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Lt. Cmdr. Edward Lin was once celebrated by the American military for his personal journey, from his native Taiwan to service in the U.S. Navy, where he became an officer and eventually an American citizen.
“I always dreamt about coming to America, the ‘promised land,’” Lin said in 2008, when he became a U.S. citizen. “I grew up believing that all the roads in America lead to Disneyland.”
But now Lin, 39, stands accused of providing military secrets to his birth country—possibly in exchange for sexual favors, defense officials told The Daily Beast. His job, working in and around military reconnaissance aircraft, gave him access to information about sensitive equipment that the U.S. uses to spy on its adversaries.
U.S. defense officials first became suspicious of Lin when the Navy commander took personal leave and lied about where he said he was going, which under military law is considered absence without official leave, a defense official told The Daily Beast.
Navy officials suspected that during one personal trip, Lin met with a Taiwanese national and provided that person information. Navy officials then asked questions of Lin’s colleagues, many of whom said they found Lin’s behavior suspicious, the official said.
Lin is also charged with adultery and procuring prostitutes. One defense official said that it’s possible Lin was compensated for his alleged spying with sexual favors.
Lin was a world traveler who didn’t hide his personal disdain for China, Taiwan’s geopolitical rival. Since 2008, he has traveled to Dubai, China, Taiwan, Jordan, and the United Kingdom, according to photos and posts on his personal Facebook page.
He extensively documented at a 2011 trip to Taiwan with a group of friends. Most photos from the trip are touristy, with Lin posing in front of historic sites.
One of Lin’s companions on the 2011 trip said it was sponsored by the Taiwanese government. “They invited us on a cultural trip over to Taiwan,” Daniel Velez told The Daily Beast. “It was something the Taiwanese government themselves had set up, in the sense that we were traveling as a group in the day, meeting with different agencies.”
Velez said he was invited on the six-day trip for his work with the Connecticut legislature. The other guests on the trip were American academics and experts on China.
And Lin just seemed like one of the group—“a nice guy, personable.” Velez said he was floored when he realized the CNN report he’d just heard on a Navy spy was about his travel buddy.
“Whoa! I did not know that,” he said after being informed by The Daily Beast. “I’m like in shock right now.”
A charging document released by the Navy on Monday doesn’t specify to which country Lin is suspected of divulging classified information, but officials told The Daily Beast that it was Tawain and not China, as had been previously suggested in reports. Where that information traveled after Lin is accused of handing it over remains unclear.
But in online postings, Lin seemed to hardly be a fan of China’s revolutionary hero Mao Zedong.
“Fierce?! I thought we straight man don’t use that word in a sentence,” he commented on a photo of Chinese soldiers. “BTW, there is a little Mao’s fist in their ass so that’s why they look like that.”
On the website Goodreads, Lin said he recently read Mao: The Unknown Story, a highly critical book by Jung Chang and historian Jon Halliday. He also read the Hunger Games series.
Lin’s sister, Jenny Lin, told The Daily Beast in a brief phone conversation that her brother was innocent of the charges. “The only thing I can say is that he’s a proud and patriotic American who would never harm his country,” Lin said. “Eddy would never do this thing they accused him of doing.”
Lin said her brother was represented by an attorney but that she would not disclose that person’s name until her brother was “prepared to speak to the media.” A Navy spokesperson also confirmed that Lin is represented by counsel but wouldn’t say who.
Reached by phone, Lin’s brother-in-law declined to comment on the case.
In an interview with an official military publication, Lin said that he left Taiwan when he was 14 and upon arriving at an American school, his 20-letter Chinese name was too long, so he gave himself the only American name he knew: Eddy.
“Whether it is economical, political, social, or religious reasons,” Lin said at the time, “I do know that by becoming a citizen of the United States of America, you did it to better your life and the life of your family.”
Throughout his military career, Lin held a number of jobs that gave him access to insights about aircraft signals intelligence. He worked on the Navy’s intelligence gathering aircraft, the EP-3E.
It was not immediately clear whether Lin was accused of providing technical information about that aircraft or another. In addition to two counts of espionage and three counts of attempted espionage, he is charged with three counts of making false official statements, and five counts of communicating defense information “to a person not entitled to receive said information.”
A spokesperson for the Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, based in Norfolk, Virginia, told The Daily Beast that Lin is assigned there. For the past eight months, he has been held in Chesapeake, Virginia, at a military brig, awaiting a decision by the U.S. military about whether he should face a court-martial.
Lin was formally charged at an Article 32 hearing on Friday, the military equivalent of a grand jury indictment. A military tribunal now has 10 days to make a recommendation to the commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces, Adm. Phil Davis, on whether to pursue a court-martial against Lin.
The decision is ultimately up to Davis, who could recommend a form of so-called non-judicial punishment, the equivalent of administrative discipline. But two defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was all but certain given the severity of the allegations that Lin would face a court-martial. |
Hollywood starlet Scarlett Johansson has quit her role as an “ambassador” for Oxfam International after the global charity criticized her for appearing in a Sodastream commercial that was prepared for the Super Bowl. Sodastream, an Israeli company that manufactures do-it-yourself carbonated beverage systems, has been targeted by the anti-Israel left because it has a factory in Ma’ale Adumim, an eastern suburb of Jerusalem that lies across the 1949 armistice line, and hence inside the West Bank, which Palestinians claim as their own.
Though it is widely understood that Ma’ale Adumim and its roughly 40,000 residents would remain part of Israel in any likely peace agreement with the Palestinians, Palestinians have long opposed its construction and continue to demand its removal. Sodastream, like other Israeli companies, has been criticized for several years by the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Oxfam has not officially endorsed the BDS movement, but openly opposes trade with Israeli companies doing business in the West Bank.
Johansson had rejected earlier criticism of her Sodastream ad by noting that the company “is not only committed to the environment but to building a bridge to peace between Israel and Palestine, supporting neighbors working alongside each other, receiving equal pay, equal benefits and equal rights.” She also said that she is “a supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine.”
The racy ad was initially rejected because of disparaging references to Coke and Pepsi, which are now cut out.
The BDS movement put Oxfam under intense pressure. Johansson is not the first celebrity to part ways with Oxfam over Israel and Sodastream: BDS activists pushed Oxfam to drop Italian celebrity Paola Maugeri in 2012, for example.
Though conservatives have come to view Johansson skeptically because of her enthusiastic role in boosting Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, and her recent campaigns for Obamacare, her strong and ongoing defense of Israel against pressure from the far-left BDS movement may win back some fans. |
LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - New Hampshire’s Democratic governor on Thursday vetoed a bill passed by the Republican-controlled legislature that would legalize medical marijuana in the state, bucking a trend towards legalization in New England.
Governor John Lynch said the measure did not provide sufficient restrictions on the cultivation and prescription of marijuana. He also opposes provisions authorizing teenagers to use it for treatment.
“I cannot support establishing a system for the use of medical marijuana that poses risks to the patient, lacks adequate oversight and funding, and risks the proliferation of a serious drug,” Lynch said.
For the moment, Lynch’s move halts the spread of medical marijuana dispensaries in New England.
Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Vermont have all legalized pot for medical use in recent years. Massachusetts voters will decide whether to legalize use in a ballot measure in November.
Nineteen states have passed laws allowing marijuana use for medical purposes.
“The legalization efforts in New England have really been the area that is the most active in recent years,” said Keith Stroup, legal counsel at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
The New Hampshire bill passed by a more than 2 to 1 margin in the state House of Representatives this year, but only narrowly passed the Senate, making prospects for a veto override unlikely. |
On the September 3 episode of JTBC’s “Night Goblin,” the cast members traveled to Busan and stayed up all night to be the first customers to eat at a famous ramyun restaurant.
Before the ramyun restaurant opened, the cast members decided to also try out toast breakfast sandwiches from a popular toast food truck. The mission was to buy it without getting recognized.
NU’EST member JR went first with just a hat and a pair of sunglasses as his disguise. With 45 minutes left before the food truck opened, JR waited on the street and as soon as he walked up to ask someone for the time, two fangirls immediately recognized him and started screaming. Even though JR failed at his mission, he succeeded in giving the best morning surprise to his fans.
FTISLAND member Lee Hong Ki went next, with also a hat and a pair of sunglasses as his disguise. Unlike JR, he succeeded at his mission of buying toast without getting recognized by anyone. Lee Hong Ki said, “I need to work harder,” at his bittersweet successful mission.
Watch the clip of JR’s incognito toast mission below!
Source (1) |
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Wear Your Brand. Statement Pieces That Start Conversations.
True innovators need to dress like true innovators. A seamless way to flex your personal style is by wearing a gorgeous statement piece that accentuates your personal brand. The right pieces help you feel and be more creative while also helping to start or even convert conversations in your favor.
I personally love tech that doesn’t look like clunky, awkward cyberpunk. Beautiful design that also offers efficiency is always dreamy in my book. First up, cufflinks that look good but hold secret superpowers.
Hot Spot Cufflinks | RAVI RATAN
($250) Lack of WiFi doesn’t have to be a creative buzzkill anymore. These 2GB USB/WiFi Hotspot Cufflinks in a polished silver oval design come with a software download that allows you to access hotspots and have high-speed wireless internet for your smartphone or other wireless device. For those of us who need to stay connected on the go in style. Available through Cufflinks.com |
Written by Mike Hohnen on September 6, 2012
There has been closure today for the family, biological and otherwise, of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray. An Iowa-based doctor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after it was discovered that he had been over-prescribing medication to his patients, one of which being Gray.
The Des Moines Register (Via Loudwire) has reported that Physician Daniel Baldi has been found guilty of “unintentionally causing the death of Paul Gray by the commission of an act likely to cause death or serious injury, to-wit, continually wrote high-dose prescription narcotics to a known drug addict from 12/27/2005 until his death.”
A postmortem examination found that Gray had excessive amounts of both morphine and fentanyl in his system as well as suffering from a very advanced heart condition. The court has decided that had Baldi not supplied the amount of drugs he did, Gray would still be alive.
The long-term Slipknot Bassist was found dead in a hotel in Urbandale, Iowa, on May 24, 2010, aged 38. The band were shattered by the news and after assessing their situation, decided to push on, both for Gray, but also for themselves: curating their own festival, working on their new album and also releasing a best-of album very recently. The band has recruited Donnie Steele to handle the bass.
Baldi’s lawyer has argued that the decision is unprecedented in the state of Iowa and plan on challenging the ruling. Watch this space as more developments.
Update: The Clown has spoken: “Hopefully Justice Will Be Served” – Read more |
Low-cost airline Nok Air, whose operations are mainly domestic, has received approval from the telecom regulator to offer in-flight broadband connectivity and voice calls for passengers.
Nok Air will need to install a WiFi system in its fleet to go online. KRIT PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN
The telecom committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) gave the nod yesterday after the budget airline asked for a Type 1 operating licence to provide an in-flight WiFi internet service.
Nok Air is the second airline to have received approval from the NBTC to provide in-flight broadband services after Thai Airways International (THAI).
NBTC vice-secretary-general Korkij Danchaivichit said Nok Air must start providing WiFi and voice call services on board flights within one year after receiving approval.
The Type 1 licence is valid for five years and is for operators with no telecom network of their own. The licence fee is 0.25% of total revenue plus another 3.75% for a universal service obligation fee.
The service is a collaboration with Thaicom Plc, the SET-listed satellite communications service provider, and Global Eagle Entertainment Inc, a US-based provider of satellite-based in-flight WiFi and device-based entertainment.
Mr Korkij said Nok Air needs to install a WiFi system in its fleet to go online, while THAI's jets are already equipped with satellite-based WiFi systems.
Several airlines are on the verge of applying for a licence to provide in-flight broadband services to increase the appeal to passengers, particularly the new generation who insist on connectivity.
Thai AirAsia said last month that it has been outfitting its fleet of Airbus 320 jetliners with satellite-based WiFi that could come online this year, depending on resolving sticky issues involving state regulations and regulatory processes.
Mr Korkij said the NBTC will grant Type 1 licences only to those companies that are registered in Thailand to comply with the Frequency Allocation Act. |
Natio nal Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange have doubled down recently on the games being played in cyberspace by America ‘s cyber-warriors.
Snowden suggests that many of NSA’s most damaging malware programs are now in the hands of America’s opponents, thanks to enterprising foreign counter-intelligence hackers known as the Shadow Brokers. there will be more hacked bombshells to drop on Team Clinton, courtesy of weak security in Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign computer systems.
We have entered a new phase of cyber-warfare, one in which America’s (and Israel’s) most damaging computer hacking and disruption programs are available to anyone willing to pay in Bitcoins on the cyber-black market. The Democratic Party’s leaked emails, coupled with the leaked State Department cables, has Hillary Clinton in an outrage.
These disclosures, along with the Snowden disclosures that illustrate how America spies on friend and foe, have opened the Black Box of America’s propaganda machine.
Two of the three culprits Mrs. Clinton would like to see in prison for the rest of their lives are, for the time being, outside of Gulag America.
Snowden is enjoying political asylum in Russia
is enjoying political asylum in Russia Assange has asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
has asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Chelsea Manning, is serving a 35-year prison term at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas and allegedly recently attempted suicide.
Paul Ceglia, who claims to have been the co-founder of Facebook, says he is on the run from the CIA after he filed suit against Facebook and its owner Mark Zuckerberg. Although Zuckerberg admits to having a past business relationship with Ceglia, the US Justice Department criminally charged Ceglia for trying to defraud Facebook after the former associate of Zuckerberg brought a civil suit in federal court in Buffalo against the company. Interestingly, Facebook has donated more money to Hillary Clinton than any other presidential candidate. But what is really at issue in the bizarre case is that Ceglia claims that Facebook’s seed money came from the CIA’s venture capital firm IN-Q-TEL, a charge to which WMR can attest after compiling a massive list of CIA front companies and proprietaries in the soon-to-be-published book: “The Almost Classified Guide to CIA Front Companies, Proprietaries and Contractors.”
[Ed Note: The central contribution of S. Freud was to say that to discuss something with one other TRUSTED person with free speech and association was the core therapeutic principle to reprogramming obsolete programs from traumatic events in the past. Edward Bernays was the founder of the application of psychoanalysis to commercial and political systems. Bernays was the nephew of Freud and both being German Jews arouse from the same cultural origins. Freud did his original analysis on himself with a neurologist in another city and he seldom talked to in person giving right to sitting behind the patient. There were no emails and telephone let alone video teleconferencing in the day.
“All men are liars” so says the scriptures and Freud took that fact called them DEFENSIVE MECHANISMS to avoid the pejorative term. Freud was trying to get over a Cocaine addiction and was focused on that which he died of in later years with tobacco addiction. Refutation of the adverse interest in the discussion led to “interpretations” which disclosed the lies of the defense of brain and allowed for the release of authentic identity which relieved the symptoms with daily sessions in seven years of time.
Edward Bernays was a commercial minded person and had no training or interest in medicine or psychiatry or “getting people better”. Rather Bernays wanted to exploit and manipulate the lies of behavior to get religious, propaganda, false flag, and financial commercial benefit forhimself and his clients, such as Joseph Goebbels, and the fair haired boys of public relations marketing the selling of wishes to the mass group psychology now perpetrating exploitation on mob psychology.
Now Think of the media MSM , TV, radio, newspapers, internet and NSA, CIA and mass crow theater of Super bowl and big arena sports. No wonder the Super Bowl half time is a symbolic celebration of NWO globalist mentality of Edward Bernays.
This to the point that recreation is no relating to our family, supporting the spouse, and teaching the children, but looking into the BERNAY’S BOX the computer and TV to be entertained by followers of Edward Bernays. With the dissolution of all currency of nation states all motivation will be controlled by INFORMATION digital driven alone only 8% is printed now anyway.
As I give webinars on the psycho-cybernetics of the use of the computer of the brain, I use Bernay’s tactics to motivate to people in this instance to stop using drugs, at first like cocaine, like Freud.
The CIA and its partners at Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and other social media firms have striven to control the new media in the same manner that the CIA controlled the “old media” through operations like MOCKINGBIRD. During the Cold War era, the CIA claimed that all the world’s ills were due to Communist front organizations that influenced the media. The truth is that the so-called “fronts” often provided actual accounts of the misdeeds of the CIA and other Western intelligence agencies. However, with U.S. newspapers, magazines, and broadcast networks carrying the water of the CIA, it was Langley’s interpretation of the news that made Western headlines. The “Communist” reports were relegated to the nether regions of “Soviet disinformation” campaigns and “active measures.” The CIA laughably put out a periodical report on such “disinformation” tactics. In reality, what was called “disinformation” was actually bona fide news.
Today, when the CIA wants to debase a news article, it uses such operations as Snopes.com and Wikipedia to engage in CIA disinformation tactics. Uncomfortable truthful news items are quickly dispatched with the term “conspiracy theory.”
There is little doubt that Facebook, Wikipedia, and
Snopes are part of a “new MOCKINGBIRD”
designed for the digital age.
Like them or not, Snowden, Assange, Manning, Ceglia, and others have pulled the veil off of the new MOCKINGBIRD.
A formerly Secret February 1987 CIA report on Soviet disinformation tactics illustrates that what was described then as “propaganda” was, in fact, the truth.
The CIA called baseless charges in a Soviet book that Jonestown, Guyana was a CIA behavioral control operation. It was.
The Soviets accused Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) of having the goal of weaponizing outer space. Not only was that the goal then, but it remains the goal of present incarnations of SDI.
The Soviets and the Afghan president, Najibullah of the Afghan Communist Party, said that they reached out to 50,000 Afghan mujaheddin in Afghanistan and Pakistan, who agreed to lay down their arms and join a coalition government, with eight opposition parties joining the Communists. The CIA and Western media called the news bogus. It was true with television footage of Afghan refugees returning to their homeland from India. The Soviets wanted an internationally-guaranteed neutral Afghanistan before withdrawing their troops. The CIA wanted a radical Islamic Afghanistan from which to launch attacks on the southern Soviet Union. That decision came back to bite the United States on September 11, 2001.
The CIA accused the Sandinista government of Nicaragua and the Soviets of being behind the Christian “Evangelical Committee for Development Aid” as a Communist front group. If so, it would have been the first time Communists and Christian evangelicals broke bread together. The CIA’s charge was fatuously false.
The Soviets accused the U.S. of using Africans as test subjects for a new AIDS vaccine. This charge has been proven with Africans being used as “guinea pigs” for various new vaccines in programs funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, Pfizer Corporation, and other entities linked to CIA biological and genetic warfare operations.
In 1987, the CIA accused newspapers in 15 African countries of publishing Soviet “disinformation.” Today, through the use of Wikipedia and Snopes.com, the CIA uses the same tactics to accuse various websites of trafficking in “conspiracy theories.”
Articles in two Bolivian newspapers that stated that the U.S. Information Service in La Paz was trying to recruit Bolivian journalists to write pro-Pentagon articles were deemed by the CIA to be bogus. The CIA charge was false and it included smearing the Federation of Bolivian Press Workers as a Communist front. That is the usual practice by the CIA when it’s caught red-handed.
The Soviet news agency Novosti was accused of running a false article titled, “The Relationship Between Journalists and the CIA: Hundreds of Them in International Press.” The article was spot on.
The CIA charged as Soviet disinformation charges that the CIA killed nine nonaligned leaders, including Indian Prime Ministers Indira and Rajiv Gandhi. In fact, the CIA has killed many more than nine nonaligned leaders.
In the digital world of YouTube, Facebook, Google, and other social and news media sites, the CIA continues its game of disinformation while accusing others of conducting the same game plan. Some three decades after the Cold War, the CIA’s charges of Soviet disinformation can now be seen as disinformation in their own right.
In late June of 2013, as United States leaders were publicly labeling him as a “coward” and a “traitor”, Edward Snowden was hiding from authorities in Hong Kong. Terminal F: Chasing Edward Snowden dramatizes the pulse pounding moments prior to and in the aftermath of this moment. Just three weeks earlier, he nervously handed over nearly a million top secret documents from the National Security Agency (NSA) to journalists from the world’s most renowned newspapers. These classified materials painted a frightening picture of a U.S. government whose surveillance activities far exceeded constitutional boundaries, and whose efforts worked to sabotage the interests of ordinary citizens they were sworn to protect. Once the documents were revealed to the world and Snowden’s identity was exposed, a massive global manhunt ensued. Around every corner, Snowden never knew when he might be arrested or even killed. He was an enemy of the state now. The United States government – made weak and hostile from the revelations revealed in the leaked documents – was diligent in their attempts to arrange extradition back to their country so Snowden could face the legal consequences of his actions. In the end, a simple clerical error might have been the only factor that helped him evade harm or capture. Strikingly photographed and sharply edited, Terminal F: Chasing Edward Snowden presents a solid primer on his position at the NSA, his motivations for exposing sensitive and potentially damaging materials, and the reality of living as one of the most notorious whistleblowers in American history. It’s well-trodden territory, but the film provides fresh and revealing insights along the way, thanks to interviews with his father, his co-workers, former NSA Director Michael Hayden, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, reporter Glenn Greenwald, and Snowden himself. Whether you believe Snowden to be a sinner or a saint, the film will likely prove most enlightening in its minutia. Benefiting from the moment by moment perspectives of figures from both sides of the story, the narrative plays out like an all-too-real game of cat and mouse. We’re given a tangible sense of what it must feel like to be a hunted man. Directed by: John Goetz, Poul-Erik Heilbuth |
After 8 months, two Steve Prefontaine Movies battle it out for top honors
By LetsRun.com
December 2001
8 months ago we started our LetsRun.com Best Running Movie of All-Time Voting. We started with 18 movies, narrowed the field down to 8 movies in the first round of voting, then pitted the remaining movies against each other one on one NCAA tournament basketball style, until we narrowed the field to our two finalists, Steve Prefontaine: Fire on the Track and Without Limits. After sitting on the results for 5 months, we’re proud to announce that the Best Running Movie of All-Time is Steve Prefontaine Fire on the Track (a movie which unbelievably we haven’t seen).
We suspect a lot of track and field afficionados haven’t seen Fire on the Track. (Fire on the Track was only in 4th place after our first round of voting when viewers could vote for their 4 favorite movies). However, this movie apparently is a must see, as those that have seen it, love it as it came out on top in the final rounds when it was pitted head to head versus the advancing running movies which were more widely seen by voters. Fire on the Track came out on top over an Academy Award winning film, Chariots of Fire in the semi-finals, and in the finals triumphed over Without Limits, the Steve Prefontaine movie that had big screen publicity and Tom Cruise as a producer.
And Fire on the Track’s triumph over more widely publicized films is exactly why we wanted our viewers to settle the issue of what the best running movie of all-time was. We did not care what Hollywood or the Academy thought. We wanted to know what our hard core running viewers thought was the best running movie of all-time. And now we know. Fire on the Track is a documentary on Steve Prefontaine, America’s top distance runner in the 1970’s whose front running style, brashness, and American records from 2,000m to 10,000m captivated the American track public like no other distance runner. He narrowly missed an Olympic medal in 1972 and then his life was tragically cut short in a car accident. Fire on the Track is excellently produced, has in depth footage of the 1972 Olympic 5k final, with comments from Prefontaine’s competitors.
Update!!!: Now Available on DVD
Buy the DVD on sale from Amazon.com
Running Movies 2 through 10 below,
with contest recap at bottom of page.
Running Movies 2 through 10 below, with contest recap at bottom of page.
Below: Fire on the Track’s Path to Victory
After 1st Round Semi-Finals Finals Winner (1) Chariots of Fire 47% (8) Jim Ryun 14% (1) Chariots of Fire (4) Fire on the Track 43% (5) Endurance 39% (4) Fire on the Track FIRE ON THE TRACK
51%-49% (3) Running Brave 44% (2) Without Limits (6) Prefontaine 34% (3) Running Brave (2) Without Limits 46% (7) Jericho Mile 20%
Note: We get a small commission if you purchase the videos above from our partners. |
Aston Villa fans' most expensive away ticket for a Premier League game last season cost £43
A supporters' group says English Football League fans are "angry" about the cost of tickets for away games, with some paying 40% more than Premier League prices.
In March, Premier League clubs agreed to cap away ticket prices at £30.
But seven of the Championship's 24 teams will be charging more than that for their first away game this season.
Aston Villa fans at Sheffield Wednesday face the highest cost, with the cheapest adult ticket selling for £42.
The cost has prompted Villa fans to arrange protests at the game, with some planning to attend wearing robbers' masks at Hillsborough.
'There's a lot of anger at the moment'
The Premier League's decision to cap prices at £30 for the next three seasons came in during a campaign in which admission prices for away fans peaked at £85 for the most expensive adult ticket.
A spokesman for the Football Supporters' Federation, Liam Thompson, says some clubs outside the top flight "treat away fans as an opportunity to make as much money as they possibly can".
In League One, Sheffield United's supporters are paying the most of any team in their division for their season opening trip to Bolton Wanderers, with entry to the Macron Stadium costing £30.
Huddersfield Town, Burton Albion and Reading offer the cheapest tickets to visiting fans in the Championship for their first home games at £20, while Gillingham and Crawley charge the lowest amount in League One and League Two respectively at £16.
"There's a lot of anger at the moment I think this season, particularly because the prices in the EFL [the new name for the Football League] have been thrown into sharp contrast against the Premier League," Thompson told BBC Sport.
"But there's lots of clubs who are doing a lot of good things, Reading have capped their away ticket prices at £20.
"So there are clubs in the Championship and in the EFL who have shown it is possible to give affordable away tickets to fans even outside of the Premier League's TV money bonanza."
Owls prices 'successful' with fans
In contrast to falling prices in the top division, Aston Villa fans travelling to Hillsborough will pay £12 more than the £30 Premier League cap.
At £42, entry costs three pounds more than the most expensive away ticket in the second tier last season.
But a spokesman for the EFL said in March that its clubs offered "excellent value for money", and added that ticket sales make up a greater proportion of revenue for teams outside the Premier League.
A statement from Sheffield Wednesday said pricing for their season opening game was dictated by demand and calibre of opposition, with Villa playing in the second tier for the first time since 1987-88.
"Sheffield Wednesday have in place a flexible ticketing structure that we implemented last season, whereby each fixture is categorised and priced respectively," the club said.
"This strategy worked very successfully amongst our fan base in 2015-16, borne out by a significantly increased average attendance at Hillsborough, and as such will be extended into the new season.
"The first game of what promises to be an exciting campaign for both ourselves and Aston Villa was priced accordingly and we are pleased to say there will be an attendance in excess of 28,000, with fantastic support from both clubs." |
As unlikely as it might sound, Macaroni Pie is a staple dish of Trinidad (where my parents are from). This is my version of the caribbean classic.
While it can be served as an indulgent main for 4-6, in Trinidad it’s more commonly cooled then chopped into squares as a party/BBQ/beach snack.
While certainly no health food, it’s calcium rich so good for growing kids and breast feeding mums (in both cases, chillies optional).
For a slightly fancier version, use a homemade Béchamel sauce. I suspect evaporated milk was considered more convenient to store at home, in a country with a hot climate and frequent power cuts…
Always a big hit, this is the ONLY way to eat macaroni – in our house at least. ;).
INGREDIENTS:
Pie
500g Macaroni
2 eggs
250g cheddar cheese (or similar), grated.
400ml tin evaporated milk (can be doubled for extra rich version)
1 onion
150g Bacon (about 6 slices)
2-4 Chillies (2 gives little kick, but more the merrier)
Olive oil
Crust
Breadcrumbs (about 2-3 slices worth, crusts removed)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoon(s) black treacle
1 teaspoon English mustard (powder)
1 tablespoon demerara sugar
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180c. Boil macaroni VERY al dente in salted water. Drain & cool. Fry bacon in olive oil until all fat rendered. Remove bacon, retaining fat/oil in pan. Mix in the crust ingredients with the oil in pan. Finely chop bacon. In a small blender, mince onion and chillies with a little evaporated milk to loosen up mixture. Mix in lightly beaten eggs, then salt & pepper. Combine this mixture with macaroni. Stir in bacon, the rest of the evaporated milk and most of the cheese, retaining some to sprinkle on top. Pour everything into a greased oven dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, followed by crust mixture. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Leave to cool/set for at least 15-20 minutes, but best served next day cold.
Ideal accompaniments include tomato ketchup, or usually served in Trinidad with Tabasco sauce. |
Did someone say "free"? View this email in your browser Le français suit FREE BIKE TUNE-UPS AT OTTAWA CITY HALL May 2015
Mondays to Fridays
9 am to 4:30 pm (closed week of May 18 to 24) Bring your bike to Ottawa City Hall for a quick tune-up by a professional bike mechanics from Right Bike and Cycle Salvation. We'll take a look at your brakes, gear shifting, wheels, tires and other adjustments make sure that you are ready to ride. These are quick free tune ups, so there may be procedures and replacement parts that you will need that are beyond what can be done on site. But that’s okay! We will tell you exactly what needs to be done and to refer you to a fine bike shop in your own neighbourhood that can help you.
This project is being carried out in proud partnership with the Safer Roads Ottawa Program of the City of Ottawa. MISE AU POINT GRATUITE DE VÉLOS Mai 2015 Les jours de semaine en mai
De 9 h à 18 h 30 (Fermé du 18 au 22 mai) Apportez votre vélo à l’hôtel de ville d’Ottawa pour profiter d’un entretien rapide effectué par des spécialistes d’entretien de vélos de Right Bike et Cycle Salvation. Ces derniers vérifieront les freins, le système de changement de vitesse, les roues, les pneus et d’autres ajustements sur votre vélo afin de s’assurer que vous êtes prêt à rouler. Il s’agit d’une vérification rapide et gratuite. Il se pourrait donc que vous deviez suivre d’autres procédures ou remplacer des pièces, ce qui ne pourrait se faire sur place. Mais ne vous inquiétez pas! Les spécialistes vous diront exactement ce que vous devez faire et vous serez référé à une boutique de vélo de confiance directement dans votre voisinage. IN OTHER NEWS... Our bike share service is launching throughout this month. We've been working with local technology company Iversoft Solutions with the support of the City of Ottawa to bring a new system that will allow our users to buy memberships and passes online. It's gonna be great. As part of the Ottawa Bicycle Academy, DIY nights are back and we are calling them Office Hours. They are better than ever thanks to the support of our team of amazing volunteers consisting of Murray, Rhéal, Trish and Doug.
Office Hours are now every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6 to 9 pm at 1A McCormick Street. Only $5 an hour. This winter we launched the Ottawa Bicycle Academy with our very first full-time mechanics course for youth working to overcome barriers to employment with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure.
They graduated in March and have gone on to employment with such fine local bike shops as Bushtukah, Kunstadt Sports, Full Cycle, Jo Mamas Cycles and Right Bike.
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The Greek Civil War
Civil War in Greece
Date: February 1945
Source: Fourth International, Volume VI, No. 2 (Whole No. 51)
Author: The Editors of Fourth International
Transcribed/HTML: Mike B. for MIA, 2005
Proofread by: H. Antonn
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2005). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
1. Greece Up To The Metaxas Dictatorship
Greece is undoubtedly among the most backward and poorest countries of Europe. For over a century it has been condemned to the status of a semi-colony of the major European Powers. Foreign kings have been imposed on the Greek people and have exercised their oppressive rule for the benefit of the foreign bankers and the small clique of Greek capitalists and landowners. The Greek people have been ground down under a terrible weight of poverty. The per capita income of the average Greek is 17% that of the average British income. The wealth of the country has been skimmed off by the western bankers and the Greek capitalists. Little remained for the masses. But despite the economic backwardness and extreme poverty, Greece gave birth, as the present civil war testifies, to one of the most dynamic and revolutionary working classes of Europe. The Greek workers, deeply courageous and self-sacrificing, stepped forward, after the last war, as the leader, the only possible leader of the masses in its struggle for progress and emancipation. The revolutionary movement is developing in Greece with such vigor, it can be safely predicted that regardless of what difficulties and setbacks may be in store, Greece is destined to play an heroic part in the great European revolution, in the struggles of the European peoples for their emancipation.
The history of modern Greece as an independent state dates back less than 120 years. Under the inspiration of the great French revolution, a wave of nationalism swept over Europe at the start of the 19th century. Beginning with the Serb revolt in 1804, national revolution blazed for a century in the Balkans, finally sweeping Turkey back to the western defenses of Constantinople in 1913. The Greeks, who preserved their national consciousness and culture for over 800 years under Turkish rule, raised the banner of revolt against the Ottoman empire in 1821. The Greek War of Independence, which dragged on for over eight years, evoked the greatest enthusiasm and won the wholehearted support of revolutionists and liberals throughout Europe. England, France and Russia, anxious to bring the revolutionary war to a close, finally came to an agreement with the Sultan in 1829 to recognize a small independent Greece, a fraction of present-day Greece, with a population of no more than 600,000.
The new tiny Greek state was certainly launched in an inauspicious manner. The vast majority of Greeks still lived outside its borders. The financial situation was desperate. Greece already owed the sum of $15,000,000 to the British banks. The financial debt was further increased by the expenses of the long war with Turkey. Another loan had to be floated in 1833 to set the country on its feet. The oppressive taxes leveled on the peasantry by the new government drove many to take to the hills. Brigandage, which has a long history throughout the Balkans, once more took on serious proportions.
The three "Protecting Powers" who had underwritten the new state immediately began hunting around for a suitable king for the country. They first offered the crown to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, who later became King of the Belgians. But he declined. The Allied diplomats finally settled on Prince Otho of Bavaria, 17 years old when he ascended the newly-created Greek throne. Of course, the Greeks had not fought for eight years a bloody costly war to exchange the Turkish Sultan for a 17-year old Bavarian Prince. The three "Protecting Powers" assured the Greeks, however, that a constitution would be promulgated. This promise, like so many others, was never kept. The National Assembly, which was supposed to draw up the constitution, was never summoned. The country continued to be ruled as a royal dictatorship by a Regency of 3 Bavarians.
The Revolution of 1862
The Greek people were bitterly disappointed that their overthrow of the Turkish oppressors had brought them not freedom but the dictatorial rule of Bavarian princes, acting as clerks for the British, French and Russian ruling classes. In 1843, a new revolt spread over Greece and forced King Otho to call the National Assembly and promulgate a Constitution. This too remained largely a dead letter and 20 years later in 1862, a popular revolution forced the King off the throne. Otho abdicated and left Greece on a British warship.
The. three "Protecting Powers" promptly set to work to find a new king for the Greeks. Their choice finally fell on Prince William George of Denmark, also 17 years of age. As continued financial support to Greece depended upon acceptance of the Monarch, the Greek National Assembly approved the decision. To soften the blow to the Greek masses, who had just staged an anti-monarchist revolution, the British Government announced that along with the King they would cede to Greece the Ionian island, and the three "Protecting Powers" likewise undertook to remit 20,000 a year from the interest of the loan of 1833, which sum, however, was to be added to the King's Civil List. Now that the new king was safely installed, the British bankers floated a new loan for Greece. To underline the country's utter subservience to the Powers, the Treaty of 1864 expressly laid down that any one of the three Powers might send troops into Greek territory with the consent of the other two signatories. rhe consent of Greece was not necessary.
Here was the balance sheet of thirty years of Greek Independence: the Greek nation encompassed no more than a fraction of the Greek people and it was hopelessly bankrupt and mortgaged to the British bankers. In truth, its independence was largely fictitious. It was in reality a semi- colony of Britain, France and Russia, forced to tolerate the rule of a foreign prince imposed upon it by its bond-holding "liberators" or as they dubbed themselves in those days, the 'Protecting Powers." The history of Greece epitomizes the fate of all the Balkan peoples as indeed of all small nations — the impossibility for small nations to achieve under capitalism real independence, as distinguished from formal political independence.
Greece, like the other Balkan nations, was caught in the web of the struggle for Empire on the part of the major Powers. England and France, fearful of Russian expansion toward the Mediterranean, fought Russia in the Crimean war to prolong the existence of the Turkish Empire, and thus perpetuate Turkish oppression of the nations in the Near East. It was the studied diplomatic policy of England and France that the Turkish Empire had to be preserved for the maintenance of "stability" and the proper "balance of power" in Eastern Europe. Czarist Russia, the "prison- house of peoples," despite its territorial ambitions, likewise feared and betrayed the national revolutionary movements in the Balkans. Thus, for over half a century, the Powers thwarted all attempts on the part of the Greek people in Crete, Thessaly, Epirus, the Aegean islands etc. to unite with the mother country. Again and again they dispatched their fleets to prevent secessions from the Turkish Empire. This century-old conspiracy of the major Powers to prevent the small nationalities of Eastern Europe from attaining national independence; to artificially prop up the Turkish Empire, "the sick man of Europe"; to play off the Balkan countries one against the other, the better to keep them suservient, has gone down in western diplomacy under the euphonious title of the "Eastern Question."
By the 'eighties, a new factor had entered Greek politics: the emergence of a capitalist class becoming richer and more powerful than the landowners. Trikoupis, Greece's first great capitalist statesman, came to power in 1882. Greece experienced a brief period of capitalist expansion, a pale reflection of the enormous progress of capitalism in western Europe. With the aid of British capital, the railway system was extended, the Corinth Canal was opened, new public works were begun. By 1893, the bubble had already burst. A devastating economic crisis swept Greece, resulting in the first large scale emigration to the United States. Four years later, the revolution in Crete against Turkey and for unification with Greece brought on Greece's war with Turkey. For thirty years, Crete had been fighting to reunite with Greece but had always been thwarted by the "Powers." The 1896 revolution in Crete produced a wave of nationalism in Greece; Greek troops were dispatched to the island and Greece was soon at war with Turkey. Greece suffered disastrous defeat. Turkish troops occupied Thessaly for a year. Greece lost its strategical positions along its northern frontier and was forced to pay the huge indemnity of 20,000,000. The Turkish war made complete its vassalage to the European bankers.
Financial Bankruptcy
From 1833 to 1862 Greece was barely able to pay back short-term loans and to meet the interest on its indebtedness contracted during the War of Independence and in 1833. From 1862 to 1893 the effort to meet interest due the foreign bond-holders together with the annual budget deficits lead to complete bankruptcy. Greece was no longer able to meet the interest payments and set aside the amounts called for to pay off the principal. The disastrous war of 1897 finished off the process. The European bond-holders declared that the payment of the Turkish indemnity could not take priority over their bond payments nor would they grant another loan unless the three "Protecting Powers" guaranteed it. This time, in guaranteeing the new loan, the "Protecting Powers" stripped Greece of its sovereign powers. An International Finance Commission virtually took charge of Greek finances and guaranteed payment of the war indemnity and interest on the National Debt. Crete, whose national revolution led to the Graeco-Turkish war, was put under International control, with the island divided into British, French, Russian and Italian spheres. Greece's humiliation was complete.
Ten years later, the Greek capitalists made an heroic effort to convert Greece into a modern capitalist state. The emergence of a strong bourgeois class in the Near-East and the growing rivalry and conflict of the Western imperialists brought to a climax the century-old struggles of the Balkan peoples. In 1908, the Turkish Committee of Union and Progress (Young Turk Movement) composed of the secondary army officers and supported by the Turkish bourgeoisie issued a Pronunciamento and forced the establishment of Constitutional government in Turkey. The rise of Turkish nationalism gave birth to a new oppression of the Greeks and Armenians in Turkey. Economic boycotts were organized against Greek merchants and ship-owners, some of the wealthiest of whom resided in Constantinople, Smyrna and the interior of Asia Minor. The Greek capitalist class, both of Greece and Turkey, alarmed at this development, embarked on their heroic attempt to reunite Greece and hurl the Turks out of Europe. The following year, 1909, a "Military League", in imitation of the Young Turk movement, was organized in Greece and under threat of a coup d'etat demanded a Constitutional government of the Greek Monarchy. The court camarilla capitulated. 1910 marks the beginning of Constitutional government in Greece. The Military League called the Cretan national revolutionist, Venizelos, into Greece, to head the government. Venizelos, who dominated Greek politics for the next two decades, became Greece's capitalist statesman par excellence. He founded the Liberal Party, the authentic party of Greek capitalism, which now began to rule in its own name.
The Venizelos Reforms
Under Venizelos the government was reorganized from top to bottom along modern capitalist lines. The "spoils system" was abolished, civil service was reformed, agrarian reform was introduced with the division of the feudal estates in Thessaly. Foreign experts were called in to reorganize Greek finances: a British naval mission reorganized the navy, a French military mission reorganized the army. Education was made free, compulsory and universal. A new public works program of road and railway construction was begun. The capitalists, under Venizelos, were striving mightily to create a modern capitalist state.
Two years later the Balkan Alliance between Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria was sealed and the three countries hurled their armies against Turkey. The Turkish army was crushed. Then in 1913, Greece in alliance with Serbia fought the second Balkan war against its ex-ally, Bulgaria, for the lion's share of the spoils and again Greece emerged victorious. Venizelos became a national hero. Greece had grown to a nation of 6,000,000, ten times its original population. Greece now included Crete, most of the Aegean islands, the Epirus, Thessaly and even parts of non-Greek Macedonia. The struggle for Greek unity was almost complete. From 1910 to 1915 Greek foreign commerce increased from 300,000,000 to 500,000,000 drachmae. From 1910 to 1913 the revenues of the Greek government increased by a third.
But all this progress was illusory. It did enrich a small clique of Greek bankers, merchants and shipowners. But it only burdened the already impoverished masses with new taxes and finally plunged Greece into more terrible hunger and crisis. The Greek capitalists could not raise the standard of living of the Greek masses. They only deepened the country's bankruptcy and its subservience to Western Imperialism. The Greek and Serbian victories in the two Balkan wars dislocated the "balance of power", strengthened nationalist aspirations inside the Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires and hastened the outbreak of the World War. Greece was soon occupied by Allied troops. Venizelos, representing the big capitalists, wanted to bring Greece into the war on the Allied side, determined to swim in the sea of imperial intrigues and Big Power conflicts. Just as the Greek capitalists were able to create Greater Greece by means of the two Balkan wars, so now they believed the providential opportunity had arrived to realize their program of Pan-Hellenism, the recreation of a Hellenic empire stretching from Constantinople to the Adriatic. King Constantine and the court camarilla, convinced of Germany's eventual victory, decided to pursue a more modest course and maintain Grecian neutrality during the War of the Giants. Realizing that Constantine could not be pressured into acquiescence in his plans, Venizelos set up a parallel National Government in Salonika, and proceeded with the help of Greek and Allied bankers to set up a new National Army. By 1917, the "Protecting Powers" gave de facto recognition to Venizeks' "revolutionary" government and demanded the abdication of King Constantine. They suddenly reminded themselves that the king had violated his oath to rule as a Constitutional Monarch. The Allies designated his son, Prince Alexander as successor.
Venizelos returned to Athens at the head of French Negro troops. His first act was to suspend the Constitution and rule by Emergency Decrees; a cloud of spies and informers descended upon the country; the prisons were filled with "political suspects"; Greece was placed under Martial Law. The capitalists began to rule under a scarcely disguised police dictatorship, the main method of their rule for the ensuing 23 years.
Under the leadership of Venizelos, the Greek capitalists made the fateful gamble to realize their dream of a modern Hellenic Empire. All of Greece was used as a counter in their desperate game. When the Allies signed their Armistice with Germany, the war first began in deadly earnest as far as the Greek masses were concerned. Venizelos sold the Greek army to the British imperialists to prove his "reliability" and "cooperativeness." He sent 100,000 Greek soldiers into the Ukraine to fight with the forces of General Denikin against the Soviet Government. Then in May 1919 Venizelos, spurred on by Lloyd George, ordered Greek troops to occupy Thrace and Smyrna. The Greek army was soon pressing on to the interior of Asia Minor. Venizelos was pushed forward by the Allies at the San Remo Conference to force Allied terms upon Turkey. In return Greece was promised a further enlargement of territory. The war between Greece and Turkey dragged on. It had already cost $300,000,000 and an enormous number of lives. The newspapermen were remarking cynically that the English at Asia Minor were determined to fight to the last Greek.
In 1922, the French imperialists now at conflict with the British and viewing Greece as simply the tool of British imperialism, armed the Turkish army and enabled it to annihilate the Greek forces. There began the Turkish massacres of the Greek population in Asia Minor and the expulsion of about three-quarter million Greeks from Turkey. To prevent any further atrocities, Greece and Turkey arranged by treaty an "exchange" of populations. Greece was utterly ruined. The country had been at war almost uninterruptedly for ten years. It was hopelessly in bankruptcy. The National Debt had grown to fantastic proportions. The drachma was worthless. The poverty-stricken country of 6 million people was suddenly inundated by the arrival of one and a half million homeless, starving refugees. So ended the great "adventure" of the Greek capitalists.
The Graeco-Turkish war brought to a close the period of Greek irredentism. For a hundred years Greek political life was dominated by the "Great Idea", the aim of annexing the "unredeemed" Greek lands and establishing a united Greek state. It was for this that the people had permitted themselves to be bled white. Now bourgeois Nationalism had bankrupted itself. The Greek bourgeoisie no longer possessed even a glimmer of a progressive mission. A new factor had entered the arena of Greek politics; the working class. Inspired by the Russian revolution, a very influential Communist movement sprang up in Greece. (The Social Democrats were never a very important force in Greece.) The trade unions began growing very rapidly and came under the influence of the young Communist Party. The old battle cries of Nationalism, Republicanism and Constitutionalism now began giving way before the new problem of Greek politics — the struggle between labor and capital. The bourgeoisie, mortally frightened by the red spectre began to unite its ranks. The old political lines between Monarchists and Republicans became more and more blurred. Coalition governments composed of both factions became the rule. Whether under the Republican or Monarchist facade, the capitalists could carry through their program and maintain their rule only by dictatorship and bloody terror. No sooner did the working class enter the political stage as an independent force, than the bourgeoisie turned savagely reactionary. The alliance with foreign imperialism became a life and death necessity for the preservation of its rule over the rebellious masses. Bourgeois democracy was a luxury that the Greek capitalists could no longer afford.
The Economic Crisis
Ever since 1920, Greece has been in the throes of terrible economic crisis. The trade balance sheet had a standing deficit of at least 50%. One quarter of the national income was paid out yearly to meet the National Debt; another 20% for the military establishment, another 14% for the upkeep of the governmental bureaucracy. The already high taxes werq enormously increased. The cost of living sky-rocketed. The capitalists shifted the full burden of military disasters, foreign loans and the upkeep of a huge military establishment onto the shoulders of the already overburdened and impoverished masses.
The Greek masses answered the attempt to drive them down to inhuman levels by militant class action. The Greek working class is relatively small — 400,000 in a country of 7,000,000 people. Greece remains primarily an agricultural country whose peasantry is one of the poorest in all Europe. But even in agricultural Greece, the proletariat quickly stepped forward as the leader of the peasantry and the oppressed masses as a whole. The trade unions embraced one- quarter of the proletariat, about 100,000 with the majority of the unions under the direct influence of the Communist Party. There also grew up a strong peasant cooperative movement, embracing approximately 250,000 members. There existed a number of left agrarian parties but the Communist Party won the dominant influence even among the poor sections of the peasantry. The economic crisis produced a raging political crisis, which reflected itself in the extreme instability of the governmental superstructure. From 1920 until the Metaxas regime in 1936, one political regime followed another with the greatest rapidity. And as none of the bourgeois political parties could find sufficient support in the masses and quickly exhausted themselves in the struggle with the difficulties growing out of the economic bankruptcy of Greece the army again emerged as the regulator of political life. Scarcely a year went by without a coup d'etat or a threatened coup d'etat.
The Greek masses reacted violently against the war and the dictatorship, and decisively defeated Venizelos at the polls in the 1920 election. A plebiscite was rigged up and King Constantine was recalled. Three years later, in an attempt to deflect the anger of the masses and shift responsibility for the tragedy of the Greek defeat in the war with Turkey, Col. Plastiras (who heads the present government) at the head of a Military junta forced the abdication of King Constantine and executed the key Monarchist leaders as punishment for the 1922 disaster. The new King George II was forced to leave the country and in 1924, a new plebiscite was held and the Republic proclaimed. The Republicans and Monarchists united to rule under the Republican banner. But even this unification could not produce stability in the government, as governmental shifts and combinations were powerless to mitigate the economic disaster. The following year, General Pangalos staged a coup d'etat and set up a dictatorship. A year later, appeared a new "strong man", General Kondylis, who organized a new coup d'etat. The capitalists then attempted a new government headed by their old leader Venizelos. But to no avail. The Greek crisis continued to grow worse. By 1930, as the economic crisis convulsed the whole world, Greece was choking to death. Over one-quarter of the entire working class was unemployed. The cost of living in 4 years had increased twenty-fold, while wages had only increased twelve-fold. The people were starving.
The Greek masses began fighting back. Between 90 and 100,000 workers took part in strikes, which largely bore a political character. Simultaneously a peasant movement against taxes spread throughout the countryside. Armed clashes between strikers or insurgent groups of peasants and the Gendarmerie became commonplace. Venizelos replied by passing a bill suppressing the Communist Party and the so-called revolutionary trade unions. (The Stalinists split the Greek trade union movement during the Third Period.) The press was muzzled and the first Emergency Bill for the Security of the State was passed, which inaugurated the practice later to become notorious under the Metaxas dictatorship of banishing tens of thousands of workers and peasants to the barren Aegean islands by simple executive order.
Return of the Monarchy
The thoroughly frightened Greek bourgeoisie came to the conclusion that the king was indispensable for the creation of a "strong government." The Greek bourgeoisie had come to such a pass that they could no longer rule without a "crowned idiot" heading the State. Kondylis, a former Republican general, staged a new coup d'etat in 1935. He immediately banned all public meetings and suppressed the papers that opposed his dictatorship or the return of the king. The whole staff of Rizospastis, the Stalinist daily, was arrested and exiled. A new fake plebiscite was stage-managed by the army and it was soon announced that 98% had voted in favor of the monarchy. (The Kondylis plebiscite became an international joke.) King George II returned to Greece. Venizelos, who had previously come to an agreement with the king, specifically called on his Liberal Party not to oppose the Monarch. To round out the picture, the Stalinists, hot on the trail of carrying out the policies of the Seventh World Congress of the Comintern sent a delegation to King George II whom they hailed as a "guarantee against Fascism and against any authoritarian regime." King George received the delegation and was given assurance that the Communist Party had decided to function "within the framework of the present regime."
The new elections of January 1936 resulted in a parliamentary deadlock. The Venizelist and anti-Venizelist combinations won 142 and 143 seats respectively in the Chamber of Deputies. The Communist Party with 15 members held the balance of power. Meanwhile a strike movement was spreading throughout the country. The bourgeoisie alarmed by the growing class struggles at home and with the events in Spain and France staring them in the face determined to wipe out once and for all the menacing working class movement. The word went down that no combinations should be made with the CP parliamentary fraction, that a "strong government" was necessary. The King appointed Metaxas, a Monarchist general, whose party had won the smallest number of seats, seven, in the election, to head the government. The Chamber met in April and overwhelmingly voted to prorogue for 5 months empowering Metaxas to govern by decree. The bourgeoisie flung this provocation into the face of the labor movement prepared to crush the opposition which they knew would follow.
From April to August 4, when Metaxas proclaimed his dictatorship, events moved rapidly. The tobacco workers, numbering 45,000, considered one of the most militant sections of the Greek working class were on strike for higher wages throughout northern Greece. On May 9 a general strike was called in Salonika in sympathy with the tobacco workers. Metaxas prompty issued an Emergency Decree mobilizing railwaymen and tramwaymen under military orders. Troops were sent out against the demonstrators in Salonika. The crowds appealed to the soldiers and fraternization began between the soldiers and workers. The Gendarmerie were then called out and shot into crowds. 30 demonstrators including 2 women were killed. The day has gone down in Greek labor history as the "Black Saturday" massacre. Next morning 100,000 attended the funeral of the murdered men and women shouting "Revenge." The Greek working class always revolutionary, was now surging forward. The revolutionary tide was rising hourly. Preparations were immediately announced for an all-Greece strike. The strike demands were: Liberation of everybody arrested; Pensions and indemnities for the victims of the terror; Dismissal of the guilty officials; Withdrawal of the Emergency Decree; Resignation of Metaxas and his cabinet. The following day, the general strike had already spread throughout northern Greece. Metaxas ordered the fleet to Salonika and redoubled the terror. Thousands of workers were arrested an summarily exiled to the penal islands. The "revolutionary" unions were outlawed and union funds declared confiscated.
The Trade Union Congress
In July the Social Democratic trade union bureaucrats, thoroughly frightened by the turn of events, agreed to conduct with the Stalinists, who headed the so-called revolutionary trade unions, a joint struggle against Metaxas' dictatorial decrees. A joint Congress of the Unitarian Trade Union Federation ("revolutionary") and the General Trade Union Federation (reformist) was held in Athens on July 28. The united session of the Executive Committees announced their decision to call a one-day protest strike in Athens on August 5 and as against the previous threat to call a general strike, appealed to the workers throughout Greece "to hold themselves ready" for a general all-Greece protest strike if the government rejected the workers' demands. This was exactly the moment for which Metaxas had been waiting. On August 4, one day before the scheduled protest strike, he placed machine guns on all the main street intersections in Athens, abolished Parliament, banished the working class leaders and proclaimed the Dictatorship. Within a year, 13,000 political exiles were reported living on the barren Aegean islands while thousands more were in the prisons awaiting decision on their cases. Five drachmae (cents) a day were allotted the prisoners for their subsistence. Thousands died from cold, hunger and the polluted water. Doses of castor oil were fed workers to extort confessions. Ancient forms of torture were again revived. "Liberty," Metaxas proclaimed, "was a 19th century illusion."
The Greek working class was decisively defeated in 1936 and was unable to prevent the imposition of the Metaxas dictatorship because of the criminal policy of its Stalinist leadership. It is unquestionable that in 1936 Greece was in the throes of a revolutionary crisis. The Greek workers were prepared to overthow capitalist rule and join hands with the peasantry to form a government of Workers and Farmers. The Communist Party dominated the whole working class movement and likewise enjoyed strong support in the countryside. It was known at the time of the Salonika general strike in May 1936 that both the soldiers and sailors in the fleet were very sympathetic to the workers' cause. All the major strike movements of 1936, moreover, were under the direct leadership of the Communist Party. Yet Metaxas was able to impose his bloody dictatorship with hardly a struggle. What is the explanation? It can be summed up in a few words: the fatal policy of the People's Front. For over five years, the Greek Stalinists in common with the Stalinists throughout the world, had disoriented and disorganized the Greek labor movement with their suicidal ultra-leftist policies of the Third Period. They were instrumental in splitting the trade union movement. They wore out the Greek masses by their adventurist tactics. By 1936, on instructions from the Comintern, they had made an about face and began their ultra-opportunist course of the People's Front. Instead of organizing the workers for decisive revolutionary action and working to draw the peasants of the countryside into the struggle, throughout the fateful months between April and August 1936, when the working class was in deep revolutionary ferment, the Stalinists busied themselves with a campaign to force the Liberal Party to organize with them a People's Front. The Liberal Party, however, had heard its master's voice and turned down the Stalinist offer. They were busy easing the way for Metaxas. The Stalinists wasted the whole six months in these criminal negotiations — six months that should have been employed to mobilize the broad masses for the revolutionary assault on the capitalist government. Just as in Spain, bourgeois democracy had become an illusion, a reactionary snare in Greece in 1936. The only alternatives were Metaxas or Soviet power. There existed 'in Greece in 1936 no third alternative.
The Stalinist Betrayal
Sklavanos, leader of the Stalinist Parliamentary fraction, explained in an interview just a few weeks before Metaxas proclaimed his dictatorship that Greece was not in a revolutionary situation (!); that moreover, Greece had many feudal vestiges and would first have to make a democratic revolution before the country was ready for Socialism; that the task of the Greek proletariat was to forge a bloc with the liberals — the People's Front — to prevent the formation of a dictatorship and to uphold democratic rights! That was the program of the Stalinists in 1936. Small wonder that Metaxas was able to crush the workers' movement and impose with hardly a struggle, his bloody rule.
It must be further remembered that Greece is a small country. As present events testify, working class international solidarity and aid is a life-and-death question for the Greek masses and the success of their revolution. In 1936, the Stalinists, with the aid of the Social Democrats, effectively strangled the revolutionary struggles of the masses in Spain, France and elsewhere in Europe by means of their perfidious People's Fronts. It was therefore a foregone conclusion that Reaction would likewise triumph in a small country like Greece.
The Trotskyist movement, which went back in Greece to 1928, had a correct revolutionary progam to meet the situation. The Trotskyists, however, split in 1934 and their forces were too weak in 1936 to challenge the Stalinists for the leadership of the labor movement.
Although it attempted to copy in every respect the Mussolini and Hitler regimes, the Metaxas dictatorship never enjoyed any mass support. Despite Metaxas' "social" demagogy and his mountebank performances (he called himself "the first workman and the first peasant of Greece"), the Metaxas government, from its first days to its last, was nothing more than a police-military dictatorship. Metaxas' regime which lasted four years — it collapsed after the invasion of Greece in 1940 — based itself on armed force and murderous terror. Even so, it lasted as long as it did only because of the temporary exhaustion and disorientation of the Greek working class brought about by the 1936 debacle.
2. The Greek Civil War
Hitler's "New Order" was a streamlined organization for the purpose of exploitating to the limit Europe's resources, economy and manpower for the benefit of the Nazi war machine. To the insoluble crisis that wracked Europe before the war was added the grinding exploitation of Nazi oppression. This exploitation became most unbearable at the perimeter of European economy, in those countries where capitalist industry was least developed, where slim peace-time reserves were soon exhausted by the demands of a total war. As a consequence the standard of living quickly plummeted into the abyss of starvation. The strain was greatest in the countries like Greece.
Grim starvation drove the Greek proletariat and peasantry to revolt against the German conqueror. The Gauleiters ruled by the bayonet and concentration camp. The Greek bourgeoisie collaborated with the Nazis from the very beginning, provided them with Quisling rulers, preserved "order" and ran the state apparatus with virtually the same personnel as under the Metaxas dictatorship. In return the German overlords gave them the compradores' reward, a share in the profits. As we have already demonstrated in the preceding section, the Greek bourgeoisie was collaborationist from the first hour that the proletariat became an independent force on the social arena. The German conquest merely required their adaptation to the new master.
The resistance movement in Greece rose to mass proportions without—and against—the bourgeoisie. The masses were no less hostile to Churchill's collaborationists in Cairo than to Hitler's Quislings in Athens. The decisive force in the resistance movement was the working class. This working class predominance is partially revealed in EAM's program for nationalization of the railroads, public utilities and banks. More significantly, EAM's methods of action are thoroughly proletarian in character. It was demonstrations and general strikes in Athens and Salonika that prevented the mobilization of slave labor to Germany, halted conscription for the German army and forced an increase in the bread rations. Behind the proletariat was ranged the vast majority of the toiling masses, poor peasants and ruined middle class. EPON, the EAM youth organization, according to Nation Correspondent Michael Clark, has an estimated membership of 500,000. The mutinies in Alexandria showed that the decisive section of the Greek navy and army supported the EAM. Anthony Eden credited EAM with the support of 75% of the Greek people; the London Times credited it with 90%. In addition, its organized military force, ELAS, probably far better armed than the Bolshevik Red Guard of 1917, was strong enough to put 25,000 armed men into action in Athens against the British "without stripping other regions under its control."
