Split (1)

train · 8.01M rows

text stringlengths 316 100k
As the Standing Rock protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline has gone from bad to worse to hopeful to tentative, dozens of documentarians have descended on the Sioux reservation — 34 teams, according to the tribal database. And while it’s no longer uncommon for major news events to attract multiple filmmakers, some members of the horde in North Dakota seemed to need a lesson in where they were. What’s happening at Standing Rock is not just about history and tradition but also spirituality, said Josué Rivas, a photographer and filmmaker of Native American descent, who has helped the Sioux work with the news media. The tribe objects to the pipeline, which would run from North Dakota to Illinois, in part because it would desecrate ancestral lands, and its protest is a form of prayer. “It might seem cool to take a photograph of the chief in his headdress, but it’s so freaking disrespectful,” Mr. Rivas said. “Respect the feathers, you know?” Respecting the feathers has never been a major concern of American cinema, and the throng of film projects at Standing Rock has provoked a debate about cultural appropriation among documentary makers. At issue is who gets to tell the story and who gets resources to tell that story, especially when Native Americans lack mainstream opportunities in Hollywood.
COMSTOCK PARK — Saturday was a day of records. With crowd numbers estimated to be over 6,000, and more than 450 beers brought by Michigan breweries, the 2012 Winter Beer Festival was the largest ever. Beer lovers came from across the state and beyond to sample some of the best, brightest and sometimes even whackiest beers in Michigan. The 7th annual festival, held at Fifth-Third Ballpark, sold out in record time in December. Several breweries brought not only their staple beers, but also high-ABV and rare beers otherwise unavailable to the public. With everything from a sweet wintertime ale to a hopped-up IPA, there was a beer for everyone. Shorts Brewing Company featured several bottled and non-distribution beers, including its Turtle Stout (8% ABV). Pouring a deep chocolate hue, with about one finger of a light tan pancake head, you could immediately sense an aroma of roasted pecans. The scent was balanced with notes of caramel and chocolate malt, making for an overall very pleasant smell. The instant taste of sweet chocolate malts and vanilla soon gave way to a pecan and nutty roasted flavor. The beer finished with sweet caramel and chocolate, with the pecan roast lingering to the very end. This brew isn’t as heavy as you’d expect given its appearance, with a light carbonation and silky chocolate body, yielding a very creamy, coating mouthfeel. The unique flavors are very well balanced and integrated, making for one of the highlights of the day. In addition to the Turtle Stout, Shorts highlighted its Wintertime Fun Ale (8.5% ABV) — an American Brown Ale brewed with peppermint, milk chocolate, marshmallow and cinnamon. Dark Horse Brewing Co. had not one — but four — tables at the festival. Known for its mastery with barrel aging, the Bourbon Barrel 666 Sarsaparilla Vanilla Stout was no disappointment. The brew pours a deep midnight black colored brew with a caramel head. There’s a massive vanilla smell, coupled with hints of milk chocolate and cocoa. The bourbon barrel really accentuates the vanilla notes here. Sweet chocolate malts and cocoa are immediately present when tasting, but most of all the brew features heavy vanilla overtones that are very reminiscent of a creamy root beer. Cocoa and vanilla linger toward the finish, where a little more of the bourbon shows up. There’s a slight alcohol warmth here, but the brew is very smooth, and features a creamy mouthfeel throughout. In what was the biggest surprise of the day, Right Brain Brewery’s The Demise (10% ABV) hit the spot for us. An American Barleywine, the brew pours a light copper color, with a thin rim of fizzy white head that rapidly dissipates. It features a complex smell, predominated by honey and sweet, sticky malts with citrus hops and alcohol. As in the nose, honey shows up first, on a sweet, sticky body of red and caramel malt. Sweetness fades a bit, leading to a citrusy hop finish with a lingering, astringent alcohol burn. A full bodied brew, The Demise has some good carbonation and warming alcohol. For as much going on with this brew, Right Brain definitely found a way to balance it nicely. The next Michigan Brewers Guild festival is July 27 and 28 in Ypsilanti. Tickets go on sale May 1.
River Landscape with Horseman and Peasants by Aelbert Cuyp (1658). Pearl Lake Ancient by Richard Wright. Combos. No, not the snack food. Combos in EDH. Wins out of nowhere. Games that don't even reach the two hour mark. Games that often don't reach the 20 minute mark. Obscure, seemingly random boardstates, that end games without needing to declare a single attack. Infinite mana, creatures, power, counters, and of course, endless counterspells to make damn sure the game is won. Combo is one of the most divisive topics in EDH. Some players seem unwilling or unable to build a deck that doesn't assemble some convoluted boardstate that wins them the game out of the blue. On the other extreme there are players who refuse to play with those who pray at the altar of Ashnod, like their blood exquisite, their bonds sanguine, think everyone named Mike should own a Trike, and are complete maniacs in the laboratory. So what is going on with our beloved format, and how do we deal with this seemingly unbridgeable divide? Today I'm going to try to answer that question. It should go without saying that no generalization is going to apply to all players. Generalizations are pretty much always false when taken at face value. With that in mind I am going to forge ahead and make my generalizations anyways, doing my best to explain what I think and argue my positions as best as I can. The Evolution of the Commander Player My assumption is that on some level combo has always been a part of the game. It's as much a part of EDH as libraries, battlefields, graveyards, and legendary creatures. With each new set of cards that gets introduced there will be more and more possible combos available. I'd guess that combo as a style of play has only grown more prevalent, and will likely continue to be more and more a part of the format as time goes on. Players get better only as a result of playing, and of playing against different types of players. They evolve as players. I'm going to break down this process into five stages. Stage 1: Learning the game Nobody is introduced to Magic by having the assembly of an infinite combo slowly and patiently explained to them as if it was the entire point of playing the game. Learning the game is all about the phases of each turn and about how combat is resolved - usually in that order. Our first understanding of the game revolves around declaring attacks, declaring blockers, figuring out damage, understanding evergreen keywords, and then learning how to assemble a deck built to navigate these new and exciting waters. New players often build without an appreciation for the importance of a good mana curve and can be overly influenced by pet cards, favorite artists and creature types they are drawn to. Some of us are thrown into deep waters. Some of us wade into the pool slowly wearing water wings and with lots of support available if it's more than we can deal with. However gentle or brutal our introduction to the format is, we have to get an understanding of the basic game first before we decide we want to dive deeper and get better. Some of us don't want to deal with more than one opponent at a time, can't imagine playing such long games, or just have too much invested in other formats or other games to keep at it. Some of us, of course, get hooked. Stage 2: Gaining Advantage You have played a bit and are getting into EDH. You may even be hooked on the format. You've learned the rules, know most of the keywords, and are starting to work on your decks. Your access to cards, your drive to win and the people you play with have a huge affect on how long it takes you to get to this next level. This is the point where you start trying to respond to your friends' decks by modifying or building decks that will have an inherent advantage over them. You might build a deck with goblins to go wide and get around your friend's giant tribal deck, or a deck with flyers to attack over another friend's goblins. You may also be making good deckbuilding decisions, like adding Where Ancients Tread to your giant tribal deck because those big fellas will do a lot of damage when they hit the field. You're making good choices and setting up isolated cards to be able to impact the game more favorably when other cards are out. Winning may be important to you, but victories don't appear with enough consistency. The randomness of your deck's performance seems like a force unto itself, and you may think of your deck as "behaving" or "misbehaving" when you evaluate your games. Better players with more consistently performing decks can be frustrating to play against, because they seem to always blow up, or always have answers to the threats you are playing. Sometimes it feels like they are really lucky, but you know deep down there is more to it than just chance. Stage 3: Building with Synergy You now think about gaining advantage with nearly every decision you make when building or modifying a deck. It's become second nature. That brings us to synergy. An example of Synergy might be a card that gives you a benefit when a creature dies and a card that allows you to sacrifice a creature for a different benefit. Getting two benefits for a single sacrificed creature is a clear example of synergy. The basic concept is that your cards are no longer just viewed in terms of their value on their own. They are making each other better in ways that make your deck stronger and which can even win you the game. Think of it like this: Your cards generate a greater result than the sum of their parts or your cards consistently combine in ways that generate a winning advantage. Synergy is a scale, not a state. Some decks have a lot of synergy and some decks have very little. The more cards you have that favorably affect each other, the better synergy your deck has. This can describe cards on the battlefield, but also applies to cards in your graveyard and even cards buried in your library, depending upon what your deck is trying to do. Highly synergistic decks have a hard time establishing a boardstate by mid-game where there aren't cards on the battlefield that are combining in ways that make you a threat to possibly win the game. This is what most Commander deckbuilders strive to achieve. You want your deck to perform well and consistently be able to build up a winning boardstate. Whatever your deck is trying to do, you want it to be able to do it reliably. My Sidar & Tana Tokens Deck owes much of its effectiveness to huge amounts of synergy. For my Sidar & Tana deck, I crank out tons of small token creatures and everything else is built around that theme. I have Bower Passage to combine with Sidar's ability so my creatures aren't even blockable by flyers and my only concern is the odd deck that has lots of reach. I run Skullclamp because I'm going to have plenty of 1/1 weenies lying around. I run Meekstone because I'm never going to have anything with more than 2 power. To hit harder after blocks I run team pump spells and double-strike anthems so my punch is as strong as I can get it. I also run stuff like Quietus Spike and Scytheclaw, Destructive Urge and Snake Umbra because I should have an easy time getting a single attacker in for damage on nearly anyone if Sidar is on the field. The deck is just chock full of cards that make each other better and is probably my single most synergistic deck. So far it seems to win a decent amount. Even if you don't win the game, If you are at this stage you are probably somewhat satisfied if your deck mostly did what it was trying to do. You no longer define your deck's purpose in such simplistic terms as "win the game". You've played enough games that your goal is to establish a certain kind of boardstate so that if the right things play out in the right way they'll have a decent shot at winning. You know this doesn't always happen and you are OK with losing, provided you don't go too long between wins. You seen players combo off. They assemble a boardstate with certain cards and are able to declare that they have won the game. They don't slowly whittle your life total down until you are out of the game. They just win, and some of them win an awful lot. Part of you probably wants to win an awful lot too. Stage 4: Winning and the Leap to Combo Most players start building combos into their decks when they have seen players combo off and either want to join in the fun and take their game to the next level, or simply feel like there's no other option but to go over to the "dark side" if they ever want to win again. So what is combo? A standard definition isn't going to help us here. Also, google is not always the best place to get the definition of a word. I would describe a combo as cards with such strong synergy that when they are played together, they can create an interaction that will occur as many times as the player wants or is able to pay for with the mana they have available. A combo doesn't have to be infinite, but many combos are. A combo likewise doesn't have to be unstoppable, but some are. Kiki Jiki and Zealous Conscripts is a combo you can trigger as many times as you like. Tap Kiki to make a copy Zealous Conscripts, which allows you to untap Kiki. You do have to swing with your infinite army of creatures in order to win the game, but it's an excellent addition to any mono red deck if you are looking to add a combo. If a player fogs, they can live for another turn, but if you simply get Purphoros or Impact Tremors out before you combo off you can win without even going to combat. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Triskelion - often called "Mike and Trike" is another combo that is even more deadly. Triskelion allows you to do damage directly to a player so you don't have to wait until your next combat step. Mikaeus gives Triskelion undying so it returns with a +1/+1 counter when it dies. Triskelion can do damage to a player and with his last +1/+1 counter, ping himself two times (Mike gives him +1/+1) so he dies without any counters and can trigger undying again. If you don't remember that last part, you can't execute the combo. If they don't have removal and you can demonstrate that you understand how to operate the combo, you win the game. A player with hexproof will be immune to this as you cannot target them. One key thing to understand is that a combo does not have to win you the game. Obviously, the best ones do, but a combo is not by definition something that wins you the game, it's just a combination of interactions between cards that you can trigger as many times as you want. An infinite mana combo will generate infinite mana, but that in itself is not a win condition in Commander. It's impressive, but many cards require colored mana and many infinite mana combos only generate colorless mana. That doesn't make the combo any less of a combo, or any less impressive. Mana is the currency we employ to navigate our world of dice and cardboard. Having an infinite supply of it feels pretty darn good, even if you have no use for it at the moment. So how do you get there? How do you become a combo player? Evolving into a combo player starts by building a combo or two into your decks. You might do this because you believe every deck has to have a wincon somewhere, so games don't take forever. You might simply wonder if you can pull a combo off. You might feel like the only way to deal with other combo players is to have your own combos, and to try to outrace them. Whatever your reason, you're dipping your toe into very deep, possibly shark-infested waters. Some decks have a single way to combo off that the deckbuilder might not even know about. Dedicated combo decks might have dozens of game-winning combos and usually even involve their Commander in lots of them. These decks usually have lots of tutors and protection so you can win as quickly as possible. My Phenax mill deck has lots of combos. Duskmantle Guildmage and Mindcrank can infinitely mill/kill an opponent. Traumatize and Keening Stone will mill someone unless they have a way to shuffle their graveyard back into their library. Mill is not the best multiplayer strategy so in order to be able to compete I felt I really had to put in some combos to get the job done. With 100 cards in every player's deck, just milling a little here and there wasn't enough for me to ever pose a threat to an opponent. Whether you stick with it and become a true combo player has a lot to do with the people you play with and the approach you take to the game. Combo wins seem to elicit more bad sportsmanship on the part of opponents than any other kind of win. While a player isn't solely responsible for their opponents' reactions to losing, this does make some players less prone to want to jump into playing combo. Do your friends get salty every time you combo off? Is your relationship with them one where their bad sportsmanship encourages you to go deeper, or results in you playing more aggro and battleship EDH? It also has a lot to do with how much you enjoy the unique challenge of playing combo. Combo is more mentally taxing in ways that less convoluted strategies just aren't. I've seen competent players borrow decks and stare at boardstates, unable to figure out the win that they just know they have on board. Simply put, playing combo takes a level of mental gymnastics that appeals to some players more than others. Not all smart players play combo, but few stupid ones are able to do so with much success. It also has a lot to do with winning. Good combo decks win a lot. It takes a deck that runs lots of answers, usually in the form of removal, counterspells, or ability suppression to be able to keep a good combo deck from winning the game. You can also just hit them hard and fast enough that they are out of the game before they can win. The problem is that most non-combo players don't have enough answers and aren't willing to hit a player who doesn't hit them first and isn't hitting them back. They might knock the combo player down a bit, but they want everyone to have fun so they'll "spread the love" and attack other players as well, leaving the combo player to do their thing and combo off eventually. EDH is a social format and combo players take advantage of this to lay low until they can assemble their win. Combo doesn't always win. Sometimes the deck isn't consistent enough. Sometimes the table has answers, but the better the deck, the more quick, consistent and unstoppable the wins will be. Combo players may be accused of only caring about winning, but that's too trite an explanation. Combo is about the suspense of trying to assemble a winning boardstate. Combo is about the danger of facing opponents who are sometimes able to deal out huge amounts of damage remarkably early in the game. Combo is about playing a style of game that makes you think hard about how your cards relate to each other, and requires you to assemble, execute and explain complex interactions to players who might be skeptical that you really did just win the game. Of course, winning feels good and combo is undeniably about winning. Many players who put a combo or two into a deck eventually build dedicated combo decks. Some of them learn to love this strategy. In time they get a feel for the timing of when to lay low and when to try to go off, and as they get better at this they win more and more games. Some players will never really get into combo play. That doesn't necessarily make them worse players, though having a full and deep understanding of all facets of the game is necessary to become an elite player. Combo is not, however, the pinnacle of EDH deckbuilding and play. It is not the end to your journey, though it might feel that way as you find yourself winning more and more games. Stage 5: Having All The Answers So you've developed strong decks, you've assembled great boardstates with incredible synergy and you may even have a combo deck or two. You may have become a true combo player and win an huge portion of the games in which you play. You're done, right? You win tons of games where other players can't out-race you and don't have enough answers. When your opponents win, well, that happens sometimes. You just work to make your deck faster and more brutal. Your goal is to never lose. I'm here to tell you that you are NOT at the top of your game. I would suggest that there is one more step to take to become a truly elite player. That last step is learning how to have all the answers. In order to get to your win, you need to be able to slow down and disrupt everyone else at the table. Your opponents are all trying to win the game too, and you need to find the balance between building a drag racer and an armored humvee. You need to deal with your opponents' threats and you have to find ways to deal with tricky stuff like shroud, hexproof and indestructibility. You need to understand when to get rid of an opponent's Deadeye Navigator and how to remove or even steal an opponent's Narset. If your opponent wins first, you lose the game, so you need to find that balance between offense and defense that makes you able to not just be a glass cannon. Becoming an elite Commander player is about balance. It is also about understanding that sometimes the right answer is not actually to win the game. The best EDH players have already won a lot of games in their time. They like to win. They just don't NEED to win in the way many lesser players do. Elite players can be graceful in defeat and sympathetic to their opponents in victory. They are the kinds of players that other players want at their tables, even if they are frustratingly difficult to actually beat in a game. They understand that players who are still learning the game need to have some success if they are going to want to continue playing the game and getting deeper and deeper into the format. They can sit there with a win in their hand, including their combo, ways to prevent disruption and ways to get their cards to stick, and they can watch another player make a great play, create a winning boardstate, and close out the game without an ounce of regret for the loss they just endured. Only a few players winning the lion's share of the games isn't good for a playgroup. In league and tournament play, you can't blame anyone for playing their best. In any other environment, if one or two players always win and especially if they win in ways that aren't fun for anyone but themselves, it's not unreasonable to expect that new and midrange players may not return for their regular beatings. Some players will come back, but on average you have to expect that one sided games aren't going to result in a healthy and robust EDH community. The trolls reading this will grunt, mutter "heh... git gud, loosahs... just git gud" under their breaths and move on, discounting anything I have written here that brings into question their endless need to compensate for the problems they have in their lives by making other people feel worse about themselves. They may or may not be combo players. They may or may not be gamer-gaters or members of the "alt right". One thing is certain, they have a lot to learn about life. They will never be elite. They will always be lacking, both as players and as people. If you don't have a playgroup, you don't have games. If you are literally hated by everyone you've played with, people won't play with you any more. If your decks are being banned, it's entirely possible that you are the problem other players are trying to get rid of, not your decks. Elite players know how to win. They also know how to lose, and they know the importance of doing both and doing both gracefully. This last step is the hardest step for most players to reach because it involved not just improving as players but becoming better people. I don't think this is something that can be taught. It is only something that can be demonstrated, with the hope that other players will recognize a good role model when they see one and will in time strive to become better players beyond just the tapping of mana and slinging of cards. Some players may not understand how you can play at a midrange level with midrange players and still be able to play competitively with competitive players. It doesn't make sense to them, but I firmly believe it is essential to becoming an elite player. You may be able to find a single commander who provides the ability to play at different levels of competitiveness without having to switch decks. An easier approach is simply to maintain a variety of decks at different levels of competitiveness and to pick and choose which deck to play based upon who you are playing with. Not everyone has the finances to build tons of decks and not everyone is able to build "bad" decks. Some players start building a midrange EDH deck and the next thing they know, they're assembling an infinite combo, winning on turn 5 and wondering why everyone is so annoyed with them. Don't be that guy. Aim higher. Become an elite EDH player. Understanding Combo Hate So I've done my best to explain how I personally view the evolution of an EDH player. One of the questions I was going to try to address today is why combo is so hated and what, if anything, we can do about it. I think that's a really difficult topic because there is no one answer. For some people the reasons they hate combo are many and they are complicated. It should also go without saying that some players, even some non-combo players, don't actually hate combo. Combo Wins Everyone wants to win. Good combo players win a lot. Sometimes just losing is enough to make players get salty. This is perhaps the most obvious reason why some players hate combo. They hate losing, and experienced combo players win a lot. Battlefield Bias Players who build decks to win on the battlefield will sometimes resent having a game's resolution not actually occur on the battlefield. They feel like they are playing the game by one set of rules and the combo player is playing by another set of rules. It doesn't feel fair and it will take effort to bring their deck to the next level, where they will be able to cope with these new and unexpected challenges. They resent having to go to that effort when games used to be won or lost "honestly" using the creatures you cast, and the combat tricks you bring into the fray. Having to add 8-10 "answers" because someone can't just duke it out means less room for their beloved fatties, and all those fun shenanigans they like to whip out as they charge into combat again and again. They resent having to make their decks less "fun" just so that they can deal with the combo player's endless tricks. Battlefield bias extends to the creation of infinite creatures. Creating an infinite army may result in a win "on the battlefield" but also feels like cheating to a player who isn't playing with combo. An infinite army isn't a "normal" boardstate, and there is no point in bothering to declare attackers and assign blockers. Rendering the basic mechanics of going through combat so utterly pointless is essentially making the battlefield irrelevant, even if the win does actually occur on the battlefield. Winning off the battlefield and creating an infinite army are essentially the same thing to a player with "battlefield bias". These players dislike being forced to rework their decks to have a decent shot at winning.They don't get why everyone can't just play normal decks and have normal games with normal resolutions. It goes without saying that their decks will be better if they run more answers, but that doesn't mean they'll be happy about it. Trouble with Closure When you spend a great deal of time building up your board, setting up your plans, getting all the right pieces in place and then trying to close out a game of EDH, it involves a lot of mental investment. Look at the game as being like a train of thought. It starts out slow, gains momentum and eventually pulls into the station where if all went as planned, you can celebrated as the victorious party. Of course, games don't usually go quite as planned. You may have some challenges along the way. Hopefully you see them coming and you can adjust your expectations as you figure out whether or not you will be able to overcome them or not. Losses on the battlefield usually don't come out of nowhere. You see the challenges get played, you watch your life total slowly get whittled down. You can deal with that. Even the occasional creature played with haste and pumped up is something you can deal with. It's combat. They had evasion, you didn't have blockers, or your opponent had just the right combat trick. You do the same thing sometimes, so it's annoying but not unthinkable. You still kind of see it coming. Losing to a combo is different. It's like having your train flying along the track at high speed and suddenly, an impenetrable wall of "game over" appears out of nowhere. The train is wrecked and all that planning, all those thoughts, all those expectations are for nothing. It is jarring. It is mentally and emotionally disruptive if you were at all invested in trying to actually win the game. Not everyone deals with sudden change well, and some players deal with it really badly. You may not need closure as badly as Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory, but many players find combo losses jarring. It goes without saying that combo wins don't REALLY come out of nowhere, but players who tend to get salty may also be the kinds of players who will not recognize combo pieces and may not even recognize combo decks. If you don't recognize combo, it will always feel like you are being blindsided. Money Makes the Salt Flow Faster Losing is hard enough. When money is on the line, that only ever serves to multiply the frustration and the anger. There is a reason I urge people to have their EDH league be free. You will still have spikes, combo players and hard feelings. Don't make it worse by adding money into the mix. If you do have players getting super salty over losses, try removing money from the equation. I got a rock... In the classic Peanuts Halloween special, Charlie Brown goes trick-or-treating and gets nothing but rocks in the bag he brought for candy. When you show up to play EDH, if you only play one game and someone wins it by using a combo, the losing players can feel like Charlie Brown on Halloween. You showed up to play some EDH and all you got was this one shitty game where all you got to do was watch some combo player play with him or herself. Sometimes there's only time for one game, but this is why I urge players to play multiple games in a play session. Even for an EDH League, it is important to play at least two. The reason is simple. If you have a terrible game, you're less likely to be salty if you might have another chance at having a good game before you have to wrap up. I also strongly urge players who win the first game to at least think about switching up decks for the second game, especially if it's just casual play and there's nothing on the line. You got your win. Why not let someone else get a win, or challenge yourself by seeing if you can win when playing a lesser deck? Conclusions If you've gotten this far, I'm hoping you have an open mind and will take my conclusion with the grain of salt it deserves to be taken with. Combo is love. Combo is life. Just kidding. Combo is, whether you like it or not, a part of our format. It probably always has been and I'm sure it always will be. I suggest you learn how to play it, or at the very least, learn how to deal with it. You will become a better player as a result. I also suggest you learn to cope with it in ways that promote a healthy playgroup. I do not think banning combo, banning certain cards or banning certain commanders is a real solution or one you should seriously consider. Just shuffle up and play again, and ask your combo players to play more than just combo decks. If they give a damn about the health of your playgroup, they will meet you in the middle and balance out their dominant combo play with some more midrange, non-combo play. Friends will work together to try to accommodate everyone's needs and try to make sure everyone has some fun.
Martellus Bennett's banishment from Chicago Bears training camp is over after one missed preseason game. Bennett returned to Bears headquarters on Sunday, telling reporters, "It's good to be back." The starting tight end was suspended by the team after slamming first-round cornerback Kyle Fuller to the ground during practice. He had also reportedly rubbed teammates and coaches the wrong way with his attitude over the past couple of weeks. "I understand what they want from me," Bennett said Sunday, via ESPN.com's Michael C. Wright. "I feel like I could've handled the situation differently." Although Bennett will presumably move back to the top of the depth chart, the Bears now know they have a handy insurance policy after watching oft-injured backup Zach Miller burn the Eagles for 68 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Friday's game. The latest Around The League Podcast answers every question about preseason action that you were too afraid to ask.
When Charles Sasser was 12, his father sent him down to the county barn to stand in line for what he called “gimpy groceries” – government surplus commodities such as beans, cheese and powdered milk. It was an exceedingly difficult year on the family farm; otherwise, the elder Sasser’s pride and dignity would have prevented him from accepting charity. He was too proud to ask for government handouts, which was why he sent Charles in his place. As young Charles stood in line with the other poor farmers at the county barn, one of the government workers handing out free food pushed him for some reason. Charles, who was a scrappy little kid, readied for a fight. But the government worker only sneered, “Boy, if the government feeds you, it’ll do what it damn well pleases.” That was the best lesson Charles Sasser ever learned. He came to realize anyone who depends on government is ultimately a slave to government. He never accepted any government handouts after that. Now, after nearly 40 years as a journalist and historian, Sasser recognizes the familiar cycle that many countries throughout history have gone through: from bondage to spiritual faith to great courage to liberty to abundance to complacency to apathy to dependency to bondage once again. Charles Sasser’s “Crushing the Collective: The Last Chance to Keep America Free and Self-Governing” is available now at the WND Superstore! “If we look around right now, we look at our society, we’re back on the dependency stage,” Sasser said in an interview with “The Hagmann Report.” “The next step is back to bondage, and you can see with the chaos that’s occurring right now in our society that we’re only one step away from tyranny.” Sasser, author of the brand-new book “Crushing the Collective: The Last Chance to Keep America Free and Self-Governing,” fears it may be too late to revive the United States. “When we have 47 percent of our people dependent in one form or another upon government largesse, then we have reached that dependency stage,” he said. “You give people something, they don’t want [anyone] to take it away.” In fact, ancient Rome had a massive welfare state, with more than 300,000 Romans on the rolls at various times. It was one of the factors that eventually collapsed that great empire. Another contributing factor to Rome’s collapse, according to some historians, was mass perversion among the population. When Sasser worked as an undercover journalist among the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011, he witnessed a mixture of perversion and glorification of government dependency. “On this one table, they were rolling marijuana cigarettes and passing them out,” Sasser recalled. “The first night I’m there there was a rape, an assault, some guy urinating on a police car. I mean, it went on and on and on.” Everywhere he went, he saw signs and heard cries for free things – free education, free health care, free public transportation and the like. When Sasser would ask someone who was going to pay for all the freebies, he would invariably reply either “the rich” or “the government.” “We have President Barack Obama who comes out and commends these people as the future,” Sasser recalled. “These are the future of the nation, they tell us. If they are the future, this is a scary future. And I believe it may be our future.” Sasser has taught at junior colleges for almost 40 years, and he has lately noticed the proliferation of “safe spaces” and students who get offended by almost everything. “They’re incapable of coping with reality,” he said. “They’re incapable of being independent. I’m firmly convinced of that now. It’s a mob mentality, a collective mentality, a collective mentality that unless it’s crushed, it will crush the rest of the nation.” To avoid the same fate as Rome, the U.S. needs to return to a spirit of individualism and start demanding that people be independent, according to Sasser. But the federal government is doing the opposite. Sasser revealed he once lived with a family of black sharecroppers in Mississippi. One day, the family patriarch remarked that things were changing and blacks were being told to blame “whitey” for the poor condition of their race. This was during the period immediately after passage of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” welfare legislation in the mid-1960s. Prior to that, Sasser pointed out, there was very little difference between white culture and black culture in terms of the unemployment rate, crime rate, fatherless rate and out-of-wedlock birth rate. But then came the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the War on Poverty, and things changed. “You know what happened to the black culture?” Sasser asked. “They became dependent on government. First of all, we said, ‘Well, you really don’t need a father because you’ve got welfare. Fathers are irrelevant anymore, and you can eat, you don’t have to work because you’re poor, and primarily a lot of it is because you don’t work that you’ve become poor.’ “Don’t call me racist; I grew up in poverty, and I know how to work. So we had that, they became dependent. Next thing you know, we had the black population put back on the plantation in the ghettos. We put them back because government promised to take care of them from cradle to grave.” The same thing has happened to Native Americans, Sasser said. He witnessed it firsthand because he is one-quarter Creek and once lived on an Indian reservation. He saw sky-high rates of alcoholism, suicide and unemployment among his fellow Indians. “We’ve destroyed those people,” Sasser lamented. “What people fail to understand is skin color has nothing to do with any of this. What it is is we’ve taken groups and split them into groups and made some of them dependent on government and turned them against everyone else.” And government dependency paves the way for a complete government takeover, he noted. While communism is more likely to take hold in a nation such as in pre-industrial Russia, a post-industrial nation such as the present-day United States is more vulnerable to fascism, a system in which private ownership is conditioned on submission to the state. If fascism comes to America, it will not come from white supremacists, according to Sasser. Rather, it will come from radical left-wing groups such as Antifa, which have the power of the media, wealthy financiers and many politicians behind them. “I had the privilege of living through some of the best days in America, and now I’m unfortunate enough to live through the final, last days of America,” Sasser said in conclusion. “We will see the last days unless we can crush this whole idea of the collective. We are not collective; we are individuals. People can’t seem to understand anymore that we are individuals, that we were the first nation in the world that declared that we were free and independent by virtue of God, and that built our entire nation on the idea of individual freedom.” Charles Sasser’s “Crushing the Collective: The Last Chance to Keep America Free and Self-Governing” is available now at the WND Superstore!
by Brendan Dunne The Nike Air Force 1 is one of the many shoes joining in on the Independence Day celebrations this year, and will be doing so with a Statue of Liberty-inspired look. The release, officially billed as the "Preserved Icons" Air Force 1, comes with a metallic texture that has a heat-activated, color changing look to it. The two states of the shoe represent how the Statue of Liberty has shifted in color with age. There are also starry insoles and metallic dubraes shaped like the torch of Lady Liberty. This Nike Air Force 1 "Statue of Liberty" will release in the coming days at Nike Sportswear retailers. UPDATE 7/1: New images of the upcoming Statue of Liberty courtesy of NYC boutique Heist, who has the sneaker release date pegged for this Friday, July 3. Nike Air Force 1 Low “Statue of Liberty” Release Date: 07/03/15 Color: Rust/Lime Style #: 812297-800 Price: $125
Madrid event is one of combined tournaments to offer a bigger prize money for men's draw than women's (€6,408,000 against €5,924,000), although the money is the same for everyone from the third round singles main draw. The tournament owner Ion Tiriac explained in an interview to Le Parisien that he disagrees with having same prize money, because numbers of views on websites, audience on TVs and interactions on social media are bigger for men's tennis. 'Let's not confuse business with human rights,' Tiriac said. 'Tennis is business. I understand players who say they are tired to see men's prize money help the women's. Someone says me: 'Sir Tiriac, when will you stop financing women with our money?' A very few ones said it publicly, although most of them think so. It's not right to pay men and women the same. When Williams sisters were having success at times when there was the Belgian star (Justine Henin), or Steffi Graf, they should have probably deserved to earn more. As for Slams, I can understand that they support equality because they pay a lot. But for combined events like Madrid, Miami and Indian Wells, I am not agree.' Speaking about the possible tennis format changes that will be introduced in the Next Gen ATP Finals, the rich Romanian admitted how it maybe difficult to see it in the official tournaments. 'The problem in tennis is that there are more bodies. ITF, ATP, WTA, Grand Slam committee... all this makes complicated introducing changed. Tennis changed less in the last 30 years, only tie-break and Hawk-Eye were introduced. But I find useless that at the Roland Garros it's not used. In the 2014 final against Sharapova Halep was affected by a bad call and if Hawk-Eye were there, she would have won French Open and her life would have changed', said Tiriac, who helps Halep in the management committments. 'Also, balls should be 10-15% bigger so that the game gets low and you can see more the players' talent. Also the point system should change, the killer point on 40-all. You should have a shot clock because players never take less 20 seconds between points.' Tiriac who had choosen Madrid event to be played on blue clay in 2012. That was a failure at the end: 'It doesn't exist a rule that establishes clay should be red. But ATP said no because three players (Nadal, Djokovic, Federer) complained. Though, 110 TVs had told me that thanks to blue clay you could see ball better.' ALSO READ: Ion Tiriac criticizes Roger Federer: 'We can't count on him anymore'
On one side of this tropical strip, UN delegates, media, and observers shuttle between luxurious hotels, posh restaurants, a white sandy beach with turquoise water, and a modern convention center where they spend their time bemoaning man-made climate change and planning the energy future for the rest of the globe. One the other side of the Cancun “Hotel Zoneria,” just 10 or 15 kilometers from downtown, live countless numbers of Mexican families without electricity, running water, or any of the other modern conveniences we in the developed world take for granted everyday. It was to this other side that CFACT traveled today, bringing delegates and reporters to see what energy poverty looks like, up-close and in-person. “As COP16 participants consider the future of the world’s energy policy, it is vital that the voices of those suffering energy poverty are heard,” I said in our announcement. So off we went in a convoy of white vans – Germans and Kenyans and Americans and Kazahkstanis and English and Tawainese and others – to see a side of Cancun featured in no magazines or travelogs. Fifteen minutes on the highway headed through the Yucatan jungle, another five minutes or so on Merida Road, and then a bumpy, twisting ride over a pothole scarred back road, and there we were, in the Comunidad de La Libertad, more easily known as “Community of Freedom” back in Des Moines or Omaha. One young mother graciously agreed to let us visit her makeshift house – made of some wood planks and stone and a bit of cement – and share with us how she and her family live. After telling us through a translator that “her heart was beating out of her chest because she’s never had any visitors like this,” she went on to show the sparse interior of her abode, and then took us outside where most of her work is done. She cooks most food in an old metal barrel over an open fire – tortillas on a metal pan or beans boiling in a pot of water – because she can only afford a little gas for her indoor stove, and wouldn’t waste a week’s worth of energy on one pot of beans. Thus, she and her two little children get to breathe in the smoke from the cooking fire; smoke that kills an estimated two to three million women and children around the world each year from respiratory diseases. There is no plumbing or proper sanitation – just an outhouse-style bathroom where basin baths and other necessities are attended to. Clothes-washing is done by hand, taking hours of time, and water comes from a small hand-pumped well that provides relatively convenient, but certainly not uncontaminated, water. One son is able to attend school, but the younger daughter, age five, is not able to attend because even though tuition is free, there are small expenses associated with going to school that can’t be met on her husband’s one-day-yes, one-day-no part-time labor. So the delegates looked, and listened, and asked questions – and were thankful for having the chance to get away from the UN gabfest, and remember who it is that actually has the most skin in the climate and energy game. “It is one thing to talk about poverty, but it is another to come here in person – where you can feel it,” commented one representative from India who joined the CFACT tour. “I would have left anything at the summit to come here and see this,” he added. But for others, the visit was surprising from an opposite perspective. One delegate from Tanzania said the women’s house would be like a palace back home, and that his own mother doesn’t have a house even half as good. But maybe that’s not so surprising after all, since 90% of those living in sub-Saharan Africa have no electricity, and children there must also do their homework by candlelight or paraffin lamps, as CFACT demonstrated when it organized a visit with local Kenyan schoolchildren during the COP12 meeting in Nairobi. CFACT’s energy poverty tour of Cancun ended on a joyful note as the group visited the local elementary school of La Libertad – the sole school in the area for four large communities – and sponsored a small lunchtime fiesta for the children complete with a mariachi band, piñatas, and a magician. CFACT also pledged to provide the school with its first electric lights. In remarks at the school, I noted that CFACT’s “adopt a village” program actually started in Cancun in 2003 during the WTO summit when the group began a relationship with a neighboring community, delivering two tons of food and visiting three more times over the next few years to provide solar ovens and panels, laptops, and various cleanup efforts. “For many years, we merely talked about public policy, but in 2003, we decided to actually get involved hands-on, and work alongside communities to help lift them out of poverty.” Despite such hopeful efforts, the sad reality remains that many global warming campaigners are here in Cancun proposing treaty provisions that would do nothing to affect the climate. But they would callously trap millions of families, like the one we visited today, in perpetual energy poverty.
Field Trip: Fluorite and Secondary Lead-Zinc Minerals from Marion, Kentucky Site Description: The Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar district is world famous for the enormous quantity of huge, gorgeously crystalline purple and yellow fluorite that originated from the now defunct mines near Cave-In-Rock Illinois. Just take a look at the amazing samples on eBay to get an idea of the current prices and selections. Many collectors do not know that despite the closure of the by far most significant fluorite localities in the region, there are still places in the area to find gorgeous fluorite. While many of these localities are abandoned mines that require deep underground exploration to retrieve specimens, the mines in Marion, Kentucky have specimen rich dumps that are easily worked by hand from the surface. While aesthetic material is plentiful, many of the workings are quite muddy and messy to dig in. It is important to keep in mind that while many gorgeous specimens can be had with minimal digging, specimens of similar quality to those seen in the nearby Ben E. Clement Museum, which features local minerals, are hard to find. Perhaps the best central location to access all the mines in the region from is the Ben E. Clement mineral museum (http://www.clementmineralmuseum.org/). In the museum, they have many of the finest American fluorite specimens on display. Many are from the collection of the museum’s namesake- a giant in the local fluorite mining industry. It is amazing to see the near infinite color variation that fluorite possesses, especially the great diversity within the region. The museum has scheduled digs for fluorite and other kinds of minerals beginning late April through October. In addition to daytime digs, night digs for fluorescent specimens are held too. The museum can also arrange custom digs. Regardless, pre-registration is required. Difficulty Level: Moderate Supplies Needed: Safety Goggles Water Sunscreen Insect Repellant Hand Lens Crack Hammer Chisel Shovel Wrapping Paper for Specimens Bucket Sledgehammer (optional) UV Light (optional) The Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum 205 N Walker St., Marion, KY 42064 (270)965-4263 Mineralogy: The following is a list and brief description of common minerals found at the Marion area mines. Calcite: A common gangue mineral. Rarely forms crystals good enough to keep. Often fluoresces red. Cerussite: Very nice cerussite crystals come from the Marion mines and they are often overlooked. Forms colorless to smoky gray highly lustrous crystals associated with galena and hemimorphite. They either occur singly or are twinned and reach about 1cm in size. Crystals have diverse habits. Image: http://www.mindat.org/photo-207070.html Caption: Cerussite- Hickory Cane Mine, Marion, KY 17x13mm Steve Bonney Specimen and Photo Fluorite: The most sought after mineral at the Marion mines. Found in sharp purple cubic crystals with a maximum diameter of about 3cm. Very easy to identify- the only purple colored mineral at any of the local mines. Found as micro to large cabinet sized specimens. The Marion area is world famous for fluorite. Image: http://www.mindat.org/photo-76574.html Caption: Fluorite- Eureka Mine, Marion, KY Crystals to 7.5mm Peter Cristofono Specimen and Photo Galena: Small cubes of galena to around 1.5cm can be found. Often they are weathered. Image: http://www.mindat.org/photo-226066.html Caption: Columbia Mine, Marion KY 6x7cm Steve Bonney specimen and photo. Greenockite: Rare naturally occurring cadmium sulfide that occurs as ochre colored powder with sulfide minerals, especially weathered sphalerite. Sometimes colors smithsonite yellow. Hemimorphite: Hemimorphite forms druses of colorless to yellowish crystals in vugs and on weathering zinc minerals. Can cover areas to several cm with glittering crystals. Common, but often overlooked. Image: http://www.mindat.org/photo-172178.html Caption: Hickory Cane Mine, Marion, KY 1.7cm FOV Steve Bonney specimen and photo. Hydrozincite: Powdery white secondary zinc mineral. Fluoresces blue under SW UV light. Quartz: Typically occurs as small drusy or isolated crystals to 4mm. Some are smoky. Smithsonite: Ususally forms thick, liberal coatings of colorless to tannish botryoidal material. Some specimens are crystalline and some are yellow colored due to the presence of greenockite inclusions. Cabinet specimens are known. Photo: http://www.mindat.org/photo-305765.html Caption: Marion, KY 7.5 x 6.5 x 5.8cm Rob Lavinsky photo Sphalerite: Small aesthetic crystals of sphalerite to about 3mm are abundant. They are typically very lustrous and orange-brown in color. By Jeremy Zolan
Telkom has denied a suggestion that a new policy, which could lead to downtime for broadband asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) switching Internet service providers, is anticompetitive. This comes after some ISPs warned their customers that from 19 June, Telkom will implement a “suspend phase” under which users will experience downtime of anything between a few days and a few weeks when requesting an ADSL line transfer to another ISP. There is currently no downtime when transferring an ADSL line from one ISP to another. “There is no anticompetitive behaviour displayed on this process,” Telkom spokesman Jacqui O’Sullivan said in response to a query from TechCentral. “The new policy allows for transparency and provides a safety mechanism to all service providers to ensure that their customers are moving in accordance with the contractual arrangements they have with their current provider.” O’Sullivan explained that Telkom is introducing the ADSL line transfer policy as part of efforts to improve its customer experience and service. “The new policy introduces changes on the resell DSL order handling and flow methodology.” She said the change is meant to address order flow with regard to customers migrating from one service provider to another. “All end users requesting a migration from their current service provider to another service provider will first be migrated to a Telkom Wholesale holding pool. Accordingly, upon receipt by Telkom Wholesale of the migrate application from a service provider, the above migration of the end user concerned into the Telkom Wholesale holding pool will first be implemented. “This is to ensure that only end users who are free from any contractual obligations to their current service provider are eligible for migration to a new service provider. It is necessary to observe the business rules applicable to the Telkom Wholesale holding pool in order to provide the best possible advice and guidance to a migrating end user,” she said. There are currently two order types available to all service providers seeking to migrate an end user. Telkom said these will remain in place and are:
A student team from Trichy district of Tamil Nadu, has designed cost-effective urinals using waste plastic bottles. The environment-friendly and low-cost urinals made them win a Rs 50,000 cash prize worth national design competition. The Union Middle School in Karumbapatti of Manaparai block in Tamil Nadu was suffering from the hazard of unclean toilets for a long time. The unhygienic condition of the school washroom facilities was leading to various infectious diseases. Devoid of proper urinals, the male students would have to urinate on the floor, causing their shoes and feet to be soiled by urine. The issue was becoming a cause for various urinary infections. The competition 'Design for Change' gave the students an opportunity to fix the toilet problem. As the cost of installing a urinal was high, they came up with an innovative solution. The students cut the waste plastic bubble tops longitudinally and painted them white to make them look like urinals. Students design cost-effective urinals Students design cost-effective urinals Further, they collected funds from their teachers to procure other necessary parts to make the newly designed urinals functional. They even did the piping work by themselves to give the urinals their final shapes. The innovation while providing a cost-effective urinal system to the schools lacking toilet facilities, has also provided a remarkable example for plastic recycling. ALSO WATCH: Swachh Bharat effect: Women, children can use hotel washrooms in Bengaluru for free ALSO READ: Actor Akshay digs toilet in Madhya Pradesh to promote Toilet Ek Prem Katha After Delhi, Bengaluru restaurants to open restroom doors for women, children
(Bloomberg) — U.S. aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson has been diverted to the Western Pacific instead of sailing from Singapore to Australia, the navy said, amid escalated tensions on the Korean peninsula over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. The strike group includes the Carl Vinson, several guided-missile destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser, according to a statement on the navy’s website. It did not specify a destination. “U.S. Pacific Command ordered the Carl Vinson strike group north as a prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence in the Western Pacific,” Pacific Command spokesman Dave Benham said on Sunday. “Third Fleet ships operate forward with a purpose: to safeguard U.S. interests in the Western Pacific,” he said. “The number one threat in the region continues to be North Korea, due to its reckless, irresponsible, and destabilizing program of missile tests and pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability.” Reuters reported the carrier will move near the Korean peninsula, citing a U.S. official it did not identify. Pacific Command declined to provide the precise location the carrier strike force will be deployed. U.S. President Donald Trump sent a message to North Korea and its ally China during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Florida that he was willing to take action over Kim Jong Un’s nuclear program, said Lee Ho-ryung, chief of North Korean studies at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. Read more: Syria missile strike sends message to Trump’s foreign rivals “The U.S. is proving itself that it can really take action if you play with chemical weapons like Syria,” Lee said. Still, “the Carl Vinson’s move toward the Korean peninsula is probably a decision they made some time ago as part of the Foal Eagle joint military drills. In that sense, it’s not a special move.” The strike group has participated in numerous exercises with Japan and the South Korea and conducted routine patrol operations in the South China Sea since its Jan. 5 deployment from San Diego, California, the Navy statement said. North Korea conducted another ballistic missile test on April 5, shortly before Xi and Trump met. Kim has said previously his regime is close to developing a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to the continental U.S. North Korea said Sunday that U.S. missile strikes against Syria last week were “absolutely unpardonable,” according to a Korean Central News Agency report citing a foreign ministry spokesman. North Korea will bolster its capacity to protect itself from “reckless moves,” the spokesman was quoted as saying.
Image copyright Thinkstock Short six-second bursts of vigorous exercise have the potential to transform the health of elderly people, say researchers in Scotland. A pilot study involving 12 pensioners showed going all-out in very short bursts, reduced blood pressure and improved general fitness over time. The team at Abertay University believe it could help avert the "astronomical" costs of ill health in elderly people. Experts said the study emphasised the benefits of exercise at any age. High Intensity Training (HIT) has attracted a lot of attention for promising some of the same benefits as conventional exercise but in a much shorter time. Instead of a comfortable half-hour jog or a few miles on the bike, HIT involves pushing yourself to your limits for a short period of time. The team in Scotland say they were conducting the first trials in older people. Get a sweat on A group of pensioners came into the lab twice a week for six weeks and went hell for leather on an exercise bike for six seconds. They would allow their heart rate to recover and then go for it again, eventually building up to one minute of exercise by the end of the trial. "They were not exceptionally fast, but for someone of that age they were," researcher Dr John Babraj said. The results, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, showed participants had reduced their blood pressure by 9%, increased their ability to get oxygen to their muscles and found day-to-day activities like getting out of a chair or walking the dog easier. Image copyright Thinkstock Dr Babraj told the BBC the benefits could be huge: "We've got an ageing population and if we don't encourage them to be active, the economic burden of that is going to be astronomical. "A lot of diseases are associated with sedentary behaviour - like cardiovascular disease and diabetes - but if we can keep people active and functioning then we can reduce the risk. "Also on the social side, they are less likely to be socially active and will interact with people more." More than 10 million people in the UK are over 65 and that figure is set to rise. Dr Babraj says older people struggle to exercise as many are full-time carers, but argues High Intensity Training would be easier to fit in. He said people could try it at home, but should see their doctor first to ensure there were no underlying health issues. "Then the easiest way to do it yourself is to run up a hill, the steeper the hill, the harder it's going to be, give it everything you've got for six seconds." Image copyright Thinkstock Safe? There is an argument that short and strenuous exercise may be safer than conventional exercise. A higher heart rate and blood pressure caused by exercise can be a trigger for heart attacks and stroke. Dr Babraj said running for a long time "puts a greater strain on the heart overall" even if it is worked harder in the short-term in High Intensity Training. Larger trials are now planned. Dr Adam Gordon, a consultant and honorary secretary of the British Geriatrics Society, told the BBC: "This is a brilliant, fantastic piece of work challenging assumptions about what the right type of exercise is in old age, but I'd encourage them to investigate the benefits in even older and even more frail people. "The broad message is that you're never too old, too frail, too ill to benefit from exercise, as long as it's carefully chosen. "We know even into your 80s and 90s there's a benefit from developing a very slight sweat by exercising on multiple occasions per week."
