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“In the spring of 1932 desperate officials, anxious for their jobs and even their lives, aware that a new famine might be on its way, began to collect grain wherever and however they could. Mass confiscations occurred all across the U.S.S.R. In Ukraine they took on an almost fanatical intensity.”
I am quoting a few lines from “Red Famine,” Anne Applebaum’s brilliant new history of the deliberate policy of mass starvation inflicted on Ukraine by Joseph Stalin in the early 1930s. An estimated five million or more people perished in just a few years. Walter Duranty, The Times’s correspondent in the Soviet Union, insisted the stories of famine were false. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1932 for reportage the paper later called “completely misleading.”
How many readers, I wonder, are familiar with this history of atrocity and denial, except in a vague way? How many know the name of Lazar Kaganovich, one of Stalin’s principal henchmen in the famine? What about other chapters large and small in the history of Communist horror, from the deportation of the Crimean Tatars to the depredations of Peru’s Shining Path to the Brezhnev-era psychiatric wards that were used to torture and imprison political dissidents?
Why is it that people who know all about the infamous prison on Robben Island in South Africa have never heard of the prison on Cuba’s Isle of Pines? Why is Marxism still taken seriously on college campuses and in the progressive press? Do the same people who rightly demand the removal of Confederate statues ever feel even a shiver of inner revulsion at hipsters in Lenin or Mao T-shirts? |
The first All-Star Game was in 1933. Ever since, the Midsummer Classic has provided a convenient, if mathematically inaccurate, way of dividing the baseball season into halves. The first “half” has comprised, over the last 10 years, an average of 90 games. The remaining 72 games of the schedule make up the second “half.” I’ll dispense with the quotation marks here, but keep in mind this is a figurative, not literal, half.
This year, the All-Star Game was a little earlier than average, so the first half was a little shorter than average, with the 30 clubs playing between 87 (Baltimore, Boston, and Milwaukee) and 91 (Dodgers, Toronto) games, with an average of 89. Through Labor Day, teams had played an average of 48 games in the second half, with an average of 25 games to go.
And wouldn’t you know it, we’re seeing something that we’ve never seen before.
Generally, teams’ records in the second half are similar to their records in the first half. There are trades and injuries, players get hot and cold, schedules get harder and easier, but generally, the teams are the same. Good teams stay good. Bad teams stay bad. Mediocre teams stay mediocre.
From 1933 to 2015, there were 1,894 team-seasons. During that period, the correlation between teams’ first-half winning percentage and their second-half winning percentage was 0.56. Since the start of divisional play in 1969, it’s 0.49. Since the start of the wild card era in 1995, it’s still 0.49. This falls squarely in the range of what statisticians designate as a moderate correlation. That’s unsurprising; while we don’t expect teams to have the exact same winning percentage in the first and second halves of the year (though that’s happened 12 times, most recently last season’s Orioles, who played exactly .500 ball in both the first and second halves), we expect them to be close. Over half of teams have had a second-half winning percentage within 60 points of their first-half winning percentage. That means for a team going 45-45 prior to the All-Star break, odds are that it’ll win 36 games, plus or minus four, after the break. That’s not a big difference.
But that’s not to say there haven’t been big differences. At the top of the chart is the 1977 Phillies. They were terrible in the first half of the year, going 24-61, by far the worst record in baseball, but they were 44-33 after the All-Star break. Their 68-94 record was good for only fifth place in the six-team NL East, but the improvement in their winning percentage from .282 in the first half to .571 in the second is best since the first All-Star game. Here are the 10 teams that improved the most from the first half of the season to the second:
First Half Second Half Final Year Team W L Pct Place W L Pct Diff Place 1997 Phillies 24 61 .282 6 44 33 .571 .289 5 1935 Browns 19 50 .275 8 46 37 .554 .279 7 2001 A's 44 43 .506 2 58 17 .773 .268 2 1940 Cardinals 27 40 .403 6 57 29 .663 .260 3 1979 Dodgers 36 57 .387 6 43 26 .623 .236 3 1995 Mets 25 44 .362 4 44 31 .587 .224 2 1944 Tigers 36 42 .462 7 52 24 .684 .223 2 2005 Devil Rays 28 61 .315 5 39 34 .534 .220 5 2000 Astros 30 57 .345 6 42 33 .560 .215 4 1936 Dodgers 24 50 .324 8 43 37 .538 .213 7
By and large, these aren’t good teams. Only three finished above .500. The 1944 Tigers finished a game behind the Browns, and the 2001 A’s had 102 wins but were 14 games behind the 116-46 Mariners. The best that could be said about the rest is that they dug themselves too big a hole in the first half of the year to overcome.
By contrast, the teams that fell off the most in the second half are a bit of a different story. Some were bad teams that got worse. But most had winning records in the first half of the year. Through the end of last season, of the 10 teams that had the largest decline from the first half to the second, all but two were above .500 in the first half of the year. The 1977 Cubs were in first, 54-35, 2.5 games ahead of the Phillies in the NL East, but suffered the second-greatest relative collapse in history, going 27-46 after the All-Star break, to finish fourth. The 2001 Twins were in first in the AL Central, 55-32, five up on the Indians, but had the third-greatest decline, 30-45, to finish second. The 1951 White Sox were in first in the American League, 49-29, a game ahead of Boston and two ahead of New York, but had the 10th-greatest tumble, 32-44, to finish fourth, 17 behind.
However, the preceding paragraph is under review. The magnitude of the first-to-second half declines by the Cubs, Twins, and White Sox may have to be subject to a one position increment. Because 2016 has brought a solid contender for the biggest decline in winning percentage from the first half of the year to the second:
First Half Second Half Final Year Team W L Pct Place W L Pct Diff Place 2016 Giants 57 33 .633 1 16 31 .340 -.293 ? 1943 A's 34 44 .436 8 15 61 .197 -.239 8 1977 Cubs 54 35 .607 1 27 46 .370 -.237 4 2001 Twins 55 32 .632 1 30 45 .400 -.232 2 2004 Brewers 45 41 .523 4 22 53 .293 -.230 6 1975 Brewers 46 42 .523 3 22 52 .297 -.225 5 1949 Senators 33 42 .440 6 17 62 .215 -.225 8 1941 Indians 46 31 .597 2 29 48 .377 -.221 4 1995 Tigers 37 33 .529 2 23 51 .311 -.218 4 1940 Giants 40 28 .588 3 32 52 .381 -.207 6
As you can see, it’s not particularly close. At the All-Star break, the Giants had the best record in baseball, three games better than the Cubs. Winners of four straight games and eight of their previous 10, they had a 6.5-game lead over the Dodgers. They had the whole even-numbered-year thing going.
Since the break, though, the story’s reversed. San Francisco lost six in a row after the break and 11 of 13. They had two separate four-game losing streaks in August. Since the All Star break, the Giants have the worst record* in baseball, 1.5 games worse than the Twins. They’ve vaulted to the no. 1 position for the biggest second-half decline in winning percentage, passing, among others, the wartime 1943 Philadelphia Athletics, who finished 49-105. With 25 games remaining after Labor Day, the Giants need to win at least 13 in order to avoid becoming the team with the worst difference in winning percentage from the first to the second half of the season in baseball history.
Even if it isn’t really a half.
*All records through Monday. |
The Russian foreign ministry has expressed “deep concern” at reports from anonymous sources that Saudi Arabia is planning to supply Syrian rebels with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile launchers to “turn the tide” in the three-year conflict.
“There is a chance that if these powerful weapons get into the hands of the terrorists who have flooded the country, they are likely to turn up far beyond the borders of Syria itself,” said a statement from the ministry.
The second report this month that these weapons will be given to rebels was published by AFP news agency over the weekend, and was indirectly confirmed up by several recent developments.
The Western-backed Syrian opposition chief Ahmad Jarba promised that “powerful arms will be arriving soon” to rebel units during a visit last week to rebel fighters on the ground. Meanwhile, his principal backers hosted Pakistan's army Chief of Staff, General Raheel Sharif in Riyadh earlier this month. Pakistan makes versions of both types of weapons, and has been earmarked as the supplier by Saudi officials, according to the source.
Riyadh has long insisted that rebels should be armed with these fearsome portable launchers, which are key to fighting a Syrian army that has air superiority and far more armored vehicles. But US and other Western allies have repeatedly refused the rebels’ requests, reasonably fearing that even one or two such weapons could be used for a major terrorist attack against a civilian aircraft.
According to the report, Jordan will be providing facilities to store the weapons before the delivery to Syria. Jordan’s territory is also being used by “by specialists from the Central Intelligence Agency” to train Syrian fighters, according to the Syrian National Coalition’s representative in the US, Najib Al-Ghadban, cited by Asharq Al-Awsat. Jordanian officials however denied this report .
These developments trigger concerns that the militants are preparing to open a new “southern” battlefield in the coming months, the Russian ministry warned.
A renewed hunger for a military resolution, following the virtual breakdown of the Geneva peace talks will test its resolve.
“The Syrian conflict cannot be solved by force, and we ask all those considering the military option to reconsider, and allow the Syrians to reach a peaceful agreement within the parameters of Geneva, and without outside interference,” said the Russian statement.
The long-awaited talks in the Alpine city last month have produced localized peace treaties to alleviate humanitarian suffering, but gave no hint of a political reconciliation between the warring sides.
However, on 22 February the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to boost humanitarian aid access in Syria to ease civilian suffering. It strongly condemned the “widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities, as well as the human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law by armed groups.”
The war-torn country has witnessed 140,000 people killed over the last three years while a major part of the population has fled their homes and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
The resolution calls on all parties in the Syrian conflict to allow “rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for UN humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners” to ensure that humanitarian assistance “reaches people in need through the most direct routes.” |
CHARLESTON, IL–College-radio disc jockey Jordan Haley is convinced that "Rock Blossom," his show airing Thursdays from midnight to 2 a.m. on WEIU 88.9 FM, has a devoted cult following, the Eastern Illinois University senior told reporters Monday.
"I can't say how many people listen regularly, but I bet it's a lot for a college station," said Haley, 22, who has used the moniker DJ Hale Storm since he started hosting the show in December 2001. "When I hit the mic, I'd say at least a thousand people tune in on average. We've never done any kind of survey, so I don't have the exact figures. A thousand is a guesstimate. For all I know, it could be way more."
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Haley said his fans are drawn to his eclectic music choices, which set him apart from other DJs at the low-wattage station.
"I'm always mixing it up," Haley said. "In my opinion, the other guys here cling to their niche too much. Like, Scott [Schefter] always plays a lot of psychobilly, and Tim [Arbus] plays a ton of emo. But with me, you never know what you're gonna get. I might play something like the new Sigur Rós, then turn around and play something off the new Oxes record. Or maybe even Lovecup's 'Hi Pazoo,' which is one of the best songs from the mid-'90s Champaign scene. I challenge my audience, and that's why people respond to my show. My success should prove to other radio stations that people don't want to be spoon-fed their music."
Though "Rock Blossom" is heard mainly by his girlfriend and a handful of friends who request songs while they get stoned, Haley said his show is distinctive because of his personality.
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"I hate boring, robotic Top 40 DJs who never go off the script," Haley said. "Me, I like to mention concerts that are coming to town. Or sometimes, I'll tell people a personal anecdote about a song or just share what's going through my head. That's the kind of stuff you don't get listening to some corporate behemoth."
Another quality that sets Haley apart is his encyclopedic knowledge of underground music.
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"A lot of DJs think that if they know Rocket From The Crypt or Burning Airlines, they're up on the alt-rock scene–whatever that is," Haley said. "I was the one who introduced Black Dice, The Mink Lungs, and The (International) Noise Conspiracy to the people of the Charleston metro area, so it's understandable why my show would be bigger than [fellow WEIU DJ] Eric [Poppel]'s."
Though over the last two years he has received only one phone call from a woman–a drunken sorority sister asking him to play a song from the Grease soundtrack–Haley said he has a large female following.
"I like to play a lot of female-friendly stuff, like Shannon Wright and Girls Against Boys," Haley said. "So that's definitely a part of it. I think what the ladies like most, though, is my voice. I've been told by a few women that I've got a good radio voice, sometimes by women who didn't even know I had a radio show."
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Discussing his nonexistent fans, Haley said he believes they like the fact that he keeps his show lighthearted.
"Most of the other DJs around here take music so seriously," Haley said. "What they don't get is that music expresses the full range of human emotions, and that laughter is part of that range. That's why if I play something like June Panic or Songs:Ohia, I might lighten things up with a King Missile song or maybe even something by Hayseed Dixie, this funny bluegrass AC/DC cover band. It keeps things from getting too heavy. I'm sure my listeners appreciate that."
Eager to stay on top of the music scene, Haley attends as many shows a week as he can. Being a regular on the local concert scene also enables him to show his fans that he's "just a normal guy."
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"If I don't go to shows, I lose touch with what people like," Haley said. "You can't just exist in an ivory tower, like a lot of DJs do. Plus, I like to tell people on the air which bands I'm going to be checking out that weekend. I want my listeners to know that I may be a DJ, but I'm a fan first."
As a graduating senior, Haley expressed sadness about the impending end of his show, abandoning what he imagines are hundreds of ardent listeners.
"I'm sure a lot of people returning next year will miss 'Rock Blossom,' but life must go on," Haley said. "I've never regretted doing a show, even though it meant missing some cool parties. In the end, it was worth it. My music was the soundtrack to a lot of people's college years, which makes me feel really good. And if nothing else, I've exposed the people of Charleston to the music of NoMeansNo. How many people can claim that?" |
The battle in Syria has evolved from political demonstrations by the Syrian people against their own government into civil war into what is now a clash between Sunnis and Shiites for control of the Syrian state. Failed American policy in the Middle East has contributed to a vacuum which has been filled by political and militant Islam. Current realities are that the battle over Syria is escalating, and spilling into neighboring countries, while the West continues to lack the willpower to exert its influence in the region. Sitting back and doing nothing has actually helped Shiite Iranian aggression. Whether an international peace conference, hosted by the U.S. and Russia, takes place or not remains to be seen. The more active approach would be for America to stop the Shiites from gaining a stronger foothold in Syria and the region.
Currently, Sunni and Shiite forces are battling it out in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon in what appears to be an escalation in this regional battle for supremacy, as sectarian divisions widen in the Middle East. Hezb'allah leader Hassan Nasrallah has declared that his fighters will help Syrian President Bashar Assad achieve a victory in the country's bloody two-year civil war. Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Kaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa has responded by proclaiming that Nasrallah is a terrorist. Nasrallah's recent admission of directly helping Assad's forces has infuriated Sunni Muslims, stirring financially rich Gulf Arab monarchies to consider new options in supporting the Sunni resistance in Syria.
Iran has been deploying its proxy forces into Syria (Hezb'allah militias from Lebanon and Shiite fighters from Iraq), along with its own Revolutionary Guards, strengthening Assad's regime to retake key positions, like Qusayr, a strategically situated city in Homs Province close to the Lebanese border. If the Syrian government is able to recapture the city, it will be a guarantee of a Shiite corridor within Syria leading into Lebanon. It would assure Iran a partial victory, because weapon supply lines from Iran to Syria to Hezb'allah could still be maintained and used in any future war against Israel. In the eventual break-up of Syria, Iran would sustain control over part of the country through its Syrian Alawite proxy, which is sympathetic to the Shiite cause.
In response to Iran's direct support for Shiite forces openly operating in Syria, a coalition of Sunni Gulf states plans to play a much greater role in supporting the Sunni rebels. Before the purported international peace conference in Geneva takes place, Saudi Arabia's monarchy is already taking the lead, with support from Qatar and other Gulf Arab states, to financially back a new provisional Syrian government. The Syrian National Coalition, most likely to head up the proposed government alternative to Assad's regime, is overshadowed by the Muslim Brotherhood.
The U.S. is demanding that more liberals join the coalition to prevent the Brotherhood and other Islamists from dominating the coalition. But the U.S. has had little influence in the region because of President Barack Obama's choice to keep America in the background during Syria's civil war. Sunni Islam has filled the gap left by Obama's reluctance to get involved.
The bloody war, which has left more than 80,000 Syrians dead and at least 1.5 million displaced, is no longer about the needs of the Syria people, but about which Islamic powers in the Middle East will control Syria and neighboring countries. Will the region become more dominant Shiite or more dominant Sunni?
Israel has mostly stayed out of the raging war, its concern focused mainly on the aggressions of Assad's regime, Hezb'allah's tactics, and the movements of Sunni rebels on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. Israel's air force (IAF) has engaged in pre-emptive strikes against advanced weapon systems in Syria, preventing these arms from being transferred to Hezb'allah or to the Sunni rebels who could use them against the Jewish State. Israel's defense forces (IDF) have also retaliated against Assad's forces when missiles or mortar fire have fallen near soldiers protecting the Israeli side of the Golan Heights.
Leaders in Jerusalem continue to warn regional players, including arms suppliers like Russia, that Israel will not allow the balance of power to tip in the Middle East. This means that any new deliveries of advanced weapons into Syria or deliveries of Assad's chemical weapons into enemy hands that threaten Israel's security will be destroyed by the IAF. The question remains as to how supportive the Obama administration will be if Israel's defense forces strike Syrian territory -- again, possibly widening the Middle East conflict.
At a recent conference in Jerusalem, Jonathan Spyer, a senior researcher at the Inter-Disciplinary Center in Herzliya (IDC), explained that prior to the Arab Spring, the region faced two blocs -- a U.S. bloc and an Iranian bloc. "Today, I would argue that the Iran-led Shiite bloc still exists, but there is no longer a coherent western bloc in the region."
Spyer concluded that one of the central reasons for the nonexistence of a pro-Western bloc has been mistaken U.S. policies over the upheavals during the last two years. This has led to political Sunni Islam taking over America's role in the region. But the Shiites, led by Iran, remain the most formidable enemy facing Israel and the West. Iran's bloc is united, well-organized, and self-financed, which is of critical significance. This bloc has set itself on a collision course with the West and Israel because of its nuclear ambitions and its terrorist connections.
The Sunnis are a far less united force. The Gulf monarchies, which control the flow of oil money to Sunni resistance forces in the region, are largely allied with the West. This is because the monarchies are dependent on the west to defend them from Iranian Shiite threats.
The regional picture, therefore, is currently characterized by a strong Shiite bloc led by Iran facing a much more disorganized and weaker Sunni bloc of disparate powers.
Spyer believes that for Israel and the West, it would be better for the Sunnis to win the battle in Syria. He thinks that if Iran becomes stronger, it will lead to the Sunnis coming back under Iran's power and influence, resulting in a much greater global threat.
When faced with the question of what the United States should do at this late hour in the battle for dominance in Syria, Spyer suggests that it is still possible for America to have influence despite Obama's confusing foreign policy in the region.
"I think it is not quite too late, and it is of crucial importance to the West and Israel and to all of us, that the Iranian side not be allowed a victory in the Syrian civil war. It is for this reason, even though I am not naïve at all about some of those people in the Syrian rebellion, that I am supportive of greater Western support for the rebels."
But Obama knows that some of those rebels who are fighting in Syria sympathize with America's enemy al-Qaeda, which puts him between a rock and a hard place. Yet America's failure to get involved in what was originally about the Syrian people demonstrating against their own government's policies has resulted in this new battle for dominance in Syria and in the whole region.
As the clashes increase between Shiites and Sunnis, the ability of the Arab Gulf states to unite together, along with Israel's help on a covert level, could define the outcome. Russia will keep trying to supply advanced weapons to the Assad regime. Iran will keep sending in Shiite fighters from Iraq and Lebanon. The involvement of American and Western powers in directly supplying the Sunni rebels with finances and arms could determine who will win this battle in the Middle East, or if it will go on and on for years to come.
C. Hart reports on political, diplomatic, and military issues as they relate to Israel, the Middle East, and the international community. |
Micah Rhodes arrested for being late to court Copyright by KOIN - All rights reserved Micah Rhodes appeared in court briefly on Tuesday, November 28 2017. (KOIN) [ + - ] Video
HILLSBORO, Ore. (KOIN) --- Micah Rhodes was scheduled to be on trial in Washington County for sex crimes on Tuesday but was taken away in handcuffs before it could begin.
Rhodes, who is charged with sex abuse in the second degree, showed up to court a few minutes late. By the time he arrived, the judge had issued a warrant for his arrest for failure to appear.
He arrived two minutes late and was immediately handcuffed. The judge delayed the trial.
Rhodes is charged with sexually abusing a minor in Multnomah County as well. The 23-year-old came to prominence in Portland in 2016 as one of the leaders of Don't Shoot PDX. He later moved over to Portland's Resistance. Both groups have disavowed him since these charges came to light.
The DA declined a request from KOIN 6 News to explain what would happen next.
Kevin Sali, a defense attorney not affiliated with the case, explained what this could mean for the future of the case.
"If the defendant is convicted he may someday try to appeal on the basis that resetting the trial was both not a correct decision and harmful to him, again, he may have an uphill battle there just because appellate courts give so much discretion to trial judges," Sali said.
KOIN 6 News will update this story when a new trial date has been set. |
The UN has said Israel may have committed war crimes in its offensive against Hamas in Gaza, in which hundreds of Palestinian civilians have been killed in two weeks. In Geneva the UN human rights council voted to launch an international inquiry, with the US opposing the move and 17 countries abstaining.
"There seems to be a strong possibility that international law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes," Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said in the debate.
Early on Thursday the US Federal Aviation Authority lifted its ban on US airlines flying in and out of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. The ban had been in place since Tuesday amid security concerns sparked by Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza . Thousands of tourists and other travellers had been stranded by the ban. El Al, the Israeli national carrier, which continued to fly, hiked fares up to 150% amid a scramble for seats, according to Haaretz.
In permitting the resumption of flights, the FAA said it had "carefully reviewed both significant new information and measures the government of Israel is taking to mitigate potential risks to civil aviation”. But it warned it would "continue to closely monitor the very fluid situation around Ben Gurion airport and will take additional actions as necessary”.
Hamas's leader-in-exile, Khaled Mishal, said the organisation would consider a humanitarian truce in the 16-day conflict in Gaza if Israel agreed to lift its blockade.
But in a restatement of the Hamas position set out more than a week ago, Mishal told a news conference in Doha on Wednesday night that he would not agree to a full ceasefire until terms had been negotiated. Hamas wants crossings from Gaza to Egypt and Israel opened and Palestinian prisoners released.
The Egyptian government has proposed both sides halt fighting first and then negotiate. "Everyone wanted us to accept a ceasefire and then negotiate for our rights. We reject this and we reject it again today," Mishal said. But he added that Hamas "will not close the door" to a humanitarian truce if Israel ended its siege of Gaza.
Mishal's statement came after the US secretary of state, John Kerry, shuttled between Jerusalem and Ramallah for talks with Israeli, Palestinian and UN leaders in an urgent quest for a deal to end the fighting. "We have certainly made small steps forward," he said between meetings, but added: "There is still work to be done."
Philip Hammond, the British foreign secretary, was also in the region for talks about a possible ceasefire.
Israel has continued to pound the Gaza Strip with hundreds of people trapped in the village of Khuzaar, near Khan Younis, unable to escape the bombardment. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) negotiated a brief pause on Wednesday to allow a convoy of ambulances to evacuate the wounded. Similar lightning evacuations were undertaken in Shujai'iya, scene of a bloody battle on Sunday, and Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.
Aid agencies said a child had been killed every hour on average in the past two days and there had been a sharp spike in premature births. Gaza officials said more than 3,000 homes had been destroyed or damaged and 46 schools, 56 mosques and seven hospitals had been hit. Israel claims that militants fire rockets from and store weapons in civilian buildings. Hamas and other militant organisations have continued to fire rockets at Israel.
As the death toll on the 16th day of conflict topped 700 – more than 690 Palestinians and 34 Israelis plus one Thai agricultural worker – Pillay told an emergency debate at the UN human rights council (UNHRC) in Geneva that Israel had not done enough to protect civilians, citing air strikes and the shelling of homes and hospitals.
Pilay also condemned Hamas and other militant groups for "indiscriminate attacks" on Israel. Her comments were seen as a warning to Israel about its obligations under international law. She also called for an end to the blockade of Gaza – the underlying reason for the conflict and an issue that would have to be tackled if any ceasefire were to endure.
The UNHRC backed a resolution calling for the urgent dispatch of "an independent, international commission of inquiry" to investigate violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
Israel would be highly unlikely to co-operate with any such inquiry. Its envoy to the council, Eviatar Manor, accused Hamas of committing war crimes and said Israel was acting as any other state would in seeking to defending its citizens. "There can be no moral symmetry between a terrorist aggressor and a democracy defending itself," he said. Hamas was a terrorist organisation, not the Salvation Army, he said, adding that it was responsible for civilian casualties because it was using people as human shields.
Riad Malki, the Palestinian foreign minister, appealed to the international community to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza. "How many martyrs must die before Israel puts an end to its aggression?" he asked.
In Washington a state department official said Kerry was expected to remain in the Middle East for the next few days, possibly moving around the region. Kerry has indicated privately that he does not want to return to the US without securing a ceasefire. US officials rejected the suggestion that his high-profile failure to hold together peace negotiations had reduced his leverage in the region or led to a diplomatic vacuum that allowed the current conflict to escalate.
They pointed out that the current conflict has also escalated beyond hostilities in 2012, when Israel stopped short of launching a ground invasion. While Kerry believes Egypt, which controls border crossings into Gaza, will be central to any negotiated ceasefire, he has acknowledged that the country's president, Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi, has nowhere near the leverage with Hamas that helped his predecessor, Mohamed Morsi, convince the Palestinian side to pause the conflict. |
Sons of Anarchy Some Strange Eruption Season 7 Episode 5 Editor’s Rating 4 stars * * * * * « Previous Next » Photo: FX
In the opening scene of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Horatio visits with watchmen in the middle of the night, waiting to see the ghost of the king that the watchmen have reported. He does, and says with shock, “… in the gross and scope of my opinion, / This bodes some strange eruption to our state.”
It’s nighttime in Charming. The prince has become the king, and war is underway. “Some Strange Eruption” shows Jax continuing to see what he wants, blinded by misplaced rage. By the end of the episode, it’s night — dark and mysterious — and everyone is on the edge of a waking hour that’s certain to conjure ghosts and more revenge.
As “Some Strange Eruption” opens, the carnage from the massacre at Diosa is still fresh. Jax sits on a couch, eyes cold, dragging on a cigarette. Dead bodies surround him. Jax’s apparent calm at the blood on his hands is palpable, but we still know that this — even though this calm turns into “calculated” rage and violence — is still just the relative calm before the real storm hits, when he finds out the truth, whenever that might be. While I had hoped that this was all a plan and he’d actually known it was Gemma all along, “Some Strange Eruption” makes it clear that Jax is confident that the Chinese killed Tara. So confident, he finally tells Nero that it was the Chinese who killed Tara, and that’s why he’s “going to destroy Lin.”
Nero questions him, saying that he can’t be sure that it was the Chinese. Jax says, “Gemma saw two of his guys leaving my house that night. She I.D.’d one of them at the party … Lin ordered the hit on my wife.” Nero immediately utters, “Jesus Christ,” taking Gemma’s word for gospel, just as Jax obviously has. Jax tells him that he’s going to have to decide which side he’s going to fight on, and Nero says, “I’m tired of fighting.” He’s not tired enough, though; he chooses the Sons. He’s exhausted and afraid, but his connection to Gemma — and in turn, Jax — keeps him coming back to SAMCRO.
Later, Sheriff Jarry says to Unser, “It’s time for you to make a choice. Which side of the table are you sitting on?” We’re still not sure, and it seems like Unser isn’t, either. Like Nero, his love for Gemma keeps him pulled in with the outlaws.
Unser starts piecing together recent events. (For Jarry? For himself? For SAMCRO?) Wendy tells him about getting a ride with Nero when “a Chinese guy pulled us over … He was looking for Jax, pissed, said they stole his guns … Do you think that has something to do with what happened at Diosa?” We know that Wendy’s not a Gemma-level war criminal, but it’s disappointing that she hadn’t put those pieces together yet.
As the Chinese/Diosa pieces are being put together, Juice is still falling apart. He ventures out of his hotel room to get a candy bar (again, so cleverly disguised in a black hoodie and hat, even though an APB is out on him), and an Asian man follows him back to his room. When the man comes into Juice’s room later (he has a key), Juice hits him in the head, and as the man is running away, Juice shoots him, and shoots him some more when his dead eyes are “staring” at him. “Don’t look at me,” he says as he shoots the dead body. Gemma and Unser come in and see the bloody mess.
Unser says, “Oh, God help us.” Much like Nero’s earlier “Jesus Christ,” these utterances of sacred desperation signal that Unser and Nero are struggling with the world that they’re finding themselves in. Unser sees that the man had a set of master keys because he worked at the hotel and thought Juice had checked out (the room was only paid through the day before). Juice looks at the body with no remorse.
Unser asks Gemma, “Why’s he scared of the Chinese, Gem? What did he mean by ‘We did this’?” Gemma tells Unser that the Chinese killed Tara, and Unser offers to stay behind and clean up the mess. He’s left in a bloody room with a dead body. Between Wendy and Gemma’s admissions, Unser is left with new information about the SAMCRO/Triad war. However, the “We did this” should also tell him something more.
“I’m just here to help,” Unser later tells Sheriff Jarry after she thanks him for giving her the heads up about about the club’s vengeance against the Chinese. Unser is still trying to help everyone, but certainly, he can’t do that forever. He’s a dying man in love with a killer. What does he have to lose?
Nero sets up the Chinese, leading them to the warehouse where Jax and Chibs wait with heroin, and assure Lin — with guns pointed at their heads — that Marks was the one who had ordered all of the hits. Lin and his crew (a whole “army” of them, as Nero warned him he’d need one) take Jax and Chibs, as Jax promises that they can all find a way to work together.
Dirty Stockton cops come to the Sons’ rescue. They tie up everyone except Lin, whom Jax wants to deal with. He kicks him and says that killing his wife was a big mistake: “This isn’t the way I wanted to do this, Henry. I wanted it to be much slower, much smarter …” Lin denies everything, but jackets come off, and he and Jax fight. The hopes we had at the beginning of the season — that Jax was smarter than this — are crushed.
Perhaps tired of the revenge games, Bobby says,“We don’t have time for this.” Jarry tips Chibs off that the “real” cops are on their way. They pull Jax — who has clearly lost control — away.
The Sons ride away, and Lin, confused, asks, “What the hell was that?” The “real” cops come, and there’s enough heroin and guns to arrest Lin and his men. Jax and his crew aren’t satisfied, though; they drive by and shoot some of Lin’s other men in the middle of the street. It’s night now, and nothing is smart or slow.
Gemma has taken Juice away. He sleeps most of the ride, and Gemma starts heading south, her gun in her purse. When Juice wakes up and wonders about the direction, Gemma says that there’s been a change of plans: “Nero will be helping us. We can trust him.” She says that he’s set them up with a former coyote who can get Juice into Mexico.
Juice immediately knows she’s lying and slowly unfolds his realization to Gemma: “Remember Darvany? I’m the one who killed her … Jax’s order.” He says that he’d confessed to Nero when he almost overdosed, and that is why the club wants him dead. “I betrayed our king.”
He knows Nero wouldn’t help him, and as Gemma goes for her gun, he fights her, and her SUV runs off the road in a familiar scene. They struggle out of the vehicle, and Juice points a gun at her. On her knees in the woods, Gemma cries, admitting she didn’t know what else to do besides kill him, because she couldn’t trust him. She begs and cries as he holds a gun to her head.
The Forest Rangers’ “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” plays hopefully in the background. The Age of Aquarius, ostensibly ushered in during Hair, is “dawning” in Sons of Anarchy; while the astrological age promises “love, brotherhood, unity, and integrity,” the current system must fall apart — even chaotically — to bring in a new age. But it’s dark outside, and the promise of sunshine coming in seems false.
At Red Woody’s, kids and pornographers play checkers and drink soda-pop, laughing and hiding from the threats on the outside. The women at Diosa felt safe too, though.
Jax is outside slaughtering and continuing to set up wars, riding back into Charming with his boys. Gemma is on her knees, threatened by the one who knows her secret, the one who is unhinged. The guilt of the mother and the guilt of the son are destructive forces, leaving piles of dead bodies in a true Shakespearean denouement.
In his essay “Hamlet and His Problems,” T.S. Eliot agrees that “the essential emotion of the play is the feeling of a son towards a guilty mother.” It’s only a matter of time before Gemma’s truth is unwound and the emptiness of Jax’s destructive revenge is revealed.
Like Horatio, we sense the pending eruption. This episode does well in keeping our tensions rising and creating frustration as we wait for the truth to be revealed (much like the frustration we feel as Hamlet whines and dawdles). Jax — prince and king, father and child — has quit brooding and started acting.
Toward the beginning of the episode, Jax says to Bobby, “The rest of you should split. I got this.”
Bobby replies, “You do not ride alone.”
However, Jax has been riding alone this whole time, compelled by ghosts and a guilty mother, riding toward the dark, riding toward a Charming that he’s quickly destroying.
Nomad Cuts
• Oh, Abel. I’ve chosen to believe that Abel is a sociopath with a flat affect and therefore is being played perfectly. This episode shows Abel at a breaking point, wielding a hammer and hitting a wall, saying that he’s protecting his brother and demanding to go home. His violent outburst mirrors his father’s.
• Tig’s threat of an un-lubed flute squeaks out a confession from a pawnshop owner whom Barosky had working overnights at the dock (he left his post and West was killed). “Sorry, boys, it’s just really hard to find people you trust these days,” Barosky says after he shoots the “greedy shithead” in the forehead.
• Chibs and Jarry have taken their relationship to the next level. It’s unclear whether it’s real or simply mutually beneficial, but sweet nothings on the docks (“I don’t want you hurt by this”; “Be safe”) are a bit too soap-opera for these two hardened characters.
• There are multiple times in this episode where Jax appears as a child — whether he’s being scolded by Nero or questioned by Jarry, he avoids eye contact and takes petulant drags on his cigarette. Like Abel, Jax is just swinging his hammer recklessly, and has seemed to abandon hopes of being “smart and slow” like he might have started out wanting.
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NABLUS (Ma’an) -- Four Palestinian detainees from the occupied West Bank village of Qabatiya were assaulted violently while under custody in Israel’s Huwwara prison, according to testimonies collected by the Palestinian Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs.
Lawyer Jamil Saada said in a statement released by the committee Monday that the four experienced forms of physical assault during detention and interrogation by the Israeli authorities.
Included in the four was Qasem Zakarna, a 22-year-old detainee who said he was blindfolded and beaten for more than 10 hours, after being violently assaulted and hit in the face face when Israeli forces detained him from al-Shuhada Square in Qabatiya.
Three other prisoners who said they experienced assault and abuse were identified by the committee as Abdullah Nazal, 21, Mohammad Kameel, 21, and Mahmoud Zakarna, 21.
The four were among many Palestinians to be detained from the Jenin-area Qabatiya village during raids that followed an attack carried out by three residents that left an Israeli soldier dead last month.
They joined an estimated 7,000 Palestinians currently being held in Israeli prisons.
Reports of mistreatment and torture of Palestinians in Israeli prisons are common. Israeli rights groups last month released a report documenting such treatment in Israel’s Shkima prison.
While they said mistreatment is facilitated by the state, the groups said state organs repeatedly refuse to acknowledge the existence of the systemic abuse of Palestinian detainees. |
I don't remember the last time, I made a fanart for a disney movie. I remember growing up on shows like DuckTales and Talespin. Making a world with Anthropomorphic animals is a very interesting way to make characters more expressive and unique. Zootopia had a nice nostalgic appeal to me, and the great story and the lovable/relatable characters just totally made this movie my favorite of the year.
The first message of the movie about believing in ourselves and fighting for our goals, is great and inspirational, but the second message of the movie, about accepting others and that we must leave our prejudices of other people behind, elevate this piece to Wall-E level of ballsiness from Disney's part. I tell you, I smell an Oscar from a year away. If you haven't seen it yet I urge you to check it out!
The movie itself shows such a massive world that the possibilities to it feel endless. It inspired me so much, that I might do fan-comic for it later. For now, I only got this fanart about a scene that I felt missing. A little spoiler, around the end of the movie Judy Hopps injured her leg. But the next time we see her, it's after a huge timeskip. This pic is just a little idea about the time that was skipped.
So you may have asked, was I hyped for this movie?
No, no I wasn't, I expected a regular Disney movie, with a cute lifelesson on top for the kids.
Was I surprised?
Oh boy, zootopia is really nothing I've ever seen before.
[Update] I felt like I need to give Judy's face and eyes a bit more attention to get them right :3
Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde and Zootopia © Disney
Art © Me |
Even the invitation for the Drew Carey-hosted fundraiser for Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson was a bit unconventional. The dress code was listed as “Libertarian Comfortable, i.e., whatever you’re comfy in,” and there were plenty of jeans and sneakers on display. While the host did offer complimentary valet parking, he suggested that “Uber-ing” might be easier.
Guests began to assemble around 5 p.m. Saturday evening, the sky prematurely darkening not with the threat of rain but from nearby wildfires that created a haze overhead. “I looked at the sky today and thought, ‘Trump’s about to give a speech,’” Carey joked in an interview with The Daily Beast before the event got underway. “I don’t know what America he’s living in,” he added of Trump, “but he’s crazy.” When Johnson addressed the crowd later, he echoed Carey’s sentiments by asking, “What country is he talking about?”
The former New Mexico governor arrived early, wandering into the backyard wearing jeans, Nike sneakers, a seersucker jacket and a white t-shirt that appeared to have a food truck on it. He told us that Carey is one of several celebrities who have expressed their support for him, even if many are not yet willing to do so publicly.
“I always say I’m going to protect the innocent until they actually come out,” he said. In addition to The Price Is Right host, spotted in the fundraiser crowd Saturday were Veep’s Diedrich Bader (who also co-starred on The Drew Carey Show) along with Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and former NBA player turned TNT commentator Kenny Smith.
Johnson had just arrived on the West Coast from Cleveland, where he said he spent the week giving over 70 interviews and had upwards of 500 people come up to him to pledge their support, including some delegates who were decked out in Trump “regalia.” But he is still holding out for the type of game-changing endorsement that could launch him beyond the 15 percent threshold in polls and put him on the general election debate stage.
Most notably, there are hold-out Republicans like Jeb Bush, who has said he has no plans to vote for either Clinton or Trump. “That would be huge,” Johnson says of a potential Bush endorsement, saying he would welcome it with open arms. Asked if he views either Clinton or Trump as being “worse” for America, Johnson deftly dodged the question, proving he does in fact have a natural politician hidden within his unusual exterior. “There is a big pathway down the middle that I’m occupying at the moment,” he says. While Trump is “inflammatory,” the one word he uses to describe Clinton is “beholden.”
This is a group of people who think Clinton would be as disastrous for the country as Trump would, and in many ways don’t see as much difference between the two as those who are entrenched on either side of the political spectrum. One Johnson supporter, wearing a full tuxedo, told me that if he had a gun to his head and had to choose between Trump and Clinton he would choose death. “Some things are just more important,” he explained.
After delivering some brief remarks to the fundraiser’s attendees, in which he accused Trump’s running mate Mike Pence of “leaning into the drug war” and said he would “defer” to his own running mate Bill Weld on Supreme Court appointments, Johnson sat down for a Q&A session with Libertarian activist Matt Kibbe. It was during that discussion that Ted Cruz’s non-endorsement of Trump at the Republican National Convention came up. When Cruz told delegates and those watching at home to “vote their conscience” in November, Johnson said be believes “that was an endorsement” of his campaign.
Carey, a longtime Libertarian who is on the board of the Reason Foundation, was initially approached by the Johnson campaign to host a fundraiser at a bar or restaurant in Los Angeles. But instead he offered to do it at his home in the Hollywood Hills. “I throw a good party,” he said. The comedian spent the evening strolling the grounds, mingling with guests and pulling out his signature black-framed glasses only for selfies.
As for why Carey supports Johnson, he said, “I don’t need a national daddy, or mommy.” Like Johnson, Carey would not say which of the two major candidates he believes would be worse for the country. Asked who the “lesser of two evils” is between Clinton and Trump, he replied, simply, “Gary Johnson.” And he has no concerns about the Libertarian candidate potentially stealing votes away from Hillary Clinton and inadvertently delivering the election to Donald Trump, as some polls have shown .
“I don’t give a fuck,” Carey says, bluntly. “If your person doesn’t get enough votes, you lose. I don’t want to hear it. There are more than two choices and you are allowed to vote for whoever you want. This is America. If you can’t get the votes to win, tough shit.” |
Danish bearing friction specialist CeramicSpeed is moving slightly outside of its comfort zone for its latest product: a complete rear derailleur pulley and cage assembly that the company says will save you up to 3W (based on a 250W output). The idea that bigger pulleys run faster is hardly revolutionary. The real question is how many folks will be willing to pay through the nose to get there.
CeramicSpeed outfits its new Oversized Pulley Wheel System with two enormous 17-tooth pulleys that will supposedly save nearly 2.5W over a stock Shimano Dura-Ace 11-tooth setup – and that advantage apparently grows another half-watt when using a less-than-perfect chain.
Related: Check out more news from Eurobike at our Eurobike homepage
According to CeramicSpeed, this is because the larger pulleys force the chain to bend less (and more slowly) per link for the same given rider speed, the pulleys themselves spin slower, and there’s less tension in the lower span of the chain.
Most rear derailleurs currently use 11-tooth pulleys. ceramicspeed's new system uses enormous 17-tooth ones instead
As compared to typical 11-tooth pulleys (at right), CeramicSpeed's new 17-tooth pulleys look comically large
Naturally, CeramicSpeed also equips the machined-and-anodized aluminum pulleys with its own hybrid ceramic bearing cartridges, which are built with tighter tolerances than the ones used in the company’s standard-diameter pulleys to better handle the increased side loading.
Despite the huge increase in pulley size, CeramicSpeed says that swapping to its OPWS assembly will only add 8-10g to a standard Shimano Dura-Ace rear derailleur. The cage plates are molded from lightweight carbon-reinforced polyamide plastic, and the pulleys are very liberally machined. CeramicSpeed wouldn’t divulge exact figures but the company also claims that there’s essentially zero increase in aerodynamic drag with the bigger cage – at least when accounting for a realistically wide range of wind angles.
Thanks to liberal machining of the aluminum pulley wheels, lightweight carbon reinforced polyamide plastic cage plates, and titanium hardware, ceramicspeed says its new oversized pulley system adds just 8-10g over a stock shimano dura-ace setup
LIberal machining, lightweight carbon-reinforced polyamide side plates, and titanium hardware make for just an 8-10g weight penalty over stock
Thanks to the carefully designed cage geometry, an OPWS-equipped Shimano derailleur will accommodate cassette cogs up to 28-teeth in size – the same as stock – while supposedly making no sacrifices in shift performance, either.
CeramicSpeed says all of these friction claims have been independently measured by Friction Facts in Boulder, Colorado – the same lab that published the study on pulley size and drivetrain friction in 2013 that inspired the company to develop a complete pulley and cage assembly in the first place. Moreover, the latest round of testing has apparently confirmed that CeramicSpeed’s new setup is now the fastest pulley system available, period, even beating out the widely heralded 13-15T Berner system often used by time trial and classics powerhouse Fabian Cancellara.
Not surprisingly, that sort of extra speed might be ‘free’ in the sense that you don’t have to work any harder to get it but it’s anything but free in terms of how much it’ll drain your bank account. Retail cost for a complete cage and pulley assembly is a whopping $499 / €459 with CeramicSpeed’s standard hybrid ceramic bearings, or an even more precious $600 / €539 with the company’s even faster ‘coated’ bearings.
Despite the almost comically large pulleys, ceramicspeed says its oversized cage assembly will handle the same 28-tooth cassette cog as a standard shimano dura-ace rear derailleur
How much is extra speed worth to you?
CeramicSpeed is launching the system just for Shimano Ultegra and Dura-Ace 10-speed and 11-speed mechanical and electronic derailleurs for now, with production bits landing on store shelves some time around early October and SRAM-compatible versions to follow in later months.
The best way to go faster still is – and has always been – to train faster and better. But if you’ve reached your plateau (or just don’t feel like working that hard), CeramicSpeed sure seems to have you covered.
For more information, visit www.ceramicspeed.com. |
TULSA — An Oklahoma man has been taken into custody on a murder charge on suspicion that he beat and sexually abused the 1-year-old daughter of his girlfriend, police said Monday.
TULSA — An Oklahoma man has been taken into custody on a murder charge on suspicion that he beat and sexually abused the 1-year-old daughter of his girlfriend, police said Monday.
Cody Johnson, 30, and his girlfriend brought an unresponsive Sawyer Jefferson to a Tulsa hospital Saturday, saying that the girl had tripped over her pajamas and fallen on a toy.
Doctors found that the girl had multiple bruises and was bleeding from her vagina and rectum, Johnson’s arrest report said. No lawyer for him was listed on the document.
The girl was placed on life support and later died at the hospital.
Johnson was arrested on Sunday on charges of first-degree murder of a minor, child abuse and sexual abuse of a minor.
As of Monday morning, Johnson was in the Tulsa County Jail. Bond has been set at $100,000 for the two abuse complaints with no bond given for the murder complaint. |
The Columbus Crew are about to play one of the biggest games of the regular season without two of their most influential players.
Both Designated Player Federico Higuain and fullback Waylon Francis picked up yellow cards for unsportsmanlike behavior in the team’s 2-1 loss to New England, forcing both of them out of the lineup for the Crew’s matchup against the Philadelphia Union this week.
Francis received a yellow card in the 39th minute for a foul before he was sent off for the second yellow in the 70th, while Higuain's yellow card during stoppage time means he'll be forced to sit with accumulation against the Union.
“I just wasn’t happy with our reactions,” Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter told MLSsoccer.com after the loss. “The referee has a job to do and we have a job to do. Our job isn’t to worry about his decisions, it’s to play soccer. I thought we got caught up in that a little too much.”
The lack of discipline was nothing new for Higuain, who has built something of a reputation for picking up unnecessary cards on the way to earning eight cautions this season, tops on the team. Six of his cards have come from things like encroachment, time-wasting or dissent.
Despite those cards, Berhalter said Higuain’s fiery attitude comes as part of the playmaker’s total package.
“He’s a competitor,” Berhalter said. “You see how he tracked down Jermaine Jones on that play and won the tackle, he competes. He’s not willing to give anything up. That’s his nature. So I think you live with it a little bit.”
Higuain has appeared in 28 games this season for the Crew, notching 11 goals and six assists, and Francis has six assists in his first season with the club. But Berhalter insisted he’s not panicking, despite missing two of the team’s most vital players.
“These are things that happen in the game,” he said. “With three games left, it’s obviously crucial to have our guys on the field. But it also gives our other guys a chance to step up. We’re going to get some guys in there who are ready to play.
“The next guy has to step up, and we’ll be ready.” |
CLOSE We talked to experts and got their advice for keeping your Christmas tree looking fresh throughout December. Alicia Stice
Buy Photo You can cut your Christmas tree on the Roosevelt National Forest starting Dec. 2. (Photo: Coloradoan library)Buy Photo
There are still traditionalists who prefers the smell of fresh pine over pulling a tree out of a box during the Christmas season.
Sure, you could just go pick one out at a nearby tree lot. It’s convenient and easy, but the selection can be limited and the trees are often not as fresh and healthy.
But if you want to break out your inner Griswold, there are a lot of places in Colorado where you can cut down your own Christmas tree.
How it works
There are five primary Forest Service cutting areas in the state. For each one, you’ll need to purchase a permit for $10 before you cut down a tree.
Each regulates their district a little differently.
Fraser/Winter Park
Permit Sales: Permits are available at Sulphur Ranger stations and must be bought in advance.
Dates: November 1 – January 6
Other: There’s a special cutting area near Elk Creek that is only open from December 2 through December 9. You can buy permits for this at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce, Granby Ace Hardware and Murdoch’s.
More: http://bit.ly/2zR8t3i
Cutting area map: http://bit.ly/2zAnjqQR
Red Feather Lakes
Read the full story from our news partners at 9News.
Related: How to transport your Christmas tree the right way
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The free agent most commonly linked to the Detroit Lions has been running back Reggie Bush, but as we speculated Monday morning, the price tag associated with the safety position could allow to the Lions to pursue one of the top names on the market in that critical area of need.
According to a report from ESPN.com's Adam Schefter, the Lions are one of four teams in the mix to sign San Francisco 49ers safety Dashon Goldson. Schefter went as far as to label Detroit a favorite.
Goldson, 28, is the consensus best player available at his position. He's coming off two consecutive Pro Bowl seasons and was named an All-Pro by the Associated Press in 2012. He finished last season with 69 tackles, three interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
How the Lions would free up with the necessary cap space to land Goldson remains a key question. Depending on the final numbers from DeAndre Levy's re-signing last week, Detroit has between $3-5 million to spend.
A contract for Goldson is expected to average between $7-8 million.
