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Story highlights The Republican presidential nominee insisted that African American voters are turning out in droves for him
Donald Trump's criticism of hip-hop follows his repeated and awkward appeals to African-Americans
Sarasota, Florida (CNN) Donald Trump on Monday mocked hip-hop music as he once again criticized the performance Jay Z and Beyonce delivered at a rally for Hillary Clinton, asking whether it was "talking or singing."
"The language is so bad and as they were singing -- singing right? Was it talking or singing? Right? But the language was so bad," Trump said Monday during his first of five rallies the day before Election Day.
Trump's apparent criticism of rap and hip-hop comes in spite of the GOP nominee's repeated attempts to appeal to African-American voters during the final months of his campaign. It also comes as Clinton has ramped up get out the vote efforts in recent days by targeting young and African-American voters in particular.
Still, Trump insisted that African-American voters are turning out in droves for him, an assessment contradicted by polls that show Trump with low single-digit support among black voters. And Trump also sought to once again undercut Clinton's support among the demographic by raising the former first lady's use of the term "super predators" to describe criminals in the inner city.
"African-Americans are turning out -- and when they do a lot of them are voting for Trump," he said. "She's got not a lot of inspiration. She used the term called 'super predator' to define black youth. 'Super predator.'"
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Planet Crashers: Delve into dungeons, for some reason
The pitch is an enticing one: how about a deep, downloadable RPG from the creators of Mutant Mudds and Bomb Monkey, with an Animal Crossing-like aesthetic and Paper Mario-inspired active turn-based combat? It seems like those ingredients would come together to make Planet Crashers an attractive package. That may have been the problem, though; with such a strong premise, it seems like there just wasn’t enough thought put into making everything work like it should, and the result is a game with too many rough spots and no clear audience.
You jump into the world by creating a character with some limited customization options, then jumping onto a planet set up like the round-world Animal Crossing towns and walking into dungeons to complete quests. The aesthetic here is nice, and while the scope is a bit limiting, it manages to retain a certain charm. It’s immediately apparent, though, that the game has a soulless just-collect-this-or-get-to-this-person quests in dungeons that are sparse and unbalanced despite not seeming to use randomized layouts.
These missions are fine ways to fill time and grind between story missions when it’s needed, but without some overarching narrative, it’s hard to say what you’re doing. This guy needs this random object! Why? Oh, who knows. But he needs it. Also, you can only go in with one quest at a time, selected before you enter the dungeon, so you can’t delve in and take care of two or three things at once and that means a lot of repetition. (The first quest you take warps you out of the dungeon, but then every other time you have to hoof it back on your own. Why? Why.)
The battles themselves are promising, in theory. You have four slots to equip attacks, and you choose one and follow prompts to hit the A button at the right time to do more damage. Of course, most attacks you learn are just clearly better than the last one you got, and just hitting A for everything doesn’t have the variety of Paper Mario‘s button and stick actions or Mario & Luigi‘s interesting timing-based activities. Also, you just trigger your best attack until the enemy’s dead, and the animations take forever and repeat way too often even within a single match. The battles are one-on-one, and they don’t ever feel different.
There are some redeeming parts here. The dialogue, while generally inane, is sometimes amusing and generally inoffensive. The level-up options give you the freedom to shape your stats how you’d like. And yeah, it looks pretty great, except for some menus and text that feel just a little fuzzier than they really should be on the screen and, combined with the typeface choice, make for some lowered readability.
The main problem with Planet Crashers is this: who is this game for? The punishing, grind-heavy dungeon crawler fan isn’t going to find challenge here; when the game’s difficult, it’s just because it decided to throw a randomly-very-strong enemy at you that you can’t beat because there’s not a real way to do more damage. The fun-loving fan of the cute aesthetic isn’t given any time to really enjoy the world or talk to characters, as there’s not anything to do other than jumping into nondescript dungeons and picking up stuff. The game’s multiplayer doesn’t bear any desirable fruit, either.
I really wanted to like Planet Crashers, even when I first heard about it and it was planned for a retail release. I don’t, because every aspect of this game is just a bit of thought and polish away from being something compelling.
Pros: Fun aesthetic, player customization
Cons: Horrible quest structure, boring battle system
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Live scorpion reportedly found in bag of Costco bananas
This file photo shows a scorpion similar to the one a Canadian weatherman says he found after shopping at at Costco. This file photo shows a scorpion similar to the one a Canadian weatherman says he found after shopping at at Costco. Photo: Achim Prill, Istockphoto Photo: Achim Prill, Istockphoto Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Live scorpion reportedly found in bag of Costco bananas 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
A Canadian weatherman says he was stunned after he shopped at Costco and discovered a live, black scorpion inside a bag of bananas purchased in store.
Nathan Coleman from the Weather Network, visited a Costco located in Halifax, Nova Scotia (eastern Canada) and said that his daughter found the eight-legged creature while she helped unpack groceries, a story by the BBC News wrote.
"She was holding it up and I said 'don't worry it's just a slug,'" Mr. Coleman told the Weather Network. "My mother was in the living room too and it was still squirming around in the bag and she said it might be a scorpion. I got up and looked at it and couldn't believe it was a scorpion."
Coleman decided to double bag the scorpion and take it to Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History where it was euthanized due to public safety concerns.
UPDATE: The scorpion had to be put down for safety reasons @weathernetwork pic.twitter.com/B3IzYSX0zw — Nathan Coleman (@NateTWN) August 14, 2017
To get a sense of the critter’s size, Coleman shared a photo on Twitter of the scorpion posed next to a coin.
The bananas were from the brand Del Monte and were imported from Guatemala. Coleman said he planned to inform Costco about the hitchhiker.
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What does it take to become a billionaire? Are there any rags to riches stories there or did they inherit their wealth? Are there any similarities in the way people get rich so that a pattern could be detected and then replicated by others?
Do you want to be a billionaire?
You wouldn’t be the only person in the world to be wishing this. Billionaires (the dollar billionaires) are seen to be possessing everything one can dream of.
What does it take to become a billionaire? Do they have special skills or characteristics, which others lack? Are there any rags to riches stories there or did they inherit their wealth? Are there any similarities in the way people get rich so that a pattern could be detected and then replicated by others?
Did these billionaires attend the elite Ivy League universities or were they school dropouts? Let us investigate the lives of the richest billionaires today.
Billionaires Born in Wealthy Families
Warren Buffet as the world’s richest man carries on his father’s trade of stockbroker. He got a masters degree from Columbia Business School and took a Dale Carnegie course in Public Speaking.
Carlos Slim Helu at No.2 is the son of wealthy Lebanese immigrants in Mexico. His father gave all the five siblings a bank savings book, so that they could deposit their usual weekly allowances. Their father regularly supervised their savings books, analyzing their expenses, purchases, and activities. Parental guidance taught Carlos about savings and investing.
Formerly No.1 for thirteen consecutive years, No.3 on the 2008 list is Bill Gates, a dropout from Harvard University. He comes from a wealthy and influential family, which supported him to start his venture with friends that eventually became Microsoft. Both his parents were very influential and helped him significantly in his career.
Rags-to-Riches Billionaires
At No.7 of the Forbes list is the Swede Ingvar Kamprad of IKEA fame. He is the first in the list with a father or mother who wasn’t wealthy. He started his business by selling matches from his bicycle to neighbours near the farm in Sweden where he was born. Despite having a fortune of 31 billion US $ Kamprad still lives frugally and visits IKEA stores for the cheap meals (they are very good, cheap, and tasty). He learnt to cope with dyslexia, been exposed as a member in a pro-Nazi organization in the 1940s and alcoholism early in his career.
At No.12 is Sheldon Adelson, with his $26 billion is the son of a Boston cabdriver. His mother’s family was Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and father’s from Ukraine. When he was 12, he borrowed $200 from an uncle to sell newspapers at street corners. He dropped out of college to pursue fifty different businesses, where he lost much in venture capitals and real estate. Sheldon made his fortune by creating the computer industry’s premier show, Comdex, mid-1980s. He rented space for 15 cents a square foot and leased it to exhibitors for $40 a square foot. He finally struck it rich in the Hotel business in Las Vegas.
No. 15 on the list is Roman Abramovich of Russia with $23.5 billion. He lost both parents at age 4 and was raised by poor grandparents. He amassed his fortune when Soviet Union was falling to eventually take over the Russian oil giant Sibneft. Totally opposite in style to Kamprad, he owns the Chelsea football club in UK, planes, luxury yachts, helicopters, and a home that reportedly cost $100 million.
There are others on this list of billionaires that broke many rules articles, books, and courses teach about how to get rich. But they spotted opportunities, took great risks and capitalized on opportunities.
Richard Desmond lived with his divorced mother in a garage apartment. Quitting school at age 14 he become a drummer and worked in a coat-check room. Richard started his first magazine at age 22 and now owns dozens of newspapers and magazines worth $2 billion.
A man worth $2.5 billion, Micky Jagtiani from India dropped out of accounting school in London and took up driving taxis and cleaning hotel rooms to support himself. He also drank a bottle of whiskey a day. In one year every member of his family died. At the young age of 21 he moved to Bahrain with $6,000 of family’s savings. There, he started selling baby products. His chain is now one of the most profitable retail groups in the Middle East.
The richest man in Asia or $26.5 billion owner Li Ka-Shing came to Hong Kong from China in 1940. He was forced to quit school at fifteen to work in a plastic factory after his father died. Then he started manufacturing plastic flowers with borrowed money. This business grew into Cheung Kong Industries, a conglomerate with stakes in telecom, property and supermarkets.
Kirk Kerkorian with a fortune of $16 billion, is the son of Armenian immigrants. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade to take up boxing. Kerkorian then started flying across the Atlantic in World War II. His company MGM Mirage owns more than half the hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip.
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March 31, 2016
Los Angeles, CA - DrillDown/Caroline recording artists Sick Puppies have released their new single, "Stick To Your Guns" today. "Stick To Your Guns" is the lead track from the bands upcoming 4th studio album. In addition, the lyric video for "Stick To Your Guns" premiered on VEVO today. Click here for the lyric video: http://vevo.ly/pYjUn1
Locked and loaded with a muscular riff and booming percussion, "Stick To Your Guns" comes at you with a literal bang. The vocals careen from hypnotic to heavy as an arena-size refrain takes hold. "Stick To Your Guns" will impact rock radio on April 4.
"You have to push regardless of what anyone tells you," Bassist Emma Anzai says. "This was a big thing for us. You can pray, hope, or wish for something to happen, but at the end of the day, you have to "stick to your guns", go out there, and believe. The song is meant to empower."
In addition, Sick Puppies are set to hit the road on the HardDrive Live Tour beginning April 21 in San Antonio, TX. The group is also scheduled to play numerous festival shows including Rockfest on April 29, Welcome to Rockville May 1, Carolina Rebellion on May 6 and Rock on The Range May 20 alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth and At The Drive In.
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US offensive against Isis militants in Iraq is an extension of the strategy the White House deployed in Somalia and Yemen
When children in Yemen try to ignore their bedtimes, their parents have a new warning to scare them into obedience: a drone will come for them.
Farea al-Muslimi, a young Yemeni activist and journalist whose hometown was subjected to a drone strike, shared that anecdote with a Senate panel last year. He meant to impress upon US politicians what he called the “psychological fear and terror” Yemenis feel from a campaign the Obama administration is now citing as a model for its unfolding war against Islamic State (Isis).
The other counter-terrorism effort cited by the administration for the anti-Isis war is across the Gulf of Aden, in Somalia. In both countries, the US uses drone strikes, special operations raids, the occasional cruise missile and support for proxy militaries and governments to combat al-Qaida’s regional affiliates.
In his Wednesday speech, Obama said his template against Isis – “taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the frontlines” – was one he has “successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years”.
Yet despite years of strikes and billions spent on shoring up local forces, no end is in sight against either al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen or al-Shabaab in Somalia – an ominous indicator for a war against the far more capable and financially flush Isis.
One apparent exception to the Yemen-Somalia model of Obama’s emerging anti-Isis strategy is an explicit forswearing of US ground combat forces in Iraq and Syria, although Obama has sent significant numbers of special operations “advisers” to Iraq.
But in both Yemen and Somalia, al-Qaida’s affiliates have proven durable.
Obama has launched 99 air strikes against AQAP according to a tally kept by the Long War Journal website, including 16 this year. Nearly 600 people have died in those strikes, although determining how many are civilians is notoriously difficult. (Four members of the dead are Americans – three of whom don’t appear to have been directly targeted; one of those was a 16-year-old boy, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki.) The war, never authorised by Congress, ratcheted up after AQAP’s failed attempts in 2009 and 2010 to detonate passenger and cargo planes.
While AQAP has surely lost significant leaders, it survives. Nearly five years after its attempted Christmas Day bombing, it is “still active in its efforts to attack the homeland,” Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson said on Wednesday. The deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Center testified on Wednesday that AQAP remains the single greatest terrorist threat to the US domestically.
In Somalia, al-Shabab’s fortunes have taken a downward turn in recent years, the result of US strikes, support for African forces propping up Somalia’s weak government, and its own missteps after the 2011 drought. While its own threat to the US mainland has scarcely manifested, it has withstood years of sometimes intense fighting to export terrorism regionally -- most notoriously through last year’s brutal assault on Nairobi’s Westgate mall, which murdered at least 67 people.
The US scored a victory against al-Shabaab this month. A September 1 air strike killed Ahmed Godane, the organization’s leader and the man who turned al-Shabaab into al-Qaida’s east African affiliate.
Yet it is unknown whether that blow will be decisive. Godane’s successor in al-Shebaab, Abu Ubaidah, is said to be a hardliner who reportedly oversaw the killing of a prominent American member, Omar Hammami, who had fallen out with the group. “It would be foolish to underestimate their staying power,” Chatham House analyst Ahmed Soliman told the Wall Street Journal.
US officials note that their efforts in Yemen and Somalia are political as well as military. Yemen in particular is a frequent transit point for White House counterterrorism director Lisa Monaco and her predecessor John Brennan, now the director of the CIA. Monaco was last in Yemen on Saturday, where a White House readout said she showed Washington’s support for President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s pursuit of “peace, stability and prosperity”.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Al-Shabaab fighters perform military exercises in the Lafofe area near Mogadishu, Somalia. Photograph: Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP
Yet all are in short supply. Hadi is locked in a major struggle with Houthi separatists in the north, which the International Crisis Group on Wednesday said risks pulling his government “into a crisis that it cannot win militarily, especially while it fights an emboldened al-Qaida branch”.
The same organization warned in June of a “long war” against al-Shabaab in Somalia, where “socio-political dysfunction” persists. Human Rights Watch has accused the various combatants in Somalia’s violent politics, including al-Shabaab, of “serious violations of international law,” including “indiscriminate attacks, sexual violence, and arbitrary arrests and detention”.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday ahead of Obama’s speech, a senior US official said it was not possible to say when the fight against Isis would end, and conceded that its template efforts in Yemen and Somalia persist.
“This is going to look like the type of counterterrorism campaign that we’ve waged against different al-Qaida affiliates. So, for instance, in Yemen and Somalia, we have been able to contain the threat to the US homeland, degrade those terrorist affiliate organizations, and in some instances decapitate their leadership, but we’re still at it.” the official said.
“And I think there is a rhythm that people are accustomed to in Yemen and Somalia, where we are providing support for security forces on the ground, and we are taking air strikes as necessary.”
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Image: Disney
This post contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
It’s confession time. I don’t hate the Star Wars prequels. Wait. Stop. Don’t close the browser. come Closer. I have reasons.
There are things about The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith that are indefensible. I’m not a fool. Jar Jar Binks is awful and clearly racist. George Lucas can’t write dialogue and you should never use CGI when a Muppet—or even a puppet—will do. But I’ve always found a lot to love in the prequels.
One of the many reasons I love Star Wars: The Last Jedi is that it redeems the prequels. I loved the world of the prequels because they were movies about prophecy gone wrong. Anakin is a messiah who’s actually an antichrist. Worse, the Jedi aren’t the noble knights of legend, but a lazy priest class that lets Anakin become Vader. The Last Jedi knows this. Luke Skywalker knows this and he makes damn sure that Rey and the audience learn from the mistakes of the past. It recontextualizes the prequels and reinforces what I loved about them.
Image: Disney
In the prequels, the Jedi are the worst. They’re an overfed priest class lording over the last days of the decadent Republic from their towers in the sky on Coruscant. Everyone says they’re supposed to be the morally upright guardians of order, “the guardians of peace and justice,” as Obi Wan tells Luke in A New Hope.
But the first jarring example that the Jedi aren’t all they’re cracked up to be comes in The Phantom Menace. Anakin is a slave they have to buy away from his master. He’s a child slave and instead of burning Tatooine to the ground and instituting social change, the Jedi gamble Anakin’s freedom in a pod race where death is a very real possibility. No wonder he grew up to murder them all.
Jedi ignorance and incompetence permeates the prequels. Mace Windu immediately betrays the ideals of the order when he learns Palpatine is a Sith lord. He attempts to execute the man without trial because he’s too dangerous. “It’s not the Jedi way,” Anakin says. “He must live.” But Windu raises his saber, and signs the death warrant of the Jedi order in doing so.
Then there’s the midichlorians, the last and best example of how the Jedi lost their way. In The Last Jedi, A New Hope, and Empire Strikes Back, the remaining Jedi describe the Force as a spiritual energy that connects all living things. In the prequels, the Jedi use devices to track the level of midichlorians in the blood to help them decide if someone is worth training. Fans have always pointed to this as an inconsistency in the logic of the world, but it makes perfect sense to me.
Pseudoscience is the last bastion of a religious order clinging to power. Midichlorians are bullshit and I think the Jedi knew it. They’re using the blood bugs to enforce the Divine right of kings. They need the order to be exclusive, but the Force belongs to everyone. If they can use midichlorian counts to keep out prospective Jedi—regardless of their actual skill or talent with the Force—then they have greater control over who they train and who they exclude.
Yoda, Luke, and Kenobi never bring up the midichlorians after the Republic dies because they know this. They know what the Jedi were doing was wrong.
Luke Skywalker is The Last Jedi because he’s come to a place in his life where he realizes that the Jedi order must end. He’s cut himself off from the force and stopped training new applicants. He stares directly at the camera in the new movie and tells the audience that the Jedi are hypocrites full of hubris. They didn’t see Darth Sidious coming and they should have. Even Luke knows the Jedi are bullshit.
Anakin had to destroy the Jedi so Luke could redeem them
The Last Jedi is wonderful for many reasons. It doesn’t try to be Empire Strikes Back, it’s super weird, and it knows puppets are better than CGI characters. It also redeems and recontextualizes the prequels. It does so by rehabilitating the Jedi order by acknowledging its past crimes and working to move beyond them. It doesn’t rewrite or retcon the films fans hate, instead it elevates them to an important place in the cannon.
The prequels are movies about a society in decline. The new trilogy is about the rebirth of hope. It’s about learning to believe in legends again. That’s the message of The Last Jedi. Its ultimate act of beauty is to redeem the Jedi order in both the minds of the galaxy and the minds of the fans.
My Star Wars friends always explained to me that the prequels felt like a betrayal of everything they believed about the Star Wars universe. The Jedi were dumb, feckless elites who’d forgotten the spiritual nature of their path. They allowed fascism to destroy the republic. What they hated, I loved.
But I’d never read the Star Wars novels. I hadn’t heard the stories of the Old Republic and the Jedi masters that they had. I didn’t know what Jedi were supposed to be before the prequels made them something terrible. The Last Jedi’s final moments were built for every Star Wars fan who wanted to believe the Jedi were the noble knights Obi Wan sold them as in A New Hope.
Luke Skywalker’s final act is to burn down the sacred Jedi temple on Ahch-To and then project himself onto the battlefield of Crait during the Resistance’s last stand against the First Order. He does not appear as he actually is—a broken down old man hiding on an island—but as the black clad Jedi warrior of old. He’s a symbol, a symbol the galaxy desperately needs.
He takes on an impossible amount of laser fire and fights Ren to a standstill, just long enough for his friends to escape, before disappearing and passing on into the force like Yoda and Obi Wan before him. It does not matter that the First Order won the battle because, by simply appearing, Luke has given the galaxy a new symbol.
He’s also given Star Wars fans a story arc that makes sense: The Jedi were heroic knights who had lost their way after a thousand generations guarding the Old Republic. Yoda and Obi Wan were contrite remainders in the original trilogy, beaten Jedi who lived the consequences of their order’s arrogance. Anakin had to destroy the Jedi so Luke could redeem them. The Force created the Skywalkers to balance the force, but it took two generations and three movies series to do it.
The final scene of The Last Jedi is of a child slave who gets in trouble for telling his friends the story of Skywalker’s last stand against the First Order. He’s shooed away by his masters and stands outside, looking up at the stars with hope. He turns his broom around and holds it like a lightsaber, his shadow elongated on the ground in the shape of a budding Jedi.
It’s an image that mirrors the famous posters for The Phantom Menace, but subverts it. Luke—and writer/director Rian Johnson—redeemed the prequels. They made all that trouble and pain worth it by giving the fans back the Jedi they believed in as children. There’s hope in the galaxy once more, and belief in an old order of knights who always do the right thing.
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The Shop, Troy
I was thrilled when I got notice that The Shop (which is not The Shoppe, also in Troy\’s downtown) has opened it\’s doors.
The space itself is great. They did a superb job allowing the space\’s past life as a hardware store shine through in its current incarnation. When I stopped by, they were putting the finishing touches on the space, but the drink and food menu were fleshed out and looking great. There is a front bar room for those looking to grab drinks with friends, and a separate back dining where you can sit and grab some food.
The bartender Nate fixed me The Forester, which is a homemade thyme-maple infused bourbon with Creme Yvette and lemon juice, and it was delicious. I also had a Tommy Gun (Tullamore Dew, Cointreau, apricot jam, and ginger infused simple syrup) which was excellent. The cocktail menu has a great selection of actual cocktails, not two-ingredient \”cocktails\” in a pint glass. Also on their drink menu are beer cocktails which are a nice way for beer drinkers to enjoy something new without jumping straight into the deep end. The Shop also boasts a beer list that includes nitro brews, many drafts, cans, bottles and of course wine as well.
Their Grand Opening is scheduled for 4:30pm on Halloween, which is also Troy Night Out. I strongly recommend checking this place out as soon as you can. It\’s already a part of my to-do list whenever I\’m in Troy. These bars with great cocktails are a new thing for the area and as someone who doesn\’t drink beer, I couldn\’t be happier.
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Strawn's resignation letter does not mention the kerfuffle over the Iowa caucus results. Strawn resigns as Iowa GOP chair
Matt Strawn, the Iowa GOP chairman who has been embroiled in controversy since the Jan. 3 Iowa caucus results, is resigning, he announced Tuesday.
“It is only because the Iowa GOP has returned as a strong and relevant voice in Iowa politics that I am now able to evaluate all the competing priorities in my personal, business and political life. The party is strong and has the resources in place for victory in November,” Strawn said in a statement. “Now is the time to transition to new leadership.”
Story Continued Below
Strawn, who has chaired the state party since 2009, left his post after the Iowa GOP fumbled the results of the caucuses, initially declaring Mitt Romney the 8-vote winner. Two weeks later, on the eve of the South Carolina primary, the party reversed that decision and certified Rick Santorum the winner by 34 votes.
The state GOP statement declaring Santorum the winner was released “in order to clarify conflicting reports.”
Neither Strawn’s resignation letter — nor the video message he released to accompany it — mentioned the kerfuffle over the Iowa caucus results that sparked calls for Strawn to step down. After declaring Romney the winner, the party later said that the results were inconclusive because there were a number of precincts where the ballots were missing.
While Strawn drew private and public criticism from Santorum supporters, Republican National Committeewoman Kim Lehman praised him only a few weeks ago for having “done a lot of hard work” to ensure the success of the caucuses.
The morning after the state GOP released its statement clarifying Santorum’s victory, Lehman, an early Santorum supporter, told POLITICO: “I really support Chairman Strawn. I think he’s done a very good job. I feel bad that this went off in the wrong direction.
But Iowa-based strategist Nick Ryan, who heads a pro-Santorum super PAC, called Strawn’s exit an opportunity to elect an “honest and credible” chairman.
“With Matt’s resignation, it’s important Iowa Republicans elect a leader with good character, that is honest and credible that can lead the party into the fall elections,” said Ryan, who sharply criticized the state party after it refused to announce a winner. “Moving forward, it’s vital that Iowa Republicans and Democrats find ways to make improvements in the caucuses. We need fair and conscientious people in both parties to work together to ensure that future caucuses are credible contests.”
David Yepsen, a long-time political columnist for the Des Moines Register, said the conflicting caucus results could make the first-in-the-nation caucuses less respected.
“One of the strengths of the Iowa caucus process is that the state was a level, fair playing field. Candidates could come to the state and get an honest airing. There aren’t political machines or a history of fraud. The inaccurate counting tarnishes that reputation,” Yepsen said in a NBC News interview.
Craig Robinson, a former Iowa Republican Party political director who edits The Iowa Republican, was also critical of Strawn.
“Where the fault lies in the fallout of the 2012 Iowa caucus results is at the feet of the party chairman, Matt Strawn. His unwillingness to stand behind the certified results of the caucuses not only reeks of a bias toward Romney, but it has also called irreparable harm to the institution of the caucuses themselves,” he wrote on his blog.
Robinson wrote later that Strawn’s “initial statements still cast doubt and caused a major blemish on the Iowa caucuses and Santorum’s win.”
Strawn’s resignation is effective Feb. 10, he said in the letter.
“For this fifth generation Iowan and Benton County farm kid, serving as your Chairman has been an honor, a privilege and the opportunity of a lifetime,” Strawn stated.
Alex Burns contributed to this report.
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MARSEILLE, France -- The African proverb goes, "It takes a village to raise a child." If you can stomach the metaphor and accept "village" to mean a community of men, divided by age, ability, culture, net worth and state of mind, but sharing a common goal, then it takes a village to win a European championship.
Or, at least, to advance to the semifinal. Which is the lesson learned after Portugal defeated Poland 5-3 on penalty kicks Thursday.
Those who had pictured Portugal getting to the final four likely did so imagining Cristiano Ronaldo in a starring role. He's there -- he's the village chief, but on a humid day in Marseille, he was simply another villager.
The difference-makers were others. Like Pepe, perhaps the village bully, a man rival villages love to hate but who on this night was the defensive leader and the veteran beating heart of the side. Or Ricardo Quaresma, maybe the guy who lives at the edge of the village, the one whose life journey has been marked by wrong turns and dark times, as evidenced by the teardrop tattoo under his eye, but who was icy cool in converting the decisive penalty kick.
And, above all, the baby of the village. The guy who had more top-flight starts in his career (22) than he has years on this earth (18). The man-child who now has more man-of-the-match awards at these Euros (two) than he has starts with the national team (one: Thursday was his debut). The dynamo set to join Bayern Munich for a fee of $40 million plus a string of bonuses that could take it to twice that. The kid who became the youngest goal scorer in the knockout phase of the European Championships.
Take a bow, Renato Sanches.
All of them, though, are part of the village that showed both its limits and its tremendous character. Village elder (read: Portugal coach) Fernando Santos rightly praised every last one.
Both teams went into the game waiting for their difference-makers to make a difference. Not that Robert Lewandowski and Ronaldo had not been putting in effort and providing leadership. But it's like the parable of the talents. Much is expected in return from those to whom much is given.
Santos' starting XI for Portugal featured just five holdovers from the team that played in the opener, the uber-frustrating draw with Iceland. While Portugal reshuffled, especially in midfield, Poland kept the standard shape that took them this far and confounded many a more hyped opponent. It was as if Poland coach Adam Nawalka knew Lewandowski would come good. And he was proved right within 100 seconds.
Portugal right-back Cedric Soares, chosen over Vieirinha at, somehow contrived to lose a seemingly innocuous cross-field ball in the Stade Velodrome lights. He stepped up as if to head it, then stepped back as if to chest it, then let it go right past him into the path of Kamil Grosicki, who raced to the byline and cut it back low and tight for Lewandowski to put Poland ahead.
Portugal were stunned, and Poland looked to capitalize. Lewandowski twice came close in quick succession. Arkadiusz Milik rumbled through the middle only for Pepe -- neck muscles bulging, steam rising from his shaven head -- to snuff out the danger and rally his teammates. His bellows from the back line began to be heard around the half-hour mark.
Ronaldo took his first potshot from open play. Two minutes later, Poland's Michal Pazdan tossed Ronaldo to the ground in the box. He got up, incredulous, but referee Felix Brych waved play on. Replays showed he could well have called a penalty.
Quaresma, who scored the winning penalty, said he
This is where Portugal might have started to get nervy and disorganized. Instead, they sensed the momentum was changing, in part because the ubiquitous Sanches continued to pop up in dangerous areas and in part because the front six left Poland with very few reference points: Other than William Carvalho shielding the back and Ronaldo doing his thing up front, the other four shifted positions often and freely.
At minute 35, a back-heel from the darting Nani found Sanches at the edge of the box. He seemed to pause a beat or two, as if he was giving opponents "the eye" before unleashing a venomous finish that slipped inside the post. The teenager rushed to his bench. He was going to celebrate with the entire village.
Portugal's equalizer took some steam off the Polish sorties. Nawalka would praise Lewandowski after the game, but truth be told, he struggled to see much of the ball after the break. The game began to turn ragged. The managers would deny it later, but it seemed they were thinking of extra time and, perhaps, that's why they waited to make changes, even as matters turned sloppy and physical.
"Poland is a very special team," Santos said. "They know how to lull the opponent into a state of rest."
For Portugal, Santos sent on Joao Moutinho for Adrien Silva. Think back to the village. Moutinho is the general store owner who keeps everyone supplied and well-fed, but he ran out of supplies in the group stage, to the point that he was dropped for the Croatia game. It's a big call to make when you're talking about a 29-year-old with 88 caps. But when there's trust in the village, it's the sort of decision a village elder feels entitled to make.
Five minutes from time, Santos should have been vindicated. Moutinho did what Moutinho does, inventing a cushioned ball over the top that found Ronaldo, instinctively dashing behind the defense at the right time. (By the way, that's neither luck nor extrasensory perception: It's the chemistry you get from two guys who have played together for a long time.) If the script had been followed, Ronaldo would have calmly controlled the ball and slipped it past keeper Lukasz Fabianski. Instead, Ronaldo whiffed.
It's the kind of error that can mess with a striker's head. But not Ronaldo. More than most, he takes mistakes on the chin and moves on. It happened again two minutes into extra time, when he couldn't control a cross from an excellent position.
"You [the fans and media] just focus on the fact that he doesn't score," Santos said afterward. "But he did so many other things. He was amazing."
That may be a bit over the top. But what is not in dispute is that Ronaldo is unaffected by what happens before. Indeed, after the extra time -- which turned spiky and conservative -- ended and it came to penalties, there was no question who would go first. Four years earlier, perhaps employing some kind of game theory, Ronaldo was selected to go fifth and it never got to him. This time Portugal took no chances.
"The coach asked who wanted to go first and Cristiano immediately said he would," said Sanches. "And I said I wanted to go second. Why not? I had the confidence."
Think about it for a minute. After missing a penalty in this tournament, after blowing hot and cold, after wasting chances he normally buries, Ronaldo elected to go first. And Sanches demonstrated confidence, too -- the guy making his debut as a starter, the player his manager would later compare to Mario Coluna, whom Portuguese old-timers often mention in the same breath as Eusebio. That's confidence from the coach, knowing you can do that with one of your players and not mess with his head.
Both scored, as did the first three penalty takers for each team. After Portugal made it 4-3, Poland's Jakub Blaszczykowski saw his spot kick pawed away by Fabianski. Up stepped Quaresma, who would later say, "I had a whole country in my hands." He buried his kick and sent the village to face the winner of Wales vs. Belgium.
Nawalka pointed out that Poland were exiting the tournament without losing a single game in the 120 minutes. He's right and he ought to be proud.
It took something special to knock them out. It took a village.
Gabriele Marcotti is a senior writer for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @Marcotti.
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The soi-disant Land of the Free and Home of the Brave has a long and iniquitous history of overthrowing democratically elected leftist governments and propping up right-wing dictators in their place.
U.S. politicians rarely acknowledge this odious past -- let alone acknowledge that such policies continue well into the present day.
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In the second Democratic presidential debate, however, candidate Bernie Sanders condemned a long-standing government policy his peers rarely admit exists.
"I think we have a disagreement," Sanders said of fellow presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. "And the disagreement is that not only did I vote against the war in Iraq. If you look at history, you will find that regime change -- whether it was in the early '50s in Iran, whether it was toppling Salvador Allende in Chile, or whether it was overthrowing the government of Guatemala way back when -- these invasions, these toppling of governments, regime changes have unintended consequences. I would say that on this issue I'm a little bit more conservative than the secretary."
"I am not a great fan of regime changes," Sanders added.
"Regime change" is not a phrase you hear discussed honestly much in Washington, yet it is a common practice in and defining feature of U.S. foreign policy for well over a century. For many decades, leaders from both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, have pursued a bipartisan strategy of violently overthrowing democratically elected foreign governments that do not kowtow to U.S. orders.
In the debate, Sanders addressed three examples of U.S. regime change. There are scores of examples of American regime change, yet these are perhaps the most infamous instances.
Iran, 1953
[caption id="attachment_14219274" align="aligncenter" width="583"] A tank in the streets of Tehran during the 1953 CIA-backed coup
(Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public domain)[/caption]
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Iran was once a secular democracy. You would not know this from contemporary discussions of the much demonized country in U.S. politics and media.
What happened to Iran's democracy? The U.S. overthrew it in 1953, with the help of the U.K. Why? For oil.
Mohammad Mosaddegh may be the most popular leader in Iran's long history. He was also Iran's only democratically elected head of state.
In 1951, Mosaddegh was elected prime minister of Iran. He was not a socialist, and certainly not a communist -- on the contrary, he repressed Iranian communists -- but he pursued many progressive, social democratic policies. Mosaddegh pushed for land reform, established rent control, and created a social security system, while working to separate powers in the democratic government.
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In the Cold War, however, a leader who deviated in any way from free-market orthodoxy and the Washington Consensus was deemed a threat. When Mossaddegh nationalized Iran's large oil reserves, he crossed a line that Western capitalist nations would not tolerate.
The New York Times ran an article in 1951 titled "British Warn Iran of Serious Result if She Seizes Oil." The piece, which is full of orientalist language, refers to Iranian oil as "British oil properties," failing to acknowledge that Britain, which had previously occupied Iran, had seized that oil and claimed it as its own, administering it under the auspices of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which later became the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and eventually British Petroleum and modern BP.
The Times article noted that the U.S. "shares with Britain the gravest concern about the possibility that Iranian oil, the biggest supply now available in the Near East, might be lost to the Western powers." The British government is quoted making a thinly veiled threat.
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This threat came into fruition in August 1953. In Operation Ajax, the CIA, working with its British equivalent MI6, carried out a coup, overthrowing the elected government of Iran and reinstalling the monarchy. The shah would remain a faithful Western ally until 1979, when the monarchy was abolished in the Iranian Revolution.
Guatemala, 1954
[caption id="attachment_14220521" align="aligncenter" width="620"] A CIA cable documenting Guatemalan dictator Castillo Armas' plan to overthrow the elected government (Credit: CIA FOIA)[/caption]
Less than a year after overthrowing Iran's first democratically elected prime minister, the U.S. pursued a similar regime change policy in Guatemala, toppling the elected leader Jacobo Árbenz.
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In 1944, Guatemalans waged a revolution, toppling the U.S.-backed right-wing dictator Jorge Ubico, who had ruled the country with an iron fist since 1931. Ubico, who fancied himself the 20th-century Napoleon, gave rich landowners and the U.S. corporation the United Fruit Company (which would later become Chiquita) free reign over Guatemala's natural resources, and used the military to violently crush labor organizers.
Juan José Arévalo was elected into office in 1944. A liberal, he pursued very moderate policies, but the U.S. wanted a right-wing puppet regime that would allow U.S. corporations the same privileges granted to them by Ubico. In 1949, the U.S. backed an attempted coup, yet it failed.
In 1951, Árbenz was elected into office. Slightly to the left of Arévalo, Árbenz was still decidedly moderate. The U.S. claimed Árbenz was close to Guatemala's communists, and warned he could ally with the Soviet Union. In reality, the opposite was true; Árbenz actually persecuted Guatemalan communists. At most, Árbenz was a social democrat, not even a socialist.
Yet Árbenz, like Mosaddegh, firmly believed that Guatemalans themselves, and not multinational corporations, should benefit from their country's resources. He pursued land reform policies that would break up the control rich families and the United Fruit Company exercised over the country -- and, for that reason, he was overthrown.
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President Truman originally authorized a first coup attempt, Operation PBFORTUNE, in 1952. Yet details about the operation were leaked to the public, and the plan was abandoned. In 1954, in Operation PBSUCCESS, the CIA and U.S. State Department, under the Dulles Brothers, bombed Guatemala City and carried out a coup that violently toppled Guatemala's democratic government.
The U.S. put into power right-wing tyrant Carlos Castillo Armas. For the next more than 50 years, until the end of the Guatemalan Civil War in 1996, Guatemala was ruled by a serious of authoritarian right-wing leaders who brutally repressed left-wing dissidents and carried out a campaign of genocide against the indigenous people of the country.
Chile, 1973
[caption id="attachment_14220407" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Pinochet's soldiers burning left-wing books after the 1973 U.S.-backed coup in Chile (Credit: CIA FOIA/Weekly Review)[/caption]
September 11 has permanently seared itself into the memory of Americans. The date has also been indelibly imprinted in the public consciousness of Chileans, because it was on this same day in 1973 that the U.S. backed a coup that violently overthrew Chile's democracy.
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In 1970, Marxist leader Salvador Allende was democratically elected president of Chile. Immediately after he was elected, the U.S. government poured resources into right-wing opposition groups and gave millions of dollars to Chile's conservative media outlets.
The CIA deputy director of plans wrote in a 1970 memo, "It is firm and continuing policy that Allende be overthrown by a coup... It is imperative that these actions be implemented clandestinely and securely so that the USG [U.S. government] and American hand be well hidden." President Nixon subsequently ordered the CIA to "make the economy scream" in Chile, to "prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him."
Allende's democratic government was violently overthrown on September 11, 1973. He died in the coup, just after making an emotional speech, in which he declared he would give his life to defend Chilean democracy and sovereignty.
Far-right dictator Augusto Pinochet, who combined fascistic police state repression with hyper-capitalist free-market economic policies, was put into power. Under Pinochet's far-right dictatorship, tens of thousands of Chilean leftists, labor organizers, and journalists were killed, disappeared, and tortured. Hundreds of thousands more people were forced into exile.
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One of the most prevailing myths of the Cold War is that socialism was an unpopular system imposed on populations with brute force. Chile serves as a prime historical example of how the exact opposite was true. The masses of impoverished and oppressed people elected many socialist governments, yet these governments were often violently overthrown by the U.S. and other Western allies.
The overthrow of Allende was a turning point for many socialists in the Global South. Before he was overthrown, some leftists thought popular Marxist movements could gain state power through democratic elections, as was the case in Chile. Yet when they saw how the U.S. violently toppled Allende's elected government, they became suspicious of the prospects of electoral politics and turned to guerrilla warfare and other tactics.
Modern example: Egypt, 2013
[caption id="attachment_14219277" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Protesters in the August 2013 Raba'a massacre, carried out by Sisi's U.S.-backed coup government (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Flickr/Mosa'ab Elshamy)[/caption]
These are just a small sample of the great many regime changes the U.S. government has been involved in. More recent examples, which were supported by Hillary Clinton, as Sanders implied, include the U.S. government's overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Muammar Qadhafi in Libya. In these cases, the U.S. was overthrowing dictators, not democratically elected leaders -- but, as Sanders pointed out, the results of these regime changes have been nothing short of catastrophic.
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The U.S. is also still engaging in regime change when it comes to democratically elected governments.
In the January 2011 revolution, Egyptians toppled dictator Hosni Mubarak, a close U.S. ally who ruled Egypt with an iron fist for almost 30 years.
In July 2013, Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, was overthrown in a military coup. We now know that the U.S. supported and bankrolled the opposition forces that overthrew the democratically elected president.
Today, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, a brutal despot who is widely recognized as even worse than Mubarak, reigns over Egypt. In August 2013, Sisi oversaw a slaughter of more than 800 peaceful Egyptian activists at Raba'a Square. His regime continues to shoot peaceful protesters in the street. An estimated 40,000 political prisoners languish in Sisi's jails, including journalists.
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In spite of his obscene human rights abuses, Sisi remains a close ally of the U.S. and Israel -- much, much closer than was the democratically elected President Morsi.
In the second Democratic presidential debate, when Sanders called Clinton out on her hawkish, pro-regime change policies, she tried to blame the disasters in the aftermath in countries like Iraq and Libya on the "complexity" of the Middle East. As an example of this putative complexity, Clinton cited Egypt. "We saw a dictator overthrown, we saw Muslim Brotherhood president installed, and then we saw him ousted and the army back," she said.
Clinton failed to mention two crucial factors: One, that the U.S. backed Mubarak until the last moment; and two, that the U.S. also supported the coup that overthrew Egypt's first and only democratically elected head of state.
Other examples
[caption id="attachment_14220741" align="aligncenter" width="620"] The political cartoon "Ten Thousand Miles from Tip to Tip," published in the Philadelphia Press in 1898 (Credit: Public domain)[/caption]
There are scores of other examples of U.S.-led regime change.
In 1964 the U.S. backed a coup in Brazil, toppling left-wing President João Goulart.
In 1976, the U.S. supported a military coup in Argentina that replaced President Isabel Perón with General Jorge Rafael Videla.
In 2002, the U.S. backed a coup that overthrew democratically elected Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Chávez was so popular, however, that Venezuelans filled the street and demanded him back.
In 2004, the U.S. overthrew Haiti's first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
In 2009, U.S.-trained far-right forces overthrew the democratically elected government of Honduras, with tacit support from Washington.
The list goes on.
Latin America, given its proximity to the U.S. and the strength of left-wing movements in the region, tends to endure the largest number of U.S. regime changes, yet the Middle East and many parts of Africa have seen their democratic governments overthrown as well.
From 1898 to 1994, Harvard University historian John Coatsworth documented at least 41 U.S. interventions in Latin America -- an average of one every 28 months for an entire century.
Numerous Latin American military dictators were trained at the School of the Americas, a U.S. Department of Defense Institute in Fort Benning, Georgia. The School of the Americas Watch, an activist organization that pushes for the closing of the SOA, has documented many of these regime changes, which have been carried out by both Republicans and Democrats.
Diplomatic cables released by whistleblowing journalism outlet WikiLeaks show the U.S. still maintains a systematic campaign of trying to overthrow Latin America's left-wing governments.
By not just acknowledging the bloody and ignominious history of U.S. regime change, but also condemning it, Sen. Sanders was intrepidly trekking into controversial political territory into which few of his peers would dare to tread. Others would do well to learn from Bernie's example.
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Jk Rowling has revealed she’s begun working on her first children’s book since the Harry Potter franchise. In her first major interview in years the author opened up to BBC Radio 2's Simon Mayo on his Drivetime show and also revealed she fears she’ll die before getting all her stories published.
JK Rowling has begun writing a new children’s book.
"I sometimes genuinely worry that I'll die before writing them all out. That's my mid-life crisis, that I'll leave this earth without having written them all,” Rowling said. "I have plans to write novels - in the plural - as JK Rowling again but I'm not going to give you an absolute date because things are busy enough.”
More: J.K. Rowling Addresses Criticism For Her Stance On Palestine’s Cultural Boycott Of Israel
"I have an idea for a children's book, which I really love - I've been writing part of a children's book so I'm going to finish that - and I have ideas for other adult books.” Speaking about her Cormoran Strike series of novels, which she penned under the name Robert Galbraith, Rowling added: "What's nice about the Strike books is I don't have an end point. I'm not as prescriptive as with the Potter books.”
"I could even probably go to 10, even beyond, I don't know, depending on the number of plots. What will ultimately limit it is the relationship between Striker and Robin (Ellacott, his investigator partner), and that's the through-line. I think at the point where I don't enjoy writing about them any more, that will probably be the point when Robert stops writing this series but I certainly am nowhere near that yet."
When asked about the upcoming Harry Potter And The Cursed Child play which opens in the West End in June next year, Rowling said the story was always intended as a play and not a novel. "It is really exciting. I personally had no particular desire to write it as a novel, for reasons that will become clear when people see the play,” Rowling said.
More: Here's 9 Things We Know About 'Harry Potter And The Cursed Child' By JK Rowling
The play is set 19 years after the last Harry Potter book and focuses on Potter’s youngest son Albus. ”This play would never have happened if this particular team had never come to me,” the author added. “They're extraordinary, and together we're going to make a fantastic experience for people. I didn't go looking for this, this found me."
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Prosecutors May Seek Death Penalty For Cleveland Kidnapper
Enlarge this image toggle caption Emmanuel Dunand /AFP/Getty Images Emmanuel Dunand /AFP/Getty Images
From 'Morning Edition': NPR's Cheryl Corley reports on the Cleveland kidnappings 4:09
(Most recent update: 7:24 p.m. ET.)
The three young women who were missing for about a decade before being rescued Monday from a home in Cleveland where they say they were chained, tortured and sexually assaulted, have given police similar accounts about how their long nightmares began.
In a police report that NPR has been shown, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight are quoted as saying that suspect Ariel Castro's approach was simple. On Morning Edition, NPR's Cheryl Corley said it's alleged that:
"Nearly 10 years ago, [Castro] told then 14-year-old DeJesus he'd drop her off at his house so she could meet with his daughter. ... He lured Amanda Berry [in 2003] by telling her his son worked at the same restaurant she did. He offered Michelle Knight a ride home [in 2002]."
As Cheryl adds, all three — according to their accounts — "would end up chained in the basement of the house before living later on the second floor. They were allegedly forced to have sex with Castro. One victim told police she became pregnant several times but Castro punched her in the stomach so she would miscarry. Amanda Berry give birth to a daughter who is now six. Authorities will give the child a paternity test to confirm Castro is the father."
The women say they were almost never allowed outside. Martin Flask, Cleveland's public safety director, said Wednesday that "in the last decade, they've only known themselves to be outside of the home on two separate occasions, and that was only briefly."
Cleveland's Plain Dealer says the police report also states "that Berry's 6-year-old daughter was born in a small inflatable swimming pool during the time the three women were held in captivity, [a Cleveland police] source said. The initial report says Castro forced Knight to deliver Berry's baby. He threatened to kill Knight if the baby did not survive the birth, the source said."
As we reported Wednesday, prosecutors say Castro is being charged with four counts of kidnapping (one for each of the three women and another for Berry's daughter) and three counts of rape. Castro, 52, is due in court later today.
The suspect's brothers Pedro and Onil, who were taken into custody with him on Monday, will not face any criminal charges, as WCPN reports. According to the Plain Dealer, "Victor Perez, the chief assistant city prosecutor, said there was no evidence linking Onil and Pedro Castro to the [alleged] torture that took place at their brother's home."
Berry and DeJesus are now at relatives' homes in Cleveland. Knight remains in a hospital, where she's said to be in good condition.
We'll watch for more news and update as warranted.
Update at 7:24 p.m. ET: Prosecutors To Seek Death Penalty:
The Associated Press reports that Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty says his office will decide whether to bring aggravated murder charges against Castro for allegedly starving and punching one of his captive until she miscarried.
"Capital punishment must be reserved for those crimes that are truly the worst examples of human conduct," McGinty was quoted by the AP as saying. "The reality is we still have brutal criminals in our midst who have no respect for the rule of law or human life."
Update at 4:15 p.m. ET. "Victims Need A Chance To Heal":
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Cuyahoga Co. Prosecutor Timothy McGinty said it would take time for details of the investigation to come out because the victims "need a chance to heal" before authorities question them further.
McGinty said Berry, DeJesus and Knight "don't need to be interviewed 50 times" right now, he said.
"The victims in this case have gone through a traumatic, decade-long ordeal that few of us can comprehend," he said.
McGinty declined to answer any questions from the gathered media, but asked instead that reporters submit them by email.
Update at 12:45 p.m. ET. Castro's Mother Apologizes "On Behalf Of Her Son":
"The mother of the three Castro brothers — including Ariel Castro, who today was officially accused of holding three women captive and being held on $8 million bond — tearfully apologized to reporters today on behalf of her son," the Plain Dealer writes. "I am a mother in a lot of pain," Lillian Rodriguez said to reporters. "I am sorry for what my son has done."
Update at 8:40 a.m. ET. Castro Arraigned, Bond Set At $8 Million:
Ariel Castro, the 52-year-old former bus driver accused of holding three women captive in his home for about a decade, just stood silent and with his head bowed as Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Lauren C. Moore set his bond at $2 million per case against him. He's accused of kidnapping and raping the three women, and kidnapping the child that one of them bore while in captivity. It appeared Moore was saying the total for the bonds was $8 million, given that Castro is accused of crimes against four individuals.
Castro's brothers Onil and Pedro, who were taken into custody along with him on Monday, also appeared in court. Authorities have said they now do not think the brothers were involved in the alleged kidnappings, rapes and captivity. Both brothers had outstanding misdemeanor charges (for drinking in public from open containers), however, and were assessed small fines.
Update at 8:25 a.m. ET. Arraignment About To Begin:
Ariel Castro's arraignment is about to get started. Cleveland's NewsNet5 is among the stations streaming the hearing.
Related NPR posts and stories:
-- Another Neighbor Of Rescued Cleveland Women Says He Helped
-- Specially Trained FBI Agents Will Help Kidnapped Women Heal
-- The Missing Women Were Seemingly In Plain Sight
Note: As happens when stories such as this are developing, there will likely be reports that turn out to be mistaken. We will focus on news being reported by NPR, other news outlets with expertise, and statements from authorities who are in a position to know what's going on. And if some of that information turns out to be wrong, we'll explain.
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Los Angeles (CNN) Mark Feigin, a Southern California real estate agent and Uber driver, had lots of guns, thousands of rounds of ammo and a dim view of Muslims.
He called them "filthy" in a Facebook post and said they "have no place in western civilization."
"The more muslim savages we allow into america - the more terror we will see," another of his posts stated.
Feigin, 41, freely admits to having harsh opinions, a "big mouth" and being "a disaster on social media."
But he says he knows the difference between a threat and a constitutionally protected opinion and is careful not to cross that line.
However, that's precisely what authorities say he did last September when he allegedly called a Los Angeles mosque and threatened to kill its members.
Officials from the Los Angeles Police Department and then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris's Office held a press conference in October announcing Feigin's arrest on a felony hate crime charge.
Mark Feigin has been charged with a felony hate crime for allegedly threatening a mosque, a charge he denies.
They showed reporters blown-up photos of guns and ammunition seized from Feigin's house, and a spokesperson for the mosque who joined police on stage said he feared the suspect had been plotting a "Columbine-type event."
A year later, however, there is significant evidence suggesting police may have charged the wrong man, according to a CNN review of hundreds of pages of court records and interviews with participants in the case.
Prosecutors have persisted in their case against Feigin despite dwindling and contradictory evidence, CNN found. At the same time, authorities have declined to pursue charges against a "second suspect" who they now concede is responsible for a belligerent anti-Muslim voicemail left at the mosque, which they once attributed to Feigin and originally viewed as a key piece of evidence against him. That man is the 27-year-old son of a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge.
What once appeared to be a straightforward hate crime prosecution is shaping up to be a high-stakes legal battle involving not only an alternate suspect, but allegations of sloppy police work, prosecutorial misconduct and political opportunism being leveled by the defense in court filings.
State prosecutors and LAPD officials declined comment for this article, citing the pending prosecution against Feigin.
A Canadian conservative website called The Rebel posted a video last month detailing recent developments in Feigin's case. But the matter has received little attention elsewhere since his high-profile arrest last year.
The following account is based on police reports, phone records, audio recordings, interview transcripts and other material obtained by CNN.
'Can't be a coincidence'
When Muhammad Popote arrived for work at the Islamic Center of Southern California on September 19 of last year, there was a message waiting on the center's voicemail.
"I hope you [expletive] Muslim rats either leave the US or dump your stupid [expletive] religion," the unknown caller said.
The following day, Popote answered the phone and heard what he would later tell police was the same male voice he recognized from the message a day earlier. Popote said the caller uttered the same derogatory phrase as the day before.
Popote, 19, dialed 911 minutes later to report the alleged threat.
"He said that he's going to annihilate Muslim rats like us," Popote told the operator, according to a recording of the call.
Popote said he suspected the unknown caller was the same person who had recently made some insulting posts on the center's Facebook page.
His name is Mark Feigin, he told the operator.
"He seems to be the racist type and he fits the profile exactly," Popote said.
I'm not really a fan of Islam. I don't like their religion. Mark Feigin
He told the operator he had done some investigating of his own; he had called Feigin's cell phone and said the voice sounded the same as the threatening caller. He was hoping LAPD could find out for sure, he said.
Popote added that he was "fairly certain" of the connection. It "can't be a coincidence," he said.
The case landed on the desk of Detective Kenneth Bryant of the LAPD's Major Crimes Division.
Bryant looked at Feigin's Facebook page and the real estate company page with Feigin's phone number, as Popote had. The detective also ran Feigin's name through a firearms database and discovered the suspect was the registered owner of multiple guns.
On October 18, Bryant filed a search warrant affidavit asking a judge for access to Feigin's phone records, Facebook account information and guns. The judge granted the request.
But police and prosecutors did not wait to obtain access to the records they sought.
One day after the search warrant was approved, Feigin was arrested at gunpoint as he drove away from the trailer park outside Los Angeles where he lives.
It was his first time being handcuffed or riding in the back of a police car, he would later tell detectives.
'A big mouth'
Feigin immediately waived his rights and agreed to speak with the police. He did so bluntly, using the F-word with abandon, according to a transcription of the interview. He acknowledged that he routinely posted "harsh" comments on the Internet, many of them directed at Muslims.
"I'm not really a fan of Islam. I mean, I don't like their religion," Feigin said. He added, "Somebody has to say something about these people because they're [expletive] dangerous."
The suspect admitted to having "a big mouth" and being "a disaster on social media." But he also told Bryant he learned the difference between an opinion and a threat in a high school Constitution class and it was a lesson he had not forgotten.
Feigin volunteered that he'd been visited by the FBI about six months earlier due to provocative posts following the 2015 Paris terror attacks. He argued in the posts that the French got what they deserved for having lax security and for allowing so many immigrants into the country.
He told Bryant the agents said his opinions were "stupid and crazy," but were also protected free speech under the First Amendment.
"Just don't say you're going to kill anybody, hurt anybody, blow up a building the next day," he said the agents advised.
Bryant told Feigin the reason for his arrest had nothing to do with Facebook posts or any other online activity.
"I can tell you that a hundred percent," the detective said.
He asked Feigin whether he recalled making any phone calls to the Islamic Center.
"I don't," Feigin replied.
When Bryant told him he had a recording of a voicemail he'd allegedly left, Feigin asked the detective to play it to perhaps jog his memory.
Bryant played the message left on September 19 about "Muslim rats."
Feigin acknowleged that the caller's voice sounded like his own, but again insisted he had no recollection of making the call.
"What the [expletive] was I thinking?" he asks aloud at one point. "Maybe I was drunk. One night I got [expletive] wasted. By the way, it's unlike me to do that."
Bryant told Feigin the call was made during the day.
The suspect then told the detective there was one way to be sure.
"You can check my phone and you can find out if it was me," Feigin said. "So, it's not a big deal."
"This call is not what got you in trouble," Bryant said.
The real trouble, the detective said, stemmed from another call to Popote at the Islamic Center the following day.
"He says that you definitely made a threat to him," Bryant explained, "and that's what we're going on."
Bryant asked Feigin whether he remembered making that call.
"No, I don't,'' he said.
"I wouldn't threaten anybody," Feigin added. "I don't want to risk getting arrested like I am now...for no reason, for basically being an asshole."
Feigin steadfastly denied any memory of calling the Islamic center throughout the interview. But he eventually accepted Bryant's premise that the voice on the recording was his and acknowledged, therefore, that he must have.
Feigin, who is Polish by birth, at one point told Bryant that his Eastern European heritage made him "hotheaded."
"We're all [expletive] hotheaded," he said. "Everyone in Eastern Europe tells you they're gonna kill you every five seconds, you know. But they don't really act on it."
Feigin added that he wouldn't make such a threat in the US, because "it's illegal."
Bryant seized on Feigin's admission that he was hotheaded.
"What you just said to me is exactly what I think happened," the detective told Feigin.
As the interview is ending, Bryant tells Feigin he's going to have turn over his personal possessions, including his phone and credit cards, as part of the process of being booked into jail. Feigin drops one last F-bomb.
"This is a [expletive] disaster," he said.
Feigin was charged with a felony for allegedly threatening Popote during the September 20 phone call and with a misdemeanor for allegedly leaving the harassing voicemail on the 19th.
He has not been charged with a crime in connection with any of the weapons featured in the blown-up photograph displayed for reporters at the press conference. According to a prosecution court filing, six of the guns were registered to Feigin and two were registered to his father.