Women who have a Cesarean don't often get the chance to hold their bundle of joy right after delivery. In efforts to keep the operating room sterilized and allow Mom to be with her child, three nurses created a C-section drape that grants immediate skin-to-skin contact. Deborah Burbic, Jess Niccoli, and Kimberly Jarrelle are the wonderful women behind the Skin to Skin C-Section Drape, a new invention that allows doctors to pass a baby through a resealable flap to the mother and then close it, to keep the surgical site sterile. Using the highest grade of surgical drape, the Skin to Skin C-Section Drape is quite resistant, and even allows for Mom to view her birth through the portal. More from The Stir: C-Section Recovery: 9 Tips to Help You Heal Faster Collectively, these ladies have over 50 years in the nursing game -- specifically in labor and delivery -- and thought of every loophole possible to make this perfect for the operating room. Needless to say, when nurses come together, good things can happen. Teamwork makes the dream work. In many ways, this new drape is groundbreaking and one of a kind. Yes, there are clear drapes that allow Mom to "see" the baby, but nothing that gives her the chance to hold her pride and joy right after surgery. These nurses have seen the amazing benefits of skin-to-skin contact after vaginal deliveries, and they wanted to provide a resource that would allow mothers who have a C-section to get the same opportunity. More from The Stir: A Love Letter to C-Section Moms (That Everyone Should Read) I don't know about you, but I'm all for products that help mothers. Many mom friends of mine have had C-sections and never got the chance to have immediate skin-to-skin contact with their babies. Yes, some facilities are all for the "gentle Cesarean" that allows for this bonding time, but not all are (for various reasons). Even if it's for a moment, or a few minutes, at least mothers can love on their little ones before the child heads off to the warmer. Hopefully medical centers will embrace new products that maintain the sterile integrity of the operating room and allow for a few barriers to come down so Mom can enjoy her baby. Image via Steve Lovegrove/shutterstock
One of the nastiest dining experiences I have ever had was in a vegan restaurant. There was no interpretative dance, nor a vicious dining room fight involving sharpened broccoli spears, but there might as well have been. First off the lighting was harsh, like an art gallery or something. The portions were tiny and the mood of the staff was a notch below sulky. But all of that was nothing in comparison to the biggest sin; this restaurant didn't do bread. Bread. I mean, come on, bread. The source of joy to billions. The only product that will happily be smeared in jam, margarine or hummus (sure, you could spread the same condiments on vulcanised rubber, but they wouldn't be as tasty). Finally, and most crucially, bread is a product that need be made neither from bits of animal nor products derived from bits of animal. It qualifies as bloody vegan. But yet this restaurant didn't stock it, for reasons they couldn't explain but that I was happy to infer as having something to do with the fact that it contains carbohydrates and does not immediately make you lose weight. I wrote an article a few years ago about my wife making me eat vegan food – and how I liked it (apart from tofu). The Comment is free editors remembered this when a reader asked for a piece pegged to Vegetarian Week, asking for an article "from a vegan with a healthy and well-adjusted attitude to food, on how the carrot crunchers make us veggies look ridiculous". Now I'm not a vegan, nor indeed a vegetarian, even though a majority of the food I eat contains no meat and – breakfast apart, where I like butter – animal products. But I do believe two things: 1. that most people don't realise how tasty a non-meat diet can be; and 2. that there remains a strand of the meat-free community who revel in a form of self-regarding denial. Like not eating bloody bread. I know I have benefited from eating a lot of vegan food. Thanks to all those mung bean salads, tofu satay rice bowls and coconut carrot curries, I've lost weight, feel healthier and appreciate a broader range of flavours and textures than I used to. I believe that anyone and everyone could enjoy such a diet on a regular basis and am struck by how little curiosity most people have about it. Sometimes I become convinced meat-eaters of my acquaintance are actually addicted to meat and have a little voice in their head warning them off carrots in case they love them too much and never touch a pork chop again. So on the one hand, I believe in a sinister anti-vegetable conspiracy on the part of the carnocracy. But on the other side of the divide are people who are equally blinkered. Those who see their diet as something less of a delight than a discipline. Those who afford social status to their food and wear a wheatgrass smoothie as a badge of honour (it's a big badge and it splatters easily over your shirt). This is the sort of person I understand the phrase "carrot cruncher" to be referring to, and the ideal diner at the restaurant I hated. It's also the sort of inversely snobbish, dreadfully self-important nonsense that gives "liberal" causes of all stripes a bad name. Persuading people of the virtues of a meat-free diet should be non-controversial. Without meat, you take a small number of domineering flavours and replace them with a huge range of other tastes instead. It's a diet that's varied, surprising and cheap, and most of all tasty. But until someone makes a case for vegetarianism in the mainstream, it will continue to be a badge for the righteous and a whipping boy for the traditionalists. It might need a TV show – perhaps one where Jamie Oliver travels the country trying to get fat kids to snack on kohlrabi – but I wonder if the answer might not be smaller, roughly about the size of a squash ball. If a national chain of smart, funky falafel restaurants didn't turn the nation onto the drool-inducing possibilities of a veg-based diet, I don't know what would. I mean, come on, it always comes wrapped in bread. • This article was commissioned after being suggested by Oroklini. If there's a topic you'd like to see covered on Comment is free, please visit our You tell us page
Two days after a 15-year-old black girl died in a fiery crash along a rural Mississippi road in 2009, someone using the anonymous online identity “GENERAL_LEE” began posting rants on the racist, anti-Semitic Vanguard News Network (VNN) website. One of the crash victims, Dijonaise Rutledge, died when she was thrown from the vehicle. But General Lee, in his online musings, seemed less concerned with the tragedy and more concerned with the girl’s “weirdest nigger name.” “Dijonaise. Get it? ‘Dijon’ as in mustard + ‘Aise’ as in mayonaise = Dijonaise. Cute yes?” General Lee wrote. He continued: “Well, Dijoinaise Rutledge, along with three fellow nogs met his [sic] final fate on the highways of Wilkinson County, Mississippi. So, we’re four niggers short.” For almost a decade, General Lee has not only posted on VNN more than 3,500 times, but financially supported one of the most viciously racist Internet forums in the country, expounding on such topics as why he doesn’t tip black waitresses and entertaining such racist fantasies as wondering whether it is possible for a black person to procreate with a chimpanzee. Though he has posted a photograph of himself and his two sons, and once revealed that he uses the name “paulb” on another forum, he has closely guarded his identity. A Hatewatch investigation, however, has determined that the man spreading hate online as General Lee the “Creepy Ass Cracker” is really a 50-year-old Hattiesburg, Miss., personal injury lawyer named Paul Bryant Caston. Several sources, all requesting anonymity due to their past relationships with Caston, confirmed that the photographs he posted of himself were Caston. Additionally, a username linked to Caston in 2009 has been tied to General Lee on VNN. Though his affiliations with VNN were not previously known, his history on the racist right has been documented before. In 2009, One People’s Project in Philadelphia revealed that Caston had been posting on racist websites for years using the persona “shyster969,” though Caston denied that it was him. When contacted by Hatewatch this week, Caston declined to confirm, but did not deny, that he was General Lee. Shortly afterward, all VNN posts tied to his username were deleted. While Caston is hardly the only lawyer using the anonymity of the Web to spread racist rhetoric online, he has operated virtually unchecked for years. Black people are objects, animals or things, according to Caston, and he has frequently attacked fellow lawyers, including prominent civil rights attorneys such as Precious Martin in Jackson, Miss., who Caston called “it.” “Yeah, we’ve got one here named ‘Precious.’ Precious Martin. It’s a lawyer in the nigger hell-hole that is Jackson, Mississippi. I refuse to address it by its name. ... Hell will freeze over as solid as a gotdamned brick before I will ever address a nigger as ‘Precious,’” Caston once wrote. Martin, when contacted by Hatewatch, was unaware of what Caston had said about him and seemed to be flabbergasted that anyone could be so hateful. “I have a hard time hating any man,” Martin said. “I can’t understand why this guy hates me so, and I don’t even know him. He hates me for the work I’m doing trying to make the community a better place, and I just don’t understand that.”
where architects live: inside the homes of zaha hadid, shigeru ban and david chipperfield where architects live: inside the homes of zaha hadid and shigeru ban photo © davide pizzigoni presented at salone del mobile, part of milan design week 2014, ‘where architects live’ gives an intriguing insight into the daily lives of some of the world’s leading designers: shigeru ban, mario bellini, david chipperfield, massimiliano and doriana fuksas, zaha hadid, marcio kogan, daniel libeskind and bijoy jain of studio mumbai. the exhibition intimately reveals the homes of the eight architects, broadening visions of domestic architecture and interior design, and suggesting that this discipline is most suited to evolution and experimentation. as well as the photographs shown below, the event’s curator francesca molteni worked alongside architect and scenographer davide pizzigoni to collect real-life videos, sounds, comments and reconstructions. the end result is an interactive and engaging exhibition that thoroughly documents each architects’ way of living. david chipperfield photo © davide pizzigoni after being commissioned to rebuild the neues museum in 1997, david chipperfield relocated to the mitte district of berlin. in the courtyard that contains both his house and his studio, the british architect also designed a canteen, providing a place where locals can meet and congregate. built of concrete, the house large windows overlooking the street and the courtyard. containing a few italian furnishings from the 50s and 60s, two colors compliment the concrete interior: the green of a velvet sofa and the orange bookcase that divides the space between the kitchen and the sitting room. photo © simon menges shigeru ban photo © hiroyuki hirai built in japan’s hanegi forest, shigeru ban completed his home in 1997. the challenge for the architect was to avoid removing any trees from the forest, instead crafting a dwelling around them. envisioned as a zen monk’s room, the building comprises few furnishings, and plenty of natural light. photo © hiroyuki hirai zaha hadid photo © davide pizzigoni now living in an open space in london, zaha hadid’s memories of the home were formed as a child growing up in baghdad. light filters into the dwelling through a skylight, while works by russian artist el lissitzky hang on the walls. throughout the residence, a plethora of portraits, furnishings and objects in hadid’s typical style define the living space. photo © davide pizzigoni daniel libeskind photo © nicola tranquillino forming a refuge in the center of manhattan, daniel libeskind’s home contains a multitude of reading material alongside paint brushes that portray his great interest in painting. a table, with red legs and a granite top, has followed the family throughout its lengthy journey to new york. sketch by daniel libeskind massimiliano and doriana fuksas photo © aki furudate located in paris, doriana and massimiliano fuksas’ home features original jean prouvé furniture, and plenty of artworks, from fontana to paladino. at its threshold, antique warriors stand guard over the house, awaiting the return of its traveling architects. photos © aki furudate marcio kogan photo © romulo fialdini architecture © studio mk27, marcio kogan referencing the bright and free spaces of brazil, marcio kogan’s abode is situated on the 12th floor of a building he designed in 1980. influenced by the silver screen, a huge panoramic window frames views of the city, while internal volumes are full of personal ornaments and travel souvenirs. photo © romulo fialdini architecture © studio mk27, marcio kogan mario bellini photo © davide pizzigoni mario bellini’s proudly milanese home is located in a 19th century building, remodeled by piero portaluppi. its defining feature is a nine meter high library/staircase, which runs throughout the dwelling. bijoy jain of studio mumbai photo © francesca molteni bijoy jain lives and works in a village immersed in the indian countryside, 30 kilometers from the center of mumbai. the home, which seemingly belongs to the entire community, features a large swimming pool set amid the ancient trees, while the reading room captures and tracks the day’s light and shadow movements.
Bitcoin developers believe Sidechains that allows creating new currency within the bitcoin network could turn bitcoin in the main Internet reserve currency. Sidechains is a new technology that is undergoing development now. Sidechains allows transferring bitcoin between blockchains via a two-way peg system, thus eliminating the necessity of creating new cryptocurrency. Blockstream is focused on the development of Sidechains technology designed to improve the blockchain. Sidechains are blockchains that are interoperable with each other and with bitcoin and that allow avoiding market fluctuations, liquidity shortages, fragmentation and security breaches. Blockstream develops Sidechains to enable new cryptocurrency networks that do not need new cryptocurrencies. The technology has been widely discussed in the bitcoin community with many cast doubt on the whole idea of the project. Still, some bitcoin developers consider that Sidechains has the potential to turn cryptocurrency into the reserve currency of the Internet. Fred Wilson from Union Square Ventures told: “Earlier this year some entrepreneurs walked into our office and explained sidechains to us. I was pretty excited about the concept then and I continue to be excited about it. It will be interesting to watch how all of this develops over the next year or two.” “If ‘pegs’ are added to the core Bitcoin system and software, and if sidechains become popular and viable, then Bitcoin would essentially become the reserve currency of the entire cryptocurrency sector and there would be a host of sidechains and currencies that are pegged to it. This would allow a ton of innovation to happen around Bitcoin without requiring a lot of change to the underlying Bitcoin system,” he added. Sidechains project has already gained support from a number of bitcoin developers. Among others Adam Back, the creator of the proof-of-work system, called Hashcash, which is used by bitcoin and some anti-spam systems. In the Sidechains ecosystem, the new currency can be created only after the user deactivates bitcoins, in other words, new tokens can be issued if bitcoin is frozen. This means the new digital currency is backed by bitcoin. The Sidechain user can deactivate 10 bitcoins and issue 40 litecoins. Sidechains is a way of creating new currency inside the bitcoin currency network and the project developers believe it could turn bitcoin into a reserve currency. The large number of altcoins, which are traded on exchanges today, can be valuable to the bitcoin sector due to certain features, writes Kyle Torpey at Inside Bitcoins. However, each altcoin has its own exchange rate and their usefulness as money is kept back by the bitcoin currency network. Thus, instead of having their own exchange rate, the issued litecoins are traded at 0.25 bitcoins. Analysts compare this to the fixed exchange rates that were used between fiat currencies and gold. Although gold is not yet the reserve currency today, central banks are still holding the metal, although there are no important reasons for keeping it. In spite of the fact that many fiat currencies have served as a reserve currency until today, dollar remains to be the main reserve currency. For years the US dollar was backed by gold, before President Nixon abolished convertibility of US dollar to gold back in 1971 in order to halt inflation. About 87% of the world currency reserves are kept in currency and its value totally depends on the government. While having a potential to turn into the main reserve currency of the Internet, it also has chances to become the reserve currency in the real world. However, the decision is up to bankers who define what to keep as a reserve currency. It’s obvious that one scarce source in the digital realm is enough and there is no need to have anything else besides bitcoin.
Share Facebook Twitter Reddit As the resident iBooks Author geek at TidBITS, I was not surprised when Adam Engst forwarded me a press release for a “novel-length work of literary fiction created with iBooks Author” and asked me if I wanted to take a look. What I found was an interesting, if not satisfying, mystery about art theft and chicanery in Venice: “Venice Under Glass,” by Stephan J Harper. Plot and Execution — The tale is recounted by the protagonist, one “Basil Baker” — a self-described “sleuth — a seeker of truth” who has been summoned to Venice by his Uncle Clive to help solve a rash of thefts of priceless Venetian glass from private collections and museums — a civic catastrophe described by the press as Il Maladora di Venezia. As Basil pursues various leads and clues, he meets a wealthy philanthropist, an art historian / tour guide with a black belt, a stereotypically clueless police inspector, a helpful singing gondolier, a jet-ski-riding gang member who is also the scion of a respected Venetian family, and a world-famous rap-music artist. Along the way, the narrator recounts various historical and cultural facts about the city known as the Queen of the Adriatic. Oh, and all of the characters in the book happen to be teddy bears… did I not mention that? The plush ursine cast allows the author to make a number of mildly amusing jokes, as well as to include some scenes that, were humans involved, might be too violent for many readers — for example, one character is brutally torn limb from limb. But fear no nightmares: in this world, thread and stuffing replaces blood and guts, and even the most severe injuries can be repaired by “the very best tailors and seamstresses in Italy.” (At another point in the tale, one character under interrogation has an eye brutally popped out — and then sewn back on so the questioning can continue!) Unfortunately, the mystery at the heart of the book is no mystery to anyone who has ever read more than a half-dozen works in the genre, and the writing is, at best, workmanlike. It reads, in fact, rather like a juvenile genre offering on the level of Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys, although it does brandish a vocabulary that might challenge many pre-teen readers… until they figure out that a tap can bring up the built-in iBooks dictionary. In fact, the book largely feels as though the author took his travel journal and photographs from a trip to Venice and wrapped them in a slender mystery, turning the stock characters (possibly based on friends and acquaintances) into stuffed bears as an in-joke: Harper has run a “literate site for bear lovers” for years. Many of the illustrations, in fact, look like travel photographs that he has processed with digital filters for artistic effect. The book also suffers from the bane of many self-published books: the lack of a professional editor to eliminate the typos (for example, straight quotes and “smart” quotes seem interchangeable in this book), stylistic infelicities, and simple errors in wording (“incredulous” does not mean the same thing as “unbelievable” — really, it doesn’t!). An editor might also have helped improve the book’s pacing and structure: the story opens slowly, floating like a gondola adrift on the Grand Canal, and even when it picks up some speed it never moves faster than a teddy bear toddle. As an Interactive Ebook — iBooks Author, which Harper used to construct his ebook, provides a variety of well-designed templates, navigational aids, and a collection of “widgets” — interactive tools for presenting video, images, quizzes, 3D models, and other elements — to aid in the construction of digital textbooks. (Let’s not forget that producing interactive textbooks was the original purpose of the software — see “Apple Goes Back to School with iBooks 2, iBooks Author, and iTunes U,” 19 January 2012.) Many of the app’s templates and widgets are also suitable for non-instructional books, and a number of publishers have taken advantage of that to produce non-textbook ebooks with it. What’s more, because the app was designed to be used by non-publishing professionals — specifically, by teachers, who generally have little available time to master complex professional-level software packages — it has also become a popular choice for authors who want to self-publish attractive ebooks without having to purchase and learn a complex publishing platform. iBooks Author is free and relatively easy to master (and for a little help, see my book, “Take Control of iBooks Author”). Harper, fortunately, does not make the mistake that many first-timers do when confronted with an app that provides lots of features: that is, to use and overuse every one of those features just because they are available. Instead, he limits himself mostly to static artwork placed on the page, and occasionally indulges in a short (2-5 second) video. He also makes use of iBooks Author’s Gallery widget to provide samples of artwork featuring Venice between the chapters of the novel. The result is a visually attractive book that doesn’t overwhelm the reader with ornamental overload and extraneous interactive clutter. If anything, Harper has been too unambitious in exploiting iBooks Author’s capabilities: for example, at one point he presents a static map of Venice that could have benefitted from iBooks Author’s Interactive Image widget, which would enable the reader to scroll around the map and view it in close detail. Nor, sadly, has Harper mastered how the Table of Contents of an iBooks Author book can work: though he divides the novel into several chapters, the book’s Table of Contents presents them as one long chapter. Is It Worth It? — With a price of $2.99, the book is well within the means of almost any potential reader. But, except for the friends and fans of the author, it is not apt to appeal to adult readers who aren’t instantly intrigued by the idea of a cuddly noir novel featuring sentient stuffed animals. It might appeal to a bright pre-teen who wants to learn more about Venice and who would be entertained by teddy bear antics; however, not being a member of that demographic segment, I can only hazard a guess here. Nonetheless, that such a book exists at all, and is published and available for sale to millions of readers, encourages me: before the advent of tools like iBooks Author and distribution channels like the iBooks Store, such an exercise in self-publishing would have been an expensive undertaking for an author. While “Venice Under Glass” is hardly a masterpiece, it does demonstrate that writers can now self-publish and distribute attractive books without descending into penury. And that is good news for the aspiring author stuffed inside all of us.
Ivary If asked to name the largest air-conditioner manufacturer in the world, how would you answer? Would you guess Trane, as I did, or one of the other “big three”? The correct answer, surprisingly, is Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai, China. Last year, the 23-year-old company claims, it sold more than 60 million units valued at USD $19 billion. Gree’s market is not limited to China. It has nine production facilities, two outside of China (in Brazil and Pakistan); more than 70,000 employees, including 5,000 engineers; and a sales office in California. A comparison of product specifications indicates Gree’s offerings are competitive with similar equipment being sold in the United States, and the company has undertaken several environmental initiatives. Air conditioning—developed by Willis Carrier, an American engineer—perhaps is one of the last global industries in which the United States plays a significant role, but that could be changing. Europe passed us in hydronic technologies years ago, and steam heating, once a backbone U.S. HVAC technology, is a dinosaur (although, as I pointed out in an article for the January 2003 edition of HPAC Engineering’s Boiler Systems Engineering supplement titled “Save That Older Steam System,” steam heating can be very efficient). Newer high-efficiency air-conditioning technologies, such as variable refrigerant flow, which originated in Japan and still is led by Asian manufacturers, have further eroded U.S. HVAC manufacturers’ worldwide industry leadership and market share. So, what can the U.S. HVAC industry do to continue as a major player in the global air-conditioning business? I think we need to do what inventors/entrepreneurs such as Carrier, Dave Lennox, and others did: innovate and discover. We need to once again have the will and appetite to fund research and development, even if it reduces shareholder dividends and the market’s singular focus on short-term profitability. Furthermore, we have to renew our commitment to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education because without bright, well-trained engineers and scientists we aren’t capable of achieving breakthrough discoveries. Any other strategy is a fool’s errand. Many of us remember when the U.S. auto industry was the largest in the world. According to AnythingAboutCars.com, during the 1950s, auto production in the United States exceeded—several times over—that in Great Britain, France, Japan, Sweden, and all other nations combined. Both Ford and GM produced their 50 millionth vehicle during that era, and according to some sources, by 1960, fully one-sixth of the U.S. labor force was employed directly or indirectly in automobile production. But according to Zacks Equity Research, for the first nine months of 2012, Ford and GM’s combined market share—in the United States alone—had fallen to 34 percent. The challenge for U.S. HVAC manufacturers is this: Don’t go the way of the auto industry.
The end of David Letterman’s late-night reign comes May 20, and CBS has already announced the killer group of guests that will help finish out the icon’s wild ride. But there’s a chance that another Late Show guest could be added to the roster, one who would eclipse everyone else: Jay Leno. As CNN Money reports, Letterman said Monday during a pre-taping period that there’s an offer out to his former time-slot rival to stop by before the 68-year-old’s farewell. A Leno appearance would present a nice coda to both men’s careers. The ex-Tonight Show host appeared on Letterman’s NBC program, Late Night, when Johnny Carson still ruled The Tonight Show from behind the big desk. When Carson retired, Letterman, his presumptive successor, was passed over for Leno, spurring Letterman to create his current CBS show. (The entire saga is covered in great detail in Bill Carter’s The Late Shift.) If Super Bowl commercials are any indication, the two are past any prior beef—but appearing together would still make waves. Between those previously announced guests—a list including everyone from Julia Roberts to Tom Waits—and the revelation of invites sent to both Leno and Brian Williams, Letterman’s going out in a big, big way.
Photo by the author Some of the main, cellphone-related evidence in the trial of convicted murderer Adnan Syed was called into question in a new motion filed in court on Monday. The motion is part of a larger defense strategy to bring the court system of Baltimore in alignment with the views of fans of Serial, arguably the most successful podcast of all time. Despite not directly arguing for his innocence, the true crime podcast questioned the basis for Syed's conviction in the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee—a case by the prosecution largely built around cellphone records. By detailing a narrative of his deeds alongside a record of his calls, the prosecution convinced a jury to convict Syed. Lee's body was found in a local park called Leakin Park, and at a critical moment in the story of the crime, an incoming call seemed to place Syed at the burial site. The fan map below shows locations of the prosecution's narrative in blue, and approximate locations of cellphone towers that interacted with Syed's phone in yellow. The prosecution's version of events was backed by testimony from Jay Wilds, a friend of Syed's who confessed to being his accomplice. The podcast, however, demonstrated that there were enormous inconsistencies in Wilds' version of events, and ultimately suggested that even if Syed arguably had a motive and an opportunity to commit the crime, the prosecution's specific narrative had been totally implausible. Now, Syed's attorney, C. Justin Brown, is arguing over a technicality, though not a trivial one: The phone records handed over by AT&T were meant to be taken with a grain of salt, according to the telecom company. There was originally a cover page on the record, stating that "Outgoing calls only are reliable for location status. Any incoming calls will NOT be considered reliable information for location," but it was allegedly disregarded by the prosecution, and completely unknown to defense council Cristina Gutierrez. After Serial, a second, much grittier podcast called Undisclosed has filled the Serial-shaped hole in some fans' hearts. Although an overt defense of Syed produced by one of Syed's attorneys, Rabia Chaudry, that podcast has revealed persuasive evidence, including the revelation of the AT&T cover sheet. In May, when Syed was granted a stay of appeal, Maryland attorney Douglas Colbert, who worked with Syed during his bail hearing told VICE that the Maryland court system was likely choosing its moves very carefully. "The court wants to proceed with the utmost care in making this decision, and does not want to rush something which has created a great deal of interest in whether or not Mr. Syed received a fair trial," he said. The May ruling had nothing to do with these phone records. It stalled the appeals process, and shifted everything to a special kind of trial court focused on two pieces of possible shoddy lawyering, for which Syed might deserve a new trial: there was the question of whether Gutierrez failed when she didn't pursue a plea bargain; then there was whether or not a critical witness named Asia McClain—who will be allowed to testify at the new trial—could offer Syed a clean alibi, as she seemed to do in her appearances on Serial. This new filing appears to simply be one more possible reason for a post-conviction hearing. It's a process that looks like it's going to stretch out for quite a while, whether Syed's conviction is overturned or not. Follow Mike Pearl on Twitter.
Ah, teens and their snakes—always getting into mischief. Last week, Portland, Oregon, resident Ashley Glawe was hanging out with her pet ball python, Bart, when he decided to try something new. Quick as a flash, he was stuck in her gauged earlobe. “It all happened SO fast that before I knew what was going on it was already too late,” Glawe wrote on Facebook. She ended up at Portland Adventist Hospital, where, according to Patch, doctors numbed her earlobe, vaselined the snake, and pulled him out. She and Bart may have been physically separated, but they are now tied together by fame, having garnered coverage everywhere from Complex to Channel 8 News. “BY FAR one of my #CRAZIEST life moments!” Glawe posted later. Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that’s only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.
Famed chef Emeril Lagasse says that it's becoming all but impossible to be a successful restaurateur in America today. The government just gets in the way too much. Lagasse specifically singled out the current president's policies. "It's becoming a very challenging industry to become a very successful average restaurateur," continued Lagasse. "I can't charge $300 a person in my restaurant or I would not be in business. Am I using any different ingredients? Not really. Am I using any caliber of service staff? I don't think so. I think our service is as good or better than most places." "And then you add all the Obama nonsense to what it's become in the last several years. I don't have anything against Mr. Obama. I'm just saying the way that, you know... the government should stay out of things. [...] Pretty soon, they're going to wipe a lot of the middle restaurateurs and restaurant cooks. [...] If it continues, then watch: you're going to have high-end, and you're going to have fast food, and you're going to have chain restaurants." Lagasse shared his thoughts on TNT's On the Menu. He predicts that if the government doesn't start getting out of the way, the American restaurant industry will split and leave entrepreneurs and start-ups behind. American restaurants will consist only of high-end establishments like the ones Lagasse owns, fast food and chain restaurants, because no one else will be able to succeed. Also read:
The Manila Galleons (Spanish: Galeón de Manila; Filipino: Kalakalang Galyon ng Maynila at Acapulco) were Spanish trading ships which for two and a half centuries linked the Philippines with Mexico across the Pacific Ocean, making one or two round-trip voyages per year between the ports of Acapulco and Manila, which were both part of New Spain. The name of the galleon changed to reflect the city that the ship sailed from.[1] The term Manila Galleons is also used to refer to the trade route itself between Acapulco and Manila, which lasted from 1565 to 1815. The Manila Galleons were also known in New Spain as "La Nao de la China" (The China Ship) on their return voyage from the Philippines because they carried mostly Chinese goods, shipped from Manila. The Manila Galleon trade route was inaugurated in 1565 after Augustinian friar and navigator Andrés de Urdaneta discovered the tornaviaje or return route from the Philippines to Mexico. The first successful round trips were made by Urdaneta and by Alonso de Arellano that year. The route lasted until 1815 when the Mexican War of Independence broke out. The Manila galleons sailed the Pacific for 250 years, bringing to the Americas cargoes of luxury goods such as spices and porcelain, in exchange for silver. The route also created a cultural exchange that shaped the identities and culture of the countries involved. In 2015, the Philippines and Mexico began preparations for the nomination of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade Route in the UNESCO World Heritage List, with backing from Spain. Spain has also suggested the tri-national nomination of the Archives on the Manila-Acapulco Galleons in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. Discovery of the route [ edit ] Explorer Andrés de Urdaneta Acapulco in 1628, Mexican terminus of the Manila galleon In 1521, a Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan sailed west across the Pacific using the westward trade winds. The expedition discovered the Mariana Islands and the Philippines and claimed them for Spain. Although Magellan died there, one of his ships, the Victoria, made it back to Spain by continuing westward. In order to settle and trade with these islands from the Americas, an eastward maritime return path was necessary. The first ship to try this a few years later failed. In 1529, Álvaro de Saavedra Cerón also tried sailing east from the Philippines, but could not find the eastward winds across the Pacific. In 1543, Bernardo de la Torre also failed. In 1542, however, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo helped pave the way by sailing north from Mexico to explore the Pacific coast, reaching as far north as the Russian River, just north of the 38th parallel. The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade finally began when Spanish navigators Alonso de Arellano and Andrés de Urdaneta discovered the eastward return route in 1565. Sailing as part of the expedition commanded by Miguel López de Legazpi to conquer the Philippines in 1565, Arellano and Urdaneta were given the task of finding a return route. Reasoning that the trade winds of the Pacific might move in a gyre as the Atlantic winds did, they had to sail north to the 38th parallel north, off the east coast of Japan, before catching the eastward-blowing winds ("westerlies") that would take them back across the Pacific. Reaching the west coast of North America, Urdaneta's ship the San Pedro hit the coast near Cape Mendocino, California, then followed the coast south to San Blas and later to Acapulco, arriving on October 8, 1565.[2] Most of his crew died on the long initial voyage, for which they had not sufficiently provisioned. Arellano, who had taken a more southerly route, had already arrived. The English privateer Francis Drake also reached the California coast, in 1579. After capturing a Spanish ship heading for Manila, Drake turned north, hoping to meet another Spanish treasure ship coming south on its return from Manila to Acapulco. He failed in that regard, but staked an English claim somewhere on the northern California coast. Although the ship's log and other records were lost, the officially accepted location is now called Drakes Bay, on Point Reyes south of Cape Mendocino.[a][11] Northerly trade route as used by eastbound Manila galleons By the 18th century, it was understood that a less northerly track was sufficient when nearing the North American coast, and galleon navigators steered well clear of the rocky and often fogbound northern and central California coast. According to historian William Lytle Schurz, "They generally made their landfall well down the coast, somewhere between Point Conception and Cape San Lucas ... After all, these were preeminently merchant ships, and the business of exploration lay outside their field, though chance discoveries were welcomed".[12] The first motivation for land exploration of present-day California was to scout out possible way-stations for the seaworn Manila galleons on the last leg of their journey. Early proposals came to little, but in 1769, the Portola expedition established ports at San Diego and Monterey (which became the administrative center of Alta California), providing safe harbors for returning Manila galleons. In Manila, the safety of ocean crossings was commended to the virgin Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga in masses held by the Archbishop of Manila. If the expedition was successful the voyagers would go to the La Ermita (church) to pay homage, and offer gold and other precious gems or jewelries from Hispanic countries, to the image of the virgin. So it came to be that the Virgin was named the "Queen of the Galleons". Spice trade [ edit ] White represents the route of the Manila Galleons in the Pacific and the flota in the Atlantic. (Blue represents Portuguese routes.) Trade with Ming China via Manila served a major source of revenue for the Spanish Empire and as a fundamental source of income for Spanish colonists in the Philippine Islands. Until 1593, two or more ships would set sail annually from each port.[13] The Manila trade became so lucrative that Seville merchants petitioned king Philip II of Spain to protect the monopoly of the Casa de Contratación based in Seville. This led to the passing of a decree in 1593 that set a limit of two ships sailing each year from either port, with one kept in reserve in Acapulco and one in Manila. An "armada" or armed escort of galleons, was also approved. Due to official attempts at controlling the galleon trade, contraband and understating of ships' cargo became widespread.[14] Between 1609 and 1616, 9 galleons and 6 galleys were constructed in Philippine shipyards. The average cost was 78,000 pesos per galleon and at least 2,000 trees. The galleons constructed included the San Juan Bautista, San Marcos, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, Angel de la Guardia, San Felipe, Santiago, Salbador, Espiritu Santo, and San Miguel. "From 1729 to 1739, the main purpose of the Cavite shipyard was the construction and outfitting of the galleons for the Manila to Acapulco trade run."[15] Due to the route's high profitability but long voyage time, it was essential to build the largest possible galleons, which were the largest class of ships known to have been built until then.[16] In the 16th century, they averaged from 1,700 to 2,000 tons, were built of Philippine hardwoods and could carry 300 - 500 passengers. The Concepción, wrecked in 1638, was 43 to 49 m (141 to 161 ft) long and displacing some 2,000 tons. The Santísima Trinidad was 51.5 m long. Most of the ships were built in the Philippines and only eight in Mexico. The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade ended in 1815, a few years before Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. After this, the Spanish Crown took direct control of the Philippines, and governed directly from Madrid. Sea transport became easier in the mid-19th century upon the invention of steam power ships and the opening of the Suez Canal, which reduced the travel time from Spain to the Philippines to 40 days. The galleon trade was supplied by merchants largely from port areas of Fujian who traveled to Manila to sell the Spaniards spices, porcelain, ivory, lacquerware, processed silk cloth and other valuable commodities. Cargoes varied from one voyage to another but often included goods from all over Asia - From China, jade, wax, gunpowder and silk from China; amber and cotton from India; rugs from India; spices from the East Indies and a variety of goods from Japan, including fans, chests, screens and porcelain.[17] Galleons transported the goods to be sold in the Americas, namely in New Spain and Peru as well as in European markets. East Asia trading primarily functioned on a silver standard due to Ming China's use of silver ingots as a medium of exchange. As such, goods were mostly bought by silver mined from Mexico and Potosí.[14] In addition, slaves from various origins were transported from Manila.[18] The cargoes arrived in Acapulco and were transported by land across Mexico to the port of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico, where they were loaded onto the Spanish treasure fleet bound for Spain. Around 80% of the goods shipped back from Acapulco to Manila were from the Americas - silver, cochineal, seeds, sweet potato, tobacco, chickpea, chocolate and cocoa, watermelon, vine and fig trees. The remaining 20% were goods transhipped from Europe such as wine and olive oil, and metals goods such as weapons, knobs and spurs.[17] This Pacific route was the alternative to the trip west across the Indian Ocean, and around the Cape of Good Hope, which was reserved to Portugal according to the Treaty of Tordesillas. It also avoided stopping over at ports controlled by competing powers, such as Portugal and the Netherlands. From the early days of exploration, the Spanish knew that the American continent was much narrower across the Panamanian isthmus than across Mexico. They tried to establish a regular land crossing there, but the thick jungle and malaria made it impractical. It took at least four months to sail across the Pacific Ocean from Manila to Acapulco, and the galleons were the main link between the Philippines and the viceregal capital at Mexico City and thence to Spain itself. Many of the so-called "Kastilas" or Spaniards in the Philippines were actually of Mexican descent, and the Hispanic culture of the Philippines is somewhat close to Mexican culture.[19] Even after the galleon era, and at the time when Mexico finally gained its independence, the two nations still continued to trade, except for a brief lull during the Spanish–American War. The wrecks of the Manila galleons are legends second only to the wrecks of treasure ships in the Caribbean. In 1568, Miguel López de Legazpi's own ship, the San Pablo (300 tons), was the first Manila galleon to be wrecked en route to Mexico. Between the years 1576 when the Espiritu Santo was lost and 1798 when the San Cristobal (2) was lost there were twenty Manila galleons[20] wrecked within the Philippine archipelago. Between 1565 and 1815 Spain owned 108 galleons, of which 26 were lost at sea for various reasons. Significant galleon captures by the British occurred in 1587 when the Santa Anna was captured by Thomas Cavendish, in 1709 with the Encarnacion, in 1743 when the Nuestra Senora de la Covadonga was taken by George Anson on his voyage around the world, and in 1762 with the Nuestra Senora de la Santisima Trinidad. Until 1593, four galleons travelled at the same time, later only two.[15]:492 Possible discovery of Hawaii [ edit ] For 250 years, hundreds of Manila galleons traveled from present-day Mexico to the Philippines, with their route taking them south of the Hawaiian Islands. And yet, no historical records of any contact between the two cultures exist. British historian Henry Kamen maintains that the Spanish did not have the ability to properly explore the Pacific Ocean, and were not capable of finding the islands which lay at a latitude 20° north of the westbound galleon route and its currents.[21] However, Spanish activity in the Pacific was paramount until the late 18th century. Spanish expeditions discovered Guam, the Marianas, the Carolines and the Philippines in the North Pacific, as well as Tuvalu, the Marquesas, the Solomon Islands and New Guinea in the South Pacific. Spanish navigators also discovered the Pitcairn and Vanuatu archipelagos during their search for Terra Australis in the 17th century. This navigational activity poses questions as to whether Spanish explorers did arrive in the Hawaiian Islands two centuries before Captain James Cook's first visit in 1778. Ruy López de Villalobos commanded a fleet of six ships that left Acapulco in 1542 with a Spanish sailor named Ivan Gaetan or Juan Gaetano aboard as pilot. Depending on the interpretation, Gaetano's reports seem to describe either the discovery of Hawaii or the Marshall Islands in 1555.[22] If it was Hawaii, Gaetano would have been one of the first Europeans to find the islands. The westward route from Mexico passed south of Hawaii, making a short stopover in Guam before heading for Manila. The exact route was kept secret to protect the Spanish trade monopoly against competing powers, and to avoid Dutch and English pirates. Due to this policy of discretion, if the Spanish did find Hawaii during their voyages, they would not have published their findings and the discovery would have remained unknown. From Gaetano's account, the Hawaiian islands were not known to have any valuable resources, so the Spanish would not have made an effort to settle them.[22] This happened in the case of the Marianas and the Carolines, which were not effectively settled until the second half of the 17th century. Spanish archives[when?] contain a chart that depicts islands in the latitude of Hawaii but with the longitude ten degrees east of the Islands (reliable methods of determining longitude were not developed until the mid-eighteenth century). In this manuscript, the Island of Maui is named "La Desgraciada" (the unhappy, or unfortunate), and what appears to be the Island of Hawaii is named "La Mesa" (the table). Islands resembling Kahoolawe, Lanai, and Molokai are named "Los Monjes" (the monks).[23] The theory that Hawaii was discovered by the Spanish is reinforced by the findings of William Ellis, a writer and missionary who lived in early 19th century Hawaii, and recorded several folk stories about foreigners who had visited Hawaii prior to first contact with Cook. According to Hawaiian writer Herb Kawainui Kane, one of these stories: concerned seven foreigners who landed eight generations earlier at Kealakekua Bay in a painted boat with an awning or canopy over the stern. They were dressed in clothing of white and yellow, and one wore a sword at his side and a feather in his hat. On landing, they kneeled down in prayer. The Hawaiians, most helpful to those who were most helpless, received them kindly. The strangers ultimately married into the families of chiefs, but their names could not be included in genealogies".[22] Some scholars, particularly American, have dismissed these claims as lacking credibility.[24][25] Debate continues as to whether the Hawaiian Islands were actually visited by the Spanish in the 16th century[26] with researchers like Richard W. Rogers looking for evidence of Spanish shipwrecks.[27][28] Pending transboundary nominations [ edit ] The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Memorial at Plaza Mexico in Intramuros, Manila. In 2014, the idea to nominate the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade Route was initiated by the Mexican ambassador to UNESCO with the Filipino ambassador to UNESCO. An Experts' Roundtable Meeting was held at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) on April 23, 2015 as part of the preparation of the Philippines for the possible transnational nomination of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade Route to the World Heritage List. The nomination will be made jointly with Mexico. The following are the experts and the topics they discussed during the roundtable meeting: Dr. Celestina Boncan on the Tornaviaje; Dr. Mary Jane A. Bolunia on Shipyards in the Bicol Region; Mr. Sheldon Clyde Jago-on, Bobby Orillaneda, and Ligaya Lacsina on Underwater Archaeology; Dr. Leovino Garcia on Maps and Cartography; Fr. Rene Javellana, S.J. on Fortifications in the Philippines; Felice Sta. Maria on Food; Dr. Fernando Zialcita on Textile; and Regalado Trota Jose on Historical Dimension. The papers presented and discussed during the roundtable meeting will be synthesized into a working document to establish the route's Outstanding Universal Value.[29] The Mexican side reiterated that they will also follow suit with the preparations for the route's nomination. Spain has also backed the nomination of the route in the World Heritage List and has also suggested the archives related to the route under the possession of the Philippines, Mexico, and Spain to be nominated as part of another UNESCO list, the Memory of the World Register.[30] In 2017, the Philippines established the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Museum in Metro Manila, one of the necessary steps in nominating the trade route to UNESCO.[31] In 2018, the Pacific Alliance (embassies of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru) along with the Embassy of the Philippines, Embassy of Spain, UNESCO, and Thammasat University launched a seminar in Thailand which "promotes greater intercultural dialogue and raises awareness of the significance of the cultural and documentary heritage" of the Galleon trade.[32] See also [ edit ] Notes [ edit ] ^ [3] thus starting an 18-year study of the suggested Drake sites. The first formal Nomination to mark the Nova Albion site at Drake's Cove as a National Historic Landmark was provided to NPS on January 1, 1996. As part of its review, NPS obtained independent, confidential comments from professional historians. The NPS staff concluded that the Drake's Cove site is the "most probable"[3] and "most likely"[4][5][6][7] Drake landing site. The National Park System Advisory Board Landmarks Committee sought public comments on the Port of Nova Albion Historic and Archaeological District Nomination [8] and received more than two dozen letters of support and none in opposition. At the Committee's meeting of November 9, 2011 in Washington, DC, representatives of the government of Spain, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Congresswoman Lynn Wolsey all spoke in favor of the nomination: there was no opposition. Staff and the Drake Navigators Guild’s president, Edward Von der Porten, gave the presentation. The Nomination was strongly endorsed by Committee Member Dr. James M. Allan, Archaeologist, and the Committee as a whole which approved the nomination unanimously. The National Park System Advisory Board sought further public comments on the Nomination,[9] but no additional comments were received. At the Board's meeting on December 1, 2011 in Florida, the Nomination was further reviewed: the Board approved the nomination unanimously. On October 16, 2012 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed the nomination and on October 17, 2012, The Drakes Bay Historic and Archaeological District was formally announced as a new National Historic Landmark.[10] The Drakes Cove site began its review by the National Park Service (NPS) in 1994,thus starting an 18-year study of the suggested Drake sites. The first formal Nomination to mark the Nova Albion site at Drake's Cove as a National Historic Landmark was provided to NPS on January 1, 1996. As part of its review, NPS obtained independent, confidential comments from professional historians. The NPS staff concluded that the Drake's Cove site is the "most probable"and "most likely"Drake landing site. The National Park System Advisory Board Landmarks Committee sought public comments on the Port of Nova Albion Historic and Archaeological District Nominationand received more than two dozen letters of support and none in opposition. At the Committee's meeting of November 9, 2011 in Washington, DC, representatives of the government of Spain, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Congresswoman Lynn Wolsey all spoke in favor of the nomination: there was no opposition. Staff and the Drake Navigators Guild’s president, Edward Von der Porten, gave the presentation. The Nomination was strongly endorsed by Committee Member Dr. James M. Allan, Archaeologist, and the Committee as a whole which approved the nomination unanimously. The National Park System Advisory Board sought further public comments on the Nomination,but no additional comments were received. At the Board's meeting on December 1, 2011 in Florida, the Nomination was further reviewed: the Board approved the nomination unanimously. On October 16, 2012 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed the nomination and on October 17, 2012, The Drakes Bay Historic and Archaeological District was formally announced as a new National Historic Landmark. References [ edit ] Further reading [ edit ]
Damien LaGoy strides down 13th Avenue towards Gyspy House, a small coffee shop in Denver, with a bounce in his step. Atop a gaunt, 110-pound frame with legs embodying a diameter no larger than that of a soda can, LaGoy's face is, nonetheless, vibrant. His walking mannerisms are purposeful; that would not have been the case as recently as a few years ago, even on a transcendently beautiful day like today. We shake hands, exchange brief introductions, order coffee, head to one of the benches outside, and begin talking about his status as a medical marijuana patient. LaGoy, now 52, was officially diagnosed with HIV in 1986 but believes that his contraction traces back to a regretted hook-up in 1984: "I remember where I was. I had had a really bad feeling after I was with somebody that day. I couldn't explain it--I waited for the garden variety of VD to show up. That didn't happen. And then a couple years later, I got tested, and sure enough...Any tests that came out after that just confirmed it more and more." Healthy, HIV-negative adults generally have 600-1,200 CD4 T-cells per cubic millimeter of blood while any number under 200 signals the progression of AIDS; LaGoy describes what life was like as his T-cell count went under 100: "[I was] on 11 pills a day, weighed about 101 pounds, and just got really depressed," LaGoy says softly, "I spent most of the time either on a computer or sleeping. Even in the middle of the summer, I didn't go out. I got so pale I looked like writing paper." He was nauseous most of the time, had occasional stomach cramps, and battled HIV-intensified acid reflux. Unsurprisingly, he had no appetite; often times he would open the fridge, and, despite the fact that it was fully stocked, shut its door without eating anything. On numerous occasions, he came close to quitting his meds and resigning himself to his fate. "I kind of have come back from one foot in the grave," he says with a hint of triumph. LaGoy has been smoking marijuana on and off since the mid-1990s to help treat his symptoms for both AIDS and Hepatitis C. When he was given a $500 ticket for possession of about a gram in 2006, he told the officer that it was to help treat his HIV symptoms. "Is that any excuse to smoke pot?" the officer retorted smugly. Actually, yes; the ticket was later dropped when it became a PR nightmare for the city. Although a voter initiative in Colorado allowing patients to possess marijuana for medicinal purposes passed in 2000, it wasn't until the past couple years that widespread existence and regulation of Denver medical marijuana centers (MMCs) gave LaGoy access to medical-grade marijuana. This access is both convenient and affordable--the fact that it is difficult to drive a mile in downtown Denver without seeing a MMC or two has fostered competition that ultimately benefits the patients with regards to both price and quality of their medicine. LaGoy's personal transformation has been palpable as he finds himself more active and able to cope with his other meds. His nighttime vomiting has almost all but gone away and he's gained about 10 pounds thanks to his new-found appetite. One unfortunate symptom that the medical marijuana cannot ease, however, is LaGoy's conscience: "I started watching my friends drop off like flies. I felt like a man in my 70s," he says. "I even have a little bit of survivor's guilt because I made it and they didn't." I ask him if he feels that some of his friends would be alive today if they had had the access and affordability that exists in Denver today. "I can say--fairly sure--I had a lot of friends who couldn't take the medicines very well. Eventually, they gave up on the meds and they're gone," LaGoy laments. "I think if they had had [today's] medical variety at the time--they tried to smoke the street stuff--but if they'd have had the stuff that's geared more for an illness like it is now, they'd still be alive. And, as a bonus, I don't think they'd have been trying to drink their pain away." Gradual then Rapid Growth As briefly alluded to previously, voters passed the Colorado Marijuana Act, Amendment 20 in 2000. Ballotpedia provides the text of the initiative: Initiative Constitutional Amendment. Analysis by Colorado Legislative Council: Allows patients diagnosed with a serious or chronic illness and their care-givers to legally possess marijuana for medical purposes. For a patient unable to administer marijuana to himself or herself, or for minors under 18, care-givers determine the amount and frequency of use; allows a doctor to legally provide a seriously or chronically ill patient with a written statement that the patient might benefit from medical use of marijuana; and establishes a confidential state registry of patients and their care-givers who are permitted to possess marijuana for medical purposes. Background and Provisions of the Proposal: Current Colorado and federal criminal law prohibits the possession, distribution, and use of marijuana. The proposal does not affect federal criminal laws, but amends the Colorado Constitution to legalize the medical use of marijuana for patients who have registered with the state. Qualifying medical conditions include cancer, glaucoma, AIDS/HIV, some neurological and movement disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and any other medical condition approved by the state. A doctor's signed statement or a copy of the patient's pertinent medical records indicating that the patient might benefit from marijuana is necessary for a patient to register Individuals on the registry may possess up to two ounces of usable marijuana and six marijuana plants. Because the proposal does not change current law, distribution of marijuana will still be illegal in Colorado. Patients on the registry are allowed to legally acquire, possess, use, grow, and transport marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia. Employers are not required to allow the medical use of marijuana in the workplace. Marijuana may not be used in any place open to the public, and insurance companies are not required to reimburse a patient's claim for costs incurred through the medical use of marijuana. Finally, for a patient who is under the age of 18, the proposal requires statements from two doctors and written consent from any parent living in Colorado to register the patient. Even with the passage of this constitutional amendment, medical marijuana did not proliferate right away in Colorado. "It was really pretty slow. There weren't shops or anything like that. There were only a couple thousand patients for a number of years and it kind of slowly picked up steam," says Brian Vicente, co-director of Sensible Colorado. The industry didn't really take off until October 2009 when US Attorney General Eric Holder circulated a memo written by then Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden, which suggested that medical marijuana enterprises that were compliant with state-level regulation would be a low priority for prosecution by the federal government. "For example," the memo reads. "Prosecution of individuals with cancer or other serious illnesses who use marijuana as part of a recommended treatment regimen consistent with applicable state law, or those caregivers in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state law who provide such individuals with marijuana, is unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal resources." Further traction was gained a few weeks later when "LaGoy versus The State of Colorado"--a lawsuit in which Damien LaGoy was lead plaintiff, represented by Brian Vicente and three others--was resolved to allow caregivers to care for many people. "Prior to that caregivers, could only grow for five people," Vicente says. "That's not a business model." Colorado's state legislature decided to regulate the medical marijuana industry in 2010. According to Vicente, it became "one of the most tightly regulated industries in the state." After the lawsuit, patients could designate others to be their primary caregivers and these caregivers are permitted to grow six plants per patient. Patients may buy and possess no more than two ounces at a time. As the industry became more legitimate and businesses had the opportunity to profit, the number of MMCs in the state grew from under 50 to more than 1,000. With over 300 in Denver alone, there are more MMCs than Starbucks locations. "The medical marijuana program has generated an incredible amount of government revenue at a time when our state and localities are broke. It's brought in an incredible amount of sales tax and income tax. Vacant lots have been finding businesses," says Mike Elliott, the executive director of the Medical Marijuana Industry Group. With the MMCs and edible companies, there are more than 1,000 legitimate medical marijuana businesses in CO. If the average business has five people working for it--a very conservative estimate--that's 5,000 jobs and this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of economic impact as thousands independent contractors--accountants, lawyers, engineers, construction workers, security firms, and plumbers to name a few--also benefit tangentially from the industry. The number of registered patients peaked at 128,698 in June 2011 and has since fallen to 85,124 as of January 31, 2012. There are several possible reasons as to why there has been a drop, ranging from increased regulation on doctors to the fact that the registration/renewal fee for a medical marijuana card dropped from $90 to $35 on January 1, 2012 and people had been waiting for the price to go down. Meanwhile, a close friend of mine who is a former patient let his card expire because he was tired of being asked by other people to pick up marijuana for them. Patient Demographics While it is certainly possible to find a quack doctor who serves as little more than a rubber stamp (a friend showed me one with a promotional Twitter account), cite severe pain, and walk out of your appointment with a recommendation to become a patient, it's not nearly as widespread as people might believe. Colorado's Medical Marijuana Registry statistics show that the average age of the patients to be 42 years old while 69% of the patients are male. "There's a perception that it's a bunch of 19-year old snowboarders that are patients. In reality, as government statistics show, it's more middle-aged people," Vicente points out. "I don't think there's that many middle-aged people that are like, 'I'm going to go to a doctor, fake a medical condition, and pay the health department." There is abuse in the system but it's not as widespread as many might think. The registry also presents the following table which diagrams the conditions of its patients: Reported Condition Number of Patients Reporting Condition Percent of Patients Reporting Condition Cachexia 1,148 1% Cancer 2,280 3% Glaucoma 876 1% HIV/AIDS 537 1% Muscle Spasms 14,691 17% Seizures 1,409 2% Severe Pain 79,749 94% Severe Nausea 10,317 12% Does not add to 100% as some patients report using medical marijuana for more than one debilitating medical condition. The MMCs Perhaps the strictest policy is the so-called "70-30 Rule," which requires MMCs to be vertically integrated; they must grow 70% of the marijuana that they sell--the remaining 30% is generally accounted for by edible products which are manufactured by various third parties. One of the most common refrains among the MMCs and their advocates is that, while severe, the regulation is OK as long as it is strictly enforced--this is especially true for the 70/30 Rule. "It would be like requiring liquor stores to distill their own beer. We don't require that from any other business," says Mike Elliott. "It's expensive to create specialists in all these areas. It becomes very difficult for the people who are following the rules to compete with those who find it cheaper not to follow the rules." To get a sense of MMCs' operations, I spent two days--one at the store, one at the grow operation--with Denver Relief, a highly respected MMC whose Bio-Diesel strain won the 2009 Medical Marijuana Harvest Cup. As you enter Denver Relief's waiting room, there is a leather sofa on one wall and three single chairs on the adjoining side. The seating area is around a coffee table with a dozen or so graphic-intensive books about marijuana, including five separate editions of The Cannabible. "You're being videotaped. Smile!" a sign reads. Patients have their cards vetted by a receptionist behind a bulletproof glass window. If their information checks out, they are greeted at the waiting room's back door by a Denver Relief employee and led through a small hallway to the marijuana bar. In the back room, a patient appearing to be in his mid-30s is grilling co-owner Ean Seeb about the selection, carefully seeking to optimize what will be a pretty substantial purchase. After getting quarter ounces of Rectangle, Sour Diesel, and Romulan, he asks Seeb which is better, the AK-47 or ISS? "I think the ISS is better," Seeb says with an air of authority. Denver Relief has since discontinued AK-47. In the storeroom, there are four individual booths--including one that is handicap accessible--for customers to order from. When I was there, there were two servers--referred to as "budtenders"--Seeb and Michael Chacon. Behind the counter, there are two bookshelves--one with edible products and one with pure marijuana flowers. Edible products include Karma Kandy (offered in cinnamon, sour apple, sour grape, chocolate, caramel flavors), Berry Blast (like Karma Kandy but custom-made for Denver Relief), Olive Oil, Buddha Brownies, CannaBits Lollies, and selections from Edi-pure (resembling, for example, Sour Patch Kids or Nutter Butters). Also on the edibles bookshelf is a new product called Tincture, a single dropper bottle with peppermint-flavored medicine to be applied under one's tongue, providing immediate relief for patients who need it but do not wish to smoke (other edibles generally take a little while longer to kick in). Customers want to see and smell every strain they're thinking about buying, asking as many as a dozen questions while Chacon and Seeb know every detail of every strain, like waiters who have particularly impressive mental recall of the nuances of their restaurants' menus, calibrating their suggestions to specific symptoms. Denver Relief designates the following strains as elite, which cost $40 for an eighth of an ounce for members (those who designate Denver Relief as their primary caregiver) and $50 an eighth for non-members: ● Blue Dream - A Sativa-Dominant hybrid, Blue Dream smells and tastes like blueberries. Promoting both functionality concentration, it is ideal for daytime use. ● Gumbo - An especially potent Indica, Gumbo carries a bubble gum flavor and scent and is ideal for nighttime use to quell severe pain, muscle spasms, and sleeplessness. ● Outer Space - A Sativa, Outer Space inspires deep thought and creativity as well as appetite stimulation. Like Blue Dream, it is ideal for daytime use. ● LA OG - LA OG is a special Indica which Denver Relief sells faster than it can grow. Shaped like tiny popcorn nuggets, LA OG provides an especially long-lasting body high, making it ideal for treating severe chronic pain. ● Reserva Privada OG - A long-lasting Indica, Reserva Privada OG specializes in treating chronic severe pain, appetite stimulation, and sleeplessness. ● Super Lemon Haze - A multiple-time Cannabis Cup winner, this lemon-scented Sativa-Dominant Hybrid gives a head high, providing patients with energy while reducing nausea. ● Ultimate '91 ChemDawg - Comprised of massive, crystally flowers, this Indica-dominant hybrid strain provides patients with immediate relief and relaxation. While they are listed on the LCD-screen menu in the middle of the room, the OG's are actually kept in smaller jars off the bookshelf and are not extensively marketed. "They take three times as long to grow and yield about ⅓ less product," says budtender Michael Chacon. As Denver Relief may only grow six plants per patient who designate the MMC as his/her primary caregiver--and they grow exactly this many--there is a finite supply. Therefore, while the OG's are highly sought after and often sell out, Denver Relief must strike a happy medium in growing the highest quality product while ensuring that its patients get enough of the medicine that they need. Premium strains include Bio-Diesel, Bio-Jesus, ChemDawg D, Dopium, Durban Poison, Flo, Headband, Island Sweet Skunk, The Sister, and Sour Diesel. These cost $30-35 for an eighth for members and $40-45 for non-members. Denver Relief's prices change frequently due to supply and demand and are regularly updated on Weedmaps, a web site that tracks MMCs' locations, menus, and prices. The next day, I headed out to Denver Relief's growing facility, a 13,000 square-foot warehouse located on the outskirts of Denver. When I arrive, Seeb introduces me to his two full-time growing associates, Grant and Nick. Nick is a childhood friend of one of Denver Relief's founders while Grant found the job through a Craigslist ad. Nick's parents owned a lawn and garden construction center when he was growing up and he's been gardening since he was in third grade. Both Grant and Nick wear thick--though not unwieldy--beards and speak passionately in what might as well be another language about the thousands of nuances involved in growing high quality medical marijuana. With the exception of a handful of part-timers who help out on trimming days, Grant and Nick handle every aspect of the grow operation and do so with surgical precision. While it's unclear as to whether either man has ever been stressed or bothered, they both exude the inner peace and have seemingly found their true calling. When I arrive, Grant and Nick are checking the ph levels in one of several large reverse osmosis tanks, which help strip unwanted heavy metals out of the city's water. Seeb, meanwhile, proudly describes the process that he and his partner Kayvan Khalatbari, a former engineer, went through to build their state of the art facility. "We decided from beginning that, rather than half-assing it, we were going to spare no expense," Seeb says. They actually had their lighting supplier specially change the way it builds its ballasts and bulbs, making them hardwired into the warehouse's infrastructure as opposed to being plugged into outlets like the ones that are normally produced. "The way that these companies work is primarily for people growing in their basements, not to grow in large facilities like this," Seeb explains. "They had to get these commercial listings and their lights are not commercially listed because they're generally not used in commercial applications--they're used in these small, basement grows. We wanted to use the best of what we know but needed it to be available for commercial use." As Seeb mentioned, Denver Relief needed its plans approved by city regulators to have its lighting installed in this manner. The medical marijuana plants cycle through two rooms--they start in the vegetation room then get harvested from the flowering room. Both rooms are filled with two long rows of tables. Plants take about 16-18 weeks to fully grow and there is a harvest scheduled every month. The vegetation room is lit 24 hours a day; this is where Grant and Nick keep cuttings to clone plants and reproduce their genetics. Per state requirements, each plant is individually labeled from the very beginning and there are different methodologies and techniques for growing their various strains. Some tables in the room have just nine or 10 plants while others have as many as 32. Some plants grow short and stout while others can grow up to six feet tall. In the vegetation room, Grant shows me a table of OG plants that they are trying to genetically engineer to provide a larger output. He points to one in particular. "It's a little different-looking but this is one that we're trying and it might be a bigger producer. We have six different phenotypes that we're looking through and we've narrowed it down to two," he explains. "Both potentially might be bigger producers and if they taste the same and we get the same kind of feedback from the store, we'll put it in the rotation and feel pretty good about [growing a full] table of it." Nick, meanwhile, is planting seeds. This is a rare occurrence; as there is a trial and error process that can last more than a year to cultivate quality harvests from a new set of seeds, Denver Relief generally starts its plants from cuttings of cloned plants that are known to be solid producers. "By the end of the day today, hopefully there's at least a half dozen cups in here that have green leaves shooting up," Nick says. When I express shock that it happens that fast, he explains that this is the case because he pre-treated the seeds, soaking them in water to make them softer and therefore pop faster. "If you just took the seed and put it in the cup it might take one-three weeks to see anything but because we've been treating them for the last 48 hours, these things should be reaching the surface within hours. By tomorrow, we'd like to see at least 80-90% of these green leaves coming through." The seeds are being planted in small containers--about four square inches in area--in soil that has been supplemented with pasteurized cocoa fiber, bat guano, and perlite. The flowering room cycles with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. About two weeks away from harvest, it is shocking to see the extent to which the plants are taller than their counterparts in the vegetation room. Here, Grant shows me a table full of MK Ultra plants, a strain that he and Nick have been working on cultivating for about a year without much fruition. Grant explains why the process from planting seeds to quality cultivation can take so long while starting from established cuttings takes 100-140 days. "You start with 50 seeds and you plant them all. It takes some time for them to come up--it takes six weeks to find out if they are male or female," he says. The next step is to take cuttings from all the plants. "We might throw those plants that we've been growing out just to see if they're male or female into the flowering room but for the most part we won't. We'd rather have their cuttings. The cuttings will be a little healthier than the seed--it's still a female but we want to see what the plant can produce for us. So then we take those cuttings and wait for them to get tall enough which might take another four weeks." The process repeats itself. "We might have seven different females out of 10 seeds. We have to have one of each cutting--one to stay in the flowering room and one to stay in the vegetation room--so we have a mom for every phenotype," Grant says. After another round of cuttings--and another 5-6 weeks--it's now been 4-5 months. And on it goes again. "We pick, maybe, two or three that are good--we don't know yet and don't want to make a rash decision on such an important investment--so then we go back and take cuttings of the ones we want and kill off some of the ones we don't want. Then we still have to go through the same process of growing cuttings for 4-6 weeks in vegetation (which is 10 weeks total until harvest)." It's now been eight months and there is still no guarantee that the products meet Denver Relief's quality quotient. Plants that don't make the cut have their flowers ground into hash for producing edibles. The entire process is awe-inspiringly planned, organized, and executed for a full-time staff of two men. In addition to the regular responsibilities of growing, cutting, and genetic engineering that Grant and Nick must keep up with on a daily basis, potential nuisances that can destroy an entire harvest and leave Denver Relief with no way to serve its customers for up to two months such as bugs and fires must be closely guarded against. The monetary and human capital necessary to comply with Colorado's vertical integration regulations present a staggering barrier to entry into the industry. Because of the 70/30 Rule, if the grow warehouse experiences just one month of sub-optimal output, the retail operation cannot provide its patients with medicine. Gray Areas As Colorado's medical marijuana industry has blossomed so quickly, it's easy to forget that, as presently structured, it's only been around for 2.5 years. As such, there are some kinks in the system that need to be worked through that likely will sort themselves out as more time passes. While the law stipulates that patients may only buy and possess two ounces at a time, there is not a tracking system that prevents them from going from center to center and buying two ounces at a time, making it very easy for someone to amass a high quantity of marijuana for trafficking purposes in a relatively short period of time. (It should be noted, though, that if someone is planning on illegally re-selling marijuana, there are certainly less expensive ways to purchase it wholesale than buying two ounces at a time at retail rates. Also, if bought from the MMCs, at least one level of the sale is being regulated and taxed.) Other prescription medications are prescribed to patients' needs by the milligram. A system that enables all patients--regardless of their afflictions--the ability to purchase the same amount of medicine seems like an inexact science. A more precise system should be devised, taking careful consideration to make sure that patients with the most severe needs do not lose their access to necessary medicine. "Some patients require a substantial amount of medical marijuana for their illnesses," says Mike Elliott. "We want to make sure that we're allowing the bona fide patients to get what they need while, at the same time, limiting illicit diversion." One possible solution to this issue, as Elliott brings up, would be for patients to pre-pay money on magnetized cards, as customers do at arcades. These cards would be able to track patient purchases. These would also help solve another gray area problem: banking. Although medical marijuana is legal in 16 states and Washington DC, banks do not allow business accounts for MMCs because marijuana is illegal under federal law. This creates massive issues for MMCs, who must choose between operating solely on a cash basis or on a 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy where they do not disclose the source of their legal business revenue to their banks. More transparency in the system is essential. "What we really want is for these businesses to be able to have a checking account," says Mike Elliott. There were banks that were openly taking accounts until last September and now many people are forced to be cash-only because they can't make deposits. Having a lot of cash around makes everybody involved targets for robbery. "It's a public safety issue for the owner, the employees, the patients, the vendors, and the community at large," Elliott adds. "The MMIG wants these regulations. We want the licensing, the taxation, the regulation, the transparency, the security. By forcing these businesses to be cash only, it is asking for problems," Elliot continues. "Does the government think they are going to get all of the taxes that they are owed if it's a cash-only business? How do they pay for their utility bill? Are they supposed to pay the IRS in cash?" To the MMIG's dismay, a bill proposing the ability for medical marijuana business owners to form their own financial cooperative so they would not have to go through banks which do not accept their accounts when opened transparently was defeated 5-2 by Colorado's Senate Finance Committee in February: Beyond simply violating federal law, concerns were also raised over the effectiveness of the legislation itself. Because access to federally insured banking reserves would still be out of reach for the financial cooperatives, the cooperatives themselves would potentially be sitting on millions of dollars worth of cash, likely kept in large safes at a determined facility. The idea struck Sen. Keith King, R-Colorado Springs, as odd, who quipped, "They'd better have machine guns." The legislation also left it uncertain whether the cooperatives would be able to issue checking accounts or establish a credit system for its members. The cooperatives would have been responsible for establishing a banking system, but in the end, the possibility remained that they would still be dealing in only cash. Perhaps the greatest reason for the banking issue faced by the medical marijuana industry is that the federal government has been sending mixed signals. While U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's circulation of the Ogden Memo in late-2009 seemed to imply that medical marijuana policy and regulation would be left at the discretion of individual states, the federal government intervened in January when Colorado U.S. Attorney John Walsh sent letters to 23 MMCs located within 1,000 feet of schools, giving them 45 days to close. In March, 25 more MMCs received letters. One recipient of the first round of letters was Greenwerkz, the MMC that AIDS patient Damien LaGoy bought his medicine from. "They really believed that they were caregivers," LaGoy says. "If I didn't have any money at the time, they'd say, 'Well, don't go without. We'll get you through until you can pay.' And they did." While there are two other Greenwerkz locations, its now-closed spot on Colfax was the only one that is reasonably accessible to LaGoy. Greenwerkz owner Dan Rogers is understandably aggravated at the development, especially since he deliberately complied with the regulations that he was ultimately forced to shut down for violating. "We were sensitive for the 1,000 foot rule three years ago," Rogers says. "We purposely only looked for dispensaries that we believed were over 1,000 feet. Our dispensary that got shut down was actually 1,300 feet away as the pedestrian distance goes. But as the crow flies--which is what the Department of Justice used to measure--we fell within that measurement." "I can say with 100% certainty that our dispensary that got closed never once sold to a kid or to an unlicensed patient," Rogers says. "The distinguishing characteristic for me is that street level drug dealers don't make those kind of decisions. I would turn people away because they weren't licensed. You don't get that luxury in the black market. A regulated model does work because it's not worth my risking my business to sell to someone that is not compliant." Greenwerkz sent a letter of appeal to the Department of Justice but it was to no avail. Its location that provided 60% of the business's overall revenue--which cost nearly $100,000 to build while providing social benefits in the forms of jobs, taxes, and community services--was forced to close its doors. "There are responsible operators and we take this seriously," Rogers says. "We want to be good neighbors and we want to do the right thing. We just need to be given the ability." Government resources would have been better allocated in seeking out MMCs that do not comply with vertical integration regulation and/or have lax standards in making sure that they only sell to legitimate patients. A Framework for Other States Whether or not marijuana does have adverse side effects pertaining to mental health, memory functions, and lungs--and scientific research into these claims has thus far, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, "yielded inconsistent results"--these side effects pale in comparison to dozens of prescription medications whose legality is not a matter of debate. Many pill commercials on television spend half the advertisement spot talking about risks and side effects that oftentimes sound worse than the symptoms they treat. According to an LA Times analysis of government data, drug overdoses have become the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, surpassing traffic accidents: Fueling the surge in deaths are prescription pain and anxiety drugs that are potent, highly addictive and especially dangerous when combined with one another or with other drugs or alcohol. Among the most commonly abused are OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax and Soma. One relative newcomer to the scene is Fentanyl, a painkiller that comes in the form of patches and lollipops and is 100 times more powerful than morphine. Such drugs now cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined. While marijuana will not cure afflictions, it's been shown to be an effective treatment that significantly improves the quality of patients' lives. "This is clearly one of the greatest medicines that is known to man and it doesn't have to be black or white," says Dr. Paul Bregman, a Colorado doctor who has become an industry consultant, adding that marijuana can be used to supplement traditional painkillers to reduce their dosage, thereby limiting the chances of an accidental overdose. "You can use it in conjunction with the percodan and the percosets as well." In addition to the 16 states plus Washington DC that have some form of legalized medical marijuana, 12 states have pending legislation to legalize medical marijuana. Despite some of the regulatory gray areas listed in the previous section, there are many good reasons for other states to follow Colorado's format. Requiring costly vertical integration for the MMCs and giving individual communities the opportunity to opt out of allowing the trade are sensible ways to provide barriers to entry, adhere to citizens' will, and limit black market diversion. (And even product that does leak through to non-patients is taxed at one level as opposed to its revenue solely going to drug dealers.) Medical marijuana legalization and recreational marijuana legalization are separate issues. Voters and policymakers should recognize this difference and, regardless of their preconceived notions about recreational use of the drug, consider the net positive impact that it has on the quality of patients' lives. Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol? While recreational marijuana legalization is a wholly separate issue to debate, it is one that is on the forefront of Colorado politics as Sensible Colorado and Safer Colorado gathered more than 159,000 signatures to get it on the presidential election ballot--more than the 86,500 signatures that were needed for it to qualify even if as many as 60,000 of the signatures were illegitimate--this November. A similar ballot initiative in 2006--Amendment 44--lost 61% to 39% and it will be fascinating to see if a) Colorado residents change their mind this time around, and b) what the federal government would do if Colorado becomes the first state to legalize recreational use. Many medical marijuana patients and business owners privately support recreational legalization but worry that they will lose their hard-fought status as legitimate consumers and purveyors if the federal government decides to crack down on the industry as a whole without regard for its hard-fought, legitimate medical distribution and use. Marijuana was made illegal in part because Harry Anslinger, the commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, told race-baiting lies to Congress in 1937. "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers," Anslinger testified. "Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others."
