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The case of Freddie Gray has provided a long-awaited opportunity to put Baltimore’s legacy of police brutality on trial. But as the public weighs the facts surrounding the young man’s brutal death at the hands of police, the tragic backdrop to his short life plays out in a different courtroom: Baltimore’s “rent court,” where thousands of families like Freddie Gray’s are summoned every year to give up their homes. Ad Policy
The city’s massive judicial eviction rate of roughly 6,000 to 7,000 rental households annually is among the nation’s highest, a product of the recession, along with decades of eroding housing stock and roiling social distress. According to a new study by the civil legal aid group Public Justice Center (PJC), in collaboration with the Right to Housing Alliance and researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Baltimore, those who face eviction proceedings are casualties of an economic crisis that has metastasized into a constitutional crisis.
A survey of about 300 cases processed through the rent court docket of Baltimore District Court shows that the structure of court proceedings leads many renters, who rarely have lawyers, to never even plead their case before a judge, and instead forgo their homes to avoid further legal trouble. About 94 percent of defendants are black, the vast majority women, and the targets of eviction were typically impoverished families with children, about half of them receiving public benefits for living expenses other than housing.
The analysis shows the pool of about 300 defendants—sampled from some 150,000 cases processed annually—was steadily “whittled down” through “pre-trial hallway resolutions,” in which landlords’ agents or court personnel steer people toward hallway meetings to “settle.” These informal negotiations keep about a third of renters out of court and ultimately accelerate evictions.
Out of 165 cases that went before a judge, “only 62 disputed the landlord’s claim.” In about half of those disputed claims, the judge tried to reroute them out of court by telling them to ‘“step out into the hallway” for more negotiations with landlords. Of 23 cases in which the tenant had a chance to complain about housing conditions, about two-thirds reported that “the judge disallowed explanation or a showing of evidence about the poor conditions.”
Respondents recounted alienating courtroom conversations that were deliberately limited to just discussing rental arrears, rather than, say, the burst pipes in their bathroom. One interviewee recalled, “They don’t, you know, take the time to get your side of the story or to see…why you haven’t paid anything, or if there’s anything wrong with the property.”
In one case study in the report, a renter, Denise, suffered from toxic mold and flooding sewage in her apartment, which led to a dispute with her landlord. But in court, she never got a chance to raise these issues when explaining why the ordeal had led to non-payment of rent: “As Denise stumbled over her words, the judge interrupted: ‘This is not a hearing—we are only here to discuss the amount of money you owe.’”
Most surveyed tenants experienced substandard housing conditions, including rodent infestation, leaking plumbing, or mold, though often the conditions were not cited in the court proceedings. In more than half the cases, tenants reported “peeling or flaking paint”—a potential cause of lead contamination, a particularly deadly scourge for Baltimoreans. An epidemic of lead poisoning has impacted the health of thousands of local children, precipitating a flood of lawsuits in recent years. One of those children, as The Washington Post reported in April, was one Freddie Gray.
The analysis additionally revealed a general lack of consistency in judicial review and flimsy evidentiary standards for landlords. Researchers also observe that “year after year, between 50 and 60 percent of rent cases never result in a warrant,” meaning most cases are “resolved” without actual enforcement action. So landlords profit from wielding the mere threat of a lawsuit, perhaps because people rationally anticipate that the court is stacked against them. GET THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX EACH MORNING SIGN UP!
Another critical legal avenue for renters to address poor housing conditions, the escrow process (a court-brokered mandate on landlords), is similarly dysfunctional, according to researchers, marred by red tape and a prohibitively costly “pay-to-play” requirement that tenants deposit alleged back rent before their cases proceed. In most cases tenants were awarded either “no monetary relief at all” or a relatively small award compared to the amount landlords generally recovered.
Courts that fail the poor not only render individuals vulnerable to abuse, they also corrupt the civil legal infrastructure into an eviction mill, ultimately eroding the community’s confidence in the court system. Judges’ “uninterested” attitudes and landlords’ coercive tactics, the report concludes, “may reinforce the renter-defendant’s doubts that the court will fairly try the case.”
PJC urges Baltimore to establish a “robust program to increase renters’ access to legal information, assistance at court, and legal representation,” along with a more accommodating timeline for renters to prepare their defense. Such measures would parallel efforts in other communities, including New York City and San Francisco, to provide comprehensive civil legal aid for housing defense. The lack of legal assistance for poor renters facing eviction reflects a systemic nationwide crisis in chronically underresourced civil legal-aid services. Some studies estimate that “80 percent of serious legal needs of low-income people go unmet.”
PJC attorney Zafar Shah tells The Nation via e-mail, “Rent eviction is so pervasive in Baltimore because of our lack of real affordable housing solutions.” Amid widespread poverty and massive scarcity of affordable rentals, he adds, relatively cheap private housing is “concentrated in largely substandard properties in what the city terms ‘distressed’ neighborhoods—high in vacancy, low in code enforcement…. So the policy decisions have favored neglect of poor residents and their communities.”
The court serves as a bureaucratic vehicle for this politics of displacement. From the city’s anti-poor housing policy to the courtroom mechanics, public institutions keep the poor teetering between homelessness and indecent housing that’s both unaffordable and unlivable.
In the courtroom where officers will be tried for Freddie Gray’s death, attorneys will paint Baltimore’s poor enclaves as “lawless.” But in rent court, a different kind of law stalks Gray’s neighbors—a peculiar brand of civil justice that legalizes dispossession and criminalizes the poor. |
Link to INTRODUCTION
It was good to see so many people showing an interest and turning out on such a freezing cold day. I know that some had some experience, but most had no idea what they were letting themselves in for. They each received a starter pack with the instructions, “On pain of death, do not write on these guideline sheets”. “Why not?” you may ask. Well, with care these sheets will last a lifetime. Once written on, unless you have unlimited access to a copier or PC with a printer, they are gone.
In the pack were …. A3, Roundhand and Roman alphabets. 1 inch lines, a double page spread of 1/8 inch lines. A4, a sheet of 1/8 inch lines with various combinations of letter sizes that can be used using the same guideline sheet, and a simple spacing guide, “the balloon is going up”.
…….. and a set of double pencils.
First, with a sheet of decorators lining paper spread across two tables, a very brief (we are here to learn how to do, rather than why) history of the scripts we were going to be using in this session, from Greek, to Roman Capitals, Roman Cursive, leaving Uncials for another day, through Alcuin’s involvement with the Carolingian and Humanist scripts, to Edward Johnston’s study of his foundational hand with which we begin today. Incidentally, Johnston’s book, Writing & Illuminating & Lettering is available, free, to download or read online.
Perhaps I should have used Jeffrey’s video to illustrate.
Or
From Alpha to Omega, and A to Z and then a 30 foot roll of humanist minuscules with an x height of 12 inches spread before them the participants were invited to join in with their double pencils. Then, when I thought I had them on the ropes, I allowed a weary but cheery group to take a seat and with their 1 inch guidelines, begin the first lesson in earnest.
Update. This video was filmed at Luton Irish Forum Calligraphy Group on 1st October 2013 by Peter Moss.
First tracing from the guide sheet and then freehand using the 1 inch lines and referring to Calligradoodles 0002, cups of tea and lots of chat, time was flying and skills increasing. Roman Capitals (Lesson Two) will have to wait ’til next time but has been set as “gentle” homework as our next meeting is two weeks from now.
A very quick look at what we shall be playing with over the next four sessions,
plus, at some point we are hoping to do a live filming of Old English Blackletter Caps and minuscules as they are demonstrated. It looks as if we are going to be kept very busy indeed.
I know that some of the class are unable, due to previous engagements, work etc to attend each session, but if you follow the blog and practise whenever you can, you should be able to keep up with events.
With Thanks to Luton Culture and the Museum staff for putting up with us, and JEWELS for their generously discounted materials.
Don’t forget. If you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to use the comments box.
More help and support at Calligraphy at Bill’s Space Mk II on Facebook.
Looking forward to next time.
Link to WEEK 2
Keep watching this space, and P,P,P.
0.337141 0.165825 |
The official website for the new anime film of Tsutomu Nihei's Blame! manga revealed the details of the anime's Blu-ray Disc release on Friday. The limited edition will bundle an exclusive short epilogue manga by Nihei that will be set after the film's story. In addition to the Japanese dub, both the regular and limited editions of the Blu-ray Disc release will include an English dub. The limited edition and standard editions will both also include English subtitles for the film.
The Blu-ray Disc release will ship on November 1. The regular edition will cost 5,800 yen (about US$52), and the limited edition will cost 9,800 yen (US$87) excluding tax.
The two-disc limited-edition Blu-ray Disc will also include staff audio commentary and promotional videos on the main disc. The bonus disc will include the "Making of Blame!" video with staff interviews and behind-the-scenes footage and the "Gallery of Blame!" image gallery of art, designs, and the script for the film. In addition to the epilogue manga, the limited edition will bundle a pocket edition of the film's pamphlet sold at theaters and a complete set of five colored, 1/35-scale figures previously offered with advance tickets and to people who attended screenings.
Hiroyuki Seshita ( Ajin ), who previously co-directed the anime adaptation of Nihei's Knights of Sidonia manga series, directed the film at Polygon Pictures. Nihei himself handled the film's script and character design, and also served as "creative consultant."
The film's official site describes the all-new story:
In the distant technological future, civilization has reached its ultimate Net-based form. An "infection" in the past caused the automated systems to spiral out of order, resulting in a multi-leveled city structure that replicates itself infinitely in all directions. Now humanity has lost access to the city's controls, and is hunted down and purged by the defense system known as the Safeguard. In a tiny corner of the city, a little enclave known as the Electro-Fishers is facing eventual extinction, trapped between the threat of the Safeguard and dwindling food supplies. A girl named Zuru goes on a journey to find food for her village, only to inadvertently cause doom when an observation tower senses her and summons a Safeguard pack to eliminate the threat. With her companions dead and all escape routes blocked, the only thing that can save her now is the sudden arrival of Killy the Wanderer, on his quest for the Net Terminal Genes, the key to restoring order to the world.
