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Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price might want to consider bringing an extra suitcase to Las Vegas for the 2015 NHL Awards show Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN), because he could be going home with an extensive amount of hardware.
Price is a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the League's most valuable player, the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie, and the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the most outstanding player in a vote by the members of the NHL Players' Association.
He is the only person with the opportunity to win three trophies at the Awards show, which will be held at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Price is considered the favorite to win all three after a dominant and historic regular season.
Price led the NHL and set a Canadiens record with 44 wins, and had a 1.96 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. He's the first goalie to lead all three categories in the same season since Ed Belfour in 1990-91 for the Chicago Blackhawks.
He is the first goalie to be a finalist for the Hart Trophy since Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers in 2012. He can become the first goalie to win it since former Montreal goalie Jose Theodore did in 2002.
Price already received a share of the William M. Jennings Trophy along, with Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks, as the No. 1 goalies on the teams with the fewest goals allowed (189).
"I'm obviously flattered and honored to be nominated," Price said April 30, one day after the Hart Trophy finalists were revealed. "There isn't individual successes without my team playing well in front of me."
Price's competition for the Hart Trophy is Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin and New York Islanders center John Tavares.
Ovechkin has won the Hart Trophy three times (2008, 2009, 2013) and is a finalist for the fifth time. Tavares was a finalist in 2013, when he finished third in the voting.
Ovechkin already has won the Rocket Richard Trophy for scoring a League-high 53 goals; he also led the League in power-play goals (25) and game-winning goals (11). It was his sixth career 50-goal season. He also is a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award.
Tavares set career highs with 38 goals and 86 points. He was second to Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn in the Art Ross Trophy race.
"He's very deserving," Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo said of Tavares on April 30. "He played well all year and he's one of the best players in the League. He had a hell of a year. I couldn't be happier for him to get that nomination."
Benn (87 points) is a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award along with Price and Ovechkin.
Price's competition for the Vezina Trophy features two goalies who could also win a comeback player of the year award if one existed.
Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators missed 51 games in the 2013-14 season because of hip surgery and a subsequent bacterial infection. This season he was second in wins (41), third in GAA (2.18) and tied for seventh in save percentage (.923) while helping the Predators make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Devan Dubnyk didn't become a starting goalie this season until he was traded to the Minnesota Wild from the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 13. He had bounced from the Edmonton Oilers to the Predators to the Canadiens to the American Hockey League last season. He finished the season fourth on the Canadiens' depth chart behind Price, Dustin Tokarski and Peter Budaj.
Dubnyk started his first game for the Wild on Jan. 15, when they were eight points out of a Western Conference playoff spot. Dubnyk proceeded to set a Wild record with 38 consecutive starts and helped them earn the first wild card from West, going 27-9-2 with a 1.78 GAA, a .936 save percentage and five shutouts.
He also is a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, along with Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond and Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang. The award is presented "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
"It was just hard at the beginning of the year, there's no easy way to put it," Wild left wing Zach Parise said in April. "Once Dubnyk came in, everything came together at the same time; that's when we took off."
Price's teammate, P.K. Subban, is hoping to take home the Norris Trophy for the second time. Subban, who had 60 points and a plus-21 rating while averaging 26:12 of ice time per game, won the Norris in 2013.
Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, who led all defensemen with 66 points, also is hoping to win the Norris for the second time after winning it in 2012.
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty is a Norris Trophy finalist for the second time after finishing third in the voting in 2010. He led the League in ice time (2,377:40) and shot-attempts differential (plus-410). He also had 46 points.
If Subban or Karlsson win, they would join Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith as the only active players to win the Norris Trophy multiple times. Keith, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy this season, won the Norris in 2010 and 2014.
"Since [Canadiens general manager] Marc Bergevin and [coach] Michel Therrien have taken over the team, my game has gone up," Subban told the Montreal Gazette in April. "They've worked really hard to improve my game."
A year ago at this time Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was preparing to be the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. Now he'll be in Las Vegas as one of three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which goes to the League's top rookie.
Ekblad set Panthers records for a rookie defenseman with 12 goals, 27 assists and 39 points, which were two shy of Bobby Orr's NHL record for points by a defenseman who was 18 years old at the start of the season.
The other finalists are Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau and Senators forward Mark Stone.
Stone and Gaudreau tied for the most points among rookies this season with 64. Stone had 35 points in his final 31 games, including 13 in a nine-game point streak to end the season. Gaudreau led all rookies with 40 assists.
Gaudreau's coach, Bob Hartley, is a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for the League's top coach along with Peter Laviolette of the Predators and Alain Vigneault of the New York Rangers.
For the Rangers' 113-point season, Vigneault's boss, Glen Sather, is up for the General Manager of the Year Award along with Bob Murray of the Ducks and Steve Yzerman of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Kings center Anze Kopitar and Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews are up for multiple awards.
Kopitar and Toews are finalists for the Selke Trophy along with Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins. Toews and Bergeron have alternated Selke wins for the past three years, with Bergeron winning last season.
Kopitar, who never has won the Selke, also is a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy along with Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings and Jiri Hudler of the Calgary Flames. Datsyuk won the Lady Byng four years in a row from 2006-09.
Toews also is vying for the Bridgestone Messier Leadership Award, with Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf and Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd.
"His consistency is one thing that sticks out in my mind, his consistent demeanor not only off the ice but on the ice as well," Mark Messier said of Toews during the Stanley Cup Final. "His compete level is incredible. He just seems to be so down to earth and approachable. The things he does off the ice for children in need is just very inspiring."
The other trophies that will be awarded Wednesday are the NHL Foundation Award (finalists: Lundqvist, San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns, Flames captain Mark Giordano) and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (finalists not announced).
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T-Mobile today announced that it will drop international data and text roaming charges in more than 100 countries, allowing U.S. customers to update Facebook, check Google Maps, or send an email while traveling without incurring a massive roaming bill.
The company said it wants to tear down borders, and to drive this home, it has secured international pop star Shakira as its newest spokesperson.
The carrier also said that its 4G LTE network is now nationwide, covering more than 200 million people in 233 metro areas across the U.S.
With the new roaming plan, though, those who subscribe to a T-Mobile Simple Choice plan will be able to travel to dozens of countries without worrying about racking up a huge bill. It kicks off on Oct. 31, and does not require any sort of signup. Customers will automatically have coverage.
Free data and texting is valid in more than 100 countries, including Spain, Mexico, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, New Zealand, Taiwan, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Russia, Japan, and more. See the full list below.
?wmode=transparent"This is pretty much every country people travel to," T-Mobile CEO John Legere said during a Wednesday press briefing. "This covers 98-99 percent of where they go. It's [harder to] find out which ones it doesn't cover."
Legere insisted that it doesn't actually cost that much for carriers to provide their customers with service while overseas. Roaming charges, he said, are "a screw job" and are overly complicated.
The amount of money T-Mobile might lose by not collecting roaming fees, meanwhile are "not that big a deal," Legere said.
The carrier is also not that concerned that customers will now rush to travel, overloading the system. Legere said T-Mobile has modeled this up to 50x normal usage.
Don't expect to be streaming Netflix while lounging on the beaches of Barcelona, though. The option will only provide data at 2G speeds, and T-Mobile warned that it is not for those who plan to spend more than six weeks overseas. In any three-month period, at least half of data usage should be done in the U.S.
If you need high-speed data, T-Mobile offers 100MB for a one-day $15 pass, a 7-day 200MB pass for $25, or $50 for 500MB over 14 days. When someone lands in a particular country, T-Mobile will send a text message offering up the various plans.
Voice calls, meanwhile, will not be more than 20 cents per minute, T-Mobile said, while calls to landlines will be free in more than 70 of the partner countries. Stateside international talk and text is available for $10 per month.
"The cost of staying connected across borders is completely crazy," Legere said. "Today's phones are designed to work around the world, but we're forced to pay insanely inflated international connectivity fees to actually use them. You can't leave the country without coming home to bill shock. So we're making the world your network - at no extra cost."
For more, check out PCMag Live from Thursday, which discusses T-Mobile's new option.
Available Countries:
Aland Islands
Dominica
Kenya
South Africa
Anguilla
Dominican Republic
Kuwait
South Korea
Antigua and Barbuda
Easter Island
Latvia
Spain
Argentina
Ecuador
Lithuania
Sri Lanka
Armenia
Egypt
Luxembourg
St. Barthelemy
Aruba
El Salvador
Malaysia
St. Kitts and Nevis
Australia
Estonia
Malta
St. Lucia
Austria
Faeroe Islands
Martinique
St. Martin
Bahrain
Finland
Mexico
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Barbados
France
Moldova
Suriname
Belgium
French Guiana
Montserrat
Svalbard
Bermuda
Germany
Netherlands
Sweden
Bolivia
Ghana
Netherlands Antilles
Switzerland
Bonaire
Greece
New Zealand
Taiwan
Brazil
Grenadav Nicaragua
Thailand
British Virgin Islands
Guadeloupe
Norway
Trinidad and Tobago
Bulgaria
Guatemala
Pakistan
Turkey
Cambodia
Guyana
Panama
Turkmenistan
Canada
Hong Kong
Peru
Turks and Caicos Islands
Cayman Islands
Hungary
Philippines
Ukraine
Chile
Iceland
Poland
United Arab Emirates
China
India
Portugal
United Kingdom
Christmas Island
Indonesia
Qatar
Uruguay
Colombia
Iraq
Romania
Uzbekistan
Costa Rica
Ireland
Russia
Vatican City
Curacao
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Venezuela
Cyprus
Italy
Singapore
Vietnam
Czech Republic
Jamaica
Sint Maarten
Zambia
Denmark
Japan
Slovakia |
UPDATE: I have an exclusive interview with Sherre Toler; it follows her letter.
This thunderous letter of support for equality was sent to PHB and BlueNC by Sherre Toler, who, until last week was the director of elections for Harnett County in my state. Toler would rather leave her job than be a party to facilitating a ballot initiative this May that would allow discrimination under the North Carolina Constitution. Notably, she observes that “the Majority” would have voted to keep interracial marriage illegal. The cultural — and shifting — norm should not guide which human beings have civil rights and which should not. My emphasis below.
On January 3, 2012 I resigned my position as Director of Elections for Harnett County, NC. I am extremely proud of the progress and accomplishments made to the voting procedures and polling places in Harnett County over the last eleven and a half years. I am especially proud that the Board of Election’s Office has always been operated in a fair, efficient and non-partisan manner during my tenure. Unfortunately, recent actions of the North Carolina General Assembly made it impossible for me to continue as Director of Elections as speaking publicly about candidates or issues appearing on the ballot is prohibited. In September, the legislature passed a bill requiring a referendum be placed on the May, 2012 primary ballot defining marriage as a “union between a man and a woman”. I cannot and will not be a party to such actions. If “marriage” were simply a religious institution, this would not be an issue. Different faiths are free to impose whatever moral restrictions they choose on their congregations and they in turn are free to accept or reject those restrictions. From a psychological and emotional perspective, marriage provides the individuals an opportunity to demonstrate their love for each other by committing themselves to this “special” relationship. In addition, marriage provides the participants in the relationship with a myriad of legal rights and special status, including inheritance and property rights as well as insurance and tax benefits. Marriage provides over 1000 legal rights and protections. The so-called “Defense of Marriage” Act seeks to ensure that anyone wishing to marry their partner of the same gender will be DENIED those legal rights. The broad language of the referendum could also impact private contracts between individuals, powers of attorney, and domestic partnerships, including heterosexual ones. Slavery, discrimination and segregation represent a tremendous blight upon the great history of this country. Not so long ago, “marriage” between those of different races, particularly black and white, was prohibited by law and this ban was supported by the “Majority”. In 2011, Public Policy Polling conducted a poll of Republican voters in Mississippi and a number of them (46%) believe that not only in their opinion is interracial marriage wrong but that it should be ILLEGAL. Only 40% indicated they believe it should be legal. There can be little doubt that if interracial marriage were put to a majority vote, some jurisdictions would outlaw those marriages as well. It is important to a free society that civil rights not be subject to a popular vote! As a result, I am opening Lighthouse Strategies and Consulting, LLC, a political consulting business. I plan to work tirelessly over the coming months to educate North Carolina citizens on the impact of this amendment and to defeat the effort to write discrimination into the North Carolina Constitution. I will also be working to help elect progressive candidates to local, county, state and federal offices so that these types of actions by legislatures around the country will not be repeated. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” I simply could not continue in the position of Director of Elections and remain silent on this important issue. Sherre Toler
UPDATE: I spoke with Sherre Toler about her decision to quit rather than foment bigotry as a public official, and her new goals with Lighthouse.
Pam Spaulding, PHB: You specifically referenced the public disdain for interracial marriage when Loving v. Virginia ruled that anti-miscegenation laws were unconstitutional, and that even in 2011, nearly half of Mississippi Republicans thought it should be illegal. How do you respond to supporters of the NC amendment that this is not a valid comparison?
Sherre Toler: Discrimination is discrimination in whatever form it takes. The Supreme Court acknowledged in the Loving case that the “freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual, and cannot be infringed by the State” Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967). The same constitutional provisions that led the Court to that decision most certainly apply to the “freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of [the same gender] resides with the individual…” We cannot allow the civil rights of a minority group to be put to the vote of a majority.
Q: It has been quite clear that supporters of the amendment intend to continue conflating civil marriage with religious marriage. When considering your role as a public official, you recognized the distinctions between the two and how you could not be a party to this type of discrimination. What do you say to other public officials who cite their personal religious beliefs as a rational for discussing and implementing public policy?
A: There are several factors that public officials must examine when religious beliefs are being used to justify public policy. First and foremost is the United States Constitution which clearly requires a separation of church and state. As public officials they must ensure that any action taken does not violate the Constitution which they took an oath to uphold. Secondly, if a law violates one’s own principles of religion, spirituality or morals, each individual must examine his/her conscience and decide whether or not they can implement the law as written. If they can, they must do so. If they cannot, they must resign as I did. Lastly, public officials must work to change unjust laws. The Civil Rights Act and the actions of Dr. King and others, is an example of how change can be accomplished when people are willing to rise up and speak out against injustice.
Q: After resigning you have started up the political consultant firm Lighthouse Strategies, to help in this home stretch to defeat the amendment and to elect progressive candidates to office. What will be some of your initiatives to help energize pro-equality voters to get out and vote on May 8?
A: There is no question that the Tea Party, funded by the Koch Brothers and Art Pope, will pour millions of dollars into passing this amendment. But I firmly believe that grassroots activism can accomplish far greater results than even money can buy. But there is no question that money will be necessary to help with this effort and fundraising will be required. Secondly, education is vital. As citizens become aware about what this amendment actually does, I believe they will reject it! That is one of the reasons I made my resignation so public – to raise awareness of the importance of this issue! Next, getting voters registered and to the polls on May 8 will be crucial. Progressives cannot afford to sit on the sidelines as they did in 2010 because they are disillusioned or feel they have not gotten everything they expected to get following the 2008 elections. It is incumbent on leaders in the progressive movement to work tirelessly in this effort. Progressive talkers and bloggers like you can help enormously in this regard. Lastly, the work does not end with the outcome of this vote! As I said in my letter, we must elect progressive leaders who will not champion discrimination or advance the right-wing agenda but will stop it in its tracks!
***
Sherre Toler, JD
Lighthouse Strategies and Consulting
609A Piner Road, #179
Wilmington, NC 28409
Telephone: 910-658-3059
Email: [email protected]
http://www.lighthousestrategiesandconsulting.com/ |
Testimony by / With thanks to: Neil Sherwin, co-editor of Back Page Football - a high-quality football blog that maintains an independent spirit in a competitive market. The site provides aspiring football content creators with an opportunity to showcase their output, so next time you reach for SkySports by default, have a look at BPF instead.
Follow Back Page Football & Neil here: @bpfootball / @neilsherwin
With seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and a Champions League to his name, amongst other honours, Roy Keane enjoyed a superb 13-year stint at Manchester United.
A brilliant box-to-box midfielder, his ability in the final third was often lost in the praise he rightly received for his ability to dominant from deep. Having started out at Cobh Ramblers, the Cork native joined Nottingham Forest before switching to Old Trafford in 1993 for a then British transfer record fee of £3.75 million.
In contrast to the success at club level, Keane’s international career with the Republic of Ireland feels unfulfilled following his absence from the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. At 30 years of age, Keane was still in his prime and Ireland had a squad that would eventually lose to Spain in the last 16 on penalties. However, pre-tournament grievances over the standard of training facilities and equipment at the squad’s camp in Saipan led to a falling out with manager Mick McCarthy and the Football Association. Keane left the group, having stuck to his principles, and the incident is still debated in Ireland, albeit with a sense of humour these days.
His will to win cannot be questioned, and the same brutal honesty from Saipan contributed to an exit from United in November 2005 after Keane publicly called out the behaviour of some of his team mates. If you had to pick out the quintessential Roy Keane performance, it would be the second leg of the 1999 Champions League semi-final against Juventus in Turin. After collecting a first half booking that would rule him out of the final, Keane put in a monstrous showing and scored one of the goals as United came from 2-0 down to win 3-2. Sir Alex Ferguson later described it as “the most emphatic display of selflessness I have seen on a football field”.
Keane’s peak coincided with the Premier League’s love for a holding midfielder as the likes of Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), Claude Makelele (Chelsea) and Dietmar Hamann (Liverpool) also played vital roles at their respective clubs. While others in that role were sometimes limited in their technical ability, Keane had the perfect timing needed to break up an attack with a tackle, the passing accuracy to dictate play from deep, and the engine get on the end of a sweeping move in the final third. |
Earlier this month the UFC announced that a trilogy bout between Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber would take place in the co-main event of UFC 199 in June.
Faber won the pair’s first meeting under the WEC banner back in 2007, however it was Cruz who got the nod in 2011 to retain the UFC’s bantamweight championship.
After Cruz returned to the Octagon in January and defeated T.J. Dillashaw to reclaim his UFC bantamweight championship, Faber wasted no time calling out the newly crowned champ. Despite a 3 year layoff, Cruz managed to keep his impressive win streak going, remaining undefeated under the UFC banner.
Bovada has released the opening betting lines for the trilogy fight, with Cruz opening as a -600 favorite, with Faber being a +400 underdog.
What this means is that in order to win $100 by betting on Dominick Cruz, you would need to place a $600 wager. On the other hand, a $100 bet on Urijah Faber could potentially win you $400 if he were to pull of the upset.
This is likely the first time in Faber’s UFC career that he has been such a massive underdog. How do you think this fight plays out on June 4th? |
Turn back the clock five years and I would have been some sort of professional pariah. Online degrees were for only for stay-at-home moms or military vets. At least that’s what I wrongfully thought.
But what was an eager prospective grad student to do? Stop my career for a period of time in order to advance my career? That doesn’t make sense. Or maybe I needed to find a program where I could attend evening classes -- because there’s nothing more that I want to do after work than commute somewhere else and work for a few more hours.
I exhausted my options. I visited campuses all over the Bay Area and sat in on introductory seminars for various programs. But I still didn’t feel great about it. It’s not that I didn’t want to invest time into getting my education; I just didn’t want to waste time. And that’s where getting a degree online started to really make sense.
Here are the reasons I started leaning toward, and eventually deciding on, distance learning programs:
1) Legitimate schools’ online enrollments are on the rise; illegitimate schools’ enrollments are falling.
And by legitimate, of course, I mean the for-profit versus non-for-profit schools. I would never hold it against anyone for attending the University of Phoenix and getting their degree. But I hold it against the school for preying on low-income and unqualified students to take out inordinate amounts of money to pay their tuition. Luckily, enrollments at these universities are falling fast while online program enrollments at traditional brick-and-mortar schools are steadily rising. “Online degree” doesn’t catch the same snarls anymore because it’s rapidly gaining popularity, momentum, and favorable reception.
2) Network with actual professionals in their fields, not just jobless students.
I’ve been blown away by the professionals in my classes. They’ve brought a ton of experience and perspectives that I’ve never experienced in any undergraduate class I’ve had. Many of them are industry vets who have even more experience than the professors teaching the courses. And it’s great because I can share my experiences working at JotForm with professionals doing similar things at various organizations. And that’s a huge benefit to taking online courses: your classmates aren’t taking breaks from their busy careers.
3) I had my pick of universities without geographical confines.
I started out my search by creating a list of schools in a spreadsheet. In total, I had about 25 programs I was seriously considering, all of which didn’t require me to move from my cozy Oakland apartment. Each and every one of them were recognizable universities from different states. I ended up choosing Purdue because they have a vast and involved alumni network, name recognition, and a terrific program.
4) I earn while I learn.
The math is there. The ability to earn the same salary that I’d make not going to school while I’m taking classes is a huge added bonus. Yes, it’s hard and my social life is taking a hit. But it’s only temporary. I’ll save tens of thousands of dollars going the online route than had I chosen to move to a small college town with no jobs in my field.
5) I can apply what I learn in real time.
There have been more than a few times that I’ve read something for class on the bus to work, then applied what I learned that same day. It’s great to apply my schoolwork to real life situations as it comes up instead of waiting a couple years to finish the degree. Everything is fresh in my memory.
6) Travel isn’t a problem.
From weekend trips to full-blown vacations, I can travel without having to worry about missing out on classwork -- as long as there’s an internet connection. This past year I left town about six different times while class was in session and didn’t miss a beat. That would have created a big problem in a traditional classroom setting.
7) Online class discussions are more compelling online.
It might seem counterintuitive, but it’s absolutely true. Words typed into an online discussion board for your class are far more thought out, researched, and often even cited, than rattling off your opinions in a physical classroom. Plus it serves as a resource as something to revisit later on.
Everyone’s learning styles are different. Maybe online degrees don’t make sense for your path. But there’s no question that the benefits of getting your graduate degree online are completely changing the higher education landscape.
Have you thought about getting a master’s degree? What are your thoughts about online education?
Chad Reid is the director of communications for JotForm, a leading online form building software for small businesses. |
A federal judge in Pittsburgh on Thursday ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is representing Dale Baxley in his claim that Scott Medical Health Center of Pittsburgh created a sexually hostile work environment because he's gay.
According to the EEOC, Baxley's male supervisor repeatedly used anti-gay slurs and made other “highly offensive comments” and inquiries about Baxley's sexuality and sex life. Baxley quit his telemarketing job after his complaints were dismissed, the EEOC claims.
The lawsuit, filed in March, is one of the first the EEOC is pursuing against a private employer.
“That someone can be subjected to a barrage of insults, humiliation, hostility and/or changes to the terms and conditions of their employment, based upon nothing more than the aggressor's view of what it means to be a man or a woman, is exactly the evil Title VII was designed to eradicate,” wrote Judge Cathy Bissoon. “Because this Court concludes that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a subset of sexual stereotyping and thus covered by Title VII's prohibitions on discrimination 'because of sex,' Defendant's Motion to Dismiss on the ground that the EEOC's Complaint fails to state a claim for which relief can be granted will be denied.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, praised the ruling.
“This is an important win for LGBTQ equality,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “Judge Bissoon's decision affirms that discrimination against an individual based on their sexual orientation is fundamentally a form of discrimination based on sex – which is prohibited by federal law. We congratulate the EEOC and the plaintiff on this victory.”
(Document provided by Equality Case Files.) |
RIVERTON — Unified police narcotics detectives made a drug bust Thursday that involved blue meth, a drug investigators believe has not been seen by drug agents in Utah before.
An extensive investigation over the past several months culminated Thursday when a SWAT team served a warrant on a home at 3422 W. Mt. Cortina.
Three people renting the house were arrested and booked into jail for investigation of several drug-related charges. The arrests happened in what most considered a quiet suburban area.
"Drug dealing is not limited to just downtown," Unified Police Lt. Don Hutson said. "Drug activity has infiltrated suburbia."
Investigators seized 3 pounds of meth, 3 pounds of heroin, 1 pound of cocaine and 6 ounces of blue meth. Also seized were two vehicles and a handgun found hidden in a wall, Hutson said.
Blue meth is essentially the same as regular methamphetamine. The blue coloring, however, is like a marker to let drug dealers and consumers know which group produced it.
Hutson said meth labs are rarely seen locally now. He estimated that 95 percent to 99 percent of meth found in Utah came from Mexico. In this case, Hutson called the three arrested people midlevel dealers, receiving their supply from Mexico and selling it in pound and ounce quantities to street dealers.
Guadalupe Gaxida, 34; Abran Latorre, 21; and Silvestre Montemayor, 22, were booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.
— Pat Reavy |
Originally posted on November 14, 2013 by Wendy Boswell on Intel's software blog.
Getting an app developed is just the first step in a long journey. One of the more daunting problems facing developers is user engagement; basically, how to get users to install apps and keep them installed. It’s difficult to keep users satisfied beyond that initial app install, and it can be even more difficult to get meaningful exposure in the first place against larger companies that offer a lot of apps that tend to get space on those Top Ten lists.
Different types of uninstalls
A simple uninstall is not necessarily a bad thing, neither does it necessarily indicate that there’s a problem. There’s a catch-22 situation here; is it better to have an app that is completely ignored by the majority of users, or is it better to have an app that is apparently so non-user-friendly that it’s uninstalled immediately?
Apps that don’t offer anything helpful or unique tend to be the ones that are uninstalled the most frequently. People cycle through apps incredibly quickly to find the one that best fits their needs. Engagement and retention are two very different things, as we can see from this measurement from Flurry Analytics, who used a sample of apps used more than 1.7 billion times each week.
One of the easiest ways to increase app loyalty is to look at the data. Developers can take advantage of client-side interaction analytics to figure out what is driving their customer base behavior, and improve their apps in specific ways that speak directly to what their users are looking for. Developers who keep an ear to the ground as far as what their customers are really looking for are going to reap the benefits. There are also several tools out there (both free and paid) that monitor what users are searching for as far when looking for apps at various app stores and via the Web.
Factors that influence app uninstalls
How to reduce the uninstall rate is a question that most developers are actively seeking the answer to. A lot of apps have a naturally limited lifecycle; i.e., apps that are centered around a movie release or an app that tracks a pregnancy, or an app that celebrates a holiday. In addition, apps with limited functionality, for example, “lite” games that only go so far, are uninstalled once the user has mastered all the levels. That isn’t always a bad thing. If the app is engaging enough, developers can get the user to download the next app in their stable of apps, creating a continuous engagement cycle.
There’s really not a one-size-fits-all answer to the question of “why are users uninstalling my app?” But there do seem to be a few common factors that can contribute to this happening:
Lengthy forms: Asking a user who has just installed an app to fill out a lengthy, convoluted form contributes to a poor user experience, especially on a mobile device.
Asking for ratings: Apps that are intrusively pushing for good ratings tend to be uninstalled; these need to be timed quite precisely in order to avoid user burnout.
Collecting unnecessary data: If an app is collecting personal data without a clear demonstrable need – or without consent – the app is more likely to be uninstalled. There’s no need to ask for sensitive data that the app does not need to function properly:
“If apps could announce their information use practices as you enter a relationship with them and when you enter a relationship with me, then at least you could be better informed. This awareness enables you to decide whether you really do want to use the app. Imagine:
As you enter a contact into your smartphone, you would be informed as to how all the apps on your smartphone would use that information.
When you add a new app to your Facebook profile, it showed you how the app was going to use your social graph data – an impact assessment.
What this gets back to is a desire for control. An app that tries to be as upstanding as you are would provide better visibility and choice with respect to the use of information about your relationships. Apps that are bad actors will not provide such choice and likely go to great lengths to hide their actual use of the information.” - Gartner.com, “I Like You but I Hate Your Apps”
User friendliness: If the app takes more than a few seconds to learn how to use, the majority of users are going to uninstall it.
Is it free? Users are more likely to uninstall an app if they didn’t pay for it, especially if it doesn’t have a clear perceived use. Even if the app only cost .99, users are less likely to uninstall simply because that’s .99 that they will be basically throwing away. There’s a fine balance to this, since free apps can bring in money from in-app purchases.
Buggy: If an app is full of glitches, eats up too much memory, or crashes all the time, it tends to be uninstalled. Users are rarely forgiving of these kinds of issues. Being sure to repeatedly test an app on multiple devices and versions of the same operating system can greatly limit the number of issues users encounter. Users are becoming increasingly more sophisticated as far as what they are looking for in their apps:
“A study, carried out online by uSamp, found that freezing (76%), crashing (71%) and slow responsiveness (59%) were the primary bugbears when it came to app problems, with heavy battery usage (55%) and too many ads (53%) also mentioned. Users stressed that performance mattered the most on banking apps (74%) and maps (63%), with the latter no doubt much to the chagrin of Apple, which has had some difficulty with its own maps software on iOS 6. For almost every respondent (96%) said that they would write a bad review on an under-par app, while 44% said that they would delete the app immediately. Another 38% said that they would delete the app if it froze for more than 30 seconds with 32% and 21% respectively indicating that they would moan about the app to their friends or colleagues in person or over Facebook and Twitter. A considerable 18% would delete an app immediately if it froze for just five seconds, but 27% said that they would persist with the app if they paid for it. Those experiencing bad apps urged developers to fix the problem (89%) first and foremost, followed by offering easy refunds (65%) and a customer service number (49%).” - Business Insider, “Customers Hate Freezing Apps”
Unnecessary notifications: Annoying users is defeating the purpose of an app. Sending unnecessary push notifications that merely create an improper noise to signal ratio are annoying. They need to be time effectively so that they are not intrusive or too pushy.
A good user experience is at the core of any good app, and user-friendly apps are the most successful. Judging from the sheer amount of downloads from various app stores (numbering in the billions just from Apple alone); people are obviously very willing to try new apps. However, it behooves developers to take a long-view picture beyond just that initial download and figure out how they can focus on retaining those customers, making them into die-hard fans who will continue to use the app for the long haul. Studying the analytics of app downloads (usually provided within your app store dashboard) will help developers analyze the demographic profiles of the people who are interested in their apps, making for a more targeted marketing campaign and also aiding in future updates of the apps themselves. |
Brick-and-mortar stores will naturally survive for a very long time to come, but they are continuously feeling the pressure from their online counterparts. Insights and statistics about customer behavior has been used by online retailers since the 1990’s, but we are finally at a stage where physical stores might be able to even out this advantage.
During last year’s holiday shopping season in the United States, the foot traffic within the walls of physical retailers were approximately half of what it was just three years earlier, according to Forbes. More and more consumers find it appealing to conduct product research and make purchases in the silent comfort in front of their computer screens.
However, Business2Community reports that 61% of U.S. consumers still prefer to shop in-store, as compared to the 31% turning towards the internet. Physical stores still benefit from shopping being pursued as a social activity, knowledgeable personnel and that there is no delivery time connected to a purchase. Despite these advantages, many stores have been severely impacted by the aggressive moves of online retailers.
In order to combat the pressure from online competitors, several suggestions have been put through by media and experts. Turning the store into a fulfillment center, take the in-store experience to a different level and integrate channels relentlessly are some of them. However, the big remedy seemingly is good old analysis – helped by a slight push of new technology.
According to a Nielsen study from last year, consumers pay fewer and fewer trips to physical stores – but the company is also pointing on an upside. When customers actually do visit a store, they are spending more per trip than ever before. This is an interesting notion for the endangered retailers, because this fact gives some foundation suitable for leverage. It is here what is called in-store analytics comes in.
The technology market intelligence company ABI Research predicts that the market for in-store analytics will reach $3 Billion by 2018. Indoor location and smartphone-based analytics have emerged around Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, small cells and 3D motion sensing for instance. The new smartphone-based technologies work in synchronization with existing systems and are enabling a very high level of analytics.
Pathing, dwell times, repeat customers and aisle-level product interaction are just some of the features becoming enabled. The Huffington Post claims that with such tools, the brick-and-mortar space is poised for a comeback. The eagerness for retailers to try out new technology is already beginning to show, albeit with many simpler features to start with.
People counting technology is to be used by 70% of all stores in 2015, according to Datawatch. Also almost 70% will have in-store Wi-Fi and 68% get provided with data from loyalty programs. Furthermore, more than 50% of physical stores are planning on implementing queue management systems.
The new types of technology enhanced analytics allow retailers to better understand shoppers and their behaviors, and provide solid ground for making strategic and tactical decisions. The decisions span from store design layout to merchandising and displays, from customer attraction management to staffing allocation.
Actually, The New Economy reports that the retailer industry are now allowed to differentiate between male and female shoppers, identify and track employees, map preferred customer routes and look at what the customers are browsing online while in-store.
There is little doubt that new technology will be one of the primary means used by the brick-and-mortar stores in order to combat the increasingly large shares lost to online businesses. However, even more important is a coherent experience with a retailer.
Many retailers realize that online presence is paramount to success these days, even if the main business still takes place face to face. There is almost no scenario where they can avoid it. What offers, images and services the stores want to convey must be reflected in both the digital and the physical world. |
Lifetime has canceled long-running, crime-busting show America’s Most Wanted, EW has confirmed. Though there’s another show on the horizon for host John Walsh, who is developing a pilot with Lifetime. (TV Guide exclusively reported the news.)
Most Wanted premiered on Fox in 1988 and since has helped lead to the capture of over 1,100 fugitives both in the United States and 30 additional countries. Lifetime picked up the series in 2011 after Fox canceled the program, citing a lack of profitability.
As to the possibility that Walsh’s production company or 20th Television will shop the show around to other networks, reps for AMW had not responded to EW’s request for comment at time of publication.
Read more:
The 100 Greatest Moments In Television: 1990s
Barack Obama to appear on 1,000th episode of ‘America’s Most Wanted’
Barbara Walters to retire in 2014 |
An election recount will take place soon in Wisconsin, after former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein filed a petition Friday with the state's Elections Commission, the first of three states where she has promised to contest the election result.
The move from Stein, who raised millions since her Wednesday announcement she would seek recounts of Donald Trump's apparent election victories in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, came just 90 minutes before Wisconsin's 5pm Friday deadline to file a petition. Now it will keep some hope alive for many Hillary Clinton supporters for another few weeks while Wisconsin recounts ballots before a December 13 deadline.
Trump scored upset victories in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and seems on the path to declare a victory in Michigan as well, although the result of the election in that state will not be certified officially until Monday. Had Clinton won those three states, previously seen as part of the Democrats' "firewall," she would have secured enough votes in the Electoral College to win the election.
Everyone seems to agree that Donald Trump's election win changes everything. AP
Stein announced her intention to file the petition following reports a group of data experts and election lawyers were urging Clinton to demand a recount in those three states, on suspicion a cyberattack could have manipulated the results of the election in those states. While the group had no specific proof of hacking, they noted irregularities suggesting Clinton routinely did more poorly in Wisconsin counties that used voting machines, as opposed to those that relied on paper ballots.
Trump secured a total of 1,404,000 votes in Wisconsin, according to the commission; Clinton had 1,381,823. Stein secured 31,006 votes. |
The leader of the al-Qaeda offshoot now calling itself the Islamic State called on Muslims with military, medical and managerial skills to flock to its newly-declared pan-Islamic state, in an audio recording released Tuesday.
“Those who can immigrate to the Islamic State should immigrate, as immigration to the house of Islam is a duty,” said Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The newly named “caliph” said the appeal especially applied to “judges and those who have military and managerial and service skills, and doctors and engineers in all fields.”
Baghdadi also addressed the group’s fighters, saying that “your brothers in all the world are waiting” to be rescued by them.
“Terrify the enemies of Allah and seek death in the places where you expect to find it,” he said. “Your brothers, on every piece of this earth, are waiting for you to rescue them.”
(Design by Farwa Rizwan/ Al Arabiya News)
The audio message, titled “A Message to the Mujahideen and the Muslim Ummah in the Month of Ramadan,” was posted online through the group’s media arm. Another account affiliated to the group posted translations in English, Russian, French, German and Albanian.
“By Allah, we will take revenge, by Allah we will take revenge, even if after a while,” Baghdadi said. “Fighters should “embrace the chance and champion Allah’s religion through jihad,” he added.
