, who was sidelined for ten months after foot surgery; Petra Kvitova, who was stabbed in her playing hand in her home less than nine months ago; Venus Williams, who has battled back to the Top 5 despite being diagnosed with an auto immune disease in 2011.
But while all are stories of ardour and pain, few have suffered a comeback trail as long as Juan Martin Del Potro’s.
The 2009 US Open final. 20-year-old Del Potro stuns the tennis world with a five-set victory over Roger Federer, halting the 15-time Grand Slam champion’s 41-match winning streak in Flushing Meadows. The 6’6″ Argentine did what many expected of Alexander Zverev this year–bullying his way to the title with a hammer blow forehand and a crushing first serve. In the semi-finals, he delivered Rafael Nadal one of the soundest thrashings of his career. In the land of opportunity, the world had well and truly become his oyster.
But like a true Shakespearean tragedy, triumph was quickly followed by disaster. A wrist injury, the tennis player’s most dreaded hamartia, forced the World #4 off the tour after the Australian Open, and that May he took the poisoned chalice of surgery.
In 2011, after plummeting to #485 in the world, Del Potro moved back to the top of the game, scooping up the accolade of ATP Comeback Player of the Year. An Olympic bronze, 10 ATP titles, and a return to the top 5 followed.
Yet, agonisingly, that was not the end of the Argentine’s woes. Wrist trouble had been lurking, Iago-like, throughout Del Potro’s semi-renaissance, and he required another operation in February 2014.
Two more operations followed, meaning the Argentine played only 14 matches in 2014 and 2015. Del Potro, once a giant of the game, had reached his nadir.
On his injury, he spoke with the same touching ingenuousness that had won New York’s heart six years prior.
“Injuries are the worst thing that can happen in the life of an athlete,” he said in an interview with Vorterix Radio in February 2015. “In the last years, I’ve felt like my life had lots of ups and downs—at some point, I could go back to my best ranking, and then again things changed because of an injury and all the bad things came back. And that’s how these last years have been for me. It hasn’t been easy. It’s not easy to live with an injury that pulls you away from the courts for so long. It’s the hardest match I’ve ever played. It tires you physically, it wears you out mentally, it fills you with fear, doubts, and uncertainty. You wake up every day thinking, ‘Will this be the end of my career?’”
“But today I feel very strong—I won’t give up because of this. I know this is a big rock in my road, but I’m really trying. I have great desire to play again […] all this time I was out I had a really bad time—I cried a lot. It’s truly ugly to watch on TV, to see that the big tournaments are opening up, and the big names winning Grand Slams are starting to change, and me feeling like I could be there and not being able to compete […] It’s really hard. But, well, I had to go through this and I have to be strong now. After this, just by playing again, I will be happy and I’m going to enjoy it a lot.”
But in 2016, Del Potro was able to make his return, and he rapidly became sport’s feel good story of the year. Playing with the fearlessness of a man simply grateful to be holding a tennis racket again, he battled his way to a silver medal in Rio, defeating Nadal in the semi-finals before losing to Andy Murray in a spectacular four hour marathon. He then reached the last eight of the US Open as a wild card, before coming back from two sets down against Marin Cilic to clinch Argentina’s first ever Davis Cup title.
In truth, it has not been a fairy tale ten months since then. A return to the top 30, but no ATP titles, an early exit from Wimbledon and, before the US Open, only one top 10 victory to his name in 2017. But now, Del Potro has the chance to repeat his heroics of 2009 and turn tragedy into a true fairy tale.
“Well, I can’t believe that I’m play [sic] another semi-final after all my injuries, after all my surgeries,” the Argentine admitted after defeating Roger Federer, with that gracious humility that has earned him the title of “gentle giant.” “Especially to play here in New York, which is my favourite tournament and my favourite city in which to play tennis.” No sooner had he finished than the familiar chants of “Delpo” filled the Arthur Ashe stadium. His reply to the vocal Argentinian contingent roughly translated as, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Del Potro is a man hard not to get teary-eyed over. But let’s cut the sentimentality and consider the big man’s chances against World #1 and two-time US Open champion Rafael Nadal.
While the Spaniard leads the head to head 8-5, Del Potro has the edge on hard courts with a slim 5-4 lead. Their most recent meeting came in the semi-finals of the Rio Olympics, the Argentine battling past an albeit misfiring Nadal 5-7 6-4 7-6(5). But, equally, half of Nadal’s victories came when Del Potro was hardly at the height of his powers in 2011.
Del Potro is certainly in the mould of Nadal’s famous conquerors. Lukas Rosol, Gilles Muller, Stan Wawrinka, and more recently Denis Shapovalov and Nick Kyrgios–they have all had the power to press high up the court and take Nadal’s leaping groundstrokes early. The Spaniard has looked helpless, even lightweight, in the face of such an onslaught, moving further and further behind the baseline and sinking into passivity. Del Potro undoubtedly has the physicality to implement such a strategy, and he enjoys high balls to his forehand flank. His epic against Dominic Thiem has also certainly given him chance to cut his teeth against a clay court baseliner.
After four bouts of wrist surgery, the 28-year-old’s backhand is far from the force it once was–a flat, shoveling stroke compared to the hammer blow of his forehand side. Federer’s downfall was failing to consistently avoid the Del Potro forehand, his misfiring one-handed backhand too often landing centrally. As a left-hander, Nadal’s bread and butter shot, his crosscourt forehand, will naturally pin Del Potro onto his backhand side. The Spaniard is also serving far better; he has made 69% of first serves over his past three matches. It will be difficult for Del Potro to get a foothold in Nadal’s service games.
There is also the small matter of Del Potro’s fitness. While there seemed to be no concerns on Wednesday, Nadal’s bullying physicality will provide a far sterner examination of the Argentine’s condition. “I think I am recovering well,” he commented. “I did what the doctor says, all the treatments, and I played just free [against Federer]. Now is still a harder match. I like to play against him [Rafael Nadal] when I’m in good conditions. But it’s not the case at this moment. For sure I will try to make winners with my forehands and don’t run too much, because my legs are tired.” In truth, the laconic Argentine always looks dead on his feet between points, trudging, sloth-like, along the baseline. But on Monday the concerns were very real, Del Potro having failed to shake off a bout of flu.
Nadal has been as imperious in the past two rounds as he looked shaky in the first three. The World #1 totally outmuscled Alexandr Dolgopolov, before putting on a masterclass in counterpunching against Andrey Rublev. They were statement performances, and only 196 minutes of tennis. Nadal will be confident and fresh.
But then Del Potro is one of a rare breed of players who can take the racket out of Rafael Nadal’s hands. His power, as well as his unheralded defensive anticipation, is not to be underestimated.
And what does Del Potro himself think of his chances? Well, the man who’s had a career fitting of Broadway, kept it pretty dramatic.
“Rafa is playing a great season, he’s No. 1 in the world,” the Argentine said. “But with this amazing support, anything can happen.”
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Kotaku East East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.
It’s called Restaurant M. And for one day in Tokyo, it will be serving full-course meals made from McDonald’s food.
According to Weekly ASCII, Bimi, and Sorrida, the full course meal is served on plates and eaten with utensils.
[Photo: Bimi]
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[Photo: Sorrida]
There’s even a fancy menu.
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[Photo: Sorrida]
This, for example, is vichyssoise made from French fries and a gelée made with McDonald’s veggies.
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[Photo: Weekly ASCII]
That’s ice tea in the wine glass.
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[Photo: Weekly ASCII]
FRENCH FRIES!!
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[Photo: Sorrida]
Here is a platter of different McDonald’s patties.
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[Photo: Sorrida]
[Photo: Weekly ASCII]
Looks like there are dipping sauces. Toothpicky things, too.
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[Photo: Weekly ASCII]
Are we really going to do this?
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[Photo: Weekly ASCII]
Guess so.
Dessert is blueberries mixed with strawberries and Oreo cookies. Coffee is also served.
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[Photo: Weekly ASCII]
Restaurant M will open on July 27 at the Roppongi Hills McDonald’s, serving only ten groups of twenty customers selected via McDonald’s Japanese site.
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Top photo: Sorrida
To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft.
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Never underestimate Japanese amateur league baseball. August. 01, 2014 08:03. .
"A fish cake vendor from Nagoya hit a walk-off home run off Oh Seung-hwan."
In the Doha Asian Games in 2006, the Japanese national team consisting of amateur players had a 10-7 victory over the South Korean team, which put top professional pitchers such as Ryu Hyun-jin and Oh Seung-hwan. Then, a mischievous Internet user posted on the Internet a fiction that someone of the Japanese team was a fish cake vendor and that another was a truck driver. Of course, it is far from the fact. Hisayoshi Chono, who the Internet user called was a fish cake vendor, is now an outfielder of the Yomiuri Giants of Japan`s pro baseball league. Chono was then a student at Nihon University. After graduation in 2007, he played for Honda in the Industrial League.
His late pro debut does not mean that he was a mediocre player. In his last year of university, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters tried to draft him in the fourth round but he refused it because his dream since childhood was to play for the Giants. Finally, Chono was drafted by the Giants in late 2009. In 2010, he won the Rookie of the Year award, hitting .288 with 19 home runs and 52 runs batted in. In 2011, he became the leading hitter with a batting average of .316, securing his position as a key player.
In fact, Lee Seung-yup and Lee Dae-ho would be the only hitters from the Korean pro baseball whose performances can match Chono`s. Had South Korean had proper knowledge about Japanese amateur league players, no one would be able to mock them as "fish cake vendors."
Chung Kyu-shik, a catcher of the Goyang Wonders who played for the Hakuwa Victories, a Japanese Industrial League team, said that the Victories had exercise matches with farm teams of the Japanese professional baseball league and that his team won more often than not. Chung noted that Industrial League teams are very good at defense. "In the Industrial League, two national tournaments are nearly all there is. As mistakes are not allowed in tournaments, players play desperately amid higher tension than in the Koshien high school championship."
With so many players with solid fundamentals, prestigious pro teams such as the Yomiuri Giants sometimes recruit players from Industrial League teams. Seiji Kobayashi, who is called the successor of pitcher Shinoske Abe, played for the Nippon Life of the Industrial League last year. When he graduated from Doshisha University, he raised many eyebrows by declaring that he would not go to pro baseball if he is not on the top draft priority. Then, he honed his skills for two years in the Industrial League to win the top priority nomination. Such players play in Japan`s Industrial League.
The situation is the same for pitchers, too. Tomoya Mikami, a Yokohama Bay Stars closer who used to play for the JX-Eneos in the Industrial League, recorded an earned run average (ERA) of 1.74 this year until Thursday, compared with 2.08 recorded by Oh Seung-hwan, one of South Korea`s top closers. Ayumu Ishikawa, who recorded an ERA of .50 in 54 innings he threw with the Industrial League team Tokyo Gas, emerged as the ace of the Chiba Lotte Marines of the pro league.
Therefore, it will be no surprise if some Japanese baseball players playing against the South Korean team in the Incheon Asian Games emerge as Japan`s big league stars. If you ask if I think South Korean players will be outperformed by Japanese players in the Asian Games, I would say "no." South Korea has never lost to Japan, except for the Doha Asian Games. But if you ask me if it is possible for South Korean players to be outperformed by the Japanese, it would be right to say, "It is possible." In the World Baseball Classic, the United States lost to South Korea in its home turf. That is baseball.
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US Congress unveils austerity budget as Senate delays extension of jobless benefits
By Thomas Gaist
15 January 2014
Congressional negotiators released a bipartisan proposal for the 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill Monday night, which if approved would spend $1.1 trillion to fund US government operations through October. The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the budget bill Wednesday, giving the public less than 48 hours to review its contents.
The budget negotiations, which were led by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (Republican of Kentucky) and Senator Barbara Mikulski (Democrat of Maryland), built upon a framework reached in early December. This framework included cuts to retirement benefits for federal workers and military retirees and the imposition of regressive consumption taxes.
The budget is receiving strong bipartisan support, illustrating the commitment of both parties to the social counterrevolution implemented by the American ruling elite since the crash of 2008.
“I feel really good,” US Representative Tom Cole (Republican of Oklahoma), said of the upcoming vote. “I think we’ll get a majority of the majority. I expect that on both sides of the aisle.”
“It’s a bipartisan compromise that will pass with bipartisan support,” a Republican leadership aide told the Hill .
“The bipartisan appropriations bill represents a positive step forward for the nation and our economy,” read a statement issued by Sylvia Burwell, Obama’s White House budget director.
Crucially, the budget leaves in place automatic across-the-board cuts in domestic spending implemented under “the sequester,” which have already reduced social spending by more than 8.8 percent over the course of two years, former investment banker and Obama administration insider Steven Rattner told the New York Times. If fully implemented, the cuts enacted through sequestration and continued in the bipartisan budget deal will reduce social spending to levels that existed before Johnson’s War on Poverty program 50 years ago.
In two separate votes on Tuesday, US Senators blocked legislation from coming to the floor that would have approved an emergency extension of long-term unemployment benefits for 1.3 million Americans. The first vote, on a Democratic proposal to extend benefits for 11 months, was defeated 52 to 48. The second Republican-backed measure, which proposed a three-month extension of benefits tied to a continuation of the sequester cuts through 2024, lost by a vote of 55 to 45. Congress allowed the benefits to expire last year on December 28, leaving millions of unemployed workers and their families in the lurch.
Taken together, these developments illustrate the determination of the entire political establishment to forge ahead with far-reaching austerity measures.
Unemployment benefits may ultimately be extended, despite the delay, because allowing them to expire would only pour fuel on the growing outrage against the austerity agenda. Even if the extension does go through, however, the benefits will be curtailed and extended only temporarily.
In the most cynical fashion the Democrats—who allowed the benefits to expire in the first place—have seized upon this issue to pose as defenders of the jobless and blame the failure to pass an extension on the Republicans. Even as the unemployment crisis deepens—the first jobs report of 2014 showed that the job creation rate is 50 percent below the pace necessary to keep up with the expanding population of jobseekers—the Democrats are playing political football with the lives of millions.
This comes in the wake of the latest maneuvers in Obama’s phony campaign against inequality. In a speech from the White House last week, the president touted plans for “economic promise zones,” which will offer large tax breaks to businesses and accelerate the spread of charter schools, and vowed to lead a renewed fight against inequality in the US.
This initiative is a transparent effort to placate growing popular anger over historically unprecedented levels of social inequality, while creating more favorable conditions for exploitation and profit-making by big business. The claim of the Obama administration to be launching serious anti-poverty initiatives could not be more ludicrous. Never before in US history have the lies which sustain official bourgeois politics been so far removed from the underlying social reality.
Far from opposing inequality, everything the Obama administration has done since coming to office—from bank bailouts and wage-cutting attacks on auto workers and teachers, to fueling the stock market bubble and supporting the bankruptcy of Detroit—has served to effect a massive transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top of US society.
The budget unveiled Monday restores the sequestered funding for the US war machine while leaving in place the sequester cuts affecting social programs. Non-Defense government agencies, including Agriculture, Finance, Interior, Veterans, State, Transportation and Housing, will receive a total of $491.7 billion. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), established by the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to replace the Food Stamp program, will receive $82.1 billion. SNAP funding was slashed at the end of last year, reducing the food budgets of at least 47 million Americans at one stroke. Preparations are underway for a vote that will further slash food stamps by $9 billion.
The military component of the spending package, the fiscal year 2014 Defense Appropriations bill, allocates $520.5 billion for the Pentagon's baseline yearly budget. The budget disperses an additional $92 billion in supplementary funding for the “war on terror” and $200 million for the David’s Sling/Iron Dome missile defense shield run jointly by the US and Israeli militaries. The Pentagon will also receive funding for an array of new weapons systems, including 29 brand new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, eight new warships, V-22 Ospreys and other war planes, upgraded F-18 fighters and Army helicopters.
The budget proposes to send $1.525 billion in aid to the Egyptian junta in a clear signal that Washington will continue backing the authoritarian regime that emerged from last year’s military coup.
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Columbia University has reached a settlement with former student Paul Nungesser, who was at the center of the “mattress girl” rape accusation.
A lawyer for Nungesser argued in 2015 that Columbia’s handling of the high-profile incident was akin to gender discrimination. Emma Sulkowicz famously carried her mattress around campus and across the graduation stage to bring attention to what she alleged was the administration’s mishandling of her accusation against Nungesser.
Nungesser and his attorney alleged that Columbia endorsed Sulkowicz’s behavior in the aftermath of the alleged incident due to the fact that her decision to carry her mattress was a part of her senior thesis in performance art that was endorsed by her faculty advisor. In 2015, Sulkowicz brought attention back to the controversy when she released a bizarre sex tape recreation of the encounter in 2015.
Last week, Columbia University finally settled with Nungesser over the decisions they made in the aftermath of the alleged incident.
“Together with Paul and his parents, we have fought for three long years,” said lawyer Andrew Miltenberg, according to the Washington Post. “It gives Paul a chance to go on with his life and recover from the false accusation against him. We hope that the resolution of the case also ensures that no student will ever have to endure what Paul went through after he was exonerated.”
In a statement, Columbia University claimed that during Nungesser’s remaining time at the University he was arguably treated like he wasn’t a full member of the Columbia community.
“Columbia recognizes that after the conclusion of the investigation, Paul’s remaining time at Columbia became very difficult for him and not what Columbia would want any of its students to experience,” the administration wrote.
“Columbia will continue to review and update its policies toward ensuring that every student — accuser and accused, including those like Paul who are found not responsible — is treated respectfully and as a full member of the Columbia community,” they added.
Miltenberg spoke briefly about the ramifications of labeling a student “rapist” before they are afforded due process and a fair hearing before the law. “I think this case fits into the larger debate in that the mark of being called a rapist is a significant one, and it follows you regardless of whether or not the university finds you responsible,” he said.
“It highlights in a way how polarizing the topic is and how much damage can be done just by having to go through the process, let alone worrying about whether it’s going to be handled fairly or not,” he added.
Tom Ciccotta is a libertarian who writes about economics and higher education for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @tciccotta or email him at tciccotta@breitbart.comIt c
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Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, and his wife Jane O'Meara Sanders wave to his supporters following a campaign rally at the Lexington Convention Center, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, in Lexington Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Fed up? Yes, the American people are fed up. You know that. Many of you are fed up or know someone who is. For the last 10 months or so, the media missed that and are just now coming around to see it. Yes, da!
The media didn't "get" the Donald Trump or Senator Bernie Sanders phenomena because so many in the media are way out of touch with the American people. They look at politics through their own eyes, and the eyes of their media colleagues and not the eyes of the American people. If you don't see (really see) the simmering discontent, if you don't see (really see) the fear, you are going to call it wrong. It is like a vision impaired person watching a tennis match without his glasses.
Add into the equation that for many in the media things are good. Wages are not stagnant, and, in TV, we get paid well.
It doesn't help that the media is... well... smug. They listen a lot to each other -- too much. They listen so much to each other that they even repeat each other. Do you remember how many in the media used the word "bold" to describe Romney's choice of Ryan? What are the odds they all came up with the same descriptive word? Not odds... just listening to each other and repeating each other.
While America is busy thinking "I am worried about paying my rent... I can't make my car payment... I think my job is moving overseas... I need a job... my child is sick... my water heater needs to be replaced and I have no savings, etc.," what is the media thinking about? In some instances, and I will leave out the names, I think they are too busy thinking about themselves.
So yes, of course many voters, with all their worries and concerns, would look for an outsider as the insiders have not done what they promised and so the voters have finally had enough. Sanders and Trump are the Hail Mary passes and the media never saw it coming.
Why did the media miss this? And discount both Sanders and Trump in the 2016 race?
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Marvel Teams Up with Wounded Warrior Project for ‘Venom: Space Knight’ Story
Marvel Teams Up with Wounded Warrior Project for ‘Venom: Space Knight’ Story
Marvel is teaming up with the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) for their upcoming story arc of Venom: Space Knight.
The story will delve into the trials, perseverance, and eventual triumph of wounded veterans. Flash Thompson, the current Venom who previously fought off the most dangerous threats to the universe alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy, will abandon the alien suit that gave him the ability to walk in order to receive prosthetic legs. Thompson lost his legs during the war in Iraq and his decision to abandon the suit will force him to face the major physical and mental adjustments during the rehabilitation process that other veterans and service members like him go through every day in the real world.
In order to really capture this scene writer Robbie Thompson consulted with WWP spokesperson and double amputee Dan Nevins to portray an eye-opening look at the everyday struggles and incremental victories that wounded veterans face as depicted through Flash Thompson’s rehabilitation process in the story.
More from Bounding Into Comics
“Working with Wounded Warrior Project has been an invaluable part of the process of writing Venom: Space Knight,” says writer Robbie Thompson. “Dan Nevins’ insight was inspiring, generous and deeply moving, allowing us to create a more realistic character and story for the book. I’m forever grateful for their ongoing help and guidance.”
“Marvel’s team has put so much time and consideration into the development of the Flash Thompson character as he faces this physical and emotional battle that many combat veterans have faced and are facing right now,” says Dan Nevins, WWP spokesperson, who consulted on the Venom: Space Knight script. “While the story itself is clearly sci-fi/fantasy, this storyline will bring awareness to the very real struggle of the obvious and not-so-obvious challenges in having lost limbs in combat, and to ultimately showcase the fortitude and resilience of the warriors Flash Thompson represents.”
Flash Thompson sets foot on new and foreign ground tomorrow in Venom: Space Knight #3 with the first ever collaboration between Marvel and the Wounded Warrior Project. Venom: Space Knight #3 is written by Robbie Thompson with both cover art and interiors by Ariel Olivetti.
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Render paved/unpaved
Rendering surface value should reduce prevalence of using highway=track for any unpaved road. Unfortunately currently this tagging for renderer is really popular.
There are various styles typically used to depict important low quality roads:
(1) lack of fill, only the casing is displayed. But it works well on maps where most roads are OK, and only some are of low quality (typical for maps of Australia with unpaved roads across the outback). In areas where all or nearly all roads are unpaved results would be weird - roads render as thin double lines. Also, there would be problems with OSM data model, as rendering of crossings and places where way is split would be poor
(2) lack of casing or dashed casing - this style is currently used for tunnels. It would make necessary to find a new style for tunnels what is not easier. Also, people would be highly confused by using tunnel style with a new meaning.
(3) dashed fill (normal road colour & special colour) - it is a style that seems the most promising and examples below show how it may work. Roads under construction are currently using this style - it is also necessary to change it.
(4) new separate colours of fill/casing - changing only the casing is not really noticeable and/or is ugly, changing colour of fill doubles number of road classes that should be distinguishable. What worse, unpaved and paved of the same class should be similar what is quite hard to achieve. This differentiation is used really rarely, with Humanitarian style as the most prominent example.
(5) display in style similar to current highway=track - this style is not working well for important roads of a low quality (there are situations where [highway=primary; surface=unpaved] is used)
(6) dashed casing & fill (normal road style & empty space) - this style works better for roads under construction. highway=construction may start using such style
Styling of unpaved roads should:
introduce easily noticeable difference between paved and unpaved roads
do not introduce highly busy styling
make clear that unpaved road is worse than paved road
do not make unpaved road more noticeable than paved one
keep unpaved and paved road of the same class similar
on the left - current rendering, on the right possible new rendering
But the situation is further complicated by fact that some roads are unpaved with set access=no/private/destination. Ideally it would be clear whatever given private road is also paved/unpaved. Unfortunately this part is not really successful.
On the map above it is not immediately clear which road, if any is unpaved.
But in case of private roads it is more important that there is no access than surface value and unpaved roads with access=destination are quite rare so maybe this problem is outweighed by rendering surface value.
One thing that remains to be adjusted is how prominent dashes should be. Below are sets of images with various intensity of dashes. For each location there are four images
left: current rendering right: light dashes
left: light dashes right: moderate dashes
left: moderate dashes right: strong dashes
left: strong dashes right: really strong dashes
Unpaved primary road
http://imgur.com/c3rZJSS http://imgur.com/UY9bFuH http://imgur.com/DNh5lSX http://imgur.com/bb1DNyt
City with some unpaved roads
http://imgur.com/FSATH8B.png http://imgur.com/s13BOyW.png http://imgur.com/k36hH6n.png http://imgur.com/OBIkJg5.png
Unpaved service roads. Such roads are very often mapped using highway=track
http://imgur.com/MgrEwYm.png http://imgur.com/4HkPcEM.png http://imgur.com/Mqt7jiY.png http://imgur.com/jzFA62m.png
Paved and unpaved raceways.
http://imgur.com/zRhLBvc.png http://imgur.com/U85KLvw.png http://imgur.com/VqG9ogg.png http://imgur.com/1dK1HIw.png
City with curvy unpaved roads
http://imgur.com/vNRwchY.png http://imgur.com/MqCoHth.png http://imgur.com/6Qi2utb.png http://imgur.com/ghtFH80.png
Unpaved road with access=private
http://imgur.com/9dwnPep.png http://imgur.com/Rjawke2.png http://imgur.com/wLeY2Ym.png http://imgur.com/8bu9o5P.png
Unpaved road in the city
http://imgur.com/x5rV7CB.png http://imgur.com/jHs9rpa.png http://imgur.com/qoCHwLw.png http://imgur.com/AVech6Y.png
Unpaved road in suburbs
http://imgur.com/12lwI9b.png http://imgur.com/rksOG0e.png http://imgur.com/2VCLBcL.png http://imgur.com/OYtkxSx.png
Unpaved roads in a village
http://imgur.com/VNrAeN0.png http://imgur.com/tlC1I4J.png http://imgur.com/hzXjIkc.png http://imgur.com/RVMZq64.png
Unpaved road with access=destination
http://imgur.com/5iTG8cS.png http://imgur.com/AzO5A4G.png http://imgur.com/AYNXKnx.png http://imgur.com/QPuRM5V.png
Unpaved tertiary road
http://imgur.com/W7ftqMZ.png http://imgur.com/knm5PPW.png http://imgur.com/EukXVHK.png http://imgur.com/HMViVg8.png
Currently I am planning to use moderate dashes.
Differentiating highway=trunk and highway=motorway
I am working on two version of differentiating of these road types. First keeps all road types in white-yellow-red gradient, with an additional road class. Second is based on the German map style. Unfortunately, after days of tweaking I am still unhappy about results so I decided to avoid publishing preview.
highway=residential on z12?
flohoff proposed to keep highway=residential on z12
I love the z10 z11 residential road change. I’d like to keep them in z12 for the moment. Residentials often make one get an impression on residential areas and population density. That would get lost.
From my test (some comparison images are linked below) - rendering highway=residential on z12, less prominent than highway=unclassified improves map for locations without mapped landuse=residential. But for places where landuse=residential is mapped it is better to not render these roads.
http://i.imgur.com/rUEOLI8.png
http://i.imgur.com/Tp736hw.png
http://i.imgur.com/raJ3FVw.png
http://i.imgur.com/J1UuqDT.png
http://i.imgur.com/eLuL1T7.png
http://i.imgur.com/qV3He6l.png
http://i.imgur.com/IW4oz01.png
http://i.imgur.com/vSpx5aL.png
http://i.imgur.com/rKzCTgX.png
http://i.imgur.com/GhL7GX8.png
http://i.imgur.com/O7Nft6h.png
http://i.imgur.com/Z19ZrDD.png
http://i.imgur.com/M3Gqeuj.png
http://i.imgur.com/vsvgZFj.png
http://i.imgur.com/uTDf5zz.png
http://i.imgur.com/EG9eTcv.png
http://i.imgur.com/dZNJDPS.png
http://i.imgur.com/LbZJLtM.png
http://i.imgur.com/LDgFrRp.png
http://i.imgur.com/Mhh4BIi.png
http://i.imgur.com/orusQI1.png
http://i.imgur.com/N9rjIaL.png
http://i.imgur.com/8FNAYWI.png
http://i.imgur.com/nQu7KXZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/mScRDnw.png
http://i.imgur.com/zDZLQy0.png
http://i.imgur.com/SAWln34.png
http://i.imgur.com/RBoKwjj.png
http://i.imgur.com/6JBgdFI.png
http://i.imgur.com/ZJrlCaB.png
http://i.imgur.com/vFUHPRm.png
http://i.imgur.com/t7ifFxv.png
http://i.imgur.com/ZLSyyNi.png
http://i.imgur.com/xyYPkVm.png
http://i.imgur.com/wrg90tY.png
http://i.imgur.com/m6VXGjA.png
http://i.imgur.com/70XQdHt.png
http://i.imgur.com/eBcQEOj.png
http://i.imgur.com/NH0UN2F.png
http://i.imgur.com/BMOWFBJ.png
http://i.imgur.com/PcBCfkm.png
http://i.imgur.com/Z4Tncd8.png
http://i.imgur.com/CsXpXnj.png
http://i.imgur.com/lEPJRio.png
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Political Studies for Change (KPRU) wishes to raise our concern that democratic space in Malaysia has taken a back seat at a time when people are facing a new burden in the form of the goods and services tax (GST), starting April 1, 2015.
On March 27, 2015, on the 46th day that parliamentary opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was imprisoned, KPRU’s collation shows at least 118 arrests made by the police.
A total of 118 Malaysians, comprising members of parliament, members of the legislative assembly, opposition politicians, academics, lawyers, activists, journalists, and others, have been arrested.
They are either detained for investigation, remanded or charged in court.
The police are using the Sedition Act, Peaceful Assembly Act, or the Penal Code for further action.
What worries KPRU is that the implementation of the GST from April 1, 2015, will burden the rakyat.
Our democracy has been stunted following the series of arrests involving as many as 118 cases and if this is not stopped immediately, the people who suffer the effects of the GST will blame the federal government for all the problems they face.
Regime change in some instances
If a government truly believes the implementation of the GST is beneficial to the people, it would not arrest critics but allow a broad democratic space to exist in an environment free from the pressures of tyranny.
In any country that has ever made changes in their tax system, such shifts have not been trivial, but history shows modifications in the tax system could lead to regime change.
This can be avoided by abolishing the implementation of the new tax system or refraining from suppressing democratic space.
KPRU believes that the current political situation suggests a scenario in which the oppressed masses - faced with a new tax, coupled with the stagnation of democratic space, will heighten their anger, targeting it against the present regime.
In the current political context, we are witnessing the attacks of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad against Prime Minister and Finance Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
The current scenario also sees the possibility of a leader allowing the police to be used to suppress democratic space to preserve personal power, thus hindering the democratic space and riling up the people, and so putting the federal government in situations fraught with political risk, all over the interests of one individual.