Nihei launched the science-fiction action story Blame! as his first manga series in Kodansha's Monthly Afternoon magazine in 1997, and ended it in 2003. Tokyopop published the 10-volume manga in North America. Kodansha published a new "master's edition" of the manga in Japan in 2015 that had six volumes. Vertical is releasing this new version of the manga in English, and it shipped the fourth volume on June 20.
The manga inspired a new novel adaptation written by Tow Ubukata (Ghost in the Shell: Arise, Psycho-Pass 2 series composition) that shipped on May 26. The series inspired an anthology of short stories, written by the following science-fiction authors: Issui Ogawa ( The Lord of the Sands of Time ), Nozomu Kuoka (Escape Speed light novel series), Tobi Hirotaka ( Autogenic Dreaming: Interview with the Columns of Clouds ), Denpō Torishima ( Kaikin no Tada ), and Mado Nozaki ( Babylon, know ). The anthology shipped on May 31.
The film itself also inspired a manga adaptation by artist Kōtarō Sekine (Ninja Slayer Kills) that debuted on April 26.
Update: The standard edition Blu-ray Disc will also include English subtitles. Thanks, Greboruri.
Source: Comic Natalie via Otakomu |
Visit the Niobrara National Scenic River, and you might not recognize that you are in Nebraska. Disparate forest types—some representative of ecosystems hundreds of miles away—converge in the river valley. For example, the nearest stand of ponderosa pines grows a state away in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Tree species associated with eastern deciduous and northern boreal forests also appear in the river valley.
On July 16, 2015, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired these natural-color images of the Niobrara. The river, stretching more than 800 kilometers (500 miles), is a tributary of the Missouri River. The 122-kilometer (76-mile) segment pictured here, which begins near the town of Valentine and flows east, was declared a National Scenic River in 1991.
This protected area differs from more traditional National Park sites. For instance, the boundary (shown in the top image) is long and thin, tracing the path of the river. Moreover, much of the land near the river’s banks is privately owned. One exception is the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, pictured in the second image. Once a frontier army post, the refuge now provides habitat for bison, elk, prairie dogs, and birds.
The area around the river is known for more than its unique mix of vegetation. More than 200 waterfalls cascade over erosion-resistant sandstone cliffs along the Niobrara’s banks. At about 50-feet high, Fort Falls is the state’s third-highest waterfall. The photograph above shows the view from the Fort Falls overlook.
You can hike to the top of many of the area’s bluffs for a view of the Sandhill prairie to the south. Nebraska’s Sandhills—old sand dunes now stabilized by grass—cover about a quarter of the state and played an important role in shaping the valley plains around the Niobrara.
Today, the river cuts through the valley and is fed primarily by groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer. Since so little water comes from rainfall and runoff, river levels don’t fluctuate much. Such predictability is a boon for recreation and the thousands of visitors who flock here each year to paddle, float, and witness the rare scenery.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Photo courtesy National Park Service. Caption by Kathryn Hansen. |
If everything goes according to plan, two of the top Japanese stars of the generation are going to do battle in the coming months. A bout between top 10 ranked lightweight, Shinya Aoki (30-6), and MMA pioneer, Kazushi Sakuraba (26-16) is in the works for the next DREAM show.
Word about the contest was first mentioned by Daniel Fletcher as a rumor, and separate sources from the region have confirmed to BloodyElbow.com that the bout is indeed in the works for a future DREAM event and it has been agreed upon by at least one party.
Sakuraba returned to pro-wrestling or 'puroresu' on DREAM's NYE event, and while people thought he may not compete in MMA again, it looks like the Japanese legend would likely be taking another bout this year. It would be a showcase match pitting a current star with an aging legend, but it's definitely the kind of spectacle that one could expect to see in Japan.
UPDATE: Sources tell me that the fight has been signed and is set to go for DREAM's next event, and it is billed as Saku's farewell fight.
The 42-year-old Sakuraba started his career back in 1996 and has fought the who's who in MMA during his heyday. Even at the tail end of his career, "The Gracie Hunter" has still faced a chain of top opponents, losing his last 4 bouts including 2 at welterweight.
Aoki on the other hand, is still at the prime of his career at 28 years of age, and has shown an improved MMA game since moving his training camps to Singapore. Coming in to this bout though, Shinya will be looking to rebound from a loss on that rematch against Eddie Alvarez, which snapped his 7-fight winning streak.
Related: Bellator 66: Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki Recap and Highlight Video
The bout is likely to be contested at welterweight, although more details should be available in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more updates.
Follow me on twitter -- @antontabuena |
Between innings, the crowd lights up for the usual fan-cam antics you might find at any ballpark, but also for on-field karaoke contests, the team’s theme song (a campy sing-along called “Bring on the Biscuits”), and a biscuit cannon. Yes, you read that right. They shoot biscuits from an air cannon into the crowd. Don’t worry: They’re wrapped and still very edible on arrival.
If flying biscuits aren’t your thing, you can head to the concourse to pick up yours in a more traditional manner. They’re $3.75 for two with all of the super-sweet ALAGA syrup (the “Sweetness of the South,” produced down the street since 1906), butter or jelly you want. For slightly more dough, you can add fried chicken, gravy or strawberry shortcake fixings. And the biscuits are actually pretty good. Buttery, fluffy, just the right amount of flake and fork-splittable. Delicious.
Adam Richman of Food Network’s “Man vs Food” recognized the park’s chicken biscuit with ALAGA as one of the top five ballpark foods in the country – Major or Minor League. Fans tell me the Polish sausage and nachos also get high marks. New the last few seasons: gourmet grilled cheese, house-smoked pulled pork (recommended) and ice-cold ICEEs, a real hit for all ages at the height of a Montgomery summer. It’s no coincidence that the food rates highly with fans and visitors alike.
You can also check out the Biscuit Basket, the team store behind home plate. A visual pun bonanza, the store is set up like a bakery, with merchandise displayed on antique ovens and chef’s tables. They have stuffed Monty the Biscuit, Biscuit hats (think Green Bay cheeseheads, but a biscuit) and Big Mo printed on just about any object you could want.
Around the park, the team’s year-round staff of 30 employees, plus the roughly 200 seasonal employees, make the park experience exceptional. Southern hospitality rules with a smile. Even the ticket takers and suite-level “bouncers” are pleasant.
Talking with fans, it’s obvious many are there for the baseball. But an equally large contingent is not. These fans cite the stadium’s food, its atmosphere or getting to spend time with friends outdoors as the main draws for them. They just like being out in the community. In fact, Staci Wilkenson, marketing director for the Biscuits, confides that some fans leave the game without even knowing who won: They just enjoyed a night out in the warm Montgomery air among family, friends, and the community.
More than any other professional sport, Minor League Baseball is about the entertainment and experience as much as what’s happening on the field. The Biscuits are just one stop on a player’s six-level journey from the Rookie League to the Tampa Bay Rays (the Biscuits’ Major League affiliate). Players are drafted into the farm system by Tampa Bay, and the Rays manage players throughout, deciding when a player is ready to move up to the Biscuits’ Double-A level and when they’re ready to move on. The lineup churns throughout the season. But even as the players cycle in and out, fans can be assured the Biscuits staff will keep smiling, the food will still be top notch, and the park experience will remain outstanding. |
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia would adopt a tough position if Ukraine decided not to pay off debts owed to Moscow by its previous government, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview broadcast by Russian TV on Saturday.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev delivers a speech during a session at the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, with Duma Deputy Speaker Alexander Zhukov seen in the background, in Moscow, April 21, 2015. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin
Russia has spoken out against a new Ukrainian law allowing a moratorium on foreign debt repayments, threatening to take Ukraine to court if it fails to repay $3 billion that Russia lent it in 2013.
In his interview, Medvedev called the new law “contradictory”.
“Probably they are talking about private debts, but at the same time they are hinting that they aren’t prepared to pay off the debts of the (former Ukrainian president Viktor) Yanukovich government,” Medvedev said.
“If it is actually formulated in this way this would undoubtedly be a default of Ukraine ... We would adopt as tough a position as possible in this case and defend our national interests,” Medvedev told the Vesti on Saturday programme on state TV channel Rossiya.
He added that any such refusal would “undoubtedly influence the process of their agreement with the International Monetary Fund” - a seeming reference to IMF rules that require financial assistance recipients to honour debts to other governments.
Medvedev also said that Russia was “not indifferent” to debts owed by Ukraine to private Russian creditors, as the bulk of these debts are owed to banks with state ownership.
“We will collect (the debts),” Medevedev said. “Banks will use all instruments that exist, including, naturally, judicial procedures,” he said.
“PREDICTIBLE” ROUBLE
Medvedev also said his government had an interest in seeing a predictable rate for the rouble, but he defended the central bank’s policy of allowing the rouble to float, saying it was “optimal” to achieve a balance in the forex market between supply and demand.
Analysts have been speculating that the authorities are concerned the rouble has strengthened too much after the dollar fell below 50 roubles per dollar — a large rebound from the rouble’s all-time low of 80 in December.
Medvedev said the current exchange rate was “practically at the present moment the real value of the rouble.” But he added: “Some economists consider that this is even excessive strengthening.” |
Image: Mardi Grass/Flickr
Last month I went to a small conference in New York City called Horizons: Perspectives on Psychedelics. It was a series of academic talks largely about the mental health benefits of tripping face.