He called on Muslims to immigrate to the self-styled caliphate, saying it was their duty. In a direct, confident message, he urged them to “listen, realize and stand and free yourself from the shackles of weakness, and stand in the face of tyranny.”
“Let the world know that we are living today in a new era. Whoever was heedless must now be alert. Whoever was sleeping must now awaken. Whoever was shocked and amazed must comprehend.
The Muslims today have a loud, thundering statement, and possess heavy boots,” said Baghdadi, according to the posted translation.
“They have a statement that will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism, and boots that will trample the idol of nationalism, destroy the idol of democracy and uncover its deviant nature.”
It was his first purported message since the group - previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Syria (ISIS) - proclaimed the caliphate on Sunday and declared him its leader, in an audacious bid to sweep away state borders and redraw the map of the Middle East.
The militant group, which operates in both Iraq and Syria, said their caliphate would spread from Aleppo in northern Syria to Diyala in eastern Iraq, and ordered Muslims in those areas to “obey” and pledge allegiance to their new leader.
“Vanguard of new Islamic awakening”
The declaration of the caliphate followed a three-week drive for territory by ISIL militants and their allies among Iraqi’s Sunni Muslim minority.
Dominating swathes of territory in an arc from Aleppo in Syria to near the western edge of Baghdad, the caliphate aims to erase colonial-era borders and defy the U.S.- and Iranian-backed government of Iraq’s Shi’ite prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki.
It also poses a direct challenge to the global leadership of al-Qaeda, which has disowned ISIS.
Julian Barnes-Dacey, a senior policy fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Baghdadi had made a “bold call in proclaiming this caliphate and speaking out so vigorously now.”
“He perceives this as his moment, having been able to seize this unprecedented amount of territory. It’s a bold, all-in strategy wherein he is trying to present himself as the vanguard of this new Islamic awakening,” Barnes-Dacey said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shi’ites failed to name a prime minister to replace Maliki at the first meeting of a new parliament session, dashing hopes that a unity government would be swiftly built to save Iraq from collapse.
[With AFP and Reuters)
Last Update: Tuesday, 1 July 2014 KSA 22:48 - GMT 19:48 |
The United States on Monday described as "troubling" an Israeli bill supported by a ministerial committee allowing settlers in the occupied West Bank to remain in homes built on private Palestinian land and said it hoped the law does not pass.
"We are deeply concerned about the advancement of legislation that would allow for the legalization of illegal Israeli outposts located on private Palestinian land," State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau told a briefing.
If the law were enacted it could pave the way for the legalization of dozens of illegal outposts deep in the West Bank, she said, adding:
"This would represent an unprecedented and troubling step that's inconsistent with prior Israeli legal opinion and also break longstanding policy of not building on private Palestinian land," Trudeau said.
The U.S. believes settlements endangered prospects for a two-state solution and Israeli-Palestinian peace, she said. "We hope it doesn't become law," Trudeau added.
The ministerial committee defied Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and voted on Sunday to back the bill, which will be debated by parliament on Wednesday and is still some distance from becoming law.
Israel's attorney-general, Avihai Mandelblit, has called the bill legally flawed in its current form, saying that it contravened private property rights legislation and did not tally with Israel's international law commitments. |
A A
EVERETT, Wash. - A shooting at an elementary school basketball court left one teen in the hospital, and police searching for a gunman.
Shots rang out just after 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Horizon Elementary School in Everett, and when police arrived, they found a teenager who had been shot.
Prior to the shooting, a group of 15-20 teenagers arrived at the court where another group of teens was already playing basketball, police say.
A verbal argument between the groups turned physical, and one teen from the first group playing basketball was shot.
After the gun was fired, the teens scattered. Snohomish County Sheriff's Office launched their helicopter to help track down suspects, and several teens possibly associated with the shooting were taken in by officers for questioning.
A gun was recovered by a K-9 unit at a nearby apartment complex, though police say it has not been confirmed that the gun was used in the assault.
No arrests have been made. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 911 or the Everett Police Department TIP LINE at (425) 257-8450. |
Donald Trump delivers a foreign policy speech Wednesday at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
I didn’t think it possible, but Donald Trump’s “major foreign policy address” on Wednesday—a written speech, which he read off a teleprompter—was even more incoherent than his impromptu ramblings of the past several months. In fact, it may stand as the most senseless, self-contradicting foreign policy speech by any major party’s presidential nominee in modern history.
For example, he said that, because of President Obama’s policies, our friends and allies feel they can no longer depend on us—then said that a Trump administration would quit NATO and abandon our allies in Asia entirely unless they started spending more on defense.
He said that his No. 1 national-security goal would be to defeat ISIS—then said that he would work with other nations to do so only if they “appreciate what we’ve done for them,” because for us to be good to them, “they also have to be good to us.” (There’s something childish, even narcissistic, about this demand, which he recited in the tone of a desperately firm parent.)
He said, as he has many times, that our trade deficit has severely weakened America and strengthened China—then said that we have enormous economic leverage over China and that we should use it to get China to rein in North Korea.
He said we should not help any country that isn’t our friend—then proposed easing tensions with Russia. (It’s possible to hold one view or the other, but not both.)
He said he would strengthen America’s economy in order to shrink the deficit—then said he would use the extra wealth to boost jobs, then said he would use it to increase the military budget, without the slightest recognition of possible trade-offs or the need to set priorities.
Then there are the statements, many of them reprised from debates and campaign speeches, that are simply untrue. He claimed that Iran has violated the nuclear agreement, when in fact it’s abided by the terms. He added that, because of the deal, Iran has become “a great, great power”—which must come as news to Iran’s leaders, who are frustrated that, despite the lifting of sanctions, they still can’t get much trade going with the West. He said Obama has “snubbed” Israel, when in fact many Israeli military and intelligence officers credit Obama with providing more security assistance than any recent president.
Trump added that Obama has let our nuclear arsenal atrophy, when in fact the Pentagon is spending $20 billion a year to maintain and modernize it. He said Obama’s proposed defense budget for next year (which, by the way, amounts to $608 billion) is 25 percent smaller than his budget for 2011—when, in fact, it’s larger. He said that, since 1991, the active-duty U.S. Army has shrunk from 2 million troops to 1.3 million, that the Air Force is one-third smaller, and that the Navy’s force of ships has declined from 500 to 272—which may sound alarming, until you consider (which Trump hasn’t) that the Cold War ended in 1991: It would be strange if the military hadn’t shrunk since then.
And there were the bombastic pronouncements with no basis whatsoever. “The world is more dangerous than it has ever been.” (Think about that claim for one minute, and you’ll see how absurd it is.) About ISIS, he said, “They’re going to be gone if I’m elected president, and they’ll be gone very, very quickly.” (What does this mean? Is he going to scowl at them? Nuke them?) “No one knows how to reduce debt, but I do.” (One way he reduced debt in the private sector was to buy debt-ridden companies, then abandon the creditors or offer them dimes on the dollar or nothing. International debt doesn’t work this way.) He also said, as he has before, that he opposed the Iraq war because it would destabilize the Middle East—when, in fact, he supported the invasion not long before it took place.
Finally, he lent credence to the suspicion that he’s never read a history book. In what a cynic might interpret as an act of speechwriter’s sabotage, he embraced the tag “America First,” going so far as to say it will be “the overriding theme” of his foreign policy. He doesn’t seem to realize that this was the slogan of Charles Lindbergh—in his 1940 campaign against President Franklin D. Roosevelt—to remain neutral and isolationist during World War II. Is Lindbergh Trump’s witting role model?
This was, I repeat, a prepared speech, not some rambling remarks by a candidate in over his head. I don’t know who wrote it, but it seems to confirm rumors that no prominent Republican national-security advisers are assisting Trump’s campaign. Clearly this is the speech of an unserious man who hasn’t read up on the issues or thought through his own instincts. The dangerous thing is not so much that he knows nothing about foreign policy; it’s that he doesn’t know just how much he doesn’t know.
Read more Slate coverage of the 2016 presidential election. |
Hadmut
Nüchtern betrachtet:
HR Today schreibt über eine Betrachtung der Frage, ob sich die Hochschulausbildung von Frauen in der Schweiz volkswirtschaftlich überhaupt lohnt:
Bern (sda). Kaufkraftbereinigt betragen die direkten öffentlichen Ausgaben für die Hochschulausbildung einer Frau hierzulande im Schnitt 107’000 Dollar – die Lohneinbussen während des Studiums sind nicht eingerechnet. Der Nutzen für die öffentliche Hand, gemessen an zusätzlichen Steuer- und Sozialeinnahmen von Frauen mit Hochschulabschluss beläuft sich auf je 98’000. Netto entsteht also ein Verlust von 9000 Dollar. Das einzige andere Land mit einem Nettoverlust ist Chile (-3600 Dollar). Im OECD-Schnitt beträgt der Nutzen von Frauen mit Hochschulabschluss im Schnitt je 83’400 Dollar (EU22: 108’400). Am meisten an den Staat zurück geben die Frauen in Holland (246’500 Dollar) und Irland (219’000 Dollar). Der Nettonutzen bei Männern mit Schweizer Hochschulbildung beträgt 64’000 Dollar. Das ist nur die Hälfte des OECD-Durchschnitts von 154’000 Dollar (EU22: 190’300). Am ergiebigsten sind die Investitionen in männliche Hochschulabgänger in Irland (429’000 Dollar) und Holland (370’800 Dollar).
Da kann man sich nun verschiedene Gedanken dazu machen.
Eine Frage ist, wie das bei uns in Deutschland aussieht. Die Frage habe ich – auch im Kontext des Themas Studiengebühren – schon ein paarmal gestellt, aber Antworten habe ich dazu noch nie gefunden. Wäre doch mal eine wunderbare Bundestagsanfrage für die AfD.
Eine andere Frage ist, wie das getrennt nach Fächern aussieht. Denn dass Frauen hier niedrigere Ergebnisse erzielen, könnte auch wieder auf den Simpson-Fehler in Statistiken zurückzuführen sein. Womöglich nämlich liegt es gar nicht an Frauen, sondern an den Fächern. Vielleicht ist die Studienkostenrendite bei Männern und Frauen gleich hoch, aber bei MINT-Fächern sehr hoch und bei Geisteswissenschaften sehr niedrig, und Frauen kommen dann wegen ihres Schwafelfachdrangs auf einen niedrigeren Durchschnitt. Man müsste sowas schon genauer betrachten, bevor man solche Meldungen publiziert, aber Herrje, so ist die Presse heute eben. Es wird nicht mehr informiert, sondern nur noch mitgeteilt, was man zu denken hat.
Generell würde mich das pro Fach nämlich auch mehr interessieren als pro Geschlecht. Viele der Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften dürften sich nämlich volkswirtschaftlich als reine Geldverschwendung darstellen – und da sind Frauen natürlich stark drin vertreten.
Es erinnert mich außerdem an die Diskussion, die wir bei Ärzten – zuerst Tierärzten – schon hatten. Die Zahl der Studienplätze ist konstant, aber Männer werden zunehmend von Frauen mit besseren Noten verdrängt, somit ist auch die Zahl der Absolventen zwar gleich, aber das volkswirtschaftliche Ergebnis wird immer schlechter, weil Frauen sich auf Halbtagspraxen und – bei Tierärzten – auf kleine Kuscheltiere im Stadtbereich zurückziehen, während der Bauer auf dem Land weder seinen Landarzt noch seinen Veterinär mehr bekommt. Bei gleichen Ausbildungskosten sinkt der volkswirtschaftliche Nutzen durch die Frauenförderung massiv.
Die Frage wird man also stellen müssen, ob Frauenförderung – insbesondere die politisch betriebene Substitution von Männern durch Frauen – volkswirtschaftlich überhaupt vertretbar ist oder ob hier nicht ein enormer Schaden angerichtet wird. War nicht der Amtseid der Bundeskanzler und -minister, „…Schaden vom Volk zu wenden…“? Sollte man das nicht ganz schnöde mal auf sowas lenken und fragen, ob sie gegen ihren Eid verstoßen?
Wäre es volkswirtschaftlich nicht geboten, Männer- statt Frauenförderung zu betreiben, weil da die Rendite für den Steuerzahler viel höher ist und der Staat zu wirtschaftlichem Umgang mit Steuergeldern verpflichtet ist?
Generell kommt man damit auch wieder auf das alte Thema, dass Studiengebühren zwar viele Nachteile haben und Probleme verursachen, dafür aber mal eine Kosten-Nutzen-Rechnung erzwingen. (Jedenfalls, wenn man sie selbst bezahlen muss und nicht zu den Fördergruppen gehört.)
Ich hielte es für angemessener, wenn man Studiengebühren in kostendeckender Höhe zahlen muss, dann aber die Steuerzahlungen mit den Studiengebührenzahlungen verrechnet werden, man also mit den erarbeiteten Einnahmen und Steuerzahlungen die Studienkosten abarbeitet. Wer also etwas studiert, was volkswirtschaftlich nützlich ist, indem er durch Arbeiten mehr Steuern zahlt als er den Staat gekostet hat, käme damit effektiv ohne Studienkosten heraus, weil es verrechnet wird. Das Unwesen, dass man nur pro forma irgendwelchen Nonsens studiert, um dann „Frau Dr.“ zu heißen und sich aus der Erwerbstätigkeit zurückzuziehen oder sie gar nicht erst aufzunehmen, wäre damit schnell eingedampft. Der ganze Feminismus-Quatsch würde sich dann von selbst erledigen. |
The Leftovers season 3 is coming in 2017
Westworld may be right around the corner, and it may be easy to forget that HBO has plans long after that. Like The Leftovers, for example. The Leftovers season 3 will serve as the final, a choice made on the creative side — it has not been cancelled in the traditional sense. Still, the series never was able to carve out much of an audience for itself, and even though it won a Peabody it has never been an awards darling.
For the patient and loyal fans that have stuck with The Leftovers since the beginning, season 3 is well on the way. The official Twitter account tweeted that filming has wrapped in their new location, Melbourne. That’s a big change from previously shooting in New York and then Texas.
Until 2017. @TheLeftoversHBO Season 3 production has wrapped in Melbourne. pic.twitter.com/RJ5OYEvwJw — The Leftovers (@TheLeftoversHBO) September 23, 2016
Look back at a trailer for season 2:
It’s a shame that The Leftovers has never caught on, but it’s not difficult to understand why. The series is as serious and dark as they come and can frequently be a difficult watch. That makes for compelling drama, but not necessarily the kind that audiences will flock to. HBO, though likely proud of the series, could understandably be eager to wrap it up. There could come a time in the future when The Leftovers receives the accolades it deserves, but that time isn’t now.
It’s possible that the third season will see some late-game Emmy love when the time comes, but that’s about all it can hope for. Season 3 will premiere sometime in 2017, though HBO has not yer specific an exact date. Since filming has wrapped it won’t be too long before we get the first poster and teaser, though don’t expect to see new episodes before next summer. |
The title-winning Liverpool Ladies swept the board at this year's 15th annual FA women's football awards in London, picking up three of the five honours on offer on Friday.
Ladies manager Matt Beard was awarded the FA Manager of the Year award by Trevor Brooking after successfully guiding the Ladies to Women's Super League glory.
Natasha Dowie, meanwhile, collected the FA Players' Player of the Year award and the FA Women's Super League top goalscorer award after netting an impressive 19 goals in 21 games in all competitions this season.
Beard said: "I am honoured to be named FA Manager of the Year.
"It has been a truly incredible year for Liverpool Ladies and to be officially acknowledged by the FA for all the hard work really is the icing on the cake.
"Today's event has been a fantastic celebration of all the passionate and talented people involved in the women's game, which I am proud to be a part of."
Dowie added: "Accepting the FA WSL top goalscorer award and the FA Players' Player of the Year award today has been so overwhelming.
"To receive the support and acknowledgement from my fellow players and the FA is such an honour and it marks the end of a fantastic season for me.
"To be a part of an ambitious, talented team is amazing and I know these awards will add even more fuel to my fire to continue to give 110 per cent."
Click here for the latest news about the Liverpool Ladies, or visit their official website. |
MUSKEGON — Beneath mounds of plaster dust, crushed glass, crumbled ceiling tiles and slashed couch cushions, it’s plain to see the home of Griffetta and Vernard Jones was once a well-kept, elaborately decorated home.
HOW YOU CAN HELP Anyone with information about the vandalism at 43 W. Forest in Muskegon is asked to call Silent Observer at (231) 72-CRIME or Muskegon Police at (231) 724-6750.
But the unfathomable mess the Muskegon couple came home to Sunday morning after a Valentine weekend away is a homeowner’s worst nightmare.
“It’s pretty horrific,” said a stoic 36-year-old Griffetta, standing in a room only slightly resembling the former living room she recently redecorated.
“I’m so numb I can’t cry anymore. I’m totally in shock. It was my dream home. I loved it. I just don’t understand.”
The vandalism authorities discovered around 3:45 a.m. Sunday inside the blue, two-story home at 43 W. Forest was so severe that the Joneses can’t even stay there.
And Griffetta’s blue, 2002 Jaguar parked in the attached garage was destroyed as well, according to a police report.
Adding insult to injury, Griffetta said, is the racial slur discovered etched in the Jaguar’s paint: “Hate N-----.”
The Joneses are African-American.
“The racial slur was extremely harsh. I’m very upset about my house, but to see that — that really hurt,” Griffetta said.
No other signs of racial slurs were immediately evident.
The couple, who arrived to the damaged home around 6:30 a.m. Sunday, are being assisted by Red Cross officials and staying in a local hotel while authorities try to sort out the incident.
It isn’t clear what, if anything, was taken from the home.
“We walked in the house and we just fell. I couldn’t believe it. I was crying hysterically,” said Griffetta.
No suspects had been identified as of Monday. Griffetta said the home and vehicle were insured.
Meanwhile, an intense investigation was under way, said Muskegon Detective Sgt. Monica Shirey, noting that the amount of damage done to the interior of the Forest Avenue home makes it the worst case of vandalism she has ever seen.
“The entire residence was demolished,” she said, adding that both the interior and exterior of the home had been damaged with red paint.
The Joneses say they can’t imagine a motive for such a crime.
“I go to work and I come home and that’s it. And my husband is the friendliest person you’d ever meet,” said Griffetta, a machine operator at a local plant. “I have no idea why us. We don’t bother anybody. We have been sitting in our hotel thinking, ‘What did we do to someone to deserve this?’”
Vernard, who is on disability, said he has no idea why they were targeted.
“We have opened our home to anyone who needs it,” he said.
Shirey said authorities were led to the Joneses’ home after a nearby resident reported finding red paint thrown on the side of his home and vehicle. The neighbors’ home and vehicle suffered far less damage than the Joneses’, she said.
“While investigating that incident, officers checked the area for suspects and noticed that 43 W. Forest had a garage entry door covered in red paint,” she said.
Upon entering the home, authorities discovered an indescribable scene: walls full of holes apparently made with a sledgehammer; sinks and toilets smashed to pieces; cut up furniture cushions; broken windows and picture frames; televisions, stereos and appliances turned over; and personal belongings strewn all over the 2,600-square-foot home.
Even the couple’s basement furnace was smashed in.
“This is unreal,” said 45-year-old Vernard. “When I came into the house and saw it, I fell to my knees. It’s worse than a house fire. They got it all.”
E-mail Heather Lynn Peters at |
WASHINGTON -- The House GOP quietly blocked funding for ACORN last week, even though the anti-poverty organization has long since been both defunded and disbanded.
The legislative assault on ACORN, which shut down in 2010, was included in a Department of Defense appropriations bill that cleared the House on Thursday. Although the bill passed by a broad, bipartisan margin of 315-97, it garnered attention for an amendment proposed by Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) that would have stopped the government from collecting masses of phone call metadata without reasonable suspicion.
Amash's amendment failed, but language to bar ACORN from receiving any money made the final cut. Section 8097 of the bill reads, "None of the funds made available under this Act may be distributed to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) or its subsidiaries."
ACORN cannot receive any funding from the U.S. government under any legislation, of course, because ACORN does not exist. Similarly, ACORN has no subsidiaries because ACORN does not exist.
A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) referred questions on the provision to House Appropriations Committee spokeswoman Jennifer Hing. "I don't believe our response has changed since the last time you asked this question," Hing told HuffPost.
In June, the last time HuffPost asked Hing about ACORN defunding language, she replied, "These provisions are typically carried every year in appropriations bills."
The time before that, in March, Hing called ACORN defunding language "a typical provision that is included in most appropriations bills."
HuffPost asks Hing about the language often because the House GOP votes to defund ACORN all the time. Nearly every bill that clears the House Appropriations Committee includes a section barring the use of funds for ACORN, although the specific language varies among different bills.
Conservative political groups targeted ACORN for years, accusing the anti-poverty group, which typically backed liberal policies aiding the poor, of broad voter fraud conspiracies that were ultimately never substantiated. But in the fall of 2009, conservative videographer James O'Keefe released selectively edited videos that appeared to show ACORN employees offering advice on tax avoidance related to prostitution and child smuggling. Independent investigations by the California attorney general, the Massachusetts attorney general and the Brooklyn, N.Y., district attorney would later clear ACORN of criminal wrongdoing, and an investigation by the Government Accountability Office would clear the group of charges that it mishandled federal funds.
Before these investigations were completed, however, Congress banned federal funding for ACORN using broad language that applied to any organization that had been charged with breaking federal or state election laws, lobbying disclosure laws or campaign finance laws or with filing fraudulent paperwork with any federal or state agency. The funding ban also extended to any employees, contractors or others affiliated with any group so charged. |
Episode Info:
Show support appreciated: 35iDYDYqRdN2x6KGcpdV2W1Hy3AjGje9oL Matthew & Fernando interview Caitlin Long on location in New York. Caitlin is a tenured Wall Street professional, with 22 years’ worth of experience at Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and Salomon Brothers, working as an equity analyst and eventually serving as Managing Director for 15 of those years. She is now President and Chairman of Symbiont, a blockchain smart contract platform for institutional finance. We discuss her involvement and efforts at Symbiont, where she is disrupting the worlds of Wall Street and traditional finance with the efficiencies garnered from the blockchain. We discuss the role of permissioned and public blockchains, the regulations and standards coming, corporate governance, risk reduction, rehypothecation of assets around the world (and its associated risks), the coming central bank-based blockchain currencies, and more. Links for more info: https://symbiont.io/ https://caitlin-long.com/ https://twitter.com/caitlinlong_/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-long-356b383a/ https://www.alt-m.org/2016/04/26/why-financial-regulators-are-warming-to-blockchains-and-rightfully-so/ Show Sponsor: https://shapeshift.io Hosts: Matthew Mežinskis, Fernando Ulrich Music: New Friend Music newfriendmusic.com/ Site: cryptovoices.com/ Podcast & Information Cryptoeconomics & Liberty Thanks for listening! Show content is not investment advice in any way. |
How to help (Unix) programmers: silently omit data under certain circumstances. From the Python 3000 release notes:
Note that when os.listdir() returns a list of strings, filenames that cannot be decoded properly are omitted rather than raising UnicodeError .
(Background: in Python 3k, os.listdir() is normally called with a directory name that is a str Unicode object.)
Yes, os.listdir() had problems, but this is not a solution; this is making the problems worse. Before, at least you found out if you had a problem in this area. Now you will get mysterious reports that your program doesn't process all of the files that are there, on some platforms.
What this suggests is that os.listdir() is actually not a portable interface. On Unix it fundamentally deals with with byte-strings, and attempts to paper over that cause explosions; on other platforms, in at least some circumstances, it fundamentally deals with Unicode strings, and you get the same explosions in the other direction. Hiding the explosions doesn't make them go away, it just makes the problem harder to diagnose. |
Cross Posted From CommonDreams
Steering a lobster boat called the Henry David T., two climate activists on Wednesday attempted to blockade a shipment of West Virginia coal from arriving at Brayton Point Power Station in Massachusetts, New England’s largest coal-fired power plant.
The coal freighter, the Energy Entreprise, is believed to be carrying coal from a mountain top removal operation in Appalachia to the terminal in Massachusetts, setting up a ‘David vs. Goliath’ visual in which the activists in their tiny lobster boat put themselves between the massive coal ship and the power plant’s terminal.
Updates from the site indicate that the Henry David T. and its occupants have been detained by the US Coast Guard.
Ken Ward and Jay O’Hara aboard the Henry David T. prior to the action that will put them between the bulk carrier Energy Enterprise, a coal ship that can carry nearly 40,000 tons of coal. (Photo: #coalisstupid)
In a statement released by Ken Ward and Jay O’Hara, the two men behind the action—which is operating under the name #coalisstupid—said their blockade at Brayton is a locally-directed action inspired by the the international climate activism network 350.org and their “Summer Heat” campaign.
Ward and O’Hara’s statement called for Brayton Point to be “shut down immediately.” And by “immediately,” they said, “We mean today.” And offered these reasons:
First, every day of additional emissions is a terrible, immoral imposition on our children and, in ways we do not fully understand, on the other living things of God’s creation. Second, we do not need this power plant – efficiency measures alone can reduce demand by far more than the 6% of Massachusetts electricity generation supplied by the plant. Third, in order for the US to exert global leadership on climate, we must take decisive and difficult steps in the right direction for our own nation. The closure of all US coal plants, coupled with the sort of vigorous advancement of efficiencies and renewables that is much talked about but little acted upon, would create the political and moral basis for effective global leadership by the US, without which no global solution is possible. We are faced with an imperative like none confronted by any previous generation; we are living in a society that is disavows responsibility for this greatest of crises, and lacks any process or means by which decisions, like that to extend the life of Brayton Point, might be affected. It is our choice to take direct, non-violent action – putting our bodies between the Brayton Point coal plant and its water-borne coal supply – in an attempt to achieve the outcome necessary for planetary survival; the immediate closure of Brayton Point Power Station.
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A little while ago the copy of Siege of Annuminas I bought off Ebay arrived and the following night I dove straight into the Print on Demand quest eager to finally experience what others got to at last years Gen Con. I am a huge fan of the special Print on Demand quests and some of them are even among my favourite quests for this game namely The Massing at Osgiliath and Ruins of Belegost so I was expecting this quest to be epic but oh boy was I pleasantly surprised. Not only is this quest easily one of the most exciting, difficult and tense quests released to date but it has instantly become one of my favourites. I had such a great time and enjoyed the quest so much that I decided I had to write an article/review about my experience.
I absolutely love the lore and stories surrounding the Fall of Arnor and it’s war against Angmar so this quest is right up my alley. The remnants of Angmar’s foul forces we see in this quest includes Werewolves, and I believe this is the first time we have seen them, and a powerful Sorcerer. I really love some variety amongst enemies and being able to encounter and battle rare and interesting foes from Tolkien’s world is one of my favourite aspects of playing this game. Print on Demand quests always have a unique mechanic and the city strength mechanic featured in Siege of Annuminas is one my favourites to date. Not only do you need to successfully defend the Ancient ruined city of Annuminas but you also need to hold off the scores of foes and defeat the enemy captain to route the vile army from Angmar. There is even a battering ram the forces of Angmar use against you!
Now unfortunately I am unable to try out Epic Multiplayer mode as I play this game exclusively on my own. At some point I will have to seek out some fellow players if for no other reason than to try this new game mode. There are now a few quests that can be played in this way including this years Gen Con/Fellowship quest: Assault on Dol Guldur as well as the Black Gate/Mount Doom combo in the upcoming final Saga box The Mountain of Fire. Now playing it with two handed in the “standard game mode” means I won’t see the extra quest stages and mechanics that are exclusive in “epic multiplayer mode” but there are still many moving pieces and effects I will both need to plan and keep an eye out for.
Now going into the quest my main game plan was more or less the same as it always is when taking on a quest of this difficulty and complexity; survive the first several turns while slowly amassing an army of allies and attachments that will allow me to turn the tables mid to late game and decimate whatever the encounter deck throws at me. Rather than go into too much detail in regards to strategy and my eventual win after two epic losses I am going to instead talk about my experiences on each quest stage as I progressed through the quest.
The starting quest stage begins with an attempt to strengthen Annuminas and increase its overall city strength. You get three turns before you are forced to progress to Stage 2A and you must remove 10 progress from Stage 1B in order to strengthen Annuminas by 10. I was not able to strengthen Annuminas via this effect at ANY point playing this quest! Enemies like the Orcs, Warg Riders and Wargs themselves remove any progress you are able to make after treacheries like Caught in the Press or Weary Warriors severely reduce your ability to quest and place progress to begin with.
My first loss was due to me not handling Stage 1B effectively and conceding after Annuminas took several points of damage and multiple allies fell to extra enemy attacks I was not able to stop. Both decks also had sub par hands and were not building their board state fast enough so I saw that it was very likely a lost cause to continue. From then on I focused on simply placing enough progress on Stage 1 so that I could then remove it to stop extra encounter effects from triggering while also prioritising combat and stopping any enemies from surviving the turn they appear in order to keep Annuminas as strong as possible. During the third game that I eventually won I was able to keep Annuminas at it’s full original strength of twenty by the time I progressed from Stage 1. One last thing worth mentioning is that it is very easy for the staging area to fill with locations quickly even during the very first quest stage as you not only start with 2 in play but they pretty much all feature nasty travel effects so you may not be able to travel every turn or every time you hope or plan to.
I had to contend with there always being at least a few locations in the staging area at all points of this quest during all three games I played and any time Hills of Evendim or Shores of Lake Nenuial were in staging as well, which was more often than you would think, I could not place progress on locations in staging or cancel when revealed effects either. Only towards the end of my eventual win was I able to clear the staging area of all locations but one and even then a few turns later several new locations had entered play and sat in the staging area so that I could avoid their travel effects as well as clear Battering Ram and Stage 3B quickly instead.
As you move onto the second quest stage the focus shifts and the forces of Angmar are upon you en masse and ready to take the city from you should you falter! The forced effect on Stage 2B is one of the absolute nastiest effects on a quest stage I have ever seen.
Should you leave a nasty enemy with high attack strength in the staging area each player must face an attack from it after commiting characters to the quest and if you keep the staging area clear of any foes you instead have to reveal an additional encounter card. Now because of how nasty the foes can get in this quest (especially from Stage 2 onwards considering the Host of Angmar is now in the encounter deck!) facing multiple attacks from one of them can easily spell your doom and my second loss/conceded game occurred after I not only let a copy of City Wall be overtaken damaging Annuminas but after also losing multiple heroes to the Host of Angmar attacking each player due to the quest stage effect.
During my third and final victorious attempt at this quest I instead faced a somewhat less menacing Vanguard of Carn Dum making multiple attacks via this effect. I was easily able to manage this and then destroyed both the Vanguard and Host of Angmar with ease. The Host luckily appeared during a turn with no other enemies in play so after a Dunedain of Annuminas valiantly fell protecting my heroes and defending against the Host of Angmar my forces were able to attack en masse and destroy the Host in one attempt and for good!
Even after defeating the Host of Angmar and Vanguard it was a long slog to the end of Stage 2B as it still has 40 progress points even with Host of Angmar in the victory display.
I essentially focused on avoiding the quest stage effect as often as possible while also continuing to focus on combat stopping Annuminas from taking damage whenever possible. This way I continued to build my board state and slowly build progress on Stage 2B whilst also keeping Annuminas as close to full strength as possible. The one good thing about this quest stage is the healing effect it provides as Elrond boosts this so it actually provides a very reasonable 4 points of healing per turn. I was only able to advance past this stage and onto the final Stage 3 during my third attempt and victory.
The Third and final Stage 3B is the showdown with the Lieutenant of Angmar and counter attack against his forces. Now the thing that made this quest so enjoyable for me is that unlike most even after I had my board state well and truly set up and at a level where it would normally dominate the encounter deck things continued to be both tense and difficult and there were still several moments that could have swung things back in favour of the encounter deck. Not until the final turn when I achieved victory were things ever truly secured or guaranteed.
I was admittedly able to clear and ‘destroy’ the battering ram very quickly and turn focus onto the Lieutenant which was key in staying afloat during the final Stage. The Lieutenant of Angmar whilst not the most menacing boss I have ever seen is also no joke as he makes two attacks per turn with his decent 6 attack strength and cannot take damage until you have cleared the Battering Ram and placed 10 progress on Stage 3B. After placing a ton of progress on Stage 3B in one big push I was able to finally bring him down and achieve victory. Taking him down as fast as I was able to was key at that point as he was still posing a serious threat even with my built up forces and the few rounds he was able to make multiple attacks he had several enemies backing him up providing their own attacks coming very close to the point of overwhelming me. The second Dunedain of Annuminas in that game to fall defending my heroes was during one of these final rounds.
Here is a picture of my final board state for reference. As you can see all enemies have been cleared but several locations remain in the staging area.
Other than perhaps Ruins of Belegost this is now easily my favourite Print on Demand quest as it just has such great mechanics, theme and such a perfect difficulty level for my style and format of play. Like most players I love objective allies and cool locations that actually represent siege equipment or weapons and as mentioned at the start of this article I love fighting unique or rare enemies like the werewolves featured in this quest (even if they are one of the less threatening enemies featured!). Siege of Annuminas is just an all round fantastic quest that I highly recommend getting your hands on if you have not already. I hope you enjoyed the review!
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John Boehner’s laughably weak leadership as House Majority Leader surely must be seen as being partly to blame for the sequester — the Tea Party caucus in Congress clearly has a tight leash on the Speaker.
But at least Boehner tried for a “Grand Bargain” with President Obama in 2011, only to be reined in by Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan, according to a recent interview Cantor conducted with The New Yorker‘s Washington correspondent, Ryan Lizza. Cantor admitted that there was a final meeting with Boehner, Ryan and himself where Boehner wanted to accept the president’s $1.2 trillion offer, but was talked out of it by Cantor and Ryan.
“The reason why we said no in that meeting, ‘don’t do this deal,’ was because what that deal was, was basically going along with this sense that you had to increase taxes, you had to give on the question of middle-class tax cuts prior to the election,” said Cantor. “And you knew that they had said they weren’t giving in on health care.”
So basically, this was about the 2012 election. Cantor and Ryan wanted to let the voters decide on taxes and health care instead of preempting it with the Obama-Boehner Grand Bargain. Then in November, the American public overwhelmingly voted for President Obama and his balanced approach to deficit reduction and growing the economy through a mix of spending cuts, tax revenues and closing corporate loopholes — a result that has been confirmed in repeated polls. The American people also doubled down on Obamacare by re-electing the president.
Cantor concluded the interview with Lizza with this telling remark: “That’s why we said, ‘Let’s just get what we can now, abide by our commitment of dollar-for-dollar, and we’ll have it out, as the president said, on these two issues in the election.'”
The failure of the Grand Bargain resulted in the Budget Control Act of 2011, which included the automatic budget sequestration.
So it is now clear that Cantor and Ryan killed the Grand Bargain, leading to the sequester and the onset of European-style austerity and possibly another recession, and their basis for that was their supreme confidence that they would win the election. What is unclear is why, after their ideas were thoroughly rejected, they are defying the will of the American people and a popular president by refusing to compromise.
Could it be that they wanted this all along? Here is what Ryan said after the law putting the sequester in place was passed in August, 2011:
“What conservatives like me have been fighting for, for years, are statutory caps on spending, legal caps in law that says government agencies cannot spend over a set amount of money. And if they breach that amount across the board, sequester comes in to cut that spending, and you can’t turn that off without a supermajority vote. We got that in law. That is here.”
Photo: RobinVBrown via Flickr |
Dick Heller, who sued to overturn Washington handgun ban, poses for the assembled media after picking up his gun registration, Monday, Aug. 18, 2008 at Washington's Metropolitan Police headquarters. (Gerald Herbert/AP) (Gerald Herbert/AP)
Dick Heller is angry.
The so-called hero of the gun rights community on Wednesday accused members of the media of purposefully confusing the public about guns and gun ownership in the months since the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Heller was the center of a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2008 that held the Second Amendment protected civilians, and not just law enforcement, in owning guns. His prescription for reporters on the gun beat Wednesday: learn how to use a firearm.