List of arrests (up to March 27):
27 March 2015: PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli arrested*
27 March 2015: six sit-in participants arrested - Teja assemblyperson Chang Lih Kang ( left in pic ), Simpang Pulai assemblyperson Tan Kar Hing ( right in pic ), and activists Chee Chu Sang, Michael Tamil AL, Gan Zhi Mou and Yong Ming Chong
26 March 2015: Universiti Malaya lecturer Khoo Ying Hooi probed
25 March 2015: IGP said the police will call in the Roketkini editor, after the DAP party organ promoted an article on Twitter which claimed that the police are Umno’s lackeys.
23 March 2015: 80 anti-GST activists - from civil society and the opposition - protest at the Royal Customs Department Complex in Kelana Jaya were arrested by police after a six-hour sit-in. Of those protesting the arrest later that night, three were hauled in in a scuffle with the cops at the Kelana Jaya police station. The next day, 29 of the anti-GST protesters, including a few Pakatan MPs, were remanded for two days at the Shah Alam police headquarters. Twenty-five protesters were eventually charged at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court under Section 21(1)(d) the Peaceful Assembly Act and Section 447 of the Penal Code for ‘trespassing’.
23 March 2015: Three staff members from BFM radio station will be investigated under Section 298 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act related to a BFM video content said to be insulting hudud.
For the full list, click on this link .
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Bradley Cooper: 10 Awesome Things You Probably Never Knew By Catarina Cowden Random Article Blend American Sniper to a struggling bipolar man just released from a psychiatric hospital in Silver Linings Playbook, Cooper has shown a range of
The 40-year-old actor had his up and downs, starring in minor roles of a diverse assortment of characters. Living past the pretty-boy persona can be a difficult feat but despite Cooper’s own personal struggles he has far surpassed that, showing the world that he is a capable and talented actor. His days of being the beau to some famous actress are over, and now he is front and center. So here are 10
He Auditioned For Green Lantern Though talks of Bradley Cooper in the running for an upcoming Green Lantern role are currently traveling through the internet, this wouldn’t be the first time the actor auditioned for the part. Back in 2009, Cooper was a frontrunner against Green Lantern. He told Conan O’Brien on The Tonight Show (via I couldn't not do Christian Bale's Batman when I was doing the audition. I don't know what it was! I put a mask on and the director was like, 'Okay Bradley, be regular and talk.' And I was like, 'Yeah, got it... [in a deep, gravely Batman voice] listen, Sally, we're going to have to take your family away if you don't listen to me!' By the way, that's the worst Batman [impression] ever. I apologize.
He Gained 40 Pounds For His American Sniper Role For his role as Chris Kyle, Bradley Cooper put on about
He Missed Graduation To Be In Wet Hot American Summer While Bradley Cooper was finishing up his MFA at The New School, he was beginning his acting career. He had taken some small guest role appearances on TV shows and even served as a presenter for a travel-adventure series called Globe Trekker But his film debut came in the cult classic comedy, Wet Hot American Summer. The problem was that filming happened to be right around the time Cooper graduated. He joked with
He Asked J.J. Abrams To Write Him Off Alias Bradley Cooper asked J.J. Abrams to write him off of Alias because he thought that he was going to fire him anyways. He explained in his
His Most Difficult Role Was In The Hangover For an actor who has played a bipolar man, an experienced war hero, and an FBI agent, it’s hard to believe that Bradley Cooper’s found his most difficult role to be that of a sunglass-rocking teacher named Phil. Cooper told The Hangover was actually his most difficult yet. He said: That guy is so different from me. I'm always amazed by it, actually. When I look at that character on screen, I don't see me at all.
James Lipton Knew He’d Be Famous James Lipton, host of Inside the Actors Studio predicted Bradley Cooper’s stardom. Not only was he sitting in on the auditions during Cooper’s application to the masters program, but he was particularly drawn to Cooper’s performance. According to The Elephant Man) Cooper’s mother asked Lipton what he thought and Lipton responded: He’s going to go all the way. I never predicted that for any other student.
He Was In Sex And The City And Learned To Drive Stick Bradley Cooper’s first TV appearance when he moved to New York was in an early episode of Sex and the City where he played one of Sarah Jessica Parker’s hunky love interests. Cooper told
He Knew He Wanted To Be An Actor After Seeing Elephant Man Bradley Cooper knew he wanted to be an actor after seeing David Lynch’s The Elephant Man when he was 12 years old. He told The Elephant Man.
He Was A Doorman At Morgans Hotel When He First Moved To New York When he moved New York to study acting at the New School, Bradley Cooper worked nights at the Morgans Hotel in Manhattan. He told Titanic role, and all Bradley could think about was how different the two actors were.
He’s Super Smart Not only is Bradley Cooper fluent in French (which has Lolita and he didn’t participate in much drama in high school or at Georgetown, but was more of an athlete up until he went for his MFA. Cooper somewhat randomly applied for his master’s at the Actors Studio Drama School in New York almost as a joke, but ended up getting in. Even during his acting career he has From being named People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” to earning three consecutive Oscar nominations, Bradley Cooper has had quite an interesting career. His big blue eyes have always won over the hearts of swooning fans, but Cooper had to pay his dues for many years to lead up to the critical-acclaim he has earned today. With roles such as the distant war hero Chris Kyle in the controversialto a struggling bipolar man just released from a psychiatric hospital in, Cooper has shown a range of acting skills in the last few years that arguably had not been expected in the past.The 40-year-old actor had his up and downs, starring in minor roles of a diverse assortment of characters. Living past the pretty-boy persona can be a difficult feat but despite Cooper’s own personal struggles he has far surpassed that, showing the world that he is a capable and talented actor. His days of being the beau to some famous actress are over, and now he is front and center. So here are 10 awesome things you probably never knew about Bradley Cooper.Though talks of Bradley Cooper in the running for an upcoming Green Lantern role are currently traveling through the internet, this wouldn’t be the first time the actor auditioned for the part. Back in 2009, Cooper was a frontrunner against Ryan Reynolds for the titular role in. He told Conan O’Brien on(via MTV ) that during his audition he couldn’t help but imitate Christian Bale’s Batman:For his role as Chris Kyle, Bradley Cooper put on about 40 pounds of pure muscle to resemble the war hero. He had two workouts a day of two hours each and instead of having a year, Cooper only had three months of prep before shooting started. Cooper told Vanity Fair that during his workouts he listened to the exact same playlist that Chris Kyle had when he worked out in between shifts as a navy SEAL. He ate 5,000 calories a day and by the end of his time working out he was able to deadlift 415 pounds for five sets of eight reps. He even learned how to hold and shoot the various weapons Kyle used from former navy Seals who served with him. He kept in character the entire shoot.While Bradley Cooper was finishing up his MFA at The New School, he was beginning his acting career. He had taken some small guest role appearances on TV shows and even served as a presenter for a travel-adventure series calledBut his film debut came in the cult classic comedy,. The problem was that filming happened to be right around the time Cooper graduated. He joked with GQ saying he missed his graduation to “get fucked in the ass by Michael Ian Black”.Bradley Cooper asked J.J. Abrams to write him off ofbecause he thought that he was going to fire him anyways. He explained in his GQ interview that his part grew less substantial as the show progressed and it nearly ended his career. Because of his aggravation he asked to be written off despite having no future jobs lined up, and within a couple weeks he ended up tearing his Achilles while playing basketball and spend the next year on his couch debating whether or not to quit acting all together.For an actor who has played a bipolar man, an experienced war hero, and an FBI agent, it’s hard to believe that Bradley Cooper’s found his most difficult role to be that of a sunglass-rocking teacher named Phil. Cooper told The Guardian that his role in the box office hitwas actually his most difficult yet. He said:James Lipton, host ofpredicted Bradley Cooper’s stardom. Not only was he sitting in on the auditions during Cooper’s application to the masters program, but he was particularly drawn to Cooper’s performance. According to Vanity Fair , after Cooper’s master’s thesis performance (which he performed scenes from) Cooper’s mother asked Lipton what he thought and Lipton responded:Bradley Cooper’s first TV appearance when he moved to New York was in an early episode ofwhere he played one of Sarah Jessica Parker’s hunky love interests. Cooper told The Guardian that upon landing the role there was one very specific thing that it required, “no tongues”. In a Backstage interview he divulged that he had a big problem with his newly earned role though, in that he didn’t know how to drive stick shift. He quickly went to a driving school in Manhattan, but it didn’t work out too well, and a stand-in had to drive instead.Bradley Cooper knew he wanted to be an actor after seeing David Lynch’swhen he was 12 years old. He told Vanity Fair that he was sitting on the red couch in his living room sobbing and aware of the dignity and humanity of John Merrick, even though Cooper himself was still so young. And Cooper actually just recently revived the role of John Merrick in the Broadway revival of the Bernard Pomerance playWhen he moved New York to study acting at the New School, Bradley Cooper worked nights at the Morgans Hotel in Manhattan. He told Esquire that every night he carried had to carry a bunch matches and as a new guest was welcomed he would have to relight all the votive candles and scurry to the door for them. Many celebrities stayed there as well, and one night he welcomed Leonardo DiCaprio who was hot off hisrole, and all Bradley could think about was how different the two actors were.Not only is Bradley Cooper fluent in French (which has blown up the internet ), but he also graduated with honors from Georgetown with an English degree. He told GQ he wrote his thesis on Nabokov'sand he didn’t participate in much drama in high school or at Georgetown, but was more of an athlete up until he went for his MFA. Cooper somewhat randomly applied for his master’s at the Actors Studio Drama School in New York almost as a joke, but ended up getting in. Even during his acting career he has contemplated going back to school to get his Ph.D. in English and teaching literature. SPOILERS: Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga Explain the Ending of A Star Is Born Blended From Around The Web Facebook
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Mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time
In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort (psychological stress) experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. This discomfort is triggered by a situation in which a person’s belief clashes with new evidence perceived by the person. When confronted with facts that contradict beliefs, ideals, and values, people will find a way to resolve the contradiction to reduce their discomfort.[1][2]
In A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance (1957), Leon Festinger proposed that human beings strive for internal psychological consistency to function mentally in the real world. A person who experiences internal inconsistency tends to become psychologically uncomfortable and is motivated to reduce the cognitive dissonance, by making changes to justify the stressful behavior, either by adding new parts to the cognition causing the psychological dissonance or by avoiding circumstances and contradictory information likely to increase the magnitude of the cognitive dissonance.[1]
Relations among cognitions [ edit ]
To function in the reality of a modern society, human beings continually adjust the correspondence of their mental attitudes and personal actions; such continual adjustments, between cognition and action, result in one of three relationships with reality:[1]
Consonant relationship: Two cognitions or actions consistent with each other (e.g. not wanting to become drunk when out to dinner, and ordering water rather than wine) Irrelevant relationship: Two cognitions or actions unrelated to each other (e.g. not wanting to become drunk when out, and wearing a shirt) Dissonant relationship: Two cognitions or actions inconsistent with each other (e.g. not wanting to become drunk when out, but then drinking more wine)
Magnitude of dissonance [ edit ]
The reduction of the psychological stress of cognitive dissonance is a function of the magnitude of the dissonance caused by the existential inconsistency, between two contradictory beliefs held by the person; or by the contradiction between the person's beliefs and an action he or she has taken.[1] Two factors determine the degree of psychological dissonance caused by two conflicting cognitions or by two conflicting actions:
The importance of cognitions: The greater the personal value of the elements, the greater the magnitude of the dissonance in the relation. Ratio of cognitions: The proportion of dissonant-to-consonant elements.
Reduction [ edit ]
Cognitive dissonance theory proposes that people seek psychological consistency between their expectations of life and the existential reality of the world. To function by that expectation of existential consistency, people continually reduce their cognitive dissonance in order to align their cognitions (perceptions of the world) with their actions.
The creation and establishment of psychological consistency allows the person afflicted with cognitive dissonance to lessen mental stress by actions that reduce the magnitude of the dissonance, realised either by changing with or by justifying against or by being indifferent to the existential contradiction that is inducing the mental stress.[1] In practice, people reduce the magnitude of their cognitive dissonance in four ways:
Change the behavior or the cognition ("I'll eat no more of this doughnut.") Justify the behavior or the cognition, by changing the conflicting cognition ("I'm allowed to cheat my diet every once in a while.") Justify the behavior or the cognition by adding new cognitions ("I'll spend thirty extra minutes at the gymnasium to work off the doughnut.") Ignore or deny information that conflicts with existing beliefs ("This doughnut is not a high-sugar food.")
Three cognitive biases are components of dissonance theory. The bias that one does not have any biases, the bias that one is "better, kinder, smarter, more moral and nicer than average" and confirmation bias.[3]
That a consistent psychology is required for functioning in the real world also was indicated in the results of The Psychology of Prejudice (2006), wherein people facilitate their functioning in the real world by employing human categories (i.e. sex and gender, age and race, etc.) with which they manage their social interactions with other people.
The study Patterns of Cognitive Dissonance-reducing Beliefs Among Smokers: A Longitudinal Analysis from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey (2012) indicated that smokers use justification beliefs to reduce their cognitive dissonance about smoking tobacco and the negative consequences of smoking it.
Continuing smokers (Smoking and no attempt to quit since the previous round of study.) Successful quitters (Quit during the study and did not use tobacco from the time of the previous round of study.) Failed quitters (Quit during the study, but relapsed to smoking at the time of the study.)
To reduce cognitive dissonance, the participant smokers adjusted their beliefs to correspond with their actions:
Functional beliefs ("Smoking calms me down when I am stressed or upset."; "Smoking helps me concentrate better."; "Smoking is an important part of my life." and "Smoking makes it easier for me to socialize.") Risk-minimizing beliefs ("The medical evidence that smoking is harmful is exaggerated."; "One has to die of something, so why not enjoy yourself and smoke?" and "Smoking is no more risky than many other things people do.")[4]
Paradigms [ edit ]
There are four theoretic paradigms of cognitive dissonance, the mental stress people suffer when exposed to information that is inconsistent with their beliefs, ideals or values, Belief Disconfirmation, Induced Compliance, Free Choice and Effort Justification, which respectively explain what happens after a person acts inconsistently, relative to his or her intellectual perspectives; what happens after a person makes decisions and what are the effects upon a person who has expended much effort to achieve a goal. Common to each paradigm of cognitive-dissonance theory is the tenet: People invested in a given perspective shall—when confronted with contrary evidence—expend great effort to justify retaining the challenged perspective.
Belief disconfirmation [ edit ]
The contradiction of a belief, ideal or system of values, causes cognitive dissonance that can be resolved by changing the challenged belief yet, instead of effecting change, the resultant mental stress restores psychological consonance to the person, by misperception, rejection or refutation of the contradiction, seeking moral support from people who share the contradicted beliefs or acting to persuade other people that the contradiction is unreal.[5][6]
The early hypothesis of belief contradiction presented in When Prophecy Fails (1956) reported that faith deepened among the members of an apocalyptic religious cult, despite the failed prophecy of an alien spacecraft soon to land on Earth to rescue them from earthly corruption. At the determined place and time, the cult assembled; they believed that only they would survive planetary destruction; yet the spaceship did not arrive to Earth. The confounded prophecy caused them acute cognitive-dissonance: Had they been victims of a hoax? Had they vainly donated away their material possessions? To resolve the dissonance between apocalyptic, end-of-the-world religious beliefs and earthly, material reality, most of the cult restored their psychological consonance by choosing to hold a less mentally-stressful idea to explain the missed landing. That the aliens had given planet Earth a second chance at existence, which, in turn, empowered them to re-direct their religious cult to environmentalism; social advocacy to end human damage to planet Earth. On overcoming the confounded belief by changing to global environmentalism, the cult increased in numbers by proselytism.[7]
The study of The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference (2008) reported the belief contradiction occurred to the Chabad Orthodox Jewish congregation who believed that their Rebbe (Menachem Mendel Schneerson) was the Messiah. When he died of a stroke in 1994, instead of accepting that their Rebbe was not the Messiah, some of the congregation proved indifferent to that contradictory fact and continued claiming that Schneerson was the Messiah and that he would soon return from the dead.[8]
Induced compliance [ edit ]
After performing dissonant behavior ( lying ) a person might find external, consonant elements. Therefore, a snake oil salesman might find a psychological self-justification (great profit) for promoting medical falsehoods, but, otherwise, might need to change his beliefs about the falsehoods.
In the Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance (1959), the investigators Festinger and Merrill Carlsmith asked students to spend an hour doing tedious tasks; e.g. turning pegs a quarter-turn, at fixed intervals. The tasks were designed to induce a strong, negative, mental attitude in the subjects. Once the subjects had done the tasks, the experimenters asked one group of subjects to speak with another subject (an actor) and persuade that impostor-subject that the tedious tasks were interesting and engaging. Subjects of one group were paid twenty dollars ($20); those in a second group were paid one dollar ($1) and those in the control group were not asked to speak with the imposter-subject.
At the conclusion of the study, when asked to rate the tedious tasks, the subjects of the second group (paid $1) rated the tasks more positively than did the subjects in the first group (paid $20) and than did the subjects of the control group; the responses of the paid subjects were evidence of cognitive dissonance. The researchers, Festinger and Carlsmith, proposed that the subjects experienced dissonance, between the conflicting cognitions. "I told someone that the task was interesting" and "I actually found it boring." The subjects paid one dollar were induced to comply, compelled to internalize the "interesting task" mental attitude because they had no other justification. The subjects paid twenty dollars were induced to comply by way of an obvious, external justification for internalizing the "interesting task" mental attitude and experienced a lesser degree of cognitive dissonance.[9]
Forbidden Behaviour paradigm In the Effect of the Severity of Threat on the Devaluation of Forbidden Behavior (1963), a variant of the induced-compliance paradigm, by Elliot Aronson and Carlsmith, examined self-justification in children.[10] Children were left in a room with toys, including a greatly desirable steam shovel, the forbidden toy. Upon leaving the room, the experimenter told one-half of the group of children that there would be severe punishment if they played with the steam-shovel toy and told the second half of the group that there would be a mild punishment for playing with the forbidden toy. All of the children refrained from playing with the forbidden toy (the steam shovel).[10]
Later, when the children were told that they could freely play with any toy they wanted, the children in the mild-punishment group were less likely to play with the steam shovel (the forbidden toy), despite removal of the threat of mild punishment. The children threatened with mild punishment had to justify, to themselves, why they did not play with the forbidden toy. The degree of punishment was insufficiently strong to resolve their cognitive dissonance; the children had to convince themselves that playing with the forbidden toy was not worth the effort.[10]
In The Efficacy of Musical Emotions Provoked by Mozart's Music for the Reconciliation of Cognitive Dissonance (2012), a variant of the forbidden-toy paradigm, indicated that listening to music reduces the development of cognitive dissonance.[11] Without music in the background, the control group of four-year-old children were told to avoid playing with a forbidden toy. After playing alone, the control-group children later devalued the importance of the forbidden toy. In the variable group, classical music played in the background while the children played alone. In the second group, the children did not later devalue the forbidden toy. The researchers, Nobuo Masataka and Leonid Perlovsky, concluded that music might inhibit cognitions that reduce cognitive dissonance.[11]
Music is a stimulus that can diminish post-decisional dissonance; in an earlier experiment, Washing Away Postdecisional Dissonance (2010), the researchers indicated that the actions of hand-washing might inhibit the cognitions that reduce cognitive dissonance.[12]
Free choice [ edit ]
In the study Post-decision Changes in Desirability of Alternatives (1956) 225 female students rated domestic appliances and then were asked to choose one of two appliances as a gift. The results of a second round of ratings indicated that the women students increased their ratings of the domestic appliance they had selected as a gift and decreased their ratings of the appliances they rejected.[13]
This type of cognitive dissonance occurs to a person faced with making a difficult decision, when there always exist aspects of the rejected-object not chosen which appeal to the person making the choice. The action of deciding provokes the psychological dissonance consequent to choosing X instead of Y, despite little difference between X and Y; the decision "I chose X" is dissonant with the cognition that "There are some aspects of Y that I like". The study Choice-induced Preferences in the Absence of Choice: Evidence from a Blind Two-choice Paradigm with Young Children and Capuchin Monkeys (2010) reports similar results in the occurrence of cognitive dissonance in human beings and in animals.[14]
Peer Effects in Pro-Social Behavior: Social Norms or Social Preferences? (2013) indicated that with internal deliberation, the structuring of decisions among people can influence how a person acts. That social preferences and social norms are related and function with wage-giving among three persons. The actions of the first person influenced[clarification needed] the wage-giving actions of the second person. That inequity aversion is the paramount concern of the participants.[15]
Effort justification [ edit ]
Cognitive dissonance occurs to a person who voluntarily engages in (physically or ethically) unpleasant activities to achieve a goal. The mental stress caused by the dissonance can be reduced by the person exaggerating the desirability of the goal. In The Effect of Severity of Initiation on Liking for a Group (1956), to qualify for admission to a discussion group, two groups of people underwent an embarrassing initiation of varied psychological severity. The first group of subjects were to read aloud twelve sexual words considered obscene; the second group of subjects were to read aloud twelve sexual words not considered obscene.
Both groups were given headphones to unknowingly listen to a recorded discussion about animal sexual behaviour, which the researchers designed to be dull and banal. As the subjects of the experiment, the groups of people were told that the animal-sexuality discussion actually was occurring in the next room. The subjects whose strong initiation required reading aloud obscene words evaluated the people of their group as more-interesting persons than the people of the group who underwent the mild initiation to the discussion group.[16]
In Washing Away Your Sins: Threatened Morality and Physical Cleansing (2006), the results indicated that a person washing his or her hands is an action that helps resolve post-decisional cognitive dissonance because the mental stress usually was caused by the person's ethical–moral self-disgust, which is an emotion related to the physical disgust caused by a dirty environment.[12][17]
The study The Neural Basis of Rationalization: Cognitive Dissonance Reduction During Decision-making (2011) indicated that participants rated 80 names and 80 paintings based on how much they liked the names and paintings. To give meaning to the decisions, the participants were asked to select names that they might give to their children. For rating the paintings, the participants were asked to base their ratings on whether or not they would display such art at home.
The results indicated that when the decision is meaningful to the person deciding value, the likely rating is based on his or her attitudes (positive, neutral or negative) towards the name and towards the painting in question. The participants also were asked to rate some of the objects twice and believed that, at session's end, they would receive two of the paintings they had positively rated. The results indicated a great increase in the positive attitude of the participant towards the liked pair of things, whilst also increasing the negative attitude towards the disliked pair of things. The double-ratings of pairs of things, towards which the rating participant had a neutral attitude, showed no changes during the rating period. The existing attitudes of the participant were reinforced during the rating period and the participants suffered cognitive dissonance when confronted by a liked-name paired with a disliked-painting.[18]
Examples [ edit ]
In the fable of “The Fox and the Grapes”, by Aesop, on failing to reach the desired bunch of grapes, the fox then decides he does not truly want the fruit because it is sour. The fox's act of rationalization (justification) reduced his anxiety about the cognitive dissonance which occurred because of a desire he cannot realise.
Unpleasant medical screenings [ edit ]
In the study Cognitive Dissonance and Attitudes Toward Unpleasant Medical Screenings (2016), the researchers Michael R. Ent and Mary A Gerend informed the study participants about a discomforting test for a specific (fictitious) virus called the "human respiratory virus-27". The study used a fake virus to prevent participants from having thoughts, opinions, and feeling about the virus that would interfere with the experiment. The study participants were in two groups; one group was told that they were actual candidates for the virus-27 test, and the second group were told they were not candidates for the test. The researchers reported, "We predicted that [study] participants who thought that they were candidates for the unpleasant test would experience dissonance associated with knowing that the test was both unpleasant and in their best interest—this dissonance was predicted to result in unfavorable attitudes toward the test."[19]
Related phenomena [ edit ]
Cognitive dissonance may also occur when people seek to:
Explain inexplicable feelings: When an earthquake disaster occurs to a community, irrational rumors, based upon fear, quickly reach the adjoining communities unaffected by the disaster because those people, not in physical danger, psychologically justify their anxieties about the earthquake. [20]
Minimize regret of irrevocable choices: At a hippodrome, bettors have more confidence after betting on horses they chose just before the post-time because this confidence prevents a change of heart; the bettors felt post-decision cognitive dissonance. [21]
Explain their motivations for taking some action that had an extrinsic incentive attached (known as motivational "crowding out"). [22]
Justify behavior that opposed their views: After being induced to cheat in an academic examination, students judged cheating less harshly. [23]
Align one's perceptions of a person with one's behavior toward that person: the Ben Franklin effect refers to that statesman's observation that the act of performing a favor for a rival leads to increased positive feelings toward that individual.
Reaffirm held beliefs: The confirmation bias identifies how people readily read information that confirms their established opinions and readily avoid reading information that contradicts their opinions. The confirmation bias is apparent when a person confronts deeply-held political beliefs, i.e. when a person is greatly committed to his or her beliefs, values, and ideas.
Applications [ edit ]
Education [ edit ]
The management of cognitive dissonance readily influences the motivation of a student to pursue education.[25] The study Turning Play into Work: Effects of Adult Surveillance and Extrinsic Rewards on Children’s Intrinsic Motivation (1975) indicated that the application of the effort justification paradigm increased student enthusiasm for education with the offer of an external reward for studying; students in pre-school who completed puzzles based upon an adult promise of reward were later less interested in the puzzles than were students who completed the puzzle-tasks without the promise of a reward.[26]
The incorporation of cognitive dissonance into models of basic learning-processes to foster the students’ self-awareness of psychological conflicts among their personal beliefs, ideals, and values and the reality of contradictory facts and information, requires the students to defend their personal beliefs. Afterwards, the students are trained to objectively perceive new facts and information to resolve the psychological stress of the conflict between reality and the student's value system.[27] Moreover, educational software that applies the derived principles facilitates the students’ ability to successfully handle the questions posed in a complex subject.[28] Meta-analysis of studies indicates that psychologic interventions that provoke cognitive dissonance in order to achieve a directed conceptual change do increase students’ learning in reading skills and about science.[27]
Psychotherapy [ edit ]
The general effectiveness of psychotherapy and psychological intervention is partly explained by the theory of cognitive dissonance.[29] In that vein, social psychology proposed that the mental health of the patient is positively influenced by his and her action in freely choosing a specific therapy and in exerting the required, therapeutic effort to overcome cognitive dissonance.[30] That effective phenomenon was indicated in the results of the study Effects of Choice on Behavioral Treatment of Overweight Children (1983), wherein the children's belief that they freely chose the type of therapy received, resulted in each overweight child losing a greater amount of excessive body weight.[31]
In the study Reducing Fears and Increasing Attentiveness: The Role of Dissonance Reduction (1980), people afflicted with ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) who invested much effort in activities of little therapeutic value for them (experimentally represented as legitimate and relevant) showed improved alleviation of the symptoms of their phobia.[32] Likewise, the results of Cognitive Dissonance and Psychotherapy: The Role of Effort Justification in Inducing Weight Loss (1985) indicated that the patient felt better in justifying his or her efforts and therapeutic choices towards effectively losing weight. That the therapy of effort expenditure can predict long-term change in the patient's perceptions.[33]
Social behavior [ edit ]
Cognitive dissonance is used to promote positive social behaviours, such as increased condom use;[34] other studies indicate that cognitive dissonance can be used to encourage people to act pro-socially, such as campaigns against public littering,[35] campaigns against racial prejudice,[36] and compliance with anti-speeding campaigns.[37] The theory can also be used to explain reasons for donating to charity.[38][39] Cognitive dissonance can be applied in social areas such as racism and racial hatred. Acharya of Stanford, Blackwell and Sen of Harvard state CD increases when an individual commits an act of violence toward someone from a different ethnic or racial group and decreases when the individual does not commit any such act of violence. Research from Acharya, Blackwell and Sen shows that individuals committing violence against members of another group will develop hostile attitudes towards their victims as a way of minimizing CD. Importantly, the hostile attitudes may persist even after the violence itself declines (Acharya, Blackwell, Sen 2015). The application provides a social psychological basis for the constructivist viewpoint that ethnic and racial divisions can be socially or individually constructed, possibly from acts of violence (Fearon and Laitin, 2000). Their framework speaks to this possibility by showing how violent actions by individuals can affect individual attitudes, either ethnic or racial animosity (Acharya, Blackwell, Sen 2015).
Consumer behavior [ edit ]
Three main conditions exist for provoking cognitive dissonance when buying: (i) The decision to purchase must be important, such as the sum of money to spend; (ii) The psychological cost; and (iii) The purchase is personally relevant to the consumer. The consumer is free to select from the alternatives, and the decision to buy is irreversible.[40]
The study Beyond Reference Pricing: Understanding Consumers' Encounters with Unexpected Prices (2003), indicated that when consumers experience an unexpected price encounter, they adopt three methods to reduce cognitive dissonance: (i) Employ a strategy of continual information; (ii) Employ a change in attitude; and (iii) Engage in minimisation. Consumers employ the strategy of continual information by engaging in bias and searching for information that supports prior beliefs. Consumers might search for information about other retailers and substitute products consistent with their beliefs. Alternatively, consumers might change attitude, such as re-evaluating price in relation to external reference-prices or associating high prices and low prices with quality. Minimisation reduces the importance of the elements of the dissonance; consumers tend to minimise the importance of money, and thus of shopping around, saving, and finding a better deal.[41]
Politics [ edit ]
Cognitive dissonance theory might suggest that since votes are an expression of preference or beliefs, even the act of voting might cause someone to defend the actions of the candidate for whom they voted,[42] and if the decision was close then the effects of cognitive dissonance should be greater.
This effect was studied over the 6 presidential elections of the United States between 1972 and 1996,[43] and it was found that the opinion differential between the candidates changed more before and after the election than the opinion differential of non-voters. In addition, elections where the voter had a favorable attitude toward both candidates, making the choice more difficult, had the opinion differential of the candidates change more dramatically than those who only had a favorable opinion of one candidate. What wasn't studied were the cognitive dissonance effects in cases where the person had unfavorable attitudes toward both candidates. Since the U.S. 2016 election held historically high unfavorable ratings for both candidates,[44] it might be a good case study to examine the cognitive dissonance effects in these instances.