One particularly moving talk was about the Psilocybin Cancer Anxiety Study at NYU in which cancer survivors who suffered from symptoms of depression were given a dose of the drug in a controlled setting. Three of the study participants took the stage to answer questions about their experience. They all agreed the experience was one of the most important of their lives, and that it had lasting effects three years later. And they all agreed they would do it again.
That brings us to this month's theme: LIT UP. It's a phrase that usually means mashing some sort of brain chemical-altering substance into your consciousness in order to achieve a different state of mind.
That could mean lubricating our social anxiety with alcohol, as many of us do on a regular basis. It could mean railing lines of Modafinil in order to pull an all-nighter at your startup. It could mean Oliver Sacks ingesting LSD to explore "what the mind is capable of," or it could mean buzzing your neurons with electricity or pure light.
This month is about lighting up the mind with all sorts of inputs: nootropics, optogenetics, SAD lamps, tantric sex, orgasmic childbirth, and even mindful eating.
Lit Up will run November 23 to 27. Pitch us stories at [email protected]. We know you're super baked right now, but please send a working headline, three to four sentence description that does not consist of a series of questions, word count, and deadline for every pitch. |
Got this from lancerregister.com, and decided to share this with you allLooking back over the last 15 years or so, it is easy to see how Japanese cars really came of age in the 1990s. This era spawned numerous iconic motors whose popularity shows no sign of waning and while we still have the Evo (better than ever) and the WRX (ditto, but fugly), most of the other great 90s Jap cars are either dead & buried or close to it. Let's do a post-mortem:Evo - Very much alive, but moving away from homologation rootsWRX - Very much alive, but moving away from homologation rootsSupra - DeadRX7 - DeadGTiR - DeadCelica GT4 - Dead3000GT - Dead300ZX - DeadGalant VR4 - DeadSoarer - Dead? They may still chuck out a few each yearNSX - Better than ever but no-one buys themSkyline GT-R - About to get the chop and to be replaced by what looks like a grand tourerAE86 Trueno - DeadSay what you like now with hindsight about any of the above, then they were rightly welcomed as a breath of fresh (and cheap) air in a staid and boring market. Most of them benefited from at least 3 of the following: 4WD, 280ps, amazing tuning potential, value for money and a real spirit of 'well we like it, surely someone will buy it!' that seems to be lacking nowadays. The solid, often racing-driven, engineering combined with a real passion amongst our oriental friends for tuning & modification mean that almost all of these cars are still feted for big power, longevity and above all fun. Almost any car in the list can now be bought with a lot less than $15k too, and in the main they make excellent buys.Many lesser sports cars that were hatched in the 90s or before still survive & thrive; Type-Rs, Celicas and MR2s abound, but they often lack the giant-killing ability of their forebears, being down on power or being limited by FWD. However, their continued production should still be applauded, remember that in 1992 a big hp hot hatch had 130bhp and could crack 0-60 in under 8 secs! Nowadays, even though cars are heavier and much safer, anything with less than 180bhp and a 0-60 in the 7 second bracket can't be taken seriously against the likes of the CTR or Focus RS (RIP).Many modern sports cars coming from Japan seem to lack the ultimate performance versions that would have been standard had they been launched in 1995; witness the RX8 - great car by all accounts but no turbo version, or the 350Z - looks good and has the requisite 276bhp but somehow looks more of a TT/Boxster rival than a *****-out sports car. That's not to say they aren't great cars but do you really think they will attract the following of the Evo, WRX or GT-R?The demise of Group A surely has something to do with this. We have no race-bred 206s, Xsaras or Focuses blatting down the high street and as car enthusiasts I'm sure we all regret the passing of a formula based even loosely on production models. Is that all there is to it though or has something changed in the Japanese psyche that will prevent such a steady stream of great drivers cars in the future?So, will the 1990s be looked back on as a Golden Age in Japanese car production like the British 60s sports car era or will we again see such a rash of amazing high-performance cars from Japan? |
Nier: Automata is both a wild action game and an introspective look at the things that make us human. We corresponded with director Yoko Taro via e-mail to talk about the game’s themes, what goes into writing memorable characters, and what he’d like video game players to stop doing.
Here, in full, is our Q&A:
SPOILERS AHEAD
Heather Alexandra: Nier took inspiration from September 11th and the War on Terror. Were there any real world events that guided your writing for Nier: Automata?
Yoko Taro: I wasn’t directly thinking about it but, looking back, I do feel like I may have been influenced by the changes that were happening in the world. For example, changes from “reason to emotion” and “objective to subjective,” which are represented by “President Trump being elected” and “the UK leaving the EU.” The fact that I’ve aged must be related to it somehow as well.
Alexandra: What would you consider to be the main theme of Nier: Automata?
Yoko: Since I believe that themes in video games are something that players should find out themselves, I have not specified one. However, I do think that the framework for the story is themed around “uneasy children without parents” represented as “machine lifeforms that have lost their creator” and “androids that have lost the humankind they were supposed to protect.”
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Alexandra: In your 2014 GDC talk, you mention the idea of backwards scripting. What was your starting point for Nier: Automata? What image did you work backwards from?
Yoko: As I track backwards from multiple points, I did not decide where my goal would be. However, I did put aside the final E-Ending for this game thinking, “I’ll think about this later” and left it to take its own course, which is rare for me. I finally thought about what kind of ending I would make about one year after I had created the plotline. However, it feels somewhat mysterious that the ending ended up becoming a happy one.
Alexandra: You’ve also said that you are interested in pushing into grey areas and exploring taboos. Were there particular taboos that you were you trying to explore with Nier: Automata?
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Yoko: There are quite a few if I were to go into minute details, but the greatest one is probably the fact that online connectivity is practically necessary at the final stage.
Alexandra: You’ve written for many mediums. Stage plays, manga, video games. Has one of these proved trickier than the others?
Yoko: No. Well, I think that each medium has multiple possibilities and each are tricky in their own way.
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Alexandra: I wanted to ask about the characters in your games: do you have any that you identify with or feel strongly about? I know that I, like many, feel very protective of Emil. I want him to be happy.
Yoko: I want to treat all of the characters I create equally. Even if they are an antagonist, I did not want them to exist just to be defeated, and wanted them to have their own reason to live. That is why I especially put in an effort to express the characters as ones users may have a difficult time empathizing with.
However, I am happy that you empathize with Emil. I do want Emil to be happy too… but due to my job, there is a possibility that I will choose to sacrifice him. This is because what’s important to me is not to make Emil happy, but to create a game that will have meaning to everyone who plays.
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Alexandra: I feel like Nier: Automata has a happier ending than Nier or Drakengard. Why do you think this is? Have you become a more optimistic person?
Yoko: Huh… I don’t really know why. I don’t think that the other games, and the previous ones, have that much of a bad ending.
Alexandra: If there is something you wish other game designers would stop doing, what would that be?
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Yoko: It would help me if they would stop creating games. Having less competition would make it easier for me to do business.
Alexandra: Is there something that you wish players would stop doing?
Yoko: I’d like for them to stop saying things like “shut up old hag!” to their moms and others.
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Alexandra: What would you like to do next now that Nier: Automata is released? I think after so much work, I would want to take a nap.
Yoko: I think so too. By the way, right now it is 3:53AM. I want to go to sleep but, as I’m still working on some things, like answering this interview, I cannot. Life is unfair. |
Guy touched on this earlier but I thought such an eye-popping statistic merited its own post. After all, the “Affordable” Care Act’s infamous individual mandate stipulation -- which was constitutionally upheld as a tax by the Supreme Court last year -- is about as popular today as Congress.
And that’s saying something:
A new survey finds only 12 percent support implementing ObamaCare’s individual mandate, which fines consumers who don't acquire health insurance, in 2014 as prescribed by law. Forty-one percent said consumers shouldn't have to pay a penalty if they don’t have insurance, according to the poll from HealthPocket, a consumer resource on health insurance. A plurality, 47 percent, said they were not sure if the fines should take effect as scheduled. The poll’s findings follow the Obama administration's recent announcement that it will not require larger businesses to offer healthcare coverage until 2015, delaying a key provision in the president’s signature domestic legislation. As of now, individuals will still be required to carry health insurance starting next year or pay a fine.
Forcing Americans (especially young Americans) to purchase health insurance is one of the least popular components of the law. In fact, it will disproportionally hurt millennials, many of whom are struggling to find work and thus (unnecessarily) will take a financial hit if/when they forgo buying health insurance. As Gallup pointed out last year -- months before the High Court ruled on the legality of the individual mandate -- nearly three-fourths of the public thought the law’s indispensable provision was unconstitutional:
Of course, the individual mandate is less popular today than it was a year ago. And the administration’s decision to delay yet another one of the law’s central tenets suggests Obamacare's full implementation is already unworkable. |
MOSCOW — Hundreds of demonstrators occupied the presidential headquarters of Abkhazia, a breakaway enclave of Georgia, on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of the region’s leader and the dismissal of the government in the latest tumult to grip a separatist area supported by Russia.
In a twist, though, the unrest does not stem from any disagreement over Russia’s role. Abkhazia is heavily reliant on Russia for economic aid and security, and the embattled president, Aleksandr Z. Ankvab, as well as his main critics, generally favor close ties with the Kremlin. Instead, it is an internal dispute that Russia is largely expected to mediate.
Mr. Ankvab, speaking on Abkhaz television, complained of an attempted coup. “This is definitely an armed attempt at a power grab,” he said.
Local television, however, showed several thousand demonstrators gathered peacefully in a palm-lined plaza outside the presidential building in Sukhumi, the capital, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. |
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Bing has added AMBER alerts to their search answer box at the top of the search results. Bing announced that this feature was added yesterday “to help increase chances for a safe recovery of abducted children.”
