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I have received many a question about details of the game and this video will help shed a bit more light. We will communicate all of the remaining points of our vision shortly after we start production next week and after we have spent more time on the forums. We want to get fan feedback on a few more items before we solidify our final vision document.
I did want to give some detail on what the definition of a party based game was since there seems to be some confusion. In specific terms you will be creating and customizing four Rangers at the start of the game and typically you would give each of them different skills to create experts in certain fields. Skills in Wasteland range from lock-picking to bomb disarming to even toaster repair. This creates the dynamic of having players taking very different approaches to exploring the world. In addition there will be three slots for non-player characters to join the party. They will be similar in most respects to a player created member except you will not have 100% control over them. They will have quirks that could range from momentary indecision with them not firing their weapons at an opportune time, to being trigger happy and wasting ammo or even stealing from your characters. This opens up a wide range of possibilities on which NPCs you decide to have join your ranks.
And while we have brought Obsidian into the mix, I think it is important to note that this is my baby, and I will be producing it and managing the programming here at inXile. There seemed to be some confusion on whether it will be a joint production, but the main facets of our involvement are with the use of their tools for asset integration and the design talents of Chris Avellone. Part of the charm and variety of Wasteland 1 came from the way different designers would approach their areas, and I wanted the same dynamic again. Only this time we have added the brains of Chris into the mix, and I am betting he will add ideas to Wasteland 2 that would have never been in the game otherwise.
Due to popular demand, we have added a backer only T-shirt to the rewards. Here is a preview of what a few of the shirts will look like.
I hope you find the video useful. We are now in the final stretch.... |
ST. GEORGE — Saturday night, police officers were notified that at dusk a 17-year-old boy had run from a youth wilderness program’s campsite in a rugged, uninhabited area of desert backcountry close to an area known as Jackson Springs near the Gunlock Reservoir. On the way to search for the boy, a member of the Washington County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team lost control of his Jeep on the unpaved Motaqua Road, causing the vehicle to roll. The SAR member was hospitalized and later found to have a concussion, while the search resumed for the boy.
In the dark, rescue teams, some in all-terrain vehicles others on-foot, dispersed throughout the backcountry near Jackson Springs and Pachoon Flats. The boy was said to not have a flashlight or food, and only a small amount of water.
About 15 of the 70 SAR members in Washington County helped search for the boy, Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Darell Cashin, who manages the SAR team, said. All of the SAR members on Cashin’s team are nonpaid volunteers, and the majority of them use their own equipment, vehicles, and in this case, tracking dogs during rescues.
In this instance, the Jeep that rolled was a personal vehicle of the SAR member who was driving it toward the lost boy. The visibility on the dirt road was poor because of dust from the convoy of SAR vehicles, Cashin said. Cashin was following two cars behind the Jeep on a dirt road and saw the Jeep roll.
“He came around this corner and just washboarded and turned his Jeep,” Cashin said, “flipped onto his side and knocked him out.”
He had no broken bones and there was no bleeding, but the SAR member sustained a concussion and was transported by ambulance to the Dixie Regional Medical Center, Cashin said. He was checked out at the hospital and later cleared to leave.
While their team member was hospitalized, the rest of the SAR team arrived at the campsite from where the boy ran and began the search. Most of the team spread out in Jeeps or ATVs, looking for the boy.
One team that was on foot caught the boy’s scent with help from a tracking dog. With help from the K-9, they followed the boy’s scent and found his footsteps for a time but lost both his steps and his scent once they came upon a road. For the next five-six hours the SAR teams continued looking for the boy as the night turned to early morning.
At approximately 2 a.m. the teams were notified that the boy had been located. “He ran out of what little water he had and was wandering around in the desert,” Cashin said.
The boy had walked into a nearby camp, cold, hungry and thirsty and the person who was camping there drove to an area with cell phone service and let the police know that he had the boy. The camper then turned the boy over to a Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy who turned him back over to the wilderness program. The boy was checked out by medical personnel and, although cold and thirsty, he had no other reported medical problems. The boy’s mother, who lives in Maryland, was also notified, Cashin said.
As far as the SAR member with the concussion, he shouldn’t have to pay for any medical bills, Cashin said. Although the rescuers are unpaid, they are covered by the Worker’s Compensation Fund.
“These guys risk themselves every time we go out,” Cashin said. “I don’t want to place blame … it was just a bad situation last night.”
This late night search capped a significantly busy three days for Washington County’s Search and Rescue teams. It’s fairly typical for SAR to have only one rescue every week or two, Cashin said. But the last three days, SAR has had four searches.
Thursday afternoon, SAR assisted in rescuing a mountain biker who ended up Life Flighted to the hospital; Friday, for about five hours, 25 SAR members searched the Arizona Strip for a suicidal man, and Saturday, not only did they search for the runaway teen, SAR also assisted 10 mountain bikers who were lost in the dark in the Red Cliffs Reserve.
Out of all these incidents, everybody returned safely and no one else got hurt, Cashin said. “And that’s all that matters … things can be fixed but people can’t.
“I cannot say enough about these (Search and Rescue) guys.”
The SAR members work for free and many of them take time off from work to go search, Cashin said. They pay for their own training, and they use mostly their own equipment that they pay for themselves.
“With as many people as we have using all these beautiful recreational areas … they save the citizens of the county so much,” Cashin said. “For these guys to take time off of work and come out there, I’m just so thankful for them.”
That being said, Cashin does everything he can to help the team with the resources he has. Although SAR does get an operational budget each year from Washington County, SAR relies mostly on donations and charity from the community. The operational budget pays for things like fuel, food, water, and sometimes repairs on equipment.
Anyone interested in donating funds or support can do so at the Washington County Sheriff’s office. A donation fund is available and money can be designated to the Search and Rescue.
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Email: dallred@stgnews.com
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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved. |
As a “vertically integrated digital media company,” the investment fund known as the New Republic still produces dead-tree editions to keep up appearances. Once the flagship magazine of American liberals — the white ones, anyway — it also must keep up appearances in an ideological sense despite the billionaire CEO Chris Hughes, the spouse of a failed Democratic congressional candidate, taking the company in a more capitalistic direction. For example, the cover story in this month’s issue is a tissue of misrepresentations by a self-styled Christian socialist about conservative and traditional Catholics.
In a long and highly personal essay, staff writer Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig chastises critics of Pope Francis for raising doubts about some of his policy prescriptions and his alleged desire to “bring the Church into the modern age.” She writes:
Pope Francis approaches the past with dialogue, not mere deference, in mind. He knows that the only useful approach to the past is to recognize it as a work in progress. This has the effect of imbuing accumulated tradition with no special authority over current conclusions. … From that alone conservatively disposed Catholics might flinch.
The piece has come under criticism from some Catholic writers who see her as misunderstanding the papacy, which, as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI put it, “is bound to the Tradition of faith … it is not unlimited; it is at the service of Sacred Tradition,” rather than a kind of absolute monarchy. The people Bruenig aims her polemic at are the ones who think, when approaching the past with “dialogue, not mere deference, in mind,” one should still keep in mind that it’s louder than we are.
The piece doesn’t get much deeper than quoting a few policy-based objections to statements of Francis’s and implying the ones who said them are vaguely disloyal and full of “fear.” This in itself is a bit misleading; the right-leaning journal Crisis ran a piece just recently counseling conservatives to calm down, so the idea that they’re all of a mind with Sean Hannity on this is arrant nonsense.
“In [Bruenig’s] mind, it’s not possible for conservative and traditional Catholics to have mindful reservations about Francis; they are acting out of emotionally driven animus,” wrote Gabriel Sanchez at the blog Opus Publicum.
“In the worldview of Bruenig, the pope can do anything,” said Dr. Adam DeVille in the Catholic World Report this week, adding that her sense of “papal maximalism … and this cult of personality surrounding the papal office are un-traditional, un-historical, un-theological, un-ecumenical, and unhealthy.”
Both writers take Bruenig to task for describing the pope as “the world’s most renowned Christian theological guide.” It’s a point of view that causes Church history to collapse into absurdity; one could say Saint Paul should have kept his mouth shut about the “workable synthesis” of Mosaic law and the Gospel instead of confronting Saint Peter at Antioch.
Damon Linker argued earlier this week at The Week that “the pope isn’t a radical at all; that if I’m wrong and he actually is a radical, then conservatives are perfectly capable of and justified in criticizing him.”
Indeed, none of this is necessarily to the point if Francis isn’t a “radical pope.” On that, Bruenig tries to have it both ways, noting (truthfully) that he has presided over no substantial changes so far. Yet to argue that nothing has changed, but also say Francis seems to have a taste for it and anyway change is good, is a bit too clever, suggesting something about the priorities of the author.
How does she know the Church is ready for a radical pope? Or that Francis is one? Or that such a pope would be a good thing to have? Graduate school, obviously. Much of the cover story — three separate sections — is devoted to Stoker Bruenig’s intellectual development at Cambridge under the tutelage of Fr. John Hughes, a proponent of a school of thought known as “radical orthodoxy,” a program of using Christian principles to critique modernity in ways that are often hostile to capitalism (a school which, for the record, I happen to have a lot of sympathy for). Fr. Hughes passed away in a tragic car accident last year.
He is referred to as a priest twice, and as Father John twice, which, in a piece about the pope, would give you the impression that he was a Catholic priest, wouldn’t it?
Well, he wasn’t, he was an Anglican priest, and that isn’t mentioned anywhere in their cover story. This should not have gotten past their fact checkers, if Chris Hughes has bothered to keep any on. I was not the only one who read the piece and got the impression Fr. Hughes was Catholic, which shows a note of clarification is needed.
(He sounds like a wonderful teacher, and I’m sure his thoughts on Catholic theology were insightful; I don’t mean to gainsay that at all. But facts are important.)
I pointed this out on Twitter last Monday night, and a week later it still hasn’t been fixed, so obviously Stoker Bruenig and the New Republic’s editorial staff don’t agree. When I first pointed it out, Bruenig began to dissemble, tossing out an ad hominem about being criticized by an “ensemble of white males.” Apparently it is to “be a jerk about a well beloved deceased priest” if you suggest it’s relevant what kind of priest he was. She also said she “presumed people would know Cambridge = CofE.”
For an advocate of the poor, this sure assumes a lot of knowledge about how Cambridge works.
At this point it’s safe to assume that the New Republic doesn’t view the distinction between Anglicanism and Catholicism as significant enough to be worth noting in a cover story about the pope. They both have bishops and stuff, what’s the difference?
The bigger question is whether this elision is related to bigger issues in the piece, some of which have been pointed out by others. I submit that it is. Like the way Bruenig describes tradition, which is far more akin to the “threefold cord” of Anglicanism:
The present and the past must speak as equals, as both are works of human effort. … Francis’s handling of tradition and modernity privileges neither, but rather produces a workable synthesis of their contributions.
If this is true, then, pace Linker, there is indeed cause for concern, because it isn’t really the pope’s job to produce “a workable synthesis” of modernity and tradition. The pope isn’t a glorified Archbishop of Canterbury. **The analogy is even more apt because in Bruenig’s understanding of this modern synthesis, in lieu of deferring to the past or sacred tradition, the Church defers to the secular state. More on that later.
Whether or not Francis is interested in changing the Church’s teaching on things like homosexuality and communion for divorcees is, again, debatable, but there are reasons to believe other clergy are, because they’ve said so. Stoker Bruenig doesn’t even bother to mention them, a fact New York Times columnist Ross Douthat pointed out on Twitter:
@yeselson @ebruenig It's a lovely essay that only lacks for a rebuttal to the theological arguments in question 🙂 — Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) March 9, 2015
@yeselson @ebruenig And if Elizabeth thinks reforms being proposed by Walter Kasper are theologically sound, I want to read *that* case. — Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) March 9, 2015
Douthat alludes to a number of German ecclesiastics who are prepared to tweak the Church’s teaching in various ways, even threatening to go their own way if they don’t get what they want. The head of the German bishops conference even suggested young people who want “to be clear in their positions” have embarked on “the beginning of terrorism,” using rhetoric that is, frankly, similar to Stoker Bruenig’s.
She even quotes Cardinal Kasper for support of Francis’s alleged radicalism; he says the pontiff “does not represent a liberal position, but a radical position, understood in the original sense of the word as going back to the roots, the radix.”
What Kasper proposes amounts to a break with tradition; if we are leaves or twigs, to cut off our branches to return to the roots entails dismemberment and decomposition. But we’ll get to that later. Suffice it to say that this concept is very enamoring for those looking for a precedent for their radicalism. The popularizer of the #fullcommunism meme likes it too:
The joke’s on them, since white nationalists have already staked a claim on that bit of nomenclatural topography. Radix Journal exists, and they wouldn’t like it.
This is an excellent place to bring up how the liberalizers’ commitment to diversity quickly turns to condescension the moment minorities don’t play the roles that have been appointed for them. Last year Cardinal Kasper caused a minor scandal when he said the views of African prelates on homosexuality were informed by a cultural “taboo,” and that “they should not tell us too much what we have to do.”
You see this attitude in a secular context in the progressive attitude toward blacks who voted overwhelmingly for traditional marriage in Alabama; their votes don’t matter because a wealthy, largely white alternative-sexualities lobby has decided to use federal courts to overrule them. They shouldn’t tell us too much what to do, after all. And they definitely shouldn’t get to decide for themselves.
Acting racist toward more tradition-minded clerics from the Third World is a recurring motif among liberalizers, especially in the Anglican Communion. Archbishop of York John Sentamu has been the recipient of a fair amount, and he’s not even all that much of a traditionalist, he just thinks they should be accommodated. In 1998, Bishop John Spong of Newark, who worked to build an “atheistic” Christianity, famously said that, “Scientific advances have given us a new way of understanding homosexual people. At the Lambeth Conference and in dealing with the Third World this knowledge hasn’t percolated down.”
Most of the people Bruenig criticizes are white. But there’s a certain similarity between these criticisms of African clergy and the suggestion that American conservatives and traditionalists are nothing but fearful and superstitious.
Her comments on liturgical traditionalists are even worse. There is a much-acclaimed shift among the Millennial generation back to more high-church forms of worship, including historic liturgies, and away from the amorphous ones of both our mainline Boomer parents and rock band evangelicals. It seems pretty uncharitable to look at one of these people, casting about for a style of worship that reflects the grandeur of God, and then tell them that that want to recover old forms is to “relate to the past in a wholly modern way” and then compare them to “those who ignored climate change.”
Even if there’s some merit to this line of argument, it applies more to progressive Episcopalians than Latin Mass Catholics. For example, Jonathan Merritt recently wrote about Rachel Held Evans, a young writer whose “thinking has become increasingly progressive — especially on hot button theological issues such as gender and sexuality. This shift culminated in her leaving evangelicalism for Episcopalianism.”
Generally speaking, I think the trend toward high-church worship is a wonderful thing, but it’s important that it express a commitment to catholicity rather than a kind of cultural elitism. It would be a real shame for all this energy to be directed into a body that has badly neglected its responsibilities to the Body of Christ. The Episcopal Church’s heterodoxy on gay issues has put the entire Anglican Communion in a state of flux — maybe Bruenig would call it “dialogue” — with the Lambeth Conference indefinitely postponed. For any but the most devout practitioner of the progressive religion that price is much too high. Evans goes on to offer a self-righteous gloss on the decline of mainline churches everywhere; that the church needs to die to be reborn; “Lately I’ve been wondering if a little death and resurrection is exactly what the American church needs. What if all this talk of waning numbers and shrinking influence means our empire-building days are over and it’s a good thing?”
That seems like wishful thinking wrapped up in a misguided analogy to me; supposing the Church regularly reincarnates itself is incompatible with the idea of an apostolic faith and Christ’s promise to be with us until the end of the age. But almost more striking is the fatalistic kind of progressive amor fati; progressive unto death.
As a former Anglican, it baffles me that this is a road smart people like Cardinal Kasper seem to want to go down. It leads to confusion, isolation, and as some of the more honest progressives admit, death.
The Church is not an empire either, and God-willing, that temptation will be resisted. The Anglican tradition has a long and sordid history of pseudo-Erastianism, which continues today in the Episcopal Church’s advocacy for Obamacare, and Gene Robinson and an Episcopal health ministry official getting cushy fellowships at the Center for American Progress. The WASPs may be gone, but the Episcopal Church’s empire-building days ain’t over. Indeed, you could say the corollary to thinking the Church is an empire is a deference to the state as an agent of liberation, which brings us back to Bruenig, who has written:
“A stateless response to poverty has not been part of Christian tradition for some time, and to address poverty without implicating politics at this point in history would be nearly impossible.”
And this:
“If the state is here to recognize and protect property rights, then the state must recognize that the excess of the wealthy quite literally is the property of the poor, and act accordingly. Just as the state would work to retrieve a stolen article, it must retrieve the hoarded wealth being stolen from the poor, and deliver it to them.”
These are interesting statements. The remarkable thing about Stoker Bruenig’s point of view, in comparison to her mentor’s, is its lack of radicalism or orthodoxy, more akin to a social gospeler than Moses Coady. There’s practically nothing about it that wouldn’t be at home in the Democratic National Committee. There is no sense of scale or subsidiarity in Bruenig’s political thinking, as if the government that can supposedly end poverty isn’t the same one that aspired to make the world safe for democracy or established an unlimited right to abortion. This also gives short shrift to the Church itself as a force of social transformation.
This program has a kulak to go with it; the conservatives and traditionalists she gestures at in the piece while quoting Sean Hannity. In the Episcopal Church, this scapegoating has taken the form of a program of state-sponsored confiscation by lawsuit — right up Stoker Bruenig’s alley — of parish buildings belonging to conservative congregations that voted, sometimes overwhelmingly, to depart from the ever-more-battily-progressive Episcopal Church.
There’s a lesson here, that the left doesn’t extend the same latitude it asks for when out of power. The legal standard privileging congregational self-determination with respect to church buildings was established in the famous King’s Chapel case in 1787, when the first American Anglican bishop Samuel Seabury — consecrated by non-juring Scottish bishops — refused to ordain the new rector of a Boston church, a Harvard man (of course) because of his turn to Unitarian theology. So they went their own way. Today, the Episcopal Church still fights for nearly every church building, but the dissenters are on the right, not the left.
This is an Episcopalian dispute — not that it matters to the New Republic — but the Catholic parallel is a kind of liberal clericalism that has arguably been emboldened under Francis’s papacy, of which Bruenig’s piece is a good representative. Just recently, the CEO of the Toronto-based Salt and Light Media Foundation and Television Network, Rev. Thomas Rosica, threatened to sue a traditionalist Catholic blogger. After becoming something of a cause célèbre in the blogosphere Rosica called it off, evidently unable to “dialogue” his way out of St. Paul’s admonition about suing other Christians in secular courts.
One could say the Church of England was built on an alliance between liberal theology and a secular state, and that’s worked out relatively well for them, to be honest. But it was maintained with substantial violence, and today it is not much healthier than its trans-priest-inclusive American offshoot. That’s why I’m not as enthusiastic as Stoker Bruenig about this:
Consider … [Pope Francis’s] remarks on financial inequality, in which he called for a “legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.” Pundits like Fox News host Sean Hannity erupted into paroxysms of anxiety, speculating that the Pope had some newfangled socialist schema in mind. Meanwhile, conservative leaders such as Catholic League President Bill Donohue offered only a lukewarm defense of their pontiff, deflecting outrage by arguing that Francis’s remarks were not really as radical as they seemed.
Pope Francis made the comments in question to the United Nations last May, and the phrase “called for” does a little too much work here; he just said it had a role to play in “equitable development.” But it wasn’t just Hannity and Bill Donohue who were concerned by them. Legendary blogger Fr. John Zuhlsdorf wondered, “When has any ‘State’ done this effectively? And what does ‘legitimate’ mean? According to laws that are passed? And if the laws are bad laws? And who will administrate it?”
It’s a sure bet that someone who doesn’t take these questions seriously is concerned with power, not justice. Pope Francis’s use of the word “legitimate” certainly suggests questions about where authority lies and how it is exercised can’t be passed over. Unless you happen to know a godly king languishing in crownless obscurity whom we ought to restore, these are exigencies we just have to deal with in our nominally republican system, but Stoker Bruenig acts like it’s just a matter of bigger budgets for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
For the record, I’d be more comfortable knowing my money was well spent on a tax for the relief of the poor levied by a Catholic monarch than one passed by Congress in a secular nation-state and enforced by the IRS. Is that so insane? That a king’s sense of social justice might in some instances be better than the choices expressed by a hundred million meaningless votes, mediated through a duopoly, a zillion special interests, and what’s left of a constitutional process? This arrangement makes villains out of Republicans too, with even Reagan and especially Bush the Younger busting budgets and leaving it for the Democrats to clean up, a strategy Irving Kristol endorsed.
It’s not like the conservatives who stick in Bruenig’s craw don’t have a leg to stand on. The social teaching of the Catholic Church presents significant obstacles for a Christian socialist, chiefly its condemnations of socialism. Reconciling those issues seems like it ought to be an important task for someone who describes herself that way, but so far Stoker Bruenig seems more interested in reminding the world that Ayn Rand is in hell than tackling these more interesting things. Indeed, bashing nasty conservatives and harmless libertarians is all she seems interested in doing. Whether you’re Michael Novak or a Tridentine Mass goer, you’re all not only wicked reactionaries, but worst of all, modern ones, just symptoms of a benighted country “full of crypto-fascists,” clearly more loyal to Goldman Sachs and the GOP than the pope.
When the dictatorship of the proletariat is established, if the socialists behave toward their enemies the way self-styled Christian socialists behave toward theirs now that they’ve got a pope they think agrees with them, the rest of us will be in for a rough time. |
A U.S. defence and foreign affairs think tank released a comprehensive report today suggesting the oft-maligned F-35 might not meet the performance standards of current fighters, including Canada's CF-18s.
The National Security Network, a non-profit foreign policy group based in Washington, D.C., is the latest organization to raise questions about the stealth fighter program, which is over budget and behind schedule in the U.S.
The report compares F-35's operational capabilities with the jets it is intended to replace, including the F-16, F-18 and A-10, and in each case it comes up short.
Story continues below advertisement
The group urges the Obama administration to do a "serious" reassessment of the program and determine whether there are alternatives out there.
Researchers noted that matching the F-16's manoeuvrability was a minimum design requirement, yet they conclude the older jet is capable of going faster and enjoys better wing-loading performance, another aspect that's critical for speed.
The F-16 is not considered as manoeuvrable as the F-18.
The Harper government put its purchase of 65 F-35s on hold after being accused by the auditor general of fudging the price tag and not doing sufficient research, and plans to extend the life of the CF-18s to 2025. |
One of the big paradoxes of living in a democracy is that our leaders seem to need protection from the very people who elected them to office.
Even as women, the poor and the disadvantaged run from pillar to post for basic things like physical safety – whether it is rape and molestation or violence - our politicians have scores of gun-toting commandoes being wasted on them. Even in the security-conscious West, we do not see so many politicians receiving so much protection.
From X to Y to Z and Z-plus, many of our top-level politicians, both in or out of power, have unnecessary protection being given to them at the cost of the taxpayer. (To get a list of those receiving protection, read here)
For example, people with Z-plus security have as many as 36 police persons assigned to them followed by 22 for those in the Z category, 11 for those in Y and two for those with a mere X to their names.
This is not only an enormous waste of taxpayer resources, but is actually becoming counterproductive with our netas seeing security as some kind of status symbol. The more we give politicians free security, the more they will start believing they are masters and the rest of us their servants.
This is particularly vulgar when the ordinary people get very little protection from crime or criminals.
As citizens, it is now time to demand a curtailment of our netas’ security expenses by making one simple demand: that official protection should be available only to political chief executives at centre or states. This means the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers of various states. The rest should receive only normal institutional protection – just as any citizen is provided police cover if there is an immediate threat to him.
Applying this principle would mean no state protection for politicians such as Sonia Gandhi and her children, no cover for LK Advani, Mulayam Singh, Mayawati, etc, etc.
Security experts may be aghast that our leaders will become more vulnerable due to this demand, but lack of state spending on their protection does not mean no protection at all. What it means is that the individual will have to pay for it himself. Or herself.
This is how it should work.
Top politicians in the major national and regional parties should create their own security apparatus for their leaders. Donations to political parties are anyway exempt from income-tax, and so paying for private security guards should be well within their means.
Rich politicians should automatically be given no protection at state expense at all. For example, what is the logic in providing Mulayam Singh, or Mayawati, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, or LK Advani or Kalyan Singh or Rajnath Singh security at our expense when they can afford it themselves? Or their party can provide for it?
Mayawati’s last-known net worth was a hefty Rs 112 crore. The BSP leader, who claims most of her wealth came from small contributions, should use these contributions to provide for her own security. Mulayam Singh’s assets also exceed Rs 100 crore. Ditto for Advani, or Kalyan Singh, both of whom are close to retirement.
They should be protected by their parties, which benefited from their activities in the 1990s, and not the exchequer.
There are good reasons why security expenses should be brought down for politicians.
First, it is not morally right for politicians to seek protection at the expense of the people. Especially when they are out of power. They should share the risks their people face.
Second, it's the sheer futility of it. Having a bunch of security guards around you is no security at all when it comes to committed terrorists. Did high security save Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi? Minimal, discreet security is often good enough.
Third, there is no reason why out-of-work politicians should not live like the rest of us and be responsible for their own security. They should take simple precautions, and pay for that little extra that private security can provide with personal or party funds. If the police are freed from the responsibility of guarding netas, they can act more professional and protect the people better. Trying to protect too many netas means denying the same to us.
Fourth, providing too much security is counter-productive in a democracy. Not only does it separate politicians from their people, it also builds in them a vested interest to create no alternative leaders. The real strength of a democracy is in the depth of leadership it can create, so that it is not worthwhile even for terrorists to bump off the odd top politician or two.
It is time we abolished running a taxpayer-funded protection racket for politicians.
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Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
An open letter to the campus community:
Swarthmore, I’m a big slutty slut. I have a lot of sex with a lot of different men because, frankly, I love men and a few ladies, because, frankly, college. And here’s why: I love sex. I love everything about sex and every personally-defined variation of sex: I love to kiss and to come and to cuddle and to explore new sexual frontiers. I love sweet sex and rough sex and nights with no sex. I love all the accoutrements of sex: I love underwear and birth control and sex toys and porn. If I were to honestly list my skill sets in rank order by an algorithm accounting for both enjoyment and aptitude, sex in all its iterated glory would top that list by leaps and bounds (and you should know I bake a mean pie, write an even meaner thesis, and gain a great deal of satisfaction from both of them).
Let me clarify: I’m not a slut because I’m out of control of my own sexuality. I’m not a slut because I’m hoping to rope a guy into wanting to be with me. I’m not a slut because I’m looking for some kind of validation or self-esteem boost. I’m a slut because I make the active, intentional, self-aware and enjoyable choice to be. I’m a slut because I choose to call myself “slut.”
My choice of the word slut is ultimately motivated by society’s warped and uneven attitudes regarding some notion of essential, inherent female sexuality vis a vis that of men. Ours is a society where women ”put out” their goods to please men, where it is nearly impossible to imagine a girl who goes out and beds a new guy every weekend who isn’t in some way damaged, or immature, or looking for some form of validation. This is a society where, rigidly, men just want to get some and get out and women are responsible for keeping men’s natural desires at civilized bay.
Make no mistake: this society of Brobible.com, of Tucker Max, of pick-up games, of most RomComs, of things as seemingly mundane as the scorn inherent in the term “walk of shame,” is a society which seeks to control women’s bodies, sexuality and choices to conform to a specific notion of a way to be a “good” girl, a “good” woman. This is a society of rape culture, plain and simple, and these types of policing of specifically gendered bodies and choices are prototypical slut-shaming.
This unfortunate aspect of capital-S “Society” is by no means a not-in-my-collegiate-bubble kind of issue either. Slut shaming is alive and well on Swarthmore’s campus. We hear it in the scornful tones with which we remember certain alumnae, see it in the raised eyebrows of friends of friends as they recount an acquaintance’s Saturday night hookup, read it in the comment sections of our sex columnists and gossip blogs. It’s tempting to think that as a community of progressive, forward-thinking, and generally socially aware individuals, we wouldn’t be bolstering these kinds of harmful understandings of sexual constructs, that these views exist only on the fringes.
But the lived reality of sluthood at Swarthmore is a surprisingly difficult one, even when not interacting with the obviously slut-shaming margins. We are greeted with a community aura of sex-negativity or at best sexual cluelessness. Institutionally speaking, the administration has a record of responding to issues involving sexuality with either a sort of manic, nip-it-in-the bud attitude, or an ill-advised stance of ignore-the-problem-and-it’ll-go-away. They have a well-known past of extraordinary blundering bordering on victim-blaming regarding instances of sexual assault (albeit one that is happily and actively changing in recent months). They responded to past instances of sexual assault at Genderfuck by proposing to cancel the party, as though preventing drinking and dressing skimpily would prevent the underlying factors of sexual assault (read: assaulters). The Dash for Cash, the singular intentionally body-positive and administratively-endorsed campus tradition – which was well publicized and opt-in – was canceled at earliest possible opportunity. And in an egregious, though since-resolved, issue a few years ago, a campus wellness campaign could find the funds to provide free yoga mats for students, but not free condoms. Overall, Swarthmore does a very good job of making the sex-positive, sexually adventurous, and promiscuous among us feel like we’d have a pretty precarious safety net availible if something happened to make us feel uncomfortable.
In this context, it is an intensely loaded and personally meaningful move to re-appropriate the traditionally venomous epithet of “slut” to fill the void in sex positive vocabulary to describe myself, my actions, my choices as a sexually active, aggressive, and generous woman. Is the choice of this moniker a comfortable one for all us sex-positive sex fiends? Absolutely not. But the entire point of making this term available to be self-selected is to reinforce, reiterate, and celebrate the agency with which a person might approach their sexual experiences, partners, and identity.
For me, being slutty is about more than just getting it in on Saturday night. It’s about rejecting the social imperative to ignore my own desires and keep my legs shut in order to be desirable, to be acceptable, to be the “right kind” of girl/woman/person. It’s about identifying and going after what I want. It’s about claiming and owning and enjoying my own body and sexuality and about the euphoria of exploring the miraculous, bizarre, and thrilling intricacies of another person’s. It’s about holding yourself accountable for your own sexual choices and health and holding society accountable for its own sexual bullshit.
Sluttiness is not about the number of dates or make outs or hookups it takes for you to feel comfortable rounding all or one or any bases with another person. In fact it’s not about numbers at all. The emphasis we place on our own sexual numbers is just another example of rigid, moral socio-sexual policing. How many women’s magazine articles have you read which essentially roil in what they’d have you believe is the eternal question: to disclose numbers or not to disclose numbers? You know what? Fuck that. Share or don’t, that’s your call, but don’t imbue this number with some sort of synthetic and sacrosanct meaning. Sexual numbers are meaningless. They tell you nothing about a person. They don’t tell you whether or not to get tested, as you as a sexually active or potentially sexually active adult should be getting tested with regularity anyway. They tell you nothing about the content of a person’s character or their childhood or their relationship with their father or their mother or their feelings about their own body.
So yeah, let’s talk numbers in the seven years since I’ve become sexually active.
98: the number of people I’ve made out with.
24: the number of people I’ve gone down on.
14: The number of people I’ve had penetrative sex with.
8: The number of people with whom I’ve gone out on dates.
You know what that tells you about me other than I might have busyish Saturday nights? Absolutely nothing. Some numbers that might be more meaningful in telling you who I am as a person:
325: the number of hours I spent teaching peer-run classes on sexual health, body image, and healthy relationships in urban schools my senior year of high school.
1: the number of times I’ve had my heart broken.
4: the number of scars I still have from the abrupt end to a fun day spent bike riding with my dad when I was seven.
0: The number of people I’ve slept with without being immediately upfront about the date of my most recent STI test, whether or not I’m sleeping with other people, whether I am available for anything above and beyond casual fun and without first ascertaining all of this information from them.
So here’s the deal, Swarthmore. We’ve tried to have this conversation before. Last semester, columnist Hester Prynne opened her installments with a discussion of reclamation and hers was an excellent primer extolling the virtues of sluthood. This past week a Swassip post turned into a comment-war fueled indictment of the morality of those externally impugned as sluts. In both instances, there has been frustratingly little safe room in the ensuing conversation for those living a life navigating the murky waters of Swarthmore with multiple partners. It’s time for real talk: an introduction to a conversation on the lived realities of identifying and acting sluttily on a campus slightly deluded as to its own sex-positivity. So here it is, an above-ground forum for a conversation not only about sluthood or about sluts, but with and from those of us who have made this choice for ourselves. I am slutty; hear me roar.
See you next week, Sex Fiends, Slutfriends, fellow sluts, and – largely – Swatties,
the Tart |
Olivia Wilde
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Actress-social entrepreneur
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Fundraising is the bane of every philanthropy's existence. Do-gooders go back to the same rich donors over and over trying to convince them to keep giving. Actress Olivia Wilde thinks there's a better way. That's why she's co-founded Conscious Commerce. The company pairs brands with causes to help corporations become better global citizens. So profits from a best-selling dress at Anthropolgie go to a girls' school in India. A limited edition bag at Alternative Apparel helps fund a school in Haiti. "I've always been a huge proponent of voting with your dollars," says Wilde. "I'm inspired by the movement of entrepreneurs from my generation who are encouraging people to think about where their dollars are going." This year Conscious Commerce raised $100,000 for New Light, a community-development project serving the women and children of a red-light district in Kolkata, India. Conscious Commerce now shares time with Wilde's acting, but she's getting raves for her recent performance in the movie "Drinking Buddies." |
As some of you are aware just yesterday we announced Team ZZX's in development Zelda clone game that was coming to the ZX Spectrum at some point during 2018, well that game isn't the only one that's in development as we've just been told by the creator David Clarke, that he is also making a Legend of Zelda game, and that one is being developed using Arcade Game Designer. In light of this news there's even more footage to show, and even though it doesn't have sound, it looks pretty decent!According to David he is coding this for the ZX Spectrum as a learning exercise with more possibilities for the future, and although there is no sound, it will be added later. Furthermore he has also mentioned he is having a go at multiple enemies using the parama variable for the first time, although he has warned this may well be another unfinished project!: 1) Source |
KPS Teacher "walk-in"
Kalamazoo Public Schools teachers stood outside school buildings and in their entrances on Wednesday, Feb. 17, to support changes that make standardized testing less cumbersome and more effective. - Courtesy Photos
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Teachers at many of the Kalamazoo Public Schools will participate in a demonstration before class on Thursday.
Members of the Kalamazoo Education Association will participate in a "walk in" at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6. Teachers, administrators and staff will gather outside school buildings 30 minutes before the academic day begins, demonstrating with signs to promote the need for more funding and less focus on standardized tests.
Amanda Miller, president of the KEA, said the union's 800 members will all participate in some way in the awareness-raising campaign, coordinated by the group Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools and part of a national effort.
Miller said tests like M-STEP, which are administered in the spring and have results returned in the fall, don't give teachers any way to help students during the school year.
"Teachers love tests if we can get immediate feedback and use it for instruction," Miller said. "If we don't get the results (until the next school year) and we're spending all this time on it, it's (not worth it). Kids need to be doing things that are beneficial instead."
Once the scores do come back, Miller said are being used to punish schools.
"Tests don't take into account of all the other aspects of (a student's) life like poverty," she said.
The online exams are also a drain on resources, requiring technology purchases and staff to deal with technical issues on test day.
The organization supports giving students access to an engaging and rigorous curriculum that does not base their success on high-stakes testing.
Last year about 80 cities participated in the effort. This year, Miller said 200 cities are expected to join the walk-ins, which were moved to October to bring education issues to the forefront during the election cycle.
Parents, students and members of the community are also invited to attend and wear red to show solidarity with the cause. Miller said the walk in concept is a more positive way to demonstrate as opposed to a strike or walk out.
"We appreciate the leadership of our association regarding the important themes of school funding and time for learning and appreciate the opportunity to join others across the country in this consciousness-raising activity," said KPS Superintendent Michael Rice in a statement.
A similar demonstration was coordinated in February. Many teachers carried signs that read: "All our children deserve more time for learning, less time for testing."
For more information, visit reclaimourschools.org. |
The AAP’s latest attack on Reliance Industries does more than simply divert attention from their failure to govern; unfortunately for them, it also underscores the two main elements of their core ideology. On display is not only their dogged commitment to destructive populism over basic economic rationality, but also, and far more dangerous, their scornful contempt for constitutional democracy. By pressuring the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to lodge an FIR against Mukesh Ambani and others in the absence of either jurisdictional authority or an iota of evidence, Kejriwal has sent shockwaves across the international business community, which would rather steer clear of India’s shores than risk engagement with a berserk anarchist. A bare perusal of the hyped complaint against RIL reveals fanciful conjectures and childish conclusions that are grounded in neither law nor reason, but advance a bizarre counter-narrative that believes in profit being evil. Scratch beneath the surface, however, and the real picture emerges.
The crux of Kejriwal’s charge against RIL is based on the infantile assumption that capital expenditure costs were unreasonably inflated to generate higher profits for the operator and less for the government. To substantiate this charge, he cites the Comptroller Auditor General’s flawed performance audit report on KG-D6 to allege that procurement contracts were arbitrarily awarded without due competition. He forgets that the mind-boggling scale of the Krishna Godavari basin (over 7, 000 sq km) necessitates an equally gigantic survey and exploration effort which is both expensive and technically complex, meaning in turn that very few international players operate in this niche segment. Unlike a standard building contract where it is possible to have a blend of different contractors, deep-sea extraction is one of the most complex engineering feats known to man and it would be impossible to execute a project on this scale with a mish-mash of contractors. For the CAG, without any technical expertise or knowhow about the complexities of subsea exploration, to simply declare that one contractor ought not to have been picked over others, is not only irresponsible but laughable. Besides, even the global consulting firm, Ernst & Young, confirmed that any increase in capital expenditure would in fact hurt the contractor’s profitability.
However the CAG’s insistence to audit private contractors raises fundamental questions of propriety that must not be ignored. The mandate of the CAG is circumscribed by the Duties & Powers Act of 1971, which outlines the scope of their powers to audit the accounts of public corporations. This law supplements Article 149 of the Constitution, and the two being in pari materia, must be read together. The CAG’s scope of audit is restricted to accounts of the Union and cannot extend to private entities. The hon’ble Delhi High Court, in its order on the 6th of January 2014, was absolutely correct when it reined in an overzealous CAG by ordering it to restrict itself to only the revenue-sharing arrangements that private telecom companies had entered into with the GOI. The court was very specific when it said that the CAG could only audit receipts and not inquire aspects like wisdom and economy in expenditure. An example of this overbearing sense of ‘duty’ is found on page 33 of the KG-D6 report, where the CAG adopts an irritatingly patronising tone in awarding unnecessary accolades to “the efforts of the operator in executing this world class…within record time.” Constitutionally speaking, the CAG has no business to be making such silly comments – they ought to stick to their mandate.
The CAG report also ignores the legislative intent behind the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP), which was to provide an incentive to private contractors, to tap domestic energy sources that PSUs like ONGC and OIL could not. The driving force behind this policy shift was not merely liberalisation of the economy, but a concerted effort to make India energy independent, and to reduce the nation’s staggering fuel-import bill. In making the simplistic argument that RIL’s higher gas prices lead to a subsidy burden on the economy, Kejriwal has wilfully ignored both, the saved fuel import-costs and the substantial GDP contribution made by domestic contractors. GOI currently pays up to $15 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). By Kejriwal’s logic, India ought to pay billions of our precious and scarce foreign exchange to international gas providers but deny an Indian corporation from making a legitimate profit for the massive investment it has incurred, simply because the government subsidises the fuel. Even keeping aside the billions of dollars India saves by encouraging a domestic entity, why doesn’t Kejriwal talk about the billions that the Indian government receives as its share of profit from KG-D6? Would he rather than India be at the mercy of foreign gas-producers than achieve energy security? Even keeping energy independence aside, the creation of jobs and enhanced shareholder value aid in spurring growth and confidence in the economy that benefits everyone.
It may certainly be argued that RIL and its partner NIKO got the initial gas estimates for KG-D6 wrong, but to suggest that billions were spent by them to execute some elaborate heist is ludicrous. Subsea gas reserve estimates spread over thousands of square kilometres are often off the mark. At times production is way more than the original estimate and at other times it is less. However the production sharing contract contemplates such eventualities, which is why the safeguard of variable profits depending upon production is built into the agreement. To cry foul simply because production levels did not match the original estimates is akin to the losing side in a game of cricket asking for the rules to be changed midway. Kejriwal is understandably irate because he can’t write his own personal version of the PSC.
Lastly, the stunning allegation that RIL’s KG-D6 partner NIKO supplies gas at half the price to Bangladesh is another spin on the truth. The fact is that NIKO’s gas deal with Bangladesh has absolutely nothing to do with KG-D6. On the contrary, NIKO provides gas from an on-land gas field near Dhaka. The implication of this on cost is obviously immense – with dramatically cheaper production and transportation bills, thus resulting in a lower price.
With none of his political opponents too keen to entertain his shenanigans, Kejriwal was ultimately left with the ignominious route of pulling the plug on himself. Only time will tell if his gamble pays off electorally. But for anyone to assume that the people of India will ignore his dismal record, would be akin to gassing the truth. |
China makes headlines every other week for its censorship of the Internet, but few people outside the country know what it's like to live with those access controls, or how to get around them.
Foreigners who visit the country should expect some headaches. Be prepared to live without Google, Twitter and your favorite daily newspapers, and to have a hard time connecting with friends back home, or even firing off an email. That's how bad it can get.
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"Connection Timed Out" is the dreaded error message when you try to visit a blocked site. It makes you think the site itself is down, but it's actually the "Great Firewall" at work, a vast censorship system that blocks access to many of the world's most popular services.
I've lived in China for close to six years and censorship has been a near constant, lurking in the background ready to "harmonize" the Web and throw a wrench in my online viewing.
It's been especially evident this month. Google's services, which don't follow the strict censorship rules, are currently blocked. How long that will last is unknown, but it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests earlier this month -- an event the Chinese government wants no one to remember.
Losing access to the world's biggest search engine is enough of a nuisance, but the censorship also affects Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Play, the Chrome browser, and even the news and weather widget that loads on my Android phone. Some of those services are running erratically or not at all. Most annoying is that friends can send me messages on Google Hangouts but for some reason I can't reply.
The censorship is a culture shock for foreigners visiting China for the first time. They expect to chat with friends on Facebook or Twitter only to find those services unavailable. Major publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are blocked. You need to find alternatives for all these things. I often end up using Microsoft Bing, which complies with China's censorship rules.