The Lions' quickest solution would be extending the contract of Matthew Stafford, lowering the quarterback's gaudy $20.8 million cap number for 2013. Given the complexities of those negotiations, that seems unlikely to get done by Tuesday.
Detroit also has simpler restructurings available if they just want to delay the cap hit, the biggest being defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh's $18.2 million figure.
Signing Goldson could ultimately signal the end of Louis Delmas and Amari Spievey's time in Detroit. Delmas is set to become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday afternoon while Spievey is restricted and could still be tendered to a one-year, $1.323 million contract. |
“Unlike the firebrand secessionists in other Confederate metropolises the citizens of the remote tropical island largely stayed out of the destructive four-year conflict.”
KEY WEST, Florida may be the southern-most point in the United States, but during the Civil War it it showed none of the South’s zeal for rebellion.
Unlike the firebrand secessionists in other Confederate metropolises like Charleston, Savannah or New Orleans, the citizens of the remote tropical island situated at the far southwestern end of the Florida Keys largely stayed out of the destructive four-year conflict.
In fact, according to this story in the area newspaper The Keys News, the laid back atmosphere that makes the island such a popular tourist destination today seemed to have been equally abundant in the 1860s. While there certainly was a core of pro-Confederate Southerners inhabiting the city, a large population of settlers from New England and the nearby Bahamas had little interest in leaving the Union, let along taking up arms for the Rebel cause. Residents of Key West even celebrated the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.
What rebel sympathies did exist in the the region were squelched by the presence of a sizeable Union military base on the island, Fort Zachary Taylor.
According to the article, which was written by staff writer Adam Linhardt, the fortress was built in the 1840s on the site of an old War of 1812 battery. The outpost, as well as the nearby Fort Jefferson, situated on a coral reef 70 miles to the west, assisted in the Union blockade that slowly strangled the Confederacy. As many as 40 Yankee warships were stationed in Key West’s harbour. Over the course of the conflict, vessels from this squadron intercepted more than 200 blockade runners attempting to bring supplies into the Confederacy.
Yet despite the relative quiet on Key West, the threat of war was ever present. Throughout the conflict, the commander of the Union garrison expanded fortifications and prepared his troops for an inevitable rebel onslaught from mainland Florida. Such an invasion never materialized.
The Conch Republic
Interestingly enough, while Key West remained part of the Union for the duration of the Civil War, an independence movement of sorts did spring up – albeit 120 years later. Amid a torrent of refugees fleeing economic hardship in Cuba in the early 1980s, the Florida highway patrol blockaded US-1, the main road that links the Keys with the mainland. Officers checked every car leaving the region for stowaway Cubans. It was an intolerable nuisance. Islanders, who call themselves Conchs (pronounced ‘conks’) after the first Bahamians who settled there in the 1830s, decided to declare independence as a form of protest in 1982. The secessionists dubbed their new homeland the Conch Republic and still celebrate their “independence” every April 23. Key West even claims to maintain its own army and navy made up of islanders and a local schooner. Their main duties involve playfully re-enacting the 1982 secession each year, dubbed the Great Sea Battle.
The Invasion
In September of 1995, the Keys unwittingly became part of a U.S. military exercise in which army reservists from a civic affairs battalion simulated the occupation of a foreign nation, using Key West as the target area. For some reason, local authorities were not informed in advance of the “invasion.” The PR-savvy mayor of Key West and self-proclaimed prime minister of the Conch Republic Dennis Wardlow ordered defenders of the island to hurl stale bread at the occupiers and douse them with hose water. The U.S. Army played along and formerly surrendered to Wardlow at the end of the two-day exercise.
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June 14th, 2017
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While the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang is piloted by a relatively fresh face in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, it was a tenacious veteran whose heroics in the early 1980s made the No. 00 synonymous with winning.
The No. 00 of today is driven by 19-year-old Cole Custer, who is competing for rookie-of-the-year honors in the stepping-stone division to the elite Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. And while Custer makes a name for himself in the XFINITY Series, he drives a car with a number made famous by Sam Ard.
In just 92 career XFINITY Series starts between 1982 and 1984, Ard drove his No. 00 machine to 22 victories, 67 top-five and 79 top-10 finishes while earning 24 poles and leading 4,035 laps. His average finish was an astonishing 5.5 and it led Ard to back-to-back championships in 1983 and 1984 in what was then known as the NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series.
Ard passed away earlier this year, but his legacy lives on. Custer’s No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang will feature a paint scheme honoring Ard when he competes in the Sept. 2 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway. The same white paint and red lettering that can be seen on Ard’s No. 00 Oldsmobile Omega on the Glory Road display inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, will be emulated on Custer’s No. 00 Ford Mustang at Darlington.
“The 00 number has been a part of my entire NASCAR career, and over the years I’ve gotten to know its history and met some of the people who worked with Sam and saw him race,” Custer said. “The more I learn about Sam and all that he accomplished, the more impressive it becomes. I feel like I’m driving his car, and I want to make him and his family proud. Guys like Sam Ard helped shape the sport into what it is today. Without him, I don’t know if the opportunity to drive racecars for a living would exist. I’m grateful for it and I’d like him and his family to know it.”
Ard was born in Pamplico, South Carolina, roughly 45 minutes southeast of Darlington. Ard was a U.S. Air Force veteran who worked on aircraft at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina, as part of the war effort during Vietnam. He competed in four XFINITY Series races at Darlington. While he didn’t win, he never finished lower than sixth, with his best result being second, earned twice, in 1983 and in his final Darlington race on Sept. 1, 1984.
“Sam Ard was a terrific ambassador and champion for the NASCAR XFINITY Series. It’s great to see a team like Stewart-Haas Racing, and their rising star Cole Custer, pay tribute to Sam with a special throwback paint scheme in his honor,” said Kerry Tharp, president, Darlington Raceway. “Sam is from nearby Pamplico, and it’s great to have a local racing hero like Sam, and his family, recognized in this manner. Cole’s paint scheme will be one of the highlights of our Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 race on Sept. 2, and we thank him and Stewart-Haas Racing for remembering one of our sport’s heroes this way.” |
When the N.B.A. center Jason Collins announced he was gay last week, I was thrilled. Not only was I extremely happy for him, I thought that maybe, just maybe, his courage and the wave of positive reaction meant that we were on the verge of an era when people accept and celebrate one another’s differences. I think that’s what makes life beautiful: everyone is different and we can all learn from one another.
It takes a lot of courage to come out.
I first came out to my mom in the ninth grade. Even though the story is kind of boring (comparatively), I remember it as if it were yesterday. I was leaning against a wall in our house at the time, not doing anything in particular. For whatever reason, at that moment I let my mom know I was gay. It wasn’t planned. It just popped out. She gave me a hug, smiled and told me she loved me, and I went back upstairs to my room. Simple as that.
I knew then that it didn’t matter what my sexuality was; my mom and family would always love me for who I am. For me, the simplicity behind coming out was both powerful and beautiful. No drama, just acceptance and love. |
The once fortified white male empire, bowed and beaten by generations of women scorned by its bloated superciliousness, has born sons they barely recognize.
Proposition: In the shifting modern narrative of gender politics, men are the new women.
About 60 per cent of university grads today are women.
We, the offspring of assured, confident, self-realized men, are emerging as a new underclass.
The “stronger” sex withers away well before their wives, the numbers cruelly discern. Male life expectancy for men was 78.5 years in 2006-2008, abbreviated from the 83.1 years women expect.
And the news for our later lives hasn’t improved much either, lads.
“Between 2000 and 2008, average total income for Canadian women increased at almost twice the pace as it did for men,” StatsCan research concludes.
A 2008 StatsCan study shows that, over the previous two decades, the gap in average hourly wages between men and women has been steadily shrinking. The 75.7 cents women earned on the male dollar in 1988 inflated to 83.3 cents by 2008 — nearly a 12 per cent jump.
Following graduation ceremonies that have the feel of sorority house parties, the professional outlooks for women are on the distinct upswing compared to men, national data shows.
We are the emasculated deer in the social headlights of the oncoming female 18-wheeler entirely uncertain which way to move and doubtful it makes a difference anyway.
Beyond all of this is the widely observed transformation in male social status.
Socialized differently than any other generation of men before us, too many of us are self-doubting, fuzzy around the edges and resigned to it all.
We’ve gone from bulls in china shops to tentative kittens at the bathtub’s edge.
“It’s stunning to me that I have to take responsibility for every aspect of our lives together,” says Marcia, a 37-year-old six-figure professional, of her two-year relationship with her between-jobs boyfriend.
“From the small stuff, like picking out the restaurant, to the big financial and relationship decisions — even taking out the friggin’ garbage — it’s all me. If we ever get married, I’m going to have to be the one to buy the ring and propose.”
So why not pull the plug?
“Because the three men I dated before this were the same. It’s like you guys are in a state of paralysis that reduces you to 8 year olds.”
Ouch. That would be hurtful if we hadn’t already reached that conclusion ourselves.
“I have none of the confidence in myself or the life I will lead professionally that my dad had,” says Michael Fitzgerald, a 32-year-old Torontonian recently laid off by his female boss.
“It’s tough to just man up when you’re constantly feeling like you’re losing ground. So now I just focus on video games.”
There is another side to the gender shift: A growing revolutionary man-power backlash.
Toronto’s Men’s Issues Awareness Campaign, for example, is a fledgling pushback to the male feminization trend that seeks a realignment of the gender power scales.
“In gender issues, it’s not as simple as women are always victims and men are always the victimizers,” says Justin Trottier, the 28-year-old leader of the campaign. “There’s a far more nuanced debate that we should be having.”
Listen to Trottier for a while and you’ll start to recognize some of the same language uttered by feminists a generation ago.
“We’re about equality and equalism,” says Trottier, who recently ran unsuccessfully in the provincial election as a Green Party candidate. “Look at the landscape and for all our talk of equality, it’s ironic that our societal investments have really been on women’s issues. We should be equally open to appreciating men’s issues.”
Compare, for example, public and private donations for male versus female health programs such as gender-specific cancer research, he says.
Or consider the array of publicly funded programs for immigrants to Canada.
“We see plenty of services for women but we don’t see them available for men,” he says. “These are stark differences.”
Then, to stretch the point, he raises the issue of public investment in shelters for domestic abuse victims.
“They are almost entirely set up for women victims but if you look at the statistics, there are a surprising percentage of cases where men are being victimized.”
Note to Trottier: Whatever the real figures, questioning the validity of public resources directed to female domestic abuse victims isn’t a likely winning strategy for mobilizing sympathy for the male condition.
Feminism may have sought the noble aim of equality.
But unintended consequence, he says, have placed male fortunes on a dramatic pendulum backswing that’s in no one’s interests, male or female.
“We’re not moving toward equilibrium,” Trottier said. “We’re marching in the opposite direction.”
Straight into the estrogen-fuelled 18-wheeler.
[email protected] |
EXCLUSIVE: Milla Jovovich is joining the cast of James Franco’s new indie film Future World, playing a drug lord in a post-apocalyptic world that is plagued with heat, ravaged by disease and crippled by chronic war. Franco and Bruce Thierry Cheung are directing and Franco is also acting in the film, the story of which he created.
The project, written by Cheung, Jay Davis and Jeremy Cheung, follows a young boy of noble birth who embarks on a journey through the wasteland of this future world in order to find medicine for his dying mother. Armed with his faithful bodyguard and only a slim hope that this medicine actually exists, he must forge courageously on, facing danger and ultimately the Warlord of this world who has plans of his own as he takes control of a beautiful, life-like robot assassin.
Singer-actor George Lewis Jr, known as Twin Shadow, has also been cast in the role of Ratcatcher. Margarita Levieva (The Deuce at HBO) also plays one of the primary roles.
The project will be produced by Dark Rabbit Productions and AMBI will distribute, but no release date has been determined.
Jovovich stars in the sixth installment of Resident Evil franchise entitled Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which will be released by Sony Screen Gems in January 2017. She was most recently seen reprising her role of Katinka in Zoolander 2.
Jovovich and Franco are both repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment. Twin Shadow is repped by Paradigm/Windish and manager Eddie Bezalel. |
James Franco, Zoe Kravitz, Jack Reynor, and Dennis Quaid have signed on for the independent sci-fi action-thriller “Kin.”
WME Global put the financing together for the film, which will begin shooting on Oct. 24, and will handle sales with Good Universe, which will launch at next week’s Toronto Film Festival.
Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen at 21 Laps will serve as producers with Jeff Arkuss, David Gross, and Jesse Shapira, who will produce under their No Trace Camping banner.
Siblings Jonathan and Josh Baker will co-direct the feature based on their short film “Bag Man” that premiered at South by Southwest in 2015. Reynor will portray a recently released ex-con who, along with his adopted younger brother, is forced to go on the run, chased by a vengeful criminal played by Franco. Quaid will play the brothers’ father and Kravitz joins the brothers’ journey as a trusted ally.
The script is written by Daniel Casey, whose recent work includes uncredited rewrites on “10 Cloverfield Lane,” the crime-thriller “Godforsaken” — starring Sylvester Stallone — and a forthcoming untitled project with Bad Robot.
21 Laps recently produced the Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and well as the Amy Adams sci-fi thriller “Arrival,” opening Nov. 11. No Trace Camping is a producer on “Room.”
The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood. |
Corrections Minister Judith Collins says there is "quite a lot of interest" from private companies over contracts for the management of prisons.
Against strong opposition from the Labour Party, the Government today pushed the legislation through under urgency. The bill, which allows prisons to be handed over to private firms, passed on a vote of 68 to 53.
The Corrections Department was not expected to tender but would be given the opportunity to do so, Ms Collins told Radio New Zealand.
"They've indicated to me that they would rather get someone in so they can actually have a benchmark against which they can measure themselves and improve constantly."
Corrections had indicated "they're not at all frightened of competition".
Ms Collins said the bill had been passed under urgency as it had been around for a year, National had campaigned on it, and "we're trying to make sure we get our legislation through so we can get on with it."
"We've got a full prison population at the moment... we really can't muck around."
The previous National government put Auckland Central Remand Prison under private management but when Labour won the 1999 election it refused to renew the contract.
That was the only time a New Zealand prison has been under private management, and Ms Collins said the experience had been "generally positive".
Ms Collins said she wasn't planning "wholesale privatisation" and was considering putting two new prisons under contract management.
She has previously said Auckland's Mt Eden Prison could be the first when redevelopment is completed in 2011.
Ms Collins said the legislation allowing contract management ensured public accountability and the prisons would be under the umbrella of the Department of Corrections.
"Contract prisons will have to comply with all relevant legislation, like the Bill of Rights Act, and international conventions," she said.
"There will be prison monitors with significant powers of access, reporting directly to the chief executive of the Department of Corrections."
Labour law and order spokesman Clayton Cosgrove told Radio New Zealand the party was concerned about the minister "transferring accountability" for a core government function.
Mr Cosgrove claimed that Corrections officers in the prisons did not support the bill.
"They're concerned for their safety they're concerned for their security."
He said private companies were motivated by profit rather than the safety of prison guards and prisoners.
Mr Cosgrove said there was a lack of accountability as it was more difficult to get information from private companies.
Green Party MP David Clendon said privatising prisons didn't make any more sense than privatising the courts, the police and the defence force.
He wanted to know what would happen if a privately-run prison got into serious financial difficulty.
"Would the state allow it to go broke, or would it be bailed out with taxpayer money?"
ACT's David Garrett said international data showed privately run prisons were cheaper and delivered better outcomes.
"Privatisation isn't a right-wing conspiracy, around the world it has become the norm," he said.
"And there's no tablet in stone that says incarceration of prisoners convicted by the courts must be the responsibility of the state."
- With NZPA |
Fluorescent paint makes the antlers of a reindeer shine, in this photo dated February 15, 2014, after Finnish herders painted the animal in an attempt at halting the thousands of road deaths of the roaming caribou in Rovaniemi, the wilds of Finland's Lapland. This novel attempt to reduce the annual 4,000 reindeer road deaths was not successful, so in a pilot project announced Wednesday June 8, 2016, drivers of heavy transport vehicles are being offered a reindeer warning app for their mobile devices, to warn them of nearby reindeer. If successful, The Reindeer Herders Association hope the app will be available for download on all smart phones later in 2016. (ANNE OLLILA/Lehtikuva via AP) FINLAND OUT - NO SALES The Associated Press
By MATTI HUUHTANEN, Associated Press
HELSINKI (AP) — Finnish reindeer herders in the Arctic have painted Rudolph's antlers in fluorescent colors, hung reflectors around their necks and even used movable traffic signs, but none of the efforts have helped reduce the annual 4,000 reindeer road deaths.
Now they have decided on a new tactic: an interactive reindeer warning app where drivers can tap their mobile phone screens to register any reindeer they see and get warnings if they are approaching an area where reindeers have been spotted. They're hoping to save at least some of the 300,000 reindeer that wonder freely in the wilds of Lapland, sometimes described as the last wilderness in Europe.
In a pilot project, drivers of heavy transport vehicles are being given 1,000 free handsets, which have been deactivated for any other use than the reindeer warning system. If it proves successful, the app will be available for download on smartphones later this year.
Anne Ollila, director of the Finnish Reindeer Herders' Association, said Wednesday the other methods simply didn't work.
"Drivers often mistook reindeer with reflectors for people in the dark, thinking they wouldn't run into the middle of the road when they saw car headlights approaching," she told The Associated Press. "And the deer would tear the reflectors off."
Reindeer traffic warning signs were pinched by tourists for souvenirs, and reindeer would scrape off the fluorescent paint from their antlers. "Somehow the reindeer know they had paint on their antlers — maybe their friends laughed at them," Ollila said.
Reindeer husbandry provides work for some 10,000 people in the region. |
Known for his role as the Smoking Man, Vancouver actor William B. Davis hopes rumours of an X-Files reboot have some credence.
Fox TV executives recently said they have been in talks with series creator Chris Carter and stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson about a possible revival of the show, which was filmed in Vancouver.
"I think it would be successful if it did," Davis told CBC Radio's The Early Edition.
Davis said he hasn't heard anything from Carter, or from Fox executives.
William B. Davis says he hopes the X-Files returns to TV "as a fan." As an actor, he hopes the show is set in a time when his character The Smoking Man is still alive. (Charlie Cho/CBC)
"Your guess is as good as mine," he said.
There have long been rumours of a third X-Files movie, but Davis was surprised to hear it might return as a television show.
"This rumour is different — and it's more serious — that they would actually reboot the television series."
Davis expects if the show did return it would probably be a mini-series of 10 or 12 episodes.
The X-Files, which starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, helped make Canada a favourite destination for sci-fi series. ((Reuters))
"I don't think Gillian and David would sign on to do 22 episodes a year again — that would surprise me, it drove them crazy before."
Davis said if the TV series does get revived, he hopes it doesn't start where the original series left off — and instead goes back to an earlier time.
"The question really for me is — if they reboot the television series, what does that mean dramatically? Do they take the story as far as it went and continue from there, which I hope not, because I am dead."
Davis said the tension in Mulder and Scully's relationship — the series ended with them in a romantic relationship — and the presence of villains like himself was key to the original series.
Davis said the success of the show turned him into a full time actor "of some repute."
He said it also cemented Vancouver as a place to shoot film and television shows.
"To have a show that was that big, that popular, that employed that many people ... definitely put Vancouver on the map as a production place."
To hear the full interview with William B. Davis, click the audio labelled: The X-Files TV show reboot? |
“I would like to warn people,” says Kiloo chief creative officer Simon Moller. “Rovio is in trouble. The problem with the way they are operating is that they’re not focusing enough on the games.”
Kiloo’s Subway Surfers boasts some impressive statistics in the mobile marketplace, with 175 million downloads, 5.5 billion play sessions, 9 months in the top-50 grossing chart and a 30 day retention rate of 70%. The industry average for 30 day retention is around 20%. So how does Kiloo do it?
“If you look at digital distribution it’s almost frictionless. It’s growing at a massive pace; it’s the best business model in the world. So why would you make theme parks? Why would you start to build it into this brand thing that’s incredibly difficult to maintain. It’s expensive and it’s risky,” says Moller. “The games are the drivers of the brand and they’re declining at a rapid pace. They are relying on the plush toys to sell themselves, because all of their games are just the same game… again. Every time they launch a new game it’s worse than the last one.”
The Angry Birds line now offers multiple game titles, including Angry Birds Friends, Angry Birds, Angry Birds Star Wars, Bad Piggies, Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Rio, and an extensive line of toys, plush and otherwise. Clothing, board games, a theme park, bed sheets, personal hygiene products – The lineup expands to almost every imaginable product.
“If we were to make Subway Surfers II, we’d be splitting our playerbase instead of focusing on the main product. The point is Rovio is the role model of how to do things for younger companies, and they’re seeing plush toys and TV episodes. Don’t do that. Just build great games or build a great gameplay experience that can be extended as a service. Have a relationship with your consumers. That’s what people should focus on. Why make movies? Do the stuff that really works.”
Moller expands on the mobile market and offers opinions on an oft touted make or break mobile word – Discoverability.
“I’m not saying never make a T-shirt. But don’t discard your business model to make toys. Why not keep working on becoming better in the best business model in the world? Honestly with Rovio I thought we would have seen layoffs already. Something like 30% workforce. They put a lot of money into making those tools. Look at all these things they have games, amusement parks, plush toys, movies, publishing… There’s just a total lack of focus, scraping for bits of revenue.”
“The wonderful thing about mobile games is that people spread the games themselves. I’m on my device, you’re on your device, and if it’s free and readily available that viral effect can happen fast. There’s all this talk about discoverability. It’s not a discoverability problem. Some people find it. Do they want to recommend it to their friends? Do they want to play it again? Maybe the tutorial is bad. Maybe it crashes. There are a lot of factors. If you have problems getting your game discovered, it’s probably not the main issue.”
“Stop worrying and stop whining about discoverability. People say ‘oh well you don’t have a discoverability problem because it’s Subway Surfers.’ Well hold on a minute, we didn’t start off there! Work on the things that are not working and stop blaming discoverability. If no one wants to talk about your product then it’s probably pretty boring.” |
Ms. Frankenthaler more or less stumbled on her stain technique, she said, first using it in creating “Mountains and Sea” (1952). Produced on her return to New York from a trip to Nova Scotia , the painting is a light-struck, diaphanous evocation of hills, rocks and water. Its delicate balance of drawing and painting, fresh washes of color (predominantly blues and pinks) and breakthrough technique have made it one of her best-known works.
“The landscapes were in my arms as I did it,” Ms. Frankenthaler told an interviewer. “I didn’t realize all that I was doing. I was trying to get at something — I didn’t know what until it was manifest.”
She later described the seemingly unfinished painting — which is on long-term loan to the National Gallery of Art in Washington — as “looking to many people like a large paint rag, casually accidental and incomplete.”
Unlike many of her painter colleagues at the time, Ms. Frankenthaler, born in New York City on Dec. 12, 1928, came from a prosperous Manhattan family. She was one of three daughters of Alfred Frankenthaler, a New York State Supreme Court judge, and the former Martha Lowenstein, an immigrant from Germany . Helen, their youngest, was interested in art from early childhood, when she would dribble nail polish into a sink full of water to watch the color flow.
After graduation from the Dalton School, where she studied art with the Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo , she entered Bennington College in 1946. There the painter Paul Feeley, a thoroughgoing taskmaster, taught her “everything I know about Cubism,” she said. The intellectual atmosphere at Bennington was heady, with instructors like Kenneth Burke, Erich Fromm and Ralph Ellison setting the pace.
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As a self-described “saddle-shoed girl a year out of Bennington,” Ms. Frankenthaler made her way into the burgeoning New York art world with a boost from Mr. Greenberg, whom she met in 1950 and with whom she had a five-year relationship. Through him she met crucial players like David Smith, Jackson Pollock, Willem and Elaine de Kooning and Franz Kline.
In 1951, with Mr. Greenberg’s prompting, she joined the new Tibor de Nagy gallery, run by the ebullient aesthete John B. Myers, and had her first solo show there that year. She spent summers visiting museums in Europe , pursuing an interest in quattrocento and old master painting.
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Her marriage to Mr. Motherwell in 1958 gave the couple an art-world aura. Like her, he came from a well-to-do family, and “the golden couple,” as they were known in the cash-poor and backbiting art world of the time, spent several leisurely months honeymooning in Spain and France.
In Manhattan, they removed themselves from the downtown scene and established themselves in a house on East 94th Street, where they developed a reputation for lavish entertaining. The British sculptor Anthony Caro recalled a dinner party they gave for him and his wife on their first trip to New York, in 1959. It was attended by some 100 guests, and he was seated between David Smith and the actress Hedy Lamarr .
“Helen loved to entertain,” said Ann Freedman, the former president of Knoedler & Company, Ms. Frankenthaler’s dealer until its recent closing. “She enjoyed feeding people and engaging in lively conversation. And she liked to dance. In fact, you could see it in her movements as she worked on her paintings.”
Ms. Frankenthaler’s passion for dancing was more than fulfilled in 1985 when, at a White House dinner to honor the Prince and Princess of Wales , she was partnered with a fast stepper who had been twirling the princess.
“I’d waited a lifetime for a dance like this,” she wrote in a 1997 Op-Ed article for The New York Times . “He was great!”
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His name meant nothing to her until, on returning to her New York studio, she showed her assistant and a friend his card. “ John Travolta ,” it read.
Despite the early acknowledgment of Ms. Frankenthaler’s achievement by Mr. Greenberg and by her fellow artists, wider recognition took some time. Her first major museum show, a retrospective of her 1950s work with a catalog by the critic and poet Frank O’Hara , a curator at the Museum of Modern Art , was at the Jewish Museum in 1960. But she became better known to the art-going public after a major retrospective organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1969.
Although Ms. Frankenthaler rarely discussed the sources of her abstract imagery, it reflected her impressions of landscape, her meditations on personal experience and the pleasures of dealing with paint. Visually diverse, her paintings were never produced in “serial” themes like those of her Abstract Expressionist predecessors or her Color Field colleagues like Noland and Louis. She looked on each of her works as a separate exploration.
But “Mountains and Sea” did establish many of the traits that have informed her art from the beginning, the art historian E. A. Carmean Jr. suggested. In the catalog for his 1989-90 Frankenthaler retrospective at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, he cited the color washes, the dialogue between drawing and painting, the seemingly raw, unfinished look, and the “general theme of place” as characteristic of her work.
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Besides her paintings, Ms. Frankenthaler is known for her inventive lithographs, etchings and screen prints she produced since 1961, but critics have suggested that her woodcuts have made the most original contribution to printmaking.
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In making her first woodcut, “East and Beyond,” in 1973, Ms. Frankenthaler wanted to make the grainy, unforgiving wood block receptive to the vibrant color and organic, amorphous forms of her own painting. By dint of trial and error, with technical help from printmaking studios, she succeeded.
For “East and Beyond,” which depicts a radiant open space above a graceful mountainlike divide, she used a jigsaw to cut separate shapes, then printed the whole by a specially devised method to eliminate the white lines between them when put together. The result was a taut but fluid composition so refreshingly removed from traditional woodblock technique that it has had a deep influence on the medium ever since. “East and Beyond” became to contemporary printmaking in the 1970s what Ms. Frankenthaler’s paint staining in “Mountains and Sea” had been to the development of Color Field painting 20 years earlier.
In 1972, Ms. Frankenthaler made a less successful foray into sculpture, spending two weeks at Mr. Caro’s London studio. With no experience in the medium but aided by a skilled assistant, she welded together found steel parts in a way that evoked the work of David Smith.
Although she enjoyed the experience, she did not repeat it. Knoedler gave the work its first public showing in 2006.
Critics have not unanimously praised Ms. Frankenthaler’s art. Some have seen it as thin in substance, uncontrolled in method, too sweet in color and too “poetic.” But it has been far more apt to garner admirers like the critic Barbara Rose, who wrote in 1972 of Ms. Frankenthaler’s gift for “the freedom, spontaneity, openness and complexity of an image, not exclusively of the studio or the mind, but explicitly and intimately tied to nature and human emotions.”
Ms. Frankenthaler and Mr. Motherwell were divorced in 1971. In 1994 she married Stephen M. DuBrul Jr., an investment banker who had headed the Export-Import Bank during the Ford administration. Besides her husband, her survivors include two stepdaughters, Jeannie Motherwell and Lise Motherwell, and six nieces and nephews. Her two sisters, Gloria Ross Bookman and Marjorie Iseman, died before her.
In 1999, she and Mr. DuBrul bought a house in Darien, on Long Island Sound. Water, sky and their shifting light are often reflected in her later imagery.
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As the years passed, her paintings seemed to make more direct references to the visible world. But they sometimes harked back to the more spontaneous, exuberant and less referential work of her earlier career.
There is “no formula,” she said in an interview in The New York Times in 2003. “There are no rules. Let the picture lead you where it must go.”
She never aligned herself with the feminist movement in art that began to surface in the 1970s. “For me, being a ‘lady painter’ was never an issue,” she was quoted as saying in John Gruen’s book “The Party’s Over Now” (1972). “I don’t resent being a female painter. I don’t exploit it. I paint.” |
Guilherme Siqueira, the Atlético left-back, appeared at a press conference on Thursday. His performances have improved in recent weeks and, in addition to that, Ansaldi is injured. At the moment, the left-back berth in Diego Simeone’s side is his.
The delay in the reconstruction of La Peineta: “I have just arrived and I want to enjoy the Calderón. I am not the one to talk about this topic.”
Battle with Ansaldi: “Each time I find myself better. I am more fed and clothed with the team. Each time I have more confidence. The new arrivals need that. On the field we understand each other better. I hope to play as many games as possible.”
The team’s style of play: “Much is said about set-pieces but we already have good feelings at a collective level. There are players [here] to create beautiful football and attractive play. We have to continue in this way.”
Demands at the club: “Atleti had a spectacular season last year. Because of this we have a greater responsibility. It is a team that lives from day to day. The coaching staff really care a lot about the players. I cannot compare Granada with Atleti. Benfica are spectacular. Many know their history but living there day to day is spectacular. That helped me a lot to adapt better here because it is a club very similar to Atleti. Then the day to day is different because the coach and the Profe (fitness coach Óscar Ortega) are people who are at the very top.”
La Real: “We know that with all teams, when there is a change of coach there is a different spirit. We know that, at home, with a new coach, they will do everything they can to win. We have to concentrate on ourselves and not focus on the opposite. We have been doing very well.”
Way of working: “We all know how the Profe works. He is all day measuring your weight, seeing how it is, your mood...he knows a lot about footballers. What surprises me is that way of working. They encourage us a lot. The technical body are very close to the footballers."
Retaining the title: “We know that we can compete with any team. Where we have to talk is on the pitch. The dressing room wants to prepare itself in the best way possible for everything. It’s clear that we want to win titles.”
Griezmann and Mandzukic: "Since Griezmann arrived he has done everything with a great mentality. When he’s down, and pulled to the ground, he fights. Mandzukic, the same. One day I say him helping out wide in the full-back position and said ‘what are you doing here?’ We know what they can provide for us: Griezmann with his talent and verticality, and Mandzukic with his goals.”
Madrid and Barça: “It’s difficult to speak badly of Barça or Madrid. All teams have runs. When the season started they said that the new signings didn’t fit well at Madrid. But you have to realise that there were new signings and they need time. With us, similarly, it took us time to find our dynamic. Barça have their ups and downs and they will be up there fighting for titles.” |
At Dropbox, we realized we were using different terms to refer to our “version history” feature:
We knew we wanted to fix these inconsistencies, but we weren’t sure which term to use. Should it be “version history,” “file history,” or maybe even “revision history”? There were a number of things we had to consider, but we used Google Trends as one data point to help inform us.
Google Trends showed us people were more likely to search for “version history,” and that’s one big reason why we now call it “version history” throughout our product.
2. Google Ngram Viewer
Ngram Viewer is similar to Google Trends, except it searches published books, scanned by Google. You can use this data to see which terms are more commonly used in your language.
Dropbox recently launched a new signature tool in our iOS app. On the screen where you draw your signature, the screen showed “Sign Your Signature” before we had a chance to review it.
We knew that “sign your signature” sounded funny. But “sounds funny” isn’t a great reason for changing it. How could we convince the team to change it?
That’s when we headed over to Ngram Viewer and compared “sign your signature” with “sign your name.” It showed us that “sign your signature” wasn’t really used at all. When we shared this data with the team, they quickly changed it to “Sign your name.”
Comparing terms using Ngram Viewer
3. Readability tests
Over the years, language experts have developed a number of readability tests that measure how easy it is to understand your words.
Many of these tests give you a grade level for your writing. For example, a grade of 8 means that a typical 8th grader in the U.S. should be able to understand your writing.
I ran one of my Medium stories (How to design words) through one of these tests. Here’s what it told me:
Results from Readability-Score.com
There’s a lot of interesting data you can get from here. For example:
I wrote the story at a 6th-grade level .
. My tone was neutral but slightly positive.
but I averaged 10.7 words per sentence. (At Dropbox, we try to keep our sentences to 15 words or less.)
If you want to give one of these tests a spin, below are a few you can try. Some of these tests even give you suggested edits to make your writing more readable.
4. Research surveys
Trying to figure out what to name your new feature? Or what value prop to focus on? In cases like these, it can help to set up a research survey.
Many survey tools allow you to choose your target audience, so you can easily get feedback from potential users.
Here are a few places where you can set up research surveys:
Back in the day, Dropbox ran a survey to figure out what was the biggest benefit to using our product. Most people mentioned “access” — the ability to get to your files from any device. As a result, a lot of the messaging we used in our landing page redesign focused on access.
5. User studies
User studies are a great way to get valuable feedback about your writing. In a typical user study, you invite a number of people to read your text or try out a product, and then you ask them questions about it. This can be incredibly helpful for seeing whether your writing makes sense or not.
One of our researchers recently ran a study where we tested a new flow. There was one step that said:
Select “Remove local copy” to save space.
We asked participants when they might use this feature. Most had a tough time understanding this feature and didn’t think it was useful. So then we flipped the order of the words by putting the user benefit at the front of the sentence:
Save space by selecting “Remove local copy.”
This time, participants had a much easier time telling us when they’d use this feature. And all we really did was change the order of the words.
This shows how a writer’s hunch can turn into an experiment, and you can test it just like any other design decision.
Write with your heart, edit with your head
Data can be useful when you’re trying to make specific writing choices. But that doesn’t mean you should write like a machine.
The way I see it, your first draft should always come from the heart. Trust your gut. After you’ve written out your ideas, that’s when you can turn to research and data to refine your words.
Writing is both an art and a science. By writing with your heart and editing with your head, you can craft something that’s both authentic and informative.
Data gives you confidence as a writer. Data is what makes your writing “right.” |
State legislators approved a raft of housing bills Friday afternoon, including a key measure that would force cities and counties to loosen restrictions on building more multi-family housing.
Senate Bill 35 would require communities that are falling behind on state-mandated housing goals to expedite projects that meet zoning requirements. This streamlining would save developers time and money and reduce the potential for lawsuits by neighbors. Developers, in the meantime, would have to pay union-level wages to construction workers on projects containing low-income housing.
The bill is one of three major pieces to the Legislature's housing package initially developed by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders to address the state's crippling housing crisis.
While S.B. 35 eases regulations, while the other two measures create funding for low-income housing. Before S.B. 35's final vote Friday afternoon, sponsor Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said communities need to meet their housing production goals as set in the state's Regional Housing Needs Assessment.
"We are past the point where we can treat individual cities as kingdoms onto themselves where they can decide whether or not they want to produce any housing," Wiener said.
Wiener's legislation divided cities in southern California. Several, such as Thousand Oaks, went on record as opposing the bill, arguing that it would hurt residents’ quality of life. Peter Gilli, who works in community development in Thousand Oaks, said the measure takes away local control on issues such as parking.
"I think there are scenarios where something could come through that could be very objectionable and cause some long-term impacts on most areas of Thousand Oaks," Gilli said.
But Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti voiced his support for the housing package, including SB 35, as a way to boost housing production.
'To really solve the housing crisis, no city can do it alone," said Ben Winter, who advises the mayor on housing. "It really requires every local jurisdiction and unincorporated area around us to also step up to the plate."
The housing package was the Legislature's first major attempt to take control of the housing crisis since it spiraled out of control in the years following the recession.
The most controversial of the three major pieces of the housing package — S.B. 2 — is projected to raise more than $250 million a year by tacking on a $75 fee to real estate transactions, excluding home sales but including mortgage refinancing. It struggled to win two-thirds support and overcame its biggest hurdle Thursday night in a nail-bitingly close vote in the Assembly.
Another bill, S.B. 3 , also required a two-thirds vote because it involves placing a $4 billion bond on the 2018 statewide ballot to go toward building low-income housing and home loans for veterans.
The housing package, which includes a total of 15 bills, next heads to the governor's desk for a signature.
“For millions of people, it is next to impossible to buy a house or even find an apartment they can afford,” Brown said in a statement Friday. “These 15 bills will spur the building of more housing and increase the number of Californians who can actually afford to buy or rent.”
Wiener said the Legislature had to do more to solve the housing crisis, and the package of bills would not solve the problem but was a "huge first step."
"This is not a city-by-city issue," Wiener said. "This is a statewide issue, and it’s time for the state to step up and recognize that." |
Extra-Terrestrials and other Stranger Things: Four-in-Five Canadians believe
Massive gender divide puts men, women at odds over ghosts and other oddities
August 24, 2016 – “The truth is out there,” as the saying made famous by The X-Files goes. But what “truths” do we most “want to believe”?
A new public opinion poll from the Angus Reid Institute finds more than three-quarters of Canadians believe that certain things that happen on Earth cannot be explained by science – “Stranger Things,” to borrow the title of this summer’s breakout Netflix hit about conspiracies and the supernatural.
Four-in-five Canadians believe intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe, and almost half of all Canadians believe aliens have already visited this planet. Likewise, nearly half of Canadians – including majority of women – believe some people have psychic powers that enable them to predict future events.
However, while most are willing to consider the possibility of extra-terrestrial life, they’re less sold on other paranormal phenomena like ghosts and cryptids.
Key Findings:
The vast majority of Canadians (79%) say it is either definitely (29%) or probably (50%) true that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe
Belief in aliens doesn’t necessarily equate to belief in other unexplained beings, however. Canadians are particularly skeptical about the existence of “cryptids” – animals that have not been proven to exist, like the Sasquatch or the Ogopogo. Three-quarters (74%) say these animals either probably or definitely don’t exist.
When it comes to paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, communication with the dead, and psychic powers, women are about twice as likely men to believe such things are possible
Canadians say intelligent life exists elsewhere
Are we alone in the universe? It’s a big question that many of humanity’s great minds have tried – and continue to endeavor – to solve.
And while most Canadians are likely not as well-versed on the topic as Stephen Hawking or Neil Degrasse Tyson, that doesn’t stop Canadians from weighing in based on stories, experiences and their own research. In fact, three-in-ten (29%) take a bold stance, saying it’s “definitely true” that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe. Another 50 per cent say this is “probably” the case.
Canadians aren’t alone in the opinion that we aren’t alone. YouGov polled individuals in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, finding a similar trend. A majority in all three countries said they “believe there is extraterrestrial intelligent life”.
These views are generationally consistent. Regardless of age group, approximately eight-in-ten Canadians lean toward the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe:
Debate on this issue has raged for ages, and a paper published early in 2016 in the journal Astrobiology made waves in the sci-fi community. Co-author Adam Franks contests that intelligent beings and technologically advanced civilizations have “very likely” existed before humans evolved. But have they visited earth?
Canadians split on whether we’ve been visited by E.T.’s
Many Canadians lean strongly toward the possibility that intelligent life exists outside of the third rock from the sun. When asked whether those life-forms have visited Earth, however, they’re more circumspect. While one-in-ten still say they believe this is definitely true, the majority swings toward disbelief:
There is no shortage of folklore surrounding this issue. Perhaps the most famous alien conspiracy theory began after the reported recovery of a flying saucer in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. And the mere existence of Area 51 in Nevada has provided fodder for the paranormally inclined for decades. Documents released in 2013 by the CIA officially acknowledged the existence of the base, though they offered little in the way of alien visitation evidence for believers. Many Canadians would suggest this is by design. Asked whether government agencies in the United States have acted to cover up the existence and presence of ET’s, just over four-in-ten (43%) Canadians agree, while a majority (57%) say this is not the case.
Men and women in Canada are equally as likely to take each side of the debate over extraterrestrial visitation (see comprehensive tables), though there is a wide difference based on education level. University educated Canadians are much more skeptical, with just 7 per cent saying earth has definitely been visited by ET’s, and another one-in-three (30%) say probably:
As it turns out, another large indicator of a person’s propensity to believe earth has been visited is found when looking at their relationship with the iconic television show The X-Files. The correlation makes sense – believers may seek out a show that explores this issue, and non-believing viewers may be more inclined to ponder the question after watching. As seen in the following graph, seven-in-ten (71%) hardcore fans report that the belief that aliens have visited earth, roughly double the number among people who are unfamiliar with the show.
What about ghosts?
Belief in the unknown doesn’t stop with ponderings of aliens. While Canadians are confident of the presence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, and split over ET visitation on earth, they are less willing commit to the existence of ghosts. Just three-in-ten (30%) say people who die with unfinished business can remain on Earth as spirits. Women are much more open to this idea – just 29 per cent say this is definitely not true, compared to half of men (48%).
Notably, while they might not believe that ghosts are hanging around waiting to tie up some loose ends, Canadians are slightly more likely to say that the lines of communication with the dead may remain open. Nearly one-in-three (30%) say it’s either “definitely” or “probably” possible to communicate with the dead, while one-third (33%) rule it out entirely.
Again, women are significantly more open to the possibility of the supernatural. In this case, they are twice as likely to say is it either definitely or probably true that humans are able to communicate with those passed on.
This passion for the paranormal among women extends further: they are also more likely than men to say that some people may possess psychic powers, allowing them to predict future events, and are also more likely to say that there are simply events that happen on earth that cannot be explained by science:
If there’s a place you’re unlikely to find many Canadians, it’s out squatching in the Pacific Northwest with other Bigfoot hunters or scouring Okanagan Lake searching for Ogopogo. The belief in “cryptids” – animals that have not been proven to exist, like the aforementioned Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster – is shunned by most Canadians. Nearly half (46%) say these animals probably don’t exist, while another three-in-ten (28%) say they definitely don’t.
The Angus Reid Institute (ARI) was founded in October 2014 by pollster and sociologist, Dr. Angus Reid. ARI is a national, not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research organization established to advance education by commissioning, conducting and disseminating to the public accessible and impartial statistical data, research and policy analysis on economics, political science, philanthropy, public administration, domestic and international affairs and other socio-economic issues of importance to Canada and its world.
Click here for the full report including tables and methodology
Click here for comprehensive data tables
Click here for the questionnaire used in this survey
MEDIA CONTACT: Shachi Kurl, Executive Director: 604.908.1693 [email protected]
Image Credit – ruanyuanyuan123456789
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For more than 50 years, Americans were drawn to the suburbs, with their sylvan promises of easy living.
Owning your own home with a car (or two!) in the driveway and piece of lawn was seen as central to the American dream. But the latest census numbers show a reverse migration — from suburbs back into the cities.
The data showed a faster growth rate in the cities than in the suburbs for the first time in 90 years.
City real estate is now more valuable, and there are even big box retailers setting up shop in downtowns.
"I think owning a home is still something people want to do and it's certainly a noble thing, but where people want those homes to be and the type of homes they want to live in and who is going to live in those homes is all in the middle of this transformational shift," said Leigh Gallagher, author of "The End of the Suburbs: Where the American Dream is Moving".
The suburbs originally sprouted to accommodate soldiers returning from World War II wanting nothing but a good place to settle down and raise a family — preferably with some land and privacy. Soldiers initially found a housing shortage, something hard to imagine now, when they first returned, but homebuilders quickly caught up with "cookie cutter" homes and communities.
The sprawl of the suburbs extended farther away from the cities, eventually too far for many people, including those spending more to commute to work than paying for their house.
Now things are changing.
As the cost of living in cities continues to rise, poor people are being pushed out into the suburbs.
"Really the 2000s was a striking decade for the magnitude of growth we saw in poverty, not just overall but particularly in the suburbs," said Elizabeth Kneebone, a fellow at the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. "Between 2000 and 2011, the poor population living in suburbs of our major metropolitan areas grew by 64 percent, that was more than twice the rate of growth in large cities in those regions."
T here are now more poor people living in suburbs than in cities for the first time, often making it difficult for them to access the resources in cities availablefor pulling themselves out of poverty.
But before you write off the neighborhood of center-hall colonials, the notion of the "death" of the suburbs has its skeptics.
"Every decade we sort of get this talk about how we have this movement away from the suburbs and then I just don't see it in the data," said Sam Staley, the managing director of the DeVoe L. Moore Center at Florida State University. "It's really not that fundamentally different from what I think we've been seeing, I think we are seeing that people want more varied products that they can choose from."
Suburbs are also suffering an identity crisis, as their demographics shift away from families to aging couples and people living by themselves.
"The birth rate is going down in our country, the sort of traditional family unit is becoming a shrinking part of the household makeup in our country and that's reflecting itself in a number of ways," Gallagher said.
Gallagher said she expects suburbs to make difficult changes, but not disappear.
"I do think the future is optimistic and a lot of suburbs are reinventing themselves," she said. |
Those hoping to follow the progress of April the giraffe and her baby calf might be disappointed to find out that officials at the Animal Adventure Park decided to discontinue the stream.
The YouTube stream, which has been running almost continuously since February, has been viewed by millions of animal lovers.
On Saturday, thousands tuned in to watch 15-year-old April give birth to her fourth calf. The male calf has yet to be named.
Related: Here's how to help name April's calf
On Monday, April injured her leg. The zoo said following April's injury that emails from concerned viewers to the Animal Adventure Park have caused the organization's servers to be bogged down.
"April had a small twist of her leg today which has her favoring it. This is not unheard of in such long legged animals. Dr Tim was on site and all is well," the Animal Adventure Park said. "We appreciate concern but the bogging down of email servers and other platforms is the exact reason the giraffe cam will need be pulled."
The zoo said it appreciates the concerns of viewers, but it has affected operations.
Photos: Baby giraffes around the world
"It is interfering with normal park operations and preparation for opening; at a period when our resource of time is limited and cannot be hindered," the Animal Adventure Park said.
As of Monday evening, the stream was still active. |
– CBS4 has learned that an internal investigation is underway into the interim head of the Denver Sheriff Department, Elias Diggins, and the captain in charge of the Denver Sheriff’s Internal Affairs Bureau after an internal affairs investigator blew the whistle, saying he was ordered to destroy a videotape that showed an inmate being humiliated and degraded.
“This is the definition of corruption,” said Brent Miller, who believes the sheriffs department fired him earlier this month for refusing to destroy the tape. Miller worked for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 26 years before retiring. He then agreed to go to work for the Denver Sheriff Department as a civilian internal affairs investigator, brought on to help clear up a backlog of internal affairs cases.
“It was a huge challenge. I loved it and looked forward to going to work every day,” said Miller.
Miller said he was assigned to investigate several complaints filed by jail inmate Christopher Colbruno. Earlier this month, he was assigned yet another case involving Colbruno. Sheriff’s deputies were transporting Colbruno to Denver Health Medical Center for medical attention, but at some point Colbruno defecated on himself and his jail clothing. Before entering the hospital , deputies removed Colbruno’s clothing and walked him through hospital hallways wearing only handcuffs, but no clothing.
Personnel at Denver Health Medical Center felt the inmate had been subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment by being forced to walk nude through the hospital hallways so they filed a complaint with the Denver Sheriff Department. The complaint was assigned to Miller. On May 11, Miller and a second investigator traveled to Denver Health Medical Center to obtain a copy of hospital videotape showing Colbruno in the hospital.
When he returned to his office with the tape, Miller said he was approached by Captain Paul Ortega, who leads the Sheriff Department’s internal affairs bureau.
“He asked me if I had uploaded this video yet and I told him I had not and told me,’good, don’t do that because they’re making that go away, it’s not going to be a case anymore.’”
CBS4 asked Miller a second time to recount what he was told by Capt. Ortega, “He told me don’t upload it they’re making it go away. Who is they? He said the sheriff then told me to get rid of the video. Do not upload it get rid of the video and I immediately told him that’s not ethical to get rid of evidence in a case.”
Miller said Captain Ortega agreed with him but said, “That’s the way it is.”
Miller said he refused to destroy the tape and instead gave it to another investigator for safekeeping.
The next day, May 12, Miller was told to report to Ortega’s office.
“I was told I was being terminated by the Denver Sheriff Department because I was too opinionated and they wanted to go in a different direction,” said Miller.
The termination order obtained by CBS4 was signed by Sheriff Elias Diggins, who Ortega said had told him to have the tape destroyed.
Contacted by CBS4, Diggins declined to discuss the CBS4 report, “I cannot talk about any internal investigation.”
Captain Ortega did not respond to multiple inquiries from CBS4.