"You folks in the media, I challenge you to add another [notch] to your resume. Learn about guns. Take a safety course," Heller told a room of reporters at the National Press Club. "If you don't … you're going to have a struggle understanding the process. When I see people take a firearms class, and they start out as antigun, they enjoy it, they start to absorb that environment. If you did, you would not make mistakes, like calling a magazine a clip."
That advice is one the gun rights community has offered before.
In an April interview with Whispers, Dave Workman, a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and spokesman for the second amendment group Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, said there were times he was "ashamed of his journalism degree" because of the way the mainstream press covered the National Rifle Association. "The problem is that most of the people who occupy newsrooms in the U.S. are not gun owners," Workman said.
Heller also decried media coverage of the NRA, saying gun group vice president Wayne LaPierre's recommendation that schools should have armed security guards to prevent another Newtown shooting was justified.
"Some media branded him as a crackpot," said Heller. (In December, MSNBC host Karen Finney called LaPierre "crazy.") "What I learned later, and I don't think I ever saw it in the press, was that at that very moment that they were calling him a crackpot, over 6000 schools in the U.S. already had armed security for years, D.C. being one of them," Heller said.
The D.C. public school system does indeed have an office of school security, responsible for preventing and investigating criminal activity at schools, and districts in the cities of Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and St. Louis have long had armed officers in schools, according to the New York Times.
But while the mainstream media noted LaPierre's recommendation wasn't new, news agencies including CNN also noted that armed guards had been present at the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 and unable to stop the deaths of 12 students and a teacher.
Heller said Wednesday that reporters are eager to make note of when guns failed to stop a crime, but don't report on when firearms are successfully used in self-defense. In 2002, for example, a shooter at the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Va., killed three and wounded three others; his rampage was eventually stopped by two armed students. According to Heller, major news outlets did not report on the defensive use of firearms at the scene. That same allegation is included in the 2003 book by John Lott "The Bias Against Guns: Why Almost Everything You've Heard About Gun Control Is Wrong."
Of course, some reporters who cover guns not only know how to use firearms but also embrace them.
Dan Baum, a freelance investigative reporter and gun owner who recently authored "Gun Guys: A Road Trip" about gun culture in the U.S., told Whispers in April that the rhetoric used towards gun owners since the December shooting at Newtown has been "unimaginably offensive."
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Media playback is not supported on this device Highlights - Alloa 1-2 Hibernian
Hibernian came from behind against Championship rivals Alloa to reach the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.
Hibs keeper Mark Oxley allowed a speculative shot from Daryll Meggatt to slip through his grasp on 15 minutes.
But Liam Craig curled in a free-kick to level and David Gray headed the visitors in front before the interval.
The visitors faded after a bright first half and were hanging on after Dominique Malonga's late red card for an off-the-ball incident.
Alloa beat Hibs 2-1 on league duty in late August but Alan Stubbs' men have improved since then, saving their best form for the road.
The Edinburgh side scored six at Dumbarton last week and popped first-time passes around with confidence on the artificial surface, with the hosts forced to defend deep in their own territory.
Jason Cummings sent a first-time strike wide, while Malonga and Lewis Stevenson lifted shots narrowly over the top as Hibs dictated play.
However, Alloa found themselves in front after a glaring error from Oxley, who should have made a routine save as Meggatt let fly from 25-yards.
The Wasps then had a great chance to double their lead when Mark Cawley was allowed to break clear through the middle but the home midfielder skewed his shot wide with just Oxley to beat.
Moments later, Gray clattered a header against the back post as the visitors rediscovered their poise.
Hibernian were beaten Scottish Cup finalists in 2012 and 2013
The game was all-square when Cawley was penalised for stopping a Scott Robertson shot with his hands on the edge of the penalty area and Craig found the bottom corner with a precise free-kick.
Full-backs Stevenson and Gray were prominent in attack for Hibs and it was the latter who found the net next when he rose at the back post to meet Scott Allan's cross and looped a header over keeper Craig McDowall.
Hibs defender Paul Hanlon volleyed straight at McDowall soon after and the first half closed with a header from the same player deflected just wide.
The impressive Allan was doing his best to drive his team on with a sequence of strong runs from midfield but Hibs found openings harder to come by after the interval.
Alloa continued to defend in numbers but had a glimpse of goal when Ryan McCord sliced a shot off-target and Oxley's less than convincing handling from corners must have been a source of hope for home fans.
Hibs introduced the youthful attacking trio of Alex Harris, Sam Stanton and Matthew Kennedy but the changes failed to make any impact, with Alloa beginning to look the more dangerous side.
And the hosts had an advantage in personnel for the last few minutes as Malonga was dismissed following an altercation with Ben Gordon but they failed to test Oxley. |
LONDON: The Metropolitan Police will be executing over 200 search warrants across London to target and disrupt those aiming to use the upcoming Notting Hill Carnival as a cover for committing crime and violence.
A statement issued by the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday claimed, 55 people have been arrested as part of Operation Vitality; the intelligence-led operation designed to keep the 50th Notting Hill Carnival safe for both those attending and those taking part in the celebration.
Officers in Lambeth executed 11 warrants and arrested 5 individuals on suspicion of possession of class-A drugs and two for possession of class-B drugs along with a cash seizure of approximately £2,000.
During a raid in Barnet officers recovered a firearm and arrested four individuals. In a separate raid in the same area two suspected were arrested on suspicion of possession of ammunition and possession with intent to supply class-B drugs.
Officers also seized two machetes from an address in Camden.
Operation Vitality runs in tandem with the Met's Trident Gang Crime Command which provides enhanced intelligence, enforcement and diversion activity for the most harmful gang members in London.
Superintendent Robyn Williams, the Met’s spokesperson for the Notting Hill Carnival said, "Well over one million people attend the Notting Hill Carnival every year; given these huge numbers, crime is low. What we want is for those one million people to enjoy the event without worrying about the crime and violence that has been caused by the small minority in the past.
Borough commander Tariq Sarwar, of Kensington and Chelsea said, "Carnival is a fantastic event bringing many visitors to the borough from around the world to take part in the festivities. I appreciate that the celebrations together with the high volume of people passing through the area will have an impact on local businesses and residents.
“Today’s operation will ensure that some of those persons intent on causing harm and disruption to the Carnival will be prevented from doing so. This will help to ensure that those people who are there to enjoy themselves can do so and it will enable the area to be returned to normality at the earliest for the local businesses and resident," Sarwar added. |
An overview of some of the changes in 3.1.2 PTS Update 3. Including new Cartel Market images and more!
Everything you see here is subject to change. You can see the official patch notes here.
New Cartel Market Images
New Decoration Models
Things of Note
A Pure black Crystal is coming to the Cartel Market! It will be an Ultra Rare in the Deep Core and Core World's Explorer pack. No image is currently included in the client.
The new Rancor Pets will be rewards for buying Cartel Coin Cards.
M4-1S Astromesh Droid - Rewarded to active accounts as of May 4, 2015
In-Depth Changes
GOM Changes
Ability Changes
Changed Areas
Changed Codex Entries
Changed Collections
Changed Decorations
Changed Items
Changed MTX Entries
Changed NPCs
String Changes
Changed Talents
Commando Changes
Sage Changes
Sorc Changes
Shadow Changes
Assasin Changes
Final Notes
Overall, not to much interesting stuff in this update, annother fairly small PTS patch. |
Home to wholesale decorating showrooms, art galleries, and a technology incubator, Chicago’s 4 million square foot Merchandise Mart is preparing to take on yet another role as a giant projection screen. According to the Chicago Tribune, the iconic 1928 Art Deco building will host projected, multimedia art along its nearly three-acre, river-facing southern facade beginning in 2018.
The possibility of utilizing the Merchandise Mart as an artistic canvas was first revealed back in 2014 as part of a preliminary study conducted by the Mayor’s Office and Choose Chicago to light the Chicago River and boost tourism. Known as the Lighting Framework Plan (LFP) initiative, the document also looked at creative ways to illuminate other waterfront structures such as Chicago’s bridges, Civic Opera House, and Lower Wacker Drive.
New York based architecture firm A+I and creative partner Obscura Digital are currently evaluating lighting options for the building’s 25-story river frontage. Obscura has previous experience with similar lighting projects including St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and New York’s Empire State Building.
While next year’s lighting of the Merchandise Mart compliments the city’s commitment to invest more in public art, the Tribune reports that the project will be funded through private—rather than public—channels. |
Swedish international midfielder Kim Kallstrom has joined Arsenal on loan from Russian side Spartak Moscow until the end of the 2013/14 season.
The 31-year-old arrives at Arsenal with a wealth of experience, having made 108 international appearances for Sweden and over 400 club appearances during his career so far, in which he has played league football in Sweden, France and Russia.
Kallstrom started his career in 1999 with Swedish side BK Hacken. After spending two years at the Gothenburg club, the midfielder moved to Djurgardens IF, where he won the Swedish League in both 2002 and 2003, together with the Swedish National Cup in 2002.
"I’m here to do my best for Arsenal and to help out the team, so we can achieve good results for the last part of the season" Kim Kallstrom
Following two years at Djurgardens IF, Kallstrom moved to France where he spent eight successful years, firstly with Rennes for two seasons, before moving to Lyon, where he enjoyed much success.
During his time with ‘OL’, Kallstrom made over 200 appearances, winning the Ligue 1 title twice (2006/07, 2007/08), the French National Cup twice (2008, 2012) and the French Super Cup twice (2007, 2008). He was also a regular in the Uefa Champions League, helping Lyon to the semi-final of the competition in 2009/10.
Vastly experienced at international level, the midfielder was part of his country’s squads at four major tournaments - the European Championships in 2004, 2008 and 2012, and the 2006 World Cup.
Arsène Wenger said: “Kim Kallstrom is a hugely-experienced player. He is a midfielder with proven quality at both club and international level. We welcome Kim to Arsenal.”
Kallstrom spoke to Arsenal Media as he completed the move and said: “Arsenal is an amazing club with a lot of great players and a coach who has done really well here for a long time. I am so pleased to come here to learn as much as possible. I’m here to do my best for Arsenal and to help out the team, so we can achieve good results for the last part of the season.”
Although Kallstrom has appeared for Spartak Moscow in this season's Europa League at the play-off stage, when they were eliminated by Swiss club St.Gallen, he will be eligible for Arsenal for the remainder of this season’s Champions League campaign.
Kim Kallstrom’s squad number will be revealed on the Club’s official Twitter feed @Arsenal soon.
Everyone at Arsenal welcomes Kim to the Club and wishes him every success during his time here.
The loan move is subject to the completion of standard regulatory processes.
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You guys handled this very well and deserve credit for it. The QB controversy got (rightfully) boring to many because the statements were mostly the same, with mildly reworded statements and a lot of capital letters on the side of the QB that some fans didn’t like. Many of the folks who complained that no one on the other side will admit to a middle ground won’t, under any circumstances, accept that there’s a middle ground. That’s all faded into Let’s Go Broncos and I’m proud of that. It’s nice to see folks getting past that other issue and pulling together behind the team. It says a lot of good about the Broncos Country community and it makes me proud to be part of it. Nice going, folks.
There have been several media reports in the past week, including on Twitter, that suggested Denver's players have rallied behind Orton as ‘their’ starter. Every coach knows to treat that carefully, but to listen to his players as well. I don’t know the validity of the rumor - it’s a rumor. Worth keeping an eye on, but hardly convincing by itself. When the coaches say so, that’s different. Since Denver has now designated Kyle Orton as the QB for the Sep. 12 season opener, the questions are moot for the moment, but the chances that the locker room are comfortable appear high. Comments like those made by Brandon Lloyd are worth considering - more below.
Orton’s won at the NFL level already. He did it in 2005 for 10 games, in 2007 for three games and in 2008 for nine games. He did it for the first six games of 2009. He’s done it with a fairly simply approach, too. What’s most interesting is that it’s pretty much the same one that the John Fox Group is working towards: it mostly consists of having a tough, aggressive defense, a multi-talented running game, a tough, rugged OL and an outlet guy or two. It’s not a small order, but a winning football team has to have them - they’re basic pieces for any system to mold, regardless of specific personnel.
Denver already has excellent receivers - they are among the best in the league (might be the best, as a group). They are developing a running game that uses a lot of swing pass screens as well as some zone blocking for the running game, which OL coach Dave Magazu has been teaching them to perfection. Every lineman loves to be set loose on run blocking and these guys are no different. Every QB needs an OL and a running game that includes an outlet guy or even two. For the first time in Denver, Orton now has them. The defense looks like it’s come a long way, too. There are a lot or reasons to be excited.
What’s Good?
The good news is that it appears the locker room does favor Orton, the head coach wants him, and so does the OC and the front office. You’re got an uncontroversial QB for the most part - people just want to see Denver win, and we all agree on that - and the front office is actively working on improving the areas of the team that are weak. I like the progress there. A lot of those areas affect Orton’s situation directly, and they’re getting serious upgrades. No one’s given him a good running game and a successful front line along with a decent defense since back when he was stumbling into a situation that was somewhat over his head at the time in 2005. A middle-of-the-pack defense this year would be a nice step up - these guys might even be better than that, but we’ll see when it counts. All of those pieces are things that have to happen to create a contender, no matter who’s the QB. Denver is starting to look like a real team. We’ll see quickly - Oakland is no patsy and they’ve had Denver’s number recently.
I’ve trained in an art where you get thrown through the air at very high speeds. I enjoyed it, and I can tell you something - no matter how hard and carefully you train, you’re going to get injured at times, If people are tackling you (or hitting or kicking or throwing you), it’s just part of life. I don’t know if you’ve ever had a major rib injury - I did, three weeks before I had to live with and train 10 hours per day with the founder of a Japanese healing and martial arts system. I was the youngest of the candidates, and therefore would be used as ‘uke’ which is sort of Japanese for ‘tackling dummy’. I used a very strong bone healing liniment, and was finally pain free after a few weeks, and then used a whole lot more of it while he was here. Those weeks were proof of Einstein’s theory of relativity - getting though them felt like it was at least three years long. You really can’t breathe or move without pain. It’s a long way of saying that I could identify with Orton’s situation last year. He was a tackling dummy too often. You get hurt that way.
The goal this year will be to run more and use that to protect him, which is a sensible approach no matter who’s your QB. So was Orton’s gaining of 12 lb of muscle in the offseason. To show that he was healed this season, Orton rolled out well in the preseason opener at Dallas - no one was open, but he did the right thing with the ball. He rolled out twice on Saturday against Buffalo and was successful. He needs to keep his muscle weight up, no question. That work and the plyometrics - which I strongly support - may help with the injury bug. There’s no doubt that a better performance from the OL would be a big help. It’s hard to throw when you’re looking at the defensive team photo just after the snap, after all. Considering that Orton’s injuries have come when the line breaks down, it’s reasonable to be open to the possibility that a good line and better physical training may help or end the injuries, although you’ll always see some in football.
I think that this line can be developed. They’re showing signs of that already, and it’s early. The move to focusing more on the running game seems to be helping them. In a possible reference to Stephen King’s The Stand, John Fox has taken to calling J.D. Walton ‘Trashcan’ for his willingness to get down and dirty - Walton looked good defending Kyle Williams last Saturday. The Bills may be weak: Williams is not. Dave Magazu is a heck of a coach. He believes in a certain level of legally restrained aggression. Very serious aggression. “Point of attack wins games” kinds of aggression.
This is something I like. If your lines aren’t focused on aggressively winning their individual battles, you’re not going to win many games. Talent is important, scheme is important, but in the end, you have to be winning more point-of-attack battles than the other guy or you’ll lose the game.
Defense, Aggression and the Run
Those three things have something in common. Hostility. Focus and Attitude. Standing up to anyone.
Dennis Allen noted that he wants to punish not just the QB but anyone who touches the ball. It’s a philosophy that has a lot of advantage for Denver. It’s a very new attitude, and if the team buys in, it could be very helpful. Football has a lot to do with the emotional state of the players involved - I’ve read Lombardi, Walsh, Dungy and Belichick on that, and if they all agree (and they do), I won’t say differently. I found this statement of Fox’s amusing:
Hey, everybody keeps talking about the quarterback here. Our issues are on defense.
Elvis Dumervil commented that the team had taken note of Shannon Sharpe’s introduction into the Hall of Fame in Canton:
We saw them bringing John Elway back to Canton, the replays, the video of all the proud moments of this franchise and some of that kind of got lost. I think we have to recapture that. It means something to be wearing a Broncos’ helmet. That means on defense, we’re attacking. We’re going to play physical. We’re going to stop the run.
The offensive run will also help that. It shortens the games, for one thing. Beyond that, it’s more physically aggressive than the passing game, which by its nature is passive at the point of attack on the OL (who fall back as they defend). The Broncos intend to run the ball with two and even three backs (according to Brian Xanders, anyway) and to use that to improve play action, which makes sense. The emphasis on the run game also takes advantage of a simple psychological principle: When you have a lot of people who aren’t really happy and feel like they haven’t been well treated or know where things are going (and Denver’s had that problem for a while), there are some things that you want to do organizationally.
You want a nice, calm, experienced leader - John Fox, so check. You want to get in touch with the players and connect with them personally to foster team spirit - that’s up to the position coaches at first, and it’s an experienced group of them. You want to get them doing something that they enjoy (like run blocking) and use that enjoyment to fire them up for other forms of blocking - check. You give them a top offensive line coach - like Dave Magazu. Check. You let them run block all day long, vent their hostilities and get them on board with your program - check. You give them success, which tends to lead to more success. And that helps to improve your line, which (as we have seen) affects every aspect of the offense.
Brandon Lloyd’s Take
As you may have heard, Brandon Lloyd was quoted in Michael Silver's article yesterday. I think that of all the Broncos, Lloyd’s opinion means the most to me (other than Elway) because he’s been a vocal supporter of Tebow as well as Orton (yes, you can root for both). He’s caught passes from both of them and played with them in game settings. Here’s what Lloyd had to say:
The offense can get real detailed and creative with the calls, because Kyle is so cerebral. I’m not gonna lie: When I heard about [the possible trade], I was happy for Kyle, that he’d get out of this situation where he was being doubted and unwanted and go where someone wants him. I thought, ‘Good for him.’ But when it didn’t happen, it was a sigh of relief.
That big sigh of relief should speak volumes. If anyone - ANYONE - knows the QB situation, it's Lloyd. Sure, he's also attached to Orton because Orton fed him the ball and turned him from a bench-sitting rotational player to top receiver on the Broncos - and a lot of other teams, for that matter. They - Lloyd and Orton - are one of the best tandems in pro ball right now, which gets ignored a lot. There’s a legitimate question here: Why do you break up that kind of passing/receiving tandem just because you don't have any protection for the QB and several other non-passing problems? Why not just fix those? They’re problems that no team can survive anyway, so they have to be fixed if the team is to win.
Lloyd also knows something that most people just don't seem to get: He really understands what Kyle Orton means to the Broncos this year. The team has to take care of Orton, and Orton needs to deliver for the team. It’s that simple. There isn’t going to be a trade unless Orton fails badly. Right now, there are a lot of reasons to give him a chance to show if he’s a winner. If the team holds up their part of the bargain, he’s got to hold up his.
Given what I’ve seen from those areas like the running game, defense, outlet passing and the offensive line/pass protections - the emphasis on the two-back, two-TE max protect as the base formation - works perfectly for Orton’s skillset, offsetting his weaknesses as best as possible and putting him in the best possible position to win. The second formation - the 212, with two backs, 1 TE, and 2 WR also gives him a lot of options. From what we’ve seen so far, he looks like the system brings out the best in him.
Let’s hope so - winning is all that matters. Go Broncos! |
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Need for Speed: Payback, the newly announced racing game from EA, will support Microsoft's Xbox One X and Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro, executive producer Marcus Nilsson told GameSpot at E3 this week. Xbox One X is the new name for Project Scorpio. He also commented on the possibility of a Nintendo Switch edition--but don't get your hopes up.
Asked if Payback developer Ghost Games would support Scorpio and PS4 Pro, Nilsson said, "Yes, we are." He added: "Both of those platforms will be supported."
Microsoft's Scorpio console is expected to be formally announced tomorrow, June 11, during the company's E3 briefing. It is more powerful than Sony's PS4 Pro, which launched last year. We'll have many more details on Scorpio tomorrow, so keep checking back for the latest.
As for a possible Switch version of Payback, don't get your hopes up. Although Nilsson is personally a big fan of the hybrid console, it sounds like Payback won't be headed to it.
"I love the Switch; I absolutely adore it," he said, adding that he plays The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on flights.
While some version of Payback might be possible on Switch, which is underpowered compared to its other console platforms, Xbox One and PS4, Payback for Switch isn't in the works now.
"Would that be a platform that Need for Speed: Payback could run on? I don't see why [not], but it's not something we're looking to at this very moment," he explained.
Payback publisher EA is supporting Switch with at least one game, as a version of FIFA 18 that's missing some features is headed to the console later this year.
Payback launches on November 10 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more from our conversation with Nisson. And for more on EA's E3 2017 announcements, here are roundups of all the big news and trailers. |
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s rank-and-file police union is urging its members to ban Mayor Bill de Blasio from their funerals.
The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association posted a link on its website telling members not to let de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito “insult their sacrifice” should they be killed in the line of duty. The union posted a waiver officers can sign requesting the two politicians not attend their funerals due to their “consistent refusal to show police officers the support and respect they deserve.”
The New York Post reports the mayor and council speaker are calling the effort “deeply disappointing.”
The mayor customarily attends such funerals.
The union’s president has said officers haven’t felt supported in the wake of a chokehold death of an unarmed black man. |
Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE's press aides have revoked access to his Twitter account, a new report claims, as the GOP nominee tries to stay on message for the campaign's final stretch.
The New York Times reports on Sunday that Trump no longer has control of what goes out on his Twitter account, with aides drafting and sending out messages with his help.
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In one example given by the Times, Trump and top press aide Hope Hicks co-authored a tweet about how President Obama shouldn't be spending his time in office campaigning for Clinton that Hicks approved and sent.
Trump's social media account boasts more than 13 million followers and the unconventional politician has regularly leaned on it to tar political rivals and give voters an unfiltered look at his thoughts. But his Twitter musings have been a regular source of headaches for his campaign both during the primary election and the general election.
He provoked the ire of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 Inviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Trump endorses Cornyn for reelection as O'Rourke mulls challenge MORE (Texas) when he retweeted an unflattering photo of his wife during the GOP primary. More recently, a late-night series of tweets disparaging a former Miss Universe who claims Trump belittled her for gaining weight distracted his campaign and opened the door for ridicule from Democrats.
Last month, he also promised an all-out war against the GOP establishment and 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 in a series of tweets, warning that the "shackles have been taken off."
The more-restrained social media approach over the last few days mimics Trump's overall direction as he heads into Election Day. His rallies have been increasingly reliant on scripted remarks, more subdued with less departures into areas that could come back to haunt him. |
Fighting Positions: Defence and Displacement.
There is more to a good defence than simply picking what appears to be a good battle postion. According to FM 17-15, the old (1996) US Army tank platoon manual (and the most recent one at time of writing which is approved for general release) one of the characteristics of the defence is flexibility: “A crucial indicator of flexibility is the ability to move quickly under all battlefield conditions, between primary, alternate, and supplementary fighting positions as well as subsequent BPs”
I’ll bet you didn’t know there were so many types of position. To explain:
Primary and alternate fighting positions are oriented* on the same sectors of fire. Supplementary fighting positions orient on different sectors of fire. Subsequent BPs are oriented on sectors of fire along the same avenue of approach as the primary/alternate positions. Supplementary BPs are oriented on sectors of fire along different avenues of approach
Fighting Positions
Battle Positions:
The difference between a fighting position and a battle position is that the latter is an area in which a tank or group of tanks is to be positioned, whilst the fighting position is the individual location that a particular tank chooses to position itself.
Why have so many types of position?
It is very tempting to simply look at the map and choose a favourite position from which to make your stand. When you line up to position yourself to target the enemy’s most likely avenue of advance, such a position may result in your being able to destroy more enemy vehicles coming down that path before being destroyed in turn than any other single position on the map. What’s wrong with that?
Well, the first problem is “what if the enemy decides not to come down the most likely avenue of approach?” It’s all very well hiding behind a rock which gives perfect cover from the NorthEast, but the one time out of five when they come at you from the NorthWest, are you going to be able to affect the battle before you are flanked? If not, maybe one should consider selecting a battle position which has a fair primary and fair supplementary fighting position, as opposed to an excellent primary and no supplementary options at all.
If you have a map which allows for it, there is much to be said for, instead of inflicting maximum damage as soon as possible, trading a bit of space for survivability, and moving around a bit. Once you have engaged the enemy, the chances are that he knows you’re there, and will act to counter an enemy vehicle at that location. You can expect artillery to fall within about 15 seconds, or a flanking maneuver against you.
Tanks can increase their survivability by exposing themselves to the enemy only to the extent necessary to engage him effectively. Minimize exposure by constantly seeking effective available cover, attempting to engage the enemy from the flank, remaining dispersed, firing from multiple positions, and limiting engagement times.
For further details on defilade, see this link
Of the last three items, all are worth noting and often are ignored in the WoT games, usually to the detriment of the defenders.
Remain dispersed:
This link gives an example of the benefits of concentrating firepower. However, and this is often forgotten, it is not required to mass one’s forces in order to mass firepower. Artillery, which isn’t overly accurate at the best of times, particularly high-tier artillery, which has a good ‘splash’ effect from its HE rounds, loves it when forces mass together. Every round’s a winner for them. A good engagement area will allow concentrated fire from multiple distances and directions onto a single target. Not only does having a dispersed defensive line increase the difficulty the enemy has to kill targets, it also adds to the confusion to have multiple rounds impacting from multiple directions. Plus, as a tank turns to deal with a specific defending target, it quite possibly might present a weaker side turret wall to another defending vehicle engaging from a distant fighting position.
If possible, a well dispersed group of tanks will position themselves such that they all complement their engagement ranges. For example, a StuG III with the 75mmL/70 covering an engagement area in company with a KV-2 with the 152mm may well choose to position itself well to the rear of the KV-2, to take advantage of the longer effective range of its gun. If the terrain does not permit this, and both vehicles must position abreast of each other, the StuG should consider holding its fire until the enemy has entered into the engagement range of the KV-2. If it shoots as soon as the enemy is in range of its accurate cannon, it runs the risk of being spotted as the only target available, and will receive the attentions of the combined enemy forces before the KV-2 can effectively contribute to the fight. Then the KV-2 is subsequently left to fight for itself alone, and will likely meet the same unfortunate fate as the StuG. On the principle of “Use your most casualty-producing weapon first”, the StuG would likely be most effective waiting to see the effect of the KV-2s shot, and finishing off the target if required, or immediately switching to the next target if the KV-2’s target has been destroyed. This will both result in a more rapid destruction of the first enemy vehicle, as well as provide two targets instead of one for the enemy survivors to worry about.
Limit engagement times:
The utility of this one may be dependent on the type of vehicle you are using. The historical gunnery standards for an American tank crew for exposure were different for those of an American IFV crew because an Abrams tank can take a hit or two, whilst Bradleys are far less resilient. Bradley crews in particular become proficient in what are known as “berm drills”, moving forwards to a hull-down position to engage a target, falling back behind cover for a bit, so that the enemy turns to engage a more visible target, then moving forwards again to take another shot. Ideally, it will cause indecision paralysis upon the enemy who is trying to play a game of whack-a-mole with your tanks. Especially if you have a fast reload time, there is something to be said for firing two rounds before withdrawing. You are already loaded as soon as you present yourself, so with a reload time of 3 seconds, you can get two shots off in three seconds. Heavy tanks, however, usually can afford to stay exposed for a little while. Until the artillery starts to zero in, of course.
Multiple Positions:
There are two meanings to this one. Firstly, the alternate positions. Eventually, even if you’re doing berm drills, the enemy is going to wisen up, lay on the crest of the hill where you keep popping up, and waiting until you decide to show yourself. Or, even if you don’t show yourself, artillery will lob a round more or less just behind where you had crested. The solution to this one, though it may take a bit more time and reduce your offensive rate of fire, is that after withdrawing out of sight, move to the side a couple of tank lengths to the alternate position, and pop up where the enemy is not already aiming. By the time the enemy has traversed and waited for the aiming circle to decrease, you could well have the opportunity to take the shot and then fall back.
The other meaning to ‘multiple positions’ is the subsequent position. This is particularly feasible on hilly or urban terrain, and relies on the principle of ‘death by a thousand cuts.’ Particularly if you are the weaker vehicle and would take unacceptable damage by standing and fighting, don’t make a final stand, simply take a couple of shots, whittle the enemy down a bit, and then withdraw to the next position and do it again. Hopefully in concert with friendly tanks who have seen the threat and will join you at the next engagement area. The enemy is going to have to honour the concept that you will be remaining in position, unless he sees you leaving, so will be delayed actioning on that location thus giving you time to relocate. This is why a good battle position will have an escape route: A route where the withdrawing tank can move whilst under cover or concealment from enemy eyes. If your battle position has nothing but open space behind you, you have effectively selected a Die-In-Place position: If you stay, you will die. If you try to withdraw in full sight of God and the Enemy, you will die. Maps with rolling hills such as Steppes or Redshire are great for this sort of withdrawal tactic.
So when to displace? FM 17-15 states the following:
“Displacement may become necessary in several types of situations. For example, a numerically superior enemy may force the platoon to displace to a subsequent BP. In another situation, a penetration or enemy advance on a secondary avenue of approach may require the platoon or section to occupy supplementary BPs or fighting positions. […] Disengagement criteria are primarily based on a specified number and type of enemy vehicles reaching a specified location (normally called the break point) to trigger displacement. Other considerations, such as ammunition supplies and friendly combat power, also influence the decision to displace.”
There’s not much to add to that. The problem isn’t with understanding the concept, the problem is that players will get target fixation, especially when they’re apparently doing well on the exchange, and ignore their own displacement criteria. As The Gambler advised for his shot of whiskey, “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run. The secret to survivin' is knowing what to throw away, and knowing what to keep.” A successful mobile defense is going to be carried out by a player with the self-discipline to withdraw before the going gets too hot. Or, as often happens, before a 203mm artillery round buries itself in their roof armour.
Тhis button goes, unsurprisingly, to the discussion thread
*Yes, "Oriented". "Orientated" is actually a word, but it is heavily mis-used and not appropriated here |
New Delhi: The road ministry is ready to facilitate petrol pump licenses and change of land use, and construct service roads from national highways for investors who build wayside amenities under its Highway Nest and Highway Villages project.
The ministry plans to develop 1,000 wayside amenities on a stretch of around 50km along national highways where commuters can park their vehicles and take a break.
The amenities would include parking for cars, buses and trucks, restaurants and food courts, fuel stations and minor repair shops, rest rooms for passengers, dormitories for drivers and kiosks for sale of sundry items.
“The wayside facilities which have area more than 5 acres will develop under the brand name of Highway Village, while those with area smaller than 5 acres will be called Highway Nest," National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) chairman Deepak Kumar said.
He added that out of the planned 1,000 amenities, 800 will be developed under a Public-Private Partnership, while a business model will be prepared by NHAI for the remaining 200.
“The idea behind Highway Village and Highway Nests is to provide quality amenities and employment to local youth and especially farmers," said minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, who unveiled the logo for the project on Thursday. “All these amenities will have local haat/stalls where farmers can sell their local produce." Gadkari asked individuals owning land along national highways to come forward and participate in the project. |
Over the last year we have seen a rise in the number of high refresh rate monitors around, with 1080p/240Hz panels now becoming more common. It seems like the next jump is just on the horizon too, with 480Hz panels now being tested out in the wild.
Late last week, the folks over at Blur Busters announced that they had managed to get hold of a barebones panel with a true 480Hz refresh rate. The panel itself has a native resolution of 4K/120Hz but has reduced resolution high refresh rate modes built in, so it can scale down to 1080p with a blazing fast 480Hz refresh rate.
Image Source: Blur Busters
This isn’t a monitor that is going to be hitting the wild any time soon though. Blur Busters has a barebones kit, meaning it is basically just the panel with some basic housing around it. For the time being, that’s all we know about this panel but a more in-depth article analysing the panel is on its way.
KitGuru Says: Display technology seems to be advancing at a pretty fast rate at the moment. 480Hz monitors aren’t going to hit the market for a while but this is still a very interesting look at what the future holds. Whether or not many people will benefit from jumping up to such a high refresh rate remains to be seen. |
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Frank de Boer has aimed a dig at Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp over the injury-hit start to his Anfield reign.
Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers as Reds boss last October and immediately sought to introduce the high-pressing style that proved so successful at Borussia Dortmund.
However, questions were asked about the approach when a succession of Liverpool players were ruled out through injury, leaving Klopp to turn to the club’s youngsters.
And newly-appointed Inter boss de Boer – who was overlooked for the Everton job during the summer – believes it would have been better for Klopp to “slow down”.
“We’ll see my Inter after four months, that’s the norm,” he said to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“In January, you will have more of an idea about what we are trying to do as I have only arrived.
“We also must be very careful at the moment not to be too intense in training as it can lead to many injuries.
“I remember (Jurgen) Klopp taking over at Liverpool last October and tried to immediately impose his high-pressing style which he used at Borussia Dortmund and it resulted in several injuries, nine in fact. Sometimes it is better to slow down.” |
Indus Water treaty +
wake of the Uri attack +
mount pressure on Pakistan +
fully support +
NEW DELHI: "Blood and water can't flow at the same time," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday during a meeting to review thewith Pakistan amidst heightened tension between the two countries.Principal secretary to PM, Nripendra Misra, national security adviser Ajit Doval, foreign secretary S Jaishankar, the water resources secretary, and other senior officials were present in the meeting.At the meeting, it was decided that India will exploit to the maximum the capacity of three Pak-controlled rivers — Indus, Chenab, Jhelum — as per the Indus Water Treaty.India will also review the construction on Tulbul navigation project, which was suspended in 2007.The review is being undertaken as India weighs options to give a befitting response to Pakistan in thethat left 18 soldiers dead.There have been consistent calls in India that the government should scrap the water distribution pact toin the aftermath of the terror attack.Under the treaty, which was signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in September 1960, water of six river - Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum - were to be shared between the two countries.According to the agreement, India has control over three eastern rivers — Beas, Ravi and Sutlej — all flowing from Punjab.Pakistan, as per the treaty, controls the western rivers — the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum that flow from Jammu and Kashmir.External affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said last week that there were differences between India and Pakistan on implementing the Indus Waters Treaty.Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh had also said last week that his state willwhatever decision is taken by the Union government on the 1960 agreement."The treaty has caused huge loss to Jammu and Kashmir" as the people of the state cannot fully utilise the waters of various rivers, particularly Chenab in Jammu, for agricultural and other activities, Singh had said."The state government will support whatever decision is taken by the central government on Indus Waters Treaty," he had said. |
What are the seven tenets? They are the essential fluid and air in which we swim, walk and run in our daily lives. The seven tenets explain why your life is the way it is. The seven tenets reveal the Divine Presence that surrounds us is a force for love, with which you can surmount any obstacle and withstand any ill wind.
Not only survive but prosper. For that is why we are here on earth. To learn, to improve, and to gain experiences. The seven tenets explains how we are guided daily by spirits to fulfill our destiny.
They are present so we may place in the bottom of our hearts that love, understanding, caring and serving are the tools we should use to solve every situation. Tenets which convey that benevolent spirits at key moments present us with the tools and inner strength we so desire.
Learning the lessons provided by the seven sounds easy but in practice it’s difficult. Everyday life swirls constantly around us, as if we live in an eye of a hurricane, and every misstep buffets our emotions. Life is a constant hardship for many. We need to rise above the terrain and visualize the road ahead. From the ground it looks rough and rocky, but from on-high the path appears smooth and the destination closer.