Plenty of other foreign websites are accessible, including Reddit, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, and politically non-sensitive Wikipedia pages. Most foreigners here end up subscribing to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which let you mask your location and bypass the censorship. I've been using a VPN for four years and the US$7 a month is money well spent for access to the entire Internet.
China's censorship wasn't always this strict. When I arrived to teach English here in late 2008, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all were available and I could use Google's Blogger.com to record day-to-day experiences. All that ended in 2009 when China began blocking sites more actively. In March that year, supporters of the Dalai Lama -- an unwelcome figure here -- released a YouTube video that appears to show Chinese police beating Tibetans. A few months later, ethnic riots broke out in Western China, and the authorities cut access to Twitter and Facebook.
Blogger.com had already fallen victim in May, and to keep my blog alive I emailed posts to my dad in the U.S. so he could update it for me. Eventually I bought a domain name and blogged through GoDaddy, which wasn't blocked.
All this censorship happens without official explanation. The Chinese government rarely mentions the topic or says why particular sites are blocked, but it's clear the authorities do everything they can to control what China's 618 million online users can access.
All local Chinese sites abide by the censorship rules or risk being shut down. That means China's largest search engine, Baidu, filters out sensitive content, like any mention of the Tiananmen Square protests. And social networks like Sina Weibo delete posts about contentious topics, or ban users who have gone too far. In rare cases, Chinese police have even sought out and arrested Internet users for starting online rumors.
But China's Internet is far from bland. While you can't access YouTube, Twitter or Google, there are Chinese equivalents, albeit with regulated content. Video sites show U.S. TV shows like "The Walking Dead" and "Homeland," and online users can discuss some controversial matters, like celebrity scandals and even corruption by low-level officials. But it all happens under the watchful eye of censors, who keep the discussions from crossing a line.
It's partly why many Chinese don't notice the censorship; there's enough leeway that the Internet is still a useful medium. Most don't miss Facebook or Twitter because they can connect via WeChat, a local messaging app used by hundreds of millions. China effectively has its own Internet, with its own providers and its own rules. So far, none of the big U.S. Internet firms has managed to make significant headway here, and the ones who try must play by the rules. LinkedIn, for instance, which entered the market this year, is drawing flak for blocking posts about political matters in China.
There's little sign that the country's stance on censorship will change anytime soon. The clampdowns on foreign services tend to come and go, but this latest block on Google could remain indefinitely. Last November, citing threats to stability, the government laid out plans to control access even more.
I recommend anyone visiting China buys a subscription to a VPN service. I've used one provided by Astrill.com and it's a must-have for me. Hopefully China won't block it. |
Ten years ago, Jules Urbach had an insight.
Back then, film companies would spend hundreds of millions of dollars on rendering, which turns 2-D or 3-D models into photorealistic scenes and is used in CGI (computer-generated imagery) animation, for just a few thousand frames. At 24 frames a second, that adds up just to a few minutes of an entire movie.
He realized that the way they were doing it — using a type of processor called a CPU that is commonly used in computers — it was never going to get faster or cheaper.
Instead, he realized it could be done 40 times faster on a type of processor known as a GPU, which is a graphics cards designed for gaming devices such as Playstations and Xboxes.
That is now the most common method of rendering video games. And to accommodate demand, his company, OTOY, founded in 2009, and its main software, OctaneRender, have been using GPUs in the cloud with services such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft Azure.
Even back then, he could see that the appetite for such work might grow to the point it would be difficult for his company to keep up. So he dreamed up — and patented — the idea of a peer-to-peer network where anyone with some GPUs could contribute work to render scenes and pay out each of these contributors. Back then, the Bitcoin network had just started running and no more than a few academics and tech hobbyists knew about it. But now, as the cryptocurrency market has exploded and options like Ethereum are available to build new blockchain-based networks, Urbach’s vision is now possible — and OTOY is launching a token for it: Render.
“The demand for this work is so high that we have no other choice but to have another solution,” he says. “A lot of people are familiar with rendering in terms of computer graphics in films but it’s seeping into all parts of our lives. People don’t realize it’s in advertising, in billboards, in your Zillow real estate Matterport capture.”
[Ed note: Investing in cryptocoins or tokens is highly speculative and the market is largely unregulated. Anyone considering it should be prepared to lose their entire investment.]
OTOY is just one of a number of existing non-blockchain-focused companies that are issuing tokens to launch decentralized networks in their industry. The first to announce such an initiative was Kik messenger app, which recently raised $98 million but fell short of its goal of $125 million. Despite having 15 million monthly active users a month, only 10,000 people purchased tokens for its proposed token-based network for digital communication. While OTOY has an impressive roster of advisors, including Eric Schmidt, the chairman and former CEO of Google, and Brendan Eich, the cofounder and former CEO of Mozilla and CEO of Brave software, which launched the Basic Attention Token, plus big-name clients such as Facebook and Unity, it remains to be proven that an established company can successfully create a token-based network that also attracts its competitors and users outside its base and is therefore truly decentralized.
OTOY’s Render token could be well-positioned to do so. This year, it secured a deal to provide the entire rendering pipeline for Facebook — the social network’s virtual reality camera data uses OTOY. “OTOY has long been on the cutting edge of rendering technology. Their products were a natural fit for our efforts in pushing media to a new level of immersion,” said Eric Cheng, Facebook’s head of immersive media, by email. OTOY has also partnered with Unity, software akin to a Photoshop, but for mobile games such as Pokemon Go. Unity claims its software is used to make a third of top games. And the VR/augmented reality industry could be on the cusp of taking off. A July 2016 Goldman Sachs report projected that VR/AR will see $95 billion in revenue by 2025 — comparable to the $111 billion hardware market for laptops and $63 billion for desktops. Goldman and Deutsche Bank anticipate VR/AR will become a bigger part of a variety of sectors including gaming, live events, virtual shopping experiences or “v-commerce,” healthcare and fitness, communication such as Skype or FaceTime, trainings and education, tourism, and social experience apps such as watching movies with others through VR.
OTOY estimates that what is called the OctaneRender Cloud Network could bring on seven million users (mostly game developers on Unity). Advisor Eich also sees potential for Ethereum miners to switch to Render. “As Ethereum evolves toward proof of stake or other future technologies that don’t require GPU power, that become more power efficient, the GPUs that were for mining Ethereum could be used on Render,” he says. Urbach even imagines iPhones and iPads doing rendering as they recharge overnight, though he calls that an “ambitious” goal.
However, according to a Markets and Markets report, rendering is now only a $1 billion industry and is expected to grow only to $2.9 billion by 2022, so that may limit the potential market cap for the Render token, especially since the network wouldn’t constitute the entire industry. OTOY, using other projections, projects that revenue in 2021 would be $10-$20 billion even if RNDR took just 2% of the industry.
While some crypto players like Eich are excited about the Render token, others are more skeptical. Brian Kelly of digital asset hedge fund Brian Kelly Capital Management says, “There’s nothing terribly unique about it. It’s a model that could be replicated fairly easily. There’s not a big moat around it from what I can tell.”
However, Urbach countered in an email, “The centralized iteration of our rendering model hasn’t been replicated anywhere near our scale, and it’s a good indicator of how hard it is to scale to millions of GPUs in a decentralized way as we plan to do now with RNDR.”
Lucas Ryan of cypto hedge fund Metastable Capital wasn’t convinced the token was necessary and felt such rendering work could be paid for in, say, Ether. Also, Golem network, a decentralized computing platform, might work just as well. Urbach says payment in other tokens doesn’t scale and notes that with Render (unlike Golem Network Tokens), a hash of the assets used behind the render source enables the tokens to be easily distributed to the contributors, putting IP rights on the blockchain.
Render is aiming to raise $134 million from its token sale, which starts October 5. As with the other existing companies launching tokens, it will be interesting to see how well OTOY can redirect its success so far with its company toward a decentralized network.
Be sure to get Forbes' twice-weekly all things blockchain email newsletter, Crypto Confidential! Sign up here. |
Image copyright Oxford University Image caption These images produced by the researchers were 0.07mm across - smaller than the width of human hair
Scientists have patented a new way to make ultra high-res displays that can bend and are thousandths of a mm thick.
They used a miniscule layer of a phase-change material, that flips between two chemical states when hit with current.
By sandwiching it between transparent electrodes, they made pixels just 300 nanometres across and produced images smaller than the width of human hair.
The design, published in Nature, could be useful in wearable technology, smart contact lenses or foldable screens.
According to Prof Harish Bhaskaran, who led the research at Oxford University, it will be "at least five years" before any applications appear.
But as far as Prof Bhaskaran is aware, the resolution of the images his team produced is among the highest ever achieved. "I haven't seen any other technology that approaches 100 or 200 nanometre resolution," he told the BBC.
You could roll out your screen from inside a pen Prof Harish Bhaskaran, Oxford University
Phase-change materials are commonly used in heat management, because they absorb or release heat in switching between an orderly, crystalline state and a more chaotic "amorphous" state. Because their optical properties change with these states as well, they have also proved useful in data storage, such as rewritable DVDs.
The key to the new design is a very thin layer of one of these materials: an alloy containing germanium, antimony and tellurium (Ge2Sb2Te5, or "GST" for short).
Instead of using GST to encode ones and zeros within the rings of a DVD, Prof Bhaskaran's team sandwiched it in between two layers of a transparent material that conducts electricity, producing a three-layered film no thicker than 0.0002mm. Then they painted a picture into the GST, pixel-by-pixel, by delivering current to different points across the film.
Electrical current causes the GST to switch states - and change colour. In this way, the researchers produced a number of microscopic images.
Image copyright Oxford University Image caption The team produced films that were flexible and semi-transparent
They also demonstrated that the technique could produce different colour changes, by using different thicknesses for the outer layers of the sandwich.
None of the pictures move - yet - but the team has filed a patent because of the potential to develop a new generation of flexible, thin, high-resolution displays.
"The cool part about this is that the functional part is very thin," explained Prof Baskaran. "Because of that you could actually have displays that are non-intrusive, because you can keep the electronics far away."
This contrasts with current LCD displays, which require transistors immediately behind the screen to switch the colour of the pixels.
"Think of having a pen - and you can roll out your screen from inside the pen, but the electronics are contained within the pen," Prof Baskaran said.
Other mooted applications include smart glasses or contact lenses, and even synthetic retinas, if the technology could be rejigged to convert pixels of light into electrical impulses.
The design could also offer big energy savings, because the pixels would simply stay put until they need to be changed.
Image copyright Oxford University Image caption A microscopic image of a well-known Oxford landmark, made up of 150x150 300-nanometre pixels
"Unlike most conventional LCD screens, there would be no need to constantly refresh all pixels, you would only have to refresh those pixels that actually change," said Dr Peiman Hosseini, the study's first author.
"This means that any display based on this technology would have extremely low energy consumption."
Dr Stephen Kitson runs the Bristol display technology company Folium Optics, developing other strategies for flexible, high-resolution displays, and is also a visiting professor at the University of Western England. He said the findings were promising.
"It's a really challenging area, to get something that's bright," he told BBC News. "There's a way to go, to see if they can get the dynamic range that you'd need - in other words, can you switch from really bright to really dark.
"They've got some interesting colour switches there, which is a brilliant first step."
Prof Bhaskaran agrees this is only the first stage. "We're showing that we can combine thin-film effects with a super-thin layer of phase change material, and get colour out of it," he said. |
Soon Spoon To Help Diners Score Impossible Reservations
Thought you couldn't get that last-minute table at Menton? Well, now you can.
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Have you ever wanted to eat at that cool new restaurant that only seats 30 guests? Reservations are undoubtedly at a premium and you’re often forced to make a reservation two weeks out. And that’s if you’re searching for a two-top. What about those times when friends or family are in town and your party is bigger than four people? Forget it.
That conundrum of quality, spontaneous dining is at the heart of Soon Spoon, a new restaurant reservation service that launches on March 19. Cofounders Travis Lowry and Conor Clary are working in conjunction with some of Boston’s hippest, most compact restaurants to provide last-minute dining options at places such as Clio, Uni, Farmstead Table, and Puritan & Co.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever tried calling these types of places on a 4:30 on a Friday, but it can be very difficult,” says Lowry. “Some places are good about it. Menton always picks up the phone, but for most small restaurants it’s just very hard because they might only have one or two people answering phones. So what ends up happening is you end up going to the place where … you can walk in—that’s not of the same quality—but hey, you know, [you] can get a table.”
Soon Spoon currently has 17 restaurants that they’re working with, but they hope to build that number up to 50 ideal spots by the end of the year. Lowry describes their approach with potential restaurant partners as “price agnostic,” instead focusing on “special, unique kind of places.”
“We don’t approach restaurants because they’re the most expensive,” says Lowry. “There’s a lot of restaurants that are very expensive that we’re not a good fit for. We work best in a place like East By Northeast that seats 29 or Bogie’s Place that seats 15 in the back of jm Curley. We want to create this club of diners that love these restaurants and are open to eating at the last minute.”
Unlike OpenTable, Groupon, and Beeline—which stop updating reservation availability after service begins—Soon Spoon will provide to-the-minute data via text messages, email, and the website. Soon Spoon’s reward system might not have typical perks such as coupons or appetizer discounts, but they will have a point system to provide personal touches like artisanal chocolates, pastries, and a seat at monthly pop-up dinners in private residences around Boston.
Soon Spoon’s point system works the other way as well, detracting points for cancellations and no-shows. An impetus for creating the concept was Lowry’s own last-minute cancellation at Strip T’s in Watertown. “I saw an opportunity to help both restaurants and diners,” says Lowry. “I felt terrible about canceling a reservation for six at Strip T’s. But those things happen all the time at restaurants. It’s not impossible to dine spontaneously. We help facilitate that fun, serendipitous experience.” |
In mid-July 2014, Microsoft announced the first truly abysmal Lumia handset, the Lumia 530, setting a new low bar for the quality of entry-level smart phone handsets. So it was with some reservation that I took possession of the Lumia 535, a 5-inch sibling to the 530 that also targets the low-end of the market. I shouldn’t have worried: This is a great entry-level device and the model for Microsoft to follow for future Lumia handsets.
Indeed, that has apparently already happened: Just this past week, Microsoft introduced two other low-end handsets aimed at emerging markets, the Lumia 435 and 532, and both will cost under $100 at launch. These devices clearly take more cues from the Lumia 535 than they do from the Lumia 530, and that’s a good thing.
But today, let’s focus on the Lumia 535, which is now fairly broadly available, see and how it differs from the 530.
Microsoft launched the Lumia 535 in November 2014 and its immediate claim to fame was that it was the first Lumia handset to carry the Microsoft branding. (Previous Lumias all bore the Nokia name.) I don’t find that to be particularly interesting personally, but it was the headline at the time.
The Lumia 535 is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 8 GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD). Most of those core specs represent important upgrades from the lackluster Lumia 530, which features the same processor but is hobbled by only 512 MB of RAM and an unacceptable 4 GB of internal storage.
The biggest improvement over the 530, however, is the screen. Where the Lumia 530 features an embarrassingly bad 4-inch LCD display running at 800 x 480—easily the worst screen I’ve ever seen on a modern smart phone—the 535 features a decent 5-inch qHD (960 x 540) IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3. And while it can’t claim to be HD resolution, everything in the Windows Phone OS scales nicely, though small text isn’t as razor-sharp as I’d like. You also need to be looking at the screen dead-on for the best quality—viewing angles aren’t great, as you can see below—but it’s a smart phone. That’s how you use it.
(Like many other low-end Lumias, the 535 lacks hardware Back, Start and Search buttons and instead employs a software-based navigation bar that includes these buttons. I like this navigation bar for a few reasons—it’s much harder to hit the Search button by mistake, a common issue with Windows Phone handsets, for example—but it also means that the UI is taking up some onscreen real estate at times. You can configure the navigation bar to auto-hide, or you can manually do so at any time, which is really nice.)
There’s another important difference between the 530 and the 535, and here again we see Microsoft taking a good idea to heart for newer devices like the Lumia 435 and 532. Where the Lumia 530 includes only an accelerometer sensor, the Lumia 535 is equipped with a more reasonable array of sensors, including ambient light, accelerometer, and proximity. And these little doohickeys go a long ways toward making for a better experience: Unlike the 530, the Lumia 535 supports display auto-brightness, and the screen will dim when you raise it to your face to make a phone call.
The rear camera on the Lumia 535 is pedestrian as they come, it’s a 5.0 megapixel unit with LED flash. But it also has a front-facer 5.0 megapixel wide angle unit that appears to be very similar to the “selfie” camera on the Lumia 735. By comparison, the Lumia 530 doesn’t even have a front-facing camera, and the rear unit—also 5.0 MPX, but with a fixed focus—lacks an LED flash. The Lumia 535 doesn’t have a camera button, a missing feature now common across all of Microsoft’s low-end Lumias. (You have to step up to a mid-range Lumia 830—which costs an unforgiveable $500 unlocked—to get a dedicated camera button.)
A few other points about the specs. Like the recently-announced Lumia 435 and 532, the 535 is aimed at emerging markets, so it does support dual SIMs—still a curiosity here in the States—but only 3G/HSPA cellular networking. So there’s no LTE support at all, limiting the 535’s appeal in established markets. That said, it is running Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 with Lumia Denim, and is at this moment the only phone I have capable of running the Lumia Camera app, though of course the camera isn’t powerful enough to use any of that app’s advanced new features. (And the pictures it takes are nothing special.)
I outfitted the review unit with a microSD card so I could load it up with media—and offload as much apps and data from internal memory as possible—and use the Lumia 535 the way I think it will be most often used in places like the United States (though you cannot at the moment even buy this device here from a wireless carrier): As a media player. And in this capacity, the Lumia 535 absolutely shines, and it has replaced my previous Lumia media player, the 635, which has a smaller 4.5-inch screen.
Before I could get that microSD card into the 535, however, I had to figure out how to get the back cover off. Many Lumia devices feature a removable back cover, allowing you to access hidden SIM card and microSD slots, and a removable battery, or replace the cover with a differently-colored cover or flip case. And as you might expect, I’m quite familiar with how these covers work. Yet, I’ve had a heck of a time getting the 535’s back cover off.
I’m not entirely sure why. The cover itself is much thinner than other Lumia covers, which contributes to this device’s delightfully thin form factor. But this thinness is responsible for a certain creakiness I’ve never experienced in other Lumias—including the otherwise terrible Lumia 530, which has a thicker and more solid case—and also, I think, to my issues removing it. In fact, I’ve bent the cover around the USB hole because I’ve struggled with it so much.
Fortunately, Microsoft sells replacement covers. Not here, in the United States, of course, but I was able to order a delightfully retro Lumia cyan-colored case from Alibaba to replace it. (It hasn’t arrived yet, and I’m not ready to recommend this option to potential US-based buyers.)
Looking at Microsoft’s international sites, I see this device is available for about 95 pounds in the UK ($144 USD), and Expansys is selling the device to US customers for $129. When you consider that a no-contract version of the Lumia 635 is currently selling for about $129 in the US as well (sometimes a bit less on sale) this seems like a great price, and given the option I would opt for the Lumia 535 personally.
Of course, most 535 buyers are coming at this device from a different worldview. It’s either their first smart phone, or they’re moving to the 535 from a previous device that wasn’t as full-featured. And aside from all the hardware niceties available here, it’s worth remembering that it features all of the latest Windows Phone features—Cortana, Skype, Office, OneDrive, and Lumia exclusive apps—plus some neat camera functionality, especially with the front-facing selfie camera, and is both expandable and customizable. And Microsoft sells a number of colorful accessories that can complement this purchase. There really is a lot of value here.
The Lumia 535 is a fine low-end smart phone and a great example of what’s possible in this market segment. Cheap doesn’t have to mean low-quality. And the Lumia 535 is just the latest in a growing family of inexpensive Windows devices that delivers great value for those without a Platinum American Express card. As such, the Lumia 535 is highly recommended.
Tagged with Lumia |
Beeswax is produced by honeybee “worker” bees. They secrete it from glands on the underside of their abdomens then chew it up and mold it into the cells of the combs. That’s why they call them worker bees. It’s a big job for the beekeepers, too, who collect it from the hives and melt it down into cakes. (At least they don’t have to chew it.) The reason beeswax is a bit pricey is because for every 100 pounds of honey harvested, a beekeeper will get only one to two pounds of beeswax. It’s not easily come by, but maybe that’s also why beeswax is so very, very wonderful.
In candles, beeswax smells delicious, requiring no added scent, and it burns longer and cleaner than other waxes. It also has beautiful, natural color.
My latest batch of beeswax candles.
Beeswax has a melting point of 143-148 degrees. I prefer it for container candles. For tapers, you need a wax with a higher melting point. The best way to make beeswax tapers is to buy pressed beeswax sheets and roll each sheet tightly around a wick. (Dipped beeswax can make messy tapers that puddle. I prefer to use taper wax–see Hand-Dipping Tapers.)
You can also use beeswax to make lip balms, skin creams, and herbal salves. When I was researching beeswax, I found the same recipes in multiple places, so I’m not sure of the original sources. (Probably our great-grandmas.) The recipes I’m posting are ones I’ve experimented with and found useful. The first one is for a beeswax cream that is really nice for the hands in the winter.
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FYI, these measurements are by volume, except for the beeswax, which is by weight (weighed before melting).
Beeswax Moisturizing Cream:
4 ounces sweet almond oil
1 ounce beeswax
2 ounces water
8-10 drops essential oil (optional)
8-10 drops Vitamin E
Melt the almond oil and beeswax. Remove from heat and stir in the water. Stir in remaining ingredients. Stir as it cools–before it becomes too cool to pour, transfer to a container (or divide between smaller containers).
You can also make a super easy “Vaseline”-type moisturizer by combining 1/2 cup baby oil per ounce beeswax. After you melt the beeswax, remove from heat and stir in the baby oil. (You can add a few drops of essential oil, too, if you want more scent. I really like beeswax just how it smells naturally.)
There are beeswax lip balm recipes all over the place, but this is one I like that is a Burt’s Bees knock-off.
Beeswax Lip Balm:
1 teaspoons grated beeswax
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon lanolin
liquid from one Vitamin E capsule
2 drops lemon or orange essential oil (optional)
1 teaspoon honey
Melt everything together with the beeswax in a microwave-safe bowl (except for the essential oil and honey). If you don’t want to use the microwave, you can also place the ingredients in a little custard cup inside a pot of water on the stove; heat gently to melt. Remove from heat and stir in the essential oil and honey. Transfer to a small container. (This even tastes good.)
You can make a healing salve with different essential oils, depending on what you need, such as tea tree oil (good for cuts and burns).
Beeswax Salve:
2 ounces beeswax
1 ounce jojoba oil
3 ounces sweet almond oil
1/2 ounce vegetable oil
essential oil*
*Research the specific essential oils you are interested in before determining the safe quantity to use for your purposes.
Melt beeswax together with jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, and vegetable oil. Remove from heat. Stir in essential oil, if using. Transfer to a container. You could also mix in various crushed herbs instead of using essential oils.
Beeswax is also the ultimate furniture polish.
Beeswax Furniture Polish:
2 ounces beeswax
1/2 pint turpentine
1/4 ounce lemon or orange essential oil (optional)
Melt the beeswax. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the turpentine. Add the essential oil, if using, and keep stirring as it cools. Transfer to a container. This makes a creamy polish that is great to lovingly rub into wood.
Aside from polishing, beeswax is a great protectant and waterproofing agent for wood. I love this recipe for “Spoon Oil” that was posted on the CITR forum by Buckeye Girl here.
Spoon Oil:
16 ounces mineral oil
4 ounces beeswax, cut in chunks
Warm the mineral oil by placing the container in a pot of warm water. Place beeswax in a wide-mouth jar and melt in a double boiler. Remove from heat and slowly pour the mineral oil into the melted beeswax. Stir as it cools. Use to rub into wooden spoons. Also great for reviving cutting boards.
Bees always scare me a little bit, but I love their stuff!
*Make things with beeswax safely–see my guidelines and precautions for melting wax here. You can find beeswax online at craft and candle suppliers, etc. Lanolin, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and sweet almond oil can be found online at health and beauty suppliers, and a lot of the same places where you buy soapmaking and other craft supplies including essential oils. (These are not expensive supplies other than the essential oils, if using.)
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Posted by Suzanne McMinn on February 7, 2011 |
On Media Blog Archives Select Date… December, 2015 November, 2015 October, 2015 September, 2015 August, 2015 July, 2015 June, 2015 May, 2015 April, 2015 March, 2015 February, 2015 January, 2015
poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201310/1902/1155968404_2780947835001_vs-526fca73e4b03283b83fd6df-1592194023001.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true The Republican National Committee's new ad blasts Obamacare and plays off the famous "Get a Mac" ad campaign run by Apple from 2006 to 2009. RNC to run Obamacare ad during Daily Show
The Republican National Committee will be running an anti-Obamacare commercial during Tuesday's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" in the Washington, D.C. market, the RNC announced Tuesday morning.
The ad that will run Tuesday is part of a series of four videos created by the RNC playing on the famous "Get a Mac" ad campaign run by Apple from 2006 to 2009. In the videos, a younger man plays the private sector, while an older, overweight and fumbling man plays the new healthcare law and the HealthCare.gov website.
"These videos help to convey the absurdity of ObamaCare and the administration’s careless behavior," RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement.
(WATCH: The best of last night's late-night TV)
It's clear who the RNC is trying to target with the ad during the Daily Show - the exact population the new health care law is relying on to buy health insurance in order for the whole system to function. But, the ad is only running on "The Daily Show" in the Washington, D.C. market, one full of federal government workers and contractors, many of whom have health insurance through their jobs. |
I started going to counseling when I was 25. My counselor was a pastor and respected man in his 50s. At the time I was in a deep depression and was suicidal. I had never been in counseling before so I didn’t know what the counselor/client relationship was supposed to be like. At the time, I wanted to die, and going to this counselor was the only hope that I could hold on to. I depended on him. I gave him my trust, and I told him my deepest thoughts, feelings, and fears. This brought me a sense of closeness to him. He emphasized that closeness.
I had often wondered if our friendship that came from the many counseling sessions was too close of a relationship. It is hard to differentiate what should and shouldn’t have happened between us. We became really close and I did feel loved by him, but should I have? Was my counselor being inappropriate? How do you know when to tell someone to stop loving you when you feel so alone and horrible about yourself as I did at the time? It seems like I should have been able to figure it out, but in the midst of things, all I knew was that I needed him so that I could stay alive.
Was I responsible to stop something that I didn’t even know was happening? If so, when should I have known to stop it? Was my counselor being inappropriate? Here are some examples of the things that my counselor did that took us down this path.
He:
Sat next to me on the couch in his office when I was severely depressed
Held me while I cried
Got me a free membership at a gym
Found a place for me to volunteer where his wife worked
Talked with me on the phone at any time when I was sad or wanted to die
Let me stay at his house for safety on a night when I was going to kill myself
Confided in me about his struggles
Asked me if I would still trust him if it was found out that he had done something wrong
Took me on a fast ride in his son’s sports car just because
Met with me at a coffee shop one day instead of his office to tell me he was fired as a counselor because he had an affair with another client
Told me he had been seduced by the woman client he had the affair with
Continued to see me one on one after being fired as a counselor
Met me at my work and took me out to lunch regularly
Called and talked to me for hours when his wife was out of town
Hung up on me when we were talking on the phone if his wife came into the room with him
Caused me to get suicidal because he was suicidal
Told me that I understood him in a way others did not
Didn’t tell his best friend about me because his best friends wouldn’t understand our special relationship
Held my hand while walking around the city
Kissed me on the top of the head when we would say goodbye
Told me that he loved me on a regular basis
Was my counselor being inappropriate? Were any of these things ok? These things made me feel special at a time in my life when I thought I was a horrible person. Not being a counselor myself, I didn’t know about boundaries in counseling. I didn’t know about relationship definitions between counselor and client and the possible negative impact these could have on my mental health. I didn’t know that a counselor should just be a counselor or that I should be learning to have strength on my own and not get all my strength from my counselor.
How is a person in the midst of the biggest struggle of her life supposed to have the strength to stop something that she don’t even know could be wrong or damaging? When someone loves you in what you thought was a pure love, how do you say no?
After years of these things, I ended up being the one to start questioning him. I asked him if his wife knew about us meeting together. I asked him if any of his friends knew about our friendship, especially his best friend. I started questioning whether a married man should be telling his deep struggles to another woman. I started wondering if I was the other woman…
…and then one day, when I called him, he said, “Oh, I didn’t know it was you.” Then he hung up on me. He never spoke to me again. I guess I got my answer.
Sharing this makes me feel very exposed and even ashamed that I didn’t recognize what was happening sooner. So, why do I tell all this? I want you to know that these things are not ok. I want you to be able to recognize some signs that your counselor may be going down the wrong road with you. Maybe you can avoid the confusion and pain that I went through. If your counselor is trying to become more than a counselor, it is not ok. The counselor is not helping you at that point, they are helping themselves. You need help from a counselor, not confusion. You deserve not to be deceived or used for someone else’s gain. Please know that you are worth having a safe counselor to go to. A counselor that will respect you and the counseling relationship. |
Caracas, September 24th 2012 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – North American film director, Oliver Stone, has spoken out on the Venezuelan elections from the San Sebastian film festival in Spain, where he stated that current Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez would “win the elections again” in October and that his opponent, Capriles Radonski, was “not a good guy”.
“If he (Capriles) won, he would hand the country back to the upper classes,” stated the veteran director, who was invited to the 60th anniversary of the film festival to receive a lifetime achievement award alongside Hollywood actor, John Travolta.
Stone, who directed the documentary “South of the Border” which tells the story of Latin America's new wave of elected left-wing presidents, went on to confirm that the Chavez is “in good health,” despite the fact that the Venezuelan leader is currently recovering from an undisclosed form of cancer.
The openly left-wing film-maker also used the festival as a chance to make a series of political commentaries, including his desire to see former Spanish president, José Maria Aznar, tried at the Hague due to his collaboration with George W. Bush and Tony Blair in the Iraq war.
He furthermore made a series of statements relating to current US politics, and denounced Washington for pursuing Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange.
Despite his criticisms of the current US administration, Stone said he would vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming US presidential elections, even though he considers the Democrat leader to be “not a very important leader, and even less so if he cannot change this direction to the right that we are taking”.
Stone is currently promoting his new film “Savages,” which focuses on the issue of the narcotics industry in Mexico. During the presentation of the film in San Sebastian, the film-maker strongly criticised the “stupidity” of the Washington sponsored “war on drugs”.
“Forty-two years ago we (the US) started the war against drugs... and now there are more drugs, which are cheaper and better than ever... the US doesn't use the war on drugs to fight against drugs and the violence generated by them, but to spy on other countries and to enter other countries, such as Colombia, Mexico, Afghanistan or Pakistan, to put their people there and.. militarise them,” he stated. |
The Iran Visa on Arrival information contained here is based on my experience in February 2017. If you have any questions about this process contact me on Facebook or in the comments below.
I applied for a visa on arrival at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport. A friend of mine applied at the international airport in Shiraz instead, the process was identical. Once you disembark from your plane, you should immediately look for signs pointing you towards the visa area. The airport is small so it is not hard to find this area, just look for the signs. The visa process is as follows:
Visa on Arrival Application Process
1. Purchase or Verify Your Travel Insurance
The first step in the visa process is to sort out your travel insurance. To do this, you will need to head to the travel insurance cashier/desk. Please note that even if you already have travel insurance that is valid for Iran, you still need to have this verified at the insurance desk. If you already have insurance valid in Iran, make sure you have printed your policy certificate and show this at the insurance desk. Make sure to point out where on your certificate that it says ‘Iran’. I travel with World Nomads insurance and specifically made sure that Iran was included. The insurance certificate issued to me by World Nomads explicitly stated that it was valid for Iran. If you have travel insurance but your printed policy does not clearly state that it is valid for Iran, you may be forced to buy a separate policy.
If you are forced to buy insurance at this counter, you will need to pay about 14€ for 30 days of coverage. Coverage for other lengths of time are also available with the cost going up and down proportionally.
2. Fill in Visa Application Form
After purchasing or validating your travel insurance, head over to the visa desk itself and get a small (A5) white visa application form. This small form is quick and easy to fill out and requires your passport details, home address, father’s name, job and a few other details. The form also asks for the location and contact details of the place you will be staying at while in Iran. In this section I included the name, address and phone number for my hostel in Tehran. I did not include the details of all my accommodation in Iran, just the place I was staying at first.
There were no questions on the form about previous travel to Israel. I should note that I had previously been to Israel, however my passport contained no evidence of this. I was relieved to find the form did not ask me if I had been to Israel because really I don’t like lying on visa applications.
3. Pay For Your Visa
After filling out the A5 sized visa application form, return to the visa desk and give the attendant the completed form, your passport as well as your proof of travel insurance. He will respond by scribbling a figure in Euro on a small white piece of paper and will instruct you to pay this at the cashier’s counter located next to the visa desk. For me this figure read 145€. A cost schedule by country for the visa on arrival can be found here. It appears to be an accurate list, but I have not verified it 100% and the list is not complete. New Zealand is not on this list, however after speaking to a few Kiwis while in Iran, I can confirm that the cost is 150€ for NZ passport holders.
Once you have paid the correct price at the cashier you will be handed a receipt. Do not lose the receipt, you will need it!
4. Wait For Your Application to be Processed
The final step is to simply wait. You do not need to go back and speak to the visa desk attendant yet, you just need to wait. Once your application has been processed the attendant will call out your name (or maybe just your country’s name). You will then need to hand over the receipt you received from the cashier and in return you will be handed your passport complete with Iranian visa inside it.
If you made any mistakes on the white A5 visa application form, it will be pointed out to you at this stage. I saw one person in particular fail to include a phone number for his accommodation and so they called out his name and made him correct it. He then he had to wait further. Make sure you completed the form described in step 2 above to avoid any delays at this step.
5. Clear Immigration and Collect Luggage
With your passport in your hand, complete with a brand spanking new visa, you can now head to passport control. This step is very quick and you should not be asked any additional questions. Once you have cleared passport control you can collect your bags. If your application process took a while (as mine did) your luggage will probably not be on the luggage carousel but sitting on the ground somewhere nearby.
Do You Need Proof of Onward Travel?
I did have an onward flight booked and I had a printout of the booking details. However at no stage was I required to show this. From my experience, an onward flight is not required to gain entry to Iran. However, as is often the case, you may be required to show proof of onward travel during the check-in for your flight to Iran.
If You Have Valid Travel Insurance. Bring Proof!
An insurance policy certificate clearly stating that it is valid for Iran. If you do not have this you will need to buy insurance at the airport for about 14€/30 days.
Bring Email Confirmation For Your First Accomodation
An email printout with your first accommodation booking details might be needed. You may not need to actually show this to anyone, but you will need the information on it to fill out your forms. At the very least make sure you have an email containing your accommodation booking details, an address and contact information. Contact details for a hostel are accepted, there is no need to book an expensive hotel.
Only accommodation details for your first stop in Iran appears to be required. I do not believe that the authorities called my accommodation to check if I was actually staying their, however have heard that in other cases they will check.
Do I Need to Bring Passport Photos?
The Visa process as it stands does not require you to bring any passport photos. They will take a copy of your photo contained in your regular passport instead.
Which Countries are Eligible for a Visa On Arrival?
A detailed list of countries eligible for a Visa on Arrival is available the following links.
How much does the Visa on Arrival cost?
The cost of a visa on arrival varies depending on your country of origin. However the most common price is 75€ which is the price for most European countries. Australians and New Zealanders on the other hand pay 145€ and 150€ respectively. A complete list for VoA costs can be found at the link below.
(Header image taken by Ellen from https://travellingtheworldsolo.com/) |
1. The legislation will allow contractors to be secretly "blacklisted," and excluded from DoD contracting programs.
2. The blacklisting allowed under Section 815 could result in "de facto" debarments of federal contractors across the federal government without due process.
3. Section 815 does not require DoD to notify or justify its decision to blacklist companies.
4. DoD's determinations regarding its secret "blacklist" would be protected from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), protest at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), or action brought in the federal court system.
5. The legislation represents a reduction in competitiveness in federal contracting programs, and as a result could lead to increased costs of goods and services.
6. The legislation consolidates DoD acquisition authority on over $300 billion a year in defense contracts into the hands of a small group of high-level Pentagon officials.
7. The legislation will lead to a reduction in transparency, accountability and oversight in federal contracting programs and opens the door to unparalleled and perhaps unconstitutional abuse.
8. Could allow large contractors like Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman with significant clout at the Pentagon to eliminate their competitors with more efficient and cost effective products. |
Saint John's overall office vacancy rate has crept up again, reaching 21.5 per cent.
"That's about the highest it's been during my [20 year] tenure here," said real estate analyst André Pouliot, with Turner Drake, the brokerage firm that compiled the numbers.
In comparison, office vacancy rates are 9.5 percent in Fredericton, 13.7 percent in Moncton, 15.3 percent in Halifax and 12.7 percent in St. John's.
Because of the excess of vacant offices in the Port City, some landlords told CBC they've felt pressured to drop their rents and pay up front for improvements or consider other incentives to attract tenants in a highly competitive market.
John Lawson is seeking tenants for the entire fifth floor of Harbour Centre building in Saint John. (Rachel Cave/CBC)
In Saint John's uptown business district, the least prestigious space with the fewest amenities, also known as Class C space, is renting for as low as $7 per square foot.
Pouliot says landlords must be feeling the pressure to move their capital elsewhere or repurpose their buildings.
"When we say the rates are unsustainably high, we're trying to get into the heads of property owners," he said.
"Property owners are capitalists. They expect to earn a certain return on their real estate."
Pouliot said when vacancy rates are topping 20 per cent, owners still have to make their mortgage payments.
"Eventually what they do is they look at the situation and say, 'Hey, can I put my property to better use?'"
Seeking tenants
Over at the Harbour Centre building on Prince William Street, John Lawson is looking for tenants to fill 6,000 square feet, or the entire fifth floor.
John Lawson is seeking tenants for 6,000 square feet of office space at Harbour Centre building. (Rachel Cave/CBC)
As he walks through the empty rooms with their views of the harbour, he says the search for a new tenant began almost a year ago, when the previous renters gave notice they would be leaving by November.
"Right now, it's not great," he said. "We haven't had a lot of inquiries."
Pouliot says employers today are looking for less space per worker and in Saint John he says that trend has not been offset by economic growth.
Some blame the tax rate for stifling that growth.
"We have the highest commercial and property tax rates and it's hurting us," said corporate and commercial lawyer Andrew Costin, who also serves as vice-president for Uptown Saint John, the city's business improvement association.
According to the Real Property Association of Canada, the annual tax on commercial property per $100,000 assessment is $5,043 in Saint John, $4,840 in Moncton, $2,640 in Toronto and $1,386 in Vancouver.
Costin says it's a "serious problem" and he doesn't see any leadership from the province or the city to fix it.
Office stock supply stagnant
Pouliot says Saint John's supply of office stock hasn't changed a lot.
The city had about 2.29 million square feet in 2011 with a vacancy rate of 10.7 percent. Today, there's about 2.53 million square feet.
But that will change when Irving Oil completes its new headquarters.
That building will create more empty office space in the city when some 100 workers leave their current scattered locations and move in. |
Around the world there has been a huge increase in the number of children being referred to gender clinics - boys saying they want to be girls and vice versa. Increasingly, parents are encouraged to adopt a 'gender affirmative' approach - fully supporting their children's change of identity. But is this approach right?
In this challenging documentary, BBC Two's award-winning This World strand travels to Canada, where one of the world's leading experts in childhood gender dysphoria (the condition where children are unhappy with their biological sex) lost his job for challenging the new orthodoxy that children know best. Speaking on TV for the first time since his clinic was closed, Dr Kenneth Zucker believes he is a victim of the politicisation of transgender issues. The film presents evidence that most children with gender dysphoria eventually overcome the feelings without transitioning and questions the science behind the idea that a boy could somehow be born with a 'female brain' or vice versa. It also features 'Lou' - who was born female and had a double mastectomy as part of transitioning to a man. She now says it is a decision that 'haunts' her and feels that her gender dysphoria should have been treated as a mental health issue.
This documentary examines Zucker's methods, but it also includes significant contributions from his critics and supporters of gender affirmation, including transgender activists in Canada and leading medical experts as well as parents with differing experiences of gender dysphoria and gender reassignment. |
August 28, 2013
NCAA Denies Rakeem Buckles to Minnesota
The NCAA has reportedly denied a waiver request that would enable Rakeem Buckles to compete during the 2013-14 season for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Buckles would be a promising addition to a Minnesota roster that could use help rebounding and blocking shots.
The school can appeal the decision and the ultimate resolution could favor Buckles and the U. However, with Minnesota’s fall semester beginning next week and classes having already started at Florida International, timing is an issue.
The traditional media will display “outrage” at the perceived inconsistency of the NCAA and point to “similar cases”, but there are several issues that could be unique to Buckles.
Who Plays if Buckles Doesn’t?
Before getting into Rakeem Buckles and his situation, let’s quickly consider who else is on the roster.
The Gophers have two redshirt junior centers in Elliott Eliason and Maurice Walker. Neither have logged many minutes during their years at Minnesota, but if they both stay healthy and produce then the situation at center seems relatively set.
Experienced guards Andre Hollins, Austin Hollins and Malik Smith all figure to see a ton of floor time. However, none of these players rebound well.
The need for a power forward to rebound and defend inside is significant. Redshirt junior Oto Osenieks, redshirt freshman Charles Buggs and – if he receives a waiver to play immediately – sophomore Joey King, all are possibilities to help Minnesota rebound the ball this season from the “4” position.
Gopher sophomore Wally Ellenson, a 6’4″ wing, may be a better offensive rebounder than any of the power forward candidates. With great leaping ability and fearlessness, Ellenson can make an impact crashing the offensive glass if given the green light.
Back to Buckles
The arguments and reasoning by the various parties involved in such eligibility matters are rarely made public. Non-disclosure does cause some of the angst and complaining displayed by the public when there is a perception that the NCAA “got it wrong”, but when you’re potentially dealing with issues of academics, health, etc., non-disclosure is appropriate.
We are not opining here as to whether Buckles should be eligible to play for Minnesota this season. Rather, we are taking a non-comprehensive look at what some of the issues could be.
There isn’t a checklist, unbiased computer program, or inflexible rules to look at. Ultimately most decisions include a degree of subjectivity.
1) Multiple 4-4 transfers.
