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The cycling federation headquarters attest to this rich history, with black-and-white wall photos of greats like Luis Herrera, known as “Lucho,” who in 1984 became the first Colombian to win a stage in the Tour de France and was the first to win the Vuelta a España three years later. Herrera, Quintana and other mountain specialists are known here as “escarabajos,” or “beetles,” for their doggedness in grinding their way up hills.
González said his organization provided bikes and equipment to up-and-coming escarabajos, showcasing them at major races where they are courted by European pro teams. He recalled personally escorting a nervous Quintana to the 2011 World Championships in Copenhagen. Back then, he said: “Nairo was just a 21-year-old kid. He was clueless. He didn’t talk at all.”
González, who has held top positions at the cycling federation for two decades, questioned Quintana’s motives for speaking out, noting that the heads of the country’s cycling leagues re-elected him to his post in January over a candidate backed by Quintana.
“This is all about politics, not sports,” González said.
Still, the criticism comes from a broad range of cyclists and close followers of the sport.
Support for racers is supposed to come from the cycling federation’s network of leagues and clubs. But many have fallen on hard times because of a lack of funding and allegations of mismanagement and corruption. Victor Hugo Peña, a retired Colombian cyclist who is an ESPN race analyst, said that only a handful of the two dozen cycling clubs in and around Bogotá, the capital, train riders and send them to races.
One recent race was canceled because officials failed to secure permits to use national highways. The high price of race licenses and registration fees forces some cyclists to hold raffles and take up collections from bakeries and hardware stores in their hometowns to cover expenses. They incur more costs by breaking wheels and bike frames on potholed roads while competing for prizes of less than $100. |
ROCHESTER - U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken took the DFL endorsement by acclamation on Saturday, after a day of questions, speeches and fretting by some activists over whether the controversial satirist can wage a focused campaign to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman. After being publicly and privately urged to do so, Franken tackled the issue of his sometimes sexually explicit humor head on, with the outright apology that many had been waiting for. "It kills me that things I said and wrote sent a message ... that they can't count on me to be a champion for women, for all Minnesotans. I'm sorry for that. Because that's not who I am," Franken told delegates. Franken acknowledged that in his often edgy career as a comedian. "I wrote a lot of jokes. Some of them weren't funny. Some of them weren't appropriate. Some of them were downright offensive. I understand that." Franken then turned attention to Coleman, saying that "there are some people in Washington who could afford to feel a little less comfortable." Drawing on his strength as an acerbic critic of Republicans, Franken said that he would "stand up to Norm Coleman in a way he's never been stood up to before." In the end, DFLers agreed with Franken and were preparing to endorse him on the first ballot when Franken's rival, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer withdrew. Franken had garnered nearly 62 percent of the votes, slightly more than needed for endorsement. Franken said he accepted endorsement in a "spirit of tremendous gratitude and tremendous humility" and would dedicate himself to the tasks of securing universal health care, leveling the economic playing field, improving educational opportunities and withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.
"We have a lot of work to do together," he told cheering delegates. "We're going to canvass until our feet hurt, and when our feet hurt, we'll pick up the phone. ... We're going to do it because five million Minnesotans need a voice in Washington and they don't have one in Norm Coleman." In a passionate acceptance speech, Franken said he offered the combined ability to take Coleman to task while laying out a hopeful vision that would propel Democrats to reclaim the Senate seat once held by DFL icon Paul Wellstone. Republicans ready Republicans were ready with a line of attack that pegged Franken as their "dream candidate." State Republican chairman Ron Carey said that Minnesotans would not be fooled by what he called an "eleventh-hour apology made out of political necessity." Carey hinted broadly that the GOP would have additional revelations about Franken, who has taken a pounding in recent weeks for tax problems and for his often profane style of humor. Franken said that further broadsides against him reflected an effort by Republicans to make the race "about anything but Norm Coleman's record." Franken came into the convention on Friday dogged by controversy over a soft-porn parody written for Playboy in 2000 and an earlier skit involving an imagined rape that he once pitched during his "Saturday Night Live" days. Some Nelson-Pallmeyer supporters took defeat hard. As Nelson-Pallmeyer gave a concession speech Saturday, a young supporter wearing a green-and-white campaign shirt and a headset stood in the back of the hall, accepted hugs and cried slightly. She raised her hands high above her head as Nelson-Pallmeyer finished speaking. Asked by a reporter whether she could comment on the defeat she bowed her head. "I'd rather not, I'm sorry," she said. Speaking to reporters shortly after endorsement, Franken again acknowledged that he wasn't "a perfect person." The coming campaign, he said, should revolve around the issues that matter to Minnesotans. But few expected that Franken will be able to avoid continuing attacks on past writings that some have found demeaning to women. State Rep. Nora Slawik, a delegate and early supporter, wondered aloud whether voters would be as forgiving of Franken as party activists.
"We know we're going to be on defense with Franken," she said, her mouth tightening with worry. "Will that hurt us? I support him, but I do worry." U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who had remained neutral throughout the Senate contest, had publicly urged Franken to apologize. After his endorsement, she sought him out on stage and held his hand aloft in a gesture of solidarity that brought thunderous applause from DFLers. "We're going into this unified," said DFL state party chair Brian Melendez. But two of Franken's earlier critics, U.S. Reps. Betty McCollum and Jim Oberstar, were notably absent from the stage when Franken accepted the endorsement. Mari Urness Pokornowski of Cokato, president of the DFL Feminist Caucus, resigned Saturday when she learned that her group had endorsed Franken. As a mother and former teacher, she said, she didn't see how Franken's writings represented rural Minnesota values. The endorsement, she said, "was a choice made by the caucus, and once that decision is made, you have to make a choice where you stand, For me, my decision was to step down." Years of work paid off With red, white and blue confetti fluttering down, pounding rock anthems and an all-star line of DFL officials, Saturday's endorsement was a stark contrast to last week's far quieter, uncontested Republican endorsement of Coleman. Energized by a day of spirited exchanges, some delegates wasted little time in jumping on the Franken bandwagon. As Nelson-Pallmeyer was giving his concession speech, Diana Slyter of Minneapolis was busy pinning a blue-and- white Al Franken button atop her Nelson-Pallmeyer shirt. "Now, Franken's endorsed. I'm supporting him," she said. She also held two large Franken campaign signs. "I'll put these on my [motorcycle] sidecar," she added. Franken had built a strong grass-roots campaign before his entry in the Senate race, launching a Midwest Values political action committee that raised money for DFL candidates across the state as far back as 2005. On Saturday, connections forged over years paid off. |
[Haskell-cafe] [ANNOUNCE] First Public Release of the Snap Framework
Hello all, To coincide with Hac Phi 2010 (http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Hac_%CF%86), the Snap team is happy to announce the first public release of the Snap Framework, a simple and fast Haskell web programming server and library for unix systems. For installation instructions, documentation, and more information, see our website at http://snapframework.com/. Snap is well-documented and has a test suite with a high level of code coverage, but it is early-stage software with still-evolving interfaces. Snap is therefore most likely to be of interest to early adopters and potential contributors. Snap is BSD-licensed and currently only runs on Unix platforms; it has been developed and tested on Linux and Mac OSX Snow Leopard. Snap Features: * A simple and clean monad for web programming, similar to happstack's but simpler. * A *fast* HTTP server library with an optional high-concurrency backend (using libev). * An XML-based templating system for generating xhtml that allows you to bind Haskell functionality to XML tags in your templates. * Some useful utilities for web handlers, including gzip compression and fileServe. * Iteratee-based I/O, allowing composable streaming in O(1) space without any of the unpredictable consequences of lazy I/O. If you have questions or comments, please contact us on our mailing list (http://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/snap) or in the #snapframework channel on the freenode IRC network. Cheers, G -- Gregory Collins <greg at gregorycollins.net> |
Thinking About Saturn After Cassini
Several recent news items on Enceladus have me wanting to catch up with mission possibilities and the instruments that will drive them. NASA’s thinking in that direction takes in a remote sensing instrument called SELFI, an acronym standing for Submillimeter Enceladus Life Fundamentals Instrument. The plan here is to examine the chemical composition of the plumes of water vapor and icy particles that are regularly lofted into space from Enceladus’ south pole, in the region we’ve come to know as the ‘tiger stripes.’
Cassini data on the slight wobble in the orbital motion of Enceladus backs up the idea that the ocean beneath its ice is global, a body likely kept liquid by tidal energies as the moon is pulled and squeezed by Saturn in its orbit. The same process is likely the cause of the cracks that allow ocean water to escape into space, from perhaps as many as 100 sites on the surface.
Image: The Cassini spacecraft detected hydrogen in the plume of gas and icy material spraying from Enceladus during its deepest and last dive through the plume on Oct. 28, 2015. This graphic illustrates a theory on how water interacts with rock at the bottom of the moon’s ocean, producing hydrogen gas. A Goddard team wants to develop an instrument that would reveal even more details about the hydrothermal vents and perhaps help answer if life exists on this ocean world. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Southwest Research Institute.
Gordon Chin (NASA GSFC), principal investigator for SELFI, describes it as a significant improvement over current submillimeter-wavelength technologies. Says Chin:
“Submillimeter wavelengths, which are in the range of very high-frequency radio, give us a way to measure the quantity of many different kinds of molecules in a cold gas. We can scan through all the plumes to see what’s coming out from Enceladus. Water vapor and other molecules can reveal some of the ocean’s chemistry and guide a spacecraft onto the best path to fly through the plumes to make other measurements directly.”
The GSFC team is using NASA R&D funding to increase the spectrometer’s sensitivity in the 557 GHz range, where the strongest signal from water is to be found. The goal is to explore the entire system of surface vents on Enceladus, measuring water and traces of other gases. The work also includes creating a radio frequency data-processing system, and a digital spectrometer for the RF signal that will convert it into digital signals to allow the measurement of the gases emerging from the plumes in terms of their quantity, temperature and velocity.
Calling it “one of the most ambitious submillimeter instruments ever built,” Chin says in this NASA overview that SELFI should be able to detect and analyze 13 molecular species, ranging from water in various isotopic forms to methanol, ammonia, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, sulfur dioxide, and sodium chloride. Work on the instrument is sufficiently encouraging that the GSFC team believes SELFI will eventually be part of a proposal for a future mission to Saturn.
Image: Dramatic jets of ice, water vapor and organic compounds spray from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus in this image captured by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft in November 2009. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.
Assuming it flies, the instrument should allow us to deduce the composition of the global ocean, and its potential for hosting extraterrestrial life. We have no idea whether Enceladus has warm hydrothermal vents of the sort that sustain life at the bottom of Earth’s ocean, but the prospect is enticing not only for this moon but for many of the other icy moons in the outer Solar System.
Into Saturn’s Depths
On the subject of Saturn, be aware as well of an interesting mission possibility called Hera, proposed as an M-class mission led by the European Space Agency, with collaboration from NASA (thanks Mike Fidler for the tip). The plan here is to detach an atmospheric probe from a ‘carrier-relay’ spacecraft as it approaches Saturn, letting the Hera probe enter Saturn’s atmosphere to study its tropopause, descending to pressure levels of at least 10 bars.
From the proposal page:
The primary science objectives will be addressed by an atmospheric entry probe that would descend under parachute and carry out in situ measurements beginning in the stratosphere to help characterize the location and properties of the tropopause, and continue into the troposphere to pressures of at least 10 bars. All of the science objectives, except for the abundance of oxygen, which may be only addressed indirectly via observations of species whose abundances are tied to the abundance of water, can be achieved by reaching 10 bars.
The Hera proposal recalls two previous missions, the first being the Galileo probe that was carried aboard the main Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter, entering the Jovian atmosphere on December 7, 1995 and continuing to function for close to an hour as it descended. The other analog is, of course, Cassini carrying the Huygens probe for the spectacular 2005 landing on Titan. That was a collaboration between ESA and NASA that paid off handsomely, and it provides a model for the carrier/data relay spacecraft model that Hera would use. |
Switzerland holds India in great esteem; a vast country of diverse cultures with a rich heritage, an emerging economic power and the world’s largest democracy. We can depend on close relations based on the Treaty of Friendship that was signed between our two countries almost 70 years ago. Today, the aim is to further deepen that cooperation and to take a determined approach to addressing global challenges for the benefit of both our countries.
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Switzerland’s swift recognition of India’s independence in 1947, the prompt adoption of diplomatic contacts and the conclusion of the Treaty of Friendship in 1948, laid the foundations for the good relations between our two countries that continue to this day. I am therefore delighted that we are launching a programme to mark this anniversary under the heading “70 Years of Swiss-Indian Friendship: Connecting Minds — Inspiring the Future”. Although in doing so, we are not looking to the past, but to the future. At a time in which nationalism and protectionism are gaining ground in many places, we, instead, want to seize the opportunities offered by openness and cooperation. That includes the free trade and economic agreements currently being negotiated by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and India.
Therefore, during my state visit to India on August 31and September 1, one of the topics of discussion with President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of his cabinet will be free trade. Cooperation in the fields of transport, energy and vocational education and training will also be on the agenda, as will digitalisation and climate change.
In our efforts to deepen cooperation we should not overlook how much we have already achieved. The Treaty of Friendship, which was proposed by Jawaharlal Nehru, the founder of the Indian state, as a sign of his appreciation for Switzerland, and which speaks of “perpetual peace” and “unalterable friendship”, has served as a basis for our political relations. These have been reinforced in recent decades by regular high-level visits.
We have been able to conclude numerous agreements in a wide range of areas, such as trade, investment, development cooperation, education, visas, migration, air transport and cooperation in science and technology. The two sides signed a joint declaration on the mutual automatic exchange of financial account information in November 2016.
Economic exchanges are also intensive. India is one of Switzerland’s most important trading partners in Asia and Switzerland is the 11th largest foreign investor in the country. As of the end of 2015, Swiss direct investment in India had led to the creation of up to 1,00,000 jobs, which is why a sound investment protection framework is important. Tourism is also thriving with many Indian nationals travelling to Switzerland to discover the country — and many Swiss enjoy travelling to India.
There is a great deal of potential in the bilateral relations between our countries that has yet to be tapped, which is why I am being accompanied on my visit by a sizeable group of business people and representatives from business associations. India has initiated numerous reforms in recent years to further improve its framework conditions. Significant investment is also planned in public transport and renewable energies. Switzerland and its businesses can contribute a great deal of know-how in these areas. Thanks to its capacity for innovation, its well-trained skilled labour, excellent infrastructure and political stability, Switzerland is among the most competitive countries in the world.
Given our common experiences, I am convinced that we should act together on climate policy. Unpredictable monsoon rains and the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas will have an impact on the lives of millions of people in India. The glaciers are receding in Switzerland too, which has an influence on water management and energy production. The thawing of the permafrost will make our hillsides more unstable which in turn poses a threat to many villages and valleys. It would, therefore, make sense to further deepen cooperation in the areas of climate change and sustainable development.
As part of its Energy Strategy 2050, Switzerland has decided to take steps to improve energy efficiency and boost the share of renewable energies in the energy mix. India’s energy strategy, which is currently being drawn up, shares the same priorities. In terms of energy efficiency and the increased use of renewable energies, a number of joint projects are already under way between our two countries. One of those is CapaCITIES, where Switzerland is helping municipal authorities in India to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A major rail infrastructure project was completed in Switzerland last year. The opening of the Gotthard base tunnel, which at a length of 57 km is the world’s longest railway tunnel, shows that pioneering achievements are still possible in the 21st century. This link through the Alps has brought northern and southern Europe closer together. People and goods are able to reach their destination quicker.
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With globalisation and digitalisation, it seems that the distance between India and Europe is shrinking — and that’s a good thing. The world faces many challenges, which can only be overcome by working together. I hope that my visit can help to strengthen bilateral relations between our two nations. As a vast country of diverse cultures with a rich heritage, an emerging economic power and the world’s largest democracy, India can be sure of Switzerland’s support. |
(CNN) — If peace of mind means strolling home past trees and flowers, a fat bank balance at your disposal, and with a secure job to head to the next day, then the best place to find it is Germany
A new study has revealed the world's most and least stressful cities of 2017, based on factors including traffic levels, public transport, percentage of green spaces, financial status of citizens including debt levels, physical and mental health, and the hours of sunlight the city gets per year.
Of the 150 cities ranked, four out of the top ten most stress-free cities are in Germany. The southern city of Stuttgart comes out on top, with Hanover in third place, Munich in fifth place and Hamburg in joint ninth place with Graz, Austria.
The tiny yet wealthy country of Luxembourg, home to fewer than 600,000 people, has the second-lowest stress levels.
Bern, Switzerland is fourth, while Bordeaux, France (No. 6) and Edinburgh , UK (No. 7) also make it to the top of the charts.
Sydney, Australia (No.8) is the only non-European city to break the top ten, while Seattle is the most chill US city.
Greenbacks and green spaces
The study, by UK-based dry-cleaning and laundry service Zipjet, was conducted by studying 500 locations based on data relating to 17 categories covering infrastructure, pollution levels, finance and citizens' wellbeing.
This determined a ranking of 150 cities with available data on all factors relating to the study.
The city ranked the most stressful overall is Baghdad -- with a total score of 10 compared with Stuttgart's one -- followed by Kabul.
Stuttgart's formula for worry-free living, meanwhile is having a strong local economy -- this is the home of Porsche, Bosch and Mercedes-Benz -- but also coming out top in the study for the highest percentage of green spaces within the city limits. The city is spread across a range of hills and valleys, some covered with vineyards.
Stuttgart's generous greenery "really [has] a noticeable effect on stress," says Stuttgart-based PR professional David Moos. "The ability to feel less enclosed can help you in not feeling stifled, and personally I find this reduces anxiety. The feeling of security in the city, both financial and in the sense of personal safety, is also a great comfort."
The formula for easy living
Public transport getting you down? Not if you're a Singaporean. ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Luxembourg has the lowest population density after Kuwait City, and Sydney and Melbourne (No. 6 and No. 7) are also relatively uncrowded urban spaces.
Residents of Singapore and Taipei are most satisfied with their cities' public transport, while Leipzig, Germany and Montpelier, France have the lowest levels of traffic congestion.
In the security category -- in which the official average rates of theft and murder are weighted against United Nations data on the local perception of security per capita -- Abu Dhabi was judged the most "safe" place to live by its citizens, with Osaka, Japan in second place.
And while sunny weather is an instant mood-lifter all over the world, high levels of annual sunshine didn't count for much in terms of a city's overall ranking. War-torn Damascus came out top in that category, while Bordeaux -- at No. 56 -- was the sunniest city in the top ten.
North America came out tops in terms of low air pollution levels, with Miami, Seattle, Vancouver and Boston leading the way. Abidjan, in the Ivory Coast, has the lowest noise pollution, while Antananarivo, Madagascar, and Reykjavik have the lowest light pollution.
Disposable income
Reykjavik comes out best in the Physical Health and Gender Equality categories. AFP/Getty Images/Leon Neal
Phnom Penh has the lowest official unemployment rates and Brunei's Bandar Seri Begawan has the lowest debt per capita, but the real measure of a city's financial health is in the Family Purchasing Power category, which balances average household salaries with the cost of living.
Munich came out top by this criteria, followed by Luxembourg, Sydney, Monaco and Stuttgart.
Athens scored best in the Social Security category but, with rioters taking to the street earlier this year to protest increases in tax and social security contributions, it may be what the Ancient Greeks described as a Pyrrhic victory.
Luxembourg, Bordeaux and Graz performed best in the Mental Health category, while Reykjavik has the best record for Physical Health. The Icelandic capital also comes out tops when it comes to gender equality.
The race equality category -- based on data from a World Bank ethnic inequality report -- is, perhaps surprisingly, topped by cities in the US. San Francisco, Boston and Seattle take the top three slots.
Glamorous, global cities such as London (No. 70), Tokyo (No. 72), Paris (No. 78) clustered around the middle of the league table, with New York (No. 84) being the most stress-inducing of the big four.
The study has some overlap with other recent lists, such as the world's most liveable cities , where Melbourne is No. 1, and the world's happiest countries , which is topped by Norway.
But peace of mind doesn't come cheap: Sydney, Vancouver and Melbourne are also some of the world's most expensive cities
For the full results and methodology, visit the Zipjet site.
The world's least stressful cities
1. Stuttgart, Germany
2. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
3. Hanover, Germany
4. Bern, Switzerland
5. Munich, Germany
6. Bordeaux, France
7. Edinburgh, UK
8. Sydney, Australia
9. (tie) Graz, Austria and Hamburg, Germany
The world's most stressful cities
1. Baghdad, Iraq
2. Kabul, Afghanistan
3. Lagos, Nigeria
4. Dakar, Senegal
5. Cairo, Egypt
6. Tehran, Iran
7. Dhaka, Bangladesh
8. Karachi, Pakistan
9. New Delhi, India |
OTTAWA - The Conservative party asked for the location of all polling stations and then contacted voters about where to find them during last year's federal campaign, despite a request they not do so by Elections Canada for fear of muddying the election-day waters.
It's just the latest wrinkle in an evolving investigation into evidence that someone impersonated an Elections Canada official in order to misdirect voters to the wrong polling stations.
Elections Canada is investigating clear evidence of fraudulent calls in Guelph, Ont., amid an avalanche of unverified complaints of similar fake calls across the country.
Elections Canada confirms the Conservative party requested a list of all polling stations before the federal vote last May 2, and that as a result the elections watchdog provided the list to all parties.
In its statutory report following the 2011 campaign, released last August, Elections Canada highlighted the incident in a separate box.
"Because a polling site can be replaced by another at the last minute, and to ensure that electors always have access to the most accurate information regarding their location, Elections Canada indicated to political parties that the list supplied should only be used for internal purposes and that parties should not direct electors to polling sites," said the report.
All parties were instructed to tell voters to check Elections Canada's website or their voter information card for poll locations "to prevent electors from being directed to incorrect polling sites."
"Some political parties did not comply with this request," said the report.
Elections Canada could not immediately say Monday which parties disregarded its advice.
But the Conservatives have been readily acknowledging for a week that they contacted party supporters by phone with information on poll locations.
"Elections Canada has now confirmed that at least 127 late polling station changes were made during the recent election, affecting as many as 1,000 polls," Dean Del Mastro, the parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, told the House of Commons last Monday.
"We contacted our supporters to make them aware of those polling station changes so they could cast their votes."
Del Mastro again repeated the assertion Monday.
Elections Canada says 127 polling stations out of 15,262 across Canada moved locations during the campaign period. The list shows polls moving in 65 of Canada's 308 ridings.
A spokesman for the Conservative party, Fred Delorey, said in an email that "it's our job as a political party to get our supporters out to vote."
Delorey did not directly address why the party ignored Elections Canada's request that it not contact voters about poll locations.
"While calling Conservative supporters and encouraging them to vote we wanted to make sure they knew where to go," he wrote in response.
The growing scandal over allegations of voter suppression and impersonating Elections Canada officials has had the governing Conservatives on the defensive for almost two weeks, but they have consistently maintained that they did nothing wrong while advising their supporters where to vote.
"The Conservative party can say absolutely, definitively, that it has no role in any of this," Harper told the Commons last week.
Also on HuffPost |
As IT systems become more complex and the need for better solutions to manage hundreds and thousands of services and applications increases, administrators have realized that using traditional operational methods to manage scalable systems are not working any more. Tools for configuration management and automation become essential. Such tools can be used to install a certain software on hundreds of servers just by defining a few lines of code. They can also be used to continuously deploy a new version of an application to a testing or production environment …
In this post I am going to use Ansible, which is one of the popular orchestration tools nowadays, to install a node.js application, with all its needed components. To make it a little more fun I have chosen a chess game application that is based on https://github.com/benas/gamehub.io – a real-time multiplayer game server based on node.js, Express, SocketIO, MongoDB and ElasticSearch.
What is Ansible?
Ansible is a powerful orchestration and IT automation tool created by Michael DeHaan at 2012. This tool can be used to install a piece of software on remote host(s), deploy applications, rollout updates, run ad-hoc tasks or to even manage your own local machine.
Ansible works by pushing commands to servers through SSH connections, it is an agent-less tool that doesn’t require a daemon or an agent running on the remote destination, which means all you need to start using ansible is the tool itself and an SSH network connection. This makes it very simple to deploy in most enterprise environments as SSH is already setup for most of the infrastructure.
Later we will see that Ansible uses the YAML language to write its own tasks and instructions, which makes it very easy to read and use.
Ansible has one of the best documentation you can encounter, this post will not go through how to use Ansible or a getting started guide, but you need to familiarize yourself with a few concepts before you start with Ansible:
Ansible is Agent-less
Ansible only requires SSH access on the remote host to be able to run tasks and operations on that host. It can be used to run tasks on several hosts at the same time as long as it has remote SSH access on them.
Ansible is Idempotent
An idempotent operation is an operation that will always yield the same result when it’s called with the same input and ran on the same machine. Ansible runs on that concept, which means if you ran an Ansible task on the same machine multiple times you will get the same result and Ansible is smart enough to detect the first change and not repeat the operation multiple times.
Ansible is Modular
Ansible comes with a set of modules, those modules control system resources and applications. An example for that is the setup module that is used to gather information about the remote hosts. These modules can be used as ad-hoc commands or using playbooks.
Introducing The NodeJS Application
We will walk through installing an open-source Node.js application called ChessHub.io which is based on Gamehub.io which is a real time gaming server developed by Mahmoud Ben Hassine.
The GameHub application requires the following components to run on a server:
Node JS
Express JS
Passport JS
Socket.io
Handlebars.js
Mongo DB
ElasticSearch
We will be installing Node.js, MongoDB, ElasticSearch as separate components while the others will be installed as dependencies of the application. (located in package.json file)
Setting up the Application Environment
The application will basically run on 2 machines on DigitalOcean, one to run the Node.js server along with Nginx and the other server is for ElasticSearch and MongoDB servers. The following is a simple diagram describing the entire setup:
The communication between the two machines will be done through the private network which will be configured when we create the 2 droplets. As an addition i will use Ansible also to create those droplets before starting the configuration.
Creating The Ansible Playbook
The playbook will consists of several roles, each role will be responsible for set of tasks to install a component or a piece of software.
To simplify the process, I will discuss the playbook in three parts or plays:
Part 1: Provisioning droplets and common tasks.
Part 2: Front-end roles (Nginx, NodeJS,..)
Part 3: Backend roles (Elasticsearch, MongoDB,..)
Before going through each part we need first to take a look on the big picture, the file structure of the project will be as the following:
$ tree -L 2 . |-- digital_ocean.py |-- do_droplets.yml |-- env |-- group_vars | `-- all.yml |-- playbook.yml |-- README.md `-- roles |-- application |-- common |-- elasticsearch |-- mongo |-- nginx `-- nodejs
The project consists of 6 roles in total, and a file for all the variables inside group_vars directory, also the do_droplets.yml is the file that is responsible for creating the DigitalOcean droplets, in the next few sections I will reference some snippets from the playbook and the roles, you can find the whole thing here if you are interested.
Part1: Provisioning Droplets and Common Tasks
DigitalOcean has an API that allows you to list, create, delete, stops, etc. droplets and at the 2nd of April, DO announced that V2 of its API came out of the Beta version after nine months of its release to include more features than V1.
Ansible uses a famous python wrapper called dopy to communicate with the API, and as of Ansible 2.0, Version 2 of the DigitalOcean API is used, but since version 2 still in alpha testing state, we are going to use Ansible 1.9 and version 1 of the DigitalOcean API
Before starting with the tasks that will create the droplets, make sure that dopy is installed:
$ sudo pip install dopy
To create a new droplet, I will use Jeff Geerling’s dynamic inventory for DigitalOcean, This inventory requires two environment variables to be set:
DO_CLIENT_ID DO_API_KEY $ export DO_CLIENT_ID=xxxxx $ export DO_API_KEY=xxxxxx
In the do_droplets.yml file we will create two tasks that are responsible for creating two machines and use them later to to run the rest of the roles:
do_droplets.yml --- - hosts: localhost connection: local gather_facts: false tasks: - name: Create Front-end Droplet digital_ocean: state: present command: droplet name: node1 private_networking: yes size_id: 64 image_id: 13089493 region_id: 7 ssh_key_ids: 430781 unique_name: yes register: node1 - name: Add node2 to the inventory. add_host: ansible_ssh_host: "{{ node1.droplet.ip_address }}" ansible_ssh_port: 22 name: node1 groups: node1 when: node1.droplet is defined - name: Create Backend-end Droplet digital_ocean: state: present command: droplet name: node2 private_networking: yes size_id: 64 image_id: 13089493 region_id: 7 ssh_key_ids: 430781 unique_name: yes register: node2 - name: Add node2 to the inventory. add_host: ansible_ssh_host: "{{ node2.droplet.ip_address }}" ansible_ssh_port: 22 name: node2 groups: node2 when: node2.droplet is defined - hosts: - node1 - node2 remote_user: root tasks: - name: Wait for port 22 to become available. local_action: "wait_for port=22 host={{ ansible_eth0.ipv4.address }}"
Basically these plays do the following:
1. Create the Frontend and the Backend droplets each with 1GB of ram and add my key to the root user, also enable private networking.
2. Wait until the port 22 become available in both nodes.
Common Role
The common role installs the commonly used packages like vim, curl, git-core, etc, the task will go like this:
- name: Install needed packages apt: name={{ item }} state=present update_cache=yes with_items: common_packages
The previous lines describe how to use the apt module to install packages at the remote hosts using apt-get command, the {{ item }} is an iteration through a list variable which is in this case the common_packages variable, the variable is simply a list of packages names like this:
common_packages: - vim - screen - sudo - htop - strace - curl - wget - git-core
After installing the common packages, it add a swap to the machine, and finally add a user and its key to the droplet.
Part 2: Installing Nginx and Node.js
The following part will be added to the playbook.yml in order to add 3 roles one for Nginx and the other is for Nodejs installation, and the last one is for installing the application itself.
The Nginx role is simple, it adds the repository for Nginx package and installs Nginx and add the default configuration which may be little tricky, as we will see in a bit:
--- - name: Include Gzip Configuration include_vars: gzip.yml when: nginx_gzip == "on" - name: Add Nginx Repository apt_repository: repo='ppa:nginx/{{ nginx_version }}' state=present register: nginxrepo - name: Install Nginx apt: pkg=nginx state=installed update_cache=true when: nginxrepo | success notify: - Start Nginx - name: Remove Default Site file: dest=/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default state=absent when: nginx_delete_default | bool - name: Add Nginx Configuration template: src=nginx.conf.j2 dest=/etc/nginx/nginx.conf notify: - Restart Nginx
The role adds a template configuration for the nginx.conf file, the template is written in Jinja2 templating language, which can contain variables, if conditions, loops, etc. A snippet from the configuration will be like the following:
# event mod Configuration # ########################### events { # 1024 worker_connections {{nginx_worker_connections }}; # 32 worker_aio_requests {{ nginx_worker_aio_requests }}; # on accept_mutex {{ nginx_accept_mutex }}; }
Nodejs Role
The Nodejs role adds the repository of Nodesource that includes an up to date nodejs and npm packages, and then it installs them after updating the apt cache:
- name: Add the Nodesource apt key apt_key: url=https://deb.nodesource.com/gpgkey/nodesource.gpg.key state=present - name: Add nodesource repository apt_repository: repo='deb https://deb.nodesource.com/node_0.10 trusty main' state=present - name: Install nodejs and some dependencies apt: name={{ item }} update_cache=yes state=present with_items: - nodejs - build-essential
Application Role
The application role will fetch the ChessHub application and installs the dependencies, i modified some of the code to be able to connect to ElasticSearch and MongoDB on different host, so i will be using my fork of the Chesshub application.
The application role will do everything related to the deployment of the application, starting from creating the application directory, to installing the Nginx configuration and restarting the service, for example it will fetch the source code using git module and modify the configuration of the application:
- name: Fetch the application source git: repo={{ git_repo }} dest=/var/www/chesshub accept_hostkey=yes force=yes - name: Install custom application configuration template: src=default.json dest=/var/www/chesshub/config/default.json
And finally it will run the application using Forever tool and restart Nginx which will proxy all the requests to port 3000.
Part 3: Backend roles (Elasticsearch, MongoDB,..)
The rest of the roles are very simple. They basically install each tool and start it, except for MongoDB it will modify configuration file to make Mongo listen to any traffic coming from the private network.
Note: I didn’t put security in consideration in this little project, as I am just illustrating a deployment of node.js using Ansible, but if you are going to deploy a similar deployment in production, there are a lot of other measures you have to take, which may be a topic for another post.
There is no need to upload a new template if you are just going to change one line to the configuration, as in this case when we want to change the bind address configuration in /etc/mongod.conf:
- name: bind address to the private ip lineinfile: dest=/etc/mongod.conf regexp='^bind_ip' line='bind_ip=127.0.0.1,{{ ansible_eth1.ipv4.address }}' notify: Restart mongo
The regexp directive will search for a line that starts with “bind_ip” and change it to contain the private ip address of this node using an Ansible fact.
Running the playbook
To run the playbook, i will specify the dynamic inventory file (digital_ocean.py) to be used with ansible, which will communicate with DigitalOcean API to get information about the hosts, the running command will be like the following:
$ ansible-playbook -i digital_ocean.py playbook.yml
You should finally see something like the following and the application will run on the IP of node1 on port 80:
PLAY RECAP ******************************************************************** localhost : ok=0 changed=4 unreachable=0 failed=0 node1 : ok=0 changed=61 unreachable=0 failed=0 node2 : ok=0 changed=48 unreachable=0 failed=0 |
Last week, I was scouting some studio spaces in a Chelsea office building when I happened to notice a vacant office across the hall.
Normally, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, except something in the room happened to catch my eye…
…was that a subway car inside??
It was a subway car! Or at least, a pretty creative replica of one…
…right down to those chains they always have at the front…
…and the yellow warning line on the platform:
The train is actually divided inside into a series of offices…
…each equipped with sliding stainless-steel doors:
Doing some quick research, I learned that this used to be the offices of B-Train Films (which pretty much explains everything), a production company specializing in sports production (they’ve since moved on to a new office space).
Very curious to see if the next tenants decide to keep their very own indoor subway train.
-SCOUT
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Watch transparents Bianca and Nick Bowser come out on 20/20
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Bianca and Nick Bowser, their sons Kai, 3, and Pax, 17 months, from Louisville Kentucky, were stealth until they came out on national television Friday. They don’t believe it will be an issue for their children with the way human rights has been progressing nationally.
Transgender rights have been moving forward, but the progress has been limited without national laws.
Kentucky has one high school with a transgender inclusive policy and one-state lawmaker who’s hell-bent on putting a $2,500 bounty on transgender students.
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Kelli Busey Editor in Chief at Planet Transgender Kelli Busey an outspoken gonzo style journalist has been writing since 2007. In 2008, she brought the Dallas Advocate on-line and has articles published by the Reconciling Ministries Network, The Transsexual Menace, The Daily Kos, Frock Magazine the TransAdvocate, the Dallas Voice and The Advocate. Kelli, an avid runner is editor in chief at Planet Transgender which she founded in 2007.
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1 Southway Junior School's Alien Abduction
You've probably noticed the pattern by now; while American schools tend to be blunt and direct with their policies of child abuse, schools in Britain prefer the more subtle and more deeply-scarring tactic of straight-up batshit lunacy. That's the best way we can explain this story: On July 10, 2009, the students at the UK Southway Junior School in Burgess Hill witnessed an alien abduction of their teacher.
The school had an amazing effects budget.
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It started with a shrieking, piercing noise and a cascade of colorful lights, after which the principal informed the students that a UFO crash-landed near the school. Following a trail of debris, the students laid their eyes on an extraterrestrial space craft, from which aliens emerged. Then the aliens kidnapped a member of the staff and, if Hollywood didn't lie to us, probed his rectum with various phallic objects.
Of course, the abduction later turned out to be a "special performance" by the school staff, who even got the freaking police in on it, providing budget special effects in the form of sirens and flashing patrol car lights. Why? To stimulate the kids' imagination for writing assignments of course!
Well, mission freaking accomplished because, by the end of this, they stimulated so many imaginations of that many of the seven-year-olds broke down in tears and complete confusion.
"Why didn't I get to go on the spaceship ride?!"
Damn, who could have known that kids who still believe in Santa Claus would have trouble telling reality from fiction?
Cezary Jan Strusiewicz is a freelance online journalist and Japanese-English-Polish translator. Contact him via c.j.strusiewicz@gmail.com
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By Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Editor
(CNN) - Less than a year ago, Mark Driscoll, an evangelical pastor, was flying high.
His hometown Seattle Seahawks were in the Super Bowl, and the brash pastor scored a big, faith-fueled interview with five of the team's top players, including quarterback Russell Wilson.
But in a remarkably fast fall from grace, Driscoll resigned Tuesday as pastor of Mars Hill Church, a congregation he founded 18 years ago and turned into a force in the mostly secular Pacific Northwest.
In a statement, Mars Hills' board of overseers said Driscoll hadn't committed any acts of "immorality, illegality or heresy" - sins that have felled many a powerful pastor.
Instead, the board said, Driscoll is guilty of "arrogance, responding to conflict with a quick temper and harsh speech, and leading the staff and elders in a domineering manner."
Driscoll was not asked to leave, the board added, saying they were "surprised" to receive his resignation letter.
FULL STORY |
Berlitz may be the best way to learn a foreign language, but most of us have neither the time nor the ability to fully immerse ourselves in the vocabulary of another country. Hot on the heels of Gmail's automatic translation feature hitting the big time, Google's Translate team has crafted a Chrome extension to make language learning a bit more accessible. The extension does the trick by translating random portions of text to any of its 64 supported languages, so that your native tongue is interspersed with the lingo you're learning. Users have a sliding scale to set their knowledge level from novice to fluent, and can roll over translated words to hear how they should be pronounced. Interested? Peep a video demo after the break to see it in action, or take the plunge and install it at the source below. |
New Colt City, once known as San Franciscolt, was once a thriving city with a perpetual pulse rivaling that of even Manehattan. However, as the war went on and the water rose, the entire city was swallowed by the ocean until all that remained was the battered remains of the financial district. The final flicker of life was stomped out when the bombs hit and the city's skeleton was bathed in toxic residue-or so they thought.Many years later, life again emerged, but under a new banner- The New Colt City. A mysterious leader is said to be in control of this city, but only the most powerful of the citizens know of its true form.However great the city may be, some ponies will always seek adventure. Shortly after repairing a nearby boat, Firefly and Tinkerer journey off to a fabled city untouched by the bombs and filled with the attractions of the pre war era.I don't know, but I think this is one of my only happy fallout images.EDIT: I made this picture to be in the 1111th drawfriend, and when I saw it as the header, I was happy. I believe it's also the first of my images to make it to the header. |
This weekend marks the death of Strikeforce, and after the promotion’s final event most of the fighters are expected to make their way over to the UFC. I say most and not all because there are many who are fighting for their jobs with Zuffa this weekend, but there have already been a few who have been assured that they will move over to the UFC win or lose on Saturday night in Oklahoma City.
The promotion’s four world champions are amongst those who have been assured of their entry into the UFC.
Below, I’ll discuss how I think each of these four men will do in the UFC, and if any of them have a chance to unify the titles.
Gilbert Melendez
Gilbert Melendez has nearly been assured of an immediate UFC lightweight title shot by UFC president Dana White, and I think he presents a very interesting matchup for the current champ, Benson Henderson. Both guys are terrific wrestlers and strikers, both are well-rounded, both come from great camps and both are experienced. Although Henderson has been unbeatable in the UFC thus far going a perfect 6-0, Melendez is possibly the best lightweight out there and it’s possible he just needs that one chance to prove it by getting his crack at Henderson and the lightweight belt.
Even if Melendez doesn’t get the immediate title shot, there’s no doubting he’s only one win away from a crack at the belt. Maybe he fights Gray Maynard or Eddie Alvarez in a No. 1 contender’s matchup if Anthony Pettis defeats Donald Cerrone and the UFC elects to go with him for the title shot instead. But just from everything that’s been said already it seems like Melendez is the next guy who’s going to fight for the UFC lightweight title, and I for one can’t wait to see him and Henderson hook up. It’ll be a great fight.
Nate Marquardt
Assuming Nate Marquardt defeats Tarec Saffiedine this Saturday night — and the fight is by no means a gimme, as the Belgian is a very underrated fighter and a tough out for anyone in the division — then he’ll move into the UFC’s welterweight division and he’ll immediately be a title contender. Although I don’t believe he’ll fight the winner of Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz for the UFC welterweight title right off the bat — I think Johny Hendricks is a lock to fight for the belt next should he get by Jake Ellenberger — I think the UFC is going to match up Marquardt in a No. 1 contender fight with either the winner of Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia or Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald, and if he wins that fight then he’ll get a title shot.
Marquardt was already a middleweight title contender in the UFC before he was unceremoniously let go in June 2011 so there’s no reason to think he can’t be a serious contender for the UFC welterweight crown. He looked amazing in his last outing against Tyron Woodley, and if he looks good again this weekend against Saffiedine in his second welterweight bout, he’ll have a ton of momentum behind him as he gets a second chance to fight the best in the world in the UFC.
Luke Rockhold
Luke Rockhold was set to fight at the Stirkeforce finale this weekend but an injury prevented him from putting his belt on the line against Lorenz Larkin. And therein lies the problem with Rockhold — yes, he’s an incredible athlete and a fantastic fighter, but he’s also very injury prone, and we all know that you have to stay active and keep fighting if you’re to get a shot at a title in the UFC, because one injury puts you right at the back of the line (just ask Erik Koch or Rashad Evans about that). Still, Rockhold’s clearly one of the best middleweights in the world when he’s healthy, and he’ll likely have a lot of success in the UFC.
I don’t believe that Rockhold could defeat UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, nor do I believe he could beat Chris Weidman, but I think he could get by Michael Bisping, Alan Belcher, Tim Boestsch, and Mark Munoz. And that’s still pretty good. I think Rockhold is going to do well in the UFC. He’s going to be a perennial top-10 middleweight, but ultimately I think he comes up short of the belt, although he may eventually get his shot at it. However, I don’t see him getting an immediate title shot in his first UFC fight.
Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix and after he beats journeyman Dion Staring into a pulp on Saturday night, he’ll cross over to the UFC an make an immediate impact in the heavyweight division. Cormier has already expressed an interested in fighting former champ Frank Mir at the UFC on FOX 7 show in his native San Jose this April, so if Mir is healthy by then this fight makes perfect sense. Should Cormier defeat Mir in impressive fashion, there’s no doubting that he’ll be ready for a shot at the UFC heavyweight title. Yes, it’s presently owned by his teammate at AKA Cain Velasquez, but there’s no guarantee that Velasquez holds the belt six months from now, because he has Alistair Overeem waiting in the wings as a challenger, as well as a possible trilogy fight against Junior dos Santos should Overeem fall to Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 156.
With his incredible wrestling, speed and power, Cormier is a stylistic matchup nightmare for anyone at heavyweight in the UFC. Yes, he’s not the tallest guy for the division, but he makes up for his lack of size by being fast and super athletic, and if he drops to light heavyweight like he’s said he’s been contemplating, I’m afraid that the weight cut would take too much of a toll on him and he won’t be as effective. Either way, of all the Stirkeforce champs, I believe that Cormier has the best chance to win a UFC title, and even if he doesn’t, he’ll beat most guys in the top 10 of the heavyweight division. |
At the beginning of the “Arab Spring”, the United Arab Emirates has entrusted to Larry Sanchez (photo), a former leader of the CIA’s clandestine service, to form and reorganize its secret services. He is acting in his capacity as the CEO of CAGN Global. Other companies are involved in this programme including LUAA and DarkMatter.
Richard Clarke, the White House’s former anti-terrorist Tsar, who was the catalyst for the government’s continuity plan for 11 September 2001, is also the adviser to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. He is present in his capacity as the CEO of Good Harbour Security Risk Management.
According to the US official version of the September 11 attacks (which the Emirates has never subscribed to) two Emirates nationals were among the group of the pirates of the air.
According to Foreign Policy (a US publication) the transfer of know-how on Intelligence is not a priori legal. It would need to be first subject to an FBI inquiry. |
Back in June, while he was still a Piston, Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was sentenced to 12 months probation by a Michigan judge when he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of allowing a person to operate his vehicle under the influence. He reportedly violated that probation over the summer for failing a drug and alcohol screening order and, after pleading guilty to that violation last week, Caldwell-Pope is now splitting his time between the Lakers and jail.
From the Los Angeles Times:
The 24-year-old is serving his sentence in the Seal Beach Police Department Detention Center and, under a work-release program, is being allowed to leave the facility for games and practices, according to court and jail officials and court documents. Caldwell-Pope is not allowed to leave the state, which will result in missed games in Houston and Minneapolis. He is expected to be at the Lakers game against the Warriors in Oakland on Friday.
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Caldwell-Pope is wearing a GPS monitor while he’s away, and when he returns from games and practices, he has to submit to a breath test.
Caldwell-Pope is making $18 million this season, and that keeps him out of a typical prison. According to the Times, the “pay-to-stay” detention center where Caldwell-Pope is serving his time brings in more revenue any other jail in Los Angeles or Orange counties, with wealthy DUI offenders making up most of its inmates. Based on an LA Weekly ad from 2013, the Seal Beach facility openly markets its flat screen TVs, computer and media room, and general cleanliness.
[L.A. Times] |
Villisca axe murders Location of Villisca in the state of Iowa Location Villisca, Iowa, United States Date June 9 or 10, 1912
Late night or early morning Target Moore family and 2 guests Attack type Mass murder, home invasion Weapons Axe Deaths 8 Perpetrator Unknown Motive Unknown
The Villisca axe murders occurred between the evening of June 9, 1912, and the early morning of June 10, 1912, in the town of Villisca in southwestern Iowa. The six members of the Moore family and two house guests were found bludgeoned in the Moore residence. All eight victims, including six children, had severe head wounds from an axe. A lengthy investigation yielded several suspects, one of whom was tried twice. The first trial ended in a hung jury and the second ended in an acquittal. The crime remains unsolved.