The Stalinists, who since the Russian revolution, have played the predominant role in Greek working class politics, easily emerged as the leader of the new mass movement. The old Venizelist Liberal Party, which in the past enjoyed widespread middle class support had split up. Its right wing had gone over to the monarchists, its left wing to the EAM. The Greek masses were burning with revolutionary determination and wished to prepare the overthrow of all their oppressors—Nazi and Greek. Instead of providing the mass movement with a revolutionary program, similar to the Bolshevik program of 1917, and preparing the masses for the seizure of power, the Stalinists steered the movement into the blind alley of People's Frontism. The Stalinists, who enjoyed virtual hegemony of the mass movement, joined with a lot of petty bourgeois politicians, lawyers, professors, who had neither mass following nor influence, and artificially worked to limit the struggle to the fight for capitalist democracy.
By their capitulation to the petty bourgeois democrats, the Stalinists as leaders of the proletariat subordinated the working class to the rule of the native big bourgeoisie in combination with imperialism. The middle class program of a democratic republic for Greece where trade unions would function freely, where the state machinery and its armed forces and police would be purged of Nazi collaborationists and the creatures of Metaxas, the nationalization of public utilities, railroads, etc., proved a utopian dream. The very threat of effecting such a program by EAM lead to civil war and British intervention. Frightened by the inexorable logic of the struggle—which could only triumph with the dictatorship of the proletariat—the Stalinists and petty bourgeois leaders sought an agreement with the reactionary bourgeois government in exile and through them with British imperialism.
The fall of Mussolini in July 1943, under the impact of great strikes and demonstrations, struck all of Europe like a series of electric shocks. Revolutionary ferment raced wildly through Italy and broke over its boundaries, especially into neighboring Greece where large detachments of the Italian Army were quartered for occupation purposes. The Italian troops, infected with the anti-war fever that gripped the population at home, began to fraternize with the Greek workers, exchanging arms for civilian clothes. The Nazis were forced to dispatch picked troops into Larissa to disarm the largest exclusively Italian garrison in Greece. A general strike broke out among the Greek workers. 300,000 Athenians, defying German machine guns, grenades and tanks, marched in demonstration. It lasted for hours, and when it was over 300 demonstrators had been murdered by Nazi guns and more than 100 wounded.
The flare-up of class warfare accompanied by demonstrations of international solidarity brought into sharp relief the treacherous character of the Stalinist-dominated leadership of the EAM. The EAM leaders, frightened by the revolutionary upsurge, soon dispatched a delegation to Cairo to persuade Tsouderos, the reactionary Premier of the King's Government-in-Exile, left over from the Metaxas regime, to set up a government of "National unity." They asked for only one concession: that King George issue a statement that he would not return to Greece until a plebiscite had been held. Tsouderos gave them a traitor's welcome. The delegation was placed under house arrest by the British authorities, held incommunicado, and then sent back to Greece under the most humiliating circumstances.
The Greek armed forces, stationed in Egypt, were bitterly anti-monarchist. Eight months before, the King called upon the British to disarm the Greek Brigade in the Middle East. The British imperialists, alarmed by the developments in the Greek mainland, now launched their counter-revolutionary terror. A mutiny was quelled on the destroyer Ierax, and five sailors were sentenced to death. The army was drastically purged. A Nation correspondent described the events that followed:
"Hundreds of other persons, not only army men but civilians, were arrested... People disappeared without a warrant having been issued, without any specific charge having been issued, and without notification to their families. The Greek military headquarters in Cairo were occupied by force. The offices of the Greek government were placed under British supervision. The editor of the newspaper Helm and the director of the Hellenic League of Liberation and the Seamen's Association of Alexandria were arrested."
Britain's Brutal Intervention
The Greek soldiers and sailors fought back. Resisting "the efforts of the Cairo government to impose the most notorious fascist officers" upon them, (statement of Greek Maritime Union) the Greek Brigade stationed near Alexandria mutinied. The mutiny soon spread to the Greek warships lying in the naval base; the sailors formed ship committees and took charge of the vessels. On the invitation of the King's Government, with which the Stalinists had sought collaboration the month previous, the British High Command moved against the rebellious forces.
Churchill reported to the House of Commons the brutal intervention of British imperialism: "The Greek brigade was encircled by British forces some 30 miles from Alexandria and Greek ships which mutinied in Alexandria harbor were lying under the guns of both shore batteries and our superior naval forces which had gathered. The tension lasted nearly three weeks… The disorderly ships were boarded by Greeks under the Greek government, and, with about fifty killed and wounded, the mutineers were collected and sent ashore. The mutinous brigade in the desert was assaulted by superior British forces which captured the eminences surrounding the camp, and 4,000 men there surrendered."
The Greek Maritime Union appealed to the British workers to cease granting any help or recognition to the self- appointed Greek government in Cairo, under whose repressive fist "thousands of Greek civilians, officers, soldiers, and sailors are today confined in concentration camps for the sole crime of being anti-fascists."
First to flout the appeal of the Greek seamen were the Stalinist-EAM leaders themselves. Over the still fresh graves of the martyred sailors, not more than three weeks after the mutiny had been subdued, they again addressed themselves to the Cairo butchers for a coalition. Venizelos, (son of the famous Greek leader) who succeeded Tsouderos, had been toppled by the mutiny and George Papandreou, a Social Democrat, became the King's first minister. (Papandreou had been brought out of Athens on the recommendation of the notorious Rex Leeper, British ambassador, after he had delivered a memorandum to British agents on how to destroy the EAM.) In line with the new "Teheran" revelation, the Stalinists reversed their previous position on the monarchy and agreed to serve in a "Pan-Hellenic" coalition under the King. This agreement was embodied in the Lebanon Charter signed in May.
Just as in Italy the Stalinists had rescued Badoglio when he and the House of Savoy were about to crash into limbo, so in Greece they propped up Papandreou and the House of Glucksburg. No wonder the Beirut (Lebanon) conference sent a message to Churchill thanking him for "his interest in Greece and its future." In the heat of the class struggle all fictions are burned away. The Stalinists could not bolster up the Greek puppet without publicly approving the British master behind him. Churchill, his hands still red with the blood of Greek soldiers and sailors, smirked in the House of Commons that he had received a "very agreeable letter" from the Stalinists.
It was precisely at this point that the masses intervened to block fulfillment of the sell-out agreement and keep it a dead letter for more than three months. Papandreou accused the Stalinists of violating the Lebanon Charter and threatened to outlaw EAM-ELAS. But popular indignation at the murder and imprisonment of the soldier and sailor rebels was running too high for the Stalinists to act rapidly. The Cairo court martial was still grinding out death sentences and long prison terms for the mutineers. The masses wanted amnesty for the convicted, not coalition with the jailers and executioners. In July 1944 the London Sunday Observer reported that EAM leaders "are quite ready to enter the government. But they have hesitated to take this step without the full approval from those they represent lest this should further split the resistance movement and bring about civil strife in Greece… The main obstacle to complete unity is the intransigent attitude adopted by certain EAM leaders of secondary rank."
Here is the key to an understanding of events in Greece. A great gulf separates the insurgent masses from their treacherous Stalinist leaders. Yet so long as the Stalinists remain at the helm they cannot escape the revolutionary pressure of the workers and peasants who hate the king and will never peacefully countenance his return, who are determined to purge Greece not only of the German collaborationists but of all the satraps of the Metaxas dictatorship, and who instinctively are striving towards a socialist solution. This indomitable pressure delayed for months the consummation of the Stalinist betrayals and forced the Stalinist leaders to withdraw agreements previously made.
Stalinist Treachery
The EAM was finally able, after three months of internal struggle, to send five representatives out of the mountains to sit in the Papandreou cabinet. To palliate the distrustful masses, EAM announced a program which included nationalization of the railroads and public utilities that constituted surety for the 400,000,000 national debt held by British bankers.
The entry of EAM representatives into the Papandreou Cabinet gave Churchill a tremendous advantage. It was a victory for reaction. The heretofore thoroughly discredited Cairo government was for the first time provided with a semblance of popular support. Behind the facade of "unity," the Greek capitalists and British imperialists could intrigue with greater confidence for the disarming of the masses. This became the decisive question and only its decision could resolve the issue of power. The People's Front, whose aim is to sidetrack the masses from the highroad of socialist revolution onto the detour of capitalism must inevitably capitulate to the disarming of the masses. Under Stalinist leadership this capitulation occurs rather sooner than later. The problem was particularly acute in Greece because the regular army, shot through and through with revolutionary moods, was unreliable and had to be violently disbanded. Only the forces under Zervas, commander of EDES, plus two remaining Royalist detachments in Egypt and the despised Security Battalions (the "Cossacks" who had maintained "order" under Metaxas and the Nazis) could be counted on.
As far back as December 1943 Eden Proclaimed in Parliament that the British government would send arms only to General Zervas. By the end of September 1944 the question of power could no longer be postponed. The Germans were withdrawing from Greece with Partisan bullets hastening their retreat. The Greek people began taking over. ELAS levied taxes on the rich and distributed food stocks to the famine-stricken people. Politophilaki, the ELAS police force, took charge of law enforcement arresting collaborationists, Metaxas agents and Black Market racketeers.
Churchill had anticipated this situation and subsequently he revealed in a speech to the House of Commons that he had previously obtained the agreement of Stalin and Roosevelt to install the Greek Monarchist Government on the peninsula with British troops.
The Greek Government towards the end of September, now residing at Caserta, Italy, called upon the Allies to occupy Greece. The EAM representatives dissented but remained in the government. Thus the Stalinists, by remaining in the government, permitted their prestige to be used as a cover for the conspiracy that was being prepared against the Greek people.
The betrayal of the Stalinists takes on huge proportions when we consider that the situation was revolutionary and power was within the grasp of the Greek workers. But the Stalinist leaders dreaded workers' power just as much as Churchill. Poulos, Nation correspondent, wrote from Greece:
"The EAM could have seized the power. They had plenty of time to do it between the German withdrawal and the British arrival." Why didn't they? Poulos answers: "The... major reason was Teheran."
The counter-revolutionary conspiracy was no secret — except to the masses. On August 21, Papandreou met with Churchill. He refused to produce the minutes of this conversation when he reported to the cabinet. An official statement declared ominously that they had "reviewed every aspect of the Greek situation and found themselves in complete agreement." A month later, the Stalinist leaders became full-fledged participants in the organization of the British imperialist-monarchist conspiracy. On September 27 General Saraphis, Commander of the ELAS had a conference in Caserta with Zervas and the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces and signed a secret agreement. Here are the terms, finally made public by Anthony Eden on December 20 in the House of Commons:
The Caserta Agreement
"1. All guerrilla forces operating in Greece place themselves under the orders of the Greek Government of National Unity. The Greek Government places these forces under the orders of General Scobie, who had been nominated by the Supreme Allied Command as the general officer commanding in Greece. 2. In accordance with a proclamation issued by the Greek Government, the guerrilla leaders declare they will forbid any attempt by any units under their command to take the law into their own hands. Such action will be treated as a crime and punished accordingly. 3. In Athens no action is to be taken except under orders of General Scobie. Security battalions are considered instruments of the enemy unless they surrender. 4. All Greek guerrilla forces, in order to put an end to past rivalries, declare they will form a national union to coordinate their activities in the interests of the common struggle."
Thus the stage was set for the occupation of Greece by British troops and the imposition of the Monarchy. Not only did the EAM leaders fail to warn the people and to organize them against this sinister invasion—they facilitated the invasion. When the British troops came ashore in the first days of October, the deceived and hungry populace gave them a lavish welcome. And for a time the British fostered the deception by bringing in 'food on relief ships at the rate of 2500 tons a day. But this miserly gesture only sharpened the edge of discontent. The supplies fell into the hands of Black Market profiteers who sold them at astronomical inflationary prices. Longshoremen at Piraeus, the Athens harbor, struck for greater allotments of food. Women and children marched in the streets with placards: "Bread for the People!"
While the workers were spontaneously taking the road of action, EAM leaders were busy negotiating for the disarming of ELAS. An agreement was signed with Papandreou that both ELAS and EDES would disarm and be superceded by a National Guard. Scobie, feeling very much in the saddle, set December 10 as the deadline for turning in all arms to the police. It appeared as if the counter-revolution would triumph without a struggle. Poulos, Nation correspondent, vividly describes the situation in Athens at this time:
"Thousands of traitors and quislings were permitted to roam freely around Athens. No collaborators were called to trial or punished by the government. Royalist organizations were secretly armed. Members of the Nazi-organized Security Battalions were spirited out of prison and armed. Wild stories of red terrorism were fed to the local and foreign press. High officials of the various ministries who had faithfully served the Nazi and quisling government were kept at their posts. No attempt was made to purge the police and national guard, both of which had worked for the Gestapo. When the Tinder-Secretary of War, on November 24, appointed fourteen officers to organize a new national guard, eight of them were former officers of the Security Battalions. The Mountain Brigade was withdrawn from Italy and brought to Athens. More British troops kept landing in Greece. And long after the last German had left the Greek mainland British tanks rumbled along the streets of Athens."
By now the masses were thoroughly alarmed. Under their angry pressure the EAM leaders were forced to tear up the October 18 agreement. Again negotiations began. Another agreement was reached. This time ELAS' disarming would be contingent on the disarming of the Metaxas-Nazi police force, the Mountain Brigade and the Sacred Battalion in addition to EDES.
"Thereupon, Rex Leeper, British Ambassador," the December 8 British Tribune reports, "informed Papandreou that His Majesty's Government would not allow the demobilization of…the Sacred Battalion and the Mountain Brigade. These two, Leeper said, were incorporated in the British forces and consequently outside the authority of the Greek Government. Also, His Majesty's Government were of the opinion that these were the only reliable troops available to protect the Greek Government against a possible coup d'etat."
British Provoke Civil War
The British methodically and cold-bloodedly gathered together their military forces. By November 28 they were ready to act. ELAS General Saraphis was ordered on that day to carry out the Caserta agreement and sign an order disbanding ELAS. He dared not agree, he said, because "his people would think he had signed under Allied pressure. He said he would rather go back to the mountains and discuss it with his people."
On November 29 Scobie's headquarters absorbed the Military Liason, in charge of distribution of food supplies, and UNRRA came under British control.
On November 30 RAF planes dropped leaflets all over Greece announcing that EDES and ELAS must demobilize between December 10 and December 20. No mention was made of the gendarmerie, the Mountain Brigade or the Sacred Battalion.
On December 1st Scobie threatened the people with starvation unless they submitted. His proclamation read: "I stand firm behind the present constitutional government until the Greek State can be established with a legal armed force behind it and free elections can be held. Unless we all succeed together in this, currency will not remain stable and the people will not be fed." (Scobie underscored the "nots".)
Only now, faced with this declaration of war, did the EAM leaders resign from the government. They could no longer participate with impunity. Thus had they betrayed the revolutionary masses step by step. And when the inevitable civil war finally burst forth, despite Stalinist treachery and cowardice, it took place under the most advantageous circumstances for the counter-revolution.
Churchill had given Scobie precise, cold-blooded instructions: "When shooting begins, said Churchill, he expects ELAS will put women and children in the first line. Scobie was instructed to be clever and avoid any error. Scobie was instructed not to hesitate to open fire on any armed male who assails authority of British or of Greeks collaborating with them. Scobie's forces should be augmented by forces of the Greek Government. British Ambassador is advising Papandreou not to hesitate.
"Scobie should act as if confronted by local rebellion and should teach ELAS a lesson, making it impossible that others will behave along these lines, and that British must keep and dominate Athens. It would be splendid if Scobie could accomplish this without bloodshed, but said he should do whatever he has to. (Signed) Kirk."
This report was transmitted on December 5 to the U. S. Ambassador in Italy and made public by Drew Pearson on December II. It has never been denied.
The provocation was organized and the Stalinists stepped right into the trap, or rather they led the unarmed workers, and their wives and children, into the trap. Permission for a demonstration had been granted by the Government for December 3. On the night of December 2, the permit was cancelled. It was too late to warn the workers, who poured into the streets. Without warning, government police from ambush opened a murderous fire on the demonstrators with machine guns, tommy guns, mortars and light anti-tank guns. British armored cars stood by for action during the massacre. When the "wild and savage" firing ceased 23 dead lay in the streets. More than 150 were wounded. Most of the victims were boys and girls under 18.
Now the counter-revolution went to work in deadly earnest. Martial law was declared. General Katsotas, acting Military Governor of Athens issued an ultimatum giving armed formations 72 hours to quit the city or be treated as enemies. Court martials were set up. Workers were being forcibly disarmed.
But the masses, now thoroughly aroused, began fighting back. They could no longer be confined to the role of helpless spectators and victims. Defying martial law, thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Athens waving the blood-stained banners of yesterday and shouted: "Down with the Government!" For a quarter of a mile outside Athens cathedral people knelt in homage to the martyrs. When they arose they shouted: "Revenge! Revenge!
Down with Papandreou !" On December 5 when word spread that police had killed four more civilians, the cry changed to "Death to Papandreou!" Strikes broke out in the harbor the day after the massacre and spread throughout the city. EAM was forced to recognize the accomplished fact and declare a general strike. A demonstration was held before the British Embassy with signs: "British Soldiers! Let us choose our own government!"
Feeling their strength, the workers were now determined to finish once and for all with their oppressors. Dockworkers in Piraeus paraded armed with clubs, knives and a few guns. Machine gun nests were set up at some points. ELAS seized two police barracks in the harbor town. Meanwhile partisans poured into Athens seizing 21 out of 28 police stations. Hundreds of other armed workers battled British and government troops for possession of key government buildings.
When the first round of fighting was over, although the British had brought tanks and Spitfires into action, the workers' detachments were in control of all of the city (and the country too) with the exception of three square miles in the center of Athens. Papandreou and his cabinet fled from the government offices and took refuge in the Gran Bretagne Hotel guarded by British tanks. He proclaimed a government "crisis" and resigned. The power was in the streets with the workers of Athens.
But no revolutionary workers' government was established in its place? Why? The workers had displayed magnficent courage, superb heroism and a genius for organization. But tragically, their leaders were not revolutionary fighters but cynical counter-revolutionary Stalinist adventurers. They headed the revolutionary masses only to behead the struggle. These unspeakable wretches were preparing to betray the struggle on the very day the fighting broke out. On December 4 the C.P. paper, Rizospastis, proposed that a Regency be instituted. The Stalinists offered to enter a new government which included "all parties" (including the murderer Papandreou). At this point Churchill stepped in and ordered Papandreou to stop thinking he needed to represent anyone but the British Empire, and get back in the Premiership.
After another week of fighting EAM agreed to give full powers to a Regent and to disarm under the direction of a new "national unity" government. But Scobie was in no hurry. He was only beginning to make headway against ELAS in Athens. So he stalled for time. First he demanded ELAS disarm before a new government was set up. Then he had Papandreou cable the King to ascertain his opinion on the Regency. Papandreou himself changed his mind three times on the question. Finally King George of Glucksberg insisted that EAM be left out of the cabinet. Churchill supported his stand. Meanwhile, British warships were shelling the workers' district in Athens.
After almost a month of fighting, ELAS remained in control of all Greece, with the exception of sections of Athens. 20,000 ELAS troops attacked the White Guard forces of General Zervas in Epirus and wiped them off the map. The vast majority of EDES deserted to ELAS and the remaining few Royalist troops were evacuated by the British. Indian colonial troops sent against ELAS went over to their side. Faced with the prospect of a long drawn-out civil war whose outcome could not be predicted, and the rising indignation of the British working class, Churchill decided to sheath his claws and make peace with EAM.
The "Peace" Offer
The Stalinists on their side were only too anxious for "peace"—at the expense of the workers. Each week the struggle continued could only further expose them and prepare the way for their elimination in favor of a genuine revolutionary leadership. Their new "peace" offer was again an offer of capitulation: ELAS would withdraw from Athens provided Papandreou's troops would likewise be withdrawn, the gendarmerie to be placed on reserve and Nazi collaborators purged; British troops would be employed as specified by the infamous Caserta agreement cited above.
On December 25, Churchill and Eden arrived in Greece and concluded an ageement to have the King appoint a regent as requested by the EAM heads and settle other questions under his supervision. Emboldened by Stalinist treachery and cravenness, reaction resumed its political offensive. Even while the conference was meeting, regent-to-be Archbishop Damaskinos called on the working class fighters to lay down their arms. Scobie reaffirmed his ultimatum that ELAS withdraw from Attica, hand in its arms and disband. On January 2 General Plastiras took office as Premier, appointed by the new regent. Since his arrival he continually denounced the ELAS and called on them to disarm.
Who is Plastiras? The British Tribune describes him as the commander of the Greek contingents that invaded Soviet Ukraine in 1919. More recently: "He lived unmolested in France during the German occupation. At the height of the German success in the summer of 1941 Plastiras was negotiating with the Germans to reach an agreement with them similar to that which he has now with the British. He took up contact with two of Abetz's agents: the S.S. General Thomas, and the S.S. Leader Roland Nosek, but the negotiations broke down when Plastiras' faith in the Germans was shattered by their reverses in the winter of 1941." This congenital Quisling is now being groomed for the role of a Greek Franco.
And despite British crimes against the Greek people, the Stalinist secretary of EAM Dimitri Partsalides kissed Churchill's feet declaring that he "wished to express the Greek people's feelings on behalf of the EAM for the efforts of Mr. Churchill, the Prime Minister of our great ally, England, in coming to Athens."
Thus was Churchill enabled to return to parliament and take the offensive against his critics. He hypocritically disavowed any intention of Great Britain to intervene in the internal affairs of Greece. Then he denounced ELAS as "Trotskyist…a name that is equally hated in Russia." With this one winged phrase he showed he had far more understanding of the Greek situation than all the stupid scribblers of the New Leader. At one stroke he revealed what had already become abundantly obvious. First, that Stalin had no independent territorial aims in Greece. This was confirmed even more directly by Bevin when he told the Labor Party Conference that Stalin had agreed at Teheran to Greece becoming a British sphere of influence in return for Rumania, Bulgaria and other Balkan territory as Russian spheres. Second: That Stalin was no less the enemy of the revolutionary Greek masses than was Churchill; that Stalin had not only abandoned the Greek workers to the onslaughts of the counter-revolution organized by British imperialism, (during the entire course of the struggle Stalin did not pronounce even one syllable that might be construed as support of the Greek masses) but he gave Churchill his full support. "These matters," Churchill said, "were first discussed at Teheran." Third: That the Stalinist leadership could not always control the mass struggles which often took on a revolutionary character.
Trotskyism in Greece
ELAS is "Trotskyist" in one sense only—in the revolutionary instincts of its indomitable fighters, in their great capacity for struggle and sacrifice. But its program and leadership has no resemblance to "Trotskyism." Churchill forgets that during the real "Trotskyist" revolution, he never in his wildest dreams conceived of going to Moscow to secure the agreement of the Bolsheviks to set up the white guard Baron Wrangel as regent for the Czar while the Red Army quietly surrendered its arms. How could he? The Bolsheviks had shot the Czar, declared war to the death on Wrangel, demobilized the British troops sent in to aid Wrangel. By fraternization and direct appeal to international solidarity, the Bolsheviks had spurred the British workers to threaten a general strike against the government if the British imperialists did not keep hands off the Russian Revolution.
Under the terms of a truce arrangement signed by the Stalinist leaders on January 11, ELAS was to withdraw from the Athens area on January 15 but not lay down their arms. But days before the truce was to go into effect Plastiras was appealing to ELAS to lay down their arms. Scobie's forces were mopping up in Athens and pursuing ELAS troops for 90 miles outside the capital. Warrants were being sworn out for the arrest of the "leaders of the rebellion." On January 14 the Plastiras cabinet announced that 25 three-judge committees would soon begin receiving cases of persons arrested in order to try all who had borne arms against the state. The Greek military governor of Athens proclaimed Draconian measures virtually equivalent to martial law. Damaskinos became "profoundly shocked" that ELAS retained hostages (a defensive measure against hostages seized by the counterrevolution). Plastiras announced he was not bound by the truce agreement since he was not a signatory to it. Meanwhile the Royalist scum, despite the Military orders, was permitted to demonstrate in Athens shouting slogans against Communism, for Scobie, Churchill, and Roosevelt. The climate looked good to the Greek King and he cabled his friends in Athens that the Regency was only temporary and he would soon return. For the workers it looked like the beginning of a terrible white terror.
Then for an entire month an unprecedented campaign of vilification, led and inspired by Churchill himself, was conducted from the rostrum of the House of Commons and into the world press, against ELAS. The most harrowing atrocity stories of fiendish ELAS acts were invented, tales that parallel and sometimes leave in the pale the lies invented about the Paris Communards by Churchill's ancestors and by Churchill himself against the Russian Revolution. And the "labor" scoundrel, Sir Walter Citrine, lent the authority of the British trade union movement to Churchill's calumnies by returning from Greece with "evidence" manufactured undoubtedly by the unspeakable Rex Leeper. All these slanders have a familiar ring: they are the "moral" screen behind which the counter-revolution perpetrates its hellish deeds.
The Stalinist EAM leaders are now concluding their "Peace agreement" with Plastiras and British imperialism: ELAS is to disarm by March 15, but the Mountain Brigade, the Sacred Battalions and Metaxas' gendarmerie remain. A Christian Science Monitor reporter correctly observes: "There is no doubt the agreement leaves EAM in a generally weakened position when compared with that it held prior to the revolt."
The Greek masses suffered a definite setback in this first armed encounter with the forces of the counter-revolution. As this analysis makes clear, not primarily because of Britain's superior armed might, but because of the duplicity and criminal treachery of the Stalinist leadership. The Greek workers will now absorb the political lessons of this betrayal and prepare for the next stage of the struggle. The glorious chapter that the Greek masses have already written in the annals of working class struggle will forever remain a shining inspiration to revolutionary fighters everywhere.
3. The Lesson of Greece
The Greek civil war has served to lay bare the moving forces and the underlying dynamics of the European crisis. All the major political factors, all the basic conflicts, which in their general political features exhibit a striking similarity throughout Europe, are mirrored with complete faithfulness in the momentous class struggle now in progress in Greece. Greece thus serves as an important starting point for an analysis of the revolutionary crisis in Europe and as an object lesson for the proletariat.
The most important aspect of the present political situation in Europe is the deep-going revolutionary ferment among the masses. This revolutionary mood has seized not only the working classes but to a considerable extent, the lower middle classes as well. In 1936 the revolutionary crisis engulfed Spain, France, Greece. It remained for all that largely localized. The capitalists, aided by their Stalinist and Social Democratic labor lieutenants, were able to isolate each revolutionary situation and thus throttle more easily the rising mass movement. Today the revolutionary crisis is sweeping across Europe from one end to the other. There is not one single country that will escape its hot breath. And regardless of the ebbs and flows of the revolutionary process, regardless of all initial setbacks, retreats and defeats, the revolution will continue to dominate Europe for years to come.
For the masses there is no way out of the present catastrophe except through socialist revolution. Capitalism, after building up Europe as the center of affluence, culture, political democracy and progress, is today engaged in literally destroying the continent, tearing down brick by brick its great metropolitan cities and reducing its people to beggary and starvation. Europe, ridden with famine, pestilence and death, is in a blind alley. The working class has been driven down to inhuman levels. The middle classes are ruined by the war inflation. Under capitalism these masses have nothing to look forward to except further ruination and enslavement.
The western imperialists, aided by Stalin and his greedy bureaucracy, aim to reduce the continent to the status of a colony, to exploit its peoples in truly Asiatic style, and to inflict upon them the rule of the bayonet and the whip. That is why the revolutionary crisis will not be mitigated but aggravated with the passing months. The revolutionary ardor of the masses will not cool. It will become more militant, more determined, more grim, more compelling. We must prepare ourselves for a protracted period of revolutionary eruptions.
The first world war was an expression of the absolute decline of the capitalist system. Capitalism in Europe — as on a world scale — was no longer expanding but contracting. In Greece, as throughout Eastern Europe, bourgeois democracy became a luxury which the capitalists could no longer afford. Bourgeois democracy, or more correctly, what little there was of it, gave way to military dictatorship. But diseased and decaying capitalism could not, for long, continue its rule under democratic forms even in Western Europe. Mussolini came to power in 1922-23. Ten years later the Weimar Republic was smashed and the Nazi dictatorship proclaimed. A year later, a clerical brand of Fascism took power in Austria. Franco triumphed in Spain in 1937. At the same time, a semi-bonapartist dictatorship arose even in "ultra-democratic" France, Everywhere the masses saw how their own capitalists set up dictatorships and began ruling over the people with unconcealed violence and terror.
The imposition of the Nazi dictatorship over the whole of Europe was merely the last act in this drawn-out reactionary drama. It was under Nazi rule that the exposure of the European capitalists was completed. While the masses were undergoing untold agonies, they saw their ruling class hobnobbing and collaborating with the foreign overlords, joining the Quisling governments, coining profits out of the mass misery and suffering, and uniting with the Nazis to hound all working class militants and anti-fascists. Is it any wonder that the big capitalist circles throughout Europe have irretrievably disgraced themselves and exposed their true visage to the broad masses? The campaign to "purge the collaborators" is not, as the newspaper correspondents hypocritically pretend, directed against individual capitalist malefactors. It represents the elemental desire of the masses to destroy the power of the capitalist class as a whole. It is mass action directed, in truth, against capitalism as a system.
The European capitalists worked cheek by jowl with the Nazi butchers because that was the only way they could continue to rule over and exploit "their own" sullen and rebellious peoples. Collaboration with the foreign conqueror became for them a life and death necessity. That is why they were so anxious that the Allied armies occupy Europe when Hitler's "New Order" began to crumble and his armies to retreat. European capitalism is so shaken, weak and desperate, its leading circles are so thoroughly discredited, the armed forces at its disposal so pitiable, the masses so revolutionary, that foreign armies are indispensable for the preservation of its rule. That is why the Vatican, the powerhouse of reaction, is so concerned that the Allied occupation armies remain "for twenty years", lest Europe go communist.
The Anglo-American imperialists in alliance with Stalin are coming into Europe to strangle the rising revolution. But they have other aims as well. They intend to keep Europe prostrate and to carve it up into "spheres of influence." With the superprofits wrung from the enslaved masses, the imperialists hope to circumvent a new crisis of their system and avoid new violent class struggles at home. British brutality and counter-revolution in Greece are helping to open the eyes of the whole world to these actual Allied aims.
Greece, of course, is an extreme case, as the country has been a semi-colony of Britain for over a hundred years. But the peculiar feature of Europe's present crises is that the basic social similarities between all European countries are becoming greater than their specific differences. In pre-war Europe, the gap between Greece and France was immense, in standard of living, political freedom, etc. There still exists considerable disparity between the two countries, but it is an undeniable fact that they are drawing closer together; not, unfortunately, by Greece rising to France's pre-war level but by France moving downward towards the level of Greece. Predatory imperialism is hurling all of Europe into the abyss, and while some countries are more favored and richer than others, all are being plunged downward at a dizzying speed.
Right after Hitler's attack upon the Soviet Union, the Stalinists throughout Europe took the lead in organizing resistance to the Nazi invaders. The Resistance Movement, which up to that time, consisted of small isolated groups led chiefly by ex-officers, petty-bourgeois patriots and the like, for the first time took on a real mass character. The prestige of the Stalinists, who clothed themselves with the authority of the Russian revolution, was further enhanced at this time by the heroic struggle of the Red Army and the Soviet masses and later by the sensational Red Army victories. The Stalinists, even during Nazi occupation, emerged as the most influential leadership among the working class.
The European workers did not simply aspire to regain their national freedom and rid themselves of the hated foreign tyrant. Their national aims were fused with their social aspirations. They determined not only to drive out the Nazi oppressors but also to destroy the rapacious rule of the native capitalist exploiters. These two aims-the national and the social-fused all the more easily and indissolubly because of the open bloc of the Nazis and the European capitalists and their joint collaboration in oppressing the masses. The European masses organized their forces in the underground and no sooner did Nazi rule begin tottering than they rose in revolutionary struggle. The downfall of Mussolini signalized the beginning of the European revolution.
Stalinist and Social-Democratic Traitors
Unfortunately the mass movement was headed by scoundrels who took advantage of the illusions of the masses in order to betray them. The Stalinist leaders are simply the cynical agents of the counter-revolutionary Kremlin bureaucracy, which views these popular movements as chattel to be deployed and sold out in concordance with the requirements of its arch-reactionary diplomacy. The Social Democrats, cowardly and servile to the bone, continued their nefarious game of housebreaking the working class movement and converting it into a submissive menial in the service of the capitalists. Between these two utterly corrupt and conscienceless bureaucracies, the growing mass movement was derailed off its course. The Stalinist and Social Democrats concluded permanent political blocs with the bourgeois and petty-bourgeois leaders—new People's Fronts.
The program of these People's Fronts is everywhere the same-chauvinistic, class collaborationist, pro-Allied, pro-imperialist war. It is these political blocs, parading under the high-sounding titles of "Liberation" or "Resistance" movements, that occupy the center of the political stage in Europe in this initial stage of the revolution. This explains why the class struggle, which has flared up so violently in Greece, Belgium, France, Italy, is carried forward under such "tame", "naive", and often such reactionary slogans and demands. There is a crying contradiction between the aims of the embattled masses and their present "working class" leaders.
Trotsky, in discussing Spain, remarked that the Stalinists and Social Democrats formed the People's Front bloc not with the real bourgeoisie—they had all gone over to the Franco camp—but with the shadows of the bourgeoisie: a variegated assortment of lawyers, doctors, journalists representing nobody but themselves. This was precisely the character of the underground People's Fronts organized in Europe in 1942. The Stalinists and to a lesser degree the Social Democrats, led substantial masses, working class and lower middle class. The big capitalists had gone over in the main to the Nazi camp. The petty bourgeois lawyers, doctors, politicians representing the old defunct middle class parties were simply political ghosts. They led nobody and represented nobody.
But this does not prevent them from playing a decisive role in the People's Fronts. On the contrary. It is precisely these avowed spokesmen of capitalism, now being pushed to the fore by the Allied imperialists, who determine the aims and delimit the goals of the movement. In fact, one of the very purposes of the People's Front bloc is to rehabilitate these political cadavers, rescue them from their fearful isolation, provide them with the appearance of popular backing, and through them steer the masses back to support of, or at least acquiescence in capitalist rule.
At first the treacherous nature of these class-collaborationist blocs was concealed from the masses because of the prevailing underground conditions. The hostile class forces within the bloc could not unfold their programs fully and reveal in practice the full implications of their positions. But no sooner did the Nazi "New Order" begin to crumble accompanied by the rise of class struggles than the true nature of these political blocs became unmistakably clear. These new People's Fronts, like their pre-war predecessors, have the sole purpose of stifling and sidetracking the revolutionary struggle for socialist emancipation and confining the mass movement to the utopian fight for bourgeois democracy.
Role of "Liberation" Leaders
The betrayal of the Stalinists and Social Democrats takes on gargantuan proportions when one considers that it is precisely these collaborationist blocs, these "Liberation" movements, that have provided the "mass base" for the counter-revolutionary handpicked People's Front Cabinets: the Bonomi cabinet in Italy, De Gaulle in France, Pierlot in Belgium, Papandreou in Greece and the similar cabinets set up by Stalin in Eastern Europe. It is precisely the leaders of these "Liberation" movements who have entered as Quislings into the various governments, which are providing the "democratic" facade for the military dictatorships of Stalin and Anglo-American imperialism.
The mechanics of the betrayal are clear. The working masses, seething with dissatisfaction, throw their weight behind the "Communist" and "Socialist" parties, in the illusory belief that the leaders of these parties will advance the revolutionary struggle for socialism. These wretched bureaucrats, in turn, proceed to enmesh the masses within their perfidious People's Fronts in order to sidetrack the struggle, dampen the revolutionary ardor and steer things back along capitalist channels. The working class thus finds itself in this anomalous position: It is supporting what it considers the extreme revolutionary leaders in order to crush capitalist rule. But through some political hocus-pocus, which it still does not fully comprehend, the working class finds itself collaborating with the self-same capitalist class under the capitalists' program and reinforcing the capitalists' counter-revolutionary government. Herein is the explanation for the present bewilderment of the European masses and the main cause of their initial setbacks.
The Greek events unmask more thoroughly the criminal character of the People's Front, the tragic futility of this unnatural alliance between the proletariat and the bourgeosie. The working class wants peace, a purge of the capitalist traitors, arming of the masses, a government of their own, socialization of industry, the reorganization of society on new socialist foundations. The Bonomis, de Gaulles, Pierlots, Papandreous want to rehabilitate capitalism, disarm the armed formations and thrust the people again into the bloody maelstrom of the war—this time on the side of the Allied bandits. This unnatural alliance between the two hostile social classes is already bursting at all seams. Throughout Europe we see the masses waging furious battle against the very People's Fronts' puppet governments which "their own" "Liberation" movements have initiated and are pledged to support.
What is the burning task for the revolutionists in Europe? To demolish the policy of People's Frontism and to overthrow its chief architects—the execrable Stalinist and Social Democratic bureaucrats. Otherwise as sure as night follows day, the present People's Fronts will pave the way for a new bloody counter-revolution and the imposition of new savage capitalist dictatorships, just as the People's Front of 1936 in Spain paved the way for Franco. The only possible consequence of the continued leadership of these two venal "labor" bureaucracies is a repetition of the tragedy of Spain, this time on a Europe-wide scale.
Trotskyist Tasks
The revolutionary vanguard must plunge into the struggle, work unceasingly to show up these "leaders" for the counter-revolutionary rascals that they are and burn out their influence in the labor movement. A large-scale and vigorous agitation must be started to expose the fatal role and purpose of the perfidious People's Fronts. The Trotskyists will call upon the working masses to break the bloc with the bourgeoisie both inside and outside the present governments. They will counterpose to these People's Front blocs the necessity of setting up, on the broadest possible basis, workers', farm laborers', poor peasants' and soldiers' Soviets. The Soviets will constitute the genuine alliance of workers, peasants and soldiers, in place of the fake alliance concocted by the People's Frontists. Only the Soviets can rally all the oppressed masses and topple the bloody regimes of Europe's desperate and ruthless capitalist rulers. Only the mass Soviets, which will surely be forged in the fires of the civil war, will prove capable of organizing fraternization with the troops of the invading armies and win their support, or at least their neutrality, in the coming gigantic battles to crush the age-old power of the exploiters and establish the authentic rule of the people.
The Trotskyists will learn to connect themselves with the masses and their struggles; in action gain their confidence and earn the right to revolutionary leadership. It is in the coming volcanic upheavals and turbulent class battles that the masses will gain political experience, will shed their illusions, and in ever growing numbers place themselves under the revolutionary banner of the Fourth International. The Soviets, under this revolutionary leadership, will spurn the program of chauvinism, war revanche, national hatreds and imperialist war. They will unfurl the proud banner of the October 1917 revolution, the program of socialist revolution, working class internationalism and the fraternal collaboration of the European peoples under the aegis of the Socialist United States of Europe. Thus and only thus will the European peoples find their way out of the wreckage and degradation of the imperialist war and achieve peace, well-being and freedom. |
Philadelphia Eagles running back DeMarco Murray will face the Dallas Cowboys this week for the first time since leaving the franchise in March.
Murray addressed the local Philly media on Wednesday to discuss the week before and the upcoming game. When asked about the Cowboys, things went a little south. In the middle of his answer, the backdrop started to fall on him. Check it out in the video embedded below.
That's definitely a "Not Top 10" worthy moment.
In Murray's first game with the Eagles, he rushed eight times for only nine yards. It was the lowest amount of rushing yards Murray's accumulated as a starter. In his first ever NFL game, he didn't pick up any rushing yards on two carries, but was in a backup role to Felix Jones.
The Cowboys-Eagles game kicks off Sunday at 3:25 p.m. CST from Lincoln Financial Field. |
UPDATE (4/19/15): Cop Gets Job Back
Officer Weekley has been allowed to return to work, despite shooting a 7-yr-old girl to death.
Officer Weekley claims that the fact that he aimed his gun at the child with his finger on the trigger, pulled the trigger, and shot her to death was “an accident.”
He has avoided prison and has now been re-hired.
ClickonDetroit reports as follows:
Weekley is in the department’s Criminal Investigations Bureau and will be working a desk job until further notice, the chief says.
Weekley was cleared of an involuntary manslaughter charge by a judge last year, after he says he accidentally pulled the trigger of his gun and killed Aiyana Stanley-Jones.
UPDATE (1/29/15): Case Dismissed for Officer Who Shot 7-yr-old Girl to Death While She Was Sleeping
Officer Joseph Weekley will get away with killing a harmless 7-yr-old girl, as we expected.
ClickOnDetroit reports that Officer Weekley will not face a third trial in the case.
He had already faced a second trial, but the judge dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge. The only charge left for Officer Weekley was “recklessly using a firearm,” which was a misdemeanor.
Now that charge has been dismissed too.
Kym Worthy, a prosecutor working on the case, called the news “unfortunate” and noted that the case is due to be dismissed.
Officer Weekley had been brought to trial for aiming his gun at a 7-yr-old girl, Aiyana Stanely-Jones, and shooting her to death.
Aiyana had been sleeping when Officer Weekeley entered her guardian’s house.
He was originally charged with manslaughter, but that charge has been dropped.
In October, Judge Cynthia Hathaway granted a motion filed by Officer Weekley’s attorney.
The motion argued for the dismissal of a felony charge that Officer Weekley faced in the shooting death of Aiyana.
The shooting took place at about 1 AM on May 16, 2010.
Aiyana had been sleeping on a couch when a SWAT team busted down her grandma’s door .
Officer Weekley was the first one to enter the doorway.
He aimed his gun and opened fire on Aiyana, who was sleeping on the couch near the front door.
The SWAT team claimed that they were looking for a “murder suspect.”
“He could have avoided injury if he had followed his training,” said the prosecution.
“He didn’t, and as a result of him not following his training and not following the mandates of ordinary care, someone was killed,” they added.
But the charges have been dismissed anyway.
After the dismissal, the only charge Weekley faced, was a relatively minor misdemeanor charge of “careless discharge of a firearm causing death.”
Watch video below: |
People gather at the destroyed tomb of the Prophet Jonah Nabi Younes in the eastern side of Mosul Thomson Reuters
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Faisal Jeber arrested and interrogated suspected Islamic State militants during the battle for Mosul. Now he is taking up a new fight that could be just as crucial to the city's future.
The 47-year-old geologist is trying to restore historical sites damaged during the militant Islamist group's brutal three-year rule over the northern Iraqi city.
By piecing back together buildings which he says gave Mosul its soul and identity before the war, Jeber hopes also to help rebuild its social fabric.
But the city's renaissance could take a generation, if it happens at all, he says, and it is uncertain how Mosul and other Iraqi towns and cities recaptured by government forces will look afterwards.
How Mosul's identity is reconstituted will help determine whether Iraqi leaders can pacify a country dogged by jihadists and sectarian bloodshed for the past decade.
"ISIS (Islamic State) tried hard to destroy Mosul's identity by demolishing everything and making it monochrome," Faisal told Reuters in Mosul. "I am using this to unite my city and then maybe the whole country."
Before the war, Mosul was Iraq's second-largest city, known for its diversity, religious conservatism and nationalism. After the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, it became a base for al Qaeda and the Sunni insurgency.
Since IS seized Mosul in 2014 in the face of the Iraqi army's collapse, the militants have blown up monuments, evicted communities that had lived together for centuries and turned neighbors against each other.
Following the group's defeat in Mosul this month in a U.S-backed offensive, billboards have gone up on a main road hailing the city as the cradle of civilization and showing landmarks dating back to the days of Mesopotamia.
It is, Jeber says, a unique moment to rebuild Mosul's multicultural identity and combat radical Islamism.
"It's an opportunity and it's just the right time to do it because if you talked to any Mosulawi about that before (IS), nobody would accept it. But now people came out of a radical Muslim experience, they are in shock," he said.
"Either we do it this year and we use this opportunity or else we lose it forever. We have a very narrow window."
Carl Court/Getty Images
Jeber was detained by IS in 2014 on suspicion of spying and threatened with execution, but escaped and went on to use his knowledge of Mosul to help Iraqi forces target the insurgents.
He formed a government-backed militia last year to arrest and interrogate suspected militants in areas retaken from IS but now intends to use it to secure heritage sites. He also runs a non-governmental organization tasked with restoring antiquities.
Jeber wants to start rebuilding at the site of the Mosque of the Prophet Jonah, which was constructed on top of a Christian monastery. The site marks Jonah's mythical burial place and also contains the remains of a Zoroastrian temple and an Assyrian palace.
"The site is four levels of civilization," he explained during a visit to the site this month.
IS blew up the mosque and dug tunnels in search of valuable antiquities, destabilizing the base.
Muslim clerics want to rebuild the site as a mosque. One has already set a cornerstone but Jeber says that restoring it as a heritage site honoring its multiple historical identities would do much more to turn the page on IS.
There is, however, no guarantee Mosul will be the same as it was before IS arrived. Some exhausted residents have stopped attending mosque and are looking for an alternative to the religiosity that was once central to their lives.
Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, was less strictly observed this year in eastern Mosul after the Iraqi military forced outted IS. Some restaurants stayed open and people smoked in public, acts prohibited even before the militants' takeover.
An Iraqi man looks at a destroyed tomb of the Prophet Jonah (Nabi Younes) in the eastern side of Mosul REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
Reviving Mosul's historic traditions will depend partly on whether Iraq's Shi'ite-led government can win the trust of Sunnis, many of whom welcomed IS when it stormed the city because they felt marginalized and mistreated.
In eastern Mosul's poor Intisar district, a long-time Islamist bastion, buildings are covered in bullet marks and raw sewage flows past recently reopened storefronts. Army and police checkpoints fly Shi'ite flags that irk Sunni residents.
Abu Abdullah, sitting on a plastic chair outside his shop, says many men joined IS not because they were convinced by its ideology but because of disaffection with government corruption.
"Daesh (IS) gained popularity because of injustice. If the injustice remains, maybe these youths will revert to that," he said. "There could be a new Daesh which would be more intense."
Many people simply do not feel safe, including Sunni Arabs whose neighbors supported IS and members of minority groups such as 30-year-old Christian schoolteacher Kindi Majeed.
He fled Mosul with his wife but his mother stayed behind and died in a hospital 10 days before Iraqi forces recaptured it.
He now lives in a camp an hour's drive from Mosul housing 5,000 Christians. He has no plans to return to the city.
"Daesh militants have been eliminated but the Daesh idea remains," he said. "How can I live with my neighbors who branded me an infidel? How can my daughter live with them?" |
Do you like the LG V10's hardware but wish you can install a different ROM on it? The first step to that is by unlocking your phone's bootloader. In LG phones, this has been notoriously difficult because the company locks its bootloaders and workarounds are either non-existent or super complicated.
What LG has been offering though, in the past year, is an official page to help you unlock the bootloader on the European G4 and G5, and now it's adding the LG V10 for Europe. But only on Marshmallow — this doesn't work if you're still on Lollipop. Oh and there's a clear exception for France, because as far as I can tell the phone wasn't officially released in the country.
LG is quick to point out the dangers of unlocking the bootloader and the fact that it'll void your warranty, but if you couldn't care less about that and you know what you're getting into, the page has detailed step-by-step instructions that'll take you through the process. |
Led by a somehow-improved Stephen Curry, the 3-0 Golden State Warriors have looked even more terrifying than the 67-win outfit that rampaged through the League last season.
When asked if the Dubs could tie or perhaps break the 72-win mark—an NBA record for regular season wins set by Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in 1995-96—Thompson said it was unlikely.
According to the All-Star shooting guard, however, 70 wins is something the defending champs have a chance at reaching.
Per the Bay Area News Group:
“That’s going to be a tough one,” Thompson said on a Google Hangouts Q&A with ShotTracker, a wearable tech company he partnered with. “We’ll try. There are so many good teams. We’ll try. We did get 67 wins last year, which was an amazing feat. We might be able to get 70. It’s going to depend a lot on health, obviously, and a lot of lucky bounces that go our way. […] Seventy-two wins, that’s a lot of wins, man. I don’t know if that will be done again, but hey man, we might be the team to do it just because we reached 67 last year. And if we stay focused and we take every game serious, we should have a chance to reach 70. It won’t be easy. It will be extremely difficult, but you know what? Why not?” Warriors coach Steve Kerr played on the Bulls’ 72-win team with Michael Jordan. Last season during Golden State’s hot start, Kerr laughed off questions about the Warriors keeping up that pace. “What I remember from that year is there were about 10 games where Michael just decided, ‘We’re going to win,’” Kerr said. “And every other team on Earth would have lost those 10 games. […] He wanted to break that Lakers record of 69 wins, and so he decided we would do it, and so we did it, and there’s only one Michael.”
Related
Steve Kerr on the Warriors Possibly Winning 72 Games: ‘Oh God, No’ |
A new innovation in the anode electrode of a lithium battery may change the face of rechargeable batteries forever. The discovery, reported in the journal Advanced Energy Materials, will allow the anode electrode in a lithium-ion battery to charge up to 10 times longer and 10 times faster, according to Harold Kung, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University.
Resarchers are hoping that a new rechargeable battery with more storage and faster recharge time could help revolutionize the use of electric cars. ( Norm Betts / Bloomberg News file photo )
Kung and his team of researchers found they were able to increase the energy density — or in other words how much energy you could put in as well as how fast you can put it in and take it out — in the anode electrode by changing its internal structure. By putting silicon in-between the graphite sheets in a lithium-ion battery it turns out you can store 10 times more energy, Kung explained in a telephone interview with the Star. And then by using a nanometre-sized hose throughout the graphite sheets, it makes it much easier to take energy out and put it in, resulting in the battery charging much faster.
Article Continued Below
Since the publication of his paper and publicity about the research, Kung has been inundated with offers for commercialization and from venture capitalists wanting to help manufacture the new battery. Kung hopes that it could be ready as soon as three years from now. In the short-term the new kind of battery could change the time smart phones and computers need to charge up. But Kung and others have a bigger dream in mind. He’s hoping that this new rechargeable battery with more storage and faster recharge time could help revolutionize the use of electric cars. “If you have an electric car you don’t have to recharge every 60 miles (96.5 kilometres) of usage, but could run it for 600 kilometres, the electric car become a lot more convenient to use. “You don’t have to charge it at home, but could pull up to a gas station and recharge in 15 minutes. The hurdle of consumers accepting electric cars would become less.”
Kung feels his new invention will help decrease the world’s dependence on fossil fuels, both lowering the carbon emissions in the atmosphere and reducing dependence on import oil. “A good battery not only can be used to facilitate the adoption of electric cars, but can also be used to store electricity created from renewable resources such as solar energy and wind power. “If you have a simple way to store that electricity, our electricity generation can rely on those renewable resources more heavily.” |
Louisiana’s governor Bobby Jindal has been in the mix of probable GOP presidential contenders for what seems like ages now. A lot of that talk was muted after his bizarre and creepy response to the president’s first address to a joint session of Congress. You remember. The walk. The voice. The eyes. Anyway, he passed 2012 by without so much as a blip on most people’s radar.
After the Republicans’ drubbing last Tuesday, of course there is no end to the GOPers coming out of the woodwork who purport to have the solution to what ails the party. Jindal is among them, no doubt with the smell of 2016 in his nostrils, giving a long interview to Politico.
The gist is that Jindal thinks the GOP needed to speak more about specific, new ideas, rather than just being the party of the very rich. There’s definitely some cognitive dissonance for me there, but when you consider Jindal’s constituency (religious conservatives in a rural state) and his brand (brainy, young Christianist), it makes sense that he’d want to go in that direction.
But the phrasing he uses is too delicious to go unmocked. In his interview, Jindal decried what he calls “dumbed-down conservatism,” and said:
We need to stop being simplistic, we need to trust the intelligence of the American people and we need to stop insulting the intelligence of the voters.
Now, this is difficult to swallow considering the source. Jindal is the guy whose voucher program in Louisiana is diverting public funds to Christian (not just religious, but Christian) schools, and who is stuffing Creationism into science classes. (Remember how the fact of the Loch Ness Monster proves that dinosaurs and people lived together? Yeah, Louisiana. Here are some more of those nuggets you can lose sleep over.) And to just to reach back a little further, Jindal is also a guy who was on hand for a few excorcisms in college.
I’m not just trying to prove that Jindal is a theocrat — we know that — but I do want to point out that this flies in the face of his professed prescription for healing the GOP nationally: to offer more policy specifics and to avoid being the party of “offensive, bizarre comments” like those that describe impregnation-by-rape as a gift from God . All of these bizarre comments, of course,. So I suppose what Jindal wants is a party that still believes all the same crazy things, but that he also doesn’t want anyone to talk about them.
As Politico reports:
On cultural issues, he suggested the party not retreat from its stances opposing abortion rights and gay marriage but rather soften its tone on such matters.
Ah. What I hope people remember is that even when they’re not talking about cultural issues, when they get elected, they still act on them. They still legislate their Bronze Age values, whether they discussed them in campaigns or not. Sounds to me like that’s precisely what it means to “insult the intelligence of the voters.”
Deriding “bumper-sticker slogans” as the basis for campaigning, Jindal said, “Simply being the anti-Obama party didn’t work. You can’t beat something with nothing.” But that sounds exactly like what he wants to do. The nothing, in this case, is the intention of his brand of religious conservatives. Or perhaps its the very basis of their agenda, a belief in something that isn’t there, telling them all what to do. That really is beating something with nothing. |
Today’s announcement that Sarah Palin will become a contributor to Fox News Channel is the next step in the logical progression of her career.
The success of her recently released autobiography as well as the media’s breathless reporting on her statements and Facebook musings have made her one of the nation’s top news voices and a force to be reckoned with.
While Ms. Palin will probably never be president, it’s clear that many of her critics have underestimated her ability to tap into the grievances and discontent of large social and geographic blocs in the country.
Palin’s appeal no longer straddles simple political lines, but broader cultural ones: This is because she is no longer a politician but a pop culture icon and a celebrity. She has transcended politics, opening new career doors.
Let’s examine the Fox News deal from Palin’s perspective. Palin is a true, Hollywood-type celebrity with a bestselling book and millions of adoring fans. She may have designs on the presidency, but she evidently wants to soak up the perks and adulation of her celebrity first, and she has done that with gusto.
Palin’s resignation as governor of Alaska last summer was abrupt and unusual, but seen through the lens of celebrity, it is understandable. The isolated confines of Juneau were too small for Palin when she returned following the presidential election. She could not go home again.
But Palin’s strident, conservative manner, her deep Republican stripes, and her penchant for publicity make her a superb fit for television and a natural fit for Fox News.
This is not a novel idea, but in light of Palin’s lasting hold on the national stage, it appears a match perfectly suited to both parties commercially and ideologically. A regular slot on Fox News would be an immediate sensation and it would expand Palin’s imprint on the national stage, giving her a place to build and shape her public persona.
Palin’s aggressive partisanship wouldn’t work for network television, nor CNN or left-leaning MSNBC. That leaves Fox, which, as America’s most popular cable news channel, provides the best platform for Palin to cement the adoration of her most fervent supporters among Fox’s viewer base as well as keep her relevant.
She could easily be paid millions there to do what she does best: delighting Republicans and infuriating Democrats. She could also use the new job to strengthen her public conversational and oratorical skills.
And therein lies why Fox News Channel is bringing on Palin. Her star power would be an immediate ratings bonanza.
The reasons for a Palin-Fox marriage can be traced to how Fox and its leadership in the form of the News Channel president Roger Ailes thinks. Mr. Ailes, a brilliant former Republican operative, has infused a Republican viewpoint into the channel’s programming, as evidenced by its lineup of Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and even Palin’s potential presidential rival Mike Huckabee, who hosts a low-profile weekend show.
“Governor Palin has captivated everyone on both sides of the political spectrum and we are excited to add her dynamic voice to the Fox News lineup,” said Bill Shine, executive vice president of programming.
Another reason this is such a great fit for both Palin and Fox? Both appear to enjoy upsetting and besting Democrats. Officially, of course, they both claim otherwise: “It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news,” Palin said in a written release.
At Fox, Palin could sit in a comfy studio in stylish clothing, holding court before America and dispensing sharp political observations and nuggets of stinging disdain for Democratic initiatives. No other major guests or political pundits would be necessary; Palin would be the unquestioned star.
In fact, this announced hiring could merely be a test run for giving Palin her own prime-time show. Fox could call the program “Sarah!” and slot it at 6:30 p.m. opposite the ABC, CBS, and NBC nightly news programs. No doubt “Sarah!” would get higher ratings than the big three, at least initially.
For a one-time insurgent channel that was birthed to provide a counterweight to perceived liberal media bias, the show would be the ultimate insult to the so-called elite media and its adherents, a delicious prospect to Ailes.
General chatter about Palin’s political future misses the point. Just as David Beckham, Shaquille O’Neal, and others – athletes who arguably became more enamored of celebrity than the sports they played – Palin now seems more interested in being a star than a politician. Being a cable figure would allow her to continue this and solidify her conservative credentials to run for president down the road.
Sarah Palin and prime-time television? It makes total sense.
Mark Greenbaum is an attorney and freelance writer in Washington.
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Sometimes it can be hard to take newspaper transfer gossip seriously, with many stories apparently inspired by little more than a mixture of intuition, blind guesswork and perhaps the occasional off-the-record whisper from a vested interest. However the source of Tuesday’s biggest and juiciest titbit has impeccable contacts and great football wisdom, and while it would be easy to dismiss any ordinary story linking Manchester City with a world record offer for Tottenham’s Dele Alli, it’s a little bit different when the story has come straight from the mouth of Xavi, the former Barcelona inspiration and one-time team-mate of Pep Guardiola.
Daniel Sturridge may have played last game for Liverpool because of injury Read more
“I speak with Pep, and I know he thinks it is important to sign English players,” the former midfield maestro said, as quoted by the Sun. “I am sure in the summer he will look across Europe for players to improve the squad, but I also expect him to look in the Premier League as well. At the moment the best English player there is and also one of the best in Europe is Dele Alli. We are looking at a very special player. Technically he is the sort of player that suits the style of football that Pep likes his teams to play. I am sure it is not going to be a player that Tottenham will want to let go, but we know Manchester City have big resources.”
City – as well as near-neighbours Manchester United and German giants Bayern Munich – are also interested in Tottenham’s Kyle Walker, who has decided to “reassess his Tottenham future at the end of the season” even though he only signed a new contract in September. United are even more interested in Valencia’s 20-year-old midfielder Carlos Soler, with the Star reporting this morning that the player’s buy-out clause is set at £25m, he has been scouted on multiple occasions and that “José Mourinho was first alerted to his potential by super agent Jorge Mendes”.
Arsenal will probably see the back of at least one ageing Frenchman this summer, with Sky reporting that Marseille are ready to pay a hefty £20m for 30-year-old Olivier Giroud, who has not been a regular starter this season. The Mail also report the rumour though they are far less optimistic about the deal going through: “Giroud has been discussed, as has team-mate Laurent Koscielny,” they write, “but the chances of either moving at this stage seem remote” particularly as “Arsenal have no desire to lose their defensive lynchpin”. It seems that Marseille’s shopping spree will not end at the Emirates though, as Sky say they “are also interested in Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye” and the Mail add that they “may have more success with Palace’s Steve Mandanda, while they also like Moussa Sissoko at Tottenham and Edin Dzeko at Roma”.