The data for these AMBER alerts come from National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
If you search for [amber alert] and there is an active alert in your geographic area, Bing will show you the box at the top of the search results. Or, you can search for AMBER alerts in specific areas and Bing will show you those details as well, for example [amber alert madison county ms].
Here is how it looks in the Bing search results: |
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It's been two weeks since Rob Gronkowski's return, but even with their All-Pro tight end back in the fold, the New England Patriots have not produced much offensively. Against the Jets and Dolphins, Tom Brady threw for just 344 combined yards, and though the Patriots put up a respectable 27 points in each game, inconsistencies plagued the unit for long stretches.
But while the surface numbers may seem discouraging, Gronk's re-insertion into the offense is already portending brighter days ahead. The results do not show it yet, but the Patriots entire offense has appeared significantly more dangerous because of his mere presence.
Gronkowski has only played 58.5 percent of the snaps since his return, but even in that small sample, his impact cannot be understated. Once he props back up to his customary 90-100 percent range, we may finally see a reasonable facsimile of New England's formerly prolific offense.
Every Patriots fan knows how good Gronk has been, so I will not rehash the facts we all already know. However, there is a considerably frustrated contingent who believes that this year's offense is beyond salvageable.
That is simply not true, and while Gronkowski is not a cure-all panacea, he allows Josh McDaniels to open up the playbook and make the offense immeasurably more dangerous.
Let's examine Gronkowski's impact in three different areas this season and show cynical Pats fans why the offense may be on the verge of an important breakthrough.
Impact on Other Receivers
Everyone knows that Gronk is a physical freak who presents enormous mismatches all over the field, and that is especially true in the red zone. It's no coincidence that after floundering as one of the three worst red-zone offenses for much of the season, New England has scored touchdowns on five of its six red-zone possessions since Gronkowski's return.
Even without a touchdown reception this year, Gronkowski has directly contributed to the recent uptick when the Patriots close in on the endzone. The Patriots have largely had trouble all year because they haven't had receivers who could create consistent separation. In the confined passing windows of the red zone, that can spell disaster.
On this third-down play against the Saints, the offensive line affords Brady an astounding six seconds of protection:
Unfortunately, as you can see, nobody is able to get open with New Orleans dropping eight into coverage. The play resulted in a drive-killing sack, and New England settled for three. These problems plagued the Patriots throughout the first six games, as even Brady will look mortal when given the tiniest of windows to throw into.
However, the respect Gronkowski garners in the red zone has changed that. It's not that the Patriots receivers have magically gotten better at creating separation, but often times, there are no defenders to even separate from.
On this play against Miami last week, the Pats lined up Gronkowski and Danny Amendola on the same side, with Gronk running a seam route and Amendola running a slant. The Dolphins dropped three players back into coverage to defend two receivers, so both players should have been well-covered:
However, they were not, because all three Dolphins players immediately stepped back when they recognized Gronk going down the seam. That included Amendola's man Jimmy Wilson, who realized his mistake too late to prevent the completion.
Part of this play's success was due to poor instincts by Wilson in not breaking much sooner, but one of the Pats' easiest red-zone catches this year stemmed from Gronk drawing the attention of an entire side of the defense.
The Pats have not fully reaped the benefits of Gronk's presence throughout the whole field, which is partially because of offensive line play and partially because of Brady's insistence on forcing the ball to Gronkowski at times. But the improvement is coming—after no receivers posted a positive grade against the Jets, Amendola and Aaron Dobson both made it into the black against the Dolphins.
This type of success should continue to happen as Gronkowski plays more snaps and opposing defenses are forced to commit extra attention in his direction.
Impact on the Run Game
The Patriots run game has already shown small but tangible improvement with Gronkowski back. After averaging 4.1 yards per carry without Gronkowski, New England has upped that number slightly to 4.3, despite facing a Jets team that has graded out as the best run defense in the league, by far, and a respectable Dolphins unit.
Even in playing limited snaps, Gronkowski has compiled a plus-1.5 run-blocking grade, which is a huge upgrade from Michael Hoomanwanui's mark of minus-4.7. We can actually quantify how well the Patriots have run behind their tight end, and while the sample size is obviously still limited, the improvement with Gronkowski has been undeniable:
Patriots' Run Grade When Rushing Towards the Tight End Week(s) Grade 1-6 -5.4 7 (vs. Jets) -1.9 8 (vs. Dolphins) 3.6 courtesy Pro Football Focus
The Patriots ran two fairly similar plays from near the goal-line this season—one with Gronkowski in the lineup and one without him.
These are both simple strong-side stretch runs, meaning that the tight ends are responsible for sealing the edge and springing the back into the end zone. Notice how in the Falcons clip, the Patriots actually have both Hoomanawanui and Matthew Mulligan on that side:
Not too hard to spot the difference, huh?
In the first clip, when Bolden bounced his run to the outside, Gronk prevented his man from blowing up the play with a huge block that granted Bolden just enough room to squeak in. Conversely, the three blockers in the second clip (two tight ends plus fullback James Develin) were unable to create enough push to spring Stevan Ridley into the endzone.
Indeed, Gronkowski is nearly as potent a weapon in the blocking game as he as is a receiver, even if the former does not garner much attention for him. In 2011, his last fully healthy year, Gronk had the best run-blocking grade of any tight end at plus-13.5. For reference, that number would have ranked second among all tackles as well.
With the Patriots interior line struggling in general, Gronkowski affords an alternative to Pats running backs fruitlessly banging their heads into a wall of defenders. Don't be surprised to see more outside stretch runs throughout the rest of the season; it's been a staple of New England's no-huddle offense for the past few years, and it is the ideal play call for Stevan Ridley's decisive one-cut running style.
Long-Term Outlook
Ultimately, there is little doubt that Rob Gronkowski has had an immensely positive domino effect on the Patriots offense. You already knew that, but is he enough to catapult the Patriots back into serious Super Bowl contention?
It's certainly feasible, but the Pats do need a few breaks. First, the injury luck needs to turn around drastically, as there are only so many untested backups and undrafted rookies that a team can plug into their lineup before the foundation falls apart.
As for things in the Patriots' control, it will be fascinating to see how Gronk eventually changes the offensive play-calling once he's back to full speed. With New England's persistent offensive inconsistencies, Pats fans have not been shy to vent their frustration about Josh McDaniels' static play-calling, myself included. While McDaniels has had some head-scratching moments (i.e., third quarter of the Week 7 Jets game), it's slightly unfair to criticize a craftsman who must work with subpar tools.
The Patriots have largely maintained an emphasis on "11 personnel" (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR), even with Gronk's return, as three-receiver sets still serve as an important part of the offense. But while nothing can duplicate the amorphous two-tight sets the Patriots ran defenses off the field with, perhaps Shane Vereen's impending return (likely after the bye week) will change that formula.
Vereen's receiver-like ability might allow the Pats to play more "21 personnel" (2 RB, 1 TE, 2 WR), pairing the shifty back with Ridley, Gronkowski, and a pair of receivers. At least in theory, that package should be equally dangerous in both the run and pass, leaving defenses guessing and allowing Brady to exploit drastic mismatches.
But that's only spitballing, and no one knows how much trust this offense has with so many important pieces missing significant chunks of time. Halfway through the season, the Patriots have survived some stormy times to forge their way to 6-2, likely cushioning them enough for an AFC East title and a playoff berth.
If New England is to go any further than that, though, a huge factor will be whether or not Gronkowski and the other weapons can stay healthy and foster a more unpredictable multifaceted offense.
*All stats courtesy Pro Football Focus' premium section (subscription required), and all images courtesy NFL Game Rewind. |
An Oklahoma man is demanding that a “religious” image of a woman wearing a hijab be removed from a library vehicle because it promotes Islam on public property.
“I see a public vehicle that is paid for by the taxpayer’s money that displays, has a picture of a lady in Islamic attire,” Chad Grensky told KFOR.
Grensky says that the hijab represents the Muslim faith and wants it removed.
He says that his complaint has nothing to do with Islam or being against any peaceful religion and says he is not racist.
“What I have a problem with is we can’t put a nun on the side of that car because she’s wearing a head garment,” Grensky said. “We have to remove ‘In God We Trust’ from our police cars.”
Grensky took his complaint to the Pioneer Library System, where they were surprised because they never had a complaint like this before.
The library system has images of various people of different ages and races posing with a book with the words “good things coming my way” on their vehicles.
“We don’t believe that image is promoting a religion. We think it is expressing a culture,” said Anne Masters, the executive director, to KFOR.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court asked for the removal of a monument of the 10 Commandments on Oklahoma state capitol grounds because it violated the state’s constitution that bans the promotion of religion on public property.
Article 2, section 5 of the Oklahoma State Constitution says: |
The placebo worked. Six months after surgery, the 10 patients still didn't know whether they had been faked out or not. But all of them reported much less pain. None were unhappy with the outcome of the operation. This was a pilot study -- far too small to offer any definitive conclusions about the efficacy of arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis. But it was suggestive enough to set Moseley and Wray on an expanded version of the same research design -- this time with 180 patients -- for which they expect to have the results next October.
Sylvester Colligan, a 76-year-old World War II veteran from Beaumont, Tex., was assigned to the placebo group in Moseley and Wray's expanded study. Colligan's right knee had been giving him trouble for five years when a doctor at his local clinic told him he probably had arthritis and suggested he talk to Moseley. ''I was very impressed with him, especially when I heard he was the team doctor with the Rockets,'' says Colligan, a courteous, soft-spoken retiree who worked for the local Coca-Cola bottling plant, first as an assistant to the driver of a delivery truck and eventually as an account manager. ''So, sure, I went ahead and signed up for this new thing he was doing.'' Colligan doesn't sound all that at ease with the term placebo, but he does know his surgery consisted of only shallow incisions. More important, he knows that he has no pain in his knee now and that he can mow his yard again and walk wherever he wants. ''The surgery was two years ago and the knee never has bothered me since,'' he says. ''It's just like my other knee now. I give a whole lot of credit to Dr. Moseley. Whenever I see him on the TV during a basketball game, I call the wife in and say, 'Hey, there's the doctor that fixed my knee!'''