Details [ edit ]
The Day Book, Chicago, 14 June 1912, depicting five of the victims and the house. An article in, Chicago, 14 June 1912, depicting five of the victims and the house.
The Moore family consisted of parents Josiah B. (aged 43[1]), Sarah (née Montgomery) (39), and their four children: Herman Montgomery (11), Mary Katherine (10), Arthur Boyd (7), and Paul Vernon (5). An affluent family, the Moores were well-known and well-liked in their community.[2] On June 9, 1912, Mary Katherine Moore invited Ina Mae (8) and Lena Gertrude Stillinger (12) to spend the night at the Moore residence. That evening, the visiting girls and the Moore family attended the Presbyterian church where they participated in the Children's Day Program, which Sarah Moore had coordinated. After the program ended at 9:30 p.m., the Moores and the Stillinger sisters walked to the Moores' house, arriving between 9:45 and 10 p.m.
At 7 a.m. the next day, Mary Peckham, the Moores' neighbor, became concerned after she noticed that the Moore family had not come out to do their morning chores. Peckham knocked on the Moores' door. When nobody answered, she tried to open the door and discovered that it was locked. Peckham let the Moores' chickens out and called Ross Moore, Josiah Moore's brother. Like Peckham, Moore received no response when he knocked on the door and shouted. He unlocked the front door with his copy of the house key. While Peckham stood on the porch, Moore went into the parlor and opened the guest bedroom door, where he found Ina and Lena Stillinger's bodies on the bed. Moore immediately told Peckham to call Hank Horton, Villisca's primary peace officer, who arrived shortly thereafter. Horton's search of the house revealed that the entire Moore family and the two Stillinger girls had been bludgeoned to death. The murder weapon, an axe belonging to Josiah, was found in the guest room where the Stillinger sisters were found.
Doctors concluded that the murders had taken place between midnight and 5 a.m.[3] Two spent cigarettes in the attic suggested that the killer or killers patiently waited in the attic until the Moore family and the Stillinger guests were asleep. The killer(s) began in the master bedroom, where Josiah and Sarah Moore were sleeping. Josiah received more blows from the axe than any other victim; his face had been cut to such an extent that his eyes were missing. They used the blade of the axe on Josiah while using the blunt end on the rest of the victims. They proceeded into the children's rooms and bludgeoned Herman, Katherine, Arthur and Paul in the head in the same manner as their parents. They returned to the master bedroom to inflict more blows on the elder Moores, knocking over a shoe that had filled with blood, before moving downstairs to the guest bedroom and killing Ina and Lena.
Investigators believed that all of the victims except for Lena Stillinger had been asleep when murdered. They thought that she was awake and tried to fight back, as she was found lying crosswise on the bed, and with a defensive wound on her arm. Lena's nightgown was pushed up to her waist and she was wearing no undergarments, leading to law enforcement speculation that the killer(s) sexually molested her or attempted to do so.
Investigation [ edit ]
Over time, many possible suspects emerged, including Reverend George Kelly, Frank F. Jones, William Mansfield, Loving Mitchell and Henry Lee Moore (no relation). George Kelly was tried twice for the murder. The first ended in a hung jury, while the second trial ended in an acquittal. Other suspects in the investigation were also exonerated.[4]
Andrew Sawyer [ edit ]
Every transient and otherwise unaccounted-for stranger was a suspect in the murders. One such suspect was a man named Andy Sawyer. No real evidence linked Sawyer to the crime, but his name came up often in grand jury testimonies.
According to Thomas Dyer of Burlington, Iowa, a bridge foreman and pile driver for the Burlington Railroad, S.A. (Andy) Sawyer approached his crew in Creston at 6:00 a.m on the morning the murders were discovered. Sawyer was clean-shaven and wearing a brown suit when he arrived. His shoes were covered in mud and his pants were wet nearly to the knees. He asked for employment and, as Dyer needed an extra man, he was given a job on the spot.
Dyer testified that later that evening when the crew reached Fontanelle, Iowa, Sawyer purchased a newspaper and went off by himself to read it. The newspaper carried a front page account of the Villisca murders and, according to Dyer, Sawyer "was much interested in it." Dyer's crew complained that Sawyer slept with his clothes on and was anxious to be by himself. They were also uneasy that Sawyer slept with his axe next to him; he often talked of the Villisca murders and whether or not a killer had been apprehended.
He reportedly told Dyer that he had been in Villisca that Sunday night and had heard of the murders. Afraid of being taken as a suspect, he had left and gone to Creston. Dyer was suspicious and turned him over to the sheriff on June 18, 1912.
Dyer later testified that prior to the sheriff's arrival, he walked up behind Sawyer. He was rubbing his head with both hands and suddenly jumped up and said to himself, "I will cut your god damn heads off." At the same time, he made striking motions with the axe and began hitting the piles in front of him.
Dyer's son (J.R.) testified that one day as the crew drove through Villisca, Sawyer told him he would show J.R. where the man who killed the Moore family got out of town. He said the man that did the job jumped over a manure box which he pointed out about 1½ blocks away, and then showed where he crossed the railroad track. J.R. said there were footprints in the soggy ground north of the embankment. Sawyer told J.R. to look on the other side of the car and said he would show him an old tree where the murderer stepped into the creek. According to J.R. Dyer, he looked over and saw such a tree south of the track about four blocks away.
Sawyer was dismissed as a suspect in the case when officials learned that he could prove he had been in Osceola, Iowa, on the night of the murders. He had been arrested for vagrancy there, and the Osceola sheriff recalled putting him on a train (to send him away) at approximately 11 p.m. that evening.
Reverend George Kelly [ edit ]
Kelly was an English-born traveling minister in town on the night of the murders. Kelly was described as peculiar, reportedly having suffered a mental breakdown as an adolescent. As an adult, he was accused of peeping and several times asking young women and girls to pose nude for him. On June 8, 1912, he came to Villisca to teach at the Children's Day services, which the Moore family attended on June 9, 1912. He left town between 5:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on June 10, 1912, hours before the bodies were discovered. Reverend Kelly had confessed to the murders in court, but the jury didn't believe his confession.
In the weeks that followed, he displayed a fascination with the case, and wrote many letters to the police, investigators, and family of the deceased. This aroused suspicion, and a private investigator wrote back to Reverend Kelly, asking for details that the minister might know about the murders. Kelly replied with great detail, claiming to have heard sounds and possibly witnessed the murders. His known mental illness made authorities question whether he knew the details because of having committed the murders or was imagining his account.
In 1914, two years after the murders, Kelly was arrested for sending obscene material through the mail (he was sexually harassing a woman who applied for a job as his secretary). He was sent to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, the national mental hospital in Washington, D.C. Investigators speculated again that Kelly could be the murderer of the Moore family.
In 1917, Kelly was arrested for the Villisca murders. Police obtained a confession from him; however, it followed many hours of interrogation and Kelly later recanted. After two separate trials, he was acquitted.
Frank F. Jones [ edit ]
Frank Fernando Jones was a Villisca resident and an Iowa State Senator. Josiah Moore had worked for Frank Jones at his implement store for many years before leaving to open his own store. Moore reportedly took business away from Jones, including a very successful John Deere dealership. Moore was rumored to have had a sexual affair with Jones’ daughter-in-law, though no evidence supports this.
William Mansfield [ edit ]
Another theory was that Senator Jones hired William "Blackie" Mansfield to murder the Moore family. It is believed that Mansfield was a serial killer because he murdered his wife, infant child and parents-in-law with an axe two years after the Villisca crimes. He is believed to have committed the axe murders in Paola, Kansas, four days before the Villisca crimes. He was also suspected in the double homicide of Jennie Peterson and Jennie Miller in Illinois. Each crime site was accessible by train, and all murders were carried out in virtually the same manner.
Mansfield was released after a special Grand Jury of Montgomery County refused to indict him, on grounds that his alibi checked out. Nine months before the murders at Villisca, a similar case of axe murder occurred in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Two axe murder cases followed in Ellsworth, Kansas, and Paola, Kansas. The cases were similar enough to raise the possibility of having been committed by the same person. Other murders reported as possibly being linked to these crimes include the numerous unsolved axe murders along the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1911–1912, the unsolved Axeman of New Orleans killings, as well as several other such murders during this time period.
The murders in Colorado Springs were closely related in execution to those in the Moore house. Nine months before the Villisca murders, H.C. Wayne, his wife and child and Mrs. A.J. Burnham were found dead in Colorado Springs, murdered by axes. The Colorado Springs Police found it difficult to believe that the same person could perpetrate a similar crime in a city. As in the Villisca murders, bed sheets were used to cover the windows to prevent passersby from looking in. At the Moore house, the murderer hung aprons and skirts to cover the windows. As in the murders in Villisca, the murderer in Colorado Springs wiped the blood off his axe and covered the heads of the victims with bed clothes.[4]
Mansfield was also the prime suspect of the Burns Detective Agency of Kansas City and Detective James Newton Wilkerson, who suggested that he was a cocaine-addicted serial killer. According to contemporary news reports, Wilkerson believed Mansfield was responsible for the axe murders of his wife, infant child, father-in law, and mother in law in Blue Island, Illinois on July 5, 1914 (two years after the Villisca murders), the axe murders committed in Paola, Kansas, four days before the Villisca murders, and the murders of Jennie Peterson and Jennie Miller in Aurora, Illinois.[5]
According to Wilkerson's investigation, all of the murders were committed in precisely the same manner, indicating that the same man probably committed them. Wilkerson stated that he could prove that Mansfield was present in each of the differing crime scenes on the night of the murders. In each murder, the victims were hacked to death with an axe and the mirrors in the homes were covered. A burning lamp with the chimney off was left at the foot of the bed and a basin in which the murderer washed was found in the kitchen. In each case, the murderer avoided leaving fingerprints by wearing gloves, which Wilkerson believed was strong evidence that the man was Mansfield, who knew his fingerprints were on file at the federal military prison at Leavenworth.
Wilkerson managed to convince a grand jury to open an investigation in 1916 and Mansfield was arrested and brought to Montgomery County from Kansas City. Payroll records, however, provided an alibi that placed Mansfield in Illinois at the time of the Villisca murders. He was released for a lack of evidence and later won a lawsuit he brought against Wilkerson and was awarded $2,225. Wilkerson believed that pressure from Jones resulted not only in Mansfield's release but also in the subsequent arrest and trial of Reverend Kelly.
However, R.H. Thorpe, a restaurant owner from Shenandoah, Iowa, identified Mansfield as the man he saw the morning after the Villisca murders boarding a train at Clarinda. This man said he had walked from Villisca. If proven to be true, this testimony would disprove Mansfield's alibi. Furthermore, it was reported that a Mrs. Vina Tompkins, of Marshalltown, was on her way to testify that she heard three men in the woods plotting the murder of the Moore family a short time before the killings.[citation needed]
Henry Lee Moore (no relation) [ edit ]
Henry Lee Moore
Henry Lee Moore was a suspected serial killer (who was not related to the slain Moore family) who was convicted of the murder of his mother and grandmother several months after the murders in Villisca, his weapon of choice being an axe. Before and after the murders in Villisca, the very similar axe murders on his mother and grandmother were committed, and all of the cases showed striking similarities, leading to strong suspicion that some, or all of the crimes were committed by an axe-murdering serial killer and, just like "Blackie" Mansfield, the axe-murdering Henry Moore can also be considered a suspect in some of these slayings.[6]
Sam Moyer [ edit ]
At the inquest, it was reported that Sam Moyer (Josiah's brother-in-law) often threatened to kill Josiah Moore; however, upon further investigation, Moyer's alibi cleared him of the crime.[7]
In popular culture [ edit ]
The paranormal reality television series Ghost Adventures covered the story of the Villisca axe murders, in the episode "Villisca Axe Murder House".[8]
The paranormal reality television series Scariest Places on Earth covered the story of the Vallisca axe murders and hosted a paranormal investigation on the property.
The case was profiled on the television series Most Terrifying Places in America.
The murders were also described in an Episode 16 of the podcast Lore, by Aaron Mahnke. As well as being referred to on the Lore tv show.
The murders and resulting paranormal activity was described in Episode 21 of the podcast “And That’s Why We Drink”.
The crime was also detailed in the August 3, 2017 episode of the podcast, Stuff You Should Know.[9]
The slayings were the subject of a book, Morning Ran Red, by Stephen Bowman.[10]
Tony E. Valenzuela directed a 2016 horror movie, The Axe Murders of Villisca. The film establishes Reverend Kelly as the killer (albeit while possessed).[11]
In their 2017 book The Man from the Train, Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James discuss the Villisca murders as part of a much larger series of murders which they believe were all committed by a single serial killer. They conclude the murderer was Paul Mueller, and that the crime was part of a killing spree that lasted over 10 years.[12]
See also [ edit ] |
Vegan Doctor Launches Farm-Based Practice in NJ
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A vegan doctor in New Jersey is shaking the medical world up, prescribing a plant based diet instead of pills for treating chronic diseases.
Internist Ronald Weiss has been treating patients in Hudson County for 25 years but recently he’s sold his practice and cashed in all his assets to buy a farm in which he grows his patients’ medicine.
“Human health is directly related to the health of the environment, the production of food and how it is grown,” said Weiss who has an undergraduate degree in botany at Rutgers College of Arts in Science. “I see this farm as an opportunity for me to take everything I’ve done all my life, all the biology and chemistry of plants I have studied, and link them to the human biological system.”
The 348-acre, 18th-century farm in Long Valley has 39 percent of its acreage reserved for agriculture. Two farmers maintain it along with with the 90 families that reap its benefits by paying a membership fee and volunteering picking potatoes and weeds.
While Weiss knows that the medical field hasn’t exactly been the most accepting of the idea that a plant based diet can cure chronic diseases, he is convinced that his methods work. To the non-believers, he references 90-year-old Angelina Rotella of West New York, a patient who came to him with congestive heart failure wheeled in by her daughter.
“I asked her, ‘Do you want me to call 911 and admit you to Palisades General? Or will you let me feed you sweet potatoes and kale?’ Amazingly enough, with the help of her daughter, she chose this,” Weiss said. “She doesn’t have diabetes anymore and chronic heart failure. She is cooking, sewing and walking around town. I’m not saying it’s easy, but she seized the opportunity and she is transformed.”
Her daughter, who diligently cooked the grains, steamed greens, fruit and water diet for her mother, called her transformation “more than a miracle.”
The farm also has a German stone barn that will be renovated so Weiss’ assistant, Asha Gala of Califon, can host cooking demonstrations and other programs. For the ones who can’t make it to the farm, though, the doctor will go to them and education on the benefits of a plant based diet is the first step in the process.
“I am not saying if you fall down and break your ankle, I can fix it by putting a salve of mugwort on it. You need someone to fix your fracture,” Weiss said. “I am talking about treating and preventing chronic disease — the heart attacks, the strokes, the cardiovascular disease, the cancers … the illnesses that are taking our economy and our nation down.Plant-based whole foods are the most powerful disease-modifying tools available to practitioners — more powerful than any drugs or surgeries.”
Via NJ.com
Photo Credit: Shutterstock |
TPP in the spotlight for Lee visit
With help from Adam Behsudi, Matt Korade and Doug Palmer
TPP IN THE SPOTLIGHT FOR LEE VISIT: Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit the White House this week, giving President Barack Obama an opportunity to restate his case that the TPP is too important to the country’s leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region to delay, an administrative official said.
Story Continued Below
One of Obama’s primary goals when Lee arrives for a state dinner Tuesday will be “lifting up the benefits” of TPP, Daniel Kritenbrink, top Asia policy adviser at the National Security Council, told Reuters on Friday.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and U.S.-ASEAN Business Council said they will host the prime minister at 6:30 p.m. for a “keynote address and a conversation” on Singapore’s top economic and trade priorities as well as TPP’s importance.
Lee’s visit comes as the Obama administration continues to urge Congress to consider the geostrategic importance of approving the trade deal with Singapore and 10 other Pacific Rim countries, despite opposition to the pact from both U.S. presidential candidates. GOP leaders in Congress have expressed concerns about provisions in the deal that would exempt the tobacco industry from investor-state dispute settlement procedures and limit intellectual property protections for biologic drugs.
IT’S MONDAY, AUG. 1! Welcome to Morning Trade and to August, in which two of your three hosts celebrate birthdays — as does USTR Michael Froman. Want to talk trade news? You know where to find me: mcassella@politico.com or @mmcassella.
COMMERCE BUSTS OUT STEEL DATA: The Commerce Department is set to unveil another tool in the fight against the flood of steel goods that has been causing a glut in the world market. The department’s “Global Steel Trade Monitor” report, being released this morning, will begin to document trade flows of the world’s top 20 steel importing and exporting countries. The report will inform a monitoring program that will be up and running by 2017. Reports on the 10 next-largest steel importing and exporting countries will be released in the coming months, Commerce said in a press release.
Today’s report will provide a broad set of data on the steel trade, allowing the industry to compare markets and evaluate trends. Read it here.
Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker will be rolling up her sleeves at a Cleveland steel plant today when she visits an ArcelorMittal production line with Sen. Sherrod Brown. After her tour, Pritzker will participate in a roundtable where she will hear from steel company representatives and workers about the impact of the global steel crisis.
FROMAN TO VISIT VIETNAM THIS WEEK: Ahead of the ASEAN trade ministers meeting on Friday, Froman is headed to Vietnam to hold talks with his counterparts in Hanoi, the USTR said. The trip comes as prospects for congressional approval of the TPP look increasingly in doubt.
During the mid-week visit, Froman will have a chance to brief Vietnamese officials on the administration’s plans for winning approval of the pact before he leaves office in January and discuss concerns over how Hanoi would implement the pact.
Tami Overby, senior vice president for Asia at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told Pro Trade’s Doug Palmer last week that she was "hearing rumblings of countries slowing down reform" because of their concern that the U.S. Congress might not pass the TPP this year. After Hanoi, Froman will head to Vientiane, Laos, for the annual ASEAN ministers meeting, which includes other TPP partners, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.
LANDING ZONE SETTLED IN ENVIRONMENTAL PACT: The 17 WTO members involved in an environmental tariff-elimination agreement settled on applying the cuts to more than 300 products during the 15th round of negotiations last week. The development sends the signal that the deal can be wrapped up before the end of the year, as members are hoping, a Geneva official said.
The members also tentatively agreed on dates for a series of meetings on the deal before the end of the year, including one in December, when they hope talks will wrap up.
BUSINESS GROUPS HOLD OUT HOPE FOR TPP: Leading TPP supporters in the business, agriculture and manufacturing communities say they remain optimistic about the deal’s chances of approval despite the mounting negativity surrounding it coming from both sides of the political aisle. Supporters are doing all they can to continue to try to win congressional votes for the deal, including during the summer recess. Their efforts range from inviting lawmakers out for factory visits and talking to them while they attend county fairs to placing op-eds in regional newspapers. And they’re confident all this will pay off.
“When you see trade, when it’s just a sign being waved on a convention floor ... that’s one thing,” Kevin Madden, a strategist working with the Trade Benefits America Coalition, told yours truly. But when it’s “somebody who has a small- or medium-size enterprise in your local economy, who is directly responsible for the employment of people whose jobs are tied to exporting ... that has an impact on lawmakers,” he said. “And that’s important.”
Back-to-back party conventions magnified loud anti-TPP voices that don’t understand all the facts, supporters say. They point to opinion polls showing that a majority of Americans do support free trade and say that in the end lawmakers will vote in the interests of their districts rather than follow the positions of those at the top of the ticket.
“This is not any kind of freak-out moment,” said John Michael Gonzalez, a Democratic lobbyist and strategist who works on trade. “We’ve been here before. And I know how this story ends.” Read the full story here.
WHITE HOUSE HOPES ON TPP STILL HIGH: Despite all the trade-bashing at the Democratic convention last week, Obama is singing the same tune as the business community and pushing for the deal to be wrapped up this year, a White House spokesman said Friday. At a daily press briefing, deputy White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters that the president is “acutely aware” of the political challenges surrounding the trade deal but was nonetheless focused on winning support for it from members of Congress of both parties.
Asked if the White House will be pushing for a lame-duck vote despite Hillary Clinton’s disapproval of the deal, Schultz responded: “The President absolutely believes this deal should pass this year.”
EU DEMANDS IMPROVEMENTS TO U.S. TISA OFFER: A leaked document obtained by POLITICO shows that the EU has a list of complaints about the United States’ market access offer in the Trade in Services Agreement, throwing into question whether the deal can be concluded by the end of the year, as the U.S. hopes.
In the document, dated to June, the EU is accusing the U.S. of not meeting the level of liberalization of past trade deals or even some of its commitments in the WTO’s General Agreement on Trade in Services. On the movement of people, the EU is demanding that the U.S. make commitments at least to the level of the GATS. It also wants the U.S. to remove U.S. citizenship requirements that many states have for the incorporation of insurance companies or membership on their boards of directors.
In financial services, the EU wants Washington to drop its reservations about allowing foreign firms to provide housing finance products, and in telecommunications, Brussels wants the U.S. to remove equity caps and make market access commitments on mobile, satellite and other basic telecom services.
While Brussels has drawn fire over the limitations of its market access offer in TISA negotiations, the document shows the EU has some complaints of its own. The 23 participants involved in the talks are scheduled to exchange revised offers by October.
FINALLY, A TRADE JOKE! Former U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab sounded a little glum during a call on Friday to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the United Kingdom arising from its decision to the leave the European Union, and mused briefly on the trade discourse in the U.S. presidential campaign. But she leavened the mood by telling an old story — though if you’re like our Doug Palmer, you might have to look it up to get the joke.
“For those of us in ... the field of trade policy, trade negotiations, trade politics, this is not a particularly happy time virtually anywhere in the world,” Schwab said during the call. “Certainly if you’re following U.S. trade politics, this is not the happiest of moments. But I recall an old joke that Ronald Reagan used to tell, [although] the story goes back much farther than that. The punch line is ‘there must be a pony in there somewhere.’ If you don’t know the story, feel free to Google it, but I’m going to try to end on an upbeat note.”
INTERNATIONAL OVERNIGHT
— Australia has moved negotiating a free trade deal with Indonesia to the top of its to-do list amid uncertainty over whether the U.S. will approve TPP, the Australian Financial Review reports.
— Sen. Lindsey Graham says trade agreements would give South Carolina’s auto industry a boost, the Charleston Post and Courier reports.
— Hong Kong’s position as a “super-connector” to global trade opens the city up to becoming a fundraising platform for money laundering and terrorist activity, the South China Morning Post reports.
— Argentina and Mexico have agreed to deepen commercial ties, setting the groundwork for a bilateral free trade agreement, Reuters reports.
THAT'S ALL FOR MORNING TRADE! See you again soon! In the meantime, drop the team a line: abehsudi@politico.com and @ABehsudi; mcassella@politico.com and @mmcassella; dpalmer@politico.com and @tradereporter; mkorade@politico.com and @mjkorade; and jhuffman@politico.com and @JsonHuffman. You can also follow @POLITICOPro and @Morning_Trade.
** A message from The Alliance for American Manufacturing: American manufacturing is booming, outpacing private sector job creation. Factories are looking to hire more than 400,000 workers. The steel industry is adding jobs and making new investments; imports are down and production is up. Congress shouldn’t roll back this progress by weakening trade enforcement. Opening our communities to a flood of imported Chinese steel will undermine our national security and jobs. Learn more here. ** |
A HEROIC Londoner fought the three jihadis with his bare hands to allow others to escape.
“I took a few steps towards them and said, ‘F*** you, I’m Millwall’” Roy Larner Roy Larner was enjoying a few beers in Borough Market when the three London Bridge terrorists burst into the pub, brandishing huge knives. The twisted jihadis then started chanting “Islam, Islam”, and looked for defenceless revellers to attack. But Roy stood his ground and launched himself at the group, saving the lives of others who managed to escape.
FACEBOOK LION HEART: Roy risked his life to save others
Police RAIDS sweep across the capital Police RAIDS sweep across the capital looking for terror suspects in connection to the London Bridge terror attack. 1 / 30 AFP/Getty Images Police escort a person with their head covered to a police van
He told the Sun: “They had these long knives and started shouting about Allah. Then it was, ‘Islam, Islam, Islam’. “Like an idiot I shouted back at them. I thought, ‘I need to take the p*** out of these b******s’.” “I took a few steps towards them and said, ‘F*** you, I’m Millwall’. So they started attacking me.”
GETTY RIP: Mourners gathered near London Bridge
Roy revealed the group carried on attacking him and stabbed him eight times. He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition and required surgery due to wounds on his head, fingers and chest. But Roy has now been taken off the critical list and is recovering.
UNBROKEN: Business as usual as London goes back to work Londoners staunchly refused to be cowed by the horrific terror attack on London Bridge, as the city declared business as usual and went back to work 1 / 18 Getty Images A woman carries a Union Flag as she walks with other commuters across London Bridge after it was reopened
The brave Millwall fans has now been dubbed the “Lion of London Bridge” after his exploits. A petition has also been started for be given a George’s Cross for his bravery. Pal Archie Webber-Brown wrote: “Roy Larner charged at the terrorists on London Bridge in order to try to stop them and help others escape.
GETTY TERROR: 48 people were injured in the attack |
He wisely pulled out of the Paris Accord -- something always billed as a perfectly voluntary agreement of nations. Had it been more transparently called a "treaty" the “Accord” would never have passed even minimal scrutiny and constitutionally mandated Senate approval. So it combines bad science, bad economics, and bad politics.
This week, President Trump showed once again that, unlike his predecessor, he reads the fine print, and is not swayed by the unscientific blather of the internationalists who use fine talk to cover power-grabbing, anti-Americanism, and corruption.
Here are some of the provisions, not reported by the mainstream press, which underscore that it was no more than a redistribution scheme designed to hamper U.S. competitiveness papered over by gaseous, meaningless platitudes about saving mankind.
It was designed to limit American competitiveness and, at best, could have done virtually nothing to affect the climate while impoverishing us and displacing U.S. workers.
[L] isten to the words of former United Nations climate official Ottmar Edenhofer: "One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with the environmental policy anymore, with problems such as deforestation or the ozone hole," said Edenhofer, who co-chaired the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change working group on Mitigation of Climate Change from 2008 to 2015. So what is the goal of environmental policy? "We redistribute de facto the world's wealth by climate policy," said Edenhofer. For those who want to believe that maybe Edenhofer just misspoke and doesn't really mean that, consider that a little more than five years ago he also said that "the next world climate summit in Cancun is actually an economy summit during which the distribution of the world's resources will be negotiated." Mad as they are, Edenhofer's comments are nevertheless consistent with other alarmists who have spilled the movement's dirty secret. Last year, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of U.N.'s Framework Convention on Climate Change, made a similar statement. "This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time, to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the Industrial Revolution," she said in anticipation of last year's Paris climate summit.
If you had any doubt about the redistribution aim, consider this: To date the U.S. has contributed $1 billion to the Accord's "Green Fund" and all the other signatories have contributed exactly nothing to it.
Neither President Donald Trump nor his secretary of state is confused about the country he represents nor stupid enough to believe that he represents Paris rather than Pittsburgh. Unlike those two, they read the fine print.
If I had a single complaint about Trump’s well-presented statement on withdrawing from the Accord, it would be that he neglected to note that the United States has been able to achieve greater environmental protection and energy efficiency precisely because the benefits of our economic system provide needed capital for such advances in environmental protection. Surplus capital put into research and new technologies does more for the planet than surplus cash in the pockets of Euro autocrats and their friends.
By way of example, energy producers and users in the U.S. have also been able to reduce emissions because natural gas is more economical, not because Juncker and his pals ordered it.
In curbing global-warming emissions, economics will pick up where President Donald Trump left off. Trump might have just pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord, an international pact to fight global warming. But market forces will continue to squeeze carbon dioxide out of the U.S. power mix as generators replace costly and aging coal-fired units with cheaper, cleaner-burning natural gas ones, according to William Nelson, an analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. And for every megawatt-hour of electricity produced from gas rather than coal, the U.S. is keeping about 0.6 metric ton of emissions out of the air, he said.
Once again, like Toto in The Wizard of Oz, Trump has drawn away the curtain that hid from the public the knowledge that the Wizard was simply a goofy old fat guy with his hands on the levers.
If Obama really thought the Accord was something Americans wanted, why didn’t he follow the Constitution and get Senate approval? His party held the reins then. Maybe because he thought he was too clever?
The Constitution requires the Senate to ratify treaties by a two-thirds supermajority in part to ensure that the United States speaks with a single, consistent voice on the international stage. It was President Obama who offered the world an unwise commitment for which he got nothing in return. It was Obama who refused to submit that commitment for Senate approval because he knew he did not have it.
Did he rely on the blinkered Department of State to help him avoid the clear terms of the Constitution? If the agreement was purely voluntary and did not bind us as treaty would have, why the need to publicly withdraw from It? Well, Andy McCarthy explains the trick Obama tried to pull off:
...in 1970, President Richard M. Nixon signed a monstrosity known as the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Think of it as “the treaty on treaties” -- even though you probably thought we already had an American law of treaties. Under Article 18 of the treaty on treaties, once a nation signs a treaty -- or merely does something that could be interpreted as “express[ing] its consent to be bound by the treaty” -- that nation is “obliged to refrain from acts which would defeat the object and purpose of the treaty.” In other words, the Constitution notwithstanding, once a presidential administration signs or otherwise signals assent to the terms of an international agreement, the United States must consider itself bound – even though the Senate has not approved it, even though it has not been ratified. If a subsequent president wants to get the United States out from under this counter-constitutional strait-jacket, it is not enough merely to refrain from submitting the treaty to the Senate. The later president must take an affirmative action that withdraws the prior president’s assent. That is why Trump cannot not just ignore the Paris agreement; he needs to openly and notoriously pull out of it.[snip] How does that square with the Constitution? Wrong question. The right one, apparently, is: Who needs the Constitution when you have the State Department? That bastion of transnational progressives advises that, despite the lack of ratification under our Constitution, “many” of the treaty on treaties’ provisions are binding as -- what else? -- “customary international law.” President Trump is taking a significant step in removing the United States from the Paris agreement. But the step should not be significant, or politically fraught, at all. President Obama’s eleventh-hour consent to the agreement’s terms should have been nothing more consequential than symbolic pom-pom waving at his fellow climate alarmists. It should have had no legal ramifications.
The stock market reached new highs after Trump’s announcement. Scot Adams tweeted:
“Trump pulls out of Paris Accord, stocks rise. Why isn't the end of civilization priced into the market?”
As “Miss Marple” observes:
The most amazing thing about this election is how the curtains have been drawn back and we see people for what they really are. I have never seen anything like it. Most of the political class thrives on deception and role-playing. For some reason, President Trump causes them to blurt out revealing comments and take actions, which reveal who they really are. It's almost like they can't help it. National Review and The Weekly Standard could have simply talked about policy and critiqued some of Trump's platform without anyone thinking a thing about it. Instead, they went all in with mocking and demonizing him and continue to do so today. Why did they do that? What keeps Ben Sasse and Paul Ryan posing as virtuous nebbishes who look down on their own voters? Why does John McCain tour the world like some second rate Bond villain, making snarky comments about the President and hanging out with dubious foreign characters? The democrats are in an even worse position, because they have been revealed not only as elitists but as completely insane. I don't care whether we are talking about Hillary, or Tom Perez, or Debbie Wasserman-Schultz; they come off as completely unhinged. It's the most amazing thing in politics I have ever seen.
No one has proven more unhinged by events than Hillary Clinton. So far, despite taking “responsibility” for her loss, Hillary has placed the blame on 35 other people, events, and organizations, including her own DNC.
There’s no one else left for her to blame. May I suggest another: aliens from the planet Zorg abducted her would-be voters in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania on election day, then prodded and probed them into voting for Trump.
Like the EU leaders, she is too corrupt, incompetent, and unliked to be elected in her native land. And like them, she is cosseted by her retainers from knowing the truth.
Kyle Smith shows us how far removed from reality Hillary has become and why:
The funniest episode in the protective yet revealing new Hillary Clinton profile arrives when we learn that this sad, unemployed, 69-year-old lady is so desperate to keep her self-image alive that she still employs flunkies and retainers to treat her as though she actually were the president, or the secretary of state, or a president in waiting, or at very least the leader of the opposition. Her longtime loyalists are so happy to bustle around her in the service of maintaining the illusion that, after she takes an hour away from it all to exercise, her communications director, Nick Merrill, breathlessly updates her on everything that’s happened in the political world in the last threescore ticks of the minute hand. Her profiler, Rebecca Traister of New York magazine, obviously a great admirer but one who declines to throw herself overboard from reality for the sake of giving Hillary more company bobbing about in the sea of fancy, writes that Clinton “listens to the barrage of updates, nodding like a person whose job requires her to be up-to-date on what’s happening, even though it does not.” Ouch. Hillary Rodham Clinton isn’t merely in a state of denial. She has become Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense. Politically speaking, she is dead, but she doesn’t know it. Her staffers are so many Haley Joel Osments -- too kind (and too attached to their salaries) to tell her that her career is over. She doesn’t need briefings. She doesn’t need to do interviews. She doesn’t need to write the book she is writing (after so many indigestible volumes, why bother with one more?). She doesn’t need to stake out a politically nuanced position on James Comey’s firing or scramble to get out in front of the Resistance parade. She lost two exceedingly winnable presidential campaigns in Hindenburgian fashion. There is no demand for her to run again and there is nothing left for her except to receive whatever ceremonial honors and sinecures may come her way. She has been handed her political retirement papers by the American people. She’s done.
Also dead or almost dead, given the multitude of “investigations” pending, is her claim that the Russians did it. If you care to know the way in which this was confected and how stupid and counterfactual this is, the very best explanation is here. The meticulously documented timeline makes clear that “the corruption and manipulation of the 2016 election (and the months afterward) were the result of Leftist chicanery and not the fault of the Trump team.”
What remains of the Russian fairytale is the apparent widespread illegal use of the intelligence agencies and unmasking of Obama’s political opposition -- this week, even Senator Lindsey Graham indicated that he, too, had been illegally surveilled and unmasked. In the wake of the Democrats big lie, engendered by Hillary Clinton’s Norma Desmond-like refusal to acknowledge reality, the Democrats, Obama officials, and their media friends have done more to undermine America’s regard and trust of our intelligence agencies than the Russians could have ever hoped to accomplish. |
�apologized for SISTAR Soyu 's alleged "bad attitude" at a fan signing event on October 16.SISTAR held a fan signing for a shoe brand in Seoul's Time's Square earlier today, but some reporters seemed to have found Soyu's facial expressions and attitude inappropriate. According to reports, Soyu wasn't smiling, and she seemed to not be having a good time.�After her supposed "bad attitude" made headlines, Starship Entertainment came forward to explain and apologize. The agency explained that Soyu has still not recovered from her back injury, which occurred at the '' on September 20, and she's also suffering from the flu. She was also reportedly spotted in low spirits at the October 1st '', an October 8th fan signing, and on the 9th on ''.SISTAR's agency stated,In other news, Soyu's fans recently held a protest against �Starship Entertainment for supposedly overworking the idol.What do you think of this situation? |
I was at Trader Joe’s after picking up my meat CSA and they had some really good looking avocados. Admittedly, I don’t eat nearly as much avocado as I’d like. I’ve always been scared of figuring out which one is ripe enough to eat and having the timing work out so they’re not totally brown. Well, I’ve finally gotten over my fear and figured out the proper feeling procedure. Basically you want a deep brown / black avocado that is soft to the touch but not too soft. The advantage of avocados are that they’re a keto super food since they’ve got so much fat. So much so, that it actually makes this dish a perfect ratio which means that it already has the roughly 65% / 30% fat to protein mix. Its also a 5day dish meaning it works well to make on Sunday and eat all week. Anyway, I decided to make a chicken avocado casserole suitable for lunch! Here you can see the different stages of cutting up the avocado. For ideal ripeness, the color should be like on the left. Start by splitting the avocado in half and removing the pit. Then peel off the back skin and slice into sections as shown on the left. This avocado is a little brown in color but its still good. Then grease a baking dish and line with avocados. Don’t worry if you have more avocado than needed, we’ll throw it in the casserole. So I had some precooked chicken thighs that I’d frozen and just unthawed. I’ve started doing this sort of thing a lot now. Prepping more than I need of veggies, meats, etc and making them into little starter kits for meals. Saves a ton of time. See, now I buy a full bag of onions and then shred the whole bag using a food processor. Then I freeze it all and only use what I need. It also allows me to easily use exactly 150g of onions instead of the variability of a regular vegetable. I do the same thing for peppers. So fire up your cast iron and get cooking! Since we moved, I’ve started using splatter shields. Bacon grease used to get absolutely everywhere. The new place has a nice new stove and granite counter tops so I’m trying to keep it cleaner. Here are the onions caramelizing! Now do the same for the peppers. I normally use green peppers because they have less carbs, but all I had was a selection of smaller colored peppers. So ignore the colors and pretend I used green ones 🙂 Caramelized. Now throw everything in a huge prep bowl. Here’s the mixture after its been stirred. You can see bits of the left over avocado as well. After the mixture is combined, spread it over the avocado slices. Be a little careful to not spread out the avocado. And here’s the finished product sliced for lunch! This was a short week so I only made it for 6 but it would easily scale up to 10. Here’s a picture of the final product ready for lunch. I was concerned about the avocado staying good but it lasted all week (was also super yummy)!
Chicken Avocado Casserole Author: Caveman Keto Nutrition Information Serves: 6 Serving size: ⅙th
Calories: 549 Fat: 40g
Carbohydrates: 13g
Sodium: 465mg
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 39g
Cholesterol: 170mg Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 35 mins Print Ingredients 8 Boneless Chicken Thighs, cooked
4 Small Avocados
1 Medium Onion
1 Medium Pepper
8 Oz. Sour Cream
8 Oz. Cheddar Cheese
1 Tbsp Frank's Red Hot
Salt and Pepper to taste Instructions Preheat oven to 350 F Start by cooking the chicken thighs, for this recipe I had them already cooked, but just bake at 350 for 1.5 hours covered with some water or cube and pan fry until juices are clear Peel avocados, cut in half, and slice into thin strips Grease a baking dish and line the bottom with avocado slices, reserve any extra Cut the peppers and onions into strips and pan fry until caramelized Add the chicken into a large bowl and flake apart Add remaining ingredients, including any extra avocado, and mix Spoon mixture over the avocado slices Bake for 20 minutes 3.2.2708 |
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Catholic Church Facilitates Foreign Invasion As Paid Agitator
In an NTEB Special Report, we have recently received information that the Catholic Church received payments totalling $79,590,512.00 to facilitate the flow of undocumented and illegal immigrants into the United States in 2014. This is six million dollars more than they were paid in 2013. Now you know why Pope Francis is so eager to push Obama’s insane flood of illegal migrants, he’s getting paid millions to do it!
In the face of President Obama’s veto threat, the House passed a bill to slow Syrian refugees. But the Republican Congress also has the power to hold hearings into the millions of taxpayer dollars being funneled through Catholic and other church groups to bring them here. Many Catholics and non-Catholics alike would like to know how “religious compassion,” using federal money, is increasing the potential terrorist threat to America.
Pope Francis and the dirty money trail that leads to Obama
Now you know why Pope Francis pushes so very hard for “all the world” to take in these illegal Muslim migrants. He’s getting paid millions to do it. Someone once said that when something doesn’t make sense, there’s a buck in it. In this case, there were 79 million of them.
You may recall that Pope Francis promoted the Obama administration’s pro-immigration policies during his visit to the U.S. Left unsaid was the fact that the American branch of the Roman Catholic Church is getting millions of taxpayer dollars to settle refugees. According to their financial statement for 2014, the latest year for which figures are available, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops received over $79 million in government grants to provide benefits to refugees.
Ann Corcoran’s Refugee Resettlement Watch website notes that Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Syracuse, New York, was closed down by the Catholic Church and has been leased to an Islamic society which renamed it Mosque Of Jesus The Son Of Mary.
Slamming the door in the face of refugees would betray our deepest values. That’s not who we are. And it’s not what we’re going to do. — President Obama (@POTUS) November 18, 2015
“There are slim copper crescents where, for 100 years, there had been crosses,” reports Marnie Eisenstadt of the Syracuse Post-Standard and Syracuse.com. She adds, “The six crosses were removed and replaced at the end of June. Four of them were massive: 600 pounds of concrete each, and more than 4 feet tall. The step was the last, and most visible, in the building’s change from church to mosque.”
The situation is even worse in Europe, where Islam is replacing Christianity as the dominant religion. |
This paper presents a model to evaluate the nutritional status of trained athletes based on work in our laboratory as well as others. The model proposes that substrate use is set by the muscle fibers recruited, based on the exercise intensity. Second, the substrate available is primarily determined by the intramuscular stores. In trained athletes, intramuscular fat plays an important role in metabolism at exercise intensities as high as 80% of maximal aerobic power. Based on these factors, increasing the fat in the diet (while maintaining adequate intramuscular glycogen) increases VO2max and intramuscular stores of fat (presumably due to increased mitochondrial volume). These two factors result in a significant increase in the time to exhaustion at set levels of exercise (endurance). It also appears that fatigue is associated with depletion of either glycogen or fat. These conclusions hold true for athletes on diets where sufficient calories are taken in to meet demands and for exercise levels below 80% of VO2max, where primarily slow-twitch oxidative fibers are used. These data may not apply in exercise where predominantly fast-twitch fibers are used. Also, these data do not apply to runners eating a hypocaloric diet, where reducing the percentage of carbohydrates may compromise their glycogen stores. It would appear that the fat in the diet can be increased to a very high level without compromising the cardiovascular or immune systems of athletes. Moreover, it can be proposed that these data could be applied to sedentary persons, as long as they are isocaloric. This would imply that the fat consumed in the diet would be used in the muscle, as in the runners, although at a lower level. Thus, the dietary intake should be matched in both total calories and percentage of fats and carbohydrates to calories consumed by daily activity. It should be cautioned that if glycogen and fat stores are compromised, protein resynthesis is inhibited and loss of muscle mass may result. This has a negative effect on the athlete's ability to perform at high levels. |
Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
Dec. 5, 2017, 11:53 PM GMT / Updated Dec. 5, 2017, 11:56 PM GMT By Adam Reiss and Alex Johnson
President Donald Trump is immune from state court action, his attorney argued Tuesday in opposing a defamation lawsuit by a former "Apprentice" contestant who says Trump sexually assaulted her in 2007.
New York state Supreme Court Judge Jennifer Schechter heard arguments in Manhattan and said she would rule at a later date on the president's motion to dismiss the suit by Summer Zervos, who appeared on NBC's "The Apprentice" in 2006 when Trump was its host.
Summer Zervos, center, leaves state Supreme Court in New York City with attorneys Gloria Allred, left, and Mariann Meier Wang. Mary Altaffer / AP
Zervos is seeking an apology and $2,914 in damages, claiming that Trump defamed her when he ridiculed sexual misconduct allegations she made against him in the weeks before the presidential election as "all made up," adding: "Lies. Lies. No witnesses. No nothing. All big lies."
Zervos had alleged in October 2016 that Trump groped her and made other unwanted sexual contact multiple times during a business meeting at a hotel in Beverly Hills, California, in 2007.
Several other women have also accused the president of sexual harassment — he has denied all of the allegations.
Marc Kasowitz, the attorney for Trump, argued Tuesday that Trump's comments were protected political speech. In any event, he said, Schechter has no jurisdiction because "state court can't exercise any control over the president under any circumstances."
Related: The Allegations Women Have Made Against Donald Trump
Marc Kasowitz, an attorney for President Donald Trump, addresses the judge Tuesday in state Supreme Court in New York City. Andrew Kelly / Reuters
The motion to dismiss "has nothing to do with putting anyone above the law," Kasowitz said. Instead, he said, it's about "protecting the ability of the president to do his constitutionally mandated job."
Responding to Kasowitz's claim that Trump doesn't have time, as president, to deal with state lawsuits, Mariann Meier Wang, a lawyer for Zervos, said: "We can take a deposition down to Mar-a-Lago in between him going to play golf."
Wang further argued that no court has ever held that the president is immune to state lawsuits, pointing to a federal law that provides for the possibility by detailing how the president could seek to move a state lawsuit to federal court. |
Author: Malcolm Frazer
I went through a phase of streamlining my brewing process, not only for the potential time savings but for ingredient simplification, which involved narrowing down the yeast strains I use for certain styles. When it came to lagers, I ultimately settled on WLP833 German Bock yeast, which is purportedly from the great Ayinger Brewery in the Bavaria region of Germany. White Labs provides the following description of this yeast:
From the Alps of southern Bavaria, this yeast produces a beer that is well balanced between malt and hop character. The excellent malt profile makes it well suited for bocks, dopplebocks, and Oktoberfest-style beers. A very versatile lager yeast, it is so well balanced that it has gained tremendous popularity for use in classic American-style pilsners. Also good for helles-style lager beers.
I’ve been pleased with my decision to stick with this yeast, as it has a performed well for me in a variety of different lager styles, but it’s true that alternatives exclude and I began to wonder if I might be missing out on something special by not playing around with other lager yeasts. One such strain I’d been hearing a lot of positive reviews about from brewers I know to make great lagers is WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast due to its tendency to leave a bit more malt character and a touch of sulfur in beer. White Labs‘ description of WLP838 is as follows:
This yeast is characterized by a malty finish and balanced aroma. It is a strong fermenter that produces slight sulfur and low diacetyl.”
This sounded great and got me wondering how it might compare to my go-to. Time to put this one to the test!
| PURPOSE |
To evaluate the differences between two beers fermented with either WLP833 German Bock yeast or WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast.
| METHODS |
Determining the style of beer to brew for this xBmt was easy given the yeast strains being compared and the absence of a Pilsner on tap at my house.