Alternative paradigms [ edit ]
The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance: A Current Perspective (1969), the lawyer might experience cognitive dissonance if his false statement about his guilty client contradicts his identity as a lawyer and an honest man. Dissonant self-perception: A lawyer can experience cognitive dissonance if he must defend as innocent a client he thinks is guilty. From the perspective of(1969), the lawyer might experience cognitive dissonance if his false statement about his guilty client contradicts his identity as a lawyer and an honest man.
Self-perception theory [ edit ]
In The Gestalt Theory of Motivation (1960), the social psychologist Daryl Bem proposed the self-perception theory whereby people do not think much about their attitudes, even when engaged in a conflict with another person. The Theory of Self-perception proposes that people develop attitudes by observing their own behaviour, and concludes that their attitudes caused the behaviour observed by self-perception; especially true when internal cues either are ambiguous or weak. Therefore, the person is in the same position as an observer who must rely upon external cues to infer his or her inner state of mind. Self-perception theory proposes that people adopt attitudes without access to their states of mood and cognition.[45]
As such, the experimental subjects of the Festinger and Carlsmith study (Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance, 1959) inferred their mental attitudes from their own behaviour. When the subject-participants were asked: "Did you find the task interesting?", the participants decided that they must have found the task interesting, because that is what they told the questioner. Their replies suggested that the participants who were paid twenty dollars had an external incentive to adopt that positive attitude, and likely perceived the twenty dollars as the reason for saying the task was interesting, rather than saying the task actually was interesting.[46][47]
The theory of self-perception (Bem) and the theory of cognitive dissonance (Festinger) make identical predictions, but only the theory of cognitive dissonance predicts the presence of unpleasant arousal, of psychological distress, which were verified in laboratory experiments.[48][49]
In The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance: A Current Perspective (1969), Elliot Aronson linked cognitive dissonance to the self-concept: That mental stress arises when the conflicts among cognitions threatens the person's positive self-image. This reinterpretation of the original Festinger and Carlsmith study, using the induced-compliance paradigm, proposed that the dissonance was between the cognitions "I am an honest person." and "I lied about finding the task interesting."[50]
The study Cognitive Dissonance: Private Ratiocination or Public Spectacle? (1971) reported that maintaining cognitive consistency, rather than protecting a private self-concept, is how a person protects his or her public self-image.[51] Moreover, the results reported in the study I’m No Longer Torn After Choice: How Explicit Choices Implicitly Shape Preferences of Odors (2010) contradict such an explanation, by showing the occurrence of revaluation of material items, after the person chose and decided, even after having forgotten the choice.[52]
Balance theory [ edit ]
Fritz Heider proposed a motivational theory of attitude change that functions on the idea that humans are driven to establish and maintain psychological balance. This drive is known as the consistency motive—the urge to maintain one's values and beliefs over time. According to balance theory there are three things interacting: (1) you (P), (2) another person (O), and (3) an element (X). These are each positioned at one point of a triangle and share two relations:[45]
Unit relations – things and people that belong together based on similarity, proximity, fate, etc. Sentiment relations – evaluations of people and things (liking, disliking)
As people, human beings seek a balanced state of relations among three positions; 3 positives or 2 negatives, 1 positive:
P = you O = John X = John's dog
"I don't like John" "John has a dog" "I don't like the dog either"
People also avoid unbalanced states of relations; 3 negatives or 2 positives, 1 negative)
P = you O = your child X = picture your child drew
"I love my child" "She drew me this picture" "I love this picture"
Cost–benefit analysis [ edit ]
In the study On the Measurement of the Utility of Public Works (1969), Jules Dupuit reported that behaviors and cognitions can be understood from an economic perspective, wherein people engage in the systematic processing of comparing the costs and benefits of a decision. The psychological process of cost-benefit comparisons helps the person to assess and justify the feasibility (spending money) of an economic decision, and is the basis for determining if the benefit outweighs the cost, and to what extent. Moreover, although the method of cost-benefit analysis functions in economic circumstances, men and women remain psychologically inefficient at comparing the costs against the benefits of their economic decision.[53]
Self-discrepancy theory [ edit ]
E. Tory Higgins proposed that people have three selves, to which they compare themselves:
Actual self – representation of the attributes the person believes him- or herself to possess (basic self-concept) Ideal self – ideal attributes the person would like to possess (hopes, aspiration, motivations to change) Ought self – ideal attributes the person believes he or she should possess (duties, obligations, responsibilities)
When these self-guides are contradictory psychological distress (cognitive dissonance) results. People are motivated to reduce self-discrepancy (the gap between two self-guides).[54]
Averse consequences vs. inconsistency [ edit ]
During the 1980s, Cooper and Fazio argued that dissonance was caused by aversive consequences, rather than inconsistency. According to this interpretation, the belief that lying is wrong and hurtful, not the inconsistency between cognitions, is what makes people feel bad.[55] Subsequent research, however, found that people experience dissonance even when they feel they have not done anything wrong. For example, Harmon-Jones and colleagues showed that people experience dissonance even when the consequences of their statements are beneficial—as when they convince sexually active students to use condoms, when they, themselves are not using condoms.[56]
Criticism of the free-choice paradigm [ edit ]
In the study How Choice Affects and Reflects Preferences: Revisiting the Free-choice Paradigm (2010) the researchers criticized the free-choice paradigm as invalid, because the rank-choice-rank method is inaccurate for the study of cognitive dissonance.[57] That the designing of research-models relies upon the assumption that, if the experimental subject rates options differently in the second survey, then the attitudes of the subject towards the options have changed. That there are other reasons why an experimental subject might achieve different rankings in the second survey; perhaps the subjects were indifferent between choices.
Although the results of some follow-up studies (e.g. Do Choices Affect Preferences? Some Doubts and New Evidence, 2013) presented evidence of the unreliability of the rank-choice-rank method,[58] the results of studies such as Neural Correlates of Cognitive Dissonance and Choice-induced Preference Change (2010) have not found the Choice-Rank-Choice method to be invalid, and indicate that making a choice can change the preferences of a person.[14][59][60][61]
Action–motivation model [ edit ]
The action–motivation model proposes that inconsistencies in a person's cognition cause mental stress, because psychologic inconsistency interferes with the person's functioning in the real world. Among the ways for coping, the person can choose to exercise a behavior that is inconsistent with his or her current attitude (a belief, an ideal, a value system), but later try to alter that belief to be consonant with a current behaviour; the cognitive dissonance occurs when the person's cognition does not match the action taken. If the person changes the current attitude, after the dissonance occurs, he or she then is obligated to commit to that course of behaviour.
The occurrence of cognitive dissonance produces a state of negative affect, which motivates the person to reconsider the causative behaviour, in order to resolve the psychologic inconsistency that caused the mental stress.[62] As the afflicted person works towards a behavioural commitment, the motivational process then is activated in the left frontal cortex of the brain.[63][64][65][66][67]
Predictive dissonance model [ edit ]
The predictive dissonance model proposes that cognitive dissonance is fundamentally related to the predictive coding (or predictive processing) model of cognition.[68] A predictive processing account of the mind proposes that perception actively involves the use of a Bayesian hierarchy of acquired prior knowledge, which primarily serves the role of predicting incoming proprioceptive, interoceptive and exteroceptive sensory inputs. Therefore, the brain is an inference machine which attempts to actively predict and explain its sensations. Crucial to this inference is the minimization of prediction error. The predictive dissonance account proposes that the motivation for cognitive dissonance reduction is related to an organism's active drive for reducing prediction error. Moreover, it proposes that human (and perhaps other animal) brains have evolved to selectively ignore contradictory information (as proposed by dissonance theory) to prevent the overfitting of their predictive cognitive models to local and thus non-generalizable conditions. The predictive dissonance account is highly compatible with the action-motivation model since, in practice, prediction error can arise from unsuccessful behavior.
Neuroscience findings [ edit ]
Visualisation [ edit ]
The study Neural Activity Predicts Attitude Change in Cognitive Dissonance (2009) identified the neural bases of cognitive dissonance with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); the neural scans of the participants replicated the basic findings of the induced-compliance paradigm. When in the fMRI scanner, some of the study participants argued that the uncomfortable, mechanical environment of the MRI machine nevertheless was a pleasant experience for them; some participants, from an experimental group, said they enjoyed the mechanical environment of the fMRI scanner more than did the control-group participants (paid actors) who argued about the uncomfortable experimental environment.[69]
The results of the neural scan experiment support the original theory of Cognitive Dissonance proposed by Festinger in 1957; and also support the psychological conflict theory, whereby the anterior cingulate functions, in counter-attitudinal response, to activate the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior insular cortex; the degree of activation of said regions of the brain is predicted by the degree of change in the psychological attitude of the person.[69]
The biomechanics of cognitive dissonance: MRI evidence indicates that the greater the psychological conflict signalled by the anterior cingulate cortex , the greater the magnitude of the cognitive dissonance experienced by the person.
As an application of the free-choice paradigm, the study How Choice Reveals and Shapes Expected Hedonic Outcome (2009) indicates that after making a choice, neural activity in the striatum changes to reflect the person's new evaluation of the choice-object; neural activity increased if the object was chosen, neural activity decreased if the object was rejected.[70] Moreover, studies such as The Neural Basis of Rationalization: Cognitive Dissonance Reduction During Decision-making (2010)[18] and How Choice Modifies Preference: Neural Correlates of Choice Justification (2011) confirm the neural bases of the psychology of cognitive dissonance.[59][71]
The Neural Basis of Rationalization: Cognitive Dissonance Reduction During Decision-making (2010) applied the free-choice paradigm to fMRI examination of the brain's decision-making process whilst the study participant actively tried to reduce cognitive dissonance. The results indicated that the active reduction of psychological dissonance increased neural activity in the right-inferior frontal gyrus, in the medial fronto-parietal region, and in the ventral striatum, and that neural activity decreased in the anterior insula.[18] That the neural activities of rationalization occur in seconds, without conscious deliberation on the part of the person; and that the brain engages in emotional responses whilst effecting decisions.[18]
Emotional correlations [ edit ]
The results reported in Contributions from Research on Anger and Cognitive Dissonance to Understanding the Motivational Functions of Asymmetrical Frontal Brain Activity (2004) indicate that the occurrence of cognitive dissonance is associated with neural activity in the left frontal cortex, a brain structure also associated with the emotion of anger; moreover, functionally, anger motivates neural activity in the left frontal cortex.[72] Applying a directional model of Approach motivation, the study Anger and the Behavioural Approach System (2003) indicated that the relation between cognitive dissonance and anger is supported by neural activity in the left frontal cortex that occurs when a person takes control of the social situation causing the cognitive dissonance. Conversely, if the person cannot control or cannot change the psychologically stressful situation, he or she is without a motivation to change the circumstance, then there arise other, negative emotions to manage the cognitive dissonance, such as socially inappropriate behavior.[64][73][74]
The anterior cingulate cortex activity increases when errors occur and are being monitored as well as having behavioral conflicts with the self-concept as a form of higher-level thinking.[75] A study was done to test the prediction that the left frontal cortex would have increased activity. University students had to write a paper depending on if they were assigned to a high-choice or low-choice condition. The low-choice condition required student to write about supporting a 10% increase in tuition at their university. The point of this condition was to see how significant the counterchoice may affect a person's ability to cope. The high-choice condition asked students to write in favor of tuition increase as if it was their choice and that it was completely voluntary. EEG was used to analyze students before writing the essay as dissonance is at its highest during this time (Beauvois and Joule, 1996). High-choice condition participants showed a higher level of the left frontal cortex than the low-choice participants. Results have shown that the initial experience of dissonance can be apparent in the anterior cingulate cortex, then the left frontal cortex is activated, which also activates the approach motivational system to reduce anger.[75][76]
The psychology of mental stress [ edit ]
The results reported in The Origins of Cognitive Dissonance: Evidence from Children and Monkeys (2007) indicated that there might be evolutionary force behind the reduction of cognitive dissonance in the actions of pre-school-age children and Capuchin monkeys when offered a choice between two like options, decals and candies. The groups then were offered a new choice, between the choice-object not chosen and a novel choice-object that was as attractive as the first object. The resulting choices of the human and simian subjects concorded with the theory of cognitive dissonance when the children and the monkeys each chose the novel choice-object instead of the choice-object not chosen in the first selection, despite every object having the same value.[77]
The hypothesis of An Action-based Model of Cognitive-dissonance Processes (2015) proposed that psychological dissonance occurs consequent to the stimulation of thoughts that interfere with a goal-driven behavior. Researchers mapped the neural activity of the participant when performing tasks that provoked psychological stress when engaged in contradictory behaviors. A participant read aloud the printed name of a color. To test for the occurrence of cognitive dissonance, the name of the color was printed in a color different than the word read aloud by the participant. As a result, the participants experienced increased neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex when the experimental exercises provoked psychological dissonance.[78]
The study Cognitive Neuroscience of Social Emotions and Implications for Psychopathology: Examining Embarrassment, Guilt, Envy, and Schadenfreude (2014) identified neural correlations to specific social emotions (e.g. envy and embarrassment) as a measure of cognitive dissonance. The neural activity for the emotion of Envy (the feeling of displeasure at the good fortune of another person) was found to draw neural activity from the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. That such increased activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex occurred either when a person's self-concept was threatened or when the person suffered embarrassment (social pain) caused by salient, upward social-comparison, by social-class snobbery. That social emotions, such as embarrassment, guilt, envy, and Schadenfreude (joy at the misfortune of another person) are correlated to reduced activity in the insular lobe, and with increased activity in the striate nucleus; those neural activities are associated with a reduced sense of empathy (social responsibility) and an increased propensity towards antisocial behavior (delinquency).[79]
Modeling in neural networks [ edit ]
Artificial neural network models of cognition provide methods for integrating the results of empirical research and of cognitive dissonance and attitudes into a single model that explains the formation of psychological attitudes and the mechanisms to change such attitudes.[80] Among the artificial neural-network models that predict how cognitive dissonance might influence a person's attitudes and behavior, are:
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
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While everyone else is working on the new game plan for Overgrowth, and preparing the next alpha for release within a couple weeks, Steve is continuing to iterate on the character design for the different species.
After designing the preliminary base models I was tasked with developing Rabbit character concepts for the Lugaru and Arena campaigns. While this was a welcome change from doing purely anatomical drawings, my initial approach was too unfocused. Consequently, the designs were inconsistent and I struggled to develop a distinct Rabbit look.
I decided to start defining the aesthetics of the other Overgrowth species, as my ideas were starting to feel very stale and I hadn’t set clear design parameters to work within. As I progressed, materials, clothing/armor fit, clothing/armor components, and shape language were the key elements of distinction I used to set boundaries.
Improving Base Sketches
Before jumping into designing the cultural clothing and armor of the different Overgrowth species, I wanted to have solid three-quarter pose drawings to work on top of. I used this opportunity to fix anatomical issues from my orthographic drawings and to improve the look of the species overall.
Dog
For Dog clothing and armor, I started with the characteristics that were already established: rectangular shape language, heavy use of metal and leather, simple/pragmatic design, and loose fit. I quickly sketched a batch of concepts and picked 5 to refine.
I later returned to further explore Dog armor. Prominent, thick belts and battle harnesses were a couple ideas I had for Dog-only gear. Though Dogs are not an ostentatious society and prefer plain, functional design, I added visual interest through metal and leather color variation, repetition of shapes (studs, rivets, and laminar (banded) plating), and simple embellishments that may distinguish one Dog clan from another.
Cat
Given that Cats are largely aristocratic, conveying their wealth and opulent nature through luxurious fabrics, precious metals, vibrant colors, and intricate detailing was important in their outfits and armors.
To contrast from the rectangular shape language of the Dogs I settled on triangular shape language for the Cats. As well, I decided to feature chainmail in Cat armor design. While I initially felt that chainmail was too advanced for the Overgrowth world, after learning that humans have been using chainmail from as early as the 4th century BCE, I concluded that Cats have the material, intellectual, and labor resources to produce it. Furthermore, I can imagine the Cats would be quite pleased with armor that provides decent protection, relative comfort, and a slim look!
Rabbit
After exploring Dog and Cat styles, I returned to have another go at the Rabbits. I kept some of the ideas I liked from the earlier concepts (thickly woven fiber, knot ornamentation, braided rope) and introduced rounded shape language and asymmetric clothing arrangements. As well, utilizing only plant-based materials (natural plant fiber, wicker/rattan) was a key restriction as I felt it reflected the predominantly peaceful nature and agrarian culture of Rabbits.
Afterwards, I remixed some of my favorite elements into 3 concept sets for Turner in the Lugaru campaign. Each set shows how Turner’s outfit will change as he progresses through the story and different environments.
Rat
I know a lot of people—including myself—were eager for more Rat concepts, so I was very excited to work on these. I spent time collecting photos and compiling a mood board before starting my sketches to refresh my visual library for the Rats. I repeated this process for the refined Dog and Cat warrior concepts as well. You’ll notice that I made sure to stay away from film and video game sources (except for a screenshot from The Revenant) and to draw from a variety of different inspirational subjects.
The Rats, being the scavenger species of Overgrowth, are visually distinguished by a ragged and ragtag appearance: tattered and discolored, uneven patchwork, and disparate materials. Additionally, I paired long shirts with poncho or vest-like tops and tried out variations in length to complement their long torsos. Similarly, high-waisted pants or shorts seemed to suit Rat proportions. However, since the scavenger look is pretty unoriginal, the Rats needed a unique twist. Fortunately for me, Rats wearing parts of their ancestors is a really neat idea that Aubrey came up with!
In a society like the Rats where resources are scarce, making use of the remains of kin is not only practical, but could be a form of ancestor worship. Instead of simply wearing the fur and bones of their dead, I came up with more elaborate ways that Rats could prepare and utilize them: ritually dreading the fur of their deceased kin into their own or fashioning ceremonial garb, and carving inscribed bone beads to be worn as talismans or even as armor. Besides these customs, Rat skins can be converted to leather, tendons and intestines converted to sinew, and the muscles and organs used as compost for underground fungi farms (if not consumed during times of famine). I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of this concept and haven’t visually executed it to it’s full potential, so stay tuned for further updates.
Wolf
And finally, the Wolves. Since Wolves don’t wear clothing or armor, well-designed anatomy is crucial. I wasn’t satisfied with the upright posture of my earlier Wolf sketches, so I redrew them from scratch with the goal of making them look more feral. I gave them a pronounced hunch on their upper back, thrusting their head forward. This not only makes them look more animalistic and fierce, but it also makes sense physiologically because a Wolf’s mouth is one of its primary weapons. This was also a great opportunity to give their fur some much-needed attention. When designing their fur I concentrated on areas of volume, major planes, direction of flow, and placement of tufts.
Scarification was a neat idea from Aubrey for how Wolves might embellish their bodies. I thought body “paint” might be interesting as well. Wolves may not create paint in the traditional sense, but they would certainly have a nice supply of blood after each kill. The stiff quality of dried blood would also allow Wolves to style their fur. Additionally, white pigment could be created by chewing sun-dried bones into a chalky paste. While adding visual interest is important, It would be great to add context to these body decoration practices through pack identities or some sort of Wolf religion - something to think about!
Still lots of work to be done, but I hope you found this post interesting and my progress appealing. Please let us know what you think!
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A former spokesman for 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’s presidential campaign is arguing that Virginia will be “the first major electoral blow” to President Trump and will begin the resistance against the new administration.
“The Virginia governor’s race is the first real chance that our democracy gets to weigh in and the voters get to speak. And when voters speak in Virginia’s governor’s races, it matters,” Jesse Ferguson wrote in an op-ed for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Ferguson pointed to Sen. Tim Kaine Timothy (Tim) Michael KaineTrump claims Democrats ‘don’t mind executing babies after birth’ after blocked abortion bill Democrats block abortion bill in Senate Trump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 MORE’s (D-Va.) 2005 victory in the state’s governor’s race as an example, calling it “the first political wound to the Bush administration.”
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Virginia will have several elections this year, including for lieutenant governor and attorney general in addition to its governor’s race.
Ferguson said Virginia’s diverse population could provide “a good representation” of what may come in the 2018 midterm elections throughout the country.
“Third, and most importantly, the motto of the Commonwealth of Virginia is Sic Semper Tyrannis — Thus Always to Tyrants. Where better to launch the resistance?” he said.
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More intriguing Bilski briefs filed. The door is shut now, so there will be no more, I gather. Both the ABA and Patently O have them all listed, and the latter includes a helpful brief blurb giving an outline of the theme of each. So read them all if you wish. But I picked a few briefs I thought you'd find particularly fascinating: Microsoft, with Symantec and Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Google, with financial services firms
Bloomberg
Nevada State Bar
ABA
11 Law Professors and AARP
FFII
CCIA
EFF Of course, you are interested in what Microsoft wants the US Supreme Court to do.
Microsoft asks that the lower court's rejection of Bilski's patent be upheld, but they also believe the "machine-or-transformation" test the lower court set forth should be disapproved. Instead, they think the standard should be "new and useful": While electronic computers have become ubiquitous and almost infinitely varied in form and function, virtually all of them rely for their operation on the same physical activity--the routing and rerouting of electrical signals by means of on-off switches such as transistors. A "hardware" device, such as a laptop computer, contains millions of tiny transistor switches; "software" is the set of instructions that determines the configuration of and directs electrical signals through these switches so that the device will do something useful. While both hardware and software have become increasingly complex, the underlying activity--the sequential operation of switches--has been the basis of patent-eligible processes since at least the Industrial Revolution. II. Although the Court should be chary of "lin[king] patent eligibility to the age of iron and steel at a time of subatomic particles and terabytes" (Pet. App. 134a (Rader, J., dissenting)), we respectfully submit that the eligibility framework that this Court developed during the Industrial Revolution-- an era of tremendous advances in electronic and communications technology--retains its vitality, and relevance, today. While modern digital and computer technologies are vastly more complex and efficient than their precursors, they are built upon the same physical activity as Industrial Age analogues such as Morse's telegraph and Bell's telephone. Interpreting the same constitutional and statutory language that controls today, the Nineteenth Century precedents established that a patent-eligible process must involve one or more disclosed physical things--that is, it must describe a series of steps that use physical means to produce a result or effect in the physical world. Ah, but what do they mean by "physical"? They don't mean physical as in cotton gins. They mean things like electromagnetic signals and electric current. They define "physical" like this: "Physical" means anything discernible or measurable, including (for example) electromagnetic signals propagated through the air, electric current transmitted by wire, electrostatic or magnetic charges on appropriate media, or photonic impulses through a fiber optic cable. So if you can discern it or measure it, it's "physical". So what is a computer, after all, Microsoft asks? How do they work? The fantastic variety in which computers are now found can obscure the remarkable fact that every single one is, at its heart, a collection of tiny on-off switches--usually in the form of transistors. Why that's pretty much the same as gears and switches, as in Charles Babbage's machine: Just as the configuration of gears and shafts determined the functionality of Babbage's computers, it is the careful configuration of these on-off switches that produces the complex and varied functionality of modern computers.... Today, these on-off switches are usually found in pre-designed packages of transistors commonly known as "chips." Thin wafers of silicon, chips can contain many millions of transistors, connected to one another by conductive materials etched onto the chip like a web of telephone lines. They are organ- ized such that they can be turned on or off in pat- terned fashion, and by this method, perform simple operations, such as turning on every transistor whose corresponding transistor is off in the neighboring group. From these building blocks, mathematical and logical operations are carried out. Patterson & Hennessy, supra, at 44-47 & App. C. The challenge for the inventor is how to use these transistors (and applying the principles of logic, physics, electromagnetism, photonics, etc.) in a way that produces the desired functionality in a useful manner. Computer programming is an exercise in reductionism, as every feature, decision, and analysis must be broken down to the level of the rudimentary operations captured by transistors turning on and off. This reductionism is matched by the detail with which transistors must be configured and instructed to carry out the thousands or millions of operations required by the process. No difference, really, Microsoft argues, except things are a lot faster now. And after all, in Microsoft Corp. v. AT&T Corp., the ruling found that "Windows software renders a general-purpose computer "capable of performing as the patented speech processor". See? Patentable! Today, computer languages plus semiconductor chips replicate what human operators used to do on ENIAC, they continue: Using these languages, the inventor can create "software" that defines the operations of semiconductor chips and other hardware. These operations are the steps of a computer-implemented process. The role of software is simply to automate the reconfiguration of the electronic pathways that was once done manually by the human operators of ENIAC. As with any patentable process, it is the real-world implementation--the actual acting out, or physical execution--of the process that makes it new and useful. In a computer-implemented process, the acting out consists primarily of the rapid activation and deactivation of millions of transistors to perform some useful function, such as displaying images and solving problems. Such functions, implemented and made real, physical, and useful by the activity of transistors, are the inventor's actual process. Ah, but could you patent what the human operators of ENIAC did? They manually manipulated the cables and switches, Microsoft says on page 11, a task taken over by software today. That's a serious question. Could you patent the human activity of manipulating the cables and switches? (See xkcd's bunch of rocks computer cartoon.) Microsoft's conclusion: While the popular conception of "software" as something that is functionally distinct from "hardware" can be useful, it tends to obscure our understanding of the physical processes taking place within the computers all around us. This is reflected in the commonly used term "software patent," employed by petitioners. So-called "software patents" generally do not actually describe software at all, but rather the process performed by a programmed computer. It is such a computer-implemented process-- not software itself--that is potentially eligible for patent protection. So software is a process that humans used to do, but a lot faster? Isn't this essentially the same argument we already heard from Lee Hollaar? Patent the computer-implemented process, Microsoft argues: The role of software is simply to automate the reconfiguration of the electronic pathways that was once done manually by the human operators of ENIAC.... Purporting to analyze the patent-eligibility of software, as opposed to that of hardware, relies on an illusory distinction. The functionality of any digital device is the product of the same transistor activity, and it is the configuration of the pathways between those transistors that dictates their functionality. Like all patent-eligible processes, computer-implemented processes combine physical activity with human-directed logic. Irrespective of whether a particular configuration of transistors is accomplished using a soldering iron or by means of software, the processes conducted by these transistors are ultimately physical processes. Uh huh. So, can we patent a human soldering something? Isn't that what software is in this analogy? Plus they don't address the fundamental issue: if software is math, and it is, it should not be patentable, no matter what it does. Wait. At the very end, they indeed address that sort of, like this: These cases teach that physical implementation of a principle in a useful manner addresses (and, in most if not all cases, resolves) the prohibition against patenting principles, which inheres in Section 101. The added complexity of the court of appeals machine-or-transformation formulation does not improve on this Courts clearer understanding: a process that makes use of a disclosed physical thing, and produces a measurable result in the physical world, does something more than describe an unpatentable principleit is an application of that principle. To be patent-eligible, therefore, a claimed method must involve one or more disclosed physical thingsthat is, it must describe a series of steps that use physical means to produce a result or effect in the physical world. So, you can use this workaround to let software be patentable even if it is math, because you don't patent the math; you patent the process that uses it in a new and useful way. Sigh. Microsoft spent a lot of money on patents. They want their money's worth. Still, this analogy to older methods of doing the same things, as they describe them, could take root in a judge's mind, particularly if he doesn't know what software actually is. They might reason that if you could patent a telegraph machine, why not the computer equivalent. They might not realize that while they can do the same thing -- send messages -- how they do it is quite different. And no one let you patent electricity, even though it was a necessary piece of the process. If you patent processes, you'd have to patent the electrical current too. That's if I understood the brief, and since my lip was curled as I read it, it's possible I have missed something. If so, no doubt you will notice and clarify. Here's the Microsoft brief, as text, then, so you can analyze it for yourself: *********************************** No. 08-964 __________________________ IN THE Supreme Court of the United States _______ BERNARD L. BILSKI AND RAND A. WARSAW,
Petitioners, v. DAVID J. KAPPOS, UNDER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND DIRECTOR, PATENT
AND TRADEMARK OFFICE,
Respondent. __________________________ On Writ Of Certiorari
To The United States Court Of Appeals
For The Federal Circuit _____________________ BRIEF FOR MICROSOFT CORPORATION,
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.,
AND SYMANTEC CORPORATION
AS AMICI CURIAE
IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENT MARK A. PERRY
Counsel of Record HORACIO E. GUTIERREZ
T. ANDREW CULBERT
MICROSOFT CORPORATION
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
& LICENSING
[address, phone] MATTHEW D. MCGILL
JASON B. STAVERS
GIBSON, DUNN &
CRUTCHER LLP
[address, phone] Counsel for Microsoft Corporation ADDITIONAL COUNSEL LISTED ON INSIDE COVER
JACK E. HAKEN
KEVIN C. ECKER
LAURIE GATHMAN
TODD HOLMBO
PHILIPS INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY & STANDARDS
[address, phone]
Counsel for Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. JOSEPH T. FITZGERALD
SYMANTEC CORPORATION
LEGAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
[address, phone]
Counsel for Symantec Corporation i QUESTION ADDRESSED BY AMICI CURIAE Whether affirming the rejection of petitioners' application, under the appropriate standard of patent-eligibility, would "exclude[] forms of information-based and software-implemented inventions arising from new technological capabilities." Pet. App. 64a (Newman, J., dissenting). ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE..........................1 SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT ..............................2 ARGUMENT .........................................................4 I. From The Twenty-First Century To
The Nineteenth: Innovation
Through The Sequential Operation
Of Switches................................................6 II. From The Nineteenth Century To
The Twenty-First: Processes That
Involve Disclosed Physical Things
Are Patent-Eligible .................................17 CONCLUSION ....................................................29 iii TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Page(s) CASES In re Alappat,
33 F.3d 1526 (Fed. Cir. 1994) ..............................21 Bonito Boats Inc. v. Thunder Craft Boats
Inc., 489 U.S. 141 (1989)......................................28 Brenner v. Manson,
383 U.S. 519 (1966) ..............................................20 Brown v. Duchesne,
60 U.S. 183 (1857)................................................27 Cochrane v. Deener,
94 U.S. 780 (1876)............................................7, 21 Diamond v. Chakrabarty,
447 U.S. 303 (1980) ..............................................18 Diamond v. Diehr,