In early April we talked about immediate eligibility for graduate student transfers as it relates to Rakeem Buckles. Although our understanding is that Buckles has not been accepted into a graduate program at the University of Minnesota, the discussion in this article from nearly 5 months ago remains potentially relevant.
Put simply, the NCAA could take issue with the belief that Buckles is following a coach around.
In April we discussed why approval of a waiver could be problematic for Buckles.
Graduate students are generally afforded a one-time exception (i.e., no waiver is required). However, if a student has previously transferred from one 4-year school to another (i.e., Louisville to FIU), the exception is not available and a waiver must be requested.
“A coach leaving is not generally seen by the NCAA as a valid justification for a transfer and in fact Pitino’s move from FIU to Minnesota might hurt the argument of Buckles being eligible up north. Most likely the argument would be that Minnesota has a grad program Rakeem has been accepted into, but the same program is not offered at FIU.
Would the committee reviewing the waiver challenge the reasoning behind the request because of what may appear to be (and might factually be) a player following his coach as opposed to a student-athlete excited by a particular program at the University of Minnesota? With his history of injuries you’d hope he gets a chance to do what he’d like next season, but it’s difficult to tell.”
2) FIU’s Postseason Ban
Contrary to popular belief, if your school is banned from postseason play and you’re going to be senior, you do not automatically receive immediately eligibility at a new school.
The NCAA Bylaws allow one of its groups to award a waiver based on the recommendations of another group in such circumstances.
Remember, this waiver is generally granted when a postseason ban “would preclude the institution’s team in that sport from participating in postseason competition during all of the remaining seasons of the student-athlete’s eligibility”.
Minnesota’s Malik Smith did transfer to Minnesota and was granted a waiver to play immediately, however his history is different from Rakeem’s.
When Buckles and Smith decided to attend FIU before the 2012-13 academic year (and when Richard Pitino decided to coach there), the expectation was that the school would be banned from postseason play in 2013-14.
Malik transferred in from a junior college. He was eligible to compete in 2012-13 and had a chance to participate in the postseason, even though the prospects for being eligible for postseason in 2013-14 looked dim.
Buckles transferred in from Louisville and was not eligible to compete in 2012-13.
Therefore, it could be argued that Buckles essentially knew what his situation would be at FIU. In his one year of remaining eligibility to compete, he’d be at a school that was ineligible for postseason play.
Does this mean it makes sense for Smith and Buckles to be treated differently? In some minds it might.
3) Academic progress
When transferring, student-athletes can run into situations where classes at one school do not help their progress toward degree at another school. A player might not declare a major early on and take some more “general” type classes or certain classes (physical education, for example) that may help toward progress of only specific degrees offered by their school.
Some classes taken previously may not transfer over. Some classes may transfer over only if a specific degree at the new school is being pursued.
In addition, when players are injured (especially early in a semester) they may be able to reduce their course work and still maintain eligibility under NCAA rules. Buckles tore an ACL about a week into the spring 2012 semester and could have withdrawn from some classes after this major injury.
Delaying a decision on your major isn’t unusual and there’s nothing wrong with scaling back your course work if you need to have a major surgery performed during the semester (not to mention the need to dedicate a tremendous amount of time to rehab).
However, such circumstances and decisions can result in cutting it close with regard to your progress toward degree.
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Ethan Indigo Smith, Contributor
Waking Times
Terrorism [noun]: The unlawful use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.
War is politically motivated violence. War is, therefore, terrorism, enshrined in the law of one warring party.
By its definition, war threatens and enacts violence on behalf of the State, for its own benefit, at the expense of the lives and livelihoods of countless others. And yet we have come to accept their invasion, their suppression, and even their deaths as necessary to our lives — to our sense of peace. So we occupy lands, we kill leaders, we overturn cities in the hunt for weapons that don’t exist — and all because the lawmakers who decide which violent acts are “war” and which are “terrorism” tell us such violence is necessary to achieve peace.
So, remind me again… Who are the terrorists? Who are the war heroes, and who are the war criminals? How do we discern military from militia? Do we really believe peace can be achieved by declaring war on war itself?
The greatest hypocrisy of our time.
The world’s political institutions — from the U.S. to Russia, from Israel to ISIS — seek to gain and maintain power through the use of violence, terror, and military coercion. In fact we live in a world where legally-sanctioned acts of terrorism are carried out more often than illegal terrorism — but, as they are conducted within someone else’s borders, in someone else’s homeland, we separate ourselves from this reality, in a dissonant attempt to protect ourselves from it.
“Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are each deeply and profoundly disturbed by the war world we live in; we are disturbed that hate is the language of our leaders. We are disturbed that we send our sons and daughters away to participate in it. and we are disturbed that we allow it. And we are disturbed by feeling we are unable to do anything about it. For most of us, war has been an ever-present part of our lives, and we accept the state of war as the state of “normal” — simply because it has always been.
The United States has been at war for 224 years out of the last 241 years. Not one U.S. president qualifies as a solely peacetime president, and the only time the United States lasted 5 years without going to war was between 1935 and 1940 — during the period of the Great Depression. Sadly, but true to form, America centered its post-Depression economic recovery around its military industry. Subsequently, every U.S. President since the end of World War II — from Truman to Kennedy, Eisenhower to Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, ‘Dubya’, and Obama — enacted a Presidential Doctrine directly pertaining to war, either by inviting U.S. involvement in conflict or inciting it directly. Today, with President Trump having just assumed office, the military industry is critical to the survival of the U.S. economy — and indeed, of the United States of America — employing over 3.5 million Americans [source] and generating over $300 billion in revenue each year for private military companies. [source]
Call it what you will, such institutionalization of war is terrorism. It does not matter how crazy or legitimate their goals are perceived to be; violence in order to express a point is terrorism. But with a warring mentality firmly embedded in both the psyche and economy of the United States, Americans have not learned the lessons of history and failed Presidential policy, and allow these systems of war to continue on their behalf under the Orwellian guises of “liberty”, “peacekeeping” and “freedom”. However the reality shows us that the result of those systems is anything but free, peaceful liberty.
Institutional Thinking: The Mind of The State
“Deception is a state of mind and the mind of the state.” ~ James Jesus Angleton
No matter how confusing the War on Terror becomes, no matter the geopolitics involved, no matter who is wearing which uniforms, or what book they hold, or flag they fly, people who kill and die in the name of institutional abstracts are terrorists — whether they are lawmakers, rebels, military soldiers, suicide bombers or Heads of State. Those who willingly kill and terrify on behalf of a geopolitical agenda are terrorists. Period.
Those who do so are conned, convinced through varying levels of propaganda. The most obvious (yet diabolical) form is friendly old Uncle Sam beckoning young unemployed teens to “see the world” by his side. But it isn’t just our troops who have been conned. We Americans are proud to see our children put boots to the ground (primarily 18-21 year olds) and engage (kill) the enemy. We celebrate their “successes” (killing) and mourn their “losses” (being killed). We have learned to euphemistically minimize deaths as ‘casualties’, when there is nothing casual about it. We falsely believe the killing and maiming of innocent civilians to be the exception and not the rule of war, rationalize killing and dying in the name of perverted, monolithic geopolitical ideologies.
Whatever way you look at it, using violence to coerce is terrorism. Not only is it commonplace, it the design of our society’s institutions — from the more obvious government and military institutions to the less obvious nuclear energy industry, which feeds materials to nuclear weapons programs, and the media, which portrays the acts of war in perfect alignment with government rhetoric. Yes, the machinery of war is so commonplace in the United States that we can’t even see the problem let alone then begin to define it!
Make no mistake, the cause of violence and terror today is our so-called leaders. They control the military might to destroy entire countries, yet claim not to have the resources to simply defend our borders against attack, preferring instead to enact “preemptive strikes” on foreign soil — to attack first rather than defend. Invariably, such policy requires increasingly authoritative, punitive and even fascist policies on home soil, to keep the confused (and disturbed) public in line.
So, to put an end to the U.S. doctrine of perpetual war, we need to stop asking why individuals resort to acts of terrorism and ask why we allow our institutions to do so as example to world’s individuals. Why is terrorism increasing? Why would a terrorist sacrifice their own life to inflict harm on individuals? What are they responding to? Look no further than the reality of the behavior exhibited by the world’s leaders: If another nation’s policy or politician is disliked, debate. If you don’t get your way, drop bombs on entire populations and take over their nation by force — even if it requires complete fabrication and propaganda (WMD’s anyone?) to gain public support.
In simple terms, extreme militarism can only lead to the rise of extremist terrorism; the response of violent resistance to acts of violent imperialism. One cannot exist without the other. They are two sides of the same devastating and irreconcilable coin.
In more complex terms, however, violence is the result of conflicting ideologies. Our warring institutions don’t just drop bombs to destroy “enemy” cities and bases, they are attempting to eradicate alternative (“enemy”) ways of thinking and being. This is evidenced by the way the “War On Terror” has become a war on Islam, a war on American privacy, a war on our freedoms of speech and even our right to peaceful assembly. Government transparency is at an all-time low, while public surveillance and corporate-media manipulation are at an all-time high. This is a war for your thinking and being; a war on what you think and what you do. And in the process, our warring institutions are not just imposing authoritarianism on the population they claim to represent, they are seeking to impose “American-Style Freedom” on other diverse nations by force, perpetuating a culture at home that accepts and even supports perpetual conflict while conducting their wars abroad so that only “others” suffer for their misdeeds. In this way, we are never forced to confront the stark reality of our nation’s wars beyond the (carefully selected) images we see on our TV screens.
So once again: Who are the terrorist? Who are the war heroes? And really, how the hell do we tell the difference? What is the difference between an IED (homemade bomb) and an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade)? The reality is, both are used to kill and influence, for political ends, to influence thinking and being. Both are extremely effective at ending lives, thereby engendering more violence. No matter what ‘side’ a terrorist is on, they all use the same methods of violence, and they all create the same outcome — more violence. The only difference is in the way we think.
The war mentality both encourages and is encouraged by separation, not oneness. One of the best ways to gain and maintain power is to keep the people in constant fear — in fear of wars, of outsiders, and “terrorism”. Built on a narrative of “us” versus “them”, a culture of war-minded fear ensures the public consent to the constant funding of the military-industrial-complex, under the guise of security and protection. In war, institutions and collective thinking become the focus: the “us” becomes “our country”, “our flag”, “our boys overseas”. Or more accurately, “our institutional war identity”.
Indeed, the only entities to ever benefit from war are the individuals who hide behind warring institutions and the legal formalities that enshrine them. Those who control the military industrial complex and the private companies that support it have arranged things so that, by design, no matter how the national fervor plays out, no matter what happens or which side ‘wins’, they still prosper one way or the other, and have the protection of their own domestic laws. But, as President Jimmy Carter so rightly pointed out, America cannot be both the world’s champion of peace and the world’s major supplier of weapons. So, with war institutionalized and sold to the public as a legal instrument of peace, it was inevitable we would find ourselves in the perpetual — and hypocritical — cycle of war and conflict we see today.
And where are the peacemakers? Where are the protagonists of peace?
Today it is not just the United States that is built on a foundation of war; nations around the world pour their resources into preparing for war, building billion dollar war machines, reinforcing polarizing “us and them” thinking at home, espousing the virtues of imperialism and endless “growth”, and promoting violent “intervention” as the only way to achieve it. But the United States is becoming the worst type of nation imaginable. It enacts increasingly anti-individual/pro-institutional domestic laws, and is home to the biggest prison population (and private prison industry) in the world. It employs the biggest military budget in the world (while scrimping on domestic social and infrastructure development), “preempts” wars with other nations and aggressively establishes military bases on their borders, all while maintaining its position as the world’s leading manufacturer of military weaponry.
In the process, the United States has transformed from a state that is at peace, promotes peace and yet is prepared for defense, into a state that is at war, promotes war and prepares for war, but uses the Orwellian language of peace.
No wonder the American people are so confused. So let’s boil this all down to simple terms…
Imagine this. There are four bordering states in a contentious region of the world. One state is of peace, is constantly at peace and prepares for peace. Another state is of war, is constantly at war and prepares for war. Another state is at war, prepares for war and yet is ready for peace. And the last state is at peace, prepares for peace and yet is ready for defense.
There are many ways each states may act and react to this situation, but inevitably, the warring state will eventually arrive at the border of the purely peaceful state, and the peaceful state will likely concede. The warring state will arrive at the border of the other nations of war, and will either fight just enough to maintain a status quo of conflict (that is their cultural nature, after all) or fight until one side loses all (while the other loses a lot).
Now imagine the winning war state arriving at the border of the peaceful state that is ready for self-defense. Inevitably, the war state will decide it is not worth the confrontation…
That is, not without first infiltrating and subverting the nation’s institutions, instilling chaos and discontent, and steering its culture toward war-mindedness. Sound paranoid? The reality of this tactic was clearly evidenced by last year’s George Soros email hack, which revealed the U.S. government collaborator (and therefore war criminal) Soros funds color revolutions (fake grassroots uprisings) through a range of off-shore NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) which specialize in propaganda and the overthrow of democratically elected foreign governments. This cunning strategy amounts to the covert terrorism of a society’s consciousness, no less.
Nonetheless, peaceful preparedness has proven to be a nation’s best protection against the imperialism of war-minded nations, including one’s own government. It forces warring institutions to abandon plans for outright conflict and invest in programs of social infiltration. Indeed, cultural subversion is the only way a peacefully-prepared nation can be drawn into conflict, regardless of the pretext.
And that, readers, is where you and I come into the picture…
Do You Want War on Terror? Or Peace on Terra?
Terra [noun]: land or territory; Terra [origin] Latin, meaning ‘earth’.
The truth is that we live in a world of States that prepare for war, and are at war. We invest trillions in building mechanisms that can destroy our planet, but neglect to build systems that can benefit our planet and benefit us all. We do not design systems that facilitate peace, but which hinder each other in war. We know and accept war, and lies, but we do not know how to help each other. We have to change our mind state. If we are to survive, our systems of war and destruction must be morphed into systems of support and creation, and our culture must morph right along with it. We have to uplift each other.
I am a terra-ist. I stand for the Earth and its inhabitants. I strive to be at peace, to act in peace, and to promote peace. I am always be ready to defend myself, to defend others around me, to defend the Earth we call home, and to defend peace itself. And I know I am not alone.
“I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.” ~ Gandhi
Terraists embody the exact opposite values of terrorists. They do not prize the abstract notions of power and ideology, but value the real, the natural and the living. Terraists act to protect and provide for all individuals’ needs, with compassionate understanding. Terraists are the people who realize that the more terrorists fight, the further from peace we descend. Terraists build, protect and help others for no reason, other than what it is right, and terraists are prepared to defend against those terrorists (both in and out of uniform) who destroy and kill for reasons they believe justifies their violence.
So, to all terraists out there — to those peaceful individuals without uniform, doctrine or dogma — it’s time to stand up and be counted! Be a terraist for peace, rather than a terrorist for a piece. Be a terraist of insight, rather than a terrorist who incites. Build, create, defend and help, for no other reason than it is right — and in today’s war world, it is our only option.
The way to global peace isn’t paved with war. History has shown us that dedicating our resources toward creating war doesn’t just lead to more war; it makes war an economic necessity, imperiling us all. The only way to ensure peace in our world is to adopt a doctrine of peace; to give peace a budget, give peace a mandate, and give peace all our energy, both politically and personally — and remove from government, through the power of our will and the weight of our numbers, any individual who fails to act on it.
Do not be tricked into thinking that violence by the State is not terrorism. Do not be duped into becoming a terrorist fighting terrorists, mistakenly believing there will later come an opportunity to become a peaceful terraist, once “the war is over.” The reality is, the war will never be over, unless terraists around the world unite and take action on behalf of humanity, terra, and all her inhabitants.
About the Author
Activist, author and Tai Chi teacher Ethan Indigo Smith was born on a farm in Maine and lived in Manhattan for a number of years before migrating west to Mendocino, California. Guided by a keen sense of integrity and humanity, Ethan’s work is both deeply connected and extremely insightful, blending philosophy, politics, activism, spirituality, meditation and a unique sense of humour.
Ethan’s publications include:
For more information, visit Ethan on Facebook.
This article (The Oxymoron War on Terror – The Greatest Hypocrisy of Our Time) was originally created and published by Ethan Indigo Smith and is re-posted here with permission.
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this little piggy went to market This sausage prank exposes our weird food issues
I keep watching this video from a hidden-camera prank show (apparently in Brazil). Prank shows, at their best, are basically elaborate psychological experiments that reveal our cognitive biases and allow us to laugh at our own hypocrisy.
You should just watch it — but here are the highlights: You’ve got an avuncular fellow offering sausage samples in a supermarket. People ask to buy some fresh sausage, at which point the man produces an adorable piglet and stuffs it into his “sausage machine.”
I see this as a version of the famous trolley problem, which goes like this: If a trolley was heading toward five people stuck to the tracks, and you could pull a switch to send it instead to kill just one person, would you? Most people say yes. OK. So if trolley was heading toward five people stuck to the tracks, and there was no switch, but you could push a really fat man in front of the oncoming train (which would surely stop it) would you? And to this, most people emphatically say, “No!”
It’s all very well to kill the man by turning a switch, but when you actually have to push him, those foundational moral prohibitions against murder kick in.
The trolley problem demonstrates that when people have a certain distance from an unpleasant choice, they tend to be coldly rational, e.g. yes, please kill an animal so I can enjoy its delicious meat. But when we are directly involved, we feel a strong emotional response, e.g. “Save Wilbur!”
Notice that it’s the sausage maker who becomes the villain, when of course it’s us, the eaters, who are demanding fresh sausage. And this happens all the time with our food system. We search for cheaper food, but we are shocked when farmers respond by getting bigger and mechanized (so as to sell enough cheaper food to make a decent income).
I’m a strong believer in honoring the emotional response. People demand meat and also condemn meat producers for killing. This isn’t stupid; it’s human. We all have these kinds of responses. The best we can do is own them: Let’s stop blaming the butchers out there; they’re just working for us. |
‘One thing leads to another.’ (Picture: Youtube/CARE Norway)
Rape culture starts in the smallest actions.
A ‘joke’ made to your friends. Staring at a woman until she uncomfortably tugs down her skirt. Letting it slide when someone at work says something sexist.
It’s also in inaction. Not calling people out. Ignoring the problem. Failing to support a victim when she comes forward.
As a new video from CARE Norway shows, each tiny thing can contribute to a society where rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence happen on a daily basis.
To hammer that idea home, the #DearDaddy video shows the consequences of those tiny actions and inactions, all happening to one man’s daughter.
Yes, it’s a little annoying that we still have to frame rape in terms of happening to someone’s daughter or mother – rather than just ‘rape is a horrible thing, even when it happens to someone you don’t know’ – but the five minute video is pretty powerful.
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Because if you’re a dad, you can do all you can to protect your daughter.
You can make sure her mum stays safe (and doesn’t eat sushi).
But by the time she’s 14, she’ll already have been called a bitch or a whore.
She may feel pressured into sex, and do something she doesn’t want to.
She may be raped.
And given that 1 in 3 women worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, usually from a male partner, she may find herself in an abusive relationship.
It’s not about fear-mongering, suggesting that all men are bad, or the idea that if you make one mistake, your daughter will be hurt.
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But what the video shows is that – while it’s impossible for one man to completely protect his daughter from violence – you can take steps towards making the world a safer place for women overall.
MORE: 13 things women in their 20s are tired of hearing
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MORE: This woman is receiving rape threats for refusing to smile on command
MORE: Artist creates an anti-rape cloak to protest victim blaming
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The city of Santa Fe, N.M., added a Walmart Supercenter to the Entrada Contenta subdivision, a mixed-used development that consists of residential and commercial land uses. SMC Consulting Engineers P.C. was retained by Walmart to engineer approximately 17 acres of the watershed planned for the Supercenter, including the building, parking areas, driveways and landscaping.
Initially, the site was undeveloped and covered with native grass and trees. The development increased the impervious area of the site, requiring the engineers to design a storm water management system to mitigate the impact of the increased runoff volume and the higher rate of flow. The limited area available for the Walmart development did not allow for an above-ground storm water management system; the engineers needed an underground solution.
Aside from the space constraints, Santa Fe County also experiences severe drought conditions, which make water resources scarce. With conservation in mind, the decision was made to collect the storm water runoff from the store’s roof catchment area for irrigation purposes. Using the harvested storm water for irrigation would reduce the use of potable water, especially at times when outdoor irrigation is limited due to water rationing restrictions imposed by the city. Native desert plants were selected for site landscaping to further reduce irrigation demands.
Several factors were considered in the selection process for the underground storm water storage systems. Durability, long-term performance and ease of access for inspection and maintenance were important. Additional consideration was given to the speed and ease of installation, as well as a system’s accommodation of the existing subgrade conditions. Last, the overall footprint and a cost-benefit analysis were considered for each of the underground systems.
StormTrap provided one DoubleTrap system for storm water detention and a second system for rainwater harvesting. Together, they protect the downstream drainage system from increased flow rate and higher volume of storm water runoff from the Walmart site, and also provide a viable option for water reuse or irrigation.
A construction crew excavated a 12-ft-deep area below the planned parking lot and set the 10-ft detention system on a compacted aggregate base. To ensure that the system was watertight, an impermeable liner and geotextile fabric were wrapped around it. The detention system is designed to store more than 50,000 cu ft of storm water runoff. The runoff from the parking areas flows through the onsite storm sewer conveyance system and is treated by storm water quality devices prior to entering the detention system.
The stage-storage sizing of the underground detention system was designed for the SCS Type II, 24-hour storm interval for various storm events. Unit hydrographs and computed flood hydrographs for the existing and proposed conditions were developed using the Natural Resources Conservation Service hydrograph method. The outlet structure of the detention system was sized to regulate the release to the downstream storm water conveyance system at levels lower than historical flow rates.
SMC Consulting Engineers performed testing on the rainwater harvesting system prior to commissioning it. A sequence of operations was developed to simulate various phases of the harvesting system and evaluate its response mechanism to different scenarios. Similar testing was done for the storm water detention system. Both systems functioned per intended design and were commissioned once they met the set operational benchmarks.
The rainwater harvesting system is composed of 50 10-ft DoubleTrap pieces and holds more than 15,000 cu ft of storm water runoff collected from the roof catchment area. The stored water is utilized to irrigate the site‘s landscaping.
The storm water management systems allowed the project engineers to maximize the storage volume and minimize the project footprint to allow room for additional parking and reduce the overall cost. SMC Consulting Engineers found that both systems were easy to install, and their clear open configuration allows walk-through access for future inspection and maintenance. |
1. All matches are 20 overs per side, with the teams divided into three groups - North (Derbyshire, Durham, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire), Midlands/West/Wales (Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Worcestershire), and South (Essex, Hampshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex).
2. Matches start at 5.30pm (although there might be some changes to fit in with television schedules), with a 15-minute interval before the start of the second innings at 7.00pm.
3. Each innings should last no longer than 75 minutes.
4. Teams will incur a six-run penalty if they fail to bowl the full 20 overs within the 75 minutes.
5. New batsmen must be in position within 90 seconds of a wicket falling.
6. Only two fielders are allowed outside an inner circle during the first six overs of a team's innings.
7. Bowlers are permitted a maximum of a fifth of the total overs in a completed innings (ie four overs if there is no delay or interruption caused by rain).
8. Umpires can impose a five-run penalty for time-wasting by batsmen. They are expected to be ready as soon as the bowler is ready.
9. No-balls will be penalised by a free-hit next ball with standard rules on no-ball dismissals applying.
10. Each side must face a minimum of five overs for a match to be valid. The Duckworth-Lewis method will be used to calculate run targets in rain-affected games.
11. The three group winners and best second-placed team will progress to the semi-finals/final day on July 19.
12. The overall winners will receive £42,000, the runners-up £21,000 and the losing semi-finalists £10,000 each.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd. |
A sunny and warm Good Friday in the Greater Toronto Area had crowds of cyclists reaching for their bikes to take advantage of the first really nice riding day of the spring. While many took the opportunity to put in their first relatively big ride of the year, two students from the University of Toronto decided to take that to the next level and tackle a distance they’d never ridden before. Not many would decide to do an almost 300 km ride around the Niagara peninsula passing through Port Colborne, Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, Niagara on the Lake and Hamilton in mid-April.
On Thursday afternoon, Kamil Krawczyk made the decision to do a big ride and turned to the University of Toronto Road Racing team Facebook page to look for someone to join him. “I was feeling a bit down and overwhelmed with work and the progress of my PhD,” Krawczyk explained on Saturday afternoon after a morning of rest and recovery. “It’s been preventing me from enjoying cycling in the same capacity that I had enjoyed it for in the past. I felt that going on a long ride with nothing but the experience itself to think about would clear things up for me.”
It was not Krawczyk first big ride but it would be the biggest. In November 2014, Krawczyk rode a brevet with the BC Randonneurs and a friend from the University of British Columbia Cycling Team. That day put 257 km into his legs but that was almost three years ago.
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“I couldn’t quite grasp what a 300 km ride would feel like or if I was even physically fit enough to do one,” Krawczyk who is from B.C. explained about the challenge of the ride. “I had taken a two-year hiatus from cycling after moving to Ontario due to an injury, and only started training seriously again as of January. This was the biggest mental factor – the worry of not being up to snuff by this point just yet. I was training primarily for racing, and not for long distance endurance stuff. I tried to throw in the occasional century but nothing longer than a 100 km since the beginning of the year.”
With phenomenal weather with a high of 16 degrees on the day Krawczyk boarded the GO train from downtown Toronto to their starting point in Burlington. At around 9 a.m. the two riders started pedaling heading first through Dundas and then towards Port Colborne on Lake Erie. Across the Southern portion of the route along the northern shore of Lake Erie, the pair had a steady headwind meaning the going was a little slower than expected. On arrival to Niagara Falls, it was time to refuel and focus on the last portion of the ride.
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“Never try to get a meal at Niagara Falls when the weather is nice. It took half an hour to get two pizza slices and a drink, which on a normal day wouldn’t be such a big deal,” he said noting that the time constraint did make the long break problematic. “Because it was Good Friday, many places were closed especially in rural parts of the province. It was hard to find somewhere to fill up my bidons or grab a more protein-heavy snack.”
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With only five hours to make it back to Burlington, 100 km from Niagara Falls, the two riders buried themselves covering 62 km in less than two hours before needing to take another break to refuel.
“That’s what definitely made the last stretch so hard – we should have been a little smarter and conserved our energy for the last haul. I think what got me through those two hours was the worry of being stranded or having to ride back from Burlington to Toronto and the fact that I really, really wanted a cold Slurpee,” he recalled about the toughest part of the ride. “The last 40 km were the worst since I had nearly run out water and was starting to feel dehydrated. It was a relief to get back to the train station and fill my water bottle up a good four times.”
After the big spring ride, Krawczyk had some advice for others looking to tackle such a big ride. “Take some time to build up to it. If you haven’t done a 200 km trip, don’t try a 300 km trip just yet. Try to get accustomed to riding these distances and to supporting yourself. Make sure you’ve had a lot of sleep and a hearty meal the night before,” he said.
“Bring more than what you expect you’ll need – that goes for food, hydration and bike consumables, especially tubes and maybe a spare tire. Start early and don’t overexert yourself at the get-go,” he added. “You’ll need that energy more than you need at the end. And most importantly, don’t do it by yourself. Bring a friend for some moral support, conversation, and troubleshooting talks if need be down the road.”
The ride from the train station in Burlington took the pair 11 hours 35 minutes and covered 296.2 km. They also rode the distance between the train station to their apartments in Toronto making it a well over 300 km day. Upon arriving home, Krawczyk shared a screenshot of the Strava ride on Reddit and received 3347 upvotes and over 200 comments. It was a response he did not expect.
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“It definitely worked,” Krawczyk said about the experience bringing the joy of cycling back. “I couldn’t take my mind off of the beauty of southern Ontario. I was constantly telling my riding partner about how excited I was to go on these country roads, how the air was so fresh compared to the city and how this reminded me of home. I bet I got a little annoying. Most importantly, I was able to get back in tune with what I loved about this sport and clear my head.” |
Team Liquid will not execute on its plan to split time in its mid-lane position between Greyson "Goldenglue" Gilmer and Austin "Link" Shin, and Link will move out of the team house this week, the team confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.
Liquid is currently also pursuing former Team Dignitas coach David "Cop" Roberson and former Big Gods support Kevin "KonKwon" Kwon as player substitutes who will not actively rotate or live in the team house, according to sources close to all parties. Team Liquid declined to comment on Cop and KonKwon.
Editor's Picks League of Legends global power rankings through Feb. 7 FlyQuest soars while Dignitas plummets in the NA LCS. And bbq Olivers? It looks as good as ever, but the squad will be tested with tough matchups coming against SKT and Longzhu.
The team attempted to split practice time between Goldenglue and Link over the past few weeks but found the results were not adequate for Link to transition to the League Championship Series stage.
As a result, Link will return to his family home in the San Francisco area but remain as a listed and paid substitute on Team Liquid, in accordance with Riot Games' policy on substitutes. Liquid told ESPN it's willing to facilitate transfers for the player if another team has interest.
"We split scrims and also provided some focused solo queue practice, but the results were not there to support making a change in the mid-lane starting position at this time," Team Liquid co-CEO Steve Arhancet told ESPN. "We will continue to strive for excellence for the team to compete at the highest level and have to make decisions with the information for results in the timeframes we want them. Austin has an impeccable work ethic, extremely intelligent player and glad we will be maintaining the substitute position with him in just a different capacity."
Link, the mid-laner known for his time on Counter Logic Gaming, first joined Liquid on Jan. 5. The team intended to rotate him with Goldenglue in the mid-lane position, it announced at the time.
Before playing for Gravity Gaming and coaching Team Dignitas, Cop was the AD carry for Curse, the League of Legends team that merged with Team Liquid in December 2014. If the agreement with Liquid is completed, he will once again work with Arhancet, who at the time was the sole owner of Team Curse. |
A former Amherst College student's account of being raped on campus — and the administration's contemptible response — is going viral on college campuses around the nation, so much so that the Amherst Student newspaper's website shut down for hours thanks to pageviews late last night. Some students at the elite liberal arts college say it's about time the public realizes Amherst is more concerned with keeping up appearances than clamping down on rape culture.
"Some nights I can still hear the sounds of his roommates on the other side of the door, unknowingly talking and joking as I was held down," wrote Angie Epifano, a former member of the Amherst class of 2014, in the Amherst Student article that's being circulated via social media and college listservs across the country. "I had always fancied myself a strong, no-nonsense woman...May 25th [2011] temporarily shattered that self-image and left me feeling like the broken victim that I had never wanted to be."
Epifano didn't report the rape — which she alleges was by an acquaintance, in a dormitory — until after the following February, when she had to work with her rapist on a fundraising project and couldn't deal with his smirks, winks, and pats on the back. She tried to seek help from Amherst's sexual assault counselor, which didn't go so well:
In short I was told: No you can't change dorms, there are too many students right now. Pressing charges would be useless, he's about to graduate, there's not much we can do. Are you SURE it was rape? It might have just been a bad hookup…You should forgive and forget. How are you supposed to forget the worst night of your life? I didn't know what to do any more. For four months I continued wondering around campus, distancing from my friends, and going to counseling center. I was continuously told that I had to forgive him, that I was crazy for being scared on campus, and that there was nothing that could be done. They told me: We can report your rape as a statistic, you know for records, but I don't recommend that you go through a disciplinary hearing. It would be you, a faculty advisor of your choice, him, and a faculty advisor of his choice in a room where you would be trying to prove that he raped you. You have no physical evidence, it wouldn't get you very far to do this.
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Epifano's 5,000 word piece details her consequent breakdown: she claims the school abruptly decided to admit her into a psychiatric ward after she made suicidal comments spurred by the despair she felt when her allegations were repeatedly ignored. Once inside, Epifano resolved to stop feeling ashamed by her rape. She returned to Amherst, experienced the same unsympathetic treatment from the administration, and ultimately decided to transfer. Her rapist graduated, with honors.
"The fact that such a prestigious institution could have such a noxious interior fills me with intense remorse mixed with sour distaste," she wrote. "I am sickened by the Administration's attempts to cover up survivors' stories, cook their books to discount rapes, pretend that withdrawals never occur, quell attempts at change, and sweep sexual assaults under a rug...Why can't we know what is really happening on campus? Why should we be quiet about sexual assault?"
Epifano's story is harrowing on its own, but it's not the only one coming out of the woodwork thanks to recent controversy over an offensive fraternity t-shirt and a subsequent campus-wide meeting regarding the administration's sexual misconduct policy and issues of "sexual respect" on campus.
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The clothing in question is care of "underground" fraternity Theta Delta Chi (TD), which holds an annual pig-on-a-spit "Bavaria"-themed party. Last year, the creative brothers came up with this design: a woman in her bra and thong, with bruises on her side and an apple jammed in her mouth, tied up on a spit over a fire, while a pig, cigar in hand, watches the woman roast.
"This is what sexism and misogyny look like at a so-called progressive, elite, liberal arts institution in 2012," wrote Amherst senior Dana Bolger — an on-campus rape survivor herself — on AC Voice, a student-run blog. Bolger decried the administration for holding "an unadvertised, effectively closed-door discussion with a handful of students and frat members" to remedy the situation, during which "boys-will-be-boys" comments ("We were just a bunch of drunk guys sitting around on a Friday night designing the shirt") and a blanket apology were deemed satisfactory. "The administration's inadequate response to the t-shirt incident was not an anomaly and seems part of a larger pattern of forgiving instances of violence against women on campus," Bolger wrote, continuing:
According to a Title IX committee meeting I attended last spring, Amherst has expelled only one student for rape in its entire history—and only after a criminal court sentenced him to time in jail. Meanwhile, our disciplinary committee has found other students guilty of sexual misconduct but ultimately permitted them to continue their Amherst educations. Faced with the non-choice of staying on campus with his/her rapist or leaving, many sexual assault survivors I know take time off, transfer, or drop out altogether.
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Bolger's blog post incited so much controversy that Amherst's president, Carolyn "Biddy" Martin, invited all 1,791 undergraduates to an open campus-wide discussion, which took place last Sunday, October 14th. According to the Amherst Student, a mixture of administrators, faculty, coaches, fraternity members and survivors of sexual assault attended to talk about the school's fraternities, lax punishments for misconduct, and ways in which students could more actively help reshape Amherst's sexual assault policy. The administration hasn't released any sexual assault statistics*, but the Amherst Student reported that "few cases have gone the full distance in the disciplinary process at the College." Of course, we have national statistics: 95% of campus attacks go unreported, according to the American Association of University Women. Two thirds of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.
"I also want to encourage you to think about other aspects of life at Amherst, both the positive and the less than positive, and to imagine what it would take to strengthen our sense of community, enhance your education outside of the classroom, and have more fun," Martin wrote in last Sunday's meeting announcement. "Fun?" Catherine Bryars ('12) asked us. "See how they're putting this in the fast route to get away from anything negative?"
Bryars, who is currently devoting her first post-grad year to pressuring Amherst's administration to revamp their sexual assault policies — as a graduate, it's easier for her to speak on behalf of her former peers who still have to spend every day on the small, rural campus — said that last year was an "explosive" one, thanks to the number of female students who opened up about how their on-campus sexual assaults had been mishandled. "Girls kept coming forward and saying that staff members had told them to consider sympathizing with their rapists, or go home for a period of time," Bryars said. "I think that the campus culture overall is to stay silent, to deny, to not come forth with dissent."
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Sunday's meeting was the administration's first attempt to challenge that assumption. Amherst's fraternities, which are technically banned on campus, were a big talking point; they're not allowed to hold on-campus parties or attend on-campus meetings, but many of them live together in suites on campus, and the Bavaria party at which the t-shirt was sold was held on campus. For this reason, the TD members who attended Sunday's meeting couldn't publicly acknowledge their fraternity membership. "Fraternities exist in a regulatory grey area where we all sort of pretend they don't exist," Emma Saltzberg ('13) told the paper. "It creates a culture where the administration agrees to look the other way. When you know that you exist in a grey area and that the administration is wiling to ignore your existence, that gradually turns into a culture of brazenness and in this instance, you see that people exploited that."
Therein lies one obvious (and bizarre) problem in need of a solution. The school's aforementioned lenient repercussions for sexual misconduct also came up often during the meeting: according to the Amherst Student, the record of sanctions released by the College last spring show that students found responsible for sexual assault were usually suspended for two to four semesters, while punishment for theft of a laptop resulted in five semesters' suspension. Another issue, raised by Bolger, is how students on the disciplinary committee are chosen from a very narrow pool that includes few women and is, therefore, hardly representative of the student body.
But it seems that the larger, underlying problem is Amherst's obsession with keeping up appearances. If the college continues to prioritize its reputation over the well-being of its female students, little will change. Bryars said she feels confident that Martin, who has only been president for a year, will eventually realize that Amherst is doing its students a major disservice by refusing to take sexual assault seriously. But will Martin and her administration risk tarnishing Amherst's storied reputation as the second best liberal arts school in the nation by doing so? Now — thanks to Epifano's widely-circulated essay and the efforts of students like Bryars and Bolger — it seems they won't have a choice.
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Update: President Martin has issued a response to Epifano's essay. An excerpt: "Clearly, the administration's responses to reports have left survivors feeling that they were badly served. That must change, and change immediately."
*Edit: According to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act Report, Amherst reported 15 on-campus forcible sex offenses in 2011. |
Violence against men (VAM), consists of violent acts that are disproportionately or exclusively committed against men. Men are overrepresented as both victims[1][2] and perpetrators of violence.[3][4] Sexual violence against men is treated differently in any given society from that committed against women, and may be unrecognized by international law.[5][6][7][8]
Perceptions [ edit ]
Studies of social attitudes show violence is perceived as more or less serious depending on the gender of victim and perpetrator.[9][10][11] According to a study in the publication Aggressive Behavior, violence against women was about a third more likely to be reported by third parties to the police regardless of the gender of the attacker,[12] although the most likely to be reported gender combination was a male perpetrator and female victim.[12] The use of stereotypes by law enforcement is a recognised issue,[13] and international law scholar Solange Mouthaan argues that, in conflict scenarios, sexual violence against men has been ignored in favor of a focus on sexual violence against women and children.[14] One explanation for this difference in focus is the physical power that men hold over women making people more likely to condemn violence with this gender configuration.[15] The concept of male survivors of violence go against social perceptions of the male gender role, leading to low recognition and few legal provisions.[16] Often there is no legal framework for a woman to be prosecuted when committing violent offenses against a man.[17]
Richard Felson challenges the assumption that violence against women is different from violence against men. The same motives play a role in almost all violence, regardless of gender: to gain control or retribution and to promote or defend self-image.[18]
Writing for TIME, Cathy Young criticised the feminist movement for not doing enough to challenge double standards in the treatment of male victims of physical abuse and sexual assault.[19]
Domestic violence [ edit ]
In 2013 editor-in-chief of the journal Partner Abuse, John Hamel,[20] set up the Domestic Violence Research Group to create the "Partner Abuse State of Knowledge Project (PASK)".[21] PASK found parity in rates of both perpetration and victimisation for men and women.[22]
Men who are victims of domestic violence are at times reluctant to report it or to seek help. According to some commentators there is also a paradigm that only males perpetrate domestic violence and are never victims.[23] Shamita Das Dasgupta and Erin Pizzey are amongst those who argue that, as with other forms of violence against men, intimate partner violence is generally less recognized in society when the victims are men.[24][25] Violence of women against men in relationships is often 'trivialized'[3][26][27] due to the supposed weaker physique of women; in such cases the use of dangerous objects and weapons is omitted.[3] Research since the 1990s has identified issues of perceived and actual bias when police are involved, with the male victim being negated even whilst injured.[28]
Female violence against men [ edit ]
According to the journalist Martin Daubney "...there remains a theory that men under report their experiences [of violence by women against men] due to a culture of masculine expectations.[29] The official figure in the United Kingdom, for example, is about 50% of the number of acts of violence by men against women, but there are indications that only about 10% of male victims of female violence report the incidents to the authorities, mainly due to taboos and fears of misunderstanding created by a culture of masculine expectations.[30] By comparison 1.9 million people aged 16–59 told the Crime Survey for England and Wales (year ending March 2017), that they were victims of domestic violence and 79% did not report their partner or ex-partner. Of the 1.9 million, approximately 1.2 million were female and 713,000 were male.[31] A Canadian report found that men were 22% more likely to report being victims of spousal violence in their current relationship than women.[30][32] Researchers Stemple and Meyer report that sexual violence by women against men is often understudied or unrecognized.[33]
Forced circumcision [ edit ]
[34] patented device designed to prevent masturbation by inflicting electric shocks upon the perpetrator, by ringing an alarm bell, and through spikes at the inner edge of the tube into which the penis is inserted. Circumcision was recommended to prevent masturbation.
Non-therapeutic male circumcision is considered, by several groups, to be a form of violence against young men and boys.[35][36] The International Criminal Court considers forced circumcision to be an "inhumane act".[35] Some court decisions have found it to be a violation of a child's rights.[37] In certain countries, such as Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Turkey and the United States, newborn baby males are routinely circumcised without the child's consent.[38][39] As well, the Jewish and Muslim faiths circumcise boys at a young age.[40] It is also practiced in Coptic Christianity and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.[39][41]
Any cutting whatsoever of a female's genitals, also known as female genital mutilation, has been banned in most Western countries, starting in Sweden in 1982 and the United States in 1997.[42] When Sweden outlawed it in 1982, it became the first Western country to do so.[43]:611 Several former colonial powers, including Belgium, Britain, France and the Netherlands, followed suit, either with new laws or by making clear that it was covered by existing legislation.[44][45][46]
Although a 2012 court ruling in Germany put the practice of male cutting under question, calling circumcision "grievous bodily harm," the German parliament passed a law to keep circumcision of boys legal.[47] As of 2016, cutting of boys' foreskins is still legal worldwide.[38]
Mass killings [ edit ]
Serbian victims during insurgency in the Kosovo War
In situations of structural violence that include war and genocide, men and boys are frequently singled out and killed.[48] The murder of targets by sex during the Kosovo War, estimates of civilian male victims of mass killings suggest that they made up more than 90% of all civilian casualties.[48]
Non-combatant men and boys have been and continue to be the most frequent targets of mass killing and genocidal slaughter, as well as a host of lesser atrocities and abuses.[49] Gendercide Watch, an independent human rights group, documents multiple gendercides aimed at males (adult and children): The Anfal Campaign,[50] (Iraqi Kurdistan), 1988 – Armenian Genocide[51] (1915–17) – Rwanda, 1994.[52] Forced conscription can also be considered gender-based violence against men.[53]
Sexual violence [ edit ]
In armed conflict, sexual violence is committed by men against men as psychological warfare in order to demoralize the enemy.[54] The practice is ancient, and was recorded as taking place during the Crusades.[55] Castration is used as a means of physical torture with strong psychological effects, namely the loss of the ability to procreate and the loss of the status of a full man.[55] International criminal law does not consider gender based sexual violence against men a separate type of offense and treats it as war crimes or torture.[56] The culture of silence around this issue often leaves men with no support.[57]
In 2012, a UNHCR report stated that "SGBV (sexual and gender based violence) against men and boys has generally been mentioned as a footnote in reports".[58] In one study, less than 3% of organizations that address rape as a weapon of war, mention men or provide services to male victims.[6][8][59] It was noted in 1990 that the English language is "bereft of terms and phrases which accurately describe male rape".[60]
Homicide [ edit ]
Homicide statistics according to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics[61] Male offender/Male victim 65.3% Male offender/Female victim 22.7% Female offender/Male victim 9.6% Female offender/Female victim 2.4%
In the U.S., crime statistics from the 1976 onwards show that men make up the majority of the homicide perpetrators regardless if the victim is female or male. Men are also over-represented as victims in homicide involving both male and female offenders.[61] According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, women who kill men are most likely to kill acquaintances, spouses or boyfriends while men are more likely to kill strangers.[62] In many cases, women kill men due to being victims of intimate partner violence,[63] however it should be noted that this research was conducted on women on death row, a sample size of approximately 97 during the last 100 years.[64]
See also [ edit ] |
Nothing gets out of a black hole—not even light. Once a star, a planet, a piece of dust, or even a single photon crosses the limit known as the event horizon, it’s not coming out again. Pulled into the crushing gravity of the singularity at the black hole’s heart, it vanishes from the universe.