Keine Medaille (Für Dich)
Recipe Details Batch Size Boil Time IBU SRM Est. OG Est. FG ABV 5.5 gal 70 min 44.3 IBUs 3.9 SRM 1.053 1.011 5.5 % Actuals 1.052 1.01 5.5 % Fermentables Name Amount % BEST Pilsen Malt (BESTMALZ) 10 lbs 92.22 Acid Malt 6 oz 3.46 CARAHELL® 6 oz 3.46 Melanoiden Malt 1.5 oz 0.86 Hops Name Amount Time Use Form Alpha % Liberty 25 g 70 min First Wort Pellet 4.6 Magnum 14 g 60 min Boil Pellet 12 Hallertau 28 g 10 min Boil Pellet 2.5 Hallertau 21 g 2 min Boil Pellet 2.5 Saaz 21 g 2 min Boil Pellet 2.2 Yeast Name Lab Attenuation Temperature German Bock OR Southern German Lager (WLP833 OR WLP838) White Labs 73% 48°F - 55°F Notes Water Profile: Ca 60 | Mg 5 | Na 12 | SO4 90 | Cl 45
After collecting my brewing liquor and adjusting it to my desired profile, I weighed out and milled the grains.
Since introduction of the variable would occur post-boil, I brewed a single batch using the batch sparge method to reduce the influence of extraneous variables. Once my strike water was adequately heated, I mashed in to come just a hair below my target mash temperature.
I pulled a sample from the mash about 15 minutes in to check the pH and discovered it was a little lower than the 5.3 I was targeting.
Following a 60 minute rest, I collected the first runnings of sweet wort then performed a batch sparge to reach my pre-boil volume. This was my first time using a fabric filter in my MLT, it not only resulted in clear wort immediately upon opening the valve, but cleaning up was a cinch.
I proceeded to boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times stated in the recipe.
With the boil finished, I used my IC to quickly chill the wort to slightly above my groundwater temperature before racking equal amounts to separate fermentors, doing my best to ensure both received similar amounts of kettle trub.
A hydrometer measurement at this point showed the wort was sitting at a respectable 1.052 OG, a couple points higher than expected. Two tears in a bucket…
Using a Ss Brewtech glycol system, I chilled the wort from 65°F/18°C to my desired pitching temperature of 48°F/9°C in mere minutes, it was nuts. I then set the temperature to maintain 50°F/10°C and pitched 3 fresh packs of either WLP833 German Bock yeast or WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast into each batch. While this was a minor underpitch according to convention, I was happy to see fermentation activity from both the following evening, though the WLP838 batch seemed to require a couple more hours to get going than the WLP833 batch.
I left the beers alone to ferment until both were absent of observable activity, which ended up taking the batch pitched with WLP838 a few days longer than the WLP833 batch.
Hydrometer measurements 13 days post-pitch showed the WLP833 beer was at 1.012 SG while the WLP838 beer was at 1.013 SG, the former presenting as much hazier with less perceivable sulfur in the aroma than the WLP838 beer
Using the glycol system, I began slowly reducing the temperature of the beers about 3°F/1.5°C per hour until they were at 35°F/2°C where they were left to lager until FG was reached.
After 2 weeks of lagering, I racked the beers to purged kegs via CO2 pressure.
The filled kegs were placed in my keezer where they were allowed to continue lagering while carbonating at serving pressure over a 2 week period. When it came time to collect data, the haze in the WLP833 beer had dropped out, making it look identical to the beer fermented with WLP838.
| RESULTS |
A panel of 32 people with varying degrees of experience participated in this xBmt. Each taster, blind to the variable being investigated, was served 2 samples of the beer fermented with WLP833 German Bock yeast and 1 sample of the beer fermented with WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast in different colored opaque cups then instructed to select the unique sample. With the given sample size, a total of 16 (p<0.05) correct selections would have been required to achieve statistical significance while 15 tasters (p=0.08) chose the different beer, indicating tasters were unable to reliably distinguish a beer fermented with WLP833 from one fermented with WLP838.
Even though less than half of the participants chose the odd-beer-out in the triangle test and significance was not reached, I figured some might be interested in the preference data obtained from only the 15 correct participants. Overall, 4 preferred the WLP833 beer, 5 liked the WLP838 beer more, 3 reported having no preference despite perceiving a difference, and 3 admitted to perceiving no difference.
My Impressions: Out of the 4 semi-blind triangle tests I attempted, I was correct 3 times, which surprised me given how similar the beers were in all respects. The only thing I felt made the beers discernible was my perception of a very slight sulfur character in the WLP838, which I was looking for since I noticed it in earlier samples of the unfinished beers. I truly don’t know if I would have been able to tell these beers apart if I wasn’t so intimately acquainted with them. Regardless, both were fantastic and I was happy to have them on tap!
| DISCUSSION |
WLP833 German Bock yeast is known by brewers the world over for being a reliable fermenter that produces crisp and clean beers with a slight edge toward malty while also keeping hops nicely balanced. It’s for these reasons I chose it as my house lager strain. One characteristic I’ve not experienced from this yeast is that subtle sulfur character that seems to bring out the “Germany” in certain lager styles, hence my interest in comparing it to WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast, which shares a similar description though is known for producing some sulfur.
From what could be objectively observed, WLP833 and WLP838 did perform differently during fermentation, with the WLP833 beer being quicker to start and finish fermenting as well as maintaining a hazier appearance longer than the WLP838 batch. This led me to believe there might be a difference in attenuation, but that turned out not to be the case, as they both achieved a similar FG. In the end, after a total of 4 weeks of lagering, the WLP833 beer dropped just as clear as the WLP838 beer, leaving them identical in appearance.
While I was able to choose the unique sample in 3 out of 4 biased triangle test attempts, I fully expected the one fermented with WLP838 to possess a stronger sulfur character than it did, but to me it wasn’t very different than the WLP833 beer at all. Influenced by this experience, I wasn’t surprised at all by the fact participants were unable to reliably tell them apart.
In the end, I’ll continue using WLP833 German Bock yeast when making lagers, but despite their similarities in terms of finished beer character, I definitely plan to integrate WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast into my rotation due largely to my preference for a yeast that clears so quickly. I look forward to seeing how this strain performs in maltier lager styles, which I’m sure will be great based on how well it did in this xBmt Pilsner.
If you have thoughts about this xBmt, please feel free to share in the comments section below!
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Reliving Wild 2015 4OT Auburn Win
How wild was it Oct. 24, 2015 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium?
Here’s what happened
Behind an electric crowd of 72,008 and a clutch performance by senior quarterback Brandon Allen, Arkansas downed Auburn 54-46 in four overtimes.
Overtime
Auburn struck first with a touchdown in the first overtime period, putting the Tigers up by seven. Fast forward a few plays and the Razorbacks were facing a 4th-and-3 from the 6-yard line when Allen connected with Drew Morgan through a tight window across the middle. PAT good, tie game.
Double Overtime
The Razorbacks kept possession of the ball in 2OT and took just three plays to punch it in. From three yards out Kody Walker ran it up the gut to put the Hogs back on top.
Triple Overtime
Here’s where things got really interesting. After back-to-back Auburn touchdowns on consecutive possessions in 2OT and 3OT, Arkansas had its back against the wall again, trailing by eight points. After Allen hit Morgan on a short pass down to the 4-yard line the Hogs faced a 4th-and-2 from the 4. Offensive Coordinator Dan Enos continued his hot streak of dialing up just the right play at the right time. Counter flip to the left and Walker walks into the end zone. Touchdown. Not tied yet.
Needing a 2-point conversion to tie the game, Allen rolled out right —rolled some more, hesitated, kept rolling– before rifling it to Jeremy Sprinkle near the front pylon in the end zone.
TIE GAME.
Fourth Overtime
On the first play of the fourth overtime, Allen connected with Morgan for a 25-yard go-ahead touchdown pass that would be the game winner.
On the Tigers’ next possession, the Razorback defense shut down the run on first down and forced three straight incomplete passes to close out the contest. |
Disclaimer: Traps are presented for information purposes only, they are dangerous, some lethally so. Using them is also illegal in all likelihood. Don't use them except in a survival situation. SPRING SNARE: Game running through the snare disengages the trigger bar,and the prey is flung off the ground. Use on game trails or in gaps through rocks or hedges. Cut a notch in triggerbar (a) to fit upright (b). Drive upright into ground. Attach snare to trigger bar, then trigger bar to sapling. BAITED SNARE: Construct as for spring snare but using the release mechanism shown. The bait support should be only lightly driven into the ground as it must fly away with the snare. LEG SNARE : Push a natural fork or two sticks tied together into the ground. The line from a sapling is tied to a wooden toggle and the toggle passed under the fork. When the game takes the bait, attached to a separate stick, it falls away releasing the toggle which flies up taking the snare and the game with it. Large versions are amongst the best snares or heavy game. PLATFORM TRAP: Site over a small depression on the game trail. Snares on the platforms either side, when the platform is depressed the trigger is released and the game held firmly by the leg. For smaller, lighter game use the mechanism shown in (a), displacing either the bottom bar or the toggle will trigger the trap. FIGURE 4 DEADFALL : A simple and effective deadfall trap, can be made to any size. A horizontal bait bar is is balanced at right angles to an upright with a lock bar, which supports a rock or other heavy weight pivoting around the tip of the upright. TRIPWIRE DEADFALL : A heavy log is suspended over a busy game trail, trips the wire and pulls a retaining bar from under two short pegs secured in a tree trunk. Keep the pegs as short as possible so that the bar will disengage easily. SPEAR DEADFALL : Same as tripwire deadfall but utilizing rocks to add weight and sharpened sticks to add trauma to the crushing blow. SPRUNG SPEAR TRAP : This is a VERY dangerous trap, it should always be constructed and approached from behind the spring of the trap, only attempt if you are confident that your cordage and other materials are strong enough. A springy shat with spear attached is suspended over a trail. A slip ring made of SMOOTH material is attached to a trip wire and acts as a release mechanism. A toggle (a) and short line to a fixed upright hold the sprung shaft in tension. A further rod through the ring is tensed between the near side of the sprung shaft and the far face of the upright, securing until tripped. BAITED HOLE NOOSE : This trap is very useful for scavengers, drive 4 sharpened sticks into the pit, through the edges. Lay a noose across them attached to a peg outside the pit. |
Ed Orgeron was successful as the interim coach for USC last year, but he did not get the full-time job. (Photo11: Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The coach is roaring again. Ed Orgeron is expounding on his keys to running a successful college football program, pounding his fist for emphasis, when he comes to another important point:
"Cookies!"
Everyone laughs. But Orgeron is not kidding.
"There weren't any cookies on the menu," he says. "I fed 'em cookies the first night — they ate 500!"
In his mind, adding treats to the training table was an essential piece of changing the vibe at USC last season, a factor in the Trojans' dramatic turnaround under his leadership after Lane Kiffin was fired.
During an appearance Monday at the Little Rock Touchdown Club — coincidentally, exactly a year after Orgeron was named the Trojans' interim head coach — he made it clear that he wants to coach again. His rambling speech, peppered with anecdotes, delivered in that familiar, gravelly Cajun drawl, could easily have served as a pitch to an athletic director or a search committee.
Maybe because that's essentially what it was.
"You send a message out every time you speak," Orgeron told USA TODAY Sports afterward.
The message then, with Kansas and SMU already open — with others sure to open soon — is this: Orgeron is available, a candidate with head-coaching experience, serious recruiting chops and the ability to fire up, well, just about anybody.
"I have a lot of good stories to tell," he says to the crowd, but then adds: "I've been out of work eight months, and somebody asks me, 'Coach, I'll bet you can't wait to get back to work! What are you missing?' I told him:
"'I can't wait to be the boss of something again. Somebody's gonna listen to me — you married men understand what I'm talking about."
And then, Orgeron launches into the story of how he caught his first big break, way back in 1986, with a phone call that came while he was "shoveling shrimp" back home in Louisiana. Did he want to become an assistant strength coach at Arkansas?
"I threw that shrimp shovel into the bayou," he says, "and then I asked, 'Where's Arkansas?' "
A few minutes later, while explaining his philosophy on recruiting, Orgeron says: "You've got to recruit the mama — and I'm good at that."
Everyone laughs again. And over the next 40 minutes or so, it's obvious the audience in the hotel banquet room understands what Orgeron is talking about.
"Look, everything happens for a reason," he says, referring to the USC job he wanted on a permanent basis, but didn't get. "Right now I don't know what that reason is, why I didn't become a head coach. But I'll soon find out. I believe that."
Kansas? You bet he's interested.
"It's a Power Five (job)," he told USA TODAY Sports. "(Mark) Mangino went 12-1 and went to the Orange Bowl. It's in a great conference. His staff proved that you can do it."
And if the program is mired at the bottom of the Big 12? So what?
"It's a challenging job," he said. "But most jobs you get, there's gonna be some things you're gonna have to fix."
Until Orgeron gets that chance somewhere, he'll wait, back home in Mandeville, La. He says it's been good to be able to spend time with his wife and three sons, who have lived there since he spent the 2008 season with the New Orleans Saints. But the challenge has been to stay busy enough to avoid going stir-crazy.
Take last weekend. Orgeron watched his son Parker play for Mandeville High — "eight receptions for 103 yards," he notes. He got to the game really early, because he loves soaking up the atmosphere. But also because he misses the game.
The offseason was the worst. After 27 years on a coach's calendar — the majority of those as an assistant, with multiple recruiting trips — the free time was, well, "boring." And if August, when preseason camps started and he didn't, was tough, the season has been almost a respite.
After the Friday night lights, Orgeron got in a workout Saturday morning, then grilled steaks for a family football feast. He flipped channels all day long, from one game to another. Late that night — he would not miss it — he watched USC's win against Oregon State. Sunday, it was church, then the NFL. And then it was back to the weekdays.
"Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday can get a little sluggish," he says.
His three-year stint as head coach at Ole Miss from 2005-07 didn't go well — 3-8, 4-8, 3-9, with only three SEC wins. But last season, after Kiffin's departure, he led the Trojans to six wins in their final eight games.
"We had an unbelievable turnaround," he says, and it was so good, he sincerely believed he might get the job. When it went to Steve Sarkisian, Orgeron went home to Mandeville.
"Really, not getting the job for me was like a divorce or a death in the family," he says a few moments later. "It was something you've kind of just got to get over, you know? I am now, in a positive way — but it just took a little while."
Orgeron says he learned plenty from mistakes made his first time around as a head coach, when he went in with the hard-charging, ultra-aggressive mentality of a defensive line coach. The story might be apocryphal, but it's been told often that in an early team meeting with the Rebels, he tore off his shirt.
"I don't do that anymore," Orgeron says. "It was a little too much."
Instead, when Orgeron convened the players and staff at USC after Kiffin was let go, he had everyone play tug-of-war. Really. The offensive line squared off against the defensive line. Running backs against linebackers. Receivers against defensive backs. And then, the school's administration took on the football coaches.
Orgeron asked each group: "Who won?" And then he asked everyone to grab hold of the rope and pull in the same direction.
For eight games, the Trojans seemed to do just that. After an upset of Stanford at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the crowd stormed the field.
"I believe I put my résumé out on the TV those last eight games," he says. "They know who I am and what I've done."
It was more than cookies. Orgeron says he's learned to treat players like sons, and that he's also determined to treat assistants with respect, loosening their schedules to allow for free time. There's more, but his approach might best be distilled to three simple sentences: "Play with energy. Have fun. Loosen up."
While he waits, Orgeron seems to be living the message he's preaching.
"I'm 53," he says. "I'm full of fire. I'm ready to go again."
Anybody listening is probably ready, too. |
ALEX BLUMBERG, Radio Journalist:
When I think about good tape, what I think about is some — is tape that is arresting. You don't want to stop listening to it. You can't stop listening to it.
Great tape is tape where there's a lot of truth. There's a media study where they were trying to figure out, like, through which media is it easier to lie? And so they planted a false story in a TV program, in a radio program and in a print story. The easiest medium through which to detect the lie was radio. You can hear authentic emotion. You can hear people telling the truth.
I have learned to try to create the conditions where good tape will occur. When I was just beginning, I would go out and I would do an interview, and I would have the feeling like something was there, but I hadn't gotten it. And then I would listen back to my tape, and I would just hear myself ruining moment after moment.
It was just learning to shut up and just sort of like not fill the silence. Let people continue to talk. We don't want to just engage people on a deep, emotional — on a deep, emotional level, you know, while we're riding the elevator with them or in the subway with them.
And so we develop these defenses. And so a lot of it is just sort of trying to figure out, like, no, no, no, don't go, like, the small talk route, which is, like, sort of programmed into us.
And when you actually sit in the silences, it feels incredibly uncomfortable. It just feels like, oh, my God, I'm just sitting here and this person is like mad or angry or upset or — and I should be saying something.
I think that's the way we feel a lot of time. I don't think it's actually true. If you are comfortable with them sitting in silence and really experiencing an emotion, they feel comfortable, too. But it's just — when it's happening, in the moment, it just feels like it's going on forever.
Those are the moments that are amazing on the air. Like, those are the moments where it's just sort of, like, sort of raw, electric silence. You know, that's what you're going for.
My name is Alex Blumberg, and this is my Brief But Spectacular take on good tape. |
NATO released satellite images on Thursday of what it said were Russian artillery, vehicles and troops in and around eastern Ukraine, just as Ukrainian officials said Russian troops in armored vehicles captured the Ukrainian town of Novoazovsk, along its southeastern coastline.
The satellite photos appear to show Russian vehicles and troops in numerous locations. NATO officials said that the first image below shows a convoy with self-propelled artillery in the area of Krasnodon, Ukraine, inside territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists on Aug. 21. The Ukrainian military has not moved this far inside separatist-controlled territory, so NATO officials said they are confident the equipment is Russian:
This second image shows Russian artillery units setting up positions in Krasnodon, NATO officials said. Vehicles believed to be carrying ammunition and supplies are alongside them.
“This configuration is exactly how trained military professionals would arrange their assets on the ground, indicating that these are not unskilled amateurs, but Russian soldiers,” NATO officials said.
The image below shows shows a staging area for military equipment on the Russian side of the border, near Rostov-on-Don, NATO said. It appears to be about 31 miles from the border crossing in Dovzhansky, Ukraine.
The photo below, to the left, was taken June 19, and shows the area mostly empty. The photo to the right was taken Aug. 20, and shows Russian tanks, armored personnel carriers, trucks and tents, NATO officials said. Russia is said to have set up similar encampments on other areas of the border:
NATO says this next photo, taken July 23, appears to show six Russian 153mm artillery guns in Russian near Kuybyshevo. It’s four miles south of the Ukrainian border, within range of dropping shells over the border. The guns are pointed north, toward Ukraine, NATO says.
NATO says this last photo, below, shows a wider view of the guns in the previous image. The firing positions of the artillery pieces are circled in red, and indicate “it would be impossible NOT to fire into Ukrainian territory,” NATO says.
The photos were taken by a company called DigitalGlobe. Based in Longmont, Colo., they take high-resolution satellite photos across the world.
The photos were released after days of increasing tension between the two countries. On Tuesday, Ukrainian forces said they had captured 10 Russian paratroopers in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Ukraine also released video of what they said was a Russian tank in Novoazovsk, the coastal town officials in Kiev said Russian troops had captured:
Ukraine's Security Council released video of what it says is a Russian tank in the southeastern town of Novoazovsk, bolstering claims that "Russian military boots are on Ukrainian ground." (Reuters)
Moscow will consider the activity of NATO forces near Russia’s borders in its own military planning, Russia’s envoy to NATO told the Interfax news agency Thursday.
“Obviously, we will take into consideration the configuration and activity of the NATO forces at the Russian borders in our military planning, and will take all that is necessary to reliably provide security and to ensure safety against any threats,” envoy Alexander Grushko told Interfax.
As this Washington Post map shows, Russian-backed separatists do not control as much territory in eastern Ukraine as they did in June. But they still have strong influence across the region, and control of several key areas, including the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which U.S. officials say was shot down by a surface-to-air missile July 17.
Based on news reports and the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. (Gene Thorp/ The Washington Post) |
Oregon State athletic department officials have Eastern Washington coach Beau Baldwin on a list of prospective candidates for the Beavers' head football coaching vacancy, according to a source with knowledge of the hiring process.
An EWU athletic department spokesman declined to comment Monday on whether OSU has asked the Eagles for permission to interview Baldwin.
Multiple news outlets have mentioned Baldwin in recent days as a possible successor to Mike Riley, who left OSU for Nebraska late last week after 14 years — 12 consecutive — in Corvallis. Since replacing Paul Wulff at EWU in 2008, Baldwin is 66-24. The 42-year-old has led the Eagles to four Big Sky Conference titles in five years, won the 2010 FCS national title and opened the 2013 season with a win over OSU at Reser Stadium.
Baldwin, who grew up in Tacoma, is considered an innovative offensive mind with a proven track record recruiting the Northwest. The majority of his roster is from west of the Cascades.
"By no means would I not be interested in hearing from a school at the Pac-12 level," Baldwin told The Spokesman-Review last week.
On Monday morning, 247sports.com's Josh Newberg reported that OSU has contacted former Michigan coach Brady Hoke. Hoke was a Beavers assistant from 1989-94, and he served as a Michigan assistant under then-Wolverines senior associate athletic director — and current OSU athletic director Bob De Carolis — from 1995-98.
-- Connor Letourneau | @ConnOregonian |
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) plans to announce that he will retire rather than seek reelection in 2014, according to Democratic strategists familiar with his plans, ending one of the most influential congressional careers of his generation.
These two remain tied for our 10th spot. The GOP got some good news and bad news in the last month as top potential recruit Rep. Mike Rogers opted not to run but former secretary of state Terri Lynn Land jumped in the race. Republicans at least have a statewide winner on the ballot against Rep. Gary Peters (D), left. As for Georgia, Democrats are still waiting on Michelle Nunn to get in, and the crowded GOP primary field has yet to really take shape. Both remain uphill climbs for the opposition party. (Previous ranking: 10)
10. Georgia (Republican-controlled)/Michigan (Democratic-controlled) (tie) These two remain tied for our 10th spot. The GOP got some good news and bad news in the last month as top potential recruit Rep. Mike Rogers opted not to run but former secretary of state Terri Lynn Land jumped in the race. Republicans at least have a statewide winner on the ballot against Rep. Gary Peters (D), left. As for Georgia, Democrats are still waiting on Michelle Nunn to get in, and the crowded GOP primary field has yet to really take shape. Both remain uphill climbs for the opposition party. (Previous ranking: 10) Carlos Osorio/AP
The 2014 midterm elections are just around the corner. These are the races to watch.
The 2014 midterm elections are just around the corner. These are the races to watch.
The 2014 midterm elections are just around the corner. These are the races to watch.
Baucus, 71, first elected in 1978,has been the top Democrat on the powerful committee since 2001. At times infuriating his Democratic colleagues, Baucus worked with Republicans to co-write the Bush-era tax cuts and the Medicare prescription drug plan, but he also served as the lead defender against George W. Bush’s 2005 effort to partially privatize Social Security and played a critical role in writing President Obama’s national health-care plan.
Baucus, from conservative-leaning Montana, has voted against Democratic initiatives on some social issues, most recently last week’s effort to create an expanded background check system for gun purchases. Republicans have been trying to land a top recruit to challenge Baucus, who despite his unpolished public image has been one of the savviest political operators among Mountain West Democrats.
He repeatedly won tough reelection battles and graduated from his staffs some of his party’s most influential political advisers and K Street lobbyists, establishing a Baucus alumni network that was envied by other senators and reviled by ethics watchdogs.
Despite Obama’s double-digit defeat in Montana, Democrats intend to vigorously defend the seat. The leading potential Democratic candidate is former governor Brian Schweitzer, a popular figure who at times has feuded with Baucus over local political issues in the Big Sky state. In February, Schweitzer hinted at a potential run in a Facebook post.
Emerging from a private huddle with members of the Finance Committee, Baucus acknowledged the news but declined to formally confirm it, saying he had to go address his staff. "You guys are really good. You get wind of stuff awfully quickly," Baucus told reporters. "Which means it's sort of changed my schedule today. ... I've got people I need to talk to first."
The Baucus retirement also could have dramatic policy consequences. No longer bounded by his own 2014 reelection, Baucus can now push for comprehensive tax reform without concerns about the political ramifications, his allies say.
He and Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the term-limited chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, could jump-start tax reform with both men looking toward their legislative legacy rather than their political fallout within their respective caucuses.
Baucus’s offfice has been in touch with Camp's advisers and the two chairmen are expected to speak later Tuesday, advisers said.
His retirement is the latest blow to the Senate’s tradition of “Old Bulls," the powerful committee chairmen who in the past ruled their panels with strong determination and a freedom from party leaders.
In the past several months, Baucus has been in an open feud with Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), a member of leadership and senior Finance Committee member, over tax reform. Baucus has been willing to proceed with a plan that would eliminate loopholes and deductions to use that additional revenue for a broad-based lowering of corporate and personal tax rates.
Reid and Schumer want to use that revenue from loophole closing to reduce the deficit. Inside the Democratic caucus, many junior Democrats have chafed at Baucus’s power on finance, pushing leadership to rein him in, and some have even promoted the prospect of imposing term limits on chairmen. Those proposals have so far been brushed aside by Reid’s leadership team.
Baucus joins five other committee chairmen who have decided to retire rather than run for reelection, including Sens. John D. “Jay” Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), 75, chairman of the commerce committee, and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), 73, chairman of the health committee. In the 2010 and 2012 election seasons, several other chairmen, including Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), opted to retire.
In recent years, longtime committee chairmen Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) have also died in office.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Obama thanked Baucus for his service. "As Finance Committee Chairman and a senior member of both the Agriculture and the Environment and Public Works Committees, Max has been a leader on a broad range of issues that touch the lives of Americans across the country. Michelle and I commend Senator Baucus on his career, and wish him and his family well in the future," Obama said.
Baucus’s advisers said that he was not afraid of running another tough race. Already in his 70s, he faced a commitment that would have meant serving until he was 79.
In a signal that he was ready to spend time away from the Senate, he and his wife, Melody, have recently begun building what is considered a dream home outside Bozeman, Mont. Additionally, several of his closest advisers left their senior positions in recent months for private sector jobs in the lobbying industry.
Republican strategists began circulating stories about Schweitzer and his work stumping for Obama immediately after The Washington Post broke the news about Baucus’s retirement. Democrats rejected the idea that tying Schweitzer – or any Montana Democrat – to Obama would suffice in defeating him, citing the string of Senate victories for Democrats there that included the 2012 victory of Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.).
“Max Baucus has shaped and guided legislation and policy affecting every American, and his service has been a benefit to all Montanans. He has been an invaluable leader in our caucus, and he will be sorely missed. Democrats have had a great deal of electoral success in Montana over the last decade, and I am confident that will continue,” Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
Read more from Washington Post Politics:
Poll: George W. Bush's popularity rebounds
Fact Checker: Rand Paul's misguided question on Tsarnaev brothers
The Fix: How Bush's approval rating hit a seven-year high
Schweitzer vs. Baucus? Montana ex-governor posts poll |
REUTERS/Stephen Hird On Monday, we wrote up Pink Floyd's in-print reunion blasting Pandora's initiative to alter the royalty rate it pays songwriters and accusing the company of sending out misleading information about the effort.
Now Pandora has responded, sending out the following statement saying they're the ones lying:
We have enormous respect for the members of Pink Floyd, and their amazing artistic contributions. We also respect the genuineness of their opinion.
Unfortunately, they have been given badly misleading information - the result of a well-orchestrated campaign by the RIAA and their lobbying arm to mislead and agitate artists.
A glaring example is the assertion that Pandora supports an "85% artist pay cut." That is simply not true. [emphasis ours]
We never, nor would we ever, support such a thing. In fact, Pandora has suggested solutions that would guarantee no reduction in artist payouts while also nurturing the growth of internet radio -- a medium that is crucial to thousands of independent musicians who don't enjoy major label support or FM radio exposure.
This much is true: Pandora is by far the highest paying form of radio in the world and proudly pays both songwriters and performers.
For perspective, to reach the exact same audience, Pandora currently pays over 4.5 times more in total royalties than broadcast radio for the same song. In fact, at only 7% of U.S. radio listening, Pandora pays more in performance royalties than any other form of radio.
It's not immediately clear where the band's 85% figure comes from - they link to this 2012 post by Register Editor Andrew Orlowsky, and he doesn't cite anyone. (He has not yet responded to our email.) The bill proposed by Pandora and contested by Floyd, the Internet Radio Fairness Act, doesn't mention specific rate levels.
It's also true that as a percentage of its revenue, Pandora's royalty payments are higher than any other platform's (that's why they're trying to get the law changed).
But Pandora still doesn't address the underlying issue Camper Van Beethoven frontman David Lowery brought up yesterday: a songwriter ends up with paltry returns for their work even if a Pandora user played their song a thousand times. Here's the rate breakdown according to IP lawyer Vanessa Kaster:
$.0019 cents a song (approx.) per play on satellite radio (like SIRIUS XM)
$.0019 cents a song (approx.) per play on Pandora
$.09 cents a song (approx.) for a permanent download (like iTunes)
$.09 cents a song (approx.) for a physical recording (like a CD)
$.24per ringtone. |
Workers Vanguard No. 1116 25 August 2017 Stop Prison Torture of Tom Manning and Jaan Laaman! Over the past several months, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has been intensifying its decades-long vendetta against class-war prisoners Tom Manning and Jaan Laaman. As punishment for their unwavering support for the struggles of the poor and oppressed and their opposition to U.S. imperialism, Laaman and Manning, the last two members of the Ohio 7 still in prison, were deprived of necessary medical attention, isolated in solitary and threatened with transfer to draconian “supermax control” units. For the racist capitalist rulers, this is an attempt to silence forever these courageous individuals who continue their political activism from behind the walls of America’s dungeons. Prison officials marked Laaman’s birthday on March 21 by throwing him into the Secure Housing Unit of USP Tucson—i.e., solitary, where he still remains locked up in a six-by-nine-foot box 23 hours a day. Laaman’s “offense” was to issue two statements: his eulogy for radical attorney Lynne Stewart, who died on March 7 (which was broadcast on Prison Radio as “Farewell Thoughts to My Friend, Lynne Stewart”), and a statement of support for the March 8 International Women’s Day protests, “Day Without a Woman Strike” (which was printed in NYC Anarchist Black Cross). The Partisan Defense Committee—a legal and social defense organization associated with the Spartacist League—recently learned that a letter Laaman wrote in May to notify the PDC of the repression he was facing never made it through the prison censors. That month, prison officials cited him for “misuse of phone” and rescinded his phone “privileges” for six months. They are now pushing for his transfer to a Communications Management Unit—lockdown units that severely restrict all communication with those outside. As Laaman noted in a recent letter to the PDC, “As you are aware, I have been observing and speaking on world and national events for decades—so this is a new and unprecedented attack on me and my First Amendment rights.” In June, Tom Manning wrote a letter notifying the PDC that he had suffered a grand mal seizure in March. The first prison “medical” personnel on the scene declared it a drug overdose. The seizure left Manning unconscious for four days. When he was able to request that prison officials perform a forensic trail test to prove it was not an OD, and, more significantly, to find out and treat what caused the seizure, they scoffed, “Do you know how expensive that would be?” Manning was finally given an MRI, which shocked him with the news that he had a second brain tumor. Prison officials never told him that a 2012 MRI had revealed an earlier tumor. Manning also learned that he had two vertebrae compressing his spinal cord. The prison officials’ response to his dire medical condition was to throw him into solitary. The specious reason was that he received a political journal, Flood Gate, calling for prisoners to revolt. As Manning told the PDC, such unsolicited journals are sent to him all the time. On May 24, he was transferred from Butner Medical Center to solitary at Butner Correctional Center. In recent interviews, former Ohio 7 prisoner Ray Levasseur, who was released on parole in 2004, pointed out that Manning is wheelchair-bound and in need of physical therapy, which he is unlikely to get in solitary. Levasseur emphasized the horrific condition facing his comrades: “Solitary is hell in a very small place.” Last week, Manning was finally released from solitary and transferred to a federal prison in Hazelton, West Virginia. The PDC has written protest letters denouncing the cruel and vindictive treatment of Laaman and Manning. The Ohio 7 are committed radicals with a long history of opposition to racism and imperialism. They were involved in civil rights work in the South, defense of prisoners’ rights and solidarity actions against the South African apartheid government. In the early 1970s, they joined neighborhood defense efforts in Boston against rampaging anti-busing racists. They became members of the United Freedom Front, a radical group that in the late 1970s and ’80s took credit for bombings targeting symbols of U.S. imperialism, including military and corporate offices (see “Ohio 7: Fighters Against Imperialism, Racism,” WV No. 741, 8 September 2000). The Ohio 7’s politics were once shared by thousands of young New Left radicals. Despairing of organizing the proletariat in struggle, these radicals decided that the road to fighting this racist, exploitative system was “clandestine armed resistance” by a handful of dedicated leftists. Like the Weathermen a decade before them, the Ohio 7 were spurned by the “respectable” left. As Levasseur bitterly observed in a 1992 statement, “Much of the North American Left suffers from myopia on this issue of political prisoners. It affects their value judgments. They place our value at nil.” In contrast to the New Leftists, we recognize it is the multiracial proletariat, organized behind a Leninist vanguard party, that has the interest and social power to sweep away the bloodthirsty imperialist rulers. Despite our political differences with them, the SL and PDC have long defended the Ohio 7, including during a 1989 trial on trumped-up “seditious conspiracy” charges. In successfully beating back that thought-crime prosecution, the Ohio 7 won a significant victory against government efforts to criminalize leftist politics. One of their defense lawyers was Lynne Stewart. No doubt throwing Laaman into solitary for his tribute to Stewart was payback on the part of his jailers. We have always insisted that from a proletarian standpoint, the actions of these leftist activists against imperialism and racist injustice are not crimes. These courageous fighters should not have served a day in prison and should be freed immediately. Laaman and Manning must not be forgotten. We urge WV readers to send letters of solidarity to the following addresses: Jaan Laaman #10372-016
USP Tucson, U.S. Penitentiary
P.O. Box 24550, Tucson, AZ 85734 Thomas Manning #10373-016
USP Hazelton, U.S. Penitentiary
P.O. Box 2000, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 |
Donald Trump's golf paradise is threatened by a right Scottish bastard.
Protesters opposed to Donald Trump's planned $1.5 billion Scottish golf resort say they've pulled a trick shot out of their bag.
At the center of the plan is local fisherman Michael Forbes, who has long been an irritant to Trump. Forbes has refused the American tycoon's offer of nearly $700,000 (488,000 pounds) to buy his family's 23-acre run-down farm, which sits at the center of the planned resort.
But Forbes has sold an acre of his land near Aberdeen to protesters who also disagree with Trump's plans – a sale which will force the property tycoon to face down more than 60 people.
The group, Tripping Up Trump, says it purchased the land and named it "The Bunker," after the sand trap that many golfers end up in.
"We've called this piece of the land the bunker because he will now find it impossible to force a sale as there will be so many names on it," group spokesman Martin Glegg said Wednesday. "This is the prime slot that Trump wants and there is no way he can get it now."
Glegg said he hoped eventually to have hundreds of names on the deeds. |
This fall is just packed with movie goodness. A lot of the year's most ambitious films are coming out in the next four months. Including huge space epics, massive franchise pictures... and Marvel's first post-Avengers movie without Iron Man in it. Here's our prognosis for 20 upcoming science fiction and fantasy movies.
And before anyone asks, there's no U.S. release date for Snowpiercer. Or Only Lovers Left Alive. Or Under the Skin. Or the long-awaited Knights of Badassdom. We'll keep you posted!
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Top image: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
September
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Riddick (Sept. 6)
The alien anti-hero with the see-in-the-dark eyes is back, and just like in Pitch Black he's stranded on a planet where everything is trying to kill him. Unlike in Pitch Black, he's got a ton of bounty hunters on his tail as well.
Prognosis: This looks like pure action-movie goodness, and very much a return to the Riddick we loved in the first movie. We visited the set, and the love of mayhem just burst from every corner.
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Hell Baby (Sept. 6)
Rob Corddry stars in this horror comedy about a man who moves into a haunted New Orleans house, after which his pregnant wife starts acting extremely violent.
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Prognosis: It's already out on VOD and early reviews suggest it is "ridiculously crude and mean-spirited" and more like a connection of random skits than a movie. Also, better than Scary Movie, but not by much.
Insidious, Chapter 2 (Sept. 13)
Did the WTF ending of the first Insidious leave you confused? Director James Wan is back to show what happens next. How on Earth can this family survive after what happened the first time around?
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Prognosis: Wan blew us away (and rocked the box office) with The Conjuring, so we're excited to see what might be his last foray into horror. Wan promises Insidious 2 takes it to "a whole other crazy disturbing level." Fingers crossed.
The Colony (Sept. 20)
After a disastrous ice age caused by our attempts to fix global warming, the last survivors of humanity live in a handful of bases. And to make matters worse, there are zombies.
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Prognosis: The film came out in Canada (where it was made) last spring, and got mostly negative reviews.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (Sept. 27)
The first Cloudy was one of our favorite movies of 2009, and a really exciting surprise. This time around, the food machine is creating food-animal hybrids, like Tacodiles and Flamangoes.
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Prognosis: Original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are not back, because they're doing the LEGO movie instead. Nor is this based on the second book in the Cloudy series. The sneak peek we saw at Comic-Con did not seem to excite anybody.
October
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Gravity (Oct. 4)
Alfonso Cuarón owned our brains with the incredible film-making in Children of Men. And now he's back at last, with space epic in which Sandra Bullock and George Clooney must survive alone, after a catastrophe, and all they have is each other.
Prognosis: This movie will rule. Everything we've seen of it, including a huge chunk at Cinema-Con, has blown us away, and there's pretty much no way this won't be one of our favorite films of the year.
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Bad Milo! (Oct. 4)
Ken Marino plays a guy who's stuck in a stressful job, suffering from horrible stomach pains. Until it turns out there's an evil demon living inside his intestines, and it sneaks out and attacks the people who are stressing him out.
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Prognosis: It looks like crazy fun, and has a very retro-1980s vibe. Here's hoping it's this year's horror-comedy breakout.
Nothing Left to Fear (Oct. 4)
Anne Heche stars in a horror movie produced by Slash from Guns N' Roses. In which a pastor moves to the town of Stull, Kansas, which turns out to be one of the seven gates of Hell. And demonic shit is afoot, man.
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Prognosis: Slash has been doing a ton of interviews in which he says that he loves old-school 1970s horror films, where more was left to the imagination, and he hopes to recapture that with this film. So you never know, right?
Carrie (Oct. 18)
Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) remakes the classic horror film based on a Stephen King novel, with Chloe Grace Moretz taking the Sissie Spacek role. And Julianne Moore as the psycho mom.
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Prognosis: Incredibly high hopes for this one. It looks like it'll be fantastic, although can they live up to the De Palma version?
Haunter (Oct. 18)
Vincenzo Natali (Splice) is back with this horror film about a family that moves into a haunted house. Abigail Breslin plays a girl who died in 1986 and is stuck as a ghost, trying to save a living girl from suffering the same fate.
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Prognosis: Even in a month crammed with horror movies, this sounds like something pretty unique, and the idea of a ghost girl trying to save a living girl sounds really neat. Plus we're eager to see more from Natali, after Splice.
Escape Plan (Oct. 18)
Sylvester Stallone is an escape expert who gets locked in the most high-tech escape-proof prison of all time, and it turns out to be an evil conspiracy. Good thing he's locked in with the Terminator.
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Prognosis: We're suckers for high-tech superprison movies, and old-school action heroes. Let's hope there's lots of outsmarting computers and crawling under lasers.
Not quite science fiction or fantasy: In Zero Charisma (Oct. 11), a Dungeons & Dragons dungeon-master faces a personal crisis. In Machete Kills (Oct. 11), Lady Gaga is an assassin or something. In The Counselor (Oct. 25), Ridley Scott reunites with his Prometheus star Michael Fassbender for a movie written by Cormac McCarthy.
November
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Ender's Game (Nov. 1)
Orson Scott Card's beloved, award-winning novel about a war with alien insect creatures becomes a huge movie, with Ben Kingsley and Harrison Ford in major supporting roles. This is a dark fable about how far people are willing to go to win a war, and it ought to be disturbing and thrilling.
Prognosis: Everything we've seen so far about this movie promises an insane attention to detail and dedication to capturing every corner of the futuristic wartime setting. And the space battle scenes look just breathtaking. The main question that remains is, will this film do justice to the dark heart of the book?
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About Time (Nov. 1)
Richard Curtis not only wrote a lot of the best bits in Blackadder, he also wrote one of the best Doctor Who stories of the Matt Smith era, with "Vincent and the Doctor." Now he's writing and directing a time-travel comedy film in which a young man can jump through his own timeline and try to fix things — but should he?
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Prognosis: Sadly, the British reviews suggest it's like a less funny Groundhog Day — with less of a heart as well.
Thor: the Dark World (Nov. 8)
Not only is Thor back in this second Asgardian adventure, but so is Tom Hiddleston's Loki. Also, Natalie Portman's Jane Foster is actually visiting Asgard, and former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston is a dark elf.
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Prognosis: It would be hard to replace Kenneth Branagh as director of this vaguely Shakespearean high fantasy series — but choosing a veteran Game of Thrones director, Alan Taylor, feels like a masterstroke. And apparently recent reshoots were all about beefing up Loki's screen time. So here's hoping for a Game of Thrones-esque saga with tons of Loki.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Nov. 22)
The first Hunger Games movie was a bit of a miracle: a bleak, intense film that fully captured the inner life of Suzanne Collins' novel about teens killing each other on television in a dystopian future. Now just a year later, the second book is being adapted for film.
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Prognosis: The first trailers have looked good, and Jennifer Lawrence is still note-perfect as Katniss. And we're excited to get more of Donald Sutherland as President Snow. But this is a tricky book to adapt for film, because the political maneuverings get more complicated. And it's an open question whether director Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) can fill Gary Ross' shoes, especially given such a short turnaround time.
Frozen (Nov. 27)
Disney's latest animated feature is a loose adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, starring Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Jonathan Groff. A girl goes on a perilous journey across the tundra to save her sister from an icy curse, facing trolls and snowmen along the way.
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Prognosis: This project has been in the pipeline for a long time, and seems to have gone through a lot of turmoil. Most encouraging sign: Jennifer Lee, co-writer of Wreck-It Ralph, worked on this script and then became the film's co-director at the last minute. If this film has even a fraction of Ralph's appeal, that would be a very good thing.
Not quite science fiction or fantasy: With Oldboy (Nov. 27), Spike Lee remakes the classic Korean film about a man kept locked up for 20 years.
December
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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Dec. 13)
The second part of Peter Jackson's epic adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic — and this time, we're dealing with the dragon smaug, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch!
Prognosis: This could be the first movie where you feel the brunt of Jackson's decision to split the Hobbit adaptation into three films, instead of two. We're guessing that the first film, An Unexpected Journey, was much the same as it would have been if the Hobbit had stayed a duology. So fingers crossed that Jackson proves he has enough story to carry three films.
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Her (Dec. 18)
Spike Jonze's first full-length movie since Where the Wild Things Are seems like it'll be a return to the weird grown-up territory of films like Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. Joaquin Phoenix is a guy who falls in love with the Siri-like operating system of his phone, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
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Prognosis: The first trailer looked suitably weird and fascinating — but is this movie arriving too late? Have we already had all of the "falling in love with Siri" humor and weirdness we needed? Let's hope it actually delves into topics like the nature of consciousness, and how technology is shaping our relationships with other people.
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Walking With Dinosaurs (Dec. 20)
The beloved BBC miniseries is finally becoming a huge CG movie, after having already been a traveling arena show. I guess this movie is ditching the "nature documentary" format of the BBC series for something more story-based — according to the trailer and some synopses, it's about a small underdog dinosaur struggling to prove himself and lead the whole herd to a new home.
Prognosis: It looks cute, although it doesn't look like the dinosaurs have feathers in the trailer. It could be the a decent movie you can park your kids in front of, and get them interested in paleontology.
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47 Ronin (Dec. 25)
This lonnnnng-delayed supernatural action movie, directed by Carl Rinsch (who also did the short film The Gift) is finally getting released in the death slot, on Christmas.
Prognosis: It's Keanu Reeves as a samurai. Yay?
Not quite science fiction or fantasy: In Saving Mr. Banks (Dec. 13) we witness the miracle of Walt Disney convincing author P.L. Travers to let him make Mary Poppins. In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Dec. 25), Ben Stiller plays a guy who escapes into daydreams and then finds a real-life adventure.
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Sources: Studio releases. Plus Box Office Mojo, Film Releases, Fandango and EW. |
Make sure your home doesn't look like everyone else's by using some DIY know-how and hacks like these—and even more at IKEAhackers.net.
1. Coffee Table Hack
Want to buy a mid-century style table? Be prepared to shell out lots of dough—unless you’re willing to go the DIY route. To pull off this easy hack from Triple Max Tons, all you need is a LACK coffee table and tapered legs from eBay (if the legs don’t come with top plates, you can buy straight or angled—as they are in this hack—at Loews). Unscrew the old legs, install the tapered legs and top plates about an inch from the corners, and voila! Charming, fancy looking table at a reasonable price.
2. Bar Cart Hack
Bar carts are all the rage at the moment, and, like a nice mid-century coffee table, they can be really expensive. But all this hack from Blush and Jelly of the BYGEL utility cart (a mere $24.99) requires is some gold spray paint. Assemble the frame; spray it gold, waiting about 20 minutes between coats; let dry overnight, and add the remaining pieces. If you want to get even fancier, you can add a stemware rack, like this one from Bed Bath and Beyond.
3. Dresser Upgrade
Upgrading IKEA’s TARVA dresser is as easy as adding a few coats of paint and swapping out the hardware. Refinery29 has a tutorial.