450 U.S. 175 (1981) ..............................................18 Eibel Process Co. v. Minnesota & Ontario
Paper Co., 261 U.S. 45 (1923) ..............................21 Funk Bros. Seed Co. v. Kalo Inoculant
Co., 333 U.S. 127 (1948).................................18, 19 Gottschalk v. Benson,
409 U.S. 63 (1972)................................................18 Graham v. John Deere Co.,
383 U.S. 1 (1966)............................................20, 21 Holland Furniture Co. v. Perkins Glue
Co., 277 U.S. 245 (1928).........................................8 Househill Co. v. Neilson,
151 ER 1266 (1841) ..............................................25 KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc.,
550 U.S. 398 (2007) ................................................7 Lab Corp. of Am. Holdings v. Metabolite
Labs., Inc., 548 U.S. 124 (2006)...........................20 iv Page(s) Le Roy v. Tatham,
55 U.S. 156 (1853)......................................4, 18, 25 Le Roy v. Tatham,
63 U.S. 132 (1859)..........................................26, 29 Leeds & Catlin Co. v. Victor Talking
Mach. Co., 213 U.S. 301 (1909) ...........................21 Microsoft Corp. v. AT&T Corp.,
550 U.S. 437 (2007) ........................................11, 27 O'Reilly v. Morse,
56 U.S. 62 (1854)................................15, 19, 24, 25 Parker v. Flook,
437 U.S. 584 (1978) ..............................................18 Pennock v. Dialogue,
2 Pet. 1 (1829) ......................................................28 Pensacola Tel. Co. v. W. Union Tel. Co.,
96 U.S. 1 (1877)..............................................23, 28 Pfaff v. Wells Elecs., Inc.,
525 U.S. 55 (1998)................................................27 Quanta Computer Inc. v. LG Elecs., Inc.,
128 S. Ct. 2109 (2008)..........................................13 The Telephone Cases,
126 U.S. 1 (1888)............................................24, 25 Tilghman v. Proctor,
102 U.S. 707 (1881) ..........................................4, 26 Waxham v. Smith,
294 U.S. 20 (1935)..................................................8 CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS Art. I, § 8, cl. 8 ...........................................................20 STATUTES 7 U.S.C. § § 2321-2582 ..............................................21 35 U.S.C. § 101 ..........................................................18 35 U.S.C. § 100(b)......................................................14 v Page(s) REGULATIONS Examination Guidelines for Computer-
Related Inventions,
61 Fed. Reg. 7,478 (Feb. 28, 1996) ......................13 OTHER AUTHORITIES Alderson B. Webster's Patent Cases ........................26 John B. Anderson,
Digital Transmission Engineering (2d
ed. 2005) .................................................................5 William R. Aul,
"Herman Hollerith: Data Processing
Pioneer," Think (Nov. 1972) ................................16 George Ticknor Curtis,
A Treatise on the Law of Patents for
Useful Inventions as Enacted and
Administered in the United States of
America (4th ed. 1873).........................................27 Nell Dale et al.,
Programming and Problem Solving
with C++ (1997)....................................................16 Edward Highton,
The Electric Telegraph: Its History and
Progress(1852) .....................................................22 Daniel Walker Howe,
What Hath God Wrought: The
Transformation of America, 1815-1848
(2007) ...............................................................22 Anthony Hyman,
Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the
Computer (1982).........................................9, 15, 16 vi Page(s) David A. Patterson & John L. Hennessy,
Computer Organization and Design
(4th ed. 2009)......................................10, 11, 12, 15 Ron White,
How Computers Work (8th ed. 2005)...................10 Brian Winston,
Media Technology & Society: A History (1998) ................................................................17 BRIEF OF MICROSOFT CORPORATION,
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.,
AND SYMANTEC CORPORATION AS AMICI
CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS _____________________ Microsoft Corporation, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., and Symantec Corporation, as amici curiae, respectfully submit that the judgment of the court of appeals should be affirmed.1 INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE Microsoft's mission is to enable individuals and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential by creating technology that transforms the way people work, play, and communicate. Microsoft develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software programs and services for many different types of computing devices, including the flagship Windows operating system and the Office suite of productivity applications. Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (aka Royal Philips Electronics N.V.) is the parent corporation of a worldwide family of companies ("Philips"). Philips has been inventing and manufacturing electronic and electrical products for over 115 years and is one of the largest users of the patent system in the 2 United States. Philips began operation as a Nineteenth Century electric lamp manufacturer and its history is rooted in the classic patent battles of the industrial age. Scientists and engineers at Philips' American laboratories have made pioneering advances in the fields of medical diagnosis and imaging, high definition television, optical CD and DVD recording, and digital rights management. Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage, and systems management solutions to help its customers--from consumers and small businesses to the largest global organizations--secure and manage their information against risk. Symantec operates in more than 40 countries, and maintains research and development facilities, 24x7 Security Operations Centers, and Security Response Labs around the world. The company holds more than 700 patents in its global patent portfolio, addressing security, systems management, and storage needs for consumers, small business and enterprises. Individually and collectively, amici hold a large number of patents, including patents that claim computer-implemented methods, and they are also frequently sued for infringement by others who hold such patents. Amici thus have a profound interest in the patent-eligibility of process patents in general and computer-implemented process claims in particular, as part of their substantial stake in the efficient and fair functioning of the patent system as a whole. SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT Because principles are not patentable, petitioners' claimed method of hedging commodities transactions is not patent-eligible and the judgment of the court of appeals should be affirmed, although its ex- 3 clusive reliance on the "machine-or-transformation" test should be disapproved. That test, as articulated by the Federal Circuit, is not consistent with this Court's cases, and it is already proving unwieldy and confusing to implement. Contrary to the suggestions of petitioners and others, however, affirming the rejection of the application in issue need not--and, under the appropriate standard of patent-eligibility, would not--imperil properly drawn claims describing computer-implemented processes. I. Some have expressed concern that affirming the rejection of petitioners' application would "exclude[] forms of information-based and software-implemented inventions arising from new technological capabilities." Pet. App. 64a (Newman, J., dissenting). Dispelling that concern requires a basic understanding of how computer-implemented processes work in the real world. While electronic computers have become ubiquitous and almost infinitely varied in form and function, virtually all of them rely for their operation on the same physical activity--the routing and rerouting of electrical signals by means of on-off switches such as transistors. A "hardware" device, such as a laptop computer, contains millions of tiny transistor switches; "software" is the set of instructions that determines the configuration of and directs electrical signals through these switches so that the device will do something useful. While both hardware and software have become increasingly complex, the underlying activity--the sequential operation of switches--has been the basis of patent-eligible processes since at least the Industrial Revolu- tion. II. Although the Court should be chary of "lin[king] patent eligibility to the age of iron and 4 steel at a time of subatomic particles and terabytes" (Pet. App. 134a (Rader, J., dissenting)), we respectfully submit that the eligibility framework that this Court developed during the Industrial Revolution-- an era of tremendous advances in electronic and communications technology--retains its vitality, and relevance, today. While modern digital and computer technologies are vastly more complex and efficient than their precursors, they are built upon the same physical activity as Industrial Age analogues such as Morse's telegraph and Bell's telephone. Interpreting the same constitutional and statutory language that controls today, the Nineteenth Century precedents established that a patent-eligible process must involve one or more disclosed physical things--that is, it must describe a series of steps that use physical means to produce a result or effect in the physical world. See, e.g., Tilghman v. Proctor, 102 U.S. 707, 727 (1881) ("Whoever discovers that a certain useful result will be produced, in any art [i.e., process] ..., by the use of certain means, is entitled to a patent for it") (emphasis added). This standard is fatal to petitioners' application, but should not imperil the patent-eligibility of properly drawn claims describing computer-implemented processes. ARGUMENT Everyone agrees that "a principle is not patentable." Le Roy v. Tatham, 55 U.S. 156, 174-75 (1853). Petitioners' patent application, which claims a method of hedging commodities transactions, runs smack into this unchallenged prohibition. See U.S. Br. 53-54; see also Yahoo Br. 34-35; Business Software Alliance Br. 16-18. Indeed, not one of the seventeen amicus briefs filed in support of petitioners offers a credible defense of the actual application at 5 issue in this case. The judgment of the court of appeals, affirming the rejection of petitioners' application, should be affirmed--although, as explained below, its adoption of the "machine-or-transformation" rubric as the exclusive test for patent-eligibility should be disapproved. Contrary to the suggestions of petitioners and others, affirming the rejection of the application in issue need not, and under the appropriate standard would not, imperil the patent-eligibility of properly drawn claims describing computer-implemented processes. To demonstrate this, we first outline the practical and technological contours of computer-related inventions, and then explain how the patent-eligibility of such inventions can comfortably be resolved within the traditional eligibility framework developed by this Court in response to great advances in electronic and communication technologies during the Nineteenth Century. Under that framework, a patentable process must involve one or more disclosed physical things--that is, it must describe a series of steps that use physical means to produce a result or effect in the physical world.2 6 I. From The Twenty-First Century To The
Nineteenth: Innovation Through The
Sequential Operation Of Switches Some knowledgeable observers of our patent system have expressed concern that affirming the rejection of petitioners' application, particularly under the "machine-or-transformation" framework adopted as exclusive by the Federal Circuit majority, could "exclude[] forms of information-based and software-implemented inventions arising from new technological capabilities." Pet. App. 64a (Newman, J., dissenting); see also Dolby Br. 10; IBM Br. 17-19; Medtronic Br. 5-11. Petitioners previously echoed this concern, arguing in their petition that "the Federal Circuit's decision threatens many of the nation's fundamental industries, including software" because it "casts doubt" on "tens of thousands of software patents," leaving them "vulnerable to attack." Pet. 30. Petitioners' merits brief, which concedes that the method claimed in their application "does not necessarily have to be performed on a particular machine or computer" (Pet. Br. 7), fails to make good on this threat; indeed, "software" makes only a brief and non-substantive appearance. See Pet. Br. 40. As the Solicitor General explains, "this case does not present any question as to the application of the machine-or-transformation test to software or yet more novel future forms of industrial or technological processes." U.S. Br. 37. Nevertheless, since the patent-eligibility of computer-implemented processes could obviously be impacted by the Court's resolution of this dispute, this Court should be mindful of this potential impact in articulating any general standard or test for patent eligibility. 7 Clearly, specific interpretations of the test articulated below have proven problematic. See, e.g., Yahoo Br. 9-13; Borland Br. 19-28; AIPPI Br. 28-32; Awaken IP Br. 13-23; Entrepreneurial Software Companies Br. 16-22. Although the judgment of the court of appeals is correct, the majority erred in opining that the non-statutory "machine-or-transformation" test is the exclusive measure of patent-eligibility. That test has proven overly difficult to implement in practice. See Yahoo Br. 9-17; Dolby Br. 10-11; Regulatory Datacorp Br. 23-26. Moreover, even when that test is useful, it is descriptive rather than prescriptive: A process that meets the test is likely to be patent-eligible, but the test itself is not a prerequisite to patentability. As explained further below, the eligibility standard that has traditionally been applied by this Court requires that a patent-eligible process must involve one or more disclosed physical things--that is, it must describe a series of steps that use physical means to produce a result or effect in the physical world. The inventor must disclose an embodiment of a process that is susceptible to practical application using physical means and disclose those physical means with sufficient particularity to enable others to use the invention. But no particular "machine" is required. Cochrane v. Deener, 94 U.S. 780, 787-88 (1876) ("A process is a mode of treatment of certain materials to produce a given result. . . . [B]ut the tools to be used in doing this may be of secondary consequence."). In this respect, the error in the majority opinion lies not in its conclusion that the claims in petitioners' application are not patentable (they are not), but in its annunciation of the machine-or-transformation test as the alpha-and-omega of patent-eligibility. Cf. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 8 550 U.S. 398, 418 (2007) ("Helpful insights ... need not become rigid and mandatory formulas").3 Computer-implemented inventions are fundamentally and easily distinguishable from the hedging method claimed in petitioners' application using the patent-eligibility framework developed by this Court in precedents dating to the Nineteenth Century. To demonstrate that this Court's Industrial Age precedents are both appropriate and easily applicable to these modern technologies requires a brief discussion of the underlying architecture of digital machines and the real-world implementation of computer processes. Despite the popular conception of the computer as a quintessentially modern technology, computers predate inventions such as the telephone and tele- 9 graph, and date back to the age of steam power and brass gears. Charles Babbage's mechanical computers--the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine--designed in the Nineteenth Century, were the forerunners of modern computing devices. Anthony Hyman, Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the Computer 164-66 (1982) (by 1836, Babbage "had sketched out many of the salient features of the modern computer"). Obviously, there have been enormous advances since the days of Babbage, with mechanical gears giving way initially to electromechanical relays and vacuum tubes, and more recently to semiconductor chips. Today, the term "computer" often denotes the laptop or desktop device that many people use for word processing, e-mail, surfing the Internet, and other applications. While this usage of the term is of course correct, it captures only a little slice of the broad spectrum of computers in common use today. At the high-end, corporations, governments, and educational institutions employ supercomputers-- either huge custom-built devices or specialized networks of smaller machines--to perform calculations of a complexity, and at a speed, nearly incomprehensible to the layperson. And at the low-end, small computers are built into (or comprise) a vast array of consumer devices, including digital televisions, cellular telephones, music players and other entertainment devices, videogame consoles, kitchen appliances, thermostats, and so forth. A current-generation automobile includes several computers, which control everything from the fuel-injection system to the antilock brakes; a modern "fly-by-wire" airplane is a highly sophisticated computing system; and the means of controlling traffic, both on land and in the air, depend on complicated computer networks. The 10 list could go on and on. See IBM Br. 7, 19-21 (providing numerous examples of the expanding and essential contributions of computers). The fantastic variety in which computers are now found can obscure the remarkable fact that every single one is, at its heart, a collection of tiny on-off switches--usually in the form of transistors. See generally David A. Patterson & John L. Hennessy, Computer Organization and Design (4th ed. 2009); Ron White, How Computers Work (8th ed. 2005). Just as the configuration of gears and shafts determined the functionality of Babbage's computers, it is the careful configuration of these on-off switches that produces the complex and varied functionality of modern computers. Today, these on-off switches are usually found in pre-designed packages of transistors commonly known as "chips." Thin wafers of silicon, chips can contain many millions of transistors, connected to one another by conductive materials etched onto the chip like a web of telephone lines. They are organized such that they can be turned on or off in patterned fashion, and by this method, perform simple operations, such as turning on every transistor whose corresponding transistor is off in the neighboring group. From these building blocks, mathematical and logical operations are carried out. Patterson & Hennessy, supra, at 44-47 & App. C. The challenge for the inventor is how to use these transistors (and applying the principles of logic, physics, electromagnetism, photonics, etc.) in a way that produces the desired functionality in a useful manner. Computer programming is an exercise in reductionism, as every feature, decision, and analysis must be broken down to the level of the ru- 11 dimentary operations captured by transistors turning on and off. This reductionism is matched by the detail with which transistors must be configured and instructed to carry out the thousands or millions of operations required by the process. Early electronic computers were "programmed" by laboriously rewiring their electrical pathways so that the computer would perform a desired function. ENIAC--the first general-purpose electronic digital computer, functioning at the mid-point of the Twentieth Century-- could take days to program, with operators physically manipulating the switches and cables. Patterson & Hennessy, supra, at 1.10. [ed: graphic of ENIAC] Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Transistors, packaged onto silicon chips, permit electronic manipulation of the pathways between them, allowing those pathways to be altered to implement different processes without direct physical manipulation. The instructions for this electronic reconfiguration are typically expressed in computer software. See Microsoft Corp. v. AT&T Corp., 550 U.S. 437, 445-46 (2007) (noting that, inter alia, Windows software renders a general-purpose computer "capable of performing as the patented speech processor"). To allow more sophisticated control over the millions of transistors on a chip, inventors rely on a multi-layered scheme of pre-designed software "lan- 12 guages" that help bridge the gap between the on-off language of the transistor and the words and gram- mar of human understanding. These allow control of the transistors on a chip at various levels of specificity, ranging from "machine language," which allows transistor-level control, to "programming languages," which allow operations to be defined through formal syntax and semantics that are more easily understood by humans. Each language pre-packages the mathematical and logical operations that are most useful for the users of that particular language. See Patterson & Hennessy, supra, at 11-13, 20-21, 76-80. Using these languages, the inventor can create "software" that defines the operations of semiconductor chips and other hardware. These operations are the steps of a computer-implemented process. The role of software is simply to automate the reconfiguration of the electronic pathways that was once done manually by the human operators of ENIAC.4 As with any patentable process, it is the real-world implementation--the actual acting out, or physical execution--of the process that makes it new and useful. In a computer-implemented process, the acting out consists primarily of the rapid activation and deactivation of millions of transistors to perform 13 some useful function, such as displaying images and solving problems. Such functions, implemented and made real, physical, and useful by the activity of transistors, are the inventor's actual process. While the popular conception of "software" as something that is functionally distinct from "hardware" can be useful, it tends to obscure our understanding of the physical processes taking place within the computers all around us. This is reflected in the commonly used term "software patent," employed by petitioners. So-called "software patents" generally do not actually describe software at all, but rather the process performed by a programmed computer. It is such a computer-implemented process-- not software itself--that is potentially eligible for patent protection. See generally Examination Guidelines for Computer-Related Inventions, 61 Fed. Reg. 7,478 (Feb. 28, 1996). For this reason, the notion of "software patents" as a category that is distinct from digital hardware patents lacks any coherent technological or legal basis. Purporting to analyze the patent-eligibility of software, as opposed to that of hardware, relies on an illusory distinction. The functionality of any digital device is the product of the same transistor activity, and it is the configuration of the pathways between those transistors that dictates their functionality. Like all patent-eligible processes, computer-implemented processes combine physical activity with human-directed logic. Irrespective of whether a particular configuration of transistors is accomplished using a soldering iron or by means of software, the processes conducted by these transistors are ultimately physical processes. Cf. Quanta Computer Inc. v. LG Elecs., Inc., 128 S. Ct. 2109, 2118 (2008). 14 It follows naturally from this understanding that the innovation that employs a computer to do new and useful things is not necessarily encompassed by the innovations of the transistor (or computer) itself--that is, a new way to use an existing computer may itself be patent-eligible. See 35 U.S.C. § 100(b) ("The term 'process' ... includes a new use of a known process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, or material"). Although the court below dismissed this statutory text as "unhelpful" (Pet. App. 7a n.3), it confirms that, among other things, each new application of computer technology (at heart, each new use of transistors) which permits computers to perform a useful function is the product of human innovation, the application of principles to the functions of human needs. In this respect, modern computer-related inventions are no different from other patent-eligible innovations that have produced a new and useful result by employing physical structures and phenomena to record, manipulate, or disseminate information. Perhaps the most celebrated example of such technological innovation is Samuel Morse's invention of the electric telegraph, which (like modern computers) employed binary encoding in conjunction with the sequential operation of switches. [ed: graphic of telegraph operator sending a message] Although petitioners focus almost exclusively on the Court's rejection of his eighth claim (on which more below), the 15 Court allowed a number of other claims, including the fifth. O'Reilly v. Morse, 56 U.S. 62, 112 (1854). That claim was for "the system of signs, consisting of dots and spaces, and of dots, spaces and horizontal lines." Id. at 86. This system, an early version of Morse Code, was nothing other than a system for manipulating an on-off switch--the telegraph key-- in a prescribed manner to produce the useful result of intelligible communications between two parties. Indeed, although much less complex, the telegraph system--a web of interconnected switches spreading around the globe, enabling binary-encoded communication--was comparable to the modern Internet. The Industrial Age also knew software and hardware in a literal sense; the core concepts in computer design and programming were developed in this period. The principle of encoded instructions controlling a device found application at the opening of the Nineteenth Century, with the famous Jacquard loom, a device (still in use today) that adjusts the warp and weft of a textile in response to "programming" contained on punch cards. The loom's control apparatus consists of a series of on-off switches which are controlled by the pattern of holes punched in the cards, just as the pattern of microscopic pits and lands on the surface of a CD can be used to control the transistor switches inside a computer. Hyman, supra, at 166; Patterson & Hennessy, supra, at 24. Inventors soon seized on the "programming" principle applied in the Jacquard loom. A defining characteristic of Babbage's Analytical Engine, for example, was the use of punch cards, adopted from the Jacquard loom, to store the programs run by the machine. "Following the introduction of punched 16 cards early in 1836 four functional units familiar in the modern computer could soon be clearly distinguished: input/output system, mill, store, and control." Hyman, supra, at 166. Babbage's close friend, Ada Lovelace (the daughter of Lord Byron), is now recognized as "the first computer programmer" for her work developing software programs for the Analytical Engine. Nell Dale et al., Programming and Problem Solving with C++ 406-407 (1997). Later in the Nineteenth Century, Herman Hollerith, a U.S. Census Office employee, developed a means of tabulating census results using punch cards and mechanical calculation. His method allowed the country to complete the 1890 census two years sooner and for five million dollars less than manual tabulation. William R. Aul, "Herman Hollerith: Data Processing Pioneer," Think 22-23 (Nov. 1972). The company he founded became the International Business Machines Corp., and the once-prevalent IBM punch-cards were both the direct descendent of the means used to program a Jacquard loom and the immediate predecessor to today's CDs and other media, which contain digitized instructions 17 for modern computers to open and close millions of switches. As has been often noted by historians of technological development, our perceptions of innovation and modernity are often misguided--the roots of technological change are deep, and run farther back in our history than we perceive. See Brian Winston, Media Technology & Society: A History 1 (1998) (arguing that current innovations in communications technology are "hyperbolised as a revolutionary train of events [but] can be seen as a far more evolutionary and less transforming process"). That is certainly true with respect to computer-related inventions. While the hardware and software implemented by a modern e-mail program may be orders of magnitude more complex than the dot-dash-dot of a telegraph key, the underlying physical activity that makes communication possible--the sequential operation of switches--is fundamentally the same. II. From The Nineteenth Century To The
Twenty-First: Processes That Involve
Disclosed Physical Things Are Patent-
Eligible In a series of cases decided over the course of the Industrial Revolution, this Court gave content to the prohibition against patenting principles by allowing the patentability only of methods that involve disclosed physical things. Although we agree that that the Court should be hesitant to "link[] patent eligibility to the age of iron and steel at a time of sub-atomic particles and terabytes" (Pet. App. 134a (Rader, J., dissenting)), we submit that those historical precedents retain their vitality, and relevance, today. Indeed, the doctrines laid down by the Court in the Nineteenth Century can resolve most if not all 18 modern questions of patent-eligibility, including those involving computer-implemented process claims.5 The Court originally framed the core proscription thusly: "A principle, in the abstract, is a fundamental truth; an original cause; a motive; these cannot be patented, as no one can claim in either of them an exclusive right." Le Roy, 55 U.S. at 174-75. In the intervening century-and-a-half, the Court has articulated the proposition in varying ways, but the song remains the same: Such ephemera are "free to all men and reserved exclusively to none." Funk Bros. Seed Co. v. Kalo Inoculant Co., 333 U.S. 127, 130 (1948). This prohibition against the patentability of principles is rooted in the plain text of the Patent Act, which (as pertinent here) authorizes patents only for inventions that are both "new" and "useful." 35 U.S.C. § 101 ("Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the 19 conditions and requirements of this title") (emphasis added).6 Absent their novel application in the real world, principles are not "new" inventions. They, "like the heat of the sun, electricity, or the qualities of metals, are part of the storehouse of knowledge of all men.... He who discovers a hitherto unknown phenomenon of nature has no claim to a monopoly of it which the law recognizes." Funk Bros., 333 U.S. at 130. This inventiveness element is distinct from (and a prerequisite to) the novelty requirement imposed by Section 102, which is concerned with who first disclosed an invention that is otherwise patent-eligible. 20 Disembodied principles in themselves also are not "useful" in the sense of Section 101. The basic quid pro quo contemplated by the Constitution and the Congress for granting a patent monopoly is the benefit derived by the public from an invention with substantial utility. Unless and until a process is refined and developed to this point--where specific benefit exists in currently available form-- there is insufficient justification for permitting an applicant to engross what may prove to be a broad field. Brenner v. Manson, 383 U.S. 519, 534 (1966). Like the inventiveness element, the prerequisite of usefulness is separate from, and precedes, the "use" requirement imposed by Section 112 (first paragraph), which is concerned with the adequacy of disclosure of an invention that is otherwise patent-eligible. This prohibition on patenting principles is of constitutional dimension. "Congress may not authorize the issuance of patents whose effects are to remove existent knowledge from the public domain, or to restrict free access to materials already available." Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 6 (1966). Such a patent would not "promote the Progress of ... useful Arts." Art. I, § 8, cl. 8; see also Lab Corp. of Am. Holdings v. Metabolite Labs., Inc., 548 U.S. 124, 126-27 (2006) (Breyer, J., dissenting from dismissal of certiorari). Physical things (devices, engines, etc.) often depend on principles, such as the laws of physics and thermodynamics, for their successful or efficient operation; but they are embodiments or instantiations of such principles rather than the principles them- 21 selves. See, e.g., Eibel Process Co. v. Minnesota & Ontario Paper Co., 261 U.S. 45 (1923) (patented paper-making machine applied the principle of gravity to improve efficiency). In contrast, a process (or method) claims a series of steps for doing something, rather than the thing itself. Such a claim may well be patent-eligible (see, e.g., Cochrane, 94 U.S. 780 at 787), but requires scrutiny to ensure that what is claimed is not merely an unpatentable abstract principle.7 The statutory and constitutional bases of patent-eligibility have been in place since the Founding. See Graham, 383 U.S. at 5-12. To be sure, Congress has enacted intellectual-property legislation in response to specific technological advances. See, e.g., Plant Variety Protection Act of 1970, 7 U.S.C. §§ 2321-2582. But the Patent Act does not differentiate among the useful arts, and it certainly does not single out computer-related inventions for special treatment. Accordingly, the continued relevance of these basic precepts to patents claiming technologi- 22 cal advances is best understood by reference to an earlier period of transformational innovation. At the dawn of the Industrial Age, this Court recognized both the patentability of processes and the challenge of distinguishing unpatentable "principles" from patent-eligible processes in a celebrated series of cases arising from that era's remarkable innovations in communication technology. While the telegraph and wire-line telephone may seem commonplace, even archaic, in the light of modern computer and telecommunications innovations, the parallels, and continuity, between these historical innovations and those of our own age should not be underestimated. Nineteenth Century assessments certainly had a familiar ring of hyperbole. See, e.g., Edward Highton, The Electric Telegraph: Its History and Progress 1-2 (1852) ("What an age of wonders is this! When one considers the state of Science a century ago, and compares the light of the past with that of the present day--how great is the change! how marvellous the advance! . . . Few inventions have created so great surprise and delight as that of the Electric Telegraph."); id. at 178 ("Time and space are all but annihilated. Years are converted into days, days into seconds, and miles have become mere fractions of an inch."). And modern scholars have often recognized the similarity, and continuity, between these Nineteenth Century innovations and those of the modern era. See, e.g., Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 1-2 (2007) (arguing that the telegraph "was destined to change the world," and that, together with the railroad, its "consequences certainly rivaled, and probably exceeded 23 in importance, those of the revolutionary 'information highway' of our own lifetimes"). And, notably, the contemporaneous observations of this Court demonstrate that while inventions are always new, invention itself decidedly is not. The electric telegraph marks an epoch in the progress of time. In a little more than a quarter of a century it has changed the habits of business, and become one of the necessities of commerce. It is indispensable as a means of inter-communication, but especially is it so in commercial transactions. Pensacola Tel. Co. v. W. Union Tel. Co., 96 U.S. 1, 9-10 (1877). Today, "the Internet" could be substituted for "electric telegraph" and the Court's observations hold true in the Twenty-First Century. Asked during this prior period of technological change to resolve the patent-eligibility of its pivotal inventions, this Court relied upon and refined the bedrock notion that principles are not patentable, but their useful applications may be. And it found that physical implementation--the use of disclosed physical means--defined the line separating principle from a practical application. In one of the most famous cases defining this distinction between an unpatentable "principle" and a patent-eligible process, the Court limited its approval of Samuel Morse's patent to the physical method he had developed for telegraphy, described in the fifth claim and elsewhere, and excluded the underlying principle (as described in the eighth claim)--which, by itself, was not useful. "[Morse] has [discovered] a method by which intelligible 24 marks or signs may be printed at a distance. And for the method or process thus discovered, he is entitled to a patent. But he has not discovered that the electro-magnetic current, used as motive power, in any other method, and with any other combination, will do as well." 56 U.S. at 117. A generation later, considering Alexander Graham Bell's telephone patent, the Court repeated this distinction between principle and useful process. "[E]lectricity, left to itself, will not do what is wanted. The art consists in so controlling the force as to make it accomplish the purpose." The Telephone Cases, 126 U.S. 1, 532 (1888). And it drew the line even more finely than in Morse, approving Bell's patent not for a method tied to a working apparatus (indeed, Bell's actual device did not yet work when he applied for the patent (id. at 535)), but on the physical manner of manipulating electricity to render it capable of transmitting voice. "[Bell] found out that, by changing the intensity of a continuous current so as to make it correspond exactly with the changes in the density of air caused by sonorous vibrations, vocal and other sounds could be transmitted and heard at a distance. This was the thing to be done, and Bell discovered the way of doing it." Id. at 538-39. "Bell's patent is not alone for the particular apparatus he describes, but for the process that apparatus was designed to bring into use." Id. at 540. The telling difference between the claims before the Court in these seminal cases was that Bell's eligible claimed process described the manipulation of a physical thing, an electrical current, which made it useful, while Morse's ineligible eighth claim stopped short of that essential inventive contribution. Bell's claim specifically described a method for using elec- 25 tric current for transmitting speech that operated on a physical thing, the electric current: "by causing electrical undulations, similar in form to the vibrations of the air accompanying the said vocal or other sounds." 126 U.S. at 531. This was a substantial step forward in the art, as the Court explained, an innovation that had not occurred to Bell's many competitors. Id. at 540-41. Morse's ineligible claim, by contrast, provided no such physical implementation, and merely described the abstract principle of using electrical current to write at a distance: "[T]he essence of my invention being the use of the motive power of the electric or galvanic current, which I call electro-magnetism, however developed for marking or printing intelligible characters, signs, or letters, at any distances." 