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Got a success story of your own? Send it to us at [email protected] and you could be featured on the site!
Name: Justin and Lauren Shelton
Age: Justin: 27, Lauren: 26
Height: Justin: 6'0", Lauren: 5'5”
Before Weight: Justin: 592 pounds, Lauren: 341 pounds
How I Gained It:
Justin: I started gaining weight after a sports injury toward the end of middle school that prevented me from staying active. From there, I just continued to gain until it snowballed out of control.
Lauren: I have always been such an emotional eater. I turned to food for comfort, whether it was happiness, sadness, anger, stress or excitement that I was feeling. However, I started gaining weight rapidly my freshman year of high school after going through some personal issues. Over the years it continued to pile on until I reached 341 pounds. Eventually, we just accepted that we were overweight and stopped caring.
Breaking Point: Both of us have undergone several different moments when we realized just how overweight we were and needed to change, but it took something drastic to really motivate us.
Justin: I had to visit the emergency room in December 2011. I was too heavy for the equipment needed to test whether or not I had a kidney infection. They just had to guess and gave me a high dosage of antibiotics before sending me home. That was the wakeup call that I needed. I knew from that point on that I was tired of being overweight and would rather die trying to get healthy than spend another moment being miserable with myself.
Lauren: His trip to the ER was a wakeup call for me as well, because I saw how embarrassed and miserable he really was with himself. That made me take a hard look at myself and realize that I needed to lose the weight just as much as -- or more than -- he did.
How I Lost It: In February 2012, we looked to a physician assistant named Lynn at a local medical center. She gave us some great guidelines to start with. That night we cleaned out our cupboards and started from scratch the next day at the store. We cut out salt, breads, grains, oils, sauces and high-fat meats. We began eating a high-protein diet with lean meats and a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. We only ate out on very rare occasions; I can count on two hands how often we have eaten out in two years!
We started small with exercise, but slowly started to increase it. Now we go to the gym, on average, six days a week and try to do something fun and active in the evenings and on our day off. Also, we knew we always had each other at our best and worst of times through this journey. It would have been so much harder without each other's support.
Our overall quality of life is better, and we can do so much more than we could before. We have learned to appreciate the little things that many people would never even think of: We can shop at normal clothing stores, buckle our seat belts on airplanes, sit in normal chairs and ride roller coasters. We are even trying activities that we were always too scared to do. Instead of our days being focused around where and what we are going to eat, we focus on how to stay active. It feels as though we have been given a second chance at life, one that we can look forward to each day and enjoy to the fullest! Although we are not quite finished, we feel happy with ourselves and what adventures may lie ahead of us!
After Weight: Justin: 245 pounds, Lauren: 164 pounds
The Huffington Post publishes photographs as they are submitted to us by our readers.
Check out more of our inspiring weight loss stories below:
Weight Loss Success Stories SEE GALLERY |
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The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International. It has proved popular as a civilian, police, and military rifle since its introduction in the 1980s. The rifles have some features that improve performance in very cold conditions (which gave the rifle its name), without impairing operation in less extreme conditions.
Arctic Warfare rifles are generally fitted with a Schmidt & Bender PM II telescopic sight with fixed or variable magnification. Variable telescopic sights can be used if the operator wants more flexibility to shoot at varying ranges, or when a wide field of view is required. Accuracy International actively promotes fitting the German-made Schmidt & Bender MILITARY MK II product line as sighting components on their rifles, which is rare for a rifle manufacturer. The German and Russian forces preferred a telescopic sight made by Zeiss[3] over Accuracy International's recommendation.
History [ edit ]
Original design [ edit ]
The Accuracy International PM (Precision Marksman) rifle was entered into a British competition in the early 1980s as a replacement for the Lee–Enfield derived sniper rifles then in use by the British Army (e.g. L42A1). The Accuracy International rifle was selected over the Parker Hale M85. The British Army adopted the Accuracy International PM in 1982 into service as the L96A1 and outfitted the rifle with Schmidt & Bender 6×42 telescopic sights. In this configuration the rifle is capable of first shot hits with a cold, warm or fouled barrel. Tests with 10.89 g (168 gr) ammunition provided sub 0.5 MOA ten-shot groups at 91 m (100 yd) and the rifle was supplied with a telescopic sight, bipod, five magazines, sling, cleaning kit and tool roll, encased in a fitted transport case.[4]
Design evolution [ edit ]
Prickskyttegevär 90 variant introduced cold weather upgrades The Swedishvariant introduced cold weather upgrades
Some years later, the Swedish military also wanted a new rifle, and in the early 1990s Accuracy International entered an upgraded version of the PM, now known as the AW (Arctic Warfare). This was the start of the Arctic Warfare name, which became the primary name of the rifle family despite its earlier names.
Special de-icing features allow it to be used effectively at temperatures as low as −40 °C (−40 °F). The AW rifle featured a modified bolt with milled slots to prevent freezing and problems caused by penetrating water, dirt or similar disturbances. Further, the stockhole, bolt handle, magazine release and trigger guard on the AW were enlarged to allow use with heavy Arctic mittens. This version was accepted into use by the Swedish Army in 1991 as the Prickskyttegevär 90 (Psg 90).
The modifications to the original PM or L96A1 made the British Army decide to adopt the "improved" AW version as well, designated L118A1. The rifles were fitted with Schmidt & Bender MILITARY MK II 3-12×50 telescopic sights offering the operator more flexibility to shoot at varying ranges, or in situations when a wide field of view is required. This rifle has seen service in conflicts such as Operation Granby and Operation Telic.
Rifle system family [ edit ]
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare model has since spawned an entire family of sniper rifles using the Arctic Warfare name, and has been adopted by a number of other countries, including Australia, Belgium, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Latvia, Malaysia, Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Other AI rifles descended from the L96A1 include the AI AE, and the AI AS50 (see variants below).
Most Arctic Warfare rifles are chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge, but Accuracy International also made variants of the sniper rifle, the AWM (Arctic Warfare Magnum) chambered either for the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .338 Lapua Magnum and the AW50 (Arctic Warfare .50 caliber) chambered for the .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO). The sniper rifles are mounted with a muzzle brake in order to help reduce the recoil, muzzle raise and muzzle flash of the weapon.
Each country's rifles differ slightly. The Swedish Psg 90 for example, uses a Hensoldt (Zeiss) scope and can also use sabot rounds. In 1998, the German Bundeswehr adopted the first folding-stock Arctic Warfare Magnum (AWM-F) chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62×67mm) and with optics made by the German company Zeiss, and designated as the Scharfschützengewehr 22 (G22).
The AW's complete parts interchange ability and reliability in adverse weather conditions have made it a popular, if expensive, weapon. The rifle offers good accuracy (a capable marksman can expect ≤ 0.5 MOA consistent accuracy with appropriate ammunition), and its maximum effective range with a Schmidt & Bender 6×42 PM II scope is around 800 metres (870 yd).
The Arctic Warfare family's main competitor in production of high-end factory sniper rifles is the Sako TRG product line, with similar capability but lower price than the Arctic Warfare system.
Design details [ edit ]
The AW system is almost unique in being a purpose-designed military sniper rifle, rather than an accurised version of an existing general-purpose rifle.
The modular design of the AW system allows for flexibility, serviceability and repairability under field and combat conditions. Major components, such as the barrel and the bolt, can be switched between rifles, or replaced in the field by their operator with the help of some tools. The chambering can also be switched by the operator as long as the barrels, bolts and feeding mechanism can handle the shape and size of the cartridges.[5]
Features [ edit ]
Rather than a traditional wooden or polymer rifle stock, the AW is based on an aluminium chassis which extends the entire length of the stock. This chassis system is marketed as the Accuracy International Chassis System (AICS) and can be used for all Accuracy International rifles. All other components, including the receiver, are bolted directly to this chassis. Two hollow polymer "half thumb-hole stock panels", usually coloured green, dark earth or black, are in turn bolted to each other through the chassis, creating a rugged, yet for its sturdiness comparatively light, weapon.
The Accuracy International receiver is bolted with four screws and permanently bonded with epoxy material to the aluminium chassis, and was designed for ruggedness, simplicity and ease of operation. To this end, the heavy-walled, flat-bottomed, flat-sided receiver is a stressed part, machined in-house by AI from a solid piece of forged carbon steel. AW rifles are supplied in two action lengths—standard AW (short) and long SM (magnum). The six bolt lugs, arranged in two rows of three, engage a heat-treated steel locking ring insert pinned inside the front bridge of the action. The ring can be removed and replaced to refresh headspace control on older actions. The AW system cast steel bolt has a 0.75-inch (19.05 mm) diameter combined with gas relief holes in a 0.785 in (19.9 mm) diameter bolt body and front action bridge allowing high-pressure gases a channel of escape in the event of a cartridge-case head failure. Against penetrating water or dirt the bolt has milled slots, which also prevent freezing or similar disturbances. Unlike conventional bolt-action rifles, the bolt handle is bent to the rear, which eases the repeating procedure for the operator and reduces the contour of the weapon. The action cocks on opening with a short, 60 degree bolt throw and has a non-rotating (fixed) external extractor and an internal ejector. Firing pin travel is 0.26 in (6.6 mm) to keep lock times to a minimum. Finally, an 11 mm (0.43 in) integral dovetail rail located above the receiver is designed to accommodate different types of optical or electro-optical sights. As an option, a MIL-STD-1913 rail (Picatinny rail) can be permanently pinned, bonded and bolted to the action, providing a standard interface for many optical systems.
Ammunition feeding [ edit ]
Cartridges are fed through the bottom of the receiver using a detachable, double-column, steel box magazine. Rifles chambered for .300 Winchester Magnum or larger use a single row magazine. Alternatively cartridges can be loaded singly directly into the chamber.
Barrel [ edit ]
The free-floating, heavy, stainless steel barrels (stainless steel resists throat erosion better than normal barrels) for the available cartridge chamberings all have a different length, groove cutting and rifling twist rate optimized for their chambering and intended ammunition. For .243 Winchester, the twist rate is 254 mm (1 in 10 in), and for .308 Winchester/7.62×51mm NATO variants it is 305 mm (1 in 12 in), except for the suppressed-barrel variant. If the consistent accuracy requirement of an operator is no longer met, the barrel can fairly easily be renewed. This is normal practice for active high-performance precision rifle operators, who regard barrels as replaceable. The barrels are provided by Australian company Maddco Rifle Barrels (button rifled), and Scottish company Border Barrels, who cut-rifles them on Pratt & Whitney rifling benches. Twists are one turn in 10,11,12,13 and 14 inches for 7.62 MM depending on RFP.
Safety [ edit ]
A three-position, firing pin blocking safety lever on the bolt shroud allows the bolt to be manipulated with the safety on. If the weapon is cocked, the firing pin can be felt at the end of the bolt action, making it possible in poor visibility to feel whether the weapon is ready to fire. The safety-catch of the weapon is also positioned at the rear, showing white if the safety is on, red if not.
Trigger [ edit ]
The two-stage trigger mechanism has an adjustable trigger pull weight of 10 to 20 N (2.2 to 4.4 lb f ). The trigger assembly can be easily removed for cleaning by undoing two socket-head cap screws.
Accessories [ edit ]
The AW is usually equipped with an integrated bipod and it also has a monopod mounted on the buttstock.
Accuracy International accessories for the Arctic Warfare system[6] include a selection of PM II series telescopic sights made by Schmidt & Bender with laser filters for the military scopes, aluminium one-piece telescopic sight mounting sets, MIL-STD-1913 rails (Picatinny rails), lens hoods, various optical and kill flash filters and lens covers for telescopic sights, auxiliary iron sights for emergency use, cleaning kits, muzzle brakes/flash-hiders and suppressors, butt plates and spacers to regulate the length of pull and butt angle to the requirements of the individual shooter, buttspikes, bipod (adapters), handstops, mirage bands, soft and heavy-duty transit cases and various maintenance tools.[7]
Accuracy International Chassis System [ edit ]
The Accuracy International Chassis System (AICS) can be configured for various actions (all Accuracy International and some Remington 700 receivers), triggers, and other items. The AICS version for Remington 700 receivers was introduced in 1999. U.S. distributors started selling AICS chassis systems in late 2012 for Savage Arms' Model 10 series of precision long range rifles. These Savage Arms rifles are primarily for the law enforcement applications. There are three variants of AICS chassis system. The basic variant is the AICS 1.0 with a fixed cheek-piece. The AICS 1.5 variant has a fully adjustable cheek-piece. The AICS 2.0 is a folding stock that reduces the rifle's overall length by 210 mm (8.3 in) when folded and adds 0.2 kg (0.44 lb) to the rifle's total weight. The AICS 1.5 and 2.0 both have cheek-piece design that adjusts sideways and for height for optimal cheek position when using night vision equipment, or telescopic sights with large objective lenses. There is also a quick-adjust cheek-piece option that has a spring-loaded cheek-piece in conjunction with a quick-adjust butt plate. The AICS side panels are made from a high-strength polymer and are available in the colors olive drab, dark earth or black.
US Navy Mk 13 MOD 5 SWS using an AICS 2.0 stock and a Remington 700 based receiver.
Sling attachment points are mounted on each side of the rifle, so it can be carried flat against the back and used comfortably by left- and right-handed users. A front attachment point is situated below the fore end and can be used to anchor a target style sling or replaced by an adapter for a Harris bipod.
Mk 13 [ edit ]
The United States Special Operations Command uses the AICS as the Mk 13 Mod 5 rifle chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum. The Mk 13 Mod 5 utilizes the "long-action" bolt of the Remington 700/M24 receiver and has a precision barrel that can be fitted with the suppressor of the Mk 11. It has a 3-sided Modular Accessory Rail System (MARS) for mounting optics on top and Picatinny rail accessories on each side, and a folding bipod.[8] The Mk 13 is to be gradually replaced by the Modular Sniper Rifle.[9]
In April 2018, the U.S. Marine Corps announced they would be replacing the M40 sniper rifle with the Mk 13 Mod 7; the M40 had been in service with the Marines since 1966, with the latest M40A6 being upgraded in 2014.[citation needed] The Mk 13 chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum increases range from 1,000 meters with the M40 to 1,300 meters, giving Marine snipers similar capabilities to the U.S. Army M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle.[10]
AX AICS stock [ edit ]
An AX series Accuracy International Chassis System (AICS) stock is also available for Remington 700 short and long bolt action based rifles.[11][12]
AT AICS stock [ edit ]
An AT series Accuracy International Chassis System (AICS stock) is also available for Remington 700 short and long bolt action based rifles, Savage M10 short action and Tikka T3 short action rifles.
Variants [ edit ]
There are two main types of AW series models. Models offered by AI, and type classified models in service with governments. AW models are related to, but not necessarily exactly synonymous with specific models adopted by countries.[13]
PM (Precision Marksman) [ edit ]
The rifle from which the Arctic Warfare family was developed. In this original form, it entered service in the UK in the mid-1980s, and designated as the L96A1 (chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO).
AW (Arctic Warfare) [ edit ]
Australian SR-98
The basic 'improved' version of the L96A1. The name stems from special features designed to enable operation in extremely cold climates.
Adopted as the following (All versions mentioned are chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge and uses a 10-round detachable magazine):
L118A1 : The British military service version.
: The British military service version. Psg 90 : The Swedish military service version. Psg is short for Prickskyttegevär ("Sniper Rifle").
: The Swedish military service version. Psg is short for ("Sniper Rifle"). SR98: The Australian military service version. It is the standard issue sniper rifle for the Australian Army and is also used by various law enforcement agencies. This variant features threaded barrel (for a suppressor), an integrated adjustable bipod, a free floating barrel and; a folding stock with adjustable butt pad, cheek pad, and a rear mono pod.[14]
According to the Accuracy International AW brochure, the AW can be chambered either in 7.62×51mm NATO and .243 Winchester, though on special request other calibers that will function with the AW bolt action can be fitted.
AWF (Arctic Warfare Folding) [ edit ]
The AWF is a variant of the AW with side-folding polymer stock.
AWP (Arctic Warfare Police) [ edit ]
The AWP was a version intended for use by law enforcement as opposed to military, with AWP standing for Arctic Warfare Police. The most notable feature was that the distinctive frame was black instead of light green. It also has a shorter 24 in (610 mm) barrel than the AW model. The AWP is normally chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO/.308 Winchester or .243 Winchester ammunition, though it could be chambered for other cartridges. The AWP is distinct from the Accuracy International AW AE, which also has a black finish but is a cheaper non-military version of the AW series.[15]
AWS (Arctic Warfare Suppressed) [ edit ]
The AWS is specifically designed for use with subsonic ammunition which, depending on the target, gives an effective maximum range of around 300 metres (330 yd). Its noise levels are similar to those generated by .22 LR match ammunition. The weapon is fitted with a special .308 Winchester/7.62×51mm NATO 406 mm (16 in) long barrel which has a twist rate of 229 mm (1 in 9 in) and an integral suppressor. The AWS barrel/suppressor combination has a total length of 711 mm (28 in), which keeps the weapon's overall length within normal limits. The user can remove the barrel/suppressor combination and replace it with a standard AW or AWP barrel in about three minutes. As with all such systems, the sight will need re-zeroing after a barrel change.[16]
AWC (Arctic Warfare Covert) [ edit ]
The Covert system is essentially an AWS with a folding stock with a 305 mm (12 in) long barrel/suppressor combination with a 203 mm (1 in 8 in) twist rate. It is supplied in a small suitcase which houses the rifle with the stock folded and the barrel/suppressor combination detached. The polymer suitcase is lined with closed-cell foam featuring cut-outs for the stock/action/optics/bipod combination, the bolt, the suppressor, a magazine and a box of ammunition. While the Covert system's compacted size is considerably smaller than that of any conventional system, its special barrel and integral suppressor keep the weapon's overall length within normal limits when deployed.
It is notably used by the USSOCOM 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force), the British Special Air Service and the German KSK (designated G25)[17]
AWM (Arctic Warfare Magnum) [ edit ]
Royal Marines with L115A1 rifles.
The AWM is a variant of the AW sniper rifle that is chambered for either the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .338 Lapua Magnum. It has a longer bolt compared to the AW, in order to accommodate for the dimensionally larger and more powerful magnum cartridges. It's fed through a 5-round detachable magazine.
The AWM that is chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge has been adopted since its first introduction in the British army and in the Dutch army in 1996. (See the Arctic Warfare Magnum to see the full list.)
The British Armed Forces adopted the AWM that is chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum and designated it as the L115A1 and in November 2007, it was announced that the British Army, Royal Marines and RAF Regiment were to get an improved variant of the L115A1, the L115A3.
AWM-F (Arctic Warfare Magnum Folding Stock) [ edit ]
The AWM-F was the first AW variant featuring a folding stock and has been adopted since its first introduction in the German Army in 1998, and by other several armies: (See the Arctic Warfare Magnum to see the full list.)
The G22 (Gewehr 22 or Scharfschützengewehr 22) by German Army, it features a folding stock and is chambered for the .300 Winchester Magnum round (designated 7.62×67mm).
The Dutch army also adopted the AWM-F that is chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum.
AW50 (Arctic Warfare .50 caliber) [ edit ]
The AW50 was introduced in 2000 by the British and Australian armed forces and is an AW rifle re-engineered and chambered for .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO).
The German Army adopted the AW50 and designated it as the G24 (Gewehr 24 or Scharfschützengewehr 24).
AW50F (Arctic Warfare .50 caliber Folding Stock) [ edit ]
The AW50F is a variant of the AW50 adopted by the Australian military. It differs from the standard AW50 in that it is fitted with a folding stock (hence the F) and Maddco barrel.
AE (Accuracy Enforcement) [ edit ]
The Accuracy International AE was introduced in 2001 as a cheaper, somewhat simplified, less robust version of the L96/AW series intended for law enforcement, in place of the more expensive AWP or AW models intended for military use. The AE bolt-action differs from the larger, more angular AW design. The round AE receiver is lighter than in the AW models. The action of the AE is not permanently bonded with epoxy material to the aluminium chassis and can be removed. Unlike the AW models, the AE can not be ordered in a left-handed configuration. The AE is chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge and its barrel is 610 mm (24 in) long.
AE Mk III [ edit ]
In 2009, the AE was updated to the AE Mk III. The AE Mk III sniper rifle system uses AICS 5- and 10-round magazines, has a removable trigger group, and a screw-adjustable cheekpiece. An optional 508 mm (20.0 in) barrel with muzzle brake or tactical suppressor mounting facilities and a folding chassis are available.
It must be noted that the Accuracy International has discontinued the AE sniper rifles several years ago. In 2014, Accuracy International introduced the AT308 or the AT (Accuracy Tactical) sniper rifle, which is a more modern variant of the AE (Accuracy Enforcement) sniper rifle, and will be offered to Law Enforcement and civilian clients worldwide.[18]
AT (Accuracy Tactical) [ edit ]
The AT (Accuracy Tactical) model was introduced in 2014 as a cheaper alternative to the more expensive AX series which are intended for military use. The AT on the other hand is intended for law enforcement and civilian use.[18] Like the AX series the AT continues the legacy of the Arctic Warfare sniper rifle and is also an improvement of the AE (Accuracy Enforcement) sniper rifle.[19]
The AT is chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO/.308 Winchester. It is a manual operated, bolt action sniper rifle. It features a rotary bolt with six locking lugs, arranged into three pairs at the bolt head, a polymer stock with aluminum alloy chassis, and a solid, flat-bottomed receiver made of steel, the AI (Accuracy International) muzzle brake (optional), a detachable suppressor, a 20-, 24- inch plain or threaded barrel, and a 26-inch threaded barrel only, a 10-round detachable magazine, an integral Picatinny (Mil-Std 1913) rail above the receiver for mounting various optics/scopes and an additional accessory rails can be easily bolted to the forend of the rifle for mounting various accessories, a standard stock that is made from a polymer and features fully adjustable comb and buttpad, side-folding stock that folds to the left is available, a two-stage trigger that is adjustable for trigger weight between 1.5 and 2 kg.[19][20]
AX derivatives [ edit ]
AX308 of the Malaysian Army with a suppressor attached
The Accuracy International AX long range sniper rifle series was designed for long, high-powered super magnum cartridges and was unveiled in January 2010 at the SHOT Show trade show. It is a major design evolution based on the AWM variant of the AW series and its development was according to Accuracy International partly driven by a Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) U.S. Special Operations Command solicitation.[21] The PSR contract was awarded in 2013 to Remington Arms for their Modular Sniper Rifle.[22]
The AX series comprises the multi caliber AXMC chambered either in .338 Lapua Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, and 7.62×51mm NATO/.308 Winchester, which can be reconfigured in minutes by simply changing the barrel, bolt and magazine/insert. In addition the AX series consists of the non-multi caliber AX308 chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO/.308 Winchester and the AX50 chambered in .50 BMG
AXMC [ edit ]
The AXMC multi caliber sniper rifle is chambered either for the .338 Lapua Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, 7.62×51mm NATO/.308 Winchester. It features parts that dimensionally or otherwise are not interchangeable with the AW rifle series.[23] With an AXMC caliber conversion kit, the AXMC can change calibers in minutes by exchanging the bolts, magazines and barrels. Converting to the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge, an additional magazine converter must also be fitted within the magazine port to allow the use of an Accuracy International AX308 magazine. A single shroud/firing pin assembly is provided for each multi caliber weapon system and must therefore be installed into the required bolt assembly as part of the conversion procedure.
Compared to the AWM, the bolt action of the AXMC is longer and wider and the internal magazine is lengthened, allowing the unimpaired use of .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges loaded to the C.I.P. (Permanent International Commission for the Proof of Firearms Portable) maximum allowed overall length of 93.50 mm (3.681 in).
The AXMC bolt is 22 mm (0.87 in) in diameter and the bolt, bolt head, locking ring and barrel tenon construction were designed to be significantly stronger and more capable of handling higher chamber pressures and temperatures and thus higher bolt thrust safely compared to the AWM variant. The bolt construction is significantly revised, allowing the bolt to be field stripped by hand and allowing the more complex removal of the bolt head from the bolt body with simple hand tools. Caliber changes can be accomplished by the change of a complete bolt assembly or a caliber specific bolt sleeve, which is more laborious. The interior of the bolt has a new safety feature added that will prevent the rifle from firing on a partially closed bolt. An improved leaf-spring AW 7.62 style extractor should enhance the cycling reliability of the bolt action. This extractor can be removed and reinstalled with the help of a bullet tip. The top of the receiver features a MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail for mounting aiming optics. The AXMC has a 30 MOA forward canted optical rail optimized for extreme long range shooting. The diameter of the barrel threading was enlarged and is unique to the AXMC. The rifle is fitted with a 27 in (686 mm) long .338 in (8.6 mm) caliber free floating fluted barrel as standard. The AXMC has a non conventional 238 mm (1:9.375 in) twist rate to adequately stabilize longer, heavier .338 caliber very-low-drag projectile designs that became more common in the 21st century. Other barrel lengths, calibers and twist rates are available as options. The two-stage trigger has a new trigger shoe that can be moved for and rearwards by 0.5 in (13 mm) and has a 15 to 20 N (3.4 to 4.5 lb f ) adjustable trigger pull. The AXMC uses new 10-round double stacked .338 Lapua Magnum steel magazines that are inserted into a revised magazine well.[24][25]
Further, the AXMC features a revised external chassis stock system with an octagonal shaped fore end which envelops the free floating barrel offering modular attachment points for user (re)movable MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny accessory rails on four sides. Several lengths of octagonal shaped fore end and Picatinny accessory rails are available as options. The folding rear of the stock can be fitted with an optional butt spike. The minimal possible length of pull was reduced compared to the AICS stocks to facilitate usage when wearing thick clothing or body armor. The stock has a left-right and height adjustable cheekpiece as standard or can be fitted with an optional quick adjustable cheekpiece. The cheekpiece contains a 4 mm hex wrench used for various adjustment, removal and (re)mounting procedures. The pistol grip can be fitted with backstraps of differing sizes that combined with the movable trigger shoe enables the trigger to be tailored to the individual shooter.[26]
AX308 [ edit ]
The AX308 is a stand-alone 7.62×51mm NATO variant. It is chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO/.308 Winchester and has a smaller short action with a bolt diameter of 20 mm (0.79 in). The AX308 has a 20 MOA forward canted optical rail optimized for long range shooting.
AX50 [ edit ]
The AX50 is a stand-alone .50BMG anti-materiel rifle variant that replaced the AW50. It has a big long action with a bolt diameter of 30 mm (1.2 in).[27][28]
Users (7.62×51mm NATO or smaller chamberings) [ edit ]
References [ edit ] |
The lack of a solution to the Palestinian issue will lead to an open conflict in the Middle East — a “bloodbath” — Hamas’s political bureau chief Khaled Mashaal alleged, adding that the violent terror attacks in Jerusalem were a reaction to “Israeli aggression.”
“Israeli stubbornness, combined with the international impotence in solving the Palestinian issue with a just solution, enabling the Palestinian people their self-determination — this will lead to chaos in the region, not just in the Palestinian arena, but an open conflict — a bloodbath. We warn against keeping the Palestinian issue with no solution and stripping the Palestinian people of hope,” Mashaal said in an interview with Sky News Thursday.
The Qatar-based Hamas leader, whose terror group openly calls for the destruction of Israel, and which fired some 4,500 rockets and other projectiles at Israel during the summer’s war, blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the recent violence in Jerusalem, in which a spate of Palestinian terror attacks have killed nearly a dozen Israelis since mid-October. He accused Netanyahu of “playing with fire” and turning a “national fight” into a “religious fight” for allowing Knesset members and “extremists” to access the Temple Mount.
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Under current arrangements at the site, the holiest in Judaism and third most-sacred in Islam, non-Muslim visitors are allowed but Jewish prayer is forbidden.
Just last month, the Shin Bet security service said members of a Hamas terror ring in the West Bank, run from the organization’s headquarters in Turkey, sought to carry out an array of major attacks, including on Jerusalem’s main soccer stadium and its light rail line.
Mashaal said the spike in violence was a “reaction” to Israeli actions, adding that the massacre at Jerusalem’s Har Nof synagogue on November 18 — “one of the rare occasions when a synagogue was targeted” — was caused by “extreme anger” at the situation on the Temple Mount, which houses the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
Four worshipers at prayer and a Druze policeman who tried to stop the attack were hacked and shot to death at the synagogue by two cousins from East Jerusalem’s Jabel Mukaber, in the deadliest terror attack in years.
The Hamas leader said Netanyahu bore responsibility for the actions of the terrorists and “for them not having hope on the horizon for a just settlement of the Palestinian cause.”
Praising what seems to be a lack of leadership of such terrorists — whom Israel has labeled “lone-wolf” attackers — Mashaal said that “when the public anger reaches its limit, it explodes on its own, and expresses itself in ways that surprises everyone.”
He refrained from directly criticizing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who condemned the terror attack at the synagogue, but said the security coordination between the Israeli security establishment and PA forces in the West Bank was unacceptable.
He added that the path of negotiations with Israel, pursued by Abbas, was proven as “useless” and a failure. The PA president, who “has positions which satisfies western and American standards,” has received nothing in return, Mashaal charged, before concluding that the “Israeli occupation as it is, like all occupations in history, won’t withdraw from occupied lands, except under pressure, they do not withdraw voluntarily.”
“The Israeli behavior is giving us this clear message,” Mashaal continued.
Hamas outrightly rejects Israel’s right to exist and has refused to renounce terrorism. Its charter also rejects any negotiated agreements, calling them “vain endeavors,” and adds that the only solution is jihad.
Since violently ousting Abbas’s PA from Gaza in 2007, Hamas has diverted resources there to manufacture rockets and dig cross-border tunnels into Israel, emplacing its war machine in the heart of Gaza’s residential areas. It has fought three rounds of conflict with Israel, the latest being this summer’s 50-day war.
Taking a more conciliatory tone toward the PA, the Hamas leader said in the Sky News interview that his group was committed to the reconciliation process with Abbas, and was not pursuing “sole power.”
“Hamas wants to be a partner with its people, powers and personalities, to create a promising Palestinian future,” he said.
While Mashaal lashed out at the international community for not doing more to solve the conflict, he welcomed the recent decisions by some European parliaments to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, albeit symbolically.
“The question is what [is] Palestinian position required from Hamas or from Fatah or from the other Palestinian factions that will satisfy the international world to help us achieve our goals? We showed every flexibility required to reach a solution when the Palestinian powers all agreed to a resolution based on the 1967 border. The West rejected it and the Israelis rejected it and there are parties that conspired against it. What does the international community want?”
Mashaal said that the 50-day war fought over the summer between Israel, Hamas and other Gaza-based terror groups, is what led to “changes in the Western positions” on the Palestinian issue and the spate of recognitions in European parliaments.
Israel launched Operation Protective Edge on July 8 to stop Hamas and other groups’ indiscriminate rocket fire on Israeli cities and to destroy the terror tunnels that infiltrate into Israeli territory.
During the operation, Hamas rejected a number of ceasefire proposals and violated a number of those that were agreed to.
Israel lost 66 soldiers and six civilians, and a Thai agricultural worker, in the month-long conflict. while the Palestinian death toll surpassed 2,100, according to Hamas officials in Gaza. Israel said half of the Gaza dead were gunmen and blamed Hamas for all civilian deaths because it operated against Israel from residential areas, placing Gazans in harm’s way.
US-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority ended in late April after Abbas signed a unity pact with Hamas. Netanyahu has refused to continue negotiations with a government that rests on the support of a terror group.
The Palestinians are now headed to the UN Security Council to present a draft calling for a an Israeli pullout to the 1967 lines, within the time frame of two years. |
Download the game now at www.TalesofArcana.com as well as the Rules and a one-shot campaign for free! Note: Please ensure your browser is up-to-date and has javascript enabled. Twitter. Facebook.
My name is Matt Knicl, and I worked at Wizards of the Coast for one year as a Creative Writer and had the opportunity to work on Magic: the Gathering, assisting with some design and development projects.
Tales of Arcana™ is designed for one-time, single-session campaigns where players randomly generate their character from cards. I found that once I graduated college, despite my willingness as the game master or the willingness of other players, things always came up – overtime, babies, illness, etc. Talking with other gamers I've heard similar frustrations, where a month goes by between sessions or gamers impulse buy expensive reference books they've never been able to use. Tales of Arcana™ is designed to be set up in a matter of minutes, and it’s quick to pick up the basics. Of course, if desired, players can use the same character multiple times or use Tales of Arcana™ for a prolonged, multisession campaign. The game has been thoroughly tested by traditional roleplaying gamers and can be used as an alternative to other systems or as a pathing product into other, more complicated games.
Tales of Arcana™ takes place in the dimension of Elohim, on the planet of Genesis, where a grand Empire covers three-fourths of that world’s surface. Far from Millestra, the capital, the huge continent of Arcana lies at the edge of the empire’s territory. Arcana is a land of wild magic, harnessed and sold to those willing to buy. Now is your chance to quest in Arcana, or any other world of your or your friends’ creation, armed with powerful magics to defeat any obstacle. Build your characters, create their past, then enter the story to shape their future.
There already are dozens of awesome systems out there, but they derive primarily from Gary Gygax's original game. Managing numbers, referencing books and measuring unit movement are great for the people that use those systems. These elements have become synonymous with the act of roleplaying for gamers and non-gamers alike (which can sometimes be a bad thing). For those of us that use roleplaying for socializing and imagination, we know how awesome a tool it can be, but the intricacies of the other systems can turn off potential new players. Tales of Arcana™ is meant to be a casual, less rule-intensive roleplaying game that has enough structure and randomness to give players the tools to socialize and utilize their imaginations.
Each player will build a hand for their character consisting of six character cards. This can be done at random or by drafting from the original 112-card deck. These will consist of 1 Race card, 1 Class card, 1 Trait card, 1 Armament card and 2 Ability cards (or 3 Ability cards and no Armament cards). This is the character’s narrative DNA.
*card images/text not final
Take a look at the young gorgon woman in the main Tales of Arcana™ logo banner up above. Her name is Thea Necropolis™ and these cards represent her. She is an inexperienced Gorgon Cleric who uses her powers of Light, Lightning and Fire to heal, defibrillate and cauterize the sick and wounded. I play her like a princess from an animated movie who has left her home for the first time.
There are thousands of card combinations that can be used to recreate traditional RPG classes, or to create wacky and unique characters where you can determine their backstory and lore. You'll never play the same character twice (unless you want to). And any race can be any class.
Who is a Merfolk Barbarian that uses pyromancy and plays a lute? Why does a Puppet Ranger transform into a powerful demon and carry only a shield? What problems would a Devilkin Paladin face in the world? How you would you roleplay a Vampire Druid who is so afraid of germs she can't bare to suck blood from mortals? In what world would you see an Elven Monk that focuses their chi so he can transform into a swarm of angry bees? These are your questions to ask and answer.
The Basic version of the game comes with one (1) rulebook and one-hundred and twelve (112) color cards featuring art from some of the best artists in modern RPGs. One copy of the game is meant for use by 1 Story Master and three players, though more players can be added at the Story Master's comfort level if they desire.
(to see all 112 cards, feel free to download the high resolution pdf at www.TalesofArcana.com)
"I really like the idea of randomly generated characters playing in campaign, as it means you can approach the challenge again and again using different roles and powers. For those who always play a warrior or a thief, this seems to give gamers a chance to expand their horizons." - Stephen Schleicher @ Major Spoilers
"There are times when you can not get your full gaming group together, for some dungeon crawling. Or maybe you just want to do a quick "One Shot” run. Tales Of Arcana might just be what you are looking for." - Draculetta @ DDO Players
"I’m part of a D&D group that almost never meets. I forget when our last session actually was and know we won’t be meeting again until sometime next year. Trying to get everyone together is a real chore. The few of us that can sometimes get together could really use just a quick, one-off sort of game to play when we can’t get in “real” sessions. Oh, hey, look, there’s something just like that with Tales of Arcana." - Polar_Bear @ Tabletop Gaming News
"This casual rpg card game looks like a lot of fun. Plus we love playable Gorgon characters." - Across the Board
"[T]he game looks cool." - John Harper
"I'm biased, since I live inside the game's story, but the game has the same promise and perils of other RPG systems. I love the art and that the game is free to download and play." - Glytch, story nymph
If any other website has reviewed or wishes to review the game, please let me know so I can put links to and quotes from the review.
Why is your basic funding goal so high for a card game?
As I mentioned above, this is my first project. I started Arcanomicon, LLC so I could create the game, but after commissioning art for characters, weapons and the frames I don't have any money left for the project. I don't have the capital or resources other companies have for production and shipping. I found printers in other countries like China that would print the game for very cheap, but I was unable to verify the work conditions and wages for the employees, so I opted for an American printer even if it cost a little more.
Why are your stretch goals so expensive?
I only have the art for the first 112 cards. I would like to make more cards, but that would require commissioning more art, which for multiple pieces can be fairly expensive. I've worked with some phenomenal artists from around the world who have experience with RPG art and I want to make sure I can continue to pay them fairly for their time. Additionally, adding more cards brings up the cost of printing the game.
Why are you releasing the game and a campaign for free?
I want to get the system out there. I also want to follow the business practices of other games that allowed the public to play and download the game for free and then decide if they wanted to pay for it. It might end up biting me in the butt, but I think people will see the value in the game as a creative social game. Also, my goal is to continue to release free monster and campaign material at www.TalesofArcana.com.
Why are there only symbols on the Ability and Trait cards? Shouldn't those have unique pictures, too?
They certainly could, but this was my thought process: If each Ability and Trait had art, it would need to show a figure performing that action (a Sasquatch casting Fireball or a Puppet sneezing from her Allergies). The problem that I had with that would be predisposing players to thinking an Ability or Trait is synonymous with one race or class. More importantly, I didn't want players to think an Ability or Trait could only be narrated a certain way. The fun of Tales of Arcana™ is using your cards in unique, unintended ways based on the situation you and your friends have arrived at. If you stare at that art of Fireball, you might think casting your hands forward with a pillar of flame is the only way that spell could be narrated.
Do you think this game has longevity?
I do. I already have ideas for hundreds of races and classes, including over a dozen expansions with new card types and variant rule sets. I believe there is a shift in gaming because of games like Minecraft, where players are given tools to create their own experiences. Tales of Arcana™ has been designed to be a tool in the same way. I also plan to support the game with free monster and campaign content on the website www.TalesofArcana.com and hope that fans will utilize www.reddit.com/r/talesofarcana (of which I am not a mod) to share stories and ideas for the game and roleplaying with any system. Ultimately, as with most games, it will be the community that will decide if the game will last a long time.
I've played fantasy games for years and there's no way a Paladin would use Shadow magic.
Well, that's not a question, but I know where you're coming from. Many video games borrow from the Tolkien/Gygax tradition, but that has led to a lot of repetition when it comes to the implementation of fantasy races, classes and magic in those games. I love tropes, but I do think subverting or challenging them is more fun from time to time. And when it comes to imagination, the only real limiting factor is one's own lack of imagination. I think the cool thing to do is to create a backstory that explains why a Paladin would use Shadow magic, or why a Bard doesn't carry a Lute.
Puppets aren't a fantasy race. Why are there puppets in this game?
I wanted to bring something new to the table. Most of the time when people create fantasy or roleplaying games they only replicate the standard races – Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Orcs, etc. But I think fantasy can and should adapt to new races, or unique interpretations of older races. Of course, I still want the races to be resonate, so casual players can pick up the game without crazy backlore. It's also important to remember that before Tolkien reenvisioned Elves, they used to be fairy-sized shoe cobblers, not the regal forest dwellers that we see as the common interpretation today. I was really inspired by Numenera, as it brought a new system and a radical new world with it instead of repurposing the same old stuff we've seen before. This is why I added Sasquatch and Devilkin to the game – I wanted to bring some new ideas to the genre. And you always have the option of removing that card from the deck if you so choose.
Going along with the puppet question, it seems with cards like Snotshot and Snowbrawl you aren't taking fantasy seriously. I think fantasy should be more serious and darker than that, right?
I think fantasy can be different for different people. There is a huge difference between Tolkien or China Miéville and Terry Pratchett or Piers Anthony. What I like about the game is that the Story Master and the players can dictate the mood and setting. I admit, when/if I make more campaign material, you'll find that my scenarios and characters might be a little more on the Pratchett side of things, that doesn't mean I disregard all that fantasy can be. What I've seen when playing this game, playing other roleplaying games and reading other player's experiences, the most memorable moments that we like to share are the crazier, wackier moments. I would give the sillier stuff a shot. Honestly, if the world takes itself seriously, even though the players might not, you'll find that things that are bizarre will fall into place and new scenarios might open up (a Puppet gets slashed by a sword, but now the party needs to find a master seamstress to repair him before it’s too late!).
™ & © 2015 Arcanomicon, LLC |
Donald Trump held onto his 1-point lead over Hillary Clinton in the second day of the IBD/TIPP presidential tracking poll — 41% to 40%. Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Party's Jill Stein remain far behind at 7% and 5%, respectively.
In a two-way matchup, Clinton holds a two-point lead over Trump — 43% to 41%. The poll included 779 likely voters, giving it a margin of error of +/- 3.6 percentage points.
The second day's results of the IBD/TIPP poll don't reflect any impact of the spirited presidential debate Wednesday night, which covered a wide range of issues, from the Supreme Court, to abortion, to ISIS, to economic policy and entitlement reform.
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During the debate, Clinton repeatedly struggled to defend her policy positions and the Clinton Foundation scandal against sharp questioning from moderator Chris Wallace. When asked, for example, about conflicts of interest involving the foundation while she was Secretary of State, Clinton tried to turn the focus on what she described were the strengths of the nonprofit. She also had difficulty defending her position on gun control and explaining how her economic policies were different from President Obama' failed stimulus package.
For daily updates until the election and full details, including demographic breakdowns of results, follow the IBD/TIPP Presidential Tracking Poll.
Trump put in what was widely described as a solid debate performance, with many saying it was his best of the three. But he caused an uproar later in the debate when he refused to say whether he'd unequivocally accept the election outcome. Trump said that "I will look at it at the time." Clinton responded that she thought Trump's comment was "horrifying."
Trump's comment lit up the Twittersphere and led most of the coverage of the debate. The liberal Huffington Post said Trump's refusal "overshadowed everything else that happened on the stage in Las Vegas." It is certain to be the focus of media attention in the days to come.
What impact the debate will have on the IBD/TIPP tracking poll won't be known for a few days.
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The Internet may be made up of software and hardware, but it is an ecosystem that depends on a key human value: trust. The networks and systems must be able to trust the information we are sending, and in turn we have to be able to trust the information we receive.
This system of trust has allowed businesses around the world to share data rapidly and reliably on almost every issue—except their own security. Too many firms are still unwilling to share crucial information about the network attacks, data breaches, and outright cybertheft they’ve experienced—and what they do to defend themselves. Companies keep everything from basic facts to crucial technical details from one another and, notably, from the government, largely because they’re suspicious and fearful about what others might do with that information. The fears run the gamut: Tech companies worry about their brand, potential prosecution, even exploitation by the intelligence community; consumer firms wonder how the stock market will react; oil companies fear aiding their competitors; and energy companies are nervous that information will end up being exploited by those they fear far more than hackers: environmental lawyers.
The result is that, as cybersecurity guru Kevin Mandia of FireEye puts it, “Nobody gets smarter.” Victims of attacks may learn how to adjust to a new threat, but only after the fact, while the world at large too often doesn’t get the guidance needed to bolster defenses in a timely manner.
Just as the CDC plays a key part in public education on preventative health care, so too could a cyber-CDC be a hub for better “cyberhygiene.”
Discussions of what government should do about this predicament tend to focus on some kind of change in the law to raise regulations and/or lower liabilities. That is well and good, but government should also think about building a new organization for the cyber age. And it can do so by taking inspiration from one of the most successful agencies created in the past.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started out in 1946 with a mission to prevent malaria in the US. It has since become the bulwark of the modern American public health system, not only ending the scourge of malaria within the US, but helping to eliminate global killers like smallpox. Now it stands guard against new outbreaks like Ebola and pandemic flu. The CDC succeeded because it established itself as a hub for research on threats that the private market wasn’t equipped or motivated to confront and the public system wasn’t well organized to handle. In so doing, it became a trusted clearinghouse for public and private actors, by sharing important but anonymized information with anyone who needed it. Though its leadership is appointed by the government, its staff is recruited from a wide range of specialties to enhance its independence and credibility.
A similar gap could be filled by creating a cyber-CDC. Forming an agency whose core mission is cybersecurity research and information sharing would help change the nature of the game. It’s not just that there are many similarities between the spread of malware and communicable disease (even the terminology is the same—“viruses,” “infection,” etc.), it is that the CDC plays a key role now missing in cybersecurity in terms of the trust factor. We similarly need a publicly funded research organization, trying to understand emerging trends and threats, as well as a reliable clearinghouse, transparently sharing information to anyone and everyone who needs it
As with the CDC in public health, the cyber version would not replace all the other players, but fill a gap that now exists between the public and private space, especially when it comes to the trust factor. It could be structured in a similar way, with leadership appointed by the government, but with staff recruited across a wide range of specialties to aid its independence and credibility. Or, as one writer for the Cyber Security Law and Policy blog joked, “Essentially, take everything the CDC already does and slap a cyber in front of it.”
Forming an agency whose core mission is cybersecurity research and information sharing would help change the nature of the game. By having a research focus and origin, it would distinguish itself from organizations like the NSA, law enforcement agencies, the federal Computer Emergency Readiness Team, trade groups, and private companies that now all try to play this intermediary role. These groups each bring strong capabilities, but they also often have mixed interests and dueling motives that can undermine trust. What’s more, this new agency would have a more cohesive structure, mandate, and funding than the valiant but outgunned volunteer outfits that also play in this space.
Implementing a cyber version of the CDC might even have a wonderful side benefit to the diplomatic tensions that so trouble the Internet today. By focusing on research and information sharing, it could serve as a hub for cooperation with all the various state and international agencies as well as non-state actors that matter in cyberspace. Such an entity might serve as a key intermediary in evermore heated political environments, just as the CDC proved to be a trusted diplomatic back-channel during the Cold War.
The benefits would extend all the way down to the individual level. Just as the CDC plays a key part in public education on preventative health care, so too could a cyber-CDC be a hub for better “cyberhygiene.” When the Heartbleed security bug was discovered in April—creating potential web vulnerabilities on a mass scale—everyone from software companies and media outlets to the NSA was asked for answers, but none of their responses were fully trusted.
There are many technical, policy, and legal gaps in cybersecurity today. But maybe what is missing most is an intermediary we can trust. This new problem might be best answered by an old success story.
Peter W. Singer is a strategist at the New America Foundation.
This article is part of our “Save the Net” series, featuring bold solutions to the biggest problems facing the Internet today. |
The Texas Rangers have announced that they have made a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, acquiring international slot compensation money from the Orioles in exchange for minor league infielder Brallan Perez.
Perez, 21, is an infielder who has split the season between low-A Hickory, high-A Down East, and (for 2 games) AAA Round Rock. He’s considered more of an organizational depth player than a prospect.
MLB allows each team to spend a fixed amount on international free agents under the age of 25 each year, with the amount, under the new CBA, varying from $4.75 million to $5.75 million per team. Teams can also acquire up to an additional 50% of their original pool, and thus the Rangers can trade for pool money from other teams to get up to roughly $7.2 million this year that they could spend on international free agents.
The Orioles don’t spend on international signings, and so they generally deal away their pool money. It is unknown at this point how much the Rangers acquired. This is the second such transaction the Rangers have made for this period (which begins on July 2 of each year) — Texas also acquired international slot compensation money from the Chicago White Sox for Yeyson Yrizarri earlier this year.
While the Rangers have spent some money on international signings, indications are they have not reached their pool limit yet, and the speculation is that the Rangers are trying to load up on bonus pool money to offer Japanese pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who many expect will come to the United States this offseason. Ohtani, 23, is subject to the bonus restrictions, and has been heavily scouted by the Rangers the past couple of years.
UPDATE — Evan Grant says the Rangers got $500K in bonus slot money. |
90-Minute Documentary Celebrates 2014-15 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors’ Historic Season
“Legends: 2014-15 Golden State Warriors” to Air Following Warriors-Charlotte Hornets Game
Documentary Includes Comprehensive Highlights from the Warriors' Championship Season and Visits to the Hometowns of Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (November 30, 2015) – CSN Bay Area (@CSNAuthentic), the home of “Authentic Bay Area Sports,” presents Legends: 2014-15 Golden State Warriors – premiering Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. – a special 90-minute documentary celebrating and reliving the Warriors’ magical 2014-15 season. Legends: 2014-15 Golden State Warriors features in-depth player and coach interviews and highlights many glorious moments from the franchise-record 67-win season and exhilarating playoff run that brought the Larry O’Brien trophy back to the Bay Area for the first time in 40 years.
Legends: 2014-15 Golden State Warriors will air following CSN Bay Area’s live coverage of the Warriors-Charlotte Hornets game.
Legends: 2014-15 Golden State Warriors will give fans an intimate, insider’s look at the reigning NBA Champions with numerous players and coaches sharing candid memories from the 2014-15 championship run. The program includes interviews with NBA MVP Stephen Curry, All-Star Klay Thompson, NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Shaun Livingston, head coach Steve Kerr, assistant coach Luke Walton and general manager Bob Myers.
Special show content includes a visit to Stephen Curry’s hometown of Charlotte, NC, where we hear from his high school coach, Shonn Brown of Charlotte Christian School, and his college coach, Bob McKillop of Davidson University, and a visit to Andre Iguodala’s hometown of Springfield, IL, where we hear from his mother Linda Shanklin and his high school coach Craig Patton of Lanphier High School.
In addition, Legends: 2014-15 Golden State Warriors will feature all the sights and sounds from the Warriors’ historic championship season with thrilling game footage with adrenaline-filled play-by-play calls, and a look back at the championship parade and rally at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center that brought a million fans to the streets of Oakland to celebrate their heroes.
Excerpts from Legends: 2014-15 Golden State Warriors:
Steph Curry on winning the championship: “We just had extreme confidence, and it was the confidence knowing that if we played our best game, nobody could beat us. And I don’t think in my career we've felt that. We just had this confidence that I think was deserved, because we put the time in and the work in and we just clicked.”
Klay Thompson on winning the championship: "All that hard work you put in for so many years, I never thought I'd be an NBA champion at age 25. Very, very blessed, and it was so great to have my brother there, my mom, my dad... but I've never seen my dad and brother so nervous, which is funny because when you're out there, it's almost more comfortable. It's worth all those hard days of work and all the sweat, all the getting up early, all the ice baths."
Bob Myers on the Warriors’ historic 2014-15 season: "Too much emotion to digest, too much to consume, for me growing up here and being a fan of the Warriors for so long, and finally getting to where no one thought we could get to. It just wasn't thought of that the Warriors would win a championship. Just to get in that club for these fans, it's one of those moments that you take with you forever."
After the Dec. 2 (7 p.m.) debut, Legends: 2014-15 Golden State Warriors will re-air on Dec. 4 at 9 p.m., Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m., Dec. 10 at 2 p.m., Dec. 19 at 4:30 p.m. and Dec. 26 at 7 p.m. Visit CSNBayArea.com for additional air dates and times.
CSN Bay Area and CSN California, both part of NBC Sports Regional Networks, serve more than four million households in Northern California, Nevada, Southern Oregon and Hawaii. CSN Bay Area, the television home of MLB’s San Francisco Giants, NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and the official regional sports network of the San Francisco 49ers, also features a robust lineup of Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and original programming. CSN California offers live coverage of MLB’s Oakland Athletics, NBA’s Sacramento Kings, NHL’s San Jose Sharks, MLS’s San Jose Earthquakes and is the official regional sports network of the Oakland Raiders. Collectively, these networks deliver more than 600 live sporting events per year, over 1,500 live studio shows, including SportsNet Central, SportsTalk Live, Pregame Live, Postgame Live, Press Conference Live, as well as compelling digital content, up-to-the-minute scores, highlights and breaking news via www.CSNBayArea.com and www.CSNCalifornia.com. Follow both networks on Twitter via @CSNAuthentic.
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Japanese law enforcement is apparently engaged in a bizarre cat-and-mouse game with a hacker that recently involved an actual cat. Like something out of a movie, Japan's National Police Agency (NPA) was compelled to follow a series of clues leading to a memory card attached to the collar of a cat.
This strange series of events began with emails sent from computers around Japan which contained threats to blow up an aircraft, bomb the kindergarten attended by the grandchildren of Emperor Akihito, and other acts of violence. These initial threats led Japanese law enforcement to arrest four individuals, only to release them after it became clear that the suspects' only crime was being infected with the" iesys.exe" malware. Disturbingly, police claimed to have "extracted" confessions from all four prior to confirming their innocence.