4. Storage to Litter Box
Let’s face it: Litter boxes are gross, even if they have covers on them. This elegant hack of IKEA’s EXPEDIT shelving serves both as storage and as a hiding spot where kitty can do his business. A little mat in the entryway keeps litter from getting tracked on the floor.
5. DIY Standing Desk
Virginia Woolf did it. Ernest Hemingway did it. Now you, too, can have a standing desk without breaking the bank. (And if those celebrity endorsements aren’t enough for you, consider this: Science says sitting too much is bad for you.) This hack requires an EXPEDIT storage system, CAPITA legs, and a VIKA AMON table top.
6. Window Herb Garden
So what if you don’t have a backyard, or you’re too lazy for a real garden! You can still grow fresh herbs by employing this elegant solution. All you need is IKEA’s ORE shower curtain rod, FINTORP pots, GRUNDTAL S hooks, and some spray paint.
7. Side Table
Transform IKEA’s $30 PS2012 side table into a classy-looking statement piece by following this tutorial.
8. Lamp Hack
Get beachy by tying driftwood around IKEA’s HEMMA or JANUARI lamp bases. To make the base blend in, you can paint it beige-gray.
9. Mini Cork Board
Turn IKEA’s plain HEAT pot stands into fabric covered cork boards by breaking out your hot glue gun and following this simple tutorial.
10. Arcade
This ambitious DIYer used a BILLY bookshelf (with substantial additions) to build an IKEA arcade game. Based on the tutorial, it wasn’t easy—but it is awesome.
11. Bookshelf
To make this fun little shelf, you’ll need to buy an IKEA STATLIG board, an EKBY BJARNUM shelf holder, and some paracord and steel washers.
12. Doggy Food Bar
Is your dog a slob? Consider building this food station out of a FAKTUM kitchen cabinet, HARLIG door, and PATRULL cabinet lock. It serves as both a mess-proof eating station and a storage area for the pooch’s stuff.
13. Rast Hack
One super-hackable IKEA item is the RAST dresser. This hacker combined two RASTs into one big dresser, then painted it and added new hardware for a truly custom finish.
14. Rast
This hack—made three RAST dressers (two for the piece itself, and one for extra parts)—uses metallic paint and a stainless steel sheet for an industrial look.
15. Wall-Mounted Charging Station
To charge your gadgets in one place, follow this hack, which cleverly uses three FORHOJA boxes to create a wall-mounted charging station that isn’t an eyesore.
16. Ice Chest
It’s just about garden party weather—so it’s the perfect time to look into doing this hack, which turns IKEA’s TARVA dresser into a cool looking cooler, for yourself.
17. Another Bar
Where the bar cart hack was simple, this BESTA hack (which also uses an Inreda mirrored glass shelf insert and Inreda shelves) is more complex—and pretty impressive.
18. Cocktail Ottoman
This hacker used fabric, batting, and spray paint to transform a VITTSJO nesting table into a beautiful ottoman.
19. Hamster Home
There are a number of ways to hack IKEA furniture for your pets—some of which we've already featured—but few are as cool as this elaborate hamster habitat made out of the 5x5 EXPEDIT.
20. Hidden Bookcase Door
Take the idea of a fort one step further by creating your very own hidden door. This hacker used two BILLY bookcases to get the job done. |
The £225,000 building is being built in an area where an average house is sold for around £625,000. The tree house is one of three projects the architects designed for private clients looking to settle in the mountains of Almaty. It was commissioned by a 38-year-old businessman who wanted a home for a two people and a place that would allow for his spiritual and creative development. Most of all, the house is designed to provide a space where one can escape stressful everyday life in the city.
The house is to be built using metal columns, plasterboard panels, concrete and wooden flooring, and floor-to-ceiling windows. It takes the concept of the tree house to the extreme by fully enveloping a living tree. The home’s staircases wind around the tree it as it were the central pillar of a tower. Scheduled for completion in 2014, the daylit house provides its inhabitant with his own private piece of the forest.
+ A. Masow Design Studio
Via World Architecture News |
The following community events will take place in the city of New Bedford during the month of December in celebration of the holiday season:
Cove Street Neighborhood Group Tree Lighting
Date and Time: Friday, December 1 at 5:00 p.m.
Location: Park on the corner of Ruth Street and Salisbury Street
AHA! Holiday Shop & Stroll
Date and Time: Friday, December 1 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Downtown New Bedford
On Dec. 1 and 2, New Bedford area residents are invited to stroll the festively decorated cobblestoned streets of the Whaling City’s downtown, to shop locally for holiday gifts, hear caroling, dine out, jump aboard fire truck rides, meet Santa, witness the city’s tree lighting and more.
http://www.ahanewbedford.org/holiday-stroll.php
City of New Bedford Official Christmas Tree Lighting
Date and Time: Saturday, December 2 at 4:30 p.m.
Location: Pleasant Street in Front of Main Library Downtown
Join Mayor Jon Mitchell, New Bedford City Councilors and the New Bedford community for the annual tree lighting celebration! At 4:30 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus will lead a parade up William Street to the Main Library. The parade will feature the award-winning New Bedford High School Whaler Marching Band and the All-City Middle School Marching Band and Color Guard. The countdown celebration will feature holiday songs, greetings from local elected officials and an appearance by Santa Claus! In addition, plans for City Celebrates! on New Year’s Eve will be announced. New Bedford Community Services Department will serve complimentary hot chocolate!
A New England Nutcracker, New Bedford Ballet
Date and Time: Ten performances will take place over two weekends.
– Saturday, December 2 at 1:30 and 3:00 p.m.
– Sunday, December 3 at 1:30 and 3:00 p.m.
– Friday, December 8 at 6:30 and 8:00 p.m.
– Saturday, December 9 at 1:30 and 3:00 p.m.
– Sunday, December 10 at 1:30 and 3:00 p.m.
Location: NBB Community Theatre, 2343 Purchase Street
New Bedford Ballet will perform its annual production of A New England Nutcracker December 2 through December 10, set to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score. Journey back to the 1850s, as this favorite holiday story is reimagined through New Bedford’s historic whaling era, and prepare for the “City That Lit the World” to light up your holiday season. Ticket prices are $12 for adults and $7 for seniors, students, and children. Group rates for non-profit organizations are available. All proceeds from the ballet support the New Bedford Ballet Foundation, a non-profit organization.
Visit www.newbedfordballet.org for more information.
Cookies and Paws
Date and Time: Sunday, December 3 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Buttonwood Park Zoo, 425 Hawthorn Street
Join in the holiday spirit! Let your kids’ imagination GO WILD as they decorate their very own paw print sugar cookies! Your child will enjoy up-close interactions with some of the Zoo’s animal ambassadors while they demonstrate their artistic abilities using candy canes, gum drops, brightly colored icing, and so much more. Continue to share the holidays by taking your creations home for family & friends. Each guest will be given two paw print cookies to decorate. Members: $5 per person. Non-members: $10 per person includes admission. Children 1 and under are free. Visit www.bpzoo.org for more information.
A Very Electric Christmas
Date and Time: Sunday, December 3 at 2:00 p.m.
Location: Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, 684 Purchase Street
Brighten your holidays with Lightwire Theater’s A Very Electric Christmas! Audiences of all ages will treasure this magical and captivating tale of family, friendship and hope set to timeless holiday hits including Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey and Tchaikovsky. Ticket prices: $10 / $13. To purchase tickets in groups of 10 or more (and secure a group discount rate), call 508-997-5664 x123 or email dlegge@zeiterion.org.
Festival of Lights Celebration at Clasky Common Park
Date and Time: Sunday, December 3 at 5:00 p.m.
Location: Clasky Common Park at County and Pope Streets
Monte Park/A.J. Gomes Neighborhood Association Tree Lighting
Date and Time: Monday, December 4 at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Monte Park located at Acushnet Avenue and Cannon Street
Buttonwood Park Neighborhood Association Tree Lighting
Date and Time: Wednesday, December 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Buttonwood Senior Center, 1 Oneida Street
Children’s New Bedford Bookfest
Date and Time: Saturday, December 9 and Sunday, December 10 from 12 Noon to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Groundwork!, 1213 Purchase Street
This special kids’ edition of New Bedford Bookfest will feature 20 authors and booksellers and 10 specially selected illustrators in the Groundwork! Gallery. Children’s book authors interested in participating can sign-up below. Children’s book illustrators should email .JPG examples of their work to NewBedfordNow@gmail.com.
26th Annual Holiday House Tour
Date and Time: Saturday, December 9, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 10 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Tours begin at the Wamsutta Club, 427 County Street An elegant pre-tour brunch at the Wamsutta Club will be served on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., along with a holiday raffle and silent auction of beautiful gifts, art, antiques and handcrafted items. You will be inspired by the varied architecture and interiors, all beautifully decorated for the season. Always popular on the tour are the costumed historic interpreters greeting visitors at one of the historic homes. Reservations recommended but not required. Call the Wamsutta Club directly at 508-997-7431 to make your reservation.
A Christmas Carol
Date and Time: Saturday, December 9 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Location: Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, 684 Purchase Street
Nebraska Caravan Theatre’s celebrated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is an ensemble musical that thrills Zeiterion patrons year after year. Woven throughout this classic tale are beautiful arrangements and moving renditions of holiday songs such as, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Greensleeves,” and many more. Featuring a cast of 23 performers, live musicians, and Broadway-style scenery and costumes, audiences cherish this sumptuous holiday classic. Tickets: $19/ $27/ $37. To purchase tickets in groups of 10 or more (and secure a group discount rate), call 508-997-5664 x123 or email dlegge@zeiterion.org.
AHA! City Sidewalks
Date and Time: Tuesday, December 14 at 5:00 p.m.
Location: Downtown New Bedford
– The United Way of Greater New Bedford hosts photos with Santa, snacks, and a craft in the lobby of the DeMello International Center (128 Union Street) from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Plus, check out a sampling of Portuguese classes being offered at the Center this winter, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
– Christmas crafts, caroling, and toy collecting at Pilgrim United Church of Christ:
Crafts from 6:00 to 7:30pm in the Church Home (634 Purchase Street). Hot cocoa will be served.
Caroling from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Church (635 Purchase Street) with Scott Alan Correia on piano.
Toy drive for children in need: visitors may bring an unwrapped toy to donate.
– Global Learning Charter Public School winter craft, cocoa station and the GLCPS jazz band:
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s Jacobs Family Gallery (18 Johnny Cake Hill).
– Family fun at the New Bedford Public Library (613 Pleasant Street):
Stop by Santa’s workshop!
Story time (The Last Christmas Tree) and ornament making with Little People’s College starting at 6pm.
Caricatures with New Bedford Park, Recreation and Beaches, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
– An evening of music at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum (396 County Street).
Get in the holiday spirit with the music of Our Sisters’ School Chorus performed in the museum parlors, 5:30 to 6:30pm
– Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Wheeler Bay Learning Center (114 Front Street) to learn all about plankton. Discover what makes this beloved cartoon villain and microscopic organism so important to your everyday life. You’ll also get the chance to build a plankton ornament and walk away with some big love for some small creatures. 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Breakfast with Santa & Friends
Date and Time: Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17
Location: Buttonwood Park Zoo, 425 Hawthorn Street
Whether you’re naughty or nice, you’re invited to join us for Breakfast with Santa & Friends! Enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet, share your wish list with Santa and meet some of the Zoo’s favorite resident animals. Be sure to bring a camera to capture your visit with Santa. Free train and carousel rides, weather permitting, are included. Space is limited, so reserve your spot. Zoo Members: $20 per person. Non-members: $25 per person, includes Zoo admission. Children under 1 are free. Visit www.bpzoo.org for more information.
New Bedford Symphony Orchestra’s Family Holiday Pops Concert
Date and Time: Saturday, December 16, at 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Location: Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, 684 Purchase Street
Come celebrate the holiday season with the NBSO in this fun, festive concert! The Family Holiday Pops Concerts feature all the holiday music you love, played by our great orchestra. With our family-friendly atmosphere and choice of performance times, this is the perfect family holiday outing. Make your holiday season sparkle with a special experience only the NBSO can provide.
Bullard Street Neighborhood Association Tree Lighting
Date and Time: Saturday, December 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Riverside Park on the corner of Belleville Avenue and Tallman Street
Custom House Square Shop Saturday
Date: Saturday, December 17, 12 Noon- 5:00 p.m.
Location: Custom House Square (Intersection of William Street and Acushnet Avenue in the Historic Downtown)
Downtown will be full of holiday spirit, with an array of festive activities in and around Custom House Square including: Free horse drawn carriage rides, pictures with Mr. & Mrs. Claus on the big red sled, a complimentary gift wrapping station, The Trustees of Reservations Greens (swags/wreaths) sale, The Whaling City Knots will demonstrate and sell their decorative rope creations, plus Mass in Motion Winter Farmer’s Market! www.destinationnewbedford.org/events
Seamen’s Bethel Christmas Candlelight Service, featuring Sisters in Song
Date and Time: Sunday, December 17 at 4:00 p.m.
Location: Seamen’s Bethel, 15 Johnny Cake Hill
City Celebrates! New Year’s Eve
Date and Time: Sunday, December 31
Location: Downtown New Bedford
Ring in the New Year with amazing street performers, stilt walkers, jugglers, fire-eaters, and much more. City Celebrates! details, including the spectacular fireworks display from State Pier on New Bedford’s waterfront, will be announced later this month. |
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Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Co-Founder Rainer Weiss, left, and Kip Thorne, right, accompanied by In A visual of gravitational waves from two converging black holes is depicted on a monitor behind Laser Interferometer Gravitational A visual of gravitational waves from two converging black holes is displayed on a monitor behind Laser Interferometer Gravitationa From left, Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Exectutive Director David Reitze, LIGO Scientific Collaboration Sp A visual of gravitational waves from two converging black holes is depicted on a monitor behind Laser Interferometer Gravitational From left, National Science Foundation Director France Cordova, Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Exectutive Di From left, Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Exectutive Director David Reitze, LIGO Scientific Collaboration Sp Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Co-Founder Kip Thorne speaks during a news conference at the National P From left, Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration Spokesperson Gabriela Gonzalez, and Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Co-Founders Rainer Weiss, left, and Kip Thorne, right, participate in a Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Co-Founder Kip Thorne speaks to members of the media following a news c Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Co-Founder Kip Thorne waits in a side room before a news conference at |
mob psycho 100 chapter 97.8
YES, THIS IS… the chapter installment that kicked my ass. translated by me, typeset by the versatile @femoralynn, here’s the whole thing.
if the text in the images is too small to read… you can download the full-size version HERE.
–
AND AN OMAKE (a continuation of the yakiniku saga)
teru is a growing boy.
you can upload THE FULL-SIZED VERSION, AVAILABLE HERE, to manga sites if you deem it worthy. if you need a name for the scanlation group, we are Uranucleus Scans.
ALSO, because this chapter kicked my ass so hard and there are a few lines that i still feel like i may have misunderstood slightly, i’ve also uploaded the raw chapter into the folder linked above, as the file named “RAWchapter97.8.zip,″ so you can see for yourself what is being said. |
Ever since Spiro Agnew’s 1970 speech blasting “nattering nabobs of negativism” in the media, attacking the political neutrality of the mainstream press has been a frequent activity of conservatives. By and large, however, the right-wing response to the media unfairness has been merely to complain about the situation rather than do something about it.
Instead of buying, boosting, or starting mainstream media outlets, the primary response of conservatives to counter perceived bias against them in the press has been to purchase television, radio, and direct mail advertising. This has primarily been at the behest of failed political consultants who tell candidates and interest groups that they can get the perfect “messaging” which will be able to magically neutralize months of negative press and also cancel out the themes being put out by the opposition.
To such people, liberal media bias exists but it is something that they in their great wisdom can overcome.
Contrary to the consultants’ claims, however, empirical research conducted by political scientists shows that such advertising campaigns are not nearly as effective as many donors have been led to believe—especially in presidential campaigns.
This year is a unique one in political history in that it will mark the first time ever that many high-dollar GOP donors have decided to opt out of a presidential election. If they had bothered to look at the political science scholarship about televised campaign advertising, they’d have made this decision long ago.
There are five reasons why:
1. Research shows that almost half of all political ads are completely ignored and those that are watched do not change opinions.
People have not only become jaded about ads generally, they are increasingly able to avoid seeing them at all thanks to the proliferation of television channels, digital video recorders and web ad blocking technologies.
According to research done at the University of California–Los Angeles and Stanford University, television viewers tune out almost half, 42 percent, of all campaign commercials—they never even bother to watch them at all.
A survey commissioned for the Republican-allied Crossroads Generation group focusing on younger voters found that only about 25 percent of respondents said they used TV ads as a source of political news. This was lower than the number of young people who said they got their news from comedy programs like The Daily Show in a separate survey commissioned by the College Republican National Committee.
According to the CRNC report, 40 percent of respondents said they used some form of digital video recorder like TiVo to watch television. A 2013 study by DVR manufacturer Motorola found that 74 percent of American DVR users say they purchased their devices in order to fast-forward commercials. Needless to say, people who want to pay money for the ability to skip commercials are not interested in watching them.
But even under ideal conditions outside of the political world, television advertising has been found to have very limited positive effects.
The perfect illustration of this is the Super Bowl television spots that have become famous in their own right. But even these ads have been shown to be overwhelmingly ineffective.
This is notable since the championship football game is probably the only time that at least some people look forward to watching ads. In fact, 25 percent of Americans say they view the ads as the most important part of the show.
Part of the reason that people actually like Super Bowl commercials is that they frequently use humor and risqué themes that no politician would ever dare deploy. Even under these ideal circumstances, the spots have very little effect. According to a two-year study by the advertising research firm Communicus, most Super Bowl ads do not have any positive effect on persuading potential customers to buy the product or service being touted.
Of 40 different advertisements studied, 15 of them actually made poll respondents less likely to purchase the product or service being hawked. By contrast, only 13 companies saw an increase in persuasion. The rest saw no significant effect of any kind. That means that 68 percent of Super Bowl advertisements either hurt the brand paying for it or do nothing at all to help it.
Considering that most people hate them, political spots have a much more difficult task than Super Bowl advertising. And the research confirms what you would expect in light of the circumstances. According to the academic research, politician ads have almost no effect whatsoever at the presidential level.
According to the UCLA-Stanford study mentioned earlier, the people most likely to sit through television political ads are what the authors termed “low engagement” individuals, people who don’t really care about politics and don’t vote. The next group most likely to tune in are “high engagement” voters, political junkies who already have their minds made up.
The most highly prized group—the “medium engagement” voters that campaign consultants brag about their ability to reach since they generally vote and are most open to changing their minds—are the people most likely to tune out political ads, especially as the number of those ads on TV increases. The more political advertising these people see, the more they are likely to fast-forward or change the channel.
The study’s authors summarized their findings thusly: “Since the low engagement voters probably will not turn out to vote anyway and the high engagement voters likely made up their minds long ago, it is bad news for the candidates that the group they most need to sway is the group most likely to censor them.”
Of the few ads which are actually watched and paid attention to, most of them don’t really do much persuading. Instead, they simply make partisans of each side feel good about themselves. Television advertising is particularly ineffective when an incumbent whom voters already know and have likely formed their own opinions about is on the ballot.
This was well documented in a 2010 study by political scientists Michael Franz and Travis Ridout who found that advertising in the 2004 campaign had very little effect on people’s willingness to vote for either Republican George W. Bush (the incumbent) or Democrat John Kerry.
The study found that Kerry and his allies “had consistent advantages over the Bush camp in spots aired.” In total, Bush and his allies aired 408,604 spots either promoting him or attacking Kerry, far fewer than the 605,533 which backed Kerry.
Despite the fact that voters saw far more anti-Bush and pro-Kerry ads, the study found that they had almost no effect on voters. In counties where Kerry had a 1,000-ad advantage over Bush, this yielded a vote increase of less than 1 percent. It was not even a half a percent. It was 0.19 percent. And that was in counties which were not “battleground” ones where voters were being bombarded constantly by advertisements.
When Franz and Ridout looked at all counties, they found that a 1,000-ad advantage yielded Kerry an even smaller increase: 0.12 percent. When they looked at just September and October, they found that pro-Kerry ads were even less effective with 1,000 more ads netting him just 0.083 percent more votes.
With no incumbent in the race in 2008, the authors found ads were slightly more effective. Across all counties, they found that a 1,000 spot advantage for Democrat Barack Obama or his allies gained him 0.551 points. They were at their most useful in October in non-battleground counties where a 1,000-spot advantage helped Obama gain 1.081 percent more votes. Running more ads in these counties did not help Obama persuade anyone, however; instead, they merely helped him pad his vote total by motivating his base.
In 2012, with Obama running as the incumbent, advertising once again became less effective. Georgetown University professor Daniel Hopkins applied this same methodology to the 2012 race and found a similarly low effect on Obama’s vote totals. A 1,000-ad disparity in favor of the president resulted in a vote gain of just 0.14 percent for him.
A similar dynamic is in place for congressional elections as well. Campaign spending simply is not as effective as donors and politicos wish it were. According to an analysis of 2014 Senate races by Alan I. Abramowitz of Emory University, spending by both political parties and outside groups “had no discernible impact on the Democratic candidate’s margin in these contests.” Instead, the biggest factors at work were whether an incumbent was in the race and the way the state in question had voted in for president in 2012.
The just-concluded Republican presidential primary also showed that spending big has basically nothing to do with actually winning. Despite spending far less than his rivals, businessman Donald Trump was able to clinch the nomination with a vote percentage just slightly lower than Mitt Romney did in 2012.
Among the several candidates for president, Trump and his allies spent around $65 million compared to $160 million for Jeb Bush (who dropped out early after losing big in South Carolina), $140 million for Ted Cruz, $111 million for Marco Rubio, and $75 million for Ben Carson.
2. The effects of campaign ads are easily countered
When advertising does work, its effects are comparatively small and usually only in markets the other candidate is basically ignoring. In some cases, an advertising disparity can be overcome simply by having the candidate visit an area being blitzed by the opponent and receiving free (and usually positive) local media coverage of the event.
The study by Franz and Ridout mentioned earlier noted that the coverage could have slightly or very positive effects:
Bush and Kerry visits had a small and insignificant influence on the vote in 2004, though it was in the expected direction, but both Obama and McCain visits were correlated with a significant shift in the vote in 2008 (at about twice the size of the shifts that resulted from Kerry and Bush visits). The effect in nonbattleground states dissipates for Obama, but McCain visits net stronger support for counties in nonbattleground states. This spillover effect is still important in nonbattleground contexts. Because people in counties in spillover markets watch major network affiliates in the battleground states, they are exposed to local news coverage of the candidate visits in those states and are presumably susceptible to the positive press that these visits might engender. This was largely true for McCain in 2008.
Franz and Ridout’s research also indicates that a campaign’s reliance on outside groups to provide funding for ads generally support of it can dilute the overall message and thus make the expenditures less effective. This dynamic was at work in the 2004 campaign against John Kerry, in 2008 against John McCain and in the 2012 campaign against Mitt Romney. By contrast, winning candidates George W. Bush and Barack Obama both controlled their messages and their fund-raising.
Some ads can indeed be useful tools to increase turnout but to suppose that spending vast sums of money on “negative” ads designed to get around liberal media bias is sound strategy is simply incorrect.
Trying to give potential voters unflattering information about the opposing candidate through advertising does not appear to work any better than more positive messages, in large part because negative campaigns tend to also stir up partisans of the opposition. In fact, a meta-study of negative advertising published in The Journal of Politics found that candidates who engaged in it actually saw a slight decline in their own support.
The study’s authors cautioned against saying that negative campaigning is generally harmful to the politician engaging in it but what they did feel comfortable saying that it was clear to them that negative campaigning is not effective:
We uncovered 43 relevant findings in the literature, 27 involving intended vote choices and 16 involving reported vote choices or official vote totals. […] Only 12 of these outcomes are positive from the attacker’s standpoint. Only five of these 12 are at all appreciable, and they are counterbalanced by five negative effects of similar magnitude. The remaining effects are all small. The overall unadjusted effect of negative campaigns on vote choice indicates a modest disadvantage to the attacker, but that effect vanished when we adjusted the effect sizes. It bears mentioning that the two largest negative effects and all five of the positive ones come from experimental studies in which the dependent variable is vote intention; that particular design evidently produces more volatile outcomes. The broader message, though, is that the research literature does not bear out the proposition that negative political campaigns “work” in shifting votes toward those who wage them. Overall, then, social science research provides some evidence that the mechanisms through which negative campaigning is supposed to work do in fact operate, but there is an overriding lack of evidence that negative campaigning itself works as it is supposed to. Intriguingly, the conclusion that negative campaigning is no more effective than positive campaigning holds even though negative campaigns appear to be somewhat more memorable and to generate somewhat greater campaign-relevant knowledge.
That negative campaigning can also rile up the supporters of the opposing side segues perfectly into the next reason why conservatives have been misled about the effectiveness of political advertising:
3. Claims made by Republicans in advertising are frequently derided and declared to be “lies” by left-wing journalists who have anointed themselves to the public as objective “fact checkers.”
A study conducted by the Center for Media and Public Affairs found that PolitiFact, a frequently cited website by journalists and campaigns, was more than twice as likely to rate claims made by the Romney campaign to be “false” compared to claims made by the Obama campaign. A separate analysis by the University of Minnesota found that PolitiFact was three times more likely to describe statements made by Republicans as “false.”
The bias of such “fact checking” organizations should come as no surprise given that they are primarily run by the same large media organizations which have pervasive ideological diversity problems. PolitiFact is owned by the Tampa Bay Times and many newspapers and television news organizations have created their own imitation operations.
Instead of always being about objective reality, however, sometimes the “facts” these websites claim to be providing are simply pronouncements on others’ opinions.
Weekly Standard writer Mark Hemingway, a long-time watchdog of the watchdogs, has provided several great examples of how biased and subjective the “fact checking” genre has become. The two examples cited below were written following the November 12, 2011 Republican presidential debate:
On Iran, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney suggested that the U.S. government should make it “very clear that the United States of America is willing, in the final analysis, if necessary, to take military action to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon.” Little did Romney realize that the AP is the final arbiter of America’s tactical military capabilities and can say with certainty that a military attack on Iran’s nuclear program should not be attempted. “The U.S. certainly has military force readily at hand to destroy Iran’s known nuclear development sites in short order. This is highly unlikely, however, because of the strategic calculation that an attack would be counterproductive and ultimately ineffective, spawning retaliation against U.S. allies and forces in the region, and merely delaying eventual nuclear weapons development.” Also fortunate for the savvy news consumer, the AP apparently has a better grasp of what America’s intelligence agencies do and do not know than Newt Gingrich, a man who used to be third in line for the presidency and has received countless classified intelligence briefings. At the debate, Gingrich suggested that there was room for improvement at America’s intelligence agencies, and noted in particular that we don’t have a reliable intelligence operation in Pakistan. The AP sprang to the defense of the CIA: “The U.S. killing of a succession of al Qaeda figures in Pakistan, none more prized by America than Osama bin Laden, demonstrates that the United States indeed gets vital and reliable intelligence out of Pakistan. While it may have been true when Gingrich left government in 1999 that the CIA’s spy network was limited, since 2001 the agency has dramatically expanded its on-the-ground operations worldwide,” the AP “fact check” concluded. The fact that bin Laden, the most wanted man on the planet, was living in a compound in Pakistan possibly for years may seem like a sign that our intelligence sources in the country leave something to be desired—but guess again, Newt.
The same negative media dynamic against Right-leaning messages is in effect outside of campaigns as well. In July of 2013, the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, a non-profit closely aligned with activist billionaires Charles and David Koch, announced it was going to spend $1 million to air a television ad across Ohio and Virginia criticizing the Obamacare health law. The ad was professionally done and could have been convincing to some people—if only it had not been denounced by legions of Left-leaning media types who took great exception to it.
Before we get into the criticism, first some background. The ad featured a woman identified as “Julie, mother of two.” She tells the story of her own experiences with the American medical system and how she is concerned about how the massive Obamacare law’s massive changes might affect her. Here is the full text:
Two years ago, my son Caleb began having seizures. The medical care he received meant the world to me. Now, I’m paying more attention. And I have some questions about Obamacare. If we can’t pick our own doctor, how do I know my family is going to get the care they need? And what am I getting in exchange for higher premiums and a smaller paycheck? Can I really trust the folks in Washington with my family’s health care? I think we all deserve some answers.
Whether or not Julie is an actor or a real person, the concerns expressed in the ad are valid. It is true that once the law went into full effect, Obamacare did prompt at least some employers to stop paying for their employees’ medical insurance. As left-leaning writer Sarah Kliff admitted in 2011 it would make some sense for employers since “dropping coverage is a pretty decent deal: A company would see its health care costs reduced by over 40 percent.”
As of today, larger companies do not seem to have cut back much on employee health insurance subsidies but smaller businesses have. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 68 percent of them offered insurance in 2010 while 56 percent did in 2015. All of that could change with economic conditions, however, as the New York Times noted in April. A downturn could mean significant cutbacks in employer generosity.
It’s also true that people whose employers have cut back on health coverage would be unlikely to be able to continue seeing their current doctors.
Additionally, it is also true that health insurance premiums for everyone except low-income people went up because of Obamacare’s mandating of numerous extra services in private plans and also its requirement that insurance companies cannot deny anyone from purchasing coverage. People who cannot afford to pay the rates of their current insurance providers are also unlikely to be able to remain with their current doctors.
While it’s true that not everyone will have to pay more for health insurance or be forced away from their preferred medical service providers, these were valid questions to raise at the time.
Conservative health care ideas (to the extent they even exist) have their own problems but it was legitimate for AFP to at least get people thinking about the current law. Left-leaning journalists strongly disagreed. Almost instantly after the ad campaign was announced, establishment media journalists set out to attack it.
New York Times editorial board member David Firestone accused AFP of “outright lying” in the advertisement, calling it “the worst kind of misinformation.” Christopher Flavelle of Bloomberg blasted the ad as “false,” “devious,” and “cunningly deceptive.” MSNBC denounced it as “misleading attack ad.” The Daily Beast condemned it as “nonsense” and lamented that the ad’s “emoting” could be persuasive to some people.
Taking a less histrionic approach, the Cleveland Plain Dealer dissected the ad in minute detail and rebutted it on several points while uncritically presenting the text of a rival ad from a Democratic group without any criticism at all. CBS News did the exact same thing.
Sarah Kliff, then of the Washington Post, who two years earlier had said that it was a “pretty decent deal” for companies to stop providing health coverage, changed her mind, asserting that “health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act will work pretty much like it does right now.” She now accused AFP of raising “a bit of a false hypothetical.” The next day, the Post’s self-styled “fact checker” Glenn Kessler gave the spot “Two Pinocchios,” claiming that “the AFP ad sets up a straw man.”
While there was some neutral coverage of the AFP advertising buy, its effectiveness was clearly decreased greatly by the copious amount of negative coverage it received from the press.
4. Money spent on ads is very short-lived. Even during a campaign, advertising spending has almost no lasting impact.
While campaigns have for decades run polls trying to track the effectiveness of their advertising right after they’ve engaged in it, what many non-academic political observers are not aware of is that there is an entire discipline within political science called “media effects” which has been looking at the impact that advertising has beyond just an overnight poll. What the scholars have found is completely the opposite from the conventional wisdom.
Perhaps one of the most widely believed notions in politics is that people actually remember campaign ads. “Early” ad spending has been credited by many political observers as what propelled the Obama 2012 campaign to victory against Mitt Romney. Bill Clinton’s former adviser Dick Morris believed it helped him overcome negative public opinion.
Actual scientific research of the longevity of advertising messages completely contradicts these claims. To the extent that ads have an effect, it lasts just a bit longer than the lifespan of a mayfly.
For several decades, the consensus within the academic world has been that campaign ads become almost completely ineffective after less than a week of airing. In 2006, this theory was put to the test by a group of social scientists with the cooperation of Texas governor Rick Perry and his chief political strategist Dave Carney who allowed them to use sophisticated research techniques to isolate advertising from the many other variables that can impact a campaign. The circumstances were ideal for study because at the time the analysis was conducted, there were no rival campaigns or organizations running ads.
The results confirmed what the political scientists had suspected: contrary to the conventional wisdom, neither radio nor television campaign advertising had “any detectable effect after two days.”
As George Washington University professor John Sides wrote in the New York Times, contrary to what most campaign consultants tell their clients and donors, they are as not nearly as sophisticated as the baseball database geeks first profiled in the book Moneyball:
Campaigns may be wasting millions of dollars running ads weeks if not months before election day, only to have any effects of those ads dissipate. Case in point: the approximately $20 million that Bill Clinton spent in advertising between July 1995 and January 1996 — months before the 1996 election. The mastermind of this strategy, Dick Morris, wrote that “the key to Clinton’s victory was his early advertising.” But there is little evidence that the ads mattered at all. In other words, much of what goes into modern campaign advertising may be futile. Will this “rapid decay” convince candidates to husband their resources and unleash a barrage of ads on Oct. 30, 2012? Probably not. Might early advertising be useful for raising money or generating media coverage or other things besides moving poll numbers? Possibly yes, although here again there is only a little evidence, if that. Nevertheless, the fact a few eggheads have so spectacularly called into question the months-long television advertising campaign suggests how little may underlie the collected wisdom of the political cognoscenti. Campaigns are spending a lot of money, but they are not playing Moneyball.
To the extent that campaign ads can be effective at all, it is for an extremely short amount of time. By contrast, operating a mainstream news outlet like a local television station, newspaper or magazine can actually be profitable and therefore self-sustaining.
More than three billion dollars was spent in 2012 on televised advertisements at the presidential level. The portion spent by opponents of President Obama has earned literally zero return on investment.
5. Every dollar in ad buys is a dollar into the hands of the very same media that attack conservative beliefs and candidates instead of being put to use building things that can last.
Even if the TV ads that conservatives love so much were actually useful at the presidential level, it seems like none of the organizations paying for them have ever stopped to consider just who they’re buying the ads from: the very same left-leaning media outlets that are constantly condemning them.
Republicans have, quite literally, been subsidizing the media arm of the political movement that opposes them.
This tactic would be considered madness if it were applied to any other form of human activity: Coke does not purchase advertising on Pepsi bottles, Harvard does not give endowment grants to Yale, and Ford does not seek to help defray the costs of Toyota customers. Anyone touting the advantages of such ideas would immediately be dismissed as insane and rightly so.
Of course some amount of advertising is needed but to insist that billions of dollars be spent in such a fruitless manner to the exclusion of any other idea is absurd.
Just as no amount of Pepsi advertising dollars will ever be able to convince Coke drinkers that they should switch beverages, Right-leaning philanthropists need to realize that no amount of money spent on campaign ads is somehow going to make Americans become more conservative.
Over-relying on advertising is also a less effective way of developing conservative talent. News websites or TV stations need a lot of writers, editors, and technicians in order to function. A political ad rarely needs more than 20. Besides having a much lower return on investment, ad buys cost far more than media properties, particularly online ones.
In 2012, the Mitt Romney campaign and its associated political action committee spent nearly $1 billion trying to defeat President Obama. Outside groups spent several hundreds of millions, if not over a billion more dollars on top of that.
If even one thousandth of the approximately $2 billion that was spent had been invested to create or boost center-right media outlets, the net effect would have been far more significant per dollar. The odds are pretty good that the operations funded would still be in existence today. They might even be profitable like the Daily Caller is.
Conservatives love to complain about the liberal leanings of the mainstream news and entertainment companies but if they were actually serious about their gripes, they would stop funding them and do more than just complain. The only way to beat the media is to become the media. |
Louis Cyr: The Canadian Colossus
Much like “What’s the best Beatles album?”, “Is Tom Cruise an alien?” and “At what point in the Harry Potter film series it acceptable to mentally undress Hermione Granger?”, the question “Who is the strongest man of all time?” is an oft-debated topic.
One man that deserves his name thrown into the ring is Louis Cyr, a French-Canadian brick shithouse who earned worldwide renown at the turn of the twentieth century by performing legendary/completely absurd feats of strength.
Cyr (pronounced “seer”) was a modern day Samson figure, an agricultural folk hero whose breathtaking exploits have been passed on by word-of-mouth to successive generations.
Among his most extraordinary achievements were raising 4,337 pounds on his back, lifting 500 pounds with just one finger, and deadlifting a horse (?).
In the words of Harry Houdini, it is “generally conceded that Louis Cyr was, in his best days, the strongest man in the known-world for straight weightlifting.”
Similarly, other authorities on strength, such as Ben Weider (brother of Joe Weider and former chairman of the IFBB), George F. Jowett, and Thomas Inch all believed Cyr to be the strongest man to have ever lived.
This is in the context of recorded history, of course, as it’s a safe bet that some demi-celestial nutter from Ancient Greece would have made Cyr look like a malnourished glamour model.
With his rotund frame, 60 inch chest, biceps measuring 55cm in circumference, and legs as girthy as prehistoric tree trunks, the “King of the Circus” cut a swathe through the strongman world, leaving world records, dinner tables and beer barrels reeling in his wake.
Cyr’s memorably mammoth physique, combined with his ludicrous feats of agricultural strength (most of which would probably be illegal under today’s animals welfare laws), have earned him a permanent place in the history books.
This is the story of Louis Cyr, the “Canadian Colossus”.
Early life
Louis Cyr was born Cyprien Noé Cyr on October 11, 1863 in Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville, Montérégie.
While his father was of average build, it was his mother who possessed the strength genetics.
She was, to put it mildly, pretty bloody gargantuan, weighing in at 265 pounds and standing well over 6 feet tall.
A physique that would rip a man to pieces.
Cyr, who was the second of 17 children, weighed 18 pounds at birth and was naturally gifted with strength as a child.
At nine years old he began carrying 100 pound carves under his arm on his family’s farm.
At 12 years old Cyr left school to work in lumber camps in the winter months and on his family’s farm for the rest of the year.
This is where his real strength really began to develop, and his co-workers and friends quickly became impressed by his precocious lifting capabilities.
One of his earliest admirers was his mother, who encouraged him to grow his hair long in order to emulate the Biblical character of Samson.
On his father’s farm Louis would literally work out using the farmyard animals as makeshift barbells and dumbbells.
When a bull calf was born, for example, he immediately started carrying it around, and then, echoing Milo of Croton, went on to lift the calf every day, getting stronger as the calf got heavier.
When he was 14 he moved 15 bushes of grain (900 pounds) a distance of 15 feet.
A year later, when he was 15, Cyr, who now weighed 230 pounds, lifted to safety a local farmer’s overloaded horse and cart which had gotten stuck in the mud.
This impressive accomplishment spread like wildfire through the local villages, and his co-workers, friends and family urged him to compete in the strongman circuit.
So, adopting the name of Louis Cyr (as it was easier to pronounce in English), this baby-faced, curly-haired Canadian, now aged 18, entered his first proper competition in 1881 in Boston.
He won the contest – and the instant respect of his peers – by deadlifting a male horse which reputedly weighed 3/4 short tons (0.68t).
Finding work
Despite his early success, Cyr was unable to earn a living through strength contests alone, so he was forced to pursue other avenues of employment.
After marrying a local girl by the name of Melina Courtois (by all accounts an absolute hottie), Cyr put his strength to good use by getting work as a lumberjack.
Then, after breaking up a knife fight between two local ruffians (allegedly Cyr ended up subduing both combatants and carrying them to the police station, one under each arm), he was invited to work as a policeman.
Cyr later left the police force in order to run a local tavern come gymnasium, which would later become the site of many strongman challenges, through all of which Cyr would remain unbeaten.
Touring with the circus
As Cyr’s legendary exploits gained renown across Canada and the United States, he started performing in circus strongman shows, and many thousands of people flocked to see him on his first ever tour.
Louis Cyr’s circus shows soon became legendary and his name was plastered over newspaper headlines up and down the country.
In 1886 he earned the title of the “Strongest Man in Canada” after being pitted against Michaud of Quebec, then Canada’s strongest man.
In front of a crowd of over 4,000 people, Cyr defeated Michaud by lifting a granite stone weighing 517 pounds to his shoulders.
Shortly after Cyr travelled Europe to compete in strongman competitions, defeating everyone who dared challenge him.
During these shows, Cyr racked up a series of stunning achievements.
He lifted 500 pounds using just one finger; pulled carts containing 15-20 men; lifted 200 pound barrels of flour to his shoulders; pushed a freight car up a hill; and on one occasion (Boston 1895) raised 4,337 pounds of weight on his back.
This last show of strength is an achievement that no-one has ever come close to replicating.
Cyr’s most distinguished feat, however, was to stand fast while resisting the pull of four draught horses.
He would hold the reigns to two horses in each hand while their grooms cracked whips to encourage the horses to move him – to no avail.
At the age of 28, Cyr lifted aloft 278 pounds with his right hand, beating the world record of 274 pounds set by Eugen Sandow.
At one point there was talk of a contest between Cyr and Eugen Sandow, but unfortunately this never came to pass as a common set of rules between the two could not be agreed upon.
It is the general consensus, however, the Cyr would have wiped the floor with Sandow, and Sandow, ever the astute businessman, and keen to keep his reputation as the world’s strongest man alive, was too shrewd to let this contest happen.
Another anecdote from this time concerns his meeting with the Queen of England at Buckingham Palace.
Louis wanted to impress her with his strength, so he dug his heels into her red carpet (not a euphemism) and split it with apparent ease.
There’s no account of the Queen’s reaction to this act, although if I were her I’d probably be pretty pissed off at having some fat Canadian ruin my royal finery.
ButI guess if there’s one person you don’t mess with, it’s the strongest man on Earth.
With those credentials you can literally do whatever the fuck you want.
Diet
Like other strongmen of his time, such as Arthur Saxon, Cyr’s diet was monumental.
He was reported to consume six pounds of meat every dinner, and on one occasion Cyr and his strongman pal Horace Barré each devoured a suckling pig in one sitting.
However, it was this behemothic diet that contributed to his downfall.
In 1904, having reached a titanic 400 pounds in weight, his health began to seriously deteriorate.
In fact Cyr’s condition became so bad that for the last years of his life he was consigned to a Morris chair, like some kind of vast disabled slug, only able to digest yoghurt.
Death and legacy
Louis Cyr died on November 10, 1912 of Bright’s Diseases (Chronic Nephritis) at his farm in Saint-Jean-de-Matha.
He was 49 years old.
In a fitting testament to his incredible achievements, Cyr’s funeral, which was held at St Peter’s church in Montreal, was attended by thousands of his admirers.
Since his death, Louis Cyr’s legacy continues to endure.
In 2001 he was inducted into the Panthéon des Sports du Québec (Quebec’s Sporting Hall of Fame) and there is also a museum in his home town of Saint-Jean-de-Matha dedicated to his life and times.
In addition, there is a district of Montreal named Louis-Cyr in his honour (located in Saint-Henri, the same area he patrolled as a policeman) and an impressively endowed statue which proudly stands at the Musée de la Civilisation in Quebec.
There is also an upcoming biopic about the man himself coming to cinemas in 2014 (see the trailer below) which looks well worth a watch.
All in all, Louis Cyr, the “Barrel from Quebec”, was a unique figure in the weightlifting world.
Quiet and gentle, charismatic and witty, unorthodox, big of heart, and, of course, sensationally strong.
He was unbeaten in his lifetime, and, unlike a few of his contemporaries, never once backed down from a challenge.
His feats of strength influenced legions of other strongmen who, down the years, would often try to emulate – but never better – the French-Canadian’s staggering achievements. |
Man in Arctic Mask
In the 1992 techno-thriller Sneakers starring Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier, the viewer is treated to a quick shot of a braille issue of Playboy magazine, a possession of the film’s sole blind character, “Whistler,” played by David Strathairn. The shot is played for laughs, but braille editions of Playboy are a real thing; on eBay they are rather pricey, fetching prices of $30, $40, $50 and beyond—one optimistic seller is asking $400 for a single copy of the April 1992 edition.
It’s not known whether Lisa J. Murphy was inspired by the braille Playboy, but she came up with quite a different solution to the question of providing blind people with sexual gratification via printed matter. A resident of Canada, Murphy has produced a book called Tactile Mind: A Book of Nude Photographs for the Blind/Vision Impaired, which is “a handmade thermoform book consisting of 17, 3-D tactile photographs on white thermoform plastic pages with the visual image and descriptive Braille accompaniment.”
After publishing the main book, she followed it up with a smaller set of images she calls Tactile Atelier Bookmark. Referring to her picture of a woman’s posterior with panties on, which you can see below, Murphy said, “The butt was really hard to sculpt. I wanted to get it nice and even and give it a feminine softness so it would actually feel like a woman’s butt. It took me days to sculpt all the curves right, but I’m told it does feel like a woman’s butt in a G-string.”
Incidentally, Murphy does not use the word pornography to describe her work. We’re a blog, what can I say?
Each book costs $255 Canadian (about $180 U.S.) and can be ordered directly from Murphy’s website.
Untitled
Naked Pink Elephant
Love Robot
Woman with a Strap-On
Bad Bunny
Frog Prince
Uncircumsized Penis
Posing in Snakeskin Shoes
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Do blind people hallucinate on LSD? |
Horton Plaza Park, reopened a year ago after an $18 million expansion, sometimes looks like homeless plaza.
Dozens of street people, accompanied by backpacks, shopping carts and sleeping bags, can be found dozing in broad daylight on the lawn of the historic park, known for its 107-year-old Broadway Fountain that was designed by famed San Diego architect Irving J. Gill.
Others congregate around the umbrella tables in the shadow of the reconstructed Bradley Building, with its temporary mural depicting downtown in an upside-down perspective.
Roger Showley/U-T The former Sloan's ice cream store area has been taken over by street people seeking a safe place to sleep and relax. The former Sloan's ice cream store area has been taken over by street people seeking a safe place to sleep and relax. (Roger Showley/U-T)
A few huddle beneath the pergola of the now-closed Sloan’s ice cream shop, outside a yet-to-be-opened burger bar, on benches and in the amphitheater. One early afternoon last week there were about 30 apparently homeless people scattered around the 1.2-acre park.