That operating-room fakery should exert a therapeutic effect on a patient is a remarkable notion. And yet it may be that the symbolic armature of surgery -- the shedding of blood, the cultural prestige of surgeons, even the scars that call to mind a dramatic act of healing -- is itself a powerful force in recovery. It may be that ''placebo surgery'' isn't such an oxymoron after all.
Forty years ago, a young Seattle cardiologist named Leonard Cobb conducted a unique trial of a procedure then commonly used for angina, in which doctors made small incisions in the chest and tied knots in two arteries to try to increase blood flow to the heart. It was a popular technique -- 90 percent of patients reported that it helped -- but when Cobb compared it with placebo surgery in which he made incisions but did not tie off the arteries, the sham operations proved just as successful. The procedure, known as internal mammary ligation, was soon abandoned. Over the next decades, the whole idea of placebo surgery fell out of favor with ethicists and patient advocates. If placebo surgery didn't violate the Hippocratic edict ''First, do no harm,'' what did?
Now, though, that taboo is fading, and Moseley and Wray are not the only ones arguing that new surgical techniques, like new medicines, ought to be tested with placebo controls. Doctors investigating a new technique for treating Parkinson's disease, for example, incorporated a placebo control group -- patients who had holes drilled in their skulls to simulate the real procedure, in which fetal cells are implanted in the brain -- into a widely publicized study released last April. The study showed a significant placebo effect, though the motor ability of the patients who actually got the fetal implants improved even more. ''This is just the beginning,'' Dr. C. Warren Olanow, chairman of neurology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, told Time magazine. ''Tomorrow, if you have a new procedure, you will have to do a double-blind placebo trial.''
Some doctors argue, with reason, that the new enthusiasm for placebo surgery is driven by hospital bean counters and insurers who want hard evidence that an expensive procedure works before they'll pay for it. And yet, with all due respect for medical economics, that can't be the only explanation. If placebo surgery makes sense, it makes sense because of the growing body of evidence for the strength of the placebo effect in general. Maybe pretend operations are just the most sensational proof of a diffuse phenomenon that has never quite been explained, but that, as the historian of science Anne Harrington has written, continues to ''haunt our house of biomedical objectivity.''
The truth is that the placebo effect is huge -- anywhere between 35 and 75 percent of patients benefit from taking a dummy pill in studies of new drugs -- so huge, in fact, that it should probably be put to conscious use in clinical practice, even if we do not entirely understand how it works. For centuries, Western medicine consisted of almost nothing but the placebo effect. The patient who got better after a bleeding -- or a dose of fox lung, wood lice, tartar emetic or any of the other charming staples of the 19th-century pharmacopoeia -- got better either in spite of them or because of their symbolic value. Such patients believed in the cure and in the authority of the bewigged gentlemen administering it, and the belief gave them hope and the hope helped make them well. There were exceptions -- remedies, like quinine for malaria, the vaccine for smallpox and morphine for pain relief, that actually worked. But generally speaking, if all the drugs of the day ''could be sunk to the bottom of the sea,'' as Oliver Wendell Holmes observed in 1860, ''it would be all the better for mankind -- and all the worse for the fishes.''
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In the postwar era, with the triumph of the biomedical model and the proliferation of drugs and techniques that did successfully extend life, many doctors would just as soon have forgotten about the placebo effect altogether. They now had proven remedies and methods: antibiotics for infection; dazzling surgical techniques like heart and liver transplantation; sophisticated diagnostic tools like magnetic resonance imaging. In fact, medical science has improved so much and so fast in the last 40 years that it is easy, perhaps, for doctors to neglect the part of medicine that is not science at all. The ready and lavish display of sympathy, the laying on of hands, the projection of a slightly mystical authority -- these are now more often the province of alternative medical practitioners, who have no compunction about manipulating them. In a recent edition of a British medical journal, a general practitioner wondered whether he ought to give an 86-year-old patient a pharmacologically useless ''tonic'' she had requested in fond remembrance of the ones her old doctor had given her. ''I don't use tonics routinely anymore,'' he wrote, ''but perhaps I should: they are pharmacologically pretty harmless and cheap to boot. Homeopathy, herbs and talkative middle-aged ladies who squeeze your feet have replaced them, but because I do not offer these alternative medicines, my patients go elsewhere for their magic, hope and comfort.''
But what if doctors firmly in the fold of evidence-based medicine were not so circumspect about offering magic, hope and comfort? What if they did resort more often to tonics or their equivalent -- to the old-fashioned squeezing of the hand and the slightly unrealistic imparting of hope that is now frowned upon as a bit too authoritarian and paternalistic? What if they started thinking of placebos as a way of bridging the gap between the magnificent but sometimes cold efficiency of modern American medicine and the unproven but evidently comforting remedies prescribed by homeopaths and herbalists? After all, more and more people seem to be drawn to alternative medical therapies -- half of all Americans say they have tried them -- despite a distinct lack of empirical proof for their effectiveness. Yet people may actually harm themselves if they down the latest untested herbal panacea, while if they take an inert substance (or get a cheering speech) given by a conventional physician, they will do no worse and they stand a good statistical chance of doing better. There is something to be said, surely, for a little benign deception.
Though a few doctors are starting to argue for a more conscious use of the placebo effect, even for the deliberate prescribing of dummy pills, this is not an easy case to make. Placebos have long slunk around with a reputation as nuisances -- necessary, but annoying. Most of us know them as the pharmacologically inert drugs given to some of the subjects in so-called double-blind studies of new drugs, in which neither the subjects nor the researcher know who is getting what. If as many subjects improve by taking the placebo as do by taking the active drug, then the active drug is thought to be a bust. It happens all the time, even to highly touted new medications. Last summer, the share price of a British biotech company called Peptide Therapeutics dropped 33 percent after it revealed that its new allergy vaccine was only as effective as a placebo. During the trials on food-allergy patients, a company spokesman had reported delightedly, 75 percent had improved to the point where they could tolerate foods they'd never been able to before. But when the control group data came in, so, awkwardly enough, had 75 percent of the subjects taking inert tablets. Last year, the pharmaceutical company Merck announced that it was halting development of MK-869, a new antidepressant it had been promoting for months as a blockbuster drug on the scale of Prozac. Alas, the dummy pills worked just as well. And in a recent study on VEGF, a genetically engineered heart drug announced with much fanfare by its manufacturer, Genentech, the placebo actually performed better. Two months after their treatments, patients who had gotten low doses of VEGF could walk 26 seconds longer on a treadmill, those who had gotten high doses could walk 32 seconds longer and those who had gotten a placebo could walk -- go figure -- 42 seconds longer.
Of course, patients are often far from pleased to hear how well their placebos have worked. ''Once we did a PMS study where we treated people for a month with placebo and then told people who'd responded what they'd been on,'' says Karen Weihs, a clinical psychiatrist at George Washington University. ''And as it turns out, it's a very difficult thing to confront somebody with. Some people feel insulted, or silly. You're telling them it's all in their mind. We try to frame it positively -- your symptoms aren't so severe that you need medication; your mind has other ways of making you feel better. But that doesn't always help.''
As if all this weren't stigma enough, there's the history of the placebo to taint it, too. The very word, Latin for ''I shall please,'' carries a faintly unwholesome connotation. It's the first utterance you hear in the Catholic Vespers for the Dead, and in the Middle Ages, it referred, unflatteringly, to professional mourners who sang at funeral masses -- toadies, sycophants. A medical dictionary of 1811 defined a placebo as something ''given more to please than to benefit the patient.'' Placebos were the sugar pills, the drops of colored water, the ''tonics'' dispensed to placate querulous or malingering patients. In the 19th and well into the 20th century doctors may have handed them out ''by the bushels,'' as the eminent American physician Richard Cabot once admitted he did, but they also regarded them with some embarrassment. Placebos smacked of deception and quackery, and what's worse, upended the logic of Western medicine. ''We all trust our sensation as a reflection of objective reality, and yet the placebo changes the sensation without affecting the objective reality,'' lamented Patrick D. Wall, a pain specialist. (This was in an essay with the pithy title ''The Placebo Effect: An Unpopular Topic.'')
Meanwhile, alternative-medicine types, who might be expected to think a little more loosely about such matters -- and to acknowledge a role for psychological states in physical healing -- are generally too wary of seeing their methods dismissed as ''mere'' placebos to take much positive interest in the placebo effect itself. Dr. Howard Brody, a professor of medicine at Michigan State University who is the author of a coming book on placebos, tells a story of two Korean acupuncturists who met at a conference of alternative practitioners and chatted amicably until they discovered that each practiced a slightly different form of acupuncture. They then viciously accused one another of purveying a placebo.
And yet the inconvenient evidence keeps trickling in that if placebos are lies, they can also be, in the words of one commentator on the phenomenon, ''lies that heal.'' In an influential article first published in 1955, the Harvard researcher Henry Beecher concluded that between 30 and 40 percent of any treated group would respond to a placebo. But studies since then have shown placebos working for certain conditions -- pain, depression, some heart ailments, gastric ulcers and other stomach complaints -- in closer to 50 or 60 percent of subjects, sometimes more. Indeed, it's not unheard of for placebo effects to exceed those attributed to the active drug.