Perhaps Koscielny might be more likely to leave should Arsenal’s mooted move for Southampton’s Virgil can Dijk come off. It probably won’t, though, warns the Telegraph, with Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City also interested and Chelsea the favourites to complete the deal, but still some kind of defensive reshuffle seems likely. “Arsenal are also hopeful of signing left-back Sead Kolasinac [from Schalke] when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season,” they report. “Question marks remain over how well Shkodran Mustafi has performed while Nacho Monreal may leave.” In other full-back news, Manchester City “have discussed a potential move for Paris St-Germain right-back Serge Aurier”, according to the Mail, who add that “City’s Pablo Zabaleta is expected to join West Ham, though they have also spoken to Bacary Sagna”.
Michael Keane’s most likely summer destination has changed, but just a little, with the Sun claiming that the Burnley defender, who had been most strongly linked with a move to Everton, will now be joining Liverpool instead, where he will be “made the mainstay of Jürgen Klopp’s defence next season”. And Bournemouth are preparing a double swoop on Chelsea’s substitutes’ bench, with goalkeeper Asmir Begovic joining former loanee Nathan Aké – both of whom they wanted to sign in January – on their summer shopping list. |
Wolfgang Palm hired a PR company. PR companies love to draw things out, so small details have been trickling daily on Facebook to build up excitement for release. Here is a recap of what's been going on.
The official specs have been released:
Creation of your own waves and wavetables. Playful sound creation simply by drawing or picking harmonics 3D page, visualization of the wavetables, transformation from photos into wavetables. 256 waves assembled within a wave grid 3 Audio Oscillators 3 Noise generators, for audio and modulations Classic 24 dB Lowpass Filter, combined with an overdrive simulation. Dual amplifier, for versatile control of 2 audio signals as well as panning. 13 Envelopes, for independent control of pitch, waveform, filter and noise gain and panning 4 LFOs Arpeggiator Delay/Reverb effect Audio engine with 2 synthesis modes, and variable wave blending quality. Directly accessible context help inside the app Use a camera, to shoot a picture and then transform it into a sound! Using state of the art technologies, but still the versatile and efficient synthesis system.
This is sounding like my frame by frame analysis was on the mark. Wolfgang must have played with Animoog and decided it would be more fun if users could make their own timbres. I'm betting he is right and can't wait to get my hands on this!
One of the more unique features here is the ability to make waves out of photos. This might just be a gimmick, but it sounds like a fun gimmick! Kids of all ages will be running all over the house snapping pictures of things on their iPad just to hear what they sound like.
The PPG origin story is being posted to the official website, at about an article a day. They are up to Part 5 in this 15 part series.
There is a short demo song exclusive to Music Radar, as well as a collection of demos embedded below. |
Is it because they're addicted to horrible people doing horrible things because it generates ratings? Hint: Yes.
Watching the media fawn over Steve Bannon has convinced me that they've learned absolutely nothing from 2016. For the past several weeks, you can practically hear the sound of newsrooms collectively wetting themselves in joy that Bannon, the white nationalist, is trying to wage war on establishment Republicans.
Like a pyromaniac trying to start a fire, the "liberal" media have been giving Bannon all the oxygen he needs with tweets like this:
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Let's ignore the fact that, devoid of any context, ABC is simply amplifying the deeply hypocritical message of a Nazi sympathizer. Instead, let's point out the obvious question: Who cares what Steve Bannon says?
No, seriously. Why does ABC find his utterances news? Because he runs Breitbart? Because he's leading a revolt against the GOP establishment? Because he used to work for Trump? Because he's such a handsome, charismatic guy?
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Let's take a look at the left wing version of Bannon: Cenk Uygur. Cenk runs The Young Turks, a massive, very successful, very influential media outlet that appeals to the far left. It's just like Breitbart minus the white nationalism, rabid bigotry and misogyny. OK, they're not even slightly the same at all but they're both the leading voices of the anti-establishment movements of their respective sides of the political spectrum. Cenk regularly slams the Democrats, yet ABC, to my knowledge, never tweets about him.
Cenk even has a well-funded organization running primaries against Democrats he feels aren't progressive enough. The Justice Democrats are attempting to do to the Democratic Party what Bannon is trying to do to the GOP. Curiously, we constantly hear about Bannon but not about Cenk.
Ah, you say, but Cenk didn't work for Trump! True, but a lot of people have worked for Trump, got fired and the press doesn't seem to care about them. Why? If I had to guess, it's because they're not sufficiently interesting villains in the drama the media is creating. And neither, for that matter, is Cenk. Remember, if Cenk wins, the result is a Democratic Party that moves to the left and pushes stuff like single payer and free college. Not exactly riveting storytelling. Progress is boring!
But if Bannon wins? Then we get goosestepping white nationalists demanding we make Adolf Hitler's birthday a national holiday! Outrage! Scandal! Ratings! Oh, what a day! What a lovely day!
Yeah. The media hasn't learned a goddamn thing from 2016. We're all going to die.
There are 21 days left to the the 2017 elections.
There are 385 days left to the 2018 elections.
- This article kills fascists
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Voices Only 2014
Voices Only 2014 is here! The 2-volume scholastic a cappella compilation series returns for its 10th anniversary edition, and with it brings the expansion to collegiate AND high school a cappella! Voices Only 2014 is jam packed with 36 of the most tantalizing tracks the collegiate and high school ranks have to offer.
Some of your favorite groups are featured again on Voices Only 2014, including 3-time ICCA International Champions USC SoCal VoCals, 2013 ICCA International Champions Northeastern's The Nor'easters, NBC's The Sing-Off season three contender University of Rochester YellowJackets, 2013 and 2014 ICCA Finalists The Michigan G-Men, 2013 ICCA Finalists Cornell Chordials, and 2012 ICCA Finalists Chicago Voices in Your Head. Additionally, a whopping 12 groups make their Voices Only debut on Voices Only 2014, such as 2014 ICCA Finalists Delaware Vocal Point, 2013 ICCA Finalists Florida State Reverb and Birmingham Sons of Pitches, 2013 and 2012 ICHSA Runner Up Centerville High Forte, and many more!
With songs originally performed by Bastille, Daft Punk, One Direction, OneRepublic, Swedish House Mafia, Sara Bareilles, Miley Cyrus, The Beatles, Rascal Flatts, John Legend, Britney Spears, and many more, there is truly something for every music fan on Voices Only 2014. Every genre is covered - top 40, pop, rock, hip-hop, adult contemporary, soft rock, alternative, house, electronica, indie, and TWO original tracks!
Voices Only 2014 is now available exclusively in digital format on iTunes, Amazon MP3 and all your favorite digital retailers! |
Stephen Bennett. “Penan Girl,” from Bario, Sarawak, Malaysia. 2006. Acrylic on canvas.
All too often indigenous peoples are pushed to the fringes of modern society. My work is about breaking through those barriers.
— Stephen Bennett
BY GRACE ANEIZA ALI | THE GIRLS ISSUE | MARCH, 2013
“When I meet someone new, I cannot help but begin to study their face,” says Stephen Bennett. In the last 20 years, Bennett, a U.S.-based portrait artist, has travelled to over 30 countries painting the faces of people living in indigenous communities.
“All too often indigenous peoples are pushed to the fringes of modern society,” says Bennett. “My work is about breaking through those barriers.”
His goal is to paint 1,000 portraits of indigenous peoples across the globe. Bennett has transformed this global mission into the aptly titled organization, Faces of the World, a non-profit with a mission of increasing cultural pride and affirming the importance of indigenous cultures.
Currently, there are over 370 million indigenous peoples living in 70 countries worldwide. According to the United Nations, of that number, 67 million indigenous youth around the world continue to face great challenges. Further, women and girls “are often subjected to a double burden of discrimination on the ground of being female, and on the ground of being part of an indigenous population,” reported the 57th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women held in New York in March. Girls in indigenous communities must confront several challenges: lack of educational opportunities, risks of being forced into early marriages as ways to alleviate their families’ poverty, and increased threats of physical and sexual violence.
Despite these odds, Bennett’s portraits of indigenous girls in countries such as Malaysia (above), New Guinea, Polynesia, and Seychelles (below), are full of intensity and radiance. They evoke a wondrous sense of magical realism, a result of Bennett’s use of paints hand-mixed from pure pigments. In his portraits, these girls are vibrant. They are not marked by hopelessness or victimization. They are not reflections of the challenges that surround them.
And yet, Bennett’s portraits draw attention to a sobering duality: the natural beauty inherent to these girls and their invisibility. As indigenous peoples they are among the most impoverished of our world’s citizens; they are also among the world’s most invisible. What seems as a simple act by Bennett—to use the art of portraiture to reflect the faces of these girls—becomes a powerful gesture of activism to counter invisibility.
In the last 6 years, Faces of the World has taught portrait workshops to over 7,000 children within indigenous communities and around the world. The organization has also curated exhibitions taking Bennett’s portraits to public audiences in Mexico, Malaysia, Tanzania, Dubai, Seychelles, and the United Nations headquarters in New York, among others. “Today these cultures are vanishing at unprecedented rates,” says Bennett. “Capturing their essence and making records is critically important.”
Bennett is half-way through his goal to paint 1,000 portraits of indigenous peoples. This year, he plans to visit indigenous communities throughout Myanmar and China.
Stephen Bennett. “Girl from Bagabaga,” Papaua New Guinea. 2007. Acrylic on canvas. 80 x 64 in.
Stephen Bennett. “Don’t Look at the Yellow Flower,” Moorea, French Polynesia, 2000. Acrylic on linen. 24 x 18 in.
Stephen Bennett. “Beach Baby,” Seychelles. 2002. Acrylic on canvas. 80 x 64 in.
♦
Grace Aneiza Ali is the founder and editorial director of Of Note Magazine.
OF NOTE Magazine is free to readers, free of advertising, and free of subscriptions—all made possible by generous supporters like you. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift.
OF NOTE Magazine is a fiscally sponsored organization of Artspire, a program of the New York Foundation for the Arts, a 501 (c) (3), tax-exempt organization. All donations are 100% tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. |
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Following the death of a young rape victim that galvanized tens of thousands of protesters in India, we turn now to a case of sexual violence here in the United States that’s only recently generated national attention, though it happened months ago. That’s the case of Steubenville, Ohio, where members of a high school football team allegedly raped an underage girl, possibly urinated on her unconscious body, over the course of an evening of partying in late August.
The young men chronicled their actions on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, using words such as “drunk girl,” “rape” in their posts. One former football player tweeted, quote, “Song of the night is definitely Rape Me by Nirvana,” and, quote, “Some people deserve to be peed on.” In one video, an 18-year-old laughs about how unconscious the alleged rape victim was during the incident and refers to her as, quote, “the dead girl.”
STEUBENVILLE TEEN 1: Is it really rape? Because you don’t know if she wanted to or not. She might have wanted to. That might have been her final wish.
STEUBENVILLE TEEN 2: No, y’all think she’s dead?
STEUBENVILLE TEEN 1: She’s dead.
AMY GOODMAN: Before many of the partygoers could delete their incriminating posts, local crime blogger Alexandria Goddard made copies and publicized them on her website. She was sued for defamation, but the charges have since been dropped. Many Steubenville locals have criticized Goddard and the victim for bringing negative public attention to the football team. Head football coach Reno Saccoccia has refused to bench his players and reportedly advised them to delete any incriminating messages.
Well, now the cyber-activist group Anonymous has launched a campaign to unmask what they say is the football-crazy town’s attempt to cover up the sexual assault. Last month, the group hijacked the football team’s website and threatened to release the personal data of school officials, coaches and every player on the team if those involved in the suspected rape did not publicly apologize.
In August, after the girl’s parents reported the suspected rape, two football players were arrested and later charged with kidnapping and raping the 16-year-old woman. They are scheduled to stand trial as juveniles in February. However, on Saturday, Sheriff Fred Abdalla told protesters no more suspects would be charged in the rape case. Amidst boos from the crowds, Abdalla defended his department’s commitment to prosecuting sexual offenders.
SHERIFF FRED ABDALLA: When I came into this office, I made a commitment to myself.
UNIDENTIFIED: When did you come in office?
SHERIFF FRED ABDALLA: In 1985—that I would go after those people that have raped or those people who have sexually abused our young children. In the last—in the last 28 years, me and my officers, Captain Bill, have arrested over 200-plus individuals for sexually abusing children. And we taught our children—we taught our children about strangers all the time.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Sheriff Fred Abdalla, who is under fire for his handling of the Steubenville High School rape investigation.
For more, we’re joined by three guests. From North Carolina, Monika Johnson Hostler is with us. She’s president of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Here in New York, we’re joined by Kristen Gwynne, associate editor at AltnerNet. Her recent piece is called “How Anonymous Hacking Exposed Steubenville High School Rape Case.” And by Democracy Now! videostream, we’re joined by “X,” a member of the hacktivist group Anonymous, using a pseudonym.
We welcome you all to Democracy Now! I want to begin with our guest here in the studio in New York. Kristen, explain how this case—because the actual attack occurred in August—how we’ve come to learn about it now in January?
KRISTEN GWYNNE: Well, the blogger, Alexandria Goddard, she was on the case from the beginning. She’s from Steubenville, Ohio, and so she had been following the details of it and actually tracing tweets from football players and athletes at the school almost immediately after the charges were filed in August. And she garnered the attention of the community on her blog. And even in the comments section, a lot of people were weighing in, either saying that, “Yes, this is a football-crazed town,” or actually blaming the victim for what happened, what allegedly happened to her. And after her blogging, The New York Times wrote an article about it, just a month ago, chronicling again the events of the evening and the possibility that more people were involved, in the end, than—
AMY GOODMAN: And what is believed that took place that night?
KRISTEN GWYNNE: Well, according to both The New York Times and Anonymous, what they’re saying happened was that a 16-year-old girl, who was from a neighboring town in West Virginia, was taken to a series of parties celebrating the end of the summer and the beginning of the football season. She was intoxicated or possibly date-raped, and unconscious even at one point, being carried by football players from party to party and allegedly sexually assaulted and raped both at parties and in between. Anonymous is saying that the sexual assaults may even have happened at the homes of assistant coaches to the football team, as well as the prosecutor.
AMY GOODMAN: I mean, the picture—the picture that has come out of two men holding this girl, dragging her to—a man holding her arms and a man holding her legs. I wanted to bring into the conversation Monika Johnson Hostler. If you can respond to what you have seen and heard described in this case, the fact that the police chief is saying there will be no more indictments. There have been two young men who have been charged, and they will be tried as juveniles in a few weeks.
MONIKA JOHNSON HOSTLER: Yes, thank you for having me, Amy.
I think my response is like most people’s: It’s a guttural response, that this is a violent, heinous act right here in the United States, where it appears that—for those of us who are not in Ohio, it’s taken a little bit longer for us to get the details that Kristie just described for us. And based on that description, I think most of us know, if this was any other type of case where there were onlookers or other people, that we would be considering and holding those people who also witnessed and also were a part of engaging in sexually assaulting or dragging this young woman from party to party as aiding and abetting or at least responsible, in some capacity, criminally, as well.
AMY GOODMAN: Isn’t some of this alleged to have happened at the home of the Jefferson County prosecutor?
MONIKA JOHNSON HOSTLER: Yes, that’s what I—
AMY GOODMAN: Kristen, and Monika?
MONIKA JOHNSON HOSTLER: That’s what I understand, that it was held at the home of a prosecutor. And what I can say, for the community and the state of Ohio, is it seemed, early on, the police chief at the time, not the sheriff, but—was readily open and willing for the attorney general to come in and take the case, which I think is more than appropriate, considering here in North Carolina, I’m from a small town where everyone does know everyone and football is paramount to the community, that it’s extremely important that there be someone outside that community engaged in the criminal prosecution of this case.
AMY GOODMAN: Jane Hamlin, who is the Jefferson County prosecutor, has recused herself from the case, presumably because of her son?
KRISTEN GWYNNE: Yes, and as has the local judge, who said that he—his granddaughter had been in a relationship with one of the accused.
AMY GOODMAN: And what is the family of the victim saying? Did the young woman say she didn’t even realize what had happened, that she had no memory of that night?
KRISTEN GWYNNE: She said she didn’t remember anything pretty much after leaving her home and that it wasn’t until she heard from friends and saw the pictures herself that she understood or began to understand and, I guess, pieced together what had happened to her that night.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to turn to the hacktivist from Anonymous, to “X,” a pseudonym for security reasons. Can you tell us what it is that you did, that your group did?
“X”: Hi, Amy. Thanks for having me on today. I think, to begin with, it’s important to understand that this action involved three separate entities that are overlapping and coordinated, but separate. The cyber-action, which involved the hacking and the various other cyber-aspects, were conducted by Anonymous in a very specific cell within Anonymous known as KnightSec. And then the ground protests, which were—took place on two Saturdays in a row—this last Saturday and the one before—were handled by Occupy Steubenville, so that was their responsibility. And then the third sort of part of the puzzle was the Local Leaks, which is the disclosure platform that we have, which released a great—just a copious amount of information on this case. And so, it’s important to understand that those three elements were involved.
AMY GOODMAN: I just want to say, especially for radio listeners who cannot see, that you’re wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, and your head is covered. Your voice is masked, as well as your name. Why are you doing this anonymously?
“X”: For security purposes. Actually, I’ve been on your show before. The last time I was on the air, I was still anonymous with a small “a,” and I was apprehended shortly after I appeared on your show last time by the FBI. And for a number of reasons, because I felt that the prosecution was political against myself, I chose to flee into exile, and I’m in Canada now. And so, my name is actually known to most people. You could research me and easily find out who I am. My appearance is masked because I’ve altered by appearance since I’ve gone into exile. And I’m now a fugitive, so I’ve altered my appearance. But I keep the name “X” because, to be honest with you, I kind of like it.
AMY GOODMAN: How did you get a hold—explain the video that your group, that Anonymous, that you got a hold of, that you released, what this 12-minute video showed.
“X”: Well, I think it’s apparent to anybody who can stomach watching it for the entire 12 minutes. I, myself, here at our location—we’ve been working night and day on this operation, and I’ve watched it at least a dozen times, and it makes me sick each time we watch it. I think it speaks for itself. These young men were sitting around immediately after the crime took place—that’s clear from what they say in the video. One person even gets up at one point and leaves in disgust and goes to check on the victim to see if the victim is OK. So the victim is still nearby, still—the crime is still in progress, in essence, when this video was shot. And a number of people are implicated in the video, including the subject of the video; Michael Nodianos implicates himself in this crime. So I think the video speaks for itself. And, you know, I can’t—I can’t imagine how the police do not see this as further evidence and do not levy charges against the people in the video.
AMY GOODMAN: What are you, Monika, calling for right now? Right now, two young people have been charged. There is a lot of community support for the football players. Wasn’t there reference in the video to Duke and the lacrosse players?
MONIKA JOHNSON HOSTLER: There was. And very much so, like “X” said, I had to actually watch the 12-minute video in increments, because it was sickening to my stomach to hear men, especially of this age, talk about how dead she was. And one of them, I think, even alluded to, if this was your daughter or your wife in 10 years, you wouldn’t be saying this, and he said, “Yes, I would.” So, for me, especially as a parent, not just as an advocate, it is sickening to hear the degree of which they go on and carry on about how much she was raped. And so, the correlation to Duke was, she was raped more than the Duke lacrosse players raped.
AMY GOODMAN: And so, what do you—
MONIKA JOHNSON HOSTLER: And so, what we are calling—what we are calling for is not just how this is handled in Steubenville, Ohio, but really asking America to take a hard look at ourselves in how we are—handle sexual violence and rape in our country. I think we’ve been able to point our fingers and turn our heads to rapes that have happened in other countries and not held ourselves accountable as Americans to say that we absolutely still have a culture of rape, where women and girls are still degraded and dehumanized, and rape is in the fabric of this country. And unfortunately, I would think, centuries later, that we would be further along in terms of our response, but yet we still see Americans blaming victims. So, in terms of our overall response, we’re calling for America to take a hard look at itself and really think about the culture that we’re raising our kids in and the things that we are allowing to happen by not acknowledging, as a community, as a society, the importance of supporting the rape victim.
And I do want to go back briefly to something you asked Kristie earlier about the rape victim recalling her story or what happened. And what I’d like to point out to your listeners and viewers is, oftentimes rape victims don’t consider what happened to them rape. Just as Kristie described, in this case, she was intoxicated, inebriated, that she wasn’t able to actually recall what happened, which is often the case that we hear with drug-facilitated or alcohol-facilitated rapes. So I think it’s important for people to understand, before we begin to blame the victim, when a victim recalls their story in pieces, it is often because of cases like this where it’s difficult to recall the incidents that happen, especially when they’re intoxicated or inebriated.
AMY GOODMAN: Kristen, can you talk about the role of social media in exposing the story—first Alexandria, the blogger, then Anonymous?
KRISTEN GWYNNE: Social media has played an interesting role in the story from the beginning, because without it, just prosecuting the case at all would have been difficult because so much of the evidence was tweets and Facebook posts and videos that kids put up on YouTube. And what Alexandria Goddard did was take screen shots of everything before the kids were smart enough, I guess, to realize that they needed to delete them. So she was able to compile evidence that—
AMY GOODMAN: And who is she?
KRISTEN GWYNNE: She was a blogger, a local—for the website Prinniefied.com, and she was also from the town. So she had, I guess, a personal interest in investigating further, because she said, from the minute she heard about the case, she believed that the football players were being treated specially because the town has so much invested in the team. And then, once Anonymous caught hold of it, they took it even further by exposing more—more tweets and then, of course, the video, which was just a stunning, I guess, testament to the rape culture in America and in this town, in particular.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, “X,” or Christopher Doyon, your, you know, name that’s online, can you talk about OpPedoChat and talk about—well, I’m looking at Wired magazine. “It could indicate [that] this is the project of one subsection of Anonymous, which would explain the slightly different tone to the information release. This isn’t the first anti-paedophile project from the group, either.” And then it goes on to talk about the past ones.
“X”: Sure, Amy, I’ll be happy to, but I just want to point out one last thing on the Steubenville subject. There’s more to this than just a rape that’s being covered up because of football and because of legitimate revenue within that community. We have uncovered—Anonymous has uncovered a gigantic gambling ring in Steubenville that, you know, is—probably half of the revenue in that community is underground, and it involves gambling, involves drugs. So, there’s more to this than this. This story is about corruption. It’s about a sick fascination and fixation with football. And so, I encourage people to go to Local Leaks and look at the information that we’ve revealed, because this is—this goes deeper than just rape.
Regarding OpPedoChat—
AMY GOODMAN: We have 10 seconds.
“X”: OpPedoChat is an operation by Anonymous to uncover pedophiles on social media and to out them and to get them removed from social media and, hopefully, arrested and convicted for their crimes.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Christopher Doyon, aka “Commander X,” I want to thank you for being with us, hacktivist with the hacktivist group Anonymous. Also, thank you to Monika Johnson Hostler with the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, as well as to Kristen Gwynne. |
FILE - In this April 13, 2016 file photo, Fred Couch, the father of a Texas teenager who used an "affluenza" defense in a fatal drunken-driving wreck in 2013, arrives for a court hearing in Fort Worth, Texas. On Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016, Coach was found guilty of falsely identifying himself as a peace officer and sentenced to a year's probation. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The father of a Texas teenager who used an “affluenza” defense in a fatal drunken-driving wreck has been found guilty of falsely identifying himself as a peace officer.
Fred Couch, 51, was sentenced Wednesday in a Tarrant County courtroom to a year’s probation. If he violates the terms, he could be jailed for up to 120 days.
In a dashcam video shown to jurors, Couch is seen telling North Richland Hills police officers responding to a disturbance two years ago that he is a reserve officer.
Defense attorney Scott Brown argued to a jury this week that Couch, who carried a badge bearing the words “search and rescue” and “Lakeside Police,” never asserted authority with it.
Couch’s family has been embroiled in one legal drama after another in recent years.
His son, Ethan Couch, was 16 when he killed four people in a 2013 drunken-driving wreck. His blood-alcohol level was three times above the legal limit for adult drivers when the crash occurred. A defense expert invoked the term “affluenza” in arguing during the sentencing phase of the teenager’s trial that Couch’s wealthy parents may have coddled him into a sense of irresponsibility. The condition is not recognized as a medical diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association, and its use drew widespread derision.
The case of Ethan Couch, now 19, led to a protracted legal battle in which his attorneys argued he should be tried in juvenile court. A judge ultimately moved the matter to adult court and he is now serving a nearly two-year jail term.
The younger Couch’s incarceration was triggered after it appeared he violated terms of his probation for the 2013 wreck when a video surfaced last December that showed him at a party with alcohol.
Couch then disappeared and Tarrant County authorities say he fled to Mexico with his mother, Tonya Couch. They were found a few weeks later in the Mexican resort city of Puerto Vallarta. Ethan Couch appeared to have grown a beard and dyed his hair black.
Tonya Couch subsequently was indicted on charges of hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering. She was released from home confinement over the summer and was tending bar in suburban Fort Worth.
Her attorney, Stephanie Patten, has previously said her client did not break any state laws.
Fred and Tonya Couch are divorced. |
Only LED’s Create Hash Tips- LED’s a Great Potential for Indoor Growers
You might be thinking of growing indoors as a hobby or commercially. Starting to cultivate plants in indoor tents/gardens is a very rewarding job. There are many grow light options supporting the indoor growing idea. A very popular choice for indoor grow lighting is the (LED) or Light emitting Diode. High quality LEDs are highly efficient, tested and proven by scientist and growers.
There are many reasons to choose LED light fixtures for growing indoor plants. In this article we will highlight the significant benefits of LED grow lights and one main reason why they should be preferred over other grow light mediums.
Let’s first consider the benefits of LED grow lights:
LED grow lights give you the advantage of growing plants anywhere: in a tent, garden
inside your home, basement, closet, or even a small corner space . Since LED’s produce very little heat, they can be placed closer to plants without the fear of damaging the plants or causing a fire. The setup is easy as well and requires only a plug and play system.
. Since LED’s produce very little heat, they can be placed closer to plants without the fear of damaging the plants or causing a fire. The setup is easy as well and requires only a plug and play system. LED grow lights do not waste energy given off as excess heat . They are exceptionally cooler as compared to HIDs and plasma lights.
. They are exceptionally cooler as compared to HIDs and plasma lights. LEDSs draw less wattage and save on electrical consumption by 50-60% . This can add up to huge savings month after month.
. This can add up to huge savings month after month. LEDs increase the growth rate of plants as they use targeted spectrum for dialing into the specific photoreceptors of the plants . If you have vegetables growing inside than for their growth this means increase in size and nutrients as well as antioxidant production. If you have plants planned for indoor growth, LEDs will ensure increase density, growth, and resin production of cannabis .
. If you have vegetables growing inside than for their growth this means increase in size and nutrients as well as antioxidant production. . LED grow lights pay for themselves with monthly electrical savings and air conditioning savings .
. LEDs do not contain mercury and are environment friendly and a green alternative for indoor growing.
If you have been thinking of switching to LEDs to cut out excess heat and reduce your grow room monthly expenses, try Dorm Grow G8LED grow light technology. The grow results will exceed your expectations and you will be surprised by the quality of growth attained.
If you need one more reason to switch to LED grow lights, it is the bonus “hash tips”. Hash Tips are very densely packed trichome formations present on top of flowering buds
G8LEDs have the ability of outputting an optimal color spectrum and that leads to hash tip formation by the inclusion of ultraviolet in their lighting design! |
In 1956, a 12-year-old boy wrote a letter to a world-renowned architect asking for a special type of building he hadn’t yet designed in his professional career—a doghouse. Inspired by this story, The House Designers are searching for a rescue dog that we can have the pleasure of designing and building a custom doghouse for and at the same time, raise money for local animal shelters.
Frank Lloyd Wright was a man known for his notoriously crotchety attitude almost as much as his architectural prowess. Closing in on ninety years of age, his had been a life marred by countless disagreements, altercations, and divorces, both personal and professional. But his propensity toward his art started young, when he would often play with blocks that would inspire his vision for geometric clarity, and that early love had carried him through decades of service as America’s greatest architect.
He was a very old, very busy man. He was so focused on his usually lofty projects that, when he received a letter in June 1956 from 12-year-old Jim Berger politely requesting blueprints for a doghouse, his only reply was to instruct him to ask again in November.
Jim Berger was the son of a previous client, living in a home that Wright had designed to be built by his father himself. It came as no surprise that young Jim intended to build his own dog’s house. Eddie was a black Labrador retriever, two and a half feet tall by three feet long, four years old, and very clearly dear to Jim’s heart. With the most sincere of intentions, Jim offered to pay for the plans with money earned from his paper route, to give Eddie shelter during the winters. His only requests were that the doghouse match the family home and that it be easy to build.
On November 1st, Jim wrote Wright again, asking once more to have a house designed for Eddie. Incredibly, one of the most famous architects in the world did not just brush him aside or ignore his precocious request. The customized doghouse blueprints were promptly dispensed, in time for the winter Jim wanted to protect Eddie from, free of charge and with directions to use scraps left over from when his father built his house.
Eddie’s house was triangular in shape, pre-Usonian in design, with a low-pitched roof that overhung around the structure. When the Berger family finally built it, they did not follow Wright’s blueprints precisely—and few would wonder why. More than fifty years later, Jim Berger, who had made woodworking his profession, rebuilt the doghouse to Wright’s exact specifications and found it to be a monumental task requiring special tools and know-how that a boy in the 1950’s simply could not possess. Despite its impracticality, Eddie’s house has become a famous creation of Wright’s, his smallest structure designed for his youngest, perhaps most persistent client.
Nobody can know for sure why Frank Lloyd Wright indulged Jim’s request. Wright was not a paternal man by any stretch of the imagination. He had seven children of his own—eight with the adoption of his third wife’s daughter—but family life had always taken a backseat to his other aspirations. Perhaps a bit out of character, inspired by the love of a boy for his dog and the opportunity to delve into a brand new genre, Wright drew up plans that would earn him neither commission nor notoriety. It was for Eddie and Jim, plain as that, and he put the same passion into it as he had for his other designs.
We at The House Designers take inspiration from great architects like Frank Lloyd Wright. We also happen to be dog lovers, so this story is especially near and dear to our hearts. In the spirit of Wright’s contribution to fulfill the wish of a young boy, we thought it would be a great idea to have one of our passionate architects design and build a house for a very special rescue dog. And keeping with Wright’s example, we will even design it to match your house!
Have you just welcomed a rescue into your home? We’d like to hear about it! To enter, make a cash donation ($50 minimum) to your local shelter and send us a picture of your furry friend with a short essay telling us all about the new addition to your family by March 25th, 2016. We’ll draw up the plans and build the perfect doghouse—at no cost!—for one lucky winner to be announced on April 2nd, 2016.
To enter, please send your essay, along with a picture of your new friend, to [email protected]. Good luck!
All images courtesy of Eddie’s House, by Letters of Note. |
Cyberpunk 2077 is the next major release in line for CD Projekt RED. Following in the footsteps of their immensely popular open-world title The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk 2077 will also embrace role-playing gameplay through a futuristic world inspired by the tabletop RPG Cyberpunk 2020. Very little is known beyond that. But new information on the game’s open-world setting has now been revealed indirectly, through a grant request from CD Projekt for their upcoming gameplay features.
According to a translation from Polish into English by the games journalism website GamePressure, CD Projekt RED is requesting a grant for a “City Creation” feature. This, as GamePressure reports, is “a complex technology for creating a huge living city, playable in real time, which (the technology) is based on rules, AI, and automation, as well as supports innovative processes and tools for making top-notch open-world games.” In other words, the City Creation function will allow CD Projekt RED to develop the foundation for sprawling open-worlds, a “living city” that players can experience as just another citizen. Interestingly, CD Projekt didn’t just file this grant for a specific title. It seems the team wants to implement City Creation into other open-world games, too.
The other feature, which CD Projekt calls “Seamless Multiplayer,” plans to be “a complex technology for making unique multiplayer gameplay mechanics, including the ability to search out for opponents, manage game session, replicate objects, as well as support for different game modes along with a unique set of dedicated tools.” Which means a core aspect of Cyberpunk 2077 will be combat with other players who can easily drop in and out of a given player’s world. While not exactly a new concept, it’s an interesting trend that seems to be simultaneously popping up among developers: Hideo Kojima, for instance, expressed similar interest in a new, unique kind of multiplayer experience for Death Stranding at Tokyo Game Show 2016 earlier this month.
It’s hard to say what else CD Projekt has in store right now. They hinted that they have a release date in mind for Cyberpunk 2077, but unlike Kojima’s cryptic hints regarding Death Stranding, no info has been revealed yet. Until then, at least there’s another piece into the puzzle of what Cyberpunk 2077 will eventually become. |
Apr 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) passes to guard Jordan Clarkson (not pictured) for a dunk in the second half against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Air allegedly from STAPLES Center on the night that the Lakers beat the Jazz in Kobe Bryant’s last game hit eBay
Given the amount of love and fanfare given to Kobe Bryant as he played his final game for the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, April 13 against the Utah Jazz, there were obviously going to be some crazy stories to come from it and some really cool pieces of memorabilia for fans to take away from STAPLES Center.
However, one eBay seller is either way too clever for their own good or the least convincing con artist on the planet.
Just days after Kobe Bryant’s last game in the NBA and with the Lakers, two sellers on eBay posted an item for sale on their store pages that were puffed-up Ziploc bags with a note on it reading “Air from Kobe’s final NBA game:”
Seems legit.
This should honestly be expected in the Internet age that we occupy. Everyone is trying to make a quick buck and attempting to do so by cheaply capitalizing off of an iconic sporting event that just happened is a pretty great way to try and do that if you are into conning people.
If you’re thinking that this might be real, though, let’s picture this. You’re in STAPLES Center surrounded by thousands of Lakers and Kobe Bryant fans. How many of those fans are going to have plastic bags with them and how many of those with plastic bags are going to have the wherewithal to pull that bag out, capture air from the arena, and then go sell it on eBay?
Not many is the correct answer—but I respect the hustle and effort by this seller.
Update: April 16, 9:22 p.m. PST
The auction for the bag of air that is pictured second in this post is still going on eBay and the bidding just eclipsed a ridiculous $15,000. This is getting out of hand.
H/T to Extra Mustard |
Image copyright Geograph/Eric Jones Image caption Tidal flows approaching 9 knots are common in Bardsey Sound off the Gwynedd coast
A tidal energy project off the north Wales coast has taken a step forward.
Bardsey Sound, the stretch of water between Bardsey island and the tip of the Llyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, is well known for its strong tidal current.
The Crown Estate has given tidal energy company Nova Innovation an Agreement for Lease (AfL) to do a feasibility study to explore the site's potential.
"We welcome this as a positive step forward for the industry," said David Jones, of Marine Energy Wales.
The proposal for submerging a 3MW array of turbines was first revealed in March but some fishermen fear it could "devastate" their livelihoods.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Tidal energy project could 'devastate livelihoods' fisherman Sion Williams previously warned
North Wales already has a large renewable energy facility following the opening of the £2bn Gwynt y Mor wind farm eight miles (13km) off the coast in Llandudno, Conwy county.
Wales' first tidal energy site, opened in 2015, is on the seabed between Ramsey Island and the mainland near St David's Head in Pembrokeshire and is said to power between 400 and 600 homes.
Now Nova is working with regional renewable energy organisation YnNi Llyn to conduct a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Bardsey Sound project, which they anticipate will take 12 months.
YnNi Llyn volunteers said it was too early to estimate how many homes would be powered by the scheme but it claimed £5m of local money currently leaves the area in energy bills.
Public exhibitions and workshops will take place local where interested parties will be asked for feedback.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Brian Thomas from YnNi Llyn previously said fishermen are "key to any decision" on the project
Nova and YnNi Llyn have promised "ample opportunity for input" from the community and said affected parties will be kept "fully updated".
The Crown's agreement is the first stage and allow development plans and consenting to formally start.
A full lease can only be awarded if the required consents are granted and the regulator Marine Resources Wales will need to provide a marine licence.
"The project will provide significant opportunities for the local supply chain and help support the economic development of the local area," said Joseph Kidd, commercial manager of Nova Innovation.
"We also look forward to working closely with other industry experts within our Welsh universities, and with other key stakeholders in order to maximise the benefits of this project to the local area and its economy and most importantly its people." |
NEWCASTLE great Matt Johns has revealed Alex McKinnon and Cameron Smith are planning to speak.
Smith’s name has dominated the headlines for the past week after the hooker came under heavy criticism in a 60 Minutes program on the former Newcastle forward prior to the State of Origin decider.
In the hour-long show, McKinnon voiced his anger over on-field comments Smith made following the tackle that left him a quadriplegic in March last year and his apparent lack of contact since the incident.
SMITH SAYS MCKINNON ISSUE PRIVATE
Smith, who was not granted a right of reply, has remained silent on the issue but according to Johns, Smith and McKinnon are planning to meet in private.
“They are planning to catch up,” Johns declared on the Triple M Grill Team.
“There doesn’t need to be cameras there or audio
“They will bury the hatchet, there’s no doubt about it.
“The sooner the two boys get to catch up, the better.”
MATT JOHNS: Smith, McKinnon to bury the hatchet
REVEALED: Thurston’s Origin 3 sledge to Mitchell Pearce
DOGS DILEMMA: Will Hodkinson win back No. 7 jersey?
NRL CASUALTY WARD: Segeyaro eyes return for Panthers
Johns said he caught up with the Australian captain in Brisbane following Queensland’s Origin victory.
Johns said the week leading up to the decider took it out of Smith and has weighed heavily on the 32-year-old and his family.
media_camera Alex McKinnon of the Knights lays on the ground after being tackled.
“I’ve never seen a man so tired — physically and mentally just exhausted,” Johns said.
“It wasn’t so much from the game but it was the week leading in.
“The last few days had taken an enormous toll, not only on him but his whole family.”
Smith has remained relatively silent on the issue this entire time.
Speaking after the Storm’s 28-14 loss to the Warriors in Auckland on Sunday, Smith said he will deal with the situation behind closed doors.
“It was great to win on Wednesday night and you have to adjust quickly to come back to club football,” Smith told the post-match press conference.
“But the personal stuff going around at the moment, that will be handled privately.”
Originally published as Smith and McKinnon to ‘bury hatchet’ |
Image caption Twitter boss Dick Costolo posted a video showing an edited sequence of food being prepared
Twitter has launched Vine, an addition to the social network that allows users to embed six second videos within their tweets.
The service was used first by Twitter boss Dick Costolo, who posted a clip of himself making steak tartare.
Twitter bought out developer Vine Labs, a start-up based in New York, in October last year.
The program is available as a stand-alone app in the Apple App Store - but not yet on other platforms.
Videos posted on Vine are on an infinite loop - in a manner similar to animated gifs, an image format that has been popular since the very early days of the internet.
"Like Tweets, the brevity of videos on Vine inspires creativity," wrote Michael Sippey, Twitter's vice president of product.
'Little windows'
Dom Hofmann, co-founder of Vine, said the two companies shared "similar values and goals".
"Posts on Vine are about abbreviation — the shortened form of something larger.
"They're little windows into the people, settings, ideas and objects that make up your life."
They will also be able to follow other Vine users and search for clips from people they know.
The acquisition could prove to be a shrewd move, one analyst said.
"Video will be the next new front in the battle to add more functionality to social platforms," said Adrian Drury from research firm Ovum.
"In a way it is surprising that it has taken this long to integrate micro-video blogging," he added.
"This is Twitter's first effort and we see it as an early experiment and it will be interesting to see how consumers respond."
Annoying?
IDC analyst Alys Woodward said: "I'm not convinced that the steak tartare video was the best example they could have used, as six seconds is too short to give enough information on how to cook anything."
She added: "Twitter needs to ensure it can prevent offensive videos from being widely shared and I haven't found any evidence that Vine does that."
Some critics have pointed out that the video continuously looping could become irritating.
"I would welcome one in every 10 or 15 tweets having a video element but a cascading stream I would find pretty annoying," said Mr Drury.
"Twitter will see how people respond and if users don't like it presumably they will change it," he added. |
Spot price of West Texas Intermediate in relation to the price of Brent Crude
West Texas Intermediate (WTI), also known as Texas light sweet, is a grade of crude oil used as a benchmark in oil pricing. This grade is described as Medium crude oil because of its relatively low density, and sweet because of its low sulfur content. It is the underlying commodity of New York Mercantile Exchange's oil futures contracts.
The price of WTI is often referenced in news reports on oil prices, alongside the price of Brent crude from the North Sea. Other important oil markers include the Dubai Crude, Oman Crude, Urals oil and the OPEC Reference Basket. WTI is lighter and sweeter, containing less sulfur, than Brent, and considerably lighter and sweeter than Dubai or Oman.[1]
Characteristics [ edit ]
WTI is a medium crude oil, with an API gravity of around 39.6 and specific gravity of about 0.827, which is lighter than Brent crude. The API rates Light oil as 41 Degrees API. WTI contains about 0.24% sulfur thus is rated as a sweet crude oil (having less than 0.5% sulfur), sweeter than Brent which has 0.37% sulfur. WTI is refined mostly in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions in the United States. As a comparison, the crude from the Bakken Formation in Montana, North and South Dakota, Manitoba and Saskatchewan is Light at 43 Degrees API. Heavy oil from the oil sands of Alberta, Mexico and Venezuela's oil sands, is rated at 20 Degrees API by the American Petroleum Institute. Mexico buys WTI medium oil from the U.S. to mix with its heavy oil which can then be exported to places with refineries that cannot refine heavy oil. By doing this blending, Mexico gets a higher price and a wider international market for its blended crude, which can be exported to key markets such as the People’s Republic of China.
West Texas Intermediate price settlement point [ edit ]
Cushing, Oklahoma is a major trading hub for crude oil and has been the delivery point for crude contracts and therefore the price settlement point for West Texas Intermediate on the New York Mercantile Exchange for over three decades.[2] The town of Cushing, Oklahoma is a small, remote place with only 7,826 inhabitants (according to the 2010 Census).[3] However, it is the site of the Cushing Oil Field, which was discovered in 1912, and dominated U.S. oil production for several years. The area became a "vital transshipment point with many intersecting pipelines, storage facilities and easy access to refiners and suppliers," infrastructure which remained after the Cushing field had declined in importance. Crude oil flows "inbound to Cushing from all directions and outbound through dozens of pipelines".[4] It is in Payne County, Oklahoma, United States.
Pricing [ edit ]
West Texas Intermediate is used as a benchmark in oil pricing. Historically, it has traded closely to Brent and the OPEC basket but currently it has been discounted against Brent crude oil. Historical price data for WTI can be found at a website by the Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy. It is listed as WTI, Cushing, Oklahoma.[5]
Pricing anomalies [ edit ]
On April 13, 2007 Bloomberg reported on a Lehman Brothers study stating WTI prices were not a good barometer of world oil prices.[6] On May 24, 2007, WTI was priced at $63.58 per barrel versus $71.39 per barrel for Brent. The anomaly occurred perhaps because of a temporary shortage of refining capacity. In early 2007 a large stockpile of oil at the Cushing storage and pricing facility mainly due to a refinery shutdown[7] caused the price to be artificially depressed at the Cushing pricing point. As stockpiles decreased, the WTI price increased to exceed the price of Brent once again.[8]
In February 2011, WTI was trading around $85/barrel while Brent was at $103/barrel. The reason most cited for this difference was that Cushing had reached capacity due to a surplus of oil in the interior of North America. At the same time, Brent moved up in reaction to civil unrest in Egypt and across the Middle East. Since WTI-priced stockpiles at Cushing could not easily be transported to the Gulf Coast, WTI crude was unable to be arbitraged in bringing the two prices back to parity. Oil prices at coastal areas of the United States were closer to Brent than to WTI. In June 2012, the Seaway Pipeline, which had been transporting oil from the Gulf Coast to Cushing, reversed its flow direction, to transport WTI-priced crude to the Gulf Coast, where it received Brent prices. The price difference persisted, however, and was large enough that some oil producers in North Dakota put their oil on tanker cars, and shipped it by rail to the Gulf and East coasts, where it received Brent prices.[9] Brent continued to trade $10–20 higher than WTI for two years, until June 2013.[10] By July 2013, the disparity had shrunk to about $4. By January 2014 the spread between the two has once again increased to over $14, but was back down to $4 by the end of 2014.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ] |
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- American's knew what they were signing up for when Donald Trump was elected President of the United States.
It should come as no surprise that Trump mishandled a press question about the deaths of 4 soldiers in an ambush, a condolence call to one of the soldier's widow, and the ensuing controversy.
That Trump lacks tact should have been well known by now. This is a president who attacked the parents of Humayun Khan, who was killed in action. This is a Commander-in-Chief who belittled Sen. John McCain for being a Prisoner of War. This is the president who responded to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico by tossing them rolls of paper towels, like he was tossing out MAGA hats at one of his rallies.
After talking to one family in Puerto Rico, Trump told them to "have fun" as he proceeded on his tour.
Rep. Frederica Wilson has said Trump was insensitive to Myeshia Johnson, when he called to offer condolences for her husband being killed in Niger. "Basically, he said,'Well I guess he knew what he signed up for. But I guess it still hurt." Wilson said Trump also kept referring to Sgt. Johnson as "Your guy."
Wilson is a longtime friend of the Johnson family and was riding with them to the airport to meet Sgt. Johnson's body, when Trump called and it was placed on speaker phone. Her story has been verified by Sgt. Johnson's mother, who also heard the call.
It now appears Trump was trying to echo what Chief of Staff John Kelly had told him when Trump sought his advice about making condolence calls.
Kelly recounted for Trump how he learned of his Marine son's death from Gen. John Dunford.
According to Kelly, Dunford told him his son "knew what he was getting into by joining that 1 percent," of the nation who serve the military. "He knew what the possibilities were because we're at war. And when he died...he was surrounded by the best men on this earth, his friends." Kelly said "That's what the president tried to say to the four families the other day."
I'm sure Trump intended to convey the same message that was conveyed to Gen. Kelly. But clearly, something was lost in Trump's translation of that message from Gen Kelly English into Trumpspeak.
In the past, I've heard the line 'They knew what they were getting into..." more than once, about someone who was injured or killed in a high risk professions from being a race car driver to serving in the armed forces. But clearly, the widow and mother of Sgt. Johnson were not hearing it the same way.
There are multiple times and ways this controversy could have been avoided.
*Trump was only asked by a reporter why the The White House hadn't made a statement about the soldiers deaths in Niger. Unsolicited, Trump started talking about writing letters to the families of the soldiers and comparing himself to Obama.
All Trump need to do is express sympathy for the loss of life and then say they don't want to comment until they have full information.
* When Trump's call was placed on speaker phone. Rep. Wilson could have suggested it be taken off speaker phone out of respect that Trump thought it was a private call and it should be.
* After a reporter asked Wilson what Trump said. Rep. Wilson could have, and probably should have told the reporter that the conversation was intended to be private and she wanted to respect that.
* When Wilson and Johnson's mother said Trump had disrespected them, either Trump or the White House, should have made a public statement sating they regretted Trump's message being misconstrued, and then salute Sgt. Johnson's service and reaffirm the nations deepest sympathies.
Instead, Trump and the White House went into attack more, prolonging the controversy.
Parents of another soldier who lost their son, echoed something Chief of Staff Kelly said about his own experience. More meaningful than a letter or phone call from the president, the parents said, was getting letters and phone calls from their son's friends and fellow soldiers, who knew and fought alongside them.
My uncle was killed in WWII, filling in on another crews B-17, after he had far surpassed all his required flight missions. My father, who was in 8th grade at the time, has never forgotten the sights and sounds of the horrendous day the Western Telegram message came announcing his sister's husband was missing in action. He's never anxious to see a WWII moving for entertainment, because of it.
Every soldier knows what they're signing up for -- putting their life on the line, risking having their grieving spouse draped over their flag-draped casket -- for the security and liberty of their fellow Americans, who should always know and never forget what these brave men and women signed up for. |
Story highlights The flare-up highlights the long-simmering differences between GOP leaders and the President
It also comes as Trump prepares to press Congress to advance his agenda
Washington (CNN) Sen. Bob Corker, who engaged in a public feud with President Donald Trump over the weekend, said Trump is setting the country "on the path to World War III."
Trump is a President who is acting "like he's doing 'The Apprentice' or something," the Tennessee Republican said in an interview with The New York Times that was published Sunday night.
"He concerns me," Corker added. "He would have to concern anyone who cares about our nation."
The newspaper did not expand on the "World War III" comments beyond mentioning the quote in the first paragraph of the story.
Trump and Corker, who is not running for re-election in 2018, launched into a Twitter spat Sunday morning in a major public falling out, making the Tennessean the latest senior Republican lawmaker to openly criticize Trump over his statements online and off.
Read More |
A right of passage for every boy during the 90s was an experience with professional wrestling. I often fantasized about the title championship fights between wrestling greats such as Shawn Michaels and Bret ‘The Hitman’ Heart.
I would stay up late Monday nights to catch the weekly dose of televised drama, yet never summoned the courage to ask my parents to purchase a pay-per-view event of the season’s biggest thriller, the night in which every match was a title fight of some sort.
My father was a corporate manager for an office supply company, and didn’t exactly share my passion for wrestling. I remember one occasion when he told me that the WWF ordered hundreds of pre-cracked tables and chairs so they will break easier on impact. That was obviously his attempt to break the news to me that wrestling is fixed, an entertaining but orchestrated performance. As a 10-year-old boy who had developed an unhealthy obsession with Stone Cold Steve Austin, I didn’t believe him.
Mexican-American wrestlers who had hit the big time, guys like Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, gave me a small taste of lucha libre, south-of-the-border wrestling that has migrated north. After Sunday night on the city’s Westside, however, I’ve now gained a full appreciation of the spectacle.
I attended the Mexican-American Wrestling match at Olga’s Bar and Grill Sunday night, a local event that takes places once every two weeks on the city’s Westside. The bar itself is the very definition of the word “dive,” with a cash-only policy and a bar covered with Bud Light, which must be the national beer of lucha libre al norte.
I arrived with only vague expectations. Whatever I expected, my expectations were exceeded. Follow the page below as I documented the night through my chosen medium of photography.
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Play 03:53 Play 03:53 Match Day - SA stars will feel this missed opportunity
If you feel like you've read this story before, you probably have. Apologies in advance that, yet again, you have to endure an analysis of a South African failure in their quest for major-tournament glory.
This time, they've stumbled before the real hurdles and are out of contention with a game to play. For a side that, according to the captain, had "all the bases covered" before the tournament, to have plundered those depths indicates that something went very, very wrong.
Although South Africa will endure their fair share of jibes, they actually seemed to do everything right in preparation. They won series in Bangladesh and India, to demonstrate their ability in subcontinental conditions. They beat England convincingly at home to take a psychological advantage into their tournament opener. They played more matches than everyone else, except Pakistan - who also exited in the group phase, which perhaps hints at the dangers of over-preparing. And Faf du Plessis believed this was their strongest squad. It probably was, but there were problems in a few areas.
Changing the plan
The debate dominating the build-up was who South Africa would choose to partner AB de Villiers at the top, not whether de Villiers would remain in the opening berth or not, which led many to believe de Villiers would stay there. He was promoted when Quinton de Kock lost form and was dropped for the India series, and then played in that role in the Australia series. Even when de Kock regained his touch and Hashim Amla made a case for his own inclusion with a string of strong scores, du Plessis was adamant that de Villiers' position was fixed.
"I think our strongest team is with AB at the top in India. If the World Cup was in South Africa, the thinking would be different," du Plessis said at the time. "We decided on AB at the top a while ago, and to change that would be a sign of panic."
De Villiers did not open in any of the three matches and came in as low as No. 5 in the West Indies game, after Rilee Rossouw, who was playing his first game in the tournament.
Either South Africa were bluffing all along - although that seems unlikely, because du Plessis also declared himself "not the kind of guy to change plans" - or they realised the richness of their resources with all three of de Kock, Amla and de Villiers in the team and had to find a way to accommodate all of them. They decided to deploy de Kock and Amla in their most natural position as openers and left de Villiers to float, which resulted in them not getting the best out of the most dangerous player they have.
David Wiese: too many allrounders spoil the broth? © Getty Images
Not changing the plan
In India, spin is a primary weapon and should be brought out early. Other teams use their spinners to open the bowling; South Africa insist on keeping Imran Tahir for after the Powerplay. The reasoning has been that Tahir becomes too much of a target when the fielding restrictions are in place, and that he has a tendency to leak runs. But that may be too simplistic an assessment of a player who has come to be among the shrewdest short-format cricketers around. Tahir has contained and attacked in the middle periods of matches for long enough for South Africa to trust him to do it earlier.
When he was used in that period, against West Indies, Tahir was effective, leaving South Africa to wonder what could have been had they unleashed him earlier in other matches.
Lack of discipline
The signs that the bowlers needed to tighten up were there during the Australia series, when South Africa lost the second match after failing to defend 204. They sent down eight wides and two no-balls then, and du Plessis asked for their basics to be better. In their tournament opener in India, South Africa gave away 26 extras against England - the most by any team in a T20 innings this year - and 20 of those were wides. They were better against Afghanistan and West Indies and conceded seven and ten in each of those games, but in a format where the margins are so small, it was still too many.
Too many two-in-ones
After searching for a two-in-one player for almost two years since Jacques Kallis' limited-overs retirement in 2014, South Africa were so delighted they found two that they insisted on playing Chris Morris and David Wiese together. To better balance a South African XI, there is actually only space for one of them, which would have created room for another batsman, something that was needed in Nagpur, or a front-line seamer. Kyle Abbott would have come in handy throughout the tournament, but he played only two of the first three games.
Injuries and other oddities
It seems unfair to pin this on South Africa because it is out of their control, but this factor could have been dealt with better. While there was nothing they could do about the hamstring niggle that kept JP Duminy out of the West Indies game, which was a setback but should not have been a tournament-ending one, they could have handled Dale Steyn's selection differently.
South Africa mysteriously shelved the idea of opening with AB de Villiers, thereby giving their most dangerous player less time at the crease © Getty Images
Steyn spent two months on the sidelines in a summer in which his only appearances were in two Tests in which he was injured. Steyn made his comeback from what he termed a broken shoulder against Australia and was adequate, without being overly impressive, but given that he was fit, South Africa wanted to take him to the tournament. But then, they only used him in the first match (in which he went wicketless and only bowled half his quota of overs), and then benched him, claiming they had to choose between him and an allrounder.
"It was between Dale and David Wiese. Chris Morris is an allrounder. We don't really compete him with someone else, so it was close today between Dale and David Wiese," du Plessis explained after the Nagpur match.
Wiese is also an allrounder, so the choice should rather have been between him and Morris, and then between Steyn and Kagiso Rabada for the spearhead role. Steyn should have won out on experience. Rabada, for all his excellence, is starting to show signs of overwork and could have sat out.
Even if South Africa needed Rabada to fulfil the transformation target, Aaron Phangiso's selection against West Indies would have taken care of the black-African requirement, and they could have included Farhaan Behardien in Rossouw's place, which would also have given them another bowling option.
Arguing that the transformation agenda has hindered South Africa is a naive assertion, especially this time. In South Africa's 15-man squad, they have six players of colour, including two black Africans and enough possible combinations to ensure they pick a balanced XI while also meeting their commitment to change.
In the end, South Africa tripped over themselves. And yes, you've read that before too. Until next time then...
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd. |
This post was contributed by a community member.
Joseph Looza is a restaurant owner. His restaurant has a name, El Matador Mobile Mex, but as for its location, well, it can be in a number of places since Looza is a mobile food truck vendor.
Most days during the lunch hour, El Matador Mobile Mex can be found at the Roseville Auto Mall, but the brightly-colored red and yellow coach has also been spotted in several other Roseville locations as well as Folsom and even Sacramento.
"I've been in business with my truck for about five months," Looza said. "My
background is working in restaurants and the reason I decided to go with the mobile restaurant idea is because of financing. This is an inexpensive way to test a product."
Looza said he serves primarily Mexican cuisine with specialties such as Matador Carnitas Quesadillas, but after talking with many customers he decided to also offer Mexican/Asian fusion fare, which includes entrees like Spicy Asian steak tacos and Asian Slaw.
Gourmet food truck vendors have become a trend for many foodies and their popularity is rising throughout cities across the country including the San Francisco area where diners can enjoy an artisan popsicle mobile, an organic cookie and muffin vendor and a Crème Brule cart business.
This past August, Roseville Patch reported on a that included mobile food trucks such MiniBurger, Wicked Wich, Mama Kim's, Drewski's, Hot Rod Kitchen and VolksWaffle. The menu offered gourmet fare like garlic and truffle oil topped tater tots, a s'more-like sandwich with Nutella, marshmallow and graham cracker, hand-pressed waffles and mini burgers.
A recent in Roseville resulted in 87 percent of the respondents saying the food trucks should be allowed and they liked having an alternative to dine-in restaurants.
But not everyone agrees with this popular trend. Terri Merriwether and Kathy Garner, owners of Smokin' Hot Dog in Historic Old Town Roseville, recently attended a Roseville City Council meeting where they voiced apprehension to council members about the food trucks in Roseville.
"We are concerned about the lack of a city ordinance regarding mobile food vendors," Merriwether told the council during the public comment portion of the Nov. 2 council meeting.
Merriwether said her business has experienced a financial impact due to the unregulated vendors on two different occasions when food trucks were visiting Roseville's historic area.
"We've seen our revenues decline by 65 percent on those dates," Merriwether said.
Because of this decline, Merriwether asked the council to consider some of the codes the city of Sacramento uses to regulate its food vendors.
"It's hard to compete with vendors that just roll in," she told council members. "We are a positive addition to the area and we pay taxes, rent and utilities. We chose to be here for the long haul, but now that might not be the reality."
According to Wayne Wiley, associate planner for the city of Roseville, currently there are no ordinances that regulate mobile food trucks within the Roseville city limits. Wiley said the city is in the process of gathering information from other California cities as to regulation.
"There is so much variance from city to city as to how food trucks are handled," he said. "This issue came to our attention from Roseville business owners and I anticipate we will come up with a few options on the situation to present to the council."
As for Looza, he said there is a possibility his mobile business could be drawing customers from brick and mortar establishments, but so could any other restaurant.
"I have to search for my business," he said. "We're trying to visit those companies who want us there on a regular basis. The feedback we've been receiving is good." |
Steven Johnston (Photo: OTIS)
A man running for a spot on the Croswell-Lexington board of education pleaded no contest in 2014 to secretly videotaping a teenage girl getting in and out of a shower.
Steven Donald Johnston, 33, was sentenced in November 2014 to up to two years in prison on a charge of eavesdropping-installing/using device. His jail time was capped at five months as part of a plea deal.
Johnston is on probation until Nov. 12, according to the state’s Offender Tracking Information System. He also pleaded no contest to aggravated assault in 2010 and was sentenced to no more than one year, according to state records.
Voters will decide board of education members in the Nov. 8 general election. A candidate only has to prove they live within the district to run, the county clerk said.
Johnston, though, said he never recorded the girl and that he was targeted because officials don’t like his family.