Whether it’s the presence of the homeless, the lack of concerts, food services or the design of the park, Horton Plaza Park is not yet the success that was promised.
Landscape architect Vicki Estrada, whose office has overlooked the plaza for decades, called it a “big expanse of not too much.”
She posted her thoughts on her Facebook page and received numerous replies that were uniformly critical of the park in its reinvented state.
“I have not spent much time there, but I hated it,” said housing consultant Peter Denehy.
“It’s gone full circle back to the Broadway riffraff trash of the ‘60s,” said John Thurston, a former technical editor. “Quite honestly, it stinks.”
“As a design professional, I can say it lacks any heart, soul or anything else redeeming, “ said design professional Robert Dean. “I couldn’t honestly wait to leave.”
Urban designer Howard Blackson said a “nutty lady” pulled a knife on him once, but he said the park is better than before: “It’s OK to not mindlessly booster our city because we’re confident enough to take criticism and use it to make improvements.”
Roger Showley/U-T The new amphitheater at Horton Plaza Park overlooks an interactive fountain and area for special events. The new amphitheater at Horton Plaza Park overlooks an interactive fountain and area for special events. (Roger Showley/U-T)
Help apparently is on the way.
To battle crime, police have stepped up patrols and the city has budgeted $150,000 to cover private security patrols.
To draw more of the general public, Westfield which manages the shopping center next to the park, is planning a summerful of concerts, movies, art shows, food trucks, farmer’s markets and special events, said Vice President Kim Brewer.
“Bringing back the games and bringing back water fountain play days, coloring stations, the fit program, we're going to reengage on a daily basis,” Brewer said. “I definitely think people we've spoken to and even some of the different organizations that plan events — it’s really been a success. These types of spaces take some time to develop.”
She said the agreement with the city calls for ramping up events to 200 annually by 2019.
Among other ideas in the works: A temporary ice skating rink may be installed for the winter holidays.
Yet to be decided, Brewer said, is a full-scale reworking of the shopping center, a project that in discussion for years. Ideas have ranged from adding housing, offices and hotels to tearing down the entire complex and starting over.
Meanwhile, visitors can enjoy 30-minute nightly sound-and-light shows. The million-dollar interactive fountain, built as the key feature in the expanded plaza, has been programmed to play in sync with piped in musical selections and special lighting effects.
“(We’ll) continue to operate it as a world-class urban space and we'll be assessing over the next year the success of that and make sure that Horton Plaza is the gem that it was always intended to be,” said David Graham, the city’s deputy chief operating officer.
Horton Plaza (the grassy park around the fountain) has a long and storied history. It opened soon after Alonzo Horton opened his Horton House hotel in 1870 and took its current form in 1910, when the U.S. Grant Hotel opened on the site of Horton House. Gill designed the park layout as well as the fountain.
It’s been the go-to place for protests, celebrations, presidential speeches and countless photo ops. But its half-acre size made it too small for major events and gatherings, its formal layout more pretty than practical.
Historic photos show a mix of sailors, office workers, street people and tourists visiting the park. It once housed a weather station and a visitor center, and there was a set of restrooms underground just to the south.
In the 1980s as developer Ernest W. Hahn was constructing what is now Westfield Horton Plaza, the city toyed with a radical redesign before the Save Our Heritage Organisation pressed officials to restore the park to its 1910 look.
But a year or two after both the mall and park opened in 1985, the homeless moved back into the park and the city removed benches, trash cans and the lawn to deter vagrancy.
Roger Showley/U-T The overlook of Horton Plaza Park sometimes becomes a sleeping spot. The overlook of Horton Plaza Park sometimes becomes a sleeping spot. (Roger Showley/U-T)
In 2013 when Westfield decided to demolish the former Robinsons-May department store building, that footprint was returned to the city and the newly enlarged space opened last May. Westfield promised to maintain the park and activate it with special events and weekly activities.
Last year there were 200 events, mostly modest “Plaza Play” lawn games and “Park Unplugged” live music performances. So far this year there have been only 25 events, all but six being “Plaza Plays.”
A replacement is being sought for the Sloan’s ice cream stand that closed a few weeks ago. Burgerim Gourmet Burgers has signed a lease to occupy the south pavilion and is expected to open by Sept. 1.
Those improvements can’t come too fast for downtown regulars.
Joey Aiello, 59, who has operated Joey’s Shoe Shine just south of the park in a Westfield Horton Plaza breezeway for 12 years and eight years inside the mall previously, said he has observed women showering naked or washing their hair in the plaza, drug deals in the bathrooms, two stabbings, four muggings and “endless other events.”
“I love the park but without police there, it’s a nightmare,” he said.
Todd Idziorek, 52, who lives elsewhere downtown and drives catering delivery trucks, said he witnessed stepped up police patrols make arrests and ticket people for smoking, fistfights and a man bending over the interactive fountain with his pants down.
Milan Aguinaga, 23, who operates the Brooklyn Hot Dog cart outside the entrance to the Lyceum Theatre, said the park first seemed like a patio for downtown high-rise residents and then realized the homeless “have taken over.”
“I don’t go there anymore,” she said of the women’s bathroom, after seeing a couple having sex in one of the stalls.
Glen Schmidt, whose landscape design firm helped bring off the expansion of Horton Plaza park, said the design has held up as intended — similar to iconic plazas in Europe that are similarly treeless because they are designed for large public gatherings. |
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Since 2004, I have been the maintainer of the Linux man-pages project the manual pages documenting the Linux kernel-user-space and GNU C library APIs. As well as being the project maintainer, I have also written or cowritten around 40% of the 1000+ manual pages provided by the project.
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What do you like best?
I've been a SDL Trados user for many years, since I decided, together with my business partner, to move to open-source software. OmegaT is a very stable program: I've been using it for many years and I've experienced just 2 or 3 crashes, mainly caused by lack of resources of my system. OmegaT is very fast, with lots of advanced features. The greatest proof of appreciation is the fact that I've based my professional life on it. I use it on a daily basis to earn my living as a technical translator. A key feature for me and my company is the "team project" feature, that allows several translators to work together on a project in real time.
What do you dislike?
In a word: nothing. Of course there are a few missing features, such as a "status" field for each translation unit, but I know from the user forum that they're working on it. New versions are regularly released, so it's quite likely that in a few months from now the software will be even more complete.
Recommendations to others considering the product
I recommend not to stop on the surface. The GUI of OmegaT might be not top-notch, but that's because it's essential and tries not to become the bloatware that many other cat tools have become.
What business problems are you solving with the product? What benefits have you realized? |
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Nov. 13, 2014, 7:00 PM GMT / Updated Nov. 13, 2014, 8:57 PM GMT
It doesn’t sound like much, but the “Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule” is a linchpin of the ambitious U.S.-China climate goals announced this week. It’s also a lightning rod for critics and supporters of President Barack Obama’s climate policies. So far 1.5 million comments about it have been filed — and it’s still more than two weeks before the Dec. 1 deadline for feedback.
Rising above the din are 13 economists and legal experts from top universities — Berkeley, University of Chicago, U.C. Davis, Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Yale — who published their take in this week’s issue of the journal Science.
The plan can work, and cost effectively, if states use its flexibility to create regional carbon trading programs, or even a national one, the professors said. But whether the states will act, the economists said, “is an open question."
Overall, the plan is positive and “an important step for national climate change policy,” Berkeley professor Meredith Fowlie, one of three lead authors, tells NBCNews.com. It can be made more cost effective, the professors said, if states work together in regional carbon trading programs, or even a national program, where states heavy on carbon can pay states low on carbon to take some of their emissions. In the long run, this cap-and-trade system can bring emissions down across the country, the experts said.
The proposed rule boils down to this: By 2030, states would have to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 30 percent below 2005 levels.
And since those plants account for 40 percent of all U.S. CO2 emissions, the plan could make or break the new U.S.-China goals: by 2025, U.S. emissions would be at least 26 percent below 2005 levels — tightening the previous goal of a 17 percent cut by 2020. China would boost renewable energy to make sure its CO2 emissions peak by 2030, the first time it has accepted such a cap.
Boosted by a Supreme Court ruling that it had the authority to regulate CO2 under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency in June formalized the proposed rule and started taking comments. The topic of power plants is a hot one: The EPA record for comments is 2.7 million, set earlier this year on proposed carbon pollution standards for new power plants.
Critics include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the coal industry, which would see power plants quicken their shift away from coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel.
The plan “would severely harm the economy, result in job loss, and increase electricity prices,” argues Betsy Monseu, CEO of the American Coal Council.
Emboldened by the recent election results, Republicans are poised to use those arguments in attacking Obama's policies. Sen. Mitch McConnell, representing coal producer Kentucky and likely to become Senate majority leader next session, was quick to blast the U.S.-China goals as requiring "the Chinese to do nothing at all for 16 years, while these carbon emission regulations are creating havoc in my state and other states across the country.”
The potential costs/benefits are a key area of disagreement. A central EPA estimate puts health and climate benefits in 2030 at $76 billion, with compliance costs at $9 billion — an estimate that the university experts consider indicative of “positive” net benefits, Fowlie says.
"Environmental rules are constant targets for litigation. That is the nature of the beast and surely will be again on this rule."
On the other hand, a study sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce concluded the proposed rule would, by 2030, cause the loss of 224,000 jobs annually, increase electricity costs by $289 billion, and lower household incomes by $586 billion.
Stanford energy law professor Michael Wara, another author of the analysis out Thursday, says the estimates “all have issues” because the timeframe is still a decade out. Still, he adds, the EPA seems closer to reality, in part because it has to think about surviving future legal challenges. The Chamber-sponsored study, he says, seems “quite speculative” with some assumptions that drive the costs up.
Those divergent viewpoints are what the EPA is weighing, but in the long run the rise or fall of the “Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule” could depend on other factors.
“If I had to guess I’d say this is going to come down to politics,” says Wara, “to the willingness of Obama to veto” Republican attempts to defund the EPA effort. That, he adds, “and the legal battles.”
While the Supreme Court upheld EPA’s authority to use the Clean Air Act to regulate CO2, the next battle is over whether the EPA is overreaching in how it accomplishes that.
“Environmental rules are constant targets for litigation,” says Ray Kopp, director of the Center for Climate and Electricity Policy at Resources for the Future, a think tank that has brought together experts with divergent views on the plan. “That is the nature of the beast and surely will be again on this rule.”
One of those experts is Jeff Holmstead, who headed the EPA’s air and radiation office under President George W. Bush. Now a lawyer representing power companies, Holmstead predicts the rule will be overturned.
The Supreme Court “has also made it clear that EPA can't just do whatever it wants,” he says. “It can only impose regulations that are based on the specific provisions” of the Clean Air Act, and those have “nothing to do with what EPA is now proposing.”
Wara is among those who see that possibility as well, especially since the earlier Supreme Court ruling included comments by conservative justices warning the EPA not to “overreach.”
“Many smart D.C. lawyers are going to try to show that EPA is stretching beyond the confines of the law,” he says, “and they could win.” |
What has the highest temperature in the universe? Date: Tue Aug 19 09:11:39 1997
Posted by Luke Wantuch
Grade level: 10-12
School: Secondary
City: Cracow State/Province: No state entered.
Country: Poland
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 871999899.As Message: What has the highest temperature in the universe? This is actually not an easy question! It depends on what you mean by temperature. Here on Earth, in our cozy blanket of air at one atmospheric pressure, we think of temperature as how hot something is. But on a microscopic level, that really means how vigorously molecules and atoms are bumping into each other. The faster they move, the harder they bump, and the higher the temperature. However, have you ever wondered why water at 70 degrees Centigrade might scald you, but air at that temperature won't? Air is less dense than water, so it carries less energy total even if the temperature is the same. The atoms are jiggling just as fast, but there are fewer of them. I bring this up because there can be ridiculously high temperatures in the Universe, but they don't mean much! For example, the Voyager probe measured a temperature of over one billion degrees in the magnetosphere of Uranus. Imagine! But really what it was measuring were particles moving extremely quickly. If you stood (well, floated) in Uranus' magnetosphere, you wouldn't suddenly vaporize. On the contrary, you'd freeze! The particles may be very very hot, but there simply aren't enough of them for them to heat you up. So to answer your question, probably the hottest temperatures reached in the Universe today are in the cores of supernovae (stars that explode), or possibly in the mysterious gamma ray bursters, extremely energetic explosions the cause of which no one knows. But the hottest temperature of all time would have been the Big Bang: since it had all the matter and energy squeezed into one point, it must have had nearly infinite temperature!
©2008 Phil Plait. All Rights Reserved. This page last modified |
If you are going to argue about racism in this thread, just don't. It is a pointless argument that merits no valuable discussion whatsoever. If people truly feel so strongly about it, then take it to PMs. Do not muck up this thread with racism arguments.
Kim Phan: "We are trying to make sure we are doing what’s best for StarCraft." Text by TeamLiquid ESPORTS Graphics by shiroiusagi
While the show is going on people behind the scenes are already planning ahead, thinking about the near and far future, adapting to any challenges that might come up. One of the people primarily responsible for the direction of the esports side of SC2 is Kim Phan. She is responsible for managing the monstrous eSport machinery of Blizzard Entertainment, a beast not easily tamed or satisfied, as new tastes and flavours fall in and out of trend and new challenges arise daily.
We were able to spend some time with Kim Phan at the WCS Circuit: Winter Championship in Katowice, Poland, to talk about one great part of this machinery: the World Championship Series.
TL.net: What would you say are the biggest positive and the biggest negative points about the new WCS system and what was your thought process behind this radical system change between 2015 and 2016?
Kim Phan: Well, first of all we took a look at all the years and what people liked and the StarCraft community is so amazing—from the players, to the influencers, just everyone involved is very vocal about StarCraft and is very passionate about it, so we hear a lot of feedback—and it’s great to be able to receive so many thoughts and a lot of that is taken into account, when we make changes.
For 2016 we knew it was going to be the Legacy of the Void launch year and that was a great opportunity for us to think about how we continue growing StarCraft eSports, especially as new players come in to try Legacy of the Void, and the games changes as well with different units that are added. That was almost like another chance to say: Hey, what does the StarCraft landscape look like in terms of competitive play, what is the meta? And I think we wanted to make changes, which would allow more people to compete and enter the system. So how were we able to improve that?
The thing that we saw in 2015 was that it was very difficult for a professional player to really stand out and to get noticed in a system where there were a lot of players from Korea in this space. You know, Korea has just always been a very dominant and fierce country when it comes to eSports—they’re just so, so good. And there probably aren’t enough tournaments out there to really accommodate all their skill. So what we saw was not enough growth in other regions, because there weren’t enough moments where we saw—for example in Krakow last year for the Season 3 finals—a moment that was like ‘wow, this is amazing, look at the Polish crowd cheer on MaNa in the finals and there is Lilbow as well’ and it’s just so great to see that energy and to see local heroes shine and these players played really, really well, they took out Hydra and Polt. So how do you cultivate that? I think that influenced a lot of our changes and that is why we decided to go the route of two different ranking systems.
One reason is: How do we grow pro players and give them the chance to shine and to show they truly are skilled? It’s wonderful to see all the best players of the world play and not just Korea—certainly the best of the best in StarCraft is in Korea, no doubt about it—, but there is a best of the best in StarCraft all over the world as well and we wanted to be able to put a spotlight on that, and I think that influenced our changes significantly. And at the same time we want people to realize that Korea is the best and we didn’t do a good job previously of promoting the tournaments in Korea, because it’s in a different time zone, in the west it’s really hard to follow—and those are the things we wanted to do better for Korea to really put a spotlight on ‘this is where the best players are, if you want to compete with the best, this is the place to go’. So WCS Korea is still open to everybody, is still a global tournament, but the reality of 'doing really well' is competing against the big bosses again and again. We want to rebroadcast it, talk about the stories more, tell people more about the players. Because if you have it mixed together it’s harder to follow the story. So you can’t really follow the stories of the other local heroes, because they’re not getting a chance to rise. It’s just too much to cover to keep it clear.
These are probably the biggest reasons behind these changes and we thought with Legacy of the Void was a great opportunity to do a change like that. What else did we consider? We could have made not a lot of changes at all, but then it probably would’ve taken longer to get players inspired to compete.
TL.net: Did you ever discuss going back to the system you had in 2012, with the regional and national championships? People really loved that. There is this famous picture of Stephano with the French flag in hand, being cheered on by the crowd…
Kim Phan: Yes, we did consider so many options and this was one of the things we considered as well. But—as you mentioned drastic changes before—we thought going back to a system from 2012 would have been too drastic. Also in order to put together 2012 we had to get a lot of events from all over the world together and from the feedback we got about this it was really hard to follow. It was great for the people who followed their own region and got to see their own heroes, but to follow the stories from across the world was really difficult for a lot of people. So that was something we were mindful of. How can we make the stories easy to follow? So the system now—although it seems like it has two different stories—provides one story here. So you are still able to see Stephano do his flag waving, like Lilbow did now. So I think we have a little bit of a mix of both now, because our Championships will be at live events, so we have more of those moments, but they all have to compete against each other to see who is the best.
TL.net: Do you then think that the one event we have had so far—DreamHack in Leipzig—was a promising start to the new system, or is it too early to really tell?
Kim Phan: We have seen the positive changes we intended happening, and as this is the second event we are going to continue to see more results, so yes it’s a little early to say, but we are already seeing positive things. That I am really excited about.
TL.net: So did you hear a lot of good things from the community? What are these positive signals you get?
Kim Phan: Yes, we get a lot of feedback from the community, we continue to do so—of course a big thanks to the teamliquid community and just the StarCraft community as a whole for always telling us what they’re thinking. We are seeing a lot of incoming players rising, and I think that’s exciting, fresh blood is always good, and you are seeing some surprises with Legacy of the Void being so different, people love playing it, so I heard a lot of positive feedback about the game and how it affected eSports.
TL.net: Initially the community didn’t react so well to the WCS changes. Were you afraid that you would create a rift between the regions, or between the so-called casual fan camp and the so-called elitist fan camp, which would stay for a long time?
Kim Phan: I think every time you introduce change it takes a while for people to form a decision about it. And I will admit we changed WCS year after year, it’s always been different and the community has been very patient in letting us try things and giving feedback. So I can see why it may be challenging when you are really invested into one format and then another change happens. But we really want to do it right and create a system that can continue and be easy to follow, and so we continue to make improvements. And I think we just expect there to be different voices. We are trying to make sure we are doing what’s best for StarCraft and what’s best for the players.
TL.net: Many in the community are looking forward to the WCS Global Events, where Foreigners will compete against Koreans, which is a rare occasion now in the new system. But many are worried, because we haven’t heard any real announcements about these events so far. Is there anything you can say about this? Will Blizzard give more incentives to organizers to organize these events?
Kim Phan: I am trying to think about what I can say… I do know that there is one event being planned, that hasn’t been announced yet. So I shouldn’t say anything until it’s actually announced, as I don’t know what changes might be happening. But I do think those moments will become very, very special and that’s what I am really excited about. On the flip side of course people say ‘how is that competition going to look like though, when they haven’t played against each other for a while now?’. I don’t remember the year, but one time at IPL they did ‘Korea vs the World’, do you remember that one?
TL.net: Yeah.
Kim Phan: That was the one where Stephano like…
TL.net: …where Stephano almost all-killed Korea.
Kim Phan: Yeah, where Stephano almost all-killed them. So I am excited about this. That event gives me hope, that as the skill level of the western players get better and better and better, that’s going to be cool to see. And what else was it? Nation Wars?
TL.net: Yeah, Nation Wars. MarineLorD’s moment of triumph.
Kim Phan: Oh my goodness, Nation Wars, MarineLorD was insane, so him taking out the whole Korean team was really cool to see. So France won Nation Wars against Korea, which gives me a lot excitement and hope for more moments like that.
TL.net: As you know the teamliquid-community is especially interested in the Korean scene, following it religiously. Recently there have been worries about the shrinking talent pool in Korea—our very own stuchiu wrote an article about this on ESPN that really blew up and opened a huge discussion inside the community. Are there plans from Blizzard to step in and help out the grassroots scene there and also abroad?
Kim Phan: We will continue to support Korean eSports, we know that that’s where the talent is—and you kind of hit it right there I think, you can’t stop players from retiring, it’s always going to happen. StarCraft is a lot about speed and APM and if you don’t play a lot you’re going to fall behind very quickly. So how do you get the next group of people coming in? We’ve been working with organizers in Korea to build more grassroots tournaments and to help growing that talent. There are things we are already doing, a lot of it behind the scenes which people might not realize as well. The point is something I agree with and we’re working towards improving things.
TL.net: Since Proleague is so beloved all over the world, have there been discussions about setting up an official Blizzard team league? Is that something that might come up in the future?
Kim Phan: We also love Proleague, we think it’s awesome. And we’ve thought about it. There need to be more teams outside of Korea however in order to build a league. So yeah, we did think about it. But the nature of StarCraft 2 being a 1on1 game and the infrastructure outside of Korea making it harder for teams to practice together is a bigger challenge. So the question is how to grow these things, so you can have enough teams on an even playing field.
TL.net: Thank you very much for your time, we wish you the best in the future, please try to show good systems and we will cheer for you!
While the show is going on people behind the scenes are already planning ahead, thinking about the near and far future, adapting to any challenges that might come up. One of the people primarily responsible for the direction of the esports side of SC2 is Kim Phan. She is responsible for managing the monstrous eSport machinery of Blizzard Entertainment, a beast not easily tamed or satisfied, as new tastes and flavours fall in and out of trend and new challenges arise daily.We were able to spend some time with Kim Phan at the WCS Circuit: Winter Championship in Katowice, Poland, to talk about one great part of this machinery: the World Championship Series.
Draconicfire Profile Joined May 2010 Canada 2561 Posts Last Edited: 2016-03-07 07:30:20 #2 I really do hope they start to do more grassroots stuff in Korea.
I was watching a drama recently where they had a scene that took place in a PC Bang in 1999 and everyone was playing StarCraft. Made me kinda sad when I think about going there now and it's all League and other random games. @Drayxs | Drayxs.221 | Drayxs#1802
iMrising Profile Blog Joined March 2012 United States 1074 Posts #3
Thanks for taking the time to interview her (TripleM), and thanks to Kim Pham for taking the time to talk to the community.
Long Live Starcraft! Its nice to see these little things that show that Blizzard really does careThanks for taking the time to interview her (TripleM), and thanks to Kim Pham for taking the time to talk to the community.Long Live Starcraft! $O$ | soO
Topdoller Profile Joined March 2011 United Kingdom 3860 Posts #4 I really do hope they fund more grassroots in Korea, it is the heart of Starcraft where the most dedicated players emerge from and if goes under then the future of Starcraft as a professional event would be in serious jeopardy
calh Profile Joined March 2013 378 Posts #5 All in all rather vacuous.
NinjaToss Profile Blog Joined October 2015 Austria 1378 Posts #6 I know KeSPA is actually doing some amateur SCII league and it's casted by Canata and he post the games in his channel. It's really nice of Blizzard to show us that they cares, sometimes it's all that matters I'm sorry for all those that got their hearts broken by Zest | Zest, Bisu, soO, herO, MC, Maru, TY, Rogue, Trap, TaeJa", Favourite foreigners: ShoWTimE, Snute, Serral and Nerchio| KT BEST KT |
Brutaxilos Profile Blog Joined July 2010 United States 2381 Posts #7 Blizzard should sponsor NationWars to be an international Proleague. Jangbi favorite player. Forever~ CJ herO the King of IEM. BOMBERRRRRRRR. Sexy Boy Rogue.
AKAvg Profile Joined April 2014 Brazil 297 Posts #8 "...We’ve been working with organizers in Korea to build more grassroots tournaments and to help growing that talent. There are things we are already doing, a lot of it behind the scenes which people might not realize as well..."
Quite a lot I hope because so far...
I find interesting that she admits that Korea is the best is and wishes/hopes/prays that foreign players becomes as good as they are somehow/someway.
I truly believe you can't be among the best if you don't train and compete with the best and I hardly think shutting most Koreans out helps with that. A shame, really.
heqat Profile Joined October 2011 Switzerland 56 Posts #9 On March 07 2016 17:07 Brutaxilos wrote:
Blizzard should sponsor NationWars to be an international Proleague.
Yea NationWars deserve more love from Blizzard. It is a great tournament.
Yea NationWars deserve more love from Blizzard. It is a great tournament.
FrkFrJss Profile Joined April 2015 Canada 1131 Posts #10 On March 07 2016 17:17 AKAvg wrote:
"...We’ve been working with organizers in Korea to build more grassroots tournaments and to help growing that talent. There are things we are already doing, a lot of it behind the scenes which people might not realize as well..."
Quite a lot I hope because so far...
I find interesting that she admits that Korea is the best is and wishes/hopes/prays that foreign players becomes as good as they are somehow/someway.
I truly believe you can't be among the best if you don't train and compete with the best and I hardly think shutting most Koreans out helps with that. A shame, really.
I agree and disagree. I think that unless all the foreigners moved to Korea and trained in team houses, they probably wouldn't be as good as Koreans.
That being said, there a number if examples of both Koreans and foreigners living at home and beating top Koreans without that Korean environment.
Besides, look at 2013/2014, I mean, we really didn't see that many foreigners going toe to toe with Koreans. I think Blizzard is correct in trying this for a year and then assessing where the competitive scene is at after Blizzcon. I agree and disagree. I think that unless all the foreigners moved to Korea and trained in team houses, they probably wouldn't be as good as Koreans.That being said, there a number if examples of both Koreans and foreigners living at home and beating top Koreans without that Korean environment.Besides, look at 2013/2014, I mean, we really didn't see that many foreigners going toe to toe with Koreans. I think Blizzard is correct in trying this for a year and then assessing where the competitive scene is at after Blizzcon. "Keep Moving Forward" - Walt Disney
usopsama Profile Joined April 2008 6487 Posts Last Edited: 2016-03-07 08:48:11 #11 We are trying to make sure we are doing... what’s best for the players.
When she says they are doing what's best for the "players," I guess she is really referring to the foreign players. I mean, they really fucked over a lot of passionate and highly-skilled Korean players with their region-lock.
How ironic would it be if more foreign players, like Lilbow, go to Blizzcon after practicing only, like, 2 games. When she says they are doing what's best for the "players," I guess she is really referring to the foreign players. I mean, they really fucked over a lot of passionate and highly-skilled Korean players with their region-lock.How ironic would it be if more foreign players, like Lilbow, go to Blizzcon after practicing only, like, 2 games.
deacon.frost Profile Joined February 2013 Czech Republic 7191 Posts #12 On March 07 2016 17:41 usopsama wrote:
Show nested quote +
We are trying to make sure we are doing... what’s best for the players.
When she says they are doing what's best for the "players," I guess she is really referring to the foreign players. I mean, they really fucked over a lot of passionate and highly-skilled Korean players with their region-lock.
How ironic would it be if more foreign players, like Lilbow, go to Blizzcon after practicing only, like, 2 games. When she says they are doing what's best for the "players," I guess she is really referring to the foreign players. I mean, they really fucked over a lot of passionate and highly-skilled Korean players with their region-lock.How ironic would it be if more foreign players, like Lilbow, go to Blizzcon after practicing only, like, 2 games.
I am still waiting for the win he was training for This Karma thing is gorgeous
And the first part - yeah, "we fucked the best players, but we are doing what's best for the players" - I think that's just a pure PR meaningless talk. What is she supposed to say? We fucked Koreans, we applied racist rule, we haven't released book rules yet, but ... we are doing the best for players. Do you want to buy Nova campaign? I am still waiting for the win he was training forThis Karma thing is gorgeousAnd the first part - yeah, "we fucked the best players, but we are doing what's best for the players" - I think that's just a pure PR meaningless talk. What is she supposed to say? We fucked Koreans, we applied racist rule, we haven't released book rules yet, but ... we are doing the best for players. Do you want to buy Nova campaign? I imagine France should be able to take this unless Lilbow is busy practicing for Starcraft III. | KadaverBB is my fairy ban mother.
usopsama Profile Joined April 2008 6487 Posts Last Edited: 2016-03-07 10:18:02 #13 On March 07 2016 17:56 deacon.frost wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 07 2016 17:41 usopsama wrote:
We are trying to make sure we are doing... what’s best for the players.
When she says they are doing what's best for the "players," I guess she is really referring to the foreign players. I mean, they really fucked over a lot of passionate and highly-skilled Korean players with their region-lock.
How ironic would it be if more foreign players, like Lilbow, go to Blizzcon after practicing only, like, 2 games. When she says they are doing what's best for the "players," I guess she is really referring to the foreign players. I mean, they really fucked over a lot of passionate and highly-skilled Korean players with their region-lock.How ironic would it be if more foreign players, like Lilbow, go to Blizzcon after practicing only, like, 2 games.
I am still waiting for the win he was training for This Karma thing is gorgeous
And the first part - yeah, "we fucked the best players, but we are doing what's best for the players" - I think that's just a pure PR meaningless talk. What is she supposed to say? We fucked Koreans, we applied racist rule, we haven't released book rules yet, but ... we are doing the best for players. Do you want to buy Nova campaign? I am still waiting for the win he was training forThis Karma thing is gorgeousAnd the first part - yeah, "we fucked the best players, but we are doing what's best for the players" - I think that's just a pure PR meaningless talk. What is she supposed to say? We fucked Koreans, we applied racist rule, we haven't released book rules yet, but ... we are doing the best for players. Do you want to buy Nova campaign?
Agreed. I shouldn't be reading so deeply into the empty PR talk. Agreed. I shouldn't be reading so deeply into the empty PR talk.
Elentos Profile Blog Joined February 2015 46197 Posts #14 We also love Proleague, we think it’s awesome. And we’ve thought about it. There need to be more teams outside of Korea however in order to build a league.
Dafuq? There's more pro teams outside of Korea than in Korea. A lot more.
You can maybe say foreign Proleague isn't realistic because foreign SC2 doesn't all come together in one city like in Korea, but saying there have to be more teams is just... strange. Dafuq? There's more pro teams outside of Korea than in Korea. A lot more.You can maybe say foreign Proleague isn't realistic because foreign SC2 doesn't all come together in one city like in Korea, but saying there have to be more teams is just... strange. Splyce flair now | Where is knowledge?
deacon.frost Profile Joined February 2013 Czech Republic 7191 Posts #15 On March 07 2016 18:00 Elentos wrote:
Show nested quote +
We also love Proleague, we think it’s awesome. And we’ve thought about it. There need to be more teams outside of Korea however in order to build a league.
Dafuq? There's more pro teams outside of Korea than in Korea. A lot more.
You can maybe say foreign Proleague isn't realistic because foreign SC2 doesn't all come together in one city like in Korea, but saying there have to be more teams is just... strange. Dafuq? There's more pro teams outside of Korea than in Korea. A lot more.You can maybe say foreign Proleague isn't realistic because foreign SC2 doesn't all come together in one city like in Korea, but saying there have to be more teams is just... strange.
Also all the attempts failed on the foreign side. I remember TB(Clan Wars) saying that teams were always late(e.g.
Not sure what happened with ATC. Also all the attempts failed on the foreign side. I remember TB(Clan Wars) saying that teams were always late(e.g. http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/starcraft-2/496820-foreign-sc2-doesnt-need-wcs-it-needs-a-proleague?page=2#37 Not sure what happened with ATC. I imagine France should be able to take this unless Lilbow is busy practicing for Starcraft III. | KadaverBB is my fairy ban mother.
Makro Profile Joined March 2011 France 16491 Posts #16 thanks for that interview Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of shitposting, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven".
Diabolique Profile Joined June 2015 Czech Republic 5118 Posts Last Edited: 2016-03-07 09:14:26 #17 What would you say are the biggest positive and the biggest negative points about the new WCS system?
"- Blaaa blaaa blaaa, everything is great, it is an opportunity, it is exciting, blaaa blaaa blaaaa."
A bullshit PR talk without a single reasonable answer.
Actually no. There is one good and interesting answer - they are preparing 1 (ONE) global event. Well, everybody expected that there will be at least the ONE event. Unfortunately, it seems, there will be really only ONE event.
"you can’t stop players from retiring"
She is a really, really nice lady. And I really, really don't like her. sOs | Rogue | Maru | Trap | Scarlett | Snute | MC
TheOneAboveU Profile Blog Joined February 2011 Germany 2019 Posts #18 On March 07 2016 18:10 deacon.frost wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 07 2016 18:00 Elentos wrote:
We also love Proleague, we think it’s awesome. And we’ve thought about it. There need to be more teams outside of Korea however in order to build a league.
Dafuq? There's more pro teams outside of Korea than in Korea. A lot more.
You can maybe say foreign Proleague isn't realistic because foreign SC2 doesn't all come together in one city like in Korea, but saying there have to be more teams is just... strange. Dafuq? There's more pro teams outside of Korea than in Korea. A lot more.You can maybe say foreign Proleague isn't realistic because foreign SC2 doesn't all come together in one city like in Korea, but saying there have to be more teams is just... strange.
Also all the attempts failed on the foreign side. I remember TB(Clan Wars) saying that teams were always late(e.g.
Not sure what happened with ATC. Also all the attempts failed on the foreign side. I remember TB(Clan Wars) saying that teams were always late(e.g. http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/starcraft-2/496820-foreign-sc2-doesnt-need-wcs-it-needs-a-proleague?page=2#37 Not sure what happened with ATC.
You need teams with the right amount of infrastructure and logistics to actually keep up with a long-running league, and in the best case these teams should be more or less even in skill and player numbers, so it makes for a competitive tournament.
So yes, there are more teams outside of Korea than in Korea, but the number of teams fullfilling the requirements for such a league is quite small I think. You need teams with the right amount of infrastructure and logistics to actually keep up with a long-running league, and in the best case these teams should be more or less even in skill and player numbers, so it makes for a competitive tournament.So yes, there are more teams outside of Korea than in Korea, but the number of teams fullfilling the requirements for such a league is quite small I think. Writer also known as TripleM | @TL_TripleM
deacon.frost Profile Joined February 2013 Czech Republic 7191 Posts #19 On March 07 2016 18:17 TheOneAboveU wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 07 2016 18:10 deacon.frost wrote:
On March 07 2016 18:00 Elentos wrote:
We also love Proleague, we think it’s awesome. And we’ve thought about it. There need to be more teams outside of Korea however in order to build a league.
Dafuq? There's more pro teams outside of Korea than in Korea. A lot more.
You can maybe say foreign Proleague isn't realistic because foreign SC2 doesn't all come together in one city like in Korea, but saying there have to be more teams is just... strange. Dafuq? There's more pro teams outside of Korea than in Korea. A lot more.You can maybe say foreign Proleague isn't realistic because foreign SC2 doesn't all come together in one city like in Korea, but saying there have to be more teams is just... strange.
Also all the attempts failed on the foreign side. I remember TB(Clan Wars) saying that teams were always late(e.g.
Not sure what happened with ATC. Also all the attempts failed on the foreign side. I remember TB(Clan Wars) saying that teams were always late(e.g. http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/starcraft-2/496820-foreign-sc2-doesnt-need-wcs-it-needs-a-proleague?page=2#37 Not sure what happened with ATC.
You need teams with the right amount of infrastructure and logistics to actually keep up with a long-running league, and in the best case these teams should be more or less even in skill and player numbers, so it makes for a competitive tournament.
So yes, there are more teams outside of Korea than in Korea, but the number of teams fullfilling the requirements for such a league is quite small I think. You need teams with the right amount of infrastructure and logistics to actually keep up with a long-running league, and in the best case these teams should be more or less even in skill and player numbers, so it makes for a competitive tournament.So yes, there are more teams outside of Korea than in Korea, but the number of teams fullfilling the requirements for such a league is quite small I think.
I think he mentioned EG being late, not caring about training on specific maps and other interesting stuff. But I may be wrong, it was a long time I think he mentioned EG being late, not caring about training on specific maps and other interesting stuff. But I may be wrong, it was a long time I imagine France should be able to take this unless Lilbow is busy practicing for Starcraft III. | KadaverBB is my fairy ban mother.
Chaggi Profile Joined August 2010 Korea (South) 1934 Posts #20 Beyond everything that's happened, this interview doesn't say shit that we didn't already know. I'm glad to see more life in the foreign scene but it still doesn't stack up anywhere close to what Korea offers. It was interesting watching some players I've never seen at IEM, but I personally didn't stick around for any games other than Major vs Snute cause it simply wasn't fun to watch not-top tier play.
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Transgender Law Center hails the recent decision by the American Medical Association (AMA) to pass a resolution stating “That our American Medical Association support policies that allow for a change of sex designation on birth certificates for transgender individuals based upon verification by a physician that the individual has undergone transition according to applicable medical standards of care.”
Click to tweet “Thank you AMA for supporting transgender health care!”
This important resolution recognizes that how a transgender person transitions is a decision made between a patient and their health care provider, and is unique to each person. It also supports what we all know to be true – that in today’s world having identity documents that accurately reflect who you are is vital in order to access basic things like housing, employment, and health care.
“Having identity documents that accurately reflect who you are is vital in so many areas of everyday life — from applying for a job to exercising our rights at the ballot box. Many of us wouldn’t think twice when asked to show our ID, but this is a very serious issue for transgender people.” – Masen Davis, Executive Director
See also:
Recently, the Social Security Administration updated their policies to change your gender.
In California, Transgender Law Center is working to pass a bill that would simplify the costly and burdensome process of ammending your birth certificate. |
LGBulleTIn #82 - The week in LGBTI news
March 24-30, 2017
Friday, March 24
European Union releases report on LGBTI asylum seekers
The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights has issued a report entirely dedicated to the situation of LGBTI asylum seekers, highlighting how member states need to step up by providing information, clear guidelines and trainings on the rights and specific needs of this community.
According to the document, in fact, there are still no official statistics on the number of asylum claims based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The report also highlights how only a few member states have specific national guidelines for interviewing LGBTI persons, and special accommodation facilities for LGBTI asylum seekers are still rare. The voice of NGOs is also present in the report: they are often the ones who provide reception centres staff with training on specific vulnerabilities suffered by LGBTI asylum seekers, as asylum officers tend to have stereotypical views on sexual orientation and gender identity issues.
"LGBTI persons may have special reception needs and/or grounds for international protection that are related to distinct vulnerabilities," the report reads. "Member state authorities need to establish whether or not this is the case using adequate, effective and fundamental rights-compliant ways to ensure appropriate reception and protection conditions for LGBTI persons."
~~~
Friday, March 24
Taiwan: court begins to hear marriage equality case
Taiwan's constitutional court heard today a case that could make it the 1st place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage https://t.co/wwfhP7ytUh pic.twitter.com/FrRDhBJLmm — AFP news agency (@AFP) March 24, 2017
The Council of Grand Justices of Taiwan has begun to hear a constitutional challenge concerning marriage equality, brought by a human rights advocate as well as the Taipei City Government.
At the core of the debate is an article of the civil code defining marriage as an agreement made by “male and female parties.” Plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of such article: according to Taipei Times, this would make Taiwan the first Asian nation to agree to a constitutional interpretation on this issue.
According to BBC, parliament will be forced to amend the laws to offer protection to same-sex couples, should the judges rule that Taiwan's current ban is unconstitutional.
As justices were hearing the case, LGBTI activists turned up in front of the court in Taipei, as did anti-marriage equality protesters. A ruling is expected to be released in two months' time.
~~~
Friday, March 24
IACHR condemns alarming numbers of LGBT killings in the American region
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemned the alarming number of killings of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans people in the region. In the first three months of 2017 alone, at least 41 serious crimes against LGBT persons have been reported in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, the United States, and Venezuela.
A statement released by the Commission includes a long list of crimes, which unfortunately might be only the tip of the iceberg.
“This situation in disturbing and unsustainable,” said Commissioner Francisco Eguiguren Praeli, IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Persons. “States must urgently adopt the necessary measures to put an end to these situations and ensure that these crimes are investigated using a differentiated approach.”
The Commissioner also noted “the high levels of barbarity and cruelty” of such crimes. “There must be no impunity,” he added, “and reparation must be made to the victims and their families.”
~~~
Friday, March 24
Uganda: LGBTI human rights defender included in list of world’s greatest leaders
Human rights defender Frank Mugisha has been included in the Fortune's annual list of the world's greatest leaders over his activism for rainbow communities in Uganda.
Mugisha, Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, is one of the three people coming from Africa to be featured in the list.
“Imagine functioning in a society that still criminalizes—and even debates the death penalty for—homosexual activity,” the article reads. “That is the world facing Frank Mugisha. The 37-year-old, who came out at 14, spoke out against the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which mandated life in prison for LGBT Ugandans, and he led the campaign that eventually led to the bill’s invalidation by the courts. More battles lie ahead for a leader of a community that faces open hostility.”
~~~
Wednesday, March 29
Historic media workshop on Indigenous LGBTIQ issues held in Samoa
In a historic first for Samoa, representatives of media outlets took part in a workshop to discuss fair and accurate reporting on Fa’afafine, Fa’afatama and LGBTIQ issues. Such a meeting, hosted by Samoa Fa’afafine Association, was “long overdue,” facilitator Vaitoa Toelupe was quoted as saying, and the need for it had become evident after in June last year a national newspaper published a photograph of Jeanine Tuivaiki on its front page, and repeatedly misgendered her while reporting on her death.
According to Samoa Planet, the workshop was presented as an opportunity for media representatives to learn more about Fa’afafine and Fa’afatama, and vice versa. “There are too many assumptions being made,” Toelupe was quoted as saying. “Too often you assume you know our issues, but you don’t.”
A wide variety of topics was discussed during the workshop, including the difference among sex, gender identity and sexual orientation, the need to avoid misgendering people and asking them inappropriate questions, and Fa’afafine and Fa’afatama as specific cultural identities.
~~~
Thursday, March 30
United States: North Carolina passes so-called “repeal” of House Bill 2
North Carolina lawmakers have approved the repeal of House Bill 2, a law that limited protections for people on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity, and Governor Roy Cooper quickly signed the measure into law.
But the terms of the deal have been harshly criticised by human rights advocates, who claim that the new bill keeps in place the most harmful parts of the previous law.
HB2 banned trans people from restrooms that matched their gender identity in public facilities, and also blocked local jurisdictions from enacting their own non-discrimination ordinances on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
As Vox explains, the deal gets rid of the former part - as state and local agencies in North Carolina can no longer regulate access to public facilities - but, for the same reason, it also prevents them to set up more inclusive policies. On the other hand, the deal would also continue to prohibit local governments from passing non-discrimination laws until December 1, 2020.
Several human rights organisations have issued statements condemning the law. “North Carolina lawmakers should be ashamed of this backroom deal that continues to play politics with the lives of LGBT North Carolinians," said James Esseks, director of the ACLU LGBT Project, while Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin argued that this law "institutes a statewide prohibition on equality by banning non-discrimination protections across North Carolina and fuels the flames of anti-transgender hate."
Is that all? More LGBTI news bites
This week, bisexual people from around the world took to Twitter to share photos of themselves and their stories under the trending hashtag #BiTwitter.
The latest Trans Murder Monitoring project update revealed 2,343 reported killings of trans and gender-diverse people in 69 countries worldwide between 2008 and 2016.
In Sweden, the government announced it will financially compensate trans people who were forcibly sterilised in order to comply with the previous requirements in the Swedish legal gender recognition act.
The Network of European LGBTIQ* Families Associations (NELFA) held its annual conference in Naples, Italy, raising awareness of the need for full recognition, equal treatment and acceptance for LGBTIQ* parents and their children.
A civil society organisation in Tonga has kicked off a campaign in the country's schools to tackle bullying against trans students.
In Australia, advocates are urging people to email the Prime Minister and MPs asking them not to support a proposal for a non-compulsory postal vote on marriage equality.
The GIJN - Global Investigative Journalism Network Conference in South Africa is offering fellowships to journalists in developing or transitioning countries who are focusing on LGBTQ issues.
Nonprofit support organization for LGBT people Icebreakers Uganda reported an attempt to break into their offices. "We found signs of forced entry at the gate and blood at the main door," they wrote.
In Chile, the Senate Human Rights Commission resumed votes on the Gender Identity Law, and approved a proposal to bar minors from the possibility to correct the given name and sex assigned at birth in their civil registry.
A coalition of feminist and LGBTIQ groups in Trinidad and Tobago launched a safety and self-defence campaign.
The federal administration in the United States removed sexual orientation and gender identity as proposed subjects for possible inclusion on the Decennial Census and/or American Community Survey in the future.
A 27-year-old resident of Oregon, United States has been legally recognised as agender.
A new study has estimated that the cost of discrimination against LGBT persons in Indonesia could range from nearly 900 million to 12 billion US dollars a year.
The Philippine Independent Church has released a statement affirming “the equality of all people in the eyes of God,” apologising “for the hurt and neglect the Church has subjected the LGBTQI+ community to,” and committing “to the betterment of LGBTQI+ individuals."
Is there any other LGBTI-related news
that you would like to share with us?
Drop us a line on Facebook or tweet @ilgaworld! |
Jason Bateman has described the plot of the upcoming Arrested Development movie as "incredible".
In an interview with MTV News, the actor - who played Michael Bluth in the Fox comedy series - admitted that while the script for the big-screen adaptation has yet to be completed, he feels confident that series creator Mitch Hurwitz will make sure the project comes to fruition soon.
"It's incredible. It's everything you would want it to be and more. I really hope he finishes it soon so we can have a shot of doing it before the end of the year," he said.
"For the very first time, [Mitch] sat me down last week to talk about what he's got and where he's going and what do I think. As a fan of the show, I was vibrating with excitement that he was pulling me behind the curtain. So I can confirm what his update was, which was that he is very deep into the work on it and the odds of him getting it done before the end of the year, as he says he wants to, are good."