In December, two months after Feigin's arrest, police obtained his phone records.
In them -- or not in them, actually -- was a surprise.
There was no evidence he'd called the mosque. Not on the day the harassing voicemail was left. Not on the day of the threat call.
'Your religion is stupid'
But the Islamic center's phone records, which police had also obtained in December, did show an incoming call at the time Popote reported the harassing voicemail on September 19.
The minute-long call came in at 8:26 a.m. from a local number.
Three months would pass before Bryant realized the significance of that number. That happened in March during a case briefing in which he was told by fellow detectives of another suspect under investigation for allegedly making harassing calls to a mosque.
Bryant listened to a recording of that suspect calling the Burbank Islamic Center and noted that the voice "sounded similar" to the September 19 voicemail he attributed to Feigin.
Detectives working the Burbank mosque case had identified their caller as Michael Slawson.
Bryant checked the Islamic center records and discovered that the September 19 voicemail in his case came from Slawson's phone as well.
The detective called Slawson and attempted to interview him. Slawson declined to talk and referred him to his attorney, Dominic J. Trutanich, the brother of former Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich.
Bryant arranged for he and his partner to question Slawson a couple weeks later at Trutanich's office in San Pedro.
Slawson was soft-spoken and unfailingly polite to the detectives, repeatedly addressing each as "sir" when he answered their questions, according to audio of the interview listened to by CNN.
He admitted to calling the Islamic center and multiple other mosques around Southern California. He told the detectives he had done so to express his vehement opposition to Islam.
"Your religion is violent. Your religion is stupid. That's what I said," Slawson recounted.
He identified himself as a "religious Christian" who engages in home Bible study and watches a lot of online videos from the Faithful Word Baptist Church, which is based in Phoenix.
But he told the detectives that he'd never broken the law with any of his calls.
"I'm very interested in politics...and I have, you know, aspirations of doing things in my own life," Slawson said. "So I don't step outside of those things by breaking the law."
The detectives spent 15 minutes debating Slawson about what constitutes harassment, but never directly confronted him on whether he'd made the threatening call to the Islamic center, according to the recording.
Bryant asked Slawson whether it would surprise him to learn that police had a recording of one of his phone calls.
"No," Slawson replied.
But the detectives did not confront him with the recording, as they had Feigin.
They didn't ask him about the "Muslim rats" phrase used in the voicemail they now knew he'd left and the same phrase being used in the threat call the following day.
They never confronted him with Popote's statement that the voice on the voicemail and the voice on the threat call belonged to the same person.
Still, the detectives told Slawson his conduct was potentially problematic.
Authorities concede Michael Slawson, the son of a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, left an anti-Muslim voicemail at a mosque, but he has not been charged with any crime.
"You're very, very close, if not slightly over the line, when it comes to breaking certain laws," said Detective James Dickson, Bryant's partner.
Dickson's comment seemed to be referring to the misdemeanor of making annoying phone calls as opposed to the more serious felony of making threats.
"A reasonable person would assume that what you were doing was pretty darn annoying," the detective said.
At that point, Slawson's lawyer chimed in. He asked whether the detectives were being a little overzealous in their effort to investigate offensive words directed at Islam.
"It's kinda healthy to have kids expressing their views. That's what the country's built on," Trutanich said. "I don't have the balls to do it -- he did."
The lawyer added, "We probably all think it."
'Sort of being persecuted right now'
It is unclear how much detectives knew about Slawson prior to their interview in April.
Slawson told the detectives during the interview that he worked at a bank in downtown Los Angeles. According to public records, he also has a security guard license and a permit for carrying a police-style baton.
His phone records show that he called numerous mosques in Southern California and elsewhere during the two-day period when the harassing and threatening calls were made to the Islamic center in Los Angeles.
The records also show that he placed several calls to Stag Arms, a manufacturer of AR-15 rifles, four days prior to leaving the message at the Islamic center.
The church Slawson told the detectives he followed describes itself on its website as an "old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, soul-winning Baptist church."
Pastor Steven Anderson is its leader. Anderson drew controversy in 2009 when he said he was going to pray for the death of President Barack Obama and again last year when he said the Orlando nightclub massacre was "good news" because it had ridded the world of "pedophiles."
Anderson has been critical of various other religions, including Islam, which he labels a fraud. Anderson has preached that Islam is a "wicked" religion, but that doesn't mean all Muslims are evil.
"It's not their fault in many cases that they've been brought up and are deceived and ignorant from birth," he said, according to a transcript of a June 15, 2015, sermon published on the church's website. "They're waiting for YOU to bring them to the gospel."
In an interview with CNN, Anderson said Slawson left him a voicemail earlier this year in which he said he was "sort of being persecuted right now" and asked for advice.
The call was placed in March, after he'd come under investigation in the Burbank Islamic Center case, but before his interview with Bryant and Dickson.
"I'm, unfortunately, being put in a situation where I'm having to be afraid of what's going to happen at the hands of the police, who are actually threatening to, uh, well, yeah, I'll leave it at that," Slawson said in the message.
He left another message a few months earlier asking for help in choosing a Bible, Anderson said.
Anderson said he did not return either call, but saved the voice messages, which he played for CNN.
"I have no clue who this guy is," the pastor said. "I have never met him or talked to him."
It's apparent that religion was on Slawson's mind on September 20, the day the threat call was made to the Islamic center.
That evening, Slawson sat down in front of a camera in what appears to be his apartment. He wore a white T-shirt and a ceiling fan spun overhead.
He began live streaming on YouTube, then read from the Bible, uninterrupted, for over an hour.
Neither Slawson nor Trutanich responded to multiple attempts to reach them for comment for this story.
Judge John Slawson, Michael's father, declined to discuss the situation in detail.
"It's a family matter that we're trying to work through, and we'll go from there," the elder Slawson said in a brief telephone interview with CNN.
'Deliberately attempting to prosecute an innocent man'
Feigin has grown increasingly impatient and frustrated by what he sees as a miscarriage of justice.
In May, he posted a video on YouTube arguing that he'd been falsely charged and soliciting money for his legal defense. As of Thursday, he'd raised $227 from seven contributors.
Asked what prompted him to falsely concede that he'd left the voicemail at the Islamic center, Feigin told CNN there were a couple factors at play.
First, he said he'd grown up in a conservative family and had always associated the police with honesty and integrity. Therefore, when Bryant told him that he placed the call, he assumed the detective was telling the truth, even though he couldn't remember making it.
Adding to the mix, Feigin said, was that he'd just recently returned home from a trip abroad. He'd taken a sleep aid the night before, slept for only three hours, and awoke feeling groggy.
He insisted he was not responsible for the threat call and, therefore, refused an offer from the prosecution that would have allowed him to plead guilty without doing any time in prison.
"I would not be going through this nightmare, risking years in prison, if I did it," Feigin said. "It's been the worst experience of my life."
Despite the discovery that Slawson was responsible for the hateful voicemail, the charges against Feigin remain the same. In the criminal complaint against him, the Facebook posts, which Det. Bryant repeatedly told Feigin were not criminal in nature, have replaced that phone call and another one made in 2015 that also was falsely attributed to him.
Police have been unable to trace the number used to make the threat call back to anyone. The number is assigned to Citrix Corporation for use in the remote desktop software LogMeIn. Bryant requested information about the number from Citrix in late April but the company said its records pertaining to 2016, when the call was made, had been purged.
At Feigin's request, Bryant asked the FBI to help trace the number but was told by an agent that such "roadblocks" were a common problem and there was nothing the bureau could do to help.
The prosecution appears to be basing the felony threat charge against Feigin, in part, on Popote's identification of him as the caller.
They are doing so despite the fact that Popote had initially said the person who left the September 19 voicemail --now known to be Slawson -- and the threat caller sounded to be one and the same.
In May, Deputy Attorney General Natasha Howard, the prosecutor, along with Bryant and Dickson, reinterviewed Popote at the Islamic center. Though they knew by then that Slawson was the voicemail caller, the police report documenting the interview makes no mention of them telling Popote that someone other than Feigin could be responsible for that call.
In a brief interview with CNN, Popote said neither police nor prosecutors have ever questioned him about anyone other than Feigin or provided any information about a "second suspect" harassing or threatening the center.
He declined further comment, saying he'd been instructed not to discuss the matter -- he would not say by whom.
Prosecutors will also likely use Feigin's statements to Bryant, which they appear to consider a confession, and a subsequent statement to an LAPD lieutenant during a phone call following his arrest. According to a police report, Feigin was complaining to Lt. Anita McKeown that the LAPD was ruining his life when he allegedly blurted out, "I yelled at the guy on the phone, and yea[h] maybe I meant it...I'm Polish we say stuff."
Slawson, meanwhile, has not been charged with any crime.
Majdi Bitar, director of the Burbank Islamic Center, said he sent police a recorded telephone call and voicemail message in which the caller -- later identified as Slawson -- told Muslims they are "animals" who aren't welcome in the United States and that they should all "go to hell."
"This guy, he kept on calling," Bitar said in an interview with CNN. "He was always trying to get me to react."
Bryant's colleagues in the Major Crimes Division submitted the case to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office but it was rejected due to "lack of sufficient evidence," according to court records.
Howard, the deputy attorney general prosecuting Feigin, dismissed the notion that Slawson could be responsible for the threat call in her case, in essence, because he said he didn't do it.
In a recent court filing, Howard noted that Slawson was "very specific" that he only used his cell phone to make calls to mosques, that he never called from work or used programs such as LogMeIn and that his cell phone records show no such call.
"Taking into account all of this information," she wrote, "it becomes crystal clear that Slawson is not responsible for the felony criminal threat charged in this case."
Howard did not address the use of the phrase "Muslim rats" in Slawson's voicemail on the 19th and a day later by the threat caller. She mischaracterized the contents of the 911 call in court documents and omitted Popote's statement that the caller said he wanted to "annihilate Muslim rats."
In August, Feigin's lawyer, Caleb Mason, filed a sweeping motion assailing the prosecution's case as sloppily investigated and hastily charged.
The result, he said, was that Feigin was publicly smeared as "a dangerous would-be mass killer."
Mason, a former assistant US attorney, accused the attorney general's office of "deliberately attempting to prosecute an innocent man for the acts of a guilty man." He argued the evidence in the case leads to the "unavoidable inference[s]" that Feigin is being unfairly prosecuted because he's an anti-Muslim conservative and that Slawson is being protected because his father is a Superior Court judge.
Mason raised his concerns and allegations in a motion seeking a court order for access to "all communications" between police and prosecutors that could shed light on "unlawful motives" behind the prosecution.
Howard countered that Mason's motion is "a series of misstatements and inaccuracies in an attempt to try and shift the focus away from [Feigin] and towards someone else."
His argument, she wrote, "is heavy on speculation, guesses and theories and contains little to no facts to support them."
Howard wrote that the defense had failed to produce any evidence that Feigin had been unfairly targeted for prosecution and dismissed the notion that Slawson had been given a pass because his father is a judge.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," she wrote.
Mason also raised questions about the "unusual and unexplained" role of then-Attorney General Kamala Harris's office and the prospect that the case was brought for some "political benefit."
Typically, local prosecutions are handled by the county district attorney in a given jurisdiction, not the state attorney general's office. In his court filing, Mason cited language in a plea offer extended to Feigin which he said suggested "improper political motives" behind the prosecution. The deal required, among other things, that Feigin "renounce the KKK and the alt-right."
Mason called the plea offer "bizarre" in his court filing, noting that Feigin "has no connection to the KKK, and none was ever alleged." He added that Feigin's family is Jewish and Catholic, both targets of the Klan.
The former prosecutor also questioned the condition regarding the "alt-right."
"[S]ince when does a prosecutor demand that a defendant 'renounce' his political beliefs as a condition of avoiding prison," Mason wrote. "The answer is simple: We don't do that, not in this country."
Nathan Barankin, who served as Harris's chief of staff during her tenure as California attorney general and holds the same post in her Senate office, brushed aside the suggestion of any impropriety.
He said Harris had been meeting with law enforcement officials around California for more than a year due to an uptick in hate crime reports. He said Harris made clear her office's interest in taking on such cases, in part to send a message to the victims of such crimes that they would be protected.
The timing of the charges being filed in October -- shortly before her then-looming US Senate election -- had only to do with the crime being committed in September, Barankin said.
At the press conference announcing the charges, LAPD Commander Horace Frank didn't seem entirely clear on why the case had been filed by the attorney general.
Asked by a reporter why the case had not gone to the district attorney as a "conventional prosecution," he repeated the question to Howard.
"It could," she said.
Frank turned back to reporters.
"It could," he repeated. "But this is the route that we chose."
"Is there a reason for that?" a reporter asked. "It's unusual."
"I guess the seriousness of the crime," Frank replied.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dorothy B. Reyes earlier this month denied Mason's request for enhanced access to communications between police and prosecutors. She did so without prejudice, meaning she could revisit the issue.
A preliminary hearing, at which a judge will determine if there is sufficient evidence for the case to go to trial, is set for Monday.
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Warren Sapp was listed at 6-foot-1. So were John Randle and Casey Hampton. Aaron Donald, Geno Atkins, Jurell Casey and Kyle Williams were all Pro Bowlers last season. They're also 6-1, every single one of them.So when La Habra (Calif.) High School seniorbegan to realize that he would never achieve his dream of playing Pacific-12 Conference football because he was too small, the 6-foot-2 defensive tackle took umbrage with the simplifiedscouting report.?"In college, there are a lot of taller defensive tackles," he said recently. "But if you look in the NFL, everyone is 6-2 (or) 6-foot, pretty much my height."Despite a productive prep career, Gaines went virtually unnoticed by Pac-12 schools and got useless advice from some of the recruiters from big schools all over the country."(One Power 5) coach pretty much told me: 'If you were two inches taller, you'd be a top-5 recruit in the country,'" Gaines recalled. "I was like, 'That sucks, I guess.'"The too-small Gaines hasn't grown an inch since his senior year in high school. But he's getting the last laugh now.Since committing to play at Boise State in the winter of 2013, Gaines followed coachand defensive coordinatoron their westward trek to the University of Washington and has since proven that size doesn't always matter.Gaines was a full-time starter for the Pac-12 Conference champion Huskies last season while earning honorable mention all-conference honors. Any doubts about whether he could play in the Pac-12 were crushed by the sophomore with the 322-pound frame."I just like beating up on these other Pac-12 guys," Gaines said, "and showing these coaches what they missed out on."Kwiatkowski, one of the few college recruiters who believed Gaines had what it took, is somewhat baffled by the lack of attention that the La Habra, Calif., native drew from college scouts while in high school."He was athletic, explosive. I thought he was a tough kid," Kwiatkowski said. "I thought he was going to grind at it. I knew he was very strong. Throw all that together, and he's the perfect d-tackle."Having proven the doubters wrong, Gaines enters his junior year with bigger aspirations. He now finds himself on the radar of NFL scouts and has become somewhat of a celebrity on the UW campus."It's definitely kind of weird," said Gaines, whose 8.0 tackles for loss ranked third on the team in 2016. "I came in as an unknown recruit. All those guys, the fans were following all the starred recruits, and I came out of nowhere. Nobody really knew who I was. It's weird being talked about and stuff."Gaines also had a noteworthy offseason in that he got married, went to Hawaii for a honeymoon and had to rehab the significant injury of his college career. Gaines missed spring practices due to a shoulder and pectoral injury but was back in time for the start of fall camp.With all of that behind him, Gaines went into the 2017 season with his eyes on the prize. He spent a good part of the fall talking about getting the Huskies back to the brink of a national championship – and beyond."I'm looking forward to making another run at the title and the national championship," he told reporters after the Huskies' first fall practice on July 31.Taking the next step meant Gaines was going to have to work even harder, and that was a lot to ask out of the gym rat and lm-room mainstay. Gaines picked up good habits while at La Habra High and carried them over to his UW career."Greg is one of those guys who's a workhorse," defensive line coachsaid. "The guy cannot stop working. He's always trying to be the best that he can ever be. His competitiveness is really what makes him really good. You never have to tell that guy to get going. At times, you have to tell him to slow it down."Part of that drive comes from the chip Gaines carries on his shoulder after being an overlooked high school recruit. But he developed his work ethic even before playing in his first high school game."I think it's just how I was raised," Gaines said. "My parents taught me to do the best I can and to always do my best."Gaines has proven to be a pretty quick study since his redshirt season, and he begins his fourth year at UW with the gridiron acumen of a grad student. One might say that Gaines has already earned his Masters in football."He's actually become one of our teachers," said Malloe, who is in his second season at UW. "He knows the playbook better than I do, and he knows technique better than I do."Added Kwiatkowski: "As you get older, you understand what offenses are doing and their tendencies. You have to be able to anticipate what you're going to see."Gaines came into the season planning on assuming even more of a leadership role on a defense that had four starters drafted by NFL teams, including three who went in the second round. The Huskies still had plenty of talent coming back, but matching the production of the 2016 defense was going to be a tall order.Gaines can expect more of a spotlight on him now that he's an upperclassmen and one of the most recognizable players on the UW defense.His unexpected production as a third-year junior last season has Gaines drawing the attention of NFL scouts as well as opposing offensive coordinators.Can the kid who was once considered too short to play big-time college football really be thinking about the NFL?"Not really," he said. "I didn't even know if going to college was even a possibility at first. I just came on the team and ended up being pretty good at it."Rather than trying to be the next John Randle or Aaron Donald, this 6-foot-1 defensive lineman is just concerned with being the best Husky that he can be."I really want to have a good season," he said in August. "I have a lot of agents trying to talk to me, but I'm trying to ignore them and focus on what I have to do. I don't even know why I would need them."We haven't even started the season, and I'm focused on me, so what would I need an agent for? I've got to get there first before I talk to those guys."
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Trump campaign chairman predicts a 'coming together' of GOP officials
Paul Manafort is surrounded by reporters on the floor of the Republican convention at Quicken Loans Arena on July 17, 2016, in Cleveland. (Photo11: Matt Rourke, AP)
Donald Trump is under political fire even from some Republicans and his poll numbers are heading in the wrong direction, but aides insist that things are turning around.
"An improving week," campaign chairman Paul Manafort said Friday on Fox News.
Trump's recent troubles include more back-and-forth with Republican leaders, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, but Manafort said voters will soon see a coming together with the Republican National Committee and party leaders.
"We are working very strongly with (chairman) Reince Priebus and the RNC and with the Republican leadership in the House and the Senate," Manafort said.
He also told Fox: "I think you will see a coming together of both Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump in the course of this campaign because they all agree on one thing. We need a Republican president and a Republican Congress and then we’ll make the changes that America needs.”
In recent days, Trump pointedly refused to endorse Ryan, the House speaker who faces a Republican primary challenge next week.
Ryan, who has criticized aspects of Trump's campaign, replied that his endorsement of the New York businessman is not a blank check, and "if I see and hear things that I think are wrong, I'm not going to sit by and say nothing."
McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, has also criticized the Trump campaign.
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The Foods for Health Institute, at the University of California, Davis, has the appearance of a Tuscan villa, its terra-cotta-walled buildings overlooking a large vineyard and a garden that bursts with summer vegetables. It is led by a chemist named Bruce German, and if there were a world title in extolling the virtues of milk he would surely hold it. At our first meeting, he spent half an hour monologuing on the subject, bouncing on an exercise ball and kneading a tattered shred of bubble wrap as he spoke. Milk, he said, is a perfect source of nutrition, a superfood that is actually worthy of the label. This isn’t a common view. The number of scientific publications about milk is tiny, compared with the number devoted to other bodily fluids—blood, saliva, even urine. The dairy industry has spent a fortune on extracting more and more milk from cows, but very little on understanding just what this white liquid is or how it works. Medical-funding agencies have generally dismissed it as irrelevant, German said, because “it doesn’t have anything to do with the diseases of middle-aged white men.” And nutritionists have looked at it as a simple cocktail of fats and sugars, one that can be easily duplicated and replaced by formulas. “People said it’s just a bag of chemicals,” German told me. “It’s anything but that.”
Milk is a mammalian innovation, common to platypuses and pangolins, humans and hippos, its ingredients varying according to what each species needs. Human milk is a particular marvel. Every mammal mother produces complex sugars called oligosaccharides, but human mothers, for some reason, churn out an exceptional variety: so far, scientists have identified more than two hundred human milk oligosaccharides, or H.M.O.s. They are the third-most plentiful ingredient in human milk, after lactose and fats, and their structure ought to make them a rich source of energy for growing babies—but babies cannot digest them. When German first learned this, he was gobsmacked. Why would a mother expend so much energy manufacturing these complicated chemicals if they were apparently useless to her child? Why hasn’t natural selection put its foot down on such a wasteful practice? Here’s a clue: H.M.O.s pass through the stomach and the small intestine unharmed, landing in the large intestine, where most of our bacteria live. What if they aren’t food for babies at all? What if they are food for microbes?
This idea dates back to the early twentieth century, when two very different groups of scientists made discoveries that, unbeknownst to them, were closely connected. In one camp, pediatricians found that microbes called Bifidobacteria (“Bifs,” to their friends) were more common in the stools of breast-fed infants than bottle-fed ones. They argued that human milk must contain some substance that nourished the bacteria—something that later scientists called the bifidus factor. Meanwhile, chemists had discovered that human milk contains carbohydrates that cow milk does not, and were gradually whittling this enigmatic mixture down to its individual components, including several oligosaccharides. The parallel tracks met in 1954, thanks to a partnership between Richard Kuhn (chemist, Austrian, Nobel laureate) and Paul Gyorgy (pediatrician, Hungarian-born American, breast-milk advocate). Together they confirmed that the mysterious bifidus factor and the milk oligosaccharides were one and the same—and that they nourished gut microbes.
By the nineteen-nineties, scientists knew that there were more than a hundred H.M.O.s in milk, but they had characterized only a few. No one knew what most of them looked like or which species of bacteria they fed. The common wisdom was that they nourished all Bifs equally, but German wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to know exactly who the diners were and what dishes they were ordering. To do that, he took a cue from history and assembled a diverse team of chemists, microbiologists, and food scientists. Together they identified all the H.M.O.s, pulled them out of the milk, and fed them to bacteria. And, to the researchers’ chagrin, nothing grew.
The problem soon became clear: H.M.O.s are not an all-purpose food for Bifs. In 2006, the team found that the sugars selectively nourish one subspecies, Bifidobacterium longum infantis. As long as you provide B. infantis with H.M.O.s, it will outcompete any other gut bacterium. A closely related subspecies, B. longum longum, grows weakly on the same sugars, and the ironically named B. lactis, a common fixture of probiotic yogurts, doesn’t grow at all. Another probiotic mainstay, B. bifidum, does slightly better, but is a fussy, messy eater. It breaks down a few H.M.O.s and takes in the pieces it likes. By contrast, B. infantis devours every last crumb using a cluster of thirty genes—a comprehensive cutlery set for eating H.M.O.s. No other Bif has this genetic cluster; it is unique to B. infantis. Human milk has evolved to nourish the microbe, and it, in turn, has evolved into a consummate H.M.O.vore. Unsurprisingly, it is often the dominant microbe in the guts of breast-fed infants.
B. infantis earns its keep. As it digests H.M.O.s, it releases short-chain fatty acids, which feed an infant’s gut cells. Through direct contact, B. infantis also encourages gut cells to make adhesive proteins that seal the gaps between them, keeping microbes out of the bloodstream, and anti-inflammatory molecules that calibrate the immune system. These changes only happen when B. infantis feeds on H.M.O.s; if it gets lactose instead, it survives but doesn’t engage in any repartee with the baby’s cells. In other words, the microbe’s full beneficial potential is unlocked only when it feeds on breast milk. Likewise, for a child to reap the full benefits that milk can provide, she must have B. infantis in her gut. For that reason, David Mills, a microbiologist who works with German, actually sees B. infantis as part of milk, albeit a part that is not made in the breast.
It is unclear why human breast milk stands out among that of other mammals. It has five times as many types of H.M.O.s as cow’s milk, and several hundred times the quantity. Even chimp milk is impoverished compared with ours. Mills suggests a couple of possible explanations for this difference. One involves our brains, which are famously large for a primate of our size, and which grow incredibly quickly during our first year of life. This fast growth partly depends on a nutrient called sialic acid, which also happens to be one of the chemicals that B. infantis releases while it eats H.M.O.s. It is possible that, by keeping this bacterium well fed, mothers can raise brainier babies. This might explain why, among monkeys and apes, social species have more milk oligosaccharides than solitary ones, and a greater range of them to boot. Living in larger groups requires remembering more social ties, managing more friendships, and manipulating more rivals. Many scientists believe that these demands drove the evolution of primate intelligence; perhaps they also fuelled the diversity of H.M.O.s.
An alternative idea involves diseases. In a group setting, pathogens can easily bounce from one host to another, so animals need better ways of protecting themselves. H.M.O.s provide one such defense. When a pathogen infects our guts, it almost always begins by latching onto glycans—sugar molecules—on the surfaces of our intestinal cells. But H.M.O.s bear a striking resemblance to these glycans, so pathogens sometimes stick to them instead. They act as decoys, drawing fire away from a baby’s own cells. They can block a roll call of gut villains, including Salmonella; Listeria; Vibrio cholerae, the culprit behind cholera; Campylobacter jejuni, the most common cause of bacterial diarrhea; Entamoeba histolytica, a voracious amoeba that causes dysentery and kills a hundred thousand people every year; and many virulent strains of E. coli. H.M.O.s may even be able to obstruct H.I.V., which might explain why more than half of infants who suckle from infected mothers don’t get infected, despite drinking virus-loaded milk for months. Every time scientists have pitted a pathogen against cultured cells in the presence of H.M.O.s, the cells have come out smiling.
The team at the Foods for Health Institute has set up an impressive milk-processing facility in its mock-Tuscan building. In the main lab, which Mills runs with the food scientist Daniela Barile, there are two huge steel drums in which milk is stored, a pasteurizer that looks like an espresso machine, and a riot of other equipment for filtering the liquid and breaking it down into its components. When I visited, hundreds of empty white buckets were stacked on a nearby rack. “They’re normally full,” Barile told me. The full buckets are kept in a huge walk-in freezer, which is chilled to an intensely uncomfortable -25.6 degrees Fahrenheit. On a nearby bench, there’s a row of Wellies (“When we process, there’s milk all over,” Barile said), a hammer for chipping ice (“The door’s not closing properly”), and, inexplicably, a ham slicer (I didn’t ask). We popped our heads inside. White buckets were arrayed on pallets and shelves, containing some six hundred gallons of milk between them. A lot of this was cow’s milk, donated by dairies, but a surprising amount came from humans. “Lots of women pump milk and store it, and once their kid weans, they think, Now what do we do with it? People then hear about us and we get donations,” Mills said. “We got eighty litres, collected over two years, from someone random at Stanford University, who said, ‘I have all this milk. Do you guys want it?’ ” Yes, they did. They need all the milk they can get.
About twenty miles east of the Institute, at U.C. Davis Children’s Hospital, a pediatrician named Mark Underwood is making practical use of the findings of German and his team. Underwood heads the hospital’s neonatal intensive-care unit, which can accommodate as many as forty-eight premature babies at a time. The youngest are born at twenty-three weeks; the lightest weigh just over a pound. They are usually delivered through C-sections, put on courses of antibiotics, and stuck in a supremely sanitized environment. Bereft of the usual pioneering microbes, they grow up with a very strange microbiome: low on the usual Bifs and high in opportunistic pathogens that grow in their place. The preemies are the epitome of microbial imbalance, or dysbiosis, and their strange internal communities put them at risk of an often fatal gut condition known as necrotizing enterocolitis. Many doctors have tried to prevent NEC by giving probiotics to premature babies, with some success. But Underwood, after talking to people like German and Mills, thinks that he can do better by infusing the infants with a combination of B. infantis and breast milk. “The food you feed these bugs is as important as the bugs themselves in getting them to grow and colonize a fairly hostile environment,” he told me. If the treatment works, breast milk could do for preemies what it does for their full-term brethren, nourishing baby and bacteria, infant and infantis, and preparing them for life ahead.
Copyright © 2016 by Ed Yong. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
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A woman who was arrested after voting twice for Donald Trump — and in the process becoming a flash point in the voter fraud debate — is incompetent to stand trial, her attorney said in a motion filed in Iowa court. Terri Lynn Rote, 56, was accused in late October of casting two ballots in the general election: an early-voting ballot at the Polk County Election Office and another at a county satellite voting location, according to police records. Rote, a registered Republican, remains charged with first-degree election misconduct, and her felony case has been winding through Iowa courts.
Terri Lynn Rote, a Des Moines resident, was charged with first-degree election misconduct in October after allegedly voting twice for Donald Trump. ( Polk County Jail / Polk County Jail )
But her court-appointed attorney, Jane White, filed a motion last week saying Rote has “cognitive limitations” and can’t stay focused for long periods — things that mean she wouldn’t be able to help prepare her defence, according to the Des Moines Register. “It is unlikely that Defendant can assist in her defence or participate in the trial process,” White wrote. “It is unknown if the Defendant has been diagnosed previously with a mental health disorder, but her interactions with counsel indicate to counsel that this may be the case.” Read more:
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The president’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, sought to provide some clarity for Trump’s remarks Wednesday, according to The Washington Post’s Jenna Johnson and Matt Zapotosky. Spicer said the president wants a “study” or “task force” to study the issue of fraud, especially in “bigger states,” Johnson and Zapotosky wrote. The probe would not just focus on the 2016 election, Spicer said.
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Trump claimed in November, without evidence, that he lost the popular vote because millions of illegal votes were cast. He has provided no documentation for his assertion about voter fraud. And critics seized on the fact that one of the most highly publicized examples of voter fraud in the last election was a woman who voted for Trump — twice. Rote told The Washington Post last year that she hadn’t planned on voting twice in Polk County but said her second ballot was “a spur-of-the-moment thing” when she walked by a satellite voting location. “I don’t know what came over me,” she said. She had supported Trump since early in his campaign, after Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican primary race. Rote told an Iowa radio station that she believes “the polls are rigged” — a common Trump refrain in the closing weeks of the election. Rote said she feared that her first vote would be changed to a vote for Hillary Clinton. Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald told the Register that it was the first time in 12 years he could remember having to report possible voter fraud. “I think it shows that our voting system works in Iowa, that we’re able to catch it,” Fitzgerald told the paper. A December analysis by The Post’s Philip Bump found just four documented cases of voter fraud out of about 136 million votes cast in the 2016 election. Among them was Rote’s double-vote for Trump in Iowa. There was also a man in Texas who voted twice, and a woman who cast a ballot on behalf of her dead husband, and another woman in Florida who marked absentee ballots. The “four demonstrated examples of people committing voter fraud” accounted for 0.000002 per cent of the ballots cast in the race for the White House — “if they counted, which they won’t,” Bump wrote, adding: “There is simply no evidence that fraudulent ballots played any significant role in the 2016 presidential election whatsoever.”
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Ever since the new collective bargaining agreement was announced in November 2011, people speculated as to how the newly-formulated signing bonus budgets for the MLB Draft would affect draft strategy.
Signability became extremely important. Teams could not afford to fail to sign a pick because it caused them to forfeit their pick and the bonus money allotted for that pick, ultimately lessening their overall spending pool. That focus on signability resulted in an influx of college seniors getting drafted in earlier rounds than their talent would have otherwise dictated.
Drafting college seniors in the top ten rounds allowed organizations to sign those players — who lack negotiating leverage due to their inability to return to college — well under the prescribed slot value and bank money to utilize elsewhere.
Most teams drafted a college senior or two in the first ten rounds, but the Toronto Blue Jays took the strategy to a whole different level. In rounds four through ten, Toronto drafted seven-consecutive college seniors, and not one of those players has signed for more than $5,000 — including outfielder Alex Azor out of the United States Naval Academy, who signed for a mere $1,000 in the tenth round. Azor saved the Blue Jays $124,000 against their overall signing bonus allotment.
The massive savings accumulated in rounds four through ten was then disbursed to the quintet of high school players drafted between the supplemental and third rounds. Of those five prep players, only right-hander Tyler Gonzales signed below slot value. The other four players necessitated above-slot bonuses, especially left-hander Matt Smoral, who was a first-round talent who fell to the supplemental round due to signability concerns. Smoral reportedly signed for $2 million — or $1 million over slot value.
Toronto engaged in a fascinating strategy, in which they essentially punted rounds four through ten in order to acquire more top-end talent in the earlier rounds. In short, they opted for quality rather than quantity in the draft.
That strategy stood in stark contrast to the one practiced by the Milwaukee Brewers, for example. They did not draft a single collegiate senior in the first ten rounds. While the Blue Jays signed their tenth-round pick for $1,000, the Brewers signed left-hander Anthony Banda in the tenth round for $125,000, which was exactly slot value.
The Blue Jays took a huge chance with their draft strategy because it limits their opportunities to reap tangible benefits from their draft picks. At the same time, their draft picks have more upside and a better chance of developing into impact talent at the big league level — at least, according to scouts at this point in their respective professional careers — and in the difficult AL East, the Toronto Blue Jays desperately need to develop impact talent from their farm system to compete. They simply do not have the payroll to load up elite free agents like some of their division rivals.
In some ways, the Brewers and Blue Jays both walked into a casino with $100 to spend. The Brewers pulled up a chair at the nickel slots, maximizing their plays and odds of winning modest payouts. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, spent their money on the dollar slots. Their number of plays is more limited, but their potential payout is much, much higher. It will be interesting to see which strategy proves more effective down the road.
With Alex Anthopoulos at the helm, the Blue Jays have become one of the more creative teams in Major League Baseball. Their strategy in the 2012 Draft is just another example of that creativity at work.
(Individual signing bonuses can be found via Baseball America’s impressive Draft Database.)
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The first year of the BCS proved to be among the wildest in college football history.
The wildest part of it all?
Kansas State, which a few years earlier had considered shuttering its football program, was just minutes away from playing in the national championship.
Going into the final weekend of the 1998 season, Tennessee, UCLA and K-State were all undefeated, generating a massive controversy in the debut year of the BCS.
The Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in the coaches' poll. But because of the computers, they needed help.
Improbably, help came. Immediately after Darnell McDonald's 66-yard touchdown catch put K-State up 17-3 over Texas A&M in the second quarter of the Big 12 championship game, the stadium announcement came: Miami had stunned UCLA. The Wildcats were on their way to putting the cherry on the top of Bill Snyder's Manhattan Miracle.
Instead, that moment set the stage for an inexplicable finish in St. Louis, which left the Wildcats in heartbreak. And it turned a diminutive running back, with the help of a "voodoo doctor," into an Aggies immortal.
As Texas A&M and K-State prepare to meet this week in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl, below is a behind-the-scenes look of that famed '98 Big 12 title game, through the words of the players and coaches who lived it:
Michael Smith, K-State assistant (1995-05): Ten years before, my freshman year at K-State we go 0-11. Then Snyder gets hired. Ten years later we're close to the pinnacle of playing for a national championship. That was unreal. They were talking about dropping down to the Missouri Valley Conference with Wichita State. It was futility. Futility U.
R.C. Slocum, Texas A&M coach (1989-2002): I've seen and met and known some great coaches. But if you ask me who has done the very best job, without a doubt, Bill Snyder would be that guy.
Bill Snyder, K-State coach: I've always said I wouldn't identify which was the best of the teams that we've had. But if push came to shove, it probably has to be that ('98) team. All those guys were extremely talented players.
Michael Bishop was a Heisman finalist in 1998. Kansas State athletics
Smith: I'll say it until the end, Michael Bishop is the best dual-threat quarterback ever to play the game.
Snyder: Everyone wanted to bring him to their school to be a defensive back or a variety of different positions. We were the only school that recruited him as a quarterback. Michael was truly unique, truly very gifted. He wasn't a guy that picked up the offense real quick, because there's a lot there and we ask a lot out of our quarterbacks. So there was some talk, 'Well, we can't go with him.' And I said, 'We're going with him.' He could make plays that most people couldn't.
Michael Bishop, K-State quarterback (1997-98): A lot of us came in from junior college with the attitude that 'hey, I want to play ball,' vs. being satisfied with just being here.
Snyder: With community college players, people they say they come with baggage. That had never been our belief. Ours was, you can find good guys and bad guys out of elementary school. It's being able to select the right people.
Darnell McDonald, K-State wide receiver (1997-98): Me, Michael and Jeff Kelly were in that same class. Coach Snyder changed the way people looked at junior college players.
Dat Nguyen, Texas A&M linebacker (1995-98): In Jeff Kelly and Mark Simoneau, they had the best linebacker tandem in the country.
Snyder: Mark Simoneau, I always remembered where he sat in our meeting room and how his eyes never left my lips. He was so intent and paid such close attention to anything and everything that was said because he wanted to make himself as good as he could possibly be. I always admired his work ethic.
Slocum: They were across the board a really good football team. They were a good defensive team. They had the best kicker (Martín Gramática) in the nation. Had one of the best returners (David Allen) in the nation.
Nguyen: Their special teams were unbelievable. Gramática, every time he kicked a field goal, he jumped up and celebrated. I know him now and he's a great person. But playing against him back then, you wanted to choke him.
Mark Simoneau would twice win Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. Kansas State athletics
Aaron Lockett, K-State wide receiver (1998-01): Throughout that season, we were putting up 50 a game. It was easy. We had a team that was very dynamic. We were pretty much loaded.
Martín Gramática, K-State kicker (1994-98): Nebraska was a mental block for us. Once we finally got through that hurdle, we felt good about our chances.
Bishop: We didn't know if we'd get a fair shot because we were K-State -- not a Florida State or Tennessee.
Nguyen: Nobody was giving us an opportunity. The season before in San Antonio, Nebraska had blown us out in the Big 12 title game. We just wanted to keep this one close to give ourselves a chance.
Sirr Parker, Texas A&M running back (1995-98): I had a nagging hamstring injury throughout my senior season.
Slocum: He had been limited for quite a bit. He couldn't go full speed. Getting ready for that game, there was this doctor from the Austin area. One of our alums in San Antonio had a wife in a car accident and had gotten to know the doctor. He called me, and said, 'I've got this friend that might be able to help Sirr Parker.' It was kind of a voodoo thing almost. Our training staff was immediately skeptical of it. Wednesday, this doctor comes in. Parker hadn't been able to practice all week.
Parker: Dr. Susan Grimshaw. It was strange what she did. But she could feel the energy in her hands. She dug her thumb into my leg. Then she had me hold a single ice cube on my leg until it melted. That was it. I was healed 100 percent. Everybody was calling her the 'Voodoo Doctor.' I still don't understand what she did.
Slocum: David Cutcliffe, when he was at Ole Miss and getting ready to play Mississippi State, called me about that doctor and sent a plane to pick her up. It worked for his guy, too.
Despite a hamstring injury, Sirr Parker would score twice to help A&M overcome a 15-point deficit. Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Snyder: It wasn't a total surprise to us that (Parker) performed well. But it wasn't anything you were initially overly concerned about. We didn't take him lightly, but it wasn't something we were out practicing every day for some of the things he did.
Slocum: Randy McCown broke his collarbone in our last regular season game, so we were minus our starting quarterback. We went to Branndon Stewart. When his opportunity came, he was ready for it.
Joe Bob Clements, K-State defensive end (1995-98): This was a new area for us. I'm not sure anyone knew how to handle it. K-State had never been in that position before. It was a different kind of pressure.
Smith: I knew once Bob Stoops got the job at Oklahoma, obviously, Mike (Stoops) was gone. He was our D-coordinator. You knew he was going to come after (linebackers coach) Brent Venables because Brent was one of his protégés. The surprise was when Coach (Mark) Mangino left on the other side of the ball. To have three guys leave the staff -- that is a major distraction. It's hard to put a game plan together when you might not be there. We did our best. But players read newspapers, they know they're losing their coaches. That takes a toll. Obviously we weren't prepared well enough to be able to overcome it.
Mike Stoops, K-State assistant (1992-98): I don't remember it being a distraction. I remember having the chance to get to the national championship. You're obviously all in to what we were doing. Not many times in life you're in that position. You understand how important it is for Kansas State. You could tell by my reactions in the press box, which were normal, that we were into the game.
Clements: There were more distractions leading up to that game than there needed to be. The computers are telling you, it doesn't matter if you win or not, you don't deserve to be there. Then there's talk about our coaches leaving.
Mark Simoneau, K-State linebacker (1996-99): We started the game very fast. We had control of the game.
McDonald: After that touchdown in the second quarter, I get to the sideline and everyone started roaring.
Nguyen: They announce Miami beat UCLA, and their fans start throwing tortillas on the field, because they're going to the Fiesta Bowl to play for the national championship.
Snyder: I had asked before the ballgame, I had asked the people up there, the announcers if they would refrain from announcing the score of the UCLA ballgame. Then all of a sudden, here it comes. They weren't paying any attention to me, that's for sure. But I can't fault a P.A. announcer. We didn't play or coach well enough in the fourth quarter.
Smith: I'd be lying if I said I didn't hear the score.
Parker: The fans throwing tortillas, it was somewhat disrespectful. It wasn't K-State. It was the fans. But it got us motivated.
Lockett: Now we know, if we win, we're going on to play (in the BCS championship game).
Slocum: We were 15-point underdogs. And there in the fourth quarter, we were where they thought we'd be.
Starting for an injured Randy McCown, Branndon Stewart threw for 245 yards against Kansas State. Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Branndon Stewart, Texas A&M quarterback (1996-98): That's when we just started clicking. The defense was doing a fantastic job of getting the ball to us. Everyone on the sidelines began feeling, 'Hey, we're going to win this game.' We had a lot of momentum on our side. Then they fumble.
Smith: Bishop played his tail off all year, and he fumbles the ball on 3rd-and-six when he has a first down, and all we need is a first down to run the clock out. The biggest play in that game, and our best player fumbles.
Stewart: I couldn't believe they fumbled the ball. The one thing you cannot do right there is fumble the ball and they fumble the ball.
Bishop: The fumble doesn't bother me. One fumble didn't take all the success I had on the football field. I know I left everything on the field that day.
McDonald: It really was impossible for Texas A&M to make a run like they did. So many things went perfectly right for them.
Stewart: We drive and score, we get the two-point conversion to tie the game late. Then they have this fantastic Hail Mary, but it gets caught at the 1.
Parker: Bishop had one of the strongest arms ever. He threw the ball like 70 yards with someone on his back.
Smith: Everett Burnett catches the ball off the deflection at the 1. And you're like, what is going on?
Parker: My roommate Toya Jones is the one who tackled him on the 1-yard line.
Bishop: One more yard and the game is over.
Lockett: We were confident going into overtime. But it was hard to score in the red zone. A&M was extremely fast from sideline-to-sideline. So we had to settle for field goals.
Parker: Being third-and-17, we were just trying to get in range for a field goal to tie it back up for the third overtime. We worked on a lot of motion out of the backfield to get single coverage with me. When I went out there, the linebacker didn't come out. That opened up space.
Simoneau: Everybody knew what the play was going to be when they motioned him.
Stoops: We were in a cover 3 look. The corner just got a little wide, and they split us right in the middle of our defense.
Parker: When I caught the ball, [the corner] dove at my legs. When I felt him fall off, I said, 'Forget the field goal, let's get to the end zone.'
Clements: He definitely didn't get in. I'm not sure if it would've made a difference. We still would've had to hold them from the 1.
Parker: Whether I got in or not, that's what the referee called. I was actually talking to Jeff Kelly the other day, and he was saying, blah, blah, I didn't get in. Well, I said to him, 'My ring and the fact they played in the Alamo Bowl proved I did get in.'
Stewart: I wish I remember what that play was called. It's called the Sirr Parker play now.
Parker: It's an honor that I left that type of impression. Not just with my school, but the history of college football. Eighteen years later, they still talk about it.
The score would go down in college football lore as the "Sirr Parker Play." Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Snyder: It was just heartbreaking to lose that ballgame.
Gramática: We play that game 10 times, we probably win nine.
Clements: The fact K-State, in the middle of Kansas, put itself in that position and got that close. At that time, you didn't understand the grand scope of things, of how close we actually were to accomplishing something that would've been miraculous.
Smith: It's the only game in my career I will never watch.
Stoops: It hurt a lot leaving like that. That was probably the hardest loss I've ever had in my coaching career.
Snyder: I think it was such a major hit, having the opportunity to do something Kansas State had never been able to do, the way it happened, with the overtime, the lead we had, and then to drop so many slots in the bowl pecking order despite how close the game was. Yes, it was emotionally very, very difficult.
Nguyen: They were the best team in the country. We played UCLA the year before. We had played Florida State earlier that season. K-State would've beaten that Tee Martin Tennessee team.
Bill Snyder has won 200 games but admits the 1998 team was his best. Kansas State athletics
Lockett: Nothing against Purdue, but it was not the game we should've been in. Drew Brees played good. But they didn't get the best K-State team. They got a team that was deflated with how the BCS treated us.
McDonald: I truly believe we would've dominated Tennessee. To lose in the Alamo Bowl, it messed up our legacy.
Stoops: We didn't get to the pinnacle. That's why it's so hard. We really came from the bottom. As great as it is now, the story came that close to being epic.
Gramática: Coach Snyder deserved it more than anybody. He still deserves it. When you see him win his 200th game, you just think, 'Man, I wish we could've given him that championship.' That part still hurts like the day it happened.
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heic1405 — Science Release
Hubble witnesses an asteroid mysteriously disintegrating
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has photographed the never-before-seen break-up of an asteroid, which has fragmented into as many as ten smaller pieces. Although fragile comet nuclei have been seen to fall apart as they approach the Sun, nothing like the breakup of this asteroid, P/2013 R3, has ever been observed before in the asteroid belt.
"This is a rock. Seeing it fall apart before our eyes is pretty amazing," said David Jewitt of UCLA, USA, who led the astronomical forensics investigation.
The crumbling asteroid, designated P/2013 R3, was first noticed as an unusual, fuzzy-looking object on 15 September 2013 by the Catalina and Pan-STARRS sky surveys. Follow-up observations on 1 October with the Keck Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, revealed three co-moving bodies embedded in a dusty envelope that is nearly the diameter of Earth.
"Keck showed us that this thing was worth looking at with Hubble,” Jewitt said. With its superior resolution, the space-based Hubble observations soon showed that there were really ten distinct objects, each with comet-like dust tails. The four largest rocky fragments are up to 200 metres in radius, about twice the length of a football pitch.
The Hubble data showed that the fragments are drifting away from each other at a leisurely 1.5 kilometres per hour — slower than the speed of a strolling human. The asteroid began coming apart early last year, but the latest images show that pieces continue to emerge.
"This is a really bizarre thing to observe — we've never seen anything like it before,” says co-author Jessica Agarwal of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany. "The break-up could have many different causes, but the Hubble observations are detailed enough that we can actually pinpoint the process responsible.”
The ongoing discovery of more fragments makes it unlikely that the asteroid is disintegrating due to a collision with another asteroid, which would be instantaneous and violent in comparison to what has been observed. Some of the debris from such a high-velocity smash-up would also be expected to travel much faster than has been observed.
It is also unlikely that the asteroid is breaking apart due to the pressure of interior ices warming and vaporising. The object is too cold for ices to significantly sublimate, and it has presumably maintained its nearly 480-million-kilometre distance from the Sun for much of the age of the Solar System.
This leaves a scenario in which the asteroid is disintegrating due to a subtle effect of sunlight that causes the rotation rate to slowly increase over time. Eventually, its component pieces gently pull apart due to centrifugal force. The possibility of disruption by this phenomenon — known as the YORP effect [1] — has been discussed by scientists for several years but, so far, never reliably observed (eso1405).
For break-up to occur, P/2013 R3 must have a weak, fractured interior, probably the result of numerous ancient and non-destructive collisions with other asteroids. Most small asteroids are thought to have been severely damaged in this way, giving them a "rubble pile” internal structure. P/2013 R3 itself is probably the product of collisional shattering of a bigger body some time in the last billion years.
"This is the latest in a line of weird asteroid discoveries, including the active asteroid P/2013 P5, which we found to be spouting six tails,” says Agarwal. "This indicates that the Sun may play a large role in disintegrating these small Solar System bodies, by putting pressure on them via sunlight.”
P/2013 R3's remnant debris, weighing in at 200 000 tonnes, will provide a rich source of meteoroids in the future. Most will eventually plunge into the Sun, but a small fraction of the debris may one day blaze across our sky as meteors.
Notes
[1] In full, this effect is known as the Yarkovsky–O'Keefe–Radzievskii–Paddack effect. This effect occurs when light from the Sun is absorbed by a body and then re-emitted as heat. When the shape of the emitting body is not perfectly regular, more heat is emitted from some regions than others. This creates a small imbalance that causes a small but constant torque on the body, which changes its spin rate.
More information
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.
The results will be published in a paper entitled "Disintegrating Asteroid P/2013 R3”, to appear in the Astrophysical Journal Letters on 6 March 2014.
The international team of astronomers in this study consists of D. Jewitt (UCLA, USA), J. Agarwal (MPS, Germany), J. Li (UCLA, USA), H. Weaver (Johns Hopkins University, USA), M. Mutchler (STScI, USA), and S. Larson (University of Arizona, USA).
Image credit: NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA)
Links
Contacts
Jessica Agarwal
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
Goettingen, Germany
Tel: +49 551 384 979 346
Email: [email protected]
David Jewitt
University of California at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, USA
Tel: +1-310-825-2521
Email: [email protected]
Georgia Bladon
ESA/Hubble, Public Information Officer
Garching, Germany
Tel: +49-89-3200-6855
Email: [email protected]
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2013. What an amazing year. A year of incredible music, news, rising talents and so much more. A year of ups and downs, surprises, disappointments, sadness and love. Thankfully this year our scene was graced with an incredible number of high quality, unique and memorable albums. From Disclosure’s Settle to Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, 2013 had something in store for each and everyone of us. As we approach the end of these past amazing 12 months, comes the inevitable question, which album do you guys, our readers, think surpasses all others, which album you believe tops the rest. So that’s why this year we decided to make a poll for “Album Of The Year”. It’s simple, all you have to do is make your selection and submit it. That’s all. Let the games begin.
Note: If we missed an album be sure to let us know in the comment section below and we’ll be sure to promptly add it to the poll.
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CLARK COUNTY, NV (The Las Vegas Review-Journal) – A 15-year-old boy charged in the gang rape of a 14-year-old special education student will be prosecuted in the adult justice system, a Clark County Family Court judge ruled Wednesday.
The teen, Leby Urquilla, is one of four boys charged, and the only juvenile to be certified as an adult as of Wednesday. Two adults are also jailed in connection with the case: Jose Mejia-Henriquez, 18, and the boy’s father, Leby Alas-Gomez, 39.
The victim, who has the mental capacity of a 7- or 8-year-old, told police she was sexually assaulted by at least six males on three separate occasions in November. The accusations came to light after a video depicting the girl being used in group sex acts began circulating around Del Sol Academy in December.
“They treated this special needs girl like a piece of cattle or property, to do with what they wanted,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Kimberly Adams said Wednesday in a small juvenile courtroom.
She called the acts “heinous and egregious” while arguing for Urquilla to be tried as an adult.
Urquilla sat silently as a court interpreter translated Adams’ words into Spanish, often looking down at his lap, then at the judge.
A key piece of evidence — one of the videos shared throughout the high school — captured part of one gang rape incident, Adams said.
In the footage, the girl can be seen trying to get up while being sexually assaulted, but “they would push her back down,” Adams said.
“She repeatedly said to stop, but they don’t,” she said. “She tries to cross her legs while on her stomach, but (Urquilla) separates them.”
The victim was not at the hearing Wednesday, but her mother wiped away a tear as Adams continued, describing Urquilla as a calculated predator and the girl as “one of the most vulnerable victims of our society.”
“It appears she was used and groomed by (Urquilla),” Adams said. The girl initially liked Urquilla and wanted to fit in; she often ate lunch with the boys at school. But the relationship was about control, Adams argued.
“If he said he was hungry, she would give him her lunch,” she said. “Eventually (Urquilla) began to invite (the victim) to his apartment, and initially, she would say no. And then, after several times, she finally said OK.”
Public defender Timothy O’Brien said the boy, originally from El Salvador, had been in the United States only for about a year. He said the boy’s father created a home life with an “unrelenting” sexual atmosphere, in which prostitutes were coming in and out of the home and pornography was played “like music in an elevator.”
Yet despite this exposure to sex at such a young age, O’Brien defended Urquilla by saying the boy performed “in a sexually naive way” in the video.
Adams retorted: “Part of the problem there may have been that he didn’t have a willing participant.”
Urquilla is due in court May 4.
Leby Urquilla’s father, Leby Alas-Gomez, was arrested March 5. The 14-year-old victim told police Alas-Gomez, 39, sexually assaulted her and encouraged several teen boys, including at least one of his sons, to do the same.
A second adult, Jose Mejia-Henriquez, was arrested March 8. The 18-year-old is accused of driving the victim to Alas-Gomez’s home before sexually assaulting her during at least one group sex act. Mejia-Henriquez could also be heard “coaching” the other boys in a video police recovered depicting one of the incidents.
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Your first name
People think Donald Trump should replace Sean Spicer as press secretary — with himself.
The president held his first news conference by himself since being sworn in at the White House on Thursday, and those who were watching on Twitter immediately decided he should scrap the daily press briefings and just do this every day.
Love Trump so much. Wish he could do the press conferences instead of Spicer — DK (@Dukester_94) February 16, 2017
I think Donald Trump should do daily White House briefing instead of Sean Spicer I love how he puts the press in check — Matt Murphy (@mxmurf) February 16, 2017
something good to note: trump is actually taking questions from a variety of media instead of just 4 conservative outlets like spicer — Kris Hooks (@Captain_Hooks) February 16, 2017
Fire Spicer or don't fire him. Just have Trump do the press briefing every day.
He wants to anyway obviously. — James Pindell (@JamesPindell) February 16, 2017
@NolteNC Trump shld fire Spicer & appoint himself as Press Secretary. Mental hospitals will be full. — 45th (@BigRose25) February 16, 2017
Trump should fire Spicer and do all these press conferences himself. Much better ratings! — Caleb Watney (@CalebWatney) February 16, 2017
@skitchP Lord, we can only hope. Fire Spicer and let Trump do press conferences forever. — #NoHubris (@tokarzontigers) February 16, 2017
Trump should fire Sean Spicer and be his own Press Secretary! Today's press conference was incredible! Media absolutely shook!!! — John Binder (@JxhnBinder) February 16, 2017
Trump is gonna fire Spicer and conduct his own daily pressers. You know it. — Uncredentialed (@uncredentialed) February 16, 2017
Trump need to fire Spicer, at least trump not scared to answer questions. — rollo chester (@rollochester) February 16, 2017
I'm pretty sure right now Trump is auditioning himself to replace Sean Spicer — Neil Bhaerman (@NeilAnAlien) February 16, 2017
Has Trump decided he wants to replace Spicer as press secretary? — Laura Rozen (@lrozen) February 16, 2017
Imagine Trump made himself his own press secretary, would be far better than listening to Sean Spicer — Hugh (@HughStevensonn) February 16, 2017
@NolteNC is it too much to ask that Trump be his own press secretary from now on? — –Chris– (@cali_chriss) February 16, 2017
I feel like Trump should be his own press secretary. — Ben (@BenHowe) February 16, 2017
Well that was pure comedy gold. Move over #SNL. #Trump should be his own press secretary. #FineTunedMachine #TrumpWorld — Seán Kelly (@IAmSeanKelly) February 16, 2017
I think #Trump should just be his own press secretary. Sorry, @seanspicer . — Vin Zuvwinter (@VinSidious) February 16, 2017
All I want for Christmas is Trump to be his own press secretary from now on — –Chris– (@cali_chriss) February 16, 2017
Donald Trump should be his own Press Secretary. This is amazing. — Matt McDaniel (@GovMatt) February 16, 2017
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A man cannot live intensely except at the cost of the self. Now the bourgeois treasures nothing more highly than the self (rudimentary as his may be). And so at the cost of intensity he achieves his own preservation and security. His harvest is a quiet mind which he prefers to being possessed by God, as he does comfort to pleasure, convenience to liberty, and a pleasant temperature to that deathly inner consuming fire. The bourgeois is consequently by nature a creature of weak impulses, anxious, fearful of giving himself away and easy to rule.
It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is: each the other's opposite and complement.
Hermann Hesse (July 2, 1877 – August 9, 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. His most famous works include Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, and The Glass Bead Game (also known as Magister Ludi) all of which explore an individual's search for spirituality.
Quotes [ edit ]
In the beginning was the myth. God, in his search for self-expression, invested the souls of Hindus, Greeks, and Germans with poetic shapes and continues to invest each child's soul with poetry every day. Variant translation: In the beginning was the myth. Just as the great god composed and struggled for expression in the souls of the Indians, the Greeks and Germanic peoples, so to it continues to compose daily in the soul of every child.
God, in his search for self-expression, invested the souls of Hindus, Greeks, and Germans with poetic shapes and continues to invest each child's soul with poetry every day.
Oh, love isn't there to make us happy. I believe it exists to show us how much we can endure.
That's the way it is when you love. It makes you suffer, and I have suffered much in the years since. But it matters little that you suffer, so long as you feel alive with a sense of the close bond that connects all living things, so long as love does not die!