On New Year's Day, a string of riddles sent via email to Japanese media outlets eventually led to the cat, who apparently lived on an island near Tokyo.
The memory card carried by the cat allegedly contained information about iesys.exe, also known as the "remote control virus," which is used to take control of infected computers. In their analysis, Symantec confirmed iesys.exe does indeed allow a user to remotely access a computer and send email. Symantec also notes that they believe that the malware is not widespread, despite law enforcement's apparent frustration.
Interestingly, all the reporting attributes the authorship of iesys.exe and these strange events to a single individual. With the popularity of groups like Anonymous and other online hacker collectives, it seems odd that a lone individual can command so much attention.
The investigation appears to be ongoing, though there's no word yet as to whether any fresh clues have been delivered. For anyone interested in playing detective, Wired writes that the NPA has offered the country's first ever cyber-crime bounty of $21,000 for the hacker. Animal control officers might want to take note.
For more from Max, follow him on Twitter @wmaxeddy. |
Thousands of Syrian demonstrators took to the streets on Wednesday, hours after embattled President Bashar Assad blamed the ongoing ant-government protests on foreign "plots hatched against our county".
The protesters marched through the port city of Latakia and the restive southern town of Daraa chanting "freedom". Security forces confronted the demonstrators in Latakia and witnesses reported hearing shots fired in the al-Sleibeh old district of the city, where one of at least two demonstrations took place.
Anti-Syrian government protesters flash V sign as they protest in the southern city of Daraa, Syria, Wednesday March 23, 2011. AP
While Assad delivered his speech in parliament, opposition members called on the protesters to "go down into the streets now and announce the uprising - control all the cities and declare civil disobedience from this moment onward."
Assad referred to the demonstrations in his address as events meant to enforce an "Israeli agenda", and declared that the people and government of Syria would withstand the foreign conspiracy and plots through national unity.
"Syria is a target of a big plot from outside, both internally and externally. If there is something happening it is using the cover of accusing Syria of popular response .If there are reformers we will support them. Those people have a mixed and confused intellectual ways," Assad said.
He said the objective of the conspirators, who make up a minority, was to "fragment and bring down Syria" and "enforce an Israeli agenda."
The Syrian leader claimed that protests were a mix of a genuine need for reform and instigators influenced by foreign plots that were responsible for the killings and destruction.
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"The plotters are the minoritywe didn't know what had happened until the sabotage operations had happened, since then we could see the difference between reform and killing," Assad said, adding that "We are for people's demands but we cannot support chaos and destruction."
Referring to the people of Daraa, where the most violent protests took place, Assad said that the "People of Daraa are not responsible for what happened, not responsible for the chaos that ensued."
"They [the people of Daraa] are true patriots, people of true integrity, and the ones that will eliminate whoever instigated this violence," Assad said, blaming foreign plotters of moving Daraa modus moperandi implemented in Daraa to other cities.
Syria's president is expected to introduce a number of reforms including the lifting of Syria's emergency law, which has been in place since the Baath Pary came to power in 1963.
Violent government crackdowns on protests in recent weeks have been reported in the cities of Daraa and Latakia. Witnesses and the US-based Human Rights Watch has put the number of people killed at 73.
On Tuesday, Syria's cabinet resigned in an attempt to quell popular fury, with Syrian state TV reporting that Assad accepted the resignation of the 32-member Cabinet headed by Naji al-Otari, who has been in place since September 23.
The Cabinet will continue running the country's affairs until the formation of a new government.
The resignations will not affect Assad, who holds the lion's share of power in the authoritarian regime.
The Syria Revolution 2011 Facebook page has been calling on all the "free people of Syria," to stage sit-ins across the country Friday, ignoring promises by the government to discuss their demands.
Thousands took to the streets of Damascus and other cities on Wednesday to express their support for Assad, who has been in office since 2000. |
Amazon applied for an “AmazonTube” trademark earlier this week, according to a filing found by TV Answer Man, as the company’s public feud with Google over accessing YouTube content on Amazon’s devices continues to escalate.
While there’s not a lot of information about what AmazonTube might be, based on the trademark application’s description of “providing non-downloadable pre-recorded audio, visual and audiovisual works via wireless networks on a variety of topics of general interest,” it sure sounds like a YouTube competitor.
TechCrunch notes that Amazon has also applied for a trademark on “OpenTube”, as well, which, if anything, is a more blatant name for what Google is looking to accomplish here. It’s also not the first time that Amazon has been rumored to be working on its own, free video service — earlier this year there were rumors that Amazon was planning a “freemium” version of Prime Video, although the company released a statement saying that it had no plans to do so.
To recap, this whole mess started back when Google abruptly pulled support for YouTube from Amazon’s Echo Show device, citing violations of its terms of service. YouTube was restored nearly two months later with an overhauled UI that more closely resembled YouTube’s web interface, before getting pulled again a few weeks ago, with Google this time calling out the fact that Amazon refused to sell Google products like Chromecast, Google Home, and Nest devices and the lack of Prime Video support for Google cast. Google then took things a step further, adding warnings to the YouTube app on Amazon’s Fire TV streaming devices that the service would no longer be available starting January 1st. Since then, Amazon has resumed selling Chromecasts, and Amazon and Google are in “productive talks” about keeping access on the Fire TV, but as of today YouTube remains unavailable on the Echo Show and Echo Spot. |
About 150 dancers from 15 different Polish dance organizations received thanks and blessings
Center from left, Opole Dance Ensemble member, Caitlyn Chunn, 5, has her outfit fixed by her mother, Tiffany Chunn, both of Harrison Township, before the 15th Annual Blessing of Polish American Dance Ensembles on Sunday, March 26, 2017 at the Saint Hyacinth Roman Catholic Parish in Detroit. The blessing occurs each year in the middle of Lent. (Photo: Rachel Woolf, Special to the Free Press)
About 150 dancers from 15 different Polish dance organizations were thanked for their work to preserve Polish heritage at the 15th Annual Blessing of the Detroit Area Polish American Dance Ensembles, a special Mass held Sunday at Saint Hyacinth Catholic Church in Detroit.
Included were dancers as young as 3 years old, on up to dancers in their 60s, all dressed in colorful, authentic costumes representing different regions of Poland. The Mass included a special offertory of gifts reflecting the Polish heritage and faith.
Each year, a different element of Polish heritage is highlighted as a learning opportunity. This year's special Mass highlighted the Easter custom of Swieconka — the blessing of the Easter baskets — one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions of Holy Saturday.
Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/2mFdaGO |
Fox News is whitewashing Rep. Peter King's (R-NY) acknowledgment that the Central Intelligence Agency approved the talking points that were used by U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice for an early assessment of the September 11 attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.
For two months, Fox has sought to scandalize Rice's September 16 interviews on the major Sunday news shows. During those interviews, Rice said that an investigation into the Benghazi attack was under way but that the current assessment of the intelligence community was that the attack was a reaction to a violent protest at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, which was inspired by a controversial anti-Islamic film.
On Friday, Gen. David Petraeus, the former head of the CIA, offered testimony before a closed congressional hearing on the Benghazi attack and its aftermath.
In an interview immediately after that hearing explaining what Petraeus said, King said that the CIA initially wrote in its assessment that attack was connected to an Al Qaeda-affiliated group, but that point was removed during a standard review by the broader intelligence community.
King said that Petraeus testified that he was not upset that the reference to Al Qaeda was removed from the intelligence assessment before it was made public. In fact, King made clear that the CIA OK'd the assessment after the reference to Al Qaeda was removed:
Yeah, they said, "OK for it to go."
But when Fox interviewed King, anchor Megyn Kelly made no reference to King's earlier statement making clear that Petraeus was not upset that the reference to Al Qaeda was removed from the assessment before it was made public, or that the CIA OK'd the assessment Rice relied upon.
King's comments are a fatal blow to the phony controversy over Rice's interviews: Rice never ruled out the possibility that the attack was an act of terrorism, and what she said was consistent with the public assessment approved by the intelligence community -- including the CIA.
Silence is the only way Fox can keep its scandal alive. |
Recently by Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD: Enjoy Saturated Fats, They're Good forYou!
Members of Generation X, born 1962 to 1981, and Generation Y, 1982-2004, are rallying behind Ron Paul in his run for president. Media commentators find it odd that people under the age of 40 in the X Generation and especially voters under age 30 in the Y Generation are so taken with this unassuming, soft-spoken 76-year-old candidate. Ron Paul is in the Silent Generation, whose members are now 70 to 87 years of age (born 1925-1942).
Exit polls show that Ron Paul won the majority of voters under age 40 in the Iowa caucus and in the New Hampshire primary. He received 21.4 percent of the votes in Iowa (first-place Rick Santorum got 24.6 percent) and came in second in New Hampshire with 22.9 percent of the votes (first-place Mitt Romney got 39.3 percent). More voters under age 30 chose Ron Paul over the other candidates in the South Carolina primary and Nevada caucus. He garnered 41 percent of the under 30 vote in Nevada — Mitt Romney got 36 percent; Newt Gingrich, 16 percent; and Rick Santorum, 7 percent. But only a small minority of older people has voted for him, as was especially evident in the Florida Republican primary.
In Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584-2069 (1991) and The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy (1997), William Strauss and Neil Howe examine the four main generations alive today, including the Boom ("Baby Boomer") Generation, born 1943-1961. They show how these generations mirror ones in the past. They note that a "Young Hero and Elder Prophet" pairing occurs repeatedly in history, myth, and art, as with Joshua and Moses in the Old Testament, the Gray Champion in Colonial America, King Arthur and Merlin in Celtic myth, Tolkien's Frodo and Gandalf, and Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. In Star Wars, Episode IV, Obi-Wan Kenobi instructs Luke in the ways of the Force and in Episode VI tells him that killing Darth Vader (his father) is the only way to destroy the evil Galactic Empire. And as Joseph Campbell, the American mythologist, notes, the young hero's close bond with a wise elder is essential to his ultimate success.
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The "Gray Champion" precipitated the Boston Revolt of April 1689, mounted to protest King James II's increasingly autocratic rule of the British-American colonies. As Nathaniel Hawthorne describes it in his Twice-Told Tales, the King-appointed governor of New England marched British troops through Boston to intimidate the public and quell any thoughts of colonial self-rule. Hawthorne writes:
“Suddenly, there was seen the figure of an ancient man, who seemed to have emerged from among the people, and was walking by himself along the center of the street, to confront the armed band. He wore the old Puritan dress, a dark cloak and a steeple-crowned hat, in the fashion of at least fifty years before…”
This elderly champion with a manner "combining the leader and saint" commanded the soldiers to stop; and "at the old man's word and outstretched arm, the roll of the drum was hushed at once, and the advancing line stood still." Then, "inspired by this single act of defiance, the people of Boston roused their courage and acted. Within the day, Andros [the governor] was deposed and jailed, the liberty of Boston saved, and the corner turned on the colonial Glorious Revolution." This revolt led to the American Revolution 85 years later.
Ron Paul is the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Gray Champion of our time, and the Darth Vader of our U.S. Empire is the Federal Reserve.
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The Federal Reserve System, with its network of twelve regional private banks, was established in 1913. The Fed is the country's third central bank (the first two, established in 1791 and 1816, each lasted for 20 years). The Fed issues token coins and paper dollars, and creates and transfers unlimited amounts of computer-generated digital money. Manufacturing money this way, during its 99-year existence the Fed has destroyed 98.8 percent of the value of the dollar, as calculated by the Shadow Government Statistics (SGS)-Alternate-Consumer Price Index (CPI). Using this measure of inflation, a basket of goods and services that cost $100 in 1913 now costs $8,204! (Even the Bureau of Labor Statistics admits that the dollar has lost 96 percent of its value since 1913, with that $100 basket of goods and services now said to cost $2303.) Using the more accurate SGS-Alternate-CPI, the greatest drop in the dollar's value, 95.1 percent, has occurred since 1971, when president Nixon severed the dollar's last remaining link with gold, turning it into an effortlessly issued fiat currency. (A fiat currency is one that has no hard asset backing it such as gold and derives its value from government edict.) Like a virulent virus, the Fed has infected the U.S. dollar and made it grow like a cancer.
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The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1921 killed somewhere between 20 to 40 million people (including my 22-year-old grandmother and my wife's 23-year-old grandmother). What the Fed does could result in an equally dire hyperinflationary economic collapse, similar to what happened in the Weimar Republic, Austria, and Hungary in the 1920s, Argentina in 1989, and Zimbabwe. (A practical definition for hyperinflation is that the country's largest pre-inflation bank note — for the U.S., the $100 bill. — becomes worth more as toilet paper, or for stoking a fire, than as a currency. The currency remains "current" but no longer serves as a medium of exchange.)
Dr. Paul prescribes an Austrian cure for our country's economic problems (see below). A professor at the University of Vienna, Carl Menger (1840-1921), founded the Austrian School of Economics, which is named for its country of origin. (Government officials and economists in Austria do not follow or endorse "Austrian Economics.") This branch of economics studies the action of individuals in the marketplace and puts forward a subjective theory of value. It explores important subjects like marginal utility (the amount of benefit derived from consuming one additional unit of a product or service, a concept that debunks the labor theory of value), moral hazard (where being covered against loss increases risk taking — executives at the leading investment banking and securities firm, Goldman Sachs, make a bad, multibillion dollar investment in AIG, and the government, i.e., U.S. taxpayers, bails them out), and malinvestments (making the wrong kind of investments, like building too many shopping malls, encouraged by Fed-set artificially low interest rates). Austrian economists don't spin their wheels constructing mathematical models of the economy on a large, "macroeconomic" scale, something that Keynesian economists like to do and which have little bearing on the real world of human action. In contrast to pump-priming, big government Keynesianism, Austrian economics stresses the importance of free markets and a stable currency for economic calculation and setting prices.
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Starting at a young age, Americans need to learn the basics of Austrian Economics and appreciate how it restores economic health. But government schools do not teach Austrian economics or the concomitant Jeffersonian vision of individual liberty. These subjects make a compelling case for limited government and are thus politically incorrect.
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The primary role of government schools, where 90 percent of U.S. children are educated, is to inculcate, in the words of John Calvin, "the duty of obedience to rulers." Government-employed bureaucratic officials determine what political and economic ideas children are to be taught. Compulsory government schooling has become a zero-tolerance, one-size-fits-all, dumbed-down operation that focuses on social engineering rather than on learning and individual achievement. James Ostrowski, in Government Schools Are Bad for Your Kids, puts it this way: "[The government school] produces barely literate, historically ignorant, uncultured lovers of big government." Sadly, public schools have evolved into prison-like indoctrination centers that children and adolescents in the Y Generation currently endure — six and seven hours a day for thirteen years. For a sobering assessment of what our nation's public schools have turned into, watch the online documentary on tagtele.com titled "War on Kids," available HERE.
Nevertheless, there is reason for hope.
The outpouring of support by young people for Ron Paul is truly heartening. In Texas, for example, students at the Hudson Middle School in Hudson overwhelmingly cast ballots for Ron Paul in the school’s mock GOP primary, "after spending weeks studying the candidates’ views on the issues and watching debates among the hopefuls" according to a newspaper account, which reported: "They liked Paul’s anti-war stance, as well as his willingness to talk straight and not attack his opponents to make a point. u2018He’s just like this down-to-earth dude who just seems like he knows what he’s doing,' seventh-grader Danielle Heidkamp said."
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Generation Y members like Danielle will carry the Ron Paul banner forward. The Y Generation is also named the "Millennial Generation," coming of age as it is at the beginning of a new millennium. This generation must cope as young adults with the unfolding global financial crisis. When the Baby Boomer generation was growing up in the 1950s and 60s U.S. government debt increased $2.5 Billion a year. Life was good. Today, with the Millennial Generation coming of age, U.S. government debt increases by $2.5 Billion every 16 hours.
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After the housing boom peaked in 2006 and foreclosures began to mount, the so-named "Millennial Crisis" began in February, 2007 when the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) announced that it would no longer buy subprime mortgages or mortgage-related securities (collateralized debt obligations). The Y Generation facing this crisis today bears some likeness to the GI Generation, born at the beginning of the last century (1901-1924), who became young adults during the last big crisis in U.S. history, the Great Depression and World War II. Strauss and Howe see the GI and Y generations as both manifesting a "Hero" archetype — can-do heroes and competent pragmatic managers who possess confidence and optimism.
Strauss and Howe name Generation X the "13th Generation" because it is the thirteenth one to call itself "American," beginning with the Awakening Generation born 1701-1723. The Glorious Revolution (Revolution of 1688) brought this about, which dethroned King James II and led Parliament to pass the 1869 English Bill of Rights, called "An Act declareing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Setleing the Succession of the Crowne." This Act enabled people in the American colonies, emboldened by the Boston Revolt and this Bill of Rights, to see themselves as distinctly American and not servile British subjects.
Progressives view human history as a linear process. Beginning with Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson early in the last century, progressives have sought to expand government power and use it to effect what they consider to be beneficial social, political, and economic change. They are notable for launching the FED, an income tax, World War I, Prohibition, and the New Deal. Linear thinkers, which include politicians, the mainstream media, and CEOs of big corporations, work to maintain the status quo and their power and wealth. Rather than progress in a linear fashion, however, human history has a more seasonal, cyclical nature. As Mark Twain observed, “It is not worthwhile to try to keep history from repeating itself, for man’s character will always make the preventing of the repetitions impossible.” Twain is also alleged to have said something like, "Although history doesn't repeat itself, it often rhymes" (source unknown). Whatever "rhyme" or "repetition" that might have helped bring about the Millennial Crisis, having a linear-thinking progressive president will only serve to make things worse. That includes President Obama and all the Republican presidential candidates except Ron Paul. He alone knows what is really going on, understands it, predicted it, and knows how best to deal with it.
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Not counting the earlier crisis that caused the colonial Glorious Revolution and its Boston Revolt (1675-1704), there have been four crises in American history: the American Revolution (1773-1804), followed 66 years later by the Civil War (1860-1865), 64 years later by the Great Depression and World War II (1929-1946), and 61 years later by the current Millennial Crisis (2007-?). Each crisis has been worse than the previous one. There were 25,000 deaths in the American Revolution. Some 600,000 to 800,000 people died in the Civil War. And in World War II 50 to 70 million people died (civilian and military). In the American Revolution hyperinflation of the Continental Dollar rendered it worthless, and in the Civil War the Confederate Dollar suffered the same fate.
In The Fourth Turning, William Strauss and Neil Howe predicted, in 1997 when the book was published, that the next period of crisis in our country's history, the "Fourth Turning" (following the first three crises) which they named the Millennial Crisis, would begin in 8 to 10 years. They were spot-on predicting when it would begin, 10 years later (in 2007), and this is what they say about its course:
"The risk of catastrophe will be very high. The nation could erupt into insurrection or civil violence, crack up geographically, or succumb to authoritarian rule. Thus might the next Fourth Turning end in apocalypse — or glory. The nation could be ruined, its democracy destroyed, and millions of people scattered or killed. Or America could enter a new golden age, triumphantly applying shared values to improve the human condition. The rhythms of history do not reveal the outcome of the coming Crisis [the one we are experiencing now]; all they suggest is the timing and dimension."
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One thing is certain. This crisis, now in its 6th year, will not be over anytime soon. How bad it becomes will depend on whether or not our country heeds the teachings of Ron Paul and his advocates.
Unfortunately, the establishment media tries to ignore Ron Paul and pretend he doesn’t exist. Jon Stewart, on The Daily Show, skewers the media’s talking heads on this score, asking "How did Ron Paul become the 13th floor in a hotel?" in "John Stewart Shows How Ron Paul Is Feared By The NWO Mafia Controlled Mainstream Media," which can be seen on YouTube HERE. But other wiser heads can see and appreciate his true worth.
Bill Buckler, Captain of the financial newsletter The Privateer, published in Australia, has this to say about Ron Paul:
"Dr. Paul's great and merited attractiveness to a growing number of admirers has a very simple source. He is that rarest of creatures — a FREE man. He is beholden to nobody. He has developed his ideas and his convictions over a long and fruitful life of independent thinking. He does not compromise. He hones in on the fundamental issue and principle of any political issue and serves it up without salt or other u2018seasoning.' He says what he means and he means what he says. He is the living embodiment of the u2018dream' that most Americans have long since given up on as they saw it slip further and further beyond their grasp. He is the only prominent person who is doing everything he can to turn the non-debate which masquerades as the u2018mainstream' in the US and global political economy into something of substance. That, far more than presidency, is his goal."
Ron Paul wants to legalize freedom and have the government stop punishing people for using the freedom that is rightfully theirs (as long as you, of course, do not encroach on other persons and their property). All the other leading candidates who want to be elected president are pro-big government and seek power. Mitt Romney is Wall Street's Republican candidate, with the investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs being his biggest contributor. There is little difference between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, except perhaps that Romney is even more pro-war than is Obama. I highly recommend Andrew Napolitano's YouTube video "Judge Napolitano What if the Government Has Been Lying to You" where he portrays Republicans (excluding Ron Paul) and Democrats as "two wings of the same bird of prey."
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Ron Paul is different. As the YouTube video What Is It About Ron Paul? affirms,
"Once you get hooked on Ron Paul you can no longer bear to listen to a man who wants power. You become instantly disgusted whenever they begin to speak. Before they were just boring, but now they're revolting. Listening to a Romney, or a Gingrich, or a Bush, or Obama makes you sick; and you just don't understand how Ron Paul can get through those debates without getting nauseous. You see a political veneer in these politicians that is so transparent, like a ghost flapping its ethereal tongue at you."
A poster shown in the video states, "Once you get hooked on Ron Paul you can no longer bear to listen to a man who wants power."
People all over the world are getting hooked on Ron Paul. A Canadian citizen, Terry Neudorf, for example, writes this in a blog titled "Ron Paul Shakes the World":
"When the name Ron Paul is mentioned to my grandchildren, a smile will creep across their faces, and they will recall, and speak with excited tones about a time where an idea was born, a message was spread, and a revolution took hold that shook the world. That’s the time I’m living in right now. I will treasure every moment. Thanks for all you do."
Young Americans are joining The Ron Paul Movement, like those manning phone banks to promote and raise funds for his campaign. (Don't expect Goldman Sachs to contribute any money to Ron Paul's campaign.) Leaders of the X and Y Generations allied with Ron Paul are our best hope for the future — and for coming through the Millennial Crisis without war. A third world war, with nuclear weapons in play, could well prove to be even more devastating than was World War II. But even if he is not elected president, all is not lost. Like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ron Paul's spirit and teachings will live on and guide a new generation of Luke Skywalkers, including his son, X-Generation Rand Paul, to lead our country safely through this time of economic and social peril.
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The Austrian Cure for Economic Illness
Dr. Paul's Austrian treatment for the Millennial Crisis comprises six parts:
1) End the Fed — close down the central bank. "Unplug the machinery of the Fed," as Ron Paul puts it in his book End the Fed (see also the other three books he has written on government and liberty in "Suggested Reading" below). The market must be free to set interest rates without a central bank artificially lowering them and inflating the money supply. Banks should once again exist as free-enterprise institutions without privileges or bailouts from the state. ATMs, Web-based systems of funds transfer like PayPal, and online trading can function perfectly well without a Fed.
2) Restore sound money to the economy — privatize the country's monetary system, abolish legal tender laws, and allow the free market to determine the forms of money it prefers.
3) Lower taxes and cut government spending — close military bases that the U.S. maintains in more than 130 countries around the world and bring the troops home; defund unconstitutional departments like Education, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, etc.; abolish the personal income tax.
4) No bailouts — the economy needs to liquidate all the malinvestments and mistakes made during the boom in order to be able to move on and recover from the bust.
5) Allow prices and wages to fall to levels the market sets — propping up prices stifles recovery, as the Great Depression proved.
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6) Regulate the government, not private property and markets — entrepreneurs and investors will only make long-term investments that spur recovery and boost employment if they feel that their property is secure. (Fifteen cabinet-level departments control different parts of the economy, along with 100 federal regulatory agencies that have produced more than 81,000 pages of regulations, not including those set by state and local governments.)
Disclosure:
Like Ron Paul, I am a member of the Silent Generation.
Suggested Reading:
Articles
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Books
By Ron Paul
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February 9, 2012
The Best of Donald Miller
The Best of Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD |
Photo via Dave Hogg
Being a Girl Scout has come a long way from making jewelry out of tree bark and safety pins and selling cookies. And it's a good thing, too.
Tomorrow, 25 Girl Scout Juniors and Cadettes will participate in a day-long camp focused on improving energy efficiency in buildings. They'll learn the bulk of the lessons by performing an energy audit of the Math and Science Center and the Program Center at Camp Dellwood in Indianapolis, IN.
However, the training is intended to do more than just teach about energy efficiency. The scouts will be using Trane's Energy Analyzer Software to determine the efficiency of the buildings, based on everything from lights to air conditioning to windows. They'll also get a chance to conduct experiments on energy efficiency, and learn about the different engineering specialties that create the different parts of buildings and their efficiency improvements.
Have to admit, I'm a bit jealous. Makes you kinda want to be a Girl Scout for a day. And makes you proud of the next gen of girls — apparently they're an "untapped resource."
"Girls are the single greatest untapped resource for engineering talent in this country," said Sommer. "They make their decisions on whether or not they want to pursue math and science-related fields by the time they're in middle school. We need to get to them early with options on how engineering can be fun and how it can truly make a difference on the economy and environment."
Yaaaay! It's a relief to hear that kind of encouragement. It only means even more hope for the planet in the future with young people getting this kind of training early.
Via Press Release
More on Girl Scout Activism:
Girl Scouts Not Dying For A Cookie
Girl Scouts Teach Classmates About Climate Change |
As a sign of the rising popularity of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the UK-based Dadiani Fine Art Gallery has begun accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other cryptos as entrance payment.
The art gallery owner Eleesa Dadiani said, “We are combining old world business ethics and practice with the new world of technology the current system is becoming stale and needs to be disrupted.”
She adds:
"Cryptocurrencies will provide a bridge from the elitist, centralist fine art market to a decentralized open source world where many more will be able to become a part of this exhilarating market.”
The gallery is offering a set of sculptures made from the exhaust manifolds of Formula 1 cars.
This most recent cryptocurrency acceptance is another sign of the rising tide of public awareness and acceptance.
While Bitcoin and other early cryptocurrencies were something of an enigma, the public sector is beginning to make use of the power of Blockchain and cryptocurrencies. As more and more companies accept the payment vehicle, the popularity and price of these coins will only continue to increase. |
"White People" airs Wednesday, July 22 on MTV at 8 p.m. EST, and will also be available online. (MTV)
If you ask one of our country’s preeminent scholars on race, there’s a huge problem with how we think about whiteness. The issue? We don’t think about it. Not really.
“Whiteness is on a toggle switch between ‘bland nothingness’ and ‘racist hatred,'” historian Nell Irvin Painter wrote recently. Clearly, it’s more than that. So what is it, exactly?
In his new documentary for MTV’s Look Different initiative, which aims to tackle racial, gender and anti-LGBT bias, immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas travels around the country asking white millennials to do something. According to MTV’s own polling, that “something” doesn’t happen very often: thinking about race, and moreover, thinking about whiteness.
Vargas’s documentary is an addition to an atmosphere where discussions of race are seemingly inescapable — he’s certainly not the first person to focus on whiteness. But his focus on the racial attitudes of millennials is noteworthy.
[Millennials are just as racist as their parents]
Vargas is a former employee of The Washington Post who was part of the Pulitzer prize-winning team that covered the Virginia Tech massacre. He is also an undocumented immigrant, which he revealed in a 2011 story in the New York Times Magazine. Vargas now runs Define American, his advocacy organization centered around immigration reform.
In the film, he meets Lucas, a white student at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Wash., who teaches a white privilege workshop to other white students. Lucas says he never talked about race with his parents growing up, something that’s fairly typical for white millennials, according to MTV’s research. Lucas finds himself at odds with his mother Lauresa and stepfather Mark, whose media diet consists of a heavy stream of Fox News, particularly “The O’Reilly Factor.”
“White People” director Jose Antonio Vargas, left, and Lucas, who started a white privilege workshop at his college. (Courtesy of MTV)
Vargas and the cameras are present as Lucas attempts to engage Lauresa and Mark in a conversation about race based on his work. The tension around the dinner table is palpable when Vargas asks Mark what he thinks.
“When Lucas mentioned ‘white privilege,’ I went on Google and started looking it up. Most of the stuff I saw was so slanted against white people,” Mark says.
“So it’s almost like an attack? As if it’s attacking white people?” Vargas asks.
“A little bit,” Mark replied. “You get a bad feeling. … You can’t just slam it into me and say ‘you’re a jerk.'”
Mark’s reaction, and the reflexive defensiveness that characterizes it, is a familiar one that knows no class or geographical boundaries.
In an open letter he entitled “Listening to Ta-Nehisi Coates While White,” New York Times columnist David Brooks took umbrage with Coates’s harsh assessment of America in his new book, “Between the World and Me”:
I think you distort American history. This country, like each person in it, is a mixture of glory and shame. There’s a Lincoln for every Jefferson Davis and a Harlem Children’s Zone for every K.K.K. — and usually vastly more than one. Violence is embedded in America, but it is not close to the totality of America. … The American dream of equal opportunity, social mobility and ever more perfect democracy cherishes the future more than the past. It abandons old wrongs and transcends old sins for the sake of a better tomorrow.
From the ivory tower of the New York Times to a suburban Washington dinner table, critiques of America and whiteness raise hackles and defenses. We see this over and over. Why does it keep happening?
Painter, a professor emerita of history at Princeton University and the author of “The History of White People,” explained this defensiveness as an inability to see beyond oneself.
“As I hear most white people talk about race as whiteness, they’re pretty naive,” Painter said. “Our culture is a racist culture in which race is a really important thing to know. It’s a big part of everybody’s identity, but for white people’s identity, the cultural part of it … is that you are an individual, so you’re … not part of the culture, you’re not part of the ideology… You are individual. And people get very testy when asked to see themselves as more than an individual, and that’s when white privilege comes in and ‘oh, I don’t want to be stigmatized, I didn’t do it,’ this defensiveness comes up because people are much more comfortable thinking of themselves as individuals.”
Jose Antonio Vargas, right, listens to a group of young people during the filming of his documentary “White People.” (Courtesy of MTV)
Despite their similar themes, there’s a gulf between “White People” and Painter’s bestselling “History of White People,” and it is intentional. Vargas’s documentary would be right at home amongst MTV’s “True Life” series whereas “The History of White People” is more academic. It’s not necessarily the same as the New York Times’ Op-Docs series which includes “A Conversation With White People on Race” and it’s not a PBS Frontline documentary either.
Vargas balances what could veer into “feelings journalism” with facts and empirical data, which is what he does when he meets Katy. Katy is a white girl in Scottsdale, Ariz., who graduated in the top 10 percent of her class with a 3.8 GPA but was unable to attend Grand Canyon University because she couldn’t afford it. She’s now enrolled in community college. Katy blames her fate on what she sees as a lack of scholarships for white students. (According to an MTV/David Binder Research study, 48 percent of white millennials believe that whites face just as much discrimination as people of color).
Vargas gently informs her that not only are the vast majority (69 percent, according to FinAid.org) of college scholarships awarded to white people, but that white scholarship recipients are actually over-represented — white students make up 62 percent of college undergraduates. The reverse discrimination that Katy and her mother feel is to blame for Katy’s enrollment in community college simply doesn’t exist.
At just under 41 minutes, “White People” is short, and because it aims to talk with high-school and college-age millennials rather than at them, it’s not loaded with verbiage from the academic and social justice spheres. Her ideas may be present, but Peggy McIntosh doesn’t come up once. Vargas said he thought “White People” would not be so well received in social justice circles because it focuses on whiteness. It’s worth noting that people of color and their voices are present throughout the film, however.
“I didn’t make this film so I can talk to white progressives and people of color who are progressives and pat ourselves on the back and say ‘oh, look what we did.’ That’s not the goal,” Vargas said. “As a filmmaker and a journalist my goal is how do I create this conversation and how do I create a space where people can actually see each other better? That’s my goal.”
“If I were in this business, talking to white people about this — which I am not, because it’s so exasperating — I would get them to the first step of saying ‘look, you’re not just an individual.’ Just to get them there would be just a giant step,” Painter said.
With “White People,” Vargas is asking white Americans to sit with their country’s many faults, to process facts instead of feelings, to consider the corrupting force of racism not just as a relic of the distant past, but the real and pervasive legacies of America’s peculiar institution, and the comforts they enjoy because of it.
“In America, it is traditional to destroy the black body — it is heritage,” Coates writes in “Between the World and Me.” Like James Baldwin before him, Coates is soon moving to Paris for a year, where he said he is simply seen as American before he is seen as black. But as much as Coates writes explicitly of the black body, Vargas illustrates how there is no collective “white body” in the converse.
“This is where the Baldwin quote is so instructive,” Vargas said. “Baldwin said ‘I’m only black if you think you’re white.’ We constructed it! And now, we have to deconstruct it.”
Vargas is asking his audience to examine whiteness as an institution, as America itself, as the two are so often conflated, but he also seeks to challenge that institution through his Define American campaign. He holds a mirror up to whiteness and to America, with the hope for an honest assessment of its flaws, for acknowledgement that it’s relied on a scaffolding of the subjugation of black and brown people, denial, hypocrisy, and even self-delusion to keep it erect. “White People” asks if it’s possible for the whole edifice to remain standing once whiteness itself has been deconstructed. Should it remain standing? What will arise in its place?
“I don’t think we can have a conversation about race in America anymore and not include white people in the conversation,” Vargas said. “I don’t think we can have those conversations about diversity and not include white people in the conversation. For me, that’s why I wanted to make a film that is centered around unpacking what white identity is and what whiteness is, which for me is such treacherous territory.
“… For far too long in this country, we’ve equated ‘white’ with ‘American.’ This country was never white. The world was never white. I think that is a realization that all of us, including white people, have to face.”
“White People” airs Wednesday, July 22 on MTV at 8 p.m. EST, and will also be available online. |
Ever wonder how you, as a librarian, can use altmetrics in your day-to-day work?
We certainly have!
While there’s no shortage of excellent altmetrics primers for librarians in existence, we saw a need for a resource to help librarians who want to apply altmetrics in their own work.
This ebook provides the “nuts and bolts” needed to use altmetrics in a variety of library-land scenarios, including:
Making collection development decisions
Managing institutional repositories
Helping faculty assemble evidence for their tenure & promotion packets
Teaching workshops on altmetrics
In it, we also share our favorite resources for staying up-to-date on altmetrics research and news.
Overall, we share more than one hundred tips, tricks, and examples that you can use to guide your own application of altmetrics in libraries. Enjoy! |
ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced Saturday the club has placed forward Vladimir Sobotka on injured reserve with a left leg injury.
Sobotka, who was recently named to the Czech Republic’s roster, will miss the 2014 Winter Olympics and be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Sobotka, 26, has dressed in 46 games, posting 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) and 46 penalty minutes while leading the National Hockey League (NHL) with a 60.9% success rate on faceoffs this season.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound forward is currently in his seventh NHL season and fourth with the Blues. Overall, he has accumulated 115 points (33 goals, 82 assists) and 256 penalty minutes in 366 career regular season games.
The Trebic native was originally acquired by the Blues via trade with Boston on June 26, 2010. |
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Delaware to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by the severe winter storm and flooding during the period of Jan. 22-23.
The president's action makes federal funding available to state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm and flooding in Sussex County.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Donald L. Keldsen has been named as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Keldsen said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
Assistance for the state and affected local governments can include as required:
• Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health. Emergency protective measures assistance is available to state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis.
• Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas, and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations engaged in community service activities.
• Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters.
Application procedures for state and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.
Follow FEMA at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate's activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. |
The Nevada secretary of state has declared that complaints made by Nevada Republicans alleging voter fraud are without merit.
Last Friday, Secretary of State Ross Miller, a Democrat, released a 20-page report responding to several complaints filed by a lawyer for the Nevada GOP Victory Committee. The complaints alleged that one- or two-ballot discrepancies in the number of early voters recorded and the number of ballots cast should be investigated for signs of voter fraud.
Miller checked out several of the complaints and ruled that they were simple clerical errors.“My investigation reveals no evidence of voting machine tampering or voter fraud. It does reveal the presence of occasional human error int he election process, which cannot be avoided as long as humans are a part of the process,” he said. “No amount of procedures can prevent error if the procedures are not followed.”
“It is my opinion,” Miller wrote, “after a review of the procedures in place for poll workers, that the procedures attempt to balance the need to prevent voting fraud at the polls, with the need to assure that every qualified voter is permitted to vote, and that said balance is achieved in these procedures.”
The lawyer who filed the complaint, David O’Mara, filed it on behalf of the Nevada Republican Party. But O’Mara later admitted that he does not work for the NRP — instead, he works for an affiliate, the Nevada GOP Victory Committee. The NRP chairman told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he’s “aware” of O’Mara but does not work directly with him.
O’Mara has also filed a complaint claiming that unions intimidated members into voting for Democratic candidates, a charge the unions deny. Miller has not issued a response to that complaint.
Allegations of voter fraud have been flying from both sides in the too-close-to-call Nevada Senate race between Sen. Harry Reid and Sharron Angle. Angle’s campaign has accused Reid and unions of bribing voters; Reid’s has accused Angle of using “goons” to intimidate voters. (There’s been no evidence of either.)
Reid has also accused Angle’s campaign of trying to intimidate Latino voters after an ad from a GOP-linked PAC urged Latinos not to vote. |
There are no outward indications which college football team this family roots for --- but whoever it is must be a sworn enemy of the Auburn Tigers.
Any ideas?
The family was walking around the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover when the mom threatened her son with what he apparently believes is the worst punishment on Earth.
Mom: "I'm gonna put you in the Auburn store."
Kid (wailing, running away): "Noooooo! Noooooo!"
The kid runs in circles, screams and cries to avoid his punishment.
The cameraman --- dad, we're guessing --- helps torment the poor boy: "Come on, Mommy, take him in the Auburn store."
The video ends with the boy safe in his mother's arms, clinging to her neck: "You don't want to go in that Auburn store," she says. "I don't blame you. I don't blame you." |
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) is joining forces with Lambda Legal to collaborate on one of TLDEF’s signature programs, the Name Change Project. The Project provides free legal name change services to low-income transgender people through partnerships with some of the nation’s most prestigious law firms and corporate law departments.
TLDEF will continue to run its program in New York City, while Lambda Legal will work with TLDEF to continue developing the initiative in Atlanta and throughout Georgia.
“We are thrilled to begin this partnership with Lambda Legal, which will enable even more transgender Americans to access free legal name changes,” said TLDEF Executive Director Jillian Weiss. “Since its inception more than a decade ago, TLDEF’s Name Change Project has served more than 3,000 trans people. Thanks to the pro bono support of our partners, the complex legal maze and expenses of a name change are no longer a barrier. Now, with Lambda Legal’s help we’re poised to help countless others.”
“We are excited to form this strong alliance that will make it possible for each organization to assist individuals who are part of our vibrant communities in bringing their legal names in alignment with who they are,” said Ethan Rice, Lambda Legal Fair Courts Project Attorney and lead of the Atlanta Name Change Project. “Lambda Legal is proud to help expand TLDEF’s groundbreaking work into the South, where the need for services that help transgender people is high. For many transgender individuals, changing one’s legal name is a critical step in obtaining a job and participating fully in the community. We look forward to providing this service to those in need.”
Through this partnership, transgender residents of Georgia who meet income-eligibility guidelines can receive free legal services to bring their legal identities in line with their lived experiences, opening up opportunities for education, housing and employment.
Transgender Georgians who are interested in receiving name-change services can apply at lambdalegal.org/myname.
Georgia-based attorneys and law firms who are interested in becoming a part of the Project by providing pro bono name-change legal services should contact Lambda Legal at 212-809-8585. |
By Suvojit Bagchi
BBC News, Manipur
Sharmila says her battle is symbolic
On hunger strike since 2000, Irom Sharmila Chanu is being force-fed through a pipe in her nose on the orders of the state administration.
The 35-year-old is an iconic figure in Manipur's politics. She completes six years of fasting in November, in what is perhaps the longest such political protest ever recorded.
Sharmila is demanding the repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA, which gives sweeping powers to the army in the state.
Manipur, with a population of some 2.3 million, has been administered by the Indian army since 1980 and human rights organisations often describe the army's powers as "draconian".
Atrocity
While the government maintains that the law is necessary to restore normalcy in a state racked by a militant secessionist movement, civil society groups allege gross human rights violations by the army.
My fast is on behalf of the people of Manipur. This is not a personal battle
Irom Sharmila Chanu
In fact, Sharmila's hunger strike started after one such alleged atrocity.
Her brother, Irom Singhajit Singh says she began her fast after soldiers of the Assam Rifles paramilitary force allegedly killed 10 young Manipuri men in Malom.
"The killings took place on 2 November, 2000. It was a Thursday. Sharmila used to fast on Thursdays since she was a child. That day she was fasting too. She has just continued with her fast," says Mr Singh.
Three days later, police arrested Sharmila on charges of trying to take her life.
Later she was transferred to judicial custody and taken to hospital where she remains to this day, force-fed a liquid diet through her nose.
From her hospital bed, Sharmila says she will not budge under pressure.
There have been a number of protests against the law
"I will withdraw the fast as and when the government withdraws the Armed Forces Special Powers Act unconditionally."
Hers is not a lone voice.
In 2004, Manipur erupted after the brutal rape and murder of a young woman activist, Manorama Devi, allegedly by soldiers of the Assam Rifles.
After days of violent protests, the government withdrew the law from certain areas of Manipur.
'Symbolic battle'
But Sharmila says she will relent only after the law is withdrawn from the entire state.
She is doing her job - we are doing our duty
Police chief AK Parashar
"My fast is on behalf of the people of Manipur. This is not a personal battle - this is symbolic. It is a symbol of truth, love and peace," she says.
As one would expect, the years of hunger strike have taken their toll on her health.
Doctors say her fasting is now having a direct impact on her body's normal functioning - her bones have become brittle and she has developed other medical problems too.
The government cannot afford a high-profile martyr for the Manipuri nationalist movement. So they cannot let Sharmila die.
To keep her alive, she is fed a cocktail of vitamins, minerals, laxatives, protein supplements and lentil soup through the nose with a rubber pipe.
The state director general of police, AK Parashar, says: "A young citizen of the country cannot be allowed to die. We have an obligation to see that she doesn't die an unnatural death.
"We are doing our best to keep the young lady alive. She is doing her job - we are doing our duty."
The editor of a local daily newspaper, Irengabam Arun, feels the administration has its own reasons to keep Sharmila alive.
"On the one hand, human rights activists across the world know about her and on the other hand, if she dies, the armed forces act will be back on the centre stage. The government cannot afford that," he says.
In Manipur, women have always been at the forefront of political and social movements. And many say Sharmila is part of that legacy.
But some analysts say her protest may be losing its sting. And that she may be fighting a losing battle.
Sharmila's health is failing fast
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which is operational in the north-eastern states of India and Jammu and Kashmir, has been in force in Manipur for 26 years now.
A committee formed by the government has suggested the act be scrapped, but its report has been rejected.
"The AFSPA is to stay. It is difficult for the armed forces to function without it", says India's Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
So Sharmila continues her unequal battle against the Indian state - sacrificing, according to her brother, "what could have been the best years of her young life". |
Posted by KingKai Posted by Jeff Kaplan
it takes months for a multi-billionaire company to add a "save highlight to computer" button, something that millions of programs already allow you to do? really?
Because they want to do more than just export an mp4 video file. I am sure they are working to build a proper in-engine replay/spectate system packed with features. Something where after a game the server would dump all the data to each player in a compact format, and you can go back and watch the game in spectator mode with VCR controls or something. Maybe this tool can export a video clip if you want one. How about some downloadable pro matches or the ability to watch tournament games live in a mass-spectate mode. The sky's the limit, here is a good example: https://www.polygon.com/2016/7/29/12325418/dota-2-vr-valve-viveThere is one advantage your own recording will always have: voice chat. There is zero chance Bliz would support recording any voice data. |
Posted by Heather Harris
Fall is here and it's gray, misty, and wonderful. I always feel claustrophobic by the end of summer, as if the leaf laden branches, hunching sunflowers, and rotting tomatoes are sitting on top of my chest squeezing the last drops of life out of my overheated, weary body. But once the leaves start to fall and the dead stalks fall over, I am re-energized and can finally start the millions of things recommended by all of the "What To Do in Your Garden in October" lists, which is pretty much everything. The tasks are incredibly daunting and could require a second mortgage on your home as well as hiring a full time gardener. A sampling: Plant a winter vegetable garden, mulch everything, plant all of those perennials you've been drooling over, plant all spring bulbs, reseed your lawn, establish new flower beds, feed soil with bone meal, rake and collect leaves, harvest and dry seeds for next year, clean up the vegetable garden, plant trees, shrubs, and anything except a watermelon. I decided to go with cheap child labor and just shoot for a few of the tasks that absolutely can only be done in the fall. 1.I hear that this can be done in the spring, but I have yet to see that work. To be truthful, this being the first time that I've reseeded the lawn in fall, I have no idea if that works either, but seeing as spring planting has been a disaster, it's either fall or gravel, Those are all the options I have left. It seems that if preschool children can grow grass in Dixie cups in dimly lit church basements, that I should be able to get it to grow in my yard. Not so. We have tried that fluffy green grass stuff that the pros use and factory engineered seeds guaranteed to sprout overnight, all to no avail. Our problem is we always seem to spread the seed right before the one hot and dry week we get in the spring, and I am really bad with watering routines. Or any routine. This time I bought the cheapest grass seed at Bi-Mart that I could find and employed my preschooler, Luke, to shake it out in haphazard fashion all over the yard. I'm very hopeful... 2.As with most gardening tasks, I started with bulb planting in mind, but took a detour down to the vegetable garden (looking for my trowel, which I blamed the kids for losing, but it is just as likely that I left it somewhere) and before I knew it I was hip deep in a pile of weeds, my fingers were caked in dirt (I couldn't find my gloves either) and the kids had rakes and hoes doing God knows what to the areas I had just weeded. Actually, Lily turned out to be quite a raker, as long as she could talk nonstop the whole three hours that she was helping me. On my weeding frenzy, however, I unearthed the crown jewel of my vegetable garden that I have been searching for all summer long: a CUCAMELON! Remember back in seed catalog season when I excitedly expounded on the darling little cucamelons that would be wending their way through my garden, spreading their charm everywhere they went? Well, let's just say that it's October and I have a total of one cucamelon. But, oh it was soooo good! I really shouldn't have tasted it because now I am under the delusion that I should try it again next year. 3.I did eventually run out of weeds, at least in the places I chose to look, and returned to the intended task of planting bulbs. I always forget how long bulb planting takes. The netted bag even has "Easy, Affordable Fun" written right on the front. It's easy, but I wouldn't say it's fun. I had about 100 bulbs. That means you dig one hundred little holes. Ponder that for a moment. That is, unless you buy a lot of bulbs and you can just dig one huge trench and dump them in, but then I would have to question the "Affordable" part. By this time my little helpers were totally bored by the yard projects and were contentedly bickering on a fence just close enough for me to hear, but not close enough to be of much use should I need, say, a another bag of bone meal from the garage. This is, in my experience,the end to every day of gardening with children. I wonder how much a gardener charges? |
As daunting as this and the eight previous legs of the trip have been, the tough part isn't over yet. While flying over the US will be a relative cakewalk (Solar Impulse 2 should reach New York by early June), the aircraft will then have to travel 3,566 miles to Europe. That's a straight 5 days in the air, folks. After that, the plane will complete its around-the-world mission by heading to Abu Dhabi.
This hasn't been the quickest adventure given that the aircraft took off back in March 2015. However, speed isn't really the point. Solar Impulse 2 and its namesake technology are meant to show that green energy can accomplish as spectacular a feat as flying across the planet. If the flight encourages anyone to embrace clean power, it accomplishes its goal. |
Trump was 'sarcastic' in thanking Putin for expelling diplomats: White House official
WATCH: The president suggested that the move will save the U.S. money.
WATCH: The president suggested that the move will save the U.S. money.
President Donald Trump's expression of gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for expelling hundreds of U.S. diplomatic employees from Russia was "sarcastic," a senior White House official told ABC News Friday.
Trump, who claimed the action taken by Putin was financially advantageous to the U.S., made the comment while taking questions from reporters Thursday at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
“As far as I'm concerned I'm very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll,” said Trump, who made no indication that the sentiment was insincere or meant to be perceived as in jest.
Russia's Foreign Ministry ordered the reduction in response to new sanctions against Russia that Trump signed into law earlier this month.
On July 28, the U.S. ambassador to Russia expressed "strong disappointment and protest" to Russia after it seized two American facilities and called on the U.S. to remove some of its personnel or face expulsion from the country.
“We have received the Russian government notification. Ambassador [John] Tefft expressed his strong disappointment and protest,” a State Department official told ABC News.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that the U.S. must reduce its diplomatic and technical staff to match the number of Russian staff working in America by Sept. 1. Russia said it currently has 455 staff members working in the U.S.
The two facilities Russia seized are a recreational country house outside Moscow and a storage facility in Moscow.
ABC News' Conor Finnegan contributed to this report. |
The NFL is trying to protect its quarterbacks, often above all else. This point of emphasis leads to a fair amount of false positives when it comes to roughing the passer calls, as was evident last week. Referees are going to err on the side of calling Roughing the Passer if it looks close, and on bang-bang plays, lots of things can look close.
Err they do. There have been 86 Roughing the Passer penalties. Of those, we narrowed it down to 22 different ones for possible inclusion on this list–over a quarter of them. Some that didn’t make the list but easily could have include Josh Mauga on Jake Locker as he turned his shoulder and Mauga hit him on the shoulder pad (“I don’t know about all that” uttered by Rich Gannon), Thomas DeCoud on Cam Newton (“really you don’t see a lot there, to me, that’s interesting”), and Steve McClendon on Joe Flacco (“I know there’s a lot of guys in high school going ‘what are you talking about'”).
Still, a top 22 list would have violated some sort of unwritten list rule, so here is your Top 10 Bad Roughing the Passer Calls in 2014.
10. Wallace Gilberry on Cam Newton, Week 6, Carolina at Cincinnati
This was called because of hitting the quarterback late. The announcer said “I don’t know how you tell Wallace Gilberry to stop there”. By my count, there was about a half step from the release of the ball to the hit.
I’ll say this though–the Panthers’ offensive line made many hits on Cam Newton look like roughing by so consistently allowing free rushers. Earlier in this same game, Vontaze Burfict also got called for brushing Cam Newton while they were running toward the sideline.
9. Jason Hatcher on Eli Manning, Week 4, New York Giants at Washington
Okay, this one is probably the only one that could have been called by the strict reading of the rules, included here. There may have been a slight brush of the face mask by Jason Hatcher as he tried to block the pass and came down on Eli’s shoulder.
Officials generally called hits to the head area accurately, and most of them were a little more forceful than this.
Still, when a Roughing the Passer doesn’t even lead to a Manning Face, you know it was pretty weak.
8. Corey Liuget on E.J. Manuel, Week 3, San Diego at Buffalo
E.J. Manuel didn’t play for long this year, but he did do a pretty good job of drawing Roughing the Passer calls at a high rate. Against Houston, J.J. Watt twice was called for hitting low (one looked absolutely correct, the other was borderline).
This was called for leading with the helmet. Liuget was more likely the victim of being a big guy. This is going to be a common theme among the bad calls, but football players have heads. What they can’t do is turn their eyes down and hit with the crown of the helmet, or alternatively hit with any part of the helmet into the quarterback’s helmet. But, hits into the chest should be okay.
Liuget seems to be called because his head goes down after he moves it off to the side as they are going to the ground, which could have looked like he hit with the helmet.
7. Patrick Willis on Drew Stanton, Week 3, San Francisco at Arizona
This play came right after another questionable personal foul call on a hit on Drew Stanton, when he appeared to have slid too late for protection but the hit was called.
Patrick Willis made a textbook hit on a sack, face up, wrapped up Stanton. Pretty sure this was called because Stanton got smothered. Or alternatively, I have no idea.
6. Eugene Sims on Tony Romo, Week 3, Dallas at St. Louis
The referee must have thought that there was a helmet blow here. Looks like Sims hits Romo on the shoulder.
5. Jason Worilds on Matt Ryan, Week 15, Pittsburgh at Atlanta
This just happened last week. We had a post on it. Lo and behold, it’s not even the worst ranked call from Sunday, even though it was clearly an incorrect call.
4. Jo-Lonn Dunbar on Josh McCown, Week 2, St. Louis at Tampa Bay
After this flag was called on Jo-Lonn Dunbar, a coach or player can be heard clearly yelling from the sideline: “how was that a flag, he hit his shoulder?!” Whoever it was wasn’t wrong.