That’s a big problem if what you really want from a black hole is a photograph. By definition, it’s impossible. All light getting sucked in means no light reflects back—so a black hole is invisible, across the spectrum. And, duh, invisible objects don’t show up in photographs.
But thanks to a new telescope, Tim Johannsen, an astrophysicist at the Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, may be able to get a black hole pic after all. A loophole in physics means he might be able to see not the black hole itself, but its shadow. And, no big deal, but that photo just might overturn Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
So...wait. Black holes have shadows? Sort of. As gas and dust and other cosmic material approaches a black hole, “that stuff heats up, like millions and millions of degrees,” Johannsen says. That superheated matter swirls around the black hole in what’s called an accretion disk; because it’s so hot, the accretion disk emits a lot of light. Some of those photons zoom out towards Earthbound telescopes, while others cross the event horizon and fall into the void. So when astronomers look at a black hole, what they expect to see is a ring of bright light—the accretion disk—surrounding a circle of nothingness. That circle of nothingness is the shadow. (The black hole itself is just a single point within.) You can see a model of that here:
At least, that’s the idea. No one has ever actually seen a black hole’s shadow. “Despite their enormous mass, black holes are also exceedingly small,” says Avery Broderick, Johannsen’s colleague at the Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo. Seen from Earth, the shadow of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way (also known as Sgr A*, which astrophysicists pronounce “Saj-A-star”) is just 1/35,000,000th the width of the Moon, or 50 microarcseconds wide.
Here’s where that new telescope comes in. Maybe. Johannsen, Broderick, and their colleagues hope the Event Horizon Telescope will be able to resolve Sgr A*’s shadow. The EHT is actually nine telescopes (and counting), all working together and each located in a different spot on Earth. Coordinating those telescopes’ observations allows them to work as one big telescope that is, in essence, as big as the planet. The bigger your telescope, the higher your resolution. “The Event Horizon Telescope has the capability to produce the highest-resolution images in the history of astronomy”, Broderick says. “That means, for the first time, we can see what happens right down in the immediate vicinity of black hole event horizons.”
Scientists working on the EHT hope to see images in the spring of 2017. But they already have some ideas of what they’ll get. General relativity describes gravity not as a force drawing two objects together, but rather as the warped spacetime that governs each of those objects movements. Concentrate a big enough mass in a small enough region of spacetime, and its gravity will be inescapably huge—voila, you’ve got a black hole. If that sounds weird to you, well, it took 50 years for astronomers to discover that black holes were real objects, not just a quirk of general relativity’s math.
The problem is, general relativity is really good at describing giant things like stars, but breaks down utterly when it comes to really teeny tiny things like photons and quarks. To talk about those, you need a different theory: quantum mechanics. The central problem in physics today is that the theories are fundamentally incompatible. To figure that out, physicists are keen to find places where the theories overlap or break down—like, for example, the event horizon of a black hole.
General relativity doesn’t just predict the existence of black holes. It also precisely describes the size and shape of their shadows. Sgr A*’s shadow is supposed to be perfectly circular and 50 microarcseconds wide. “What would it look like if general relativity were wrong?” wonders Broderick (and just about every other astrophysicist on the planet). There are two possibilities. “The shadow could be more egg shaped,” says Johannsen. “That would be a smoking gun for a GR violation.” It might also be slightly smaller or bigger than general relativity predicts. All he needs to figure it out is the picture from the EHT. (Johannsen and Broderick just published a paper outlining their strategy in Physical Review Letters.)
And what if Sgr A*’s shadow doesn’t look the way general relativity says it should? Well, that would be great. If the results held up, physicists could start looking for alternative theories of gravity that did predict the shadow's size and shape. Success wouldn’t mean the new theory would automatically be the successor to general relativity, of course. But it’s a good way to figure out which theories might be on the right track, so you can give their other predictions a closer look.
Johannsen’s favorite possibility involves extra dimensions. A shortcoming of general relativity is that it doesn’t explain why gravity is so much weaker than the other fundamental forces. “Let’s assume there is another space dimension. Gravity would immediately penetrate that and become kind of diluted,” Johannsen says. In other words, gravity isn’t weak, it’s just working across more dimensions than the other forces. Amazingly, theories that predict those extra dimensions also predict a different size for Sgr A*’s shadow. In a couple years, finally proving—or falsifying—this weird new physics could “literally be as ‘easy’ as putting a ruler across the image,” Johannsen says.
“We’re getting this amazing opportunity to finally put Einstein to the test around the most enigmatic and striking predictions of this theory,” Broderick says. If Einstein is wrong, general relativity won’t go away—it’s too good at what it does. It just won’t be the whole story anymore. Isaac Newton was plenty right about how gravity worked here on Earth; Einstein revolutionized our understanding of the universe. But the universe is big enough to have room for someone to come along and do it again. |
NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- A man is accused of reaching for a gun just before getting in a fight with a Wal-Mart loss prevention officer in a parking lot in New Hartford.
Police said were called around 8 p.m. Tuesday to the Wal-Mart at 4765 Commercial Dr. after two men were confronted by employees for stealing.
Tevin V. Joyner, 20, was being detained by loss prevention officers while 26-year-old Willie Alexander fled across the parking lot and toward the store's garden center, police say.
Witnesses told police that Alexander was trying to get rid of the gun when a loss prevention officer approached him.
The two fought after Alexander allegedly reached for the gun on the ground while the employee was trying to detain him.
New Hartford Police Officer Ann Marie Brelinsky took Alexander into custody when she arrived at the parking lot.
Joyner and Alexander are charged with misdemeanor petit larceny, while Alexander also faces a felony second-degree criminal possession of a weapon charge.
Both men were sent to the the Oneida County jail. Alexander is in custody without bail and Joyner was released Wednesday by a court order, records show.
Contact Jolene Almendarez anytime: 315-418-8746 | Email | Twitter | Facebook |
The Wall Street Journal editorial board published a furious tirade Tuesday in response to President Trump’s “America First” immigration proposals, arguing that the proposals do not do enough to make open-borders Democrats happy and would lead to a “humanitarian calamity” if illegal immigrants are sent home.
“Does President Trump want a bipartisan deal on immigration, or is his talk merely for cable-TV show?” the outlet, which caters to a big business readership, wrote.
Trump’s proposal, believed to have been drafted by nationalist adviser Stephen Miller, would shield illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children and eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in return for a host of measures demanded by conservatives. Those include funding for the wall on the southern border, mandated use of E-Verify by employers, an increase in immigration agents, greater restrictions on which family members immigrants can bring, and a stripping of funds from so-called “sanctuary cities.”
Trump had cozied up to the Democrats shortly after announcing the repeal of the Obama-era DACA program in September — setting a six-month time limit for its expiration and urging Congress to make a deal. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) indicated that Trump had suggested funding for the wall had been jettisoned by Trump as a firm term, replaced instead by a vague “border security.” But the proposals announced late Sunday indicate a return to Trump’s “America First” campaign stance that helped him win the election in 2016.
However, the Journal described the demands as “everything that the restrictionist right has ever sought” and making an agreement “well-nigh impossible.”
The article pivots to its concern for cheap labor for big business, claiming that “tight visa caps” are sending high-tech jobs abroad and agricultural production to Mexico. Oddly, it claims that limiting chain migration for family members would encourage more illegal immigration — the argument apparently being that America should just let in potential illegal immigrants before they break the law.
As Breitbart News reported, this argument from the center-right outfit is in line with that being pushed by a number of left-wing media and advocacy groups claiming that such demands are “poison pills” because they will upset Democrats.
“It’s hard to know if Mr. Trump intends all this as a serious negotiating offer, or merely as poison pills,” the editorial board writes. The case for the latter is that he is demanding money for the wall, which he knows is a nonstarter with Democrats.”
The board essentially is arguing that Trump should give up on a central campaign promise because Democrats do not like it. However, it later says that he would be much better off going for the old talking point of a “virtual wall”:
If Mr. Trump feels he needs a symbolic wall victory, he’d be smarter to settle for a virtual wall with drones, aerostat blimps and towers with infrared sensors to fill gaps in fencing where the border patrol has difficulty accessing. Newer technology has facial recognition features that can capture biometric data. A virtual wall could be installed within months, not years, and it can be continually improved.
If such a wall is a real possibility and would actually work better than a real wall, it is unclear why the Journal thinks Democrats would fund this, either.
But after claiming for much of the article that Democrats would scupper the deal, the board admits that such demands would “have no chance of passing no matter which party controls Congress” — essentially conceding that the problem is not just the Democrats.
It finishes with the warning that if illegal immigrants are not granted amnesty via a DACA replacement, Democrats will “blame” Republicans for their deportation — despite this being a campaign promise from the president.
“This would be a humanitarian calamity, and a monumental lost political opportunity. Mr. Trump needs legislative victories to show he can govern, but his immigration bait and switch may guarantee another failure.”
The WSJ article is the latest in a broad attack from pro-big business interests. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s lobbying group has reportedly been lobbying top Republicans to prevent President Trump from including pro-American reforms as part of the amnesty for DACA recipients.
Adam Shaw is a Breitbart News politics reporter based in New York. Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamShawNY. |
In a new systematic review in JAMA Neurology, Michigan Medicine researchers found reason to further explore the surprising effects of zolpidem that have been observed outside the scope of its primary Food and Drug Administration approval.
"We saw a dramatic effect in a small amount of patients with a variety of conditions," says Martin "Nick" Bomalaski, M.D., an outgoing resident physician in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. For one of the first systematic reviews of this unique effect, he spent two years combing through all the case studies and small trials that have been published.
Most of the patients who responded to zolpidem for noninsomnia neurological disorders had either a disorder of consciousness or a movement disorder, Bomalaski reports. That includes those in comas and vegetative states, and others with Parkinson's disease and dystonia. In addition, some other patients who had experienced a stroke or traumatic brain injury, or patients with dementia, were prescribed for a range of symptoms, including aphasia, apathy and motor coordination. In all, more than 20 neurological disorders were part of the review.
Significant but transient effects
For most patients who saw improvement after taking zolpidem, the effects tended to last one to four hours but were repeatable. Depending on the condition, progress was reported for coma recovery, dystonia, Parkinson's disease and other scales that measure motor, auditory and verbal abilities. Some patients improved to a minimally conscious state while others even tried to speak to their loved ones, for perhaps the first time in years. Some patients' functional neuroimaging results improved as well.
"This is one of those strange paradoxes where the effects of an insomnia drug seem to have the opposite effect for patients who have paralysis or neurologic conditions," says co-author Mark Peterson, Ph.D., M.S., FACSM, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and a member of U-M's Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation and Neuroscience Graduate Program. Some families will request zolpidem after finding a case study or news article online because they feel there are no other real options for their loved ones.
But zolpidem didn't work for everyone. The response rate in the reviewed articles was between 5 and 7 percent for patients with disorders of consciousness, and up to 24 percent or even higher for patients with movement disorders. For the subjects in this review, the most common adverse effect was that zolpidem did, in fact, sedate the patients as one would see in regular use of the drug. That happened in 13 of the 551 patients in the systematic review.
The first systematic review
Bomalaski has treated many patients affected with these disorders of consciousness and found the existing case reports quite interesting.
"I saw how these conditions affected their function and quality of life," he says. "To see that something as simple as an average dose of a sleeping medicine had, in 15 minutes, woken someone up from a vegetative state seemed extraordinary, and I wanted to pursue it further."
The initial search turned up more than 2,300 unique articles. After assessing the abstracts, Bomalaski's team reduced the articles to 89. Another screening included a full read of the 89 articles, leading to a systematic review of 67 of them. Most are considered low-level evidence, including case reports and small interventional trials.
Bomalaski reviewed the 67 articles for type of disorder, dosage of zolpidem, frequency, effect and any adverse effects. Only 11 of the studies had more than 10 participants, but all together, there were 551 participants.
Guidance for future research
"This kind of report brings up more questions than answers, although something like this is really foundational to guide a larger clinical trial," Peterson says. The next step is to study safety and efficacy, the authors say.
Another topic for more research is to assess whether the effects of zolpidem depend on the part of the brain that's injured. The researchers report zolpidem's unique effects may be present in patients whose basal ganglia, which help process information to perform an action, are no longer functioning correctly.
"The restorative effects on the basal ganglia may surpass the hypnotic effects on the frontal cortex," says Bomalaski, who is headed to the University of Washington for a brain injury fellowship.
"We still need to learn much more in order to answer the question about whether we should be using this in our clinical practice."
Article: Zolpidem for the Treatment of Neurologic Disorders: A Systematic Review, Martin N. Bomalaski, MD et al., JAMA Neurology, doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.1133, published online 26 June 2017. |
If you're thinking that sounds a lot like CRISPR gene editing, the new rule seems to be targeting just that. As it stands, WADA already bars genetically modified cells and other types of gene therapy that can enhance performance, but the existing rules don't cover CRISPR-type methods.
The agency said that certain types of medical gene therapy might be allowed, as long as they don't significantly enhance athletic prowess. "Generally, performance enhancement implies enhancement beyond a return to normal, although you may appreciate that this is not always easy to prove definitively," WADA spokesperson Maggie Durand told New Scientist.
WADA seems to be well ahead of any actual cheating. Only one CRISPR trial with humans has been completed, a form of lung cancer treatment done at Sichuan University in China (dozens more are planned in the nation). Unlike regular drug doping, CRISPR requires sophisticated, expensive equipment and techniques, so it's not like shady MDs can do it their garages -- for now.
It's a good thing that WADA doesn't have anyone to catch yet, because it doesn't really seem to have any detection methods, either. When quizzed by New Scientist (Engadget has reached, out too) about how it plans to catch gene-editing cheaters, the agency had no response. It's been working on techniques to detect such doping for over ten years, but only came up with a single test least year. For now, the best method might be the "biological passport" that can detect significant changes in an athlete's body. |
Results of a recent Gallup Poll reveal that the American public's trust in banks has hit a record low. Just 21 percent of Americans have faith in the nation's banks, the lowest recorded number since the poll was first taken in 1973. It is lower now than it was in 2009, in the teeth of the financial crisis.
One can speculate that, like distrust in Congress, this lack of faith appears across the political spectrum. From the left, banks are criticized for engaging in risky conduct that helped to bring about the Great Recession. Similarly, many on the populist right vilify government intervention designed to prop up poorly managed financial institutions as threatening capitalism itself. In many ways, this lack of faith is not surprising. Media reports routinely provide the general public with reminders of bank misconduct, whether in the illegal origination of loans, the shoddy packaging of mortgage-backed securities, excessive and ill-advised risk taking or the faulty prosecution of foreclosures. These revelations have had a profound impact on the general public's faith in financial institutions. Making matters worse, law enforcement's most recent attempt at uncovering and prosecuting bank misconduct in the lead up to and fallout from the financial crisis has gotten moving in only fits and starts. These forces -- public disenchantment with the banks, coupled with weak law enforcement -- are a toxic mix. They will fail to prevent future misconduct; what's worse, they may, in fact, encourage it.
Throughout the year, as more information comes out about bank misconduct before and after the financial crisis, public perception of the financial sector remains poor. Whether it's the $25 billion settlement of so-called "Robo-Signing" practices; revelations of the failure of Bank of America to disclose losses at Merrill Lynch when it asked its shareholders to approve purchase of the investment bank; the billions in trading losses at JP Morgan Chase; or the recent settlements of mortgage discrimination suits against Wells Fargo, Countrywide Financial Corporation and SunTrust Mortgage, the public receives constant reminders that our financial institutions have engaged in, and apparently continue to engage in, some very risky, and, at times, illegal, behavior.
At the same time, the law enforcement effort that was initiated as part of the Robo-Sign settlement, which is charged with reviewing bank practices both before and after the crisis, seems to have stalled. It is both underfunded and understaffed. While the S&L Crisis inquiry had a staff of over 1,000 lawyers and investigators, the current team is roughly one tenth the size, and does not seem capable of obtaining information about, let alone reviewing, the countless transactions and documents at the heart of the financial crisis.
What all of this means is that bankers and the general public are left with the distinct impression not only that fraud in the financial industry was widespread, but also that those guilty of it are not likely to face any punishment. Simply put, this is a very dangerous combination of forces, one that will only lead to precisely the type of behavior that led to the most recent financial crisis in the first place.
Perceptions of widespread misconduct, coupled with a belief that punishment of that misconduct is rare, leads to -- no surprise -- more misconduct. The field of behavioral economics teaches us that the extent to which we perceive others as complying with the law will likely influence our willingness to obey or break it ourselves. If we think others are complying, we are likely to behave similarly. If we believe others are breaking it, we will not wish to be seen as the suckers, the ones following rules that everyone else ignores. A now-famous study of the behavior of individuals who frequented a national park reveals how these forces work. In instances where park goers were confronted with signs that led them to think many people engaged in improper conduct in the park, fewer people were willing to forego such conduct for fear they would be missing out on something. By contrast, efforts that communicated the importance of pro-social behavior in the park resulted in more conduct that conformed to the rules. Similarly, and not unexpectedly, whenever the public believes that many people cheat on their taxes, and enforcement of such tax cheats is weak, there is more likely to be more tax evasion, not less.
All signs indicate that the current situation finds just these types of forces at work. First, there is a widespread mistrust of banks, one that is fueled by a perception that in the lead up to the crisis banks were routinely engaged in improper and even illegal conduct (whether such perceptions are justified or not). Second, law enforcement officials seem somewhat limited in their ability to hold financial institutions accountable for the illegal conduct, despite having made some headway recently in the area of punishing mortgage discrimination. Since at the heart of the financial crisis lies a range of bank misconduct, an atmosphere filled with the widespread perception of misconduct, coupled with little fear that lawbreakers will be held accountable, could send us back to a second financial crisis.
In order to rein in unnecessary risk and fraudulent behavior, what is needed now is a robust, serious and sustained effort to root out, expose and prosecute those illegal acts that led to the financial crisis. Once that is done, faith in the financial sector can be restored; the public will know that the misconduct has been addressed, and those responsible brought to justice. Moving forward, bankers will want to uphold their improved reputations, and will fear punishment should they fail to do so. |
The Syracuse Crunch is on the very edge of the Calder Cup playoffs. As of this morning, their magic number for clinching a playoff berth was 4. That number could be lowered to zero if things play out right tonight. According to the AHL's most recent Playoff Primer, the Crunch could clinch a berth tonight if one of the following two scenarios play out:
(a) a regulation or overtime win vs. Binghamton AND an Albany loss (reg/OT/SO) vs. Manchester
OR
(b) a shootout win vs. Binghamton AND an Albany regulation loss vs. Manchester.
Once Syracuse clinches, their next order of business will be to remain atop of the AHL's Northeast Division, something the Crunch has managed to do for the last several weeks. The Crunch is currently 7 points ahead of second-place Hartford, a team Syracuse will play on Friday. As long as that gap stays open, Syracuse will be sitting pretty in one of the top three spots in their Eastern Conference, and will have home ice for the first round of the playoffs.
As the first round is a best-of-three, home ice is pretty important, especially to a Syracuse team that has made a living out of winning in the Onondaga County War Memorial this season. Two seasons ago, the Crunch had home ice for the first round the playoffs, and swept the Portland Pirates to move onto the second round. That season, Syracuse wasn't nearly as proficient and comfortable in the War Memorial as they have been this season. Syracuse could definitely get a leg up in the playoffs with home ice advantage for at least the first round.
Thankfully for the offensively-strapped Crunch, help is on the way. Last week, the Lightning brought Bradyen Point to the Crunch after signing him to an entry-level contract. This week, they've signed another forward who has the potential to jump into the mix immediately and assist Syracuse: Matthew Peca.
Peca was signed by the Lightning to a two-year, two-way contract. He was also signed to an amateur try-out contract (ATO) with the Syracuse Crunch, where he will remain for the remainder of the Crunch's season. It's been reported that Peca will wear number 22 in Syracuse. It is not yet clear whether he will be available for tonight's contest against Binghamton.
Peca has spent the past four years playing for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats, and was recently touted by the New Haven Register as "the best player to ever come through the Hamden campus." Although currently on the small side-Peca is 5-foot-8, 155-pounds-he reportedly doesn't let his size get in the way of playing big. He played in 157 career NCAA games with Quinnipiac, registering 42 goals and 143 points.
His point totals, however, only tell half the story. According to the Register, Peca brings with him a lot of good hockey sense, energy, and an innate desire to sacrifice his body in order to get the win:
But his knack for doing the little things endeared Peca to teammates. Just a shade over 160 pounds, he never shied away from contact in the corners. He was outstanding on face-offs; took countless double-shifts on the penalty kill; devoured minutes in tight games. And his enthusiasm for throwing himself in front of opposing slap shots seemed borderline maniacal.
Peca's signing gives Crunch fans a reason to be optimistic about their forward depth, even without the likes of Vadislav Namestnikov. This is especially helpful since the Crunch's defense is still looking thin while Slater Koekkoek, Luke Witkowski and Nikita Nesterov remain with Tampa. With the AHL playoffs right around the corner for Syracuse, Peca definitely has the chance to jump in and make a difference right away. |
The Tudeh Party of Iran, Iran’s communist party, has issued an appeal for “solidarity action with the working people of Iran campaigning for peace and progress” and with the broad Iranian progressive and democratic movement.
Since early January, the party’s Feb. 21 message says, the Ahmadinejad regime “has embarked upon a new wave of repressive measures designed to suffocate the opposition forces demanding a return to the ideals of the 1979 revolution in Iran: democracy, human rights and social justice.”
Thousands of people have been arrested, nearly 100 protesters have been killed either by government security forces during protest demonstrations or under torture in detention centers, and 11 detainees have been condemned to execution, the Tudeh appeal says.
Among those arrested are activists and leaders of Iran’s student movement, trade union movement, women’s movement and well known academics and progressive writers and journalists.
“International solidarity with these victims of suppression in Iran is of vital importance,” the Tudeh Party says. “International pressure on the Iranian regime, to oblige it to abide by the internationally accepted norms and conventions governing treatment of peaceful political protest, needs to be maintained.”
The appeal urges messages to the Iranian government supporting the following demands of communist, left, progressive and democratic organization around the world:
* The Iranian government to abide by the UN Charter and the Universal Convention on Human Rights.
* All death sentences to be commuted to terms of imprisonment decided in a court of law convened in accordance with the laws of natural justice and in which the accused have full access to defense lawyers and are able to defend themselves.
* All those detained to be protected from torture or other ill treatment, to be allowed access to their families, lawyers and any necessary medical treatment, and for them to be brought before a judge without delay so that they may challenge the lawfulness of their detention.
* Anyone held solely for their participation in protest demonstrations or for expressing their views to be released immediately and unconditionally.
* The authorities in Iran to ensure that their policing of any further demonstrations meets international policing standards, including a ban on the use of firearms and other lethal weapons
* An impartial investigation be conducted into the deaths of all those killed.
“The situation is very desperate and the need for international solidarity is great,” the appeal concludes.
The Tudeh Party (Party of the Masses) has a decades-long history of struggle against the shah’s dictatorship and the current theocratic Islamic regime, and has had a mass following with wide support among Iranian trade unionists, intellectuals and artists and others. During that time it has faced vicious persecution, with many of its leaders and members executed under both regimes, and has been forced to work underground and in exile.
Photo: A blood-stained protestor in Iran, June 17, 2009. http://www.flickr.com/photos/arasmus/ / CC BY 2.0 |
Vue2 Redux
Vue bindings for for Redux in only 1.06 kB. ⏭
Installation
npm install vue2-redux --save
Setup in project
import Vue from " vue " ; import { VueRedux } from " vue2-redux " ; import App from " ./components/App.vue " ; import Store from " ./store " ; Vue . use ( VueRedux ( Store ) ) ; new Vue ( { el : " #app " , render : h => h ( App ) } ) ;
Using in a component
< template > < div id = " app " > < div v-if = " !username " > Please enter your username </ div > < div v-else > Your username is: {{ username }} </ div > < input @ keyup = " handleUsernameChange " type = " text " /> </ div > </ template > < script > import { connect } from ' vue2-redux ' import { updateUsername } from ' ../actions/User ' const component = { name : " app-container " , methods : { handleUsernameChange ( { target : { value } } ) { this . updateUsername ( value ) } } } const mapState = state => ( { username : state . User . username } ) const mapDispatch = dispatch => ( { updateUsername : nextUsername => dispatch ( updateUsername ( nextUsername ) ) } ) export default connect ( mapState , mapDispatch ) ( component ) </ script >
Special note
This WILL NOT work if your .babelrc has:
{ " presets " : [ [ " env " ] , { " modules " : false } ] }
This MUST BE changed to: |
Dear Audi,
We’re very much looking forward to welcoming you to the Formula E paddock as a full works team, although the world of racing will indeed be a poorer place without your marvellous prototype machines.
Since 1999, you have pushed the boundaries of what we believed to be possible when it came to motor racing. You bucked the trend by switching to diesel power at Le Mans in 2006 – and won. You did it again by becoming the first manufacturer to win Le Mans with a hybrid in 2012. Since the dawn of the new millennium, you’ve won Le Mans 13 times out a possible 17; you’ve won the WEC title twice since its formation (in 2012 and 2013).
You haven’t just thought outside the box. You’ve deconstructred it, redesigned it, and repackaged our expectactions and our emotions in a way not seen since a Swedish company decided to get into shelves and wardrobes.
I’m 21 years old: to me, Audi hasn’t just raced at Le Mans: Audi has been Le Mans. To me, Le Mans without Audi is like F1 without Bernie (it’ll happen one day but not today, never today).
One of my most memorable experiences in racing came in 2013, when I first ventured to the Circuit de la Sarthe. My friends and I climbed up the bank so we were overlooking the straight following the Porsche Curves. We watched the cars stream past. The one that really stood out to me was the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. “It sounds like a spaceship,” I said, breathtaken. It looked like one, too. And it travelled just as fast. In fact, take that vehicle to some of the less-trod places of this world (or Chatham) and people really would think it’s from another planet.
It is sensory experiences such as these that stick with motorsport fans; it isn’t just me whose adulthood and career will be shaped by the experience of witnessing that clever creation for the first time. The WEC landscape without you will be like Egypt short of the pyramids, China without its great wall and London without its most famous clocktower chiming throughout the day.
Through all of your success, you have acted with dignity, courage and grace. Everything about your racing involvement at Le Mans and in WEC has exuded class and excellence. To have bowed out of the top tier of sportscar racing with a one-two finish in Bahrain, executed crisply and commandingly, was no less than you deserved.
With the weight of recent history in mind, we’re proud that you will be moving forwards in Formula E. The all-electric series has been the epitome of alternative thinking when it comes to motorsport and automotive development through its infancy, so we think you might quite like it here. It is our hope that your legions of WEC fans may do too. Sure, you’ve dipped your toes in the water with your connections with the ABT Schaeffler team, but the new commitment you’re making is a game changer. You’ve already thrived in the sphere of competition against other mighty manufacturers; taking on the likes of Renault, Jaguar, BMW and maybe even Mercedes in Formula E is a challenge we know you will relish.
In the early days of Formula E, a recurring question at press conferences was: “Do you think Formula E will overtake F1 or WEC?” (or similar). But that question betrays a significant degree of ignorance about people in general and about racing fans in particular. Variety is good, as a rule of thumb. When it comes to motor racing fans, it’s simple: if you love racing, you love racing, in whatever form it may take. A fan may follow one category more than another but, essentially, we want all motorsport to flourish so that we have as diverse a palette of racing as the diverse nature of the audiences eagerly watching. Your move from WEC to Formula E is not a sign of times shifting. Instead, it’s proof of your raison d’être: to innovate. If all you wanted to do was win, you’d remain in your comfort zone in the WEC but that’s not the Audi way.
A team may be referred to as a single entity but it is not, of course. It is a collection of people, and those people have invested years of time, emotion and effort into your WEC adventure. Some of them we know through our Formula E work, gents such as Lucas di Grassi, Loic Duval and Allan McNish. We know they’ll miss the furnace of endurace racing with you; we’re confident that, as Formula E matures and moves forward, its own special brand of spectacle, technical innovation and down-to-the-wire racing will create many more storylines for you and those who, together, form the broader Audi identity.
Thank you for so many wonderful years of thinking differently. We sincerely hope that Le Mans has not lost the magnificence of four rings whistling around its hallowed paths forever. In the meantime, we stand ready and waiting to welcome you to a new racing chapter, and we look forward to travelling the world with you as part of Formula E.
Luke Smith |
It looks like Kevin Durant will have his wingman back at full strength when the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2013-14 campaign kicks off. That's right: KD expects Russell Westbrook to hit the ground running after offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus, per HoopsHype:
Durant spoke to the media at a promotional event in Barcelona, and you can tell by his apparel that he understands the importance of getting off to a fast start.
Yep, the T-shirt says "the time is now," which is an appropriate slogan for the Thunder as they look to seize the moment by making another run to the NBA Finals.
Durant knows how tough such a sprint would be without Westbrook; he struggled mightily after his running mate went down during the postseason. The Houston Rockets doubled up their defensive attention on Durant, and Thunder head coach Scott Brooks didn't have any answers (or any semblance of an offensive game plan).
OKC needs Westbrook to be at his best in order to compete against the NBA's elite teams. When he's relentlessly attacking the rim and pushing the pace, the Thunder are too athletic for most opponents to handle.
But the league saw how toothless the Thunder were without him.
According to Royce Young of CBS, Westbrook opted to have his meniscus completely repaired, rather than risk returning too soon after a less severe "clean-up" procedure. The typical time frame for surgeries like the one he underwent April 27 is about three months, so it's hardly a surprise that Westbrook will be ready to roll by Oct. 30.
Plus, the Vine he posted June 15 should have clued everyone in to the fact that he was getting healthy in a hurry.
Fortunately, Westbrook never got too bummed out about his injury. Maybe his upbeat attitude helped hasten the healing.
In fact, the OKC guard got himself into shape so quickly that he had plenty of time to squeeze in other activities during his summer break.
So, by the time the regular season rolls around, it appears that Westbrook will be fully healthy. Of course, it also looks like he's going to have a few more outside-the-box fashion ideas.
Based on what we've seen from him to this point, I guess that qualifies as a mixed blessing. |
Economics Minister and Habayit Hayehudi Minister Naftali Bennett slammed the U.S. State Department response to the Jewish nation-state bill, saying the U.S. shouldn't intervene in Israel's internal issues, as politicians from Israel's right also came out in criticism.
"I say to the Americans that the affairs of the State of Israel - we will manage [ourselves]," Bennett told Army Radio, according to Israel National News.
"At the end it is our problem," he said. "This is an internal issue and I think that no one has the right to intervene with it."
The U.S. State Department said Monday evening that it expected Israel to "stick to its democratic principles," in its first response to the Jewish nation-state bill approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet a day earlier.
"Israel is a Jewish and democratic state and all its citizens should enjoy equal rights. We expect Israel to stick to its democratic principles," the State Department said.
Though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the U.S. statement by assuring that Israel is a "model democracy," and that's how it will remain, other politicians on the Israeli right responded vehemently.
"We can keep the foundations of democracy even without the help of the partner over the ocean," Coalition whip and Likud MK Zeev Elkin said following the U.S. response, according to Yisrael Hayom.
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Elkin, who initiated the most extreme version of the bill, said that he would expect the U.S. to encourage Israel to adopt the American customs of swearing allegiance to the flag and singing the national anthem at schools.
"When this democratic American tradition is adopted in East Jerusalem, in Taibeh and in Wadi Ara, then we'll have a real foundation for a joint discussion of the necessity of the Jewish nation-state bill," he said.
MK Moshe Feiglin, also from the Likud, told Army Radio on Monday that "the intervention of the State Department in crucial questions of the State of Israel is a grave and unbelievable thing."
Aside for giving preference to Israel's Jewish identity rather than its democratic character, Elkin's bill would abolish Arabic’s status as one of Israel’s official languages and mandate construction of new Jewish communities without requiring similar construction for Arabs.
The controversial bill was approved by the cabinet on Sunday, and was supposed to come for a Knesset vote on Tuesday, the next legislative step. However, the head of Israel's government coalition decided on Monday to postpone the Knesset vote. Nevertheless, Netanyahu said on Monday that he was "determined" to have it passed, with or without his political partners' agreement. |
London is a more “Islamic” city than many in Muslim countries, a leading Islamic scholar has claimed.
Maulana Syed Ali Raza Rizvi, a Shia cleric, said he feels “more Islamic” in Britain due to the country’s multicultural policies and his freedom to practice his faith.
Speaking at the annual Benedict XVI lecture alongside Cardinal Vincent Nichols — the most senior Catholic bishop in England and Wales — and Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the cleric claimed Islam was about “love and justice” but Muslim leaders were failing to show this.
The Telegraph quotes him as saying: “I feel that London has more Islamic values than many of the Muslim countries put together.
“There are many different communities living together in peace and harmony, giving respect to the others and loving others and that is what Islam is all about – and unfortunately [much] of the Muslim political leadership has failed to provide that.
“I feel more Islamic living here because I can easily practise my faith and give respect to all other members of the community belonging to different faiths and not even belonging to a faith, to anything.
“Because that is what Islam is all about, respecting and giving to others. If in one line I could say what Islam is all about, it is all about love and justice.”
However, Chief Rabbi Mirvis also said at the lecture that minorities should be required to pass the so-called “Tebbit Test” – the idea floated by former Conservative Cabinet Minister Norman Tebbit that the true loyalties of ethnic minorities can be determined by which national cricket team they support.
“Minorities are responsible to maintain their own traditions, to be proud of their background, loyal to their faiths, and at the same time to be proud members of their countries,” he said.
“In a nutshell, minorities need to pass the Norman Tebbit test. This is something which, thankfully, Jewish communities across the globe have almost always done, and we’re proud of the fact that we can pass that test within British society today.”
Earlier this year, figures showed that London’s population had reached a record high, despite large numbers of people moving away from the city.
The UK capital’s population is growing by around 100,000 a year, mainly due to immigration, with the city’s demographics changing rapidly as white Britons move out.
According to the 2011 Census, 620,000 white Britons moved out of London over the previous decade, including a third of all white residents in the borough of Barking and Dagenham. |
NV Energy fights to keep rooftop solar from cutting into its profit
The future of solar energy in Nevada is at stake in a furious battle that likely won’t be resolved as the 2015 state legislative session nears an end next month.
Solar advocates, Nevada businesses and solar industry reps are pushing for more rooftop solar, saying it’s unfair to force consumers to remain chained to the grid and warning that the state could lose thousands of jobs if it doesn’t adapt. State utility NV Energy claims more household solar means increased prices for traditional customers who can’t or won’t install solar panels on their houses or businesses.
It comes down to money for both sides It’s all about dollars for both the solar industry and NV Energy. The utility says ratepayers will be charged an additional $8 million for every percentage point the net metering cap increases. Rooftop solar customers receive a credit worth about 7 cents per kilowatt-hour for powering their homes and the grid with solar electricity. That credit is an incentive to go solar, but it’s also a means for consuming less power from NV Energy, biting into the company’s profit. The solar industry says a tariff and locked-in cap rate will kill the majority of the 6,000 jobs the industry brought to Nevada over the past five years and will limit consumer choice. Early in the legislative session, NV Energy unloaded a team of lobbyists to squelch any attempt to raise the cap. Solar followed with its own lobbying effort, congregating with a consortium of gaming and tech interests. The battle heated up after a bill draft to raise the cap to 10 percent died without a single public hearing or vote. Solar advocates met with lawmakers and the governor — whose outside advisers lobby for NV Energy — but had little success. Now, as time winds down in the session, only one solution is on the table — a punt. Republican Sen. Patricia Farley’s amendment to a building codes bill would allow the Public Utilities Commission to raise the solar cap and to impose up to three tariffs on net metering customers. The eleventh-hour measure was the only way to save the solar industry this session, Farley said. “It gave the solar industry a vehicle to start a discussion,” Farley said. The amendment cleared the Senate and is moving through the Assembly. The compromise is not ideal for companies such as SolarCity and Sunrun, which lease solar panels to customers who participate in net metering. Industry officials say proposed fees could hurt business by discouraging people from participating in a net metering program. Rooftop customers — who pay bills to both the utility and solar companies — pay about 20 percent less for solar than conventional energy, and the fees, industry leaders say, could bite into their cost savings. Adding fees and restricting the cap would be a big win for Berkshire Hathaway Energy and one of its few net metering successes nationally. Berkshire failed to impose caps in Utah and Washington. Arizona instituted a $5 to $7 net metering charge for homeowners. A fee is pending in Wisconsin. Colorado has no cap and no fees. In other words, utility companies in more than 40 states have unsuccessfully fought to eliminate net metering or impose fees.
Much of the fight revolves around Nevada’s cap on net metering, an arrangement by which people with rooftop solar can sell extra power they generate back to the grid. Nevada is likely to hit its limit as early as this summer, solar advocates say, which will make it less advantageous for homeowners to tap the enormous solar energy potential of Southern Nevada.
The Legislature seems to have sided with NV Energy. On May 17, it passed a solar bill that failed to raise the cap but gave Nevada’s regulatory Public Utilities Commission the ability to levy new fees on net metering customers who come online after the cap is hit. The new fees seem intended to protect NV Energy’s income from what the company has characterized as an unfair subsidy at the expense of nonsolar ratepayers.
While NV Energy, owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, battles to keep the cap in place, it’s also fighting on another front. A consortium of casinos and businesses is looking to leave NV Energy’s grid and start generating their own power, saying they’re being placed at a competitive disadvantage because they’re paying more for energy than their business rivals in nearby states. The state Public Utilities Commission has said it would charge hefty fees — $27 million in the case of Las Vegas data center Switch — to let industrial ratepayers leave the system.
Meanwhile, the utility is facing another threat in the form of technological advances. Tesla’s Powerwall unit, a relatively cheap storage battery that can charge up on solar power, can help business operators and homeowners reduce their reliance on the grid — or, for the very wealthy, leave it altogether.
How the regulated monopoly came to be
In exchange for building power plants, power lines, distribution networks and maintaining electrical systems, Nevada, like many states, gives public utilities an authorized rate of return. Here, that rate is about 8 percent, authorized by the Nevada Public Utilities Commission. NV Energy’s net income in 2014 was about $354 million, according to Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s SEC filings.
NV Energy did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
Giving a utility a regulated monopoly over generating and providing power is a compromise. The utility gets a guaranteed profit and in return gives access to everyone who needs it and ensures capacity for all users. It’s the commission that holds the utilities to the bargain, said Stephen Brown, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at UNLV.
“The utility doesn’t have an incentive to operate in the community interest,” Brown said. “That doesn’t mean they don’t, but that’s not their economic incentive. We’re relying on the utility commission to make sure that the utility operates in the public interest.”
More rooftop solar production means more competition for NV Energy.
The way competition disrupts the energy industry parallels the shift in the telecommunications industry, said Steven Weissman, director of the energy program at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment.
“It started with one monopoly utility and a black rotary dial phone in everybody’s home,” said Weissman, referring to AT&T and its monopoly on the U.S. telephone system until its breakup in 1984.
By 1996, Weissman said, Congress forced companies to provide competitors access to infrastructure. And the emergence of mobile phone technology made the fight over access to landline infrastructure obsolete.
“Now you have a whole generation of people who decide not to get a landline,” Weissman said. “If the phone companies were able to gain anything by resisting opening their networks to competitive providers, it was something of only limited duration. They didn’t create something that preserved their business model long-term.”
The way AT&T and its descendents adapted to the loss of their monopoly was to spread into the broadband and mobile sectors, but big electric utilities have been comparatively slow to adapt to competition from new ways of producing power.
“What utilities are doing is instinctively looking for ways to take this pesky new technology and bat it away,” Weissman said.
Some companies want to produce their own power, but quitting the grid comes at a cost
A group of Nevada companies wants to break from NV Energy and stop paying the utility for energy. Instead, the companies want to start generating and purchasing their own power and quit the grid.
The group calls itself the Nevada Coalition to Protect Ratepayers and includes Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts, solar companies SolarCity and Sunrun, and Switch.
The utilities commission ruled this month that Switch would have to pay $27 million to leave the grid. Switch has asserted it should pay about $18 million.
Borenstein said exit fees weren’t unjustified.
“I’m sympathetic to the Public Utilities Commission’s view,” Borenstein said. “I would be suspicious of numbers utilities put out, but I don’t think it should be free for customers to just walk away … (They) built the grid to support customers, and there’s all these sunk costs. There may be stranded assets for which costs have to be recovered. When you leave, you have to bear some of those costs.”
Yet the combination of limits on net metering programs and high exit fees seems to leave companies squeezed in the middle. Switch has said its energy costs in Nevada are 30 percent higher than competitors’ in nearby states.
Some energy companies elsewhere are adapting to new technology and demands for clean energy and more distributed generation. In California, public utility Southern California Edison is testing how to integrate Tesla Powerwall users, both residential and commercial, with its grid. The utility is performing test runs with a small number of Powerwall users to see if the batteries can, in aggregate, be helpful to Edison’s grid needs.