Sadness when there should be Joy, hatred when there should be love show compassion because we can be more because we both have scars and pain that no one will ever understand but us so be with me not against me and bring us where we were happy and free.
I have never lost the feeling of contradiction that lies behind all knowledge
As translated by Hilda Rosner
Man's life seems to me like a long, weary night that would be intolerable if there were not occasionally flashes of light , the sudden brightness of which is so comforting and wonderful, that the moments of their appearance cancel out and justify the years of darkness
There is good and reason in us, in human beings, with whom fortune plays, and we can be stronger than nature and fate , if only for a few hours. And we can draw close to one another in times of need, understand and love one another, and live to comfort each other. And sometimes, when the black depths are silent , we can do even more.
We cannot evade life 's course, but we can school ourselves to be superior to fortune and also to look unflinchingly upon the most painful things.
When I take a long look at my life, as though from outside, it does not appear particularly happy. Yet I am even less justified in calling it unhappy, despite all its mistakes. After all, it is foolish to keep probing for happiness or unhappiness, for it seems to me it would be hard to exchange the unhappiest days of my life for all the happy ones. If what matters in a person's existence is to accept the inevitable consciously, to taste the good and bad to the full and to make for oneself a more individual, unaccidental and inward destiny alongside one's external fate, then my life has been neither empty nor worthless. Even if, as it is decreed by the gods, fate has inexorably trod over my external existence as it does with everyone, my inner life has been of my own making . I deserve its sweetness and bitterness and accept full responsibility for it. p. 3
Even if, as it is decreed by the gods, fate has inexorably trod over my external existence as it does with everyone, my inner life has been of my own making . I deserve its sweetness and bitterness and accept full responsibility for it.
I was given the freedom to discover my own inclination and talents, to fashion my inmost pleasures and sorrows myself and to regard the future not as an alien higher power but as the hope and product of my own strength. p. 4
At about the age of six or seven, I realized that of all the invisible powers the one I was destined to be most strongly affected and dominated by was music. From that moment on I had a world of my own, a sanctuary and a heaven that no one could take away from me. Oh, music! A melody occurs to you; you sing it silently, inwardly only; you steep your being in it;it takes possession of all your strength and emotions, and during the time it lives in you, it effaces all that is fortuitous, evil, coarse and sad in you; it brings the world into harmony with you, it makes burdens light and gives wings to to depressed spirits. p. 4
From that moment on I had a world of my own, a sanctuary and a heaven that no one could take away from me. Oh, music! A melody occurs to you; you sing it silently, inwardly only; you steep your being in it;it takes possession of all your strength and emotions, and during the time it lives in you, it effaces all that is fortuitous, evil, coarse and sad in you; it brings the world into harmony with you, it makes burdens light and gives wings to to depressed spirits.
That is where my dearest and brightest dreams have ranged — to hear for the duration of a heartbeat the universe and the totality of life in its mysterious, innate harmony.
Was that really love? I saw all these passionate people reel about and drift haphazardly as if driven by a storm, the man filled with desire today, satiated on the morrow, loving fiercely and discarding brutally, sure of no affection and happy in no love... p. 88
Young people have many pleasures and many sorrows, because they only have themselves to think of, so every wish and every notion assume importance; every pleasure is tasted to the full, but also every sorrow, and many who find that their wishes cannot be fulfilled, immediately put an end to their lives. p. 32
That life is difficult, I have often bitterly realized. I now had further cause for serious reflection. Right up to the present I have never lost the feeling of contradiction that lies behind all knowledge. My life has been miserable and difficult, and yet to others, and sometimes to myself, it has seemed rich and wonderful. Man's life seems to me like a long, weary night that would be intolerable if there were not occasionally flashes of light, the sudden brightness of which is so comforting and wonderful, that the moments of their appearance cancel out and justify the years of darkness.
If a man does not think too much, he rejoices at rising in the morning, and at eating and drinking. He finds satisfaction in them and does not want them to be otherwise. But if he ceases to take things for granted, he seeks eagerly and hopefully during the course of the day for moments of real life, the radiance of which makes him rejoice and obliterates the awareness of time and all thoughts on the meaning and purpose of everything. One can call these moments creative, because they seem to give a feeling of union with the creator, and while they last, one is sensible of everything being necessary, even what is seemingly fortuitous. It is what the mystics call union with God. Perhaps it is the excessive radiance of these moments that make everything else appear so dark. Perhaps it is the feeling of liberation, the enchanting lightness and the suspended bliss that make the rest of life seem so difficult, demanding and oppressive. I do not know. I have not travelled very far in thought and philosophy. However I do know that if there is a state of bliss and a paradise, it must be an uninterrupted sequence of such moments, and if this state of bliss can be attained through suffering and dwelling in pain, then no sorrow or pain can be so great that one should attempt to escape from it.
The south winds roars at night,
Curlews hasten in their flight,
The air is damp and warm.
Desire to sleep has vanished now,
Spring has arrived in the night
In the wake of a storm. p. 164
Be still, my heart, away with pain!
Though passion stirs again
In blood that now flows slowly
And leads to paths once known,
These paths you tread in vain
For youth has flown. p. 165
Passion is always a mystery and unaccountable, and unfortunately there is no doubt that life does not spare its purest children and often it is just the most deserving people who cannot help loving those that destroy them. p. 217
I found some consolation or narcotic. Sometimes it was a woman, sometimes a good friend — yes, you too once helped me that way — at other times it was music or applause in the theater. But now these things no longer give me pleasure and that is why I drink. I could never sing without first having a couple of drinks, but now I can also not think, talk, live and feel tolerably well without first having a couple of drinks. p. 225
It was no different with my own life, and with Gertrude's and that of many others. Fate was not kind, life was capricious and terrible, and there was no good or reason in nature. But there is good and reason in us, in human beings, with whom fortune plays, and we can be stronger than nature and fate, if only for a few hours. And we can draw close to one another in times of need, understand and love one another, and live to comfort each other. And sometimes, when the black depths are silent, we can do even more. We can then be gods for moments, stretch out a commanding hand and create things which were not there before and which, when they are created, continue to live without us. Out of sounds, words, and other frail and worthless things, we can construct playthings — songs and poems full of meaning, consolation and goodness, more beautiful and enduring than the grim sport of fortune and destiny. We can keep the spirit of God in our hearts and, at times, when we are full of Him, He can appear in our eyes and our words, and also talk to others who do no know or do not wish to know Him. We cannot evade life's course, but we can school ourselves to be superior to fortune and also to look unflinchingly upon the most painful things. p. 236
Out of sounds, words, and other frail and worthless things, we can construct playthings — songs and poems full of meaning, consolation and goodness, more beautiful and enduring than the grim sport of fortune and destiny. We can keep the spirit of God in our hearts and, at times, when we are full of Him, He can appear in our eyes and our words, and also talk to others who do no know or do not wish to know Him.
Every man is more than just himself ; he also represents the unique, the very special and always significant and remarkable point at which the world 's phenomena intersect, only once in this way and never again.
In each individual the spirit has become flesh, in each man the creation suffers, within each one a redeemer is nailed to the cross.
The bird fights its way out of the egg . The egg is the world . Who would be born must first destroy a world.
The bird flies to God . The God's name is Abraxas
If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself . What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us.
We create gods and struggle with them, and they bless us.
Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth (1919), first published under the pseudonym "Emil Sinclair"
I wanted only to live in accord with the promptings which came from my true self. Why was that so very difficult?
"You must not give way to desires which you don't believe in. I know what you desire. You should, however, either be capable of renouncing these desires or feel wholly justified in having them. Once you are able to make your request in such a way that you will be quite certain of its fulfillment, then the fulfillment will come. But at present you alternate between desire and renunciation and are afraid all the time. All that must be overcome."
I cannot tell my story without reaching a long way back. p. 9. Prologue
Novelists when they write novels tend to take an almost godlike attitude toward their subject, pretending to a total comprehension of the story, a man's life, which they can therefore recount as God Himself might, nothing standing between them and the naked truth, the entire story meaningful in every detail. I am as little able to do this as the novelist is, even though my story is more important to me than any novelist's is to him — for this is my story; it is the story of a man, not of an invented, or possible, or idealized, or otherwise absent figure, but of a unique being of flesh and blood. Yet, what a real living human being is made of seems to be less understood today than at any time before, and men — each one of whom represents a unique and valuable experiment on the part of nature — are therefore shot wholesale nowadays. If we were not something more than unique human beings, if each one of us could really be done away with once and for all by a single bullet, story telling would lose all purpose. But every man is more than just himself; he also represents the unique, the very special and always significant and remarkable point at which the world's phenomena intersect, only once in this way and never again. That is why every man's story is important, eternal, sacred; that is why every man, as long as he lives and fulfills the will of nature, is wondrous, and worthy of every consideration. In each individual the spirit has become flesh, in each man the creation suffers, within each one a redeemer is nailed to the cross.
Few people nowadays know what man is. Many sense this ignorance and die the more easily because of it, the same way that I will die more easily once I have completed this story. p. 9. Prologue
If we were not something more than unique human beings, if each one of us could really be done away with once and for all by a single bullet, story telling would lose all purpose. But That is why every man's story is important, eternal, sacred; that is why every man, as long as he lives and fulfills the will of nature, is wondrous, and worthy of every consideration. Few people nowadays know what man is. Many sense this ignorance and die the more easily because of it, the same way that I will die more easily once I have completed this story.
I do not consider myself less ignorant than most people. I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teachings my blood whispers to me. My story is not a pleasant one; it is neither sweet nor harmonious, as invented stories are; it has the taste of nonsense and chaos, of madness and dreams — like the lives of all men who stop deceiving themselves.
Each man's life represents the road toward himself, and attempt at such a road, the intimation of a path. No man has ever been entirely and completely himself. Yet each one strives to become that — one in an awkward, the other in a more intelligent way, each as best he can. p. 9 Prologue
My story is not a pleasant one; it is neither sweet nor harmonious, as invented stories are; it has the taste of nonsense and chaos, of madness and dreams — like the lives of all men who stop deceiving themselves. Each man's life represents the road toward himself, and attempt at such a road, the intimation of a path.
You must find your dream, then the way becomes easy. But there is no dream that lasts forever, each dream is followed by another, and one should not cling to any particular one. p. 94
But there is no dream that lasts forever, each dream is followed by another, and one should not cling to any particular one.
Love does not entreat; or demand. Love must have the strength to become certain within itself. Then it ceases merely to be attracted and begins to attract. p. 94
People with courage and character always seem sinister to the rest. It was a scandal that a breed of fearless and sinister people ran around freely, so they attached a nickname and a myth to these people to get even with them, to make up for the many times they had felt afraid. p. 123
It was a scandal that a breed of fearless and sinister people ran around freely, so they attached a nickname and a myth to these people to get even with them, to make up for the many times they had felt afraid.
I realize today that nothing in the world is more distasteful to a man than to take the path that leads to himself. p. 134
Then came those years in which I was forced to recognize the existence of a drive within me that had to make itself small and hide from the world of light. The slowly awakening sense of my own sexuality overcame me, as it does every person, like an enemy and terrorist, as something forbidden, tempting, and sinful. What my curiosity sought, what dreams, lust and fear created — the great secret of puberty — did not fit at all into my sheltered childhood. I behaved like everyone else. I led the double life of a child who is no longer a child. My conscious self lived within the familiar and sanctioned world; it denied the new world that dawned within me. Side by side with this I lived in a world of dreams, drives and desires of a chthonic nature, across which my conscious self desperately built its fragile bridges, for the childhood world within me was falling apart. Like most parents, mine were no help with the new problems of puberty, to which no reference was ever made. All they did was take endless trouble in supporting my hopeless attempts to deny reality and to continue dwelling in a childhood world that was becoming more and more unreal. I have no idea whether parents can be of help, and I do not blame mine. It was my own affair to come to terms with myself and to find my own way, and like most well-brought-up children, I managed it badly. p. 135
Only the ideas that we actually live are of any value. You knew all along that your sanctioned world was only half the world and you tried to suppress the second half the same way the priests and teachers do. You won't succeed. No one succeeds in this once he has begun to think. p. 146
You knew all along that your sanctioned world was only half the world and you tried to suppress the second half the same way the priests and teachers do. You won't succeed. No one succeeds in this once he has begun to think.
Certainly you shouldn't go kill somebody or rape a girl, no! But you haven't reached the point where you can understand the actual meaning of "permitted" and "forbidden." You've only sensed part of the truth. You will feel the other part, too, you can depend on it. For instance, for about a year you have had to struggle with a drive that is stronger than any other and which is considered "forbidden." The Greeks and many other peoples, on the other hand, elevated this drive, made it divine and celebrated it in great feasts. What is forbidden, in other words, is not something eternal; it can change. Anyone can sleep with a woman as soon as he's been to a pastor with her and has married her, yet other races do it differently, even nowadays. Each of us has to find out for himself what is permitted and what is forbidden — forbidden for him. It's possible for one never to transgress a single law and still be a bastard. And vice versa. Actually it's only a question of convenience. Those who are too lazy and comfortable to think for themselves and be their own judges obey the laws. Others sense their own laws within them; things are forbidden to them that every honorable man will do any day in the year and other things are allowed to them that are generally despised. Each person must stand on his own feet. p. 147
You will feel the other part, too, you can depend on it. For instance, for about a year you have had to struggle with a drive that is stronger than any other and which is considered "forbidden." The Greeks and many other peoples, on the other hand, elevated this drive, made it divine and celebrated it in great feasts. What is forbidden, in other words, is not something eternal; it can change. Anyone can sleep with a woman as soon as he's been to a pastor with her and has married her, yet other races do it differently, even nowadays. Actually it's only a question of convenience. Those who are too lazy and comfortable to think for themselves and be their own judges obey the laws. Others sense their own laws within them; things are forbidden to them that every honorable man will do any day in the year and other things are allowed to them that are generally despised.
Now everything changed. My childhood world was breaking apart around me. My parents eyed me with a certain embarrassment. My sisters had become strangers to me. A disenchantment falsified and blunted my usual feelings and joys: the garden lacked fragrance, the woods held no attraction for me, the world stood around me like a clearance sale of last year's secondhand goods, insipid, all its charm gone. Books were so much paper, music a grating noise. That is the way leaves fall around a tree in autumn, a tree unaware of the rain running down its sides, of the sun or the frost, and of life gradually retreating inward. The tree does not die. It waits. p. 149
My childhood world was breaking apart around me. My parents eyed me with a certain embarrassment. My sisters had become strangers to me. A disenchantment falsified and blunted my usual feelings and joys: the garden lacked fragrance, the woods held no attraction for me, the world stood around me like a clearance sale of last year's secondhand goods, insipid, all its charm gone. Books were so much paper, music a grating noise. That is the way leaves fall around a tree in autumn, a tree unaware of the rain running down its sides, of the sun or the frost, and of life gradually retreating inward.
One of the aphorisms occurred to me now and I wrote it under the picture: " Fate and temperament are two words for one and the same concept. " That was clear to me now. p. 162
" That was clear to me now.
The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. The God's name is Abraxas. p. 166 Variant translation: The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born must first destroy a world. The bird is flying to God. The name of the God is called Abraxas. As translated by W. J. Strachan
Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. The God's name is Abraxas.
We ought not to consider the opinions of those sects as naïve as they appear from the rationalist point of view. Science as we know it today was unknown to antiquity. Instead there existed a preoccupation with philosophical and mystical truths which was highly developed. What grew out of this preoccupation was to some extent merely pedestrian magic and frivolity; perhaps it frequently led to deceptions and crimes, but this magic, too, had noble antecedents in a profound philosophy. As, for instance, the teachings concerning Abraxas which I cited a moment ago. This name occurs in connection with Greek magical formulas and is frequently considered to be the name of some magician's helper such as certain uncivilized tribes believe in even at present. But it appears that Abraxas has much deeper significance. We may conceive of the name as that of the godhead whose symbolic task is the uniting of godly and devilish elements. p. 167
Science as we know it today was unknown to antiquity. Instead there existed a preoccupation with philosophical and mystical truths which was highly developed. What grew out of this preoccupation was to some extent merely pedestrian magic and frivolity; perhaps it frequently led to deceptions and crimes, but this magic, too, had noble antecedents in a profound philosophy. As, for instance, the teachings concerning Abraxas which I cited a moment ago. This name occurs in connection with Greek magical formulas and is frequently considered to be the name of some magician's helper such as certain uncivilized tribes believe in even at present. But
Abraxas was the god who was both god and devil. p. 168
I had grown a thin mustache, I was a full-grown man, and yet I was completely helpless and without a goal in life. p. 169
I wanted only to try to live in accord with the promptings which came from my true self. Why was that so very difficult? p. 170
If nature has made you a bat, you shouldn't try and be an ostrich. You consider yourself odd at times, you accuse yourself of taking a road different from most people. You have to unlearn that! Gaze into the fire, the clouds and as soon as the inner voices begin to speak - surrender to them. Don't ask first whether it is permitted or would please your teachers or your father or some God. You will ruin yourself if you do that. That way you will become earth bound, a vegetable. p. 180
Our god's name is Abraxas and he is God and Satan and he contains both the luminous and the dark world. Abraxas does not take exception to any of your thoughts, any of your dreams. Never forget that. But he will leave you once you've become blameless and normal. Then he will leave you and look for a different vessel in which to brew his thoughts. p. 180
Abraxas does not take exception to any of your thoughts, any of your dreams. Never forget that. But he will leave you once you've become blameless and normal. Then he will leave you and look for a different vessel in which to brew his thoughts.
Wenn wir einen Menschen hassen, so hassen wir in seinem Bild etwas, was in uns selber sitzt. Was nicht in uns selber ist, das regt uns nicht auf. Translation: If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us. p. 182
I live in my dreams — that's what you sense. Other people live in dreams, but not in their own. That's the difference. p. 183
We aren't pigs as you seem to think, but human beings. We create gods and struggle with them, and they bless us. p. 188
You, too, have mysteries of your own. I know that you must have dreams that you don't tell me. I don't want to know them. But I can tell you: live those dreams, play with them, build altars to them. It is not yet the ideal but it points in the right direction. Whether you and I and a few others will renew the world someday remains to be seen. But within ourselves we must renew it each day, otherwise we just aren't serious. Don't forget that! p. 181
I know that you must have dreams that you don't tell me. I don't want to know them. But I can tell you: live those dreams, play with them, build altars to them. It is not yet the ideal but it points in the right direction.
Each man had only one genuine vocation — to find the way to himself p. 193
The world, as it is now, wants to die, wants to perish — and it will. p. 199
See also Siddhartha (novel)
A true seeker could not accept any teachings, not if he sincerely wished to find something. But he who had found, could give his approval to every path, every goal; nothing separated him from all of the other thousands who lived in eternity , who breathed the Divine.
Wisdom is not communicable . The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.
During deep meditation it is possible to dispel time , to see simultaneously all the past present , and future , and then everything is good , everything is perfect , everything is Brahman
The potential Buddha already exists in the sinner; his future is already there. The potential hidden Buddha must be recognized in him, in you, in everybody.
Love is the most important thing in the world . It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration and respect.
Siddhartha … had begun to suspect that his worthy father and his other teachers, the wise Brahmins, had already passed on to him the bulk and best of their wisdom, that they had already poured the sum total of their knowledge into his waiting vessel; and the vessel was not full, his intellect was not satisfied. H. Rosner, trans. (Bantam: 1971), p. 5
When you throw a rock into the water, it will speed on the fastest course to the bottom of the water. This is how it is when Siddhartha has a goal, a resolution. Siddhartha does nothing, he waits, he thinks, he fasts, but he passes through the things of the world like a rock through water, without doing anything, without stirring; he is drawn, he lets himself fall. His goal attracts him, because he doesn't let anything enter his soul which might oppose the goal. This is what Siddhartha has learned among the Samanas. This is what fools call magic and of which they think it would be effected by means of the daemons. Nothing is effected by daemons, there are no daemons. Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goals, if he is able to think, if he is able to wait, if he is able to fast. As translated by Ejvind Haas
Siddhartha does nothing, he waits, he thinks, he fasts, but he passes through the things of the world like a rock through water, without doing anything, without stirring; he is drawn, he lets himself fall. His goal attracts him, because he doesn't let anything enter his soul which might oppose the goal. This is what Siddhartha has learned among the Samanas. This is what fools call magic and of which they think it would be effected by means of the daemons. Nothing is effected by daemons, there are no daemons.
They knew a tremendous number of things — But was it worthwhile knowing all these things if they did not know the one important thing, the only important thing? p. 21
There is, so I believe, in the essence of everything, something that we cannot call learning. There is, my friend, only a knowledge — that is everywhere, that is Atman, that is in me and you and in every creature, and I am beginning to believe that this knowledge has no worse enemy than the man of knowledge, than learning. p. 29 Variant translation: I am beginning to believe that this knowledge has no worse enemy than the desire to know learning.
I have never seen a man look and smile, sit and walk like that, he thought. I, also, would like to look and smile, sit and walk like that, so free, so worthy, so restrained, so candid, so childlike and mysterious. A man only looks and walks like that when he has conquered his self. I also will conquer my self. H. Rosner, trans. (Bantam: 1971), p. 35
You are like me; you are different from other people. You are Kamala and no one else, and within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself, just as I can. Few people have that capacity and yet everyone could have it. Siddhartha to Kamala, p. 58
The world had caught him; pleasure, covetousness, idleness, and finally also that vice he had always despised and scorned as the most foolish—acquisitiveness. Property, possessions and riches had also finally trapped him. They were no longer a game and a toy. They had become a chain and a burden. H. Rosner, trans. (Bantam: 1971), pp. 76-79
Like one who has eaten and drunk too much and vomits painfully, and then feels better, so did the restless man wish he could rid himself with one terrific heave of these pleasures, of these habits of this entirely senseless life. H. Rosner, trans. (Bantam: 1971), p. 82
A true seeker could not accept any teachings, not if he sincerely wished to find something. But he who had found, could give his approval to every path, every goal; nothing separated him from all of the other thousands who lived in eternity, who breathed the Divine. p. 80
Although he had reached a high stage of self-discipline and bore his last wound well, he now felt as if these ordinary people were his brothers. Their vanities, desires, and trivialities no longer seemed absurd to him; they had become understandable, lovable, and even worthy of respect. p. 90
These people were worthy of love and admiration in their blind loyalty, in their blind strength and tenacity. With the exception of one small thing, one tiny little thing, they lacked nothing that the sage and thinker had, and that was the consciousness of the unity of all life. p. 90
Within Siddhartha there slowly grew and ripened the knowledge of what wisdom really was and the goal of his long seeking. It was nothing but a preparation of the soul, a capacity, a secret art of thinking, feeling, and breathing thoughts of unity at every moment of life.
When Siddhartha listened attentively to this river, to the song of a thousand voices; when he did not listen to the sorrow or laughter, when he did not bind his soul to any one particular voice and absorb it in his Self, but heard them all, the whole, the unity; then the great song of a thousand voices consisted of one word: Om — perfection. p. 94
From that hour Siddhartha ceased to fight against his destiny. There shone in his face the serenity of knowledge, of one who is no longer confronted with conflict of desires, who has found salvation, who is in harmony with the stream of events, with the stream of life, full of sympathy and compassion, surrendering himself to the stream, belonging to the unity of all things. p. 94
What could I say to you that would be of value, except that perhaps you seek too much, that as a result of your seeking you cannot find. … When someone is seeking, it happens quite easily that he only sees the thing that he is seeking; that he is unable to find anything, unable to absorb anything, because he is only thinking of the thing he is seeking, because he has a goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are perhaps indeed a seeker, for in striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose. H. Rosner, trans. (Bantam: 1971), p. 140
… When someone is seeking, it happens quite easily that he only sees the thing that he is seeking; that he is unable to find anything, unable to absorb anything, because he is only thinking of the thing he is seeking, because he has a goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are perhaps indeed a seeker, for in striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose.
Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.
Everything that is thought and expressed in words is one-sided, only half the truth; it all lacks totality, completeness, unity. When the Illustrious Buddha taught about the world, he had to divide it into Samsara and Nirvana, illusion and truth, into suffering and salvation. One cannot do otherwise, there is no other method for those who teach. But the world itself, being in and around us, is never one-sided. Never is a man or a deed wholly Samsara or wholly Nirvana; never is a man wholly a saint or a sinner. This only seems so because we suffer the illusion that time is something real.
Listen my friend! I am a sinner and you are a sinner, but someday the sinner will be Brahma again, will someday attain Nirvana, will someday become a Buddha. Now this "someday" is illusion; it is only a comparison. The sinner is not on his way to a Buddha-like state; he is not evolving, although our thinking cannot conceive things otherwise. No, the potential Buddha already exists in the sinner; his future is already there. The potential hidden Buddha must be recognized in him, in you, in everybody. The world, Govinda, is not imperfect or slowly evolving along a path to perfection. No, it is perfect at every moment; every sin already carries grace within it, all small children are potential old men, all sucklings have death within them, all dying people — eternal life. It is not possible for one person to see how far another is on the way; the Buddha exits in robber and the dice player; the robber exists in the Brahmin. During deep meditation it is possible to dispel time, to see simultaneously all the past, present, and future, and then everything is good, everything is perfect, everything is Brahman.
I had to strive for property and experience nausea and the depths of despair in order to learn not to resist them, in order to learn to love the world, and no longer compare it with some kind of desired imaginary world, some imaginary vision of perfection, but to leave it as it is, to love it and be glad to belong to it. These, Govinda, are some of the thoughts in my mind.
Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different immediately after they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish. And yet it also pleases me and seems right that what is of value and wisdom to one man seems nonsense to another. Sometimes quoted in grammatically corrected form as " They always become a little different immediately after they are expressed... " but the apparent editing error here is retained in the published versions of this translation.
And yet it also pleases me and seems right that what is of value and wisdom to one man seems nonsense to another.
Here is a doctrine at which you will laugh. It seems to me, Govinda, that Love is the most important thing in the world. It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration and respect.
One day I would be a better hand at the game . One day I would learn how to laugh
When artists create pictures and thinkers search for laws and formulate thoughts, it is in order to salvage something from the great dance of death , to make something that lasts longer than we do.
See also Steppenwolf
As for others and the world around him he never ceased in his heroic and earnest endeavor to love them, to be just to them, to do them no harm, for the love of his neighbor was as deeply in him as the hatred of himself, and so his whole life was an example that love of one's neighbor is not possible without love of one's self, and that self-hate is really the same thing as sheer egoism and in the long run breeds the same cruel isolation and despair. Preface
Wait a moment, here I have it. This: 'Most men will not swim before they are able to.' Is not that witty? Naturally, they won't swim! They are born for the solid earth, not for the water. And naturally they won't think. They are made for life, not for thought. Yes, and he who thinks, what's more, he who makes thought his business, he may go far in it, but he has bartered the solid earth for the water all the same, and one day he will drown. p. 16
Haller’s sickness of soul, as I now know, is not the eccentricity of a single individual, but the sickness of the times themselves, the neurosis of that generation to which Haller belongs, a sickness, it seems, that by no means attacks the weak and worthless only but rather those who are strongest in spirit and richest in gifts. p. 21
Human life is reduced to real suffering, to hell, only when two ages, two cultures and religions overlap. p. 22
I sped through heaven and saw god at work. I suffered holy pains. I dropped all my defences and was afraid of nothing in the world. I accepted all things and to all things I gave up my heart. p. 30
I cannot understand nor share these joys, though they are within my reach, for which thousands of others strive. On the other hand, what happens to me in my rare hours of joy, what for me is bliss and life and ecstasy and exaltation, the world in general seeks at most in imagination; in life it finds it absurd. And in fact, if the world is right, if this music of the cafés, these mass enjoyments and these Americanised men who are pleased with so little are right, then I am wrong, I am crazy. I am in truth the Steppenwolf that I often call myself; that beast astray who finds neither home nor joy nor nourishment in a world that is strange and incomprehensible to him. pp. 30-1
MAGIC THEATER
ENTRANCE NOT FOR EVERYBODY
I tried to open the door, but the heavy old latch would not stir. The display too was over. It had suddenly ceased, sadly convinced of its uselessness. I took a few steps back, landing deep into the mud, but no more letters came. The display was over. For a long time I stood waiting in the mud, but in vain.
Then, when I had given up and gone back to the alley, a few colored letters were dropped here and there, reflected on the asphalt in front of me. I read:
FOR MADMEN ONLY! p. 32
ENTRANCE NOT FOR EVERYBODY I tried to open the door, but the heavy old latch would not stir. The display too was over. It had suddenly ceased, sadly convinced of its uselessness. I took a few steps back, landing deep into the mud, but no more letters came. The display was over. For a long time I stood waiting in the mud, but in vain. Then, when I had given up and gone back to the alley, a few colored letters were dropped here and there, reflected on the asphalt in front of me. I read: FOR MADMEN ONLY!
How foolish to wear oneself out in vain longing for warmth! Solitude is independence. It had been my wish and with the years I had attained it. It was cold. Oh, cold enough! But it was also still, wonderfully still and vast like the cold stillness of space in which the stars revolve.
These persons all have two souls, two beings within them. There is God and the devil in them; the mother's blood and the father's; the capacity for happiness and the capacity for suffering; and in just such a state of enmity and entanglement towards and within each other as were the wolf and man in Harry.
He gained strength through familiarity with the thought that the emergency exit stood always open and became curious, too, to taste his suffering to the dregs. If it went too badly with him he could feel sometimes with a grim malicious pleasure: “I am curious to see all the same just how much man can endure. If the limit of what is bearable is reached, I have only to open the door to escape.” There are a great many suicides to which this thought imparts a common strength.
Now what we call “bourgeois,” when regarded as an element always to be found in human life, is nothing else than the search for a balance. It is the striving after a mean between the countless extremes and opposite that arise in human conduct.
A man cannot live intensely except at the cost of the self
The lone wolf who knows no peace, these victims of unceasing pain to whom the urge for tragedy has been denied and who can never break through the starry space, who feel themselves summoned thither and yet cannot survive in its atmosphere-for them is reserved, provided suffering has made their spirits rough and elastic enough, a way of reconcilement and an escape into humor. Humor has always something bourgeois in it, although the true bourgeois in capable of understanding it.
A thousand such possibilities await him. His fate brings them on, leaving him no choice; for those outside of the bourgeoisie live in the atmosphere of these magic possibilities. A mere nothing suffices — and the lightning strikes. p. 56
Man is an onion made up of a hundred integuments, a texture made up of many threads.
Man is not by any means of fixed and enduring form (this, in spite of suspicious to the contrary on the part of their wise men, was the ideal of the ancients). He is much more an experiment and a transition. He is nothing else than the narrow and perilous bridge between nature and spirit. His innermost destiny drives him on to the spirit and to God. His innermost longing draws him back to nature, and the mother. Between the two forces his life hangs tremulous and resolute.
A man cannot live intensely except at the cost of the self. Now the bourgeois treasures nothing more highly than the self (rudimentary as his may be). And so at the cost of intensity he achieves his own preservation and security. His harvest is a quiet mind which he prefers to being possessed by God, as he does comfort to pleasure, convenience to liberty, and a pleasant temperature to that deathly inner consuming fire. The bourgeois is consequently by nature a creature of weak impulses, anxious, fearful of giving himself away and easy to rule. pp. 51-52
It appears to be an inborn and imperative need of all men to regard the self as a unit. However often and however grievously this illusion is shattered, it always mends again. The judge who sits over the murderer and looks into his face, and at one moment recognizes all the emotions and potentialities and possibilities of the murderer in his own soul and hears the murderer’s voice as his own, is at the next moment one and indivisible as the judge, and scuttles back into the shell of his cultivated self and does his duty and condemns the murderer to death. And if ever the suspicion of their manifold being dawns upon men of unusual powers and of unusually delicate perceptions, so that, as all genius must, they break through the illusion of the unity of the personality and perceive that the self is made up of a bundle of selves, they have only to say so and at once the majority puts them under lock and key, calls science to aid, establishes schizomania and protects humanity from the necessity of hearing the cry of truth from the lips of these unfortunate persons. p. 58
Out whole civilization was a cemetery where Jesus Christ and Socrates, Mozart and Haydn, Dante and Goethe were but indecipherable names on moldering stones; and the mourners who stood round affecting a pretense of sorrow would give much to believe in these inscriptions which once were holy, or at least to utter one heart-felt word of grief and despair about this world that is no more. And nothing was left them but the embarrassed grimaces of a company round a grave.
Without really wanting to at all, they pay calls and carry on conversations, sit out their hours at desks and on office chairs; and it is all compulsory, mechanical and against the grain, and it could all be done or left undone just as well by machines; and indeed the never ending machinery that prevents their being, like me, the critics of their own lives and recognizing the stupidity and shallowness, the hopeless tragedy and waste of the lives they lead, and the awful ambiguity grinning over it all. And they are right, right a thousand times to live as they do, playing their games and pursuing their business, instead of resisting the dreary machine and staring into the void as I do, who have left the track.
As a body everyone is single, as a soul never. p. 59
All birth means separation from the All, the confinement within limitation, the separation from God, the pangs of being born ever anew. The return into the All, the dissolution of painful individuation, the reunion with God means the expansion of the soul until it is able once more to embrace the All. p. 73
"Obeying is like eating and drinking. There's nothing like it if you've been without it too long"
"You should not take old people who are already dead seriously. It does them injustice. We immortals do not like things to be taken seriously. We like joking. Seriousness, young man, is an accident of time. It consists, I don't mind telling you in confidence, in putting too high a value on time. I, too, once put too high a value on time. For that reason I wished to be a hundred years old. In eternity, however, there is no time, you see. Eternity is a mere moment, just long enough for a joke. " p. 97
" No, I'm not religious I'm sorry to say. There is no time now to be religious."
"No time. Does it need time to be religious?"
"Oh, yes. To be religious you must have time and, even more, independence of time. You can't be religious in earnest and at the same time live in actual things and still take them seriously, time and money and Odéon Bar and all that."
In the German spirit the matriarchal link with nature rules in the form of the hegemony of music to an extent unknown in any other people.
Instead of playing his part as truly and honestly as he could, the German intellectual has constantly rebelled against the word and against reason and courted wonderful creations of sound, and wonderful beauties of feeling and mood that were never pressed home to reality, has left the greater part of its practical gifts to decay. None of us intellectuals is at home in reality. We are strange to it and hostile. That is why the part played by intellect even in our own German reality, in our history and politics and public opinion, has be so lamentable a one.
All this, I said, just as today was the case with the beginnings of wireless, would be of no more service to man than as an escape from himself and his true aims, and a means of surrounding himself with an ever closer mesh of distractions and useless activities. p. 103
Your faith has found no more air to breathe. And suffocation is a hard death. p.149
For the first time I understood Goethe’s laughter, the laughter of the immortals. It was a laughter without an object. It was simply light and lucidity. It was that which is left over when a true man has passed through all the sufferings, vices, mistakes, passions, and misunderstandings of men and got through to eternity and the world of space. And eternity was nothing else than the redemption of time, its return to innocence, so to speak, and its transformation again to space. p. 154
The sacred sense of beyond, of timelessness, of a world which had an eternal value and the substance of which was divine had been given back to me today by this friend of mine who taught me dancing. p. 154
“It is not a good thing when man overstrains his reason and tries to reduce to rational order matters that are no susceptible of rational treatment. Then there are ideals such as those of the Americans or Bolsheviks. Both are extraordinarily rational, and both lead to a frightful oppression and impoverishment of life, because they simplify it so crudely. The likeness of man, once a high ideal, is in process of becoming a machinemade article. It is for madmen like us, perhaps, to ennoble it again. ”
” p. 188
"Life is always frightful. We cannot help it and we are responsible all the same. One's born at once one is guilty." p. 206, Mozart
One day I would be a better hand at the game. One day I would learn how to laugh. Pablo was waiting for me, and Mozart too. p. 218
Pablo was waiting for me, and Mozart too.
What you call passion is not spiritual force , but friction between the soul and the outside world
It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is: each the other's opposite and complement.
We fear death, we shudder at life's instability, we grieve to see the flowers wilt again and again, and the leaves fall, and in our hearts we know that we, too, are transitory and will soon disappear. When artists create pictures and thinkers search for laws and formulate thoughts, it is in order to salvage something from the great dance of death, to make something that lasts longer than we do.
All existence seemed to be based on duality, on contrast. Either one was a man or one was a woman, either a wanderer or sedentary burgher, either a thinking person or a feeling person-no one could breathe in at the same time as he breathed out, be a man as well as a woman, experience freedom as well as order, combine instinct and mind. One always had to pay for one with the loss of the other, and one thing was always just as important and desirable as the other.
How mysterious this life was, how deep and muddy its waters ran, yet how clear and noble what emerged from them.
One thing, however, did become clear to him [Goldmund] – why so many perfect works of art did not please him at all, why they were almost hateful and boring to him, in spite of a certain undeniable beauty. Workshops, churches, and palaces were full of these fatal works of art; he had even helped with a few himself. They were deeply disappointing because they aroused the desire for the highest and did not fulfill it. They lacked the most essential thing – mystery. That was what dreams and truly great works of art had in common: mystery.
If I know what love is, it is because of you.
Without a mother, one cannot love. Without a mother, one cannot die.
Die Morgenlandfahrt (1932)
It was my destiny to join in a great experience. Having had the good fortune to belong to the League, I was permitted to be a participant in unique journey. What wonder it had at the time! How radiant and comet-like it seemed, and how quickly it has been forgotten and allowed to fall into disrepute. For this reason, I have decided to attempt a short description of this fabulous journey, a journey the like of which had not been attempted since the days of Hugo and mad Roland.
He thought for a moment, brought back from his reflections. "It was only possible for me to do it," he said, "because it was necessary. I either had to write the book or be reduced to despair; it was the only means of saving me from nothingness, chaos and suicide. The book was written under this pressure and brought me the expected cure, simply because it was written, irrespective of whether it was good or bad. That was the only thing that counted. And while writing it, there was no need for me to think at all of any other reader but myself, or at the most, here and there another close war comrade, and I certainly never thought then about the survivors, but always about those who fell in the war. While writing it, I was as if delirious or crazy, surrounded by three or four people with mutilated bodies — that is how the book was produced."
Those who direct the maximum force of their desires toward the center, toward true being , toward perfection , seem quieter than the passionate souls because the flame of their fervor cannot always be seen
absolute, perfect The doctrine you desire dogma that alone provides wisdom , does not exist. Nor should you long for a perfect doctrine, my friend . Rather, you should long for the perfection of yourself. The deity is within you, not in ideas and books Truth is lived , not taught
It is a pity that you students aren't fully aware of the luxury and abundance in which you live
Every symbol and combination of symbols led not hither and yon, not to single examples, experiments, and proofs , but into the center, the mystery and innermost heart of the world , into primal knowledge
In the alternation between inhaling and exhaling, between heaven and earth , between Yin and Yang, holiness is forever being created.
See also The Glass Bead Game
For although in a certain sense and for light-minded persons non-existent things can be more easily and irresponsibly represented in words than existing things, for the serious and conscientious historian it is just the reverse. Nothing is harder, yet nothing is more necessary, than to speak of certain things whose existence is neither demonstrable nor probable. The very fact that serious and conscientious men treat them as existing things brings them a step closer to existence and to the possibility of being born. Motto of the work written by Hesse, and attributed to an "Albertus Secundus"
Nothing is harder, yet nothing is more necessary, than to speak of certain things whose existence is neither demonstrable nor probable.
The Glass Bead Game, formerly the specialized entertainment of mathematicians in one era, philologists or musicians in another era, now more and more cast its spell upon all true intellectuals. Many an old university, many a lodge, and especially the age-old League of Journeyers to the East, turned to it. Some of the Catholic Orders likewise scented a new intellectual atmosphere and yielded to its lure. At some Benedictine abbeys the monks devoted themselves to the Game so intensely that even in those early days the question was hotly debated — it was subsequently to crop up again now and then — whether this game ought to be tolerated, supported, or forbidden by Church and Curia.
Mnemonists, people with freakish memories and no other virtues, were capable of playing dazzling games, dismaying and confusing the other participants by their rapid muster of countless ideas. In the course of time such displays of virtuosity fell more and more under a strict ban, and contemplation became a highly important component of the Game. Ultimately, for the audiences at each Game it became the main thing. This was the necessary turning toward the religious spirit. What had formerly mattered was following the sequences of ideas and the whole intellectual mosaic of a Game with rapid attentiveness, practiced memory, and full understanding. But there now arose the demand for a deeper and more spiritual approach. After each symbol conjured up by the director of a Game, each player was required to perform silent, formal meditation on the content, origin, and meaning of this symbol, to call to mind intensively and organically its full purport. The members of the Order and of the Game associations brought the technique and practice of contemplation with them from their elite schools, where the art of contemplation and meditation was nurtured with the greatest care. In this way the hieroglyphs of the Game were kept from degenerating into mere empty signs.
Under the shifting hegemony of now this, now that science or art, the Game of games had developed into a kind of universal language through which the players could express values and set these in relation to one another. Throughout its history the Game was closely allied with music, and usually proceeded according to musical and mathematical rules. One theme, two themes, or three themes were stated, elaborated, varied, and underwent a development quite similar to that of the theme in a Bach fugue or a concerto movement. A Game, for example, might start from a given astronomical configuration, or from the actual theme of a Bach fugue, or from a sentence out of Leibniz or the Upanishads, and from this theme, depending on the intentions and talents of the player, it could either further explore and elaborate the initial motif or else enrich its expressiveness by allusions to kindred concepts. Beginners learned how to establish parallels, by means of the Game's symbols, between a piece of classical music and the formula for some law of nature. Experts and Masters of the Game freely wove the initial theme into unlimited combinations.
For a long time one school of players favored the technique of stating side by side, developing in counterpoint, and finally harmoniously combining two hostile themes or ideas, such as law and freedom, individual and community. In such a Game the goal was to develop both themes or theses with complete equality and impartiality, to evolve out of thesis and antithesis the purest possible synthesis. In general, aside from certain brilliant exceptions, Games with discordant, negative, or skeptical conclusions were unpopular and at times actually forbidden. This followed directly from the meaning the Game had acquired at its height for the players. It represented an elite, symbolic form of seeking for perfection, a sublime alchemy, an approach to that Mind which beyond all images and multiplicities is one within itself — in other words, to God. Pious thinkers of earlier times had represented the life of creatures, say, as a mode of motion toward God, and had considered that the variety of the phenomenal world reached perfection and ultimate cognition only in the divine Unity. Similarly, the symbols and formulas of the Glass Bead Game combined structurally, musically, and philosophically within the framework of a universal language, were nourished by all the sciences and arts, and strove in play to achieve perfection, pure being, the fullness of reality.
There were entertaining, impassioned, or witty lectures on Goethe, say, in which he would be depicted descending from a post chaise wearing a blue frock-coat to seduce some Strassburg or Wetzlar girl; or on Arabic culture; in all of them a number of fashionable phrases were shaken up like dice in a cup and everyone was delighted if he dimly recognized one or two catchwords.
The "music of decline" had sounded, as in that wonderful Chinese fable; like a thrumming bass on the organ its reverberations faded slowly out over decades; its throbbing could be heard in the corruption of the schools, periodicals, and universities, in melancholia and insanity among those artists and critics who could still be taken seriously; it raged as untrammeled and amateurish overproduction in all the arts.
When an orchestra of the Journeyers first publicly performed a suite from the time before Handel completely without crescendi and diminuendi, with the naïveté and chasteness of another age and world, some among the audience are said to have been totally uncomprehending, but others listened with fresh attention and had the impression that they were hearing music for the first time in their lives. In the League's concert hall between Bremgarten and Morbio, one member built a Bach organ as perfectly as Johann Sebastian Bach would have had it built had he had the means and opportunity.
The young people who now proposed to devote themselves to intellectual studies no longer took the term to mean attending a university and taking a nibble of this or that from the dainties offered by celebrated and loquacious professors who without authority offered them the crumbs of what had once been higher education. Now they had to study just as stringently and methodically as the engineers and technicians of the past, if not more so. They had a steep path to climb, had to purify and strengthen their minds by dint of mathematics and scholastic exercises in Aristotelian philosophy. Moreover, they had to learn to renounce all those benefits which previous generations of scholars had considered worth striving for: rapid and easy money-making, celebrity and public honors, the homage of the newspapers, marriages with daughters of bankers and industrialists, a pampered and luxurious style of life.
Let us say that the freedom exists, but it is limited to the one unique act of choosing the profession. Afterward all freedom is over. When he begins his studies at the university, the doctor, lawyer, or engineer is forced into an extremely rigid curriculum which ends with a series of examinations. If he passes them, he receives his license and can thereafter pursue his profession in seeming freedom. But in doing so he becomes the slave of base powers; he is dependent on success, on money, on his ambition, his hunger for fame, on whether or not people like him. He must submit to elections, must earn money, must take part in the ruthless competition of castes, families, political parties, newspapers. In return he has the freedom to become successful and well-to-do, and to be hated by the unsuccessful, or vice versa.
To be capable of everything and do justice to everything, one certainly does not need less spiritual force and èlan and warmth, but more. What you call passion is not spiritual force, but friction between the soul and the outside world. Where passion dominates, that does not signify the presence of greater desire and ambition, but rather the misdirection of these qualities toward an isolated and false goal, with a consequent tension and sultriness in the atmosphere. Those who direct the maximum force of their desires toward the center, toward true being, toward perfection, seem quieter than the passionate souls because the flame of their fervor cannot always be seen.
"If only there were a dogma to believe in. Everything is contradictory, everything tangential; there are no certainties anywhere. Everything can be interpreted one way and then again interpreted in the opposite sense. The whole of history can be explained as development and progress and can also be seen as nothing but decadence and meaninglessness. Isn't there any truth? Is there no real and valid doctrine?"
The Master had never heard him speak so fervently. He walked on in silence for a little, then said, "There is truth, my boy. But the doctrine you desire, absolute, perfect dogma that alone provides wisdom, does not exist. Nor should you long for a perfect doctrine, my friend. Rather, you should long for the perfection of yourself. The deity is within you, not in ideas and books. Truth is lived, not taught. Be prepared for conflicts, Joseph Knecht — I can see they have already begun."
Joseph Knecht had often noticed that many schoolmates his own age, but even more the younger boys, liked him, sought his friendship, and moreover tended to let him dominate them. They asked him for advice, put themselves under his influence. Ever since, this experience had been repeated frequently. It had its pleasant and flattering side; it satisfied ambition and strengthened self-confidence. But it also had another, a dark and terrifying side. For there was something bad and unpalatable about the attitude one took toward these schoolmates so eager for advice, guidance, and an example, about the impulse to despise them for their lack of self-reliance and dignity, and about the occasional secret temptation to make them (at least in thought) into obedient slaves.
It was lovely, and tempting, to exert power over men and to shine before others, but power also had its perditions and perils. History, after all, consisted of an unbroken succession of rulers, leaders, bosses, and commanders who with extremely rare exceptions had all begun well and ended badly. All of them, at least so they said, had striven for power for the sake of the good; afterward they had become obsessed and numbed by power and loved it for its own sake.
How alien our country has become from her noblest Province and how unfaithful to that Province's spirit; how far body and soul, ideal and reality have moved apart in our country; how little they know about each other, or want to know.
It is a pity that you students aren't fully aware of the luxury and abundance in which you live. But I was exactly the same when I was still a student. We study and work, don't waste much time, and think we may rightly call ourselves industrious — but we are scarcely conscious of all we could do, all that we might make of our freedom. Then we suddenly receive a call from the hierarchy, we are needed, are given a teaching assignment, a mission, a post, and from then on move up to a higher one, and unexpectedly find ourselves caught in a network of duties that tightens the more we try to move inside it. All the tasks are in themselves small, but each one has to be carried out at its proper hour, and the day has far more tasks than hours. That is well; one would not want it to be different. But if we ever think, between classroom, archives, secretariat, consulting room, meetings, and official journeys — if we ever think of the freedom we possessed and have lost, the freedom for self-chosen tasks, for unlimited, far-flung studies, we may well feel the greatest yearning for those days, and imagine that if we ever had such freedom again we would fully enjoy its pleasures and potentialities.
I had tasted the bait and knew that there was nothing more attractive and more subtle on earth than the Game. I had also observed fairly early that this enchanting Game demanded more than naive amateur players, that it took total possession of the man who had succumbed to its magic. And an instinct within me rebelled against my throwing all my energies and interests into this magic forever. Some naive feeling for simplicity, for wholeness and soundness, warned me against the spirit of the Waldzell Vicus Lusorum. I sensed in it a spirit of specialism and virtuosity, certainly highly cultivated, certainly richly elaborated, but nevertheless isolated from humanity and the whole of life — a spirit that had soared too high into haughty solitariness. For years I doubted and probed, until the decision had matured within me and in spite of everything I decided in favor of the Game. I did so because I had within me that urge to seek the supreme fulfillment and serve only the greatest master.
Ordinarily, when he thought back upon those days, let alone upon his student years and the Bamboo Grove, it had always been as if he were gazing from a cool, dull room out into broad, brightly sunlit landscapes, into the irrevocable past, the paradise of memory. Such recollections had always been, even when they were free of sadness, a vision of things remote and different, separated from the prosaic present by a mysterious festiveness.
It was as if by becoming a musician and Music Master he had chosen music as one of the ways toward man's highest goal, inner freedom, purity, perfection, and as though ever since making that choice he has done nothing but let himself be more and more permeated, transformed, purified by music — his entire self from his nimble, clever pianist's hands and his vast, well-stocked musician's memory to all the parts and organs of body and soul, to his pulses and breathing, to his sleep and dreaming — so that he was now only a symbol, or rather a manifestation, a personification of music.
We were picking apart a problem in linguistic history and, as it were, examining close up the peak period of glory in the history of a language; in minutes we had traced the path which had taken it several centuries. And I was powerfully gripped by the vision of transitoriness: the way before our eyes such a complex, ancient, venerable organism, slowly built up over many generations, reaches its highest point, which already contains the germ of decay, and the whole intelligently articulated structure begins to droop, to degenerate, to totter toward its doom. And at the same time the thought abruptly shot through me, with a joyful, startled amazement, that despite the decay and death of that language it had not been lost, that its youth, maturity, and downfall were preserved in our memory, in our knowledge of it and its history, and would survive and could at any time be reconstructed in the symbols and formulas of scholarship as well as in the recondite formulations of the Glass Bead Game. I suddenly realized that in the language, or at any rate in the spirit of the Glass Bead Game, everything actually was all-meaningful, that every symbol and combination of symbols led not hither and yon, not to single examples, experiments, and proofs, but into the center, the mystery and innermost heart of the world, into primal knowledge. Every transition from major to minor in a sonata, every transformation of a myth or a religious cult, every classical or artistic formulation was, I realized in that flashing moment, if seen with a meditative mind, nothing but a direct route into the interior of the cosmic mystery, where in the alternation between inhaling and exhaling, between heaven and earth, between Yin and Yang, holiness is forever being created.
The Cosmic Spirit seeks not to restrain us But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces.
Stages
As every flower fades and as all youth
Departs, so life at every stage,
So every virtue, so our grasp of truth,
Blooms in its day and may not last forever.
Since life may summon us at every age
Be ready, heart, for parting, new endeavor,
Be ready bravely and without remorse
To find new light that old ties cannot give.
In all beginnings dwells a magic force
For guarding us and helping us to live.
Serenely let us move to distant places
And let no sentiments of home detain us.
The Cosmic Spirit seeks not to restrain us
But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces.
If we accept a home of our own making,
Familiar habit makes for indolence.
We must prepare for parting and leave-taking
Or else remain the slaves of permanence.
Even the hour of our death may send
Us speeding on to fresh and newer spaces,
And life may summon us to newer races.
So be it, heart: bid farewell without end. p. 444
Quotes about Hermann Hesse [ edit ]
Considered as a whole , Hesse's achievement can hardly be matched in modern literature ; it is the continually rising trajectory of an idea , the fundamentally religious idea of how to ' live more abundantly'. ~ Colin Wilson
Few writers have chronicled with such dispassionate lucidity and fearless honesty the progress of the soul through the states of life. Dr. Timothy Leary, quoted in a 1969 Panther Books Ltd. edition of Demian (1919)
Considered as a whole, Hesse's achievement can hardly be matched in modern literature; it is the continually rising trajectory of an idea, the fundamentally religious idea of how to 'live more abundantly'. Hesse has little imagination in the sense that Shakespeare or Tolstoy can be said to have imagination, but his ideas have a vitality that more than makes up for it. Before all, he is a novelist who used the novel to explore the problem: What should we do with our lives? The man who is interested to know how he should live instead of merely taking life as it comes, is automatically an Outsider. Colin Wilson in The Outsider , p. 77 (1956)
Hesse has little imagination in the sense that Shakespeare or Tolstoy can be said to have imagination, but his ideas have a vitality that more than makes up for it. Before all, he is a novelist who used the novel to explore the problem: What should we do with our lives? The man who is interested to know he should live instead of merely taking life as it comes, is automatically an Outsider.
In Germany many readers, blandly ignoring the implicit criticism in the novel, tended to see in Hesse's cultural province nothing but a welcome Utopian escape from the harsh postwar realities. More discerning European critics have usually been so preoccupied with the fashionably grave implications that they have neither laughed at its humor nor smiled at its ironies. In part these one-sided readings are understandable, for the humor is often hidden in private jokes of the sort to which Hesse became increasingly partial in his later years. The games begin on the title-page, for the motto attributed to "Albertus Secundus" is actually fictitious. Hesse wrote the motto himself and had it translated into Latin by two former schoolmates, who are cited in Latin abbreviation as the editors: Franz Schall ("noise" or Clangor ) and Feinhals ("slender neck" or Collo fino ). The book is full of this "onomastic comedy" that appealed to Thomas Mann, also a master of the art. Theodore Ziolkowski, on The Glass Bead Game (1943), in a Foreword to a 1969 edition of the novel.
Hesse wrote the motto himself and had it translated into Latin by two former schoolmates, who are cited in Latin abbreviation as the editors: Franz Schall ("noise" or Clangor ) and Feinhals ("slender neck" or Collo fino ). The book is full of this "onomastic comedy" that appealed to Thomas Mann, also a master of the art.
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Enjin Coin: The Road To Integration for a Gaming Cryptocurrency Even at a cursory glance, Enjin Coin’s roadmap looks ambitious. Andrew Young Blocked Unblock Follow Following Dec 22, 2017
Whilst the phrase “looks can be deceiving” usually rings true in the crypto world, with Enjin Coin’s roadmap there is no illusion: it looks ambitious because it is ambitious. Here’s a quick summary of what’s in store over the coming months. By the end of Quarter 4, 2017, the Mobile Smart Wallet will be launched, and the Core Smart Contracts, Platform API, Minecraft plugin and Java SDK will be in alpha testing. That’s just the start though. By the end of Quarter 2, 2018, Enjin is planning to deliver six additional SDKs, two game plugins (Unturned and ARK Survival Evolved) and a host of user-focussed wallet updates, store modules, trading systems and forum integrations. On top of this, they recently announced that they will also be supporting an Enjin coin module for Godot, an open-source game engine licensed by MIT. That’s seven SDKs, three game plugins, an API and the Godot module, all planned for delivery in just eight months.
Blockchain Game Development Tools Clearly, the roadmap is geared towards quickly delivering tools for third-party developers. This strategy puts Enjin on a different trajectory than its main competitors, who are predominantly focused on spreading brand awareness among crypto-investors by influencing (sometimes not-so-ethically) a single metric — market cap. The intent of Enjin’s developer-centric approach seems clear: if they can maintain velocity, and deliver on their roadmap, then in just two-thirds of a year they will have achieved what no other gaming-related coin has managed, or even attempted to do so far: developer saturation. Why is striving for developer saturation a better strategy than striving for brand recognition among crypto-investors? This question can be answered with two simple statistics: The current number of unique active users of cryptocurrency wallets is estimated to be between 2.9 million and 5.8 million. and The current number of unique video game players worldwide is estimated to be over 2.5 billion. These numbers tell us that even if every owner of a cryptocurrency wallet was also a video game player then that would still mean less than 1 in 500 gamers is crypto-savvy. Let that sink in for a moment. Enjin and its competitors are striving to develop gaming cryptocurrencies
…the success of which will be reliant on widespread gamer adoption
…but less than 0.2% of their target audience have ever held a cryptocurrency. It’s a daunting thought, and it means that any company wanting to introduce cryptocurrency into the gaming market has to fight a battle on two fronts.