56 U.S. at 112. Bell's claim consisted of an operative, physical process, while Morse's described only the objective of an unspecified process. Indeed, this theme runs throughout the Court's leading precedents. In Le Roy, the Court did not ultimately rule on the eligibility of the patent claim, but its language clearly indicated that it expected that a physically implemented process would satisfy Section 101. See 55 U.S. at 175-76. And the critical issue in the English case that so interested this Court in Le Roy (and for years thereafter) was that the inventor had designed a physical manner of injecting hot air into a furnace, and was not merely seeking to patent the principle that so doing would increase a furnace's power. Id. (discussing Househill Co. v. Neilson, 151 ER 1266 (1841)). Seven years later, when the lawsuit in Le Roy returned to the Court on a related question, the Court was even more express about the 26 role that physical embodiment could play in patent eligibility. However brilliant the discovery of the new principle may be, to make it useful it must be applied to some practical purpose. . . . "There can be no patent for a principle; but for a principle so far embodied and connected with corporeal substances as to be in a condition to act and to produce effects in any trade, mystery, or manual occupation, there may be a patent." Le Roy v. Tatham, 63 U.S. 132, 137 (1859) (quoting Alderson B. Webster's Patent Cases, 683) ("Le Roy II"). These cases teach that physical implementation of a principle in a useful manner addresses (and, in most if not all cases, resolves) the prohibition against patenting principles, which inheres in Section 101. The added complexity of the court of appeals' "machine-or-transformation" formulation does not improve on this Court's clearer understanding: a process that makes use of a disclosed physical thing, and produces a measurable result in the physical world, does something more than describe an unpatentable principle--it is an application of that principle. To be patent-eligible, therefore, a claimed method must involve one or more disclosed physical things--that is, it must describe a series of steps that use physical means to produce a result or effect in the physical world. Indeed, this standard (and not "machine-or-transformation") has been the law for more than a century. See Tilghman, 102 U.S. at 727 ("Whoever 27 discovers that a certain useful result will be produced, in any art [i.e., process], machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, by the use of certain means, is entitled to a patent for it") (emphasis added). As explained in a Nineteenth Century treatise, the patentee must describe "a practical application to some useful purpose . . . and his specification must show the application of the principle to such a special purpose, by its incorporation with matter in such a way as to be in a condition to produce a practical result." George Ticknor Curtis, A Treatise on the Law of Patents for Useful Inventions as Enacted and Administered in the United States of America § 242 (4th ed. 1873) (emphasis added). The author explains that "wherever a claim does in truth sever the use of a motive-power or other elemental agency from all conditions of its application in the arts, and presents it only as a causa causans of a result, it is void; because some practical means of producing the result is the necessary link between cause and ef- fect." Id. at § 160 (emphasis in original). Thus, while a disembodied principle is unpatentable, "a principle or function embodied in a particular organization of matter for a particular purpose . . . is patentable." Id. at § 242 (emphasis added). This standard should suffice for the next 100 years as well. This Court has consistently grounded its patent jurisprudence in historical context, properly declining invitations to abandon long-standing doctrines even in the face of technological change. Microsoft, 550 U.S. at 444 (relying on Brown v. Duchesne, 60 U.S. 183 (1857)); see also, e.g., Pfaff v. Wells Elecs., Inc., 525 U.S. 55, 62 (1998) (applying "the reasoning of The Telephone Cases to the facts of the case before us today," which involved the application of the on-sale bar in a case involving computer 28 chip socket design); Bonito Boats Inc. v. Thunder Craft Boats Inc., 489 U.S. 141, 149-152 (1989) (relying on Pennock v. Dialogue, 2 Pet. 1 (1829), and other early cases). Technological innovation has been transforming the Nation since the Founding, and continued advances today (and in the future) only confirm the relevance of this Court's historical case law. As this Court observed over 130 years ago, the powers granted by the Constitution "extend from the horse with its rider to the stage-coach, from the sailing- vessel to the steamboat, from the coach and the steamboat to the railroad, and from the railroad to the telegraph." Pensacola Tel., 96 U.S. at 9. The parallel chains of continuity that connect both technology and law across the eras of our history teach that the Court's observation can and should be updated: "and from the telegraph through the telephone, to the Internet, and beyond." To reiterate (and conclude), this Court has long recognized that a patent-eligible method must involve one or more disclosed physical things--that is, it must describe a series of steps that use physical means to produce a result or effect in the physical world. This test for patent-eligibility has withstood the test of time, and it is sufficiently flexible to accommodate technological advances. The inflexible machine-or-transformation test, in contrast, is not compelled by this Court's historical precedents. Indeed, the older cases cited by the government (see U.S. Br. 29-30) are far more consistent with the standard proposed by this brief than the government's alternative formulation. Computer-implemented process claims, in general, will meet the standard historically employed by 29 this Court, which should be retained and reaffirmed. In contrast, because the hedging method described in petitioners' application is not sufficiently "embodied and connected with corporeal substances" (Le Roy II, 63 U.S. at 137), it is not patent-eligible under Section 101. CONCLUSION The judgment of the court of appeals should be affirmed. Respectfully submitted. HORACIO E. GUTIERREZ
T. ANDREW CULBERT
MICROSOFT CORPORATION
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
& LICENSING
[address, phone] MARK A. PERRY
Counsel of Record
MATTHEW D. MCGILL
JASON B. STAVERS
GIBSON, DUNN &
CRUTCHER LLP
[address, phone] Counsel for Microsoft Corporation JACK E. HAKEN
KEVIN C. ECKER
LAURIE GATHMAN
TODD HOLMBO
PHILIPS INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY & STANDARDS
[address, phone] JOSEPH T. FITZGERALD
SYMANTEC CORPORATION
LEGAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
[address, phone] Counsel for Koninklijke
Philips Electronics N.V. October 2, 2009 Pursuant to this Court's Rule 37.6, amici state that no party's counsel authored this brief in whole or in part, and no person or entity, other than amici and their counsel, made a monetary contribution to the preparation or submission of this brief. Counsel of record for both petitioners and respondent have consented to the filing of amicus briefs in letters that have been lodged with the Clerk. "Physical" means anything discernible or measurable, including (for example) electromagnetic signals propagated through the air, electric current transmitted by wire, electrostatic or magnetic charges on appropriate media, or photonic impulses through a fiber optic cable. See John B. Anderson, Digital Transmission Engineering 1-5 (2 ed. 2005). The historical cases focus on achieving a particular outcome or result. See, e.g., Holland Furniture Co. v. Perkins Glue Co., 277 U.S. 245, 255 (1928) ("A patentable process is a method of treatment of certain materials to produce a particular result or product"); Waxham v. Smith, 294 U.S. 20, 22 (1935) ("By the use of materials in a particular manner he secured the performance of the function by a means which had never occurred in nature, and had not been anticipated by the prior art; this is a patentable method or process"). A useful result in the "real world" will necessarily involve a physical alteration or manipulation of matter, and (contrary to a suggestion made below, see Pet. App. 29a-30a) machines and processes that work with or communicate physically embodied information or data (such as clocks, compasses, thermometers, telephones, and so forth) have historically been considered patentable. That is entirely consistent with the historical standard, which revolves around whether the applicant has described a physical embodiment or implementation that is capable of producing a practical outcome or result. As an aid to comprehension, the reconfiguration is often conceptualized as the computer "running" the software or "executing" the software instructions. In reality, however, when stored as electrical charges, the ones and zeros of the binary code produce electrical currents that literally (but temporarily) reconfigure the electronic pathways running between transistors in the same way that human operators reconfigured the wiring of ENIAC by hand. In contrast, most of the briefs in this case focus on a bare handful of relatively recent opinions in which the Court considered patent-eligibility. Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175 (1981); Diamond v. Chakrabarty, 447 U.S. 303 (1980); Parker v. Flook, 437 U.S. 584 (1978); Gottschalk v. Benson, 409 U.S. 63 (1972). Since the Court already has been deluged with dozens of duplicative discussions of these decisions, we will not further address them, except to say that they did not overrule, nor do they require departure from, this Court's earlier precedents considering patent-eligibility. In addition to subject-matter eligibility, the Patent Act imposes an array of other limitations on putative patent claims, which can serve as effective checks on attempts to evade the requirements of Section 101 through abusive claim drafting. See Novartis Br. 11-13. Section 102, which requires novelty, and Section 103, which requires non-obviousness over the prior art, buttress Section 101's prerequisite that the claimed invention be "new and useful." Sections 111 through 115 place requirements on the application, ensuring that any claims that survive the earlier analysis are fairly drawn against the actual invention. In addition to ensuring the proper disclosure of the innovation, these requirements buttress the requirements of the earlier sections. They--and the claim-drafting directives of Section 112, in particular--provide additional means by which courts can test assertions made in the claims and specification about the aspects of the invention that establish its patent- eligibility, novelty and non-obviousness. See Morse, 56 U.S. at 117-18 (noting that the claimant in Le Roy "was entitled to a patent for the new process or method in the art of making lead pipe, which this discovery enabled him to invent and employ; and was bound to describe such process or method, fully, in his specification") (emphasis added). Three of the statutory categories of patent-eligible subject-matter (machines, manufactures, and compositions of matter) are not before the Court in this case. This is important, because many computer-related inventions are comprised of, or include, product (machine or system) claims--and a programmed computer is itself a patent-eligible machine if it meets the other requirements for patentability. In re Alappat, 33 F.3d 1526 (Fed. Cir. 1994) (en banc). This dynamic is neither novel nor computer-specific. See Leeds & Catlin Co. v. Victor Talking Mach. Co., 213 U.S. 301, 318 (1909) ("A process and an apparatus by which it is performed are distinct things. They may be found in one patent; they may be made the subject of different patents.").
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Last Sunday, two young women were beaten after receiving a tirade of homophobic abuse by two unidentified men.
The Irish Independent reports that the two women, Roisin Prendergast (20) and her girlfriend Ciara Murphy (17), were left bleeding and in shock after being subjected to horrific physical violence at the hands of two men in their 20s.
At approximately 2am, the young couple left their apartment to get food when the two men began “firing homophobic slurs” at them.
“We had literally left our apartment only minutes before when these two grown men started shouting abuse at us about being lesbians,” Prendergast said.
“Initially we shouted back as we are used to this kind of abuse – but then they walked back towards us and started shoving us roughly.”
The young women said they were “well-dressed, as if coming back from a night out”.
“Suddenly, the men pushed us to the ground. They were stepping on our chests, they kneed and kicked us,” Murphy said.
The men left after the attack, but one returned 10 minutes later, “which was the worst part” of the assault, according to Prendergast.
Murphy was left unconscious and Prendergast in shock, until two passersby came to their rescue, immediately contacting the authorities.
Though the Gardaí has been investigating, they said CCTV footage of the attack is too blurry for an identification.
Though there seems to be one positive in all of this, the support the two girls have received. “So far we have no information as to who the two men are. But we have been inundated with messages of support,” said Prendergast.
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Yesterday, we published our September/October issue cover story, "A Feeling of Control." To accompany this launch, Dr. David DeSteno, the writer of that story and a leading expert on the psychology of emotions, hosted an Ask Me Anything session where members of the social forum Reddit could ask questions about his work. DeSteno, who is also the editor-in-chief of the research journal Emotion, primarily studies the way emotions influence our actions. In his own words, "One of my primary goals is to figure out how to leverage emotion-based mechanisms of the mind to help individuals make better decisions and, hopefully along the way, to nudge the greater good."
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Thanks to the highly engaged and discerning posters on the science-themed sub-Reddit, who submitted more than 350 comments and questions, DeSteno was able to explain more of his research and the work he does as a psychologist and journal editor. Below are a few lessons we learned:
1. Emotions can help you delay gratification: In response to a Redditor asking how to practice long-term gratification, DeSteno wrote, "It's all about learning to cultivate moral, prosocial emotional responses that will nudge you, automatically, toward decisions that favor the long-term when needed."
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2. But, both emotions and rationality have a role to play: One Redditor who believes in stoicism said, "The stoics took the stance that emotion ought to be subordinated to reason." In response, DeSteno noted that relying solely upon reason or upon emotions can be shortsighted. "You see," he wrote, "battles of moral judgment are fought on both the rational/conscious and intuitive/emotional level. Neither side is always correct, but they use different info in their calculations. Some of the most terrible acts in human history have occurred because we were able to 'rationalize' our actions."
3. Social psychology is not the only field struggling with data manipulation and replication issues: DeSteno was asked about recent "scandals" in social psychology due to inaccurate and misleading studies. He noted that sites like Retraction Watch show that the problem is, unfortunately, consistent in other research fields. "There is an incredible pressure to publish, and in my opinion, too much toward publishing on 'sexy' topics that offer a counterintuitive finding but no true advance to knowledge," he wrote. "We're moving toward supplying open data for articles, replication initiatives, etc. Such daylight strategies will greatly help."
4. Individual experience of emotions can widely differ: One Redditor who claimed to be "more or less emotionless," reported having difficulty connecting with others. Does a lack of emotionality affect decision-making? DeSteno replied that variation is the norm when it comes to emotional experience. "For instance, some people can tell you they feel 'righteous anger tinged with a bit of dysphoria.' Others experiencing the same situation will tell you they feel 'bad.' ... What matters most is that you're comfortable in your own skin," he wrote. Lack of emotion, however, could deprive you of a source of information that could help you make better decisions.
5. Humans, by default, tend to trust others: But, it's a "weak default," DeSteno wrote. The reason? "The gains/losses tend to be asymmetric. If a partner was going to be untrustworthy and you decided to trust him/her, you'd lose out in that instance. But, if he/she were going to be trustworthy and you decided not to trust him/her, you're potentially losing a relationship that would have provided many, many benefits over time. So, the aggregated gains tend to outweigh the one-time loss."
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At the recent Conservative conference, the Tories resembled a party under siege. After unexpectedly losing their parliamentary majority, they were struggling to come to terms with the electoral enthusiasm for Jeremy Corbyn's Labour. "We thought there was a political consensus," Theresa May admitted. "Jeremy Corbyn has changed that."
Confronted by Labour's 13 million voters, and its enduring poll lead, the Tories offered scraps from the table: a freeze in tuition fees at £9,250, a higher student loan repayment threshold and 25,000 more council houses. But while chasing Corbyn's tail, the Tories simultaneously denounced him as a "Marxist" and a 1970s retrograde. They couldn't decide whether they wanted to mimic Corbyn or to destory him.
In the weeks since their funereal gathering, matters have not improved. Universal Credit has become a car crash (as was predictable and predicted), Corbyn has continued to set the terms of debate (having won consistently at PMQs) and the cabinet has remained openly divided.
Under pressure from Labour, the Tories have granted limited concessions: the exemption of social housing tenants from the housing benefit cap, and the scrapping of the 55p-a-minute Universal Credit phoneline. But their refusal to make a wider break with austerity has left them in a political no man's land. To Labour supporters, they appear simultaneously weak and cruel.
Sajid Javid, the Communities Secretary, has shown more ambition, proposing a £50bn housing investment fund (an echo of Labour's approach). Dramatically increasing housebuilding is crucial to the Tories' recovery: you can't sell capitalism to those with no capital. But the opposition of Chancellor Philip Hammond, a committed fiscal conservative, to Javid's proposal means it is unlikely to feature in next month's Budget.
Owing to their political weakness, and the all-encompassing task of Brexit, the Tories are struggling to regain momentum. They are identifying problems - falling living standards, unaffordable housing, dismal productivity - without offering adequate solutions. If the Tories are unable to renew themselves in office, the voters will conclude they no longer deserve it.
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President Obama is not exactly known for being consistent on issues. Some of his more egregious statements are pretty well known, such as his stated position in 2003 on nationalizing health care, for example:
“I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care plan. A single payer, health care plan, Universal health care plan, that is what I would like to see. But as you all know, we may not get there immediately…” Barack Obama, March, 2003
Other oft-quoted creepy quotes include his statement on a “civilian national security force,” (By the way, did you know that this quote was “off-script”? He actually deviated from his speech on that one):
“We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”
Trending: You’d never guess from all her crowing, but AOC didn’t come up with the Green New Deal
Or how about his whispered statement to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on his “flexibility after the election.”
But there are some that you may not remember.
Liberty Unyielding is here to remind you:
“I am a big believer in our constitutional structure. I mean, I’m a law professor at the University of Chicago teaching constitutional law. I am a great admirer of our founding charter, and its resolve to prevent theocracies from forming, and its resolve to prevent disruptive strains of fundamentalism from taking root in this country.” Barack Obama, March, 2004
“When we run our budget into red ink for things that we want instead of things that we need, we’re indicating that we’re not yet full-grown.” Barack Obama, June 2006
“But I don’t think we are going to be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately, there’s going to be potentially some transition process. I can envision a decade out, or 15 years out, or 20 years out.” – Barack Obama at SEIU Health Care Forum, March, 2007
“I was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president I actually respect the Constitution,” Obama told an audience at a campaign fundraiser. “I believe in an attorney general who is actually the people’s lawyer, not the president’s lawyer.” – Barack Obama on George Bush, 2007
“I don’t want Bush-Cheney lite…I want a fundamental change.” Barack Obama referring to Hillary Clinton, 2007
“We are at the same levels of violence now that we were back in June of 2006.” Barack Obama on Troop Surge in Iraq in 2007
“As a general principle, I believe that the Constitution confers an individual right to bear arms. But just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can’t constrain the exercise of that right, in the same way that we have a right to private property but local governments can establish zoning ordinances that determine how you can use it.” – Barack Obama, April 2008
“What I said was, I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness.” – Barack Obama, April 2008 (Reminds me of this)
“And you don’t increase spending, unless you’re eliminating some spending or you’re finding some new revenue. That’s how we got an additional $4 trillion worth of debt under George Bush. That is helping to undermine our economy. And it’s going to change when I’m president of the United States.” – Barack Obama, April 2008
“Are they living in a country where we are hated around the world because we don’t cooperate with other countries as effectively as we should? Are they living in a country where they are threatened by terrorism and a nuclear explosion could happen in a major American city? Are they living in a country in which because of a lack of sensible energy we are not only ransoming our future, but we’re also threatening the very livelihood of the planet?” Barack Obama on the futures of his daughters in America, 2008
“…no one’s more mindful than me of the fact that we can’t have a bill that simply blows up an additional entitlement that’s not paid for…Congress needs to know that when I say this has to be deficit neutral, I mean it.” Obama on Affordable Care Act, 2009
Watch this video for more….
Bonus!
Some statements made by Democrats about high gas prices under George W. Bush:
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Who fancies eating summer? If so: go for basil cucumber gazpacho. Summer personified (umm… persoupified?).
I’ve been trying to post summery recipes for a while now, but it’s a bit tricky to work in the abstract. Summer recipes aren’t exactly what pops into my head when it’s grey and rainy outside (it’s July, England! Get it together!). Luckily, the sun has been out a bit more often lately, which has made it much easier to get into the spirit of fresh summer vegetables, light salads and yes, even soup. Soup might not seem like the most summery of meals, but gazpacho is different – it’s served cold!
I’ll be honest, the thought of cold soup has never particularly tempted me – but then, I’d never had it before, so I really didn’t know what I was talking about. Turns out, it’s pretty great when the sun’s shining and you’re lazing around in your skimpiest shorts – it’s cooling like a cocktail, but you don’t get the headache afterwards.
In fact, this cucumber gazpacho really couldn’t be healthier. It just takes loads of fresh vegetables, and a dash of extra virgin olive oil. That’s it. And it only takes a minute or two to prepare – stick everything in your blender, whizz it up a bit, and you’re done. Bish bash bosh.
(now that I’ve moved back down south I’m trying to channel my inner cockney, can you tell? Do I sound like Mickey Flanagan yet?)
(side note: that’s my favourite comedy sketch ever and still makes me laugh like an absolute loon every time)
(further side note: there will be no more brackets in this post)
By the way, remember that the garlic in this recipe stays raw, so don’t go overboard! One small clove is enough. It’s just enough to add a slight tang to the fresh vegetables, while still letting the mild flavour of the cucumber come through.
Print Basil cucumber gazpacho Prep Time 5 mins Total Time 5 mins Recipe Type: Soup Servings : 2 -3 Author : Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche Ingredients 3 spring onions
1 clove small garlic peeled
1 green pepper cut into a few chunks
2 cucumbers cut into large chunks
5 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper Instructions Add all the ingredients to your blender (I recommend the Optimum 9400 !), and blend until smooth (just a minute or so). If desired, garnish with more fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil, and serve chilled.
For another fresh-tasting soup that’s packed with green veggies, try my creamy spring vegetable soup:
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Keith Klain kicked off STAREAST 2016 last week, and there was one line in his keynote that stuck with me throughout the entire conference: “If you can’t draw a straight line between your business objectives and your test approach, you’re doing it wrong.”
As I started to think of all of the little activities that make up part of my workday that do nothing to increase the happiness of Skytap’s customers or reaching our business objectives, Klain’s statement sent me into a bit of a panic.
I quickly tried to justify some of these non-contributive parts of my day as being simply the way it is, and therefore unavoidable. I even felt myself saying, “Well, nobody has complained, or asked you to do that faster.” But then I felt worse. Is that how we make decisions about the work we do? Wait until someone is unhappy with our work before we try deliver a product faster and/or of higher quality? Of course not.
(Related: SmartBear simplifies API testing)
It’s so easy to get stuck in the “But that’s the way we’ve always done it” mindset. But in software delivery, this way of thinking is the epitome of “You’re doing it wrong” and is a recipe for disaster.
I would argue that one of the most glaring examples of “doing it wrong” is investing in modernization initiatives, methodologies and tools, and then trying to validate and prove the value of those investments with metrics that are anything but modernized, and are downright archaic.
What are outdated metrics? As Klain put it, any numbers you can’t connect with a straight line to meeting (and ideally exceeding) your business objectives.
Annette Ash also spoke at STAREAST, echoing Klain’s point. Her quality metrics session showed how bug total-related metrics and bug bounty programs, while perhaps providing some value, have an undeniable history of causing rifts between testers and developers that do more harm than good. And as organizations continue to increase their investments in agile and DevOps—and the cultures they require for successful scaling—a rift between any department quickly becomes a bottleneck that grinds both speed and quality to a halt.
Quality metrics based solely on finding more bugs may appear to benefit testers and the management whom they report to, but if you can’t connect those findings to an increase in customers and/or an increase in the satisfaction of your existing customers, how valuable can they really be? “We found more bugs” has nothing to do with reducing the time it will take to eliminate them, achieving shorter release cycles, and the ability to meet business demands—all of which testing is more than capable of providing to their organizations.
“As an industry, we haven’t done a lot to increase our value prop,” said Klain. “Instead of learning the language of the business, we’ve created our own language full of jargon that nobody understands—not even ourselves.”
This is not a death sentence for software testers; in fact, it’s far from it. It’s simply time for testers to stop measuring—and for management to stop requesting—what doesn’t matter to the rest of the business and the customers you serve.
And this is being felt in other departments that have been just as siloed and time-boxed as testing has throughout the years. I recently wrote about how the training industry is going through this same transformation. This is another department that has been marginalized, and not because the work they provide isn’t valuable, but because the numbers they’ve held themselves accountable to have nothing to do with the success of the business they’re supporting.
So, why are “find more bugs,” and in training’s case “teach more classes,” still being used as key benchmarks for success? The easy answer (though not a good one) is that people are reluctant to change, and they always will be. I believe that the testing and training communities have a tremendous opportunity to change how they’re viewed and valued by embracing modernization initiatives designed to provide much more meaningful metrics and faster feedback.
While there is no silver bullet for which modernization effort(s) are best, those that focus on automating the steps in the SDLC that offer no benefit when performed manually are where organizations should look first. These are efforts around implementing Infrastructure-as-Code solutions, like automating the provisioning of dev/test environments, so that teams aren’t losing valuable testing time while waiting on IT. Other smart investments include increasing efforts around Continuous Integration, version control, and parallel testing so that testing can be performed far earlier in the SDLC and consistently throughout it.
There has been so much debate around automation, and conferences like STAREAST prove that many are still struggling with knowing exactly where automation makes sense (and understanding that automation does not replace good testers) in their organization.
Keith Klain has a long history as the global head of QA at a number of the world’s largest financial institutions, as well as years as a consultant to organizations of similar size. And in a somewhat frightening revelation during his keynote, he shared an observation that he’s honestly had to make too many times. He remarked that many companies “are really horrible at defining their objectives for why they’re testing,” and that “People are still not aligning their test approach with their business.”
My last session of the week was given by Lee Barnes, and was brilliantly titled, “Don’t Be Another Statistic! Develop a Long-Term Test Automation Strategy.” Barnes gave his three requirements for what a successful long-term test automation strategy must deliver, and noted that too many people incorrectly assume—you guessed it—that “finding more defects” is one of them. Barnes stated that your end goal for automation should be:
More test coverage Decrease test cycle time Increase resource value
These are the types of meaningful metrics that testing has the opportunity to be proud of, and to deliver to the rest of their organization. Increasing test coverage will often come from having more time for manual, exploratory testing. Decreasing test cycle time proves that testing is the last thing from a bottleneck. And increasing resource value can mean everything from an increase in efficiency and job satisfaction, to decreases in burnout or underutilized talent.
My hope, largely because of the respect I have for the testing community, is that testers themselves lead the charge of becoming better aligned with business objectives, and are then able to deliver modernized, meaningful metrics to the world around them.
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State-of-the-art facial recognition technology, which had been the stuff of hypothetical privacy nightmares for years, is becoming a startling reality. It is increasingly being deployed all around the United States by giant tech companies, shady advertisers and the FBI – with few if any rules to stop it.
In recent weeks, both Facebook and Google launched facial recognition to mine the photos on your phone, with both impressive and disturbing results. Facebook’s Moments app can recognize you even if you cover your face. Google Photos can identify grown adults from decades-old childhood pictures.
Some people might find it neat when it’s only restricted to photos on their phone. But advertisers, security companies and just plain creepy authority figures have also set up their own systems at music festivals, sporting events and even some churches to monitor attendees, which is bound to disturb even those who don’t give a second thought to issues like the NSA’s mass surveillance programs.
Making matters worse, advertisers have apparently indicated that they have no intention of restricting their technology whatsoever. Their refusal caused nine major civil liberties groups to pull out of talks with the advertisers that were aimed to come to an agreement on how companies could institute voluntary protections for the people whose faceprints will inevitably be vacuumed up into their databases. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Jennifer Lynch wrote, “After 16 months of active engagement in the process, we decided this week it was no longer an effective use of our resources to continue in a process where companies wouldn’t even agree to the most modest measures to protect privacy.”
(While Facebook and Google rolled out their new facial recognition technology in the US, they haven’t attempted it in Europe, where privacy regulators already warned them they needed to let users opt-in before even experimenting with EU citizens’ photos. No such warnings were given in the US.)
Countless advertisers will undoubtedly use these sophisticated snooping capabilities to rake in dollars in stores, at events and on public streets. But the bigger, more troubling question is how our own government, as well as law enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world, will mine this data or create their own facial recognition databases to increase their already powerful surveillance apparatus.
We know they’ve already started. Last year, the FBI’s massive “next generation” facial recognition database went “fully operational.” But we’ve heard little about how it works and how it’s being used since; the FBI has, as is its modus operandi, attempted to keep it secret from the public. (A judge ruled last year in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that there was a “significant public interest” in the FBI becoming more forthcoming about its plans.)
The little public comment they have made has not exactly inspired confidence. As the National Journal reported, FBI Director James Comey “told Congress that the database would not collect or store photos of ordinary citizens, and instead is designed to ‘find bad guys by matching pictures to mug shots.’” He didn’t adequately explain why documents obtained by EFF showed that the FBI was populating its database with millions of completely innocent people’s photos.
When local law enforcement get their hands on the technology, it could have a devastating impact on low-income and minority communities when combined with technology that was supposed to make cops more accountable. Police body cameras could conceivably be combined with facial recognition technology to map the movements of whole towns of people just by having officers walk the streets.
Given how some municipalities are already preying on people in poverty by issuing untold number of warrants for arrests involving unpaid parking ticket fines and other minor crimes, this could only aid them in the rampant overcriminalization problem in this country. For example, in Ferguson – a town of 21,000 – there are 16,000 outstanding warrants for arrest. Now imagine all of the police officers who are going to be wearing body cameras that can identify every person they pass.
This may sound like a far-off science fiction, but at least one police force in Canada is already trying to implement facial recognition into their body cameras. So it begins.
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So you just got engaged. You've called your family and friends, made the announcement on Facebook and generally basked in the glow for a while. But the reality of planning the event is starting to sink in. The list of decisions can seem endless. We're here to help. With the aid of a few planning professionals, we've mapped out a timeline to keep you on target and completely prepared for the big day.
Immediately after the engagement Some couples may prefer a long engagement, others will want to get married right away. But no matter the length of the engagement, wedding planner Tara Jordan says the first steps are pretty much the same. Determine the approximate budget Setting a budget from the start will help narrow your choices and spare you the disappointment of falling in love with a venue or dress that is too expensive. Estimate the number of guests. "This is going to make a difference with your venue," Jordan says. "Some venues can hold 150 and can't hold 200. It will narrow down your choices so you're not wasting time."Planner Lynn Iannizzi of The Finer Points in Washington recommends that couples put together their invite list before letting family members weigh in. This will help couples be certain of their priorities and avoid being pressured to invite more people. checking with parents about family members and family friends. Subtract 20 percent from the final tally to get an accurate total, accounting for people who will not be able to come due to travel expenses or prior commitments.
14 to 12 months out Jeff Sampson Photography Choose a venue Finding a venue should be a first priority - it will also solidify a date and determine whether caterers and florists are available on site. Popular sites can fill up a year or more in advance. Areas that are attractive as destination weddings are often more competitive, warns Jordan, who frequently plans events at the Biltmore, a luxury estate in Asheville, N.C., that is a popular regional destination. and other resort destinations in Asheville, N.C. Nail down the date If you're set on a certain venue, its availability will be the primary factor in scheduling. But if you're exploring a variety of options, other considerations come into play. In the D.C. area, fall and spring months are most popular, Iannizi says. Holiday weekends, including three-day weekends like Columbus Day or Labor Day, can be especially busy. Iannizzi suggests checking local event calendars, as marathons and festivals can make hotel rooms and venues more difficult to find.