“The idea would be: How could a residential storage unit be used to help the grid?” said Kevin Payne, the utility’s senior vice president for customer service. “We could take power (from battery units) when necessary or inject power when it would be helpful to do that.”
Payne said the ability to control a customer’s energy requirements or regulate the way customers pump power back into the grid could be a significant resource for the utility if battery storage users increase.
In contrast to NV Energy’s resistance to distributed generation, Payne said Southern California Edison is adapting its vision for its power grid to incorporate new technological advances its customers might use.
“The grid of the future is going to need to be upgraded and modernized,” Payne said. “Today … power flows from the top to the bottom. Going forward, the grid is going to have different characteristics: generation, solar or other, batteries, demand response. It’s going to require upgrades to the grid to see what’s happening and manage the two-way flow of power.”
Arguments for and against legislative changes to solar
Some say an increase in rooftop solar production would cause the traditional grid to collapse, others say solar would help meet power needs and help the state reach alternative energy mandates.
Senate Bill 374, passed May 17, states that once the net metering cap is hit, new net metering customers will have to pay an additional tariff, to be determined by the Nevada Public Utilities Commission. That means anyone who installs a solar system on a roof after the cap is hit will pay higher rates to use and sell solar energy than net metering customers do now, though how much higher remains unclear.
A bill proposed this year to raise the cap from 3 percent to 10 percent never passed. State Sen. Patricia Farley discussed an amendment to SB374 that would pass authority over the cap to the utilities commission, but the amendment wasn’t included in the final version of the bill.
Solar industry representatives say the cap must be raised to allow for consumer choice and more industry jobs.
“(People’s) consumer choices are driving the growth of a home-grown industry,” said Will Craven, a spokesperson for SolarCity, a solar power system provider and installer. “Rooftop solar jobs by definition must happen in-state.”
Several solar advocates point to a study commissioned by the Nevada Public Utilities Commission as proving net metering benefits all customers — those who generate energy and traditional customers.
What the state’s study, released last year, actually said was that it’s probably a wash. Net metering probably won’t ultimately cost non-participants more. Distributed generation may be more expensive than building large utility-scale solar plants, but Nevada is required to source 25 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2025, and power from net metering customers may offset the cost of buying renewable power or building more renewable energy plants.
Many experts question whether distributed generation is the most cost-effective route for the state to invest in clean energy. Severin Borenstein, a University of California, Berkeley economist who specializes in energy regulation and energy markets, said neither solar industry advocates nor the public utility are being honest about real costs.
With distributed generation, Borenstein said, “You lose the economies of scale. And the economies of scale are really large. The economics overall pretty clearly favor grid-scale generation, both wind and solar.”
Borenstein said the way net metering is structured is indeed a subsidy.
“You’re basically giving them (net metering customers) retail price credit for putting power into the grid,” Borenstein said. “If (the credit for power) were at wholesale rates, it wouldn’t be a subsidy.”
Proper rate design — crafting fees to reflect the true costs and benefits of individual solar power generation — is key to fairness, Borenstein said.
“Utilities say if you keep installing solar, the grid’s going to collapse and we’re going to go out of business,” Borenstein said. “There really isn’t much chance of that, and we should be a having a discussion about that, whether that’s the best way to put in renewables. Instead, you get politicians who are either boosting utilities or playing to the residential photovoltaic advocates with all this free consumer choice stuff. It’s not true consumer choice if you can just fall back on the grid and the rates don’t reflect the cost.”
But in the fight between the utility and solar industry advocates, experts say, a real public discussion of the costs of distributed generation versus utility-scale clean power from solar and wind plants is being lost.
What is net metering?
The solar energy policy fight in Nevada revolves around a net metering cap, a limit on the amount of solar power that can be bought back from people or institutions with renewable energy systems.
If a home or business generates more power from the sun than it uses in a month, NV Energy will buy the extra at retail power rates and give the customer a credit, the net of their power usage and power production. That means a homeowner with solar panels may be able to run his or her house largely on solar energy during the day and resell what he or she doesn’t use to the grid, seeing real reductions in energy costs.
But there’s a limit on the amount of net metering the state allows, and solar advocates and solar industry companies say Nevada will hit the existing cap this year, perhaps as early as late summer. The cap is set at 3 percent of the utility’s peak capacity, or 225 megawatts. |
Whether they know it or not, major advertisers are subsidizing online movie piracy, accelerating a trend in which illicit video streaming is eclipsing illegal P2P file sharing and downloading of copyrighted material.
That's according to an upcoming study commissioned by Digital Citizens Alliance, a nonprofit organization with the stated goal of making the Internet a safer place. The study is a follow-up to a February 2014 report that pegged the collective annual revenue of the nearly 600 illegal movie sharing sites it sampled at $227 million.
According to Variety, the report reveals that video streaming was the only piracy category to post annual revenue growth, even though the number of large streaming sites dropped by half from the previous year.
The bigger culprits are the legitimate online ad networks.
Speaking at last week’s Digital Entertainment World conference, DCA Executive Director Tom Galvin cited the high CPM rates (cost per 1000 impressions) associated with video ads as the primary reason for this spike in revenue. Most of that income came from major brands placing video advertising on those infringing streaming sites.
Why this matters: Consumers are all too often blamed for movie piracy, but one of the key takeaways from this report is that consumers aren’t the primary revenue source for these illegal streaming sites. The bigger culprits are the legitimate online ad networks that place video ads on those sites, and the companies whose ads wind up there.
Pampers, Tide, and Esurance were among the brands we saw advertised on the pirate site pictured above, and brands don't get more mainstream than that. While it could be argued that major companies such as these are relying on middlemen to place their ads, ignorance of whose pockets their advertising dollars are ending in up is no excuse.
Last year, the DCA estimated that even some of the smaller pirate sites it looked at were collecting as much as $100 thousand a year from advertisements. Because those sites are paying zero dollars for the movies they’re streaming, the vast majority of that revenue goes directly to their bottom lines. Hollywood should also look to the bankers and payment processors between the ad networks and the pirate sites, who are taking their own slices of this illegitimate pie.
Finally, Hollywood should take their customer's preferences into account. If people want to watch movies at home, why force them to find illicit ways of doing it? Make it easy, make it legal, and make some money!
This story, "This pirated movie brought to you by Pampers" was originally published by TechHive . |
10 ESSENTIAL RULES FOR BEING A GENTLEMAN IN 2015 Connor Doyle and Alice Gregg
Man was not intended to live like a bear or a hermit; being a gentleman is about etiquette and decorum. What hasn’t changed in over a century is that a gentleman knows how to behave toward other people.
We, the people of gentlemanliness, have collaborated to bring you the ultimate guide for being a modern gentleman in the year 2015. We’ve analyzed past works, such as A Gentleman’s Guide to Etiquette by Cecil B. Hartley, studied the cultures of our modern society, and taken into account the views and opinions of both women and men. This is the result.
1. IT’S NOT RUDE TO PAY FOR FOOD
As part of modern etiquette when dining with a lady, you are both expected to do the “check dance” (regardless of who invited who), even if she doesn’t want to dance. But only accept her offer to pay for half if you sense she’d be genuinely uncomfortable otherwise. A gentleman respects women’s equality, but wishes to pay for the meal as a sign of appreciation.
2. PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE
True, pretty much our entire lives are on our phones - but when you’re with someone else, devote your time and energy to being present and engaged with them, instead of with your device. All of your feeds can wait to hear about how your friend was chased down the street by someone dressed as a horse.
3. SAVE YOUR INNER LAWYER FOR THE COURTROOM
A gentleman understands the freedom of expression and thought, allowing others the entitlement of their own ideas. Even if convinced that your opponent is utterly wrong, graciously decline further engagement or dexterously turn the conversation - do not obstinately defend your own opinion until you become angry. You don’t see The Hulk invited to soirees.
4. DRESS LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING
Dressing well is a form of good manners. Don’t settle for shirts with baggy waists, too short sleeves, or too tight collars. From a hiking trip to a keynote speech, a true gent always knows how to look good. Unless you actually find a store with clothes that actually fit off the rack, go custom. People will notice. Life’s too short for bad shirts: awesome shirts here and special offer here.
5. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN’T DANCE?
A true gent doesn’t stand idle, observing from a corner: you can probably already see the problem with this… creepy. Take a class and embrace your inner Fred Astaire. Dancing, much like life, is about courage and hopefully having fun - and remember, elaborate flamboyant arm movements disguise a lack of footwork.
6. LEARN HOW TO CONVERSE
Two year olds can have one word conversations. A gentleman should be engaged, thoughtful, and captivating. But do not steal the spotlight from others. Many people enjoy talking about themselves, so stay engaged, yet do more of the listening - and when they tell you some grandiose anecdote, let them have their moment. Don’t be a one-upper.
7. TO COFFEE OR NOT TO COFFEE
If the date has gone well, she might invite you up for coffee - or down; dating women who live in basement apartments is perfectly acceptable. The rule is if you’re not planning on calling her again or think that you might view her differently for having coffee on the first date, then do politely turn down the invitation. Do the right thing.
8. WATCH YOUR (DAMN) MOUTH
Endeavour to find words that express your ideas eloquently. A gentleman does not require offensive language to speak; for those who use words such as “gay”, “retarded”, or “ghetto” to describe something in a negative light not only adhere to stereotypes, but also show a lack of vocabulary and intellect. Cut back on that Hatorade. It’s a resentful beverage that too many fools drink.
9. KEEP THE CLASSICS
Chivalry is dead. Common courtesy is not. Some rules to being a gentleman will never change and should always be followed. The two biggest of which are opening/holding the door for other people and giving up your seat when there are no more seats, both in this order: an older lady, an older man, a lady.
10. BE A GOOD PERSON
This is everything else and it should be self explanatory, but we’ll go ahead and help you a bit more anyway. Be compassionate and show respect towards everyone. Don’t belittle or take advantage of others, ignore stereotypes, and understand that people from all walks of life are equal. It’s what we do that defines us. That, and really nice shirts. |
Garry Monk took over Middlesbrough after parting ways with Leeds United
New Middlesbrough manager Garry Monk has announced a new five-man backroom team.
Ex-England striker James Beattie and former Swansea City coach David Adams have been hired as first-team coaches while Darryl Flahavan has been named goalkeeping coach, having worked alongside Monk at Leeds United last season.
In addition, Sean Rush joins the club as head of physical performance, while Ryan Needs comes in as head of performance analysis.
All five new members of the coaching staff have previously worked with Monk at Swansea City and Leeds United.
"It's important as a manager that you build staff around you to work with you to deliver what is needed to be delivered," said Monk.
"We have great experience together as a group - we've worked together for a good period - and they have a good understanding of what I expect and how we work together.
"As you go through your career, you're consistently looking to refine and improve things and we're all on that journey together.
"The guys have the skill sets that we need to be able to cover all bases and there's also the importance of being able to rely on them with the responsibilities they will have." |
We caught up with Luka "perkZ" Perković, Gamer2's midlaner, to learn something about him now that he qualified for LCS. Although he's still in high school, perkZ showed us you always have a chance to do what you love and is an inspiration to lots of us.
Image courtesy of gamepedia.com
Hi Luka, thank you for participating in this interview. Tell us something little about yourself.
perkZ: Hello, my name is Luka Perković and I'm playing League of Legends for 3 and a half years. I qualified for LCS two months ago but I'm still attending high school in Zagreb.
Regardless your age, could you say that you are living your dream? Where do you see yourself in the future?
perkZ: I wouldn't say that this is my dream, but it's definitely something I enjoy doing. In near future, I can see myself playing professionally, yet later on I wish to go to college.
How do you manage to harmonize school, League of Legends and social life?
perkZ: I organize my time well, but I spend most of it playing League of Legends.
Since you live far away from your teammates, is it hard to maintain a friendly relationship with them?
perkZ: From my point of view, if you're having fun with people over the internet, you will be having fun with them in real life too. I never had any troubles with my teammates and I don't think I will in the future.
You are currently living in Zagreb, Croatia, where you were born. What do you think of competitive scene in Croatia? Do Croatians accept eSports with the same enthusiasm like most of the world?
perkZ: Esports scene is not yet developed in Croatia and I think there aren't enough professional players here for the country to develop soon.
Do you plan to move somewhere because of League of Legends anytime soon?
perkZ: I will be moving to Berlin this January.
Do you have your parents support about moving out so young to professionally play a game?
perkZ: Yes, I have my parent’s full support.
Image courtesy of Luka Perković (twitter.com)
In your opinion, which champions are best for mid lane in current meta?
perkZ: Kassadin, Ryze, Azir and Lulu.
Do you think that the upcoming season changes will drastically affect the gameplay?
perkZ: I'm not yet sure if they will, but I do hope so.
Against which midlaner do you think you have a great chance to win, and against which one to lose?
perkZ: I wouldn't like to talk about my chances against some midlaners and about their skills, but I'm mostly looking forward to play against Nukeduck and Febiven.
And for the last question, tell us, who was your greatest support through your journey to eSports scene? Would you like to thank someone?
perkZ: My greatest support through my whole journey was Joe "InnerFlame" Elouassi, current manager of Team Dignitas.
Thank you, Luka. We wish you all the best in your upcoming matches. |
To President Donald Trump, backing out of the Paris deal was a message to the rest of the world that the United States would not be held to terms he doesn't like in international deals. | AP Photo Trump supporters revel in Paris exit Bannon's fingerprints on decision to leave climate agreement, a decision supporters say is broadly supported outside Washington.
President Donald Trump's decision to leave the Paris climate agreement received a similar reaction to his travel ban: international scorn, widespread protests and condemnations from groups and business executives who often stay quiet.
To Matt Ames, though, it was a reason to celebrate — and he is helping plan a rally near the White House to celebrate Trump on Saturday.
Story Continued Below
"The thinking is there is very strong sentiment within the party in favor of the president's decision yesterday on Paris Accord," said Ames, the chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Party in Virginia. "We want to go make some noise and tell him how much we appreciate it. There seemed to be a tug-of-war, and it didn't appear it was going to happen."
Withdrawal from the accord, like the travel ban, was spearheaded internally by Steve Bannon, the president's chief strategist. But White House officials, advisers and others close to the president say Bannon's job of convincing Trump is easier because the president has a natural tendency to take the same path as he — and that while Bannon irked the president with his behavior in the West Wing, Trump has never left him ideologically.
While the president often crows about Gary Cohn's success at Goldman Sachs, and may talk to his daughter, Ivanka Trump, more than anyone, Trump often gravitates toward the Bannon modus. Bannon supporters note enthusiastically that the so-called moderates in the West Wing don't have much luck getting their way.
It is less about his friendship with Bannon — who didn't respond to a request for comment — or his personal opinion of him on any given day, advisers and aides say. The combative chief strategist has repeatedly told Trump his base is solid, that liberals will never love him, the large crowds voted for him for a reason — and that he will be rewarded for keeping campaign promises. He reminds him of his populist credo and the large crowds at rallies.
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Bannon has reminded other White House aides that the travel ban is far more popular "than the media will ever say," according to one person who has spoken to him. He has teamed up with Trump in criticizing the news media.
In interviews with Trump supporters and Republicans across the country, the Paris climate agreement news looked far different than it did in Washington, a fact that Bannon reminded the president of, according to a senior White House aide.
Jenny Beth Martin, the head of the Tea Party Patriots, enthusiastically supported the move. She said her group viewed leaving the Paris agreement as a “part of a larger ‘make America Great Again’ platform that necessitates putting America first.”
And Trump supporters said backing for the move was widespread outside of Washington.
"I was in the Midwest yesterday, in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan," said Ken Blackwell, who headed domestic policy on Trump's transition. "It played very well. It was exceptionally Trumpian. It was a very good day for him."
Among Democrats and some Republicans, the move was seen as short-sighted and horrific. Nicaragua and Syria are the only other nations not in the climate accord. The United States' allies could see a damaging signal on how serious climate change is. It gives other countries — like China — the ability to lead over the United States. And some see Bannon as he is portrayed on "Saturday Night Live": the "Grim Reaper" ruining the United States.
"It's sending the planet spiraling in an awful direction," said Bill Burton, a former Obama aide. "You're killing off innovation and you're saying in a time of crisis, we need to lean on other countries."
To Trump, it was a message to send to the rest of the world that the United States would not be held to terms he doesn't like in international deals. And it was a good way to heap scorn on climate change — which is proven by science but a flash-point among Republicans -- while talking about creating new jobs for blue-collar workers.
"Pittsburgh, not Paris -- he couldn't have said it better," Ames, the Virginia Republican, said. "That line really really resonated with a lot of people."
Burton, the Democratic strategist, said Trump's move works for him "from a brand perspective" because it's about sticking it to the establishment. He also said Democrats may struggle to tie the move to everyday Americans — and he believed it would ultimately could prove less consequential than other decisions.
"But at some point, you have to find ways to put points on the board that appeal past your core base. He has shown himself completely inept at doing that so far," he said. "If you keep doing things that are broadly unpopular, it weighs on you."
After the travel ban, Bannon told others he relished seeing the protests on TV. Bannon has told friends he "doesn't give a shit about" the Grim Reaper portrayal on "Saturday Night Live," in the words of one person who has spoken to him.
More protests are likely to come tomorrow when Trump's supporters line up outside the White House for a campaign-style rally.
The president, however, did not enjoy the protests last time. And he may be watching TV, too. |
North Dakota was the great exception to the Great Recession.
The only area in the country that saw both a widespread significant increase in household incomes and a significant decrease in poverty rates over the past five years was North Dakota, specifically Western North Dakota, according to 2012 data the U.S. Census Bureau released and mapped out on Thursday.
Median household incomes in more than half the counties in the state, including most on the western side, where oil production is booming, are higher today than before the recession began in 2007, and they’re also higher in objective monetary terms than most of the rest of the country. Household incomes are also up in South Dakota. Western North Dakota’s oil patch is one of the few places that not only weathered the Great Recession, but thrived. See the full version of this map.
Over the past five years, since 2007, 62 percent of all counties in North Dakota saw increases in their median household incomes, and 33 percent in South Dakota saw increases.
“One could say that these two states represented nearly 50 percent of all counties which showed a statistically significant increase in median household income,” the bureau finds.
By contrast, of the other 3,000-plus counties nationwide, just 56 had a similar “statistically significant increase” in household incomes. Of all the counties that had a significant change in income levels, 89 percent saw declines.
Western North Dakota is one of the few areas outside of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions that has counties with household incomes above the national average, which was $51,371 in 2012. Western North Dakota was also one of the few areas where the poverty rate decreased over the past five years, to be well below the national average of 15.9 percent.
The Census Bureau doesn’t say what is causing North Dakota to stand out as it clearly does in its maps. But the oil boom that’s taken over the western part of the state — and is having ripple effects throughout the region and the rest of the U.S. — is indisputably a huge economic driver. |
Nothing riles up fans more than other fans shaming them for not being good, loyal fans. Or for people to claim that they have some special monopoly on being good fans. But given that riling people up is part of our #Brand here at HBT, we usually pass on the results of that annual survey which purports to measure such things.
Brand Keys, a consulting firm or marketing firm or something, puts the list together by somehow measuring the “four emotional drivers” of fan loyalty, which are (1) Pure Entertainment; (2) Authenticity; (3) Fan Bonding; and (4) History and tradition. These are mixed in a pot with things like overall league and team rankings, viewership and merchandise sales and then this comes out like so. So basically, there’s no way to dispute their findings. We can just argue about them.
Top 5 Teams for the most loyal fans this year, with last year’s rankings in parentheses:
1. St. Louis Cardinals (#1)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (#3)
3. San Francisco Giants (#2)
4 Detroit Tigers (#4)
5. Washington Nationals (#5)
The bottom five with last year’s rankings in parenthesis:
30. Seattle Mariners (#25)
29. Arizona Diamondbacks (#29)
28. Colorado Rockies (#28)
27. San Diego Padres (#24)
26. Houston Astros (#30)
Worth noting that the Phillies led the list for “most loyal” on Opening Day 2011, which I think was probably the height of Philly fan enthusiasm. I don’t think enthusiasm and loyalty is the same thing, though. Most Philly fans I know are still loyal to their team. They’re just realistic that they suck. Same in reverse for the Mets, who used to — heck, maybe still do — have a singularly neurotic and pessimistic fan base but no one can doubt their loyalty. Indeed, if you’re not loyal you don’t allow yourself to be emotionally connected to the bad stuff enough to let it bother you. That makes the “fan bonding” and “entertainment” parts of this thing suspect. You can be a loyal fan even if your team has been hostile to you and is more misery inducing than entertaining.
And of course, all of this assumes that “loyalty” is an unequivocally great thing anyway. You don’t get a reserved spot in heaven, get your karma reduced or get holes punched in some sort of cosmic rewards card just for being loyal to your team. I know the whole Sports is Everything Industrial Complex has convinced people that loyalty is everything, but it’s actually pretty silly.
If you’re the sort of fan who watches the sports team you like up to the point they entertain you and make it worth your time and then tune out when the balance is off you’re not a better or worse person. If you put yourself through the ringer for them, no matter the situation, you’re neither of those things either. Let sports be your thing in your own way and don’t listen to people who would tell you different.
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Each week Bob and Ivey take a trip Beyond the Wall to discuss HBO's 'Game of Thrones' from the perspective of fans of the books. If you've not read the books, tread lightly, as there are spoilers everywhere, sweet summer child. This week, we make several bold predictions about what will happen in season two.
Well, sports fans, it all comes down to this. Sunday marks the highly anticipated premiere for the second season Game of Thrones. For the past several weeks, Bob and I have been previewing the upcoming season, which will follow George R. R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings. We’ve looked back at the first season, talked about the casting of the new roles, previewed our most anticipated moments and discussed areas where we expected the series to deviate from the source material.
This week, we have several bold predictions for what we believe the second season might bring. As usual, a spoiler alert is in effect, as we will obviously be discussing events in Clash, and might look ahead to events beyond the second book.
Ivey:
Let me kick things off; in the first season, Peter Dinklage had a breakout performance as Tyrion Lannister. Fans of the book have almost universally been fans of the Imp of Casterly Rock, but I believe Dinklage’s performance endeared him to television viewers even more (to the tune of an Emmy win for Supporting Actor). This season, I expect Davos Seaworth will be the breakout character. The first time I read through A Song of Ice and Fire, I never really connected with the Onion Knight. I expect things to be different on screen.
Bob:
Hmm. You could be right. I always liked Davos. There’s something about a rough around the edges ex-pirate, but I’m not sure he’s going to be the story. My money is on Brienne. She’s the ultimate underdog up against so much hardship and yet she always struggles on. Add to that the fact that she is a bit of a badass and I think she’s going to be the one folks are talking about around the water cooler.
Ivey:
Perhaps; I’m just not sure Brienne will have enough story this season for that to happen. If we’re talking about seasons three and four, then I think she (and her companion on that journey) will have to be the favorites.
Bob:
We’ll have to see.
I think one thing that is going to disappoint fans is Dany’s story this year. If the show follows the book, there just isn’t a lot for Dany to do. She had a lot of story in season one. Yes, there’s going to be a fantastic scene in the House of the Undying, but her story doesn’t really pick up again until book three. Perhaps the writers will prove me wrong, but Dany kicking around Qarth with her little baby dragons is going to be a little dull, methinks.
Ivey:
I couldn’t agree with you more — though I’d extend that prediction beyond just this season, but that is a conversation for another column. Though, as we’ve discussed, I am really looking forward to the House of the Undying.
While Dany’s story might be lacking in the novel, Melisandre’s is decidedly not. I know you’re really looking forward to her boat trip with Davos, however I have a feeling that Melisandre will be far less interesting in the series than she is on the written page. Sometimes the mystery is lost when you pull a certain scene or character out of one’s imagination and puts it on the screen. Such will be the case with the red priestess.
Bob:
It’s entirely possible. From the look of the character, it appears that she is going to be a little toned down. I’m expecting a character that is more mysterious and less intimidating and sinister. In the book, with the struggle between Davos and Melisandre, she came across as wicked and powerful. My guess is that for most of the season (until she starts summoning up some shadows), she will be more of a quiet mystery. Whether that means she’s less interesting or not … I’m not sure.
I think one character that is going to get more interesting this season is Robb. He wasn’t even a POV character in A Clash of Kings so most of his story was told through the yes of others. I think that with the story of his and Jeyne’s romance at the forefront, along with his leadership as King of the North, he’s going to come out of this season with more fans than he had in the book.
Ivey:
I think so, too. I’m not sure Robb was ever as well loved by ASOIF fans as his father was, but I think that is something that has changed on-screen. The decisions Robb makes this season, specifically regarding Jeyne, obviously have major effects down the road. I’m glad we’ll get a chance to see that play out, instead of only hearing about it after the fact.
Another character I think fans will appreciate less this year is Bran. Let’s face it, brave-faced as he might have been last season, he was still a bit of a whiney brat (though less so than the lion’s share of his siblings). If it hadn’t been for the tragedy he experienced in the series premiere, I’m not sure fans would have tolerated him at all. Considering the changes he experiences this season – or at least become more obvious – aren’t something I think fans will be expecting, I’m not sure how much they’ll like it. At least, that was my reaction as a reader. What do you think?
Bob:
I’m not really sure. I could see it going either way. I think that because of the situation, he’s going to be forced to grow up a little and be less of a whiner. Bran’s story has always struck me as one of the very long arcs in the books and it’s going to be interesting to see that translate to the screen. I think that we probably won’t see a whole lot of the young Stark this year and when we do it will be concentrated on the three-eyed crow plot, which I have always found interesting. People like giant wolves, dude.
Ivey:
Well, I’ve seen some of the second season, and I have to admit I didn’t hate how they conceptualized Bran’s … dreams.
We did get a little more negative than I’d expected; any last minute words of positivity?
Bob:
It’s still one of the best shows on TV. This is all nitpicking, my friend. I can’t wait for the new season to start!
Ivey:
Indeed … nitpicking is often about as useful as nipples on a breastplate, but it can be fun.
We’ll see you back here next week as we discuss episode one, “The North Remembers.”
Photo Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO |
It's well-known that the more adorable and charismatic of the endangered animals get most of the funding. That doesn't mean the cute animals, like the iconic panda, aren't worth saving, but it leaves a lot of the less photogenic but just as important animals out in the cold. Who's interested in saving the Brazilian bald-faced tamarin, which looks like a cross between a rabid monkey and a bat? Or the Komodo dragon, a 10-foot-long murderous lizard that's the embodiment of just about every childhood nightmare you ever had?
That's where the Ugly Animal Preservation Society comes in. It's an awareness campaign that uses comedy to bring attention to animals like the pig-nosed frog, pictured above, which may otherwise have trouble getting funding. The UAPS holds live events, where a combination of London comics and scientists discuss one ugly endangered animal of their choice. At the end of the show, the audience votes to decide which of those animals will become the mascot for each individual chapter of the UAPS. They don't seem to be directly donating money; instead, the aim is to raise awareness, with the hopes that it will eventually lead to donations elsewhere. |
Samsung Releases Galaxy Tab S to Compete with iPad Air?
Samsung has always been focused on building the ultimate experience for smartphone and tablet users. On the day of
2014 World Cup opening ceremony, Samsung also officially released its first flagship tablet - Samsung Galaxy Tab S.
The core technology inside is the Super AMOLED (Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) instead of traditional LCD(Liquid Crystal Display) that used by most of tablets including iPad Air. With super-high 2560 x 1600 resolution,
Tab S provides straight-up gorgeous display to let HD video look great. Make no mistake: The key selling point of
Samsung Galaxy Tab S is the highest resolution up till now to compete with iPad Air.
Besides its Super AMOLED, what else breakthroughs does Galaxy Tab S produce compared with iPad Air?
Read on, DVDSmith will bring you a full range of comparative analysis.
No matter which one is your preference, Samsung Galaxy Tab S or Apple iPad Air would be a good choice for you to enjoy great entertainment experience. But it makes sense that Galaxy Tab S pays more attention on display (size, resolution, type) and battery life from the above comparison, which provide you with more marvelous visual treat.
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OTTAWA—Chief electoral officer Marc Mayrand says Canada’s outdated voting process has reached a tipping point and must be modernized to meet the needs and expectations of voters. Mayrand says the Canada Elections Act is based on the way elections were conducted in the 19th century, when communication with the regions was limited, oversight was minimal and election administration was local.
Marc Mayrand wants to take Canada's " rigid and slow" voting system into the 21st century. ( Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS )
As a result, he says the process is entirely manual, rigid and slow. In last fall’s election, he says the cumbersome procedures resulted in long lineups at advance polls. Mayrand is recommending a number of reforms to bring the process into the 21st century.
Article Continued Below
For instance, he says voter information cards should include bar codes that can be electronically checked as soon as voters show up at polling stations, rather than forcing voters to wait in line for a poll worker at a specific table to strike their name off a paper list. |
Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ) made a startling misstatement on the Senate floor Friday, amid a heated debate on funding women’s health services — a key sticking point for Republicans and Democrats struggling to pass a budget that would keep the federal government from shutting down.
“You don’t have to go to Planned Parenthood to get your blood pressure or your cholesterol checked,” he said. “If you want an abortion, you go to Planned Parenthood, and that’s well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does.”
Shocking as that might sound, it’s patently false. In fact, the opposite is true: More than 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does has nothing to do with abortion.
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is one of the nation’s top non-profit organizations. In 2009, according to PPFA’s figures, 96 percent of its activities were dedicated to one of the following: cancer screenings; STD or STI testing; counseling and education; or pregnancy testing and prevention.
Thanks to all of this, one in five American women have a much better shot at preventing unwanted pregnancies or catching a life-threatening disease before it becomes critical.
In fact, the vast majority of PPFA’s reproductive health efforts are dedicated toward preventing unwanted pregnancies.
To this effect, independent research shows that each year PPFA plays a role in preventing over 2 million unwanted pregnancies and stopping over 800,000 women from getting abortions, saving public agencies billions of dollars in the process. The group says that only three percent of their patients request abortion services.
Figures show the PPFA is ten times more likely to help prevent an abortion than carry one out.
Additionally, PPFA volunteers reportedly distributed educational materials on reproductive health to over 1.9 million people in 2009. They were also a key bulwark in the fight against sexually transmitted diseases, carrying out nearly 4 million tests that year.
Despite this, misinformation as to what PPFA actually does remains rife among many Republicans.
Confronted by questions from Raw Story, one legislator in South Dakota — Republican state Sen. Al Novstrup, the key sponsor of that state’s recently passed abortion restrictions — appeared to be under the impression that PPFA was a profit-making venture with a “financial incentive” to carry out as many abortions as possible.
Sen. Kyl, it would seem, is about on that same page.
Funding for PPFA was a key sticking point for Republicans and Democrats on Friday as they struggled to pass a budget that would keep the federal government running.
Republicans in the House, who recently passed a budget that cut virtually all domestic programs and left defense spending untouched, insist on ending support for PPFA. Democrats have conceded to a wide cross-section of their proposed cuts, but insist that womens’ health services are not negotiable.
Most services provided by PPFA are significantly more expensive when purchased from the private sector.
Critics have suggested that the refusal to fund PPFA is actually a back-door scheme to funnel additional money into private health providers, which would be the last resort for most PPFA patients who lack health insurance. Republicans insist, however, that they are morally opposed to public funds going toward abortions. Public funding of abortions, however, has been repeatedly banned at the federal level. Public funds for abortion are only provided through Medicaid, and only in cases of rape or incest.
If the two parties cannot agree on a budget by midnight tonight, over 800,000 public workers will be temporarily displaced and many active duty combat troops will not receive their paychecks.
This video is from C-SPAN, broadcast Friday, April 8, 2011, as snipped by ThinkProgress. |
Diabetes treatment may reduce breast cancer risk in women by lowering mammographic density, according to research. Mammographic density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer, and any form of diabetes treatment has been found to lower it. Previous research has found a link between diabetes and mammographic density, but this is the first time when diabetes treatment like insulin has been studied in this context.
The study looked at 5,644 women who received mammographic screening between 1993 and 2001. Associate professor Dr. Zorana Jovanovic Andersen reported, “Women with diabetes were less likely to have mixed or dense breasts, as opposed to fatty ones, both before and after adjustment for other factors such as being overweight.”
Similar associations were seen among 44 women who had controlled diabetes solely by diet and 62 diabetics who took oral medications. Women who used insulin injections were found to have increased odds of mixed or dense breasts.
Dr. Andersen added, “Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but the exact mechanisms which bring this about are still unclear. One of the characteristics of cancer cells is their ability to grow rapidly and uncontrollably, and to resist the programmed death that occurs in non-cancer cells. Therefore, growth factors are critical to cancer development and progression. We know that insulin is an important growth factor for all body tissues, and even if we do not know exactly how it affects the development of cancer cells, it is also highly plausible that it increases breast density.”
“Our study looked solely at the effect of insulin on breast density. Now we would like to extend our research by following up these women for breast cancer and observing the effect of different diabetes treatments on breast cancer risk. If we find a relationship, we need to examine whether a high [mammographic density] is responsible, or whether other factors are involved,” said Dr. Andersen.
The researchers intend to conduct a larger scale study on mammographic density data and link it to specific insulin treatments from the Danish Prescription Registry.
Dr. Andersen concluded, “Denmark is fortunate to have such a large MD data set, which, through the DCH study group, can be linked to many different issues that may influence health outcomes. The possibility of analyzing such detailed information in a coherent group means that we have the ability to undertake additional studies in order to further investigate the relationships between breast density and other risk factors for breast cancer. In the meantime, we would urge all women, both with diabetes and without, to take measures to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer through simple lifestyle changes, such as avoiding obesity, reducing alcohol consumption, and exercising.”
Connection between diabetes and breast cancer
Controlling glucose levels in diabetes is important as uncontrolled glucose levels can cause damage to the blood vessels and the circulatory system, resulting in kidney failure, lower limb amputations, and even vision loss. Although this may not seem as if it is associated with breast cancer, in fact, it has been reported that there are higher rates of breast cancer among diabetics than those without diabetes.
Fifty years ago, it was first reported that breast cancer was most common in type 1 diabetes, but recent research has shown a more specific link between type 2 diabetes and breast cancer.
Postmenopausal women over the age of 50 with type 2 diabetes have been found to have a 20 to 27 percent higher risk of breast cancer. Although the link between the two isn’t as clear, it is speculated that the damage caused by uncontrolled glucose levels and inflammation can contribute to breast cancer. Additionally, type 2 diabetes and breast cancer share many common risk factors, including being overweight or obese, and lacking exercise and physical activity, to name a few.
Furthermore, it has been observed that women with type 2 diabetes and breast cancer have a 50 percent higher risk of death. It is then even more important to manage your diabetes to not only reduce your risk of breast cancer, but to avoid worsened complications of the condition.
Related Reading:
Type 2 diabetes in women increases heart attack and stroke risk, intense activity may lower risk
Type 2 diabetes in women increases heart attack and stroke risk, but intense activity may help lower the risk. Women, compared to men, have double the risk of having a heart attack or stroke if they have type 2 diabetes. The findings suggest that additional intense activity could help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Continue reading…
Gestational diabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes after pregnancy
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that only occurs during a woman’s pregnancy, although data shows that it can turn into type 2 diabetes after a person gives birth. Your body needs glucose for energy, but too much glucose in the blood is not good for the baby. If you have blood sugar that is too high then you have diabetes. Gestational diabetes is typically diagnosed during the late stages of pregnancy. Continue reading…
Sources:
https://www.ecco-org.eu/Global/News/EBCC/EBCC10-PR/2016/03/Diabetes-treatment-can-reduce-mammographic-density-an-important-risk-factor-for-breast-cancer
http://ww5.komen.org/KomenPerspectives/Diabetes-and-Breast-Cancer.html |
Kaboom! Controlled explosions in the legs of this silicone 'soft robot' make it leap higher than 30 times its own height.
Researchers led by George Whitesides, a chemist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, have engineered a three-legged silicone device that is powered by combustion — previously used only in hard systems such as diesel engines.
The soft robot has in each of its legs a channel with a soft valve at the end. Methane and oxygen gases are fed into this channel in a ratio of one part methane to two parts oxygen. The computer that controls how much gas is let in also controls a high-voltage cable connected to electrodes in each leg.
When the computer sparks the electrodes, the methane and oxygen explode, turning into carbon dioxide and water — and releasing a lot of energy. The downward force from the explosion makes the robot jump — higher than 30 centimetres so far, although the researchers say the range has been limited by the height of the testing chamber. The soft valve is crucial, says Robert Shepherd, a study co-author and engineer at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. It closes in response to high pressure, thus making the pressure even higher, and then it opens after the explosion to let the exhaust gases out.
Soft robots are lighter and simpler than hard systems, and they are relatively inexpensive to produce — but they have previously been limited to compressed-air power, owing to the high heat generated in combustion reactions. “The key discovery is that this material can work at these high temperatures,” says Shepherd. The robot has withstood more than 30 consecutive explosive jumps so far. The results were published this week in Angewandte Chemie1.
The researchers hope that a developed version of their device could be used for search-and-rescue operations, leaping and cartwheeling its way over any obstacles that might block its path. |
After months of controversy, Spike Lee’s new film Chi-Raq finally hits theaters today. It’s a dud. A squandered opportunity. There’s a reckoning to be had in Chicago, and a serious examination to be done about the pervasiveness of gun violence here, but this movie is not it. Billed as a satire and based on the Greek comedy Lysistrata by Aristophanes, Chi-Raq is a brazenly opportunistic film, glomming onto current events with sickening desperation, simultaneously overwrought and underwhelming.
The plot summary in brief: After a series of escalating violent acts between two rival gangs—the Spartans and the Trojans—result in the shooting of a little girl, a young woman named Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris), girlfriend of Spartan gang leader Chi-Raq (Nick Cannon), initiates a sex strike in the hopes that it will curb the city’s violence. In the film, Lysistrata’s strike is marked with a motto: “I will deny all rights of access or entrance,"which she repeats to her legion of women. The film’s posters, however, put it more succinctly: “No Peace, No Piece.”
Chi-Raq is both a satire and late period Spike Lee and, ultimately, a mess. There are glimpses of that signature Lee stamp—direct camera addresses, gorgeous cinematography (Wicker Park has never looked so good), and moving performances from Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, and (surprisingly!) John Cusack. But there is so much more that doesn’t work, from the haphazardly enforced rhyming verse throughout to the jarring nods at every hot button black subject du jour (mass incarceration! Sandra Bland! The Prison-Industrial Complex!). It’s a well-known fact—one trumpeted by Lee himself—that the film was shot in six weeks and Lee scrambled to release it in time for Oscar consideration. The rushing shows.
It’s hard not to come away from the movie feeling as though it’s a gross oversimplification of Chicago’s ails. Both Lee and his co-writer, Kevin Willmott, who originally came up with the concept of a modern revamping of Lysistrata, freely admit that the film was not originally supposed to be set in Chicago. That changed because of social media (read more about that here).
In Chicago’s Q&A with Lee, he claims to have done his research. And sure, he frontloads the movie with grim stats about the violence in the city. The 500 murders in 2012, the contested claim that there have been more murders in Chicago than in Iraq. But from then on, the depictions of gang culture appear to stem directly from bad, outdated movies and TV shows about gang life. They resemble nothing of the overwhelmingly young, decentralized nature of the gangs that proliferate in Chicago today. The fact that the film’s two central gang leaders (itself a dated concept in Chicago, when there are hundreds of splintered gangs who rule over one block or one street) are played by Nick Cannon, age 35, and Wesley Snipes, age 53, is just wildly inaccurate. (Let’s ignore, forever, the utter absurdity of Snipes’s Cyclops, from his bizarre, staccato laugh, to his bejeweled eye patch, to any character context whatsoever.) As Chicago has reported, the average age of both victims and perpetrators in Chicago is really young—a shocking number are under the age of 30.
What’s been so surprising—if not infuriating— about early critical reactions to the film is just how laudatory so many reviews have been. The cream of that strange crop: New York Times film critic Mahnola Dargis’s critic’s pick review. She not only calls Chi-Raq the best work Lee has done in years, but writes this travesty promptly circulated around local Internet circles and rightly mocked: “Set in contemporary Chicago, where sidewalks are washed with blood, and human hearts beat to the rhythm of gunfire…” Why is there such reticence on the part of critics to really address the film’s awfulness? As if taking on Chicago gun violence means Lee should be offered a carte blanche. The tropes the film traffics in means it could have been set anywhere. That Lee chose Chicago seems like a desperate attempt on his part to cash in on the city’s unflattering national spotlight.
Lee says he wants this movie to save lives. But if it has no basis in the reality of the city, how can it?
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One of the most common sights following any major storm is a large number of houses with blue tarps pinned to their roofs. That was certainly true in Houston after Hurricane Harvey, and in Florida after Irma rolled through. But images from Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria are almost blue-roof-free. That’s not because the hurricane didn’t leave plenty of damaged homes — with winds speeds over 150 mph when it made landfall, Maria was a monster storm that ripped shingles from homes that met even the most stringent hurricane standards.
So why are images from Puerto Rico so lacking in that post-disaster blue?
After Hurricane Maria damaged tens of thousands of homes in Puerto Rico, a newly created Florida company with an unproven record won more than $30 million in contracts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide emergency tarps and plastic sheeting for repairs.
Just as the contract to rebuild Puerto Rico’s electrical grid was awarded to a two-man firm in Montana that didn’t even have an office, FEMA awarded the contract for supplying tarps and similar post-disaster materials to the Florida firm Bronze Star.
Only neither of the brothers behind the company had the supplies they were selling, or experience in acquiring them, or knowledge of delivering them. And if the name has you wondering, neither of them actually has a Bronze Star.
“My brother and I, we are both veterans, so we just came up with a name to do business,” Kayon Jones said. “We’re not saying we have a Bronze Star or anything.”
Somehow the proposal from Bronze Star beat out eight other bids for tarps and plastic sheeting. But not a single item was delivered before FEMA finally cancelled the contracts on November 6. Which means that since September 20, homes on Puerto Rico have been picking up even more rain damage as they waited for these supplies. |
Massachusetts Lawmaker Who Tipped Illegals Off to ICE Raids Says She’s Not Sorry
As reported earlier — Massachusetts State Representative, Michelle Dubois took to Facebook to warn illegal aliens that ICE would be doing raids in the community of Brockton on Wednesday, March 29th.
Ms. DuBois even gave specific instructions to illegal aliens to stay inside ‘don’t go out on the street’ and if there was a knock on the door, not to answer the door.