3. Sio Moore on Carson Palmer, Week 7, Arizona at Oakland
Brady Quinn rather uncritically let us know that this was for lowering the helmet into the quarterback’s body. It was more likely because these two kids got their shoelaces tangled up.
2. D.J. Swearinger on Robert Griffin III, Week 1, Washington at Houston
This was one of five that I had marked as bad calls in week 1, but we’ll go with this since it came at a more critical time–on a third down incompletion near the goal line that gave Washington a first down. It’s pretty clear that the officials were geeked up to call Roughing the Passer.
No truth to the rumor that Jay Gruden refused to call a play because Griffin took too long getting up from this one.
1. Nick Moody on Russell Wilson, Week 15, San Francisco at Seattle
This one takes the cake, given the call and the situation. Seattle was up 10-6, in the fourth quarter, near the goal line on third down. Without this call, Seattle would have been attempting a field goal and San Francisco would have stayed within a score.
First, Ed Hochuli’s explanation:
“I felt he hit the quarterback [Russell Wilson] in the chest with the hairline [of his helmet]. It’s a foul unless his head is completely up and would hit him face on with his face mask, so that’s why I called it. After you hit, the face mask comes up. That’s the mechanics of the body, but that wasn’t the initial contact. The hairline [of the helmet] is still a foul when you hit the quarterback with that part of your head.”
Of course, the NFL came out and actually said it was a bad call, so you know, at a time where they want everything called, this one gets the title. Of course, the same pattern (not actually leading with helmet) has occurred numerous times this year, without other statements acknowledging how often it is wrong. |
Families of the 96 people killed at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final have been fighting for the truth for 27 years. We take a look at the key developments
1989
27 March
South Yorkshire police chief constable Peter Wright replaces Ch Supt Brian Mole, the experienced commander of football matches at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough ground. Wright promotes David Duckenfield in Mole’s place.
15 April
Nineteen days after Duckenfield is appointed, 54,000 people attend the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. In the lethal crush, 96 men, women and children are fatally injured.
Hillsborough disaster: six people, including David Duckenfield, charged Read more
1 August
Lord Justice Taylor’s official report into the disaster emphatically blames police mismanagement of the event and criticises South Yorkshire police for blaming Liverpool supporters instead of accepting responsibility. Wright states that he fully accepts the findings.
1990
30 August
The Crown Prosecution Service decides there is insufficient evidence to justify criminal proceedings against anybody from any organisation for any offence arising out of the deaths.
October
South Yorkshire police admits it was negligent and failed in its duty of care to the people attending the match when settling civil claims brought by bereaved families and injured people.
19 November
First inquest opens in Sheffield, heard by the local coroner, Dr Stefan Popper. South Yorkshire police renew their case that drunk supporters who arrived late and ticketless were to blame.
1991
28 March
Inquest jury returns a majority verdict of accidental death.
29 October
Duckenfield retires on medical grounds, diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
1992
13 January
Disciplinary action against Supt Bernard Murray, the police control box commander at Hillsborough, is dropped.
1993
5 November
A judicial review application by six representative families to quash the inquest verdict is rejected by Lord Justice McCowan in the divisional court. McCowan rules that the inquest was properly conducted. Families continue to campaign for justice.
1996
5 December
ITV broadcasts a drama documentary written by Jimmy McGovern, researched by journalist Katy Jones, which powerfully highlights the families’ complaints of injustice and allegations of a police cover-up.
1997
30 June
The new Labour government orders the “scrutiny” of new evidence by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith. It is found that South Yorkshire police changed 164 officers’ accounts of the disaster before sending them to the Taylor inquiry. According to a civil service note (pdf) that became public in 1997, the then home secretary, Jack Straw, did not believe there was sufficient evidence for a new inquiry but said such an assertion had to come from an independent source such as a judge to be “acceptable”. The then prime minister, Tony Blair, had written across the note about setting up a new inquiry: “Why? What is the point.”
The six people facing charges over Hillsborough Read more
1998
13 February
Stuart-Smith rejects any grounds for prosecutions or quashing the inquest verdict. Straw accepts that conclusion.
2009
12 April
Twenty years after Hillsborough, the Guardian highlights the families’ ongoing grievances and complaints of injustice. Then Labour ministers Andy Burnham and Maria Eagle resolve to call for all documents relating to the disaster to be published.
15 April
Burnham’s speech to the 20th anniversary memorial service at Anfield is interrupted with calls from the crowd of “justice for the 96”. His call for disclosure is supported by Gordon Brown’s government.
2012
12 September
The Hillsborough independent panel, which has reviewed 450,000 documents disclosed to it, publishes its report. The police failings are highlighted, and their campaign to blame supporters further exposed. The Conservative home secretary, Theresa May, accepts the report and orders a new criminal inquiry into the disaster, Operation Resolve. The Independent Police Complaints Commission launches an investigation into alleged malpractice by the police in the case made afterwards.
19 December
The verdict in the first inquest is quashed by the lord chief justice, Igor Judge, and two other judges, who find that it was not properly conducted.
2014
31 March
The new inquests begin in Birchwood, Warrington. Together they become by far the longest case ever heard by a jury in British legal history.
2016
26 April
The inquest jury delivers its verdict. Among the 14 questions it is asked to decide upon, it concludes that the 96 people who died in the disaster were unlawfully killed, overturning the verdict of accidental death at the original inquest.
It adds that no behaviour on the part of Liverpool fans contributed to the dangerous situation at the Leppings Lane turnstiles. This, at last, comprehensively exonerates the supporters who were blamed for causing the disaster in its immediate aftermath.
Defects in the construction and layout of the stadium contributed to the disaster, the inquest finds, adding that “errors and omissions” by the entire police operation on the day contributed to the causes of the disaster. It adds that errors and omissions in the stadium’s layout and design, and its lack of a valid safety certificate also contributed to the tragedy, as did Sheffield Wednesday FC’s preparation for the match.
On the question of whether the club’s actions on the day of the game were a contributory factor, the jury could not say for sure but said they may have been. Errors and omissions by the South Yorkshire metropolitan ambulance service were also said to contribute to the disaster. |
AUSTIN - Owners of nearly 300,000 homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey in Texas won't see any break in their property taxes because of political wrangling this year in the state Legislature over completely unrelated issues - including, one Houston Republican says, the bathroom bill.
A property tax reform bill that would have required all local governments to reappraise damaged homes and businesses and lower the tax bills came within a single round of votes on four different occasions. If the mandatory reappraisal proposal had become law, it would have all but assured that the tens of thousands of homes and businesses damaged or destroyed statewide because of Harvey would have received a reduction in property taxes this year.
But it never passed, and according to the state lawmaker who came up with the idea, it's because of the bathroom bill. Rep. Sarah Davis, R-Houston, lays the blame on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who she contends was trying to blackball her bills.
"I have little doubt its slow death in the Senate is because of social issues like the bathroom bill," said Davis, whose district flooded badly during the 2015 Memorial Day storms and the 2016 tax day storms.
Currently, reappraisals after natural disasters are optional for local governments and most are like Harris County and Aransas County in saying they won't do it because they cannot afford it.
A home in Houston that was valued at $200,000 before the hurricane, but worth just $30,000 after, would have seen a $700 cut just in school taxes, according to the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, which strongly backed the Davis proposal.
"It was really one of my No. 1 priorities," said Davis, whose original bill would have taken effect Sept. 1.
But that is likely why the bill never cleared the Senate, she said. Davis was a vocal opponent of the so-called bathroom bill that was a top priority in the Texas Senate. That bill became the centerpiece of the war of wills between House and Senate leaders in both the final days of the regular session in May and then again during the special session in August. The bill would have required people to use the bathroom listed on their birth certificate, even if they are transgender. Some business leaders organized opposition to that bill, which stalled in the House, warning it could result in boycotts of Texas because many saw the bill as a form of discrimination against transgender Texans.
"Some House members paid the price," Davis said. "I never supported the bathroom bill nonsense and I was outspoken about it."
One last shot
It's not that Davis's bill didn't have broad support in a Legislature that pines to hand out tax cuts. In April, the Davis bill - HB 513 - first passed the full House 148 to 0. A month earlier the Senate passed a similar bill by Sen. Van Taylor, R-Plano, that was filed months after Davis's bill. The Senate passed Taylor's SB 717 by a 31-0 vote.
If the House passed Taylor's version without Davis' name on the bill, it would have gone to Gov. Greg Abbott. Similarly, if the Senate passed the Davis version, it would have been sent to Abbott. Neither chamber budged, and both bills died despite being nearly identical except for the sponsor's name.
But that wasn't the last chance for the idea.
On Aug. 11, two weeks before Harvey made landfall, the House again passed another version of Davis' idea without opposition and sent it to the Senate. That bill would not have been effective until January 2018. Although the special session had five days remaining, the bill never was sent to a committee or voted on in the Senate.
But Davis said the House made yet one last shot, when they amended another property tax reform bill and included the reappraisal requirement. The Senate, however, voted not to concur on the amended property tax reform proposal. That tax reform plan died after the House ended the special session nearly a full day early and under a hail of criticism from Patrick directed at House leaders for not finishing property tax reforms or the bathroom bill.
Davis said thousands of Texans would have lower tax bills if Patrick had not played political games with her bill.
Patrick did not agree to be interviewed for this story.
But a top aide to Patrick said the bill's failure is on the House. The House had Taylor's bill lined up during the regular spring session and could have passed it and there would have been no need for the Senate to pass the Davis bill, said Sherry Sylvester, a senior advisor to Patrick.
And in the special session, Sylvester said Patrick "had hoped" to add the disaster reappraisal bill onto the bigger property tax bill as an amendment, but the House adjourned early. Patrick never said that publicly himself.
State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, said he doesn't buy that explanation and says the Senate is guilty of engaging in "fake junior high politics" because they were upset with Davis. Twenty four bills Davis sponsored passed the House, but the Senate passed only three of those bills during the regular session. It is a clear pattern, said Bonnen, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction of tax reform policy.
Worse, Bonnen said in the special session, Taylor never filed his bill again, and the Senate didn't lift a finger to try to pass the Davis version.
"It was the only bill that would have provided Texas residents real property tax relief, yet the Senate didn't even try," Bonnen said.
Frustrating reminder
For supporters of the legislation, the failure of a bill nearly everyone agreed to and one that would have provided some relief to hundreds of thousands of people is a frustrating reminder of a key lesson in politics.
"The process does not always reward good ideas," said Dale Craymer, president of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, a non-profit group based in Austin that was one of 13 groups to advocate for the bill during a House committee hearing in March. No group publicly opposed the legislation during the hearing.
Texas law already allows counties, cities and other local governments to reappraise properties after a storm, but few ever do because of the lost revenues that it could result in and because of how expensive and time consuming the reappraisal process could be during a time governments are trying to finalize their budgets. If governments do the reappraisals, the full cost is on the local governments.
"It's not a very workable solution," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, a Republican, said about why he has not voluntarily called for the reappraisals in Harris. "It's not that I don't have sympathy for people and what they've lost."
He said the problem is the reappraisals would cost $10 million in a county as big and urban as Harris County. Plus the county would lose revenue from tax collections at a time it most needs the money to address the natural disaster recovery.
He added that property owners still will get the benefit of the Jan. 1 appraisals for the next year's taxes. That almost certainly will result in lower tax bills for homeowners with damaged properties next year.
Similarly, in Aransas County - where Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 and demolished 36 percent of all homes and businesses - there will be no reappraisal. Aransas County Judge C.H. "Burt" Mills Jr. said there isn't time or money to get it done and said it would only hurt tax revenues at a time when every source of funding the county relies on is in jeopardy.
"All of our income is in the toilet," Mills said of a county that relies heavily on tourists to generate sales taxes and fill rental properties.
Montgomery and Fort Bend counties have taken a different route. Both passed resolutions to do reappraisals for affected areas. Katy ISD and the Katy city council are among other local governments that have requested reappraisals.
Speaking to about 1,300 people in Houston on Tuesday night, Patrick made clear he thinks counties - including Harris - should be deciding on their own to reappraise damaged property.
"I can assure you we're strongly encouraging Harris County to have reappraisals for all of you," Patrick said at the meeting at the St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Houston.
If Harris County and others do refuse, Patrick said "we will pass a law in next session" to make sure they do reappraisals.
'One-trick pony' act
At that same meeting, State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said he too will be looking for a way to demand all governments reassess after storms.
"We're going to come up with a statute that's going to make it automatic," he said.
Emmett said he's getting a little tired of both Bettencourt and Patrick and their "one-trick pony" act where they put pressure on county governments to cut taxes when it is really school taxes driving the bulk of people's tax bills. He said if they try to force all counties to reappraise it will be bad policy that will hurt the almost 2 million people that live in unincorporated Harris County.
Davis was not at that meeting, but she said what Patrick and Bettencourt are saying they want publicly is something they already could have made the law of the land but they dropped the ball.
"Without hesitation I can say I will be filing this bill again," Davis said. |
Bernie Sanders Was On The 2016 Ballot — And He Underperformed Hillary Clinton
Marcus H. Johnson Blocked Unblock Follow Following Dec 15, 2016
By now, who hasn’t heard a Bernie supporter or surrogate claim that Sanders would have won the election against Donald Trump? The Sanders wing of the Democratic Party has developed a narrative that the Democratic Party was held back by Hillary Clinton. They claim that she was fatally flawed, that the DNC stole the nomination from Sanders, and that the ever so coveted white working class voter dislodged by globalization will never again vote for corporate interests.
Of course, this narrative ignores the facts — that despite Clinton’s supposed flaws, she easily defeated Sanders in the primary via the pledged delegate count, that Sanders inability to convince minority voters doomed his campaign for the nomination, and that the attempt to use superdelegates to override the popular vote was an undemocratic power grab.
And the white workers whose supposed “hate for corporate interests” led them to vote for Trump? They don’t seem upset that Trump has installed three Goldman Sachs executives in his administration. They don’t seem to be angry that Trump’s cabinet is the wealthiest in US history. And we haven’t heard any discontent from the white working class over Trump choosing an Exxon Mobil CEO for Secretary of State.
The devil is in the details, and at first glance, it is easy to see why so many people can believe that Bernie actually would have won. He got a great deal of positive media coverage as the underdog early on, especially with Republicans deliberately eschewing attacks on him in favor of attacks on Clinton. His supporters also trended younger and whiter, demographics that tend to be more visible in the media around election time. A highly energized and vocal minority of Sanders supporters dominated social media, helping him win online polls by huge margins.
But at some point, you have to put away the narrative and actually evaluate performance. This happens in sports all the time, especially with hyped up amateur college prospects before they go pro. Big time college players are often surrounded by an aura, a narrative of sorts, which pushes many casual observers to believe their college skills will translate to success on the next level. But professional teams have to evaluate the performance of these amateur players to determine if they can have success as professionals, regardless what the narrative surrounding them in college was. A college player with a lot of hype isn’t necessarily going to succeed professionally. In fact, some of the most hyped up prospects have the most underwhelming performances at the next level. In the same vein, we can evaluate Sanders’ performance in 2016 and determine whether his platform is ready for the next level. Sanders endorsed a plethora of candidates and initiatives across the country, in coastal states and Rust Belt states. He campaigned for these candidates and initiatives because they represented his platform and his vision for the future of the Democratic Party. In essence, Bernie Sanders was on the 2016 ballot. Let’s take a look at how he performed.
The Performance of Bernie’s 2016 Candidates and Initiatives
Russ Feingold, Wisconsin
Of all of the candidates Sanders lended his support and fundraising arm to, perhaps the most high profile was Russ Feingold, who was seeking to return to the Senate in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a Midwestern state that is nearly 90% white, which makes it a great testing ground for whether the white working class in a Rust Belt state would truly be responsive to Bernie’s message. Feingold championed Bernie’s platform, and his campaign website made bold promises of opposing trade deals, opposing special interests, promoting a $15 federal minimum wage, and advocating for debt-free college.
Feingold ran against incumbent Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson, a more traditional Republican than Trump. Johnson has pushed free trade agreements, infamously saying in 2010 that “protectionism isn’t the answer.” Johnson opposes greater business regulation from the federal government, and the most prominent theme on his campaign website was national security, naming “Islamic terrorism” specifically. Ron Johnson has also been a staunch opponent of immigration, even introducing a bill with Jeff Sessions which would have “ensured the prompt return of unaccompanied illegal immigrant children.”
Ron Johnson combines support of deregulation, free trade agreements (neoliberalism!), and strong national security with an opposition to immigration. In other words, he’s a fairly traditional Republican, in least in comparison to Trump. Since Feingold championed Bernie’s issues, and Bernie endorsed and fundraised for him, he should have easily beaten Johnson, at least if the narrative about Bernie’s strength in the general was true. But Feingold didn’t win. In fact, he lost by a bigger margin than Clinton did in Wisconsin! Clinton lost Wisconsin by a margin of 0.8%, while Feingold lost by a margin of 3.4%. Feingold was a white man running in a nearly 90% white state with the Bernie Sanders agenda. That’s Bernie’s ideal demographic, and his platform still lost to a big business Republican.
Amendment 69, Colorado
In Colorado, a more diverse state than Wisconsin, Bernie’s platform suffered another major setback. Sanders campaigned in Colorado in support of Amendment 69, a measure which would have created a universal healthcare system in Colorado called ColoradoCare. ColoradoCare would cover every single resident of the state of Colorado, and even pay for residents’ healthcare if they had traveled to another state. In order to pay for ColoradoCare, the state would establish a new 10 percent payroll tax, similar to the tax increase which would pay for the Bernie Sanders federal universal healthcare plan. Colorado has a Democratic Governor, a significant Latino population, and is a state that Clinton won by a margin of about 3 percent. If Bernie’s platform is highly popular with the Democratic base, then Amendment 69 should have passed in the state. But it didn’t. Not only did was Amendment 69 rejected, but nearly 80 percent of the voters voted no. Only 21 percent of Colorado voters supported the measure. Again, this is in a blue state, with a key tenant of Bernie’s platform, something that he passionately campaigned for in Boulder. And the voters overwhelmingly said no.
Zephyr Teachout, New York
Zephyr Teachout ran for New York’s 19th Congressional District House seat. Like Feingold, she was endorsed by Sanders and took up many of his positions on the issues. Teachout opposes free trade, opposes lobbyists, and made campaign finance reform a central theme of her campaign. New York’s 19th Congressional District covers Greene, Delaware, Columbia, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster counties, in addition to smaller portions of Rensselaer, Montgomery, Broome, and Dutchess counties. These counties are outside the city and lack diversity — most of the counties are over 90 percent white. Most of the counties here are demographically similar to Feingold’s electorate in Wisconsin. With Sanders support, you would think that Teachout would glide into Congress, especially if the white working class was largely favorable to leftist economic populism. Teachout ran against John Faso, a strident supporter of the 2nd Amendment who opposes rising federal spending and derides the additional regulations on Wall Street imposed by Dodd Frank. Surely, Bernie’s platform would appeal to the white working class and push Teachout over the top? Nope — she ended up losing by a margin of 9.4%.
Prop 61, California
In the state of California, Bernie pushed voters to support Prop 61. Prop 61 would have mandated that state agencies pay no more for prescription drugs than the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Sanders went as far as to publish an op-ed in the LA Times saying that a vote for yes on Prop 61 would be “standing up to pharmaceutical greed.” He said that a win in California could “spark a national movement to end the pharmaceutical industry’s price gouging.” Sanders campaigned throughout the state, pushing for the measure. You would think that if Sanders’ platform had any shot, it would do well in California, a state that just elected Democrats to a supermajority in the state legislature and home to some of the most liberal politicians in the country. Clinton won California by a massive 30% margin, so at least Bernie got Prop 61 passed right? Wrong — Prop 61 lost 54–46, by an 8% margin in a state that Clinton won overwhelmingly.
I could keep going on causes and candidates that Sanders supported — such as Sue Minter for Vermont Governor, or Ted Strickland for Ohio Senate — but I felt that the examples above were prominent and sufficient enough to make my point. In Sanders’ bid to takeover the Democratic Party post-election, he has been very loud talking about his platform and economic populism. But he has been very quiet about how his platform actually performed this election.
Since Sanders Significantly Underperformed Clinton — Can He Really Claim To Be The Future?
There is a lot of debate about the future of the Democratic Party. But there is no debate about whether Clinton or Sanders performed better in 2016. Clinton’s platform clearly outdid Sanders’, even in whiter Rust Belt states supposedly favorable to Bernie’s agenda. This draws out the obvious question — why is the narrative that Bernie’s message is the future, when a host of states spanning the political spectrum clearly rejected it? I could drone on about Bernie’s serious deficiencies with minority voters in the primary (and it is a major problem for the Berniecrats of the future), but key tenants of the Sanders platform, namely universal healthcare and government cost controlled prescription drugs, were beaten badly in blue states.
If Sanders is so clearly the future of the Democratic Party, then why is his platform not resonating in diverse blue states like California and Colorado, where the Democratic base resides? Why are his candidates losing in the Rust Belt, where displaced white factory workers are supposed to be sympathetic to his message on trade? The key implication Sanders backers usually point to is that his agenda is supposed to not only energize the Democratic base, but bring over the white working class, which largely skews Republican. Universal healthcare, free college, a national $15 minimum wage, and government controlled prescription drug costs are supposed to be the policies that bring back a white working class that has gone conservative since Democrats passed Civil Rights. Sanders spent $40 million a month during the primary, and was largely visible during the general, pushing his candidates and his agenda across the country. The results were not good — specifically in regards to the white working class. The white working class did not turnout for Feingold in Wisconsin, or for universal healthcare in Colorado. Instead, they voted against Bernie’s platform, and voted for regular big business Republicans.
Why did Sanders underperform Clinton significantly throughout 2016 — first in the primaries, and then with his candidates and initiatives in the general? If Sanders’ platform and candidates had lost, but performed better than Clinton, than that would be an indicator that perhaps he was on to something. If they had actually won, then he could really claim to have momentum. But instead, we saw the opposite result: Sanders’ platform lost, and lost by much bigger margins than Clinton did. It even lost in states Clinton won big. What does that tell us about the future of the Democratic Party? Well, perhaps we need to acknowledge that the Bernie Sanders platform just isn’t as popular as it’s made out to be. |
In Leena Krohn’s novella “Datura, or A Figment Seen by Everyone,” the narrator, who works for a paranormal-news magazine, transcribes the inscrutable fifteenth-century text known as the Voynich manuscript while slowly poisoning herself with the seeds from a datura plant. Datura is known to cause delirium and dissociation, but it may also ease the symptoms of asthma, which the narrator has. Though she is skeptical of supernatural phenomena, the datura slowly undermines that skepticism; each day seems to bring one serendipitous event after another, not to mention mild hallucinations. The narrator describes feeling as though meaning is floating on the surface of things, untethered from their physical reality. “What does the word refer to,” she asks, in a deconstructionist turn, “does it really signify anything at all?” But it’s not that meaning is absent; rather, it is hidden in layers of signification. Like the manuscript she is working on, all books are “ciphers, cryptographies, beyond all interpretation.” A friend urges the narrator to stop eating the seeds, but the damage is done: the hallucinations persist, and in the end she succumbs to the visionary reality of the plant, which she says “took me towards the ultimate secret of existence,” so that she was “willing to trade all that had come before in exchange for it.” “Datura, or A Delusion We All See” is one of the standout stories in “Leena Krohn: Collected Fiction,” published late last year by Cheeky Frawg Books. The collection is the most extensive English translation yet of work by the celebrated Finnish writer, who has been a finalist for the prestigious World Fantasy Award and is a winner of the Finlandia Prize, the country’s most important literary honor. The novels, novellas, excerpts, and short stories included in the Cheeky Frawg collection are not narratives in the traditional sense so much as a series of contextualized impressions. Plot is hard to come by. Instead, Krohn offers up the narrated inner lives of characters trying to make sense of their environments, and of the other people whom they encounter. Many of the works are set in cities, but the worlds that Krohn’s characters inhabit never feel concrete: everything is mediated through particular characters’ perceptions. The reader is left with the sense of having intruded on someone’s dream, in which symbols are revelations of intimate details.
“Absolute reality is and always will be unknowable to us,” Krohn wrote to me recently, in an e-mail. (Her responses to my questions were translated from the Finnish by J. Robert Tupasela, one more layer of decoding.) “Dream images and delusions throw up information, often metaphorical or allegorical,” she added. “In my books, I try to use every channel of information possible, keeping in mind that information is not what is most important in literature, meaning is.” Krohn was born in Helsinki in 1947. Her childhood was full of books and art—her father, Alf Krohn, was a journalist and the editor-in-chief of a Finnish art magazine called Taide—and she picked up an interest in spiritual matters from her paternal grandparents, who were theosophists. Krohn read the “Kalevala” and “Kanteletar,” the mythopoetic epics of Finland, but it was writers like the early twentieth-century poet Eino Leino who affected her most. Leino, in Krohn’s words, “renewed the language of Finnish folkloric poems. The collection ‘Helkavirsiä’ in particular,” she added, “still sings in my memory.” Krohn describes having “ecstatic experiences” while reading poetry at a young age. She studied theoretical philosophy, general psychology, and art history at the University of Helsinki in the late sixties and decided early on that writing was the way to marry her varied interests. Krohn’s work is often categorized as science fiction or fantasy. While her stories do tend toward the speculative—artificial intelligence, transhumanism, otherworldly metropolises—Krohn doesn’t see herself as a genre writer. There “are elements of science fiction and dystopia in my work,” she acknowledged, but in addition to the lyric poetry that influenced her when she was young, today she finds herself influenced by “all prose that is also poetry and philosophy.” Nevertheless, Krohn recognizes the value of science fiction and fantasy to her creative process: she compares such works to the daemon-like entities of Finnish folklore called etiäinen. “They are phantom doubles that precede a person—in that they can anticipate, predict and warn,” she explained. “They are tools with which to poke small peepholes into the mist shrouding the future.” Krohn is fascinated and troubled by the ways that we comprehend reality, and the ways that we fail to do so. “Every computer is now like a neuron in a neural network encompassing the globe,” she wrote in one of her emails. “At best, it will be the next leap in evolution. At worst, it will combine the various absurdities of artificial and human intelligence.” The risk, as Krohn sees it, is that we will lose control of our creation and it will become a tool of “subjugation.” Krohn’s skepticism toward official accounts of reality extends to some serious specifics: in a piece published on the website kaapeli.fi, and dated September 11, 2005, Krohn questions “The 9/11 Commission Report” and cites the work of David Ray Griffin, whose books on the subject are popular with 9/11 truthers. “I do not nominate myself for a truth movement activist,” Krohn told me; still, she is doubtful that the media has accurately portrayed what really happened to the World Trade Center towers, and why. “The media picks a reality for us and hypnotizes us into believing it," Krohn said. “We have to use both our sense and sensibility, when we choose in what we trust.” |
The last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie received almost unanimously negative reviews, but that hasn’t stopped the filmmakers from greenlighting a sequel for 2016. Luckily, we still have fan films to remind us that TMNT can be good.
Veterans of the Night is an awesome short film from TMNT fan Miguel Diaz-Rivera, who wrote and directed it as his thesis project at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
The two coolest details are the fact that he redesigned the turtles to look more like real turtles (unlike the roided-up hulks of the Michael Bay-produced movies), and the Matrix-style slow-motion action sequence. Diaz-Rivera describes it as an homage to the original TMNT comics, but with a “realistic approach.”
As well as being a skilfully made fan film, Veterans of the Night has helped us warm to the idea of a “gritty” version of the Ninja Turtles. Despite the understandably lower production values, this design somehow looks a lot less silly than the blockbuster movie version.
Photo via TheMigmeisterPro/YouTube |
news It could be economically viable for Australia to eventually shift from fibre to the node (FTTN) to fibre to the home (FTTH), but the lack of commercial competition could be an impediment, telecoms expert Paul Budde has said.
Writing on buddeblog.com, the telecoms consultant said that European telcos which rolled out FTTN solutions around 10 years ago now believe that “a profitable business model for a full FTTH network is within reach”.
Uptake of higher-speed packages is “steadily increasing”, and those firms still operating ADSL and HFC networks will move straight to FTTH – “FTTN is no longer on the agenda”. he said.
The move will not happen overnight: while FTTN and HFC are still performing well commercially, European telcos anticipate upgrading possibly in 3-5 years’ time. However, the shift will “most certainly” happen within 10 years.
Such a schedule fits in with those companies’ investment models. Budde said: “Most of the FTTN models were based on a 15-20 year investment plan and a return on their FTTN investments can be reached within this timeframe,” he said.
Australia is some years behind the European and American FTTN cycles, and it is “unlikely” that the country will be able to catch up in the next 10 years, Budde said, because even the initial FTTN networks are not yet in place.
Hence, it is likely that many other nations’ full-fibre networks will be well underway by the time Australia has completed its FTTN rollout.
However, Budde said that if Australia is determined to roll out FTTN, “we need to have a plan in place that will bring us to the next phase of full fibre deployment”.
Based on the overseas situation, it is now clear that it is economically viable to move from FTTN to FTTH, he said, warning:
“An issue here could be that the Australian government has a monopoly on the NBN and so market pressures to upgrade to FTTH might not exist, or might be hampered in our country.”
The Labor Opposition recently announced a new policy on the NBN that would see it support FTTP, yet still keep the legacy HFC networks currently being upgraded to provide fast broadband for the NBN in some areas.
Labor said it would also commission the development of a plan that outlines how and when the parts of Australia still receiving services via FTTN should be transitioned to fibre-to-the-premises.
This plan would be commissioned in the first term of a Shorten Labor Government, the party said. However, with the Coalition claiming victory in the election this week, it now looks unlikely to go ahead.
Image credit: Paul Budde |
Sir John Sawers, the chief of the British intelligence agency MI6, says that Iran will be a nuclear weapons state by 2014, and that an Iran with nuclear weapons would present "huge dangers" to Israel and to the United States. "The Iranians are determinedly going down a path to master all aspects of nuclear weapons; all the technologies they need," he said. "It's equally clear that Israel and the United States would face huge dangers if Iran were to become a nuclear weapon state." He also said that his agency was working to "delay that awful moment when the politicians may have to take a decision between accepting a nuclear-armed Iran or launching a military strike against Iran," and he added: "I think it will be very tough for any prime minister of Israel or president of the United States to accept a nuclear-armed Iran."
These statements suggest one of two things:
1) British intelligence is taking orders from AIPAC and the Likud Party;
2) The chief of British intelligence might be right on the merits; Iran is pursuing nuclear-weapons status, and that this is something that should worry Israel and the entire West.
I'm reasonably sure there are people reading this who believe the answer to be 1). |
Image caption Pannunzi is expected to serve out more than 16 years of his sentence in Italy
Italian police have arrested mafia boss Roberto Pannunzi after he was deported back to Italy from Colombia.
He was detained in a shopping centre in Bogota on Friday in an joint operation carried out by the Colombian authorities and US anti-drug officials.
Pannunzi is alleged to be responsible for importing up to two tonnes of cocaine into Europe every month.
He is the alleged leader of the 'Ndrangheta crime network based in the southern Italian region of Calabria.
The Italian was detained on Friday with the help of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Colombian defence ministry said in a statement.
"When he was captured, Pannunzi identified himself with a fake Venezuelan identification card bearing the name Silvano Martino," Colombia's defence ministry said in a Twitter post.
Less than 24 hours later, he was put on a plane from Bogota.
Pannunzi was arrested by Italian police upon his arrival at Rome's Fiumicino airport on Saturday evening.
'Not a mafioso'
Roberto Pannunzi, 65, is said to have organised huge shipments of cocaine from South America to Europe.
He collected the money from different criminal organisations and smuggled large scale, profitable drug smuggling operations.
"He is not a mafioso, not a killer, he is a broker," Roberto Saviano, an Italian investigative journalist told the AFP news agency.
Roberto Pannunzi, 65, was first detained in Colombia in 1994 and extradited to Italy but was released when his detention order expired.
He was re-arrested in 2004 and later convicted. But he staged an dramatic escape from a private hospital in Rome in 2010, where he was being treated for heart disease.
Italian authorities have described the 'Ndrangheta as the country's most dangerous and wealthiest crime syndicate, overtaking the Sicilian Mafia.
"He is the biggest cocaine importer in the world," said Nicola Gratteri, deputy chief prosecutor in the Reggio Calabria province. |
GUSTINE, Texas (ABC) - In Gustine, population 457, what happens at the schoolhouse affects nearly everyone. And something happened Monday that is causing a big controversy in this small town.
"I felt uncomfortable, and I didn't want to do it," 11-year-old Eliza Medina. "I felt like they violated my privacy."
She was one of about two dozen elementary students who were rounded up in the small town 90 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
Eliza's mother, Maria Medina, said boys were taken to one room, girls to another, and they were ordered "to pull down their pants to check them to see if they could find anything."
Eliza's mom explained that educators "have been finding poop on the gym floor." She can imagine the frustration, but said even for feces on the floor, you don't partially strip search a group of students to find the culprit.
"I was furious ... I mean, I was furious," Medina said. "If you can't do your job or you don't know what you're doing, you need to be fired. You shouldn't be here."
Eliza said she tried to protest.
"I said I didn't want to, but I was told I had to because all the kids had to," she said.
Gustine Independent School District Superintendent Ken Baugh acknowledged that making kids drop their drawers goes too far.
"That's not appropriate, and we do not condone that. So you would take disciplinary action," he said.
But Baugh said early into the investigation, his understanding is that the children were told to lower their pants just a little.
Eliza Medina insists it was more than that.
"Like ... to where your butt is," is how she put it.
And her mother contends that even if it were just a little (which she doesn't think it was), having kids line up and expose their underwear for inspection is simply unacceptable.
"Wrong is wrong," Medina said.
The superintendent is hoping to have his investigation into this incident wrapped up by Wednesday, after he has heard from all parties involved.
He may yet get an earful on Thursday night, though. Some angry parents are already planning to show up at the school board meeting to demand that someone be held accountable.
"Maybe we can find a much better way to solve this," Superintendent Baugh said. |
Apparently, Jared Sullinger is not considered one of the league's nine best rookies.
Sullinger was not selected to participate in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge game to be played on Friday, Feb. 15 in Houston, the first night of the league's All-Star Weekend. Despite averaging 7.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in January, Sullinger's accomplishments were not enough to sway NBA assistant coaches to include him among the nine-man rookie roster.
The rookies chosen to play in the game are Anthony Davis (New Orleans), Damian Lillard (Portland), Harrison Barnes (Golden State), Bradley Beal (Washington), Andre Drummond (Detroit), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Charlotte), Alexy Shved (Minnesota), Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller (Cleveland).
Overall, Sullinger is averaging six points and six rebounds and a PER of 13.70 in just over 20 minutes per game for the C's. He's played in all 44 of the team's games thus far. |
Have you heard about the veggie-eating dog who lived to the ripe age of 27? That’s 189 dog years!
The dog, Bramble, a blue merle Collie, lived in the UK and held the Guinness World Record for being the oldest living dog at the time.
What’s most amazing about this story is that the dog actually lived on a vegan diet of rice, lentils and organic vegetables.
She ate once a day and exercised a lot.
The owner of the dog, Anne Heritage, was a vegan herself. She just fed Bramble a big bowl of vegan dinner every evening. She explains that Bramble “is an inspiration and [he] just goes to show that if you eat the right things and keep on exercising you can extend your life”.
Seven Human Years for Every One Dog Year
The age of 189 years comes from the common usage of counting 7 human years for every one dog year. This method is sometimes debated, but any way you count it – Bramble lived a long life.
There have been long living non-vegetarian dogs also. For example, an Australian Cattle Dog named Bluey who lived to 29 years and five months old.
Aren’t dogs carnivores?
Some experts say that dogs are scavenging carnivores, meaning they are naturally meat eaters but can sustain themselves on other protein sources.
Other experts say that dogs are omnivores, animals that can live on a diet composed of meat, fruits and vegetables. Their systems are capable of digesting and combining various forms of proteins in just the same way a human’s system can. Everyone agrees that cats are different. Cats really are complete carnivores.
Experts say if you are thinking of switching your dog’s diet to vegetarian, it’s best for their health if you start young. That way, there’s no need for their bodies to adjust. The people who do this are usually vegetarians or vegans themselves. You might be a vegetarian for health reasons, for humane reasons or for environmental reasons. A medium sized meat-eating dog, for example, has more of an environmental impact than a gas guzzling SUV due to the amount of land and water that meat production requires.
I’m not an expert on dogs but I do know we have tested a small sampling of them with our Vital Health Testing. This testing, which normally tests humans, has also been used by concerned pet owners. Vegetarian dogs did NOT test as protein-deficient, even when tested alongside meat-eating dogs.
This story or information does not prove your dog SHOULD be vegetarian or vegan. It does show that dogs CAN thrive on such a diet.
What About Humans & Vegetarian Diets?
A major portion of the world population lives quite nicely on a vegetarian diet much like Bramble’s, especially when you consider Bramble’s dinners mostly consisted of rice, beans and vegetables. That’s exactly what has sustained most Asian cultures for centuries.
At Real Food For Life, we don’t say that everyone has to be vegetarian or vegan, but many people would be healthier eating less meat, or eating meat with better combinations of other foods. We TEACH people how to plan and prepare exactly such a meal as Bramble’s in our weekend web BootCamps. Sometimes the focus is on alkaline balance, sometimes weight loss and sometimes gluten-free cooking.
Carnivores traditionally live the shortest lives across the board in nature. Vegetarians outlive many of their meat-eating neighbors. If you look at a dog’s teeth structure, the jaw structure and the digestion system of a dog, it’s pretty clear that dogs are more physically adapted to eating meat than humans.
If humans are more suited to a vegetarian diet, there is a very good possibility humans can live long and healthy lives eating LOTS of vegetables and fruits. We encourage you to do so!
If a dog can live 189 years, maybe you can too?
Are YOU a vegetarian? Is your dog?
Written by Randy Fritz, co-creator with Diana Herrington of Real Food For Life.
Related
4 Dog Food Allergy Myths
Can’t Change the Facts: Cats Need Meat
10 Safe “People Foods” For Your Dog |
Nick Saban, you sly devil. As the Alabama head coach prepares his team for Clemson this week, Saban said that he’s going to use former Bama players to prepare his defense for Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Asked if he'll use any former players on the scout team this week to help prepare for Deshaun Watson, Saban answered, "Yep" — Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 5, 2017
It’s unclear just who exactly he’ll utilize for this, but Saban has done this before throughout the season.
During the telecast of the Alabama-LSU game, you might’ve heard CBS’s Gary Danielson talk about Alabama’s scout team.
Danielson discussed how former Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson and former running back Trent Richardson practiced with the Tide during the run-up to the LSU game. Wilson impersonated LSU’s Danny Etling, and Richardson was Leonard Fournette’s doppelganger.
You might’ve thought he was joking. I mean, how in the world can Alabama deploy former players during practice?
Well, pretty easily.
Former QB Blake Sims was a stand-in for Texas A&M’s Trevor Knight a few weeks ago, as well.
The NCAA mandates that in order to practice, a student-athlete must be enrolled “in a minimum full-time program of studies,” which makes perfect sense. To practice on a team, you have to be a student ... duh.
But Alabama used an exception to the practice rules that was adopted in 2011. NCAA bylaw 14.2.1.6 reads:
A former student at the certifying institution (e.g., former student-athlete) may participate in an organized practice session on an occasional basis, provided the institution does not publicize the participation of the former student at any time before the practice session.
Essentially, as long as each player’s participation is “occasional” and Bama doesn’t blast information to the public beforehand on alumni at practice, everything’s good. Any team could do this kind of thing.
With the regime the way it is, leaks aren’t exactly easy to come by in Tuscaloosa. Do you think Saban was gonna be flippant enough to make sure this wasn’t absolutely above board before it happened? He told the media during Alabama’s bye week that everything was a-OK, or they wouldn’t have done it.
"We try to stay on top of the rules," Saban said. "We have people in our administration who do a good job of letting us know what we can and can't do and we would never do something like that unless we got it approved by the SEC office, which we did, and the NCAA."
What we also have here is also mutually beneficial relationship.
It could be reasonably assumed that Richardson and Sims of them are trying to get back onto a pro team. Richardson’s most recent sniff with the NFL was cut short by a knee injury. Last we heard from Sims, he was getting a workout with the Falcons, but nothing came of it. (Wilson hasn’t been on an NFL roster since 2013.)
Saban knows the opportunity could be good for his team as well as for his former charges.
"Well, you know, Blake just got released," Saban said. "So he was looking for some place to work so that he had a chance to get better. And based on our situation at quarterback and the kind of guy that we were playing against it was really convenient to have him here to help us last week."
But is Alabama paying these former players?
SB Nation spoke to someone in NCAA compliance at an FBS school, who doubts it.
“Occasional practice by a former student-athlete of the institution is permissible,” they said. “But I've never heard of someone paying a former SA. Not sure that would be permissible.”
And in the off chance that one of the players were to get injured?
Bama should be clear, as long as the players signed a waiver.
“They should be completing a release of liability before being allowed to [practice],” the compliance staffer said.
The Tide players are getting good work, too. CB Marlon Humphrey said tackling Richardson as faux Fournette still isn’t exactly a day at the beach.
“I think Trent gave a pretty good look, and John Parker, too,” Humphrey said. “Tackling Trent last week, man, that’s a big guy, man. I think it’s also pretty cool just going against those guys knowing what they’ve done with the program. I have a lot of respect for those guys.”
Scout team impersonation is nothing new. The way Bama’s doing it, though, is unique.
Usually, you use backups that are on the team for this.
Bama’s had a recent history of getting creative here. In the prep for the 2016 National Championship, Bama had Jalen Hurts (who had just arrived on campus as an early enrollee) wear No. 4 and become the scout team Deshaun Watson.
The use of alums is yet another example of Alabama using something to eek out an advantage. In the same title game, the Tide had an onside kick cooked up to swing the game at a pivotal point.
But this isn’t poring over game tape with a fine-tooth comb. It’s using former players who are familiar with the way Alabama practices to do what Alabama does best: gain an edge in any way. |
See breaking news? Share your photos and video with CNN iReport. iReporter Gavin Blowman posted videos of quake destruction and the high sea level.
(CNN) -- A 6.3-magnitude earthquake ripped through Christchurch, New Zealand, on Tuesday afternoon, causing multiple fatalities as it toppled buildings onto buses, buckled streets and damaged cathedrals, authorities said.
New Zealand Police announced on the agency's website that a large-scale evacuation of the central city was under way. According to the news release, the earthquake killed an undetermined number of people at various locations around the city, including passengers on two buses crushed by buildings that had fallen on them.
TVNZ reported that the 147-year-old Christchurch Cathedral's spire had toppled, Christchurch Hospital was being evacuated and the airport was closed.
Laura Campbell told CNN she was at work at the bottom of a six-story building when the earthquake struck. She described seeing "windows blowing out, bricks falling down, people screaming, the whole nine yards."
"It was bloody serious," said Campbell, who was trying to walk home. "I'm worried about what I'm going to find down the road."
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck just before 1 p.m. Tuesday (7 p.m. Monday ET), and a 5.6-magnitude aftershock struck about 15 minutes later. The U.S.G.S. recorded a second 5.5-magnitude aftershock shortly before 3 p.m. local time.
The New Zealand Herald reported that phone lines in the area were out, including the city's emergency 111 service, roads were cracked -- in some cases lifted as much as a meter (1 yard) -- and water mains had burst, flooding several streets.
Witness Philip Gregan said he was attending a joint U.S.- New Zealand conference when the earthquake struck.
"I'm seeing a lot of damage in buildings, there are glass and bricks in the road. I've seen one collapsed bridge and there's a lot of water from broken water mains," he told CNN. "I saw one (injured) person in the back of a police car and one of our colleagues saw a person crushed by falling debris, so there are definitely dead."
New Zealand's transit authority told TVNZ that it had been unable to reach its staff in Christchurch and at the Lyttleton Tunnel, which is near the epicenter.
Christchurch police told TVNZ that the city's 106-year-old Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was badly damaged, and a Herald reporter said that half the building had collapsed.
Camera footage aired by the station showed piles of stone lying atop crushed chairs on the floor of the cathedral with light shining through the collapsed tower above the sanctuary.
Witness Gavin Blowman told CNN how he ran into the street when the earthquake struck.
"It felt like I was running on jelly," he said. "We saw a giant rock tumble to the ground from a cliff -- a rock that had been there for millennia. It fell on the RSA (Returned Services Association, a veterans' association) building -- it was terrifying."
He said there were now fears that a tsunami could hit in the wake of the quake and that he and 20 other people were trying to get to higher ground.
Flying out of the city currently was not an option in the hours immediately after the quake.
"The airport is currently closed until further notice," an airport employee told CNN some two hours after the quake.
All planes inbound for the airport were being diverted, and no planes were allowed to take off. No one was injured at the airport, he said. The employee did not give his name and wanted to clear the phone line to continue emergency work.
The quake caused significant damage to several older buildings, a Herald reporter said.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said he would attend an emergency Cabinet meeting in Wellington and then fly to Christchurch if conditions allow.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker told Radio New Zealand that the rumbling tossed him across the room, that he knew of injuries in the city council building and has heard unconfirmed reports of serious injuries.
"That was, in the city central anyway, as violent as the one that happened on the 4th of September," he said.
Parker added that streets were jammed as people tried to get out of the city, and he urged people to avoid the water supply.
"We've been through this before this once, we now need to think what we did at that time," he said.
Southern New Zealand has been plagued by a series of quakes since September, when the area was shaken by a 7.1-magnitude temblor that New Zealand authorities said was the most damaging quake to hit the region since 1931. The earthquake struck in the predawn hours of September 4. Authorities said the deserted streets at that time likely kept injuries to a minimum.
There were no deaths from that earthquake.
Both the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and the Anglican Christchurch Cathedral were undergoing repairs after being badly damaged by the September quake.
The quake struck in the "worst possible location," Kevin Fenaughty, data center manager for GNS Science, told the Herald.
"It's a nightmare," he said. "A lot of people were just getting back on their feet after the original quake."
TVNZ also reported that its newsroom in Christchurch was badly damaged. |
From The Cutting Room Floor
Mario Kart Arcade GP Developers: Namco, Nintendo
Publisher: Namco
Platform: Arcade (Triforce)
Released in JP: December 2005
Released in US: October 2005
This game has unused areas.
This game has uncompiled source code.
This game has hidden development-related text.
This game has unused graphics.
The red-hatted stepchild of the Mario Kart franchise: a Namco-developed arcade racer in which Mario and Pac-Man meet for the first time. Snubbed by Nintendo in the numbering of Mario Kart 7 and later 8, the game and its sequel both feature cameras mounted above the screen and magnetic save cards for recording progress.
Images
Three JPG images exist in the Arcade GP ROM: camtest00.jpg, camtest01.jpg and camtest02.jpg. It can be assumed that these were somehow used during testing for the NamCam player portrait feature. The EXIF data of all images shows they were processed with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 in 2004.
Possibly a color test. EXIF data shows it was modified on 10th October 2004 21:34:06.
The second image depicts the mascots of Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan. EXIF data shows it was modified on 14th December 2004 20:00:51.
The source of the third picture is slightly... bizarre. It is a picture of the Beslan school hostage crisis, a terrorist attack where over 1,100 people were taken hostage by armed separatist militants in a school in Beslan, North Ossetia (Russian Federation). Originally photographed by Yuri Tutov, and can be purchased from Getty Images. EXIF data shows it was modified on 9th September 2004 12:25:57.
Test Course
This needs some investigation.
Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page.
A number of files in the ROM are prefixed with "test_course":
test_course_bm.dat
test_course_coconut.dat
test_course_f_ship.dat
test_course_ground.dat
test_course_obj.dat
test_course_road.dat
test_course_start_gate.dat
Whether these make up a complete, playable course is not yet known.
Development Text
Root
Some server information. This file can be found in an archive along with a file named Entries, which contains a full list of assets. Yamana refers to staff member Masami Yamana.
:pserver:[email protected]:/Users/kartuser/CVS
selist00.h
A header file with an index of defines for sound effects.
#define SE_ID_ENGINE1 0 #define SE_ID_SKID 1 #define SE_ID_ENGINE1_NO_LOOP 2 #define SE_ID_SKID_NO_LOOP 3 #define SE_ID_SIRATASMA_FIRE 4 #define SE_ID_SIRATASMA_VOICE 5 #define SE_ID_SIRATASMA_SMOKE 6 #define SE_ID_GOAL 7
公開シンボル.txt
"Jyugemu" is the Japanese name for Lakitu. "finalrap" is "final lap". Sorry to disappoint.
○表示 ●非表示 ------------------------------------------------------ jyugemu_start ○signal ○hari ●final_obj ●flag_obj ●reverse_obj ○sao ------------------------------------------------------ jyugemu_flag ●signal ●hari ●final_obj ○flag_obj ●reverse_obj ●sao ------------------------------------------------------ jyugemu_reverce ●signal ○hari ●final_obj ●flag_obj ○reverse_obj ○sao ------------------------------------------------------ jyugemu_finalrap ●signal ○hari ○final_obj ●flag_obj ●reverse_obj ○sao |
R eposted with permission from The Claremont Review of Books.
Well, that was unexpected.
Everything I said in “The Flight 93 Election” was derivative of things I had already said, with (I thought) more vim and vigor, in a now-defunct blog. I assumed the new piece would interest a handful of that blog’s remaining fans and no one else. My predictive powers proved imperfect.
Which should cheer everyone who hated what I said: if I was wrong about the one thing, maybe I’m wrong about the others. But let me take the various objections in ascending order of importance.
First is the objection to anonymity and specifically to the pseudonym. Anonymity supposedly proves that I am a coward, while the use of “Decius” shows that I am a hypocrite. What am I risking? I freely admit that I don’t expect to die. But I do have something to lose, and may well yet lose it. I could easily have not written anything. How could speaking up possibly have been more cowardly than silence?
Second is the objection to my invoking Flight 93. I refer such objectors to Stanton’s words at the death of Lincoln: “Now he belongs to the ages.” Heroes always belong to the ages. For all of recorded history, men have drawn inspiration from, and made analogies to, their heroes. Speaking only of us Americans, for more than 200 years, we’ve been making Bunker Hill analogies, Gettysburg and Picket’s Charge analogies, San Juan Hill, Belleau Wood, D-Day, Okinawa, Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh, and so on and on. But all of a sudden this is “disgusting.” It’s quite obvious that what’s really disgusting to these objectors is Trump. Which they could say forthrightly without recourse to the cheap, left-wing tactic of feigned, selective outrage over a time-honored rhetorical device that goes back to the Greeks, which conservatives are perfectly happy to use when it suits their immediate interest.
Some also complained about the aptness of the analogy: the plane crashed! Well, yes, and this one might too. Then again, it might not. It depends in part on what action the electorate chooses to take. The passengers of Flight 93 roused themselves. They succeeded insofar as that plane did not hit its intended target. The temptation not to rouse oneself in a time of great peril is always strong. In another respect, the analogy is even more apt. All of the passengers on Flight 93—and all of the victims at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon—died owing in part to a disastrously broken immigration system that didn’t then and still doesn’t serve the interests of the American people. Which also happens to be the core issue at stake in this election.
A third objection is that Trump is immoderate in the Aristotelian, or personal, sense and I don’t take that into sufficient account. I have even been lambasted for acknowledging, but not going into detail on, Trump’s faults—as if that theme hasn’t been done to death elsewhere. Trump is not the statesman I would have chosen for this moment. My preferences run toward Washington, Lincoln, Churchill, Reagan, and the like. Trump doesn’t measure up to any of them. But his flaws are overstated. One of the dumber things often said about Trump is that “you can’t trust him with the nuclear codes.” This statement, first, betrays a complete lack of understanding of nuclear command and control. More important, it’s an extraordinary calumny, one that accuses the man of a wish or propensity to commit mass murder on the scale of Pol Pot. On what basis does anyone make such an accusation? Can Trump be erratic, obnoxious, and offensive? Of course, he can be all that and more. But while these qualities are not virtues, they may well have helped him punch through the Overton Window, in which case I am willing to make allowances.
For this objection to be decisive, Trump’s personal immoderation would have to be on a level that aspires to tyrannical rule. I don’t see it. Not even close. The charge of “buffoon” seems a million times more apt than “tyrant.” And even so, one must wonder how buffoonish the alleged buffoon really is when he is right on the most important issues while so many others who are esteemed wise are wrong. Hillary Clinton launched the Libya war, perhaps the worst security policy mistake in US history—which divided a country between two American enemies and anarchy, and took a stream of refugees into Europe and surged it into a flood. She pledges to vastly increase the refugee flow from the Middle East into our communities (and, mark my words, they will be Red State communities). Trump by contrast promises not to launch misguided wars, to protect our borders, and to focus immigration policy on the well-being of the currently-constituted American people. Who is truly more moderate: the colorful loudmouth with the sensible agenda or the corrupt, icy careerist with the radical agenda?