“I believe I was fired because I stood up to what I perceived to be unethical behavior and corruption by the Denver Sheriff’s Department and the Manager of Safety’s Office,” said Miller. “I expressed those opinions that what they were doing was unethical, improper and corrupt and I didn’t want to be a part of it. I cannot be part of losing evidence or getting rid of evidence or letting those collusions of corruption go on within the city. I don’t want to be a part of that.”
After CBS4 began making inquiries, Stephanie O’Malley, Denver Executive Director of Safety released this statement: “I have directed the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Denver Police Department to investigate allegations of misconduct by command officers in the Denver Sheriff Department,” wrote O’Malley. “This investigation was initiated immediately after I learned of the allegations and their nature.”
She declined to address specifics of the CBS4 Investigation but wrote that, “I am able to verify that Senior Investigator Miller did not pass his employment probation with the City of Denver due to performance issues unrelated to the allegations referenced above.”
Miller disputes that assessment saying he was always told his work was solid and there were no issues.
Miller has now hired an attorney who plans to file a federal lawsuit against the Denver Sheriff Department saying Miller was fired as retaliation for exercising his first amendment rights.
“We do believe there is evidence to corroborate what happened here,” said attorney Donald Sisson. “We think there is ample evidence that will prove Brent Miller’s case.”
Sisson said in his view, it’s no coincidence that Miller refused to destroy a videotape then was told the next day that he was being fired.
“I want the people to really know what’s going on,” Miller told CBS4. “I just want things to be honest and fair and that’s the way Denver needs to do business.”
The provocative revelations from Miller come a week after an independent consultant released an extensive report recommending sweeping changes at the Denver Sheriff Department.
CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4. |
Kobe Bryant, your favorite high-functioning sociopath and mine, tore his Achilles tendon Friday night during a win against the Warriors. We've been hearing about "torn Achilles" for years now, but for most fans, the operational definition of the injury remains ambiguous. You hear a player has torn an Achilles, and you assume he'll be out for a year or so, and that he probably won't be as fast or explosive when he comes back. That interpretation isn't necessarily wrong, but it elides a lot of the real complications and effects of the injury.
The Achilles connects your calf muscles to your heel bones. It is the thickest and strongest tendon in the human body. Kobe's injury is a third-degree tear, which means that his tendon has completely ruptured. Think a rubber band; an Achilles with a minimal to moderate tear is like a rubber band with a nick in it that's still mostly holding together; an Achilles with a third-degree tear is a rubber band that snapped in two and is flopping uselessly around. Surgical treatments and rehab processes can vary widely from doctor to doctor, but Kobe's six- to nine-month range seems realistic, though perhaps verging on optimistic.
That's because, even after surgery to repair the tear, there's a lot that can go wrong. Patients are typically rushed into surgery relatively quickly to keep the ends of the tendon from shortening, which would reduce range of motion and the ability to store energy. Surgery poses the risk of over-elongating the tendon, though, which could also severely impair functionality. Since the Achilles tendon is so closely related to running speed and power generation, any of that is bad news for an athlete—and especially for an athlete as driven as Bryant.
What Does It Mean For NBA Players?
Coincidentally, Bryant's injury comes just a few weeks after a group of doctors presented a paper on Achilles injuries in NBA players at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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The paper, "Performance Outcomes after Repair of Complete Achilles Tendon Ruptures in National Basketball Association Players," isn't available online yet (it will be published in an upcoming issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine), but the baselines it lays out aren't encouraging for Bryant's prospects, especially if he still plans on retiring after next season.
Dr. Douglas Cerynik and Dr. Nirav H. Amin, both of Drexel University, were co-authors of the paper and kind enough to speak with me this past weekend. Along with their other collaborators, they examined 18 players who'd sustained ruptured Achilles tendons between the years of 1992 and 2012. Of those players, seven never returned to play in the NBA, and 11 came back for at least one season. Eight of those 11 returned to the league for multiple seasons.
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The average age for injured players was 29.7, with seven years of playing experience (Kobe's in his 17th year); in the first year back from injury, players played 5.21 fewer minutes per game. That number dropped to 4.42 in the second year back. More tellingly, player efficiency rating (PER) dropped by 4.64 the first year back and 4.28 the second. To understand how severe that drop is, consider: This year, a difference of 4.64 PER is the difference between Kobe Bryant and Ersan Ilyasova.
On a per 40-minute basis, "athletic" stats like blocks, rebounds, and steals actually held steady post-injury. The same is true for field goal and free throw shooting percentages. Given players' dropoffs in overall efficiency, that was surprising, so I dug a little deeper and looked at rebound rates, free throw attempts, and other areas that might affect a player's PER. There is a general decline in FTA in post-injury years (which would pose a problem for Kobe, given how many shots he takes), with rebound rates actually holding more or less steady. The dropoffs showed up in any number of categories. Some players shot abysmally once they came back; for others, usage rates plummeted, suggesting they were no longer capable of creating their own offense. But taken as a whole, there was an obvious and expected drop in efficiency for nearly everyone.
Position didn't affect recovery time, Amin says. "We had a well-rounded group of players," he says. "There wasn't a conclusion that said all the forwards came back and none of the centers. It was spread evenly throughout."
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Indeed, players as diverse as Elton Brand, whose game by the time of his injury existed almost purely from 15-18 feet, and Maurice Taylor, who brought power, finesse, and, later, extreme apathy to the low post, were both able to recover within a year or two and remain productive. (Though neither ever matched pre-injury rates.) However, both were relatively young at the time of their injuries (28 and 25, respectively). Dominique Wilkins was the only player to return completely to form after the injury.
Players also missed an average of 55.9 games, but that number is obviously noisy; you'll miss more games if your injury comes at the beginning of a season, rather than just before the off season.
Also, an obvious caveat: This isn't a humongous sample size. Because the NBA doesn't have a centralized injury database like the NFL's, compiling data can be difficult. The Drexel team spent months searching Google and old media clips for instances of Achilles injuries. (So if you spot any missing names on the list below, excluding very recent names like Chauncey Billups, shoot me an email.)
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So, What About Kobe?
Even seemingly favorable comparisons don't paint a very encouraging picture for Kobe, who's 34 years old. The experience of Dominique Wilkins—who ruptured his Achilles in the 1991-1992 season, at age 32, and came back to average 30 points the following year—has been invoked several times over the past few days. Wilkins was also an aging, athletic slasher, and he came back to play at an All-Star level for four more years, and at a high level for two more after that. It's an encouraging comp for Kobe fans. Except: It's not, really.
At the time of his injury, Dominique had played 27,482 minutes over 10 seasons (playoffs included). Kobe, now in his 17th year, has logged 54,041 minutes. He's just two years older than Wilkins was at the time of his injury, but he has twice as much pro basketball mileage on his legs. And that doesn't even take into account Kobe's slogs through international competition (another 37 games started).
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The better, if still remote, comparison is Isiah Thomas, who at the age of 32 tore his Achilles (it was the same year as Wilkins's injury). Thomas had played more seasons (13) and far more minutes (39,732 combined regular season and playoffs) than Wilkins, however. Rather than face the grueling comeback that Bryant is facing, he never played in the NBA again.
Age Is A Factor
Kobe, who turns 35 in August, is already on the wrong end of the aging curve. That alone doesn't bode well for his recovery.
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"There have been 18 [Achilles tendon ruptures] over a 23-year period, and Kobe's on the extreme end of the age range," Amin told us. "Players of a similar age have generally not been able to return to play."
Kobe's age likely contributed to the injury in the first place. According to Cerynik, the average age of players who suffered Achilles ruptures was 29, while the average age of players in the league over the same period was 27. What's more, the injured players had 7.6 years of experience; the league average was six.
It's simple physiology, really. As the body ages, tendons and ligaments lose water content, making them more fragile and less elastic. This is where old-man knee ache comes from. It happens at different rates for different people, but it's nonetheless inescapable.
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Mike D'Antoni Is A Factor, Too
Kobe's been playing 38.6 minutes per game. He certainly hates the sideline, but there's some precedent here with Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni: He tends to play his stars for long minutes, and those stars tend to go down with injuries—think Amar'e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin in New York. Is it possible that Kobe's injury could have been prevented, had the L.A. coaching staff been more diligent about his minutes?
The short answer is: Yes, of course. Overuse of tendons is one of the main and obvious causes of injuries to them. And Kobe had been playing a prodigious amount of minutes all season long, and especially leading up to the injury. (Bryant is second in the league at 38.6 minutes per game, and fourth in total minutes behind three players who have played more games. He'd averaged 45.2 minutes in six games in April, and dating back to last month, he'd had a stretch of 48, 47, 43, 47, 48, 41, and 45, which would have been 48 had he not been injured.) Still, it's difficult to be certain, according to Cerynik.
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"Definitively, you'd need serial MRIs every month over the season. But there are two ways that the Achilles tears: a chronic, prolonged condition or an extreme sudden one," Cerynik says. "Only one player [in the study] had a prior history of Achilles strain, which caused us to assume that a lot of them were sudden forceful injuries. We don't have the records from each case, though, so it could be that there were other factors."
The one thing that's certain, though, is that the injury needs time to heal properly. "If there's no infection—that's one of the early risks—then it's the immobilization period, and progressing in a gentle fashion and not overtaxing and causing secondary damage to something that's healing," Cerynik says. "You'd see that with some of the microfracture guys who tried to come back early and had to sit out again."
"Gentle fashion," "not overtaxing," "immobilization." Does that sound like the Kobe ethos to you?
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The Case For Kobe
To argue in favor of Kobe Bryant returning whole next year and resuming his role as a force in the league, you can't rely on science or precedent or basically anything anyone has ever seen related to Achilles tendon injuries. You just have to throw your hands up and say: Kobe is a freak, and therefore will be just fine. It actually isn't as absurd an argument as it sounds.
By definition, an NBA athlete is a freak-show anomaly, a star player like Kobe even more so. Bryant is an exceptional player and athlete, and he always has been. Unlike the undersized Brand, Kobe is the prototype for his position. He's big for a shooting guard, and he's strong and skilled enough to work from the post effectively. And while an unsure left ankle could slow his celebrated footwork, he should still have enough length and spring in his legs to rise for his jumper. He hasn't been playing any defense this year anyway, so it's not like that will get any worse.
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And as much as he still relies on his seemingly ageless athleticism, he's just as much of a mutant when it comes to diagnosing plays and identifying soft spots in defenses. He's shown this year that he also has the capacity to exploit those skills as a high-level point guard when needed. It's a cruel piece of fortune that Kobe went down the same year he finally showed us how complete his game can be, by peeling back new layers and deconstructing the role of primary distributor.
Kobe Doin' Young Kobe This was the moment at the Barclays Center last night that the entire upper deck—populated by… Read more Read
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The proposition, then, is that Bryant's mind and body are too far removed from those of a typical NBA player to consider the possibility that he'll be a typical NBA Achilles casualty. It's not a wholly unconvincing argument. Just know that there's no such thing as a genetically "good healer" or a "fast healer." Good overall health and fitness, which Kobe certainly possesses, can go a long way toward limiting complications like infection, but no more. Kobe is a human being. And for human beings of all athletic abilities, this is a devastating injury.
***
The list of NBA players in Drexel paper: |
This article is about the electromagnetic wave. For the cooking appliance, see Microwave oven . For other uses, see Microwaves (disambiguation)
A telecommunications tower with a variety of dish antennas for microwave relay links on Frazier Peak , Ventura County, California . The apertures of the dishes are covered by plastic sheets ( radomes ) to keep out moisture.
The atmospheric attenuation of microwaves and far infrared radiation in dry air with a precipitable water vapor level of 0.001 mm. The downward spikes in the graph correspond to frequencies at which microwaves are absorbed more strongly. This graph includes a range of frequencies from 0 to 1 THz; the microwaves are the subset in the range between 0.3 and 300 gigahertz.
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter; with frequencies between 300 MHz (1 m) and 300 GHz (1 mm).[1][2][3][4][5] Different sources define different frequency ranges as microwaves; the above broad definition includes both UHF and EHF (millimeter wave) bands. A more common definition in radio engineering is the range between 1 and 100 GHz (wavelengths between 0.3 m and 3 mm).[2] In all cases, microwaves include the entire SHF band (3 to 30 GHz, or 10 to 1 cm) at minimum. Frequencies in the microwave range are often referred to by their IEEE radar band designations: S, C, X, K u , K, or K a band, or by similar NATO or EU designations.
The prefix micro- in microwave is not meant to suggest a wavelength in the micrometer range. Rather, it indicates that microwaves are "small" (having shorter wavelengths), compared to the radio waves used prior to microwave technology. The boundaries between far infrared, terahertz radiation, microwaves, and ultra-high-frequency radio waves are fairly arbitrary and are used variously between different fields of study.
Microwaves travel by line-of-sight; unlike lower frequency radio waves they do not diffract around hills, follow the earth's surface as ground waves, or reflect from the ionosphere, so terrestrial microwave communication links are limited by the visual horizon to about 40 miles (64 km). At the high end of the band they are absorbed by gases in the atmosphere, limiting practical communication distances to around a kilometer. Microwaves are widely used in modern technology, for example in point-to-point communication links, wireless networks, microwave radio relay networks, radar, satellite and spacecraft communication, medical diathermy and cancer treatment, remote sensing, radio astronomy, particle accelerators, spectroscopy, industrial heating, collision avoidance systems, garage door openers and keyless entry systems, and for cooking food in microwave ovens.
Electromagnetic spectrum
Microwaves occupy a place in the electromagnetic spectrum with frequency above ordinary radio waves, and below infrared light:
In descriptions of the electromagnetic spectrum, some sources classify microwaves as radio waves, a subset of the radio wave band; while others classify microwaves and radio waves as distinct types of radiation. This is an arbitrary distinction.
Propagation
Microwaves travel solely by line-of-sight paths; unlike lower frequency radio waves, they do not travel as ground waves which follow the contour of the Earth, or reflect off the ionosphere (skywaves).[6] Although at the low end of the band they can pass through building walls enough for useful reception, usually rights of way cleared to the first Fresnel zone are required. Therefore, on the surface of the Earth, microwave communication links are limited by the visual horizon to about 30–40 miles (48–64 km). Microwaves are absorbed by moisture in the atmosphere, and the attenuation increases with frequency, becoming a significant factor (rain fade) at the high end of the band. Beginning at about 40 GHz, atmospheric gases also begin to absorb microwaves, so above this frequency microwave transmission is limited to a few kilometers. A spectral band structure causes absorption peaks at specific frequencies (see graph at right). Above 100 GHz, the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by Earth's atmosphere is so great that it is in effect opaque, until the atmosphere becomes transparent again in the so-called infrared and optical window frequency ranges.
Troposcatter
In a microwave beam directed at an angle into the sky, a small amount of the power will be randomly scattered as the beam passes through the troposphere.[6] A sensitive receiver beyond the horizon with a high gain antenna focused on that area of the troposphere can pick up the signal. This technique has been used at frequencies between 0.45 and 5 GHz in tropospheric scatter (troposcatter) communication systems to communicate beyond the horizon, at distances up to 300 km.
Antennas
The short wavelengths of microwaves allow omnidirectional antennas for portable devices to be made very small, from 1 to 20 centimeters long, so microwave frequencies are widely used for wireless devices such as cell phones, cordless phones, and wireless LANs (Wi-Fi) access for laptops, and Bluetooth earphones. Antennas used include short whip antennas, rubber ducky antennas, sleeve dipoles, patch antennas, and increasingly the printed circuit inverted F antenna (PIFA) used in cell phones.
Their short wavelength also allows narrow beams of microwaves to be produced by conveniently small high gain antennas from a half meter to 5 meters in diameter. Therefore, beams of microwaves are used for point-to-point communication links, and for radar. An advantage of narrow beams is that they don't interfere with nearby equipment using the same frequency, allowing frequency reuse by nearby transmitters. Parabolic ("dish") antennas are the most widely used directive antennas at microwave frequencies, but horn antennas, slot antennas and dielectric lens antennas are also used. Flat microstrip antennas are being increasingly used in consumer devices. Another directive antenna practical at microwave frequencies is the phased array, a computer-controlled array of antennas which produces a beam which can be electronically steered in different directions.
At microwave frequencies, the transmission lines which are used to carry lower frequency radio waves to and from antennas, such as coaxial cable and parallel wire lines, have excessive power losses, so when low attenuation is required microwaves are carried by metal pipes called waveguides. Due to the high cost and maintenance requirements of waveguide runs, in many microwave antennas the output stage of the transmitter or the RF front end of the receiver is located at the antenna.
Design and analysis
The term microwave also has a more technical meaning in electromagnetics and circuit theory.[7] Apparatus and techniques may be described qualitatively as "microwave" when the wavelengths of signals are roughly the same as the dimensions of the circuit, so that lumped-element circuit theory is inaccurate, and instead distributed circuit elements and transmission-line theory are more useful methods for design and analysis.
As a consequence, practical microwave circuits tend to move away from the discrete resistors, capacitors, and inductors used with lower-frequency radio waves. Open-wire and coaxial transmission lines used at lower frequencies are replaced by waveguides and stripline, and lumped-element tuned circuits are replaced by cavity resonators or resonant stubs.[7] In turn, at even higher frequencies, where the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves becomes small in comparison to the size of the structures used to process them, microwave techniques become inadequate, and the methods of optics are used.
Microwave sources
High-power microwave sources use specialized vacuum tubes to generate microwaves. These devices operate on different principles from low-frequency vacuum tubes, using the ballistic motion of electrons in a vacuum under the influence of controlling electric or magnetic fields, and include the magnetron (used in microwave ovens), klystron, traveling-wave tube (TWT), and gyrotron. These devices work in the density modulated mode, rather than the current modulated mode. This means that they work on the basis of clumps of electrons flying ballistically through them, rather than using a continuous stream of electrons.
Low-power microwave sources use solid-state devices such as the field-effect transistor (at least at lower frequencies), tunnel diodes, Gunn diodes, and IMPATT diodes.[8] Low-power sources are available as benchtop instruments, rackmount instruments, embeddable modules and in card-level formats. A maser is a solid state device which amplifies microwaves using similar principles to the laser, which amplifies higher frequency light waves.
All warm objects emit low level microwave black-body radiation, depending on their temperature, so in meteorology and remote sensing microwave radiometers are used to measure the temperature of objects or terrain.[9] The sun[10] and other astronomical radio sources such as Cassiopeia A emit low level microwave radiation which carries information about their makeup, which is studied by radio astronomers using receivers called radio telescopes.[9] The cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR), for example, is a weak microwave noise filling empty space which is a major source of information on cosmology's Big Bang theory of the origin of the Universe.
Microwave uses
Microwave technology is extensively used for point-to-point telecommunications (i.e. non-broadcast uses). Microwaves are especially suitable for this use since they are more easily focused into narrower beams than radio waves, allowing frequency reuse; their comparatively higher frequencies allow broad bandwidth and high data transmission rates, and antenna sizes are smaller than at lower frequencies because antenna size is inversely proportional to transmitted frequency. Microwaves are used in spacecraft communication, and much of the world's data, TV, and telephone communications are transmitted long distances by microwaves between ground stations and communications satellites. Microwaves are also employed in microwave ovens and in radar technology.
Communication
Before the advent of fiber-optic transmission, most long-distance telephone calls were carried via networks of microwave radio relay links run by carriers such as AT&T Long Lines. Starting in the early 1950s, frequency division multiplex was used to send up to 5,400 telephone channels on each microwave radio channel, with as many as ten radio channels combined into one antenna for the hop to the next site, up to 70 km away.
Wireless LAN protocols, such as Bluetooth and the IEEE 802.11 specifications used for Wi-Fi, also use microwaves in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, although 802.11a uses ISM band and U-NII frequencies in the 5 GHz range. Licensed long-range (up to about 25 km) Wireless Internet Access services have been used for almost a decade in many countries in the 3.5–4.0 GHz range. The FCC recently[when?] carved out spectrum for carriers that wish to offer services in this range in the U.S. — with emphasis on 3.65 GHz. Dozens of service providers across the country are securing or have already received licenses from the FCC to operate in this band. The WIMAX service offerings that can be carried on the 3.65 GHz band will give business customers another option for connectivity.
Metropolitan area network (MAN) protocols, such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) are based on standards such as IEEE 802.16, designed to operate between 2 and 11 GHz. Commercial implementations are in the 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz and 5.8 GHz ranges.
Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA) protocols based on standards specifications such as IEEE 802.20 or ATIS/ANSI HC-SDMA (such as iBurst) operate between 1.6 and 2.3 GHz to give mobility and in-building penetration characteristics similar to mobile phones but with vastly greater spectral efficiency.[11]
Some mobile phone networks, like GSM, use the low-microwave/high-UHF frequencies around 1.8 and 1.9 GHz in the Americas and elsewhere, respectively. DVB-SH and S-DMB use 1.452 to 1.492 GHz, while proprietary/incompatible satellite radio in the U.S. uses around 2.3 GHz for DARS.
Microwave radio is used in broadcasting and telecommunication transmissions because, due to their short wavelength, highly directional antennas are smaller and therefore more practical than they would be at longer wavelengths (lower frequencies). There is also more bandwidth in the microwave spectrum than in the rest of the radio spectrum; the usable bandwidth below 300 MHz is less than 300 MHz while many GHz can be used above 300 MHz. Typically, microwaves are used in television news to transmit a signal from a remote location to a television station from a specially equipped van. See broadcast auxiliary service (BAS), remote pickup unit (RPU), and studio/transmitter link (STL).
Most satellite communications systems operate in the C, X, K a , or K u bands of the microwave spectrum. These frequencies allow large bandwidth while avoiding the crowded UHF frequencies and staying below the atmospheric absorption of EHF frequencies. Satellite TV either operates in the C band for the traditional large dish fixed satellite service or K u band for direct-broadcast satellite. Military communications run primarily over X or K u -band links, with K a band being used for Milstar.
Navigation
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) including the Chinese Beidou, the American Global Positioning System (introduced in 1978) and the Russian GLONASS broadcast navigational signals in various bands between about 1.2 GHz and 1.6 GHz.
Radar
Radar is a radiolocation technique in which a beam of radio waves emitted by a transmitter bounces off an object and returns to a receiver, allowing the location, range, speed, and other characteristics of the object to be determined. The short wavelength of microwaves causes large reflections from objects the size of motor vehicles, ships and aircraft. Also, at these wavelengths, the high gain antennas such as parabolic antennas which are required to produce the narrow beamwidths needed to accurately locate objects are conveniently small, allowing them to be rapidly turned to scan for objects. Therefore, microwave frequencies are the main frequencies used in radar. Microwave radar is widely used for applications such as air traffic control, weather forecasting, navigation of ships, and speed limit enforcement. Long distance radars use the lower microwave frequencies since at the upper end of the band atmospheric absorption limits the range, but millimeter waves are used for short range radar such as collision avoidance systems.
Radio astronomy
Microwaves emitted by astronomical radio sources; planets, stars, galaxies, and nebulas are studied in radio astronomy with large dish antennas called radio telescopes. In addition to receiving naturally occurring microwave radiation, radio telescopes have been used in active radar experiments to bounce microwaves off planets in the solar system, to determine the distance to the Moon or map the invisible surface of Venus through cloud cover.
A recently completed microwave radio telescope is the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, located at more than 5,000 meters (16,597 ft) altitude in Chile, observes the universe in the millimetre and submillimetre wavelength ranges. The world's largest ground-based astronomy project to date, it consists of more than 66 dishes and was built in an international collaboration by Europe, North America, East Asia and Chile.[12][13]
A major recent focus of microwave radio astronomy has been mapping the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) discovered in 1964 by radio astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson. This faint background radiation, which fills the universe and is almost the same in all directions, is "relic radiation" from the Big Bang, and is one of the few sources of information about conditions in the early universe. Due to the expansion and thus cooling of the Universe, the originally high-energy radiation has been shifted into the microwave region of the radio spectrum. Sufficiently sensitive radio telescopes can detected the CMBR as a faint signal that is not associated with any star, galaxy, or other object.[14]
Heating and power application
Microwaves are widely used for heating in industrial processes. A microwave tunnel oven for softening plastic rods prior to extrusion.
A microwave oven passes microwave radiation at a frequency near 2.45 GHz (12 cm) through food, causing dielectric heating primarily by absorption of the energy in water. Microwave ovens became common kitchen appliances in Western countries in the late 1970s, following the development of less expensive cavity magnetrons. Water in the liquid state possesses many molecular interactions that broaden the absorption peak. In the vapor phase, isolated water molecules absorb at around 22 GHz, almost ten times the frequency of the microwave oven.
Microwave heating is used in industrial processes for drying and curing products.
Many semiconductor processing techniques use microwaves to generate plasma for such purposes as reactive ion etching and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).
Microwave frequencies typically ranging from 110 – 140 GHz are used in stellarators and tokamak experimental fusion reactors to help heat the fuel into a plasma state. The upcoming ITER thermonuclear reactor[15] is expected to range from 110–170 GHz and will employ electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH).[16]
Microwaves can be used to transmit power over long distances, and post-World War II research was done to examine possibilities. NASA worked in the 1970s and early 1980s to research the possibilities of using solar power satellite (SPS) systems with large solar arrays that would beam power down to the Earth's surface via microwaves.
Less-than-lethal weaponry exists that uses millimeter waves to heat a thin layer of human skin to an intolerable temperature so as to make the targeted person move away. A two-second burst of the 95 GHz focused beam heats the skin to a temperature of 54 °C (129 °F) at a depth of 0.4 millimetres (1⁄ 64 in). The United States Air Force and Marines are currently using this type of active denial system in fixed installations.[17]
Spectroscopy
Microwave radiation is used in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR or ESR) spectroscopy, typically in the X-band region (~9 GHz) in conjunction typically with magnetic fields of 0.3 T. This technique provides information on unpaired electrons in chemical systems, such as free radicals or transition metal ions such as Cu(II). Microwave radiation is also used to perform rotational spectroscopy and can be combined with electrochemistry as in microwave enhanced electrochemistry.
Microwave frequency bands
Rough plot of Earth's atmospheric transmittance (or opacity) to various wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. Microwaves are strongly absorbed at wavelengths shorter than about 1.5 cm (above 20 GHz) by water and other molecules in the air.
Bands of frequencies in the microwave spectrum are designated by letters. Unfortunately, there are several incompatible band designation systems, and even within a system the frequency ranges corresponding to some of the letters vary somewhat between different application fields.[18][19] The letter system had its origin in World War 2 in a top secret U.S. classification of bands used in radar sets; this is the origin of the oldest letter system, the IEEE radar bands. One set of microwave frequency bands designations by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), is tabulated below:
Microwave frequency bands Designation Frequency range Wavelength range Typical uses L band 1 to 2 GHz 15 cm to 30 cm military telemetry, GPS, mobile phones (GSM), amateur radio S band 2 to 4 GHz 7.5 cm to 15 cm weather radar, surface ship radar, and some communications satellites (microwave ovens, microwave devices/communications, radio astronomy, mobile phones, wireless LAN, Bluetooth, ZigBee, GPS, amateur radio) C band 4 to 8 GHz 3.75 cm to 7.5 cm long-distance radio telecommunications X band 8 to 12 GHz 25 mm to 37.5 mm satellite communications, radar, terrestrial broadband, space communications, amateur radio, molecular rotational spectroscopy K u band 12 to 18 GHz 16.7 mm to 25 mm satellite communications, molecular rotational spectroscopy K band 18 to 26.5 GHz 11.3 mm to 16.7 mm radar, satellite communications, astronomical observations, automotive radar, molecular rotational spectroscopy K a band 26.5 to 40 GHz 5.0 mm to 11.3 mm satellite communications, molecular rotational spectroscopy Q band 33 to 50 GHz 6.0 mm to 9.0 mm satellite communications, terrestrial microwave communications, radio astronomy, automotive radar, molecular rotational spectroscopy U band 40 to 60 GHz 5.0 mm to 7.5 mm V band 50 to 75 GHz 4.0 mm to 6.0 mm millimeter wave radar research, molecular rotational spectroscopy and other kinds of scientific research W band 75 to 110 GHz 2.7 mm to 4.0 mm satellite communications, millimeter-wave radar research, military radar targeting and tracking applications, and some non-military applications, automotive radar F band 90 to 140 GHz 2.1 mm to 3.3 mm SHF transmissions: Radio astronomy, microwave devices/communications, wireless LAN, most modern radars, communications satellites, satellite television broadcasting, DBS, amateur radio D band 110 to 170 GHz 1.8 mm to 2.7 mm EHF transmissions: Radio astronomy, high-frequency microwave radio relay, microwave remote sensing, amateur radio, directed-energy weapon, millimeter wave scanner
P band is sometimes used for K u Band. "P" for "previous" was a radar band used in the UK ranging from 250 to 500 MHz and now obsolete per IEEE Std 521.[20][21][22]
When radars were first developed at K band during World War II, it was not known that there was a nearby absorption band (due to water vapor and oxygen in the atmosphere). To avoid this problem, the original K band was split into a lower band, K u , and upper band, K a .[23]
Microwave frequency measurement
Microwave frequency can be measured by either electronic or mechanical techniques.
Frequency counters or high frequency heterodyne systems can be used. Here the unknown frequency is compared with harmonics of a known lower frequency by use of a low frequency generator, a harmonic generator and a mixer. Accuracy of the measurement is limited by the accuracy and stability of the reference source.
Mechanical methods require a tunable resonator such as an absorption wavemeter, which has a known relation between a physical dimension and frequency.
In a laboratory setting, Lecher lines can be used to directly measure the wavelength on a transmission line made of parallel wires, the frequency can then be calculated. A similar technique is to use a slotted waveguide or slotted coaxial line to directly measure the wavelength. These devices consist of a probe introduced into the line through a longitudinal slot, so that the probe is free to travel up and down the line. Slotted lines are primarily intended for measurement of the voltage standing wave ratio on the line. However, provided a standing wave is present, they may also be used to measure the distance between the nodes, which is equal to half the wavelength. Precision of this method is limited by the determination of the nodal locations.
Effects on health
Microwaves do not contain sufficient energy to chemically change substances by ionization, and so are an example of non-ionizing radiation.[24] The word "radiation" refers to energy radiating from a source and not to radioactivity. It has not been shown conclusively that microwaves (or other non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation) have significant adverse biological effects at low levels. Some, but not all, studies suggest that long-term exposure may have a carcinogenic effect.[25] This is separate from the risks associated with very high-intensity exposure, which can cause heating and burns like any heat source, and not a unique property of microwaves specifically.
During World War II, it was observed that individuals in the radiation path of radar installations experienced clicks and buzzing sounds in response to microwave radiation. This microwave auditory effect was thought to be caused by the microwaves inducing an electric current in the hearing centers of the brain.[26] Research by NASA in the 1970s has shown this to be caused by thermal expansion in parts of the inner ear. In 1955 Dr. James Lovelock was able to reanimate rats chilled to 0-1°C using microwave diathermy.[27]
When injury from exposure to microwaves occurs, it usually results from dielectric heating induced in the body. Exposure to microwave radiation can produce cataracts by this mechanism,[28] because the microwave heating denatures proteins in the crystalline lens of the eye (in the same way that heat turns egg whites white and opaque). The lens and cornea of the eye are especially vulnerable because they contain no blood vessels that can carry away heat. Exposure to heavy doses of microwave radiation (as from an oven that has been tampered with to allow operation even with the door open) can produce heat damage in other tissues as well, up to and including serious burns that may not be immediately evident because of the tendency for microwaves to heat deeper tissues with higher moisture content.
Eleanor R. Adair conducted microwave health research by exposing herself, animals and humans to microwave levels that made them feel warm or even start to sweat and feel quite uncomfortable. She found no adverse health effects other than heat.
History
Hertzian optics
Microwaves were first generated in the 1880s and 1890s in some of the earliest radio experiments by physicists who thought of them as a form of "invisible light".[29] James Clerk Maxwell in his 1873 theory of electromagnetism, now called Maxwell's equations, had predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves and proposed that light was composed of these waves. In 1888, German physicist Heinrich Hertz was the first to demonstrate the existence of radio waves using a primitive spark gap radio transmitter.[30] Hertz and the other early radio researchers were interested in exploring the similarities between radio waves and light waves, to test Maxwell's theory. They concentrated on producing short wavelength radio waves in the UHF and microwave ranges, with which they could duplicate classic optics experiments, using quasioptical components such as prisms and lenses made of paraffin, sulfur and pitch and wire diffraction gratings, to refract and diffract radio waves like light rays.[31] Hertz produced waves up to 450 MHz; his directional 450 MHz transmitter consisted of a 26 cm brass rod dipole antenna with a spark gap between the ends suspended at the focal line of a parabolic antenna made of a curved zinc sheet, powered by high voltage pulses from an induction coil.[30] His historic experiments demonstrated that radio waves like light exhibited refraction, diffraction, polarization, interference and standing waves,[31] proving that radio waves and light waves were both forms of Maxwell's electromagnetic waves.
In 1894, Oliver Lodge and Augusto Righi generated 1.5 and 12 GHz microwaves respectively with small metal ball spark resonators.[31] The same year Indian physicist Jagadish Chandra Bose was the first person to produce millimeter waves, generating 60 GHz (5 millimeter) microwaves using a 3 mm metal ball spark oscillator.[32][31] Bose also invented waveguide and horn antennas for use in his experiments. Russian physicist Pyotr Lebedev in 1895 generated 50 GHz millimeter waves.[31] In 1897 Lord Rayleigh solved the mathematical boundary-value problem of electromagnetic waves propagating through conducting tubes and dielectric rods of arbitrary shape.[33][34][35][36] which gave the modes and cutoff frequency of microwaves propagating through a waveguide.[30]
However, since microwaves were limited to line of sight paths, they could not communicate beyond the visual horizon, and the low power of the spark transmitters then in use limited their practical range to a few miles. The subsequent development of radio communication after 1896 employed lower frequencies, which could travel beyond the horizon as ground waves and by reflecting off the ionosphere as skywaves, and microwave frequencies were not further explored at this time.
First microwave communication experiments
Practical use of microwave frequencies did not occur until the 1940s and 1950s due to a lack of adequate sources, since the triode vacuum tube (valve) electronic oscillator used in radio transmitters could not produce frequencies above a few hundred megahertz due to excessive electron transit time and interelectrode capacitance.[30] By the 1930s, the first low power microwave vacuum tubes had been developed using new principles; the Barkhausen-Kurz tube and the split-anode magnetron.[30] These could generate a few watts of power at frequencies up to a few gigahertz, and were used in the first experiments in communication with microwaves.
Antennas of 1931 experimental 1.7 GHz microwave relay link across the English Channel.
Experimental 700 MHz transmitter 1932 at Westinghouse labs transmits voice over a mile.
In 1931 an Anglo-French consortium demonstrated the first experimental microwave relay link, across the English Channel 40 miles (64 km) between Dover, UK and Calais, France.[37][38] The system transmitted telephony, telegraph and facsimile data over bidirectional 1.7 GHz beams with a power of one-half watt, produced by miniature Barkhausen-Kurz tubes at the focus of 10-foot (3 m) metal dishes.
A word was needed to distinguish these new shorter wavelengths, which had previously been lumped into the "short wave" band, which meant all waves shorter than 200 meters. The terms quasi-optical waves and ultrashort waves were used briefly, but didn't catch on. The first usage of the word microwave apparently occurred in 1931.[38][39]
Radar
The development of radar, mainly in secrecy, before and during World War 2, resulted in the technological advances which made microwaves practical.[30] Radar antennas small enough to fit on aircraft which had a narrow enough beamwidth to localize enemy aircraft required wavelengths in the centimeter range. It was found that conventional transmission lines used to carry radio waves had excessive power losses at microwave frequencies, and George Southworth at Bell Labs and Wilmer Barrow at MIT independently invented waveguide in 1936.[33] Barrow invented the horn antenna in 1938 as a means to efficiently radiate microwaves into or out of a waveguide. In a microwave receiver, a nonlinear component was needed that would act as a detector and mixer at these frequencies, as vacuum tubes had too much capacitance. To fill this need researchers resurrected an obsolete technology, the point contact crystal detector (cat whisker detector) which was used as a demodulator in crystal radios around the turn of the century before vacuum tube receivers.[30][40] The low capacitance of semiconductor junctions allowed them to function at microwave frequencies. The first modern silicon and germanium diodes were developed as microwave detectors in the 1930s, and the principles of semiconductor physics learned during their development led to semiconductor electronics after the war.[30]
Southworth (at left) demonstrating waveguide at IRE meeting in 1938, showing 1.5 GHz microwaves passing through the 7.5 m flexible metal hose registering on a diode detector.
The first modern horn antenna in 1938 with inventor Wilmer L. Barrow
AN/APS-4 10 GHz air intercept radar used on US and British warplanes in World War 2
Mobile US Army microwave relay station 1945 demonstrating relay systems using frequencies from 100 MHz to 4.9 GHz which could transmit up to 8 phone calls on a beam.
The first powerful sources of microwaves were invented at the beginning of World War 2: the klystron tube by Russell and Sigurd Varian at Stanford University in 1937, and the cavity magnetron tube by John Randall and Harry Boot at Birmingham University, UK in 1940.[30] Britain's 1940 decision to share its microwave technology with the US (the Tizard Mission) significantly influenced the outcome of the war. The MIT Radiation Laboratory established secretly at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1940 to research radar, produced much of the theoretical knowledge necessary to use microwaves. By 1943, 10 centimeter (3 GHz) radar was in use on British and American warplanes. The first microwave relay systems were developed by the Allied military near the end of the war and used for secure battlefield communication networks in the European theater.
Post World War 2
After World War 2, microwaves were rapidly exploited commercially.[30] Due to their high frequency they had a very large information-carrying capacity (bandwidth); a single microwave beam could carry tens of thousands of phone calls. In the 1950s and 60s transcontinental microwave relay networks were built in the US and Europe to exchange telephone calls between cities and distribute television programs. In the new television broadcasting industry, from the 1940s microwave dishes were used to transmit backhaul video feed from mobile production trucks back to the studio, allowing the first remote TV broadcasts. The first communications satellites were launched in the 1960s, which relayed telephone calls and television between widely separated points on Earth using microwave beams. In 1964, Arno Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson while investigating noise in a satellite horn antenna at Bell Labs, Holmdel, New Jersey discovered cosmic microwave background radiation.
C-band horn antennas at a telephone switching center in Seattle, belonging to AT&T's Long Lines microwave relay network built in the 1960s. Microwave lens antenna used in the radar for the 1954 Nike Ajax anti-aircraft missile The first commercial microwave oven, Amana's Radarange , in kitchen of US aircraft carrier Savannah in 1961
Microwave radar became the central technology used in air traffic control, maritime navigation, anti-aircraft defense, ballistic missile detection, and later many other uses. Radar and satellite communication motivated the development of modern microwave antennas; the parabolic antenna (the most common type), cassegrain antenna, lens antenna, slot antenna, and phased array.
The ability of short waves to quickly heat materials and cook food had been investigated in the 1930s by I. F. Mouromtseff at Westinghouse, and at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair demonstrated cooking meals with a 60 MHz radio transmitter.[41] In 1945 Percy Spencer, an engineer working on radar at Raytheon, noticed that microwave radiation from a magnetron oscillator melted a candy bar in his pocket. He investigated cooking with microwaves and invented the microwave oven, consisting of a magnetron feeding microwaves into a closed metal cavity containing food, which was patented by Raytheon on 8 October 1945. Due to their expense microwave ovens were initially used in institutional kitchens, but by 1986 roughly 25% of households in the U.S. owned one. Microwave heating became widely used as an industrial process in industries such as plastics fabrication, and as a medical therapy to kill cancer cells in microwave hyperthermy.
The traveling wave tube (TWT) developed in 1943 by Rudolph Kompfner and John Pierce provided a high-power tunable source of microwaves up to 50 GHz, and became the most widely used microwave tube (besides the ubiquitous magnetron used in microwave ovens). The gyrotron tube family developed in Russia could produce megawatts of power up into millimeter wave frequencies, and is used in industrial heating and plasma research, and to power particle accelerators and nuclear fusion reactors.
Solid state microwave devices
The development of semiconductor electronics in the 1950s led to the first solid state microwave devices which worked by a new principle; negative resistance (some of the prewar microwave tubes had also used negative resistance).[30] The feedback oscillator and two-port amplifiers which were used at lower frequencies became unstable at microwave frequencies, and negative resistance oscillators and amplifiers based on one-port devices like diodes worked better.
The tunnel diode invented in 1957 by Japanese physicist Leo Esaki could produce a few milliwatts of microwave power. Its invention set off a search for better negative resistance semiconductor devices for use as microwave oscillators, resulting in the invention of the IMPATT diode in 1956 by W.T. Read and Ralph L. Johnston and the Gunn diode in 1962 by J. B. Gunn.[30] Diodes are the most widely used microwave sources today. Two low-noise solid state negative resistance microwave amplifiers were developed; the ruby maser invented in 1953 by Charles H. Townes, James P. Gordon, and H. J. Zeiger, and the varactor parametric amplifier developed in 1956 by Marion Hines.[30] These were used for low noise microwave receivers in radio telescopes and satellite ground stations. The maser led to the development of atomic clocks, which keep time using a precise microwave frequency emitted by atoms undergoing an electron transition between two energy levels. Negative resistance amplifier circuits required the invention of new nonreciprocal waveguide components, such as circulators, isolators, and directional couplers. In 1969 Kurokawa derived mathematical conditions for stability in negative resistance circuits which formed the basis of microwave oscillator design.[42]
Microwave integrated circuits
Prior to the 1970s microwave devices and circuits were bulky and expensive, so microwave frequencies were generally limited to the output stage of transmitters and the RF front end of receivers, and signals were heterodyned to a lower intermediate frequency for processing. The period from the 1970s to the present has seen the development of tiny inexpensive active solid state microwave components which can be mounted on circuit boards, allowing circuits to perform significant signal processing at microwave frequencies. This has made possible satellite television, cable television, GPS devices, and modern wireless devices, such as smartphones, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth which connect to networks using microwaves.
Microstrip, a type of transmission line usable at microwave frequencies, was invented with printed circuits in the 1950s.[30] The ability to cheaply fabricate a wide range of shapes on printed circuit boards allowed microstrip versions of capacitors, inductors, resonant stubs, splitters, directional couplers, diplexers, filters and antennas to be made, thus allowing compact microwave circuits to be constructed.[30]
Transistors that operated at microwave frequencies were developed in the 1970s. The semiconductor gallium arsenide (GaAs) has a much higher electron mobility than silicon,[30] so devices fabricated with this material can operate at 4 times the frequency of similar devices of silicon. Beginning in the 1970s GaAs was used to make the first microwave transistors,[30] and it has dominated microwave semiconductors ever since. MESFETs (metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors), fast GaAs field effect transistors using Schottky junctions for the gate, were developed starting in 1968 and have reached cutoff frequencies of 100 GHz, and are now the most widely used active microwave devices.[30] Another family of transistors with a higher frequency limit is the HEMT (high electron mobility transistor), a field effect transistor made with two different semiconductors, AlGaAs and GaAs, using heterojunction technology, and the similar HBT (heterojunction bipolar transistor).[30]
GaAs can be made semi-insulating, allowing it to be used as a substrate on which circuits containing passive components as well as transistors can be fabricated by lithography.[30] By 1976 this led to the first integrated circuits (ICs) which functioned at microwave frequencies, called monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC).[30] The word "monolithic" was added to distinguish these from microstrip PCB circuits, which were called "microwave integrated circuits" (MIC). Since then silicon MMICs have also been developed. Today MMICs have become the workhorses of both analog and digital high frequency electronics, enabling the production of single chip microwave receivers, broadband amplifiers, modems, and microprocessors.
See also |
Trinity College has placed Professor Johnny Eric Williams on leave “effective immediately” after he made national headlines for his disparaging Facebook remarks.
As Campus Reform initially reported, Williams appeared to endorse the idea that first responders to this month’s congressional baseball shooting should have let the victims “fucking die” because they are white, sharing an article written by an anonymous author titled “Let Them Fucking Die.”
"We’ve determined that a leave is in the best interest of both Professor Williams and the college."
[RELATED: Prof: ‘some white people may have to die’]
“Least of all put your life on the line for theirs, and do not dare think doing so, putting your life on the line for theirs, gives you reason to feel celestial. Saving the life of those that would kill you is the opposite of virtuous. Let. Them. Fucking. Die. And smile a bit when you do,” the anonymous author concluded, with a picture of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise as the cover photo.
Williams himself later suggested that he is “fed the fuck up with self-identified ‘white’s’ daily violence directed at immigrants, Muslims, and sexually and racially oppressed people,” saying “the time is now to confront these inhuman assholes and end this now.”
“It is past time for the racially oppressed to do what people who believe themselves to be ‘white’ will not do, put end to the vectors of their destructive mythology of whiteness and their white supremacy system. #LetThemFuckingDie,” Williams wrote in a separate Facebook post.
[RELATED: Prof advocates for ‘abolition of whiteness’]
Now, Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney has announced that Williams “has been placed on leave, effective immediately.”
“We’ve determined that a leave is in the best interest of both Professor Williams and the college. The review by the Dean of the Faculty of the events concerning Professor Williams will continue,” she added.
Campus Reform initially reached out to Williams for comment on his remarks, though he has yet to respond.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @AGockowski |
Sony’s Concept for Android software leaks; download it now
Whilst we were not too surprised that screenshots of Sony’s Concept for Android software leaked yesterday, we are surprised that the actual firmware itself has leaked. This allows anyone with an Xperia Z3 (D6603) to try it out for themselves. The official trial is only available to 500 Sony Xperia Z3 users in Sweden.
However, if you don’t live in Sweden, or weren’t one of those selected, then you can download the firmware from the link below. Installing the firmware works the same as with any FTF firmware file using Androxyde’s Flashtool program. Be warned you will lose all of your data, but you can revert to stock Sony firmware be flashing an official Sony KitKat or Lollipop build.
Initial impressions for those that have tested it point to it being very similar to AOSP but with a few Sony applications baked in. The new software is fast and stable but doesn’t include some Sony features such as Stamina mode, Screen Recording and Xperia Themes.
Here’s a user comment from XDA member user91: “By the way, the ROM itself is absolutely nothing to excited about. Take any stock Sony Lollipop ROM, take away all the reasons for buying this phone (no double tap to wake, low brightness, no display enhancements, no sound enhancements) – well the camera works, and that’s it.”
All of the installation information can be found in the links below. Do you plan to try it? Let us know in the comments below.
DOWNLOAD FTF: Sony ‘Concept for Android’ for Xperia Z3 (D6603 only)
Via XDA.
Thanks Jozef and Utsav! |
Speech students at Laney Junior College received a rare experience the past two weeks. Not only have they been listening to the Hall of Fame induction speech Rickey Henderson will make on Sunday, but they also have been critiquing it.
Henderson essentially has gone back to school for much of this month to craft and polish the address he will give at Cooperstown, N.Y., when he is inducted.
This speech is much-anticipated by those who have become familiar with Henderson’s use of the language, which has affectionately come to be known as “Rickey-speak.” Henderson acknowledged this past week that formal public speaking frightens him.
“Speech and me don’t get along sometimes,” he said. “I’m not a doctor or professor, so for me to go and write a speech or read a speech, it’s kind of like putting a tie too tight around my neck.”
But those expecting a rushed, disjointed talk may be in for a surprise. At the suggestion of best friend Fred Atkins, Henderson became an extended drop-in student at two of instructor Earl Robinson’s summer classes at Laney: Public Speaking and Introduction to Speech. Robinson also “coached” Henderson at Rickey’s home and after class. Henderson was so dedicated to getting it right that he kept Robinson at school until 10:30 one evening.
“The class ended at 8:15, but Rickey wanted to keep working. The students didn’t want to leave, either,” Robinson said. “I finally said, ‘Folks, we have to go home.’
“He’s going to do just fine.”
Atkins, who has taken a number of Robinson’s classes at Laney and played baseball when Robinson coached at Merritt College, knew the instructor could help Rickey.
A former major leaguer who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox in the mid-1960s, Robinson got to know Rickey when he worked for the A’s from 1981 to 1986. Robinson also went to Berkeley High with James Guinn, the A’s scout who signed Rickey to his first professional contract.
Robinson never anticipated that Henderson would be so dedicated to refining his skills at public speaking.
“He was committed, and he was more organized than I thought he would be,” Robinson said. “He was on time, he was patient, he listened, he absorbed and assimilated the suggestions he got and tweaked it. I was impressed. He astounded me, in fact.”
After Henderson read Robinson his rough draft one weekend, the instructor hit on an idea.
“I told him, ‘Let’s give this a live audience,'”‰” he said. “So he came into the class and presented it to the students. They liked it, but they also gave honest evaluations, because that’s what they do to each other, and they talked to him about how he could improve it. A lot of times, he’d stop at a passage and ask, ‘Do you like this part?'”‰”
Henderson said the class was valuable because it helped him deal with his nerves getting up in front of a group. The class even went outside to a campus quad area, where Rickey simulated giving the speech outdoors to a larger crowd, as he will do Sunday.