Michelle DuBois told CBS Local she is not sorry for her illegal stunt:
“Passing information along that is already all over the community not only lets the people I represent know what is happening. It lets ICE know that everyone in Brockton is aware of their intended raid if there was one,” DuBois said, reading a statement aloud. Asked whether she thought the post could be construed as obstructing justice, she replied, “No, I don’t.” DuBois also said she did not see a problem with disseminating a rumor and admitted, she did not contact ICE before doing so.
They need to start locking up a few of these criminals.
This lawmaker is out of control. |
This is going to be a series of posts that talk about what I learned from the Django Dash. I think it’s a really fun competetion that is also a great learning experience. I hope that this series catch on, and other people write about some of the things that they learned in the Django Dash.
What I learned¶
The thing that I learned about during my dash project was the awesomeness that is Gunicorn. It is an awesome HTTP server that I think has really solved the “how do I deploy Django” problem.
Here are the steps involved in deploying a site using the gunicorn:
pip install gunicorn
Add ‘gunicorn’ to your installed apps
./manage.py run_gunicorn -b 127.0.0.1:1337 –daemon
It really is that simple. Gunicorn is the fastest way to having a production ready web server serving your site that I’ve found in the Django realm. However, Gunicorn by itself isn’t production ready. It is recommended to deploy something in front of it. We used Nginx, which is another super simple web server.
Here is basically the simplest possible configuration of nginx that will work for your gunicorn backend server.
server { listen 80 ; server_name example . com ; access_log / var / log / nginx / example . log ; location / { proxy_pass http : // 127.0 . 0.1 : 1337 ; } }
After you restart Nginx, you should be able to hit your server at port 80 and have it be serving your Django web app. This allowed us to get our application into production during the dash in about 10 minutes, which was a great time saver.
I’d be curious if people have had any trouble with Gunicorn in deployment, because as far as I’ve seen its production ready. As a “first Django deployment” set up I think it’s hard to beat. I’ve also noticed that is uses significantly less RAM than an Apache/mod_wsgi set up (I know this can be configured away, but by default it’s much better). This is great for the memory constrained deployment platforms a lot of us are running on. |
The best story about Jürgen Klopp’s reputation in Germany dates back to 2008 when, as Mainz manager, he was under consideration to take over at Hamburg, subject to an intensive, secret period of scrutiny by the club, who had him observed at training, on match-day and in his life outside football.
Of the many details that were reported back to Hamburg, the fact Klopp often wore ripped jeans struck the club’s board as posing a serious question about his suitability. In the end, they gave the job to Martin Jol. For Klopp, who joined Borussia Dortmund months later, the story served as a useful reminder in driving the perception that he was a figure who belonged outside the establishment.
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The owners of Liverpool, Fenway Sports Group, will have no such concerns when they move to close a deal with their new manager over the next few days. Klopp, at 48, has a pedigree as good as any manager to come into the Premier League since Louis van Gaal and he has nurtured the reputation of a maverick and an outsider at Dortmund, where he often defeated the mighty Bayern Munich.
In the past, he has publicly compared Munich to the villain in a James Bond movie, while casting Dortmund as the force for good. He also compared Bayern’s approach to China’s theft of Germany’s manufacturing industry’s best ideas. “Bayern go about football in the same way that the Chinese go about industry,” he said in 2013. “They look at what others do and then they copy it, with more resources and more money.”
Put it this way, if Jose Mourinho, for example, goes for the putative new Liverpool manager in one Friday lunchtime press conference, then he can certainly expect a robust response. Klopp has a confidence and an ego to match the biggest that currently call the Premier League home. The question is, what effect he can have on Liverpool?
He inherited a Dortmund team that finished 13th in the Bundesliga in 2008 and took them to two league titles in 2011 and 2012, as well as the cup double the second year. They reached the Champions League final in 2013 but then, after another second-place Bundesliga finish in 2014, they dropped like a stone. Bottom in February, they finished seventh last season, the same as Liverpool, albeit with a much inferior points-to-games average than the English club – 1.35 against 1.63.
Along the way, Klopp fought against a dominant club in Bayern, with the resources to sign his best players. The underdog status will be no different with Liverpool, except that instead of one club with more financial clout than Dortmund, there are four who can outgun Klopp’s new club. How he approaches that challenge will be intriguing.
Speaking to those who know Klopp well, it is his capacity to motivate players that stands out as his greatest strength. He is big on the pre-match speech, on making good players give great performances. He likes the emotion of the occasion and he uses that to his own players’ benefit. He is not against taking on journalists in press conferences.
Tactically, the best Dortmund teams were about hard-running, high-pressing and an energy that overwhelmed their opponents. Even in Klopp’s last season, when it was falling apart in the Bundesliga, they still succeeded in giving Arsenal a comprehensive Champions League chasing in September. He is a manager with one key philosophy and while Dortmund’s style was so formidable for so long, it was also perceived as a weakness.
While there was not one key reason why Dortmund fell apart last season, the problems associated with maintaining that style of football was cited. Another was that the players had simply heard Klopp’s speeches too many times. His power to inspire them had waned and, without that, there was not much left.
His Bosnian assistant, Zeljko Buvac, a team-mate from his playing days at Mainz, is a certainty to follow Klopp to Anfield. He regards Buvac as his “brains” and the co-architect of Dortmund’s style of play. That said, Klopp was regarded as the best pundit on German television when it came to tactical analysis during his stint for broadcaster ZDF during the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany. He was only manager of Mainz then, yet his ability to explain strategy simply made him a first choice above more famous names.
Dortmund’s player recruitment was a collegiate effort, led by the technical director Michael Zorc, regarded as one of the best in the business. Once players were acquired, it was Klopp’s confidence that helped develop some of them into the stars they became. He encouraged the potential of Lukasz Piszczek at full-back, when he had previously been a mediocre striker for most of his time at Hertha Berlin. He also took a chance on Robert Lewandowski.
Since his departure from Dortmund, the new manager, Thomas Tuchel, has tried to introduce more than one way of playing as an alternative to the high-octane style that Klopp preached. That style was cited in some quarters as unsustainable, with a tendency for them to tire late on in games, as they did in losing the 2013 Champions League final. Their start to the current season has been remarkable, unbeaten until they ran into Bayern Munich this weekend and lost 5-1.
Either way, Liverpool are not recruiting a manager who has a track record of making quiet progress. Klopp is an impact coach, a man with a big personality who will seek to establish himself quickly in the minds of his players and in those of the English football public. At least, that is what he did at Dortmund – and the effect, culminating in one three-year period between 2010 and 2013, was impressive.
His mentor was the late Wolfgang Frank, a former player and manager of relative obscurity who was Klopp’s manager at Mainz in the 1990s. Frank was known for his original, unconventional approach, which made an impression on the young Klopp. At a club that has spent more than 25 years trying to return to the top of English football, there is a platform to do things differently.
Liverpool cannot afford to be unreceptive to new ideas as they try to break the top four. Klopp proved himself the master of that innovation at Dortmund and the question he will have to ask himself at Liverpool is whether that will work once more or if a new approach is required to solve a very old problem.
Chelsea’s statement of intent couldn’t be clearer, Jose
“He has the squad with which to do it.” Just nine words, but a sting in the tail to the statement of support that Chelsea offered Jose Mourinho. Roman Abramovich has given his manager the public support he asked for, but made it clear he has the resources at his disposal to, as the statement puts it, “turn this season around”. These statements are not issued lightly and their composition is very carefully considered. Mourinho knows what is required of him and the next club statement reflecting on his performance – if there is another – is not so likely to be good news.
Keep up to date with all the latest news with expert comment and analysis from our award-winning writers |
A few weeks ago, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Tampa Bay Lightning is looking for a defenceman (preferably a right shot) in a theoretical Jonathan Drouin trade.
Since then, we have heard buzz about a number of potential Drouin deals, perhaps the most prominent concerning Tampa Bay’s targeting of Cody Ceci and/or Thomas Chabot from the Ottawa Senators.
In essentially every potential trade scenario, the proposed deal has Tampa Bay acquiring some type of defender in exchange for their former third-overall pick. To me, that’s just as interesting as the reality that a player with such great potential is on the trade block, his future with the Lightning organization as dead as a doornail.
Tampa Bay is in a tough spot here. Trading a blue-chip prospect at such a young point in his career presents the danger of a pennies-on-the-dollar kind of return. It’s an even bigger risk since the Lightning is an organization that should realistically be competing for a Stanley Cup right now. Only Washington has emerged as a serious threat in the Eastern Conference, so that window is wide open.
The way they are so actively targeting defenders in potential trades indicates that the front office has identified the team’s biggest operational need – a defenceman to play behind their vaunted top pairing of Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman.
It’s an interesting development, and one that seems to be data-driven. You can apportion at least some of Tampa Bay’s relatively slow start to the season to their second and third pairings not performing up to par. What’s more troublesome – at least if you are general manager Steve Yzerman or head coach Jon Cooper – is that the bottom four’s bad performance has been somewhat pervasive, regardless of who is on the ice with them.
Where Hedman and Stralman elevate the performance of Tampa Bay’s impressive forward group, the rest of the blueline seems to artificially suppress performance. Playing with the second and/or third pairing often means spending more time in the defensive zone, and, consequently, fewer chances to have an impact in the offensive zone.
It doesn’t matter if the first line or the fourth line is out with Tampa Bay’s top pairing — they’re going to spend a significant portion of shifts in the offensive zone. This pairing has become something of an analytics darling, so there’s no need to re-hash what’s already been said time and time again. Simply put: they have an incredible impact on their team’s play regardless of whom else in on the ice with them. That’s indicative of very real, very measurable talent.
On the other hand, Tampa Bay defenders three through six have really struggled from a possession standpoint. It’s amazing to me that none of these defenders can do little more than break-even (at best) when playing with a generational talent like Steven Stamkos, or the vaunted Triplets Line that has chewed up competition since being assembled a couple of seasons ago.
I do wonder if Tampa Bay thinks this is a two-pronged issue – the first being that talent on the second and third pairings hasn’t played up to expectations, the second being that ‘handedness’ is contributing to some of the defence’s struggles.
Three of the four regulars (four of five if you count Nikita Nesterov) are left-handed shots, meaning at least one pairing is lefty with lefty. That means the other pairing features the lone right-handed shot in Andrej Sustr, a player who hasn’t developed as quickly as Tampa Bay anticipated. Acquiring a talented right-shot defender would hypothetically solve both of these issues.
It’s a theory, but one worth considering in light of the trade buzz.
The Takeaway
If Tampa Bay was just a team looking to inch into the playoff race and hope for a May miracle, we likely wouldn’t be so concerned with how their blueline depth has performed. But Yzerman and company have pegged this team as a Stanley Cup hopeful. Knowing that the future of Stamkos is up in the air, I’d hazard to guess that the pressure is on to win now. To that end, it’s also understandable why the front office wants a defensive upgrade. After Hedman and Stralman, they just haven’t been good enough. |
Health Minister Leo Varadkar has admitted that parents of babies who died at the Midlands hospital in Portlaoise had been lied to over the circumstances of their children's deaths.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week programme, the minister said he found it "extremely worrying" and "appalling" that parents who lost children at the hospital "were not dealt with honestly".
This included some cases where parents were told that their child's death was the only one of its kind.
He said it was important to create an environment where hospital clinicians at all levels were honest about mistakes made, but that there had been a culture of defensiveness within the health service.
The minister also said that the HSE continued to dispute some of the findings of a damning investigation carried out by HIQA, the health standards watchdog.
However, he said both the HSE and his department had accepted all of HIQA's recommendations.
Among these, he said that he hoped to see the proposed Patient Advocacy Service in place sooner than the May 2016 target.
He also wanted to see the planned national maternity strategy published by the end of this year.
Minister Varadkar also said he expected that terms of reference would be drawn up either this week or the week after for an external review into how certain red flags at Portlaoise hospital did not pass up through HSE management.
He said he expected a final report in a number of months. |
How can you keep an eye on that slow SQL query? Is it taking up too much time nowadays? How about that call to the 3rd party API? Is it actually slow during the weekends? Being able to answer such questions quickly, to track these numbers in real-time, is a bit like driving at night with headlights on!
Imagine adding a new feature that you’ve tested well enough, but want to roll it out slowly in production, while keeping an eye on the time taken for a few crucial operations. Having a system where it is easy to add in these few metrics quickly, have it graphed and alerted on in real-time, provides the scaffolding for smooth, solid ops. And less weekend on-call duties.
So how do you get yourself such a system? Read on!
Measuring
This is the easiest part. Measuring the time taken to execute a piece of code typically goes like:
func ( foo * Bar ) Parse () error { t := time . Now () // ... do stuff ... elapsed := time . Since ( t ) // report elapsed } // or, a little more cleanly, like this: func ( foo * Bar ) Parse () error { t := time . Now () defer func () { elapsed := time . Since ( t ) // report elapsed }() // ... do stuff ... }
If you want to count the number of times an event occurred, you’d use something like this:
var parseFailures uint64 func ( foo * Bar ) Compile () error { if err := foo . Parse (); err != nil { // count the number of times this happens atomic . AddUint64 ( & parseFailures , 1 ) // ... } // ... }
There are better ways to count and to report that count, though. Read on.
Reporting Metrics (push) vs. Collecting Metrics (pull)
How do you get the measurements out of your app and into something which can graph them? There are two approaches:
Push : After gathering the measurement, your app reports, or “pushes” the measurements into a low-latency service, and continues with it’s work.
: After gathering the measurement, your app reports, or “pushes” the measurements into a low-latency service, and continues with it’s work. Pull: Your app exposes these metrics in a standard format at a predefined endpoint. A collection service “pulls” these metrics.
There are enough examples of these in the wild. The proc filesystem mounted at /proc and an SNMP agent that can be queried are examples of the pull model. Google Analytics is an example of the push model.
So which one should you pick for your app? There’s no correct answer. In both cases, apart from your app, you need a service that can accept metrics or pull metrics. You should choose an approach that suits your app, scale and team.
The expvar package
Within Google, the pull approach is used, which perhaps explains why the expvar package exists in the Go standard library.
This library provides a way to expose your app metrics so that a service can collect them. Rewriting the above using the expvar package makes it look like this:
import "expvar" var elapsed = expvar . NewFloat ( "parseTotalTime" ) // nanoseconds func ( foo * Bar ) Parse () error { t := time . Now () defer func () { elapsed . Add ( time . Since ( t )) }() // ... do stuff ... } var parseFailures = expvar . NewInt ( "parseFailures" ) func ( foo * Bar ) Compile () error { if err := foo . Parse (); err != nil { // count the number of times this happens parseFailures . Add ( 1 ) // ... } // ... }
Importing the package sets up an HTTP handler for the default HTTP server to handle the URL path /debug/vars , and serves up your metrics as a JSON object. You’ll need to start the default HTTP server explicitly.
Although it is convenient that this package exists in the standard library, there is not much of an (open source) ecosystem around it. Neither are there schema or conventions around the JSON format that is exposed.
If the pull approach suits you best, you might also want to take a look at Prometheus.
StatsD and Graphite
For the push model though, StatsD and Graphite are the de facto standards. There are client libraries for many languages that let you push metrics into StatsD and graphite.
You can send your measurements as plain metrics into a graphite server. A single report is simply a name, a timestamp and a value.
StatsD was designed to sit between your app and graphite, and do some aggregation of the metrics before passing it on to graphite. What’s that, you ask? Basically, StatsD hangs on to the metrics you send it, and at periodic intervals (called the “flush interval”, typically 1 minute), calculates additional information and then pushes it into graphite. Here are some things that it can calculate:
Each time an event happens, you can send a “+1” to StatsD. It can count them, and report totalled counts.
Each time you send a timing measurement, StatsD remembers it. At flush time, it computes percentiles, min, max and more for each timing measurement metric and forwards it to graphite.
You can track a varying quantity (like system temperature or fan speed) as a gauge. The last value at flush time gets reported.
See this page for all the cool stuff that StatsD can compute.
Sending Data to StatsD
The StatsD on-wire text protocol is so simple it hardly needs any vendored library. Essentially, you can send text strings in this format to an UDP port. Here’s the complete source of a fully functional StatsD client:
package util import ( "fmt" "io" "net" "time" ) var queue = make ( chan string , 100 ) func init () { go statsdSender () } func StatCount ( metric string , value int ) { queue <- fmt . Sprintf ( "%s:%d|c" , metric , value ) } func StatTime ( metric string , took time . Duration ) { queue <- fmt . Sprintf ( "%s:%d|ms" , metric , took / 1e6 ) } func StatGauge ( metric string , value int ) { queue <- fmt . Sprintf ( "%s:%d|g" , metric , value ) } func statsdSender () { for s := range queue { if conn , err := net . Dial ( "udp" , "127.0.0.1:8125" ); err == nil { io . WriteString ( conn , s ) conn . Close () } } }
As you can see, the code is quite simple. The metrics are pushed into a channel to allow the caller to continue ASAP. The statsdSender then writes each measurement into a StatsD-compatible agent on localhost.
The util.Stat* functions are meant to be used from application code, like so:
func ( foo * Bar ) Parse () error { t := time . Now () defer func () { util . StatTime ( "parse.timetaken" , time . Since ( t )) }() // ... do stuff ... } func ( foo * Bar ) Compile () error { if err := foo . Parse (); err != nil { util . StatCount ( "parse.failures" , 1 ) // ... } // ... }
If you anticipate that too many metrics might get pushed into the channel, have a look at the client-side sampling rate feature of the StatsD protocol.
StatsD and the OpsDash Smart Agent
In the code above, the metrics are pushed into a StatsD running on localhost.
For OpsDash, we actually use nearly the same code above in production, and we don’t have a StatsD on each node! The OpsDash Smart Agent includes built-in StatsD and graphite daemons. Naturally, we use OpsDash itself to monitor the SaaS version of OpsDash!
Here’s a snippet of the agent configuration file /etc/opsdash/agent.cfg :
statsd { # You can enable the statsd interface by setting this to 1. enabled = 1 # For timing metrics, percentiles are computed as per this list. Values # must be comma-separated integers in ascending order. Default value is # "90,95,99". #percentiles = "90,95,99" # When enabled, OpsDash will listen on *:8125/tcp and *:8125/udp for # statsd connections. Uncomment to change the IP or port it listens on. #bind.udp = "0.0.0.0:8125" #bind.tcp = "0.0.0.0:8125" }
The OpsDash Smart Agent runs on each node and accepts the StatsD metrics from the application code. It then forwards it to the OpsDash SaaS server, where it can be graphed and alerted upon. Here’s how the above metrics will look on an OpsDash custom dashboard:
Further Reading |
Analysis For IBM, storage value is moving to software, with object storage and flash growing while legacy disk and tape products see revenue falls.
In Big Blue’s fourth 2016 quarter overall revenues dropped nine per cent but storage hardware revenues fared worse, dropping 11.1 per cent, with no end in sight.
This continues a trend seen for the past four years. The only bright spots seem to be flash arrays (FlashSystem) and server-based storage but we don’t know how bright. IBM’s financial reporting singles out storage hardware but not flash hardware within it.
IBM doesn’t report server-based storage separately nor identify storage software revenues as a single reporting category; all of which hampers our ability to know what’s going on.
We can see what’s been happening with the storage hardware category generally and it ain’t pretty. Here's four charts showing what’s what.
Chart number one is a look at IBM’s quarterly revenues from 2010 to the end of 2015, with storage hardware revenues separately tracked.
Click chart for larger view
Chart two is a look at storage hardware revenues on their own to make things clearer.
A trendline has been added to show the downward trend
Our third chart summarises this in an annual view.
Four straight years of decline
Chart four abstracts out each quarter and shows its value year by year.
We see a consistent decline in storage revenues here.
The message here is that IBM storage hardware revenues have seen four straight years of decline and there is no end in sight. IBM management does not identify storage hardware as an area needing attention, despite annual revenues having dropped 35 per cent over four years, from $3.7bn in 2011 to $2.4bn in 2015.
Martin Schroeter, IBM’s CFO, said in prepared remarks: “A couple of years ago we laid out our strategic imperatives around big data and analytics, around cloud, and around mobile and security.” In 2015’s final quarter “Our strategic imperatives continued strong performance, up 26 per cent for the year. This now represents 35 per cent of IBM’s revenue.”
Within that: “With 57 per cent revenue growth over the last year, cloud is now a $10 billion business for us. This made us the largest cloud provider in 2015.”
Cloud is the big thing, in Schroeter's view. “To address opportunities we see in this space, in 2015 we made seven cloud acquisitions including Cleversafe for object storage, Gravitant for cloud brokerage services, and Clearleap for cloud video services. We also invested nearly a billion dollars in capital expanding our global cloud data centre footprint to 46.”
It’s not that hardware, per se, is bad, though. In Schroeter's words: “Our Systems Hardware revenue was up, driven by z Systems and Power. … This was the fourth consecutive quarter of growth in both z Systems and Power. … about half of our systems segment revenue in 2015 was to address analytics workloads, or hybrid and private clouds. … Even though the Unix market is declining, by delivering innovation and repositioning the platform, our Power systems have grown four quarters in a row.“
But that apparent determination to grow the non-x86 server business was not paralleled in the storage hardware business; “The growth in our servers was mitigated by a seven per cent [constant currency] decline in storage hardware, which continues to be impacted by weakness in traditional disk and tape.”
Analysis
IBM could exit the commodity x86 server hardware business and focus on its proprietary z Systems and Power Servers. No such exit strategy appears possible in general disk and tape storage, where commoditisation of disk is affecting IBM.
“Value in the storage market continues to shift to software and offering requirements that are driving demand for flash and object-based storage,” said Schroeter. “We are well-positioned in these new areas, with growth in flash, and our recent acquisition of Cleversafe.”
This implies that IBM is not at all well-positioned in the general SAN and filer hardware area, and products here have been left on their own. We can infer that development budgets for these product areas will not be growing.
Will IBM be looking to build hyper-converged infrastructure appliances (HCIA) using its Power servers as a base? We think not, as commodity x86 server-based HCIAs could undercut them on price.
Our thinking is that IBM could be doing well in server-based storage, but may be thinking that capacity-focussed SAN and filer storage is heading towards a commoditised on-premises game, which it doesn’t want anything to do with, or to public cloud provision where its storage software, like Cleversafe, has a role.
Therefore, IBM’s storage hardware business could dip to a $2bn annual revenue run rate by the end of 2016 and fall below $2bn in 2017.
In the fourth 2015 quarter, storage hardware accounted for 32 per cent of IBM’s hardware business. We expect that to fall below 30 per cent this year, and head towards a 25 per cent contribution.
This is, it seems to us, a managed decline, with IBM wanting a smaller, but presumably more profitable, storage hardware business to eventually emerge. ® |
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' Former Sanders campaign spokesman: Clinton staff are 'biggest a--holes in American politics' MORE’s presidential campaign raised $11.3 million online over the last three days, the campaign announced Tuesday.
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The “record-breaking” figure is the most Clinton has raised over a 72-hour period since she became the nominee at the Democratic National Convention in July, according to the campaign. The sum only includes online fundraising.
The surge in contributions came after FBI Director James Comey sent a letter to Congress on Friday informing them that his agency discovered the existence of emails that appear to be “pertinent” to its investigation into the private email server Clinton used while secretary of State.
It was later revealed that the emails were found on a computer belonging to former Rep. (D-N.Y.) Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin who is under investigation for allegedly exchanging sexually explicit messages with a minor.
Comey’s letter was widely criticized by Democrats for being vague, and Clinton's surrogates have assailed Comey for not being more forthcoming.
Republican nominee Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE has seized on the FBI's move as he seeks to make up ground in the polls ahead of Election Day. |
As jihadists expel Christians from Mosul, the international community responds.
There is a mass exodus of Christians from the Iraqi city of Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq. The Muslim fanatics who have taken over the city, calling themselves the Islamic State, issued an ultimatum to the city’s Christians earlier this month, saying that if they did not leave by Saturday, July 19, they “must convert to Islam, pay a fine, or face ‘death by the sword.’” As of Tuesday, most of the city’s estimated 3,000 Christians had fled.
Further, the Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, had marked homes and businesses owned by Christians with a red, painted ن (pronounced “noon”), the 14th letter of the Arabic alphabet and the equivalent to the Roman letter N. The ن stands for Nasara or Nazarenes, a pejorative Arabic word for Christians.
The ن is now being shared on social media as a symbol of solidarity with the Iraqi Christians forced to flee their homes. The Catholic blog Rorate Caeli has wrote, the Islamists “mean it as a mark of shame, we must then wear it as a mark of hope. . . . You may kill our brethren and expel them but we Christians will never go away.”
The hashtag #WeAreN is also trending, along with pictures of people of all religions drawing the ن in red ink on their bodies.
When asked why he changed his profile picture to the ن, political consultant Ryan Girdusky said, “I changed it because of the lack of response by our media and our president . . . We feel like the Christian community is being persecuted at the same time the Palestinians are being given constant attention. There is a Christian genocide and no one is paying attention.”
The mass exodus has incited international criticism, even from Muslim scholars. Al Jazeera quoted Iyad Ameen Madani, the secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as saying, “This forced displacement is a crime that cannot be tolerated.” Yesterday, the United Nations’ secretary general, Ban Ki Moon, said that the treatment of Iraqi Christians “may constitute a crime against humanity.” He also “condemned” ISIS’s actions “in the strongest terms.”
Mosul has played a role in Christian history since the first and second centuries, when the Assyrians in the city converted to Christianity. It is the home to many churches, as well as mosques and synagogues. Al Jazeera described, via an Assyrian Christian who chose to stay behind, how a statue of the Virgin Mary outside of one of Mosul’s churches was destroyed and replaced with a black flag. This Christian is one of the last left in Mosul, as most others have fled, many leaving with only the clothes on their backs.
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— Christine Sisto is an editorial associate at National Review Online. |
Examples For Using io.Pipe in Go
Much has been written and said about the work of art that are the io.Reader and io.Writer interfaces. Simple, yet powerful - just as Go itself.
In this post I want to showcase another part of the Go standard library that I find to be both simple and powerful - io.Pipe.
pr , pw := io . Pipe ( )
According to the docs, io.Pipe creates a synchronous in-memory pipe, which can be used to connect code expecting io.Reader with code expecting io.Writer .
Upon invocation, io.Pipe() returns a PipeReader and a PipeWriter . They are connected (hence the pipe), so that everything written to the PipeWriter can be read from the PipeReader .
The following three examples show use-cases of io.Pipe , its versatility and the way of thinking and composing I/O it enables us to do.
Let’s get started!
Example 1: JSON to HTTP Request
This is the go-to example one usually sees when it comes to io.Pipe . We encode some data as JSON and want to send it to a web endpoint via http.Post . Unfortunately (or rather fortunately), the JSON encoder takes an io.Writer and the http request methods expect an io.Reader as input, so we can’t just plug them together.
Of course we could always create intermediate []byte representations, but that is neither memory efficient nor particularly elegant. This is where io.Pipe comes in:
pr , pw := io . Pipe ( ) go func ( ) { // close the writer, so the reader knows there's no more data defer pw . Close ( ) // write json data to the PipeReader through the PipeWriter if err := json . NewEncoder ( pw ) . Encode ( & PayLoad { Content : "Hello Pipe!" } ) ; err != nil { log . Fatal ( err ) } } ( ) // JSON from the PipeWriter lands in the PipeReader // ...and we send it off... if _ , err := http . Post ( "http://example.com" , "application/json" , pr ) ; err != nil { log . Fatal ( err ) }
First, we encode some struct PayLoad to JSON and write the data to the PipeWriter created by invoking io.Pipe . Afterwards, we create a http POST request, which gets its data from the PipeReader . That PipeReader gets filled with the data written to the PipeWriter .
Important to note here is that we have to encode asynchronously to prevent a deadlock, because we would write without a reader if we didn’t.
This practical example showcases the versatility of io.Pipe very well. It really incentivizes gophers to build components using io.Reader and io.Writer , without having to worry about them being used together.
Example 2: Split up Data with TeeReader
I found another very cool way of using io.Pipe together with TeeReader (read: T-Reader) in @rodaine’s great blog post about asynchronously splitting an io.Reader .
In Solution #4, he describes the use-case of using a video-file and simultaneously transcode it to another format and uploading that, while also uploading the original file. All with minimal overhead and completely in parallel.
Based on this solution, I tried to capture the gist of it with the following example:
pr , pw := io . Pipe ( ) // we need to wait for everything to be done wg := sync . WaitGroup { } wg . Add ( 2 ) // we get some file as input f , err := os . Open ( "./fruit.txt" ) if err != nil { log . Fatal ( err ) } // TeeReader gets the data from the file and also writes it to the PipeWriter tr := io . TeeReader ( f , pw ) go func ( ) { defer wg . Done ( ) defer pw . Close ( ) // get data from the TeeReader, which feeds the PipeReader through the PipeWriter _ , err := http . Post ( "https://example.com" , "text/html" , tr ) if err != nil { log . Fatal ( err ) } } ( ) go func ( ) { defer wg . Done ( ) // read from the PipeReader to stdout if _ , err := io . Copy ( os . Stdout , pr ) ; err != nil { log . Fatal ( err ) } } ( ) wg . Wait ( )
My example is of course simplified in that it doesn’t use channels for propagating errors and results, but the underlying concept is quite similar - we have some kind of input io.Reader , a file in this case and create a TeeReader , which returns a Reader that writes to the Writer you provide it everything it reads from the Reader you provide it.
Now we start two goroutines, one which just prints the data to stdout and another one which sends it to an HTTP endpoint. The TeeReader uses the io.Pipe to split up the given input. When the TeeReader is consumed, those same bytes are also received by the PipeReader .
Pretty cool, ha?
Example 3: Piping the output of Shell commands
I stumbled over this gist recently, which combines io.Pipe with os.Exec in a nice way. Basically, it does what most task runners in CI services like Jenkins or Travis CI do, which is execute some shell command and show its output on some website.
I tried to encapsulate the general pattern behind it in this short snippet here:
pr , pw := io . Pipe ( ) defer pw . Close ( ) // tell the command to write to our pipe cmd := exec . Command ( "cat" , "fruit.txt" ) cmd . Stdout = pw go func ( ) { defer pr . Close ( ) // copy the data written to the PipeReader via the cmd to stdout if _ , err := io . Copy ( os . Stdout , pr ) ; err != nil { log . Fatal ( err ) } } ( ) // run the command, which writes all output to the PipeWriter // which then ends up in the PipeReader if err := cmd . Run ( ) ; err != nil { log . Fatal ( err ) }
First, we define our command - in this case, we just cat a file called fruit.txt , which will just spit out the contents of the file on stdout . Then, and this is important, we set the command’s stdout to our PipeWriter .
So we redirect the output of the Command to our pipe, which, as before, will make it possible to read it through our PipeReader at another point. In this rather contrived case, that point is just a goroutine where we dump the results of cat to stdout (which it would have done anyways), but I think it’s easy to imagine doing something nifty here like exporting the results of the command somewhere or flushing it to a webpage as seen in this gist, where we’d need an io.Writer as input.
Conclusion
I hope these examples helped to convince you of the many opportunities opened by using io.Pipe together with nice abstractions which expect either io.Reader or io.Writer . Not only does io.Pipe enable seamless composition of components based on best practices, it’s also quite flexible with the use of TeeReader , which points the vast possibilities of using io.Pipe in custom-made I/O handling pipelines in both a readable and scalable way.
Of course this post only scratched the surface on this topic, as it didn’t handle the inherent gotchas with this approach nor error handling, but I plan to remedy this by a post or two on these and some more advanced topics in the future.
Have fun pipin’! :)
Resources |
For years, the works of Russia’s towering men of letters—Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Goncharov, Turgenev—lay beyond the reach of English-speaking readers. That is, until a pale, sickly, unassuming British mother decided to translate them.
To the extent that 19th century Russian fiction deals with universal themes of human existence — nature, religion, love, death, and, of course, war and peace — these beloved tomes can feel timeless to readers. But the fact is, the English-speaking reading public didn’t get their hands on them until some years after their publication, when Constance Garnett picked up a dictionary and set out to bring the Russian masters to life in her native tongue.
The Brighton-born Garnett (née Black) was a coroner’s daughter, and worked as a governess before becoming a librarian in London’s East End. Her sister Clementina, a writer and labor organizer, introduced Constance to Edward Garnett, the man who would become her husband in 1889. Edward was a publisher’s reader, and was from an aristocratic literary family. His father was the Keeper of Printed Materials at the British Museum.
There weren’t many Russian speakers in turn-of-the-century Britain, but because of growing political unrest in the major cities of the Russian Empire, there were increasing numbers of exiled Russian revolutionaries. And the suggestion that Garnett translate Russian literature came from one of them — despite the fact she spoke no Russian. Constance may have had something of a crush on Feliks Volkhovsky, a bearded bad boy who had escaped imprisonment in Siberia and settled in London. So when he broached the idea, she was amenable.
Volkhovsky was part of a community of political thinkers and writers, and an editor at the Free Russian Press, an emigré journal and publishing house started by Alexander Herzen, the “father of Russian socialism.” Edward Garnett regularly invited members of the Free Russian Press scene to spend weekends at his home. On one weekend visit, Volkhovsky, according to Constance, “suggested my learning Russian and gave me a grammar and a dictionary.”
Leo Tolstoy relaxing at Yasnaya Polyana in 1908. (Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky/Library of Congress)
Once laid up with pregnancy complications, Garnett undertook the mammoth task of learning the notoriously complex Slavic language. One of her first translations was “The Kingdom of God is Within You,” a religious and philosophical tract by Leo Tolstoy. She went on to translate over 70 volumes of Russian literature, including almost everything Tolstoy ever wrote, Chekhov, all of Dostoevsky, and her favorite, Turgenev, among others. In 1894, Garnett took a three-month trip to Russia, and even visited Tolstoy at his estate, Yasnaya Polyana.
Clara Bell, a British linguist, had published a translation of War and Peace in 1886, but hers was a copy of copy, translated from a French translation, not the original Russian, and it wasn’t well received. The first ever English translation of Anna Karenina was done by an American, Nathan Haskell Dole, the same year. But because of the readability of Garnett’s versions, and her close ties to the publishing industry, her editions were printed cheaply and sold more widely than any that had come before. The Russian classics began to find their way into English homes and classrooms. A 1905 article in the Saturday Review, a British literary magazine, began, “Twenty years ago Tolstoy was hardly known outside Russia […] Who has not heard of Tolstoy now?”
Garnett maintained, in the words of New Yorker editor David Remnick, “an ascetic lifelong routine of housekeeping, child-rearing, and translating.” She worked ceaselessly. D.H. Lawrence, who was a friend of Garnett’s, recalls seeing her sitting in her garden “turning out reams of her marvelous translations from the Russian. She would finish a page, and throw it off on a pile on the floor without looking up, and start a new page. That pile would be this high — really, almost up to her knees, and all magical.” In 1921, writer Katherine Mansfield sent a letter to Garnett: “As I laid down my copy of War & Peace tonight I felt I could no longer refrain from thanking you for the whole other world that you have revealed to us through these marvelous translations from the Russian,” she wrote. Of Garnett’s body of work, she said, “The books have changed our lives, no less.”
Garnett’s output was extraordinary by any measure, but is particularly impressive considering that she had a child to mind and spent the majority of her life in very ill health. She was frail, beset by migraines, and suffered from sciatica. Most surprisingly, she had terrible vision, which was dramatically worsened by her vocation, and was nearly blind toward the end of her translating career. But she remained indefatigable, eventually hiring an assistant to read aloud from the original Russian as she scribbled a translated draft.
The work of the translator, when not overlooked entirely, is often subject to extreme scrutiny, and Garnett has certainly not been spared. She reportedly translated with such haste that she occasionally skipped words or phrases that were too difficult to translate well — a fact that has pained purists and native Russian speakers, who think Garnett robs the reader of the richness of the original Russian.
Most vociferous among her critics were Russian writers themselves, most notably Nabokov, whose lectures on literature are peppered with grumpy, anti-Garnett marginalia. He called her work “dry and flat, and always unbearably demure,” and her translation of Anna Karenina “a complete disaster.” Nobel Prize-winning poet Joseph Brodsky, another Russian writer in exile, lamented that “the reason English-speaking readers can barely tell the difference between Tolstoy and Dostoevsky is that they aren’t reading the prose of either one. They’re reading Constance Garnett.” |
EDIT: Would be nice to see some of you post your finished models. or even release them to the scripts / addon section!
class CfgPatches
{
class clan_sign_tutorial
{
units[] = {""};
weapons[] = {};
requiredVersion = 0.1;
requiredAddons[] = {"CAData","CAMisc3"};
};
};
class CfgAddons
{
class clan_sign_tutorial
{
list[]=
{
"Clan_Sign",
};
};
};
class CfgVehicleClasses
{
class clan_sign_tutorial
{
// name in the editor
displayName="3D Model Tutorial";
};
};
class CfgVehicles
{
class Thing; // External class reference
class Clan_Sign: Thing
{
scope = 2;
model = "\tutorial\sing.p3d";
icon = "\Ca\misc\data\icons\i_danger_CA.paa";
displayName = "Clan Sign";
mapSize = 0.7;
accuracy = 0.2;
vehicleClass = "clan_sign_tutorial";
destrType = "DestructNo";
};
}; Click to expand...
Ok, everything in a video for this one.This will bring us to the point that we can have a working model in game. After this I will follow up with an rvmat that we can applyDownload link for the Blender conversion script:And a thanks of course to Alwarren who developed the script.Next tutorial will cover rvmatsHere is the complete config: |
Welcome to
We are on kickstarter to raise awareness of our cause and our brand. We will use everything we raise on the business and on establishing our brand to make our vision a reality.
Clothing is a basic essential that so far our society has mainly used for style or the eyes of others. To tell others who we are or who we want to be. We wear our clothes all day and that message radiates outward the whole time. Until you look in a mirror.
Sending a Message Inside
We believe that clothing is the perfect medium and opportunity for sending a message inside to ourselves. We will keep fashion designs with plenty of style but simply add a reverse image of a message. A message that touches you in a meaningful way every time you look in the mirror or take a selfie. Whether that message is Positive Reinforcement, A Personal Reminder, Internal Fire, etc. Whatever the case may be, you decide what kind of message works best for the betterment of yourself.
Our main goal is to put a bigger importance on who we are on the inside as opposed to how we are perceived on the outside. We want to build this brand for children and teenagers because their minds are still developing. Especially when starting young, we can use clothing as another method of teaching good traits and qualities, even when we can't always be there. Our brand can also help young adults and above. To whom we serve positive reminders, or simple qualities that we may not always remember. |
Drug charges against three men have been thrown out after a judge ruled that a Toronto police officer had been “deliberately misleading” in his testimony and notes in an attempt to “strengthen the case” against one of the accused. Const. Bradley Trenouth “falsely attributed” a large piece of crack to Toronto man Jason Jaggernauth, Judge Katherine Corrick wrote in her Aug. 8 decision, staying the charges against Jaggernauth.
In her decsion, a judge wrote that public confidence in the rule of law is threatened "when police officers present false evidence against accused persons.” ( Andrew Lahodynskyj / Toronto Star file photo )
Because of Trenouth’s actions, Corrick excluded evidence gathered by him and other officers from the trial of Jaggernauth’s co-accused, leading the judge to find them not guilty in the same decision. “The false attribution of evidence to an accused’s possession, and false testimony by a police officer constitute precisely the type of state misconduct that undermines the integrity of the judicial process,” Corrick wrote. Jaggernauth, Jordan Davis and Jimal Nembrand-Walker were charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime in 2014, after police found them in a Scarborough apartment that contained multiple types of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Article Continued Below
Police officers found several grams of crack on Davis and crack, powdered cocaine and other drugs in Nembrand-Walker’s pockets at the time of the arrest, Corrick wrote in her decision. Police did not find any drugs on Jaggernauth, Corrick said. Trenouth testified in a pretrial hearing that he saw a large piece of crack fall from Jaggernauth when officers got Jaggernauth to stand up from his chair — testimony that was backed up by the notes Trenouth said he took at the time of Jaggernauth’s arrest, according to the judge’s decision. But at the trial several months later, Trenouth told the court that he did not see the crack fall from Jaggernauth, Corrick wrote. Instead, Trenouth testified that he found the piece of crack on the floor near Jaggernauth and assumed it had fallen from him. Corrick noted other discrepancies between Trenouth’s pretrial and trial testimonies in her decision.
At the preliminary hearing, Trenouth said he picked the large ball of crack off the floor after forensic officers had taken photos of the scene. But the photos taken do not include images of that specific piece of crack, Corrick wrote. Trenouth told the court that might be because the piece of crack had been moved or stepped on before the photos were taken.
Article Continued Below
The large piece of crack was also missing from evidence photos taken by police about three hours later, in Trenouth’s presence, the judge said. Trenouth’s story changed at trial, where he said there were no photos of the piece of crack because he had already picked it up and put it in his pocket before the photos were taken, Corrick wrote. Corrick ruled on Aug. 8 that Trenouth did not find the crack near Jaggernauth, as the police officer had claimed. “I have concluded that Officer Trenouth was deliberately misleading when he prepared his notes and testified at the preliminary hearing, in an effort to strengthen the case,” Corrick wrote. It is unlikely that Trenouth, who has eight years of police experience, would pick up unwrapped drugs and put them in his pocket at a crime scene, Corrick said. And if Trenouth had merely been mistaken in his pretrial testimony, he should have informed the Crown before the case went to trial, the judge added. An investigation should be immediately opened into Trenouth’s conduct in the case, Jaggernauth’s lawyer Chris O’Connor said in an interview. “The bottom line is . . . an officer falsely attributed an exhibit to my client that never was on my client,” O’Connor said. Toronto police spokesperson Meaghan Gray said she “can’t say whether (Trenouth) will face any discipline.” All disciplinary matters are confidential until the officer in question has appeared before a police services tribunal, Gray added. “Generally speaking an investigation into allegations of an officer providing false evidence in court could lead to criminal charges (such as) perjury or (internal) discipline under the Police Services Act,” Gray said. Corrick was scathing in her decision about the effects of Trenouth’s false testimony. “It is difficult to imagine how public confidence can be maintained in the rule of law when police officers present false evidence against accused persons,” Corrick wrote. “Our justice system cannot function unless courts can rely on the willingness of witnesses to . . . tell the truth.” |
If you think that a computer which is not connected to a network, doesn't have any USB sticks attached to it and doesn’t accept any kind of electronic connection requests are reasonably safe against hackers and from all the malware, then you are Wrong.
Inaudible Audio signals. Here we have something shocking update that Some German Scientists have developed a proof of concept Malware prototype, could allow a hacker to infect your computers and other digital devices just using
The ability to bridge an air gap could be a potent infection vector. Just imagine, a cyber attack using high-frequency sound waves to infect machines, where stolen data also can be transferred back to attacker without a network connection, Sounds very terrifying ?