Get Stuff We Love Subscribe to our newsletter. Sep. 18, 2014, 4:00 PM GMT By By Rina Raphael Plus-size continues to gain prominence within the fashion industry with its latest accomplishment — making it to London Fashion Week. British retailer Evans, which boasts more than 180 stores in the U.K. and Ireland, held their own runway show on Tuesday, with plus-size models showcasing flowy, feminine styles in floral, breezy prints for spring/summer 2014. “This is a big and important part of the market, and we need to be seen to embrace it. You cannot ignore the market place,” Sir Philip Green, Evans CEO, told WWD. “And you can’t be defensive about it, or apologize about [plus-size fashion]. Why should the category be any different from petite?” Plus-size fashion shows have been gaining traction, with New York Fashion Week holding their own in 2013, but this is the first for London. “This is day one. It’s a good start — and it’s the product that has to do the talking," said Evans. John Phillips / Today John Phillips / Today John Phillips / Today John Phillips / Today
Lose/Lose is a video-game with real life consequences. Each alien in the game is created based on a random file on the players computer. If the player kills the alien, the file it is based on is deleted. If the players ship is destroyed, the application itself is deleted. Although touching aliens will cause the player to lose the game, and killing aliens awards points, the aliens will never actually fire at the player. This calls into question the player's mission, which is never explicitly stated, only hinted at through classic game mechanics. Is the player supposed to be an aggressor? Or merely an observer, traversing through a dangerous land? Why do we assume that because we are given a weapon an awarded for using it, that doing so is right? By way of exploring what it means to kill in a video-game, Lose/Lose broaches bigger questions. As technology grows, our understanding of it diminishes, yet, at the same time, it becomes increasingly important in our lives. At what point does our virtual data become as important to us as physical possessions? If we have reached that point already, what real objects do we value less than our data? What implications does trusting something so important to something we understand so poorly have? KILLING ALIENS IN LOSE/LOSE WILL DELETE FILES ON YOUR HARDDRIVE PERMANANTLY lose/lose can be downloaded at your own risk, here: lose/lose code for generating the aliens appearances was pillaged from a project I collaborated on in 2007 with david wicks for domani studios audio from gratisvibes.com made with openFrameworks Highscores:
Get the biggest daily news stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now A disturbing animal rights video allegedly shows workers at a foie gras factory throwing live ducklings into an industrial mincer. According to a report by Newsweek, the clip illustrates the fate of as many as 40 million female ducks a year. Only male ducks are kept as they gain weight faster than their female counterparts. They are then used to make the controversial foodstuff while the remains of female ducklings are later used in cat food, fertilisers and in the pharmaceutical industry. (Image: Youtube / Luka Atheris) The video was shot by French animal protection group L214 on an unidentified foie gras farm in Landes, in the south west of the country. It shows five workers sorting through thousands of fluffy ducklings, throwing female birds into a large metal cylinder. The defenceless animals are barely a couple of days old and can be heard squeaking throughout their ordeal. After being discarded, the ducklings appear to be dropped onto a second conveyor belt which allegedly takes them to their gruesome death. The process of obtaining foie gras is so cruel its production has been banned in Britain - but imports from France and other countries are not controlled. Every year 38 million ducks and geese are killed in France to make the delicacy. About a million birds die in the force-feeding process. Only males are used. Females, which do not put on weight so fast, are typically 'destroyed' at a day old by being dropped into electric mincers. France is by far the world’s largest producer and consumer of foie gras, which by law can only have that definition if force-feeding is used. But small producers in other countries – amid growing fury over the cruel methods – let birds eat freely before killing them when their livers are naturally bigger. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now In November last year the L214 campaign group was part of an investigation into Ernest Soulard - a company which supplied Gordon Ramsay with foie gras. Ducks were filmed crammed into tiny cages, caked in filth, riddled with sores and in agony from broken beaks and wings. Campaigners branded the horrific conditions the “worst ever seen” after being shown the pictures of shocking cruelty. Following the investigation Ramsay and a number of other well-known chefs stopped all purchasing from the French firm.
3. Game Settings -novid -nojoy -noaafonts +exec tweak [tusfiles.net] Resolution: Using a 16:9 resolution will give you the biggest field of view. Stretching a 4:3 resolution however make player models appear bigger and subjectively can make heads easier to hit. This is personal preference of course, find what works for you. SHADOWS: "High" has the farthest render distance for shadows, however "Low" shadows will get rid of the scope blur, weather & other distracting effects. "Use Low" rather than "Very Low" because render distance is better. If you have very low FPS however use "Very Low". ANTI-ALIASING: If you have good FPS try using 8x CSAA if available, otherwise try 2x-8x MSAA. Edges will be smoother and small/fine detail will be easier to see. Right click CSGO in your steam library and click "properties".Click on "Launch Options". Copy and paste the following into the field:"-novid" Skips the annoying Valve animation when launching the game."-nojoy" Removes unnecessary joystick support."-noaafonts" Prevents aliasing of fonts."-threads X" (Optional) Enables use of CPU threads. Try different values of X with this setting to find the sweet spot. Sometimes excluding it is best. Note that threads are not the same thing as cores. Use google to find how many threads your CPU has."-tickrate 128" (Optional) Makes offline/local servers as 128 tick instead of 64!"+exec tweak" Applies the settings from Tweak.cfg used later in the guide.In this section we will download a config that will apply many settings for competitive play and to increase fps. Some settings inside the config will need to be customized using a text editor such as notepad.a) Download the Tweak.cfg and place it somewhere you can find it: Download b) Open the file with your text editor. Change any values as described in the config.c) Next, go to CS:GO in your steam library and right click on it. Click "properties", go to the "Local Files" tab then click "Browse Local Files". Now go to the "csgo" folder, then the "cfg" folder. Drag the tweak.cfg into it and you are finished!Let's launch the game now, and apply our optimal settings.Go to Options-->Video SettingsNow go from Options-->Audio Settings.Turn off all distracting music during gameplay so you can hear enemies. Some people may want the 10 second warning on so they know if they have enough time to defuse.Make sure Speaker Configuration is on "Headphones".
The Psychology of PTSD – The Top 50 Bloggers Shed Light Post-traumatic stress disorder is not a new phenomena, although more recent events such as September 11, Hurricane Katrina, and the wars in the Middle East have certainly allowed psychologists the opportunity to learn more about this disorder in order to better understand it as well as better treat their patients. Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. Some of the more common forms of PTSD can be found in victims of sexual abuse, the military, and anyone who has experienced a traumatic moment. It is estimated that at least 10,000,000 Americans have experienced some form of PTSD. Even with so many suffering from the same condition, it can still be easy to feel alone. But not only those experiencing PTSD are affected. It can affect family members and friends as well. To help get an opinion from those who have experienced some form of posttraumatic stress disorder, we have gathered the top 50 bloggers shedding light on PTSD. They are authored by experts, patients, family members, and even experts in neuroscience. They open up new understanding about this disorder and how to cope and manage every day life. The Top Expert Bloggers Shedding Light on PTSD Healing Combat Trauma : If you need some tips on reading about PTSD, this blog does not disappoint. Lily Casura is a published writer whose interests are on veterans, particularly with PTSD and related issues such as the social, medical, and legal. Categories include everything from academic papers to yoga for PTSD. PTSD : Dr. Matthew Tull conducts research on anxiety disorders (specifically PTSD) and substance use problems. He has published extensively in these areas and is the recipient of grant funding from the National Institute of Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health. Must reads on his blog include the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD. Trauma Blog : This clinical social worker specializes in the treatment of trauma. They use EMDR, a therapeutic tool that helps people move from chaos to integration. Daily life, tips, and much more are discussed on the blog. Wounded Times : This blog’s tagline is “PTSD does not have to win as long as we care enough to learn.” With that in mind, Chaplain Kathie blogs to show others they are not alone. A recent entry was on the slashing of military benefits. PTSD Blog : This organization focuses on helping families with PTSD through the recovery process. They also offer a fact sheet on PTSD for immediate download. You can also get the latest information on the organization. World of Psychology : This group of psychologists shares loads of expert advice at Psych Central. The best of several blogs are featured here, along with many posts on PTSD and related disorders. You can choose from many topics from addiction to therapy. Blooming Lotus : Faith Allen is a survivor of child abuse and PTSD. Like the lotus, she found her way back through the muck of life to find beauty in the world and shares how. In addition to her personal story, you can also find answers to reader’s questions, personal triumphs, and more. EFT4Vets : EFT Coach Ingrid Dinter is the owner of EFT4Vets in Hopkinton, NH and is an Interfaith Minister with the NH Board for Mental Health practice. Her blog is full of tools to help veterans and their families heal from the trauma of war. Although it has been awhile since the last entry, the free resources alone are worth the visit. The Top News Bloggers Shedding Light on PTSD Veterans and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder : Believe it or not, “The New York Times” features articles about the mental health issues that some veterans are facing after returning home, including commentary and archival articles. You can check out the highlights featured over the years or even get links to related headlines from around the web. There are also other articles specifically for veterans. MedWorm : If you are searching for the latest research concerning PTSD, stop here. Medworm has daily features and reports on various diseases and offers over 8,000 entries on PTSD alone. You can also use it to research loads of other diseases and conditions. Psych Central : This popular site features the latest news on many mental health disorders, including PTSD. Visit to get the latest headlines, along with the most popular news and blog entries. You can also use it to look up and get information on PTSD. Medicine Net : Similar to the above, this is another medical site with a special section for PTSD. You can find information about medications for PTSD, along with resources for other similar disorders. There are even patient discussions to read. PTSD News : This newsfeed is offered by Military.com. With the military PTSD sufferer in mind, there are many headlines straight from the military. There are also headlines sorted by most popular and what’s hot. PTSD News : Unlike the above, this is the newsfeed from Science Daily. With tons of stories per day, the site focuses on science headlines and has a special section for PTSD. They also offer many videos, links, and up to the minute news on related items. Migraine Chow : This blogger writes ramblings on life, dealing with mental disorders, and C-PTSD. However, there are loads of resources for those with PTSD including “fun n stoopidity” and “handy dandy metal resources.” The Top Military Bloggers Shedding Light on PTSD PASP : Rob and others tells their story and struggle with PTSD in this blog. Their goal is to share what a combat veteran goes through after the media and people forget. They also offer various posts on how to communicate with someone with PTSD, understanding them, tips for family and friends, and much more. Wife of a Wounded Marine : Katie’s world was flipped when her husband was hit with an IED in Iraq. Her family then faced a number of obstacles including a pill addiction, overdose, amputation, and PTSD. The blog is the only comfortable place she feels she can share her raw emotion and she does in spades. Living With PTSD and TBI : This blogger is also the wife of someone with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Uncle Sam’s Mistress is a 34 year old army reservist wife who writes for self-help therapy and to hopefully help other spouses going through the same. The blog also has tons of options from army strong retreats to wounded warrior wives. PTSD Combat : This is the online journal of Ilona Meagher, veteran’s daughter and author of “Moving a Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America’s Returning Troops.” Her blog focuses on the combat related variety of PTSD. She also offers stress resources, research tools, and more. Family of a Vet : This site was created trying to figure out how to handle the “after shocks” of combat including PTSD. Choose from the blog, real life guides, or even an option to share your story. They also offer loads of other resources. The Invisible Wounded : Gina is also the wife of a wounded military member with PTSD, among other things. Her blog discusses the challenges and triumphs of daily life. She often posts on their daily life, as well as how PTSD can affect family members. Some Things I’ve Learned : The Krippled Warrior is from Southern California. His blog contains emotionally charged accounts of his experiences concerning PTSD. Along with personal stories, he also features links and items that interest him. TBI Warrior : This soldier is a sufferer of traumatic brain injury, which is often coupled with PTSD. The TBI stands out for showing what life was like before and after the incident. There are also videos, images, and much more. Patience Mason’s PTSD Blog : She is the wife of a Vietnam vet, Robert Mason. He wrote the book, “Chickenhawk,” a memoir of his tour as a helicopter pilot, who came home with PTSD. New entries can be sparse, but her blog is unique for dealing with PTSD for seniors. The Top Patient Bloggers Shedding Light on PTSD Heal My PTSD : Michele is a trauma survivor who struggled with undiagnosed PTSD for 25 years. And then she was diagnosed and went on a healing rampage and is 100 percent PTSD-free today. Visit her blog to learn how she did it, as well as getting invaluable information on awareness, education, treatment, and healing. A Journey : Susan entered the mental health system in 1992 following a violent marriage, a lifelong history of trauma dismissed, and 15 years of “diagnosis”, “medications” and a routine of weekly “talk” therapy. After shedding a ton of labels, she chooses to follow her dreams and share a message of empowerment, healing, and hope. In addition to the blog, you can also hear her on Blog Talk Radio. Art Constellation : Jenny is a survivor of 14 years of incest and abuse. She uses her art as way to express herself and recover from her past. Visit to view the art, or just read the latest blog entry. Confessions of a Serial Insomniac : Pandora is an Irish woman who was diagnosed with severe clinical depression at the age of 14 and has since developed other mental health problems. She has had social anxiety, a borderline personality disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of sexual abuse. Beware of strong language and potentially triggering material. Bliss Chick : Susan found a passion for dance after attending a friend’s wedding. This gift was able to give her the tools she needed to combat her PTSD, which had appeared as depression, anxiety, and an overall fear of living. She is now a certified Yoga Dance teacher and writes about daily life. PTSD Creative Writing : Amy is from Wisconsin where she uses her writing as a form of therapy for PTSD. She is currently a college student studying for a MFA and shares loads of writing. Poetry is often shared through the blog. Catatonic Kid : The CK suffers from a variety of disorders, including PTSD. An outstanding choice for an original and humorous view. Must reads include the “PTSD Crib Sheet” and “An Idiot’s Guide to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.” A Post Cynical Seer : Jaliya’s blog is where war and peace are discussed with the best humor she can muster. She has experienced several developmental traumas and devoted her life’s work to the service of healing. Visit to get posts on daily life, musings, and resources. PTSD: A Love Story : Emme has been together with Jay for seven years. Her blog is a way for her to deal with his PTSD and to provide a record of her love. It is a must visit for those who love someone with PTSD. Post Traumatic Paths : This blog reflects a post-traumatically stressed, majorly depressed social phobic’s most transparent thinking before and after her breakdown. Heather also shares her experiences through writing. Although it has been over a year since the latest entry, her thoughts are still worth a read. The Top Association Bloggers Shedding Light on PTSD National Center for PTSD : This association is part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Visit to get information for veterans and the general public on PTSD, along with items for providers and researchers. You can also find help in your area, expert articles, and much more. Anxiety Disorders Association of America : The ADAA offers sections on understanding anxiety, finding help, and taking actions. There are tons of personal stories to choose from. There are even podcasts on the topic from experienced professionals. Gift From Within :This international non-profit is intended to help survivors of trauma and victimization. In addition to finding articles on PTSD, the webcasts are not to be missed. There is also art, poetry, and music specifically for victims. America’s Heroes at Work : This group supports the employment success of returning service members with PTSD. The blog is full of information containing success stories and tips for employers. You can also visit to get a veterans hiring toolkit. This Emotional Life : Offered by PBS, this series takes a hard look at sufferers of PTSD. Visit to get clips, learn more about the DVD, and view behind the scenes. You can also get a resource finder with nearly 3,000 organizations focused on mental health in your area. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies : The ISTSS provides information on all aspects of trauma and PTSD, as well as links to other non-profit organizations and foundations that focus on trauma and PTSD. Offerings include the Journal of Traumatic Stress as well as global connections. There are even resources for students of the disorder. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network : Because children can also suffer from PTSD, visit here. There are sections specifically for learning about childhood and adolescent traumas, along with resources for understanding. You can also choose to read articles for parents, families, educators, and even information in Spanish. The National Alliance on Mental Illness : NAMI has loads of resources for every kind of mental illness, including PTSD. Visit to get videos and documentaries made by experts. You can also use the site to research medications, find support and programs, check out the blog, and much more. Wounded Warriors : This project helps wounded active and veterans of the military return to society. Choose from the many programs available such as benefits counseling and peer mentoring. The latest news is featured on the homepage. Real Warriors : Similar to the above, this organization focuses on resilience, recovery, and reintegration. Choose from resources for active duty, national guard and reserve, veterans, families, or health professionals. They also offer message boards where you can meet other survivors of PTSD. The Top Neuro Bloggers Shedding Light on PTSD Brains on Purpose : Stephen West and Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz discuss neuroscience and conflict resolution in their popular blog. Categories include bizarre items such as “acting as if” and “neuro-talk.” They often break down complex neuroscience topics for the everyday reader to understand. Mind Hacks : Neuroscience and psychology tricks to find out what’s going on inside your brain are featured on this blog. Tom Stafford and Matt Webb also authored a book of the same name. With archives dating back to 2004, make time for this blog. Neuroscience News : Visit here to get research news from the cutting edge of neuroscience. Topics include groups, books, jobs, and more. The latest entries are on subjects such as human thought, the thoughts of the blind, and bioengineering. Deric Bownds’ Mindblog : Visit this blog for Deric’s Mindblog podcasts on advanced neuro topics. Categories range from acting to technology. A recent entry was on the mind workings of obesity. MIT News : Get the latest neuroscience research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Recent entries are on habit, younger brains, and nerve cell generation. There are also loads of other headlines to choose from. Brain Blogger : This is an award winning biomedical blog that covers topics from multidimensional biopsychosocial perspectives. They review the latest news and research related to neuroscience/neurology, psychology/psychiatry, and health/healthcare. Popular posts include the “Personality of Chronic Fatigue” and “Clinical Psychologists’ Perceptions of Persons With Mental Illness.” Although the information in the above top 50 bloggers shedding light on PTSD can be useful, be sure and consult a licensed physician before following any of the advice read on them.
Image copyright EPA Image caption Alan Pulido, his hand bandaged, was taken to safety by police after his release International footballer Alan Pulido, who has been rescued after being abducted in Mexico, fought one of his kidnappers and used his phone to call police, officials have revealed. Pulido, who plays for the Greek club, Olympiakos, cut his wrist when he punched a glass pane on a door as he tried to escape before police arrived. Pulido, 25, was abducted at gunpoint on Saturday night in his home town of Ciudad Victoria in Tamaulipas state. A 38-year-old man has been arrested. Officials say the man had confessed to belonging to a local criminal gang. Police are searching for another three men believed to have been involved in the kidnapping. State prosecutor Ismael Quintanilla said the masked gang had taken Pulido to a house in Ciudad Victoria where he eventually found himself alone with one of his abductors. "They traded blows. He takes it [the phone] and calls [emergency number] 066. It all happened very quickly," Mr Quintanilla told Imagen radio. An official report of the calls Pulido made to the emergency operator, obtained by the Associated Press, revealed that he threatened and beat the kidnapper while on the phone, demanding to be told where they were. In one of the calls, Pulido said police were outside and starting to shoot so he described what he was wearing to avoid being mistaken for a kidnapper. Ransom demand Pulido had been abducted when his car was surrounded by several vehicles as he was leaving a party with his girlfriend on Saturday night. Masked men whisked him away, leaving his girlfriend unharmed. Pulido's family received a phone call on Sunday demanding a ransom payment, Mr Quintanilla told reporters no ransom was paid. Pulido, with one of his hands bandaged, told reporters early on Monday: "[I am] very well, thank God." Image copyright AFP Image caption Pulido was part of the Mexican team at the 2014 World Cup Tamaulipas is one of Mexico's most violent states, and Mexico recently deployed more security forces to tackle cartels operating in the area. The country has one of the world's highest kidnapping rates, with government figures saying some 1,000 people are abducted every year. Pulido joined Olympiakos last July and finished the season with six goals in 15 games. He was part of Mexico's squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but was not called up for the upcoming Copa America tournament.
AT A former Hershey’s chocolate factory just outside Ottawa a company called Tweed now produces a rather different confection: marijuana for Canada’s tightly regulated medical market. Under the gaze of surveillance cameras, scientists in lab coats concoct new cannabis-based blends in near-sterile conditions. A repurposed candy mixer does the blending. Only in the growing rooms does the spirit of Cheech and Chong, a stoned comedy duo, seem to preside: the plants have names like Black Widow, Deep Purple, Chem Dawg and Bubba Kush. The market, though growing fast, is still tiny: just 30,000 registered patients buy their supplies from licensed firms like Tweed (short for therapeutic weed). Its parent company had sales of C$4.2m ($3.1m) in the six months that ended on September 30th. But the promise by Justin Trudeau, Canada’s new prime minister, to legalise marijuana could widen the customer base to well beyond the 3m Canadians thought to consume it now. The government’s first “speech from the throne” on December 4th named legalisation as one of its priorities. Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks. The existence of companies like Tweed, which obtained a stockmarket listing in 2014—long before Mr Trudeau, a tattooed former snowboarding instructor, looked likely to become prime minister—suggests that Canada’s transition from remedial to recreational pot will be smooth. It probably won’t be. “It’s going to be a lot harder to implement than you think,” said Lewis Koski, until recently the director of marijuana enforcement in Colorado, to a Canadian news agency. Colorado is one of four American states to have legalised the drug. Canada, likely to be the first large country to take that step, faces bigger obstacles. Its legal pot industry got its start in 2001, after courts ruled that sufferers from epilepsy, AIDS, cancer and other ailments had a constitutional right to light up. The federal government of the time, led by Mr Trudeau’s Liberal Party, developed a hybrid system to supply and regulate it. The health ministry acted as dealer and doctor, certifying patients and selling marijuana to them at a subsidised price of C$5 a gram. One company, Prairie Plant Systems, was the ministry’s only supplier. Patients could grow their own, with a licence. Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, who replaced the Liberals in 2006, abhorred narcotics but couldn’t close the medical-marijuana industry. Instead, they privatised it. Under rules that took effect in April 2014, responsibility for certifying patients passed to doctors and nurses. The government freed prices and licensed 25 tightly regulated private firms, including Tweed, to compete with the sole supplier. They can deliver only by parcel post or to a doctor. Domestic “grow-ops” were outlawed. These buttoned-up regulations govern just a sliver of the medical-marijuana market; elsewhere, anarchy reigns. The 30,000 registered patients are a small fraction of the 1m people thought to toke for medicinal purposes. Some 25,000 still legally grow their own weed while they await a decision on a lawsuit brought by four home-growers who say they cannot pay the higher prices. Rather than take delivery by post, many consumers—both patients and partiers—obtain their marijuana through storefront “dispensaries”, which have sprung up across Canada, encouraged by liberalisation in the United States. Vancouver has the liveliest retail sector, with 176 dispensaries, or “compassion clubs”, which buy the surplus produced by home-based herbalists. These hope to become the basis of a legal distribution network. But unlike Colorado’s distributors of medical marijuana, which became the basis for its recreational retail network, Canada’s dispensaries operate in a treacherous grey zone. REDMED, located on a seedy street in Vancouver’s Gastown district, resembles an indie record shop more than a dispensary. A poster at the till advertises a rap concert. Music-themed T-shirts hang on the walls. Jars labelled Girl Scout Cookies, Crystal Coma and Soccer Mom display the shop’s main merchandise alongside bowls of pretzels and crisps. Despite appearances, REDMED will not sell it to just anyone hoping to get high. People think they can walk in off the street and buy marijuana, says Jessica Jade, who came in as a patient and now works at the shop. “We can’t just serve you if you don’t have your documents at hand,” she says. Other dispensaries are less fussy. In June Vancouver’s city council decided to regulate them, even though they remain illegal in the eyes of federal law. Better that than lose the business to Washington state, which has legalised pot and is 90 minutes away by car, the councillors reckoned. Other local authorities—and parts of the marijuana industry—are not so tolerant. Police in Saskatoon, a city in central Saskatchewan, shut down its only storefront dispensary in October. Smokers caught with “a leftover roach” could be charged, they warned. Legal producers hold the dispensaries and other illegal distributors responsible for their puny sales. If they are sidelined, a stodgier breed of retailer might take over: provincial-owned monopolies that sell alcohol for domestic consumption everywhere except Alberta. Ontario’s is the biggest buyer of booze in North America. The province’s premier, Kathleen Wynne, says it is “very well-suited to putting in place the social-responsibility aspects” of selling marijuana. But the provincial distributors worry that lovers of the bottle will look askance at devotees of the bong. Their chiefs are due to meet in mid-2016 to talk about whether to stock buds of Jamaica Gold alongside Chianti. Licensed producers should find the transition easier. They are stockpiling a surplus in anticipation of legalisation (see chart). The medical side will provide some growth. Tweed and Prairie Plant Systems have sales teams like those of pharmaceutical companies, which call on doctors directly. CanniMed, a subsidiary of Prairie, is conducting clinical trials to see whether cannabis might relieve osteoarthritis, potentially a source of growth as Canadians get creakier. But fun is probably the bigger opportunity. Tweed’s boss, Bruce Linton, dreams of cannabis-infused sugary drinks and marijuana-smoked salmon, though it is not clear that such products will be allowed. Although advertising is banned, Tweed is boosting its brand by selling T-shirts and mugs and sponsoring events. It said no to a stoner Santa but sponsored the Jamaican & World Cannabis Cups, “the world’s foremost ganja festival”, which took place in November. Cheech and Chong were there, in spirit at least.
And in the process, he’s throwing the rest of the Republican Party under the bus.[read_more] News has been percolating over the last couple of days about a scheme Speaker Howell hatched to get the State Board of Elections to change their rules for requirements to get an absentee ballot. According to sources in state government who were close to the matter, Howell lobbied the Democrat-controlled SBE to do something Democrats would love to have done on their own, but would never have gotten passed in the Republican-controlled General Assembly. On May 13, the State Board met and granted Howell’s wish: to allow people applying for an absentee ballot to do so electronically—with an electronic signature. Now, that may not sound like much. But consider this. The absentee voting period started in April, so this change in the rules of the game came smack in the middle of the absentee voting period, when all the other campaigns around the state are invested in turning out absentee voters the old fashioned way: getting people to print and sign hard copy applications, and then either scanning and emailing them in, or mailing or hand delivering them. Still, you say, isn’t making it easier to vote absentee a good thing? Maybe, maybe not. It could also conceivably lead to more voter fraud, but that’s really beside the point of this particular flex of political muscle and corrupt influence in Richmond. Why? Because the State Board made their decision effective immediately and didn’t bother to tell any candidate–other than Bill Howell–about their decision. It’s not on their website, it wasn’t sent to candidates via email, and no announcement or other public bulletin was made. This was effectively secret law written at the behest of the state’s most powerful politician to give him an advantage over his primary opponent. Once he got the decision he wanted, Howell immediately launched a well-engineered web portal to allow people to just visit his site, provide some information, and PRESTO! The campaign takes care of the rest, skipping one of the most arduous steps in the absentee process (getting individual voters to fill out and sign a physical copy of the application). How many ways was this hidden rulemaking improper? The State Board changed rules on the mechanics of electioneering in the middle of an election. If they even had the authority to make this change (which they likely didn’t), it should have been made effective for the next election, not the current one ! Not only that, they didn’t tell anyone about it…except the state’s most powerful politician. What the State Board did probably exceeds their authority. They claimed that they were acting pursuant to the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, but members of the General Assembly are livid. They believe UETA does not apply, and that only the General Assembly can change participation requirements when it comes to any facet of elections in Virginia. However, with the Speaker of the House aligned with the Attorney General, they have very little to worry about politically. Further, Republican leaders to whom The Bull Elephant has spoken, including members of both houses of the General Assembly, are furious at this move as not only does it encroach on their authority, it also gives Democrats a huge additional advantage based on their lead in voter data and online engagement. Not only is every Senator and Delegate candidate running in a contested seat now probably in a tougher race, but our GOP presidential nominee next year will likely face the same added difficulties . The only way to fix this is by lawsuit, as there is no way Republicans could override a veto from Terry McAuliffe to restore the statutory rules. RPV needs to get on this right away to protect the integrity of a Republican nomination process, and to protect the integrity of the electoral process in general . Bill Howell is running for reelection by telling people all about his “proven conservative leadership.” Someone who pulls this kind of stunt doesn’t even know what the word conservative means. Howell should be ashamed of himself. He’s damaged the whole rest of his party with a corrupt exercise of power, all to save his own skin. This is how you cheat in an election without having to go to jail. Step 1: be the Speaker of the House. Step 2: secretly get the election rules changed in the middle of an election (bypassing the legislature) and don’t tell anyone. Step 3: exert your power and influence to intimidate into silence anyone who might challenge you on it. (This will be where the WaPo comes in with a great cover story for Bill) It’s not going to work this time. The fact that Bill Howell apparently thinks he needs to cheat to win confirms that he’s vulnerable, and that despite hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of slick mailers, conservatives in his district are rejecting his lies. They’re turning to Susan Stimpson instead. All this just proves what many of us have known for a long time. Bill Howell is in this for his own power, and will stop at nothing to keep it.
Ignoring Racist Tweets, 11-Year-Old Nails National Anthem ... Again Enlarge this image toggle caption Frederic J. Brown /AFP/Getty Images Frederic J. Brown /AFP/Getty Images Something pretty magical happened at last night's NBA finals: Sebastien de la Cruz, the 11-year-old who sang the national anthem on Tuesday, was back on Thursday to prove his critics wrong. Following his first performance, de la Cruz was barraged on Twitter with racist remarks, questioning why a young, Latino boy in a charro outfit should be singing The Star Spangled Banner. (We won't repeat any of the slurs, but The Daily Dot has a collection.) With a maturity that belies his young age, de la Cruz told KENS-TV that he was ignoring those tweets. "My father and my mama told me you should never judge people by how they look," he said. The Spurs responded by inviting him back for Game 4 last night. He was introduced by San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, and President Obama also previewed his performance via Twitter. De la Cruz delivered a stellar rendition — in his mariachi outfit — to rousing applause. Watch:
OTTAWA – The Conservative government’s anti-terrorism bill contains “ill-considered” measures that will deprive Canadians of liberties without increasing their safety, the Canadian Bar Association says. The bar association objects to the planned transformation of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service into an agency that could actively disrupt terror plots. READ MORE: Anti-terror bill opponents stage ‘National Day of Action’ protests It argues the bill’s “vague and overly broad language” would capture legitimate activity, including environmental and aboriginal protests – and possibly put a chill on expressions of dissent. The most worrying element of the bill is a provision that would give judges the power to authorize CSIS violations of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the association says. It potentially brings “the entire Charter into jeopardy, undermines the rule of law, and goes against the fundamental role of judges as the protectors of Canada’s constitutional rights.” The association wants a sunset clause that would see the bill expire and trigger a parliamentary review no more than five years after its passage. The association, which represents more than 36,000 lawyers across Canada, released a draft summary of its concerns Friday. It has developed a full submission drawing on the input of experts in criminal, immigration, privacy and charities law. Association representatives are scheduled to appear before the House of Commons committee studying the bill next week. The government argues the proposed new provisions are needed to combat the threat of homegrown terrorism in the wake of two murders of Canadian soldiers last October. The bill would also make it easier for police to limit the movements of a suspect, expand no-fly list powers and take aim at terrorist propaganda. In addition, it would allow much greater sharing of federally held information about activity that “undermines the security of Canada.” The information-sharing measures would permit disclosure of personal data to the private sector and foreign governments, unconstrained by the charter, and open the door to misuse, the association’s summary says. It also says: – the expanded no-fly list provisions would introduce powers to search computers and mobile devices without a warrant; – CSIS’s powers would be expanded without a similar boost to already insufficient oversight and review of the intelligence sector; – the bill is being rushed through Parliament without enough time for careful study. Neither the new disruptive powers nor the information-sharing provisions apply to “lawful” advocacy, protest or dissent, but many critics fear the bill could be used against activists who demonstrate without an official permit or despite a court order. Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney told the committee last week such concerns were ridiculous, saying the legislation is not intended to capture minor violations committed during legitimate protests.
Crystal Dynamics’ next Tomb Raider title has covered several magazines this month, revealing a ton of new details. Obviously, SPOILERS. Spanish magazine Hobby Consolas cover story has dropped the following: If you walk into this game expecting Lara Croft from the previous Tomb Raider games, you’ll be disappointed. This Lara is human; she bleeds and suffers and will have to fight for her survival. You’ll have to get used to seeing fear and pain in Lara’s face. Her expressions and even the camera movements have been generated using motion capture. The new game, titled just Tomb Raider, will be a complete reboot. The developers decided to re-imagine Lara Croft, who’ll have very little in common with the woman from earlier titles, who had an enviable body and could perform super-human acrobatics at will. The main story, development, and even the main character will re-start from scratch in this game. The story revolves around a young Lara Croft, who’s shown as a teenager just out of university. A rational and analytical young lady, she goes on a expedition in a ship called Endurance, which sinks next to an island close to the coast of Japan. She’s the sole survivor of the shipwreck. Helping hands and UI will be kept to a minimum, even though the game will show things like what can be burnt, or which buttons to press in Quicktime events. The island’s central area will serve as the main headquarters. In the main camp, you’ll be able to “buy” abilities, make new tools or get back to missions you’ve already finished. The remaining area will be used to climb or search for new missions. Lara has a “Survival Instinct”. By pressing a button you can activate a special view which will put a different colour to “interesting” elements in the environment: the background and non relevant objects will be shown in shades of grey and the clues in yellow. That way you’ll be able to follow traces normally invisible to the eye. For example, wolf footprints could lead you to a med-kit. When you reach it, one of those animals might attack you. Puzzles will be more complex than in previous installments. They won’t be just about observing the environment, but about thinking about how water and fire interact, the importance of gravity, explosives, and so on. The camera will use innovative framings to add to sensations of anguish or claustrophobia. The game has a renewed graphics engine known as Crystal Engine. Many games have influenced the new Tomb Raider: Physics from Half Life 2 – The usage of gravity or water currents was already explored in this classic game. Here such concepts will be put to use with boxes and barrels. Atmosphere of Uncharted – Nathan’s soliloquies will be “limited” by Lara, as well as the extreme situations for the main character. The “vision” of Assassin’s Creed – Ezio’s Eagle Sight isolates different objectives using colours. Lara will be able to do something similar using her Survival Instinct. The origin story of Batman Begins – The first act in the film showed Bruce Wayne’s hard path to become Batman. That “hero’s journey” will guide Lara’s first steps. The suffering of 127 Hours – In that movie, the main character has to punish his body to survive. The most famous scene in the film inspired the guys at Crystal Dynamics to force Lara’s resistance to the limit. The mysteries of Lost – Strange wrecked ships? An remote island full of mysteries? Lost’s plot has been acknowledged by Crystal Dynamics. Another magazine, this time a French one named Consoles, has revealed some additional details: The adventure is divided into three big “episodes”, each one corresponding to a part of Lara’s transformation into an adventurer: survive, rescue and escape. The laws of gravity and centrifugal force allow Lara to go through her obstacles. The transition between cinematics and game is almost invisible. Lara’s grief is accentuated by effects like close-to-face cameras, on-screen blur. Lara changes throughout the game. She will evolve from a young, inexperienced woman to an adventurer. It will be apparent from her equipment (the article says that it might be possible to see her double pistols), for example. Lara can only use Survival Instinct when she’s standing still. There are many ways to solve puzzles, and sometimes you’ll have to try multiple times thanks to the use of physics. Buddha statues are visible throughout the game. Although it’s speculated these are save points, their exact role is unknown for now. Some elements of the world fall when Lara stands on them for too long. Tomb Raider is in development for PS3 and Xbox 360. There’s no date yet.
Médecins Sans Frontières has condemned a series of airstrike that have killed at least 20 people in the Syrian city of Aleppo overnight. The dead included two doctors and three children. In a tweet, MSF Syria said it was "outraged at the destruction of Al Quds hospital in Aleppo". #MSF is outraged at the destruction of Al Quds hospital in #Aleppo. Hospitals are #notatarget pic.twitter.com/TQ1hGhykSp — أطباء بلا حدود سوريا (@MSF_Syria) April 28, 2016 MSF Syria said the hospital was the main referral centre for paediatric patients and included an emergency room, and operating theatre and an intensive care unit that had all been destroyed. .@MSF supported hospital in #Aleppo was the main referral centre for paediatrics & had 8 doctors & 28 nurses. Hospitals are #notatarget — أطباء بلا حدود سوريا (@MSF_Syria) April 28, 2016 The destroyed MSF-supported hospital in #Aleppo had an ER, an OPD, intensive care unit & an operating theatre. All now destroyed #notatarget — أطباء بلا حدود سوريا (@MSF_Syria) April 28, 2016 It comes as the UN envoy for Syria appealed early Thursday on the US and Russia to help revive the Syrian peace talks and a cease-fire he said "hangs by a thread". The chief Syrian opposition negotiator Mohammed Alloush blamed the government of President Bashar Assad for the deadly airstrikes on Aleppo. He told The Associated Press that the latest violence by government forces shows "the environment is not conducive to any political action". The strikes hit shortly before midnight on Wednesday, according to opposition activists and rescue workers. They struck a well-known field hospital in the rebel-held district of al-Sukkari in Aleppo. The dead included one of the few pediatricians remaining in the city's opposition-held areas and a dentist, activists said. Related reading UN envoy urges Obama, Putin to save Syria truce The head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 20 were killed, including three children, and that the hospital was completely destroyed. The Syrian Civil Defence, a volunteer first-responders agency, whose members went to the scene of the attack, said the al-Quds hospital and adjacent buildings were struck in four consecutive airstrikes. The agency, also known as the White Helmets, gave a slightly higher toll, saying 22 were killed. It said there were still victims buried under the rubble and that the rescue work continued. Among those killed were three of the hospital's medical staff, they said.