The Supreme Intelligence has a set of rules for the road. A set of Divine Laws which are promulgated to give us certainty. We can be sure that our best interests are always in mind. We acknowledge that often the answers to our prayers may take a form that is at first a complete mystery. Eventually we shall learn the absolute logic behind every occurrence.
By realizing who we are, where we are going, the principals that guide us and the meaning of life on this planet, we can step out and see ourselves in a new light. A calm encompassing gentle brightness which surrounds our soul and lets us know that all will be right in the end.
There is a wealth of information about Spiritism, in the five books by the codifier of Spiritism, Allan Kardec, and in the more than four hundred books by Francisco (Chico) C. Xavier, all dictated to him by various spirits. At the bottom of all of the accumulated writing, it is these seven tenets that present to us the context and foundation of our lives.
I’ve kept you waiting long enough. I am not telling you anything that most of you don’t already know. I am only filling in the blanks or more precisely triggering memories of Divine Laws that have been written deep in your conscience.
1.We are Immortal Souls
2.God and Jesus Love Us
3.We have Multiple Lives
4.During our Lives We Pay for Past Debts and Accumulate New Experiences
5.We Live and Learn in Close Family Groups
6.Our Destiny is Mostly Predetermined
7.We are Assisted in our Lives by Unseen Spirit Forces
7 Tenets of Spiritism – How They Impact Your Daily Life |
Why a third round of quantitative easing? Sure, Ben Bernanke says that it is all about jobs and growth, as shown by various 60-year theories pushed by Lord Keynes.
Really? Let’s get serious. This approach has done nothing over five years. It has prolonged the suffering. Another round virtually guarantees continued economic stagnation. QE is poison for the future of American prosperity.
Is Bernanke just ignorant of the economics of adjustment? Or is there more going on? Very few commentators have considered this possibility. They mostly take Bernanke at face value. It’s time that we look a bit deeper, remembering that the big banks are the Fed’s main clients.
Let’s first consider one of the great mysteries of current Fed policy. Why is the Federal Reserve paying banks 25 basis points on their excess reserves parked at the Fed? This policy guarantees that banks have greater incentive to do nothing, rather than lend to you and me. In this way, the Fed’s policy seems to be at war with Bernanke’s stated objectives.
Of course, a quarter point doesn’t sound like much. But it has made a world of difference. Since the Fed put the policy in place during the dark days of October 2008, there is now over $1.4 trillion sloshing around the central bank. Before 2008, there were exactly zero excess reserves held by the Fed.
This is something of a puzzle. People have been puzzling about it for years. Even the grand old man of tight money, ex-Fed chair Paul Volker, doesn’t understand why the Fed is writing checks totaling $3.75 billion a year to the nation’s banks. “I don’t quite understand,” he said, “why they’re putting all this money into the economy and then paying interest on excess reserves of the banks, which is where the banks are parking some of the money.”
And remember, the Federal Reserve sends most of its income to the U.S. Treasury. The Fed transferred $76.9 billion in earnings to the U.S. Treasury during 2011, but it could have transferred nearly $4 billion more. That won’t balance the budget, but that’s another few billion dollars that taxpayers are ultimately on the hook for.
It’s suspicious if nothing else. Consider that the same month that the Fed started paying for excess reserves, Congress and the FDIC approved the Transaction Account Guarantee (TAG). For those that missed this space last week (archived here), TAG provides unlimited FDIC insurance for noninterest-bearing accounts on deposit at the nation’s banks. Unlimited.
So if you are willing to forgo a (very) few basis points of interest, the FDIC will cover your deposits even above the $250,000 limit. TAG deposits total about $1.3 trillion. And remember, banks aren’t paying anything for TAG deposits, so banks enjoy a nice, easy stream of revenue from government policy arbitrage.
Back in 2008, the New York Fed was a bit more overt about its plans:
“Paying interest on excess balances will permit the Federal Reserve to provide sufficient liquidity to support financial stability while implementing the monetary policy that is appropriate in light of the System’s macroeconomic objectives of maximum employment and price stability.”
“Financial stability” means that profitable banks and the Fed always covers the backs of the big banks. No need for the shocked face: After all, the banks own the Federal Reserve system. Since three-quarters of TAG deposits are at the top five banks, a back-of-the-envelope calculation means $2.81 billion is being funneled to the too-big-to-fail banks courtesy of the TAG/pay for reserves program.
That’s pretty good work when you can find it.
Of course, this whole gambit wouldn’t make any sense if the banks wanted to lend the money out. You and the small business down the street would certainly be paying far north of 25 basis for a loan from your friendly local banker, or even from the unfriendly zombie variety.
A quick perusal of any bank’s CD rates will tell you they are saying no to loan applicants much more than yes. Banks have every reason to take the 25 basis points when loan-to-deposit ratios are at a multidecade low of 71%.
According to the FDIC’s “Quarterly Banking Profile,” deposits grew in the second quarter by $88.1 billion. The report stated, “Much of the growth in domestic deposits ($71.7 billion) consisted of noninterest-bearing transaction deposits with balances greater than $250,000 that are temporarily fully covered by the FDIC.”
Banks made $34.5 billion in the second quarter, the 12th-straight year-over-year increase in quarterly income. That all sounds peachy, except banks are juicing their earnings by taking money out of their loan-loss provisions to make their numbers.
Banks set aside $14.2 billion for bad loans in the second quarter of this year, a $5 billion decline from the same time last year. That is the smallest quarterly total in five years. Banks have reduced their reserves for nine straight quarters.
Many small banks are adding to loan loss reserves, but the FDIC profile points out that reserve reductions are centered in the larger banks. In total, loan loss reserves are $86.7 billion below the peak level reached at the end of the first quarter of 2010. That’s $86.7 billion toward the bottom line. That can’t last forever.
Also, noninterest income rose, spurred by the gain on loan sales and on fair values of financial instruments. Both are direct beneficiaries of Bernanke’s zero interest rate policy.
In other words, when it comes to the core business of banking, the numbers don’t look so hot. Net interest income actually declined $287 million in the second quarter and the average net interest margin was 3.46%, down from 3.61% a year previous.
Loan charge-offs were down $8.4 billion from a year ago, another driver of earnings improvement. However, while the industry’s “coverage ratio” of loan loss reserves to noncurrent loans inched up from 60% to 60.4% between March 31 and June 30, this continues to be far below a healthy coverage ratio of more than 100%.
Reuters reports that some people at the Fed have suggested that cutting the interest on excess reserves is a policy option. Why doesn’t the Fed do this? Fed officials say the central bank is concerned that such a move would hurt returns on money market funds that could destabilize financial markets.
Here is proof from the minutes of the Fed’s July 31-Aug. 1: “While a couple of participants favored such a reduction, several others raised concerns about possible adverse effects on money markets.”
It hardly seems possible that this 25 basis point subsidy is required to keep money market funds from breaking the buck.
If this is true, these are indeed dangerous times, more dangerous than most people imagine. It means that the only way banks can really make money is through the “return-free risk” that Jim Grant often writes about. The Fed, therefore, has concocted this entire policy (TAG, ZIRP, and QE3) for one reason only. It‘s not about jobs and growth. The goal is to keep the banking system afloat.
FDIC board member Thomas Hoenig made the point clearly in a speech to the Exchequer Club: “In television commercials, one large bank [Citibank] is advertising its celebration of 200 years in business. I congratulate them. It is well documented that this bank has received U.S. government support four times in the last 100 years.”
He continued:
“We have slowly, perhaps unintentionally, expanded the safety net and its subsidy beyond what is justified to serve the long-run interests of the economy. What started as a means to providing stability to the payments system and intermediation process — both vital to our economy — has become a tool for leverage and a subsidized expansion into activities that has led to greater instability.”
The banks have become like the post office, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the car companies — public utilities that survive and thrive through the force of government power and privilege. The tiny tweaks that keep us baffled are simply the required scaffolding that government must erect to keep its friends and supporters in business.
Inevitably, these temporary crutches always become permanent, only to be supplemented with more of the same during the next crisis. And everyone, including Bernanke, knows that there will be a next crisis. |
He asked if I could draw Twilight and Fluttershy working out in a Hyperbolic Time Chamber.........I didn't really know what that was exactly, so I did my own thing.
Not everyone knows everything about Dragon Ball Z.
I made a small edit to the numbers on the weights since some people didn't really agree with my Headcannon about Twilight having really weak wings right after she got them. So weak in fact that a ten pound weight would feel extremely heavy to her.
So, I did the best edit that I can, since I couldn't really erase colored pencil markings.
Made this as a request for a while back before season 4 aired.He asked if I could draw Twilight and Fluttershy working out in a Hyperbolic Time Chamber.........I didn't really know what that was exactly, so I did my own thing.Not everyone knows everything about Dragon Ball Z.I made a small edit to the numbers on the weights since some people didn't really agree with my Headcannon about Twilight having really weak wings right after she got them. So weak in fact that a ten pound weight would feel extremely heavy to her.So, I did the best edit that I can, since I couldn't really erase colored pencil markings.
(Update) 5/31/14
So, my good friend
----Original Description----
Feel the Buuurrrrrn! (Update) 5/31/14So, my good friend went ahead and properly edited the numbers on the weights for me! They look as if I drew them on myself, which is astonishing. I thank him greatly for helping me out!----Original Description----Feel the Buuurrrrrn!
Being that Twilight has just recently got her wings, she needs to exercise them every so often in order to build strength in her wing muscles for eventual flight.
It may be only 10 pounds, but that can be extremely heavy to a pony with new wings.
Luckily Fluttershy is there to help her along.
Shes also exercising herself by trotting in place with a 30 pound weight on her back. (Maybe i should have made a 50 pounder, oh well.)
Ponies look cute with sweat bands on, don't they?
MLP:FiM is owned by Hasbro.
No copyright infringement intended.
The 10 pound weight is now 50 pounds and the 30 pound weight is now 80 pounds. Seems more reasonable. |
NEW DELHI: With over 5,300 recipients between 2004 and 2017, India is the largest beneficiary of the Erasmus scholarships for higher education offered by the European Union (EU) member states, EU Ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski has said."Since 2004, Erasmus was thrown open to third countries. Indian students have been the number one beneficiaries of this scholarship ," Kozlowski said on Wednesday here at an event to mark the 30th anniversary of the launch of Erasmus (European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students).He said that Europe was "an excellent destination for international students on account of the high quality and wide variety of courses on offer, the richness of campus life and the proximity to Asia".Launched in 1987 with only 3,200 students in its first year, Erasmus has developed over the last 30 years into a leading scholarship programme benefitting almost 300,000 higher education students per year."With over 5,300 students from all parts of India having received Erasmus Mundus or Erasmus+ Masters scholarships between 2004 and 2017, India is the overall single largest beneficiary of the programme," a statement issued by the Delegation of the EU to India said.It stated that while India ranked second in 2016 with 62 approved scholarships for masters and doctoral degrees after Brazil with 79, the number of these scholarships allocated to Indian applicants in 2017 rose by 20 per cent to 74, "representing 25 per cent of the overall mobility flows selected for funding in the period 2008-2012 in Asia"."A significant development during this period is the increase in the percentage of women participants by 30 per cent from 33 per cent in 2008-2012 to 43 per cent in 2017," it stated.According to the statement, around 90 per cent of Indian recipients of the scholarship have returned.Engineering has been the largest area of study (25 per cent), followed by natural sciences (13 per cent), and business, economics and management (10 per cent).Kozlowski said that with over 50,000 Indian students, Europe was now the second most preferred educational destination for Indians after the US.Stating that the Erasmus programme received support from the highest levels of the EU, he said that Federica Mogherini, Vice President of the European Commission, was one such beneficiary.Wednesday's event was attended by a number of Indian recipients of this year's Erasmus scholarship among others. |
Jacob Kleinman | New Car Reviews, Photos & News by
Tesla makes some of the coolest cars on the market, but for many people the $70,000 Model S is too expensive to justify buying. Thankfully it looks like the company is also working on a cheaper Model E that might not come at such a high price.
The electric car-maker is currently developing the Model E while also putting the finishing touches on its Model X SUV, which is set to hit the market next year. In an interview with Autocar, Tesla VP of engineering Chris Porritt revealed that the E will be priced to compete with Audi’s A4 sedan and BMW’s compact 3 series, which both cost a little over $30,000 new. The planned lower price is mostly thanks to Tesla’s Gigafactory, which should significantly lower the cost of manufacturing batteries.
Porritt doesn’t reveal much about the car itself, though we know it will be roughly 20 percent smaller than the Model S. The upcoming compact will also user cheaper materials, possibly swapping out aluminum for steel. “I expect there will be very little carry-over,” he says.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard word of a Model E from Tesla, but we still don’t expect to see the car announced for a while. With the Model X set to launch in the second quarter of 2015 it could be over a year before Tesla’s most affordable car hits the market, and the company says it hopes to launch the cheaper compact sometime in 2016. |
This is how it starts: It's Thursday afternoon and I'm sitting on a sunny beach terrace nursing a glass of chilled wine when my phone shudders with a missile launched from the lilywhite land of Kildare. It's John. Twitter. He's not happy: "No comment from @PaulKimmage either about the Irish boxing positive, strange considering he targets other countries' athletes with glee."
This is how it starts: It's Thursday afternoon and I'm sitting on a sunny beach terrace nursing a glass of chilled wine when my phone shudders with a missile launched from the lilywhite land of Kildare. It's John. Twitter. He's not happy: "No comment from @PaulKimmage either about the Irish boxing positive, strange considering he targets other countries' athletes with glee."
My apologies, John, what would you like me to say?
"I'm shocked."
But I'm not shocked.
"I'm angry."
I'm not angry.
"Michael O'Reilly has disgraced our country."
That's not how I feel.
You see, to be shocked or angry or indignant you have to care, John. And I don't care. I don't care for the Olympic Games. I don't care for the Olympic values. I don't care for the Olympic anthem. I don't care for the Olympic flame. I don't care for the Opening Ceremony, or the Closing Ceremony, or the medals table.
I don't care.
I keep hearing that I should care. I keep hearing that the Olympics still matter. I keep being told to accentuate the positive, not the negative, and that we've got great people there - Sinead and Claire and Sanita and Fionnuala and Pádraig and Paddy and Michael and Leona and Gary and Paul and Ciara, to name a few - and that if the Olympics matter to them, they should matter to us.
That's fair. But you can't tell people what they should and should not feel. They either feel it or they don't. They either buy it or they don't.
And I don't.
I'm not buying Thomas Bach. I'm not buying Craig Reedie. I'm not buying Pat Hickey or Dick Pound or Seb Coe. I'd rather have Citius, Altius, Fortius tattooed to my wrinkled penis with a rusty nail than to have anything to do with the Lords of the Rings or their circus. That's why I'm in Portugal this week, not Rio.
Read More: O'Reilly facing magnified consequences for a mistake at the elite level
I'm not buying. I don't care.
And don't ask me to watch on TV.
Usain Bolt: 'World records are great, but they can be broken'. Photo: Reuters
I can't stand Paula Radcliffe and Steve Cram and Brendan Foster and Jonathan Edwards and Chris Hoy and Denise Lewis and Colin Jackson and Michael Johnson, and the incessant cheerleading on the BBC. I don't care for Usain Bolt (above) waving his shoes at me. I don't care for Mo Farah tapping his baldy head. I don't care for Michael Phelps winning his zillionth medal.
I don't care.
Shall I continue, John?
1 Myth And Memory Powder
"What about your ethics, Chris? You use the word 'betrayal' and I think, 'That's exactly what I want to hear'. But then I see you at (Alexandre) Vinokourov's retirement party, and being photographed with him."
"This guy is a big icon in cycling."
"He's a fucking cheat."
"You said that."
"I want you to say it, Chris. As a cycling fan, I want you to say, 'You know these fucking cheats? I'm sick of them. They've ruined the sport. They're ruining my life. This is the price I'm paying for these fuckers, so I'm not going to have anything whatsoever to do with them'."
An interview with Chris Froome
June 2014
In July 2007, on the eve of the 94th edition of the Tour de France, I was sitting at a desk in the Excel Centre in London's Docklands, staring at the blinking cursor on my laptop, when my attention was drawn to Jean-Louis Le Touzet. It was the ear muffs that set him apart. He put them on when he was writing "to remain detached".
A sense of detachment was imperative to Le Touzet. "You know," he explained, "cycling is a wonderful sport. I mean, you write about football and they don't care if you ever come back, but cycling embraces you. It wraps itself around you and won't let you go. It holds you close to its bosom and says, 'I love you'. But to do your job correctly, you have to push it away. You can't love it back."
Politics was his usual beat. He had spent the year covering the French presidential elections for his paper, Liberation, but had been applying his razor-sharp perception to the Tour for years. And he had some fascinating views on the recent scandals - it was a year after Operation Puerto and the disqualification of Floyd Landis - that had brought it to his knees.
"The Tour always considered itself bigger and stronger than doping," he said. "It's like the alcoholic who thinks he can control his drinking but who wakes up one day to find he is dependent on it. There was a book published recently by the former race director Xavier Louy, that made some interesting points.
"The power of the Tour has always been about memories - the great riders, the great battles, the mountains, the suffering - and those memories served as a kind of washing machine. If ever there was a stain and the race was mildly tarnished, you stuck it in the machine with some myth and memory powder and it came out nice and fresh. But the machine has reached the end of its cycle. The powder has run dry and the washing keeps coming out dirty. Winning has no value any more. How can you exploit a win that nobody believes in?"
It was an hour later when Alexandre Vinokourov, one of the pre-race favourites, entered the hall. The Kazakh had just put his name to a new anti-doping charter produced by the UCI, the sport's governing body, and was in typically bullish mood when he faced the press.
He had won his first Grand Tour - the Vuelta - a year before, made some serious improvements in the time trial, and had dedicated his season to winning the Tour. He had also acquired a new trainer, Dr Michele Ferrari, the controversial genius behind Lance Armstrong,
The news furrowed some brows. "What credibility would your win have if you're working with Ferrari?" a journalist inquired. Vino was unperturbed. "He's my trainer, not my doctor," he replied, "and nobody asked any questions when he was working with Lance."
Disgraced champion Lance Armstrong cycles during heavy rain during the Tour de France of, 2004. Photo: Eric Gaillard/Reuters
It should have ended there. We were still five years before the fall of Armstrong (above) and that was normally how these things worked. The Maillot Jaune sat down, sprayed the press with bullshit and watched them scurry back to their laptops.
But the smell was singeing my nostrils. I raised my hand.
"You said that nobody asked any questions when Ferrari was working with Lance Armstrong - that's not true. I thought it was disgusting. I think it's disgusting that you're working with him now, and I'll be disgusted if you win this Tour. Does it not affect you that so many in this room are disgusted by what you're doing?"
Vinokourov was stunned. "Ferrari has done nothing illegal," he countered. "He was never condemned in Italy. He is my trainer, not my doctor. Why do you think that trainer means 'doping'? I have done my work and have nothing to reproach myself for."
Two weeks later, after blitzing the field in the time trial at Albi, and winning the mountain stage to Loudenvielle, he was thrown out of the race for blood doping.
Banned for a year, he announced at first that he was retiring, but returned to the sport in 2009. Three years later, I was calling the road race on live TV for Al Jezeera, when he became the Olympic Champion in London.
I almost combusted: "This is the worst possible result for the race and the sport."
But others had no such qualms.
A month later, Vinokourov was honoured with a reception by the Principality of Monaco, where the guests included Eddy Merckx and three men who were on the start line yesterday for the road race in Rio: Philippe Gilbert, Vincenzo Nibali and Chris Froome.
I did not tune in.
2 Dangerous Liaisons
"Olympic medalist and 2013 world champion walker, Rob Heffernan, has described the meticulous dope-testing regime facing competitors - after almost 30 tests already this year. Ahead of his big event in just under a fortnight, the Cork man has been relaxing at home for a few days before flying out to Brazil next week. While he is happy to be tested regularly to prove his doping-free status to any sceptics, he complained about the disruptive nature of the testing system. "I've been tested 29 times this year. It's like the guards now, it's a statistic thing," he said in an interview with Neil Prendeville on Cork's RedFM. "I was out in Spain in a training camp for five weeks and they called three times at six in the morning - they called another two times at 11 at night when I was in bed at half-ten," he said.
A report in yesterday's Irish Examiner
In the summer of 2008, about a month before the Olympics in Beijing, the Irish Sports Council issued a press bulletin detailing plans for the athletics team. A paragraph on the opening page makes interesting reading: "Once again, Matsue, Japan, will be used as the preparation base having proved successful for the world championships in Osaka. Ireland's elite athletes will be joined in this excellent training camp by triathlete Emma Davies and mountain biker Robin Seymour. As per 2007, 20k World Championship silver medalist Paco Fernandez will join the camp as training partner to Rob Heffernan."
Paquillo Fernandez was 30 years old that year. A former World Junior Champion, and a double European champion, he was coached by the former Polish champion, Robert Korzeniowski, and had met Heffernan at a training camp a few years before.
Two fine performances at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka - second for Fernandez, sixth for Heffernan - cemented the friendship. It was the first major breakthrough for the Irishman and they were both hoping for better in Beijing, but they finished four seconds apart in seventh (Fernandez) and eighth place.
A year later, at the World Championships in Berlin, Olive Loughnane made headlines with a silver medal performance that would later be upgraded to gold, but there was bitter disappointment for the men. Fernandez, for so long the sport's next superstar, failed to finish: Heffernan raced better (15th) but, when home, he thought about quitting.
And then things got shitty.
Three months later, on November 26, it was reported that Spanish police had made several arrests during an anti-doping sting dubbed Operation Grial.
Walter Viru, a former cycling team doctor, was the focus of the investigation and was alleged to have couriered packages to a group that included Fernandez and Montserrat Pastor, a coach who had worked closely with Olive Loughnane.
The news caused ripples in Ireland: 'Racewalkers rocked by Fernandez doping scandal' was the headline the next day in the Irish Independent. There was no comment from Heffernan or Loughnane in the report by Cliona Foley, but Patsy McGonagle - the Athletics Ireland High Performance manager - was obviously concerned.
He stressed that while "the two athletes were both largely home-based and had only occasional contact with the Spaniards involved" they would be making "alternative coaching arrangements". A month later, in January 2010, it was reported that Loughnane was working with a new coach from Norway.
No charges were brought against Pastor, but for Fernandez it was the end of the road. After insisting initially that he had never worked with Viru, and had nothing to do with doping, he decided to co-operate with the police and was banned for two years for using the blood-boosting hormone EPO.
The only problem now was his shadow.
Heffernan: ‘It makes me f****** sick. These people don’t know me. It’s damaging’ Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
In July 2012, on the eve of the London Olympics, the Irish Independent reported that Heffernan (pictured), Loughnane and Brendan Boyce were preparing for the Games at a training camp in Guadix, Spain - the home of Paco Fernandez.
"His doping ban is none of my business," Heffernan told Kim Bielenberg. "If he is around he is willing to offer advice, and I don't see a problem with that."
"There is no suggestion that any of the other walkers has had any involvement with the Spanish coach," Bielenberg noted. And that was true. But it was also true that Montserrat Pastor lived in Guadix and that Loughnane was working with her again.
"I went back to her in 2011," Loughnane says. "Chris Jones was doing all my programmes with me. 'Monsee' was doing the technical work. Herself and Paco, I know, had a huge falling out and she claimed she had been betrayed. I had nothing to do with Paco at the camp. I had never spoken to the guy since 2009 and have always distanced myself from him."
But Heffernan has no such qualms.
Last week, on these pages, he insisted to Cathal Dennehy: "Growing up, you read about somebody doping and you think 'fucking hang them, never let them back'. But when you know somebody personally, you see the human side. When people do something wrong, when they're your friends, you can't just leave them when they're down. I spoke to Paco and he said that he never doped, that the doctor was dodgy and he was implicated when the doctor sent a package to him, but he was always adamant to me that he never took drugs."
Heffernan is free, of course, to act and believe what he wants, and his loyalty to his friend is admirable. But there's a bigger picture here and he's not seeing it - and, until he does, I don't care. I don't care what he did in Moscow. I don't care what he does in Rio. I don't care about the sacrifices he has made or how hard he trains. I don't care.
And please, spare us all the constant whining about the dope controls. When you lie down with dogs you catch fleas.
Sunday Indo Sport |
Real Life
Accidental Inventions The Popsicle- In 1905 11-year old Frank Epperson tried making soda pop then a popular drink by mixing soda water powder and water. Accidentally he left the soda out on his porch all night. Temperatures dropped so low that the next day young Epperson found his soda pop had frozen with the stirring stick in it! He didnt know it then but he had accidentally concocted the very first popsicle! It wasnt until 18 years later in 1923 that Epperson remembered his invention applied for a patent and started selling "Eppsicle" ice pops iin different fruit flavors. Later on his kids started referring to it as the "Popsicle" and ever since its been hard to resist the refreshing allure of this tangy summer treat!
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The Microwave- In 1945 Percy Lebaron Spencer an American engineer and inventor was busy working on manufacturing magnetrons the devices used to produce the microwave radio signals that were integral to early radar use. Radar was an incredibly important innovation during the time of war but microwave cooking was a purely accidental discovery.While standing by a functioning magnetron Spencer noticed that the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted. His keen mind soon figured out that it was the microwaves that had caused it and later experimented with popcorn kernels and eventually an egg which (as we all could have told him from mischievous childhood experiments) exploded.The first microwave oven weighed about 750lbs and was about the size of a fridge.
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Ice Cream Cone- Before 1904 ice cream was served on dishes. It wasnt until the Worlds Fair of that year held in St Louis Missourithat two seemingly unrelated foodstuffs became inexorably linked together.At this particularly 1904 Worlds Fair a stall selling ice cream was doing such good business that they were quickly running out of dishes. The neighboring stall wasnt doing so well selling Zalabia a kind of wafer thin waffle from Persia and the stall owner came up with the idea of rolling them into cone shapes and popping the ice cream on top. Thus the ice cream cone was born.
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Champagne- While many know that Dom Pierre Prignon is credited for the invention of champagne it was not the 17th century Benedictine monks intention to make a wine with bubbles in it in fact he had spent years trying to prevent just that as bubbly wine was considered a sure sign of poor winemaking.Prignons original wish was to cater for the French courts preference for white wine. Since black grapes were easier to grow in the Champagne region he invented a way of pressing white juice from them. But since Champagnes climate was relatively cold the wine had to be fermented over two seasons spending the second year in the bottle. This produced a wine loaded with bubbles of carbon dioxide which Prignon tried but failed to eradicate. Happily the new winewas a big hitwith the aristocratic crowds in both the French and English courts.
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Brandy- Medieval wine merchants used to boil the H20 out of wine so their delicate cargo would keep better and take up less space at sea. Before long some intrepid soul - probably a sailor decided to bypass the reconstitution stage and brandy was born.
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Post-It Notes- The invention of the humble Post-It Note was an accidental collaboration between second-rate science and a frustrated church-goer. In 1970 Spencer Silver a researcher for the large American corporation 3M had been trying to formulate a strong adhesive but ended up only managing to create a very weak glue that could be removed almost effortlessly. He promoted his invention within 3M but nobody took any notice.4 years later Arthur Fry a 3M colleague and member of his church choir was irritated by the fact that the slips of paper he placed in his hymnal to mark the pages would usually fall out when the book was opened. One service he recalled the work of Spencer Silver and later applied some of Silvers weak yet non-damaging adhesive to his bookmarks. He found that the little sticky markers worked perfectly and sold the idea to 3M. Trial marketing began in 1977 and today youd find it hard to imagine life without them.
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Potato chipscrisps- In 1853 in a restaurant in Saratoga New York a particularly fussy diner (railway magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt) repeatedly refused to eat the fries he had been served with his meal complaining that they were too thick and too soggy. After he had sent back several plates of increasingly thinly-cut fries the chef George Crum decided to get his own back by frying wafer-thin slices of potato in grease and sending them out.Vanderbilt initially protested that the chefs latest efforts were too thin to be picked up with a fork but upon trying a few the chips were an instant hit and soon everybody in the restaurant wanted a serving. This led to the new recipe appearing on the menu as Saratoga Chips before later being sold all over the world.
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Penicillin- Sir Alexander Fleming was researching a strain of bacteria called staphylococci. Upon returning from holiday one time in 1928 he noticed that one of the glass culture dishes he had accidentally left out had become contaminated with a fungus and so threw it away. It wasnt until later that he noticed that the staphylococcus bacteria seemed unable to grow in the area surrounding the fungal mould. Fleming didnt even hold out much hope for his discovery it wasnt given much attention when he published his findings the following year it was difficult to cultivate and it was slow-acting it wasnt until 1945 after further research by several other scientists that penicillin was able to be produced on an industrial scalechanging the way doctors treated bacterial infections forever.
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The Pacemaker- Like penicillin here is another accidental invention that continues to save lives to this day. American engineer Wilson Greatbatch was working on a gadget that recorded irregular heartbeats when he inserted the wrong type of resistor into his invention. The circuit pulsed then was quiet then pulsed again prompting Greatbatch to compare this reaction with the human heart and work on the worlds first implantable cardiac pacemaker.Before the implantable version was used on humans from 1960 onwards pacemakers had been based on the external model invented by Paul Zoll in 1952. These were about the size of a television and dealt out considerable jolts of electricity into the patients body which often caused the skin to burn. Greatbatch also went on to devise a lithium-iodide battery cell to power his pacemaker.
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UCLA researchers say Los Angeles County is the least affordable place in the country to buy a home.
Rising housing costs coupled with stagnant incomes have given rise to the lowest home ownership rates of any major metropolitan area, according to the new study from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs.
The study’s co-author Paul Ong said the problem is compounded by a widening income gap between the area’s richest and poorest residents.
“The ones on the bottom have a hard time paying for housing,” said Ong, a professor of urban planning, social welfare and Asian-American studies. “At the same time, the more affluent segment drives the housing market and housing development.”
Ong stressed though that L.A. County is not the most expensive housing market in the U.S. In California, the Bay Area takes the title: The median home value in the San Jose area was $639,100 in 2013 compared to $410,500 for L.A. County.
Despite the pricier real estate, the Bay area still has a larger percentage of home owners: 54 percent to LA County’s 46 percent.
“Even if you have higher prices like in the Bay Area, it’s offset and compensated by higher income there,” Ong said.
Both California markets lag the national homeownership rate of 65 percent.
Ong said there is a strong relationship between the rental crisis in L.A. County and its low homeownership rates. An earlier UCLA study found that the average renter in the L.A. area devotes 47 percent of his or her paycheck toward housing.
“If you have high rents, and high rent burdens, it makes it hard for people to accumulate the savings to become homeowners,” Ong said.
Ong said that the high cost of housing has negative implications for both individuals and the region.
The more money people pay towards housing, “it just means we have less money to build up wealth and assets for retirement and education,” Ong said.
Ong added that the region will have a more difficult time recruiting talent to the region because of the high cost of living.
“You can’t have a robust economy and high wage economy without being able to attract the labor you need,” Ong said.
Ong said that he sees the problem on his own campus: UCLA sometimes struggles to sign young faculty because they worry about being able to buy a home.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/273756781/Ong-WideningDivide-Homeownership-8-5-15-1-pdf
What obstacles are getting in the way of your finding a home? Tell us about it here. |
The most significant tragedy in Irish history was the ‘Great Famine’ of the mid-1800s. A million people died of disease and starvation, and another million were forced to leave Ireland in order to survive. It was an event that had a devastating effect on the country.
The suffering of the Irish people was not ignored by everyone. Relief funds were set up by the public in Britain and America amongst others and thousands of pounds were raised.
The Irish were also helped by an unlikely source in the Native American tribe, the Choctaw Indians, who had heard of the famine and raised their own fund. A total of $170 – the equivalent of €68,500 today – was raised by the tribe and sent to the Irish relief fund of America.
The Choctaw had suffered their own tragedy
The Choctaw were possibly driven by their own experiences of 16 years earlier, when they were forced from their homelands in what is now known as Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. The American government took the land from them, and the Choctaw were forced to march the 500 miles north to Oklahoma to the land the government had designated to them.
The march is known as the Trail of Tears. More than half of the 21,000 members of the Choctaw tribe perished on the journey from starvation and exhaustion. Ironically, the American President at the time was Andrew Jackson, whose parents had emigrated from Ireland.
Sixteen years later the Choctaw tribe heard of the Irish famine and began their own relief fund. The year was 1847 and was the peak of suffering in Ireland.
British authorities were making the Irish people work on public projects before they would receive donated food. Thousands were too weak to work and were therefore given no help. The year became known as ‘Black 47’.
The two communities were forever bonded
The kind donation of the Choctaw tribe created a bond between themselves and the Irish people that has never been forgotten.
In recent years the two communities have come together to honour the actions of their ancestors. In 1990, leaders of the Choctaw tribe visited Ireland to retrace the steps of the first annual Famine Walk in County Mayo, where Irish peasants walked to the home of their landlord to plead for help.
Two years later, members of an Irish commemoration group walked from Oklahoma to Mississippi to follow in the footsteps of the Choctaw tribe that walked the Trail of Tears. They raised more than $700,000 which they donated to charities working to end poverty in Africa.
Both groups now work to raise money and aid to help sufferers of poverty and starvation today.
Find out about the tribute Cork is planning to pay tribute to Choctaw tribe’s generosity during Irish Famine.
Famine |
In 2010, as the Obama administration worked to put the finishing touches on a free trade agreement with South Korea, Donald Trump called into Fox News and slammed the deal. "Only an idiot" would sign the pact in its current form, Trump told the hosts of Fox and Friends. “South Korea has treated us very badly,” he said.
Now, six years after Trump criticized the pact, a corporate lobbyist who worked on the deal may become the president-elect’s top trade negotiator.
On Monday, Wayne Berman, a Republican mega-donor and a longtime trade lobbyist, met with Trump in New York City. Despite federal records showing Berman lobbied on the deal for Chevron, Trump transition team officials told Politico that Berman’s name had been added to a list of potential appointees to become the next United States Trade Representative. That key cabinet post could play an outsized role in shaping economic policy for an administration that’s expected to make renegotiating trade deals a core priority.
Chevron was strongly supportive of the Korea pact, which makes for an awkward pairing of Berman and Trump. The crux of the president-elect’s message on trade — an issue he hammered away at throughout the 2016 campaign— is that the deals cut by previous administrations were crafted by narrow special interest groups and their lobbyists, without taking into account the priorities of American workers. Trump even went as far as to liken the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal — which is modeled on the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement —to rape.
“It's a harsh word — it's a rape of our country,” he said. “This is done by wealthy people that want to take advantage of us.”
Berman’s potential appointment appears to undercut Trump’s promise to put worker’s interests front and center, says Robert E. Scott, the director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Research, at the Economic Policy Institute.
“Trump said he was going to drain the swamp,” Scott told International Business Times. “But now he’s considering the kind of guy who lobbies for multinational corporations, then comes to Washington and works for those same companies on the inside.”
Berman has been through the revolving Washington door several times. He was an assistant secretary of commerce in the first President George Bush administration, went on to found his own lobbying firm and then worked for the second Bush administration as a senior advisor. For the past 4 years, Berman has worked as the in-house lobbyist for the private equity firm Blackstone.
Lobbying records reviewed by IBT show that before joining Blackstone, Berman was a prolific and well-paid lobbyist on trade issues. He has represented a range of corporations, including the American Petroleum Institute, the Carlyle Group, and Viacom, and lobbied to influence trade policies towards Russia, South America, and Korea.
In fact, when Berman was chairman of Ogilvy Government Relations, the lobbying firm was hired by companies like Chevron and Motorola to sway the very trade representative’s office he might be heading up in a Trump administration. Between 2006 and 2010, Ogilvy records detailing nearly $3 million of lobbying expenditures show Berman’s firm was specifically aiming to influence the trade representative.