Game of Coins First, they have to convince the vast majority of non-crypto-savvy gamers that a blockchain solution is legitimate, simple to use and is better than the existing system. This is because gamers already understand and trust fiat currency and they already understand and trust the existing methods for in-game payments. If a crypto system doesn’t offer the gamer something more than the current fiat-based system then what is the point of changing? Thankfully, there is already a number of great articles explaining just how significantly the blockchain will revolutionize gaming. Suffice to say, integrated blockchains offer much more than just a currency replacement. The second big challenge faced by crypto companies is that they need to convince the game developers that integrating their particular coin or token is worth the developer’s time, expense and effort. After all, every line of code costs money and developers have become highly attuned to avoiding unnecessary complexity in their systems. If a payment system already exists, and that system can be easily integrated into the developer’s project, then that payment system becomes the logical choice. Conversely, this also means that few developers are willing to gamble on an unproven blockchain solution that might one-day be the next big thing. That’s two very big obstacles, yet Enjin Coin’s roadmap cleverly addresses both of them with a simple strategy. To explain how Enjin’s simple plan can solve a complex problem, we’ve first got to look at one more statistic: In 2015, an estimated $22 billion US dollars was spent globally on in-game purchases, and it’s estimated that by 2020 global in-game spending will rise to $32 billion US dollars. The statistic highlights what successful developers (and enthusiastic gamers) have known for years, and also holds the key to establishing gamer trust in a cryptocurrency: gamers are willing to spend a lot of money on in-game purchases — as long as they trust the game and/or the game’s developer. This is because the gamer’s trust of a game and/or game developer is implicitly passed on to the various components of that game, including the in-game shopping cart. This is obvious — if you think about it. When users of a game like Clash of Clans choose to buy in-game gems, they aren’t considering who the actual transaction is being managed by. They don’t need to think about it because they trust the developers to do the right thing. They know that a successful company would not compromise their product, or risk the trust and loyalty of their customers, by using an inferior payment system.
A Quick Recap Let’s just take a moment to review the two sides to this dilemma: For in-game cryptocurrency to be widely adopted, it needs to be trusted by the gaming community… but less than 0.2% of the gaming community even understand what cryptocurrency is. Gamers who trust the game developers will spend a lot of money on in-game purchases, regardless of the platform — but most game developers won’t want to risk their brand by using an unfamiliar and unproven in-game blockchain solution. It seems like the perfect Catch-22: gamers don’t understand or trust cryptocurrency because it isn’t being used by well-known game developers — and well-known game developers won’t deploy an unproven crypto-based purchasing system because they fear their gamers won’t understand it. The only way any company developing a cryptocurrency can break through this situation is if they have enough “skin in the game” to prove in a real-world environment that their system works, and to demonstrate that even users who aren’t crypto-literate (remember, that’s over 99.8% of the gaming community!) are willing to embrace the benefits of this new technology.
Enjin, the company behind Enjin Coin Enjin.com is an all-in-one online community for gamers. It hosts websites, guild pages, Minecraft game servers, forums and much more. It currently has over 19 million registered users across more than 300,000 gaming communities. Enjin also has custom deep-game integration modules for the most popular games they host, such as Minecraft, Unturned and ARK: Survival Evolved. The gaming communities are very active and even before the upcoming introduction of Enjin Coin the site already processes millions of dollars (USD) of virtual goods each month. All of this puts Enjin in the prime position to test and prove their new virtual goods blockchain on a significant scale and in a real-world environment.
“If you build it, they will come” That’s an often-used misquote from the movie Field of Dreams but the underlying sentiment still rings true. There is a genuine reason why software developers start off with a small proof-of-concept or minimum-viable-product. It’s really hard to sell an idea to a consumer using words alone, especially when that idea challenges the consumer’s existing beliefs. Enjin Coin is no different in this respect. Enjin, as the company behind Enjin Coin, are saying to the world “we think there is a better, blockchain-powered way, that enables both gamers and game developers to get more out of their virtual goods”. The big developers are interested, sure, but at the same time they’re also cautious. They’re not going to throw out their existing funding model unless evidence exists to support the case for change. When Enjin rolls out the Minecraft plugin to their Enjin community early in 2018, they are delivering their proof-of-concept. There is already great excitement around the huge potential for managing digital assets via the blockchain (thanks CryptoKitties!) and there is growing anticipation for Enjin’s Minecraft plugin. Without a doubt, game studios around the world will be watching on and evaluating how successful this new concept is. Therein lies the beauty of the Enjin Coin roadmap. Three components delivered in the coming weeks will work together to demonstrate in a very public way exactly how the blockchain will begin to revolutionize the gaming industry. The Smart Contract and Enjin Wallet lay the foundation for the creation and storage of digital assets, and the Minecraft plugin delivers a real-world use-case through one of the most popular games on the planet — all rolled out to a user-base of over 19 million gamers who trust the Enjin brand. Did you hear that noise? That was the sound of a Catch-22 being broken. A successful demonstration should spur game development studios to find innovative new ways of using the blockchain to create added value for their in-game digital assets, and this is where the final piece of the Enjin Coin Roadmap comes into play.
Blockchain Game Development SDKs Remember those seven SDKs that I mentioned right at the start? SDKs are Software Development Kits, and in this case they represent custom-built Enjin modules that will plug into seven of the world’s most popular game development platforms. An SDK makes it easier for a game developer to incorporate Enjin Coin because it allows the new blockchain components to work as naturally as possible with the rest of the game design. Here are those seven SDKs again, this time with some context around how developers use them: Java SDK : Java is the language used for the original Minecraft game, so the Java SDK is a natural extension of the Minecraft plugin. Java continues to be popular with cross-platform mobile game developers and many of the popular mobile games (e.g. Angry Birds and Temple Run) were developed in Java.
: Java is the language used for the original Minecraft game, so the Java SDK is a natural extension of the Minecraft plugin. Java continues to be popular with cross-platform mobile game developers and many of the popular mobile games (e.g. Angry Birds and Temple Run) were developed in Java. C# SDK : C# is one of the most popular game development languages in the world. It was actually developed by Microsoft because Java wouldn’t let Microsoft make changes to the Java language. C# is also the underlying language behind the Unity game engine.
: C# is one of the most popular game development languages in the world. It was actually developed by Microsoft because Java wouldn’t let Microsoft make changes to the Java language. C# is also the underlying language behind the Unity game engine. Unity SDK : Around one third of the top desktop games, and over a third of the top 1000 free mobile games are made using the Unity engine. Unity is also used in the emerging VR gaming sector, with 90% of all Samsung Gear and 53% of all Oculus Rift VR games developed using Unity.
: Around one third of the top desktop games, and over a third of the top 1000 free mobile games are made using the Unity engine. Unity is also used in the emerging VR gaming sector, with 90% of all Samsung Gear and 53% of all Oculus Rift VR games developed using Unity. Unreal SDK : The Unreal development kit is another popular game development suite. Unreal can be used to produce desktop or mobile games and it is also proving itself to be a solid contender in the VR development space as well. The zero-upfront pricing structure makes it popular with indie developers, who are likely to be amongst the first to integrate blockchain technology into their games.
: The Unreal development kit is another popular game development suite. Unreal can be used to produce desktop or mobile games and it is also proving itself to be a solid contender in the VR development space as well. The zero-upfront pricing structure makes it popular with indie developers, who are likely to be amongst the first to integrate blockchain technology into their games. iOS Swift SDK & Android SDK : Over $28.2b (USD) was spent on mobile gaming in 2017, and this figure is increasing by about 6% per year. The release of the iOS Swift and Android SDKs will allow direct integration of the Enjin Coin blockchain in native Apple and Android apps, enabling developers to create added value for virtual goods in the lucrative mobile gaming market.
: Over $28.2b (USD) was spent on mobile gaming in 2017, and this figure is increasing by about 6% per year. The release of the iOS Swift and Android SDKs will allow direct integration of the Enjin Coin blockchain in native Apple and Android apps, enabling developers to create added value for virtual goods in the lucrative mobile gaming market. PHP SDK : PHP is the technology behind much of the internet. It was designed solely to serve up web pages and is what runs popular sites like Facebook, Wikipedia and Wordpress. It also powers a lot of forums and other community elements that are ripe for gamification using Enjin Coin.
: PHP is the technology behind much of the internet. It was designed solely to serve up web pages and is what runs popular sites like Facebook, Wikipedia and Wordpress. It also powers a lot of forums and other community elements that are ripe for gamification using Enjin Coin. Godot Engine: Godot is an open-source game engine powerhouse. It is rapidly gaining in popularity (over 160,000 developers worldwide) and is used to build games for the PC, console, mobile and web platforms. Remember this line from earlier? If a payment system already exists, and that system can be easily integrated into the developer’s project, then that payment system becomes the logical choice. The seven SDKs being developed by Enjin will enable easy integration of the growing Enjin Coin economy directly into a developer’s project.
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State regulators have approved a controversial plan to bury nuclear waste in concrete bunkers within 125 feet of a seawall and the beach at the shuttered San Onofre nuclear power plant.
The site permit approved Tuesday by the California Coastal Commission is only for 20 years, but opponents of the storage plan worry that steel casks packed with nuclear waste may linger at the site for generations to come, and might deteriorate to the point where they cannot be removed.
Plant operator Southern California Edison plans to start building in January 75 concrete bunkers to hold spent nuclear fuel that accumulated over the 45-year life of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. By 2022, Edison must report back to the commission how it will monitor the casks contained in those bunkers.
“I wish that there were other options that were available now, but frankly I don’t see them,” said Coastal Commission member Greg Cox, also a San Diego County Supervisor.
The permit is expected to be challenged in court.
He and other commissioners rejected suggestions during lengthy public comments that Edison should be forced to wait and explore other options, saying delays held risks, too.
Edison’s Tom Palmisano, chief nuclear officer at San Onofre, warned the commission that rejecting the permit application would only serve to prolong the time nuclear spent fuel stays in cooling pools that are less foolproof than dry casks.
Nearly 2,700 spent fuel assemblies remain inside cooling pools adjacent to the San Onofre reactors, retired in June 2013 because of a botched generator replacement project.
Edison has contracted with Holtec International to transfer the spent fuel into massive reinforced steel casks.
Edison says the only viable location right now is a low lying plain where the plant’s original Unit 1 reactor once stood.
At the Tuesday commission meeting in Long Beach, critics of Edison’s plan expressed concern that it might become more difficult or impossible to transport steel reinforced casks as decades pass and radiation and coastal weather take their toll on metal and welded joints.
Ray Lutz, a nuclear safety activist with Citizens Oversight Projects, highlighted the commission’s own findings about coastal erosion at the storage site, and urged the commission to force Edison to look for a solution away from the coast.
“Once they put it in here, it will probably never come out,” he said. “We need to stop this permit now.”
Calculations by commission staff found the shoreline could move 29 feet inland over the next 35 years — still only one-third of the distance to the storage site.
The staff report said that over time, the new waste site “would eventually be exposed to coastal flooding and erosion hazards beyond its design capacity, or else would require protection by replacing or expanding the existing San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station shoreline armoring (sea wall).”
“Retention of the (fuel storage site) beyond 2051 would have the potential to adversely affect marine and visual resources and coastal access,” the agency’s analysis stated.
Spent nuclear fuel is being stored at reactor sites across the United States indefinitely after the federal government scrapped plans for a permanent underground storage site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
After 20 years, Edison has to report back to the commission and seek approval to either keep the waste at the current site, relocate it elsewhere at San Onofre, or set up a schedule for transferring the waste offsite.
Edison may end up shifting the dry casks to higher ground, where the Unit 2 and 3 reactors currently reside and will be eventually torn down.
Approval also came with the condition that Edison would not try to enlarge or replace the existing metal seawall to hold back erosion, though members of the commission acknowledged that Edison could apply to bolster the wall under emergency provisions.
Private enterprises eventually might provide off-site storage options in Texas, where Waste Control Specialists is seeking a storage license, or New Mexico, where Holtec and Eddy Lea Energy envision an underground facility. Edison said it supports those efforts.
Commissioner Martha McClure expressed concern that the seawall at the storage site might be breached in the future by rising seas linked to climate change, combined with an unusual event combining extreme high tides and a storm surge. She appeared satisfied, however, by reassurances from staff that there was no flood danger over the next 20 years.
Dry storage casks at the Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant withstood the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that resulted in a partial meltdown at the plant, though the cask design differs from those commissioned at San Onofre.
Less is understood about how dry casks will age over time and the potential for significant corrosion and cracks. Mark Lumbard, director of spent fuel management at the Nuclear Regulator Commission, attended Tuesday’s meeting and said advances in robotics are making it possible to inspect dry casks in tight spaces that cannot otherwise be reached. He said there are still significant limitations finding and measuring cracks.
Edison hired a consultant that briefed several commissioners individually about its application between late last week and Tuesday morning. Commission members disclosed the briefings during the public meeting.
A spokeswoman for Edison mistakenly announced the approval of the Coastal Commission permit more than an hour before the final vote, then retracted the email and said deliberations were still underway.
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MS causes tiny lesions to appear on the brain.
Australian scientists say they have made a significant breakthrough in the treatment and detection of multiple sclerosis (MS).
New software developed at the Royal Melbourne Hospital has been shown to assist doctors in the detection of brain lesions caused by MS and could lead to a much earlier detection of brain tumours and a myriad of other diseases.
Hospital director of research Frank Gaillard said finding the right treatment for MS patients was crucial.
He said painstaking process involved looking through hundreds of scans, comparing old and new images to find new lesions.
"It's similar to having a couple of Dalmatians running around and trying to spot if either of them has an extra dot or not," Dr Gaillard said.
He said the technology developed at the hospital could detect minute changes in the brain in patients with MS.
It's similar to having a couple of Dalmatians running around and trying to spot if either of them has an extra dot or not. Dr Frank Gaillard on the detection of MS
"Instead of having to look at 200 lesions and identify one that might be new ... your attention is drawn to the one that wasn't present before," he said.
"Now, because there are changes in the physiology and position and how the scans are obtained ... areas ... show up that aren't real.
"The job of the radiologist, instead of being one trying to identify the lesions, is ... to use our normal clinical skills in assessing whether that lesion is actually a demyelinating lesion or caused by something else."
He said the new technology, which is already being used in live scans, could tell doctors whether a treatment was working or not long before symptoms associated with an inappropriate drug started to appear.
Patients welcome detection breakthrough
James Zahra was in his early 20s when he was diagnosed with the incurable disease seven years ago.
"I woke up one morning, I'd lost the use of the left side of my face and my eyesight in my left eye had diminished by about 90 per cent," he said.
"It wasn't as much of a shock as you'd think ... I was young and didn't really know anything about it.
"But people around me were a lot more scared than I was."
Mr Zahra has been on a number of different drugs over the years and described much of his treatment as trial and error.
He welcomed the Australian-first technology.
"If the machine can do what they claim it does, then fortunately for us, they can treat us appropriately," he said.
"If something is early detected they can jump on it faster before it does affect us.
"To know what's going to happen before it actually happens gives us all a solid headstart."
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Scientists say they have discovered an antibody that could minimise the major internal bleeding seen in traumas like bullet wounds and car crashes. The team at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) has discovered that a protein called histone is responsible for much of the damage. They say they have found a specific type of antibody that can block the ability of histone to cause damage. They say it could lead to new ways to treat diseases and serious injuries. 'Life threatening' Writing in the journal, Nature Medicine, the OMRF researchers found that when mice had a bad blood stream infection (sepsis), their blood contained high levels of histones. They checked this in primates and humans and found the same result. The histone protein normally sits in the nucleus of a cell. It forms a kind of spool around which the DNA winds enabling it to fit inside the cell. Bullet wounds often lead to severe internal bleeding When the cell is damaged by injury or disease, the histone is released into the blood system where it begins to kill the lining of blood vessels, causing damage, the OMRF researchers said. This, they believe, results in uncontrolled internal bleeding and fluid build-up in the tissues, which are life threatening. Dr Charles Esmon, of OMRF who led the research, said: "When we realised that histones were so toxic, we immediately went to work looking for a way to stop their destructive tendencies." Mouse antibody Marc Monestier, a colleague at Temple University in Philadelphia, had already discovered a specific type of antibody known as a monoclonal antibody that could block the histones. It had been observed that patients with auto-immune diseases make antibodies to the proteins in their cell nuclei but it was not known why. This antibody came from a mouse with an auto-immune disease. The OMRF team have tested the antibody in mice with sepsis and it does stop the toxic effects of the histones and they recover, the researchers say. They now want to test it in primates and eventually humans. Dr Esmon said histones were similar in all mammals because they were such basic building blocks. So a mouse antibody should work equally well in a human. He said: "We think it was an adaptation during evolution. "Millions of years ago, when people and animals got ill, they did not die of heart attacks or car accidents they died of infectious diseases. "Their immune systems went into overdrive throwing everything at it and we believe the histones in the cell nucleus, part of the basic building blocks of life, were the last resort." Dr Stephen Prescott, president of OMRF, said: "These findings offer some clues as to why people suffering from one traumatic injury often experience a catastrophic 'cascade' of secondary traumatic events. "If we can figure out how to control the initial injury, perhaps that will stop the domino effect that so often follows."
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Summer in Iowa is defined by its constancy. Every year the corn starts shooting up in the fields, Fourth of July parades wend their way down Main Street and fireflies flicker in the warm twilight. And, of course, there are always presidential candidates.
Although the 2016 Iowa caucuses are at least two and a half years away, presidential hopefuls are already descending upon the Hawkeye State with a sense of urgency that even the most rabid political junkie might find a touch unseemly. Starting with Sen. Marco Rubio’s visit to Iowa mere weeks after the 2012 election, the state has been crisscrossed by potential 2016 candidates who all have two characteristics in common; they are all deeply ambitious politicians and they are all Republicans.
No potential Democratic candidates have appeared in Iowa for the 2016 cycle. This marks a major change from the last competitive Iowa Democratic caucuses. By this time in 2005, John Edwards had already visited the state twice, Mark Warner had spent two days in the state, and several others had already planned visits. When the Iowa Democratic Party held a major fundraiser in June, the keynote speaker was Tom Harkin, the state’s longtime Democratic senator.
One Iowa political insider has heard rumblings that Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley might be considering making a visit to the Hawkeye State soon, but this was shot down by Lis Smith, an O’Malley adviser, who said that the Maryland governor had “no plans” to visit the state in the near future.
According to Jerry Crawford, a trial attorney and major Democratic powerbroker in the state, there’s one reason and one reason why no Democrats are visiting the state: Hillary Clinton. As Crawford, who was a Clinton backer in 2008, told The Daily Beast, Democrats have “an extraordinarily strong presumptive frontrunner and most people are of the view that they should not actively pursue [the nomination], until Hillary has made up her mind.”
This doesn’t mean that there isn’t any activity. Tyler Olson, a state legislator and former Democratic Party chair, says that while some activists are having very preliminary conversations about organizing, there’s not much else going on. It’s generally known who is a devout supporter of Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden, but “there’s not a lot of effort to grow networks” of candidate supporters beyond those who are already diehards.
In contrast, every Republican Party rubber-chicken dinner seems to be hosted by a presidential contender; the Republican Party of Iowa held one hosted by Rand Paul in May followed by another two weeks later in Polk County (the state’s largest county and which includes Des Moines) hosted by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. In fact, there’s even one party dinner scheduled for August in Rock Rapids, Iowa (population, 2,659), that will be hosted by Rick Santorum.
Republican hopefuls aren’t just attending party events but also paying court to key activists in the state. Both Ted Cruz and Rick Santorum have already agreed to speak (along with Donald Trump) at an August 10 event sponsored by the Family Leader, a social-conservative activist group in the state. This will mark Cruz’s second visit to court Iowa social conservatives; the freshman senator, along with Rand Paul, is appearing at a summit of conservative pastors in Des Moines on July 19.
The presidential candidates aren’t just visiting, but they’re also building their political organizations as well. According to Republican activist and blogger Craig Robinson, there are already natural constituency groups among Iowa Republicans dating back to past caucuses with “the Santorum faction” and “the liberty movement” of supporters of both Rand and Ron Paul. Phone calls are being made and there is already significant organizing going on. He’s even anticipating that candidates may have staff on the ground in Iowa by next year.
This Democratic absence from Iowa will not last forever. As the midterm elections draw closer, presidential hopefuls from both parties will actively show up in the state, ostensibly only to help down-ballot candidates of course. But, as Republican contenders crisscross the state, it’s still surprising that no one has showed up. As Jerry Crawford said, “In Iowa, there’s no such thing as the word ‘early’ when it comes to the caucus.”
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Avatar comics have been officially announced from James Cameron and Dark Horse
Straight from their New York Comic Con panel, Dark Horse Comics has announced a partnership with James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment to bring Avatar comics to life. You can check out the announcement video (via EW) in the player below.
“I’m excited that starting now, even before the release of the first sequel, Dark Horse Comics will be bringing you new adventures from Pandora,” Cameron reveal. “Covering the time before, during, and after the events of the original Avatar film. For the past 27 years, Dark Horse has been associated with my films The Terminator, Aliens, and The Abyss. Now they’re working directly with me and our team at Lightstorm in an unprecedented ten-year partnership that’s going to create new stories that will take you deeper into the world of Avatar.”
You can check out some promo art for the first Avatar comics below!
Set to feature the return of cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang and Sigourney Weaver, Avatar 2, 3, and 4 will be produced by Cameron and Jon Landau through their Lightstorm Entertainment. The sequels are currently being written by Cameron along with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno. Avatar 2 will be released in December of 2017 with the remaining films to follow in December 2018 and December 2019. The original 2009 film is the top-grossing movie of all time with $2.782 billion at the worldwide box office.
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Beaches closed as sharks feed on whale carcass near shoreline on NSW South Coast
Updated
Sharks have been seen devouring a dead whale floating close to rocky coastline at South Broulee near Batemans Bay in NSW, forcing authorities to close five beaches.
The young humpback whale was spotted off the rocks at the popular swimming beach on Wednesday morning, according to Stan Wall from Lifeguard Services Australia.
A 100m exclusion zone was set up around the whale and at one point a crowd of more than 300 people gathered to watch.
However, Mr Wall said, after some time, lifeguards in the area were unable to see any spray or air bubbles coming from the animal and it was presumed dead.
"We think it might have come into collision with a boat or maybe even hurt itself on the rocks that we saw it on this morning," Mr Wall said.
Clear signs the animal was seriously ill: ORRCA
Shona Lorigan, from the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), said once the animal died, a group of sharks moved in and began devouring the carcass.
"The sharks are dangerous and are in a feeding frenzy so it's important that everyone stays away," she said.
"It's very important for their own safety - don't go near a dead animal, particularly one that showed signs of serous illness."
She said the whale was seriously underweight and was infested with large numbers of whale lice.
"There really is very clear evidence that the whale itself was sick before it passed away," she said.
Ms Lorigan said four members of ORRCA went straight to the beach after calls from the public.
"We got a large number of calls from the beach this afternoon, and that immediately activated our rescue team," she said.
"While they were in transit... we were on the phone with members of the public advising them on the situation, and we became aware that the animal had passed away."
Beaches remain closed until further notice
Mr Wall said Shark Bay, North Broulee, South Broulee, North Head and Moruya beaches would remain closed until further notice.
He said lifesavers had met with Eurobodalla Shire Council and would do so again early on Thursday morning to re-assess what, if anything, should be done with the carcass.
"We're hoping with the change in tides it actually might get washed out [to sea]," Mr Wall said.
A Westpac Lifesaver helicopter was deployed on Wednesday afternoon to help ensure the area had been cleared of people, he said.
Topics: mammals---whales, community-and-society, broulee-2537, batemans-bay-2536, nsw, australia
First posted
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High school football players in New Jersey say they were the targets of a racist locker room prank involving bananas, prompting an investigation by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.
The incident occurred prior to a football game in nearby Summit on Saturday, when the North Plainfield Canucks were placed in an adjoining locker room to the Summit High School Hilltoppers. There was no knob attached to the door connecting the rooms, according to reports, leaving a hole large enough for a banana to squeeze through.
"Right away, there was a banana in the door," North Plainfield player J. T. Valley told CBS 2. "And we told our coach, we’re like, ‘Coach, there’s a banana in there.’ So we took the banana, and then all of a sudden, they put another one. And we took the banana out, and there was another one in there. And they kept on putting them in there.”
Over half of the North Plainfield High School team is black, according to local news site MyCentralJersey.com, giving the bananas a particularly cruel significance to some of the players waiting to the take the field.
Some of the students teared up, according to teammates. North Plainfield's coach did his best to settle his team before their eventual 26-0 loss.
"Before the game he gave us, like, a very inspirational and emotional pre-game speech about how they didn't show courage or character," said North Plainfield player Anthony Lafond.
On Tuesday, Summit High School officials described the incident as both a "misunderstanding" and a "miscommunication."
Summit Superintendent Nathan Parker said in a press release that a student admitted he was responsible for the series of bananas, but explained that it was a good luck tradition that keeps teams from peeking in on or overhearing each other through the hole in the door.
"Racism is unacceptable. We do not tolerate it in our schools, on our fields, or in our community." Parker wrote. "While the nature of this act was misunderstood, the fact that others felt targeted is taken very seriously."
"You can't get in the mind of a kid," North Plainfield assistant superintendent Robert H. Rich told The Huffington Post, later adding that "Summit says there was no malicious intent, or racist intent, but our kids, our players, feel differently."
Ultimately, North Plainfield is placing its trust in the NJSIAA's independent review. The two high schools are expected to submit their individual reports to the association by Friday.
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Advancing Virginia Bill Will Allow College Groups to Discriminate
LGBT rights groups in Virginia are concerned about a bill just passed by the House of Delegates.
Virginia's lower house passed a bill on Thursday that would allow student groups at public universities to deny members because they conflict with the groups' religious beliefs.
The bill, passed overwhelmingly by a 80-19 vote, prohibts "discriminating against a student organization or group on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical or other content of the organization or group’s speech." The bill also allows religious or political student organizations to determine who will not be allowed in their membership "in furtherance of the organization’s religious or political mission."
Republicans got behind the bill, while Democrats were less enthusiastic. LGBT leaders in the state believe this will give student groups a free pass to deny and boot gay and transgender members.
"Our concern with the bill is it allows discrimination with publicly accessible funds," Kevin Clay of Equality Virginia told Metroweekly. The bill now heads to the state senate.
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Tevaughn Campbell’s rugby sevens career may get a quicker start than expected.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders speedster was only supposed to be on the tour of Hong Kong and Singapore for development purposes but has been forced into consideration after an injury to Pat Kay dropped him out of consideration.
Now, Campbell is listed as Canada’s 13th man, in essence the emergency injury replacement.
That means the odds of him actually stepping on the field are still quite long. One of the starting dozen players selected by Damian McGrath would have to come up injured, allowing for Campbell to be added to the playing roster — and then of course Canadian coach Damian McGrath would actually have to put him on the field.
Given Canada’s opponents are Kenya (5:18 a.m. PT Friday), France (10:34 p.m. PT Friday) and South Africa (2:58 a.m. PT Saturday), it’s hard to see a scenario where Campbell, who has never played rugby before and so is facing a steep curve on the rules, let alone the timing, the running angles, the nuances what-have-you, takes the field.
It’s still a great, fun wrinkle. He’s got huge potential. He’s as fast as they come. He’s the player a rugby coach would dream of converting.
Douglas duo is going to happen
Justin Douglas called it “a dream” this week. Well, it’s going to happen. His brother Jared, a year older, has been picked in Canada’s 12.
He played for the Maple Leafs development squad at the Vancouver Rugby Festival and has also been involved with BC Rugby’s NexGen7s program. He was also a Canada U20 rep way back when.
Now he’s going to be an international sevens player.
He’s the only rookie sure to take the field, though Luke Bradley and Josiah Morra are pretty light on experience themselves.
With Hong Kong and Singapoer back to back, and both likely to feature muggy conditions, you figure there will be plenty of playing time to go around.
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Italian authorities have taken the fight against tax cheats to new heights, with undercover inspectors donning skis to check whether the highest eateries in the Alps were issuing receipts.
The weekend blitz in the resort of Courmayeur was the latest in a list of high-profile undercover tax operations that read like locations of a thriller: Christmas in Cortina, the carnival of Viareggio, nightclubs in Milan, Valentine's Day in San Remo and the street markets of Naples.
The message: there is a new sheriff in town, his name is Mario Monti, and there was no place left to hide. With skis strapped on, the tax inspectors seemed no different from the tourists riding up the lifts. But tThe dozen or so agents' goal was to monitor whether receipts were being issued in the high-altitude huts on the flanks of Mont Blanc, known as Monte Bianco in Italy, where VIPs stop in for grappa and hot chocolate. Another 60 colleagues performed similar spot-checks in the village below.
While such crackdowns have broad appeal among most Italians, at least one VIP in Courmayeur was unimpressed. "They are trying to flex their muscles," Daniela Santanché, a former undersecretary in the cabinet of the ex-prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. The administration, under Mario Monti, is battling hard against Italy's public debt crisis, pushing through an austerity package. Last week, the government announced plans to tax the Catholic church's solely commercial properties.
In Italy, discounts are sometimes offered for cash and in exchange, shops and professionals do not issue receipts, thereby avoiding taxes.
The entrenched practice cost the Italian treasury an estimated €120bn (£100bn) a year. A crackdown by the Agenzia delle Entrate, Italy's tax collection agency, and the guardia di finanzia, the fiscal police, recovered nearly €12bn last year. The latest tax raids began on 30 December in the ski town of Cortina, where spot-checks of 251 luxury cars showed some Ferrari owners reported earning less than €30,000 a year. After a similar swoop in Rome's shopping district on 28 January, 400 agents raided 115 locales in Milan and the following day, 386 commercial operations in Naples, 82% of which were not issuing proper receipts.
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The city of Dickinson, Texas is requiring people applying for Hurricane Harvey aid to promise not to boycott Israel. This is unconstitutional. — ACLU (@ACLU) October 19, 2017
It was one of the hardest areas hit by Hurricane Harvey, but a clause in a grant application has many asking questions in the city of Dickinson.In section 11 of the application, applicants must agree to not boycott Israel during the agreement."The application clearly requires people to have a certain political expression in order to get government benefits," Attorney Randy Kallinen said.The ACLU of Texas issued a statement and called the requirement unconstitutional. A recent Texas law requires all state contractors to certify that they are not participating in boycotts of Israel.The city of Dickinson attorney said they are following the law. House Bill 89, also known as Anti-BDS, prohibits state agencies from contracting with and certain public funds from investing in companies that boycott Israel. The bill was signed by Governor Greg Abbott in May.Kallinen said when it comes to individuals, there may be questions about how the law is interpreted."Conditioning the much needed relief from Harvey and other disasters upon adopting a certain political position is really something that is very distracting and slows down the process of rebuilding after Harvey," he added.
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After creating havoc among ISIS circles by hacking their social media accounts, Anonymous is back again and this time it aims at sabotaging the militant group’s image for good.
As per Anonymous’ statement, December 11 will see a formal launching of ISIS trolling campaign.
The militant group that claims to be warriors taking actions to please God has been threatened by Anonymous that it would show to the world what a joke these warriors really are.
Users are being requested by Anonymous to upload photoshopped images, memes and jokes focusing on ISIS warriors.
Now, this is a really smart strategy because various Western Muslims usually join the group because they get trapped by ISIS’ intimidating social media propaganda.
Therefore, Anonymous will try to project their image from saviors of the religion to a terrorist group that fornicate goats.
Users are asked to upload all kinds of comic material directed towards ISIS warriors by next Friday.
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The objectives to be achieved from this campaign are as follows:
Posting comical images and memes of ISIS on social media websites such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
Anonymous will use the hashtags #Daesh and #Daeshbags
To get #Daeshbags trend on Twitter
Using hashtags that usually ISIS members use but post satirical content instead
Mocking captured ISIS members and posting their photos
Uploading satirical videos of ISIS
Distribution of comical photos, stickers and salient mock material around the city
Here are two example of what kind of images should you be using to troll the terrorist group.
Example 1 | Example 2.
The official Anonymous ISIS trolling campaign was announced to the world with this message:
“We will mock them for the idiots they are. We will show them what they really are they do not stand for a religion, they do not stand for a god, they are brainwashers teaching from the young to the old their propaganda against the ‘west’ when in reality they are just increasing the distance between countries by giving many a bad name.”
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PolitiFact has won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for our coverage of the 2008 election.
The Pulitzer Board announced the prize during a news conference Monday afternoon at Columbia University in New York.
The board cited PolitiFact's use of "probing reporters and the power of the World Wide Web to examine more than 750 political claims, separating rhetoric from truth to enlighten voters."
Neil Brown, executive editor of the St. Petersburg Times , which launched PolitiFact in August 2007, said the award was "proof that the Web is not a death sentence for newspapers. In fact, PolitiFact marries the power of old-fashioned shoe-leather journalism with an extraordinarily powerful way to present it."
Jack McElroy, editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel , wrote that our award was "the most unusual, and most important, Pulitzer Prize this year."
He wrote, "Online databases are rapidly becoming one of the important tools of watchdog journalism in the digital age. Identifying PolitiFact as the best national reporting of the year will only speed that trend."
During the campaign, PolitiFact had a staff of five Times reporters and editors, plus the support of researchers and writers from Congressional Quarterly , a sister company of the Times . PolitiFact relaunched in January to fact-check Congress and the White House, and added the Obameter, a feature that tracks President Barack Obama’s campaign promises.
PolitiFact's award was one of two Pulitzer Prizes awarded to the St. Petersburg Times Monday. The newspaper also was honored in the Feature Writing category. PolitiFact has begun fact-checking the statements made by cable TV hosts and political pundits and, as the midterm elections near, will expand its fact-checking of state and local races, starting in Florida.
Facts about PolitiFact
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Mulholland Highway is an amazing road, a ribbon of blacktop that meanders through the Santa Monica mountains overlooking Los Angeles. It's a popular destination for anyone who loves to drive or ride. But one section is revered above all: The Snake, a two-mile stretch that ends with what could be the most crashed corner in Southern California.
On any given Sunday, The Snake is overrun by drivers and motorcyclists. They've been hitting this spot 30 miles northwest of Hollywood for decades, but it became a hot destination in the 1960s when Steve McQueen started blasting through Mulholland on his Triumph. The road's popularity grew over the years, and even an aggressive crackdown on speeding and a temporary shuttering of the road in the 1990s did little to slow the The Snake's popularity. These days it isn't uncommon to see celebrities like Jay Leno motoring through in six-figure cars. But it's the motorcyclists you'll see most often.
And see most often crashing, particularly at Edwards Corner.
The 180-degree hairpin is the unofficial finish line of The Snake. You'll find a contingent of spectators there each weekend, most of them with cameras. That encourages showboating and unchecked ego. And that means countless crashes. Last year, the California Highway Patrol responded to 43 crashes in the 300-square-mile area that includes The Snake, but that number doesn't even begin to tell the story. For that, you need to check out YouTube.
A search of "motorcycle crash" with "Edwards Corner" or "The Snake" brings up thousands of hits. Most of them involve rookies with more ego than skill, who quickly find themselves in over their heads.
"Riders treat The Snake like a skate park for motorcycles," says Ken Snyder, a frequent rider who shoots video at Edwards Corner on Sundays during the summer. "Most who crash are inexperienced and pushing themselves. Even though they have seen countless crashes, it seems everyone learns the hard way."
Snyder has been filming at Edwards Corner for more than four years, posting videos that highlight brilliant riders and hamfisted n00bs. His videos, under the handle RNickeyMouse on YouTube, have garnered tens of millions of views, but the ones that attract the most eyeballs are the most chilling, including a terrifying crash involving a Suzuki rider and two cyclists last year.
But the irony is that Edwards Corner is a piece of cake – assuming you're not an idiot.
"There are trickier sections," says Adey Bennett, a regular known among riders as The King of the Hill. "But [Edwards Corner] is where people push it – in front of the bystanders. They pussy-foot it through the rest of The Snake and then showboat through that last corner."
Bennett says Edwards Corner is not a tough one. It's an uphill bend with a constant radius and positive camber, meaning the road's angle is steady and the surface is tilted inward. The riders who go down tend to hit the corner way too fast, realize they're in over their heads, fixate on the guard rail, and slam right into it. Just as often, though, riders get too greedy with the throttle on the way out, causing the rear end to slide. Beginners and squids tend to jump off the throttle or lay on the brakes, causing the bike to go wide and forge a trail into the hillside. The skilled riders come down from speed before the turn, lean in, and roll on the gas after the apex – keeping their eyes on the exit the entire time.
"The reason why most people crash on this turn is because they don't know how to assess the type of corner they're riding on," says Bennett. "It's such a simple turn when you see it done well, but people make it so complicated."
Snyder's videos show exactly how, in excruciating detail. A playlist of 79 clips shows every type of rider imaginable making every type of mistake imaginable. Lowsides on Harleys, highsides on Ducatis, and the occasional car crash. But through it all, there's an air of camaraderie, with riders helping each other pull bikes from ditches as others slow incoming traffic and even sweep up dirt and debris to prevent another crash.
Most of these crashes are never officially recorded. For every motorcycle crash in the CHP's log, another half dozen never come to their attention – until they see them on YouTube.
"We estimate that at least 60 to 70 percent of [motorcycle crashes] are unreported," says Officer Leland Tang of the CHP's public information office. "We look at the videos ourselves, and there were two months where I saw bunch of crashes on YouTube and looked at our collision stats and didn't see any reported."
It's not as if the troopers and the local sheriff's deputies don't know Edwards is a hot corner, or The Snake a popular destination. They're often out there, patrolling the road, waiting for riders to cross the center line or go off road. But the sheer size of the area they patrol means they have to limit the amount of time they spend on any one section of road.
As special as The Snake is to riders, crashes happen along all of Mulholland. And despite the road's propensity for eating machines, people continue to come back.
"A fast one-way lap from the bottom up takes about two minutes and 15 seconds," says Bennett. "That's fast. And it's very, very entertaining."
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[ 143,892 views ]
Jim Hesketh singing for Champion circa 2006
Jim Hesketh
Champion
ON
True Identity
This is the scariest thing I've ever had to write about on Facebook.
When I was 14 I wrote and edited my own zine. It only had two issues, it was embarrassing, but mostly because I was 14 and was trying too hard to be "cool." I had the opportunity in writing this zine to interview one of my heroes: the singer from Champion, Jim Hesketh. I was a vegan straight edge kid who loved hardcore and was from Seattle, my dreams had come true. What started out as a 14-year-old kid nerding out over talking to her hero, swiftly turned into inappropriate sexually charged conversations, and an attempt to lure me AND another 14-year-old friend to his house in the middle of the night to wear bathing suits and "play around in his bathtub." I was 14, he was 26, and he knew exactly how old I was. That's not normal. Jim Hesketh is a child predator.
If I could go back and change what happened next, I would. I never went, from fear of the wrath of my mother in breaking curfew, but I wish I would have told her. Jim Hesketh would have been arrested ten years ago. I didn't, because I was a kid, and I thought it was my fault. I knew that I wasn't cute, that I was terribly awkward, insecure, and that this felt like "positive" attention, but again, I was a kid. So why did I wait this long to say anything? Because I was scared. Every day I read articles of people slut-shamed or gaslighted for coming forward. I was afraid that no one would care because I was a kid, and because while he was highly valued, I was of no value. He was in one of the biggest hardcore bands ever, and has been a beacon to all of the XVX kids out there for years. I was afraid because people would rather tear about victims of trauma than to see their idols fall. I didn't say anything because when I had my own band, people told me, "Charlie, don't talk about being sexually abused as a child, because it makes people uncomfortable and feel bad for you." How would they then respond to me saying something like this of their hero?
We live in a system that does not value our girls. If it did, I wouldn't have to be sharing this today. Someone would have called him out years ago, in fact, many people would have called him out years ago. I didn't think that it would have to get to this point, I thought I was set, sharing it with a chosen-few, crossing my fingers that I wouldn't have to put myself at risk like this, but not enough happened. Jim was out of his band, True Identity, they had pulled their merch off of the internet, he wasn't allowed to play Rain Fest, or even attend, but people still didn't know. I had to come forward because his response to being called out was terrifying: He cried, apologized, offered to go to therapy with the mystery girl that he "ruined the life of," and de-activated his social media accounts. We don't know how deep this rabbit-hole goes.
By not resisting this behavior, we are encouraging it. By ignoring it, we are putting his status above the innocence and lives of girls. Coming forward, I only hope that any other girls or women who fell victim to his whims will have a chance to know that they are not alone and that their voices matters. They matter. I don't want to ruin Jim Hesketh's life, but I know that if I never said anything, knowing that I should, I am potentially putting other people at risk. It terrifies me thinking that there could be other girls out there who weren't too afraid to break curfew, and who is to say that if age didn't matter to him then, why would it now? That haunts me.
If we can't talk about this within a radical subculture, when can we? I don't have the answer to this, and I can't decide how anyone responds, taking a moment and trying to be brave is all I can do. I am saying this today, because for years, Jim has had the worst rumors about him, and I didn't want to be another one.
Edit: Since I posted this 2 1/2 hours ago, I have received 10-15 accounts of girls being assaulted, preyed upon (when they were under age), and raped by this monster.
UPDATE:
"As we're sure many of you have read, some very serious allegations have been brought forward against our former singer, Jim. Needless to say these allegations have shaken us to our core.
"We parted ways with Jim immediately upon learning of these allegations. We 100% support Charlie, and extend our utmost respect and support to everyone who's been effected by this in coming forward.
"We made an immediate decision, instead of looking for a new vocalist - to dissolve True Identity. We have responsibility to disconnect the music we've made from any hurt that has been caused during the tenure of this band. Hardcore is our home, we have a responsibility to make it better for everyone who chooses to be a part of it."
Overnight a Seattle, Washington resident named Charlie Stone came forward to accuse, vocalist and co-founder of defunct Seattle hardcore band, of being a child predator. According to Stone, when she was 14 years-old, and Hesketh 26, he attempted to lure her and a friend to his house to "play around in his bathtub." Stone says that hours afer sharing her story, roughly a dozen other females contacted her to relay similar experiences with Hesketh. You can read Stone's Facebook post in its entirety below.Jim Hesketh was a member of Champion through the duration of their existence, from 1999 until their break-up in early 2006. Hesketh then went on to sing in, and later. Notably, True Identity had been scheduled to play Rain Fest 2016 but apparently dropped off without explanation (according to Stone, it was due to these allegations). Additionally, Hesketh also recently shut down his social media accounts without public explanation.To our knowledge, there have been no criminal charges levied against Hesketh to date. Obviously, we can neither confirm nor deny the validity of Stone's claims.True Identity has now issued a statement regarding the matter, confirming that they've parted ways with Hesketh and subsequently disbanded:
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1948: Ed Brown Jr., a former Navy pilot, opens the first drive-in, fly-in movie theater. There's room for 500 cars and 25 small planes.
The drive-in movie theater itself was still something of a novelty when Brown hit on the idea of accommodating moviegoers arriving by private plane, another relatively new phenomenon in American life. He opened his fly-in theater on some land near Wall Township, New Jersey, which included an adjoining airfield. Planes would land at the field, then taxi over to the theater and fan out behind the cars. When the evening's feature ended, a jeep was provided to tow the planes back to the airfield.
Like conventional drive-ins, Brown's fly-in included a concession stand (where the real money was made), restrooms and plenty of privacy for, umm, watching the movie.
Brown's theater was a novelty in a larger industry that was already enjoying a growth spurt. The first drive-in theater opened in June 1933, also in New Jersey, and by 1948 there were 820 of them nationwide. The real boom came in the '50s, though, and by 1958 the number of theaters nationwide had surpassed 4,000. It was all downhill after that, though, with a steady decline during the 1960s and '70s. By the end of the 1980's, the number of drive-in theaters operating in the United States had dropped to under 1,000. The number stands at around 375 today.
Even during the drive-in's heyday, though, the fly-in idea never really took off. It was necessarily limited, owing both to the scarcity of available land and the fact that relatively few people owned their own planes. Still, there were other fly-in, drive-in theaters around. In fact, Brown opened a second one – Fly-in Drive-In #2 – on New Jersey Route 72 in Manahawkin. He operated a conventional drive-in theater, too, making him something of a drive-in mogul.
There are no drive-in moguls today. The theaters that remain exist either in remote areas or as nostalgic reminders of simpler times. In order to scoop up as much money as possible, the operators of most surviving drive-ins make the space available during daylight hours for other uses, notably flea markets.
The 2000s have seen the modest rise of so-called guerrilla drive-ins, utilizing updated technology including LCD projectors and micro-radio transmitters to set up "theaters" in vacant parking lots and other open spaces. But the drive-in theater of yore – with its greasy food, lousy sound quality and cute, squealing girls in angora sweaters – continues its long, slow fade into the mists of time.
Source: Various
Photo: JustABigGeek/Flickr
See also:
An Ode to Drive-in Movies
June 6, 1933: A Car, a Movie, Some Popcorn, and Thou
June 3, 1657: William Harvey Taken Out of Circulation
March 17, 1948: William Gibson, Father of Cyberspace
Oct. 26, 1948: Death Cloud Envelops Pennsylvania Mill Town
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Image copyright Cardiff Airport Image caption Conservatives claim only politicians and civil servants use the route, which is given around £1m a year
Subsidised flights between Cardiff and Anglesey could be under threat after a review into the route's viability was ordered by the Welsh Government.
The controversial service was launched in 2007 and has received about £1m of public money annually.
It was found to be underperforming in a 2014 report, and operator LinksAir had its safety licence revoked last year.
Welsh Tories said the service, which has lost passengers, should end if the review finds it is not cost-effective.
Figures obtained by the party have suggested the number of passengers on the service have fallen in recent months.
Some 8,937 passengers used it from September 2015 to August 2016, compared to 11,111 in September 2014 to August 2015, according to information provided by Economy Minister Ken Skates to Tory AM Darren Millar.
'Urgent'
The Clwyd West AM said: "If the Welsh Government's review of this service can't prove that the route can be cost-effective in the long run then it should be scrapped.
"Right now it seems that the only people who benefit from it are civil servants and politicians.
"Perhaps the millions which have been spent on the air link would be better spent improving the road and rail network in north Wales."
Van Air has operated the service since being awarded the contract in February following the Civil Aviation Authority's decision to revoke LinksAir's safety licence in October 2015.
'Consider the impact'
A spokeswoman for the Welsh Government, which owns Cardiff Airport, said: "Once that review has been completed, the cabinet secretary [Mr Skates] will consider its findings."
She added: "The study commissioned with external aviation specialists will consider the future viability of the air service.
"It will consider the impact/assessment of ceasing all provision; reducing frequency of flights; using alternative airports; and maintaining the status quo.
"It will include passenger forecast data for all options and will build upon the external review of the PSO [public service obligation] undertaken in 2014."
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MURRIETA, Calif. — Rumors had swirled among anti-immigration activists near a U.S. Border Patrol station in Southern California that the agency would try again to bus in some of the immigrants who have flooded across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Instead, they got dueling anti- and pro-immigration rallies Friday.
The crowd of 200 outside the station in Murrieta waved signs and sometimes shouted at each other. One banner read: “Proud LEGAL American. It doesn’t work any other way.” Another countered: “Against illegal immigration? Great! Go back to Europe!”
Law enforcement officers separated the two sides and contained them on one approach to the station, leaving open an approach from the opposite direction.
It was not certain, however, that any buses would arrive on Friday. Because of security concerns, federal authorities have said they will not publicize immigrant transfers among border patrol facilities. By late afternoon many demonstrators were leaving.
Six people were arrested, five for interfering with police who were investigating a fight and one for disorderly conduct, police said. One of the five was a woman who jumped on an officer’s back, but police did not give details on the actions of the rest.
PHOTOS: Celebrities turned politicians
Earlier this week, the city became the latest flashpoint in the intensifying immigration debate when a crowd of protesters waving American flags blocked buses carrying women and children who were flown from overwhelmed Texas facilities.
Federal authorities had hoped to process them at the station in Murrieta, about 55 miles north of downtown San Diego.
“This is a way of making our voices heard,” said Steve Prime, a resident of nearby Lake Elsinore. “The government’s main job is to secure our borders and protect us — and they’re doing neither.”
Immigration supporters said the immigrants need to be treated as humans and that migrating to survive is not a crime.
“We’re celebrating the 4th of July and what a melting pot America is,” said Raquel Alvarado, a high school history teacher and Murrieta resident who chalked up the fear of migrants in the city of roughly 106,000 to discrimination.
“They don’t want to have their kids share the same classroom,” she said.
The city’s mayor, Alan Long, became a hero to those seeking stronger immigration policies with his criticism of the federal government’s efforts to handle the influx of thousands of immigrants, many of them mothers and children.
However, Murrieta’s top administrative official tried to clarify Long’s comments, saying he was only asserting the Border Patrol station was not an appropriate location to process the migrants and was encouraging residents to contact their federal representatives.
The July 3 statement by City Manager Rick Dudley, suggesting that protesters had come from elsewhere in Southern California, expressed regret that the busloads of women and children had been forced to turn around.
Long said by telephone Friday that there was talk of a protest up to two weeks before Tuesday’s confrontation and the intent of his press conference Monday “was to squelch people’s rumors and to put people’s nerves at ease.”
He said forcing the buses to turn around was neither planned nor called for. “It’s not reflective of our city. This controversial topic has turned us upside down,” Long said. “It just happened to land on our doorstep, and we want to be part of a solution.”
Some local leaders said the outrage among some area residents was justified, given the already stressed social services infrastructure and the stagnant regional economy.
Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone said they weren’t concerned about the people on the buses. “It’s the thousands more that will follow that will strain our resources and take away the resources we need to care for our own citizens,” he said.
In recent months, thousands of children and families have fled violence, murders and extortion from criminal gangs in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Since October, more than 52,000 unaccompanied children have been detained.
The crunch on the border in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley prompted U.S. authorities to fly immigrant families to other Texas cities and to Southern California for processing.
The Border Patrol is coping with excess capacity across the Southwest, and cities’ responses to the arriving immigrants have ranged from welcoming to indifferent.
In the border town of El Centro, California, a flight arrived Wednesday without protest.
In Nogales, Arizona, the mayor has said he welcomes the hundreds of children who are being dropped off daily at a large Border Patrol warehouse. Residents have donated clothing and other items for them.
In New Mexico, however, residents have been less enthusiastic.
At a town hall meeting this week, residents in Artesia spoke out against a detention center that recently started housing immigrants. They said they were afraid the immigrants would take jobs and resources from U.S. citizens.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC.
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SANA / EPA A Syrian army troop patrol in al-Qalamoun Hills, an area in northern rural Damascus, Oct. 13, 2013
Throughout the bloody Syrian conflict, the ruling regime of President Bashar Assad has derided the armed opposition for its reliance on foreign fighters, usually seasoned militants that come from the battlefields of Chechnya, Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iraq. But as a new campaign is set to start in the mountainous corridor between Damascus and the Lebanese border, it is becoming increasingly clear that the government is just as dependent on outsiders for success. In Qalamoun, a strategic region that has been in rebel hands for most of the war, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hizballah is preparing to take on rebels in a drawn-out fight that could dictate the outcome of the Syrian conflict.
The government’s plan to wrest Qalamoun from rebel hands has been long in the planning, an obvious extension of June’s successful campaign to take, with Hizballah’s help, the town of Qusayr, a key rebel stronghold just north of Qalamoun. In regaining Qalamoun, the regime hopes to secure a vital corridor linking Damascus to the coastal province of Latakia, home to the Mediterranean port of Tartous and inhabited by Assad’s Alawite sect. The rebels depend on Qalamoun’s shared border with Lebanon to smuggle in supplies and weapons from supporters in Lebanon. “If the regime takes Qalamoun, it could cause a lot of damage to rebel groups,” says Phillip Smyth, a research fellow at the University of Maryland who specializes in Hizballah and Shi‘ite militias in Syria.
Last week, as Hizballah units prepared for imminent battle in Qalamoun, TIME was able to join some of their forces in a brief foray across the Syrian border from Lebanon to visit a pair of bases in the area’s north. The bases were small — one housed 35 fighters, and the other only 20. But the men were well armed with rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47s, truck-mounted artillery guns and sniper riffles. They all wore the camouflage of Hizballah’s elite special forces. While the immediate area was quiet, the distant thunder of bombs could be heard coming from the village of Mheen, farther to the north, where Syrian government forces battled with the rebels.
“If we don’t defend the Syrian regime, it would fall within two hours,” said Ali, a 27-year-old Lebanese fighter who has served with Hizballah for more than 10 years. He requested that only his first name be used. “Our leadership [in Lebanon] took the decision that it would not be acceptable for Syria to fall [to the Sunni-dominated rebels] because we would be encircled by enemies in Syria and Israel.” (The government arms depot in Mheen has since been captured by the rebels, according to the supreme military commander of the Free Syrian Army, General Salim Idriss, in an interview with Al Arabia TV on Nov. 6.)
Unlike the battle for Qusayr, Qalamoun, with its mountain redoubts, caves and unmapped goat tracks, will not be a set piece battle with clear front lines and decisive victories. Instead it will resemble a guerrilla-type campaign that could continue well into next spring. For that reason, says Smyth, Assad has turned to Hizballah to take the lead. Assad’s military, while still strong, is spread thin. “There is a lot of strain on the soldiers, and the leadership doesn’t trust Sunnis in the ranks not to defect,” says Smyth. Nor can the Syrian army’s new conscripts be expected to do well in such a complex situation. “Hizballah is better equipped. If Assad is going to launch any real offense to secure a strategic zone, he is going to depend on Hizballah.”
And Hizballah is gearing up for Qalamoun with relish. Already the militia has released a slick propaganda video about its preparations for battle, set to a stirring martial beat and full of taunts against the rebels. “After Qusayr it will be Qalamoun,” goes one verse. “You collected the armies of the world and said we will occupy Syria … the heroes are coming and ISIS will be humiliated,” says another, referring to the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The Syrian army, says Hizballah field commander Abu Jihad, will assist with shelling and air strikes where appropriate, but there is no doubt who is in the lead. “Everything will be under our commandment. The Syrian army will operate according to our plans,” he says, going by his nom de guerre. If true, it represents a striking evolution that reveals the true disarray of Assad’s forces. A Syrian officer in the presidential guard, reached by phone and speaking on condition of anonymity, concurs. “Whenever we are fighting with Hizballah, they take the command and we provide logistics.”
Even with Syrian military support, Abu Jihad anticipates a tough battle. He says there are some 30,000 rebels and rebel supporters in Qalamoun that will have to be defeated, a number backed up by other analysts and Western diplomats in Beirut. But Abu Jihad holds that Hizballah’s forces will be up to the task. The battle has been divided into four fronts, he explains, and Hizballah will take the northern, western and southern fronts along the border with Lebanon while the Syrian forces shore up the highway on the east. Once the rebels are encircled, Hizballah will begin to squeeze. “We will cut everything from them. All sources of life will be cut: water, gas, electricity, heating. Then we will launch our attack.” “We took the decision that none of them is allowed to go out alive,” adds Sheik Ahmad, a high-ranking Hizballah commander in charge of intelligence for Qusayr and Qalamoun.
Residents of Yabroud, a mixed Christian-Muslim town that has long sought to avoid violence, are already bracing for the onslaught. But there is little people can do, says Michael, a Christian resident and spokesman for the antiregime Free Christian movement of Yabroud. He goes by one name and spoke by phone. “We heard that the regime circulated flyers asking people to leave Qalamoun in 24 hours,” he says. But for where? Yabroud is already a refuge for thousands of displaced people fleeing the violence in nearby Homs. “I have no place to go,” laments Michael. “Thousands of people will be killed if the regime attacks.”
Mohammad al-Farouq, a spokesman from Yabroud’s media center, fears that the town will be the next victim of the starvation tactics practiced by the regime in other contested cities. Already, he says, Yabroud’s residents don’t have enough food, fuel and medicine to last the winter. “If this battle starts, it will be a disaster for the civilians.” Given the strategic value of Qalamoun for both sides, and Hizballah’s eagerness to take the lead for Assad, it doesn’t look like there will be much hope for staving off a brutal fight.
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Pokémon Black is a Nintendo game developed by Game Freak. It is supported by both the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS systems. The release date for this Pokémon title was March 2011 in North America. It was also released alongside Pokémon White, a companion title. Both games are an RPG set in the Pokémon mythos. The main difference between Pokémon Black and Pokémon White is that each version has exclusive content. For instance, Black City is exclusive to the Black version, and White Forest is exclusive to the White version.As with most Pokémon games, Black has you play as a Pokémon trainer travelling through Unova. Unova is a Manhattan-inspired region inhabited by numerous Pokémon. The core gameplay of this game and the series is to catch Pokémon, train them, and battle against other trainers. As you win battles, you and the members of your team become increasingly more powerful. There is also the higher goal here of thwarting Team Plasma, a criminal organization that uses Pokémon for evil purposes.Although an RPG, the game is fairly linear. You travel from one story point to the next. Story points usually have a number of objectives to fulfill. In between these points, you'll engage in the activities common to games through the Pokémon series. It's worth noting that many story moments play out differently in each version. Big fans will undoubtedly want to experience both for the complete story. However, each edition tells the same core tale, so that isn't absolutely necessary.This video game is presented using an overhead, third-person view. The game contains three main screens: an overworld, a combat screen, and a menu. The overworld is a map that players use to navigate the land. The combat screen is where each battle is contested. The menu is where you adjust settings, organize your inventory, and manipulate your Pokémon roster. Configuring your equipment and roster is an important aspect of being successful in Pokémon games.Trainers capture Pokémon using Poké Balls. When a wild Pokémon is encountered, you'll automatically be challenged by another trainer. If you win, the wild Pokémon is added to your team. These creatures can earn XP, gain levels, and earn up to four moves. There are three types of moves: attack, healing, and status effect. Pokémon can also evolve. When those evolution conditions are met, your team member will change into something much stronger and more dangerous.Unique to the Black and White Pokémon video games is the Dream World. This mode provides some engaging features outside of the core game. One neat feature is the option to capture Pokémon and learn abilities that aren't present in this edition of the series. Another is the option to have other members of the community enter your Dream World and interact with it. There are also multiplayer side games that let you earn points. Those points can be used in the single-player mode to enhance your experience in a number of different ways. It also helps provide this content-packed adventure with a significant amount of replay value.