“It helped me a lot,” Henderson said while delivering a copy of his final draft to Robinson hours before boarding a plane to Cooperstown. “I had a lot of fun with it. I never thought I could come back to class and have fun. But it gave me a chance to do something different and work on some things. I talk so fast and my tongue kind of takes off sometimes; what (Robinson) really tried to get me to do was slow down.”
Henderson admitted he is very self-conscious about giving the speech, not only in front of a large live crowd but also a national TV audience. He doesn’t want to embarrass himself.
“I’m always going to try to be my best at whatever I do, but I’ve never really taken the time to go out and do speaking,” he said. “I can get a mike and answer your questions all day long. I can get in a group and they think I’m the most talkative one of all of ’em. But if you ask me to get up in front of people and say something … um, I don’t know.
“People ask me, ‘Have you ever been nervous out there playing ball?’ I say no. I don’t feel the nerves. But if you ask me if I have been ever up there to speak and been nervous, yes, I’ve sweated to death about it and then wondered why. I knew what I was supposed to be doing, but it just wasn’t my thing. Shoot, I was scared the first time I got up and read to the class.”
Henderson said he first tried his speech in front of Atkins and a few other friends.
“I’ve always had this problem sounding out my S’s,” he said. “When I was writing it, and my buddies and I were going over it, they said I wasn’t sounding my S’s. So Fred brought me down to Earl, and Earl brought me to his class.
“Earl told me a bunch of times, ‘Rickey, you get in the habit of talking about something and go off, and you don’t know how to come back.’ So he taught me how to do that. If you get stuck, just stop for a moment, and you’ll think of something.”
Robinson said: “He would sit and watch people in the class give their exercises, then he would get up and give his. Then they gave him some constructive criticism, and he’d make changes. He caught on very quickly.”
Leaving nothing to chance, Henderson was even videotaped giving his speech so he could watch himself.
“He’s truly is one of the most adaptable individuals I’ve ever seen in terms of preparation,” Robinson said.
Henderson happily signed autographs and chatted with the students.
“A lot of them didn’t know who he was,” Robinson said. “I have students in here from Bangladesh, Africa, the Aleutian Islands, Taiwan and China. When I explained to them who he was, they just said, ‘OK, that’s fine, he can come in.’ They treated him like another student.”
Robinson didn’t offer many hints about what’s in the speech but said it would be a winner.
“He’s going to say what he feels,” he said. “How they interpret it, we’ll see. When he throws something out there, whatever else you hear in terms of him being critical of this or that, he overpowers you with the sincerity of his words.
“Like I finally said to him, just do the best you can. Let Rickey be Rickey.” |
Normally, I don’t like to talk about famewhores, since talking about them is exactly what they want, but holy shit this video. I think we’ve reached Randy Quaid level crazy with this one, except, at least his conspiracy theory was used to cover up for felony charges and escape to Canada.
Tila is just pulling the crazy card because, well, she’s crazy.
You see folks, Tila isn’t famous because she lacks talent, it’s the CIA hiring people to block all her true fans. You can tell she’s serious because the camera never pans down below her shoulders.
The truth, Miss Tila, is that you tried to follow the Paris Hilton Road to Fame, but failed to follow two very important steps. First you have to already have lots of money and rich influential parents. You don’t, so that makes the step where you turn your 5 minutes of fame into a clothing line or fragrance, a bit difficult. Without that step, you have to keep the spectacle of yourself in the public eye. You’ve done the reality shows, but they never last. You’ve shown up in crazy outfits to different events, but as the fame dwindles, so to do your invites to these events. You tried releasing a “home movie”, but you can’t keep it going with just one tape, your “fans” want you to have a career in porn. You also had an on camera break down to try and get the sympathy fans.
None of that worked, so you are left with just one more route to continued fame, and that is going full on crazy. Yes Tila, the government is after you. If it wasn’t for them, you wouldn’t have any haters. What you need to do now is reach out to someone who can really get your message out, someone with the resources to investigate and blow the lid off this whole mess. What you need is someone who has experience tearing down the walls of conspiracy. What you need is Jesse Ventura
Yes, you need the help of this sexual tyrannosaurus to throw off the veil of shadows that has been draped over you and bring your plight to the light of day. Jesse, you owe it to the American citizens to right this wrong. We need more of this
You know what, on second thought, I now know why she has so many haters… |
The 2012 Presidential elections are over. President Barack Hussein Obama has been re-elected for a 2nd term. Congratulations to him and his administration. I pray to God that he rules justly and tries to fix the failed policies both foreign and domestically. Thanks to God, Mitt Romney was defeated. The Republican party still won the House of Representatives but lost the Senate. It appears to be an extension of the past 2 years, but it’s better than a Romney presidency for sure.
There is no real way to tell how effective the Muslim vote was, but we can make assumptions based on statistics of high concentration of Muslims around the important battleground states. There are several states that were extremely important for Romney but he lost them. I believe that the Muslim vote played a major role in swinging the state for Obama against Romney in Virginia, Florida and Ohio. Let’s look at the results for each state and then the estimated Muslim population from “2010 U.S. Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study” in those states:
Virginia
Results (as of Wed. Nov. 7, 8:33 AM / 97% reporting):
President Barack Obama 1,852,123 Mitt Romney 1,745,397 Difference 106,726 Estimated Muslim Population 250,000+
Obama won Virginia by a little over 100k. The estimated Muslim population is greater than 250,000. This is a lower estimation based on my review and calculation based on the RCMS 2010 census (linked above) as well as me living in the area. I have a firsthand experience of the Northern Virginia Muslim community and I can vouch that there is at minimum over 150,000 Muslims in Loudon and Fairfax county. The Political activism is very high as well. The recent Eid-ul-Adha 2012 prayers at the various ADAMS (All Dulles Area Muslim Society) satellite locations featured Democratic representatives.
Florida
Results (as of Wed. Nov. 7, 9:01 AM / 97% reporting):
President Barack Obama 4,129,360 Mitt Romney 4,083,321 Difference 46,039 Estimated Muslim Population 400,000+
The Muslim vote in Florida is extremely important. The numbers clearly show this. With such tight races, the Latino vote or the Jewish vote or the White vote are too large and one sided to bring a candidate over the other. This is where the Muslim vote in Florida is effective.
Ohio
Results (as of Wed. Nov. 7, 9:23 AM / 90% reporting):
President Barack Obama 2,672,302 Mitt Romney 2,571,539 Difference 100,763 Estimated Muslim Population 150,000+
Ohio is probably the most important state for a Republican Presidential candidate. No Republican has won the Presidency without winning Ohio. It’s that important. Ohio Muslims are crucial in the vote to win Ohio. I believe Obama won Ohio because of the Muslim vote. |
Entering Reactive Streams Era
Reactor 2.0 development started by the end of 2014, around the same time as Reactive Streams. We were keen on joining the effort and early adopt a backpressure protocol to mitigate our main message-passing limitation: bounded capacity. We delivered in Reactor 2.0 the first attempt to make Reactive Streams implementations of RingBuffer-based schedulers and derived an increasingly popular reactive pattern: Reactive Extensions.
Meanwhile, Reactive Streams started getting traction and an entire ecosystem of libraries discussed this transition. The regular concern ? Implementing Reactive Streams semantics is all but an easy task. We observed an increasing need for a reactive foundation to solve message-passing and implement common streaming operators. We therefore created a dedicated project space for Reactor Core and started a focused effort with Spring Framework team.
Starting from 2.5, Reactor is now organized into multiple projects, maintenance branches such as 2.0.x are left unaltered. This is reflected in release management, for instance Reactor Core 2.5 M1 is the only milestone available and other projects will follow with their exclusive versioning.
To support this new project model, we deployed a new and hopefully more welcoming site on http://projectreactor.io.
A collaborative new take on Reactive Streams
This new organization unlocked a far cheaper ticket price to get involved with the project activities. The project benefits from Spring API design collaboration and direct contributions notably from Sébastien Deleuze and Brian Clozel.
Reactor also welcomes the help of new external contributors and reviewers :
- Alex Petrov re-inventing the popular Reactor event routing features.
- Anatoly Kadyshev who works on the amazingly efficient Aeron Reactive Streams bridge for Reactor IO.
- Ben Hale and his team working on the new Reactive Cloud Foundry Client API. More than early adopting Reactor 2.5 Core and Stream, Ben keeps iterating with us on his real-world use cases.
- Damien Vitrac contributing the new project site style and preparing the Reactor Console user experience.
- Dávid Karnok, researcher, main active RxJava committer and author of the excellent Advanced RxJava blog, strongly influenced our internal operational model. Our shared passion for efficiency and reactive patterns led us to create a research space, Reactive Streams Commons.
Dependencies and Collaborations at play with Reactor 2.5
Reactive Streams Commons
The Reactive Streams Commons repository is an open research effort focusing on efficiency with Reactive Extensions and more, for the Reactive Streams specification. It is fully inlined by Reactor Core and Stream which operate as contract gates for the many revolutions the effort focuses on.
“RSC” is therefore a freeform project similar to the JCTools take on concurrent queues. One of its biggest progress is a form of “Fusion” protocol to reduce overhead of most synchronous and some asynchronous stages in a reactive processing chain.
Finally, the effort helped fixing more than a hundred of streaming bugs and our testing process now involves RSC unit/integration testing and JMH benchmarks combined with Reactor own integration testing and benchmarks.
Reactor Core 2.5.0.M1
Today’s Reactor blog series starts with a joyful event, Reactor Core 2.5.0.M1 release !
Under its new scope and close ties with Reactive Streams Commons, Reactor Core offers just enough Rx coverage to build reactive apps or libraries alike , e.g. Spring Reactive Web support. For the impatient reader, have a look at the already available quickstart on github.
A quick glance at a scatter-gather scenario:
Mono.from(userRequestPublisher) .then(userRepository::findUserProfile, userRepository::findUserPaymentMethod) .log("user.requests") .or(Mono.delay(5) .then(n -> Mono.error(new TimeoutException())) .mergeWith(userRepository::findSimilarUserDetails) .map(userDetailsTuple -> userDetailsTuple.t1.username) .publishOn(SchedulerGroup.io()) .subscribe(responseSubscriber);
In details :
Flux, a Publisher of 0 to N data signals with a lite Rx scope. Operators include create() , interval() , merge() , zip() , concat() , switchOnError() and switchOnEmpty()
data signals with a lite Rx scope. Operators include , , , , , and Mono, a Publisher of 0 or 1 data signal with a lite Rx derived scope adapted to strongly type this specific volume nature. Operators include delay() , then() , any() , and() , or() , otherwise() , otherwiseIfEmpty() , where() and a blocking get() .
data signal with a lite Rx derived scope adapted to strongly type this specific volume nature. Operators include , , , , , , , and a blocking . New simple scheduling contract based on plain Java interfaces (Runnable, Callable).
– Featuring SchedulerGroup, TopicProcessor and WorkQueueProcessor.
– Superseed the former Enviroment / Dispatcher couple while answering the same needs and a simple migration path will shortly be documented. No more static state holding references of dispatchers.
– Linked operators : publishOn() and dispatchOn()
– Featuring SchedulerGroup, TopicProcessor and WorkQueueProcessor. – Superseed the former / couple while answering the same needs and a simple migration path will shortly be documented. No more static state holding references of dispatchers. – Linked operators : and Test support for Publisher sources with TestSubscriber.
sources with TestSubscriber. Convert Callable , Runnable , Iterable , Java 8 CompletableFuture , Java 9 Flow.Publisher , RxJava 1 Observable and Single to Reactive Streams ready Flux and Mono , no extra bridge dependency required.
, , , Java 8 , Java 9 , RxJava 1 and to Reactive Streams ready and , no extra bridge dependency required. Fully revamped and integrated Javadoc, including slightly adjusted marble diagrams.
A micro toolkit of utils and base Subscriber to reuse at will to implement your own Reactive components.
– A cost-efficient Timer API and implementation (hash-wheel timer).
– New Fusion API to virtually conflate 2 or more stages from a reactive chain
– An adapted QueueSupplier that will provide the right queue for the right capacity
– A cost-efficient Timer API and implementation (hash-wheel timer). – New Fusion API to virtually conflate 2 or more stages from a reactive chain – An adapted that will provide the right queue for the right capacity New Introspection API based on state and flow representations.
– Publisher Logging with fallback to java.util.logging or SLF4J if available. Can directly be used on Flux and Mono with log() operator.
– Orthogonal to any other contract including Reactive Streams, everything can be Backpressurable , a Completable or be a Receiver producing to a generic Object (possibly a Subscriber), which in return allows us to trace down the full graph of a flow and augment it with state indicators:
We’d like to collect your very feedback, you can assault the respective issues repository or join our recently created Gitter channel. Stay tuned for the next entry about Reactor Stream 2.5.0.M1, the complete Rx over Reactive Streams implementation. |
Former Attorney General Eric Holder says renewed focus on ex-FBI Director James B. Comey’s early conclusions about Hillary Clinton’s infamous email server is a non-issue because he’s an “honest” guy.
President Trump used Twitter on Wednesday to spotlight Mr. Comey’s draft letter in 2016 exonerating Mrs. Clinton of criminal wrongdoing while an investigation into her secret email server was underway. That prompted CNN’s Jake Tapper to ask Mr. Holder how a document written in May — well before key witnesses and the focus of the investigation were interviewed — could credibly exist.
“You can make determinations about where an investigation is likely to go before you actually speak to the subject of that investigation,” Mr. Holder told the host of “The Lead.” “That inquiry had been underway for an extended period of time.”
Mr. Comey addressed the nation July 5, 2016, in which he said “extremely careless” handling of the nation’s top secrets by the former secretary of state did not warrant a criminal prosecution.
Then U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch closed the case two days later.
“He’s an honest guy, and the determination that he made and I think inappropriately announced, I think is based on the facts, based on his interpretation of the law, and it was nothing more than that,” Mr. Holder added, The Washington Free Beacon reported. “It was a good-faith assessment by a person who I think has done a lot for this country.”
Mr. Trump disagrees.
“Wow, FBI confirms report that James Comey drafted letter exonerating Crooked Hillary Clinton long before investigation was complete,” the president tweeted Wednesday. “People not interviewed, including Clinton herself. Comey stated under oath that he didn’t do this-obviously a fix? Where is Justice Dept? […] He was the best thing that ever happened to her!”
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. |
CTV.ca News Staff
The Toronto woman who was stranded in Kenya for months after Canadian officials mistakenly voided her passport is finally on her way home.
Suaad Hagi Mohamud was due to board a flight that will take her back to Canada at about 3 p.m. EST, her lawyer told CTV News Channel Friday afternoon.
Raoul Boulakia said his client had a "definite sound of relief in her voice" as she headed to the airport. She should be home and able to finally see her 12-year-old son again Saturday afternoon, Boulakia added.
Earlier on Friday, a judge in Kenya dropped false identity charges against Mohamud and Canada's embassy in Nairobi issued her a new passport.
The Somalia-born woman was detained in Nairobi because officials didn't believe her lips matched the photo in her four-year-old passport. The Canadian High Commission agreed and pulled the passport.
Canadian officials initially called Mohamud an impostor -- voiding her passport and turning her over to Kenya for prosecution.
She spent eight days in jail, which her lawyer called "a horrible place to be looked up."
"Sleeping conditions were extremely bad, so her health is something we are going to have to figure out when we get her home," Boulakia said.
Officials maintained she wasn't who she claimed to be, even though Mohamud handed over numerous pieces of identification and offered fingerprints.
But a DNA test confirmed her identity and cleared her way home.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said an increasing number of global threats make cases such as Mohamud's more common and more difficult.
"There are more and more Canadians who have challenges when they are abroad of very different kinds," he said from Chelsea, Que. Friday.
"The Department of Foreign Affairs does what it can to aid people, but we always advise people to be cautious when they're travelling. The government of Canada does not control affairs in other countries."
Saying "it's not an easy case," Harper has promised the federal government will investigate why she was stranded.
"Our first priority as a government is obviously to see her get on a flight back to Canada," he said in Kitchener, Ont., on Thursday.
Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan said the government will review the actions of the Canada Border Services Agency and has asked for a "full accounting" of how it handled Mohamud's case.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has criticized Ottawa's handling of the file.
"Holding a Canadian passport must mean the Canadian government will protect you -- no matter where, no matter when," he said in a news release.
"Instead, the Harper government handed Suaad Mohamud's passport over to Kenyan officials to aid in her prosecution. She's only the latest Canadian endangered abroad by a government that picks and chooses which citizens it wants to protect."
Lawsuit?
Boulakia said his client should come home to rest and reflect on her situation before she considers filing any lawsuits.
"Everybody is talking about a lawsuit and its obvious why," he said. "But I don't really believe in making that kind of declaration before having time to reflect."
However, her Kenyan lawyer said that Mohamud will sue Kenya, Canada and Dutch airline KLM for damages and is demanding about $1.3 million in compensation.
Lucas Naikuni said his Somali-born client was discriminated against.
"Basically, Somalis are viewed as terrorists or security risks. They didn't want to go the extra mile to verify her identity" Naikuni said. "This is discrimination." |
July 2017 PSN Flash Sale Is Live, Here’s All the Deals
Starting a day earlier than normal, and seemingly carrying a Comic-Con theme, the July 2017 PlayStation Store Flash Sale is now live in North America, letting you save on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation Portable games.
Running until Monday, July 24 at 8am PT/11am ET, here’s all the deals in this month’s PSN Flash Sale on the PlayStation Store:
PlayStation 4 Action Henk – $4.49
Awesomenauts Assemble – $2.49
Awesomenauts Assemble Ultimate Overdrive Collector’s Pack – $15.29
Awesomenauts Assemble Ultimate Overdrive Pack – $6.79
Back to the Future: The Game 30th Anniversary Edition – $5.99
Bastion – $4.49
Batman: Arkham Knight – $9.99
Batman: Return to Arkham – $15.99
Broken Age – $3.99
Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers – $4.99
ClusterTruck – $5.99
Crypt of the NecroDancer – $4.49
Day of the Tentacle Remastered – $2.99
Deadpool – $19.99
Dragon Age Inquisition Deluxe Edition – $9.99
Dragon Age Inquisition GOTY Edition – $19.99
Drawful 2 – $3.99
Earthlock: Festival of Magic – $9.89
Fibbage – $2.79
Godzilla – $14.99
Grim Fandango Remastered – $2.99
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition – $5.99
Hand of Fate Deluxe Edition – $8.79
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X – $24.99
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven Bundle – $23.99
J-Stars Victory VS+ – $11.99
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham – $7.99
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Season Pass – $5.99
LEGO Harry Potter Collection – $7.49
LEGO Jurassic World – $7.99
LEGO Marvel’s Avengers – $9.99
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes – $4.99
LEGO The Hobbit – $7.99
Marvel Pinball Season 1 Bundle – $11.49
Marvel Pinball Season 2 Bundle – $10.99
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Bundle – $23.99
Mass Effect Andromeda – $29.99
Mass Effect Andromeda Deluxe Edition – $34.99
Mirror’s Edge Catalyst – $9.99
One Piece: Burning Blood Gold Edition – $25.34
One Piece: Burning Blood Gold Pack – $6.24
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 – $14.99
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 Season Pass – $9.59
Outlast: Bundle of Terror – $9.56
Psychonauts – $3.99
Quiplash – $3.99
Rabbids Invasion – $7.99
Rabbids Invasion Gold Edition – $13.99
Retro City Rampage DX – $3.29
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration – $23.99
Saturday Morning RPG – $2.49
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter – $19.99
Slain: Back From Hell – $4.49
Strider – $2.99
Super Dungeon Bros – $5.99
Switch Galaxy Ultra – $3.59
Sword Art Online: Lost Song – $23.99
Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment – $7.99
Terraria – $3.99
The Jackbox Party Bundle – $17.99
The Jackbox Party Pack – $9.99
The Jackbox Party Pack 2 – $9.99
The Jackbox Party Pack 3 – $9.99
The Legend of Korra – $4.94
The LEGO Movie Videogame – $4.99
The Order: 1886 – $4.99
The Walking Dead: Michonne – $4.49
The Walking Dead: Season Two – $9.99
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season – $9.99
Transformers Devastation – $9.99
Trine Bundle – $5.09
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 – $14.99
Warhammer: End Times Vermintide – $15.99
Wasteland 2 Director’s Cut – $15.99
Zen Pinball 2: Balls of Glory Pinball – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2 Captain America – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Civil War – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Deadpool – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Doctor Strange – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Fantastic Four – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Guardians of the Galaxy – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel Pinball Original Pack – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel’s Ant-Man – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel’s Women of Power – $4.19
Zen Pinball 2 South Park Pinball – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Venom – $1.49 PlayStation 3 A Space Shooter for 2 Bucks (Mini) – $0.79
Back to the Future: The Game Full Series – $5.99
Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition – $7.99
J-Stars Victory VS+ – $7.99
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee HD – $1.99
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD – $2.99
One Piece: Pirate Warriors – $4.99
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 – $12.49
One Piece Unlimited World Red – $4.99
Retro City Rampage DX – $3.29
South Park: The Stick of Truth – $7.99
Strider – $2.99
Terraria – $2.99
The Walking Dead: Michonne – $4.49
The Walking Dead: Season Two – $5.99
Zen Pinball 2 Avenger Chronicles Pack – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2: Balls of Glory Pinball – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2 Captain America – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Civil War – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Deadpool – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Doctor Strange – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Fantastic Four – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Guardians of the Galaxy – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel Pinball Original Pack – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel’s Ant-Man – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel’s Women of Power – $4.19
Zen Pinball 2 South Park Pinball – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Venom – $1.49 PlayStation Vita Black Rock Shooter: The Game (PSP) – $5.99
Broken Age – $3.99
Crypt of the NecroDancer – $4.49
Day of the Tentacle Remastered – $2.99
Grim Fandango Remastered – $2.99
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X – $19.99
J-Stars Victory VS+ – $7.99
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee HD – $1.99
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD – $2.99
One Piece: Burning Blood Gold Edition – $19.34
One Piece: Burning Blood Gold Pack – $6.24
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 – $9.99
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 Season Pass – $9.59
One Piece Unlimited World Red – $4.99
Prinny (PSP) – $2.99
Prinny 2 (PSP) – $2.99
Retro City Rampage DX – $3.29
Saturday Morning RPG – $2.49
Slain: Back From Hell – $4.49
Terraria – $2.99
The Walking Dead: Season Two – $7.99
Zen Pinball 2 Avenger Chronicles Pack – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2: Balls of Glory Pinball – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2 Captain America – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Civil War – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Deadpool – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Doctor Strange – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Fantastic Four – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Guardians of the Galaxy – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel Pinball Original Pack – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue – $4.99
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel’s Ant-Man – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Marvel’s Women of Power – $4.19
Zen Pinball 2 South Park Pinball – $1.49
Zen Pinball 2 Venom – $1.49 PlayStation Portable Retro City Rampage DX – $3.29 PSOne Classic Star Wars: Dark Forces – $1.37
*All prices are in USD and may be higher in Canada.
You can see the other deals this week on the North American PlayStation Store over here.
What do you think of the July 2017 PSN Flash Sale? |
“An apple a day keeps the doctors away” that’s how the line goes.. right? Well if the apples are put to such good use as to make Crunchy Apple Crumble, who would not want to agree to that line more and make full use of the opportunity to have his/her share of Apples !! I know, i would 🙂
I am actually a great fan of apples. They are juicy, tangy and so full on nutrients. They work great as a morning breakfast fruit to go along with a nice bowl of cereals & as a refreshing evening snack. There are so many varieties to choose from & one can make such awesome things with it – jams, jellies, pies, tarts .. even fritters !
I usually pick up the red apples from the store as they tend to be sweeter but my personal favorites are the green apples ! They are usually tangy and last real long. I had a couple of those with me hiding in my fridge for a while and I happen to buy a few more. So, the deal was to finish the previous lot asap. For my family, there is no better way to finish food than to make them into some sort of dessert.
I started thinking about the ‘desserty uses of apple’ at around noon. My first thought was to create the classic apple pie but then I did not want to spend that much time in preparing the dough and just really wanted to whip up a dessert which could be served post lunch that day. What followed next was Crunchy Apple Crumble.
My version of this classic dish has a peanut butter twist to it. I feel that the mellow, subtle flavor and taste of apples really go very well with Peanut Butter and it sets in perfect harmony. I did not want to use lots of butter (which would otherwise be required for the crunchiness in the crumble) and peanut butter did a perfect job for that.
CRUNCHY APPLE CRUMBLE
crunchy apple crumble Recipe Crunchy Apple Crumble has 2 components : Crumble & Filling For the Crumble 250 gms All purpose flour
125 gms butter(softened) – at room temperature, cut into 1cm cubes
100 gms granulated sugar (i used brown granulated sugar as it forms a lovely caramelized crunch)
50 gms crunchy peanut butter(can also use smooth peanut butter instead and add finely chopped peanuts to the crumble) For the Filling 2 apples (i used granny smith green apples)
Pinch of Cinnamon
50 gms sugar (i used brown granulated sugar as it forms a lovely caramelized crunch)
A knob of butter
1 tsp All purpose flour/ corn starch Method Pre-heat the oven to 375 F. Let us start with the filling Take the apples. Peel them and cut into very thin slices. You can even cut them into small chunks but i like to create thin slices so that they cook well on baking and create a mushy filling. Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients for filling except the knob of butter. Mix well so that the apple slices are well covered with sugar mixture. Keep aside. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and sugar. Mix well. Now keep adding butter and peanut butter in portions and mix well (using the rubbing technique) till it resembles bread crumbs. Keep aside. Now take an oven proof dish (about 9″ dia in case taking one dish or you can take multiple small dish for individual servings, the way i did :)). Grease with butter. Now place the filling on the bottom of the dish. Add the knob of butter on top of the fruity mixture. Now, sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the fruity filling. Bake for about 45 minutes or till the crumble starts to brown. You will also notice that the fruit start to bubble (which makes your kitchen smell absolutely amazing … i loved that !!)
My temptations led me to peek in the oven from time to time and take a look at the various steps of baking of this tasty dish. It was a total eye feast. The bubbling of the filling which resulted in a divine apple caramelization was simply beautiful to watch 🙂
The result was a comforting, soothing and mushy apple crumble with a biscuity, crunchy crumble on the top. Thanks to the peanut butter addition, the dish tasted like having PB cookies with some apple caramel sauce but just 10 times better !! It is a must try dish for sure 🙂
If u like peanut butter recipes (like i do), you may like to see these :-
PB Chocolate Chip cookies
Cherry Oatmeal Tart |
Scotland Yard, the headquarters of London’s Metropolitan Police force has detected and is tracking two new “active” terror plots targeting the city.
The information, as reported by the Sunday Times comes after days of intense activity for counter-terror forces in London, with two plots intercepted within days of each other leading to seven arrests. In one case, 27-year-old suspect Khalid Mohamed Omar Ali was arrested just yards from the gates of the Palace of Westminster with a rucksack type bag containing three knives.
Breitbart London reported Sunday the terror suspect had previously been involved in anti-Israel activism and had travelled to Gaza to support Palestine.
While little is known about the two new plots now being monitored by police, they are not thought to be related to the two attacks foiled this week, but are “active”, inspired by either the Islamic State or al-Qaeda, and are targeting London.
Meanwhile, British police say they have arrested a woman who was shot and seriously injured during a counter-terrorism raid in London earlier this week.
Scotland Yard said the 21-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of preparing or instigating terrorism acts after she was discharged from the hospital Sunday.
The woman was shot when counter-terrorism police on Thursday stormed a north-west London house. Police said they had disrupted an active terror plot, but did not elaborate. Six other suspects, aged 16 to 43, were arrested in the operation, which also included a raid in southeastern England.
A police spokesman said: “On the afternoon of Sunday, April 30, the woman was discharged from hospital and arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
“She has been taken into custody at a south London police station.”
The arrest came as the woman, who was observed to be wearing an Islamic garment and shouted at police and paramedics “Don’t touch my body!” as she was carried out of the house for treatment. It is reported the woman may have been pregnant when she was shot by counter-terrorism officers.
AP contributed to this report |
John Campbell says final goodbye to his viewers ending his ten years with TV3.
From money woes to culling current affairs, TV3's had a tough old time in recent years. We look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly.
READ MORE:
* Mediaworks dumps TV3 current affairs show 3D
* Mediaworks leaks reveal cuts and changes at TV3
WINNING MOVES
The Bachelor star Art Green proved a real catch for TV3.
In the realm of reality, TV3 has proven king, with The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars pulling in huge numbers of viewers this year. In fact, TV3's focus on reality TV has been credited with helping minimise an across-the-board slide that's hit TV2 especially hard.
On its finale night in May, The Bachelor scored a stunning result, with 429,540 viewers tuning in to watch Art make Matilda the happiest woman in Auckland. At the same time, TVNZ's My Kitchen Rules slumped to its worst rating of the season, with 269,310 viewers.
And The Bachelor has proven a gift that keeps giving: it's coming back for a second season, with single ladies now being sought for their one true televised shot at love, while Art and Matilda have marked more than six months together with a public display of modern romance: creating a joint Facebook page.
Mediaworks All the the highs and lows compiled into a Top Ten moments of The Bachelor.
However, it wasn't all good news in the world of reality: X-Factor's been dropped for 2016 after poor for its finale, while Masterchef NZ also won't make a comeback, after being unable to pull in the same numbers for TV3 as it had in the past for TVNZ.
Instead, Kiwis will get a local version of the game show Family Feud, in which two families compete to guess the most popular answers to questions, to be fronted by comedian Dai Henwood.
ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK
MediaWorks bosses were stunned by Natalia Kills' savage rant at a contestant on X-Factor.
While reality's had a mixed-run in 2015, the real world of current affairs has had it even tougher over recent years.
Back in 2010, TV3's decision to axe morning TV show Sunrise and bring in Firstline, hosted by Rachel Smalley, was a vote of confidence for hard news.
The winds of change blew again in 2013, when Nightline was killed off in favour of a late-night show hosted by shock jock Paul Henry - who was later shuffled into Firstline's time slot as TV3 and RadioLIVE merged their breakfast broadcasts.
3D's Paula Penfold has just had her current affairs show canned. She is pictured with husband Mike McRoberts.
At last, in 2013, there was good news again: a new show, called 3rd Degree - hosted by 3News and TVNZ's former political editors Duncan Garner and Guyon Espiner - promised hard-hitting, in-depth reports, in a prime-time slot.
The show's interviews, including with Tania Billingsley, and a series of stories that helped wrongfully-convicted man Teina Pora clear his name.
Things were on the up and up after TVNZ cancelled Close Up and brought in the lighter Seven Sharp - giving Campbell Live its first ever win in the ratings war.
TV3 3 News presenter Hilary Barry breaks down after a story about outgoing colleague John Campbell.
But things weren't to be: the arrival of Mike Hosking on TV One turned the ratings on their head, and even a public campaign to boost viewer numbers couldn't rescue John Campbell's show, before it disappeared from the airwaves in May.
Now, with the demise of 3D, announced on Monday, TV3's current affairs programming hangs by a thread, with Campbell Live's replacement, Story, and the weekend politics show The Nation the only strings to its bow.
The company blames sliding ratings. In a leaked email to staff last month, MediaWorks boss Mark Weldon said while entertainment had performed well, news and current affairs had not: "The numbers do not lie, and there have been performance issues in both TV and in digital."
RORY O'SULLIVAN/Stuff.co.nz John Campbell admits he was "overwhelmed" by the scale of support for his threatened show after scores of demonstrators marched on MediaWorks HQ in Auckland.
STRANGE TIMES
From an X-Factor judge abusing a contestant to hosts on The Edge offending as many people as possible, 2015 was an odd old year for Mediaworks.
Singers Natalia Kills and husband Willie Moon were fired from X-Factor in March over a "destructive tirade" that stunned network executives.
Peter Meecham John Campbell's last regular television gig - Campbell Live - ended in 2015.
In an on-air rant, Kills accused contestant Joe Irvine of copying Moon's style, calling it "cheesy" and "disgusting".
In July, The Edge host Dom Harvey - who's no stranger to controversy - caused another headache for his bosses with a social media post that included a screenshot of Dancing with the Stars finalist (and ex-The Bachelor contestant) Chrystal Chenery's crotch.
Harvey followed up by saying he was "just having a laugh"; he later deleted the post, but not before the internet took aim, labelling him a misogynist.
NORRIE MONTGOMERY Dom Harvey's caused offence, both on the airwaves with co-hosts Jay-Jay Harvey and Mike Puru, and off-air.
One month later, Harvey and his radio co-host wife Jay-Jay put other former The Bachelor contenders on the spot on-air, with a "cucumber game" that outraged some listeners.
The women were asked to put a cucumber in their mouth, and bite as far along as they could. A woman who complained to the Broadcasting Standards Authority said the "really humiliating" prank was "obviously to gauge [their] performance in a sexual act".
Last month, Harvey struck again, with an off-colour joke about Jonah Lomu shortly after the rugby star's death.
ASHTEN MACDONALD/Stuff.co.nz The 'crotch gate' scandal as divided the public, we ask is what Dom Harvey did ok?
But it's not just the entertainment side of MediaWorks causing agony for the bosses: on October 16, political reporter Tova O'Brien was arrested outside Chris Cairns' London trial for filming in a prohibited area; six days later, police began an investigation into Story co-host Heather du Plessis-Allan over a gun purchase for a story exposing a firearm law loophole.
What began with a bang for TV3's new Scout entertainment site has turned into a fizzer. Gossip queen Rachel Glucina's appointment raised many eyebrows.
The site's opening act - paparazzi photos of Mike Hosking, MediaWorks' radio competitor on Newstalk ZB, vacuuming his Ferrari - were publicly mocked by TV3's biggest names.
Mediaworkks Radio host Dominic Harvey's joke about his shaven eyebrow tribute to Jonah Lomu has fallen flat with many fans.
MONEY WOES (AND RECOVERY)
Between 2008 and 2013, the MediaWorks money pot was looking dire. Hit hard by the global financial crisis, the company went through repeated restructures over several years.
In 2011, there was good news: MediaWorks repaid the remainder of a $43 million government loan that had helped pay its broadcasting licenses.
PETER MEECHAM/FAIRFAX NZ Rachel Glucina, editor-in-chief at Scout, certainly raised eyebrows at MediaWorks.
But two years later, the company entered receivership, with $700 million in debt. The June 2013 move followed a years-long battle with IRD over historic tax returns. At the same time, MediaWorks had to renegotiate its pricey contracts with US entertainment giants.
Within months, however, TV3 had turned its fortunes around. Out of receivership in November 2013, MediaWorks has been steaming onwards and upwards with a new-look board - including reality TV queen Julie Christie - and the appointment of former NZX boss Mark Weldon as chief executive last year.
This summer will see another shake-up, as 3News and RadioLIVE merge their news operations. The stations already combine resources: 3News and Paul Henry's breakfast show are both simulcast on radio, while Duncan Garner hosts on both networks.
MediaWorks' news boss Mark Jennings has indicated changes are afoot for the 6pm news - and popular long-time anchors Mike McRoberts and Hillary Barry face an uncertain future. |
LONDON — A report led by the Great Manchester Police on Friday criticized its own officers for failing to recognize the scale of child sex abuse in a northern town and putting too much emphasis on the credibility of the victims.
The report looked into how officers handled the abuse scandal in Rochdale, where dozens of young girls were believed to be groomed and trafficked for sex by a network of men. Allegations of abuse were first reported in 2008, but it wasn’t until months later that police opened investigations.
Nine men of Pakistani and Afghan heritage were eventually jailed in 2012 for crimes including rape and trafficking. One victim was just 13.
Former detective Margaret Oliver, who had resigned to protest the handling of the scandal, said similar crimes are still continuing in Rochdale and elsewhere in Britain.
“It is a nationwide problem and there is still an overwhelming desire to conceal the truth,” she told the BBC. “This was an opportunity, which has been missed again, to bring all this out into the open.”
The Greater Manchester Police admitted the force was too distracted by tackling crimes like burglary to listen to abuse victims. But the report said no police officer would be disciplined. |
For us, the Olympics have always represented the best and worst of human potential. From the extraordinary athleticism and Black Girl Magic of Simone Biles, to the ugly criticism of Black women’s hair, to American swimmers vandalizing property, to sexist coverage of women athletes:
Of course, we also cannot forget the gendered clothing that athletes wear. I mean, we’re dapperQ. We were bound to notice that. Also taking note was androgynous model Rain Dove, who documented her athletic performance while wearing traditional “men’s” and “women’s” Olympic sportswear.
Volleyball
According to Corinne Calabro, the communications director for USA Volleyball, the Federation of International Volleyball allows for a more diverse dress code for women than what is actually reflected on the athletes. These options do include long sleeves, shorts, and tank tops. However, this is a recent change. In 2012, women were still required to wear bikinis when they played, but the dress code was changed to be more culturally inclusive. This year, the Egyptian team competed in long sleeves, leggings, and hijabs.
REUTERS
Nevertheless, there is still a noticeable difference between what men and women volleyball players were wearing during competition, a sociological study for sure given that the dress code has become more flexible for women. (In fact, the women’s dress code appears to have more options than what men are allowed. Men are not allowed to wear bikinis! Check out the code here.)
Rain’s assessment of athletic performance between the two looks: “I was also less afraid of being whistled at” in the men’s uniform.
Swimming
In Bustle’s article “Olympic Dress Codes for Men & Women are Making Progress Towards Gender Equality,” author Ione Gamble reported what Rain so accurately captured:
Swimming’s governing body Fédération Internationale De Natation (FINA) outlines that male competitors are required to bare more skin than women. For male swimmers, swimwear is not permitted to cover anything past the belly button or below the knee, whereas women are allowed to cover the area from their shoulders to just above the knee.
Rain’s assessment of athletic performance between the two looks: “The pool we shot this at was very confused and upset by me being topless doing laps. But hey, I swam faster!”
Tennis
Based on our research, we found that women tennis players still have to wear skirts. Sigh. And, as mentioned above, male volleyball players cannot wear bikinis. What the actual….We’re talking about the world’s best athletes and people cannot move beyond the cut of a garment.
Rain’s assessment of athletic performance between the two looks: “Wearing the men’s outfits allowed for maximum breath ability and I thought only about my game, not if I was accidentally flashing my butt to people. I scored twice as much when wearing ‘men’s’ attire.”
Track & Field
USA Track and Field states that dress codes for American athletes have more flexibility in terms of competition uniforms. However, it has been argued that less clothing equals better results, particularly, as Rain points out, when it comes to landing lucrative endorsements.
Rain’s assessment of athletic performance between the two looks: ” I found that I actually ran slightly faster in the ‘women’s’ outfit.”
Gymnastics
Sorry Rain. Your “women’s” outfit is real cute, but you’re going to have to add several thousand more Swarovski crystals to your look if you want to score gold! The New York Times has noted that the number of crystals on a single “women’s” uniform has gone up from the hundreds in 2008 to over 5000 this year. The Olympics might as well add bedazzling to the gymnastic events! Not to forget that “men’s” gymnastic uniforms are extremely less revealing.
Rain’s assessment of athletic performance between these two looks: “For me, I was more physically comfortable in the men’s, however the tightness of the female outfit made tumbles and flips a lot smoother.”
Photos by Mark Wijsman
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By Jake Emen
It took just a few months of operation for Lyon Distilling Company of St. Michaels, Maryland to break a 42-year streak which stood as a stain against a state with ties to whiskey distilling dating to the colonial days. When they introduced Maryland Free State Rye Whiskey, it became the first rye made in Maryland since 1972, and the latest step for partners Ben Lyon and Jamie Windon as they continue to embark on a journey of craft distilling.
Located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Lyon Distilling currently produces a range of rums, the Free State Rye and New Make Corn Whiskey. Beginning with rum and moving to whiskey was no accident, either.
“The reason we started with rum is because one, I really like it. It’s sort of an underdog spirit,” says Ben Lyon, the company’s distiller.
“But also, the historical trajectory of distilling in Maryland … go back to the 1700s and Maryland had something like 5 rum distilleries. So, starting with rum was historically significant while fulfilling my passion in the spirit itself. And doing the corn whiskey just before the rye, is also sort of keeping with what was being made in Maryland.”
As such, Lyon Distilling is looking back at the same time it’s forging ahead, and doing something which would surely make the forefathers happy, getting their hands dirty to produce something they’re proud of stamping their name onto.
“Having that tangible result at the end of the day,” Lyon remarks, “and saying, alright, today I made this… to me that’s incredibly satisfying.”
Craft & Quality
“Jaime and I bootstrapped this operation, we didn’t take any investors,” says Lyon, who emphasizes the importance of having complete control over every detail of the operation.
There’s nobody to tell him what to do, how to do it, or what to experiment with. The only pressure is on himself, to continue putting out quality products and to meet a growing demand.
That means there’s more than a few all nighters spent in the back room, mashing and fermenting and distilling and bottling, all in a quest to actually get bottles on the shelf by the time the next batch of tourists browsing antique stores and boutique shops descend upon Talbot Street, the quaint main drag of St. Michaels, the following weekend.
Currently, Lyon utilizes three 26-gallon traditional pot stills, offering a setup which is ideal for a one-man operation, and his exacting eye for detail, quality and tinkering.
“They’re electrically fired, so the second you make an adjustment, because of the size, that instantaneous change of temperature occurs, and there are lots of little variables you can control with that,” Lyon shares.
“It’s a super efficient setup. I have the ability to do really small batches, or, we’ll run them in sequence, and we have almost 100 gallons total of distillation capacity.”
Lyon actually honed his craft on a custom-built 150-gallon Kothe still, but loves the quality and precision offered by his current setup. Of course, it also helped to keep investment costs down, as larger stills can become exponentially more expensive.
Two more 26-gallon stills should be arriving within the next few months to help increase output, although new fermenters would be an even bigger help. They currently have about half a dozen open-fermentation 55-gallon drums, but he has his eye on a few 500-gallon fermenters which would help him ramp up the process significantly.
As it stands, production is between 100 and 150 bottles per week, across their entire family of rums and whiskeys. Lyon finishes a batch, and a few days later it’s gone.
The Spirits
Named in honor of Maryland’s refusal to pass state enforcement laws in support of the Prohibition era Volstead Act, Free State Rye offers a mash bill of 55% rye, 35% corn and 10% malted barley. It’s making its debut as an unaged white whiskey. Lightly-aged versions are to come, utilizing tiny 1-gallon charred new American oak barrels.
Free State Rye offers a buttery profile, almost popcorn-like in flavor. It’s far from traditional, and doesn’t have the spice you might expect from a rye, nor the bite you might expect from a white whiskey. It’s also an interesting counterpoint to the floral, citrusy Mosby’s Spirit from their relatively nearby neighbors in Virginia, Catoctin Creek.
While the aged renditions aren’t yet available for sale, during my visit there happened to be a bit of 1-month aged Free State Rye available for sampling straight from the barrel. Here, there’s a more classic rye profile with some sharper spice, and notes of rye grain. Another few months in there should certainly do it some good.
Lyon’s New Make Corn Whiskey is made from locally sourced organic corn and malted barley with a mash bill of 90% corn, 8% malted barley and 2% rye. It’s bottled basically fresh off the stills, spending just 18 hours in a barrel. This provides the faintest touch of wood and vanilla to the whiskey, but also means it could technically be called a bourbon as well.
For Lyon, he managed to even surprise and impress himself with the New Make Corn, which is easy-sipping and smooth, and best enjoyed neat.
“I really like our rye, but I’m almost more proud of the corn whiskey,” he says. “It has depth and character unlike any other corn whiskey I’ve had.
“I really like what we’ve done with that, and to surprise people, and yourself, that’s part of the fun. You can get these wild spirits which are unlike anything out there… that’s what this is all about, doing it in small batches, we’re not every day of the week trying to churn out ‘textbook perfect bourbon’ or anything else.”
What’s Next at Lyon Distilling?
In the future, expect limoncello, gin, and various other experimental products and future surprises to be available as well. For example, they’re planning on distilling the beers of several local breweries.
A wholesale license is also in the works, and Lyon expects restaurants from D.C. to Annapolis to keep their rum and whiskey behind the bar. But there are no hard and fast goals for production increases, and Lyon never wants to lose his total control, along with his license to experiment and tweak and fine-tune.
“I want to be able to service those outlets,” Lyon says, “but I always want this to be the operation where I have my hands on every part of the process. When you start to have somebody else doing fermentations or this or that, it changes. It totally changes.”
Of course, Lyon Distilling has only been open for a few months. With new stills and fermentation barrels in the works, the growth will come. There’s time for that, and it’s going to be interesting to see where they are in a year or two, and what some of these spirits and projects turn into.
Plenty of companies claim to emphasize Lyon’s dedication to handcrafted quality and his attention to detail, but few actually stick to it. For now, if their small-batch status means they sell out by the time you visit the distillery – and they are indeed constantly selling out of their limited supply – well, so be it. Quality and craft are the only priorities here.
Visiting
If you’re planning a trip out to the Eastern Shore distillery, be sure to call in advance and see if they have any of the Free State Rye or New Make Corn, or whatever else you’re into, on hand. It goes quickly.
Visitors can stop by anytime between 12 and 6, and you can pop on back to get the tour and see the stills, and try some free tastings. One concession to that expected growth may be a more limited time for tours in the future. |
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
James Harden goes to the free-throw strip a lot. He’s attempted (192) and made (172) more freebies than anyone in the league this year. Is there something foul to the frequency with which he draws fouls? Is he a ref-baiter? And will it come back to bite him in the postseason?
In the online age, there are certain mythos which become treated as fact. "LeBron James has no clutch gene." "Kobe Bryant is a ball hog." "Derrick Rose is mentally weak." These are troll-driven narratives which don’t hold up to scrutiny, but the ubiquity of that false mentality allows them to become accepted as true.
The latest of such fallacies is James Harden's ref-baiting and how it comes back to bite him in the playoffs.
Does Harden Ref-Bait?
Ref-baiting, in spite of what the term seems to imply, is not sticking a ref on the end of a hook when you go fishing. It’s a disingenuous way of attaching a negative moniker to a positive skill. The implication is that a player is tricking a referee into calling a foul where none existed.
This is not what Harden does. He actually gets defenders to commit fouls. What the refs do is their job: calling the fouls the defender committed. If anything, what Harden does should be called defender-baiting. And that’s a good thing.
Watching him play, you could argue that he “snaps his head back” or "flails about" to exaggerate contact. Or, you can say, he initiates it. Those arguments are moot, but I will address them anyway.
Yes, Harden does exaggerate contact. Pretty much every star in the league does. You just see him exaggerate it more because he draws it more.
He has been cited for the league just twice for it, this incident being the second:
Harden was fined for it, and it's been over a year since the last incident. But even in that case, there was an actual foul. He was called out for exaggerating the level of contact, but the contact itself was still real. Embellishment doesn't invalidate the call.
Nor does initiating the contact. If a player pump-fakes, the defender bites and jumps, and the shooter launches himself into his airborne opponent, it’s a shooting foul, even though the offensive player initiates the contact. Why is that?
The confusion is that the issue is not over who initiates contact but whether the defender has a legal guarding position.
The actual rules, per NBA.com, might help clear things up. The boldface parts are my emphasis:
a. A dribbler shall not (1) charge into an opponent who has established a legal guarding position, or (2) attempt to dribble between two opponents, or (3) attempt to dribble between an opponent and a boundary, where sufficient space is not available for illegal contact to be avoided. b. If a defender is able to establish a legal position in the straight line path of the dribbler, the dribbler must avoid contact by changing direction or ending his dribble. c. The dribbler must be in control of his body at all times. If illegal contact occurs, the responsibility is on the dribbler. d. If a dribbler has sufficient space to have his head and shoulders in advance of his defender, the responsibility for illegal contact is on the defender. e. If a dribbler has established a straight line path, a defender may not crowd him out of that path.
So, both parties have a responsibility in terms of distinguishing between legal and illegal contact. The defender has to establish legal guarding position. The offensive player has to stay in control of his body and not initiate contact if the defender has established position.
But the dribbler has the first right to any unguarded position. As long as he has control of his body, establishes a path or has his head and shoulders past the defender, the space belongs to him.
On the other hand, the rules for the defender stipulate specifically, "Contact initiated by the defensive player guarding a player with the ball is not legal."
In other words, an offensive player can legally initiate contact. A defensive player cannot.
The reason it’s a shooting foul in the above hypothetical is that the airborne defender hasn't established position.
Harden is a genius at recognizing and initiating contact in such situations. That’s not flopping; it’s being smart. Any flopping or flailing which follows is irrelevant. The contact is the reason for the foul.
Kirk Goldsberry of Grantland agrees:
James Harden is one of the smartest on-court players in the NBA. Perhaps more than anyone else, he understands the rules of the game and has engineered an approach to scoring that takes full advantage of these rules. It may not always be pretty (although sometimes it is), but it is almost always productive. Between his Eurostep and his incredible ability to get fouled, Harden might be a referee’s nightmare, but he’s also one of the best scorers in the league.
Ergo, Harden does not ref-bait; he defender-baits. And he does it very well.