He was originally charged with capturing/distributing image of unclothed person, eavesdropping-installing/using device and malicious use of telecommunications services.
The girl, who was 15 at the time, was babysitting his children, according to police reports obtained by the Times Herald under the Freedom of Information Act.
The girl’s father, whom the Times Herald is not naming to protect the identity of the victim, said he was upset with the plea deal because it saved Johnston from going onto the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry.
Capturing/distributing image of unclothed person is a Tier I offense under the Sex Offender Registration Act if the victim is a minor.
According to the documents obtained through the FOIA, Johnston told investigators he set up the camera in the bathroom to see which of his children was peeing on the toilet seat.
In a Wednesday phone interview, however, Johnston said he wasn’t filming and didn’t know why or how a camera got into the bathroom.
“I seen the video … I seen when he came in with a smile on his face to get the camera off,” the victim’s father said.
The camera looked like a towel hook, according to the father. The father was given the video by someone staying at Johnston’s home who found it, according to police reports.
The man said his family lives in a mobile home community Johnston’s family owns in the Croswell area. He said he wanted Johnston on the sex offender registry because of the number of children in the area.
The man said his daughter had to be taken to a hospital in July for an anxiety attack when she saw signs announcing Johnston’s candidacy for the Cros-Lex board.
He said at the time of the taping in 2014, his daughter was helping Johnston’s family for a few days and staying the night to watch two very young children.
“She looked up to them like an aunt and uncle,” he said.
Johnston said he can’t be seen removing the camera in the video and his fingerprints weren’t on it.
“I was brushing my teeth and taking a shit … it doesn’t show me doing anything like that,” he said of the video authorities believe was filmed in June 2014.
According to the police reports, Johnston also texted the girl pictures of his penis and told her he wanted to have sex with her.
Johnston said that wasn’t the case. He said there were three people who used the victim's phone number and he didn’t know whom he was texting.
According to the police report, text messages from Johnston’s cell number to the victim included, “Can you keep a secret??!!! I really wanna have sex with you and … Please don’t tell.” sent April 1, 2014, an image of a penis sent June 27, 2014, and “Lol. I want to have sex with a minor. That plain enough. Lamo.” sent June 29, 2014.
Johnston said he agreed to the plea deal only because it included dropping an intimidation charge pending against his mother.
Johnston said the prosecutor’s office has issues with his family, and added he never lost custody of his children during the case.
Johnston said the charge against his mother, Renae Perry, had to do with a resident in one of their mobile home parks.
According to the police report obtained through a FOIA request, the victim’s father said Perry told him to drop the charges against Johnston or she would press slander charges on him, as well as “make sure things happened to his kids.”
Perry told police she had contact with the father only when he was having a dispute with another resident, according to the police report.
Sanilac County Prosecutor James V. Young said the plea did include not authorizing charges against Johnston’s mother, and said his office has no grudges against the family. Johnston, he said, is guilty of what he pleaded to.
“I’m not aware of any dispute with the family. They operate a very legitimate mobile home estates … nice people as far as I know,” Young said. “It’s too late for all his false claims now.”
Johnston said the case was based on small-town grudges.
► Related:Cros-Lex board to face big changes
“I grew up in this area. I’ve been here my entire life. Everyone knows what I do before I even do it,” he said.
Johnston works in the family business and is also a volunteer firefighter with the Elk Township Fire Department.
Brad Watson has worked for Johnston for the past year and a half and said his family has been friends with Johnston’s for years.
► Complete coverage:Your guide to 2016 Michigan primary election results
Watson said Johnston is a good guy.
“He’s nothing like that. He’s a genuine person. He takes care of his children. He works hard, and there’s not a doubt in my mind that what happened two years ago was either a big misunderstanding or he had nothing to do with it,” Watson said. “If he was really such a dirt ball and I don’t know, promiscuous I guess, why would his (ex-girlfriend) allow him to see the kids … I just don’t see how that would be possible.”
Tom Gilbert has known Johnston for years and said he doesn't believe he committed the crime.
"He's the biggest hearted kid I've seen in a long time ... There's nobody who works harder than him," Gilbert said.
Johnston is known for helping out those in need, he said.
Johnston said he sees his three daughters with an ex-girlfriend every week and he meets them every morning for school. He has sole custody of his 7-year-old son who was from another relationship.
Johnston filed his candidacy July 6 and paid the $100 fee instead of gathering necessary signatures.
Contact Liz Shepard at 810-989-6273 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @lvshepard.
Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/2aXOFON |
Alcatel is pushing an update for its 5.5-inch variant of the Idol 3 which brings a number of performance enhancements. From the beginning, Alcatel said it would support the smartphone fully, and that is holding true. This update, which is build 7SRA- UEA2, includes both general and specific performance improvements. The full change log includes:
General Performance Improvement: Overall software enhancements aimed at improving device responsiveness and overall user experience
IPv6 Support: Device now fully supports the Internet Protocol version to IPv6
Snapchat Performance Fix: Addresses crash issue when using Snapchat app that arose when users would swipe while selecting filters
Facebook Messenger Performance Fix: Users can now share recorded audio files via Facebook Messenger
Camera FV-5 Lite Application Fix: Fix that addresses the rear-facing camera functionality when using the Camera FV-5 Lite application
If you own the 5.5-inch variant of the Idol 3, be sure to check for the update. To check, simply head to the System Update app, and tap in the circle. Have you already updated? Let us know your thoughts on the changes in the comments below. |
Head to the team store and get some blue and gold gear
Score: Erie 2-4 FCB
Next match: HOME – Sunday, 1 p.m. vs. Greater Binghamton FC
FC Buffalo earned some sweet revenge against the Erie Commodores on Friday night in Pennsylvania, striking twice in each half on the way to a 4-2 win.
Fox Slotemaker, Brian Knapp, Andrew Ferguson and Brett Larocque scored for the Wolves, while Anthony Rozzano rang up two assists. Ferguson and Ngwese Ebangwese also picked up assists.
Ebangwese was named Rich Products’ Man of the Match on debut for FCB, drawing the free kick that led to the opening goal, and pressuring the Erie back line all night.
The win brings FCB to within four points of first place and one point of third-place Lansing United with three matches to play. After Sunday’s Upstate NY Derby match at home against Greater Binghamton, FCB hosts Lansing on Friday, May 10 at 7 p.m.
The Wolves struck first, netting a goal off a free kick just 10 minutes in. After Ebangwese won the free kick, he turned Kendell McFayden’s free kick across goal for Slotemaker to tap in for his third of the year.
Erie equalized on a long range bullet for longtime nemesis Daniel Deakin, but FCB restored its advantage before halftime. Rozzano sent a cross across the goal, and Knapp scored from close range.
Robert Bennett scored a goal inside FCB’s six-yard box to level things up again in the 69th minute. That would be the final time Erie got the better of FCB’s stalwart keeper Andrew Coughlin.
With Erie pressing for a lead in the 84th minute, Bobby Ross won a ball at the edge of the Blitzers’ 18 and sent a long ball that Erik Dahl won to Rozzano, who sent a cross to spring Andrew Ferguson and two teammates in on Erie’s Danny Mudd. Ferguson took his time to net his third in as many matches.
Five minutes later, Larocque buried a pass from Ferguson to cap the scoring.
Larocque, A. Ferguson and Slotemaker are tied for the NPSL team lead with three goals, while Ferguson moves to the top of the assist list with three. Larocque has four goals in all competitions.
LINEUP
FCB: Coughlin; M. Ferguson (Ross), Slotemaker, McFayden, Lauko; Willings (Brandell), Walter, Rozzano (Thomas), Knapp (A. Ferguson), Ekeze (Dahl); Ebangwese (Larocque).
Goals: Slotemaker (10′), Knapp (34′), A. Ferguson (84′), Larocque (89′)
Head to the team store and get some blue and gold gear
Follow @FCBuffalo |
Written for the 2009 Femgenfication at LJ
My thanks to my excellent beta readers, The Real Snape and Moira of the Mountain.
- / - / -
Majesty
By Kelly Chambliss
- / - / -
"Yes, ma'am, it's, er. . .a school. For learning, ah. . .magic."
As he spoke, the Prime Minister looked at the floor unhappily and actually ran a nervous finger under his collar. His suit was impeccably cut, and his hair looked as if each strand had been trimmed individually, yet he was as uncomfortable and wrong-footed as any child caught sneaking sweets.
"For learning magic. Indeed." Her Majesty the Queen (Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland) kept her tone neutral. She was tempted to unsettle the PM further by lacing her voice with incredulity, but restrained herself. Although winding up Prime Ministers was one of the subtler and more entertaining pleasures of her position, she couldn't indulge herself too often.
The Minister continued, "Constantia. . .er, Miss Bowes. . .has been invited to attend this school. Your young cousin," he added, no doubt trying to be helpful.
"My second cousin thrice removed, I believe," Elizabeth said, enjoying his slight flush at being corrected. Winding-up on this level was almost too easy.
"Er. . .just so, ma'am. Here is the letter she received." He held out a piece of thick parchment bearing an imposing embossed crest and the words "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Dear Miss Bowes," the Queen read, murmuring a few words aloud. "Pleased to inform you. . .been accepted. . .term begins 1 September. . .Filius Flitwick, Deputy Headmaster. . ." She looked up at the Prime Minister, whose flush had deepened. "I take it this is not a prank?"
He cleared his throat. "Not a prank, ma'am, no. In my position, I have had occasion to deal with representatives of this, er, magical world. I assure you, they are quite real." He paused, then hurried on, "The fact of their existence was not something I was able to share. Strictly a need-to-know basis, you understand. . ."
He trailed off as the Queen waved an impatient hand. "Yes, yes, to be sure. But now, evidently, I do need to know?"
"Miss Bowes is the first, ah, witch with royal connections in over a century, ma'am. The. . .Minister of Magic felt that you should be informed."
"I see." Tapping the parchment on her hand, Elizabeth walked slowly toward a side window, content to let the Minister collect himself while she gave the matter some thought.
The news of a magical community in Britain wasn't the total shock to her that the Prime Minister evidently believed it to be. Rumours of such a world had circulated among members of the royal family for years, although she herself had long dismissed it as a fairy tale.
She had first heard the story as a child and had spent quite a few hours prowling the shrubbery at Balmoral, looking for evidence of witches. She'd had no trouble believing, then, that a girl could be born a witch. Hadn't she herself been born a princess? Just an accident of family, as her nurse Crawfie had always said. Princess or witch, it was nothing that could be helped.
Elizabeth had grown beyond such fancies, of course, although she would admit (to herself, at least) that a few odd occurrences over the years had sometimes brought the old stories back to her. Yet as a pleasant childhood memory only. . .certainly not as fact.
And yet. . .here stood assurance, in the form of a typically unimaginative bureaucrat, that the stories of magic had been true.
A girl could be born a witch after all.
She turned back to the Prime Minister, whose colour, she was glad to see, had returned to normal. His collar seemed still to be giving him trouble, however; he began to pull on it again as soon as she said,
"I would like to visit this Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Visit?" The man positively squeaked. "You mean - - go there? Go to the school?" His eyes bulged, and his Queen had a sudden mad fancy that his collar had decided to strangle him of its own accord. By magic.
"Yes," she nodded. "Go there. That is what 'visit' commonly signifies, is it not?"
"Well, ma'am, I. . ."
"You are in contact with someone at the school? This. . ." she looked at the parchment again, "Filius Flitwick, perhaps?"
"No, not exactly. I just. . .have a means of getting in touch with their Ministry. . ."
"Excellent. You will arrange the meeting, then? I believe my calendar is clear on Friday week."
The poor man looked as though he would protest, but then gave it up as the bad job he could no doubt see that it was.
"Friday week," he said faintly. "Quite. I'll do my best."
"Thank you." Nodding, she ended the interview by ringing for her assistant.
"I. . .Your Majesty," said the Prime Minister formally, looking slightly hunted. Giving his collar a final tug, he bowed himself out of the room.
- / - / -
"The queen of the realm wants to visit Hogwarts?" Headmistress Minerva McGonagall raised an intrigued eyebrow at the Minister of Magic, who sat in her office contentedly dunking digestives into a cup of her best, strongest tea. Whatever she'd expected when he'd owled asking for an immediate appointment, it hadn't been this.
"Why?" she asked, and then leant across her desk in mock horror. "Good heavens, Kingsley, you don't think she's found out that we don't pay British taxes?"
Kingsley Shacklebolt chuckled and gave his already-sodden biscuit another dunk. How he could continue drink a brew so crumb-laden, Minerva couldn't fathom. A waste of a good Assam, as she frequently told him.
"I'm sure she'd leave that sort of thing to minions," Kingsley said, munching. "According to the Muggle Prime Minister, she wants to assure herself that her young cousin is in good hands with you. Personally, I think she's just using the child as an excuse to come see some magic for herself."
"Hmm. One can hardly blame her, I suppose. It is a difficult life, I imagine, being queen, for all that she must travel a good deal. Magic might be a nice change."
Kingsley laughed. "She'll probably get more than she bargained for."
"One usually does," said Minerva.
"Do you know much about her?" Shacklebolt asked. "Until I was assigned to work in the Muggle Ministry during the war, I'm not sure I'd ever even seen her."
"I know fairly little about her, but I have seen her. In person, in fact. Twice, although not since the Grindelwald days. And I remember her coronation; I was living in London then, and the Muggle world was harder to avoid there than it is here. I'm sure she's changed a great deal, of course; fifty years is a long time for a Muggle." She gave Kingsley a wry smile. "And no small amount of time for a witch, either, come to that. It seems a lifetime ago."
Kingsley had set down his cup and was looking at her with interest. "You saw the Muggle Queen in person?"
"She wasn't queen then," Minerva said, her mind flitting back over the years to the image of a curly-headed child out walking with some sort of family retainer, the two of them passing sedately over the crest of a heather-brushed hill. "The first time I saw her, she was still a girl. Her family had - - and still has, I presume - - a castle near Máelclyde."
"They lived in a wizarding village?"
"No," Minerva said patiently, "I did. Well, one of my great-aunts did, and I sometimes visited her in summers. The Muggle royalty's home was called something else. . .Ballycastle?. . .no, Balmoral, that was it. My Aunt Thanea took me to look at it, once."
She smiled at the memory. "Auntie was. . .very straightforward. She paid no mind to roads or gates, but just Apparated us directly into the grounds. She found it quite an exasperating place - - a house less than a century old, but pretending to be ancient. She was quite fierce about it."
Minerva's voice trailed off as she heard the old woman's voice in her mind. The only reason those Muggle parvenus can call that pile a 'castle' is because they've never been to Hogwarts. You heed me, child. Once you get to Hogwarts, you'll never want to leave.
"And the queen?" Kingsley prompted. "Or, er, princess-as-was?"
"She was just a little girl on a hillside. Wearing hideously sensible Muggle shoes." She might be a princess, but she'll never be a witch, Aunt Thanea had said. And you'll always be. Remember that, Minerva girl.
Kingsley finished his tea but took up another digestive. "What was the second time you saw her?" he asked.
"That was later, just before Grindelwald fell. I was out of school by then. But it was nothing - - merely a glimpse." McGonagall stood and reached for her hat, letting
Shacklebolt know that Minerva had departed and the Headmistress had returned. Chatting with Kingsley was always a pleasure, but she had a school to run.
And a queen's visit to prepare for.
- / - / -
"The Headmistress is called Minerva McGonagall," the Prime Minister reported, not sure whether to be relieved or worried by the expression of near-excitement on the Queen's face. He didn't know when he'd ever seen her look so genuinely pleased. "She's been head of Hogwarts for five years, but was deputy head for a long time before that. Kingsley Shacklebolt - - that's the Minister of Magic - - he says she has taught at the school since 1956."
"She must be rather elderly, then," said the Queen in surprise.
"About, um, your age, ma'am," said the PM, looking a little embarrassed. "But their sort - - the magical people - - they live longer than the rest of us. I believe that among her own kind, she's considered to be only in late middle age."
"How very intriguing. What else can you tell me?"
"The minister and the headmistress are both war veterans. You recall the. . .unpleasantness of several years ago, the year of the bridge disaster and that freak hurricane? That was the fallout of a wizarding war. I believe that the Minister played a large part in bringing about the downfall of the tyrant who was threatening them. And so did this headmistress, as I understand it."
"She sounds formidable," the Queen said, looking interested.
A muttered "Quite" was as much as the Prime Minister was prepared to offer in reply, preferring not to say too much on the topic of formidable women.
"Well," he said instead, in what he hoped was a brisk and business-like tone, "I don't know much else about her. Frightfully competent, according to Shacklebolt. Basically gave up her life to the school. Dedicated. Worthy. You know the sort."
This remark he immediately regretted, for the Queen's eyes narrowed dangerously. "The sort? The dedicated sort who puts ideals before personal indulgence? Who lives a possibly lonely life in service of those ideals? Yes, I daresay I know the sort."
"Yes, well," said the PM hastily and changed the subject, although in truth, he was not eager to pursue the next issue, either. "About travel, ma'am. The Minister, er. . .says we need to come to Hogwarts through the fireplace."
The Queen's expression did not change, but suddenly the room felt much colder, and the Prime Minister felt his hand move involuntarily to his neck. In a different century, he thought, he'd probably be worrying about the chop.
"It's the safest, quickest method, apparently, for people like us," he rushed on. "No one will even need to know you've left the palace. We'll just whirl through the flames, never even feel them, and there we'll be. At Hogwarts. There might be a bit of, er, soot, but I am assured that they'll have us looking good as new in no time." He waited, expecting the temperature to drop even further, but to his surprise, the Queen smiled.
No, actually, she grinned. There was no other word to describe it - - she positively grinned.
- / - / -
"Filius will meet the Queen and her minister at the floo point and then alert us after he's helped them freshen up," Minerva said as she and the Minister of Magic stood in the Hogwarts entry hall. "I thought she might like the chance to collect herself before we descend upon her." Casting an appraising eye over Kingsley's deep-blue dress robes and silver hat, she added, "You look quite distinguished, my friend."
"As do you," he returned, thinking that in black robes with flowing, tartan-lined sleeves and a traditional pointed black hat, she looked the epitome of a witch. He didn't imagine that this effect was accidental: when it came to impressing Muggles, even queens, the magical trappings were half the battle. During his time in the Muggle ministry, Kingsley had been surprised to learn just how much power the very notion of witches still carried among non-magic folk. Minerva, he was sure, had learned the same lesson during her own forays into the Muggle world; she'd make full use of this advantage.
She'd already waved aside his attempt to present her with the "Royal Protocols" manual that the Muggle Prime Minister had given him.
"Neither of us intends to be disrespectful to the Queen, Kingsley," she'd said. "And I think it will be easier for all of us to retain our dignity if we're not fussing over arcane bits of imperfectly-remembered etiquette. In any case, she'll expect us to be exotic and unusual; it might disappoint her if we simply offered the same obeisance as any ordinary Muggle."
Kingsley had snorted. "You just don't want to curtsey to her," he'd said, chuckling.
"No more would you," Minerva had retorted. "Absurd custom." Then she said seriously, "I don't object to offering the Queen her due. I believe she's given up a good deal to serve her Muggle world. But our world has had enough enforced homage. No more 'lords' for me, Kingsley. Whatever they're called."
Kingsley hadn't argued; he knew a lost cause when he saw one, and he didn't think it would make much difference in the long run whether the Muggle protocols were followed. Besides, he sympathised with Minerva's view.
A flash of silver announced the arrival of the budgerigar that was Flitwick's Patronus. "Her Majesty is ready, if you please," said Filius's voice, sounding pleased itself.
Minerva lifted an eyebrow. "Are you ready, Minister?"
"As I'll ever be, Headmistress," he replied, resisting the temptation to curtsey to her as they started toward the small reception chamber at the side of the Great Hall.
Minerva, Headmistress of Hogwarts, meets Her Majesty, Queen of the Muggles.
Damn, but he was looking forward to this.
- / - / -
My god, it really is an effing witch! was the Muggle Prime Minister's shocked first thought. Not even stepping unscathed out of a burning fireplace and being greeted by a little man waving a wand had quite brought home to the PM the alien nature of this world the way this stern-faced woman did as she swept towards him in her pointed hat. Jesus, he thought, I hope she doesn't have one of those wands. . .
She. . .she's just like a grandmother, was Kingsley's disappointed first thought. . .an elderly, silver-haired grandmother in a pale-blue dress and matching extravagance of a hat. Holding a purse.
She has changed, was Minerva's startled first thought, and then she shook her head. Why was she surprised? Hadn't she already reminded herself that it had been fifty years? But the Queen's look of bright, alert interest. . .that hadn't changed. . .
I was right, was the Queen's pleased first thought. A formidable woman indeed.
The introductions were performed and acknowledged without a hitch. We're old political hands, after all, the lot of us, Kingsley thought as he was presented to the Queen.
She smiled at him as he bowed over her gloved fingers, and suddenly his disappointment lifted. There was power here, and knowingness, and an immense capacity for pleasure. He could sense it, feel it; he was enough of a Legilimens for that. He smiled back. "Ma'am," he said.
The Prime Minister noted with relief that the Headmistress didn't look nearly so witchy when she smiled. He could have done without the hat, though; it made him think of every bogey underneath his childhood bed and reminded him, as if he needed reminding, just how much he was not in charge here. Well, at least she didn't have a broom. Or a cat.
He cleared his throat, intending to propose a tour of this. . .castle, school, whatever it was, but the Queen forestalled him.
"We are in the Highlands, are we not?" she asked. "Might I see the grounds?"
The Headmistress nodded. "Gentlemen, shall we meet you in the Great Hall for lunch at noon?" To the queen, she said, "I know you're no stranger to the Highlands; I hope you'll feel at home. We have a loch - - just a small one, I'm afraid, but it does boast a Giant Squid."
The Prime Minister tugged on his collar, and as far as Kingsley could tell, the Queen seemed delighted.
- / - / -
Their walk to the grounds was leisurely and marked with pauses; the Queen couldn't make herself pass through the wonders of the magic castle without stopping to look and listen. She was adept at listening, not only because her position demanded it, but also because she so often heard much that was absorbing.
And the woman walking with her - - the witch - - was good at explaining; Elizabeth could tell this wasn't the first time the Headmistress had acted as ambassador for the magical world. Some people were tongue-tied and painfully awkward around the Queen; others tried too hard to be instant friends. Headmistress McGonagall did neither: she knew just how much distance to maintain, just how much information to reveal.
And she was not, the Queen was glad to note, someone who believed that constant eye contact was necessary as a show of good will; for the most part, the Headmistress kept her gaze focused on other things besides the Queen's face. Perhaps she understood, as Elizabeth did, just how much could be read in one's eyes - - more, often, than one wanted to see. Or show.
Or it could be, Elizabeth realised, that this witch was as naturally reserved as the Queen herself, her diplomacy a skill learned only through long and no doubt arduous practice. One wasn't necessarily born at ease in public. . .
But then they reached the main doors of the castle, and she let go of all these thoughts as she took in the vista before her: beckoning fields and majestic crags, a forest of mystery and promise, the sun-tipped loch, and clouds like nowhere else. . .in short, the Highlands.
"Oh, my," she said.
Beside her, the Headmistress smiled. "I thought you might appreciate us," she said, and the sound of her voice was like Scotland itself. It was the sound of the Queen's own childhood, of the land that was also the refuge of her adulthood, the one place where she could walk or ride or drive by herself, where she could get muddy and work with her hands and or just sit and watch the sky.
Scotland was where Elizabeth could play. And Scotland was there in the Headmistress's lilting tones.
"You're a Highlander, I see," the Queen offered. "Or perhaps I should say, I can hear."
The smile deepened, and Elizabeth thought this was probably a side of Professor McGonagall that her students rarely saw. She made a mental note to seek out her young cousin, the new royal witch, during school hols and compare headmistress notes. It would be something to look forward to. Talking with other people's children was one of Elizabeth's pleasures; their conversations rarely included unspoken expectations or demands.
"You have family here?" Elizabeth continued, the familiarity of the setting leading her to be more personal than was her wont. But she wanted to learn more about this woman, this place, this magical Scotland she'd never known. "Children?"
The Headmistress indicated the castle with a quick wave of her hand. "Family of a sort," she said. "And children by the hundreds."
It was her stock response, Elizabeth could tell - - honed over the years to put off the overly-inquisitive. Message received, the Queen was about to turn to more innocuous topics when the Headmistress looked directly at her and appeared to come to a decision.
- / - / -
"You have family here. . .children?" asked the Queen, and Minerva had given her usual answer without even thinking. It wasn't the first time that strangers - - usually the bolder parents, or casual acquaintances formed on her annual holiday abroad - - had asked about her personal life, and she never felt the slightest need to explain anything that was so obviously not their business. In a boarding school, privacy was worth all the gold in Gringotts, and she guarded hers as jealously as any dragon guarded a vault.
But she felt a sudden pang for this woman at her side, a woman whose entire life had been lived in a much more relentless public gaze than Minerva could ever imagine, a woman whose story was known to anyone with even the most random prurient interest, known even to someone like Minerva, who wanted details of Muggle scandals and politics about as much as she wanted a case of spattergroit.
Many in the wizarding world knew of the Queen's troubles with her misbehaving children, the rumours of her husband's dalliances. Minerva thought about how off-balance she herself felt when she met people who knew more about her than she did about them; she could only imagine how difficult it must be for this Muggle Queen, when everyone knew more about her than she knew of them.
The least she could do, Minerva decided, was to share a bit of herself.
"No, I have no children of my own," she told the Queen as they descended the broad stone steps to the grounds. "Nor did I ever want any. My family was not pleased; they felt I had an obligation to help populate the wizarding world, for there are not so many of us, you know. But I am not maternal; I would have made a poor mother. I knew I could better serve our world in other ways."
For a moment, she feared that she had been too personal; the Queen, Minerva realised belatedly, had faced even stronger pressure to reproduce. But. . .well, it was too late to go back now.
The Queen, however, was not offended. "You may not have wanted motherhood," she said, "yet you did want to serve your world. It's a great sacrifice, giving up one's personal life, personal relationships."
Minerva shook her head, laughing slightly. "Oh, I am not so saintly as all that. I've had a personal life." And still have one, she thought, her mind filled with a sudden image of Rolanda Hooch lying warm and sleepy against her in their bed just that morning. But the Queen needn't know about that.
The Queen said, "But when you give yourself to a larger cause, relationships must always occupy a secondary place."
"Perhaps," Minerva replied. "Though I have no regrets."
"No, indeed," said the Queen. "There are many compensations."
"Many," Minerva agreed.
"Have you thought of retiring? Leaving it all behind?" asked the Queen abruptly.
"No," said Minerva without hesitation. Being a teacher, being headmistress - - they weren't just what she did; they were what she was.
"Have you?" she asked in return.
"Never," said the Queen. "But don't tell my son."
She cocked her head under her amazing flowered hat, and suddenly, both she and Minerva were laughing.
- / - / -
They had reached the edge of the lake, although Elizabeth saw no sign of a giant squid; that reference, she decided, must be another example of what she was coming to realise was Headmistress McGonagall's dry humour.
The sun sparkled on the water, and animals seemed to be moving in the forest, and all at once Elizabeth felt the way she had felt all those many years ago, when she'd been a little girl looking for witches in the shrubbery at Balmoral: alive in a world full of possibility.
She turned to the Headmistress. "Would you. . .do some magic?" she asked.
The stern face softened into a smile once more, and suddenly Professor McGonagall was gone.
Elizabeth gave a start. She'd expected. . .what, she wasn't sure. Not a rabbit pulled out of the pointed hat, surely, but. . .
A soft brush against her ankle took her eyes to the ground and to a small tabby cat that was sitting there, flicking its tail gently.
Elizabeth had always been a dog woman, but she stretched out her fingers to the cat nonetheless. It evaded her hand neatly, in the manner of its kind, and moved out of reach to gaze at her unblinkingly before unexpectedly, amazingly. . .turning into Headmistress McGonagall.
The Queen stared.
"Do forgive me," the Headmistress said. "That was no doubt more grandstanding than you needed. I. . ." She broke off sharply. "Ma'am? Are you quite all right? I am sorry. . .Please, sit down."
An armchair - - chintz - - appeared out of nowhere, and Elizabeth thought it prudent to seat herself on it. She'd felt briefly unsteady, as if time had somehow shifted, and she had been thrown back to an afternoon almost sixty years earler. . .
"My apologies," said the Headmistress again. "I never intended to startle you so."
"No. It's not that, not the magic. It's. . .I've seen you. Before. It was you. Wasn't it? At the demonstration?"
Professor McGonagall created a second chair, this one straight-backed and wooden, and sat down herself, her brows drawn together in concern. "The demonstration?"
"The ambulance demonstration." Elizabeth took a steadying breath and continued, "Many years ago, during the war. . .our war, I mean, the one against the Nazis, I worked for a time in an ambulance unit. . ."
- / - / -
She had felt grown-up and daring, joining the unit. It had been so real, the first real thing she had done - - making a contribution. . .
Before the unit, she had been just a child, sometimes embarrassingly so. She still remembered with mortification a strawberry cream tea to which she and her sister had been treated during one of the war years. They had been in the country, visiting villages, keeping the spirits up, as her mother put it, and in one of the towns, the villagers had given them a superb tea, with fresh strawberries and scones, clotted cream and jam. There had been puddings - - Madeira cake and treacle tart with custard - - and strong tea with plenty of milk, and lumps and lumps of sugar.
Elizabeth had been young, perhaps only fifteen, but still old enough that she ought to have known better. . .
"And did you enjoy yourself, dear?" her mother had asked, smiling at Elizabeth's formerly-heaped plate, on which nothing then remained but a few smears of jam.
"Oh, yes, very much!" Elizabeth had replied. "Did you have any idea, Mummy, that they ate so well in the villages? I am sure we don't have half so much in town."
She'd been surprised when her mother frowned and a similar look of disappointment crossed the formerly-beaming face of the head of the local Women's Institute. Only later did she learn that the villagers had given up their best rations, their long-hoarded treasures. . .that they had no doubt gone without for days afterward, in order to offer the young princesses such wartime luxury.
She had been ashamed, even though she had meant no harm, and she had wanted to do something to pay back. That tea was one of the reasons she had begged to be allowed to join the unit, where she had learned to drive and work on engines, and she'd felt proud. Even when the newsreel cameras rolled, and she knew her hard-won expertise was being exploited and condescended to - - "look at the princess, she's actually using a spanner, isn't that sweet?" - - she hadn't minded. She'd been doing something real.
On that newsreel day, after the filming ended, there had been the usual swarm of officials and spectators, and Elizabeth had taken a moment to stand alone out of the way, just to catch her breath and settle back into herself.
That's when she had seen the girl. A girl about her own age, but not in uniform, not a member of the unit. A tall, pale girl, thin the way so many people were after several years of rations. She'd had dark hair in a plait down her back, even though she was old enough to wear it up or even cut it off. And she had looked at Elizabeth with a stare that was disconcerting - - not challenging or unfriendly or even overly-curious, but direct and solemn, as if she, too, was sometimes breathless with the knowledge of how much was at stake in the world, how much everything mattered. . .and not just in terms of war.
Elizabeth had wanted to talk to the girl, but she'd got distracted - - someone had called to her, or the camera-carrying technicians had blocked her view, and by the time she turned back, the dark-haired girl had been gone. She had somehow managed to disappear completely, despite the fact that the nearest building seemed too far away for her already to have reached.
The girl had been gone, and in the place where she'd stood, there'd been only a small grey-and-black cat.
"It was you," Elizabeth said again.
- / - / -
Minerva hadn't intended to see the princess on that long-ago, wartime day. She'd been on a courier mission for the Ministry, and though such deliveries were usually routine, danger always lurked. She'd been lucky to get the assignment, despite the fact that her war record so far had been stellar - - the wizarding leaders had been annoyingly reluctant to expose its witches to anything too real.
She had taken her job seriously - - too seriously, her mother had complained, but that had been Minerva's way, even at twenty. The things one did mattered, and they ought to be done well. So she had felt then and still felt.
On that day, the princess day, she'd arrived at her drop point with an hour to spare and had stopped for food in a Muggle café.
The waitresses had been talking. "Princess Elizabeth fixing a tyre, who could credit it?" one had wondered.
"I think it's grand," another had said. "And if I'm through early enough, I'm going to go over there. To the base. See if civilians will be allowed to watch."
The first had scoffed. "As if they'll let the likes of us in. It'll be restricted, it will. I shan't bother."
But I might, Minerva had thought. Talk of the princess had brought back the memory of that little girl in the pleated woollen skirt and ugly shoes, and she suddenly wanted to see her again. A princess still. But as Aunt Thanea had said, never a witch.
So she had gone. Getting onto the military base had been easy: a soldier's half-hearted grab at her cat form, followed by a muttered "stupid moggy" as she'd slipped past him, had been the only attempt to stop her. She'd changed back into herself as soon as she could; animagus transformation was still fairly new to her then, just months after her qualification, and she hadn't completely lost the sense of its alien-ness.
But then, standing alone in the shadow of a building, she'd realised that she had no idea where the princess might be: the site was a mad chaos of bustling functionaries and hangers-on and people in uniform, men and women alike.
Still, there seemed to be no point in standing still, so Minerva had started across an empty, grassy lot. And suddenly, there the princess had been - - a serious, dark-haired girl in uniform and hat, recognisably the child from Balmoral. Surprisingly, she'd been standing alone, enjoying what must have been a cherished few moments of peace.
What is it like? Minerva had wondered, letting herself stare. Always to be watched and not to be a witch?
As if she felt the questions, the princess had looked up and seen her, and her careful gaze had left Minerva feeling unaccountably exposed.
- / - / -
"Yes," Minerva said, nodding to the elderly Muggle Queen, whose expression was no less thoughtful than it had been nearly sixty years earlier. "It was I. I had no business being there, of course, so perhaps you will accept my belated apologies for sneaking in. But I was curious about you."
The serious eyes twinkled; Elizabeth was amused. "It must be a very convenient skill, becoming a cat. Can all witches do it?"
"No, there are very few of us who can transform into animals. I know of no one else whose form is a cat."
"That's both a pity and a relief," said Elizabeth. She rose, and Minerva did the same, Vanishing both chairs with a wave of her wand. The Queen, she observed with approval, accepted their disappearance without so much as a blink.
"On the one hand, at least I need not mistrust every feline I see," Elizabeth said, as they started back towards the castle. "But on the other, it would have provided a satisfying explanation for one of my childhood dreams. Your magical world, you see, is a legend in some royal circles. As a girl, I heard rumours of it, and I'm afraid I spent many hours searching the underbrush at Balmoral for evidence of witches. I found nothing but a stray kitten. I would have enjoyed thinking that perhaps my searches had borne fruit after all."
Minerva was amused in her turn. "What sort of witchy evidence did you expect to find in the bushes?"
"I'm not sure I knew. A broom, perhaps? Or. . ." she gestured toward Minerva's head, "something like that?"
Minerva touched the brim of her hat, the emblem of the witch she was and had ever been proud to be. She might be a princess, but she'll never be a witch, Aunt Thanea had said of this queen, but now Minerva thought that Auntie had been wrong. In her own Muggle way, the Queen was a fine witch indeed.
On impulse, she removed her hat and shrank it to fit in her hand.
"You've found your evidence of witches now, Your Majesty," she said, presenting the miniature cone to the woman at her side. "In a few years, if you like, your young cousin Miss Bowes will be able to return it to its normal size."
The serious eyes were smiling now, and Elizabeth carefully placed the hat inside the purse that had never left her hand. "Thank you," she said. "Headmistress McGonagall of Hogwarts."
- / - / -
The Muggle Prime Minister and the Minister of Magic stood on the steps of Hogwarts castle watching the two women make their way across the wide lawns. They seemed a study in contrasts: the one tall, black-gowned, and severe, the other short, rounded, and pastel. Yet they had clearly found common ground; they were talking easily, and the queen was laughing.
"Well, they seem to be getting along," said the Prime Minister, sounding as if he didn't quite believe it. "What do you suppose they're talking of?"
Kingsley Shacklebolt shrugged. "I imagine they both have many stories to tell."
And he would have liked to have heard them, he thought. Despite their very public faces, Minerva McGonagall and Elizabeth the Queen managed to keep their real selves well-hidden. He'd fought beside Minerva, would have died with her if necessary. Yet he never felt as if he knew her.
They would become legends, these women, no doubt; their stories would read like something out of Beedle the Bard. Or perhaps one of those Muggle fairy tales. . .
Once upon a time there was a great queen who met a powerful witch. . . |
Here's a random list of things you can expect to occur on Yacht Week, the sailing holiday popular with the world's moneyed youth, and described in the Croatian national press as "Sodom and Gomorrah at sea".
You will watch someone almost fall off a boat, drunk, into the sea, but recover at the last minute. You will watch someone not recover at the last minute and fall off a boat, drunk, into the sea. You will see rich men throwing themselves into the water, before realising their money is still in their pockets, and hurriedly doggy-paddling after hundreds of dollars slowly escaping in the tide. You'll see drinking games, champagne showers, stripping, island rampages, selfie sticks held up like glow sticks, spirit bottles worth hundreds of dollars delivered on silver service with fireworks strapped to the necks, and people spending the average year's salary just by slurring the word "again!" You may see - as I did - more than 40 people scramble onto a yacht meant for six for an impromptu all-night boat party, which, after a certain amount of vodka, feels more like a real-life game of Screwball Scramble. You may see - as I did - an Australian girl so drunk she keeps kissing two men on the same night under the impression they are the same person, and not understanding why this person is getting so upset, and in different voices.
Nearly everyone is beautiful, single, uninhibited, and bottle-service wealthy. Several have been on reality-TV shows. It is the only holiday you can go on, I discover, that includes two staff photographers taking pictures of everything you, the hard-partying customer, get up to at all times.
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Fabian Webster
I joined the Yacht Week for its "black route" - one that sails around the exclusive islands of Croatia, on the Adriatic - to see just why it's become such a phenomenon. The idea, after all, is fairly straightforward. You join an armada of yachts - up to 50 on any one route - after selecting your yacht-mates, booking a skipper, and even arranging an on-board chef if your budget will stretch that far (nearly all do). While on board, you drink and eat and sunbathe, and then party at every island you dock at, mostly at special Yacht Week events. It's Club 18-30, essentially, for people far too rich and glamorous to go on Club 18-30 holidays. The bigger Yacht Week has become (it started in 2008, and now has 45 routes across six countries, mostly in Europe, with plans to expand into South America and beyond) the more controversial it has been. The island of Hvar on this week's route, for instance, has increasingly become known as the new Saint-Tropez, with the mega-yachts lining its harbour belonging to everyone from Roman Abramovich and Bill Gates to Beyoncé and Tom Cruise.
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Perhaps understandably, residents and guests haven't been too keen on "Hvarday", when the Yacht Week horde descends for perhaps the most raucous parties of the week (the notorious afternoon party scheduled at Carpe Diem bar sees champagne bottles worth hundreds of dollars sprayed like fire extinguishers). Just a few hours of "Hvarday" are said to be worth around £40,000 for the owners. The Hvar town council has repeatedly voted for Yacht Week's banishment, citing noise and drunken abuse; some claimed people were vomiting into the water and passing out drunk on the boardwalk. The diners next door at Gariful, Hvar's most exclusive fish restaurant, one of
Giorgio Armani's favourite haunts, were said to be less than impressed. Yet, each time, Hvar's mayor has reached a compromise with Yacht Week's founders. And so, as with every year since it began in 2008, Yacht Week sails again.
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At the marina, a short drive from Split airport, I meet our skipper for the week, Sebastian, a fastidious Spaniard almost certainly given to us to show how serious about safety they are, and who chides every error (you're required to help out when docking) like a father telling his son not to murder any more prostitutes ("It can never happen again"). The other members of HMS GQ are Charlotte, an easygoing Dane who will be our chef for the week, and the GQ photographer Rebecca. We are not the typical crew. Even the smallest yachts, like ours, sleep six - making ours the only boat not at capacity.
Part of Yacht Week's appeal, it turns out, comes with selecting your boat mates. Each yacht is required to be a strict 50-50 split in gender. The majority of people I spoke to found their remaining shipmates via the "CrewFinder" section on the website, which is essentially Yacht Week's version of Tinder, and which mostly sees men advertising the remaining female spaces on a yacht they've reserved. "We are calling our boat Noah's Ark cause it is going to be filled with Animals!!!" reads a typical ad. "Looking for 4 more beer-chugging, shot-taking, pirate-costume-wearing, no f***s about what anybody is caring girls to join in the mayhem!"
Nearly all the men list their Instagram accounts for the girls to check out.
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Fabian Webster
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"It's like The Real World!" a Californian blonde named Amy explains to me, referring to the American reality-TV show, but also, one presumes, the real world.
Many go purely on emails and images. Only one girl I met on my week - Cayla, a 29-year-old American teacher - took the precaution of travelling to New York to size up their potential male shipmates before she and her cousin took the plunge. "We ended up having a really boozy lunch - it was great!"
Cayla, who like nearly all on Yacht Week is single, rules out sex with her boat mates, "but we totally support bringing other people back to the boat and getting the job done."
Being a skipper on Yacht Week also has its difficulties, Sebastian informs me as we set sail. A fortnight ago, he had eleven Spaniards who barely slept, and he recalls the experience much like the sole survivor of an ethnic cleansing. Brazilian men, most skippers agree, are the worst (many mistreat female staff; a recent group got kicked off their boat for doing coke on deck).
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Australians, the loudest. Americans, the most dressed in their own flag.
Skippers have an ongoing game called "Worst Question At The Worst Time". Favourites include: requesting a fry-up in a storm (oil is not your friend), trying to chat up a skipper while he's navigating a tricky mooring (most skippers are men), and having sex while you're supposed to help downing anchor.
Marcus Olssen
After only a few hours, we arrive at Milna on the island of Brac, and I come across some guys from a mostly Dutch boat drinking with their skipper, an American man known as Cowboy Carl on account of the fact no one has seen him without his trademark cowboy hat for more than a year ("I did see him without it once," Sebastian tells me, "but I didn't recognise him").
It's around 6pm, but they already look very drunk. "They started with two bottles of vodka," says Cowboy Carl, almost misty-eyed. "And they've nearly finished them!" He hugs them. "My boys!" Carl has done 48 Yacht Week runs, and his ambition is to get to 52 to make a full year.
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The opening night of Yacht Week is fairly tame, and so simply consists of a welcome open-air party in the relics of an old building involving pole dancers, light shows, vodka shots and some mild grinding. It's on this night I meet Tribble Reese. Reese is a child's idea of an American male as drawn hurriedly in crayon. He is a huge man with a jutting jaw, perfect teeth, blond hair that points to the sky, piercing eyes that would be devastating if not for the fact they're slightly too close-set, and has the nervous gregariousness of a man who has high-fived during sex. A former high-school quarterback from Atlanta, Georgia, who never quite made the grade to go pro, Reese is semi-famous in America for being the star of a reality TV dating show called Sweet Home Alabama. He was named South Carolina's Most Eligible Bachelor by Cosmopolitan in 2008.
At 29, however, he remains a bachelor, which is why he is at Yacht Week. He's out, he says, to have the experience of a lifetime - and rack up the numbers. "Nobody knows about this in the States," he tells me, excitedly, if not exactly accurately (there are more Americans here than any other nationality). "It's like the Bahamas on steroids!" Currently, Reese is most agitated by the female attention the skippers are getting. "So now I just want to be a skipper. They get laid like crazy." (The skippers, it should be said, deny this, but then of course they would. "I've had girls try to jump me," says William Wenkel, the CEO, co-founder and former skipper himself. "But I've never used my power.")
If the average age of the people who go on 18-30 holidays is early twenties, then, at 29, Reese is the average Yacht Weeker.
Take your pick from any number of reasons: a generation marrying later, an international moneyed elite looking for a wilder time, or simply the 18-30s holiday finally going high-end via the addition of boats (docking at a different port each night, after all, allows the Yacht Week to visit high-end hot-spots not yet touched by beer-boy tourism, while also promising the allure of adventure, despite that adventure coming with a timetable and personal chefs).
There are other benefits, as Reese would attest. As we set sail the next day, where your boat docks becomes the subject of much discussion. Put another way: you want to dock next to the people you got chatting to the night before. In some cases, this simply leads to jealously. In others, bribery.
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Just last week, Cowboy Carl skippered a boat with many beautiful Brazilian girls on board, and found himself the subject of offers from other boats, asking them to dock next to them. "You will always meet someone you fancy," says Wenkel, "and the lubricator is the boat."
Or, more exactly, the dock. As we set sail on the second day, it becomes clear that most days follow a similar pattern on Yacht Week. Up, breakfast, leave dock, sail, stop at a cove, swim off your hangover, lunch, then sail again to that night's destination.
Eat. Party. Repeat.
Each swimming stop-off (which isn't so much about swimming as drinking on inflatables) is designed for two reasons: to socialise with other Yacht Weekers in swimwear, and to have social-media pictures taken of you while you do so. "I'm so drunk I've forgotten how to swim!" shouts one Australian man, who takes a brief pause from pretend-drowning to flirt with the real thing as he tries to wave at the photographer taking a picture of him. The two photographers who accompany every Yacht Week run, co-founder Erik Björklund later tells me, were there pretty much from Yacht Week's inception. Indeed, they're the reason for Yacht Week's phenomenal success. Nearly everyone I spoke to said they chose Yacht Week either due to the professional pictures on Facebook their friends were tagged in, or because of the YouTube trailer, made by a director better known for music videos, which has currently been viewed more than three million times. "We were pretty tech-savvy from the beginning," says Björklund. "We wanted to grow the company [by getting] people to go, have a really good time, and then share it. That's why we put photographers at every event, and then put people in good situations on the ocean - these are the images we want to be associated with."
The "good situations" are crucial, as they work both as holiday highlights (for those who are there) and de facto photo shoots (for those who are not). The second day we stop at a beautiful cove where people dive off an overhanging jut of rock into the water below while pictures are taken. These are later filtered through to Björklund back in London, to decide what goes on Facebook. A few days later we'll take part in one of Yacht Week's most popular (and photogenic - the two are nearly always one and the same) events, which involves tethering up to 20 yachts together in a star formation while everyone jumps in the middle on their inflatables, many necking Jägermeister straight from the bottle as they do so. "It's an international cesspit!" shouts one Australian girl, approvingly, while a bearded American TV producer attempts to cause hilarity by squeezing a 4ft foam rod between his legs and some Americans attempt to dole out shots while doing doggy paddle. On this day, along with the standard two staff snappers, Yacht Week will often attach a camera to the top of one the masts, all the better to take a shot already perfectly framed by the boats - shooting aspiration in a barrel.
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"The boats in star formation proves particularly popular," says Björklund, when I ask about the images that attract the most attention. "Or just a group of young, hot people." But the shots of the foam-penis man will not be uploaded. "We're after aspiration."
Those not swimming are generally Instagramming, and it is partly for this reason all boats are fitted with Wi-Fi. The last thing I hear as we untether the boats and head to our next party is an Irish voice yelling, "I can't wait to see the comments!"
Fabian Webster
Yacht Week began life simply enough - an exclusively Swedish thing, not a holiday so much as a gathering. A group of like-minded folk, sailors all, got together in 2005 to form a small armada, sail around some Croatian islands, and have a few drinks when they got there. They got home, posted their pictures on Facebook, and, says Wenkel, "said we'd never do this again".
Then they started getting the Facebook messages. How could they come on this amazing boat holiday too? "People did this before, but it never spread. We have Facebook to thank for that. We couldn't have predicted it."
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They had something else to thank, too: just as Yacht Week began, in 2008 the financial crisis hit, "which meant not as many rich guys taking yachts", meaning there were more available to rent and there was more harbour space free on the premium islands. And so it grew and grew, Facebook albums spawning Facebook albums, the rise of Instagram throwing petrol on the flames. And with it, stricter rules applied by some islands, banishment from others, tense negotiations from yet more. "And now," says Wenkel, "I have to control this little Frankenstein."
Fabian Webster
Currently, this particular little Frankenstein's monster is taking the form of Tribble Reese, who is attempting to neck a bottle of vodka the size of a parking bollard. This is not an exaggeration. We are at a party on the island of Vis, on the top of an abandoned fort built in 1813 by the British Royal Navy, and now put to use by Yacht Week as an exclusive party locale. The DJ is spinning, hands are in the air, spirits are being downed, lanterns hang from the trees above us, and by 2am, all the ships' captains will stand in a circle, holding bottles of champagne worth several thousand dollars in total, bought by their respective passengers, to spray over the entire dance floor.
For now, the Amex black cards and MasterCard gold cards are getting a thorough flexing partly due to the bottle service - each spirit bottle arriving with some form of fireworks attached - and partly due to the sizes of the bottles being served. Hence, Reese is currently upending a six-litre bottle of Belvedere into his person. I can honestly say I never knew vodka could be purchased in quantities so huge. Having heaved it high above his head, he looks, to all intents and purposes, like a gerbil who has liberated its water bottle from the side of its cage, and is now wondering if this was such a good idea. It probably shouldn't come as a shock, however, that Reese was posing for a shot for GQ's photographer at the time. Throughout the night, he gamely heaves the bottle high above his head for any other iPhone snappers or eager Instagrammers who are interested, while directing his friends to do the same. Look how crazy he is! There is no strict evidence he drinks a single drop. "Man, I've done reality TV, so let me know what stupid quotes you need!" he tells me later. I say he's already made the piece. He looks very happy.
These survivalist-sized vodka bottles, remarkably, are standard on Yacht Week. Even more remarkably, many were bought at the marina shop on the first day to drink on board, meaning a week's worth of watching people heave up bottles with both hands in order to pour, veins pulsing in their necks, looking like firemen with high-powered hoses, and often causing vodka tsunamis when they rock from a wave. They're not exactly ideal for the high seas. Yet almost every time someone pours, someone Instagrams. Just look how big they are! Imagine the comments.
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Fabian Webster
It stands to reason, perhaps, that a holiday born from Facebook jealousy and spirited by social-media word of mouth should attract people keen to pass the envy baton along, and show their own friends what a good time they've also had ("I think self-expression is really important for a lot of young people," says Björklund, by way of explanation. "When you have these experiences, you want to share them").
But there are other, more curious, things about Yacht Week. Take the parties. Nearly all the venues are actually tiered amphitheatres. At the party on top of the abandoned Fort George, for instance, the dance floor is actually sunken, with three levels ringing around above it, meaning, in practice, everyone is on display to everyone else at all times, but often too separated, by distance and depth, to talk to anyone they don't already know (pick the social-media metaphor out of that). It also resulted in the most curious sight of the night: half the people on the upper levels facing away from the actual party at any one time as they attempted to take selfies with the dance floor in the background, but looking, from a distance, like Manchester City fans doing the Poznan, or dissidents enacting some form of political protest.
This tiering has other uses too. When I joined the notorious afternoon blowout - and cause of so many complaints - at Carpe Diem bar on Hvar island later in the week, as House Of Pain's "Jump Around" boomed from the sound system, the multi-levels that spanned 360° around the main dance floor were being used by those spraying the champagne, and all the better to get pictured while doing it too.
Marcus Olssen
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While being expensively drenched, I get talking to Benjamin, a 29-year-old hedge-fund manager from Chicago. Last night, he says, he and three friends spent $40,000 on champagne. He still owes his friend his $10,000 share, "as the island didn't take Amex!"
Yesterday, after docking, everyone in the boats nearby immediately emptied their pockets and jumped into the water for a refreshing swim. Walking along the pier afterwards to dry himself off, "I walked along the dock, and you'd see seven Amex black cards, six Rolex watches... everything you can imagine. It's insane."
Last month, says Charlotte, GQ's on-board cook, she remembers watching hundreds of dollars float past in the water, followed by a wallet, following by a frantically paddling American who asked, "Have you seen a Gold Mastercard float this way?" "They're either rich or mommy and daddy are," says Julian Brockburst, a skipper. "But it's more than a holiday. As a networking event, it's unbeatable."
Last year, he says, an entrepreneur passed him his card, "and I'm now doing coding for him!" (He had never done coding before).
Another person, he says, recommended he buy shares in e-cigarettes when they were just $1. He didn't. "And now they're $14! But all these guys, they're masters and MDMAs." (He means MBAs - people possessing master's degrees in business administration - rather than people possessing the illegal compound of ecstasy.)
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But on this evening, the champagne sprayers aren't just being recorded by others - many are recording themselves. At least three people in the writhing, jumping crowd have selfie sticks held aloft with GoPro cameras attached. It turns out they're recording footage for "YouTube trailers" of their own holidays, which they record every day, and which they'll later professionally edit, set to music and upload - or get someone else to do it for them.
"A lot of guests make their own YouTube trailers now," says Riley Westgaard, a Yacht Week staffer who manages its social media, and who is also currently being similarly dampened at great cost. "It's becoming really popular."
So popular, in fact, Björklund tells me later, they're integrating them with the official Yacht Week website. They've recently set up a new section called "Yacht Week Independent" where they highlight the best.
These things will happen before Yacht Week ends.
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Reese - after striking out for four days in a row, virtually unheard of at Yacht Week - finally gets laid. He will run up and high-five me with this news. More incredibly expensive champagne will be sprayed, of which a New Zealand girl, Sian, will later write on her blog: "$100 bottles of champagne being sprayed over the crowd seems like something just from the movies, not for us!"
We will go to a party on a private island that does feel like a movie. We will get there on a water taxi, arriving at what feels like the most exclusive festival in the world, with the beautiful super-yacht rich in attendance; we will raise our hands in the air as the DJ plays, and the trees sway, and see others with their arms outstretched too, holding selfie sticks to the sky for the best angle possible, the night of their lives already self-fulfilled.
Months later, Tribble Reese will email me. Yacht Week changed his life, he says. He's spent the past few months sailing around the world with a skipper he met there. His cook, randomly enough, is Charlotte - the same patient, easygoing Dane who fed HMS GQ so well. They're currently in the Caribbean, and plan to head for the British Virgin Islands to join the Yacht Week armada once more. Then, on to South America, and adventure. He has a ton of cool footage, he tells me. He's making a film of it. He'd love to show it to me. |
reviews input device Cooler Master Quickfire TK Gaming Keyboard Review Cooler Master Quickfire TK Gaming Keyboard Review Author: Dennis Garcia
Introduction
It's no secret I travel with my PC more than most and the size of my accessories almost dictates how many trips to the car I make. As you can imagine size is important and Cooler Master's new compact gaming keyboard, the Quick Fire TK, is right up my alley. The Quick Fire TK features a seriously compact design and a selection of the popular Cherry MX mechanical switches.
Did I mention it also lights up?
The Quick Fire TK distills your premium gaming keyboard down to the essential components. Superior Mechanical response, steel reinforced and UV coated keys mean this keyboard will remain just as crisp and durable after years of heavy gaming use. There are no additional macro keys or extra media keys. Even the extra rows of keys normally found between the Qwerty keyboard and the NumPad are gone.
Features
Model Number
- SGK-4020-GKCR1(Red switch)
- SGK-4020-GKCM1(Brown switch)
- SGK-4020-GKCL1(Blue switch)
Key Switch
- Cherry MX Blue/ Brown/ Red
Keycaps
- ABS, grip coated, removable
Keycap Puller
- Yes, ring-puller
Backlight
- All keys, Red, 5 Levels, 3 Modes
Key Rollover
- NKRO (windows only)
Polling Rate
- 1000 Hz /1 ms
Interface
- USB 2.0 full speed
USB cable
- 1.8m, braided, gold plated, removable
Dimensions
- 377.5(L)*138(W)*33(H)mm / 14.9(L)*5.4(W)*1.3(H)inch
Weight
- 544 g/1.2 lbs
Choosing your Quick Fire TK really boils down to identifying your particular flavor on the Cherry MX switches. Blue tends to favor typists with a more tactile or "clicky" action. Blue can also make it harder to double tap but provides the most feedback in terms of touch. Reds require less force and tend to favor a softer touch which can also lead to accidental key presses but can be more responsive. Browns tend to be a little bit of both. While they are less tactile, and less "clicky", they do have a feedback to them while still requiring less force than the reds.
Cooler Master has paired the lighting theme to the switch type making it easy to tell which type you have but making it easy to choose the wrong switch type if you are trying to color match your gaming rig. Like any good tool, choosing the right keyboard will make a huge difference in your enjoyment over time.
I have been running our Blue Quick Fire TK for a couple of weeks including some heavy Borderlands 2 play over the holidays. As expected, the blues are loud and crisp making it a bit distracting at first. Once I settled in I found the responsiveness and feedback easy to get into a rhythm with. Like all good gaming keyboards, I found that speed came with familiarity and I was soon clicking away on my own without looking.
The compact design is not without its drawbacks and in a way typing on the Quick Fire TK felt more like a gaming laptop than desktop keyboard especially when it comes to correcting errors. When doing normal day to day typing I found myself rethinking where the re-assigned keys were located and how to access them, and that happened quite often.
Conclusion
The Coolermaster Quick Fire TK is a fantastic portable mechanical keyboard with the option to choose your style of Cherry MX switch type. I loved the lighting options and the quality is exceptional for the price point. All this said, I would not recommend it as a replacement for your non-gaming rig if you use your system for more typing centric activities.
With the Quick Fire TK, Cooler Master has created the ultimate, bare bones, toss in your bag and go keyboard for serious gamers. The price point is most attractive as it brings a mechanical keyboard in range of most budget minded gamers looking for a serious replacement. You won't get programmable macro keys or a dedicated arrow keypad but those aren't for everyone so why pay extra for something you may never use.
Available Images |
Update 07:58 EDT: There will no expandable memory in the Nexus 9, my source just got in contact with me to correct the original claim.
Original story
The Nexus 9 - codenamed the HTC Volantis - will launch tomorrow and it will be the first device to run Android L, a source close to Google confirmed with me yesterday.
The source explained to me that Google had planned to hold an official event for the new tablet, but because it was still fine tweaking Android L, it decided against a ‘big reveal’. Instead the new tablet, and a new smartphone made by Motorola, will be launched via a blog post tomorrow.
Volantis will be available for pre-order on the 17th October and available to purchase on the 3rd November. Although there’s no information on when Android L will be available for other Android devices, and the pre-order and purchasing dates are subject to last minute change. The 16GB version will cost $399 and the 32GB LTE version will retail for $499. Both devices will have expandable memory.
Most of what has been rumoured is accurate, according to my source. The tablet will have an 8.9-inch 2048x1440 display, weigh 480 grams, have a 64-bit dual-core processor, an Nvidia Kepler GPU and a 8MP rear-facing camera and 3MP front-facing camera. HTC and Google have also opted for a “brushed aluminum” frame - instead of an all metal design - to keep costs down.
Some of HTC’s popular features on its own devices has travelled over to the Google tablet including HTC’s boomsound and the dual front facing speakers, both of which featured on the One M8 and Desire EYE.
An additional “origami” magnetic stand-case will be available tomorrow which can apparently be bent into any shape - and can fold in all directions - to prop the tablet up.
This puts Google in direct competition with Apple as the iPhone 6 maker is widely expected to reveal its updated iPad on October 16th. Rumours have been circulating around that Apple’s event on Thursday will see the launch of a 9.7-inch ‘iPad Pro’ and possibly a refresh of the iPad Air.