The fourth objection is that I, or what I advocate, am/is immoderate, dangerous, radical, imprudent, and so on. This is a large claim that will require significant exploration. To those of you who complained about the length of the other one, best to tune out now.
My use (once each) the terms thymos and virtù was taken as evidence that I am advocating a politics of “great daring” or some such. I’d like to be generous here and just presume this is a misunderstanding. I suggest to anyone who holds this interpretation to look at the specific contexts in which those words were used. The former referred to go-along, get-along conservative intellectuals, who could do with a double dose of thymos. Several writers on the Left obligingly made the point. Good conservatism adheres to the parameters we set for you. You may say this, but not this. If you do and say what we tell you to, your reward will be that we will call you racist Nazis a little less. Also, what we allow as “good conservatism” will drift ever leftward, so that something we permitted a year or two ago is subject to revocation without notice and you better get on board immediately or the deal is off. Conservatism has accepted this “bargain”—hence its lack of thymos—yet amazingly thinks of itself as standing firm for eternal principle. But when I write in praise of virtue, morality, religious faith, stability, character, education, social norms and public order, initiative, enterprise, industry and thrift, and prudent statesmanship; when I warn against paternalistic Big Government, the decay of our educational system, and the cannibalization of civil society and religious institutions—time-honored conservative themes all—the Left responds with “insane,” “deranged,” “chilling,” and “poison.” And the same conservatives who cite adherence to conservative principle as their reason for opposing Trump side with…the Left.
As for the reference to virtù, the context was my recommendation of that supremely radical and immoderate act of…voting. Has it come to this? Merely advocating that people vote for a candidate who promises to further their interests—and the nominee of one of the two major parties in a party system that traces back to 1800 at least—this is now immoderate and “daring.”
That is of course exactly the way the Left wants to frame this election. The same way that they define for us what acceptable conservatism can and cannot be, they now assert the right to choose—or at least veto—our candidates. And we supinely go along.
A point from the earlier essay is worth repeating. Conservatives have shouted since the beginning of Trump’s improbable rise: He’s not one of us! He is not conservative! And, indeed, in many ways, Trump is downright liberal. You might think that would make him more acceptable to the Left. But no. As “compassionate conservatism” did nothing to blunt leftist hatred of George W. Bush, neither do Trump’s quasi-liberal economic positions. In fact, they hate Trump much more. Trump is not conservative enough for the conservatives but way too conservative for the Left, yet somehow they find common cause. Earlier I posited that the reason is Trump’s position on immigration. Let me add two others.
The first is simply that Trump might win. He is not playing his assigned role of gentlemanly loser the way McCain and Romney did, and may well have tapped into some previously untapped sentiment that he can ride to victory. This is a problem for both the Right and the Left. The professional Right (correctly) fears that a Trump victory will finally make their irrelevance undeniable. The Left knows that so long as Republicans kept playing by the same rules and appealing to the same dwindling base of voters, there was no danger. Even if one of the old breed had won, nothing much would have changed, since their positions on the most decisive issues were effectively the same as the Democrats and because they posed no serious challenge to the administrative state.
Which points to the far more important reason. I urge readers to go back through John Marini’s argument, to which I cannot do anything close to full justice. Suffice to say here, the current governing arrangement of the United States is rule by a transnational managerial class in conjunction with the administrative state. To the extent that the parties are adversarial at the national level, it is merely to determine who gets to run the administrative state for four years. Challenging the administrative state is out of the question. The Democrats are united on this point. The Republicans are at least nominally divided. But those nominally opposed (to the extent that they even understand the problem, which is: not much) are unwilling or unable to actually doanything about it. Are challenges to the administrative state allowed only if they are guaranteed to be ineffectual? If so, the current conservative movement is tailor-made for the task. Meanwhile, the much stronger Ryan wing of the Party actively abets the administrative state and works to further the managerial class agenda.
Trump is the first candidate since Reagan to threaten this arrangement. To again oversimplify Marini (and Aristotle), the question here is: who rules? The many or the few? The people or the oligarchs? Our Constitution says: the people are sovereign, and their rule is mediated through representative institutions, limited by written Constitutional norms. The administrative state says: experts must rule because various advances (the march of history) have made governing too complicated for public deliberation, and besides, the unwise people often lack knowledge of their own best interests even on rudimentary matters. When the people want something that they shouldn’t want or mustn’t have, the administrative state prevents it, no matter what the people vote for. When the people don’t want something that the administrative state sees as salutary or necessary, it is simply imposed by fiat.
Don’t want more immigration? Too bad, we know what’s best. Think bathrooms should be reserved for the two biological sexes? Too bad, we rule. And so on and on.
To all the “conservatives” yammering about my supposed opposition to Constitutional principle (more on that below) and who hate Trump, I say: Trump is mounting the first serious national-political defense of the Constitution in a generation. He may not see himself in those terms. I believe he sees himself as a straightforward patriot who just wants to do what is best for his country and its people. Whatever the case, he is asserting the right of the sovereign people to make their government do what they want it to do, and not do things they don’t want it to do, in the teeth of determined opposition from a managerial class and administrative state that want not merely different policies but above all to perpetuate their own rule.
If the Constitution has any force or meaning, then “We the People” get to decide not merely who gets to run the administrative state—which, whatever the outcome, will always continue on the same path—more fundamentally, we get to decide what policies we want and which we don’t. Apparently, to the whole Left and much of the Right, this stance is immoderate and dangerous. The people who make that charge claim to do so in defense of Constitutional principle. I can’t square that circle. Can you?
(To those tempted to accuse me of advocating a crude majoritarianism, I refer you to what I said above and will say below on the proper, Constitutional operation of the United States government as originally designed and improved by the pre-Progressive Amendments.)
One must also wonder what is so “immoderate” about Trump’s program. As noted, it’s to the left of the last several decades of Republican-conservative orthodoxy. “Moderate” in the modern political (as opposed to the Aristotelean) sense tends to be synonymous with “centrist.” By that definition, Trump is a moderate. That’s why National Review and the rest of the conservatives came out of the gate so strongly against him. I admit that, not all that long ago, I probably would have too. But I have come to see conservatism in a different light. To oversimplify (again), the only “eternal principle” is the good. What, specifically, is good in a political context varies with the times and with circumstance, as does how best to achieve the good in a given context. The good is not tax rates or free trade. Those aren’t even principles. In the American political context, the good is the well-being of the physical America and its people, well-being defined (in terms that reflect both Aristotle and the American founding) as their “safety and happiness.” That’s what conservatism should be working to conserve.
Trump seems to grasp that the best way to do so in these times is to promote more solidarity and unity. The “conservatives” by contrast think it means more individualism. Neither of these, either, is an eternal principle. Prudence calls for a balance. Few would want the maximized (and forced) unity of ancient Sparta or modern North Korea. Only fool libertarians seek the maximized individualism of Ayn Rand. No unity means no nation. No individualism means no liberty. In an actual republic, a balance must be maintained, which can require occasional course corrections. In 1980, after a decade of stagnation, we needed an infusion of individualism. In 2016, we are too fragmented and atomized—united for the most part only by being equally under the thumb of the administrative state—and desperately need more unity.
Which means that Trump, right now, is right and the conservatives are wrong. His moderate program of secure borders, economic nationalism, and America-first foreign policy—all things that liberals and conservatives alike used to take for granted, if they disagreed on implementation—holds the promise of fostering more unity. But today, liberals are apoplectic at the mere mention of this program—controlling borders is “extreme” but a “borderless world” is the “ultimate wisdom”—and the Finlandized conservatives aid them in attacking the candidate who promotes it. Conservatives claim to deplore the way the Democrats slice and dice the electorate, reduce it to voting blocks and interest groups, and stoke resentments to boost turnout. But faced with a candidate explicitly running on a unity agenda they insist he is too extreme to trust with the reins of power. One wants to ask, again: which is it, conservatives? Is Trump to be rejected because he is too moderate or because he is too extreme? The answer appears to be that it doesn’t matter, so long as Trump is rejected.
So that’s my “immoderate” case for Trump: do things that are in the interests of lower, working, and middle class Americans in order to improve their lives and increase unity across all swaths and sectors of society. And in so doing, reassert the people’s rightful, Constitutional control of their government. “Dangerous.” “Extreme.” “Radical.” “Poison.” “Authoritarian.”
Which points to the fifth objection: in giving reasons for Trump, I oppose the Constitution and support “authoritarianism.” First of all, I don’t even know what the latter is—beyond the discredited Adorno study that the Left still uses to tar everyone to its right as Nazis. If we simply go by the wiki definition—“authoritarianism is a form of government characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms”—that sounds to me much more like the administrative state than anything Trump has proposed. Or do you mean “fascist”? Then say so. I have some idea of what that is. Or do you mean “tyrant”? I certainly know what that is. Are you saying Trump is one, or wants to be, or that I welcome either?
More risible—downright intelligence-insulting—is to read liberals accuse conservatives of wanting to trash the Constitution. Really. The Left has been insisting for more than a century that our Constitution is fatally flawed, written for another age, outmoded, hypocritical, hopelessly undermined by slavery and racism and sexism and property requirements, and so much else. Conservatives who argue for originalism and strict construction and federalism—sticking exactly to the letter of the Constitution—are called racists because everyone supposedly knows that the former are mere “code words.”
This is a very large topic, and for those interested, there is an equally large body of scholarship that explains it all in detail. For now, let’s just ask ourselves two questions. First, how do the mechanics of government, as written in the Constitution, differ from current practice? Second, how well are the rights Amendments observed? As to the first, we do still have those three branches of government mentioned. But we also have a fourth, hidden in plain sight within the executive, namely the bureaucracy or administrative state. It both usurps legislative power and uses executive power in an unaccountable way. Congress does not use its own powers but meekly defers to the executive and to the bureaucracy. The executive does whatever it wants. The judiciary also usurps legislative and, when it’s really feeling its oats, executive power through the use of consent decrees and the like. And that’s just the feds—before we even get to the relationship between the feds and the states. As to the second, can you think of a single amendment among the Bill of Rights that is not routinely violated—with the acquiescence and approval of the Left? I can’t.
All this happened because, for more than a century, the Left has been working at best to “change” and “update” the Constitution, and at worst to ignore it or get around it. This agenda is not hidden but announced and boasted of. Yet when someone on the Right points out that the Constitution—by design—no longer works as designed, that the U.S. government does not in practice function as a Constitutional republic, we are lambasted as “authoritarian.”
That’s a malicious lie. The truth is that the Left pushed and dragged us here. You wanted this. We didn’t. You didn’t like the original Constitution. We did and do. You didn’t want it to operate as designed because when it does it too often prevents you from doing what you want to do. So you actively worked to give the courts and the bureaucracy the last word, some of you for high-minded reasons of sincere conviction, but most of you simply because you know they’re on your side. You said it would be better this way. When we opposed you, you call us “racists.” Now that you’ve got what you wanted, and we acknowledge your success, you call us “authoritarian” and “anti-Constitutionalist.” This is gaslighting on the level of “If you like your health care, you can keep your health care.” Exasperating and infuriating, yet impressive in its shamelessness. But that’s the Left for you: l’audace, l’audace—toujours l’audace.
My argument was and is a lament. I differ in no respect from my conservative brethren in my reverence for constitutional government in general or for the United States Constitution in particular. No respect, it seems, but one. They seem to think we are one election away from turning everything around—only, you know, not 2016, but the next one when we can run Cruz. Whereas I fear we are one election away from losing the last vestiges forever.
Which brings me to the final two objections, which are really the same: I am said to be insane, and my insanity is supposedly evident from my contention that things are really bad, when in fact they are not that bad.
I would be overjoyed to read a convincing account of why things are not that bad, why—despite appearances—the republic is healthy, Constitutional norms are respected, the working class and hinterland communities are in good shape, social pathologies are low or at least declining, our elites prioritize the common good, our intellectuals and the media are honest and fair. Or if that’s too big a lift, how about one that acknowledges all the problems and outlines some reasonable prospect for renewal? But only if it’s believable. No skipped steps and no magical thinking. Dr. Conservatism needs to do better than his habitual “Sorry about the cancer, here’s a bottle of aspirin.”
If someone writes such a piece, I promise to read it and try to be persuaded by it. You might be doing me—and others whom I have misguidedly misled—a great favor. Only a fool would choose pessimism for its own sake. In my case, it chose me, against my will, because in current circumstances it just seems more plausible—in greater alignment with the observable facts—than optimism. But if I’m wrong, have at it. That’s what I meant by my reference to the agora. Arriving at the truth is hard enough with open, honest debate. It’s impossible without it. So flay me, by all means, and I will try to learn something.
I would also be overjoyed to be persuaded that the country into which I was born, which I have always loved instinctively, and which I was taught to love at the deepest theoretical level, is not in grave peril. Or if it is, that it can be saved even after eight more years of “fundamental transformation”—which means administrative state consolidation and managerial class entrenchment.
Alas, my venture into the agora has not yet changed my mind. Every four years the electorate becomes more unfavorable to Republican candidates, owing above all to mass immigration, which so many Republicans still self-sabotagingly support. We could not even deny reelection to Barack Obama, whose first term was a dismal failure by every measure, because he was able to overwhelm us with sheer demographics. “Quantity has a quality all its own.” It will be worse in 2020 than it is now in 2016, just as 2016 is worse than 2012. Not to get all Rubio on you, but they know exactly what they’re doing.
If Hillary wins, there will still be a country, in the sense of a geographic territory with a people, a government, and various institutions. Things will mostly look the same, just as—outwardly—Rome changed little on the ascension of Augustus. It will not be tyranny or Caesarism—not yet. But it will represent, in my view, an irreversible triumph for the administrative state. Consider that no president has been denied reelection since 1992. If we can’t beat the Democrats now, what makes anyone think we could in 2020, when they will have all the advantages of incumbency plus four more years of demographic change in their favor? And if we can’t win in 2016 or 2020, what reason is there to hope for 2024? Will the electorate be more Republican? More conservative? Will Constitutional norms be stronger?
The country will go on, but it will not be a Constitutional republic. It will be a blue state on a national scale. Only one party will really matter. A Republican may win now and again—once in a generation, perhaps—but only a neutered one who has “updated” all his positions so as to be more in tune with the new electorate. I.e., who has done exactly what the Left has for years been concern-trolling us to do: move left and become more like them. Yet another irony: the “conservatives” who object to Trump as too liberal are working to guarantee that only a Republican far more liberal than Trump could ever win the presidency again.
Still and all, for many—potentially me included—life under perma-liberalism will be nice. If you are in the managerial class, you will probably do well—so long as you don’t say the wrong thing. (And, as noted, the list of “wrong things” will be continuously updated, so make sure you keep up.)
Professional conservatives seem to believe that their prospects will remain yoked to that of the managerial class. Maybe, but I doubt it. Eventually their donors are going to wake up and figure out what the Democrats and the Left realized long ago: conservatives serve no purpose any more. Then the money will dry up and—what then? To the extent that our “conservatives” soldier on eo nomine, life will be a lot worse for them than their current, comfortable status as Washington Generals. They will have to adjust to dhimmitude. I can’t tell if they don’t understand this, or do and accept it. Then again, what difference, at this point, would that make?
For the rest of you—flyover people—the decline will continue. But things are pretty bad now yet you can still eat and most of you have cars, flat screens, and air conditioners. So what are you complaining about?
Keep in mind, this is the best case scenario. Which leaves open the larger questions raised in the prior essay that gave so many the vapors: how long could that possibly last? And what follows when it ends? The #NeverTrumpers don’t even attempt to answer the second because their implicit answer to the first is: forever. Who knew they were all closet Hegelians? Yet I’m called nuts for raising doubts.
Can we at least finally admit, squarely, that conservatism has failed? On the very terms that it set for itself? I don’t mean that in an accusatory or celebratory way—I’m, quite sad about it, honest!—only as a matter of plain fact.
One of those who most objected to the Flight 93 analogy also accused me of “sophistry.” I remind him that, according to Aristotle, “the Sophists identified or almost identified politics with rhetoric. In other words, the Sophists believed or tended to believe in the omnipotence of speech.” Is that not a near-perfect description of modern conservative intellectuals, or at least of their revealed preferences? Except that one wonders what, in their case, is the source of that belief, since they haven’t been able to accomplish anything in the political realm through speech or any other means in a generation.
One can point to a few enduring successes: Tax rates haven’t approached their former stratosphere highs. On the other hand, the Left is busy undoing welfare and policing reform. Beyond that, we’ve not been able to implement our agenda even when we win elections—which we do less and less. Conservatism had a project for national renewal that it failed to implement, while the Left made—and still makes—gain after gain after gain. Consider conservatism’s aims: “civic renewal,” “federalism,” “originalism,” “morality and family values,” “small government,” “limited government,” “Judeo-Christian values,” “strong national defense,” “respect among nations,” “economic freedom,” “an expanding pie,” “the American dream.” I support all of that. And all of it has been in retreat for 30 years. At least. But conservatism cannot admit as much, not even to itself, in the middle of the night with the door closed, the lights out and no one listening.
I tried to tell it, and it got mad. |
Study finds one in six chronic pain sufferers use medicinal cannabis
Updated
Up to one in six Australian chronic pain sufferers is technically breaking the law, a landmark national study has found.
The figure is from a survey involving 1,500 chronic pain sufferers conducted by researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
Professor Michael Farrell, the director of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, headed the study and said there was a high rate of medicinal cannabis use in Australia.
"This is the first time we have had figures like this, so it gives us an indication of the scale, and it gives us something to think about," he said.
Cannabis consumption is banned in most states and territories, although a clinical trial of its medicinal use will start soon in NSW.
In Tasmania, several users of medicinal cannabis, including the deputy mayor of the Break O'Day council, Hannah Rubenach, have come out publically to urge decriminalisation.
Tasmanian Health Minister Michael Ferguson backed the NSW trial but resisted calls to decriminalise medicinal cannabis use.
What is happening here in Tasmania and in Australia is a massive civil disobedience movement Cassy O'Connor, Tasmanian Greens MP
Denison State Greens MP Cassy O'Connor accused Mr Ferguson of being out of step with reality.
"What is happening here in Tasmania and in Australia is a massive civil disobedience movement where people who have chronic or terminal conditions or the parents of children with epilepsy are illegally obtaining medicinal cannabis because they know that it improves the quality of themselves or their loved ones," she said.
Findings important but caution urged
But Professor Farrell said while medicinal users of cannabis reported benefits, the supporting evidence was not clear.
"It's quite important to hear people reporting that they derive benefit from it," he said.
"But it's important that we not over-emphasise the benefits of cannabis, so that for instance somebody who mightn't want to ever take cannabis ends up taking it because they think it's going to help them."
Professor Farrell said the study also found chronic pain sufferers who used cannabis differed from those who did not.
"When we looked at the characteristics of people who were using it, we found that they were also people who reported higher levels of pain, and they had more difficult problems," he said.
"They were using more medications, they were a bit younger and some of them also had a history of other substance use."
In a statement, Mr Ferguson said he would like to see a collaborative approach between the states and territories on medicinal cannabis.
The Tasmanian Opposition called for medical trials as the first step in ensuring that medicinal cannabis can be prescribed by doctors.
Topics: cannabis, tas
First posted |
So my santa orangered me pretty quickly that my 'first gift was on its way,' say what now?! Nobody has ever gifted me that fast, or in pieces! I was super excited to say the least. So I get my first package, and OMG ITS A FIRST EDITION OF A BOOK BY (/u/dracones) ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS AND ITS AUTOGRAPHED!!! I about died haha. And then a few days later I get my second package. Im thinking something small because that book probably wasnt cheap and was already amazeballs and they totally didnt need to get me anything else. But wow, was I wrong! My santa was amazeballs, like for real.
So the box was a reddit box (where do you even get those??) and it had snoo on it and then you open it and it has all these cute sayings on the flaps and it says 'if I fits I sits' and it turns into a little house for your dog/cat! That was awesome in itself because my cat loves boxes (I mean, what cat doesnt? lol) Ok so, INSIDE the box was some awesome wrapped gifts that I was super giddy to unwrap! I got a nice note from my santa, some stickers, 2 pairs of beautiful earrings, one of which my santa made!! Also an action figure from Lord Of The Rings because my santa knew I was a nerd lol. And a really awesome visual guide to comics that totally belongs in /r/dataisbeautiful ANDDDD another book that my santa thought I would enjoy based off of my book interests, which I am very excited to read!
Of course I then made the box into the house for my cat, and she loves it. Shes been sleeping in it most of the time since I got it lol.
Thank you thank you /u/terciopelo!! You are freaking amazeballs!! Thank you for putting all that effort and thought into my gift =) <3 |
Tuesday 16 May 2006
Sega's released a bunch of new shots of its forthcoming gangster action game Yakuza, which will be released later this year for PS2.
The game centres on the exploits of Kiryu Kazuma who has just been released from a 10 year jail sentence and is attempting to piece his life together. Unfortunately for him he's soon drawn back into Tokyo's underworld and must use his fists and wits to survive.
Yakuza's fighting system has been built from the ground up in order to provide a unique type of brawling for the gamer that allows over 300 different environmental items to be used in the scrapping.
Yakuza has already enjoyed a successful release in Japan, so Sega will be hoping the game will attract similar interest when it's released in the UK this August.
Above: Use the experience points you earn wisely to unlock new attacks |
Roque proposes creation of human rights monitoring center 499 SHARES Share it! Share Tweet
By Genalyn D. Kabiling
To help get a clearer picture of the country’s human rights record amid the drug war, newly appointed Presidential spokesman Harry Roque has proposed the creation of a center that will monitor cases involving human rights violations.
Roque said the proposed “National Human Rights Monitoring Center” must be “neutral” and devoid of politicking while gathering factual data on cases of alleged rights abuses linked to the anti-drug campaign.
“Imumungkahi ko pa rin ‘no kung kanino man na magtalaga talaga ng National Human Rights Monitoring Center (I will still propose the creation of the National Human Rights Monitoring Center),” Roque said in a radio interview.
“Kasi kung wala tayong objective at neutral na monitoring center ‘no para magtalaga noong mga numero, hindi natin mabibigyan ng solusyon (Because if we don’t have an objective and neutral monitoring center to gather the numbers, we cannot provide the appropriate solution),” he said.
Roque, a Kabayan party-list lawmaker, recalled that the rights data center was proposed several years ago, but never got off the ground because of opposition of then Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chief Leila de Lima.
De Lima, currently detained on drug charges, had wanted the CHR to take the lead in such an effort, but some groups allegedly felt the agency was engaged in politicking. Roque said he was even in favor of turning the University of Philippines Law Center into the human rights monitoring center.
At present, Roque said the situation is in disarray due to lack of correct information on the human rights cases.
He noted that even the judiciary does not have data on human rights cases, which have been resolved or are still pending in courts.
“Pati doon sa mga National Prosecution Office, wala rin silang pigura (Even in the National Prosecution Office, they don’t have the figures),” he said.
He said proper data collection must begin with the Philippine National Police (PNP) since it has the record of persons killed or hurt in their operations. He said they must also make proper definition of terms before collecting the data related to human rights.
Tags: Commission on Human Rights, Duterte administration, Harry Roque, human rights, human rights violations, Manila Bulletin, monitoring center, National Human Rights Monitoring Center, Roque proposes creation of human rights monitoring center |
I recently met with a capable executive who is passionate about his work and good at it. The problem is he pursues so many initiatives that by the end of the year people don’t really know what he has accomplished. They know he has done “a bunch of stuff” but in the blur of busyness they can’t be quite sure what it adds up to. It’s the career equivalent of Apple’s undisciplined approach of “add more product lines” before Steve Jobs’ return. Their answer to everything was “another product” until at they’re peak they reached 330 different products. It almost sank the company.
The reason for my meeting with the executive in question was a good one: he wanted me to run essentialism workshops to every person in his company. Still, with no sense of irony, he also wanted to roll out five other workshops. In the last few months he has added two different leadership competency models, a values list and much more. He is enthusiastic about it all. However, it has left him making only a tiny amount of progress in too many directions.
My advice to him was to become far more selective. Instead of trying to do everything, popular, now we can pursue the right things, for the right reasons at the right time. By doing fewer things, better we can make a higher contribution.
Returning to the Apple story, Steve saved Apple by reducing the number of product lines from 330 to 10 products. The mantra was to say no to almost everything in order to say yes to a few “insanely great products.” It is a principle that can work for companies and also the people who work for those companies. Here’s how:
1. Explore more; commit less. One paradox of essentialism is that essentialists exploremore than their nonessentialist counterparts. Essentialists are incredibly selective about what they commit to but in the interim period, they can be curious about lots of things. They just don’t go all in until they find something that’s a total 10-out-of-10 ‘Yes! This is the thing I should be doing.’ Think of Steve Jobs and Jony Ive saying day after day, “This might sound crazy but…” Almost all of the ideas were crazy until, as Jony put it, eventually an idea was so great it took the air out of the room.
2. Negotiate the nonessentials. For a lot of people it is laughable to imagine saying “No!” to a senior leader. They worry, for good reason, that such a blunt response will immediately be a career limiting move. However, it is a false dichotomy to believe that “either I have to say yes to everything and capitulate or I have to say no and be seen as insubordinate.” When we believe nonessentials are nonnegotiable we lose a lot of power.
3. Conduct a career offsite. Sometimes we spend more time planning our vacation than planning our careers. One cure to this is to schedule a quarterly offsite. We can take a few hours every few months to think about the bigger picture questions: “If I can only achieve three things over the next three months what should they be?” and “Where do I want to be five years from now?” When we don’t take time to ask these more strategic questions we become a function of other people’s agendas. We are left to react to the latest email and can become rudderless; blown about by every wind of corporate change.
4. Come back to your purpose. My friend and “ocean advocate”, Lewis Pugh, has designed an extraordinary career around his professional purpose: to create National Parks in the Oceans. His clarity of purpose enables him to achieve the (almost) impossible. Among other things, he swims in the most extreme water conditions imaginable. In one recent TED talk he describes swimming in the North Pole in temperatures of minus 1.7 degrees (see it here). He says, “The most powerful form of self-belief comes from believing in something greater than you. Because when you’ve got purpose, everything becomes possible.” So when you are exhausted or getting pulled in a million directions come back to your purpose.
5. Give up the idea that success means pleasing everyone. Thinking we can keep everyone happy simply by saying yes to everyone is false. It leads to everyone feeling frustrated. Alternatively, when we wisely push back we sacrifice an ounce of popularity in the moment, but we trade it for respect in the long run.
6. Celebrate the reality of tradeoffs. Instead of asking, “How can I make it all work?” Ask, “What are the tradeoffs I want to make?” Make them deliberately and strategically. Don’t try to straddle every request. As Michael Porter has written, “Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs. It’s about deliberately choosing to be different.”
In the end, it is this idea of choosing to be different that can be so powerful. Designing a career of contribution doesn’t mean adding layers. Instead, it is about becoming more of who we are already are by chiseling away those things that don’t feel right.
Read the original post: The Simplest Way to Avoid Wasting Time – Linkedin Blog
Supercharge your career by ordering the newly released New York Times bestseller “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.”
Photo: Hayati Kayhan/ shutterstock |
But these trips didn’t only teach me to appreciate what I had; they also moved me to consider why I had it in the first place. I realized that much of what I thought was necessity was, in fact, luxury and began to realize how easily I could survive off of much less. I didn’t necessarily need hot water or a timely bus or a comfortable bed to be happy for the day. I didn’t necessarily need a jaw-dropping landscape or a famous archeological ruin or a stunning beach to make my travels worth it. Instead, most of the time, that fulfillment came from the people I interacted with—not the things I had or did. It came from eating soup with locals at a rest stop on a 12-hour bus ride, sharing a meal with Peruvian soccer fans while watching a match, or chatting with the owner of my hostel during his lunch break. Discovering that my best travel moments came from these subtle, personal moments instead of the grandiose, materialistic ones made me understand that living contently required little. What I originally thought I “took for granted,” I now rethought taking at all.
Before traveling, I also assumed people from developing countries would all want the advantages I had as an American. And yet, I discovered that the people in these countries didn’t necessarily feel like their lives were lacking. During my last visit to South Africa, I worked with John Gilmour, the executive director of LEAP schools, a charter network for low-income students. Gilmour told me about an encounter he had visiting a Cape Town township community before he decided to open his first school near there. A local showed him a street corner and told him, “This is my favorite place in the whole entire world.” Gilmour was skeptical and argued, “How could you say that? Look at the graffiti, look at the trash covering the floor, look at the unpaved road.” The other man responded, “No, look at the people.”
Traveling to these places made me realize that the “advantages” I initially thought I had over others were not necessarily advantages to everyone. Many actually preferred living with the challenges they faced over living in a country like mine, where other things are missing. A professional I met in South America who had turned down a job offer in the United States told me, “I’d never want to move there, even though I’d make more money. The social part of life is better here, I find people happier here, and my quality of life is what matters most.” Rick Steves, the popular travel guidebook writer and television host, expressed similar thoughts in an interview with Salon when he said, “It’s a very powerful Eureka! moment when you’re traveling: to realize that people don’t have the American dream. They’ve got their own dream. And that’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing.”
These were important lessons for me to learn as a young person in the midst of making important life decisions. It was empowering to know I had experienced a wide range of perspectives and could use them to make choices for myself—that I had been in situations with few resources or comforts, and I was still okay. |
First published Sun Aug 24, 2008; substantive revision Tue Mar 26, 2013
Contemporary philosophy's three main naturalisms are methodological, ontological and epistemological. Methodological naturalism states that the only authoritative standards are those of science. Ontological and epistemological naturalism respectively state that all entities and all valid methods of inquiry are in some sense natural. In philosophy of mathematics of the past few decades methodological naturalism has received the lion's share of the attention, so we concentrate on this. Ontological and epistemological naturalism in the philosophy of mathematics are discussed more briefly in section 6.
Methodological naturalism has three principal and related senses in the philosophy of mathematics. The first is that the only authoritative standards in the philosophy of mathematics are those of natural science (physics, biology, etc.). The second is that the only authoritative standards in the philosophy of mathematics are those of mathematics itself. The third, an amalgam of the first two, is that the authoritative standards are those of natural science and mathematics. We refer to these three naturalisms as scientific, mathematical, and mathematical-cum-scientific. Note that throughout this entry ‘science’ and cognate terms encompass only the natural sciences.
Naturalism—‘methodological’ and ‘in the philosophy of mathematics’ hereafter understood—seems to have anti-revisionary consequences for mathematics. The mathematician-philosopher L.E.J. Brouwer developed intuitionistic mathematics, which sought to overthrow and replace standard (‘classical’) mathematics. Brouwer attempted to motivate intuitionistic mathematics philosophically with an intuition-based account of mathematical truth. A more recent exponent of intuitionistic mathematics is Michael Dummett, who has developed arguments from the philosophy of language, in particular the theory of meaning, on its behalf. Yet scientific standards arguably condone classical over intuitionistic mathematics: even if present-day science could be entirely recast intuitionistically—a big if—it would be less simple and more cumbersome than its current classically-based version. Mathematicians also tend to view intuitionistic mathematics as inferior to classical mathematics if construed as a rival to it. Hence neither Brouwer nor Dummett's intuitionism is apparently sanctioned by scientific or mathematical standards, so naturalism rules them out of court. Indeed, for many of its adherents, that is precisely naturalism's point. Its point, it is often thought, is to block fanciful attacks on established disciplines such as mathematics by disciplines with less secure methodologies.
Contemporary interest in naturalism stems from Quine, whose naturalism is prominent in his later works. A representative quotation is that naturalism is ‘the recognition that it is within science itself, and not in some prior philosophy, that reality is to be identified and described’ (Quine 1981, 21). Another major influence is Hilary Putnam, who articulates his scientific naturalism as follows:
…it is silly to agree that a reason for believing that p warrants accepting p in all scientific circumstances, and then to add ‘but even so it is not good enough.’ Such a judgement could only be made if one accepted a trans-scientific method as superior to the scientific method; but this philosopher, at least, has no interest in doing that. (Putnam 1971, 356)
Thus from this perspective mathematics is judged by scientific standards because everything is. Moreover, Quine and Putnam maintain that these standards sanction platonist mathematics because mathematics and its platonist construal are an indispensable part of our best scientific theories.
Although naturalism as a self-conscious position in the philosophy of mathematics emerges most fully with Quine there are, as always, precursors. The empiricist tradition in its various guises (logical positivism, Mill, Hume, etc.) is the most obvious precursor, though there are significant differences between pre-Quinean empiricists and contemporary naturalists. The rise of scientific naturalism in the philosophy of mathematics also coincides with a rise in a broader scientific naturalism, also in part attributable to Quine, which sees all philosophy—not just philosophy of mathematics—as taking place within natural science. Naturalism also goes hand in hand with a now generally prevalent pessimism about traditional philosophical modes of argumentation.
Some version of naturalism is attractive to virtually all philosophers today. That the methodologies of mathematics and science are the best we have seems a platitude, which philosophy should try to acknowledge and build on rather than ignore. The question is how exactly to do so.
The past couple of decades have seen a great surge of interest in naturalism. 1997 was an important year in recent philosophy of mathematics, as it saw the publication of four books articulating the positions of five leading philosophers of mathematics: John Burgess and Gideon Rosen's A Subject with No Object, Penelope Maddy's Naturalism in Mathematics, Michael Resnik's Mathematics as the Science of Patterns, and Stewart Shapiro's Philosophy of Mathematics. All four books are to various degrees and amongst other things naturalistic: the first two are naturalist manifestos, the third advocates a Quinean scientific naturalism, and the last, though mainly concerned with other matters, is sympathetic to naturalism. John Burgess's naturalism, first set out in his (1983) and in the past few years elaborated with his colleague Gideon Rosen (1997, 2005), is perhaps most naturally construed as a version of mathematical-cum-scientific naturalism (1997, 211). Penelope Maddy's naturalism is a heterogeneous form of naturalism which distinguishes between mathematics proper and the philosophy of mathematics, embracing mathematical naturalism about the former and scientific naturalism about the latter (section 5). Another position suggested by Maddy (1997) is a thoroughgoing mathematical naturalism that takes mathematical standards as authoritative within both mathematics and its philosophy.
Ignoring qualifications, the main contemporary versions of naturalism, with their representative advocates, may be tabulated as follows:
Mathematics Proper Philosophy of
Mathematics Scientific
(Quine) Scientific Scientific Mathematical-Cum-Scientific
(Burgess) Mathematical-cum-
Scientific Mathematical-cum-
Scientific Mathematical
(?) Mathematical Mathematical Heterogeneous
(Maddy 1997) Mathematical Scientific
To illustrate the difference between statements in mathematics proper and the philosophy of mathematics, consider as an example of the former the Green-Tao theorem, proved in 2004, which states that the sequence of prime numbers contains arbitrarily long arithmetic progressions (but of course no infinitely long one); as examples of the latter take the platonist claim that the number two exists and is abstract or the claim that because mathematical entities are created rather than discovered, impredicative definitions are not permissible. For any given philosopher, the Green-Tao theorem and its proof are to be assessed by the standards of the first column. For example, Quine accepts the theorem if and only if it is part of the best systematisation of science (which it is assuming that the principles from which it is deduced and the logic by which it is deduced from those principles are). Similarly, for any given philosopher, platonism and the stricture regarding impredicativity are to be assessed by the standards of the second column. For example, Quine accepts platonism because he takes it to be the scientifically sanctioned interpretation of mathematics: in his view, the mathematics contained in the best systematisation of science is platonic.
There are no clear exemplars of the view that mathematical standards should be authoritative in philosophy of mathematics, hence the question mark. David Lewis flirted with this position in his monograph on set theory (1991, viii–ix, 54), but by the time of his (1993) had already repudiated it. The position is suggested by remarks in Maddy (1997), though as we will see in section 5, Maddy (1997) is more naturally interpreted as advancing a heterogeneous form of naturalism. Several other philosophers of mathematics are also professed naturalists, notably Alan Baker (2001) and Mark Colyvan (2001).
Like many –isms, naturalism is perhaps better thought of as an orientation with doctrinal implications than as a doctrine per se. Nevertheless, we may attempt to elucidate it along several dimensions.
How should we understand the claim that some set of standards ought to be authoritative in the philosophy of mathematics? We may preserve generality by referring to X-standards, the instances of interest to us being ‘scientific’, ‘mathematical’ or ‘scientific-cum-mathematical’. Here are some (non-exhaustive) readings of the authority claim:
Biconditional Naturalism: accept p iff p is sanctioned by X-standards Trumping Naturalism: accept p if p is sanctioned by X-standards. Emphasis Naturalism: In assessing whether p, give more emphasis to X-standards. Compatibility Naturalism: do not accept p if p is incompatible with X-standards.
The biconditional reading is the strongest of the four. It expresses the thought that valid standards just are X-standards. In contrast with biconditional naturalism, the trumping version apparently allows that a statement in the philosophy of mathematics may be acceptable even if X-standards do not sanction it. For instance, Burgess and Rosen express their naturalism as follows:
The naturalists' commitment is … to the comparatively modest proposition that when science [understood to include mathematics] speaks with a firm and unified voice, the philosopher is either obliged to accept its conclusions or to offer what are recognizably scientific reasons for resisting them (1997, 65).
This is naturally glossed as a trumping version of scientific-cum-mathematical naturalism. It seems to allow that if mathematics and science do not speak with a firm voice on a question, we may accept the verdict of some other discipline.
Emphasis Naturalism is a vaguer doctrine. Various versions arise depending on how much emphasis is placed on X-standards. A modest version captures the position of naturalistically-inclined but not outright naturalist philosophers. We recover biconditional naturalism when X-standards are emphasised to the point where no others matter.
Compatibility naturalism is not as strong as trumping naturalism. If p is sanctioned by X-standards then compatibility naturalism enjoins the non-acceptance of ¬p but it does not necessarily enjoin the acceptance of p. Non-acceptance of ¬p falls short of acceptance of p since there is always the option to suspend judgment on p. The compatibility view is generally accepted by most contemporary philosophers. To take an example from outside the philosophy of mathematics, most philosophers would reject a philosophy of time that clashes with the theory of relativity (in this case X = science). Within the philosophy of mathematics, most philosophers would reject a philosophy of mathematics that implies, for instance, that complex analysis should be jettisoned (in this case X could be science, mathematics, or mathematics-cum-science).
Various weaker methodological theses are sometimes labelled ‘naturalist’, for instance the rejection of Cartesian foundationalism, but here we understand the term more robustly. Which of the above variants is the right way to develop naturalism depends of course on how naturalism is motivated (section 4).
Naturalism sets up an opposition between X-standards (scientific, mathematical or scientific-cum-mathematical) and other types of standards, e.g., astrological, theological, or the standards of common sense. Another example of standards that the naturalist sees as on the wrong side of the tracks are ‘fundamental’ philosophical ones. Goodman and Quine (in his pre-naturalist phase) once began an article by declaring that the basis for their nominalism was a fundamental philosophical intuition irreducible to scientific grounds (1947). Naturalists reject appeal to such standards.
An apparent problem with naturalism is that there do not seem to be sharp boundaries between science and non-science and between mathematics and non-mathematics. For example, the transition from physics to philosophy of physics to physics-heavy metaphysics to common-or-garden metaphysics seems to be gradual. When a mathematician writes a research article, an undergraduate textbook, a popular book on mathematics, a book expounding his personal philosophy of mathematics and his psychological associations with various mathematical theories, at what point exactly has he stopped doing mathematics? When research mathematicians get together after the seminar and agree over coffee that the Riemann Hypothesis is the most important outstanding problem in mathematics, is this a strictly mathematical claim or a personal judgement recognised by mathematicians as outside the province of mathematics proper?
Many philosophers follow Quine by citing a standard cluster of principles putatively constitutive of scientific standards: empirical adequacy, ontological economy, simplicity, fertility, and so on (Quine 1955, 247; Quine and Ullian 1970, chapter 5). However, lists of this kind are unsatisfactory for several reasons. For one thing, the principles come in different versions. Yet it is doubtful whether the general versions are the scientifically sanctioned ones. Some writers claim, for example, that scientific appeal to ontological parsimony does not extend to the postulation of abstract objects (Burgess 1998). Others maintain that scientific appeals to simplicity are not best captured by the utterly general slogan ‘Prefer any theory T 1 to any less simple theory T 2 (in this respect)’ (Paseau 2007). Moreover, lists of this kind do not tell us how to balance desiderata against one another.
Since the explosion of science studies in the 1960s, more attention is now paid to the nuances of scientific practice. Yet a more precise articulation of scientific standards and their weights remains elusive. The existence of an algorithm encapsulating the scientific method is generally questioned (though many human beings apparently manage to implement the scientific method, so if the method is not algorithmic then neither are our minds). What is not questionable, however, is that its exhibition currently escapes us.
Having said that, it is not clear how serious the boundary problem is for naturalists. Perhaps they can argue that there is a fairly sharp boundary, though one that is hard to define. Perhaps mathematicians implicitly know when something counts as a piece of mathematics and when it is a non-mathematical commentary on mathematics. In any case, naturalism seems to survive the absence of a sharp boundary. Naturalism can apparently rest its claims on a set of standards with fuzzy boundaries.
What if there are no global scientific standards, but just the standards of this or that part of science (e.g., physics or biology, or particle physics or fluid mechanics), or even just the standards of this or that group of scientists? In that case, scientific naturalism would fragment into several versions (e.g., physics-naturalism or biology-naturalism). If the motivation for scientific naturalism points to one of these finer-grained naturalisms over the others (e.g., physics-naturalism), or if they all return the same verdicts in the philosophy of mathematics, the potential fragmentation is not worrying. But if not, the scientific naturalist is in trouble, as all these competing naturalisms are by assumption equally valid. So far scientific naturalists have tended to assume that science operates with a single set of standards. Plausible though that assumption is, a rigorous naturalist will want to shore it up with detailed case studies. Similarly for mathematical naturalism and mathematical-cum-scientific naturalism.
Scientific standards sanction propositions to a certain degree rather than outright. The latest hypothesis at the research coalface adopted tentatively by a few experts does not have the same standing as a long-entrenched theory. Thus the black-or-white notion of scientific standards sanctioning or not sanctioning p will not do. (This is an idea which Bayesian confirmation theory takes seriously.) It might also be argued that this is also true for mathematical standards, for example by considering non-deductive grounds for belief in mathematical propositions. It seems reasonable to see Goldbach's Conjecture, the claim that every even number greater than 4 is the sum of two primes, as supported to a high degree by the non-deductive evidence currently available for it. In the absence of a proof of Goldbach's Conjecture, however, this degree falls short of 1. A more precise statement of the naturalist's creed must therefore issue guidelines for apportioning credence in p in line with the degree and type of commitment to p scientific or mathematical standards recommend.
It would be wrong to equate what X-standards sanction with what X-practitioners believe (for X = science or mathematics or more generally). For one thing, X-practitioners may not have given a particular question any thought. For another, X-practitioners might all be mistaken. Moreover, X-practitioners might self-consciously maintain the opposite of or at any rate something distinct from what X-standards sanction. For instance, a scientist may believe p, perhaps on the basis of a ‘gut feeling’ or on account of some overriding religious convictions or for whatever non-scientific reason, whilst still recognising that scientific standards support not-p. Or a mathematician may believe that the number 7 has mystical properties but not believe it qua mathematician. A tighter connection between practitioners and standards, then, might be this: what X-standards sanction is what X-practitioners are disposed to correctly believe qua X-practitioners. (This is not intended as a reductive analysis.)
Having said that, it takes special pleading to attribute widespread error to the community of X-practitioners regarding what X-standards sanction. Thus what X-practitioners in fact believe usually serves as good, though defeasible, evidence for what X-standards sanction.
Scientific naturalism as here defined encompasses only natural science (and likewise for scientific-cum-mathematical naturalism). Broader naturalisms take in not just traditional natural science but also some of the other sciences: perhaps all of social science, perhaps only some of it, perhaps linguistics, perhaps cognitive science. Note that in later writings Quine himself adopts a broad version of naturalism (1995, 49). Penelope Maddy has more recently made it clear that the form of scientific naturalism she espouses—‘Second Philosophy’ as she now prefers to call it—is very broad indeed, taking in not only the natural sciences but also psychology, linguistics, sociology, etc. (2007, 2).
Broadening scientific or scientific-cum-mathematical naturalism to include these disciplines has potentially significant consequences for the philosophy of mathematics. For instance, if semantics falls under the naturalist umbrella it may provide a naturalistic sanction for mathematical realism or platonism, as the face value semantics for mathematics seems to assimilate it to the uncontroversially literal parts of language—a point famously made in Benacerraf (1973).
Whether to construe naturalism broadly or narrowly depends on its motivation. The attractions of scientific or mathematical or scientific-cum-mathematical naturalism lie in the disciplines' incomparable success (on some understanding of what this success comes to—see section 4). At this point in time, however, the non-natural sciences are less successful than the natural sciences. The less successful one deems the non-natural sciences compared to the natural ones, the less attractive a broader scientific or scientific-cum-mathematical naturalism becomes in comparison with a strictly natural-scientific one.
All naturalists, especially those of the broader variety, have to balance potentially competing standards. A broad naturalist might decide, say, to give the natural sciences 2/3-weighting and semantics 1/3-weighting. Or she might hold that a proposition in the philosophy of mathematics is acceptable if (or even: if and only if) all the sciences, natural or non-natural, sanction it—that is to say, when all the sciences speak with one voice. These balancing questions have unfortunately not been much addressed by naturalists. Perhaps that is because questions of this kind arise for everyone: whichever justificatory standards one accepts, the problem of how to adjudicate between them arises. But to the extent that naturalism is prescriptive and cannot rely on an implicit procedure that is already in place, it owes us an articulation of how to balance different sets of standards.
The balancing issue is particularly pressing for mathematical-cum-scientific naturalists. A scientific naturalist is in principle happy to say that if a mathematical theory M is scientifically superior but mathematically inferior to another mathematical theory M* then M should be preferred to M* (the next paragraph contains an example). Mathematical-cum-scientific naturalists, however, may come down on either side, depending on the details of the particular theories: it all depends on whether M's scientific advantages compared to M* are outweighed by its mathematical disadvantages. Now the philosophy of mathematics does not have an established tradition of weighing mathematical theories' scientific and mathematical pros and cons against one another; nor does any other discipline. So the problem of how to balance mathematical and scientific standards is particularly pressing for the mathematical-cum-scientific naturalist.
To illustrate this problem, suppose, as many philosophers maintain, that the general principle of ontological economy—posit as few entities as possible—is a scientific standard. Suppose also, as Penelope Maddy maintains, that a set-theoretic version of ontological profligacy—posit as many sets as possible—is a mathematical standard (this is one way of cashing out the set-theoretic maxim Maddy calls MAXIMIZE). These two standards clash, as Maddy recognises (1997, 131). Thus given these assumptions a predicativist set theory which posits a relatively small number of sets, say of the kind developed in Hermann Weyl's Das Kontinuum, might be scientifically superior to ZFC, which posits more sets. Yet ZFC is generally thought to be mathematically superior to a predicativist set theory. Perhaps the right diagnosis is that the clash is only superficial, since the correct scientific version of ontological economy is ‘posit as few concrete entities as possible’ and the correct mathematical version of ontological profligacy is ‘posit as many abstract entities as possible’. However that may be in this instance, the mathematical-cum-scientific naturalist has to come up with a general policy for dealing with potential clashes, or argue that no such clashes are possible.
One may simply adopt naturalism without providing an argument or motivation for it. But motivations for naturalism buttress it, making it internally stronger, and give it dialectical strength, increasing its appeal to non-naturalists. They answer the fundamental question: why exactly those standards?
(The same goes for naturalisms primarily conceived as approaches or stances rather than doctrines. Since the publication of her 1997 book, Penelope Maddy has clarified that her version of naturalism is a stance (Maddy 2001) or a piecemeal approach/method of inquiry (2007, see e.g., p. 19 fn. 15, p. 403). However, stances and approaches to inquiry are attractive to the extent that they are well motivated.)
Naturalism is often thought to be a conservative philosophy of mathematics, as we suggested in section 1. But actually things are more complicated. Each of the three naturalisms of interest is revolutionary in some respect.
Our default view is that mathematical standards decide questions in mathematics proper, for example questions such as whether Fermat's Last Theorem or the Axiom of Choice is true. Scientific standards are thought not to affect this: when Andrew Wiles proved Fermat's Last Theorem in the mid-1990s, he was not particularly concerned with how his proof would go down in physics departments, or more generally its impact on empirical science. Similarly, the claim that if some large cardinal axiom is not scientifically sanctioned (perhaps because it leads to no new empirical consequences) then there is no good reason to accept it is, as Maddy points out, ‘out of step with the actual practice of set theory’ (1997, 132), and indeed out of step with the actual practice of much philosophy. We usually do not judge large cardinal axioms by scientific standards; we judge them by mathematical standards. Quine was self-consciously going against the grain when he rejected the higher flights of set theory on scientific grounds (1986, 400).
Scientific naturalism about mathematics proper is thus a philosophically revolutionary view, since it advocates a different set of standards with which to judge mathematics (scientific ones) from the traditional ones (mathematical). It is also potentially revolutionary about mathematics itself, as it might lead to a revision of mathematics. (Notice that even if scientific naturalism does not entail a revision of mathematics, it still counts as philosophically revolutionary: advocating the replacement of Y-standards with X-standards as the proper arbiters in some domain is philosophically revolutionary even if the Y-standards and X-standards happen to endorse the same claims in that domain.) Having said that, recent scientific naturalists have tended to be mathematically conservative in temperament and have advocated little or no revision of mathematics.
These morals also apply to mathematical-cum-scientific naturalism, but to a lesser extent, as the latter gives some weight to mathematical standards in mathematical justification.
The third of the three naturalisms of interest, mathematical naturalism, is philosophically but not mathematically revolutionary. Mathematically, it is as conservative as can be: no standards other than mathematical ones are relevant to the assessment of mathematical claims. Thus no accepted mathematics is overturned from without. Yet mathematical naturalism is a revolutionary stance in the philosophy of mathematics. To see this, suppose that platonism is part of standard, accepted mathematical practice. In that case, mathematical naturalism entails that there is no further question of its truth. Loosely put, simply because mathematicians (qua mathematicians) are platonists, platonism is the correct philosophy of mathematics. This is clearly out of step with philosophical practice: philosophers look to mathematicians' views (qua mathematicians) as defeasible data for the philosophy of mathematics, not its conclusion. Thus we see that the simple characterisation of mathematical naturalism as conservative is not quite right: though mathematically conservative, it is philosophically revolutionary.
In sum, scientific, mathematical, and mathematical-cum-scientific naturalism are each revolutionary in some respect and face a corresponding burden of proof. We may now appreciate the sense in which the general claim, expressed in section 1, that naturalism is anti-revisionary is true and the sense in which it is not.
This also shows that contemporary naturalism is different from the latter Wittgenstein's superficially similar metaphilosophy. Wittgenstein's anti-philosophy, like naturalism, bars philosophy from changing mathematics: “Philosophy may in no way interfere with the actual use of language…It leaves everything as it is. It also leaves mathematics as it is” (1953, §163). Naturalism's revolutionary tenor, however, means that it does not leave everything as it is.
Arguments for naturalism are lacking in the literature. Most naturalists simply posit their naturalism and work downstream from it, hoping that its consequences will prove attractive to the susceptible (Maddy 2007, 3). Naturalism thus effectively becomes a personal credo with little direct attempt to bring anyone else on board: I accept only X-standards in some domain because I find them more credible than others. Now perhaps at the end of the day one cannot do better. But we shouldn't assume that at the outset. That is all the more important given naturalism's revolutionary features, as explained earlier. A conservative theory of justification might sanction naturalism given a broadly naturalist starting point; but our starting point, as we have seen, is not that of trumping naturalism: it is at most compatibility naturalism. So an argument for anything more than the mildest version of naturalism would be welcome.
Naturalists are motivated by the thought that scientific or mathematical standards are the most successful standards we possess. But what does success come to? Very roughly, the following could be taken to be a mark of a discipline's success: (i) among its practitioners, there is a widely shared conception of the discipline's guiding questions and permissible methodology; and (ii) there is progress within the discipline in addressing its guiding questions. One may then try to argue along these lines that physics is more successful than metaphysics, that psychology is more successful than parapsychology, and that astronomy is more successful than astrology.