In one instance, first reported by Politico in 2009, Chevron dispatched Berman as part of a team of lobbyists tasked with convincing Obama’s U.S. Trade Representative to pressure the government of Ecuador into relieving the oil company of liability from allegations that it dumped toxic waste into the Amazon.
Berman was also enlisted by Chevron to influence pending free trade negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. The deal, which was slammed by Trump on Fox, would open up Korean markets to U.S. companies, lower tariffs and provide corporations like Chevron avenues to resolve legal disputes with the Korean government.
Neither Chevron nor Ogilvy responded to IBT’s request for comment. It was not immediately clear what exactly Berman did behind the scenes for Chevron on the Korea trade pact. However, the oil giant has long been one of the largest U.S. based investors in South Korea. The company also helped found the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement Coalition, an alliance of corporations that sought to influence the terms of the deal in their favor. While Berman was lobbying for Chevron, the company threatened to withdraw industry support for the deal unless certain “investor protections” — a mechanism for U.S. companies to shield themselves from liabilities in foreign courts — were inserted into the final copy.
When the trade pact faltered in Congress in 2010, Chevron applauded the Obama administration for pushing it through and predicted the deal would “advance the economic agendas of both countries, create jobs and spur economic growth.”
Since the free trade pact was finalized in 2012, Chevron has stepped up its investments in South Korea, inking a multibillion dollar natural gas agreement with the Korean company Hyundai. It also purchased $1.9 billion worth of floating oil equipment from Hyundai.
Critics of the deal, including the AFL-CIO, thought it rewarded companies for investing overseas.
“We've seen U.S. multinational companies take advantage of the investment and other corporate protections in past trade deals to shift production offshore,” AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka said back in 2010. “So long as these agreements fall short of protecting the broad interests of American workers and their counterparts around the world in these uncertain economic times, we will oppose them.”
That criticism was echoed by Trump on the campaign trail, where he railed against free-trade deals in general and singled out the Korea deal as a job-killer.
“Hillary Clinton supported and lobbied for the South Korea trade agreement, you know that one, that's been another disaster, on the promise of 75,000 new jobs. Instead, her trade deal destroyed 100,000 jobs, mostly in the auto industry,” Trump said during the rally in October.
Experts were divided on the Korea deal’s impact, but the EPI’s analysis supports Trump’s campaign-trial assessment. While the Obama administration and pact supporters like Chevron promised it would lead to more U.S. exports and generate domestic job growth, it never did, according to Scott from the EPI.
“In the first four years after KORUS took effect, there was absolutely no growth in total U.S. exports to Korea,” Scott wrote in a report assessing the deal 4 years after its implementation. “Imports from Korea increased $15.2 billion, an increase of 26.8 percent. As a result, the U.S. trade deficit with Korea increased $15.1 billion between 2011 and 2015, an increase of 114.6 percent, more than doubling in just four years.”
That trade deficit was the equivalent of eliminating 100,000 American jobs, according to the Obama administration’s own method for translating trade deficits into job losses.
If Trump names Berman the next U.S. Trade Representative, one of Berman’s prime responsibilities will be to assimilate the input of the more than 500 members of the various Trade Advisory Committees, which the government consults on trade deals. The committees are currently dominated by industry groups — and some, like the American Petroleum Institute, are former Berman lobbying clients.
Berman is not the only candidate for U.S. Trade Representative. Trump is also reportedly considering David McCormick, who heads up the private equity firm Bridgewater Associates, Dan DiMicco, a former steel industry CEO and Robert Lighthizer a former Reagan administration trade official. |
Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Chairman of the Economic Growth Subcommittee, sent a harsh letter to Attorney General Holder Wednesday accusing the Department of Justice of abusing its power and intimidating banks through its “Operation Choke Point.”
In the letter, Issa and Jordan stated, “[t]he [House Oversight and Government Reform] Committee is concerned that both the goal and mechanisms of Operation Choke Point may constitute a serious mismanagement and abuse of the Department’s FIRREA [Financial Institution Reform and Recovery Act of 1989] authority.”
Breitbart News broke the story Wednesday morning that the Obama administration launched ‘Operation Choke Point’ out of the Department of Justice in 2013 for the express purpose of destroying three key sectors of the private lending industry: third party payment processors (“TPPPs”), online lenders, and payday lenders.
Issa and Jordan requested that the Department of Justice turn over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee “[a]ll documents and communications since January 1, 2011 referring or relating to ‘Operation Choke Point'” by January 22, 2014.
“There is evidence,” they wrote, “that the true goal of Operation Choke Point is to target online lenders and the payment processors who serve them.” They stated further, “[t]he extraordinary breadth of the Department’s dragnet prompts concern that the true goal of Operation Choke Point is not to cut off actual fraudsters’ access to the financial system, but rather to eliminate legal financial services to which the Department objects.”
Issa and Jordan also told Attorney General Holder in the letter, “[i]t appears the Department has indiscriminately targeted an access point to the financial system that countless legitimate merchants rely upon simply because it is ‘faster’ than targeting the actual perpetrators of fraud.” The Department of Justice, they wrote, is “needlessly punishing good actors with the bad, and threatening legitimate merchants.”
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that “[o]fficials at the DOJ have said the crackdown is not aimed specifically at online lending, but rather a wide range of allegedly fraudulent merchants.”
The Justice Department’s response to the document request was guarded and non-commital. The Journal reported that “[a] Justice Department official said, ‘We’ve received the letter and are reviewing it.'”
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against a small North Carolina community bank, Four Oaks, as part of “Operation Choke Point.”
The legal team at the Department of Justice litigating the civil case against Four Oaks includes Assistant Attorney General Stuart Delery, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, and Trial Attorney Joel M. Sweet, according to court documents.
It was Sweet who first publicly used the term ‘Operation Choke Point’ to describe the overreaching initiative at a meeting of bank examiners held by the Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council on September 17.
Breitbart News reported Wednesday that a Department of Justice official who attended what was supposed to be a briefing on the initiative to congressional staffers in late Septembers refused to answer questions or even state her name.
Several sources with knowledge of the meeting told Breitbart News that the DOJ official told Congressional staffers she was under no obligation to provide them with any information about what would soon be known as “Operation Choke Point.” Those same source told Breitbart News that the official left a business card on the table after the meeting. The name on the card was Deputy Assistant Attorney General Frimpong.
Neither Deputy Assistant Attorney General Frimpong nor a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, when asked about the report by Breitbart News, denied it. |
In a world where zombies exist, Tofu the Vegan Zombie is the friendly alternative to his meat-eating brethren. He was created accidentally, when his brain was lost during an experiment and replaced with a block of tofu by the prankster, Lab Monkey #5. When the little zombie boy woke up, he no longer raved meat but veggies and grains. As long as the block stays in his head he remains that way.
The man responsible for Tofu is Professor Vost. He has dedicated his life to finding a cure for the zombie epidemic, plaguing mankind. What he has discovered so far about the illness is truly shocking. The source of the sickness is animals, which are being genetically altered to make them meatier and tastier. The culprit behind this wicked crime is the evil billionaire and meat-processing magnate Mallesteros. Mallesteros knows his product causes zombie-ism and he isn’t bothered by it. To him it just ensures repeat customers, because his meat is the only thing that keeps zombies docile. He and Vost have a past and though at one time they were friends, the two are now bitter enemies.
Tofu lives with the Professor, his daughter Addie and Lab Monkey # 5. Though he is able to walk among both humans and zombies, Tofu is never fully trusted or accepted by either group. Addie cares about Tofu and tries to make him feel part of the family by bringing him along with her and Lab Monkey #5 for fun and adventures. However, Monkey’s mischievous, playful nature, often gets Tofu and Addie into trouble.
As for the Professor, he treats Tofu like a son and wants to keep him safe from the dangers in the world. He knows that because Tofu is different, there is always a chance someone might try and harm him. Vost is convinced the boy is the key to solving the zombie epidemic. The question remains, can he unlock the mystery of the tofu block before the world’s population is turned into the undead? |
Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum / Credit: Hillerich and Bradsby Co.
When the best players in baseball step up to the plate, chances are they are holding a Louisville Slugger bat. Currently, 60 percent of major leaguers use bats produced by the family-run company based in Louisville, Ky.
Ironically, Louisville Slugger wasn't founded by a man with a love for baseball. In fact, J. Frederich Hillerich didn't even like baseball when he started his woodworking factory in the 1850s.
"Hillerich was not very fond of baseball, he thought that it was a fad and a game for drunkards, womanizers and gamblers," said Rick Redman, vice president of corporate communications for Hillerich & Bradsby Co., which owns Louisville Slugger. "He didn’t want his family involved with that. He wanted to continue making porch railings and bedposts and butter churns."
Hillerich's son, John Andrew, however, did not have the same view of baseball. Bud, as he is known, instead saw baseball as the perfect partner for the family business.
"The legend goes that one spring afternoon the star player of the Louisville team, a guy named Pete Browning, broke his bat," Redman said. "Young Bud Hillerich went to him after the game, asked him to come to his father's woodworking shop to make him a new bat. Browning did exactly that. He went to the shop and they made the bat. He took it to the park the next day and went 3 for 3 and they won the game. The Louisville Slugger was born."
The first athlete endorsement
The Louisville Slugger was trademarked in 1894, but its contribution to the history of sports marketing might be as significant as the product itself.
"Our company was the first to sign a professional athlete to a contract to promote a sporting goods product," Redman said. "In 1905, we signed Honus Wagner to endorse and sell our bats with his name on them. Then in 1918 we signed a guy named Babe Ruth."
Babe Ruth's Bat Credit: Hillerich and Bradsby Co.
Signing Babe Ruth propelled the company to a new level of notoriety. In subsequent decades, it signed many more of baseball's legends, including Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams. In fact, 80 percent of the hitters in the Baseball Hall of Fame have used Louisville Sluggers.
"There is no question that having players of that stature makes a huge difference in that it is a signal to everyone that our company makes the best products," Redman said. "We work hard to identify the players we want to work with. We are not looking for just great hitters, we are also looking for great people who will represent our company well. We want to make sure to uphold the history of our company."
Today, the company continues to produce their wooden bats in Louisville where they have done so for most of the company's history. Louisville Slugger moved to Jeffersonville, Ind., in 1976 before moving back to Louisville in 1995.
[13 Iconic Brands Still Made in America]
Last year the company made 1.8 million wooden bats and more than 1 million bats from aluminum and composite materials. The company employs fewer than 300 employees and is able to carve a bat in 45 seconds and finish it in anywhere from two and six hours. The company no longer produces just bats and has moved into producing gloves, batting gloves and other baseball-related accessories.
Surviving through five generations
The fifth-generation family-owned company continues to thrive, in part, because it has maintained a quality made possible by the fact that the company has long-term goals in mind when making decisions.
Louisville Slugger Factory Credit: Hillerich and Bradsby Co.
"In more than 120 years of business you will have ups and downs," Redman said. "We have had some really high highs and some tougher times. Our company has survived two world wars, a Great Depression, floods and fires, but the most important thing is to persevere and look at the long-term strategy."
"One of the great things of being a family-owned company is that we don’t have to make knee-jerk reactions for our business based on for the short term,” Redman said. "We look long term and I think that is the main reason we have been around for so long."
Aside from planning for the future and delivering a quality product, the company has a passion for baseball that was passed down from Bud Hillerich. Redman says it is that passion that is the best driving force and learning lesson that any business can take away from Louisville Slugger.
"One thing our company has learned about successful businesses is they are run by people with a passion for what they are doing," Redman said. "Bud Hillerich had a passion for baseball and saw it as something that was going to grow in our country and a wonderful opportunity for the business. No matter what business you are in, you have a far better chance of being successful if you are passionate about your business."
Follow David Mielach on Twitter @D_M89 or BusinessNewsDaily @bndarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+. |
College of Social Work receives $3 million grant — one of the largest in the college’s history
Ohio State’s College of Social Work recently received a $3 million grant aimed not only at helping those struggling with substance abuse, but also the families that have a loved one struggling with addiction.
The grant — one of the largest ever given to the College of Social Work — was funded by the Administration for Children and Families’ Children’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to combat the prominent substance abuse epidemic in Ohio.
Part of the $3 million will be designated to provide financial support for families affected by drug addiction. The college will partner with Fairfield and Pickaway counties and build up the welfare systems in the areas, as well. Both counties border Franklin County.
Nick Tatman, children services administrator from Pickaway County Job and Family Services, expressed his enthusiasm for the much-needed project.
“In Pickaway County the majority of our child-welfare families identify substance abuse as a major factor,” Tatman said. “In the last five years, the agency has seen jump in children placed out of their homes due to substance abuse. We were very eager to participate in this project.”
The grant will also allow the college to work to create a new family drug treatment court, medication-assisted treatment and peer support programs for those struggling with addiction.
Substance abuse, specifically opioid addictions, are increasingly prevalent in Ohio. In 2016, there were 3,495 unintentional opioid-related deaths in the state.
Bridget Freisthler, an associate dean of the College of Social Work who worked to obtain the grant, said substance abuse in households creates an unsafe environment that could be detrimental for a child’s development.
“When parents use drugs they become more neglectful and easily misinterpret cues from their children,” Freisthler said. “Drugs might make parents more volatile, which can lead to physical abuse. When children come into contact with opioids such as fentanyl, they can immediately overdose.”
Kristi Burre, deputy director of Protective Services at Fairfield County Job and Family Services, said the collaboration could improve outcomes for children and families impacted by substance abuse. “This grant project will bring valuable resources and technical assistance to our county to better serve our high risk population,” she said.
Addiction causes adolescents to mature faster, Freisthler said.
Freisthler said kids are often placed with other family members during their recovery, and those family members don’t always have the resources or knowledge they need to provide for the children.
“If we start working with these families earlier, we can prevent the tumultuous process of children being moved in and out of foster care,” Burre said. “It is a long, but necessary road.” |
Obama Website Avoids Alienating Slow Connections with Simple Technique
Ideally, a campaign's website should have a really small footprint to reach the largest number of people by not alienating slow connections with a long load time. The Obama campaign's homepage relied heavily on imagery so their website really struggled with having a quick loadtime. The Obama homepage weighs in at 752K (2 minutes on 56k) and receives a YSlow grade of F.
However, with the Obama web team being really smart, they were ready to deal with this dilemma. They made the conscious choice that it was more important for the website to match the campaign image and theme than for it be optimized for slow connections. However, rather than leave those on slow connections completely in the lurch, the team spent a few more bits and cleverly gave their site background a cool look.
When the site is fully loaded, this image is completely covered. There is no reason for it to exist, other than to show up while the site is loading. This strategy allowed the campaign to build their image heavy site while not alienating or discouraging slow connections with a boring, uninspiring blank load screen. The Obama team also made sure that this image loaded first by placing it at the top of their stylesheet which in turn was loaded early in their html header.
If you know any other simple yet often-overlooked techniques like this, leave them in the comments. |
FROM: Creative Director
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Firing from All the Things, Recoil Overhaul, Make Arma Not War Jury
PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
With Our Dear Leader indisposed for the next couple of weeks, the honour of REPdating the community with development progress once again falls to a crack team of REPlacements (Pettka and yours truly). The puns only get worse from here on in, so buckle up!
Speaking of which, passengers using their weapons in vehicle cargo positions now face a bumpier ride, following the release of 'Firing from Vehicles Inertia' (FFV Inertia) to Dev-Branch. We outlined the basic goals of this feature last week. Now we're on the lookout for feedback. Two key values are open to tweaking: the magnitude of the sight misalignment (versus vehicle velocity), and the stabilisation of the aim-point (versus vehicle turning).
Sticking with the theme of FFV (not to be confused with a popular JRPG), an Elite Task Force has been working hard on 'Turned Out' cargo positions. This means, for example, Commander positions can use personal weapons (and, if everything goes according to plan, their binoculars) if they 'turn out' of the vehicle. Programmer Krzysztof 'Klamacz' Bielawski hopes to deploy updates later this week. QA Specialist Vojtěch 'Iceman' Kovařič stands ready to crush those dreams.
INTELLIGENCE
Last Friday, we revealed the line-up of judges for the Make Arma Not War content creation contest - and what a handsome bunch of devils they are! We expect to announce the winners at the end of March, which means that the jury members have a lot to look forward to, as they pick from 50 finalists across 4 categories: singleplayer game mode, multiplayer game mode, addon and total modification .
This week's random dev photo teased the work being lead by Nelson Duarte on a small-scale MP mode, which we hope will contribute to Marksmen DLC's free 'platform update' content. While we aren't ready to release too much info, the team's goal is to use this mode as a vehicle for some experimentation. This effort, we hope, will help bring some improvements to multiplayer systems more broadly.
OPERATIONS
As we mentioned in our Scanning the Horizon blog post, there are some changes in store for weapon recoil. Let's take a quick look at what's involved. Overall, our team want to improve the look and feel firing a weapon. The goal is not to make it more difficult; rather, more natural: a mechanic that rewards the intelligent use of stance, movement speeds, and combat behaviour. This involves correcting some existing behaviour, such as the muzzle rise, introducing new configuration options, such as lateral drift, and visualising more fluent kickback.
Although we're adding more depth to the setup of each weapon, we want to make it relatively simple to configure new recoil coefficients across different weapon types and specific firearms. We're quite close to staging the feature to Dev-Branch, but - with a few pesky issues to resolve first - it may slip into next week. Our plan is to package its release this together with Weapon Resting, which we outlined in a bit more detail last week.
LOGISTICS
As promised, our Audio team started to migrate samples to a new structure. In the long term, this will help us to better organise the data in a more logical structure. For now, we'll maintain the existing structure, but we consider it be 'deprecated'. The new addons will be published over the next week or two. In the long term, we plan to remove this (duplicated) data; we'll be sure to announce this action well in advance.
Again, for content creators, there are some updates to report that we hope will make your lives a little easier. In short, previously each weapon required 8 icons to be created, as there needed to be one defined for each combination of having or not having a muzzle / top / side-rail accessory. Now it's only necessary to create one icon and attachments as overlay icons to be set in configs. The documentation is already live, and the implementation is set to be released to Dev-Branch soon™. |
WWE.com, in conjunction with the Academy of Wrestling Arts & Sciences (AWAS), ranks the Top 25 Superstars in WWE each week with Power Rankings. The rankings are based on victories, quality of opponents, momentum and overall in-ring dominance, as well as intangibles. Be sure to check back every Saturday for the latest Power Rankings. Here are the rankings for February 27, 2016.
25
Kane (Last Week: N/A)
The Devil’s Favorite Demon revisited a page from his tag team playbook by aligning with Big Show against The Wyatt Family to successful results at WWE Fastlane. Unfortunately, their third partner, Ryback, turned out to be a wild card.
24
Big Show (Last Week: N/A)
Rivals learn quickly that they won’t like Big Show when the 7-foot Superstar is angry. The World’s Largest Athlete must be furious with Ryback after Raw and his showing against Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens on SmackDown.
23
Brie Bella (Last Week: 23)
Brie Bella’s bid to become Divas Champion once more ended abruptly at WWE Fastlane, though the challenger put up one heck of a fight against current titleholder Charlotte. The Divas division should still watch out for Brie Mode.
22
Neville (Last Week: 16)
Neville may want to reconsider going it alone after his tag team exploits on Raw and SmackDown ended in defeat, capped by The Man That Gravity Forgot ending his week on the wrong end of a Brogue Kick by Sheamus.
21
Ryback (Last Week: 22)
So did The Big Guy walk away on Raw from his ongoing frustrations with The Wyatt Family, or walk out on his partners Kane and Big Show? Either way, Ryback doesn’t want any help, as he demonstrated on WWE Main Event against Tyler Breeze.
20
The Dudley Boyz (Last Week: 19)
D-Von Dudley displayed a taste of The Dudley Boyz’ newfound aggression on SmackDown by defeating Jimmy Uso, albeit with a little help from Bubba Ray. When The Dudley Boyz take things to the extreme, things turn awfully dangerous.
One half of Uso Crazy looks to defuse D-Von Dudley.
19
Becky Lynch (Last Week: 20)
Just as her budding alliance with Sasha Banks was starting to bear fruit, Becky Lynch now must prepare to face her fellow NXT alum with a Divas Title Match hanging in the balance. Can Lynch clinch one more championship chance on Raw?
18
Rusev (Last Week: 14)
Sure, Rusev resided on the winning side of The League of Nations’ eight-man melee on SmackDown. However, he didn’t contribute as much as King Barrett or Sheamus, and shouldn’t be rewarded as such.
17
The Usos (Last Week: 13)
Days after dispatching of The Ascension on Raw, The Usos remembered in painful fashion that their more immediate concern should be those darned Dudley Boyz. Jimmy Uso probably wants another round with D-Von Dudley, at least.
16
Alberto Del Rio (Last Week: 12)
Alberto Del Rio gave as good as he got in the U.S. Championship 2-out-of-3 Falls Match during the WWE Fastlane Kickoff, but failed to separate Kalisto from the star-spangled title. It’s back to the drawing board for this League of Nations member.
15
Shane McMahon (Last Week: N/A)
Here’s an early favorite for the “phrase the Academy of Wrestling Arts & Sciences never expected to utter in 2016” award: Shane-O-Mac is back, and is now on a WrestleMania collision course with The Undertaker.
In one of the most shocking moments in WWE history, Shane McMahon returned to confront his family and make a historic demand.
14
Dolph Ziggler (Last Week: 10)
A pair of losses at WWE Fastlane and SmackDown clearly took the wind out of The Showoff’s sails, especially his failed bid to become Intercontinental Champion at Kevin Owens’ expense. Of course, Dolph Ziggler isn’t one to let bad luck keep him down.
13
Chris Jericho (Last Week: 15)
“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” appears to be the credo these days for Chris Jericho, who forged an alliance with AJ Styles mere hours after The Phenomenal One won their WWE Fastlane rubber match. Is Y2J sincere, or something more sinister?
12
Sasha Banks (Last Week: 18)
With a little help from Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks showed her superiority over her former Team B.A.D. allies at WWE Fastlane and Raw. Now, The Boss must turn her attention to Lynch if her Divas Title aspirations are to come to fruition.
11
Sheamus (Last Week: 9)
Triple H and a sledgehammer finished the job that Sheamus fumbled in his disqualification loss against Roman Reigns on Raw. Still, The Celtic Warrior is no softie, as he showed with a vicious Brogue Kick on Neville on SmackDown.
10
AJ Styles (Last Week: 17)
Whether it’s Chris Jericho, The Social Outcasts or WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, AJ Styles just keeps right on winning. The Phenomenal One is living up to his billing, much to the delight of the WWE Universe.
The Phenomenal One describes his arduous journey to WWE, being part of WCW during the organization's final days and the one personal goal he has yet to reach during his decorated career.
9
Kevin Owens (Last Week: 11)
It should surprise no one that Kevin Owens will resort to any tactic if it means he can enter and exit an arena as the reigning Intercontinental Champion. He proved it against Dolph Ziggler at WWE Fastlane and Big Show on SmackDown.
8
The Wyatt Family (Last Week: 5)
Though Braun Strowman looked downright nasty as he battered Fandango on WWE Main Event, he and his Wyatt Family cohorts remain most frightening when they operate as a single unit. They sure looked that way on Raw.
7
The New Day (Last Week: 8)
WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day continue to confound the WWE Universe. On Raw, they beat Neville & The Lucha Dragons with ease. Then SmackDown comes and they crumble against “Y2AJ” & Mark Henry.
6
Kalisto (Last Week: 6)
His ongoing struggles with WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day and The League of Nations notwithstanding, Kalisto ended the week just as he started it: in possession of the coveted United States Championship.
5
Charlotte (Last Week: 7)
After Triple H, Divas Champion Charlotte appears more secure in her title reign than any other Superstar at the moment. The Flair family scion capably handled her latest challenge by grinding out a win at WWE Fastlane against Brie Bella. Now, she awaits the identity of her next challenger, either Becky Lynch or Sasha Banks.
With WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair at ringside, Charlotte looks to hold onto her Divas Title against Brie Bella: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
4
Dean Ambrose (Last Week: 4)
It’s an open question whether Dean Ambrose entered the Triple Threat Match at WWE Fastlane to continue his chase of the WWE World Heavyweight Title or to conquer Brock Lesnar. Though his championship pursuits were delayed by Roman Reigns, his chance to tame The Beast Incarnate will come at WrestleMania 32.
3
Brock Lesnar (Last Week: 3)
A long time has passed in the WWE Universe since a Superstar stepped forward in hopes of proving himself against Brock Lesnar. Paul Heyman’s prized client will be ready for a fight at WrestleMania, but needs to take seriously the threat of Dean Ambrose, a wily grappler who will enter their No Holds Barred Match with nothing to lose.
2
Roman Reigns (Last Week: 2)
A broken nose and battered ego should remind Roman Reigns that he needs to be more careful with what he wishes for in WWE. He fought valiantly at WWE Fastlane and earned his WWE World Heavyweight Title Match against Triple H at WrestleMania. Reigns now needs to prove he has enough left in the tank to play The Game.
1
Triple H (Last Week: 1)
Oh, so that’s why they call him The Cerebral Assassin. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Triple H struck Roman Reigns mercilessly and without remorse, making sure the master of the Superman Punch understands what it means to play The Game. Given his history, Triple H will make more vicious moves on The Road to WrestleMania. |
No one knows yet whether "It's Huge," a movie filming in Jacksonville, will have a happy ending.
That will be determined over the next 10 months, as its five characters battle a scourge that's growing ever more prevalent in America: obesity.
The documentary will spend a year following five men, each of whom is trying to eventually lose at least 100 pounds. Some have a target of more than 200 pounds.
Participating in the film was an easy decision for Tommie Fox.
"Because I want to live," he said. "That's the die-hard truth. I'm tired of dying, sick of the roller-coaster ride, going up and down. I just want to live, with my family."
When filming started two months ago, Fox weighed 418 pounds. The first month, he lost nothing. The second he lost seven pounds. He's now walking the bridges downtown, watching what he eats. "I'm determined," said Fox, dean of students at the Art Institute of Jacksonville, where the movie's producer/director, Nadia Ramoutar, is an instructor and documentary filmmaker.
The timing of "It's Huge" could be felicitous. The American Medical Association in June labeled obesity a disease, which is expected to bring even more medical attention to an issue that affects the 69.2 percent of Americans classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as either overweight or obese.
To make the film, Ramoutar found five participants and enlisted the help of a nutritionist, a "mindfulness coach," athletic trainers and a physician, Timothy McCormick, whose practice centers on obesity. It's a team effort, she said, and nobody's getting paid: The participants are volunteers, and the professionals are donating their time.
The five men featured in "It's Huge" have, by now, created an easy camaraderie, with jokes and support. "We're like brothers now," Fox said.
Ramoutar is hoping to see real results by next May, when filming is scheduled to wrap. She shot a scene of the men at a swimming pool at the start, and plans to capture a similar image of them - thinner, she hopes - at the end.
The cast and crew met last week at McCormick's Baymeadows office, Empower Preventive Medicine, where lunch was salad, veggies, lean chicken and water - lots of water. Marian Thompson, a nutrition and health coach, chatted easily with them: She's already taken them to a farmers market, steering them toward fresh, local vegetables.
After lunch was over, McCormick was filmed giving a rundown of the medical factors involved in weight gain and weight loss. He wants the men to lose one to two pounds a week. "You're a highly sophisticated piece of equipment here," he said. "We've got to feed the machine properly."
He also spoke of the dangers of extreme obesity, including diabetes, hypertension, joint pain and the "incredible risk for sudden death."
Cast members Drew Bell and David Hicks know about that. They have a friend who died at age 35. He weighed more than 400 pounds.
"For us, this is drastic, a last-ditch effort," said Bell. "I'm comfortable, to some extent, with who I am, but this is either going to help me lose weight or I'll be fat the rest of my life." So far, so good: Bell started filming at 295 and has lost 20 pounds.
Hicks - an actor who's well-known in Jacksonville's TV and film world as "Moonpie" - has lost 75 pounds recently, before starting the movie. He'd like to lose 200 more, though that obviously, he said, won't happen in a year.
Collin Blalock, at 23 the youngest member of the cast, is a graduate of the Art Institute. He's lost 11 pounds so far and wants to shed 160 more. Starring in a movie such as "It's Huge" isn't always easy, he said. "I'm not really a huge fan of everyone knowing everything that's going on in my life, but you get used to it."
Still it might make it easier to make steps toward his goal. "You feel like you're letting people down if you don't," he said.
William Ramoutar pushed to be in the movie. He's 58, the oldest member, and he's the filmmaker's brother.
He'd been active much of his life, and didn't eat a lot of junk food. He did, though, eat too much good food, he said. The weight came on gradually, giving him enough time to learn how to camouflage some of it with his clothes.
He peaked before filming at more than 300 pounds. "My waist accumulated and I got to be particularly heavy. It just wasn't me: All my joints hurt and I thought, well, I'd better do something about it."
So far, Ramoutar has lost 18 pounds. He's been walking his two Boston terriers, eating veggies, fruit, Greek yogurt, smoothies. Lunch is tough: He's a jeweler and watchmaker, and it's hard to get away from work and customers. But he's making steps toward his goal of losing 100 pounds.
"It's a change of lifestyle more than it is a diet. It's just learning to be mindful of what you eat," he said.
None of the men featured in the film blamed anyone other than himself for his weight gain. Still, Nadia Ramoutar sees them as caught up in the same things that have a created a country where seven of every 10 people carry around too much weight.
"There's one thing we can agree on," she said. "Whatever we've been doing as a society does not work."
[email protected], (904) 359-4082 |
1 Cesar Azpilicueta is on Barcelona's radar
Barcelona have given up on Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin and shifted their focus to Chelsea full-back Cesar Azpilicueta.
Barca are keen on signing a new right-back this summer after failing to fully replace Dani Alves last year, following his move to Juventus.
The Spanish side regularly deployed Sergi Roberto on the right side of defence, but new boss Ernesto Valverde is said to want a new recruit there.
Arsenal defender Bellerin had been the club’s top target but, according to Marca, they will not sell and Barca have shifted their focus elsewhere.
Specifically, the Camp Nou club are now targeting Chelsea’s Azpilicueta after being impressed with his performances last season.
The 27-year-old played every minute of Chelsea’s Premier League title-winning campaign and Valverde is attracted by the Spaniard’s ability to play anywhere across the defence. |
NAPLES, Fla. – An arrest has been made after a Collier County preschool office was tagged with a hate message.
19-year-old Michael Dami of Naples has been accused of trashing a preschool at a Jewish community center and covering the walls with anti-Semitic graffiti.
It happened at the Preschool of the Arts at the Chabad Jewish Community Center on Mandarin Road back on October 18th.
According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, surveillance video from the school shows a man, later identified as Dami, entering an administrative office around midnight and leaving over an hour later with items in his hand.
When school officials arrived in the morning, they found the office destroyed, with windows busted, TV monitors destroyed, papers strewn around, and several items missing. The suspect had also used lipstick to write on a window “You Jews never learn! Heil Hitler!”
Some of the stolen items were found in Dami’s possession during an unrelated arrest on November 13th.
Dami is now charged with burglary, grand theft, and criminal mischief. |
Seattle’s street homelessness gets worse all the time. Maybe it’s time to just give them free, permanent places to live. It works in Utah.
On his evening stroll in Central Seattle, Bill Hobson recently did his own unscientific census of life on the bottom rung of the city’s ladder.
“It’s a pretty short walk — 10, 15 minutes around Judkins Park,” Hobson says. “I counted 18 homeless people in that time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it like this.”
On his drive into work from the South End along Airport Way, Hobson said he’s rarely seen so many makeshift tent encampments.
That Seattle’s got a homeless problem is hardly news. Downtown business owners have been complaining about it for years.
Last week the head of Seattle’s tourist bureau said that unless Seattle “gets its act together” in reducing the number of drug addicts and mentally ill people on the streets, some convention planners have told him “they may not come back” to the city. (Considering that 2014 was the biggest tourism year in the city’s history, this threat seems dubious, but that’s another story.)
But Hobson has no tourism-marketing agenda. For nearly three decades he’s been director of the Downtown Emergency Services Center, Seattle’s largest nonprofit agency helping get the homeless off the streets.
So when he says he’s never seen it this bad, Seattle should listen.
“There isn’t any doubt we’ve got a big and growing problem on our hands,” says Hobson, who is retiring in June.
The rise in street homelessness comes just as an ambitious plan designed to completely end homelessness is, awkwardly, sputtering to a close.
The Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness was a multiagency effort launched in July 2005. Barring some miracle in the next few months, it will fall spectacularly short of its stated, top-line goal.
It’s vexing because some cities that also launched Ten-Year Plans to End Homelessness have lately been getting great press for making progress. Salt Lake City has been hailed for reducing street homelessness by 72 percent. While in Seattle we now rank fourth in the nation for homelessness, behind only New York, L.A. and Las Vegas.
What did Utah do that worked so well?
“We did it by giving homes to homeless people,” the director of Utah’s end-homelessness plan half-jokingly explained to the comedy-news program, “The Daily Show.”
It’s essentially true: Utah built apartments for 2,000 chronic street homeless and simply moved them in. Most are mentally ill or addicted to drugs or alcohol, and the key is they weren’t required to go to treatment or get a job to get the housing.
It’s called “Housing First,” because first you get housing, no strings attached. Then, if you choose, you work on the problems that caused you to be homeless in the first place.
It’s hugely controversial because it gives free, permanent housing while asking for nothing in return. Seattle most famously did it with the 1811 Eastlake project, in which chronic street alcoholics can live there without giving up drinking. (Critics derisively called it “bunks for drunks.”)
It works, though. Hobson, who developed 1811 Eastlake and consulted for Utah on its plans, said the “no-handout” Republicans who run Utah came around to the idea for hard-nosed fiscal and pragmatic reasons. It’s cheaper to put a chronic addict in free housing than it is to haul them in and out of emergency rooms and shelters.
And it’s about the only surefire way to get them off the streets (meaning, away from businesses and tourists).
Utah focused on ending chronic street homelessness, not the more widespread problem of families and others in temporary homelessness. So its success is less impressive than it seems.
Still, what would Seattle give right now to eliminate three-fourths of its chronic street homelessness?
“We’ve been doing Housing First here for a long time, and it works as well as it works in Utah and everywhere else,” Hobson says. “But we’ve never taken it to scale. We haven’t tried it on a magnitude needed to match the size of this city’s problem.”
Maybe the failure of the 10-year plan isn’t just a crisis, but an opportunity. |
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was wicked mad over WikiLeaks. "This disclosure is not just an attack on America's foreign policy interests," she declared Monday. "It is an attack on the international community."
Why so glum, Madam Secretary?
Yes, there was that unfortunate description of the president of France as an "emperor with no clothes." And it won't help our Saudi friends that the world now knows they wanted the United States to bomb Iran.
But look on the bright side: The leaks have shown the world that somewhere within the U.S. diplomatic corps lurks literary genius.
This classified contribution to the canon came with an unpromising title, cable number MOSCOW 009533. Its subject line, "A Caucasus Wedding," was only slightly more provocative. But over the next 3,400 words, this August 2006 cable from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow gives an account worthy of a Graham Greene novel as it describes the wedding of the son of state oil company chief and Duma member Gadzhi Makhachev.
Along the way, we are told about U.S. diplomats' ride in Gadzhi's Rolls-Royce Phantom ("the legroom was somewhat constricted by the presence of a Kalashnikov carbine at our feet"), the wedding feast ("the cooks seemed to keep whole sheep and whole cows boiling in a cauldron somewhere day and night, dumping disjointed fragments of the carcass on the tables whenever someone entered the room") and the entertainment ("Gadzhi's main act, a Syrian-born singer named Avraam Russo, could not make it because he was shot a few days before the wedding").