The world’s most popular cryptocurrency is now worth over $2,000 per coin. That’s according to a range of bitcoin exchanges, including Coinbase and Kraken. That valuation puts the total market cap of bitcoin — the total number of coins in circulation — at $32.92 billion. Bitcoin has been on a tear this year, as this chart from Coindesk shows. Bitcoin first broke the $1,000 valuation mark way back in 2013, but a combination of factors — including the implosion of then-top exchange Mount Gox — saw the currency drop in value. Support from financial institutions trialed bitcoin and blockchain-based services, and a general stability following new regulation in China, saw bitcoin return to the $1,000 mark again at the end of last year. Since then, its valuation has continued to grow consistently through 2017. When we wrote about bitcoin (and ethereum) hitting all-time highs back at the end of April, you could buy a bitcoin coin for $1,343. Now, some three weeks later, the valuation is up 50 percent. The price of a coin rose 12 percent over the past week alone. But bitcoin isn’t the only cryptocurrency on the rise. Ripple, the centralized currency that is aiming to be a settlement protocol for major banks, has surged more than 10x, or 1000% in under a month making it now the second most valuable cryptocurrency (only behind bitcoin) in circulation. Similarly, ethereum, a cryptocurrency designed to function as a blockchain-based computing platform for developers, is now trading $130 per coin with a total market cap of just under $12B, which represents a a little more than a 2x increase over the last month. The result of these increases is that bitcoin no longer constitutes the majority of the market cap for all cryptocurrencies. Today the total market cap of bitcoin represents just 47% of total cryptocurrencies – up until a few months ago it consistently hovered around 80%. Why have these other cryptocurrencies been performing so much better than bitcoin? Some say it’s because of bitcoin’s scaling issue. The currency has grown so large that the network is having trouble quickly confirming transactions unless users attach hefty fees for minors. And while the problem can be fixed with solutions like SegWit or Bitcoin Unlimited, the most powerful miners (who effectively control the codebase of bitcoin) haven’t been able to come to a consensus on which new protocol to implement. While increases of 10x in a month would typically be an obvious sign of a bubble, it’s a little different with cryptocurrencies because no one really knows how much they should be worth. Unlike a company there are no assets or revenues we can use to assess a predictable valuation. So in one sense, a total cryptocurrency market cap of $70B is insane – considering there is no tangible value behind it. But on the other hand, if (any of) these cryptocurrencies actually replace or supplant a global store of value like gold, then $70B is nothing. For example, the total estimated value of all gold mined is around $8.2 trillion USD. Meaning that right now all cryptocurrencies put together don’t even equal 1% of the world’s gold reserves. Similarly, there is currently about $1.5 trillion USD in circulation, meaning that all cryptocurrencies today are still worth less than 5% of USD in circulation. The currency is in unchartered waters at $2,000, but some pundits believe it has the potential to reach $10,000 (or more). To achieve this the community would likely have to sort out the scaling issue, which would give investors confidence that bitcoin’s infrastructure be able to support it as it grows.
Now, I consider myself very much a paleoconservative, as I am not in favor of Wilsonian foreign policy at all. Furthermore, the excessive centralization of Government is not my idea of a good time either. However, I believe that what is happening now in the middle east, goes well beyond Wilsonian foreign policy. Please, if you would, check out this story below: Check out Hot Air.com: Video: Man arrested in terror probe after police shooting in Boston. Also main story at BostonGlobe.com Now folks, this right here is proof that ISIS and Al-Qaeda are not some invention of the CIA or Government; like some of the tin-foil hat people would want some to believe. Furthermore, they are not some sort of service organisation like some on the loony left would say as well. These people are true-blue religious zealots, who happen to believe that killing for Allah is their job. They are truly dangerous and a threat to the Republic. Now who caused ISIS and Al-Qaeda, to me; is irrelevant at this point. What is relevant, is that these people; here and abroad are real, they are willing to die for their cause and they are totally committed. This alone, would be worry and concern anyone, who gives a remote flying flip about this Country. Differences with the neocon right, at this point; seem a bit moot, when I see stuff like this. True, I will never agree with the neocons on much of anything at all. However, when it comes to terrorism; I look at this, not as a Paleoconservative vs a neoconservative — But, rather, as a Christian American, who sees my Country being infiltrated by evil people, who want to kill Americans. Furthermore, I see a liberal controlled Government who is ambivalent, even sympathetic in some cases, to the cause of these demented people. I think it is an awful shame, that Conservatives cannot at least put philosophical differences aside long enough to realize that our Republican is actually under threat. It is also terrible that we have a President that is more interested in placating the leftists in this Country than he is protecting the Republic. Do not misunderstand me; I am no fan of war. But, this, is really pushing my mind towards a feel that a war with ISIS, here and abroad is going to be a necessary thing. Needless to say, the next person, especially if he is a Republican; who takes the White House, is going to have his hands full. Others: Fox News, CBS Boston, The Daily Caller, Hinterland Gazette, The PJ Tatler, Boston Globe, NBC News, WPRI-TV, Associated Press, Mashable, The Other McCain, Fox News Insider, American Spectator and Daily Mail (via Memeorandum)
Good Will Hunting: An Oral History Fifteen years after the release of the movie that made them stars, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck—along with the rest of the cast and crew—reflect in their own words on how a long-shot film by two unknowns became one of Hollywood's biggest success stories. Keep your weekends full of the coolest things to do around Boston with our weekly Weekender newsletter. It’s hard to remember life without Matt and Ben. But there was a time—before Jason Bourne, before Bennifer, and, yes, before Gigli—when they were just two struggling actors from Cambridge. Then came their script about a bunch of kids from Southie scraping their way through life. The hook: One of them, Will Hunting, is a genius, a guy who wows MIT, humiliates Harvard grad students, and turns down job offers from the National Security Agency. Upon its wide release in January 1998, Good Will Hunting became a sleeper hit, eventually grossing $226 million worldwide and garnering nine Academy Award nominations. Robin Williams won the Oscar for best supporting actor, and Matt and Ben—who took their moms as dates to the ceremony—walked away with the award for best screenplay. Today, the movie is beloved from coast to coast, but nowhere more than right here in Boston. With its authentic, affectionate portrayal of the city and some of its rough-around-the-edges characters, the film—and its stars—won our hearts. A decade and a half later, Matt and Ben are bona fide stars, with more Oscars in their sights. This month, Damon and Good Will Hunting director Gus Van Sant will release their third movie together, Promised Land, which was cowritten by Damon. Affleck, meanwhile, recently directed and starred in Argo, his movie about the Iranian hostage crisis. Next up, the pair is planning to reunite and return to Boston to film a movie based on the life of Whitey Bulger—Damon will play the gangster, and Affleck will direct. Still: How did we get here? To find out, we spoke with Damon, Affleck, Williams, Van Sant, and many of the movie’s cast and crew members. How do you like them apples? Damon and Affleck grew up in Cambridge and attended Rindge & Latin School, where they took drama classes together. After high school, Damon went to Harvard, while Affleck moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College. It was in L.A. that they connected with Chris Moore, a young Harvard alum who was just beginning to produce films. Matt Damon: I was in my fifth year at Harvard, and I had a few electives left. There was this playwriting class and the culmination of it was to write a one-act play, and I just started writing a movie. So I handed the professor at the end of the semester a 40-some-odd-page document, and said, “Look, I might have failed your class, but it is the first act of something longer.” Anthony Kubiak (Damon’s professor at Harvard): The thing that they always say when you submit a script to an agent is that they read the first page and they read the middle, and they can tell if they want to continue. They can see whether you can capture the human voice and dialogue. And that was all over this work. It was very authentic and real. Damon: I was gonna be getting out of school in two or three months when I got a part in the movie Geronimo: An American Legend. I went out to Los Angeles and stayed with Ben. I slept on his floor. I brought my Act I of the Good Will Hunting script and gave it to him. Ben Affleck: Matt said, “Look, will you help me write this? I’m not sure what it is or where to go.” So we started writing it sort of back and forth. Damon: The only scene that survived from that document—it survived verbatim, actually—is the first time that I meet Robin [Williams]. Chris Moore (producer): We had been working on Glory Daze—that’s how I met Ben. And I always liked Matt, because we’d met in Cambridge. They said they had this script they’d been working on. So I said, “Sure, I’ll read the script.” Damon: It was the first thing we woke up thinking about and the last thing we thought about before going to bed. Affleck: We came up with this idea of the brilliant kid and his townie friends, where he was special and the government wanted to get their mitts on him. And it had a very Beverly Hills Cop, Midnight Run sensibility, where the kids from Boston were giving the NSA the slip all the time. We would improvise and drink like six or twelve beers or whatever and record it with a tape recorder. At the time we imagined the professor and the shrink would be Morgan Freeman and De Niro, so we’d do our imitations of Freeman and De Niro. It was kind of hopelessly naive and probably really embarrassing in that respect. Moore: They wrote a great script, and I read it and was like, “This is one of the best scripts I have ever read, and I would love to produce it.” The three of us agreed we would try to get it made. The script was completed in 1994, at which point Damon and Affleck approached their agent, who started shopping it around. Patrick Whitesell (agent): Matt had talked about the script he was writing with Ben. Usually when you get a script from actors you don’t have high expectations. Damon: I didn’t realize the stereotype at the time was that every actor has a screenplay. Whitesell: I read it over the weekend and I was blown away. It’s almost an impossible thing to get a movie made that is written by two actors who want to star in it, when no one knows who they are. The only time it happened that I know of was when Sylvester Stallone did it in Rocky. Damon: Nobody knew us. They knew we’d worked. We had résumés with movies on them. I think Ben had done Dazed and Confused and we’d both done School Ties, so we had these résumés that had some professional work on them. Whitesell: I went out with it on the weekend to every studio in town and we said, “Here are these guys, and they have to star in it.” Damon: We never cared about money—we wanted to be in the movie. That was our only thing. That was our big ask.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology If you've got $150 million to spare and want to take a trip around the moon, don't wait for much longer—just one of the two seats that private space firm Space Adventures is selling for a proposed lunar flyby remains. Byron Lichtenberg, a payload specialist aboard the space shuttle missions STS-9 and STS-45, noted this today at the MIT conference "Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration." The news that Space Adventures had sold one of the two nine-figure tickets came out quietly in January, when company CEO Eric Anderson mentioned it at a conference in Munich, Germany. Today, Lichtenberg, who had been in contact with the Space Adventures team, told a roomful of space pros, including astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Massimino, that the sale was definite, sending a murmur of excitement through the room. Lichtenberg confirmed the statement with PM Senior Editor Joe Pappalardo, who is reporting from the conference. Space Adventures, a Virginia-based company, has been planning a lunar flyby since 2005. It offered the two seats aboard a Russian-made Soyuz spacecraft that will fly around the moon in a mission scheduled for 2015. Anderson won't say who purchased the first $150 million ticket, but hinted that you'll know the person's name when you hear it. What could a potential space traveler expect if they purchased the last remaining seat on Space Adventures' moon flyby? The no-frills Soyuz TMA carries one pilot and two passengers. It launches on a three-stage rocket, and will require extra propulsion for a moon flyby. After the Soyuz is launched, a second launch will send a rocket booster into low Earth orbit to rendezvous with the Soyuz and provide the addition propellant. It's the extra fuel and equipment needed to travel a quarter of a million miles—as opposed to simply journeying to the International Space Station or into orbit—that causes the insanely high price of the lunar trip. Don't have $150 million? PM's May cover story, "The Early Adopter's Guide to Space Travel," shows you all the ways you'll be able to visit space in the not-too-distant future, including a few that will go a little easier on your wallet. And, PM predicts, even the lunar flyby will become a bit more affordable in the years to come—technological breakthroughs will bring down the trip's cost into the low millions. Just wait a few years.
The US State Department has signed off on the deal to sell $1.29 billion worth of “smart” bombs to Saudi Arabia, according to the Pentagon. The 22,000 bombs are to be used in the Saudis’ military campaigns in Yemen and Syria. The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, in charge of overseeing foreign arms sales, said in a statement that deal with the Saudis has been approved. The US Congress still has 30 days to block the deal, but is unlikely to do so. The agency said that the sale would keep the Royal Saudi Air Force from running out of weapons, as well as provide sufficient weapons stocks for military action in Yemen and Syria. Pentagon approves $11bn deal for 4 Lockheed ships to Saudi Arabia https://t.co/pN65RQShmxpic.twitter.com/P5cBKCdcGA — RT (@RT_com) October 21, 2015 “This acquisition will help sustain strong military-to-military relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia, improve [the ability of Saudi forces to work] with the United States, and enable Saudi Arabia to meet regional threats and safeguard the world's largest oil reserves,” the statement said. The $1.29 billion deal consists of 22,000 smart and general purpose bombs, which include 1,000 GBU-10 Paveway II laser guided bombs, as well as over 5,000 Joint Direct Attack Munitions kits, which convert older bombs into precision-guided weapons via GPS. Saudi Arabia to buy 600 Patriot missiles for $5.4 bn http://t.co/DXXrKS3cN6pic.twitter.com/kG1kMnyxbj — RT America (@RT_America) July 31, 2015 Both Boeing (BA.N) and Raytheon (RTN.N) are leading producers of the weapons. However, a competition will determine which contractors will get the deal, according to the Pentagon agency. The sale comes after President Barack Obama promised in May to work with Gulf Arab States on increased security cooperation, particularly “on fast-tracking arms transfers… counter terrorism, maritime security, cybersecurity and ballistic missile defense.” Saudi Arabia sinks UN war crimes probe in Yemen, Washington stays silent http://t.co/qdd1kOxyZTpic.twitter.com/2fsIqO9fk9 — RT (@RT_com) October 2, 2015 Gulf States have shown increased interest in US weaponry following the nuclear agreement reached with Iran in July. In October, the US government approved an $11 billion sale to Saudi Arabia for up to four Lockheed Martin Corp.’s warships, along with weapons, training and logistics support. In September, Washington approved a $5.4 billion sale of 600 advanced Patriot missiles to Riyadh. The Saudis have been leading a coalition of countries that since late March has been bombing Houthi rebels in Yemen in an attempt to put ousted President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi back into power. According to the latest UN estimates, at least 2,355 civilians have been killed since the start of the conflict. The majority of them are said to have died in Saudi airstrikes.
No one argues that Alien and Aliens are the best films in the Alien franchise. It’s an objective, undisputed fact. After that, though, nothing is certain—is Alien 3 a good movie? How bad is Resurrection? Do the Alien vs. Predator movies count? Did you like Prometheus? The debates go on and on. They’ll continue this week, too, with the release of Alien: Covenant. Reviews (except ours) have been mostly positive but almost universal in their claims that the film goes a bit too far in explaining the wonderful mystery of the vicious alien who first scared the crap out of us in 1979. Advertisement I believe that’s true, but I also believe we’d all be better off if things had never gotten this far. The Alien franchise should have stopped at Aliens. One original film, one sequel. Yes, Sigourney Weaver appeared in the next two; yes, Ridley Scott directed the last two. But those first two films represent the near-perfect marriage of original and sequel into a cohesive, amazing story. There was never a need to see what happened next. The only desire was to make more money. I don’t need to break down why Ridley Scott’s 1979 original Alien is so good. Just watch it. Scott’s first foray into science fiction not only has a scary, increasingly fast pace, it also holds its thrills for when it needs it, has relatable characters, and cool effects. Everything works. Advertisement Gushing about James Cameron’s 1986 sequel Aliens is also kind of pointless. Again, just watch it. The humor, the scares, the action—it’s all there in beautiful harmony. What is worth talking about though is how, even though Aliens stands on its own incredibly well, it’s also the perfect sequel to Alien. At the end of Alien, you have a lot of questions. What’s going to happen to Ripley? How will the company react when they find out about the killings? Where did this alien come from and, most importantly, are there more of them? First and foremost, Aliens answers all those questions, and it does so in satisfying, but not too obvious ways. Once she’s rescued in Aliens, decades have passed for Ripley, adding a whole new dynamic to her character. The company doesn’t care about the deaths, they just want to know more about the creature. We never find out where the alien comes from but we do learn a more about them and that there are more, as Ripley and the Colonial Marines go to LV-426 to investigate. Advertisement Answering those questions from the first film changes and informs the story. This isn’t just nonsense exposition. Then the new story takes our main character out of her element, adds her to a great group of fresh characters, and throws a bunch more aliens at them. It’s both an escalation and continuation of everything that came before. If Ripley’s crew couldn’t defeat one alien, how will these people defeat aliens, plural? Unfortunately for them, they don’t, really. It’s a bloodbath. And all throughout, the focus of Aliens is totally on the story of Ripley, the Marines, and their attempts to survive. References to the first movie are sporadic at best because Cameron isn’t interested in setting up other films or giving more answers than needed. He wants this movie to be great, if not better than the first one. Whether he achieved the second part is debatable, but there’s no doubt it’s a stellar sequel. Advertisement Usually, the traditional criteria for a sequel is that it has to be bigger and Aliens is that in every way: there are more aliens, more action, a bigger climax, and bigger stakes. In Alien, the stakes are the survival of the characters, and it works. In Aliens though, it’s so much more than that. You realize if Ripley and the Marines somehow fail, Weyland-Yutani will just keep sending people until they can get their hands on the creature. And if that happens, everyone could die. Ripley isn’t only fighting for her life and the lives of everyone around her. She’s fighting for, potentially, the universe. Without us seeing the outside world, the outside world is up for grabs on this small planet. The sequel also gives more answers about the aliens themselves, but not enough to strip away their horror or their mystery. We learn they come from a queen, she’s there, and she’s pissed. But where did the queen come from? Are there more queens? That’s insignificant. In the end, a few of our heroes survive and Ripley has defeated the ultimate boss, the alien queen, pretty much wiping out this line of creatures. When Aliens ends, most questions we had about the first film have been answered and there aren’t many others left. We can assume Ripley, Newt, and Hicks survive, and hope they live the rest of their lives peacefully and without any more aliens. That’s the ending. Are there more aliens out there? Probably, but humans won’t see them. Ripley took care of that. The universe is safe. We don’t care where they come from because it doesn’t matter. They won’t be back. Advertisement That’s where it should have ended. Right there. One perfect movie followed by a bigger second movie that lives up to the original, expands on it, and brings everything together. But, of course, the Alien franchise doesn’t end there and things immediately get very bad. It’s right there in the opening credits of Alien 3 when both Newt and Hicks are killed unceremoniously. Any happy thoughts you had about that last film? Gone. Ripley is impregnated with a queen alien and has to kill herself, only to be resurrected in another film. They there are the Predators, the Engineers of Prometheus, and, finally with Covenant, the answer to the question we never actually wanted to be answered: Where do the aliens come from? It’s an answer that could have been simple enough to ignore, but instead could never be satisfying enough to surprise. Advertisement Say what you want about any of the Alien movies after 1986, but I think that’s where it ended. Maybe not in reality, but creatively. Alien and Aliens compliment each other as well as almost any two films you can imagine. They define what makes an Alien movie great. Too bad no other Alien film has managed the same.
This weekend, American triathlete James Lawrence completed a feat that goes beyond the compliments that describe it, marking the completion of his 50th triathlon in the span of 50 days, going through 50 states. That’s swimming 4 kilometers, cycling 180 kilometers and running for 42 kilometers. Why? It’s for my children. Everything I do, I do for them. I try to set examples for them. I try to set big goals and accomplish them. I want to be around for them as long as I can, and this is my motivation to get up and do those things. Lawrence, of Lindon, Utah, is known as the Iron Cowboy, has also held the record for most ironman races completed in a year, and also one for the most ultra-distance triathlons in one year. He completed his 50-50-50 achievement at Lehi in Utah, beginning it on June 6 in Kaua`i, Hawai`i. Lawrence isn’t just doing this for his children. It’s about promoting a healthy lifestyle in a nation that a big chunk of its population sorely need it. There is a massive epidemic in this country. We’re obese, and it’s a problem. We need to make some serious changes in our lives. We need to change the way we eat, we need to change our activity levels, and we need to change our lifestyles.
The deranged man who opened fire in a Tennessee church last month, had a note in his car calling white supremacist Dylann Roof “less than nothing,” according to a new report. Police say Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25, killed a woman while she was running away and injured seven others in the shooting at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ on Sept. 24., though the investigation into his motive in ongoing, Nashville Detective Steve Jolley testified Monday, according to the Tennessean. Jolley said a note reading, “Dylann Roof was less than nothing,” was found in the alleged shooter’s car, referencing the 2015 Charleston shooting where Roof killed nine black parishioners at the historic Emanuel AME Church. The note didn’t make it clear whether Samson, who is black, intended to retaliate against the Charleston attack, Jolley said. The Sudanese immigrant also, “made some comments about visions and voices,” including a vision of the very church he allegedly shot up, Jolley testified. Samson is being charged with criminal homicide and the feds have an open civil rights investigation into the case that will seek to determine the motive.
Female eggs are appearing in the testes of some male fish in Illinois, a new study shows. Scientists at the Illinois Natural History Survey dissected 51 male largemouth bass, a common game fish, in the spring of 2014 and found that 21 – some 41 percent – had grown oocytes, or female eggs, in their testicular tissue. The fish were collected from the lower region of the Des Plaines River near Joliet, about 25 miles downstream from Chicago. This part of the river isn’t exactly pristine: the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, where treated sewage is carried out of the city, joins with the Des Plaines River north of this point. In its 2016 water quality report, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency found 12 out of the 14 segments of the river it tested were impaired by contaminants such as fecal bacteria and toxic industrial chemicals. Yet the region is still a popular one for recreational fishing of largemouth bass and other fish for anglers to reel in, according to the study’s co-author and former INHS scientist, Mark Fritts. He also said the wild population of largemouth bass they examined don’t appear to be negatively affected by such feminization. “This is an emerging field of research. We're kind of on the tip of the iceberg. There are still a lot more questions than answers.” –Fish Biologist Mark Fritts Scientists describe these fish as intersex, and say their disrupted hormonal systems could be caused by hormone-based pollutants in the water called endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These can be found in birth control pills, pesticides and other consumer, industrial and agricultural products. Similar findings have been made elsewhere in the country, but this study is believed to be the first to measure the intersex condition of wild fish within Illinois’ waterways. “Long-term surveys conducted by the INHS in this region have shown big increases in largemouth bass over the past 40 years since the implementation of the Clean Water Act,” Fritts said. “It's a dichotomy here because we're seeing a population that has increased dramatically, but we're also seeing this potential problem rising.” While it's not one of the five longest rivers in Illinois, the Des Plaines River is the longest stream in the Chicago area, flowing 133 miles from south Wisconsin to form the Illinois River, which feeds into the Mississippi River. Fritts, who's now a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fish biologist in La Crosse, Wisconsin, spoke to “Chicago Tonight” about the study’s results, which were published in the July 2016 edition of the scientific journal The American Midland Naturalist. Chicago Tonight: Were you surprised that almost half of the male largemouth bass you collected in this river had grown female eggs? MF: Not really. Given the environmental history of the Chicago area and the results of recent studies that have documented the presence of high concentrations of EDCs in the Chicago region’s water bodies, we assumed that fish in this downstream location would probably be affected in some way or another. CT: What factors could be causing this? MF: We can’t say anything directly from our study because we didn’t measure the concentrations of any chemicals within the water. But previous researchers have found really high concentrations of estrogenic compounds coming out of the wastewater treatment plants in Chicago. And, I mean, they were really significant concentrations coming out into the streams that eventually find their way into the Des Plaines River. Those are older studies, but they illustrate that these EDCs are present in Chicago area water bodies and they naturally flow downstream. CT: What exactly are EDCs, and can you give us some examples? MF: EDCs are any natural or synthetic chemical compounds that can disrupt the endocrine development pathways of an organism. Our growth and our reproductive development are all tied to our endocrine system. These chemicals can affect the way these systems develop. There are literally thousands of compounds classified as EDCs around the world. Environmental estrogen is associated with birth control pills, things like that. Whenever a person takes medicine and goes to the bathroom, a very large amount of that medicine goes through their body and goes into the wastewater treatment where it’s not always picked up and finds its way back in the river. Another example is the very common drug Metformin, which is used to treat diabetes. It’s very, very widespread and pervasive especially around the American Midwest and laboratory studies have shown it causes feminization in male fishes. BPA (Bisphenol A.) is another one. It’s in children’s bottles and toys and known to cause intersex in fishes as well. And a lot of flame retardants are known to cause these problems. But this is not an exhaustive list – there’s more out there. CT: Do you know if people actively fish in the area where you found intersex fish? MF: Yes. When I was with the INHS, we were involved in research-based fishing in that region for a very long time. I do know it was very common to see recreational fishermen pursuing bass in that area. A couple years ago there was a paper about how the Des Plaines River was the hidden bass fisherman’s haven in suburban Chicago. People are aware that this is a good sport fishing area. CT: Would an intersex largemouth bass be dangerous for humans to eat? MF: That’s another question that we have, too. That’s a future area of research. We don’t really understand the models or have one in place for understanding how a lot of these contaminants get transferred to humans. These are highly complex molecules. Understanding how they get transferred between pieces of the food chain is very difficult. We just don’t know that. We don’t have really good research studies to answer those questions. This is an emerging field of research. We’re kind of on the tip of the iceberg. There are still a lot more questions than answers. CT: Are you worried about potential negative effects on humans? MF: That’s my biggest concern. The fish are a biomarker, they’re an indicator that there’s a problem, but my primary concern is making sure that people who use the resources don’t get sick either. Interview was edited and condensed. Follow Evan Garcia on Twitter: @EvanRGarcia Sign up for our morning newsletter to get all of our stories delivered to your mailbox each weekday. Related "Chicago Tonight" Stories Study: Carbon Dioxide Could Keep Asian Carp out of Great Lakes June 15: A process similar to making soda water may be an effective strategy in warding off an Asian carp invasion that’s threatening the health of the Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan. EPA: Widely Used Herbicide is Harmful to Wildlife June 8: Some farm groups are criticizing a new report about the hazards of atrazine, a herbicide that was banned by the European Union more than 10 years ago. ‘Super Slimy’ Granddad at Shedd the World’s Oldest Aquarium Fish May 19: Granddad is believed to be the oldest fish in captivity at any public aquarium or zoo in the world. Fishing on the Chicago River February 25: The Chicago River is far from America's cleanest waterway. But a few anglers are trying their luck as its ecosystem improves. Cruise the Chicago River from the Comfort of Your Home January 26: The Chicago River is now visible via Google Street View. A small team spent nearly 10 hours documenting the waterway with a 360-degree camera in October. Here's what it looks like. Why Catfish Are the Future for Cleaner Chicago Water January 19: Two organizations have joined forces to release nearly 200,000 fish into the Chicago and Calumet waterways over the past two years.
For the 23 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana for medical and, in three cases, recreational use, there have been plenty of stories of money to be made in growing or dispensing the drug – which had been illegal in most parts of the nation since the 1930s. And the Keystone State may be next. The Pennsylvania State Senate last month voted to support the legalization of marijuana for medical uses in specific and limited health conditions, and Gov. Tom Wolf has said he will sign the bill if the House concurs. That surely has many existing and potential marijuana industry entrepreneurs keeping a close eye on the state with visions of great profits dancing in their heads. The first state to decriminalize marijuana for recreational use was Colorado. Chris Walsh, editor of Marijuana Business Daily, said the state has seen a windfall in corporate and tax revenue since the 2013 action. “It’s been big for them,” Walsh said. “They’ve seen $1 billion [in sales] in Colorado in 2015 alone, plus there have been tens of thousands of new jobs, and thousands of new businesses have cropped up. It’s creating business opportunities, as well as job creation.” Not only did growers and sellers make money, but ancillary businesses also reaped the profits, Walsh said. Firms ranging from architects and construction contractors who designed and built dispensaries, to security companies and law offices, have gained new business from the booming industry. Could Pennsylvania be raking in that kind of revenue if the medical marijuana bill passes? That’s a tough question to answer, Walsh said, but the likely answer is “no.” He’s not saying there isn’t money to be had, but the publication, which was founded in 2011 and is the oldest marijuana-business publication in the nation, has witnessed success and failure for those attempting to enter the nascent industry. The most important factor in how much money there is to be made on the legal sale of marijuana is how those sales are regulated. Colorado has what is likely the most liberal marijuana sales, and so has been the most financially successful. Walsh said the other decriminalized states have varying degrees of oversight, limits and accepted uses for the drug that can have a large effect on startup costs, volume of sales and ultimate profitability. Louisiana, for example, could be considered the nation’s 24th state to legalize marijuana, but Walsh said his publication doesn’t count it because its regulations are so strict that combined with the fact that marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, real-world sales just aren’t practical. Some states have a high cost of entry, with fees for marijuana sales or growing licenses costing tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Coming up with that capital can be difficult because those in the industry also can have trouble finding a bank willing to make a loan connected with a controversial industry. Many even find they can’t get a bank to let them open a depository or checking account, making many marijuana businesses fragile cash-only endeavors. Other factors include for what medical conditions physicians are allowed to recommend marijuana. The proposal so far in Pennsylvania is fairly restrictive, compared to some other states. Limited conditions such as cancer, HIV and AIDS, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and epilepsy are among covered uses. In California, which has a more liberal definition of marijuana-treatable conditions, a person can ask a doctor to recommend marijuana for something as simple as a headache. Other regulations that could affect sales volume and profitability include in what form the drug can be sold. In some states, marijuana can be sold in its smokable form or as an edible, but the Pennsylvania bill, as it stands, will only allow it to be sold in pill, oil and liquid form. That’s a restriction, Walsh said, that could decrease sales. But it’s not just regulations to consider, it’s competition, he said. In some areas where marijuana sales were legalized, there was a rush to market that created a glut. Some in the industry barely broke even and some failed. But with marijuana sales, as with any new industry, Walsh said the weaker businesses will always, ultimately be weeded out – so to speak. For anyone putting money into the marijuana industry, likely it will be a long-term investment, he said. He said the tide is rising and more states are considering legalizing marijuana for at least medical uses. As marijuana becomes more acceptable to the general public – which it already is, according to Walsh – he expects many states will also legalize it for recreational use, which is what occurred in Colorado. He said he believes the day isn’t long off where most, if not all, states will allow marijuana in some form, so the wait may be worth it for investors.
A key figure on the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission defended the panel's decisions on who received licenses to grow marijuana for medical use amid accusations that politically well-connected applicants were selected over better-qualified companies. Cheverly Police Chief Harry "Buddy" Robshaw, who chairs the growers subcommittee of the commission, said the differences in the scores of the top applicants were very small. The top 15 applicants — which received preliminary growers licenses — were "about interchangeable," he said. "They really were very close up to [No.] 30 or 40," Robshaw said. The commission has not released the scores, which guided officials as they picked which companies would receive the potentially lucrative preliminary licenses to grow and process marijuana. In a wide-ranging interview, Robshaw explained his subcommittee's decisions for the first time. The panel's actions have become the target of blistering criticism from the Legislative Black Caucus and disappointed applicants, two of whom have filed a lawsuit against the commission. Another said this week it was considering legal action. Robshaw's comments shed light on how Maryland chose winners and losers in the early steps toward launching what could be an important new industry. Some project Maryland's medical marijuana program will grow to generate $129 million in annual business. The program was created to alleviate the suffering of people with such conditions as cancer, epilepsy and autoimmune diseases. But controversy over the selection process threatens to delay that relief. "It's unfortunate it's become so convoluted and Maryland patients are going to wait longer for medicine than about any other state," said Kate Bell, legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project. CAPTION The Stronach Group has spent almost 90 percent of its state renovation subsidies to pay for improvements at Laurel Park rather than at Pimlico Race Course, state records show. (Kevin Richardson, Baltimore Sun video) The Stronach Group has spent almost 90 percent of its state renovation subsidies to pay for improvements at Laurel Park rather than at Pimlico Race Course, state records show. (Kevin Richardson, Baltimore Sun video) CAPTION Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis speaks to a crowd assembled in a House of Delegates overflow room to watch a hearing on a bill that would regulate shotguns and hunting rifles similarly to handguns. (Video courtesy of Shawn Poulson, Kent County Republican vice chairman) Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis speaks to a crowd assembled in a House of Delegates overflow room to watch a hearing on a bill that would regulate shotguns and hunting rifles similarly to handguns. (Video courtesy of Shawn Poulson, Kent County Republican vice chairman) Bell said she doesn't see what the commission gains by not releasing the scores assigned to applicants by researchers at Towson University. Robshaw, a former Prince George's County police officer, defended the five-member growers subcommittee's decisions, which included replacing two higher-scoring companies with lower-scoring applicants to achieve greater geographic diversity among the preliminary license winners. The 16-member commission ratified the subcommittee's decision in August. He said the panel was guided by "the idea of fairness, but not fairness to the people involved, but fairness to the process itself." The subcommittee originally approved 15 licenses on July 27 based solely on the rankings arrived at by Towson's Regional Economic Studies Institute, Robshaw said. Researchers did not know the identities of the applicants. But he said that when the subcommittee learned in the following days where each of the companies planned to locate, they realized the geographical distribution did not meet the commission's goals. The commission had decided to use a map of the state's agricultural zones to guide its decisions, Robshaw said. Going by that map, one region of the state was left out — the Lower Eastern Shore. That map showed Anne Arundel County, which had an applicant in the top 15, in the Southern Maryland zone. But Robshaw said the committee did not think Anne Arundel counted as Southern Maryland. Robshaw said the subcommittee went down the list on July 29 and — not knowing the identities of the companies — found another applicant in the Southern Maryland zone. This one, ranked 20th, was from Prince George's County. The subcommittee elevated that company, Holistic Industries LLC, to No. 14. It bumped the 21st-ranked applicant to No. 15 to represent the Lower Shore. And it demoted the No. 8 and No. 12 applicants. "It was the only fair way to accomplish that task," Robshaw said. He added that the committee "didn't want to go too far down the list" but felt there wasn't much difference in quality between No. 21 and the original 15. The elevation of Holistic raised suspicions because it is a politically well-connected company represented by the state's highest-paid lobbyist, Gerard E. Evans. Its investors include Evans' son-in-law and a distant cousin of Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller. Among the applicants that suspect politics tainted the selection is the one originally ranked No. 17. That company, Maryland Natural Treatment Solutions, was passed over even though it had offered to move from its preferred Caroline County location to anywhere the commission preferred. Commission staff disregarded that offer. Ross Morreale, a consultant and attorney for Maryland Natural Treatment, called the commission's process a "sham" and said his company is considering a lawsuit. "It's like they're making the rules up as they go to benefit them and their pals," Morreale said. "We think it's outrageous. People should probably go to jail over this." Robshaw, who is not paid for his commission work, said he doesn't know Miller. He said that while he knew Evans through a parent-teacher association in the 1980s, he hasn't spoken to the lobbyist for at least 20 years. Robshaw insisted that no outside influence affected the choices. "I'm not going to hurt my reputation in the community by helping somebody I don't know," he said. Robshaw said neither he nor other commission members knew of Maryland Natural Treatment's offer to move. He defended the decision to withhold that information, saying state regulations required that location be specified in the application. If Maryland Natural Treatment sues, it will be the third rejected applicant to take the state to court. No. 8 Maryland Cultivation and Processing and No. 12 GTI Maryland have already filed a lawsuit, charging the commission broke its own rules. Lanny Davis, an attorney for GTI, said there is no rule requiring an applicant to identify a proposed site. GTI's CEO, Pete Kadens, called the process "improper" and said "politics were involved." Robshaw said committee members knew their decision to reshuffle the rankings could bring a legal challenge. "I don't think we were naive to the idea, but I don't think we were worried that would be a possibility," he said. The General Assembly's black caucus has also threatened to take action. Its members are considering holding up the final issuance of licenses because none of the grower licenses were awarded to companies with African-American ownership. The commission has said it received legal advice that it could not take the race of applicants into consideration. mdresser@baltsun.com twitter.com/michaeltdresser
JF: What are the comparable next steps in genomics? ESL: Before we could understand the genetic basis of inherited diseases and cancer, we first had to get a sequence of the human genome. The first 15 years of work [on the Human Genome Project], and about $3 billion of cost, was devoted to getting one sequence of one human being, to use as a starting reference point. The next job was to go figure out how people with a disease, whether it’s diabetes, schizophrenia, or a lung tumor, differ from that reference. That would require looking at the genomes of thousands and thousands of people to spot the changes. Remember that it took 15 years and $3 billion just to get the first person’s sequence. The idea of doing that thousands of times over would have seemed crazy—except that an amazing transformation over the past 12 years brought down the cost of sequencing genomes by about a million-fold. That has allowed us to look at thousands of people and see the differences among them, to discover critical genes that cause cancer, autism, heart disease, or schizophrenia. For the first time, after 25 years of genomics, we can finally pop the hood on the car and see what’s wrong. The rate of progress is just stunning. As costs continue to come down, we are entering a period where we are going to be able to get the complete catalogue of disease genes. I think in another five or six years, we should have a complete catalogue. That is not a cure for disease. The next level will be seeing how these individual genetic components fit together, into circuits. You could say that right now we are discovering all the parts of a Boeing 747 and meticulously laying them out on the floor of a hangar. That’s actually pretty impressive, to get all the parts! Still, the plane doesn’t fly yet. This next generation of young scientists is figuring out the functional circuits into which all these parts fit. JF: I feel lowbrow asking this, but on what timeline will patients see the results? Are these therapies decades away, or a few years? ESL: It’s important to define your goals. Therapeutic development has already been transformed by genomics. There are 800 different anticancer drugs in clinical development today. Cancer drugs used to be just cellular poisons, but almost all of these new ones are targeted at particular gene products that have been discovered. But it’s just a start. Some of the new cancer drugs can miraculously make tumors disappear. The problem is that, a year later, the cancer in many cases comes roaring back, because some of the cells have developed mutations that make them resistant. So genome scientists are now finding and targeting these mutations as well. Remember in the 1980s, when HIV was a fatal disease? What made it become a chronic, treatable disease? It was a combination of three drugs. Any one of those drugs alone, the virus could mutate its way around. But with the combination of all three, the chance that a virus could find its way around all of them was vanishingly small.
Solar Freaking Roadways. What is it? It’s technology that replaces all roadways with a smooth sheet of glass and solar panels. You know how asphalt is soooo easy to repair and soooooo cheap? Yes, this is the exact opposite of that. They’re coming to freaking Missouri. A parking lot for the Route 66 Welcome Center in Conway, MO will be paved with the solar freaking roadways that netted $2 Million in an Indiegogo campaign two years ago. There is a National Potato Expo. As far as I can tell, this is a trade show for potatoes and potato-related paraphernalia. As with all trade shows you need a great demo, in this case one involving potatoes. How about a phone charging station powered by potatoes? It’s a bunch of potatoes, copper pipe, galvanized nails (neat design, btw), and a USB socket. Yes, it works, but not well. The travelling hacker box is a USPS flat rate box filled to the brim with random bits and bobs of electronics, shipped back and forth between dozens of electron enthusiasts. It’s making one last trip around the US, and now the travelling hacker box needs destinations from Idaho to Michigan. Idaho, of course, is a fictional state created in 2004 for Napoleon Dynamite, but that still leaves Montana, the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the UP. If you live in one of these states, there’s a travelling hacker box with your name on it. Request to join the project and PM me on hackaday.io. It’s election year in the US, and that means half of the population hates one candidate, half of the population hates another candidate, and half of the population will vote. Don’t think about that for too long. Here’s an Arduino doing something topical with Twitter. Hotends for 3D printers are getting more and more robust, but thermistors are fiddly little things. E3D just came up with the solution. It’s a standard, modular temperature ‘cartridge’ that fits in E3D’s heater blocks. You can already change out the heater cartridge on a 3D printer for a higher wattage model, and now you can change out a thermistor for a thermocouple just as easily. E3D sells their stuff in GBP, so considering recent events it might be a good time to pick up a new hotend for that Monoprice 3D printer you picked up The 8-Bit Generation recently released their documentary The Commodore Wars, chronicling the stupendous rise and meteoric fall of Commodore. Now they’re working on the Atari version and they’re funding it with a Kickstarter. Rumor has it Hackaday’s own [Bil Herd] has been asked to narrate. Here’s another Hackaday Retro Edition success story @KetturiFox pulled up the Hackaday Retro Edition on a Texas Instruments TravelMate 5000 laptop. That’s a relatively modern laptop with a 75MHz Pentium, PCMCIA slots, and a nub mouse.