The larger tablet is likely to see the introduction of the Touch ID and both will have the same A8 processor that powers the iPhone 6. |
There are those names that are supposed to be unspeakable. Each generation has them. There is Voldemort and there is Cthulu as examples.
There are those events in history that are so unspeakable, as a species we would much rather forget at the least or completely deny as if by saying it, talking about it supports our own complicity -- which may or may not be true. This included the many holocausts and genocides throughout human history.
Which brings me to today, within the trans community about those questions that are not supposed to be asked. You may know a few of these:
What was your old name?
Have you had THE surgery?
...
Over the past few years, I am finding that my thoughts about these "unspeakable" questions are evolving in a major way. As I do more and more corporate trainings for supporting those who transition in the workplace, I find myself teaching and training less about the cognitive details of the transgender experience, and more and more about the emotional and relationship journeys of those who may be transitioning and also of their co-workers in the audience.
I began to wonder why these questions became unspeakable and if there could be a different way to deal with them. If, as I suggest in my book that we should always take the path of love rather than the path of fear, could I/we look at the questioner and the questioned through a different lens?
A few words started to come into my consciousness, and let me try to sort out my thoughts. You may or may not agree with my view but I suggest it is something to consider.
The first word that come to mind for me is "Boundaries." There are so many ways to have boundaries. For example, there are physical, emotional, spiritual and for some, even energetic boundaries. Some of us may have totally stable and rigid boundaries across all these dimensions, while others may have weak, unstable and easily crossed boundaries. These boundaries define where we each sense we begin and end. Given that so many of these boundaries are invisible to others, and that most humans are not very good at mind reading, the best way to find someone's boundary is perhaps to ask.
So perhaps when a person asks a question, it just may be heard and interpreted as a boundary violation. What happens then? Check out my SCRABBLE board .....and an imaginary conversation...
Person 1: utters an unspeakable question...
Person 2: (OMG, how dare they ask that...I am so mad at them!)
Person 1: (uh oh! What did I say? They look so angry)
Person 2: That is really none of your business, and don't you know that it is not polite to ask that!
Person 1: (Crap, I was just curious and wanted to be supportive and now I am getting this crap...) I was just trying to help....
Person 2: Well you're not!
So, perhaps innocent curiosity led to triggers, which led to micro-aggressions, and inevitably hurt feelings, confusion and total lack of understanding for both people. I am aware that not all conversations are like this , but I do sense that many are.
I think there is a better way, that just saying that some questions are unaskable.
...
It has taken me a long time to build up healthy boundaries. It has taken a long time to teach my protectors that they did not have to fight every unwelcome question. I wonder why this was so difficult to learn. Perhaps there were so few role models in my life that would take the "high road."
A few weeks ago I was facilitating a training class and I had the opportunity to meet with 2 people transitioning in the same workplace and then to do 2 training classes for their co-workers. In each cohort group, we chatted about boundaries and how best to deal with the "unaskable" and "unspeakable" without the triggers or the micro-aggressions. Yes, it is possible! In other words, I was teaching about having and respecting healthy boundaries for everyone. This means, boundary wars are not required automatically. Even if one feels their boundary may have been violated, it is OK to just send a reminder in a kind manner.
Perhaps we can imagine another conversation:
Person 1: utters an unspeakable question...
Person 2: (a deep breath..) Thanks for asking, that's a great question
Person 1: (phew, I was so worried that this may not have been appropriate)
Person 2: I really appreciate you asking, but honestly, at this point, I am not confortable answering this....perhaps sometime in future I may feel different about it
Person 1: Oh, OK, I hope that I didn't ask the wrong thing here..
Person 2: No, it is fine to ask...I hope you understand where I am right now...
....
OH! By the way. Healthy boundaries are not limited to trans discussions. I am pretty sure that most of us can all use a lesson in having healthy boundaries...
Thanks for asking!
### |
The Dallas Cowboys have placed linebacker Bruce Carter on injured reserve due to the elbow injury he suffered in the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Redskins. Carter had filled in beautifully for injured linebacker Sean Lee as the defensive signal-caller and the team's leading tackler, but like Lee he will now miss the remainder of the season, per Todd Archer:
Carter is the fourth defensive starter to be put on injured reserve with Lee, safety Barry Church and defensive end Kenyon Coleman. Cornerback Orlando Scandrick remains on the active roster despite undergoing left hand surgery last Friday.
One of the Cowboys' strengths coming into this season was their linebacker corps, with DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer on the outside in their 3-4 scheme and Lee and Carter on the inside. Overall roster depth is not among Dallas' strengths, and so the losses of their two starting inside linebackers isn't going to be easy for them to overcome. They will need to rely even more on Brandon Carr and rookie Morris Claiborne as shutdown cornerbacks to help cover their weaknesses up front and at safety, and there are liable to be games down the stretch in which the league's No. 8-ranked defense gives up more yards and points than it should to apparently inferior opponents.
This latest significant injury on defense also puts more pressure on Tony Romo and the Cowboys' offense to deliver more consistent production, something that could be helped if running back DeMarco Murray ever returns from his foot injury. The Cowboys are 5-6, two games out of first place in the NFC East and one game behind the NFC's final wild-card spot with five games to play. They host the Eagles this Sunday night. |
LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Kenya has long been regarded as one of Africa's most wildlife-friendly countries, and a magnet for safari tourists from around the world. But an escalation in ivory poaching is taking place, and some conservationists are warning that elephants are facing extinction there within ten years unless urgent action is taken. Africa correspondent Ginny Stein travelled to the Maasai Mara for this report.
GINNY STEIN, REPORTER: Kenya's famed Maasai Mara is teeming with wildlife.
Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest have made it to Kenya in their annual migration across the plains of East Africa in search of grass and water.
While all may appear alive and abundant, there's something very wrong.
These plains have become a new front in Africa's ivory wars.
ISAAC ROTICH, GAME GUIDE NABOISHO CONSERVANCY: This looks like an arrow. It looks like an arrow went in. So it's intentional killing for sure.
GINNY STEIN, REPORTER: This young bull elephant was speared to death the day before. His trunk hacked off to allow the poachers to get to its tusks.
ISAAC ROTICH: It's very fresh, you can tell it's moving, so this is very, very new.
GINNY STEIN: For the Maasai herders who have a stake in these lands, each death is painful. Isaac Rotich is one of the leading wildlife guides. He grew up amongst the Maasai.
ISAAC ROTICH: I'm looking for wounds. He looks like he was a very healthy young male. No scratch, no wounds, he hasn't been in the fight but the only wound that killed him was the last spear.
GINNY STEIN: Across Africa tens of thousands of elephants are now being slaughtered annually. The continent's worst wildlife crisis in decades.
ISAAC ROTICH: There's no words to explain, you know, how I feel. I might be sitting here going around and stepping on it but deep inside it's just another ... it's like reducing my livelihood. Instead of me getting younger in heart, and being happy seeing these lives ... it just squishes it, you reduce it.
GINNY STEIN: Here attempts are made to record the death of every elephant and to find those responsible.
JACKSON MAITAI, MARA ELEPHANT PARTNERS: Where the blood started we follow that track up to here. The elephant killers or the poachers themselves must be from a southern village where the elephant was speared.
GINNY STEIN: It seems this elephant was killed to keep it away from farmland. Its tusks an additional incentive.
Kenya's Maasai have long been the country's wildlife protectors.
Community conservancies, like this one, were formed by the Maasai to protect wildlife while giving them an income from it. But the spears and poison arrows now being used show values amongst some have changed. One time protectors have become hunters.
ISAAC ROTICH: This is the damage done when an elephant is killed. They have to cut it almost to the skull, you know, halfway to remove all the tusks and basically this is what kills the elephant, you know. You have to kill it to remove the tusks.
AMOS NJAPIT, RESIDENT GUARD (TRANSLATION): Elephants are dying every week. Every week, every month. So it's quite possible that our elephants will be finished in the next 10 years.
GINNY STEIN: Annette Bullman has lived in Kenya for almost two decades. She came to Kenya from Australia to manage a safari lodge.
ANNETTE BULLMAN, RESIDENT GUARD: There's a chance for all this money, you know, it's very tempting for anybody, whether you're Maasai or South African, you know, or English or American or whoever you are - money has always been the force of corruption in the world.
GINNY STEIN: This is Toto, a teenager. Wildlife photographer Marcel Roundane documented his death.
MARCEL ROUNDANE, PHOTOGRAPHER: He was speared with a poison spear right through his leg. We found him about two weeks after, one week after he was speared.
GINNY STEIN: Annette watched as his family broke away from its herd to say goodbye.
ANNETTE BULLMAN: And they came to him and they wiped his eyes as if he was crying. They cuddled him, they touched him all over. Oh, it was just the saddest thing I've ever seen. We intent 17 days, the 18th day he died that night and he actually died here.
IMARCEL ROUNDANE: If you watched that and you have all this experience with losing elephants and you get close and you know what they're doing and they actually greet you when you come - and then you still lose them, it's like losing a family member. You always say elephants don't forget, but you don't forget an elephant.
ANNETTE BULLMAN: It's usually soul destroying when you spend so much time with the elephant, you really do form a bond with this elephant and it's just such a senseless waste for artefacts.
GINNY STEIN: The Kenyan Government has announced tougher new penalties targeting poachers and traffickers.
ISAAC ROTICH: One of a kind experience to come across such a giant, you know. In other years you used to see them but they're going down very fast. To see something like this it's very, very special.
GINNY STEIN: But there are real fears that such is the appetite for ivory, that it may be too late for Africa's elephants. |
The University of Texas has one of the biggest college athletics programs in the country and its teams sport some of the most recognizable uniforms of any NCAA team. And, that’s why athletic apparel companies could soon be clawing past one another to win the right to affix their logos to those uniforms.
Nike (NKE) currently pays Texas for the right to display the company’s signature swoosh on the Longhorns’ uniforms, shoes and merchandise, but the athletic apparel giant reportedly will not renew its current contract (an extension of a seven-year, $17 million pact between Nike and the school from 2000) before a deadline this week, according to Bloomberg, which cites anonymous sources.
As Bloomberg notes, rival apparel companies like Under Armour (UA) and Adidas (ADS) are likely to enter the bidding for the lucrative Texas contract — which could be worth more than $15 million per year — once it comes up for grabs, which means Nike will face some fierce competition if it wants to keep doing business with the school.
Earlier this summer, Nike reached a deal worth $169 million over 11 years to replace Adidas as the official sponsor for the University of Michigan’s sports teams. That deal followed a coup for Under Armour (which is big supporter of CEO Kevin Plank’s alma mater, the University of Maryland) when the company last year reached an apparel agreement with the University of Notre Dame — a deal that school said was the largest ever in college sports at the time.
Athletic apparel contracts are also getting bigger and bigger in the professional realm, as Nike can attest, having recently agreed to spend a reported $1 billion on a deal to outfit the NBA and WNBA, supplanting Adidas from that role starting in 2017.
As Bloomberg notes, the University of Texas outpaces all other collegiate athletic programs in the U.S. in terms of revenue, topping $160 million annually in recent years. |
"Mock Duck" redirects here. For the food, see Mock duck
Sai Wing Mock (a/k/a Mock Duck) (1879 – July 23, 1941) was a Chinese-American criminal and leader of the Hip Sing Tong, which replaced the On Leong Tong as the dominant Chinese-American Tong in the Manhattan Chinatown in the early 1900s.
Early criminal career [ edit ]
Mock Duck arrived in the United States during the late 1890s, settling in New York's Chinatown, where he formed the Hip Sing Tong, a minor criminal organization. Within a few years, Mock Duck challenged Tom Lee and the On Leong Tong for control of criminal activities in Chinatown, and for the police and political protection of Tammany Hall.
Chinatown kingpin [ edit ]
In 1900, Mock Duck demanded half of Lee's revenue from illegal gambling operations. When Lee refused, within 48 hours Mock Duck declared a Tong war against the On Leongs. Hip Sing men set one of Lee's boarding houses on fire, which resulted in the deaths of two men. In another incident, an On Leong man was decapitated by two Hip Sing hatchetmen, and open warfare began in Chinatown.
One Chinatown historian describes Mock Duck in 1904 as "strutting around on Pell Street, covered in diamonds," adding that, at that time, "Mock Duck is firmly in control of the Hip Sing, his sinister image bolstered by his long, lethal-looking fingernails, which signal he is too grand to do the dirty work he assigns to others."[1]
Mock Duck survived repeated attempts on his life and wore a chain mail vest. He was named by the press the "Clay Pigeon of Chinatown" and the "Mayor of Chinatown". During several attempts on his life, Mock Duck reportedly squatted down in the street and fired at his attackers with two handguns with his eyes closed.
After Lee put a bounty on Mock Duck and the rest of the Hip Sings, Mock Duck formed an alliance with the rival Four Brothers Tong. Mock Duck took advantage of the reform crusade started by Charles Parkhurst. Duck posed as a businessman, and supplied information on the On Leong criminal operations to Parkhurst, including addresses. The authorities raided On Leong opium dens and gambling houses on Pell and Doyers Streets. However, Mock Duck held back the addresses of the more lucrative Mott Street operations for leverage against Lee. The warring Tongs signed a truce in 1906, but the Hip Sings and the On Leongs were again at war the following year.
Mock Duck finally defeated Lee in the "Bow Kum" Tong war of 1909-1910. He was arrested several times during the next decade, during which time a number of attempts were made on his life. But he was convicted only once in 1912, for operating a policy game, and served two years imprisonment in Sing Sing Prison.
Retirement and death [ edit ]
In 1932, Mock Duck agreed to an arrangement with the US and Chinese governments to declare a peace among the Tongs of Chinatown and he retired to Brooklyn where he lived until his death on July 23, 1941.[2]
^ Tea That Burns: A Family Memoir of Chinatown, The Free Press/ Hall, Bruce Edward,, The Free Press/ Simon & Schuster , 1998, pp. 142-3. ^ Brooklyn Death Index: "Mock Sai 62 y July 23, 1941 15191 Kings County
Notable Chinese tongs [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Devito, Carlo. Encyclopedia of International Organized Crime. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. ISBN 978-0-8160-4848-9
Further reading [ edit ] |
BALTIMORE -- For the second time in three games, the Baltimore Orioles had an uplifting victory marred by an injury to a key player.
J.J. Hardy homered twice, doubled and drove in five runs, and the Orioles defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 9-2 Tuesday night to move into a tie for the AL East lead.
But starting pitcher Jason Hammel left in the fourth inning with an injured right knee. The right-hander underwent arthroscopic surgery on that same knee in mid-July and was making his second start since returning from the disabled list.
Hammel will be examined Wednesday by the team surgeon. He said the sensation was exactly identical to what he felt in a July 13 game against Detroit, his last start before going on the DL.
"It's a very sharp pain in the knee in the same spot," Hammel said. "I'm hoping it is just scar tissue. I've been told scar tissue can react like that."
On Saturday, Baltimore lost right fielder Nick Markakis with a broken left thumb while defeating the New York Yankees. Both Hammel and Markakis were on the DL earlier this year.
"We've been down this road many times this year with a lot of different challenges," manager Buck Showalter said. "We've operated a good portion of this season without Ham and without Nicky, so we're kind of experienced at it anyway. It's not the kind of experience you want to have."
Hammel had no problem with the knee on Thursday night against the Yankees, and retired 11 of 13 Tampa Bay batters before exiting.
"Against the Yankees, I felt great," Hammel said. "I felt like I was back on track, and I know I can help this team when I am healthy. So it's very frustrating."
Steve Johnson (3-0) got the win with 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief.
With Markakis out, Hardy picked up the slack. He went 4 for 5 to help Baltimore pull even atop the division with the Yankees, who lost 4-3 at Boston. The Rays are two games behind the co-leaders.
Hardy hit a two-run homer in the third inning, doubled and scored in the fifth, singled in a run in the sixth and added his 21st homer with a runner on in the eighth. It was his ninth career two-homer game, the second this season.
"I got a couple pitches to hit and didn't miss them," Hardy said.
Chris Davis homered and Matt Wieters had three hits and two RBIs for Baltimore.
Ryan Roberts and Elliot Johnson hit solo homers for Tampa Bay. It was the first time since Aug. 4 that the Rays lost by more than two runs; eight of their previous 12 defeats were by one run.
"Anybody can get beat by a lot of runs any night," Roberts said. "It didn't go our way tonight, and that's how it happens sometime in baseball."
Roberts left in the sixth inning with a left forearm strain, the result of a tag he made at second base. X-rays were negative, and he held out hope of playing Wednesday in the next game of the three-game series.
"I'm just glad it isn't broke," Roberts said. "If it's up to me, I'm playing. We're in a tight race and these games mean a lot, so I definitely want to play even if it's going to hurt a little bit."
Tampa Bay left-hander Matt Moore (10-10) threw 94 pitches over four innings before being lifted by manager Joe Maddon. Moore allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks.
Burke Badenhop entered with a run of eight straight scoreless appearances and promptly gave up a double to Hardy, a single to Adam Jones and two-run double to Wieters that provided Baltimore with a 5-1 lead.
Hardy's sixth-inning RBI single came off Cesar Ramos and Davis hit his 25th homer in the seventh off J.P. Howell.
Johnson connected against Darren O'Day leading off the eighth, and Hardy homered off Dane De La Rosa in the bottom half.
The victory improved Baltimore's record against AL East foes to 33-24 compared to 28-44 last year.
Baltimore broke on top with an unearned run in the first inning. Jones walked and scored when Matt Joyce fumbled Wieters' two-out single to right.
Hammel retired the first eight batters before Roberts connected in the third. It was his fourth homer with Tampa Bay since in coming over in a trade with Arizona on July 24.
In the bottom half, Robert Andino led off with a double and Hardy homered to put the Orioles ahead for good.
Game notes
Baltimore leads the season series 7-6 and took the lead in the all-time series, 127-126. ... The Orioles purchased the contracts of OFs Endy Chavez and L.J. Hoes and designated RHP Kevin Gregg and INF Ryan Adams for assignment. ... This was the first of 15 consecutive games against AL East foes for the Rays, who head to Yankee Stadium after this series. ... The Rays will send Alex Cobb to the mound Wednesday night and the Orioles will start rookie Miguel Gonzalez, who's 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay. |
It’s been another exciting week for Canucks prospects as the Comets played 3 games in less than 72 hours, but they weren’t going to throw out "schedule loss" as an excuse two days before the game has already started. The Comets are now officially 1/3 of the way through their inagural season. Things are starting to slow down for the WHL, OHL and NCAA but despite the holiday season there is still plenty of hockey to get updated on.
As always, follow me @nuckprospects on Twitter for the latest in prospect news and feed free to send me any feedback on anything prospect related you wish me to cover.
Without further ado..
Utica
Games
Friday’s game
Friday evening the Comets played in Utica vs. the Binghamton Senators (15th (50.29%) in Possession, 101.1% PDO, 7th in the East), the AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators. They won the Calder Cup three seasons ago and have recently been known, at least around Ottawa, to have done a good job of developing top prospects. The first period was completely dominated by the BSens and Eriksson kept Utica in the game. The Comets managed to strike first 7:48 in. Three minutes later the BSens scored, also on the PP, to tie it up. It was 1-1 at the end of the first.
At the beginning of the second the Senators quickly scored but then after that it was all Comets as Cal O’Reilly notched his first of the game and then Colin Stuart scored three more times earning the Comet’s first franchise hat trick and 4-goal night. One of the goals was initially credited to Darren Archibald but was later changed on review. Assists came from Pascal Pelletier (3), Archibald, Nik Jensen, Benn Ferriero, Frank Corrado, Patrick Mullen, and O’Reilly. The final score was 5-2 for the Comets with shots in favour of the Senators 44-33. Mallet was much more noticeable in this game, he needs to be more consistent and he will do well. Grenier lead the team with 7 SOG while Jensen had 0. The Comets were 2 for 5 on the PP and 3 for 4 on the #POWERKILL. Eriksson made 42 of 44 saves to nicely increase his save percentage.
Saturday’s Game
Saturday night the Comets played again, this time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton against the Penguins (3rd in the East, 8th (52.10%) in Possession, 102% PDO), the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, in a much less heated affair. Utica remained in charge of possession through the first two periods but they kept finding themselves on the receiving end of penalties. It cost them in the end as the Comets lost 0-1 with the lone goal coming with a man down. Joe Cannata was in net for this game making 17 of 18 saves. The final shot tally was 22-18 for the Comets with Lain and Pelletier receiving 3 SOG each while Jensen had 2 SOG. The PP went 0-for-4 and the PK went 5-for-6. Cannata was the third star.
Sunday’s Game
Sunday afternoon the Comets headed back to Utica to play their third game in three days, second game in less than 18 hours as they faced the Lake Erie Monsters (8th in the West, 9th (51.69%) in Possession and 99% PDO), the AHL Affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, in what initally looked like a "schedule loss". Possession and goals were traded back and forth all night with the score being tied 2-2 at the end of the third period sending the game to OT. Archibald laid another monster hit on Stollery. Interesting to note who was to start on the ice for OT was: Huskins, Mullen, O’Reilly and Ferriero, all non-Canuck prospects.
In the SO the Comets used Ferriero, Pelletier, Grenier and Jensen. Grenier and Jensen both scored and Jensen finally scored his first goal for the Comets in the second period on the PP, as well as earned the first star of the night. Canucks fans who are over-reacting, on a small sample size, can finally breath a sigh of relief. The Comets ended up winning in the SO for a final score of 3-2 with the other goal scored by Kellen Lain. Assists went to Peter Andersson, Alex Biega, O’Reilly and Grenier. Shots on Goal were in favour of the Comets 31-28 with Ferriero leading the team with 4. Eriksson made 26 of 28 saves, and the Comets were 1-for-4 on the PP and 3-for-4 on the PK.
Players Performance
Players stats who have played at least one game with the Comets, (X) indicates not currently on the active roster, so far are:
# Player Pos Age GP G A PTS PPG SOG Sh/G +/- PIM SH% 6 Yannick Weber (X) D 25 7 2 5 7 1.00 15 2.14 -5 0 13.3 23 Pascal Pelletier C 30 21 5 15 20 0.95 40 1.90 2 18 12.5 16 Cal O’Reilly C 27 11 2 6 8 0.73 15 1.36 1 0 13.3 78 Benn Ferriero R 26 25 9 9 18 0.72 77 3.08 -10 10 11.7 28 Alexandre Grenier R 21 25 5 9 14 0.56 53 2.12 2 23 9.4 10 Colin Stuart L 31 21 9 2 11 0.52 64 3.05 -3 20 14.1 20 Zac Dalpe (X) R 24 6 0 3 3 0.50 14 2.33 -6 2 0 9 Zach Hamill C 24 21 3 6 9 0.43 23 1.10 -4 6 13 25 Darren Archibald L 23 17 3 4 7 0.41 38 2.24 -3 38 7.9 14 Patrick Mullen D 27 20 4 4 8 0.40 35 1.75 -3 9 11.4 7 Henrik Tommernes D 23 21 3 4 7 0.33 32 1.52 -8 0 9.4 42 David Booth (X) F 28 3 0 1 1 0.33 6 2.00 -1 0 0 24 Brandon DeFazio F 24 25 2 6 8 0.32 42 1.68 2 45 4.8 19 Kellan Lain C 24 25 3 4 7 0.28 30 1.20 -3 52 10 40 Peter Andersson D 22 19 1 4 5 0.26 11 0.58 -1 6 9.1 4 Yann Sauve D 23 21 0 5 5 0.24 29 1.38 -10 25 0 17 Nicklas Jensen C 20 19 1 3 4 0.21 41 2.16 -3 6 2.4 26 Frank Corrado D 20 25 2 3 5 0.20 36 1.44 -2 14 5.6 3 Alex Biega D 25 23 0 3 3 0.13 21 0.91 -4 27 0 27 Alex Mallet C 21 19 1 0 1 0.05 13 0.68 -4 9 7.7 12 David Marshall F 28 21 0 1 1 0.05 15 0.71 -6 9 0 43 Stefan Chaput L 25 3 0 0 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0 0 8 Alex Friesen F 22 3 0 0 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0 0 2 Adam Polasek R 22 2 0 0 0 0.00 1 0.50 0 2 0 29 Kent Huskins D 34 15 0 0 0 0.00 17 1.13 3 7 0
Goalies so far:
# Goalies GP Mins W L SL SO GA GAA SVS SV% 30 Joacim Eriksson 18 1026:43:00 6 10 1 1 51 2.98 468 0.902 35 Joe Cannata 9 475:04:00 2 6 0 0 24 3.03 202 0.894
Transactions:
In a surprise move, Zach Hamill was placed on unconditional waivers by the Vancouver Canucks. It sounds like he has a new agent and is looking to go to Europe. Comets don’t have much firepower so to lose a guy who has produced a few points hurts them. He has played every game so far, scored 2G, 6P (0.32 PPG at a 4.8% Sh% which was bound to regress). He’s in the middle of the pack for SOG/G PPG and ice time. He has a 47% Ev Strength GoalFor%. Hamill sees no future with the Canucks and is looking at Europe for more money, most likely the KHL. Hopefully the Comets can find another guy like Cal O’Reilly to help them.
Other:
Currently the Comets are in 15th place with 18 points (8-15-1-1). Shy of 14th by 3 points. They have been out-scored 56 to 78 (-22), and have been outshot 684 to 746 (-62). They are controlling 47.83% (acknowledging score effects) of the shots with a shooting percentage of 8.1% and a save percentage of 89.7%. A simple version of PDO puts them at 97.8%. Their PP is currently at 19.57% (11th place) and their PK is 75.00% (30th place). While their PP keeps improving, their PK continues to get worse and is now officially the worst in the league. Puck possession-close rankings at the beginning of the week put them at 21st (48.30%) which is not as bad as they have been playing, their low PDO is not helping.
Henrik Tommernes was injured last weekend and did not play any of games this week. He is not officially on the IR yet so it might not be a long term injury. Adam Polasek was called up to have an extra defencemen but he has not played. It is a similar situation with the Canucks where they wont call up Corrado because they won’t play him, so why even call him up at all if he won’t get a hance.
The Comets play twice this week at home, both times against the Abbotsford Heat. Tonight and on Friday night. Then they have the week off till after Christmas.
Here’s the current #fancystats of the Utica Comets compared to the rest of the league:
OHL
Brendan Gaunce continues his strong production with the Erie Otters. He is playing alongside Conner Brown, pick of the Maple Leafs, and Dane Fox, a unsigned overage free agent who is producing at 2 PPG. @glitch80 spent the weekend tweeting all the Canucks players in hopes of getting their attention and sharing the name of the player with GM Mike Gillis. The problem is, unsigned overagers rarely (ed note: almost never) pan out in the NHL.
Make sure to watch the Quest for the Cup Episode 3 with the London Knights which should be online soon. See more of Bo Horvat’s play and Miles Liberati’s trade. Horvat hasn’t been playing with London this week as he is off to the WJC selection camp. He didn’t play in the CIS/WJC game as it is believed he is a lock to make the team.
Cole Cassels week was nothing special for the year he has had. Jordan Subban continues to contribute offence in Belleville and will likely stay with them another year. Evan McEneny is doing well in Kingston and scored another goal on the year.
In the OHL East, Oshawa is first with 50 points. Kingston is third with 38 points, North Bay is 5th with 36 points and Belleville is in 10th with 20 points. In the West Erie is first with 59 points (they also maintain a 57% Possession-Close and a 105% PDO) and London is third with 53 points.
Name Position GP G A P PPG +/- PIM Bo Horvat C 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 Brendan Gaunce C 3 2 2 4 1.33 -1 2 Cole Cassels C 2 1 0 1 0.50 0 4 Jordan Subban D 2 1 2 3 1.50 3 2 Evan McEneny D 3 1 1 2 0.67 1 14 Miles Liberati D 2 0 0 0 0.00 -1 0
And so far this year the stats of these players are:
Name Position Team GP G A P PPG +/- PIM Bo Horvat C London 28 16 28 44 1.57 18 22 Brendan Gaunce C Erie 10 6 5 11 1.10 9 2 Belleville 22 10 16 26 1.18 -5 27 Cole Cassels C Oshawa 29 13 23 36 1.24 9 49 Jordan Subban D Belleville 32 6 16 22 0.69 -1 30 Evan McEneny D Kingston 10 2 2 4 0.40 3 14 Kitchener 15 2 5 7 0.47 -11 23 Miles Liberati D North Bay 10 1 0 1 0.10 -1 6 London 22 1 3 4 0.18 5 18
WHL
Hunter Shinkaruk did not play for Medicine Hat again this week as he was also at the Team Canada selection camp. He notched an assist off of McDavid’s goal in the 3-0 win over the CIS team. Yahoo’s Buzzing the Net wrote a good article on him. Bodog is currently giving 5/2 odds on Shinkaruk being the scoring leader at the WJC this year.
Portland is currently second in the West with 50 points while Medicine Hat is 4th in the East with 45 points.
Name Position GP G A P PPG +/- PIM Hunter Shinkaruk L 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 Anton Cederholm D 3 0 0 0 0.00 -2 2
And so far this season the players stats in the WHL are:
Name Position Team GP G A P PPG +/- PIM Hunter Shinkaruk L Medicine Hat 18 5 11 16 0.89 -2 29 Anton Cederholm D Portland 34 1 7 8 0.24 12 44
NCAA
The University of Maine had a strong weekend against American International winning 7-1 and 5-1. In their first game Maine was up 7-1 before earning their first power play. In the two games Hutton earned 2A and registered 5 SOG. He still is producing at over 3.0 SOG/G. Maine is now on Christmas break until Dec 28 vs Princeton.
The University of Wisconsin played another two games this weekend against Colorado College winning 4-1 and 4-3 in OT. They are also on Christmas break until December 27th. Joseph LaBate played in both games earning a single goal and placing 6 SOG.
Penn State, Yale and Harvard are already on their Christmas breaks and have not played a game this week.
Statistics of NCAA players:
Name Position School GP G A P PPG +/- S S/G PIM Ben Hutton D uMaine 16 7 7 14 0.88 9 49 3.06 2 Joseph LaBate F uWisconsin 14 6 6 12 0.86 -3 43 3.07 2 Mike Williamson D Penn State 6 1 2 3 0.50 1 8 1.33 11 Matthew Beattie F Yale 11 2 2 4 0.36 2 17 1.55 0 Patrick McNally D Harvard 6 1 4 5 0.83 -1 17 2.83 2
ECHL/CHL
The Kalamazoo Wings played three times this week with Ludwig Blomstrand scoring two goals and David Pacan scoring one as well. Jeremy Blain did not play, nor did Polasek (as he has been recalled to Utica). Kalamazoo plays two games this week on Friday and Saturday.
Gwinnett played twice this week with Sacha Guimond earning his second ECHL goal of the year. Gwinnett will play twice this week of Friday and Saturday
Steven Anthony’s production dipped this week as he earned 0 points in the last three games and didnt even record a SOG in two of them. Hopefully it’s just a small blip on the road and he will recover back to what he was before (rather than riding high percentages before). The Chill play four times in the upcoming week, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Wheeling Nailers played three games this week, in their Friday game their starter was pulled after letting in 4 goals on 16 shots in the first 33 minutes. Corbeil played the last 25 minutes and stopped 5 of 5 shots. Wheeling plays twice this week on Friday and Saturday.
Statistics of players in the ECHL so far are:
ECHL Position Team GP G A P PPG +/- SOG S/G PIM Blain D K-Wings 11 1 4 5 0.45 4 21 1.91 32 Pacan RW K-Wings 20 4 8 12 0.60 10 32 1.60 6 Polasek D K-Wings 14 1 1 2 0.14 3 21 1.50 14 Blomstrand LW K-Wings 20 8 2 10 0.50 -2 43 2.15 6 Anthony F CHL St Charles 12 2 6 8 0.67 -4 27 2.25 4 Guimond D Gwinnett 15 2 1 3 0.20 -12 40 2.67 8
Statistics of Corbeil on the year:
Goalies Team Position GP Min GA GAA W L OTL SV SV% Mathieu Corbeil ECHL Wheeling G 2 86 0 0 1 0 0 44 1.00% Mathieu Corbeil CHL St. Charles G 6 236 21 5.35 0 2 1 103 0.831
Europe
Neither Anton Rodin nor Ronalds Kenins played a game this week. The latter due to his broken jaw.
Name Position Team Age GP G A P PPG +/- PIM Anton Rodin W SHL Brynas 22 26 9 16 25 0.96 0 22 Ronalds Kenins LW Swiss ZSC 22 25 5 11 16 0.64 9 12
Other:
Some extra reading for you.
Comets a Hit in Utica [AHL]
This week has been slower than others as we start to head towards Christmas. It is good to see the Comets are doing better than at the beginning of the year. Despite hockey starting to slow down I will continue blogging what is happening. Make sure to watch the World Junior Championships to see Shinkaruk and Horvat and don’t forget to follow me at @nuckprospects for all the latest in Canucks Prospect news. Until next week! |
nick-marshall-mizzou-td.JPG
Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall celebrates after scoring a first-quarter touchdown during his team's win over Missouri on Dec. 7, 2013, in the SEC Championship Game in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. (Julie Bennett/[email protected])
Let's look ahead, past A-Day, past the 2014 season even, and ask a question about the Auburn football program.
Who's most likely to catch the first pass of the 2015 season for the Tigers - D'haquille Williams, Kerryon Johnson or Dorial Green-Beckham?
Just kidding, but not really.
Green-Beckham, of course, is a man without a team after
from the program last week for a series of transgressions, but the joke speaks to a larger truth.
Auburn is becoming Second-Chance U.
Not so much in quantity but in quality. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Auburn is far from the only SEC program to take a chance on a talented player who found trouble in his former life.
See Zach Mettenberger getting dismissed at Georgia, doing the remote junior college image rehabilitation thing and then landing at LSU, where he was the starting quarterback for the Tigers the last two seasons.
See D.J. Pettway getting dismissed at Alabama a year ago, doing his penance at a junior college and then returning to Alabama, where he's expected to be a major player on the Crimson Tide defense this season.
Those are just recent examples that you can't spell second chance without S-E-C.
But Auburn has been more successful than most in identifying players in need of a helping hand who could help the Tigers in return in a big way at the most important position on the field.
That description applies to the program's last two championship quarterbacks, who both ran into trouble at their original schools but turned out to be no trouble at all once their journeys took them to the Plains.
Cam Newton went from Florida to junior college to Auburn, where he won the 2010 Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to the BCS national championship. Even though he left after one year to become the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, Newton has been a model former player, returning to campus to take classes in the off-season and showing up to lead the cheers at a basketball game.
Nick Marshall went from Georgia to junior college to Auburn, where he led last year's team to the SEC title and drove them into the lead in the BCS Championship Game with barely a minute left.
The Tigers didn't hold on, but so far Marshall has made the most of the opportunity Gus Malzahn and the school
have given him. The quarterback has one year left to leave even more of a positive and lasting impression.
Auburn's willingness to be inclusive rather than exclusive has extended to its men's basketball program. Bruce Pearl needed another chance, and AD Jay Jacobs and President Jay Gogue gave him one. Cinmeon Bowers needed another chance himself, and Pearl is giving him one.
It makes perfect sense that Bowers, maybe the top junior college basketball recruit in the nation, would be the first player to commit to Pearl's Tigers.
The power forward signed with Florida State last November, choosing the Seminoles over Memphis and Louisville, a pretty good indication of his talent. He got arrested in January and charged with tampering with evidence, along with two Chipola (Fla.) College teammates, after allegedly eating marijuana to conceal it from police during a traffic stop.
The charges were dropped in February and Bowers returned to his junior college team, but FSU dropped him in March, releasing him from his National Letter of Intent.
After the door at FSU closed, the door at Auburn opened. If Bowers takes advantage of his opportunity the way Newton did and Marshall has, the Tigers' 2015 basketball season won't end one game into the SEC Tournament.
And no doubt the door for talented players in search of a fresh start will remain open. |
Here’s a general rule about hockey fans: They hate just about everyone.
If you’re an NHL player, it doesn’t take much for hockey fans to turn against you. Sidney Crosby? Too whiny. The Sedins? The whole twin thing is creepy. Alexander Ovechkin? Once he scored a goal and then looked happy about it, so screw that guy. Basically, if a player has ever signed a big contract or won a fight or expressed an opinion, some large bloc of fans have already added him to their enemies list.
But every once in a while, a player manages to stick-handle through the neutral zone trap of hockey hatred and break in alone on the goaltender of positivity and — holy crap, that was a terrible metaphor, but I’m leaving it in because you get the point.
Anyway, here are a dozen of the NHL’s most universally admired active players, the reasons we love them, and a suggestion for why we should all just turn against them now and get it over with.
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
Why everyone loves him:
Brodeur owns three Stanley Cup rings and two Olympic gold medals, and pretty much every goaltending record there is.
He and Sean Avery hate each other, and do you really want to be on Team Avery for anything?
He spent most of his career being compared to and contrasted with Patrick Roy, and that guy was kind of a spaz.
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
If he would’ve just stopped one clumsy wraparound attempt, we could all still be chanting “1940” at sobbing Rangers fans.
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Why everyone loves him:
He is quite possibly the most skilled player in the entire league, and occasionally does stuff like this.
He may be even better defensively, having won the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward three times.
He is literally the only Russian player in NHL history who the media hasn’t repeatedly referred to as “enigmatic.”
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
Detroit chose him with the 171st overall pick of the 1998 draft, and I think we can all agree that we’re getting really sick of the Red Wings always doing stuff like that.
Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks
Why everyone loves him:
Selanne has more than 1,400 career points in the NHL, and is also the all-time leading scorer in the Winter Olympics.
He’s been playing in the league for 20 years and is technically 42 years old, despite appearing to have stopped aging sometime around 1997.
Before coming to North America, he spent three years working as a kindergarten teacher because, apparently, “professional puppy belly rubber” would’ve been overkill.
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
It was pretty cool at the time but let’s face it, if any other NHL player did this after scoring a goal, he’d immediately be beaten to a pulp while we all cheered. (Somewhere, Artem Anisimov nods sadly.)
Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
Why everyone loves him:
The prototypical Canadian power forward has scored 500 goals, all with the same team.
He was one half of this infamous superstar-vs.-superstar fight in the 2004 Cup finals, which was pretty much the only thing anyone remembers from that series.
His move out of Calgary was easily the most intriguing story of the 2013 trade deadline, and … oh, wait, I have to wait two months before I add this one.
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
He agreed to appear in a series of Canadian bank commercials, yet never took the opportunity to pummel those two creepy dudes.
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
Why everyone loves him:
He gives you everything you’d ever want in a hockey player at both ends of the rink, without any of that distracting “capacity for human emotion.”
He is occasionally featured in commercials that show footage of him as a little kid, which is especially cute because 20 years later, he looks exactly the same.
He can basically handle any social situation by asking himself, “What would Patrick Kane do?” then do the opposite.
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
Every once in a while, he drives his car into a lamppost for no good reason.
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
Why everyone loves him:
He’s pretty much the perfect underdog story: an undrafted college player who struggles to stick in the NHL, spends years in the minors, gets released outright by two different teams, and then suddenly blossoms into a superstar who wins the scoring title, MVP award, and the Stanley Cup all in the same year.
Did we mention he’s adorably wee?
If you hit him in the mouth with a stick during the playoffs and knock out his teeth, he just gets a root canal between games and keeps playing.
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
He’s a two-time Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner, and nobody really likes anyone who wins the Lady Byng.
Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche
Why everyone loves him:
He’s only in his second season, but apparently he’s incredibly mature. No, really, he is. Every article ever written about him mentions this fact, sometimes in every paragraph.
He’s so mature that the Avalanche made him the youngest captain in league history last September when he was still a teenager.
No, seriously, he’s super-mature, OK? Whenever the other Avalanche players start making too much noise playing video games, Gabriel Landeskog comes out in his bathrobe and knee-high socks and yells at them to go outside.
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
He’s 20. Have you ever met even one 20-year-old in your life who wasn’t completely insufferable?
Patrik Elias, New Jersey Devils
Why everyone loves him:
He’s the New Jersey Devils all-time leader in goals and points entering his 15th season with the club …
Um …
OK, I’ll be honest. If you’re not a Devils fan, you don’t really know much about Patrik Elias. He’s just one of those guys who every fan is sort of vaguely aware they’re supposed to like, because otherwise Devils fans get upset, and have you ever had to spend time talking to one of those people?
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
Remember when Scott Stevens kept hitting everyone in the head, and we all thought it was great until years later when we found out that concussions are really bad? Elias probably should’ve told him to stop doing that.
Ryan Smyth, Edmonton Oilers
Why everyone loves him:
OK, this one might be cheating a bit, since not every hockey fan loves him — just every Canadian hockey fan. And that’s only, what, 97 percent?
He’s earned the nickname “Captain Canada” because he’s played for Team Canada in basically every international tournament since 1994. If you’re ever in an arcade and see one of those old school Canada/Russia bubble hockey games, look closely: One of the Canadian players is a tiny Ryan Smyth.
His hockey hair is pretty much the hockey-est hair that’s ever haired.
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
In the 2011 offseason, he asked the L.A. Kings to trade him to the Oilers, so maybe don’t ask him for help with your lottery numbers.
Steve Sullivan, Phoenix Coyotes
Why everyone loves him:
He’s essentially a poor man’s Martin St. Louis: an undersized afterthought who managed to defy the odds and have a lengthy NHL career.
He has arguably the most improbable draft story ever — he wasn’t chosen until the 233rd pick of the 1994 NHL draft and yet somehow still managed to only be the fourth-best player taken in that round.
This was probably the greatest thing that’s ever happened at a hockey game.
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
If you mention his name near a Leafs fan, they’ll immediately launch into a lengthy tirade about how he’s an example of the team always getting rid of their young players instead of waiting for them to develop. This is also true of roughly 200 other players in the league, by the way.
Saku Koivu, Anaheim Ducks
Why everyone loves him:
He was diagnosed with cancer prior to the 2011 2001 season and beat it.
2001 season and beat it. By “beat it,” I mean he made a surprise comeback at the end of that same season , leading Montreal to the final playoffs berth, followed by a first-round upset of their archrivals.
, leading Montreal to the final playoffs berth, followed by a first-round upset of their archrivals. Seriously, watch this.
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit:
He was the captain of the Habs even though he didn’t speak French, which is a pretty big problem, if you’re a moron.
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Why everyone loves him:
He’s an award-winning millionaire professional athlete living in New York.
He looks like a model.
In his spare time, he plays guitar in a rock band.
Why it would be OK to hate him just a little bit: |
North Korea has eased travel restrictions on U.S. tourists, hoping to boost its coffers and also improve the cash-strapped country’s image.
U.S. citizens had previously only been allowed access during the spectacular mass games, held last year in August through October. Now, travelers from the United States will be allowed to visit North Korea on official guided tours any time of the year.
Pyongyang’s overture to the United States coincided with a request to discuss resuming tours with South Korea. Last year, Koryo Tours took 282 U.S. tourists to North Korea compared to about 700 to 800 non-U.S. Westerners. Less than 2,500 U.S. citizens have visited North Korea since 1953.
According to Bonner, the real game-changer is that “Americans will be allowed to join with other Western tourists in exploring the rest of the country and not just areas just across the border.”
Read more: Visit anytime! North Korea lifts restrictions on U.S. tourists |
Posted on August 24, 2016 by Ruben Fiszel
Introduction
My 2 month summer internship at Skymind (the company behind the open source deeplearning library DL4J) comes to an end and this is a post to summarize what I have been working on: Building a deep reinforcement learning library for DL4J: … (drums roll) … RL4J! This post begins by an introduction to reinforcement learning and is then followed by a detailed explanation of DQN (Deep Q-Network) for pixel inputs and is concluded by an RL4J example. I will assume from the reader some familiarity with neural networks. But first, lets talk about the core concepts of reinforcement learning.
Preliminaries
A “simple aspect of science” may be defined as one which, through good fortune, I happen to understand. (Isaac Asimov)
Reinforcement Learning is an exciting area of machine learning. It is basically the learning of an efficient strategy in a given environment. Informally, this is very similar to Pavlovian conditioning: you assign a reward for a given behavior and over time, the agents learn to reproduce that behavior in order to receive more rewards. It is an iterative trial and error process.
Markov Decision Process
Formally, an environment is defined as a Markov Decision Process (MDP). Behind this scary name is nothing else than the combination of (5-tuple):
A set of states \(S\) (eg: in chess, a state is the board configuration)
(eg: in chess, a state is the board configuration) A set of possible actions \(A\) (In chess, all the move that could be possible in every configuration possible, eg: e4-e5)
(In chess, all the move that could be possible in every configuration possible, eg: e4-e5) The conditional distribution \(P(s'| s, a)\) of next states given a current state and an action. (In a deterministic environment like chess, transitioning from state \(s\) with action \(a\) , there is only one state s’ with probability 1, and all the others have probability 0. Nevertheless, in a stochastic (involving randomness, eg: a coin toss) environment, the distribution is not as simple.)
of next states given a current state and an action. (In a deterministic environment like chess, transitioning from state with action , there is only one state s’ with probability 1, and all the others have probability 0. Nevertheless, in a stochastic (involving randomness, eg: a coin toss) environment, the distribution is not as simple.) The reward function of transitionning from state s to s’: \(R(s, s')\) (eg: In chess, +1 for a final move that leads to a victory, -1 for a final move that leads to a defeat, 0 otherwise. In Cartpole, +1 for each step.).
(eg: In chess, +1 for a final move that leads to a victory, -1 for a final move that leads to a defeat, 0 otherwise. In Cartpole, +1 for each step.). The discount factor: \(\gamma\) . This is the preference for present rewards compared to future rewards. (A concept very common in finance.)
Note: It is usually more convenient to use the set of Action \(A_s\) which is the set of available move from a given state, than the complete set A. \(A_s\) is simply the elements \(a\) in \(A\) such that \(P(s' | s, a) > 0\).
The markov property is to be memoryless. Once you reach a state, the past history (the states visited before) should not affect the next transitions and rewards. Only the present state matters.
Some terminologies
Final/terminal states: The states that have no available actions are final/terminal states.
Episode: An episode is a complete play from one of the initial state to a final state. \[s_0, a_0, r_0, s_1, a_1, r_1, \ldots, s_n\]
Cumulative reward: The cumulative reward is the discounted sum of reward accumulated throughout an episode: \[R=\sum_{t=0}^n \gamma^t r_{t+1}\]
Policy: A Policy is the agent’s strategy to choose an action at each state. It is noted by \(\pi\).
Optimal policy: The optimal policy is the theoretical policy that maximizes the expectation of cumulative reward. From the definition of expectation and the law of large numbers, this policy has the highest average cumulative rewards given sufficient episode. This policy might be intractable.
The objective of reinforcement learning is to train an agent such that his policy converges to the theoretical optimal policy.
Different settings
« Qui peut le plus peut le moins » (He who can do the greater things, can do the lesser things)
Model-free
The conditional distribution and the reward function constitute the model of the environment. In a game of backgammon, we know the model (each possible transition is decided by the known dice distribution, and we can predict each reward from transition without realizing them (because we can calculate the new value of the board)). The algorithm TD-gammon use that fact to learn the V-function (see below).
Some reinforcement learning algorithms can work without being given the model. Nevertheless, in order to learn the best strategy, they additionaly have to learn the model during the training. This is called model-free reinforcement learning. Model-free algorithms are very important because a large majority of real world complex problems fall in that category. Futhermore, model free is simply an additional constraint. It is simply more powerful since it is a superset of model based reinforcement learning.
Observation setting
Instead of being given access to the state, you might being given access to a partial observation of the state only. It is the same idea behind Hidden Markov Chain. This is the difference between the partial and fully observed setting. For instance, our field of vision is a very partial observation of the full state of the universe (the position and energy of every particule in the universe). Fortunately, the partial observation setting can be reduced to a fully observed setting with the use a history (the state becomes an accumulation of previous states).
Nevertheless, it is most common to not accumulate the whole history. Either only the last h observations are stacked (in a windowed fashion) or you can use a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) to learn what to keep in memory and what to forget (that is essentially how a LSTM works).
Abusing the language slighty for consistency purposes with the existing notation, history (even truncated ones) will also be called “state” and also symbolized \(S_t\)
Single player and adversarial games
A single player game has a natural translation into a MDP. The states represent the moment where the player is in control. The observations from those states are all the information accumulated between states (eg: as many pixel frame as there are in-between frames of control). An action is all the available command at the disposal of the player (In doom, go up, right, left, shoot, etc …).
Reinforcement learning can also be applied to adversarial games by self-play: The agent plays against itself. Often in this setting, there exists a Nash equilibrium such that it is always in your interest to play as if your opponent was a perfect player. This makes sense in chess by example. If given a board configuration, a good move against a chess master, would still be a good move against a beginner. Whatever is the current level of the agent, by playing against himself, the agent stills get information about the quality of his previous moves (seen as good moves if he won, bad moves if he lost).
Of course the information, which is a gradient in the context of a neural network, is of «higher quality» if he played directly against a very good agent from the start. But it is really mind-blowing that an agent can learn to increase his level of play by playing against himself, an agent of the same level. That is actually the method of training employed by AlphaGo (the Go agent from DeepMind that beat the World Champion). The policy was bootstrapped (initially trained) on a dataset of master moves, then it used reinforcement learning and self play to increase furthermore the level (quantified with elo). In the end, the agent got better than policy it was learning from the original dataset. After all, it beat the master above all the masters. To compute the final policy, they used their policy gradient in combination with a Monte-Carlo Search Tree on a massive amount of computation power.
This setting is a bit different from learning from pixels. Firstly, because the input is not as high-dimensional. The manifold is a lot closer to its embedding space. Nevertheless, a convolutional layer was still used in this case to use efficiently the locality of some subgrid board patterns. Secondly, because AlphaGo is not model-free (it is deterministic). In the following of this post, I will talk exclusively about the model-free 1-player setting.
Q-learning
I am no friend of probability theory, I have hated it from the first moment when our dear friend Max Born gave it birth. For it could be seen how easy and simple it made everything, in principle, everything ironed and the true problems concealed. (Erwin Schrödinger)
From policy to neural network
Our goal is to learn the optimal policy \(\pi^*\) that maximize: \[E[R_0]=E[\sum_{t=0}^n \gamma^t r_{t+1}]\] Let’s introduce an auxilliary function: \[V_\pi(s) = E \{ r_t + \gamma r_{t+1} + \gamma^2 r_{t+2} + \ldots + \gamma^n r_{n} \mid s_t = s, \text{policy followed at each state is }\pi \}\] which is the expected cumulative reward from a state \(s\) following the policy \(\pi\). Let suppose an oracle \[V_{\pi^*}(s)\] The V function of the optimal policy. From it, we could retrieve the optimal policy by defining the policy that among all available actions at the current state, choose the action that maximize the expectation of \(V_{\pi^*}(s)\). This is a greedy behavior. The optimal policy is the greedy policy w.r.t to \(V_{\pi^*}\). \[ \pi^*(s) ~\text{chooses a s.t}~a= arg \max_a[E_\pi(r_t + \gamma V(s_{t+1}) \mid s_t=s, a_t=a)] \] If you were very attentive, something would sound wrong here. In the model-free setting, we cannot predict the after-state \(s_{t+1}\) from \(s_{t}\) because we ignore the transition model. Even with that oracle, our model is still not computable!
To solve this very annoying issue, we are gonna use another auxiliarry function, the Q-function: \[Q_{\pi^*}(s, a) = E_\pi[r_t + \gamma V_{\pi^*}(s_{t+1}) \mid s_t, a_t = a]\] In a greedy setting, we have the relationship: \[V_\pi(s_t) = \max_a Q_\pi(s_t, a)\] Now, let suppose instead of the V oracle, we have the Q oracle. We can now redefine \(\pi^*\). \[ \pi^*(s) ~ \text{chooses a s.t}~ a= arg \max_a[Q_{\pi^*}(s, a)] \] No more uncomputable expectations, Neat
Nevertheless, we have only moved the expectation from outside to inside the oracle. And unfortunately, oracles do not exist in the real world.
The trick here is that we have reduced an abstract notion that is a policy into a numerical function that might be relatively “smooth” (continuous) thanks to the expectation. Fortunately for us, there is one weapon at our disposal to approximate such complex functions: Neural networks.
Neural networks are universal function approximators. They can approximate any continuous differentiable function. Although they can get stuck in local extrema and many proofs of convergence from reinforcement learning are not valid anymore when throwing neural networks in the equation. This is because their learning is not as deterministic or boundable as their tabular counterparts. Nonetheless, in most case, with the right hyperparameters, they are unreasonnably powerful. Using deep learning with reinforcement learning is called deep reinforcement learning.
Policy iteration
Now machine learning knowledge and common sense tells you that there is still something missing about our approach. Neural networks can approximate functions that already have labels. Unfortunately for us oracles are not summonable, so we will have to get our labels another way. (:<).
This is where the magic of Monte Carlo come in. Monte carlo methods are methods that rely on repeated random sampling to calculate an estimator. (A famous example is the pi calculation).
If we play randomly from a given state, the better states should get better rewards on average (thank you law of large numbers). So without knowing anything about the environment, you can get some information about the expected value of a state. For instance, at poker, better hands will win more often on average than lesser hands even when every decision is taken randomly. The Monte Carlo Search Tree are also based on this property (shocking isn’t it?). This is a phase of exploration that lead to unsupervised learning and enable us to extract meaningful label.
More formally,
Given a policy \(\pi\), a state s and an action a, in order to get an approximation of \(Q(s, a)\) we sample it according to its definition:
\begin{align*} Q_\pi(s, a) &= E[r_t + \gamma r_{t+1} + \ldots + \gamma^n r_{n} \mid s_t = s, a_t = a] \end{align*}
In plain english, we can get a label for \(Q_\pi(s, a)\) by playing a sufficient number of time from s according to the policy \(\pi\).
From an aggregate of signals:
The actual learning is done by standard Gradient descent, using the labels in batches. The gradient is the standard Mean-Square Error one such that the td-error gets minimised at each iteration.
We use the Mean-Square Error loss function (l2 loss) with a learning rate of \(\alpha\) and apply Stochastic Gradient Descent (On a batch of size 1) of: \[Q_\pi(s_t, a_t) \leftarrow Q_\pi(s_t, a_t) + \alpha [R_t-Q_\pi(s_t, a_t)]\]
\((s_t, a_t)\) is the input, \(Q_\pi(s_t, a_t) + \alpha [R_t-Q_\pi(s_t, a_t)]\) is the label aka target.
Note: Even if we use MSE, there is no square in the formula because the loss is applied afterwards on the difference of the expected output \(Q_\pi(s_t, a_t)\) and the label \(\alpha [R_t-Q_\pi(s_t, a_t)]\).
Repeat many times: Sampling from \(\pi\) \[Q_\pi(s_t, a_t) \leftarrow E_\pi[R_t] = E_{s_t, a_t, ..., s_n \sim \pi}[\sum_{i=t}^n \gamma^{i-t}r_i]\] We can converge to the rightful expectation
So we can now design a naive prototype of our learning algorithm (in Scala but it is intelligible without any Scala knowledge):
//A randomly uninitialized neural network val neuralNet: NeuralNet //Iterate until you reach max epoch for (t <- ( 1 to MaxEpoch)) epoch () def epoch () = { //pick a random state and action val state = randomState val action = randomAction (state) //transition to a new state, initalize thethe reward var (new_state, accuReward) = transitition (state, action) //play until terminal state and accumulate the reward accuReward += playRandomly (state) //Do SGD over input and label! fit ((state, action), accuReward) } // MDP specific, return the new state and the reward def transition (state: State, action: Action): (State, Double) //return a randomly sampled state among all the state space def randomState: State //play until terminal state def playRandomly (state): Double = { var s = state var accuReward = 0 var k = 0 while (!s. isTerminal ) { val action = randomAction (s) val (state, reward) = transition (s, action) accuReward += Math. pow (gamma, k) * reward k += 1 s = state } accuReward } //choose a random action among all the available actions at this state def randomAction (state: State): Action = oneOf (state. available_action ) //helper function, pick one among def oneOf (seq: Seq[Action]): Action = seq. get (Random. nextInt (seq. size )) //How it would be roughly done with DL4J def fit (input: (State, Action), label: Double) = neuralNet. fit ( toTensor (input), toTensor (label)) //return an INDArray from ND4J def toTensor (array: Array[_]): Tensor = Nd4j. create (array)
There are multipqle issues: This should work but this is terribly inefficient. We are playing a full game with n state and n actions for a single label and that label might not be very meaningful (If the interesting trajectories are hard to reach at random).
The Exploration/Exploitation dilemma
Exploring at random the environment will converge to the optimal policy … but only guaranteed after an almost infinite time: you will have to visit every possible trajectories (a trajectory is the ordered list of al the states visited and actions choosen during an episode) at least once. Considering how many states and branching there is, it is impossible. The branching issue is the reason why Go is so hard but chess is ok. In the real world, we do not have infinite time (and time is money).
Thus, we should exploit the past informations and our learning of them to focus our exploration on the most promising possible trajectories. This can be achieved through different ways, and one of them is \(\epsilon\)-greedy exploration. \(\epsilon\)-greedy exploration is fairly simple. It is a policy that choose an action at random with odd \(\epsilon\) or the best action as deemed by our current policy with odd \((1-\epsilon)\). Usually \(\epsilon\) is annealed over time to privilege exploitation over exploration after enough exploration. This is a trade-off between exploration and exploitation.
At each new information, our actual Q functions gets more accurate about the present policy and the exploration is focused on better paths. The policy based on our new Q function gets better (since Q is more accurate) and the \(\epsilon\)-greedy exploration reach better paths. Focused on those better paths, our q function explore even more the better parts and has to update its returns according to the new policy. This is an iterative cycle that enable convergence to the optimal policy called policy iteration. Unfortunately, the convergence can take infinite time and is not even guaranteed when Q is approximated by neural networks. Nevertheless, impressive results can make up for the lack of formal convergence proofs.
This algorithm also requires you to be able to sample the states in a «good» manner: It should be proportionally representative of the states that are usally present in a game (or at least the kind of game at the targeted agent’s level). On a sidenote, this is possible in some case, see Giraffe that uses TD-Lambda.
Fortunately, some rearranging and optimisations are possible:
Bellman equation
We can transform the Q equation into a: \begin{align*} Q_\pi(s, a) &= E[r_t + \gamma r_{t+1} + \ldots + \gamma^n r_{n} \mid s_t = s, a_t = a] \\ &= E[r_t + \gamma r_{t+1} + V(s_{t+1}) \mid s_t = s, a_t = a] \\ &= E[r_t + \gamma r_{t+1} + \ldots + \gamma \max_{a'} Q(s_{t+1}, a')\} \mid s_t = s, a_t = a] \\ \end{align*}
As in the Monte-Carlo method, we can do many updates of Q.
MSE: \[Q_\pi(s_t, a_t) \leftarrow Q_\pi(s_t, a_t) + \alpha [(\underbrace{\underbrace{r_t+\max_a Q_\pi(s_{t+1}, a)}_{\text{target}}-Q_\pi(s_t, a_t)}_{\text{TD-error}})]\]
TD-error is the “Temporal difference error”. Indeed, we are actually calculating the difference between what the Q approximation expects in the future plus the realized reward and its present value as evaluated by the neural net.