12 to 9 months out Select your vendors Consider which elements might require hiring a professional: photographers, videographers, bands and deejays.Vendors who generally handle one wedding per day, should be booked a year in advance. Since these vendors will be present through the majority of the ceremony and reception, their schedules fill up fast. Iannizzi and Jordan both stress the importance of finding a good photographer and hiring them early, since individual styles of photography can vary greatly. "There might be only a few photographers that have your style or fit your needs, so you want to get those booked quickly," Jordan says. Begin the dress search Jordan likes to encourage her brides to start shopping early, not only because it is "its fun to do," ordering gowns and scheduling fittings can take a long time. Fittings should be set up as soon as a dress comes in."Take friends and family member and go and try on a variety of dresses. You don't want to be rushed in that process, you may have to go to several stores," Jordan says. "If you start early you won't have to feel stressed."
8 to 6 months out Falling petal cake by Maggie Austin LaBaugh Book an officiant Decide who will conduct your ceremony: A religious leader, a friend of family member, a justice of the peace? Be certain the person you select is legally certified. Book a venue for the rehearsal Line up the second round of vendors This includes caterers, florists, cake-makers,make-up artists and hair stylists. Cake makers are generally the easiest to find, because they can often make cakes for several weddings on the same day. Make-up artists who specialize in wedding styles can be more challenging to find, Iannizzi says, especially those who do airbrushing. Send save-the-dates Invitations will not need to go out for another several weeks, but save-the-date notices should be sent out during this time period so that guests can make travel arrangements and plan vacation time around the event, if necessary.."A lot of people when they are coming to the D.C. area from out of town, they make it a whole weekend and go sight seeing and make it a whole vacation," Iannizzi says. Select and order bridesmaid dresses Allow about eight months, as shipping and tailoring can often take several weeks.
6 to 4 months out Jeff Sampson Photography Set the menu A final tasting should be arranged with caterers around the fourth or fifth month. Setting a menu will help cement logistics for the rest of the day, Iannizzi says. Consider the details It is important to think of the structure of the events, from what time the bridal party should arrive, to the readings at the ceremony and what types of photos should be taken. "Some times people don't think of those little things, but it is really important to do that," Iannizzi says. Rent or order tuxes Tuxes or suits for the groom and groomsmen should be rented or ordered about four months in advance Start planning the honeymoon If you want to go out of the country, make sure you have a passport and it is up to date.
3 to 2 months out Decide on printed materials Jordan calls this the "paper stuff" stage. Think about what you want your programs, menus, place cards and guestbook to look like, and whether you will order them or print them yourself. Also, make sure you have arranged for program attendants in the ceremony if you are having them, final meetings with your vendors, gifts for the wedding party if you want, toasting flutes, cake knives, favors, photos for displays, sendoff sparklers or rice and any other small detail you want. Jordan urges her brides not to leave a lot of details for the last month. Obtain a marriage license Schedule a dress fitting Be sure this one is done while wearing proper shoes. Buy the wedding rings.
2 to 3 weeks out Take care of personal grooming The last weeks before the wedding should be the primping stage. Men should get their hair cut two weeks before. Women should cut and color two weeks before as well - not the week before. This goes for tanning, eyebrow waxing and facials, too. You can never be sure how your body will react to these procedures, Iannizzi says, and the last thing you want is red blotches from a bad waxing. Asking someone to be the point person for vendors is also a good idea if you do not have a wedding planner. This person can handle questions from vendors, and hold on to checks and tips for each.
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Show us your rig Each week on Show Us Your Rig, we feature the PC game industry's best and brightest as they show us the systems they use to work and play.
Squad's Felipe Falanghe is the creator and lead developer of Kerbal Space Program , and his work space feels a lot like a command module in a rocket soaring to Mun. When he's not busy developing one of PC gaming's most delightful simulators, he's using a gigantic array of peripherals to play games. Felipe was kind enough to take a few moments away from firing Kerbals into space to tell us about his setup.
What's in your PC?
On the inside, my current PC specs consist of an Intel Core i7 3820 CPU, 32 GB DDR3 RAM, a GeForce GTX 690 GPU, a Samsung 840Pro 512GB SSD, a 2TB 7200 rpm HD, a 1kW PSU, all aboard a CM Storm Trooper Case.
What's the most interesting part of your setup?
I have to say, I love my peripherals. I have a thing for human interface devices, and I've been collecting them since I had my first PC. As for a favorite, I really had to think about that for a while—but if I had to pick one thing, that would have to be my Matrox TripleHead2Go and the 3 screens.
What's on your desk?
On the "main deck," we have a Logitech X550 5.1 Surround System, Another 1TB Toshiba external drive, a G19s Keyboard, 3DConnexion's SpaceMouse and SpaceNavigator, RAT 7 Mouse, F350 Gamepad, the Saitek X52 Pro, a 4-port USB Hub, TrackIR 5, MS VX1000 webcam, and the monitors, 2 LG 1920h LCDs (left and right), and an LH E1910 at the center. The three used to be the same model, but one of them sadly burned out a while back. On the "lower deck," I have a Logitech G13 and a Razer Nostromo, plus my trusty Wacom Intuos 3 Tablet. Under the desk, sit the ProFlight Rudder Pedals and the pedal set for the Driving Force GT Wheel. The wheel itself takes the desktop front and center when it's time to drive, and the right rudder pedal doubles as a clutch pedal. For flying, the Saitek X52 Pro takes center stage.
What are you playing right now?
I really haven't had much time to play much at all in these last few months… I did manage to get a few hours in on Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag these last couple of days, and before that, I was playing Just Cause 2 , Skyrim —some indies as well, like Papers, Please and The Stanley Parable . And DayZ , lots of DayZ.
What's your favorite game and why?
Now that is a properly hard question… I'm very picky about games, because I usually dedicate a lot of time on a single title, so I definitely have a few favorites of recent times, DayZ being one, but I've always been a big fan of all of Bohemia's Arma series all the way back to the original Operation Flashpoint.
An all time favorite though, that's very hard to pick… I do have a few which have stuck with me since I was little, some of which I still get around to playing every now and then, on emulators or VMs. I think Fragile Allegiance, from 1995, has to be my favorite strategy game. I was playing it again just a few weeks ago on my laptop, running DOSBox. For RTS, I would say Total Annihilation. For flight sims, Microsoft's Flight Simulator series, definitely. I've had all of them since MSFS 4.1, which came on a single 3.5” floppy, all the way through FSX. I couldn't leave out Orbiter either. I've been an Orbiter fan ever since I first played it back in the early 2000's.
I have a few console favorites too, although you can probably tell from those pictures I'm not a console gamer most of the time. My favorites are from the N64 era. Of all those, I would put GoldenEye 007 at the very top. I actually never owned it, I used to rent it at Blockbuster pretty much every weekend, and I got so many hours into it, I have some of the levels forever burned into my brain, to the point I could map it out by memory . And of course, I couldn't not mention SimCity 2000, 3000 and 4, and The Sims as well.
I know this is hardly a definitive answer, but these games were the worlds I would live in when I was a kid, then through my teenage years and college days, so they've all influenced me as a game designer now, and I still refer to them as my role models for fun and immersive games.
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Republicans are seeking to put a limit on congressional investigations of Russian interference in the presidential election.
In both chambers, leaders have given ownership of the issue to the intelligence committees, which are among the most secretive on Capitol Hill.
In doing so, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse to push back at Trump on border Democrats block abortion bill in Senate Overnight Energy: Climate protesters storm McConnell’s office | Center-right group says Green New Deal could cost trillion | Dire warnings from new climate studies MORE (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanBrexit and exit: A transatlantic comparison Five takeaways from McCabe’s allegations against Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Sanders set to shake up 2020 race MORE (R-Wis.) have united behind the need for Congress to investigate Moscow’s alleged attempt to interfere with the election — but rebuffed calls from Democrats for far broader probes.
McConnell on Monday morning also rejected calls from Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain John Sidney McCainGOP lobbyists worry Trump lags in K Street fundraising Mark Kelly kicks off Senate bid: ‘A mission to lift up hardworking Arizonans’ Gabbard hits back at Meghan McCain after fight over Assad MORE (R-Ariz.) for a select Senate committee, although he expressed support for a separate review of cyber threats from within the Armed Services panel.
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In the House, Republicans downplayed the need for any additional inquiries aside from existing investigative work already underway in the House Intelligence Committee.
Ryan in a Monday statement characterized the committee’s work on cyber threats posed by foreign governments as ongoing and “diligent.”
But his statement also hinted at the political sensitivity of any probe that might call into question the legitimacy of President-elect Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE’s surprise victory.
Ryan warned against politicizing the issue, arguing that “we should not cast doubt on the clear and decisive outcome of this election.”
He seemed to echo Trump and his transition team, who have characterized reports of Russian hacking as an “excuse” for 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’s loss.
Trump spokesman Jason Miller on Monday argued those pushing for an investigation were seeking to delegitimize Trump’s victory.
By far the most outspoken Republicans on the issue have been McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamHouse to push back at Trump on border Trump pressures GOP senators ahead of emergency declaration vote: 'Be strong and smart' This week: Congress, Trump set for showdown on emergency declaration MORE (R-S.C.) — both harsh critics of Trump during his campaign.
Both senators were pushing for inquiries into Russia’s behavior last week, before press reports emerged Friday that the CIA had briefed lawmakers that it believed the Russian hackers who infiltrated the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and other Democratic political organizations did so to defeat Clinton and elect Trump.
Democrats are pursuing the issue, though they are careful to insist they are not disputing the election’s results.
Incoming Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerBrennan fires back at 'selfish' Trump over Harry Reid criticism Trump rips Harry Reid for 'failed career' after ex-Dem leader slams him in interview Harry Reid: 'I don't see anything' Trump is doing right MORE (D-N.Y.) on Sunday banded together with McCain to issue calls for an investigation and sought to contrast his motivations with recent GOP-led congressional probes.
“We don't wanna point a finger. And I don't want this to turn into a Benghazi investigation, which seemed, at least to many people, highly political,” Schumer said Monday morning.
Retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid Harry Mason ReidBottom Line Brennan fires back at 'selfish' Trump over Harry Reid criticism Trump rips Harry Reid for 'failed career' after ex-Dem leader slams him in interview MORE (D-Nev.), however, threw gasoline on the partisan fire on Saturday, suggesting the FBI under Director James Comey withheld information on its findings about Russia.
“The FBI had this material for a long time, but Comey, who is of course a Republican, refused to divulge specific information about Russia and the presidential election,” Reid told MSNBC’s "AM Joy."
The Washington Post reported Friday that the CIA held a closed-door session with key members of Congress last week in which agency officials told senators that it was now “quite clear” that Russia’s goal was to elect Trump.
That assessment goes beyond an official statement made by intelligence leaders in October, blaming Russia for the intrusions but declining to ascribe a motive. It also contradicts FBI briefings to Congress, which reportedly have been more circumspect.
The Obama administration is conducting its own review of the 2016 election, which it says will not examine whether Russia explicitly intended to help Trump win the election.
It is unclear if either Intelligence Committee probe will go further than tracing Russia’s steps to examine the motivations of the Kremlin.
House Republicans gave conflicting signals about how aggressive they will be.
Ryan’s original statement condemned foreign interference in the U.S. election but did not mention a specific Intelligence Committee probe.
Pressed on whether that meant he supported an investigation, spokesman Brendan Buck replied, “yes, goodness, but also that this work has already been taking place. Folks should stop acting like HPSCI has ignored this.”
Shortly thereafter, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence panel, issued his own statement saying that the committee will “remain a vigilant monitor” of the intelligence community's investigation into the cyberattacks, as well as “closely oversee the production of the report requested by President Obama to ensure its analytical integrity.”
“At this time I do not see any benefit in opening further investigations, which would duplicate current committee oversight efforts and Intelligence Community inquiries,” he said.
Nunes is a member of Trump’s transition team.
Democrats are pushing for more aggressive action.
House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffTech takes heat as anti-vaxers go viral Demands grow for a public Mueller report Bharara: It would seem 'odd and unusual' if Mueller report isn't made public MORE (D-Calif.), who has long called for a stronger response to the hacks, on Monday called for a joint investigation between the Senate and House intelligence committees, along with public hearings “similar to what was done after 9/11, to determine the length and breadth of Russian interference in our elections.”
Democrats in both chambers have pushed the idea of an independent commission to investigate the alleged Russian cyberattacks.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel FeinsteinHillicon Valley: Senators urge Trump to bar Huawei products from electric grid | Ex-security officials condemn Trump emergency declaration | New malicious cyber tool found | Facebook faces questions on treatment of moderators Ocasio-Cortez adviser says Sunrise confrontation with 'old-timer' Feinstein 'sad' Key senators say administration should ban Huawei tech in US electric grid MORE (D-Calif.), Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph LeahySenate plots to avoid fall shutdown brawl Booker wins 2020 endorsement of every New Jersey Democrat in Congress The Hill's Morning Report - Can Bernie recapture 2016 magic? MORE (D-Vt.) and Ben Cardin Benjamin (Ben) Louis CardinThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump looks for boost from Korea summit The Hill's Morning Report - A pivotal week for Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Anticipation builds for Mueller report MORE (D-Md.) proposed a bipartisan outside commission to identify the culprits and recommend a response.
Last week, House Oversight Committee ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) alongside Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.), the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee’s CIA subcommittee, announced legislation to create an independent 12-member commission modeled after the 9/11 Commission.
With the president-elect shoving back on any suggestion of Russian interference in the election, Democrats could see an outside commission as more likely than a Republican-led committee to conclude that Russia was trying to help Trump.
Against the backdrop of growing calls for action is Trump’s ongoing feud with U.S. intelligence, setting the stage for a possible showdown with lawmakers determined to unravel Russia’s impact on the election.
In a statement following Friday’s Washington Post report, his transition team brushed off the conclusions of the CIA, noting, “These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.”
“Can you imagine if the election results were the opposite and WE tried to play the Russia/CIA card. It would be called conspiracy theory!” Trump tweeted Monday morning.
Top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway on Monday argued that the calls for inquiry were political theater based on scanty evidence.
“What [Trump] believes is that we should have evidence, not these off-the-record, unsourced quotes and leaks from a House Intelligence Committee,” she said on "CBS This Morning."
But she said that the president-elect would not interfere with any congressional attempts to investigate the hacks.
“If people wanna have congressional investigations they should do that. But we can't really get ahead of ourselves making that conclusion [that Russia was involved],” she said.
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Andrew Stevens, a twelve-year-old boy with severe epilepsy, was looking forward to starting 6th grade with his service dog Alaya, until the Fairfax County school district informed Andrew’s parents that the dog would not be allowed to attend school with Andrew.
The reason, as reported by The Washington Post, is three-fold. First, the school believes that their staff can do anything that Alaya can do. Second, the school asserts that according to state guidelines, the dog must have a handler, and that Andrew–who functions cognitively at a kindergarten level–does not fit the criteria. Finally, Alaya was trained by Seizure Alert Dogs For Life, a for-profit organization and not Assistance Dogs International, the nonprofit that the state of Virginia recognizes.
Why is Alaya necessary?
Andrew Stevens has a severe form of epilepsy known as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome that is not controllable with medication. Alaya is able to detect some of Andrew’s seizures before they happen and comfort him. Others she responds to within 5 seconds, swiping a magnet in her collar over an implant in Andrew’s chest that sends an electrical impulse to his brain to shorten the seizures. A teacher can take as long as 30-45 seconds to respond from the front of the classroom.
Alaya can also help cushion the fall if Andrew has a seizure while standing or walking. In addition to Alaya, Andrew wears a helmet constantly to lessen the risk of hitting his head. If a seizure lasts too long, Alaya will bite down on a cell phone on Andrew’s belt, which will alert 911. It’s clear that the dog brings Andrew a great deal of comfort. He told Matt Lauer “I love Alaya forever.“
Until Andrew’s family can reach a deal with the school district, Andrew is being homeschooled. His mother says that because of the severity of his epilepsy, doctors have told them that Andrew may not live past his teen years. The Stevens family has not given up. They have contacted school officials and are planning to use the Americans With Disabilities Act to defend their son’s right to have Alaya in school with him.
Past Lawsuits
In 2008, a St. Paul family sued their school district for denying their son’s autism service dog to attend school with the child.
In 2009, the family of Kaleb Drew sued their Chicago school district and won. Six-year-old Kaleb was able to start school that year with Chewey, his autism service dog. One of Chewey’s many functions is to stop Kaleb from running into traffic at pickup time, something that his parents say he is prone to do.
In November of 2010, a Florida family sued for the right to bring their son’s service dog to school. The little boy, six-year-old JC Bowen, has both autism and epilepsy and was prone to running in fear after he came out of a seizure. J.C.’s dog can also help him with his spatial issues and will stop him from crashing into things.
UPDATE:
As of Tuesday, Andrew began a two-week trial with Alaya at his Elementary School, reports The Washington Post. Apparently the agreement was reached after Andrew’s father, Army Sgt. Angelo Stevens, agreed to acompany Andrew as Alaya’s handler. Sgt. Stevens has taken two weeks off from his Army job to act as Alaya’s handler. Sgt. Stevens feels confident that the two week trial will show administrators that Alaya is impeccably trained and that Andrew is capable of handling the dog. As Sgt. Stevens told The Washington Post, “The main process here is to show that Andrew can handle the dog. Andrew will pass with flying colors.”
It is wonderful that Andrew will be able to attend school with both Alaya and his father by his side, but it begs the question, should someone who works in Army Intelligence have to take time off so that his child can have a service dog and attend school safely?
Related Stories:
Drop Your Disabled Kids at a Shelter, Indiana Parents Are Told
Norm’s Story–From Rescue to Service Dog
Justice for Gooch: Service Dog Killed by Groomer
Photo thanks to Pete Markham via flickr
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In an alternate reality somewhere — an Upside Down, if you will — there is a version of Stranger Things that exclusively stars hamsters.
Hamster Wynona Ryder paces frantically through her tiny living room wondering about the whereabouts of her hamster son, Will. Meanwhile, at a tiny McMansion across town, a Hamster Barb seated poolside contemplates her friendship with Hamster Nancy.
SEE ALSO: 100 years of hamster beauty in 60 fascinating seconds
And in the woods outside of Hawkins, Indiana, Hamster Eleven gnaws on little Eggo waffles and plots her next move.
A special thanks to the Westchester Rescued Hamster Haven
Image: netflix Image: mashable
Image: netflix Image: mashable
Image: NETFLIX Image: mashable
Image: NETFLIX Image: mashable
Image: netflix Image: mashable
Image: NETFLIX Image: mashable
Image: NETFLIX Image: mashable
Image: NETFLIX Image: mashable
Video by Keith Hopkin and Laura Vitto
Music by Mark Lewis
VFX by Loris Ravera
Illustration by Bob Al-Greene
BONUS: 'Harry Potter' made more magical by hamsters
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Photo by Joe Crimmings.
[digg-reddit-me]“We are the Democratic party.”
I really hate to use profanity like this on the blog – but I think it is called for under the circumstances. The New York Times is reporting that:
…influential fund-raisers for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton have stepped up their behind-the-scenes pressure on national party leaders to resolve the matter, with some even threatening to withhold their donations to the Democratic National Committee unless it seats the delegates from the two states or holds new primaries there.
According to the Times article, Ms. Clinton’s donors have donated just under $300,000 to the Democratic National Committee – and they are threatening to stop supporting the Democratic party if the DNC doesn’t cave in to their demands. I have some hope that Howard Dean will not give in to Ms. Clinton’s bullying. But he undeniably is being pressured, bullied, strong-armed. And big donors today have an outsize influence in the DNC.
So far, the DNC has been lagging behind the Republican National Committee in fundraising. This is exceptional considering the money advantage both Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama have had over any of the Republican presidential candidates. I support the DNC – and no matter who the Democratic presidential candidate is, and no matter who wins in November, I want a strong Democratic party.
But today, I am donating to show that Ms. Clinton’s backers do not own the Democratic party. I may not be able to donate $63,500 like Paul Cejas – and I won’t try to hold the Democratic party hostage to my personal views. But I am donating $50.00 right now to make a point. I hope you can show your support as well.
Mr. Dean has not taken sides in the current primary battle – but is trying to enforce the rules that Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama explicitly and publicly agreed to last year. Ms. Clinton’s backers are now trying to bully the DNC to break the rules and hand Ms. Clinton the nomination against the will of those people who have voted so far.
This is outrageous. We are the Democratic party. Let’s show Hillary’s big money pals whose party this is.
(If you just want to donate to the DNC without showing support for Mr. Obama’s candidacy, try here. Otherwise, to show support, donate here to “We are the Democratic party.”)
(I am not a big fan of Ms. Clinton – but I don’t hate her. This post is not about Ms. Clinton herself – but about my outrage at the tactics of her supporters. Shame on them.
And Ms. Clinton – if you don’t condemn these anti-democratic and anti-Democratic tactics, shame on you.)
Updated: Let me be clear – I support Barack Obama in the primary – and have since before he won more states, more delegates, and more votes than Ms. Clinton. But if Ms. Clinton were in the position Mr. Obama was in – I would not want Mr. Obama to win by extortion.
2nd Update:
The Drudge Report is highlighting the news – which means that it will likely dominate the news cycle tomorrow. Obviously, most commentators will say that the tactics of the Clinton campaign are wrong. But nothing would prove them wrong more than a donation to the DNC – allowing the Democratic party to ignore the powerful individuals who are trying to hijack the party.
3rd update: NJ Mom over at dKos interprets the story in much the same way:
I’ve been concerned for a while that the Obama/Clinton contest is becoming a surrogate battle between the Dean and McAuliffe wings of the DNC. It is a battle between those that believe in the “important states” vs. “the other 40”, between DLCers and DFAers, between an addiction to corporate/special interest money and those that believe that small donors in vast numbers are democracy at its most powerful. What I read in the NYT today, makes me concerned that McAuliffe and those that he represents are trying to ambush Dean using Clinton donors. The NetRoots helped Dean get where he is today. With the DNC coffers very low right now, he is under attack. He needs us.
N.B. This post was written in the midst of an obviously contentious election campaign – one in which I had strongly considered supporting Senator Clinton but after careful evaluation, had come to the conclusion that Barack Obama was the only candidate suited to our current challenges. While I stand by the content of the post, in retrospect, the tone is a bit overheated.
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If you’re like me and spend a lot of time evaluating new technologies with the goal of “doing more faster” with your engineering organization, then you’re certainly aware of the many choices of DevOps tools like Puppet, Chef, Ansible, Salt, etc. In my opinion each of these tools is amazing at one piece of the DevOps puzzle – configuration management, and some are OK at other DevOps tasks. Each of the tools has a slightly different approach to configuration management but after comparing them I find that you’re usually picking a tool based on stylistic reasons like the DSL, existing recipes/playbooks, or existing familiarity. While I have my opinion on which of the above tools is “the best”, each tool only solves the configuration management piece of the puzzle.
If DevOps is truly a culture change and not just the codification of operational tasks then we need tools that help foster that culture and I think Docker goes a long way towards doing that.
Coming from the perspective of a developer looking at development tools, I see the above tools as APIs for DevOps, where Docker is more of a framework for DevOps. This is because Docker is both a runtime environment and a configuration management tool in one. Best of all Docker eliminates many common tasks in your development cycle and creates a tighter feedback loop between your development and operational tasks. I believe creating fast effective feedback loops between development and operations is critical weather development and operations are entire departments or simply tasks in within your organization.
In my experience developing software as a service platforms, one of the most problematic parts of the process is the management of the environments, how many times have you heard “works for me” or “works on our test servers”? Generally issues like this arise from subtle dependency changes between the environments introduced by both developers, QA and operations throughout the deployment lifecycle. To fix this problem I’ve seen, and attempted, several approaches. For example I’ve tried having a base VM and using Vagrant with Puppet or Chef to create local environments that were the same as test and production environments. This seems to work at first but it proved to be cumbersome to manage the differences between development and test environments as time went on. I found that this mostly because the DevOps (configuration management) tools are geared towards maintaining a perfect operational state based on strict server roles defined in the tool. While this approach was better than manual management of development and test environments it was still quite easy to have the configurations between environments drift apart over time and end up with the same issues mentioned above.
So how does Docker help and what makes it better?
Uses a layered approach to dependency management, making the configuration of environments easier to maintain.
Provides various runtime options allowing the same image to be run in multiple ways without extra configuration.
Can use any or no DevOps tools to build up your Docker images reducing the learning curve across engineering.
Lightweight runtime makes running multiple Docker images on a single machine more feasible than with VMs.
Decoupled network and storage layers allows a single Docker image to be run on a single system or multiple systems easily.
These features allow developers to run complex multi-service architectures on their laptops and with the same runtime images operations can support any number of load or availability scenarios with as many or as few systems as necessary. This combination of predictable dependency management and runtime flexibility is like having all the ease of a Heroku environment with the flexibility of AWS or Softlayer.
Docker has many other impressive features, and few shortcomings, but in my opinion it’s a great framework to build your DevOps culture around as it makes maintaining a predictable production environment and a flexible development environment easy with one tool. Over my next few posts I’ll cover more specific examples of using Docker in development, test, and production environments. In the mean time visit the links below to read more about Docker and it’s growing ecosystem.
Docker, Deis, Shipyard
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Peter Cheney reviews the premiership of Terence O’Neill, a moderate leader overshadowed by the hostility of the early Troubles.
“What kind of Ulster do you want?” was the compelling question asked in Prime Minister Terence O’Neill’s crossroads speech as 1968 drew to a close.
The choice, he said, was between a “happy and respected” province in “good standing” with the rest of the UK or “a place continually torn apart by riots and demonstrations and regarded … as a political outcast.”
O’Neill pointed out to unionists that support from Britain could not be taken for granted. He also appealed to civil rights campaigners to come off the streets and allow “an atmosphere favourable to change” to develop.
His aim was that “in every aspect of our life, justice must not only be done but be seen to be done to all sections of the community.” Yet, within a few short months, O’Neill was out of office and the province was approaching the “brink of chaos” which he had predicted.
Terence O’Neill was born in London in September 1914. His family was aristocratic and Anglo-Irish. His father died in the Battle of the Marne shortly after his birth.
Publicly schooled, he travelled extensively in his younger years and served as an Irish Guards captain. A moderate by upbringing, O’Neill always remembered the kindness of a Dutch Catholic family who cared for him when he was injured at the Battle of Arnhem. He was also very aware of the cost of conflict by that time: his older brother, Brian, and his best man, David Peel, both died in battle.
He moved with his family to Ahoghill and was elected (unopposed) for Bannside in 1946. He was briefly Minister for Home Affairs in 1956 and then promoted to Minister of Finance later that year.
O’Neill was chosen to succeed Basil Brooke as Prime Minister in March 1963 and deliberately styled himself as an economic moderniser.
The M1, the University of Ulster, the drive for inward investment and modernist architecture in Belfast were all signs of progress although nationalists protested that the west was neglected and discrimination continued. Nationalist hopes were raised by O’Neill’s unprecedented meetings with Taoisigh Seán Lemass and Jack Lynch and visits to Catholic schools.
As the civil rights movement grew in momentum, divisions within the UUP sharpened. O’Neill and his supporters struggled to win support for ‘one man one vote’ in local government elections. He resigned as Prime Minister in April 1969.
“In many ways, he was much more presentable outside Northern Ireland than in it,” Ken Bloomfield recalls.
O’Neill had “relatively little contact” with the province until after the war.
Bloomfield was his private secretary in the finance ministry and speech-writer as Prime Minister.
“It’s fascinating that, even though he was the least bigoted of men, almost automatically he joins the Orange Order,” Bloomfield recalls. He was the only person who ever took Bloomfield to an Orange event: the County Antrim Twelfth at Ahoghill.
The Orange membership was probably for electoral reasons. O’Neill, he suspects, would have preferred a Westminster seat but ran for Bannside as this was unavailable.
“Very much, in those days, the ex-Irish Guardsman,” he says of his first impressions. “The toothbrush moustache and he’d very much an Etonian accent. It’s funny, you know, people rely very much on impressions and he couldn’t help sounding to the average Ulsterman as rather posh and rather snobbish.”
In Bloomfield’s view, this was “a misreading” of the man with whom he worked daily: “He was actually the least snobbish of men but he spoke the way he spoke and I’ve often said, only half seriously, that if he’d been to Ballymena Academy rather than Eton, he might have had a very, very successful political career.” The accent was combined with a certain shyness: “At some gathering, he would throw his head up like a startled horse and you just knew that he wanted to get away.”
Bloomfield contends: “I think one of the great mistakes in looking at politicians is to assume they’re all extroverts. I think quite a lot of them almost do it against the grain of their own personality.”
O’Neill “wasn’t very clubbable” and indeed was “clearly more comfortable” with his close officials. Bloomfield and the PM’s other confidants – Harold Black and Jim Malley – were known “not very affectionately as the presidential aides.” O’Neill regularly had lunch with them but they sometimes told him: “Look, Prime Minister, we’re working for you but your position’s actually dependent on these other people.”
He sees some parallels with Ted Heath. A politician with an “unfriendly personality” can “get away with it when all is going well politically” but when crises come “that’s when you need real friends in politics, who like you and admire you and will stick with you through thick and thin.”
Wider links
O’Neill was in his element when visiting Lyndon Johnson at the White House – another first for a Northern Irish leader – or promoting Northern Ireland at Westminster or in Europe.
In June 1966, Bloomfield travelled with O’Neill to France to mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. At the British embassy in Paris, the call came through about the shootings in Malvern Street by the newly formed UVF. A Catholic teenager, Peter Ward, was killed in the attack.
“Mrs O’Neill stays behind. Terence and I rush back, get back at midnight and proscribe the UVF. But then back again to the great commemorations on the battlefield.”
O’Neill did not set out with a “grand plan” to reform Northern Ireland but this “grew organically”. He was cautious and often preferred “gesture politics … saying the right thing and not always very good at doing the right thing.”
For much of his time in office, he chaired the Cabinet rather than leading it. He started to take the lead when Westminster added more pressure.
“The sword of Damocles was hanging over their head for quite a bit,” Bloomfield reflects. “Labour in particular was saying: ‘Look, we’d much rather you did it [reform] but at the end of the day, somebody has to do it.’”
Most of the reforms took place later under James Chichester-Clark whose resignation as Agriculture Minister prompted O’Neill’s own departure: “I think he reached a judgment that O’Neill was fatally wounded and that if progress was going to be made, it would have to be made by somebody else.”
James’ brother, Robin, was MP for Londonderry at Westminster at the time. Robin and O’Neill regularly debated reform at his home. “My then wife grew to dread those conversations,” he told agendaNi. “The coffee went cold.”