Bateman went on to say that he is uncertain why it took the project so long to get off the ground, adding: "It is embarrassing. We are embarrassed." |
A provincial court judge who teed off on a man accused of sexual assault, calling him “utterly incredible” and accusing him of staging a “dramatic and insincere” crying jag in the witness box, didn’t try the case fairly and has been overturned on appeal.
The decision came Wednesday from the Ontario Court of Appeal, which found that Ontario Court Judge Stephen Brown used “intemperate and insulting language” towards the accused man, one P.G., and “let his personal feelings” about him “overtake his objectivity.”
The three-member appeal court, in a decision written by Justice Jean MacFarland, set aside the conviction and ordered a new trial.
Alas for P.G., he has already served his sentence, six months in jail.
He is identified only by initials in order to protect the teenaged complainant in the case.
Now 42, P.G. was at the time of the alleged assaults the live-in boyfriend of the girl’s mother.
At first blush, it seems to be a very shaky case
The appeal court was critical not just of the trial judge, but also of Superior Court Judge Bruce Durno, who heard the first, or summary conviction, appeal of the case, and dismissed it — failing, the high court said, to recognize that the trial judge had improperly cut off proper cross-examination of the complainant and that his decision disclosed a reasonable apprehension of bias that rendered P.G.’s trial unfair.
P.G. was convicted by Brown on April 2, 2014 of three counts of sexual assault — all involving alleged touching and fondling — on the girl, who was 15 at the time.
The appeal court was particularly harsh on Brown not only for his treatment of P.G., but also for how he characterized the conduct of the witness who testified in P.G.’s support (the girl’s mother) and even his lawyer, David Bayliss.
The case was complicated — as even Brown said once, “At first blush, it seems to be a very shaky case” — and the evidence of the girl problematic.
After all, she had sworn an affidavit recanting her allegations 17 months after she made them, then recanted that recantation at trial.
She also has serious and troubling personal issues, a history of suicide attempts and cutting herself, and was distressed by her parents’ acrimonious separation.
Bayliss was asking her what she understood her psychiatric diagnoses to be – not what they actually are, but how she perceived them – when Brown ruled the question inadmissible.
The point of the question, the high court said, “related to certain evidence that the defence had obtained from the complainant’s social media account.
“This was not an overwhelming case; there were serious issues with the complainant’s evidence… The thrust of the defence position was that (she) fabricated the allegations. Her credibility was the key issue.
“To preclude proper cross-examination in a key area was a serious error on the trial judge’s part,” the court said, and prevented P.G. from making what’s called “a full answer and defence” to the charges.
It’s probably the most fundamental right of an accused person — the right to completely answer and respond to each and every allegation made against him.
It’s also probably the most central duty of the defence lawyer, to see that this is done.
Yet for his efforts, Bayliss’s cross-examination was described by Brown as a “prolonged and brutal attack on her (the complainant’s) character.”
Here it is apparent that this trial judge let his personal feelings about (P.G.) and his witness overtake his objectivity
Brown also said Bayliss had “mocked and belittled” the girl and launched “a full-scale attack on a disturbed and vulnerable teenager” that was “distasteful.”
Brown went even further in his characterization of the girl’s mother, who testified as a defence witness and whom he described as “such a biased and unbelievable and unpleasant witness that she ranks in my Top 10 of witnesses in my entire career both as a lawyer and as a judge that I can say that I do not believe a word that she says.”
He said she “relentlessly pressured her daughter to recant her allegations” (though the daughter did have an independent lawyer advising her at the time) and that “she would say anything to paint her boyfriend in a positive light and her daughter in a negative one.
“She was utterly despicable in my view and a totally unbelievable witness.”
The appeal court was clearly shocked, calling “the use of this intemperate and insulting language” inappropriate “and uncalled for and demonstrates a clear lack of impartiality.”
“The trial judge’s task is to impartially assess the witness’s credibility.
“It is not part of his role to denigrate her character… Here it is apparent that this trial judge let his personal feelings about (P.G.) and his witness overtake his objectivity.”
The case is reminiscent of another high-profile sexual assault trial now under review.
When now-retired Ontario Court Judge Marvin Zuker convicted York University graduate student Mustafa Ururyar of sexually assaulting fellow grad student Mandi Gray last year, he too used florid language to describe Ururyar and was sneering and contemptuous of him.
The cases appear to illustrate a schism in the bar, between lawyers (they are the ones in the courts every day) who demand to be able to as vigorously defend their clients accused of sexual assault as those accused of any other crime, and those who write learned papers (they are the ones rarely in the courtroom) about the pervasiveness of stereotyping female sex assault complainants and who essentially urge lawyers to rein themselves in.
• Email: cblatchford@postmedia.com | Twitter: blatchkiki |
Affiliations Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Research Center (MRC), Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland, Oulu Functional NeuroImaging Group, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Affiliations Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Research Center (MRC), Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland, Oulu Functional NeuroImaging Group, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Affiliations Oulu Functional NeuroImaging Group, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
Affiliations Physiological Signal Analysis Team, Center for Machine Vision and Signal Analysis, MRC Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
Affiliations Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Research Center (MRC), Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland, Oulu Functional NeuroImaging Group, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Affiliations Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Research Center (MRC), Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland, Oulu Functional NeuroImaging Group, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
About the Authors
Vesa Kiviniemi * E-mail: vesa.kiviniemi@oulu.fi Affiliations Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Research Center (MRC), Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland, Oulu Functional NeuroImaging Group, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Vesa Korhonen Affiliations Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Research Center (MRC), Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland, Oulu Functional NeuroImaging Group, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Jukka Kortelainen Affiliations Physiological Signal Analysis Team, Center for Machine Vision and Signal Analysis, MRC Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Seppo Rytky Affiliation Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Tuija Keinänen Affiliations Oulu Functional NeuroImaging Group, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Timo Tuovinen Affiliations Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Research Center (MRC), Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland, Oulu Functional NeuroImaging Group, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Matti Isokangas Affiliation Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Research Center (MRC), Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Eila Sonkajärvi Affiliation Department of Anaesthesiology, MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Topi Siniluoto Affiliation Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Research Center (MRC), Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Juha Nikkinen Affiliation Department of Oncology, MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Seppo Alahuhta Affiliation Department of Anaesthesiology, MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Osmo Tervonen Affiliations Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Research Center (MRC), Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland, Oulu Functional NeuroImaging Group, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Taina Turpeenniemi-Hujanen Affiliation Department of Oncology, MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Teemu Myllylä Affiliation Health & Wellness Measurement Group, Optoelectronics and Measurement Techniques Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Outi Kuittinen Affiliation Department of Oncology, MRC, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland Juha Voipio Affiliation Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Competing Interests
The authors have the following potential competing interests: OK: advisory board Roche, Gilead; congress grant Roche, Takeda. MI and TS: institutional sponsorship for congress attendance from Stryker, Codman and Covidien. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization: V. Kiviniemi OK MI ES TS JN SA OT TTH. Data curation: V. Korhonen JK TK TT TM. Formal analysis: V. Korhonen JK TK TT TM. Funding acquisition: V. Kiviniemi V. Korhonen OT. Investigation: V. Kiviniemi V. Korhonen TK TT MI TS ES TM. Methodology: V. Kiviniemi V. Korhonen JK SR TK TT MI ES TS JN SA OT TTH TM OK JV. Project administration: JV OT SA TTH JN. Resources: TTH OK SA OT V. Kiviniemi. Software: V. Korhonen JK TK TT TM. Supervision: JV OT SA TTH JN V. Kiviniemi. Validation: V. Kiviniemi V. Korhonen JK SR TK TT MI TS TTH OK JV. Visualization: V. Kiviniemi V. Korhonen JK SR TK TT MI TS TTH OK JV. Writing – original draft: V. Kiviniemi V. Korhonen JK SR TK TT MI TS TTH OK JV. Writing – review & editing: V. Kiviniemi JV V. Korhonen MI JK. |
Investigators who linked DNA from Occupy Wall Street protesters to a murder scene in New York City recently admitted that they had made a mistake. No one was put behind bars, but all too often, they are. A piece of legislation proposed yesterday seeks to end wrongful convictions through better forensic science.
Democrats in the US Senate and House of Representatives say that the Forensic Science and Standards Act would spur more research and higher standards in forensic work.
“To ensure justice is being served, we want law enforcement and forensic practitioners to work alongside scientists and researchers to make sure that forensic evidence stands up to scientific rigor,” said Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat–Texas) in an official statement.
The bill calls for the creation of a forensic-science committee, chaired by the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), which would assess how best to handle material from a crime scene, for example, and issue guidelines. Meanwhile, basic research into new forensic-science tools and techniques might fall under the guise of a proposed National Forensic Science Coordinating Office, housed at the US National Science Foundation (NSF).
Over the next five years, the bill would provide US$200 million in grants for forensic-science research, and $100 million for the development of forensic-science standards.
The NSF and NIST now support forensic research, but the bill proposes a more coordinated approach. Projects funded in the past include automated approaches to handwriting analysis, tracking using vultures outfitted with global positioning systems, and enhanced methods for detecting slight traces of drugs. But no central body for forensics exists.
Policy-makers reference a 2009 report from the National Academy of Sciences that highlighted cases in which information based on faulty forensic analyses contributed to the wrongful convictions of innocent people. The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal group based in New York, says that about half of the 292 wrongful convictions overturned through DNA testing over the past few decades involved poor forensic science. Peter Neufeld, co-director of the project, calls the bill a “giant step forward”. (Separately, the Innocence Project also said in a statement posted this week that it is aiding the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a broad review of cases that involved hair and fibre analysis.)
Although both the 2009 report and the Innocence Project highlight the utility of DNA evidence, it’s the quality of the test that matters. Here too, scientists can help. For example, a DNA test provided the evidence that sent Robert Dewey to jail in 1996 for the rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman in Colorado. Seventeen years later, in April, the court declared Dewey innocent on the basis of new results from a re-test of the DNA extracts with more advanced methods.
On 18 July the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the bill presented yesterday by John Rockefeller IV of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, along with Johnson, Donna Edwards and Daniel Lipinski of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. |
Oceans Getting Hotter Than Anybody Realized
The RV Kaharoa motored out of Wellington, New Zealand on Saturday, loaded with more than 100 scientific instruments, each eventually destined for a watery grave. Crewmembers will spend the next two months dropping the 50-pound devices, called Argo floats, into the seas between New Zealand and Mauritius, off the coast of Madagascar. There, the instruments will sink and drift, then measure temperature, salinity and pressure as they resurface to beam the data to a satellite. The battery-powered floats will repeat that process every 10 days — until they conk out, after four years or more, and become ocean junk.
Under an international program begun in 2000, and that started producing useful global data in 2005, the world’s warming and acidifying seas have been invisibly filled with thousands of these bobbing instruments. They are gathering and transmitting data that’s providing scientists with the clearest-ever pictures of the hitherto-unfathomed extent of ocean warming. About 90 percent of global warming is ending up not on land, but in the oceans.
An Argo float. Credit: Alicia Navidad/CSIRO.
Research published Sunday concluded that the upper 2,300 feet of the Southern Hemisphere’s oceans may have warmed twice as quickly after 1970 than had previously been thought. Gathering reliable ocean data in the Southern Hemisphere has historically been a challenge, given its remoteness and its relative paucity of commercial shipping, which helps gather ocean data. Argo floats and satellites are now helping to plug Austral ocean data gaps, and improving the accuracy of Northern Hemisphere measurements and estimates.
“The Argo data is really critical,” said Paul Durack, a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researcher who led the new study, which was published in Nature Climate Change. “The estimates that we had up until now have been pretty systematically underestimating the likely changes.”
Durack and Lawrence Livermore colleagues worked with a Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist to compare ocean observations with ocean models. They concluded that the upper levels of the planet’s oceans — those of the northern and southern hemispheres combined — had been warming during several decades prior to 2005 at rates that were 24 to 58 percent faster than had previously been realized.
That rapid ocean warming has consequences for the Earth’s climate and its shorelines.
“We continue to be stunned at how rapidly the ocean is warming,” said Sarah Gille, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography professor. Gille was not involved with this paper, nor was she involved with a similar one published Sunday that examined the role of ocean warming in rising sea levels. She described both of them as “tremendously interesting” studies.
“Even if we stopped all greenhouse gas emissions today, we'd still have an ocean that is warmer than the ocean of 1950, and that heat commits us to a warmer climate,” Gille said. “Extra heat means extra sea level rise, since warmer water is less dense, so a warmer ocean expands.”
Ocean warming is exacerbating flooding caused by the melting of glaciers and other ice. Seas have risen 8 inches since the industrial revolution, and they continue to rise at a hastening pace, worsening floods and boosting storm surges near shorelines around the world. Another 2 to 7 feet of sea level rise is forecast this century, jeoparizing the homes and neighborhoods of the 5 million Americans who live less than 4 feet above high tide, as well as those of the hundreds of millions living along coastlines in other countries.
The other ocean temperature study, also published Sunday in Climate Nature Change, used Argo and other data to tentatively conclude that all of the ocean warming from 2005 to 2013 had occurred above depths of 6,500 feet. During the same period, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists who wrote the paper concluded, the expansion of those warming waters caused a third of the planet’s 2.8 millimeters of annual sea-level rise.
Sunday’s papers joined more than 1,000 others published so far that have used Argo float data to improve science’s understanding of waterways that are climatically influential but difficult to measure manually. “This research covers a very broad range of topics including ocean circulation, water mass formation and spreading, mesoscale eddies, interannual variability such as El Niño, decadal variability, and multi-decadal climate change,” said Scripps Institution of Oceanography professor Dean Roemmich, who was in New Zealand last week preparing Argo floats for deployment by the RV Kaharoa’s crew. “The program has revolutionized large-scale physical oceanography.”
Steve Rintoul, a researcher at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, or CSIRO, said findings of ocean warming above 6,500 feet in the Jet Propulsion Lab’s study explain the recent slowdown in warming at the Earth’s surface, which is sometimes called global warming hiatus, or warming pause.
“An important result of this paper is the demonstration that the oceans have continued to warm over the past decade, at a rate consistent with estimates of Earth’s net energy imbalance,” Rintoul said. “While the rate of increase in surface air temperatures slowed in the last 10 to 15 years, the heat stored by the planet, which is heavily dominated by the oceans, has steadily increased as greenhouse gases have continued to rise.”
That extra heat isn’t expected to swim with the fishes forever. Some of it will eventually rise from the deep, raising temperatures in places that more directly affect us landlubbers.
Just how rapidly the oceanic heat will resurface to warm the land is “something that we struggle with,” said Scripps’s Gille. But she said heat is constantly shifting between oceans and the atmosphere. “A warmer ocean will mean a warmer atmosphere.”
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that the study was published in Nature Climate Change.
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In Part 2 of episode 25, join your hosts Rob Galluzzo, Ryan Turek, Elric Kane and Rebekah McKendry as they welcome on special guests Chela Johnson and Garo Setian from Lionsgate! Chela is the Vice President of marketing in Home Entertainment and the one that helped make this Vestron line a reality! And Garo is an in-house editor for Lionsgate and has been the man behind hundreds of trailers, TV spots and promotional videos, including the new trailers for the Vestron Blu-Ray releases.
We delve into their history with horror and Lionsgate. Discuss the first 6 titles in the Vestron Blu-Ray library, which consist of CHOPPING MALL, BLOOD DINER, WAXWORK 1 and 2, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 and CHUD II: BUD THE CHUD. Not only do we learn about how this line came to be, but we make suggestions for titles we'd personally like to see.
Then we talk about the importance of horror movie trailers! This includes the most successful ones, our favorite teasers and much, much more. Kick back, relax and enjoy! |
For a while I have been looking for a place to store all of Nicole’s stuffed animals. My husband even went out and bought one of the nets that you put up in the corner of the room. This was when we realized that: 1) we didn’t have a corner large enough in her room to put it 2) it was no where large enough to hold even a fraction of her stuffed animals and 3) it was a pain in the butt to install. What we really needed was a little hammock that we could put on a wall and not in a corner.
A while ago I was at Ikea with my friend Ashley and she found curtain panels in their clearance section for $2 each. These were perfect for the project I had in mind.
Then I came up with how I was going to make the toy hammock. The cost for me to make this hammock ended up being under $5. I also have enough “netting” to make 7 more.
How to make a toy hammock:
Supplies:
Netting or any other fabric, depending on the fabric you may need to finish the edges on all 4 sides. Size will depend on how small or large you want your hammock to be. (Price varies: shop for odds and ends pieces, sales, clearance sections) Yarn or thread – yarn works really well with the netting, thread would be better for other fabrics. Yarn or thread needle (around $3 from your local craft store) Scissors Hooks – 2 pack with hardware (around $3.50 from your local hardware store) Pencil Tape measure Screwdriver
Directions:
Cut netting to desired dimensions. I cut the curtain panel I purchased into 4. The final measurement was 68″ x 60″ .
Fold shorter side of netting in half (inside of fabric facing each other).
Single thread your needle and start threading it through the netting about 3″ from the ends. Can be more or less depending on how big of a “fan” you want on the ends. The yarn through the netting prevents the netting from slipping through the yarn once the ends are finished.
Continue threading yarn through entire length of folded netting keeping the netting on the needle. This allows you to keep the fabric bunched to make it easier to finish the ends.
Wrap the yarn completely around the fabric about 5 times. Make sure there is enough slack in the yarn to be able to fit the hook though and not too much slack to put all the weight on the inside stitch. Wrap the ends underneath the 5 layers a few times to give you a good spot to hang on the hook and tie off the ends of the yarn. This is what will hold the weight of everything in the hammock so make sure there are enough layers to hold the desired weight.
Repeat the process for the other end of the hammock.
Pick a place on the wall that will fit the hammock. Find a height that is easily accessible (depending on the purpose of the hammock) and provides a little hang of the hammock. If it’s too high, your child will not be able to play with their toys. If the hammock is too tight or loose, the toys will not site nicely in the hammock.
Hold up the hammock against the wall and mark the placement of the hook loops on the wall with the pencil. This will be where you need to put your hooks.
Measure the height of the pencil marks and make adjustments as needed so that the height is even.
Affix the hooks to the wall. I chose to use hooks that screw into the wall as they can hold more weight than the sticky hooks.
Hang up your hammock on the hooks.
Fill with toys and you are done.
Personalization:
Use different colours of yarn on the end.
Add dangling pompoms to the ends. These are super easy to make as well.
Embroider designs onto the netting using yarn (or embroidery thread depending on fabric).
Use you child’s favorite colour or character fabric.
Alternative uses:
pet toys
How do you store all of your kids stuffed toys? |
METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints defense is making NFL history this year.
That's not a good thing.
The Saints (4-5) are on pace to allow the highest opponents' passer rating of all-time (112.0), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The current record of 110.9 was set by the 0-16 Detroit Lions in 2008.
At least the Saints have some company -- the 2015 Lions are also on pace to break the record (111.1).
Big play -- like the touchdown pass given up to Delanie Walker -- have haunted the Saints defense all season. Jonathan Bachman/AP Photo
When asked about that dubious distinction, several Saints players had trouble deciding whether they believe it sounds accurate.
The general consensus was they aren't really that bad, but they've been too inconsistent and have allowed way too many big plays.
New Orleans has allowed a league-high 11 pass plays and six touchdown passes of 40-plus yards.
"I feel like we're hit or miss," safety Jairus Byrd said. "One game we come out, we look lights out. Then the next game we come out and it's like we're just, ‘What is this?'"
Last week was a perfect example. The Saints forced six three-and-outs during a 34-28 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. But they still allowed quarterback Marcus Mariota to throw for 371 yards and four touchdowns.
Byrd managed a laugh when asked how unusual it is that the Saints actually have the NFL's fourth-best defense on third downs this year -- opponents have converted only 32.7 percent.
"That's kind of weird, it's kind of an anomaly," Byrd said. "If we do get you to third down, watch out."
The QB rating isn't the only historically-bad mark for the Saints' defense.
They are also allowing a league-high 6.47 yards per play -- which Elias says would be the most since the 1961 Minnesota Vikings (6.51).
And the Saints just became the fifth team ever to allow at least four passing touchdowns without an interception in consecutive games (versus Eli Manning and Mariota).
"I don't know, man," safety Kenny Vaccaro said. "I mean obviously we don't want to be the highest rating ever. But I don't see us as that. That's an interesting stat.
"We gotta get better. I mean, it's obvious, it's kind of a no-brainer. We just gotta get better. We just gotta stop giving up the big plays. We make the good plays, and then we give up some bonehead type plays, you know?"
Among the "bonehead" plays Vaccaro referenced were last week's collision between Byrd and cornerback Keenan Lewis that turned a sure interception into a 61-yard touchdown for Tennessee's Delanie Walker; another collision between Byrd and Vaccaro on a 41-yard touchdown by the Philadelphia Eagles' Josh Huff; and two plays where cornerback Delvin Breaux slipped and fell to allow deep scores to the Indianapolis Colts' T.Y. Hilton. Vaccaro said there have been more traditional busted coverages, as well.
"It's just a number of games when the ball goes up, we need to start coming down with the ball more and not bouncing off somebody's head, getting tipped, falling down," Vaccaro said. "People say it's a fluke play, but it's happening over and over. So is it a fluke anymore?
"Quarterbacks can't just throw up the ball and know, ‘OK, it's either gonna be an incompletion or we're getting the ball or a penalty.'"
Penalties have also plagued the Saints -- especially fouls on cornerback Brandon Browner, who leads the NFL by a wide margin with 17 called and 15 accepted.
But it's not just the secondary that has struggled. Not even close.
The pass rush was way too easy on Mariota last week with zero sacks. And the injury-riddled linebacking corps got burned repeatedly by tight ends.
"It doesn't just fall on the corner. The pressure falls on these inside linebackers and the guys playing underneath it," Saints coach Sean Payton said when asked why there has been so much inconsistency with New Orleans' pass defense after they made a switch to more man coverage with a single-high safety.
The Saints felt it would be a better use of the cornerbacks' size and skills. It was also a simplified approach that Payton wanted to install after defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's more complicated schemes led to too many mental errors last year.
"I think it fits who we are from a corner perspective, when you look at our size and you're talking about Keenan, Brandon and Breaux," Payton said. "Now, the nuances within it, and there are quite a few, we've got to be better at."
Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan copped to the pass rush's part in the loss to Tennessee.
"Yeah, that's something we definitely take pride in (making the opposing quarterback uncomfortable) and have to do a better job of. Clearly it wasn't enough last game," Jordan said. "Zero sacks, a couple hurries, some pressures, but not enough to really make the quarterback worried about what we're doing and where we are."
When asked to assess where that defense is at this point in the season, Jordan said, "I feel that our defense is still learning."
"I wouldn't say that's a great thing at this point. Sitting at 4-5, fighting to get back to .500, lost to a team that we shouldn't have lost to," said Jordan, who was still very salty over losing to the Titans, who were 1-6 heading into the game.
"You never want to lose one, especially to the team we just lost to," Jordan said. "You say you face elite talent every week, but we made Mariota look way, way, way better than we should have. That's just something that you have to stomach for the week." |
Photo: Supplied
The Treaty of Waitangi has been lost in translation from time to time – English to Māori and Māori to English – an inaccurate process at the best.
This year, 90 translators will translate both the English and Māori versions of the Treaty into 30 additional languages for the Treaty Times Thirty project.
Treaty Times Thirty marks the 30th anniversary of the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters (NZSTI) who will gift the translations to the nation on International Translation Day, 30 September 2016.
Administrators Stefan Grand-Meyer and Dr Olga Suvorova tell Kim Hill they hope the project will make the Treaty more accessible to migrants who live here and encourage a better understanding of it internationally.
Stefan Grand-Meyer is External Relations Advisor at the Translation Service, NZ Department of Internal Affairs, and a member of the NZSTI. Dr Olga Suvorova is the director of Russian Keys Ltd – a privately owned company specialising in Russian language and culture courses, certified translation and interpreting, and the president of the Wellington branch of the NZSTI. |
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian telecom company Rogers Communications Inc is considering selling the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball team in an effort to generate cash that could be used in its core business, the company’s chief financial officer said.
Sep 27, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) is congratulated by first baseman Justin Smoak (14) after his two run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
The Blue Jays were ranked by Forbes as the 16th-most valuable MLB team this year out of 30, worth $1.3 billion.
Rogers should be able to sell it for about that sum, said Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist with Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, who noted the team is in a large, wealthy city with a strong fan base.
The Blue Jays were founded in 1977 and became back-to-back World Series champions in 1992 and 1993.
Rogers, which operates cable TV and telecom service in Canada, bought 80 percent of the Blue Jays in 2000 and the remaining 20 percent in 2004, as part of a strategy to obtain broadcasting rights for what is Canada’s only remaining MLB team.
The company, which has about $13 billion in outstanding debt, now figures it could make more sense to sell the team and license broadcast rights from a new owner, Rogers CFO Tony Staffieri told a UBS investor conference in New York on Tuesday.
“We can get the exclusive content through renting it,” Staffieri said, according to a transcript from the event, adding that the company would “like to get the content without necessarily having the capital tied up on our balance sheet” but that no deal is imminent.
He pointed to a C$5.2 billion ($4.1 billion) 12-year deal that Rogers signed in 2013 to broadcast National Hockey League games, elbowing out rival BCE Inc for rights to Canada’s most popular sport.
A spokeswoman for Rogers, Sarah Schmidt, said on Wednesday that the company “would like to surface value and get credit” for its “terrific sports assets.”
Staffieri did not say if Rogers is considering divesting a stake in the more popular Maple Leafs National Hockey League franchise that it obtained alongside BCE in 2011 for a combined C$1.32 billion.The league in September approved the $1.2 billion sale of the Miami Marlins, according to Forbes. A record $2 billion was paid for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.
Rogers Communications, which is controlled by Canada’s prominent Rogers family, is also looking to sell a C$1.5 billion ($1.2 billion) stake in Cogeco Inc and its subsidiary, a cable TV company with operations across the United States and Canada.
($1 = 1.2787 Canadian dollars) |
Yesterday, news broke of a settlement and a sealed ruling by jury in the case initiated by Ray William Johnson against Jukin Media. At the outset, Johnson sued Jukin Media for inappropriately flagging his content and hitting him with copyright claims for clips used in his highly popular show “=3”. Jukin Media countered but did not win its attempts at getting a summary judgement from the presiding Judge Stephen V. Wilson. Summary judgement is a particular ruling in the courts that is decided upon by the judge according to terms of the law versus factual or evidentiary support, i.e. a judge can determine if an action was unlawful versus sending it to trial. In the Fall of 2015, Judge Wilson ruled against summary judgement pushing the case to trial.
And so it commenced, this past Tuesday, March 1st in downtown Los Angeles. As we previously reported, Johnson and his legal team had the burden of proving that each of the 40 clips in question fell under the terms of Fair Use, specifically, as Johnson’s legal lead, Tom Vidal, noted during opening statements “in the comments and criticism” section of the Fair Use law, also citing parody as a reason Fair Use applied to Johnson’s show. (See below for a full list of Fair Use considerations that the jury had to follow).
While on the opposing side, Jukin Media’s lawyer Jessica Grant pushed the jury to see Johnson as a thief who, despite claiming that his show was for entertainment and not for profit, was making money on the backs of individuals whose rights for revenue were being compromised by Johnson’s thievery.
“This is a case where the creator takes a video, makes money from it and doesn’t pay a penny [to the owner],” she said in her opening statements. “Without these videos, his show wouldn’t even exist.”
And that is the kicker to the entire case. Effectively, with this settlement, Ray William Johnson could no longer have a viable show format unless he decides to pay a licensing fee to every owner of the clips he uses in the show, going forward. His entire business model revolves around low production budget, high views, and in turn, high dollar margins from ad revenues. License fees cut the profits, not to mention the legal team needed to execute those agreements on behalf of the show.
Since premiering the show, Johnson estimates that he’s used over 2000 clips in “Equals Three”, meaning he could also face dozens of residual suits for copyright violations for videos not sourced from the Jukin Media library. Further, as was presented in evidence from Jukin Media’s cross examination of Johnson in court, Jukin gave Johnson the option to pay a $350/clip license fee and he declined, noting that if he had to pay Jukin, he’d have to pay everyone else appearing on “=3”.
Now, who’s the =3? (Sorry, had to. On we go.)
“What this case should not become is who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy. Whether he has good intent or bad intent is irrelevant,” said Judge Wilson in court.
To a degree, especially for the jury purposes, Wilson was right. But Johnson is simply one example of a creator taking liberties to exploit the law and perhaps he’ll become the cautionary tale the open-web needs to finally put pressure on rampant violators.
Take, for instance, SoFlo Antonio, a prankster who has generated quite a bad wrap amongst the YouTube community for stealing content and reposting as his own (see below video, or check out this Reddit thread, or speak to any MCN that represents YouTube creators). SoFlo has even been said to give source video owners fabricated contracts saying he owns rights to re-publish, monetize, and re-distribute those source videos anywhere on the web, according to one source who works at an MCN and has seen the fabricated contracts.
What’s more is that when angry YouTubers tried to game SoFlo at his own pirating mastery, on Facebook no less, Facebook flagged the fake page, took it down and reallocated the views accumulated from that fake page to SoFlo’s authenticated fan page, according to one creator H3 Productions. Backwards? Seems so.
And, for the often-times average Joes, who are having their content taken from SoFlo, it can be disarming to fight for rights, or to stand up to a “big creator.” According to one executive at an MCN, these situations happen all the time, especially within the prank category on YouTube. A creator knows the holes in YouTube’s system, and can not only exploit them, but also the source video creator.
As YouTube, and other major media companies, have come forth to make statements in favor of backing creators, violators like SoFlo have begun to backoff. Various MCN’s in the space also confirmed that SoFlo has reached out to retain back-licenses for clips he’s used without permission. SoFlo’s videos have resulted in over 85 million views on YouTube and an estimated $20K a month in ad revenues.
“Viral video owners get frustrated when they see their clips used without permission, and Jukin is here to help. We always try to work out a compromise when business disputes like this arise,” said Jonathan Skogmo in a statement.
As the outcome of Ray William Johnson’s case against Jukin Media ripples across the YouTube creator community, one can only hope that he will become a legend in a new way — not as one of YouTube’s first mega-stars, but as one who had his business model jeopardized after misusing the Fair Use clause in the law.
____
FAIR USE CONSIDERATIONS: |
Here’s the latest big thing everyone is talking about: Kathy Miller, who is the Donald Trump campaign’s chairwoman in the oh-so-crucial Mahoning County of Ohio, had harsh words to say about about President Barack Obama in a video that was posted to the Guardian‘s site today. That isn’t surprising, but her claim that he basically invented racism was.
To review, here’s some of what she said in her interview:
I don’t think there was any racism until Obama got elected. We never had problems like this … If you’re black and you haven’t been successful in the last 50 years, it’s your own fault. You’ve had every opportunity, it was given to you. You’ve had the same schools everybody else went to. You had benefits to go to college that white kids didn’t have. You had all the advantages and didn’t take advantage of it. It’s not our fault, certainly.
You can imagine why there was a major outcry.
Miller has now resigned. Here is the statement from the Ohio Trump campaign:
That @realDonaldTrump Mahoning County, OH Volunteer Chair has resigned. “My personal comments were inappropriate, and I apologize.” pic.twitter.com/T4xX8Bd3IW — Candace Smith (@CandaceSmith_) September 22, 2016
Her replacement, Tracey Winbush, is a conservative radio host of color.
[image via screengrab]
Lindsey: Twitter. Facebook.
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com |
Welcome to The Secular Buddhist!
This is the companion website to the podcast The Secular Buddhist, where we examine early Buddhist teaching and practice with a critical eye to its secular application. If this is your first time here, you may want to check out the Mission page for some specifics on what this podcast is about in a little more depth.
The Secular Buddhist Association
Most of the updating is now done on the Secular Buddhist Association website, where you can find all the podcast episodes and you can Comment about them, find blog articles, and participate in online Discussions. Hope to see you there!
Facebook
I've decided that the social portion of our adventure is best done on Facebook, so you're going to find a few FB-oriented links around the site:
The one on the top navigation will simply take you directly to The Secular Buddhist FB page without having to become a fan.
In addition, several pages have their own "Share This Page on Facebook" link below the page title; that's the one to use when you find a particular web page that you want to share with others, and that posting will be specific to that web page.
Readers' Corner
Well, less a Readers' Corner and more a Readers' Bottom of the Page. I will periodically post book recommendations here, based on the input of podcast listeners, which may be of interest in your practice. Books linked here can also be found in the Resources pages of this site, so don't worry if one you've seen previously isn't here anymore -- it's still available and on the site!
Confession of a Buddhist Atheist
This week's recommendation is Stephen Batchelor's Confession of a Buddhist Atheist, the new book that tells a more personal story of the author's progress in secular Buddhist practice.
Description -- Batchelor's Buddhism Without Beliefs (1997) described a secular approach to the Eastern philosophy stripped of doctrines such as karma and rebirth; how a young British monk ordained in the Tibetan tradition turned into a Buddhist atheist is revealed in this new book. On the dharma trail in India and Korea, and later as a lay resident at the nonsectarian Sharpham community in England, Batchelor was beset by doubts about traditional Buddhist teachings. Finally convinced that present-day forms of Buddhism have moved far beyond what founder Gotama had intended, Batchelor embarked on a study of the Pali canon (very early Buddhist texts) to find out what the Buddha's original message might have been. Batchelor's own story of conversion is woven effortlessly with his analysis of Buddhist teachings and a 2003 pilgrimage to Indian sites important in the Buddha's life. He is candid about his disillusionments with institutionalized Buddhism without engaging in another new atheist broadside against religion. While Batchelor may exaggerate the novelty of his Buddhism without beliefs stance, this multifaceted account of one Buddhist's search for enlightenment is richly absorbing. -- From Publishers Weekly |
A 4.6 magnitude earthquake has given the Eastern Bay of Plenty an early morning shake-up.
The quake struck 25km northeast of White Island at 6.30am today, according to GeoNet.
A 4.6 quake struck about 25km off White Island. Photo: GeoNet.
It has a registered depth of 155km and is classified as “weak” in intensity by GeoNet.
After posting the quake on their Facebook page, GeoNet immediately received numerous comments from people who felt the quake in Gisborne, Taradale, Opotiki and Dannevirke.
On Monday at 4.22am there was a 3.3 magnitude quake at a depth of 7km, located 15km north west of the volcano.
A resumed pattern of minor activity saw White Island’s alert level raised by GNS Science on Friday, with the aviation colour code changed from green to yellow. The alert level is 1, meaning there are signs of volcanic unrest.
It followed an increase in volcanic tremor levels Thursday night and images of activity on the volcano cameras.
The island resumed activity in July 2012, leading to explosive eruptions and ash emissions in August. A small lava extrusion occurred in November, followed by phreatic, steam driven activity in December which continued through January and February 2013.
Very minor ash emissions have been interspersed throughout this eruption sequence as conditions within the craters have changed. |
Amazon stops selling most "hoverboard" scooters
SEATTLE, Wa. - One of the most talked-about gift items this holiday season has hovered off the digital shelves of Amazon.com.
The company removed nearly all models of the popular "hoverboard" self-balancing scooters over the weekend, according to CNN Money. This comes after months of reports some models of the scooters can catch fire, which happened to an Ascension Parish family earlier this month.
CNNMoney said self-balancing scooters from IO Hawk, PhunkeeDuck and others had been removed. Brands including Razor, Jetson, and Hover X still had their products listed for sale.
One scooter manufacturer, Swagway, said Amazon sent out notices asking sellers to prove their scooters "are compliant with applicable safety standards, including UN 38.3 (battery), UL 1642 (battery), and UL 60950-1 (charger)." Swagway's model was one which Amazon pulled from sale, and the company said they have sent the required information to Amazon.
Some major airlines banned them from flights last week because of the fire risk. Authorities in Britain declared in October the devices were illegal to ride in public, and a month later New York City authorities also banned them.
Overstock also removed scooters from sale, though retailers including Walmart, Toys R Us, Sharper Image and eBay still had them available as of Monday. |
Is this proof near-death experiences ARE real? Extraordinary new book by intensive care nurse reveals dramatic evidence she says should banish our fear of dying
The Ascent of the Blessed, detail from a panel of an alterpiece of the Last Judgement. Historic texts are filled with accounts of near-death visions. Are they to be ignored so readily?
As a nurse, I’m always cheered when I see a patient who appears to be making a good recovery. That certainly seemed the case with 60-year-old Tom Kennard, who’d been suffering from sepsis after surgery for cancer.
After a couple weeks in the intensive care ward, he was well enough to be moved from his hospital bed to a chair. Moments later, however, he suddenly slumped into unconsciousness.
There was no doubt at all that he was out cold. He responded neither to my urgent questions nor to the painful pressure of my Biro on his fingernails.
Worse still, his skin became clammy, his oxygen levels dropped and his blood pressure plummeted — clear signs that his condition had become critical.
As I quickly gave him extra oxygen, I called out to the other nurses in the intensive care unit. Four of them immediately flocked to Tom’s bedside, and we gently helped return him to his bed as we called for a doctor urgently.
He was still unresponsive when the doctor arrived, followed a few minutes later by a consultant.
Indeed, Tom didn’t regain full consciousness for another three hours.
Yet, during those three lost hours, he had apparently gone on a life-changing journey. His first sensation, he told me afterwards, was of ‘floating upwards to the top of the room. I looked down and I could see my body on the bed. It was lovely, so peaceful — and no pain at all.’
In the next moment, the hospital ward had disappeared and he’d entered a pink room, in which his father was standing next to a man with ‘long black scruffy hair and nice eyes.’ For a time, Tom talked telepathically with his father.
At some point, he became aware that something was touching him. Once again, he was back on the hospital ward ceiling — looking down at me and the doctor.
I was putting a lollipop-shaped instrument into his mouth to clean it, he recalled later.
He could also see a woman beyond the cubicle curtains, who kept twitching them to check on his condition.
Indeed, I can personally verify that everything Tom ‘saw’ while unconscious was 100 per cent accurate — down to the swab I used to moisten his mouth and the names of the consultant and of the physiotherapist lurking behind the curtains.
While all this was going on, Tom heard the man with the scruffy hair say: ‘He’s got to go back.’ This came as a blow: he remembers desperately wanting to stay.
Shortly after that, he told me, ‘I was floating backwards and went back into my body on the bed.’
Fear: Is death so terrible that we need to mute it and delay it with drugs and machines?
His pain was excruciating, but he could still vividly recall how peaceful he had felt in that pink room. ‘Pen,’ he told me, ‘if that’s death, it’s wonderful.’
This near-death experience had two significant effects on his life. First, Tom says, it completely removed any fear of dying.
Even more extraordinary is what happened to his right hand, which had been frozen since birth into a claw-like position.
(This had been noted on his hospital admission form, and his sister has since signed a statement confirming it.)
Yet, in front of me, soon after his near-death experience, Tom opened and flexed that same hand. This should not have been physiologically possible, as the tendons had permanently contracted. What had caused this sudden, seemingly spontaneous healing? Even now, science has no answers.
But when you study near-death experiences, as I have for the past couple of decades, you grow used to phenomena that defy all rational explanation.
Take, for instance, the case of Fred Williams, a Swansea pensioner in his 70s who was suffering from the final stages of a terminal heart problem.
One night in hospital, he lost consciousness and we feared he was about to die.
But he somehow managed to keep his faltering grip on life. And when he eventually came to, I noticed at once that he looked very happy. My colleagues also remarked on this.
All the time this was happening, I felt fine: full of joy, peaceful, gently floating towards brilliant light.
By the following morning, Fred had recovered sufficiently to see his anxious relatives.
To their astonishment, he told them that he’d been visited — while unconscious — by his mother and grandmother, both of whom were dead, as well as by his (living) sister. They’d just stood by his bedside, keeping vigil. ‘I couldn’t understand why my sister was there as well,’ he remarked.
Unknown to him, his sister had actually died the week before.
Fearing the news might jeopardise his recovery, his family had kept it from him. Poor Fred never learned the truth, and died a week later.
But possibly the most extraordinary case I know of personally is that of a Moroccan woman in her late 30s, who ran a clothes business.
In November 2009, Rajaa Benamour had an anaesthetic injection for minor surgery, after which she found herself mentally scrolling through her entire life, right back to her birth. This was followed by what she could only describe as a rapid review of the creation of the universe. After being discharged from hospital, she started trying to find books about what she’d learned during her vision.
Eventually, she realised that she had somehow acquired an in-depth understanding of quantum physics — despite never having previously known anything about the subject.
This motivated her to study the subject at university level.
The professor in charge of her studies was astounded. The knowledge she’d already acquired, he said, could not have come either from studying student textbooks or taking a quick course.
Stranger still, he was puzzled by some of her scientific theories — yet they’ve since been confirmed by papers published in physics journals.
Penny Sartori began her eight-year study as a cynic. But by the time it ended, she was convinced that near-death experiences are a genuine phenomenon
As a staff nurse who’s worked in intensive care at British hospitals for 17 years, I’ve seen thousands of patients die.
Some were heavily drugged or hooked up to numerous machines; many were no longer able to speak.
Back in 1995, I began to wonder: is death so terrible that we must do everything in our power to delay it with powerful drugs and machines? What is death, anyway? What happens when we die? Why are we so afraid of it?
So I began reading about death — and eventually came across the concept of near-death experiences, or NDEs. People who’d experienced these strange and intense visions all seemed to be saying the same thing: death is nothing to fear. Could they be right? My scientific training told me that NDE’s were almost certain to be hallucinations. Or wishful thinking.
But, in the end, I decided to embark on a PhD on near-death experiences, while continuing to work in intensive care.
I began my eight-year study as a cynic. But by the time it ended, I was convinced that near-death experiences are a genuine phenomenon.
So what exactly is a near-death experience? At its simplest, it’s a clear and memorable vision that occurs when people are close to death — though only a small percentage of us will have one.
Researchers now agree that each vision will contain at least one of several recognised components, such as travelling down a tunnel towards a bright light, meeting dead relatives, or having an out-of-body experience.
As the person ‘leaves’ his body, he may hear a buzzing, whistling, whirring or humming sound, or a click. Another common component of NDEs is a beautiful garden with lush green grass and vividly coloured flowers. There may be a stream or river in the background. Some people enter the garden, while others reach a gate or barrier — and know that they’ll die if they go through it.
Throughout an NDE, hearing and sight become more acute, and awareness is heightened. Often, the experience has been described to me as ‘realer than real’.
As oxygen levels reduce in the blood, the brain becomes increasingly disorientated, confused and disorganised.
Time ceases to have meaning. In many cases, it feels as if the vision has lasted for hours though the person may have been unconscious for only a few seconds or minutes. Sometimes, it feels as if time speeds up; sometimes it goes slower.
After I started talking in public about my own work, hundreds of NDE survivors started writing to me with their own personal tales — and all of them had similar elements.
Far from being attention-seekers, most of the people I interviewed had previously told only one or two people what had happened to them.
Indeed, it’s often the case that people who’ve had NDEs are afraid of being ridiculed or disbelieved. Some who’ve reported an NDE have been misdiagnosed as having a psychiatric illness — often post-traumatic stress. And I know of one woman who was told she had unresolved emotional conflicts and ordered to take tranquilisers.
Yet NDEs are not a new phenomenon at all; they’ve been reported throughout history.
They also feature in some of the greatest books in history — including the Bible; The Republic, by the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato; and the Tibetan Book of the Dead, an ancient religious text about the interval between life and rebirth. It’s only in the past few decades, however, that scientists have tried to discover what causes NDEs.
The most common theory is that they’re a quirk of the brain when it’s starved of oxygen. But this now seems extremely unlikely.
As oxygen levels reduce in the blood, the brain becomes increasingly disorientated, confused and disorganised. I’ve witnessed this happening many times. And I can assure you that when most patients regain consciousness, they’re usually dazed and bewildered.
This is in complete contrast to those who’ve had an NDE.
With great clarity, they report structured experiences that, in many cases, remain vivid in their minds for decades. In other words, not at all what one would expect from a disorganised brain with greatly reduced blood flow.
In any case, if near-death experiences are due to lack of oxygen, then all patients who had a cardiac arrest would have one.
In fact, they do seem more likely than anyone else to have an NDE — but even in this group, the experience is comparatively rare.
Researchers agree each vision will contain at least one of several recognised components, such as travelling down a tunnel towards a bright light, meeting dead relatives, or having an out-of-body experience
In my own study, for instance, just 17.9 per cent of people who survived a heart attack had been through an NDE.
Another nail in the oxygen theory is that two patients in my own study actually had blood extracted at the time of their near-death experience. Their oxygen levels were perfectly normal.
Could NDEs, instead, be a side-effect of high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, which can be another sign of approaching death? Again, unlikely.
Although patients with high carbon dioxide levels can have out-of-body experiences and feel euphoric, their muscles twitch and jerk spasmodically while this is happening. That does not occur during a near-death experience.
Are NDEs merely hallucinations caused by drugs? Clearly not — as 20 per cent of the patients in my sample, including Tom Kennard, had received no drugs at all.
Indeed, when I analysed my research, I found that pain-killing and sedative drugs, particularly at high levels, seem to make it less likely that a patient will have an NDE.
In other words, well-meaning doctors who over-sedate dying patients may be denying them a natural and comforting final vision.
Furthermore, I also interviewed 12 patients who’d had drug-induced hallucinations. These were random and often frightening — such as being chased and stabbed with needles by drug dealers — but they bore absolutely no relation to NDEs.
Another theory is that near-death experiences are caused by endorphins, the opiates made by the body itself. But long-distance runners have high levels of endorphins — and none of them have experiences comparable to NDEs.
Moreover, if the body releases endorphins when we die, you’d expect everyone close to death to have a near-death experience.
Nor is it at all likely that NDEs are merely a kind of wish fulfilment, as it is sometimes suggested.
Well-meaning doctors who over-sedate dying patients may be denying them a natural and comforting final vision
Most occur when a patient is taken ill unexpectedly, rather than contemplating their own death — so the individual simply doesn’t have time to think about what’s happening.