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Quantum mechanics tells us that light can behave simultaneously as a particle or a wave. However, there has never been an experiment able to capture both natures of light at the same time; the closest we have come is seeing either wave or particle, but always at different times. Taking a radically different experimental approach, EPFL scientists have now been able to take the first ever snapshot of light behaving both as a wave and as a particle. The breakthrough work is published in Nature Communications.
When UV light hits a metal surface, it causes an emission of electrons. Albert Einstein explained this "photoelectric" effect by proposing that light - thought to only be a wave - is also a stream of particles. Even though a variety of experiments have successfully observed both the particle- and wave-like behaviors of light, they have never been able to observe both at the same time.
A new approach on a classic effect
A research team led by Fabrizio Carbone at EPFL has now carried out an experiment with a clever twist: using electrons to image light. The researchers have captured, for the first time ever, a single snapshot of light behaving simultaneously as both a wave and a stream of particles particle.
The experiment is set up like this: A pulse of laser light is fired at a tiny metallic nanowire. The laser adds energy to the charged particles in the nanowire, causing them to vibrate. Light travels along this tiny wire in two possible directions, like cars on a highway. When waves traveling in opposite directions meet each other they form a new wave that looks like it is standing in place. Here, this standing wave becomes the source of light for the experiment, radiating around the nanowire.
This is where the experiment's trick comes in: The scientists shot a stream of electrons close to the nanowire, using them to image the standing wave of light. As the electrons interacted with the confined light on the nanowire, they either sped up or slowed down. Using the ultrafast microscope to image the position where this change in speed occurred, Carbone's team could now visualize the standing wave, which acts as a fingerprint of the wave-nature of light.
While this phenomenon shows the wave-like nature of light, it simultaneously demonstrated its particle aspect as well. As the electrons pass close to the standing wave of light, they "hit" the light's particles, the photons. As mentioned above, this affects their speed, making them move faster or slower. This change in speed appears as an exchange of energy "packets" (quanta) between electrons and photons. The very occurrence of these energy packets shows that the light on the nanowire behaves as a particle.
"This experiment demonstrates that, for the first time ever, we can film quantum mechanics - and its paradoxical nature - directly," says Fabrizio Carbone. In addition, the importance of this pioneering work can extend beyond fundamental science and to future technologies. As Carbone explains: "Being able to image and control quantum phenomena at the nanometer scale like this opens up a new route towards quantum computing."
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This work represents a collaboration between the Laboratory for Ultrafast Microscopy and Electron Scattering of EPFL, the Department of Physics of Trinity College (US) and the Physical and Life Sciences Directorate of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The imaging was carried out EPFL's ultrafast energy-filtered transmission electron microscope - one of the two in the world.
Reference
Piazza L, Lummen TTA, Quiñonez E, Murooka Y, Reed BW, Barwick B, Carbone F. Simultaneous observation of the quantization and the interference pattern of a plasmonic near-field. Nature Communications 02 March 2015. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7407
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It seems that barely a day passes without major developments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into allegations of collusion between Russia and Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign. Mueller’s investigation team has already indicted three members of President Trump’s campaign team. Former campaign chief, Paul Manafort, his business associate Rick Gates, and foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos have all been charged with offenses related to the Trump – Russia allegations. Papadopoulos has already entered a guilty plea to a lesser charge and is believed to be cooperating with Mueller’s team.
As reported by the Inquisitr earlier this week, both President Trump and his lawyers have reportedly warned the Mueller investigation to stay out of Trump’s personal finances, especially with regard to his property deals. As reported by Politico, President Trump, and his lawyers have warned Mueller to “stay away” from President Trump’s real estate deals. In fact, as long ago as July, President Trump told the New York Times that he would consider it “a violation” if Mueller’s investigators looked into his personal finances.
The reality is that the financial dealings of President Trump, and members of his campaign team, in Russia seem to form a key part of the Mueller investigation.
[Image by Evan Vucci/AP Images]
The charges laid against Manafort and Gates, by the Mueller investigation, relate almost entirely to their financial dealings in Russia and the Ukraine. Vanity Fair reports that the Mueller investigation is closely examining the infamous dossier released by former British spy Christopher Steele. Trump’s team has branded the Steele dossier as “dodgy” but, as reported by the Guardian, Steele stands by the dossier and claims it is up to 90 percent accurate.
Steele was a respected operative with the United Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Service MI6 and claims that his counterparts in the CIA and FBI reacted with “shock and horror” when he supplied them with copies of his intelligence reports. In short, it seems that Steele believes that the Mueller investigation will find evidence of Trump’s tie to Russia if they look into “the contracts for the hotel deals and land deals between Trump and individuals within the Kremlin.”
It is claimed that Trump was in financial trouble after a series of bankruptcies in the wake of the 2008 financial crash. With Western banks reluctant to lend money to Trump he was forced to rely on Russian money. This, it is alleged, put him in debt to the Russian’s and gave Russia leverage over him as he started his presidential campaign.
[Image by Hau Dinh/AP Images]
As Vanity Fair points out, Donald Trump Jr. has previously admitted that “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.” The implication is clear, if Donald Trump’s financial survival relied on Russian money, then Russia may have the means to influence the president’s thinking. If that were the situation then it would be in Russia’s interests to support Trump, rather than Hillary Clinton, in the race for the U.S. presidency.
Of course, President Trump has repeatedly denied that he colluded with Russia, but it is being widely reported today, that the Mueller investigation has issued subpoenas to more than a dozen of Trump’s associates relating to documents and emails that reference certain Russia-related keywords. Fox News described this as Mueller’s first official order for the Trump campaign to produce information.
It seems that one thing is clear, the Mueller investigation is far from done with its investigation into Donald Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia.
[Featured Image by Cliff Owen/AP Images]
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Boeing lost an order for 35 Dreamliners with a list price of $8.5 billion on Thursday in the biggest cancellation for the 787 jet as Qantas Airways scrapped a contract after delivery delays and losses on international routes.
Qantas’s decision underscores a slowdown in international travel that has caused carriers like Cathay Pacific Airways and Singapore Airlines to cut plans for expansion.
“It’s going to bother people more because of what it says about growth in air travel than because of anything it says about the 787,” Howard Rubel, an analyst with Jefferies & Company.
Qantas will receive $433 million from Boeing in compensation for delays and a refund of deposits for the canceled order, the airline’s chief financial officer, Gareth R. Evans, said.
A Boeing spokesman, Marc Birtel, declined to comment.
Shares of Boeing fell $2.44, or 3.4 percent, to close at $70.36.
Boeing lost orders for 25 Dreamliners this year before Thursday, including a lot of 24 scrapped by China Eastern in March.
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On Tuesday, we noted that right-wing conspiracy theorist Jim Garrow — a notorious con man who now claims to be a former CIA agent — believes that President Obama blew up the missing Malaysia Airlines plane as part of a “jihad” against China.
He said the military forced the plane to “land by wire” at a base in Diego Garcia and interrogated the “nerds” aboard the jet who are working “for China designing ‘classified’ leading edge computer/internet control software and are carrying the matching hardware with them on the plane.”
Occasional Fox News guest and regular WorldNetDaily commentator Erik Rush, who frequently hosts Garrow on his radio show, laid out a very similar conspiracy theory about the missing plane on his blog and radio program yesterday.
According to Rush’s source (we wonder who that could be!), the US took control of the plane, landed it on Diego Garcia in order to interrogate technicians aboard who wanted to “abscond to China,” and then had everyone on the flight “murdered.”
Rush does add, however, that the pilots may have been protected because they are “pro-Islamist.”
It sounds like an expensive cigar, but Diego Garcia is actually a United States military base that we technically rent from the United Kingdom. At 967 nautical miles south-southwest from the southern tip of India, it is more or less midway between Indonesia and the African continent. The US Navy operates its Naval Support Facility (NSF) there, which is a naval ship and submarine support base, military air base, as well as a communications and space-tracking facility.
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Why so few have postulated that this facility may have played a part in the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 may or may not seem odd at first blush given the circumstances: I mean, it’s not a secret base, though clandestine activities conducted there certainly would be. At any rate, I am told Diego Garcia is the location to which Flight 370 was diverted. My source has actually been to Diego Garcia, and assures me that you can land a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy there. Those are the military transport planes they load tanks aboard, and they’re just about the size of a Boeing 777.
At Diego Garcia, some 20 civilian technical personnel were removed from the aircraft for interrogation. On March 8, Reuters reported that 20 employees of U.S. chipmaker Freescale Semiconductor were passengers on Flight 370, according to a statement from the company. It is said that these employees traveled regularly between company facilities in Tianjin, China, and Kuala Lumpur. It may be presumed that these individuals were the same 20 who were reportedly taken to Diego Garcia for interrogation, although my information holds that the detainees (if you will) were working in their capacities as contractors.
Reports earlier this week that the flight plan deviation was programmed into a computer system on board (rather than being executed manually by one of the pilots was quite accurate), I am told. The airliner was taken over remotely by US intelligence operatives at the behest of those at the highest levels of our government.
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No, there would have to be a great deal more involved than a software package to commandeer an airliner, kidnap technical contractors, and then “disappear” the plane and over 200 passengers (who, sadly, were most likely murdered for the sake of expediency).
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So what went wrong? Well, apparently the DOD got wind that these engineers (who, despite operating under the auspices of Freescale and/or other companies, were not American nationals) were on their way to abscond to China with their prototypes (which were in the cargo hold of the 777) and other valuable materials, thereby cutting the US out of the program entirely.
And why not? It’s fairly well-known in the intelligence community that the Chinese government has absolutely no respect for President Obama, and his telegraphing weak foreign policy all around the world wouldn’t lend itself to a sudden changing of his stripes (ineffectual posturing over Ukraine notwithstanding). Additionally, my understanding is that China technically owned this technology; the US was aiding in its development under a partnership, which apparently the Chinese decided to end in a rather ex parte manner.
The CIA went into action, in concert with the DOD and Boeing engineers. They commandeered Flight 370 en route, digitally, without the foreknowledge of the pilots or crew, diverting it to Diego Garcia. I imagine that’s where the aircraft made that now-infamous and mysterious turn just northeast of Malaysia.
So essentially, the CIA double-crossed the Chinese before they could double-cross us.
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Flight 370’s pilots (one of whom being the pro-Islamist Zaharie Ahmad Shah) may have been afforded the opportunity to continue on to another Muslim country, blend in and take on a new identity, given the sentiments of those in the current administration. In any case, it was the geeks and the goods that the CIA was after, and I’m led to believe that’s what they got.
My understanding is that the foregoing information has been confirmed at the highest levels of our government, though not the current one, if that’s cryptic enough for you.
At least, that’s what my source tells me. And they haven’t been wrong yet.
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AMD's Zen architecture has proven to be a boon for the company in its fight against Intel. AMD first gave us a taste of how powerful Zen is with the Ryzen 7 processors, which were followed up by Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3. Later, we were taken by surprise with Ryzen Threadripper , which offers up to 16 cores of workstation-class computing greatness. Finally, AMD pulled the wraps off EPYC , which is a server-class processor family offering up to 32-cores and 64 threads of compute power.
It's that last product family that is the focus of our attention today. Canard PC Hardware, a French website with a pretty good track record when it comes to leaks, claims to have obtained specifications for AMD's second generation EPYC processors (we’ll simply call it EPYC 2 for brevity). At first glance, things don't appear to be too out of the ordinary. The processors are rumored to still support up to 128 PCIe lanes and 8-channel DDR4 memory (although the memory spec has been bumped from 2666MHz to 3200MHz speeds).
Ne le répétez à personne, mais les CPU EPYC de 2e gen d'AMD auront 64 cores, 256 Mo (!) de L3, 8x DDR4-3200 et 128 lignes de PCIe 4. 😲🤫 — Canard PC Hardware (@CPCHardware) October 31, 2017
Where things really get interesting is with the revelation that the maximum core count has increased from 32 cores to 64 cores. That means that the top-spec EPYC 2 part will be capable of executing a staggering 128 threads.
The final piece to the puzzle comes with respect to L3 cache, and this marks another significant upgrade. Current EPYC processors feature 2MB of L3 cache per core, with the current 32-core EPYC 7551P featuring 64MB of total L3 cache. The leak from Canard PC Hardware suggests that this figure will quadruple, with 64-core processors serving as home to 256MB of L3 cache.
If AMD can manage to move its 12nm LP process technology and eventually 7nm, it's not out of the realm of possibility that 64 cores and 256MB of L3 cache could be crammed into future EPYC processors. In a follow-up tweet, the publication says that base TDP for the new processor will be 225W and will max out at 240W.
N'allez pas non plus crier sur les toits que le TDP de base pourra monter à 225W (et jusqu'à 240W max). Je compte sur vous. — Canard PC Hardware (@CPCHardware) October 31, 2017
Back in March, the website managed to leak some news about an upcoming HEDT processor family from AMD. At the time, we didn't know that it had revealed specifications for what was to be known as Ryzen Threadripper. Will the publication's sources ring true again when it comes to these EPYC 2 specs? We definitely hope so.
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A six-sided steel cage stands for redemption for Matt Hardy and EC3.
The two men take their rivalry into the cage this Tuesday at Lockdown, as TNA champion Hardy desperately wants to show that his championship reign is not a fluke, while EC3 looks to reclaim what once belonged to him.
“Matt Hardy is a piece of s---,” said EC3. “He is a perennial liar and a master manipulator, and I’m going to kick his a-- and win back my title.”
The two began feuding last summer, which is nearly an eternity in today’s pro wrestling, but Hardy–in a twist of fate–turned the tables on EC3 in January by siding with Tyrus in a successful effort to win the title. Now if EC3 loses at Lockdown, he will not receive another title shot from Hardy.
“When I beat EC3 in the cage at Lockdown, then that’s it,” explained Hardy. “He gets no more title shots. He can challenge for the X-Division title, he can find a partner and go after the tag team titles, and he can even fight for the King of the Mountain title. But when it’s all said and done, EC3 will receive no more shots at the world heavyweight title after I defeat him at Lockdown.”
Hardy, who was trained by the legendary Dory Funk, Jr., first debuted in 1992. He has a long list of accomplishments in the business, particularly from his time with WWE, but there is one glaring exception. He has never put together a reign of any substance as world champion.
“This title means everything to me,” said Hardy. “A lot of guys haven’t lasted as long as me, especially the guys from the original TLC matches. Edge and Christian are gone from injuries. My brother Jeff has been injury-plagued, and the Dudley’s are in limbo in WWE. Personally, I’m thriving and better than ever, and this title is the masterpiece I’ve painted. It shows that I’m not only great, I am iconic.”
Hardy also worked with Paul Levesque, and actually claims that he is the inspiration behind Triple H’s current run as WWE champion.
“One thing Hunter truly appreciates is my political maneuvering and burying of EC3,” said Hardy. “People keep saying EC3 is the heart and soul of TNA, that he’s this homegrown star and he is going to be this big star. But fans don’t understand that I’m the true star–I came off Vince McMahon’s TV. A lot of fans don’t accept me because I became a star in the WWE, but that adds credibility and equity to the TNA title. I made a similar comment to Hunter on Twitter, and he must have been listening, because he said, ‘Watch this–I’ll politically maneuver myself into the title spot so we can both be great champions.’”
This feud originally began with Hardy as the fan favorite, but the roles have reversed and the chants for EC3 are growing louder.
“I want to be the best, I want to win the most and I will do whatever it takes to win, but I never hated the fans,” explained EC3. “I just hated a lot of the guys who the fans happened to like. Maybe people appreciate my work ethic or the fact that I tell the truth, and I’m turning all my anger and hate to the person who the fans don’t like–and that’s Matt Hardy.
“I’ve had many challenges both on-screen and off-screen, but my end goal is to become champion. Matt Hardy’s been in this business for 22 years, and I’ll never take anything away from that. I spent a lot of those years watching him on television. I was never unbeatable, I just wanted to win the most, but now I’ve met someone who is willing to do even more. It’s a unique challenge, but I’m still going to find a way to win.”
EC3’s story is one of perseverance. He was let by the WWE go–receiving his dismissal from Levesque–but his willingness to out-work his opponents has fueled his success in TNA. One of his biggest obstacles, he admitted, is dealing with an opponent so detached from reality.
“Even the people who doubted me in the past are starting to realize how I say something and then I make it happen,” said Hardy. “I said I was going to be the guy to end EC3’s undefeated streak, and I did. I said I was the guy who would win the world heavyweight title from him, and I did. And I said I’m going to be the champion that #MakesTNAGreatAgain, and I’m going to do it.
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“There is a correlation between TNA’s increased rating on Pop Television and my reign as champion. We’ve already got a whole group of sponsors lining up to buy into the show. I’m talking to one of my dear friends, Nick Searcy–who is a lead star from Justified–and there are a lot of people interested in me doing some things in Hollywood. I’m going to be a huge crossover success star for TNA, pretty much comparable to The Rock from WWE. TNA has had a lot of great periods–Hulk Hogan even came in, but I don’t think he was beneficial to TNA. They spent a lot of money on him but made a lot of mistakes. They should have saved that money for me. My contract is coming up shortly, and when that time comes, I’m going to ask for Hulk Hogan money, plus one more dollar. I’m going to be the highest paid performer in the history of Impact Wrestling.”
Both EC3 and Hardy offered insight to their strategies for victory.
“Matt Hardy did what was necessary to defeat me for the world heavyweight title,” said EC3. “So I respect him, but with that respect comes a caveat–he’s a hunted man from now until I reclaim the championship. I will find him, I will be his shadow, I will bring hell at every turn–and that hell will take place at Lockdown. I’m going to tear him apart. Nobody else can get in the cage, and the only one who can get out is the one who wins. I predict I’m going to beat the living sh-- out of Matt Hardy.”
Hardy explained that his time in the business is a major difference between the two competitors, and that EC3’s emotion is playing right into the champion’s wheelhouse.
“EC3 is letting emotions control his life,” said Hardy. “He will be sloppy because he’ll be too emotional thinking about revenge–he’s too focused on crippling me. I’m going to stay calm and calculated to position myself in the exact spot I need to be to retain that title.
“I’m just scratching the surface as champion. I was brought up poor, but I’ve earned every cent in my bank account. EC3 has worked hard, too, but he’s only worked hard to become mediocre. I started with nothing, and I’ve built and grown to the point where I am the world heavyweight champion, and I don’t see that ending any time in the immediate future. After I defeat EC3, we will officially enter the era of ‘Big Money Matt.’ The ‘Iconic One’ is going to bring TNA to the promised land.”
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John M. Simpson, of Consumer Watchdog, presents concerns about self-driving cars while speaking at a public hearing held by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, in Sacramento, Calif. DMV officials began hearing from advocates and skeptics about the draft regulations the agency released last month on self-driving vehicles. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) The Associated Press
By JUSTIN PRITCHARD, Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California regulators deciding how to permit the future rollout of self-driving cars were told Thursday by consumer advocates that their cautious approach was right on, and by companies developing the technology that the current course will delay deployment of vehicles that promise huge safety benefits.
The state's Department of Motor Vehicles heard the comments at a workshop as it wrestles with how to keep the public safe as the imperfect technology matures — but not regulate so heavily that the agency stifles development of the vehicles.
The agency sought suggestions of possible changes to a draft of precedent-setting regulations it released last month. Those regulations will govern how Californians can get the cars once companies move beyond their current testing of prototypes.
Because California has been a hotbed for the development and regulation of the technology, what happens in the state has ripple effects nationally.
What the DMV had hoped would be a technical discussion Thursday about legal language instead drifted toward broad statements about the technology's merits.
Most vocal were advocates for the blind — a group that has not been central to the regulatory debate. Several argued the technology could change their lives, and the agency should not get in the way.
"Please don't leave my family out in the waiting room," said Jessie Lorenz, who is blind and relies on public transit to get her 4-year-old daughter to preschool. Lorenz would prefer to use a self-driving car for that — or even a "spontaneous road trip."
She said she has taken a ride in a self-driving car that Google Inc. has been developing, "and it was awesome."
DMV attorney Brian Soublet said the agency appreciates the potential benefits for disabled people, but its focus has to be on the safety of the entire motoring public.
Google wants California to clear the road for the technology — and has expressed disappointment in the DMV's draft regulations, which say self-driving cars must have a steering wheel in case onboard computers or sensors fail. A licensed driver would need to sit in the driver's seat, ready to seize control.
"We need to be careful about the assumption that having a person behind the wheel" will make driving safer, Chris Urmson, the leader of Google's self-driving car project, told the agency.
Google has concluded that human error is the biggest danger in driving, and the company wants to remove the steering wheel and pedals from cars of the future, giving people minimal ability to intervene.
Urmson said that if the draft regulations are not changed, Google's car would not be available in California. While Google has been testing on roads here for several years — with trained safety drivers behind the wheel, just in case — it might deploy cars without steering wheels in Texas, where regulators hailed the technology when Google began testing prototypes there last summer.
California's DMV is still months away from finalizing any regulations.
Under the draft framework, an independent certifier would need to verify a manufacturer's assurances that its cars are safe. Google and traditional automakers want manufacturer self-certification, the standard for other cars.
Once a company receives that verification, manufacturers would receive a permit for three years. Consumers could lease the cars, but manufacturers would be required to keep tabs on how safely they are driving and report that performance to the state. Drivers would need special, manufacturer-provided training, and then get a special certification on their licenses.
If a car breaks the law, the driver would be responsible.
John Simpson of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog commended the DMV on Thursday "for putting safety first. I think you got it exactly right" in the draft, he said.
Earlier this month, federal officials announced an aggressive plan to get the technology to the public's hands sooner than later.
In written guidance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, projected that "fully automated vehicles are nearing the point at which widespread deployment is feasible."
It remains unclear just how the bullish federal approach will affect California's regulatory process.
Neither Google nor traditional automakers have said they think the cars are ready yet, but at least a dozen companies are developing the technology and nearly as many have permission to test in California. Google has suggested a model could be ready for limited use sooner than the public realizes.
Several times during Thursday's workshop, DMV officials urged commenters to offer specific changes to the draft regulations, sometimes in reaction to comments that the regulations fell short.
Speaker Curt Augustine of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said his organization did not agree with the DMV's third-party certification requirement.
DMV attorney Soublet asked for proposed fixes, invoking a saying his father told him: It only takes one wrecking ball to demolish a house, but a whole crew to build one.
The agency has been working on regulations for testing and now deployment for nearly three years — and regulations on deployment were supposed to be final a year ago.
___
Contact Justin Pritchard at http://twitter.com/lalanewsman .
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In 2015, Brazil had as many homicides as all the blue countries combined (interactive version)
Credit to Reddit user Speech500 for the original version of this map. This one has been modified to reflect updated figures and a different selection of countries.
You’re probably aware that Brazil is a dangerous place with a high murder rate. But what may come as a surprise is just how big the disparity is between Brazil and other large countries. Indeed, Brazil saw nearly 60,000 murders in 2015, as many as the United States, China, all of Europe, Northern Africa, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand combined.
Pretty striking!
For some added perspective, here is the same data shown as a treemap. Each is country sized proportionally to its annual homicide count.
If you’d like to have a look through these stats for the full list of countries, you can download the raw data here.
Sources:
My latest project, Elementus, aims to bring transparency to the cryptocurrency market. Check out our blog for some crypto-related data visualizations.
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Plans by housing corporation De Key to allow its tenants to rent their homes out via online platforms such as Airbnb have led to calls in parliament for the project to be stopped.
VVD parliamentarian Road van der Linde said he plans to ask housing minister Stef Blok to stop De Key pressing ahead with the experiment, which was announced earlier this week. He also criticised Amsterdam’s mayor Eberhard van der Laan for suggesting that social housing tenants are missing out on money because they are not allowed to rent out their homes.
Amsterdam’s agreement with Airbnb bans social housing tenants from placing their homes on the website. Home owners and private sector tenants can use Airbnb with the permission of their owners’ associations and landlords.
‘I really don’t understand what Van der Laan is on about,’ Van der Linde said. ‘What would we think if he put his official residence on Airbnb and pocketed the income?’
Social housing tenants, he pointed out, live in property where the rent is kept deliberately low. ‘How do you explain that to a policeman who can’t find a place to live in Amsterdam?’ he said.
The city’s ruling coalition has already said it does not support allowing social housing tenants to use Airbnb and has asked the mayor to explain his comments in more detail.
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Connor Shaw, South Carolina’s all-time winningest quarterback and current practice squad player for the Cleveland Browns, is a man of reason who came to the Gamecocks’ defense Saturday night after a devastating overtime loss to Tennessee.
South Carolina, 4-5 for the first time ever under Steve Spurrier, fell at home for the third time this season after squandering another double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
Shaw was 18-0 at home and 27-5 overall as the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback:
The Alma Mater is about pride in the University you represent & the respect of past players. Damn shame. FOREVER TO THEE. — Connor Shaw (@cmshaw9) November 2, 2014
Some of the coaches & players being blamed are the same who were a huge part of winning 33 games in 3 years. Don't be spoiled by success! — Connor Shaw (@cmshaw9) November 2, 2014
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Contrasto/Eyevine
As the editor-in-chief of two journals, cell biologist Gerry Melino is used to having an inbox full of concerns, of varying levels of seriousness, about data in published papers. But an e-mail he received criticizing a 2006 paper in one of his journals, Cell Death and Differentiation, surprised him with its unusual professionalism and precision. He fast-tracked an independent investigation into the paper — and this week the journal will publish a retraction by the authors, led by prominent Italian cancer researcher Alfredo Fusco. The paper had been found to contain “inappropriately duplicated” images.
The e-mail criticizing Fusco’s paper was sent in August by Enrico Bucci, who runs a small biomedical start-up company in northern Italy offering publication of meta-analysis services. He had detected the gel anomalies while conducting a global search to exclude contaminated literature from his database. The search has revealed anomalous images in around one-quarter of biomedical papers examined so far.
Fusco, a professor at the University of Naples and an associate member of the Accademia dei Lincei, Italy’s prestigious national academy, is now under investigation by the police and by his university.
Although Fusco is the first person to be investigated as a result of Bucci’s work, other scientists may now find their work under scrutiny. The affair has also revealed the absence of a system for investigating allegations of misconduct in Italy’s universities.
The story began in 2008, when Bucci, a molecular biologist, founded BioDigitalValley in Pont Saint Martin, Italy. Its services include pulling out all published images of gel-electrophoresis analysis — which separates and identifies large molecules such as proteins and sequences of RNA — that are relevant to a particular disease or tissue.
Bucci and his team created a database hosting all accessible biomedical papers published since 2000. But cleaning it of scientific contamination was not the quick job he had imagined. First he removed retracted papers; then he created a network of scientists who had been co-authors at least three times with authors of the retractions.
The list ran to more than one million, so he looked only at Italian scientists. Using in-house software that could isolate images of, for example, gels, and check them for simple features such as possibly duplicated portions, he ran an automatic check of all the papers the Italian researchers had published. He focused on highly cited researchers for whom the automatic check had revealed multiple papers with anomalous images. Fusco, a specialist in cancer genetics, topped the list with eight papers.
Bucci’s team then checked all of Fusco’s research papers in greater detail using gel-checking software to identify various features, such as reused gel images or markings that suggested cut-and-pasted images. Out of around 300 papers on which Fusco was first or last author, the team found 53 containing gels with potential irregularities, including one from as far back as 1985.
After discovering that there was no academic organization in Italy that dealt with such findings, in February 2012 Bucci contacted the Milan police.
He says that his team is now working on tens of other cases of Italian scientists who scored highly in his automated check and collaboration network. “The value of my method, with its scientists’ network element, is that the first quick check allows you to decide which authors to spend detailed time on,” says Bucci.
Now midway through the analysis, he estimates that around one-quarter of the thousands of papers featuring gels that he has analysed so far potentially breached widely accepted guidelines on reproducing gel images. And around 10% seem to include very obvious breaches, such as cutting and pasting of gel bands. Some journals were more affected than others, he says. Those with a high impact factor tended to be slightly less affected. He plans to publish his results.
The public prosecutors must decide by April whether to bring charges against Fusco. A source close to the police investigation confirms that around 60 papers by Fusco are being studied, including a 2007 paper in the Journal of Clinical Investigation that was retracted by the editors in November. In an e-mail to Nature, Fusco declined to comment until the investigations are complete.
When details of the inquiry were leaked to an Italian newspaper in October, the rector of Fusco’s university set up a three-man internal committee headed by Roberto Di Lauro, vice-rector for research at the University of Naples, that is expected to report by the end of the year. Di Lauro has co-authored nine papers with Fusco, but says that he will resign from the committee if any of these papers feature in the investigation.
Because universities in Italy have no established guidelines for handling such allegations, the committee is working out its operating procedures as it goes along, says Di Lauro. “We are taking the opportunity to make a report to our rectors on how universities should handle such cases,” he adds.
Such a report would be welcomed. “Italy is far behind other European countries in this,” says Nicole Föger of the Austrian Agency for Research Integrity in Vienna, and chair of the European Network of Research Integrity Offices. “But we have noticed that a country can catch up quickly after a scandal.”
“We editors are bombarded by low-quality allegations to the point that we can’t cope,” says Melino, who has joint appointments at the MRC Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester, UK, and the University of Rome Tor Vergata. “But Bucci’s systematic approach to addressing the genuine problem of literature contamination is actually very helpful.”
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Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com
Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBS[/caption]
Brandon Hantz had a bit of a rough go last time we saw him on Survivor. During the South Pacific season he was portrayed as a leering pervert who could not handle his sexual attraction to another contestant, an unstable entity that would pop off at Tribal Council for no reason, and, finally, a rube who could get suckered into giving away his immunity only to be immediately voted off after doing so. As if dealing with all of that was not enough, Brandon had to also endure the public barbs coming from his own uncle — two-time Survivor finalist Russell Hantz — who tore into his gameplay both online and at the live Reunion show.
Needless to say, Brandon was hoping for a significantly smoother ride when he returned to play Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites (premiering Feb. 13 on CBS). I spoke with Lil’ Hantz last May just days before filming began and he talked about being a very different player this time around. He was also not shy about discussing his recent family troubles, including, yes, more issues with uncle Russell. In all, it makes for one of the most curious — and at times, confusing — Survivor pre-game interviews I have ever done.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Why are you going to win this time around, Brandon?
BRANDON: I am going to win this time around because I capitalize on every mistake I make in my life in general, so that’s just how it’s gonna happen. I did one thing wrong: I allowed myself to beat me. I beat myself, man. I beat myself in the game of Survivor and that’s what people saw. They saw a convicted man. They saw a person that could not even forgive himself for some of the things he did in the past. And I gave a million dollars to Sophie. I allowed myself — my convictions and my past — to hinder the outcome of my future. And that’s not happenin’ again, my friend! I want to overwhelm anyone with oh, he’s trying to preach. No, I’m comin’ on here to win a million dollars this time. I was doing all that stuff for me. I wasn’t trying to change the Hantz family name. I was doing it for Brandon.
EW: Well, here’s the million dollar question, Brandon. Are you going to give away your immunity again? And let me warn you — you better say no.
BRANDON: Absolutely… [pause] not. People are going to see a different player. I’ve been through some ups and downs in life recently. And it’s made me stronger. Dude, if these returning cast members or whoever they are — if they think that they can get under my skin easy anymore or emotionally hurt me? Brother, ain’t nothing like living life. Ain’t nothing like it. Survivor is a game. But I’ve been though some serious mess here recently. I’m an icebox, bro. I’m an icebox. I’m hard. They’re not going to be able to get under my skin. They’re not going to be able to make me pop. They’re not going to be able to manipulate me into thinking that they are my friends, brother. Nobody talks to me after my season. The man I’d give $100,000 to does not even speak to me, bro. [Note: He’s referring to Albert here.] Okay? So if you can tell me that you are going to be my friend, you are MISTAKEN! Sadly mistaken.
EW: The thing you obviously struggled with last time was that gray area. Everything was very black and white with you and I guess the question is: How are you going to deal with that gray area this time? Are you going to continue to always tell the truth or have you learned to modify that a little bit?
BRANDON: Ask me my name.
EW: What’s your name?
BRANDON: Mr. Gray Man.
EW: Mr. Gray Man?
BRANDON: Boom! Boom! Boom! That’s all you need! I’m Mr. Gray Man! That’s my answer to that question. This is a game. If I were to play football — I know personally that Tim Tebow, and everybody in America knows it, that Tim Tebow is a born again Christian. The man plays one of the roughest sports ever. Do you think he’s freaking out about how hard he’s got to hit the quarterback? No! [Note: Tim Tebow actually PLAYS quarterback, but not unlike Bluto in Animal House, forget it, he’s rolling.] Cause it’s a game! I’m gonna smash — metaphorically speaking — these people! Mentally, physically — this is a different person here.
EW: What are the preconceptions other players are going to have about you that you’re going to need to change?
BRANDON: I’m going to have to be manipulative about it. I’m still a genuine guy, but it’s a game. And you know, the best thing for me to do is continue to act like that. They’re never going to guess that there was any kind of change. They’re going to be like, this guy is trustworthy. Although I did mess up by calling people out a lot at Tribals and stuff. I may have to back-peddle a little bit with that. I’m not going to be able to be as verbal, and I know Jeff is going to give me hell. I can already see it now. There’s going to be some pressure, like “Brandon, you gave me good stuff,” and I’ll be like “Hmmmm, I want a million bucks.” It’s about taking care of the family.
EW: You see Dawn and Cochran out here from your season. Are they people you want to try to work with?
BRANDON: Cochran has got a bad rap. If anybody watched his season, he’s known as a person who pretty much betrayed his own tribe. Brandon Hantz is known for nothing! Betraying no one! I don’t think that’s ever been done! Other than the fact that I made some pretty harsh words towards a specific person, I didn’t do anything. Cochran did something! He’s got a bad rap, man! If you don’t think people are looking at him? Please! That’s radar! [Makes a beeping radar noise.] That’s like, you might as well be Russell coming into the game. Dawn? She’s cool. I made her cry one time and I’m sorry for that. I don’t think that’s gonna hurt me much. Hopefully she doesn’t hold that against me.
EW: So are you going to work with them?
BRANDON: Any person I tell Cochran to vote for he will vote for. If not, then I can’t help him. Cochran is vulnerable. He’s going into this game knowing he’s vulnerable. He’s going to cling to anything that shows any sort of help to him. I’m going to go to him and say, “Look man, we played this game together. We’re friends. I can help you.” He thinks I’m already his physical protector from when Jim Rice got all upset. So the way I played last time I don’t regret because it sets me up for this time. I’m not a threat to anyone, and that’s a beautiful position to be in right now. If we know each other, obviously you’re going to look out for the people who were manipulative in past seasons. You’re going to look out for the people who are good in challenges. I’m great in challenges! Cochran’s not very good in challenges. I love the guy. He’s a great guy, but this is just facts. Not good in challenges, and a threat because he betrayed his own tribe.
EW: What about the other returning players you see here?
BRANDON: Honestly, I’m going into this one open-minded, man. Francesqua? [Note: He means Francesca, but mistakenly pronounced it a la Phillip Sheppard.] She’s going to be like my mother. I’m her son. I’m going to be attached to the hip. I don’t know. I possibly might not do anything I just told you now!
EW: You obviously went through a lot of stuff last time you were on the show. How have you been since you got home?
BRANDON: I’m going to write a book now: To Hell and Back, by Brandon Hantz. It was pretty rough, but it was actually a good thing because now I get another opportunity to do this. It’s all about second chances for me. I actually messed up in my relationship and got a second chance with that, which is awesome. Thank God. And I messed up in the game of Survivor, and simultaneously — within a month — I get a second chance with that, so I’m definitely a blessed person as far as that’s concerned. But yeah, it was pretty rough. It definitely prepared me mentally. I went through some mental crap, ya know, that would put people down as far as depression and stuff, but it’s made me stronger mentally and stronger spiritually. So I’m kind of starting to know who I am. I’m only 20-years-old dude. I mean, what do you expect? I’m a kid.
EW: After everything you went through on national television, were you hesitant to throw yourself back into the fire again?
BRANDON: That’s like crazy sports like bull riding, which I did before. As many times as you get thrown down, you get back on it. I failed the last time, and it sucks because I was bred to win at everything. And when I messed up — I had a million dollars in my hand, bro! — let’s get back on that subject. I messed up! Nobody voted me out of that game. Brandon voted Brandon out of that game! I’m getting back on the horse, man. He threw me off and I’m getting back on. It’s what any tough Hantz man would do — get back up.
EW: Well, let’s talk about a tough Hantz man. Russell was pretty harsh about your previous performance, both during the season and at the live reunion. What’s your relationship like now?
BRANDON: Uhhhh…it actually was wonderful, until I got back together with my wife.
EW: Why is that?
BRANDON: Because when you’re lonely and sad, you want to be lonely and sad with someone else. And I’m being straight-up. I want him to see this. I want him to read this. Maybe it will hit him in his head. When something good happens for somebody and nothing good has happened for you, you get a little bit bitter. And I feel like that’s what it is right now. I feel like he’s very sad and hurt and it kinda sucks because we had a really good time together when I wasn’t with my wife, and I wanted that kind of relationship, even with my wife. So it shows that it’s an ulterior motive from him to obviously have me as a friend, as a companion. I’m just there to help his pain go away, which I didn’t do anything with him sexually so I don’t see how that is a problem.
EW: Ummm…okay. So who’s your loved one this time if you make it to the loved ones episode?
BRANDON: My wife. She’s tough, man. She’s got guns!
Click on the links below for more ‘Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites’ articles. And for more ‘Survivor’ coverage all year long, follow Dalton on Twitter @DaltonRoss.
More Survivor: Caramoan:
Jeff Probst reveals what they told other players about Malcolm
Returning Favorite John Cochran says ‘I bring virtually nothing to the table’
Jeff Probst defends the returning Favorites
Which players are we happy to see back on Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites
Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs Favorites: New cast and intel revealed
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I am happy to announce that we published on Google play store the first public version of GCompris.
One year ago I took the hard decision to fully rewrite GCompris in Qt Quick in order to address tablet users while keeping PC compatibility. As you imagine it’s a daunting task and something for sure I could not do alone. Thanks to the help of the many contributors who joined the project we have been able to port 86 activities of the 140 of the legacy version in a year. You can look at this page to see the status of the port. We can hope to complete the port in one more year. The new version is far from perfect and we continue to polish it everyday but we already provide a better user experience than the legacy version.
I would like to take this opportunity to thanks the KDE community at large who took us under its cute umbrella and allowed us to attract numerous contributors, developers, translators and provided us development support.
Some numbers, within a year GCompris had 1211 commits made by 19 contributors representing 34000 lines of code plus the 8 KDE translation teams who reached 100% (Ukrainian, Swedish, Portuguese, Polish, French, Dutch, Chinese Simplified and Brazilian Portuguese).
As you will see, the full Android version is sold for 6€ now but the price will have to be adjusted to find the optimal one. Software development is a lot of work, paying for GCompris is a good way to reward us and give us the opportunity to sustain the development on our beloved project
Another easy way to help us is to share the news and rate us on Google play.
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Japanese rider Yoshinari Matsushita has died in an accident at the Isle of Man TT qualifying session.
The 43-year-old Tyco Suzuki rider, who first competed in the iconic Manx event in 2009, was only entered into the race earlier in the day.
Matsushita is the 21st rider to die at the races since 2000.
"Yoshi was a really popular competitor who had a large number of friends in the TT Races paddock," clerk of the course Gary Thompson said.
TT deaths this century Stephen Wood 29 May 2000, Whitegates Chris Ascott 30 May 2000, Westwood Corner Raymond Hanna 31 May 2000, Greeba Castle Les Williams 9 June 2000, Ballaugh Colin Daniels 27 May 2002, Bray Hill David Jefferies 29 May 2003, Crosby Serge Le Moal 29 May 2004, Braddan Bridge Paul Cowley 2 June 2004, Black Dub Colin Breeze 5 June 2004, Quarry Bends Joakim Karlsson 30 May 2005, Douglas Road Corner Lee Harah 4 June 2005, Parliament Square Gus Scott 10 June 2005, Rhencullen Jun Maeda 29 May 2006, Ballahutchin Hill Marc Ramsbotham 8 June 2007, 26th Milestone John Crellin 12 June 2009, Mountain Mile Paul Dobbs 10 June 2010, Ballagarey Martin Loicht 10 June 2010, Quarry Bends Bill Currie 31 May 2011, Ballacrye Kevin Morgan 31 May 2011, Ballacrye Derek Brien 6 June 2011, Gorse Lea Yoshinari Matsushita 27 May 2013, Ballacrye
"He was a genuine and friendly character who always had time for everyone. He will be sorely missed."
The coroners have been informed and an investigation into the circumstances of the accident is under way.
Matsushita's TT entry for the Northern Ireland-based Tyco Suzuki team was only announced earlier on Monday when it was revealed that he would up teaming up with Guy Martin and Josh Brookes in the Supersport 600 event.
The Japanese rider was a regular competitor in the Superstock and Superbike classes and finished fifth in the 2011 TT Zero for electric bikes.
Earlier on Monday, Matsushita had spoken of his delight at being given the late chance to compete for the Tyco Suzuki team.
"As a member of this great team for the TT, I draw the full power to be able to use their experience to fight this monster course at best. I did not ever think a miracle like this would ever happen," Matsushita had said.
An official statement on the TT website read: "ACU Events Ltd regrets to announce that Japanese rider Yoshinari Matsushita, 43, was killed during the qualifying session at the 2013 Isle of Man TT Races in an incident at Ballacrye in the north of the island. The session was immediately red-flagged following the accident."
British MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow tweeted: "Sad news from TT tonight. Thoughts are with Yoshinari family and all involved."
Tyco Suzuki manager Phil Neill said that everyone in the Northern Ireland-based team had been "devastated" by Matsushita's death.
"We were very much looking forward to working with Yoshinari during TT2013 and pass on our deepest condolences to his family and fellow team members," added Neill.
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Far-right protesters in Germany may be booing Chancellor Merkel, but Syrians are sending her loving notes on Facebook.
The message came in a tweet from Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees on Tuesday. Syrian citizens, the office said, would no longer be subject to the Dublin Regulation. The real meaning behind the rather dry edict? Germany won't send Syrian asylum seekers back to the EU country where they first landed - for instance, Greece or Italy. The move will potentially allow thousands to claim refugee status in Germany, and it seems to have been big news among Syrians.
Overnight it prompted an outpouring of love on Facebook for Germans and, in particular, Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Image copyright MOhamed Hamdow Image caption Images such as this one were being shared widely on social media. The accompanying message says "We love Germany"
Image copyright Lukman Derky Image caption A romantic poem superimposed on a photo of the German leader. The caption calls it a verse "for refugees"
Image copyright Hanada Alrefai Image caption Photo caption: "We love you". Arabic comment: "Merkel deserves thanks for suspending the Dublin Regulation. I would love to meet you some day"
Image copyright @faisalirshaid Image caption Some users adapted a poster and slogan used by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to hail Merkel instead. Others compared the German leader to the Christian king Negus, who sheltered Muslims during the Crusades. One Facebook user wrote: "We will tell our children that Syrian migrants fled their country to come to Europe when Mecca and Muslim lands were closer to them"
Merkel's reception among Syrians contrasts with the one she received at a migrant centre near Dresden, where she was booed by far-right protesters. Germany expects to take in 800,000 asylum seekers this year. Although only a fraction of those were from Syria, that number is greater than the total number of applicants taken in by all 28 EU states last year: 626,000.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Merkel was booed by protesters as she called anti-migrant protests "shameful" on a visit to an asylum shelter which was the focus of clashes at the weekend
Blog by Mamdouh Akbiek, Mai Noman and Mike Wendling
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Generation Opportunity, a Koch-funded front group whose goal is to convince young people that they don’t need health insurance, sponsored a tailgate party on the campus of the University of Miami on Saturday.
According to an email by Generation Opportunity’s communication director, David Pasch, the Koch brothers money allowed their organization to “roll in with a fleet of Hummers, F-150’s and Suburbans, each vehicle equipped with an 8’ high balloon bouquet floating overhead.”
“We hired a popular student DJ from UMiami,” the email continued, and “set up OptOut cornhole sets, beer pong tables, bought 75 pizzas, and hired 8 ‘brand ambassadors’ aka [scantily clad female] models with bullhorns to help out.”
The email failed to indicate who won the cornholing competition.
“Student activists independently brought (lots of) beer and liquor for consumption by those 21 and over. Oh yeah, and we educated students about their healthcare options outside the expensive and creepy Obamacare exchanges,” Pasch concluded.
How many of the attendees opted out of Obamacare is not known.
[Image via Generation Opportunity’s Facebook page]
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Joe Ross hasn’t pitched for the Nationals since July 2. (Chris Carlson/Associated Press)
While Stephen Strasburg was placed on the disabled list and shut down temporarily because of elbow soreness Monday, fellow Nationals starter Joe Ross is making progress in his long recovery from shoulder inflammation.
[Boswell: Strasburg’s latest trip to DL is a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change]
Ross threw a bullpen Tuesday afternoon at Camden Yards, his first time throwing off a mound since his initial rehab assignment was terminated after two minor league outings on Aug. 5, pushing back his return to an unknown date. The 23-year-old right-hander threw “25, 30 pitches.” He reportedly is feeling stronger now than the first time he tried coming back from his stint on the disabled list, which began on July 3.
Ross explained the only change in his rehabilitation regimen has been an increase in rest time. Other than that, he’s taking the same steps he did in his initial comeback try.
“I just feel the extra time gave me a little bit of a kick-start the second time around,” Ross said.
If he continues progressing, the ideal plan would be for Ross to throw in a simulated game and make a few rehab starts, increasing his pitch count with each outing to build stamina and remove the rust that accumulates from not pitching in a major league game for a couple months. That was the plan hatched last month in his initial attempt at returning.
Schedule constraints, however, may force the Nationals to use a different procedure. With the minor league season coming to a close, Ross might not have the opportunity to pitch for affiliates on a rehab assignment before joining the Nationals’ rotation. One possible solution? Putting him in the major league bullpen.
“One of the things I was talking to Joe about, ‘Hey man, you might have to come back in a reliever role,’ ” Nationals Manager Dusty Baker said Monday. “He’s gonna have a problem getting rehab time because the season ends in [13 days].”
The assumption is Ross would eventually join the starting rotation before the end of the season after a few relief appearances. But Baker’s idea of potentially transitioning Ross to the bullpen seems to be a feasible solution. Barring a Strasburg setback, the Nationals know their top three for their four-man postseason rotation and it’s a formidable trio: Strasburg, Max Scherzer and Tanner Roark (maybe in that order, maybe not). The fourth slot is the question mark.
The Nationals don’t necessarily need Ross, who has a 3.49 ERA in 95 1/3 innings, in the rotation at the moment because they have a surplus of starters and an eight-game lead in the National League East. Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and even A.J. Cole, who pitched seven innings against the Orioles on Monday, have all filled in when needed. Veteran Mat Latos and Austin Voth are also options in Class AAA Syracuse. The Nationals have the luxury of not needing to rush back starting pitchers or having them perform through pain — it’s why, they say, Strasburg was put on the disabled list Monday.
[A.J. Cole takes the loss in spot start, but leaves a solid impression]
The answer regarding the No. 4 starter right now is probably Gio Gonzalez, who has pitched better following a midseason swoon and is the Nationals’ only left-handed option. But there are other choices, including Ross — if he is stretched out and healthy — and Lopez.
“We haven’t talked about it,” Baker said Tuesday. “Just common sense will tell you how much time is left to get ready and we are in the middle of a pennant race. I haven’t talked to Mike [Rizzo] or anything. I just talked to Joe about it. So I just didn’t want him surprised that that was the case. We want him, if possible, if he’s ready, on the playoff roster. That’s always a possibility with your fourth or fifth starters to be in the bullpen anyway. So we’ll see. We’ll see how his progress comes along.”
Ross has pitched out of the bullpen three times in his major league career, all in his final appearances last season because the Nationals wanted to manage his innings. He threw three innings and didn’t allow a run. It was a tiny sample size, but, as expected with shorter doses, he threw the ball harder than he had as a starter — his fastball climbed to 94.4 mph and his slider to 85 mph.
That all would all be moot if Ross finishes the season as a starter, which he said Tuesday is his objective. But the Nationals have options and one is having the hard-throwing righty bolstering the bullpen in October.
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Big happenings in Germantown, as restaurateur Terry Raley, owner and managing partner of East Nashville hotspots Holland House Bar & Refuge and The Pharmacy, announces that he, in a new venture with Germantown development group Woodland Street Partners (WSP), will be opening Butchertown Hall, a 'bier hall/garten' that will "borrow from the historic culture of Germantown." Located at 4th Avenue and Van Buren, directly across from Morgan Park, Raley, via email, tells Eater that Butchertown Hall will be Germantown's "first biergarten since 1909, when Frederick Laitenberger's hall, which was formerly located near the site, was purchased by the city to make way for Morgan Park."
His new company Amaranth Hospitality Group, which is separate from his other restaurant affiliations, and Woodland Street Partners plan for the new project to have 4,500 square feet of indoor space and a 2,500 square foot courtyard. Regarding the restaurant aspect, he says that they will be working with Grillworks "to bring a hearth-fired open kitchen to the space," and that they "want Butchertown Hall to be a venue that encourages frequent visits, and price point will play a large part in that."
Raley on choosing the location and working with Woodland Street:
It is a standard lease agreement with Woodland Street Partners, yet it is a unique partnership in that we have to work very closely together in order to deliver the end product. I have a particular fondness for Germantown, its history, its residential climate, and although the initial goal was to buy a historic parcel for development, it made sense to ultimately work with WSP. They just had the best location, and we care about the same things. They are a great bunch of guys that really care about Germantown, and they are just as excited about this project as I am.
Butchertown Hall is planned for a summer 2014 opening.
· Woodland Street Partners [Official Site]
· Holland House Bar & Refuge [Official Site]
· The Pharmacy [Official Site]
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Tim Kaine laughs as Queen Elizabeth II listens during a welcoming ceremony at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., on May 4, 2007. | AP Photo When Tim Kaine met the Queen The meeting helps explain why his rollout as Hillary Clinton’s running mate has gone smoothly.
When Queen Elizabeth II traveled to Virginia in 2007, the visit went off largely without a hitch — publicly at least.
That’s because, behind the scenes, then-Gov. Tim Kaine and his aides were scrambling to put out fires and avoid protocol breaches that would have created an embarrassment on both sides of the Atlantic, especially for Buckingham Palace.
Story Continued Below
The episode, revealed through dozens of internal emails reviewed by POLITICO, illuminates Kaine’s approach as governor — immersed in detail and always cognizant of the optics — and helps explain why his rollout as Hillary Clinton’s running mate has so far gone off without a hiccup.
Kaine and his inner circle strategized over all aspects of the historic royal visit: They agonized over how to discuss the queen’s trip so soon after the Virginia Tech massacre and also how to handle “brutal” headlines detailing her itinerary in the U.S. before it was made official. They advised the queen’s representatives to reject an unusual request for her to bestow a posthumous honor on a 17th century explorer. And his top aides even edited a draft of the queen’s speech, urging her to tone down her references to slavery.
The emails, available via Virginia’s state library, show Kaine and his aides struggled over the right tone to take as they prepped for the queen’s visit, which was originally arranged to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown but ended up coming less than a month after the Virginia Tech tragedy.
There were no easy answers.
“I think the idea of doing some proactive press ... to position us facing forward is good,” Kaine wrote in an email in late April 2007 to his staff as they discussed ways to pivot from the campus shooting. “My only quibble is the ‘turn the page’ formulation that I think might strike family members of the lost and wounded as insensitive. We cannot suggest that we are moving on beyond those events when they are still so raw in the minds of the family.”
“I haven’t come up with a better thematic formulation, but you get what I mean,” Kaine concluded.
Mourning the Virginia Tech slayings also made for another difficult moment for Kaine and his aides when they were caught off-guard by an Associated Press report detailing plans the queen had made — but not yet publicly disclosed — to meet with some of the Virginia Tech survivors.
“This is most distressing to read,” Kaine’s chief of staff, Bill Leighty, wrote in an email to his British contacts. “I deeply apologize that someone (apparently in Richmond) chose to say something.”
Amanda Howe, who served as Kaine’s lead liaison for the queen’s visit, called the AP article “brutal” in an email to several colleagues on Kaine’s staff. But she also put the blame for the leak on Buckingham Palace itself.
“The thing is, the Palace opened themselves up to this in a way,” she wrote. “They had said this week that the Queen wanted to acknowledge Tech and I think that made reporters search for exactly how.”
Howe then explained that Kaine’s office had recently done a walk-through to help state House and Senate legislative aides and the Capitol police prepare for the queen’s visit. During that staging exercise, there’d been a mention about where the Virginia Tech students would go. “Things get around,” she wrote, referring to how details might have circulated prematurely.
Hosting an international figure like the Queen of England is, of course, no easy task. Planning goes on for months ahead of time and routinely involves assistance from a State Department office that’s entirely dedicated to things like foreign dignitary arrival ceremonies and proper gift giving. A seemingly minor misstep or faux pas can cause an international uproar: Just ask first lady Michelle Obama, who was cleared of any offense when she embraced the queen during a 2009 visit to Buckingham Palace but nonetheless prompted a frenzy in the British press.
For the queen’s visit to Virginia, Buckingham Palace and the British Embassy dispatched more than a dozen staffers who were in regular contact with Kaine’s office in the months ahead of her arrival. In February 2007, they rushed to give Kaine’s office advice on how to respond to media inquiries into the queen’s itinerary for the rest of her visit to the United States beyond Virginia, which at the time was one of the few official events on the books.
A news organization had just published a story quoting by name the lead Secret Service official in Louisville, Kentucky, who had confirmed preparations for the queen to visit the state on the same weekend as the Kentucky Derby. But the queen’s representatives insisted on Kaine’s office making no public comment. As an “out,” they suggested referring any persistent reporters to the embassy and Buckingham Palace.
“This is done very much for security purposes, but also avoids critical or mischievous media picking holes in the programme before we can even get it off the ground,” Steve Atkins, a British Embassy press aide, wrote in an email to Howe that referenced the “standard line that the Embassy and Palace are sticking firmly to” which declined to provide additional details on the queen’s visit.
The emails show that the queen’s representatives also leaned on Kaine’s office for advice. One exchange from the British Embassy shows staffers detailing the choreography for the queen’s visits at the Jamestown sites, requesting Kaine’s aides sign off “to make sure that everything is OK from the perspective of your boss.”
In another email chain, Kaine’s chief of staff explained that the queen should first mention the mayor of Williamsburg, Virginia, at a luncheon before anyone else, so long as President George W. Bush wasn’t in attendance.
“No one except the President outranks a Mayor in their home jurisdiction and no one out ranks a Governor except the President in his home state,” Leighty wrote to his U.K. contact, explaining it was “the official finding to the Committee on Protocol for the Queen’s Visit.”
But a day later, Dominic Martin, a U.K. counsellor for political, economic and public affairs, responded to Leighty that the State Department had given him a different opinion on the proper order for mentioning dignitaries. “So let’s hold fire,” Martin wrote. “I don’t want to provoke a federal-state constitutional crisis over this.”
Kaine’s office gave advice to defuse other potential land mines, too. Leighty, for example, urged the British Embassy to reject a request from a Virginia GOP state delegate, Vince Callahan, who had written to British officials requesting that one of Jamestown’s founders, Captain John Smith, be awarded a decoration for gallantry because “he was the first to recognize the true worth of North America’s abundant natural resources to England.”
Confused by the delegate’s letter, the queen’s staff asked Kaine’s office for advice on how to handle it.
“This is most a curious request,” Leighty replied. “I would respond that you have forwarded the request on to BP for consideration. ... I certainly could not endorse this request. ... Oh, the controversy it would spark.”
Kaine’s office also got a chance to edit the queen’s speech. Martin had sent over a draft — he said it was already largely cleared with Buckingham Palace — seeking guidance to measure “if I have struck any jarring or anachronistic notes; or strayed into dangerous territory inadvertently; or missed out something or somebody in a way that would give offence; or got my history wrong; or oversimplified the issues; or simply got the tone not quite right.”
Howe, Kaine’s liaison, responded with a number of suggestions: describing the Jamestown settlers as “Englishmen” instead of “British citizens,” clarifying a mention that the colony “was full of indolent noblemen, with a propensity to spend their hours playing bowls” and flagging an awkward reference to Douglas Wilder, then Richmond’s mayor, as a “grandson of slaves.”
“A little weird to refer to slavery as a tradition,” Howe wrote in a marked-up version of the queen’s speech that she sent to Martin.
Some of Howe’s suggestions may have even resonated. The queen’s delivered speech made no reference to indolent noblemen. The mentions of both Wilder and his forebears were also dropped, and the queen’s only allusion to slavery came near the end of her remarks, when she described the recent 200th anniversary in the United Kingdom of a parliamentary act to abolish the transatlantic slave trade.