And strangely, the placebo effect is not limited to the subjective sensations of patients; some studies show actual physiological change as a result of sham treatments. Doctors in one study successfully eliminated warts by painting them with a brightly colored, inert dye and promising patients the warts would be gone when the color wore off. In a study of asthmatics, researchers found that they could produce dilation of the airways by simply telling people they were inhaling a bronchiodilator, even when they weren't. Patients suffering pain after wisdom-tooth extraction got just as much relief from a fake application of ultrasound as from a real one, so long as both patient and therapist thought the machine was on. Fifty-two percent of the colitis patients treated with placebo in 11 different trials reported feeling better -- and 50 percent of the inflamed intestines actually looked better when assessed with a sigmoidoscope.
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How much of this sort of improvement can be written off to spontaneous remission of an illness or regression to the mean (some people would have gotten better anyway; many illnesses wax and wane) and how much of it lasts (studies are often only 8 or 12 weeks long and placebo effects may flag sooner than ''real'' ones) are still open questions. Because we treat so many illnesses aggressively, we know less about their natural history -- what would happen if we did nothing. Very few studies compare a placebo group with a group receiving no treatment at all, since that would tell us more about the placebo than the active drug, and it is the active drug most researchers care about.
''Some of what we call the placebo effect can surely be explained as the natural course of an illness,'' says Dr. Walter A. Brown, a professor of psychiatry at Brown University who has written extensively on the phenomenon. But not all of it, Brown believes. ''There is certainly data that suggest that just being in the healing situation accomplishes something. Depressed patients who are merely put on a waiting list for treatment do not do as well as those given placebos. And -- this is very telling, I think -- when placebos are given for pain management, the course of pain relief follows what you would get with an active drug. The peak relief comes about an hour after it's administered, as it does with the real drug, and so on. If placebo analgesia was the equivalent of giving nothing, you'd expect a more random pattern.''
With these kinds of observations to bolster his case, Brown has lately been making a highly unorthodox suggestion. If placebos accomplish so much in a research setting, why not let doctors deliberately prescribe them? Of course, the ethics of informed consent would require that a physician tell the patient what he was giving him. Brown, who thinks such a strategy would be appropriate for conditions like mild to moderate depression, pain, asthma and hypertension, in which a placebo has shown to be especially potent and in which distress plays an aggravating role, imagines the doctor saying something like this: ''Mrs. Jones, the type of depression you have has been treated in the past with either antidepressant medicine or psychotherapy, one of the talking therapies. These two treatments are still widely used and are options for you. There is a third kind of treatment, less expensive for you and less likely to cause side effects, which also helps many people with your condition. This treatment involves taking one of these pills twice a day and coming to our office every two weeks to let us know how you're doing. These pills do not contain any drug. We don't know exactly how they work; they may trigger or stimulate the body's own healing processes. We do know that your chances of improving with this treatment are quite good. If after six weeks of this treatment you're not feeling better we can try one of the other treatments.''
Brown's proposal, which he has been airing for the past few years in venues ranging from the journal Hospital Practice to USA Today, has touched off a spirited debate, and it's easy to see why. In the eyes of some critics, there is something shady about the crafty bedside pitch he has scripted, one that seems intended to mislead as much as inform. Donald Klein, a psychiatrist at Columbia University, worries that deliberately prescribing placebo antidepressants would ''play into the hands of those who depict psychiatrists as artful, exploitative manipulators who take advantage of the patient's gullibility.''
There's a reason Brown's script is so subtle. Plenty of evidence exists that placebos can work in a clinical setting so long as at least one party believes they are the genuine article. Therapies that have since been wholly discredited -- from mammary ligation for angina to milk-quaffing for ulcers -- produced precisely the results they were supposed to until they were shown to have no scientific basis for doing so. But can a placebo ever make you better if you know it's a placebo? Doesn't its agency lie only in the reasonable expectation -- the 50-50 chance, at least -- that you're getting the real thing? Does a placebo cease to be a placebo when you call its bluff?
Maybe the best way to consider whether Brown's idea would work in practice is to apply it to depression. That was the ailment for which he first suggested deliberate placebo treatment, back in 1994, in an article in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. Since then, evidence that depression is an especially placebo-sensitive condition has only been mounting. The splashiest comes from Irving Kirsch, a psychologist at the University of Connecticut, who contends that the multibillion-dollar success of Prozac and its brethren may be attributed almost entirely to the placebo effect. In a study published this past June, Kirsch and his co-author, Guy Sapirstein of the Westwood Lodge Hospital in Needham, Mass., analyzed 19 clinical trials of antidepressants and concluded that the expectation of improvement, not adjustments in brain chemistry, accounted for 75 percent of the drugs' effectiveness. Kirsch says a study he is working on now, based on the clinical trials that won F.D.A. approval for the drugs Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, Paxil and Serzone, bears out the earlier one. ''The critical factor,'' says Kirsch, ''is our beliefs about what's going to happen to us. You don't have to rely on drugs to see profound transformation.''
Kirsch thinks his research justifies a round of somewhat unorthodox studies in which half of the people getting the active antidepressant would be led to believe they were getting the placebo. ''It would involve some temporary deception and then a debriefing,'' he says. ''But I think it's acceptable because it would be the way to show a true drug effect. Do people who are taking the drug but think they are taking the placebo do as well as people getting the placebo? The companies don't know and they don't seem to want to know.''
Plenty of informed people -- and not just shills for the pharmaceutical industry or dedicated Listeners to Prozac -- think Kirsch goes too far. It's as if ''he set out to prove that all antidepressant medication is a sham,'' says Dr. Steven Hyman, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, ''and the evidence is not on his side there.'' Hyman points out that for ethical reasons, very few of the patients selected for outpatient antidepressant trials are severely depressed. No honorable researcher who thinks a patient might be suicidal, for instance, is going to sign him up for a study where he may well be getting only a dummy pill. That leaves a patient pool of the mild to moderately depressed -- and mild to moderate depression is a disease that waxes and wanes. ''So the alternative explanation to the one Kirsch is offering is that these were people who weren't all that ill to begin with,'' says Hyman.
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But even if Kirsch's case proves too extreme, that still leaves a placebo response rate of between 30 to 40 percent, meaning that 30 to 40 percent of the depressed subjects in clinical trials feel happier while taking a contentless pill. And there is good reason to think that that may be an underestimate. In the first place, many randomized controlled trials are preceded by a so-called washout phase in which all participants take an inert pill and anyone who reacts favorably to it is eliminated; the 30 to 40 percent comes out of a group, then, that has already been purged of probable placebo-reactors. In the second place, several studies show that the rate may be more like 50 percent for depressions that have lasted less than three months, especially if they were also triggered by a specific event. Given that active drugs often have unwelcome side effects (though, oddly, placebo takers sometimes report these, too) and that many patients might be relieved to know they don't actually need a chemical antidote to their woes, why shouldn't doctors give Brown's suggestion a try?
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Doctors who deliberately prescribe placebos and patients who accept them are not unheard of, even now. Many of us, for example, enter into a tacit agreement to take a placebo when we ask for, and usually get, a prescription for antibiotics to treat a viral infection. (And since this is a dangerous placebo -- it contributes to the problem of bacterial resistance -- maybe it would be better, as Brown suggests, for doctors to ''prescribe,'' as in write down, a suggestion to take an over-the-counter cold remedy. That way, they could assuage the common longing to leave a doctor's office with something in hand without contributing to a public health threat.) Moreover, plenty of Americans cherish the conviction that the body works in ways unknown and unknowable by Western medicine. ''Health professionals and people of a scientific bent underestimate how strongly many people believe that the body heals itself and that synthetic drugs are bad for you and yada yada yada,'' as Brown puts it. ''I don't think it would be as tricky as it sounds to tell somebody, 'I can give you this stuff, we don't know exactly how this works but one thing it probably does is to allow the body to generate its own healing function.'''
One patient I spoke with, a man who has been participating in a study of an anti-anxiety drug, found nothing particularly objectionable about the prospect of being treated with placebo, a concept he seemed thoroughly to understand. The man, a 60-year-old real-estate agent who didn't want his name used, said he had ''been kind of hyper'' for as long as he could remember. He was the kind of guy who couldn't stand hitting a bunch of traffic lights in a row, as he put it, and he'd had stomach problems since he was a kid, for which he dosed himself daily with over-the-counter antacids or baking soda and water. The study he's involved in has an unusual design that requires everybody to take the active drug for the first six weeks, and this man is convinced that he has benefited from it. He feels calmer, and his stomach hasn't been bothering him at all. But next week, when the study enters a new phase, he stands a 50-50 chance of getting only a placebo, and that doesn't worry him, either. ''If a placebo works, that's fine with me,'' he says. ''The important thing is that it works, not how it works. I'd find it kind of interesting if it did, to tell you the truth. That would be a sign to me that I need to work on my mind a little more.''
And there is one small study, the only one of its kind, that suggests that a placebo prescribed openly could win over some patients. At an outpatient psychiatric clinic in 1965, two researchers from John Hopkins University gave 15 adult ''neurotics'' an inert pill identified as such. With straight faces, the doctors told them that ''many people with your kind of condition have also been helped by what are sometimes called sugar pills, and we feel that a so-called sugar pill may help you, too. Do you know what a sugar pill is? A sugar pill is a pill with no medicine in it at all. I think this pill will help you as it has helped so many others. Are you willing to try this pill?'' Fourteen of the patients were convinced by this vaguely smarmy-sounding pitch (the 15th dropped out after her husband made fun of the idea), and after a week all reported ameliorated symptoms. Some thought the pill definitely was a placebo and some thought it must actually be an active drug, but either way, they had faith that the doctor was trying to help them, and they improved. At the least, then, Brown's idea deserves to be tested out with a bigger, more reliable study.