One thing is clear: research has shown that near-death experiences often lead to a spiritual reappraisal.
Some people undoubtedly become more religious after experiencing one — in a few cases even training for the priesthood.
Others feel that their particular religion no longer adequately supports what was ‘revealed’ or felt during their NDE.
Regardless of what they believe, though, they generally become more considerate of others.
Marie-Claire Hubert, a nurse who had an NDE when she was hospitalised with meningitis, went through a tunnel and emerged to find dead family members, former patients and even long-dead pets.
Now, she says: ‘I know for certain we do meet our loved ones eventually. It’s made me a better person and I try to do at least five kind things a day for other people.’
For some, their experience of what has been described as ‘unconditional love’ makes them re-evaluate what they do with their lives.
Quite a few have actually retrained to become nurses or doctors or started doing voluntary work in a hospice.
Pam Williams from Swansea had an NDE when she haemorrhaged after childbirth. While unconscious, she ‘saw’ a doctor bang on her chest, breathe into her mouth and insert a needle into her heart.
‘All the time this was happening, I felt fine: full of joy, peaceful, gently floating towards brilliant light.
‘Suddenly, in the distance, I heard my eldest daughter shout, “Mam”. I remember thinking, ‘Oh dear, Jacquie needs me,’ and I came back with a jolt.
‘I’m not a religious person but I [now] believe there’s a warm, peaceful, beautiful place after death.’
At the time of her NDE, Pam was an uneducated miner’s wife with four children. Afterwards, she says, she felt ‘a need to help and support others’ — so she trained as a nurse
and, ten years later, became a sister on the coronary-care unit of a hospital in Sheffield.
One woman has stopped wearing watches because they no longer work on her wrist. Another 'blows' light bulbs regularly
Two lesser-known after-effects of NDEs — reported by many researchers — are that some people develop a new sensitivity to electricity or have problems with their wristwatches. Sometimes they don’t even connect the fact that their watch can’t keep time — or stops altogether — with what they’ve been through.
When I started asking the people I was researching if they’d experienced this, I discovered that many had.
One was a nurse — a colleague who’d had an NDE — who told me she’d stopped wearing watches after her own experience as they invariably didn’t work.
Those who’d had particularly intense NDEs reported even more problems. One woman told me that she ‘blows’ light bulbs regularly when switching them on — so much so that this has become a standing joke in her family.
‘I’ve also been thrown backwards and right across a room several times when using or touching electrical appliances,’ she said.
Disturbing in a different way were accounts from people who’d developed psychic tendencies after having a near-death experience. One woman told me she could subsequently foresee ‘bad things’ that were going to happen, and even predict when people were going to die.
This has so traumatised her that she now rarely goes out — and then only when wearing headphones so that she can play loud music to distract her from her thoughts.
A colleague of mine who had a NDE at nine years old claims to have similar powers.
She says that ever since her vision, she’s been able to ‘read other people’s minds’ — which distresses her because she feels it’s morally wrong.
Can all these people — and the many more that I’ve interviewed — be delusional?
Or could there be far more to approaching death than scientists have ever acknowledged? |
From my brother, via e-mail, “I cant decide if this (login required @ NYT)is somewhat disturbing or incredibly disturbing. Oh, wait — it’s incredibly disturbing.”
The NYT’s Jennifer Steinhauer reports on an Explorer Scout program, indoctrinating training American youths — some as young as 13 and a half — to preserve the Empire, which of course means learning how to shoot brown people from poor countries trying to make a better life for their families and learning how to destroy lives by perpetuating the war on drugs.
Explorers were instructed on how to quiet an obstreperous lookout. “Put him on his face and put a knee in his back,” a Border Patrol agent explained. “I guarantee that he’ll shut up.” “Cathy Noriego, also 16, said she was attracted by the guns. The group uses compressed-air guns — known as airsoft guns, which fire tiny plastic pellets — in the training exercises, and sometimes they shoot real guns on a closed range. “I like shooting them,” Cathy said. “I like the sound they make. It gets me excited.””
Children, malleable minds, lured by the sound of gunfire. Hell in a motherf*cking handbag.
There’s some sick irony when teenagers with surnames like Noriego are learning how keep people, who were unfortunately born on the “wrong” side of some arbitrary and purely imaginary line, out of their country. And I can’t help but think that many of these children wouldn’t be here today if there had been a draconian border policy a cenutry or two hence in order to preserve America’s “Manifest Destiny”. |
One of the toughest jobs in the Twins organization belongs to play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer, the television voice who has been your guide to almost every game of the Twins' disastrous play so far this season. Last week, Bremer talked with Fargo radio personality and newspaper columnist Mike McFeely about what it's been like to bear public witness to the losing streaks and lousy play.
Bremer said that during the homestand before the current one, a Twins player whom he opted not to name, confronted him about some of what's been said on the air.
McFeely quoted Bremer as saying: “I make it a practice to go in the clubhouse every day and go down on the field, so if a player has a complaint about something I’ve said on television they have that opportunity. I was confronted in the clubhouse in the last homestand. I didn’t say what I wanted to say, which was, ‘Well, play better and the commentary will be more positive.’ You can’t mask the fact this team is a quarter of the way through the season with 10 wins.”
That's currently 11 victories, of course, as opposed to 32 losses -- for a historically bad start in franchise history.
Bremer and McFeely also talked about last Tuesday's game at Detroit, when commentator Bert Blyleven criticized Brian Dozier after a failed at-bat and questioned why Phil Hughes left the game after six innings even though he had thrown only 75 pitches. The "shoulder fatigue" response from Hughes hadn't yet been publicized, and Blyleven's curiosity mirrored what many Twins fans watching the game were thinking.
McFeely wrote: "The bad baseball continued Wednesday in another (of course) loss to the Tigers. The Twins made three errors and committed a number of other miscues. Front and center was left-fielder Eddie Rosario, who was pulled from the game in the seventh inning after trying to steal third base with the Twins down four runs. Earlier, Rosario missed a cutoff man and it led to a Tigers run.
"I asked Bremer how he straddles the line of being a team guy and needing to point out mistakes."
You can read his answer, as well as McFeely's complete blog post, here. |
After a brutal election cycle, with no shortage of condemnation surrounding Hillary Clinton’s “damn emails” and calls for repealing Obamacare, Donald Trump appears to be taking a few steps back from the tone of his inflammatory campaign—for now.
While speaking with The Wall Street Journal, he admitted that after speaking with President Barack Obama on Thursday, he would reconsider his campaign promise to immediately repeal and replace Obamacare.
"Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," he said in the interview which aired Sunday morning. He said that Mr Obama encouraged him to reconsider while they met for 90-minutes in the Oval Office. "I told him I will look at his suggestions,” he continued, “and out of respect, I will do that."
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.
Mr Trump explained that he would try to retain the measure that allows citizens to stay on their parent or guardian’s health insurance plan before they reach the age of 26. "We're going to very much try to keep that,” he later told 60 Minutes on CBS, which airs on Sunday night. “It adds cost but it's very much something we're going to try to keep.”
Just one day before the election, Mr Trump told his audience to “look at the mess” and “the corruption” in Washington and that America would experience “real change” when immediately repeals and replaces “the disaster known as Obamacare."
In both interviews, the presidential-elect, who's often criticized for his treatment of women, both in his business practices and in his personal life, seemed to drop his clear resentment of Ms Clinton and admitted that prosecuting and jailing her over her use of a private email server is not a top priority for his administration.
“It’s not something I’ve given a lot of thought, because I want to solve health care, jobs, border control, tax reform,” he told the Journal. In the 60 minutes broadcast, he said that the call in which Ms Clinton conceded was “lovely.”
“She’s very strong and very smart,” he said, adding that he was also congratulated by Bill Clinton. “He couldn’t have been more gracious. He said it was an amazing run. One of the most amazing he had ever seen.”
The president-elect’s new tone will unlikely have an effect on the growing anti-Trump demonstrations across the country, which seek to address the Republican's inflammatory comments toward women, Muslims, Hispanics, and African-Americans on the campaign trail. Mr Trump has not yet made any attempts to backtrack on the remarks he made on the campaign trail and when the Journal asked if his tactics were inappropriate, he simply replied by saying, “No. I won.”
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.
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New Delhi: After a gap of over 20 years, Re 1 note has been released in the country and it bears the signature of Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi.
Incidentally, the note was released at Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, on March 6 by Mehrishi.
Other currency notes in India bear the signature of RBI governor.
Earlier last week, RBI had said that it will soon put into circulation one rupee currency notes and would be legal tender as provided in The Coinage Act 2011.
Alongwith the circulation of new Re 1 notes, the existing currency notes of the same denomination will also continue to be legal tender.
The re-launched one rupee notes will be made up of 100 per cent cotton rag content. It will weigh 90 grams per square metre and have thickness of 110 microns.
As watermarks, it will bear Ashoka Pillar symbol in the window without words 'Satyamev Jayate', carry a hidden numeral in the centre while hidden word Bharat (in Hindi) will be on the right hand side of the note.
The colour of one Rupee Currency Note is predominantly pink green on obverse and reverse in combination with others.
On the obverse, the note carries bilingual signature of Mehrishi.
In November 1994, printing of Re 1 note was stopped mainly due to higher cost and for freeing capacity to print currency notes of higher denomination.
Printing of Rs 2 and Rs 5 notes too were discontinued in 1995. Since then, only coins have been issued for these denominations. |
JERSEY CITY -- Three teens were arrested today in the Journal Square section of Jersey City by Hudson County sheriff's officers on their way to the county courthouse on Newark Avenue, authorities said.
The sheriff's officers had dropped a prisoner off at the Hudson County jail in Kearny and turned onto Pavonia Avenue when they saw 75 to 100 teens "in a scuffle" outside the McLaughlin Funeral Home at about 3:30 p.m., Hudson County Sheriff's Office spokesman Mike Makarski said.
A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy who were fighting were arrested and charged with civil assault and obstruction of justice, Markarski said.
A third boy, 16, fled from sheriff's officers and he was charged with obstruction of justice. All three were to be released to their parent or legal guardian.
An 18-year old victim sustained a minor injury to his left ear during the scuffle. He received medical attention from EMTs at the scene and he was released. |
Reward-based Social Media Platform Yours Switches from Litecoin to Bitcoin Cash
On August 22 the creator of the Yours network, Ryan X Charles, announced his blockchain based media platform is switching over from litecoin to bitcoin cash. The team just recently switched from the legacy bitcoin chain to litecoin because of the protocol’s inability to process micro-transactions.
Also read: Bitcoin Software Wars: The Battle Between Nodes, Hashpower, and Developers
The Yours Network Switches from Litecoin to Bitcoin Cash for Cheaper Micropayments
This week Ryan X Charles surprised the cryptocurrency community with a new announcement. The creator of the Yours network explained his development team decided the other day they would be going “full on-chain” with the bitcoin cash protocol. Yours is a social media application that gives micro-payment incentives for content such as articles with pictures, stories, audio, and video.
When Charles revealed the soft launch of Yours two months ago, he said he had difficulty with micro-transactions because of bitcoin’s fees. After the soft launch, the development team decided to utilize litecoin with the platform to lessen network fees and created a better experience for users. Charles changed his mind again and says he’s excited to switch to bitcoin cash because it will allow all the “product experiments we’ve been dreaming of.”
“We’re going to be the biggest company on bitcoin cash in three weeks,” explains Charles.
‘Reducing Code Complexity by Going On-Chain’
Following the announcement, news.Bitcoin.com reached out to Charles and asked him why they switched from litecoin to bitcoin cash. “Litecoin has fees of about five cents and no plan to scale on-chain,” Charles explains. “Litecoin will eventually face the same problem as bitcoin.
We spent over a year developing a trustless payment channel network similar to the Lightning Network except it’s not dependent on Segwit. We’ve realized that we can dramatically reduce our code complexity by going on-chain with bitcoin cash.
We then asked the Yours developer if the platform’s users will see a bitcoin cash implementation in three weeks. “You will see it a lot sooner than three weeks,” Charles details. In addition to keeping the platform on-chain, the developer explains that the Yours protocol can reduce its code size by at least 10x. “We were able to archive our micro-payments system – we don’t currently need it on BCC. We can broadcast our transactions on-chain with low fees, even just one cent,” Charles tells news.Bitcoin.com.
The Yours Creator Wishes Bitcoin the Best of Luck
As for bitcoin and the protocol’s upcoming Segwit implementation the Yours developer says he hopes it all works out.
“We wish them the best of luck. Unfortunately, bitcoin fees are too expensive for us, even with payment channels, because the cost of onboarding and offboarding users is too high,” Charles adds.
What do you think about the Yours network implementing bitcoin cash instead of litecoin? Let us know in the comments below.
Images via Shutterstock and Yours.
Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section. |
– Cara, por que você parou bem? Você poderia continuar jogando!
A frase acima faria parte de um diálogo entre José Roberto da Silva Júnior, o Zé Roberto, com ele mesmo, diante do espelho, no início desta temporada. Campeão da Copa do Brasil pelo Palmeiras em dezembro do ano passado, o veterano pensou em voltar atrás no contrato de renovação assinado com o clube – que vai até o fim de 2016. Tomou coragem, deu sequência, e hoje é titular do Verdão, líder do Campeonato Brasileiro. Não ter dado chance à frustração é motivo de sorriso e, nas palavras do próprio atleta, diversão.
Cuca ensaia Palmeiras com Erik e Thiago Santos para enfrentar o Atlético-MG
Zé Roberto se diverte ao lembrar que completou 42 anos há pouco mais de duas semanas e que ainda impressiona os profissionais que trabalham com ele. A dedicação é motivo de elogios de todos: dos jogadores mais jovens, a quem busca deixar um legado, até a diretoria. O veterano tomou as rédeas da própria carreira e fez um caminho inverso ao trilhado pela maioria dos companheiros de profissão – passou a crescer depois dos 30.
– Hoje eu estou aqui no Palmeiras e não sei quando vou parar. Completei 42 anos. Acho que minha carreira me deu o direito de decidir o que eu faço. Muitos acabam com as pessoas decidindo. Um contrato decide, o rendimento, uma lesão... Comigo, através da longevidade e da forma que me cuido, estou colhendo o que plantei. Tenho o direito de decidir se jogo mais um ou dois anos, se paro no fim do ano. Isso é o mais divertido. É algo muito legal – contou, em entrevista exclusiva ao GloboEsporte.com.
Zé Roberto, em treino na Academia do Palmeiras (Foto: Cesar Greco/Ag Palmeiras)
Dos 42 anos de idade, 22 foram dedicados ao futebol profissional. Uma história iniciada na Vila Ramos, bairro da zona leste de São Paulo, e com um protagonista que superou muitos obstáculos. Zé venceu uma infância difícil, o racismo e encontrou no futebol um refúgio.
Espelhado em Dener, ídolo da Portuguesa, onde começou sua carreira, construiu a própria trajetória até a realização do sonho maior: a seleção brasileira.
Em aproximadamente 40 minutos de conversa, Zé Roberto relembrou momentos marcantes da sua história, no aspecto pessoal e também no profissional. Das cobranças da família à frustração de não ter sido convocado para a Copa do Mundo de 2002. Do aprendizado com Vanderlei Luxemburgo à admiração por Cuca.
E revelou: assim como canta a torcida do Palmeiras, para ele a Taça Libertadores da América também ainda é uma obsessão...
GloboEsporte.com: Zé, você chegou aos 42 anos jogando em alto nível, como titular do Palmeiras. Você projetava ir tão longe quando começou a jogar futebol?
Zé Roberto: Quando criança, meu maior sonho era me tornar um atleta profissional. Desde quando isso aconteceu, passei a projetar em busca dos meus sonhos. Comecei na base da Portuguesa, o próximo sonho seria me profissionalizar. Um dia vestir a camisa da seleção brasileira, jogar fora... Fui conquistando cada passo. Quando cheguei à Europa, aprendi muita coisa a respeito da minha carreira. Na Alemanha, eu entendi que o corpo era meu instrumento de trabalho. Ali comecei a cuidar dele. Boa alimentação, vida regrada, período adequado para dormir, treinar no outro dia. Quando entendi isso, sempre consegui jogar em alto nível. Trouxe uma coisa primordial naquela fase. Falei que queria jogar até quando meu corpo permitisse. As coisas aconteceram na minha vida ao contrário do que acontece na carreira de muitos jogadores. A partir dos 31 anos, minha carreira decolou, em vez de regredir.
Dá para dizer que você ganhou autonomia sobre a própria carreira, certo? A parte física passa longe de ser um problema.
Hoje eu estou aqui no Palmeiras e não sei quando vou parar. Completei 42 anos. Acho que minha carreira me deu o direito de decidir o que eu faço. Muitos acabam com as pessoas decidindo. Um contrato decide, o rendimento, uma lesão... Comigo, através da longevidade e da forma que me cuido, estou colhendo o que plantei. Tenho o direito de decidir se jogo mais um ou dois anos, se paro no fim do ano. Isso é o mais divertido. É algo muito legal.
Bate no peito e grita! Zé Roberto festeja o título da Copa do Brasil do ano passado (Foto: Marcos Ribolli)
O fato de você não sentir o peso da idade reabre sua decisão sobre a aposentadoria?
Fica martelando o tempo todo (risos). Eu me cobro muito. Por eu me conhecer, tenho certeza que, se tivesse parado no ano passado, quando conquistamos a Copa do Brasil, que foi algo que passou na minha cabeça, eu estaria me questionando todos os dias. Eu olharia no espelho e diria: “Cara, por que você parou bem? Você poderia continuar jogando!”. Tenho certeza de que fiz a escolha certa. Eu me sinto muito bem e tenho objetivos. Ainda tenho sonhos, ainda quero conquistar. Quando você tem isso vivo, o impulsiona. Quero manter minha regularidade, fazer uma grande temporada e conquistar um título no fim do ano.
Tentar de novo conquistar a Taça Libertadores da América é algo que te motiva a adiar o fim da carreira?
É um objetivo, com certeza. A Libertadores é um título que ainda não tenho e gostaria muito de conquistar. Claro que temos o Brasileiro e a Copa do Brasil nesse ano, mas eu queria ter a Libertadores no meu currículo. Eu sempre me projetei antes de qualquer desafio. Temos de andar de acordo com os passos dados. O próximo passo é consolidar a classificação. Depois, planejar, ver qual decisão vou tomar. Estamos no caminho certo.
CARTOLA: Escalar o Palmeiras inteiro é um bom negócio
Você vê algum empecilho que possa de atrapalhar na ideia de continuar jogando?
Algo que pode me dificultar é o calendário. Lá fora, eu estava acostumado a ter tempo para a minha família, a não jogar tantos jogos durante o ano como aqui. Ele suga muito de você. O calendário faz com que você tenha treinamentos diários, dois jogos durante a semana... Você viaja muito, concentra muito. Isso torna o desgaste muito grande.
A Libertadores é um título que ainda não tenho e gostaria muito de conquistar. Zé Roberto
Sua família cobra?
Às vezes, sim, ainda mais no fim de semana, que é quando meus filhos estão livres, porque não tem de ir à escola. Eles me cobram um passeio, um almoço de família. O meu filho mais velho tem 16 anos, daqui um ano e meio se forma e quer fazer uma faculdade fora. Ele quer ir para a Alemanha ou para os Estados Unidos. Eu praticamente não convivi com ele por causa da minha profissão, dessa rotina em que você fica muito tempo fora de casa. Eu só tenho de agradecer a Deus por me permitir fazer o que mais gosto, que é jogar futebol, ter feito uma carreira de longevidade.
Você procura passar seu legado para os mais jovens?
Essa ideia de que o corpo é o instrumento de trabalho de um jogador de futebol. A gente conversa bastante a respeito de planejamento de carreira. Hoje, no Brasil, é algo que falta um pouco. Isso leva o atleta a ficar focado somente no trabalho dele, as demais coisas ficam para pessoas específicas. Assim que aconteceu na minha carreira. Eu converso com os jovens do Palmeiras, já conversava no Santos, no Grêmio.
Quem é o jogador mais incrível com quem você conviveu durante a carreira?
São 22 anos de carreira profissional, e eu destacaria três. (pausa) Na verdade, quatro. Um eu vi muito pouco, não tive a oportunidade de conviver muito tempo, que foi o Dener. Ele estava na Portuguesa, eu era da base. Eu faltava da escola para ver ele treinar, quando o treino era no fim da tarde. Era um jogador no qual eu me espelhava. Infelizmente ele perdeu a vida precocemente, não vi muito tempo. O que eu vi marcou muito para mim. Eu diria também o Ronaldo Fenômeno, o Messi e o Zidane. Esses quatro foram os melhores que eu já vi.
E os melhores técnicos com quem você trabalhou?
Eu tive vários. Cada um com sua personalidade, sua filosofia. Eu poderia citar três também, que foram diferentes. Quando eu iniciei a minha carreira, fui treinado pelo Zagallo. No decorrer dela, tive a felicidade de trabalhar com o Vanderlei Luxemburgo, que é muito inteligente, me passou muitas coisas positivas. Aprendi muito com ele. E também um que trabalhou quatro ou cinco anos no Bayern de Munique, o Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Zé Roberto treina pesado diariamente para manter a forma no Verdão (Foto: Cesar Greco/Ag Palmeiras/Divulgação)
Quais foram os dias mais felizes na sua carreira como jogador de futebol?
Meu dia mais feliz no futebol foi quando eu era juvenil ainda, que passei na peneira da Portuguesa. O segundo foi quando assinei meu primeiro contrato, de 18 para 19 anos. E o terceiro foi em 1995, quando fui convocado pela primeira vez para a Seleção principal.
E o dia mais triste?
Com certeza foi não fazer parte do grupo que disputou a Copa do Mundo de 2002. Eu estava em excelente fase. O Leverkusen disputou a Copa da Alemanha, a Bundesliga (Campeonato Alemão) e foi para a final da Champions. Eu estava na minha melhor fase da carreira. Acabei não indo.
Auxiliar de Cuca lamenta falta de reforços, mas diz entender a diretoria
No futebol, você teve de encarar racismo?
Eu vivenciei no início da minha carreira. Quando eu me profissionalizei na Portuguesa, comprei meu primeiro carro. Meu sonho era ter um carro igual ao Dener tinha, que era um Mitsubishi Eclipse, na época um carro fora de série. Na época eu namorava com a minha esposa, a Luciana. Todos os dias após o treino eu ia à casa dela, visitá-la. Quando eu passava por algum carro da polícia, sempre me olhavam e vinham na minha direção, mandavam parar e me revistavam. Depois que me reconheciam, ficavam normal. Depois de passar por essa situação diversas vezes, acabei vendendo o carro. Foi um momento triste que eu passei e me marcou, uma coisa negativa.
Meu sonho era ter um carro igual ao que o Dener tinha, que era um Mitsubishi Eclipse, na época um carro fora de série. Quando eu passava por algum carro da polícia, sempre me olhavam e vinham na minha direção, mandavam parar e me revistavam Zé Roberto
A impunidade faz com que isso continue sendo um problema no Brasil?
É uma questão que, por mais que a gente fale, já está enclausurada dentro das pessoas que agem dessa forma. É difícil tirar. Teria de ter punições, não adianta. Vai da consciência da pessoa, da forma de cada um pensar. É algo muito visível no Brasil e que eu nunca consegui ver na Alemanha. Um país que passou por guerras, que teve a questão dos judeus nos campos de concentração... Os alemães conseguiram virar uma página, mostrar que o país passou por isso, mas que aquilo não faz mais parte do presente. Eu morei 12 anos na Alemanha e nunca passei por nenhuma discriminação.
Quando você jogou na Alemanha, a realidade do futebol já era superior à atual do Brasil?
Já, sim. O futebol lá já era muito avançado. A organização do campeonato, dos clubes, do país. Eu só aprendi no tempo em que fiquei lá. Pude colocar muitas coisas positivas dentro da minha vida. Só me fez crescer. Foi um país em que fui bem acolhido, me aceitou com a minha cor de pele, a minha nacionalidade não sendo alemã, tendo os meus costumes.
Você acha que é possível recuperar a identificação do povo com a seleção brasileira? Tem solução?
Tem, desde que comece lá de cima. O primeiro passo que a CBF deu foi a mudança. No meu ponto de vista, não teria outra pessoa com o gabarito do Tite para implantar a forma de trabalho que ele tem e ir em busca de coisas melhores para o futebol brasileiro. Nossa esperança é que isso aconteça de forma rápida, até porque daqui a dois anos tem um Mundial na Rússia. O Brasil precisa voltar a ganhar, a ser respeitado.
Pensa em trabalhar com outra função no futebol no futuro?
Por eu ainda estar jogando, não tenho nada na cabeça. Quem sabe depois que parar, projetar outras coisas, eu possa fazer algo em prol do futebol. Até porque são muitos anos nesse meio. Tudo o que eu aprendi de repente pode ser benéfico.
Qual a característica mais marcante do trabalho do Cuca no Palmeiras?
O diferencial do Cuca é a leitura diferente de outros treinadores com quem trabalhei. Ele consegue mudar a forma do time jogar de uma maneira muito rápida. Consegue neutralizar as melhores jogadas dos times que vamos enfrentar. Além disso, consegue mudar uma peça ou outra e deixar jogando em alto nível. Ele sabe lidar com um elenco como o Palmeiras tem, com a maioria dos jogadores em condições de jogar. Não é uma tarefa muito fácil. Todos querem jogar. Ele consegue tirar o melhor de cada um, formar uma equipe competitiva e ter um jogo bonito e dinâmico.
O Gabriel Jesus é um atleta que vem sendo muito badalado pelo futebol europeu aos 19 anos. O que você tem a dizer dele? Está pronto para sair do Palmeiras?
Eu joguei com muitos jogadores de potencial, tanto brasileiros quanto estrangeiros. O diferencial do Gabriel Jesus e dos demais jovens que tenho visto surgir é a concentração no dia a dia, nos treinamentos. A cobrança que ele faz para melhorar a cada treino e a cada jogo. É difícil ver um jogador como ele, tão badalado, com clubes europeus querendo levar, não se empolgar. Não vejo empolgação nenhuma nele. Vejo ele somente focado, buscando melhorar aquilo que pode melhorar. Independentemente do clube que ele vá jogar, não tenho dúvida que vá fazer sucesso.
LEIA MAIS: Goleiro Vagner admite ansiedade por "oportunidade da vida"
O que você tem a dizer para a torcida do Palmeiras neste momento?
Meu recado para o torcedor palmeirense é somente de agradecimento. O que o torcedor tem feito para nós jogadores é incrível. A minha identificação foi imediata desde que cheguei aqui. Nunca imaginei que eu teria um grito dos torcedores, o mesmo que gritavam para o Edmundo. Isso vai ficar marcado na minha carreira. O que tenho a fazer é agradecer. Que eles possam continuar nessa força, nessa corrente, nos apoiando e incentivando. Vamos dar o nosso melhor a cada jogo, em busca do nosso objetivo, que é chegar no fim do ano, poder virar para cada torcedor palmeirense, bater no peito e dizer: “O Palmeiras é gigante”.
Zé Roberto: titular do Palmeiras aos 42 anos (Foto: Chris Mussi) |
This article is a list of military strategies and concepts that are commonly recognized and referenced. Military strategies are methods of arranging and maneuvering large bodies of military forces during armed conflicts.
Offensive strategies [ edit ]
Defensive strategies [ edit ]
Strategic concepts [ edit ]
Center of gravity (military) – The hub of all power and movement on which everything depends, the point at which all energies should be directed
Decisive point – A geographic place, specific key event, critical system, or function that allows commanders to gain a marked advantage over an enemy and greatly influence the outcome of an attack
DIME(FIL) – The elements of national power diplomacy, information, military, and economics, often included are financial, intelligence, and law enforcement see MIDLIFE
Expediency – War is a matter of expedients – von Moltke
Fog, friction, chance – War is characterized by fog, friction, and chance
Golden Bridge – To leave an opponent an opportunity to withdraw in order to not force them to act out of desperation – Sun Tzu
Iron Calculus of War – Resistance = Means x Will – Clausewitz
MIDLIFE – The elements of national power diplomacy, information, military, and economics, often included are financial, intelligence, and law enforcement, see DIME(FIL)
Moral ascendancy – Moral force is the trump card for any military event because as events change the human elements of war remain unchanged – Du Piq
OODA loop – Decision-making occurs in a recurring cycle of observe-orient-decide-act. An entity (whether an individual or an organization) that can process this cycle quickly, observing and reacting to unfolding events more rapidly than an opponent, can thereby "get inside" the opponent's decision cycle and gain the advantage – Boyd
Paradoxical nature – The nature of strategy is a paradoxical and does not follow a linear pattern – Luttwak
Positive ends – The possibility of taking advantage of a new security environment to create conditions for long-term peace – Wass de Czege
Primary Trinity – (1) primordial violence, hatred, and enmity; (2) the play of chance and probability; and (3) war's element of subordination to rational policy – Clausewitz Secondary Trinity – People, Army, and Government – Clausewitz
Principles of war: Objective (Direct every military operation towards a clearly defined, decisive, and attainable objective) Offensive (Seize, retain, and exploit the initiative) Mass (Concentrate combat power at the decisive place and time) Economy of Force (Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts) Maneuver (place the enemy in a disadvantageous position through the flexible application of combat power) Unity of Command (For every Objective, ensure Unity of effort under one responsible commander) Security (Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage) Surprise (Strike the enemy at a time, at a place, or in a manner for which he is unprepared) Simplicity (Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and clear, concise orders to ensure thorough understanding) – US Army FM 3.0
Systems approach – Nation-states operate like biological organisms composed of discrete systems. These systems included: leadership, organic essentials, infrastructure, population, and the military – Warden
Tipping point – The point at which "the momentum for change becomes unstoppable." – Gladwell
VUCA – Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity characterize the strategic environment – U.S. Army War College
Weinberger-Powell Doctrine – A list of questions have to be answered affirmatively before military action is taken by the United States: Is a vital national security interest threatened? Do we have a clear attainable objective? Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed? Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted? Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement? Have the consequences of our action been fully considered? Is the action supported by the American people? Do we have genuine broad international support?
Economic concepts [ edit ]
Salaries – Always pay your troops on time.
Asymmetric costs – ensure the cost of enemy losses (or objectives) is at least an order of magnitude higher than the costs of attacking.
Budget like a business – Ensure there is sufficient funds and revenue streams to finish the war.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Notes |
The Dutch public prosecutor on Tuesday declared it legal for bikers from the No Surrender gang to continue fighting alongside Kurds in northern Iraq against the Islamic State group.
“Joining a foreign armed force was previously punishable; now it’s no longer forbidden,” public prosecutor spokesman Wim de Bruin told the Agence France-Presse. “You just can’t join a fight against the Netherlands.”
His comments come after reports that Dutch bikers had joined the Kurds in fighting Sunni militants that have gained a stronghold in Iraq and Syria.
Dutch citizens could not, however, join the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), because it is labeled a terrorist organization by much of the international community, AFP reported.
Dutch citizens fighting on the Kurdish side will still be subject to prosecution if they committed a crime abroad, Mr. De Bruin said.
“But this is also happening a long way away, and so it’ll be very difficult to prove,” he added.
The Netherlands has been cracking down on citizens trying to join Islamic State fighters, confiscating would-be jihadists’ passports before traveling and threatening prosecution should they return, AFP reported.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. |
‘Whistleblower’ Account Claiming Flynn Sent Text About Ending Russia Sanctions Just Took A Massive Blow
A whistleblower claiming to have been privy to text messages exchanged between ACU Strategic Partners official, Alex Copson, and then-incoming National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, appears to have been lying. Flynn had reportedly told Copson that sanctions against Russia would be “ripped up,” in an effort to boost relations between Washington and Moscow. According to AT&T phone records, the conversation did not take place as the whistleblower claims.
POLITICO reports:
In an account provided to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) in June — but made public only last week — the whistleblower said Alex Copson, a top official at ACU Strategic Partners, bragged on Inauguration Day about his relationship with Flynn, at one point flipping around his phone to reveal the text about the deal to build nuclear plants across the Middle East. The whistleblower also said Copson said sanctions against Russia would be “ripped up” to make room for the deal. But in a letter to Cummings dated Friday, Thomas Cochran, a top ACU official, said the whistleblower’s account was inaccurate, attaching AT&T phone records that he said show Copson did not get a text from Flynn that day. […] He said that text was from a friend who attended the same function where the whistleblower claimed to witness Copson’s boasting.
“The only text message Mr. Copson received on Inauguration Day came at 1:49 p.m.,” Cochran wrote.
“Since Mr. Copson did not receive a text message from General Flynn during the Inauguration, other allegations of the ‘whistleblower’ are equally false and unfounded,” wrote Cochran added.
The news comes amid reports that another whistleblower told Rep Ron DeSantis (R-FL) that he witnessed a senior FBI executive suggest the Bureau had a personal motive behind targeting Flynn with the purpose of ruining his career.
A video of this exchange between FBI brass and agents commenting on ruining Flynn’s career may exist.
As previously reported, Fox News host Sean Hannity and Circa News reporter Sara A. Carter teamed up to reveal that Trump-hating FBI agent Peter Strzok interviewed former National Security advisor Michael Flynn.
Michael Flynn plead guilty to lying to FBI agents about making contact with Russian Ambassador Kislyak during the transition period. |
Once relegated to late-night AM radio, anti-Muslim extremism has found a home in the Republican Party.
A report (pdf) by the National Security Network outlines how anti-Muslim rhetoric has become commonplace among Republicans. “The current political climate is the culmination of a years-long and well-funded effort to bring Islamophobia and xenophobia from the far-right fringe to the political mainstream,” according to the report, which was written after last month’s Paris terror attacks but before the shootings in San Bernardino last week.
The GOP’s current leader for its presidential nomination, Donald Trump, has made many comments suggesting, for example, that Muslims be registered in a national database and issued special identification noting their religion. Trump has also urged that U.S. mosques be closed.
But Trump, who will say just about anything to get in front of a camera, isn’t the only prominent Republican giving voice to such sentiments. Competing presidential nominee Marco Rubio of Florida did Trump one better—he said he would close not just mosques, but cafés, diners and Internet sites. Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon who had at one point closely trailed Trump in the polls but is now slipping, has compared Syrian refugees to “rabid dogs.”
These comments are a stark contrast to then-President George W. Bush’s exhortations not to blame all Muslims for the 9/11 attacks and Mitt Romney’s rebuke of anti-Muslim comments during his 2012 presidential run.
Much of the hateful speech has been directed at refugees fleeing the fighting in Syria. At least 30 governors, such as Texas Republican Greg Abbott, have said they won’t allow Syrians to settle in their states—an action that experts say would likely be ruled unconstitutional—and some have threatened to monitor or kick out refugees already residing in their state. These comments—exploiting and spreading fear of terrorists sneaking into the United States in the guise of refugees fleeing Syria—come even though earning refugee status is one of the hardest ways to gain entrance to the United States. For instance, it’s much easier to come into the country on a tourist visa. Refugees must undergo a strict vetting process to ensure applicants are who they claim to be.
Of course, one danger of the right-wing’s anti-Muslim rhetoric is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. “It plays dangerously into the hands of the Islamic State and other terrorist groups that thrive on the alienation of Muslim populations in the West,” according to the report. “The promotion of anti-Muslim extremist narratives already threatens the U.S. effort to resettle Syrian refugees displaced by war and terrorism, a cruel abdication of American leadership and responsibility that confuses the victims of terrorism with its perpetrators. Left unchecked and unchallenged, these narratives also threaten constitutional protections – as presidential candidates have already tied these narratives to limitations on the free exercise of speech and religion.”
-Steve Straehley
To Learn More:
Anti-Muslim Rhetoric Has Gone From Fringe to Mainstream, Report Says (by Justin Salhani, ThinkProgress)
Mainstreaming Hate: The Far-Right Fringe Origins of Islamophobic and Anti-Refugee Politics (by J. Dana Stuster and Samuel Davidoff-Gore, National Security Network) (pdf)
Muslims in America Condemn Extremists and Fear Anew for Their Lives (by Laurie Goodstein, New York Times)
Conservatives Decide Trump Qualifies as a Fascist (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
Syrian Refugees Already Face a 21-Step Vetting Process for Entering the U.S. (by Noel Brinkerhoff and Steve Straehley, AllGov)
Would Jesus Have Turned Away Syrian Refugees? (by Noel Brinkerhoff and Steve Straehley, AllGov)
Since 9/11, More Americans have been Killed by Right-wing Extremists than by Muslim Jihadists (by Noel Brinkerhoff and Danny Biederman, AllGov) |
The Weight Change Required To Increase Attractivity
Study finds how much fat a person needs to lose to make them look more attractive.
The face can reveal whether our weight has changed, but how much is required for others to see it?
Dr Nicholas Rule, co-author of a new study on the subject, explains:
“Women and men of average height need to gain or lose about three and a half and four kilograms, or about eight and nine pounds, respectively, for anyone to see it in their face, but they need to lose about twice as much for anyone to find them more attractive.”
Fat in the face, or ‘facial adiposity’, is a good indicator of someone’s body weight, but it’s also more than that, said Dr Rule:
“It is a robust indicator of one’s health. Increased facial adiposity is associated with a compromised immune system, poor cardiovascular function, frequent respiratory infections, and mortality. So, even a small decrease can improve one’s health.”
The researchers used a series of pictures digitally altered to increase or decrease the person’s weight.
Participants then looked at randomly selected pairs of images and were asked to choose the heavier one.
It turned out that a change in BMI of 1.33 kg/m2 is required for someone to notice.
Daniel Re, the study’s co-author, explained:
“We calculated the weight change thresholds in terms of BMI rather than simple kilograms or pounds, so that people of all weights and heights can apply it to themselves according to their individual stature.”
The researchers then went on to look at how much change in weight was required before someone looked more attractive.
For women the difference was 6.3kg or about 14 pounds.
For men it was 8.2kg or around 18 pounds.
Even taking into account men’s greater average weight, women needed to lose proportionally less weight to appear attractive, Dr Rule said:
“The difference between the groups suggests women’s facial attractiveness may be more sensitive to changes in weight. This just means women attempting to lose weight need to shed slightly fewer pounds than men for people to find them more attractive.”
Dr Re added:
“When it comes to incentives for weight loss, some people are more motivated to look attractive than to improve their health.”
The study was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science (Re & Rule, 2015).
Pretty face image from Shutterstock |
by: Aaron Diamant Updated: Dec 14, 2016 - 6:01 AM
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ATLANTA - The Georgia Secretary of State's Office now confirms 10 separate cyberattacks on its network were all - The Georgia Secretary of State's Office now confirms 10 separate cyberattacks on its network were all traced back to U.S. Department of Homeland Security addresses.
In an exclusive interview, a visibly frustrated Secretary of State Brian Kemp confirmed the attacks of different levels on his agency's network over the last 10 months. He says they all traced back to DHS internet provider addresses.
"We're being told something that they think they have it figured out, yet nobody's really showed us how this happened,” Kemp said. "We need to know."
Kemp told Channel 2’s Aaron Diamant his office's cybersecurity vendor discovered the additional so-called vulnerability scans to his network's firewall after a massive mid-November cyberattack triggered an internal investigation.
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The Secretary of State's Office manages Georgia’s elections, and most concerning for Kemp about the newly discovered scans is the timing.
The first one happened on Feb. 2, the day after Georgia’s voter registration deadline. The next one took place just days before the SEC primary. Another occurred in May, the day before the general primary, and then two more took place in November, the day before and the day of the presidential election.
"It makes you wonder if somebody was trying to prove a point,” Kemp said.
Last week, the DHS confirmed the large Nov. 15 attack traced back to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection internet gateway. But Kemp says the DHS’ story about its source keeps changing.
"First it was an employee in Corpus Christi, and now it's a contractor in Georgia,” Kemp said.
Unsatisfied with the response he got from DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson this week, Kemp fired off a letter Wednesday to loop in President-elect Donald Trump.
"We just need to ask the new administration to take a look at this and make sure that we get the truth the people of Georgia are deserving to know that and really demanding it,” Kemp said.
Kemp says several of those scans came around the same time he testified before Congress about his opposition to a federal plan to classify election systems as "critical infrastructure," like power plants and financial systems.
Kemp believes Georgia’s state-run election systems are already secure and doesn't think the feds should be involved.
The DHS did not return Diamant’s emails seeking comment Tuesday.
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Ever heard of Pine Mouth Syndrome? It’s this strange condition some people get when they eat pine nuts — in the opinion of some, though, it only happens with pine nuts harvested in China (which account for most in the US market). In 2010, we made some pesto, but I was the only one who ate it. I had this awful metallic taste in my mouth for a couple of weeks. (“Metallogeusia” is the condition of having a metallic taste in your mouth). We found out later, at our food co-op, that some people have had these complaints with Chinese-grown pine nuts. They switched back to the more expensive European pine nuts, and had no complaints. If you read the linked-to article above, you’ll see that scientists have been able to find no chemical difference between pine nuts that trigger metallogeusia, and those that do not.
I bring this up because that happy little Lunesta butterfly who is supposed to be in my bedroom right now putting me to sleep has instead given me metallogeusia. I hate that butterly now. And Chinese pine nuts.
But I wonder if the small number of people who are subject to metallogeusia in Lunesta are also subject to same in Chinese pine nuts? (N.B., this week my wife made a chicken, spinach, and pine nut pie with Mediterranean pine nuts. I ate two pieces, and nothing happened.) |
BY: Follow @BillGertz
Four Russian strategic bombers triggered U.S. air defense systems while conducting practice bombing runs near Alaska this week, with two of the Tu-95 Bear H aircraft coming within 50 miles of the California coast, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) confirmed Wednesday.
"The last time we saw anything similar was two years ago on the Fourth of July," Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Norad spokesman, told the Free Beacon.
Davis said the latest Bear H incursions began Monday around 4:30 p.m. Pacific time when radar detected the four turbo-prop powered bombers approaching the U.S. air defense zone near the far western Aleutian Islands.
Two U.S. Air Force F-22 jets were scrambled and intercepted the bombers over the Aleutians.
After tracking the bombers as they flew eastward, two of the four Bears turned around and headed west toward the Russian Far East. The bombers are believed to be based at the Russian strategic base near Anadyr, Russia.
The remaining two nuclear-capable bombers then flew southeast and around 9:30 P.M. entered the U.S. northern air defense zone off the coast of Northern California.
Two U.S. F-15 jets were deployed and intercepted the bombers as they eventually flew within 50 miles of the coast before turning around and heading west.
A defense official said the four bombers also were supported by two IL-78 aerial refueling tankers that were used for mid-air refueling during the operation this week.
The Tu-95 is a long-range strike aircraft capable of carrying nuclear cruise missiles. Other versions are equipped with intelligence-gathering sensors and electronic warfare gear. It has a range of around 9,400 miles without refueling.
Davis said the aircraft "acted professionally" and the bombers appeared to be conducting a training mission.
"They typically do long range aviation training in the summer and it is not unusual for them to be more active during this time," he said. "We assess this was part of training. And they did not enter territorial airspace."
The bomber incursion is the latest Russian nuclear saber-rattling amid stepped up tensions over Moscow’s military annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea.
Rep. Mike Conaway (R., Texas), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, called the Russian flights "intentional provocations."
"Putin is doing this specifically to try to taunt the U.S. and exercise, at least in the reported world, some sort of saber-rattling, muscle-flexing kind of nonsense," Conaway said in an interview. "Truth of the matter is we would have squashed either one of those [bombers] like baby seals."
"It’s a provocation and it’s unnecessary. But it fits in with [Putin’s] macho kind of saber-rattling," he said, adding that he expects Russia will carry out more of these kinds of incidents in the future.
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney, a former Alaska commander for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said he does not remember a case of Russian strategic bombers coming that close to the U.S. coast.
"Again we see the Obama administration through their covert—but overt to Mr. Putin—unilateral disarmament, inviting adventurism by the Russians," McInerney said in an email.
"At the height of the Cold War I do not remember them getting this close. Mr. Putin had to approve this mission and he is just showing his personal contempt for President Obama right after meeting him in Normandy less than a week ago," McInerney said.
McInerney said no American president has been treated with such disrespect in U.S. history.
"A sad day indeed and at the same time Mosul and Tikrit [Iraq] fall to radical Islamists after the Obama administration’s failed Iraq policy," he added. "He snatched defeat from the jaws of victory yet again."
The Alaska-California bombers flight also came a month after a Russian Su-27 interceptor jet flew dangerously close to a U.S. RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft flying over the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Japan.
In that incident on April 23, the Su-27 jet flew close to the RC-135, turned to reveal its air-to-air missiles to the crew, and then flew dangerously close to within 100 feet of the cockpit in a maneuver military officials called reckless.
Davis said in the past 10 years, 50 Bear H bombers were intercepted near U.S. air defense zone, although he acknowledged that Monday’s flight near California was unusual.
In April, a telephone conversation between two Russian ambassadors was posted on YouTube and appeared to show the diplomats joking about the Ukraine crisis and discussing the possible incursions in the United States and Eastern Europe.
The leaked conversation between Igor Nilokaevich Chubarov and Sergey Viktorovich Bakharev, Russian ambassadors to the African nations Eritrea and Zimbabwe and Malawi, respectively, includes references to post-Crimea Russian imperialism to include Eastern Europe and "Californialand" and "Miamiland."
Russian Bear H flights elsewhere have increased in recent years.
In February 2013, two of the bombers were intercepted as they circled the U.S. Pacific island of Guam, in a rare long-range incursion.
Two Bear Hs also were intercepted near Alaska on April 28, 2013.
A Russian Bear H incursion in Asia took place in in July 2013 when two Tu-95s were intercepted by Japanese and South Korean jets near the Korean peninsula and Japan’s northern Hokkaido Island.
The July 4, 2012, bomber flights near the West Coast were the first time since the Cold War that Russian jets has traveled so close to the U.S. coastline.