Throughout the planning stages for the royal visit, Kaine’s aides recognized it would be a big deal. A week before the queen’s arrival, Howe flagged to the governor’s staff and Martin that there’d already been 10,000 hits on a special Web page about the event. “We’re moving,” she wrote.
Kaine knew, too. In an email to his top aides just days before the royal speech, the governor wrote, “It will be a special moment.”
The queen’s flawlessly executed visit would also win Kaine accolades. “Those are the sorts of things that put Virginia on the map,” state Sen. John Watkins, a Republican, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Indeed, Kaine would list his work bringing the queen to Virginia in a memo he later penned for staff highlighting his own accomplishments. “Led state efforts to welcome Queen Elizabeth II and President Bush to Virginia for Jamestown 400th commemoration,” he wrote, sandwiching it between his work with Virginia Tech families to “creatively” resolve potential legal claims, and banning smoking in state buildings and vehicles.
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Government departments are intensifying efforts to win lucrative public contracts in Saudi Arabia, despite a growing human rights row that led the ministry of justice to pull out of a £6m prison contract in the kingdom last week.
Documents seen by the Observer show the government identifying Saudi Arabia as a “priority market” and encouraging UK businesses to bid for contracts in health, security, defence and justice.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that ministers are bent on ever-closer ties with the world’s most notorious human rights abusers,” said Maya Foa, director of Reprieve’s death penalty team. “Ministers must urgently come clean about the true extent of our agreements with Saudi Arabia and other repressive regimes.”
The UK’s increasingly close relationship with Saudi Arabia – which observes its own version of sharia law, under which capital and corporal punishment are common – is under scrutiny because of the imminent beheading of two young Saudis. Ali al-Nimr and Dawoud al-Marhoon were both 17 when they were arrested at protests in 2012 and tortured into confessions, their lawyers say. France, Germany, the US and the UK have raised concerns about the sentences but this has not stopped Whitehall officials from quietly promoting UK interests in the kingdom – while refusing to make public the human rights concerns they have to consider before approving more controversial business deals there. Several of the most important Saudi contracts were concluded under the obscurely named Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) policy, which is meant to ensure that the UK’s security and justice activities are “consistent with a foreign policy based on British values, including human rights”. Foreign Office lawyers have gone to court to prevent the policy being made public.
The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has written to David Cameron asking him to commit to an independent review of the use of the OSJA process.
“By operating under a veil of secrecy, we risk making the OSJA process appear to be little more than a rubber-stamping exercise, enabling the UK to be complicit in gross human rights abuses,” Corbyn writes.
The UK has licensed £4bn of arms sales to the Saudis since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, according to research by Campaign Against Arms Trade. Around 240 ministry of defence civil servants and military personnel work in the UK and Saudi Arabia to support the contracts, which will next year include delivery of 22 Hawk jets in a deal worth £1.6bn. And research by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows that the UK is now the kingdom’s largest arms supplier, responsible for 36% of all Saudi arms imports.
UK business want to capitalise on the fragile situation in the Middle East. A 2013 document, written by an official at UK Trade and Investment, the body charged with promoting business interests,, outlines how the region’s “global policing and security market has ballooned”. Freedom of information requests show that the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI) is courting the Saudis and that civil servants met Saudi military delegations at the UK’s Security and Policing arms fair this year and last summer at the Farnborough airshow. Civil servants were also due to meet Saudi representatives at the major arms expo in London’s Docklands last month, just as the regime upheld a ruling that al-Nimr was to be executed and his body crucified and left in public view for three days.
The UKTI is offering grants to support businesses, including those selling security equipment, to take part in overseas exhibitions aimed at specific emerging markets, notably Saudi Arabia.
However, human rights groups are asking why the UK is intent on selling arms and security equipment to a repressive regime when it has withdrawn from the prisons contract.
More than 100 people have been executed in the first six months of this year in Saudi Arabia. Andrew Smith, of the Campaign Against Arms Trade, said: “The Saudi regime has an appalling human rights record, yet it remains the world’s largest buyer of UK weapons. How many more people will be tortured and killed before the UK government finally says enough is enough?”
It was concerns about Nimr and Karl Andree, 74, a UK citizen sentenced to 350 lashes for possession of alcohol, that persuaded the justice secretary, Michael Gove, to pull out of the prisons contract, , sparking a row with the foreign secretary Philip iHammond, who reportedly accused him of naivety.
There are questions about other UK-Saudi deals. One is with the UK’s National College of Policing, which signed a secret memorandum of understanding to help modernise the Saudi ministry of the interior. The UK also signed a 2011 memorandum of understanding with the regime on healthcare.
“It seems ironic for the UK to be working on healthcare with the Saudi regime at the same time as selling them the means to suppress and kill their own people,” Smith said. According to human rights groups, more than 100 people have been executed in the first six months of this year in Saudi Arabia. Reprieve claims two Pakistani men convicted in the Saudi courts are due to be beheaded very soon. According to their lawyers, Muhammad Irfan and Safeer Ahmad, from Pakistan, were taken to the kingdom by men posing as “employment agents”, and were led to believe that they would find work there. The men’s lawyers say they were forced to bring drugs into the country and were arrested by Saudi police on arrival. Both were sentenced to beheading. It is believed that the sentences have now been upheld, and that they now face imminent execution.
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Hollywood has certainly turned out countess numbers of films of men in battle. The list of war movies is endless, but not so films about what happens when those men come back from the fight. Sure, there have been classics like the 1946 Oscar winner The Best Years of Our Lives which focused on World War II vets returning home, or 1978’s Coming Home and 1989’s Born On The Fourth Of July focusing on the plight of Vietnam vets, but this kind of movie is increasingly rare.
Deadline
Thanks to writer-director Jason Hall, we have a new entry in this subgenre, Thank You For Your Service, and it is a powerful, unsentimental, sometimes hard to watch but always gripping tale of an Iraq battalion gearing up to fight another battle — the one to find their way home. Yes, as I say in my video review above, this is a film dealing with PTSD among these soldiers, but it also puts its focus on the brotherhood they created in a faraway war and the loneliness they now have in trying to adjust to life afterwards.
Hall, Oscar nominated for his screenplay to Clint Eastwood’s big 2014 hit American Sniper, adapts David Finkel’s 2013 book of the same name that was a sequel of sorts to his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Good Soldiers, in which he was embedded with a battalion of soldiers. With Thank You For Your Service he does sort of the flip side as he followed some of these men returning from the war and got a close up view of how difficult and misunderstood their lives had become as severe psychological and physical problems overtook them. For Hall, this is also really the flip side of his American Sniper screenplay, and he never (or almost never) resorts to a predictable storyline here in putting the focus primarily on three returning Iraq vets, which in most cases chronicles the real experiences of the real people being portrayed.
Leading the charge is Miles Teller as Adam Schuman, a confused young man coming back to his wife Saskia (Haley Bennett) and their two young children. He remains haunted by events in Iraq where, after his friend Emory (Scott Haze) was shot in the head, Adam drops him as he tries to carry him down a flight of stairs. This is played out over and over in his domestic life, especially when he accidentally falls asleep and drops his baby boy. His interactions with the VA, as well as buddies who are just as lost as he, are fascinating to watch and give real insight into what these military veterans go through. Teller is excellent, as is Bennett, who heartbreakingly shows the helplessness she feels in not being able to help her husband no matter how mightily she tries.
There is also Tausolo “Solo” Aieti (a terrific Beulah Koale, from Hawaii Five-0), an American Samoan suffering the effects of a brain injury who gets in with the wrong people when he comes back. He also now has the added responsibility of a very pregnant wife about to give birth. And there is Will Waller (Joe Cole), who finds his fiancee has left him with an empty apartment and life to match. These are all fine performances in a cast that also includes a surprising dramatic turn from Amy Schumer, who proves she has chops beyond comedy in playing a desperate war widow who begs Schuman to tell her how her husband died just as he was about to get a leave home. Haze is also superb as Adam Emory, a man with severe brain and body injuries climbing the long road back. A scene where he takes Schuman on a joy ride in his Dodge is a highlight.
I read somewhere a guy predicted no one would want to see a movie about veterans dealing with PTSD because it would be like “taking medicine.” That kind of attitude toward those who served and now suffer from the effects of it all is sadder than anything in this moving and important film. I do hope it finds an audience who may actually be enlightened by what they see and find the mere act of just “thanking” our vets for their “service” is not enough.
A Bruce Springsteen tune plays over the end credits inspired by Schuman’s (he was also a technical consultant) recollections of a marching song they would sing during the war. The real-life Schuman sings background vocals, as does the film’s producer Jon Kilik, who enlisted Springsteen’s participation. Universal releases the DreamWorks production Friday.
Do you plan to see Thank You For Your Service? Let us know what you think.
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Mars may look like an inhospitable and barren landscape, but a new program underway at the Pentagon’s advanced research division is looking to create engineered organisms that can eventually transform the Red Planet into something more Earth-like.
If humans are ever to live on Mars without being confined inside of man-made structures, the planet’s climate and surface would need to be radically altered. It features potentially dangerous planet-wide dust storms, low gravity, and its thin atmosphere, plus increased distance from the sun, makes it an especially cold place for any humans to settle – the average temperature is -50 degrees Celsius (-122 degrees Fahrenheit), according to NASA.
READ MORE: Impact glass found on Mars may be key to discovering life, scientists say
To change that, humanity may be able to engineer brand new organisms that can not only survive the harsh Martian climate, but also begin changing it in important ways. As described in a report by Vice’s Motherboard, that could mean introducing genetically engineered plants, algae and other organisms that could start heating up the planet and possibly even thicken its atmosphere.
This process of intentionally changing a planet’s climate to support human life is known as terraforming, and the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) said this week it’s already laying the foundation for such organism engineering.
“For the first time, we have the technological toolkit to transform not just hostile places here on Earth, but to go into space not just to visit, but to stay,” Alicia Jackson, the deputy director of DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office, said at a biotech conference on Monday, as quoted by Motherboard.
Specifically, Jackson said that DARPA and its partners have designed the “Google Maps of genomes.” Using this system, scientists will be able to quickly sift through the genomes of numerous organisms that already exist on Earth. They will also be able to quickly identify specific genes and pinpoint where they are located on the genome of an organism, potentially allowing researchers to mix and match genes from multiple organisms in order to generate a brand new form of life.
“There are anywhere from 30 million to 30 billion organisms on this Earth. We use two right now for engineering biology,” Jackson said Monday. “I want to use any organism that has properties I want – I want to quickly map it and quickly engineer it."
READ MORE: Scientists emerge from 8 months of simulated life on Mars
“With this, the goal is to, within a day, sequence and find where I can best engineer an organism,” she added.
Of course, any plan to engineer organisms and ship them off to Mars for terraforming purposes is a long way from coming to fruition. As DARPA’s research progresses, it hopes to test these capabilities right here on Earth. According to Motherboard, Jackson said these synthetic organisms could be deployed in the wake of a natural or man-made disaster, where they would be able to survive in tough environments and eventually restore the area back to a pre-disaster climate.
If all goes well on Earth, then humans could set their sights on making even more dramatic changes in space.
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Work continues on the Planetary Annihilation: TITANS Legion Expansion with bugs being eliminated, new features being added and the balance continuing to be tweaked. The big change in this release is that players will no longer need to have the Legion Expansion installed to be able to play in a Legion Expansion game. While the recommendation is still that you install it ahead of time, the days of unaware players joining and then crashing are over.
Unfortunately the Legion Expansion is not playable in multiplayer at the moment. This is due to its reliance on features introduced in the PTE, and the absence of any PTE servers at this time. Once build 94533 or later is released to stable you will be able to play Legion online again. Until then AI skirmish remains available for use with the local server option in settings enabled.
General
Improved MLA selection graphics in lobby
In-game menu is now red when Legion UI is enabled
Removed blue shadows from UI elements when Legion UI is enabled
Novas prioritise air
Optimised Nova effects for performance
Standardised colouring of commanders on game launch splash
Standardised colouring of Commanders in lobby
Infiltrator’s probe scan effect plays more than once after deployment to more clearly show its function
Wraith renamed to Spectre
Excalibur renamed to Paladin
Added idle effects to the Havoc
Improved PA startup time when Legion is disabled through use of new companion mod feature
Improved Investigator description
Improved game logging
Balance
Diplomat buffed Cost reduced from 50,000 metal to 40,000 to match Halley
Fixes
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Nicola Sturgeon has accused Theresa May of sealing the fate of the United Kingdom after the prime minister rejected her demand for a second Scottish independence referendum before the Brexit talks conclude.
The first minister said May’s stance was “completely outrageous and unacceptable”, hours after the prime minister had insisted that “now is not the time” for the referendum that the SNP had hoped to stage between autumn 2019 and spring 2019.
Sturgeon said on Thursday: “It’s an argument for independence, really, in a nutshell, that Westminster thinks it has got the right to block the democratically elected mandate of the Scottish government and the majority in the Scottish parliament. History may look back on today and see it as the day the fate of the union was sealed.”
She insisted she would press on with plans for a vote at the Scottish parliament next week seeking its approval to request the legal power from Westminster to stage the referendum on Holyrood’s terms – a vote she is expected to narrowly win with Scottish Green party support.
But May said earlier that the Tories would not allow any discussion of the referendum until the UK’s Brexit deal had been signed and Scottish voters had time to weigh it up, implying any referendum may not happen until 2021 at the earliest. “To look at the issue at this time would be unfair, because people wouldn’t have the necessary information to make such a crucial decision,” May added.
Maybot stuck on repeat as Sturgeon lets rip over referendum Read more
The Tory gamble is driven by a series of opinion polls showing that a large majority of Scottish voters do not want a referendum before Brexit, even though support for independence has jumped from about 45% to nearly 50% after May spelt out her plans in January for a hard Brexit.
May’s blunt intervention is likely to goad SNP activists into an even more energetic independence campaign this summer as they seek to build support for a referendum, starting at the SNP’s spring conference this weekend.
Sturgeon predicted that May’s position would soon prove to be politically unsustainable. “This is not the Iron Lady – this is someone whose government is in chaos, chopping and changing all of the time,” she told BBC Reporting Scotland.
UK government sources indicated on Wednesday that May would not formally respond to Sturgeon’s timetable before the first minister had officially requested legal authority for a referendum, under section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998, after next week’s Holyrood vote on the proposal.
The Guardian view on May and Scotland: blame Brexit gambles | Editorial Read more
But that changed unexpectedly on Thursday. Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, and David Mundell, the UK government’s Scottish secretary, were forced to deny that May had been persuaded to make her statement on the eve of the SNP conference to provoke its activists into taking a far more partisan stance.
Mundell argued it would be discourteous to Holyrood if the UK government failed to make clear before next week’s vote in the Scottish parliament that it had already decided to reject outright Sturgeon’s timetable.
Davidson and Mundell said that lack of appetite for an early referendum and the fact that Holyrood’s five parties were split on the issue undermined Sturgeon’s claim of a mandate.
The SNP is currently in a minority government at Holyrood but had a substantial majority in 2012, when all five parties agreed that staging the first referendum in 2014 was justified. That was “a fundamental reason why now is not the right time to take Scotland back to the precipice”, Davidson said.
“And that is because there is no clear political or public consent for this to take place. The country – and our parliament – is divided not over just the question of independence, but over whether we should even hold a referendum or not.”
Davidson’s spokesman confirmed the Tories could reverse their position if there was a substantial and sustained surge in support for independence and in demands for a referendum in the next two years.
There were signs too of further movement on timing from Sturgeon’s government. Pressed after May’s statement about the first minister’s hint earlier this week she could agree to the referendum shortly after Brexit, her spokesman said Sturgeon believed she had the right to stage it until the next Scottish elections in May 2021.
He insisted Sturgeon would continue to fight for the vote to be held by spring 2019, but added that her mandate for a referendum, on the grounds that Scotland was being taken out of the EU against its will, lasted until those elections.
“The first minister has made clear her preferred timescale and that is the timescale we’re working to,” he said. But asked if that meant a referendum could be held by 2021, he said yes, adding: “The mandate is clear – the mandate is for the parliamentary term.”
May’s decision to resist agreeing a referendum until well after Brexit in 2019 implies it could not be held until 2021 at the earliest. It would take up to a year for both governments and both parliaments to agree and authorise a legally constituted referendum. The Electoral Commission would need up to six months to decide on a question, with another six months needed for the campaign.
The prime minister is to reinforce her claims that the UK will prosper after Brexit on Friday in a speech to the Conservative Spring forum in Cardiff, emphasising her attachment to “our precious, precious union” as she launches what she calls her “Plan for Britain”.
May will describe the relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK as “more than just a constitutional artefact” by arguing “it is a union between all of our citizens, whoever we are and wherever we’re from”.
As she prepares to invoke article 50, the formal process for leaving the EU, by the end of the month, May will insist it is essential the UK strikes the right deal. “We have pulled together as one and succeeded together. We are four nations, but at heart we are one people.”
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by Angela Serratore
In 1879, the Chicago Tribune’s ‘Gossip for Ladies’ columnist reported upon the beauty and grooming practices of the Eastern elite:
“The person who, alone in New York, makes a specialty of attending to the finger-nails, lives in handsome quarters on Twenty-third street, near Booth’s Theatre. There a Sun reporter found her, in a large and richly furnished parlour. ‘My principal customers are ladies of wealth and refinement. All the members of four of the wealthiest families of New York, from the children up to the grandparents, come to me once a week. It is not true, you know, that nails grow beautiful and perfect naturally.’”
The manicurist, who would make house calls were it not for the fact that her tool case is so heavy, is coy about which ladies come more than once a week and which ladies have problem nails (if you think those US Weekly exposés on which celebrities have problem thighs and which trainers get paid astronomical sums to fix them are a modern invention, you are sorely mistaken), but she does let slip that for the hour-long procedure — an 1897 manicure followed virtually the same ‘clean, trim, varnish’ process in use today, minus quick-drying chemicals — she charged the sum of one and a half dollars (no mention of tip).
In 2012 money, that’s about forty bucks, though what’s more important is that at the time, the average Manhattan working woman earned a dollar and a half a week — if she was lucky. A shopgirl in one of the better department stores might’ve been able to afford a manicure once a year, if it was something that even occurred to her, which it probably didn’t, because paying someone to clean and paint your nails was, in 1897, a luxury, and luxuries are called luxuries because regular people can’t afford them.
By the mid 1950s, nail polish was something you could buy at the drugstore, and brands like Max Factor and Maybelline urged women to paint their nails just like their favorite Hollywood celebrities (who had on-set manicurists, natch!), and by the time acrylic nails (invented by a Philadelphia-area dentist using teeth-bonding technology) took off in the early 60s, the idea of not having your nails “done” was unthinkable to large swaths of women. A bizarre-yet-well-meaning campaign by Hitchcock blonde Tippi Hedren to have Vietnemese refugee women educated in the nail trade by her own personal manicurist (the charity organization Boat People SOS gave her an award last year and everything!) is largely seen in the business as the jumping-off point for the explosion of nails-only salons, especially in cities that remain destinations for both large immigrant populations and women who have money to spend.
There are, according to Nails Magazine (the publications of the beauty-industrial complex — free dissertation topic, you’re welcome), 3,800 nail salons in New York State (and 2,600 in New Jersey!) charging, on average, fifteen dollars for a regular manicure, though that’s getting lower — a visit to a sampling of Manhattan salons undertaken as research unearthed five establishments charging eight dollars, three charging seven, and two charging ten, though the ten-dollar salons offered me a discount with student ID or for coming in before noon.
The idea that some things get cheaper while others get more expensive isn’t a new one — that’s the big takeaway from the Industrial Revolution, right? The things that get cheaper, though, aren’t food or shelter or transportation. They’re the aforementioned luxuries, only now because we, and by we I mean women who aren’t daughters of Manhattan’s four most famous families, can afford them, they’re framed as necessities. (I should also point out that many barbershops did and do offer manicures, and in the early part of the 20th century it was rare to meet a businessman who didn’t get a nail buffing along with his shave.)
Last week, I paid seven dollars plus tip to have my nails done at a salon across the street from my apartment — I don’t remember the salon’s name, because there are, in fact, five nail salons on my block, which is nowhere near 23rd St. The total price came out to twenty-two cents in 1897 American money.
Angela Serratore would rather live in the past, except it was so smelly back then. Photo Credit: flickr/zitona
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Advertisement Nebraska Athletic Director fires head football coach Bo Pelini Athletic director makes public statement Sunday afternoon Share Shares Copy Link Copy
Nebraska's athletic director says it's time for a different direction.Shawn Eichorst announced Sunday morning that head football coach Bo Pelini has been dismissed, effective immediately.Video: Watch Shawn Eichorst's full news conferenceVideo: Nebraska Athletic Director fires head football coach Bo PeliniVideo: Players, coaches react to Bo Pelini's dismissal SundayNow, the search for Pelini's replacement is on, and Eichorst said that process will last as long as it takes.Eichorst publicly addressed the situation Sunday afternoon, making the following remarks:"Earlier this morning I informed coach Bo Pelini of our decision to move forward in a new direction. Coach Pelini served our university admirably for seven years and led our football program’s transition to the Big Ten Conference. We wish Coach Pelini, and his wonderful family all the best and thank him for his dedicated service to the university."In the end, this is what's best for the university. People need and deserve high expectations. Bo's a good guy and a good coach, but at the end of the day, we both decided to go a different direction."Fans want to win and some are disappointed. This is not a day of celebration for me."Recruiting is important. We will honor any commitments we have made.Chancellor Harvey Perlman added, "I fully support Shawn’s decision to make a change in the leadership of our football program, and wish Bo and his family all of the best. I am confident that Shawn will find the best coach, teacher, and fit for this university and for our football program."Eichorst said Pelini is a good guy who just wasn't winning the right games -- namely championships."We can go back and analyze the 80s and 90s and all that other sort of stuff, but that is not going to help us out today," Eichorst said. "I think we are positioned to play championship-caliber football here at the University of Nebraska."The Huskers will pay dearly to get rid of Bo. If you include his bonuses this year, Pelini's payout is huge: about $7.9 million.Read more: Contract offers former head coach compensation for terminationPelini was hired as the university's 28th coach on Dec. 2, 2007. He has a 67-27 record in his seven years as head coach. Barney Cotton, who has held numerous roles on the coaching staff, has been appointed interim head coach and will coach the team in the bowl game.Cotton issued the following statement Sunday:“I feel it is my duty to be there for our staff and to show love and support for our players. I accepted this responsibility because of my loyalty to Bo, this staff and our players. I appreciate the confidence that Shawn has shown in me during this tough circumstance. I will encourage our players to finish their classwork to the best of their abilities, to continue to be great citizens and to give every last ounce of effort in their preparations for the upcoming bowl game. More than anything else, I will encourage them to be good teammates to each other.”Former head football coach Frank Solich was also fired after a nine-win season in 2003. Pelini won at least nine games each season he coached the Huskers.Here's the full transcript of Eichorst's comments Sunday afternoon:"Thank you all for being here today. Last night after consulting with Chancellor (Harvey) Perlman, I made the decision that our university needs new leadership in our football program, and I informed Coach (Bo) Pelini of my decision this morning. Careful consideration and contemplation went into the decision process, and I'm well aware of the short-term impact on our student-athletes. But in the end, this is what's best for the university. Certainly the results of our games this season and in previous seasons played a significant role in my decision. But whenever I evaluate a head coach, I consider a number of factors both on and off the field beyond the outcomes of games. Let me say this. The people of Nebraska deserve not only high standards and expectations, but they deserve seeing our people and our teams reach them. I indicated during my introductory press conference that we will compete for Big Ten and national championships, and we will do so with class, integrity, sportsmanship and with a commitment to our student-athletes. I believe the action taken today is in line with that vision. Our football student-athletes had the weekend off as many of you know, and left campus to return home. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to inform them in person, so I did so by a written communication this morning, and will be following up with them tonight. Nebraska has some of the finest young men and women of character in all of college sports, and I'm confident they will continue to work hard in the classroom, compete with class and make us all proud. Barney Cotton is a Husker through-and-through, and serves as our associate head coach. Barney and I spoke this morning, and he has agreed to serve as our interim head coach and will work with our other assistant coaching staff members to prepare our wonderful team for a bowl game. Coach Cotton is a man of integrity and a great teacher of the game of football, and I know he will do great things moving forward to put us in a positive situation before we get a new leader in place. I will work diligently in the coming days to find the absolute best fit for the University of Nebraska. But I will not comment on or speculate about the process or the people. We have the best fan base in all of college sports. A legion of generous supporters, abundant resources and first-class facilities. We compete in the premier athletic conference, the Big Ten. We have tremendous student-athletes and we have a world-class education to offer them. Therefore I am confident we will find a great coach to lead our storied program. Until then, our focus, my focus will be on the young men in our football program and providing them with a positive support and attention they deserve as they prepare for a bowl game."On the buyout of Pelini's contract:"The approximate liquidated damages of Coach Pelini's contract is about $7.9 (million). Certainly there's mitigation in there should he find other employment. Our assistant coaches are about in the four (million dollar) range. They have another year on their deals. They have mitigation as well. I imagine they will either find employment here or elsewhere in short term. The funds will come from operational reserves in the department. We pay those liquated damages on a month-to-month basis."On off the field issues that led to the decision:"It's not so much the decision. It's the consequence of the decision and our wonderful student-athletes and the impact on them and our great coaches and their families. Relative to what went into the decision I would say is totality of my review in the two years I have been here. There's a lot of things that I look at. Outside of wins and losses, academics, leadership, the way in which we are teaching and our student-athletes are improving. During my review this past year, and at the beginning of the year when I set expectations, and I set standards, I had that in mind. At the end of the day, I didn't see enough improvement in areas that were important for us to move forward to play championship-caliber football. We just for whatever reason weren't good enough in the games that mattered against championship-quality caliber opponents. I didn't see that changing at the end of the day. Coach Pelini, I have great respect for him. He's a good football coach and a good man. It wasn't a lack of effort by him or his staff or our wonderful players. I think new leadership was in order. We look forward to heading in that direction."On the standards he set going into the season:"I'm not going to go into a public review, a personnel review. I have too much respect for our coaches and the difficult jobs they do. As I just said, there are standards and expectations at Nebraska that are high both on and off the field. And although we did win a bunch of games, we didn't win the games that mattered the most. I think we gave Coach ample time, ample resources and ample support to get that done. Now we are headed in a different direction."On Nebraska's national reputation:"We have wonderful, committed, high character young men in our program, staff, coaches. Those are core values for us. I think everybody knows our five core values. At the end of the day, that's what Nebraska is all about. We're humble, hard-working, hungry people, and we are prideful. And we are going to move in that direction."On if he asked Pelini to make changes in his staff in order to stay on:"No, I would not do that. I have great confidence in our coaches and you guys know me full well relative to that, I give them great latitude to do their jobs as they see fit, give them the resources that they need and get out of the way and provide support when it's needed. I think we've done that. I think Coach understood that as well."On how he communicated with Pelini:"I met with Coach Pelini this morning in my office for about 20 minutes. It was a cordial, professional conversation. I like Bo. Bo is a good guy and again a good coach. At the end of the day, I think we both agreed it was best to go in different directions."On if Pelini agreed, also:"You'd have to ask him that."On if Pelini gave him a reason to believe he agreed with it:"After I told him we were going a different direction, I think there was agreement that that was probably a good idea."On if previous head coaching experience is part of the expectations for the job:"As I said, I'm not going to speculate about the search process moving forward, the characteristics or the people. Up to this point, my total focus has been on this program and our young men. I don't want to do a disservice to them by thinking about what's coming next already. I want to do the right thing by this staff, by these players and their families. There will be a time in earnest later tonight for me to start thinking about the next leader of our program. I don't want to get into that right now."On off the field concerns:"I think in the totality of the circumstances the best I would say is we didn't meet expectations both on and off the field. Getting into any specifics wouldn't be something that I'm about. Again, I think there was great effort by everyone in this program to do the right thing and well-intended. In my opinion, we didn't get to where we needed to be. We're going to go a different direction."On when he made the decision:"Last night it crystalized for me and I contacted Chancellor (Harvey) Perlman to discuss it with him. He was supportive of my decision to go a different direction. I notified coach this morning."On if the Board of Regents was included on the decision:"I did not. That was Chancellor Perlman who handled that on his end."On his win-loss standards:"What I would verbalize is what I already said. We have high standards and expectations, and that's to play championship football. Whatever record puts us in position to win a championship, I'm good with."On if the way the team lost was a factor:"It certainly was a factor."On if the assistants will be on for the bowl game:"We asked them. After I met with Coach Pelini, we notified the coaches to come in and I had the opportunity to meet with all of them. As we had communicated with the coaches, I sent out a note to our student-athletes. We wanted them to hear it from us. We have asked our coaches to stay on and serve us either through the bowl game or until the new leadership gets in place and makes decisions that way. As I told them this morning, I have great admiration and respect for them and their families. Nebraska does things the right way. We are going to do it right with them and we are going to be supportive of them, and I think they will do a terrific job preparing our young men for the bowl game."On if the assistants will recruit in December:"On campus."On if he has contracted a public relations firm on search team for the process:"I have not."On if he intends to:"No."On if he will do this search by himself:"Yes."On what mistakes of the previous athletic director's decisions in this situation he would like to avoid:"I'm not going to sit in judgment of what someone before me has done. I'm looking forward. I've been doing this awhile and I have great faith and confidence in my approach. We will continue to analyze as we are moving forward. To make any sort of judgments about what anyone has done in the past is not my style and quite frankly isn't the right thing to talk about."On if he is aware of Steve Pederson's search in 2003:"What I would say is what I just said. I'm looking forward. These are difficult jobs that we have and difficult decisions that we make with a lot of different factors involved with them. I'll leave it at that."On how important it is to hire someone with ties to the Nebraska program:"Good question. I'm going to respectfully decline to respond to that question for obvious reasons."On selling the program to fans:"We have great fans. I know that everyone wants to win every game and be competitive in those games that matter and win championships. I felt great support. I felt great support in the building. I lead with that. I lead with a positive manner. I lead with core values. The language of our people in this building is good and they are supportive of the folks on the second floor and our student-athletes. Are there folks out there that are disappointed from time to time? Absolutely. You guys write about it every day. Am I concerned about our brand and pleasing our fans and especially those ones that want to do it the right way and in a positive way and keeping the stands full? Yeah, those are all things you need to keep in consideration. But there wasn't one factor for me. It was the totality of my review over the last couple years. As I've described to you guys, my process is pretty strategic. It's pretty disciplined. It's pretty measured. It's very inclusive. It's very thorough. I do these reviews and when I sit down with our coaches and talk to them about what the vision is and what we expect. And I do that so we can get on the same page and agree that the resources are appropriate, and that I'm here and we're here to help. But at the end of the day, they are going to run the program the way they want to run it and we are going to sit down and hold each other accountable for it. Hopefully that answers your question."On how aware coaches were made of the expectations:"I think all of our coaches and staff members for that matter including our student-athletes understand the core of our expectations and our vision. Relative to our head football coach and what he was communicating to our assistants and that sort of thing - I think that's best to ask them. I think we were pretty clear about what it was we were looking for. And that's to recruit high character kids, who are seeking an education at a world-class institution. We want to do things the right way. At the end of the day, our coaches understand that pursuing championships is what we do, and being competitive in those games that matter is important. You guys have talked about it a bunch and you've written after games about their feelings. Every time you come away from those interviews, they are well-intended people who are trying to put our young people in a position to be successful. For whatever reason, we weren't able to win enough games that mattered."On how he unites the fan base after a firing:"Communicate. I am compassionate about that. This isn't a day of celebration for me. We have a lot of really good young people that are in our program that are hurting-and I get that. My focus needs to be on that at this point and to be upfront with them, and to be there for them. At the end of the day-hopefully they understand and appreciate what they have here at Nebraska and the education they are getting here at Nebraska. I am fully aware of that, I played this game and I played championship-level-caliber football and I understand how much we love our coaches."On what his message is to fans that feel uncertain of him:"What I would say is-is we had a lot of uncertainty where we were a couple days ago. So there was as much uncertainty in our program and where we were going as there probably is now, what is next? So hopefully folks have faith in me to do the right thing."On if he worries about losing 2015 recruiting class, if so, does it impact timetable of decision:"First and foremost my concern is with our kids in our program and making sure they are mentored and led and pursue their degree; that is the most important thing we do here. Recruiting is important, and we will honor any commitments we have made, and we would hope those young people have looked at Nebraska as a place to get an education and play football at the highest level. Those things will take care of itself, in time, but we will be very nurturing and supporting in that environment. Our assistant coaches along with Barney Cotton will manage that (recruiting) from campus."On why his evaluation is different than 365 days ago:"I think for me it was time to get a sense of what we were doing and where we were going-and to be patient. There were resources that our football program wanted that they didn't have-so I wanted to provide those. I think you guys are fully aware of what we have done from a resource perspective. I owed it to coach, again, he is a good man who has always wanted to do the right thing and so I wanted to listen and provide the support-and I was hopeful we could turn this thing around the corner. I think the easiest thing to do would have been to go in a different direction. Sometimes I don't take the easy road and that is ok."On how financially competitive he will be for the upcoming coaching staff:"I am very blessed to be here at the University of Nebraska. We will do what is necessary to compete at the highest level. I have said this before, resources are not the question here at Nebraska. That does not mean we are not going to be responsible. I have seen people spend a lot of money and not do very much winning. We are going to get it right at the end of the day."On if there is a willingness to pay whatever is necessary for whatever coach he thinks is best:"Number one, I think we are doing that right now, and number two, yes. We do what is necessary and reasonable, and I think the evidence is proof of that."On what he says to college football changing from the 1980's-90's and how that relates to his decision:"My response to that is Nebraska has everything it needs to be successful at the highest level. We can go back and analyze the 80's and 90's and all that other sort of stuff but that is not going to help us out today. I think we are positioned to play championship-caliber football here at the University of Nebraska. Like I said, we have a world-class institution with an incredible education to offer for perspective students and current. Facilities are not the question, you guys get around a lot of different places and the way we treat our kids, Is unbelievable. If anyone has taken the time to review the end report that I just sent out, where we went chapter and verse on what we do, here at Nebraska and the economic impact that associates with that. I would hope that will open people's eyes up to what the possibilities are. I am not going to lower our standards, and I don't think Nebraskan's want that. Is it a different day? Absolutely. It is a different day for everybody. At the end of the day, what are you going to do? How are you going to manage going forward, and I feel comfortable that we are positioned with the right leader to go where we want to go."On if Coach Pelini ever voiced frustration this year because of a lack of support:"No, and I think Bo has been pretty public in the last couple months on how supportive we have been. I am appreciative of that, we will continue to do that. At the end of the day, the support comes down to the level that matters-and that is our student-athletes. We are bringing them here to shape their lives and get them an education and make them better people as they move along. To me, putting resources that way is a good thing and we are fortunate to have resources to do it."On if is view drastically change in the last month:"No, I have been optimistic and supportive all the way through, and I have been pretty disciplined about waiting until the last regular season game. Generally I like to wait until after the bowl game to make any sort of observations. I have always felt that we had an opportunity to compete and we have provided what is necessary to do that."On if the team has the talent level to compete at a championship level:"That is not my expertise, I would hope we do. I see it from a far. I think our coaches have obviously have seen that and that Is why they brought these young men into our program. At the end of the day, I think we have kids in our program that are capable of winning championships."On if he notified Tom Osborne:"After I spoke with Coach Pelini I had one of my assistants give him a heads up, because I had some other people I needed to talk to within the staff. But followed up and left two messages to coach so hopefully I do have a chance to catch up with him in the next day or so. I know he is heading to Dallas for the college football selection show deal, but I do hope to follow up with him soon. I did not talk to him before I made the decision."On why last night he decided it was time, why not after the Minnesota game:"The test had been taken, so it was time for me to sit down and reflect and be comprehensive and inclusive in my review. So I want to continue to be disciplined that way."On why he did not wait until after the bowl game:"To be fair to our coaches and staff members and give them as much notice as possible so they could possibly either find other employment, or with our new leader catch on here. I am very sensitive to them and their families and trying to do right that way."On if championship caliber football is his number one priority:"It is not my number one priority, I have a lot of priorities. Our number one priority is to educate our young people. Along the way, we want to compete for championships. We want to do it the right way, according to our core values in the way the Nebraska faithful would want us too. There is not one priority, there are a bunch of them. But the key one, is to educate-that is what we do."On how close he came to making a change last season:"Not really close."On how much concern was over sellout streak and boosters:"I didn't have a lot of concern there, I just continued to be optimistic, as I said earlier, our people are really positive and want to support what it is we do. Hopefully they are in it for the right reasons and that is to provide unconditional support for our student-athletes. I felt good all along the support we are getting. Certainly the uncertainty has lingered, on both sides of the fence. Hopefully we can all come together when the dust settles and continue to strive forward in the same direction for the same thing."On if there was an energy that did not fall in line with the overall vision:"I really haven't been overly judgmental of that. My vibe is you, our fans, our coaches and students and want to do the right thing and head in the right direction. Often times we stray away from that a little bit. My focus is on trying to lead in a positive manner with great values and not be overly judgmental of those sort of things. I am real excited to look towards the future."On how much fan input mattered:"It is important, it is certainly a factor that you need to consider. I try to separate myself from all that and be disciplined and give equal weight along the way. I am not overly persuaded by the negativity."On what he wants people to know about Bo Pelini:"I think we need to thank Coach Pelini for the service has provided to the University of Nebraska and the sacrifices that he has made."On if the win over Iowa play any factor in his decision:"Sure it did, our kids showed great character and resiliency in a tough environment. So it certainly did play a factor but in the final analysis, I had to evaluate where Iowa was."On if he talked to Pelini afterwards:"I told him we have great kids in our program and that I appreciate the way they handled their business."On the final analysis, why was where Iowa was a factor:"As I said earlier, as I looked back at the outcomes, I am trying to look at who are championship level football teams in that moment. How competitive were we in those games. We were not playing for a conference championship and neither was Iowa. And I have great respect to Iowa, it is a wonderful institution, and a great football program. But in the final analysis, there record was where it was and our record was where it was."Husker players have responded to the action via Twitter:Tommy Armstrong Tweet
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Detailed Error Information: Module IIS Web Core Notification MapRequestHandler Handler StaticFile Error Code 0x80070002 Requested URL http://www.auroracode.com:80/blog/return-null-0001 Physical Path D:\webhosting\clients\ee67a6a0-b690-427f-9217-eeeec9fe3507\wwwroot\blog\return-null-0001 Logon Method Anonymous Logon User Anonymous
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We continue our tour around World Showcase with a visit to the main quick service arm of the France Pavilion, after considering a review of the all-day menu and the current state of (Les) Chefs de France in this post.
For whatever reason, Les Halles is not an ordinary haunt for the website and as much as I am ashamed to admit it, it may well be an out of sight, out of mind sort of thing.
Or it might be the somewhat convoluted ordering process. You wait in the initial line with a different menu on three different sides and hope whoever is at the front of the first station notices your presence and then bothers to see if you’re interested in ordering anything in between shuffling croissants and other people’s orders.
Larger: https://www.easywdw.com/reports13/epcot_boulangerie_patisserie_sandwiches.jpg
It might be the fact that you have to wait in said line to see what the various items look like and even then, you’re not going to have much of an opportunity to see given how low to the ground the cases stand and how spaced out all of the items sit.
It might be the harsh lighting in the often crowded, cramped, loud seating/standing area.
And it might be that in the history of the world, nobody has ever wanted to hear me butcher the pronunciation of “Pissaladière.”
But it might be a mistake that I bypass it so often and in turn, a mistake if you do as well. Because a lot of what Les Halles offers is reasonably priced and freshly prepared.
Said Pissaladière – Tomatoes, Olives and (probably not really) Gruyere Cheese is a great value at $4.50 or a snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan – a substantial portion that’s freshly toasted with plenty of swiss cheese and other toppings. I just wish it was a little easier to communicate that this is what I wanted.
Now there is some debate over where the word “Viennoiseries” comes from and how it/they differ from “Pâtisseries” or “Boulangeries.” If you are interested, this post is helpful: https://jeparleamericain.com/a-french-pastry-primer/, but then you might question everything you think you know when you find out that the croissant is actually from Austria and more specifically, Vienna. Most of these items are available for a snack credit, though they have not quite gotten to the “items over $5 are okay too” as we’ve seen funnel cakes north of $8 included, in addition to $7 candy apples and other items.
A look at the case:
As I mentioned previously, it’s a lot to take in with more than 20 dessert items located on two levels across a wide counter, in addition to the variety of sandwiches, quiche, salads, and other items. Try to note the French name of what you’re interested in ordering on the menus overheard as the ingredients/English words won’t be listed on the displays. The good news is perhaps that it’s hard to go wrong as portions are typically larger and quality typically higher than just about any quick service pastry/cupcake/viennoiseries/dessert at Epcot outside of perhaps Sunshine Seasons. And that comment is specifically aimed at the various Food/Wine/Flower/Garden kiosks if you find yourself in the area.
Uncensored: https://www.easywdw.com/reports13/tartine_aux_fromage_epcot_france_halles_boulangerie_patisserie.jpg
As previously mentioned, the lighting in the seating area is particularly harsh, I was without a flash, and it was dark out, so these pictures don’t make the food look particularly appetizing. But I wouldn’t let that deter you from ordering anything.
Uncensored: https://www.easywdw.com/reports13/epcot_halles_boulangerie_tartine_aux_fromage.jpg
This is the $6.75 Tartine Aux Fromages – Country Bread, tomato sauce, swiss, parmesan and goat cheese. It’s very light on the tomato sauce, making this much more of a cheesy bread situation than a French bread pizza. But it works very well with the creamy tang from the goat cheese in the center contrasting nicely with the other salty cheeses and the sauce providing just a little bit of tomato-y sweetness. I don’t think I would necessarily wait in line for this specifically, but it’s a nice choice if the group is headed inside and you’re looking for a substantial snack.
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This is the $7.75 Croissant Salé – Eggs, Cheese, and Bacon Croissant, which is a somewhat new addition.
The fact that the egg appeared to be some sort of reheated patty was a bit of a bummer, but the overall flavor didn’t suffer tremendously because of it. The croissant remains flaky and buttery and there is a considerable amount of melted cheese along with three slices of crispy bacon.
Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie opens with the Park, which is typically at 9am. Only the Frozen attractions will be operating at that time, but you can walk freely through Canada/United Kingdom/France Pavilions either from the main entrance or the International Gateway. This makes no sense from a touring efficiency standpoint as waits only build at the priorities in Future World, but you can theoretically grab a mimosa and one of the better theme park breakfast sandwiches in the Croissant Salé as quickly as you can walk to the French bakery. Personally, I would hit at least a couple Future World priorities before beginning my trek through World Showcase no earlier than 10:30am, but it’s an option for those that prefer to enjoy the peaceful early morning ambiance over the rush of Test Track.
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The $3.95 Beignet – filled with chocolate and hazelnuts, like the Croissant Salé , is not on Disney’s online menu.
And while this is perhaps the worst cross section picture of all time, there is quite a bit of Nutella hiding beneath what ended up being basically layers of tender pastry. The texture and density reminded me a lot of a Krispy Kreme filled doughnut much more so than you would receive at Port Orleans Riverside or Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, but I don’t mean that at all negatively and my eyes lit up after taking the first bite. It’s a light, airy viennoiseries that isn’t at all oily or at all hollow, though there is some powdered sugar involved. Really quite good for what it is though they may want to figure out a better translation for “Nutella filled doughnut.”
One final item in what is listed as the $5.75 Macaron on the menu – “Macaroon [sic] with raspberry & lime cream.” They do a nice job with this with the exterior of each meringue-like cookie offering a crisp texture before giving way to a slightly chewy center. The fresh, fruity flavors from the plump raspberries are enhanced by the sweetness of the jam and a slight tartness to the lime cream. It’s probably overpriced by a dollar, but delicate, handmade desserts probably deserve a slight premium.
Overall, I am probably wrong in my apprehension about visiting Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie, though I wish they would offer some printed menus to offer a better idea about what’s available and perhaps for the sake of being able to more easily identify whether it’s the Quiche Lorraine or Quiche Florentine that I’m after. And to never have to say Pissaladière out loud again. On the entree front, the sandwiches are also more unique than I give them credit for, though I have never really gone to Epcot and been like, “sandwich time.”
But Les Halles is one of the best stops for a hearty snack or a shareable dessert with a lot of variety, fresh flavors, and unique offerings. And I think most people enjoy it more than I do.
A few items in the gift shop:
Now that I’ve convinced myself that I like Les Halles, while perhaps convincing you that you don’t, we’ll have to return to France to take a better look around.
I think we might take another visit out to Animal Kingdom next. Maybe some nighttime stuff.
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F ats supply energy and essential fatty acids, and they help absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and carotenoids. You need some fat in the food you eat, but choose sensibly. Some kinds of fat, especially saturated fats, increase the risk for coronary heart disease by raising the blood cholesterol (see box 15). In contrast, unsaturated fats (found mainly in vegetable oils) do not increase blood cholesterol. Fat intake in the United States as a proportion of total calories is lower than it was many years ago, but most people still eat too much saturated fat. Eating lots of fat of any type can provide excess calories. Choose foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol See box 16 for tips on limiting the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you get from your food. Taking these steps can go a long way in helping to keep your blood cholesterol level low. Box 15 KNOW THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FATS Saturated Fats Foods high in saturated fats tend to raise blood cholesterol. These foods include high-fat dairy products (like cheese, whole milk, cream, butter, and regular ice cream), fatty fresh and processed meats, the skin and fat of poultry, lard, palm oil, and coconut oil. Keep your intake of these foods low. Dietary Cholesterol Foods that are high in cholesterol also tend to raise blood cholesterol. These foods include liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, and dairy fats. Trans Fatty Acids Foods high in trans fatty acids tend to raise blood cholesterol. These foods include those high in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as many hard margarines and shortenings. Foods with a high amount of these ingredients include some commercially fried foods and some bakery goods. Unsaturated Fats Unsaturated fats (oils) do not raise blood cholesterol. Unsaturated fats occur in vegetable oils, most nuts, olives, avocados, and fatty fish like salmon. Unsaturated oils include both monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Olive, canola, sunflower, and peanut oils are some of the oils high in monounsaturated fats. Vegetable oils such as soybean oil, corn oil, and cottonseed oil and many kinds of nuts are good sources of polyunsaturated fats. Some fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel, contain omega-3 fatty acids that are being studied to determine if they offer protection against heart disease. Use moderate amounts of food high in unsaturated fats, taking care to avoid excess calories.
Box 16 FOOD CHOICES LOW IN SATURATED FAT AND CHOLESTEROL AND MODERATE IN TOTAL FAT Get most of your calories from plant foods (grains, fruits, vegetables). If you eat foods high in saturated fat for a special occasion, return to foods that are low in saturated fat the next day. Fats and Oils Choose vegetable oils rather than solid fats (meat and dairy fats, shortening).
If you need fewer calories, decrease the amount of fat you use in cooking and at the table. Meat, Poultry, Fish, Shellfish, Eggs, Beans, and Nuts Choose 2 to 3 servings of fish, shellfish, lean poultry, other lean meats, beans, or nuts daily. Trim fat from meat and take skin off poultry. Choose dry beans, peas, or lentils often.
Limit your intake of high-fat processed meats such as bacon, sausages, salami, bologna, and other cold cuts. Try the lower fat varieties (check the Nutrition Facts Label).
Limit your intake of liver and other organ meats. Use egg yolks and whole eggs in moderation. Use egg whites and egg substitutes freely when cooking since they contain no cholesterol and little or no fat. Dairy Products Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, fat-free or low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese most often. Try switching from whole to fat-free or low-fat milk. This decreases the saturated fat and calories but keeps all other nutrients the same. Prepared Foods Check the Nutrition Facts Label to see how much saturated fat and cholesterol are in a serving of prepared food. Choose foods lower in saturated fat and cholesterol. Foods at Restaurants or Other Eating Establishments Choose fish or lean meats as suggested above. Limit ground meat and fatty processed meats, marbled steaks, and cheese.
Limit your intake of foods with creamy sauces, and add little or no butter to your food.
Choose fruits as desserts most often. Following the tips in the box above will help you keep your intake of saturated fat at less than 10 percent of calories. They will also help you keep your cholesterol intake less than the Daily Value of 300 mg/day listed on the Nutrition Facts Label. If you want more flexibility, see box 17, below, to find out your saturated fat limit in grams. The maximum number of saturated fat grams depends on the amount of calories you get daily. Use Nutrition Facts Labels to find out how much saturated fat is in prepared foods. If you choose one food that is higher in saturated fat, make your other choices lower in saturated fat. This will help you stay under your saturated fat limit for the day. Box 17 WHAT IS YOUR UPPER LIMIT ON FAT FOR THE CALORIES YOU CONSUME? Total Calories per Day Saturated Fat in Grams Total Fat in Grams 1,600 18 or less 53 2,000* 20 or less 65 2,200 24 or less 73 2,500* 25 or less 80 2,800 31 or less 93 * Percent Daily Values on Nutrition Facts Labels are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values for 2,000 and 2,500 calories are rounded to the nearest 5 grams to be consistent with the Nutrition Facts Label. Different forms of the same food may be very different in their content of saturated fat. Box 18 provides some examples. Try to choose the forms of food that are lower in saturated fat most often. Keep total fat intake moderate Aim for a total fat intake of no more than 30 percent of calories, as recommended in previous editions of the Guidelines. If you need to reduce your fat intake to achieve this level, do so primarily by cutting back on saturated and trans fats. Check box 17 to find out how many grams of fat you can have for the number of calories you need. For example, at 2,200 calories per day, your suggested upper limit on fat intake would be about 73 grams. If you are at a healthy weight and you eat little saturated fat, you'll have leeway to eat some plant foods that are high in unsaturated fats. To see if you need to lose weight, see the guideline "Aim for a Healthy Weight." Advice for children Advice in the previous sections applies to children who are 2 years of age or older. It does not apply to infants and toddlers below the age of 2 years. Beginning at age 2, children should get most of their calories from grain products; fruits; vegetables; low-fat dairy products; and beans, lean meat and poultry, fish, or nuts. Be careful, nuts may cause choking in 2 to 3 year olds. ADVICE FOR TODAY To reduce your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol: Limit use of solid fats, such as butter, hard margarines, lard, and partially hydrogenated shortenings. Use vegetable oils as a substitute.
Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products, cooked dry beans and peas, fish, and lean meats and poultry.
Eat plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits daily.
Use the Nutrition Facts Label to help choose foods lower in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
Box 18 A COMPARISON OF SATURATED FAT IN SOME FOODS Food Category Portion Saturated Fat Content in Grams Cheese Regular Cheddar cheese
Low-fat Cheddar cheese* 1 oz
1 oz. 6.0
1.2 Ground Beef Regular ground beef
Extra lean ground beef* 3 oz. cooked
3 oz. cooked 7.2
5.3 Milk Whole milk
Low-fat (1%) milk* 1 cup
1 cup 5.1
1.6 Breads Croissant
Bagel* 1 medium
1 medium 6.6
0.1 Frozen Desserts Regular ice cream
Frozen yogurt* 1/2 cup
1/2 cup 4.5
2.5 Table Spreads Butter
Soft margarine* 1 tsp.
1 tsp. 2.4
0.7 NOTE: The food categories listed are among the major food sources of saturated fat for U.S. adults and children.
* Choice that is lower in saturated fat. Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars S ugars are carbohydrates and a source of energy (calories). Dietary carbohydrates also include the complex carbohydrates starch and dietary fiber. During digestion all carbohydrates except fiber break down into sugars. Sugars and starches occur naturally in many foods that also supply other nutrients. Examples of these foods include milk, fruits, some vegetables, breads, cereals, and grains. Sugars and tooth decay Foods containing sugars and starches can promote tooth decay. The amount of bacteria in your mouth and lack of exposure to fluorides also promote tooth decay. These bacteria use sugars and starches to produce the acid that causes tooth decay. The more often you eat foods that contain sugars and starches, and the longer these foods remain in your mouth before you brush your teeth, the greater your risk for tooth decay. Frequent eating or drinking sweet or starchy foods between meals is more likely to harm teeth than eating the same foods at meals and then brushing. Daily dental hygiene, including brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing, and adequate intake of fluorides will help prevent tooth decay. Follow the tips in box 19 for healthy teeth. Box 19 FOR HEALTHY TEETH AND GUMS Between meals, eat few foods or beverages containing sugars or starches. If you do eat them, brush your teeth afterward to reduce risk of tooth decay.
Brush at least twice a day and floss daily. Use fluoride toothpaste.
Ask your dentist or health care provider about the need for supplemental fluoride, or dental sealants, especially for children and if your drinking water is not fluoridated. Box 20 MAJOR SOURCES* OF ADDED SUGARS IN THE UNITED STATES Soft drinks
Cakes, cookies, pies
Fruitades and drinks such as fruit punch and lemonade
Dairy desserts such as ice cream
Candy * All kinds, except diet or sugar-free Added sugars Added sugars are sugars and syrups added to foods in processing or preparation, not the naturally occurring sugars in foods like fruit or milk. The body cannot tell the difference between naturally occurring and added sugars because they are identical chemically. Foods containing added sugars provide calories, but may have few vitamins and minerals. In the United States, the number one source of added sugars is nondiet soft drinks (soda or pop). Sweets and candies, cakes and cookies, and fruit drinks and fruitades are also major sources of added sugars. Intake of a lot of foods high in added sugars, like soft drinks, is of concern. Consuming excess calories from these foods may contribute to weight gain or lower consumption of more nutritious foods. Use box 20 to identify the most commonly eaten foods that are high in added sugars (unless they are labeled "sugar free" or "diet"). Limit your use of these beverages and foods. Drink water to quench your thirst, and offer it to children. Some foods with added sugars, like chocolate milk, presweetened cereals, and sweetened canned fruits, also are high in vitamins and minerals. These foods may provide extra calories along with the nutrients and are fine if you need the extra calories. The Nutrition Facts Label gives the content of sugars from all sources (naturally occurring sugars plus added sugars, if anysee figure 3). You can use the Nutrition Facts Label to compare the amount of total sugars among similar products. To find out if sugars have been added, you also need to look at the food label ingredient list. Use box 21 to identify names of some added sugars.
Box 21 NAMES FOR ADDED SUGARS THAT APPEAR ON FOOD LABELS A food is likely to be high in sugars if one of these names appears first or second in the ingredient list, or if several names are listed. Brown sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey Invert sugar
Lactose
Malt syrup
Maltose
Molasses
Raw sugar
Sucrose
Syrup
Table sugar Sugar substitutes Sugar substitutes such as saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose are extremely low in calories. Some people find them useful if they want a sweet taste without the calories. Some foods that contain sugar substitutes, however, still have calories. Unless you reduce the total calories you eat or increase your physical activity, using sugar substitutes will not cause you to lose weight. Sugars and other health issues Behavior. Intake of sugars does not appear to affect children's behavior patterns or their ability to learn. Many scientific studies conclude that sugars do not cause hyperactivity in children. Weight control. Foods that are high in sugars but low in essential nutrients primarily contribute calories to the diet. When you take in extra calories and don't offset them by increasing your physical activity, you will gain weight. As you aim for a healthy weight and fitness, keep an eye on portion size for all foods and beverages, not only those high in sugars. See box 3. ADVICE FOR TODAY Choose sensibly to limit your intake of beverages and foods that are high in added sugars.
Get most of your calories from grains (especially whole grains), fruits and vegetables, low-fat or non-fat dairy products, and lean meats or meat substitutes.
Take care not to let soft drinks or other sweets crowd out other foods you need to maintain health, such as low-fat milk or other good sources of calcium.
Follow the simple tips listed in box 19 to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Drink water often.
Choose and prepare foods with less salt M any people can reduce their chances of developing high blood pressure by consuming less salt. Several other steps can also help keep your blood pressure in the healthy range (see box 22). In the body, sodiumwhich you get mainly from saltplays an essential role in regulating fluids and blood pressure. Many studies in diverse populations have shown that a high sodium intake is associated with higher blood pressure. There is no way to tell who might develop high blood pressure from eating too much salt. However, consuming less salt or sodium is not harmful and can be recommended for the healthy, normal person (see box 23). At present, the firmest link between salt intake and health relates to blood pressure. High salt intake also increases the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. Eating less salt may decrease the loss of calcium from bone. Loss of too much calcium from bone increases the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Box 22 STEPS THAT MAY HELP KEEP BLOOD PRESSURE IN A HEALTHY RANGE Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
Aim for a healthy weight: blood pressure increases with increases in body weight and decreases when excess weight is reduced.
Increase physical activity: it helps lower blood pressure, reduce risk of other chronic diseases, and manage weight.
Eat fruits and vegetables. They are naturally low in salt and calories. They are also rich in potassium (see box 12), which may help decrease blood pressure.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. Excessive alcohol consumption has been associated with high blood pressure. Box 23 IS LOWERING SALT INTAKE SAFE? Eating too little salt is not generally a concern for healthy people. If you are being treated for a chronic health problem, ask your doctor about whether it is safe for you to reduce your salt intake.
Some table salt is fortified with iodine. If you use table salt to meet your need for iodine, a small amountabout 1/4 teaspoon of iodized saltprovides more than half the daily iodine allowance.