Dragos Ruiu claimed malware dubbed badBIOS allowed infected machines to communicate using sound waves alone, means that the devices are physically disconnected from any networks, including the internet, people said he was crazy. When a few weeks ago, a security researcherclaimed malware dubbedallowed infected machines to communicate using sound waves alone, means that the devices are physically disconnected from any networks, including the internet, people said he was crazy.
But Now German Researchers have published a paper on how malware can be designed to cross the air gap by transmitting information through speakers and recording it via microphone.
Rather than relying on TCP-IP, they used a network stack originally developed for underwater communication and the signal was propagated through the use of a software-defined modem based on the GNU Radio project.
In a scenario based hacking, “The infected victim sends all recorded keystrokes to the covert acoustical mesh network. Infected drones forward the keystroke information inside the covert network till the attacker is reached, who is now able to read the current keyboard input of the infected victim from a distant place.” paper explained.
In another scenario, the researchers used sound waves to send keystroke information to a network-connected computer, which then sent the information to the attacker via email.
Dragos dedication about badBIOS research because this extraordinary concept was first introduced by him only. While the research doesn’t prove Dragos Ruiu’s badBIOS claims, but it does show that even if the system is disconnected from any network, could still be vulnerable to attackers. However, I would like to appreciatededication about badBIOS research because this extraordinary concept was first introduced by him only.
Researchers POC Malware is able to transfer data at 20 bits per second only, which is very low, but that's still capable of transferring your password or credit card number to the hacker in a few seconds.
Some basic countermeasures one can adopt to protect against such malware are:
Switching off the audio input and output devices from the system.
Employ audio filtering that blocks high-frequency ranges.
Using an Audio Intrusion Detection Guard.
Lets see how Antivirus companies will handle such threats to protect home users. |
While it is hard enough to describe something effectively in fiction1—how a thing smells, moves, looks—sometimes it is useful to further describe how exactly a thing seems or appears to be, above and beyond any discernible physical characteristics. The ineffable sense of how things are often makes up the best and most memorable aspect of a piece of writing, but it can be among the hardest things to get right. It is useful for writers to remember that often this aspect of seeming and appearing will be conveyed through metaphor; and often the seeming and appearing will touch in some way on the meaning of what is being observed—or will include a mention of a character’s feelings about, or engagement with, the thing observed.
Note that the description of the ineffable sense of a thing will almost always be preceded by a more basic, sometimes quite extended, physical description. The writer in this case takes on the role of Dr. Frankenstein. With Igor’s help, the writer assembles legs, arms, torso, neck, head, and brain. The writer arranges all this stuff on the table, sews it together. But it is still dead (if vivid) matter. Then the writer applies the electricity—describes the mysterious, often quasi-metaphorical sense of a thing—and the thing opens its eyes and comes to life.
For example, in Alice Munro’s 1979 story “The Beggar Maid”, we find Rose, a scholarship student, just entering college. She is compelled to attend a meeting with other scholarship students, and, arriving with an unprepossessing companion at the room where the meeting is held, Rose hesitates outside the door.
There was a little window in the door. They could look through at the other scholarship winners already assembled and waiting. It seemed to Rose that she saw four or five girls of the same stooped and matronly type as the girl who was beside her, and several bright-eyed, self-satisfied babyish-looking boys. It seemed to be the rule that girl scholarship winners looked about forty and boys about twelve. It was not possible, of course, that they all looked like this. It was not possible that in one glance through the windows of the door Rose could detect traces of eczema, stained underarms, dandruff, moldy deposits on the teeth and crusty flakes in the corners of the eyes. That was only what she thought. But there was a pall over them, she was not mistaken, there was a true terrible pall of eagerness and docility.
Notice how Rose’s observation of this long exact list of gross-out sufferings—”eczema, stained underarms, dandruff, moldy deposits on the teeth and crusty flakes in the corners of the eyes”—is implicitly disowned twice (we are told that this is only how “it seemed”) and very explicitly disowned three times: “It was not possible, of course….It was not possible….That was only what she thought.” (And notice further that Rose’s disowning of the list in no way erases the impression the list has made on us.)
But no, Munro is onto something with these disavowals—because it’s true, these physical complaints are not what Rose has seen, not exactly. What she has seen is something else, something further, an impression of something, that she cannot really point to. She has seen “a pall”—literally, “something that covers, shrouds, or overspreads, esp. with darkness or gloom.” But where is the pall? Where is it in the room? Is it hovering “over them”, up near the light fixtures?
We understand from Munro’s unusual insistence that we are not meant to take this as just a metaphor: “But there was a pall over them, she was not mistaken, there was a true terrible pall of eagerness and docility.” But what is this, really? What is being described here? Nothing less than the sense of how things are, a sudden, almost mystical understanding of the truth about these people. And with this description, zap, the world of the room takes on meaning, and life. The Frankenstein Effect, at its finest.
Munro is a past master at this (and a million other things). In her story “Dance of the Happy Shades” (1961), a group of mentally disabled children arrive at a much anticipated piano recital. The narrator senses something going on:
It is while I am at the piano, playing the minuet from Berenice, that the final arrival, unlooked-for by anybody but Miss Marsalles, takes place. It must seem at first that there has been some mistake. Out of the corner of my eye I see a whole procession of children, eight or ten in all, with a red-haired woman in something like a uniform, mounting the front step. They look like a group of children from a private school on an excursion of some kind (there is that drabness and sameness about their clothes) but their progress is too scrambling and disorderly for that. Or this is the impression I have; I cannot really look. Is it the wrong house, are they really on their way to the doctor for shots, or to Vacation Bible Classes? No, Miss Marsalles has got up with a happy whisper of apology; she has gone to meet them. Behind my back there is a sound of people squeezing together, of folding chairs being opened, there is an inappropriate, curiously unplaceable giggle. And above or behind all this cautious flurry of arrival there is a peculiarly concentrated silence. Something has happened, something unforeseen, perhaps something disastrous; you can feel such things behind your back.
You can’t, of course—not really—but then again, yes you can. The many tiny details have added up to something impalpable and profound, something that goes beyond description—something that has, almost literally, entered the air of the room.
Almost literally is the point here. On the verge of literalness.
Note that not every description calls for a metaphysical component. Usually this sort of technique is most useful when a character is observing a complicated scenario—an airport concourse, a crammed bookshelf, a busy restaurant—in which a number of objects or people are involved, and where it is useful to convey both a sense of particularity and an overall impression of things. But always when you see a writer deploying the terms
an air of
an atmosphere of
a sense of
an impression of
and other similar shortcuts, you ought to feel the hair rising on the back of your neck, because Dr. Frankenstein is warming up his generator. And things are about to get metaphysical.
The P:V Ratio
If a metaphysical understanding is to be in some fashion arrived at through the medium of the world, then we may note that different authors derive this metaphysical understanding differently. Some writers prefer to assemble more world on the table before applying the electricity that represents a greater understanding.
We may therefore find it suitable to change our underlying metaphor, leaving behind all these dripping body parts our assistant has so obligingly harvested, and propose instead a more congenial potatoes-to-vodka ratio, where some writers prefer to assemble more potatoes (or “world”) and others fewer, to arrive at a given amount of distilled spirit (or “understanding”).
In this new potatoes-to-vodka model, the potatoes, of course, are the physical matter of a story—shoes, ceilings, arguments, sentences, eyebrows, wind, cat hair, Coca-Cola, and jump ropes3, while vodka is the metaphysical understanding derived from these physical things. We may call this a writer’s p:v ratio, representing the efficiency with which a writer typically makes use of the world.
In the following selections, potatoes are set in bold and spirit, in italics.
Alice Munro will, as always, provide a useful—and in this case usefully typical—example. In “Hateship Friendship Courtship Loveship Marriage”, a middle-aged, unattractive woman shops for a fancy dress, thinking (at this point falsely) that she is going to be married in it. She enters the shop:
Along one wall was a rack of evening dresses, all fit for belles of the ball with their net and taffeta, their dreamy colors. And beyond them, in a glass case so no profane fingers could get at them, half a dozen wedding gowns, pure white froth or vanilla satin or ivory lace, embroidered in silver beads or seed pearls. Tiny bodies, scalloped necklines, lavish skirts. Even when she was younger she could never have contemplated such extravagance, not just in the matter of money but in expectations, in the preposterous hope of transformation, and bliss.
Here the metaphysical understanding has plainly been reached by means of the physical observation. The potatoes of the shop provide a sort of ballast to the abstracted thought, but also provide the means by which to arrive at it. A reasonable amount of world (the rack, the net and taffeta, et cetera) produces in a character a reasonable amount of mind-stuff.
Munro is unique in her ability but not in her technique; most writers’ habits in this regard at least superficially resemble Munro’s, deploying a moderate amount of stuff to arrive at a moderate amount of spirit. And perhaps it is this moderation that allows us to qualify a writer as “realistic”—most of us seem to experience the world at something like this measured pace, after all, as we move through our days both beset by sensory input and at the same time subject to the addled and improvisatory workings of our own brains.4 In a similar vein, John Updike observes before he transcends, in “The Afterlife”:
A broad-faced strawberry blonde, she had always worn sweaters and plaid pleated skirts and low-heeled shoes for her birding walks, and here this same outfitseemed a shade more chic and less aggressively “sensible” than it had at home. Her pleasant plain looks, rather lost in the old crowd of heavily groomed suburban wives, had bloomed in this climate; her manner, as she showed them the house and their room upstairs, seemed to Carter somehow blushing, bridal.5
If this balance between world and mind allows us to locate Munro and Updike in the solid realistic mainstream of contemporary fiction, what of some others? What happens if you prefer fewer potatoes? What if you prefer more? What if you’re not interested in describing spirit at all? Or what if you’re more interested in meaning than in matter, like some spats-wearing evangelist, waving your hands in the air in hopes of producing something from nothing? Clearly this requires an inadequate, seat-of-the-pants survey.
Tweaking the P:V Ratio
Some writers, of course, prefer to avoid the explicit statement of spirit entirely. Hemingway and his ilk have a very high ratio of potatoes-to-vodka, with Hemingway’s followers arranged around him in a haphazard spatter array. To take a familiar example, Raymond Carver’s “Why Don’t You Dance” lives almost entirely in the present, physical moment; a man, now without his wife (we gather she has left because of his drinking, among other reasons), puts his household belongings out in his yard and driveway, arranging them for sale just as they have been arranged in the house. A young couple comes along; the girl dances with the man, and is evidently affected by his plight. The story is told in simple, factual terms, with little or no reference to thoughts, feelings, or epiphanic realizations. The story’s final section, in its entirety, goes:
Weeks later, she said: “The guy was about middle-aged. All his things right there in his yard. No lie. We got real pissed and danced. In the driveway. Oh, my God. Don’t laugh. He played us these records. Look at this record-player. The old guy gave it to us. And all these crappy records. Will you look at this shit?” She kept talking. She told everyone. There was more to it, and she was trying to get it talked out. After a time, she quit trying.
Potatoes? Vodka? It is debatable. The girl is feeling something, of course, as the story suggests, but she can’t express it, possibly because she hasn’t got the equipment to do so. And because she can’t express it, we don’t get an explicit statement of it either. It’s possible to read the whole story as a pile of potatoes, with that last 26-word paragraph serving as the equivalent of the story’s spirit. The story’s last paragraph is in fact the mental result, finally, of a worldly encounter. At any rate, the ratio of potatoes to vodka here is very high, if indeed there is any vodka to divide by.
By contrast, a writer may be particularly interested in spirit—literally so in the case of, for example, James Baldwin, whose stories and novels tend to avoid physical description while dwelling more on abstract concerns. In his story “The Outing”, three boys are on the make in various ways during a church retreat. Then they enter the meeting room:
During his testimony Johnny and Roy and David had stood quietly beside the door, not daring to enter while he spoke. The moment he sat down they moved quickly, together, to the front of the high hall and knelt down beside their seats to pray. The aspect of each of them underwent always, in this company, a striking, even an exciting change; as though their youth, barely begun, were already put away; and the animal, so vividly restless and undiscovered, so tense with power, ready to spring had already stalked and trapped and offered, a perpetual blood-sacrifice, on the altar of the Lord.
We sense here that, as is often the case for Baldwin, conflict is played out in an almost literal sense on the field of the personality, where such matters as identity and the fate of one’s soul are best and most frankly considered. The rendering of the Baldwin’s physical world is often minimal, as though such surface concerns are too trivial to consider.6
With these opposing practices in mind, we must now consider a minor and possibly self-evident corollary aspect of this idea, that of scale.
Scale
The scale under consideration here is the differing P:V ratio we find in stories versus novels. We know that novels tend to be richer in their effects than stories; specifically, we find that novelists tend to describe much more matter than a story writer will, but will derive from this matter roughly the same amount of spirit (or sometimes slightly more).7 In other words, novelists pile up more potatoes as a matter of course, but don’t derive giant gushing fountains of vodka. Longer descriptions leading to bigger heaps of stuff, but not a concomitant increase in the amount of understanding derived. You can only understand so much at once, after all.
In Couples, John Updike describes Harold little-Smith’s house; Harold has just learned that his wife may be having an affair. This has the effect of rendering his house “more transparent”, and the description that follows is limpid to the extreme, if sometimes verging on the purple. The house is:
…a flat-roofed redwood modern oriented along a little sheltered ridge overlooking the marsh to the south. The foyer was floored in flagstones; on the right an open stairway went down to a basement level where the three children (Jonathan, Julia, Henrietta) slept and the laundry was done and the cars were parked. Above this, on the main level, were the kitchen, the dining room, the master bedroom, a polished hall where hung reproductions of etchings by Rembrandt, Durer, Piranesi, and Picasso. To the left of the foyer a dramatically long living room opened up, with a shaggy cerulean rug and two facing white sofas and symmetrical hi-fi speakers and a Baldwin grand and at the far end an elevated fireplace with a great copper hood. The house bespoke money in the service of taste. In the summer evenings he would drive back from the station through the livelong light hovering above the tawny marshes, flooded or dry according to the tides, and find his little wife, her black hair freshly combed and parted, waiting on the longer of the sofas, which was not precisely white but rather a rough Iranian wool bleached to the pallor of sand mixed with ash. A record, Glenn Gould or Dinu Lupatti playing Bach or Schumann, would be sending forth clear vines of sound from the invisible root within the hi-fi closet. A pitcher of martinis would have been mixed and held chilled within the refrigerator toward this precious moment of his daily homecoming….
The description in the original goes on at about this length again, and includes such additional stuff as a chewed sponge ball, Jonathan in bathing trunks, the liquid branches of the lawn sprinkler, and so on. The overwhelming feeling is of an assembling stillness and a slant-lit suburban glamour—a hushed, beautiful hesitation—until at last:
Marcia would pour two verdant martinis into glasses that would suddenly sweat…and his entire household, even the stray milk butterfly perched on the copper fireplace hood, felt about to spring into bliss, like a tightly wound music box.
Here possibly we may see that a writer’s natural habits align better with one form than with another; in his best work Updike the novelist seems to be much more confident that his gist will come across than does Updike the short-story writer. There is far less—relatively speaking—summarizing and explaining, as though Updike feels confident that surely, given all the matter he has presented to us, we will be able to see what he means.
Turn the ratio down somewhat to discover Ian McEwan at work in Atonement, gathering his many finely described potatoes in order to derive, on behalf of Briony, a rather considerable draft of spirit:
…in a prized varnished cabinet, a secret drawer was opened by pushing against the grain of a cleverly turned dovetail joint, and here she kept a diary locked by a clasp, and a notebook written in a code of her own invention. In a toy safe opened by six secret numbers she stored letters and postcards. An old tin petty cash box was hidden under a removable floorboard beneath her bed. In the box were treasures that dated back four years, to her ninth birthday when she began collecting: a mutant double acorn, fool’s gold, a rainmaking spell bought at a funfair, a squirrel’s skull as light as a leaf. But hidden drawers, lockable diaries and cryptographic systems could not conceal from Briony the simple truth: she had no secrets. Her wish for a harmonious, organized world denied her the reckless possibilities of wrongdoing. Mayhem and destruction were too chaotic for her tastes, and she did not have it in her to be cruel. Her effective status as an only child, as well as the relative isolation of the Tallis house, kept her, at least during the long summer holidays, from girlish intrigues with friends. Nothing in her life was sufficiently interesting or shameful to merit hiding; no one knew about the squirrel’s skull beneath her bed, but no one wanted to know. None of this was particularly an affliction; or rather, it appeared so only in retrospect, once a solution had been found.
And observe Henry James, masterfully interweaving matter with spirit through the mind of the young and impressionable Isabel Archer, suggesting that to the greatest and most knowing practitioners, mind and matter are really inseparable aspects of a fundamental unity. Notice how difficult it sometimes is, in the following example, to decide which side of things a sentence or a phrase is addressing, and how, for James, matters of custom and perception can be seen to blend:
The foundation of her knowledge was really laid in the idleness of her grandmother’s house, where, as most of the other inmates were not reading people, she had uncontrolled use of a library full of books with frontispieces, which she used to climb upon a chair to take down. When she had found one to her taste—she was guided in the selection chiefly by the frontispiece—she carried it into a mysterious apartment which lay beyond the library and which was called, traditionally, no one knew why, the office. Whose office it had been and at what period it had flourished, she never learned; it was enough for her that it contained an echo and a pleasant musty smell and that it was a chamber of disgrace for old pieces of furniture whose infirmities were not always apparent (so that the disgrace seemed unmerited and rendered them victims of injustice) and with which, in the manner of children, she had established relations almost human, certainly dramatic. There was an old haircloth sofa in especial, to which she had confided a hundred childish sorrows. The place owed much of its mysterious melancholy to the fact that it was properly entered from the second door of the house, the door that had been condemned, and that it was secured by bolts which a particularly slender girl found it impossible to slide. She knew that this silent, motionless portal opened into the street; if the sidelights had not been filled with green paper she might have looked out upon the little brown stoop and the well-worn brick pavement. But she had no wish to look out, for this would have interfered with her theory that there was a strange, unseen place on the other side—a place which became to the child’s imagination, according to its different moods, a region of delight or terror.
As a further and final aside, and related to the example of James, it is worth noting that as the efficiency of narrative distillation increases, and as the ratio of world-to-mind approaches the perfect balance of 1:1, peculiar things can begin to happen. John Cheever’s novels and stories live fruitfully at this stylistic event-horizon, the authorial eye shuttling so swiftly between world and mind that the boundary between the two begins to fade away. In “The Ocean”, one of Cheever’s prototypically imperiled householders fears he is being poisoned by his wife:
I mixed a Martini and went into the living room. I was not in any danger from which I could not readily escape. I could go to the country club for supper. Why I hesitated to do this seems, in retrospect, to have been because of the blue walls of the room in which I stood. It was a handsome room, its long windows looking out onto a lawn, some trees, and the sky. The orderliness of the room seemed to impose some orderliness on my own conduct—as if by absenting myself from the table I would in some way offend the order of things. If I went to the club for supper I would be yielding to my suspicions and damaging my hopefulness, and I was determined to remain hopeful.
Cheever’s rough 1:1 p:v ratio seems to go some way toward producing his trademark sound—a sort of tremulous, searching flight, as a claustrophobic eye shuttles ceaselessly between world and mind in search of an elusive certainty. The feeling becomes one of weird immersion and a kind of synesthesia; the character experiences the world, has an immediate mental reaction, and is then at once experiencing the world again. Fitting perhaps that we find the fraught and frenzied Cheever here, seeing and feeling, seeing and feeling, helpless to prevent his marvelously fruitful mind from making something of everything.8
The Visual Aid
Finally, with all these dubious propositions behind us, we can suggest that every writer might be plotted on a p:v graph, giving rise to the highly dubious Figure 1:
Surely we have gone too far with this, and certainly it is entirely wrong to put novelists and short-story writers together, rather as though we have tried somehow to pen up tigers with barracuda, but it is interesting to note the opposing and intersecting groupings, one of which we may very generally see is composed of Worriers—writers less at home in the world, and who have taken the self, or some version of the self, as the subject—while the other is composed of Composed Describers, writers who have taken the world as their subject and, generally speaking, written about society. That this is a byproduct of the individual personalities in question seems plain. We should also note that the very greatest tend to find themselves at rather the far points on the graph, outliers here as elsewhere, and that certain stylistically versatile folks can be imagined to be plotted in more than one place (Welty’s various moods, Updike’s, Faulkner’s come to mind), rather as though they have both a city house and a country one.
But what are we to do with this, then, as writers of prose? Probably we ought to note the relative scarcity of successful examples on the left side of the chart, whose few denizens have managed, like those extremophile bacteria who manage to flourish on ocean-bottom vents or in sulfuric acid pools in the depths of limestone caves, to survive in difficult environments, deriving great hogsheads of spirit from mere armfuls of potatoes. We ought to observe the cluster of sturdy realists trading remarks around the 10:2 mark, with the anomalous Coetzee somehow standing there too, all cool and gray and saying absolutely nothing whatsoever to anybody, and we may further admiringly note the high, plush posts of the great novelists, who manage to furnish their work with not only a great amplitude of matter but also of insight. We will leave it to the poets and especially to those lucky vessels who feel themselves recipients of divine inspiration to aspire to the ratio of 100:100, wherein the great unimaginable gigantitude of the world is, leaf-by-leaf, quantum-by-quantum, infused with the fullness of a supernaturally omnipresent understanding. We here are only prose writers, and we have deadlines to meet, so something like “just enough, not too much” will have to do. A little vodka is good for you, let us be satisfied to say, and too much ain’t.
Notes
1. Person, place, object, situation, idea—they’re all hard.
2. I see pall people.
3. Nouns are especially weighty. Descriptions are usually made of nouns and adjectives. But actions and lines of dialog must also be recognized as potato-esque in their effects, too, and a very good description will usually contain some element of action. Notice where your attention tends to catch and where it tends to slide in this description of Gabriel, from “The Dead”:
He was a stout tallish young man. The high colour of his cheeks pushed upwards even to his forehead where it scattered itself in a few formless patches of pale red; and on his hairless face there scintillated restlessly the polished lenses and the bright gilt rims of the glasses which screened his delicate and restless eyes. His glossy black hair was parted in the middle and brushed in a long curve behind his ears where it curled slightly beneath the groove left by his hat. When he had flicked lustre into his shoes he stood up and pulled his waistcoat down more tightly on his plump body. Then he took a coin rapidly from his pocket.
Observe Joyce’s well-intentioned attempts to ‘actionize’ the description: “pushed upwards,” “scattered itself,” “scintillated restlessly,” “screened.” But these are tricks, and not very successful. The mind’s eye is most engaged when Gabriel is actually doing something—”he pulled his waistcoat down more tightly on his plump body.” And it is least engaged where he is simply being something—”He was a stout tallish young man.” We see what is done more easily than we see what simply is. In this our eye is amphibian, registering change, becoming blind to stasis.
4. This is, it may be argued, the fundamental work of narrative art: the description of the metronomic interaction between the private mind and the constantly impinging world.
5. Updike’s reliance on seemed here and throughout his mighty oeuvre suggests his general preoccupation with the truth that lurks behind appearances, with making sure that everything be understood; and if it is this impulse that gives rise to his occasional overweening anxiety that we get the point of something, it strikes me as a fitting impulse. Very tall, he was terribly gawky as a child, with a gigantic nose, debilitating eczema, a comical stutter, and to top it all off a world-class mind. No one looking at him could have guessed what he really was. No wonder that the Rabbit books feature a man who, on the surface, is mostly unremarkable—a former high school basketball star, a printing press operator, a car salesman, a middling husband and father—and yet who has perhaps the most florid, nuanced internal life of any character ever composed. Related to this, surely, is Updike’s chronic affection for adverbs, those gravitational devices that control the flight of a verb even after it has been set loose. What other author would give us a character who “steered sullenly”? A life that is “majestically rooted”? Why else would he describe a hoard of treasure as “surreptitiously hidden”? Because of a mostly generous desire to make sure we get what he’s saying. That we get him, really, the kid with the big nose and the hideous skin, who also happens to be, as he might say, transcendently alight.
6. This is complicated by the fact that Baldwin’s characters also often struggle against their own bodies in various ways.
7. This is true even when the novelist and the short story writer are one and the same person; Doctorow the novelist has a much higher P:V ratio than Doctorow the short-story writer.
8. That Cheever was subject to the workings of his peculiar brain seems obvious; it has always struck me that the hysterical, sensory-enhanced well-being expressed in so much of Cheever’s work resembles the feeling that accompanies an epileptic’s ‘aura’, wherein the universe seems infused with mysterious meaning. Late in his life, with his brain ruined by booze, Cheever in fact had two epileptic seizures; it is my unsupportable crackpot belief that he had been experiencing mild seizures all his life, and that his habitual drinking may have been, in some small part, a means by which he attempted to reproduce the lovely feelings that unpredictably descended upon him, and which must have seemed, undiagnosed as they would have been, messages from a greater, senselessly benign power. Poor, mean, helpless, brilliant Cheever. |
Charleston church shooting: the larger covert op
by Jon Rappoport
June 18, 2015
NoMoreFakeNews.com
“Long-term covert ops sometimes disguise themselves by claiming that the hidden cause of a problem is the cure. So it is with psychiatric drugs, like SSRI antidepressants, which push people into committing murder. In the aftermath of these killings, leaders call for expanded psychiatric screening—which will result in further prescription of those very same drugs.” (The Underground, Jon Rappoport)
Police report the suspect in the Charleston church shooting, Dylann Roof, has been captured.
This is the latest in a string of crimes in which black-white conflict has been highlighted, pressed, argued, and used, for the purposes of: fanning flames of racial discord, exercising further gun control, and fatuously claiming that universal psychiatric screening and drugging is an answer.
In this brief article, I focus on black-white conflict.
In the 1960s, in America, the burgeoning drug culture and the Vietnam War became the occasion for protests and riots that shook the nation. In that case, the main target was the federal government.
Even though the “revolution” was pro-left, the 1968 Chicago riots were staged at the Democratic nominating convention. That gives you some idea of the degree of overall and virulent anti-government sentiment.
From the point of view of elite planners, the 1960s should not be repeated; at least not in the same way.
This time, the government should be seen as the hero, the rescuer, the mediator.
For that to happen, Americans would turn on and target each other.
There is no better way to accomplish that than to strike at the issue of race.
Emphasize it, push it, make it stand out, tie it into political correctness, create absurdist “dialogue” that could have no other outcome than outrage. The “discussion about race” has turned into transparent provocation.
Divide and conquer is as old as the hills. The conqueror is the ruler. And, of course, as he wins, he enacts more downward pressure on freedom, in multiple ways, while pretending to be the healer.
This is the op.
This is the simplicity of it.
You can throw other logs on the fire: agents provocateur in the media; the release of violent immigrant criminals from US prisons; the seeding of the population with massive amounts of psychiatric drugs (SSRI antidepressants) that scramble brains and push people over the edge into committing violent acts, including murder.
And oh yes, you can also include the intentional expansion of poverty (and attendant resentment) through the departure of millions of jobs overseas: aka Globalism. That is provocation of the highest order.
The objective is shifting the target from government to the people themselves, along the familiar lines of race.
And the payoff message will echo the sentiments of 1995, after the Oklahoma City Bombing: “Come home to the government, we will protect you. Only we can protect you.”
If you believed mainstream media, you would think the entire race issue in America consists of a three-way conversation between Al Sharpton, a KKK high priest, and some demented college student who insists that every word in the English language contains a hidden racial element.
Update: CBS News is reporting that Dylann Roof was arrested on February 28 in a mall, while he was asking a store clerk “out of the ordinary questions.” At that time, he was found in possession of a medicine called Suboxone.
It is an addicting drug used to treat opiate addiction. Some adverse effects: agitation, hostility, hallucinations, attempted suicide, depersonalization.
Rapid withdrawal from Suboxone can be more dangerous than taking it.
Getting the picture?
Of course, the distinct possibility that the drug pushed Dylann Roof over the edge into committing murder isn’t part of the “correct” narrative aimed at accelerating racial hatreds.
The truth? Irrelevant.
Jon Rappoport
The author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free emails at NoMoreFakeNews.com or OutsideTheRealityMachine. |
The vast majority of foreigners charged with crimes meriting the death penalty are relatively impoverished menial labourers, predominantly from third world countries. Members of this group cannot afford the "diya" or blood money payments to a victim's relative that can win clemency from the Shariah system of Islamic justice.
Although foreigners make up just one quarter of the oil rich state's population, Amnesty reported they made up the majority of all those sent to death row. Its report revealed that at least 1,695 executions were carried out between 1985 and May 2008, with the number of non-nationals totalling 830, compared with 809 local citizens. It was impossible to ascertain the nationality of the remaining 56.
But it is in the number of reprieves that the greatest disparity lies. Amnesty claimed that a pardon is granted in one in every four capital cases involving a Saudi citizen but only one in 30 of each foreign case.
Saudi Arabia executed 78 people in the first eight months of this year, a figure in line with the 2007 total of 158. |
030317-N-5319A-014
Central Command Area of Responsibility (Mar. 17, 2003) -- Spetz a Bottle Nose Dolphin belonging to Commander Task Unit (CTU-55.4.3) is beached up on a transfer mat before going out on a training mission from the well deck of the USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) operating in the Arabian Gulf. CTU-55.4.3 is a multinational team consisting of Naval Special Clearance Team-One, Fleet Diving Unit Three from the United Kingdom, Clearance Dive Team from Australia, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units Six and Eight (EODMU-6 and EODMU-8). These units are conducting deep/shallow water mine counter measure operations to clear shipping lanes for humanitarian relief. CTU-55.4.3 and USS Gunston Hall are currently forward deployed conducting missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the multinational coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and end the regime of Saddam Hussein. U.S. Navy photo by Photographers Mate 1st Class Brien Aho. (RELEASED)
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Now that we’re gardening in a frost-free area we have to get acquainted with a new bunch of sub tropical-ish weeds. This week, it’s been all about the Madeira Vine. In our new garden, the stuff is everywhere.
Look up Madeira vine and you will find gazillions of references to its invasive and terrible habits. But did you know that it’s edible?
Last weekend we got stuck into our new rental home’s garden. Well, a corner of it, anyway. Small steps, obtain a yield, and all that.
Prettymuch every surface in the corner we started in was choked in the bright green, fleshy leaves of Madeira vine, a garden escapee which hails from South America.
Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) is a hardy perennial which climbs up trees and then proceeds to produce long tails of flowers followed by clusters of airborne bubils, which fall off, and make more Madeira vines.
It’s considered a real problem all across subtropical Australia – choking the edge of rainforests and other native vegetation – like many resilient pioneer species, it’s an aggressive little bugger.
And our new garden was choked with the stuff.
With the enthusiasm that only establishing a new garden can bring, I took on the madeira vine with gusto.
The tuberous roots were everywhere, and it trailed up the fence and the lemon tree, as well as thickly across the ground. I ripped and I ripped and I ripped it out.
During a pause in my ripping frenzy, I had a thought. And so I panted to Nick: “hey could you look up Madeira Vine and check what it’s good for?”
It turns out that Madeira vine is highly edible. Medicinal, even.
Madeira vine leaves can be cooked like spinach and are highly nutritious
Madeira vine roots (rizomes) can be baked like potato
Madeira vine bubils (the aerial seed-ish things) are used extensively in Chinese medicine as an anti inflammatory, anti ulcer and liver protectant.
So here I am, ripping out a perfectly adapted, naturalised and nutritious food crop that can be used like spinach so that I can, er, plant some spinach.
Oh the irony.
Our personal compromise? To meet the Madeira vine half way. We removed it from our intensive planting bed, But we left it be under the lemon tree, where it seemed happiest.
Our future strategy? Management and reduction, via eating it.
So we won’t plant any more spinach. Until we run out of madeira vine, that is.
As I looked through the very many online articles and references to Madeira vine as a noxious pest, I was struck by the fact that only one article in twenty mentioned the vine’s eminent edibility.
Don’t you think that’s crazy?
I mean, don’t get me wrong. Native vegetation is essential to preserve, as are our remaining pockets of functional rainforest. And weed removal is a part of that.
But conversely, in an age of food scarcity, of ridiculously wasteful and polluting industrial agriculture being promoted as the only way to feed Australia (because we couldn’t possibly feed ourselves with localised small farm based food systems, apparently)…
In the middle of all this, we have yet another rampant food bearing plant that is everywhere, and which is being entirely ignored for the nutrient dense value to our communities that it represents.
In fact, we have a local food source dripping, literally, from the trees around us. And yet our only plan for it, no matter where it grows, is to eradicate it.
Does this mean we should let plants like Madeira vine strangle our local nature reserve? Hell no.
But this does mean that, yet again, we have an adapted, perennial, zero footprint and highly nutritious food plant right on our doorsteps, which we’re trying our best to wipe out.
Because it doesn’t fit our idea of food, our idea of nature.
But unlike many other edible weeds that are there for the foraging but which could be easily discounted from cultivation due to various factors, it’s interesting to note that Madeira Vine ticks many of the boxes desired for a food crop…
It grows without much assistance, is hardy and produces prolifically.
It requires minimal cultivation.
It dominates an area where it is planted (meaning far less weed control is needed)
It is spread only by humans and by water flows distributing the bubils – an easy factor to contain with good design
And if that’s not enough, Madeira vine is already successfully cultivated + eaten extensively in Japan, where it is called okawakame (land seaweed)
At any rate, I feel fortunate that we looked it up, and now know of another local food that can be used to nurture our family and friends.
Seeking sustenance by whatever means available, and necessary.
Madeira Vine resources
It’s a pickle, isn’t it – what do you make of this issue?
Actually, speaking of pickles, i rekon Madeira vine would make a good pickle or kraut addition…
**Update in response to the various folks who are determined to see the above post as a promotion of cultivating noxious weeds – people, read the post again. It’s not.
What I am saying is that using the resources around you (even as you attempt to eradicate them) is a good idea, and an ethical approach to energy + food consumption.
Whether it’s madeira vine, feral rabbits, whatever – eating it is an appropriate use of energy, and should be considered over the alternative of exclusively approaching the problem with glyphosate or pindone.
And if you really want to talk weeds and the destruction of the Australian landscape, let’s start with the big ones – rice, wheat, canola, sugarcane and so on… it’s a long list, if you look at it in terms of adverse and invasive impact on our ecosystems… |
Selena Gomez says she wants more people to talk about therapy — and she’s leading the charge.
Gomez said in April’s Vogue magazine that DBT, or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, is helping her recover from anxiety and depression. “[It’s] completely changed my life,” she told the mag, adding that she now sees her therapist five times a week.
IS ONLINE THERAPY LEGIT?
DBT is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy developed in the late ’80s to treat borderline personality disorder. “Now, almost three decades later, it’s been … shown to be helpful for people with depression, anxiety, and people with mood swings,” clinical psychologist Amanda Spray, Ph.D., assistant director of the Steven A. Cohen military clinic at NYU Langone, tells The Post.
“There are four basic components,” Spray explains: Mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness (learning how to have your needs met by others), emotion regulation (learning how to process and handle your emotions), and distress tolerance (taking a step back and not acting impulsively under distress). Spray says that many therapists have adapted DBT to fit their own practice, but traditional DBT entails weekly therapy appointments, weekly group meetings, and at-home exercises to help patients apply what they’ve learned.
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Following news last month that Anthony Bourdain’s planned international food market at Pier 57 had pushed its opening back by two years, an investigation by Eater NY is now questioning whether Bourdain Market will open at the pier at all. Eater found out that Bourdain and his partners haven’t actually signed up for a lease at the SuperPier, but have only obtained a letter of intent, which is not a legally binding contract.
Instead, Eater NY is investigating rumors that the Bourdain Market partners might actually be considering a back up option, which is signing on to 155,000 square feet of space at Gansevoort Market. The head of Bourdain Market, Stephen Werther confirmed to Eater that they hadn’t signed a lease at Pier 57, and that they had previously considered Gansevoort as a backup option. He denied rumors that those talks had restarted again however.
The developers of the Pier, Youngwoo & Associates and RXR Realty declined to comment on the matter, but a rep for Youngwoo said that the development firm had never confirmed Bourdain Market as a tenant, and that only Google had been confirmed so far as having signed a lease at the space.
Werther admitted to Eater that he expected the project to have moved forward sooner, but that signing the lease was "imminent," and that there were bound to be complications for a project of this scope.
Architecture that comes to life in Game of Thrones |
Oracle suffered with serious vulnerability in the authentication protocol used by some Oracle databases. This Flaw enable a remote attacker to brute-force a token provided by the server prior to authentication and determine a user's password.
A researcher - Esteban Martinez Fayo, a researcher with AppSec tomorrow will demonstrate a proof-of-concept attack.
Martinez Fayo and his team first reported the bugs to Oracle in May 2010. Oracle fixed it in mid-2011 via the 11.2.0.3 patch set, issuing a new version of the protocol. "But they never fixed the current version, so the current 11.1 and 11.2 versions are still vulnerable," Martinez Fayo says, and Oracle has no plans to fix the flaws for version 11.1.
The first step in the authentication process when a client contacts the database server is for the server to send a session key back to the client, along with a salt. The vulnerability enables an attacker to link a specific session key with a specific password hash.
There are no overt signs when an outsider has targeted the weakness, and attackers aren't required to have "man-in-the-middle" control of a network to exploit it. "Once the attacker has a Session Key and a Salt (which is also sent by the server along with the session key), the attacker can perform a brute force attack on the session key by trying millions of passwords per second until the correct one is found. This is very similar to a SHA-1 password hash cracking. Rainbow tables can’ t be used because there is a Salt used for password hash generation, but advanced hardware can be used, like GPUs combined with advanced techniques like Dictionary hybrid attacks, which can make the cracking process much more efficient."
"I developed a proof-of-concept tool that shows that it is possible to crack an 8 characters long lower case alphabetic password in approximately 5 hours using standard CPUs."
Because the vulnerability is in a widely deployed product and is easy to exploit, Fayo said he considers it to be quite dangerous. |
After a season rife with rumors of trades and fistfights, is this—finally—Dion Waiters’ coming out party?
Dion Waiters stood outside of his locker, squinted his eyes and shook his head as a half-smile-half-grimace formed on his face. It was early January, just days after the calendar turned to 2014. The Cleveland Cavaliers had just lost a heartbreaker to the Indiana Pacers, contenders for the NBA title, and he came pretty damn close to pulling off a miracle that would have propelled his name even further up the ranks in the minds of Cavalier fans. The Cavs were playing in their third game without All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving who had fallen victim to a bruised knee. In Irving’s absence, Cavs head coach Mike Brown opted to go with Matthew Dellavedova at point guard, an undrafted rookie out of St. Mary’s who had grown a bit of a cult following due to his never-ending hustle, rather than Waiters, who was drafted fourth-overall just a year earlier. Down 16 points in the fourth quarter, however, Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown reached to his bench, placing Waiters in the rotation as the primary ball handler. Waiters, who had mysteriously been given very little in the way of playing time to this point, took immediate advantage, rattling off 12 straight points—a barrage of jumpshots between 17 and 26 feet, all different locations on the floor, all finding the bottom of the net. Once the Pacers defense started to converged, the second-year guard from Syracuse turned into a distributor, a facilitator, finding Varejao for two roof-raising assists.
Days earlier, needing overtime to pull out a win against the Orlando Magic, it was Waiters who drove to his left with the clock running down, sinking a lay-up that would eventually send the Cavaliers into extra frames. Down two points with 20 seconds to go against the Pacers, Waiters once again took an inbound pass at the top of the key. The 6-foot-3-inch guard was being guarded by a 6-foot-9-inch small forward in Paul George, one of the best defenders in the league. Waiters made quick work of George, blowing by him on a drive to his right side. The catch: The Pacers center, a 7-foot tall Roy Hibbert, was playing weak-side defense and turned into a brick wall, forcing Waiters to take a tough shot that would ultimately not fall .
“Paul George is a good defender, but I knew I could get by him,” Waiters would say. “It was that next guy you had to worry about. If I could do it differently, I would, but I was just trying to be aggressive at that moment and put the pressure on the refs to make a call.”
This is the same Paul George who, in a feature for ESPN The Magazine, was recently dubbed one of the game’s top players even in the event that he would never score a single, solitary point; the same George who has transcended himself to being the 1A among small forwards, behind only the reigning MVP in LeBron James. When asked by WFNY about going to his left, a voice came shooting over the horde of media members who were swirling about. It was fellow swingman CJ Miles who prodded his teammate—”Everyone knows you wanted to go left,” he said, drawing a laugh from anyone within earshot. All it takes is a quick Google Image search of “Dion Waiters driving” to find dozens of images of Waiters, full steam ahead, with the basketball in his left hand. The left wasn’t there.
Brown, hardly one to hand out compliments in what had been a season of disappointment, was willing to budge a little on this very night, categorizing any one-on-one matchup between his shooting guard as favorable. “He’s a talented guy offensively,” said Brown. “He knows it. Everybody knows it.”
See what he did there?
*****
Offense has never been an issue for Dion Waiters. Drafted fourth overall in 2012, he arrived on the NBA scene with a chip on his shoulder and a try-and-stop-me attitude that would allow him to get to the rim with ease. Just 24 hours after Waiters’ arrival to Cleveland, then head coach Byron Scott was lacing him with praise, saying that he felt the sixth man out of Syracuse was the second-best player in the draft . Scott salivated while daydreaming of a young and spry backcourt duo with the on-ball skills of Irving and Waiters pick-and-rolling teams into oblivion. As Waiters will attest, however, getting to the rack at the NBA level would merely serve to be half of the battle—finishing upon arrival is the tougher of the tasks, one which would produce historically terrible numbers. Not given much in the way of a superstar treatment, Waiters often finds himself frustrated with the lack of whistles blown in his favor. This, at times, has led to poor defense and even worse body language, reportedly drawing the ire of a few teammates who were tired of watching teams score while their shooting guard is back on the other side of the floor seeking an explanation from an official. It was Dion Waiters whose face was plastered on the poster of shame following the Cavs’ embarrassing loss to the Sacramento Kings earlier in the year—his pouting was hitting a crescendo; his team was careening toward chaos.