Should Harden Defender-Bait?
In all three of his seasons with the Houston Rockets, Harden has attempted at least nine free-throw attempts per game and shot over 80 percent on them. That makes him one of just 11 players in history to eclipse those numbers three times.
Here are the others and the number of seasons in which they accomplished the feat:
Players with 3 Seasons of 80 Percent Free-Throw Shooting and 9 Attempts/Game Player Seasons Oscar Robertson* 9 Jerry West* 8 Allen Iverson 5 Kobe Bryant 4 Adrian Dantley* 4 Michael Jordan* 4 Tiny Archibald* 3 Paul Arizin* 3 Kevin Durant 3 James Harden 3 Basketball-Reference.com
*Hall of Fame Player
So each of the eight players who have accomplished that feat three times are in the Hall of Fame, and apart from Harden, the others all won MVP at some point in their careers. That’s not horrible company to be in. Were those guys ref-baiters too?
Strategically, it’s great basketball. For a player like Harden, the free throw is the most efficient shot there is. This season he has drained 172-of-192 from the stripe. Consider what that means.
Every free-throw attempt counts as 0.44 possessions. The reason it’s not a half-possession is that there are a fraction of times where a free-throw attempt doesn’t use a half-possession: when there are technical free throws, and-1s or when there is a shooting foul on a three-point attempt.
That means that Harden has scored 172 points on 84.48 possessions from the stripe. That’s the equivalent of a 101.8 field-goal percentage or shooting 67.9 percent from the three-point line. That’s pretty efficient, and there's no reason to change it.
A big part of the reason those players are/were great is that they knew how to take advantage of the free-throw stripe. You can’t blame Harden for doing the same.
Does Defender-Baiting Work in the Playoffs?
A bogus argument has been established in the Harden-is-a-ref-baiter narrative. It basically says that Harden’s flopping works fine in the regular season, but when he gets to the postseason—when refs are more inclined to swallow their whistles—it fails.
There’s a fancy Latin term for this type of flawed logic: cum hoc ergo propter hoc. It means “with this therefore because of this.” The fallacy is in assuming a cause/effect relationship between two things which are true but which may not even be related.
Charles Dharapak/Associated Press
For example: The Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl in 2008, then Barack Obama was elected President. The Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl in 2012, and Obama was re-elected. It would be silly to argue that Obama's and the Giants' victories had any relationship at all, much less one of cause and effect.
Things being simultaneously true doesn’t establish relationship, much less cause and effect. For the “whistle swallowing” argument to hold, there would have to be more of an argument linking the two facets together.
But that’s impossible because neither of the premises of the argument are even true. Refs don’t call fewer fouls in the postseason, and Harden doesn’t struggle to get to the stripe in the playoffs.
In fact, the average number of free throws taken by each team per game has risen in the postseason nine times in the last 10 years and stayed the same once:
Furthermore, during Harden’s tenure in Houston, he’s averaged 9.6 free-throw attempts per game in the regular season and 9.7 during the postseason. So he’s actually getting to the line more in the playoffs.
That Harden gets to the line more often in the playoffs—when refs actually call more fouls—really throws a wrench into the argument. If two things being true is insufficient to prove cause and effect, certainly their not being true is enough to dismiss the argument entirely.
That’s not to say that Harden hasn’t had postseason struggles. During his two years in Houston his true shooting percentage has fallen from 60.5 in the regular season to 53.3 during the playoffs. While that validates a separate discussion, it’s not vital to resolving this one. His struggles have nothing to do with getting to the line.
This notion that Harden is just a ref-baiter who is going to have his ways come back to bite him in the postseason is just wrong in both its terminology and logic. The facts are that he’s fantastic at drawing fouls, that players who are tend to be great and that it’s a talent which doesn’t go away in the playoffs. |
In what has been called a “visa war,” the European Union’s parliament on Thursday called on the bloc to force American tourists visiting Europe to first obtain visas because the U.S. excludes five EU countries from its no-visa policy.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the request is unlikely to change policy, but reflects “hostility among some European politicians to the Trump administration.”
The report said Parliament’s vote came six weeks into Trump’s presidency and after the legislature publically slammed Trump’s executive order banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries.
U.S. citizens can travel to all EU countries without visas but the U.S. hasn’t granted visa-free travel to citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania.
The legislature urged the European Commission to act within two months. The Commission was legally bound to propose by last April that visas be reintroduced for U.S. citizens for 12 months but the 28-nation bloc’s member countries preferred to take no action.
The Commission has cautioned that suspending the visa waiver for Americans would also hurt trade, tourism and the European economy.
Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European home-affairs commissioner, traveled to Washington last month to talk about the issue. He wrote to The Journal: “As you know, our approach brought results with Canada. We will continue our engagement with the United States on this matter as well our broader cooperation on migration and security.”
He was referring to Canada’s decision to lift all remaining visa requirements for EU citizens by the end of the year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report |
Snow is coming along with a week of rain as a huge cold front sweeps across Australia. Courtesy Seven News
THIS thing is going to be massive. America had its Polar Vortex in 2013, when frigid air streamed down from the north pole causing major snowfalls and record cold temperatures.
Eastern Australia, it’s your turn now.
Prepare for the Antarctic Vortex. That’s not a technical term. It’s the nickname we’ve given this weather system, but we’re sticking with it. Others, meanwhile, have developed their own monikers.
#Snownami. Starts tomorrow. Runs at least 3 days. Probably longer. 50cm minimum. 100cm possible. Maybe more in some places. #BeThere. -CW — ski.com.au (@skicomau) July 9, 2015
It’s now only a day or so until the Vortex roars across eastern Australia, bringing freezing temperatures and the likelihood of prolonged snowfalls to low levels. In the mountains things have already kicked off this morning, as the 11am “beer-o-meter” pic demonstrates.
And here’s a Friday lunchtime picture from Black Sallees Mountain Bistro in Thredbo, which we’re sure serves generous portions of delicious everything.
As you no doubt know, it’s not unusual for the Australian Alps to experience heavy snowfalls at this time of year. It’s also common to see snow flurries on some of the higher towns and lesser mountain ranges in eastern Australia during brief cold outbreaks
But this storm is different. The Antarctic Vortex will be big and the Antarctic Vortex will be long-lasting. If forecasts hold true, the Antarctic Vortex looks set to deliver freezing temps and heavy snowfalls to a vast arc of eastern Australia from the hills outside Melbourne to the ranges west of Brisbane.
Here’s Sunday’s snow forecast:
And here’s Monday’s:
“It’s really a very big airmass change,” says Andrew Haig from the Bureau of Meteorology NSW regional office. “It is a very extensive area of cold air which has dragged up cold air from a long way south.
Meteorologists don’t always talk about surface temperatures like the rest of us. That’s because surface temperatures vary according to elevation, topography, the “urban heat island” effect in cities, plus a range of other factors.
Instead, they talk up about upper air temps, or “uppers” as they call them. These are a truer reflection of the actual temperature of an airmass. And the uppers on this incoming storm are mind-blowing.
“We’re looking at uppers not much above zero at three thousand feet,” Andrew Haig says.
Put simply, that means any town situated at 900 metres above sea level or thereabouts (or higher) can expect some serious snowfall. That includes places like Orange and Katoomba, west of Sydney and Armidale on the NSW Northern Tablelands.
“The upshot is these places could get 10 to 20 centimetres of snow if it all comes off,” Haig says.
As stated above, snowfalls have already started today in the Snowy Mountains of NSW and Victorian Alps, as you can see in the images above and below.
But the coldest blast is likely to strike Sunday into Monday, when the snow level is tipped to be as low as 600 metres, which is the level of most Canberra suburbs.
These weather systems usually fizzle out shortly after the coldest air arrives. Not this time. The Antarctic Vortex is different from other storms not just in its intensity but its likely duration.
This colossal conveyor belt of cold is set to linger for at least a week — and we’ll keep you updated with developing news, road closures and of course snow pics right here. |
Hurricanes sign Tom Kostopoulos to a 3 yr deal worth $2.75 million. An Average of $916,000.First off I will say the St. Louis Blues are well ahead of schedule. When you consider many of the so-called experts (many of whom rarely watch the Blues play) had picked the Blues to finish dead last in the Western Conference a year ago.Last season the organization made some really nice strides which finished with a thrilling late season push en route to a sixth seed in the Stanley Cup playoffs.To get to my point here, the days of using that word “Rebuild” should be officially tossed out the window.Now it’s time for the organization to take the next step and continue building off of what the club accomplished a season ago. I'm far from saying there isn't still work to do and plans for a parade down Market Street should begin.Heading into this season the goal won’t be to sneak into the playoffs but to make some noise once the club reaches the post-season. This has to be the goal, if you're not striving to improve off the previos season then what are you striving for? I think most people in the Blues organization will agree with me here. The time has come to approach things slightly different than the last few seasons.Have the Blues made the necessary roster improvements this off-season to help this team take the next step? Time will certainly tell.I would have liked to see the club add a defenseman (which they still might do) to help an area of concern over the last few seasons. Management has often said the Blues need to improve their ability to push the offense and become a better transition team. In order to accomplish this they need D-men who can effectively pass and make plays with the puck.The team is bringing back Carlo Colaiacovo and Erik Johnson will greatly improve this area, but is it enough?Speaking of Johnson....Fans last week were quickly reminded why he was selected first overall in 2006 ahead of guys like Johnathan Toews and Jordan Staal.Rink Rats!I’m told there is a very good chance Montreal hosts a game this season sometime in November at Olympic Stadium. Word is the Canadians would host the Washington Capitals.The NHL is thinking very hard about eliminating the All-Star Game all together and replacing it with the Outdoor game.Yankee Stadium is all but guaranteed to host the outdoor game in the 2010-2011 season.Is it just me or does Chicago Blackhawks President John McDonough come across the same way Bob Pulford did back when he ran the Hawks into the ground under former Owner Bill Wirtz? There is no question Chicago has made an unbelievable turnaround under Rocky Wirtz but I’m told McDonough’s hands on approach is really getting under the skin of many people who work with the Hawks.Hurricanes RFA Anton Babchuk can certainly provide some offense with his booming shot, but after doing some research I found it very interesting that he was a healthy scratch in 5 of Carolina’s 18 playoff games. In those 13 games Babchuk registered one assist with a -5 plus/minus rating.Look for Janne Pessanen to take his game over to either Russia or Sweden if he doesn’t receive a one way NHL offer. He starred in the AHL last season with the Penguins organization.Goaltender Curtis Sanford has received several two-way offers as well but remains hopeful a one way deal comes his way.Goaltender Manny Legace remains hopeful he will land an NHL job although his chances don’t look too great as we sit today. Chances are if Legace plays in the NHL this season he will have to accept far less money than he has earned over the last few years.Sergei Zubov is mulling over several offers and appears to be in no hurry to make a decision.The Phoenix Coyotes may only be broadcasting half of their games on television this coming season.Blues Clues!Do fans still think Phillip McRae was a charity pick for the Blues because his father serves on the Blues scouting staff? Not only does he have a rocket of a shot, the kid is extremely smart. His ability to find the quiet areas on the ice along with is ability to put the puck in quiet areas is extremely encouraging.Ian Cole is expected to make a decision on his future over the next few days. Cole had a sit down meeting with GM Larry Pleau and Al MacInnis last Thursday.Cole and McInnis have developed a very close relationship over the last few years. To me, MacInnis’s ability to mentor young prospects is just as important as any other role he currently serves in the front office. His career as a player gives him a level of credibility unmatched by any other member of the Blues organization.Throughout the summer MacInnis has been on the ice about three times a week working with several of the Blues top prospects.Alex Pietrangelo is taking advantage of his ability to train this summer, something he was unable to do a year ago because of his bout with Mono.Piertangelo has one more year of World Junior eligibility remaining and will attend Canada’s WJ camp later this summer.Goaltender Jake Allen will also attend the same camp as he has a strong chance to make the Canadian roster.McRae along with former 4th rounder David Warsofsky will attend the USA camp in Lake Placid, New York this August.Warsofsky is staying at Boston University even though he has been rumored to leave BU for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.The 2010 and 2011 NCAA Ice Breaker Tournament will be held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Michigan, Boston College, and Air Force have already committed to come in 2011. Tournament directors are hopeful Wisconsin, Notre Dame, and New Hampshire accept invitations to come in 2010. There will be four teams playing each year.A youth hockey tournament consisting of 200 teams will take place throughout St. Louis at the same time as the Ice Breaker.Erik Johnson bench pressed close to 270 pounds last week during the Blues prospects camp. Even though EJ is not considered a prospect he did win the Strong Man Competition.In no particular order Brett Sonne, Aaron Palushaj, Alex Pietrangelo, Ian Cole, and Trevor Nill tested out the best in a variety of strength tests the Blues put each camper through.Anybody else see Cole physically eliminate T.J. Oshie in a battle in the corner?Nill may never play in the NHL, but he showed tremendous improvement from where he was a year ago at this time.Andy Muray conducted one-on one meetings with each individual player during the prospect camp.The Blues approached Greg Millen and Ray Ferraro prior to approaching Darren Pang about joining the Blues broadcast team.Blues 2nd round pick Brett Ponich impressed during the camp with his ability to show such strong mobility for such a big guy. I especially liked his intimidating demeanor he displayed once the referees stepped on the ice for the scrimmage.Same goes with James Livingston who displayed his ability to show some edge along with some offense.Aaron Plaushaj caught a flu bug which kept him out of prospects camp the last few days. He still had time to display his high skill level.Erik Johnson wasn’t planning on playing in the game on Saturday anyway but also caught the flu.D-man Ryan Turek may be limited in terms of what he can do, but I for one appreciated the effort he gave last Saturday.Speaking of compete level, you got to acknowledge Mark Cundari who won a Memorial Cup with Windsor last season. He approached the Blues about coming to St. Louis a month early this summer to workout.Kris Berglund is a kid who if anything proved he’s a quality prospect. He has one year remaining on his contract in the Swedish Elite League. The kid is a heady player whose quick feet will give him an opportunity.Speaking of the SEL, how much quicker has Lars Eller gotten? This kid maybe was the most impressive player in camp not named Erik Johnson or T. J. Oshie.I want to give the Blues props for putting on a great camp for the fans. The players really enjoyed it as wellThat’s enough for now, off to the MLB All-Star game.More to come,Andy Strickland |
The study found that a résumé with a name like Emily or Greg received 50 percent more callbacks than the same résumé with a name like Lakisha or Jamal. Having a white-sounding name was as beneficial as eight years’ work experience.
Then there was the study in which researchers asked professors to evaluate the summary of a supposed applicant for a post as laboratory manager, but, in some cases, the applicant was named John and in others Jennifer. Everything else was the same.
“John” was rated an average of 4.0 on a 7-point scale for competence, “Jennifer” a 3.3. When asked to propose an annual starting salary for the applicant, the professors suggested on average a salary for “John” almost $4,000 higher than for “Jennifer.”
It’s not that we white men are intentionally doing anything wrong, but we do have a penchant for obliviousness about the way we are beneficiaries of systematic unfairness. Maybe that’s because in a race, it’s easy not to notice a tailwind, and white men often go through life with a tailwind, while women and people of color must push against a headwind.
While we don’t notice systematic unfairness, we do observe specific efforts to redress it — such as affirmative action, which often strikes white men as profoundly unjust. Thus a majority of white Americans surveyed in a 2011 study said that there is now more racism against whites than against blacks.
None of these examples mean exactly that society is full of hard-core racists and misogynists. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, a Duke University sociologist, aptly calls the present situation “racism without racists”; it could equally be called “misogyny without misogynists.” Of course, there are die-hard racists and misogynists out there, but the bigger problem seems to be well-meaning people who believe in equal rights yet make decisions that inadvertently transmit both racism and sexism.
So, come on, white men! Let’s just acknowledge that we’re all flawed, biased and sometimes irrational, and that we can do more to resist unconscious bias. That means trying not to hire people just because they look like us, avoiding telling a young girl she’s “beautiful” while her brother is “smart.” It means acknowledging systematic bias as a step toward correcting it. |
Shipping will always be via USPS. I ship all orders to the address listed on your Etsy invoice. If you give me an incorrect ship-to address, and I ship there because that's where you told me to ship to, I can't be held responsible when you don't get your package- PLEASE double-check your address before submitting your order. If you need to ship an order elsewhere, whether it's as a gift or because you've moved, or for any other reason, PLEASE let me know with an Etsy convo ASAP. I can change a shipping address with no problem *before* an order's been shipped, but once it's left here, there's nothing I can do.Orders are shipped via USPS either via First Class or Priority Mail, depending on the package's size and weight.I make every attempt to get orders out in a timely manner, but please remember I am only one person and in addition to OHWTO duties, I have many outside responsibilities as well. I do my best to get your orders made, packed, and shipped, as fast as I can without compromising quality. Current order turnaround time is stated in business days at the top of the shop's home page. "Business days" excludes weekends, holidays and days where the post office isn't open, of course (for anyone who may be confused: "turnaround time" means the time it takes for me to get your order, print it, make it, label it, package it, and mail it- it does not include the time it takes the postal service to deliver to you and it does NOT include holidays or weekends).Want to know where your order is, or when it's shipping? Check out your receipt (find it here: https://www.etsy.com/your/purchases ), in the upper right-hand corner is an "estimated ship date"- this is my estimation of the date your order will ship by, at the very latest. If it's been shipped, your tracking information will be there for you to click on as well. EVERY order receives tracking information, and I don't print shipping labels until an order is ready to go to the Post Office, so if that tracking information is there, your order is either already en route, or will be shortly. Tracking doesn't always update right away for various reasons beyond my control, but rest assured, I'm not going to print a shipping label for your order and then sit on it for 3 weeks- that's ridiculous, and I hate when it gets done to me, so I would NEVER do that to YOU <3 Updated tracking info is generally available on the USPS website within 24 hours of you receiving the email with the tracking # in it.International (non-US) customers are responsible for any and all customs fees/levies/taxes/tariffs/whatever they call them in your respective country. These fees are not included in your item cost, so keep that in mind when ordering. I ONLY mark International packages as "merchandise" on the Customs Forms- I will NOT mark packages as "gifts" unless they truly are being sent for free, as actual gifts. I state the actual dollar amount paid, less shipping, on customs forms and will not fudge this because doing so is mail fraud which is punishable by a sizable fine, so please don't ask me to do it. Thanks for your understanding!I recycle the styrofoam peanuts and other packing materials my vendors use to ship me my supplies, so if you see some in your packaging please don't freak out about me killing the environment- I'm RECYCLING them, not purchasing them new. All mailers/boxes, however, are new and unused.I stopped including paper invoices with orders as of August 2014 to reduce paper waste (and save a little bit of money). All orders are placed online, so accessing the invoices online for reference shouldn't be an issue. However, if you absolutely NEED a physical copy of your invoice, just ask in the "notes" section during checkout and I'll be more than happy to print it out for you and include it with your package.I cannot be held responsible for items damaged in transit; orders are packed to ensure your items arrive safely and are not damaged during normal handling, but sometimes, bad things happen to good packages. To protect your purchase from the unpredictable, I can add extra insurance to your order, just contact me after purchase and let me know and I will invoice you for the additional cost if necessary. It's usually under $2, so if you're placing a large order, you might want to consider it. Priority Mailers already include insurance, free of charge. |
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - A high-demand Alabama business serving sweet, cold treats is coming to Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville.
The 7-year-old outdoor shopping development announced this week that Homewood-based Steel City Pops will launch a 1,200-square-foot shop next spring in the south retail district next to Lime Fresh Mexican Grill.
The gourmet frozen pop business started in the Homewood suburb in the summer of 2012 and has since opened stores on U.S. 280 in Birmingham, at The Summit, Crestline Village and in Tuscaloosa. The company branched into the Dallas and Fort Worth markets in the spring of 2013.
Steel City Pops owner Jim Watkins said he had been searching for a space at Bridge Street for a while, but none of the available properties "felt quite right" until the facility near Lime and the new $20 million Belk department store became available.
"It just felt like the perfect spot for us," he said. "We had actually been looking at Huntsville almost since we opened. This was the first thing that felt like, 'Yeah, this is a good fit for us.'"
Steel City Pops offers a diverse flavor selection, ranging from cinnamon apple, lime and cranberry to orange, poached pear and pomegranate. The Alabama company also has more adventurous flavors, including maple bacon with bourbon, carrot cake, sweet potato pecan and pumpkin.
Watkins said flavors change seasonally, but they also try to keep up with the hottest food trends. Some of its best-selling flavors are strawberry, chocolate, coffee, buttermilk and blood orange.
Fruity and creamy pops range from 100 to 189 calories, Watkins said. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.
"Whatever your nutritional goals are as it relates to sweets, we feel like we have something for just about everyone," he said. "They're all natural and we don't use any artificial ingredients, fillers or preservatives."
Watkins hopes to open the Huntsville shop in March and hire approximately 20 employees. The space will have high ceilings, lots of natural light, customer seating, a serving counter, restrooms and a walk-in freezer to store the pops. The products will be made in Homewood and delivered to the Huntsville location.
Bridge Street will welcome several other new businesses in the coming months: BRAVO! Cucina Italiana (February 2015), SHADES (holidays 2014), Texas de Brazil (December 2014), and Orvis (November 2014). |
UPDATE: Firebombing ex-cop's wife cuts deal to avoid trial in tire slashing case
NEW BRUNSWICK -- A former Edison officer struck a deal with the prosecutor's office Monday resolving two arson cases and a host of charges, including multiple counts of attempted murder in the firebombing of his supervisor's house four years ago.
Michael Dotro, 40, of Manalapan, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and second-degree arson in the May 2013 incident where the ex-cop set fire to Mark Anderko's house while his family slept inside, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said.
The prosecutor's office has said Dotro was angry with Edison's now-deputy chief, who, days before the fire, had ordered the 10-year veteran of the force to undergo a fitness-for-duty evaluation with a psychologist after his 11th excessive force complaint, authorities said.
Under a plea agreement, Dotro will be sentenced to 20 years in state prison, Assistant Prosecutor Russell Curley said. He must serve 17 years before he is eligible for parole.
Dotro's attorney, Robert Norton, said while he and his client were not happy with the results of the plea agreement, it ends a four-and-a-half-year battle and multiple charges and allegations.
"It was a global resolution of all charges," he said.
Dotro also pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree official misconduct as part of the trial in which he and his wife are accused of slashing the tires on a woman's car and checking police records illegally for a suspect, according to authorities.
The couple, whose trial had opening statements scheduled for Tuesday, was accused of threatening the woman who worked in the police department and had an affair with Dotro.
The charges against his wife, Alycia, are still pending, the prosecutor's office said. Her attorney, Richard Incremona, did not return calls for comment.
The accusations of misconduct against Dotro, which included buying marijuana while in uniform -- allegedly for his wife -- and possessing the drug, came out in the months after the arson charges as the prosecutor's office probed the officer's history in the department.
He was also charged with having illegal weapons as an officer, including a blackjack and brass knuckles. All of those charges will be dismissed as part of the plea.
In addition, Dotro admitted to trying to intimidate a witness scheduled to testify at his trial, the prosecutor's office said. Authorities charged Dotro with third-degree conspiracy to tamper with a witness on Thursday, two days after jury selection started in the misconduct trial.
He was jailed since Friday on the charges.
The plea deal also dismisses charges in connection to an additional alleged arson plot in which the officer is accused of working with a fellow cop to burn down another supervisor's house. The plot never materialized but authorities said they found evidence of the plan last November.
Dotro will be sentenced Dec. 7 in New Brunswick by Superior Court Judge Pedro Jimenez.
Earlier this year, Dotro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, admitting he sought to get payback against a North Brunswick officer who had ticketed his family member for drunk driving, authorities said.
Three other Edison cops admitted to their roles in the plot as part of the plea deal, which required all the officers to resign in September.
Craig McCarthy may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here.
Luke Nozicka can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @lukenozicka.
Find NJ.com on Facebook and Twitter. |
Just gonna own this one: I monitor my Klout. (It’s a website that assigns people scores based on what it perceives their social media influence is.)
Should Klout matter? That’s debatable. Does Klout matter? Evidence is that it can, influencing your ability to get anything from freebies to quality customer service to a freakin’ job. Does monitoring your Klout make you come off as dorky? Totally.
But can Klout (or any service) accurately measure a person’s social media influence? Of course not. For starters, Klout only considers a few sites (Facebook, FourSquare, Google +, Instagram, Klout itself, LinkedIn, Twitter and WordPress) and ignores other popular ones (Pinterest, Reddit, Tumblr, Vine and YouTube being the most obvious).
Turns out, of the social media sites Klout does monitor, it doesn’t always do so consistently.
For starters, Klout scores don’t consider Facebook photos that were posted via Instagram. And earier this week I noticed that some posts I made directly on Facebook via its website and app weren’t appearing on Klout’s page that shows my recent activity (that is, what social media updates of mine Klout factors into my score).
So I emailed Klout’s tech support and got this response:
We do our best to surface all content you post on our score networks. We display all of the content that each scored network provides us with from their API, but it’s a known issue that not all content always shows up on their API, which is why you may be missing some moments on Klout. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Executive summary: Klout doesn’t work, other social networks are to blame, and, hey, if its inaccurate scores cost you a job, Klout apologizes for the inconvenience.
Photo: Courtesy Klout |
It seems a ridiculous thought. Titillation and porn are everywhere in our hyper-sexed culture. People appear to be at it constantly, so the question is absurd, like asking if you breathe too much or blink to excess. But a growing online community is turning away from masturbation, reporting incredible results from their self-denial: better sexual performance, greater confidence, and more mojo almost everywhere in their lives.
This movement’s spiritual home is the social sharing site Reddit, where enlightened anti-onanists gather on a page called NoFap (“fapping” = internet slang for masturbation, and no one quite knows why). Over 70,000 subscribers have signed up for the page, where users can take The NoFap Challenge, foreswearing masturbation for 90 days or longer. It’s not a judgmental place, but supportive and almost off-puttingly compassionate: a kind of “W---ers Anonymous”.
The medical anti-masturbators’ high priest is Gary Wilson. Formerly of Southern Oregon University, Wilson runs YourBrainOnPorn.com and delivered a 2012 TEDx talk called The Great Porn Experiment - viewed over 1.3 million times on YouTube. He doesn’t say masturbation is bad per se, but that porn consumption and excess fapping can fuse into “arousal addiction”, because our caveman brains are drowned into madness by the 21st century filth-hose called the Internet.
Wilson argues the mammal brain responds to sexual novelty. Biologists call this The Coolidge Effect, ensuring we capitalize on all genetic opportunities to reproduce. But your poor brain can’t tell the difference between physical and digital crumpet. You ogle more naked women in ten minutes online than Genghis Khan did in a lifetime of pillage, but your brain doesn’t know that Internet porn isn’t “real”. Watching a video, your brain thinks it just hit the Darwinian jackpot. It releases dopamine, the “seeking” hormone essential to the brain’s reward/reinforcement system. Wilson says that to porn-addled brains, the dopamine says “binge… do this, and if possible, ONLY this, until you can’t do it any more”.
It’s the same impulse that makes you eat despite already feeling full, a way of ensuring you “get while the getting is good”. Your brain doesn’t know where your next meal or woman is coming from: it wants you to eat/ejaculate while you can. But dopamine numbs other pleasure responses, eroding your willpower and making you hyper-reactive to the stimulus that triggered it (i.e. video smut). Over time, heavy porn users can find themselves unable to sustain relationships, or even erections when there are other people “present”.
Other NoFappers don’t medicalise their masturbation problem, they spiritualise it. Mark Queppet runs the Sacred Spirituality Project, which invites men to forgo masturbation as part of a higher expression of sexuality. He harks back to a pre-broadband past when “men needed to be strong, successful, and good people in order to attract a desirable mate. However, pornography and masturbation allow men to forgo all of that stuff and skip right to hyper-stimulating physical pleasure. The world is full of potential discomfort and anxieties, and Queppet suggests masturbation is yet another means of instant gratification that stunts our spiritual growth. As he puts it, “the world needs more strong and passionate men… but sadly, they are still stuck in their room masturbating to their smart phone.”
So what happens when you go cold turkey? According to the Reddit group, it’s pretty much the greatest thing ever. Reddit user “Rantham” (760 days nofapping and counting) reports: “I'm full of energy, I'm focused, my mind is clear, women aren't objects to me, ALL of my relationships have improved, generally I'm just a better more caring person when I don't have this cloud over me.” Another user “NeverFappin” feels “like a complete bad-ass in many ways, I speak slower and with a deeper tone in my voice… I think pretty much every woman I see now is attracted to me so I guess that's pretty high confidence for you.” It’s no stroll in the park, though. Some NoFappers report a high incidence of depression, loneliness, and in the most extreme of cases, suicidal thoughts.
The lesson there seems to be, if you’re going to try this, however awkward the idea, don’t do it alone. Talk to your doctor, join up with an Internet community like Reddit, or team up with friends or co-workers for a group NoFap challenge. Now that would be an interesting staff meeting, wouldn’t it? |
It may not have dragons, or princes, or elves — for the record, it does have elephants — but make no mistake: The Blacklist is a fantasy show. It is the stuff of fantasies, of imaginations run wild. A master criminal with omnipotent-like power who commits sin after sin but possesses the unreal ability to remain a lovable goof and make you think fedoras look cool. His daughter, born into an elite spy family, ensnared in a web of lies and espionage, corruption and secrets, casually works for the FBI. Together, they put away the world’s worst criminals while surreptitiously and constantly committing their own corruptions to build an international criminal empire.
It’s a heightened, absurd, fantastic premise that happens to exist a world very much resembling our own. So I don’t know why, with limitless procedural plot possibilities, the series had to take something as real, present, and loaded as wrongful death by police and trivialize it with a Blacklist-style framework featuring some high-heeled dominatrix paying desperate police officers to stage deadly force situations in order to scam people out of money from former lawsuit settlements via, y’know, methodically planned murder. If only the circumstances of unarmed killings were that improbable.
The most frustrating part is that, otherwise, there’s a lot to like about this episode — Red and Tom having a passive-aggressive-off, Glen showing his vulnerable (and gassy) side, Aram finally getting to do the thing where he solves the entire case by himself for the first time in season 5, and again, elephants — but I couldn’t helped but be distracted by the frivolous filter The Blacklist inexplicably applied to this real-life issue.
It’s one thing to not want to politicize your very fictional show. It’s another thing to look a politicized issue in the face and say, “No, I think our thing is more interesting.” Cooper tells Ressler that the police officers who let “anger and emotion, prejudice and carelessness” get in the way of their commitment to protecting people are “every good cop’s worst nightmare.” And that’s true. So it’s especially unfortunate that the truth of that message is trivialized by an outlandish plot device.
MISS REBECCA THRALL, NO. 76
I did, however, enjoy the slightly leading, cheeky title of this week’s Blacklister. The episode opens with two police officers kicking the door of an apartment open. One cop, Officer McGuiness, comes across the occupant in his kitchen, and the man pleads for the officer not to arrest him. The police officer, clearly shaking, looks the man in the eyes and says, “I’m sorry, Scotty.” Then he shoots him in cold blood.
The other cop hears the shots and comes running as McGuiness quickly pulls out another gun, shoots two shots into the wall behind him, wipes down the gun, and puts it in the hands of the now dead man. Back at the police station, McGuiness sits in his car, clearly stunned. A pair of spiked red high heels enter the frame and walk toward the car; a blond woman gets in and tells him that his funds are now available. McGuiness says he didn’t think it would be this bad. “You’re alive, Officer McGuiness, which is more than we can say for Scotty Stansbury,” she responds. “You’ve done your job. Now let me do mine.”
Her job is…complicated, as we’ll soon find out, because Red puts the Post Office on the case, telling Lizzie that he has reason to believe the recent police killing in Baltimore was a premeditated murder. The Post Office finds that, indeed, the gun that was found on Stansbury at the crime scene was reported stolen three weeks ago but Stansbury was never a suspect, despite his criminal past. Cooper tells Liz and Ressler it might be worth investigating, so they head to the police station to ask Officer McGuiness and his partner a few questions. It’s a well done scene with frequent cuts between the two cops explaining the altercation — they’re both telling the same story, but whereas the partner is simply explaining what he believes to be true, Officer McGuiness is lying through his teeth.
They both say there were four shots fired, Stansbury’s two first, which both missed, followed by McGuiness’ two. Liz asks which shot hit Stansbury: “You said you fired twice; I assume you remember which missed and which didn’t.” And while I do love when Liz gets to put on her Criminal Minds hat, her logic that McGuiness is dirty because he said it was the second shot, when it’s generally the second that misses, is silly. Yes, McGuiness had the wrong reasons for shooting at his victim, but he shot him all the same. He would have no reason to lie about which shot made contact. But, whatever, now we’re all on the same page — the kid is dirty, dirty.
And speaking of dirty, there’s that blond woman from before. Oh, and look, she has someone bound up in her basement in full latex kinkery, breathing out of a tube connected to his latex hood. Wonder who it is… (Recap continues on page 2) |
When Adele sings you can hear that it’s coming from an unfiltered honesty and purity. She creates songs that go deep and expose pain and vulnerability with her soulful voice. She takes you places other artists don’t go to anymore—the way they did in the ‘70s. —BEYONCÉ I swear to god I laugh at every big thing that happens in my career. I laugh out loud because I think it’s fuckin’ ridiculous. At some point, the director of The Truman Show is going to come and say this is a sequel. —ADELE
The black Porsche Cayenne S.U.V. pulls up to the driveway of my hotel. Adele is behind the wheel and alone in the car. When I get in, she tells me she loves to drive on her own—although there is a discreet security detail in the vehicle in front of us. We’re on our way to Staples Center for the second of eight sold-out L.A. concerts on her current, 43-city world tour. She’s wearing a flouncy white cotton top over black leggings and beige flats. A Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet with colored round jewels is on her right arm. Her hair is pulled up off her face in a loose bun, her huge green eyes are covered by sunglasses, and, makeup-free, she is naturally gorgeous. She is gregarious and totally at ease, and we immediately start to talk about L.A. She recently purchased a house in Beverly Hills, because she spends so much time recording here and got tired of renting houses that weren’t properly baby-proofed, or private enough, or the pool was broken, and it was a waste of money. At the previous night’s concert she gave a shout-out to her new favorite L.A. supermarket—Bristol Farms. She raves about their balsamic cheese (“I ate the whole thing”), and we somehow segue into grooming. She shows me her long fake nails, which she says are coming off straight after the tour. She says she waited weeks to get her eyebrows shaped because the only woman she’ll let touch them lives in L.A. And how, after a month, she shaved her legs because she thought people in the front row at her concerts might notice them when she runs up the stairs to the stage. I ask if Simon Konecki (her boyfriend of five years and the father of their four-year-old son, Angelo) minded her unshaven legs. “He has no choice,” she says. “I’ll have no man telling me to shave my fuckin’ legs. Shave yours.”
We’re in the car for about 10 minutes when she starts talking about the joys and conflicts of motherhood. I say it was brave of her to have a child in the midst of such a big, successful career. “Actually,” she says, “I think it’s the bravest thing not to have a child; all my friends and I felt pressurized into having kids, because that’s what adults do. I love my son more than anything, but on a daily basis, if I have a minute or two, I wish I could do whatever the fuck I wanted, whenever I want. Every single day I feel like that.” I ask if she wants more children. She says she doesn’t think so. I say women often want to give their child a sibling, but since Simon has a daughter from a former marriage who is very much a part of their lives, Angelo already has a sister. “Exactly,” she says, “so that’s my get-out-of-jail-free card. I’m too scared. I had really bad postpartum depression after I had my son, and it frightened me.” Did she take antidepressants? “No, no, no, no. But also, I didn’t talk to anyone about it. I was very reluctant . . . . My boyfriend said I should talk to other women who were pregnant, and I said, ‘Fuck that, I ain’t hanging around with a fuckin’ bunch of mothers.’ Then, without realizing it, I was gravitating towards pregnant women and other women with children, because I found they’re a bit more patient. You’ll be talking to someone, but you’re not really listening, because you’re so fuckin’ tired. “My friends who didn’t have kids would get annoyed with me,” she continues, “whereas I knew I could just sit there and chat absolute mush with my friends who had children, and we wouldn’t judge each other. One day I said to a friend, ‘I fuckin’ hate this,’ and she just burst into tears and said, ‘I fuckin’ hate this, too.’ And it was done. It lifted. My knowledge of postpartum—or post-natal, as we call it in England—is that you don’t want to be with your child; you’re worried you might hurt your child; you’re worried you weren’t doing a good job. But I was obsessed with my child. I felt very inadequate; I felt like I’d made the worst decision of my life . . . . It can come in many different forms. Eventually I just said, I’m going to give myself an afternoon a week, just to do whatever the fuck I want without my baby. A friend of mine said, ‘Really? Don’t you feel bad?’ I said, I do, but not as bad as I’d feel if I didn’t do it. Four of my friends felt the same way I did, and everyone was too embarrassed to talk about it; they thought everyone would think they were a bad mom, and it’s not the case. It makes you a better mom if you give yourself a better time. I’m enjoying touring, but at times I feel guilty because I’m doing this massive tour, and even though my son is with me all the time, on certain nights I can’t put him to bed. I never feel guilty when I’m not working. You’re constantly trying to make up for stuff when you’re a mom. I don’t mind, because of the love I feel for him . . . . I don’t care if I don’t ever get to do anything for myself again.” And while she does, of course, have a nanny, she is adamantly not one of those celebrity mothers who hands the kid off to a caretaker after a photo op in a fake playground. Full ScreenPhotos: 1 / 7 The Vanity Fair Cover Shoot: Adele, the Queen of Hearts VOICE OF REASON Photo: Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. FACE IT Photo: Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. Photo: Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. Photo: Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. Photo: Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. Photo: Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. SWINGING SUCCESS Photo: Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. Previous Next VOICE OF REASON Adele on a vintage Michael Taylor sofa. Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. FACE IT Adele, ready for her close-up. Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. SWINGING SUCCESS Adele under an oak tree in Woodside, California. Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl.
We talk about the U.S. presidential election. “We only know Trump from The Apprentice,” she says, “so we think a reality star is running for president. I just don’t think anybody should be building walls or shit like that right now. I think we need to look after each other. Everyone must vote.” She tells me how, when she couldn’t speak for seven weeks following vocal surgery in 2011, “I wrote everything down. Which is nice, because it was the beginning of my relationship with my boyfriend, and now we have a record of all that for our kids.” She adds that she and Simon are not married, and she doesn’t need it; she thinks having a child together is the bigger commitment. And in her “real,” non-work life, she is fiercely private and so protective of her son that, she says, “I’d sue the fuckin’ ass off anyone that comes anywhere near my child.” As we pull into the backstage area of Staples Center, she—a 10-time Grammy winner—says she’s “nostalgic” about this arena because the award show is held here. We walk into her large, private dressing room, and I note that she’s taller than I imagined—she tells me she’s five feet nine. She takes off her shoes and walks barefoot on the carpet. The room has white flowing curtains, large sofas, and a TV screen on a wall. In one part of the room a child’s play area is set up with a toy motorcycle, a toy kitchen with little pots and pans and cups and saucers, games, a Crayola box, and books. Rose- and Baies-scented candles are lit, and there’s a full makeup table in another corner. She says we have 20 more minutes to talk, then she has to do her sound check for 10 minutes, then vocal warm-ups for another 10, then we can talk again while she’s having her makeup done. I ask if she’s always this organized. She admits she’s always been in full control and comfortable in her skin. “It’s probably from my upbringing. I come from a very big family of a lot of women who did everything on their own.” (Later, her manager, Jonathan Dickins—the only person she says she completely trusts besides her boyfriend—tells me, “I met her when she lived [in London’s Brixton] above a convenience store, next to a gas station, and she would walk into a room and not give a fuck if she was speaking to the janitor or the head of the record label. That was her at 18 and that’s her at 28: completely unflappable, completely her own woman.”) Adele says, “My entire life revolves around my child, so everything is timed, because he’s on a routine.” “I COME FROM A VERY BIG FAMILY OF A LOT OF WOMEN WHO DID EVERYTHING ON THEIR OWN.” We sit on the sofa, and I ask her if she still has her previously well-documented stage fright. “In a different way,” she says. “I get nervous, as opposed to the projectile vomiting and trying to avoid the stage.” She says she didn’t have to tour, and she doesn’t understand why people are addicted to touring. “I’d still like to make records, but I’d be fine if I never heard [the applause] again. I’m on tour simply to see everyone who’s been so supportive. I don’t care about money. I’m British, and we don’t have that . . . thing of having to earn more money all the time. I don’t come from money; it’s not that important a part of my life. Obviously I have nice things, and I live in a nicer area than I grew up in. That was my goal from the age of seven: it was ‘I ain’t living here.’ I didn’t care how I was getting out, I didn’t care where I’d be living, but I knew I wasn’t living there. I love being famous for my songs, but I don’t enjoy being in the public eye. I love to make music, and I love doing shows, and I needed to go back to work—not for money but because something was missing. I wasn’t creating music. But there is such a massive difference between what I do for my work and what I do in my real life. I don’t think anyone should be famous for going to a grocery store or a playground.” She tells me that, when she first got famous, people in her family sold stories about her, and friends from childhood sold photos. “I appreciate when there’s money [involved],” she says, “but you could go get a job. The problem is you can’t talk about the downside of fame, because people have hope, and they cling to the hope of what it would be like to be famous, to be adored, to be able to create and do nice things.” Also, she adds, “money makes everyone act so bizarrely. It’s like they become intimidated by it, like I’m wearing my fuckin’ money.” Photographs by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. A note here about her laugh, which comes often and has been described as a “cackle,” but is really more a raucous burst of appreciation at something either she or someone else has said. According to Beyoncé, “It is so easy to talk to her and be around her. She’s funny as hell and her comebacks are legendary. The most beautiful thing about Adele is that she has her priorities straight. She is a gracious woman and the most humble human being I’ve ever met.”
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born 28 years ago in Tottenham, London, and was raised mostly by her single mother, Penny, with help from her paternal grandparents. At the age of seven she knew she could carry a tune and spent years in her room impersonating the British singer Gabrielle and the Spice Girls. She graduated from the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in 2006 and was quickly “discovered” from a demo on MySpace and signed at the age of 18 to the British alternative label XL. At that same time, she made her management deal with Dickins—who comes from a British music-business family—and they’ve been a team ever since. In 2008 she released her debut album, 19, with its smash hit “Chasing Pavements,” and an October 2008 appearance on Saturday Night Live (the night Sarah Palin was on) kickstarted her career in the U.S.—where her album has since gone triple platinum. Prior to the release of 19, when she wanted to make a North American record deal, she went to Columbia Records, whose chairman and C.E.O., Rob Stringer, says, “She walked down our corridor, a cigarette in her mouth, and she saw the photos of Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, and Beyoncé on the wall, and she was like, literally, ‘Yeah, I’ll be all right here.’ ” She won two Grammys in 2009, and the rest is a steady, extraordinary decade-long rise for a singer who doesn’t dance, doesn’t do big production numbers, doesn’t dress like a fairground stripper, doesn’t lip-synch, doesn’t endorse any commercial products, and refreshingly doesn’t use the words “my brand.” Rob Stringer says, “She has time to really think about her music, because she’s not spending all that time doing private gigs or Coke commercials.” “THERE IS SUCH A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT I DO FOR MY WORK AND WHAT I DO IN MY REAL LIFE.” All this led to huge record sales at a time when people stopped buying records. In January 2011 she released her sophomore album, 21—with the smash singles “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You.” It held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts for 24 weeks and was in the Top Five of the charts for 39 consecutive weeks—the most in *Billboard’*s history. In 2011 and 2012, 21 sold more albums worldwide in a two-year period than any since Michael Jackson’s Thriller, in 1983 and 1984. And 21 has sold 35 million to date. She swept the 2012 Grammys with six awards, including Record, Song, and Album of the Year. Producer Rick Rubin, who worked with her on 21, says, “Besides her once-in-a-lifetime voice, Adele has a pure songwriting gift. We always discussed how to get the most out of the songs, never to settle. All the songs always started with her; sometimes she liked having a collaborator to help get it over the finish line, but all of her best work comes directly from her.” In December 2013, Prince Charles presented Adele with Britain’s M.B.E. for Services to Music. Her third album, 2015’s 25, spent 10 weeks at the top of the U.S. charts; the video for the first single (“Hello”) was viewed 1.6 million times per hour the first two days of its release. And recently, unconfirmed rumors had it that she renegotiated her Columbia deal for an unprecedented sum of $130 million. According to Stringer, “This year, 25 has sold 10 million physical and digital albums—easily twice that of any other artist.” Adele also won an Oscar for her James Bond theme, “Skyfall,” in 2013, her television special, Adele Live in New York City, was nominated for four Emmys, and she is expected to receive multiple Grammy nominations this year for 25. According to her friend the late-night TV host James Corden, whose “Carpool Karaoke” segment with Adele has had more than 130 million online views, “She is the biggest star on the planet, and yet she’s still in the world with us. As a performer, she represents us; so many of the feelings she expresses in her songs are feelings that we all have. She is true to herself and completely authentic.” Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl.
The day after Adele’s second L.A. concert, on her day off, we meet in a private room at the Soho House for lunch. She arrives exactly on time, wearing a black tunic and gladiator sandals. Her hair is up and, once again, she’s makeup-free. She says she can’t drink caffeine anymore, orders a decaf latte and some avocado-on-toast sandwich situation, and shares my French fries. She checks her phone only once—to make sure her son is napping—and we talk for over two hours. We discuss her show and how she manages to make an arena seem intimate. She brings people up from the audience onto the stage for a hug or, in the case of the night before, a plug—when she brought up a drag-queen Adele impersonator named Delta Work, who shamelessly announced her own upcoming appearances to the audience. The real Adele alternates four identical sequined Burberry gowns for her concerts, and after the show she makes a quick change to get in the car and drive home with Simon. “It’s like America’s Got Talent,” she says. “I climb out of my Spanx.” She gets “pissed off,” she says, when she sees people in her audience checking their phones (to say nothing of her calling out an audience member in Verona, Italy, who was filming her with a professional camera on a tripod). “People would rather have a photo to show to people than actually enjoy a moment,” she says. “It’s weird—when I first started out, nearly 10 years ago, no one had their phones out. I’d go onstage to people. Now I go onstage to 18,000 phones. It’s pretty because of the lights . . . but no one is actually looking at the world—they’re on their phones all the time. Also, this Wi-Fi, you watch, it’s going to fuckin’ kill our insides . . . it’s just floating around. I’m telling you, we’ll find out in 25 years.” We order no alcoholic beverages. She says she used to be a “massive drinker,” but since her vocal surgery and the birth of her son, she stopped smoking and now might have two glasses of wine a week. “Having a hangover with a child is torture,” she says. “Just imagine an annoying three-year-old who knows something’s wrong; it’s hell.” She says she’s never had any interest in drugs, because when she was younger someone her family knew died of a heroin overdose and it “freaked the fuckin’ life out of me. I’m too scared to ever take drugs. I used to love to be drunk, but as I got more famous I would wake up the next morning and think, What the fuck did I say and who the fuck did I say it to? I never had blackouts, but when you’re drunk and you go to a party, you’ll talk to anyone. I can see from an outsider’s perspective that I will never write songs as good as the ones that are on 21, but I’m not as indulgent as I was then, and I don’t have time to fall apart like I did then. I was completely off my face writing that album, and a drunk tongue is an honest one. I would drink two bottles of wine, and I would chain-smoke. Then I’d write the lyrics down and the next morning think, Fuck, that’s quite good. Then I’d find the melody. But since I’ve had my baby, I’m not as carefree as I used to be. I’m scared of a lot of things now because I don’t want to die; I want to be around for my kid. I’m very cautious, whereas I was never cautious before. I would never have done anything before that would make me die, but now I go out of my way to avoid anything that is remotely dangerous—like walking along a sidewalk. I’d rather walk on the grass or a lawn, rather than the pavement, in case a car crashes into me. Also, I don’t go out as much as I used to. I go to very civilized dinners, and I’ll go to work things when I have to, but you have to literally drag me onto a fuckin’ red carpet.”