Your body can adjust to prevent too much sodium loss when you exercise heavily or when it is very hot. However, if you plan to reduce your salt intake and you exercise vigorously, it is sensible to decrease gradually the amount of salt you consume.
Salt is found mainly in processed and prepared foods Salt (sodium chloride) is the main source of sodium in foods (see box 24). Only small amounts of salt occur naturally in foods. Most of the salt you eat comes from foods that have salt added during food processing or during preparation in a restaurant or at home. Some recipes include table salt or a salty broth or sauce, and some cooking styles call for adding a very salty seasoning such as soy sauce. Not all foods with added salt taste salty. Some people add salt or a salty seasoning to their food at the table. Your preference for salt may decrease if you gradually add smaller amounts of salt or salty seasonings to your food over a period of time. Aim for a moderate sodium intake Most people consume too much salt, so moderate your salt intake. Healthy children and adults need to consume only small amounts of salt to meet their sodium needsless than 1/4 teaspoon of salt daily. The Nutrition Facts Label lists a Daily Value of 2,400 mg of sodium per day (see figure 3). This is the amount of sodium in about 1 teaspoon of salt. See box 25 for helpful hints on how to keep your sodium intake moderate. Box 24 SALT VERSUS SODIUM Salt contains sodium. Sodium is a substance that affects blood pressure.
The best way to cut back on sodium is to cut back on salt and salty foods and seasonings.
When reading a Nutrition Facts Label, look for the sodium content (see figure 3). Foods that are low in sodium (less than 5% of the Daily Value or DV) are low in salt.
Box 25 WAYS TO DECREASE YOUR SALT INTAKE
At the Store Choose fresh, plain frozen, or canned vegetables without added salt most oftenthey're low in salt.
Choose fresh or frozen fish, shellfish, poultry, and meat most often. They are lower in salt than most canned and processed forms.
Read the Nutrition Facts Label (see figure 3) to compare the amount of sodium in processed foods such as frozen dinners, packaged mixes, cereals, cheese, breads, soups, salad dressings, and sauces. The amount in different types and brands often varies widely.
Look for labels that say "low-sodium." They contain 140 mg (about 5% of the Daily Value) or less of sodium per serving.
Ask your grocer or supermarket to offer more low sodium foods. Cooking and Eating at Home If you salt foods in cooking or at the table, add small amounts. Learn to use spices and herbs, rather than salt, to enhance the flavor of food.
Go easy on condiments such as soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and olivesthey can add a lot of salt to your food.
Leave the salt shaker in a cupboard. Eating Out
Choose plain foods like grilled or roasted entrees, baked potatoes, and salad with oil and vinegar. Batter-fried foods tend to be high in salt, as do combination dishes like stews or pasta with sauce.
Ask to have no salt added when the food is prepared. Any Time
Choose fruits and vegetables often.
Drink water freely. It is usually very low in sodium. Check the label on bottled water for sodium content. ADVICE FOR TODAY Choose sensibly to moderate your salt intake.
Choose fruits and vegetables often. They contain very little salt unless it is added in processing.
Read the Nutrition Facts Label to compare and help identify foods lower in sodiumespecially prepared foods.
Use herbs, spices, and fruits to flavor food, and cut the amount of salty seasonings by half.
If you eat restaurant foods or fast foods, choose those that are prepared with only moderated amounts of salt or salty flavorings.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation A lcoholic beverages supply calories but few nutrients. Alcoholic beverages are harmful when consumed in excess, and some people should not drink at all. Excess alcohol alters judgment and can lead to dependency and a great many other serious health problems. Taking more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men (see box 26) can raise the risk for motor vehicle crashes, other injuries, high blood pressure, stroke, violence, suicide, and certain types of cancer. Even one drink per day can slightly raise the risk of breast cancer. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases risk of birth defects. Too much alcohol may cause social and psychological problems, cirrhosis of the liver, inflammation of the pancreas, and damage to the brain and heart. Heavy drinkers also are at risk of malnutrition because alcohol contains calories that may substitute for those in nutritious foods. If adults choose to drink alcoholic beverages, they should consume them only in moderation (see box 26)and with meals to slow alcohol absorption. Box 26 WHAT IS DRINKING IN MODERATION? Moderation is defined as no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men. This limit is based on differences between the sexes in both weight and metabolism. Count as a drink
12 ounces of regular beer (150 calories)
5 ounces of wine (100 calories)
1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (100 calories)
NOTE: Even moderate drinking provides extra calories. Drinking in moderation may lower risk for coronary heart disease, mainly among men over age 45 and women over age 55. However, there are other factors that reduce the risk of heart disease, including a healthy diet, physical activity, avoidance of smoking, and maintenance of a healthy weight. Moderate consumption provides little, if any, health benefit for younger people. Risk of alcohol abuse increases when drinking starts at an early age. Some studies suggest that older people may become more sensitive to the effects of alcohol as they age. Who should not drink? Some people should not drink alcoholic beverages at all. These include: Children and adolescents.
Individuals of any age who cannot restrict their drinking to moderate levels. This is a special concern for recovering alcoholics, problem drinkers, and people whose family members have alcohol problems.
Women who may become pregnant or who are pregnant. A safe level of alcohol intake has not been established for women at any time during pregnancy, including the first few weeks. Major birth defects, including fetal alcohol syndrome, can be caused by heavy drinking by the pregnant mother. Other fetal alcohol effects may occur at lower levels.
Individuals who plan to drive, operate machinery, or take part in other activities that require attention, skill, or coordination. Most people retain some alcohol in the blood up to 2 to 3 hours after a single drink.
Individuals taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that can interact with alcohol. Alcohol alters the effectiveness or toxicity of many medications, and some medications may increase blood alcohol levels. If you take medications, ask your health care provider for advice about alcohol intake, especially if you are an older adult.
ADVICE FOR TODAY If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, do so sensibly, and in moderation.
Limit intake to one drink per day for women or two per day for men, and take with meals to slow alcohol absorption.
Avoid drinking before or when driving, or whenever it puts you or others at risk.
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Yesterday was a black day for GoDaddy.com. During a few hours all they hosting services were interrupted. Mail, websites but, worse, all the DNS services were unavailable. The outage was caused by a member of Anonymous as said on Twitter but it’s not yet clear. Personally, who’s behind the attack, I don’t care! Results were the same: millions of websites remained unreachable during hours. Other people started to blame GoDaddy and to exort customers to move to another provider. Do you really think other companies would resist to a massive DDoS attack? I don’t!
Let’s leave this apart and focus on the consequences. Lot of websites were simple not reachable because the hostnames could not be resolved. Wait? When I connected for the first time to the Internet (and – trust me – I’m here for a while!), everybody told me that this super-network was derived from a military project. The goal was to build an super-strong meshed network being able to resist to almost any attack from the “enemies”. Today, we are in 2012 and millions of sites are affected by a “simple” attack! Is there a problem somewhere?
Are people entitled to complain against GoDaddy for not providing the services they subscribed to? Is moving quickly to an alternate provider the best choice? I don’t think so. My idea is that Internet became today a real media like any other one and people tend to forget the complexity that exists behind nice websites with beautiful interfaces and plenty of features. Internet (read: “the set of all protocols used to build the Internet“) relies on RFC’s (“Request For Comments“). Those documents are memorandum published by the IETF (“Internet Engineering Task Force“) and describe how to build a working Internet. As a developer, manufacturer or designer, those RFC’s must be seen as golden rules for you!
Back to the GoDaddy story! There is a very interesting RFC2182 with the title: “Selection and Operation of Secondary DNS Servers“. If you read it (please do!), you will find best practices to define secondary DNS servers for your domain(s). How many do you require? How to deploy them? Let’s take a simple example: digitalz.org. This domain is hosted by GoDaddy:
$ dig digitalz.org ns ; <<>> DiG 9.8.1-P1 <<>> digitalz.org ns ;; global options: +cmd ;; Got answer: ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 20319 ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0 ;; QUESTION SECTION: ;digitalz.org. IN NS ;; ANSWER SECTION: digitalz.org. 3600 IN NS ns13.domaincontrol.com. digitalz.org. 3600 IN NS ns14.domaincontrol.com. ;; Query time: 68 msec ;; SERVER: 127.0.0.1#53(127.0.0.1) ;; WHEN: Tue Sep 11 08:30:25 2012 ;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 85
But if you look at the two registered nameservers (ns13 & ns14):
$ host ns13.domaincontrol.com. ns13.domaincontrol.com has address 216.69.185.7 ns13.domaincontrol.com has IPv6 address 2607:f208:206::7 $ host ns14.domaincontrol.com. ns14.domaincontrol.com has address 208.109.255.7 ns14.domaincontrol.com has IPv6 address 2607:f208:302::7
Both are part of the same backbone belonging to GoDaddy:
NetRange: 216.69.128.0 - 216.69.191.255 CIDR: 216.69.128.0/18 OriginAS: NetName: GO-DADDY-COM-LLC NetHandle: NET-216-69-128-0-1 Parent: NET-216-0-0-0-0 NetType: Direct Allocation RegDate: 2004-05-24 Updated: 2012-02-24 Ref: http://whois.arin.net/rest/net/NET-216-69-128-0-1
NetRange: 208.109.0.0 - 208.109.255.255 CIDR: 208.109.0.0/16 OriginAS: NetName: GO-DADDY-COM-LLC NetHandle: NET-208-109-0-0-1 Parent: NET-208-0-0-0-0 NetType: Direct Allocation RegDate: 2006-04-12 Updated: 2012-02-24 Ref: http://whois.arin.net/rest/net/NET-208-109-0-0-1
Finally, have a look at the BGP routes to access those IP ranges: They are announced via the same path (AS-26496)
BGP routing table entry for 208.109.255.0/24, version 111874851 Paths: (5 available, best #2, table Default-IP-Routing-Table) Multipath: eBGP iBGP Advertised to update-groups: 3 26496 195.69.144.26 (metric 20) from 195.26.4.255 (195.26.4.255) Origin IGP, metric 1000, localpref 100, valid, internal Community: 5577:2000 5577:2100 5577:2103 5577:5000 5577:5002 Originator: 195.26.4.133, Cluster list: 0.0.0.2 26496 195.69.144.26 (metric 20) from 195.26.4.254 (195.26.4.254) Origin IGP, metric 1000, localpref 100, valid, internal, best Community: 5577:2000 5577:2100 5577:2103 5577:5000 5577:5002 Originator: 195.26.4.133, Cluster list: 0.0.0.1 46786 26496 199.59.206.17 from 199.59.206.17 (204.26.60.249) Origin IGP, localpref 100, valid, external Community: 5577:2000 5577:2100 5577:2150 5577:2199 5577:5000 5577:5001 46786 26496 199.59.206.29 from 199.59.206.29 (204.26.60.249) Origin IGP, localpref 100, valid, external Community: 5577:2000 5577:2100 5577:2150 5577:2199 5577:5000 5577:5001 3549 26496 208.178.63.97 from 208.178.63.97 (67.17.80.136) Origin IGP, metric 100, localpref 49, valid, external Community: 3549:4698 3549:31528 5577:1000 5577:1001 5577:5000 5577:5001
As you can imagine, any issue with this BGP autonomous system would have huge impacts on the services (being multi-homed would not solve all the problems). There are plenty of nightmare stories about BGP issues. In this case, best practices are to use multiple DNS servers spread geographically (ex: one on each continent) and connected to multiple backbones totally independant. In other words: Don’t put all your eggs in the same basket! Always keep in mind that RFC’s are your best friends. Follow and implement them to increase the availability of your online services.
Outages like the one of GoDaddy are always good opportunities to remind best practices. We learn by doing mistakes!
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Is it just me, or has anybody else noticed the gender difference in the Obama administration’s move toward war in Libya?
With women in uniform fighting – and dying – in Iraq and Afghanistan, we’re long past the point where it’s extraordinary (although still argued about) to see women earning Purple Hearts and other combat decorations. They’ve been fighter pilots for years.
And there’s certainly a history of women leading their countries in wartime. Golda Meir. Indira Gandhi. Margaret Thatcher.
But as I read about the Obama administration’s evolution in support of military action against Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi, I couldn’t help but notice an important distinction in the line up of senior officials.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, and White House chief of staff William Daley all argued against a no-fly zone in Libya.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said laying the groundwork for a no-fly zone would take “upwards of a week.” That was two days ago, and already the bombs from allied jets are falling on Libyan military targets. So are cruise missiles from US Navy ships in the Mediterranean Sea.
But as Qaddafi’s army and air force kept pounding the rebels and the United Nations moved – faster than its typically glacial speed – to stop the Libyan dictator from killing more of his own people, it was senior women in the administration who pushed the process toward military intervention.
That included Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN Ambassador Susan Rice, and National Security Council senior aide Samantha Power, according a New York Times report.
“The three women were pushing for American intervention to stop a looming humanitarian catastrophe in Libya,” according to the newspaper.
In op-ed columns in the nation’s leading newspaper, this gender gap was apparent too.
In the Washington Post, retired US Army Gen. Wesley Clark, NATO's former supreme allied commander in Europe, argued against US intervention in Libya.
“To me, it seems we have no clear basis for action,” he wrote. “Whatever resources we dedicate for a no-fly zone would probably be too little, too late. We would once again be committing our military to force regime change in a Muslim land, even though we can't quite bring ourselves to say it. So let's recognize that the basic requirements for successful intervention simply don't exist, at least not yet: We don't have a clearly stated objective, legal authority, committed international support or adequate on-the-scene military capabilities, and Libya's politics hardly foreshadow a clear outcome.”
“We should have learned these lessons from our long history of intervention,” Gen. Clark concluded. “We don't need Libya to offer us a refresher course in past mistakes.”
Over in the New York Times two days later, Anne-Marie Slaughter, former State Department policy planning director under Sec. Clinton, took on Clark’s argument.
“Now we have a chance to support a real new beginning in the Muslim world – a new beginning of accountable governments that can provide services and opportunities for their citizens in ways that could dramatically decrease support for terrorist groups and violent extremism,” she wrote. “It’s hard to imagine something more in our strategic interest.”
“Any use of force must be carefully and fully debated, but that debate has now been had,” wrote Dr. Slaughter, now a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University. “It’s been raging for a week, during which almost every Arab country has come on board calling for a no-flight zone and Colonel Qaddafi continues to gain ground. It is time to act.”
One can make too much of any “gender gap” in military affairs in the Obama administration. But it’s worth noting.
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Aubrey de Grey may be wrong but, evidence suggests, he's not nuts. This is a no small assertion. De Grey argues that some people alive today will live in a robust and youthful fashion for 1,000 years.
In 2005, an authoritative publication offered $20,000 to any molecular biologist who could demonstrate that de Grey's plan for treating aging as a disease -- and curing it -- was "so wrong that it was unworthy of learned debate."
Now mere mortals -- who may wish to be significantly less mortal -- can judge whether de Grey's proposals are "science or fantasy," as the magazine put it. De Grey's much-awaited "Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime" has just been published.
The judges were formidable for that MIT Technology Review challenge prize. They included Rodney Brooks, then director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory; Nathan Myhrvold, former chief technology officer of Microsoft; and J. Craig Venter, who shares credit for first sequencing the human genome.
In the end, they decided no scientist had succeeded in blowing de Grey out of the water. "At issue is the conflict between the scientific process and the ambiguous status of ideas that have not yet been subjected to that process," Myhrvold wrote for the judges.
Well yes, that. Plus the question that has tantalized humans forever. What if the only certainty is taxes?
* * *
Dodging death has long been a dream.
Our earliest recorded legend is that of Gilgamesh, who finds and loses the secret of immortality.
The Greek goddess Eos prevails on Zeus to allow her human lover Tithonus to live eternally, forgetting, unfortunately, to ask that he also not become aged and frail. He winds up such a dried husk she turns him into a grasshopper.
In "It Ain't Necessarily So," Ira Gershwin writes:
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years
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I was invited to speak at a law school symposium in November at the University of Connecticut. I was there to speak about the connection between mental illness and mass murder. (If curious, my presentation starts at about 2:20:00 in this video stream.) It was an interesting experience, and a reminder of how much trouble the gun control movement is in, and of how dishonest their arguments really are.
Richard Aborn, formerly chairman of Handgun Control, Inc. (now the Brady Campaign), spoke at the symposium. Aborn claimed that he supported reasonable gun control laws. Aborn even argued that the U.S. Supreme Court decisions in D.C. v. Heller (2008) and McDonald v. Chicago (2010) show, by taking gun bans off the table, that reasonable gun regulation is now more possible than it was before. (See 04:07:00 – 04:09:22.) Aborn claimed that the “gun reform movement” focuses on “illegal guns… because that is what this is about."
This is about trying to keep guns away from criminals, and from those with mental health issues sufficient to indicate that they should not being possessing a weapon. This is not, this is not, about banning guns. (04:01:00 – 04:57:00)
He was very emphatic about this – the “gun reform” or “gun safety” movement (they never call it gun control anymore) is not about banning guns.
Aborn also claimed that gun owners by large majorities support gun registration, licensing, bans on high-capacity magazines, limits on the number of guns you can buy at once, mandatory background checks – you know, the whole gun control agenda (04:13:00 – 04:13:30). But Aborn said the “b-word -- the word ban” was being used by the NRA to achieve their agenda of scaring gun owners away from supporting the rest of the gun control movement.
All of this is a perfectly plausible claim – maybe the NRA and us gun nuts are paranoid. Why would we think Aborn and fellow gun control advocates are actually out to ban guns? Because less than two minutes after saying the NRA was provoking unnecessary fear about gun bans to prevent reasonable gun control, Aborn said,
One of the very tough burdens that we have on our side is to figure out how to break through this mental state that says, "Yes, you are out there seeking to ban all guns." So what does the movement want, and why does this barrier exist? ... We do think that there should be a ban on assault weapons, we do think there should be a ban on large magazines, magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds. (04:15:00 – 04:16:27)
Wow. The NRA is ginning up fear of gun bans to prevent Aborn’s agenda… and then Aborn said that gun bans are part of the agenda.
The gun control movement is in serious trouble in this country, and I think that I can see why. When one of their principal leaders argues that gun bans are not their goal, and that the NRA is using this fear to prevent gun control laws from passing – and then makes the argument for gun bans – is it any surprise that so many Americans who might otherwise be sympathetic become skeptical? I used to be one of those gun owners who assumed that the gun control movement was made up of honest, well-intentioned people who simply did not fully understand the complexity of this problem – that they were seeking a quick and easy solution to a very intractable problem.
I still think this may well be the case for many of the gun control movement’s followers. Watching Aborn’s attempt to define fear of gun bans as paranoid while arguing in favor of gun bans makes me disinclined to give the benefit of the doubt to the leaders.
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Truck Loader 2 Super charge your magnets and power up your depth perception! It's time once again to magnify, attract, and stack a series of puzzling crates ready for shipment!
Mario Truck Mario's been jumping for decades now! Did you know that Mario got his start in Japan as "Jumpman"? Now he's going to be a Driveman as he races across the Mushroom Kingdom, kicking up dust in his ...
Monster Truck Every hillbilly's dream is to turn their family truck into a huge, impossible to park monster truck. Build up the truck's body and gears, install some huge truck tires, and put on some awesome fla...
Rage Truck 2 Use all your venom, anger and hate to fuel the rage truck and tear through levels full of non stop obstacles, jumps and power ups!
Indestructotank Launch Explode your tank into the stratosphere then smack down satellites and helicopters without firing a shell. Upgrade a little bit of everything, collect some cash and destroy everything in your path.
Hulk: Central Smashdown HULK ANGRY, HULK SMASH! Smash and destroy and take back control of the city! http://www.supergames.com
Battle Paint This is the color of war! You are a smeared rainbow, an automatic upgrade surrounded on all sides by spinning, spawning enemies. Move shoot and advance. Let not these multi hued tornado's be the de...
Stick Badminton 2 The only good minton is Badminton. Master the birdy and show your opponent no love as you jump around and smash your way to victory. http://www.stickgames.com
Sinta Escape from Ixerron Keep is here! With your trusty bow and arrow in hand, make your way through dozens of fun and action packed levels from Ixerron Keep. Collect magic items, find hidden rooms, and...
Dibbles 2: Winter Woes The Dibbles have never experienced a winter snowstorm like this! Their entire village has been covered in snow and ice, and now they need to escape to the caverns to the south to wait out the bliz...
Truck Wars When monsters collide it is war! Wipe the other trucks off the map by staying at least 2 screens ahead of them and making them choke on your dust.
Super Awesome Truck The stars are falling and you must find them. Scattered throughout a series of linear levels are all the stars from all the constellations. Scattered, divided, shattered across space and time you m...
Nuclear Outrun Can you beat the bomb? Somewhere in the distance an ICBM is falling. if you're fast enough, if you're smart enough and if your spiked tires grind through enough mutant zombies. You can stop it fro...
Mario winter world Brr, winter is coming! Help Mario save his beloved Princess Peach in this freezing winter world, filled with icecold enemies.
Dump Truck 4 One way to greatly increase efficiency is to hire a fast dump truck driver. Roll through the forests and cut a path through the mine to the factory to deliver the ore to the factory as quickly as ...
Forest Truck Load up on logs and roll out! Keep your cargo balanced and your speed in check as you traverse back roads and dodge obstacles.
Cyber Sprint You are a robot programmed to run, jump, fly, slide and win! The road before you is made up as it goes along. Dodge obstacles, slide under cyber stalagmites and fly through openings as you race you...
Jelly Truck Be a jelly truck and make your way through jelly levels! Bash everything on your way!
Stranded Defense Stranded on a deserted planet after a failed planetary patrol, this mining prospector team doesn't have the manpower or the firepower to withstand wave after wave of alien animal life. But with th...
Pointless Platformer This game has absolutely no point.
Snail Bob 6 Winter Story Snail Bob has a lot of enemies, and that's a little weird for a simple snail. But if you've climbed to the top of the social ladder over the last three years like Snail Bob has, it should be no su...
The Painter In this pitch black world, the Painter is relying on the incandescent glow of his magic paint gun to point out spikes, unlock magic, multicolored doors, and carve a path through the darkness to the...
Hulk: Bad Altitude This big green piece of terror is ready for some destruction again! He's by far the strongest Avenger, and he needs to help mankind once again! What are you waiting for? HULK SMASH! http://www.su...
Destructo Dog 2 Nobody suspected the sinister intents behind the rise of the lolcats. First they won our hearts with adorable meme pictures, videos and gifs. It wasn't long before they were being cherished and new...
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How to Solve a Theological Dilemma when Scripture Doesn’t Clearly Solve It
Roger E. Olson
When I teach or speak on theology I often say “The Bible is not as clear about many things as we wish it were.”
1. One of the major differences between “fundamentalists” and others (e.g., “moderates”) is the belief that Scripture alone does settle every important theological issue. To fundamentalists, there can only be one right “biblical” belief about every given important issue of Christian life and thought. The Bible is viewed as a comprehensive source book of revealed doctrines (and ethical rules). Thus, when two Christians disagree about the Bible’s meaning as it pertains to a doctrinal or theological issue, the fundamentalist believes one of them (or both) must necessarily be misinterpreting and even perhaps dishonoring the Bible. The non-fundamentalist, on the other hand, will often say the Bible is not perfectly clear about some important issues and therefore we need to use other sources and norms if the issue must be settled at all. (“Settled” here does not necessarily mean “imposed” on anyone, but it might mean a pastor, for example, needs to decide what he or she believes in order to communicate that to a congregation or inquiring parishioner.)
2. The problem with the fundamentalist approach is that equally God-fearing, Jesus-loving, Bible-believing Christians have disagreed for centuries (sometimes all the way back to the earliest Christians) about the Bible’s meaning on some important issues. Also, on some important issues fundamentalists themselves disagree among themselves about the Bible’s meaning. (Of course, in that case, they will usually divide and cast aspersions at the other fundamentalists as not truly fundamentalists but something else.)
3. Another problem with the fundamentalist approach is that it ignores or overlooks the fact that on some important issues the Bible seems to speak with more than one “voice.” On some such issues most Christians have simply agreed to disagree and “move on.” Does the Bible have to always speak with one “voice?” Is it possible that the Bible is not perfectly clear in some cases? Could it be that we want and even need answers the Bible doesn’t clearly give us?
4. When an issue is a pressing one, moderate, non-fundamentalist Christians often take an approach to solving the dilemma the Bible does not solve by turning to tradition. But, of course, whose tradition? then becomes the question. And, as all Protestants admit, even the “Great Tradition” can be wrong. Tradition gets a vote, but never a veto. Luther himself approached the issue of justification this way. He appealed to “reason” and “conscience” over against tradition to interpret the Bible.
5. Assuming the issue is not settled by tradition (or the person needing to settle it for himself or herself does not agree with tradition)—what then? Reason is the third criterion. By “reason” I mean logical consistency between doctrines and consistency of doctrines with the “material facts” of the world. Begin by asking “What bearing does what I believe the Bible is clear about and/or tradition says have on this dilemma?” In other words, turn to more basic beliefs and draw a line of reason from them to what must be the right answer in the dilemma under consideration. For example: If you are unsure whether a truly saved person can ever fall away from salvation and be eternally lost, and you don’t think Scripture settles the question, ask whether you are a Calvinist. If you are a Calvinist, that settles the question. It is logically impossible to be a true Calvinist and believe in real apostasy (falling away entirely and forever from God’s saving grace). That is because if you are saved it is because you are one of God’s elect and if you are elect God has drawn you to himself irresistibly… If you are not a Calvinist and you find that Scripture does not settle the issue, ask yourself what other beliefs can guide you to the right answer. You might be guided there by belief in God’s keeping power based on his character and omnipotence. But, then, you might ask yourself about free will. Why would a saved person no longer have free will to reject grace?
6. If reason does not solve the issue (e.g., by appeal to more basic beliefs and logic), turn to experience. “Experience” here does not necessarily mean your own private, subjective experience. As Luther said, that can be a “wax nose that any knave [villain] can twist to suit his own countenance.” So what “experience,” then? Perhaps the collective experience of the people of God in your community of faith. But, in the end, sometimes you do have to appeal to your own personal experience when Scripture, tradition and reason do not settle the issue. Some Christians, for example, are convinced that the issue of possible apostasy versus eternal security is not settled by Scripture, tradition or reason. But they believe they know of people who were once really saved and then fell totally away. Or, on the contrary, a person might “feel” such a strong keeping power of God in their own life in spite of temptation and even “backsliding” that they are convinced God never allows a saved person totally to fall away.
7. Sometimes Scripture is so unclear about an issue that needs to be decided (for an individual or a group) that the only way to settle on one belief about the issue is to decide which of two or more beliefs permitted by Scripture, tradition, reason and experience has the fewest problems and/or the problem(s) you can live with better than the others. For example, both Calvinism and Arminianism can be supported from Scripture, tradition, reason and experience. Debates over “predestination” and “free will” have gone on for centuries and always end in an impasse between equally God-fearing, Bible-believing Christians. So how to decide? For many people the only way to decide is to embrace the view that has the least problems and ones that they can live with.
8. Back to fundamentalism versus non-fundamentalism: A fundamentalist will reject this entire method of solving theological and doctrinal dilemmas because it admits ambiguity in the Bible about even some important theological and doctrinal issues which is impossible from a fundamentalist point of view. Many non-fundamentalists will also reject this method for a very different reason: they are so comfortable with ambiguity (and perhaps afraid of fundamentalism) that they don’t feel any need to settle doctrinal and theological issues about which the Bible is not crystal clear. Both approaches have problems, however. The fundamentalist approach leads to numerous schisms and divisions to say nothing of imposing personal opinions on the Bible and making all doctrinal and theological issues equally important. The opposite approach leads to warm, fuzzy spirituality devoid of cognitive content and leaves inquiring minds without satisfying answers.
(Illustrating anecdote: Some years ago I attended a meeting of theologians where the main topic of discussion was Calvinism, Arminianism, and Open Theism. There were advocates of the three views present. Two well-known Calvinist theologians fell into disagreement over whether the Bible settles the Calvinism versus Arminianism issue: Do humans have free will, even when enabled by prevenient grace, to resist grace intended by God for their salvation? A leading British Calvinist philosopher-theologian argued it does not, much to the chagrin of his American counterpart. The British theologian argued that because the Bible is not as clear about this as we wish it were, we must turn to systematic theology and base Calvinism on justification by grace alone through faith alone. The American Calvinist emphatically stated that such a crucial doctrine as effectual grace must be found clearly taught in Scripture and it is.)
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MOUNT ELBRUS, Russia -- Littleton police officer and National Guardsman Steven Beare went missing two days ago in a snowstorm somewhere on Mount Elbrus in Russia according to his wife, Olivia Beare.
"Search and rescue was called on (Sunday) after Steven failed to return to the base camp," Olivia Beare said. "Unfortunately, the weather has kept SAR from continuing their search and they are on hold."
In addition, Olivia Beare has hired a private group for search and rescue, including two helicopters.
Olivia Beare said her husband's plan was to solo climb Mount Elbrus starting on June 14, summit on June 15 and return to base camp on June 16.
Heavy snow hit the mountain during that time frame and Steven Beare did not report back.
"Steven is a steadfast, resourceful, and efficient mountain climber," Olivia Beare said.
The Littleton Police Department issued a statement on Wednesday:
"We are keeping Officer Beare and his family in our thoughts and prayers. Steven is a highly-respected officer for the LPD and all of us are hopeful he will be located quickly. Through this difficult time, the employees of the department are supporting his wife, Olivia, and their family."
“When circumstances appear hopeless, you fight through and win, no matter what,” Chief Doug Stephens said in the statement. “That’s what cops do and I am confident that Steven is doing that now.”
Steven Beare posted a photo from the plane on his way to Mount Elbrus.
Mountain guide Rolfe Oostra with 360 Expeditions was on Mount Elbrus on June 14 when the snowstorm hit. His team did not summit.
Mount Elbrus is at 18,510 feet and is the highest mountain in Russia and Europe. It's in the Caucasus Mountains in southern Russia.
The Beare family is accepting donations to assist with the rescue.
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In the first of instalment of the 3 Step Guide to Soloing Over Rhythm Changes we looked at how to play over rhythm changes by using two different approaches to playing over the progression.
Missed the first lesson and want to catch up? You can view the full article here
In today’s follow up lesson I will be showing you a variety of common ways used to outline the changes of the A section.
You can also use this free backing track to practice the examples from this lesson over
Using Roots To Outline The Harmony
The first example that we are going to be looking at using to outline the changes is roots. It can sometimes be a ‘jazz myth’ that roots don’t sound hip, which is of course not true at all. Any note can sound effective when played with the right feel and rhythm.
In this example the dominant chords are being treated as dominant 7b9 or diminished chord to create a chromatic root movement.
This concept is explored more further on in this lesson.
The next example shows how you can add some rhythm to spice up these movements and get the sound of the changes into your ears. Try to add other interesting rhythms to these notes and experiment to see what kind of ideas that you can come up with.
Root based lines sound particularly effective over the rhythm changes when combined with triads. The next example shows a Joe Pass lick that combines diatonic and diminished triads to create effective voice leading.
The next line uses the same kind of idea but with some of the rhythmic ideas discussed earlier.
These kind of exercises and lines are essential in training your ear to the sound of the harmony for the A sections of the rhythm changes.
Using The Diminished Scale Over Dominant 7th Chords
As seen in the previous example, diminished triads can be used as substitutions for dominant 7th chords usually on beats 3 and 4 in bars 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8.
Of course we can take that further by using full diminished scales and arpeggios in place of the triads.
By using diminished scales and arpeggios instead or as well of diatonic dominant 7th sounds you gain the crunchy b9 sound which can be used to make smooth transitions throughout the A section.
Notice how this is particularly effective in the following example when changing from the Bbmaj7 to the G7b9 by dropping down a semi-tone from ‘A’ on the second 8th note of beat 2.
The same type of voice leading has being used in a very similar way in the next bar to smoothly connect the C-7 and the F7.
You can take this idea another step further by using 3-9 arpeggios instead of the diatonic arpeggios like in the first example.
Again notice the use of the diminished arpeggio for each of the dominant chords and the smoothness it adds to the line.
The next lick works well over bars 3-4 of a rhythm changes, but it will also work great over the first two bars.
To finish I thought I’d share a cool RC pattern lick – example 7 that shows the dominant 7th being outlined by using more conventional dominant 7th type sounds to contrast the diminished arpeggios in the earlier examples.
Other Recommended RC Practice Ideas
Consistent 8 th Notes — most exercises in these articles have been rhythmically straight eight notes and while you may not play like this at a gig, it’s extremely useful to have this flow in your lines, so that they can be as long or as short as you hear them
Notes — most exercises in these articles have been rhythmically straight eight notes and while you may not play like this at a gig, it’s extremely useful to have this flow in your lines, so that they can be as long or as short as you hear them Rhythm Changes Heads — Most bop themes are pieced together solo’s so they all contain great lines that you can use in your playing.
Chords — Although we have discussed a variety of single line devices, busy progressions like the rhythm changes make great potential for chord solos, and we must practice playing the chords to get the sound of the progression in our ears.
Write Down Your Own Licks — Playing through etudes, transcriptions and studies is great but try and write down some of your lines. Not only is this great for analyzing what’s happening harmonically, being able to creating your own lines will ensure you have learnt why the lines you have learnt from others work so well.
I hope this article has brought some light on ways that you can tackle this tricky progression. Practice nailing these changes for next week, because I will be showing you how you can apply some cool sounding scales and patterns to the A section as well looking at some ways to play over the B section.
Do you have a favorite way to practice the rhythm changes? Share your thoughts in the comment section below
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Another male California Democrat is allegedly a disgusting sexual predator, according to a letter recently sent to the Secretary of the California Democratic Party by a number of top leaders.
Craig Cheslog, who is the Region 2 Director and an elected school board member, reportedly raped a party member at a November 2016 CDP Executive Board meeting. The woman didn’t report the rape at the time, but after she witnessed Cheslog behaving “in a sexually aggressive manner” in public during this fall’s Executive Board meeting came forward to other party leaders, who are now calling for his resignation.
This letter was sent November 29 to CDP Secretary Jenny Bach and recently leaked to various political bloggers in the Golden State.
The scan of the letter isn’t easy to read; here’s the meat of the allegations (emphasis added):
We have received multiple reports that Mr. Cheslog acted in an inappropriate and sexually aggressive manner towards one of our members in the public areas of the Westin San Francisco Airport hotel. These inappropriate actions occurred late Saturday night, November 18, 2017, at the Winter 2017 CDP Executive Board Meeting. The level to which this activity advanced made a number of those in attendance uncomfortable and created an unwelcoming and unsuitable environment. Further, witnessing this activity triggered a reaction in one of our members who subsequently reported to our Chair that Mr. Cheslog had raped her at a CDP Executive Board meeting the previous year (November 2016). While no legal adjudication has been reached in this matter, these appalling allegations paired with the inappropriate behavior observed and reported this past weekend lead us to conclude that Mr. Cheslog should no longer serve as an officer of the California Democratic Party.
But it’s okay for him to remain as a member of your party?
A few observations.
First, these members of the CDP did the right thing in submitting this letter almost immediately after the meeting. But, in this environment, if they hadn’t – especially since the Matt Dababneh case was happening simultaneously with less grievous particulars – they would have been raked over the coals, and rightfully so. When you’re the party more or less in charge of a state where over 140 women who work in politics have signed a letter condemning the blatant sexism and culture of harassment in the Capitol, you ignore this type of behavior at your own risk.
Second, what the hell, Mr. Cheslog? Are you a special kind of stupid? Do you think you’re that untouchable that you can act that way in November 2017 and get away with it? As you might have seen, you cannot hug female co-workers. (I won’t write “anymore” because, really – and call me a Vulcan – there’s never a place for hugging in the workplace anyway.)
Next, have the signatories asked for a law enforcement investigation into the reported rape that occurred at their leadership meeting in 2016? That may be information they are privy to but, in respecting the privacy of the woman reporting the assault, are withholding, and that’s absolutely acceptable. But if they have knowledge of a serious crime, there’s no excuse for not reporting it to law enforcement.
In addition to his elected position with the Acalanes Union High School District Board of Trustees, Cheslog had been employed by Common Sense Media. His employer apparently was informed of the allegations on the same day the CDP was, and the company terminated him after an investigation into his behavior.
On Wednesday November 29, we received information about highly inappropriate behavior by Craig Cheslog, who was an employee of Common Sense at the time. The conduct represented a serious violation of both company policy and the way in which our employees are expected to conduct themselves in the community at large. We immediately suspended Mr. Cheslog and conducted an investigation. As a result of the investigation, Mr. Cheslog’s employment with Common Sense was terminated. Thank you,
Corbie Kiernan
It gets worse. Cheslog has been a board member for the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Northern California since 2009. His concern for women’s “choice” apparently doesn’t extend to granting them the ability to choose their own sexual partners.
The Women’s Caucus of the California Democratic Party issued a statement, posted to their Facebook page using the hashtags #CADemWomen and #WeSaidEnough (but without Craig Cheslog’s name):
CA Democratic Party Women's Caucus Executive Board statement on sexual harassment allegations against party leaders: #cademwomen #wesaidenough Posted by Women's Caucus of the California Democratic Party on Tuesday, December 12, 2017
It reads:
Statement by the Executive Board of the California Democratic Party Women’s Caucus regarding recent sexual harassment allegations against party leaders: The California Democratic Party Women’s Caucus believes that each and all of us – especially elected party leaders – must create a culture of dignity and respect and use our powers to fight harassment, discrimination, bullying, and abuse. We support victims coming forward with a path to justice, due process, and transparency so that our party can do the hard work of building a culture of respect and equity for all.
A school board trustee, working with a company whose mission is to protect children from the harmful influences of media, who views women so poorly that he believes he can steal their virtue on a whim. Irony is too light a word to describe this, and unfortunately he’s probably not the only one.
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The Cubs held Votto to a first-inning single on Wednesday night, ending his streak of reaching base at least twice in a game at 20, one short of the record Williams set in 1948. But at age 33, with his status as one of the best (and smartest) hitters of his generation secure, time remains on Votto's side.
CHICAGO -- Rest easy, Ted Williams. Joey Votto didn't catch you. Not this time, anyway.
The Cubs held Votto to a first-inning single on Wednesday night, ending his streak of reaching base at least twice in a game at 20, one short of the record Williams set in 1948. But at age 33, with his status as one of the best (and smartest) hitters of his generation secure, time remains on Votto's side.
View Full Game Coverage
Votto isn't going anywhere any time soon, and if anything, the Reds' ongoing rebuild has re-energized him and his career.
"He has really embraced this particular bunch of players,'' Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said. "I think he's taken the responsibility for setting a good example and being one of the guys. This guy is our superstar. There's nobody who is even remotely close to being a superstar on this team other than Joey. We don't have anybody who holds a candle to him, and he's embraced just being one of the guys.''
There was a business-as-usual feeling in the Reds' clubhouse before the game against the Cubs, just the way Votto likes it.
"If he's chasing things, chasing records or accomplishments, he's keeping it a good secret,'' Price said in his pregame media briefing.
With late-afternoon rain in the area, there was no batting practice on the field Wednesday. But Votto was ready to go.
Votto looped the first pitch he saw from John Lackey over second baseman Ben Zobrist's head for a single. He hit the ball hard his next two plate appearances too, with a long fly that pushed Jason Heyward back near the wall in right field and a line drive (94-mph exit velocity) that Lackey somehow speared. Votto grounded out to Anthony Rizzo off lefty reliever Brian Duensing before being left on deck when Wade Davis worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
During his streak, Votto posted a .435/.611/.742 slash line. He walked 26 times and only struck out 14, reaching base 55 times.
Video: Must C Curious: Votto beats four-man outfield shift
Coming off an injury-dimensioned 2014 season at a time when the contract extension he signed early that year could have weighed on him, Votto said his own expectations were higher than any placed on him by fans or his team.
In the spring of 2015, Votto said he was driven to outproduce the best hitters in the game, specifically mentioning Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout and Paul Goldschmidt.
Since then, Votto has been fourth in Major League Baseball in offensive WAR (17.4), behind only Trout (24.2), Jose Altuve (18.6) and Josh Donaldson (17.7). He's on pace for 7.6 WAR this season, which would match his career best, at the levels that allowed him to win the National League MVP Award in 2010.
Votto has been unusually consistent this season, with an OPS of at least .878 in every month.
"I think the thing he chases is that type of consistency,'' Price said. "I think his work ethic, his pregame routine and what he does to take care of his body [is designed to maintain consistency]. … The pregame is so relentless on a daily basis. He's chasing the consistency. I think that's what led to it. Also the openness toward learning and continuing to grow as a baseball player.''
Video: SD@CIN: Votto cranks his 30th homer of the season
Votto is constantly adjusting. He has said that left-handed hitters are being pitched inside more often this season because umpires are calling that corner more often than they did in previous seasons.
Data backs up that conclusion, although the margins are thin. Those are the margins that the best hitters -- the ones like Votto -- use to their advantage.
Over the past two seasons, it has been commonplace to see Votto and the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo choke up on the bat, especially with two strikes. But it was at Wrigley Field in early 2015 when Reds broadcaster Jeff Brantley first made a point about how Votto had started to work his hands up the handle for better bat control.
"It's almost that Barry Bonds effect, if you will,'' Brantley said after Votto pulled a 1-2 curveball from Hector Rondon off the right-field wall for a 10th-inning double. "I saw Bonds choke up so may times, but when you barrel up a ball with the quickness …''
Bonds would often set his hands a few inches higher than the knob of the bat, but he never choked up the way that Votto has at times.
"There are times you look at it and think [his hands] might be at the midpoint of the bat,'' Price said. "They're not, but at times it looks like it. Then he'll drive a ball out to left-center field. It could exceed anything Barry Bonds ever did and still he's got great bat control and power, not necessarily decreasing the power portion of his game.''
Votto offered a rare glimpse into his thinking after that double off Rondon.
"It's been an evolving process,'' he said. "I have to put the ball in play. I'm not great at it; I'm OK at it. But I feel an obligation to put the ball in play. Whether that happens early in the count or late in the count, so be it. But with two strikes, it's something I certainly focus on.''
Cubs manager Joe Maddon is among Votto's many fans.
"If you want to have somebody break a shift or not be a shift candidate, then teach him to hit like [Votto] does,'' Maddon said. "Rizzo does a nice job, too. There're not as many guys who -- I call it a 'B' hack -- they'll go up there and make adjustments during the course of the at-bat. Some guys have one swing, one plane, one size fits all. Other guys have this ability to manipulate the head of the bat with their hands, and that's what [Votto] does. Swinging versus hitting the baseball. I think too many guys swing at a baseball, not enough try to hit a baseball. Semantics, but I think there's a truth in that.''
Going 1-for-4 in a 7-6 loss to the Cubs, Votto's on-base percentage dropped from .448 to .447. He's trying to lead the NL in on-base average for the sixth time in eight years. Votto's .427 career on-base percentage is 12th all-time, sandwiched between Tris Speaker, who last played in 1928, and Eddie Collins, who retired after 1930.
Watching Votto is like watching baseball's past and future. Either way, it's guaranteed to be a treat.
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The 19 Best Movies That You Didn't See in 2007 - The Very First Year
No one really has enough time (or money) to see every movie released every year, but shamefully too many great films are left in the dust. Sure, maybe you'll see a couple of those indies that are making the rounds on the year-end top ten lists, but even those critics missed a few good ones. This is about those movies that were phenomenal yet hardly anyone saw, so now we're giving them one final moment in the spotlight. I want to encourage you to maybe stop and ponder the next time you come across one of these and wonder why you didn't catch one in theaters - because they were worth that ticket price, guaranteed. If anything, you'll at least discover something new and something great from this list.
If you spent the two hours or so that it would take to watch even one of these movies mentioned below, it would mean that much more to the filmmaker. This isn't about getting kudos for mentioning certain films, this is about pointing out movies that don't deserve to be forgotten and are begging to be watched.
Across the Universe
Opened September 14th, 2007
Directed by Julie Taymor
A dock worker Jude travels to America in the 1960s to find his estranged father. There he falls in love with sheltered American teenager Lucy. When her brother Max is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, they become involved in peace activism.
Why it's Great: This Beatles-infused musical features over 30 Beatles songs modernized and sung beautifully right into the story by an immensely talented cast. It wasn't the greatest film - it got hacked to pieces in editing - but the songs and a great love story combined with some profoundly unique visuals make it one of the most memorable films this year that shouldn't have been missed.
Air Guitar Nation
Opened March 23rd, 2007
Directed by Alexandra Lipsitz
Air Guitar Nation chronicles the birth of the US Air Guitar Championships and the personal journeys of those talented contestants who are vying to become the first World Air Guitar Champion from the United States.
Why it's Great: We've all had that moment - dancing around our house in our undies rocking out to some old school rock and roll. It is those moments of glory that spawned the worldwide sport of Air Guitar, the subject of Alexandra Lipsitz' fast paced, energetic and deeply respectful documentary. Showing off the silliness and the seriousness of the sport, this documentary left audiences both in stitches and filled with great respect for these wannabe rockers.
Angel-A
Opened May 25th, 2007
Directed by Luc Besson
A beautiful woman helps an inept scam artist get his game together.
Why it's Great: Despite being in black & white (which this actually uses to its advantage), it's a fantastic morality tale about a down-on-his-luck guy who thinks he meets his lucky ticket but eventually discovers she is helping him get on the right track. It's not overflowing with visuals, besides the gorgeous streets of Paris, instead it focuses on the story and morals at hand. I came out of this a much better person and realized that it's yet another wonderfully cinematic film from Fifth Element director Luc Besson that sadly not enough people have discovered.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Opened September 21st, 2007
Directed by Andrew Dominik
Robert Ford, who's idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.
Why it's Great: One of the most gorgeous looking films of the entire year, The Assassination of Jesse James is an absolute masterpiece with critically acclaimed cinematography and some of the best performances in any movie. Despite it's epic length and mediocre reviews, you'll find yourself drawn into the detailed world of the old west and won't be ready to let go of the story until that final moment. Even if you're not a fan of westerns, this is still a phenomenal film that shouldn't be passed by without a second glance.
Death at a Funeral
Opened August 17th, 2007
Directed by Frank Oz
Chaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family.
Why it's Great: The funniest farce and best British humor you'll see in a movie in years. Death at a Funeral takes us back to Frank Oz' comedic roots with a great film that builds momentum as time goes on and turns a typically morbid event into the most hilarious mishap ever. Fans of "Firefly" star Alan Tudyk won't be able to stop laughing once he's on the drugs - and it never lets up, it only gets better and better as the story goes on.
Delirious
Opened August 15th, 2007
Directed by Tom DiCillo
An offbeat drama focused on a homeless youth, a pop music siren and a member of the paparazzi.
Why it's Great: A little indie comedy that has so much warmth found amidst some solid comedy. The more I watched this the more I started to appreciate both Michael Pitt and Steve Buscemi's performances and their story within. The final scene with Buscemi on the red carpet is still one of my favorites. This is such a happy-go-lucky comedic gem that many people will appreciate and enjoy, but it never got traction enough to make it to the mainstream.
Everything's Gone Green
Opened April 13th, 2007
Directed by Paul Fox
Ryan, a good-natured slacker, is tempted into a money laundering scheme while working for a lottery magazine. A capitalistic comedy that asks the question - when is "enough" enough?
Why it's Great: A Canadian indie comedy about everything from money to marijuana. It's not about how over-the-top it can get nor is it a stoner comedy, it's an incredibly smart drama with some great comedic moments all lead by one of the finest up-and-coming actors of this generation - Paulo Costanzo. This is such a "chill" and down-to-earth film that I've suggested it to more of my friends than almost anything else.
Fido
Opened July 6th, 2007
Directed by Andrew Currie
Timmy Robinson's best friend in the whole wide world is a six-foot tall rotting zombie named Fido. But when Fido eats the next-door neighbor, Mom and Dad hit the roof, and Timmy has to go to the ends of the earth to keep Fido a part of the family.
Why it's Great: This is as hilarious and as awesome of a take on the zombie genre as Shaun of the Dead. Once you actually see it you'll know why it deserves a spot in your collection next to Shaun of the Dead. It's smart, it's funny, it's got a great cast, and to top it off, director Andrew Currie pays such close attention to detail that every scene looks lush and vivid. I don't know anyone who saw it who didn't end up loving it.
The Go-Getter
Opened Never
Directed by Martin Hynes
When his mother dies, a teenager takes a road-trip in a stolen car to find his long-lost brother. Along the way he discovers a profound connection with the car-owner and with himself as well.
Why it's Great: Although this was never actually picked up by a distributor after its debut at Sundance in January, I still haven't forgotten it. The best road trip movie I think I've ever seen with a great soundtrack and an unforgettable, and often funny, plot. This should've been in theaters this year and it's likely that if it would've made it out it probably would have become a cult hit by now.
Gone Baby Gone
Opened October 19th, 2007
Directed by Ben Affleck
Based on the Dennis Lehane novel about two Boston area detectives investigating a little girl's kidnapping, which ultimately turns into a crisis both professionally and personally.
Why it's Great: It had a poor run at the box office and yet was one of, if not the, best movie of the year. Not only are Casey Affleck and Ed Harris awards-worthy, but the plot has so many perfectly executed emotional twists and turns that I was very moved at the end. Don't be fooled, Ben Affleck is an immensely talented director who has succeeded brilliantly with his first feature film.
Grindhouse
Opened April 6th, 2007
Directed by Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino
Two full length feature horror movies written by Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez put together as a two film feature. Including fake movie trailers in between both movies.
Why it's Great: I'm not sure how so many people missed this set of two of the best movies the year. Planet Terror is quite grotesque yet a finely crafted small-town zombie fiasco directed by Sin City's Robert Rodriguez. Death Proof contains not only Kurt Russell's greatest performance, but the best car chase ever filmed, hands down. Forget the length, watch each individually and you'll still find they're equally awesome. The best experience I've had at the movies my entire life.
The Host
Opened March 9th, 2007
Directed by Bong Joon-ho
A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and focuses its attention on attacking people.
Why it's Great: Subtitled or not, The Host is one of the most gripping films of the entire year. Forget about Cloverfield, this is what a monster movie should be - a huge slimy sea monster created by American ignorance that terrorizes Seoul. It's at times ridiculous, at others intensely scary but always entertaining. There is no other movie that redefined its genre the way The Host gave a makeover to the monster movie in '07.
Interview
Opened July 13th, 2007
Directed by Steve Buscemi
After falling out with his editor, a fading political journalist is forced to interview America's most popular soap actress.
Why it's Great: If you truly appreciate independent film, then there's no way you won't find something incredible in Interview. It's a two-person back-and-forth interview piece without a moment of boredom. I never would have thought I would enjoy Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller talking for nearly two hours, but I'll be damned if they didn't pull it off and still had me amazed at the ending. Be brave and take a risk with Interview, the pay off will be sweet.
King of California
Opened September 14th, 2007
Directed by Mike Cahill
An unstable dad who after getting out of a mental institution tries to convince his daughter that there's Spanish gold buried somewhere under suburbia.
Why it's Great: Another indie gem that I don't understand how so many people overlooked. Michael Douglas is great as a crazed institutional lunatic who's searching for Spanish gold underneath a CostCo in California. This is such a fun movie on top of being very well-made and I can't suggest it enough. It's not the best comedy nor is it the best drama, but it is a very fun flick and one of the better movies that was missed this year.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Opened August 17th, 2007
Directed by Seth Gordon
Diehard video game fans compete to break World Records on classic arcade games.
Why it's Great: Probably the greatest underdog story ever told on film, The King of Kong was loved by both critics and all who saw it play in limited release. It's the story of two gamers, both determined to hold the world record in the classic arcade game Donkey Kong. Edited to perfection, this one plays out to be just as epic a battle as Jedi v. Empire. If you've ever played a video game or loved a geek, you will be easily captivated by this enchanting documentary.
The Lookout
Opened March 30th, 2007
Directed by Scott Frank
Chris is a once promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank, where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist.
Why it's Great: The opening scene alone with the fireflies is enough to suggest this, but it's much more than that. In fact, The Lookout is even much more than a small-town heist movie, as they thrown in Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who has trouble remembering things, into the mix. Too many people missed a great indie thriller from early in the year that I'm sure a lot will find fulfilling and thoroughly enjoyable.
The Nines
Opened August 31st, 2007
Directed by John August
A troubled actor, a television show runner, and an acclaimed videogame designer find their lives intertwining in mysterious and unsettling ways.
Why it's Great: Although it's hard to suggest this as I wasn't too fond of it, I can't help but include it because of how unique it is. Ryan Reynolds is outstanding as three different people in three almost unrelated plots. If you end up catching this, I'm certain you'll find yourself drawn in to figuring out exactly what's going on as well as searching for all of John August's cartefully placed nuances. By the end you'll be a changed person for experiencing The Nines.
Sunshine
Opened July 20th, 2007
Directed by Danny Boyle
A team of astronauts are sent to re-ignite the dying sun 50 years into the future.
Why it's Great: One of the most incredibly envisioned sci-fi movies of this entire decade, Sunshine is a fascinating adventure through the cold and lonely depths of space. What Danny Boyle did for the zombie genre with 28 Days Later he has done again for sci-fi with Sunshine. The production design and visual effects look and feel incredible, and the performance of the small cast and hugely thrilling plot all deliver.
Talk to Me
Opened July 13th, 2007
Directed by Kasi Lemmons
The story of Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the 1960s.
Why it's Great: Talk to Me is as powerful and profound of a biopic as Ray or The Pursuit of Happyness. Don Cheadle absolutely deserves an Oscar for his portrayal of Petey Greene and not only makes it emotional but also injects the perfect amount of humor in the right spots. Talk to Me is both charming and inspiring and does not deserve to be so easily passed by. It's musically inclined and wonderfully filmed and tells a powerful story in our country's history. I can't say enough good things about it and yet how depressing it is to see such a phenomenal movie be forgotten so easily.
I hope I've been able to introduce everyone to a few more great must-see movies that they've never seen. Not everyone will love all of them, but I guarantee there is something unique to discover in every last one. Support an indie filmmaker today and watch one of these 19.
Guest writing on Air Guitar Nation, The Host, and The King of Kong provided graciously by Neil Miller of Film School Rejects. Photo at the top compliments of msnmark on Flickr.
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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has made it pretty clear he wants to die on Mars (just not on impact!). He believes we should be a multi-planetary species, and SpaceX has been marching toward that goal since its founding in 2002. Every new rocket engine, every launch, every trip to the International Space Station is not just a business transaction but also an opportunity to upgrade SpaceX's engineering savvy and expand its portfolio of launch capabilities. Because before Elon can retire overlooking Olympus Mons, the company is going to need to get a lot of people and payload into space. That's why, before the year is out, they hope to launch what will be the most powerful rocket on the planet: the Falcon Heavy. It will be a challenge unlike any yet faced in the era of private spaceflight. Can the team at SpaceX pull it off?
To get larger things into orbit requires larger launch vehicles—there's a reason the Saturn V used for the Apollo lunar missions was, and remains, the most powerful rocket ever launched. Getting humans to Mars will require even more power, but building a larger vehicle today wouldn't make economic sense—there wouldn't be enough customers to justify the development and cost. (Consider that Sputnik, the first human-made satellite, was the size of a beach ball, whereas modern satellites used for communication are often the size of a school bus.) The other option is to augment an existing design with additional boost—like adding more locomotive cars to a train to pull more freight. This is what SpaceX is doing, with one wrinkle: Rockets are usually disposable, one-mission-only devices. SpaceX has been perfecting reusable rockets. You don't throw away a locomotive at the end of the trip.
A modern launch vehicle involves two stages: a first stage, the majority of what you see standing on the launchpad, responsible for pushing most of the way into orbit; and a second stage to finish the job. By jettisoning the extra mass of the first stage when it's done burning its fuel, a smaller, more efficient engine can get just the upper stage and payload into orbit. It's like a delivery service that uses airplanes, barges, and semi-trucks to move packages most of the way around the world, then does the last leg to your house with a van.
So how much rocket is the first stage of the world's most powerful launch vehicle? The Falcon Heavy combines three first stages from the Falcon 9, SpaceX's current launcher, whose moniker refers to its power source: nine of SpaceX's proprietary Merlin engines (its predecessor, the Falcon 1—a pioneer in private space launches—had only one). So the Falcon Heavy will have a total of 27 Merlin engines, each producing 190,000 lb-ft of thrust at sea level. (Generally, the thrust of a rocket engine increases with altitude as atmospheric density decreases.) That's enough to put 119,000 pounds into orbit, which SpaceX notes is "a mass equivalent to a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage, and fuel." To get the most payload into orbit, the Heavy could let its engines burn as long as possible—but that would leave no fuel to change trajectory, which is required for SpaceX to press its big advantage: recovery.
The Falcon 9's cycle—launch, then return of the first stage to terra firma or to a drone ship in the ocean—is becoming routine. Musk has already indicated he's planning to return all three components of the Falcon Heavy's first stage to Earth. The Falcon Heavy will use a common procedure for the three-part stage: The side boosters, clones of its center booster (essentially, each the first stage of a Falcon 9), burn out prior to the center and are jettisoned. The likely plan is to land the two outer boosters on solid ground, as their shorter burn times mean they will not have traveled as far, while the center booster will use a drone-ship landing, which has the flexibility to be placed wherever in the ocean is convenient, based on the rocket's trajectory. The more stages SpaceX can successfully recover, the cheaper launches will be for its customers.