That bellman equation only make sense with some boundary conditions. if s is terminal: \[V(s) = 0\] and for any a \[Q(s_{t-1}, a) = r_t\]
The states near the terminal states are the first to converge because they are closer in the chain to the «true» label, the known boundary conditions. In Go or Chess, reinforcement learning is applied by assigning +1 to the transitions that lead to a final winning board (respectively -1 for a loosing board) and 0 otherwise. It diffuses the Q-values by finding a point between the two extremes [-1; 1]. A transition with Q value close to 0 represents a transition leading to a balanced board. A transition with Q value close to 1 represents a near certain victory.
It could be surprising that the moves do not have only -1 and 1 values (since deviating from the optimal path should be fatal). One interesting aspect of calculating Q-values is the realization that in many games/MDP, no mistake in itself is ever really fatal. It is the accumulation of them that really kill you. AI is full of life lessons ;). Moreover, The expected accumulated reward space is a lot smoother than often thought. One possible explanation is that expectations always have an average effect: an expectation is nothing else than a weighted average with probabilities as weights. Furthermore, gamma being \(< 1\) the very long-term effects are not too preponderant. Isn’t it exciting to be able to calculate directly the odd of winning a game for every transition ?
As long as we sample sufficiently enough transitions near the terminal states, Q-learning is able to converge. The incredible power of deep reinforcement learning is that it will be able to generalize its learning from visited states to unvisited states. It should be able to understand what is a balanced or winning board even if it has never seen it before. This is because the network should be able to abstract patterns and understand the strength of an action based on previously seen pattern (eg: shoot an enemy when recognizing its form).
Offline and online reinforcement learning
To learn more about the differences between online and offline reinforcement learning, see this excellent post from kofzor.
Initial state sampling
In a 1 player setting (like the atari game): We do not actually need to learn to play well in every situation (Although, if we did, that would show that we would have reached a very good level of generalization). We only need to learn to play efficiently from the states that our policy encounters. Thus, we can sample from states that are simply reachable by playing with our current policy from an initial state. This enables to sample directly from a played episode by our agent.
Q-Learning implementation
So we can now design a naive prototype of our Q-Learning:
def epoch () = { //sample among the initial state space //(often unique state) var state = initState //while the state is not terminal, //play an episode and do a Q-update at each transition while (!state. isTerminal ) { //sample action from eps-greddy policy val action = epsilonGreedyAction (state) //interaction with the environment val (nextState, reward) = transition (state, action) //Q-update update (state, action, reward, nextState) state = nextState } } //Our Q-update as explained above def update (state: State, action: Action, reward: Double, nextState: State) = { val target = reward + maxQ (nextState) fit ((state, action), target) } //the eps-greedy policy implementation def epsilonGreedyAction (state: State) = { if (Random. float () < epsilon) randomAction (state) else maxQAction (state) } //Retrive max Q value def maxQ (state: State) = actionsWithQ (state). maxBy (_. _2 ). _2 //Retrive action of the max Q value def maxQAction (state: State) = actionsWithQ (state). maxBy (_. _2 ). _1 //return a list of actions and the q-value of their transition from the state def actionsWithQ (state: State) = { val stateActionList = available_actions. map (action => (state, action)) available_actions. zip (neural_net. output ( toTensor (state_action_list))) def initState: State
Modeling Q(s, a)
Instead of having \(a\) as an additional input of the neural net combined with the state, the state is the only input and the output contains the Q value of every action possible. This makes sense only when the availables actions are consistent accross the full episode (else the neural output layer would have to be different at each state). It is many times solvable by having the full set \(A\) of actions as output and ignore the impossible actions (some papers put the target of impossible actions at 0).
Experience replay
There is one issue with using neural network as Q approximator. The transitions are very correlated. This reduce the overall variance of the transition. After all, they are all extracted from the same episode. Imagine if you had to learn a task without any memory (not even short-term), you would always optimise your learning based on the last episode.
The Google DeepMind research team used experience replay, which is a windowed buffer of the last N transitions (N being a million in the original paper) with DQN and greatly improved their performances on atari. Instead of updating from the last transition, you store it inside the experience replay and update from a batch of randomly sampled transitions from the same experience replay.
epoch() becomes:
def epoch () = { //sample among the initial state space //(often unique state) var state = initState //while the state is not terminal, //play an episode and do a Q-update at each transition while (!state. isTerminal ) { //sample action from eps-greddy policy val action = epsilonGreedyAction (state) //interaction with the environment val (nextState, reward) = transition (state, action) //store transition (Exp Replay is just a Ring buffer) expReplay. store (state, action, reward, nextState) //Q update in batch updateFromBatch (expReplay. getBatch ()) state = nextState } }
Compression
nd4j, the tensor library of dl4j, does not support as first class type uint8. However, pixels in grayscaling are encoded with that precision. To avoid wasting too much space on memory, INDArray were compressed to uint8.
Convolutional layers and image preprocessing
Convolutional layers
Convolutional layers are layers that are excellent to detect local patterns in images. For pixels, it is used as a processor that is required to reduce the dimension of the input into its real manifold. Given the proper manifold of observations, the decision becomes much easier.
Image processing
You could feed the neural network with the RGB directly, but then the network would have to also learn that additional pattern. It seems like the brain is hard-wired to combine colors (fortunately!). Thus, it would seem reasonnable to tolerate that preprocessing.
What you see:
What the neural net see:
resizing
The image is resized into 84x84. Convolutional layers needs for memory and computations grow with the size of their input. The fine details of the image are not required to play the game correctly. Indeed, many are purely aesthetic. Resizing to a more reasonnable size speed up the training.
Skip frame
In the original atari paper, only 1 in 4 frames is actually processed. For the following 3 images, the last action is repeated. It speeds up roughly by 4 time the training without loosing much information. Indeed, atari game are not supposed to be played frame perfect and for most action it makes more sense to keep them for at least 4 frames.
History Processing
To give information to the Neural network about the current momentum, the last 4 frame (with skip frame, you pick 1 every 4) are stacked into 4 channels. Those 4 frames represent a history as previously discussed in the Observation setting section.
To fill the first frames of the history, a random policy or a noop replay is used. (Sidenote, random starts can be used for fair evaluation)
Double Q-learning
The idea behind double DQN is that the network is frozen every M update (hard update) or smoothly averaged ( target = target * (smooth) + current * (1-smooth) ) every update (soft update). Indeed, it adds stability to the learning by using a Q evaluation to use in the td-error formula that is less prone to “jiggering”. The Q update becomes:
\[Y_\text{target} = r_t + \gamma*(Q_\text{target}(s_t+1, arg \max_a Q_\text(s_t+1, a))) \]
Clipping
The TD-error can be clipped (bounded between two limit values) such that no outlier update can have too much impact on the learning.
Scaling rewards
Scaling the rewards such that Q-values are lower (in a range of [-1; 1] is similar to normalization). It can dramatically alter the efficiency of the learning. This is an important hyperparameter to not neglect.
Prioritized replay
The idea behind prioritized replay is that not all transitions are born equal. Some are more important than others. One way to sort them is through their TD-error. Indeed, a high TD-error is correlated to a high level of information (in the sense of surprise). Those transitions should be sampled more often than the others.
Graph, Visualisation and Mean-Q
To visualize and debug the training or a method of RL, it is useful to have a visual monitoring of the agent’s progress. This is why I built the dashboard webapp-rl4j.
The most important is to keep track of cumulative rewards. This is a way to check that the agents effectively gets better. It is important to notice that it represents the epsilon greedy strategy and not the directly derived policy from the Q approximation.
But you might want to also track the loss (score of the neural network) and mean Q-values:
Unlike with classic supervised learning, the loss does not necessarily always decrease because the learning impacts the labels!
If used with target network, you should see some discontinuities from the non continuous evaluation of different target networks. Loss should decrease w.r.t to a single target network. The mean Q-values should smoothly converge towards a value proportionnal to the mean expected reward.
RL4J
RL4J is available on github. Currently DQN with Experience Replay, Double Q-learning and clipping is implemented. Asynchronous Reinforcement Learning with A3C and Async N-step Q-Learning is included too. It is possible to play both from pixels or low-dimensional problems (like Cartpole). Async Reinforcement Learning is experimental. Hopefully, contributions will enrich the library.
Here is a working example with RL4J to play Cartpole with a simple DQN. You can play Doom too. Check rl4j-examples for more examples. It is also possible to provide your own constructed neural network model as an argument to any training method.
public static QLearning. QLConfiguration CARTPOLE_QL = new QLearning. QLConfiguration ( 123 , //Random seed 200 , //Max step By epoch 150000 , //Max step 150000 , //Max size of experience replay 32 , //size of batches 500 , //target update (hard) 10 , //num step noop warmup 0.01 , //reward scaling 0.99 , //gamma 1.0 , //td-error clipping 0. 1f, //min epsilon 1000 , //num step for eps greedy anneal true //double DQN ); public static DQNFactoryStdDense. Configuration CARTPOLE_NET = new DQNFactoryStdDense. Configuration ( 3 , //number of layers 16 , //number of hidden nodes 0.001 , //learning rate 0.00 //l2 regularization ); public static void main ( String [] args ) { //record the training data in rl4j-data in a new folder (save) DataManager manager = new DataManager ( true ); //define the mdp from gym (name, render) GymEnv< Box , Integer , DiscreteSpace> mdp = new GymEnv ( "CartPole-v0" , false , false ); //define the training QLearningDiscreteDense< Box > dql = new QLearningDiscreteDense (mdp, CARTPOLE_NET, CARTPOLE_QL, manager); //train dql. train (); //get the final policy DQNPolicy< Box > pol = dql. getPolicy (); //serialize and save (serialization showcase, but not required) pol. save ( "/tmp/pol1" ); //close the mdp (close http) mdp. close (); }
Conclusion
This was an exciting journey through deep reinforcement learning. From equations to code, Q-learning is a powerful, yet a somewhat simple algorithm. The field of RL is very active and promising. In fact, Supervised learning could be considered a subset of Reinforcement learning (by setting the labels as rewards). Maybe one day, Reinforcement Learning will be the panacea of AI. Until then, we can expect to be awed by its diverse applications into more and more mind-blowing problems. As a word of acknowledgement, I would like to thank Skymind and its amazing team for this very enriching internship.
To feed your appetite
I hope that thanks to this introduction, you are excited about RL research. Here is a brief summary of important research in deep reinforcement learning.
Continuous domain
When the action space is not discrete, you cannot use DQN. But many problems cannot be discretized. Continuous control is achieved through a normal distribution parametrized (mean and variance) by the output of the neural network. At each step, the action is sampled from the distribution. It also uses soft update of the target network.
Policy gradient
Policy gradient works by directly learning the stochastic policy from cross entropy of the distribution scaled bythe advantage. This excellent post from Karpathy’s blog has more details on the matter. Using a stochastic policy feels more natural as it encourages exploration and exploit more fairly the uncertainty we have between the different values of the move. Indeed, a max operation can end by ignoring fully a branch that is \(\epsilon\) below in Q-value of another. Although, This can be solved in DQN by using Boltzmann exploration.
Policy gradient were used by AlphaGo in combination with MonteCarlo Search Tree. The Neural Network was bootstrapped (pretrained) on a dataset of master move before they let it improve itself with RL.
Nowadays, policy gradients are getting more popular. For example, A3C (see below) is based on it.
Asynchronous Methods for Deep Reinforcement Learning
A3C (Asynchronous Actor Critic) and Async NStep Q learning are included in RL4J. It bypasses the need for an experience replay by using multiple agents exploring in parrallel the environment. The original paper uses Hogwild!. In RL4J, a workaround is to use a central thread and accumulate gradient from “slave” agents. Having multiple agents exploring the environment enable to decorrelate the experience from the past episode and enable to gather more experience (instead of replaying multiple time the same transition). It is very efficient and the authors were able to train efficiently on a single machine!
For the curious, here is some Scala-pseudo-code of A3C:
//A randomly uninitialized neural network val globalNeuralNet: NeuralNet //Iterate until you reach max epoch for (t <- ( 1 to numThread)) launchThread () def launchActor) = new Actor(globalNeuralNet). run () var globalT: Int = 0 class Actor(globalNeuralNet: NeuralNet) { def run () = { while (globalT < maxStep) { val neuralNet = globalNeuralNet. clone () var state = initState var i = 0 val stack:Stack[(State, Action, Reward)] = new Stack() while (i < tMax && !state. isTerminal ){ globalT += 1 i += 1 //sample action from stochastic policy val action = stochasticPolicy (neuralNet, state) //interaction with the environment val (nextState, reward) = transition (state, action) stack. add ((state, action, reward)) state = nextState } var r = if (state. isTerminal ) 0 else criticOutput (neuralNet, state) val inputs = new Tensor () val actorLabels = new Tensor () val criticLabels = new Tensor () while (!stack. isEmpty ) { val trans = stack. dequeue () r = trans. reward + gamma*r inputs. appendRow (trans. state ) criticLabels. appendRow (r) val prevCriticOutput = criticOutput (neuralNet, trans. state ) val advantage = r - prevCriticOutput val prevActorOutput = actorOutput (neuralNet, trans. state ) actorLabel. appendRow (prevActorOutput. addScalar (trans. action , r)) } asyncUpdate (globalNeuralNet, inputs, criticLabels, actorLabels) } } def stochasticPolicy (neuralNet: NeuralNet, state: State) = { val distribution = actorOutput (neuralNet, state) chooseAccordingToDistribution (state. availableActions , distribution) } }
Deep exploration
Deep exploration was the subject of a semester project during my master. I wrote the Scala library scala-drl about it. Deep exploration is defined as the multi-step ahead planning of the exploration.
In Bootstrapped DQN, the term bootstrapping comes from statistics. Multiple neural network are constructured in parralel. At each epoch, one neural network explore the environment. Then the transition are randomly redistributed to each model. This has a similar effect than resampling. Having had differences experiences to learn from, each model has its own opinion about the best move and its own uncertainty about the environment. This encourage deep exploration.
Another way is to use Autoencoder to quantify the uncertainty about a novel state and attribute an exploration bonus based on the reconstruction loss.
Other interesting papers to discover by yourself.
Deterministic Policy Gradient
http://jmlr.org/proceedings/papers/v32/silver14.pdf
Trusted Region Policy Optimisation
https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.05477
Dueling Network Architectures for Deep Reinforcement Learning
http://arxiv.org/abs/1511.06581
References
Karpathy’s post about Policy Gradient
Playing Atari with Deep Reinforcement Learning
Deep Reinforcement Learning with Double Q-learning
Asynchronous Methods for Deep Reinforcement Learning
Prioritized Experience Replay
Continuous control with deep reinforcement learning
Giraffe: Using Deep Reinforcement Learning to Play Chess
Deep Exploration via Bootstrapped DQN
Incentivizing Exploration In Reinforcement Learning With Deep Predictive Models
REINFORCEjs
Sutton holy bible on reinforcement learning |
To me, summer means stone fruit and berries. Mouth-watering cherries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums. Ripe and succulent blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and the such.
Yesterday at our market, we overdosed on these. We bought about 20 apricots, those fabulous flat peaches, which they call Paraguayos here, nectarines and blueberries. I was pretty certain we couldn’t consume all that fruit before it goes bad…..but that is us. We see things and we want them, thinking that we are going to go on a fruit fast or something. But not so, because well, you know about how much food I brought back from Switzerland.
Since Sundays are our official lazy days, I figured, why not make a galette? It is such an unfussy dessert, I love the free form crust, flaky yet consistent enough to hold all that fruit. I chose to make the dough with rosemary, because my little plant is doing quite well, and I love rosemary in savoury and sweet dishes. I also decided to fill it with apricots and blueberries. That way, I am sure none of our fruit will go bad.
This is really easy to make, feel free to add any other herbs to your dough to make it your own. And for these lazy summer days, nothing is nicer than a no-fuss galette with a glass of lemonade or iced tea.
Enjoy!
So here’s what you’re going to need:
For the galette:
Makes 2 disks
3 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
16 tbsp butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, chilled
2/3 cup ice water.
1 small sprig of rosemary
2 tbsp of sanding sugar
1 tbsp cream
Filling:
6 apricots, halved, and then slice the halves in two.
a handful of blueberries
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the flour, sugar and salt. Mix on low-speed with the paddle attachment. Add the butter, and mix until incorporated, and looks like wet sand, but there are still some big chunks of the butter that are visible. Add the rosemary and mix.
Add the ice water all at once, and mix until incorporated. Don’t overmix. Gather the dough, and shape into two balls. Wrap in plastic and shape into disks. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Take out the dough, and roll out one of your disks to whatever shape you want, square, rectangle, round. Place on a baking sheet that is covered with parchment. Arrange the fruit in the style that you most like, and then fold up the sides. With a galette, you are the artist. If you only want a tiny little peek of what’s inside, make the borders 4-5 inches. If not, a good rule of thumb is stick to two inches.
Press some of the sanding sugar onto the borders of the dough, and sprinkle a little bit on the fruit. Brush the entire galette, fruit and all, with the cream. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let cool a little before serving.
From my kitchen to yours,
Carla
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Stephen Hawking is one of the greatest minds of our time, and he has a grave warning for humanity: Find a new home, or else.
While speaking at the Oxford Union debating society, Hawking posited that humanity wouldn’t last another 1,000 years on Earth alone. As technology continues to advance, and the potential threats multiply on top of it, Hawking said he believes humans need to colonize other planets to ensure our species doesn’t die off. Which, he has a point. All it’d take is one nuclear holocaust and we’re pretty much all kaput.
Here’s an except from Hawking’s comments via The Independent:
"[W]e must ... continue to go into space for the future of humanity. I don’t think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet … Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”
Looking to the immediate future, Hawking said we’re probably around 100 years away from being able to successfully set up a colony on another planet (which fits with the timeline of SpaceX's grand plan for Mars colonization). So in the meantime, Hawking cautioned we should be very careful of the decisions we make, and the way we treat this world. Because for now, it’s all we have.
(Via The Independent) |
Right now, no one knows who the Bucks will pick in the draft. In a few weeks (the draft takes place on June 23), after the Bucks pick someone, no one will know whether that player is going to be good.
Nonetheless, this is the season for mock drafts and then draft grades. People enjoy these things.
Now, this story may strike you as an excuse to talk about Giannis. It is that. It is also interesting to look back at what writers thought about the Giannis pick at the time. Generally speaking, there was a lot of talk about upside, and most erred on the side of commending the Bucks for taking a chance on that upside.
As you may recall, the Bucks picked Giannis at #15 and Nate Wolters at #38. Here was the top-15 (full draft here):
Anthony Bennett Victor Oladipo Otto Porter Cody Zeller Alex Len Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Trey Burke C.J. McCollum Michael Carter-Williams Steven Adams Kelly Olynyk Shabazz Muhammad Giannis Antetokounmpo
NBADraft.net: A-
“The Bucks secured the international prospect carrying the highest upside in the Greek 18-year-old. Although Adetokunbo needs to add muscle and iron out the rough edges, he brings natural guard skills to the table at 6-foot-10 that will only ameliorate with basketball experience. He has an intriguing size/length/athleticism combination to use as a platform for his eclectic game to explode. The Hawks apparently had a promise with him at No. 17.
Nate Wolters has an incredible feel for spacing on offense and he has a penchant for manipulating defenders like chess pieces. If he can hold his own defending the perimeter, we could be looking at another Jeff Hornacek -- two inches taller, but minus the aesthetically pleasing shooting form.”
Spot-on with regard to Giannis. Nate Wolters is not Jeff Hornacek, but that is not really the point here. Grade of grade: A-
USA Today.com: B
“The youngest player in the draft has tremendous potential. But there's not a lot known about him. Antetokounmpo may stay in Greece, as is typical for Greek players, for a few years. He has a great wingspan and is a very smooth athlete. He already has shown great handles and reminds scouts of Nicolas Batum. The Bucks could use help on the wings, but this pick is one for the future, possibly even three or four years down the road.”
That last part, about Giannis potentially staying in Greece for three or four years, was a very mainstream (and seemingly very reasonable) view at the time. Many considered Giannis years away from not only contributing, but even playing stateside at all. Update: We are “three years down the road” now, and Giannis is unquestionably the best player on the team, and probably an All-Star next season. Grade of grade: B
Bleacher Report: B
“The Milwaukee Bucks, even with Shane Larkin on the board, decided to go with the ultimate high-risk, high-reward selection, drafting Giannis Adetokunbo with the first post-lottery pick.
A 6'9" small forward who has reminded some of Kevin Durant in very limited doses, Adetokunbo has thrilled with his long-term potential, huge frame and monstrous hands. He dominated in a second-tier Greek league, but he wasn't exactly playing against stellar competition.
Adetokunbo isn't just months away from being ready for the NBA—he's years away.
With great ball-handling skills and a solid perimeter game, there's a shot at superstardom here. It'll just be a while before we figure out if it hits the target or not.”
I had to click 19 times to reach the Bucks grade (because Bleacher Report likes slideshows). I did not have a good time doing that. Moreover, the Timberwolves (Minnesota) preceded the Bucks (Milwaukee), which was alphabetically dubious. Anyway, the “even” in the first sentence feels crazy now, but Shane Larkin was something of a consensus Bucks pick for a time going into the draft. I am tired after all the clicking and giving up on grades.
Yahoo: B
“Antetokounmpo (who I will probably nickname “CTRL-C” at some point during his rookie season) is a massive project with very little history playing against strong competition, but one that features a fantastic NBA skill curve and impressive wingspan. He could go Scottie Pippen, he could go Thabo Sefolosha, or he could watch as the Bucks pass on picking up his team option in 2015. The range is that wide.
Wolters is a shooter whose footspeed will have to improve, but he does appear to have minutes-earning skills at this level.”
Giannis continues to remind me of Scottie Pippen, and his numbers over his first three years show tons of similarities. Well done, Kelly Dwyer.
SBNation: Upside: A Fit: B Immediate Impact: F
“The mystery surrounding the player known as the “Greek freak” was one of the big stories headed into the draft. He’s an 18-year-old who played on a second-division team last season. Six months ago, few knew he was. At No. 15, he’s a gamble that could pay off big for Milwaukee down the road.”
The Bucks are infamous for taking the safe route when it comes to coaches, trades, and free agency. And yet general manager John Hammond has never been shy to go for the strange ones in the draft – going after projects like Brandon Jennings and Larry Sanders.”
The nuanced approached here (breaking down the grade in three ways) is appreciated. Virtually everyone assumed that Giannis would not have an immediate impact, so you cannot lambaste the giving of that F grade, though it has proved to be far off.
Hoops Analyst: C
“Drafted Giannis Adetokonbo and Nate Wolters. Adetokonbo is an upside pick. He’s a hard player to get a handle on, but this is about where most had him pegged, so I have nothing bad to say about this. I always like when a team goes for upside. Wolters is a great value pick in round 2. I think he’ll contribute as a rookie.”
It proved wise to go out of the way to say nothing bad about the Giannis pick. But the glowing words about Wolters suggest that Wolters brought up the overall grade to a C. This is disconcerting.
Real GM: Good draft
Aim high! Picking at 15 overall, the Bucks took a guy with insanely high potential based on his physical profile in Giannis Adetokunbo. A huge risk but they have the time to develop him. While it would have been great to see Ricky Ledo on the Bucks, Mike Muscala can fit in as a rotation player behind LARRY SANDERS! as a part of a now-deeper Milwaukee big man rotation.
Not sure how great it would have been to see Ricky Ledo on the Bucks (he currently plays in Puerto Rico), but he was a popular fellow among a vocal group before, during (and for a shorter time, after) the draft. It is quite great to see Giannis on the Bucks. They aimed high.
Grantland: No grade
“However it happened and whatever it means, we need to mention Giannis Adetokunbo here, because he should probably be everyone’s favorite player for the next few years. For one thing, he looks like he’s 13 years old. For another, he’s built like Kevin Durant and has apparently only scratched the surface of his talent, so, hey, who knows what happens from here?
But mostly, it was his answer after a reporter asked about his family’s struggles in Greece, and what getting drafted means to them: “This moment I’m very happy. And I think in the past, make me sad. We struggled a lot in the past to have a better life, and now that I get drafted in the NBA, for sure we’re going to have a better life. And I think now my mother and my father at home, they will be very happy to see me drafted, because four years in sadness and poverty is very difficult. Maybe after four years, maybe today it’s the happiest day of their life to see me drafted, to see all that work and effort that they gave then, he work out. He worked out, a good thing.”
Seriously, that kid is just the greatest. Go Bucks.”
Pretty perfect. Sigh. Grantland.
Reminds me: Great things only come around here and there, so embrace them while they are around… |
The development of autonomous vehicles is an exciting technology that has really taken off in recent years. As a F1 fan and software developer I was especially inspired by this technology and wanted to see if I could introduce some principles of autosports into a basic self-driving model. The goal of this project was to create an autonomous driving model capable of finding the optimal racing line using neural networks optimized through genetic algorithms.
The basic idea is to create a simple 2D car racing game in an environment where that can measure things like laptimes, car physics, car control, collisions, and other information that can be used to build a model to drive the car. Some of this data is then fed into a neural net in realtime and the output of the net is used to control the car. When the car collides with the wall the lap is considered over and that network is given a score based on a fitness function.
The fitness function attempts to best capture what defines a successful lap. Once the network is scored a new one is generated and the car is reset. This process is repeated where a new neural net (genome) is generated each time until the declared population size is reached. Once the last network of the population has run then we're left with a bunch of scored networks which is considered a generation. The best networks from the generation are kept and used to seed the new networks for the next generation.
Building the Environment
I wanted to keep the environment that the car exists in really simple so I could focus on a control model. I decided to go with phaser a JavaScript-based game engine and build everything in the browser.
The Track
Phaser was really simple to get started with and I was able to quickly build a simple track object using physicsEditor and an image I found online. The track boundaries for car collisions are defined as a single complex polygon created with physicsEditor. I also needed to define non-collidable lines that would act as distance markers so that I would have a measure of how far the car had progressed.
The Car
Before getting into the details of the car implementation I want clarify the objective. We want to see the car learn to navigate the track and over time get quicker by following the racing line. The racing line being defined as the path that a driver follows through a corner in order maximize speed and minimize lap times. This track is simple so the racing line will often be the largest radius through the corner.
It becomes a little more complicated than this because the path through multiple corners needs to be considered but for the most part this is a good way to conceptualize the idea.
The car is setup with simple dynamics at the moment to decrease the complexity of training the model. The key aspect about the car dynamics is that the car will travel in a straight line at a constant velocity but can only maintain a fraction of that velocity through corners. A better physics model would look at the centripetal forces through the corner and determine slip-angles but the main idea of being able to go faster in a straight line is still captured in the current naive model.
Alright, so now we have an idea of how our car should travel through the track we need provide the car with information about its surroundings. For this we use the idea of proximity sensors implemented by casting a ray and looking for the nearest line intersection with the track boundaries. By positioning three proximity sensors at the front of the car to measure distances from the sensor to a wall the car is provided with information regarding upcoming corners. This data is what is passed into the neural net to compute a steering decision.
With this in place all that's needed is to log lap times and the distance travelled and the car can be tested out using the keyboard.
Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms
So now's where we get into the cool stuff. So far I explained the basics of how the neural nets are used with genetic algorithms but I wanted to get a little more detailed regarding the specifics of the implementation.
Neural Net
The neural nets are built using the Synaptic JavaScript library which is an awesome library for building simple ANN-based applications in the browser. My implementation uses a fixed topology feedforward perceptron network that has four layers: an input layer, two hidden layers, and the output layer. The input layer consisting of three nodes, one node for each sensor input, both hidden layers contain four nodes each, and the output layer has a single node that outputs a real number in the range [0, 1]. The output value is split into thirds where a value between 0.667-1 corresponds to a right turn, a value between between 0-0.332 a left turn, and a value between 0.332-0.667 will tell the car to continue driving forwards.
The genetic algorithm implemented is rather simple and will adjust the weights between neurons and the bias values but not the actual topology of the network. More complex examples of NeuroEvolution such as the NEAT algorithm will actually change the overall network topology during evolution. This project is built to allow different "drivers" to control the car so at some point I might take a crack at implementing a driver using the NEAT algorithm.
Genetic Algorithms
This genetic algorithms used were inspired by this really cool project posted on Hackernews that uses NeuroEvolution to play the Google Chrome dinosaur game.
I've already somewhat covered the basics of how the genetic algorithm is used in combination with neural nets but I glossed over an important aspect of scoring the networks, the fitness function.
Fitness Function
The fitness function needs to represent what we consider to be a "good" lap. This means that we want to take networks that minimize the lap time and avoid networks that go out of bounds. This is done by assigning a score to the network based on the milliseconds it took to either crash or complete a lap and then add a 2 second penalty for every distance marker short of the finish line:
var fitness = laptime + (nMarkers - distanceTravelled)*1000;
This way we can sort all networks on their assigned score and be sure that the networks with the smallest scores are the best.
Note that this only works to capture the driving line because the car dynamics were setup to move slower while turning. If the time had been taken to develop proper car physics the driving line would also emerge. However if the environment had been setup where the car travels the same speed regardless of whether it's turning the emergent behaviour would likely be to hug the inside of the track and cover the least distance.
Mutation and Crossover
This is the meat and potatoes of the genetic algorithm. Once all networks have been assigned a score through the fitness function it's time to build the next generation of networks. The idea is to move the best networks forward and use these networks to seed the next generation. Ideally we want to draw from networks that have done well while also introducing random mutations to avoid converging on a local minimum of the error space.
Without introducing mutations the optimization could get too focused on something that produces good results but does not actually capture the problem we're trying to solve. Additionally all initial networks are generated with random values so without random mutations there would be would be no way to improve the networks.
This is how the idea of evolution is used to optimize neural networks. Over time a network will see a random mutation that causes it to thrive over its peers, this leads to the network advancing and the good mutation propagating forward throughout generations.
Mutation is implemented by introducing a random change in a network's bias values and weights in order to slightly modify the network to create a new one. This is combined with crossover, a method to take two networks and generate a third by combining values from each network. The specific crossover implemented is called single-point crossover, where a single slice point from both parent networks is chosen and all data past this point is swapped creating two new children networks (we're only carrying forward a single child network).
By combining these two techniques it is possible to completely build a new generation of networks that's based on the best networks from the previous generation, all while introducing mutations that will allow for further improvements to be found.
Putting this all together yields a model that is able to start with no training and with no prior data learn how to complete a task. The model is trained simply by letting it run and attempt to navigate the track for awhile. It's a lot of fun to watch because at the start the car basically just drives into a wall but eventually you can see it start to make good decisions and over time learn to navigate the track. Awhile after that and it begins to learn how to get quicker and in the end the model is without a doubt better than the human player. Here are examples shown at different generations of progression. Note that the driving model is being loaded with data from the specified generation so the generation displayed on the screen is wrong
Generation 5 - unable to complete a lap (or really do anything)
Generation 20 - learned the first corner but still unable to complete a lap
Generation 35 - first generation to complete a full lap and with a time of 8.151s
Finally Generation 100 - able to complete a full lap with respect to the racing line and with a best time of 6.317s
To access the full code for this project head on over to my profile on Github |
New Delhi: After former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar, AAP legislator Bhavna Gaur has come under scanner over her educational qualifications.
A Delhi court has taken cognisance of a complaint seeking criminal prosecution of the MLA for allegedly furnishing false details in her affidavits for the Assembly polls.
Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma admitted the complaint, which alleged discrepancies in details related to educational qualifications in affidavits filed with the Election Commission in last two Assembly polls held in December 2013 and February 2015.
The development comes less than a month after AAP MLA Jitender Singh Tomar was arrested and had to resign as law minister over the charge of having fake degrees.
Complainant Samarendra Nath Verma has filed the petition under provision of 125 A of the Representation of People Act, dealing with penalty for filing a false affidavit. The offence under Section 125A of the Act entails a jail term of up to six months or fine or both.
The court has now fixed the matter for next hearing on 25 July.
As per the complaint, during the 2013 Assembly polls Gaur, an MLA from Palam constituency, had mentioned her highest qualification as 12th while during the elections held in 2015, she mentioned her highest educational qualification as BA and BEd.
"The complainant failed to understand, how just within a span of 14 months (period between filing of her first affidavit in 2013 and 2015), she obtained additional qualifications of BA and BEd., whereas normal time required for finishing the aforesaid courses taken together would be five years (three years for BA and two years for B.Ed.)," the complaint said.
"The accused (Gaur) must have filed false affidavit related to her qualifications either on 12 November, 2013, or on 15 January, 2015, " it said.
PTI
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Most of my family still belongs to the church in which I grew up. My daughters faithfully attend three times a week with their mother, my younger sister is president of the choir and a regular soloist, and my older sister is married to one of the ministers on the senior staff. It’s a big church which has five floors, takes up two city blocks, and has an operating budget of around $10 million. Because it is so large, it is ideal for hosting big conferences like the one coming up this weekend. Mississippi Baptists have chosen as their church growth theme for 2014 a phrase pulled from the third chapter of Acts: “In the name of Jesus…RISE UP!” It comes from a story in which Peter miraculously heals a man previously unable to walk just by speaking to him “in the name of Jesus” (those are like magic words according to the New Testament). To headline this weekend’s conference celebrating this emphasis, the conference organizers tapped Joni Eareckson Tada as their keynote speaker.
Wait…What?
In case you aren’t familiar with Tada, she is a quadriplegic who suffered a tragic diving accident nearly 50 years ago. She is a talented artist (she paints with a brush in her mouth) and a prolific, award-winning writer who has made a name for herself advocating for the disabled, earning her a spot on the U.S. State Department’s Disability Advisory Committee in 2005. Her courage and strength have been inspirational to countless people with and without disabilities. Inviting her to speak at a conference should be a no-brainer, right? Certainly! Except…there are moments when irony whispers and there are moments when it screams. This is a moment when it screams. I find myself wondering what thought processes guided Mississippi Baptists through the selection of Joni Eareckson Tada to headline a conference entitled “In the Name of Jesus…RISE UP”?
It’s complicated, and the story takes us down a long and winding path through a jungle of contradictions and rationalizations, which I’ll do my best to unravel. Peter Boghossian said faith is like a slippery pig, and he’s right. Getting a handle on it is very difficult at times. The more incongruous one’s beliefs are, the harder the believer must work to weave rationalizations and construct protective barriers around those beliefs to keep their tender bits from exposure to the elements. Fortunately for them, the Christian faith has had two millennia to build up its arsenal of excuses for why we shouldn’t expect God to show up in the way that the Bible leads us to believe he will. In one breath they tell us we must believe what the Bible says, but in the next they dismantle practically everything it says until we are left holding a strangely-shaped empty box, wondering what was ever supposed to be inside it.
Let’s look first at what the Bible promises, and then we’ll look at what Christians today do with what it says. Maybe by the time we’re done, we’ll understand better what thought processes produced this jarringly incongruous choice of keynote speakers for a conference themed around a story about miraculous healing.
Standing on the Promises of God
First of all, let’s look at what the New Testament claims:
Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.
That’s a pretty bold claim to make. Incidentally, I’ve tried this myself several times before, as have many others, and it doesn’t work. You don’t have to take my word for it, though; you can go try it for yourself. I’m reasonably convinced you will experience the same results. If you take the right medicine or have the right medical procedures done (or sometimes it’s just a dietary change), you might get better. But just having people pray for you? Most people know better than that—Christians included. Yes, they pray anyway. But then they go to the doctor. They know better than to rely on the former at the expense of the latter. Our actions speak louder than our words.
The Bible makes claims even bolder than this, though. Miraculous healing is just the beginning. It goes on to promise:
Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
Just reread that one more time. Wow. These are some really big promises. Unless there’s something wrong with you, I probably don’t have to tell you how disastrous it would be if you were to accept these claims at face value. The cognitive dissonance would be unbearable, and you could make some really dumb choices. You either have to reject these claims as false or else you have to reinterpret what they mean until they fit what actually happens (which is fundamentally dishonest). This is a bit like shooting an arrow and then drawing a target around wherever it hits. People call this “moving the goalposts,” and it reminds me of this meme I saw making the rounds recently:
Take the time to read that fine print. It’s pretty close to perfect. Here we see the accumulation of centuries of disclaimers which so thoroughly reinterpret the promises of the Bible that we might as well be discussing two completely different sets of beliefs. Christians today scarcely believe the things the Bible claims…and they have good reason to be skeptical. Life has taught them that you can’t take these promises as they are. You have to draw from a set of time-honored rationalizations which, when you really think about them, remove all substantive meaning from the promises so that in the end they say nothing at all. If prayers which contradict the will of God will not be “answered,” then why pray for things at all? Do you have to make God do the things he wants to do? If not, then again, why pray at all? And why the compulsion to keep prayers within the bounds of things that will likely happen on their own with or without prayer? I see it as unintentional cruelty to teach people to profess belief in promises which they know good and well won’t come to pass. They start out learning to do this at a very young age so that by the time they reach adulthood, it’s second nature to them. They do it without even having to think about it anymore. But it never occurs to them how this leaves us with an essentially meaningless depiction of “the miraculous.”
Imagine for a minute if the New Testament had been written today using this interpretive framework:
Then Jesus got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came upon the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the disciples for letting the storm upset their faith in him. The survivors were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this?”
Listening to people talk today, this is the picture of Jesus I would expect to find. On the other hand, as we have it the New Testament portrays Jesus as capable of doing absolutely anything, so that even the wind and the waves obeyed him. In those stories, even after someone had already died, he could still just say, “Get up!” or “Come forth!” and they’d rise up from the dead, even after up to four days. But people don’t ask for that much these days, do they? A day or two after someone dies, they don’t usually begin praying for the resuscitation of the deceased. Pretty much immediately they shift into grieving mode and begin to talk about how God will comfort you in your loss, etc. In a way, that’s what people do when major illnesses strike as well. They may pray for relief from whatever ails them but greater emphasis is placed on helping people to be okay in the event that nothing outwardly changes about their situation. They do this because they know this is the only realistic way to approach the trials we face in life.
What Does the Faithfulness of God Look Like?
Yesterday on Facebook a friend of mine posted a blog entry written by a friend and coworker of hers who has watched her son endure eight rounds of chemotherapy to battle “an aggressive form of lymphoma.” Happily, he is now in remission; but as she prepares for her son’s upcoming wedding, she admits her struggle to trust in God’s provision for her son’s health. As she awaits the results of the latest PET scan, she wrestles with a probing question which so many of us who were raised in the Christian faith have struggled to answer:
What does the faithfulness of God look like? Does it match my picture? If I’m trusting Him, does it mean that I’m okay if [my son] checks back into the hospital instead of leave (sic) for his honeymoon?
What she is doing is preparing herself for the worst while hoping for the best. That’s what we all do in moments of intense personal challenge like this. But in the midst of that she is also rehearsing a narrative which sounds like the modernized Jesus story above. Since she can’t exclusively credit God for her son’s healing (note again the eight rounds of chemo) she knows his chances for success are approximately the same as for anyone else who undergoes these treatments. She knows from life experience that while much is said about “the power of prayer,” it’s unrealistic to expect that her loved ones will be any more immune to relapses than anyone else. So she focuses instead on trying to have the right attitude toward her situation instead of spending more of her time asking for deliverance from it. That is the best, most reasonable thing to do in this circumstance. I suspect that deep down most believers know that there are certain things they just shouldn’t count on.
The mother asked a thought-provoking question, though. I addressed this very question myself a couple of months ago. While the Christian tradition teaches us to tell ourselves over and over again that “God cannot forsake us,” it also teaches us that experiencing God’s faithfulness could mean enduring the most horrific things imaginable, which makes the promise never to forsake us an empty promise. Think about it: You’ve been invited to follow a man who was tortured and killed, and you are told that you may very well be led “like a lamb to the slaughter” yourself, either metaphorically or even physically. There is no suffering so terrible that you can be sure God will keep you from it. Even the passage which says that nothing can separate you from the love of God goes on to list a number of awful things which, if you get what he’s saying, you may very well have to endure: persecution, famine, nakedness, even the sword. But if none of these things represents God forsaking you, what exactly would God forsaking you look like? Can you even envision what that would entail? And if you can’t, what does that tell you?
I’d really like for you to mull that over a while. When you make high-sounding proclamations like “God will never forsake you” it behooves you to unpack what that even means. Is it a completely hollow promise? Does it refer to a null set of possibilities? If all the awful things we can imagine can conceivably fall under the heading of “God remaining faithful,” then what exactly would God not remaining faithful look like? Isn’t this embracing a teaching which is ultimately empty and misleading? I would argue that when you tell people that “God loves you” and “God will never forsake you,” you are making a completely unfalsifiable claim. Unless I am mistaken, there is no scenario in which your version of God could be either unloving or unfaithful because any and every imaginable possibility can conceivably be called “God being loving” and “God being faithful,” no matter how unfavorable. That makes this another hollow promise.
So today we find ourselves in a bit of a pitiable, self-contradictory position. We’ve inherited a book full of promises which we’ve learned not to trust so much, all while somehow professing fervent faith in those same promises. We’ve learned to insist that “God is faithful” while emptying that phrase of virtually all practical meaning, and then somehow we are to draw comfort from the idea anyway. We’ve been taught to ask God to make things happen which we then have to make happen ourselves, but we then turn around and give credit to him for what we’ve accomplished. Finally, when we want to understand Bible stories about people being miraculously healed, we call upon people who haven’t been healed because what we really need is for someone to help us understand how to handle the disappointment that results from God not doing what the Bible says he will do. We do this, yet we never allow ourselves to admit that God doesn’t do what the Bible says he will do. No matter what, the promises can’t be wrong. We have become a strange group of people indeed. |
Kcosmodrive by Garage 65 Reading time: about 1 minute. Custom Motorcycles
Design
Italian
Motorcycles
Occasionally I like to feature something a little out of the ordinary and this rather unusual custom motorcycle by Garage 65 most certainly fits the bill.
Dubbed the Kcosmodrive it took the team at Garage 65 7-months to complete, the head designer Marco Cinquini made a number of very unique styling decisions, the most interesting to me personally was the hub-steering and suspension set up on the front end.
The bike’s specifications are fairly standard until you start talking about the frame and forward section, Garage 65 fitted a TP124 V-twin, a Baker 5-speed gearbox, cross-drilled Brembo brakes on the front and rear and a 4 gallon fuel tank.
The hub-steering was developed in-house as was the unorthodox suspension, sadly I’ve been struggling to get my hands on any further information about these two unusual design elements, the only solid fact I was able to verify is that the bike has a turning circle measured not in feet or yards but in miles.
Those tyres were donated by MotoGP Champion Max Biaggi, he’s a big fan of the Italian garage and the Moto GP-19 rubber certainly looks the part, although I doubt they’ll be getting too much of a beating being fitted to a bike that’ll likely never be ridden in anger.
Love it or hate it, it’s unique build that at the very least will stop and make people re-evaluate their notions of what a motorcycle is supposed to look like. And perhaps for that reason alone, I like it. |
The Republican nominee’s boasts about groping women has inspired a combative meme as women vow to ‘grab back’ on election day
Donald Trump received considerable backlash after his comments on grabbing women “by the pussy” resurfaced from a video that was leaked on Friday.
The Republican nominee’s use of the word “pussy” inspired one of the strongest reactions, with women expressing their outrage online and creating posters, T-shirts and a song hammering home the message that the #PussyGrabsBack on election day.
In a 2005 hot mic conversation with TV host Billy Bush, Trump said he tried to seduce a married woman and that he starts kissing beautiful women when he sees them without consent. “It’s like a magnet. You just kiss. I don’t even wait,” he said in tapes obtained by the Washington Post.
“When you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything,” Trump said.
In response, some Republicans withdrew their support for the presidential nominee. Athletes fought back against Trump’s defense that the remarks were common “locker room” banter. Women powerfully responded by speaking out about their sexual assaults. Hillary Clinton called the remarks “horrific”. “We cannot allow this man to become president,” she tweeted.
“Pussy Grabs Back” became a popular hashtag on Twitter. Actor America Ferrera used it to share an all blue map by FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver, showing what the electoral college would look like if women refused to vote for Trump.
Some shared images of the Trump campaign’s famous red hats, instead with the phrase “Grab em by the pussy” in white embroidery. The “Don’t Tread On Me” flag from the American Revolutionary War and the Obama “Hope” image were also adapted for the cause.
Lucia Graves (@lucia_graves) Found my spirit animal via @marincogan's Sunday newsletter pic.twitter.com/GBIxAabAfd
Amy Dickinson (@AskingAmy) Here you go, America: pic.twitter.com/Wuhxgulek5
Jessica Bennett, author of Feminist Fight Club, turned the phrase into a widely shared image with a cat in mid-snarl, crediting Amanda Duarte with the sentiment. Bennett, Duarte and Stella Marrs, who created the original image of the cat, and Female Collective, a feminist brand and online community, have turned the image into a T-shirt. Proceeds from sales will also be donated to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (Rainn).
“Here’s to smashing patriarchy, respecting women’s bodies, pussy power, and the end of the road for Donald Trump.... and the party he rode in on,” the description of the T-shirt reads.
Jessica Bennett (@jess7bennett) Nov. 8: PUSSY GRABS BACK
Thank you, @duarteamanda #feministfightclub #ImWithHer pic.twitter.com/QavxzBQLji
The musician Kim Boekbinder created a song called Pussy Grabs Back, available for free or pay-what-you-want download, with some proceeds going to Rainn. “We’re not daughters, not wives / We’re humans, with lives / On November 8th, we’re gonna rock it,” the song goes. It samples the the tape of Trump and Bush talking.
Discussing her creation on Twitter, Boekbinder described the song as “pure rage”. She wrote that she had created the song over 27 hours and the weekend had been triggering for her as a survivor of sexual assault. |
CINCINNATI, Ohio – Dan McNally was an apprentice professional player for Bury FC in his native England when second-year Embry-Riddle men's soccer Head Coach Dave Gregson spotted him in a match against Everton's youth team. The rest, as they say, is history."Dave came around to my house that night, after the game, offered me the opportunity to play college soccer in America and my life changed that day," McNally said.McNally's arrival in Daytona Beach coincided with the growth of the men's soccer program at Embry-Riddle as McNally led the Blue and Gold to a 45-30-2 record from 1996-99, including the program's first Florida Sun Conference Tournament title in 1998 and the team's first Florida Sun Conference regular season championship in 1999. The Eagles also captured the first regional crown in program history in 1999 as they posted a 14-4-1 record.McNally was a fixture in the Eagle midfield over his four seasons, finishing his collegiate playing career with 25 goals and 16 assists. McNally was named team MVP as a true freshman in 1996, earned second team All-Conference honors as a sophomore, followed by first team All-Conference accolades in his junior season before capping his career with Honorable Mention All-America honors as a senior."I loved my four years at Embry-Riddle," McNally said. "It was a fantastic experience to be a part of the men's soccer program as it grew from its infancy."After graduating in the spring of 2000 with his Communications degree, McNally joined former ERAU assistant coach Joe DePalo at Nova Southeastern where the pair helped the Sharks through the transition from the NAIA to NCAA II."We made a great connection in Ft. Lauderdale," McNally said. "We had some great seasons during the transition from NAIA to NCAA II."NSU went 54-17-8 over the four seasons McNally spent with the Sharks, and that success led to a call from NCAA II Montana State-Billings where McNally became the fifth head coach in program history."Not many people leave Ft. Lauderdale for Billings, Montana," McNally joked. "But at that time in my career I was very ambitious and I knew I had what it took to be a head coach, so when I got the opportunity I jumped at it."The Yellowjackets' men's soccer program had never had a winning season prior to McNally's arrival in the spring of 2005, but over McNally's eight seasons he guided the team to 71 wins, including five winning seasons. McNally stills holds program records for most career wins (71), most wins in a single season (13 in 2007) and career winning percentage (.528).One of the many highlights from McNally's time at MSU-Billings was his recruitment of the 2009 Daktronics NCAA II National Player of the Year, Sam Charles. McNally's MSU-Billings teams were also successful in the classroom, receiving National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Awards five consecutive seasons (2007-11). He also served as the chair of the MSUB Soccer Facility Steering Committee, which raised over $450,000 for the school's soccer facility.It was in Billings that McNally met his future wife, Jenny while getting his teeth cleaned."She was my dental hygienist," McNally said. "After she cleaned my teeth I asked her on a date and we've now been married for eight years with two beautiful little boys, Liam and Kellan."After eight seasons at MSU-Billings, McNally got another call, this time from the University of Cincinnati."I took the assistant coaching job at the University of Cincinnati," said McNally. "I was at UC for two years in the American Conference, competing against many of the best teams in college soccer like UConn and South Florida."While in the city of Cincinnati, another door opened for McNally, this one, as the first full-time employee of a professional soccer team that hadn't ever even played a game. Through his coaching connections in the Cincinnati area, former Cincinnati Bengals executive Jeff Berding reached out to McNally to offer him the position of Vice President of Operations for FC Cincinnati, a United Soccer League (USL) team that was planning on beginning play in 2016.Moving from the sidelines of the soccer pitch, where McNally spent nearly 15 years as a collegiate coach, to the front office of a professional soccer club felt like the natural thing to do for McNally."I've always been very interested in the business side of sports," McNally explained. "I love soccer, soccer is my life, and my role means I'm in constant contact with our coaching staff. I am the link between the technical staff and the front office, so my experience, as a coach and as a player, puts me in a good position to be that person for this club."FC Cincinnati, owned by Carl H. Linder III, officially was announced as a USL team in August of 2015 with the team's first match coming on February 21, 2016 against Iceland's KR Reykjavic, which ended in a 2-2 draw in Bradenton, Florida at the IMG Suncoast Pro Classic."As the first employee of the club, it has been an amazing two years as we've built this," McNally said. "We've gone from nobody knowing about us to getting 35,000 fans at games and playing on ESPN."The 2016 season proved to be an extremely successful and impressive debut for the squad as FC Cincinnati finished third in the USL Eastern Division and set every attendance record in USL history.On April 16, 2016, FC Cincinnati broke the USL attendance record for a game with 20,497 in attendance for the rivalry game against Louisville FC, and then on May 14, the club broke its own record with 23,375 fans against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and once more with 24,376 against Orlando City B.On July 16, 2016, FC Cincinnati set the record for highest attendance at a soccer match in the state of Ohio when 35,061 people came for an exhibition game against Premier League club Crystal Palace. The team's inaugural season concluded with yet another attendance record in a playoff game against Charleston Battery when 30,187 fans came out to Nippert Stadium to watch the match.The success of the team's debut season has generated national and even international media coverage and that has drawn the attention of the MLS."Our club's ambition is to become an MLS franchise, and that's what we're all about," McNally said. "We have great ownership, an excellent general manager and president who is very connected to the city. Cincinnati is on the rise in terms of a lot of millenials moving to the area after they graduate from college, and there are a lot of great businesses that are moving to Cincinnati. The culture is really good for young people. When we launched, a lot of factors came together at once, including a fantastic stadium in Nippert Stadium that we've turned into a soccer venue. There was already a strong soccer culture in Cincinnati with 66,000 youth that play soccer in this city. We've put a lot of work in and it all came together for us."The 2017 season is threatening to overshadow the success of 2016 for FC Cincinnati. The club is in the midst of an unprecedented U.S. Open Cup run, having advanced to the quarterfinals where they will play Miami FC on Aug. 2. FC Cincinnati has dispatched MLS clubs Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire en route to their quarterfinal appearance, drawing more than 30,000 fans in each contest while playing on ESPN.McNally, who typically spends three days a week fully at the club's downtown offices, and two days a week splitting time between the practice field and his office, is also very involved in game day operations for home matches at Nippert Stadium, spending 10-plus hours making sure FC Cincinnati's matches are amongst the best experiences in North American soccer.McNally has seen the growth in popularity in the sport of soccer in the U.S. since his arrival at Embry-Riddle in the mid-1990s."Where I come from in Blackburn in the north west of England, soccer is everything," McNally said. "When I got to Daytona Beach in 1996 people were like, 'Soccer? You play soccer?' It wasn't seen as very important in the culture. Over the last 20 years so many people have worked so hard to build the soccer culture in America and I really feel now we're at the stage where soccer is emerging as the fourth sport in America. There'll always be football, basketball and baseball, but now soccer is so established, especially with the younger generation, that you see it in all the attendances in Major League Soccer and our club, FC Cincinnati, teams are regularly getting 25,000 people at games. The transition has been extreme over the last 20 years through so many people's hard work: players, coaches and administrators across the country. Soccer is established and is here to stay."McNally is one of those people that have worked to bring soccer to the forefront of American sports culture, first as a player at Embry-Riddle, and then as a coach for three colleges across the country, and now, in the front office of a professional soccer club."Building a quality professional soccer franchise is very demanding," McNally said. "But I am very fortunate to be a part of something special that is making an impact on the city of Cincinnati and U.S. soccer culture."Speaking of impacts, McNally recognizes the one made on him by Dave Gregson, who will coach his 24season at Embry-Riddle in 2017."I'd say other than my parents, without question, the most influential person in my life has been Dave Gregson," McNally said. "When you live in a foreign country for 20 years, away from home, you need a support system, and Dave was with me from the first day I arrived on campus of Embry-Riddle. He has been a great friend to me and to this day, he supports me in everything I do. He's a fantastic coach, but more than that, he cares about his players, long, long after they graduate. I still call him a friend to this day and I would not be in the position I am now without him." |
A rapper from Tennessee was in critical condition Tuesday after being shot outside a hotel in Hollywood, only six months after surviving a previous attack in North Carolina.
Young Dolph, 32, got into a scuffle outside the Loews Hollywood Hotel after being confronted by three men, authorities said. One of the men took out a gun and shot the rapper multiple times.
Two of the men ran off, while the third suspect climbed into a gold Cadillac Escalade, the Los Angeles Times reported. The vehicle was later found abandoned with no weapons inside.
One man was later taken in for questioning, but it was unclear if he was one of the three individuals seen outside the hotel.
Detectives were investigating whether the shooting was related to a rivalry with another artist.
In February, Young Dolph, whose real name is Adolph Thornton Jr., was in an SUV in Charlotte, N.C., when the vehicle came under gunfire. Three people were arrested in May in connection with the shooting.
Dolph released an album in April titled, "Bulletproof," that referenced the shooting in Charlotte. It ranked No. 36 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
The cleverly disguised drawing of a human brain, which has remained unnoticed for 500 years, may have been a coded reference to the clash between science and religion.
The Renaissance master, who painted the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel between 1508 and 1512, would have been familiar with what a brain looked like – he was an accomplished anatomist who is known to have dissected many corpses.
According to two American neuroscientists, the image of the brain is ingeniously hidden in the depiction of God's neck and chin in "Separation of Light From Darkness", which depicts the first act performed by God in the creation of the universe.
It is one of nine panels on the Sistine Chapel's ceiling based on scenes from the Book of Genesis.
Art historians have long speculated that the strange, lumpy appearance of the figure's neck may represent a goiter.
But Ian Suk and Rafael Tamargo, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, believe instead that it bears a striking resemblance to the crevices and creases of a human brain.
"Stunningly, following Michelangelo's outline, one can draw into God's neck and beard an anatomically correct ventral depiction of the brain," they write in the scientific journal "Neurosurgery".
"We propose that Michelangelo, a deeply religious man and an accomplished anatomist, intended to enhance the meaning of this ... panel and possibly document his anatomic accomplishments by concealing this sophisticated neuro-anatomic rendering within the image of God."
They also believe that an odd-looking, vertical fold in the crimson robe worn by the figure of God represents the spinal cord, and that a mysterious Y-shaped fold at his waist may be an optic nerve.
Leonardo da Vinci had produced a detailed study of optic nerves 20 years previously in 1487, a study which Michelangelo may well have seen when the two worked in Florence at the same time.
The new thesis may explain something that has puzzled art critics for centuries – the peculiar lighting of God's neck.
Most of the fresco is illuminated from the lower left of the panel, but the neck is lit head-on and slightly from the right, casting different shadows.
Profs Suk and Tamargo argue that, far from being a clumsy error by Michelangelo, the peculiar angle deliberately enhanced the anatomical components of the brain.
By merging an image of God with a human brain, Michelangelo may have been seeking a covert outlet to show off his anatomical knowledge at a time when picking apart cadavers was frowned on by the Roman Catholic Church.
Alternatively, he may have been alluding to the wisdom of the Almighty or – more dangerously - hinting at his growing belief that ordinary Christians had the wit and intelligence to directly commune with God, rather than pray to Him indirectly through the Church.
That was an idea that would have been seen as heresy, particularly as the fresco is situated directly above the chapel altar.
Michelangelo's relationship with the Vatican became increasingly fraught during his career.
He fell out with Pope Julius II over payment for painting the Sistine Chapel, and came to loathe what he saw as the extravagance and vanity of the Church.
This is not the first time that medical experts have discerned hidden anatomical drawings in Michelangelo's work.
In 1990, an American doctor, Frank Meshberger, published a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association in which he suggested that a cross-section image of a brain was concealed in another of the Sistine Chapel panels, the "Creation of Adam". |
Wounded farmer fights back
Bloemfontein - A farmer who was shot and wounded by his young gardener fought back as the second shot misfired, managing to scare off his attacker.
Volksblad reported that the gardener had first shot the domestic worker on the farm near Bloemfontein and then had waited for Leonard Haasbroek, 58, to come home.
The gardener, who is apparently still a minor, worked in the garden on Thursdays.
After firing the first shot, he tried to shoot Haasbroek a second time but the firearm jammed, which was when Haasbroek jumped him to disarm him.
The gardener wriggled free of his jacket and jersey and ran off but was apprehended by a police officer and arrested.
Only a few rands were missing from a wallet and it is unclear what the motive for the attack was.
Both the wounded farmer and the domestic worker - who was shot in the arm - were taken to hospital. |
Scientists have discovered the cremated skeleton of a Paleoindian child in the remains of an 11,500-year-old house in central Alaska. The findings reveal a slice of domestic life that has been missing from the record of the region's early people, who were among the first to colonize the Americas.
The discovery, by Ben Potter of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and colleagues, appears in the 25 February issue of the journal Science.
"The site is truly spectacular in all senses of the word," Potter said. "The cremation is quite significant, but the context of the find is important too."
In contrast to the temporary hunting camps and other specialized work sites that have produced much of the evidence of North America's early habitation, the newly discovered house appears to have been a seasonal home, used during the summer. Its inhabitants, who included women and children, foraged for fish, birds and small mammals nearby, according to Potter's team.
"Before this find we knew people were hunting large game like bison or elk with sophisticated weapons, but most of sites we had to study were hunting camps. But here we know there were young children and females. So, this is a whole piece of the settlement system that we had virtually no record of," he said.
"As part of the Beringian Land Bridge, Alaska was an important crossroads for the Old and the New Worlds. This study makes an important contribution to our understanding of the early inhabitants of Beringia and their culture," said Brooks Hanson, Deputy Editor, Physical Sciences, at Science.
The young child probably died -- it's not clear how -- before being cremated in a large pit in the center of the home. This pit had many purposes, including cooking and waste disposal. After the cremation, the pit was sealed up and the house was abandoned, the researchers report.
The name of the site where this discovery took place, "Upper Sun River," is a translation of a nearby Athabaskan placename, Xaasaa Na'. The site lies within a dune field in the boreal forest of the Tanana lowlands. The child has been named Xaasaa Cheege Ts'eniin (or Upward Sun River Mouth Child) by the local Native community, the Healy Lake Tribe.