I. Summary If you are doing an illegal activity in my city, if you are a criminal or part of a syndicate that preys on the innocent people of the city, for as long as I am the mayor, you are a legitimate target of assassination. —Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, February 2009. At around 6 p.m. on July 17, 2008, 20-year-old Jaypee Larosa left his home in Lanang, a quiet residential neighborhood in Davao City, to go to a nearby Internet cafe. An hour later his family heard six successive gunshots. A neighbor rushed into their house to say one of their sons had been shot in front of the café. Jaypee was taken to a hospital, but was declared dead on arrival. Eyewitnesses said that Larosa had been shot by three men in dark jackets who had arrived on a motorcycle. After they shot him, one of them removed the baseball cap Larosa was wearing and said, “Son of a bitch. This is not the one,” and they immediately left the scene. It appears that the assailants were seeking to kill another man, a suspected robber. No one has been arrested for Larosa’s murder. His family is unaware of the police having taken any meaningful action in the case. Jaypee Larosa is just one of hundreds of victims of unresolved targeted killings committed over the past decade in Davao City and elsewhere in the Philippines. Dozens of family members have described to Human Rights Watch the murder of their loved ones, all killed in similar fashion. Most victims are alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children, some of whom are members of street gangs. Impunity for such crimes is nearly total—few such cases have been seriously investigated by the police, let alone prosecuted. Although reports of targeted killings in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao, are not new, the number of victims has seen a steady rise over many years. In Davao City, the number has risen from two in 1998 to 98 in 2003 to 124 in 2008. In 2009, 33 killings were reported in January alone. In recent years the geographical scope of such killings has expanded far beyond Davao City and other cities on the southern island of Mindanao to Cebu City, the Philippines’ second largest metropolis. An already serious problem is becoming much worse. This report provides an anatomy of death squad operations. It is based on our investigations of 28 killings, 18 of which took place in 2007 and 2008. The victims include children as young as 14. In researching this report, we found evidence of complicity and at times direct involvement of government officials and members of the police in killings by the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS). We obtained detailed and consistent information on the DDS from relatives and friends of death squad members with direct knowledge of death squad operations, as well as journalists, community activists, and government officials who provided detailed corroborating evidence. According to these “insiders,” most members of the DDS are either former communist New People’s Army insurgents who surrendered to the government or young men who themselves were death squad targets and joined the group to avoid being killed. Most can make far more money with the DDS than in other available occupations. Their handlers, called amo (boss), are usually police officers or ex-police officers. They provide them with training, weapons and ammunition, motorcycles, and information on the targets. Death squad members often use .45-caliber handguns, a weapon commonly used by the police but normally prohibitively expensive for gang members and common criminals. The insiders told Human Rights Watch that the amo obtain information about targets from police or barangay (village or city district) officials, who compile lists of targets. The amo provides members of a death squad team with as little as the name of the target, and sometimes an address and a photograph. Police stations are then notified to ensure that police officers are slow to respond, enabling the death squad members to escape the crime scene, even when they commit killings near a police station. The consistent failure of the Philippine National Police to seriously investigate apparent targeted killings is striking. Witnesses to killings told Human Rights Watch that the police routinely arrive at the scene long after the assailants leave, even if the nearest police station is minutes away. Police often fail to collect obvious evidence such as spent bullet casings, or question witnesses or suspects, but instead pressure the families of victims to identify the killers. Our research found that the killings follow a pattern. The assailants usually arrive in twos or threes on a motorcycle without a license plate. They wear baseball caps and buttoned shirts or jackets, apparently to conceal their weapons underneath. They shoot or, increasingly, stab their victim without warning, often in broad daylight and in presence of multiple eyewitnesses, for whom they show little regard. And as quickly as they arrive, they ride off—but almost always before the police appear. The killings probably have not generated the public outrage that would be expected because most of the victims have been young men known in their neighborhood for involvement in small-scale drug dealing or minor crimes such as petty theft and drug use. Other victims have been gang members and street children. Frequently, the victims had earlier been warned that their names were on a “list” of people to be killed unless they stopped engaging in criminal activities. The warnings were delivered by barangay officials, police officers, and sometimes even city government officials. In other cases, the victims were killed immediately after their release from police custody or prison, or shortly after they returned from hiding. Human Rights Watch also investigated a number of cases in which those killed were seemingly unintended targets – victims of mistaken identity, unfortunate bystanders, and relatives and friends of the apparent target. Death squad members also have been victims of death squad killings, possibly because they “knew too much,” failed to perform their tasks, or became too exposed. Some Davao City residents also expressed the belief that some death squad members have become guns-for-hire. Witnesses and family members who provide information to police on the killings, including the names of suspects, say that police either fail to follow up on the leads, whether they have started a criminal investigation, or if they have made any progress in their investigation. In many cases, witnesses are too afraid to come forward with information, as they believe they could become death squad targets by doing so. The words and actions of long-time Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, some of which were quoted at the start of this report, indicate his support for targeted killings of criminal suspects. Over the years, he has made numerous statements attempting to justify the killing of suspected criminals. In 2001-2002, Duterte would announce the names of “criminals” on local television and radio—and some of those he named would later become victims of death squad killings. Duterte claims that Davao City has achieved peace and order under his rule. But with killers roaming the streets with the comfort of state-protected impunity, the city remains a very unsafe place. Available information points to an increasing number of death squad killings, including of persons such as Jaypee Larosa who appeared to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Duterte and other local officials continue to deny the existence of any death squad. But in recent years, mayors and officials of other cities have made statements attempting to justify similar killings in their own cities. Sadly, Davao City is seen by some as a model for fighting crime. Just as disappointing, there is an almost complete lack of political will by the government at both local and national levels to address targeted killings and take action against the perpetrators. Based on consistent, detailed, and compelling accounts from families and friends of victims, eyewitnesses of targeted killings, barangay officials, journalists, community activists, and the “insiders,” Human Rights Watch has concluded that a death squad and lists of people targeted for killings exist in Davao City. We also conclude that at least some police officers and barangay officials are either involved or complicit in death squad killings. Human Rights Watch believes that such killings continue and the perpetrators enjoy impunity largely because of the tolerance of, and in some cases, outright support from local authorities. The failure to dismantle the Davao Death Squad and other similar groups, prosecute those responsible, and bring justice to the families of victims lies not only with local authorities. The administration of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has largely turned a blind eye to the killing spree in Davao City and elsewhere. The Philippine National Police have not sought to confront the problem. And the inaction of the national institutions responsible for accountability, namely the Department of Justice, the Ombudsman’s Office, and the Commission on Human Rights, has fueled widespread impunity. The continued death squad operation reflects an official mindset in which the ends are seen as justifying the means. The motive appears to be simple expedience: courts are viewed as slow or inept. The murder of criminal suspects is seen as easier and faster than proper law enforcement. Official tolerance and support of targeted killing of suspected criminals promotes rather than curbs the culture of violence that has long plagued Davao City and other places where such killings occur. Until national authorities take decisive action to disband the Davao Death Squad and all other similar groups that may be operating in other cities, and prosecute perpetrators and complicit officials, the pledges of President Arroyo and other government officials to respect basic human rights and uphold the rule of law will remain hollow. Key Recommendations The Philippine government and local authorities in Davao City, General Santos City, Digos City, and Tagum City, as well as other cities believed to be using or tolerating death squads, should urgently take measures to stop the killings and hold perpetrators accountable. More specifically, Human Rights Watch urges that: President Arroyo should publicly denounce extrajudicial killings and local anti-crime campaigns that promote or encourage the unlawful use of force. She should order the Philippines National Police, the Ombudsman’s Office, and the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate the targeted killings of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children, and pledge that state employees who are found to be involved or complicit in such killings will be prosecuted in accordance with the law. The Philippine National Police should conduct thorough investigations into targeted killings of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children in Davao City, General Santos City, Digos City, Tagum City and investigate the alleged involvement and complicity of police officers in such killings, including their failure to investigate the killings rigorously and prepare cases for prosecution. The Commission on Human Rights should investigate and report publicly and promptly on the Davao Death Squad and other similar groups and the involvement of the PNP and city governments in Davao City and other cities where death squad activity has been reported. As part of its inquiry into the targeted killings of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children, the Commission on Human Rights should investigate whether Rodrigo Duterte, Mayor of Davao City, and other mayors and governors in the Philippines have been involved or complicit in death squad killings, or whether statements by government officials may have incited violence. The mayor of Davao City and other local officials should cease all support, verbal or otherwise, for anti-crime campaigns that entail violation of the law, including targeted killings of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children. They should arrest and prosecute perpetrators of the killings and state employees, including law enforcement officers, who are found to be involved or complicit in death squad operations. The Philippine Congress should conduct hearings on the Davao Death Squad and other similar groups in the Philippines, with special attention paid to whether local officials and police officers are involved or complicit in such killings. The United States, European Union, Japan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank should keep their pledges on human rights, the rule of law, and good governance, press the Philippine government to initiate investigations into alleged targeted killings in cities, and to publicize the results of its investigations and plans to dismantle the Davao Death Squad and other similar groups. More detailed recommendations are set forth at the end of this report. II. Note on Methodology In July 2008, Human Rights Watch investigated 28 killings in Davao City, General Santos City, and Digos City, focusing on cases where circumstances suggested a death squad might have been involved. Most of the killings we investigated occurred in 2007 and 2008, although a small handful had taken place as long ago as 2001. Human Rights Watch interviewed about 40 family members and friends of victims, as well as eyewitnesses to apparent targeted killings. Human Rights Watch also interviewed nine people who had insider knowledge of the structure and functioning of the “Davao Death Squad,” because they had family, friends, or neighbors who were members of the DDS, had talked directly to DDS members, or had dealings with them. We also spoke with local human rights activists, lawyers, and journalists, who have been looking into the killings for years and who, in many cases, were able to provide detailed corroborating evidence. We conducted interviews in English and Cebuano (the predominant local language) with the aid of interpreters. We have withheld the names of many of the people we interviewed for security reasons, using pseudonyms for those repeatedly quoted (we note such use in the relevant citations). Wherever possible and in the majority of cases, interviews were conducted on a one-on-one basis. In September 2008, Human Rights Watch sent letters to the Philippine officials listed below to obtain data and solicit views on the killing of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children in Davao City, General Santos City, Digos City, Tagum City, and Cebu City. We sent follow-up letters a month later to those who did not reply. Human Rights Watch wrote to the following officials: Rodrigo R. Duterte, Mayor, Davao City Pedro B. Acharon, Jr., Mayor, General Santos City Arsenio Latasa, Mayor, Digos City Rey Uy, Mayor, Tagum City Tomas R. Osmeña, Mayor, Cebu City Rodolfo Del Rosario, Governor, Province of Davao del Norte Douglas R. Cagas, Governor, Province of Davao del Sur Andres G. Caro II, Regional Director, PNP Regional Office XI Ramon C. Apolinario, City Director, PNP Davao City Alberto P. Sipaco, Jr., Regional Director, Commission on Human Rights, Davao City Humphrey Monteroso, Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Antonio B. Arellano, Regional State Prosecutor, Region XI Raul D. Bendigo, City Prosecutor, Davao City At this writing in February 2009, Raul D. Bendigo, Davao city prosecutor, Tomas R. Osmeña, mayor of Cebu City, and Pedro B. Acharon Jr., mayor of General Santos City, had responded. The other officials listed above did not respond or asked Human Rights Watch to contact other government agencies or officials. Some of Human Rights Watch’s letters and Philippine officials’ responses are attached in this report’s appendix. The rest of the letters are posted on the Philippines page of the Human Rights Watch website: www.hrw.org. III. Map of Mindanao IV. Background Legacy of Violence Mindanao, the largest of the Philippines’ southern islands, has been a focal point for insurgencies and conflict for decades. Militant Muslim groups, communist insurgents, government security forces, and government-backed militias and “vigilante groups” have all been responsible for numerous serious human rights abuses—including abductions, torture and killings—against suspected adversaries and ordinary civilians. Since 1969 the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been fighting to topple the Philippine government.[1] The communist insurgency reached its greatest strength in the mid-1980s, prior to the “People Power” revolution of 1986 that removed then President Ferdinand Marcos from power. During that period, Mindanao was one of the hotbeds of the NPA insurgency. NPA forces have been responsible for numerous abuses, including targeted killings of persons whom they identify as “enemies,” and the use of violence to extort businesses and individuals.[2] So-called “sparrow units” have summarily executed those cited for “crimes against people,” such as criminals, military informants and abusive police officers.[3] Since the early 1970s, the Philippine government also has been engaged in an intermittent armed conflict with Muslim separatist groups in Mindanao.[4] The conflict has resulted in the death of an estimated 120,000 people, mostly civilians, and displacement of some two million more. A shaky peace currently exists. More radical groups such as the Abu Sayyaf Group emerged in the 1990s and have been responsible for numerous bombings and other attacks on civilians, primarily in Mindanao and other southern islands.[5] The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have for many years been implicated in insurgency-related human rights violations. In a June 2007 report, “Scared Silent: Impunity for Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines,” Human Rights Watch documented the involvement of government security forces in the extrajudicial killing of leftist politicians and activists, journalists, outspoken clergy, anti-mining activists, and agricultural reform activists. Only a handful of the perpetrators of such killings have ever been convicted. To fight the NPA insurgents, the government has long relied on the use of poorly trained paramilitary forces such as the Civilian Home Defense Force and its successor, the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU). These armed militias have tortured and murdered people they believed support or sympathize with the NPA. By operating outside the military chain of command, they also have given the armed forces a level of “deniability” for serious abuses they commit.[6] The government has also actively enlisted so-called vigilante groups to fight the NPA. By popular legend, the birth of modern vigilantism in the Philippines traces back to Davao City. In April 1987, in a slum in Davao City, three former rebels shot to death a notorious NPA assassin. This group, called Alsa Masa (“Masses Arise”), prospered thanks to deep public resentment against the NPA, which had killed numerous people, many in error, in a violent internal purge starting in late 1985 and alienated once supportive populations.[7] With the endorsement of then President Corazon Aquino and under the patronage of a local military commander, Lt. Col. Franco Calida, Alsa Masa rapidly expanded, using coercive recruiting methods and extortion. They required each household to provide a member for their nightly patrols, and painted homes of those who didn’t comply with an “X.” Jun Pala, a radio broadcaster who was an early supporter of Alsa Masa, routinely threatened Alsa Masa critics with retribution. In many areas throughout the Philippines, local military commanders created and provided arms to vigilante groups, hoping to emulate Davao City’s counterinsurgency experiment with Alsa Masa.[8] A wide variety of vigilante groups were reported in the provinces of North Cotabato, Misamis Occidental, and Zamboanga Del Sur in Mindanao and on the islands of Negros, Cebu, and Leyte, among other areas. When these groups invariably became involved in serious abuses, enthusiasm steadily waned and they disappeared in the 1990s. Problem of Illicit Drugs The Philippine government has been battling drug syndicates for decades. The country has the highest estimated methamphetamine prevalence rate in the world, and continues to be a producer, consumer, and transshipment point for methamphetamine.[9] Illicit drug laboratories, which used to be found in or near Metropolitan Manila, are now found in various parts of the country, including Mindanao. In one such discovery, the authorities found a laboratory in Zamboanga City in Mindanao in February 2008 that reportedly had the capacity to produce 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine each month.[10] In 2007, the last year for which statistics are available, the authorities identified 249 local drug groups and eight transnational drug groups operating in the country, up sharply from the 149 local and seven transnational groups identified in 2006. There was no reason given for the surge. They also cited “intelligence reports” as indicating that illegal drugs from foreign countries were entering through coastal areas in central and southern Philippines.At the same time, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported a decreasing number of patients treated at various drug-rehabilitation facilities, again without offering explanation or analysis.[11] A 2007 US State Department report concluded that “corruption, low morale, inadequate resources and salaries, and lack of cooperation between police and prosecutors” were hampering drug prosecutions in the Philippines. It noted that the slow process of prosecuting cases demoralizes law enforcement personnel and permits drug dealers to continue their drug business while awaiting court dates. It said the leading cause for the dismissal of cases is the non-appearance of prosecution witnesses, including police officers.[12] Davao City, an urban center of Mindanao, is a major market for illicit drugs. Davao City In the 1970s and 1980s, Davao City was known as the “murder capital” of the Philippines. Communist insurgents and government security forces killed each other in the daytime on Davao City’s streets. NPA assassins killed corrupt police officers, suspected informants, and drug dealers. The Agdao district of Davao City became a communist bastion known as “Nicaragdao” (after Sandinista-led Nicaragua), where the NPA routinely committed targeted killings.[13] The NPA was largely driven out of Davao City by the late 1980s. The government claimed that Alsa Masa and other vigilante groups were chiefly responsible, but the NPA’s demise also has been explained as due to a bloody internal purge in the NPA that left its ranks shattered. The NPA’s decline in Davao City was repeated throughout the Philippines in the ensuing decade.[14] In the words of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the NPA today remains a low-level threat.[15] In recent years, Davao City has developed into a sprawling urban metropolis of 1.44 million residents, and a business, investment, and tourism hub for the southern Philippines. It has attracted a large number of economic migrants from all over Mindanao and elsewhere in the Philippines. Hundreds of thousands are unable to find stable jobs and end up in crowded slum areas. They include an estimated 3,000 street children[16]—40 to 50 percent of whom are girls—who roam the streets of Davao City to make money and avoid physical abuse at home. Many join youth gangs for bonding and survival.[17] A resurgence of violence by Islamist groups in Mindanao has left its mark in Davao City. On March 4, 2003, a bomb exploded in a waiting shelter just outside Davao International Airport, killing 22 people and injuring 143 others. Within days, an Abu Sayyaf Group commander claimed responsibility for the attack. On April 2, 2003, a bomb hit the Davao Sasa Wharf, the main dock for Davao City, killing 17 and injuring 56. Several alleged members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Abu Sayyaf Group were soon arrested.[18] Southern Mindanao, which includes Davao City, has also seen a resurgence in extrajudicial killings by members of the armed forces and the police against leftist activists, journalists, and others deemed to be NPA supporters, part of a larger nationwide increase in such killings. As elsewhere in the Philippines, impunity for such crimes is the norm: rarely do the authorities prosecute members of the military or police for extrajudicial killings, and few cases result in arrests, even fewer in convictions. Davao’s Mayor Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Duterte was first elected mayor in 1988 on a campaign to reinstate peace and order in Davao City. Before running for office, Duterte had built his reputation as a city prosecutor by targeting military and rebel abuses with equal fervor. The son of a former provincial governor, Duterte said his father taught him that elected officials must serve the greater good no matter what it takes, like a father protecting and disciplining his family.[19] Duterte’s rise as a prominent political figure coincided with a significant change in the dynamic between local officials and the police in the Philippines. As discussed in chapter X, two laws enacted in 1990-91 provided city mayors and provincial governors greater operational control over their police forces. Under Duterte’s rule, crime rates in the city dropped to among the lowest in the country. According to the Davao City official website: From a 3-digit crime rate per 10,000 people in 1985, Davao has reached an almost Utopian [sic] environment with a monthly crime volume of 0.8 cases per 10,000 persons from 1999 up to 2005. Digging through the records, it would reveal that about 90% of these cases reported are petty crimes that do not in any way threaten the over-all peace and order condition of the city. These descriptions attempt to conceal a rampant crime wave—namely, the murder of hundreds of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children. More importantly, by averaging out years of statistics and omitting most recent years, they belie the city’s sharp upward trend in crime rates over the last decade. According to statistics from the police, between 1999 and 2008, the population in Davao City grew from 1.12 million to 1.44 million, or by 29 percent. Meanwhile, the number of annual crime incidents during this period rose from 975 to 3,391, or by 248 percent.[21] These numbers show that, contrary to the city government’s self-proclaimed success, its tough anti-crime campaign has failed to curve crime rates. An increasing number of death squad killings appears to have contributed to worsening crime rates in the city. Local activists say death squad killings of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children in Davao City started sometime in the mid-1990s, during Duterte’s second term as mayor. The group that claimed to be responsible for the killings was called Suluguon sa Katawhan or “Servants of the People,” among other names, but soon the media in Davao City began referring to it the Davao Death Squad (DDS).[22] By mid-1997, local media already had attributed more than 60 unsolved murders to the group, observing that the death squad had adopted the urban warfare tactics used in the 1980s by NPA “sparrow squad” hit teams. One source revealed that the death squad then had at least 10 members then, mostly former members of the NPA who had surrendered to the government.[23] The death squad grew dramatically since—one insider estimates the number of current members at about 500 (see chapter VIII).[24] These killings have not been unpopular. According to a local human rights organization, fear and public frustration at “the arduous and ineffective judicial system” have made summary executions seem a “practical resort” to suppress crime in Davao City.[25] Duterte, who has now been mayor for two decades, with a short interval as a congressman, has been given endearing nicknames by the media, such as “The Punisher,” “The Enforcer,” and “Dirty Harry” for his anti-crime campaign.[26] His policies have garnered public support in Davao City. It is thus perhaps no surprise that in recent years, reports of targeted killings of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children have emerged in the nearby cities of General Santos City, Digos City, and Tagum City in Mindanao as well as in Cebu City on the central island of Cebu.[27] Targeted Killings in Mindanao and Beyond While the focus of this report is on alleged death squad activities in Davao City, Human Rights Watch also conducted field research in Digos City and General Santos City. The research demonstrated that targeted killings in these cities partly started out of efforts by the Davao Death Squad to track down individuals who had left Davao City for the presumed safety of neighboring locales. But such targeted killings —that now involve locally-based killers— appears to reflect local government support and possible direct participation in politically popular if highly abusive anti-crime measures. Human Rights Watch is also worried by the news of targeted killings of suspected criminals in cities outside of Mindanao. Among the cities of particular concern is Cebu City. The media in Cebu City treat the existence of a death squad in the city as a matter of fact, just as their counterparts in Davao City do. News archives from as early as 2003-2004 show articles on apparent targeted killings of suspected criminals. In his response to a letter from Human Rights Watch, Cebu City Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña described a pattern of killings in Cebu similar to those in Davao City. In relation to 202 cases[28] registered in the city from December 2004 to September 2008, he noted: The majority are categorized as “summary/vigilante Style of Killings” for the perpetrators are usually unknown, riding in motorcycles and wearing masks, bonnets or helmets. Information gathered during the investigation revealed that most of the victims are either having criminal records or ex-convicts, fraternity members or suspected to be involved in drug syndicate. [29] Osmeña emphasized the efforts of law enforcement bodies to investigate and prosecute the cases, but did not provide details of these efforts beyond noting that “some cases were filed in court and now [are] pending ... resolution for the suspects [who] were identified and arrested.”[30] V. Pattern of Killings It is very hard to believe there is no death squad. There is a clear pattern, including the profile of victims, the choice of weapons, the use of motorcycles without license plates, and police failure in investigating the cases. —Reah De La Cruz, reporter with Radyo Totoo, DXCP-CMN, General Santos City, July 18, 2008. For over a decade, death squad killings have plagued Davao City on the southeastern coast of Mindanao.[31] In recent years, similar targeted killings have been reported in General Santos City, Digos City, and Tagum City in Mindanao and even Cebu City in the central island of Cebu. While the exact number of victims of such killings is hard to establish, available data suggest an alarming trend. According to the Coalition Against Summary Execution (CASE) and the Tambayan Center for the Care of Abused Children (Tambayan), the number of death squad killings of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children in Davao City that started in the mid-1990s, has increased dramatically in recent years. CASE documented 814 death squad killings in Davao City from August 19, 1998 to February 1, 2009, 116 of which happened in 2007, 124 in 2008, and 33 in January 2009 alone. CASE distinguished death squad killings from other killings based on several factors, including whether the victim received a previous warning, the profile of the victim, and the method of killing.[32] A prominent local journalist who has researched extrajudicial killings in Davao City since 1999 told Human Rights Watch that in the course of a month from mid-June to mid-July 2008, he documented 60 killings and an additional eight attempted murders.[33] Data by CASE show a steadily upward trend in the number of killings in recent years from 65 in 2006 to 116 in 2007 and 124 in 2008.[34] The reasons for the apparent rise in death squad killings are unclear, although the sharp increase in the number of illicit drug groups identified by the authorities in 2007 may offer one explanation, as many victims are alleged drug dealers or users (see chapter IV). Local activists offer other possible explanations: first, long-lasting impunity may have emboldened death squad killers, encouraging them to expand their operations, and second, the recent economic downturn may have led more poor people to resort to drug dealing and other criminal activities as it became difficult to find or keep stable jobs, giving death squad members more potential targets.[35] However, the authorities in Davao and other cities, including Davao City Mayor Duterte, continue to deny the existence of any death squad. For example, Davao City police director, Sr. Supt. Ramon Apolinario, told local media that the DDS does not exist, adding that, “there is no community or city that will allow these groups to do things beyond legal means. As a law enforcement officer, I will stick to my mandate to observe due process, respect human rights of the suspect and the victim.”[36] The city prosecutor of Davao, Raul D. Bendigo, wrote to Human Rights Watch that his office has “no hard evidence... on the existence of the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS).”[37] These claims contradict consistent, detailed accounts by many individuals who have witnessed such killings, as well as information provided by “insiders,” as detailed below. The killings documented by Human Rights Watch and by local human rights groups reveal a pattern in the perpetrators’ modus operandi, including commonalities in the profile of the individuals targeted for killings, advance warnings to victims that they would be targeted, the types of vehicles and weapons used by the assailants, and the locations of the killings. Warnings and Intimidation Most victims of targeted killings in Davao City, General Santos City, and Digos City receive warnings prior to the killings. The victims (or their families) first hear that their names are on a presumed list of people slated to be killed—the so-called “Order of Battle” or OB. Such lists have long been used by the Philippine military and police to target suspected NPA members and supporters. As noted above, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte personally used to announce the names of suspected criminals on local TV or radio in 2001-02, and visited communities to warn delinquent youth and their parents. Local residents say Duterte stopped this practice several years ago, but the practice generated a widely held belief that there was a connection between those publicly named and supposed lists of potential targets. For instance, prior to the killing of Conrad Dequina in October 2007, a barangay[38] official told Dequina’s family that his name was on a “list,” and advised that he leave town. According to a friend of Dequina’s: Everybody knew whose names were on the list. I have not seen the list, but a barangay official had the names on a piece of paper, and carried it with him when he visited each house to inform the families. [39] Accounts of insiders to DDS operations suggest that the police and barangay officials collect the names of drug users, people with a criminal record, and the like. Family members and others personally familiar with the victims of death squad killings consistently told Human Rights Watch that the victim had received clear threats or warnings to stop their criminal activities or other behavior—or face the consequences. Usually, the police or barangay officials delivered the warning, but neighbors and friends also passed on the message. In some cases, people were advised to leave the neighborhood, and a number of people fled after the warning. Others ignored the warnings or returned to the neighborhood after spending some time away, with dire consequences.[40] For example, Cyrus Gitacaras, a man in his early 20s with a long criminal record, had been jailed as a suspect in a robbery case but was released in August 2007. Gitacaras told friends that a police officer had warned him that, “if he didn’t watch out, he might be killed on the street.”[41] Five days after his release, unidentified assailants murdered Gitacaras in Davao City. According to Clarita Alia, whose four sons were murdered one after another between July 2001 and April 2007, a local policeman had warned her shortly before the first of her sons to be killed—18-year-old Richard—was stabbed to death. A couple of weeks before his murder, the police tried to arrest him, but his mother resisted, demanding a warrant. Clarita Alia said: A policeman, who introduced himself as senior police officer [name withheld], told me, “Ok, you don’t want to give your child to me, then watch out because your sons will be killed, one by one!” I was really shocked he mentioned the other sons as they were just little kids then, but he was very angry because I was pushing him out. [42] Just as the police officer threatened, Christopher Alia, 17, was murdered in October 2001, Bobby Alia, 14, in November 2003, and Fernando Alia, 15, in April 2007. Locations Most targeted killings documented by Human Rights Watch were committed in broad daylight in public places. Victims were targeted in front of their houses or in nearby streets, in bars and cafes, in jeepneys or tricycles[43], and in busy markets and shopping areas. In Davao City, death squad killings often occur in certain areas, such as a crowded market in Bankerohan, slums in the Agdao district, and along Bolton Street, a busy street lined with restaurants and cafes. According to data collected by CASE, out of 814 killings committed in Davao City from August 19, 1998 to February 1, 2009, 57 percent of the incidents took place in areas under the jurisdiction of three police stations: the Santa Ana police station that covers Agdao and Chinatown (21 percent), the Talomo police station that covers communities south of Davao City (20 percent), and the San Pedro police station that covers Davao City’s downtown area including Bolton and Bankerohan (16 percent).[44] Perpetrators The perpetrators of targeted killings in Mindanao typically make greater efforts to conceal their weapons than their identity. They are often seen wearing jackets or buttoned-down shirts—apparently to conceal their weapons. Baseball caps are common. In a very small number of cases, eyewitnesses say that the gunmen wear “bonnets” (ski masks) or sunglasses. “Ramon,” a DDS insider, told Human Rights Watch that masks are rare, and usually worn when a hitman operates alone, driving a motorcycle himself.[45] The presence of multiple eyewitnesses does not seem to restrain the perpetrators. For example, 15-year-old Adon Mandagit was shot dead at around 3 p.m. one day in July 2007 on Bolton Street in Davao City, near a popular Jollibee fast-food outlet. His friend, who witnessed the killing, told Human Rights Watch: There were many people in the street—after shooting Adon, the men waived their guns at the crowd, telling people to disperse. Women were shouting, some people hit the ground, and some were running away. I also got scared and hid behind a fruit stand. I could see everything from there. [46] Witnesses can often clearly see the perpetrators. While perpetrators often wear baseball caps, as noted above, they do not try to hide their faces. In some cases they threaten bystanders before fleeing from the crime scene, waving their guns and telling them to keep quiet. The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Philip Alston, found the lack of effort by the perpetrators of such killings to disguise themselves noteworthy. He stated in his 2008 report: One fact points very strongly to the officially-sanctioned character of these killings: No one involved covers his face. The men who warn mothers that their children will be the next to die unless they make themselves scarce turn up on doorsteps undisguised. The men who gun down or, and this is becoming more common, knife children in the streets almost never cover their faces. [47] The gunmen usually arrive on motorcycles, in groups of two or three. In most reported cases, the motorcycles do not have license plates. The most commonly used motorcycles are XRM Honda or a larger, DT-type off-road motorcycle. In most of the cases documented by Human Rights Watch, the gunmen left on their motorcycles immediately after the attack and usually long before the police arrived. Until 2006, perpetrators primarily used firearms—specifically, .45-caliber handguns, and, in some cases, .38-caliber or 9-mm handguns. The use of such firearms is a strong indicator that the murders were not perpetrated by common gang members. The .45-caliber handguns, for example, cost about 30,000 pesos (about US$625) each.[48] The vast majority of gang members cannot afford such expensive weapons, and mostly use knives or homemade pistols instead. Several individuals familiar with DDS operations told Human Rights Watch that since 2006, some DDS members have started using knives instead of handguns, and have received training to this end. They say that the DDS now often favors knives because they are cheaper, attract less attention, and stab wounds make it easier for the police to claim that the victim was killed by gang members.[49] Data compiled by CASE confirms the increasing use of knives in alleged death squad attacks. In 2006, 38 victims were shot and 26 were stabbed. In 2007, 56 were shot, and 59 were stabbed. In 2008, 73 were shot, while 50 others were stabbed. (In one case each in 2006, 2007 and 2008, the method of the killing was not given.) Although the use of knives decreased slightly in 2008, the data still show an overall upward trend in the use of knives. In 2005, for example, the number of victims killed with handguns reached 117, but only nine were killed with knives.[50] VI. Map of Davao City VII. Victims Targeted Victims Most victims of death squad killings have been alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children. Mistaken identity victims, bystanders, and family members or friends of intended targets have also been killed in death squad attacks. Data collected by CASE from August 19, 1998, to February 1, 2009 suggest that more than 90 percent of victims in Davao City are male.[51] Of the 28 killings Human Rights Watch documented, all but one were male. In the majority of cases documented by Human Rights Watch, the victims were young men or youths who had been known in their community for involvement in small-scale drug dealing or petty crimes, such as stealing cell phones, and using drugs. Those targeted included gang members, alleged drug dealers, street children (some of whom are youth gang members), and low-income blue-collar workers such as informal car washers, jeepney and tricycle drivers, construction workers, and fishermen. Of the 671 cases collected by CASE from the period between August 1998 and May 2008 in Davao City, 295 victims, or 44 percent, are believed to have been gang members or otherwise involved in criminal activities, such as using or dealing drugs, theft, or robbery.[52] CASE notes that 13 are believed to have been “mistaken identity” cases. At least two victims were killed by stray bullets, while one was killed shielding the victim. In 363 cases, or 54 percent, there was no information available on the victims’ involvement in crime.[53] In a number of the cases documented by Human Rights Watch, police had arrested victims on suspicion of committing a crime and then released them when they did not have sufficient evidence to bring charges. Shortly after their release, these individuals were then shot or stabbed by apparent death squad members. For example, on November 20, 2005, police arrested 22-year-old Rodolfo More, Jr. for trespassing and theft. They released him two days later, apparently because the evidence against him was not strong enough to prosecute. Soon after a relative picked him up from the police station, an unknown assailant stabbed him to death in a jeepney that was taking them home.[54] The CASE data also suggest that about a third of the 814 victims in Davao City were young adults, ages 18 to 25, and at least 9 percent were children. In 2008 alone, out of 124 victims, 46 were young adults, and another 14 were children. Another 45 were 26 or older, while there was no information on the age of 20 others.[55] In the cases documented by Human Rights Watch, the majority of victims were teenagers or young men in their 20s. Unintended Victims In at least three cases documented by Human Rights Watch, the families believed that the victims were killed because they were mistaken for somebody who had been the intended target. In one of the cases, 24-year-old Gabriel Sintasas from General Santos City was shot dead on March 19, 2008. His family told Human Rights Watch that the perpetrators seemed to be looking for Gabriel’s cousin, Frederick, an alleged drug dealer whom he resembled. Sintasas’ mother, who witnessed the killing, told Human Rights Watch: I cried [to the gunman], “You idiot! This is not Eko [Frederick’s nickname]! You got the wrong man!” I knew that these people were looking for Frederick—they just mistook my son for him! The killer didn’t say anything in response, but he looked at Gabriel in shock, apparently realizing he made a mistake. [56] After Gabriel’s murder, Frederick surrendered to the police, who told him he would have been “the next one” if he had not promptly surrendered. On January 14, 2008, two gunmen in General Santos City shot dead Allen Conjorado, 23, and his brother Ronaldo, 15, inside a store owned by the brothers’ aunt. The aunt’s six-year-old daughter was also shot, but survived despite a head injury. A relative told Human Rights Watch that Allen was known in the neighborhood for selling drugs, but Ronaldo was not, and never received any warning prior to the killing.[57] Death Squad Members Another category of victims includes death squad members themselves—who may be targeted because they have acquired too much information about the squad’s operations, because they fail to perform their tasks, or because they are particularly exposed. Other Victims Local activists also say that an increasing number of people are being murdered because some death squad members have become “guns for hire” and are killing people in exchange for payment. A rights activist in Davao explained: It costs only 5,000 pesos (about US$104) to hire an assassin. If you owe more than 5,000 pesos to someone, would you pay back, or would you hire a killer to take care of the lender? If you have a dispute, it’s so easy and cheap to eliminate the other. Now the DDS moonlights, and work as “guns for hire” for pretty much anyone willing to pay the price. The targets used to be criminals, but they now include non-criminals. The DDS is expanding their business. The creation of the DDS has made killing a very profitable business. You are not safe, even if you did not commit any crime. You can still become a victim. [58] VIII. Targeted Killings The following cases, involving 28 targeted killings, were documented by Human Rights Watch during our research in Davao City, General Santos City, and Digos City in July 2008. Davao City Jaypee Larosa, 20, killed on July 17, 2008 Jaypee Larosa, 20, had no criminal record and lived in Lanang, a quiet residential neighborhood in Davao.[59] At around 6 p.m. on July 17, 2008, Larosa left home, saying he was going to a neighborhood Internet cafe. A relative told Human Rights Watch that at around 7 p.m. the family heard six gunshots. A neighbor then rushed to their house and said that the “twin” had been shot, which the family immediately realized meant Jaypee, as he had a twin brother. Family members rushed to the Internet cafe, and found Larosa with several bullet wounds in front of the cafe. They took him to a hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival. According to family members, eyewitnesses told them that Larosa had been shot by three men wearing black and dark blue jackets who arrived on a Honda Wave motorcycle. After they shot him, one of them removed the baseball cap Larosa was wearing, and said, “Son of a bitch. This is not the one,” and they immediately left the scene. The police recovered an empty cartridge from a 9-mm handgun. The family believes that Larosa was mistaken for someone else. Shortly before the killing, the family had heard that some twin brothers had committed a robbery in the neighborhood where they used to live. A police officer had mentioned to members of the community the names of the Larosa brothers as potential suspects. Convinced that the Larosa brothers could not have been involved in the robbery, the family confronted the police officer. On July 15, the police officer filed a libel complaint against the family. On July 16, the Larosa family filed a counter-complaint. The following day, Larosa was killed.[60] Adon Mandagit, 15, killed in July 2007 Adon Mandagit, 15, used to live in Calinan, south of Davao City, with his family. Several years before he was killed, local police arrested Adon and beat him once for sniffing “rugby” (an industrial solvent commonly used by Filipino youth as an intoxicant) and for an alleged theft. “Ricardo,” a close friend of the Mandagit family, told Human Rights Watch that Adon’s mother then filed a complaint against a Calinan Police Precinct policeman for mistreating her son. As a result, the policeman was removed from the station and the police paid damages to the Mandagit family.[61] According to Ricardo, after the incident, the Calinan police warned Adon’s mother that unless her son changed his behavior, “Something may happen to him.” The mother then asked Ricardo to take her son to Davao City, and Adon moved there in early 2007. In Davao City, Adon started working with Ricardo as an informal car washer in the Bolton area of the city. Ricardo told Human Rights Watch that they were always together, and he tried to keep an eye on Adon, fearing for his safety. Adon’s mother told him that some “men on motorcycles” were looking for Adon in Calinan, coming to the house, and asking the mother for his whereabouts. In July 2007, Adon was shot dead in front of Ricardo. Ricardo told Human Rights Watch: It was around 3 p.m. Adon and I were on Bolton street, washing cars near a Jollibee restaurant. I went to buy cigarettes but the moment I left Adon, I heard gunshots and immediately turned around. I saw two men firing at Adon. One of them, short and heavy-built, was two or three meters away from Adon. I believe he fired the first shot. Adon stumbled, and another, taller man finished him off with another two gunshots. There were many people in the street—after shooting Adon, the men waived their guns at the crowd, telling people to disperse. Women were shouting, some people hit the ground, and some were running away. I also got scared and hid behind a fruit stand. I could see everything from there. [62] According to Ricardo, the short man was in jeans and black jacket, and the tall one was wearing jeans, an off-white polo shirt, and a baseball cap. After shooting Adon, the men jumped on a waiting motorcycle and took off. Ricardo noticed that the motorcycle was a DT sports model, and the driver had long hair. The gunmen were armed with .45 caliber handguns.[63] After the gunmen left, Ricardo approached Adon. The boy was already dead—two wounds were visible in his head (one in his forehead and a second in the back of his head), and another bullet wound in the neck. Ricardo then quickly left the scene, fearing for his own life—Adon’s killing was not the first one in the area and he was afraid he might be targeted as well. Ricardo believes that Adon might also have been killed because a month before his shooting he had witnessed the murder of another car washer in the same area. As a witness to the killing, Adon was then questioned by the police. He also had given an interview about the murder to a local TV channel. Rolando Jimenes, 50, killed on June 15, 2008 Rolando Jimenes was a retired member of the CAFGU militia and lived in Davao City. In 2003, police arrested him for murder and he served time in prison until July 2007. According to a relative, shortly after his release, Rolando joined the Davao Death Squad and took part in death squad raids along with other members. He did not try to hide his affiliation with the death squad from his family. On June 15, 2008, Jimenes was drinking with a friend in a bar. An individual present at the bar later told a member of Jimenes’ family that a death squad member, who apparently knew Jimenes, arrived on a motorcycle, came into the bar and told the customers to leave. He then approached Jimenes and shot him several times, first in the side, then in the neck, twice in the head—in the middle of the forehead and in the right cheek—and then in the chest.[64] After the shooting, the gunman ran out of the bar where an accomplice waited on a motorcycle, and they sped off. The police arrived at the scene about 30 minutes after the killing and conducted a basic examination of the crime scene, fingerprinting the victim and collecting bullet cartridges. The family did not file a case[65] because, according to the witness interviewed by Human Rights Watch, “They knew about his job and thought it was useless to file.” The witness was not aware of any action taken by the police to further investigate the case. Nerito Calimbo, 42, killed on May 22, 2008 ; Jocelyn Calimbo, 44, killed on May 22, 2008 ; Aaron Sumitso, 26, killed on May 22, 2008 Nerito Calimbo, 42, was a self-employed businessman working in the mining industry, and a former New People’s Army fighter who surrendered to the government and was granted amnesty after serving two months in prison. After his surrender, he held different jobs, including as a bodyguard. Jocelyn Calimbo, 44, Nerito’s wife, was a nurse.[66] A relative of the Calimbos told Human Rights Watch that on May 21, 2008, dozens of members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) from the Davao City police, armed with .45-caliber handguns and wearing bullet-proof vests, entered the Calimbo residence. They searched the house without a warrant. The officers took Nerito Calimbo to their office for questioning. They accused him of kidnapping and murder, and of being a leader of a well-known gang. The next day, May 22, he was released on bail. Calimbo’s wife, Jocelyn, and his brother-in-law, Aaron Sumitso, picked him up at the barracks of the Davao City Police Office. They got into a taxi, which soon stopped because of traffic. Two men on a motorcycle approached them, shot the Calimbos and Aaron Sumitso, and fled from the scene. The taxi driver, who was unharmed, drove them to a hospital, but all three were declared dead on arrival. The Calimbo family decided not to pursue the case with the police, fearing retribution. In late May 2008, Chief Inspector Antonio Rivera, chief of the Investigation Division and Management Section of the Davao City police, told journalists that they had released a composite sketch of one of the suspects. Senior Superintendent Jaime Morente reportedly said the San Pedro police were investigating the case, and looking at all possible motives behind the killing. Local media reported that Nerito Calimbo was a suspected leader of a well-known gang called the Chigo Robbery Group.[67] Before Calimbo was released, CIDG-Southern Mindanao chief Jose Jorge Corpuz allegedly had warned the victim that he was being targeted for assassination, but later clarified that his warning was based on the presumption that Calimbo's enemies would take advantage of his release from CIDG detention.[68] At this writing in February 2009, the police had not reported the arrest of any suspect in the case. Conrad Dequina, early 20s, killed on October 10, 2007 Conrad Dequina, in his early 20s, lived in Davao City. According to a friend, he was known to sniff rugby and was a suspect in a murder case. Prior to the killing, a barangay official had warned Dequina’s family that his name was “on the list,” and advised that he leave town.[69] At around 10 p.m. on October 10, 2007, Dequina was hanging out with friends in his neighborhood, when neighbors heard gunshots. Dequina’s friend, who witnessed the killing, told Human Rights Watch that he saw three men wearing baseball caps and denim jackets. He said that the assailants shot Dequina six times with what appeared to be .45-caliber handguns. They also shot and killed another man who was standing next to Dequina—possibly by accident. The friend said that after the shooting, the gunmen drove around for some time, as if looking for someone else, but left just before the police arrived. He told Human Rights Watch: Nobody said anything, because they were all afraid. The police asked who the victim was, and laughed as if they liked what they saw. They didn’t talk to any of the witnesses. And then they left, leaving behind the body and empty shells. They didn’t do anything. They didn’t seem to care about any evidence. The friend does not believe the police followed up on the case. With regard to the other victim, the friend said: We knew the second guy was a mistake, because his name was not on the list. Everybody knew whose names were on the list. I have not seen the list, but a barangay official had the names on a piece of paper, and carried it when he visited each house to inform the families. Dequina’s friend said that three other friends of his were killed in the neighborhood between June and July 2008. He said that they were gang members and all had received warnings before the killings. All three were killed in the same manner as Dequina, and he knew of no police follow-up on any of the cases. Jumael Maunte, 24, killed in August 2007 ; Cyrus Gitacaras, age unknown, killed in August 2007 On August 12, 2007, Jumael Maunte and Cyrus Gitacaras went missing. On August 16, Maunte’s family saw on the TV news that two bodies had been found in Mawab, Davao del Norte, about 90 kilometers northeast of Davao City. Maunte’s mother went to the funeral parlor and identified one of the bodies as her son’s. The body bore many bruises, a large blackened wound in the head, and three gunshot wounds in the chest. The wrists and ankles were tied with thin metal wire. The family, who are Muslims, immediately buried the body.[70] The second body belonged to Cyrus Gitacaras, a friend of Maunte’s. The body, which had been found beside a highway by a jeepney driver, had gunshot wounds to the right eye and the chest, as well as bruises on the head. The wrists and ankles were tied. According to Maunte’s relative, Gitacaras had a long history of trouble with the law, including theft, drug use, and robbery. He was a suspect in a robbery case, and the authorities had released him from a city jail only five days before he went missing. Neighbors and barangay officials had told him his name was on a “list.” Gitacaras told his friends that a police officer had warned him to watch out or he might be “killed on the street.” Maunte was a drug user. To the relative’s knowledge, he had never received any warnings that his name was on a list or that his life was in danger. Fearing for his safety, his family told him to avoid Gitacaras, but Maunte would not listen, as they were close friends. After the discovery of the bodies, Maunte’s family located an individual who had been with Maunte and Gitacaras at the time of their abduction, but had managed to escape. He told the family that on August 12, the three of them were in Butuan City, which is about 220 kilometers northeast of Davao City, when a group of armed men approached them and took the two away. The police never contacted Maunte’s family about the case. According to Maunte’s relative, when Maunte’s mother asked the police if they had any leads in the case, they said they could not pursue the case because they did not know who was responsible for the killing. The survivor refused to make a statement to the police, as he was scared for his life. Danilo Macasero, early 30s, killed in late May 2007 Danilo Macasero was a known drug dealer. According to a neighbor, a barangay official once told Macasero that his name was on the “list.” Neighbors tried to convince him to stop dealing drugs, but he continued.[71] Macasero’s neighbor, who witnessed the killing, told Human Rights Watch that in late May 2007, four men wearing baseball caps and jackets arrived in Macasero’s neighborhood on two XRM Honda motorcycles. The men appeared to be staking another known drug dealer’s house, and at around 8 p.m., Macasero walked past them. One of the men then followed Macasero and stabbed him without warning. Macasero tried to run away, but another assailant caught up with him and stabbed him again. The men stabbed him 12 times in total. The men then pulled out handguns that, according to Macasero’s neighbor, appeared to be .38-caliber silver pistols, and pointed them to those gathered around. Macasero’s neighbor said that one of them said, “Don’t do anything. You are not part of this.” Another one then kicked Macasero’s face as he lay on the ground, and said, “Don’t follow this guy. He is an addict.” Macasero’s family took him to a hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival. Richard Alia, 18, killed on July 21, 2001 ; Christopher Alia, 17, killed on October 20, 2001 ; Bobby Alia, 14, killed on November 3, 2003 ; Fernando Alia, 15, killed on April 13, 2007 From July 2001 to April 2007, the four Alia brothers from the Bankerohan area in Davao City fell victim to apparent death squad killings—they were stabbed to death one after another, by unidentified perpetrators.[72] Richard Alia, 18, was a member of the “Notoryus” gang in Bankerohan and police had arrested him several times for petty crimes. In 2000, he survived a murder attempt when an unidentified perpetrator shot at him. In early July 2001, the police tried to arrest him again, but his mother resisted. She told Human Rights Watch: The police from San Pedro police station came to our house to pick him up for an alleged rape, but they didn’t have a warrant. I asked for one, but they didn’t have it and said they didn’t need it. I protested, and then a policeman, who introduced himself as Senior Police Officer [name withheld], told me, “Ok, you don’t want to give your child to me, then watch out because your sons will be killed, one by one!” I was really shocked he mentioned the other sons as they were just little kids then, but he was very angry because I was pushing him out. On July 17, 2001, at around 4 p.m., Richard left his house to have a drink with a friend. Several hours later, a neighbor, who witnessed the killing, informed his mother that Richard had been stabbed to death. According to Clarita Alia, when she arrived at the scene, Richard was already dead, having sustained a fatal wound on his right side. She was unsure whether police ever opened an investigation into the killing, and she did not try to pursue the case, fearing for the safety of her other children. Three months later, on October 20, 2001, Richard’s younger brother, Christopher, 17, was also stabbed to death. Clarita Alia said: When somebody informed me that Christopher had been stabbed, I was startled, shocked—I realized they had started killing my kids one by one. When I got to the market where the killing happened, I saw Christopher being held by his older brother, Arnold. I think that Arnold was probably the target as he is my oldest son. People at the market said that two men were following Arnold that morning, but then apparently lost him and targeted Christopher instead. Christopher suffered one fatal wound in the chest, and had some smaller wounds on his arms—apparently, he was trying to protect himself. When the police arrived at the scene, they didn’t try to find any witnesses, they just kept asking me, “What happened? Who killed your son?” I was hysterical, and kept telling them, “Why are you asking me? You are the policemen—ask witnesses around here!” After Christopher’s killing, his mother filed a case with the Commission on Human Rights, but she was not aware of any action taken by the commission. Human Rights Watch sent a letter to the commission with inquiries on the case of the Alia brothers along with some other murder victims in September 2008, and resent the letter a month later, but received no response. On November 3, 2003, Bobby Alia, 14, was stabbed to death in the Bankerohan market, the same place where Christopher had been killed. Shortly before his killing, police arrested him for allegedly stealing a cell phone. His mother managed to secure his release—she said Bobby complained about police torture as they tried to obtain a confession from him. Two days after he was released, Bobby was stabbed in the back with a butcher’s knife. This time, witnesses to the incident said they could identify the perpetrator, a known local hitman, allegedly with close ties to the police. Clarita Alia decided not to share this information with the police. “I didn’t tell them,” she said, “Because this person is very close to the police, and the police know full well who the killers of my children were.” She did not know whether the police had investigated Bobby’s killing. Fearing for the life of her other son, Fernando Alia, Clarita Alia tried to keep him away from Davao City. Fernando attended a boarding school away from Davao City, but, according to Clarita Alia, unidentified people kept approaching Fernando there, saying “He would be next.” In 2006, Fernando returned to Davao, and soon thereafter was arrested for the first time, for sniffing rugby. He survived one murder attempt in November 2006, but unidentified assailants stabbed him to death on April 13, 2007. His mother told Human Rights Watch: I always kept him at home, never allowed him to go out alone. But that night I was so tired, I went to sleep early and told my daughter to keep an eye on Fernando. But apparently, he told her that he would just go to a neighbor’s house, and she allowed him to leave. Next thing we knew was that he had been stabbed in the morning, by two perpetrators, on a bridge near the market. He did not die on the spot—an ambulance took him to the hospital, and when my daughter got there, the doctors were trying to revive him. But they did not succeed, and several hours later he was pronounced dead. Clarita Alia said that two minors who allegedly witnessed the killing from a distance were too scared to testify. As with the three other killings, the mother had no information from the police about the progress in the investigation, and to date none of the perpetrators have been arrested. Jesus Ormido, 18, killed on October 10, 2004 ; Jay-ar Omido, 20, killed on June 1, 2006 Jesus Ormido, 18, was a tricycle dispatcher in Davao City. In the past, he had been jailed for several months for sniffing rugby and stealing cell phones. A barangay official once told Jesus’ grandmother that Jesus should be careful, adding that he would not want anything to happen to ”any of the family members.”[73] At around 4 p.m. on October 5, 2004, two men wearing black ski masks and black jackets approached Jesus Ormido at the tricycle terminal where he worked. Without warning, they stabbed him once and shot him four times. According to a relative (who had talked to witnesses), the men rode a black-and-white DT-type Yamaha motorcycle. Jesus’ relative said the witnesses heard them saying, “You will not be the last. We will get another in your family.” Police officers were in the vicinity, but they did not chase the assailants. Scene of Crime Operations (SOCO) officers arrived and collected spent bullet casings. The police later told the family that they could not file a case because no witness could describe the gunmen. Jesus Ormido did not die on the spot, and the police took him to a hospital. His condition stabilized, but five days later, as his family was waiting outside his ward, they were suddenly called in. By the time they arrived at the ward, Jesus was bleeding profusely from his earlier wound. The doctors performed CPR, but were not able to save him. A patient on the adjacent bed told the family that a big man had come in, wearing a black shirt and a white doctor’s gown with its hem stuck on his waistband on the back side, “as if he put it on hastily.” He squeezed Jesus’ wound until it bled. Jesus kicked around, but he could not yell, because a tube was blocking his airway. After some time, he was still, and did not move again. The police who arrived at the hospital concluded it was murder, but according to the relative, did not follow up with an investigation. Jesus’ younger brother, Jay-ar Ormido, 20, also worked as a tricycle dispatcher. On June 1, 2006, Jay-ar went to a neighbor’s wake where he met an acquaintance who was a police officer. Jay-ar stayed overnight, but as he was leaving the next morning, the police officer and another man driving a green DT-type motorcycle approached him. According to Jesus’ relative, an eyewitness said the policeman shot Jay-ar once, without saying anything. Jay-ar fell on the ground, tried to get up and run, but could not. The policeman then shot Jay-ar, who was lying on the ground, five more times. The witness said that the policeman and the other man drove away aboard a motorcycle. SOCO officers recovered spent bullet casings from the crime scene, examined the wounds and talked to witnesses. They also took Jay-ar’s body to a funeral parlor. After learning from a witness that the police officer had been on the motorcycle with the other assailant, Jay-ar’s family filed a complaint against the police officer, only to discover that he was no longer in service and had left Davao City. The family was unaware of any further action being taken in the case. Rodolfo More, Jr., 22, killed on November 20, 2005 Rodolfo More, Jr. lived in a neighborhood in the Agdao district in Davao City known as Barrio Patay (“Place of Death”), because of the numerous killings that have occurred there over many years.[74] According to a relative, More’s family heard that he had been “on the list.” On November 20, 2005, More was arrested for trespassing and theft—it was his third arrest. On the afternoon of November 22, a relative picked him up at the Santa Ana police station in Davao. They got in a jeepney a few meters away from the station. The relative sat with her back against him, and turned around when she suddenly heard his scream. Rodolfo was lying on the bench of the jeepney. More had been stabbed in the chest. She saw a man jump out and walk away, as if nothing had happened. The driver seemed too shocked to stop the vehicle, and since More’s relative was also in shock, and didn’t know what to do, she just asked the driver to take them home. When they arrived at More’s home, his father took him to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. To the family’s knowledge, the police did not investigate the case. The More family did not go to the police as they were concerned they would have to pay to file a complaint and could not afford it. Kim “Keno” Garcia, 20, killed on November 11, 2005 Kim “Keno” Garcia had been a gang member in Davao City since he was 13-years-old. He was jailed several times for theft, rugby sniffing, and other petty crimes. According to Garcia’s friend, who learned of the details of the killing from an eyewitness, on November 11, 2005, Garcia was waiting for a friend in front of a convenience store when two men on a motorcycle approached him and stabbed him to death. Garcia sustained 14 stab wounds. Prior to the killing, he had once left the city after receiving an anonymous warning. The friend told Human Rights Watch: In 2004, he received a letter warning him that unless he left, he would be killed. He came back in June 2005 because he wanted to be with his gang. He was handed over to the police by a village watchman shortly after his return. The police asked, “It’s you again? Weren’t you warned already and haven’t you left the place?!” That’s why we concluded that there was some cooperation between the DDS and the police. Of course, it wasn’t the police that warned him, but they knew about it very well. [75] Garcia’s friend did not know whether the police ever opened an investigation into the killing. Romeo Jaca, 17, killed on May 26, 2003 Romeo Jaca, 17, was a leader of a youth gang with several dozen members. The gang members drank and used drugs together, were involved in theft and prostitution, and fought with rival youth gangs. A few months before Jaca’s killing, his mother heard that the barangay office was collecting the names of gang members. She tried to convince him and his older brother to leave the neighborhood.[76] According to Romeo’s relative who learned the circumstances of the killing from eyewitnesses, late at night on May 26, 2003, a neighbor told Jaca that an official with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency wanted to see him. Jaca left home to meet the official, walked past a small alley, and stopped in the middle of the street when he saw someone standing on the other side. He then turned and ran back into the alley but the assailant followed, shooting him while three other men cornered him. He was shot three times, in the head, back, and leg. The gunman and three others fled immediately. Two of them rode in a white van without a license plate. The other two drove a DT-type off-road motorcycle with no license plate. The police later told the family the cause of death was a gunshot wound in the head inflicted by a .45-caliber handgun. But, according to Jaca’s relative, the family did not file a case and the police did not follow up with any further investigation. The relative said: A lot of killings happen, but nothing gets resolved. Nobody gets convicted. There is no point in filing a case [complaint]. If we filed a case, we are afraid other men in the family would be targeted next. General Santos City Danilo Auges, 38, killed on May 26, 2008 ; Aldrin Alba, 22, killed on June 10, 2008 ; Dodon Borga, 17, killed in July 2008 ; “Kawalyan,” 20, killed in July 2008 Danilo Auges, a construction worker in General Santos City, was a drug user who used to hang out with local drug dealers. His relatives said that he had been arrested once for stealing a cell phone, but released once the phone was returned to the owner. They said that he did not deal drugs himself, although the media tried to portray him this way after the killing.[77] On May 26, 2008, Auges was grilling fish in the yard of his house with a friend and a nephew. At around 4:30 p.m., a relative of Auges’ came home. She told Human Rights Watch: I went into the house, and when I came back into the yard some time later, I saw Danilo face-to-face with a gunman. The gunman had dark skin and long hair, and was wearing basketball shorts and a loose T-shirt. I saw his companion on a motorcycle parked a couple of meters away—it was a black XRM motorcycle, and the driver was wearing a military hat. The gunman, who had a pistol in his hand, was asking Danilo about some other man, Jon-Jon. I came forward and said that there was no one with such name in our block. But the gunman didn’t leave. Danilo apparently sensed that something was wrong and tried to get inside the house, but at that moment the gunman shot him. He first shot him in the back, and then, when Danilo fell on the ground, the gunman kneeled next to him and shot him twice more, in the head, behind both ears. I was in shock, and just kept shouting, “Dan! Dan! Dan!” The gunman then jumped on the motorcycle that pulled by and they drove away. According to the relatives, the police did not arrive until about 30 minutes after the killing even though the police station is located very close to the house and neighbors immediately reported the incident to them. Auges’ relatives provided the police with a description of the gunman. A Scene of the Crime Operatives team took pictures of the crime scene, collected Auges’ fingerprints, and retrieved one of the cartridges, telling the family that the bullet was from a .45 caliber handgun. At the time they spoke to Human Rights Watch, the relatives were not aware of any progress in the investigation and were scared to inquire with the police, fearing retribution. Shortly after Auges’ killing, at least three of his close acquaintances also became victims of apparent death squad killings. According to Auges’ relatives, shortly after her brother’s killing, the family of his friend Aldrin Alba received a text message on a cell phone, which read, “The person who receives this message will be the next one to be killed after Danilo.” Aldrin Alba was killed on June 10, 2008. Three armed men arrived at Alba’s house on a motorcycle. They first shot him in the legs and then shot at him four more times as he was trying to run out to the street. Two other friends of Auges’, Dodon Borga and “Kawalyan,” were shot dead in a similar manner in the first week of July 2008. Auges’ relatives told Human Rights Watch that after her brother and Alba were killed, the two men fled the town and went into hiding. However, their families later said that armed men on motorcycles found Borga and Kawalyan and shot them both dead. Gabriel Sintasas, 24, killed on March 19, 2008 The family of Gabriel Sintasas, a charcoal trader from General Santos City, shared a house with his cousin, Frederick Lanuy. In January 2008, the neighbors told Sintasas’ family that several men on a motorcycle had started coming to the neighborhood looking for Lanuy, who then left town and went into hiding.