If SpaceX's schedule holds, the first launch will happen before the holiday season. (In fact, Musk just tweeted that he plans for the maiden launch in November.) It carries a fair amount of risk in many phases of the mission, from the challenge of integrating three Falcon 9s to the recovery of three boosters—two by land, one by sea—in rapid succession. SpaceX's commitment to making Mars accessible means it will have to demonstrate that this scaled-up Falcon Heavy works and is reusable. Besides satellite launches, it is a key element to its planned Red Dragon capsule mission to Mars: an intermediate unmanned step toward sending people to the Red Planet. A demonstration of the Red Dragon is currently scheduled to launch in 2020 and land in 2021. While it may not be successful on the first try, Musk and company have shown patience and a willingness to learn from mistakes to get things right. Ultimately, they'll make the extraordinary become routine.
Bobak Ferdowsi is a systems engineer who helped land the Curiosity rover and is designing a satellite to observe Earth processes such as ice-sheet collapse. The opinions in this column are his own and not endorsed by his employer, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he is sometimes known as Mohawk Guy.
This appears in the September 2017 issue.
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Last night, I attended a showing of “13 Hours,” Michael Bay’s movie about the Benghazi attacks. The movie will be out next week. I believe our readers will find it very much worth seeing.
Let’s start by discussing “13 Hours” qua movie and then move on to the politics of it.
“13 Hours” succeeds as cinema despite (or maybe for me because) it doesn’t follow the usual Hollywood formula. There is no romance, though one very attractive female appears in a minor role. There is no tension among the main characters — the special contractors who provided security at the CIA annex. (There is plenty of tension with the CIA station chief, but it is one dimensional). There is little emphasis on character development.
Instead, the movie is essentially a combat film. A big chunk of it consists of fighting in one form or another.
It is also an attempt to tell a true story — that of the Benghazi attacks and the valiant and successful efforts by the contractors to save the lives of Americans under attack. Bay relied on the accounts of several of the contractors as presented in their book. These contractors also worked as consultants and the film. As such, from what I understand, they insisted on a faithful recreation of the core events, as they saw them.
The combat sequences are as riveting as they are horrifying. Bay has done a phenomenal job of presenting the surreal killing field from which the CIA annex was attacked. Offhand, I can’t think of anything I’ve seen in cinema quite like it, though Sergio Leone comes to mind.
But what really makes “13 Hours” frightening is its portrayal of a city in which the protagonists have no way to tell who the enemy is. As one critic says:
Friend, foe and non-interested spectator are indistinguishable on crowded streets. Ambush always seems likely. The feeling of dread permeates Bay’s depiction of Benghazi and sets up the foreboding feeling that the CIA mission there is hopelessly in over its head.
The last sentence of this quotation brings us to the politics of the movie. Variety says that “’13 Hours'” is light on politics but sure to stir political controversy.” I agree, though I would substitute “subtle” for “light.”
This is Hugh Hewitt’s take:
The movie mentions neither the president nor the then secretary of state by name, and no expressed argument is made as to what the two did or didn’t do to assist their embattled ambassador, his staff, and the CIA Benghazi outpost on Sept. 11, 2012. But the overwhelming impression of the huge number of people certain to see the first big release of the year, will be that they did not do enough. In fact, it will be that they did nothing at all. Nothing.
The early sequences of the movie show that security at the Benghazi consulate and annex was obviously and woefully inadequate. The conclusion is inescapable that Hillary Clinton’s State Department should either have closed the consulate or beefed up security substantially.
These are, respectively, the “during” and “before” components of the Benghazi scandal.
The “after” component also makes an appearance. Towards the end of the attack on the annex someone picks up on media reports that this began as a video-related protest. A security man at the consulate says, simply, that he saw no protest.
“13 Hours” is unsubtle in its insistence that the CIA station chief unreasonably directed the contractors not to try to rescue Ambassador Stevens and others at the consulate. It has the chief telling them to “stand down.”
This account is disputed by the station chief. Moreover, the contractors failed to persuade either the Democrats or the Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee that there was a “stand down” order. Their sworn testimony fell short, in the view of Committee staff.
In any event, this question has no political relevance (though casual viewers may assume otherwise). No one has suggested that the station chief was getting orders from the Obama administration; in fact, one of the contractor-authors told Sean Hannity he doesn’t think the order came from above. The chief’s “stand down” order, if given, was his idea.
The politically relevant “stand down” was the failure to deploy U.S. assets in relatively nearby countries to aid the embattled heroes trying to defend the annex. At one point, this is presented graphically through an image of inactivity at a U.S. air field.
Hillary Clinton explains the failure by citing “the fog of war.” Others cite logistical complexities.
These sound like plausible excuses, and maybe they are. But when you watch the movie, they feel terribly inadequate. As Hugh says:
“13 Hours” is going to tell everyone who is interested — and millions will be interested, and riveted, by the intense gunfight that breaks out early and never lets up until the dead are sent home — that the cries for help from the brave civilians and soldiers of Benghazi were many and urgent throughout the hours of attack. But the response was … silence.
Apart from issues of culpability, the movie has political implications because it reminds people what the Benghazi fuss is about. The Democrats’ line is: why are we still talking about Benghazi? More than three years after the attack and with numerous investigations into the matter, this line may be working.
But when one sees “13 Hours,” one understands the legitimacy of the quest for answers. And one can easily conclude that the answers provided by President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and their apologists haven’t been good enough.
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75 Nice Things People Say
to Shut Up Your Feelings
“How did your day go?” “It was horrible.” “Aw, cheer up. It’ll get better soon!”
“Cheer up” means, “don’t feel the way you do.”
It’s not the same as, “I’m sorry to hear that.” Or, “Can I do anything to help?” Or even, “I hope you feel better soon.”
It might even mean “I don’t want to hear about it.”
In which case, it’s an emotion-phobic exchange. Under the guise of casual politeness of course.
Emotion phobic communication
Such exchanges occur all the time. You just have to listen carefully to read between the lines.
Whenever you talk about how you’re really feeling or what you really think — and it happens to be negative — people get uncomfortable. (Granted, there are times when talking about such things is inappropriate or disrespectful.)
They might squirm, fidget, or attack you sideways.
They might also try to shut you up. Or put nicely, censor you, change the topic, distract you, or make it all seem like it’s a-okay.
We all deflect
If Vincent’s mad about a project at work. And Traci so happens to be in the same room. It’s not okay for Vincent to vent without Traci’s consent, let alone expect her to be receptive, concerned, or even able to listen.
But Vincent vents anyway. And Traci deflects his vent by saying, “Look Vincent, I have to pick up my mom from the airport in ten minutes. Do you want to talk about this problem later?”
In this situation, Traci sets a boundary.
We set boundaries all the time.
You’re not indefinitely available to other people whenever they want to vent about something. And no one is indefinitely available to you.
However
If someone asks you specifically how you are doing, what’s wrong, or what you think. And you tell them. And they deflect your thoughts and/or feelings.
They’re probably invalidating you instead of setting a boundary.
Because after all, they asked. They got what they asked for. They didn’t like it.
And now in defense they’re trying to tell you:
How you really feel,
What you shouldn’t feel,
What you should feel
What you will feel, or
It’s all very subtle of course.
Until you notice — then it’s glaring.
Are you being censored?
Anytime you talk about how some adversity (person, animal, situation, place or thing) upset, disappointed or wronged you, the other person will either:
Be comfortable hearing about it, all of it (e.g, your closest friend)
Be comfortable hearing about it, but only parts of it, or casually (e.g., an acquaintance)
Be comfortable telling you they’d rather not hear about it (like a healthy deflection)
Be uncomfortable hearing about it, but not tell you directly
It’s the last case the other person might say something that actually invalidates your feelings.
75 ways people say “I don’t want to hear about how you’re really feeling”
Oh, it’s not so bad. It’s all good. Cheer up. Just let it go. Things will get better. Take a few deep breaths. Don’t worry, you’ll feel better. C’mon, you’re okay. Move on. Forgive and forget. Life’s too short to worry about this. There’s nothing you can do now. You can’t change it, so why worry? The past is the past. Don’t dwell. There’s no point fretting over it. It’s not worth it. You shouldn’t ruminate. You’re only going to make it worse by complaining. If you focus on the negative, you’ll be miserable. Don’t feed into it. Don’t let it take up your energy. Take the high road. Be the better person. Toughen up. Choose your battles wisely. (This shouldn’t count.) Oh, they didn’t mean it. What’s the big deal? (This shouldn’t be a big deal.) I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. (I don’t want to understand what the fuss is about.) Get some perspective. (Quit being so myopic.) Wow, how could you say/think/feel that? (I think it’s impossible for you to say/think/feel that.) You’re making this bigger than it is. (It’s a small thing.) You’re over-exaggerating. (It’s your problem.) You’re looking too much into it. (You’re causing yourself agony.) It’s not about you. Don’t take it personally. You shouldn’t have gotten wrapped up in it. It doesn’t mean anything. Don’t let it get to you. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Don’t let it ruin your day. This is trivial. They don’t matter to you. Don’t let them under your skin. Try to calm down. You have better things to do than get upset. Don’t be a drama queen. Don’t be such a baby. Don’t be so sour. You’re too sensitive. Your reaction doesn’t make sense. Try to stay logical. It’s best to stay level-headed. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. You don’t really mean that. Think about what you’re saying here. Don’t say things you don’t really mean. Are you sure it wasn’t your fault? You co-created this situation — what’s the value in the lesson? Just send them love. Look on the bright side. Stay positive. Find something to be grateful for. Maybe it’s a good thing it happened? It’s your choice to feel/react/respond that way. (They’re off the hook for their actions.) I’m sorry you feel that way, because you shouldn’t. I’m sorry you misunderstood me. Well, no one’s perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. They did that to you because they’re acting out of fear. (That lets them off the hook.) They’re acting out of pain. (That lets them off the hook.) It’s their own stuff. You just need to [insert acitivty here]. [Insert change of topic here.] Get a grip already.
“Something’s wrong with you.”
The examples above imply:
It’s a bad thing you’re feeling/thinking that way
The feeling/thinking is a problem
That problem needs to “go away”
You need to make that problem feeling/thinking go away (instead of addressing the problem that the uncomfortable feeling/thinking alerts you of)
If you don’t make that problem feeling/thinking go away, then
Something’s wrong with you
And things will get worse
So just stop feeling/thinking that way
It’s not about you
The problem with that logic is: You’re not the problem.
You may be temporarily experiencing a negative emotion. But it’s not the end of the world. (They only think it is.)
Your emotions may be alerting you to problems in your environment and/or your thinking. But you don’t have a problem with feeling the way you do. After all, you were comfortable enough with that feeling to share it!
The real problem is: They’re uncomfortable with how you’re feeling.
It’s the other person’s problem
Instead of looking at their own reaction and owning up to their own discomfort when you talk about something that’s “too” emotional — the other person blames you.
Makes it all your fault that they’re unwilling to get emotional, or to be fully present, or to genuinely accept that you feel the way you feel.
People who don’t want to experience their own negative emotions sure as heck don’t want you to express yours. Because then they might have to take response ability for their actions, connect with you, empathize, or get in touch with themselves — which they’ve (unconsciously) decided is way too painful.
You become someone else’s problem when you voice what they can’t accept in their own self.
Pay attention when someone deflects your feelings
Start to listen for those phrases in your every day. You’ll pick up on when people try to censor you.
You might decide not to let someone censor you. Or you might see how uncomfortable they actually are, and rethink how you can (casually) relate to them.
Emotion-phobic exchanges aren’t always the end of the world. Some might even be well-intentioned. But they can prick you when you don’t notice. So just pay attention.
Context matters too. You can’t pour your heart out to everyone. Emotional intimacy is exclusive, not open.
Just remember, you deserve better than emotional censorship.
And also remember, you’re capable of censoring yourself, too.
Have you been censored?
Do you hear any of the above phrases in your daily grind? Do you have any other phrases to add?
How do such phrases impact you?
How do you respond?
Do you want to learn more about how to work with your emotions? Sign up for the free e-class, Your Life is Your Construct.
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Dead elephant, shooting club, global satellite phones, double dipped reimbursements, and $26 million in hidden payments to vendors and school employees… the College of DuPage (COD) is caught faking transparency to pass the goodies.
It was rough going at the second largest college in Illinois this summer. In July, a $20 million state construction grant was stopped after COD President Dr. Robert Breuder’s email was exposed which outlined a political strategy to bring support to the governor. Newspaper editorials called it a “seedy little money grab” and the governor said the behavior was “extremely alarming.”
Activists exposed much more. Since 2009, the college spent $550 million on construction projects with funds reallocated to build an upscale French restaurant and a wine cellar. The restaurant lost over $500,000 in its first year of operation while purchasing over $200,000 in wine and accessories. The President’s compensation is $500,000 annually and nine executives cost taxpayers and students approximately $2.4 million per year.
Last month, I wrote about this college at Forbes, “The Real Financial Crisis in College.” But, the story continues…
Responding to our Freedom of Information Act request for COD checkbook, the college produced a troubling record of payments. $27,931 for dues and fees flowed to the president’s private shooting club. Three global satellite phones were paid for each of the last three years so the president could “keep in touch” during his exotic hunting vacations (he shot an African elephant).
COD President Robert Breuder billed taxpayers and students
for three global satellite phones for his exotic hunting trips (2012-14).
After each exposure, the Board of Trustees acted surprised.
Now, we know why- most of the board didn’t have a clue. Since at least April 2013, $26.1 million flowed through a special type of accounting called ‘imprest’ and was hidden from public scrutiny. At COD, imprest payments aren’t individually disclosed, but instead aggregated and summarized as a line item. Conversely, “operating payments” were individually disclosed in the board packet and posted online.
COD made liberal use of this imprest accounting scheme: $26,100,000 on over 21,000 transactions to 5,613 vendors flowed through 467 separate fund accounts. Recently, COD Treasurer Thomas Glaser told the board during a special budget meeting in June that all financial transactions were listed in the board packet and posted online, but that just wasn’t the case.
The Bureau of the Fiscal Service of the U.S. Department of the Treasury defines imprest funds as “pretty cash funds” and accounting associations warn that weakness in accounting control could result from the use of imprest funds. For instance, only the Board Chairman Erin Birt got to review the line-by-line transactions of these specially tagged payments before the board “approved” the aggregated total amounts.
So what did COD payout via this accounting scheme? Here’s a snapshot:
1. Over $110,000 spent purchasing wine and alcohol described in the register as “instructional supplies.”
2. President Breuder’s private membership dues to the Max McGraw club ($3,800) and three global satellite phones used on Breuder’s exotic hunting trips were not disclosed. Total payments into Max McGraw club were $6,693- including an overnight senior management retreat.
3. COD President and senior managers double dipped their car allowances and collected over $3,600 of in-district mileage reimbursement.
4. Even the accountants and lawyers gleaned non-disclosed payments: Crowe Horwath, $56,029; Robbins, Schwartz $178,652; and Franczek Radelet, $71,780.
5. Legat Architects- the lead architect for the Homeland Security Education Center at COD (which will bear Dr. Robert Breuder’s name after his retirement) was paid-out $164,421.
6. Other connected vendors include COD Foundation Board members- lobbyists and construction companies- received large non-disclosed payments. i.e. Herricane Graphics ($227,157); Roger Marquardt & Co ($85,000); Wight & Company ($31,431); Fuchs & Roselli, Ltd. ($14,698); Power Construction ($5,000); Bison Gear & Engineering ($4,064)
7. Designated ‘petty cash’ funds were hardly used, only $1,774 in payments, while ‘imprest funds’ handled 21,000 transactions.
8. Although President Breuder recently said ‘imprest payments’ were only used on amounts under $15,000, the data shows 106 payments exceeded that threshold and totaled $2.327 million.
9. Over $300,000 paid-out in newspaper and magazine advertising/subscription expense including $140,000 to the Daily Herald Paddock Publications and $139,000 to the Chicago Tribune companies.
U.S. Senator Tom Coburn frequently asks, “Is the spending for the public interest or the special interest?”
Transparency coupled with technology makes it possible for citizens to audit public spending. Starting in September, thanks to COD Vice Chairman Kathy Hamilton’s recent transparency effort, all COD imprest payments will finally be online and subject to scrutiny.
We invite everyone to search the $26.1 million in previously hidden payments on our transparency website at OpenTheBooks.com. Please let us know what you find: https://www.openthebooks.com/assets/1/7/COD_Imprest_payments_April_2013_-_Aug._26_2014.pdf
Disclosure: Adam Andrzejewski is the founder of OpenTheBooks.com and IL watchdog organization, For The Good of Illinois
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Disneyland Resort continues to lurch through a weird and unusual spring as Burbank mandates sweeping budget cuts while record crowds continue to pack both parks. In this update we’ll fill you in on why the parks are closing earlier than usual, why random locations continue to shut down, why weekdays feel just as busy as weekends, and the wild rumors behind what DCA has planned to counteract the attendance imbalance Disneyland’s massive Star Wars project will likely cause.
Cut To The Bone
All of Disneyland Resort’s recent cutbacks, closures and reduced operating hours are part of TDA’s attempt to meet the budget goal laid out by Parks Chairman Bob Chapek. This past winter Chapek decreed that the American parks needed to cut at least $500 Million from their operating budget for the third fiscal quarter, in order to lessen the financial impact of Shanghai’s cost overruns and make the quarterly numbers look better for Wall Street.
The results of that mandate has been felt and seen both inside the parks and back in TDA. Hiring for Disneyland has been nearly frozen the past month when TDA’s Casting center would normally be ramping up with lots of hiring for the summer season ahead. The hiring and labor cuts were already being looked at by TDA once the minimum wage increases were passed last year by Sacramento, and California’s minimum wage for 2016 has already surpassed many of the starting wages baked into the union contracts for Anaheim CM’s. Most of those union contracts with lower than minimum wages were in place to 2018 or beyond, when the minimum wage will rise even higher each year until it hits $15 an hour five years from now. Reducing labor costs and lowering headcount even more will continue be a key goal for Anaheim managers even if Shanghai is a huge hit once it opens. Chapek’s $500 Million savings decree simply forced the labor cutting issue sooner for the Anaheim parks.
While reduced park hours were put in place immediately when the third quarter started on April 1st, some changes and closures inside the park weren’t made until later in April. For instance, last week the Paradise Garden Grill restaurant was quietly shut down and put into mothballs. Paradise Garden Grill had a Greek skewer menu that was novel for a theme park, but sales were always lackluster there. After an internal struggle to keep it open for the menu variety, DCA’s managers finally got over-ruled by TDA and the location was shut down. A long term strategy for the location hasn’t been determined while TDA banks the labor savings as part of their Shanghai cost savings plan. A favored proposal is to turn the location into a flex-kitchen that can offer seasonal menus (Viva Navidad, Food & Wine, etc.) and then fill in as the park’s second burger place during peak seasons.
While Disneyland has tried to offer fresher and healthier menu offerings in recent years, a large majority of park visitors get frustrated when there is only one burger stand in the entire park and that issue keeps showing up on customer satisfaction surveys. But for now, Paradise Garden Grill will remain closed while TDA banks the labor savings.
Food And Wine A Smashing Success
Even in the midst of the spring cutbacks, many visitors are still in a spending mood. DCA’s relaunched Food & Wine Festival has blown all of its sales projections out of the water. The food locations went through three week’s worth of planned stock after just the first week. The outside vendors who were given lowball crowd and sales estimates by TDA had to ship in additional stock after the first weekend. TDA had to overnight express in additional serving supplies and stock after the first week, and spending at all the locations blew original estimates out of the water. The biggest challenge was the logistics of getting enough supplies and stock to the serving kiosks throughout the day, as they couldn’t keep up with demand.
Based off this sales success, Food & Wine will now return next year in a much expanded capacity, and with more advance notice than it got this year. The concept wasn’t even given the green light by TDA until after everyone returned from Christmas vacation and the DCA team wasn’t committed to it until late January. They pulled this one out of thin air in three months, and the customer response was overwhelming.
This Elevator Travels Directly To . . . The Marvel Zone
Elsewhere in DCA, a wild rumor got out earlier this spring about a plan to remake Tower of Terror into a Guardians of the Galaxy ride. We can tell you that the Guardians of the Galaxy rumor is true, and TDA’s executive suite was furious when the rumor leaked out from Glendale-based sources. The plan is for the original Twilight Zone backstory to be removed entirely, and replaced with an all new show based around the Collector character from the Guardians movie franchise. WDI had been testing and experimenting with the new show in the elevators for months and the Tower of Terror hourly CM’s were all aware of what WDI had been cooking up since this winter. But when the plan finally leaked online in April, the TDA executive suite hit the roof in anger.
And what does an angry executive team do in this modern age when a juicy rumor, that just happens to be true, leaks online? They issue Talking Points, of course! TDA’s Cast Communications team was instructed to send out vague and pointless “Talking Points” to the CM’s that instructed them to not believe everything they see online until it is confirmed by the Disney Parks Blog. Except many hourly CM’s who work the Tower of Terror attraction and its gift shop had known about this evolving plan for months prior to its online leak, as Imagineers and TDA executives spent plenty of early mornings and late nights inside the ride building testing out the new show proposals in the elevators and tinkering around the pre-show hallways and queue.
The current plan for Tower of Terror is to close the attraction this fall and give the entire building a full interior and exterior refurbishment so that the new version of the ride can open next May, with the Guardians of the Galaxy movie premiere held at DCA the same week the new ride opens. Assuming this gets the green light by August, and a disastrous Shanghai opening summer is about the only thing that could derail it at this point, the CM’s will be treated to another round of approved Talking Points that will somehow explain that they can now believe what they read online about Guardians of the Galaxy taking over Tower of Terror. The hourly CM’s, of course, are already several steps ahead of TDA.
This Tower of Terror proposal is part of a multi-year plan to get more Marvel into DCA, being pushed heavily by Bob Chapek. Since Chapek arrived a year ago as the new Parks Chairman, he’s been shocked to learn that after five years of owning Marvel there still isn’t a new Marvel ride in the California parks, and that the only thing TDA has done with Marvel is slap together some cheap meet n’ greets over the years. The plan now is to adjust the Marvel mega-coaster from its original spot in the Timon parking lot to fit into the northern end of Hollywood where Stage 17, Monsters Inc., and the unused Stage 12 buildings are. This would save Timon for future DCA expansion, and better use the under-utilized space on the opposite side of Hollywood Land.
That corner of Hollywood Land has always been an unloved and unfortunate looking space that has gone through a series of inexpensive and temporary overlays for dance parties and corporate events. Back in 2012 the plan was to remake that area as a Monsters Inc. themed Monstropolis area, with the inclusion of a family friendly Door Coaster that used the famous door scene from Monsters Inc. as its main show element. Height test balloons were even seen hovering over the land and TDA was nearly ready to give the project the green light before they got cold feet over the mild thrills planned for the coaster. It was at that time that WDI blue sky ideas were being cooked up for the newly acquired Marvel properties, and a much more thrilling and intense mega-coaster was pitched for DCA, to be placed behind Tower of Terror.
The trend with WDI now is fully immersive lands or mini-lands dedicated to one specific IP, and the Marvel mega-coaster will bring along with it a Marvel mini-land based in old Hollywood. The Monsters Inc. dark ride would go to Yesterland, although the dark ride facility may be re-purposed yet again with a Marvel theme if WDI can engineer the coaster around that building using all of the existing backstage area and demolishing support buildings as well as Stage 17 and Stage 12 that now surround Monster Inc.
MuppetVision has gone off to Yesterland, as TDA’s long term planning calendar keeps the new Sunset Showcase Theater as the location for most movie previews for years to come. Although Moana is slated to use the Bugs theater this fall for its preview, the Sunset Showcase will remain as DCA’s main flex theater. The Shanghai budget cuts have prevented TDA from spending the money to redo the queue and lobby from its Frozen theme, so for now audiences will enter through the exit doors only. By Fiscal 2017 the formal lobby of Sunset Showcase Theater should get a remodel to replace the Frozen theme.
With all those Hollywood plans, only the Tower of Terror remake has a shot at opening before Star Wars Land opens in late 2018. The Marvel mega-coaster would slot in for 2020, just before the Fantasyland expansion pad comes to life with a Frozen E Ticket dark ride and some of the attraction concepts recently announced for Tokyo’s Fantasyland.
Commitments
Don’t forget, TDA has an important legal agreement with Anaheim to complete at least $1.5 Billion worth of park expansion before 2024. The Star Wars expansion that started in January, the big parking structure on Pumbaa that will break ground this July, and the Tower of Terror remake that would get started this fall will cover the $1 Billion of construction that has to begin by December 2017 in order to extend the tax breaks for 30 years. But to extend the tax breaks out another 15 years Disney has to finish an additional $500 Million of park expansion by 2024, which currently means Marvel expansion for DCA and Fantasyland expansion for Disneyland.
The half dozen new rides that are part of those expansion projects would theoretically help with park capacity, as crowds continue to flood the park in record numbers for the 60th Anniversary. Although WDI has a bad habit of proposing splashy new attractions that have miserable hourly rider capacity in the 1,400 to 1,800 range, instead of the 2,800 riders per hour Universal’s new Forbidden Journey ride can soak up. Much less the 2,200 to 3,000 riders per hour that Disneyland’s new attractions of the 1960’s and 70’s were designed to handle when customer-savvy ops leaders like Dick Nunis, John Cora, Ron Dominguez, and Jack Lindquist were running the parks.
It doesn’t help that most of TDA’s current executives, and Chairman Bob Chapek himself, have absolutely no first-hand experience of working in the parks and none of them seem to care about hourly capacity. Just like Disney’s fans at a D23 Expo presentation, TDA execs get suckered in by the glamorous WDI artwork and never stop to ask what the hourly capacity is for the ride they are being pitched. That’s a rookie mistake that Dick Nunis or John Cora would have never made at a WDI sales pitch. But the epic crowds show up now regardless, and the parks are bursting at the seams with ever-dwindling ride capacity. For the record, DCA’s Tower of Terror has an hourly capacity of only 1,500 riders per hour, and that measly number won’t change with the Guardians of the Galaxy version.
Meager park ride capacity only intensifies the big crowds that now show up even in the off-season. Since spring break ended in early April the attendance at Disneyland and DCA has been surprisingly strong, as the Value priced off-season weekdays have seen 7,000 to 12,000 additional visitors show up over original daily projections, while the Regular priced weekends have seen their already strong attendance estimates either hit on the nail or do slightly better by 2,000 or 3,000 per day.
This has surprised TDA, especially with the reduced park operating hours and all the attractions in both parks closed for refurbishment in the past month. TDA was expecting to take a temporary hit in attendance after Harry Potter opened at Universal, but that didn’t pan out. Disneyland’s new demand pricing strategy seems to be pulling in even more tourists on the weekdays as they perceive that those days are cheaper, while weekend attendance remains very strong with locals. A few attendance examples from the past week;
Monday April 25th
Original Attendance Estimate: Disneyland 29,000 – DCA 23,000
Actual Attendance: Disneyland 36,200 – DCA 28,300
Wednesday April 27th
Original Attendance Estimate: Disneyland 31,000 – DCA 22,000
Actual Attendance: Disneyland 35,400 – DCA 26,100
Friday April 29th
Original Attendance Estimate: Disneyland 50,000 – DCA 41,000
Actual Attendance: Disneyland 51,600 – DCA 41,200
Sunday May 1st
Original Attendance Estimate: Disneyland 51,000 – DCA 41,000
Actual Attendance: Disneyland 52,100 – DCA 40,700
These are historically huge attendance numbers that 10 years ago would have only been seen in summer or on busy holiday weekends like Presidents Day or Columbus Day. These numbers also show how close the attendance at the two Anaheim parks are to each other. They also show how badly the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) annual reports are under-reporting the Anaheim parks, as DCA has gone over 10 million per year and growing since 2013, but the latest TEA report for 2014 claimed DCA got just 8.7 Million. (There’s something TDA could send out Talking Points about, to not believe the low-ball TEA numbers that come out in June!) And those big crowds continue to be a very healthy mix of local AP’ers, domestic tourists and international tourists. The wild hotel building boom in Anaheim’s Resort District the last two years has been happening for a reason, as domestic and international tourism to the Disneyland Resort continues to grow each year and Anaheim occupancy rates continue to be very strong.
While lots of construction and expansion announcements will happen over the next two years, this approaching summer season will kick off with the lavish new Frozen musical on Memorial Day weekend, which will test the patience of younger viewers as it clocks in at just under one hour in length. Then on June 17th the new Soarin’ film debuts, and it should be interesting to see how American audiences react to the new show that only represents America with a quick flyover of Monument Valley in Utah and a new finale over the Disneyland Resort.
The original Soarin’ Over California film will remain as an option on the upgraded projector system, ready to be flipped on with just the push of a button thanks to the new digital format. If the Soarin’ Around The World global film flops with American audiences, TDA has already proposed turning one theater back into the original California film while the second theater plays the Around The World movie.
Well, that’s our MiceAge Update folks. What do you think of the evolving Marvel plans for Disney California Adventure? With the Marvel attraction moving North, is it necessary to alter Tower of Terror? Will you miss the Muppets? Frozen on the brain?
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Buy Photo State senator Virgil Smith holds his head down in Judge Lawrence Talon's courtroom at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit on Monday, March14, 2016. Smith's ex-wife Anistia Thomas is seen behind. Smith will serve 10 months in jail with no early release and comply with psychiatric, alcohol and drug counseling, but does not have to give up his senate seat. Jessica J. Trevino/Detroit Free Press. (Photo: Jessica J. Trevino, Detroit Free Press)Buy Photo
A judge on Monday sentenced embattled state Sen. Virgil Smith to 10 months in jail with no early release but did not require him to resign from his job as a legislator, which was part of a sentencing agreement in the case against him.
"It would be illegal for me to impose as a condition of sentence that he resign from office and that he not hold public office during the pendency of his probation,” Wayne County Circuit Judge Lawrence Talon said during the hearing.
The decision means prosecutors could now pull the agreement they reached with the defense because it required Smith to resign.
As part of the plea, Smith, 36, D-Detroit, pleaded guilty to a felony count of malicious destruction of personal property of $20,000 or more last month and admitted shooting his ex-wife's 2015 Mercedes-Benz on May 10, 2015.
Talon said Smith could be expelled, voted out of office or resign but requiring him to step down “offends the state constitution.”
"You do not have to resign from the Senate," he told Smith, explaining his ruling. "I'm taking that off the plea agreement."
It’s not yet known if Smith will voluntarily resign from office, though some say they expect that to happen.
“The plea is legal, and the defendant agreed to it,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement released after the two-hour hearing in the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice. “If all the conditions are not accepted by the court, we will withdraw our plea. We are certain that we stand on solid legal ground.”
Smith told investigators the shots were fired after his ex-wife, Anistia Thomas, pushed her way into his house on Wexford and attempted to attack the woman in his bed.
Thomas previously testified Smith punched her in the face and rammed her head into the floor and wall when she was inside his home. She gave a statement in the courtroom Monday, saying Smith has lied to save face and is "still blaming me."
"I refuse to take on blame due to his extreme faults and lack of accountability," Thomas said, adding that her injuries included a busted lip, more than 18 bruises and multiple cuts and abrasions, a swollen jaw and sprained neck.
Smith declined to address the court when given the opportunity.
Buy Photo Attorney Godfrey Dillard and his client State Sen. Virgil Smith, listen as Judge Lawrence Talon speaks in his courtroom at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit. Smith will serve 10 months in jail with no early release and comply with psychiatric, alcohol and drug counseling, but does not have to give up his senate seat. Jessica J. Trevino/Detroit Free Press. (Photo: Jessica J. Trevino, Detroit Free Press)
“When you fire a gun, you never know where the bullets are going to end up,” Talon said. “They present a danger to everyone else in the community, so it is fortunate that nobody was injured as a result of Mr. Smith firing the gun.”
As part of the agreement reached in the case, three charges: felonious assault, possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony, which carries a mandatory two years prison sentence, and a misdemeanor count of domestic violence, are to be dismissed.
Smith also must serve five years of probation, stay away from alcohol, comply with mental health treatment and not have contact with Thomas.
Smith has a medical marijuana card and drug testing was not ordered Monday.
Godfrey Dillard, one of Smith's attorneys, argued that Smith is being held accountable and said his career has been destroyed.
"This is not a pass for Mr. Smith,” he said. “This is a very serious wake-up call.”
Smith sat quietly throughout the hearing, hands clasped in his lap — sometimes looking down, sometimes looking at the judge. His father, Wayne County Circuit Judge Virgil Smith, was also in the courtroom.
A joint sentencing memorandum was filed by the prosecution and defense attorneys on Feb. 29. The court document said Smith suffers from bipolar depressive hypomanic disorder, was in a rollover accident in 2014 that caused a traumatic brain injury and was recently discharged from Henry Ford Maplegrove Center, where he was treated for alcohol dependency.
Smith’s medical history is “not offered to excuse his criminal act but rather as an explanation of various factors that contributed to this behavior,” the document said.
After charges were filed against Smith, he lost his staff and was stripped of his committee assignments and his post as a minority whip in the Senate.
“Sen. Smith has talked about a voluntary resignation, and that’s our expectation. Our assumption is that this could delay it by a couple of weeks,” said Amber McCann, spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive. “The judge pointing out that he can’t compel Sen. Smith to resign doesn’t really change anything.”
Smith, in discussion with leadership in the Senate, said a voluntary resignation was based on the fact that he wouldn’t be able to serve his constituents for a significant period of time while he is in jail, McCann.
If Smith decides not to resign, the Senate could go through the process to expel him, “and we would just end up with the same result,” McCann said.
Michigan Republican Party Chairman Ronna Romney McDaniel released a statement Monday and called Smith’s behavior “appalling” and said people in his district “deserve better.”
“Democratic leadership must ask him to do the right thing for his constituents and step down,” the statement said. “They deserve effective representation in Lansing, and it is clear Smith can no longer fulfill that duty.”
Smith is due back in court March 28 so attorneys can address additional matters in the case.
Contact Elisha Anderson: 313-222-5144, [email protected] or on Twitter @elishaanderson. Staff writer Kathleen Gray contributed to this report.
Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/1ppMqYa
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The source code of this prototyping is uploaded on GitHub.
https://github.com/mikilabo/arduino_remote_car
These are some difficulties which I encountered during this project.
XBee Setting via Mac: I found many articles about XBee setting for Windows OS, but only a few articles for Mac OS. Finally, I found XCTU for Mac. It is very useful XBee setting tool for Mac OS user.
Arduino Memory leak: I made a memory leak bug in my Arduino Programming. Initially, the program worked perfectly, but after few minutes, the arduino didn’t work well. At first, the programming source appeared to be ok. So, it took some time to resolve this issue.
Web Design: I can write programming code, but I am not good in at web design coding. Therefore, I decided to outsource html coding using oDesk. I hired Bangladeshi through oDesk. The cost of outsourcing was $6.67. It was quite a simple html coding, but it was good enough for me. The below picture is the specification sheet which I uploaded to oDesk.
Pin pointing: When you are making a prototype using Arduino, Web Programming and Server Programming, there are many possibilities which can cause bugs. In my case, the car suddenly stopped by the disconnection of jumper wire. However, it caused no problem in my programming and Arduino wiring at a glance. But still, it took hours to solve this issue.
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Dear Pornography,
We have known each other since I was a child and I feel as though I can tell you things that I could never tell anyone else. You know all my secrets and all my fantasies and you have been by my side in the good times and the bad. You spent time with me when I was lonely or bored and you comforted me when I was angry and hurt. It feels like you have always been there for me. But I need to get a few things off my chest.
You promised me that after I got married I wouldn’t need you any more. You made me believe that what we had was just a fling. I realize now that you never loved me. I am finally seeing your end game. You have stolen a piece of me like a master thief. You wanted everything from me, not just my eyes but also my mind, heart, soul and strength. You have promised a world to me that doesn’t exist. You have threatened my marriage and my son. You have hurt my friends and family. You have destroyed the lives of girls, boys, men and women all over the world and used me to help, all the while assuring me that no one would get hurt. Our relationship has been nothing but lies. You are not, nor never have you ever been my friend. You are the reason I have lived with so much shame and embarrassment. You are the reason my wife has been so hurt. You have warped my perception of women and the world.
I needed to write you this letter to let you know that its over. I would tell you in person but that would give you too much satisfaction.
I have found a true friend, his name is Jesus.
With as much hatred as possible,
your OLD friend Aaron
Please watch this spoken word about one pastors struggle with porn
Here are the lyrics from the video.
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I started Transcendental Meditation in 1973 and have not missed a single meditation ever since. Twice a day, every day. It has given me effortless access to unlimited reserves of energy, creativity and happiness deep within. This level of life is sometimes called “pure consciousness”—it is a treasury. And this level of life is deep within us all.
But I had no idea how powerful and profound this technique could be until I saw firsthand how it was being practiced by young children in inner-city schools, veterans who suffer the living hell of post-traumatic stress disorder and women and girls who are victims of terrible violence.
TM is, in a word, life changing for the good.
In 2005, we started the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace to ensure that every child anywhere in the world who wanted to learn to meditate could do so. Now, the Foundation is actively teaching TM to adults and children in countries everywhere.
How are we able to do it? Because of the generosity of foundations and philanthropists and everyday people who want to ease the suffering of others—and who want to help create a better world.
If you don’t already meditate, take my advice: Start. It will be the best decision you ever make.
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Jeff Hamada: How did you suddenly become Hollywood’s go-to artist for film posters?
James Jean: I’m not sure how I got so lucky. What’s interesting is that each request happened independently of one another and around the same time – it wasn’t as if I was hired because the director saw a previous poster I had done. In fact, I had not done any official movie posters before. There must have been a confluence of factors that lead them to think of me, a mentalist’s string of subliminal hints that influenced these visionary directors to choose me to interpret possibly the most significant films of this year.
One factor might be the rise in popularity of alternative collectible movie posters these past 10 years or so. Darren called me directly and Guillermo slid into my dm’s, and both were working on films that were intensely personal and meaningful. The marketing people at Warner Bros. contacted me about Blade Runner 2049 a little later on, which is still kind of amazing because I was harboring this fantasy of doing a poster for them ever since the movie was announced.
Jeff Hamada: You kinda jokingly called this a trilogy but something tells me there will be more. What’s next? I’d love to see you do a poster for The Killing of a Sacred Deer. The film looks insane.
James Jean: Yeah, I really liked The Lobster so I’m very keen to see the Sacred Deer when it comes out. The reason why I probably won’t do any more posters this year is because I’m busy working on my next solo show at Kaikai Kiki Gallery in Tokyo. Also, it’s hard to top Aronofsky, Del Toro, and Villeneuve, all in one season.
Jeff Hamada: Yeah pretty tough! I know you got the script for mother! and actually screened The Shape of Water, but Blade Runner was the only one where you weren’t given much information. Was it difficult to work blind like that?
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The number of worldwide terror attacks fell to 10,283 last year, down from 11,641 in 2010 and the lowest since 2005, the State Department reported today.
What's made the difference? The State Department cites the May 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden and other top al Qaeda members killed last year including Atiyah Abd al-Rahman and Anwar al-Awlaki, who was the head of Yemen's Al Qaeda affiliate and had ties to the underwear bomber plot in 2010.
"The loss of bin Laden and these other key operatives puts the network on a path of decline that will be difficult to reverse," the report stated.
But Ambassador Dan Benjamin, the State Department's coordinator for counter-terrorism, warned that for all the good news about the core of al Qaeda being weakened, affiliates of the group, particularly in Yemen and in Africa, continue to pose a real risk.
Nigeria was one of the few countries which actually saw an increase in terror attacks last year because of Boko Haram, and Kenya and Somalia continue to experience attacks by a weakened Al Shabab. Benjamin also noted that the Arab spring and other countries in transition could leave important allies like Egypt and Iraq vulnerable to terror groups.
"Inspiring as the moment may be, we are not blind to the attendant perils. Terrorists could still cause significant disruptions for states undergoing very challenging democratic transitions. Affiliates of the group, and violent extremist ideology and rhetoric continue to spread in some parts of the world," said Benjamin.
Reports of al Qaeda operatives taking advantage of the instability in Syria is also a potential worrying situation, says Benjamin. The U.S. has warned Syria's opposition groups against allowing foreign fighters to join the resistance, and Benjamin says opposition groups have assured U.S. officials that they are being vigilant in keeping extremists out. But he placed the blame for the conflict squarely on Syria's President Bashar al Assad.
"So long as Assad refuses to go and Syria's transition is blocked, the danger grows of more foreign fighters, including extremists of the al Qaeda type, infiltrating Syria, " he said.
Though the report focuses primarily on the threat al Qaeda and its affiliates pose to the United States, the activities of Iran over the last year are also increasingly of concern, specifically Iran's support for Hezbollah and the rogue nation's involvement in the 2011 plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador the United States in Washington, D.C.
Get More News at ABC Politics and a Different Spin at OTUS News
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Image caption Hundreds of rebel fighters are marching towards Tripoli
Rebels fighting their way towards the Libyan capital have captured an important military base just 22km (16 miles) west of Tripoli.
They seized weapons from the base, identified as a barracks of the elite Khamis Brigade, commanded by a son of Col Muammar Gaddafi.
Earlier, the rebels suffered a reverse at Maya, 35km west of Tripoli, as artillery attacks forced them back.
The Gaddafi government has called for talks to end the conflict.
In Tripoli, support for Col Muammar Gaddafi remains strong, correspondents say. But new gunfire and protests were reported in Tripoli on Sunday, following fierce clashes in several districts overnight.
Rebel forces have advanced from the east and west in recent days, backed by Nato aircraft ostensibly enforcing a UN resolution to protect civilians from Col Gaddafi's forces.
Critics accuse the organisation of overstepping its mandate by helping the rebels.
'Sniper fire'
An Associated Press reporter with the rebels saw them take over the military base and drive off with lorryloads of fresh supplies. The capture of the base was confirmed by an AFP reporter, also with the rebels.
AP identified the site as a base of the Khamis Brigade, one of the best trained and equipped units in the Libyan military, commanded by Khamis Gaddafi.
At the scene Colonel Gaddafi's Libya is under pressure like never before. Rebel forces are advancing towards the capital. They will expect to meet resistance before they arrive here. But the uprising may have started from within. Overnight there were fierce clashes in several districts, with Col Gaddafi promising his people that the rebels had been "eliminated". Certainly the sound of the fighting indicated that troops had been ordered to fight them with all they have. The Libyan information minister called for an immediate ceasefire. He said a peaceful way out of the crisis needed to be negotiated, that the government had been saying this for months. And he added that Nato would have blood on its hands if this did not happen. He said it was only with Nato support that the rebels were able to advance on Tripoli and that if they were allowed to enter, their priority would be blood and revenge.
Earlier on Sunday, rebels advancing from the west captured the town of Jaddayim but after pushing on to Maya, 35km west of Tripoli, they were forced back by pro-Gaddafi forces with heavy artillery.
They were met with very heavy incoming fire and ran back along the road, setting up a new front line a few kilometres out of the town, the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports.
The rebels do not have heavy artillery and when they come up against Grad rocket launchers, for example, they do not have much to defend themselves with, our correspondent at Zawiya adds.
After the reverse at Maya, Nato reportedly launched air strikes in the area, and it was not immediately clear whether the rebels had regained Maya before pushing on to the Khamis base.
In the capital itself, four loud explosions were heard on Sunday morning followed by intermittent small-arms fire
While the source of the blasts and gunfire was unclear, rebel sources and witnesses told news agencies that clashes were under way between rebels and government supporters in the eastern neighbourhoods of Soug Jomaa, Arada and Tajoura
Unconfirmed rebel reports say a group of rebel fighters slipped into Tripoli by sea from Misrata and engaged pro-Gaddafi forces in Tajoura
Snipers on high buildings were firing on protesters in at least one area, rebel commander Mukhtar Lahab was quoted as saying by AP. The agency added that residents contacted in the city by telephone also reported snipers firing on civilians
Witnesses told the AFP news agency that local people had taken to the streets late on Saturday, setting tyres ablaze, while calls urging the population to rise up were made from the loudspeakers of mosques
The overnight fighting almost certainly involved opponents of Col Gaddafi already in scattered parts of Tripoli rising up against pro-Gaddafi forces, rather than rebel forces advancing into the capital, the BBC's Matthew Price reports from the capital.
Government officials said clashes in the city on Saturday had been put down within half an hour, and Col Gaddafi congratulated his supporters for repelling rebel "rats", while his son, Saif al-Islam, ruled out any possibility of surrender.
In another development, a Maltese ship heading for Tripoli to pick up refugees came under fire and could not dock in the port, Polish foreign ministry officials said, without specifying where the fire had come from.
Ceasefire call
Information Minister Moussa Ibrahim accused Nato of "opening the roads ahead of the rebels who are too weak to do anything themselves".
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Moussa Ibrahim: "Every drop of Libyan blood shed by the rebels is the responsibility of the Western world"
He also accused the rebel forces of massacring people in towns and villages seized in recent days, and warned of "many" deaths and "terrible crimes... inside Libyan cities".
Tripoli, he insisted, was well protected by "thousands upon thousands of professional soldiers".
At the same time, he urged the rebels to open talks. "If you want peace, we are ready," he said.
A UK Foreign Office spokesman responded to Mr Ibrahim in a statement, saying: "Our overriding priority has always been to protect Libyan civilians and to enable them to choose their own future. Nato action will continue whilst a threat to civilians remains."
The Libyan leader certainly has support in Tripoli, our correspondent there says. Pro-Gaddafi men and women have received weapons training in recent weeks, while checkpoints have sprung up across the city.
On Saturday, the rebels announced they had been forced back in the east by government artillery in the oil port of Brega.
Brega, home to Libya's second-largest hydrocarbon complex and where oil from the country's main fields is refined, has repeatedly changed hands during the conflict.
Libya's conflict broke out in February, inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt which toppled the presidents of those countries.
Rebels in the east rapidly consolidated their gains, but a stalemate developed in the west as rebels there faced overwhelming military force.
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Image caption Cadets practise army drills
In a car park outside a block of flats in Moscow, a dozen Russian teenagers in camouflage are practising army drills.
A young lieutenant barks out orders. They form a wobbly line and march up and down on the spot.
Inside another group of kids are learning how to handle weapons - firing blanks down an empty hall way to improve their aim.
This after-school club is ostensibly part of a drugs prevention programme: a programme of evening activities with a patriotic military slant, aimed at keeping local kids away from drinking and shooting up.
But for the club's organiser, Stepan Zotov, it is much more than that.
It is an invisible army getting ready to defend the Fatherland.
"This rise in patriotic feeling during the last years must have had a foundation. And we are this foundation," he explains with a gleam in his eye.
"For the last 10 years, clubs like ours have worked tirelessly, fanatically I could say, to raise a generation of young people who believe in the mission and idea of Great Russia."
Mr Zotov's English is near perfect - polished at international conventions of the table top fantasy war game, War Hammer, through interaction with other fans.
He exacts demanding standards from his young charges.
What is being instilled in them is not just patriotism, but self-discipline and obedience.
"Russia is a military power. Our state is in a state of constant readiness to repel aggression.
"To be a warrior in Russia is not just a profession, it is a sacred calling. It is actually sacred, holy."
Real war
The teenagers are lapping it up.
One boy, 14-year-old Alexander, wants to go into the army.
Image caption Stepan Zotov supervises training
A girl, 16-year-old Anna, would like to join the Russian border guards or the intelligence service, the FSB.
And now there is an actual war to fight in - the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, or Novorossiya as these patriots call it.
Stepan does not hide the fact that he and some of his cadets have been there to fight.
"We couldn't be regulars there, but for a week or a month or two, as much as we can give. This is all part of a great territory which has been part of Russia for many centuries.
"Part of our nation and our cultural space and we must protect them."
Not surprisingly Mr Zotov would like to see these eastern Ukrainian regions become part of Russia.
The vision is part Russian nationalist, and part Soviet: a return to the state of affairs before the USSR collapsed in 1991, when Russia and the territories around it were one country.
A curious hybrid of nostalgia for the Soviet era - multicultural and secular - and a more nationalistic religious adherence to what are described as Russian Orthodox ideas and spiritual values.
Either way, it is a vision of Russia as a country with a unique destiny, perpetually under threat from abroad, alone and misunderstood.
Aid drive
In a warehouse in another Moscow suburb, a woman called Elena and a man called Andrei are busy sealing up boxes of aid for the suffering civilians of Donetsk and Luhansk in Eastern Ukraine.
A monastery has donated bags of maize and buckwheat, dry macaroni, sugar and dried milk.
Image caption Elena helps collect aid for civilians in Eastern Ukraine
There are huge sacks of second-hand clothes and shoes donated by well-wishers too.
Andrei is coy about his background but indicates that he is a former FSB intelligence officer who has also served in Eastern Ukraine.
"I was in the Ghost battalion with the rebels, but I didn't fight. I was engaged in information questions," he says.
He reveals he also served in the last war in Chechnya and took part in the operation last year to take Crimea.
He is dismissive of the current ceasefire in Ukraine, but won't be drawn on what he thinks should happen to Eastern Ukraine.
"The decision about where Novorossiya should go - Ukraine or Russia - should be taken by the people there," he says.
Deeper confrontation
He plays down the idea that the current crisis will lead to a war with the West.
But it is clear that for these Russian patriots, the Ukraine conflict is only a symptom of a much deeper confrontation, where Russia's real opponent is and always has been Europe and the West.
"Whoever tried to wage war against us, France, Germany, the Polish and everyone else - there were never any friends, only interests - a desire to destroy Russia and make her a donor of natural resources for other states," says Andrei.
Image caption Andrei sees the West as the opposition
Back at the after-school patriotic club, Stepan Zotov puts it more bluntly.
In his view, even the alliance against Hitler in World War Two was only a temporary arrangement, born out of mutual defence interests. Russia and the West were never on the same side.
"We understand very sharply the great and undeniable gap between Russian culture and Western culture," he says.
"For 60-70 years, there has been no fundamental change. Then or now, you are our enemy. And we have no illusions about this state ever changing. You are a different civilisation."
What is curious is that he manages to make this sound both chilling and somehow amicable at the same time, as though the aggressive ultra-nationalistic rhetoric against foreign enemies is on one level, and day to day dealings with individual foreigners is on another level altogether.
But when it comes to what these patriots call "national traitors"- Russia's enemies from within - the benevolence disappears.
Bikers' club
Behind a tall fence on the edge of Moscow lies the territory of Russia's most famous bike club, the Night Wolves.
It looks like a cross between a medieval fortress and film set for Mad Max movie or Kevin Costner's Waterworld.
Carcasses of old motorbikes have been crafted into gothic sculptures.
The main entrance is flanked by two stuffed snarling wolves.
Image caption Alexander Zaldostanov was an instigator of a movement to stop an uprising in Russia
In the workshop a scary looking biker with a shaved tattooed head who goes under the name of Bulldog shows off the show bikes, on the orders of his chief.
Alexander Zaldostanov, known as The Surgeon, is a long-time Russian nationalist.
His club enjoys President Vladimir Putin's patronage.
He is on the Western sanctions list. And he was one of the instigators of the so-called 'Anti Maidan movement in Moscow, set up to stop a Kiev-style uprising from happening in Russia.
Its big rally in Moscow in February included banners vilifying both the West and Russian opposition figures, and came just days before the assassination of opposition politician, Boris Nemtsov.
Image caption Inside the Night Wolves workshop
Interviewed at his headquarters, Mr Zaldostanov blamed the Nemtsov murder on provocateurs, but was in no doubt that the biggest danger facing Russia at the moment was the so-called Fifth Column of national traitors.
"This issue is very important. Is it one of my duties - to resist the actions of the Fifth Column - that is those people who work for other governments and not for their homeland and for other people's money," he says.
"It has happened to us before, an entire army composed of traitors fighting against their own people. It is a terrible enemy, the number one enemy facing Russia."
Mr Zaldostanov was quick to add that the way to combat this 'internal enemy' should not be through violent means.
But a national campaign against the Fifth Column in Russia has already been espoused by Mr Putin and enshrined in a new law against so-called Foreign Agents - non-governmental organisations, especially those engaged with political or human rights work, who have links or funding from abroad.
'Foreign agents'
Sipping tea in her antique-filled apartment, Elena Nemirovskaya does not look like a threat to anyone.
But her legendary School of Civic Education was recently added to the Ministry of Justice blacklist of Foreign Agents, so she and her husband have decided to close it.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption The Anti-Maidan movement supported the Russian government
For more than 20 years she brought European political experts to Moscow to educate young Russians from all over the country in the importance of the rule of law and democracy. But not any more.
"We are not continuing this school because they have humiliated us. How can we come to Russian regions and work with people?" says Mrs Nemirovskaya.
"Foreign Agents in Russian means foreign spy. We cannot agree with this title. We are not."
Nonetheless she is not entirely giving up. She still runs e-seminars via Skype for those interested enough to phone in.
"One day civic society will be strong again," she says. "It may take a long time, but we have so much more work to do."
Blacklist
Golos is another Russian non-governmental organisation, a nationwide election monitoring network, which has found itself on the Ministry of Justice blacklist.
Ironically it had voluntarily cut foreign funding to protect itself, but fell foul of the new law when it was sent prize money for an international human rights award.
Roman Udot, who runs the Moscow office, explains that they fought back by changing their status from 'association' (a legal entity in Russia) to 'movement', in other words a group of individuals with no legal status.
Image caption Roman Udot is hopeful about the future
Then they used the publicity from the court case to ask supporters online for funds to pay off the fine of 400,000 roubles.
The crowdsourcing appeal worked. Before long they had collected 1.8 million roubles - an interesting insight into the extent of quiet support for oppositional activity which still exists below the radar in Russia.
Mr Udot says their new unofficial status has restricted their access to polling stations, though they still manage to do some monitoring with the help of sympathetic election observers and journalists.
But he is worried about the future.
Already the head of one Golos branch in the lower Volga region has been targeted as an individual, facing multiple charges of acting as a 'foreign agent', tax evasion and criminal activity.
So what does the future hold?
Alongside his anxieties about how his civic activism will survive, Roman Udot is not down-hearted.
Fast change possible
He even wonders if the apparent strength of the Putin government conceals a lack of resilience, and actually the current state of affairs might change unexpectedly fast, as it did in 1991.
"Will Putin be in power for a long time? Nobody knows, but this is Russia," says Mr Udot.
"Remember the attempted coup (by hard line communists) in 1991? Those of us who were resisting, we were expecting to be killed right under the walls of the White House. But we won! In just three days!
"The Soviet system had tortured people for 70 years, but in three days it was over, almost without a shot. So nobody knows."
But this scenario is dismissed as fantasy by Russia's patriots.
They believe they are in the ascendancy and that the current crisis in relations with the West has only advanced their cause.
They are convinced that many people in Russia support them and they have the backing of the Kremlin.
"There is no opposition actually," says Stepan Zotov.
"It just exists to create an illusion maybe for Western countries that we have some kind of opposition.
"Putin might have his mistakes but obviously he is the best option," he adds.
"There is no-one else. He is the best hope for a united future, for the resurrection of Russian destiny."
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A 16-year-old Indian-origin boy in the UK has claimed to have found a treatment for the most deadly form of breast cancer which is unresponsive to drugs.
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Krtin Nithiyanandam, who moved to the UK from India with his parents, hopes he has found a way to turn so-called triple negative breast cancer into a kind which responds to drugs.
Many breast cancers are driven by oestrogen, progesterone or growth chemicals so drugs that can block those fuels, such as tamoxifen, make effective treatments.
However, triple negative breast cancer does not have receptors and it can only be treated with a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy which lowers the chance of survival.
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“I’ve been basically trying to work out a way to change difficult-to-treat cancers into something that responds well to treatment. Most cancers have receptors on their surface which bind to drugs like Tamoxifen but triple negative don’t have receptors so the drugs don’t work,” Krtin was quoted as saying by The Sunday Telegraph.
“The prognosis for women with undifferentiated cancer isn’t very good so the goal is to turn the cancer back to a state where it can be treated. The ID4 protein actually stops undifferentiated stem cell cancers from differentiating so you have to block ID4 to allow the cancer to differentiate.
“I have found a way to silence the genes that produce ID4 which turns cancer back into a less dangerous state,” Krtin added.
Some women with triple negative cancer respond very well to treatment while others quickly decline.
The problem lies in whether the cancer cells are “differentiated” or not.
Differentiated means they look more like healthy cells and they tend to grow and multiply quite slowly, and are less aggressive.
However, when cancer cells are “undifferentiated” they get stuck in a dangerous primitive form, never turning into recognisable breast tissue, and spreading quickly, leading to high grade tumours.
He has also discovered that upping the activity of a tumour suppressor gene called PTEN allows chemotherapy to work more effectively, so the dual treatment could prove far more effective than traditional drugs.
The therapy idea saw him shortlisted for the final of the UK-based young scientists programme titled The Big Bang Fair.
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His efforts had hit the headlines last year when he won the Google Science Fair for creating a test which helps pick up the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and potentially stop it spreading further.
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