In April 1969, Robin refused to put pressure on James – who had by then lost confidence in O’Neill. “Terence expressed his dismay that I had deserted him at last,” he said. Their long political friendship ended at that point.
The roots of the split went back to the afternoon of Remembrance Sunday in 1968.
At James’ home, Moyola Park, the brothers warned O’Neill about Bill Craig’s plotting and pressed him to take forward a fresh package of reforms. The PM saw “no glimmer of hope that he could see anything like our proposals through the Unionist Party” although a number of their suggestions were later adopted.
O’Neill, in Bloomfield’s view, harmed his reputation with his May 1969 interview about Catholics becoming like Protestants if they were treated well: “That seemed to me condescending and it was an unfortunate use of words actually.”
Faulkner succeeded Chichester-Clark as Prime Minister in 1971 and generously kept Bloomfield on his staff. “I came to admire him actually,” he says of Faulkner. “His conduct of affairs was admirable. He was clearly the ablest politician.”
In retirement, O’Neill avoided publicity and probably felt “unwanted and even in danger.” He was elevated to the House of Lords in 1970 and died at his home in Hampshire in June 1990, aged 75.
Legacy
The whole thrust of O’Neill’s speeches, Bloomfield comments, was parity of esteem. “I think he was the first man to speak plainly in those terms,” he recalls. “I think it was very, very important to do that. I mean, it took a long time to realise it institutionally and I think the critic would say: ‘The steps he actually took during his premiership were modest.’ But then you do look at what he was up against.”
“So many of the things that he wanted to do have proved necessary to do ever since,” Bloomfield concludes. “And I think the tragedy of it is that something about his manner and mannerism and personality – and also a degree of innate caution – made it difficult for him to attain all that he wanted to do.”
Robin Chichester-Clark says of O’Neill: “I think his strength was that he had tremendous courage.” However, he could also “give the impression of being cold” and he sees the naming of Craigavon as a mistake: “That was going a little too far to the right.” His predecessor “could have charmed the birds off the trees – and more or less did – but didn’t get things done.” Terence O’Neill, in his view, did not have the charisma of Brookeborough but nonetheless was not particularly over-reserved or snobbish.
To his credit, in Robin’s view, O’Neill was the first politician to stand up against Ian Paisley: “He did his best to fight extremism wherever he found it. It took somebody to do that.”
He also “did not have the greatest people” in his Cabinet with his ministers fearing that they would lose their seats to nationalists and “other extreme Protestants.”
Alasdair McDonnell remembers O’Neill as “an enlightened and decent man” but adds: “He did not understand nationalist frustrations and the humiliations they endured, and mistakenly felt that if treated properly they could become good unionists.”
The SDLP leader views the crossroads speech as “prophetic words that have stood the test of time” and thinks that history “could have been very different if his party had listened.”
Mike Nesbitt recalls hearing O’Neill on the radio as a child. He reflects: “He was not the first, or last, to perish on the twin towers of resistance from reactionary unionism and a republican leadership whose ideology refused him a fair hearing.”
That vision was a major reason for David McNarry’s nudging into politics. “Today Northern Ireland has yet to answer properly the question he put to the country all those years ago,” he remarks.
When civil rights activist Ivan Cooper was elected to Stormont in 1969, he accompanied O’Neill into the chamber to hear the Queen’s speech. “I found him to be extremely courteous and friendly, not at all like a unionist leader,” Cooper recalls.
O’Neill’s political supporters either formed the Alliance Party or continued as the moderate wing within the Ulster Unionists.
Most of his opponents later turned on to a more moderate path, including Faulkner, David Trimble and, indeed, Ian Paisley and Peter Robinson. Many critics were openly sectarian. Others were taken aback by the pace of change and feared the growing militancy within nationalism.
His own assessment on his time in office is recorded in his autobiography, published in 1972. It is probably summed up in the crossroads speech as well: “I have tried to heal some of the deep divisions in our community. I did so because I could not see how an Ulster divided against itself could hope to stand.”
Photo credit: Victor Patterson
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Anti-Defamation League Condemns Sarah Palin Over “Blood Libel”
Doug Mataconis · · 31 comments
Well, this story isn’t going to die anytime soon:
The ADL sends over a statement from Abraham Foxman: It is unfortunate that the tragedy in Tucson continues to stimulate a political blame game. Rather than step back and reflect on the lessons to be learned from this tragedy, both parties have reverted to political partisanship and finger-pointing at a time when the American people are looking for leadership, not more vitriol. In response to this tragedy we need to rise above partisanship, incivility, heated rhetoric, and the business-as-usual approaches that are corroding our political system and tainting the atmosphere in Washington and across the country. It was inappropriate at the outset to blame Sarah Palin and others for causing this tragedy or for being an accessory to murder. Palin has every right to defend herself against these kinds of attacks, and we agree with her that the best tradition in America is one of finding common ground despite our differences. Still, we wish that Palin had not invoked the phrase “blood-libel” in reference to the actions of journalists and pundits in placing blame for the shooting in Tucson on others. While the term “blood-libel” has become part of the English parlance to refer to someone being falsely accused, we wish that Palin had used another phrase, instead of one so fraught with pain in Jewish history.
On the other side, Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz is defending Palin’s use of the term:
The term “blood libel” has taken on a broad metaphorical meaning in public discourse. Although its historical origins were in theologically based false accusations against the Jews and the Jewish People,its current usage is far broader. I myself have used it to describe false accusations against the State of Israel by the Goldstone Report. There is nothing improper and certainly nothing anti-Semitic in Sarah Palin using the term to characterize what she reasonably believes are false accusations that her words or images may have caused a mentally disturbed individual to kill and maim. The fact that two of the victims are Jewish is utterly irrelevant to the propriety of using this widely used term.
So, after four days of a stupid and unfair debate over whether Palin’s “target” graphic somehow caused the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords, we’ve got a debate over whether her use of a term associated with the most vicious of anti-Semitic smears was appropriate, or even correct. Whoever wrote Sarah Palin’s speech ought to be regretting that they put that phrase in there right now, because otherwise it was fairly decent.
UPDATE (James Joyner): While Palin’s sense of victimhood in this instance is a bit tiresome, Dershowitz is correct here (see Jim Geraghty‘s roundup “The Term ‘Blood Libel’: More Common Than You Might Think“) and deserves kudos for speaking out against his own political interests here.
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Hi,
I’m sorry I haven’t blogged in a long time. This needs to be discussed in a separate post, however I wasn’t in a good headspace for the last 7 or so months. That’s changed now, and a particular issue came to my mind that I feel deserved a blog post.
Ubuntu 12.04, Compiz 0.9.8 and Unity 5.12 are fantastic. My colleagues, Daniel and Alan and I have invested a significant amount into refactoring the compiz code so that we can split it up and test it, writing test coverage for most of the fixes that are going in, improving performance through profile guided optimization and fixing some of the most important architectural issues within compiz. We’ve streamlined the development process by merging together a large number of branches into one source repository, moved to test-driven-development practices with a stringent review process.
This has made Ubuntu 12.04 fantastic. Fantastic it seems, unless you are using the proprietary NVIDIA graphics driver.
Now I don’t want to make this a blog post hating on the NVIDIA driver, or their authors or on NVIDIA themselves. It has excellent support for on-GPU video decoding, GPGPU operations, OpenGL 4+ and so on and so forth. Recently it received support for XRandR 1.3. This should be applauded.
That being said, I believe the continued use of both the NVIDIA and FGLRX drivers within the Linux Desktop community is now considered harmful for a number of reasons. And now that we have realistic free software drivers to replace them such as nouveau and radeon, the free software community needs to reconsider its position in its support for these drivers.
The first problem is obvious, in that we are perpetuating a norm that providing proprietary software as a means to bootstrap free software is acceptable. Ethically, many people in the free software community can see why it is important that software is free (as in freedom). More importantly, hardware drivers are very large and control a significant piece of the stack used to make your system work. The command schedulers and display modesetting code amongst other things run as superuser and there is no way to see or change what they might be doing to your system. I don’t suspect that NVIDIA nor AMD are interested in deploying malicious software on their users, however, they can still inadvertently enable that – recently a security hole was fixed in the NVIDIA driver which allowed attackers to read and write arbitrary memory on your system. Because the drivers are closed, the free software community is powerless to do anything but rely on NVIDIA or AMD to ensure that we run systems that are secure.
However, my name is not Richard Stallman, nor am I a member of the FSF, and as such this isn’t the most important part of my argument.
The most important part of my argument is this:
The existence of different and proprietary implementations of OpenGL promote a culture whereby we don’t engage with problems directly, but we corner case particular drivers, hack around others and create a sub-par system for everyone.
If you’ve ever written code with me you’ll understand one thing – I hate writing hacks. Hacks are a short term solution which make a long term problem worse. Hacks demonstrate that you haven’t given the problem your full attention because you don’t understand what the problem is. Hacks are like trying to shove the incorrect puzzle piece into the puzzle. If you build your reality based on that, you’ll end up with something that’s very fuzzy, not rigid and crumbles very easily.
Writing against proprietary drivers requires writing hacks, simply because there is a point where you can research no further into what the problem really is. For example, in one graphics driver, we found that changing the name of the program was necessary to ensure the driver used direct rendering. On other drivers, I’ve found that all future texture binding will fail silently if you release a pixmap on the server before releasing a texture on the driver and flushing the pipeline. Or on some drivers, if you don’t re-bind an offscreen pixmap before binding it to a texture unit, the driver will never flush changes to that pixmap. Or on some drivers if you resume from suspend, you lose framebuffer object contents. Or on other drivers, if you use glPushAttrib with GL_CURRENT_BIT, the previous values on the attributes stack don’t get carried over.
That isn’t even an exhaustive list, and they’ve all been the result of lots of engineer time wasted over hunting down bugs they’re not allowed to see and trying to guess what’s going on so that workarounds or fixes can be applied.
Now, while I’m actually on leave for study, we’re at it again – the NVIDIA driver has removed support for GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer and disabled Sync to VBlank by default, which, amongst other reasons is making rendering really slow on precise. In addition to that, we’re fighting lots of strange quirks where texture binding is randomly failing.
The largest problem is that while I own an nvidia card for years – I’ve not run the nvidia driver in at least two. I’ve been using nouveau since early 2010. And now every time I do any work which might affect the graphics pipeline, I and every other developer have to make sure it works on nvidia and fglrx too, because it could just break without our knowledge.
The free software drivers on the other hand, share the same libGL. The paradigm shift here is huge. Instead of make a libGL that works on Windows for our driver and invest a bit of time making it work on Linux and Mac OS, it is make a libGL for Linux and make it provide a sensible abstraction layer to use many different kinds of hardware. And the results pay off. When I write code that works on nouveau, I can be damn sure it will also work on intel and radeon too, because the OpenGL implementation isthe same. And when it doesn’t work, we know that the problem isn’t in the OpenGL implementation, and we can drill right down into that driver and fix it in the right place.
In the future, when we move past X11 into a model where the drivers use provide the same direct rendering APIs from the kernel to userspace, this is going to become even more important. Already we see that NVIDIA and FGLRX are not going to support EGL, KMS or Wayland.
I think its now time we ask ourselves this question: Do we want to, in the name of short term gains in performance and higher level OpenGL support, lower levels of the free software world, which have the biggest advances to make, back in order to support proprietary drivers, or do we want to eliminate our dependence on them and set ourselves free. I think that it is now becoming clearer that the latter is more and more important to the community. As such, I believe that as a community, we need to be taking greater steps to supporting free software drivers, as they are the future.
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“No. I won’t let this thing take over…NO WAY!” - Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto (Episode 39)
The Toonami Trending Rundown for August 24-25, 2013. Twitter might have had some refreshing problems on this night, but another good week for Toonami means another perfect night as every show trended in the US and every show except Naruto and One Piece trended worldwide. We also got a character trend in Sasuke as he defeated Akado in the preliminaries.
Great news for Sword Art Online fans, the light novels and the manga for both SAO and Accel World are coming to US shores via Yen Press. So for those that want to see what’s next legally, your wishes have finally come true.
Tune in next week on Labor Day weekend as Toonami showcases Evangelion 2.22 with a “special” coming right after. And just to let you know, according to the backdoor schedule, every show from Bleach to IGPX will be taking the week off to make way, so for those that only watch the block for any of those shows, be warned. Other than that, see you then.
Legend: The number next to the listed trend represents the highest it trended on the list (not counting the promoted trend), judging only by the images placed in the rundown.
US Trends:
Toonami/#Toonami (During Naruto, One Piece, Soul Eater, IGPX, Star Wars TCW, FMA Brotherhood, and InuYasha) [#1]
#Bleach (Phone app only) [#?]
#Naruto [#5]
Sasuke (From Naruto) [#9]
#OnePiece [#5]
#SoulEater [#5]
#SwordArtOnline [#5]
#IGPX [#5]
#StarWarsTCW [#5]
#BigO [#5]
#FMABrotherhood [#4]
#CowboyBebop [#5]
#InuYasha [#3]
Worldwide Trends:
Toonami/#Toonami (During Sword Art Online and Big O) [#5]
#Bleach [#5]
#SoulEater [#5]
#SwordArtOnline [#5]
#IGPX [#5]
#StarWarsTCW [#5]
#BigO [#5]
#FMABrotherhood [#5]
#CowboyBebop [#4]
#InuYasha [#5]
Special thanks to @JMB_70056, @j_o_n_y, and others I forgot to mention for spotting some of the trends on this list.
Only Toonami on [adult swim] on Cartoon Network.
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Miley Cyrus has landed not only her first U.K. No. 1 single but her first top ten hit in the territory. “We Can’t Stop” (RCA/Sony) debuted at the summit yesterday (Aug. 12) with first-week sales of 128,000.
“Britain’s Got Talent” duo Richard & Adam’s “The Impossible Dream” (Sony Music CG) started a second week atop the artist album chart, while “Now That’s What I Call Music! 85” (Sony Music CG/Virgin EMI/Universal) leads the compilation survey for a third week.
Cyrus had three times before reached No. 11 on the U.K. singles bestsellers, with “See You Again” in 2008 and twice the following year with “The Climb” and “Party In The U.S.A.” Her new hit ended Avicii’s three-week run at No. 1 with “Wake Me Up” (Positiva/PRMD).
There was a No. 3 debut for “Trampoline” (Parlophone/Warner Music) by British rapper Tinie Tempah featuring U.S. hip-hop artist 2 Chainz, from Tempah’s upcoming second album “Demonstration.” It’s the British artist’s fourth top 10 single as a lead artist, but he has been the featured act on five more.
There were top climbers in the top ten of the Official Charts Company’s new singles list, with “Holy Grail” (Roc Nation/Universal) by Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake up 11-7 and Calvin Harris’ “Thinking About You” (Columbia/Sony), featuring Ayah Marar, moving 9-8. Timberlake’s own “Take Back The Night” (RCA/Sony) jumped 59-29.
Richard & Adam Johnson’s continuing success on the album chart prevented the Civll Wars from making a triumphant start with their self-titled sophomore album for Columbia/Sony. The Rick Rubin-produced set finished some 15,000 sales adrift of “The Impossible Dream,” but that debut easily outstripped the No. 13 peak of the American duo’s “Barton Hollow” debut in 2011.
Imagine Dragons’ “Night Visions” (Interscope/Universal), which previously reached No. 2 in the U.K., bounced back 10-3, while Example’s “Hits” collection (Ministry of Sound) came in at No. 11. Midlands-based indie rock outfit Swim Deep took their chart bow with “Where The Heaven Are We” (RCA/Sony) at No. 20.
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Pollution is bad for your health—that’s pretty much a given. You suck up 3,000 gallons worth of air each day so when it comes with a side of toxic chemicals, there’s bound to be some blowback. Your lungs, mouth, nose, and throat are obvious victims.
But a slew of recent studies have also showed that in addition to the physical health problems that have been associated with pollution, inhaling toxic emissions can have a big impact on your brain. High-pollution areas have been linked to an increase in dementia, struggling students, and now: a growth in violent crime.
Researchers Evan Herrnstadt, from Harvard’s Center for the Environment, and Erich Muehlegger, from University of California, Davis, teamed up to analyze the effect air quality has on crime.
Using data from the Chicago Police Department, which detailed locations and dates on more than 2 million crimes committed between 2001 and 2012, the researchers compared incidents to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wind direction measurements taken along highways.
The researchers found an increase in aggressive behavior in whichever area was downwind from emissions: When a neighborhood was baring the brunt of wind-blown pollution, there was a 2.2 percent increase in violent crime—but no effect on petty crimes like robberies.
While that number may seem small, in their recently released paper published in the National Bureau for Economic Research, the researchers explained the economic cost of this increase could be up to $200 million each year.
“We think the mechanism here is that you’re exposed to more pollution, either it’s an irritant, or it affects your impulse control in some other way, and basically results in you crossing lines that you wouldn’t otherwise cross,” Herrnstadt tells The Washington Post. He explains that their research showed pollution prompted escalation of violent crimes that might otherwise have been less serious.
The researchers only included vehicular emissions in their study but that’s just one part of the pollution mix. A separate study published earlier this year that looked at how pollution affects school performance for fourth and fifth graders showed that “non-road mobile sources”—including airports, trains, and construction vehicles—had higher negative impact on GPA than roads and highways.
The good news is air pollution overall is declining. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that there’s been a 68 percent drop in emissions since 1970 thanks to policies like The Clean Air Act. But in the United States, there’s still a long way to go: Nearly 44 percent of the population—close to 139 million people—live in communities where the air is considered dangerous to breathe.
While the researchers emphasize that their findings don’t prove inhaling emissions will automatically make you violent, the study adds to a growing body of research that shows how reducing pollution will have important health—and economic—benefits.
“Our results suggest that pollution may affect cognition in ways that extend beyond impairing performance on standardized tests and may influence individual behavior in more subtle ways that previously considered,” the researchers conclude. “Furthermore, our results suggest that the external costs of pollution may be greater than previously estimated—implying optimal policy should more stringently regulate air pollution.”
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Sony says it will release the Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy 'The Interview' mere days after it announced the film would not in theaters for its scheduled Christmas release date.
Sony cancelled the film's release last week after the hackers threatened real-world attacks on cinemas screening it.
'Sony only delayed this,' said company attorney David Boies on today's NBC's Meet the Press.
Scroll down for video
Sony says it will in fact publicly release the Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy 'The Interview' despite threats from hackers
'Sony only delayed this,' said company attorney David Boies on NBC's Meet the Press.
President Obama later said Sony had made a mistake in cancelling the movie, and that he would have intervened to make sure it went ahead.
The hackers leaked embarrassing emails between Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin joking in a racially insensitive manner about Obama's film tastes.
'Sony has been fighting to get this picture distributed,' he said, according to The Daily Beast. 'It will be distributed.'
The vast majority of cinema chains which were set to screen the movie pulled it after the threats.
That came after a series of embarrassing internal documents were made public, from plans for the upcoming James Bond film, to internal emails arguing over the company's direction, to discussion of past theatrical failures.
Pascal has been especially embarrassed by the leaks, recently having emails released revealing that things are so bad between the actor and the studio in fact that Sony head Amy Pascal calls him an 'a**hole* not once, but twice in emails exchanges.
The hackers leaked embarrassing emails between Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin joking in a racially insensitive manner about Obama's film tastes
Actress Angelina Jolie was also ripped in some of the email exchanges with Amy Pascal, seen here together at a Women in Entertainment Breakfast in L.A.
She also believed Idris Elba should be cast as the next James Bond.
Meanwhile Angelina Jolie was referred to as a 'a minimally talented spoiled brat' in one exchange discussing the star's passion project remake of Cleopatra.
Boies called the hacks 'a state sponsored criminal attack on an American corporation and its employees.
Sony has been glad for the FBI's help in investigating the hack, and 'the rest of the government has got to get behind it and has got to figure out a way that we can protect our national security.'
As Vox notes, one viable option to get the movie out would be Crackle, the streaming service that Sony already owns.
However, Boies was unsure how viewers would finally be able to see the film.
Sony cancelled The Interview's slated December 25 release last week after the hackers threatened real-world attacks on cinemas screening it
'How it's going to be distributed, I don't think anybody knows quite yet,' he said. 'But it's going to be distributed.'
Just this weekend, North Korea threatened more attacks against the U.S. government and other American institutions in the wake of the hack on Sony which cancelled the release of The Interview.
Obama also announced there was consideration to put the rogue state back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The government - which was outraged by the film showing the assassination of leader Kim Jong Un - also claimed to have 'clear evidence' that the U.S. government engineered the project as a 'propaganda' attack against North Korea.
Obama also announced there was consideration to put the rogue state back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism
In a ranting post published by the state news agency KCNA, Korean authorities hit back in an escalating war of words in which they say they will 'blow up' the White House - while bizarrely continuing to deny they have anything to do with the cyber attacks on Sony.
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Today was pretty insane. Here are some photos and videos I took.
Someone left some Smash Mouth CDs out in the rain.
Pretty cool crowd forming in front of Johnny Garlic's.
Looks like they're setting up some bigtime eggs.
The San Jose Sharks mascot is here for mystery reasons.
At last! We all crowd around to watch something cool happen!
Around this point, one of the eggs Guy Fieri cracked into the Big Bowl of Raw Eggs had a fetus in it. He got it out with a spoon though and kept on cookin' as Steve shouted that he saw a baby.
Guy Fieri's eggs are perhaps a little hot to handle.
Rick came up on stage, who was helpful in finishing the eggs with Steve. Thanks Rick!
VIDEOS! SORRY MANY ARE IN THAT TERRIBLE VERTICAL IPHONE FORMAT, I'M A CONSUMER!
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4
Video 5
Thank you for watching. Steve was an excellent sport and did a great job eating a bunch of eggs that were way too spicy. A lot of money was raised for a very worthy charity (St. Jude's), and it'll all go to people and places that need it very badly. Now, let's never speak of today's events again.
– Jon "@fart" Hendren (@fart)
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CHOCOLATE giant Cadbury has been left with creme egg on its face after a controversial recipe change saw millions in Easter sales melt away.
The confectionery brand upset some chocolate fans last year by changing the recipe so that the shell is made from standard, traditional Cadbury milk chocolate instead of Cadbury Dairy Milk.
Research by analysts IRI for trade magazine The Grocer found Cadbury’s best-selling seasonal lines were £10m lower in 2015, cutting the confectioner’s market share from 42% to 40%.
And the report found that filled and shell Creme Egg sales were down by £6m.
The chocolate maker, owned by US giant Mondelez, said that recognised industry data from researchers Nielsen in fact showed a sales fall of £7m overall, not £10m.
Mondelez said in a statement: “The fundamentals of the Cadbury Creme Egg remain exactly the same as the original in the 1971 recipe with delicious Cadbury chocolate and a unique gooey creme filling.
“In fact, only six out of 45 years of gooey history saw the shell made with Cadbury Dairy Milk.
“Cadbury remains the number one treat at Easter. The Easter season changes every year depending on when Easter falls. It was two weeks shorter in 2015 than 2014 so it’s hard to compare like for like.
“This is why most of the big chocolate brands show a fall in revenue for 2015 against 2014.”
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The News4 I-Team spent six years fighting for the list of foreign diplomats pulled over for breaking our local laws. You share the road with them, but they never go to jail. See where they’re getting caught, which embassies have the longest lists of violations and what the U.S. Department of State is doing about it. (Published Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014)
It took the News4 I-Team six years to find Rufin Mandzandza. When our cameras found him, he didn’t like it, telling us to “Stop following me.”
He's been charged with more than a dozen of the most serious driving violations but has never gone to jail.
And the News 4 I-Team found he's not alone.
In 2008, we filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Department of State and spent six years fighting to get a list never before released to the public showing hundreds of diplomats pulled over for our most serious driving offenses.
The records show one-third were caught drinking and driving, including a Russian first secretary charged with DWI and trying to elude police in Chevy Chase. Also on the list? A defense attaché for Yemen whose Mercedes was involved in a hit-and-run in Great Falls. He'd been pulled over three years earlier for reckless driving on Gallows Road.
Most on the list were pulled over for reckless driving. The son of the former Cameroon ambassador was pulled over for going 93 mph in a 55 mph zone in Chantilly. Records show a first secretary of Jordan was clocked going 100 mph in Fairfax. One year later, police charged him with DWI while driving the same Mercedes in Rockville.
The I-Team took the documents to Tom Blanton at the National Security Archive, who quickly noticed they had been declassified. He said, "All it takes is some bureaucrat to think, 'Oh, this might be sensitive, this might be embarrassing,' and they can put a classification stamp on it.”
Blanton has spent his career fighting and winning access to politically sensitive documents on topics like Iran Contra, CIA human experiments and the White House’s emails. But he told us, “I was totally surprised at the number of violations, the sense of immunity, impunity, that some of these diplomats - repeat offenders!"
But our records aren't complete. Some were withheld for "national security" reasons.
"It's supposed to protect our homeland security, that exemption,” Blanton said. “Instead, it's covering up for some diplomats."
After tracking down the individual tickets, the I-Team discovered the vast majority of diplomatic drivers were pulled over in Fairfax County.
Many are repeat violators with additional charges we uncovered that are not on the State Department's list.
Photo credit: News4 I-Team
One country had four times as many names than any other: Saudi Arabia. We found tickets for reckless driving, DUI and possession of marijuana. Remember, this is a country where it is illegal to possess alcohol or drugs.
Neither Saudi Arabia nor any of the other embassies we contacted responded to our request for comment and court records show most were never prosecuted because of "diplomatic immunity."
The State Department wouldn't go on camera, but told us even though foreign diplomats can't be tried in court, State always notifies their boss, the ambassador. If diplomats become repeat offenders, the State Department tells the I-Team it will kick them out of the country, which it's done 45 times in the past two years.
When we searched court records, we found a few letters from embassies apologizing, including a letter about the Cameroon ambassador's son promising it will never happen again.
Photo credit: News4 I-Team
We found children of diplomats make up more than a third of our list. But the State Department says they only get diplomatic immunity until they're 21 or until they’re 23 years old if they are attending school.
Which is how we found Rufin Mandzandza, the 28-year-old son of Congo's defense attaché, coming out of the courthouse after pleading guilty to driving 85 mph in Rockville on a suspended license. Records show he’d already been pulled over twice before for DUI.
I-Team reporter Tisha Thomson asked him, “Do you think you could hurt or kill someone? Are you allowed to do this in Congo?”
Mandzandza asked in return, “Are you allowed to video me, to interview me?” Thompson told him she was and asked, “Are you allowed to do this in Congo?”
Mandzandza said, “Stop following me,” to which Thompson replied, “We just want to know if you think what you're doing is dangerous?”
Mandzandza said, “I don't have time right now. I have somewhere to go,” and walked away.
The State Department tells the I-Team it didn't know about Mandzandza's repeated violations but it is now looking into his driving record. And that, Blanton said, is why Congress ought to force the State Department to post these records on its website every year instead of trying to cover them up.
"If they can drive drunk on our streets, we're all at risk,” Blanton said. “If they can get away with it, we're all at risk. These folks' bad acts should not be covered with a classification stamp. That's why it really matters."
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Don't call the Motorola Hint a Bluetooth headset. It makes everyone at Motorola wince. They'd rather you call it a wireless earbud, or, in a brilliant slip of the tongue from Motorola design chief Jim Wicks, an "earable." The Hint is a tiny, Bluetooth-enabled earbud that is designed to keep you in immediate, voice-enabled touch with the world around you.
But it's not for phone calls, or at least not just for phone calls. It's for getting directions, for doing quick voice searches, for hearing the text message you just got or quickly adding something to your to-do list. The Bluetooth headset is dead; long live the wireless earbud.
Motorola makes the same case for the Hint that Jawbone does for the latest Era, saying that Google Now and voice search have revived the power of talking to your phone. Yet there's no getting around the Bluetooth headset stigma, so Motorola did its best to make it look like you're not wearing one. Or wearing anything at all. The Hint is about the size of a peanut, and nestles entirely in your ear; it looks astonishingly like the earpiece Joaquin Phoenix's character wears throughout Her, a fact that's not lost on anyone at Motorola. And the intention is very much the same: you're not meant to put it in and take it out, but to wear it all the time.
It's about the size of a quarter, and it's supposed to disappear into your ear
It's comfortable and light (about the weight of a quarter), and has passthrough audio so it doesn't sound like there's anything blocking your ear. When you want it, it's just supposed to be there. You talk to it, it talks back. It gets 3.3 hours of talk time (ten with the two extra charges it gets from within its carrying case), and is dead-simple to use. There's a sensor in the earbud that recognizes when it's put in your ear, and it turns on and connects automatically; when you take it out it turns off. Hint isn't supposed to be any work, ever.
This kind of simple, passive interaction is possible in part because of Motorola's improved and re-branded ability to let you wake up and interact with the phone without ever touching it. It was once called Touchless Control, and you addressed it with "OK Google Now." On the new Moto X, it's Moto Voice, and you can call it whatever you want. (Everyone's definitely going to call it Jarvis.) The interactions mirror many of those you might have with a smartwatch: you can ask for directions, or simple answers to questions, or to set an alarm. In many ways, Hint is just another way, an aural way, to access the same information you might want from the Moto 360.
The Hint will be available for $149.99 when it comes out this fall (it'll be available globally before the holidays), and it's very much part of Motorola's wearables strategy. Bringing more information, more quickly, more ways, is core to what Motorola is trying to do with its latest round of devices — and bringing back the earpiece fits right in. But the real question still exists: have we forgotten the BlueDouche syndrome? Are we ready to put gadgets back in our ears again?
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PR for Merger and Spin-off Exhibit
Scripps, Journal merging broadcast operations, spinning off newspapers
Transaction will create two focused public companies,
one built upon TV, the other newspapers
• The spinoffs and mergers create two industry-focused companies positioned for success.
• The E.W. Scripps Company, based in Cincinnati, will own and operate television and radio stations serving 27 markets and reaching 18 percent of U.S. television households. Scripps will be the fifth-largest independent TV group in the country.
• Journal Media Group, a newly formed newspaper publishing entity, will be headquartered in Milwaukee and operate in 14 markets.
• Scripps shareholders will own 69 percent of the combined broadcasting company and 59 percent of the newly formed Journal Media Group. Journal Communications shareholders will own 31 percent and 41 percent, respectively, of Scripps and Journal Media Group. Scripps shareholders also will receive a $60 million special cash dividend as part of the deal.