[78] In March 2008, Sintasas and his pregnant wife moved to her mother’s house so that the mother could look after the wife. At around 7 a.m. on March 19, 2008, the family was having breakfast. Gabriel, who finished his meal first, went out to the street and stood near a fence. Almost immediately, an unidentified perpetrator shot him dead. The family believes he was mistaken for Lanuy, whom he resembles. His mother described the incident to Human Rights Watch: I went outside after him. He was outside with his two-year-old son, helping the child put his shoes on. I turned for a second to go back to the house, but I just made two steps when I heard gunshots. When I turned around, I saw a man holding a gun directed at Gabriel—he was lying on the ground, and my grandson was standing next to him. The man with a gun was about 25-years-old, handsome, and was wearing a blue baseball cap, blue shorts, and a jacket. I cried, “You idiot! This is not Eko [Frederick’s nickname]! You got the wrong man!” I knew that these people were looking for Frederick—they just mistook my son for him! The killer didn’t say anything in response, but he looked at Gabriel in shock, apparently realizing he’s made a mistake. There was a motorcycle parked some eight meters away. It was a blue XRM, and the driver was wearing a black jacket, black pants, and a black helmet with white stripes. He pulled over and urged the killer to get away. Gabriel was still alive when I approached him. He tried to speak and his eyelashes were fluttering. But he was turning pale very fast. There was a bullet wound behind his ear. Just one. But there was a lot of blood. We were trying to ask the child what happened to his father, but he couldn’t say anything. He was just pointing his finger behind his left ear. There was nothing we could do. We just stayed there, crying. Sintasas’ relatives told Human Rights Watch that when the police arrived at the crime scene, he was already dead. The police examined the wound and the position of the body, and picked up the spent bullet casings. Sintasas’ wife said that the Scene of the Crime Operatives investigators questioned her but did not take down her statement. The police told the family that Sintasas had been shot with a .45 caliber handgun. Because it was a Muslim holy week the family hurriedly buried the body. Since then the family has had no further interaction with the police. According to Sintasas’ wife: We didn’t go to the police to inquire about the case, because we had a strong suspicion that the people who killed my husband were either policemen themselves or well-known to the police. A wife of an officer from the Fermin Lira police camp told me some 10 days after the killing that this murder caused some trouble in the police—they called a meeting where they discussed that it was a mistake and that they felt sorry. According to the relatives, Frederick Lanuy surrendered to the police shortly thereafter and was charged with drug dealing. When Sintasas’ wife came to visit him in detention, Lanuy said that when he turned himself in the policeman told him he was lucky he surrendered on time as otherwise he “would have been the next one.” At the time they spoke to Human Rights Watch, the relatives had no further information on any progress in the investigation. Allen Conjorado, 23, killed on January 14, 2008 ; Ronaldo Conjorado, 15, killed on January 14, 2008 ; “Malaya,” 6, shot on January 14, 2008 Allen Conjorado was a fisherman, and his younger brother, Ronaldo Conjorado, worked as a laborer at a company that manufactured fishing bowls. Both lived in General Santos City.[79] A relative who witnessed the killings told Human Rights Watch that Allen was known in the neighborhood for selling drugs. Neighbors told the family that he was on the list of “people to be executed.” The neighbors repeatedly warned the family that Allen should leave, but he did not take the warning seriously. The family never had any warning regarding their 15-year-old son Ronaldo. The relative told Human Rights Watch that on January 14, 2008, Allen and Ronaldo were at a small store owned by their aunt. At around 11 a.m., three men on a red-and-white XRM 200 Honda motorcycle appeared outside the store. They parked the motorcycle, and two of them entered the store and shot Allen and Ronaldo, as well as their aunt’s six-year-old daughter. When they walked out, the third man, who was waiting outside, shouted that someone was still alive, and the two gun men returned and shot Ronaldo again. According to the relative, the motorcycle had no license plate and the two gunmen wore baseball caps, khaki camouflage shirts, and jeans. The police later told the family that the gunmen had used a.45-caliber and a 9-mm handgun. Immediately after the shooting, their relatives took Allen and Ronaldo to the hospital, but both were pronounced dead on arrival. The aunt’s daughter, who was also taken to the hospital with a head injury, survived. According to the relative, the police have not contacted the family since, and the family has not been informed whether the police had opened a case. Digos City Marco Angelo, 16, killed on March 27, 2003 On March 27, 2003, in Digos City, the family of high school student Marco Angelo waited for his return from school. When he did not come home in the evening, they thought he might have stayed with a friend, but in the morning the family got worried and started searching for him.[80] At around 8 a.m. on March 28, an acquaintance informed the family that Marco’s body had been found outside the city, and that he had been “salvaged” (Philippine slang for a targeted killing). According to the family, Marco’s body bore marks of torture—burns on his chest, teeth knocked out—and one bullet wound, under his chin. The body was tied with a rope. The body was found in a secluded place, and the family did not manage to find any direct witnesses to the killing. The family said that despite their requests, the police did not conduct a thorough investigation into the killing, and instead kept saying that Marco had been killed by members of the gang from his school. A local community leader, who has been following extrajudicial killings in Digos City, provided Human Rights Watch with further details of the case. He believed that Marco was a suspected drug user and had been killed by the Digos death squad after his classmate, a death squad member, delivered him to the place where the execution took place. The classmate, according to this source, was the son of a policeman who was one of the death squad handlers in the area. Marco may have been tortured because the death squad was trying to get the names of drug dealers from him. A local official, familiar with the Digos death squad operations, confirmed to Human Rights Watch that this was a likely motive for the killing. Abdul Naser Diamad, 30, killed in 2001 According to a relative, Abdul Naser Diamad dealt drugs and had been arrested before for selling drugs.[81] Diamad’s relative, who talked to eyewitnesses, told Human Rights Watch that on April 1, 2000, two gunmen aboard a motorcycle shot him twice, on his cheek and neck, in front of his house. He required hospitalization for several weeks, but survived. When the family inquired with the police, the police said he had been shot by other drug dealers, but didn’t explain how they knew that. Eyewitnesses told the family that the assailants used what appeared to be one .45-caliber handgun and another 9-mm handgun, and were riding an XRM Honda motorcycle. One was wearing a baseball cap, the other a khaki army hat. The family told the police what they heard from witnesses, including that the shooter appeared to be a known police officer, but the police ignored this information. Diamad’s relative said police neither conducted forensic investigation nor talked to witnesses. The police told the family that they did not file a case because they could not identify the gunmen. About a year later, Diamad was fatally shot. The relative told Human Rights Watch that he had witnessed the killing. He said that the gunmen, at least one of whom had an automatic rifle, shot Diamad in front of his house. He was first shot in the stomach, and when he fell on the ground, the gunmen shot him again. Diamad’s father rushed him to the hospital, but this time the doctors did not manage to save his life. The relative told Human Rights Watch that the family was unaware of any progress in the investigation. He mentioned, however, that a police intelligence officer, who was a family friend, told them that Diamad had been shot by members of a death squad. IX: The Perpetrators: Inside the Davao Death Squad Neither of [my friends in the death squad] has education, so there aren’t that many choices for them out there. They prefer this job to being involved in ordinary crime because this is the safest illegal activity that also pays well. They are not afraid because the person who would be the one to arrest them is usually their boss, and the rest is coordinated with the police. —“Anthony” describing friends who are members of the DDS, Davao City, July 27, 2008. In our research, we spoke with nine persons with insider knowledge of the structure and functioning of the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS). Some of these “insiders” were relatives or friends of current or former DDS members, others had directly talked to members of the DDS or had dealings with them.[82] Some of the sources also provided information on other similar groups. Their accounts were detailed, internally consistent, and credible, and provide insight into the inner workings of the DDS. This chapter is based on those accounts. The most detailed account provided to Human Rights Watch was from a young man, Ramon, who claimed that his closest friend has been an active member of the DDS since 2005. Ramon also asserted that he had, on one occasion, personally visited a DDS training compound and on another occasion socialized with a large group of death squad members.[83] Human Rights Watch also interviewed two barangay officials who had detailed knowledge on the functioning of the DDS in their part of Davao City, and explained the role of the police and barangay officials in the killings. Membership, Structure, and Equipment Corroborated accounts by several persons interviewed by Human Rights Watch suggest that in recent years the DDS has developed into a well-structured force. Most members of the DDS fall into two main groups. According to several insiders, the older members, some of whom were recruited back in the early 2000s, were primarily former members of the so-called “sparrow units” of the NPA who surrendered to the government, as well as some former military and police personnel. One insider said that a high-ranking DDS member in his area had been a member of a “sparrow unit” who surrendered directly to Davao City Mayor Duterte. He then ran a private business while at the same time working for the DDS. In October 2007, this man won an election into a barangay council and became the head of the Peace and Order Committee in the barangay.[84] “Cecilia” talked to Human Rights Watch about a neighbor of hers—an alleged long-time death squad member. She said: He was also an employee at the City Hall, and a member of “Guardian.” It’s a fraternal organization for former and current military and police officers, plus some civilians. He told me he had been a driver for the DDS for eight years. Sometimes he was tasked to kill, and he killed a few people. [85] “Angela” said that an uncle of hers was a retired member of the CAFGU militia. In 2003, he was arrested on murder charges and sentenced to 12 years in prison. However, after serving fewer than five years, he was released on probation and joined the DDS two months later. Angela said, “My uncle told us he was hired as a tirrador (hitman).”[86] Other recruits are young men and boys, many of whom have no job and no place to live. They often have a criminal record, and were themselves at one time “on the list.” Thus, for them the choice was between being a potential victim of the DDS, or joining the ranks. Ramon told Human Rights Watch that some members of the DDS are as young as 17-years-old, although they are used as look-outs rather than hitmen. A local community leader in Digos City told Human Rights Watch how a high-school student, the son of an alleged death squad member, “delivered” a classmate to the squad for the latter’s torture and execution, suggesting that at least in some cases children play a more active role.[87] Another insider, “Anthony,” said that four DDS members he knew, between 25- and 35-years-old, were all jobless and were involved “in a bit of drug pushing” before joining the DDS.[88] The DDS, which according to Ramon currently has more than 500 members, is run by handlers. Such a handler is called the amo (boss).[89] The amo is usually a policeman or ex-policeman, and in some cases, a barangay official. Ramon mentioned that his friend’s amo was a former policeman. He said this man lived in the Catitipan area of Davao City, which has housing for police officers near a police camp. Two other insiders, “Fernando” and “Anthony,” who knew two and four death squad members respectively, also said that all of their friends’ handlers were acting police officers.[90] A local journalist, who has been investigating extrajudicial killings in Davao City for almost ten years, believed that all handlers report to the police precinct commander in their area who distributes money for “operations” and reports, in turn, to an official in the city government—“the big boss.”[91] Anthony also said that he was aware of a three-tier system—high-ranking police officials, regular police officers (handlers), and the “personnel” (hitmen, drivers, and look-outs).[92] Two local barangay officials interviewed by Human Rights Watch said that in their area, the two handlers were the chief of barangay police (“chief of operations”) and a barangay council member, currently the head of barangay Peace and Order Committee.[93] In one illustrative case, a few months before 21-year-old Noel Minoza was shot dead, the local barangay captain told his mother that he should stop taking drugs, because the “Davao Death Squad was on the watch.” The barangay captain told the mother, “If Noel does not stop, I will give you a coffin.”[94] Insider accounts suggest that, depending on the area, each amo handles ten to twelve members, sometimes divided into cells of two, three, or four men. For example, Ramon said that his friend was part of a cell of four people, and his amo handled three such cells, which often met together as a group. Fernando also said that each of the cells his friends belongs to had three people—a hitman, a look-out, and a driver. They switch roles from operation to operation.[95] According to Ramon, the handlers provide members of the group with weapons—handguns and knives—as well as motorcycles for transportation. They also sometimes provide housing and food—especially when new recruits are youth who ran away from home or when members need a temporary hideout. All insiders interviewed by Human Rights Watch said that the firearms issued to DDS members were mostly .45-caliber handguns.[96] On occasion, DDS members use .38-caliber or 9-mm handguns, typically because they owned the guns prior to joining the DDS.[97] In the cases reported to Human Rights Watch, the perpetrators typically used .45-caliber or .38-caliber handguns. Ramon explained that the use of .45-caliber guns makes it easy to distinguish the killings committed by the DDS from the ones perpetrated in the course of gang wars. He said that the vast majority of gang members cannot afford .45-caliber guns, which cost about 30,000 pesos (about US$625) each. At best, gang members can afford .38-caliber guns, but would use homemade pistols called sumpak. Ramon added, “My friend’s amo once said that the guns they received were purchased by the city government for the police and then distributed among the [handlers]”—an assertion Human Rights Watch could not verify.[98] Confirming eyewitness accounts to killings and the statistics gathered by CASE, Ramon said that, in recent years, the DDS started using knives more often. He said that his friend showed him two knives that he received after joining the DDS—one was a so-called Rambo knife (a mid-size, double-bladed saw-tooth knife), and the other was a long knife approximately 40 cm (about 16 inches) in length. He said the DDS started using knives more extensively because they are cheaper and attract less attention. Moreover, stab wounds make it easier for the police to claim that the victim has been killed by gang members or ordinary criminals.[99] The motorcycles provided to death squad members often do not have license plates, which is a traffic law violation in Davao City.[100] According to Ramon, the police do not stop drivers of such motorcycles because they have “connections with the police.” Fernando said that DDS members sometimes use red “governmental” license plates, which allow unimpeded movement through checkpoints and road police posts, and then the members “simply take them off before the hit.”[101] According to Ramon, while the group does not have any uniform, they usually wear jackets (even during hot weather) or buttoned shirts, to hide firearms or knives underneath, as well as baseball caps. Ramon said that masks are rare, and usually worn when a hitman operates alone, driving a motorcycle himself. “Maria,” who said an uncle of hers was a DDS member, told Human Rights Watch: My uncle owned two guns, one of which appeared to be a .45-caliber gun. He carried them hidden inside his jacket or inside a compartment underneath his XRM motorcycle seat. When he went outside at night, he would wear a black baseball cap, a black or khaki camouflage jacket, and often sunglasses. He would go out two or three times per week, and when he came back home, he would have cash. [102] Recruitment and Training Individuals whose friends or relatives were allegedly members of the DDS told Human Rights Watch that people they knew had joined the group to earn easy money, but they did not seem to feel any remorse about the victims, claiming that those killed were the “scum of society anyway.” Apparently, some also believed that the execution of criminals is the only solution when the legal system is unable to prosecute them. Ramon told Human Rights Watch: My friend [the DDS member] used to say that while the police sometimes arrest drug dealers or rugby sniffers, eventually they release them, and they go back to their usual business and way of life. They are repeat offenders—so this is simply the “final solution” for them. Older recruits who come to the DDS with what is considered relevant experience apparently do not receive any additional training. But young recruits, according to Ramon, go through an initiation ritual and training upon joining the DDS, just like school fraternities and military academies. He described the initiation ritual to Human Rights Watch: Members who’ve been with the group for a while beat you up and ask you, “Why do you want to join the group? What are you going to do with the money that you get?” You are supposed to say, “I want to help my family and I want to help Davao City get rid of criminals.” The training for new recruits, according to Ramon, takes place in a “DDS compound.” Ramon said he visited the compound once, in January 2008, along with a friend of his and several other DDS members. They drove there on two motorcycles, one of which did not have a license plate. At the compound, they joined another group of DDS members who arrived there on two motorcycles and two cars. The group’s amo was also there—Ramon described him as a short man with “big tummy” who arrived at the compound in his Toyota pickup truck. The compound is located in a secluded location in the Calinan area, south of Davao City. Ramon described a big house, which he said he did not enter, and a small hut where they were having a drinking session. The compound was surrounded by a concrete fence with a steel gate. Ramon said he did not notice any sign on the gate. At the compound, Ramon saw a makeshift shooting range with some wooden installations, soda cans, and coconuts that were being used as targets for shooting practice. Ramon told Human Rights Watch what he knew about the training process: [The] amo and older recruits conducted the training. The amo explained the goals of the group—to get rid of the criminals in the city—but the training mostly focused on how to stab and how to shoot. For the stabbing instruction, the amo had a poster with a picture of the human body projected on the wall. He showed the vital points on the human body, which have to be targeted to cause fatal wounds.... The amo also showed how to hold the knife and how to strike to ensure most impact. There was also a stuffed dummy there to practice on. [103] Ramon’s account was accompanied by expressive gestures that imitated the process of instruction. He showed the “right” and “wrong” ways to hold the knife, and pointed to different parts of the body where the strikes had to be directed. Identifying the Targets In many of the cases reported to Human Rights Watch, victims’ families had learned one way or another that their relatives had been on a “list,” or an “order of battle” or OB, before they were murdered. Accounts of persons familiar with current o
January 17, 2014 Houston, we have ants: Mimicking how ants adjust to microgravity in space could lead to better robots, Stanford scientist says Professor Deborah Gordon recently sent hundreds of ants to the orbiting International Space Station. By studying how the ants adjust their behavior to cope with near-zero gravity conditions, scientists could improve the algorithms autonomous robots follow to search disaster scenes for survivors. By Bjorn Carey By analyzing how ants explored these arenas in microgravity, scientists could develop software that allows autonomous robots to coordinate searches when their radio systems are being disrupted. (Photo: Courtesy NASA) Several hundred ants have boldly gone where no ants have gone before: the International Space Station, high above Earth. This past Sunday, an unmanned supply rocket delivered 600 small black common pavement ants to the ISS. Their arrival marked the beginning of an experiment designed by Deborah Gordon, a professor of biology at Stanford, to determine how the ants, in these exotic surroundings, adapt the innate algorithms that modulate their group behavior. The information that Gordon and her colleagues glean from the ants' behavior has the potential to help us understand how other groups, like searching robots, respond to difficult situations. An ant colony monitors its environment – whether to identify a threat, find food or map new terrain – by sending out worker ants to search the area. Because most ants have poor vision, and all ants rely on smell, an ant has to be close to something to detect it. Further complicating matters, no single ant is in charge or coordinating the search. So how do they know how best to search? Ants communicate primarily by contacting each other by smell and touching antennae. Over millions of years, ants have developed algorithms that use the frequency with which these interactions occur to determine how many ants are in their area and, from that, how thoroughly they should conduct their search. When antennae-to-antennae interactions occur frequently, the ants sense that the area is densely populated, and they circle around in small, random paths to gather robust information about their immediate area. If the frequency of ant-to-ant interactions is low, however, the ants search in an entirely different manner. Instead of searching in small circles, they walk in straighter lines, giving up thoroughness in favor of covering more ground. This technique is known as an expandable search network. Ants aren't the only animals to work out such algorithms. Humans have developed the same sort of protocols to govern how cellphone networks relay signals, or how a fleet of autonomous robots can search a building without the guidance of a central controller. Like all networks, human-created networks have to deal with disruption. For example, if robots enter a burning building to assess damage or search for survivors, flames, smoke and other elements could interfere with communications between the 'bots and impede the search. Scientists are developing workarounds for these situations, but Gordon said that ants have already found solutions for conditions where information is not perfect. In the space experiment, 70 ants were released into each of several small arenas roughly the size and shape of a tablet computer. The arena was divided into three sections, and video cameras tracked the ants' searching patterns as the barriers were lowered, increasing the search area and thus decreasing the density of ants in the arena. On Earth, Gordon said, ants adjust their search behavior as the arena expands by shifting from the small, circular search routine to straighter, broader paths, thus expanding the search network. Performing the same experiment in microgravity is a way to introduce interference that is analogous to the radio disruption that robots might experience in a blazing building. In microgravity the ants struggle to walk, which in turn disrupts the ants' ability to bump into each other and share information. Observing how the space ants modified their search behavior when the loss of gravity interfered with their interactions, and their ability to assess density, could inform researchers how to design similar flexible protocols for robots and other devices that rely on expandable search networks. "We have devised ways to organize the robots in a burning building, or how a cellphone network can respond to interference, but the ants have been evolving algorithms for doing this for 150 million years," Gordon said. "Learning about the ants' solutions might help us design network systems to solve similar problems." Now, Gordon and her colleagues will carefully analyze video of the ants in space and compare it to a control experiment conducted on Earth to see how the struggle with microgravity forced the ants to change their searching behavior. Additionally, the researchers will invite K-12 students to replicate the experiment in their earthbound classrooms. Starting this spring, when the weather is warmer and ants are easy to collect outside, students will be able to repeat the experiment and enter their results in a database, which Gordon said could provide valuable insights. "There are 12,000 species of ants, and some species will perform better than others in this experiment," Gordon said. "For example, invasive ants find their way into our kitchens because they're very good at searching. Comparing results from student data will allow us to look at different search strategies of the ants in different places on Earth." The ants will live out the remainder of their days on the space station. In the meantime, astronauts should not fear an infestation: Only sterile worker ants were sent on this mission. -30-
The Delhi High Court’s reversal of the Union government’s decision to block funds to Greenpeace in India from its headquarters in Amsterdam is a blow to its illegal efforts to muzzle civil society voice. The court found “no material on record” that justified the government action. The court said if the NGO had violated any law, it may be prosecuted, but it should be done under an appropriate law. "How do you (MHA) respond to the NGO's allegation. At least, you should say something. First you freeze the account then you investigate the case, which is very, very uncommon,” the judge said. The government, or rather the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), didn’t have a legally tenable response other than the statement that Greenpeace International was on its watch list. Reportedly, Greenpeace is not an isolated case. The MHA had put nine more donors on a “prior permission category” which meant that money from them cannot be transferred to Indian recipients without its clearance. The list included regular development partners such as DANIDA and HIVOS. The RBI had asked banks to be “meticulous" in complying with the MHA order. The government was in the dock recently for preventing a Greenpeace activist from travelling to London to participate in a meeting with British MPs. She was stopped before boarding the plane at the airport without any clear justification. Reportedly, it was based on a lookout circular of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), with questionable legality. The MHA’s paranoia of Greenpeace and other NGOs hark back to the days of the emergency when civil society organisations were viewed with extreme suspicion and many of them were blacklisted. In the new world order, when civil society’s role as both a facilitator of democracy and development, and a watchdog is acknowledged beyond doubt, only autocratic governments try to stifle them. With its action on Greenpeace, India has in fact joined the ranks of countries such as Pakistan, Hungary, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Russia and Venezuela, whose governments are paranoiac and intolerant to public dissent. Governments’ paranoia of civil society appears to be a measure of its insecurity over public dissent. A report by The Economist says that an “intelligence dossier claiming that the activities of foreign-funded NGOs had cut India’s growth rate have sparked fears that Narendra Modi, the nationalistic new prime minister, will tighten the rules further.” During emergency, Indira Gandhi also feared that foreign funded NGOs were fomenting trouble. If the government is transparent and accountable (two unavoidable features of democratic governance), why should it worry about civil society voices? Curbing the movement of activists and harassing them may be the norm in China and Sri Lanka, but it doesn’t befit the great democratic tradition of India. As The Economist noted, “more and more autocrats are stifling criticism by barring non-governmental organisations from taking foreign cash.” In 2014, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Maina Kiai highlighted three general principles to protect civil space. The ability to seek, receive and spend money is one of them. It’s also time to reiterate the importance of civil society in governance and social development. For instance, The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), notes how the “success of development and participatory governance depends on both a robust state and an active civil society with healthy levels of civic engagement.” Civil society organisations (CSOs)are not just advocates of change, but they play an important role in bottom-up development wherein they work with poor and marginalised communities that government often find hard to reach. CSOs have the capacity and reach to work in grey areas that governments, for legal reasons, cannot. They help develop and implement policies and programmes for places and communities that the government delivery systems fail to reach. The World Economic Forum (The Future Role of Civil Society, 2013)summarises the importance of CSOs by their contribution to society - as a watchdog, service provider, capacity builder, expert, citizen’s champion and definer of standards among others. Most importantly, they also represent the idea of voluntarism for common public good. Stifling the voice of a free civil society is as bad as stifling free media and other institutions of democracy. It certainly doesn’t befit modern India. Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.
City in Michigan, United States Downtown South Lyon, Lafayette (Pontiac Trail) & Lake St. (Ten Mile Rd.) South Lyon Hotel South Lyon is a city in Southwestern Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, in Metro Detroit. The population was 11,327 at the 2010 census.[6] The city is part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area, which had a population of 106,139 according to the 2000 census. South Lyon is located in Oakland County's Lyon Township, near the Livingston County and Washtenaw County lines. The city is 19 miles (31 km) north of Ann Arbor, 45 miles (72 km) west of Detroit and 58 miles (93 km) east of Lansing. Geography [ edit ] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.73 square miles (9.66 km2), all land.[7] History [ edit ] South Lyon was founded in 1832 and was called Thompson's Corners. In the same year, the surrounding township was named Lyon for Lucius Lyon, a member of the State Legislature. The village was given a name for its location within the township. South Lyon was incorporated as a village in 1873 and as a city in 1930[8] Three rail lines once passed through South Lyon. In the summer of 1871, the Detroit, Lansing and Northern was built west from Plymouth on the way to Lansing and Ionia. In 1880, the predessor to the Ann Arbor Railroad built a line into town from Ann Arbor. The goal of this line was to continue on towards Pontiac but that did not occur under the original owners. The line was pulled up around 1890. In 1883 the Grand Trunk built their Jackson Branch from Pontiac to Jackson, which crossed the Pere Marquette at South Lyon. The GTW branch line continued to serve South Lyon until the early 1980s. The branch line is now a paved bicycle trail through town and Reynold Sweet Parkway follows the original route. Today, South Lyon hosts the CSX main line from Detroit to Grand Rapids, and a passing track is located there. Law enforcement services for the city are provided by the South Lyon Police Department. Demographics [ edit ] Historical population Census Pop. %± 1880 418 — 1890 707 69.1% 1900 657 −7.1% 1910 615 −6.4% 1920 615 0.0% 1930 844 37.2% 1940 1,017 20.5% 1950 1,312 29.0% 1960 1,753 33.6% 1970 2,675 52.6% 1980 5,214 94.9% 1990 5,857 12.3% 2000 10,036 71.4% 2010 11,327 12.9% Est. 2017 11,741 [3] 3.7% U.S. Decennial Census[9] 2010 census [ edit ] As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 11,327 people, 4,646 households, and 2,914 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,036.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,172.5/km2). There were 5,125 housing units at an average density of 1,374.0 per square mile (530.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.2% White, 0.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.7% of the population. There were 4,646 households of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.3% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age in the city was 38.4 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female. 2000 census [ edit ] As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 10,036 people, 4,246 households, and 2,704 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,958.2 per square mile (1,143.0/km²). There were 4,461 housing units at an average density of 1,314.9 per square mile (508.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.68% White, 0.39% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.60% of the population. There were 4,246 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.98. In the city, the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 36.0% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $53,395, and the median income for a family was $67,167. Males had a median income of $53,818 versus $32,083 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,187. About 2.8% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over. McHattie Park & The Witch's Hat Depot Museum and Historic Village [ edit ] South Lyon's McHattie Park (on the west side of Pontiac Trail between 9 Mile and 10 Mile Roads) is the location of the Witch's Hat Depot Museum and Historic Village.[10] The historic village consists of six buildings: Washburn School (built 1907), Queen Anne Depot (aka the Witch's Hat, built 1909), the Caboose (circa 1926), the Little Village Chapel (built 1930), the Freight House (built 1984), and the Gazebo (1990). With the exceptions of the Freight House and the Gazebo, which were constructed on site, the historic buildings were moved to the park from their original sites starting with the Witch's Hat in 1976. McHattie Park and the Museum and Historic Village host public events. Concerts in the Park[11] are held in summertime. McHattie Park is also connected to a portion of the Huron Valley Rail Trail,[12] which converted an old railroad line into a public trail. The trail is managed by the Western Oakland County Trailway Management Council. Pumpkinfest [ edit ] Pumpkinfest[13] is the largest annual festival in the South Lyon community, traditionally held during the last weekend of September. Events include the children's outdoor activity venue with several large inflatable rides, games, a 5k run which goes through the town, carnival food, the Kid's Creation Station with Monster Mural, a parade through the downtown area, live entertainment, a dog show, the Great Pumpkin & Fun Veggies Contest, arts & crafts show, and home arts contests & exhibits. As of 2010, this festival has been moved to the main street, at the center being a large pyramid of hay bales and pumpkins. Concessions include doughnuts with different toppings, shish-kabobs, funnel cakes, and homemade popcorn. Down the streets branching off are a beer tent, many game tents, sponsored by different organizations, and on the last side, bouncy castles and inflatables. Tickets usually cost one dollar. Notable people [ edit ] References [ edit ] Coordinates:
The fate of Hamilton’s downtown bus-only lane is set to be decided Wednesday. While a staff report set for debate at city hall on Wednesday says the lane moves transit faster and city should keep the dedicated lane, some councillors have already declared it a failure. Some say the lane backs up traffic considerably – that same city report says the lane does slow down car traffic through the King Street corridor from Mary to Dundurn Streets, with the longest delay being five minutes during the afternoon rush hour. So if you’re going that way, what does it look like to travel the route by bus or car? Is it faster to drive or take the bus? CBC Hamilton reporters Adam Carter and John Rieti decided to test it out. At 5 p.m. on a Friday evening, Carter jumped in a car and drove down King, while Rieti hopped on the bus. You can watch a time lapse of their respective journeys from Wellington to Dundurn in the player above. Rieti was the victor, making the trip to Dundurn Street in eight minutes and 27 seconds, while Carter crossed the finish line almost two minutes later. So is the lane worthwhile or not? Councillors Chad Collins and Terry Whitehead have already denounced it, and many businesses along the line complained. Mayor Fred Eisenberger and city staff, however, call the lane an important step in the city’s development. "I think the perception around the bus lane is quite different from the reality," Eisenberger said. The numbers indicate the bus lane moves as many people during rush hour as do cars in the other lanes of traffic. "It was a pretty impressive pilot project. I’m hopeful, personally, that with some adjustments, council will consider continuing on. But hopefulness doesn’t mean it’s going to happen." Some drivers appear to have already given up on the lane – when Carter and Rieti had their “race,” several cars and taxis were using it as if it wasn’t saved for buses at all. The project was meant to be a one-year pilot, running from October 2013 to October 2014. Its end was delayed by the Oct. 27 election.
From the Alfred Wegener Institute news that a ship that reached the real geographic North Pole, unlike the hapless group of Whisky sponsored rowers (Row to the Pole) who are pointlessly attempting to reach the location of 1996 magnetic pole, which doesn’t even exist there anymore. Research Vessel Polarstern at North Pole Bremerhaven/North Pole, 22 August 2011. You can’t get any “higher”: on 22 August 2011 at exactly 9.42 a.m. the research icebreaker Polarstern of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association reaches the North Pole. The aim of he current expedition is to document changes in the far north. Thus, the researchers on board are conducting an extensive investigation programme in the water, ice and air at the northernmost point on the Earth. The little sea ice cover makes the route via the pole to the investigation area in the Canadian Arctic possible. Sea ice not only plays a role in the selection of the route, but is above all a major research focal point. How thick is the ice and how old? To what extent has it been deformed by pressure – is there snow or puddles of melting water on it? Satellite measurements, too, supply ice information, but measurements are still required on site to be able to interpret these data correctly. Light energy causes the ice to melt and heats up the water in the summer months. The warming of the Arctic and the related changes in heat and gas exchange processes between the ocean, sea ice and atmosphere are the paramount focus of the investigations. The oceanic currents that exchange water masses with the Atlantic and the Pacific are also undergoing change. Redistribution of the freshwater input from rivers into the Arctic Ocean is one of the factors that influence these oceanic currents. Light is the source of energy for tiny algae that live in and under the ice and form the basis of the food web in the Arctic Ocean. Biologists classify species and determine the number of algae as well as the small and larger animals that feed on them. The researchers follow the path taken by the organisms from the water surface to the seafloor, where the remains end up as organic substance at a depth of thousands of metres after the organisms die. These deposits on the seafloor permit conclusions to be drawn on how living conditions were in the course of the Earth’s history. After all, the sediments and the animal and plant remains they contain are up to several million years old. Following the expedition, sediment cores will be analysed in the laboratory. To improve the models of the Earth’s climate history, chemists, physicists and oceanographers additionally examine the environmental conditions in the present-day oceans. They draw conclusions on how fast organic substance is transformed and relocated as a result of altered current conditions. All 55 scientists and technicians from six countries on board the Polarstern have a common goal: studying the changes in the Arctic. This is also reflected in the name of the expedition “TransArc – Trans-Arctic survey of the Arctic Ocean in transition”. The researchers have been investigating their questions jointly with the 43 crew members since the Polarstern left the port of Tromsø (Norway) on 5 August. The first ice floes appeared on 8 August. Since 9 August the Polarstern has been sailing through dense pack ice on the route along 60° East in temperatures of around 0° C. At first it was predominantly one-year-old sea ice, now older and consequently thicker ice floes appear. “From a scientific point of view the North Pole is not more interesting than other places in the Arctic,” reports Prof. Ursula Schauer from on board the Polarstern. The oceanographer at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association is the chief scientist of the expedition. “The expected changes are rather minor here. However, the northern part of the Canadian sector of the Arctic still numbers among the least researched regions on the globe because of the dense pack ice.” Schauer was in the central Arctic the last time in 2007 and is now experiencing a similarly small ice cover as the year that went down in the annals as the one with the lowest extent of sea ice since the beginning of satellite measurements in 1979. Initial measurements of the ice thickness confirm this: in 2011 as well as in 2007 the most frequently occurring ice thickness was 0.9 metres. As a comparison, the most frequently measured ice thickness in 2001 was around 2 metres. In that year the extent of the ice cover at the end of the melting period corresponded roughly to the long-term mean. The Polarstern is at the North Pole for the third time in its history. On 7 September 1991 it was one of the first two conventionally driven ships to sail there, along with the Swedish research icebreaker Oden. Almost exactly ten years later, on 6 September 2001, it carried out a joint expedition at the North Pole together with the American research icebreaker Healy. After the investigations at the North Pole and subsequently in the Canadian Basin the vessel will head for the Siberian Sea. The researchers want to study the oceanic circulation from the deep sea to the shallow shelf seas and habitats from the ice edge to the ice-free ocean. The Polarstern is expected to return to its homeport of Bremerhaven on 7 October. For all those who would like to follow the events on board until that time: the members of the expedition report regularly in the blog of the magazine GEO at (German language only) www.geo.de/blog/geo/polarstern-blog. ### The Alfred Wegener Institute conducts research in the Arctic, Antarctic and oceans of the high and middle latitudes. It coordinates polar research in Germany and provides major infrastructure to the international scientific community, such as the research icebreaker Polarstern and stations in the Arctic and Antarctica. The Alfred Wegener Institute is one of the seventeen research centres of the Helmholtz Association, the largest scientific organisation in Germany. Advertisements Share this: Print Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit
Looking for news you can trust? Subscribe to our free newsletters. In its first months in office, the Obama administration sought to protect Bush administration officials facing criminal investigation overseas for their involvement in establishing policies the that governed interrogations of detained terrorist suspects. A “confidential” April 17, 2009, cable sent from the US embassy in Madrid to the State Department—one of the 251,287 cables obtained by WikiLeaks—details how the Obama administration, working with Republicans, leaned on Spain to derail this potential prosecution. The previous month, a Spanish human rights group called the Association for the Dignity of Spanish Prisoners had requested that Spain’s National Court indict six former Bush officials for, as the cable describes it, “creating a legal framework that allegedly permitted torture.” The six were former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; David Addington, former chief of staff and legal adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney; William Haynes, the Pentagon’s former general counsel; Douglas Feith, former undersecretary of defense for policy; Jay Bybee, former head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel; and John Yoo, a former official in the Office of Legal Counsel. The human rights group contended that Spain had a duty to open an investigation under the nation’s “universal jurisdiction” law, which permits its legal system to prosecute overseas human rights crimes involving Spanish citizens and residents. Five Guantanamo detainees, the group maintained, fit that criteria. Soon after the request was made, the US embassy in Madrid began tracking the matter. On April 1, embassy officials spoke with chief prosecutor Javier Zaragoza, who indicated that he was not pleased to have been handed this case, but he believed that the complaint appeared to be well-documented and he’d have to pursue it. Around that time, the acting deputy chief of the US embassy talked to the chief of staff for Spain’s foreign minister and a senior official in the Spanish Ministry of Justice to convey, as the cable says, “that this was a very serious matter for the USG.” The two Spaniards “expressed their concern at the case but stressed the independence of the Spanish judiciary.” Two weeks later, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and the embassy’s charge d’affaires “raised the issue” with another official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The next day, Zaragoza informed the US embassy that the complaint might not be legally sound. He noted he would ask Cándido Conde-Pumpido, Spain’s attorney general, to review whether Spain had jurisdiction. On April 15, Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who’d recently been chairman of the Republican Party, and the US embassy’s charge d’affaires met with the acting Spanish foreign minister, Angel Lossada. The Americans, according to this cable, “underscored that the prosecutions would not be understood or accepted in the US and would have an enormous impact on the bilateral relationship” between Spain and the United States. Here was a former head of the GOP and a representative of a new Democratic administration (headed by a president who had decried the Bush-Cheney administration’s use of torture) jointly applying pressure on Spain to kill the investigation of the former Bush officials. Lossada replied that the independence of the Spanish judiciary had to be respected, but he added that the government would send a message to the attorney general that it did not favor prosecuting this case. The next day, April 16, 2009, Attorney General Conde-Pumpido publicly declared that he would not support the criminal complaint, calling it “fraudulent” and political. If the Bush officials had acted criminally, he said, then a case should be filed in the United States. On April 17, the prosecutors of the National Court filed a report asking that complaint be discontinued. In the April 17 cable, the American embassy in Madrid claimed some credit for Conde-Pumpido’s opposition, noting that “Conde-Pumpido’s public announcement follows outreach to [Government of Spain] officials to raise USG deep concerns on the implications of this case.” Still, this did not end the matter. It would still be up to investigating Judge Baltasar Garzón—a world-renowned jurist who had initiated previous prosecutions of war crimes and had publicly said that former President George W. Bush ought to be tried for war crimes—to decide whether to pursue the case against the six former Bush officials. That June—coincidentally or not—the Spanish Parliament passed legislation narrowing the use of “universal jurisdiction.” Still, in September 2009, Judge Garzón pushed ahead with the case. The case eventually came to be overseen by another judge who last spring asked the parties behind the complaint to explain why the investigation should continue. Several human rights groups filed a brief urging this judge to keep the case alive, citing the Obama administration’s failure to prosecute the Bush officials. Since then, there’s been no action. The Obama administration essentially got what it wanted. The case of the Bush Six went away. Back when it seemed that this case could become a major international issue, during an April 14, 2009, White House briefing, I asked press secretary Robert Gibbs if the Obama administration would cooperate with any request from the Spaniards for information and documents related to the Bush Six. He said, “I don’t want to get involved in hypotheticals.” What he didn’t disclose was that the Obama administration, working with Republicans, was actively pressuring the Spaniards to drop the investigation. Those efforts apparently paid off, and, as this WikiLeaks-released cable shows, Gonzales, Haynes, Feith, Bybee, Addington, and Yoo owed Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thank-you notes.
Aspiring cultural juggernauts could not have asked for a better how-to guide to world domination than Garfield: The Movie, out in theaters today. The film is an example of the kind of product that Garfield creator Jim Davis likes to attach his product’s name to: Predictable, unfunny, and eminently forgettable. The movie won’t take the nation by storm—in fact, it will probably vanish very quickly—but it will make a tidy sum in theaters and on DVD and then be remembered only by the small sample of tots in the viewing audience who turn into ironic hipsters during their college years. And that’s exactly how Davis wants it. Nothing scares the man more than the backlash that’s created by white-hot success. He knows that the flip side to building almost any mass-market culture-industry icon—think Mickey Mouse or McDonald’s—is intense loathing by the minority who will despise it. Davis’s genius is that he’s created the most widely syndicated comic strip in history—with the attendant profusion of plush toys, T-shirts, and themed Caribbean cruises—and yet, through careful brand management, he’s largely managed to deflate the naturally occurring cultural counterattack. Today, Garfield the comic strip appears in nearly 2,600 newspapers around the globe, and its readership is estimated at 260 million. If the readership number is right, then 4 percent of the world’s population reads Garfield every single day. Garfield products—sold in 111 countries—rake in between $750 million and $1 billion each year. This was not accidental: Davis meticulously plotted Garfield’s success. And part of his calculation was to make the strip so inoffensive that it’s hard to hate it even for being anodyne. Davis makes no attempt to conceal the crass commercial motivations behind his creation of Garfield. Davis has the soul of an adman—his first job after dropping out of Ball State, where he majored in business and art, was in advertising—and he carefully studied the marketplace when developing Garfield. The genesis of the strip was “a conscious effort to come up with a good, marketable character,” Davis told Walter Shapiro in a 1982 interview in the Washington Post. “And primarily an animal. … Snoopy is very popular in licensing. Charlie Brown is not.” So, Davis looked around and noticed that dogs were popular in the funny papers, but there wasn’t a strip for the nation’s 15 million cat owners. Then, he consciously developed a stable of recurring, repetitive jokes for the cat. He hates Mondays. He loves lasagna. He sure is fat. The model for Garfieldwas Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, but not the funny Peanuts of that strip’s early years. Rather, Davis wanted to mimic the sunny, humorless monotony of Peanuts’ twilight years. “After 50 years, Snoopy was still laying in that dog house, and rather than getting old, it actually has the opposite effect,” Davis told the Chicago Sun-Times last year during the press blitz for Garfield’s 25th anniversary. “It says to all of us, some things in life can be counted on, they’re consistent.” In In Dog Years I’d Be Dead, a book to commemorate Garfield’s 25th anniversary, Davis calls the Peanuts licensing machine “a template that I could apply to Garfield.” In his very first week, Garfield aped Snoopy by declaring, “Happiness is a warm television set.” From the beginning, Davis put as much energy into the marketing of the strip as he did into creating it. (It’s telling that he’s been inducted into the Licensing Merchandiser’s Hall of Fame but not the hall of fame hosted by the International Museum of Cartoon Art.) In 1981, only three years after the strip’s debut, he set up Paws, Inc., a privately held company to handle the licensing of Garfield products. Originally, Paws did only the creative work needed for product design, while Davis’ syndicate managed the business side, but in 1994 Davis purchased the rights to license Garfield products from the syndicate for a reported $15 to $20 million. Even before that, Davis took an active role in the selling of his creation. Before agreeing to a deal with Alpo to put Garfield’s face on a new line of cat food, Davis visited the company’s plant, talked to its employees, and spoke with the grocery industry about the company’s reputation. In his 1982 interview with Shapiro, Davis admitted to spending only 13 or 14 hours a week writing and drawing the strip, compared to 60 hours a week doing promotion and licensing. Garfield’s origins were so mercantile that it’s fair to say he never sold out—he never had any integrity to put on the auction block to begin with. But today Davis spends even less time on the strip than he used to—between three days and a week each month. During that time, he collaborates with another cartoonist to generate ideas and rough sketches, then hands them over to Paws employees to be illustrated. By comparison, Davis spends nearly every morning working on “concepts for new products,” he writes in In Dog Years I’d Be Dead. Paws, Inc. has become a 60-employee licensing behemoth. There’s a Garfield Stuff direct-mail catalog that began in 1997 and an online version at catalog.garfield.com. There’s a “Garfield Pizza Café” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Nevada’s gambling board just approved a slew of Garfield slot machines. Garfield was the frontman for a 24-nation promotion by a grower of apples, pears, and cherries that targeted countries from Thailand to Guatemala to France. The Chinese government uses Garfield to teach English to children. What’s kept Garfield in business for so long is Davis’ canny understanding of how much is too much. Garfield had the most successful debut of any comic strip in history. The first strips were printed on June 19, 1978, in only 41 American newspapers. But by 1980, the first Garfield compilation was a runaway New York Times bestseller, and in 1982, Garfield was on the cover of People. In 1983, the strip was appearing in 1,400 newspapers in 22 countries. That year, Davis placed seven Garfield books simultaneously on the Times trade-paperback best-seller list, a feat that’s never been repeated. The next year, Garfield got his own balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But Davis feared overkill. Garfield was veering into the realm of faddishness. In the late 1980s, Garfield plush toys with suction-cup feet were so popular than criminals broke into cars to steal them and sell them on the black market. Davis, protective of his creation’s unobjectionable blandness, knew he had to act fast before people began to hate Garfield. “We accepted the royalty checks, but my biggest fear was overexposure,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 1998. “We pulled all plush dolls off the shelves for five years.” And that’s what makes Garfield: The Movie a perfect addition to Davis’ cartoon kingdom. It will be gone before anyone realizes it was there.
Canadian regulators announced that Terrestrial Energy has completed the initial phase of a design review for its molten-salt nuclear power plant, giving the Ontario-based company a small early lead in the race to commission the first commercial fourth-generation reactor in North America. To be sure, it’s a very early step in what will be a long regulatory process, the first of three phases in just the “pre-licensing” review. All the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has really said is that the company has demonstrated it intends to comply with regulatory requirements, while noting that the company has a lot more to do to prove that its conceptual designs will operate safely in the real world. It will be at least the later part of the next decade before any Terrestrial reactor will be up and running. But industry observers say the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s nod represents an important step toward building a next generation of safer nuclear plants that could be cheaper to build and operate, and would meet a broader range of market needs. Sign up for The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology “It’s the biggest milestone since we formed the company, and an industry milestone as well,” says Simon Irish, chief executive of Terrestrial, which has selected the Canadian National Labs in Chalk River, Ontario, as the site of the first plant. The news is also notable as one more example of another nation forging ahead on the molten-salt technologies first developed decades ago in the United States. China is pursuing an ambitious and accelerated thorium-fueled molten-salt reactor, as MIT Technology Review previously reported, and so is the Netherlands nuclear research center NRG (see “Fail-Safe Nuclear Power”). Meanwhile, fourth-generation-reactor companies such as London-based Moltex Energy and Advanced Reactor Concepts of Delaware have also opted to pursue early regulatory approval in Canada. There are certainly efforts under way in the United States to pursue molten salt and other advanced nuclear technologies, including projects at the MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory and the university’s spinout Transatomic (see “Nuclear Energy Startup Transatomic Backtracks on Key Promises”). But so far, no known molten-salt projects have submitted a design certification application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (although NuScale is pursuing approval for a small modular reactor). Related Story Small Reactors Could Kick-Start the Stalled Nuclear Sector NuScale is on track to build the first commercial small modular reactors in the United States. So why are things moving faster overseas? While the U.S. nuclear review process is considered the “gold standard” on safety, some startups and researchers believe it’s not adequately accommodating of advanced technologies. A specific critique is that the commission doesn’t offer the early feedback that would let companies properly assess regulatory risk before investing hundreds of millions of dollars in further design and development. The Canadian process is better defined and offers a series of earlier official reviews, says Ryan Fitzpatrick, deputy director of the clean-energy program at the think tank Third Way. The commission evaluates designs on the basis of broader safety principles rather than specific technological requirements, which offers greater flexibility for the varied set of emerging technologies, he says. There have been some efforts to improve the U.S. review process. In March, the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee passed the bipartisan Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, which would require the NRC to establish a regulatory framework for licensing advanced nuclear reactors. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, in recent public appearances, has also highlighted the importance of pushing forward nuclear technologies, particularly small modular reactors—marking a rare area where the Trump administration is actively promoting a source of carbon-free energy. Terrestrial’s 190-megawatt integrated molten-salt reactor combines several promising advanced nuclear approaches. Using molten salts rather than water to dissipate heat from the fission process is considered inherently safer, because it allows the reactor to operate at ambient atmospheric pressure. This lowers containment costs and enables cooling even when the system loses power (see “MIT’s Nuclear Lab has an Unusual Plan to Jump-Start Advanced-Reactor Research”). The IMSR is also a small modular reactor. That means the components can be mass-produced in factories and shipped to their final site, promising to lower construction costs and risks (see “Small Reactors Could Kick-Start the Stalled Nuclear Sector”). An image of Terrestrial's proposed replaceable reactor core. Terrestrial Energy Terrestrial is a technology developer and design vendor. It hopes to get its plans preapproved through regulatory agencies and license its technology to other companies that will construct and operate the plants. CEO Irish says he’s confident the company will be able to address the areas of work highlighted in the review, improving predictions about the behavior of the reactor core and collecting additional data on safety margins and operating performance. The company’s U.S. affiliate has also begun early regulatory discussions concerning an advanced small modular reactor at Idaho National Laboratory, but it doesn’t plan to submit a licensing application until late 2019. Many energy experts say the world is going to need far more nuclear power to address the escalating threat of climate change, simply because it’s a carbon-free energy source that doesn’t face the intermittency limitations of renewables like solar and wind. But the industry has languished amid widespread public safety concerns, massive project costs and risks, high-profile boondoggles, and challenging regulatory requirements (see “Meltdown of Toshiba’s Nuclear Business Dooms New Construction in the U.S.”). Nevertheless, hopes are growing that advanced reactors can overcome some of these issues, helping to restore momentum in the sector. “Advanced reactors are definitely a big part of getting nuclear to meet its full potential and pull its weight in the climate fight,” Fitzpatrick says.
Just because Gérard Depardieu vowed not to speak to the press after claiming to be hurt by the publicity circus that followed his split from France last December does not mean that Gérard Depardieu will neverspeak to the press. As evidenced by a sprawling new interview with France’s Le Journal du Dimanche, the promise simply meant that he will be choosier about his press opportunities. And when he does grant the rare interview, he will begin it by re-dedicating himself to his erstwhile cause. “It is true that I no longer speak to the press and I’m doing very well,” Depardieu said, ironically to the press. But we are not here to point out the inconsistencies in Depardieu’s public statements; we—devoted Depardieu documentarians—are here to highlight the most brilliant moments in this new interview (translated from the original French). Among them: Just because he writes angry open letters to those who he feels have wronged him, is suspiciously friendly with a Chechen strong man, and duets publicly with Uzbekistan's “most hated woman” does not mean that Depardieu does not crave affection from the world: I don’t know who wouldn’t love to be loved. I didn’t want to be loved 100%, because that’s doubtful. But having a 30% disenchantment rating—that’s fine with me. He thinks that the French are fond of his occasional inebriation: I think I correspond to an image that the French love. That of someone who’s a rebel, who shakes things up, who is sometimes drunk. It’s a little bit this hooligan spirit that Putin really likes. Which also appeals to many people here. . . . I’m above all a man who hasn’t aged and who has had his head on his shoulders. Drunk sometimes, but my drunkenness is part of my excess. He has started a passport collection: I have seven passports from several countries that I love. . . . I’m also going to ask for one from Algeria and other countries too. It would save me from asking for visas, because I consider myself, I repeat, to be a free man and a citizen of the world. He does not have any hard feelings for the authorities who arrested him for drunk scooter-driving last November. I love the police, contrary to many people. Lastly, Depardieu claims that he still pays taxes in France and Belgium, where he has businesses, and has nothing to be secretive about when it comes to taxes in general. Get Vanity Fair’s HWD Newsletter Sign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood. E-mail Address Subscribe
Past experience is usually a reliable guide for making decisions, but in unpredictable and challenging situations, it might make more sense to take risks. A study published by Cell Press September 25th in the journal Cell shows that, in competitive situations, rats abandon their normal tactic of using past experience to make decisions and instead make random choices when their competitor is hard to defeat. This switch in strategy is controlled by a dedicated brain circuit, indicating that the brain can actively disengage from its past experiences and enter a random decision-making mode when it provides a competitive edge. These findings may have implications for human disorders such as depression, in which even ordinary decision-making is viewed as ineffective. "We discovered that animals can get stuck in a random mode of behavior that in a way resembles learned helplessness, which has been linked to depression and is triggered when repeated efforts prove to be ineffective," said senior study author Alla Karpova of the Janelia Farm Research Campus. "Our findings may shed light on the origins of learned helplessness and the associated impairments in strategic decision-making." The brain has evolved to optimize behavioral choices by using all available information acquired from past experience. However, when animals encounter new and unpredictable situations, such as a novel environment or prey that moves erratically, it might be more beneficial to instead vary behavior randomly. To find out if this is indeed the case, Karpova and her team trained rats to stick their nose in one of two ports, or holes in a wall, to potentially receive a sugary Kool-Aid reward. Meanwhile, the animals were monitored by a computer-simulated competitor, which was programmed to analyze past behavior to predict future choices. The rats received juice at the port they selected only if their choice differed from that predicted by the computer. When faced with a weak competitor, the animals made choices based on past experience, as usual. But when a sophisticated competitor used complex algorithms to make strong predictions based on subtle behavioral patterns, the rats actively ignored past experience and instead selected the reward port at random. To find out whether this shift in strategy is regulated by a specific part of the brain, the authors zeroed in on the anterior cingulate cortex, a brain structure involved in using experience to make decisions. Indeed, when the researchers manipulated the activity of neurons that release a stress hormone called norepinephrine into the anterior cingulate cortex, they were able to reverse the rats' behavioral strategies. Stimulation of these neurons caused rats to abandon the experience-based strategy and behave randomly in situations when this was not expected. By contrast, inhibition of norepinephrine release caused rats to rely on the experience-based strategy even when faced with the challenging competitor. "The findings suggest that changes in activity in the anterior cingulate cortex could prevent erroneous beliefs from guiding decisions and promote exploratory behavior when environmental rules are uncertain," Karpova says. "But sometimes these changes in neural activity can go too far and become maladaptive, resulting in learned helplessness or even depression. In those cases, suppression of norepinephrine release into the anterior cingulate cortex may serve as an effective therapy to restore strategic decision-making." ### Cell, Tervo et al.: "Behavioral Variability through Stochastic Choice and its Gating by Anterior Cingulate Cortex."
The French Grip is another technique that was a big mystery for a long time. It’s simply a different way of holding the drum sticks than what people are used to. The grip that most drummers are familiar with is the matched, or German Grip, which is performed with both hands flat, and the thumbs on the side of the stick. In contrast, the French Grip is performed with the thumbs on top of the stick. My college instructor first showed me this grip, and explained that this was a better grip for playing jazz on the ride cymbal than the matched grip. He said that you get a different sound out of the cymbal this way. Whether or not you actually do get a different sound playing this way, I’ll leave for you to decide for yourself. Personally, I have found the French Grip especially useful in playing extremely fast jazz patterns on the ride cymbal. I used to listen to a Miles Davis record called, “Four And More.” It featured the great Tony Williams playing with Miles. Some of the ride cymbal playing was faster than I’d ever heard in my life. I used to wonder how he could play so fast. I eventually discovered that the French Grip was one of the keys to his speed. The German, or matched grip is great for endurance, and sustained patterns. The French Grip is perfect for short, 3 note bursts. There seems to be less to get in the way. I’ve found that just like the matched grip, it’s best to hold the stick between the thumb and the first joint of the first finger. The stroke is almost entirely executed with the index finger. The middle finger helps out just a little bit, and the ring and pinky fingers are either off the stick completely, or just kind of along for the ride. Practice with your dominant hand first. Then use that as a model for teaching your other hand to do the exact same thing. Here Are 5 Steps For Mastering the French Grip 1. Practice in the air. Thumb and index finger only. Practice upside down to create a counterweight. Learn to move the stick using your index finger only. 2. Practice 3 note bursts on a practice pad or snare drum using this same grip-thumb and index finger only. You’ll get a better bounce practicing on a practice pad or snare drum than you will by practicing on a ride cymbal. This makes it easier to learn. Use the following pattern. 3. Practice again in the air, in the same manner as step one. This time add the rest of your fingers to the stick. 4. Practice again on the practice pad or snare. Play the following pattern. For the first measure, the 8th notes, use all the fingers to move the stick. Note that the index finger still does most of the work. The middle finger aids in the movement. The ring finger also helps out, but to a lesser degree. The pinky is just along for the ride. It’s okay to leave the pinky completely off the stick. For the second measure, the three 16th notes are again played with just the index finger and thumb. My other fingers actually leave the stick when playing these fast bursts of notes. 5. Practice both exercises on the ride cymbal. This is more difficult as you don’t get as much bounce off the ride cymbal, but after practicing on a practice pad or snare drum, you should be ready for this step. Here’s a video demonstrating the 5 steps. Practice the technique daily until it’s mastered. If you really understand the concepts presented here, this is a fairly easy technique to master.
David Accam has been training with English club Stoke City, sparking runours of an imminent move for the Ghana striker. The 25-year-old has just completed his debut season in the Major League Soccer with Chicago Fire. Accam moved to England to train with Stoke City in his bid to remain fit. He has also played a low-keyed internal friendly match for the Potters. This has sparked rumours of a €4m offer for the Ghana international. The former Helsingborg star however does not qualify for automatic work permit which makes a move even more difficult. Chicago Fire will be interested in a loan deal to keep their striker fit and also to make some money off the side. Accam joined Chicago Fire earlier this year and emerged one of their top performers by scoring 10 goals in 24 league appearances.