An approach of this kind faces a twofold problem. If anything goes when it comes to methodology, all sorts of disciplines can achieve success without thereby achieving credibility. Consider Guru-ology, the discipline that takes its guiding questions to be those enunciated by some guru, and lays down as its methodology that acceptable answers are all and only the guru's pronouncements (perhaps assuming consistency—so let us assume for good measure that the guru is consistent and more generally probabilistically coherent). These answers could be as fanciful as you like: we leave it to the reader's imagination to devise examples of outlandish claims made by the guru. If we suppose that the guru answers each of the questions that he raises, Guru-ology is therefore progressive—it answers all the questions it raises—and it is therefore successful. But its success speaks nothing of its credibility.
In general, if the success of any given set of standards S is gauged on its own terms, i.e., by using S-standards, several self-supporting but intuitively unacceptable sets of standards count as successful. This relativism is clearly not what the naturalist wants. Likewise for the thought that success is to be determined by how well the standards help us to ‘cope with reality’; several non-scientific and non-mathematical naturalisms likewise self-vindicate under this criterion. Perhaps success should instead be measured by how well the standards explain and predict natural phenomena, i.e., with how they cope with the subject matter of natural science. But adopting our usual view of how to judge success in this respect would be question-begging in favour of scientific naturalism, since scientific standards are precisely the standards we have developed to cope with this portion of reality. Compare an astrological naturalism motivated by the idea that success is to be measured by how well the standards explain and predict ‘astrological phenomena’, understood as the astrologers do. So if a naturalist argument based on success is to succeed, some other naturalistically acceptable but non-question begging understanding of ‘success’ must be found.
The second problem with a success argument is that success in one sphere is no indication of success in another. Biology is rather successful at explaining and predicting biological phenomena. But why should that give it authority over questions in mathematics or the philosophy of mathematics? Likewise for other natural sciences. As we shall see, this point generalises.
Traditional philosophy, a naturalist might say, leads to endless disagreement. Science and mathematics, on the other hand, usually reach broad agreement—often consensus—on questions within their domain. Hence scientific or mathematical standards are to be preferred to others. (Such arguments from disagreement and lack of convergence in opinion have featured prominently in other areas of philosophy, notably meta-ethics.)
However, the moral that the naturalist wishes to draw from patterns of agreement and disagreement seems unwarranted. Agreement or disagreement in a community is a contingent matter. A totalitarian state could achieve community-wide agreement with chilling efficacy by imposing some preferred set of standards on its subjects. In general, there are countless non-epistemic reasons for agreement or disagreement. It is therefore not agreement that matters, but rather the explanation of why agreement obtains.
A more sophisticated version of this argument might therefore be based on the tractability of disagreement rather than on its mere presence. Disagreement is rife in both philosophy and science, but only in the latter, it might be said, is disagreement tractable. At the very least, progress can be made and perhaps agreement can in principle always be reached. Actual patterns of agreement and disagreement might then be cited as evidence for the respective tractability or intractability of debates umpired by, say, scientific and non-scientific philosophical standards.
It is beyond the scope of this entry to assess this more sophisticated version of the argument, which in one form or another has recently garnered considerable attention outside the philosophy of mathematics. However, note a couple of prima facie difficulties.
In order to abstract from the contingencies of our epistemic situation, arguments about tractability usually proceed by considering highly idealised subjects, in particular subjects whose factual, logical, etc. knowledge far exceeds ours. But the problem with such idealisations is that they seem question-begging. For example, a theological anti-naturalist would maintain that factually highly-informed subjects will be apprised of facts about supernatural reality. Our grip on idealised subjects and how disagreement between them is likely to resolve itself may therefore be too loose to draw any substantive morals from such thought experiments. Either that or such arguments are likely to be question-begging.
Second, we may grant that considerations of tractability reveal that scientific and mathematical standards are more truth-conducive in their respective spheres. Yet that does not seem to provide a warrant for thinking that they will be successful in other spheres. (This is the same point we made in connection with the argument from success.)
Perhaps the most promising argument for naturalism is based on historical success. Scientific and mathematical standards have a better track record than others; therefore scientific and mathematical standards should be taken as authoritative, in the philosophy of mathematics and elsewhere. Observe that like the previous two arguments, this argument for naturalism in the philosophy of mathematics is an argument for global naturalism.
Some naturalists have explicitly relied on this motivation. For example, Lewis uses it to reject structuralism as the correct philosophy of set theory in Parts of Classes (1991, 58–9) even if he disclaims it as an argument; see also Colyvan (2001, 33), Shapiro (1997, 30) and Burgess (1998, 197). There is much to say about the argument, explored in Paseau (2005). Here we content ourselves with two critical observations.
Since philosophers deploy apparently different standards, it is not clear what it means to say that philosophy as a whole has a poor historical track record. Consider the early Popper (1935), who held that no amount of evidence can make an unfalsified theory probable (or at least no more probable than any other unfalsified theory). This is the kind of example David Lewis wields to poke fun at philosophy: surely—surely—the standards that led to this conclusion are not trustworthy. The theory of relativity is undoubtedly more probable than the as yet unfalsified hypothesis that the world will end in the year 2525. Yet if I do not share Popper's 1935 standards, the fact that his then philosophy of science is from my point of view manifestly wrong does nothing to shake my faith in my own philosophical standards. Similarly, take Thomas Aquinas, whose philosophical standards included consonance with the Bible and more generally with the tenets of the Christian faith. If I am not a Christian, the fact that Aquinas' philosophical theology is from my point of view wrong does nothing to shake my faith in my philosophical standards. Thus, that Sir Karl or St Thomas' standards were, as I see it, no good does not tend to undermine my faith in my own.
I may therefore agree with the naturalist that philosophy has a worse track record than science and mathematics. But it does not follow that the (non-scientific or non-mathematical) standards that I use have a poor track record. If philosophers have consistently assumed a more or less uniform set of standards over the course of history, and if I too follow in that tradition by accepting them as mine, and furthermore if these standards demonstrably have a poorer track record than scientific or mathematical standards, that would be a reason for me to turn naturalist. But the first assumption is at least questionable, and it is not clear what remains of the argument from history if my standards' antecedents do not have a poor track record.
A second problem with the argument has to do with its application to philosophical questions. Let us agree that scientific standards have a good track record when it comes to answering scientific questions, that mathematical standards have a good track record when it comes to answering mathematical questions, and moreover that these track records are better than philosophical standards' track record in answering philosophical questions. These facts, however, do not seem to be relevant to the issue of which standards should be treated as authoritative when it comes to philosophical questions. A good track record in one sphere is not in itself evidence for truth-conduciveness in another.
This by now familiar objection may be illustrated by considering the debate between platonists and structuralists in the philosophy of mathematics. Platonists interpret ‘1 + 2 = 3’ as a claim about abstract objects. Structuralists on the other hand interpret ‘1 + 2 = 3’ as a claim about what is the case in any structure that satisfies the axioms of arithmetic. (Here we are thinking of structuralism as the type of view often labelled ‘eliminative structuralism’ following Charles Parsons, and whose most sophisticated book-length—and modal—version may be found in Hellman (1989).) Naturalists claim that mathematical standards have been more successful in the past and hence should be trusted on this issue. But it is by no means clear that this is the type of question concerning which mathematical standards have a better track record than philosophical ones. Mathematical standards have a good track record when it comes to questions such as whether 1 + 2 is equal to 3, or what the series 1 + 1/4 + 1/9 + 1/16 + … converges to, or whether the Poincaré Conjecture (concerning the classification of 3-manifolds) is true; but they do not have a proven track record when it comes to questions such as whether these truths are platonist or structuralist. (A related objection to the argument is that scientific standards do not speak to questions of interpretation, such as the question of which of platonism or structuralism to prefer. Cf. Paseau (2007).)
In sum, the need for naturalists to develop these arguments or to produce better ones remains pressing.
So far we have considered three uniform types of methodological naturalism relating to mathematics: scientific, mathematical, and mathematical-cum-scientific. Consider now a heterogeneous methodological naturalism that accepts mathematical standards when it comes to mathematics proper but adopts scientific standards for the philosophy of mathematics and for philosophy more generally. Heterogeneous naturalism has been advanced by Penelope Maddy (1997), whose rich contributions have animated and incomparably influenced the debate on naturalism in the philosophy of mathematics over the past twenty years. (Maddy now prefers to call her naturalism ‘Second Philosophy’, as in the title of her 2007 book, but here we maintain the label ‘naturalism’ in keeping with the rest of the entry.)
To begin with, a representative quotation from Maddy:
Where Quine holds that science is ‘not answerable to any supra-scientific tribunal, and not in need of any justification beyond observation and the hypothetico-deductive method’ …, the mathematical naturalist adds that mathematics is not answerable to any extra-mathematical tribunal and not in need of any justification beyond proof and the axiomatic method (1997, 184).
In our terminology, Maddy's heterogeneous naturalism is a trumping thesis. As she puts it, ‘if our philosophical account of mathematics comes into conflict with successful mathematical practice, it is the philosophy that must give’ (1997, 161). Neither philosophy nor science can overturn mathematics' ‘methodological verdicts’ (2007, 361), since they are both extra-mathematical tribunals. However, Maddy takes the philosophy of mathematics as opposed to mathematics proper to be a branch of natural science, as she explains in the following passage:
So naturalistic philosophy of mathematics takes place within natural science, like naturalistic philosophy of science, but unlike naturalistic philosophy of science, it takes a hands-off attitude toward the naturalized model of mathematical practice (1997, 202).
These and similar passages (especially 1997, 200–203) indicate that Maddy takes the philosophy of mathematics to be answerable to (natural-) scientific standards.
The distinctiveness of heterogeneous naturalism is thus that it recommends one set of standards (mathematical) for settling some questions about mathematics—mathematical ones, such as which axioms to choose—and another set of standards (scientific) for settling other questions about mathematics left open by the practice itself—philosophical ones, such as how to interpret mathematics. This is in contrast to uniform naturalisms in the philosophy of mathematics, for example Quinean scientific naturalism, or Burgessian mathematical-cum-scientific naturalism, or a uniformly mathematical naturalism (also suggested by Maddy (1997) but in our view ultimately not advocated there).
To explain how this bivalent attitude might work in practice, take Maddy's favourite example: set theory. Suppose that ZFC + LCA is our current accepted set theory, where LCA is some collection of large cardinal axioms. Given mathematical naturalism about mathematics proper, there is no question of rejecting ZFC + LCA in favour of, say, ZFC + the axiom that there are no inaccessibles, or some other set theory, say Quine's New Foundations. Mathematical standards sanction ZFC + LCA, so that is the set theory we must accept. But how should we interpret ZFC + LCA? Platonistically, structurally or in some other way? That is a philosophical question, so given scientific naturalism about the philosophy of mathematics (and philosophy more generally) its correct answer is that sanctioned by scientific standards. For example, if an overriding scientific criterion of simplicity favours platonism over all other interpretations, that must be the correct interpretation of ZFC+LCA.
Maddy motivates her naturalism by appeal to the “fundamental spirit that underlies all naturalism: the conviction that a successful enterprise, be it science or mathematics, should be understood or evaluated on its own terms, that such an enterprise should not be subject to criticism from, and does not stand in need of support from, some external, supposedly higher point of view” (1997, 184). One strained reading of this sentence is that naturalism's fundamental conviction by definition applies only to natural science and mathematics. A more natural reading is that it applies to any successful science whatsoever. Maddy then claims that as a matter of fact non-mathematical grounds have not impinged on mathematics. We can express this as the thesis that mathematics is autonomous.
The assessment of Maddy's heterogeneous naturalism consists principally in the assessment of the autonomy thesis regarding mathematics and its implications. One question is whether the thesis is true. Another is whether, if true, the thesis supports heterogeneous naturalism.
Maddy claims that the correct model of mathematical justification will vindicate the hypothesis that traditionally scientific or philosophical arguments do not enter into the justification of mathematical statements. For example, the French analysts Baire, Borel and Lebesgue criticised the Axiom of Choice on the basis of a definabilist methodology, according to which the existence of an object depends on its definability: functions should be definable rules, membership of a set should given in a definable way, etc. But definabilism ended up having no influence on the practice of mathematics, and its sympathisers were silenced or gave up on it when its mathematically undesirable features became clear. For example, the Axiom of Choice allows the taking of maximal ideals in rings and other structures; it entails the kinds of maximality principles that even the analysts were already using; it simplifies transfinite arithmetic; and despite its suspicious abstractness it turns out to be equivalent to ‘concrete’ and ‘mathematical’ statements such as the claim that every vector space has a basis. The reasons for accepting the Axiom of Choice were in the end purely mathematical.
Maddy also offers an admirably detailed account of the kinds of mathematical reasons that militate against the ‘Axiom’ of Constructibility, V = L, in particular the fact that its adoption goes against the set-theoretical maxim MAXIMIZE, which enjoins that the universe of sets should be as expansive as possible (by containing as many isomorphism types as possible).
Most commentators have let the descriptive component of Maddy's naturalism, the autonomy thesis, pass, focusing criticism instead on its normative implications. Yet the autonomy thesis is very radical. The usual picture of the interaction between mathematics and philosophy is of a two-way street. In particular, it is usually thought that philosophy impinges to some degree on mathematical practice. Intuitionists for example take the dependence to be profound: they think that all of mathematical practice rests on a false philosophical foundation and that once that foundation is removed, mathematics totters.
Maddy willingly concedes that philosophical doctrines such as definabilism or realism are important inspirations for mathematical development even if they fall short of justifications (1997, 192). And she accepts that “theories of mathematical truth or existence or knowledge do in fact appear in most mathematical debates over proper methods, alongside more typically mathematical considerations” (2007, 348). But she maintains that such theories have not in the end played an ‘instrumental role’ (2007, 359), and that they have racked up a ‘track record of irrelevance’ (2007, 366) in the development of mathematics.
So do philosophical (or more generally non-mathematical) considerations always fall on the side of inspiration rather than justification? Well, philosophical considerations are hardly ever advanced in mathematical journals or books. And whenever they are Maddy sees them as amounting, when one scratches the surface, to ‘intra-mathematical’ arguments (1997, 193), of which a naturalized model of the practice would be ‘purified’, because of their methodological irrelevance (1997, 197). If she is right, this reply generalises from this particular, rather restricted, type of context to all mathematical contexts.
One of the implications of this view is that the kinds of maxims Maddy sees as purely internal to mathematics, such as MAXIMIZE or UNIFY, are never themselves underlain by philosophical beliefs. UNIFY is a methodological consequence of set theory's foundational ambition of providing ‘a single system in which all objects and structures of mathematics can be modelled or instantiated’ (1997, 208–9). Yet perhaps UNIFY and set theory's foundational ambition—the fact that as Maddy correctly observes, “set theory is (at least partly) designed to provide a foundation for classical mathematics” (2007, 355)—are themselves in some small way, perhaps to some slight degree, underpinned by set-theoretic realism, i.e., the view that set theory is about a single universe of sets. Likewise for the Axiom of Choice, which on the surface owes its place in the set-theoretic canon partly—perhaps only to a small degree—to an ingrained realism about set theory. Several set theorists are on record as making claims to that effect, so the burden of proof is on Maddy to explain away these remarks.
Maddy also employs the following problematic style of argument. She thinks that the fact that philosophical debates (e.g., about realism) are wide open but that mathematics has developed in a particular way (e.g., to allow impredicative methods) shows that philosophical debates have not affected the outcome of modern mathematics (e.g., 2007, 348). But the fact that a debate about realism is wide open in philosophy does not mean that it is wide open in mathematics. Perhaps mathematicians have implicitly taken a realist stance, which in part underlies their acceptance of impredicativity, even as philosophers continue to debate the correctness of realism as a philosophy of mathematics. Mathematics may be philosophically parti pris, which is why it has developed the way it has.
These points against the autonomy thesis are hardly conclusive. To evaluate it, greater clarity is required on where the boundary between justification and inspiration lies and what exactly it means to say that something falls on one side or the other. And of course we then need to identify more precisely which of the factors in the evolution of mathematics are justificationally operative and which idle. However, even if the autonomy thesis is not true, perhaps it is almost true. And perhaps nothing quite as strong as an autonomy thesis is required to support trumping as opposed to biconditional naturalism.
That a statement-issuing practice is as a matter of fact autonomous does not entail that its statements are thereby acceptable. Practices may be hermetically sealed from outside influence (e.g., astrology, dogmatic theology), but that does not in itself make their claims acceptable. What makes mathematics different?
Maddy recognises this problem for her position (1997, 203–5; 2005, 449; 2007, 346–7), which reviews and discussions of her work have seized upon (e.g., Dieterle 1999, Rosen 1999, Roland 2007; only Tappenden (2001) is more sympathetic). She addresses it by making a distinction between pure and applied disciplines. Taking astrology as a foil, she notes that applied astrology may be construed as making claims about the empirical world. Using her ordinary scientific standards, the scientific naturalist appreciates that applied astrology is false (as it diverges from the accepted scientific story). Hence applied astrology does not deserve the naturalist's respect. Pure astrology in contrast is astrology interpreted as treating of ‘certain supernatural vibrations that don't interact causally with ordinary physical phenomena’ (1997, 204). However, there is no reason to believe in pure astrology, since it does not feature in our best scientific theory of the world. On either interpretation, then, astrology is disanalogous to mathematics.
Maddy seems to want to have her cake and eat it. The reason for mathematics' credibility is supposed to be its application in science. But why should the fact that mathematics features in our best science be a reason for believing mathematicians' utterances—that is, a reason for taking them to be true? The suspicion is that if featuring in best science is the mark of credibility, it should be scientific standards that ultimately determine mathematical theories' acceptability. Maddy has indeed cited a feature distinguishing mathematics from pure astrology, as she points out (2007, 390); but what still remains unclear is why this feature should make mathematics rather than science authoritative with respect to questions in mathematics proper. Thus it seems that she has not explained how one can consistently be a mathematical naturalist about mathematical theories but a scientific naturalist about everything else, including the truth and nature of mathematics. More generally, given that a practice issues in truth-evaluable statements, it seems that one cannot advocate X-standards as the arbiters of these statements' acceptability while simultaneously advocating a different set of standards, the Y-standards, as arbiters of whether or not the statements should be taken as true, how they should be interpreted, etc. Notice that this is a problem faced exclusively by heterogeneous as opposed to uniform naturalism.
The only way to avoid this apparent inconsistency is to suppose that to ‘accept’ a statement sanctioned by mathematical practice—a statement to which the autonomous practice of mathematics gives the thumbs-up—does not amount to taking it as true. Although suggested by a couple of passages in Maddy (1997), this interpretation is not one that can seriously be put on her book. Besides, it is tantamount to scientific naturalism in all but name. It amounts to the claim that whatever mathematicians spend their time saying, doing, and publishing should not be interfered with, but that we should be mindful only to believe those mathematical claims sanctioned on scientific grounds, whether or not they are given the thumbs-up in mathematicians' language-game.
This picture has recently been complicated by Maddy's claims that what she calls Arealism—not taking set theory and more generally mathematics to be true—may be just as scientifically respectable as Thin Realism—roughly, the view that sets have only the properties ascribed to them by set theory (2007, IV.4). This entry does not have space to do justice to this twist in Maddy's metaphilosophy. Suffice it to note the following. The issues just discussed seem to arise for the Thin Realist just as much as any other kind of realist. And the Arealist construal seems to transform Maddy's position into something quite different from the heterogeneous naturalism under consideration here.
Turning away from methodological naturalism, consider now ontological naturalism, the view that all entities are natural. One way to read this is that only the entities posited by the natural sciences exist. A second and perhaps more natural reading is that only spatiotemporal entities exist. We address both readings briefly in this final section, and take in epistemological naturalism briefly in 6.3.
On its first reading, ontological naturalism in the philosophy of mathematics is a straightforward consequence of methodological scientific naturalism. It states that the ontology of mathematics is the mathematical ontology of our best natural science. Scientific platonists claim, following Quine and Putnam, that this ontology is platonist, as do mathematical-cum-scientific platonists (e.g., Burgess and Rosen (1997)). Resistance to scientific platonism and the associated indispensability argument has been mounted on several fronts (e.g., Field 1980, Sober 1993, Maddy 1997, ch. II.6, Paseau 2007). Consult Colyvan (2011) for a detailed discussion.
The second reading of ontological naturalism, according to which all entities are spatiotemporal, amounts to a version of anti-platonism in the philosophy of mathematics.
The position subdivides. On a reductionist view, mathematics is taken at logico-grammatical face value but its objects (numbers, functions, sets, etc.) are taken to be spatiotemporal. This view is advocated for sets in Armstrong (1991) and more generally in Bigelow (1988). Non-reductionist views are manifold. They include taking mathematics as meaningless symbol-manipulation (formalism), or as the exploration of what is true in all structures obeying the axioms (structuralism), or as the exploration of what is true in all possible structures obeying the axioms (modal-structuralism). Bueno (forthcoming) discusses various nominalisms, i.e., views which countenance only spatiotemporal entities. Since many of these nominalisms are compatible with non-naturalist as well as ontologically naturalist motivations, we do not discuss them here. We concentrate on a handful of issues relating mainly to reductionist versions of ontological realism.
Reductionist ontological naturalism and non-modal structuralism about set theory face an immediate problem: there are apparently far fewer entities in spacetime than there are sets. Even on the most liberal assumptions (spacetime points and arbitrary regions thereof exist, some smallish infinity of entities may be collocated at any of these points or regions), the size of spacetime and the objects in it is a relatively low infinite cardinality (surely no more than ω —even that is generous). Thus there are not enough spatiotemporal entities to interpret set theory literally nor to make a structural interpretation of set theory non-vacuously true, and hence to ensure that set-theoretic falsehoods come out false rather than true. See Paseau (2008) for discussion of this and other problems for set-theoretic reductionism.
Another problem is that even if spacetime were large enough to provide either a model for a literal interpretation of set theory or an instance for its structural interpretation, this would be a contingent fact about our universe. Set theory would be true but contingent. Since we typically think of mathematics as necessary, however, this is an untoward consequence for a philosophy of mathematics. Some might even call it a reductio.
Versions of these problems also affect Mill's empiricism (1843). For Mill, mathematics and logic are natural sciences, and their principles are laws of nature. Arithmetic, for instance, is the theory of aggregates, i.e., the theory of collections of concrete entities. Geometry is the theory of idealised limits of concrete entities—lines, points, planes and so on—whose principles are “real facts with some of their circumstances exaggerated or omitted” (Mill 1843, vol. 1, bk. II, ch.v). Millian philosophy of mathematics is susceptible to the cardinality problem just given. (Of course this is an anachronistic criticism, since infinitary set theory had yet to be developed in Mill's time.) As for the contingency of mathematics, Mill bit the bullet and accepted it.
A related problem for a Millian view, which arises even for the mathematics of Mill's day, is a dilemma concerning the existence of aggregates of aggregates, aggregates of aggregates of aggregates…. Higher-order aggregates, if they exist, can only be abstract—what else? But if they do not exist—if there are only first-order aggregates—then in particular there are no numbers of numbers, for instance it is meaningless or false to say that there are two primes between 20 and 30.
Kitcher (1983) is an attempt to resuscitate Mill's philosophy of mathematics by modalising it. It accounts for mathematical truth in terms of the operations of a possible but non-actual ideal agent, and thus falls under the heading of modalist philosophies of mathematics. (Though Kitcher himself is not fond of the label (1983, 121–2).)
Other apparent problems for reductionist ontological naturalism include the problem of arbitrariness and the fact that it goes profoundly against mathematical method. Suppose arithmetic is the study of some particular spatiotemporal entities. Very well; but which ones? Surely it is arbitrary which spatiotemporal entity is chosen as the number zero. This criticism is a version of a general anti-reductionist argument presented in Benacerraf (1965). The response to it is usually that reductionism does not seek to uncover the meaning of number terms but instead proposes a theoretical identification (Paseau 2009). The charge of contradicting mathematical method is a serious one too. If mathematical objects are spatiotemporal, why do mathematicians not perform experiments to discover their properties? If mathematics were genuinely concerned with the spatiotemporal, surely its methodology would be more empirical.
Ontological naturalist views of the type discussed are for these and related reasons seen as problematic, and are consequently unpopular.
Whatever their motivation, ontological naturalists are by definition (on this second reading of the doctrine) agreed that platonism is false. Sometimes ontological naturalism is motivated by metaphysical doctrines, for instance by the principle that everything that exists has causal powers. Subscribers to this principle include Armstrong (1997) who calls it the Eleatic Principle; for criticism, see Colyvan (2001 ch. 3) and Papineau (2009).
The most popular argument for ontological naturalism is epistemological, and consequently ontological naturalism is often allied with epistemological naturalism. If there are abstract entities then it seems we cannot know nor form reliable beliefs about them (Benacerraf 1973, Field 1989), because of their causal isolation from us. Most philosophers take this to be the main problem afflicting platonism. Note that the argument typically leads to agnosticism rather than denial of abstract mathematical objects' existence. This is not the place to engage with the argument—for more details, see Balaguer (2009)—save to sketch how a platonist who is also a scientific or mathematical-cum-scientific naturalist—e.g., Quine—responds to it.
The naturalist-platonist response is two-pronged (Burgess and Rosen 1997, 2005; for criticism, see Linnebo 2006, Chihara 2006). The first prong is that no simple criterion for knowledge (or reliable belief or justified belief) has ever been devised that succeeds in ruling out knowledge of the abstract without thereby ruling out types of knowledge most naturalists would accept (Steiner 1975). A couple of examples: (i) the condition that p is a cause of the belief that p is too strong, as it rules out knowledge of the future; (ii) as the naturalist-platonist sees it, that abstract mathematical reality is thus-and-so is in fact part of the best explanation for the belief that p; hence an explanatory condition of this kind turns out to be compatible with platonism. Moreover, naturalist-platonists complain that even if a criterion were found that draws the line where the nominalist wishes it to be drawn, it would beg the question against platonism.
Secondly, naturalist-platonists run a standard Quinean line by construing any challenge to the reliability of our beliefs about platonic mathematical objects as a general challenge to the scientific method's reliability. (This is from the point of view of the scientific naturalist; the scientific-cum-mathematical naturalist can run the same line with corresponding adjustments.) However, by our best lights—according to our best theory of the world, i.e., natural science, which posits abstract mathematical objects—belief in abstract mathematical entities is arrived at by a reliable method, namely the scientific method. This is not simply self-vindication, since the scientific method is here being used to explain the reliability of mathematical beliefs, albeit holistically. But of course if the reliability of the scientific method itself is put into question, the naturalist has no choice but to use the scientific method itself to explain its own reliability. The naturalist-platonist may add that we can do no better, and that anyone who questions the scientific method's reliability has thereby abandoned the naturalist camp. From this perspective, then, there is no epistemological problem for platonism once it is settled that platonist mathematics is part of best science. |
You would think that out of all the needs the Seattle Seahawks have, the quarterback position wouldn’t be one of them. You would think that Russell Wilson has proven his capabilities on the biggest of stages, won a Super Bowl, and should realistically expect to spend his entire career in Seattle. While all of that is true, the quarterback position is a massive need for the Seahawks and could prove to be a season killer if they don’t address it soon.
The problem with Seattle’s quarterback situation isn’t Wilson — not by a long shot — but the brutal lack of depth behind him. Since hitting free agency, Wilson’s veteran backup, Tarvaris Jackson, hasn’t re-signed with the team yet and both sides reportedly can’t come to an agreement. Fortunately for the Seahawks, Wilson does a very good job of protecting himself when he’s outside the pocket. So, while Wilson hasn’t sustained any major injuries so far, Jackson’s experience and skill set was a great safety net to have.
If Wilson should miss any stretch of playing time for whatever reason, it should go without saying that Seattle would be in a world of trouble. Frankly, it’s surprising that both sides are having this much trouble coming to an agreement. I can’t imagine Jackson is asking for a big contract — he’s 31 years old and plays for a team that’s in perennial Super Bowl contention every year. Plus, I can’t imagine he’s wanting to start somewhere. I seriously doubt there is any team out there now that would give him the ball every week.
And on the flip side, Seattle has to know how thin the free-agent quarterback field is. That cupboard is beyond bare, unless they’re flirting with the idea of Matt Flynn again, or they’re tempted to lure Kyle Orton out of retirement. Meanwhile, Jackson knows their system and has a similar skill set to Wilson. He’s too natural of a fit for what they need and there’s no viable alternative out there.
Re-signing Jackson is just a move the Seahawks need to make. Even if they go into the draft and pick up a Cody Fajardo or Shane Carden as a third-stringer, they can’t go into a Super Bowl-contending season with a rookie backing up Wilson. They can give Jackson a two-year deal if they want a new backup, just long enough to give a draft pick some time to develop. But they’d be taking a big, unnecessary gamble without Jackson backing Wilson up. One freak injury could sink a whole lot more in Seattle than just one player’s season.
Doug Green is a Featured Writer for RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL. |
Corporate Realty
Three entrepreneurs who own the Launch Pad collaborative in the Warehouse District are planning to bid on the ArtWorks building, a nonprofit facility for artist studios and galleries that collapsed financially in 2011.
The Launch Pad plan ensures there will be more than one bidder for the vacant building, which is just off Lee Circle. Government and private donors spent a total of $25 million on the failed ArtWorks project, which was conceived by the Arts Council of New Orleans. Last year the state appraised the building at $4.5 million. Bids are due on Dec. 3.
As The Lens reported 10 days ago, a group of prominent restaurateurs have combined forces with Delgado Community College to bid on the building and, if successful, turn it into a state-of-the-art cooking school.
“By all means, we’re the underdog,” said Chris Schultz, 39, one of Launch Pad’s three founders.
Their bid is closer to the ArtWorks concept.
In addition to about 25 artist studios, they envision galleries, general offices and a nonprofit that would teach children how to use arts-oriented tools and equipment. “We are trying to connect with the original vision for the building — to help artists,” said Schultz. “One of the keys to making the building work is having a sustainable model for the building. We want to transfer our model — interfacing technology and entrepreneurship — to the arts world.”
Schultz, Will Donaldson, 30, and Barre Tanguis, 40, created Launch Pad in 2009 to tap into and nurture New Orleans’ emerging start-up community. With 12,000 square feet currently under lease on four floors of a Warehouse District building, Launch Pad offers space to start-ups through three principal arrangements: any available desk for $275 a month; a reserved desk for $450 a month; an office for $700 to $1,600 a month.
In all, about 75 individuals or small companies — a total of 170 people — currently rent Launch Pad space. Two other incubators — Propeller and 4.0 School — got their start at Launch Pad.
A 2011 Wall Street Journal article reported that shared workspaces “are the latest trend in office space.” It featured Launch Pad. “This is the future of New Orleans,” Schultz said.
Schultz, Donaldson and Tanguis say shared workspace helps someone with a good idea find collaborators, whether at the coffeemaker, the bar next door or at one of the frequent nighttime meet-ups in Launch Pad’s space — computer hackers, for example, gathering to tackle a shared problem.
“The community is self-serving,” said Tanguis. “The lawyer on the fourth floor might need someone who could design a website. Or the filmmaker needs a graphic designer.”
Launch Pad gets a thumbs up from Michael Hecht, president and chief executive officer of Greater New Orleans Inc., and from Kurt Weigle, president and chief executive officer of the city’s Downtown Development District.
“They’ve filled the ecosystem for start-ups,” Hecht said.
“We have partnered with Launch Pad to promote the digital media economy downtown,” Weigle said.
Both Hecht and Weigle stressed that they aren’t taking a position on Launch Pad’s bid for the ArtWorks building.
Schultz said the building has 63,000 square feet of space that can be leased. In addition to about 25 artist studios, they envision galleries, general offices and a nonprofit that would teach children how to use arts-oriented tools and equipment.
Schultz, Donaldson and Tanguis — all three of them relatively recent arrivals in New Orleans — describe themselves as for-profit businessmen who won’t rely on foundations or government assistance. They say Launch Pad has been profitable each year.
As with any other bidders, Launch Pad will need to demonstrate a “public purpose” for the ArtWorks building. That’s required by the state, which invested nearly $11 million in loans and construction dollars to create the five-story complex.
The city is owed $6.8 million that it loaned to the failed venture.
A five-member board of the Louisiana Artists Guild will choose the winner. But the state and the city could veto the selection if the bid yields less than $2.5 million owed to the state and/or $6.8 million to the city.
Hayden Wren is handling the sale pro bono for Corporate Realty.
“We have lots of activity on the building,” Wren said. “I think we’ll have enough bidders to satisfy the city and the state, providing the dollars are there.” |
Alina Lewis
Yesterday on September 30, Google decided to shut down Orkut. To many, Orkut was the first social networking site that got people across the globe to actually engage on the Internet. With time, many have abandoned their Orkut accounts in favour of Facebook, Twitter, etc.
But what happens to all those scraps, photos and communities? Google has said that it will "preserve" public information in its archives. If your Orkut profile still exists, you might want to revisit it one last time to make sure your information and personal conversations remain in safe hands. If you haven't already tried getting your hands on this data, note that you only have the a few hours left to take some of these actions, so you'll need to hurry.
Photos
You can export your photos to your Google+ account with this link http://www.orkut.com/AlbumsExport or save them to your computer. By default, the albums you export to Google+ will be set as private and only you will be able to see them. You won't be able to log in to your account to see your photos or export your them to Google+ after 30 September, though you have until September 2016 to save them to your computer using Google Takeout. Google Takeout lets you download your profile, received scraps, received testimonials activities and photos in a zip file. To do this:
1. Go to the Google Takeout page
2. Click Choose services and then select Orkut.
3. Click Create archive.
4. When it’s ready, click Download.
Communities
Google says on its blog that public communities will get added to Google's archives once it dumps Orkut. All conversations including polls, topics and comments will be searchable and can be viewed publicly on the web. If you've created your own communities, deleting your profile won't delete the communities you've created, but will only remove your name behind your comments. You will need to delete communities separately before deleting your profile.
Scraps and testimonials
All scraps get deleted by deleting your Orkut account, which is also the case with testimonials. As there's more sentiment attached to testimonials, so you may choose to save all your testimonials to your computer using the Google Takeout service. As mentioned earlier, you'll be able to save these until September 2016. However, note that you won't be able to access any of your scraps or testimonials after you've deleted your account.
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by Jim Malachi
Wednesday June 28th:
Thanks to two very accommodating drivers and a "well signed" road, I now have the distinct pleasure of resting quietly inside one of the most strikingly peaceful sites of antiquity that I have visited so far. Overlooking the sea, as most of these ancient rings do, the Spirit who dwells here seems to be holding me in a loving embrace. My eyes lazily scan the lush blue and green dappled hills which lay exposed in all directions. The churning silver-gray sky overhead is pregnant with the promise of a late afternoon shower. But for now, all is still, silent except for the stirring of a gentle breeze and the occasional snort of a nearby bull. I have been warned about this bull, but I have not seen him. I am not concerned and I do not feel that I am in any danger, only exquisitely looked after by the One who summoned me here today.
I can feel You close to me now.
I feel Your hands upon me, Your breath upon my face.
You whisper one word to me, soft as the wind, one single word:
"Love"
Continue reading "Forty Shades of Magic: A hitchhiker’s guide to some of Ireland’s Ancient Stones and Whispers: Part Three" |
Using Arduino with Parts and Sensors – Plant monitoring & watering device (with micro SD card)
In the last project, I used a micro SD card slot DIP kit to work with an SD card. This time, we will write values to a micro SD card and combine temperature sensor, light sensor, and new soil sensor to enable monitoring and watering a plant on my desk. Will this be helpful? Let’s build it and find out!
Expected time to complete: 120 minutes
Parts needed
Arduino Pro Mini
Ethernet Shield R3
Breadboard
CdS Sensor (light sensor)
Temperature Sensor (LM61)
Servomotor
Resistor(220Ω)
Nail x2
Pump nozzle
Simultaneous communication with a micro SD card via the Ethernet shield
There are several ways to use a micro SD card in Arduino-based projects. If you want to minimize the work, you can connect to the regular SD card easily by using an SD card shield, Ethernet shield, Arduino wireless SD shield, or any other shield that has an SD slot mounted on it.
This time, we’ll use the micro SD card adapter on the Ethernet shield introduced when we created a web server with Arduino.
It is very convenient because the shield has a micro SD connector and can also communicate via LAN cable.
Set up the Ethernet shield as shown in the linked article. As noted in Diagram 1 below, there are certain pins that can only be used with the LAN adapter and not with the SD card. So, we will have to build our circuit in the other pins.
Using the micro SD card via the Ethernet shield
There are several differences from what we did in the previous article, using micro SD card on the Ethernet shield. The micro SD card’s Pin 2 is used for recording data and is connected to Pin 10 on the Arduino. This is aligned with Pin 4 on the Ethernet shield.
Micro SD pin specification:
Now, let’s program some codes!
These codes read data from the SD card.
Code-Example #1 #include <SPI.h> #include <SD.h> Sd2Card card; SdVolume volume; SdFile root; const int chipSelect = 4; // set to pin 4 if using Ethernet void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); while (!Serial) { ; // wait for serial port to connect. Needed for Leonardo only } Serial.print("
Initializing SD card..."); pinMode(4, OUTPUT); // set to pin 4 if using Ethernet if (!card.init(SPI_HALF_SPEED, chipSelect)) { Serial.println("initialization failed. Things to check:"); Serial.println("* is a card is inserted?"); Serial.println("* Is your wiring correct?"); Serial.println("* did you change the chipSelect pin to match your shield or module?"); return; } else { Serial.println("Wiring is correct and a card is present."); } Serial.print("
Card type: "); switch (card.type()) { case SD_CARD_TYPE_SD1: Serial.println("SD1"); break; case SD_CARD_TYPE_SD2: Serial.println("SD2"); break; case SD_CARD_TYPE_SDHC: Serial.println("SDHC"); break; default: Serial.println("Unknown"); } if (!volume.init(card)) { Serial.println("Could not find FAT16/FAT32 partition.
Make sure you've formatted the card"); return; } uint32_t volumesize; Serial.print("
Volume type is FAT"); Serial.println(volume.fatType(), DEC); Serial.println(); volumesize = volume.blocksPerCluster(); // clusters are collections of blocks volumesize *= volume.clusterCount(); // we'll have a lot of clusters volumesize *= 512; // SD card blocks are always 512 bytes Serial.print("Volume size (bytes): "); Serial.println(volumesize); Serial.print("Volume size (Kbytes): "); volumesize /= 1024; Serial.println(volumesize); Serial.print("Volume size (Mbytes): "); volumesize /= 1024; Serial.println(volumesize); Serial.println("
Files found on the card (name, date and size in bytes): "); root.openRoot(volume); root.ls(LS_R | LS_DATE | LS_SIZE); } void loop( void ) {} 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 #include <SPI.h> #include <SD.h> Sd2Card card ; SdVolume volume ; SdFile root ; const int chipSelect = 4 ; // set to pin 4 if using Ethernet void setup ( ) { Serial . begin ( 9600 ) ; while ( ! Serial ) { ; // wait for serial port to connect. Needed for Leonardo only } Serial . print ( "
Initializing SD card..." ) ; pinMode ( 4 , OUTPUT ) ; // set to pin 4 if using Ethernet if ( ! card . init ( SPI_HALF_SPEED , chipSelect ) ) { Serial . println ( "initialization failed. Things to check:" ) ; Serial . println ( "* is a card is inserted?" ) ; Serial . println ( "* Is your wiring correct?" ) ; Serial . println ( "* did you change the chipSelect pin to match your shield or module?" ) ; return ; } else { Serial . println ( "Wiring is correct and a card is present." ) ; } Serial . print ( "
Card type: " ) ; switch ( card . type ( ) ) { case SD_CARD_TYPE_SD1 : Serial . println ( "SD1" ) ; break ; case SD_CARD_TYPE_SD2 : Serial . println ( "SD2" ) ; break ; case SD_CARD_TYPE_SDHC : Serial . println ( "SDHC" ) ; break ; default : Serial . println ( "Unknown" ) ; } if ( ! volume . init ( card ) ) { Serial . println ( "Could not find FAT16/FAT32 partition.
Make sure you've formatted the card" ) ; return ; } uint32_t volumesize ; Serial . print ( "
Volume type is FAT" ) ; Serial . println ( volume . fatType ( ) , DEC ) ; Serial . println ( ) ; volumesize = volume . blocksPerCluster ( ) ; // clusters are collections of blocks volumesize * = volume . clusterCount ( ) ; // we'll have a lot of clusters volumesize * = 512 ; // SD card blocks are always 512 bytes Serial . print ( "Volume size (bytes): " ) ; Serial . println ( volumesize ) ; Serial . print ( "Volume size (Kbytes): " ) ; volumesize /= 1024 ; Serial . println ( volumesize ) ; Serial . print ( "Volume size (Mbytes): " ) ; volumesize /= 1024 ; Serial . println ( volumesize ) ; Serial . println ( "
Files found on the card (name, date and size in bytes): " ) ; root . openRoot ( volume ) ; root . ls ( LS_R | LS_DATE | LS_SIZE ) ; } void loop ( void ) { }
I was able to read the contents of the micro SD card via the Ethernet shield.
Recording data from the temperature and the light sensors
Now that we have the micro SD card set up, let’s record data from the temperature and the light sensors. If you’ve forgotten how to use the temperature or the light sensors, please refer back to this article where we make a Stevenson screen.
You can see the wiring diagram below:
In the program, the data from the temperature and the light sensors is read using Analog Input and is written on the micro SD card. You set up the SD card using SD.open(“File name”, “Write mode”) from the Arduino SD card library. Once the file is open, the contents must be passed as a File variable and only then can reading or writing to the SD card occur. After all processing is complete, don’t forget to close the file with .close().
Code-Example #2: Writing temperature/light sensor data to the SD card #include <SPI.h> #include <SD.h> const int chipSelect = 4; void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); while (!Serial) { ; // wait for serial port to connect. Needed for Leonardo only } Serial.print("Initializing SD card..."); pinMode(4, OUTPUT); if (!SD.begin(chipSelect)) { Serial.println("Card failed, or not present"); return; } Serial.println("card initialized."); } void loop() { String dataString = ""; for (int analogPin = 0; analogPin < 2; analogPin++) { int sensor = analogRead(analogPin); if (analogPin == 0) { dataString += String(sensor); dataString += ","; } else if(analogPin == 1){ dataString += String(modTemp(sensor)); } } File dataFile = SD.open("DATALOG.TXT", FILE_WRITE); // file name if (dataFile) { // confirms the SD card file was successfully opened (creates a new one if not) dataFile.println(dataString); // writes the contents from dataString dataFile.close(); //closes the file after writing data Serial.println(dataString); } else { Serial.println("error opening datalog.txt"); } } // convert the temperature sensor data to Celsius float modTemp(int analog_val){ float tv = map(analog_val,0,1023,0,5000); // convert the sensor data to voltage float temp = map(tv,300,1600,-30,100) ; return temp; } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 #include <SPI.h> #include <SD.h> const int chipSelect = 4 ; void setup ( ) { Serial . begin ( 9600 ) ; while ( ! Serial ) { ; // wait for serial port to connect. Needed for Leonardo only } Serial . print ( "Initializing SD card..." ) ; pinMode ( 4 , OUTPUT ) ; if ( ! SD . begin ( chipSelect ) ) { Serial . println ( "Card failed, or not present" ) ; return ; } Serial . println ( "card initialized." ) ; } void loop ( ) { String dataString = "" ; for ( int analogPin = 0 ; analogPin < 2 ; analogPin ++ ) { int sensor = analogRead ( analogPin ) ; if ( analogPin == 0 ) { dataString += String ( sensor ) ; dataString += "," ; } else if ( analogPin == 1 ) { dataString += String ( modTemp ( sensor ) ) ; } } File dataFile = SD . open ( "DATALOG.TXT" , FILE_WRITE ) ; // file name if ( dataFile ) { // confirms the SD card file was successfully opened (creates a new one if not) dataFile . println ( dataString ) ; // writes the contents from dataString dataFile . close ( ) ; //closes the file after writing data Serial . println ( dataString ) ; } else { Serial . println ( "error opening datalog.txt" ) ; } } // convert the temperature sensor data to Celsius float modTemp ( int analog_val ) { float tv = map ( analog_val , 0 , 1023 , 0 , 5000 ) ; // convert the sensor data to voltage float temp = map ( tv , 300 , 1600 , - 30 , 100 ) ; return temp ; }
I successfully wrote the data.
Let’s build a plant monitoring device!
Now that we can write and read data from a micro SD card, let’s try to assemble a device!
Indoor plants need continuous care. Sometimes, watering your plants every day can get tedious. I’ve had numerous instances where I’d leave my plants and forget to water them for a long period of time and I would find my plants all droopy or even dead upon my arrival. Today, we’ll solve this problem by developing a watering machine!
Deciding on the design for the plant monitoring device!
First, let’s figure out the design of the device. We want to reduce the burden of watering plants so it’d be nice to have a soil sensor to detect when the soil is dry and automatically water the plant. Also, I want to read values from the temperature and the light sensors simultaneously and record them together on the SD card. We can also predict when the flowers will start blooming based on the accumulated temperature data. We can write a program that will make flower blooming predictions based on the data stored in the SD card. To summarize, we want to:
Detect soil dryness and water the plant
Record soil sensor, temperature sensor, and light sensor data in the SD card
Now, it’s time to build a device that will do these two things.
Making the soil sensor
First, let’s build a soil sensor to measure the soil’s dryness. There are prefabricated Arduino-compatible soil humidity sensors but we’re going to try something simpler in this article. The Arduino-compatible soil humidity sensor has two metal prongs that record a resistance value, which is the sensor reading. If the moisture content of the soil is high, current flows easily and the resistance value is low. Conversely, if the soil is dry, there is less electrical flow so the resistance value is high. When you understand this setup, you can test the this principle with 2 nails rather than using a special sensor.
*If you’re going to use this setup for a long period of time, iron nails will rust and the resistance value will change. In such case, it’s better to use the Arduino-compatible soil humidity sensor or rust proof nails.
Connect 2 nails to the conductive wires. These can be on the same circuit as the light sensor.
First, connect to Analog Pin 2 and read the soil sensor’s value with Analog Input. Next, fill the pot halfway with water. You can see that the value that was at 900-1000 lowers to around 600.
Since the resistance value drops as you add water, you can use these readings to determine the maximum resistance value. Again, high resistance value means the soil is dry. You can test and see what values you get by adding water.
Implementing the watering system
There are various ways to water your plants but I’ve used one that is simple and cost-effective. We can design a system that uses a simple pump nozzle from a bottle with a servo attached. It will be designed so that the servo will pump out the water by pressing the nozzle (Figure 14).
If you have a large plant that requires a lot of water, you can use a battery-powered oil pump. Depending on the size of your plant, there are all sorts of options you can try.
I bought 3 types of shampoo bottles to try. Since the servo I’m using isn’t very powerful, the servo failed to press down on two of the shampoo bottle nozzles. If your servo is weak, you can try to supply power from a separate battery and see if that works.
After much travail, I finally managed to put my watering system together (Figure 15).
Lastly, we need to write a program so we can save the soil sensor readings and water the plant whenever necessary. I set up a rule to pump 5 times whenever the resistance of the soil sensor is or above 700.
Code-Example #3 #include <SPI.h> #include <SD.h> #include <Servo.h> const int chipSelect = 4; Servo myservo; int pos = 0; int sensorValue = 0; // variable to store the value coming from the sensor int sensorPin = A0; void setup() { myservo.attach( 9 ); Serial.begin(9600); while (!Serial) { ; // wait for serial port to connect. Needed for Leonardo only } Serial.print("Initializing SD card..."); pinMode(4, OUTPUT); if (!SD.begin(chipSelect)) { Serial.println("Card failed, or not present"); return; } Serial.println("card initialized."); } void loop() { String dataString = ""; for (int analogPin = 0; analogPin < 3; analogPin++) { int sensor = analogRead(analogPin); if (analogPin == 0) { //光センサの値 dataString += "Light:"; dataString += String(sensor); dataString += ",Temp:"; } else if(analogPin == 1){ //温度センサの値 dataString += String(modTemp(sensor)); dataString += ",Ground:"; } else if(analogPin == 2){ //soil sensor value sensorValue = analogRead(sensorPin); dataString += String(sensorValue); // pump 5 times whenever the soul resistance value is above 700 if(sensorValue > 700){ for(int u=0;u<5;u++){ pos = 180; myservo.write( pos ); delay(1500); pos = 0; myservo.write( pos ); delay(1500); pos = 180; myservo.write( pos ); } } } } File dataFile = SD.open("datalog.txt", FILE_WRITE); if (dataFile) { dataFile.println(dataString); dataFile.close(); Serial.println(dataString); } else { Serial.println("error opening datalog.txt"); } } // Change the temperature sensor value to Celsius float modTemp(int analog_val){ float tv = map(analog_val,0,1023,0,5000); // Change the sensor value to voltage float temp = map(tv,300,1600,-30,100) ; return temp; } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 #include <SPI.h> #include <SD.h> #include <Servo.h> const int chipSelect = 4 ; Servo myservo ; int pos = 0 ; int sensorValue = 0 ; // variable to store the value coming from the sensor int sensorPin = A0 ; void setup ( ) { myservo . attach ( 9 ) ; Serial . begin ( 9600 ) ; while ( ! Serial ) { ; // wait for serial port to connect. Needed for Leonardo only } Serial . print ( "Initializing SD card..." ) ; pinMode ( 4 , OUTPUT ) ; if ( ! SD . begin ( chipSelect ) ) { Serial . println ( "Card failed, or not present" ) ; return ; } Serial . println ( "card initialized." ) ; } void loop ( ) { String dataString = "" ; for ( int analogPin = 0 ; analogPin < 3 ; analogPin ++ ) { int sensor = analogRead ( analogPin ) ; if ( analogPin == 0 ) { //光センサの値 dataString += "Light:"; dataString += String(sensor); dataString += ",Temp:"; } else if(analogPin == 1){ //温度センサの値 dataString += String(modTemp(sensor)); dataString += ",Ground:"; } else if(analogPin == 2){ //soil sensor value sensorValue = analogRead(sensorPin); dataString += String(sensorValue); // pump 5 times whenever the soul resistance value is above 700 if(sensorValue > 700){ for ( int u = 0 ; u < 5 ; u ++ ) { pos = 180 ; myservo . write ( pos ) ; delay ( 1500 ) ; pos = 0 ; myservo . write ( pos ) ; delay ( 1500 ) ; pos = 180 ; myservo . write ( pos ) ; } } } } File dataFile = SD . open ( "datalog.txt" , FILE_WRITE ) ; if ( dataFile ) { dataFile . println ( dataString ) ; dataFile . close ( ) ; Serial . println ( dataString ) ; } else { Serial . println ( "error opening datalog.txt" ) ; } } // Change the temperature sensor value to Celsius float modTemp ( int analog_val ) { float tv = map ( analog_val , 0 , 1023 , 0 , 5000 ) ; // Change the sensor value to voltage float temp = map ( tv , 300 , 1600 , - 30 , 100 ) ; return temp ; }
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Looking back on this year, the one word that describes it best for me would be “hype.” Now, I won’t go into great detail about that (in this article), but the hype was most definitely real this year for a lot of releases. Unfortunately, there were a few games this year that I don’t think lived up to their hype. This resulted in a few games I was sure would make the list below, nowhere to be found . Enough about games that aren’t making the list though (Destiny). Let’s get to the good stuff. As I think about all the games I played this year, I was surprised how easy it was to pick 5 games. It is true that a couple of games very well may have made the list had I played them – like Bayonetta 2 or South Park: Stick of Truth – but when buying games for multiple platforms, it’s tough to play everything that grabs your attention. Let’s get to my list!
5.) Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
I haven’t played card games for that long. If you want to count collecting Pokemon cards and hardly actually playing the game, then I started years ago, but let’s not count that. I didn’t play Magic the Gathering until just a couple of years ago and I haven’t played it in over 6 months now, mainly because the people I was playing with had years of experience. While I enjoyed the game, I ended up not having much fun. I stayed away from Hearthstone when I first had the chance to play because I still had a sour taste in my mouth, but after hearing friends speak so highly of it, I decided to give it a shot. I feel like Hearthstone is the epitome of “easy to learn, difficult to master.” With only one resource to manage and many cards without any sort of text to read and understand, most people will be able to play a game and at least feel like they understand the game after just a single match while those more competitive will still find the same draw as other trading card games.
4.) Super Smash Bros. (Wii U/3DS)
Oh Smash, how I’ve missed you. I’ve played and purchased every one since the N64 version and I hope they keep on coming. Picking up the 3DS version was a great way to get me back into the series and prepare for the Wii U version. At first I was worried the 3DS version wouldn’t be as fun because of the controller, but I was wrong. Not only did it control well, but it looked gorgeous. When the Wii U version came out, I was actually stunned when I first turned it on. The graphics and colors were sharp and vibrant and playing on a Gamecube controller again was very welcome. The game is obviously a lot more fun when you play with friends, but I’ve had plenty of fun when I play solo as well, especially with the introduction of Amiibos. At first, I thought they were ridiculous and pointless, but I’ve been caught up in the Amiibo fever for sure. Putting my Pikachu Amiibo (named Raichu) into the game and watching it learn from myself or the computer is amazing and a lot of fun. Throw in the party element with a fun new board game mode along with online play and you have a game where hundreds of hours will fly by.