The embassy reported to Foggy Bottom that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov "danced clumsily with his gold-plated automatic stuck down in the back of his jeans" and reportedly gave the bride and groom "a five-kilo lump of gold." Ramzan threw $100 bills at the dancers, who "probably picked upwards of USD 5000 off the cobblestones." But things took a dangerous turn when a "colonel sitting next to us, dead drunk, was highly insulted that we would not allow him to add 'cognac' to our wine."
It may have been illegal to leak the cables, but it was a crime to keep "A Caucasus Wedding" hidden from the world. Even now, its authorship remains shrouded in secrecy. It is signed by then-Ambassador Bill Burns (now an undersecretary of state) and was classified by Daniel Russell, then the deputy chief of mission. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Burns wasn't the author but declined to say who was.
But how long can this talent be hidden? The cable writer(s) described the Gadzhi summer home as "attached to a 40-meter high green airport tower on columns" with "a grotto whose glass floor was the roof of a huge fish tank." He/she/they described the arrival of guests: "Another group of Gadzhi's boyhood friends from Khasavyurt was led by a man who looked like [slain Chechen rebel leader] Shamil Basayev on his day off - flip-flops, t-shirt, baseball cap, beard - but turned out to be the chief rabbi of Stavropol Kray."
The cable writers' description of their host was mercilessly comic: "The 120 toasts he estimated he drank would have killed anyone, hardened drinker or not, but Gadzhi had his Afghan waiter Khan following him around to pour his drinks from a special vodka bottle containing water. Still, he was much the worse for wear by evening's end. At one point we caught up with him dancing with two scantily clad Russian women who looked far from home."
And the prose had just the right note of detached amusement : "The main activity of the day was eating and drinking - starting from 4 p.m., about eight hours worth, all told - punctuated, when all were laden with food and sodden with drink, with a bout of jet skiing in the Caspian. . . . To the uninitiated Westerner, the music sounds like an undifferentiated wall of sound. This was a signal for dancing: one by one, each of the dramatically paunchy men (there were no women present) would enter the arena and exhibit his personal lezginka for the limit of his duration, usually 30 seconds to a minute."
The wedding guests, "most of whom carried sidearms," had been asked not to fire them. "Throughout the wedding they complied, not even joining in the magnificent fireworks display." But trouble came for the American guests when the rector of the local law school, "too drunk to sit, let alone stand, pulled out his automatic and asked if we needed any protection."
Guns, gold, vodka, showers of $100 bills, a Chechen rebel leader, a shady oil oligarch, and wedding guests on Jet Skis with bellies full of boiled sheep: This is diplomacy as it ought to be.
[email protected] |
Trivial Pursuit Players 2–6 (teams allowed) Setup time 5 minutes Playing time ~80 minutes (varies widely) Random chance Medium (dice, order of question cards) Skill(s) required General knowledge, knowledge of popular culture
Trivial Pursuit is a board game from Canada in which winning is determined by a player's ability to answer general knowledge and popular culture questions.
Dozens of question sets have been released for the game. The question cards are organized into themes; for instance, in the standard Genus question set, questions in green deal with science and nature. Some question sets have been designed for younger players, and others for a specific time period or as promotional tie-ins (such as Star Wars, Saturday Night Live, and The Lord of the Rings movies).
History [ edit ]
The game was created on December 15, 1979 in Montreal in Quebec, by Canadian Chris Haney, a photo editor for Montreal's The Gazette, and Scott Abbott, a sports editor for The Canadian Press.[1] After finding pieces of their Scrabble game missing, they decided to create their own game.[2] With the help of John Haney and Ed Werner, they completed development of the game, which was released in 1981.[1]
In North America, the game's popularity peaked in 1984, a year in which over 20 million games were sold.[3] The rights to the game were initially licensed to Selchow and Righter in 1982, then to Parker Brothers (now part of Hasbro) in 1988, after initially being turned down by the Virgin Group; in 2008 Hasbro bought the full rights, for US$80 million.[4] As of 2014 , more than 100 million[5] games had been sold in 26 countries and 17 languages. Northern Plastics of Elroy, Wisconsin produced 30,000,000 games between 1983 and 1985. In December 1993, Trivial Pursuit was named to the "Games Hall of Fame" by Games magazine. An online version of Trivial Pursuit was launched in September 2003.[6]
Gameplay [ edit ]
Trivial Pursuit playing piece, with all six wedges filled playing piece, with all six wedges filled
The object of the game is to move around the board by correctly answering trivia questions. Questions are split into six categories, with each one having its own color to readily identify itself; in the classic version of Trivial Pursuit, these are Geography (blue), Entertainment (pink), History (yellow), Arts & Literature (originally brown, later purple), Science & Nature (green), and Sports & Leisure (orange). The game includes a board, playing pieces, question cards, a box, small plastic wedges to fit into the playing pieces, and a die.
Playing pieces used in Trivial Pursuit are round and divided into six sections, similar to a cheese triangle. A small plastic wedge, sometimes called cheese,[7] can be placed into each of these sections to mark each player's progress.
During the game, players move their playing pieces around a track which is shaped like a wheel with six spokes. This track is divided into spaces of different colors, and the center of the board is a hexagonal "hub" space. At the end of each spoke is a "category headquarters" space. When a player's counter lands on a square, the player answers a question according to its color, which corresponds to one of the six categories. If the player answers the question correctly, his turn continues; a correct answer on a category headquarters space awards a wedge of that color if the player does not yet have one. Wedges are fitted into a player's piece as they are earned. Some spaces say "roll again," giving an extra roll of the die to the player. The hub is a "wild" space; a player landing here may answer a question in the category of his choice. Questions must be answered without any outside assistance. Any number of playing pieces may occupy the same space at the same time. A variant rule ends a player's turn on collecting a wedge, preventing a single knowledgeable player from running the board.
Once a player has collected one wedge of each color and filled up his playing piece, he must return to the hub and answer a question in a category selected by the other players. If this question is answered correctly, that player wins the game. Otherwise, the player must leave the center of the board and try again on the next turn.
Editions [ edit ]
Board and pieces of Trivial Pursuit.
Over the years, numerous editions of Trivial Pursuit have been produced, usually specializing in various fields. The original version is known as the Genus edition (or Genus I). Several different general knowledge editions (such as Genus II) have followed. Other editions include Junior Edition (1985), All-Star Sports, Baby Boomers, 1980s, All About the 80s, and 1990s.
In the United Kingdom, Trivial Pursuit players complained that the 2006 version of the game was dumbed down in comparison to previous editions, with easier questions and more focus on celebrities and show business.[8]
Legal action [ edit ]
Fred Worth lawsuit [ edit ]
In October 1984, Fred L. Worth, author of The Trivia Encyclopedia, Super Trivia, and Super Trivia II, filed a $300 million lawsuit against the distributors of Trivial Pursuit. He claimed that more than a quarter of the questions in the game's Genus Edition had been taken from his books, even to the point of reproducing typographical errors and deliberately placed misinformation. One of the questions in Trivial Pursuit was "What was Columbo's first name?" with the answer "Philip". That information had been fabricated to catch anyone who might try to violate his copyright.[9]
The inventors of Trivial Pursuit acknowledged that Worth's books were among their sources, but argued that this was not improper and that facts are not protected by copyright. The district court judge agreed, ruling in favor of the Trivial Pursuit inventors. The decision was appealed, and in September 1987 the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the ruling.[10] Worth asked the Supreme Court of the United States to review the case, but the Court declined, denying certiorari in March 1988.[11]
David Wall lawsuit [ edit ]
In 1994, David Wall of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, launched a lawsuit against the game's creators. He claimed that in the fall of 1979, he and a friend were hitchhiking near Sydney, Nova Scotia, when they were picked up by Chris Haney. Wall claimed that he told Haney about his idea for the game in detail, including the shape of the markers.
Wall's mother testified she found drawings of his that looked like plans for a Trivial Pursuit-like game, but the drawings had since been destroyed. Wall's friend, who was allegedly hitchhiking with him that day, never testified. Haney said he never met Wall.
Over the years, there was much legal wrangling, notably around whether the suit should be decided by a judge or jury. On June 25, 2007, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruled against Wall.[12]
Adaptations [ edit ]
Television [ edit ]
A version of Trivial Pursuit, hosted by Wink Martindale, aired on The Family Channel in the United States from 1993 to 1995 (Jay Wolpert had attempted a pilot in 1987, but it was not picked up). A syndicated version entitled Trivial Pursuit: America Plays aired from 2008 to 2009 and hosted by Christopher Knight. In September 2004, Roger Lodge hosted a sports trivia game show on ESPN entitled ESPN Trivial Pursuit, which aired five episodes.
BBC Television produced a Trivial Pursuit game show based on the game in the UK hosted by Rory McGrath. Another British version (with rules/format similar to the Wink Martindale version, and also using the same theme tune as the Wink Martindale version) was hosted on The Family Channel (now Challenge) by Tony Slattery. Birgit Lechtermann hosted a version for VOX in Germany from 1993 to 1994.
In 1988, a made-for-television movie entitled Breaking all the Rules: The Creation of Trivial Pursuit aired. Treated largely as a comedy, the movie featured the music of Jimmy Buffett and portrayed the creators of the game as three beer-loving Canadians.
In Spain, a version of the show called Trivial Pursuit: Spain Plays premiered in September 2008 on Antena 3.[13]
Arcade game [ edit ]
In 1984, Bally Sente released a Trivial Pursuit arcade game.[14] Like the board game, several variants were also released.
Home computer games [ edit ]
British software company Domark released a home computer version (billed as Trivial Pursuit: The Computer Game) for multiple formats during the 1980s.[15][16][17][18] This version included pictorial and musical questions[19] but was otherwise mostly faithful to the mechanics of the original board game.
Later, Domark released another version called Trivial Pursuit: A New Beginning, also across multiple formats.[20][21] This version featured a plot about the dying Earth[22] and significantly altered gameplay mechanics.[21]
Hasbro Interactive released a "Millennium Edition" in 1999 with three different modes, and different categories:
Classic Pursuit : Played just like the board game. A "QUICKPLAY" option was also available, where, to speed the game up, every question would be a wedge question. Up to six can play. The winner is the first one to earn all six wedges, land back in the center hub by exact count, and then give a correct answer.
: Played just like the board game. A "QUICKPLAY" option was also available, where, to speed the game up, every question would be a wedge question. Up to six can play. The winner is the first one to earn all six wedges, land back in the center hub by exact count, and then give a correct answer. Party Pursuit : Up to three can play. The computer randomly spins categories until there are three to choose from. A correct answer by the first player to buzz in earns the wedge; a wrong answer gives the opposition a chance, as well as take away any wedges earned in a category. The first player to earn all six wedges wins the game. After 20 questions, the computer begins selecting categories for the players.
: Up to three can play. The computer randomly spins categories until there are three to choose from. A correct answer by the first player to buzz in earns the wedge; a wrong answer gives the opposition a chance, as well as take away any wedges earned in a category. The first player to earn all six wedges wins the game. After 20 questions, the computer begins selecting categories for the players. Point Pursuit: Same as Party Pursuit, except point scores are kept, and questions range from 250 to 1,000 points. Players can also wager any or all of their scores on one final question. Bonus points are earned for a wedge and for how much or how little time it took to answer a question.
There are also three different ways to answer the questions:
Multiple choice, where players choose from numbers 1, 2, 3, or 4;
Spelling accuracy: loose, where imperfect spelling is accepted by the program;
Spelling accuracy: strict, where spelling must be precise.
This game featured a total of seven voice-overs, one host, and one for each of the six categories: People & Places (blue wedge), Arts & Entertainment (pink wedge), History (yellow wedge), Science & Nature (brown wedge), Sports & Leisure (green wedge), and Wild Card (orange wedge).
Online game [ edit ]
In 2003, Bolenka Games released an online game of Trivial Pursuit on the now-defunct website Uproar.com[23][24]where it features five editions such as: Genius, Silver Screen, Music, 1980s and TV.
Video games [ edit ]
Trivial Pursuit was released for a number of home video systems, including Sega CD,[25] Wii, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4.[26] The board game was also adapted into a mobile game called Trivia Crack. |
http://www.rockislandauction.com/viewitem/aid/68/lid/3218
Like most other nations with modern military forces. Czechoslovakia was interested in developing a semiautomatic infantry rifle in the 1920s and 1930s. The most successful such rifle to come out of Czech factory during this time was The ZH-29, but it did have competition. A major series of trials was held in 1937 and 1938, and the CZ entrant was this Model 38 rifle.
It uses a tilting bolt with many similarities to the ZB-26 light machine gun and ZH-29 rifle, along with a short stroke gas piston. Interestingly, its charging handle is designed to mimic the manual of arms of the then-standard Mauser bolt action rifles - the handle must be rotated 90 degrees up before pulling the bolt back, and then rotated back down before firing. The CZ model 38 also used a fixed 10-round magazine fed by stripper clips instead of a detachable box magazine.
The model 38 apparently did not do well in the adverse conditions testing. None of the other rifles in the trial were good enough to be judged adequate, though, and more development and trial continued afterwards. The rifle ultimately chosen used an annular gas piston, but was never put into production because of World War II. That design would reappear after the war and lead to the vz.52 rifle.
http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons |
To Sell A House In California, It Might Need Good Feng Shui
Enlarge this image toggle caption Miles Bryan/NPR Miles Bryan/NPR
If you leave Los Angeles, Calif., on Interstate 10 and head east for about 40 miles, you'll run into a quintessentially suburban phenomenon: the opening of a subdivision.
toggle caption Courtesy of Jessie Kim
At one such development called College Park in Chino, Calif., the lawns are bright green, the D.J. is spinning classic rock and a lot of the conversations are in Mandarin. Among those looking for a house is Eddie Yung. He lives in China now, but he's moving to California.
The number of Chinese buying homes in the U.S. has more than doubled since 2007, with most of those sales in Southern California. Some are buying for investment purposes — prices are positively cheap compared to the market in Beijing or Shanghai — and others are planning to start a life in the states.
Marketing to those Chinese buyers has meant learning about what customers want in a house's design, says Mark Torres, a division president for Lennar Homes, the company that's building the subdivision.
"We consider feng shui elements in all our designs," Torres says. "Everything from the water-fire elements and making sure that we don't have those types of conflicts [and] designing the entry of the homes to keep all that positive energy in the home."
Just a few miles from College Park is the town of Chino Hills, which Lisa Dutton calls home. But her house has feng shui problems. It's had issues since she bought it from a Chinese seller 15 years ago.
"As he was moving out, he told us the reason he was moving was the house didn't have good chi," Dutton says. "We had no idea what chi was! Had no idea whatsoever. So, we bought the house."
Dutton's house had been on the market for 30 months, but she was getting nothing but lowball offers.
"At first I was offended because I thought, 'Wow, my house is beautiful. What's wrong? Why is someone just walking right out the door?' " she says.
Jessie Kim, a feng shui consultant, has the answer to those questions. Standing in the foyer of Dutton's house, she points out the problem.
"When you open up the front door and then you have a stairway coming right at you, things like to go to the lowest point," Kim says.
For a lot of Americans, a big fancy staircase is a status statement. But if you are into feng shui, Kim says that's a non-starter.
"You don't want all the energy that are upstairs being rushed out to the front door," Kim explains. "You don't want those things lining up."
To help, she put a red rug below the stairs to channel the energy back up and installed a fountain in the lawn to balance the water element. She also added a big welcome mat outside the front of the door to invite in positive energy.
"It should be welcoming," Kim says. "None of those, 'Wipe your paws,' or, 'Don't come in here,' those funny doormat sayings. You don't want to do that."
With these changes, the offers started rolling in. Dutton says she's just closed on a deal with a Chinese couple worth almost $100,000 more than her previous best offer.
Back at the grand opening of College Park, Eddie Yung is taking a break from walking through model homes and enjoying some complimentary lo mein. He's looked around in other Los Angeles suburbs but he likes the house he saw here. In fact, he's going to sign a deposit on one.
That was the fourth home sold at College Park before noon. When the chi is flowing in the right direction, the money will too. |
Oct 28, 2013 This week's theme
Eponyms
This week's words
pecksniffian
smellfungus
falstaffian
milquetoast
bumbledom
Seth Pecksniff Image: NYPL Eponyms A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg
Plot, characterization, and dialog, these are some of the many ingredients that make up a work of fiction. If you come up with the right name for your characters your work may seem half done.
It's an art to name one's "babies", and this week's words illustrate that. We've picked characters from Dickens, Shakespeare, and other writers who chose colorful names for their memorable creations. It's a testament to their naming that these words have become words in the English language.
This week we'll see five eponyms: words derived from a person's name. pecksniffian PRONUNCIATION: (pek-SNIF-ee-uhn)
MEANING: adjective: Pretending to have high moral principles; sanctimonious, hypocritical.
ETYMOLOGY: After Seth Pecksniff, a character in Charles Dickens's novel Martin Chuzzlewit. Earliest documented use: 1844.
NOTES: Charles Dickens describes Pecksniff like this: "Some people likened him to a direction-post, which is always telling the way to a place, and never goes there."
USAGE: "She said, 'Davis, stop being such a Pecksniffian stuffed shirt.'"
Jay Inman; Sunigin; WestBow Press; 2012.
"In the meantime, the pecksniffian French consul was feigning indignation."
Bob Stockton; Fighting Bob; AuthorHouse; 2011.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Journalist Ed Murrow: "Who owns the patent on this vaccine?" Jonas Salk: "Well, the people, I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?" -Jonas Salk, medical researcher and developer of polio vaccine (1914-1995)
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Having a guy like Bryce Jones waiting in the wings is one thing, but to have two such players as redshirts? Priceless.
Khem Birch (6'8", 220 pounds) should fit into the power forward slot and provide protection for Mike Moser as well as scoring and rebounding underneath.
Birch, a native of Montreal, Canada, also has been practicing with the team after transferring from Pittsburgh. He was ranked the No. 9 incoming freshman this year by Lindy’s College Basketball 2011-2012 and was named a McDonald’s High School All-American. He led the West in points (15), rebounds (10) and blocked shots (six) in the annual classic. Birch also was named second-team USA Today All-American.
Birch played at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., where he averaged 18 points, 13 boards and six blocks.
Because of NCAA transfer rules, Birch will have to sit out two semesters and will be eligible to play for UNLV only after the completion of the fall 2012 semester. He will officially be a sophomore and will have two years of eligibility remaining. |
Welber Barral, the Brazilian trade minister, said total trade between Brazil and China had amounted to $3.2bn (£2.14bn) in April, representing a near twelve-fold increase since 2001.
The sum was greater than the $2.8 billion of imports and exports to the US and represented the second consecutive month that China had topped the trade table.
"It is a historic moment," he said, adding that he expected China to remain in pole position for the rest of the year because its economy is still growing healthily. "China is now a platinum account [for Brazil]," said Douglas Smith, a Latin American economist for Standard Chartered bank.
The US has been Brazil's principal trading partner for nearly 80 years, but a sudden surge in Chinese demand for Brazilian iron ore in the first quarter of this year dislodged the Americans.
The news is the latest sign of China's increasing challenge to US hegemony in Latin America. China has been steadily increasing its sphere of influence and has become particularly close to the four "Red" South American countries: Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.
China is already Chile's primary trading partner.
In February, China's vice president, Xi Jinping, and its vice prime minister, Hui Liangyu, both travelled through South America to cement ties. They visited nine countries, including Brazil and Mexico,
Venezuela, Ecuador and even Colombia, a staunch US ally. The month before, China contributed $350m to the Inter-American Development Bank.
However, despite much fanfare, China has not signed a bilateral trade agreement with Mercosur, the Latin American free trade bloc. Critics also point out that much of China's foreign investment in Latin America is funnelled directly into offshore tax havens in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda.
Brazil said it now aimed to diversify its range of products to China. Currently the bulk of Brazilian exports is made up of soya beans, for Chinese tofu, iron ore, cellulose and fuel. President Lula is expected to ink further oil and gas deals when he arrives in Beijing for talks on May 18.
"This is a very pressing issue to watch," said Mr Smith. "Brazil is seeking investment from many sources, including China, to help fund exploration from the Santos Basin, which will be very expensive to extract". |
If you haven't been living under a rock for the past couple months, you've probably at least heard of Pinterest, a social bulletin board where people can easily post visuals they'd like to save and share. Pinterest has built up an impressive following in the stylish scrap-booker set in a short period of time. Marketers and publishers are starting to take notice.
Take Time Inc.'s Real Simple, the print magazine whose ethos probably best embodies the Pinterest's female-skewing demographic. "Pinterest is a huge source from a referral standpoint, even beating out referrals from Facebook in the month of October," said Shannon King, GM of digital for Real Simple magazine. "It speaks to the power of engaged audience members. We view it as an important part of our social media strategy."
Moving forward, Ms. King hopes to integrate Pinterest more deeply into RealSimple.com, starting with a 'Pin it' button on the website, but notes that she would also '"love a white label version" that publishers could make all their own.
While driving traffic is great, the true potential in Pinterest may be in its ability to impact purchases, which is why retailers like Etsy, Nordstrom, and Lands' End have taken to developing a presence on, and strategy for, this new platform. Today, in fact, today Lands' End is kicking off a holiday campaign and contest, "Pin it to Win it," centered on Pinterest, the first of its kind.
The Lands' End Pinterest page, launched in November, is run jointly by PR and Merchandise Design team and is focused on their sub-brand, Canvas.
Land's End first learned about Pinterest from a blog community -- Curvy Girls Guide. "They introduced us to Pinterest and at once we realized, it's kind of an immediate attraction, visually stimulating and inspiring and we wanted to see how we can make it work for Lands' End, specifically for Canvas," said Michele Casper, PR director for the company.
"Right now we're still in the learning phase, trying to understand the contagious energy, so we decided to launch this holiday campaign on it – excited to see what the brand engagement is and develop our strategy from there," she said.
While Ms. Casper wouldn't share the traffic numbers or Pinterest's impact on sales just yet, she did confirm that most pins link to products on the Land's End website. "People get excited from the visual and then have the opportunity to purchase. It's very engaging tool in that respect."
Similarly, Etsy representative Adam Brown said the independent marketplace has no "formal integration with Pinterest at the moment," other than Etsy's Pinterest page. However, Adam notes that "Pinterest is a growing source of traffic for Etsy" and that they consider it "terrific for our members because it's another way for shoppers to discover all of the amazing things that Etsy sellers create."
1214 Nordstrom Pinterest
And then there's major retailer and department store, Nordstrom, which created a page on Pinterest back in March, relatively early, even by early-adopter standards. "We found that it's a great way to not only share info but also learn about our community. Pinterest allows us to see what trends and styles the community likes based on engagement - likes and repins," said social media manager Shauna Causey.
"We view this as another way to engage with customers rather than marketing," she said. "Images are a great way to share ideas and trends in the retail social media landscape."
In the spirit of the season, Nordstrom has created a 'Holiday Sparkle' board. And to compliment a 'Nordstrom Santa' Facebook app, they've also created a Nordstrom Santa board on Pinterest.
In what seems like ever-narrowing intervals, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs glom on to one idea en masse, often resulting in a run of overlapping, if not entirely duplicative, incarnations of one core concept. It happened with location-based platforms, group messaging apps, group buying services, and daily deals. The latest such insta-trend is in the apparent reinvention of social bookmarking sites, as a slew of new players have flooded the interwebs, each with its own take on improving what Digg, Reddit, and Del.icio.us set out to do several years ago (and still do, to some degree).
Though Pintrest is by far the most popular, it is but one of many upstarts in the space. SnipIt (my personal favorite), the Gimme Bar, Skimmr, Findings, and Clipboard - are putting a new spin on social bookmarking.
Will these services be an effective tool for marketers and publishers a la Twitter and Facebook?
Well, per Ms. Causey, "We are pleased with the traffic it's driving and how it's helping us sell product." |
A Minnesota resident speaking before the House Civil Law Committee offered a shockingly inaccurate testimony in an attempt to thwart the approval of same-sex marriage in the state.
Mike Frey, a "concerned" father and husband, spoke in front of the committee on Tuesday and cited Minnesota's sodomy law, struck down in 2001, which defined sodomy as both anal and oral sex. He attempted to argue that gay sex poses a danger to citizens of the state because it results in the spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
He claimed that heterosexual sex could be safer because the vagina has a "barrier of cellular tissue that doesn't allow the sperm ... to penetrate the blood flow," but anal sex doesn't have such protections.
"When ejaculation occurs inside of a colon, it's highly absorbent material, the cells do not have a barrier for the sperm and those enzymes to enter into the blood flow," Frey said. "When the enzymes enter into the blood flow, and a continued, prolonged environment of that happens, these enzymes in the blood flow, it causes what we know as AIDS."
Frey's discussion of AIDS during a same-sex marriage hearing is striking because AIDS affects people of all genders, races and sexual orientations. The information shared by Frey is not only homophobic, it is also misleading.
Out of the 34 million adults living with HIV/AIDS around the world, approximately half are women, according to international HIV/AIDS charity AVERT. "Generally women are at a greater risk of heterosexual transmission of HIV. Biologically women are twice more likely to become infected with HIV through unprotected heterosexual intercourse than men," AVERT explains.
Although statistics on transmission of the disease in the U.S. show more infection diagnoses in the category of male-to-male sexual contact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Women's Health states that women are particularly vulnerable to infection because of the surface area of the vagina open to exposure and because of the duration semen can stay in the vagina.
Unprotected anal sex is risky for both males and females, according to the Centers for Disease Control, as this is a sexual activity practiced by both gay and heterosexual couples. The same is true for oral sex.
Approximately 60 were slated to testify on the same-sex marriage bill before the House Civil Law Committee on Tuesday, Minneapolis station KMSP reported, with 35 in favor and 25 against. A vote is expected at midnight.
Minnesota's Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved the marriage equality bill 5-3. The measure now advances to the Senate floor.
UPDATE: The Civil Law committee in the Minnesota House passed the same-sex marriage bill on Tuesday evening, according to Minnesota Public Radio. The legislation passed 10 to 7. Next up, the full House and Senate will hold a vote. Final votes aren't expected until later in the session. |
Getty Images
Golf is a game of sportsmanship and honor, and Cameron Tringale exemplified that after calling the PGA Tour office and requesting to be disqualified from the 2014 PGA Championship due to a previously undetected incorrect scorecard.
Tringale, 26, claims to have missed a stroke when attempting to tap in on the 11th hole Sunday, per a Eurosport report (h/t Yahoo Sports). Despite uncertainty about the stroke—Tringale himself claims to be unsure about whether he actually addressed the ball, which would decide if it warranted the penalty—the Mission Viejo, California, native claims to have been guilt-ridden over the past week.
"Realising that there could be the slightest doubt that the swing over the ball should have been recorded as a stroke, I spoke with the PGA of America and shared with them my conclusion that the stroke should have been recorded," Tringale said in a statement.
Under PGA rules, a player is disqualified if he signs an incorrect scorecard. The mishit would have added an extra stroke to his round, taking him from a tie for 33rd place (four under par) to a tie for 36th. By virtue of his disqualification, Tringale will forfeit his $53,000 in prize money.
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
What's more, he'll also be giving away his finest performance in a major championship. In four previous major starts, Tringale missed the cut three times and finished 72nd in the 2012 PGA Championship. Still without a win in his professional career, last week was his finest overall performance as a pro given the stage.
"We are very appreciative of Cameron coming forward to inform us of this situation," Kerry Haigh, the PGA's chief championships officer, told ESPN.com's Bob Harig. "It again shows the great values and traditions of the game and the honesty and integrity of its competitors."
Tringale's disqualification will lead to a slight alteration in the final standings. Each player who finished behind him will move up one spot. For example, the 36th-place finishers will now go down in the record books as finishing 35th.
Tringale's decision is drawing a mixture of praise, confusion and a certain level of eye-rolling at someone willingly giving up $53,000. Alex Miceli of Golfweek.com described the situation as "bizarre":
Ranked No. 107 in the world, Tringale had been in the midst of his finest professional season. He has two top-five finishes, sits No. 50 in the FedEx Cup rankings and has only missed the cut six times in 27 events.
Having gone through the 2013 season without qualifying for a major, it looked like he was capping off 2014 with some momentum. Instead, he'll go down on a long list of golfers who have chosen honor over padding their pockets.
We'll have to see whether the golf gods reward him moving forward.
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter. |
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP, MI -- No matter what happens the rest of the day on Thursday, Sept. 17, it's going to be a good one, Caroline Des Ormeau said.
That's because an unexpected guest she found while doing maintenance at a vacant trailer in Buena Vista was the same woman reported missing more than three days earlier, publicized in media reports.
The missing woman, Mary Ann Doyle, 70, was last seen walking about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, on Kansas in Bridgeport Township, Bridgeport Chief of Police Dave Duffett said.
Mary Ann Doyle
At 9:48 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, maintenance staff from the Saginaw Villas Mobile Home Park, 4141 Dixie in neighboring Buena Vista Township, located Doyle in a vacant mobile home on Apollo Drive, Bridgeport Township Chief of Police Dave Duffett said.
Des Ormeau was with fellow Saginaw Villas employee planning to empty the specific mobile home and prepare it for a new resident when they found the woman wandering in the kitchen. She told the staffers she had been there since Tuesday.
Police originally said she was sleeping there.
The staff members said it appeared she may have been sleeping in the bedroom of the vacant home recently. They called 911 and fed the woman, whom police described as "confused and hungry."
Bridgeport police thanked the staff at Saginaw Villas, the Midland County Search and Rescue team for search assistance, the First Baptist Church of Bridgeport for providing a base for the Midland County Search and Rescue team, MSP K9 and Aviation units, Saginaw County Sheriff's Department and Bridgeport Kroger's for assistance.
Both staff members said they were excited and glad to be able to help the woman.
"No matter what happens today," Des Ormeau said, "it's going to be a good day."
-- Brad Devereaux is a public safety reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ |
The makers of Scotland’s favourite fizzy drink have launched an investigation after a can of Irn-Bru exploded in a man’s fridge and terrified his dog.
Bud Kane was at his home in Aberdeen when the multipack can blew up and blasted the fridge door open.
His two-year-old beagle Parker was in the room at the time and got such a shock that he was left with “toilet problems”.
Mr Kane is now demanding answers from the makers of Irn-Bru to explain what went wrong.
The 62-year-old said: “I’ve been drinking Irn-Bru for years and nothing like this has happened before.
“You don’t expect your fridge to blow up.”
• READ MORE: Irn-Bru maker vows to cut sugar across soft drinks
The former pub manager said he heard the explosion while in another room and initially couldn’t figure out what had happened.
He said: “I was two rooms away and heard a loud bang.
“I was confused as to what it could have been so I came into the room and saw Parker there in shock.
“Things were coming out of him at both ends.
“I saw the fridge opened and checked what had happened -– the explosion had taken the top of the can straight off and there was a strange red substance on the lid.”
Mr Kane’s 38-year-old daughter Jennifer and his granddaughter Alex, 19, were also at his home, but nobody was injured in the incident on Friday afternoon.
He added: “I’m just glad that none of us were near it. It could have caused someone quite an injury.
• READ MORE: Was Irn-Bru actually invented in America?
“I have contacted the people who make Irn-Bru to find out what may have happened and they haven’t got back yet.
“The last thing anyone would want is for this to happen to anyone else and for anybody to be hurt.”
AG Barr confirmed it was investigating the incident yesterday.
A spokesperson from A.G. Barr said: “We’re sorry Mr Kane and his dog experienced the can incident.
“We take the safety of our packaging and products very seriously so we’ve already been in touch to arrange for the can to be sent to us so we can fully investigate.” |
Oblast in Ukraine
Volyn Oblast (Ukrainian: Волинська область, translit. Volyns’ka oblast’, Polish: Obwód wołyński; also referred to as Volyn’ or Wołyń) is an oblast (province) in north-western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Lutsk. Kovel is the westernmost town and the last station in Ukraine of the rail line running from Kiev to Warsaw. Population: 1,042,918 (2015 est.)[3]
History [ edit ]
Volyn was once part of Kievan Rus' before becoming an independent local principality and an integral part of the Halych-Volynia, one of Kievan Rus' successor states. In the 15th century, the area came under the control of neighbouring Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in 1569 passing over to Poland and then in 1795, until World War I, to the Russian Empire where it was a part of the Volynskaya Guberniya. In the interwar period most of the territory, organized as Wołyń Voivodeship was under Polish control.
In 1939 when following the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact Poland was invaded and divided by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Volyn was joined to the Soviet Ukraine, and on December 4, 1939 the oblast was organized.
Volyn Oblast districts.
Many Ukrainians rejoiced at the "reunification", but the Polish minority suffered a cruel fate. Thousands of Poles, especially retired Polish officers and intelligentsia were deported to Siberia and other areas in the depths of the Soviet Union. A high proportion of these deportees died in the extreme conditions of Soviet labour camps and most were never able to return to Volyn again.
In 1941 Volyn along with the Soviet Union was invaded by the Nazi Germany's Barbarossa Offensive. Nazis alongside Ukrainian collaborators completed their holocaust of the Jews of Volhynia in late 1942.
Partisan activity started in Volyn in 1941, soon after German occupation. Partisans were involved in the Rail War campaign against German supply lines and were known for their efficiency in gathering intelligence and for sabotage. The region formed the basis of several networks and many members of the local population served with the partisans. The Poles in the area became part of the Polish Home Army, which often undertook operations with the partisan movement.
UPA initially supported Nazi Germany which had in turn supported them with financing and weaponry before the start of World War II. Many served in the various RONA and SS units. Once they became disillusioned with the Nazi program, they independently began to target all non Ukrainians (Poles, Jews, Russians, among others) for extermination. Some 30,000 to 60,000 Poles, Czechs, remaining Jews, and Ukrainians who tried to help others escape (Polish sources gave even higher figures) and later, around 2,000 or more Ukrainians were killed in retaliation (see Massacres of Poles in Volhynia).
In January 1944 the Red Army recaptured the territory from the Nazis.
In the immediate aftermath of World War II the Polish-Soviet border was redrawn based on the Curzon line. Volyn, along with the neighbouring provinces became an integral part of the Ukrainian SSR. Most Poles who remained in the eastern region were forced to leave to the Recovered Territories of western Poland (the former easternmost provinces of Germany) whose German population had been expelled. Some of the Ukrainians on the western side, notably around the city of Kholm (Chełm in Polish), were also forcibly relocated to Ukraine.
The area underwent rapid industrialisation including the construction of the Lutskiy Avtomobilnyi Zavod. Nevertheless, the area remains one of the most rural throughout the former Soviet Union.
Historical sites [ edit ]
The following historical-cultural sites were nominated in 2007 for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.[citation needed]
Relics [ edit ]
Politics [ edit ]
Former Chairmen of Oblast Council
2006 – Vasyl Dmytruk Lytvyn's Bloc
2006 – Anatoliy Hrytsiuk
Subdivisions [ edit ]
Detailed map of Volyn Oblast.
The Volyn Oblast is administratively subdivided into 16 raions (districts), as well as 4 cities (municipalities) which are directly subordinate to the oblast government: Kovel, Novovolynsk, Volodymyr-Volynskyi, and the administrative center of the oblast, Lutsk.
Age structure [ edit ]
0–14 years: 19.0% (male 101,739/female 95,332) 15–64 years: 68.2% (male 344,359/female 363,116) 65 years and over: 12.8% (male 42,221/female 90,463) (2013 official)
Median age [ edit ]
total: 35.7 years male: 33.2 years female: 38.3 years (2013 official)
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Coordinates: |
Jack Wilshere played 75 minutes for Arsenal Under-23's in his first game since suffering a hairline fracture of his leg while on loan at Bournemouth in April.
Wilshere, who suffered a hairline fracture of his left tibia during the Cherries' 4-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane on 15 April, played alongside Francis Coquelin in Arsenal U-23s 3-2 win over Derby County.
Coquelin is also working his way back to fitness from the ankle ligament damage he suffered in pre-season.