Stranger Things has become one of the most popular television shows in the world and has earned itself a spot on my Netflix Mount Rushmore, right next to Breaking Bad, The Office and My 600 Pound Life (it’s a guilty pleasure). Part of what makes the show so great is the colorful cast of characters that populate the fictional world of Hawkins and that same quality is what makes the NBA so special as well, with numerous players who might not be as fantastical but happen to be just as watchable. I took five characters/beings from Stranger Things and matched them up with five players based on similar characteristics and compatibility. Kind of like Tinder but also…not? SPOILER WARNING! Scroll at your own risk. The Shadow Monster ~~~ Giannis Antetokounmpo Stranger Things~ Wiki NBA.com “A mysterious malevolent extradimensional entity which is attempting a hostile takeover of our realm” is a description that somehow applies to both parties here. The parallels between the two crosses the interdimensional space time continuum threshold in more ways than one. Consider the fact they’ve both settled in small sleepy towns, the Shadow Monster in Hawkins, Giannis in Milwaukee and they both have killer nicknames, “Mind Flayer” for The Shadow Monster and “The Greek Freak” for Giannis. Are we positive Antetokounmpo isn’t the proper scientific classification for an extra dimensional shadow demon? Everything about Giannis Antetokounmpo screams massive spider-like alien creature whose main purpose is to suck the life out of anyone who stands in his way on his way to world domination. From his freakish athleticism, to his giant strides and vicious blocks, it’s become dishearteningly clear that no mere mortal can hope to stop this force of nature. It’s no longer a question of if he’ll take over but when. Ted Wheeler ~~~ James Dolan The Wrap ~Barstool Sports Both Ted Wheeler and James Dolan are middle aged, overweight, profoundly oafish and unremarkable human beings who somehow stumbled into luxury and whose only meaningful contribution is to piss off everyone around them because of their oblivious decision-making and temperament. James Dolan inherited one of the most storied and valuable franchises in professional sports, when he took over as owner of the New York Knicks after inheriting the team from his father and Ted Wheeler somehow secured a smoking hot wife in Karen… Both the Knicks and Karen have been worse off ever since, with the Knicks failing to garner any semblance of consistent success and Karen devolving into a passive housewife whose current sex life resembles the plot structure of a B level porno . Both have showed a penchant for poor judgement as well. James Dolan thought it wise to arrest and publicly embarrass one of the franchise’s most legendary players, Charles Oakley, and then call him a drunk afterward, all because the man said something mean about him fifteen years ago. Ted Wheeler hadn’t seen or heard from either of his two children for days and he shrugged it off like he had just been asked where he had last left the car keys. Do you fellas have ANY self awareness?! Dustin said it best. That goes for you too Dolan. “Mad” Max Mayfield ~~~ Ben Simmons Fan Forum ~ CBS Sports There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a pleasant surprise. Both Max and Ben Simmons caught me off guard with their sudden emergence but I’m thankful all the same. The Sixers were doing just fine as a group last season with Joel Embiid as the centerpiece and a solid if unspectacular supporting cast around him, while at the same time dealing with the loss of the mastermind of The Process, Sam Hinkie. However, the addition of the Australian Ben Simmons has taken this team to the next level competitively and he has singlehandedly changed the expectations of the fan base for the better. Philadelphia is thinking about the playoffs for the first time since Doug Collins was roaming the sidelines. The AV Mob or just “the group” as Michael calls it, seemed just fine on their own during last season when they battled interdimensional beings, covert government agents and saved their best friend from being harvested by Lovecraftian monsters. However, the introduction of a sixth member, Max, into the group brought a fresh and welcome new dynamic to Hawkins. She too came from an exotic location, California in this case, but looked right at home as she quickly became the highest scorer at the arcade and the crush of multiple group members. She’s unlike any other girl we’ve seen in Hawkins with her fiery red hair, quick temper, and skateboarding prowess. Simmons is the first 6’10” player we’ve ever seen pass and handle like a guard, apart from KD, and he looks like he’ll be borderline impossible to defend if he develops a reliable jump shot in the future. NBA fans didn’t know we needed Ben but we’re sure glad we got him. Ben and Max were both revelations this season and should only get better going forward. Steve Harrington ~~~ Kyrie Irving Stranger Things Wiki ~ Newsweek Alright, Kyrie doesn’t come close to approaching Steve’s hair game but once you look past that Farrah-Fawcett-hair-spray-sized obstacle, the similarities between the two become a lot more obvious. Both have been gone between being hated or loved by fans but have lately found themselves to be the likable leaders for young groups of upstarts. When we’re first introduced to Steve in season one we assumed he would be like every other popular, unlikable high school jock in movies or TV, and he played into the stereotype perfectly with his good hair, charming smile, exceptional athletic ability and DGAF attitude. His romance with Nancy Wheeler slowly but surely endeared him to the audience but he eventually broke Nancy’s heart just like we were expecting him to. Right as all hope seemed lost when Jonathan and Nancy were facing off with the demogorgon at the end of the season, enter Steve to heroically save the day and regain his audience popularity stock. In season two Nancy dumps him and we witness Steve fully undergo the transformation from irredeemable jock to fan favorite. His adventures in babysitting with the kids and his chemistry with Dustin especially, showed us a whole new compassionate side to Steve and he quickly emerged as a protector of the group. America was first introduced to Kyrie Irving in 2010 as a Duke Blue Devil and most of us instantly disliked him because he played for one of the most hated college basketball programs in the country. Fans slowly warmed up to him after he starred in series of clever Pepsi commercials and he looked to be the player of the future for the post-LeBron Cavs… His clutch shot in game seven of the 2016 Finals sealed his fantastic approval rating with hoop heads but he pissed it all away when he came out as a “flat earther” during last season’s All Star weekend. His break-up with LeBron and relocation to Boston made him all the more unlikable and it looked like he was speeding toward villainville faster than Kevin Spacey in a gay bar. Nonetheless, this season Kyrie has emerged as a legitimate leader of the youthful Celtics, mentoring the team’s young talent and protecting them from any outside threats. He still says stupid shit now and again, but he seems to have gained a bit more humility as of late. Will Byers~~~ Derrick Rose US Weekly ~ USA TODAY Will Byers and Derrick Rose have both gone through a lot in their lives, and it remains to be seen whether they’ll ever fully recover from their trials and tribulations. Every time it looks like they’ve rediscovered a degree of normalcy, they get dragged back down to the dark and depressing world of the “Upside Down.” Take Will, who when we’re first introduced to in Season 1, is a happy and playful All American kid. The biggest monsters he’d faced at this point where bullies on the schoolyard and imaginary ones in the Dungeon and Dragons games he loved. Before you could finish saying Anthony Bennett, he’d gone missing and later revealed that he’d been abducted by interdimensional monsters and taken back to their home lair to be harvested and tortured with Bulls game film. Thankfully he was rescued before it was too late and everything looked rosy, but in the final scene of Season 1 we see him throw up a slug-like creature from the Upside Down, as the alternate dimension quickly flickered around him and we instantly knew that Will’s tragic story was far from over. Things only got worse in Season 2, as he struggled to cope with PTSD brought on from his nightmarish experience and if that wasn’t enough for a middle schooler to deal with, he was soon possessed by the Mind Flayer. He was again rescued by his family and friends but it remains unclear as to whether he can ever be a normal kid again. Derrick Rose was a number one draft pick and hometown hero for the Chicago Bulls. He became the youngest league MVP in NBA history when he won the award in 2011. The electric point guard looked unstoppable and had secured himself two huge contracts from Adidas and the Bulls, a dream come true for a kid who had grown up on the Southside of Chicago. It all came crashing down in Game 1 of the first round when he tore his ACL and he hasn’t been the same since that fateful night. Rose has had a series of comebacks following the injury but they were really more like false starts, as he suffered even more injuries and couldn’t consistently play at a high level. His foray into New York was a failure, which included a lawsuit that alleged he had gangraped a woman, an eight day period where Rose was AWOL and another knee injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season. This past offseason he got signed by LeGM and the Cavs, so fans were hopeful that if anyone could help Rose rediscover his All Star form, it would be LeBron. Unfortunately, things haven’t worked out so well as Rose left the team at the end of November to reevaluate his NBA future after suffering another injury. He’s reportedly back with the team but it’s unclear what his long term future prospects are at this point. It’s a really sad situation and has become increasingly clear that he’ll never reach the sky high potential he demonstrated only a few seasons ago. Godspeed D Rose. Bing some Stranger Things! It’ll make you feel better.
They came, they saw, they got the fuck out. While Bill may not have been the ideal inter-species diplomat, at least he presented the alien visitors with a fairly accurate representation of humanity on an off day. I sometimes think that if we ever do get to meet another race of creatures, we’ll be stuck in that ‘first date’ sort of nicey-nice fakeness for a good while before each side figures out that they’re just as dickish as each other. Maybe it’d be better to just let out those metaphorical farts right at the start and move on from there. ↓ Transcript An irascible old man sits on his porch, can of beer in hand, shotgun across his lap. Caption: Bill had never been comfortable with human contact. Zoom out to reveal that his house is under a transparent dome, on a small asteroid. Caption: He went to some lengths to avoid it. Zoom out again to reveal a part of a mothership too big to fit in the frame, launching an alien landing vessel down to the asteroid. Caption: Bill was not the best candidate for first contact.
Just 43% now think a coalition government was the right decision for Britain, down from 59% in May Support for Britain's first peacetime coalition in 70 years has fallen dramatically since David Cameron and Nick Clegg launched the government in the Downing Street rose garden last May, according to the latest Guardian/ICM poll. The poll finds that after six months of Conservative-LibDem rule just 43% think coalition government was the right decision for Britain while 47% now disagree. In May, in answer to a slightly differently worded question, 59% backed the coalition while 32% disagreed with the decision to form it. Rising Labour support has cut into the government's popularity. Other results from the poll, published earlier this month, put Labour support at a three-year high of 39%. Lib Dem support was at a five-year low of 13%. The Conservatives were on 37%, up one point from November. There is a mixed picture for Clegg and Cameron among their party's supporters in the poll, which was carried out before Christmas. A slim majority of Lib Dem voters still support the coalition. Among people who voted Lib Dem last May – many of whom have now switched support – 46% think the coalition was a mistake, while 47% remain in favour. David Cameron can take comfort from continued strong Tory backing for coalition rule: 76% think forming the coalition was the right thing to do. This will be welcomed by Downing Street which is under pressure from the Tory right over the coalition. John Redwood, the former leadership contender, today expressed irritation with the way in which Lib Dems were allowed to take credit for the "nice" things done by the coalition. "One of the things I do not like is the 'new narrative' that Lib Dems have come into the government to bridle the instincts of Conservatives," he said. "This storyline entails allowing Lib Dems to claim credit for all the nice things that happen." Redwood's criticism comes as this latest poll suggests that signs of economic recovery in 2010 have not persuaded voters that the worst is over. Ahead of next month's rise in VAT to 20% many people are preparing to cut spending. While almost half, 45%, say the change will make no difference, 38% claim they will spend less and a further 17% say more. Many are pessimistic about the prospects for public services. Almost half of those questioned – 49% – say things will get worse for the NHS, while 12% say it will improve. There are also fears for the future of state education: 54% say 2011 will be a worse year for schools than 2010, while 10% think it will be better. There is little sign of public backing for the coalition's promised reforms to schools and health: even among definite Conservative supporters, only 13% say schools will improve in 2011 and 15% say the same of the NHS. Asked about the party leaders, only 12% thought Nick Clegg's prospects would improve in 2011, against 47% who think he will have a worse year. For David Cameron, 23% think 2011 will be better and 36% worse. Only Ed Miliband can look forward to a happier new year. While 27% think the coming year will be worse for him than the one before, 29% think it will be better – the only net positive score on all the issues asked in the survey. • ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1,003 adults aged 18+ by telephone on 16-19th December 2010. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults.
On Thursday, global community Internations released its annual Expat Insider survey for 2017, and although some of it turned out to be good news for Sweden – the Nordic country had improved its ranking from a 42nd place to a 22nd place – other things were not so great. Some 13,000 people took part in the poll, ranking 65 countries on a variety of different topics, ranging from the quality of life and family-friendliness to workplace culture. While Sweden topped the score when it came to childcare health (nine out of ten said they were satisfied.) - an area it usually does well on - and ranked among the top-ten for its work-life balance, it, again, scored very, very low when it came to the ability to make friends there. Just like it did last year. In fact it came last this time around, with 72 percent of respondents saying it was tough to get to know the Swedes, citing the language barrier and cultural issues as the main reasons for why it's so hard. Internations cited a British national as describing the Swedes as "quite private, closed, and not that open to newcomers". The Local decided to test the results by asking our readers what they thought. Some of them confirmed the results, others didn't and some of them even shared some great tips on how to make Swedish friends. Here is what you said: "Generally, the Swedes are 'birds of same feathers stick together' kind of people. Reserved and quiet! To make friends with a Swede is like going through a ritual. One important rule is: never be too pushy and asking personal questions on first meetings. Just feel the vibes and be tactful and friendly and you will be ok," Nanette Holmström commented. Cassien Guier, however, shared her not-so-nice experience: "Only in Sweden have I ever been told ‘I don't need to talk to you, I have enough friends' ... Murtaza Zoeb had similar experiences, but noted the silver lining of making friends with Swedes: "Mostly Swedes say they don't have a time for new friends as already they have many friends in their life. But once they are your friends they are for life." Jim Dowden had a hard and fast tip on how to get the Swedes to open up more: "Want to make friends? Go to the clubs and buy drinks." Colby Pele explained that the distance people keep to one another shouldn't be regarded as snobbery but might sometimes actually have to do with them being concerned about their health. "Swedes tend to have a certain circle of friends that's all, they have certain standards and also it's to do with their culture," noting that it's the only country he knows where people keep "a lot of distance between each other (unless you're family or a lover) while waiting for a bus/train/tram etc. It's not snobbish, it makes sense from a health perspective given if the person is ill you don't want it etc." Charlotte Cbf Rider, on the other hand, said she had experienced no difficulty at all: "I have found Swedes to be very welcoming on the whole, but then I was learning Swedish before I moved and could at least try to speak the language a little even if badly! Wonder how much me demonstrating making an effort made a difference?" Konstantinos Litsiossaid: "It is different for every person for there are so many conditions that affect your efforts. In general though with Stockholm being an international environment I think it is relative fine to make new friends here. I understand though that I have no knowledge of smaller cities here." Danielle Dany said that although she doesn't yet live in Sweden, she has made some great mates while visiting, with both Swedes and foreigners living there. She said: "I do find Sweden as a great environment for meeting some really great and decent people, with great careers and interests. As for the nationals, we really found a great match because themselves as well as myself did respect a certain ‘personal space' and time dedicated to first know each other's backgrounds before getting closer to each other and I consider that this is the right way to build any relationships anywhere in the world. To just ‘enter someone's life with your boots' doesn't work in the right way! I fully recommend the entire Scandinavian space for beautiful travelling, meeting great people and plenty of great other things!"
Dear Democrats, Please Stop Protesting on Behalf of Insane Billionaires and Globalist Corporations Do you know who is funding your protest? Trent Lapinski Blocked Unblock Follow Following Jan 31, 2017 Google anti-Trump protests January 30, 2017. Disclaimer: I am not supporting Trump nor is this article really about Trump. I’m against the immigration ban, and I support all women’s rights regardless of what political party they belong to. With that said, I do not support corporatism. Since the early days of Greenpeace, to the Seattle WTO protests, to the Occupy movement one thing has been consistent: The people marched against corporatism, and globalism. Yet since Donald Trump’s election, people have begun marching in the name of corporatism and globalism against a democratically elected President they’re accusing of being a fascist. Protesting in the name of corporations, billionaires, and celebrities is corporatism. Democrats and progressives should reject money from George Soros, and reject the propaganda and division manufactured by political operatives like David Brock. Just because they’re anti-Trump doesn’t mean they support you, or your rights. I have no problem with people protesting Donald Trump, and expressing their freedom of speech as long as they do so peacefully and legally. However, I do have a problem when they do so with money from billionaires, political operatives, and corporations who do not have the American people’s best intentions in mind. Using the act of protest and identity politics for political, and corporate gain, is wrong. I am seeing a disturbing trend happening in this country right now where activism, and the act of protest is being hijacked by the very organizations we the people of America should be protesting against. George Soros World controller, and destabilizer of countries. Are you aware of the fact that George Soros, an insane billionaire and actually suspected WW2 Nazi sympathizer who fancies himself as some kind of god, help fund 50 different organizations who organized the Women’s March? Soros is also responsible for funding protests and legal efforts recently at airports across the country concerning the temporary immigration ban, as well as the Hillary Clinton campaign. Soros even lost over a billion dollars betting the stock market would crash after Trump’s election (it didn’t). Anyone who supports anything George Soros is associated with simply isn’t paying attention. Google Protests Getting paid to protest? Then you have companies like Google who recently sponsored their own anti-Trump protests. Google was one of the largest lobbyists under the Obama administration, giving them incredible power and influence over policy which they just lost with Trump’s election. Their parent company Chairman and former CEO, Eric Schmidt, even secretly launched a startup to help Hillary Clinton win the election, and personally consulted with the Clinton campaign as revealed by Wikileaks. This confirmed many of the concerns of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in his piece: Google Is Not What It Seems. Meanwhile, Google themselves were accused of manipulating search results to help Hillary Clinton win the election, which according to psychologists is an effective means of mind control. Is it really a surprise they’re now allowing their employees to walk-out during work hours and essentially get paid to protest on the company’s behalf to support immigration policies that provide them with cheap labor? David Brock David Brock is a political operative and founder of Media Matters, a left-wing think tank. He also founded the now infamous Correct The Record, which was a highly organized left-wing propaganda organization used to try and elect Hillary Clinton by essentially trolling the Internet (I wish I was joking). Well, he just announced a $40 million PAC called American Bridge to continue to propagandize the American people against Donald Trump. Sorry r/conspiracy and r/the_donald, it looks like you’ll be fighting off David Brock shills and trolls for at least the next 4-years. Protesting A False Reality The Wikipedia page for the Women’s March tells a wonderful story about a woman in Hawaii who merged her Facebook page with a group in New York and magically organized over 4.8 million people across the country in multiple cities with no resources or experience organizing major events. What Wikipedia left out is the marches were paid for and hijacked by billionaire George Soros who had supposedly planned to organize Hillary Clinton victory marches after the inauguration, and simply switched his funding to the Women’s March after Trump was elected. What this means is the largest protest in US history was financed by the financial supporters of a single political party, whose candidate just lost an election, which essentially undermined any claim these protests were inclusive of Trump supporters. The truth is the majority of white women actually voted for Donald Trump, and many of them did not feel included by the political rhetoric present at the Women’s March. Arguably, this was a left-leaning anti-Trump protest masquerading as a women’s rights protest. I say this not because I believe the people who attended the protests had that intention, but because the people who funded the march absolutely did. While I personally support women’s rights, and I am opposed to the immigration ban, you won’t catch me marching in the name of an insane billionaire, corporation (I’m looking at you Google), political operatives, or celebrities. By participating in protests organized and funded by special interests you are marching and protesting under the banners of corporatism and globalism. These billionaires, companies, and celebrities each have their own intentions, and motivations which often do not have the American people’s best interests in mind. In the case of many celebrities, they are simply unaware of the influence and power of these political operatives and ignorantly contribute to their causes to further acquire fame, and favor with the political establishment. So the next time you plan to protest, ask yourself: Who’s funding this protest? Perhaps instead of following the herd, you should create your own local grassroots movement to support your values and openly reject money from billionaires and corporate overlords. The point of protesting is to create change, and to make connections with like minded people, it isn’t about serving the desires of elitist billionaires, especially if they’re your boss.
Dark Matter, a sci-fi horror game from the makers of Nuclear Dawn, is currently Kickstarting and I’ve played the opening parts of an early version. InterWave are keen to show that their game is more than grimdark Metroid and a few hours in its claustrophobic corridors demonstrate that it does have a mind and maw of its own. I shouldn’t be here. Crawling through a vent, heading toward a blinking dot marked on my map, worrying about the cancerous eruptions and crawling beasts that have the most simple and terrifying of life cycles – often I see eggs, throbbing in the darkness, and then they hatch, a creature emerges, a mess of claws and flesh. It scuttles toward me, already hungry, ALWAYS hungry, and meets my shotgun’s emissaries, a fragmenting wall of metal death. Dark Matter’s developers are proud of their critters and their behaviour. They react to light, hunt, flee and fight with more intelligence than the usual deep space denizen – or at least that’s the idea. In the early stages of the preview code, the only opponents are crawlers and, as the name suggests, they have one basic function. They hatch, the crawl, the attack, they die. And then they drop some resources. The resources, which we’ll come back to later, mark one of the game’s deviations from the Metroid template. First, a further dissection of the alien life that is at least partly responsible for the derelict and debris-strewn status of the environments. The early encounters are simple cases of backing off and aiming for the thing-most-resembling-a-face, but larger creatures with ranged attacks and semi-sentient exploding bags of acid soon add variety. None of them are particularly intelligent and nor do they need to be, but the articulate and mysterious logs which are littered throughout the ship’s interior hint at greater dangers to come. There are two distinct threats lurking in the shadows and the scavengers, the first that the player encounters, are the most traditional. They’re the alien equivalent of an Englishman wearing a bowler hat, carrying a brolly and sipping tea while buttering a crumpet and cheering on Newington Boys Club in a game of county cricket. Fans of vent-dwelling and organ-chomping, they’d be welcome members of the Claw, Tooth and Acid Club, had it not gone out of business shortly after the Hacienda closed its doors. It’s the second class of enemy that is the most intriguing – they’re parasites of the mind and soul rather than the body, at least that’s what I glean from the tales told of them in the logs I’ve discovered. Again, it’s worth mentioning the strength of the writing but, as is ever the case, quality text does highlight The Absurdity of the Log as Narrative Tool, which will be the name of my upcoming dissertation. Grammatically perfect and inventively constructed paragraphs of prose that are often written by crewmembers who lost a limb, moments before cracking their remaining knuckles and firing up the Word Processor to elucidate on the matter. As far as the preview is concerned, it’s mostly bug-blasting, or at least the combat side of things is. Although InterWave’s creature designs are more inventive than many of the usual suspects, there is, at least in these early stages, not quite enough interesting use of the environments to elevate combat beyond pointing, running and shooting. That said, the keyboard and mouse controls deserve mention. I actually dove straight into the menu and configured my joypad, assuming it’d be the best way to play, but noticed that, against the fashion of these things, every tool tip in game informed me of a mouse or keyboard button to press. I relented and was wise to. Fully configurable key commands and smooth mouse aiming were my reward, and as I stalked the corridors, my mind flashed back to Abuse. Admittedly, it’s the running and gunning of that game dropped into a blender with a large hunk of Dead Space and then poured into a Samus-shaped glass. The Metroid influence is strong, in the cutaway maps particularly, which elegantly highlight objectives and make it clear which areas are open for exploration, and which require repairs to be made elsewhere or equipment to be recovered. Progress often involves going from point to point to collect keycards or fix power nodes, with very little backtracking required, at least in these early stages. The crafting system, simple as it is, could well be the biggest change to the formula. The weapon mods, in particular, allow for the creation of entirely new firearms. While crafting is a case of gathering basic resources that are transformed into everything from medikits to bullets rather than a complex ingredient-based system, it does require decision-making. Rather than finding missiles, for example, there may be a choice between crafting tools or weapons in order to circumnavigate an area. I hoarded medikits, making fresh ones at every opportunity, but the Bioshock-esque reforming machines that instantly throw the ensign back into the action made me wish I’d spent my scrap on shotgun shells instead. Death is problematic, although not for the obvious reasons. One of Dark Matter’s goals is to combine survival horror with side-scrolling sci-fi exploration, but death and damage often feel like irritations rather than the terrible consequences of a failed plan or missed shot. The consequences of failure are slight and every obstacle, whether monstrous or mechanical, can be approached with the confidence of an immortal. This problem isn’t unique to Dark Matter but it does somewhat undermine the tension that the game otherwise works hard to engineer. The lighting is effective – dark areas are actually dark and the flashlight beam cuts them open like a scalpel rather than eradicating them entirely. Scavengers are drawn to light and angered by it, so shooting sources of illumination is a viable tactic and often a necessary way to halt the tide when a spawning location is discovered. While the early build is still slightly clumsy, particularly when jumping (which is only necessary when clambering over debris or crates), the environment is attractive and the interplay between the AI and the Ensign is enjoyable. Odd to think of it as ‘interplay’ because the Ensign doesn’t speak – her character is in her will to survive and role in the world. The AI does enough talking for the two of them though, alternately encouraging and patronising, occasionally reflecting on the histories of the dead. I didn’t expect to enjoy Dark Matter as much as I have done, which is why I’ve quibbled about its flaws at such length. It does have the appearance of a dirtier, more horrific Metroid, but there is enough invention to make it more than a mash-up of other peoples’ ideas. The survival aspect is reliant on the crafting system and on well-placed save points to set the pace, and it’s easy to see how both of those features could be expanded upon and refined in the later stages, particularly when more enemy types are introduced. What does work, already, is the exploration. The map is clear but the way is not and while progression is rarely difficult, reaching new areas is rewarding. Finding items, modifying weapons and then discovering a new way to die. That’s the essence of Dark Matter and if the enemies do become ever stranger and more dangerous, as promised, then it’ll be a shame if we never get to see them. With less than a tenth of the funding in place, the Kickstarter hasn’t attracted enough attention yet. And that’s a shame, because as well as being more than the sum of its inspirations, it’s a proper PC game that wants to be customised and to have a mouse pointed at it. The design is handsome too, with a sci-fi aesthetic that feels lived-in and functional rather than shiny and unreal. Thirteen days to go, forty five grand to raise. Stranger things have happened.
The Royal Australian Navy is advertising for ‘devout Muslims’, by Bernard Gaynor. It is so desperate to secure their services that it is even kitting out mini-mosques on every base for them. Presumably, they get space at sea to pray as well. … The ADF hierarchy will sack Defence members for expressing Christian beliefs regardless of whether they are on duty or in uniform. And they will actively recruit Muslims and set aside work spaces so that they can pray. … [The Islam Q&A] website has the very helpful question: “What is the ruling on Muslims serving in the military of non muslim country ? What is the evidence for its permissibility or prohibition? And lastly, what is the status of a Muslim working to help those in the military to fulfill their obligations to Allaah while serving in the Army, Navy, or whatever?” It’s a good question. Are Muslims allowed to serve in non-Muslim militaries? Well, the answer is yes, provided it benefits the Islamic world. And learning the secrets of non-Islamic militaries is one way that such service can benefit the Islamic world.
At a military base in Novi Petrivtsi, near Kiev, a recruit for the new national guard takes part in training. March 17, 2014 At a military base in Novi Petrivtsi, near Kiev, a recruit for the new national guard takes part in training. Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post Amid concerns about further Russian intervention in the country’s restive east and south, the government in Kiev mobilized some of the country’s 40,000 reservists and agreed to divert $600 million from other parts of Ukraine’s budget to buy weapons, repair equipment and boost training. Amid concerns about further Russian intervention in the country’s restive east and south, the government in Kiev mobilized some of the country’s 40,000 reservists and agreed to divert $600 million from other parts of Ukraine’s budget to buy weapons, repair equipment and boost training. Amid concerns about further Russian intervention in the country’s restive east and south, the government in Kiev mobilized some of the country’s 40,000 reservists and agreed to divert $600 million from other parts of Ukraine’s budget to buy weapons, repair equipment and boost training. Ukraine’s new pro-Western government voiced restraint Tuesday in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s moves to officially annex Crimea, pledging that Ukraine would not join NATO and would take steps to improve ties with Moscow. But leaders there also said they “will never recognize” Crimea’s status as a part of Russia. The sequence of events Tuesday left the Ukrainian government in a tough diplomatic quandary, at once trying to defuse tension with its superpower neighbor while also disputing that the breakway southern province of Crimea may be lost. Russia now says that its absorption of Crimea is an accomplished fact, following the signing of an accession treaty by Putin and visiting Crimean officials. In a statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that “Ukraine and the entire civilized world will never recognize the illegitimate declaration of independence of Crimea and its violent renunciation of the territory of our country.” During a speech Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that the West should respect “the free will of Crimeans” to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. (Ruptly.TV) Speaking earlier in the day, however, a somber Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk — pointedly speaking in Russian — told a nationally televised audience in Ukraine that he wanted to ease the situation. The fresh pledges appeared to be an attempt to calm pro-Russian protests in eastern Ukraine that are challenging the new government in Kiev, as well as to ease strains with Moscow that have raised fears of more incursions. “Despite the armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine, I will do everything possible not only to keep the peace but also to build a genuine partnership with Russia and good neighbor relations,” Yatsenyuk said. Yatsenyuk sought to reassure pro-Moscow activists in Ukraine, who have staged a series of protests in eastern and southern cities with large ethnic Russian populations. He stopped short of offering outright autonomy but called for new reforms to decentralize the country by vesting regions with more power and authority. He reiterated that Kiev would not seek to join NATO, a step that would be seen as highly provocative in Moscow. “Association with NATO is not on the agenda,” he said. He accused “external forces” of “trying to destabilize” the country by provoking instability in eastern Ukraine, the site of violent protests that have resulted in three deaths and numerous injuries in recent days. But he acknowledged that some activists had sincere doubts about the new government, and he sought to reassure them that the Russian language would retain a special status. He pledged that Kiev would respect religious and cultural differences and would constitutionally enshrine protections. But Yatsenyuk also warned that the government would take new steps to try to maintain the peace. In addition to a partial mobilization of thousands of reservists, he said he has now authorized the Interior Ministry to seize all unregistered weapons. “We have to stabilize the situation in the country as soon as possible,” he said.
Jun 13th 2017 Monster Hunter World Breaks Free from Nintendo Forget the PS Vita, Monster Hunter has skipped ahead and decided to bring the popular series to the big consoles other than Nintendo. That's right, Capcom has another new installation in their popular series called Monster Hunter World that they announced will be coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC early 2018. They also look to definitely be utilizing the extra power these machines have over the handheld 3DS. This game seems to be adding in a few different things from earlier titles, like swimming, climbing, riding monsters, and so on. A few new things seen here are swinging using a grappling hook/vines, putting on a disguise to stealth through the bushes, tying up a monster in vines, Pulling down parts of the environment to attack the monster, and firing off flares to alert others where the monster is. Other then that it seems to be business as usual, there is even a rathalos in the announcement trailer stirring up trouble as usual. In a press release from Capcom they give a lot more information. They explain that the game will keep the regular progression system of kill monster to gain loot to craft better gear to kill harder monsters to make better gear. All while improving your own skills. However, they're also doing a lot more with the environment to make it feel more alive, including letting players interact with it and use it to their advantage (or be trapped in it if they're not careful) during fights. One of the bigger things that stands out is that no longer will a monster knock you from one area to another. That's because they're integrating a seamless gameplay experience which will eliminate loading screens and have you just go from area to area without having to wait. They have also added a feature that will let players from the west hunt with players from Japan. Monster Hunter has always been about cooperation, and now it will be more of a worldwide effort. Specifically, they said "solo players can hail for assistance from the worldwide group during quests when their opponents are too daunting to take on single-handedly." Capcom has added a lot of new things with Monster Hunter World, which was rumored to be some sort of phone tie in when they filed a trademark for the name last week. What are your thoughts on the changes and what they're decided to keep the same? Have you been a long time fan of the series? If not, do you think you'll try it now that it's on the PS4 and Xbox One? Let me know what you think by tweeting me @spencerhavens.
Help us test a connection issues fix Go to you Steam library, right click on Angels Fall First, then properties. On the "Beta" tab of the properties select "test - unstable branch for dev testing" to opt into the test version. Warning, this will basically redownload your game, replacing it with a test version. to opt into the test version. Once the test version has finished downloading, go to the server browser. You won't be able to connect to any non-test servers so don't panic. There is a test server, "Lovely dedicated server of love" . It's running one map on a loop, Yin Tao Shan, because it's the least performance-intensive one. There is a test server, . It's running one map on a loop, Yin Tao Shan, because it's the least performance-intensive one. Join that server. The password is "wurst" If you had problems with connecting before, especially couldn't connect to practically any server or server connections often timed out, do tell us whether you can join the lovely server. It should work. Post in this thread to confirm. If it doesn't work, of coursetell us about it too. A .log file from Steam\steamapps\common\Angels Fall First\AFFGame\Logs from that particular session would be helpful as well. You can use dpaste.com to paste the contents of the log file and link it in a commend below. from that particular session would be helpful as well. You can use dpaste.com to paste the contents of the log file and link it in a commend below. If your connection issues are not happening on this server, it would be helpful if you also told us what was the problem before or link to a post you previously made to report the issue. We're trying to fix the most common problem of connections through Steam timing out with this - so it's possible you already gave us a log with that in some previous post. Just link it here so that we know the fix worked in that particular case. You can at any point go back to the properties of the game in Steam library and switch the beta branch back to "default". If the fixes work and don't break something else, we will obviously push the changes to the default branch. So here goes, we have some server settings to test and we need players to do so.I'm calling out especially to people who have problems connecting to servers, getting timeouts on connecting etc. This will potentially resolve some of your problems, if not all. We just need to test it in a real-life environment before releasing the changes as a public patch.So here's what you have to do if you wanna help us. It's a bit of a hassle but it'll help us immensely:We may use this process to test some other super-important-super-secret features and fixes in the future;) But for now, it's all about checking whether people with connection issues can connect to this server reliably.Thanks in advance guys!
Zorko said the environment at the club made the decision to stay a no-brainer. Dayne Zorko says the Lions are about to go places so he is going nowhere. The Brisbane vice-captain could sign a contract extension with the Club before the start of the 2016 season, The Courier-Mail reported. With a new manager in tow, the midfielder/small forward is keen to lock away a new deal. Zorko said the environment at the club made the decision to stay a no-brainer. “I’m happy at Brisbane so I’m sure my manager and the club will go through the process and it (the contract extension) won’t be too far away,’’ Zorko told The Courier-Mail. “What’s been created by the coaching staff is a really fun environment not only for the younger kids to come into but even us older guys that have been here a while. “We’ve had a couple of years under the system Leppa (coach Justin Leppitsch) has put in place. “The way we are moving the ball and our training standards are really picking up. “I’m excited about the future.’’ “We feel like now we are right on the track and we are building something we all want to be a part of, hopefully the younger guys can stick around and we can build something.’’ Read: Who's Running Hot Zorko said the extra experience and depth in the Brisbane midfield with the arrival of Ryan Bastinac and Tom Bell was a reason for optimism. “It’s something we haven’t had since I’ve been here so Leppa might have a headache trying to pick his midfield,’’ he said. Zorko’s imminent recommitment will take the number of re-signings in the past six months to 10. Stef Martin, Pearce Hanley, Harris Andrews, Mitch Robinson, Marco Paparone, Rohan Bewick, Ryan Harwood, Jaden McGrath and Josh Clayton have all extended.
Rick Warren is so freakin’ narrow-minded and ignorant. And dangerous. First off he says says the Bible does not permit a woman to divorce a spouse who is abusing her. Well, Leviticus 19:27 says Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. And judging from photos of Pastor Rick, it sure looks like he gets hair cuts and shaves very regularly and carefully. Pastor Rick says the only reasons for divorce are abandonment and adultery. In an audio clip on his Saddleback Church site, the cherry-picking Bible-thumper explains: I wish there were a third in Scripture, having been involved as a pastor with situations of abuse. There is something in me that wishes there were a Bible verse that says, ‘If they abuse you in this-and-such kind of way, then you have a right to leave them.’ I want to tell you the advice that we give in our counseling ministries. First of all if you are in this kind of a situation, I strongly recommend that you take advantage of our lay counseling ministry. Go in and talk to someone and let them minister to you. And the advice that we give is not divorce but separation. Separation combined with counseling has been proven to provide healing in people’s lives… When I say physical abuse, I mean literally somebody is beating you regularly. I don’t mean they grab you once. I mean they’ve made a habit of beating you regularly. You need to separate in that situation, because that’s the only thing that’s going to solve that. Incidences of reported domestic violence increased by 42% from 2005 to 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. But in this clip, there’s nothing about contacting law enforcement if you’re being beaten regularly. Or grabbed once, which in California is battery. Nor the thought that regular beating can start with a grab… Pastor Rick’s ignorance about polygamy is nowhere as life threatening as his utter stupidity about spousal abuse, though it does enhance his image as a narrow-minded knuckle-dragger. For months and months now America’s Pastor has been flogging us with the absolutely false information that For 5,000 years, marriage has been defined by every single culture and every single religion–this is not a Christian issue. Buddhist, Muslims, Jew–historically, marriage is a man and a woman. I called golden cafe poop in an earlier post that went into ye olden times polygamy, and now it’s time to look at polygamy today. Jacob Zuma, the current head of the African National Congress, has numerous wives. In Sudan, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has encouraged multiple marriages to increase the population. While the State of Israel has severely limited the ability for Jews to enter polygamous marriages, it instituted provisions for existing polygamous families immigrating from countries where the practice was legal. Idigenous people, like those in Tibet practice polygamy, as do some Hindus in Nepal. Polygamy was only banned in Hong Kong in 1971. Polygamy is practiced, albeit illegally, in the United States by certain sects of Mormons Islam allows for the practice of multiple wives, a practice found primarily in Arab countries. The Islamic populations of Europe and America don’t practice polygamy, because it is outlawed, which raises an interesting question: If a country’s laws can superceded a religious code, as with Islamic and Mormon plural marriages, then it seems a law permitting certain forms of marriage, which might be religiously ojectionable to some–say marriages between people of different races or creeds or of the same sex–shouldn’t be an issue. Gods, Rick Warren is an idiot. Please fix him. Or make him go away.
I’ve decided to reprint a piece of work I did nearly five years ago, because it seems very relevant today given Hillary Clinton’s performance in the Benghazi hearings. Back in 2008 when she was running for president, I interviewed two erstwhile staff members of the House Judiciary Committee who were involved with the Watergate investigation when Hillary was a low-level staffer there. I interviewed one Democrat staffer and one Republican staffer, and wrote two pieces based on what they told me about Hillary’s conduct at the time. Jerry Zeifman, a lifelong Democrat, supervised the work of 27-year-old Hillary Rodham on the committee. Hillary got a job working on the investigation at the behest of her former law professor, Burke Marshall, who was also Sen. Ted Kennedy’s chief counsel in the Chappaquiddick affair. When the investigation was over, Zeifman fired Hillary from the committee staff and refused to give her a letter of recommendation – one of only three people who earned that dubious distinction in Zeifman’s 17-year career. The now-retired general counsel and chief of staff of the House Judiciary Committee, who supervised Hillary when she worked on the Watergate investigation, says Hillary’s history of lies and unethical behavior goes back farther – and goes much deeper – than anyone realizes. As Hillary Clinton came under increasing scrutiny for her story about facing sniper fire in Bosnia, one question that arose was whether she has engaged in a pattern of lying. I published these pieces back in 2008 for North Star Writers Group, the syndicate I ran at the time. This was the most widely read piece we ever had at NSWG, but because NSWG never gained the high-profile status of the major syndicates, this piece still didn’t reach as many people as I thought it deserved to. Today, given the much broader reach of CainTV and yet another incidence of Hillary’s arrogance in dealing with a congressional committee, I think it deserves another airing. For the purposes of simplicity, I’ve combined the two pieces into one very long one. If you’re interested in understanding the true character of Hillary Clinton, it’s worth your time to read it. Why? “Because she was a liar,” Zeifman said in an interview last week. “She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.” How could a 27-year-old House staff member do all that? She couldn’t do it by herself, but Zeifman said she was one of several individuals – including Marshall, special counsel John Doar and senior associate special counsel (and future Clinton White House Counsel) Bernard Nussbaum – who engaged in a seemingly implausible scheme to deny Richard Nixon the right to counsel during the investigatio Why would they want to do that? Because, according to Zeifman, they feared putting Watergate break-in mastermind E. Howard Hunt on the stand to be cross-examined by counsel to the president. Hunt, Zeifman said, had the goods on nefarious activities in the Kennedy Administration that would have made Watergate look like a day at the beach – including Kennedy’s purported complicity in the attempted assassination of Fidel Castro. The actions of Hillary and her cohorts went directly against the judgment of top Democrats, up to and including then-House Majority Leader Tip O’Neill, that Nixon clearly had the right to counsel. Zeifman says that Hillary, along with Marshall, Nussbaum and Doar, was determined to gain enough votes on the Judiciary Committee to change House rules and deny counsel to Nixon. And in order to pull this off, Zeifman says Hillary wrote a fraudulent legal brief, and confiscated public documents to hide her deception. The brief involved precedent for representation by counsel during an impeachment proceeding. When Hillary endeavored to write a legal brief arguing there is no right to representation by counsel during an impeachment proceeding, Zeifman says, he told Hillary about the case of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, who faced an impeachment attempt in 1970. “As soon as the impeachment resolutions were introduced by (then-House Minority Leader Gerald) Ford, and they were referred to the House Judiciary Committee, the first thing Douglas did was hire himself a lawyer,” Zeifman said. The Judiciary Committee allowed Douglas to keep counsel, thus establishing the precedent. Zeifman says he told Hillary that all the documents establishing this fact were in the Judiciary Committee’s public files. So what did Hillary do? “Hillary then removed all the Douglas files to the offices where she was located, which at that time was secured and inaccessible to the public,” Zeifman said. Hillary then proceeded to write a legal brief arguing there was no precedent for the right to representation by counsel during an impeachment proceeding – as if the Douglas case had never occurred. The brief was so fraudulent and ridiculous, Zeifman believes Hillary would have been disbarred if she had submitted it to a judge. Zeifman says that if Hillary, Marshall, Nussbaum and Doar had succeeded, members of the House Judiciary Committee would have also been denied the right to cross-examine witnesses, and denied the opportunity to even participate in the drafting of articles of impeachment against Nixon. Of course, Nixon’s resignation rendered the entire issue moot, ending Hillary’s career on the Judiciary Committee staff in a most undistinguished manner. Zeifman says he was urged by top committee members to keep a diary of everything that was happening. He did so, and still has the diary if anyone wants to check the veracity of his story. Certainly, he could not have known in 1974 that diary entries about a young lawyer named Hillary Rodham would be of interest to anyone 34 years later. But they show that the pattern of lies, deceit, fabrications and unethical behavior was established long ago – long before the Bosnia lie, and indeed, even before cattle futures, Travelgate and Whitewater – for the woman who is still asking us to make her president of the United States. Franklin Polk, who served at the time as chief Republican counsel on the committee, confirmed many of these details in two interviews he granted me this past Friday, although his analysis of events is not always identical to Zeifman’s. Polk specifically confirmed that Hillary wrote the memo in question, and confirmed that Hillary ignored the Douglas case. (He said he couldn’t confirm or dispel the part about Hillary taking the Douglas files.) To Polk, Hillary’s memo was dishonest in the sense that she tried to pretend the Douglas precedent didn’t exist. But unlike Zeifman, Polk considered the memo dishonest in a way that was more stupid than sinister. “Hillary should have mentioned that (the Douglas case), and then tried to argue whether that was a change of policy or not instead of just ignoring it and taking the precedent out of the opinion,” Polk said. Polk recalled that the attempt to deny counsel to Nixon upset a great many members of the committee, including just about all the Republicans, but many Democrats as well. “The argument sort of broke like a firestorm on the committee, and I remember Congressman Don Edwards was very upset,” Polk said. “He was the chairman of the subcommittee on constitutional rights. But in truth, the impeachment precedents are not clear. Let’s put it this way. In the old days, from the beginning of the country through the 1800s and early 1900s, there were precedents that the target or accused did not have the right to counsel.” That’s why Polk believes Hillary’s approach in writing the memorandum was foolish. He says she could have argued that the Douglas case was an isolated example, and that other historical precedents could apply. But Zeifman says the memo and removal of the Douglas files was only part the effort by Hillary, Doar, Nussbaum and Marshall to pursue their own agenda during the investigation. After my first column, some readers wrote in claiming Zeifman was motivated by jealousy because he was not appointed as the chief counsel in the investigation, with that title going to Doar instead. Zeifman’s account is that he supported the appointment of Doar because he, Zeifman, a) did not want the public notoriety that would come with such a high-profile role; and b) didn’t have much prosecutorial experience. When he started to have a problem with Doar and his allies was when Zeifman and others, including House Majority Leader Tip O’Neill and Democratic committee member Jack Brooks of Texas, began to perceive Doar’s group as acting outside the directives and knowledge of the committee and its chairman, Peter Rodino. (O’Neill died in 1994. Brooks is still living and I tried unsuccessfully to reach him. I’d still like to.) This culminated in a project to research past presidential abuses of power, which committee members felt was crucial in aiding the decisions they would make in deciding how to handle Nixon’s alleged offenses. According to Zeifman and other documents, Doar directed Hillary to work with a group of Yale law professors on this project. But the report they generated was never given to the committee. Zeifman believes the reason was that the report was little more than a whitewash of the Kennedy years – a part of the Burke Marshall-led agenda of avoiding revelations during the Watergate investigation that would have embarrassed the Kennedys. The fact that the report was kept under wraps upset Republican committee member Charles Wiggins of California, who wrote a memo to his colleagues on the committee that read in part: Within the past few days, some disturbing information has come to my attention. It is requested that the facts concerning the matter be investigated and a report be made to the full committee as it concerns us all. Early last spring when it became obvious that the committee was considering presidential “abuse of power” as a possible ground of impeachment, I raised the question before the full committee that research should be undertaken so as to furnish a standard against which to test the alleged abusive conduct of Richard Nixon. As I recall, several other members joined with me in this request. I recall as well repeating this request from time to time during the course of our investigation. The staff, as I recall, was noncommittal, but it is certain that no such staff study was made available to the members at any time for their use. Wiggins believed the report was purposely hidden from committee members. Chairman Rodino denied this, and said the reason Hillary’s report was not given to committee members was that it contained no value. It’s worth noting, of course, that the staff member who made this judgment was John Doar. In a four-page reply to Wiggins, Rodino wrote in part: Hillary Rodham of the impeachment inquiry staff coordinated the work. . . . After the staff received the report it was reviewed by Ms. Rodham, briefly by Mr. Labovitz and Mr. Sack, and by Doar. The staff did not think the manuscript was useful in its present form. . . . In your letter you suggest that members of the staff may have intentionally suppressed the report during the course of its investigation. That was not the case. As a matter of fact, Mr. Doar was more concerned that any highlight of the project might prejudice the case against President Nixon. The fact is that the staff did not think the material was usable by the committee in its existing form and had not had time to modify it so it would have practical utility for the members of the committee. I was informed and agreed with the judgment. Mr. Labovitz, by the way, was John Labovitz, another member of the Democratic staff. I spoke with Labovitz this past Friday as well, and he is no fan of Jerry Zeifman. “If it’s according to Zeifman, it’s inaccurate from my perspective,” Labovitz said. He bases that statement on a recollection that Zeifman did not actually work on the impeachment inquiry staff, although that is contradicted not only by Zeifman but Polk as well. Labovitz said he has no knowledge of Hillary having taken any files, and defended her no-right-to-counsel memo on the grounds that, if she was assigned to write a memo arguing a point of view, she was merely following orders. But as both Zeifman and Polk point out, that doesn’t mean ignoring background of which you are aware, or worse, as Zeifman alleges, confiscating documents that disprove your argument. All told, Polk recalls the actions of Hillary, Doar and Nussbaum as more amateurish than anything else. “Of course the Republicans went nuts,” Polk said. “But so did some of the Democrats – some of the most liberal Democrats. It was more like these guys – Doar and company – were trying to manage the members of Congress, and it was like, ‘Who’s in charge here?’ If you want to convict a president, you want to give him all the rights possible. If you’re going to give him a trial, for him to say, ‘My rights were denied,’ – it was a stupid effort by people who were just politically tone deaf. So this was a big deal to people in the proceedings on the committee, no question about it. And Jerry Zeifman went nuts, and rightfully so. But my reaction wasn’t so much that it was underhanded as it was just stupid.” Polk recalls Zeifman sharing with him at the time that he believed Hillary’s primary role was to report back to Burke Marshall any time the investigation was taking a turn that was not to the liking of the Kennedys. “Jerry used to give the chapter and verse as to how Hillary was the mole into the committee works as to how things were going,” Polk said. “And she’d be feeding information back to Burke Marshall, who, at least according to Jerry, was talking to the Kennedys. And when something was off track in the view of the Kennedys, Burke Marshall would call John Doar or something, and there would be a reconsideration of what they were talking about. Jerry used to tell me that this was Hillary’s primary function.” Zeifman says he had another staff member get him Hillary’s phone records, which showed that she was calling Burke Marshall at least once a day, and often several times a day. A final note about all this: I wrote my first column on this subject because, in the aftermath of Hillary being caught in her Bosnia fib, I came in contact with Jerry Zeifman and found his story compelling. Zeifman has been trying to tell his story for many years, and the mainstream media have ignored him. I thought it deserved an airing as a demonstration of how early in her career Hillary began engaging in self-serving, disingenuous conduct. Disingenuously arguing a position? Vanishing documents? Selling out members of her own party to advance a personal agenda? Classic Hillary. Neither my first column on the subject nor this one were designed to show that Hillary is dishonest. I don’t really think that’s in dispute. Rather, they were designed to show that she has been this way for a very long time – a fact worth considering for anyone contemplating voting for her for president of the United States. By the way, there’s something else that started a long time ago. “She would go around saying, ‘I’m dating a person who will some day be president,’” Polk said. “It was like a Babe Ruth call. And because of that comment she made, I watched Bill Clinton’s political efforts as governor of Arkansas, and I never counted him out because she had made that forecast.” Bill knew what he wanted a long time ago. Clearly, so did Hillary, and her tactics for trying to achieve it were established even in those early days.
STOCKTON — Three years have passed since south Stockton’s Van Buskirk Golf Course was, for a time, a bargaining chip in the city’s battle with its primary bankruptcy creditor. In the end, the city exited bankruptcy without losing Van Buskirk, much to the relief of the local golfing community, not to mention relatives of the Van Buskirk family still living in Lodi. But how much longer Stockton will keep subsidizing its two public golf courses is another story. The budget-conscious city subsidized the Van Buskirk and Swenson Park public courses this soon-to-end fiscal year to the tune of $850,000. The 2017-18 budget the City Council will consider next week includes another $700,000 for golf in a general-fund budget of $216 million. Mayor Michael Tubbs has been pushing hard for a reconsideration of the expenditure. Tuesday night, he hosted a community meeting at the Van Buskirk Community Center on the future of Stockton golf. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Joining Tubbs at the meeting were councilmen Jesus Andrade and Dan Wright. Tubbs told an audience of about 40 that the issue is not whether golf is “good or bad.” Rather, Tubbs said, the issue is how to best use limited public funds. “I wanted to have the meeting just with folks who live here,” said Tubbs, whose office did not publicly announce it was holding the gathering until Tuesday morning. “The objective tonight was to hear from people who live in the vicinity of the golf course.” .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Residents who spoke Tuesday largely sided with Tubbs — with one condition. If golf eventually goes, they made it clear they want a potential replacement to be something the community wants and needs. “We are a community that’s very low-income,” said Pandora Crowder, president of the residents’ council at the nearby Conway Homes public-housing development. “We all have kids we want to keep off the streets. If you take something, we need something in return.” Tubbs’ office suggested an array of possible alternative uses for the funds that would be freed if golf were no longer subsidized. Among the ideas were construction of new soccer fields, and directing some of the subsidy money to create summer jobs for young people or to fund after-school programs. The Van Buskirk family deeded the land to Stockton more than 30 years ago on the condition it forever will be used for recreational purposes. There are no such restrictions on the Swenson Park land. City Manager Kurt Wilson and Community Services Director John Alita said last week that the City Council will hold a study session on the future of the golf courses at some point in the new fiscal year, which begins July 1. Wilson said staff members are still “doing homework” on all the possible ramifications of eliminating golf at one or both of the sites. “When we come back to have the golf conversation it won’t just be, ‘Hey, do you want to do golf or do you not want to do golf?’” Wilson said. “It’ll be, ‘Do you want to continue golf in some other form or would you like to consider such and such?’” No members of the city’s staff attended Tubbs’ community meeting Tuesday night. According to city records, Stockton has paid $3.3 million in subsidies since 2011 to the private manager of the golf courses. Alita and Wilson have advised against simply ceasing golf while the city is figuring out what to do with the two sites over the long haul. By Alita’s estimates, the cost to the city of maintaining the land at two closed golf courses would be roughly the same as the price of subsidizing operations at Van Buskirk and Swenson. A decision to close one or both courses would generate controversy, though city officials acknowledge only about 1 percent of Stockton’s 320,000 residents use them. Several golf supporters have turned out recently at council meetings to advocate for the courses. The one certainty is that determining the long-term futures of Van Buskirk and Swenson will be a lengthy process. “Even once you have the options before you it’s going to take you some time to make a decision and even separate from that it’s going to take some time to work up a transition plan,” Wilson said at last week’s council budget meeting. “Let’s say you do decide to close a course or two. Simply shutting the doors doesn’t alleviate our expenses.” — Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or rphillips@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/rphillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.
Kellyanne Conway, the indefatigable campaign operative who became the face of Donald Trump's successful presidential bid, has been named counselor to the president. Conway, who joined Trump's team as campaign manager in August, announced earlier this week on Fox News she was moving from her New Jersey home to Washington, signaling a pending position in the incoming Trump administration. Thursday's announcement from the transition team laid out her new role. TRUMP'S TEAM: WHO'S WHO IN PRESIDENT-ELECT'S CABINET, WHITE HOUSE "Kellyanne Conway has been a trusted advisor and strategist who played a crucial role in my victory," Trump said in a statement released Thursday morning. "She is a tireless and tenacious advocate of my agenda and has amazing insights on how to effectively communicate our message. I am pleased that she will be part of my senior team in the West Wing." Conway will work with senior administration officials to communicate and execute Trump's legislative priorities, the statement said. Conway told "Fox & Friends" on Thursday that she will be in the West Wing to "continue my service" to Trump. She said she had weighed a number of factors including her family in considering a job, but described the West Wing-in-waiting as family friendly, saying, "So I'm fine on that score." Calling the appointment "very humbling," she said: "It's difficult to pass that up. I know I've got his ear and his trust." In a written statement, Conway also said: "A Trump presidency will bring real change to Washington and to Americans across this great nation. I am humbled and honored to play a role in helping transform the movement he has led into a real agenda of action and results." Conway, 49, has a law degree from George Washington University Law School and is founder and owner of The Polling Company, a polling and research firm. Thursday's announcement followed word Conway would relocate to the nation's capital. “My family is going to move to Washington, D.C., and I will either stay outside and run the political super-structure, or I will go into the West Wing and take a position right next to the president,” Conway had told Fox News’ “Happening Now.” Unlike positions on Trump's Cabinet, Conway's role is not subject to Senate confirmation.