3.) Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
I feel bad for everything I said about this game before it came out. In my very wrong mind, this game was going to be nothing more than Assassin’s Creed, but in Middle-earth. I can’t argue that it doesn’t share a few similarities, but it is definitely more than the same game in a different IP. No, this game is so much more. Shadow of Mordor is the first console game of the year that I felt actually did something interesting and new for this generation. For those unaware, this game has a “Nemesis System” and it’s something I’m unaware of in any other game. If you fight a Captain and do not kill them by slicing off their head, it is highly likely that you will encounter this enemy again. When you do, this character will have some sort of dialogue about what happened last time. It may be that they simply say you won’t get so lucky or they may call out their nice new scar courtesy of your battle. They’ll even mock you if you ran away last time because you couldn’t beat him. It’s a system that brings a lot to the feel of the game and the characters you will be fighting to progress or grow stronger. It’s the type of system that makes you wonder what else we’ll be seeing in the next few years and I think it’s a big win for Shadow of Mordor.
2.) Dragon Age: Inquisition
The fact that this made it so high up on my list when I’m still hours and hours away from beating it should tell you more than enough about this game. It has been a long time since I’ve played a non-competitive game I know I will be putting over 100 hours into without a problem. The story and the way it is presented is phenomenal, the characters are memorable, the choices are hard, and the combat is fun. Although it has a few minor issues here and there, usually involving the visuals in some way, there hasn’t been a single large issue or bug I’ve experienced yet and that says a lot in a game that is so large and has so much going on. I wouldn’t even know where to continue with praises for this game when there are so many good things to say and so many more hours I still have to put in, but I think this is one game that nobody needs convincing to play.
1.) Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc & Danganronpa: Goodbye Despair
Shush. I know it’s two games, but it’s my list. While the first game in the series did come out on the PlayStation Portable in 2010, it released on Vita this year as did its glorious sequel. I always have a hard time explaining this series to people without giving much away and still keeping it interesting, but here it goes. Danganronpa is a visual novel type game with an overarching mystery thrown in. Most of the game will be interacting with other characters and a lot of dialogue, but the story and the mystery itself is it’s main selling point. Twists and turns abound in this series and it would be strange to call it a “fun ride” due to its dark content. Each game is filled with a large cast of very memorable characters, some very dark humor, a lot of death, and a whole bunch of searching for answers. I’d equate it to a very good book that you have way more involvement and investment in. It’s a story I didn’t want to put down and it wasn’t often that I did. Its unique graphics and music set it apart from other games in the genre and just adds to the reasons this series takes the top spot on my list. So you truly understand why it made it here with such ease, I highly recommend you play it and experience it for yourself.
Games that almost made the list:
Mario Kart 8
Tales of Hearts R
Fantasy Life |
Plant material
Potentilla reptans L. is a stoloniferous perennial herb, which occurs in meadows and river banks as well as disturbed environments, such as roadsides and pastures52. It grows stolons with rooted ramets, which normally stay connected to the mother plant for one season52 and has been shown to have high levels of clonal integration53. The ramets are rosettes that form indeterminate number of leaves whose height is regulated by petiole length and vertical inclination. Leaf height has been shown to increase with that of neighbouring plants36, 47, while leaf number has been shown to decrease under shade54, 55.
Twenty P. reptans cuttings from different sites around Tübingen, Germany were collected in December 2013. To relax environmentally-induced maternal effects, the cuttings were clonally propagated for one generation under common-garden conditions at a field site in Tübingen University, where they were individually planted in 1 L pots and covered with light fabric organza during winter.
Experimental setup
In May 2014, four newly grown ramets were severed from each P. reptans mother plant. Each ramet was then planted separately in the centre of a 12 L pot (30 cm diameter) filled with local topsoil (Bischoff GmbH & Co. KG, Rottenburg am Neckar, Germany). Individual ramets, one ramet per genotype, were assigned to one of four light-competition treatments simulating different height and density of neighbours. Light competition was simulated using transparent green plastic filters, which mimic vegetative shade in both light transmission levels and R:FR ratios (122 Fern green, Lee filters, CA, USA)23, 36. One centimetre-wide filter strips were used to create a grid of two concentric cylinders of 15 and 30 cm in diameter (Fig. 4a–f). The use of two cylinders rather than a single one provided a better simulation of light competition that could be experienced by clonal plants as they expand horizontally. To simulate vegetation through which plants could grow laterally, the filter strips were positioned 0.5 cm apart. Short and tall neighbours were simulated using 15- and 50-cm-long filter strips, respectively (Fig. 4a–f). Sparse neighbours were simulated with alternating green and clear (130 clear, Lee filters, CA, USA) strips (Fig. 4a, c, e), while dense neighbours were simulated using green strips only (Fig. 4b, d, f). This experiment resulted in a total of 80 plants (20 genotypes × 2 density treatments × 2 height treatments). The sample size (n = 20) was chosen based on previous studies where developmental plasticity in P. reptans in response to light competition was shown for a smaller sample of ca. 10 genotypes36, 55.
The filters were set around the plants following transplantation and the pots were placed on benches at a greenhouse in Tübingen University, within a distance of 50 cm between pots, to prevent shading effects among neighbouring plants. The plants were arranged in blocks according to genotype and assigned random numbers to conceal their identity during variable measurements. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was measured on September 2015 for a subset of pots (seven per treatment) at four heights from the soil (2, 6, 10 and 14 cm) using a quantum light metre (LI-250, LI-COR Inc., Lincoln, NE, USA). PAR differed among treatments (ANOVA: F 3,96 = 37.087, P < 0.001), height from soil (ANOVA: F 3,96 = 18.167, P < 0.001) and their interaction (ANOVA: F 9,96 = 4.883, P < 0.001). At a height of 2–6 cm, which is leaf-lamina height at the beginning of the experiment, PAR was higher in the short-sparse compared to the tall-dense treatment, while the short-dense and tall-sparse treatments had similar intermediate PAR levels (Fig. 5a). However, the two short treatments were characterised by a gradient of increased PAR with increasing height, while PAR levels at the two tall treatments remained low (Fig. 5a). In addition to PAR levels, red to far-red ratio (R:FR) was measured in July 2017 for a subset of pots (eight per treatment) at the same four heights using a FieldSpec 4 Standard-Res Spectroradiometer (ASD Inc., Longmont, CO, USA). R:FR differed among treatments (ANOVA: F 3,112 = 53.949, P < 0.001), height from soil (ANOVA: F 3,112 = 4.327, P = 0.006) and their interaction (ANOVA: F 9,112 = 2.018, P = 0.044). As for PAR levels, R:FR was highest in the short-sparse treatment and lowest in the tall-dense treatment (Fig. 5b). Here however, only the short-dense treatment showed a gradient of increased R:FR with increasing height (Fig. 5b). Hence, in summary, each of the treatments exhibited a unique light environment, which was expressed in light intensity, light quality or both, and/or a gradient in these light characteristics.
Fig. 5 Light characteristics in the different treatments simulating vegetative shade. Values are means ± SEM of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; a) and red to far-red ratio (R:FR; b) at different heights within the short (circles and dashed lines), tall (triangles and solid lines) sparse (bright green) and dense (dark green) treatments. Different letters indicate statistically significant differences between heights within a treatment, estimated using the least significant difference (LSD) test with the false discovery rate correction59 following an ANOVA in a (ANOVA, height from soil: P < 0.001, n = 7) and b (ANOVA, height from soil: P = 0.006, n = 8) Full size image
Measured variables
Ramet performance in response to the different treatments was estimated from the number of newly produced leaves per ramet, i.e. number of leaves at the end of the experiment minus number of leaves at its onset. Leaf number has been shown to provide an appropriate non-destructive estimate of plant size in P. reptans 54, and was also found to highly correlate with ramet biomass in a separate experiment (Supplementary Fig. 1a). The numbers of newly produced leaves in one ramet in the short-sparse, short-dense and tall-dense treatments were lost due to technical problems, resulting in a sample size of 19 per treatment.
Measurements of the plastic responses of P. reptans were carried out in August 2014, 9 weeks after the onset of the experiment. These measurements included petiole length as well as plant height, which was estimated as the vertical distance between the highest leaf tip and the soil surface. Vertical inclination in response to competition was evaluated as the ratio between plant height and its diameter, i.e. the maximum distance between the two furthermost leaf tips. This ratio was chosen because it proved easier to measure within the shading apparatus compared to petioles angles, and due to its high correlation with the latter (Supplementary Fig. 1b). Plant height in one ramet in the short-sparse treatment was lost due to technical problems, resulting in a sample size of 19 for this treatment.
Shade tolerance was estimated with specific leaf area, i.e. the ratio between lamina area and its dry weight. To that end, the two biggest laminas per ramet were harvested and photographed, and their images were used to quantify mean lamina area with the ImageJ software56. Laminae’s biomass was measured following oven drying them in 70 ˚C for 3 days. Lateral clonal growth was estimated by measuring total stolon length per plant as well as mean internode length of the stolons.
All variables were measured in the pots prior to the removal of the filters so as to not disrupt plant architecture, except for lamina area and biomass. For the latter variables, samples were identified according to randomly assigned numbers rather than treatment names to blind the investigator to treatment identity. All collected data are available in the Supplementary Data.
Data analysis
The responses of P. reptans to the height and density of simulated neighbours expressed by their number of newly produced leaves, petiole length, height-per-diameter ratio, specific leaf area, total stolon length and mean internode length were examined using a generalised linear-mixed model with filter height and density as fixed factors and plant genotype as a random factor. The number of newly produced leaves, petiole length, height-per-diameter ratio and specific leaf area were analysed with a normal probability distribution with an identity link function. Total stolon length and internode length were analysed with a Gamma probability distribution with a log link function. To account for potential differences in total stolon length due to ramet size57, 58, the number of leaves per ramet at the end of the experiment was used as a covariate (after confirming the assumption of homogeneity of slopes). Post hoc pairwise comparisons between treatments were performed using false discovery rate correction for multiple tests59, 60. These statistical analyses were performed using PASW 18 (SPSS).
In addition to the univariate analyses, a multivariate approach was employed to evaluate the complete array of plastic responses displayed by P. reptans under the different treatments. Partial redundancy analysis (RDA) was performed with diameter, height per diameter, leaf area, mean internode length, number of new leaves, petiole length, plant height, specific leaf area and total stolon length as response variables explained by the simulated neighbour treatments after removing the effect of covariates (number of leaves at the end of the experiment as an estimate of plant size and genotype). To account for different measuring units, traits were centred and standardised. Monte-Carlo permutation test (n = 999) on first and second RDA axes was used with genotype as permutation block61. Furthermore, to evaluate the effect of each of the treatments independently, simple tests for each treatment were performed using the false discovery rate correction for multiple tests50, 62. The multivariate analyses were performed using CANOCO 563.
To better estimate the treatment effects on the allometric relationships between plant height and diameter as well as between total stolon length and number of leaves, these relationships and effects were analysed using the SMA regression, which is appropriate for analysing variables that have no causal relationship64. SMA was used to test for the effect of filter height and density on shifts along a common slope and on elevation (y-intercept) between slopes (after confirming the assumption of homogeneity of slopes). The traits were log-transformed prior to the analysis. These analyses were performed using the smart package in R62.
Data availability
Data analysed in this study are included in the Supplementary Information |
Today we'll be taking a look at the decorator pattern, a structural pattern that promotes code reuse and is a flexible alternative to subclassing. This pattern is also useful for modifying existing systems where you may wish to add additional features to objects without the need to change the underlying code that uses them.
Traditionally, the decorator is defined as a design pattern that allows behaviour to be added to an existing object dynamically. The idea is that the decoration itself isn't essential to the base functionality of an object otherwise it would be baked into the 'superclass' object itself.
Subclassing
For developers unfamiliar with subclassing, here is a beginner's primer on them before we dive further into decorators: subclassing is a term that refers to inheriting properties for a new object from a base or 'superclass' object.
In traditional OOP, a class B is able to extend another class A. Here we consider A a superclass and B a subclass of A. As such, all instances of B inherit the methods from A. B is however still able to define it's own methods, including those that override methods originally defined by A.
Should B need to invoke a method in A that has been overriden, we refer to this as method chaining. Should B need to invoke the constructor A() (the superclass), we call this constructor chaining.
In order to demonstrate subclassing, we first need a base object that can have new instances of itself created. Let's model this around the concept of a person.
var subclassExample = subclassExample || {}; subclassExample = { Person: function( firstName , lastName ){ this.firstName = firstName; this.lastName = lastName; this.gender = 'male' } }
Next, we'll want to specify a new class (object) that's a subclass of the existing Person object. Let's imagine we want to add distinct properties to distinguish a Person from a Superhero whilst inheriting the properties of the Person 'superclass'. As superheroes share many common traits with normal people (eg. name, gender), this should hopefully illustrate how subclassing works adequately.
//a new instance of Person can then easily be created as follows: var clark = new subclassExample.Person( "Clark" , "Kent" ); //Define a subclass constructor for for 'Superhero': subclassExample.Superhero = function( firstName, lastName , powers ){ /* Invoke the superclass constructor on the new object then use .call() to invoke the constructor as a method of the object to be initialized. */ subclassExample.Person.call(this, firstName, lastName); //Finally, store their powers, a new array of traits not found in a normal 'Person' this.powers = powers; } subclassExample.Superhero.prototype = new subclassExample.Person; var superman = new subclassExample.Superhero( "Clark" ,"Kent" , ['flight','heat-vision'] ); console.log(superman); /* includes superhero props as well as gender*/
The Superhero definition creates an object which descends from Person. Objects of this type have properties of the objects that are above it in the chain and if we had set default values in the Person object, Superhero is capable of overriding any inherited values with values specific to it's object.
So where do decorators come in?
Decorators
Decorators are used when it's necessary to delegate responsibilities to an object where it doesn't make sense to subclass it. A common reason for this is that the number of features required demand for a very large quantity of subclasses. Can you imagine having to define hundreds or thousands of subclasses for a project? It would likely become unmanagable fairly quickly.
To give you a visual example of where this is an issue, imagine needing to define new kinds of Superhero: SuperheroThatCanFly, SuperheroThatCanRunQuickly and SuperheroWithXRayVision.
Now, what if s superhero had more than one of these properties?. We'd need to define a subclass called SuperheroThatCanFlyAndRunQuickly , SuperheroThatCanFlyRunQuicklyAndHasXRayVision etc - effectively, one for each possible combination. As you can see, this isn't very manageable when you factor in different abilities.
The decorator pattern isn't heavily tied to how objects are created but instead focuses on the problem of extending their functionality. Rather than just using inheritance, where we're used to extending objects linearly, we work with a single base object and progressively add decorator objects which provide the additional capabilities. The idea is that rather than subclassing, we add (decorate) properties or methods to a base object so its a little more streamlined.
The extension of objects is something already built into JavaScript and as we know, objects can be extended rather easily with properties being included at any point. With this in mind, a very very simplistic decorator may be implemented as follows:
Example 1: Basic decoration of existing object constructors with new functionality
function vehicle( vehicleType ){ /*properties and defaults*/ this.vehicleType = vehicleType || 'car', this.model = 'default', this.license = '00000-000' } /*Test instance for a basic vehicle*/ var testInstance = new vehicle('car'); console.log(testInstance); /*vehicle: car, model:default, license: 00000-000*/ /*Lets create a new instance of vehicle, to be decorated*/ var truck = new vehicle('truck'); /*New functionality we're decorating vehicle with*/ truck.setModel = function( modelName ){ this.model = modelName; } truck.setColor = function( color ){ this.color = color; } /*Test the value setters and value assignment works correctly*/ truck.setModel('CAT'); truck.setColor('blue'); console.log(truck); /*vehicle:truck, model:CAT, color: blue*/ /*Demonstrate 'vehicle' is still unaltered*/ var secondInstance = new vehicle('car'); console.log(secondInstance); /*as before, vehicle: car, model:default, license: 00000-000*/
This type of simplistic implementation is something you're likely familiar with, but it doesn't really demonstrate some of the other strengths of the pattern. For this, we're first going to go through my variation of the Coffee example from an excellent book called Head First Design Patterns by Freeman, Sierra and Bates, which is modelled around a Macbook purchase.
We're then going to look at psuedo-classical decorators.
Example 2: Simply decorate objects with multiple decorators
//What we're going to decorate function MacBook() { this.cost = function () { return 997; }; this.screenSize = function () { return 13.3; }; } /*Decorator 1*/ function Memory(macbook) { var v = macbook.cost(); macbook.cost = function() { return v + 75; } } /*Decorator 2*/ function Engraving( macbook ){ var v = macbook.cost(); macbook.cost = function(){ return v + 200; }; } /*Decorator 3*/ function Insurance( macbook ){ var v = macbook.cost(); macbook.cost = function(){ return v + 250; }; } var mb = new MacBook(); Memory(mb); Engraving(mb); Insurance(mb); console.log(mb.cost()); //1522 console.log(mb.screenSize()); //13.3
Here, the decorators are overrriding the superclass .cost() method to return the current price of the Macbook plus with the cost of the upgrade being specified. It's considered a decoration as the original Macbook object's constructor methods which are not overridden (eg. screenSize()) as well as any other properties which we may define as a part of the Macbook remain unchanged and in tact.
As you can probably tell, there isn't really a defined 'interface' in the above example and duck typing is used to shift the responsibility of ensuring an object meets an interface when moving from the creator to the receiver.
Pseudo-classical decorators
We're now going to examine the variation of the decorator presented in 'Pro JavaScript Design Patterns' (PJDP) by Dustin Diaz and Ross Harmes.
Unlike some of the examples from earlier, Diaz and Harmes stick more closely to how decorators are implemented in other programming languages (such as Java or C++) using the concept of an 'interface', which we'll define in more detail shortly.
Note: This particular variation of the decorator pattern is provided for reference purposes. If you find it overly complex for your application's needs, I recommend sticking to one the simplier implementations covered earlier, but I would still read the section. If you haven't yet grasped how decorators are different from subclassing, it may help!.
Interfaces
PJDP describes the decorator as a pattern that is used to transparently wrap objects inside other objects of the same interface. An interface is a way of defining the methods an object *should* have, however, it doesn't actually directly specify how those methods should be implemented.
They can also indicate what parameters the methods take, but this is considered optional.
So, why would you use an interface in JavaScript? The idea is that they're self-documenting and promote reusability. In theory, interfaces also make code more stable by ensuring changes to them must also be made to the classes implementing them.
Below is an example of an implementation of Interfaces in JavaScript using duck-typing - an approach that helps determine whether an object is an instance of constructor/object based on the methods it implements.
var TodoList = new Interface('Composite', ['add', 'remove']); var TodoItem = new Interface('TodoItem', ['save']); // TodoList class var myTodoList = function(id, method, action) { // implements TodoList, TodoItem ... }; ... function addTodo(todoInstance) { Interface.ensureImplements(todoInstance, TodoList, TodoItem); // This function will throw an error if a required method is not implemented, // halting execution of the function. //... }
where Interface.ensureImplements provides strict checking. If you would like to explore interfaces further, I recommend looking at Chapter 2 of Pro JavaScript design patterns. For the Interface class used above, see here.
The biggest problem with interfaces is that, as there isn't built-in support for them in JavaScript, there's a danger of us attempting to emulate the functionality of another language, however, we're going to continue demonstrating their use just to give you a complete view of how the decorator is implemented by other developers.
This variation of decorators and abstract decorators
To demonstrate the structure of this version of the decorator pattern, we're going to imagine we have a superclass that models a macbook once again and a store that allows you to 'decorate' your macbook with a number of enhancements for an additional fee.
Enhancements can include upgrades to 4GB or 8GB Ram, engraving, Parallels or a case. Now if we were to model this using an individual subclass for each combination of enhancement options, it might look something like this:
var Macbook = function(){ //... } var MacbookWith4GBRam = function(){}, MacbookWith8GBRam = function(){}, MacbookWith4GBRamAndEngraving = function(){}, MacbookWith8GBRamAndEngraving = function(){}, MacbookWith8GBRamAndParallels = function(){}, MacbookWith4GBRamAndParallels = function(){}, MacbookWith8GBRamAndParallelsAndCase = function(){}, MacbookWith4GBRamAndParallelsAndCase = function(){}, MacbookWith8GBRamAndParallelsAndCaseAndInsurance = function(){}, MacbookWith4GBRamAndParallelsAndCaseAndInsurance = function(){};
and so on.
This would be an impractical solution as a new subclass would be required for every possible combination of enhancements that are available. As we'd prefer to keep things simple without maintaining a large set of subclasses, let's look at how decorators may be used to solve this problem better.
Rather than requiring all of the combinations we saw earlier, we should simply have to create five new decorator classes. Methods that are called on these enhancement classes would be passed on to our Macbook class.
In our next example, decorators transparently wrap around their components and can interestingly be interchanged astray use the same interface.
Here's the interface we're going to define for the Macbook:
var Macbook = new Interface('Macbook', ['addEngraving', 'addParallels', 'add4GBRam', 'add8GBRam', 'addCase']); A Macbook Pro might thus be represented as follows: var MacbookPro = function(){ //implements Macbook } MacbookPro.prototype = { addEngraving: function(){ }, addParallels: function(){ }, add4GBRam: function(){ }, add8GBRam:function(){ }, addCase: function(){ }, getPrice: function(){ return 900.00; //base price. } };
We're not going to worry about the actual implementation at this point as we'll shortly be passing on all method calls that are made on them.
To make it easier for us to add as many more options as needed later on, an abstract decorator class is defined with default methods required to implement the Macbook interface, which the rest of the options will subclass.
Abstract decorators ensure that we can decorate a base class independently with as many decorators as needed in different combinations (remember the example earlier?) without needing to derive a class for every possible combination.
//Macbook decorator abstract decorator class var MacbookDecorator = function( macbook ){ Interface.ensureImplements(macbook, Macbook); this.macbook = macbook; } MacbookDecorator.prototype = { addEngraving: function(){ return this.macbook.addEngraving(); }, addParallels: function(){ return this.macbook.addParallels(); }, add4GBRam: function(){ return this.macbook.add4GBRam(); }, add8GBRam:function(){ return this.macbook.add8GBRam(); }, addCase: function(){ return this.macbook.addCase(); }, getPrice: function(){ return this.macbook.getPrice(); } };
What's happening in the above sample is that the Macbook decorator is taking an object to use as the component. It's using the Macbook interface we defined earlier and for each method is just calling the same method on the component. We can now create our option classes just by using the Macbook decorator - simply call the superclass constructor and any methods can be overriden as per necessary.
var CaseDecorator = function( macbook ){ /*call the superclass's constructor next*/ this.superclass.constructor(macbook); } /*Let's now extend the superclass*/ extend( CaseDecorator, MacbookDecorator ); CaseDecorator.prototype.addCase = function(){ return this.macbook.addCase() + " Adding case to macbook "; }; CaseDecorator.prototype.getPrice = function(){ return this.macbook.getPrice() + 45.00; };
As you can see, most of this is relatively easy to implement. What we're doing is overriding the addCase() and getPrice() methods that need to be decorated and we're achieving this by first executing the component's method and then adding to it.
As there's been quite a lot of information presented in this section so far, let's try to bring it all together in a single example that will hopefully highlight what we've learned.
//Instantiation of the macbook var myMacbookPro = new MacbookPro(); //This will return 900.00 console.log(myMacbookPro.getPrice()); //Decorate the macbook myMacbookPro = new CaseDecorator( myMacbookPro ); /*note*/ //This will return 945.00 console.log(myMacbookPro.getPrice());
An important note from PJDP is that in the line denoted *note*, Harmes and Diaz claim that it's important not to create a separate variable to store the instance of your decorators, opting for the same variable instead. The downside to this is that we're unable to access the original macbook object in our example, however we technically shouldn't need to further.
As decorators are able to modify objects dynamically, they're a perfect pattern for changing existing systems. Occasionally, it's just simpler to create decorators around an object versus the trouble of maintaining individual subclasses. This makes maintaining applications of this type significantly more straight-forward.
Implementing decorators with jQuery
As with other patterns I''ve covered, there are also examples of the decorator pattern that can be implemented with jQuery. jQuery.extend() allows you to extend (or merge) two or more objects (and their properties) together into a single object either at run-time or dynamically at a later point.
In this scenario, a target object can be decorated with new functionality without necessarily breaking or overriding existing methods in the source/superclass object (although this can be done).
In the following example, we define three objects: defaults, options and settings. The aim of the task is to decorate the 'defaults' object with additional functionality found in 'options', which we'll make available through 'settings'. We must:
(a) Leave 'defaults' in an untouched state where we don't lose the ability to access the properties or functions found in it a later point (b) Gain the ability to use the decorated properties and functions found in 'options'
var decoratorApp = decoratorApp || {}; /* define the objects we're going to use*/ decoratorApp = { defaults:{ validate: false, limit: 5, name: "foo", welcome: function(){ //console.log('welcome!'); } }, options:{ validate: true, name: "bar", helloWorld: function(){ //console.log('hello'); } }, settings:{}, printObj: function(obj) { var arr = []; $.each(obj, function(key, val) { var next = key + ": "; next += $.isPlainObject(val) ? printObj(val) : val; arr.push( next ); }); return "{ " + arr.join(", ") + " }"; } } /* merge defaults and options, without modifying defaults */ decoratorApp.settings = $.extend({}, decoratorApp.defaults,decoratorApp.options); /* what we've done here is decorated defaults in a way that provides access to the properties and functionality it has to offer (as well as that of the decorator 'options'). defaults itself is left unchanged*/ $('#log').append("<div><b>settings -- </b>" + decoratorApp.printObj(decoratorApp.settings) + "</div><div><b>options -- </b>" + decoratorApp. printObj(decoratorApp.options) + "</div><div><b>defaults -- </b>" +decoratorApp.printObj(decoratorApp.defaults) + "</div>" ); /* settings -- { validate: true, limit: 5, name: bar, welcome: function (){ console.log('welcome!'); }, helloWorld: function (){ console.log('hello!'); } } options -- { validate: true, name: bar, helloWorld: function (){ console.log('hello!'); } } defaults -- { validate: false, limit: 5, name: foo, welcome: function (){ console.log('welcome!'); } } */
Pros and cons of the pattern
Developers enjoy using this pattern as it can be used transparently and is also fairly flexible - as we've seen, objects can be wrapped or 'decorated' with new behavior and then continue to be used without needing to worry about the base object being modified. In a broader context, this pattern also avoids us needing to rely on large numbers of subclasses to get the same benefits.
There are however drawbacks that you should be aware of when implementing the pattern. If poorly managed, it can significantly complicate your application's architecture as it introduces many small, but similar objects into your namespace. The concern here is that in addition to becoming hard to manage, other developers unfamiliar with the pattern may have a hard time grasping why it's being used.
Sufficient commenting or pattern research should assist with the latter, however as long as you keep a handle on how widespread you use the decorator in your application you should be fine on both counts.
Conclusions
And that's it!. As with any design pattern, be sure that if you do employ the decorator when writing applications that you're using it for the benefits it offers rather than just using the pattern for the sake of it. I hope this post comes in useful!.
References: |
Screenshot by Michelle Starr/CNET
The "Star Wars" laser is pretty great: instead of bullets, it fires laser bolts -- short bursts of laser that can be used as a weapon. Unfortunately, the fictional device would not work that way in the real world. For starters, laser pulses, made of light, move at the speed of light -- too fast for the eye to see.
If it could exist in the real world, though, we can now see what it would look like, thanks to a team of researchers from the Laser Centre of the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw.
They used a new, compact, high-power laser to send an ultrashort laser pulse through the air, filming it using an old camera trick, since most cameras cannot shoot at a speed of billions of frames per second. A modified camera was synchronised with the laser, which shot pulses at a rate of 10 per second. The laser pulses and the camera were ever-so-slightly out of synch, so that the camera recorded each image at a minimal delay from the previous one. A cloud of water vapour was used to make the laser more visible.
In this way, the camera was able to film the passage of a laser pulse -- with each frame of the film a separate pulse.
IPC PAS
"In fact, a different laser pulse can be seen in every frame of our film," said study co-author Paweł Wnuk. "Luckily, the physics always stays the same. So, on the film one can observe all the effects associated with the movement of the laser pulse in space, in particular, the changes in ambient light depending on the position of the pulse and the formation of flares on the walls when the light passes through the dispersing cloud of condensed water vapour."
Each pulse lasted around a dozen femtoseconds (millionths of a billionth of a second), and was so powerful that it ionised the atoms around it, which in turn created a fibre of plasma. The team was able to prevent this from dispersing immediately by carefully calibrating the laser machine to balance the interactions between the pulse's electromagnetic field and the plasma. This meant the pulse held its shape, travelling a greater distance than low-power pulses.
"It is worth noting that although the light we are shooting from the laser is in the near infrared range, a laser beam like this travelling through the air changes colour to white," said study lead Yuriy Stepanenko. "This happens since the interaction of the pulse with the plasma generates light of many different wavelengths. Received simultaneously, these waves give the impression of white."
The use for these long-travelling pulses is not weaponisation: instead, because they can penetrate the atmosphere over long distances, the team believes that it can be adapted for remote testing of atmospheric pollution. The white light interacting with atoms in the air will provide valuable information about elements and compounds polluting the atmosphere. |
A long touted express link between Toronto’s two largest transport hubs will open to the public June 6, Premier Kathleen Wynne revealed Wednesday.
The announcement came in advance of Thursday’s provincial budget, when the premier is expected to clarify plans for billions of dollars in announced infrastructure spending.
The Union Pearson Express links Union Station in downtown Toronto with Pearson International Airport.
A test ride with the premier aboard Wednesday took slightly less than the listed 25 minute platform to platform time.
Speaking to reporters at the airport, Wynne called the express train the kind of investment “that used to be more common in Ontario.” She later vowed that the “days of underspending on infrastructure” in Ontario are over.”
The province claims the Union Pearson Express will take 1.2 million car trips off the road in its first year of operation. The train will operate every 15 minutes for 19.5 hours a day. It is expected to carry 2.35 million passengers a year by 2018.
A full adult fare from Union to Pearson or vice versa will cost $27.50, with discounts available for students, seniors, families and Presto card holders. |
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death coming west this fall
Compile Heart's PS Vita dungeon RPG headed westward.
Idea Factory International is bringing PS Vita dungeon RPG MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death (what we’ve previously referred to as Death Under the Labyrinth) to North America and Europe both physically and digitally this fall, the publisher announced. It will also support PlayStation TV.
Here’s a rundown of the game, via Idea Factory:
About First, the winds stopped. Then, birds vanished from the skies. Finally, the sun set… And an eternal night fell upon the world. The reason was quickly identified. It was a story told of in legends. The world had ceased hundreds of years ago as well. But there was a legendary mage who had managed to restart it. Thus, elders gathered capable young Machina Mages from around the world. They sent them to the legendary city: Machina City, Southern Cross. You must restart the world, and bring an end to this eternal night. That is your mission, and your destiny. Now, go forth on your journey. Go, Estra! Key Features Labyrinths of Possibility! Navigate challenging maps and puzzles in this first-person dungeon-crawler!
Navigate challenging maps and puzzles in this first-person dungeon-crawler! You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine! Pair your 3-person party with three different Guardians for a turn-based, dungeon-crawling battle system!
Pair your 3-person party with three different Guardians for a turn-based, dungeon-crawling battle system! Advanced Robotics! Unique Guardian robots can be customized even further with different parts and crystals to enhance their abilities!
Unique Guardian robots can be customized even further with different parts and crystals to enhance their abilities! Elemental Enemies! Strategize attacks between your humans and Guardians and find the crack in your foe’s armor by exploiting their elemental weakness!
View a set of screenshots at the gallery. Visit the game’s official website here.
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death first launched in Japan on December 17, 2015. |
Even after I’d left the cinema, the drums from Birdman were still echoing through my head, chest and existence. The slowly building tide of hype that had seeped into my awareness had done little to prepare me for watching this film. To call it a comic book movie is to misunderstand the points this film makes and the forms that it plays with…
The show must go on
The film centres around a down-on-his-luck actor, Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), who is attempting to derive meaning from life and his career by putting on a stage adaptation of the Raymond Carver short story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”. But not only has Riggan written this adaptation of a story by one of the greatest figures of 20th Century American literature, he’s putting the play out on Broadway, directing and acting in it as well. Of course his personal life is in pieces and he’s hardly holding things together, as he tries desperately to use the play as a means to escape his past as the actor of one of the highest grossing comic book super hero movies of all time, the “Birdman” of the title.
Now, this could have all been a standard film about redemption and finding a new place in the world, but the film’s director Alejandro González Iñárritu and its writers ( Alejandro, again, and Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo) make sure that it is anything but standard and leave you guessing right until the end how things will pan out. But the show will go on and oh, how it does.
Trickery
One of the most stunning aspects of Birdman is how the film appears to be done in one long take. Cuts are deeply hidden, though potentially obvious when the screen goes a bit black, because the characters of delved into the depths of the theatre, but it is a fantastic technical achievement to have gotten the film to look like this. What I also really liked about the use of this one long take effect is that it was as if the film was reflecting the nature of the play contained with it, because in theatre there are no cuts, only curtains, entrances and exits.
But it’s not just this one take effect that is visually interesting: most of the film takes place within the theatre, on and off-stage, and around a single block in New York City. There’s so few locations in the film, but you don’t feel underwhelmed by the lack of locales. There’s so much passion in what is happening between the characters that while it seems that Riggan is meant to be feeling confined and unable to escape, we as an audience are offered little chance to get bored while we look at the same poster again and again.
Just to further reflect the film’s apparent board like aspirations: there is a tonne of dialogue. The film has characters spilling out their guts for you, but it never feels wrong that they have taken it this far, because the general aesthetic of the film is built so much towards reflecting theatre. And there’s a level of intensity to the performances from Keaton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, Edward Norton and the rest of the cast, that you won’t get in your regular big budget, Hollywood film, because (again) it’s like they’re projecting (pun intended) a theatrical experience.
The critique I’ve been waiting for
Here and there, on Hex and speaking on Nerds Assemble, you may have picked up that I’ve been getting a little bored with comic book movies. And so I really dig the critique that Birdman offers up for this cinematic force that is showing no sign of leaving our cinemas any time soon. The film artfully, but brutally, looks at how the genre has distorted the careers of actors, changed people’s expectations when it comes to films and generally shows us “why we can’t have nice things” when it comes to comic book movies i.e. why there aren’t more Ghost Worlds and Road to Perditions on our cinema screens.
This critiquing happens not only through Riggan’s many reflections on what happened in his past (his comic book movie career is made out to have ended sometime before 1995), but also through contextualising the film’s universe with our own and including references to the success Robert Downey Jr. has found in the genre. Riggan also enables the audience to see how typecasting can mess up the careers of actors and actresses, but also how those in the acting profession may want to aspire to art – that multi-million, multi-film deals are not always the be all and end all in their lives. There is a lot in this film to think about, and I can’t help feeling that the film’s alternative title “The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance” is directed at those who think nothing needs to change in mainstream cinema.
Worth watching?
If you want to see a film that plays around with what it is to be a film – go see this. If you’re questioning the wisdom of Hollywood each summer – go see this. If you see nothing at all wrong with Marvel, Warner, Fox and Sony falling back on the same old gimmicks when it comes to comic book movies and don’t think they need to change: then you will probably hate this film. Everyone else: go and see it and get those drums stuck in your existence.
Birdman is out now in UK cinemas. Our reviewer bought their own ticket. |
Efest Pro C2 Charger
The Efest PRO C2 Charger is a simple and cost-efficient charger designed by Efest. The Efest PRO C2 Charger is a two bay charger powered by a AC wall plug and can charge two batteries at 1A each at the same time. The LED indicator light is red when your battery is charging and turns green when the battery is fully charged. The Efest PRO C2 Charger can charge different types of 3.6V/3.7V lithium batteries commonly used in electronic cigarettes, flashlights, electric tools, and more.
Product Specifications:
Compatible with: 10440, 14500, 14650, 16340, 16650, 17650, 17670, 18350, 18490, 18500, 18650, 20700, 22650, 26500, 26650
Battery Life LED Indicator Light
Two Bay 1A Charger
Non-Slip Mat
AC Input Power: AC 100~240V 50/60Hz
DC Output Power: DC 12V 1A
DC Input Power: DC 12V 1A
1A CC Current: 1000mA (+/-10%)
Auto Cut-Off Voltage: 4.20 (+/-0.05V)
CV Cut-Off Current: <100mA
Standby Current: <20mA
Activation Current (Battery Voltage <2.90V): 10mA~50mA
Auto Recharge Voltage: 4.10 (+/-0.10V)
Operation Temperature: 0C ~ 40C
Storage Temperature: -40C ~ 70C
Box Included: |
Peasants, small farmers, and indigenous people are being massacred over land rights and environmental conflicts across rural Brazil. From January to July of this year, 52 people have been killed, according to the Land Pastoral Commission (the Comissão Pastoral da Terra, or CPT, a Catholic organization that tracks this violence). At this rate, 2017 will be far more violent than last year, when 61 people were murdered in the hinterlands – an extraordinary number that was already double the yearly average of the past decade.
The political instability generated by the impeachment of elected President Dilma Rousseff and the swearing in of her vice-president, Michel Temer, who many Brazilians consider an illegitimate leader and whose popularity rating hovers around 5 percent, has worsened an untenable situation. Since he assumed the presidency last year, Temer has sought to hold on to office by openly currying favor with Brazil’s powerful rural lobby, rolling back environmental regulations, indigenous and peasant land rights, and mechanisms to fight deforestation.
This alliance-building, which included doling out millions of dollars in federal funds to key congressional allies, including many in the rural lobby, helped Temer narrowly survive a congressional vote Wednesday on whether he should step down and face corruption charges. But it has also emboldened large landowners across Brazil to step up the use of violence as a tool for territorial expropriation and unbridled exploitation of natural resources with near-total impunity.
In many cases, the government is an active participant in the violence. State and local government agents are often themselves involved or directly responsible for the killings. On April 19, nine squatters were murdered in a massacre in Taquaruçu do Norte, near the city of Colniza, in Mato Grosso state. They were inside shacks built on a farm when they were surrounded, tortured and killed. Two of them were murdered with machete blows, and the other seven were shot with a 12mm rifle. This attack occurred in the same week as the anniversary of the Eldorado dos Carajás massacre, in which 19 rural landless workers were killed in the state of Pará 21 years ago. This day is remembered every year by landless peasants as a particularly gruesome marker of the violence they suffer.
Many of the cases this year have involved multiple murders. On April 30, men with machetes and firearms attacked members of the indigenous Gamela group in Viana, a town in the interior of Maranhão state. In the attack, 22 Gamela Indians were wounded; five of them were shot, and 17 suffered some other type of injury. Aldelir Ribeiro, a member of the indigenous group, had his hands cut off with a machete, and was shot twice — in his ribs and spine.
The area of the attack is under the control of the Gamelas, but is disputed by farmers who want to explore it. The crime happened in a critical moment of dismantling of the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI). On the same day of the attack on the indigenous group, congressman Aluísio Guimarães called the Gamela people "pseudoindigenous" in an interview with Maracu radio, and declared that, in the event of a tragedy, the responsibility would fall on FUNAI and the minister of justice Osmar Serraglio, who, according to Guimarães, were warned about the situation.
On May 24, CPT staff were taken by surprise by the gruesome images of several bodies. Ten rural workers were brutally murdered by police officers at Fazenda Santa Lúcia, in Pau D'Arco, in the southeast region of Pará. Among the victims, there were nine men and one woman. Seven people were from the same family. Police officers who were involved said they were on an operation to serve 16 arrest warrants and the situation devolved into a confrontation. Their story was soon debunked. No policemen were injured. The workers, meanwhile, were tortured and executed; many had gunshot wounds in their heads and necks. Following the arrest of 13 police officers involved in the massacre, the testimony of two of them reinforced evidence that these were extrajudicial executions.
And if gun violence were not enough, the violence of pen and paper in Brasília promises to worsen the tensions in Brazil’s farmlands. On July 11, Temer approved a measure that opens up protected areas for agricultural production and allows the legalization of illicitly cleared forestland. This encourages further grabbing of previously protected land – and violence against those who may oppose it.
For the Amazon, especially, the consequences will be disastrous. More than two thousand irregular properties on public lands could be legalized – an area that encompasses at least 10.6 million acres, equivalent to the size of the state of Rio de Janeiro.
In addition, the bill will give the government carte blanche to sell public lands, including plots where there are landless peasant camps or settlements resulting from agrarian reform, or even areas occupied by low-income families in urban cities. The onslaught against the poor people of both rural and urban areas of the country will increase, and along with conflicts and violence. Criticized by federal agencies such as the Public Prosecutor's Office, environmental and social advocacy organizations, the bill serves the interests of major landowners group, in exchange to the support they provided to Temer.
Another issue of fundamental importance for Brazil, deforestation, also became a bargaining chip with congressmen in Temer’s daring attempt to avoid an investigation for passive corruption.
Another bill, introduced in July, would withdraw around 865,000 acres of protected land in the Jamanxim National Forest, in the Amazon region of southwestern Pará state. This bill would benefit mainly the illegal land grabbers that occupy the area. Temer vetoed the measure after international pressure, but now it returns it the form of a bill proposed by the Lower House and fast-tracked for approval, which allows steps to be skipped and avoids debates. This bill sends a clear message of support to major landowners and opens the way for further occupation of public areas.
If even legally sanctioned restraints on land grabbing and exploitation are being swept aside for expedient political alliances, the efforts of indigenous groups and peasants to stop this fire-sale of national resources become ever harder, and the fight more unjust. The price of this administration’s survival will increasingly be paid in bodies.
--
Passos, a social anthropologist, is communications director of the National Secretariat of the CPT |
Audi have officially announced the 2014 Audi S1 and S1 Sportback. The name Audi S1 has become legendary in certain circles, thanks in part to the monster Audi Quattro S1. The 2014 Audi S1 is a little modest compared to the Quattro S1. It isn’t quite the spiritual successor. Yet it makes its debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2014 with pretty impressive credentials!
The new Audi comes in two models, the Audi S1 and the Audi S1 Sportback. Both models create a new flagship for the compact Audi A1 model line. Both feature a 2.0 TFSI linked up to quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The Audi S1 models both develop 231 hp and 370 Nm of torque. In order to put down the power, the Audi S1 receives extensively revamped suspension.
The combination of engine and drivetrain accelerates the Audi S1 and the Audi S1 Sportback from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 and 5.9 seconds respectively. The top speed is 250 km/h (155.34 mph) and, on average the S1 consumes just 7.0 (33.60 US mpg) or 7.1 (33.13 US mpg) liters of fuel per 100 kilometres.
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The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system uses a hydraulic multi-plate clutch located on the rear axle. Its control software is specifically tuned to the car. An electronic differential is also fitted to aid the Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC). The differential features two-stage deactivation. It supplements the work of the multi-plate clutch with additional finely metered braking intervention on the inside wheels.
The 2014 Audi S1 features electromechanical power steering. Suspension modifications include a four link design which replaces the compound link rear suspension used on the Audi A1 models. The Audi S1 gets a drive select dynamic handling system as well. It comes with a range of settings to vary the response of the engine, automatic air conditioning and the variable shock absorbers.
The 2014 Audi S1 gets larger brakes too. At the front they measure 310 millimetres in diameter with re callipers available as an option. Both models receive 17-inch wheels with 215/40 R17 tires. Audi also offers 18-inch wheels with 225/35 R18 tires as an option.
The front facia receives xenon plus headlights with all-new LED rear lights come with new, horizontally structured graphics. Elsewhere, there are differences in the front and rear bumper, the side sills and the exhaust system to distinguish the new performance model.
Four new exterior colours are available to order on top of the normal paint range. An optional quattro exterior styling package adds further features such as a large roof spoiler.
The interior is finished in a traditional black colour scheme. The instruments feature S-specific dark-gray scales, the pedal caps are made out of brushed stainless steel and Audi fits S sport seats with integrated head restraints. The quattro interior styling package is available to differentiate the interior with various colour options.
Optional equipment will include a convenience key, MMI navigation plus with fold-out color monitor and the Bose surround sound system. The Audi connect module including car phone provides a connection to the Internet, allowing passengers to access the Internet and send e-mails on their mobile devices via a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Both the 2014 Audi S1 and S1 Sportback will hit dealers in Germany during the second quarter of 2014. German pricing will be from €29,950 and €30,800 respectively. |
How Jarvis the cross-eyed cat was left to die by his first owner – but was rescued and is now a heart stealer
Jarvis P. Weasley was found when he was four weeks-old
Named after glasses-wearing Pulp front man Jarvis Cocker and ginger Harry Potter character Ron Weasley
He was rescued and subsequently fostered by cat-mad Daria Kelly
When this cross-eyed cat was abandoned by his owners on the side of the road as a kitten his chances of survival looked slim.
But Jarvis P. Weasley, whose eyes look inward, is now enjoying a new lease of life after an animal lover rescued him and nursed him back to health.
The five-year-old is named after glasses-wearing Pulp front man Jarvis Cocker and fictional Harry Potter character Ron Weasley who is ginger.
When this cross-eyed cat was abandoned by his owners on the side of the road as a kitten his chances of survival looked slim
Jarvis P. Weasley was found when he was four weeks-old by an animal centre in California, and subsequently fostered by cat-mad Daria Kelly who he has lived with since
Jarvis P. Weasley was found when he was four weeks-old by an animal centre in California, and subsequently fostered by cat-mad Daria Kelly.
His arrival in Ms Kelly's house was only meant to be temporary, but the cross-eyed kitty has now become a permanent member of the family.
She said: 'I just remember him standing out because, though he was very sick, he always seemed so happy, and his face never fails to make me smile.
'One day I was watching him jump for joy in his cage, seemingly over nothing. I took it to be pure happiness.
Jarvis P. Weasley was found when he was four weeks-old by an animal centre in California, and subsequently fostered by cat-mad Daria Kelly
Jarvis P. Weasley dressed up as part of his namesake Harry Potter's Ron Weasley
'I waited until the sick kittens that I was fostering at my home were well, and then I took him to foster - but he ended up staying permanently.'
At the time Jarvis was rescued by Oakland Animal Services in California, Ms Kelly was volunteering alongside Amber Holly, one of the veterinary technicians.
Remembering the day he came into their lives, Amber said: 'Jarvis came in a cross-eyed, snot-nosed, squinty yet adorable mess, but sadly kittens with an upper respiratory at a government shelter do not last long.
Remembering the day he came into their lives, Amber said: 'Jarvis came in a cross-eyed, snot-nosed, squinty yet adorable mess, but sadly kittens with an upper respiratory at a government shelter do not last long'
The five-year-old is named after glasses-wearing Pulp front man Jarvis Cocker, left, and fictional Harry Potter character Ron Weasley who is ginger, right
WHAT CAUSES A CROSS-EYED CAT?
Strabismus is a term used to describe the abnormal positioning or direction of the eyeball. Normally, the eyeball is held in place and moves from side to side and top to bottom under the influence of small muscles which attach directly to the eyeball.
Occasionally one muscle may be longer or stronger than the muscle located on the opposite side.
This causes the eyeball to veer off in an abnormal direction. One or both eyes may be affected. If both eyes deviate towards the nose, the pet is referred to as cross-eyed.
This is common in Siamese cats and is called medial or convergent strabismus.
The eyeballs may deviate away from the nose, just the opposite of being cross-eyed, and this is called divergent strabismus. Source: Petmd.com
'Daria was a volunteer at the time and she agreed to foster him for Saving Grace Rescue while he was treated so that he wouldn't be euthanised at the shelter.
'He captured Daria's heart and was permanently signed over to her after being neutered.'
Despite his tempestuous early years, Jarvis doesn't appear to hold any grudges.
'He is so happy-go-lucky! He has always had a zest for life, even when he was tiny and sick. He's cuddly, playful, mischievous and very friendly,' said Daria.
'I often use him for introductions to new fosters because he is so personable and non-threatening.'
After spending over 30 years working in the music industry it was inevitable that Ms Kelly would name one of her pets after a rock star.
However, after fostering almost 200 cats, a few dozen dogs and one tarantula in the last 12 years, the time has now come for her to change careers and study to become a veterinary nurse herself.
Ms Kelly, who believes this new job has always been her destiny, said: 'In my youth I was always going to be a vet, but life happened and I took a detour. |
Coming Soon
PIECES OF HER
When an afternoon outing explodes into violence, a young woman's view of her mother is forever changed. Based on Karin Slaughter's best-selling novel.
Osmosis
In Paris of the near future, a dating app matches singles with their soul mates by mining their brain data. But decoding true love comes at a price.
Escape from Hat
A desperate rabbit rallies an unexpected band of allies to help him escape from inside a magician's hat and return to the human boy he loves.
Charlie's Colorforms City
Loveable, hilarious Charlie leads you on unpredictable and imaginative shape-filled story expeditions alongside a colorful cast of characters.
Cowboy Bebop
A ragtag crew of bounty hunters chases down the galaxy's most dangerous criminals. They'll save the world ... for the right price.
Kid Cosmic
In this animated series from the creator of "The Powerpuff Girls," an odd, imaginative boy acquires superpowers after finding five cosmic rings.
Raising Dion
A single mom must hide her young son's superpowers to protect him from exploitation while investigating their origins and her husband's death.
Triad Princess
After growing up in the shadow of her mafia-affiliated father, Angie defies his wishes and takes a gig as an undercover bodyguard for a famous actress. |
FMG teams up with WA Police drug squad in mine site raid as it declare zero-tolerance policy on drugs
The police drug squad has raided an iron ore mine site in Western Australia's Pilbara region, with the full support of mine management.
The Fortescue Metals Group's Christmas Creek mine was the focus of a police operation that was the first to be conducted on the company's various mining operations.
FMG management arranged for police sniffer dogs and officers to search employees, contractors and their luggage shortly after they were flown to Christmas Creek this morning.
The Christmas Creek mine is operated on a fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) basis and FMG recently went public with concerns about the use of drugs by its workforce.
CEO Nev Power says FMG is leading an industry wide anti-drug operation in conjunction with the WA police.
"We're continually getting intelligence from a variety of sources about attempts to infiltrate drugs onto our mine sites, we want to step up and take an industry lead on this.
"I think for too long we have, as an industry, hidden in the shadows and turned a blind eye to it.
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"Illegal drugs do not belong in the mining industry, just as they do not belong in the community, and anyone who uses illegal drugs on a Fortescue site is putting the safety of themselves and their mates at risk, which is unacceptable.
"Fortescue is taking the lead in the fight against drugs because we care about the safety of our people and because drugs are hurting the communities in which we all live."
The raid and the direct role the company played in it have been welcomed by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA.
CEO Reg Howard-Smith says the nature of resource sector operations, with complex equipment and remote locations, means a zero-tolerance policy to drugs is needed.
Mr Howard-Smith also said the misuse of alcohol in a mine operation context is also a danger.
"There is no greater priority for the resources sector than the health and safety of employees.
"Everyone has a right to go home safely at the end of the day," said Mr Howard-Smith.
"If you are impaired by one of these substances while at work you could be putting yourself and your colleagues at serious risk of injury or death.
"No one wants to work next to someone who is impaired by illicit substances."