She tells me she considers herself a “wailer” more than a singer, and that the singers she likes are “incredible—they’re on the next level,” like her early influences Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald. She adores Beyoncé, who she says has been a constant in her life since she was 11 and heard “No, No, No” from Destiny’s Child. “She’s my Michael Jackson,” Adele says. The other two women she says she reveres are Stevie Nicks—”I can’t find the words to describe how much I love her”—and Bette Midler. About Bette, she says, “I’ve obviously loved her for years. I like her humor, but she’s a fucking great singer, a really amazing singer. When I watched her show, I felt like I was really watching the last legend. No one’s made like that anymore.” Both women return the admiration: “Adele is major,” says Stevie Nicks. “It’s very satisfying to see her success. [Her song] ‘When We Were Young’ makes me sob. I think she can do anything. And I think she will do everything.” And Bette, who had been at Adele’s show at Staples the previous night, told me, “Adele’s voice is so beautiful, so flexible, and she can do anything with it. The main thing is she hits you where you live. She is utterly hilarious and her shows are a riot—not just because of the great music and musicianship but her complete connection with her audience and her ability to make them laugh and then turn around and reduce them to tears.” Adele says, “Every day as I get older, I appreciate women more and more. When you’re between the ages of 15 and 19, maybe you see women as competition, as opposed to lifesavers and people that hold your hand and have experienced pretty much everything that you have. So the more women in my life the better.” As for her relationship with Simon (who runs the nonprofit Drop4Drop), Adele attributes their age gap (he’s 14 years older than she is) as the reason he is so comfortable with her success. “I have no desire to be with anyone in show business, because we all have egos. He’s not threatened by any stage of my life that I’m going for, and that’s an amazing thing. It’s the most serious relationship I’ve ever been in; we’ve got a child together and we live together. After releasing my first album, all the other people I ever was with were so insecure about themselves—they couldn’t handle it at all. When I try to describe this to my friends they don’t always get it, because they go out with people that are our age, but Simon is already who he is, and I’m still becoming who I’m going to be. He’s confident. He’s perfect.” Photograph by Tom Munro; Styled by Gaelle Paul; Directed by Jessica Diehl. |
Championships are won by making the right little decisions through the season and micromanaging your lineup well can be the difference maker. Each week, I’ll be taking a look at five hitting matchups you should take advantage of this week, and five hitting matchups you should avoid this week. Here are the batters you should start and avoid for Week 24 (9/11 – 9/17) of the fantasy baseball season.
Notes: All pitching matchups mentioned here are based off of projections as of this writing. It is entirely possible that the actual matchups could change either because of injury, weather, or anything else. Keep in mind, this article is geared toward middle-of-the-road players, meaning you should be starting top of the line bats regardless of the matchup. Always start your studs.
START
Cleveland Indians hitters – Boy I’m really going out on a limb here aren’t I? Yea, hey, maybe you should start the hitters on the hottest team in baseball? But I’m not just recommending Indians hitters because I’m lazy (that’s only part of it), but because they have an excellent set of matchups this week. First, they start off with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers followed by a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals, and in all seven of those games, there’s nary a pitching matchup that frightens you even a little bit. Obviously you’re already starting your studs, but I’d recommend starting guys like Austin Jackson (in their two starts against lefties) and Jay Bruce, who’s slashing .252/.308/.486 against righties since the All-Star Break (and the Indians get to see five righties this week).
Chicago White Sox hitters – The White Sox, oddly enough, get the exact reverse schedule of the Indians, starting off the week with a three-game series against the Royals and then a four-game series against the Tigers. Again, neither of these pitching staffs are any good. Since the beginning of August, the Royals staff has a 6.13 ERA and the Tigers staff has a 5.99 ERA. Take advantage of these matchups this week. Now that Nicky Delmonico is back, I’d recommend grabbing him for this week (and possibly beyond, he’s been pretty good since being called up) and if you need power, Matt Davidson isn’t a bad guy to look for. Both are available in over 90% of ESPN leagues.
Colorado Rockies hitters – Four games in Chase Field (Coors Lite) against the Diamondbacks and three games in Coors Field against the Padres make the Rockies schedule quite hitter-friendly this week. Sure, they’ll see Zack Greinke and Zack Godley while they’re in Arizona, and if you’re in a daily league, I might avoid those matchups, but other than that, thing look good, and even in those matchups, being in Chase Field can help dampen the effects that Greinke and Godley will have on the lineup. Fun fact: Carlos Gonzalez has been slashing .338/.435/.571 over the past month an is available in just under 42% of ESPN leagues. Also, in his career, Trevor Story has enjoyed hitting at Chase Field, slashing .271/.352/.833 there.
San Diego Padres hitters – Sure they only have five games this week, but they should be five good games for their hitters. They start off with two games in Minnesota against the Twins (where they’ll gain a DH spot) and then three games at Coors Field against the Rockies. None of the pitching matchups are particularly scary, so take advantage of these matchups this week. Wil Myers hasn’t been what fantasy owners hoped he’d be this year, but over the past two weeks, he’s slashing .321/.339/.472, making him a worthwhile play.
Oakland Athletics hitters – Since August, the A’s have been hitting the ball quite well, with a .347 team wOBA in that timespan. This week, they play three games in hitter-friendly Fenway Park against the Red Sox and luckily get to miss Chris Sale. They will see Eduardo Rodriguez, which could potentially be scary, as could Drew Pomeranz, but overall, it’s not a terrible series. Then they head to Philly to play the Phillies, and while they’ll lose a DH spot (which could be bad news for someone like Matt Olson or Ryon Healy), they’ll get some sweet hitting matchups. Khris Davis, Matt Chapman, Matt Joyce, Olson, and Healy I think are all worth playing this week.
AVOID
San Francisco Giants hitters – Last week, I told you to grab Giants hitters for the week. Well now you need to drop/bench them, because this week is going to be rough. They play all six of their games this week at home in arguably the most pitcher-friendly park in baseball in AT&T Park, and while there they’ll get to see Kenta Maeda, Clayton Kershaw, Robbie Ray, and Zack Greinke. If he’s not named Buster Posey, don’t play your Giants hitters this week.
Washington Nationals hitters against the Dodgers – The Nats’ offense has been pretty rough without Bryce Harper, and while they start the week with a decent matchup against the Atlanta Braves, they’ll have an extremely difficult series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. They’ll be facing Yu Darvish, Alex Wood, and Rich Hill. Given the struggles of the offense already on top of the fact that they’ll be facing three very good pitchers, I’d avoid them during that series in daily leagues.
Tampa Bay Rays hitters – It’s a rough week for the Rays. They start off with a three-game series at home against the New York Yankees where they’ll get to see Sonny Gray and Masahiro Tanaka, and then they have another three-game home series, this time against the Boston Red Sox, where they’ll get to see Chris Sale, Rick Porcello, and Eduardo Rodriguez. If it’s Evan Longoria, I’d still be starting him, but otherwise, avoid your Rays.
Atlanta Braves hitters – The Braves have had some fantasy-useful players, but I’d be sitting just about everyone on that team this week. The Braves start off the week with a three-game series against the Nationals where they’ll see Gio Gonzalez and Max Scherzer, and then they head home to face off against the New York Mets, getting to see Jacob DeGrom while they’re there. If you’re in a daily league, there are some matchups (i.e. the one with Tanner Roark) that aren’t too bad, but in a weekly league, I’d generally avoid my Braves.
Cincinnati Reds hitters – The Reds begin their week in pitcher-friendly Busch Stadium where they’ll see the St. Louid Cardinals and Lance Lynn (who’s had a 2.31 ERA over the past month), Luke Weaver (who’s had a 1.32 ERA over the past month), and the always-impressive Carlos Martinez. Then they head home, and being in Great American Ballpark is nice for their hitters, but while there they face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates and get to see Gerrit Cole. In a daily league, I might take advantage of the other two Pirates matchups against Chad Kuhl and Ivan Nova, but in a weekly league, this week scares me for Pirates hitters and I’d avoid them, including Andrew McCutchen who’s been miserable over the past month, slashing .211/.279/.253 in that time. |
It is possible that Stephen Bannon is the most powerful person in a Republican Party that is in danger of no longer being the Republican Party and ultimately losing an epic landslide to the Democratic Party in the midterm elections of 2018.
In an interview with the New York Times days before Virginia voted, Bannon said his candidate for governor, Ed Gillespie, would run so strongly that Democrats should be fearful of the prospect of Trumpism without Trump.
“He’s closed an enthusiasm gap by rallying around the Trump agenda,” Bannon said.
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Bannon was right about one thing: Ed Gillespie, the Washington insider who ran as a Trump-style populist, implementing racially divisive, culture-warrior politics, sure did close the enthusiasm gap.
Before the Virginia voting, it was widely thought by political insiders and widely discussed in political media that it was the Democrats who suffered from an enthusiasm gap.
After the Virginia vote, the political world was stunned by the magnitude of enthusiasm and voter turnout by liberals, moderates, minorities, gays, women and independents who are appalled and alarmed by what Trump is doing to America.
It is indeed possible that Bannon succeeds in his all-out war against the Republican establishment, which he continued shortly after the Virginia voting by calling for the resignation of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
If Bannon succeeds, he could be viewed as the most powerful Republican in America, though after the Virginia vote, a growing number of Republicans may belatedly join the Trump resistance.
Most likely, the Republicans will become neither the party of Trump nor the party of Bannon. Rather, they will become the party of Ed Gillespie-type candidates — weak-willed leaders who fail to stand up to Trump when it counts and pretend to be sympathetic to Trump policies and practices they privately deplore, from a president they privately view with disdain.
To the degree Bannon is a political king or kingmaker, he presides over a small and shrinking kingdom, composed of some 35 percent of the nation, surrounded by a majority of the nation that is hostile to his vision, alarmed by his plans and determined to vote in humongous numbers.
In the political empire of Trump, the emperor has no clothes. Few Americans want to wake up every morning and learn who their president has insulted that day. Most Americans do not want culture wars or racial conflicts to divide their country or deform our politics.
Patriotic Americans do not want their president supported by a foreign dictator who attacks our democracy, and they do not want a president who has too often praised foreign dictators for reasons that are unfathomable.
Americans do not want a president who promises to drain the swamp, as Trump did, and governs as a crony capitalist, as Trump does.
Whatever the size of the kingdom that Trump or Bannon may command, it is small by the standards of our great nation, and shrinking by the standards of approval ratings that repeatedly fall to new all-time lows.
First, Republicans called liberals Republicans in name only and chased them out of the GOP. Then, the "true believers" made moderate Republicans their targets and began to treat them with contempt.
Now, both the GOP health-care policy fiasco and the GOP tax plans could destroy the political careers of Republicans who represent blue states, while Bannon wages his political wars against moderately conservative Republicans and GOP leaders in Congress.
American politics has reached a cruel and unusual political state. Former DNC Chairwoman Donna Brazile is becoming the favorite Democrat of Republicans, after her appalling book made news days before the 2017 elections.
Meanwhile, Steve Bannon has become the favorite Republican of Democrats following the GOP debacle on election day.
Brent Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was chief deputy majority whip of the U.S. House of Representatives. He holds an LLM in international financial law from the London School of Economics. |
Former media baron Conrad Black has asked for an emergency delay to the start of his 6½-year prison sentence pending the outcome of his appeal.
Conrad Black, seen here in Chicago in December 2007, is due to start his jail sentence March 3. ((Jerry Lai/Associated Press))
Lawyers for Black, who was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice last year, filed an emergency appeal on Wednesday asking a U.S. Appeal Court to allow him to remain free on bond.
The motion also includes Black's two co-defendants, former Hollinger executives Peter Atkinson and John Boultbee.
The three are due to start their sentences March 3.
"A brief delay of applicants' surrender date until after this court rules on the application does not prejudice any party or undermine the goals of the justice system," said the five-page motion.
Last July, Black was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice related to the diversion of millions of dollars from Hollinger International. The obstruction of justice conviction related to the improper removal of 13 boxes of documents from Black's office.
Boultbee was given 27 months in jail; Atkinson got 24 months. Both were convicted of three counts of fraud.
Trial Judge Amy St. Eve has already refused to grant Black an appeal bond. Such bonds are only rarely granted. Federal prosecutors are due to file their reply to Black's request on Feb. 25. |
An independent watchmaker with a distinctive classical styling (that predates Kari Voutilainen’s signature look incidentally), Urban Jürgensen & Sønner (UJS) is going with the flow in introducing the Alfred. It boasts the in-house P4 calibre inside a steel case, and is sold only via the brand’s own website.
Named after Jacques Alfred Jürgensen, the last member of the eponymous Danish family to run the brand, the Alfred has the typically elegant UJS case defined by sloping teardrop lugs soldered to the case band by hand. It’s 42mm in diameter, with a narrow bezel and display back.
Unlike most UJS watches that have guilloche dials, the Alfred has a grained silver dial. The dial is a disc of solid silver that’s frosted by hand, with all of the markings engraved and then filled with black lacquer.
The hands are signature UJS style, hand-made and three-dimensional in form. They are made of blued steel, with a polished steel, ring-shaped insert on the hour hand.
Most notable is the in-house P4 movement inside. Before the Alfred, the entry-level UJS wristwatch featured a Frederic Piguet automatic calibre, with the most affordable model with an in-house calibre and 18k gold case priced at almost double the Alfred.
Constructed by Jean-Francois Mojon of Chronode,the same specialist responsible for the MB&F LM1 and LM2, with Kari Voutilainen in charge of the styling and serial production, the P4 movement is a hand-wound calibre available in several variants. The top of the line features a spring detent escapement (named the P8), while the Alfred features the basic P4. It’s hand-wound with a three-day power reserve, and decorated with hand-finishing.
While the Jurgensen name is originally Danish, the brand was revived in the 1979 in Switzerland, and recently moved into a new factory in Bienne. A private tour of the factory is one of the bonuses for Alfred owners.
Price and availability
The Alfred is available direct from Urban Jurgensen, priced at €14,300 before taxes. Buyers of the watch will be able to attend any of the quarterly launch events open only to Alfred owners, which takes place at the UJS manufacture. |
Hundreds of thousands demonstrate across the country despite U-turn over transport fare increases which sparked the unrest
Brazil's biggest protests in two decades intensified on Thursday as 300,000 people took to the streets of Rio de Janeiro and hundreds of thousands more flooded other cities. The demonstrations came despite the government's U-turn over public transport fare hikes which sparked the protests over a week ago.
Authorities in Rio de Janeiro increased police manpower more than tenfold to deal with the protests.
In the centre of the city, shops pulled down shutters as crowds gathered next to the cathedral, hundreds wearing plastic masks.
But the atmosphere was festive, with music and chanting from the mostly young, middle-class crowd. The wide variety of banners showed how this movement has been a magnet for frustrations that have simmered for many years: "Stop corruption. Change Brazil", "Come to the street. It's the only place we don't pay taxes", "Government failure to understand education will lead to revolution", "We want to change everything wrong in our country", "Stop police violence" – Seemingly the only common theme was a desire for change.
"There are no politicians who speak for us," said Jamaime Schmitt, an engineer. "This is not just about bus fares any more. We pay high taxes and we are a rich country, but we can't see this in our schools, hospitals and roads."
In Sao Paulo protesters carried banners saying "Twenty cents was just the start," referring to the bus fare reductions, as crowds converged along the Avenida Paulista, the broad avenue in the centre of the city.
In the capital, Brasilia, tens of thousands of protesters by early evening marched around the landmark modernist buildings that house Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential offices.
The swelling tide of protests prompted President Dilma Rousseff to cancel a trip next week to Japan, her office said.
In Rio police vastly underestimated the scale of a previous demonstration on Monday, which was largely peaceful but ended with fire and vandalism outside the legislative assembly. Only 150 officers were on duty to deal with a crowd of more than 100,000. Police said they had increased on-duty personnel and placed a battalion of riot police on standby.
The military police spokesman for Rio state, Frederico Caldas, estimated that 8,000 police would be involved in a dual operation to handle the demonstration in the centre of the city and security for the Spanish and Tahitian football teams, who were playing in the Confederations Cup. Police cordoned off the Maracanã stadium, blocking access to protesters during the game. Only ticket-holders were allowed to enter. Inside the stadium, fans sang protest songs and showed support for the throngs of demonstrators gathering in the city.
Police numbers in Rio included 1,200 riot officers who would remain in barracks unless the demonstration turned violent. They were to be armed with teargas and rubber bullets, but the authorities said they would only be used in an emergency.
Thursday's demonstration will be the biggest test of a high-tech police command centre, opened last month, which includes a giant screen with images from hundreds of cameras around the city. For the march on Thursday night, helicopters with high-resolution imaging will also monitor the crowd, but the police denied rumours that drones would be used. "There will be no drones in this operation. That is a false rumourWe don't even have a law that allows drones," said the spokesman.
Early reports seemed to indicate the demonstrations were largely peaceful although police in the northeastern city of Salvador shot tear gas canisters and rubber bullets to disperse a small crowd of protesters trying to break through a police barrier blocking one of the city's streets.
The spark for the unrest was a rise in public transport fares. After early protests were handled brutally by police , the unrest escalated and spread to include a long list of grievances, including corruption, poor public services, and the high cost of stadiums being built for the Confederations Cup and next year's World Cup. |
Partying bros harass ranger trying to keep Dolores Park clean (video) 'I don't know how you sleep at night, dude'
A group of obnoxious young men heap verbal abuse on two San Francisco park patrol officers trying to keep Dolores Park clean in a video last weekend posted on social media.
In the five-minute clip obtained by KRON, one of the officers tells the men to pick up their trash and
warns one that he'll get a ticket if he lights a cigarette as smoking is not permitted in
city parks.
"Dude, what a power trip," says an off-camera bro. "This a big ticket hard-on day? What's the
problem, man?" asks another.
The men argue with the officer about a table that he instructed them to move, a violation of
park code SEC 3.12, which prohibits household furniture or appliances.
That does not sit well with the partiers. "Stop making s--- up. You're making s--- up, dude," says
a member of the group.
Another attempts to point out that the officers were not accosting other people who brought
"household items" to the park.
"Blankets are household items," says one genius. "That's a household item. That's a household
item. Everything is a household item!"
Amid profanity, catcalls and insults, the officer's credentials are questioned.
"Are you an actual cop?" asks one.
"I don't know how you sleep at night, dude," says another.
The nastiest comment was made in reference to the officer's appearance.
"Maybe we should pay more (taxes) so they could get dental care," says "Brandon." Even
Brandon's fellow bros thought that crossed the line.
Throughout the encounter, the officer remains calm and professional despite being surrounded
by self-centered jackasses.
Neighbors and park workers say the crowds and the trash in Dolores Park have worsened in the past two years, in tandem with the growth of hipster and high-tech cultures in the Mission District. |
Twitter users can retweet, like or reply to a tweet. If a tweet from a prominent account gets more replies than retweets then that’s usually Not Good.
Take, for example, this recent tweet from United Airlines. It got three times more replies than retweets. Those replies are not filled with praise, and that ratio was a sign to United’s PR team that they were in trouble, in case it wasn’t already obvious.
Which politician sends the worst tweets according to this reply-to-retweet ratio measure? And without wishing to add to Donald Trump’s problems, are things getting worse for him?
We scraped this information from the accounts belonging to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Paul Ryan, and weird Twitter favorites Mike Huckabee and dril. Explore the visualization below.
Things are getting worse for Donald Trump since his inauguration, but it’s clear that Paul Ryan is by far the worst tweeter in this group. Here’s the worst of his tweets, which received 27 times more replies than retweets.
VERIFIED: MacArthur Amendment strengthens AHCA, protects people with pre-existing conditions. https://t.co/6W7bDEO40r — Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) May 2, 2017
For a more detailed explanation of this dataset, check out the write up on New York Magazine’s Select All technology blog.
. We wrote ugly scraping code to collect this information because the official Twitter API does not return reply count. You can see the code (and use it to download information for another account) on GitHub. Our visualization shows tweets since January 2016 that received more than 50 retweets. |
A mining businessman turned fugitive who fled Queensland after allegedly plotting to import $20m of cocaine has been captured in the Philippines after two years on the run.
MELANIE PLANE reports.
***
YOU can run, but you can't hide forever.
That is message Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan has for any would-be fugitives following the arrest of notorious Australian alleged drug syndicate leader Markis Scott Turner.
The millionaire Mackay mining businessman has been on the Australian Federal Police's 'most wanted' list after disappearing in 2015.
His family said he committed suicide but the AFP doubted those claims and continued their investigation.
Mr Turner, a father of two and sole director of local mining business CQE Materials and Handling Pty Ltd, was facing charges associated with an alleged conspiracy to import more than 71 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia in 2011.
On May 27, 2011, after a two-year AFP investigation, Mr Turner was arrested along with Columbian nationals Alexis Giovany Gomez Ruiz, Juan Pablo Ocampo Alvarez and German Rendon Alvarez in Mackay.
On the night of their arrest, investigators seized 600 barrels of hydraulic oil, of which 17 barrels allegedly contained 71.6kg of cocaine which had been imported from South America to Melbourne before being ferried to Brisbane and then to Mackay via rail.
When Mr Turner disappeared in August 2015 while on bail and failed to show up for his trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court, an arrest warrant was issued and subsequently, property and cash totalling $395,000 (which was provided to secure his bail) was forfeited to the court.
Markis Scott Turner was arrested in the Philippines. Northbound Philippines News Onli
The AFP had been looking for him since but on September 15, the Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) International Operations Division operatives had a breakthrough.
They arrested Mr Turner in Samal, Davao del Norte. Local media reported he had been living in the tropical island paradise, which is known as the 'banana capital of the Philippines', under the alias Filip Novak.
The AFP said a two-year international operation had resulted in the arrest of 44-year-old Mr Turner for the purpose of extradition to Australia to face the 2011 drug importation charges.
Over the weekend the AFP told The Daily Mercury that when Mr Turner was located in the Philippines, action was taken with the Commonwealth Attorney General's Department and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to secure his urgent arrest for the purposes of extradition.
Mr Turner's provisional arrest was sought through the Philippines' Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ), pursuant to the Philippines-Australia extradition treaty.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan said the location and arrest of Mr Turner was a testament to the AFP's strong global network and policing partnerships across South East Asia.
"We greatly value the assistance provided by the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in this matter," Assistant Commissioner Gaughan said.
"Our liaison officers have worked closely with the NBI to confirm the location of the man and were permitted to be present when the man was finally arrested.
"This arrest sends a strong message to would-be fugitives - our reach across the globe is second to none and we will use all our contacts and relationships to find you and bring you before a court."
The matter is now before Philippine authorities, with Philippines NBI Director Dante Gierran commenting Turner had been hiding in the island oasis to evade prosecution.
The AFP were not able to provide further details about when Mr Turner would be extradited to Australia or when he would appear before a court.
His arrest comes after his mother Elizabeth Turner lost her Court of Appeal bid in May this year in regards to paying $315,000 worth of outstanding bail surety she pledged when Mr Turner was released on bail back in 2011.
Mackay's Elizabeth Turner leaving court. Courier Mail
Mrs Turner claimed her son had killed himself and appealed on the grounds her son did not receive the original notice to appear in court in November 2015 and as a result she was not liable to hand over the owed money. The Court of Appeal found a notice to appear had been served to Mr Turner's bail address and by law, that was enough.
It also found Mr Turner, by absconding, had contributing to "wasted costs and wasted time" in the already overburdened justice system.
A panel of three judges dismissed the appeal and Mrs Turner was ordered to pay the $315,000 to the state or incur a penalty of 12 months behind bars.
AFP swoops on Turner in Mackay
THE claims involving respected businessman Markis Scott Turner's alleged $20 million drug syndicate made headlines across the country in May 2011.
Markis Turner. Photo Ross Irby / Daily Mercury Ross Irby
On the night of May 27, 2011 the then 38-year-old businessman, who was the sole director of CQE Materials and Handling Pty Ltd, was arrested in Mackay along with three Colombian-born men after an 18-month long international Australian Federal Police investigation.
Between the four of them, they faced a total of 36 charges.
Investigators seized 600 barrels of hydraulic oil, of which 17 barrels allegedly contained 71.6kg of cocaine. The AFP alleged the cocaine was sent from South America to Melbourne before being ferried to Brisbane and eventually brought into Mackay via rail where they were seized at the railway yards.
During court proceedings, Crown prosecutor Glen Rice told Brisbane Supreme Court that Mr Turner was the alleged drug syndicate leader who used his mining business as a front to import the oil.
Mr Rice said the oil contained elements of cocaine and German Rendon Alvarez had planned to extract the cocaine using a chemical process once it reached Australia.
It was also alleged a house at Seaforth had been set up with the needed chemicals for the operation, which allegedly occurred between 2009 and 2011. Buyers in Melbourne had arranged to buy the cocaine for about $160-165,000 per kilogram.
A Map of the route taken to import cocaine into the Mackay region
How it unfolded:
2009: Australian Federal Police start surveillance of Mackay father-of-two Markis Scott Turner. They tap his phone, plant a listening device in his home and car and monitor emails. During this time, Mr Turner allegedly had two overseas bank accounts in Singapore and Malaysia and sent $36,000 to Panama and Colombia.
2009-2011: A home in Seaforth is allegedly set up by Mr Turner with chemicals and he allegedly strikes a deal with buyers in Melbourne to sell the cocaine for $160K-165,000 per/kg.
January-May 2011: AFP observe Mr Turner making overseas trips totalling 48 days.
May 27, 2011: AFP intercept barrels of oil and cocaine worth $20M at Mackay railway yards and arrest Mr Turner and three Columbian men. All four are charged with conspiring to traffic, import or export and manufacture commercial quantities of cocaine.
May 31, 2011: Mr Turner makes his first court appearance in Mackay Magistrates Court.
June 1, 2011: Mr Turner appears in court and applies for bail. Bail is granted in the Supreme Court in Mackay by Justice Duncan McMeekin on the condition his mother and grandmother pay a $150,000 cash deposit and an additional surety of all unencumbered family owned property taking the total of his bail to $395,000.
April 29, 2013: Mr Turner appears in court for committal hand up where AFP present evidence including taped conversations, coded conversations, the records of 15 phones, 15-16,000 phone calls, up to 200,000 emails mostly in Spanish and statements from 187 witnesses.
May 1, 2013: Mr Turner is committed to stand trial.
July 2015: Mr Turner's wife and two children travel to Poland and don't return.
Mid August 2015: Mr Turner fails to report to police as per his bail conditions.
September 29, 2015: Mr Turner fails to appear in Brisbane Supreme Court for the start of his trial.
October 14, 2015: Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions take Mr Turner's mother Elizabeth Turner and grandmother Betty Dunmall to court to force them to forfeit their sureties. Elizabeth Turner claims her son has committed suicide.
October 28, 2015: Mr Turner is given a chance to appear and explain himself. He doesn't show up.
November 9, 2015: Mr Turner again fails to show up for court in Brisbane and can not be located by police. Police search his home and find furniture and personal possessions still inside, clothes on the clothesline and his car parked in the driveway.
2015: AFP launch a search for Mr Turner suspecting he has fled the country.
September 15, 2017: Mr Turner is located and arrested in Samal, Davao del Norte, Philippines. |
Rodrigo Varela/ESPN Images Have you ever seen Stugotz at Hooters? Have you ever seen Stugotz at Hooters?
Midwest Region
#1) Kentucky: Jeff Van Gundy - Queen of Hearts
#2) Kansas: George Karl- Leader of a nudist colony
#3) Notre Dame: Nene - Looks like a gladiator that will help you slay a tiger then join you as you embark on a quest
#4) Maryland: J.J. Redick - Sketchy car valet who might take your car for a joy ride
#5) West Virginia: Mike Dunleavy Jr. - Looks like a generic police sketch
#6) Butler: Andy Reid - Looks like he waggles his fingers in front of a tray of doughnuts and says, "Don't mind if I do"
#7) Wichita State: Marcin Gortat - Guy who becomes a YouTube sensation by wrestling bears shirtless
#8) Cincinnati: Kris Humphries - Looks like a male cheerleader
#9) Purdue: Russell Wilson - Looks like a male cheerleader
#10) Indiana: Jerry Sloan - Looks like he washes his hair with a bar of soap
#11) Texas: David Shaw - Looks like the president in a cable television network drama
#12) Buffalo: Nick Saban - Guy who runs a lap, looks at his stopwatch and says, "Still go it," while snapping his fingers
#13) Valparaiso: Frank Vogel - Guy who keeps calling you to hang out and you keep creating excuses not to go
#14) Northeastern: Trey Wingo - Looks like a guy who owns a funeral home and does late-night infomercials promoting his seasonally discounted rates
#15) New Mexico State: DeAndre Jordan - Looks like a cartoon moose
#16) Hampton: Chip Kelly - Looks like the guy who leaves comically low tips to service people, then shoots the finger gun and says, "Don't spend it all in one place"
#16) Manhattan: Chip Kelly - Looks like the guy who washes his yacht shirtless
West Region
#1) Wisconsin: Ron Rivera - Guy who wears a lei for his entire vacation in Hawaii
#2) Arizona: Jack Del Rio - Stepdad who tries too hard to be called dad
#3) Baylor: Orel Hershiser - Looks like the father in the picture of the frame that you buy at Walmart
#4) North Carolina: Donnie Walsh - Looks like he's in town to kill a guy
#5) Arkansas: Shane Battier - Tennis coach who gets too close to your wife
#6) Xavier: Tom Thibodeau - Looks like a butcher
#7) VCU: Avery Johnson - Looks like a judge on a daytime television show
#8) Oregon: Romeo Crennel - Looks like the courtroom bailiff in a small southern town who nods off to sleep during the middle of proceedings only to be woken up when the judge hits his gavel
#9) Oklahoma State: Mike Woodson - Looks like he constantly tells his family, "I'm not sleeping, I'm just resting my eyes"
#10) Ohio State: Ed Orgeron - Looks like a BBQ pitmaster who is constantly wiping sweat from his face while explaining his secret BBQ recipe is, "cajun love, brother"
#11) BYU: Dwane Casey - Looks like a sad-faced clown who has trouble removing all of his makeup
#11) Mississippi: Mike Budenholzer - Looks like a sad-faced clown who has trouble removing all of his makeup
#12) Wofford: Stephen A. Smith - Looks like the family member at Thanksgiving that takes personal offense when someone else declares sweet potatoes as the best dish over stuffing
#13) Harvard: Tony Dungy - Guy who has fishing lures in his hat
#14) Georgia State: Bret Bielema - Looks like he nicknamed himself "Mr. Saturday Night" and gets mad when his friends don't call him that
#15) Texas Southern: Jack Del Rio - Retired cop who lives on a houseboat and solves crimes in his spare time
#16) Coastal Carolina: Terry Stotts - Looks like a member of Parliament
East Region
#1) Villanova: John Kerry - Looks like the Patriots' logo
#2) Virginia: Jeff Van Gundy - Eats a sandwich while conducting an autopsy
#3) Oklahoma: Pete Carroll - Looks like he runs a dojo
#4) Louisville: P.J. Carlesimo - the reader of the Geiger counter on a remote island who's the first to know some sort of catastrophe is coming to the mainland, but can't get anyone to listen to him because they think he's a kook
#5) Northern Iowa: Charlie Weis - Looks like he was cut in half and accidentally had the bottom half of his body sewn on backwards
#6) Providence: Pete Carroll - Looks like he hits on your wife right in front of you
#7) Michigan State: Mike Golic - Looks like a construction worker in a sewage drain yelling, "I need more light down here!"
#8) NC State: Tyler Hansbrough - Looks like he is being haunted by ghosts that no one else sees
#9) LSU: Tyler Hansbrough - Looks like the overzealous paintball player who rises from the leaves on the ground and asks, "Any last words?" as he shoots you seven times before you can utter a word
#10) Georgia: Stephen Ross - Looks like the old man who wears pajamas with a matching pointy hat and holds a candle to his face while checking on that noise downstairs
#11) Boise State: Marcin Gortat - Looks like a genie
#11) Dayton: Marcin Gortat - Looks like a wizard
#12) Wyoming: Mike Leach - Loudly enters a room and says, "Working hard or hardly working?"
#13) UC Irvine: Buster Olney - Looks like the guy at the gym who uses the treadmill right next to you even though the entire row of machines is empty
#14) Albany: Randy Johnson - Looks like he runs a bar in a small town and when you order a beer, he mutters to himself, "You're not from around here, are you?"
#15) Belmont: Jeff Van Gundy - Looks like the guy who can't sleep in a cold medicine commercial
#16) Lafayette: Joe Maddon - Looks like he would move to Barbados |
India has reinstated a ban on gay sex and Australia's high court has struck down a same-sex marriage law. Are state attitudes to homosexuality changing? We look at LGBT rights globally and see where criminalisation remains the normGet the data
Though debates around gay marriage in Europe and North America can be fierce, some campaigners are concerned they may have overshadowed the lack of basic rights afforded to gay and lesbian citizens in other countries. We look at where imprisonment is still a penalty for homosexual acts and where anti-discrimination laws serve to protect individuals.
Recent changes
A succession of national legal changes have brought this issue to the fore once again:
India: A 153-year-old law passed under British rule was reinstated which makes sex between consenting adults of the same sex "unnatural" and punishable by up to 10 years in jail. LGBT protesters took to the streets in their thousands.
Australia: The country's first same-sex marriage law was revoked by the high court just days after being passed. As a result, same-sex marriages that had taken place in the Australian Capital Territory lost their effect.
UK: Couples prepare for the first day that gay marriage becomes legal in England and Wales on 29 March 2014. One couple hope to marry alongside a heterosexual couple to demonstrate solidarity.
From employment laws to hate crimes, the ILGA has attempted to show the wide differences in LGBT rights in this interactive map.
Click the image to go to the ILGA site and explore the trends
Death penalty
Only in Africa and Asia do individuals risk paying for their sexual orientation with their lives. In five countries, legislation remains in place that punishes homosexuality with the death penalty - Mauritania, Sudan, Iran, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. In parts of Nigeria and Somalia too, the murder of gay and lesbian individuals is practised and not prohibited in state legislation.
But national legislation doesn't quite capture the full picture - in many places homosexuals are murdered by vigilantes while the state turns a blind eye. In Jamaica, where homophobia is deep-seated, Dwayne Jones, a "cross-dressing" 17-year-old was "chopped and stabbed to death" by a mob according to local media reports. Incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation is only prohibited in 26 countries.
Life sentences
The statistics on imprisonment further demonstrate the extremes in the protection of gay rights. In ten countries, the punishment for 'homosexual illegal acts' is a sentence anywhere between 14 years and life. In a further 55 countries. homosexuals can face imprisonment for up to 14 years - 27 of those countries are in Africa.
With a few notable exceptions such as South Africa, most African countries from Algeria to Zimbabwe had some form of legal persecution against homosexuals. Reading the text of the laws themselves, most sentences are accompanied by considerable fines to be paid to the state.
Image: ILGA Click to view full size
Click to view the full map on state-sponsored homophobia.
Different sexual orientations, different rules
In 15 countries, the age of consent was different for sexual intercourse between same-sex partners than it was for heterosexual ones. Even in countries where same-sex unions are recognised by the state (31 countries) a far smaller number (11 countries) offer those couples most or all of the rights afforded by marriage.
These numbers come from the ILGA, (the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association) which is a network of local and national organisations around the world. It regularly speaks at the United Nations on LGBT issues.
Here are some of the examples provided in the report of discriminatory laws:
MAURITANIA: Penal Code of 1984
"Article 308. - Any adult Muslim man who commits an indecent act or an act against nature with an individual of his sex will face the penalty of death by public stoning.".
TOGO: Penal Code of 13 August 1980
Article 88 – "Impudent acts or crimes against the nature with an individual of the same sex are punished with imprisonment from one to three years and 100,000-500,000 franc in fine"
GAMBIA: Criminal Code 1965, as amended in 2005
"Article 144: Unnatural offences
(1) Any person who— (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (b) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits any person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature; is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for a term of 14 years."
Visualising hate speech
Researchers at Humboldt State University tried to understand hatred by reading 150,000 geo-coded tweets. The result is an interactive map that shows where homophobic sentiment is strongest in the US. Click here to see the full size version.
Get the numbers and get involved
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• Contact us at [email protected]
• Follow us on Twitter
Mona Chalabi is teaching a Masterclass, Mastering spreadsheets: how to work with data, at the Guardian's London offices on 26-27 October. Learn more and book |
[van id=”van/ns-acc/2015/07/29/NE-041TU_CNNA-ST1-1000000002d35a5b”]
Zion Harvey just wanted to swing from the monkey bars.
That’s what the Baltimore youngster told his doctor when asked why he wanted hands. Sometimes an 8-year-old’s simplicity is profound.
Earlier this month, Zion took a big — nay, massive — step toward that long-awaited jaunt on the jungle gym when he became the first child to receive a double hand transplant.
“When I was 2, I had to get my hands cut off because I was sick,” Zion succinctly put it, in a video taken last year.
Actually, he downplayed it, as is indicative of his disarming optimism. At 2, Zion suffered a life-threatening sepsis infection, resulting in the failure of multiple organs and necessitating the amputation of his hands and feet.
At age 4, after two years of dialysis, he received a kidney from his mother, Pattie Ray, and despite an early lifetime of hardship, Zion figured out not only how to get by, but how to do it with the widest of grins across his face.
Pre-surgery video shows Zion strumming a mandolin, playing foosball, scrolling through an iPad’s offerings and playfully covering his younger sister’s eyes with the stubs of his wrists.
He even put a positive spin on bullies.
“They don’t mean to say mean things to me, but it just slips out,” he said. “Somebody says something to me, and I just figure it slipped out and they didn’t mean to say it. Everybody has their own way of thinking.”
But don’t take his heart-melting quips and smile for softness. Zion is tough as nails, maybe tougher.
“This is just another hurdle that he jumps. He jumps so many hurdles,” Ray said before the surgery. “He’s so amazing. This isn’t the first amazing thing that he’s done. He’s been doing amazing things since he’s been sick. I don’t know many adults that can handle half of his life on a day-to-day basis.”
‘I will be proud’
Not even the prospect of a failed procedure daunted Zion. In the months before his operation — Philadelphia’s Shriners Hospital for Children and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia evaluated him for 18 months before he was deemed a candidate for the surgery — he was filmed bopping around on prosthetic legs without a hint of fear.
“When I get these hands, I will be proud of what hands I get,” he said, falling into Ray’s arms for a kiss.
“And if it gets messed up,” he continued, his mother reassuring him that everything would be fine, “I don’t care because I have my family.”
Images from the 10-hour surgery looked more like a scrubs convention than an operating room. Among the 40 medical personnel that helped with the operation were a dozen surgeons, eight nurses and a team of at least three anesthesiologists.
“We know what we have to do today,” Dr. L. Scott Levin told his troops before the operation began. “I know everybody assembled here has a commitment to this patient and making this a reality for this little boy. We can have complications. We can fail. We can have trouble. But we’re not planning on it.”
Puppy in his future?
The procedure is so complicated that the medical staff had to create tags with descriptions such as “ulnar artery” and attach them to the various vessels, bones, nerves and tendons that needed to be connected, said Levin, who is director of the hand transplantation program at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and who chairs the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Penn Medicine.
After many hours with Zion under the knife, Levin pointed to a sign of success: Zion’s new hand was pink and when doctors pressed the palm, it turned white briefly and then pink again, indicating “capillary refill” or blood flow in the newly attached appendage.
When the surgery was complete, Levin delivered word to Zion’s mother.
“We have some good news for you. Your little guy has two hands,” he said.
Ray walked through Levin’s handshake to embrace the surgeon.
In the days after his surgery, video shows Zion progressing out of a fog of sedation and learning to grip things with his new fingers. Again spinning his plight into a positive, he matter-of-factly tells his mother that he and sister Zoe want a puppy.
“Where’s the puppy going to live?” Ray asks.
“My room! Where else?” the youngster replies.
Concerns remain
Zion’s travails are not yet over. He will require a lifetime of immunosuppressant medication to avoid rejection of his new hands, which increases his chance of infection and cancer — a fact Levin concedes raised concerns that were negated by Zion already taking anti-rejection drugs after his kidney transplant four years ago.
Zion also needs to stay at a rehabilitation unit for several more weeks, where he will undergo “rigorous hand therapy several times per day,” before returning to his home in Baltimore, according to the hospital.
Not that Zion seemed terribly fazed.
“I just want to say this: Never give up on your dreams. It will come true,” he told CNN affiliate KYW-TV.
Levin stressed that while Zion’s bravery is to be applauded, the operation wouldn’t have been possible without a grieving family, fresh off a crushing loss, putting its courage on display as well. It’s remarkable, he said, that Gift of Life Donor Program, a regional organ procurement organization, found Zion a pair of hands mere months after he was placed on a waiting list in April.
“I think the difference is finding a family who has the courage to relinquish the arms of a child who just died and give hope and life and quality of life to a child who’s still living,” he told KYW.
As for what this trailblazing surgery might mean for other children hoping to have their hands restored, Levin said he hopes it’s just the beginning.
“I hope he’s the first of literally hundreds or thousands of patients that are going to be afforded this surgery,” he said.
By Eliott C. McLaughlin |
Curiosity is still be working hard on Mars, collecting data and sending it back to Earth for analysis. But scientists and engineers are already looking ahead to year 2020 and the launch of a new Rover, Mars 2020. This week, scientists narrowed down its possible landing zones to three different sites on the red planet.
Mars 2020’s main objective is seek out signs of life and environments that could have once been habitable, writes Elizabeth Howell at Seeker. Since traveling over Mar’s sometimes rugged terrain is slow going for a rover, so its landing spot is key.
The first selection, Jezero Crater, is the most popular scientific target, reports Paul Voosen at Science Magazine. An ancient river delta is visible from orbit, and the area contains the remnants of lakes, which could contain hits of life long gone.
Northeast Syrtis, the second candidate, is the site of an ancient volcano. As Sarah Lewin at Space.com reports, the warmth provided by the volcano could have fostered hot springs and melted ice. These warm little puddles would have been a great spot for ancient microbial life to flourish.
The final selection came as something of a surprise. Rather than picking a new destination, scientists chose Columbia Hills. In 2004, the Mars Spirit Rover landed at the Gusev crater at Columbia Hills and discovered that ancient hot springs once flowed at the site, reports Avery Thompson at Popular Mechanics. Scientists are excited about the opportunity to return to Gusev crater with Mars 2020’s updated tools. Howell reports that an advantage to Columbia Hills is that Spirit has already mapped much of the terrain.
One of Mars 2020’s main is creating a cache of soil and rock samples. In the future, NASA may launch a robotic mission to collect these samples and bring them back to Earth for an extended analysis. Mars 2020 will have the ability to measure the chemical composition and organic content of soils and rock. But bringing samples back to Earth would allow researchers to study the rocks in much greater detail. We’re still running tests on moon rocks retrieved from the lunar missions of the 1960s and 1970s; a Mars sample in Earth laboratories would be invaluable.
The design of Mars 2020 is based on Curiosity, which has been operating on Mars since 2012. Researchers have improved each component, and Mars 2020 will have some additional tools that Curiosity does not, including an experiment to use Mars’s atmosphere to produce oxygen, Howell writes. From our desire to analyze once-habitable environments to producing the air we need to breathe, it’s clear that these rovers are playing a key role in a possible manned mission to Mars. |
SpacemanG Profile Blog Joined December 2012 United States 31 Posts Last Edited: 2013-01-01 06:19:01 #1 The (Smaller) Elephant in the Room - Stephano set to enter SPL, GSL
Ilyes “Stephano” Satouri, a 19 year-old Zerg player, would be in the first handful of players to ever be elected into a Starcraft 2 Hall of Fame, if one should ever exist. He has dominated the foreigner scene and won over nearly every one of our hearts since the day he stepped into the spotlight. We love his demeanor, his personality, his antics, and his fond connection to afterparties. Now Stephano is set to enter the Pro League with EG-TL, and is interested in competing in the GSL, as he is able to stay in Korea for a longer period of time. This has understandably created much discussion in the community - can Stephano compete at what we hold to be the highest level of competition? Can he compete against Kespa players? Can he compete with the most dedicated Korean players, in a way most other foreigners have not? To answer this, we need look no further than this track record as it can sometimes be difficult to put one player’s success into perspective. My answer is this: Stephano has competed against the greatest, and more than that, he has beaten all that have come his way.
Stephano was never one to start small - there was no time in which he struggled as a “mid level pro,” handily beating whatever huge names were thrown his way as soon as he reached tournament play. In his first major appearance, the IGN ProLeague season 3 qualifier , Stephano vaulted himself all the way to first place after defeating Socke, Revival, Puzzle, Kiwikaki, and MMA, at a time where maps like Xel’Naga Caverns, dreaded by zergs, were still in the map pool.
Stephano didn’t stop there. He rode his first place finish in the qualifier straight to the IPL3 victory lane, seemingly laughing at any who got in his way - he defeated Huk, Boxer, Violet, Inori, TheSTC, and Lucky to take home the gold. It wasn't easy - just kidding, it was. Stephano was so dominate that it was hard to predict anyone could beat him after this run.
On Stephano’s next stop on his way to the bank, he passed a European tournament, the 2011 Electronic Sports Word Cup , and promptly demolished the competition. One by one, greats fell to the zerglings of Stephano - first Slivko, then Grubby, Nightend, Axslav, and Cloud, followed by MarineKing, and in the championship matches, Mana (who was so hot at the time he had just won 2-0 over Socke, MC, and Grubby).
In the next major tournament, the 2011 Gsl Blizzard Cup , Stephano performed *slightly* worse - losing to the 3rd and 4th place finishers MC and MVP, but not before defeating DongRaeGu and Hero, whose PvZ was believed to be the best in the world at the time.
In the flash of an eye, Stephano stormed through the SHOUTcraft Invitational #4 , handily dismantling Darkforce, Nightend, Grubby, and Thorzain, grabbing his check, and headed right to the bank.
Next stop? ASUS ROG Winter 2012 . Stephano took a strong start right to the semifinals - defeating Real, Elfi, going 3-0 against Puma, and losing to Polt in the finals. As a testament to Puma’s TvZ at the time, he would go on to beat Lucky 3-0 in the 3rd place match after going 0-3 against Stephano.
Stephano then took a trip to the Lone Star State, defeating White-Ra 5-1 in a $5,000 showmatch, and then entered the Lone Star Clash where his latest nemesis, Polt, was also a competitor. Here Stephano bested Hawk, Grubby, White-Ra, and even defeated Polt 2-1 in the quarter finals to face Polt again in the finals. Polt had beaten him before, had seen his strategies just moments before in their previous match in the tournament - surely Polt, a seasoned TSL veteran, could manage to take the series or keep it close. The result? Stephano won again 3-1, taking home the trophy. He was just too strong, and definitively took the edge in his rivalry with Polt for good.
In IPL4 , Stephano showed some mixed results, if one could even call it that. He beat White-Ra and Curious, but fell 1-2 to MarineKing and 1-2 to Nestea.
After IPL4 it Stephano seemed to be on the prowl for some “easy” competition. The TakeTV Reloaded Invitational was Stephano’s next play thing, where Stephano defeated Illusion, Mana, Monchi, Socke, and followed that by besting Grubby 3-0 and Kas, arguably the best European on European turf, 4-0. Stephano was untouchable.
Stephano faced another large challenge in the 2012 MLG Spring Arena with a tough road to the finals against Ryung, Ret, MC, and Heart. But don’t worry, he beat all of them. He finally succumbed to greats Violet and Symbol in the final rounds.
The Red Bull Battlegrounds was, with the energy drinks, heated competition, and awful, awful shirts, Stephano’s next destination. His first victim was Violet, this time defeating him easily. Next was Illusion, who quickly fell, then in similar fashion Ganzi, and followed by that, Stephano took down the unbeatable Parting. Stephano lost an incredibly close series to MC 2-3, but then took down Squirtle 3-1 in the 3rd place match. Stephano had just gone 7-4 against three of the world’s best protoss players. Who else could achieve anything close to that feat?
I'm not sure who designed these shirts, but...
Stephano took his group at the next tournament, the 2012 MLG Pro Circuit Spring Championship , beating Polt, Alicia, Ganzi, Rain, and JYP - all previous GSL contenders. He could not follow up his group success in the playoff rounds, however, but his group record is nothing to dismiss.
NASL3 was Stephano’s next time to shine - he defeated Beastyqt, Hero, MC, and then 4-0’d Alicia to take his rightful spot as the champion. It almost seemed too easy for him; he seems like he could play blindfolded and still be a force to be reckoned with.
The next major tournament Stephano showed impressive results in was the 2012 MLG Summer Championship , where despite an early trip to the loser’s bracket due to his zerg rival Violet, he managed to defeat Heart twice, Rain, and TheSTC.
There is a new elephant in the room, and its going to get pointed out pretty quickly - Stephano, perhaps the greatest foreigner hope we ever may see in Wings of Liberty, is coming to GSL and SPL. Will he stand tall like he has in the past?