Yet in the end it is also a bit of a gimmick. If you get too fixated on the ritual of swallowing a pill, you miss the larger meaning of the placebo effect. And the larger meaning has to do with a certain kind of empathic attention that a doctor -- some doctors -- give to patients. It has to do with faith and hope and a physician's capacity for marshaling those sentiments in the service of the sick. ''The secret of the care of the patient,'' wrote Dr. Francis W. Peabody in a popular essay for doctors, ''is in caring for the patient.'' It may also be the secret of the placebo.
Karin Scheetz doesn't have the luxury of thinking all that philosophically about the placebo effect. But she thinks about it anyway, because it's just so weird. Scheetz is a clinical-research coordinator at a company near Baltimore called Clinical Insights, which carries out randomized controlled studies of new psychotropic drugs at the behest of various pharmaceutical makers. Her job is to deal with placebos in their most literal, not to say, banal form -- she hands them out to patients, and she makes sure the patients take them, and she notices that the dummy pills the companies provide always look and smell and taste just like the real ones (there is no sugar in them anymore), and that neither kind has any telltale writing on them.
Scheetz, 27, is a talker -- a naturally outgoing, effervescent sort. That very aspect of her personality and how it might shape the mood of an anxious person is something she thinks about a lot. That's because, right now, she is working on a study of an anti-anxiety drug for which placebo response is a real problem. ''The company has tested it already,'' she explains as we sit chatting one morning at the Clinical Insights offices, a standard-issue medical suite in a beige-and-smoked-glass office building above a busy commuter highway. ''They just haven't been able to pull out the actual drug effect, but they're sure it works. This is sort of their last chance to show it.''
The company sponsors have given Scheetz particularly detailed instructions: they want her to record the amount of time she and the principal investigator, a psychiatrist named Lawrence Adler, spend with each patient. They know that the weekly sessions during which she and Adler check up on the patients, listening to their complaints and so on, can themselves be therapeutic -- and therefore confound the data on the drug's effectiveness. ''I tend to be a very friendly person,'' says Scheetz, who has a tumble of brown curls and a broad smile. ''And I've had to monitor myself, to hold back a bit. I try to be as
businesslike as possible. I cut down on the additional conversation and I do an assessment in 15 minutes where normally I might take half an hour.''
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This isn't the first time a company has issued instructions aimed at controlling emotional atmosphere. Sometimes the request is for Dr. Adler to wear his lab coat in order to increase the sense of distance between him and the patients. But it's the first time they've touched on something so basic to Scheetz: her ability to communicate with people and put them at their ease.
What Karin Scheetz has stumbled upon, what is for her something of an occupational hazard, is actually an important idea. Placebos may work because they create the pretext for a doctor or a doctor surrogate to listen carefully to our troubles and to pay us a close and committed and hopeful attention. Since researchers on clinical studies are so invested in retaining participants, they are usually generous with their time and care and enthusiastic about the treatment being tested. Placebos, then, are just the tokens of a faith that somebody is at last in league with us against our illness.
For years, scientists have tried to come up with a plausible explanation for the placebo effect, and there are by now several contenders. One is classical conditioning: people who have experienced relief in medical settings or from ingesting a pill are primed, like Pavlov's dogs, to do the same again. Another is the release of endorphins: several studies have suggested that placebo pain relievers, at least, work by stimulating the brain's own analgesics. Still a third is that taking a placebo, especially if it is administered in an atmosphere of hope, relieves stress, which tends to aggravate the symptoms of placebo-sensitive conditions like asthma and hypertension.
What all of these explanations have in common -- for they are certainly not mutually exclusive -- is the element of expectation, the promise of help on the way that can only be imparted by another human being. This kind of hope seems particularly relevant when you respect the distinction made by Dr. Howard M. Spiro, one of the most thoughtful writers on the placebo, between illness and disease: illness is what the patient feels; disease is what the doctor finds. Hope can help soften the experience of illness, though it cannot cure the underlying disease. Says Walter Brown: ''What we're really talking about with the placebo effect is the reduction of distress, the reassurance from being in a healing situation that you're finally in somebody's hands.''
In fact, there is hard data to support the notion that the emotional alliance between a doctor and patient is itself a therapeutic force -- that a compassionate and optimistic physician can be, as one writer puts it, a walking placebo, that words can be physically comforting. In 1987, a British doctor named K.B. Thomas tried a little experiment on 200 patients in his own practice who came to see him feeling under the weather, but with no abnormal physical signs. Thomas gave one group of patients a definite diagnosis and told them they'd be better in a few days. He told the other that he couldn't be sure what was the matter with them and so couldn't say when their symptoms would clear up. Two weeks later, 64 percent of the patients who received an encouraging consultation had gotten better, compared with 39 percent in the other group.
In a study on postoperative pain conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital, half of the patients were randomly chosen to be visited by the anesthetist the night before surgery and treated, poor dears, in a brusque, offhand manner. ''My name is so-and-so,'' the doctor would say. ''Tomorrow I'm going to give you anesthesia. Don't worry; everything is going to be all right,'' and then off he'd go. The same anesthetist visited the other group of patients and this time put on a warm and sympathetic face, holding their hands as he sat on their beds, telling them exactly what to expect in the way of postop pain and assuring them that pain relief would be available. Those in the second group ended up requiring only half the amount of painkilling medication and were discharged an average of 2.6 days earlier.
A practitioner's enthusiasm for a given treatment and his ability to convey it to patients also seems to make a difference, whether the treatment is active or a placebo. ''I think it may be the key factor,'' says Daniel Moerman, a medical anthropologist at the University of Michigan at Dearborn. ''If a physician thinks this new drug is the greatest thing since sliced bread or if he's really excited about a new theory, it always makes a difference. That's one reason why the effectiveness of older drugs often wanes when a new one comes along.''
Accept all this, though -- that the placebo effect is real and that it probably works through a certain kind of expectation generated by empathic care -- and you are brought face to face with a quandary. For many of the elements of the doctor-patient relationship most likely to produce a placebo effect are in decline these days.
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Time, for instance. In 1943, the average visit to the doctor lasted 26 minutes; in 1985 it lasted 17. Under managed care, the incentives to jack up productivity -- which is to say, the number of patients seen in a day -- are only growing. In a 1995 survey of more than 1,700 doctors, 40 percent said they were spending less time with patients than they had even three years earlier. ''A large number of the depressed patients who enroll in our new drug studies do so because they're unhappy with the care they're getting through their H.M.O.'s,'' says Dr. Angelo Sambunaris, the chief clinical investigator at an Atlanta drug-testing company. ''They'll say, 'I've seen more of the staff here in two weeks than I did in two years at my H.M.O.,' or 'Here you start me on a new medication and say come back in a week. My own doctor says call back in a month.'''
With employers constantly changing health plans, long-term relationships between doctors and patients have dwindled, to the detriment of the placebo effect. ''Clearly, one of the economic factors that undermine the placebo response is changing doctors a lot,'' says Dr. Howard Brody, the professor at Michigan State. ''It undermines the kind of solid relationship that builds trust and a sense that your doctor understands your story.''
Moreover, many doctors have shed some of the old-fashioned professional baggage that once transformed them into walking placebos. The availability of high-tech diagnostic tools and the shrinking of appointment slots means doctors are doing fewer physical exams, even though the laying on of hands is perhaps the most basic source of human comfort and the annual physical one of the tried and true bonding rituals between doctor and patient. Sensitive to charges of paternalism or even malpractice, many doctors are likely to hit the cautionary note harder than the hopeful one when they offer a prognosis, and to convey more ambiguous information and less direct advice than patients might actually want. ''A colleague of mine told me that he was on grand rounds with a physician who clearly had a strong recommendation about what would be best for a patient, but didn't tell the patient,'' says Brody. ''My colleague asked him why, and he said, 'Oh I couldn't, the patient has rights.' But of course, there's a difference between coercing people and making recommendations. Patients have a right to our recommendations and we have a duty to share them.'' However savvy Internet-era patients may be, however indignant they might be at the thought of being patronized, many would still like reassurance from their doctors -- and clear guidance too.
Sometimes our contemporary notions of informed consent, important though they are, interfere with a doctor's capacity to offer hope and comfort. ''When, for example, a patient who is about to undergo a straightforward surgical procedure anxiously asks the surgeon, 'Doctor, am I going to make it?' what should the surgeon say?'' asks Walter Brown. ''Traditionally, the response would be to encourage the patient: 'You're in good hands here, everything will be fine.' Yet I have posed this scenario to a variety of physicians, both residents and attendings, and found that some consider themselves obligated to list the possible complications and the risk of death, even if the mortality rate from the procedure is minuscule.''
Medical training that (rightly) values precise expression and a culture that values full disclosure and protection from liability may spur doctors to tell their patients the uninflected and deflating truth even in the most dire circumstances. But surely telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth is not the most humane or practical of counsels for doctors. Someone I know of, a physician herself, was recently operated on for a brain tumor. Her doctor chose his first postop visit to her in the hospital to tell her she would never work again. It didn't help her recovery much.
Meanwhile, doctors demoralized by H.M.O. bureaucracy may be less able to convey the aura of authority that soothed generations of patients. In the same study in which doctors reported spending less time with their patients, a third also said they were somewhat or very dissatisfied with medical practice. Another 1995 study of 2,000 physicians across the country found that in regions where managed care predominated, doctors complained of pressure to see more patients and bemoaned restrictions on their ability to order tests and prescribe drugs. ''Physicians' time is increasingly consumed by paperwork that they view as intrusive and valueless,'' The New England Journal of Medicine editorialized recently.