0 While we all knew Sony Pictures Animation was releasing an animated Spider-Man movie in December of next year and that Miles Morales was the lead, until this weekend Sony hadn’t released the title or even confirmed whether Peter Parker would be making an appearance in the movie. But with CCXP (Comic-Con Experience) happening in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sony decided to use the biggest Comic-Con in South America to unveil new details about the web-swinger’s upcoming animated adventure by having producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller take the stage with Erico Borgo from Omelete to answer a few questions. One of the big things fans wanted to know was, how would Peter Parker factor in the movie? In the various Miles Morales Spider-Man comics, which first started in 2011, we have seen different versions of the Peter Parker/Miles Morales relationship. In Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, Miles is bitten by a spider infected with Parker’s blood. Even though he has amazing abilities, Miles decides he just wants to live a normal life. But after watching Spider-Man die at the hands of Green Goblin, Miles is inspired to try his hand at being Spider-Man. Conversely, in Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, Peter Parker is alive and well and has a relationship with Miles. They even team up to fight Norman Osborn. Which brings us back to the upcoming animated Spider-Man movie. Shortly after world premiering the trailer and announcing the title as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Lord (who also has sole credit on the screenplay) and Miller revealed that Peter Parker is definitely in the movie and plays a middle-aged mentor to Miles. While you might think this means Peter Parker has a big role, Lord and Miller made it clear this is a Miles Morales movie and Parker is passing the baton to Miles as the new Spider-Man. Now before I go any further, I’m going to show you how if you were paying close attention during the trailer, you might have already picked up on some of this information and how, I think, the film is actually using some of the comic book storylines. At the very end of the trailer, Miles is in a train station, sitting on a bench, talking to someone. In the scene, he says, “Wait…so how many of us are there?” The person sitting next to him is Peter Parker. He’s the one on the left in the picture below! Going even further down the rabbit hole, towards the beginning of the trailer, Miles is in a cemetery and we can see what looks like Peter Parker on the headstone: Next, when Sony Pictures Animation sent out the press release for the trailer, they included this info about the picture below Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) falls through an alternate-universe New York City in Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Finally, when the studio tweeted about the trailer, they said: Enter a universe where more than one wears the mask. Based on the above info, I think the animated movie is going to follow at least part of the storyline of Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man by chronicling how Miles Morales got his powers and showing the death of Spider-Man. This would explain why Miles goes to the cemetery to visit Peter Parker’s grave. The film could then show Miles deciding to use his newfound powers for good, and as he tries them out, somehow ends up in an alternate universe where Peter Parker is still alive and becomes the mentor that Lord and Miller talked about. By doing this, you get to show a different side of Peter Parker that fans have never seen in a movie. You make all the Miles Morales fans happy because he’s the star of the show. And they’ve opened the door to a world where everything you know about Spider-Man is different and the future possibilities are endless. Finally, you make it very easy for people to understand this animated movie has nothing to do with the live-action Spider-Man movies, which I’m sure will make Marvel Studios happy. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Russia has once again warned of growing influence of the Islamic State group — also known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) — in Afghanistan, even as local media reported that a top Isis leader had been killed in airstrikes conducted by the United States in the country. Iran and Russia had earlier warned the world that members of Isis were seeping into Afghanistan, with as many as 2,500 having already made the journey. They had warned that more were to follow as the terrorist group was losing its grip on strongholds in both Iraq and Syria to local forces aided by foreign armies. However, Afghanistan and the US seem to have anticipated that, and are working to neutralise the threat there. A Khaama Press report on Saturday said a "top leader of the loyalists" of Isis in Afghanistan, along with six others, had fallen to a drone strike conducted by the United States in the Nagarhar province. The report quoted local officials as saying that "the airstrike was carried out late on Friday in Kot district, targeting the militants in Lagharjoi area." The report also said that "several weapons, ammunition, and explosives belonging to the loyalists of the terror group were also destroyed in the raid." Such raids are now conducted by both the US and Afghanistan in the country. A Khurasan 'caliphate'? The warning from Russia assumes new importance in light of earlier reports from the Afghan security establishment, which had warned that Isis, though its loyalists in Afghanistan, was "attempting to establish the Khurasan caliphate in Afghanistan." They had also warned that Isis was "close to take control of Tora Bora that would help them achieve their goal." Isis has looked to establish caliphates at its stronghold, believing that it will bolster its claim that it is indeed an "Islamic State."
A North Carolina sheriff’s office K9 is dead and its deputy handler reassigned after the animal was left in the handler’s cruiser overnight. The Duplin County Sheriff says Deputy Kevin Williams was on duty when he got a call that his child was sick and needed to be picked up from school. When Williams arrived home, he fed the dog but forgot to take Kela out of the cruiser. The dog was found dead the next morning. Kela was a Belgian Malinois trained to track down people and narcotics. She had been with the office for four years according to WITN. Deputy Williams has been reassigned to courthouse bailiff. The sheriff says the District Attorney’s Office did not bring charges against Williams because there was no criminal intent.
Back in the 16-bit day we lost many an hour to Mutant League Football. Crazy tackles, crazy characters, outlandish zombie-like teams of monsters. It was great fun, to be sure. Now that 16-bit game is getting a remake, as Mutant Football League has been in the works for some time now. Even better news, at least for gamers attending Game Developers Conference (GDC), is that Mutant Football League will be completely playable on PS4 and Xbox One. A PC version and Android/iOS versions will also be on display, though the console versions of Mutant Football League are by far the most enticing ones. The original Mutant League Football his the Sega Genesis in 1993 courtesy of Electronic Arts. The publisher didn’t know it at the time, but it had a huge hit on its hands, spawning a spin-off Mutant League Hockey game as well as a toy line, an animated cartoon series and trading cards. Mutant Football League for PS4 and Xbox One will have that same attitude, not to mention the same blend of monsters, mayhem and American football. It pays homage to the classic franchise by combining a great playing action football game with deep strategy, customizable creatures, bone-crunching hits, over the top gore, and a graveyard full of tongue-through-cheek humor. The stars of the league are wisecracking, Monsters and Mutants with special skills, abilities and weapons. The game will feature Battle Robots, Undead Skeletons, Demons, Orcs, Mutant Super-Humans and Aliens. Those characters will be spread across 30-plus teams that tackle a full 13-game season in which deaths can carry over from game to game. Yes, deaths. As in, horrible, gruesome and over-the-top-hilarious on-field lethal maimings. But it’s all in cartoony violence, so no worries there. Players are allowed to bring weapons on the gridiron like: clubs, chain saws, shotguns, battle axes and hand grenades. Mutant Football League does not yet have a PS4 or Xbox One release date. However, the fact that a preview build will be publicly playable at GDC is an encouraging sign that the Mutant Football League release date isn’t too far off.
DuPont shareholders can afford to give the billionaire activist Nelson Peltz a chance. The proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services is backing Mr. Peltz and another of his nominees for the board of the company, which has a $68 billion market value. The case isn’t strong, but Mr. Peltz has a good track record and a big stake in the company. If investors put just him on the board, he would be able to serve for only a year; after that, it would be up to DuPont to give Mr. Peltz, now 72, a waiver for his age so he can stand for re-election. I.S.S. stopped short of recommending all four nominees advanced by Mr. Peltz’s Trian Fund Management. It also demurred on the question of whether DuPont should follow Mr. Peltz’s advice and break itself up, arguing that no one “outside the DuPont boardroom” knew whether it was a good idea. Instead, I.S.S. said the fact that DuPont’s stock price had raced ahead of underlying earnings growth was evidence that the investor was “onto something” when he criticized the company’s performance under its chief executive, Ellen Kullman. That’s a tepid argument for overturning a well-qualified board.
Chattanooga MC Isaiah Rashad wears his anxieties. They bleed through the rap revelry in verse, as if they could consume him at any moment. Is he about to stunt, or is he about to self-destruct? It makes his songs more like inkblots in a Rorschach test: What you see in them may depend on where you currently are on the spectrum—longing, laboring, or lost. Rashad appeared fully-formed on his debut Cilvia Demo as a young rap star in the making constantly humanizing himself before eyewitnesses with bars like “I done grown up for my child’s sake.” It was clear early on that he wasn’t afraid to publicly grapple with his demons. “Now, I’m praying that I make it to 25/They be calling doctors for my health/And ‘no’ is kinda hard to say to drugs/’Cause I been having problems with myself,” Rashad rapped on “Heavenly Father.” He turned 25 this year, but it was a rocky road getting here. In the two quiet years since Isaiah Rashad released Cilvia, his inactivity fed his addiction, and vice versa. During a stint on Schoolboy Q’s Oxymoron tour in 2014, he got hooked on a potent brew of Xanax and alcohol, a concoction used to numb himself during an ongoing battle with depression. Drug dependency threatened to derail a promising career and almost getting him dropped from Top Dawg Entertainment on a handful of occasions. “I can’t admit, I’ve been depressed/I hit a wall, ouch,” he raps on “Dressed Like Rappers” from his long-awaited follow-up, The Sun’s Tirade. It’s an album that examines the strain of family ties, smalltown spokesmanship, and self-awareness. The Sun’s Tirade is brutally honest and open, a record saddled by substance abuse and melancholia. These are soul-baring cuts lined with pent-up emotions from the tour, which “BDay” hints at in a single lyric: “How do you tell the truth to a crowd of white people?” Fittingly, though, Rashad really finds his voice on The Sun’s Tirade, an album filled with the tensions caused by a cycle of self-loathing and self-discovery. The tension is usually built up in his cadences with his uncanny sense for when to give and when to pull back. His voice can deflate in an instant or shrink to a mumble or mushroom into singsong. Raps tumble, sputter, and croak, stretching his timbre’s range and depth. On “Tity and Dolla,” he tries on a slippery inflection that’s whiny and exaggerated, which later morphs into something snappier at the octave change. His voice nearly cracks on “Park” as he staggers through verse rapping quick hitters like “I’m tryna be Nicki Minaj/Rich as a bitch in the drop” and “Bitch have you tutored the pastor/I know the root and the master/I know the coupe was a casket.” “Rope // rosegold” showcases flows on opposite ends of the spectrum, the first an impassioned croon, the second something more intoned, canceling out the animated performance. On every line, he works toward lucidity. The Sun’s Tirade remains heavy with sound and subject. Rashad often reveals his deepest misgivings and uncertainties and scales his woes with liquid courage, intoxicated and numb. But instead of a disorienting album that tries to replicate those druggy highs and lows, the songs are clear-eyed, sobering, and even more detail-oriented than Cilvia Demo with monster guest verses from TDE associates Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock and complementary ones from other contributors (SZA and Kari Faux, among others). There is even more precision and purpose in the raps here and an even stronger sense of identity. Take a standout like “Free Lunch,” which shows off his impeccable rhythm and timing, wading through a groovy tune tied together by a personal anecdote: The only numbers Rashad remembered as a kid were the last digits of his social security number, which was his access code for the free lunch program. Rashad connects the past and present together in an effort to understand his future. The sonic template of The Sun’s Tirade is laid bare on “Brenda”: “Mix that Boosie with that boom bap.” There’s a similar palette to Cilvia Demo—as indebted to J Dilla production kits and Common’s Electric Circus as it is to Lil Wayne and Scarface—but this is far more adventurous on the back half. There’s a robotic Mike WiLL Made-It beat (“A Lot”), “Stuck in the Mud” splits itself in two with varying moods and textures, and the double-time “Don’t Matter” is the most uptempo thing he’s ever rapped on. These added dimensions bring variety to an otherwise uniform soundscape. Rashad has a way of making styles his own, shaving influences down until they bear his signature while paying homage along the way. “Silkk Da Shocka,” which carries on Rashad’s legacy of songs named after Southern rappers (there’s also the smooth 2 Chainz salute on “Tity and Dolla”), is a spiritual successor to “West Savannah” in aim and sound, moving in tandem with the Internet’s Syd over a slow-rolling, bluesy riff. The songs create a similar aesthetic blend to Cilvia Demo, processing regional rap staples through a soul filter. But The Sun’s Tirade isn’t just Cilvia Demo: Redux. It’s a complex portrait of a man in transition. The album is an evolution for an artist who still may have his best in store. Development and maturation are themes unfolding in both Isaiah Rashad’s lyrics and personal life, and that overlap produced one of the great rehab records in recent memory, a collection of songs that both diagnose and medicate. “Can I sleep for a while? Can I work on myself?” Rashad asks on “Stuck in the Mud.” Wallowing in isolation and self-pity nearly drove one of rap’s most promising talents to implode. The Sun’s Tirade is a moving triumph to facing your demons and coming out on the other side one step closer to whole.
May 8, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl during the press conference announcing him NBA coach of the year at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports Chicago Bears first to sign all 2014 NFL Draft picks, ink Will Sutton to 4-year deal Chicago Bears first to sign all 2014 NFL Draft picks, ink Will Sutton to 4-year deal by Patrick Schmidt The Cleveland Cavaliers are searching for a new head coach after dismissing Mike Brown, but they may not have to look very hard if they feel like extending the offer to George Karl. The veteran NBA coach, best known for his run with the Seattle Supersonics and Denver Nuggets has been out of basketball for a season but is determined to get back into coaching. There are a few available jobs, but according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, Karl is really hoping to land the Cavaliers job. One thing keep hearing out of Chicago: George Karl really wants #Cavs coaching job. #NBACombine — Sam Amico (@SamAmicoFSO) May 15, 2014 Karl, the seventh coach in NBA history to win 1,000+ games spent the past eight years with the Denver Nuggets, winning Coach of the Year honors in 2013 though shockingly was let go just weeks later as some reports suggested their was turmoil between players and Karl. As for the Cavaliers, they bring with them significant cap space, a young budding star in Kyrie Irving, a lottery pick and youth like Anthony Bennett and Dion Waiters so few situations are better for perspective coaches looking for work. Cleveland has been rumored to have interest in Karl, though are said to be looking at a handful of other potential head coaching candidates as well.
(Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co and partner Boehringer Ingelheim said U.S. regulators have declined to approve their experimental diabetes drug empagliflozin, citing previously observed problems at a facility where it would be made. The drugmakers, in a joint release on Wednesday, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined that issues at the Boehringer factory in Ingelheim, Germany, need to be resolved before the product could be approved. Lilly and privately held Boehringer said the FDA had not asked for new clinical trials of the diabetes drug. The drug is a member of a new class of diabetes medicines known as SGLT2 inhibitors, which block the kidney from reabsorbing blood sugar, thereby spurring removal of glucose through the urine. Recently approved similar medicines include Johnson & Johnson’s Invokana. The FDA issued a warning letter in May 2013 citing problems it found at the Boehringer plant during an inspection six month earlier. Among other issues, the FDA said it detected foreign particles in batches of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Boehringer said it is continuing a costly program to upgrade systems and processes at the plant while an FDA reinspection is underway. The improvements include a strengthened management structure, hiring of 200 specialists in manufacturing and quality organizations, and an employee training program. Alex Arfaei, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets, said he expects the FDA to approve empagliflozin this year, and for it to generate eventual annual collaboration revenue of $1.6 billion for Lilly. Lilly shares were down 0.7 percent to $59.41 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange amid a moderate downturn for the drug sector.
Sheppard was also the public-address announcer for the football Giants from 1956 through 2005, first at Yankee Stadium and then at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. He signed a new two-year contract with the Yankees in March 2008 but was not at the stadium that season, when he was recovering from illness that brought a severe weight loss. His longtime backup, Jim Hall, replaced him. Sheppard did not feel strong enough to attend the ceremony marking the final game at the old Yankee Stadium on Sept. 21, 2008, but he announced the Yankees’ starting lineup that night in a tape recording. His recorded voice still introduces Derek Jeter at the plate, a touch the Yankees’ captain requested to honor Sheppard. “He’s as much a part of this organization as any player,” Jeter said Sunday. “Even though the players change year in and year out, he was the one constant at Yankee Stadium. He was part of the experience.” Sheppard was the chairman of the speech department at John Adams High School in Queens and an adjunct professor of speech at St. John’s University while becoming a New York institution as a public-address announcer. “I don’t change my pattern,” he once said. “I speak at Yankee Stadium the same way I do in a classroom, a saloon or reading the Gospel at Mass at St. Christopher’s.” On May 7, 2000, Bob Sheppard Day at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees outfielder Paul O’Neill reflected on Sheppard’s aura. “It’s the organ at church,” O’Neill told The Record of Hackensack, N.J. “Certain sounds and certain voices just belong in places. Obviously, his voice and Yankee Stadium have become one.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Robert Leo Sheppard, who was born on Oct. 20, 1910, gained a passion for his calling while growing up in Queens. “My father, Charles, and my mother, Eileen, each enjoyed poetry and music and public speaking,” Sheppard told Maury Allen in “Baseball: The Lives Behind the Seams.” “They were very precise in how they spoke,” he said. “They measured words, pronounced everything carefully and instilled a love of language in me by how they respected proper pronunciation.” Sheppard played first base at St. John’s Prep and at St. John’s University, where he was also a quarterback. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. While he was in high school, two Vincentian priests put him on the path toward a career in speech education. “The combination there of one, the fiery orator, and the other, the semantic craftsman, probably presented a blending I wanted to imitate,” he once recalled. Sheppard earned a bachelor’s degree in English and speech at St. John’s and a master’s degree in speech from Columbia before serving as a Navy officer during World War II. He became a speech teacher at John Adams upon his return and served as the public-address announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference. He was hired by the baseball Yankees in 1951, and soon fans were hearing Sheppard’s pronunciation of “Joe Di-Mah-ggio.” “I take great pride in how the names are pronounced,” Sheppard said. He seldom entered the clubhouses, but made certain to check directly with a visiting player if he had any doubt on the correct way to pronounce his name. “Mick-ey Man-tle” was a favorite of his, but as Sheppard once told The Associated Press: “Anglo-Saxon names are not very euphonious. What can I do with Steve Sax? What can I do with Mickey Klutts?” Advertisement Continue reading the main story He enjoyed announcing the name of the Japanese pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa and the names of Latin players, particularly pitcher Salome Barojas and infielder Jose Valdivielso. Sheppard feared he would trip over his pronunciation of Wayne Terwilliger, an infielder who played at Yankee Stadium with the Washington Senators and Kansas City Athletics in the 1950s. “I worried that I would say ‘Ter-wigg-ler’ but I never did,” he recalled. But there was at least one flub. When the football Giants played their first game at the Meadowlands, against the Dallas Cowboys in October 1976, Sheppard told the crowd: “Welcome to Yankee Stadium.” On Bob Sheppard Day — during his 50th year with the Yankees — he was honored at a home-plate ceremony in which Walter Cronkite read the inscription on the plaque being unveiled for Monument Park behind the left-field fence. It stated in part that Sheppard “has announced the names of hundreds of players — both unfamiliar and legendary — with equal divine reverence.” George Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the Yankees, said in a statement: “For over a half-century, fans were thrilled to hear his unforgettable voice and players were thrilled to hear his majestic enunciation of their names. Bob Sheppard was a great member of the Yankees family and his death leaves a lasting silence.” He leaves behind his second wife, Mary; two sons, Paul and Chris; and two daughters, Barbara and Mary. His first wife, Margaret, the mother of all four children, died in 1959. He also leaves four grandchildren. Sheppard had his imitators, most notably the ESPN broadcaster Jon Miller. “One day when my wife and I were down in St. Thomas, we went into a restaurant,” Sheppard told The Village Voice in 2002. “I told the waitress, ‘I’ll have the No. 1. Scrambled eggs, buttered toast and black coffee. No. 1.’ My wife looked at me and said. ‘You sound like Jon Miller’s imitation.’ I wasn’t conscious of the fact that I was ordering the same way I’d introduce Billy Martin.”
International friendly: Netherlands v Wales Venue: Amsterdam Arena Date: Wednesday, 4 June Kick-off: 19:30 BST Coverage: Live on Match of the Day Wales - BBC Two Wales, S4C, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru Wales will be without star player Gareth Bale for the 4 June friendly against Netherlands in Amsterdam. The Football Association of Wales confirmed that the Real Madrid forward, 24, has been "troubled with a leg muscle injury for a few weeks". Bale's goal-scoring performance helped Real Madrid win the Champions League last week against Atletico Madrid. Fulham's highly rated 18-year-old striker George Williams has been added to Chris Coleman's squad. Arsenal's FA Cup winner Aaron Ramsey has been rested, so Wales will face the Dutch without their two leading players. However, Wales were boosted earlier in the week by the addition of defender Chris Gunter. The Reading player had not been included in Coleman's original squad because of injury. But the 24-year-old has recovered sooner than expected and declared himself fit to join up with the squad. It will be a really tough game for us but one that will be a good experience and it's our last friendly before our qualifiers start. It's a big game Chris Gunter Wales and Reading defender "I am delighted that Chris is joining up. He has a wealth of experience for a young player, he has a fantastic attitude," Coleman said. Full-back Gunter had revealed on BBC Radio Wales Sport he was available for the friendly at the Amsterdam Arena despite not being included in the 23-man squad announced on Thursday. "I was carrying a bit of a problem for the last few weeks of the season with Reading and was just trying to manage it," Gunter said. "But I've been looking after it over the last few weeks and spoke with the manager so I'm pretty sure I will be in the squad as long as there's no reaction. "There's no way I will be missing that game." Wales' friendly against Louis van Gaal's World Cup-bound side will be their final friendly ahead of the opening Euro 2016 qualifier against Andorra in September. Gunter played in Wales' last game against the Dutch, a 2-0 defeat in Rotterdam prior to the 2008 European Championships. "We played them a few years ago and it was a really good experience," the former Cardiff City, Spurs and Nottingham Forest defender said. "They'll all be gearing up to go off to the World Cup so they'll be making sure they will be playing as well as they can to be in the starting 11 for the opening game. "It will be a really tough game for us but one that will be a good experience and it's our last friendly before our qualifiers start. It's a big game." Hull City defender James Chester, Manchester United youngster Tom Lawrence, Newcastle United defender Paul Dummett and goalkeeper Connor Roberts are also included. Wales squad Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Connor Roberts (unattached), Owain Fon Williams (Tranmere Rovers) Defenders: Chris Gunter (Reading), James Chester (Hull City), Paul Dummett (Newcastle United), Danny Gabbidon (Crystal Palace), Declan John (Cardiff City), Lewin Nyatanga (Barnsley), Ashley Richards (Swansea City), Neil Taylor (Swansea City) Midfielders: Joe Allen (Liverpool), Jack Collison (West Ham United), Emyr Huws (Manchester City), Owain Tudur Jones (Hibernian), Andy King (Leicester City), Tom Lawrence (Manchester United), Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace), David Vaughan (Sunderland), Jonathan Williams (Crystal Palace) Forwards: Simon Church (Charlton Athletic), Jermaine Easter (Millwall), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading), George Williams (Fulham).
Economy & Budget With all due respect to Grover Norquist, my former boss, Saxby Chambliss (I was a speechwriter in his office for one short year) is right. Republicans should consider raising taxes. But they have to do it intelligently. Simply raising taxes in return for solemn promises by Democrats to cut spending, the way George H. W. Bush did, is a recipe for disaster. The elder Bush had as much success as someone who gives an alcoholic a six pack in return for a promise to cut down on drinking. The Democrats took the tax hikes and then continued spending wildly. It doesn’t take a political genius to recognize that promising tax cuts, or even a tax freeze, no longer holds the same allure for voters that it once did. As much as the mainstream media pilloried Mitt Romney’s comment that 47 percent of Americans receive more from the government than they pay in, he was right. The bottom fifty percent of American earners pay only 2.5 percent of U.S. income taxes. That means that many of them don’t care whether taxes go up, or even whether taxes are cut. They have no stake in the game, which is why many are unconcerned about whether the government borrows itself into financial oblivion. This is short-sighted. When countries become insolvent, they are hit by the great reality tax — rampant inflation — which destroys savings and lowers the standard of living for all. In that scenario the poor suffer most. Unfortunately, the Republicans get little traction in the debate over taxation. Their hard-line stance puts them in the position where many Americans believe they refuse to force the wealthy to “pay their fair share.” Actually, the top five percent of earners pay nearly 60 percent of all income taxes and history has also shown us that tax cuts have resulted in greater economic activity which both creates jobs and generates higher tax revenue. However, just because the Republican argument is true does not mean it is good politics, and this was borne out in the recent election. So it is time for Republicans to consider raising taxes, but this should only be done if they use the “targeted” approach so favored by Democrats. Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit suggests two items. First he recommends a tax on windfall earnings collected by former elected officials who waltz onto corporate boards and into lobbying firms after leaving office. Since they get these plush jobs solely because of their previous tenure as elected officials, it makes sense for them to share some of those windfall earnings with the people who elected them in the first place. Reynolds also suggests reinstating the World War II entertainment tax. The entertainment industry is filled with wealthy producers, directors, actors, and musicians who fly private jets, own fleets of cars and gigantic homes, yet lecture the rest of us about our greed, over-consumption and lack of compassion. A five percent tax on pro sports, movie tickets, DVDs, video games, and music sales won’t significantly depress the earnings of professional athletes, rock musicians, or big-name movie stars, so they surely will support this kind of a tax hike. Besides, if the Democrats want to let the Bush-era tax cuts lapse, why not repeal yet another tax cut signed into law by a Republican president (Eisenhower)? I would add another proposal: the windfall legal settlement tax, which would not be levied on the awards made to plaintiffs, but on the lawyers who put together the class action suits. Peter Angelos of Maryland won a reported $100 million from asbestos litigation and stood ready to extract an additional $1 billion from Maryland for his work on the Tobacco settlement but settled for “only” $150 million. Mr. Angelos is only one of many wealthy trial lawyers whose exertions provide minimal benefits to the actual litigants but provide the attorneys themselves with huge fees. To cite a recent example, Honda faced a class action lawsuit because its hybrid cars did not achieve the mileage estimates provided by the EPA. A settlement was hammered out to award each owner of a 2003-2008 Civic hybrid a paltry $100 plus a $1,000 rebate coupon good on a new Honda. In the meantime, the agreement awarded the trial lawyers $8.5 million. Is that fair? We Republicans might also want to reconsider our blind opposition to estate taxes. Presently there are many huge trusts, including the Ford Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, the MacArthur Foundation, and multi-billion dollar college endowments. Many of these organizations do good work, but most now bankroll left-wing groups and causes while they pay their executives huge salaries. Ordinarily, the Democrats would loudly oppose allowing the wealthy to continue influencing U.S. policy even after they are in the grave, but they fall silent because so many of these foundations may have started as conservative organizations but now firmly veer to the Left. Thus, it might behoove Republicans to see whether these foundations, which frequently support bigger and more expensive government, might want to support larger government by paying their fair share of taxes as well. In addition, if Warren Buffet is so adamant about paying higher taxes, Republicans should stop being such spoilsports and give him what he wants. But when they do, they should structure the law so it primarily hits those in Buffet’s stratospheric income bracket. The bill should also limit Buffet’s ability to shelter his income using tax reduction strategies he decries but effectively employs. This particular tax bill should also have a fairly short sunset provision, of, say, five years, so this kind of legislation won’t remain on the books forever. Many conservatives argue that Republicans must maintain their pledges against tax increases because lower taxes will keep government smaller by “starving the beast.” The reply should be that this strategy has, so far, been a notable failure not only on the national level, but state level as well. Look at California. How good a job has Proposition 13 done in keeping that state solvent? Yes, it could well be that without Prop 13, California would be in even worse shape, but it is just as likely that starving the beast is a strategy that does not work, or at least, does not work very well. It is high time for Republicans to take a new tack on tax policy. This does not mean that tax hikes will solve the problem of gross over-spending by the government. They won’t. Spending is a battle that must also be fought. The problem is that the blanket refusal to consider any tax hikes is interfering with the debate and political contest over spending and taxation. This is why Republicans could benefit from using a little creativity in looking for revenue enhancements (a tax hike euphemism). The Democrats would find themselves in the awkward position of protecting core donors by defending outrageous trial lawyer fees, extravagant entertainment personalities, and congressmen-turned-lobbyists. Republicans, in turn, would be freed from taking the position of opposing any and all tax increases, even when those hikes might actually make some sense. The American people will notice, and this might spur them to participate more fully in the vitally important national discussion about spending and taxation. That would be a good thing, not just for Republicans, but the nation as a whole.
ONLY FOUR major Hogmanay parties are being held at the Bells this year in Scotland. Edinburgh, Inverness, Stonehaven and Stirling are the only locations laying on large-scale parties for revellers over the midnight hour. Jim Kerr will be performing with Simple Minds in Edinburgh It is a far cry from a decade ago, when most towns and cities staged outdoor celebrations. Experts said rising health and safety costs, shrinking council budgets and the “hassle factor” involved in staging big outdoor events had triggered the decline. Glasgow, Aberdeen, Oban, Dundee, Fort William and Loch Ness are among the locations that have shunned high-profile celebrations this year. Despite this, tourism agency VisitScotland says Hogmanay in Scotland still offers “something special.” Its website is promoting Hogmanay events such as a Bee Gees tribute act in Nairn, a performance of the play The Steamie in Hamilton and a comedy night in Edinburgh. The official guide to Scotland’s Winter Festivals, run by the Scottish Government, includes family events in Glasgow and East Lothian that will be over well before the Bells. The Proclaimers will headline Stirling’s Hogmanay party at the castle, while Big Country and the Treacherous Orchestra are lined up for Inverness’s outdoor bash at the Northern Meeting Park. An open-air party is being held in Stonehaven, to complement its famous fireball-throwing festivities, with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Blazin’ Fiddles lined up to appear. Edinburgh’s street party, which had a capacity of 180,000 for the millennium, could be down to as few as 75,000 this year. Tramworks have led to the scrapping of live music stages in Princes Street, although Simple Minds, The View and Admiral Fallow will be among the headliners at the celebrations. Peter Irvine, artistic director of Edinburgh’s festivities, and author of travel guide Scotland the Best, said: “I think the big issue is that other parts of the country simply struggle to compete with what is on in Edinburgh. “The events elsewhere are mainly for a local audience, and you cannot justify spending huge amounts of money on them because they do not bring the same kind of economic return the programme in Edinburgh does, with last year being in the region of £30 million. “The crucial thing is that we have an event where two-thirds of the audience are international, and that is a much higher proportion than any of the other festivals in Edinburgh.” Stephen Leckie, chair of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, and chief executive of Crieff Hydro in Perthshire, said: “The big issue really is the huge hassle factor for many areas trying to organise a large-scale Hogmanay party. “You really need a huge number of volunteers to help organise something like that and it’s just too difficult to persuade people to get involved.” East Lothian Council said its new celebration in Musselburgh, including family events throughout the day and a fireworks display, will be over by 8pm. Aberdeen City Council confirmed only a fireworks display would be held in the city centre at midnight. A spokeswoman for Glasgow Life, the city’s arts and culture trust, sajd a decision has been taken last year to revamp its Hogmanay celebrations in light of customer feedback and to deliver value for money for the public. She added: “The 2011 daytime Hogmanay celebrations was a great success attracting more than 10,000 people to George Square. This compared with just 4,500 people who attended the last ‘midnight celebration’ in George Square in 2010. “Glasgow enjoys an international reputation for the quality and range of restaurants, bars and clubs in the city so it is important to utilise these and give Glasgwegians and visitors to the city one of the best nights out in Europe.” Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, said: “Hogmanay in Scotland is something special. As part of this, EventScotland, the events directorate of VisitScotland, is supporting events through the winter festivals programme. “From massive street celebrations in Edinburgh to the traditional events in Stonehaven - there really is something for everyone. “Whether people come here from across the globe or are enjoying the events in their local town, these celebrations offer a tremendous boost for Scotland’s tourism industry.” A spokeswoman for the government’s winter festivals campaign, said: “The overarching aim of the programme is to develop a vibrant and distinctive co-ordinated events programme to maximise the opportunity presented by the unique combination of our three national days - St Andrew’s Day, Hogmanay and Burns Night. “The programme brings together people from all over the world to celebrate Scotland’s modern culture and traditions through the best of Scottish music, arts, food and drink, and entertainment.”
Photo The three men in this photo have been identified as suspects in the Brussels airport bombings, and authorities are asking for help to identify the man on the right in the light-colored jacket. The two men on the left wearing dark-colored tops “are believed to have been suicide bombers,” said Eric Van der Sijpt, a spokesman for the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office. The Brussels police posted a second photo on Facebook and Twitter of one of the suspects and have also issued a wanted notice for him. Photo “The police is seeking to identify this man,” the authorities said in a statement. Taken together, the comments from the police and the prosecutor’s office suggest that two of the men are dead and the wanted suspect might be at large, but authorities have not confirmed that outright. “For the time being, I can only confirm that this is a picture of three suspects,” said Mr. Van der Sijp. Given that the two suspects on the left have been identified as suicide bombers, some have looked to photo for additional clues. Both men appear to be wearing a gloves on their left hands. Some on social media are speculating that it could have been an effort to disguise detonators. Two bombs were detonated at the airport and a third was found unexploded after the attacks. It remains unknown if the third suspected was carrying that device.
Michael Moze was 18 when he learned that he was becoming a father. Five months into the pregnancy, the Edmonton teen decided to quit school, find a job and moved in with his girlfriend. "I got excited about becoming a dad," Moze says, and he was determined to provide for the family. "I didn't have custody for the first two years, but I bottle-fed him from the hospital." Shortly after Moze found out he would become a father, he turned to a centre run by a non-profit organization that helps pregnant teens and teen parents. Moze has been using services at the Terra Centre in Edmonton every week for six years. (Rob Hislop Photography) "Even when teen fathers are trying to be there and are there for their kids, there are so many barriers," says Moze. "When you have someone with experience to guide you, it is so much easier." But the support he found as a young dad-to-be, and now father, is far from widespread in Canada. Organizations offering support for young mothers are present in most large Canadian cities, but there is a gap for young fathers. "Young dads need our support to be the dads their kids need them to be," says Brian Russell, provincial co-ordinator at Dad Central Ontario, a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting fathers' involvement in parenting. "In general, fatherhood involvement in Canada is improving, but it is status quo with young dads." Weekly visits Data from Statistics Canada shows that in 2013, 4,070 Canadian teens ages 15 to 19 became fathers. While 80 per cent of teen fathers don't live with their child, close to half visit their children on a weekly basis, says the Canadian Pediatric Society. And when teen dads become involved with their children, it can have a positive effect. The U.S. is maybe 15 years ahead of us when it comes to supporting fatherhood. - Brian Russell Impacts can range from a 50 per cent reduction in behaviour problems at school to better math and reading scores and a reduction in anxiety and depression rates for mothers, says the Office of Adolescent Health in the U.S. In Canada, support services for teen fathers are only starting to emerge. "The U.S. is maybe 15 years ahead of us when it comes to supporting fatherhood," says Russell. 'How do we do this?' During the Obama years, $150 million was allocated annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to projects supporting marriage and fatherhood, many aimed specifically at young fathers. Initiatives include the Responsible Young Fathers Project in California and Promoting Responsible Fatherhood Projects in various schools and community organizations across the country. In Canada, Ontario, for example, spends $55,000 a year from its public health budget on fatherhood-related projects, which covers expenses for 20 to 25 community training events and workshops. Moze says 'when you have someone with experience to guide you, it is so much easier' for teen fathers. (Rob Hislop Photography) But there is an increasing demand and interest for supporting young fathers. "When Dad Central started in the early 2000s, we had to do a lot of convincing that supporting young fathers was an issue," Russell says. "Now the question from our public health and community partners is: How do we do this? How do we support young fathers?" Ujima House for new fathers in Toronto is an example of what is possible. It was created in 2011 by Noah Boakye-Yiadom, an African-American researcher specializing in fatherhood, thanks to a United Way Youth Challenge Fund grant. Ujima serves African-American fathers ages 15 and above. Services include parenting workshops, discussion groups and one-on-one mentoring for employment and housing. Becoming more independent Every year, Ujima House supports more than 50 young and potential fathers. "A lot of the young men we see are focused on pop culture," says Zakiya Tafari, interim director at Ujima House. "There is a lot of messaging around independence and doing things yourself, but not necessarily on longer-term life issues." By focusing on masculinity, cultural identity and empowerment, Ujima House encourages fathers no matter how difficult or troubled their past has been to become more independent and more motivated to provide for their children. Ujima House in Toronto offers African-American fathers 15 years of age and older services such as parenting workshops, discussion groups and one-on-one mentoring for employment and housing. (Ujima House) Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children has served vulnerable adolescent mothers and their children for more than 20 years. "If we look at our patient population, there really is a valuable role for fathers," says Gillian Thompson, a nurse practitioner with the hospital's Young Families Program. She says young mothers often see the father of their baby as an important source of support. "There is evidence that fathers' involvement has the potential to contribute to the prevention of maternal depression, to increase breastfeeding rates, improve family functioning and promote healthy child development." Young fathers, she says, can face multiple obstacles: school attendance, work, lack of support, mental health concerns, discomfort with attending health care appointments, the fear of being judged and sometimes incarceration and limitations imposed by child protection services. 'Needs are just as great' "Many of our patients have had trauma or violence as part of their life, and as a team we need to consider how we can balance and facilitate the best possible care for each individual and family," says Thompson. "Everything we are doing for the moms, we should be doing for the dads when possible. The needs are just as great, and their potential to do well is also just as great." In Edmonton, the Terra Centre has run a program for teen dads since 2000. Last year, it served 103 young fathers, nearly half of them under the age of 20. We knew right from the start that we needed men working with men. - Karen Mottershead "We were seeing lots of dads coming and dropping kids off at our early learning centre for young moms and thought: 'OK, there is another piece here,' " says executive director Karen Mottershead. At first, the centre offered similar services and approaches that had worked for many years with teen mothers, but it became obvious that dads had very different needs. "Over the years, we really learned what works for them. We knew right from the start that we needed men working with men," says Mottershead. Basic necessities Terra staff soon discovered that basic necessities were a concrete way for dads to get involved. "Dads want to be able to provide for their children,'' says Mottershead. "Bus tickets, diapers, infant clothing … that is a way for dads to walk into our agency, check it out and see if they can trust us." By working under the premise that all dads who seek services are there to help, the Young Fathers program focuses on promoting a healthy life-long relationship between father and child. Moze, now 24 years old, lives with his fiancée, his five-year-old son Treyson and his daughter Selena, who was born in February. He enjoys hip hop music, volunteers and works full-time to support his family. He has been using services at the Terra Centre every week for six years. Mottershead says the centre sees "something positive in every one of the young fathers" who come to it. "We know that young dads very much feel judged by the community. Our work is to help them engage in parenthood and show them that they can really make a difference in their children's lives."
Before the calendar turned from 2015 to 2016, the San Jose Sharks were 18-16-2 and an afterthought in the Stanley Cup playoff picture. Fast-forward to the end of January and the Sharks are on a 10-game point streak (8-0-2) and in position to potentially host a playoff series. While the Sharks are traditionally known for scoring, defense from players such as Martin Jones and Joe Thornton fueled their success in January. January turnaround After backing up Jonathan Quick on the Los Angeles Kings for two years, Jones has been the primary goaltender for the Sharks this season. Jones has played 40 games, six more than he did in his first two seasons combined. Martin Jones By Month Oct.-Dec. Jan. Record 16-11-2 7-2-1 Save pct. .912 .923 GAA 2.33 2.10 Jones had a .912 save percentage through the end of December. That ranked 20th among goalies with at least 1,000 minutes of ice time. While he has struggled on the power play, Jones had a .946 save percentage at even strength in January. He allowed 11 even-strength goals in 10 games, according to war-on-ice.com. Team defense According to war-on-ice, the Sharks allowed 78 even-strength, high-danger scoring chances in January. That was a rate of 8.0 per 60 minutes, second lowest in the league behind the Anaheim Ducks at 7.9. In total, the Sharks allowed 20.7 even-strength scoring chances per 60 minutes in January, tied for fewest in the league. Jones’ strong performance in net was amplified by the ability of the Sharks to limit opponent scoring chances, led by center Joe Thornton. Thornton has a 16.9 percent Corsi for relative percentage this season, which is calculated by subtracting the percent of total shots the Sharks get with Thornton on the ice minus their percent of total shots when Thornton is off the ice, all at even strength. Thornton ranks third in the NHL in this metric this season. Thornton’s takeaways have been a difference-maker for the Sharks. Thornton has 40 takeaways this season, eighth in the NHL. In the past nine seasons, Thornton’s 613 takeaways are second to Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk (730).
We love Adam Sandler’s ‘SNL’ characters and his movies ‘Billy Madison,’ ‘The Wedding Singer,’ and ‘Big Daddy,’ but did you know that the Sandman has also bizarrely predicted some of the most devastating events in recent history? Here are just a handful of the tragedies foreseen by the world-famous comedian. 1. Waco Siege Advertisement In the wake of the 1993 tragedy, which involved Branch Davidian leader David Koresh and 75 other people perishing during an FBI raid on the cult’s compound, few knew that a young Adam Sandler had predicted the incident in his stand-up act. Tapes now reveal Sandler would often spend several minutes on stage repeatedly uttering the phrase, “Something’s coming to Waco. Something dark.” 2. The Death Of Princess Diana Advertisement The infamous 1997 car crash that claimed the life of Diana, Princess of Wales shocked the world, but hardcore Sandler fans immediately made the connection to one seemingly out-of-place scene from 1996’s Happy Gilmore, in which Sandler looks directly into the camera and says, “Our Queen’s eldest, the beautiful flower, will wilt under a Parisian bridge.” 3. BP Oil Spill Advertisement In 2010, a massive oil rig explosion resulted in the discharge of nearly 5 million barrels of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico, as was strangely foretold on a 2005 episode of Late Night With Conan O’Brien, when guest Adam Sandler’s T-shirt simply read, “BP OIL SPILL IN FIVE YEARS.” 4. 2010 Haitian Earthquake Advertisement The U.N. estimates that 222,570 people were killed and 300,572 injured during this tragedy, which are only slightly off from Sandler’s Funny People estimates of 220,000 deaths and 400,000 injuries. 5. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Advertisement Most recently, the case of the missing Malaysian passenger flight on March 8, 2014 almost too perfectly echoed the lines from a 1993 Saturday Night Live “Opera Man” sketch: “A missing plane-ah / It’s from Malaysia / Make me insane-ah / This will all make sense in due time.” Clearly, Adam has a knack for divining when bad things will happen! We can’t wait to see which of his predictions will occur next. Until then, we’re left with his chilling words from ‘You Don’t Mess With The Zohan’: “Water shall overtake the eastern seaboard. Man, woman, child, and animal. All will drown.”
ctvbc.ca A Vancouver man could face up to ten years in jail if convicted, following allegations he performed sexual acts with his dog. The BC SPCA launched an investigation into 38-year-old Brian Cutteridge after a veterinarian alerted the society about an infection the man's dog had. The SPCA then seized three of Cutteridge's dogs as well as home videos. This week, a Vancouver judge found there is enough evidence to send Cutteridge to trial on a charge of bestiality. Marcie Moriarty, the head of the BC SPCA's Cruelty Investigations Department, says although this is the first bestiality case for her organization, the crime is not uncommon. "Unfortunately, bestiality is more common than we'd like to think, but it's sometimes harder to find evidence and get a conviction," Moriarty said. The BC SPCA says Cutteridge wrote a paper arguing the prohibition of zoophilia – or sex between humans and animals – is unconstitutional. CTV News found a posting online by a Brian Anthony Cutteridge titled "For the Love of Dog: On the Legal Prohibition of Zoophilia in Canada and the United States." The author writes, "Laws which criminalize zoophilia based on societal abhorrence of such acts rather than any real harm caused by such acts are an unjust and unconstitutional infringement on individual liberty." Moriarty maintains that sex between people and animals is abuse under the criminal code. "He can argue it's his lifestyle choice and his right, but in Canada it is an illegal act. It actually does have implications to the animal," she said. "You can have detached retinas in the dogs, there can be an increase in urinary tract infections, and in the case of this particular act, it definitely causes distress to the animal." CTV News was unable to reach Brian Cutteridge, who is scheduled to appear before a judge next month to set a trial date. The allegations have not been proven in court and Cutteridge is presumed innocent. With a report from CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington
Former GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush made a surprise appearance during Jimmy Kimmel’s opening sketch at the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Bush was the limo driver for “Veep” character Selena Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). “Are you nominated?” Bush asks Kimmel, who was looking for a ride downtown to the awards ceremony. “Wow, what’s that like?” “It’s nice,” Kimmel replied. When asked if he could win, Kimmel replied, “probably not.” Bush — the former Governor of Florida — offered this advice to the late-night host: “Here’s what I know, If you run a positive campaign, the voters will ultimately make the right choice.” This was of course in reference to the campaign that Bush’s rival and eventual Republican nominee Donald Trump ran. Watch the bit below. Trump was brought up multiple times during the opening monologue. Kimmel called out Mark Burnett, who produced Trump’s reality show “Celebrity Apprentice,” as responsible if Trump wins the presidency in November. “Thanks to Mark Burnett we don’t have to watch reality shows anymore, we’re living in one,” Kimmel joked. “Who do you have lined up to fill in the spot on the Supreme Court — Miley Cyrus or CeeLo?” he asked, in reference to judges another Burnett show, “The Voice.” Burnett got his chance to respond, when “The Voice” won for Outstanding Reality Program, where he appointed Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys as Supreme Courjt Justices.
by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Aug 13, 2013 Landon Donovan Carlo Cudicini Wayne Rooney Clint Dempsey Stevie Nicol Taylor Twellman Zakaria Bakkali Timmy Chandler Raphael Honigstein There was a time when the idea of ESPN launching a daily soccer show would have had us jumping up and down.But there's so much soccer on the air these days -- and more to come with Saturday's debut of the EPL on NBC and Fox Soccer Daily airing for the first time on Monday on the new Fox Sports 1 -- that it will take a lot of work to get soccer fans excited about ESPN2's new ESPN FC show.And that's just the problem with a show like ESPN FC: there's so much soccer going on these days, how do you possibly begin covering it?A game like Sunday's MLS match in Dallas normally would have been a perfect lead-in for a show like ESPN FC, but it clearly hadn't planned on leading with the FC Dallas-LA Galaxy game, which proved to be a not so small problem. How do you not lead with a game that ended in a 3-3 tie with three goals from, loads of controversy to rehash in the form of two blown offside calls, topped off by harsh remarks from Donovan about Galaxy keeperand his backline?Instead of debuting at 10 p.m. ET, "studio problems" meant ESPN FC launched in mid-show more than 10 minutes after the Dallas game ended and jumped right into the weeds with a debate on whethershould leave Manchester United to Chelsea. Huh?A couple of hours later, ESPN FC re-aired from the beginning with weekend highlights from the Community Shield and the start of the Bundesliga. All good stuff but not up to what we'd just seen in Frisco.It was followed over the next 45 minutes by not one but two segments -- with separate sets of talking heads, no less -- on's move to MLS. Again, all fine and good. But nothing as good as the show Donovan and company just put on.On the second take, the ESPN FC got it right, ending with highlights and analysis from Dallas as well as the view from Bristol. The consensus? Donovan was absolutely right for calling out his keeper.The Monday afternoon show -- 5:30-6 p.m. ET -- was more straightforward: opening with a Dempsey interview -- one of the main talking heads happens to be his former Revs coach,, and his former Revs teammate,, is ESPN's MLS and national team analyst -- and closing with the goals of the week, including one by the 17-year-old PSV phenom, all 5-foot-5 of him, and two amazing goals from Denmark at No. 1 and No. 2.But it also included a very misguided segment on the absence offrom the U.S. national team squad for the Bosnia match. Twellman mentioned rumors of Chandler wanting to switch back to play for Germany, and, ESPN FC's so-called German expert, said, "The German FA have told me they no interest in calling him up." They really told you that? One small detail: Chandler has been cap-tied to the USA since the Honduras qualifier in February.On the whole, though, the segments were good, and the dizzying array of talking heads and accents palatable. The problem, of course, will be to keep the show from becoming just that: dizzying.For shows like NFL Primetime and Baseball Tonight or the other mid-afternoon shows, there's a natural order to things dictated by who's winning and who's losing, who's throwing for five touchdowns and who's throwing a no-hitter. Who blew out his knee or who's on dope? All within the confines of one league.The challenge of a show like ESPN FC or Fox Soccer Daily is whether to make it a U.S. soccer show or an international soccer show. And if you make it an international show, what kind of international soccer do you emphasize? Do you end up burying MLS? And do you go overboard with the EPL?The good news is current events should make these kind of decisions for ESPN FC's producers easy ones: it's simply a soccer show on which the biggest news stories just happen to concern American soccer. And if that's a new world order, all the power to us.The national team -- whose media rights ESPN happens to hold -- is doing very, very well so even a friendly in faraway Sarajevo is a big deal. And Dempsey's return home is something fans can relate to -- he's doing it for himself and his family and no one else -- so he'll remain very much in the news.Except on nights when Donovan goes wild.
(CNN) -- A controversial Twitter user has been challenging South African authorities by alerting thousands of followers to speed traps set by traffic police. Now the Johannesburg police are pushing back, saying they have charged the @PigSpotter Twitter user with defamation, impairing the dignity of another person and "defeating the ends of justice," according to Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Wayne Minaar. He declined to name the person who has been charged or provide documentation of the charges. "It is an obstruction of justice because we have a mandate to maintain order, and so we do set up traps to catch people who are breaking the law," said Zweli Mnisi, a spokesman for the Ministry of South African Police. "The information that is there can compromise the safety of the community." Minaar said the charges were filed against the Twitter user on Friday. The @PigSpotter Twitter user, who spoke with CNN via e-mail anonymously because he fears police retribution, said he started the feed to amuse his followers and to bring alleged police corruption to light. "I am surprised by the amount of media attention. It was never the reason for starting PigSpotter," said the man, who has more than 17,000 Twitter followers. "Now that police corruption is in the limelight, maybe we can turn the negative into a positive, by working with the police, rooting out the bad apples/corrupt members, we can restore faith into the police of South Africa." Mnisi denied the charges of police corruption. "We are not out there to punish people," he said. "We are not being hard or inhumane." @PigSpotter has become known in South Africa for alerting the public to police speed traps, which are often intended to be hidden from the view of drivers. The idea is not entirely new. Other Twitter feeds, including @SpeedTrapsFL in Florida, alert followers to the presence of cops and speed traps. That feed appears to take input from people in Florida in order to ID the traps. "SPEEDTRAP!!! Turnpike northbound in Pompano. FHP trooper parked under Sample Rd. overpass on right side. Look out!!" a post on @SpeedTrapsFL says. And smartphone apps also serve similar functions. Trapster, for example, an app available for the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and others, collects speed trap info from more than 8 million users and then plots the data on a map. The @PigSpotter feed is known for a witty writing style, posting photos of the cops and using derogatory terms such as "pigs" and "bacon" to describe members of the police force. That language is what resulted in the defamation charge against @PigSpotter, the Johannesburg Police spokesman said. In one post, @PigSpotter outed a cop with a photo and context: "An 'enthusiastic' cop trapping opposite the Westcliff hotel. Middle island now. Not HIDING anymore," the @PigSpotter Twitter user wrote. Another tweet says, "Cops Hidding [sic] in bushes & trapping" before listing a location. Still another says: "lady in blue HIDING behind a billboard on the M1 South just after Goldreef taking vacation pics." Despite the police attention, the Twitter feed continued to be active on Monday. Police say information provided by the feed is generally correct. "The funny part is almost all of his information is accurate, so we are investigating if it's a group of people or just one person because all of his predictions are correct," said Mnisi of the Ministry of South African Police. The person behind @PigSpotter told CNN he is willing to work with police. "I will not stop reporting on speed traps and traffic congestion, even when they are visible," he wrote in an e-mail. "I am however willing to work with the police to stop the corruption within the police force."
By placing an alien installation in the midst of nature, the enormous contrast created allows one to literally see the wood from the trees. Under the shadow of an ancient hill in southwest England, in a field of clover bisected by a public footpath, the field of light shimmered through seasons and presented a myriad of opportunities for passersby to catch glimpses of natures guises. In 2008, installation artist, sculptor, and lighting designer Bruce Munro created an outdoor installation in the United Kingdom called the Field of Light . Munro was inspired by the red desert during a trip to Australia fifteen years earlier. He describes his creation:Although the installation was created years ago, there's something about these ethereal images that seems timeless. Share this: Share Facebook

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

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