• With strong balance sheets, both public companies will be well positioned to make further investments and acquisitions with expected net leverage of about 2x at closing for Scripps and no debt at Journal Media Group.
• The transaction is expected to generate about $35 million in combined synergies, resulting in substantial long-term cost savings, and create long-term value for shareholders.
CINCINNATI and MILWAUKEE (July 30, 2014) - The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) and Journal Communications (NYSE: JRN) have agreed to merge their broadcast operations and spin off and then merge their newspapers, creating two focused and separately traded public companies that offer long-term opportunities to create value for shareholders.
The merged broadcast and digital media company, based in Cincinnati, will retain The E.W. Scripps Company name, and the Scripps family shareholders will continue to have voting control. The company will have approximately 4,000 employees across its television, radio and digital media operations and is expected to have annual revenue of more than $800 million.
The newspaper company will be called Journal Media Group and will combine Scripps’ daily newspapers, community publications and related digital products in 13 markets with Journal Communications’ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin community publications and affiliated digital products. The company, with expected annual revenue of more than $500 million and approximately 3,600 employees, will be headquartered in Milwaukee.
The Scripps and Journal Communications boards of directors have approved the stock-for-stock transactions, which are subject to customary regulatory and shareholder approvals.
The deal is expected to close in 2015.
“In one motion, we’re creating an industry-leading local television company and a financially flexible newspaper company with the capacity and vision to help lead the evolution of their respective industries,” said Rich Boehne, chairman, president and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company, who will continue at the helm of Scripps. “Making the combinations even more appealing are the rich histories of these two organizations, both driven by a deep commitment to public service through enterprise journalism. For shareholders, this deal should unlock significant value as both companies gain efficiency, scale and more focus on the industry dynamics unique to these businesses.”
“This transaction will create two solid media businesses that will continue to serve their communities with a commitment to integrity and excellence that has been built over many years,” said Steven J. Smith, chairman and CEO of Journal Communications. “Journal’s radio and television stations will add depth and breadth to the Scripps TV group and additional expertise to its management team. The formation of the new Journal Media Group, headquartered in Milwaukee, will continue a tradition of exceptional print and digital journalism in 14 markets across the country. These companies will offer a combination of excellent local media assets and an incredible array of talent in our employees. We look to the future with great optimism and a continued sense of purpose in providing relevant, differentiated content to our local communities across the country.”
Journal Communications’ Class A and Class B shareholders will receive 0.5176 Scripps Class A Common shares and 0.1950 shares in Journal Media Group for each Journal Communications share. Scripps shareholders will receive 0.2500 shares in Journal Media Group for each Class A Common Share and each Common Voting Share they hold in Scripps.
Journal Communications shareholders will own approximately 31 percent of The E.W. Scripps Company’s total shares following the merger. Scripps shareholders will retain approximately 69 percent ownership. The Scripps family will retain its controlling interest in The E.W. Scripps Company through its ownership of Common Voting shares. Scripps shareholders will own 59 percent of the new newspaper company, Journal Media Group, and Journal Communications shareholders will own 41 percent. Journal Media Group will have one class of stock and no controlling shareholder.
Scripps shareholders of record just prior to the closing will receive a $60 million special dividend.
The transaction is expected to be tax-free to shareholders of both companies.
The companies project about $35 million in combined transaction synergies in the near term.
Benefits for Scripps
The merger will create significant strategic and financial benefits for Scripps including:
• Creating the opportunity for improving TV division margins;
• Adding a profitable radio business;
• Positioning the TV group in attractive markets across the country, including stations in eight important political states - Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin;
• Extending Scripps’ position as one of the largest owners of ABC-affiliated TV stations in the country by market reach, with 15 ABC affiliates, and expanding its affiliations to all of the Big Four networks;
• Benefitting from co-ownership of TV and radio in five markets;
• Leveraging high-quality journalism and Scripps’ original television programming across a larger geographic footprint; and
• Maintaining a strong balance sheet, with expected net leverage at closing estimated at about 2x, allowing plenty of capacity for additional acquisitions.
The combination further leverages Scripps’ digital investments, adding large and attractive markets to the portfolio. The company is building and launching market-leading digital brands that serve growing digital media audiences in
addition to supporting its on-air local news brands. It also recently acquired digital brands with national reach such as Newsy and DecodeDC that will benefit from the new geographic markets.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee will remain under the stewardship of The E.W. Scripps Company.
Benefits for Journal Media Group
The spinoff will create significant strategic and financial benefits for the combined newspaper operations, including:
• Creating a powerful source of enterprise journalism and the opportunity for innovation in the industry;
• Building upon a geographically diverse portfolio of strong local media brands in 14 attractive markets, including Naples, Fla.; Florida’s Treasure Coast; Knoxville; Memphis; and Milwaukee;
• Leveraging best practices of each company across all functions to drive revenue growth, efficiency and cost effectiveness;
• Increasing scale and financial flexibility, allowing Journal Media Group to navigate the ongoing transformation of the local media landscape; and
• Establishing a solid balance sheet with $10 million of cash and no debt (Scripps is keeping substantially all qualified pension obligations).
Tim Stautberg, senior vice president, newspapers for Scripps, will become president, CEO and a director of Journal Media Group upon completion of the transaction. Steve Smith will become non-executive chairman of the board.
Wells Fargo Securities acted as exclusive financial advisor to Scripps, Evercore Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to the Scripps family, and Methuselah Advisors acted as exclusive financial advisor to Journal Communications.
Conference call
Scripps and Journal senior managers will discuss the merger and spinoff with investors and analysts during a telephone conference call Thursday at 9 a.m. (Eastern). To access a live audio webcast of the call, visit www.scripps.com, choose “Investor Information” then follow the link in the “Calendar” section.
During the call, managers will refer to a PowerPoint presentation with details of the deal. That presentation can be found at www.scripps.com or www.journalcommunications.com.
To access the conference call by telephone, dial (800) 288-8974 (U.S.) or (612) 332-0632 (International), approximately 10 minutes before the start of the call. Callers will need the name of the call (“Scripps call”) to be granted access. Callers also will be asked to provide their name and company affiliation. The media and general public are provided access to the conference call on a listen-only basis.
A replay line will be open from 11 a.m. today until 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7. The domestic number to access the replay is 1-800-475-6701 and the international number is 1-320-365-3844. The access code for both numbers is 333280.
A replay of the conference call will be archived and available online for an extended period of time following the call. To access the audio replay, visit www.scripps.com approximately four hours after the call, choose “Investor Information” then follow the “Audio Archives” link at the top of the page.
About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (www.scripps.com) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of television, print and digital media brands. Scripps owns 21 local television stations as well as daily newspapers in 13 markets across the United States. It also runs an expanding collection of local and national digital journalism and information businesses including online multi-source video news provider Newsy. Scripps also produces television programming, runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and serves as the
long-time steward of one of the nation’s longest-running and most successful educational programs, Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1879, Scripps is focused on the stories of tomorrow.
About Journal
Journal Communications, Inc. headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a diversified media company with operations in television and radio broadcasting, publishing and digital media. Journal owns and operates or provides services to 14 television stations and 35 radio stations in 11 states. In addition, Journal publishes the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , which serves as the only major daily newspaper for the metro-Milwaukee area, and several community newspapers in Wisconsin. In support of its strong local broadcasting and publishing brands, Journal operates a growing portfolio of digital media assets, from websites to apps to mobile products, that allow viewers, listeners and readers to access Journal’s original content anytime and from any device. Learn more at www.journalcommunications.com.
Carolyn Micheli, The E.W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3732
carolyn.micheli@scripps.com
Additional Information and Where to Find It
The proposed transactions involving Scripps and Journal will be submitted to the holders of Common Voting shares of Scripps and to the holders of Class A and Class B common stock of Journal for their consideration. In connection with the proposed transactions, Scripps will prepare a registration statement on Form S-4 that will include a joint proxy statement/prospectus to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and each of Scripps and Journal will mail the joint proxy statement/prospectus to their respective shareholders and file other documents regarding the proposed transactions with the SEC. Scripps and Journal urge investors and shareholders to read the joint proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available, as well as other documents filed with the SEC, because they will contain important information. Investors and shareholders will be able to obtain the registration statement containing the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents free of charge at the SEC’s web site, http://www.sec.gov, from Scripps Investor Relations, Carolyn Micheli, at Carolyn.micheli@scripps.com or 513-977-3732, or from Journal at Jason Graham, Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, at 414-224-2884 or jgraham@jrn.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Scripps and Journal and the combined businesses of Journal and Scripps and certain plans and objectives of Scripps and Journal with respect thereto, including the expected benefits of the proposed spin and merger transactions. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements often use words such as “anticipate”, “target”, “expect”, “estimate”, “intend”, “plan”, “goal”, “believe”, “hope”, “aim”, “continue”, “will”, “may”, “would”, “could” or “should” or other words of similar meaning or the negative thereof. There are several factors which could cause actual plans and results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the expected closing date of the proposed transactions; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from the proposed transactions will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the proposed transactions making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred; changes in economic conditions, political conditions, licensing requirements and tax matters; and the possibility that the proposed transactions do not close, including, but not limited to, due to the failure to satisfy the closing conditions. These forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and assessments made by Scripps and/or Journal in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, business strategies, operating environment, future developments and other factors that each party believes appropriate. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. The factors described in the context of such forward-looking statements in this communication could cause actual results, performance or achievements, industry results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although it is believed that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct and persons reading this communication are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as at the date of this communication. Neither Scripps nor Journal assumes any obligation to update the information contained in this communication (whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise), except as required by applicable law. A further list and description of risks and uncertainties at Scripps can be found in Scripps’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and in its reports filed on Form 10-Q and
Form 8-K. A further list and description of risks and uncertainties at Journal can be found in Journal’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2013 and in its reports filed on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.
Participants in Solicitation
Scripps, Journal and certain of their respective directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transactions under the rules of the SEC. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transactions will be set forth in the joint proxy statement/prospectus when it is filed with the SEC. You can find information about Scripps’s directors and executive officers in its Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2013 on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 4, 2014 and the definitive proxy statement relating to its 2014 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed with the SEC on March 21, 2014. You can find information about Journal’s directors and executive officers in its Annual Report for the year ended December 29, 2013 on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 10, 2014 and the definitive proxy statement relating to its 2014 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed with the SEC on March 21, 2014. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.
Non-Solicitation
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This communication is not a solicitation of a proxy from any investor or shareholder.
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Description: This is a discription blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
So the playerbase has been complaining
medium autocannons are not viable
Rapid Lights are cancer
They are the only medium missile weapon system usuable
So we buffed Medium Autocannon Falloff by 10%
10% falloff
10% Falloff
That'll fix Medium AutoCannons
10% Falloff
RLML Cruisers will still kill HAM Cruisers at 0km
They say make HML apply to Cruisers
So I boosted HML DPS by 5.6%
The best part, the devblog
was posted april 1st
April Fools Nerds
HMLs are still shit
we changed RLML reload to 40s
and nerfed the range
people think it's a real nerf
The Orthrus still has more Power Grid than the Drake
People actually thought
They would be able to fly something other than RLML Caracals
But seriously, we have new dank skins
We have a police megathron
We'll have other cool skins
We're not changing AFs though
just use a skill extractor
put the SP in T3Ds
The Corax is still slower than a 1600mm Maller
a 1600mm maller
Speed Creep
It's speed Creep
r/eve is with us here
they're fine with 2.6km/s Storks with MWD sig bonus
But they believe that the Corax going 300m/s faster would be speed creep
And the fittings?
They're still fucked
The Corax has 3 more grid than the Kestrel
At least it looks cool
at least you can fit 1 rapid light on it
Anything else in the patch?
Faction guns can fit T2 ammo
Those good changes don't matter though
The best part about the RLML range nerf
The Cerberus is shit now
the last HAC flyable on TQ
At least you can run Havens with an Ishtar
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Baseball union head honcho Michael Weiner said on Monday that there has been talk about increasing the penalties for players who test positive for performance enhancing drugs (PED). This coming on the heels of the Biogenesis scandal unfolding in Florida, and several high profile PED related suspensions last season.
Currently, if a player tests positive for a PED he receives a 50 game suspension for the first offense, 100 games for the second offense, and a lifetime ban for a third offense. To date no one has failed a third test and received the lifetime ban.
What really stuck out to me in the round of interviews Wiener gave was that while there are discussions about increased penalties, he actually feels the best way to deter PED use is through more effective testing. I think that sounds about right, and the expanded drug testing program MLB will be rolling out this year is a huge step in the right direction.
In fact, MLB’s drug testing program- which was easily the best in major pro sports in 2012- is light-years ahead of both the NFL and NBA. Starting this season, MLB will become the first major sport to do in-season blood tests for Human Growth Hormone (HGH), and they will begin employing a new, cutting-edge test designed to catch users of synthetic testosterone.
At the moment any athlete in both the NFL and the NBA can take HGH to their heart’s delight and not worry about being caught. I have absolutely no idea how much HGH actually helps an athlete’s performance, but I do know that MLB will be the only sport that doesn’t give free-reign to its use.
Synthetic testosterone is already being tested for in all major pro sports, but it leaves its users systems so fast it often times doesn’t show up in routine drug tests. The new test will establish a baseline level of testosterone in each player, and allow for additional sample testing, which super smart scientist type people tell us will make it much harder to get away with taking synthetic testosterone.
As teams prepare for the 2013 season, baseball- once maligned for not doing enough to curb PED use- is leading the way when it comes to cleaning up its sport. The NFL is still shuffling its feat in instituting HGH testing, and the testing they are doing for other PEDs is notoriously half-assed. The NBA tests each of their players four times a year, meaning after a player receives his fourth test he’s basically free to put anything he wants in his body.
People have all sorts of opinions about steroids in baseball, but I think most of us can agree that we’re sick of focusing on it. Anything that will allow us to focus on the game, rather than what players are putting in their bodies is a good thing.
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New Mix: Breakthroughs By Car Seat Headrest, The Coathangers, Big Thief, More
toggle caption Courtesy of the artists
On this week's All Songs Considered, hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton share songs from a trio of bands on the verge of releasing breakthrough albums. Bob starts the show strong with a jaw-dropping new song from Car Seat Headrest called "Vincent," which we also featured as a First Watch. Robin follows that up with a song by Big Thief and later shares a new song from the best album yet by The Coathangers.
We also get a new track by sibling duo Follin, featuring the leaders of Cults and Guards; NPR Music's Daoud Tyler-Ameen drops by to share the lovely pop-punk of Tancred and Robin takes us out on the densely layered electronic music of Tim Hecker.
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For other holidays with the same name, see Martyrs' Day
Life magazine (1/24/1964). Cover ofmagazine (1/24/1964).
Martyrs' Day (Spanish: Día de los Mártires) is a Panamanian day of national mourning which commemorates the January 9, 1964 anti-American riots over sovereignty of the Panama Canal Zone. The riot started after a Panamanian flag was torn and Panamanian students were killed during a conflict with Canal Zone Police officers and Canal Zone residents. It is also known as the Flag Incident or Flag Protests.
U.S. Army units became involved in suppressing the violence after Canal Zone police were overwhelmed, and after three days of fighting, about 22 Panamanians and four U.S. soldiers were killed. The incident is considered to be a significant factor in the U.S. decision to transfer control of the Canal Zone to Panama through the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties.
Background [ edit ]
After Panama gained independence from Colombia in 1903, with the assistance of the U.S., there was resentment amongst some Panamanians as a result of the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty, which ceded control of the Panama Canal Zone to the U.S. "in perpetuity" in exchange for a 10 million dollar initial payment and yearly 250 thousand dollar payments thereafter. In addition, the United States Government purchased title to all the lands in the Canal Zone from the private owners. The Canal Zone, primarily consisting of the Panama Canal, was a strip of land running from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean and had its own police, schools, ports and post offices. The Canal Zone became U.S. territory (de facto if not de jure).
In January 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy agreed to fly Panama's flag alongside the U.S. flag at all non-military sites in the Canal Zone where the U.S. flag was flown. However, Kennedy was assassinated before his orders were carried out. One month after Kennedy's death, Panama Canal Zone Governor Robert J. Fleming, Jr. issued a decree limiting Kennedy's order. The U.S. flag would no longer be flown outside Canal Zone schools, police stations, post offices or other civilian locations where it had been flown, but Panama's flag would not be flown either. The governor's order infuriated many Zonians, who interpreted it as a U.S. renunciation of sovereignty over the Canal Zone.[1]
In response, outraged Zonians began flying the U.S. flag anywhere they could. After the first U.S. flag to be raised at Balboa High School (a public high school in the Canal Zone) was taken down by school officials, the students walked out of class, raised another flag, and posted guards to prevent its removal. Most Zonian adults sympathized with the student demonstrators.
In what was to prove a miscalculation of the volatility of the situation, Governor Fleming departed for a meeting in Washington, D.C. on the afternoon of January 9, 1964. For him and many others, the U.S.-Panama relationship was at its peak. The exploding situation caught up with the Governor while he was still en route to the U.S. over the Caribbean.
The Flag Pole Incident [ edit ]
While a Panamanian response to the flag raisings by the Zonians was expected, the crisis took most Americans by surprise. Several years later, Lyndon B. Johnson wrote in his memoirs that: "When I heard about the students' action, I was certain we were in for trouble."[citation needed]
The news of the actions of the Balboa High School reached the students at the Instituto Nacional, Panama's top public high school. Led by 17-year-old Guillermo Guevara Paz, 150 to 200 demonstrating students from the institute, crossed the street into the Canal Zone and marched through the neighborhoods to Balboa High School, carrying their school's Panamanian flag and a sign proclaiming their country's sovereignty over the U.S. Canal Zone. They had first informed their school principal and the Canal Zone authorities of their plans before setting out on their march. Their intention was to raise the Panamanian flag on the Balboa High School flagpole and remove the U.S. flag.[1]
At Balboa High, the Panamanian students were met by Canal Zone police and a crowd of Zonian students and adults. After negotiations between the Panamanian students and the police, a small group was allowed to approach the flagpole, while police kept the main group back.[citation needed]
A half-dozen Panamanian students, carrying their flag, approached the flagpole. In response, the Zonians surrounded the flagpole, sang the Star Spangled Banner, and rejected the deal between the police and the Panamanian students. Scuffling broke out. The Panamanians were driven back by the Zonian civilians and police. In the course of the scuffle, Panama's flag was torn.
The flag in question had historical significance. In 1947, students from the Instituto Nacional had carried it in demonstrations opposing the Filos-Hines Treaty and demanding the withdrawal of U.S. military bases. Independent investigators of the events of January 9, 1964 later noted that the flag was made of flimsy silk, this is not historical fact though.[1]
There are conflicting claims about how the flag was torn. Canal Zone Police Captain Gaddis Wall, who was in charge of the police at the scene, denies any American culpability. He claims that the Panamanian students stumbled and accidentally tore their own flag. David M. White, an apprentice telephone technician with the Panama Canal Company, stated that "the police gripped the students, who were four or five abreast, under the shoulders in the armpits and edged them forward. One of the students fell or tripped and I believe when he went down the old flag was torn." However we must take into account that this is all hearsay.
One of the Panamanian flag bearers, Eligio Carranza, said that "they started shoving us and trying to wrest the flag from us, all the while insulting us. A policeman wielded his club which ripped our flag. The captain tried to take us where the others Panamanian students were. On the way through the mob, pulled and tore our flag."
To this day, the issue remains highly contentious, with both sides saying the other instigated the conflict.
Violence breaks out [ edit ]
As word of the flag desecration incident spread, angry Panamanian crowds formed along and across the border between Panama City and the Canal Zone. At several points demonstrators stormed into the zone, planting Panamanian flags. Canal Zone police tear gassed them. Rocks were thrown, causing injuries to several of the police officers. The police responded by opening fire.
Canal Zone authorities asked the Guardia Nacional (Panama's Armed Forces) to suppress the disturbances. The Guardia stayed absent. Meanwhile, demonstrators began to tear down the "Fence of Shame" located in the Canal Zone, a safety feature alongside a busy highway. Panamanians were tear gassed, and then several were shot. One of the most famous photographs of what Panamanians know as Martyrs' Day shows two demonstrators, one bearing a Panamanian flag, climbing over Fence of Shame at Ancon. The opinion of most Panamanians, and most Latin Americans generally, about the fence in question was expressed a few days later by Colombia's ambassador to the Organization of American States: "In Panama there exists today another Berlin Wall."
The Panamanian crowds grew as nightfall came, and by 8 p.m. the Canal Zone Police Department was overwhelmed. Some 80 to 85 police faced a hostile crowd of at least 5,000, and estimated by some sources to be 30,000 or more, all along and across the border between Panama City and the Canal Zone. When the lieutenant governor came to survey the scene, the protestors stoned his car.
[2]
At the request of Lieutenant Governor Parkers, General Andrew P. O'Meara, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, assumed authority over the Canal Zone. The U.S. Army's 193rd Infantry Brigade was deployed at about 8:35 p.m.
American-owned businesses in Panama City were set afire. The recently dedicated Pan Am building (which, despite housing an American corporation, was Panamanian-owned) was completely gutted. The next morning, the bodies of six Panamanians were found in the wreckage.
Some reporters alleged one giant communist plot, with Christian Democrats, Socialists, student government leaders and a host of others controlled by the hand of Fidel Castro. However, it seems that Panama's communists were caught by surprise by the outbreak of violence and commanded the allegiance of only a small minority of those who rioted on the Day of the Martyrs. A good indication of the relative communist strength came two weeks after the confrontations, when the Catholic Church sponsored a memorial rally for the fallen, which was attended by some 40,000 people. A rival communist commemoration on the same day drew only 300 participants.
The United States Embassy was ordered to burn all sensitive documents. A number of U.S. citizen residents of Panama City, particularly military personnel and their families who were unable to get housing on base, were forced to flee their homes. There were many instances in which Panamanians gave refuge to Americans who were endangered in Panama City and elsewhere.
The confrontation was not contained in the Panama City area. Word of the fighting quickly spread all over Panama by radio, television and private telephone calls. The incomplete censorship had the side effect of contributing to wild rumors on all sides. One popular but inaccurate Zonian rumor, fueled in part by references to the "American Canal Zone" in U.S. news media, that the Panama Canal Zone had been renamed "United States Canal Zone" and would henceforth be an outright possession of the United States.
News and rumor instantly traveled the 49 miles from Panama's south coast to its north coast. The country's second city, Colón, which abuts the city of Cristóbal, then part of the Canal Zone, erupted within a few hours after the start of hostilities on the Pacific side. Intense fighting continued for the next two days. Unlike in Panama City, Panamanian authorities in Colón had made early attempts to separate the combatants. Some incidents also happened in other cities all over Panama.
Death toll [ edit ]
As the angry Panamanian mob turned their wrath against targets in Panama City, a number of people were shot to death under controversial circumstances. The final death toll was 28 people.
Ascanio Arosemena, a 19-year-old student, was shot from behind, through the shoulder and thorax. He became the first of Panama's "martyrs," as those who fell on January 9, 1964, and the following few days were to become known. Witnesses say that Arosemena died while helping to evacuate wounded protesters from the danger zone. The witnesses appear to be corroborated by a photograph of Arosemena supporting an injured man, said to have been taken shortly before he was shot. The building where it all started, the former Balboa High School today bears his name, and is one of the buildings of the Panama Canal Authority, the Panamanian Government Agency created to run the Canal starting from mid-day December 31, 1999.
A six-month-old girl, Maritza Ávila Alabarca, died with respiratory problems while her neighborhood was gassed by the U.S. Army with CS tear gas. The U.S. denied that the infant's death was linked to the use of CS tear gas, in keeping with its claim that it is not a lethal agent.
Various U.S. accounts claim that all Panamanians who were shot to death were either rioters or else shot by other Panamanians.
Various Panamanian versions blame all Panamanian deaths on U.S. forces, though those who died in the Pan American Airlines building fire can not reasonably be said to have died at the hands of American forces. Some Panamanians may have been hit by bullets fired by Panamanians but intended for American targets. A definitive accounting of all deaths in the events of January 1964 has yet to be published, and may never be published.
The official Canal Zone Police version is that the police did not shoot directly at anybody, but only fired over the heads or at the feet of rioters. The police version was disputed by independent investigators, who found that the police fired directly into the crowds and killed Arosemena and a number of other Panamanians. DENI ballistics experts claim that six Panamanians were killed by .38 caliber Smith & Wesson police revolvers fired by the Canal Zone Police.
The list of Panama's martyrs can be found at the martyrs Memorial in the former Balboa High School in Panama City. The 21 as listed there include: Maritza Ávila Alabarca, Ascanio Arosemena, Rodolfo Sánchez Benítez, Luis Bonilla, Alberto Constance, Gonzalo Crance, Teofilo De La Torre, José Del Cid, Victor Garibaldo, José Gil, Ezequiel González, Victor Iglesias, Rosa Landecho, Carlos Lara, Gustavo Lara, Ricardo Murgas, Estanislao Orobio, Jacinto Palacios, Ovidio Saldaña, Alberto Tejada and Celestino Villarreta.
Most U.S. accounts put the number of Americans killed in these events at four, though others put the death toll at three or five. Those who died on the American side include Staff Sergeant Luis Jimenez Cruz, Private David Haupt and First Sergeant Gerald Aubin who were all killed by sniper fire on the 9th and 10th in Colon and Specialist Michael W. Rowland, whose death was caused by an accidental fall into a ravine on the evening of the 10th. Another 30 U.S. military personnel were wounded in operations to separate the Panamanian and Canal Zone protesters. Most of the 17 injuries suffered by U.S. civilians resulted from thrown rocks or bottles.[3][4]
When the fighting was over, DENI investigators found over 600 bullets embedded in the Legislative Palace. Santo Tomas Hospital reported that it had treated 324 injuries and recorded 18 deaths from the fighting. Panama City's Social Security Hospital treated at least 16 others who were wounded on the first night of the fighting. Most of those killed and wounded had suffered gunshot wounds. Some of the more seriously injured were left with severe permanent brain damage or paralyzing spinal injuries from their bullet wounds.
After the fighting, American investigators found over 400 bullets embedded in the Tivoli Hotel. Years after the events of January 1964, a number of U.S. Army historical documents were declassified, including Southcom's figures for ammunition expended. The official account has it that the U.S. Army fired 450 .30 caliber rifle rounds, five .45 caliber pistol bullets, 953 shells of birdshot and 7,193 grenades or projectiles containing tear gas. Also, the army claims to have used 340 pounds of bulk CN-1 chemical (weak tear gas) and 120 pounds of CS-1 chemical (strong tear gas). The same account said that the Canal Zone police fired 1,850 .38 caliber pistol bullets and 600 shotgun shells in the fighting, while using only 132 tear gas grenades. According to the Panamanian DENI, out of the 1,850 .38 caliber bullets that the Canal Zone Police allegedly fired directly into the crowd, only six Panamanians were fatally wounded. Of the remaining 2,008 bullets, shells and rounds, the 7,193 tear gas grenades or projectiles, the additional 460 pounds of tear gas, only 15 Panamanians were fatally wounded.
International reactions and aftermath [ edit ]
International reaction was largely unfavorable against the United States. The British and French, who had been criticized by U.S. administrations for their colonial policies, accused the U.S. of hypocrisy and argued that their Zonian citizens were as obnoxious as any other group of colonial settlers.
Egypt's Nasser suggested that Panama nationalize the Panama Canal as they had nationalized the Suez Canal. The People's Republic of China, the Soviet Union and Cuba denounced the U.S. in very strong terms. From the other end of the ideological spectrum, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco's right-wing Falangist Party accused the United States of aggression against Panama, contradicting the fact that the U.S. aggressors had not entered into the Republic of Panama, but rather the inverse had happened.
Significantly, other governments in the western hemisphere which had long backed U.S. policies declined to back the American position. Venezuela led a chorus of Latin American criticism of the United States. The Organization of American States, on Brazil's motion, took jurisdiction over the dispute from the United Nations Security Council. The OAS in turn put the matter before its Inter-American Peace Committee. The committee held a week-long investigation in Panama which was greeted by a unanimous 15-minute Panamanian work stoppage to demonstrate Panama's united opinion. No action was taken on Panama's motion to brand the United States guilty of aggression, but the committee did accuse the Americans of using unnecessary force.
The President of Panama at the time, Roberto Chiari, broke diplomatic relations with the United States on January 10. On January 15, President Chiari declared that Panama would not re-establish diplomatic ties with the U.S. until it agreed to open negotiations on a new treaty. The first steps in that direction were taken shortly thereafter on April 3, 1964, when both countries agreed to an immediate resumption of diplomatic relations and the United States agreed to adopt procedures for the "elimination of the causes of conflict between the two countries". A few weeks later, Robert B. Anderson, President Lyndon Johnson's special representative, flew to Panama to pave the way for future talks. For these actions President Chiari is regarded as "the president of dignity". The role played by the Panamanian ambassador to the UN, Miguel Moreno is also worth mentioning. Mr. Moreno is remembered for his strong speech against the United States at the UN General Assembly.
This incident is considered to be the catalyst for the eventual U.S. abolition of the "in perpetuity" control of the Canal Zone and divestiture of its title to property there, with the 1977 signing of the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, which dissolved the Canal Zone in 1979, set a timetable for the closing of U.S. Armed Forces Bases and transferred full control of the Panama Canal to the Panamanian Government at noon, December 31, 1999.
Monuments [ edit ]
Two monuments have been built in Panama City to commemorate these events. One was built where the flagpole incident happened, the former Balboa High School, today a Panama Canal Authority building that bears the name of Ascanio Arosemena, known as the first "martyr" and maybe the most famous one. It was built by the Panama Canal Authority and consists on a covered entryway containing the memorial, which has a name of a "martyr" on each column, and an eternal fire (not unlike the eternal fire for U.S. President John F. Kennedy) in the middle, and the Panamanian flag afterwards, in a sort of open-to-the-sky (i.e. no roof) "square", on a flagpole.
Another monument, built in front of the Legislative Assembly, on the former Panama City-Canal Zone limits consists on a life-sized monument in the form of a lamppost, with three figures climbing it to raise their flag. The monument reflects the photograph that was on the cover of Life, in which three students scaled the 12 foot high safety fence and climbed a lamppost and the one in the top had a Panamanian flag.[5]
References [ edit ]
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