The WA Police released a statement in which Regional WA Commander Murray Smalpage stated: "This is a community issue and the community can expect to see more of these police actions in the near future." |
NEW DELHI: Finance minister Arun Jaitley took a sharp dig at Rahul Gandhi saying that while PM Narendra Modi is thinking of a modern, technology-oriented cleaner economy, the Congress leader is only considering how to disrupt the next session of Parliament The PM wants a clean-up of political funding but his opponents want a cash-dominated, “cash generating and cash exchange system” to continue. “The difference between the PM and Rahul is clear — the PM is thinking of the next generation while Rahul Gandhi was only looking at how to disrupt the next session of Parliament,” Jaitley wrote in a blog.The sharp and somewhat disparaging attack on Rahul signals that the political heat is only likely to rise with the announcement of assembly polls which are being seen as a referendum of sorts on demonetisation. Jaitley asserted that Modi has displayed “courage and stamina” in implementing the decision.Modi and BJP have pitched demonetisation as a major issue in the elections in UP, Punjab, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand and this had raised the stakes for the NDA. Jaitley’s comments seem part of an exercise to counter the opposition narrative that demonetisation jammed the economy.The PM, Jaitley said is seeking to create a “new normal” in place of undertaking transactions partly in cash and partly in cheque. “Pucca and Kachha” accounts are a part of the business language. Tax evasion has been considered as neither unethical nor immoral. It was just a way of life,” he said. Jaitley said the opposition’s gloomy predictions have been disproved.“Their exaggerated claims on the disruption of the economy have proved wrong. It is a tragedy that a national party like Congress decided to adopt a political position, opposing both technology, change and reforms,” he said.Admitting that demonetisation was disruptive, he said this was the nature of most important reforms and added that the opposition had chosen to side with black money friendly status quo. “Opinion polls conducted by independent media organisations have shown that an overwhelmingly large percentage of people have supported the government’s decision,” Jaitley said.The minister claimed that the size of the GDP would grow as lakhs or crores of loose currency floating around the market is now in the banking system. “Money entering into the banking system and officially transacted would give an ample scope for higher taxation — both direct and indirect,” Jaitley said. |
Last February, Madonna, a former porn star who used to work for pornographic magazines such as Penthouse and Playboy at the age of 18,[1] declared that France and indeed much of Europe felt “like Nazi Germany” because “anti-Semitism is at an all-time high…”[2] Madonna, who also “has long practiced Kabbalah”[3] and has recently celebrated the Jewish holiday Purim,[4] continued,
“It’s not just happening in France, it’s all over Europe. The level of intolerance is so enormous it’s scary.”[5]
If the Zionist regime has to hire Madonna to do their dirty laundry, then the regime must be in a sorry state of affairs. This woman has been in the sex industry for so long that she seems to forget how to formulate a rational thought or how to clear her head before she utters one nonsense after another.
Once again, if “Anti-Semitism” is actually “at an all-time high,” does Madonna speak for people like Gilad Atzmon and Israel Shamir? Is she saying that Atzmon needs to send her a copy of The Wandering Who: A Study of Jewish Identity Politics? Should Shamir send her a copy of Cabbala of Power as well? It would be funny if Madonna opens Shamir’s book and finds the following paragraph:
“The Jewish Universe is being built, brick by brick, and one of its signs is the lowering of the educational and spiritual life of Gentiles. In the bigger Jewish state, the US, one needs over $30,000 a year to pay for a good university education. The vast majority of Americans can’t even dream of such sums, but it is still affordable to Jews. American films degrade their viewers, while the TV is able to turn an insistent viewer into a zombie.”[6]
One is hasten to say that Madonna would wake up in the middle of the night and start screaming if she happens to read what Atzmon has to say:
“The Holocaust religion constitutes the Western ‘real.’ We are neither allowed to touch it, nor are we permitted to look into it. “The Holocaust was a ‘Zionist victory,’ just as each single rape is interpreted by feminist separatist ideologists as a verification of their theories.”[7]
The Holocaust, Atzmon continues to say, is the new religion that “preaches revenge. It could well be the most sinister religion known to man, for in the name of Jewish suffering, it issues licenses to kill, to flatten, to nuke, to annihilate, to loot, to ethnically cleanse. It has made vengeance into an acceptable Western value…
“In the new religion, instead of old Jehovah, it is ‘the Jew’ whom the Jews worship: a brave and witty survivor of the ultimate genocide, who emerged from the ashes and stepped forward into a new beginning.”[8]
Atzmon argues that the Dreadful Few “think tribal” but “speak universal.” In other words, they always use buzz words such as “democracy” and “freedom” to advance their tribal ideology.
If you think that Atzmon is just dreaming here, remember how the Neoconservatives/Neo-Bolsheviks used phrases such as “we are spreading democracy in the Middle East” or that “Muslims hate us because of our freedom.” When all is said and done, this same “democracy” ideology which they forced upon us all ended up bleeding virtually everyone to death (politically and economically) and leaving the corpses with a six-trillion dollar bill.[9]
If you still doubt this, perhaps you should give Denis Rancourt a call or email him and ask him how Zionism works in academia. The Zionists stripped him of his stellar career and left him in the cold. Now he has to go to court to defend himself in June. “I am self-represented,” he told me recently.[10] He also told me that he expects “to lose the defamation-case appeal” because the evidence for “habitual judicial bias” is for all to see.
Now, if you read Sam Harris’ The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Religion and Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, you will soon or later come to realize that both Jewish authors boast that they favor academic freedom, intellectual honesty, freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
Moreover, both authors implicitly argue that the modern age, which is essentially Jewish,[11] offers us a better view of the future. However, the authors did not have the courage to say that the modern age is largely good for the Dreadful Few, not for well-loved professors like Rancourt who are trying to do the right thing.
Let us push the envelope even further: Why didn’t Madonna defend the late Richard Wumbrand, a Jew who converted to Christianity and who was brutally tortured for more than 14 years by the then Communist regime in Romania?[12]
Moreover, when was the last time you heard about Wurmbrand in the New York Times or Washington Post or Fox or CNN or MSNBC? Put simply, if “anti-Semitism” is really genuine, why does the regime discriminate against Jews who converted to Christianity? Listen to this:
“In 1962 Shmuel Oswald Rufeisen, known as ‘Brother Daniel,’ petitioned the High Court of Justice (the Supreme Court) to instruct the state [of Israel] to recognize him as a Jew by nationality. Rufeisen was born to a Jewish family in Poland in 1922, and as a teenager joined a Zionist youth movement. He fought as a partisan against the Nazi occupation and saved the lives of many Jews. At some point he hid in a monastery, where he converted to Christianity. After the war he studied for the priesthood, and in order to go to Israel he became a Carmelite monk.
“In 1958 he went to Israel because he wished to take part in the Jewish destiny and still saw himself as a Zionist. Having given up his Polish citizenship, he applied to become an Israeli citizen on the basis of the Law of Return, arguing that although he was a Catholic by religion, he was still a Jew by ‘nationality.’ When his application was rejected by the Ministry of the Interior, he petitioned the High Court of Justice. By a four-to-one decision, the court rejected his petition to be given Israeli citizenship on the basis of the Law of Return. He was, however, granted an Israeli identity card, which stated, ‘Nationality: Not clear.’”[13]
Shlomo Sand comments:
“Ultimately, Brother Daniel’s betrayal of Judaism by joining the religion of the Nazarene overcame the deterministic biological imaginary. It was categorically decided that there was no Jewish nationality without its religious shell. Ethnocentric Zionism needed the Halakhic precepts as its principal criteria, and the secular judges understood this national-historical necessity very well.”[14]
“Ethnocentric Zionism” is actually one of the main causes of recent anti-Jewish reactions both in Europe and America, and Madonna—perhaps because she has largely been wired by her masters to pollute the culture through sexual perversion—refuses to see this. Like the genetic theorists, she indirectly refuses to admit that the issue is largely ideological, not primarily “ethnic.” If the issue is simply “ethnic,” then by definition she would have to defend Brother Daniel.
Madonna, of course, can never tell us who is a Jew and who is not a Jew because Zionism can never define the term in a coherent manner. Consider this:
“In 1968 Major Binyamin Shalit petitioned the High Court of Justice to order the minister of the interior to register his two sons as Jews. Unlike Brother Daniel, the mother of these boys was not a born Jew but a Scottish gentile. Shalit, a well-regarded officer in Israel’s victorious army, argued that his sons were growing up as Jews and wished to be considered full citizens in the state of the Jewish people.
“By what seemed a miracle, five of the nine judges who heard the petition decided that the boys were Jewish by nationality, if not by religion. But this exceptional decision shook the entire political structure.”[15]
Here again we are confronted with serious logical problems. If Madonna is going to defend “Jews,” then I personally would like to know why she fails to defend my (late) good friend Roi Tov when he was being harassed by the Israelis. Tov himself wrote that “Speaking against Zionism doesn’t assure longevity; doing that with insider knowledge is a death sentence.”
He sure was right. Tov was attacked by Israeli henchmen in Bolivia numerous times. Last February, he told me that several people in Bolivia “would approach me and attempt to gas me unconscious.” In one of his last messages to me, he wrote,
“Pray for my fast arrival at Celestial Jerusalem, where there is no pain…We must endured the tests placed on our way…That’s the narrow, but short, way into His Kingdom.”
Roi Tov: you will be missed…but not forgotten.
One must say that Madonna is not really prepared to hear the flip side of the Zionist ideology. For example, quoting the late Israeli writer and former Netanyahu adviser Uri Elitzur, Ayelet Shaked, “an ultra-nationalist who draws much of his support from Israel’s settler population and rejects a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” and who just got hired by the Netanyahu regime, “referred to Palestinian children as ‘little snakes’ and appeared to justify the mass punishment of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.”[16] Elitzur himself declared,
“The Palestinian people have declared war on us, and we must respond with war. Not an operation, not a slow-moving one, not low-intensity, not controlled escalation, no destruction of terror infrastructure, no targeted killings. Enough with the oblique references.
“This is a war. Words have meanings. This is a war. It is not a war against terror, and not a war against extremists, and not even a war against the Palestinian Authority. These too are forms of avoiding reality. This is a war between two people. Who is the enemy? The Palestinian people. Why? Ask them, they started…
“Behind every terrorist stand dozens of men and women, without whom he could not engage in terrorism. Actors in the war are those who incite in mosques, who write the murderous curricula for schools, who give shelter, who provide vehicles, and all those who honor and give them their moral support. They are all enemy combatants, and their blood shall be on all their heads.
“Now this also includes the mothers of the martyrs, who send them to hell with flowers and kisses. They should follow their sons, nothing would be more just. They should go, as should the physical homes in which they raised the snakes. Otherwise, more little snakes will be raised there.”[17]
Ishaan Thanoor of the Washington Post itself had to admit:
“Even if these aren’t Shaked’s own words, the sentiment is noteworthy, and it reflects what critics say is the Israeli nationalist right’s widespread intolerance of the Arabs in their midst, who make up one-fifth of the Israeli population.”[18]
This brings us to a fundamental point. Would it be anti-Semitic to resent Shaked’s genocidal project? Would it be anti-Semitic to say that the Dreadful Few burned alive a 16-year-old Palestinian by the name of Mohammad Abu Khieder last year?[19] Is it anti-Semitic to say that popular Israeli singer Amir Benayoun has incited hatred for singing about President Obama’s imminent death?[20] Is it anti-Semitic to say that drones have killed countless civilians in places like Pakistan?[21] Is it anti-Semitic to say that the Dreadful Few are largely responsible for this? Is it anti-Semitic to say that Jason Reitman ought to be in jail for creating a porn site for “men, women & children”?[22]
Things got even worse. Jewish writer Merri Ukraincik has recently propounded that there should be a vaccine against “anti-Semitism.”[23] Because he is intellectually and morally blind, Ukraincik did not realize that he was shooting himself in the toes. If he is right, then is he prepared to argue that there should be a vaccine against those who propose that Palestinian children are “little snakes”? How about a vaccine against rabbis who say that the Goyim are donkeys and that they were created specifically to serve Jews?[24]
Hmmm…
If the regime and puppets like Madonna cannot come to terms with those puzzling questions, then they are asking us all to do the logically impossible: they are asking us to suspend our cognitive faculties and turn them over to propaganda; they are asking us to drop every reasonable concept and jump into the irrational world, which, on the surface, promises peace and harmony but always delivers political chaos and moral and spiritual death.
What the regime ends up saying implicitly is that reason, logic, the moral law and political order are “anti-Semitic.” If that is the case, then they are making “anti-Semitism” a defendable position. While you are still wrestling with some of those issues, consider this heart-broken story:
“Mona Samouni was 10-years-old when she lost her home, her parents and 19 other relatives, after they were crushed before her eyes in one of the bombing raids of Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in 2009. In an award-winning film, she speaks of her past experiences with an almost eerie detachment, as if she is telling someone else’s story. One can only guess at what is going on behind that calm facade, as she sends a heartbreaking message to other, luckier children: ‘I ask the children of the world to take good care of their mothers and fathers… People don’t appreciate the blessings they have till they lose them.’
“For years after that shattering event, Mona obsessively drew and redrew the images that haunted her – ‘a sea of blood and body parts.’ She suffered recurring nightmares, fits of anger and lack of concentration at school. But thanks to a loving family environment and intensive therapy, she seems to be gradually recovering.
“Of the 900,000 children in Gaza, UNICEF reckons 373,000 are in need of ‘psycho-social first aid.’ The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), which runs three psychiatric clinics in Gaza treating both children and adults, struggles to cope. Psychiatrist Yasser Abu Jamei, who heads the GCMHP and who himself lost many members of his extended family in last summer’s onslaught, said: ‘There was no place for parents and children to hide… You never knew where the bombs were going fall.’
“According to Dr Abu Jamei, the most common symptoms among children are anxiety and fear. They are afraid of being separated from their parents, have frequent nightmares and often develop a stammer. Schools report higher levels of aggression and low school achievement for many children. An important part of GCMHP’s work is training both teachers and parents on how to deal with the aggression.
“The film in which Mona Samouni appears, Where Should The Birds Fly, gives the lie to Israel’s claim that its assaults on Gaza are purely retaliatory: we see the harassment of farmers attempting to harvest their crops and of fishermen trying to earn a living in the polluted stretch of sea where they are supposedly allowed to put down their nets.
“But for the presence of international observers, the casualties from such attacks would undoubtedly be muIn the West Bank children may not suffer the traumas of those in Gaza – but when your parents are humiliated by soldiers and attacked by settlers before your eyes and you fear a violent incursion by heavily armed men in the middle of the night, what are the long-term psychological effects?”
Perhaps what is so sickening about this whole situation is that Jewish organizations in America are completely silent about Shaked’s genocidal project. But when bad situations happen in places like Baltimore, the same Jewish organizations want to come out of the woodwork and pretend to declare that “all lives matter.” “All lives matter” in Baltimore, but not “all lives matter” in Gaza. During the Baltimore debacles, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs released a statement which said:
“At this critical time in our nation’s history it is abundantly clear that a conversation not only needs to be had between law enforcement and disenfranchised communities — particularly the African American community, but within our own communities.” [25]
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency tells us: “In several communities, Jewish organizations with strong ties to both the African-American community and law enforcement see themselves as well positioned to help bridge differences.”
Christ was right after all: “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).
As it turns out, Madonna has a lot of rethinking to do. The Dreadful Few should have told Madonna to shut up because she makes them look really bad. They know too well that Madonna would not help their case. They know that Madonna is a Zionist slut and literal whore. Even the Guardian calls her the “arch manipulator fetishes and fantasies.” Madonna, continues the British newspaper, has no problem “posing suggestively with a dog.”[26]
But the newspaper could not tell us that Madonna is posing with a dog because the Dreadful Few shaped and crafted her career. In fact, Madonna wants to live in Israel. Listen to this:
“Madona is interested in the penthouse apartment worth $55 million in the Mayer Tower on Rothschild Boulevard, in Tel Aviv…Natalie Portman is interested in moving into the same residential tower.
“The 42-story Meier-on-Rothschild Tower was designed by architect Richard Meier, who designed the Barcelona Museum of Art and the Los Angeles Getty Center.
“If Madonna goes for the very top, then she’ll find herself at 492 feet above the city, in the Rothschild Summit, a 6,520 sq.ft. duplex penthouse, on the 41st and 42nd floors of the Meier on Rothschild tower.”[27]
Madonna declared in 2012 that she was “in love with Israel.”[28] She continued,
“’I’ve studied Kabbalah… for many years, so there are a lot of things I do that one would associate with practising Judaism…
“So this appears like I’m Jewish, but these rituals are connected to what I describe as the Tree of Life consciousness and have more to do with the idea of being an Israelite, not Jewish.”[29]
Biographer Andrew Morton writes that Madonna was also drawn to other mysticism, such as astrology. “With the millennium fast approaching,” he declares, “Madonna found herself, like millions of others, looking for an anchor and an explanation for existence.”[30]
Madonna found her existence in selling sex for money, power and fame. “A sexy photograph of Madonna posing topless in bed while smoking a cigarette sold for $23,750 to an anonymous buyer.”[31]
But again you simply cannot sell sex successfully without prostrating before the Dreadful Few. Madonna’s own brother, Christopher Ciccone, himself admitted that Madonna “charmed Jewish music moguls…at the start of her career.”[32] Madonna’s early film director was none other than Mary Lambert. There is something else about Lambert. Here is how the Guardian described her:
“Mary Lambert directed Madonna’s Like a Prayer video. The one that caused a national outrage in the States, the one which made Pepsi Cola drop her from a $5m advertising campaign (though she still kept the money), the one where she makes love to a black statue/saint who may or may not be Jesus, dances in a field of burning crosses, finds joy and supplication flying into the arms of a gospel choir and explodes the sexual/spiritual conflict that is central to soul music and to American life.
“The one where she looked sexier than any time since she hit upon the idea of using her under-arm pubic hair as a selling device round the time of Lucky Star. Like, whooah!”[33]
Another person who shaped and crafted Madonna’s outlook is Li Rosenberg.[34]
Madonna herself admitted that she made it big not because she had the talent, but she knows how to, well…you know:
“I know that I’m not the best singer and I know that I’m not the best dancer. But, I can fu$king push people’s buttons and be as provocative as I want. The tour’s goal is to break useless taboos.”[35]
There you have it. Straight from the horse’s own mouth. So, the next time you see Madonna running around like a wild jackass in her music videos, you know that she wants to “fu$king push people’s buttons and be as provocative as” she wants.
The tragic thing about all this is that Madonna, who is now 56 and who should take life a little more seriously, somehow seems to think that she is still 18. This is pathetic:
[1] “Madonna on Penthouse and Playboy Covers (1985),” Rolling Stone, October 22, 2009; “Madonna Posed Nude When She Was Younger & Now The Photos Are Being Auctioned Off (NSFW),” Huffington Post, October 26, 2013.
[2] Quoted in “Madonna lashes out at anti-Semitism in Europe,” Haaretz, February 27, 2015.
[3] “Madonna in the Holy Land? Pop superstar ‘pays $20 million for luxury Tel Aviv penthouse following a two-year wait,’” Daily Mail, March 6, 2015.
[4] “Madonna completely hides her face under balaclava and hooded coat as she celebrates Jewish holiday of Purim with children Rocco and Lourdes,” Daily Mail, March 8, 2015.
[5] “Madonna lashes out at anti-Semitism in Europe,” Haaretz, February 27, 2015.
[6] Israel Shamir, Cabbala of Power (Charleston: BookSurge, 2007), 86.
[7] Gilad Atzmon, The Wandering Who?: A Study of Jewish Identity Politics (Winchester and Washington: Zero Books, 2011), 153, 43.
[8] Ibid., 149.
[9] Ernesto Londono, “Study: Iraq, Afghan War Costs to Top $ 4 trillion,” Washington Post, March 28, 2013; Bob Dreyfus, “The $6 Trillion Wars,” The Nation, March 29, 2013.
[10] For further development on the case, see: http://uofowatch.blogspot.ca/2015/05/joanne-st-lewis-v-denis-rancourt-appeal.html.
[11] Yuri Slezkine, The Jewish Century (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004).
[12] Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ (Bartlesville, OK: Living Sacrifice Book Company, 1998).
[13] Shlomo Sand, The Invention of the Jewish People (New York: Verso, 2009), 288-289.
[14] Ibid., 289.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Ishaan Thanoor, “Israel’s new justice minister considers all Palestinians to be ‘the enemy,’” Washington Post, May 7, 2015.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ruth Eglash, “Israel remembered terror victims today, but honoring Palestinian teen burned alive by Jews proved controversial,” Washington Post, April 22, 2015.
[20] “Israeli artist posts song wishing death to pet bird ‘Obama,’” Times of Israel, May 5, 2015.
[21] See for example Scott Shane, “Drone Strikes Reveal Uncomfortable Truth: U.S. Is Often Unsure About Who Will Die,” NY Times, April 23, 2015.
[22] Chris Branch, “Jason Reitman Created A Fully Functional Porn Site For ‘Men, Women & Children,’” Huffington Post, October 14, 2014.
[23] Merri Ukraincik, “A Vaccine Against Anti-Semitism,” Tablet Magazine, May 11, 2015.
[24] Jonah Mandel, “Yosef: Gentiles Exist Only to Serve Jews,” Jerusalem Post, October 18, 2010; Dan Murphy, “Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, In His Own Words,” Christian Science Monitor, October 7, 2013.
[25] Ron Kampeas, “How Jews are trying to make things better after Baltimore,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, May 5, 2015.
[26] Gavin Martin, “Madonna: I don’t see anything pornographic about beautiful pictures of naked women,’” Guardian, December 3, 2014.
[27] “Madonna May Purchase Luxury Penthouse In Tel Aviv For $55 Million,” Jewish Business, February 21, 2015;
[28] Ibid.
[29] “Madonna in the Holy Land? Pop superstar ‘pays $20 million for luxury Tel Aviv penthouse following a two-year wait,’” Daily Mail, March 6, 2015.
[30] Andrew Morton, Madonna (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2001), 214.
[31] Jacob Kleinman, “Madonna Naked Picture Sells For $23,000: Top 5 Most Expensive Nude Photos, Paintings,” International Business Times, May 14, 2012.
[32] Christopher Ciccone, My Life with Sister Madonna (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008), 39.
[33] Gavin Martin, “Madonna: I don’t see anything pornographic about beautiful pictures of naked women,’” Guardian, December 3, 2014.
[34] Ibid.
[35] Quoted in Jacob Kleinman, “Madonna Naked Picture Sells For $23,000: Top 5 Most Expensive Nude Photos, Paintings,” International Business Times, May 14, 2012. |
On January 6 an asteroid-spotting telescope at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico detected a new and unusual object in the night sky. Towing a streaky debris tail, the object was classified as a comet, although its orbit belied a different origin. Visible comets generally have elongated orbits that carry them into Earth's neighborhood from the colder outer reaches of the solar system, but the newfound body had a neat, nearly circular orbit in the Asteroid Belt [the green ring in the video below], between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Within weeks, a group of astronomers had secured time on the Hubble Space Telescope to get a better look at the curious object, dubbed P/2010 A2, which appeared not to be a comet at all but a previously undiscovered asteroid that had somehow spewed its own debris into a comet-mimicking tail.
Now two groups have used those Hubble photographs, as well as observations from ground-based telescopes and the European Space Agency's comet-chasing Rosetta spacecraft, to confirm that P/2010 A2 is indeed an asteroid that was disrupted, quite possibly by a collision with a smaller asteroid. The disruption appears to have occurred in early 2009, which is remarkably recent in terms of the evolution of the solar system. The two groups reported their findings in the October 14 issue of Nature. (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.)
"I knew that this was an object the likes of which we hadn't seen before," says David Jewitt, a co-author of one of the new papers and an astronomer at the University of California, Los Angeles. "This is the first time we've seen an asteroid in the act of disrupting." Using Hubble, Jewitt and his colleagues watched the nucleus and tail of P/2010 A2 evolve over several months, from January to May 2010. Tracking the tail's changing position with respect to the nucleus, the researchers estimated that the disruption of the parent asteroid must have happened in February or March 2009.
Jewitt's group concluded that the impact of a small asteroid, just meters across, into the 120-meter nucleus of P/2010 A2 could excavate enough debris from the asteroid to produce the curious tail. But a less violent phenomenon could also be the culprit: The asteroid may have been spun up by the force of the sun, eventually rotating so fast that it began to shed mass. "Like wind blowing onto a propeller, the solar radiation can exert a torque on an asteroid," Jewitt says. He notes that a collision is his "favorite" scenario but that it is not possible to discriminate conclusively between the two causes based on the observations.
The authors of the other Nature paper on P/2010 A2 also favor the collision scenario. "It's not possible for us to tell whether it was a collision or a spin-up—we simply say collision because a collision is much more likely," says Colin Snodgrass, a postdoctoral astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Katlenburg–Lindau, Germany.
And indeed, the spin-up mechanism is "probably not the most likely scenario," says William Bottke, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo., who did not participate in the new research, adding that a spinning asteroid would likely produce a disk around its equator. "This is more consistent with a small body impacting and making a crater, throwing debris off the asteroid."
Snodgrass and his colleagues used ground-based telescopes as well as a camera on the Rosetta spacecraft, which in March 2010 was headed toward the Asteroid Belt as part of its journey to a planned encounter with a comet in 2014, to look at P/2010 A2 from different angles. With those observations, which Snodgrass likens to taking a three-dimensional stereoscopic image, the group modeled the production of the tail and fine-tuned their impact date estimate to February 10, 2009.
Collisions between objects of this size in the Asteroid Belt, Snodgrass and his colleagues calculated, should occur every 12 years or so, a timeframe that matches the search time logged by LINEAR, the asteroid survey project that discovered P/2010 A2. "We expect them to happen, and we expect them to happen on roughly the timescale that LINEAR has been looking," he says.
Part of the reason that LINEAR did not detect the cometlike P/2010 A2 until nearly a year after the asteroid's disruption is because the event occurred when P/2010 A2 was in the direction of the sun from Earth's vantage point. By January 2010, when LINEAR finally registered the puzzling object, the asteroid was at a much more favorable viewing angle.
With earlier detection, Jewitt notes, astronomers might have been able to determine the true origin of the asteroidal disruption—a high-speed asteroid collision would throw off fast-moving debris that would be visible near the asteroid for a short time before dispersing, whereas a sun-spun asteroid gently shedding particles would not. "It's a bit of bad luck" that P/2010 A2 came apart in the daytime sky, he says. "If we were able to see it initially, then we would be able to detect those fast particles if they were there."
Studying such collisions and disruptions has obvious implications for understanding the dynamics of the Asteroid Belt and can also help identify the sources of the solar system's interplanetary dust and the origins of the planets themselves. "The Asteroid Belt is a natural laboratory for impacts," Bottke says. "You just wait for nature to do its thing, and then you can get a lot of science from it." He notes that were it not for the collisional mergers of primitive rocky bodies such as those now populating the belt, planets such as Earth never would have formed. "By learning about these processes in the Asteroid Belt, we're also learning about what happened at the start of the solar system," Bottke says. |
Warped Tour has been summer staple for over 20 years now; for young music fans, it’s often one of the most anticipated days of the year. With a varied lineup, it’s possible to see many of the biggest names across multiple genres in one day, making the traveling festival a bargain for a wide range of music lovers. But a lot goes into having a good Warped experience. Veteran Warped-goers know the ins and outs and have perfected their schedules for the day. But if you don’t have that level of experience, or if you just need a concentrated rundown of how to be safe, healthy and have the most fun possible, you’re in the right place. Consider this your Warped Tour survival guide...You’re welcome in advance.
GETTING THERE Since all Warped dates are (relatively) local, this is one of the only festivals that you won’t have to make big travel plans for. You should carpool with your group of friends because parking at Warped venues can range from $15-$20. If you’re getting dropped off by a parent or friend, make sure you check out your venue’s website and learn where the drop-off section is located. If your closest Warped date is still a kinda lengthy drive (think 2-3 hours or more), you'll want to make sure you get extra sleep the night before so you can leave early enough to get there before doors open and still have plenty of energy!
HAVE A GOOD MORNING Doors for most Warped dates open at 11 AM local time, but be sure to check your specific venue’s website as some can range a half-hour before or after that. When you arrive, there will be an extremely long general admission line, so here’s a tip for Warped newbies that will make your morning much better: On the way to the venue, stop at a grocery store a pick up 3-5 canned goods items (or bring a $5 donation or used cell phone) and take those to the Feed Our Children NOW! tent. It'll be near a flag that says “Skip The Line." Donate your items and you’ll get a wristband to wait in another, smaller, line that gets let into the grounds first. This means you can get to the grounds a little later but still get into the venue early, and you'll be helping a great cause! Here are some other tips for the morning of Warped: - Pack your bag the night before. No sense in scrambling the morning you're leaving and potentially forgetting something or getting to the show late! - Actually eat breakfast. It’s tempting to skip this meal if you’re waking up earlier than you’re used to during summer vacation, but it’s the only meal you’ll get to eat in an air-conditioned place for the next 10-ish hours. Enjoy it. And make sure it’s something with substance, like eggs or a breakfast sandwich. - Buy water. While you’re picking up your canned goods, buy two water bottles. One should be the largest bottle you can find, which you’ll want to keep in your backpack. Don’t open this one, because it needs to be sealed to bring it into the venue. You’ll be able to refill this all day at the water stations spread throughout the grounds. The other water bottle should be a smaller one, to drink while you’re in line and throw away before walking in. Trust us...waiting in line can be the hottest part of the day. - Visit an ATM. There will be machines in the grounds to withdraw cash from, but you’ll have to pay a fee. And fees suck. Bring enough cash for band merch, drinks and food–and be sure to budget your dollars once you're there. - Make food. Make yourself a couple peanut butter or cold cuts sandwiches for later. These will pay off when you realize you’re starving but only have five minutes to hike across the venue to catch the next band you want to see.
WHAT TO WEAR / WHAT TO BRING There’s no one to impress when you’re going out to Warped Tour. Unlike the big-name festivals, there isn’t a focus on dressing up trendy. Your priorities when picking out an outfit are keeping cool and comfortable...and nothing else. That being said, here are some basic suggestions: Backpack – You get a lot of free stuff when you walk around the grounds. Whether it’s a band trying to promote their music or a non-profit giving stuff away, you’re going to come across things you want to keep. Throw in the T-shirts and music you’re going to buy and the stuff you’re not going to want to hold in your hands all day, and realize you'll need a backpack.
– You get a lot of free stuff when you walk around the grounds. Whether it’s a band trying to promote their music or a non-profit giving stuff away, you’re going to come across things you want to keep. Throw in the T-shirts and music you’re going to buy and the stuff you’re not going to want to hold in your hands all day, and realize you'll need a backpack. Ziploc bags – If you don’t bring these to keep your stuff dry, the chance of a freak thunderstorm happening drastically rises. If it rains, just throw your wallet, phone and other items that can't get wet into these–your friends will owe you one if you bring extras, too.
– If you don’t bring these to keep your stuff dry, the chance of a freak thunderstorm happening drastically rises. If it rains, just throw your wallet, phone and other items that can't get wet into these–your friends will owe you one if you bring extras, too. Towels – Buy cheap towels at a convenience store and bring a few. You’re going to be sweating all day, so you’ll be able to wipe down your face and arms to stay cool, then throw the towels out at the end of the day.
– Buy cheap towels at a convenience store and bring a few. You’re going to be sweating all day, so you’ll be able to wipe down your face and arms to stay cool, then throw the towels out at the end of the day. Watch – Save your iPhone battery. Wear a watch to check the time all day.
– Save your iPhone battery. Wear a watch to check the time all day. Extra socks – Because if it rains and your shoes get soaked, at least your socks can be dry.
– Because if it rains and your shoes get soaked, at least your socks can be dry. Sunglasses – The sun is so bright.
– The sun is so bright. Hat – A big, shady hat will help you out. But don’t mosh with it.
– A big, shady hat will help you out. But don’t mosh with it. Water – Like we said before, you’re going to be allowed to bring in one water bottle. Make it a big one and keep refilling at the water stations throughout the grounds.
– Like we said before, you’re going to be allowed to bring in one water bottle. Make it a big one and keep refilling at the water stations throughout the grounds. Cash – Cards might work at some merch tents / food stations, but you never know when cash will be the required form of payment. Be prepared.
– Cards might work at some merch tents / food stations, but you never know when cash will be the required form of payment. Be prepared. Sunscreen – Whether it's a spray bottle or a lotion type of sunscreen, make sure you bring plenty. You'll need to reapply this throughout the day because of how much you'll be sweating–and seriously, a crazy sunburn isn't the best Warped Tour souvenir to be looking at the day after your show.
– Whether it's a spray bottle or a lotion type of sunscreen, make sure you bring plenty. You'll need to reapply this throughout the day because of how much you'll be sweating–and seriously, a crazy sunburn isn't the best Warped Tour souvenir to be looking at the day after your show. Poncho – Because just in case.
– Because just in case. Hand sanitizer – Because Porta-Potties.
– Because Porta-Potties. Phone charger – There are charging stations (although they might cost you you a few bucks), so bring this in case you absolutely need it. But the better option is to just manage your phone battery.
– There are charging stations (although they might cost you you a few bucks), so bring this in case you absolutely need it. But the better option is to just manage your phone battery. Sharpie – You’ll want to mark up your list of set times with the bands you want to catch and have this on hand for autographs. You can buy a piece of paper with all the set times by stage right when you walk into the venue and it'll cost you $2.
– You’ll want to mark up your list of set times with the bands you want to catch and have this on hand for autographs. You can buy a piece of paper with all the set times by stage right when you walk into the venue and it'll cost you $2. Earplugs – Especially if you’re going to be sidestage.
– Especially if you’re going to be sidestage. Extra bobby pins/hair ties STAY SAFE Plenty of things can go wrong at Warped, but the one thing that will actually ruin your day is if you get hurt or sick. Staying safe and healthy should be the number one priority of your day, even above watching Pierce the Veil. There are certain easy things - like remembering to apply and reapply (and reapply, and reapply) your sunscreen–but other safety tips might not be as obvious.
First off, you're going to need even more water than you anticipate. If you're sweating a lot, and you will be, you need to make sure you're getting enough water back into your body to offset that. You’re also going to have to remember to eat, because you probably won’t get as hungry as normal. Avoid greasy food in favor of those sandwiches we told you to bring, and avoid energy drinks (especially if you're not used to drinking them) in favor of water or Gatorade. Warped Tour has special flags for important tents, like water stations or first aid. Make sure you locate the first aid tent right when you walk inside, just in case you or someone in your group needs to get there in short notice. An easy way to avoid dehydration and exhaustion is just to make sure you take a break every so often. Warped has misting tents too, and if your venue is an amphitheater, take advantage of that pavilion! At the end of the day, it’s not hard to have an enjoyable time at Warped–in fact, it should definitely be one of the most fun days you have all summer. Just know your limits and if you start feeling weird, dial it back a notch. Watch the next band from the back of the crowd instead of the mosh pit, or sit under a tree for 15 minutes. |
Investing in your Future
An INSEAD MBA yields a lifetime of dividends, both professionally and personally. Pursuing an MBA however, is a serious commitment of time and money—an investment that needs to be carefully considered and planned for by applicants.
To understand the financial obligations that are required for you to attend the INSEAD MBA Programme, check our MBA Cost & Fees section. It is important to consider your financing and funding options early on during the application process, which could be in the form of savings, loans or scholarships. You can begin by seeing if you are eligible to apply for any of the scholarships or loans that are listed on our website.
Though the responsibility of funding your year at INSEAD ultimately lies with you, the MBA Financial Aid Office can assist you in planning your financing for the INSEAD MBA programme. |
I'm happy to announce that as of yesterday Light Table has joined a host of amazing startups for the Summer 2012 batch of YCombinator. Under the guidance of YC we believe we have the best possible chance to not just make Light Table a reality, but to help craft a new future for the way we create software.
This does, however, mean that circumstances have changed. We rallied together as a community to ensure that this project had a future. While being a part of YC doesn't affect our plans or change our use of Kickstarter as a means of accelerating the release of Light Table, many pledged with the explicit purpose of making sure that it had a chance. With YC that chance is now safe and we wanted to let our supporters know there will be no hard feelings if this changes your desire to pledge. We want to thank you all the same for being a part of the push that has gotten us this far. In the end, the important part is that we were able to come together around this ideal and now we can work to make it a reality.
Thank you to everyone who has helped get us here and I look forward to showing you some of the work we've been doing in the next few days. |
Beginning on Wednesday, Comcast, the largest broadband service provider in the U.S., is going to start capping the total amount of data you can transfer using their broadband connection — to 250GB per month. With this move, the cable company will become the symbol of a new Internet era, one that is both monitored and metered. It is an era that threatens to limit innovation and to a large extent, the possibilities for new startups.
I have been very vocal about the short-sightedness of this decision being made by Comcast (and some other carriers), and along with my colleague Stacey Higginbotham, have been covering the story pretty closely. It is a clear and present danger to the way we use the Internet in this country.
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In order to give you a better understanding of the issues at hand, I have teamed up with my old friend Muayyad Al-Chalabi, an alumni of Bell Labs and until recently an analyst with The Monitor Group, to release this white paper, “Broadband Usage-Based Pricing and Caps Analysis.”
In this paper, we aim to highlight the possible unintended consequences of such policies, among them the stunting of growth and innovation of web-based applications. And of course, higher costs. Plus:
The strategy ignores the high degree of dependency “interactions” between power users and the rest of the network. The power users don’t act in isolation and in fact represent the hubs in any scale-free network; sequestering them and overcharging them will result in either low usage or worse, higher costs.
Given the growth trend due to consumers’ changes in content consumption, today’s power users are tomorrow’s average users. By 2012, the bill for data access is projected to be around $215 per month.
Strategic pricing involves the recognition that changing prices alone cannot solve the challenges facing carriers. Carriers are taking the easy way out trying to protect the “walled garden” rather than figuring out how to innovate in service delivery and harvesting more value from the overall content and applications opportunity.
If you’re interested in getting a PDF copy of this white paper, please enter your email address below. Otherwise, I have embedded a copy (using Scribd) for you to read it online.
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Companies, People, Ideas
Slave Chocolate?
Deborah Orr
Audio version of this article Audio version of entire magazine issue
Anticorporate protesters went after Nestlé for its infant formula. Now they're at it again--this time accusing the company of using cocoa harvested by forced labor. With their bright pink wigs, colorful placards and painted smiles, the crowd in front of San Francisco's Metreon movie theater last July looked like extreme fans come to celebrate the opening of the latest Willie Wonka film. But these merrymakers had a downbeat message for Nestlé (other-otc: NSRGF.PK - news - people ), maker of Wonka chocolate candy. A typical sign read, "Make my Wonka bar slave-free." This protest was organized by Global Exchange, a California pressure group that has organized letter-writing campaigns, appealed to lovers to make Valentine's Day "slave-free" and told parents to mail their children's Halloween treats back to Nestlé and other chocolate makers who buy cocoa from plantations in West Africa. The International Labour Organization, part of the UN, estimates 284,000 child laborers work on cocoa farms, most of them in one tiny country, Ivory Coast, source of almost half the world's cocoa. "These are either involved in hazardous work, unprotected or unfree, or have been trafficked," says the ILO. Global Exchange and another nonprofit, the International Labor Rights Fund, founded by a Methodist minister and funded in part by George Soros' Open Society Institute, are taking their case to court. They are suing Nestlé's U.S. subsidiary, together with commodity traders Archer Daniels Midland (nyse: ADM - news - people ) and Cargill, in California. The action was brought under two federal statutes, the Torture Victim Protection Act and the Alien Tort Claims Act, which allow victims of human rights abuses who live outside America to sue U.S. companies for violations of international law. The suit also charges Nestlé, Cargill and ADM with violating the expansive California Business & Professions Code by making false claims to the public that the problem of child slave labor on cocoa farms was being resolved. "Nestlé is not the owner of any plantation," says Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chief executive, exasperated after seven years of protests connecting the Swiss multinational with forced child labor in Ivory Coast. In what he calls "basically a civil war situation," he says, "there might be a lot of other human rights abuses than just the ones that have been picked up." He says it would be even worse for Ivory Coast if Nestlé bought nothing. This is a country where an estimated 215,000 children live on the streets, where teachers give children good grades in return for sexual favors and where there is no law against human trafficking, according to U.S. State Department reports. A chocolate trade group in Washington blames putting kids to work on farmer attitudes in West Africa. The Western protest groups have videotaped conditions on some of the slave farms, with wrenching narratives from children who were as young as 12 when they were enticed by traffickers with promises of good wages and easy work. One plaintiff, a young boy from neighboring Mali who says he was lured to a cocoa farm in Ivory Coast, describes his plight on tape: "I tried to run away but I was caught as punishment they cut my feet and I had to work for weeks while my wounds healed. I stayed in a large room with other Malian children from a neighboring plantation." He was finally freed when another boy enslaved on the farm found his way to the Malian embassy, according to several boys' testimony. A Malian diplomat intervened to help return the boys to their families, according to plaintiff transcripts. Five years ago Senator Thomas Harkin (D--Iowa) led an investigation into allegations of child slavery in the African cocoa trade. The senator introduced legislation that would have required chocolate sold in the U.S. to be labeled "slave-free." The bill was not enacted, but Nestlé got the message. The company, other big chocolate producers, the ILO and several nonprofit groups signed an agreement promising that by July 2005 they would find a way to certify chocolate as not having been produced by any underage, indentured, trafficked or coerced labor. The deadline passed with little accomplished. Chocolate makers started a foundation to work with nonprofits that rehabilitate and educate child laborers. But the industry's own assessment of its "progress to eliminate the worst forms of child labor and forced labor from the cocoa fields" was "discouraging," reads a statement from Harkin's office. Nestlé and others say they need more time--three years to certify half the cocoa-growing areas of Ivory Coast and Ghana. "They say they can't do anything--the civil war is escalating," says Terrence Collingsworth, executive director of the International Labor Rights Fund. "But we can send our researchers in. And they don't seem to have any trouble sending their buyers in." Other nonprofits have also broken through, including the Fair Trade Labeling Organization. That's a group from Bonn, Germany that certifies, among other things, that farms are free from labor abuses. In the last two years Fair Trade has organized two cooperatives in Ivory Coast, covering 1.3% of chocolate exports, that are ostensibly free from child or slave labor. Why pick on Nestlé when Mars and Hershey (nyse: HSY - news - people ) buy even more chocolate from Africa? "We have evidence against Nestlé," says Collingsworth, referring to a former Nestlé buyer who claims that at least one farm that supplied Nestlé used forced child labor. "If we find evidence that Mars or Hershey were complicit, we will add them to the suit." All three buy chocolate from middlemen, such as co-defendants ADM and Cargill. (Nestlé says it has no direct cocoa procurement in Ivory Coast.) The three targets of the California suit seek a dismissal, arguing a lack of legal basis and, "If any purchaser of a good is liable for any wrongful act allegedly committed in the production of the good such a theory would have breathtaking implications for the global economy." One reason that Nestlé makes a great target for Western do-gooders is that it's big. With revenue of $76 billion a year it's the world's biggest food producer (brands include Perrier, Nescafé and Purina). A campaign to boycott it for selling infant formula in the Third World went on for seven years. Protesters said the formula was being bought by impoverished mothers whose children would have been better off breast-fed. "Nestlé kills babies!" screamed one report by the Berne Third World Action Group. Nestlé sued the Berne group. "We said, 'Show us one documented case of a baby who has died because of Nestlé,'" says François-Xavier Perroud, head of media relations, who was hired to help deal with the crisis. "No one could come up with anything." Nestlé won the lawsuit in 1976 but lost the p.r. war. Protesters got even more publicity. The company ultimately reached out to foes and changed some marketing: No more ads were run and no more samples given to hospitals in poor areas. In any case, says Perroud, "Most of our infant formula sales in the developing world are in the big cities, to working women and families who can afford it." The boycott didn't hurt long-term, he insists, though many longtime employees were shocked by the vitriol. The company plays defense with do-goodism of its own. It helps one- and two-cow dairy farmers in Latin America improve their milk yields, has made changes to reduce waste from all its factories and passes out HIV medication to employees in Africa who need it. "We try to have a constructive dialogue with everybody who has an interest in Nestlé, including NGOS. I have a full staff that is dedicated only to this question," says Brabeck-Letmathe. Now Nestlé, facing the cocoa-farm reformers, must decide again whether to fight. For now, the answer is yes. If U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson of California's Central District denies the defense motion --he may rule as early as this month--the ILRF intends to ask for class certification in which they would represent the interests of all West African child laborers. The unpredictable nature of American law could make such a class action into a bottomless pit of potential damages. "We gave them more than five years," says Collingsworth, who is making a career of such foreign rights cases. "Nestlé crossed a very bright line and proceeded in bad faith. It's clear the only way they are going to change is if they get smacked." Sidebar: Your Image In Court
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The Big Ag and Big Food cartel may be chortling now that it “won” Nov. 6 by defeating California’s Proposition 37 that would have mandated labeling of food containing genetically modified organisms (GMO), but that victory may be short-lived.
Already, Connecticut, Vermont and Washington state are preparing 2013 initiatives, 23 states are working on legislation to require labeling, and Canada is considering legislation for a national ban on GMOs. Sixty-one countries already have mandatory labeling.
A massive disinformation campaign that snowed even otherwise reputable voices killed Prop 37. A consortium of food giants funneled more than $46 million into defeating it; Monsanto alone spent $8.1 million. By comparison, the anti-GMO side only had $9.2 million to spend, despite more than 3,000 food safety, environmental, and consumer organizations endorsing them.
The endorsers included most of the major health, faith, labor, environmental and consumer groups in California, including the California Nurses Association, California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation, United Farm Workers, American Public Health Association, Consumers Union, California Council of Churches IMPACT, Sierra Club, Whole Foods Market, Natural Resources Defense Council, Organic Consumers Association, Center for Food Safety, Consumer Federation of America, Pesticide Action Network, Center for Food Safety, Environmental Working Group, Breast Cancer Fund, Mercola Health Resources, Public Citizen, MoveOn and Food Democracy Now! (For a full list, visit carighttoknow.org/endorsements.)
So, how did it lose? The massive funding by Big Ag and Big Food raised so many questions about the proposed labeling law that those who were undecided or feared the scary, untrue claims that it would increase grocery prices voted “no.” Even so, 47 percent of California voters voted yes — some 3.5 million families!
That sends a powerful message: Despite fears about the specific legislation of Prop 37, a majority of Californians probably would vote for a mandatory GMO labeling law if the questions raised were honestly addressed. (National polls show up to 90 percent of Americans want GMO labeling, see: rodale.com/gmo-labeling)
Moreover, because the publicity raised consciousness about the issue, now, millions of Californians and those who followed the Prop 37 debate around the nation are looking at the food products they buy to determine if they contain GMOs simply because Prop 37 was on the ballot.
Bottom line? If food manufacturers want to stay in business, they will start labeling and switching over due to self-preservation. Regardless of specific labeling requirements, or how long state or national governments drag their feet, consumers will win this food labeling battle by voting with their wallets! |
Ebay announced Monday that it has agreed to acquire Magento Inc., the company behind the open source ecommerce platform Magento.
In the announcement, eBay said that Magento will join the company's new X.Commerce initiative. X.Commerce is eBay's integrated open source platform group that will be revealed to developers in more depth in October.
On the Magento blog, CEO and co-founder Roy Rubin posted about the sale. Rubin writes that "it's too soon to know all the details" but following the close of the sale, "Magento will continue to operate out of Los Angeles, with Yoav Kutner and me as its leaders."
Magento also posted a FAQ [PDF] page for its customers, but at least to us, this did little to clarify what will actually happen to Magento moving forward and left us with more questions.
Although Magento will continue to operate out of Los Angeles and its staff there and in Ukraine have been retained, there was no real answer to the question "will Magento continue as a standalone product." Instead, it looks like what is now Magento will become a big part of eBay's upcoming X.Commerce platform.
Magento will continue to work with its existing partners and customers of its hosted and supported solutions. As for the open source Magento Community Edition, not much is known what it means for the product at this point.
For eBay, the move is interesting, especially in conjunction with PayPal and the various PayPal X initiatives. Magento is an opportunity for eBay to offer businesses a soup-to-nuts ecommerce solution, from hosting to payment processing to mobile. |
When the Beatles took the stage on Oct. 13, 1963, to perform on the variety show Sunday Night at the London Palladium , they were four lads armed with the simple tools of their early classics: a bass, two guitars and a drum kit.
The psychedelia, the massive studio productions, the brilliance and adoration, suspicion and disintegration -- those were years away. In this moment, cited widely as the birth of Beatlemania, it was simply John , Paul , George and Ringo , setting their homeland on fire.
The Beatles' first hit single in the U.K., "Please Please Me," hit No. 1 in early 1963; a full-length LP of the same name was released in March. "From Me to You" and "She Loves You" came next. When the Fabs appeared on the Palladium telecast, they had already completed three tours of the U.K. that year; a fourth would begin on Nov. 1.
In other words, this was a country primed to explode with mania over these four guys. It was the insanity surrounding this single TV appearance that brought the group fully to the attention of the national media and inspired newspapers to invent the term "Beatlemania" to describe this phenomenon. It was unique at the time, mobs of teenage girls filling the streets and caterwauling on Sunday night television over a pop group. Since then, we've seen everyone from Leif Garrett to Justin Bieber inspire similar squeals; it all began in London on this day.
You can find the full performance on YouTube (or at least the audio), and it's like a strange transmission from another planet. There's the constant buzz of teenage screams over everything, then what sounds like cavemen beating on rocks to the ear of a modern listener. There's the brute force of hard-earned experience in their licks and riffs, honed playing multi-hour sets in the rock clubs of Hamburg, Germany.
The Beatles weren't innovators in 1963, though they soon would be. They were using the same building blocks that birthed Chuck Berry , Elvis Presley and other rock 'n' roll pioneers who influenced them. It was the blues, soul, gospel and a sprinkle of pop showmanship they added for extra added spice. Still, when the Beatles brought those ingredients together, something new emerged, something primal. It's the sound of modern pop music being forcefully willed into existence. |
Los Angeles Angels Playoff Chances Beat Mariners 2-0, playoff odds up 7 to 7% 1-1 .500 Add your own league How are these numbers calculated? Big Games How we did last week and who we should root for this week. Explain Week of 4/5 100.0* Chance in playoffs 100.0* Win World Series 100.0* Average seed Mariners 4 Angels 1 -20.8 -0.1 -2.2 Phillies 0 Red Sox 8 -1.3 -0.2 Mariners 0 Angels 2 +0.9 +3.0 Astros 2 Indians 0 -0.4 Athletics 8 Rangers 0 -0.3 Rays 2 Orioles 6 -0.2 Athletics 1 Rangers 3 +0.1 -0.4 Rays 5 Orioles 6 +0.0 Brewers 0 Rockies 10 -0.1 Games Above .500 Chance Will Make Playoffs Lottery Ye of little faith, already thinking about next year. Here are the big games and what ifs for draft seeds. Big Games Week of 4/5 100.0* Lottery seed Mariners 0 Angels 2 -10.6 Mariners 4 Angels 1 +5.1 Athletics 1 Rangers 3 +0.8 Dodgers 3 Padres 7 +0.5 Diamondbacks 7 Giants 6 +0.2 Marlins 2 Braves 12 -0.1 Rays 5 Orioles 6 -0.1 Brewers 2 Rockies 5 -0.0 |
This morning’s Twitter feed informed me of the closure of codespaces.com, a company offering a repository and project management service to developers, using Git or subversion.
The reason was a malicious intrusion into its admin console for Amazon Web Services, which the company used as the back end for its services. The intruder demanded money, and when that was not forthcoming, deleted a large amount of data.
An unauthorised person who at this point who is still unknown (All we can say is that we have no reason to think its anyone who is or was employed with Code Spaces) had gained access to our Amazon EC2 control panel and had left a number of messages for us to contact them using a hotmail address Reaching out to the address started a chain of events that revolved around the person trying to extort a large fee in order to resolve the DDOS. Upon realisation that somebody had access to our control panel we started to investigate how access had been gained and what access that person had to data in our systems, it became clear that so far no machine access had been achieved due to the intruder not having our Private Keys. At this point we took action to take control back of our panel by changing passwords, however the intruder had prepared for this and had a already created a number backup logins to the panel and upon seeing us make the attempted recovery of the account he locked us down to a non-admin user and proceeded to randomly delete artefacts from the panel. We finally managed to get our panel access back but not before he has removed all EBS snapshots, S3 buckets, all AMI’s, some EBS instances and several machine instances. In summary, most of our data, backups, machine configurations and offsite backups were either partially or completely deleted.
According to the statement, the company is no longer viable and will cease trading. Some data has survived and customers are advised to contact support and recover what they can.
It is a horrible situation both for the company and its customers.
How can these kinds of risk be avoided? That is the question, and it is complex. Both backup and security are difficult.
Cloud providers such as Amazon offer excellent resilience and redundancy. That is, if a hard drive or a server fails, other copies are available and there should be no loss of data, or at worst, only a tiny amount.
Resilience is not backup though, and if you delete data, the systems will dutifully delete it on all your copies.
Backup is necessary in order to be able to go back in time. System administrators have all encountered users who demand recovery of documents they themselves deleted.
The piece that puzzles me about the CodeSpaces story is that the intruder deleted off-site backups. I presume therefore that these backups were online and accessible from the same admin console, a single point of failure.
As it happens, I attended Cloud World Forum yesterday in London and noticed a stand from Spanning, which offers cloud backup for Google Apps, Salesforce.com, and coming soon, Office 365. I remarked light-heartedly that surely the cloud never fails; and was told that yes, the cloud never fails, but you can still lose data from human error, sync errors or malicious intruders. Indeed.