Arsenal loaned Wilshere to Bournemouth last summer, where the England international made 29 Premier League appearances before his season-ending injury.
And Gunners' manager Arsene Wenger says the 25-year-old, who is under contract at the Emirates until June 2018, could go out on loan again this season.
"That decision is not completely made," the Frenchman said earlier this month.
"I want him to have a chance to play somewhere as well. We have to decide that a bit later.
"I wanted first him to come back, he is coming out of a fracture.
"It is the first week he is back in full training and we have to sit down together and see where we go from there."
Arsenal's Premier League match against Stoke at the Bet 365 Stadium on Saturday, 19 August will be shown live on BT Sport 1 on the eir Sport package [kick off 5.30pm]
Photo Getty Images/ Michael Regan
eir Sport channels are available across the eir Vision, Sky and Vodafone TV platforms as well as on the eir Sport app. All 7 channels in the eir Sport pack are available for free if you are a residential eir broadband customer. |
UPDATED: With little fanfare, Saturday’s hourlong season finale of Cops actually marked the venerable docu-reality series’ last original airing on Fox. The network signaled that the end was near when it cut back significantly the order for this season to accommodate sports coverage on Saturday. Cops‘ current 25th season did not premiere until December 15 after more than half a year off the air. Cops marked its 850th episode in February, and, with no plans for the show to return to Fox next season, the producer, Langley Prods., started looking for a new home. They’ve found it at Spike TV, where Season 26 of Cops will debut in September, airing in its long-time Saturday 8 PM time slot. As part of the deal, male-centric Spike TV also is acquiring a portion of the Cops library. (The news of the show’s move was first reported by TV Guide.)
This marks the end of an era as Cops was one of the programs that established the Fox brand and the longest-running Fox series currently on the air. Its cancellation comes two years after Fox ended Cops’ long-time companion, America’s Most Wanted, as a regular series. After a two-season stint on Lifetime, AMW again is looking for a new home after the cable network cancelled it a month ago. Cops ended its run on Fox respectably, drawing 2.9 million viewers and a 0.9/3 for its finale Saturday, the second-highest-rated program of the night in 18-40 behind CBS’ 48 Hours, which now is left as the only regularly scheduled Saturday series on the broadcast networks. (It has already been renewed by CBS for next season.) “Cops is a remarkable series that has been able to sustain strong ratings well into its third decade, a monumental achievement in television,” said Spike TV president Kevin Kay. “As we continue to grow and expand our audience, new episodes of Cops, with its loyal audience of Adults 18-49, is the perfect addition to our primetime lineup on Saturday nights.” Cable networks have stepped up their original efforts on Saturdays, including AMC recently expanding into the night. |
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The Project
Focused on our environment and climate issues DreamScape One is a vision of the way forward for society based on renewable energy sources, sustainability and a carbonless footprint. At a footprint of 500 acres for the enclosed environment with a minimum ceiling height of 160 feet, DreamScape (short form) is building the mega structures of the future.
The DreamScape business model is based on everything under one roof, protected from the outside elements year-round. The concept is unique just on its sheer size and the aspects of its self-sustainability before adding in our advance marketing campaign and futuristic technology. For all intents and purposes DS1 (acronym) is being designed as a Theme Park complimented with the right balance of added features, which will help to offset the high cost of building such a structure. Theme Parks have an established record of longevity and profiting in any economy, especially being year-round. DreamScape is about people; we can accommodate a large amount of residency in addition to a tremendous volume of vacationers/tourists making this a global destination. The time has come in our evolution cycle to provide enhanced, safe communities that confronts our environment and climate change issues with a positive impact.
DreamScape is an exciting environmentally responsible project that brings together the best in entertainment, fun and hospitality - a year round, world class family-themed facility.
Features
Two Luxury, Boutique style hotels with accommodations for over 2000 guests plus executive suites
Comprehensive Convention Center with over 300,000 square feet of banquet space.
18 Hole Championship Golf Course for avid golfers
9 Hole Family and Friends Recreation Golf Course
Regulation size Ice Rinks, city size Recreation Parks and walking trails
World-Class Symphony/Concert Hall Amphitheatre with a retractable roof
Offices, Retail, brand-name outlets and boutique stores in an international themed shopping center
Cinemas and Drive-In Movie Theatres, Fine Dining Restaurants, Food Courts, Premium Nightlife and Entertainment Zone
Water Park featuring mind-bending slides, rides and wave pools, walkways, grotto and gardens
Amusement Park featuring the newest in thrill rides, amazing roller coasters, 4D flying theatres, the gigantic Ferris wheel
An all-inclusive outdoor Winter Park - ski, snowboard, tubing and other outdoor activities
Sports Complex with year-round venues for each major recreational activity: baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis and ultimate frisbee
An International Food Market featuring local vendors, farmers market and grocery stores.
Condominium Complexes with over 1500 Condominiums for residential living and vacationing
Five Hundred (500) acres of land completely enclosed, climate and temperature controlled under the superstructure roof makes this a marvel of engineering. Enhanced with an aerial view by cable cars DS1 is primed to become a Canadian premier attraction. DreamScape is a reality, the technologies have arrived and the support is growing; the timing is right.
DreamScape will become a premier attraction as a global destination, bringing tourism from all over the world to Canada.
DreamScape's retail shopping and restaurant opportunities will open the door for more international companies to expand in the Canadian Market. These discussions have already begun and ongoing. We are very excited to share with you in the near future the corporate retail companies we will be working with on this amazing project.
Manitoba, a province rich in culture, heritage and natural resources is now challenged by global climate change and a public desire for sustainable living and most importantly "long-term growth". DreamScape One is about sustainable living, the environment and the future of Manitoba and Canada. It is designed with community, family and fun in mind, as a major destination spot to bring people together in the heart of North America. With its International Marketing Program, DreamScape will bring people from around the world to its global destination. |
Cryptocurrency miners have been encroaching on gamer grounds primarily by snatching up desirable graphics cards, leaving behind scant inventory and inflated price tags. Will motherboards be next? It might already be happening, though at least one company is catering to miners with specialized BIOS updates on a handful of gaming motherboards.
That company is MSI and it is now offering custom BIOS files for several higher-end motherboards that it has deemed suitable for mining. They include the Z170-A Pro, Z170A SLI Plus, Z170 Krait Gaming, Z170A Krait Gaming, Z170A Krait Gaming 3X (pictured above), Z270-A Pro, and H270-A Pro.
According to MSI, crytpocurrency miners find themselves in a bit of a bind when it comes to choosing a motherboard.
"With the rise of Bitcoin/Ethereum mining, AMD graphics cards once again became one of the top-selling graphics card series in the market. However, it is relatively harder to acquire the economic mining motherboard due to the fact that Intel slowly discontinued the H81 and B85 chipset, and this caused the shortage of mining motherboards in the market," MSI explains.
MSI says that miners have been turning to motherboards based on Intel's 100-series chipset. However, even though miners have been able to get these boards to successfully recognize as many as six graphics cards, in many cases three or four of them would have exclamation marks next to them in the Device Manager in Windows.
"And, of course, the cards with exclamation marks would not function properly during mining. MSI consistently heard such inquiries from customers," the company added.
This is what led MSI to test some of its motherboards for mining, and then develop customized BIOS updates for them. With the appropriate BIOS applied, the affected motherboards are better equipped to handle many graphics cards, though there are some specific settings and steps that MSI recommends. Those settings and steps are outlined here.
Hopefully this doesn't mean that motherboards will be in the same short supply as graphics cards as more people get into mining. There is a bit more wiggle room in the motherboard market, as unlike graphics cards, miners only need one motherboard for a fully loading mining system. |
A recent survey in Louisiana found a high number of people who say they are getting ill more often [Al Jazeera]
Transocean Ltd., the owner of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded off the Gulf of Mexico last year, has given its top executives bonuses for achieving the "best year in safety performance in our company's history'',
despite the blast that killed 11 people and spilled 200 million gallons of oil into the ocean.
Transocean noted "the tragic loss of life'' in the Gulf when the rig operated by BP PLC exploded last April. But it said the company still had an "exemplary'' safety record because it met or exceeded certain internal safety targets concerning the frequency and severity of its accidents, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.
Safety accounts for a quarter of the executives' total cash bonuses. The total bonus for CEO Steve Newman last year was $374,062.
The company said in a regulatory filing that its most senior managers were given two thirds of their total possible safety bonus.
The company said its bonuses were appropriate as a way to recognise its executives' efforts in "significantly improving the company's safety record'' and implementing a new internal planning system.
Those efforts have "enabled the company to maintain its financial flexibility during a challenging period, while, at the same time, positioning the company for sustained growth in the future.''
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera has learned that a recent survey carried out in southern Louisiana, one of the worst affected areas, found a high number of people who say they are getting ill more often and their sickness is consistent with chemical exposure.
The massive oil spill sent dangerous compounds into the ocean; one of them was benzene which can cause cancer, as well as a chemical dispersant that was added to the oil to break it up.
Transocean's Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers and set off the largest offshore oil spill in US history.
A commission appointed by Barack Obama, the US president, earlier this year said the explosion was caused by a series of time and money-saving decisions by Transocean, BP and oil services company Halliburton Inc. that created an unacceptable amount of risk. |
THURSDAY, 11:16am: Oklahoma City has announced the signing of the Jim Tanner client, via press release.
WEDNESDAY, 10:16am: The Thunder will sign Royal Ivey to a 10-day contract pending the results of today’s physical, tweets Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. The 32-year-old guard was in camp with the Hawks this past fall, and spent the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons with Oklahoma City. The Thunder have two open roster spots, so there’s plenty of room for Ivey.
A second-round pick by the Hawks in 2004, Ivey has managed to spend at least part of every season since then on an NBA roster despite never averaging more than 19.2 minutes per game. He was with the Sixers last season, when he scored 3.2 points in 13.2 minutes a night.
Ivey, familiar with the Thunder’s system, will help shore up a backcourt that’s missing the injured Russell Westbrook. The team reportedly interviewed D-League guard Manny Harris about a week ago, but apparently Ivey’s beaten out the former Cavalier for a spot, at least for now. |
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— A Raleigh couple is parlaying their love of cats into a business.
Sarah Newton and Arthur Hailey are looking to open Purr Cup Cafe, the first cat cafe in downtown.
"It is as if you had a coffee shop and made a room within that coffee shop that is a cat lounge," Newton said Wednesday.
Cat cafes originated in Taiwan in the late 1990s as a way for people to enjoy hot beverages and interact with cats. Patrons can sit and drink beverages while looking at the cats in the opposite room or pay to reserve time in the cat room. The concept has expanded throughout Asia and Europe, first reaching North America only a few years ago.
Just came to the cutest place I've ever been! The Mocha cat cafe!! #mochacatcafe #Japan #cats pic.twitter.com/5OkhNfWS73 — Dan Palmer (@Danbystereo) March 28, 2017
The first permanent cat cafe in the United States, Cat Town Cafe, opened in 2014 in Oakland, Calif.
"I fell in love with the idea," Newton said of the concept.
After retiring as a dancer with the Carolina Ballet last year, Newton started work at downtown Raleigh bakery and coffee shop Lucettegrace. She hoped working in the food service industry would get her ready to one day open her own cat cafe.
After some research and visits to cat cafes across the United States, she decided that 2017 would be the year of the cat. She and Hailey, who have four cats of their own, plan to launch a crowd-funding campaign in May. She said the business is looking to open in downtown Raleigh, "so we can be part of the whole growing tourism scene."
Purr Cup Cafe would serve pre-packaged prepared foods from local merchants, but coffee would be made on site. The cats would come from Meow House Cat Rescue in Raleigh, which rescues cats from high-kill shelters.
So far, North Carolina does not have a cat cafe, but a Wilmington woman is hoping to open one called The Scratching Post Cafe later this year.
Newton admits that she does love dogs, too.
Not just cats
While cat cafes are hot right now, there are also other types of animal cafes out there, according to AnimalCafes.com. The Tokyo area has several bird cafes, where people can hang out with owls, parakeet and parrots, in addition to dog, penguin and rabbit cafes. Some cafes are also offering multiple species together including snakes, lizards and hedgehogs.
The first dog cafe in the United States, dubbed The Dog Cafe, opened last year in Silver Lake, Calif. |
Supreme Court justice nominee Neil Gorsuch, center, joined by Vice President Pence, meets with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
President Trump has nominated Neil Gorsuch, a 49-year old 10th Circuit federal judge known as an originalist in the style of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, to fill Scalia’s seat. Despite the unusual circumstances of the nomination — including Democrats’ fury that the Republican-led Senate refused for 10 months to consider President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland for the seat — social-science research can tell us what to expect now.
[Trump picks Colo. appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch for Supreme Court]
With 52 Republicans in the Senate, Gorsuch probably won’t become the first nominee since Robert Bork in 1987 to be rejected in a floor vote. But his confirmation will probably be costly for Trump and his agenda. Let me explain.
Here’s why Gorsuch’s nomination was widely expected.
Gorsuch’s nomination wasn’t surprising. Law professors and political scientists had considered him a top contender. That’s because he is relatively young, has a track record strongly suggesting his future voting behavior and will probably be confirmed. Further, Gorsuch’s legal approach is more similar to Scalia’s than that of other leading contenders for the nomination.
[Judge Neil Gorsuch on libel law, the media and the Aryan Brotherhood]
All that makes Gorsuch a solid pick for a Republican president hoping to avoid surprises. Presidents act strategically to avoid uncertainty about the future behavior of their nominee and the odds of confirmation. They also pick more ideological nominees when their allies control the Senate. In addition, they prefer nominees who will serve for a long time. For Trump, Gorsuch is the complete package.
Having both a Republican president and a Republican Senate majority made it likely that the nominee would be rather conservative. The Judicial Common Space ideology scores indicate that Gorsuch leans to the right. The score places the ideology of federal judges on a left-right spectrum, based on the ideologies of the president or senators who selected the judges. This is possible because judges are usually picked with input from senators from the state where they will serve, or by the president if neither senator is from his party. The scores range from -1 to 1, where -1 is the most liberal, 0 is moderate, and 1 is most conservative. Gorsuch’s score is 0.486, nearly identical to the reliably conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. (0.492).
[We have a standard for judging partisan gerrymandering. The Supreme Court should use it.]
What’s the biggest obstacle to Gorsuch’s confirmation?
As many have noted, Senate Democrats will probably try to obstruct confirmation by filibustering and using other delaying tactics.
[Democratic leaders — and Trump — aren’t making it easy to build bipartisan support for Gorsuch]
Under current Senate rules, three-fifths of senators must vote to end debate on the nominee in the event of a filibuster. Senators do this by interrupting the debate and filing a cloture petition with the clerk; if the cloture motion is approved, debate can only continue for another 30 hours. Senate rules require 60 votes to invoke cloture and move the nominee forward. Given the 52-to-48 partisan divide in the Senate, this means that eight Democrats must consent to let the nomination move forward.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) has already said that he will filibuster any nominee other than Garland, so extended debate is likely. Unless Republicans change the rules, stopping the Gorsuch nomination will take 41 votes.
Which Democratic senators are likely to vote for Gorsuch?
The DW-NOMINATE ideology scores developed by Keith Poole and Howard Rosenthal help identify Democratic senators likely to halt a filibuster or support Gorsuch. These scores use the relative liberalism of senators to place them on an ideological scale. Among the 12 Democratic senators closest to Gorsuch ideologically, five come from conservative-leaning states and four come from swing states. Ten of the 12 will be up for reelection in 2018. Of the nine closest to Gorsuch’s ideological score, seven come from states where Democrats will face tough races.
[Neil Gorsuch belongs to a notably liberal church — and would be the first Protestant on the Supreme Court in years]
Why does that matter? Research shows that, in confirmation votes, senators are influenced by whether their constituents support the nominee — especially when the nominee is from the other party. Democratic senators from conservative and moderate states might well decide it would help their reelection prospects if they vote to bring the nomination to the floor. Watch Democratic Sens. Jon Tester (Mont.), Michael F. Bennet (Colo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), whose DW-NOMINATE scores are just beyond the 60th vote. If they say they’ll vote for cloture or confirmation, expect more conservative Democratic senators to fold rapidly.
If the Republican Senate leadership threatens to ban filibusters of Supreme Court nominees — often called “the nuclear option” — some Democratic senators might agree to vote for cloture.
Trump may pressure the Senate to confirm quickly, but it would cost him.
At least since the late 1960s, presidents have regularly used their political capital to promote their Supreme Court nominees via public appeals. They don’t usually push too hard, but political scientists have examined what’s behind it when they do. Presidents are especially likely to use their political capital to get a nominee confirmed when two things are in play.
[Trump endorses use of ‘nuclear option’ to confirm his Supreme Court pick]
First, presidents speak out more when the nominee’s ideology makes it difficult to get support from senators who could end a filibuster. This almost always requires votes from the opposition party. Second, presidents step in when there’s widespread opposition from interest groups. Trump’s nominee faces both these situations. Gorsuch’s ideology is relatively distant from the moderate Democrats, and liberal interest groups (including Alliance for Justice, People for the American Way and NARAL) are ready to oppose any Trump nominee.
However, Trump’s low popular support may make it hard for him to influence the confirmation process.
If Trump does cheerlead for Gorsuch, my recent research (with Tony Madonna and Jamie Monogan) suggests it could be costly, making it harder to push the rest of his agenda through Congress.
[What Neil Gorsuch’s old college newspaper columns say about him]
Using data from 1967 to 2010, we find that presidents who devote more effort to confirming nominees have less success passing their other proposals quickly. We measured overall effort by examining public statements about nominees. If a president says a single sentence in public about his Supreme Court nominee, that reduces the odds — by 8.4 percent — that he can get an important proposal to pass the Senate. A dozen sentences within a month promoting his nominee will reduce those odds by 65 percent.
Trump says that he hopes Gorsuch “will be approved very quickly.” Modern history suggests that is unlikely. Since Justice William H. Rehnquist’s contentious promotion in 1986, the average time between nomination and confirmation has been 78 days (leaving aside the outliers Garland and George W. Bush nominee Harriet Miers, neither of whom had confirmation hearings). If that pattern remains, even if Gorsuch is well received, his confirmation vote probably will not happen before early April.
This year may be different, of course. With the GOP controlling both the executive and the legislative branches, Gorsuch could be confirmed more quickly than the average nominee. Faster confirmations are most likely when the president’s party runs the Senate and the nominee wouldn’t flip the court’s majority. Gorsuch would replace Scalia instead of a liberal justice, so the Democrats have less to lose.
If Gorsuch’s nomination gets to a vote on the Senate floor, he’ll almost certainly be confirmed — unless some stunning revelations taint his candidacy in the coming months. He is qualified and conservative; Republicans run the Senate. Despite what senators may say about assessing nominees’ backgrounds and legal experience, the most influential factor in confirmation votes is how close senators’ ideologies are to that of the nominees.
Richard L. Vining Jr. is an associate professor of political science at the University of Georgia. |
Donald Trump could be considering a lifelong Democrat as the No. 2 on the Republican presidential ticket: retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who once headed up the Defense Intelligence Agency and has informally advised Trump on foreign policy during the billionaire's primary campaign.
The New York Post first reported Flynn's formal vetting earlier this week. In an interview, the 57-year-old former general did not deny that he was going through the process.
"I have been honored to serve my country for the past three decades and look forward to serving in other ways now that I am retired from the U.S. Army," he told the paper. "I've been a soldier too long to refuse to entertain any request from a potential commander in chief."
According to a Washington Post report, Trump's consideration of the top military figure -- who also happens to be a vocal critic of President Obama and a proponent of stronger ties with Russia -- is part of an emerging belief that the GOP ticket could best be served with another Washington outsider.
"Trump-Flynn. I've heard him say that, kind of test out the sound of it," one person familiar with the vetting process told the Post. "I think it's a brand he finds appealing."
Trump has hinted before that people with military backgrounds were under consideration.
"I like the generals. I like the concept of the generals. We're thinking about -- actually there are two of them that are under consideration," Trump told Fox News Wednesday.
Trump has long held that he would tap a running mate with experience in Washington's legislative circles.
"I think I'll probably go the political route, somebody that can help me with legislation and somebody that can help me get things passed and somebody that's been friends with the senators and the congressman and all," Trump told MSNBC in May.
But after a tense visit with Capitol Hill Republicans earlier this week, the Washington Post reports that Trump has become less convinced that he would need a GOP insider to win in November.
Trump is also considering other career politicians in his veepstakes, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and others. |
DETROIT — Ford Motor said on Tuesday that it would build a new assembly plant for small cars in Mexico, continuing a trend of automakers increasing production there because of lower wages and favorable trade laws.
Ford, the nation’s second-largest auto manufacturer, said it would invest $1.6 billion to construct a plant that will employ 2,800 workers and begin making vehicles by 2018.
Several auto companies are expanding operations in Mexico, which has become a major auto manufacturing center. Last year Mexico produced 3.4 million vehicles, of which about 80 percent were exported to the United States and elsewhere.
But Ford alone has been singled out for criticism by the Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump for its aggressive expansion in Mexico, which also includes new investments in factories that make engines and transmissions. |
A holographic will is a will and testament that has been entirely handwritten and signed by the testator. Traditionally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator's signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are treated equally to witnessed wills and need only to meet minimal requirements in order to be probated:
There must be evidence that the testator actually created the will, which can be proved through the use of witnesses, handwriting experts, or other methods.
The testator must have had the intellectual capacity to write the will, although there is a presumption that a testator had such capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary.
The testator must be expressing a wish to direct the distribution of his or her estate to beneficiaries.
Holographic wills are common and are often created in emergency situations, such as when the testator is alone, trapped, and near death. Jurisdictions that do not generally recognize unwitnessed holographic wills will accordingly grant exceptions to members of the armed services who are involved in armed conflicts and sailors at sea, though in both cases the validity of the holographic will expires at a certain time after it is drafted.
Holographic wills often show that the requirements for making a valid will are minimal. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the shortest will in the world as "Vše ženě" (Czech, "everything to wife"), written on the bedroom wall of a man who realized his imminent demise and made a swift attempt to distribute his chattels before expiring.[1] It clearly meets the minimum requirements, being his own work and no one else's. On 8 June 1948 in Saskatchewan, Canada, a farmer named Cecil George Harris who had become trapped under his own tractor carved a will into the tractor's fender. It read, "In case I die in this mess I leave all to the wife. Cecil Geo. Harris." The fender was probated and stood as his will. The fender is currently on display at the law library of the University of Saskatchewan College of Law.[2] |
+ 22
Architects Mecanoo
Location 309 Broad Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B1, UK
Category Library
Area 35000.0 m2
Project Year 2013
Photographs Christian Richters
Manufacturers Loading...
Client Birmingham City Council
Manufacturers Loading... More Specs Less Specs
Text description provided by the architects. Palazzos Centenary Square, the largest public square in the heart of Birmingham, currently lacks cohesion or a clear identity or atmosphere. Mecanoo’s design transforms the square into one with three distinct realms: monumental, cultural and entertainment. These palazzos form an urban narrative of important periods in the history of the city; The Repertory Theatre (REP), a 1960s concrete building, the Library of Birmingham, designed in 2009 and Baskerville House, a listed sandstone building designed in 1936. The busiest pedestrian route in the city, what Mecanoo calls the red line, leads pedestrians into Centenary Square. The cantilever of the library is not only a large canopy that provides shelter at the common entrance of the Library of Birmingham and the REP, but additionally forms a grand city balcony with views of the events and happenings on the square.
Rotundas
The Library of Birmingham is a transparent glass building. Its delicate filigree skin is inspired by the artisan tradition of this once industrial city. Elevators and escalators dynamically placed in the heart of the library forms connections between the eight circular spaces within the building. These rotundas play an important role not only in the routing through the library but also provide natural light and ventilation.
The rooftop rotunda houses the Shakespeare Memorial Room, designed in 1882. This Victorian reading room is lined with wood from the first Birmingham Central Library. Its prominent position as a rooftop aerie makes this delicate room visible from the square. The REP with its unique and beautiful auditorium will be renovated. New workshops, staff accommodations and a shared theatre and foyer space will be created for both the REP and the library.
Sustainability
The Library of Birmingham is a BREEAM excellent rated building and incorporates grey water systems and ground source heat pumps. Although the Library is a transparent building, it maintains energy efficiency through the buffering capacity of the building mass and the atria. Sun shading and reflective materials within the facades block the harsh rays of the sun during the height of afternoon while allowing natural daylight into the interiors. The ground floor benefits from the mass of the soil which provides buffering and insulation. The circular patio cut out of the square creates a protected outdoor space and invites daylight deep into the building. The building will incorporate a mixed mode and natural ventilation strategy. The façade will respond to external conditions and openings will allow fresh air intake and outflow. The addition of soft landscaped roof spaces will further enhance the immediate surrounding conditions. |
SPRINGFIELD -- Whether it's a few board games, a doll or a basketball, every child registered for Toy for Joy is sure to receive a few gifts this holiday season.
"We try to do three or four gifts per child depending on how the donations are every year," said Danielle LaTaille, social services director for the Salvation Army.
The 2015 Toy for Joy campaign, now in its 93rd year, is sponsored by the Salvation Army, The Republican and new this year, MassLive.com.
"Toy for Joy has been a staple of Christmas giving for more than three generations, and as we kick off this year's campaign, we are confident that individuals, businesses and organizations will once again step up to make it a success," said Wayne E. Phaneuf, executive editor of The Republican.
LaTaille said local businesses are always generous not only with donations but with their time.
"We have so many businesses that come forward and volunteer, and they are an integral part of the process," she said.
Some companies that have already committed to volunteering include Baystate Health, Berkshire Bank, Cigna, Friendly's, Greater Springfield Senior Services, Springfield Technical Community College and more.
Donate online by clicking here
HOW AND WHERE TO REGISTER
Last year, new requirements were established for families who want to receive toys:
Picture ID for parent/guardian
Proof of address (dated within the last 30 days)
Birth Certificate of each child in the household 16 years old and younger
Proof of financial need (Mass Health Card, WIC, SSI approval letter, current pay stub, etc.)
Here is a list of places to register for toys as well as contact information for anyone who wants to donate or volunteer during registration and deliveries:
Greater Springfield Salvation Army Citadel:
Where: 170 Pearl St., Springfield
Registration dates: Nov. 30-Dec. 4, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.,
For info call: (413) 733-1518
Serves: Agawam, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Palmer, Monson, Springfield, Ware, West Springfield, Wilbraham, Westfield, Southwick, Russell and Belchertown (any other communities not listed below)
Holyoke Salvation Army:
Where: 271 Appleton St., Holyoke
Registration Dates: Nov. 30-Dec. 4, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m.
For info call: (413) 532-6312
Serves: Holyoke, South Hadley, Granby and Chicopee
Greenfield Salvation Army:
Where: 72 Chapman St., Greenfield
Registration Dates: Nov. 30-Dec. 4, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.,
For info call: (413) 773-3154
Serves: Greenfield, Leyden and Deerfield
WANT TO DONATE MONEY OR TOYS? HERE'S WHAT TO DO:
To donate money:
Stop by The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays through Dec. 23.
Mail a check to: The Republican, P.O. Box 3007, Springfield, MA 01102. Donations will be accepted until Dec. 24.
You can now also donate online by clicking here.
To donate new, unopened toys: |
Robert Jeffress (Fox News) Donald Trump's inauguration sermon was called "When God chooses a leader" and was delivered by a controversial preacher Rev. Robert Jeffress is anti-gay and anti-Muslim — and he gave Donald Trump a sermon
The Rev. Robert Jeffress, whose career has been defined by his intolerance toward everyone from the LGBT communities to other religions like Catholics, Mormons, and Muslims, preached at a private pre-inaugural service for President Donald Trump on Friday morning.
The pre-inaugural worship service has been attended by every president since Franklin Roosevelt (with the exception of Richard Nixon in 1973), many of them like Trump at St. John's Episcopal Church, according to CNN on Thursday. Although Trump is a Presbyterian and Jeffress leads the First Baptist Church in Dallas, the two became close as Jeffress vigorously campaigned for Trump and currently serves as a member of his evangelical advisory board.
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While Jeffress' sermon will be private, he sent out a tweet on Thursday that gave an idea of what his theme will be.
Honored to deliver sermon "When God Chooses a Leader" for Trump/Pence private family service at St. John's Church before #Inauguration. pic.twitter.com/MD0HmyKzTP — Dr. Robert Jeffress (@robertjeffress) January 20, 2017
Jeffress has a long history of controversial statements. These include claiming that the September 11th terrorist attacks were God's punishment for legalizing abortion, arguing that the apocalypse is being foreshadowed by gay marriage and Fifty Shades of Grey, arguing that same-sex marriage supporters want to destroy Christian businesses, and claiming that "a vote for [Mitt] Romney is a vote for Satan" due to the former Republican candidate's Mormon background. He has also argued that Mormons, Hindus, and Muslims "worship a false god" and claimed that Satan is behind the Roman Catholic Church.
Jeffress isn't the first Trump supporter to argue that the Republican's victory was ordained by God. "This is some day," said actor Jon Voight in a speech at "Make America Great Again: Welcome Celebration" on Thursday. After denouncing the "barrage of propaganda that left us all breathless with anticipation not knowing if God could reverse all the negative lies against Mr. Trump, whose only desire was to make America great again," Voight proclaimed that "God answered all our prayers."
It remains to be seen how Trump views his own alleged relationship with God. |
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DETROIT (ChurchMilitant.com) - Islamic countries are notorious for persecuting non-Muslims; what is less well known is the record of abuse from Buddhists across the world.
"In the West, Buddhism is synonymous with peace, compassion, wisdom and ecumenical brotherhood," observes Vaticanista Sandro Magister. "Moreover, Buddhism has a reputation as a persecuted religion, and Tibet is the emblem of this."
But in recent years, reports have emerged containing "striking evidence of a contrary nature."
"In almost all of the Asian states in which Buddhism is the majority religion," Magister notes, "there is cruel religious repression. And this strikes all of the non-Buddhist religions."
The most recent example of this came ahead of the Vatican's announcement last week that Pope Francis will head to South Asia in November to visit Bangladesh and Myanmar.
During his August 27 address in St. Peter's Square, the Pope condemned attacks against Myanmar's largely Muslim Rohingya community.
"Sad news has come about the persecution of a religious minority, our Rohingya brothers," said Francis. "I would like to express all my nearness to them. And let us all ask the Lord to save them and to raise up men and women of good will in their aid, who will give them their full rights."
In Myanmar, 80–90 percent of the population adheres to Buddhism. The country ranks 23rd on Open Doors USA's World Watch List of countries most hostile to Christians.
Christians make up roughly 8.5 percent of Myanmar's population, but according to a 2016 report by Christian Aid Mission, "Professing allegiance to Christ alone is seen as angering the very spirits both villagers and urban dwellers hope to placate."
Nationalist religious movements have increased in Myanmar in recent years, with Buddhist nationalists pressing the government to enact laws to stem conversions to Christianity and prevent interfaith marriages.
In 2016, Myanmar held its first democratic elections in a quarter-century. During the campaign period, the army continued attacks on ethnic minorities. In addition, "an organization of Buddhist radical monks (Ma Ba Tha) increased their campaigns against religious minorities and successfully helped introduce four laws for the 'Protection of Race and Religion,' building insurmountable hurdles for conversions and religiously mixed marriages."
Professing allegiance to Christ alone is seen as angering the spirits.
Persecution of Christianity and other non-Buddhist faiths is not limited to Myanmar. Across Asia, Buddhist countries routinely oppress the religious rights of non-Buddhists.
Persecution against Christians is increasing in Vietnam, with reports of arrests, beatings and land-grabbing on the rise. According to Open Doors, "Converts to Christianity from Buddhist or ethnic-animist backgrounds face the strongest persecution, which comes not only from the authorities but also from families, friends and neighbors." The plight of Vietnam's Christians worsened last November, when the Communist government passed a new law, the Law on Belief and Religion, which seriously undermined religious freedom for Christians.
In nearby Laos, meanwhile, where the Communist People's Revolutionary Party has held sway since 1975, Buddhist temples serve as "centers of social and religious life" and "most Lao men are expected to spend some time serving in a temple." Other faiths are regarded as alien and "Christians refusing to participate in Buddhist practices are perceived as foreign and a threat to traditional culture." Laotian Christian leaders are subject to arbitrary arrest; some have even been killed.
Bhutan views Buddhism as the kingdom's spiritual foundation and regards Christianity as a foreign threat. The country's Christians are persecuted for leaving Buddhism, and religious services have been forced underground, "especially in rural areas, where Buddhist monks fiercely oppose the presence of Christians."
In Sri Lanka, a campaign of violence is being waged against Christian believers. According to Release International, Christians are targeted by Buddhist monks and the government. Worship services have been disbanded and churches closed. Monks have even prevented Christians from burying their dead in public cemeteries.
Release International chief executive Paul Robinson notes, "You don't normally associate Buddhism with violence, but time and again we hear that it is Buddhist monks who are leading the attacks against the churches. And our partners have found the monks are being aided by pro-Buddhist authorities."
Have a news tip? Submit news to our tip line. |
SARASOTA, Fla. — Did Dan Duquette trade the next great ace to the Red Sox this time?
After Roger Clemens rode off into his faux twilight, it was then-Red Sox general manager Duquette who traded for Pedro Martinez after the 1997 season, setting in motion a nearly generation-long chain of No. 1 Red Sox starters: Martinez, Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.
That chain of Red Sox aces, as you might have heard, has broken.
And Duquette, now the GM of the Orioles, made a deal with his old team last July 31 that could, if all the pieces fall into place, turn into the kind of coup that will endear Duquette to Red Sox fans in ways he never quite imagined.
In acquiring left-handed reliever Andrew Miller from the Red Sox in order to lock up the Orioles’ push for the playoffs, Duquette sent his best starting pitching prospect, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, in return.
The Orioles lost the ALCS and then lost Miller to free agency but Rodriguez now has one foot planted in the Red Sox present, the other in their future.
Yesterday, Rodriguez threw three dominant and perfect innings against a credible and formidable Orioles lineup that included J.J. Hardy (flyout), Adam Jones (groundout), Chris Davis (strikeout), Matt Wieters (groundout) and Manny Machado (groundout) in the Red Sox’ 7-6 split-squad victory.
Rodriguez is 21 years old, turning 22 next month, and has one of the smoothest deliveries you’ll ever see. With his powerful legs launching his compact and efficient upper-body mechanics, the lanky Rodriguez is very much in the discussion with Henry Owens, Brian Johnson and Matt Barnes as the next great hope for young Red Sox starting pitching.
None of this comes as a surprise to Duquette.
“I offered about 50 other pitchers before him,” said Duquette yesterday. “It was required that we give up Rodriguez for Andrew Miller. We had to take a shot.”
Duquette heard 14 other teams were in on Miller.
That the Orioles already have a solid core of strong young starting pitching (Dylan Bundy, Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman) helped soften the blow of losing Rodriguez.
But Duquette paid his steep price for a discount on the Orioles’ present and near future with Miller, not what Rodriguez could turn into someday down the road.
And now it’s the Red Sox who have all the time in the world to discover just how high Eduardo Rodriguez’ ceiling is.
“We have some other pitching depth, that’s true, but it was painful to trade Eduardo Rodriguez,” said Duquette. “It would have been less painful if we had won the pennant, obviously. It was a good trade for the Red Sox.”
Orioles manager Buck Showalter thought the deal was worth it for both teams.
Miller played a big role in the Orioles’ Division Series victory over the Tigers but Baltimore was outmatched against the red-hot Royals in the ALCS.
Miller was a two-month rental for the Orioles.
The lease on Rodriguez is open-ended.
“They made a good move and they also had an opportunity to re-sign (Miller) — that’s a good trade for both clubs,” said Showalter. “You get a chance to roll that dice, that’s why we all get up in the morning and that’s why Andrew made us a lot better. We had a good bullpen when we got there, but he took us to a different level. Let’s put it this way, who’s harder to replace this year, Andrew or Eduardo?”