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/IGN_ProLeague_Season_3/Qualifier_3
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/IGN_ProLeague_Season_3/Main_Tournament
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Electronic_Sports_World_Cup_2011/Main_Tournament
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/2011_GSL_Blizzard_Cup
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/The_SHOUTcraft_Invitational/4
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/ASUS_ROG_Winter_2012
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Lone_Star_Clash
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/IGN_ProLeague_Season_4
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/TaKeTV_Reloaded_Invitational
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/2012_MLG_Pro_Circuit/Spring/Arena_2
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Red_Bull_Battlegrounds
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/2012_MLG_Pro_Circuit/Spring/Championship
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/North_American_Star_League_Season_3/Main_Bracket
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/2012_MLG_Pro_Circuit/Summer/Championship#Championship_Losers.27_Bracket_Round_1-6 , a 19 year-old Zerg player, would be in the first handful of players to ever be elected into a Starcraft 2 Hall of Fame, if one should ever exist. He has dominated the foreigner scene and won over nearly every one of our hearts since the day he stepped into the spotlight. We love his demeanor, his personality, his antics, and his fond connection to afterparties. Now Stephano is set to enter the Pro League with EG-TL, and is interested in competing in the GSL, as he is able to stay in Korea for a longer period of time. This has understandably created much discussion in the community - can Stephano compete at what we hold to be the highest level of competition? Can he compete against Kespa players? Can he compete with the most dedicated Korean players, in a way most other foreigners have not? To answer this, we need look no further than this track record as it can sometimes be difficult to put one player’s success into perspective. My answer is this: Stephano has competed against the greatest, and more than that, he has beaten all that have come his way.Stephano was never one to start small - there was no time in which he struggled as a “mid level pro,” handily beating whatever huge names were thrown his way as soon as he reached tournament play. In his first major appearance, the, Stephano vaulted himself all the way to first place after defeating, and, at a time where maps like Xel’Naga Caverns, dreaded by zergs, were still in the map pool.Stephano didn’t stop there. He rode his first place finish in the qualifier straight to thevictory lane, seemingly laughing at any who got in his way - he defeated, andto take home the gold. It wasn't easy - just kidding, it was. Stephano was so dominate that it was hard to predict anyone could beat him after this run.On Stephano’s next stop on his way to the bank, he passed a European tournament, the, and promptly demolished the competition. One by one, greats fell to the zerglings of Stephano - firstthen, and, followed by, and in the championship matches,(who was so hot at the time he had just won 2-0 over, and).In the next major tournament, the, Stephano performed *slightly* worse - losing to the 3rd and 4th place finishersand, but not before defeatingand, whose PvZ was believed to be the best in the world at the time.In the flash of an eye, Stephano stormed through the, handily dismantling, and, grabbing his check, and headed right to the bank.Next stop?. Stephano took a strong start right to the semifinals - defeating, going 3-0 against, and losing toin the finals. As a testament to Puma’s TvZ at the time, he would go on to beat3-0 in the 3rd place match after going 0-3 against Stephano.Stephano then took a trip to the Lone Star State, defeating5-1 in a $5,000 showmatch, and then entered thewhere his latest nemesis, Polt, was also a competitor. Here Stephano bested, and even defeated2-1 in the quarter finals to face Polt again in the finals. Polt had beaten him before, had seen his strategies just moments before in their previous match in the tournament - surely Polt, a seasoned TSL veteran, could manage to take the series or keep it close. The result?, taking home the trophy. He was just too strong, and definitively took the edge in his rivalry with Polt for good.In, Stephano showed some mixed results, if one could even call it that. He beatand, but fell 1-2 toand 1-2 toAfter IPL4 it Stephano seemed to be on the prowl for some “easy” competition. Thewas Stephano’s next play thing, where Stephano defeated, and followed that by besting3-0 and, arguably the best European on European turf, 4-0. Stephano was untouchable.Stephano faced another large challenge in thewith a tough road to the finals against, and. But don’t worry,He finally succumbed to greatsandin the final rounds.Thewas, with the energy drinks, heated competition, and, Stephano’s next destination. His first victim was, this time defeating him easily. Next was, who quickly fell, then in similar fashion, and followed by that, Stephano took down the unbeatable. Stephano lost an incredibly close series to2-3, but then took down3-1 in the 3rd place match.Who else could achieve anything close to that feat?Stephano took his group at the next tournament, the, beating, and- all previous GSL contenders. He could not follow up his group success in the playoff rounds, however, but his group record is nothing to dismiss.was Stephano’s next time to shine - he defeated, and then 4-0’dto take his rightful spot as the champion. It almost seemed too easy for him; he seems like he could play blindfolded and still be a force to be reckoned with.The next major tournament Stephano showed impressive results in was the, where despite an early trip to the loser’s bracket due to his zerg rival, he managed to defeattwice,, andThere is a new elephant in the room, and its going to get pointed out pretty quickly - Stephano, perhaps the greatest foreigner hope we ever may see in Wings of Liberty, is coming to GSL and SPL. Will he stand tall like he has in the past? |
Here’s one of those little contradictions in life.
When a society faces a contagion which is, in essence, “beyond belief”, the first thing we do as human beings is try to get more data and make a decision. This is natural behavior and part of the human condition.
Don’t believe me? Watch yourself when you hear about a celebrity death. Eddie Izzard illustrated this in the middle of one of his concerts when he told the audience that Engelbert Humperdinck had just died. And right after he said that he said that he was just kidding. Then he gave the audience a look to say that he was really serious and followed with a statement that it just happened before he went on stage – followed by the “I’m joking.” – followed by the serious face again.
By the end of the joke, people really wanted to know if Engelbert Humperdinck was really alive or dead.
We like to know what’s going on.
One of these “beyond belief” circumstances is news of a zombie outbreak. You know we’ll all hear about it. It will travel through the internet, message boards, and facebook faster than a wild fire. Everyone will react differently. There will be the typical, “No way” to “Well, I don’t know…”
In any event, the one avenue of information that you won’t be able to trust at all is the CDC, The Center for Disease Control. Whether there is an outbreak or not, the CDC will say that there isn’t. If in reality there is, they’ll deny it because they will either 1) not want to cause a panic or 2) be under orders by the government to deny this until the proper authorities can figure out what to do.
Unfortunately, by that time, the outbreak has spread to a point where verifying whether or not the CDC is truthful will be pointless. You’ll be in the middle of a situation where you’ll be happy to have guns, ammo, supplies, and a proper fortification against the undead.
So, if you are one of those people who are waiting for the government to give you a green light to take drastic measures, congratulations, you are a prime candidate for membership in a zombie horde. You’ll be the guy who says, “Oh yeah, that maniac bit me and wanted to chew my face off, but other than this fever and bit of stiffness, I feel fine.” Eventually, your disembodied spirit may need to find a way to forgive your dearest friends and relatives for shooting your animated corpse in the head.
The CDC is not a good indicator of a zombie apocalypse. They are more of a “day 2” consideration. After the outbreak, when the dead are wandering the streets, you may want to head to their bunker and find out where they are in creating a cure or find out what common household chemicals will destroy these abominations. |
The VW brand said it would offer buyers trading in an old diesel a discount on cars meeting the latest Euro 6 emissions standard, ranging from €2,000 on its up! compact cars to €10,000 euros for a Touareg SUV.
And the carmaker proposed an additional discount of between €1,000 and €2,380 for those buying more environmentally friendly hybrid, all-electric or natural-gas-powered vehicles.
VW was "acknowledging its share of responsibility for climate- and health-friendly mobility on German streets," it said in a statement.
The move by the world's biggest automaker is the first such step by a German manufacturer since a government-industry summit last week over high levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted from diesel cars.
Following the diesel summit, VW, BMW, Daimler and Opel vowed to reduce emissions with free-of-charge software updates for newer vehicles and cash-for-clunkers schemes for those more than 10 years old.
The cash offers will be valid until the end of 2017, a VW spokesman told AFP, adding that the company is considering extending them beyond Germany to cover all of Europe.
VW's Audi, Porsche, Skoda, Seat and commercial vehicles subsidiaries all presented their own versions of the scheme Tuesday, with Porsche's applying to all of Europe immediately.
Car companies have been in the spotlight over high levels of harmful NOx emissions since Volkswagen admitted to cheating regulatory emissions tests on 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide in 2015.
Since then, suspicion has spread to other groups in Germany's vaunted carmaking sector, long favoured by politicians anxious to protect jobs and nurture economic growth.
Media reports that carmakers secretly colluded on technical specifications - including exhaust treatment technology at the heart of the diesel scandal - have further blackened the industry's name.
And it is scrambling to catch up to new competitors like US-based Tesla Motors, which is gearing up for production of its first mass-market all-electric car.
SEE ALSO: What you should know about the 'dieselgate' scandal shaking up Germany's car industry |
NEW ORLEANS — On March 8, an HBO documentary revealed new evidence seeming to tie Robert A. Durst to the 2000 killing of his confidante Susan Berman. Not long after, Mr. Durst stopped using his cellphone.
On March 10, law enforcement authorities tracing the location of the phone noticed the signal moving east out of Houston, before it died completely. Having later traced Mr. Durst to a hotel in New Orleans, agents approached the front desk clerk and ran through 10 different aliases that Mr. Durst had once used. Nothing turned up.
Then they spotted him in the lobby.
These were just some of the revelations at a crowded hearing in Orleans Criminal District Court here on Monday, which ended with a judge ordering Mr. Durst, who has been charged in Los Angeles with the murder of Ms. Berman and with lesser charges here, to be held in jail in Louisiana without bail.
Prosecutors argued that Mr. Durst was a flight risk, presenting evidence that he was expecting to get over $100,000 in cash and saying that a map of Cuba had been found in his hotel room. |
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Relatives of people on board MH370 are upset: "One single piece of wreckage doesn't mean anything"
Relatives of those missing on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are angry at apparent mixed signals over whether part of the plane has been found.
Malaysian PM Najib Razak said experts in France had "conclusively confirmed" the wing part found on an island in the Indian Ocean was from the aircraft.
But French investigators stopped short of confirming the link, only saying it was highly likely.
Chinese relatives staged a protest outside the airline's Beijing offices.
The Boeing 777 was travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on 8 March 2014 when it vanished from radar. It had 239 people on board, most of them Chinese.
Debris found on the remote French island of Reunion a week ago - a wing part known as a flaperon - was the first possible physical trace of the aircraft.
Experts in the French city of Toulouse are carrying out tests on the aircraft piece.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Beaches on Reunion are being scoured for more possible plane debris
Mr Najib, in an announcement that came after the first day of tests, said investigators had "conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370".
Malaysian transport minister Liow Tiong Lai said elements of the flaperon, including the paint colour, matched with maintenance records for the missing flight.
He also said, in another development, that more suspected plane debris had been found on Reunion, including window panes and seat cushions.
Those items had been sent to French authorities to be verified, he said, although French investigators have denied this.
Mr Liow said he understood why the French team had been less categorical in their conclusions over the flaperon, saying: "We respect their decision to continue with their verification."
French prosecutor Serge Mackowiak has said only that there are "very strong indications" that the flaperon does belong to MH370, adding that confirmation would only come after further tests.
The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says Mr Mackowiak's wording does not suggest he has doubts, but that he is exercising legal caution.
Who has said what about the flaperon?
Image copyright Reuters
Malaysian PM: "Experts have conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370."
Malaysia Airlines: "This is indeed a major breakthrough for us."
French investigators: "There exists a very high probability that the flaperon indeed belongs to Flight MH370."
Australian PM: Debris "does seem to indicate the plane did come down more or less where we thought it did".
Australian search team: "It is heartening that the discovery of the flaperon is consistent with our search area."
Passenger's relative, Sara Weeks: "After 17 months, we need definite answers."
Will the debris lead us to MH370?
But the lack of a consistent message from the various authorities has angered many of the families of those missing.
A number of relatives gathered outside Malaysia Airlines' offices in Beijing to demand answers.
"France is being cautious about it, but Malaysia is desperate to put an end to this case and run away from all responsibilities," said Dai Shuqin, sister of one of the passengers.
"We suspect that the plane wreckage could be faked," said Liu Kun, whose younger brother was on the plane.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the wreckage is from MH370
Many relatives have long been frustrated by Malaysia's handling of the disaster, which at times has been marred by contradictory and conflicting information.
Because of this, many families have pretty much lost trust and don't know what to believe anymore, the BBC's John Sudworth reports from Beijing.
China's foreign ministry said Malaysia must keep investigating the crash and "safeguard the legitimate rights and interests" of relatives.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's Richard Westcott explains how debris could have made its way to Reunion
Australia, which is leading the search for the plane in the southern Indian Ocean, said the discovery of the flaperon suggested they were looking in the right area.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the search would continue as "we owe it to the hundreds of millions of people who use our skies".
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has been co-ordinating the deep-sea hunt in the southern Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have gone down, thousands of miles east of Reunion.
Simulation of where debris in search area could end up |
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Seals and inscriptions Edit
Pranks Edit
The work became the target of pranks soon after its unveiling. 1884 tarring Edit In 1884 The Harvard Crimson reported that, "Some ingenious persons covered the John Harvard statue last night with a coat of tar. The same persons presumably, marked a large '87 on the wall at the entrance of the chapel," [28] and in 1886 the Crimson mentions a further incident: "A graduate contributor to the Advocate suggests that the editors of the college papers ferret out the authors of the small disturbances, such as the painting of the John Harvard statue." [29] 1890 painting Edit Following a May 31, 1890 Harvard athletic victory, front-page headlines in the Boston Morning Globe declared: "Vandalism at Harvard; statue of John Harvard and college buildings daubed with red paint by drunken students; seniors and faculty indignant ... Riotous Mob Ruled the Campus." [30] The next day the Globe further reported that a Harvard student observing graffiti-removal efforts "declared that no Harvard man ever daubed the impious phrase, 'To h—l with Yale.' He was of the opinion that a Harvard man would at least soften the profanity by varnishing it with Latin or Greek ... Two detectives who were requested to ferret out the perpetrators paid little heed to the discussion on swear words, but kept their eyes on several impressions that had been made on the paint when it was fresh. One thought they were made by a dog's paws, and as several students kept dogs the suspicion was magnified to the importance of a clue. A student, however, told the detectives that according to his view the impressions were made by barefoot boys walking on tip-toe." [31] Out-of-state newspapers reporting the outrage, and to a greater or lesser degree following the subsequent investigation, included (among many others): The World (New York, New York; June 2, p. 2): "A Jocular Outrage — Harvard Students Exceed Decency in Celebrating."
(New York, New York; June 2, p. 2): "A Jocular Outrage — Harvard Students Exceed Decency in Celebrating." Evening Gazette (Sterling, Illinois; June 2, p. 4): "Harvard Students on an Outrageous Tear. — Slathers of Red Paint Used. — The Fine Statue of the College Founder Ruined by the Crazy Scapegraces."
(Sterling, Illinois; June 2, p. 4): "Harvard Students on an Outrageous Tear. — Slathers of Red Paint Used. — The Fine Statue of the College Founder Ruined by the Crazy Scapegraces." Fort Wayne Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Indiana; June 2, p. 5): "The faculty will expel the criminals and persecute [ sic ] them if found."
(Fort Wayne, Indiana; June 2, p. 5): "The faculty will expel the criminals and persecute [ ] them if found." The Philadelphia Record: "Painted Harvard Red — Disgraceful Antics of Rum-Crazed Students. — Cambridge is Horrified. — The Faculty Bent on Vengeance ... Last night the whole college celebrated a wild orgie [sic] ... There were suppers, bonfires, fish-horns and a general pandemonium; but, save the insane acts of two of the students, who, overcome with enthusiasm, deliberately threw their dress coats into the bonfire while dancing around the blaze, no great overt act was then commit ted ... It was during the small hours that the vandals were abroad ... John Harvard ' s] face, hands, books, and shoes were bright crimson, and his clothes striped like a zebra." [32] Despite a mass meeting of outraged Harvard men (who insisted the culprits must be outsiders or, failing that, freshmen), the hiring of detectives, and an apparently facetious report that Harvard President Charles W. Eliot was unavailable for comment because he had "gone out in the woods to cut switches" (all Globe, June 3), on June 22 an anonymous contributor (Globe, p. 20) intimated that while "the faculty claim that they have not found out any of the men who did the 'fine art' work ... I saw the ringleader on class day showing two very pretty girls around the 'yard'." Other incidents Edit In March 1934 Harvard athletes were suspected in the disappearance of Yale's "ugly bulldog mascot", Handsome Dan.[33][34][35] The dog was recovered a few days later, though not before the Harvard Lampoon had photographed him licking John Harvard's boots,[36][37] which had been smeared with hamburger.[35] ("Dog licks man", a Crimson headline read.)[38] "Some years ago some students painted [the statue] crimson and our cops caught them red-handed", Deputy Chief of the Harvard University Police Jack W. Morse told The Harvard Crimson in 1984, adding "I've been waiting a long time to use that." [18] (Crimson is Harvard's school color.)[39] As the work's hundredth anniversary approached, Harvard Lampoon president Conan O'Brien predicted that "we'll probably stuff it with cottage cheese, maybe also with some chives." [18] "I think it’s creative but I wish students would direct their creative energies elsewhere," a Harvard maintenance official said in 2002.[40]
"Idealization" dispute Edit
George Edward Ellis 1850 Robert C. Winthrop , c.1850 The challenge of creating an idealized representation of John Harvard was discussed by Ellis at the October 1883 meeting of the Massachusetts Historical Society:[10] A very exacting demand is to be made upon the genius and skill of the artist ... The work must be wholly ideal, guided by a few suggestive hints, all of which are in harmony with grace, delicacy, dignity, and reverential regard. There is necessarily much that is unsatisfactory in a wholly idealized representation by art of an historical person of whose form, features, and lineaments there are no certifications. But the few facts [known with certainty] concerning Harvard are certainly helpful to the artist. But Society president Robert Charles Winthrop harshly disapproved: It must be altogether a fancy sketch, a 'counterfeit presentment,'—to use Shakespeare's phrase,—and in more senses of the word than one ... [S]uch attempts to make portrait statues of those of whom there are not only no portraits, but no records or recollections, are of very doubtful desireableness ... Such a course tends to the confusing and confounding of historic truth and leaves posterity unable to decide what is authentic and what is mere invention ... It seems to me of very questionable expediency to get up a fictitious likeness of him and make up a figure according to our ideas of the man. A year later, in his oration[M] before the unveiling of what he called "a simulacrum ... a conception of what Harvard might have been in body and lineament, from what we know that he was in mind and in soul", Ellis answered Winthrop's criticism: This exquisite moulding in bronze serves a purpose for the eye, the thought, and sentiment, through the ideal, in lack of the real ... It is by no means without allowed and approved precedent, that, in the lack of authentic portraitures of such as are to be commemorated, an ideal representation supplies the vacancy of a reality. It is one of the fair issues between poetry and prose. The wise, the honored, the fair, the noble, and the saintly, are never grudged some finer touches of the artist in tint or feature, which etherialize their beauty, or magnify their elevation, as expressed in the actual body,—the eye, the brow, the lip, the moulding of the mortal clay. To flatter is not always to falsify. Should there ever appear, however, some authentic portraiture of John Harvard, the pledge may here and now be ventured, that some generous friend, such as, to the end, shall never fail our Alma Mater, notwithstanding her chronic poverty, will provide that this bronze shall be liquified again, and made to tell the whole known truth so as by fire.
See also Edit
Notes Edit |
CAIRO — On the evening of Nov. 18, Helmy al-Sayed carried a placard that almost got him kicked out of a march in downtown Cairo. The words on it and the ensuing argument represented the type of problems march organizers wanted to avoid by holding it a day before the second anniversary of the Mohamed Mahmoud Street clashes and away from other events planned by opposing groups.
On that day, the chants were against the security forces, commemorating the five-day clashes in 2011 with the police in which over 45 were killed. Participants angrily ridiculed the announcements by pro-army groups and the police to mark the day. When they read Sayed’s sign, “Army, police and people, together mean the success of the revolution,” they kicked him out.
“I told them I’m a father of a martyr,” Sayed said. His son Mostafa was killed on Dec. 16, 2011, in clashes with the military. Over the past two years, Sayed and his wife would carry a banner with their son’s picture and name during major protests in Tahrir Square. On Nov. 18, some came to his aid. A compromise was reached: He took down the placard and was allowed to stay. He was still furious as he recounted the incident hours later in Abdeen Square, where the short march culminated about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from Tahrir Square.
It was the first significant street presence for protesters alienated by the ongoing and deadly struggle between the military-led government and supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi. Chants on that night and the following day in Tahrir Square were against both. On Nov. 19, a banner prohibiting the entrance of the remnants of the Mubarak regime, the military and the Muslim Brotherhood hung on the entrance of Mohamed Mahmoud Street from Tahrir Square.
Several battles were at play: carving out a space for that third voice in a polarized scene, regaining ownership of the revolutionary banner claimed by the other two sides and wrestling control of how history is written and rewritten.
The fight for space quickly materialized on Nov. 19 in scuffles between the Mohamed Mahmoud protesters and supporters of the military, who held posters of Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, shouting, “We love you, Sisi,” as teenagers taunted them with anti-police chants. Before being chased away, the smaller pro-army crowd first occupied a monument erected by the government the day before and destroyed by protesters hours later. The structure was to commemorate “all martyrs of the revolution.”
“We provide the martyrs, and they take the condolences,” one protester said later in bitter humor. Attempts by the government to appropriate the memory and reshape it to its benefit were compared to attempts by the Muslim Brotherhood to hijack the anniversary, when two years ago the group’s politicians condemned those who took part in the clashes. Smaller scuffles also broke out with protesters flashing the four-finger sign symbolizing the deadly crackdown on Morsi supporters in August.
Set against the backdrop of state and privately-owned media’s recurring messages that any street action against the security services must be orchestrated by the Muslim Brotherhood, the defaced structure at the heart of the square emphasized the state’s relentless pursuits as a bigger and more irritating challenge.
Two days before the anniversary, the Interior Ministry’s spokesman said in a video message that police would protect demonstrators marking the day against infiltration. The short speech played on the discourse that blames the Brotherhood as the invisible “third party” responsible for all the deaths since the 2011 uprising. The general treated it as a given not worth mentioning — as opposed to his blunter statements in a July press conference.
The video transformed the objective of the nascent attempts to rewrite history from merely absolving security forces from responsibility to awarding themselves the glory of fallen martyrs, brushing over the minute detail of having pulled the trigger. In the course of cementing this eyebrow-raising rhetoric, the state wavers from warding off blame to defending and glorifying the use of excessive and deadly force.
Along the way, facts and justice are sidelined; a group working on following up with a fact-finding report commissioned and later shelved by Morsi released snippets of evidence against the police in the 2011 clashes, but received little attention. Justice became a far-flung goal that can only be achieved after many battles are won.
These battles are seen as essentially moral, but are often played out in political affiliations. The underlying understanding is that everyone protesting on Nov. 18-19, especially those who had suffered the pain of loss, shared the same convictions. Sayed was a testament to the contrary. Some could argue that he was influenced by the heavy propaganda that made anger at the Brotherhood for abandoning certain battles directed at the killers. Crimes committed by Morsi’s regime and later by his supporters are closer to memory. The public discourse of fighting terrorism has dominated public consciousness. "Such circumstances demand unity. …Retribution could be delayed," Sayed said. “If someone kills your son, it doesn’t mean you kill his family.”
Sayed’s argument is not unique. Some victims and families of men killed by the police and army have vocally supported Morsi's military’s ouster and its current policies. On Nov. 18, however, the message voiced by other victims and activists disregarded this layer within the crowd. On the stage set up for families of martyrs, including Sayed, speakers explained that the fight has not changed. Continued security crimes — directed at them or the Morsi supporters they loath — stand in the face of achieving the goals of the revolution, headlined by dignity. |
NEW DELHI: Fortune 500 industrial conglomerate 3M is looking to scale up investments in India with an eye on making it the company’s first designated export hub globally.India’s move towards the goods and services tax regime and improvements in the corporate tax system make it an attractive destination for setting up an export base, HC Shin, executive vice president in charge of 3M’s international operations, told ET. This would mark a departure from the company’s traditional approach of producing locally across regions."3M can certainly bring in a lot more investment, as investment conditions continue to improve such as GST , corporate tax…We can also consider India as an export base in addition to our domestic presence. If you look at the cooperation coming through the ASEAN and other free trade initiatives of India, a lot of good things can happen," Shin said."We believe in regional selfsufficiency rather than using a single country as a hub. For us, exports are an exception rather than the norm. So if you ask me which is the designated strategic export country, there’s none," Shin told ET at the end of a three-day visit to India during which he sensed a stark difference in the body language of people and the confidence in its economy compared to his previous visit in 2013.Shin stressed that the reality he has seen ‘coincides’ with what he had read about India’s recent resurgence on the global economic arena before his visit."We have been making in India for 28 years, with an India for India strategy. We learned it early and the hard way that bringing boxes from overseas and handing them to customers doesn’t work," Shin said, adding that its domestic revenue is growing at over 20% in several segments, indicating ‘strong performance in the current environment.’3M has invested $100 million over the past 15 years into its 1,600 employee-India business, which includes setting up a fullblown research and development lab whose innovations have ‘astonished’ 3M’s US researchers, according to Shin.With the government’s Make in India drive attracting new foreign players, 3M is also looking at helping its global industrial customers set up shop in India. "Because we have localised most of 3M’s solutions, we can help them localise their product swiftly," said Shin.Apart from manufacturing, 3M is keen to lend its expertise on Digital India and smart cities initiatives. It is betting big on ecommerce to improve its reach to medium and small enterprises and improve productivity of consumers by putting technical guides to some products online."We want to outgrow the market... If GDP is growing at 5 per cent, we can grow two to four times that and we are getting such accelerated growth from India now," Shin said, stressing that GST would be the biggest gamechanger for players like 3M. |
At least 12 people, including the gunman, are dead after a mass shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., on Monday. But one particularly vulnerable employee was saved thanks to the quick thinking of a resolute hero.
Officials say a suspect began shooting inside the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters -- where 3,000 people work -- at 8:20 a.m. Several news outlets reported that a suspect barricaded himself inside room and a "shelter in place" order was issued for Navy Yard personnel.
As chaos erupted, and employees made a mad dash to safety, Omar Grant –- a civilian employee who was on the first floor of the atrium -– knew he had to move a little more carefully than the others if he were to save his seeing-impaired colleague, Lindwood, who was standing by his side when the gunshots started, Yahoo News reports.
Hi-res photo of Omar Grant, who led his blind colleague off the Navy Yard base when they heard gunshots. pic.twitter.com/e7sb1ozX8b — Chris Moody (@moody) September 16, 2013
"We heard two shots and started wondering if that was the sound of someone dropping something or if they were really shots," Grant told Yahoo News. "We heard three more shots and that's when people started running out of the building and getting the hell out of there."
While others ran for the exits, Grant took Lindwood, who declined to give his last name, by the arm and led him out of the building and to the train.
At a press briefing on Monday afternoon Mayor Vincent Gray coneyed the gravity of the situation. He noted that they weren’t certain if there were more shooters, but noted that there was no reason to think that that this was a terror attack. He also said that they will continue to engage in the investigation. |
Cava 22, the bar where an Apple employee lost control of an unreleased device sometime around July 22. Greg Sandoval/CNET
Against a backdrop of lost, unreleased devices and allegations that security employees impersonated policemen, Apple's chief of security operations was forced by the company into retirement, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
John Theriault, a former FBI agent who came to Apple from Pfizer in 2007, was the man in charge of Apple's security unit during a span that saw the secretive company embarrassed when important trade secrets were exposed.
Theriault was not immediately available for comment and a Apple spokesman declined to comment. The blog 9to5mac.com first reported Theriault's departure.
The troubles with Apple's security appeared to begin in March 2010, when an Apple engineer lost control of a prototype iPhone 4 during a night of drinking in a Redwood, Calif., bar. The handset was obtained by two men who later sold it to the blog Gizmodo, which published details about the phone.
In August 2010, a search of the home belonging to Paul Shin Devine, an Apple global supply manager, turned up shoe boxes full of cash. Devine was charged with 23 counts that included wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and accepting kick backs.
The most recent high-profile security goof occurred in July, when two of Apple's investigators went searching for an unreleased handset in San Francisco.
In August, CNET reported that Apple's security personnel went to San Francisco police and told them that an employee had lost a "priceless" unreleased phone, again in a bar, and that they had electronically tracked the device to a home in the city's Bernal Heights neighborhood.
When plainclothes officers and the Apple employees visited the home, Sergio Calderon, 22, acknowledged being at the bar the night it went missing but denied any knowledge of the device.
David Monroe, Calderon's attorney, told CNET that badges were flashed and Calderon was informed that if he didn't voluntarily submit to a search of his home, car, and computer, a search warrant would be obtained. Monroe said that Calderon agreed to the search but wouldn't have had he'd known it would be conducted by Apple employees.
The San Francisco Police Department says their officers never entered Calderon's home. The search failed to turn up the errant phone and now the actions of Apple's security team could draw the company into litigation.
Monroe said last month that if he didn't get answers from the police and Apple about the incident he would file suit. Monroe said previously and repeated today that he and Apple are in negotiations.
But forcing Theriault out now, with possible litigation hanging over Apple's head, could be a risky move according to Ira Winkler, an expert on corporate espionage and author of the book "Spies Among Us."
Winkler doesn't think it's a wise move when Apple may yet be required to explain the search of Calderon's home to a jury.
"While I know nothing directly about the case, my gut tells me that a company does not lay off or induce somebody to quit while it is potentially being accused of wrongdoing led by that person," Winkler said. "It's almost an admission that [the company and its employees] did do something wrong and likewise potentially creates a grudge against the company by the former employee. That person could end up being the best witness against them." |
Regular readers of this column will hardly be surprised to learn that this edition of “First Person” deals with an archaeological controversy. It is also true that I can be critical of any scholar whom I feel is clearly on the wrong side.
But I do not make scholarly judgments. I am not a paleographer. I can make judgments, however, about the reasoning of scholars. When I feel a scholar is making a wrong call based on the scholarly record, I can be harsh—or at least some would say so.
In these circumstances, it would seem that I should be even harsher on a non-scholar who makes a wrong call on the evidence. That is the case here. It is time for a new target for my wrath. This column focuses on an errant call by a non-scholar—namely by the author himself! At this point, it is not quite so clear as I had thought (and argued) that the inscription on the famous ivory pomegranate is authentic.
For years, I have been defending the authenticity of the inscribed ivory pomegranate.a If authentic, it has a claim to being the rarest relic from Solomon’s Temple. It was authenticated by the highly esteemed Israeli scholar, the late Nahman Avigad, and more recently by the prominent Sorbonne paleographer André Lemaire.b The Israel Museum paid $550,000 for it.
True, a committee of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) had declared it a forgery. But its reasoning and judgment were badly flawed. (In response to the IAA committee’s conclusion, the museum had removed the pomegranate from public display. It had once had an entire room of its own.)
Believing that the IAA committee’s conclusion was badly flawed, BAR convened a meeting of scholars at the Israel Museum to re-examine the pomegranate under a powerful microscope. The result was a disagreement. But those who regarded the inscription as a forgery failed to address the most powerful argument for its authenticity—the Hebrew letter heh—the engraving of which went into an ancient break; this meant that the letter was there before the ancient break occurred. Lemaire, who had not been asked to be on the IAA committee, but was invited to the Israel Museum meeting, relied especially on this heh. Each side made its case in reports in the Israel Exploration Journal.1 Not only did the “forgery” side completely ignore the heh, but there was something else.
Israeli text-specialist Shmuel Ahituv, who was on the IAA committee that had found the inscription to be a forgery, had intervened in my running of the Israel Museum meeting and decided who would attend the BAR conference. Ahituv refused my request to include Ada Yardeni in the meeting. She was recognized by all as a very highly qualified paleographer. Since the recent death of the revered Joseph Naveh, Yardeni is now recognized as Israel’s most eminent paleographer. Her exclusion from the Israel Museum meeting conference bothered me, but there was nothing I could do about it. It did reinforce my feeling, however, that the pomegranate inscription was authentic.
Israel Museum curators have called “Gabriel’s Revelation” the most important document found in the area since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Read the original English publication of “Gabriel’s Revelation” by Ada Yardeni along with Israel Knohl's article that made scholars around the world reconsider links between ancient Jewish and Christian messianism in the free eBook Gabriel’s Revelation.
I was in Jerusalem recently and had a meeting at the Israel Museum with James Snyder, director of the museum; Haim Gitler, the museum’s chief archaeology curator; and Eran Arie, a senior archaeology curator. This led to a museum decision to allow Ada Yardeni to examine the inscribed ivory pomegranate, now in a museum storeroom.
I am pleased to report that the museum could not have been more cooperative with me or Yardeni. Not only was she given access to the museum computer, but she was also supplied with greatly enlarged photographs of the critical areas of the inscription.
She focused on another Hebrew letter in the inscription, however, a taw (pronounced tav). Its upper stroke stopped short of the old break. As she put it in an email reporting to me:
I could not ignore the fact that the right upper stroke of the letter taw does not reach the old break, called the ‘bulge’ by [the original IAA committee that had declared the inscription a forgery]. I could not think of any convincing explanation [of] this fact rather than that the engraver, for some reason, did not continue the execution of the stroke at this point. I asked myself if it is possible to forge such an inscription, and I have to admit that it seems possible … I’m sorry to disappoint you in that, in view of my examination of the inscription, I cannot confirm its authenticity. I would have been more than happy to do so. Warmest regards,
Ada Yardeni
I immediately replied to her, with a copy to all concerned parties:
Dear Ada:
Yes, I am disappointed, but the truth is more important than anything. I am immediately sharing your judgment with all interested parties. I would welcome any comments. You did not mention the heh that goes into the old break. Any comment on this? All best,
Hershel
She replied:
Dear Hershel,
The heh was not clear enough to me when I looked at it through the microscope. Best,
Ada
Has the inscribed ivory pomegranate been unmasked as a forgery? Not quite. In Yardeni’s judgment “it seems possible” that it is a forgery.
However, André Lemaire continues to defend the authenticity of the inscription. His email response:
Thanks, Hershel. It is good to know the appreciation of Ada, but apparently she did [not] look at the pomegranate from the right angle to see the incision [of the taw] that actually is not hindered by the bulge (as could be thought because of the optical illusion). Above all, [she] did not check the strokes of the heh where things are clearer … Best,
André
As of this writing, that is where things stand. But I can no longer argue that the inscription on this important relic is unquestionably authentic: Ada Yardeni has her doubts. And that is powerful authority.
But André Lemaire is also a powerful authority.
Both are great scholars and wonderful human beings. This is only the beginning of a fascinating discussion. Stay tuned.
Notes:
1. Shmuel Ahituv, Aaron Demsky, Yuval Goren and André Lemaire, “The Inscribed Ivory Pomegranate from the Israel Museum Examined Again,” Israel Exploration Journal 57 (2007), pp. 87–95.
a. See “Fudging with Forgeries,” BAR, November/December 2010; Strata, “Accused BAR Editor Replies,” BAR, May/June 2009; “How an Israeli Forgery Committee Operates,” BAR, March/April 2009; “Is This Inscription Fake? You Decide,” BAR, September/October 2007.
b. André Lemaire, “Probable Head of Priestly Scepter from Solomon’s Temple Surfaces in Jerusalem,” BAR, January/February 1984.
Related reading in Bible History Daily:
Ivory Pomegranate Revisited: A Relic from Solomon’s Temple?
First Person: A Scepter from the Temple?
Is the Ivory Pomegranate a Forgery or Authentic?
Permalink: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/inscriptions/first-person-a-new-target/ |
It’s only fair to you, the reader, that I tell you that I’m one of the most risk-averse managers you’ll find when it comes to drafting hyped players or breakouts. Mike Trout in 2013? Pass. Jose Bautista in 2011? No way, Jose. Carlos Correa in 2016? Nope. Jose Ramirez in 2018? Probably not. All four of those guys had major breakouts the year prior and had (or will have in JoRam’s case) astronomical ADPs the following year. I didn’t buy in because I needed to see them do it one more time.
I’m far from the first manager to have ever played it safe in the early rounds of a draft, but I make it a point to avoid the hype because the floor is still not as high until they can repeat. This is why I’m saying no to Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani. Call me a wet blanket, a Debbie Downer, or Buzz Killington: Ohtani is not worth it in 2018.
Limited Mound Work
Ohtani is not going to pitch more than 150 innings this year, if that. The most innings Ohtani has pitched in a season has been 160.2 in 2015 with the Nippon Ham Fighters. He followed that up with 140 innings the next year and in 2017 he pitched only 25.1 innings thanks to injuries. Be objective: if a pitcher only pitched 25 innings the year prior, is it wise for a team to push him? Now, if you’re the Angels and you just landed this generational pitcher who’s supposed to lead you to the World Series, are you really going to push your limits here knowing you have his rights for a few more years?
But that’s not all. Japanese baseball employs six-man rotations. That’s a pretty major difference when comparing baseball here vs. baseball there. The extra day of rest is crucial to limiting injuries. But wait, you say, the Angels are thinking of going to a six-man rotation! First off, kudos to them. Their rotation as a whole is pretty delicate and they’d benefit and not just for Ohtani’s sake. But a six-man rotation isn’t a panacea. In Japan, keeping pitchers healthy goes beyond that. Here’s an excerpt from a 2014 Sports on Earth piece written by Eno Sarris on employing a six-man rotation.
Former major league pitcher Brian Bannister does agree that the "extended recovery cycle" of a six-man rotation would be helpful, but he points out that there are many differences in Japan that could teach us some best practice. "The standard practice/pregame dynamic warmup is extremely thorough in both duration and number of unique motions… this makes sure the body is warm and stretched out prior to throwing," says Bannister. He also thinks that their approach to weight lifting might be more suited to the act of pitching: "The overall attitude towards weightlifting is making sure the body is strong but not in the beach muscle kind of way. I believe this keeps muscles in balance and one muscle group does not overwhelm the connective tissue of a smaller muscle group." Even the recovery phase is a little different in Japan: "the recovery process in Japan is very deliberate with massage and soaking in alternating hot/cold water common."
I’m not going to pretend to know the Angels pre-game regimen for pitchers, but Bannister made it seem like the routines differ drastically in each country.
UCL Damage
Do you want to know why else he won’t pitch that more than 150 innings in 2018? Ohtani has a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. This was a surprise to us, but not to teams, as the information became known to all teams once he was officially posted. In late October he received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection, the same choice his new teammate Garrett Richards made this past April in lieu of Tommy John. The good news is Richards came back for 27 innings, didn’t lose a tick on his fastball, had an even better SwStr% rate and though ERA doesn’t matter with a sample size that small, it’s still nice to see a 2.28 in that department. Masahiro Tanaka has defied all Tommy John expectations with a damaged UCL as well.
The Angels have come out and said there will be no restrictions on Ohtani and they will treat him as if he’s 100 percent. They know his medical records best, so we must give them the benefit of the doubt. But know that at any sign of minor soreness, whether it’s playing catch or in a game, they will place him on the DL and handle him with kid gloves. The UCL cloud hanging over his head won’t be disappearing any time soon.
Limited At The Plate
Your concern about his production at the plate may vary greatly depending on the format you use him. Two of the big three sites, Yahoo and CBS, are planning splitting him. ESPN hasn’t disclosed their plan yet. (Feb.26 EDIT: CBS, ESPN and Fantrax have him as one player with dual-eligibility.)
If you’re going to play in a league where he’s split, Ohtani the Batter becomes less appealing. At the time of this post, no one from the organization hasn’t come out and said how many at bats they plan to give him. Baseball Twitter seems to be setting the O/U at 250 and I think that’s fair given how he was used in Japan.
Ohtani’s Usage in Japan Year At Bats Innings Pitched Year At Bats Innings Pitched 2013 189 61.2 2014 212 155.1 2015 109 160.2 2016 323 140 2017 202 25.1
I’m assuming 250 at bats for 2018. Ohtani carries a career .859 OPS in 1,170 PA with the Nippon Ham Fighters. Traditionally, the NPB’s talent level has been compared to a little bit better than Triple-A but not as good as the Major League level. Here’s a full breakdown of that if you’re interested.
Former MLB’ers that have faced Ohtani cede that his raw power is incredible, translating to something like 70 grade in the 20-80 scouting scale. But those same pitchers talk about how he may not excel immediately at the plate. Here’s an excerpt from an excellent Baseball America article. Note: I removed two grafs. Speaking below is former major league reliever Dennis Sarfate and former infielder Brent Morel.
"I think I faced him 11 times and I think I gave up a single and triple, and the single was actually a squiggler down the third-base line that he beat out." Sarfate said. "He's got decent plate awareness, the only problem I see him having issues with early on—and he can make the adjustment—is fastballs in. Japanese guys tend to stay away from him, I think it's a lot of respect and they don't want to throw a fastball in and break his arm or hit him in the elbow. I think he's aware of that, that no one pitches him in. I pitch him in and have had good success going in. "Big league pitchers aren't afraid to go in, they don't care who you are. And that's going to be his one adjustment he's going to have to make." Morel, from his vantage point playing the infield, sees the same potential shortcoming on fastballs in. "He just has unbelievable pop to the opposite field, center field (but) it didn't seem like he pulled too many balls unless they were offspeed," Morel said. "I think he'll get pounded in like any young hitter going to the big leagues. He'll have to make the adjustment. He was so big and strong he didn't have to worry about it too much over there. I'm not saying he can't make the adjustment, he just hasn't had to yet."
An acclimation to major league style pitching, plus some long levers that scouts say he has in his swing, lead me to believe that Ohtani the Batter isn’t going to be anything spectacular in 2018. It’s almost a shot in the dark, but I’m predicting something in the neighborhood of .260/.330/.430. How does Evan Longoria’s 2017 sound to you for about 250 AB?
Astronomical ADP
The previous 1,300 words wouldn’t have mattered if his ADP wasn’t as high as it currently is. Consider that in First Pitch Arizona, where among other activities industry experts gather to do a NFBC-style draft in the first week of November, Ohtani went in the 14th-round of a 15-team league. Granted, there were real concerns he wouldn’t come over at the time. A month later, his ADP is in the 80s, but in the drafts I’ve seen, he’s going inside the top 60 because managers know they have to reach if they want him. (Feb.26 EDIT: His NFBC ADP is now 72nd overall).
Can there be valuable seasons of a pitcher who pitches 130-150 innings in a season? Yes. James Paxton, Rich Hill, Brad Peacock, Chase Anderson and J.A. Happ all pitched less than 150 innings last season and we can all reasonably agree they had good to great seasons. But all suffered through injuries or in Peacock’s case, getting yanked (heh) around the bullpen and starting rotation. Are you drafting any of these guys inside the top 80? No way. Paxton comes closest with an average ADP of exactly 80 according to Fantrax. Hill is in the 130s. Peacock in the 190s.
Ohtani’s hype is carrying him to the tier of Aaron Nola, Yu Darvish, Carlos Martinez and Robbie Ray. All of them are expected to pitch more innings next year and have flashed ace-level talent. Ohtani might match up in talent, but not in production. In an age where fewer pitchers are producing innings, simply having quantity is a skill within itself, and it’s not one Ohtani will immediately.
A bad elbow, limited production at the plate, limited appearances in a potential six-man rotation and an absurd ADP are why I’m avoiding Shohei Ohtani in 2018 and so should you. |
Bayern Munich star Mario Gotze has said he is looking forward to linking up with former Borussia Dortmund team-mate Robert Lewandowski again next season.
Gotze made a €37 million switch from Dortmund to the Munich in the summer, with Poland international striker Lewandowski appearing set to follow suit at the end of this season.
After Bayern defeated Dortmund to win the Champions League last season, Lewandowski, 25, said he wanted to move to Bavaria -- but his club refused to sell him, meaning he can now move on a free when his contract expires.
“If he joins us, I’ll be delighted,” Gotze told Bild. “At BVB, I got along really well with Robbie. He is an extraordinary striker.”
Gotze was not the only Bayern player asked about the Dortmund attacker, with skipper Philipp Lahm saying: “We can talk about it once he has put pen to paper.”
But he told Abendzeitung after the 4-1 DFB Pokal win over Hannover that Lewandowski “has shown in Champions League last year that he is a top striker. I can’t say more about it”.
Earlier this week, Dortmund hit out at Lewandowski’s management after Der Spiegel released details of the war of words between the two parties this summer.
The striker reacted angrily to being substituted during the 2-0 DFB Pokal win over 1860 Munich, while he appeared to confirm his impending move to Bayern -- although he later clarified those remarks.
Der Spiegel claimed to have obtained details of confidential emails and texts exchanged between the two sides. The messages saw a lawyer acting on behalf of Lewandowski seeking to put into writing the agreement that would have made a €25 million move to Bayern possible after last season, but Dortmund CEO Aki Watzke was reported to have said he had been misunderstood over the matter.
In the exchange that followed, the words “d******* behavior” and “bunch of liars” were used on one side, and “liar” on the other.
Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc indicated to Bild that he believed the discussions had been leaked to Der Spiegel by Lewandowski’s management.
“Once again, this is one-sided, negative and biased reporting, paired with indiscretion from the agents' side,” he said. “For me, that is very dubious and, besides, the whole issue is 'cold coffee' [old hat].”
In an editorial, Bild said Bayern should re-examine the Lewandowski deal in light of the problems Dortmund have encountered. “In 2014, Bayern Munich will get one of the best strikers in the world, for free! Congratulations! But the Bayern bosses should now carefully consider if they really want to invite this bunch of people to their club,” it warned. |
An anonymous Puerto Rican police officer called New York's largest hispanic radio station, 97.9, to complain about the Mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz, and the Governor, Ricardo Rossello -- saying they are putting on as grande show for the cameras, which is costing lives. In a riveting 6 minutes on air, this anonymous police officer gives her take on things and how the Puerto Rican government is failing to provide people with basis necessities all because of politics. "What they are doing, it's an abuse. It looks like communism, in our own island. Let me tell you something, Boricuas are dying of hunger. The medics here, people are dying. The hospitals are in crisis." Her request: "we want the US to come in and take the Governor out. He is not doing anything. He is just around and around and everyone is like 'oh how nice, the governor, he is going into the mud. He's going into the water.' And where is it? WHERE IS THE FOOD?" |
There are certain things you do on your phone every day, like launch navigation when you get in your car or set your alarm when you go to bed. With a few NFC tags and almost no effort, you can automate these processes and never fiddle with your phone again.
This process uses Near Field Communication (NFC), a feature we've talked about once before. You've probably even seen it in commercials, where people share playlists and perform other actions just by touching their phones together. Those uses haven't really caught on, but NFC tags will work anywhere—they're basically tiny stickers, keychains, and other trinkets that perform tasks when you tap them with your phone.
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Not all phones have NFC capabilities, but many of them do, including most newer Android phones from manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, and even Google's Nexus line. Before you continue, Google your phone to see if it has NFC built-in. We're going to focus on Android phones in this post, but some Windows phones might also have NFC built-in, so you can use this post as inspiration. Sadly, the iPhone currently does not have NFC, so iPhone users are out of luck.
What You'll Get
When you're done, you'll have a few small stick-on tiles placed strategically around your house, car, office, or anywhere else you want. Holding your phone up to one of these tags will perform a simple action right away, so you don't have to constantly fiddle with settings. For example, you could:
Turn on your ringer and Wi-Fi when you return home
Turn off the ringer and set your alarm when you go to bed
Start the Maps app and turn on Bluetooth when you get in your car
Launch your remote control app when you sit down on the couch to watch TV
Set a timer for 30 minutes when you put your clothes in the laundry
Start playing music or skip tracks
Check in to Foursquare, Facebook, or Google Latitude at your current location
...all with a quick tap of your phone. No need to open any menus, or tweak any settings yourself.
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Some of you Android fans may recognize some of these ideas as things you can automate with Tasker, and that's true. Apps like Tasker can do similar things based on location, what networks you're connected to, the time of day, and more. What's great about NFC tags is that they allow you do perform similar tasks in situations where Tasker isn't as good at automating. For example, Tasker doesn't always know when you're in your car, or when you sit down to watch TV. In those cases, these little NFC tags are perfect. In fact, with this method, you can even launch a Tasker task by placing your phone next to an NFC tag, so the two work phenomenally well together.
Step One: Get Some NFC Tags
To start, of course, you'll need to pick up some NFC tags (usually for a dollar or two apiece) that you can program with your desired actions. You'll find a number of differen brands out there, but both TagsForDroid tags and Samsung TecTiles are very popular and come highly recommended. We used the Samsung tags for this tutorial, but you can use another brand if you so choose. Most tags come in a number of forms, too, like stickers, keychains, and more.
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Step Two: Download NFC Task Launcher
Some tags (like Samsung's) will come with their own app, but we're going to use a better, third-party app called NFC Task Launcher. It's powerful, easy to use, and completely free, so once you've got your NFC tags, grab a copy of Task Launcher for your phone of choice.
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Step Three: Create Your Tasks
Assigning tasks to your NFC tags is incredibly easy. Here's what you need to do:
1. Open up NFC Task Launcher and tap "Create a New Task."
2. Choose NFC as your task Type.
3. Tap "Add Actions" to create your task. You have a number of categories and actions to choose from. For example, if you wanted this tag to turn Wi-Fi on, you would tap "Wireless & Networks" and check the "Wifi On/Off" box.
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4. Click Next when you've chosen your actions, and configure them if given a prompt to do so.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for any additional tasks you want this tag to perform. When you're done, tap "Save & Write." Put your phone on top of the NFC tag you want associated with these actions. Your phone will make a sound and notify you when it successfully writes the tag. Press Done to finish.
Repeat this process for all your tags, then peel them off and stick them wherever you perform those actions most often. Here are a few examples of tasks you could perform.
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Turn On Wi-Fi and Your Ringer at Home
Let's say you keep your phone on vibrate when you're out of the house, and you turn Wi-Fi off to save a bit of battery. This action will turn those features back on when you get home. Create a new task with these actions:
Wireless & Networks > Wifi On/Off > Enable
Sounds & Volume > Sound Profile > Normal
Then, just stick an NFC tag on your front door and you can tap it as you return home.