Is there a glimmer of hope for CodeSpaces – is it possible that Amazon Web Services can go back in time and restore customer data that was mistakenly or maliciously deleted? I presume from the gloomy statement that it cannot (though I am asking Amazon); but if this is something the public cloud cannot provide, then some other strategy is needed to fill that gap. |
In trying to explain how misogyny shaped last year’s Presidential contest, Hillary Rodham Clinton reached for a familiar metaphor. Noting that her opponents expressed a hatred of her and an outrage at the prospect that she might become the first woman president of the United States, she invoked the witch hunts of seventeenth-century New England. Drawing on a long tradition of using the witch killers of Massachusetts Bay to illustrate irrational hatred of women (as well as unfair accusations more generally), Clinton referenced the fanaticism of the witch hunt as a parallel to her own story.
As a professional woman in 21st century America who has confronted my share of modern misogyny but who also studies the seventeenth-century colonies, I find the comparison unfair to the colonists who killed alleged witches. In our current political moment, hatred of woman in some quarters far exceeds anything that the New Englanders expressed against the women even though they did fear some of them had become witches.
As we all know, Hillary Rodham Clinton had the temerity to publish a post-mortem on her almost successful bid for the White House. In a long tradition of post-campaign, first-hand account, she explained her perspective on the campaign and, in one section, took up the question of the role of misogyny in her defeat. She quotes an interview with Margaret Atwood (feminist author of The Handmaid’s Tale) who noted the existence of “websites that say Hillary was actually a Satanist with demonic powers.” Atwood observed “It’s so seventeenth century that you can hardly believe it.” Clinton concurred, adding “The Puritan witch hunts may be long over, but something fanatical about unruly women still lurks in the national subconscious.” (126-27)
No one can fault Atwood and Clinton for the insight that hating and fearing women has an ancient pedigree. Presenting present-day misogyny as a throwback to an earlier, presumably darker time contains a hopeful element as well: if hating women is associated with the fanaticism of four centuries ago, the implication is that we ought to be beyond it by now. They both subtly express a belief in the idea of progress: that the situation has improved—or at least ought to have improved—over time. By implication those who irrationally abhor successful and capable women today are remnants of an earlier, more ignorant time. In this feminism as progress logic, only the forces of benighted tradition stand in the way of women’s success today.
Right-wing Christians who embrace the subordination of women agree that tradition upholds women’s inferiority and subjugation. With the same understanding of the past as Atwood and Clinton, they assert that the tradition of suppressing women ought to be continued, and that moving away from it, as feminists strive to do, is wrong. While they disagree on the advisability of progress, they agree on the image of the past.
Both feminists and anti-feminists misunderstand the seventeenth century, however. Early New Englanders agreed with right-wing Christians that women generally ought to be subordinate, but the latter group also accepted that most men ought to be subordinate as well. (Modern Christian men ignore that part of tradition, happy to believe in male superiority generally.)
Colonial America was a hierarchical society, predicated on the idea that most people were properly subordinate. Theology taught that accepting one’s place in the social hierarchy and performing the duties associated with that place was the way for people to please God. In this hierarchical society, certain women could attain positions of power and authority. Queen Elizabeth offered the obvious example, but other elite women held power, owned property, and commanded the obedience of others (both men and women). This society did not hate women generally or even any women who exercised authority.
It was the case that women were especially likely to be accused of witchcraft, although men also went to their deaths as witches. The common wisdom taught that women, being especially weak willed, were more easily tempted. They might succumb to a deal with the devil in order to escape their social situation, to receive wealth, power or a life of ease. Satan made such promises to the gullible, but being the great deceiver, he rarely followed through. Women and men who confessed to witchcraft in colonial New England reported being tricked and deceived. Satan reneged on his offers. Witches, although they could harm their neighbors with curses, never became all powerful. The witches of Massachusetts Bay—in complete contrast to those in the silly television show Salem—were usually poor, pathetic creatures both before and after they succumbed. Often reliant on their neighbors’ charity, they were discontented with their lots in life. Far from becoming the gorgeous and powerful women of modern witchcraft fantasies, they at best gained enough from their pact with Satan to pester their neighbors with “maleficum”—the power to disrupt health and to cause minor domestic disasters. |
Complete ground-up redesign sees four network audio models launched, all based on the company’s new ‘platform for the future’
It’s seven years since the groundbreaking NaimUniti appeared, setting the standard for all network music systems – and now Naim has unveiled a complete new generation of its Uniti range: New Uniti.
This isn’t simply a refresh of the existing line-up: this a complete rethink of Uniti, with everything changed from the styling to the software platform on which the series is built, all the way through to new production methods to hand-build the range at the Salisbury factory.
Four New Uniti models have been announced: the Uniti Core ripper/server/player (£1650); the £1600 Uniti Atom compact network music system (below); the £2999 Uniti Star, complete with built-in CD ripping and music storage; and the range-topping Uniti Nova, at £3800.
All feature new styling that, while unmistakably Naim, has a sharper edge and, in the two full-size network players, a distinctive ‘two box’ look. Meanwhile the players have also inherited the top-mounted volume control and white illuminated acrylic company logo of both the Mu-so line and the flagship Statement amplifier system.
Also striking is the new display on the Atom, Star and Nova: it’s a full-colour 5in panel, able to show extended information and cover artwork. And even the remote control is a newly designed RF type, even able to control New Uniti models in a different room: it pairs with the device it’s to control using proximity sensing, rather like a contactless credit card.
Bidirectional communication with the Uniti being controlled also allows visual feedback of the volume setting on the handset, for example.
It also has tilt and motion sensors, enabling it to sleep when not in use, then wake when picked up: this also allows Naim to claim a one-year battery life for the remote.
New platform
However, the most significant change is the all-new software platform on which the New Uniti products run. Naim has ditched the ‘off the shelf’ solutions used in Uniti models to date – yes, including the Windows OS under the skin of the UnitiServe! – and built its own modular system to run not only this first tranche of products, but also forthcoming network-capable models.
In fact, company MD Trevor Wilson, while emphasising the huge programming and testing resources it has taken to develop this package – as MDs do! – , goes on to describe it as a ‘platform for the future’. It’s for that reason Naim is describing the New Uniti launch not just as a major event, but also as one of the most significant moves in the company’s 40+-year history.
Three years in the making
The software team rose from seven to 25 during the development process (which has been ongoing for over three years), marking a massive investment to ensure the new platform could do what Naim wanted – now and in the future.
In other words, it’s a fair bet to assume we’ll be seeing a lot more of this platform in future Naim products across the range.
So what do the New Uniti models do? Well, all are 384kHz/24bit-capable on WAV, 384kHz/24bit on FLAC, AIFF, and Apple Lossless, and can handle DSD2.8MHz/64 and 5.6MHz/128. They have Ethernet 10/100Mbps and dual-band IEEE 802.11b/n/g/ac wireless networking on the three systems, with internal Wi-Fi antennae rather than the rubber external ones of current products.
Twelve ultra hi-res streams
All three systems can stream to up to six network players, or sync up to six Uniti/ND-/Mu-so players in party mode. The Core, meanwhile, has 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet, and can deliver up to 12 simultaneous streams at up to 384kHz/24bit.
All formats are limited to 48khz when using Wi-Fi connectivity, but Naim says a lot of work has gone into improved buffer capacity and network capability to ensure stable streaming, even up to the maximum data-rates.
As well as UPnP streaming and Internet radio, all three systems support Bluetooth aptX HD, Apple AirPlay, Tidal, Spotify Connect – with Roon ‘to be activated in the near future’ – and Google Cast for Audio.
The Google advantage
Naim’s Steve Sells points out that this last capability opens them up to any online audio service that’s Google Cast-compatible – of which there are already dozens, including the likes of Qobuz and YouTube. So as well as those built into the new models, users will be able to access many more streaming services via Google Cast.
Essentially this means the New Uniti models are service-agnostic, which was one of the major intentions behind the new platform, Naim saying that it wanted to get out of the features-race and instead make models able to adapt to future developments and requirements.
Easier updates
To that end the new models will also be able to update their firmware ‘over the air’ using a network connection, rather than requiring the somewhat laborious computer-based method of the current ND- and Uniti ranges. Users will be prompted to update via an indicator on a revised Naim app soon to be available, which will control both existing products and the whole New Uniti range, without the need for a separate app for the Core ripper/server.
Talking of the Core (above), it features new bit-perfect ripping software, comes without a hard-drive installed to allow the buyer to choose the size they want to install, and now has an internal power supply rather than the offboard ‘brick’ used to power the UnitiServe.
Ripping Star
The Uniti Star also has a built-in ripping drive able to store rips on USB drives or SD cards (there’s a card-slot on the back). The Nova also has an SD card slot for additional storage, and it’s also possible to connect an external USB CD/DVD drive to the Atom and Nova models, and use them to rip music to connected USB drives and, in the case of the Nova, SD cards. The Core rips to its internal HDD, and can also rip to network drives.
At the heart of all the new models is the same kind of SHARC processor used in the NDS, now in fourth-generation 40-bit form (left), and the New Unitis use the same Naim-written oversampling, buffering and digital filtering found in the NDS and Naim DAC.
The three network systems all use digitally-driven analogue volume controls: these only default to fully digital volume adjustment at very low levels, in order to allow the analogue resistor ladder used further up the range to be kept as simple as possible for the best sound.
Amplification throughout is of a traditional Naim design, with the Atom delivering 40Wpc, the Star 70Wpc and the Nova 80Wpc,. All three systems use substantial toroidal transformers, with much smaller switch-mode supplies for standby mode to keep power consumption down. All three also have newly-designed dedicated headphone amps built-in.
The Uniti Atom (above) has two optical and one coaxial digital inputs, two USB-Type A sockets, plus one line-in and both line and sub/preouts, with a galvanically-isolated HDMI input with Audio Return channel available at a £100 premium.
The Uniti Star (above) has an extra coaxial input plus a BNC digital in, adds a five-pin DIN inputs and has HDMI and an SD card slot as standard, with DAB/DAB+/FM radio available for an extra £151, making the price £3150. Meanwhile the Nova gains two more line-ins – one each on RCAs and DIN – and is available with the DAB/DAB+/FM radio module for an extra £159, bringing the price to £3959.
Finally the Core has two USB sockets, and a digital BNC output to allow it to be used as a transport directly into external DACs, controlled by the new version of the Naim app.
Availability
Build of the Uniti Core is already underway, with Atom assembly due to start in the next few weeks, and sales soon after. Huge demand from distributors and retailers, already at double initial expectations, means Naim has had to adopt a staggered production plan: Star and Nova assembly will ramp up during the first quarter of next year, with all models being built in those new purpose-designed assembly cells in Salisbury. The company says it has already had to increase the size of that production area substantially, just to meet that initial demand.
Each production cell uses the very latest state of the art CAD software and touchscreen display technology, initially adopted by Naim for the construction of Statement. It’s now being rolled out across the factory, to ensure every detail of the product is built with extreme accuracy and repeatability. Each cell carries out the whole manufacturing process, the product entering as a kit of components and leaving as a fully closed, finished and tested unit ready for shipping.
One more thing…
Oh, and one final thing: the New Uniti models all come with a new Naim mains plug as standard. As the company explains, having for a long time taken great care with its mains plugs, choosing only high-quality MK UK plugs and tightening the cable clamping screws to a set torque, it upped its game with the Power-Line cable, complete with floating pins able to align themselves for better contact with the socket.
For New Uniti it has ‘reverse engineered’ Power-Line into a more affordable version, Power-Line Lite, with the same floating pin technology: this cable will not only be standard with all the new models, but will also be rolled out to other Naim products supplied in the future, hopefully starting sometime early in 2017.
It will also be possible to buy the Power-Line Lite cable on its own at some point next year, as an upgrade for existing Naim products. It’s expected it will cost around £95-£100, rather than the £500+ of the ‘full fat’ Power-Line, and initially will only be available with a UK three-pin plug.
Written by Andrew Everard
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A 19-year-old man admitted to drowning a 6-year-old boy with autism whose body was found early Tuesday in a trash bin in Washington, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department.
Spokesperson Shari Ireton said the body of Dayvid Pakko was found at the apartment complex where the boy's family lived in Lynnwood, KTLA sister station KCPQ reported.
A 19-year-old man from Kerville, Texas, who is related to the slain child was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, according to KCPQ. His name has not yet been released.
The victim had been left in the care of the suspect in an apartment between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday, according to a statement from the Sheriff's Department.
"[Name redacted] admitted, during that time, to filling a bathtub with water with the intention of drowning and killing D.P. [name redacted] admitted to calling D.P. to the bathroom, picking him up and placing him face down in the water, and holding D.P.’s head underneath the water while D.P. struggled for approximately 30 seconds before becoming still," the statement read. “[Name redacted] said he left D.P. face down in the water for approximately six minutes."
After, the suspect changed the boy's clothes, wrapped him in a blanket and placed the body in a cardboard box, which was then put into the closest dumpster, according to the statement.
Officials began the search Monday night for Dayvid, who had a mild form of autism.
Dayvid was last seen in his apartment around 2:30 p.m. Monday and was reported missing at 5 p.m., Ireton said. There was an adult inside the apartment at the time.
Ireton had asked people who live in the area to turn on their outside lights and look to see if the boy might be hiding in their bushes or around their home.
Neighbors who helped search for the boy say they are also looking for answers.
"I don’t want to ever feel what I am feeling again because it's horrible what’s happened," said neighbor Anthony Micallef.
Outside Beverly Elementary, where the boy went to school, staff members put a message of mourning on the announcement board.
A memorial of flowers and candles has been growing outside of the Bristol Square apartment complex.
That is building 6-yr old Dayvid Pakko lived. The dumpster next to it where his body found. Waiting on search warrants for both #Q13FOX pic.twitter.com/q2wxlpFIa0 — John Hopperstad (@JohnHopperstad) October 17, 2017
A message of mourning for a 6 YO Lynwood student.. Snohomish county detectives are investigating the child's death as a homocide #Q13FOX pic.twitter.com/XhQOQvtGiC — Steve Fedoriska (@photog_feds) October 17, 2017
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Today I found out about a woman who lost the ability to smell, taste, see, and hear as a child, but went on to become the first deaf-blind person to be fully educated.
The woman was Laura Bridgman. Bridgman was born in 1829 and it is thought she had full use of all her senses at birth. However, at the age of two years old, she became sick with scarlet fever, which lasted several weeks before she began to get better. Once she did heal, it became apparent that she had lost her sight and hearing in the process. It was later discovered, after she was educated, that she had lost or never had a sense of smell and she also had nearly no sense of taste.
The one sense she did have was touch. Amazingly, even with only this one sense and no real language, she was still pretty handy around the house as a child. She enjoyed mimicking actions demonstrated to her through touch, so her mother used this to teach her how to do certain household chores. She even learned to sew and knit.
Beyond that, her only real methods of communication were a very simple form of tactile sign language. For instance, she knew if someone pushed her, that she was to go away. If they pulled her, she was to follow along with the pull. When she did an action correctly or what her family wanted, they would pat her on the head. When she did something incorrectly, they would pat her on the back. Eventually, though, Bridgman became too much of a handful for her family as she frequently threw violent temper tantrums and would only obey her father who had to physically overpower her to get that obedience.
At this point, it was generally thought that at deaf-blind person would be unable to be taught even the most rudimentary things, beyond mimicking tasks, let alone be able to be taught to comprehend language. (Although, there are records of a few deaf-blind people learning basic tactile sign language and one French deaf-blind woman who was able to learn French, shortly before Bridgman. However, in these instances, these individuals were not able to become fully educated for a variety of reasons, for more on this, see the Bonus Factoids below).
Luckily for Bridgman, though, there was a school for the blind which had been founded the same year as her birth, in 1829, and which opened in 1832 (Perkins School for the Blind). By 1837, many blind people had been successfully educated and one of the instructors there, Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, learned of Laura Bridgman’s condition through an account written by the head of the medical department at Dartmouth College, Dr. Mussey. Once Howe learned of Bridgman, he wanted to try and see if he could find a way to teach a deaf-blind person language, which would hopefully be the vehicle to educating her.
Laura, now 8 years old, was then sent to Perkins and began her education. Howe and his assistant, Lydia Hall Drew, first started by devising a way to teach her names of objects in English by giving her objects with their names attached to them in the form of labels with raised letters. Eventually, Laura was able to match labels to objects when the labels were detached. However, at this point, she still had no concept of what she was doing and was only imitating based on memorization, rather than really understanding what the labels meant. Now that she at least associated certain words with objects, even if she didn’t understand the significance, Howe took the exercise further by cutting up the labels and teaching her to rearrange them into the words that she associated with objects.
It was during these exercises that Bridgman finally grasped that objects have names and the labels were indicating the names. This was first indicated by the fact that she suddenly independently wanted to know what the names of objects around her were. Shortly thereafter, she began to fully grasp the concept of an alphabet and, from there, they were able to begin to teach her to use the alphabet and words in communicating.
Once that was accomplished, the rest of her education was relatively straightforward. Her brain now had an engine to drive conscious thought, including essential abstract thought. She proceeded to attend classes like any other student at Perkins, though with various teachers with her at all times finger-spelling everything to her. During her education, she learned mathematics, astronomy, writing, geometry, philosophy, history, biology, etc.
Thanks to Howe being able to successfully reach Bridgman and the fact that he’d been able to do it while she was still fairly young, which allowed her to be able to think abstractly once she had a language for her brain to use, there now was an established method for “reaching” deaf-blind people. Further, it was now proven that deaf-blind people are capable of learning just as well as anyone, assuming they were reached at a young enough age, which was contrary to what most thought at the time.
Howe also published an account of Bridgman’s education which drew the interest of Charles Dickens who came to meet her when she was twelve, in 1842. Dickens then wrote an account of Laura Bridgman in his work, American Notes. In 1886, three years before Bridgman’s death at the age of 59, this account in Dickens’ work resulted in Helen Keller’s parents learning that a deaf-blind person could be educated. It was also through Howe’s methods for teaching Bridgman that Keller was taught.
(Note: If you liked this article, you might also like these: How Deaf People Think and Helen Keller was Not Born Blind or Deaf)
Bonus Facts:
The doll Anne Sullivan, the teacher of Helen Keller, gave Keller upon their first meeting was made by Laura Bridgman and had been a gift from Bridgman to Sullivan.
The sickness that cost Bridgman the use of most of her senses also took the lives of her two sisters and brother.
Bridgman was first able to write her own name in a legible fashion on July 24, 1839, about two years after her education began, at the age of 10 years old. Her progression in mathematics was astoundingly fast, in comparison to her education in language. It took her just 19 days from her first math lesson to learn to add columns of figures from zero to thirty.
At the age of 20, Bridgman’s education was complete and she returned home. However, because of neglect by her family, who didn’t have time to properly look after her, she developed health problems and it was decided that she should return to Perkins permanently. Her former teacher, Howe, and a friend of hers, Dorothea Dix, set about raising funds to support Bridgman at the school. While there, she taught needlework and helped around the school with domestic chores. She also made money for herself by using her modest fame to help sell various needlework pieces she did. Her primary use of the money tended to be in buying gifts for people she knew and donating to various charities.
In Bridgman’s free time, her main hobbies were reading and writing letters and poems.
Bridgman died in 1889 at the age of 59 in her “Sunny Home” at Perkins.
Howe’s teaching method was inspired by meeting Julia Brace, who was a deaf-blind person that had been taught basic tactile sign language
Unlike Bridgman, Brace was never able to comprehend abstract thoughts due to not being formally instructed until she was 34 years old, in 1842, also at Perkins. Her education at Perkins was largely a failure, despite her being taught by Howe with the same methods he’d successfully used with Bridgman. Brace made almost no progress due to her inability to grasp any concept that was abstract, and, a mere one year later, she left the school. As a child, because she hadn’t lost her sight and hearing until the age of five, she was able to develop a tactile sign language with her family thanks to once being able to talk. Despite having no capacity for abstract thought, Brace did have an incredible memory for tangible information and even managed to function as a nurse.
Brace became deafblind after contracting typhus fever.
Recent research has shown that language is integral in such brain functions as memory, abstract thinking, and, fascinatingly, self-awareness. Language has been shown to literally be the “device driver”, so to speak, that drives much of the brain’s core “hardware”. Thus, deaf people who aren’t taught some form of complex language at a young age, will be significantly handicapped mentally until they learn a structured language, even though there is nothing actually wrong with their brains. The problem is even more severe than it may appear at first because of how important language is to the early stages of development of the brain. Those completely deaf people who are taught no sign language until later life will often have learning problems that stick with them throughout their lives, such as trouble with abstract thought, even after they have eventually learn a particular sign language. It is because of how integral language is to how our brains develop and function that even deaf people, let alone deaf-blined people, were once thought of as mentally handicapped and unteachable.
Bridgman’s case is not only mentioned famously in Dickens’ American Notes, but also in the French La Symphonie Pastorale, by André Gide. La Symphonie Pastorale is a novel written in 1919 about a pastor who adopts a blind girl. (spoiler alert) The blind girl eventually falls in love with the pastor and becomes hated by nearly everyone in the family except the pastor, due to the amount of time the pastor dedicates to the child. Eventually, one of the pastor’s sons falls in love with the girl and wants to marry her, but the pastor refuses to let him, because he is in love with her too. The story ends with the blind girl receiving a surgery which allows her to see. She then realizes the world isn’t nearly as beautiful as the pastor made out and that she is not in fact in love with the pastor, but his son. She tries to kill herself by drowning, but instead contracts pneumonia from the event and dies. It’s a page turner all right. 😉
Other famous deaf-blind people include: Sanzan Tani, who by the time he reached adulthood was fully deaf and blind, though he overcame this and continued to function as a teacher; Robert Smithdas, who became the first deaf-blind person to receive a Master’s degree, specializing in vocational guidance and rehabilitation of the handicapped and for a time worked with Helen Keller; and Heinrich Landesmann, who was an Austrian poet and philosopher, who developed a form of tactile signing that now is named after him.
Robert Smithdas is actually still alive today, only retiring in 2008 at the age of 83 years old. Interestingly, his wife Michelle is also deaf-blind. This leads one to wonder how exactly the two do things like locate one another in their home; presumably, something to do with using vibrations in the floor or the like. In any case, it would be fascinating to read about such things as this concerning the two.
Robert Smithdas is actually still alive today, only retiring in 2008 at the age of 83 years old. Interestingly, his wife Michelle is also deaf-blind. This leads one to wonder how exactly the two do things like locate one another in their home; presumably, something to do with using vibrations in the floor or the like. In any case, it would be fascinating to read about such things as this concerning the two. As noted, Bridgman enjoyed writing poetry. Her most famous poem, in her day, was “Holy Home”:
Holy home is from everlasting to everlasting.
Holy home is summerly.
I pass this dark home toward a light home.
Earthly home shall perish,
But holy home shall endure forever.
Earthly home is wintery.
Hard is it for us to appreciate the radiance of holy home because of the blindness of our minds.
How glorious holy home is, and still more than a beam of sun!
By the finger of God my eyes and my ears shall be opened;
The string of my tongue shall be loosed.
With sweeter joys in heaven I shall hear and speak and see.
What glorious rapture in holy home for me to hear the angels sing and perform upon instruments!
Also that I can behold the beauty of heavenly home.
Jesus Christ has gone to prepare a place for those who love and believe Him.
My zealous hope is that sinners might turn themselves from the power of darkness unto light divine.
When I die, God will make me happy.
In heaven music is sweeter than honey, and finer than a diamond.
Expand for References |
Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that the club has recalled goaltender Mike McKenna from the Texas Stars, Dallas' top development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Nill also announced that goaltender Kari Lehtonen is unavailable indefinitely due to personal reasons.
McKenna, 34, has appeared in 12 games with Texas during the 2017-18 season, earning a 5-5-1 record with an .871 save percentage and a 3.51 goals against average. His five wins this season lead all Texas Stars netminders.
Over the course of his AHL career, he has appeared in 441 games, registering a 211-168-22 record with a .912 SV% and a 2.72 GAA with 26 shutouts. The netminder has logged a combined 22 NHL games with Tampa Bay, New Jersey, Columbus and Arizona, recording a 5-11-2 record with an .889 SV% and a 3.48 GAA.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound native of St. Louis, Mo. was signed by Dallas as a free agent on July 1, 2017. McKenna was originally selected by Nashville in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the 2002 NHL Draft. |
The Evolution of UI Design on Dribbble
Ryan Bales Blocked Unblock Follow Following Feb 23, 2017
I’ve been using Dribbble (see, check me out) since almost the beginning. It took me awhile to weasel my way into getting an invite so I could post my work (thanks Rich) but I remember trolling the early players way back when it first launched. Back in 2009 Dribbble was much more about UI and web design than illustrations. The tide has turned in the past couple of years and it’s much more heavy in illustrations. Take a look at the Popular Page at any given time and you’ll see what I mean. I don’t know what happened.
Nonetheless, Dribbble has had a huge influence on UI design since it’s inception, so I want to specifically talk about how UI design has evolved over the years as reflected on Dribbble shots.
Pro Tip: Want to see the first players and shots on Dribbble? Try these URLs
And so on… |
Big announcement out of the KRNA Studio this morning! It looks like after much negotiation, Cedar Bayou is finally going to become a reality!
CEO Nick Ford revealed the official location of the new water park, near the Prairie View Technology Park , in the area of I-380 and Wright Bros. Blvd. Nick spoke of how the production and development will progress as the project moves forward. Along with a family resort and water park, the complex will include a world class aquatic center facility.
The General Contractor for this project will be Miron Construction , who have offices in the corridor along I-380 near the location of the destination. This project will have a positive economic impact for the Corridor and has a lot of support from investors in the local community.
Watch the video for the full interview and all of the details concerning Cedar Bayou. |
borders-building-no-signs.jpg
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, a 20-year-old local coffee shop, plans to open a new store in downtown Ann Arbor.
(Patrick Record | The Ann Arbor News)
, a 20-year-old local coffee shop, plans to open a new store in downtown Ann Arbor. A franchisee signed a lease to open a 2,020-square-foot Sweetwaters store in the former flagship Borders building at 604 E. Liberty St.
Sweetwaters general managers Julie Depowski pours steamed milk into a hot chocolate during the grand opening of a location at 735 W. Cross St. in Ypsilanti.
"We're just super excited to be on campus," said Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea owner Lisa Bee. "We have a lot of students who are customers, but the main concern is we're far from campus. We're very happy to bring Sweetwaters to them." Lisa and her husband, Wei, founded Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea in 1993. The coffee shop has three existing locations in Ann Arbor: one on East Washington Street downtown, one in Kerrytown and one on Plymouth Road. The Kerrytown and Plymouth Road stores are franchises.
Bakery items are on display at the Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea store in Ypsilanti.
A Sweetwaters store
on Ypsilanti's Cross Street in March. "We've been very happy with that store," Lisa Bee said. "Ypsilanti has been a great city to work with." Sweetwaters is the fourth confirmed tenant planning to open in the former Borders building downtown, joining Knight’s Steakhouse, Slurping Turtle noodle house and Huntington National Bank. The building, situated on the corner of East Liberty and Maynard streets, is being redeveloped and subdivided into five retail spaces by Ron Hughes of Oakland County-based Hughes Properties. The University of Michigan School of Information and PRIME Research signed deals to occupy the second floor of the building. “Sweetwaters Coffee will add a strong local retail aspect to the tenant mix,” says a news release from Colliers International Ann Arbor, the company marketing the former Borders building for lease. Joe Palms of Swisher Commercial represented the franchise owners, Sheila Qin Li and Roy Xu, in the deal. Bee said the goal is to open the new Sweetwaters store in spring 2014. She said she will be "very involved" in helping the franchise owners open the store, including helping with design, build-out and staff training. Although downtown Ann Arbor has its fair share of coffee shops, especially on the blocks surrounding the University of Michigan's campus, Bee said she's not worried about the competition. "Every single one of our competitors are there. I think it just brings more people into the culture of drinking coffee," she said.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Reach her at 734-623-2584, email her [email protected] or follow her on Twitter. |
Cassandra Fairbanks of Big League Politics released audio today revealing journalist Seymour Hersh had stated that Seth Rich provided the DNC emails to Wikileaks. The stunning audio files also appear to contradict claims made by private investigator Rod Wheeler in a defamation suit filed today against Fox News stemming from allegedly false quotation in their report on the investigation of Rich’s death. Media furor surrounding this case has centered on both the dismissal of Rich as a source for Wikileaks, and allegations that the Trump White House had “concocted” the story with Fox News. However, statements made by Wheeler and Hersh in a second audio file appear to undermine claims made in Wheeler’s suit, with Hersh’s statement going even further by directly stating that Seth Rich had been the source of Wikileaks DNC emails.
The first audio clip published by Fairbanks earlier today revealed Rod Wheeler discussing his investigation into Rich’s death. The conversation includes allusions to Rich’s brother, stating that Aaron Rich stalled the investigation into Seth’s potential connection to Wikileaks. The audio released by Big League Politics is particularly relevant to the statements Wheeler made to Fox News which were quoted in their controversial article published in May. Dispute over this citation serves as the basis for a defamation suit Wheeler initiated against Fox today.
Wheeler had been employed by Seth Rich’s family as a private investigator in order to investigate Rich’s unsolved murder. Wheeler’s suit claims that the Trump administration coordinated with Fox, and that the company had ‘invented’ quotes from him. The explosive allegations made by Wheeler caused a firestorm in the mainstream media.
The second audio clip appears especially significant as it depicts Seymour Hersh alleging that Seth Rich had kept DNC emails in a protected drop box, which was eventually accessed by Wikileaks. He can also be heard calling former CIA Director John Brennan an “a**hole.” Big League Politics also noted that Hersh cited an FBI document and an NSA report in alleging these details.
Disobedient Media spoke with Charles Grapski, a legal and political theorist who serves as Director of the Open Records Project and the Director of the Fair Elections Initiative. He told us that he believed Wheeler’s defamation claims were weak, with misquotation being an unstable basis to prove defamation of character had occurred.
No false statement was actively made about Wheeler in the original Fox story, but instead refers to incorrect attribution made in Wheeler’s suit. It also appears that many statements in the complaint could be based on hearsay. The civil rights claim added to allegations of defamation are especially bizarre considering that it indicates Fox News should have hired Wheeler as an employee; while simultaneously claiming Fox had defamed him. Grapski stated via Twitter that the newly published audio had undermined Wheeler’s defamation claim. A Federal civil rights claim would also allow Wheeler to collect his attorney’s fees from the defendants.
Escalating media furor in the wake of Wheeler’s suit has labelled Seth Rich’s possible association with Wikileaks to be “baseless.” These conclusions were to some extent counteracted by the audio published by Fairbanks which appears to contradict his claims against Fox to some extent. If the audio clips had not been released, the media firestorm regarding Wheeler’s suit may have effectively replaced the discredited Russian hacking narrative as a focus of legacy media deflection from allegations of severe corruption within the Democratic party.
Although Wikileak’s tweets today regarding Big League Politic’s publication of the audio files does not provide confirmation of a connection between Rich and the DNC emails, it does raise the question as to why the publisher would continue to express strong interest in Rich’s death. Wikileaks’ ongoing commentary on the case adds to their offering of a large reward for information leading to a conviction in the unsolved murder.
It would appear to this author that if Wheeler’s suit is shown to be based on unsteady and legally weak claims, then the most significant result of the action may ultimately be the media antics it has provoked.
However, the audio recording of Hersh’s statements may negate dismissal of Seth Rich’s involvement with the DNC emails resulting from the suit, which has been widely reported today. Especially in the case of the second file and Wikileak’s tweet of its publication, it would appear more likely that Seth Rich did in fact provide the DNC emails to Wikileaks.
If Seth Rich is confirmed to have provided DNC emails to Wikileaks, it would prove extremely significant in both providing a possible motive for his death, in addition to finally negating widely circulated allegations that Russia had hacked the information from DNC servers. While media coverage surrounding today’s events have tended to label such a connection as “fake news,” the audio released by Fairbanks may ultimately serve to strengthen allegations that Seth Rich, not Russia, was the source of the DNC emails.
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President Obama swished and dished in the city Wednesday to net some serious dough at a trifecta of basketball-themed fund-raisers — but a gimpy knee was expected to keep him from playing above the rim.
Obama's latest trip to the political ATM that is the Big Apple featured cash grabs — more like cash dunks — with NBA stars and a $20,000-per-person dinner co-hosted by the one-and-only Michael Jordan.
The "Obama Classic," as the $3 million night at Lincoln Center was dubbed, included a $250 per-fan autograph signing and a $5,000-per-baller skills camp.
As Jordan introduced the 44th President at Alice Tully Hall, the NBA legend said their friendship goes back to Obama's days in the Senate and games of one-on-one during his campaign. His Airness joked that they're probably too old now for a game of 21.
Perhaps he was right.
The Jumpshooter-in-Chief participated in a private shootaround after dinner, but one of the President's aides had earlier offered reporters a disclaimer: Obama's been favoring his right knee recently.
The President said the spotlight was less bright when fund-raising with Jordan.
"It is very rare I come to an event where I'm like the fifth or sixth most interesting person," Obama told a crowd that included NBA Commissioner David Stern. "Usually the folks want to take a picture with me, sit next to me, talk to me — that has not been the case at this event, and I completely understand."
Knicks stars of past and present, like Walt (Clyde) Frazier and Bill Bradley, Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony, were there, as was the team's coach Mike Woodson. So, too, were hoops heroes like Sheryl Swoopes, Alonzo Mourning, Kyrie Irving and others.
"This is my 'Dream Team,'" the President said.
In his stump speech at the fund-raiser, Obama used a hoops metaphor to underscore his recent back-to-school push to emphasize his positions on education — a drive he'll take to a handful of swing states in coming days.
He spoke of the need to provide young people with more loans and grants to attend college, so "kids that don't have a 44-inch vertical, that they can inspire to things that we didn't dream of."
Obama also blew the whistle on Missouri Rep. Todd Akin, the GOP Senate candidate who has become a Republican pariah — and created a major distraction for Mitt Romney's campaign — for his claim that pregnancy is rarely a concern in a "legitimate rape."
"This is an individual who sits on the House Committee on Science and Technology but somehow missed science class!" Obama said of Akin. "But it is representative of a desire to go backwards instead of forwards and fight fights that we thought were settled 20 or 30 years ago."
The Akin headache for Romney's campaign got so bad that his running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, said Wednesday he personally called Akin to urge him to end his campaign — but came up empty. Ryan had been motivated to do so in part by the Democrats, who have tirelessly reminded voters that Akin and Ryan both backed legislation that would have banned all abortions, even in cases of incest and rape.
A new AP-GfK poll Wednesday showed the race was nearly tied, with Obama up 47% to 46% — a margin that is basically unchanged since last month.
But Obama said he knows he's still in a nail-biter. "I believe that they got one last run in them," he said, striking a confident note he will pull away in the end.
With News Wire Services
[email protected] |
The British government would expect passport checks between Scotland and England if a looser immigration policy were adopted north of the border after independence, according to the home secretary, Theresa May.
Her view is at odds with the Scottish government's aim of keeping passport-free travel.
Risking attacks for misrepresenting Scottish government policy and her own department's stance on border policy, she claimed that the SNP administration's pledge to pursue "healthy population growth", outlined in the white paper on independence, will "undermine" Tory policies south of the border.
"If the people of Scotland vote to leave the UK there would be profound changes for migration policy," she said in a speech at the Scottish Conservative Party conference in Edinburgh on Friday.
"An international border would be created where one does not currently exist. This would have implications for people travelling to visit family, go on holiday or do business, and for our economies more generally.
"Buried deep in Alex Salmond's white paper is the admission that, just like the last Labour government, a separate Scotland would pursue a looser immigration policy.
"That would undermine the work we have done since 2010, and the continuing UK could not allow Scotland to become a convenient landing point for migration into the United Kingdom.
"So that would mean border controls between a separate Scotland and the United Kingdom," she said. "Passport checks to visit friends and relatives. A literal and figurative barrier between our nations."
The Scottish government's independence white paper said that Scotland should join the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland, which allows free movement between both countries and will soon include a universal visa for both countries.
In January, Alistair Carmichael, the Scotland secretary, had agreed it would make sense for Scotland to join the Common Travel Area provided it dropped plans to have more liberal, open immigration rules than the UK.
Implying that border controls would mean a return to the "bitter days" of the border disputes of hundreds of years ago, May also claimed that "we already know that a yes vote would mean that, when it became separate, Scotland would no longer be part of the European Union."
She said European Commission president José Manuel Barroso "has been quite clear about that", referring to Barroso's claim last month it would be impossible for an independent Scotland to smoothly join the EU while it negotiated independence from the UK.
May added that after Scotland "went cap-in-hand to beg for admission" to the EU, it would be forced to join the Schengen treaty on open borders – a treaty that would mean border controls with the UK.
Last month, David Cameron told journalists in Scotland that the UK would actually support Scotland's application to join the EU, implying it would smooth the way for a quick accession.
Earlier in the day, Cameron pledged that the Tories would back plans to give Scotland more tax and law-making powers, stepping up the battle to win over undecided voters before September's independence referendum. |
If you asked me at the beginning of the year what I would be writing about regarding Conference USA, one of the last things on my list would be Rice Owls recruiting. Alas, we stand here in early July with the Owls shaping together what looks to the one of the best recruiting classes in school history with over six months left until signing day.
After starting early in April by landing the commitment of coveted three-star offensive linemen Hayden Howerton, the Owls have not slowed down on the recruiting trail. Since Howerton, head coach David Bailiff has landed nine more players for a Conference USA leading 13 total commitments.
Let's take a look at a few players that are currently committed to Rice for the 2017 recruiting class.
Top rated recruit Miklo Smalls is a 6-2, 215 pound athlete from Plano, Texas. He is a three-star recruit that has the chance to play a multitude of positions at the college level.
Miklo Smalls
Three-star cornerbacks Georga Nyakwol and Isaiah Richardson have a chance to fit in quickly. Nyakwol already has four offers, including one from Colorado. Richardson is gaining interest from Iowa State and Minnesota. Fellow three-star cornerback TyRae Thornton was one of the first players to commit to Rice and is a very strong verbal. The one thing all three cornerbacks have in common is height at 6-0 or taller.
Inside linebackers Garrett Grammer and Randall Royal are two Texas natives that chose Rice early in the process.
Needing help on the offensive line moving forward, Bailiff and company have earned verbals from Howerton, Corbin Smith, and Gregor MacKellar. Smith is a three-star tackle that holds an offer from BYU. MacKellar, from Canada, is one of two commits to come from outside of Texas.
Tight end has seen the biggest windfall for the 2017 class with Baron Odom, Brant Peterson, and Jaeger Bull all verbally committed to the program. Odom is the #24 player in Oklahoma. Peterson is physically ready to play at 6-6, 245 pounds, but may end up being a better fit on the defensive side of the ball. Bull is an effective player with 26 catches at tight end as a junior.
Rounding out the group is Beaumont native Chris Boudreaux. The 6-1, 185 pound wide receiver is currently a quarterback, but should be able to transition into a solid playmaker in the future.
For those keeping score, that is seven three-star and six two-star verbals for Rice. They are currently ranked #68 nationally and #1 in Conference USA.
What is the big deal? They are a Houston team with lots of talent in the area. They should be a great recruiting program.
Rice is a private university that has the most strict academic requirements in the conference. It works well with sports like baseball, but can be a problem when it comes to football.
Compare the acceptance rates with the rest of CUSA.
UTEP: 99.8%, WKU: 92.3%, UAB: 86.7%, Marshall: 78.7%, Old Dominion: 76.8%, UTSA: 73.3%, MTSU: 70%, Charlotte: 68.5%, Louisiana Tech: 67.4%, Southern Miss: 66.3%, North Texas: 59.7%, FIU: 43%, FAU: 47.7%, Rice: 16.7%.
While football recruits have a better chance than a normal student to gain acceptance, the requirements are much higher to get into Rice than other CUSA schools.
Oh, that can be a bit of an issue. Have they done well before?
Not exactly. Going back to the 2005, the Owls have been able to break in with top 90 recruiting classes two times (2012 and 2009). The mid 90s has been the most common ranking with a #94 overall ranking on four occasions.
With more teams added to the FBS landscape in recent years, Rice has fallen even further. They were #107 nationally in 2015 and #128 in 2016. According to the 247 Sports metrics, the current class at this point is better than the 2015 class by a fairly wide margin.
Why are they doing so much better?
That is the million dollar question. All of the position coaches are holdovers from last season. It is not as though they brought in a ringer to help recruiting. Rice is still facing the same limitations that they face every year in getting recruits. They are just producing verbals at a level the Bailiff staff has never seen in previous seasons.
Can they sustain it?
At this point, I say yes. They are getting recruits that are good fits and a bit under the radar. They are also getting early verbals. They could lose some down the line, but they are nailing down players that are talented and can actually enroll at the school.
Should we submit to our Owl recruiting overlords?
Not quite yet. It is way too early to give the recruiting crown to Rice. UTSA has 10 verbals, FAU has the highest rating per recruit, and Marshall/Southern Miss will come on down the stretch. I highly doubt Rice ends up with the best 2017 class, but a top 3-4 in CUSA is within their grasp.
If Rice ends up with a top 70 class and the best in CUSA, should we be worried?
I am not one to buy into end of the world scenarios. Still, if you have a bomb shelter, I would advise stocking up in case it happens.
Will this recruiting boom fix what was wrong with the program?
Just getting away from the 2015 season will help the program. The season was a train wreck, but adding talented recruits always helps. Just remember, these recruits are still a long way from playing at the FBS level. |
The “Michigan First” candidate: Why Kid Rock is going to be a U.S. Senator
The media is having a good time mocking Robert “Kid Rock” Ritchie’s run for the U.S. Senate in Michigan. They claim that it’s either a publicity stunt, the end of decency in politics, or that he has no chance at all.
Save an unpredictable event, Ritchie, a Rock ‘n’ Roll rapper turned country star who keeps company with strippers, has a sex tape on the web, and waves a Confederate flag on stage while singing about his love for his biracial son, has a very good chance of winning the election for the Senate seat in Michigan in 2018.
It has very little to do with the fact that he’s famous, though his celebrity gives him high name ID recognition and the potential to raise a lot of money.
Ritchie seems almost perfect for elected office at this time in American history. He was born and raised in Macomb County, an important swing county which tends to support outsiders. He has a beer company that operates and employs people in the state, and is a reserve police officer in Oakley, Michigan. Also, he’s funded the remodeling of a soup kitchen in Detroit.
Just call him the “Michigan First” candidate.
The biggest advantage that Ritchie has is his aversion to politics as usual, because the system is not working for the average American.
In case anyone hasn’t been paying attention, Americans are tired of Washington and all it represents. They were so desperate for a change on both sides of the aisle that the Democrats nearly nominated a 75-year old socialist with few legislative accomplishments and Republicans elected a reality show star.
They put aside their negative personal feelings towards Trump, the Access Hollywood video, his Twitter account, all the gaffes, and voted for a human wrecking ball because Washington is not working.
Unfortunately, since the working and middle classes handed the Republicans total control of the government, they’ve attempted to help by pushing forward policies that are not in their interest. They’ve tried to pass tax cuts for the rich, a healthcare bill with a bailout for insurance companies, and expand H2B visas that put blue-collar Americans in direct competition with cheap foreign labor.
Either Washington still doesn’t get it, doesn’t care, or is absolutely fine with the oncoming civic crisis in our institutions and politics — as long as their lobbyist friends are doing well and they’re winning re-election.
So, Trump for President, it happened. Kid Rock for Senate, hell yeah. Jenna Jameson for Speaker of the House, why the hell not?
The American people are hurting and very few in Washington leadership seem to care or are willing to put their priorities aside for the will of the people.
Politics is going to get weird as the working class looks for a champion who’s actually able to save them. If Washington wants to stop the next Trump (i.e. Ritchie), and whoever else might come along, then they have to realize that they’re the problem.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets were arguably one of the best storylines of the 2016-17 NHL season.
The resurgence of Sergei Bobrovsky, the talk of the effectiveness of John Tortorella, and even the stories the kids brought with them from Cleveland. On top of all these fantastic talking points, the Blue Jackets were able to put together a 16-game winning streak, the second best single season winning streak in NHL history.
Despite the fact that all of this happening, and multiple Blue Jackets being considered for awards, they couldn’t turn it into postseason success. Much like the first two Stanley Cup Playoff appearances for the Jackets, they exited in the first round. Here are a few suggestions heading into the offseason to turn this promising young squad into a Stanley Cup contender come 2017-18.
Figure out the third defensive pairing
This is something that could be a relatively simple fix. There are multiple defenseman already under contract with Columbus that can fill in for the third pairing rather admirably. The likes of Kyle Quincey, Markus Nutivaara, Scott Harrington, and even new-comer Gabriel Carlsson could easily work together in any combination to sort out what was likely the most talked about part of the squad this season among Fifth Liners.
You may notice there is one name missing from the aforementioned list, and that is that of Ryan Murray. Murray has shown glimpses of hope in his young career, but has either found difficulties with staying off the injured reserve or, when healthy, found it difficult to find a sense of consistency when paired alongside multiple different defenseman. Both of these reasons raise a big question mark for Murray and how he’s going to be used in the future.
It’s hard to say whether or not the -6.62 Rel.CF% (Relative Corsi-For Percentage) of 2016-17 or the -0.67 of 2015-16 is where Murray is trending, but the former points to a much less useful future. Murray has, because of this and his injury history, become the ire of much of the Fifth Line faithful since being drafted. And with multiple other options moving forward, it may be hard for Murray to continue to perform like he did this season and continue to get time on the third pairing. Only time will tell whether or not he’ll be involved.
As for the other four names, the four of them bring strengths of their own. Nutivaara has shown glimpses, albeit brief, of a third pairing defenseman that can move the puck well, sees the ice well, and can even hold his own in his defensive zone. The problem with Nutivaara is that of consistency, which could very well go hand-in-hand with the fact that this was his first NHL season. It’s hard to determine if his promise or his lack of consistency will be the main talking point of his career, but look for him to draw in to the line-up on a fairly regular basis.
Carlsson has a similar question mark above him that Nutivaara did coming into the past season: what is he going to bring to the table in Columbus? That answer an be simply answered with the fact that he is an intimidating figure that has a good hockey IQ, and can very realistically develop into a shutdown defenseman in the NHL. It will be less than surprising to see the Blue Jackets and John Tortorella continue to give him time, but performances in training camp will dictate what roster he lands on come the first puck drop. Paired alongside Nutivaara, the two of them could come to compliment each other and make a very strong, and young, third pairing.
As for Quincey and Harrington, both are viable options for rotation as well. However, both look to play the part of the seventh defenseman. Both were okay when playing for the Jackets this season, but neither had enough games under their belt with the team to really prove they had what it takes to become a full-time choice. Much like Carlsson, the offseason and training camp could very well determine where the three of them land come October. |
Mind That Age! This blog post is 5 years old! Most likely, its content is outdated. Especially if it's technical.
I just rolled out a change here on my personal blog which I hope will make my few visitors happy.
Basically; when you hover over a link (local link) long enough it prefetches it (with AJAX) so that if you do click it's hopefully already cached in your browser.
If you hover over a link and almost instantly hover out it cancels the prefetching. The assumption here is that if you deliberately put your mouse cursor over a link and proceed to click on it you want to go there. Because your hand is relatively slow I'm using the opportunity to prefetch it even before you have clicked. Some hands are quicker than others so it's not going to help for the really quick clickers.
What I also had to do was set a Cache-Control header of 1 hour on every page so that the browser can learn to cache it.
The effect is that when you do finally click the link, by the time your browser loads it and changes the rendered output it'll hopefully be able to do render it from its cache and thus it becomes visually ready faster.
Let's try to demonstrate this with this horrible animated gif:
(or download the screencast.mov file)
1. Hover over a link (in this case the "Now I have a Gmail account" from 2004)
2. Notice how the Network panel preloads it
3. Click it after a slight human delay
4. Notice that when the clicked page is loaded, its served from the browser cache
5. Profit!
So the code that does is is quite simply:
$ ( function () { var prefetched = []; var prefetch_timer = null ; $ ( 'div.navbar, div.content' ). on ( 'mouseover' , 'a' , function ( e ) { var value = e . target . attributes . href . value ; if ( value . indexOf ( '/' ) === 0 ) { if ( prefetched . indexOf ( value ) === - 1 ) { if ( prefetch_timer ) { clearTimeout ( prefetch_timer ); } prefetch_timer = setTimeout ( function () { $ . get ( value , function () { // necessary for $.ajax to start the request :( }); prefetched . push ( value ); }, 200 ); } } }). on ( 'mouseout' , 'a' , function ( e ) { if ( prefetch_timer ) { clearTimeout ( prefetch_timer ); } }); });
Also, available on GitHub.
I'm excited about this change because of a couple of reasons:
On mobile, where you might be on a non-wifi data connection you don't want this. There you don't have the mouse event onmouseover triggering. So people on such devices don't "suffer" from this optimization. It only downloads the HTML which is quite light compared to static assets such as pictures but it warms up the server-side cache if needs be. It's much more targetted than a general prefetch meta header. Most likely content will appear rendered to your eyes faster.
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Walter Ramsey has been charged with first-degree murder after 33-year-old Eleanor Anthonysz died in a suspicious fire in her mobile home in Mission, B.C. on Friday.
Neighbours reported seeing two children, aged approximately nine and 11, run out of the fiery trailer with their hands zip-tied before being taken away by ambulance.
Mission RCMP were called to the Green Acres Park home in the 9200 block of Shook Road around 3 a.m. PT Friday following reports a trailer home had gone up in flames.
Crews put out the fire and entered the trailer where they found Anthonysz's body.
One of her neighbours, who wished to remain anonymous, told CBC News she "heard a lot of screaming that sounded like it came from a female," during the fire.
Ramsey, 42, was found at another home where he was taken into custody, police said on Saturday.
He has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of arson for allegedly setting the trailer home on fire.
"I can't imagine what these poor children have gone through," the neighbour said. "They appeared to be in shock."
Police say that two children were taken to hospital as a result of the incident.
Ramsey has been remanded into custody and will appear in court on Monday.
"I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the family of Ms. Anthonysz," said Sgt. Stephanie Ashton of the Integrated Homicide Investigations Team. "[I] hope that the speed with which the alleged suspect was apprehended gives them some measure of comfort in the days ahead." |
Associated Press
Key members of the US House of Representatives are calling for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to justify every grant it awards as being in the “national interest”. The proposal, which is included in a draft bill from the Republican-led House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology that was obtained by Nature, would force the NSF to document how its basic-science grants benefit the country.
The requirement is similar to one in a discussion draft circulated in April by committee chairman Lamar Smith (Republican, Texas). At the time, scientists raised concerns that ‘national interest’ was defined much too narrowly. The current draft bill provides a more expansive definition that includes six goals: economic competitiveness, health and welfare, scientific literacy, partnerships between academia and industry, promotion of scientific progress and national defence.
Those criteria are in line with a ‘broader impacts’ assessment that the NSF, based in Arlington, Virginia, already requires scientists to include in their grant applications. But the bill, called the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology (FIRST) Act of 2013, would place an extra burden on NSF programme directors by requiring them to publish justification for each grant award on the foundation’s website. In a time of tight budgets, says a Republican committee aide, research with a high return on investment should be prioritized. “It is the role of a government official who is using federal funds to provide the justification,” says the aide.
But former NSF programme director Scott Collins, a biologist at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, questions whether the national-interest provision is an appropriate use of NSF staff time. “Conducting cutting-edge science is clearly in the national interest,” he says.
Others say that predicting the broader impacts of basic research is tantamount to gazing into a crystal ball. John Bruer, president of the James S. McDonnell Foundation in St Louis, Missouri, and former co-chair of an NSF task force that examined broader impacts, thinks that the requirement should be eliminated. He says that scientists often make something up to fill that space on NSF grant applications because they cannot predict what will come of their work. “All scientists know it’s nonsense,” says Bruer.
Budget numbers are conspicuously absent from the draft bill, which would reauthorize the America COMPETES Act of 2007, a key funding bill for the NSF and other agencies that support physical-sciences research. That bill, reauthorized for the first time in 2010, aimed to double the budgets of the NSF, the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science in Washington DC.
Although the original America COMPETES Act was enacted with broad support, Congress has never appropriated enough money to match the authorization. And hopes for boosting US science funding have been dashed both by the government shutdown in October and by sequestration, which incurred across-the-board budget cuts that began in March.
With the Republican-controlled House and the Democrat-controlled Senate still negotiating a budget for the remainder of the 2014 fiscal year, the FIRST bill avoids funding issues and focuses on policy. It emphasizes the pursuit of translational research in federal science agencies, and partnership with private funding sources. That does not sit well with the NSF’s core mission of basic science, says Michael Lubell, director of public affairs at the American Physical Society in Washington DC. The bill would also ban NSF grantees who deliberately misrepresent data from receiving new NSF awards for 10 years.
Some of the bill’s controversial prescriptions may not survive an encounter with a Senate version of the reauthorization. The House committee will hold a hearing on the draft bill on 13 November. |
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