That action followed an earlier intrusion by Tu-95s near Alaska that were part of large-scale strategic nuclear exercises by the Russians aimed at practicing strikes on enemy air defenses.
Russia has stepped up provocative nuclear war games in recent years as part of propaganda efforts to display Moscow’s dislike of U.S. missile defenses in Europe. |
Dambisa Moyo was born and raised in Zambia. She has a PhD in Economics from the Oxford University, a Masters from Harvard and an MBA in Finance from the American University in Washington DC.
She previously worked for the Worldbank, and in debt capital markets at Goldman Sachs. (Full)
Just to illustrate she is not "just anyone" when one considers the insights registered in her book "Dead Aid", subtitled "Why aid is not working and how there is another way for Africa".
From her website:
In the past fifty years, more than $1 trillion in development-related aid has been transferred from rich countries to Africa. Has this assistance improved the lives of Africans? No. In fact, across the continent, the recipients of this aid are not better off as a result of it, but worse—much worse.
In Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo describes the state of postwar development policy in Africa today and unflinchingly confronts one of the greatest myths of our time: that billions of dollars in aid sent from wealthy countries to developing African nations has helped to reduce poverty and increase growth.
In fact, poverty levels continue to escalate and growth rates have steadily declined—and millions continue to suffer. Provocatively drawing a sharp contrast between African countries that have rejected the aid route and prospered and others that have become aid-dependent and seen poverty increase, Moyo illuminates the way in which overreliance on aid has trapped developing nations in a vicious circle of aid dependency, corruption, market distortion, and further poverty, leaving them with nothing but the “need” for more aid.
Debunking the current model of international aid promoted by both Hollywood celebrities and policy makers, Moyo offers a bold new road map for financing development of the world’s poorest countries that guarantees economic growth and a significant decline in poverty—without reliance on foreign aid or aid-related assistance.
Dead Aid is an unsettling yet optimistic work, a powerful challenge to the assumptions and arguments that support a profoundly misguided development policy in Africa. And it is a clarion call to a new, more hopeful vision of how to address the desperate poverty that plagues millions.
Update: Feb 23:
She makes it clear at the outset what kind of aid she means. She does not mean humanitarian or emergency aid, mobilised in response to calamities; she does not mean charity-based aid, given to specific organisations and people on the ground, in order to achieve specific things (she sits on the boards of several charities, one of which distributes antiretrovirals); she is hopeful about a new attitude to food aid, whereby the money is used to buy food from farmers within a country, and then distribute it to those in need, instead of flooding the place with foreign food that undercuts local growers. What she means is "systemic aid", the vast sums regularly transferred from government to government, or via institutions such as the World Bank. (Full)
Pictures courtesy deadaid.org, AP, princeton.edu and Logan Abassi (MINUSTAH)
There are a series of interesting articles covering her book and her opinions: The Anti-Bono (NY Times) Aid dependency blights Africa. The cure is in the credit crisis. (Independent) The road to ruin (Guardian) Everybody knows it does not work (Guardian)More here Of course the aid "industry" has reacted. But barely. As of today, a Google search only shows two articles: A half-assed reply by the co-founder of "One" in the Financial Times, and a more relativating answer by the CEO of SOS Children UK.Another half assed answer by Oxfam Dambisa clarifies in one article:My response, as an aid worker, is this:If one limits the discussion only to aid given to a government (bilateral or via IMF/Worldbank), we are limiting the discussion too much. Weneed to question any form of aid. Even though aid given to government institutions is an obvious (and easy) target of criticism.But also humanitarian aid, emergency aid, should be looked at. Why, after decennia of foreign aid, is the West still crawling over each other to provide relief in cases of natural disasters? What is done to institutionally ensure these countries (which are always the same, by the way), can (mostly) take care of their own disaster response?It is clear that traditional aid does not work. And has never worked. Otherwise aid organisations would have been able to prove at least some progress in countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, DRC, Afghanistan,...If it took us 40-50 years to come to that conclusion, so be it. A pity of the money wasted, but at least let's start changing the mechanics now.Aid has been a self-fulfilling and self-fueling economic mechanism. I have always said there are three markets in the world economy: the official market, the black market and the aid market.All three keep the world economy turning. Unfortunately mostly the "first world economy". Here is how I see it work:- Too many donor governments are all too happy to channel foreign aid through whatever means. After all, they need to look good on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) performance scale. And it is good for public opinion. Helps get people re-elected.- Too many aid organisations are all too happy to transform that donor money into projects. After all, they need to sustain themselves. No, or hardly ANY aid agency will turn down money from a donor. No matter how ridiculous or un-needed the targets are (hats off to MSF for refusing more Tsunami aid two weeks after the disaster , stating they had sufficient funding. Which aid agency would have the courage to do that?)- So one loves to give, the other loves to accept. All happy-happy.- Foreign "aid" as such is an industry by itself. It employs people, it keeps "the economy" running. But whose economy?No surprise a lot, if not most, of the goods procured by aid organisations is produced in "the West". Many services are procured from companies in "the West". In this aspect, not much difference between "a war in Iraq" and "foreign aid", is there? Both are wagging the dog of 'our economy'.- Foreign "aid" has been targeting mostly countries a donor country had a political, economical or military connection with. "Aid" was just a way of keeping government counterparts happy. No matter if the aid was effective or not. It kept the targeted country as an ally. We got cheap resources from them, or they did not 'fall' into the hands of the communists, or more recently in the hands of the islamists.For the 'west', it has always been best if a developing country sitting on a lot of natural resources (oil, diamonds, gold, minerals) was unstable.It was a way to get those resources cheaply. During the Angola civil war, their oil was sold for many years in advance, only to keep the cost of war going.Look around you: which countries have gone through the most devastating levels of poverty and civil war? Liberia, Sierra Leone, Angola, DRC, Somalia, Sudan... I bet you if we make a top 10 list of the countries (in the world) with the longest civil wars, and you tick those with abundant natural resources, you would be surprised of the correlation.OK, I will relativate: natural resources or a country's strategic (political, religious or geographical) position.. Should cover all on the top 10, top 20 list.So if aid would have been effective, and would have brought peace, prosperity or stability, in what way would it not have been decremental to the Western Economy? God forgive if a country like that would become an economical power. An independent political entity with its own mind. Gosh, think what that would have done to the political position of the powers-that-be?- I agree with Dambisa: government to government aid does not work. As electorate, we should hold our governments accountable to give us real and verifiable figures of effectiveness.- Worldbank aid does not work. Same thing: Show us verifiable figures of effectiveness.- Effectiveness of aid in no matter what shape or form, should be measurable along the same criteria. Criteria should include clear and concrete targets from the onset, and measures of achievement. Aid should measured by the effectiveness for the individuals targeted, not by the effectiveness for institutions (which can not be measured).- Any aid organisation, any humanitarian organisation should work on a voluntary funding basis. No guaranteed annual funding. Funding per project. You don't perform? Next time you don't get funding anymore. Worldbank the first to start.- Aid, any aid, should be audited by external bodies. Objective figures should be provided for overhead.- Aid, any aid, should be governed by the same measures of governance quality as the commercial market (as long as it is not the US-standards of governance. We all saw where that one brought us).Why don't we apply ISO-9002 to aid? Let's make an ISO standard for aid. After all we spent trillions on aid. And it our money. Us, tax payers, need to know. We cry foul when we see the government wasting money on ineffective road building or useless prestige projects, but don't cry foul when we pour billions over the 'poor'? Because we get soft hearted when seeing children crying on TV? Think what you do to that child to ensure it stops crying the next year. And the year after. And the year after.OkayOkayOkay. I am getting off my soapbox now. |
Suspended Oregon strength coach Irele Oderinde will be reinstated Sunday, an Oregon spokesman told CBS Sports Friday.
Oderinde was suspended for a month without pay on Jan. 17 after three players were hospitalized following what were characterized as strenuous workouts. The parent of one of the Ducks said her son had been diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.
So-called “rhabdo” is commonly caused from overexertion. Muscle tissue breaks down, leaks into the bloodstream and can cause kidney failure.
At the time of the suspension, new coach Willie Taggart offered his “sincere apologies” in a statement released by the school.
Oderinde -- who came to Oregon with Taggart from South Florida -- will resume his normal duties according to the spokesman. The original suspension was for a month, but the exact date of his reinstatement wasn’t immediately clear.
Former football strength coach Jimmy Radcliffe had taken over Oderinde’s duties during the suspension.
It was previously announced that Oderinde will begin reporting to Andrew Murray, Oregon’s director of performance and sports science. He has previously reported to Taggart.
Taggart visited the three players while they were hospitalized. “As the head football coach, I hold myself responsible for all of our football-related activities and the safety of our students must come first” he said in a statement. |
Speculation is often thrown around about what kind of hidden gems are lurking at the Nike campus in Beaverton, OR. This inside look at CEO Mark Parker's office should give you a give idea of just what sort of crazy Nike memorabilia and history is housed at the Nike headquarters. Parker's office is jam packed with a frenzied collection of art and shoes that manifests all of the various influences and iterations of the Nike lineage. Unreleased samples, one off promo materials, and classic models are found in the various nooks of the room alongside sculptures and scraps of the Nike story. This baffling gallery of photos really shows how much the business heads at Nike stay grounded in the company's roots of innovative design. Continue reading to take a look at the rest of this photo set, and then head over to Whitewall to read their interview with Mark Parker. via: fubiz
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Code Golf is the amusement of writing as short as possible a program to perform a given task. So for example, if the task is to compute the average of a list of numbers (which could be changed at any moment), you might do this:
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] sum = 0 for num in numbers: sum = sum + num avg = sum / len(numbers) print("The average is", avg)
140 characters (just by coincidence!), or this:
n=[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9] print(sum(n)/len(n))
42 characters. In doing this you sacrifice readability, e.g. removing redundant spaces, and shortening variable and function names to 1 character. It’s just one step away from obfuscated programming, where the goal is to conceal what the program does! And PEP8 goes out the window… Obviously (I hope) the point of the exercise is simply for the intellectual challenge; and if you’re competitive, there are websites where you can compete against other programmers.
Besides the intellectual challenge, you may also find it improves your coding skills and language knowledge. Of course, you won’t want to take the obfuscating code-shortening techniques back into your professional environment, but other aspects of golf coding concern the use of appropriate algorithms, and knowledge of the available features of your programming language. You’ll find code golfing to be good programming exercise!
Another restriction, for your delectation and delight, is to restrict the programs to be no longer than 140 characters, so that they may be tweeted. Here are some examples. I’ll add more as I tweet them. Please follow me @Tuxar_uk and so long as it’s clear to me that you tweet relevant stuff, I’ll follow you back. We could exchange code tweets – preferably in Python, but other mainstream languages (such as you might find on a standard Linux installation, e.g. C, Perl) would be acceptable too.
This is an adaptation of the introductory program at the Python Turtle page. The changes are:
Remove syntactically redundant spaces (e.g. between ‘import’ and ‘*’)
Replace ‘True’ with ‘1’
In the loop, put statements on same line whenever possible (to avoid indentation space)
Make the picture bigger (no golf effect but nicer picture!)
Remove ‘done()’
from turtle import* color('red','blue') begin_fill() while 1: fd(600);lt(170); if abs(pos())<1:break end_fill()
119 characters. Unfortunately we needed several to be able to append the image link.
116 characters. This is adapted from Rosetta Code (‘Other version’). The most evil thing here was to use 1.4 as the square root of 2, so as to get both the code and the picture into the tweet. In future I’ll tweet the program and picture separately.
Dragon Curve @ Wikipedia.
137 characters. Ignore the warnings!
from pylab import* from numpy import* i=99 X,Y=mgrid[-2:2:999j,-2:2:999j] C=Z=X*1j+Y while i:X[(abs(Z)>2)]=i;Z=Z*Z+C;i-=1 show(imshow(X))
Mandelbrot Set @ Wikipedia.
139 characters
Harmonograph @ Wikipedia.
129 characters.
Fractal @ Wikipedia.
112 characters, smallest of all! I started with this code (190 characters, even if it says 90) and found a symmetry I could exploit. L() & R() are essentially the same, with sign changes. Also the function defs for l() & r() aren’t needed.
Try replacing S(7,1) with S(8,1). It will take longer but draw a bigger picture.
Sierpiński arrowhead curve @ Wikipedia. It’s a fractal curve similar in appearance and identical in limit to the Sierpiński triangle.
Koch Snow Flake
Further Information
[welcomewikilite wikiurl=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_golf” sections=”Short description” settings=””] |
Art: Lucas Lasnier
I am surprised by the apparent interest in ‘musigh’ tees, but I think it’s doable. The question is the design though: would you prefer just ‘musigh’ with the original font, or just the ‘m’, or a different font, or maybe a tagline or some kind of picture/logo? Should it be large in the middle, or something smaller aligned to the side?
There are many possibilities, so please share your thoughts. I would like keep the price to the bare minimum (i.e. production costs) for everyone, so I am thinking something I could make with my sub-decent photoshop skillz, or if you submit your own work, please only do if you are content with a heartfelt thank you in exchange.
The expected price from Redbubble tees is around $20-25 + shipping. If you know a better/cheaper custom tree pressing company (preferably with international shipping and single/on-demand production) please let me know.
Last but not least, here are some superb sounds for you to pleasure your ears with.
P.S.: My email is currently dead so please use the comment section or Facebook instead.
Cherokee – Don’t Matter (feat. Darianna)
http://musigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Cherokee-Dont-Matter-feat.-Darianna.mp3
We Were Evergreen – Daughters (Aeroplane Remix)
http://musigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/We-Were-Evergreen-Daughters-Aeroplane-Remix.mp3
Housemate – Always Here For You (Sammy Senior Remix)
http://musigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Housemate-Always-Here-For-You-Sammy-Senior-Remix.mp3
Cherokee | Darianna | We Were Evergreen | Aeroplane | Housemate | Sammy Senior |
Tiger mauls visitor to death at Ningbo zoo
A man died after being mauled by a tiger at a wildlife zoo in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province on Sunday.
The visitor crossed an isolation strip and stepped into the tiger enclosure in Ningbo Youngor Zoo, according to a witness. Staff members used fireworks to drive away the tiger after it mauled the man and tried to snatch him away.
Videos circulated online show the man in blood as the tiger snatched him.
There is a river that separates the tiger enclosure and the visitors. It is unknown why the man crossed the river.
A woman was mauled to death in July at the Badaling Safari World in Beijing, where visitors can drive in their vehicles but the woman went out of her car despite warnings. |
Considering how many times the work of Stephen King has been adapted for film and TV over the past 40 years, it may seem surprising that it's taken this long for The Dark Tower to make the jump. As can happen with some titles, The Dark Tower has been through various filmmakers' hands and studios in the past decade alone; in 2007, a film adaptation was going to be directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof of Lost, and a few years after that, Ron Howard was going to take the helm. The just-released feature film, directed by Nikolaj Arcel, suggests this much, unfortunately: The Dark Tower may not work as a movie.
It was always going to be a challenge to tackle the series of books that King wrote between 1982 and 2012. Eight novels being translated into films potentially could have been successful, if the franchise followed in the footsteps of massive hits like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings, the latter of which serves as one of many cultural reference points within Dark Tower. The core conflict of the story — the forces of good and evil fighting each other with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance — is plenty familiar to audiences worldwide. But King's version of this battle doesn't unfold without jumping back and forth in time, introducing characters before removing them unexpectedly, and so on; it zigs where other franchises zag, which is admirable to experience as a reader, but becomes an obstacle in the adaptation process.
There are four credited writers for the final cut of The Dark Tower: Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner, Anders Thomas Jensen and Arcel himself. Goldsman was involved in the project since Howard was first attached in 2010, with Pinkner helping him rework the script a few years later, before Jensen and Arcel joined. There is an unavoidable sense of too many cooks in the kitchen when considering the script for Dark Tower, even though the film is only 95 minutes long. There's nothing inherently wrong with short films; frankly, most summer movies have a habit of being 20 to 30 minutes too long, so 95 minutes feels like a breath of fresh air. But weirdly, the world of Dark Tower being unveiled in film form in just an hour and half seems wrong; the movie feels like it should be 20 to 30 minutes longer.
However, the relative brevity of Dark Tower masks the genuine problem at its core: This isn't a straight-up adaptation of King's first story, The Gunslinger. Instead, it's a kind of sequel/reboot, focusing not on Idris Elba's heroic character Roland Deschain but squarely on the tortured boy Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor). In this version of the story, Jake is haunted by dreams of another dimension, known as Mid-World, and of Roland and his immortal foe, the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey). Eventually, Jake finds his way into Mid-World at the center of the battle, in part because he's gifted with psychic abilities known as "the shine" (one of a number of references in the film to other King works). Jake functions very clearly as an audience surrogate, encountering Roland and the Man in Black after a surprisingly long buildup. While it makes sense to ease unfamiliar audiences into the world of Dark Tower, this choice also suggests a timidity on the writers' part to dive straight into the weirdness of King's stories.
What's most baffling about the way that Dark Tower unfolds on the big screen is that it's clearly designed to be the first chapter in a longer filmed series. On Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that the Dark Tower TV series now has a showrunner. The plan has always been for a show to follow the first movie (before once again shifting back to another film), but even if Dark Tower always planned to shift from film to TV, it's hard to grasp why the film isn't just a direct adaptation of The Gunslinger, the opening salvo in the franchise, as opposed to something that sometimes calls to mind The Last Action Hero, with a larger-than-life hero reacting as a fish-out-of-water to the way that the real world operates. The resulting film is strangely, painfully lifeless outside of the gruff and firm performance from Elba as Roland. It may seem impossible to imagine a film where McConaughey appears less seductively charismatic than flat-out bored, but even in a role of innate cruelty and villainy, that's what you get from him, and from the film itself.
There are parts of Dark Tower that work onscreen, such as a brief moment where we see Roland pause and carefully listen to the air around him before he aims to kill a bad guy who is hundreds of feet away. Casting Elba was the shrewdest decision involved with making this film, as he makes far more out of his diminished role than the script does. But every other choice surrounding the pic suggests that someone — the studio or the filmmakers or someone else — was just so intent on making a Dark Tower adaptation that they were less worried about handling the time-spanning source material correctly. There's still a good story or two to tell in this universe, but this film sets things back. |
If this planet exploded tomorrow I wouldn’t shed a tear.
Environmentalists say evil mankind is destroying a beautiful God-given place. Really? Mudslides, earthquakes and twisters kill millions (thousands) of people every year. Innocent planet? I judge by deeds not words. Yes, pollutants kill. But so do rockslides. If you talk to the average resident of a natural disaster location, they will be glad to tell you the planet has done as much evil as the average multinational in terms of lives taken in their local community.
Earth has these “natural occurrences” that devastate homes and villages. But are they really natural occurrences? Sounds more like indulgent planetspeak for the insane outbursts of a maniac – like a serial killer that’s handsome but then has these episodes of murder.
I’ve experienced this planet’s wrath first hand ... well, wrath is too strong a word, and so is firsthand for that matter. I’ve experienced this planet’s harassment, from a slice of pizza getting soaked by a sudden rainstorm to a sunburn that left me unable to put on my shirt when I was a child. Living with this planet is like living with an alcoholic. It makes me wonder if the climate change is man-made or another mood swing by this ball of gas.
That’s why, every time there’s a flood in Pakistan, I drop an aluminium can into the wrong trash container. Every time there is a hurricane, I “miss” the garbage can and throw my fastfood wrapper on the ground. This is what you call trying to “teach the earth” how to treat people.
I was there for Hurricane Sandy. I bought a refrigerator full of food and then this hurricane came along and knocked my power out for three days. All that food went rotten. Even worse: half the city came to a grinding halt. What the hell was that about? You have a problem with downtown, but midtown was fine, planet? Weirdo.
This happens every year in Florida and North Carolina. And twisters in the Midwest. And you wonder why the red states don’t believe in global warming. What do you expect? They’ve been getting their houses thrown around since Auntie Em’s place got lit up back in the 30s and you think they want to put in tax dollars to save a place that tries to kill them every year?
The planet needs to realize that this is a two-way street. You throw earthquakes, that’s fine. We all get crazy. I get it. But without us, you’d be like Mars: an empty planet that gets excited because somebody discovered a little bit of water. Don’t forget: we made you just like you made us. We need each other. And guess what, beautiful planet – you’re not that beautiful. A couple of mountain ranges, a Grand Canyon and maybe a few waterfalls ... but the rest of you is plain Jane or unattractive. I’d give you a six or six and a half, so get over yourself. |
An attack on a 17-year-old teenager is being treated by police as a possible hate crime
A lesbian teenager was attacked and beaten by a group of four teenage boys in the Canadian city of Calgary last week.
The attack, which happened late at night last Thursday (11 April), is being treated by police as a possible hate crime.
The 17-year-old victim was approached by the group as she was on her way home from a friend’s house, CTV News reports.
Despite her efforts to run away, the group punched and kicked the girl several times as well as hurling a number of homophobic slurs at her.
The victim, who has asked not to be identified, said one of her attackers also filmed the beating on his phone.
In an interview with Sun News, she said: ‘I want them to be found and I want people to know this is still happening.’
‘I usually feel so safe and everyone says I’m a tank because I’m a hockey player and no-one ever messes with me, but now I feel so cowardly that I keep looking over my shoulder.’
‘I have a black eye, a split lip, the inside of my cheek is cut, a cut on my forehead, and my eye is so swollen I can barely open,’ the victim added.
Police working in the community of New Brighton remain unsure of the motives for the attack, which is being investigated by the Crown Prosecution Service’s Hate Crimes Unit.
Uncertainties surround whether the victim was targeted randomly, or because of her sexuality.
Sexual orientation is explicitly mentioned as a ground of prohibited discrimination in the human rights acts of all jurisdictions in Canada. |
Caltech will rename its medical engineering department after receiving a $30 million gift from Andrew and Peggy Cherng, the husband and wife founders of the Panda Restaurant Group, which owns Panda Express.
The Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering is the first of the university’s departments to be named and endowed, according to Caltech.
For the Cherngs, the decision to donate came from a desire to give back to a community that supported their family’s business from the beginning. The first Panda Inn was started by Andrew and his father, Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng, in Pasadena in 1973.
They now operate more than 2,000 Panda Express restaurants across the country and around the world.
“As immigrants, we benefited a lot from this country,” said Peggy Cherng, a member of Caltech’s board of trustees since 2012. “We truly want to promote the spirit of giving and paying it forward.”
The Cherngs agreed to have their name attached to the department in the hopes of inspiring others, particularly in the Chinese community, to follow in their footsteps, Peggy Cherng said.
The co-chief executive officer of Panda came from the engineering world, first working in the aerospace industry before she joining the family business in 1982. She used her engineering background to streamline operations at the restaurants.
“Andrew and Peggy Cherng’s story is a quintessential example of success rooted in Pasadena and impact felt across the world,” said Caltech president Thomas Rosenbaum in a statement. “In the same way, their extraordinary gift to support the country’s first medical engineering department here at Caltech will enable new discoveries and cures, rippling out to improve human lives everywhere.”
Caltech’s medical engineering department applies engineering principles to health issues to create devices and systems that will lead to “cheaper, more effective and more accessible health care.”
“The payout will be used to support research and education in the department; it will help support people, ideas, instruments,” said Ravi Ravichandran, leadership chair of the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “It will impact lives.”
A portion of the endowment is set aside so the department head can flexibly and quickly advance the most promising projects and initiatives.
Researchers at Caltech work closely with the Keck School of Medicine at USC, the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Huntington Memorial Hospital and the City of Hope. The Chenrgs have a person connection to City of Hope as Ming-Tsai Cherng received care there in 1981.
The family has a long history of giving back. Panda Cares, the philanthropic arm of Panda Restaurant Group that supports health care, education and disaster relief, raised $21 million through guest donations at restaurants in 2016. |
In the 2012 lockout shortened NHL season, fans of hockey saw a few outbreak performances from some unknown goalies. Household names like Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick continued to be great netminders, while others like Sergei Bobrovski and Craig Anderson almost came out of nowhere and stole the show. Storylines from Bobrovsky winning the Vezina trophy, to Marc-Andre Fleury falling apart in the playoffs made this season a unique one for goaltending.
The goalie may not just be the single most important position in hockey, but in all of sports, which is why this list of the top 30 goalies in hockey is so valuable. There are many goalies in this upcoming season that can move up or move down on this list. Lists like these are always subject to change, and rightfully so. Finding a consistent goalie in this league is difficult, but if you can, he will be the backbone of the team.
Note: This list is the best 30 goalies in hockey, not just starting goalies, which is why you may see two goalies representing the same fortunate team. Today I present you with #30 through 16. Be sure to check back tomorrow as we start at #15 and countdown to the #1 goaltender in the NHL.
30. Semyon Varlamov
You may have seen his mug in a commercial, but more importantly he’s coming off of easily his worst season to date. If Varlamov can’t turn it around this season, Colorado may be looking elsewhere in net. He’s still young, and has time to turn it around, but with a young Avalanche team, he will need to find a way to play consistent goaltending.
29. Ondrej Pavalec, Winnipeg Jets
Pavelec has been very inconsistent in net for Winnipeg, and i seriously considered leaving him off this list. His .905 Save % was the lowest of his career last season, and this up coming season will be make or break for the Czech netminder.
28. Ray Emery, Philadelphia Flyers
Emery filled in for an injured Corey Crawford in Chicago and went 17 – 1. Although playing behind such a great team, it gave him the opportunity to sign as a free agent where he will hopefully provide stability in net for Philly. Can it happen? For the Flyers sake, let’s just hope so. I don’t know if Ray is the definitive answer at goaltender, as many questions will need to be answered.
27. Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis Blues
Halak’s season was shortened by injuries, but if he can get back to his 2011 form (just like as with Elliot), St. Louis will have the dynamic pairing in net they once had. Halak has had success, but will have to win the starting job back from Brian Elliot.
26. James Reimer, Toronto Maple Leafs
If not for a third quarter collapse in game seven against the Bruins, Reimer may have found himself a bit higher on this list. But alas, the Maple Leafs traded for Jonathan Bernier to bolster up goaltending, and Reimer has some real competition for playing time. I like Reimer, and since he is so young i expect to find him on this list come next season. If not, you know who won the starting job.
25. Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning
Bishop is very similar to Pekka Rinne in terms of size (6’7″), and the comparison is often made. Going in to a full season with one team will help him and Tampa can groom him for long term success.He and Andres Lindback will fight for the number one spot for the Lightning.
24. Devan Dubnyk, Edmonton Oilers
Dubnyk has been highly criticized by many Oilers fans, but is young and can grow as the team should make the playoffs this season. This next Edmonton season is a deal breaker with Devan, and if he doesn’t improve will have to look elsewhere for a goalie.
23. Evgeni Nabokov, New York Islanders
Nabokov was asked to carry almost 100% of the workload last year in net. In an 82 game season, that cant happen. Nabokov is still a good goalie, but the days of him starting 65 games a year are long gone.
22. Jonathan Bernier, Toronto Maple Leafs
Even though I’m high on Bernier, I believe there are many good goalies and it shows in his ranking. He can be a number one goalie, and this season is his time to shine. This may have been the only good move Toronto made this off season (It was).
21. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
Fleury proved to be the most impossible player to rank on this list. If he can recapture his last 2000’s form, he can help Pittsburgh to another title. If he can’t, you wont find him on this list next season. There are no excuses this season playing behind such a star-studded lineup.
20. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
Holtby had an all-around solid 2012 season. After being thrust into a 2011 playoff series versus the Rangers, he took over the reigns as the starting goalie in D.C. Holtby has the potential to shoot up the rankings this season.
19. Brian Elliot, St. Louis Blues
Elliot took over for Jaroslav Halak as the starting goalie in St. Louis due to an injury. Coming off of a Jennings trophy the season prior, the goaltending for the Blues took a big hit. Elliot had a decent performance, but it’s not close to his 2011 season. If he can get back to playing that way, he will earn his nineteenth slot on this list.
18. Mike Smith, Pheonix Coyotes
Smith has the potential to end this upcoming season as a top-10 goalie, but has shown throughout his career than consistency has been an issue. If he can find success behind an amazing Coyotes defensive system, and stick with it, Phoenix will be back in the playoffs.
17. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks
Luongo’s tenure in Vancouver has been odd to say the least. Management promises a trade, then trade’s the other guy. Either way, new coach JohnTortorella hopes to rejuvenate Roberto’s career, and get him back to Stanley Cup form. It can happen, it’s just remained to be seen.
16. Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild
Backstrom has been the starter in Minnesota since 2007. He has been a good goalie, quite steady and dependable, but not elite. Perhaps the product of a good system, Backstrom has had some success in Minnesota. That said, I don’t believe he is a top-15 goalie, and he will have much to prove with the strongest Wild team since he’s been there.
Remember to check back tomorrow beginning with #15 on our list, culminating in the #1 goalie in the NHL.
Thanks for reading, please feel free to follow me on twitter – @Larry_Scotti. Give the rest of the hockey department a follow while you’re at it – @LastWordBigMick, @ddmatthews, @dasimonetta, @CanuckPuckHead, @lastwordBKerr, @CMS_74, @TheHockeyMitch, and @LastWordOnNHL, and follow the site @lastwordonsport.
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Main photo credit: bridgetds via photopin cc |
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
The Minnesota Vikings finished the 2012 NFL season with a 10-6 record, which included one of the best single-season rushing performances in league history by Adrian Peterson.
The six-year veteran was a mere nine yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's record of 2,105 yards on his way to receiving the 2012 MVP award—the first running back to do so since LaDanian Tomlinson in 2006.
In addition to coming off surgery to repair the torn ACL that Vikings' all-time leading rusher suffered a year earlier against the Washington Redskins, Peterson also underwent surgery for a sports hernia following the 2012 season.
With Peterson at 100 percent entering the upcoming season, one could anticipate high expectations for a team sporting a top offensive line behind Matt Kalil, John Sullivan and Phil Loadholt.
Add in a draft that included three selections in the first round—Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes and Cordarrelle Patterson—which all met immediate and future needs for the Vikings, you might expect the team to be on the radar as a potential contender in the NFC for a deep playoff run.
Right?
Well, not so fast.
Instead, the Minnesota Vikings appear to be a team once again on the outside looking in as forecast by "experts" as another convoluted NFL season approaches.
ESPN has the Vikings ranked 17th in its recent power rankings, with nine other teams ahead of them in the NFC. This means that even after the playoffs are set, Minnesota ranks fourth among teams watching from home.
Out of all playoff teams from 2012, ESPN's rankings put the Vikings dead last prior to the start of the 2013 season, with two sub-.500 teams, the New Orleans Saints (7-9) and St. Louis Rams (7-8-1), both rated ahead of Minnesota.
The experts over at Bristol are not the only ones down on the Vikings this year. Will Brinson of CBSSports.com predicts the Vikings will be under the win total odds of 7.5 set by Las Vegas. A difficult schedule and regression by Peterson are cited as the rationale for the prediction.
Continuing with Vegas odds, Minnesota is the greatest long shot to win the Super Bowl among all 2012 playoff teams, coming in at 50-1 to bring home the Lombardy Trophy.
And while Christian Ponder seems to be a common target for criticism, finishing 21st in passer rating at 81.2, the third-year quarterback has an improved arsenal of receivers with former Packer Greg Jennings and rookie Cordarrelle Patterson joining the team.
Combine that with Pro Bowl MVP Kyle Rudolph and an emerging threat in slot receiver Jarius Wright, it would be fair for fans to scratch their head as to why so many pundits expect a 10-win playoff team to regress so much.
However, this tends to be the trend for analysts predicting the fate of the Minnesota Vikings, a team that has not been to a Super Bowl since the 1976 season and has lost three NFC Championship Games over the last 15 years.
History seems to be battling the likelihood for success of this upcoming season, one that includes the best running back in the NFL, young players continuing to develop at key positions and an overall improved team following free agency and the NFL draft.
Looking at the overall landscape of the NFL, it's hard to find a team more underrated than the Minnesota Vikings in 2013.
But maybe that's just the type of motivation the team needs to shake its harshest critics.
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My girl has been asking me for a racetrack rug so she could play with her buddy. My girl can be very girly at time but she still loves boyish stuff like cars, dinosaurs, comic books, and superheroes.
I was looking for an affordable white rug that I could paint racetracks on it, and I knew I didn’t want an expensive rug if the project didn’t turn out well. When I visited Ikea the other day, I found these $2 bath rugs and it was like a light bulb turned on top of my head. Now all I need was some black paint, painters tape and a brush to finish the project I had in mind.
To create your own racetrack mats you will need:
– IKEA Mats
– Black Paint
– White Paint Pen
– Painter’s tape
– Brush
Directions: Mask the mat with the tape. Hand draw the racetracks with a pencil, then cover the desired areas with painter’s tape. Then paint over with black paint. Make sure not to add the paint directly to the mat but instead in the paint brush and apply lightly brush strokes on top of the tape edges.
Let dry completely before removing tape. Paint the lines of the racetrack with a white pen.
Hope your kiddos love this project. My girl loved helping me craft it. |
Making it through the first 30 days of an elimination type diet is hard enough, what about after? You’re feeling better, how do you stay motivated? After a recent ‘fall from grace,’ I decided to put this post together. To help me remember and maybe help someone else find their way too.
The actual internet definition of an elimination diet is “a short-term eating plan that eliminates certain foods.” I personally think of all specialized diets as elimination diets because you’re eliminating something that’s bothering you, with the opportunity to add things back in if they don’t bother you.
When I refer to ‘staying on your elimination type diet,’ I mean plans like Gluten-free, Diabetic, Wahl’s Protocol, Keto, Paleo, Autoimmune Paleo and other similar types where you’re eliminating something for better health.
I’ve had success with Autoimmune Paleo diet for 2 years now but, I fell off the wagon… right into a pile of brownies. It all started harmlessly enough with some fresh baked Armenian bread. Then, add in having to move, and needing the convenience (and cost) of fast food over home-cooked food, because, well, moving sucks, especially with chronic conditions. It was thirty days of slipping back into Painville, while moving. Sigh. Don’t want to let that happen again if I can help it so I’m outlining, in writing, what’s best for me to stay motivated.
han·gry
ˈhaNGɡrē
adjective
bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger.
“I get very hangry if I miss a meal.”
The most important thing in my food plan, is that I actually eat. For many years I didn’t get hunger pains, I got nausea. Which, I recently learned, is quite common. I never “wanted” to eat. Too nauseous, tired, and pained to cook anything, I essentially lived on coffee and cookies during the day until about 5 years ago.
These tips assume you’re already on your chosen type diet, if you haven’t found one yet there’s a treasure trove of condition-specific advice available on the internet.
Tip #1
Remember why you’re doing an elimination type diet in the first place.
Despite having so many things wrong with me, I never would have agreed that food would make a difference. If someone said, “You should try eating better.” I would have thrown a shoe at them. I have an imbalance in my brain, it’s not a food problem! Or, is it?
My new relationship with food started out of necessity. After a bad go with narcolepsy meds, I found myself unable to take big pharm meds anymore. Everything gave me terrible side effects, even over the counter meds. I wasn’t quite sure what to do and I stumbled on a TedX talk by Dr. Terry Wahls. She had pushed her MS (multiple sclerosis) into remission with just food. She did a lot of research on her own on pub med, in hopes of getting out of the zero gravity wheelchair she’d ended up in, despite the best doctors and treatments. She found certain foods reinforce the mitochondria in the brain (which is where MS and Parkinson’s come from – I think nocturnal myoclonus (now called PLMD) is similar to that as I was given an anti-seizure med (Klonopin) for it in the 90s.) Now here’s this lady, who went from a zero gravity wheelchair to a bicycle in six months. I was hooked. I thought, what’s the worst that can happen? I eat? Done. If you would like to watch this inspiring vid, it was life changing for me:
So, I started my food journey with the Wahl’s protocol. It was too much food. I’ve never been much of a big eater, but I did feel better. I went to paleo and found it a little easier to manage but, the results were not “fantastic.” Then, I decided to do autoimmune paleo diet and voila! I discovered two of my major triggers are nightshade and food additives. If I ate anything with either of those, I would have horrible stomach problems and a lot more pain. I added chicken bone broth with garlic, mint water, turmeric root juice (link to recipe) and kvass (link coming soon) and I experienced the following:
My pain levels reduced from an 8/10 upon waking to a 2/3.
My acne rosacea cleared up.
My burning scalp syndrome disappeared.
My “voodoo doll” pain was virtually eliminated (I get a feeling like I’ve been stabbed by a needle at random points on my body – when it happens, I cry out “Somebody’s got my voodoo doll!” It helps to laugh.)
I became less clumsy and had less numbness in my hands.
Less brain fog.
Less sleep episodes at work. Although I still nap 2x/day.
Less episodes of RLS. Now it really only happens when I’m very overtired or fighting a nap.
Constant nausea eliminated.
Gas reduced and the ‘up into the shoulders’ pain that comes with it.
My biofilm was reduced. When I went to the dentist, he said my mouth shows no signs of dryness damage (woo hoo!).
The ‘legs giving out’ feeling I get from POTS when brushing my teeth was reduced.
My skin is not as dry.
I’ve only had 4 migraines since I started. I used to get them monthly.
All that from food. I was sold. And, I’ve been able to add some things back in without suffering. To be honest, I probably could even do ‘more’ but, the things I haven’t given up, I’m not parting with, like coffee with sugar ;). I’m happy with where I am right now. Change is hard and it may come some day. I’m already doing waaaaay more than I ever thought I would. It often shocks people how committed to it I am. I try hard to encourage others and to help myself remember tip #1, I’m doing this because… I feel better when I do.
Tip #2
Know what foods you can and can’t have
A lot of people stress out about books and recipes for their chosen elimination diet, I didn’t have the headspace for that. I got a list of what was “allowed” on Autoimmune Paleo diet and I just started cooking with only those ingredients. I know which meats, veggies and spices I can have and I throw them together in one way or another. After I got to a point where I felt better, I would try and add things in. Bell peppers didn’t make the cut but hummus did, I use it as a salad dressing :). If you need help getting creative in the kitchen, I highly recommend watching episodes of Chopped, a cooking competition where the chefs are forced to cook with weird ingredients (and a normal pantry.)
Tip #3
Have a static grocery list, make 5 copies, magnet them to the fridge.
Many years ago I was the facilities manager for a domestic violence center and I became an expert grocery shopper. It all came down to the list and the way it was structured.
I shop at 3 different grocery stores – Costco (big box), Sprouts (local produce) and Vons (mostly for my kid’s food). They take center stage in 3 columns. I have some things I get on Amazon, at the Indian Market and the Dispensary, but not every week, that are off to the side. They’re organized on the list in the order that I walk through the store. Sometimes I miss something and have to go back but, having the list laid out in the order you walk the store, cuts down on the brain fog that can leave you walking back and forth across the store several times.
5 copies will get you through 5 weeks, that way you can edit the list if you need to before printing it again. When I run low on something that’s not on my static list, I grab a pen out of the drawer and simply add it to the list stuck to the fridge. Things I don’t need to buy that week get crossed out and I base the rest of the list on Tip #4…
Tip #4
Plan your menu for the week
Ahead of my Saturday grocery shopping I decide what I’m going to have for meals for the entire week. I try to design a lunch meal that’s interesting enough that I won’t get sick of having it 5 days in a row. I want it to have a lot of nutrients because dinner is with the whole family. I pretty much let my boys decide what I’m making on the days they’re with me and sometimes there are no vegetables on the table :-0 and there’s even, gasp, pasta. Good thing is when I’m making salad for lunches, I can make extra salad mix for an easy dinner salad if I want to. And, I know if I’ve got a nutrient filled lunch, one dinner of only buffalo style chicken wings isn’t going to derail me (and yes, butter and hot sauce are both tolerated – at least for wings – woo hoo!).
I write the menu plan for the week on the bottom of the list before I leave for shopping. That way, if I can’t find good grass-fed steak at the grocery, I can look at the menu and pick something else right there.
Another great reason to plan your menu for the week is that you’re only buying the ingredients that you’re putting on your grocery list to make those meals, which will save you money. You’re no longer standing at the open fridge in the evening, exhausted, trying to make sense out of all the food in your fridge to pull a meal out of it, which will save you stress.
Also, you can do weekly dinner prep when you’re doing lunch prep. Wash and cut veggies for Wednesday stir fry, do up a container of sliced onion or garlic for whatever meal is coming.
Lastly, it enables you to freeze your meat. Here in LA temperatures can often reach 100 degrees. Even with my fridge on 40 degrees, I’ve had meat go bad before the day on the package. If you’re doing a menu and you know you’re making burgers on Thursday, a quick glance at the list can have you thawing it in the fridge on Wednesday, rather than floating it in water or microwaving it last minute.
Tip #5
Meal prep – don’t get caught without food
Meal prep is exhausting. There’s really no mincing words about it. You’re giving up ALL your weekend time where you could be doing something for you and instead you’re menu planning, grocery shopping, washing, chopping, cooking, storing and cleaning. Seriously, what kind of a masochist is into that? 😉 Well, going back to Tip #1, I am. Honestly, if plate spinning made me feel better, I’d be spinning plates until my arms fell off, wait, that would defeat the purp… nevermind. Do your darn meal prep. Force yourself to do it! Being able to just throw your lunch in your work bag FIVE days a week, and have a great meal at least once a day, will pay dividends that you must remind yourself of, on Sunday when you’re finishing up, instead of sitting down.
I highly recommend headphones, great up-beat music, incense and any kind of motivator you can muster. This probably should’ve been Tip #1 but I’m trying to go in order of doing, rather than importance.
Tip #6
Get a good knife, storage and other tools
My cutting board is just a plastic one from Costco. I’m not one of those separate color cutting board kind of people. I’m a one cutting board kind of person. I worked in restaurants for 11 years and never saw “separate” cutting boards for things. Maybe I was too sleepy to notice 😉 but yeah.
My knife, peeler, strainer and storage containers are another story. Fortunately someone gifted me with a set of Cutco knives a few decades ago and those suckers are still amazing. Sent them in a year ago for sharpening and for $7 I got back sharp knives and even a replacement pair of scissors. Can’t say enough good things about them. They’re selling them now at Costco I noticed but, they’re lifetime knives, so I won’t be needing replacements. I like my fat Kitchen Aid peeler, it’s easier on my weak hands. My Nuwave Ovens give me grilled outside food right in my kitchen, without overheating the room. The Debbie Meyer green boxes are amazing, having fresh fruit and salad on Thursday that you made on Saturday is just priceless.
Tip #7
Figure out the best way to explain what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and what food you will be able to eat, and get key people on board with you.
I’m not saying become a proselytizer and try to convert everyone over to your diet of choice, I’m saying inform the people you eat with/around regularly (family, friends, co-workers) what you are doing and why. It’s easy, you just say, “So, I heard that some people who have the same issues I do are having success feeling better on ___________ diet. I’m going to try it. I can have ______, _____ and _____. You don’t have to do anything special but I wanted you to know so you don’t get offended if you offer me something that is on my no-eat list.” That’s it. Unless you’re trying to get the whole family on board… that’s a whole other post, sorry.
Tip #8
Finds treats you can have to indulge in.
Crunchy. Chip crunchy. My kingdom for chip crunchy! That’s what I lamented when I first started AIP. Then I found Dang chips, which are just coconut. Plantain chips. Munch munch. I found other snacks, sweet potato chips made with coconut oil and no added garbage. The internet is also a treasure trove of treats that aren’t cheats. Yes, these diets are hard, so it’s good to treat yourself.
Tip #9
Figure out what you can eat outside of your house that won’t derail your progress.
Seriously, it’s hard to be the picky person at the restaurant, everyone looks at you funny and, as I’ve mentioned, what you think about affects your emotions and your emotions affect how you feel. So, be as discreet as possible.
Look up the menu online ahead of time. Have a few choices. Ask for the ingredients, including spices. Ask if they can leave anything out or put things on the side. I have a local ‘farm to table’ called Tender Greens. They do a marinated steak salad with roasted veggies. They hold the croutons and even chop the meat for me if I ask (weak hands.) It’s great to have a few items around town so when friends want to meet, assuming you’re able to have something of a social life, you’ll at least be able to suggest a place where you know you can have a “safe” meal.
Tip #10
Find a support group or other resource where you can share/learn from people on the same plan as you.
Facebook and Instagram are great resources for food plan support, recipes and ideas to make things more efficient.
Fortunately for me, my hubby is down with eating AIP, so I don’t make different meals for us but, he’s certainly not down for conversations about food, or what it does for you.
Me: Honey, did you know garlic is a natural antibiotic?
Hubby: That’s nice dear.
Probably close to 60 percent of the things I incorporated into my diet, including AIP, mint water, turmeric/garlic juice and kvass, came from conversations with people in my Sjogren’s alternative therapies support group on Facebook. What a blessing! Since I wrote this article, I shared a post in that group about my toothpowder and they banned me completely and without a word. After four years. Sigh. Onward and upward.
Tip #11
Don’t tell people you’re on an elimination type diet unless they need to know.
Please, do yourself that favor, or you’ll be seeing eye roll on a regular basis. Everyone’s on something and nobody gives a hootie potato what diet you’re on. Nobody comes up to you and says, I’m on the ‘eat whatever I want diet.’ They don’t care. Yes, I’m passionate about it but I try not to bring it up unless someone mentions a symptom, illness or offers up their advice on what I “should” be doing for my health, then I’ll discuss it until the cows come home.
Bonus tip
Once you’ve stabilized on your chosen elimination diet, try adding in one favorite thing you’ve been missing every now and again, just to see if your body has changed. When I’m doing everything right, I can eat certain foods and not have as much trouble with them. Especially if I have a kvass before, or with, the food.
That’s it, eleven things, plus a side dish, that have kept me motivated for two years now. Feel free to comment and add any other tips you think will help others stay on their elimination type diet.
You can find the products I use to make things easier in the kitchen, in my Amazon Store you do not pay any more shopping from my links but your doing so will support my site :). |