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Silence the Ringer and Set the Alarm at Night
If you're tired of manually setting the volume and alarm every night, create a new task with these actions:
Sounds & Volume > Sound Profile > Silent
Alarms > Set Alarm > (Whatever Time You Want)
...and throw an NFC tag on your night stand. Every night you can just stick your phone on your night stand to get the desired result.
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Launch Maps and Turn On Bluetooth in Your Car
Whenever I get in my car, I turn on Bluetooth and start up the Maps app. With an NFC tag on the dashboard, I can do all this in just a second by using these actions:
Wireless & Networks > Bluetooth On/Off > Enable
Applications & Shortcuts > Open Application > Maps
You can even open specific menus or functions through "App Activities" if your app supports it
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Start a Tasker Task
Already got all these functions built into Tasker? You don't need to waste your time creating them again in NFC Task Launcher. Just create a new task and choose "Tasker Task" as your action. You'll be able to launch them by tapping your phone to an NFC tag, giving you one more easy trigger for all those great Tasker automations.
This is just a smattering of ideas, but they give you a good idea of how to use the app and what kinds of things you can do with it. Any time you find yourself doing something on your phone over and over again, just create a task and add it to an NFC tag. You'll never have to deal with those settings again.
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Photo remixed from Abdurahman . |
[UPDATE Wednesday 11:00 am CT: This story has been edited to make clear that this new site is an unauthorized clone of the old site and does not involve any of the principals of the original isoHunt.]
Less than two weeks ago, IsoHunt, the notorious search engine site for BitTorrent files, agreed to shut down and pay $110 million in a settlement with the Motion Pictures of America Association. The site even shut down a day early as a way to avoid being part of an online archive.
But now, what appears to be a cloned version of the site (available at isohunt.to and isohunt.ee) has emerged. Whois information on both domains turns up no contact information. However, online records show that the new site is hosted in Australia.
Chip Parker, a former isoHunt admin, says that the old isoHunt is gone for good.
"Some random 3rd party ripping off isohunt.com's HTML has no bearing on the fact that both the database and the .torrent files once stored by isoHunt are gone forever," he told Ars.
On Tuesday, TorrentFreak reported on the anonymous creators of the new site.
“IsoHunt has been a great part of the torrent world for more than a decade. It’s a big loss to everyone who used it over the years. Media corporations don’t like innovation or competition, and isoHunt’s fate is one of the examples of how they deal with it,” isohunt.to’s creators told TorrentFreak.
“IsoHunt can definitely be called a file-sharing icon. People got used to it, and they don’t want to simply let it go. We want those people to feel like being at home while visiting isohunt.to. The main goal is to restore the website with torrents and provide users with the same familiar interface.”
Ars would love to speak with the creators of isohunt.to, if they're reading this. |
Image copyright Getty Images
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is closing six of his 42 UK Jamie's Italian restaurants.
The Aberdeen, Cheltenham, Exeter, Tunbridge Wells and in London, the Ludgate and Richmond outlets are all scheduled to close soon.
The move will affect 120 staff, whom the company said it would try to place in other parts of the chain.
The company said that the market was "tough" and the uncertainties caused by Brexit had intensified the pressures.
The price of ingredients bought in Italy has gone up because of the fall in the value of the pound against the euro since the vote to leave the EU.
Chief executive Simon Blagden said: "As every restaurant owner knows, this is a tough market and, post-Brexit, the pressures and unknowns have made it even harder."
He said each restaurant in the chain needed to attract 3,000 diners a week to be profitable.
Jamie's Italian has 28 overseas outlets and the company also said it planned to open another 22 outside the UK.
Last year, Jamie Oliver said he would buy back the Jamie's Italian restaurants business in Australia.
He moved after Keystone Group, which ran the operation, went into receivership and put the franchise up for sale. |
Case: John Quilligan arriving at court with gardai
FIVE people have been charged following a two-hour stand-off in which a garda sergeant received serious head and eye injuries and another officer was left badly shaken.
The five appeared before Mallow District Court in Cork after being arrested on Monday morning following a melee in Midleton in which knives, shovels, a step-ladder and sticks were produced.
One garda remains in hospital following the incident.
Simon Quilligan, who is in his forties and the father of 16 children, and two of his sons, John (22) and Sammy (18), together with his daughter Lisa Grey (27) and her boyfriend Patrick Cash (22), were all charged with the same offence.
They are charged that, on December 15 at Ballymartin, Dungourney, Midleton, Co Cork, while threatening to kill or commit serious bodily harm in the course of a dispute, they produced an article capable of inflicting serious injury.
The articles involved included knives, shovels, a rake, a step ladder and sticks contrary to Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990.
Inspector Tony O’Sullivan said the defendants made no reply after they were arrested.
The State objected to bail for the five accused. The court was told that during a two-hour stand-off at the gateway to the Quilligan’s home at Ballymartin, Patrick Cash threatened to kill gardai with a stick.
Gardai also expressed concerns about a bail application for Lisa Grey because of her lack of a permanent address.
Solicitor Joe Cuddigan told Judge Brian Sheridan there was no flight risk.
Grey agreed to reside at a named address and sign on at the Bridewell Garda Station.
She also undertook to have no contact with any co-accused except by phone, with the exception of her partner, Patrick Cash, and to stay away from anywhere east of Dunkettle roundabout.
The State also objected to bail for John Quilligan because of the seriousness of the charge and because he is alleged to have threatened gardai. Mr Quilligan lives at Shannon Lawn in Mayfield, Cork. He is a father of seven and his partner is expecting their eighth child.
The state also objected to a bail application on behalf of Simon Quilligan (46) for legal reasons.
He is the father of 16 children, five of whom are under the age of 18. An objection to bail was also made in the case of Sammy Quilligan because of the seriousness of the charges.
Judge Sheridan granted bail to four of the defendants. He remanded Patrick Cash in custody to appear before Midleton District Court again tomorrow so that he can furnish proof of a permanent address.
John, Simon and Sammy Quilligan together with Ms Grey were released on bail to appear before Midleton District Court on January 15.
However, they have to abide by certain bail conditions.
These include residing at the addresses furnished to the court and signing on daily at their named local garda stations.
All four were told that they could not go east of the Dunkettle roundabout.
They were also warned not to indulge in alcohol pending the court process.
Free legal aid was granted to all five defendants.
[email protected] |
Dennis Malcolm Byron hustles for a living. He shows up to Argosy bearing gifts: custom glassware from a recent event he threw, a bottle of Schlafly Double Bean Blonde from a recent trip to St. Louis. As we talk and drink I ask him what pays his bills. Is it the car reviews he does for magazines, the beer-oriented blogging/events/etc., his branding and consulting agency, AllWays Open Creative?
"It's all of those, all together," says the "forty-ish" man who, in 2002, branded himself Ale Sharpton. Speaking of which: "Beer has been such a part of my life in so many different ways. I've always been into art and things that are different from the norm, and I knew beer was going in that direction ... Beer can tell you a lot about a city it's from or the person who makes it."
As it turns out, Byron can tell you a lot about this city and the beer that's made in it. When we sat down in East Atlanta Village, we talked about the Peach State's brewing rise, the lack of diversity in the craft beer industry, and what the future might hold. After that, we got back to the hustle.
Describe your first beer.
I don't think anybody forgets their first beer. I was hanging out at my uncle's in Brooklyn, and he was drinking Miller High Life in those little stubby bottles. He was like, "You'll probably think this is disgusting," gave me a sip, and I was like, "Mmmmm!" He was pissed! But I knew that's what I was gonna drink when I was older. That's all I've ever really liked. I never had a taste for spirits.
Tell me the "Ale Sharpton" origin story.
When I was writing for Cypher, I had a pen name because back then rap journalists were getting beat up. laughs My nickname was Justin Case. I had a rap section and a beer section ... I was an editor for the Atlanta Voice, too. I was an editor there, but really, I'm a lifestyle writer. This magazine J'Adore approached me with an executive editor job, and I took it. The deal I asked for was that I could have a separate column under a new name. After a couple blunts and two Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stouts, at two in the morning one night, it hit me: Ale Sharpton. That was 2002.
What do you hope for the future of Georgia beer?
We need a little more unity in some areas. I don't want us to get to the point where we're hating on each other, and I'm glad Atlanta hasn't fallen to that yet. What's whack is that there are so many events happening at one time. If we could stagger them, that would be cool. It's a growing industry here, but we could be working together to make a calendar and really reap the benefits of being a great beer city.
You've touched on diversity — or the lack thereof — in the beer world. How can we improve that?
That's another one of my goals. I'm a writer who's spreading that love to a lot of communities that aren't often exposed to it. I truly believe it's where you set up these beer bars. It's diverse at Argosy right now. If it's a diverse neighborhood, you're gonna get diversity in the crowd. It's about having access to good stores in predominantly black neighborhoods. There's an opportunity there. My events are so diverse. It's like some "We are the World" type shit.
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BEER EVENTS
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Depot Park Beer Festival
When: Sat., April 2, 1-5 p.m.
Where: Historic Depot Park, Kennesaw
Price: $40-$75
Burnt Hickory celebrate four years with more than 30 of its beers, collaborations with Georgia breweries, even more beers from the likes of Cigar City, Wild Heaven, Cycle Brewing, and Founders, and KISS tribute band, Mr. Speed.
Wrecking Bar Brewpub Wood-Aged Wednesdays
When: Every Wednesday
Where: Wrecking Bar Brewpub
Price: Depends how many wood-aged beers you drink
Each week, the Little Five Points brewpub serves up a special small-batch beer that’s been aged in a wood barrel. |
US government workers face the ultimate performance appraisal next week as America finds out what life would be like without them.
"Essential/Excepted" employees include people: (1) performing emergency work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property, (2) performing minimal activities as necessary to execute an orderly suspension of agency operations related to non-excepted activities, or (3) performing certain other types of excepted work.
US government workers face the ultimate performance appraisal next week as America finds out what life would be like without them. The White House today said only "essential" workers that keep critical functions running will remain on the clock after the midnight Friday shutdown, caused by Congress’s failure to pass a budget in the past 18 months. But the kicker is who made the "essential" list ... 3.6 million of them, or 82%. A mere 800,000 of the 4.4 million strong federal workforce will go on indefinite leave, but even they may be called back as required, regardless of whether Congress has secured funding. Even accounting for military personnel, the people who mail the pension cheques, and the other functions the White House promised would continue uninterrupted, those figures are extraordinarily. Consider what the Office of Personnel Management defines as essential:But for department heads it is like asking how many staff they really did not need in the first place. Or in the great tradition of Sir Humphrey Appleby’s hospital with no patients, it takes almost as many staff to manage a shutdown as it does the full functions of government. Only the lowest, most surplus of staff will be put on leave, as anyone with an ounce of clout will have found a way to be put on their department’s "essential" list. The few who couldn’t will be directed to turn off their blackberries -- the harshest of time outs in ego-driven Washington. White House staff and Congressmen will continue to be paid, but all other workers, including military personnel serving in Afghanistan, will not. Some of those workers will be compensated once funding is secured, but not all. Some Congressmen want their staff to defy the shutdown altogether. Rep Darrell Issa , the self-declared "House GOPs chief watchdog", figures his committee staff fall under different constitutional rules. Unfortunately for them, the Office of Personnel Management issued a reminder that turning up for work could lead to disciplinary action. The State Department is expected to be the hardest hit, losing two-thirds of its workforce at the same time as Secretary Hillary Clinton pleads with law makers to fund diplomacy as a way to save money on unnecessary wars. Washington’s tourists may as well stay home. The city and most of its attractions run almost entirely on federal wages. DC’s beloved Cherry Blossom Parade this weekend was among the first casualties, along with all 19 Smithsonian museums. Worse still, garbage collection is expected to stop (something New York has to deal with almost every month). The list of what will continue covers almost everything the government does: mail will be delivered, social security will be paid, tax will be collected, and airport passengers’ nether regions will be scanned and groped. Even the government’s twitter accounts are expected to remain active. This is a far cry from the mammoth shutdowns of the US government in 1995 and 1996. The battle royal between then president Bill Clinton and House speaker Newt Gingrich ultimately cost American taxpayers about $800 million in wages for leave and lost revenue, according to Treasury figures later released by the Clinton administration. Both sides in Congress say they don’t want a shutdown while accusing each other of not acting like adults. At this point, a shutdown will be difficult, if not impossible to avert. Speaker John Boehner has drafted a one-week extension, which the White House has already rejected. House rules say any budget resolution must be debated for 72 hours, but even if that debate starts immediately won’t beat the shutdown deadline. A Tea Party rally on Capitol Hill yesterday offered the glimpse into the growing division within the Republican caucus. Small government supporters, who helped give Republicans an overwhelming majority in last year’s election, carried signs saying "Shut’er Down" while their factional leader Rep Michele Bachmann told the crowd a shutdown was not a good idea as it would get blamed on the Tea Party rather than Democrats. |
READER COMMENTS ON
"An Open Letter From Jesus to 'Christian' America"
(56 Responses so far...)
COMMENT #1 [Permalink]
... Diane said on 12/9/2009 @ 12:00 pm PT...
Great letter..but in my opinion Frank is too quick to give Obama a pass....and I say this as a person who voted for the man..though not my first choice (Kucinich). See: Dear Barack, Spare Me Your E-Mails, today at Truthdig.
http://www.truthdig.com/...me_your_emails_20091208/
COMMENT #2 [Permalink]
... Kate said on 12/9/2009 @ 12:02 pm PT...
Bravo, Frank. If you get even one of those bullies to listen, it's all worth while.
COMMENT #3 [Permalink]
... Liz said on 12/9/2009 @ 12:12 pm PT...
Frank - Loved the imaginary letter from Jesus. My son is gay and a follower of Jesus Christ and I am a follower of Jesus Christ and don't find any scriptural evidence to condemn loving, monogamous same sex relationships. I sometimes think "I could be wrong - who knows for sure" - but even if I am wrong who is God going to condemn?(if he does that sort of thing is questionable imo) ... my son who is in a good, loving, monogamous relationship and not oppressing or hating on people - or religious people who are spending their time and effort trying to keep gay people from being able to marry and trying to convince them that they are shameful and rejected by God??? It's a no brainer for me.
COMMENT #4 [Permalink]
... Konstantin said on 12/9/2009 @ 1:14 pm PT...
Frank you're getting yourself tangled in the messages of the new testament if you think you can use selective passages and say the rest not relevant as evidenced by your "pick the good, leave out the bad". You should have just stuck with where Jesus says "you should love God with all your heart" and you should love your neighbor as yourself" and that story. That's all you really needed.
COMMENT #5 [Permalink]
... Shortbus said on 12/9/2009 @ 1:41 pm PT...
“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” Ghandi
COMMENT #6 [Permalink]
... karen said on 12/9/2009 @ 3:37 pm PT...
Thanks Frank - I always think how infrequently Good Samaritan story is though about in Christian circles, and really how profound it is. The story is literally Christ's answer to "who is my neigbor", I take it to mean: who ever crosses you path, regardless of cultural differences, is your neighbor, and you should love and care for them as much as you do yourself, that is the essence of being a Christian People forget/ignore that when Jesus railed against the pharisees and sadduces and told the good samaritan parable, and the sheep and the goats story, he was railing against the holy-than-thou, intolerant, uncompassionate, literal readers of religious law of his day, those who did not live by the spirit of the law, which Jesus defined as compassion and understanding. I was thinking you sounded a tad angry for being Jesus, but then I remembered Jesus did get pretty righteously angry about people who were leading people astray spiritual, I suspect some one seeing Jesus throwing tables over at the temple would even say he was in a rage, not selfish anger over his needs, but in rage over the mistreatment and misleading of his flock. Thanks, great post. @Konstantin - If you read new testament portion about Jesus' life and his words, there is no way to avoid how much and how often he is making the same points as Frank does above, for the characters of his time. Yes Frank is picking certain verses, but he is picking the ones others do not pic, ignore, so the are forgotten, not emphasize, but not in the Gospels...Jesus is constantly railing on literalist puffed up righteous ones of his day, talking about how his Father will throw people in hell for doing religious duties but not caring for orphans, widows, hungry, those in jail, etc...Frank's specific examples in modern times are needed to make these points more obvious Pharisee, Sadducees=religious right of our day, poor people, gay people, muslims= widows, adulterous woman, samaritans, of his day. People completely miss the main emphasis of Christ teachings, one must pull out specific verses that are overlooked and give modern examples. Why to Christ talk in parables and analogies? it helped people understand.
COMMENT #7 [Permalink]
... Orangutan said on 12/9/2009 @ 4:26 pm PT...
Excellent Letter!!
COMMENT #8 [Permalink]
... BlueHawk said on 12/9/2009 @ 6:30 pm PT...
Awesome... Mr. Schaeffer you've gotten to the heart of the matter...
COMMENT #9 [Permalink]
... Lora said on 12/9/2009 @ 6:35 pm PT...
The underclass, those "others." Great for the corporate capitalist so-called "Christian" America. Although I am not religious in any formal sense, I always did like Jesus, and for a long time now I have been angry at those who would promote hatred in Jesus' name.
COMMENT #10 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 12/9/2009 @ 6:40 pm PT...
Sheesh! If there were leaders like Frank in the Churches I went to, I may not have stopped going! Inspirational, Frank!
COMMENT #11 [Permalink]
... Agent 99 said on 12/9/2009 @ 8:01 pm PT...
Sing it, Frank!
COMMENT #12 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 12/9/2009 @ 9:36 pm PT...
COMMENT #13 [Permalink]
... Ken said on 12/10/2009 @ 6:35 am PT...
Frank, you who assume to speak as the oracle of God...be careful. Who commissioned you or who gave you the authority? This position is given of God, to those who have obtained to a level of spiritual maturity such that they can be trusted with that position. You are not there and you are in danger of judgement. Again, be very careful and consider yourself duly warned. If you persist, your blood is on your own hands. Jesus didn't violate the law (old testament ordinances), He fulfilled it. (Romans 13:10) Although, homosexuality is wrong (Romans 1:26 & 27,1 Corinthians 6:9), we are to love the homosexual as we do all men and women. (again Romans 13:10)
COMMENT #14 [Permalink]
... Aaron said on 12/10/2009 @ 6:43 am PT...
Big Dan, just take a moment to look around. There are many American Churches that speak the true word of Christ. It is why this article is mistitled. While I agree there are those groups like the Fred Phelps gang that totally miss the point there are many Christians out their doing Christ work here on earth. In my city alone there are more Christian organizations than I can count that are out there feeding the homeless, providing for the everyday needs of the downtroddin. Simply because it is the right thing to do. You do not "have to" accept Christ to receive help, just simply show up.
COMMENT #15 [Permalink]
... michael said on 12/10/2009 @ 6:57 am PT...
leviticus 20:13 for liz above who thinks her son (gay) is a good christian even though he's openly gay. i hope this helps. there's still time.
COMMENT #16 [Permalink]
... michael said on 12/10/2009 @ 7:23 am PT...
I agree with Ken above. Frank is not God or a prophet and should not continue to speak for God. There are multiple fallacies in his letter. Nowhere does he back up what he says with scripture (hint hint). I pray you people have sense enough to read God's word for yourself and not take a man's word for what He says. Poor Frank is a liberal who misquotes the bible to make his opinions appeal to people who want to live their own life like "they" want...not how God commands. We "all" fall short of the glory of God. So beg for forgiveness from Jesus Christ as He is the only way to salvation. We all need saving. Don't get caught up in liberal or conservative politicians beliefs to save you....as Frank bashes Bush and praises Obama...both of which are just men and both sin. Read what the bible says on wars( (1 Samuel 15:3; Joshua 4:13)., homosexuality (levitcus 20:13), abortion(jeremiah 1:5) etc. If you have any questions what to do in life don't believe the commone man....read God's word. We're all responsible for ourselves to know what is right and wrong according to the bible. Frank I leave you with this passage as your letter fits this to a "T". Proverbs 6:16-19 You're walking on thin ice it appears.
COMMENT #17 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 12/10/2009 @ 8:45 am PT...
American anti-gay activists and Republicans behind legislation in Uganda to execute gays: http://www.msnbc.msn.com...908/vp/34354722#34354722
COMMENT #18 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 12/10/2009 @ 8:46 am PT...
Any wingnuts wanna justify this???????????????????
COMMENT #19 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 12/10/2009 @ 8:48 am PT...
Uganda is currently considering an incredibly brutal anti-gay law. Apparently it's not good enough to make homosexuality illegal and put people in prison for it for life, now they may go even further and put gays to death - along with anyone who advocates on their behalf. And now --- surprise, surprise --- it turns out that the people behind this in that country are members of The Family. http://scienceblogs.com/...s_ties_to_ugandas_an.php http://rawstory.com/2009...dan-law-execute-hiv-men/ Republican Jesus says: "Kill the gays"
COMMENT #20 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 12/10/2009 @ 8:50 am PT...
Are churches offering free health care for those who don't have it? I always wonder that.
COMMENT #21 [Permalink]
... glogrrl said on 12/10/2009 @ 10:42 am PT...
Amen.
COMMENT #22 [Permalink]
... michael said on 12/10/2009 @ 10:58 am PT...
big dan i think you're old enough to get a job with insurance. if not your mother should have you covered. half the people out there in need of insurance either don't want it because their job pays more to decline it or they just don't want to get a job. i agree some people aren't offerend insurance and these people should think about purchasing their own. i know if i didn't have insurance i'd purchase it...if not for me then for my family. insurance isn't a right it's a benefit. next you'll be saying we should pay for everyone's car insurance flood insurance etc. i buy mine and the uninsured should buy theirs. basically these knuckleheads want this bill passed so we can pay for everyone's abortion....otherwise they'd omit that from the bill.
COMMENT #23 [Permalink]
... David Lipscomb said on 12/10/2009 @ 2:30 pm PT...
When a servant of Satan like Frank Schaeffer attempts to speak on behalf of Almighty God, the first and only thing to do is to ignore it for the blasphemy it is.
COMMENT #24 [Permalink]
... michael said on 12/10/2009 @ 3:38 pm PT...
To some degree i agree David. But if we ignored everyone who thought like this guy we'd be going to Heaven without alot of people who still have time to change their hearts. There's no doubt in my mind that these people know right from wrong. They just find it's alot easier to go down the path of Satan then follow the Lord. And I agree it is. One day in the near future they won't have to worry about that choice and it'll be too late. There isn't a day that goes by that we don't stumble. But the good news is we've already been forgiven. All we have to do is ask for forgiveness and turn away from that sin. Too many people looking out for number one and it's terrible. A guy with what he believes in and he wants to tell everyone what Jesus would do. Poor Schaeffer. I'll be praying for you and people like you who think it's ok to live "my" life with no regards for living biblically. The great day of the Lord is closer than the experts believe I beg that everyone who doesn't know the Lord get on their knees tonight and ask for forgiveness. Then start reading new testament. Reading John got me started. Once you believe in the Lord it'll break your heart knowing we're all guilty of His murder. Good thing about the Jesus is he's there for you anytime you need him. If you fully repent and mean it I promise you'll be blessed beyond imagination. He's the man.
COMMENT #25 [Permalink]
... river said on 12/10/2009 @ 5:45 pm PT...
There is not much hope for America, as long as lots of people there are brainwashed to think like Michael #24.
COMMENT #26 [Permalink]
... michael said on 12/10/2009 @ 7:48 pm PT...
LOL yeah River one day really soon you'll think of me and what I've been trying to get through your thick skull. I'm sorry for you that you feel that way. What's more interesting is you'll read a so called letter that Schaeffer wrote from Jesus but you won't believe in Him? Sounds a little backwards. I give you this...at least you're trying to ready words about Jesus. You're just reading them from a guy who doesn't know Him. More facts about the bible have been proven to have come true than any other book written and people still turn their backs. Statistically speaking, the bible has so many prophecies proven true It's impossible for the bible to be anything but truth. I'll keep you in my thoughts. Nice site if you're interested. http://www.clarifyingchr...ianity.com/science.shtml
COMMENT #27 [Permalink]
... BlueHawk said on 12/10/2009 @ 8:14 pm PT...
To Ken, Michael and David @ various comments... To quote Frank Schaeffer... You hypocrites! Don't you get it? And now I see Konstantine (@#4) is a divinity major too...
COMMENT #28 [Permalink]
... Nathanial said on 12/10/2009 @ 8:43 pm PT...
I agree with all those above who say we should be living in a Biblical manner, and who condemn "cafeteria Christians" who want to pick-and-chose what verses they like out of the holy scripture. Let's start by stoning to death all of those truly-damned adulterers, and let's make a great example to the wider population by starting with the so-called political elite. Who's up first? Newt Gingrich? Mark Sanford? John Ensign? David Vitter? Paul Stanley? Michael Duvall? C'mon, which of you Pharisees are with me?
COMMENT #29 [Permalink]
... Ken said on 12/11/2009 @ 1:40 am PT...
To all the self-righteous bigots and haters posting in here (eg Michael) - don't you get it? Your bigotry will never get you into heaven, no matter how self-righteous you believe yourself to be. You're just another hatemonger defiling the name of Jesus.
COMMENT #30 [Permalink]
... BlueHawk said on 12/11/2009 @ 7:55 am PT...
Ken @29 Are you the same Ken that wrote this to Frank @13 ? You are not there and you are in danger of judgement. Again, be very careful and consider yourself duly warned. If you persist, your blood is on your own hands. If so...then please see comment #27..it surely applies.
COMMENT #31 [Permalink]
... Andrew said on 12/11/2009 @ 8:25 am PT...
Sounds like another "Blame the Christians and the Jews." "Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Should Christians just shut up? When Homosexual pastors lead their congregations to hell, should the Christians who know the truth shut up? Doesn't sound like walking in love to me, holding back the truth. When children grow up in an environment with a twisted concept of "male and male" parents, should the Christians shut up? And when the school systems try to indoctrinate our children with the lies that these practices are healthy, should Christians run away and hide? When the truth is hidden, the people become oppressed. The truth shall make you free.
COMMENT #32 [Permalink]
... BlueHawk said on 12/11/2009 @ 9:19 am PT...
Andrew @31 Sounds like another "Blame the Christians and the Jews. You mean like Christians and Jews blame gays, liberals and anyone who may speak up for those groups ? Should Christians just shut up? I think Frank was asking Christians to stand up; to stand up for the love and forgiveness that Chris actually taught. When the truth is hidden, the people become oppressed Huh ? what ? Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices, mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law: justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
COMMENT #33 [Permalink]
... BlueHawk said on 12/11/2009 @ 9:27 am PT...
Make if this what you will... Matthew 7: 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
COMMENT #34 [Permalink]
... here's a clue said on 12/11/2009 @ 10:03 am PT...
@ COMMENT #26 [Permalink]
... michael said on 12/10/2009 @ 7:48 pm PT.. "Statistically speaking, the bible has so many prophecies proven true It's impossible for the bible to be anything but truth." Now, I realize that you are refering to prophecy, but you offer us a website wherein the first words are as follows: "The Bible is not a science book, yet it is scientifically accurate. We are not aware of any scientific evidence that contradicts the Bible." I humbly submit to you the following questions: 1) what is the value of pi? 2) what is the Biblical valueof pi? (Hint 1 Kings 7:23 and 2 Chronicles 4:2) 3) how do you reconcile the difference between the answers to 1 (3.14...) and 2 (3.00) above and still maintain that "It's impossible for the bible to be anything but truth"?
COMMENT #35 [Permalink]
... Damail said on 12/11/2009 @ 10:27 am PT...
To Mr. Schaeffer: You are not Jesus. You can't speak for Jesus any more than I can, or any conservative, or any liberal. You are as guilty of intolerance as the people you criticize.
COMMENT #36 [Permalink]
... Anjha said on 12/11/2009 @ 10:57 am PT...
So many words and so little logic. "Frank "cannot" speak for Jesus." But the Pastors in your megachurches who teach intolerance can? "Frank will go to hell for blasphemy?" What about the writers of the Bible? Where they also blasphemous? How did they get the permission to "speak for Jesus?" "Frank is "misrepresenting" the Bible because he is a liberal?" Wasn't Jesus a Liberal? "Frank does not know God or does not know the Bible or does not give his soul over to God." Interesting that...how can anyone know what is in another's heart? Not to mention that my understanding of Frank Schaeffer was that he has been studying scripture and Christ his entire life...but, apparently if his truth does not equal your truth it is not the real truth. "You should read God's word for yourself and not take a man's word for God's." Which God's words should I read? The ones that the Council of Nicaea decided that they would include in the Bible or the ones that they decided not to include? Men wrote the words in the Bible, men from the Council of Nicaea decided which of those words that they would include and you are all instructing me not to trust the word of man but to instead only trust the word of God. God is a Concept by which
we measure our pain - John Lennon
COMMENT #37 [Permalink]
... Nathanial said on 12/11/2009 @ 11:13 am PT...
"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They shall have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." --- Matthew 6:5-6
THE BIBLE SAYS: PRAYER BELONGS IN THE CLOSET, NOT GAYS Get thee behind me, hypocrites!
COMMENT #38 [Permalink]
... michael said on 12/11/2009 @ 3:10 pm PT...
To "here's a clue" comment 26 http://www.direct.ca/trinity/pi.html see if this link helps you out with your math. I'm sure with all your great wisdom you'd know the answer to pi before God would? You're talking a difference of .00026% difference in that verse of scripture and pi. It's easy for people to step back and pick out a verse here and verse there and attempt to tear it apart to try and ridicule God's word. I'd like to know from this person if he knows of a prophecy written in the bible that's ever been proven wrong. Just pick one. I mean there are hundreds to chose from and I'm asking for one verse you can prove wrong. And to Nathanial on comment 37. Leviticus 20:13 is all you need to know about homosexuality. And their is a huge difference between witnessing to people in public and praying in public. I'm sure you'd know this or are you just tossing a few jabs in at the Christians who actually care whether or not people go to hell? This letter written is based on half fact taken out of context and the writer knows this. That's what makes it really detestable. Apparently the writer knows a little something about God's word but refuses to take the whole verse into meaning because it condemns his beliefs. The bible in plain words condemns homosexuality...no ifs, ands or buts. We should all be striving to live a better life and hold ourselves to a higher standard for what was given to us. It's not my job to condemn anyone. I'm a sinner as everyone posting on this site is. The difference is that I know I fall short of the glory of God and have asked for forgiveness for all of my sins. It's an everyday process...just as it is for a junkie or an alocoholic, it is for a sinner who's trying to live according to God's will not ours. Every day holds challenges once you've accepted His gift.
COMMENT #39 [Permalink]
... michael said on 12/11/2009 @ 3:30 pm PT...
To Anjha comment 36. First of all don't get caught up believing every preacher you hear. He's only a man. If you put faith in a man to save you then you're alot worse off then you know. Men will fail you every time whereas God will not. What I'm saying to you is that you should know enough of the bible to figure out if a preacher is speaking clearly from the word of God. Also, writers of the bible were given visions from God as to what should be included in the bible. Understand something. What is in the bible today is there because God wanted it that way...no matter who typed it up, wrote it down etc....it's ultimately God's decision. He uses man every day to get His work done. He doesn't need us to do His work to get it done, but we do it willingly because the sacrifice He's made for everyone of us whether we accept His gift or not He's still your God. Also noone knows what's in Schaeffer's heart...only God knows. But understand what precedeth from the mouth comes from the heart first (matthew 15:17-20). Basically, he's laying his cards out on the table when he writes what he's writing. He could be on his knees as I type this asking the Lord into his heart and he's forgiven and will enter into heaven on that Great Day! It's as simple or as hard as you want it to be. Understand this, the first time Jesus came it was as a Lamb to be sacrificed for our sins. The next time He returns it will be as Conquerer and Judge. It's too late then. The curtain hasn't closed on this one yet. I hope this helps. God Bless you.
COMMENT #40 [Permalink]
... Nathanial said on 12/11/2009 @ 3:56 pm PT...
Michael -- No, that's NOT all I need to know about homosexuality. I needed to know a lot *more*, so I dropped the bronze-age mythology and came to terms with who I really AM --- an out, proud gay man --- and I am a lot happier and content than when I was letting sanctimonious busy-bodies bully me around. And, as you may know, the bible also condemns usury, so why aren't all the busybodies lining up to spread calumny about all the major banks? And you *know* about that "bearing false witness" injunction, which a lot of the gawd-botherers --- from Tony Perkins to Maggie Gallagher to Fred Phelps to Joey the Rat in his obscene gilded palace --- transgress on a virtual daily basis, what with all the shocking lies that they tell about us harmless and innocent gay men and women. In short, instead of being so fixated on being "born again", why doesn't your crew just concentrate on GROWING UP?
COMMENT #41 [Permalink]
... BlueHawk said on 12/11/2009 @ 6:18 pm PT...
Michael @38.... To "here's a clue" comment 26 http://www.direct.ca/trinity/pi.html see if this link helps you out with your math. I'm sure with all your great wisdom you'd know the answer to pi before God would? You're talking a difference of .00026% difference in that verse of scripture and pi. You keep saying how the bible is infallible...does that infalliblity have a margin of error ? A margin of error that you gave it for the number of pi ?
Would you agree that maybe that same margin of error be granted to us imperfect humans in our dealings with each other ? You'll tolerate the bible being clearly wrong about the simple number of pi. But you'll hold an imperfect human to the letter of the law...a law mind you that Jesus fulfilled and replaced with mercy and grace.
Michael I don't think you've used the words love, forgiveness, grace or mercy in any of your comments here...
but you claim to speak for god. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" he replied, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind' - this is the great and foremost commandment, and there is a second like it, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself'. The whole Law and Prophets hang on these two commands." (Mtt 22:37-40, Mrk 12:28-34).
COMMENT #42 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 12/11/2009 @ 10:45 pm PT...
COMMENT #22 [Permalink]
... michael said on 12/10/2009 @ 10:58 am PT... big dan i think you're old enough to get a job with insurance. if not your mother should have you covered. half the people out there in need of insurance either don't want it because their job pays more to decline it or they just don't want to get a job. i agree some people aren't offerend insurance and these people should think about purchasing their own. i know if i didn't have insurance i'd purchase it...if not for me then for my family. insurance isn't a right it's a benefit. next you'll be saying we should pay for everyone's car insurance flood insurance etc. i buy mine and the uninsured should buy theirs. basically these knuckleheads want this bill passed so we can pay for everyone's abortion....otherwise they'd omit that from the bill.
Drive by ignorance. Typical ignorant conservative who only thinks of himself and thinks he knows everything. Your ignorance is really showing with the statement that you think half the people out there aren't insured because they don't want it. Who wouldn't want insurance? That's asinine to say people don't want insurance, that doesn't make any sense. People like you see the light when they lose their insurance. You are the "I got mine, screw you" mentality. The "I don't want everyone covered because then mine will go up" mentality. The selfish mentality of conservatives. You will see the light soon, because insurance is tied to your job, and jobs are getting scarce. Wait until you lose your insurance, or someone in your family does. Will you laugh at them? Or one of your friends. Wait until one of your relatives or friends dies due to lack of health insurance. It's a right, not a privilege. Maybe not to you and your "I got mine" conservatism.
COMMENT #43 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 12/11/2009 @ 10:46 pm PT...
The mentality of Michael fits in well with Frank's letter from Jesus. Thank you Michael, for being an example of just what Frank is talking about.
COMMENT #44 [Permalink]
... Big Dan said on 12/11/2009 @ 11:03 pm PT...
Conservatives like Michael have put a value on an American's life: it's $100. If Michael was told his insurance would go up from $400 to $500 in order to cover all uninsured Americans and save thousands of lives, Michael would say "no".
COMMENT #45 [Permalink]
... aview999 said on 12/12/2009 @ 5:17 am PT...
Thank you Frank. I think Jesus would approve of this piece.
As for the trolls here, may you and the other commenters have a very Merry Christmas and a much better New Year. Pray for Peace and for bringing the troops home. Those poor souls need all the prayers they can get. Let's all work to end these unjust wars, afterall that's what Jesus would want.
COMMENT #46 [Permalink]
... aview999 said on 12/12/2009 @ 7:00 am PT...
Tell Congress NO!
http://rethinkafghanistan.com/
Vote NO on any spending bill that would send more troops to Afghanistan.
COMMENT #47 [Permalink]
... Mike said on 12/12/2009 @ 10:41 am PT...
A little pedantic, but right on. There are any number of amazing things about this blog. For starters, it flies right over the heads of most convervative Christians that they are the embodiment of biblical Pharisees; just we liberal mainline Christians such as myself don't seem to grasp that we are the Sadduccees of this day. What is most astounding is to think of who Frank Schaeffer's father was--and to see how Frank has not abandoned Christianity altogether. Would it were possible for us to fast forward 100 years and see what religion scholars make of the dicotomy between Francis and Frank Schaeffer, which of them will be the enduring spiritual voice and what our response to either of them will say about us.
COMMENT #48 [Permalink]
... John Steinsvold said on 12/13/2009 @ 12:20 pm PT...
An Alternative to Capitalism (which will end poverty) The following link, takes you to a "utopian" article, entitled "Home of the Brave?" which I wrote and appeared in the Athenaeum Library of Philosophy: http://evans-experientia...space.com/steinsvold.htm John Steinsvold
COMMENT #49 [Permalink]
... lah said on 12/13/2009 @ 4:11 pm PT...
Dearest Jesus, I appreciate your comments regarding Christians and their hypocritical stance re: gays. However I was hoping you would also address the "Christian" inclination towards war, and their indifference to suffering, torture and false imprisonment of others. Why aren't these Christians against war? Why not "Peace on Earth"?
COMMENT #50 [Permalink]
... Ken from 13 said on 12/14/2009 @ 8:27 am PT...
Everyone but Frank is commenting in this blog. I'm interested in hearing what Frank has to say about all the comments he's generated.
COMMENT #51 [Permalink]
... Bill said on 12/17/2009 @ 2:51 pm PT...
There is NO reasoning with 'Christians' these days. Not sure if there ever was. But one thing IS clear about those who call themselves Christians in America... Until they do right by humanity, God has most certainly forsaken them. One only needs to look at them and their intentions to know this. Christianity in America and many other parts of the world has become a symbol of hatred, bigotry and oppression. And apparently Christ's followers wouldn't have it any other way.
COMMENT #52 [Permalink]
... Rynmaloo said on 12/21/2009 @ 1:51 pm PT...
Dearest Michael, You said: Men will fail you every time whereas God will not. You also said: Understand something. What is in the bible today is there because God wanted it that way...no matter who typed it up, wrote it down etc....it's ultimately God's decision. He uses man every day to get His work done. This strikes me as a wee bit fickle. Is the fact that the Council of Nicaea were somehow more led by God (and therefore conveniently relevant to your point) because it happened so long ago? Are we more fallible now in our interpretation than 2000 years ago? (Apart from the fact that the council cherry picked so all we have to go on now is what they have told us we can have.) This sentiment also strikes me as naive, contadicted, but also quite dangrous to live by.
So you're saying God wills everything? Or just that "True Christians" such as yourself are solely led by the big G?
Was 9/11 an act of God? Or was that the American Government cashing in on fear, whilst fuelling the hatred of "that which is other" in the horrified American people? (Actually that's unfair, it horrified, not to mention sucessfully terrified the whole world.) I'm sure God wouldn't want you to feel guilty all the time for sinning. Depends what you count as sins I suppose. ...Eating a Big Mac? Does that count? Or stuff like thinking "She looks fat in that, and then lying to make her feel better?" Or the classic "I totally just killed 20 people with this machine gun..." "Man will fail every time", huh? Tad harsh there. Are you yourself not a man?
I know nobody is perfect, but isn't the point of being human to make mistakes and then rectify them? You do that for yourself. Then if you're desperate you can ask God to handle stuff for you if you can't deal with it. But you do that with your parents when you are little. God as father. Powerful. Dangerous. God usually doesn't smack your wrist in this life, and well, I haven't actually met anyone who has been to a hell they haven't made for themselves here... so. Let your conscience be your guide darling. I wish upon you what you wish upon yourself. xxx Ryn
COMMENT #53 [Permalink]
... David Lipscomb said on 12/21/2009 @ 6:41 pm PT...
Michael said "To some degree i agree David. But if we ignored everyone who thought like this guy we'd be going to Heaven without alot of people who still have time to change their hearts." I agree that while there is life there is still time, and I pray they'll learn the truth before it's too late. But there comes a time when one must stop casting their pearls before swine and move on to those whose hearts and minds are not filled with hatred towards God and His Word. The modern-day liberal hates God and His laws and harbours hatred towards those who are his true followers, as is evident from several of the posts on this thread. May the Lord reward them according to their works.
COMMENT #54 [Permalink]
... Brad Friedman said on 12/21/2009 @ 6:55 pm PT...
David Lipscomb write: The modern-day liberal hates God and His laws and harbours hatred towards those who are his true followers How unbelievably insulting, obnoxious and inaccurate. If that's what you believe, David, you are truly a lost and/or confused and/or forever poisoned soul. What a pity.
COMMENT #55 [Permalink]
... Rynmaloo said on 12/22/2009 @ 3:54 pm PT...
Brad Friedman ~ you forgot to mention David Lipscomb completely lumping every liberal into the same category that he has imagined for himself. And ignoring the fact that whilst blinded by his own sense of righteousness he has forgotten how to love anyone other than his particular brand of God Squad and the image of their snowy bearded white father figure mascot.
But I forgive Mr. Lipscomb because his name makes me think of someone with a truly epic moustache. For that reason alone, David has made me smile. And hey, David, look on the bright side... I don't want to hang around with you scary guys when I die. Frankly, it sounds like my idea of hell! So I'll just go elsewhere. Or maybe just reincarnate. Ciao! xxx
COMMENT #56 [Permalink]
... Stephen said on 12/28/2009 @ 4:18 pm PT... |
Sundance Institute Announces Short Film Challenge
Sundance Institute has started a new project that will use independent filmmaking to shed light on poverty and hunger around the world. The competition, which will receive support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, invites submissions of short documentary or narrative films (of 3-8 minutes) that depict innovations being made by individuals to combat poverty.
The chosen films will receive a $10,000 grant and an invitation to a private screening of the films at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Submissions are free and due before July 1, 2014. The Sundance Institute is working with Tongal.com to manage the online call for entries.
To launch this challenge, five films which premiered at this years Sundance will premiere online throughout the year. They include: “After My Garden Grows” (India), “Am I Going Too Fast” (Kenya), “Kombit” (Haiti), “The Masterchef” (India) and “Vezo” (Madagascar).
To learn more about the project and how to enter, click here.
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With so much new literature published each year, why are authors increasingly citing older papers?
Late last year, computer scientists at Google Scholar published a report describing how authors were citing older papers. The researchers posed several explanations for the trend that focused on the digitization of publishing and the marvelous improvements to search and relevance ranking.
However, as I wrote in my critique of their paper, the trend to cite older papers began decades before Google Scholar, Google, or even the Internet was invented. When you are in the search business, everything good in this world must be the result of search.
In order to validate their results, the helpful folks at Thomson Reuters Web of Science sent me a dataset that included the cited half-life for 13,455 unique journal names reported in their Journal Citation Report (the report that discloses journal Impact Factors). Rather than relying on the individual citation as the unit of observation (the approach used by Google Scholar), we base our analysis on the cited half-life of journals. This approach has the obvious advantage of scale, allowing us to approach the problem using thousands of journals rather than tens of millions of citations.
In order to approximate a citation-based analysis, each journal was weighted by the number of papers it published, so that small quarterly journals don’t have the same weight as mega-journals like PLOS ONE. Each journal was also classified into one or more subject categories and measured each year over the 17-year observation period. Our variable of interest is the cited half-life, which is the median age of articles cited in a given journal for a given year. By definition, half of the articles in a journal will be older than the cited half-life; the other half will be younger. The concept of half-life can also be applied to article downloads.
For the entire dataset of journals, the mean weighted cited half-life was 6.5 years, which grew at a rate of 0.13 years per annum. For those journals that had been indexed continuously in the dataset over the 17 years, the mean weighted cited half-life was 7.1 years, which grew at the same rate. For the newer journals, the cited half-life was just 5.1 years, but grew at a rate of 0.19 years per annum.
Focusing on the journals for which we have a continuous series of cited half-life observations, 91% (209 of 229) of subject categories experienced increasing half-lives. Some of these categories grew significantly more than average. For example, Developmental Biology journals grew at 0.25 years per annum, Genetics & Heredity journals grew at 0.20 years per annum and Cell Biology journals grew at 0.17 years per annum.
Conversely, the cited half-life of 20 (9%) of journal categories decreased over the observation period. With few exceptions, these fields covered the general fields of Chemistry and Engineering. For example, the cited half-life for journals classified under Energy & Fuels declined by 0.11 years per annum, Chemistry-Multidisciplinary declined by 0.07 years per annum, Engineering-Multidisciplinary by 0.05 years per annum, and Engineering-Chemical by 0.04 years per annum. Granted, these are smaller declines, but they do run contrary to overall trends.
We also discovered that cited half-life increases with total citations, meaning, as a journal attracts more citations, a larger proportion of these citations target older articles. This can be seen in Figure 2, as journal categories move from the bottom left to the upper right quadrant of the graph over the observation period.
The next figure highlights the trajectory of highly-cited journals from 1997 to 2013, illustrating how cited half-life increases with the total citations to a journal. While most highly-cited journals move toward the upper-right quadrant of the graph, we highlight three chemistry journals that run contrary to this trend: Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie-Int Ed., and Chemical Communications. Those readers wishing to speculate why Chemistry and Engineering journals were bucking the overall trend are welcome to do so in the comment section below.
Readers are also welcome to explore the data (for categories and for journals). The files (.swf) require the Adobe Flash plug-in. Mac users may need to hold the Control key and selecting one’s browser when opening these files. Categories may be be split into component journals. Other controls moderate the size, speed and display of the data.
In sum, we were able to validate the claims by the Google Scholar team that scholars have been citing older materials, with some exceptions.
The citation behavior of authors reflects cultural, technological, and normative behaviors, all acting in concert. While digital publishing and technologies were invented to aid the reader in discovering, retrieving, and citing the literature, the trend appears to predate many of these technologies. Indeed, equal credit may be due to the photocopier, the fax machine, FTP, and email as is given to Google, EndNote, or the DOI.
Nevertheless, a growing cited half-life might also reflect major structural shifts in the way science is funded and the way scientists are rewarded. A gradual move to fund incremental and applied research may result in fewer fundamental and theoretical studies being published. Giving credit to these founders may require authors cite an increasingly aging literature.
Correction note: Table 1 of the manuscript “Cited Half-Life of the Journal Literature” (arXiv) contains a sorting error. A corrected version (v2) was submitted and will become live at 8pm (EDT). Thanks to Dr. Jacques Carette, Dept. of Computing and Software at McMaster University for spotting this error. |
The National Aquarium in Baltimore is bringing back "Pay What You Want Day" on Nov. 6, allowing visitors to choose their admission price.
The annual event usually attacts more than 7,500 guests, according to a news release from the aquarium. T. Rowe Price, the aquarium's community engagement partner, is sponsering "Pay What You Want Day" for the second year.
During the day, guests are able to donate an amount of their choice for aquarium admission.
In addition, The National Aquarium is offering $10 parking to those attending Pay What You Want Day 2016. To redeem this price, guests can bring proof of their aquarium visit to the LAZ Inner Harbor Garage at 100 S. Gay St. or Lockwood Parking at 124 Market Place, and garage staff will provide a ticket for $10 exit.
For more information go to aqua.org/youraquarium. |
On December 20 Presseurop is scheduled to close down. Our contract with the European Commission, which finances the website, is due to end on this date and the Directorate General for Communications, headed by Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding, has informed us that it does not intend to continue the project, citing budgetary reasons.
This is despite the European Parliament voting for an increase in the EU's 2014 budget so that the Commission would have additional resources to finance media projects, including Presseurop. The Commission apparently prefers to use the funds for other initiatives. Deprived of this funding, we will be forced to close.
Since it was launched, at the Commission's initiative in 2009, Presseurop has earned itself a reputation as a leading independent European Union news website. Each day, our readers can find the best of the European and international press translated into 10 languages. They can also share and comment on the articles posted. A community was thus created – a true embryo of European citizenship – allowing debate about Europe on our unique multilingual discussion platform. For the newspapers, and for the journalists, intellectuals and experts – more than 1,700 to date – whose articles we have published, Presseurop is a way to reach audiences beyond their linguistic borders.
We deeply regret that just a few months ahead of European elections that will be crucial for the future of the EU and despite being greatly valued by readers and journalists, the European Commission wants to halt this experiment. An independent review ordered by the Commission gave a glowing assessment of Presseurop and encouraged the continuation of the project. But the Commission has chosen to follow a different path – one that deprives European citizens of a precious tool enabling them to participate in the EU's democratic life.
This shared space must not disappear. Without you we could not have accomplished what we have. You can support us by relaying this appeal and calling for the European Commission to continue its support of Presseurop in 2014.
Update: If you would like Presseurop to live on, sign the online petition. |
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