The house's floor was dug about 27 centimeters below the original ground surface. Colored stains in the sediment suggest that poles may have been used to support the walls or roof, though it's not clear what the latter would have been made of. The entire house has not yet been fully excavated, so its total size is still unknown.
The pit at the center was oval-shaped and about 45 centimeters deep. In sediment layers beneath the skeleton, the researchers found bones of salmon, ground squirrels, ptarmigan and other small animals. The skeleton was a particular surprise, since no human remains older than a few hundred years have ever been found in Subarctic Alaska.
Only about 20 percent of the burned skeleton was preserved. The remains don't reveal the child's sex, but they do include teeth, which allowed the researchers to conclude the child was around three years old. The remains showed no signs of injury or illness, though that isn't surprising, since most health problems don't leave traces in bones.
Potter's team didn't find any objects that were clearly grave goods. The researchers did excavate two pieces of red ochre along with the skeleton, but their significance is unclear. While red ochre has been part of burials around the world, it also has many other uses.
This lack of symbolic objects is typical for a mobile hunter-gatherer society like the one at Upper Sun River, according to Potter. It should not be interpreted as a sign that the child's death was treated casually, Potter said.
"All the evidence indicates that they went through some effort. The burial was within the house. If you think of the house as the center of many residential activities: cooking, eating, sleeping, and the fact that they abandoned the house soon afterward the cremation, this is pretty compelling evidence of the careful treatment of the child," Potter said.
While the findings certainly provoke questions about the story of this particular death, for Potter and other archeologists, the site is perhaps even more valuable for what it says broadly about the lifestyles of the early people who lived in the region.
Although many of the specifics are still under debate, researchers generally believe that the first people in North America came across the Bering Land Bridge from Siberia some time near the end of the last ice age, around 13,000 years ago or earlier. Archaeological evidence from this time period is scanty, however, especially in the northern regions adjacent to the Bering Sea, known as Beringia.
Scientists have discovered only a handful of known houses in North America from the continent's first 2,000 years of human occupation. And, except for the one at Upper Sun River, those houses are in the lower 48 states or at Ushki Lake in Siberia. Ushki Lake also includes the only known burial site from this time period in Beringia.
The stone tools from contemporaneous sites in central Alaska fit into a category known as microblade technology, which consists of small, stone, razor-blade-like pieces set into larger organic points. In contrast, the more well-known Clovis people of central North America did not make microblades. In fact, the stone artifacts, along with the house structure and the types of animal remains found at Upper Sun River appear more similar to those of Siberia's Ushki Lake than to anything from the lower 48 states.
"We've got this basic technological organization system that links Alaska with the Old World," Potter said.
Researchers have debated over whether the people in central Alaska during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene were all part of one larger cultural group or whether they belonged to different groups. The tools and other remains at Upper Sun River, and their similarities to some others in the region, support the former scenario, Potter and his colleagues say.
Differences exist among the sites, but these may reflect this people's versatility, with different members carrying out different tasks, such as hunting large game or foraging for small mammals and birds, during different times of year, the researchers argue.
Throughout the excavation, Potter's groups worked closely with leaders of the Healy Lake Tribe and other native groups that live near the Upper Sun River site.
"Our consultation with the local Native groups is not only an ethical imperative in archaeology today, it has been a fulfilling and productive partnership, from my perspective," said Potter.
"We strove to be diligent with full and open negotiations from the time of discovery and before, and we have worked together to build a foundation for continued work on this find and for future discoveries."
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation. |
Posted by Chris Scott Barr on Jul 23, 2012
Blizzard’s decision to require an always-on internet connection for Diablo III was met with much criticism from fans of the franchise. Of course, the company maintained that this would help prevent people from hacking and exploiting the game. Thankfully, this has held true, and no one has been able to find new ways to cheat. You know, unless you count being invincible a cheat.
Apparently someone has discovered a rather simple way to make Wizards invincible in the game. It’s done by using one particular spell, then firing of another right after. (No, I’m not posting the spells, as the exploit doesn’t need to be spread any further.) Once you’ve done this, you can feel free to roam about the countryside, slaughtering the weak without any fear of death.
The real problem here lies with the Real Money Auction House. Since death is no longer your enemy, you can power through any game mode and pick up loot faster than virtually anyone else. Blizzard is no doubt working on this already, but a fix can’t come soon enough.
Source |
Tesla is updating the look of the Model S to make it more closely align with the Model X SUV. It announced Thursday, June 9, 2016 plans to offer a cheaper option of the Model S.
On Friday, skeptical analyst Anton Wahlman announced that he had successfully placed 20 reservations for a Tesla Model 3, apparently defeating the 2-per-customer maximum set by the company. Yahoo! Finance found they, too, were able to order more than the limit, simply by submitting multiple orders on separate forms.
This suggested, according to Wahlman, that some of the 400,000 refundable deposits reported by the company could have been made by speculators, possibly inflating the impression of huge demand for the car.
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Elon Musk leapt to action quickly, taking to Twitter to reassure everyone that a system scan showed only 0.2% of orders indicated duplicates over the limit, and that excess preorders would be cancelled.
@MrBoylan System scan detected only 0.2% of orders with same email and physical address. Those have been purged. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 30, 2016
That should help reassure observers of the integrity of Tesla’s preorder numbers, which are being widely interpreted as a huge win for the company. Tesla (tsla) stock jumped nearly 10% in the week after preorders opened, and it’s up nearly 70% since February.
For more on Model 3 preorders, watch our video.
Of course, there’s something a little funny about the idea that speculators piling in to the Model 3 preorder should be a cause for skepticism in the first place. It’s a great sign for a company, after all, that mere spots in line for a product are considered to have value.
If anything, it seems Tesla’s big problem is not too little demand, but too much. The company says it won’t start shipping Model 3s until late 2017, and between likely-inevitable delays and a <a href="http://
“>still-growing backlog, some preorder customers could lose patience. |
The corporate tax system should be radically overhauled in the wake of the row over how much Google should pay in the UK, the former Conservative chancellor Nigel Lawson has said.
Google's tax deal with the UK: key questions answered Read more
The peer said corporation tax had “had its day” and should largely be replaced with a tax on sales to prevent large-scale avoidance by multinationals.
Google has agreed to pay £130m in back taxes covering the last decade in a deal struck by HM Revenue and Customs, which was hailed as a victory by George Osborne.
The chancellor has argued that Google was previously paying no tax and pointed to the introduction last year of a diverted profits tax to target companies that artificially shift revenues from Britain to countries with lower tax rates.
However, critics claimed the internet giant was effectively paying just 3% tax and called for the arrangement to be investigated by the National Audit Office and the European commission.
Google crosses borders. The tax collectors should too | Jonathan Freedland Read more
Lord Lawson, who was chancellor in Margaret Thatcher’s governments between 1983 and 1989, told the Telegraph: “It is profoundly unsatisfactory that corporation tax has to be collected from large multinational corporations by a series of ad hoc compromise deals, as we have once again seen with the Google affair. It is also grossly unfair on smaller businesses, who are unable to shift profits between tax jurisdictions and have to pay the full amount due under UK law.
“I have long argued that in the modern world corporation tax has had its day as a major source of tax revenue. It needs to be a much lesser tax, bolstered by a tax on corporate sales. While multinationals can artificially shift profits to whatever tax jurisdictions they choose, sales are where they are, and can’t be shifted.”
He added: “Instead of endless discussion at international conferences of one kind or another, the UK should take the lead in implementing this much-needed reform.” |
Bernard Madoff was given a 150-year sentence in June The US financial watchdog mishandled a string of probes into the business of convicted fraudster Bernard Madoff, an investigation has found. It said the Securities and Exchange Commission bungled five investigations despite many complaints over 16 years about the $65bn (£40bn) fraud. However, the SEC inspector general's report found no evidence of improper ties between the agency and Madoff. Madoff, 71, was jailed for 150 years at the end of June. He admitted defrauding thousands of investors through a Ponzi scheme which he said had been running since the early 1990s. 'Regret' SEC enforcement staff had "almost immediately caught [Madoff] in lies and misrepresentations, but failed to follow up on inconsistencies", the report said. WHAT IS A PONZI SCHEME? A fraudulent investment scheme paying investors from money paid in by other investors rather than real profits Named after Charles Ponzi who notoriously used the technique in the United States in the 1920s Differs from pyramid selling in that individuals all tend to invest with the same person They had also rejected offers from whistleblowers to provide additional evidence, it added. SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro said that the report, by David Kotz, "makes clear that the agency missed numerous opportunities to discover the fraud". "It is a failure that we continue to regret, and one that has led us to reform in many ways how we regulate markets and protect investors." A congressional hearing in February severely criticised five high-ranking SEC officials for their failure to stop Madoff earlier - three of them have now left the agency. Madoff's firm was investigated because it made exceptional returns, but no irregularities were officially reported. It was the global recession which in effect prompted Madoff's demise, as investors, hit by the downturn, tried to withdraw about $7bn from his funds and he could not find the money to cover it. The list of Madoff's victims includes film director Steven Spielberg's charitable foundation, Wunderkinder - but school teachers, farmers, mechanics and many others have also lost money.
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Published in the St. John's Review, XLIV, 2 (1998) 35-59. Copyright © 1998, Peter Suber.
This crash course is designed to stand alone. But it also functions as the appendix to my essay, Infinite Reflections.
Don't be surprised if this is easier than you thought. Set theory requires no algebra or calculus. It is much more primitive than those branches of mathematics, and rests on very simple notions. Moreover, the proofs will be unusually short and uncomplicated.
What will be difficult? Most of the results we will prove depend critically on those that came before; but I cite the needed prior theorems by number to make this kind of back-tracking easier. The notation may be new, and for many people unfamiliar notation raises the hair on the back of the neck. But most of the notation may be ignored. I include it mainly so that if you read further on this subject, you will be equipped. I honestly don't think the compressed exposition needed for a crash course increases the difficulty in part because I've been more long-winded than most mathematicians, and in part because some compression and conciseness helps keep all the relevant ideas in the head at the same time, which aids comprehension. Some of the proofs, short and simple as they are, will make you dizzy. But that's part of the amazing phenomenon to be savored, not a difficulty to lament.
To begin:
Almost a definition. Intuitively, a set is a collection of elements.
The intuitive notion of a set leads to paradoxes, and there is considerable mathematical and philosophical disagreement about how best to refine the intuitive notion. Fortunately, none of the disagreements or refinements matters for our purposes here. I only bring up this complexity so that you'll accept the intuitive notion in place of a refined definition for the purposes of this crash course.
Notation. When we want to list the members of a set, we use curly brackets. So if set S contains elements A, B, and C, then we say S = {A, B, C}.
The null set is the empty set or the set with no members. Notation: Ø. Hence, Ø = {}.
Abbreviation. For if and only if I will sometimes write simply iff.
Definition. Set A is a subset of set B iff all the members of A are also members of B.
Notation. A B.
B. It follows from this definition that every set is a subset of itself.
Definition. Set A is a proper subset of set B iff all the members of A are also members of B, but not all the members of B are members of A.
Notation. A B.
B. It follows from this definition that no set is a proper subset of itself.
Definition. The cardinality of a set is the number of members it contains.
Notation. The cardinality of set S is |S|. For example, if S = {A, B, C}, then |S|=3.
Hence while S is a set, |S| is a number. When S is an infinite set, |S| will be an infinite number.
Technically, |S| is a cardinal number, as opposed to an ordinal number. This doesn't matter for what follows, but it might help you remember the term cardinality. A cardinal number answers the question how many? An ordinal number answers the question which one? Natural numbers are used both ways in different contexts. For example, 3 is used as a cardinal number when we say there are "three blind mice" or "three bags full", but it is used as an ordinal number when we say "the third pig built with brick" or "curtain number three". Sets have cardinality, that is, size or magnitude: they have some definite number of members. But they do not have ordinality: their members are not in any particular order; for example, {A, B, C} = {B, A, C}. In this brief exposition, I introduce the mathematics of infinite cardinal numbers and ignore the infinite ordinals.
Definition. Two sets can be put into one-to-one correspondence iff their members can be paired off such that each member of the first set has exactly one counterpart in the second set, and each member of the second set has exactly one counterpart in the first set.
Notation. If sets A and B can be put into one-to-one correspondence, then we say A B.
Putting two infinite sets into one-to-one correspondence is an infinite task, and we don't pretend that we can do it (that is, finish it) in finite time. To show that an infinite set, like the even numbers, can be put into one-to-one correspondence with another, like the odd numbers, we need only produce a rule-governed sequence for each set which runs through the members without omission or repetition, for example, 2, 4, 6... and 1, 3, 5.... If we can do so, then we know that the nth term of one sequence will have a counterpart in the nth term of the other, and vice versa, guaranteeing one-to-one correspondence all the way out.
We will soon see that there are infinite sets larger than the set of natural numbers (Theorem 3 below), and for them no such sequences can be constructed. However, for cardinalities of that magnitude, most of our proofs will show the absence or failure, rather than the presence, of one-to-one correspondence.
Definition. Two sets have the same cardinality iff they can be put into one-to-one correspondence; or, A B iff |A| = |B|.
This definition applies to infinite as well as to finite sets.
It follows from the last three definitions that set A has a larger cardinality than set B iff both (1) a proper subset of A and the whole of B can be put into one-to-one correspondence, and (2) the whole of A cannot be put into one-to-one correspondence with any proper subset of B.
Definition. The power set of a set S is the set of all the subsets of S.
Notation. The power set of S is *S.
For example, if S = {A, B, C}, then *S = {{A,B,C}, {A,B}, {A,C}, {B,C}, {A}, {B}, {C}, Ø}.
The power set of a given set always contains the given set itself and the null set.
Note that while the members of S may be any sort of things (bugles, baseball teams, Byronic poems), the members of *S are other sets.
|*S| is the cardinality of the power set of S. As you can see from the example above, when S has 3 members, then *S has 2 3 or 8 members. In general, when S is finite, then |*S| = 2 | S | .
or 8 members. In general, when S is finite, then |*S| = 2 . We will assume the power set axiom, i.e. that all sets have power sets.
Reminder. The natural numbers are the whole positive numbers (sometimes called the "counting numbers"), including zero: 0, 1, 2, 3 ....
This is really a definition, but by calling it a "reminder" I'm hoping to get on your good side.
Notation. The set of natural numbers is designated by N .
. Notation. The number of natural numbers is designated by À 0 . " À " is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, pronounced Aleph. " À 0 " is pronounced Aleph-null or Aleph-nought. We will justify the zero subscript when we prove that no infinite set has a smaller cardinality than the set of natural numbers (Theorem 6).
. " " is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, pronounced Aleph. " " is pronounced Aleph-null or Aleph-nought. We will justify the zero subscript when we prove that no infinite set has a smaller cardinality than the set of natural numbers (Theorem 6). Hence À 0 = | N |, by definition.
= | |, by definition. Now you know how many natural numbers there are: À 0 . But this is not profound. So far we've only invented a name (numeral) for the number of natural numbers.
Definition. A set is countable iff its cardinality is either finite or equal to À 0 . A set is denumerable iff its cardinality is exactly À 0 . A set is uncountable iff its cardinality is greater than À 0 .
The null set is countable. The finite set, {A, B, C}, is countable. The infinite set, N , is countable and denumerable. Sets with a larger cardinality than N are uncountable.
Definition. A transfinite number or transfinite cardinal is the cardinality of some infinite set.
If we use the term "infinite" in a restricted and precise way, then "transfinite" is just a synonym for it. We could avoid fancy new terms to prevent confusion. However, "infinite" has many imprecise and non-technical uses for example, the infinite setting on a camera's range-finder so it often helps to use a technical term to avoid ambiguity.
Reminder. The integers are the natural numbers plus their negative counterparts, ...-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3....
Notation. The set of integers is designated by Z .
Reminder. The rational numbers are the integers plus the rational fractions (those that can be expressed as the ratio of two integers).
Notation. The set of rational numbers is designated by Q .
. For example, 0.75 is a rational fraction because we can express it as the ratio of two integers, namely, 3/4. Therefore it is a rational number.
The irrational numbers are the fractions that are not rational numbers, both positive and negative. For example, we can prove that pi (3.14159...) cannot be expressed as the ratio of two integers. Therefore it is an irrational number.
Reminder. The real numbers are the rational numbers plus the irrational numbers.
Notation. The set of real numbers is designated by R .
We started with the natural numbers ( N ), then added infinitely many negative whole numbers to get the integers ( Z ), then added infinitely many rational fractions to get the rationals ( Q ), and then added infinitely many irrational fractions to get the reals ( R ). It's tempting to conclude that with each infinite addition we increased cardinality, or in short:
| N | < | Z | < | Q | < | R |
But is this true? Here we encounter one of the first points at which the mathematics of the infinite violates our intuitions. If each addition did increase cardinality, that would violate our sense that "infinity is infinity" or that all infinite sets are equal in cardinality. But if any of these additions did not increase cardinality, that would violate our sense that the cardinality of a set grows when we add members. Before we learn the truth, and see how it violates our intuitions, it's wise to remember that its negation would also have violated our intuitions. At the very beginning, therefore, we should not demand conformity with our intuitions so much as clear definitions and rigorous proofs.
Foreshadowing. Both the intuitions mentioned in the preceding paragraph are false. (1) Not all infinities are equal in cardinality, and (2) some additions, even infinite additions, do not increase cardinality. The string of inequalities, | N | < | Z | < | Q | < | R |, is also false.
Theorem 1. The set of integers has the same cardinality as the set of natural numbers, or | N | = | Z |.
Proof. If we try to list the integers, we note that they trail off with three dots in two directions: ...3, 2, 1, 0, 1, 2, 3.... Left in that form they would be hard to put into one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers. But if we alternate one positive and one negative integer, then they form a single infinite sequence, 0, 1, -1, 2, -2, 3, -3..., and we can easily put them into one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7....
This method of alternating the members of two infinite sequences in order to make a single sequence is called interlacing. Cantor used it often and so will we.
Theorem 2. The set of rational numbers has the same cardinality as the set of natural numbers, or | N | = | Q |.
It's much harder to find a method for putting the rational numbers into one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers than it was for the integers. The reason is that the rational numbers are dense, that is, between any two of them there is a third. For example, between 123/987 and 124/987 there is 123.5/987, which resolves into 247/1974. This means, in fact, that between any two there are infinitely many others. It also means that for any given rational number, there is no such thing as the next greater, or the next lesser, rational number. But Cantor found a very clever method for laying out the rational numbers so that they can be put into one-to-one correspondence with the naturals.
Proof. The following table shows Cantor's method for putting the rationals and naturals into one-to-one correspondence:
Numerators 1 2 3 4... Denominators 1 1/1 2/1 3/1 4/1... 2 1/2 2/2 3/2 4/2... 3 1/3 2/3 3/3 4/3... 4... 1/4 2/4 3/4 4/4...
The two shaded axes list all the possible natural number numerators, and all the possible natural number denominators. The interior part of the table uses the axes to compose all the rational fractions, which are all the rational numbers. Now we read off the rationals in this order: starting with the 1/1 in the upper left corner, we move right to 2/1, then diagonally down and to the left, then down, then diagonally up and to the right, and so on, eventually passing through every cell in the grid. The first 10 numbers in our journey are: 1/1, 2/1, 1/2, 1/3, 2/2, 3/1, 4/1, 3/2, 2/3, 1/4.... But as the following table shows, this sequence can be put into one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers:
Rationals 1/1 2/1 1/2 1/3 2/2 3/1 4/1 3/2 2/3 1/4... Naturals 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9...
This method of enumerating the rationals includes each rational number more than once. For example, it will include 1/1, 2/2, 3/3..., each of which is equal to 1. In fact, every rational number will be represented infinitely many times. Technically, this violates the conditions of strict one-to-one correspondence. But in fact we can leave the duplicates in the enumeration without harming the proof, for we are then proving that the rationals plus the duplicates is still no greater in cardinality than the naturals. This means that the rationals are at most as numerous as the naturals. We already know that the rationals are at least numerous as the naturals (because the naturals are a proper subset of the rationals). Therefore, the rationals are exactly as numerous as the naturals.
(Can you see why if some set A is at least as numerous as another set B, and at most as numerous as B, then it must be exactly as numerous as B?)
In Theorems 1 and 2 we saw that two kinds of infinite addition to an infinite set did not increase the cardinality of the original set. But we cannot generalize too quickly and say that such additions will never increase the cardinality of the original set. Our next theorem shows that some sets can indeed be larger than the natural numbers, and in Theorem 16 we will see that the additions to the naturals required to generate the real numbers do indeed create an uncountable set.
Theorem 3. The power set of the set of natural numbers has a greater cardinality than the set of natural numbers, i.e. it is uncountable; or |* N | > | N |.
Proof. We give a negative proof, and assume that the natural numbers can be put into one-to-one correspondence with the sets of natural numbers. Let this hypothetical pairing off be represented by the leftmost columns of the following table. The nat. nos. in 1-1
correspondence
with the sets thereof
(hypothetically) Are these nos. members of the set listed at left? 0 1 2 3... 0 evens yes no yes no... 1 odds no yes no yes... 2 squares yes yes no no... ... ... ... ... ... ... In the shaded row of the table we again enumerate the natural numbers. The "yeses" and "noes" in the body of the table below them tell us whether the natural numbers in the shaded row above them are members of the sets to the left of them. For example, take the "yes" written in red. It is in the column of natural number 1, and in the row of the set of odd numbers; it says "yes" because 1 is indeed a member of the set of odd numbers. In this way, we represent every set of natural numbers (down the left column) as an infinite string of "yeses" and "noes". Conversely, we can read any string of "yeses" and "noes" as code for a particular set of natural numbers. From the "yes" in the upper left corner of the block of "yeses" and "noes", move diagonally downward and to the right, following the yellow cells. Toggle each "yes" we encounter to a "no" and vice versa. The resulting infinite string of "yeses" and "noes" is demonstrably different from every row of the infinite table, for it differs from the first row in the first term, from the second row in the second term, and so on. When we read it as set of natural numbers, the set it represents is for the same reason demonstrably different from every set yet listed on the table. But this contradicts our assumption that we had exhaustively listed and paired off all the sets of natural numbers. Therefore our assumption is false, and the natural numbers cannot be put into one-to-one correspondence with the sets of natural numbers. We're almost done. If the naturals and the sets of naturals cannot be put into one-to-one correspondence, then one has a larger cardinality than the other. The power set of the naturals must have the greater cardinality, for one of its proper subsets, {{0}, {1}, {2}, {3}...}, can be put into one-to-one correspondence with the naturals, 0, 1, 2, 3.... Therefore there are more sets of natural numbers than natural numbers.
This technique of moving down the diagonal of a table, changing every row in some way, and thereby constructing a new item that differs from every row in some definite respect, is called diagonalization. It is one of Cantor's most ingenious methods for gaining leverage on infinite sets. We'll use diagonalization often.
To establish Theorem 3, we used a negative proof. In a negative proof we assume the negation of the desired conclusion and show that that assumption leads to a contradiction; then we conclude that assumptions is false, which is the same thing as to conclude that the desired conclusion is true. It is a special case of the rule of inference, called modus tollens, by which we infer that any statement that implies a falsehood is false. Since it is so hard to grapple with infinite sets directly, negative proofs are common in this branch of mathematics. However, the most important skeptics of Cantor's results, called intuitionists, refuse to use negative proofs in dealing with infinite sets although they are willing to use negative proofs in other areas of mathematics. The issue between Cantor and the intuitionists is whether this refusal is arbitrary, or whether we should distrust negative proofs in those domains where there is no possibility of verifying our results through intuition.
Theorem 4. The cardinality of the power set of an arbitrary set has a greater cardinality than the original arbitrary set, or |*A| > |A|.
This is called simply Cantor's Theorem. It generalizes the previous theorem, in which we proved that the power set of a particular set, N , had a greater cardinality than the original. The present theorem is trivial for finite sets, but is fundamental for infinite sets.
, had a greater cardinality than the original. The present theorem is trivial for finite sets, but is fundamental for infinite sets. Proof. Let A be an arbitrary set of any cardinality, finite or infinite. Again we supply a negative proof, and assume that the members of A can be put into one-to-one correspondence with the subsets of A. Take any one of the supposed ways of pairing off the members of A with the subsets of A. Let us say that if a member of A is paired with a subset of A of which it happens to be a member, then it is happy; otherwise it is sad. Let S be the set of sad members of A. Clearly S is one of the subsets of A. Therefore S is paired off with one of the members of A, say, x. Is x happy or sad? If x is happy, then x is a member of the set to which it is paired, which is S, but that would make it sad. If x is sad, then x is not a member of the set to which it is paired, which is S, but that would make it happy. So if x is happy, then it is sad, and if it is sad, then it is happy. Our assumption implies a contradiction and is therefore false. So the members of A cannot be put into one-to-one correspondence with the subsets of A.
But if A and *A cannot be put into one-to-one correspondence, then they cannot have the same cardinality. If so, then the larger one must be *A, for A can be put into one-to-one correspondence with a proper subset *A. For example, if the members of A are A1, A2, A3..., then they can be put into one-to-one correspondence with this subset of *A: {{A1}, {A2}, {A3}...}.
Many profound consequences follow directly from Cantor's theorem. But we make the most important of them explicit in the next theorem.
Theorem 5. If S is a set of any infinite cardinality, then its power set has a greater infinite cardinality, or |*S| > |S|.
This follows directly from Cantor's Theorem (Theorem 4). Cantor's theorem applies equally to finite and infinite sets; this corollary focuses on the important consequence for infinite sets.
If we follow the notation for finite sets, and say that a set of cardinality a has a power set of cardinality 2 a , then this theorem asserts that 2 a > a, for each transfinite cardinal a.
, then this theorem asserts that 2 > a, for each transfinite cardinal a. This theorem asserts that for any infinite cardinality, there is a larger infinite cardinality, namely, the cardinality of its power set. Hence, there is an infinite series of infinite cardinal numbers. We will meet some of the infinite cardinals larger than N shortly.
shortly. This theorem also implies that, for every set, there is a greater set. It follows that there is no set of all sets, or no set of everything.
It follows from Theorem 5 that "infinity" is not synonymous with "totality", a clarification which alone dispells many of the ancient conundrums and paradoxes surrounding the infinite.
Speaking of the infinite series of infinite numbers which Cantor proved to exist, David Hilbert said (in 1910) that, "No one shall drive us from the paradise which Cantor created for us," and (in 1926), "This appears to me to be the most admirable flower of the mathematical intellect and one of the highest achievements of purely rational human activity."
Now that we have proved there is an infinite series of infinite cardinals, it is well to prove that À 0 truly designates the smallest of them.
Theorem 6. No infinite set has a smaller cardinality than a denumerable set (or, none is smaller than the set of natural numbers).
Proof. Let S be a set of any infinite cardinality. Clearly we may take away one of its members, call it S 1 , without emptying S. We may take another, S 2 , and another, S 3 , and so on, each time without emptying S. In this way we may carve out a denumerable proper subset from S, namely, {S 1 , S 2 , S 3 ...}. But S had any infinite cardinality. Hence all infinite sets have at least one denumerable proper subset. Hence the cardinality of a denumerable set is not greater than any transfinite cardinality; or, it is the smallest transfinite cardinality.
We know from the proof of Theorem 6 that every infinite set has an infinite proper subset which consists of the original set minus denumerably many members. This fact has a beautiful implication. If the "largeness" of an infinite set is measured by its cardinality, then the smallest infinite set is a denumerable set or one with a cardinality of À 0 . But if the largeness of an infinite set is measured by the largeness of its proper subsets, then there is no smallest infinite set: they nest downward ad infinitum without ever losing infinite cardinality.
À 0 designates the cardinality of the natural numbers by definition, which is demonstrably the smallest infinite cardinality (Theorem 6). This justifies the zero subscript. À 1 is by definition the next greater infinite cardinality after À 0 , just as À 2 is by definition the next greater cardinal after À 1 , and so on. As we will see in the section on the continuum hypothesis below, even though there is an infinite series of infinite cardinals (Theorem 5), it is impossible to say, in standard set theory, which one of them is À 1 , which one is À 2 , and so on.
Theorem 7. A denumerable set plus a new member is still denumerable, or À 0 + 1 = À 0 .
Proof. If we add element A to the set of natural numbers, giving us {A, 0, 1, 2, 3...}, then the resulting set can still be put into one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers. A would be paired with 0, 0 with 1, 1 with 2, and so on.
As a corollary it follows that we may add a second member, and a third, and so on. À 0 + 2 = À 0 , À 0 + 3 = À 0 , À 0 + n = À 0 for every positive integer n.
+ 2 = , + 3 = , + n = for every positive integer n. In fact we may add denumerably many new members, A, B, C... to the original denumerable set without increasing its cardinality. The enlarged set, {A, B, C..., 0, 1, 2...}, can be put into one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers if we interlace its members thus: A, 0, B, 1, C, 2.... (See Theorem 1.) Therefore, À 0 + À 0 = À 0 .
Theorem 8. A denumerable set may have denumerably many members removed (in certain ways) without reducing the cardinality of the original set.
Proof. We need only regard the given denumerable set as two denumerable sets interlaced, then 'unlace' them, then discard one of them. If {A 1 , A 2 , A 3 ...} is the original denumerable set, then we can separate out the set of even-numbered members, {A 2 , A 4 , A 6 ...}, from the set of odd-numbered members, {A 1 , A 3 , A 5 ...}, each of which is denumerable. If we discard one of the resulting sets, the other one has the same cardinality as the original.
, A , A ...} is the original denumerable set, then we can separate out the set of even-numbered members, {A , A , A ...}, from the set of odd-numbered members, {A , A , A ...}, each of which is denumerable. If we discard one of the resulting sets, the other one has the same cardinality as the original. Note that this theorem only applies to the removal of certain denumerable subsets from a given denumerable set. For if the denumerably many members we subtracted happened to comprise the entire membership of the original denumerable set, then clearly the result would not be a denumerable set. So we cannot conclude in general that À 0 - À 0 = À 0 .
Theorem 9. If we remove denumerably many members from an uncountably large set, the result will have the same cardinality as the original.
Proof. Let U be any uncountably large set. We know from Theorem 6 that U has at least one denumerable proper subset, say D. And we know from Theorem 8 that we can remove denumerably many members from D, in certain ways, without reducing the cardinality of D. If we do so, then we thereby remove denumerably many members from U without reducing the cardinality of U.
Theorem 10. Every infinite set can be be put into one-to-one correspondence with at least one of its proper subsets.
Proof. Let S be a set of any infinite cardinality. If S is countable, then Theorem 8 tells us that we may produce a proper subset of S without reducing S's cardinality. But if S and that proper subset have the same cardinality, then they can be put into one-to-one correspondence. If S is uncountable, then we have the same result using Theorem 9 instead of Theorem 8.
Together with the trivial truth that no finite set can be put into one-to-one correspondence with any of its proper subsets, this theorem establishes the important result that all and only infinite sets possess the property that they can be put into one-to-one correspondence with at least one of their proper subsets. It follows that this property is a necessary and sufficient condition for being an infinite set. It may therefore be taken as the defining condition of infinite magnitude, and its absence as the defining condition of finitude.
Definition. Let us say that a text is a finitely long string of symbols, whose symbols are chosen from a finite set (or alphabet).
For our purposes here we needn't even say that the string conforms to the rules of some grammar. When interpreted, the text may be a name, a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter, a book, or a library.
Theorem 11. There are only countably many texts.
Proof. By definition there are only finitely many symbols in the "alphabet" from which we may compose texts. List them exhaustively in any order. To the first symbol, assign the numeral "10". To the second, assign the numeral "100". To the third, assign "1000" and so on. In general, to the nth symbol in the alphabet we assign the numeral in which "1" is followed by n zeroes. Now in each text, replace the symbols with their corresponding numerals. Concatenate the numerals so that, for example, "10 100 1000 10" becomes "10100100010". We now have a method for converting every distinct text into a distinct natural number. But there are only À 0 natural numbers. Therefore there are at most À 0 texts.
This theorem has deep consequences. We will soon prove (Theorem 16) that there are uncountably many real numbers. But by the present theorem, there are only countably many names for anything. Hence, only a countable subset of the real numbers can be named. Or conversely (by Theorem 9), uncountably many real numbers cannot be named.
This theorem also means that there are at most countably many theorems in any axiom system (in which theorems are finitely long). But we know from Theorem 3 that there are uncountably many sets of natural numbers. If there is at least one truth of number theory for each set of natural numbers (e.g. that some number n belongs to that set), then there will be uncountably many truths of number theory. Therefore, there are uncountably many more truths of number theory than there are texts. It follows that every axiom system intended to capture number theory is doomed to incompleteness.
Theorem 12. The number of points on a finite line segment is the same as the number of points on an infinite ray.
Until I can draw a GIF for this theorem, imagine a large letter "Z". Label the point at the upper left, C, that at the upper right, D, that at the lower left A. Imagine that the bottom bar continues infinitely to the right, and that point B is somewhere along it to the right of A. Proof. Let segment CD be parallel to ray AB. From point C we can draw a line through any point of AD, except D itself, and the line we draw will intersect AB somewhere; in this way we can pair any point on AD with exactly one point on AB. Conversely, from point C we can draw a line through any point of the ray AB, and the line we draw will intersect AD somewhere; in this way, we can pair any point on AB with exactly one point on AD. But this means the points on AD, minus D itself, and those on AB can be put into one-to-one correspondence. Hence they contain the same number of points.
We have yet to say how many points are on AD (minus D itself) or the infinite ray AB, but we know it will be some infinite cardinality. Now since any infinite cardinal plus one equals the original infinite cardinal (Theorem 7), we may add back the point D, which we omitted above, without changing the cardinality of the set of points on the segment.
Theorem 13. The number of points on a finite line segment is the same as the number of points on an infinite line.
The proof is a simple variation on the proof for Theorem 12. Imagine the mirror image of the figure used in Theorem 12 (a "backward Z"), with a new point, D', to the left of C, and a new point, B', to the left of A. We would then prove that two line segments (AD and AD') together contain the same number of points as the infinite line. But the two line segments together make one longer, though still finite segment. Therefore, the number of points in a finite segment equals the number of points on an infinite line.
Definition. The number of real numbers is the same as the number of points on an infinite line; or in the jargon, the numerical continuum has the same cardinality as the linear continuum.
Notation. Let c (lower-case "c" for "continuum") designate the cardinality of the continuum or equivalently, the cardinality of the set of real numbers. Hence c = | R | by definition.
Theorem 14. c + c = c.
Proof. One finite line segment of arbitrary length has c points (Theorems 12 and 13). A second of arbitrary length has c points. Together they make a longer, though still finite line segment, hence one which has c points.
points (Theorems 12 and 13). A second of arbitrary length has points. Together they make a longer, though still finite line segment, hence one which has points. Therefore we have as corollaries, 2c = c, 3c = c, and nc = c for every positive integer n.
Theorem 15. À 0 · c = c.
Proof. Think of an infinite line as marked off into unit segments, like a ruler. Clearly the segments could be put into one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers. Hence there are denumerably many, or À 0 , such segments. But from Theorem 13 we know that each segment has c points. But the whole line also has c points (by definition of c). Hence the whole line has as many points, c, as the number of segments, À 0 , times the number of points per segment, c.
Theorem 16. The set of real numbers is uncountable, or | R | > À 0 .
Equivalently, this theorem asserts that c > À 0 .
> . Proof. Again we use a negative proof. Assume that the real numbers can be put into one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers. Take the set of real numbers between 0 and 1. Express terminating decimal fractions as non-terminating decimal fractions; for example, 0.5 becomes 0.4999.... Now under our assumption pair off the natural numbers with the reals between 0 and 1, thus: 0 0. d d d d ... 1 0. d d d d ... 2 0. d d d d ... ... ...
where d is some digit. Now starting with the upper left d, move diagonally down and to the right, following the yellow highlights. Change each d we encounter to some other digit, for example, incrementing it by one, and changing 9 to 0. In this way we construct a new decimal fraction that is demonstrably nowhere on our list, for it differs from the first one in the first decimal place, from the second in the second place, and so on. But this contradicts our assumption that we have exhaustively listed all the real numbers between 0 and 1. Therefore the assumption is false and the reals cannot be put into one-to-one correspondence with the naturals. But the reals are at least as numerous as the naturals and cannot have the smaller cardinality. Therefore, the cardinality of the set of real numbers is greater than the cardinality of the set of natural numbers.
Now we have only to prove that the number of reals between 0 and 1 is the same as the number of all the reals. But this follows directly from Theorem 13.
Theorem 17. The power set of the set of natural numbers has the same cardinality as the set of real numbers, or |* N | = | R | = c.
Proof. We know from the proof of Theorem 3 above that every set of natural numbers can be represented as a denumerable string of "yeses" and "noes". These denumerable strings, in turn, can be put into one-to-one correspondence with the denumerable strings of "1's" and "0's". These strings, in turn, can be put into one-to-one correspondence with the real numbers between 0 and 1 if we put a decimal point at the left end each denumerable string of 1's and 0's, and regard the result as a fraction in base two. (We can purge this set of numeral strings of repetitions without reducing the cardinality of the set; if you don't believe me, see the postscript below.) Finally, these real numbers between 0 and 1 can be put into one-to-one correspondence with all the reals, as we saw in Theorem 13.
Postscript. To convert a string of 1's and 0's into a binary fraction, just tack a decimal point (or a zero and then a decimal point) onto the left end. For example, 111000... becomes 0.111000..., which equals 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 0/16 + 0/32.... Some of these fractions will equal others, for example, 0.1000... = 0.0111.... (For clarity, remember that in base 10, 0.5000... = 0.4999..., as we saw in Theorem 16.) There are at most countably many such repetitions. We know this because if we take all the fractions that consist of "000..." at some point in their expansions, and cut off the trailing zeroes, we will produce distinct, finite strings of 1's and 0's. But there are at most countably many such finite strings, according to Theorem 11. Now we know from Theorem 16 that there are uncountably many real numbers between 0 and 1. Hence to delete the countably many repetitions would leave us with the same uncountable cardinality we started with, according to Theorem 9.
Remembering that | N | = À 0 (by definition), we may use the notation introduced in Theorem 5 to restate this theorem thus: c = 2 À 0 (2 to the power of À 0 , in case your browser choked on this expression).
Theorem 18. The set of points in a square has the same cardinality as the set of points on one of its edges (namely, c).
Proof. We know from Theorems 12 and 13 that the number of points in a finite line segment is c . Now we need only show that the number of points inside a square is also c . First, think of left and bottom edges of the square as collinear with the x and y axes of a Cartesian coordinate system. Every distinct point inside the square, therefore, has a distinct pair of real numbers to identify it; one is its position on the x axis, the other its position on the y axis. Now interlace these two numbers as we did in Theorems 1 and 7. For example, if the x axis position is 0.125000... and the y axis position is 0.333..., then interlace these two decimal fractions digit by digit to make 0.1323530303030.... We now have a single real number, rather than a pair of real numbers, to correspond to each point inside the square. Each of these new, interlaced numbers is a real number between 0 and 1. We know from Theorem 16 that there are at most c of these. But since they correspond to the points inside a square we also know that there are at least c of them. Therefore, there are exactly c of them.
. Now we need only show that the number of points inside a square is also . First, think of left and bottom edges of the square as collinear with the x and y axes of a Cartesian coordinate system. Every distinct point inside the square, therefore, has a distinct pair of real numbers to identify it; one is its position on the x axis, the other its position on the y axis. Now interlace these two numbers as we did in Theorems 1 and 7. For example, if the x axis position is 0.125000... and the y axis position is 0.333..., then interlace these two decimal fractions digit by digit to make 0.1323530303030.... We now have a single real number, rather than a pair of real numbers, to correspond to each point inside the square. Each of these new, interlaced numbers is a real number between 0 and 1. We know from Theorem 16 that there are at most of these. But since they correspond to the points inside a square we also know that there are at least of them. Therefore, there are exactly of them. Intensively for the three years from 1871 to 1874 Cantor labored to prove this theorem false. Then he surprised himself by proving it true. "I see it, but I don't believe it," he wrote to Dedekind.
Theorem 19. c · c = c.
This theorem follows directly from Theorem 18.
As corollaries of this theorem, we have c · c · c = c, and c · c · c · ... · c = c, or in short, cn = c when n is any positive integer.
Theorem 20. The set of all points in a cube has the same cardinality as the set of all points in one of its edges, namely, c.
The proof is a simple variation of that for Theorem 18. In fact, it is equivalent to one of the corollaries of Theorem 19. Each point inside the cube will have three coordinates, not two. Hence we interlace three decimal fractions, not two. The rest of the proof is the same as for Theorem 18.
Theorem 21. The set of all points in an infinite plane has the same cardinality as the set of all points in a finite line segment, namely, c.
Proof. Think of the plane as marked off into an infinite number of square cells, like graph paper. First we show that there will be denumerably many, or À 0 , such square cells. Pick one cell arbitrarily, and number it 0. Go to the cell above it and number that cell 1. Go one cell to the right and number it 2. Continue in this way to circle the "0" cell. The result will be a spiral that would eventually cover the plane. Yet each cell contains a natural number. Hence the cells and the natural numbers can be put into one-to-one correspondence. Second we note that each cell contains c points, under Theorem 18. Therefore, the number of points in the infinite plane is the number of cells, À 0 , times the number of points in a cell, c (by Theorem 18), which we know is equal to c (by Theorem 15).
Theorem 22. À 0 · À 0 = À 0 .
The proof of this theorem was already encapsulated in the proof of Theorem 21 when we showed that there were denumerably many, or À 0 , cells in the infinite graph paper of the Euclidean plane. But another way to ascertain the number of such cells is to take the product of the 'length' of the plane (in cells) and the 'width' of the plane (in cells). But the plane is À 0 cells 'high', and À 0 cells 'wide'. Hence the number of cells is À 0 · À 0 . However, we already know the number of cells (from Theorem 21) to equal À 0 .
Theorem 23. The set of all points in infinite, 3-dimensional, Euclidean space has the same cardinality as the set of all points in a finite line segment, namely, c.
The proof is a variation on that of Theorem 21. We divide the space into cubes, rather than the plane into squares. Our spiraling path which puts the natural numbers into one-to-one correspondence with the cubes will be more complex, but perhaps you can visualize it. The rest of the proof is the same, except that we use Theorem 20 rather than Theorem 18.
Theorem 24. The set of all points in À 0 -dimensional space has the same cardinality as the set of all points in a finite line segment, namely, c).
Proof. If the set of all points in 3-dimensional space is c3, then the set of all points in À 0 -dimensional space is c À 0 . But under Theorem 17, the latter number equals (2 À 0 ) À 0 , which in turn equals 2( À 0 · À 0 ), which (by Theorem 22) equals 2 À 0 , which (by Theorem 17) equals c.
Definition. The continuum hypothesis (CH) asserts that there is no cardinal number a such that À 0 < a < c.
Since by Theorem 17, c = |* N | = | R |, we could use any of the latter two expressions in place of c in stating CH.
= |* | = | |, we could use any of the latter two expressions in place of in stating CH. From CH it follows that the next largest transfinite cardinal after À 0 is c . Hence it also follows that c = À 1 . Since we already know (from Theorem 17) that 2 À 0 = c , CH allows us to say that 2 À 0 = À 1 .
is . Hence it also follows that = . Since we already know (from Theorem 17) that 2 = , CH allows us to say that 2 = . The commonly heard assertion that c = À 1 assumes CH. The widespread acceptance of the assertion by mathematicians therefore attests to the general acceptance of CH in the profession. (Without CH we have essentially no idea which Aleph corresponds to c , and we would know the cardinality of the naturals, integers, and rationals, but not the cardinality of the reals.)
= assumes CH. The widespread acceptance of the assertion by mathematicians therefore attests to the general acceptance of CH in the profession. (Without CH we have essentially no idea which Aleph corresponds to , and we would know the cardinality of the naturals, integers, and rationals, but not the cardinality of the reals.) Cantor formulated CH, and spent the last years of his career unsuccessfully trying to prove it. His failure obsessed him and caused recurring bouts of serious depression. To prove or disprove CH was the first problem on David Hilbert's famous 1900 list of important unsolved problems in mathematics.
Similarly, attempts to prove or disprove CH, or to prove it undecidable, consumed most of Kurt Gödel's 36 years at the Institute for Advanced Study. But he did produce an important partial proof. In 1938, Gödel showed that CH cannot be disproved from the axioms of Zermelo-Fraenkel (ZF) set theory, the closest thing we have to "standard" set theory. This meant that the negation of CH (notation: ~CH) could not be derived from the ZF axioms. And this in turn entailed that CH could be assumed and used in standard set theory without introducing any inconsistencies that were not already there. Gödel in effect proved that CH was as harmless as the less exotic propositions that already comprised set theory. That is the main reason why most mathematicians accept CH today.
In 1963 Paul Cohen showed that CH cannot be proved from the ZF axioms. Together, Gödel and Cohen's results show that CH is independent of the ZF axioms: neither it nor its negation can be derived from them. Among other things, this means that CH is undecidable in ZF. After Euclid's parallel postulate, CH was the first major conjecture to be proved undecidable by standard mathematics. Its independence also means that ~CH is just as consistent with standard set theory as CH itself. This has allowed set theorists to develop set theories with and without it, just as geometers can develop geometries with or without Euclid's parallel postulate. Set theory with ~CH rather than CH is usually called Non-Cantorian set theory.
Definition. The generalized continuum hypothesis (GCH) asserts that 2 À a = À a+1 for every positive integer a.
When a=0, GCH yields the ordinary CH.
GCH implies that, starting with À 0 , we can march through the transfinite cardinals with the power set operation, and will not skip any. It follows that for every infinite set S, if |S| = À n , then |*S| = À n+1 , or that the only transfinite cardinals are | N |, |* N |, |** N |, |*** N |, ....
Bibliographic note. Most of the theorems and proofs in this crash course were discovered by Georg Cantor (1845-1918) and published in a series of monographs starting in 1870. He published two summary statements of his results in 1895 and 1897, which have been translated into English by Philip E. B. Jourdain as Contributions to the Founding of the Theory of Transfinite Numbers, Dover Publications, 1955. My exposition of Cantor's results is indebted to three more recent authors: Stephen Cole Kleene, Introduction to Metamathematics, North-Holland Pub. Co., 1952; Abraham Fraenkel, Abstract Set Theory, North-Holland Pub. Co., 1953; and Geoffrey Hunter, Metalogic, University of California Press, 1971. |
Think the Windows XP workstation you use at the office is ancient? It doesn't hold a candle next to what the Grand Rapids Public School district is using to control its climate systems. All 19 schools covered by the authority depend on a nearly 30-year-old Commodore Amiga 2000 to automate their air conditioning and heating. It communicates to the other schools using a pokey 1,200 baud modem and a wireless radio so behind the times that it occasionally interferes with maintenance workers' walkie talkies. Oh, and a high school student wrote the necessary code -- if something goes wrong, the district has to contact the now middle-aged programmer and hope that he can fix it. It's a testament to the dependability of the Amiga in question, but you probably wouldn't want to trust the well-being of thousands of students to a computer that's probably older than some of the teachers. |
Police are searching the Oshawa Harbour after a fisherman discovered a female torso floating in the water.
The fisherman spotted the body part near the lighthouse in the harbour at around 8:30 p.m. Monday evening.
A preliminary examination conducted by the coroner's office identified "obvious" signs of trauma, according to Durham Regional Police.
Homicide investigators are now searching the lakefront and speaking to people in the area.
"We're going to be out there probably for most of the day with our public safety unit doing a grid search, doing a canvas of the area and the marine unit [will be] out there as well," said police spokesperson Dave Selby.
Police are also reviewing missing persons cases and calling for tips from the public in an effort to identify the deceased person.
"We'll be calling on the medical experts to help us determine DNA and that kind of thing," Selby added.
A post mortem examination will be conducted today to determine a cause of death.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Det. Short (ext. 5407) of the DRPS Homicide Unit at 1-888-579-1520. |
Past cuts to school funding have hit poor school districts in Pennsylvania the hardest. Credit: Cole Stivers/Pixabay.
HARRISBURG, Pa. – On Wednesday the state House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a package of revenue sources that could help restore past cuts to education funding.
Budget cuts imposed on education in 2011 have made educational inequality worse in the state.
According to Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of the Education Law Center, Pennsylvania now has the widest gap between rich and poor districts of any state in the nation.
"The revenue bill is not by itself the solution to our funding crisis," she says, "but it is a necessary step toward closing the gap between the wealthiest and poorest school districts."
Even if the revenue bill passes, it still doesn't guarantee that any increase in funds will go to education – that depends on passage of a budget bill.
Klehr says Pennsylvania's most vulnerable students, including those living in poverty, in foster care and in the juvenile justice system, as well as English language learners, need the legislature to pass a budget that increases school funding.
"These are the students that have been hardest hit by funding inequality," she says. "We must ensure that new dollars are directed to these schools by restoring funds lost in the 2011 cuts and shift towards a fair funding formula."
Without new sources of revenue, the state will face a budget deficit next year of more than $2 billion, which advocates say could lead to more cuts to schools and human services.
In June, the state Assembly passed a budget that included a $100 million increase in education funding. According to Klehr, that amount is inadequate.
"We support the adoption of a budget that increases basic education funding by at least $410 million," she says, "and begin implementation of the new funding formula that was unanimously adopted by the Education Funding Commission."
As the budget impasse continues, schools are being forced to borrow money to keep their doors open, adding an additional $11 million in interest and other costs to their operating expenses for the year.
Andrea Sears, Public News Service - PA |
The Warriors and Ben Gordon are close to agreement on a deal for training camp, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Gordon has remained in free agency since he cleared waivers from the Magic, who released him in June rather than guarantee his $4.5MM salary. Golden State doesn’t have the capacity to give the 11-year veteran and former Sixth Man of the Year more than the minimum salary, and it would appear that little, if any, guaranteed money would be involved.
Gordon, who’s hit 40.1% of his career three-point attempts, would give Golden State an extra shooter, an asset the team has been looking for, Stein notes. He bounced back this past season, knocking down 36.1% of his treys, after an uncharacteristic 27.6% three-point shooting performance for Charlotte in 2013/14. The 32-year-old nonetheless saw a career-low 14.1 minutes per game in his year with Orlando, fueling the notion that the Magic overpaid when they struck a two-year, $9MM deal with Gordon in 2014.
[RELATED POST: Speights Savors Title As Contract Year Looms]
Golden State already has 19 players with either signed contracts or verbal agreements, leaving just one open spot for camp, as our roster count shows. Room on the regular season roster is similarly tight, with 13 full guarantees and a partial guarantee for James Michael McAdoo, who has drawn raves from coach Steve Kerr.
Should the Warriors sign Gordon? Leave a comment to tell us. |
There's a minor war brewing between 20th Century Fox's X-Men: Days of Future Past and Marvel Studios' The Avengers 2. Both franchises hold the right to use characters Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, mutant siblings of Magneto and substantial members of both superhero teams. The catch is, Fox can never mention the Avengers, and Marvel Studios can never explain that they are Mutants, or mention the name of their father.
Shortly after The Avengers 2 director Joss Whedon confirmed both of the characters would have significant roles to play in his sequel, director Bryan Singer announced that he had cast American Horror Story mainstay Evan Peters as Quicksilver in his film. This came as a shock to many, as the character has never been utilized by the X-Men franchise over the course of six films, and until last week, it didn't look like he'd be making an appearance in X-Men: Days of Future Past either.
To a lot of fans, the casting announcement came from out of left field, and read spiteful on the studios' behalf. Right now, its believed that the character has a very minor role in X-Men: Days of Future Past, in one action sequence that supposedly needs his, and only his, Mutant power of speed. Joss Whedon appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Friday night, with many hoping he would address this controversy.
Related: Mark Ruffalo Dropped a Big Endgame Spoiler Last Year and Most Fans Forgot
He spoke nothing of Fox and Bryan Singer's recent casting announcement. Instead, he talked about the characters, explaining why he wanted to use them, and that casting is currently in the midst of happening right now. While some speculate that this move is trying to tie the two franchises together, that's highly unlikely. Evan Peters is 98% confirmed not to be playing Quicksilver in The Avengers 2, but that could change. Stranger things have happened.
Check out Joss on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, then read on for his quotes.
"There are new characters. I've already said that we're going to have a brother-sister team, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, who were great mainstays of The Avengers when I was reading the comics as a kid. Besides the fact that I grew up reading them, their powers are very visually interesting. One of the problems I had on the first one was, everybody basically had punchy powers. 'I can hit,' 'I can also hit.' 'I can hit harder' That can get boring in a two hour movie. Hoepfully it didn't get too boring. But coming into the second one, he's got super speed. She can weave little spells and a little telekinesis, get inside your head. There's good stuff that they can do that will help keep it fresh."
While Evan Peters is confirmed as Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past, the character has yet to be cast in The Avengers 2. Joss has made it known that he is tailoring his Scarlet Witch after young Hanna star Saoirse Ronan, and its likely that she will be confirmed within this next week. Might we suggest Justin Bieber as Quicksilver in The Avengers 2? Who do you want to see? |
New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts
New Orleans Saints defensive back Leigh Torrence (24) runs past Indianapolis defense for a pick six during the game between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts at the Superdome on Sunday, October 23, 2011. (Photo by Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
(Michael DeMocker)
INDIANAPOLIS -- The New Orleans Saints made changes to their coaching staff this offseason other than replacing the five men dismissed shortly after the season.
Leigh Torrence, a cornerback with the Saints from 2008-11, is now a defensive assistant after spending the 2016 season as a coaching intern with the team.
Torrence replaces Marcus Ungaro, who will shift from defensive assistant to a role with the scouting department.
Ungaro has been with the Saints since 2007 and the coaching staff since 2010. As a coach, Ungaro primarily worked with the defensive backs, something Torrence will surely do now after his previous playing experience at the position. |
1,952 bracketeers voted in Batch 13, and over 1.5m votes have been cast in the Magic Bracket thus far.
The full results for Batch 13 are as follows:
River of Tears defeats Light of Day with 92.5% of the vote
Icy Manipulator defeats Lorescale Coatl with 57.7% of the vote
Groundskeeper defeats Mending Touch with 84.1% of the vote
Courier Hawk defeats Blockade Runner with 55.1% of the vote
Serpent Assassin defeats Wojek Siren with 69.0% of the vote
Wrath of Marit Lage defeats Duty-Bound Dead with 53.4% of the vote
Underworld Connections defeats Goldenhide Ox with 94.1% of the vote
Cockatrice defeats Zephyr Spirit with 84.7% of the vote
Aether Spellbomb defeats Ior Ruin Expedition with 71.4% of the vote
Lim-Dûl the Necromancer defeats Fiendslayer Paladin with 51.1% of the vote
Greater Morphling defeats Bureaucracy with 64.5% of the vote
Fall of the Gavel defeats Arachnoid with 69.6% of the vote
Sharding Sphinx defeats Heat Shimmer with 76.2% of the vote
Alpha Tyrranax defeats Silent Attendant with 56.4% of the vote
Devour Flesh defeats Shanodin Dryads with 78.7% of the vote
Corpse Augur defeats Feed the Clan with 56.0% of the vote
Wakedancer defeats Royal Falcon with 92.6% of the vote
Abzan Battle Priest defeats Lady Zhurong, Warrior Queen with 62.0% of the vote
Dwarven Miner defeats Nephalia Academy with 59.3% of the vote
Polar Kraken defeats Sweep Away with 54.5% of the vote
Eaten by Spiders defeats Font of Return with 66.4% of the vote
Stormfront Pegasus defeats Thelon’s Curse with 56.9% of the vote
Lone Revenant defeats Wing Puncture with 79.4% of the vote
Deadshot Minotaur defeats Divine Transformation with 77.6% of the vote
Jagged Poppet defeats Rebirth with 66.8% of the vote
Pelakka Wurm defeats Wort, Boggart Auntie with 58.1% of the vote
Suppression Field defeats Mine Bearer with 84.6% of the vote
Shadow Slice defeats Chimeric Sphere with 50.9% of the vote
Lim-Dûl’s Vault defeats Faithful Squire with 82.0% of the vote
Into the Roil defeats Kjeldoran Royal Guard with 82.3% of the vote
Star Compass defeats Nissa’s Judgment with 57.3% of the vote
Balshan Collaborator defeats Stormcrag Elemental with 52.8% of the vote |
Ever wanted to sleep inside a shark? Me neither, I've just always wanted to cuddle. But if you're in college and want to experiment before settling down in a relationship, make sure to get your roommate blackout drunk first. Then when he wakes up in the morning and can't remember anything tell him he had a fine-ass girl over. But it was really you. The $200 ChumBuddy was designed by Kendra Phillips (of The Girls Next Door fame) and sleeps one adult or several children if you pack them in really tight.
It's a sleeping bag! It's a stuffed toy! IT'S A SHARK! In an effort to make sharks (a very misunderstood animal that also happens to be one of my favorites) more cuddly, I designed and produced a prototype for the ChumBuddy. This 7 foot monster plush was 100% hand sewn (sewing machines hate me) from fleece and felt & contains about 30 lbs of poly-fill.
The bag is available for pre-order now and ships in the fourth quarter. Which -- call it in the air, heads or tails. Oho, tails! You owe me a dollar. I'll bet you another dollar I know where you got your shoes. On yo feet! Pay me.
Hit the jump for one more shot of the awesomeness.
Product Site
via
Kendra Phillips' Portfolio
Thanks to Erika and bunnyman, who have only slept in dolphins. |
G20: Malcolm Turnbull says China 'respects' Australia's foreign investment stance
Updated
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says China understands Australia's approach to foreign investment, despite President Xi Jinping raising it during talks on the sidelines of the G20 in Hangzhou.
Mr Turnbull met Mr Xi in his first bilateral meeting of the two-day summit.
China's state media said President Xi urged Australia to create a "fair, transparent and predictable environment" for foreign investment, in the wake of recent decisions by Australia to block Chinese bidders from major electricity and agricultural sales.
"We mostly say yes, we invariably say yes, but from time to time we say no, and we make no bones about that, and China respects it," Mr Turnbull said.
He also emphasised that it was easier for Chinese companies to invest in Australia than for Australian companies to invest in China.
The issue of Chinese investment is one of the contentious points between the two countries.
Mr Turnbull said he also urged China to peacefully resolve the South China Sea dispute "in accordance with international law".
China in July lost an international court case filed by the Philippines over the legal basis of China's claims in the disputed waterway — a decision China ignored.
In response, President Xi reportedly urged Australia to respect China's "core interests".
The sideline meeting is one of several Mr Turnbull is having during the G20, which brings together leaders of the world's largest economies.
The official agenda aims at finding ways to kick-start economic growth amidst a slowdown in China and sluggishness in Europe.
Earlier, during an address to hundreds of business delegates, Malcolm Turnbull took a swipe at resurgent calls for protectionism in Europe and the United States.
Mr Turnbull urged G20 leaders to fight to keep their markets open to trade, using Australia as an example of where trade has helped the economy to continuously grow.
"Protectionism, trying to turn back the clock of economic reform, that is the road to poverty," he said.
"It would be a mistake of historic proportions for the G20 to stand by while scare campaigns not based on facts or evidence foster protectionism, or indeed isolationism," he added.