Amidst a roller coaster of a season, fewer players wearing wine and gold on a nightly basis have experienced the twists and turns that have been associated to Dion Waiters. Less than one month into the season and it was Waiters’ name penned into the heart of stories rooted in team dysfunction—some going as far as speculation surrounding a fist fight, aided by Irving showing up with a black eye Trade rumors swirled, looming large like black clouds over the ebbs and flows of each passing day, but were consistently shot down like clay pigeons with both the team and the player toting verbal shotguns—”It’s nonsense,” said Waiters of a rumored meeting between he and then GM Chris Grant. “Man, I ain’t sitting in no office for three hours.” As the season wore on, when posed a question specifically regarding Waiters, Brown has gone as far as he has to to admit pleasure in his player’s offensive skill set, but consistently stops short of delivering full-blown praise—enough to keep other teams interested in the event that they had yearned to acquire the shooting guard via trade, but not enough to make the player feel as if he was meeting all expectations during what was just his sophomore season.
*****
There is something inherently compelling about Dion Waiters. From the day he stepped foot into Cleveland, he has been the player who is adored by most fans while being simultaneously shunned by those not looking through a lakefront prism. He arrived here having not been interviewed or taken part in a pre-draft workout. He showed up overweight and was shut down mid-way through his first run at an NBA Summer League. He was, after all, a sixth man.
Waiters’ decision-making has long been criticized, often predicated upon shot selection, shot form, and a lack of anything that could be classified as “hustle.” At the same time, over the course of the last two years, when selecting a topic for the annual CavsZine, this very author has made Waiters his subject of choice . Maybe it’s the mystery. Maybe it’s the way he’s the first person to rush over and defend a pesky teammate or an irate coach. Maybe it’s the unfair (and oftentimes inaccurate) notions cast upon the man who lives inside of said mystery. To be fair, it is easy to be the subject of criticism when you tell the world that you believe you can be the best shooting guard in the entire world and subsequently put up a win-share total that is lower than your team’s reserve center.
“This year, I’m going to show a lot of people who doubted me and still doubt me,” Waiters said back in September. “I’m going to show them. I don’t need praise and all of that. I just want to be respected. I’m coming. That’s all I have to say. I’ve taken my work ethic to another level and I feel as though I still have something to prove. So, watch out.”
Then again, it could be that same (somewhat inflated) sense of self that makes Dion Waiters. Despite all of the struggles that the 2013-14 season has thrown his way, he’s still that same kid out of inner-city Philly who stepped into Cleveland Clinic Courts and stared wide-eyed like it was the Land of Oz; he’s the kid with “BLESSED” scrawled across his shoulders; he’s still as confident as ever. When recently asked about his mindset between being a member of the starting five or providing relief off of the bench, Waiters didn’t skip a beat. “It’s all the same: Go in there and kill somebody.”
*****
The Cavaliers are heading toward the finish line once again. For all of the hope and expectations that came with last year’s draft, some free agency additions and internal growth, a lottery pick awaits. Kyrie Irving just celebrated his 22nd birthday while wearing street clothes. Dion Waiters has had his own celebration, scoring nearly 24 points per game in the All-Star point guard’s absence.
Long having provided off-the-ball relief, leading the NBA in scoring off of the bench, Waiters has taken on a different persona as of late, doing so against the best the NBA has to offer. Against the Miami Heat earlier this month, Waiters’ ball skills were on display as he recorded his first double-double. He would thank his teammates for hitting their shots after he found them, whether it was for an easy two or a clutch three. Two nights later, he tied a career high with 30 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder, being a part of a 21-2 run that rivaled the comeback attemp made against the Pacers back in early January. His driving lay-up pulled his team within five; as things began to slip away, he would drain a three-pointer to give the Cavs one final chance. Against the Houston Rockets, Waiters once again paced the Cavaliers with 26 points, adding eight more assists for good measure. One night later, on the second night of a back-to-back, he provided 22 more points as the wine and gold ended the New York Knicks’ eight-game winning streak. It would be Jarrett Jack in the spotlight, leading the team in scoring and assists (31 and 10, respectively), but it would be Waiters who not only kept double-teams away from his backcourt mate, but hit a clutch three-pointer to put his team up by four late in the fourth quarter, having entered it down by nine.
By now, you’ve heard the story. Following the loss to the Thunder, a game that not only left many feeling good, but showed that his team was still fighting despite the point in the season and the opponent, it was Dion Waiters, having just scored 30 points, who was sitting in Mike Brown’s office, in a towel having not yet gotten dressed, waiting for his coach to finish his post-game address of the media. You see, despite the 30 points that he had just scored, Waiters felt that he did not do all that he could have done—in the rebounding and hustle department, specifically—and wanted to apologize. Why? Because “that’s what men do,” he would later say.
“At the end of the day you have to look in the mirror at yourself,” said Waiters. “If you feel as though you didn’t rebound and you were part of the problem, why not admit it? It’s easy to point the finger, but you have to look in the mirror and see what you can do better. Where I come from, we just tell it how it is. We don’t point the finger at someone else.”
Brown said that Waiters is trying to take some “initiative in the process.” His teammates, the same ones who were fed up with his antics during the winter-month drubbings, are also taking notice. Small forward Luol Deng said Waiters is “playing great right now.” Jack, the man who inhabits the locker next to Waiters when the two find themselves within the confines of The Q, has also seen marked improvement, but not just in the young guard’s play. Jack assured Waiters that the only reason people are hard on him is because of his ability and the expectations that come with being one of the best athletes in the world. He’s challenged Waiters to not only bring it on the court, but off of it as well.
“I think he’s done a hell of a job these last few games with Ky being out, stepping up making plays,” said Jack. “He’s still a work in progress, but I think he’s doing a hell of a job. Leaps and bounds from where we were at the beginning of the season—decision making, being more assertive, talkative, being more receptive to criticism but him also being able to lead others as well.”
Right now. A work in progress. Sure, all signs for Waiters are currently pointing up, but just like their head coach, his veteran teammates know that with life comes with qualifiers, with praise comes the notion that things are far from over. No matter where you are, no matter how far you’ve come, the rug can be pulled out from under your feet at any time—it comes down to how quick you can adapt to the altered landscape. For Waiters, to this point, his NBA career has been stocked full of almosts and what-could-have-beens. Fortunately for him, he’s just 22 years old and has shown that he finally knows what everyone else has for the last two years— just because you want to go to your left doesn’t mean the defense is going to give it to you.
—
(Image: Michael Ivins-US PRESSWIRE) |
Learning C and Objective-C
If you have no programming experience and you want to write extensions/tweaks, you'll need to learn a lot about Objective-C and developing ordinary apps for iOS. (If you'd like to first try modifying code in simple ways to explore some possibilities, you can try the paid package Flex, on the BigBoss repository in Cydia.)
To give you a taste, Code School has an iOS programming course for beginners, with a free interactive guide to getting started with Objective-C. You can also try the free courses offered by Codecademy - they're not about Objective-C or iOS, but they can give you a general sense of what programming is like.
For further study:
It's good to learn some C too; it'll give you a better foundation for learning Objective-C. You'll want to know about pointer arithmetic, the Objective-C runtime, buffer overflows, bitwise operations, the model-view-controller pattern, etc.
Ideally you'll get to a point where you're comfortable writing and running code for iOS. If you're already there, definitely keep reading!
Setting up Theos
Follow Theos/Setup to set up your Theos environment by installing Theos and creating your first project. These links may also be helpful: guide on Stack Overflow, this Theos documentation by theiostream, and Theos Install Script.
You'll probably also want to read more about Cydia Substrate - see saurik's Substrate documentation.
Finding example projects
Here is a list of just a few of the many open source projects that can be used as examples: Open Source Projects.
For some simple example projects you can build with Theos, see codyd51's Theos Examples.
Not finding what you are looking for? Try searching through GitHub for iOS Tweaks with a simple trick, "extension:xm".
Example:
extension:xm SBAwayController
Using the above code will search GitHub for all files with the extension .xm (because Theos by default creates a Tweak.xm file when creating a new tweak). The example above will result in finding tweaks that reference SBAwayController. Not all developers use the .xm file extension, but a large number do, and this will help you in finding those examples.
Looking at frameworks, classes, and processes
To figure out what code to modify, you'll want to explore around iOS and apps.
You can extract Objective-C class interfaces with class-dump, class_dump_z, or classdump-dyld. Remember that the resulting files are not the original headers, so use them with caution.
You can also find other developers have done this process for many frameworks and compiled their work into github repositories (e.g. iOS-Runtime-Headers).
For further help, take a look at Finding classes/methods and using them by Sassoty.
See Reverse Engineering Tools for detailed information about these tools and many others, including Logify.
See Notifications for information about observing and posting notifications informing observers of events within a process and for IPC purposes, for example.
Prototyping a tweak
You can use Cycript to explore running processes. Check out the official manual, especially the section about process injection. For a demo, see Adam Bell's JailbreakCon talk (example code and slides).
Building your tweak
After prototyping you will want to make your tweak into a project to build it and debug it. To achieve this you will most likely use Theos. It is available for different platforms including iOS and Mac OS, and, to a certain extent, Linux. On Mac OS you can use Xcode's command line tools, but for the other platforms you should use a toolchain. On iOS there are two available toolchains (On-device toolchains), and there is a project for Windows.
To learn about setting up your package's control file, see saurik's article on building packages. If you need to list dependencies or conflicting packages, Debian's packaging manual may be useful (because Cydia packaging is based on Debian packaging): Syntax of relationship fields, Dependencies, Conflicts -- or if you're submitting this package to a default repository, you can just ask your repository maintainer for help with this.
Debugging
See Debugging on iOS 7 for how to run gdb and/or lldb.
The System Log article on TheiPhoneWiki has useful tips about accessing the device's syslog.
The Crash Reporter package in Cydia is a convenient way to grab crash reports, and it's helpful to run symbolicate (also available in Cydia) on crash reports to get more detail.
Debugging memory issues in Substrate tweaks
A few problems you may run into while getting started
Problem: Whenever I run programs I compile with your toolchain, they are immediately "Killed". I hate Apple :(.
Solution: iOS only wants to run signed code. Jailbreaks patch the signature verification out of the kernel, but you still need to at least add a valid CodeDirectory to the binary that contains SHA1 hashes of the executable. See Code Signing for a few ways to do this.
Problem: I tried copying a graphical program to the iPhone, and ran it from the command line. I am nearly 100% certain my program is correct, and I did your codesign instructions, but it doesn't work.
Solution: You can't run things from the command line, you have to run them from SpringBoard.
Problem: OK, but when I copied the file to /Applications it didn't even show up in SpringBoard.
Solution: iOS caches the Info.plist files of all installed applications in a centralized place. The fastest/best way to handle this cache is to install UIKit Tools and then run its uicache as mobile:
su mobile -c uicache
Problem: When I add setuid bits to my program, it no longer starts up and syslog doesn't seem to provide any useful information, either (True?).
Solution: I am not quite certain what is preventing this. However, it is easy to defeat: replace your program with a two line shell script that, in turn, runs your program. Example, maybe MyProgram (setuid) gets renamed to MyProgram_, and MyProgram (not setuid) becomes the script:
#!/bin/bash dir = $( dirname " $0 " ) exec " ${ dir } " /MyProgram_ " $@ "
Publishing your package in a default repository
When you've completed a project, you may want to submit it to one of Cydia's default repositories (sources) for distribution.
[Context about Cydia: Unlike the App Store, which is a centralized system, Cydia itself does not host/distribute packages - instead, Cydia is a way to browse and install packages from repositories. By default, Cydia comes with a list of good repositories (independently-owned but work closely with the makers of Cydia) - so if you want to distribute a package to the general audience of Cydia users, submitting it to a default repository is a good plan. If you use a default repository and want to sell your package, you can choose to use the Cydia Store system so that people have a simple way to purchase it. You can also choose to run your own repository (see Repository Management) and ask interested users to type your repository address into Cydia to get your package.]
These are your options for default repositories, with links to information about submitting:
BigBoss (managed by Optimo)
ModMyi (managed by Tyler)
MacCiti (managed by MacCiti)
If you aren't sure which to pick, look up what your favorite developers use, or ask other developers for suggestions (if you don't already know any other developers, IRC may be helpful). If you have questions, email is usually the best way to get in contact with repository managers.
For questions about the Cydia Store system for paid packages, you can ask your repository manager; they've helped many developers figure this out. See also: Cydia Store Integration.
Some guides on other sites
Also check out the list of development blogs for more writing by tweak developers.
Theos challenges
This section is a set of tweaks/apps that can be created with Theos for new or experienced developers to practice with.
Title Description Example Need Help? LaunchNotifier Show a UIAlertView on the screen after any app has been launched. The title of the UIAlertView is the name of the app being opened. Example Guide AskLaunch Show a UIAlertView after tapping an app, asking the user whether they want to launch it or not. Example TransparentSBEditor Make the SpringBoard icons transparent while editing, instead of jittering. Example
If you're interested in ideas for something else to build, the "Request" tag on /r/jailbreak has lots of tweak ideas from real people. |
FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Helicopters DLC released, 1.34 update released, MP mode "Support"
PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
Late yesterday afternoon we rolled the Helicopters DLC out of its hangar for lift off. Of course the 1.34 update contained not just the premium additions, but also the free platform update for everyone. We are very happy to be able to continue supporting the game in this way. By buying the game and DLC you provide us with the opportunity to strengthen, expand and enrich the platform and game. For an in-depth look at what changes arrived with Arma 3 Helicopters and version 1.34, read through the SPOTREP. Modders can do the same for the latest update of sister product Arma 3 Tools in the TECHREP.
What's next for the team? Development focus will be on the second DLC: Marksmen. It is to follow a similar approach by delivering a set of premium assets, bundled with relevant new platform updates for all. We're right in the middle of producing the first new personal firearms and developing concepts for the rest of them. Meanwhile the designers and programmers are prototyping new gameplay features for weapon handling. In parallel, we do also have pre-production and early production of the Expansion terrain in progress. Finally, we obviously will be doing post-release support of Arma 3 Helicopters and we'll continue the maintenance cycle. Do check out this splendidly splendid write-up by Creative Director Jay Crowe on all of these topics.
INTELLIGENCE
Friendly reminder: if you have bought a Supporter Edition or own the DLC Bundle, you already own Arma 3 Helicopters DLC. This is not true for the (Digital) Deluxe Edition. If you've forgotten what version you own, one way to find out could be to check Steam. In the client, open Arma 3's properties. Visit the DLC tab and there it should list your DLC plus Digital Deluxe Edition content packages.
Last Friday the voting stage for the Make Arma Now War Singleplayer category closed. This voting process selected the 20 finalists for that category (to be revealed in detail over the coming weeks). The other categories are in process of having their finalists selected by a Bohemia Interactive Task Force. After that, a soon-to-be-announced jury will carefully select the winners. Good luck to all contestants!
OPERATIONS
One cool part of the 1.34 platform update is the "Support" multiplayer mode. This mode was designed to focus on aerial logistics, rather than combat (although the sessions are not exactly peaceful!). You and your friends are helicopter pilots whose main responsibility is to capture sectors by transporting infantry NPCs to them. Extra support options are Sling Loading supplies and performing casevacs. The mode does a great job of showing the many improvements that Helicopters DLC allowed us to make. We decided however, not to lock this mode to owners of the DLC. Everyone can play it and non-premium helicopters are available besides the Huron and Taru. The design Task Force consisting of Jirí Wainar, Nelson Duarte and Václav Oliva is looking forward to your feedback in this forums thread. A good way of trying the mode is to connect to one of our official servers. We're also hoping to livestream the mode this Friday!
We are tracking one server crash that is particularly elusive. Our working theory is that it may be caused by a recent Steam client update, because the same crash affects our other games (e.g. DayZ) without those receiving updates. We are in direct contact with Valve's network engineers to get to the bottom of this. The investigation will hopefully result in either a fix of their client, or a way for us to solve the issue ourselves.
LOGISTICS
Check out this nifty little web app to search and filter scripting commands. Kudos to Craig Vander Galien for creating it!
The 1.34 update added a bunch of nice decorative objects for scenario designers. You'll find objects to bring your airports and heliports alive, as well as objects for Forward Operating Bases (from fuel bladders to desktop PCs and canteen supplies to sports equipment). The SPOTREP lists all of them, but you may have to explore the editor for a while to find the right categories. Shout out to our colleagues in Black Element Thailand, who did a good job of creating many of these!
#splendid |
Luis Antonio Caballero is an Argentine dog groomer who loves his job. A lot. His wife and business partner Gabriela Caballero caught him enjoying his job quite a bit on August 22, dancing to a song on the radio; even gently dancing with the dog he was bathing!
"I stepped away to make some tea and returned to find Luis dancing," Gabriela told The Dodo . "He didn't realize I was there." So, Gabriela did what every good wife would do in this modern era -- she whipped out her phone, took some video, and promptly posted it on Facebook.
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"I diiiiiiied, haha, this is how you bathe your pets," she wrote. "A happy puppy, hahaha, go Lu."
The video cuts off just as Gabriela is found out, but it's been viewed more than 5.6 million times since it was posted. People are touched by Luis' obvious happiness: it's clear that he loves dogs, loves good music and loves dancing!
"He loves them, and they love him," Gabriela said. Luis' life is all about dogs -- when he's not grooming them, he is working to get strays off the streets of Buenos Aires and into good homes.
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"We are a family dedicated to the dogs," Gabriela said. |
College students love socialism, just look at how Bernie Sanders captivated the youth vote during the Democrat Primaries. However, if you were to ask them to define it, you might not be able to get a straight answer.
Campus Reform visited Washington D.C to ask college students “Do you like socialism?” and then asked “What is socialism?” Many students expressed favor for socialism, though when they were asked what it was, had trouble articulating an answer. If these kids can’t even define socialism, you can hardly expect them to recall the tens of millions who have been slaughtered under socialist and Marxist regimes throughout the 20th century. Hopefully they get a chance to take Econ 101 next semester.
Via Campus Reform:
Last year, a poll was released showing 53 percent of Americans under age 35 are dissatisfied with our nation’s current economic system and think socialism would be good for the country.
“I guess just, you know, getting rid of that wealth gap in the United States?”
The same poll found that 45 percent of young Americans would be willing to support an openly socialist Presidential candidate.
The findings of this poll coincide with the rise of Senator Bernie Sanders, an avowed “Democratic Socialist” from Vermont who received millions of votes in the 2016 Democratic Primary, many of them from millennials.
While it’s clear that young people increasingly view socialism in a positive light, it’s also clear that many of them are uneducated about what it entails, or the impact it’s had throughout history.
The same poll found many millennials are unfamiliar with historical figures often associated with socialism, such as Che Guevara, Joseph Stalin, and Karl Marx. |
Children make up over 25 percent of the civilians killed by Russian airstrikes, according to a report by a Syrian human rights organization.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) released a report Friday that claimed Russian airstrikes in Syria killed approximately 2,704 civilians, 746 of which are children. In just over 11 months, Russia killed more Syrian civilians than the Islamic State killed in three years.
The report documents several examples of Russian transgressions against civilians, many of which appear to be intentional, and have little or no military purpose. Many of the examples provided in the report show a Russian penchant for targeting schools.
“Russian warplanes bombed a building that we were [using] to educate children in the neighborhood,” Abu al-Fatih, a resident of Aleppo’s al-Hollok neighborhood, told the SNHR. “The bombing was at a time when students were leaving their classrooms, which led to a number of deaths among children and the teaching staff.”
Fatih noted that there were no legitimate military targets in the surrounding area when the attack occurred Dec. 7, 2015. He noted that several ethnic Turkmen-Syrians live in the neighborhood.
“I think the Russian bombing deliberately targeted the neighborhood as a retaliation for the Russian warplane that was shot down by Turkey,” explained Fatih.
WATCH:
One month later, a Russian attack on three schools in the Einjara district of Aleppo left 17 people dead, 15 of whom were students. Russian jets targeted an elementary school and two high schools. Mohammad al-Khatib, a media activist who witnessed the aftermath of the attack, described the scene in vivid detail.
“A teacher told me that a massacre happened at the western school after it was targeted with a missile by a Russian warplane, I went there. The missile fell in a classroom that was destroyed completely,” said Khatib. “Residents told me they pulled only four dead bodies and lost about 15 others who were reduced to shreds including the female teacher of the targeted classroom.”
Russian bombing strikes are ongoing, despite failed diplomatic attempts to secure a cessation. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been complicit in Russian air strikes more recently, allowing fighters and bombers to stage attacks from an airbase in the Hamadan region.
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. |
State Democrats’ three-day convention had a raucous start Friday, as liberal activists booed and heckled Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez after marching from the state Capitol to promote a universal heath care program.
The leader of the nurses’ union that opposed Perez’s recent election had just warned California Democrats that they would put up primary election challengers against lawmakers if they don’t support a bill to create public-funded, universal healthcare.
“They cannot be in denial anymore that this is a movement that can primary them,” RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Association, told hundreds of nurses and health care advocates gathered for a rally at the Capitol.
“Vote them out,” the crowd chanted back, referring to Democrats in the Legislature wavering on whether to support their cause.
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As California Democrats kicked off their weekend convention here with a cocktail reception featuring trays of scallion pancakes with Hoisin sauce and red grapes rolled in blue cheese and coated in pistachios, the throng advocating for a statewide publicly funded, universal health care system snaked down a staircase behind Perez, shouting down his calls for unity.
“This gathering kind of reminds me of Thanksgiving dinner at my house with my extended family,” Perez said, trying to lighten the mood.
As Perez launched into a riff about shared party values, California Democratic Party John Burton told activists he backed universal healthcare before many of them were born, in 1998. He jabbed at a protester: “Put your (expletive) sign down...We’re all for it.”
“We make sure that healthcare is a right for everyone,” Perez said. “And not a privilege for a few.”
The showdown over health care exposed deep rifts within the party that may have scabbed over, but have not healed, since last year’s primary fight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, a favorite of the nurses union, which also backed Perez’s opponent in the chair’s race, Rep. Keith Ellison.
Sanders has called for a national single-payer system, and earlier this month called on Californians to adopt the model at a speech in Los Angeles.
DeMoro argued the Republican health care bill that passed the House has generated anger and fear among people from across the political spectrum, and many have turned their attention to the issue of health care because they fear losing coverage. Lawmakers have expressed skepticism over its projected steep cost.
“There’s been a seismic shift because of Donald Trump,” she said in an interview.
Perez, in his brief remarks to delegates, sought common ground over their shared anger toward Trump.
“We have a president .... I don’t know who it is, Putin, or Trump,” Perez said. ‘They’re in a bromance. This is really weird.” |
CHICAGO -- Patrick Kane was nearly done talking with reporters after a practice on Saturday afternoon when he was asked about Duncan Keith, the Chicago Blackhawks' top defenseman.
Duncan Keith Defense - CHI GOALS: 1 | ASST: 4 | PTS: 5
SOG: 12 | +/-: 5
The question was about how Keith continues to go somewhat overlooked when the conversation turns to the NHL's best at the position. Names like Shea Weber Ryan Suter and Erik Karlsson roll right off the tongue, while Keith only seems to make national headlines while he's embroiled in some sort of controversy.
"He's one of those guys you kind of take for granted because he's back there every night and does pretty much the same thing," Kane said. "Whether it's shutting down the other team, or creating offensive chances, or jumping in the rush, or how fast he skates, or how good he is defensively with his stick … he does so many things that you can name and really is huge for our team."
It's true that Keith's numbers have dipped since winning the Norris Trophy in 2010, the same season Chicago ended a 49-year Stanley Cup drought, but he's still in the prime of his career at 29 and is still the Blackhawks' top blueliner. He also remains one of the best in the League, even if he does fly under the radar a bit.
As he listed all of Keith's responsibilities and tools on the ice, even Kane started to sound a little surprised at just how much Keith does for the Blackhawks, who racked up 77 points in 48 games to win the Presidents' Trophy. Chicago used a noticeably improved defensive effort this season to stay so consistent, and Keith's three goals, 24 assists and plus-16 rating led the way.
Kane even compared him to Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews -- who doesn't necessarily rack up a ton of stats, but consistently does many things at an elite level.
"It's kind of like Johnny," Kane said "You kind of take for granted, maybe, some of the things he does because he does the same thing every night."
One thing that has changed for Keith from the previous three seasons is his ice time. It's gone down.
During the regular season, Keith averaged 24:06 and nearly 29 shifts per game this season as compared to 26:53 and 31 shifts a game a year ago. His time during the Stanley Cup Playoffs also dropped during the Blackhawks' Western Conference Quarterfinal series victory against the
Minnesota Wild.
He averaged 23:21 and 31 shifts in five games against the Wild, which was down quite a bit from the 30:15 and 33 shifts he logged per game in a first-round loss to the Phoenix Coyotes last year.
The decreased ice time is by design.
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville tried to keep his team's legs as fresh as possible during the shortened season, which was packed with back-to-back games and sets of three games in four nights. He knew how important a refreshed Keith would be, so he stuck to a plan that cut back his top defenseman's minutes and shifts by roughly three a game.
Keith had become known for his desire to absorb minutes, but the new plan hasn't bothered him. In fact, he said he's barely noticed being on the ice less. While Suter and rookie Jonas Brodin logged some eye-popping amounts of ice time for the Wild, Keith was content with the amount he got.
"I don't really notice it, to be honest with you," Keith said. "When you think about it, it's only one or two shifts less in the course of a game. Sometimes maybe it's two or three minutes, but it's really only one or two shifts or one shift less a period. It's not that much. Every year's kind of different. This year we have (more defensemen) that can play and there's no need to play those minutes that maybe Suter was playing. I think it's good for the team, too."
"He's been so good, for so long, that I think after a while you just take it for granted what you see from him."
-- Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford
Keith's stamina in that opening series did get tested, though. His wife, Kelly-Rae, gave birth to their first child, son Colton, last Wednesday morning prior to the fourth game of the series. Keith had already flown back to Chicago for the birth on Tuesday and flew back to the Twin Cities, without sleeping, for the game. After playing a team-high 23:57, Keith realized he'd been awake for about 48 hours -- and didn't really care.
"I definitely feel more responsible to look after a little guy," Keith told NHL.com on Saturday. "My wife's doing most of the work right now, though. I don't want her thinking that I said I'm doing all the work. Her mom's in town and she's helping out a lot, so we're thankful she's been able to help out and be here."
The other thing on Keith's mind, of course, is the playoffs.
As of Saturday afternoon, the Blackhawks still didn't know if they'd be facing the Detroit Red Wings or San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Semifinal round. For Keith and defense partner Niklas Hjalmarsson, that question also meant wondering what star's line they'd draw as an assignment -- Pavel Datsyuk or Joe Thornton.
Keith and Hjalmarsson, who were paired together midway through this season, led the way in shutting down the Wild's Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise in the first round. They did it, according to Keith, with a simple formula -- hard work plus teamwork.
"It was just trying to play good defense, having a good gap in the neutral zone, eliminating the second and third chances and [goalie Corey Crawford] doing a good job, too," Keith said. "It's not two guys who do it. It's not three. It's not one line of forwards. It's a team game."
Nobody on the Blackhawks understands that more than Mr. Under-The-Radar himself.
"He's been so good, for so long, that I think after a while you just take it for granted what you see from him," said Crawford, who often has a front-row seat. "He's definitely a special player. The plays he makes sometimes … it looks easy, but when you're on the ice you appreciate the talent he has and what he can do for us."
Crawford then laughed before adding: "I think that's enough for pumping his tires. I don't want his head getting too big, but I think he knows how good he is. He's an awesome player." |
What Portland bike thieves took away, our community is giving back.
As we shared last week, South Korean bike tourer Kim Minhyeong was pedaling through Portland on his dream trip when his bike was stolen from outside the Southeast Hawthorne Fred Meyer. It was fully loaded with all his gear, including his laptop, camera, and more. As word spread, Bryan Hance from Bike Index decided to help. Hance swung into action and held a fundraiser for Kim last Thursday.
According to Hance, about 40 people showed up to Apex Bar — many of them with gear and donations in-hand. They showed Minhyeong what Portland is really all about as they shared free food donated to the event by Grind Musubi. “Definitely made me proud to be a Portlander! It was overwhelming, I won’t lie.” Hance wrote on in an email to supporters.
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Portland-based apparel company Showers Pass donated store credit that Minhyeong has used to get a new jacket (the cool Atlas model no less). Right now Hance is helping Minhyeong organize a list of gear he still needs to replace with hopes of getting back on the road in 2-3 weeks. He also said friends of Minhyeong’s took him shopping for a new bike today. The outpouring of support has certainly made an impression.
“When I started this journey, I was alone,” Minhyeong wrote on his Facebook page yesterday. “But now, because of everyone’s support, I no longer feel alone.”
A GoFundMe campaign site has also been set up in case you would like to support this cause and help Minhyeong turn his bad experience into a good memory.
And in case you’re wondering, Minhyeong finally got a u-lock.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
BikePortland is supported by the community (that means you!). Please become a subscriber or make a donation today.
Bike Theft, Front Page
bike index, bryan hance |
Adventurer and Filmmaker Leon McCarron has completed a 1500km walk around the heart of the Middle East, concluding his journey on the summit of Mt Sinai, Egypt.
McCarron, 29, from Northern Ireland, began his journey on foot in Jerusalem in early December 2015.
Following three weeks of trekking north through the West Bank and Jordan Valley, the expedition was briefly put on hold after McCarron’s walking partner, writer Dave Cornthwaite, suffered two stress fractures in his left foot.
Discovery TV endurance athlete Sean Conway later joined the journey in Wadi Rum, after McCarron had walked the length of Jordan, dodging flash floods, spending days unsupported through rugged desert and experiencing the true face of the Middle East.
Following several new and innovative local walking trails on 'Walk the Masar' (masar means ‘path’ in Arabic), including the Masar Ibrahim (in Palestine), the Jordan Trail and the Sinai Trail, McCarron’s intention was to look beyond the natural struggles and tensions of the region; to fill a current void in the global media by focusing on the other side - the people, the stories, the communities, and compassion that comes with travelling on foot. For four months he immersed himself in the lives of the people of the regions he passed through, gathering their thoughts and opinions.
He says, “I feel extremely privileged to have seen this part of the world in such a deep way. I came here with a working theory that most people are good. This trip has reinforced that no end. This is one of the most maligned parts of our world, yet in reality I've found it to be perhaps the friendliest, kindest and most peaceful place to spend time.”
McCarron is now working on a series of short films and a book to tell the full story of his findings.
Find out more on www.walkthemasar.com and www.facebook.com/leonmccarron |
By Matthew Bridge
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Where Kanye West and Jay Z are concerned, there are a lot of rumors surrounding them. Much like he said on his 2005 hit, “Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” it seems like they are “praying for the death of their dynasty, like amen.” They have pinned their hopes on TIDAL.
When it comes to business, Jay Z has experienced all types of success over the past two decades. These decades have seen Jay Z launch various music-related businesses. His latest venture is TIDAL, a partnership with the likes of Kanye, Beyonce, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj, Usher, and many others.
Since then, Kanye West has faced rumors of trying to distance himself from TIDAL, due to it being perceived as a failure. There were even rumors of Kanye West leaving Roc Nation, but it turned out he fired his manager within the company. Now, there are rumors of Kanye West premiering his new album on Apple Music, as opposed to TIDAL.
Source: Hits Daily Double
Follow Matthew Bridge on Twitter @dgfxla. |
WikiLeaks cables and the Iraq War Yet another accomplishment for the leaker of the cables: preventing an agreement to keep troops in Iraq
From a CNN report on why the Iraqi Government rejected the Obama administration's conditions for keeping U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the 2011 deadline:
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other top brass have repeatedly said any deal to keep U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the withdrawal deadline would require a guarantee of legal protection for American soldiers. But the Iraqis refused to agree to that, opening up the prospect of Americans being tried in Iraqi courts and subjected to Iraqi punishment. The negotiations were strained following WikiLeaks' release of a diplomatic cable that alleged Iraqi civilians, including children, were killed in a 2006 raid by American troops rather than in an airstrike as the U.S. military initially reported.
That description from CNN of the cable's contents is, unsurprisingly, diluted to the point of obfuscation. That cable was released by WikiLeaks in May, 2011, and, as McClatchy put it at the time, "provides evidence that U.S. troops executed at least 10 Iraqi civilians, including a woman in her 70s and a 5-month-old infant, then called in an airstrike to destroy the evidence, during a controversial 2006 incident in the central Iraqi town of Ishaqi." The U.S. then lied and claimed the civilians were killed by the airstrike. Although this incident had been previously documented by the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the high-profile release of the cable by WikiLeaks generated substantial attention (and disgust) in Iraq, which made it politically unpalatable for the Iraqi government to grant the legal immunity the Obama adminstration was seeking. Indeed, it was widely reported at the time the cable was released that it made it much more difficult for Iraq to allow U.S. troops to remain beyond the deadline under any conditions.
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In other words, whoever leaked that cable cast light on a heinous American war crime and, by doing so, likely played some significant role in thwarting an agreement between the Obama and Maliki governments to keep U.S. troops in Iraq and thus helped end this stage of the Iraq war (h/t Trevor Timm). Moreover, whoever leaked these cables -- as even virulent WikiLeaks critic Bill Keller repeatedly acknowledged -- likely played some significant in helping spark the Arab Spring protests by documenting just how deeply corrupt those U.S.-supported kleptocrats were. And in general, whoever leaked those cables has done more to publicize the corrupt, illegal and deceitful acts of the world's most powerful factions -- and to educate the world about how they behave -- than all "watchdog" media outlets combined (indeed, the amount of news reports on a wide array of topics featuring WikiLeaks cables as the primary source is staggering). In sum, whoever leaked those cables is responsible for one of the most consequential, beneficial and noble acts of this generation.
And yet (or more accurately: therefore) the person accused of accomplishing all of this, Bradley Manning, has been imprisoned for more than a year without trial, and, if convicted, is almost certain to remain in prison for many more years (with the possibility, albeit unlikely, of death, and as the Obama administration continues to block an unmonitored visit by the U.N. official investigating what had been the inhumane conditions of his detention). If one believes the authenticity of the chat logs produced by Wired, Manning's goal in leaking those cables -- "hopefully worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms . . . i want people to see the truth… regardless of who they are… because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public" -- have been fulfilled beyond what must have been his wildest dreams. Assuming the truth of those chat logs, he was motivated precisely by seeing cables of the sort that detailed this civilian slaughter and subsequent cover-up in Iraq, and the extreme levels of theft and oppression by Arab dictators, and the desire to have the world know about it. Meanwhile, those responsible for the Iraq War, and who suppressed freedom and democracy in the Middle East by propping up those tyrants, and who committed a slew of other illegal and deeply corrupt acts, continue to prosper and wield substantial power.
History is filled with examples of those who most bravely challenged and subverted corrupted power and who sought reforms being rewarded with prison or worse, at the hands of those whose bad actions they exposed. If Bradley Manning did leak these cables, his imprisonment is a prime example of that inverted justice. |
Thomas Friedman Whines About His Lost TPP
Thomas Friedman, who is legendary for his boldly stated wrong assertions, got into the game again making absurd claims about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the great loss the U.S. suffers from it going down. Friedman tells readers:
"It was not only the largest free-trade agreement in history, it was the best ever for U.S. workers, closing loopholes Nafta had left open. TPP included restrictions on foreign state-owned enterprises that dumped subsidized products into our markets, intellectual property protections for rising U.S. technologies — like free access for all cloud computing services — but also anti-human-trafficking provisions that prohibited turning guest workers into slave labor, a ban on trafficking in endangered wildlife parts, a requirement that signatories permit their workers to form independent trade unions to collectively bargain and the elimination of all child labor practices — all to level the playing field with American workers."
This is of course wrong. First, and most importantly, all the provisions on items like human trafficking, child labor, and trading in endangered wildlife depended on action by the administration. In other words, if the TPP had been approved by Congress last year we would be dependent on the Trump administration to enforce these parts of the agreement. Even the most egregious violations could go completely unsanctioned, if the Trump administration opted not to press them. Given the past history with both Democratic and Republican administrations, this would be a very safe bet.
In contrast, the provisions on items like violations of the patent and copyright provisions or the investment rules can be directly enforced by the companies affected. The TPP created a special extra-judicial process, the investor-state dispute settlement system, which would determine if an investor's rights under the agreement had been violated.
Friedman also bizarrely seems to be claiming that increased intellectual property restrictions will benefit U.S. workers. These forms of protectionism (yes folks, patent and copyright protection are protectionism — even if you like them) are directly antithetical to the interest of most U.S. workers. It means that foreign countries will pay more money to Microsoft for its software and Pfizer for its drugs. This means that they will have less money to buy U.S. manufactured goods. This is pretty straight and simple economics; in other words, way over the head of Thomas Friedman. (He wrongly uses the term "free-trade" in reference to the TPP four times. This is a propaganda term used to sell the deal. It is not accurate since the increased protections in the pact likely more than offset the tariff reductions in the deal.)
In this respect, it is worth noting that the projected gain to GDP of $130 billion by 2030 by the strongly pro-TPP Peterson Institute for International Economics (the non-partisan United States International Trade Commission projected a more modest gain of 0.21 percent of GDP by 2032) does not take into account any negative impact from the increased copyright and patent related protections in the TPP. It is quite plausible that a model that actually took account of the negative effects of these protectionist provisions would show a loss to the U.S. from the TPP and especially to the bulk of the workforce who are not situated to benefit from these protections.
This raises the issue of currency rules, which are notably absent from the TPP. The deliberate decisions by China and other countries to prop up the dollar against their currencies has led to the enormous U.S. trade deficits of the last two decades. This both cost millions of manufacturing jobs and led to the huge imbalances that provided the basis for the housing bubble and the subsequent crash.
For this reason, it would have been reasonable to include enforceable provisions on currency management in the deal. Remarkably, the TPP includes nothing on the topic of currency. (There is a separate letter of understanding that has exactly zero legal status.)
In short, there are very good reasons why anyone who cared about workers, the environment, and access to medicine, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, would strongly object to the TPP. It is unfortunate that Friedman seem completely unfamiliar with these issues.
In this respect it is ironic that Friedman twice criticized Trump for rejecting the TPP without having read the deal. Thomas Friedman himself famously declared that there is no need to read these deals: |
Out of all of the content I’ve dropped on this blog, this is one you should definitely bookmark, because you can use it the rest of your life.
This article will help steer your interactions with women in the right direction and keep you from losing your sanity.
There’s a few axioms that I live by which I have put together over the years of dealing with hundreds of women and these commandments have stood the test of time over and over again.
If you adhere to these, then you will be years ahead of your peers and it will save you a ton of bullshit experiences with women, that could have been avoided.
Here’s a few of them…
#41. Who you marry will be the most important decision you ever make in life. Better make sure she’s up for the job.
#40. Never get married or get tied down with a woman who you’re settling for. You will be miserable. She will be miserable. And life is too damn short to spend it with a woman low in caliber, personality and desire to suck your cock dry every motherfucking day.
#39. Believe a woman the first time she SHOWS you who she is. Don’t allow your emotions to blind you to her flaws and shortcomings.
#38. Women are not the enemy. They are merely following their inherent nature. Learn how to handle them and you will be rewarded with their positive attributes. Flail about blindly and be cursed with their negative attributes.
#37. Women are led by their emotions. Therefore, learn to use their emotions to your favor. Become the puppet master.
#36. Your greatest defense against the manipulations of women, is to learn Game. There is no substitute.
#35. Always lead a woman in the relationship. If you don’t know how, then learn how.
#34. You are not to be the bitch in the relationship. If you have to pause and think about it, then you are.
#33. Women are just as sexual, if not more than men. They crave depravity. Do not be fooled.
#32. ALL girls think they are unique. 99.9% of girls are not unique. Do not be fooled.
#31. The moment you feel you cannot live without a certain girl, is the moment you have officially put her pussy on a pedestal.
#30. Less is more when dealing with women.
#29. Be ready to walk away from the relationship at any time for any reason. If she acts up, be ready to walk. If you stay you will lose a small piece of self-respect, until eventually you won’t even know who you are anymore.
#28. Never take advice on sleeping with women FROM women.
#27. If you can’t see who’s the sucker in the relationship, then you’re the sucker my friend.
#26. What is unsaid when communicating with a woman, is oftentimes more powerful than what is said. Learn to use your eyes when flirting with women and conveying sexual tension.
#25. If you get caught cheating, always, always, always deny. Deny until death and she will eventually get over it.
#24. Always treat a woman’s tantrums like you would treat a child’s. Firm and unpersuaded.
#23. Buying gifts, groveling, begging and changing for a girl will never keep her around. You’ll only intensify her disdain for you and speed up her hunt for an alpha cock.
#22. If you think she’s cheating, she already has. Learn to trust your instinct. It’s ‘talking’ to you for a reason.
#21. Never fully trust a woman. It’s not in their nature to be trustworthy. Self-preserve by only allowing for 60% of your trust given after a full and long courtship of at least 2 years.
#20. Never get married before 30yo and always marry a younger woman. No exceptions.
#19. You’re not really ready for a relationship, until you know what’s out there. Go fuck 20 women. When you get done, go fuck another 20. Then you might have an idea of what you want.
#18. The moment you make a woman “your life”, is the moment she’s preparing to walk out of yours.
#17. The only thing that matters to women between the ages of 18-26yo is: “Does he make my vagina wet?”
#16. Women would rather be with a psychopath broke bad boy, then a stable, sane beta bitch boy.
#15. Never regret cheating.
#14. Don’t put pussy ON the pedestal, put it UNDER the pedestal.
#13. Always fuck her like it’s your last time before you go to prison.
#12. Frame IS Game. If you don’t learn to have a strong Frame, your ‘Game’ will always be weak and you will always struggle with women.
#11. Always let her say “I love you” first. She’ll love you more for your self-control.
#10. Watch what a girl DOES, not what she SAYS.
#9. If a girl dumps you, never take her back. She will never respect you the same and the relationship is doomed to fail.
#8. If you notice 1 red flag take note. If you notice 2 red flags prepare to eject. When you notice three red flags you had better be out the door.
#7. Women lie. Get used to it. Learn to play the game better than them.
#6. The more money you get, the more you will attract women who are attracted to resources. Learn to put on a ‘Humble Front’ at first in order to screen the golddiggers out.
#5. Women are hypergamous. Get used to it. Learn to develop yourself into a High Value Man.
#4. The moment you invest more into the relationship than she does, then you’re already fucked and you’re starting to ‘lose’ her.
#3. Never put aside your personal goals and dreams in order to please a woman. You won’t please her and you will be miserable.
#2. You will never lose a woman by having other admirers, but you will lose women by concentrating all of your efforts on one. You won’t just lose the one you’re focused on, you’ll lose all of them.
#1. If you don’t choose to learn Game, then don’t be surprised when the wool gets pulled over your eyes by a woman. Game is the great equalizer.
Sick and tired of getting fucked over with women? Learn my secrets to success with women in my system here.
Read More: How To Approach Girls |
Subsets and Splits