Rodriguez denied that he drew any extra motivation by being able to pitch against his former team but admitted the fact that the Orioles did not throw any scrubs at him made his outing — three strikeouts, four groundball outs, one flyout, one pop-up — a bit more satisfying.
“More than anything I kept the same approach,” said Rodriguez. “Just because it was their starting lineup, you tighten things up here and there but it was more or less the same approach. But yes, I think I did get a lot out of facing their starting guys.
“It was a lot of fun to spend time again with guys I spent four quality years with. Before the game, I got to say hello to a lot of them, and they said hello to me. It was a lot of fun.”
Fun for the Red Sox will be to see just how many more outings like yesterday’s they will be able to get out of Rodriguez.
They have so much time to find out.
“Can’t say enough about Rodriguez — three easy innings, right through their order,” said split-squad skipper Torey Lovullo. “I think he answered the questions about how he’d come out here today against his former team. He did a very good job.”
The Orioles’ loss is the Red Sox’ gain.
It could become a huge one. |
As the official start of free agency draws close, NBA.com’s David Aldridge reports that the Cavs will talk to free agent power forward Zach Randolph on the phone Saturday. Randolph, 35, has played for the Grizzlies being acquired from the Clippers during the 2008-09 season.
So...as I was gonna say before the sun collapsed...hear Cleveland also has interest in Zach Randolph. Contact expected via phone Saturday. — David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 1, 2017
Randolph is also expected to meet with the Kings, Clippers and Thunder on Saturday. Three days ago, he said he wanted to build a superteam with the Grizzlies. Last year, in 73 games, he came off the bench in all but five games and averaged 14.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
His connection to the Cavs could date back to his college career at Michigan State. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is a Michigan State alum, and with the team still not having hired a GM, Gilbert’s voice is perhaps being heard more than it might have otherwise.
Randolph would not seem to be an obvious fit with the Cavs. He is an old-school player at a position where the Cavs — at least for now — have an All-Star starter in Kevin Love. He could help keep Tristan Thompson fresh during the regular season and provide some toughness, but he doesn’t fill an obvious need. He’s also not the athletic, switchable athletes the Cavs need to better match the Warriors. |
By Chris Walsh
OAKLAND, CA. – Smaller farmers, mom-and-pop businesses and existing medical marijuana companies will have a place in California’s recreational cannabis industry if voters pass a legalization measure this fall.
That’s the message California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a big supporter of the legalization measure, gave marijuana business professionals on Tuesday.
Speaking to roughly 1,000 attendees gathered at a conference here hosted by the National Cannabis Industry Association, Newsom clearly tried to allay fears within California’s cannabis sector, and beyond, that a small number of corporate interests will dominate the state’s market.
“We have got to protect the small cultivators” as well as entrepreneurs who don’t have access to millions of dollars, said Newsom, featured in the photo.
To that end, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act – as the California initiative is called – includes language meant to protect the industry “against monopolistic practices” for five years, noted Newsom, the highest-ranking state politician to support the legalization measure.
For example, any adult-use cultivation business that operates an outdoor facility larger than one acre or an indoor building that exceeds 22,000 square feet would be prohibited from getting a license until January 2023. All legal rec growers prior to that date would have to fall within those limits.
Under the proposed law, state licensing authorities also would be required to consider whether issuing a particular applicant a permit might stifle competition or create a monopoly.
Newsom stressed the need to ensure minorities have a place in the cannabis industry, and he also said existing medical marijuana businesses that have proven they can operate responsibly will have a leg up in obtaining a recreational license.
“For those who have been good actors in the state of California, you’re going to be prioritized,” he said.
‘Big Marijuana’ fears
Newsom’s assurances come as both supporters and critics of legalization around the nation have voiced concerns about the possible emergence of “Big Marijuana” that puts profit first, much like Big Tobacco.
But not everyone shares that view. A new study from the Brookings Institution contends those fears are overblown, and that policy makers should instead focus on harmful practices – such as marketing to minors.
Last month, supporters of the California ballot measure handed in more than 600,000 to the state, indicating the initiative is likely to go before voters in November.
The initiative needs 365,880 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot, and all counties in the state must complete a random sampling of the petitions by June 30. After that, the secretary of state will determine whether or not the campaign has formally made the ballot.
While California seems ripe for legalization, Newsom cautioned businesses about the dangers of overestimating the chances of success. Potential headwinds on the horizon could sink the entire effort, he warned.
“It’s not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination,” Newsom said. “Don’t just think that … this is going to be easy. We’ve got work to do.”
Polling shows that support for recreational legalization is lower in California than the country as a whole, though the latest numbers show some improvement, Newsom said.
A May survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found support for rec legalization at 60%, while a March study by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 61% of Americans think marijuana should be legal.
Opponents, however, also are ramping up efforts to fight the California rec proposal, and some big money from outside the state could come flooding in to help sink the measure, Newsom warned.
“The last few weeks we actually had some good polling, the strongest we’ve seen. But in the last few weeks the opposition has begun to emerge,” Newsom said, adding that rumors are swirling that a big funder will step in to defeat the initiative.
If that happens, it could set back marijuana legalization in California – and the entire country – by years.
Financial support needed
The legalization campaign also needs more financial support, Newsom argued.
The measure has the financial backing of billionaire businessman Sean Parker. But Newsom said a common misconception is that Parker can bankroll the entire campaign by himself, which has made many supporters complacent.
“Sean’s got a lot of money, there’s no doubt about that. But he’s got a budget too, and he’s not going to fund the whole thing. There’s a lot of mythology about that,” Newsom said.
Newsom said backers of the measure listened to the concerns of people around the state, including mothers who expressed fears of how legalization would have an impact on children. Others fear it will lead to a spike in intoxicated drivers or have a broader impact on society.
Newsom urged the industry to take these concerns seriously, adding that the legalization measure is structured in a way that it can incorporate changes going forward.
“It allows us to make fixes without going back through voters,” Newsom said. “We will make fixes, we will adjust, we will address legitimate concerns.”
Photo courtesy of the National Cannabis Industry Association |
In 2013, we learned digital surveillance by the world’s governments knows no bounds. The NSA and other investigative agencies are capturing our phone calls, tracking our location, peering into our address books, and collecting our emails. They do this in secret, without adequate public oversight, and in violation of our human rights. We won’t stand for this anymore. On Tuesday February 11, the world is fighting back.
In anticipation of the first united, worldwide action against mass spying, we asked Katarzyna Szymielewicz, co-founder and President of the digital rights organization, Panoptykon Foundation, a signatory to the 13 Principles against mass surveillance, to let the world know how her team is fighting back.
When it comes to surveillance, what’s the biggest problem in Poland right now?
Katarzyna Szymielewicz: The Polish mandatory data retention law. When implementing the European law on data retention, which compels telecom service to retain metadata for certain period of time, Poland not only opted for the most privacy-intrusive solutions but in some respects went further than what is permitted by the European directive. The Europe-wide retention regime was introduced in order to increase availability of telecommunication data for the purposes of investigating and prosecuting serious crimes. Polish law goes further and allows for the use of data retention by law enforcement and nine (!) intelligence agencies in the performance of their "statutory duties", which covers the prosecution of minor crimes as well as crime prevention.
As a result both law enforcement and the nine intelligence agencies can use telecommunication metadata almost without limitations and with no independent oversight.
Because of this flawed legal framework, the official number of requests for telecommunication data in Poland is staggering: almost 2 million per year (versus hundreds of thousands in other EU member states). Worse, the research carried out by Panoptykon Foundation showed that even these official statistics cannot be relied on.
Which are the pending battles that Panoptykon Foundation is fighting back?
Katarzyna Szymielewicz: The Panoptykon Foundation has been criticizing the Polish data retention law and calling for its revision since 2009. In 2011, the Polish Ombudsman brought a few cases to the Constitutional Tribunal, claiming that existing legal provisions are unconstitutional, particularly in their inadequate safeguards for citizens. Similar arguments and recommendations were made by the Supreme Audit Office in 2013. As a result the government has been required to revise the existing law and increase its checks and balances.
How bad Is the culture of secret surveillance in Poland?
Katarzyna Szymielewicz: Polish law does not provide for any reliable mechanism for verifying how many times and for what purposes public entities (law enforcement or any of the nine intelligence agencies) ask for citizens' personal data. This problem affects all types of data and all types of requests: metadata and content; telecommunication, electronic services, banking, and social security data. Public entities have no legal obligation to register their requests nor publish their numbers or other details. Only telecommunication operators are required to collect statistics showing how many times they were asked for their clients' personal information. However, our research showed that even these statistics cannot be relied on. It turned out that there is a significant discrepancy between the data collected by the operators and the staatistics the Panoptykon Foundation obtained directly from police and intelligence agencies via Freedom of Information Act requests. Almost every entity applies different methods of collecting and interpreting data.
As far as the companies that offer internet services are concerned (like Google, Facebook and their Polish counterparts), there is no legal obligation to collect or publish any data on requests made by public entities. As a result we have no way to verify the scale of state surveillance (be that Polish or US) in the domain of internet services.
In 2013 Panoptykon Foundation published a report pointing to the lack of transparency of public requests for private data and demanding legal changes.
States should establish independent oversight mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability of communications surveillance. Which is the current situation in Poland?
Katarzyna Szymielewicz: Polish law does not provide for any independent oversight over intelligence agencies. Only internal control mechanisms are in place, which cannot be treated as independent. As a result there is no way to verify whether Polish intelligence services observe any existing legal safeguards (including cooperation and data exchange with foreign counterparts) other than through journalistic investigation or whistleblowing.
What do we know about the cooperation between Polish and the United States’ secret services?
Katarzyna Szymielewicz: Not much, for now. Together with the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and Amnesty International Poland, the Panoptykon Foundation filed FOIA requests concerning Polish involvement in US mass surveillance programs and international cooperation between security services.
The three organisations wanted to know, among other things: whether Polish intelligence agencies cooperated with their US counterparts; whether any transfers of personal data were executed; and whether Polish agencies had access to PRISM or other surveillance programmes. Intelligence agencies and Polish government refused to answer these questions.
As a result, we are now going to take our demand for information to the Polish courts. It’s the next step in our “100 Questions” campaign, and one we’re taking on the Day We Fight Back.
Read more about Poland’s "100 questions" campaign |
Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press
TORONTO -- A long-delayed disciplinary hearing is finally slated to start Wednesday for the most senior police officer charged in relation to the mass violation of civil rights during the violence-marred G20 summit four years ago.
Civil liberties groups said they would be keeping a close eye on the month-long proceedings against Toronto Supt. David (Mark) Fenton given the unprecedented detentions of more than 1,000 people and the heavy security expected at next year's Pan-Am Games in Toronto.
"It's a crucial piece in the entire accountability process," said Sukanya Pillay, executive director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. "Four years later, Canadians are still looking for answers. We need answers."
Fenton, the major incident commander, faces a total of five charges of unlawful arrest and discreditable conduct arising out of two notorious "kettling" incidents that occurred over the summit weekend.
The first occurred on Saturday, June 26, 2010, hours after a small group of rampaging vandals smashed windows and set police cruisers alight.
Fenton ordered officers to box in protesters in front of a downtown hotel. More than 260 people were arrested and taken to a makeshift prisoner processing centre, which came under severe criticism for its deplorable conditions. Some were caged for as long as 26 hours.
According to the allegations against him, Fenton had no legitimate reason to believe the protesters had breached the peace or to order them detained.
On the Sunday, six minutes after coming on shift, Fenton ordered police to keep scores of people -- many of them simply passersby -- standing for hours at a downtown intersection despite a severe thunderstorm that left them drenched and chilled.
"You repeated and maintained these orders notwithstanding the onset of sustained, severe and inclement weather (and) the health and safety risks to the civilians thus contained," the allegation notice states.
It was only when Chief Bill Blair intervened that those still kettled, soaked and shivering in the cold, were released.
Fenton, who repeatedly referred to the protesters as "terrorists" over the summit weekend, has pleaded not guilty. None of the allegations has been proven.
In a statement to civilian oversight investigators, Fenton said he had no option to the mass arrests to make the city safe.
More than 1,000 people were detained over the summit weekend in what is considered the largest mass arrest in Canada's peacetime history. Most were released without charge.
To date, only two constables of 32 officers charged have been found guilty of discreditable conduct arising out of the G20. Another 14 cases were dismissed, withdrawn or stayed. The rest are ongoing.
Insp. Gary Meissner, the only other senior officer to be charged, retired before a hearing could take place.
One officer was criminally convicted of assault. His disciplinary case is on hold pending an appeal.
Fenton's hearing was initially slated to start in November 2012 but has been delayed repeatedly. It was due to begin Monday but was put over until Wednesday to accommodate a lawyer.
A retired judge, Peter Grossi of the Ontario Superior Court, will preside over the hearing. Witnesses are expected to include broadcaster Steve Paikin, who was at the first incident, and human-rights monitors who were arrested and detained. |
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The latest Blackberry update (10.2.1) is trickling out to handsets throughout the world, and it contains hundreds of updates, refinements and enhancements, as well as the ability to directly install Android apps. Strap in. Get comfortable. It’s a biggun.
Blackberry 10 is an often underestimated competitor in the Smartphone race. We’ve previously talked about what’s awesome 10 Reasons To Give BlackBerry 10 A Try Today 10 Reasons To Give BlackBerry 10 A Try Today BlackBerry 10 has some pretty irresistible features. Here are ten reasons why you might want to give it a go. Read More about the latest refresh to the Blackberry platform, and we’ve even talked about how you can run Android apps You Got Your Android In My Blackberry - How To Run Android Apps On Blackberry OS 10 You Got Your Android In My Blackberry - How To Run Android Apps On Blackberry OS 10 Before you side load your Blackberry device with your favorite Android app, there are a few things you need to know. Read More on Waterloo’s latest Blackberry phones. But now we’re going to talk about the latest refresh of their new, QNX based operating system.
Aesthetics
I’ve been quite fond of the Blackberry aesthetic ever since the days of my old Bold 9790. Things have moved on since then. Whilst they’ve retained their famous industrial attention to detail, they’ve embraced a modern design aesthetic that is befitting of a competitor to iOS and Android. As you’d expect from any major refresh, 10.2.1 comes with a number of design enhancements and tweaks.
Quick Settings
Blackberry 10 uses gestures to navigate through the operating system. Swiping downwards from the home screen brings you to the Quick Settings menu. This gives you easy access to WiFi, voice notifications, alarms and system settings. As you might expect with a significant system update, this has been overhauled significantly.
The first thing you might have noticed is everything is flatter and squarer. Yep. Blackberry have been drinking that flat-design kool aid. But it actually looks really good. In terms of functionality, you can now add a huge amount of items to the Quick Settings menu, including ones which control the behavior of the NFC radio.
Messaging Hub
The Messaging Hub has undergone a couple of changes that make this concept even more awesome. The first is the addition of pinch gestures.
Want to see all the unread emails in your inbox, or all your unread Whatsapp messages? Just pinch. To see the rest of your messages in their entirety, pinch out again. It’s really that simple.
Text messaging has seen a bit of a change with respect to its look and feel, with everything a bit darker. This is a bit reminiscent of Windows Phone 8, but I find that it works really well here.
Lock Screen
Frustratingly, the latest update to Blackberry 10 has disabled the ability to take screenshots of the lockscreen. As a result, I am unable to furnish you – the reader – with a visual guide to this. As a result, you’ll have to settle for a textual explanation.
So, let’s suppose that you unlock your phone to see what messages you have. If you had 2 Whatsapp conversations ongoing, have received four tweets and two missed calls, these would be represented with a logo for each item and a number besides it indicating the number of instances of each item.
However, suppose you wanted to see if any of those Whatsapp conversations were of interest to you, you would have had to unlock your phone and navigate to Whatsapp in the communications hub. The update to the lock screen allows you to tap each item to see who has been trying to get in touch with you. You can also go direct to the message from this screen, saving you the effort of having to unlock your phone.
Live Tiles
I’ve been a big fan of the multitasking in Blackberry 10 for a while. You swipe up, and each open program is represented with a nice little square. That said, I’ve often found myself wishing that these squares actually showed something, much like Live Tiles do on Windows Phone 8.
Well, 10.2.1 delivers, bringing this much sought after functionality to the platform. At the time of writing, a handful of apps support this, including Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook.
Direct Install of APKs
We’ve known for a while that Blackberry 10 could run Android apps You Got Your Android In My Blackberry - How To Run Android Apps On Blackberry OS 10 You Got Your Android In My Blackberry - How To Run Android Apps On Blackberry OS 10 Before you side load your Blackberry device with your favorite Android app, there are a few things you need to know. Read More . Indeed, it has been alleged that the unofficial goal of the Blackberry 10 platform to be a better Android than Android.
Blackberry 10.2 brought about the ability to run apps that are compatible with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. However, to get them to run on your handset, you still had to go through the tedious process of converting an APK to Blackberry’s proprietary BAR format.
Not anymore: now you can directly install APKs. No faffing about with conversions, or cryptographically signing your BAR files. Just download, click and install.
I tried this out with a few Android apps and found that the vast majority played nicely with my device. Sound, camera and network access worked as it would with a native Blackberry app, and there were no crashes to speak of. The only exception to this was was Uber – which is a pity. Whenever I’ve used this awesome car sharing service, I’ve had to go about tethering my Nexus 7 tablet to my Blackberry smartphone.
However, as previously stated, this was an exception to the rule. The vast majority of Android apps worked like a charm, and I can only imagine that they will work even better as the Android runtime becomes even more polished.
Core Apps
A number of core applications have been upgraded too. These have changed either in aesthetics, or in terms of functionality, adding even more awesomeness.
Music App
The music app has undergone an overhaul. This is a bit of a relief, as the last one was nothing short of bloody awful, with albums being organized in an incoherent, unholy mess. Things are much more sensibly structured now.
The latest Blackberry 10 update also unlocks the FM radio built into the Z30, Q5 and Q10 smartphones. Sadly, you can only listen to the radio with your headphones in, as it uses the wire in your cans as an antenna.
Offline Reader Mode
Do you take a lot of flights? Ever wish you could just use your phone to browse the web whilst in the air? Me too. Sadly, airplane WiFi hasn’t taken off in Europe, and in-flight mobile data usage is a sure-fire way to get a stern telling off by the captain.
Blackberry 10.2.1 allows you to save and store webpages for later viewing. In the browser, click on ‘settings’ and select ‘save page’. That’s it.
Answering Phone Calls
Previously, answering and refusing phone calls was a matter of swiping up or down. This aspect of the Blackberry 10 platform has been refreshed, and now looks much more like its counterparts in iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
Conclusion
Blackberry is dying, right?
I mean, the tech press are adamant the Waterloo based handset peddler has about as much chance of survival as Lord Cardigan and his light brigade going up against the Death Star. All the cool kids have their iPhones and Androids, and even Alicia Keys (she wrote a song about Toronto, or something) doesn’t want anything more to do with Blackberry.
And yet Blackberry still has a die-hard contingent of fans. When we polled our readers about their preferred choice of mobile platform, the denizens of Crackberry swarmed out like a horde of rabid hornets to vote en masse for Blackberry 10. We got Crackberry’d.
Blackberry still have their fans, and the fact that they’re still releasing massive updates shows that there’s life yet in this platform –and that they’re still committed to ensuring that each of their users have a contemporary smartphone experience. The proof of this is the size of this update. Weighing in at over 300 megs and containing figuratively hundreds of updates, there’s so many little refinements that I’ve simply been unable to include them in this article. For a rundown, check out Crackberry’s coverage.
But what do you think? Have you installed this update? Let me know in the comments below.
Photo Credit: Janitors |
Interview with Carl Pei from OnePlus pt1: OnePlus Story and Direction, Current Smartphone Market, Google’s Pixel Phones & More
OnePlus entered the Android market by providing good-value devices that enthusiasts end up enjoying and tinkering with — so much so that their latest smartphone’s sub-forum at XDA has become one of the most active ones in an impressively short time.
XDA Editor-in-Chief Mario Serrafero had a lengthy talk with Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus, about the direction of the company and its place in the market, its new smartphones and their take on software, software updates and the developer community. This is Part 1, where Carl answers questions regarding the ups and downs of OnePlus’ product history leading up to the OnePlus 3, the vacuum left by the Note 7, Apple’s influence in the market, Google’s Pixel devices and more.
Mario Serrafero: How has the OnePlus 3’s reception been in contrast to previous OnePlus launches?
Carl Pei: One metric that we always look at when we do product development is NPS (Net Promoter Scores): Out of a 100 people, how many would recommend it minus how many would not recommend it. The OnePlus 3 is the highest NPS product we have ever made. Our second highest is the OnePlus One actually, but the OnePlus 3 is even higher than the OnePlus One. We kind of made a comeback with the OnePlus 3.
I read the Android subreddit and the OnePlus subreddit every day. If you would have looked at the Android subreddit one year ago, whenever there was something about OnePlus, it would not have been the most positive stuff. But nowadays, all the messages are along the lines of “Next time, I am going to buy a OnePlus” or “I got a OnePlus 3. Buy it, it’s awesome!”. So it feels super nice.
M: That’s something I wanted to touch upon, how does launching a well-received product like that feel? How does it affect the morale of the team? The OnePlus 2 was kind of a misstep, so how do you feel about that?
C: After the OnePlus One, we thought that we were really good at our jobs. Back then, we did not attribute it to the real reasons that made the device such a success: if you look at it, most of it is timing and luck. Every company tries to release good products — no one goes on to sell a product that they don’t think is a good product to a user. With the OnePlus One, we just got really lucky with our timing. There weren’t a lot of great choices back then, and the product that we made was also the product that users really liked — so we kind of got lucky
“In the process [of developing the OnePlus 2], we kind of forgot who our core users were” Sometimes, if you don’t have any setbacks, you tend to confuse luck with skill. So we all thought that we were really good at marketing, at product.With the OnePlus 2, what we said was “Hey, we already proved this much with the OnePlus One. For the OnePlus 2, we should go a little bit more mainstream.”
We started looking at what more mainstream users wanted, instead of what our core demographic — the early adopter, wanted. Therefore, we did not include features like NFC. It made sense if you looked at the overall picture since we were going more mainstream, we did not really need to have NFC. But in the process, we kind of forgot who our core users were.
With the OnePlus 3, we decided to go back to the basics. Our internal goal was actually to redeem ourselves, so all that arrogance had disappeared. Could we use the OnePlus 3 to turn back the clock to 2014?
M: Dialing back to the OnePlus One and the market at large at that point, your company was one of the first to come out with a really impactful yet affordable flagships. Nowadays, this has become a much more common occurrence, thanks to OEMs in Asia particularly. Many of these OEMs are now entering the Western and US markets, and they have similar goals in terms of bang-per-buck, perhaps not the same execution, but they are very aggressive with their pricing strategy. How does OnePlus plan on battling these other OEMs?
C: As a company, we are very internally focused. We get asked a lot of questions: How do you see the market? What do you think about this feature that the competitor has? What do you think about their pricing strategy? What about their sales strategy and channel strategy? Most of my answers have been “I don’t know”, because I have been working on the OnePlus for ten hours a day and I don’t get to look at the market too much. What I do think is that if you have a good product and you have a lean model like we have — we are mostly direct-to-consumer, we don’t have huge teams, we don’t have huge marketing budgets — when you are doing this, you can always deliver a great product at a more reasonable price. Whatever other people do, that is up to them. We believe that we need to build a brand over a very long period of time.
” The people that buy our product in the very beginning are the ones who take the greatest leap of faith, so you should respect these people the most”
You might notice that some brands like to launch with a low price and also keep on lowering the price every few months – this is something we try and avoid as much as possible because the people that buy our product in the very beginning are the ones who take the greatest leap of faith — they do not have access to all the reviews, or all of the user feedback — so you should respect these people the most. In a lot ways, we think about brand building in a different way. We have never ever wanted to be known as a cheap brand. Over time, as we have more R&D into our products – we are doing a lot of stuff with OxygenOS, we had dash charging on the OnePlus 3, we are developing some other cool stuff – we should be able to charge more for our products. But of course, this should be within a reasonable amount because we are still following a lean model for our company.
M: That is one of the things that I see discussed a lot when it comes to new OnePlus launches — is the price going to go up? And it has been going up steadily, but it is fair to say at the same time that the bang-per-buck kept up or went up. From the OnePlus 2 to the OnePlus 3, for about another $20, you get better bang-per-buck. So are you guys open to the possibility of charging more?
C: We always turn the question around: “If we did this, what would users think? If we did this, would our users like it?”. Only if they like it, can we do it. A product is not just the specs — everyone has access to off-the-shelf components. It is what the vision that drives the product. Like for example, why does the volume rocker on the OnePlus 3 feel solid? That is not just coincidence — there is a lot of work that goes behind this. Just to illustrate, in industrial grade mass manufacturing, there is always some slight variance. Some times some things are a tiny bit larger, sometimes they are a tiny bit smaller. In the production line of the OnePlus 3, we separated out the slightly larger volume rockers and we matched them with the slightly larger button holes manually. The attention to detail is not something that you can read on a spec sheet, and it often gets ignored in reviews as well.
M: I have a pet peeve with buttons, so I am always quick to call out when I feel my unit’s buttons are loose. The OnePlus 3 does have great buttons so I guess it is working.
C: If you really try your best to make the best product, you should be able to charge a little bit more. For example, if you have a full metal unibody build, you should be able to charge a little more than compared to a plastic build as it also costs more to produce. In the above case of buttons, it costs more time in the production line. So we don’t really see it as spec-per-spec versus the price, we see it as the overall product.
M: Talking about the market and pricing, there is one recent event that can’t be ignored: the Google Pixel launch. That device is where we see Google taking full control over the hardware to release a fully Google product, and they are advertising and marketing the Pixels quite a bit. However, the enthusiast community, which OnePlus also partakes in, feels somewhat abandoned by Google as Google pushed for a mass market product and ended the Nexus program. Are you surprised by their change in focus? How do you see the death of Nexus as an enthusiast device affecting the OnePlus brand?
C: We are not very sensitive to numbers. The growth and sales are the result of a good product and not the other way around. But the recent events have dramatically increased the demand for OnePlus products. But I do think the Pixel launch is interesting to us because we have always thought that in the mobile space, the company we should be looking up to and learning from is Apple. With the example of buttons was because, all the Android phones have had bad buttons. Why is this so? So we took apart all of the phones on the market, and we figured out how Apple was doing it.
“Up until now, there has not been a real Android flagship that could compete with Apple … That is why the Pixel launch is very interesting to us”
They had this process in their factory, and we implemented the same process. Up until now, there has not been a real Android flagship that could compete with Apple. And eventually, if we do our jobs well then in the next years, hopefully we can beat Apple one day. That is why the Pixel launch is very interesting to us, to see such a great brand like Google have a go at this and see if whether an Android product can do well and compete with Apple. And if yes, it becomes something for us to learn from.
M: Another market event that you could not have missed is the Galaxy Note 7, which left a big, scorching hole in the market. At the same time, the iPhone 7 dissuaded a lot of users by moving away from the 3.5mm headphone jack. How does the market changes with the facts that we have a new giant player in the form of Google, but at the same time, Samsung’s best flagship ever literally burnt away. How do you see this as an opportunity for OnePlus?
C: We think that building a brand is not a short term thing, so you have to think very long term. [These short term opportunities] are not something we think too much about. The incidents with phone explosions, that can happen with any OEM. It could happen with us on our next product, so it should not be something that we use as an opportunity — we should use this as a reminder.
The smartphone market is one of the most competitive markets, and any day can be disrupted by someone new. What the Note 7 incident gives us is that we should always be focused on the quality of our product. We should always be looking around the corner, we are never safe. Although, we are really small, so we do not have the same perspective as Apple or Samsung. But we should never be satisfied and always have in the back of our minds that something could happen, so always be careful and always give your best.
M: On the marketing side, OnePlus has had a web-first approach traditionally. Now, we are seeing more OnePlus advertising in the real world, through sponsored content that mainstream consumers stumble upon. What is the reason behind this shift? Is it more aggressive marketing and how is it playing out?
C: It is a natural development as your company becomes more mature and your volumes get bigger, you have to reach new consumers. Something that I always think about is how much time and effort a lot of our team members have put into the OnePlus brand, which is something that is not visible to all. They work 80-hour weeks, they have been doing this for almost three years, they work weekends, they travel to the US, they travel to Europe — this amount of time and effort put into something should not be restricted to just a niche brand. We would be kind of, a little bit, ashamed of ourselves if we had this great opportunity and we could not become a major player. So we have to become a bigger player as time goes by. Up until this year, we did not have much to experiment with. This year is the first year where we started increasing our volumes, and now we have more money for marketing. So we are testing a bunch of stuff, some of it works, some of it does not.
On part 2 we will be discussing OnePlus software including Oxygen OS and software updates, as well as the future of the platform, and much more. Stay tuned! |
The Kentucky Equality Federation has asked the U.S. Justice Department to look into a report of an attack on a lesbian couple, Misty Turner and Brandy Standifer, and their children which took place on July 4 in Pathfork, a town in southeast Kentucky, at a fireworks display in a church parking lot.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that a group of people shot fireworks at the couple and their children, taunted them with anti-gay slurs, and threatened to kill them.
The complaint sent to Kentucky Equality Federation:
I am a lesbian and have been with my partner for 5 1/2 years now. I have two small children, that we raise together as a family =) Accross the street from were we were parked, a party was going on and there was approx. 50+ people drinking and shooting fireworks. The crowd kept shooting fireworks in our direction, until one exploded near us, injuring my 2 children, several other family members, and my 80 yr old grandma. I addressed the crowd and told them to stop firing that they had hurt my children.. they proceeded to yell profanities at me including "We'll set everyone of the little Mother F**kers on fire!" At this time my father walked toward the crowd, and in effort to stop him I went behind him, once I had got away from my car I was attacked by a woman saying she was gonna kill me.
At this time my partner tried to stop her, and we were attacked by at least 15 men. All yelling "If you wanna look like a man, then fight like one" We were also called lesbians, whores, "pu**y licking whores" and dikes. No one else in our group was attacked but us. Then a gun was pulled and pointed at us and we were told "I'll kill your dike asses"… In the end, no shots were fired but my partner has suffered extensive contusions and at least one rib fracture, she is still undergoing treatment. I suffered from a closed head injury and intrasinus hemorrhage which is being treated now and damage is not yet determined. We were only able to identify 3 of the men involved. We pressed charges through the county attorney on July 5th. Today was our first appearance in court. A lawyer named Otis Doan is representing the other parties.. while testifying he questioned me about my lifestyle, he was very discrimating and ask me "do you promote this kind of life?" and made the comment "your a lesbian and live in Harlan county" then ask me if I still had "custody" of my children being a lesbian!!!
I was outraged but told him that it was called equality and I was not against any lifestyle. The judge did not stop his comments. One of the men was convicted to be sent to a grand jury for a felony, the other was dismissed, but we have to try and convict according to the county attorney. This has been a long process with a lot more to go. We need support for the gay community in this area. Otherwise, the court will use our sexuality against our case. PLEASE help us.. this was a hate crime and I believe the evidence should speak for itself. Thank you!! ~~
The Kentucky Equality Federation's press release regarding the Justice Dept. is here.
(image – pathfork, ky via wikipedia) |
Lately we've been trawling Instagram in search of our favourite foodies, and we noticed quite a few vegetarian foodie Instas that have some amazing looking culinary delights.
Check out some of our favourite Instagram veggies who are doing it right:
10. Damy Method
Damy is an Irish athlete and physical therapist who is undertaking a vegetarian challenge.
The gymnast proves that you can fuel a fit body without needing meat for protein.
A post shared by Damy (@damymethod) on Sep 8, 2016 at 9:18am PDT
9. The Dreamy Leaf
The Dreamy Leaf is an extremely well-established veggie-foodie Instagram.
Its owner Maya comes up with some of the most delicious plant-based recipes we've ever seen!
A post shared by Dreamy Leaf, Maya Sozer (@thedreamyleaf) on Mar 15, 2017 at 12:02pm PDT
8. Sarah Nuu
Sarah gives us a realistic and relatable look at life as a veggie.
With her simple, homemade recipes, this girl strikes the perfect balance between aspirational and realistic.
A post shared by Sarah Nuu | Ireland (@sarahnuu.food) on Oct 2, 2016 at 4:17am PDT
7. The Wholesome Vegetarian
Naomi and her fork sample and snap some of the best veggie options in Dublin and its surrounding areas.
The veggie documents what she eats on her travels and at home, with little details about the quality that we definitely appreciate.
A post shared by Naomi/Noms (@thewholesomeveggie) on Aug 10, 2016 at 3:42pm PDT
6. Sprouted Kitchen
Concocting some of the best vegetarian recipes around is no easy feat, but Sprouted Kitchen manages it beautifully.
A post shared by Sara Forte (@sproutedkitchen) on Feb 25, 2017 at 5:20pm PST
5. Life of a Vegetarian
Looking for veggie lunch box ideas?
Then look no further than this nifty Instagram, specialising in lunches and delicious healthy snacks.
A post shared by Healthy Vegetarian Food (@lifeofavegetarian) on Jan 18, 2017 at 5:26pm PST
4. The Veg Space
Another amazing place to get ideas and recipies, the Veg Space has plenty of simple and delicious food combos for you to choose from.
Inspirational or what?
A post shared by Kate – TheVegSpace.co.uk (@thevegspace) on Jan 23, 2017 at 3:02am PST
3. Oh She Glows
Oh She Glows promotes some amazing plant-based food choices, and with almost 10 years as a veggie under her belt, we're listening.
A post shared by Angela Liddon (@ohsheglows) on Dec 5, 2016 at 10:54am PST
2. The Foodie Dietician
This blogger focuses on bringing delicious, seasonal vegetarian recipes to your kitchen and simple strategies to bring more yoga and mindfulness into your life.
That's a message we can get behind.
A post shared by The Foodie Dietitian (@karalydonrd) on Feb 26, 2017 at 7:56am PST
1. Love and Lemons
Veteran veggie Jeanine Donofrio has one of the best vegetarian feeds around.
Seriously, her Instagram is goals. |
It’s been relatively quiet around here lately so how about a rousing debate on race in America?
Iraqi war veteran Colby Bohannon has founded a group called the Former Majority Association For Equality and plans to offer five scholarships for qualified male students – the only catch, they have to be at least one quarter Caucasian. When interviewed by the American Statesmen Bohannon, who says his group doesn’t take a stand for or against Affirmative Action, said he’s just not sure that white men are the majority anymore.
Okay, NO ONE should be denied an opportunity for an education, regardless of race, religion or color. But opportunities are not equal and fair is a concept that really works best when forecasting the weather. I wonder if Bohannon has any idea of the numbers of very smart students of color who couldn’t afford to go to college or were denied admission for various reasons. Reading this story brought me right back to the discussions I had at points in my career in various newsrooms where someone told me I was ‘lucky” I was black because my resume tape would stand out. Forget the fact that I was typically one of only two people of color working in the newsroom.
I’m not exactly certain this plan of his wasn’t hatched on a bar napkin somewhere over a pitcher of margaritas because it doesn’t seem to be real well thought-out.
Bohannon says he’s not sure white men are the majority anymore, which, for the life of me, I can’t figure out why that’s such an earth-shattering concept. I guess because I’m not a white man. Bohannon would do himself well by snagging one of those scholarships and take a class on how to use the Internet because a quick Google search will tell you according to the latest figures, white people (not Hispanic) make up over 65 percent of the population. If we assume half of them are men, that’s still more than double the nearest group, African Americans (nearly 13 percent). I’m not even going to go into the history of race in this country and how people of color have long been discriminated against. Something tells me it would be lost on him.
Se let’s start today’s GEM Debate…
Should there be a scholarship for white men only? If so why? If not, why not?
BE RESPECTFUL please. |
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