Topics: trade, business-economics-and-finance, world-politics, government-and-politics, china, australia
First posted |
Getty Images/Glenn James
The dysfunctional New York Knicks are desperately searching for a trade partner to take problem child/low-volume scorer J.R. Smith off their hands.
Too bad the Association doesn't operate outside of New York the way it does inside the Empire State.
According to Ian Begley and Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Knicks have begun exploring trade options for the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. League sources told CBS Sports' Ken Berger that the Knicks have been shopping Smith for as long as two weeks.
Bigfoot hunters will have an easier time than Knicks general manager Steve Mills. How do you find something that doesn't exist?
Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images
"Is it April Fool's Day?" a rival executive asked SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria in reaction to Smith's appearance on the trade market. "Of course [they want to trade him], but only an idiot would take him. Can Steve Mills trade him to himself?"
Maybe Mills just isn't looking in the right places.
"I hear Shanghai has a spot," one executive told Berger. "Erie?" offered another.
Smith is a handful in the worst kind of way.
He recently got hit with a $50,000 fine for "recurring instances of unsportsmanlike conduct," via Scott Cacciola of The New York Times, the latest transgression coming when he tried to untie an opponent's shoes while awaiting a free-throw attempt—days after specifically being warned not to do exactly that.
The Knicks have put up with a lot from Smith. The 28-year-old admitted to delaying knee surgery over the summer until after he'd secured a new three-year, $18 million contract extension. He picked up a five-game suspension in September for violating the league's anti-drug policy.
But this "Lacegate" feels like a new kind of low, even by his standards:
All of his antics could be forgiven, though, if he was producing at a high level. He's not. Not by a long shot.
His scoring is down nearly seven points a game from last season (11.3 down from 18.1). His shooting numbers are down across the board, including new career lows in field-goal (34.8) and free-throw (62.8) percentage.
For someone who's made his NBA name solely at the offensive end of the floor, it's hard to figure out exactly what, if anything, he could add to a team.
Besides an unrelenting series of headaches, that is.
Follow @Hoops_Guru |
In his film The Coming War on China, John Pilger warns that nuclear war is no longer unthinkable. China's building of airstrips in the South China Sea has become a flashpoint for war between China and the US.
But China itself is under threat. The US "pivot to Asia", announced under former US President Barack Obama, encompasses the biggest military buildup since the Second World War.
"American bases form a giant noose encircling China with missiles, bombers, warships - all the way from Australia through the Pacific to Asia and beyond," Pilger says.
Al Jazeera spoke to the award-winning journalist about what inspired him to make the film. And what has changed since Donald Trump took office.
Watch The Coming War on China
Al Jazeera: What inspired you to make The Coming War on China?
John Pilger: I have reported from Asia for many years. In 2009, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that the South China Sea was a "security interest" of the United States.
China and the Philippines were then negotiating a dispute over the Spratly Islands - which was near to resolution. Clinton urged Manila to take the issue to an international tribunal.
In 2011, President Obama announced the "pivot to Asia" - which meant that two-thirds of US naval and air forces would concentrate in the Asia-Pacific, the biggest build-up of military forces since World War II. This was aimed, clearly, at China.
Why did you call it the Coming war "on" China, not "with" China?
Pilger: China is surrounded by 400 US military bases; US naval forces are on the doorstep of China. US missiles are pointed at China from Okinawa and southern Korea.
There are no Chinese naval ships and no Chinese bases off California; there is no demonstrable Chinese military threat to the US, though China has made significant defensive preparations since Obama's "pivot".
Nothing is inevitable; but provocation can lead to miscalculation, mistake or accident. John Pilger
What has changed since Trump, who vowed to "make America great again", came to power?
Pilger: Trump has continued Obama's "pivot to Asia" policy. During the election campaign, Trump made threats to impose tariffs on Chinese imports but has not followed through. The one significant change is the standoff over North Korea - which is very dangerous. The Trump administration has dismissed the proposal, agreed between China and North Korea and backed by Russia, that North Korea is prepared to negotiate if the US and South Korea withdraw their fleets from North Korean waters.
With Pyongyang launching missiles, should the world be concerned about North Korea?
Pilger: Yes, of course, the world should be concerned about North Korea. But as international polls show, the world is more concerned about the US. Understanding why Pyongyang behaves the way it does is important. It wants a peace treaty that would finally end the Korean War of more than 60 years ago and de-militarise the peninsula. That would lift the threat of a US attack - as North Korea sees it. It would almost certainly ease its state of siege. In the 1990s, Pyongyang and Washington agreed what was known as a Framework Accord that opened previously shut doors and windows. George W. Bush abandoned this.
Are economic factors creating more tension or could they prevent these two powers from going to war?
Pilger: The rise of China's economy in a generation is phenomenal and barely understood in the West. The US elite - that is, those who have assumed power with the post 9/11 ascendancy of the Pentagon and the national security monoliths - regard American "dominance" of world affairs, especially Asia, as threatened by China's economic rise.
Do you think war between the US and China is inevitable?
Pilger: Nothing is inevitable; but provocation can lead to miscalculation, mistake or accident, especially when "first strike" safeguards have been removed from the deployment of nuclear weapons. My film is a warning. |
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Updated: 03/15/2016 |
Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack although law enforcement officers said they were not treating terror as a primary motive. Graphic video has emerged showing the appalling wounds sustained by one of the attacker’s victims. The footage from regional news agency K-Inform shows paramedics helping a blood-soaked shopper at the scene. Another image shows an axe dropped by the suspected jihadist - who was dressed in black and wore a balaclava - during his first attack at a local shopping centre.
TWITTERYOUTUBE A man in Surgut, Russia has gone on a stabbing rampage
A man was running along the main streets stabbing people Russian law enforcement
He used it to attack a woman close to a cash machine, according to reports. It emerged earlier that he ignited an explosive device, possibly a Molotov cocktail, in the shopping centre. Russian television reported that the stabbing victims are aged between 27 and 77 and include two women. Dr Alexander Ivanov said: "The wounds vary but mainly they are to the head, neck and stomach".
YOUTUBE A Russian police officers above the body of the suspected knifeman
The attacker has been named by pro-Kremlin media as Artur Gadzhiev, 19, from Dagestan, a strongly Muslim area of the Russian Caucasus, but police have not yet confirmed his identity. He was shot dead by a policeman after refusing to obey demands to give himself up. It is understood his step-father was late yesterday detained by police at the family home. Neighbours called him "a very good man".
Russia: Knifeman wounds eight in stabbing spree Sat, August 19, 2017 A knifeman has run amok in the Siberian city of Surgut. Nobody was killed, though eight were injured. Authorities are working to establish the attacker's motives Play slideshow Twitter 1 of 5 The attacker is pinned to the floor
One local who knew the attacker said "something was wrong with his head" since he was around 14 . It was also reported that the FSB security services warned the police and local administration in advance of a possible attack in Srgut yesterday. Additional officers were on the street when the teenager staged his attack.
nc Shocked witnesses said the man went on the rampage in the street
Russian officials said on Saturday that terrorism was not their main version over the attack, despite the claim of responsibility by ISIS. They were investigating "possible psychiatric disorders" in the man.
nc The knifeman was shot dead by police after injuring eight people |
Distressed Demi Moore admitted to hospital over 'substance abuse' and 'anorexia' issues... as Ashton Kutcher carries on the party in Rio
Actress 'collapsed after epileptic seizure'
Receiving treatment for issues relating to 'substance abuse' and 'anorexia' according to US reports
The 49-year-old 'danced on table tops' on recent wild night out with daughter
Estranged husband Ashton Kutcher parties on at pop concert in Rio
Demi Moore was rushed to hospital last night to be treated for problems rumoured to be related to 'substance abuse' and 'anorexia', it has been claimed.
The 49-year-old actress, who has appeared increasingly frail in recent weeks, was taken to hospital by ambulance following a call to 911 just before 11pm last night after the actress allegedly suffered a seizure.
The mother-of-three was with a female friend when she allegedly began shaking, it has been reported.
After being admitted to hospital, website Radar claim she is being treated for anorexia, among other substance abuse issues.
The news emerged as her young husband, 33, from whom she is estranged, was pictured enjoying a beer as he partied with friends at a Bruno Mars gig in Brazil.
Ashton has been in the South American country for its fashion week.
Scroll down for video
Seeking help: Demi, seen here earlier this month with her daughter Rumer was admitted to hospital on Monday night
The 49-year-old Ghost star has become frighteningly thin since her split with husband Ashton Kutcher, and a source close to the actress described what happened to her.
A source told Radar: 'She collapsed after having an epileptic seizure... she has not taken care of her health at all lately and has lost a ton of weight.'
'Demi is in getting treated for anorexia, as well as other issues that caused her seizure,' the source added.
In the weeks before her hospitalisation, Demi was spotted letting loose on a wild night out with her daughter Rumer, 23.
On the night of January 11 she joined her eldest child at Hollywood hot spot Beacher's Madhouse where sources tell Us Weekly magazine she was 'table dancing while three guys sat there watching.'
At least one onlooker claims she appeared intoxicated, although others only saw her drinking Red Bull.
Representatives for the star refused to directly comment on the substance abuse allegations. But her spokesperson said the actress is seeking 'professional assistance' after the stresses of recent months.
Moving on: The Two And A Half Men star is said to be dating someone his own age
Demi and Ashton's six year marriage foundered in 2011 after Star magazine's shock report that Ashton cheated on Demi with starlet Sara Leal the weekend of their wedding anniversary.
She announced that she was separating from him but has yet to file divorce papers.
According to TMZ a 911 call was placed at 10:45pm last night. The actress was assessed at home before being taken to a local hospital.
Her spokesperson told MailOnline in a statement: ‘Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health.
'She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends.’
Unaware: Demi's estranged husband Ashton was seen out drinking beer at a Bruno Mars Concert in Brazil last night while Demi was rushed to hospital
Demi's frail and gaunt appearance in recent weeks has caused considerable concern.
The actress, who announced last November that she was divorcing husband Ashton Kutcher, has lost a considerable amount of weight over the past four months.
And today it was announced she has pulled out of a cameo appearance in the film about porn star Linda Lovelace in which she had been cast as feminist icon Gloria Steinem.
While Demi is seeking treatment her estranged husband is currently in Sao Paulo where he has been attending the Fashion Week.
He was seen enjoying a beer with friends at a Bruno Mars concert, oblivious to the drama involving his wife.
The Two And A Half Men star is also said to have moved on following the breakdown of his marriage.
Ashton frolics in a 'summer storm' in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Party hard: Ashton seen leaving the concert in Sao Paulo with a female friend
Demi last appeared in public on January 14 at the Cinema For Peace event at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Her frail appearance shocked fans, although she appears to have been losing weight steadily since claims emerged Ashton had cheated on her with 22-year-old Sara Leal.
Demi, who looked a shadow of her former self, wore a slim fitting black dress which showed just how much weight she had lost from her usually toned physique.
On November 17 2011, Demi announced that she was filing for divorce from her toyboy husband after six years of marriage.
In happier and healthier times: Demi and her estranged husband Ashton Kutcher in February last year before they split
In a statement she said: 'It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton.
'As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life.'
He is now reportedly dating screenwriter Lorene Scafaria, who, at 33, is his own age.
The pair spent Christmas together in Europe.
Earlier this month Demi was seen in a parking lot with a 26-year-old actor and personal trainer Blake Corl-Baietti.
Her representatives refused to comment on speculation that the actress was in a relationship with the younger man.
Demi recently opened up about her fears and heartache in an interview with US Harper's Bazaar.
Changing shape: Demi was looking frail in October in the wake of news her husband had cheated on her, seen looking healthier in 2009
She admitted: ‘What scares me is that I’m going to ultimately find out at the end of my life that I’m really not lovable, that I’m not worthy of being loved.
'That there’s something fundamentally wrong with me.’
As well as speaking out about her anxieties, she also opened up about her body image.
The actress - who went through a gruelling fitness regime for her role in GI Jane - admitted to having had a ‘love-hate relationship’ with her body but said she had a more positive view of it now.
She said: ‘I sit today in a place of greater acceptance of my body and that includes not just my weight but all of the things that come with your changing body as you age to now experiencing my body as extremely thin.’ |
The latest Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act has been touch and go for months now. Many are asking why Republicans have had such trouble delivering, even with control of the House, Senate, and the White House. President Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE lays blame primarily at the hands of Democrats. However, research I conducted as part of the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group on the 2016 election finds that the president’s fractured coalition is largely responsible.
A statistical analysis of an 8,000 person survey uncovered five different types of Trump voters. These voters disagree on nearly every major policy issue surveyed — including on health care, taxes, immigration, race, and matters of American identity. These internal disagreements help to explain why the Trump agenda is having a difficult time in Congress even as 82 percent of Republicans remain behind him.
One group of Trump backers, whom I call American Preservationists, comprise Trump’s core base of supporters who propelled him through the primaries. They have lower incomes and education and are underemployed. Nearly half of those working age are on Medicaid. Out of step with Republican orthodoxy, Preservationists favor tax hikes on the wealthy, are deeply skeptical of immigration — both legal and illegal — and overwhelmingly support a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. They also feel less favorable toward immigrants and racial minorities, and nearly half think being of European descent is important for being truly American.
Free Marketeers are 25 percent of Trump’s backers and they are the mirror image of American Preservationists, having the highest incomes and education levels. They are most skeptical of Trump, with most saying they voted against Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' Former Sanders campaign spokesman: Clinton staff are 'biggest a--holes in American politics' MORE rather than for Trump. In contrast to the Preservationists, these are small government fiscal conservatives who embrace free trade. At the same time, they are as likely as Democrats to have warm feelings toward immigrants and racial minorities, and to support making legal immigration easier.
The largest Trump voter group is the Staunch Conservatives. They are 31 percent of his support and were the group that combined with the American Preservationists to give Trump the Republican nomination. They are loyal Republicans with conventionally conservative positions on social and economic issues. They also have warm feelings toward racial minorities in the U.S. However, although not as hardline as the Preservationists, they too are skeptical of immigration and strongly support a temporary travel ban on Muslims traveling to the U.S.
Had Anti-Elites, 19 percent of his voters, not turned against Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump may have lost the presidency. About half had positive views toward Clinton just four years ago. They support a more progressive tax code, a plurality support a pathway to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants, and they are as favorable toward racial minorities as non-Trump voters. Why aren’t the Anti-Elites Democrats? In addition to sharing Trump’s disdain for elites, they soured significantly on Hillary between 2012 and 2016 and are more cautious of immigration than Clinton.
Finally, the Disengaged (5 percent) is a small Trump voter group. They don’t know much about politics but what they do know is they are skeptical of immigration and believe the system is rigged against them.
Recognizing Trump’s diverse coalition helps explain why Republicans are having difficulty governing in Washington today.
The health care debate is a good example. Nearly 100 percent of Staunch Conservatives and Free Marketeers agree it is not government’s responsibility to guarantee universal health insurance — twice as likely as Preservationists and Anti-Elites.
Although Trump’s voters agree the Affordable Care Act should be repealed, polls reveal continued disagreement over replacement. For instance, an Economist/YouGov poll found that half of Trump’s voters think the health care system needs to be completely rebuilt, while the remainder think reforming the existing system will do the trick. Similarly a Washington Post/ABC news poll found his voters are divided on whether it’s more important to provide health insurance to low income people or cut taxes.
With health care reform on the ropes, there is added pressure for the Republicans to deliver a victory on taxes this fall. However, Trump’s fractured coalition may thwart it. For instance, nearly three-fourths of Preservationists and Anti-Elites favor tax hikes on the rich. Yet Staunch Conservatives and Free Marketeers oppose this policy by the same margins. Or when it comes to the border-adjustment tax, 62 percent of Free Marketeers favor policies that increase trade with other nations, while only a little over a third of Preservationists agree.
In short, Trump voters do not share a similar panoply of policy preferences. Trump earned their votes for different reasons and they have different expectations in mind for his presidency. Without the cohesive coalition that many have assumed, Trump will continue to find it difficult to deliver on all of his promises.
Emily Ekins Ph.D. is a research fellow and director of polling at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. Follow her on Twitter @emilyekins.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill. |
East Timor-Australia maritime border to be negotiated before United Nations after protests
Updated
East Timor is taking Australia to the United Nations to solve the dispute over its maritime border under international maritime law.
The island nation has long argued current arrangements mean it is missing out on billions of dollars in revenue from offshore oil and gas fields.
Last month, thousands of protesters gathered outside the Australian embassy in Dili calling for Australia to negotiate.
In a statement, the East Timorese Government said while there were temporary resource-sharing arrangements in the Timor Sea, there was no permanent maritime boundary between Australia and the small island nation.
It has now approached the UN to begin a formal conciliation process conducted by an independent panel of experts.
A history of treaties in the Timor Sea In 1989 Australia and Indonesia signed the Timor Gap Treaty when East Timor was still under Indonesian occupation.
East Timor was left with no permanent maritime border and Indonesia and Australia got to share the wealth in what was known as the Timor Gap.
In 2002 East Timor gained independence and the Timor Sea Treaty was signed, but no permanent maritime border was negotiated.
East Timor has long argued the border should sit halfway between it and Australia, placing most of the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field in their territory.
In 2004 East Timor started negotiating with Australia again about the border.
In 2006 the CMATS treaty was signed, but no permanent border was set, and instead it ruled that revenue from the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field would be split evenly between the two countries.
Australia has withdrawn from the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia was disappointed East Timor had decided to take the matter to the UN.
"We stand by the existing treaties, which are fair and consistent with international law," the spokeswoman said.
"These treaties have benefited both our countries and enabled Timor-Leste to accumulate a Petroleum Fund worth more than $16 billion.
"Timor-Leste's decision to initiate compulsory conciliation contravenes prior agreements between our countries not to pursue proceedings relating to maritime boundaries."
East Timor believed if the maritime boundary was decided under UNCLOS, most of the oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea would lie within their territory.
The location of the maritime border in relation to a multi-billion-dollar oil and gas field in the Timor Sea is central to a spying scandal that has rocked relations between East Timor and Australia.
Australia has been accused of bugging East Timor's cabinet office during negotiations for a treaty that would divide the revenues from the $40 billion Greater Sunrise oil and gas field.
That treaty ruled revenue from the Greater Sunrise field would be split evenly between the two countries.
"Establishing permanent maritime boundaries is a matter of national priority for Timor-Leste, as the final step in realising our sovereignty as an independent state," Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo said.
"Under international law, Australia is obliged to negotiate permanent maritime boundaries with Timor-Leste but it has refused to do so, despite all our invitations.
"This has left us with only one option.
"This process allows for a commission to assist our two countries to reach an amicable solution on permanent maritime boundaries."
Dr Araujo said his country is seeking a fair and equitable solution to what it argues it is entitled to under international law.
'It's really time to draw the line': Senior East Timor minister
Agio Pereira is the Minister of State, Timor Leste's second most important Cabinet position after the Prime Minister.
"It's really time to draw the line to give more certainty for East Timor and to consolidate more or less the sovereignty," he told the ABC's PM program.
Mr Pereira argues that East Timor will be a safer, more secure country if the boundaries change.
"The sovereign access to natural resources is a very sacrosanct principle of UN member states," he said.
"(A) sovereign nation state, without that, does have a lot of constraints in terms of full development of its own capacity, and that definitely will give Timor much higher certainty and better understanding of its potential."
This is the first time in the UN's history that the world body is being asked to step in.
Mr Pereira said Australia must abide by the UN's findings.
"Australia has been trying hard in the last few years to be as best of a citizen in international community as possible.
"I think Australia cannot go on lecturing other countries about respecting international law in the limitation of maritime boundaries, and yet look the other way in its closest neighbour, Timor Leste."
Mr Pereira made the case that Australia was behaving like China in its approach to the domination of the South China Sea. But he chose his words very carefully in pushing that line.
"It's in various fronts. I think Australia also played a very important role in other international issues, and that's very important. But you must lead by example."
But he said he was "not necessarily" comparing Canberra with Beijing.
"We see the foreign policy of Australia as a complex one in geopolitical sense, in its regional security sense, in economic sense. We respect that."
Topics: trade, government-and-politics, oil-and-gas, industry, business-economics-and-finance, east-timor, asia, australia
First posted |
The 2016 Philadelphia Union finished with 11 wins, 14 losses, 9 draws, a -3 goal differential, and a playoff appearance.
The 2017 Philadelphia Union finished with 11 wins, 14 losses, 9 draws, a +3 goal differential, and no playoff appearance.
So.. they improved? Or they didn’t..
Wait, what?
Jim Curtin’s team clobbered Orlando 6-1 on Sunday evening, a visiting team that phoned it in so badly that I could have sworn they were match fixing. It was the Union’s biggest margin of victory in franchise history and only the second time the team had ever scored six or more. C.J. Sapong set the record for most goals in a single Union season and the retiring Brian Carroll was sent out in winning fashion.
In a way, that performance was the perfect end to another bland campaign, meaning that they played well when it didn’t matter. The Union needed results from March through September and didn’t get it done, beginning the season with zero wins through eight games and slumping to a miserable 1-10-6 road record. Questions of Jim Curtin’s job security were casually brushed off even as teams with similar records were axing their managers.
It was business as usual in Chester, where the season’s inevitable outcome was determined less than halfway through. Young players were benched, others regressed, and the team played the same damn formation before finally getting experimental when the season was lost. One step forward, one step back for a franchise that can’t seem to get out of its own way.
The positives are few.
Rookie Jack Elliott surprised everyone with his intuitive and veteran style of play. Sapong, who started the season on the bench, had a career year. Haris Medunjanin wound up being a great signing and Andre Blake again proved his case for a European transfer. Folks continued the treck to Talen Energy Stadium despite onset apathy and continuing mediocrity, showing me that this fan base remains recession-proof and dedicated.
The future is foggy because of owner Jay Sugarman, who simply does not spend the money required to create a competitive team. Sporting Director Earnie Stewart does not have the resources required to assemble a playoff-caliber squad. The Union tried to play Moneyball in 2017 while expansion Atlanta spent millions of dollars on talented players and shattered MLS attendance records en route to a year-one postseason berth. Philadelphia has played (and lost) three playoff games in eight seasons.
If this team is going to get it done, they need to shed those middle of the road, $500,000 contracts and play the high/low game with academy talent backing up three game-changing designated players. Using DP slots on a million-dollar midfielder and striker should be doable if their backups are $65,000 youngsters like Anthony Fontana and Adam Najem. That’s how you skate through on the cheap while pushing your academy model and fielding a competitive team at the same time. You kill three birds with one stone and give fans something to be hopeful for, but it starts with gutting half of the existing roster.
Go:
Maurice Edu, Roland Alberg, Ilsinho, Chris Pontius, Warren Creavalle, Ray Gaddis, Andre Blake, Ken Tribbett, Charlie Davies, Brian Carroll, Fabinho, Jake McGuire, Oguchi Onyewu
I believe Alberg and Ilsinho both have option years coming up. I’d decline both and let them move on. Neither showed enough during the past two seasons to warrant a 2018 roster spot.
Charlie Davies confirmed he’s out on Twitter. His Union tenure ends with eight appearances and zero goals, which makes his trade one of the worst in franchise history. I’m just glad he’s okay after beating cancer and dealing with health scares involving his children. Some things are bigger than soccer.
Brian Carroll retired, so good on him for an underrated, trophy-winning career.
I’d sell Andre Blake, assuming the red tape is cleared up, and use the money on one of the DPs.
Chris Pontius can become a free agent, Fabinho’s contract is up, and I’d move on from the rest on that list if possible. I don’t know the contract status of some of those guys, like Gaddis, Creavalle, and Onyewu.
Maurice Edu should go to expansion Los Angeles on a safe deal to try to get his career back on track.
Stay:
Jack Elliot, Josh Yaro, Auston Trusty, Richie Marquez, Haris Medunjanin, Alejandro Bedoya, John McCarthy, Keegan Rosenberry, Fabian Herbers, C.J. Sapong, Aaron Jones, Marcus Epps, Derrick Jones, Fafa Picault, Jay Simpson, Adam Najem, Anthony Fontana, Giliano Wijnaldum
I’m pretty sure they’re locked in on another year of Jay Simpson, since most foreign guys sign 2+1 deals. His second year I believe is guaranteed.
You still have a nice young core of defenders, even if this year did absolutely nothing for Keegan Rosenberry, Richie Marquez, and Josh Yaro. Those three didn’t help themselves at all, nor did the coaching staff, but they are still going to have to be part of the conversation moving forward.
McCarthy remains the backup and I believe everybody else I listed is under contract for next season. Marquez I’m not sure actually, so we’ll see what happens there. I’ve had one foot off the beat for at least six months now.
No clue:
Eric Ayuk
He spent the season on loan. Maybe he comes back as wing depth if Pontius becomes a free agent.
The Sons of Ben disagree with me on Blake’s future, but THEY’RE WRONG!
Offseason signings –
DP attacking midfielder, DP striker, TAM-level center back, starting goalkeeper, right wing depth, backup left back
The biggest need is a DP #10, assuming they’re married to this 4-2-3-1 formation that never changes. They flirted with Elias Aguilar and Nicolas Martinez in the summer but decided not to sign either one. They need to be in the one million to 1.5 million range for this player and let Najem and Fontana be the cheap backups. You just can’t skimp on a playmaking number ten.
Striker is another story, because you’ve already got Sapong and Jay Simpson eating up $800,000 in this slot, and the Union only play one striker anyway. If you signed a $1,000,000 DP attacker, you’re spending $1.8m on a position where two of the guys are going to be on the bench. It’s a problem area created by the $500,000 Simpson signing. I don’t know what they do here.
If Blake goes, you can find a decent goalkeeper for $150k or $250k. We actually produce decent stoppers in this country, so no need to go the foreign route.
You’ll need another LB to replace Fabinho. Maybe you bring up Matt Real from Bethlehem Steel. If Gaddis goes, Aaron Jones can back up Keegan Rosenberry. I think you can get away with a wing combination of Picault and Herbers in 2018, assuming the former improves his finishing and the latter plays like he did at the tail-end of 2016.
At center back, I’m not sure. I still believe in Yaro or Marquez as a third CB, but a veteran TAM-level guy would be a nice complement to Jack Elliott. Onyewu had a really nice season and proved a lot of doubters wrong, but he’s not the future.
Way too early 2018 depth chart:
striker: new designated player, C.J. Sapong, Jay Simpson
attacking mid: new designated player, Adam Najem, Anthony Fontana
right wing: Fabian Herbers, Marcus Epps, Eric Ayuk
left wing: Fafa Picault, Marcus Epps, Eric Ayuk
DM #8: Alejandro Bedoya, Derrick Jones
DM#6: Haris Medunjanin, Derrick Jones
Left back: Giliano Wijnaldum, Matthew Real
Center back: TAM-level signing, Jack Elliott, Richie Marquez, Josh Yaro, Auston Trusty
Right back: Keegan Rosenberry, Aaron Jones
Goalkeeper: new signing, John McCarthy, new signing
I wrote this up assuming it’s the same old 4-2-3-1 again. You’d have Sapong backing up the new DP, who is playing in front of the other new DP. Picault and Herbers on the wings with Bedoya and Medunjanin behind them. I don’t know what Derrick Jones does next year, since having both Medunjanin and Bedoya on the roster keeps him on the bench, unless they decide to try that 4-1-4-1 again and flip the triangle. They tried a Jones/Bedoya/Medunjanin trio earlier this year and it didn’t work since Bedoya is not a number 10.
The only other thing I could see is that Bedoya goes back over to right wing and Jones plays next to Medunjanin. They won’t do that, but it’s a way to get Bedoya into better crossing and attacking positions while putting a true #6 on the field and allowing Medunjanin a little more space to roam.
Preferred 2018 lineup assuming no tactical changes:
If you go through the suggestions I listed above, this is what your team looks like next season. They can get into the playoffs as the 5th or 6th seed with this grouping if they don’t whiff on the DP signings.
It’s the same 4-2-3-1 that we’ve always seen, this time pairing Elliott with a veteran CB and improving the #9 and #10 positions.
“Go big or go home” lineup that will never happen:
It’s a 3-5-2 using Wijnaldum and Rosenberry as wingbacks to amplify their attacking ability and mitigate their defensive liability.
Medunjanin can play the Andrea Pirlo regista role and spray the ball around from deeper positions while Bedoya and a new midfielder play box-to-box roles ala 2013 Juventus. Medunjanin, Bedoya, and the new DP would basically function like a poor man’s trio of Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, and Paul Pogba. Sapong stays on the field with the new DP to get a pair of attackers on the field and justify dedicating that much cap space to the striker position.
Something different, but feasible
If you really can’t find a DP #10, don’t play with a DP #10.
Here you’ve got a 4-1-4-1 with Jones behind Medunjanin and a box-to-box DP midfielder. Bedoya goes over to his natural right wing and Picault is on the left behind a DP striker. You saw them have a little bit of success flipping the triangle later in the season, and something like this could at least be a nice adjustment if Curtin insists on playing with a back four and a single striker for the entirety of 2018.
Anyway, it’s a start. I think the Union created some good offseason momentum by obliterating a pathetic Orlando squad yesterday, so they should drop that press release with the roster moves ASAP and keep the train rolling. |
May 26, 2017: Ghosts Love Candy Game Day Locations!
When you play Ghosts Love Candy, it's Halloween, and you're an adorable specter floating through the neighborhood in search of your favorite sweet treats. Choose the right trick-or-treaters to haunt for their candy - lollipops, chocolate, candy corn, and more - but be careful not to scare the kids off! Will you be the ghost to nab the most sugary snacks? Or will another apparition snag your treats before you get them?
If that sounds like fun to you, you're in luck. This June, Steve Jackson Games and nearly 200 game stores around the United States and Canada will host a #GhostsLoveCandy Game Day in June! Most events will be held the weekend of June 16, but call your local store ahead of time to confirm the exact date and time of their ghostly gathering.
Each event will feature demos of the game, plus promo cards and promo finger puppets. And don't forget, while you're trying out the game, post photos to social media with #GhostsLoveCandy. Tag @SJGames on Twitter and Facebook, and @SteveJacksonGames on Instagram, and you'll be automatically entered to win prizes. Tag your store in the post, too, so the store will be entered to win a separate retailer prize.
Want to check out the game before the event? Watch our live unboxing and how-to-play videos to get the inside scoop.
Here are the event locations. Happy haunting!
CANADA
British Columbia
Comic Encounters - Terrace
K-Max Games & Videos - Quesnel
Manitoba
A Muse N Games - Winnipeg
Ontario
Thunder Games & Gifts - Thunder Bay
Twice The Fun Games - Kemptville
Saskatchewan
Comic Readers (Downtown) - Regina
UNITED STATES
Alabama
Bud's Place Games and Comics - Leeds
Game Time Hobbies - Opelika
Haven: Comics Etc. - Madison
Quality Collectibles - Jasper
Alaska
Bosco's - Anchorage
Arkansas
Gamer Utopia - Rogers
Imagine! Hobbies and Games - Sherwood
Arizona
Game Depot Arizona - Tempe
Isle of Games - Tucson
California
All Ways Gaming - Chatsworth
B & E Games - San Jose
Davis Cards & Games - Davis
Empire Collectibles Comic Books & Games - San Diego
Game Empire - San Diego
Gator Games & Hobby - San Mateo
Green Tower Games - Santa Clarita
North Coast Role Playing - Eureka
Ottos Video Games and More - Bakersfield
Pair A Dice Games - Vista
Paladin's Game Castle - Bakersfield
Paper Hero's Games - Sherman Oaks
Shuffle and Cut Games - La Habra
So Cal Games and Comics - Temecula
The Game Chest - Mission Viejo
The War House - Long Beach
Game Kastle Santa Clara - Santa Clara
Comic Cult Torrance - Torrance
Colorado
Black & Read Inc. - Arvada
Digital Dungeon - Greeley
Shep's Games - Aurora
Total Escape Games - Broomfield
Connecticut
Time Machine Hobby LLC. - Manchester
Florida
Arena Comics and Gaming - Panama City
Dark Side Comics - Sarasota
Gods & Monsters - Orlando
Heroes Landing Comic Shop - Clermont
Kitchen Table Games - St. Petersburg
Dogs of War Gaming - Palm Bay
Coliseum of Comics - Orlando
Georgia
Meeple Madness - Flowery Branch
Tyche's Games - Athens
Hawaii
Other Realms Ltd The Comic & Game Specialist - Honolulu
Idaho
All About Games Downtown - Boise
Safari Pearl - Moscow
Illinois
Amazing Fantasy Comics and Games - Frankfort
Castle Perilous Games & Books - Carbondale
Off On The Square - Jacksonville
The Paper Escape - Dixon
Top Cut Comics - Rockford
Dizzy Dugout - Collinsville
HobbyTown USA Orland Park - Orland Park
Indiana
Comic Quest Inc. - Evansville
GameQuest - Fort Wayne
Empire Comics - New Albany
Hometown Comics and Games - Greenfield
JustForFun - Peoria
Merlin's Beard - Lafayette
Reader Copies - Anderson
Saltire Games - Indianapolis
The Sage's Shoppe - West Lafayette
The Traveling Gamer - Walkerton
Iowa
Acme Comics & Collectibles - Sioux City
Critical Hit Games - Iowa City
Geek City Games and Comics - North Liberty
Mayhem Comics Des Moines - Clive
Kansas
Game Nut Entertainment Iowa St - Lawrence
Game Nut Entertainment Massachusetts St - Lawrence
Hometown Games - Lawrence
TableTop Game & Hobby - Overland Park
Kentucky
BluegrassMagic Gameshop - Louisville
Cafe Meeples - Richmond
Comic Book World - Florence
Comics 2 Games, LLC - Florence
HobbyTown - Bowling Green
Louisiana
Go4Games - Metairie
Maine
Game On - Augusta
The Dragon's Lair - Norway
Weekend Anime - Westbrook
Maryland
Dream Wizards - Rockville
Walt's Cards - Baltimore
Massachusetts
Comicazi - Somerville
Round Table Games - Carver
Video Game Castle - Chicopee
New England Comics New Bedford - New Bedford
Michigan
Backstage Hobbies & Games - Ludington
Dreams of Conquest - Bay City
Flat Land Game Store - Wixom
R.I.W. Hobbies - Livonia
Squirreled Away Books - Armada
TC Paintball - Traverse City
The Gaming Cantina - Charlotte
Topps Trade Center - Benton Harbor
White Cap Comics - Grand Rapids
Ziege Games - Howell
Mike's Comics and Games - New Baltimore
Minnesota
Collector's Connection - Duluth
Lionheart Games - Waite Park
Paddy's Game Shoppe - St. Cloud
Mississippi
Caster's Den - Iuka
Tupelo Sportscards - Tupelo
Missouri
CCYDNE Hobbies - Lebanon
Thompson Productions L.L.C. - Warrensburg
Montana
Orion's Keep Games - Hamilton
Nebraska
Game On - Grand Island
Game On - Kearney
Game On - McCook
Game On - North Platte
Gauntlet Games - Lincoln
HobbyTown USA Lincoln - Lincoln
Nevada
Frank-N-Fred Comics & Cards - Elko
Games Galore - Reno
Little Shop of Magic - Las Vegas
New Hampshire
The Broken Lance - Farmington
The Relentless Dragon - Nashua
New Jersey
All Things Fun! - Trenton
Fairy Glen - Howell
Hobbymasters - Red Bank
New Mexico
Zia Comics and Gaming - Las Cruces
New York
Brooklyn Game Lab - Brooklyn
Cloud Giant - New Hartford
Flights of Fantasy Books & Games - Albany
North Carolina
Bear's Lair Games - New Bern
Cape Fear Games - Wilmington
DreamDaze Comics Fun & Games Inc. - Wilson
Hillside Games - Asheville
The Gamer's Armory - Cary
Ohio
Beyond The Board - Dublin
Comic Shop Plus - Newark
Diversions - Newbury
Flying Monkey Comics and Games - Delaware
Fun Factory - Mount Gilead
Heroes and Games - Columbus
HobbyPop Shop - Cincinnati
Next Level Gaming Center - Gallipolis
Recess - North Olmsted
Sci-Fi City Cincinnati - Cincinnati
The Rook OTR - Cincinnati
Toledo Game Room - Toledo
Oregon
Funagain Games Eugene - Eugene
Guardian Games - Portland
Rainy Day Games - Aloha
Red Castle Games - Portland
The Portland Game Store - Portland
Wild Things Games - Salem
Funagain Games Ashland - Ashland
Pennsylvania
Comics Store West - York
Firefly Bookstore - Kutztown
Gamers Heaven - Phoenixville
Showcase Comics and Games Bryn Mawr - Bryn Mawr
Six Feet Under Games - New Holland
The Brothers Uber - Grove City
South Carolina
Cornermagic Gaming Center - Piedmont
Firefly Toys & Games - Columbia
Tennessee
Hall of Heroes - Ripley
Texas
8th Dimension Comics & Games - Houston
Bedrock City Games Westheimer - Houston
Black Dog Enterprises - Lubbock
Cards and Comics Connection - Conroe
Childs' Play: Games & Geekery - New Braunfels
Collected TCU - Fort Worth
Common Ground Games - Dallas
Court of Gamers - San Antonio
Dimensions Comics - Seabrook
Dragon's Lair Comics & Fantasy - Houston
Dragon's Lair Comics & Fantasy - Austin
Emerald Tavern Games and Cafe - Austin
Fleur Fine Books - Port Neches
Madness Comics and Games - Denton
Space Cadets Gaming Gaming - Oak Ridge North
Three Suns Unlimited - Longview
Wonko's Toys & Games - Austin
Utah
Game Night Games - Salt Lake City
High Gear Hobbies - Taylorsville
Virginia
Comics & Gaming Fairfax - Fairfax
Kaboom - Virginia Beach
Washington
Dice Age Games - Vancouver
Fantasium Comics and Games - Federal Way
The Dragon's Hoard Games & Collectibles - Silverdale
Calico Toy Shoppe - Bainbridge Island
West Virginia
Nerd Rage Morgantown - Morgantown
The Industry WV Game Center/J & M's Used Bookstore - Parkersburg
Wisconsin
Gnome Games Appleton East - Appleton
Gnome Games Green Bay West - Green Bay
The GameBoard - Sheboygan
Lake Geneva Games - Lake Geneva
Wyoming
Games of Chance - Riverton
-- Ariel Barkhurst
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"There's a lot of security, people with heavy arms, we are being watched very carefully," Mr Bociurkiw said. "We are unarmed civilians so we are not in a position to argue heavily with people with heavy arms. "There are 'experts' here who brought body bags with them. They are moving the bodies to the side of the road – as far as we can tell, no bodies have been moved beyond the crash site. We don't know who they are because we are not allowed, yet, access to them. "They are going about the business of collecting bodies and body parts, putting them into what looks like professional body bags and bringing them to the side of road." He had not seen evidence that the flight's data recorders were at the site He had asked to speak to the leader of the group but "they haven't produced any", he said.
The 24-person group from the OSCE is there to observe and collect facts, and share them with the international community. They are looking at the security of the site, the conditions of the bodies, the status of the debris and personal belongings. "We are in a very small village and there is quite a surreal atmosphere, you see people trying to get on with their daily lives," Mr Bociurkiw said. "Right now we are looking at a very, very damaged piece of earth, where it looks like the engines and fuel tanks landed. "The intensity of the fire was very strong here – bodies and material belongings basically vapourised. It looks like a war zone here."
He was not in a position to conclude whether there had been looting, he said. There was lots of debris in fairly big pieces that had not been moved. The debris his team examined was badly burnt and vapourised, but a few hundred metres up the road there was debris that "looks almost like new", he said. They have found a lot of personal belongings including duty-free bags from Amsterdam airport, and a travel book. He had seen inside some of the body bags which had been left open and the bodies appeared badly damaged, the contents were "very difficult to look at", Mr Bociurkiw said. Mr Bociurkiw said later he also saw the local miners moving bodies. He said his team had left the site for the day without establishing the identity of the others involved.
“Nobody really knows who they are,” he said. With every passing day a rigorous investigation was becoming more difficult, he said. His team was trying to open dialogue with the separatists to allow crash investigation teams from the US, UK and Malaysia to reach the site. TIME reporter Simon Shuster, reporting from the crash site, said that as soon as the OSCE vehicles left the crash site around 4pm on Saturday (local time) he saw workers beginning to stack bodies onto trucks. |
Woolwich murder, the MI6 connection: Younger brother of Michael Adebolajo 'was paid thousands to spy in Middle East'
Jeremiah Adebolajo, 26, is a university English teacher in Saudi Arabia
Allegedly approached by MI6 who pressured him to become a spy
Flown business class to five-star hotels and handed cash
Sister Blessing says he 'strongly' rejected offers to work for MI6
Asked to help 'turn' his brother Michael because of links to terror groups
Teacher: Michael Adebolajo's brother Jeremiah, pictured, was paid thousands by MI6 to become a spy in the Middle East
The younger brother of one of the men accused of murdering Drummer Lee Rigby was paid thousands of pounds by MI6 as part of spying operations in the Middle East, The Mail on Sunday has discovered.
Jeremiah Adebolajo, who uses the name Abul Jaleel, was also asked to help ‘turn’ his brother, Michael, to work for MI5, who were already aware of Michael’s close links to extremist groups.
The claims are made by the Adebolajo family and a well-placed source who contacted The Mail on Sunday.
Jeremiah Adebolajo, 26, who works as an English teacher at a university in Saudi Arabia and returned to Britain this week, is to be questioned about his brother by Scotland Yard counter-terrorism detectives today.
Government sources have already confirmed that Michael Adebolajo was known to MI5. Last week it was alleged that he rebuffed efforts by the security service to recruit him as a spy.
Michael, 28, was discharged from hospital on Friday and was yesterday charged with the murder of Drummer Rigby and attempted murder of two police officers on May 22 in Woolwich, South London.
Now it has emerged that MI5’s sister agency, MI6, had targeted Jeremiah, a married teacher based at the University of Ha’il.
MI5 and MI6 work closely together on counter-terrorism operations. MI5 focuses on home security, while MI6 targets threats from overseas.
A document seen by The Mail on Sunday details concerns raised by Jeremiah’s family about MI6’s alleged harassment in April last year.
In it, Jeremiah’s sister, Blessing Adebolajo, 32, who works as a human resources assistant in London, says her brother was approached by MI6 while he was working at the University of Ha’il – an important strategic location in the Middle East because it takes only one hour by plane to reach 11 Arab capitals.
Workplace: Jeremiah Adeboljao was working at the University of Ha'il in Saudi Arabia when he was approached by MI6
Complaint: A redacted copy of the allegations made by the Adebolajo family about the approaches made by the security services. Jeremiah said this account as untrue
A friend of Jeremiah has confirmed her account.
The friend said: ‘They asked him about Michael and asked him to help “turn” him to work for MI5.
‘They also told him to go to certain hotels, order a cup of tea and wait for his contact.
‘On these occasions he was handed £300, and was paid to fly first-class and stay in five-star hotels.’
The document, prepared by case workers with the charity Cageprisoners, says Blessing approached the East London charity for help because she was worried about the harassment and intimidation of both her brothers by the security and intelligence services.
She says MI6 bought a ticket so Jeremiah could fly to an Intercontinental hotel in another Middle East country (believed to be the United Arab Emirates) and that he was given local currency worth more than £1,000.
She also alleges Jeremiah told her that he was interrogated about specific people and was shown pictures of himself with named individuals taken in the UK. But Blessing told Cageprisoners that Jeremiah had ‘strongly’ rejected MI6’s offer to work as one of their agents.
Older sister: Blessing Adebolajo had allegedly said her brother Jeremiah was approached by MI6 and asked to become an informant
As a result of this rejection, his sister says he was ‘intimidated’ until he was finally told that he would be stopped from leaving the UK.
The friend said that two years ago Jeremiah was approached by UK security officers when he was held at Heathrow on his way back from Saudi Arabia.
During the interview, he was warned about what happens to Muslims who don’t help the Government and was shown documents that confirmed people he knew were being held in prisons throughout the world.
Police and security services are under huge pressure to explain what they know about Adebolajo and his alleged accomplice, Michael Adebowale. Despite warnings stretching back ten years, Michael Adebolajo is said to have been considered ‘low risk’ by MI5. He was photographed at high-profile protests – even standing next to hate preacher Anjem Choudary.
He was arrested in Kenyan 2010 over his alleged plans to travel to Somalia to join terror group Al-Shabaab before being returned to the UK. Jeremiah married Charlotte Patricia Taylor in 2008 at Sutton Register Office in Surrey. |
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, MI -- A Grand Blanc-area garage was reduced to a pile of ashes this evening after a homeowner attempted to use fireworks to remove a bees' nest from the building, fire officials said.
Fireworks shot into the sky from the burning garage on Monday, July 3, as crews from Grand Blanc, Burton and Mundy Township arrived at the scene on the 6000 block of Grove Avenue in Grand Blanc Township.
"The homeowner was doing something with a smoke bomb trying to get a bees nest out of the garage," said Grand Blanc Fire Chief, Bob Burdette.
No one was injured and the fire was contained to the garage and a neighboring fence, sparing the home on the property, officials at the scene said.
The homeowner, Mike Tingley, said that while he was saddened by the damage to his garage, he was glad it wasn't worse.
"We really weren't going to celebrate the Fourth of July so much as we just have fun in our backyard, we like to have barbecues, we had a patio back there," said Tingley, who was home with his wife and daughter at the time of the fire. "It is depressing losing a place where we had a lot of fun, but everyone is safe and that's the main thing." |
Budget Magic: $85 (35 tix) Standard Energy Fog
by SaffronOlive // Oct 25, 2016 Tweet
standard budget magic video
Kaixo, Budget Magic lovers! It's that time again. This week, while I was browsing through the cards in Kaladesh Standard, I stumbled across the fact that Wizards put three different Fog effects in the format in Repel the Abominable, Commencement of Festivities, and Encircling Fissure. Of course, having a critical mass of Fogs in Standard means one thing to me: it's time to build Turbo Fog! If you're not familiar with the archetype, it's one of my favorite ways to torture opponents. You draw a bunch of cards, keep your opponents from ever dealing you damage by casting a Fog every turn, and win the game eventually, somehow. That said, we aren't playing straightforward Turbo Fog; instead, we have a bit of a Kaladeshian twist thanks to one of the set's hallmark mechanics: energy. Playing a handful of energy cards gives us a ton of flexibility to deal with cards that would otherwise be problematic for a Turbo Fog deck (namely, planeswalkers). As a result, this week, we are heading to Kaladesh Standard to play a deck I'm calling Energy Fog!
We'll talk more about Energy Fog after the videos, but first a quick reminder: if you enjoy the Budget Magic series and the other video content on MTGGoldfish, make sure to subscribe to the MTGGoldfish YouTube Channel to keep up on all of the latest and greatest.
Energy Fog: Deck Tech
Energy Fog vs. Grixis Midrange
Energy Fog vs. Mono-White Humans
Energy Fog vs. UR Spells
Energy Fog vs. Esper Control
Energy Fog vs. WB Fabricate
The Deck
The basic idea of Energy Fog is fairly simple. We play a ton of Fogs and a bunch of card draw, and hope that once our opponent gets a board full of creatures, we draw enough Fogs to keep our opponent from ever dealing us damage; then, we win the game with Fevered Visions, Fateful Showdown, and Dynavolt Tower. While this might sound easy, the main challenges of the deck are figuring out the right answers for our opponent's threats and determining when we should be trying to kill our opponent and when we can afford to take damage.
The Fogs
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As I mentioned in the intro, the reason Energy Fog can exist is that we have three different Fog effects available in Standard, which is about the minimum number needed to have a realistic shot of casting one every turn in the mid and late game. Commencement of Festivities and Encircling Fissure are just Fogs in our deck, preventing all combat damage our opponent would deal to us for one turn. This means that they aren't especially helpful against direct damage (or any other type of non-combat damage), but in most matchups, this doesn't really matter because most of the burn spells in the format (like Harnessed Lightning) only target creatures, and even if a deck has a few copies of Fiery Temper, they usually don't have enough real burn to actually kill us.
Repel the Abominable has the highest ceiling and also the lowest floor of all of our Fogs. The upside is that it prevents all damage, which includes Fiery Temper, Dynavolt Tower, and any other form of damage. On the other hand, the downside is that it only prevents damage from non-Human sources, so we occasionally run into situations where it does nothing (for example, against white-based Human decks) or does less than we'd like (for instance, not preventing the damage from Voltaic Brawler against GR Energy). It's also important to realize that it prevents damage for both players, which means that our Fevered Visions won't hurt our opponent for a turn and that we need to make sure we don't impulsively fire off a Dynavolt Tower activation or cast a Fateful Showdown in the same turn we resolve a Repel the Abominable.
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While Wildest Dreams can get back anything from our graveyard (and often multiple anythings), most of the time it's just more Fogs. Since our deck draws a lot of cards, we'll hopefully hit our land drops every turn; then, in the late game, we can cast Wildest Dreams to return two, three, or even four Fogs from our graveyard to our hand, which gives us several more turns of Fogging to close out the game.
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Fumigate is oddly synergistic with our Fogging plan, since a lot of opponents keep committing creatures to the battlefield as we resolve Fog after Fog. Eventually, we will draw into our copy of Fumigate, which not only allows us to sweep away all our opponent's creatures but also gains us a big chunk of life, which means that even if our opponent has some amount of direct damage, it should be hard for them to kill us with it. Most importantly, Fumigate often works as a double Fog. As we talked about before, once our opponent's board gets filled up, we are usually in a position where just one attack step without a Fog would be lethal. By resetting the battlefield, Fumigate often allows us to go one turn without casting a Fog, which means we can spend our mana on card draw, Wildest Dreams, and other non-Fog plays to help set us up for the rest of the game.
Finishing the Game
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Fevered Visions is pretty much the perfect Turbo Fog card. It keeps us drawing cards, which helps us find more Fogs to stay alive while also slowly killing our opponent in a lot of matchups. Against anything that is midrange or controlling, Fevered Visions is easily the best card in our deck because it's very difficult for the opponent to keep below four cards in hand, which means Fevered Visions is damaging them turn after turn. In these matchups, Fevered Visions also does a great job of keeping planeswalkers in check, since we can redirect the damage to remove some loyalty counters. It's also the reason why our deck has a reasonable matchup against control, even though our Fogs are pretty much dead cards in these matchups.
Fateful Showdown might look strange, but it's actually amazing in our deck because it does two important things. First and most importantly, it gives us a way to deal huge chunks of damage to our opponent. Most of the time, when we cast a Fateful Showdown, we have a Fevered Visions or two on the battlefield, keeping our hand full of cards, so when we cast a Fateful Showdown, we are dealing seven, eight, or nine damage. Since Fateful Showdown is instant speed, if we have two copies in hand, we can cast the second one in response to the first one to potentially kill our opponent in one big turn (we often do this during our end of turn phase, before we discard to hand size to maximize the number of cards in hand for Fateful Showdown). If we only have one copy of Fateful Showdown in hand, the second part of Fateful Showdown (discard our hand and draw that many cards) can often find us another copy to keep the damage chain going. This second ability is the other important upside of Fateful Showdown. Sometimes, we simply cast it to improve our hand and go digging for more Fogs while we are waiting to set up our end game.
Other Stuff
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Prophetic Prism is a necessary evil in our deck because our mana costs are pretty absurd (we have green spells, blue spells, double-white spells, and double-red spells). It doesn't do much, essentially turning one of our lands into a painless City of Brass until end of turn, but it also doesn't cost much, since it draws us a card when it enters the battlefield. Thankfully, when combined with Aether Hub and Evolving Wilds, it means that we rarely have troubling casting our stuff on time, even with our intense mana costs.
Meanwhile, Glimmer of Genius is key to helping us cycle through our deck to find more Fogs. While it only actually draw us two cards, the fact that we get to scry two means that we get to see four different cards, which is almost (but not quite) enough to make it "pay four mana, draw a Fog and another card." When it isn't finding us Fog, it offers a great way to dig through our deck to find Fevered Visions, Fateful Showdown and our other finishers.
Story Time
The above deck was actually my first attempt at Turbo Fog in Kaladesh Standard, along with a few more random card-draw spells, a copy of Jace, Unraveler of Secrets, and a couple of Negates. I played a few games with the deck and was reasonably successful, but there were a couple of problems. First was Smuggler's Copter. Even though we could keep it from damaging us with our Fogs, because it triggers when it attacks, it still allows the opponent to loot every turn, eventually drawing them into counterspells or planeswalkers that could disrupt our plan.
The second major problem was planeswalkers. Against control decks, planeswalkers aren't that scary because our opponent usually has enough cards in hand that we can shoot them down with Fevered Visions, but I started running into aggressive decks that were using planeswalkers (often out of the sideboard) as the top end of their curve, which was a major problem. When an opponent goes one-drop, two-drop, three-drop, Chandra, Torch of Defiance into Nissa, Vital Force, no number of Fogs or Fevered Visions is going to save us. After losing a couple of times to these problematic cards, I went in search of an answer, which is how Turbo Fog turned into Energy Fog.
Energy Fog
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There's one card in Standard that is very good at stopping both Smuggler's Copter and planeswalkers, and that card is Deadlock Trap. So, I quickly landed on the artifact as a potential solution to the issues I was having with Turbo Fog. But, using Deadlock Trap presented another issue: how do we produce enough energy to keep it locked? More aggressive decks can get away with using Deadlock Trap as a temporary answer, but our deck takes a long time to win, so using Deadlock Trap to stop a planeswalker for a turn or two simply wouldn't get good enough. What we needed was a way to make enough energy so that we could use Deadlock Trap every single turn of the game.
As backwards as it sounds, producing energy whenever we cast a Fog or Glimmer of Genius was the original reason I put Dynavolt Tower in the deck. The plan wasn't so much for it to be a way to kill the opponent (although I obviously knew that was an upside) but to be a massive energy producer to turn Deadlock Trap into a hard lock for Vehicles and planeswalkers. As I started playing with the deck, it became clear that Dynavolt Tower was doing its job of producing energy too well, and we often have so much energy that we'd just use it to kill our opponent in conjunction with Fevered Visions and Fateful Showdown. While we still put some energy into Deadlock Trap, Dynavolt Tower became a central part of the deck, giving us a plethora of must-deal-with three-drops and putting a ton of pressure on the opponent. And thus, Energy Fog was born!
Sideboarding
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Sideboarding is pretty simple, but I wanted to make sure to talk about it a bit because it's very important. Against control, our Fogs are pretty close to dead cards (which is okay in game one, since all of our opponent's removal is also dead and we have the single best card in the matchup in Fevered Visions). However, in game two, we really need to remove as many Fog effects as possible, so we typically bring in all six counterspells along with Quarantine Field and remove eight Fogs. This leaves three Fogs in our deck (normally Repel the Abominable, since it can prevent random, non-creature damage), which isn't ideal, but considering we draw a ton of cards and can eventually discard them to Fateful Showdown, it usually works just fine.
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Meanwhile, against aggressive decks (especially those without a lot of planeswalkers), we can take out our Deadlock Traps and bring in more wraths, which are extremely helpful, since they often work as double Fogs, allowing us a turn where we don't need to cast a Fog while our opponent is rebuilding their board.
Ultra-Budget Energy Fog
The ultra-budget version of Energy Fog cuts from the only place it can: the mana base. Apart from switching around the lands (and cutting Harnessed Lightning from the sideboard), the ultra-budget list is exactly the same as the version we played in the videos. The biggest issue here is that a lot more lands will be coming into play untapped, which can lead to some tough situations (for example, in the mid-game, we often want turns where we can cast a Fog and also Glimmer of Genius to find another Fog for the following turn, and this will happen far less consistently with the ultra-budget mana base), but all in all, it shouldn't change the way the deck plays any meaningful amount. If you decide to start with this version, the more untapped lands you can find to put in the deck, the better, and Aether Hub in particular is helpful because it taps for any color and also fuels our Dynavolt Towers and Deadlock Traps.
Non-Budget Energy Fog
The non-budget build of Energy Fog is basically the opposite of the ultra-budget build, getting a significant upgrade to the mana base with more untapped lands and more creaturelands. Otherwise, there isn't a lot to change in the main deck because the fogs and finishers are pretty well set in stone and necessary for the deck to function properly. However, we do get some interesting sideboard options in Archangel Avacyn (good at pressuring opposing planeswalkers at instant speed), Jace, Unraveler of Secrets (for more card drawing), Sphinx of the Final Word (as an alternate finisher against control), and Chandra, Torch of Defiance (whose ultimate is fairly unbeatable if we can protect her for a few turns with our Fogs). Is the non-budget build better? I think a bit, but the difference isn't that significant. If you have any of the good sideboard options (or better lands) sitting around, throw them in the deck, but I wouldn't go out and buy them just to improve Energy Fog.
Conclusion
Anyway, that's all for today! We went 4-1 in our video matches and 6-2 overall (not featured: a win and a loss against Shota's Grixis Control list and a win over a Jeskai Control list trying to win by exiling Hedron Alignment with Nahiri, the Harbinger). Apart from the one game where we ran into WB Fabricate (which could kill us with Zulaport Cutthroat and Marionette Master), the deck actually felt very good against our current Standard format. The Fog plan is often enough to beat more aggressive decks, and the combination of Fevered Visions and Dynavolt Tower is devastating against control decks, which means we have most of the format covered. Probably the biggest reason the deck feels very good right now is that Fogs are super effective because there are very few decks that can win with direct damage. As a result, after we get planeswalkers locked down with Deadlock Trap, there really isn't a lot that most decks can do to get through an endless stream of Fogs. Most importantly, the deck is super fun to play and attacks the format on a different level than every other deck in Standard! Give it a shot; I don't think you'll be disappointed.
As always, leave your thoughts, ideas, opinions, and suggestions in the comments, and you can reach me on Twitter @SaffronOlive or at [email protected]. |
It’s still possible the high court will not squarely addressing the central issue. Top court to hear gay marriage cases
The Supreme Court announced Friday afternoon that it will take up same-sex marriage, hearing both a case stemming from California’s Proposition 8 voter-approved ban on gay marriage and a case from New York challenging the constitutionality of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.
( PHOTOS: 20 gay-rights milestones)
Story Continued Below
The pair of moves greatly increase the chances that the justices will rule this term on whether the U.S. Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. However, it’s still possible the high court could dispose of both cases without squarely addressing that central issue.
( DOCUMENT: Supreme Court order on gay-marriage cases)
A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled 2-1 in February that the 2008 California ballot measure that banned gay marriage was unconstitutional because it stripped same-sex couples of a right to marry without adequate justification. The decision did not assert a right for gay couples to marry in states where such unions were never recognized.
The leader of a prominent group opposing same-sex marriage said the fact that at least four justices voted to take up the California case suggests the high court is poised to set aside the 9th Circuit ruling.
( PHOTOS: Celebrities tweet about Obama’s gay marriage stance)
“We believe it is a strong signal that the Court will reverse the lower courts and uphold Proposition 8,” John Eastman of the National Organization for Marriage said in a statement. “That is the right outcome based on the law and based on the principle that voters hold the ultimate power over basic policy judgments and their decisions are entitled to respect.”
However, a key lawyer fighting to legalize gay marriage said Friday he expects the justices to rule in favor of same-sex couples seeking to marry.
“We are very confident the outcome of this case will be to support the rights of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters,” former solicitor general Ted Olson told reporters on a conference call. |
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