Of course, physicians are not entirely helpless. ''Someone wrote in a letter to The New England Journal saying, 'Who's preventing us from spending time with our patients?''' says Brody. ''And he had a point. He said: 'Look in your managed-care contract. Does it say you can only spend five minutes with your patients? No, it says if you want to make as much money as you did last year, then you have to see patients at certain rates, so that you can meet quotas for reimbursement.' And that's a little different. As doctors, there are things we can do.'' Yet surely it matters that, as the Journal put it, ''many physicians are dismayed. Some are frankly morose.'' Who wants a morose doctor? And how could he ever inspire the hope that underlies the placebo response?
In 1980, The New England Journal of Medicine published an eloquent essay by its former editor Franz Ingelfinger, in which he argued that though arrogance was usually a pejorative word, doctors could exercise it in a way that was humane and salutary. If arrogance meant ''insolence, vanity, arbitrariness or lack of empathy,'' it was worthless or worse to a patient. But if it meant the confidence some physicians conveyed in their own advice, then it was a gift to the sick, who are often frightened and, in their fear, a little childlike. Ingelfinger came to this belief when he himself was ill. He had developed cancer of the esophagus, the very organ he had spent much of his professional life studying, and had to decide whether to undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy. From his friends and colleagues across the country, contradictory suggestions poured in. ''As a result,'' Ingelfinger recalled, ''not only I but my wife, my son and daughter-in-law (both doctors), and other family members became increasingly confused and emotionally distraught. Finally, when the pangs of indecision had become nearly intolerable, one wise physician friend said, 'What you need is a doctor.' He was telling me to forget the information I already had and the information I was receiving from many quarters, and to seek instead a person who would dominate, who would tell me what to do.'' When he found that person, Ingelfinger felt an ''immediate and immense relief.''
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Is it possible to stimulate a placebo response without dispensing a placebo? Almost certainly. Intuitive -- and benignly arrogant -- doctors have been doing it for years. And why shouldn't they? After all, placebo therapy, if you want to call it that, is safe, cheap and particularly useful for the ''worried well'' -- patients who feel ill but have no organic disease and who account for so many visits to the doctor's office. ''If you can create a more effective healing practice based on the manipulation of meaning, then you're going to heal more people,'' says Daniel Moerman. ''Is it some sort of failure if it isn't due to a pill? The important thing is you've made somebody better.''
Besides, the physician who can marshal a placebo response with her words and manner probably comes closest to what many of us would think of as the profession's ideal -- the kind of doctor who seems wholly committed to our welfare, not the insurance company's; who knows when and how to give us hope, who listens closely but doesn't feel constrained from delivering advice; who knows us because she has taken the time to know us.
''The placebo effect can occur,'' as the physician Herbert Spiegel once put it, ''when conditions are optimal for hope, faith, trust and love.'' It might sound sentimental, but then sentiment, working hand in hand with science, can make medical practice so much more powerful. A world in which placebo -- preferably in the form of deft encouragement, but sometimes in the form of a harmless pill -- was tolerated, even embraced, would be a world in which doctors never forgot that medical practice consists not only of the technologies of diagnosis and treatment but also of the careful tending of a patient's expectations and the unabashed willingness to comfort. It would be a world in which doctors kept in mind the uses of optimism, knowing that there is, as Brown points out, ''a great difference between telling a patient, 'This is a very powerful painkiller,' and saying, 'This might help your pain a bit''' -- and that they might as well give the former speech if they're going to bother prescribing medicine at all. It would be a world in which many of us might feel a lot better. |
Five days after appearing before Congress to testify about its responsibility in one of the worst oil spills in US history, the Swiss company that owned and operated the oil rig that sunk into the Gulf of Mexico announced that it would shell out $1 billion in dividends to shareholders.
The revelation that Transocean is distributing a $1 billion profit to shareholders as one of its drill sites leaks millions of gallons of oil into the sea is sure to inflame an already smarting debate over offshore drilling and the company’s role.
Transocean has passionately argued that they don’t share financial responsibility for the disaster. A clause in a contract they had with BP says that the oil company is obligated to pay for any environmental damage, even though Transocean actually owned the rig. BP was leasing the rig from Transocean at the time of the accident.
Transocean’s distribution to shareholders was done quietly on Friday at a “closed door meeting.” The company had previously announced that they would vote on the dividend at the event.
To put the distribution in perspective, the amount of profit that Transocean plans to pay out in the next year is half of what Exxon ultimately paid for the Exxon Valdez disaster off the Alaska Coast.
It’s also more than double what BP has said they’ve spent on the cleanup to date.
The company also made a paper gain from their insurance carrier after the Deepwater Horizon rig collapsed into the ocean aflame.
Transocean had insured the rig for $560 million, but apparently never spent that much money actually building it. The company’s CEO told investors on a recent conference call that the firm had book a $270 million “accounting gain” on the difference between the real value of the rig and the amount that they’d insured it for.
Since the rig collapsed, the company said they’ve already received $401 million from their insurance policy.
The Associated Press also notes that “Transocean moved to Switzerland two years ago to protect its low corporate tax rate, and few in the city had heard of the company, even three weeks after the April 20 blast that resulted in more than 4 million gallons (15 million liters) of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico from the well drilled by the BP-leased rig. Eleven workers were killed in the explosion.”
“Steven Newman ignored questions from reporters as he arrived and left the Park Hotel in the Swiss town of Zug, a few miles from the company’s headquarters,” AP added.
In a brief press release on their website, the firm noted the terms of the dividend, expected to be paid out to shareholders in four increments over the next year.
“Shareholders also authorized the Board of Directors to make a cash distribution to shareholders in the form of a par value reduction in the aggregate amount of 3.44 Swiss francs (“CHF”) equal to approximately USD 3.11 per issued share to be calculated and paid in four quarterly installments,” the release said. “Based on the total number of issued shares, including treasury shares, the distribution is approximately USD 1.0 billion.”
It adds, “The Board of Directors expects to set the respective payment dates of the four installments in July 2010, October 2010, January 2011 and April 2011, or as soon after each of the four periods as is practicable. The actual installment payments will be subject to the satisfaction of applicable Swiss law requirements.” |
Port Charlotte, Florida
On the evening of August 17, 2012, police were called to a Walmart parking lot to investigate a possible medical emergency. When the officers arrived on the scene, they found 52-year-old John David Crider passed out in the driver's seat of a 1996 Ford station wagon.
In addition to the fact that the car's engine was still running ...and it was parked halfway on a curb and halfway in a handicap space...the Ultra Duster spray can in Crider's hand was a dead give away that he had been "huffing".
When police got the door unlocked and reached inside the car, Crider promptly awoke, put the spray can to his mouth, and sprayed even more chemicals into his mouth.
Much worse than huffing with whip cream...
...and probably not nearly as delicious.
Fortified by his newly destroyed brain cells, Crider decided to make a break for it. But before he could put the car completely in gear, the police were able to remove him from the vehicle. After searching the car, they found a large amount of cash and drugs. When a resisting arrest charge was added to his multiple probation violations , Crider had more than earned a stay in the county lock up for a while.
Charlotte County Sheriff's Office
A 52-year-old man that bleaches his hair platinum blonde:
One of the strongest anti-drug messages you will ever see.
Unfortunately, there seemed to be an innocent victim in all this; Crider's friend, 52-year-old Denise DeHart Isaacs-Hall . It was her car that Crider had been found in, and now it was about to get impounded. The police, however, let Denise have her wheels back.
After the officers left the scene, Denise walked back into the the very same Walmart (where she had been shopping while Crider toke his own personal trip to Mars), put approximately $1,200 worth of items in her cart, and left the store without paying for any of it...in the exact same Ford station wagon that her friend had just been arrested in.
An observant Walmart manager (or a "unicorn", as they are known colloquially) got Denise's license plate number and called the authorities. When the police tracked her down, she tried to claim that she had bought the items , but was unable to produce any receipts. She was subsequently arrested as well.
At least her hair looked better than John's.
Embedded below is a local news report about the incident. While this one stays away from the mistakes that most other stations make with these types of stories (interviews with random people, bad puns, etc) they do manage to kick things up a notch by reenacting John Crider's terrible parking job. |
Alright, so I continued with Traverse Town and met pretty much its entire cast. I really like these characters. I know that’s not really a credit to Dream Drop Distance specifically, because they come from The World Ends With You, nor can I really vouch for how faithfully they were implemented in this game, but regardless I found them to be very endearing and enjoyable.
Also, thanks to Shiki we’ve discovered that Riku is socially awkward, which makes a lot of sense, but I never really considered it before and it’s pretty funny. Then I found out about the secret underground mail delivery facility nefariously hidden under Traverse Town. Should I be worried?
It’s interesting that, as soon as you’re done meeting all of the characters, Traverse Town basically becomes a dungeon. I’m excited about it because it’s something I’ve been thinking the series has needed to do for a while… to have something resembling traditional area structure within each world individually… towns, overworld, and dungeons. This is pretty close to that, although it’s more reminiscent of Chain of Memories in that the entire world is a dungeon, with a handful of save points and shops scattered around.
…I also just realized that I’ve yet to see any characters other than Moogles (shops) that I can just talk to any time on the overworld. Huh.
The game seems to be pretty heavy on the platforming as well. Riku and Sora travel to different locations (edgy backstreets for Riku, and a ridiculous underground mail sorting facility for Sora), but both are large and require a lot of Flowmotion to find all the chests. Then they both go to the fountain area, and the 4th and 5th districts.
I played some Flick Rush. Crazy little minigame you do with your Dream Eaters. One part Pokemon battle, one part Chain of Memories-style card fight. Extremely simple but surprisingly strategic, fast-paced, and fun. I can see myself doing this a lot.
I thought that the Colosseum was going to be the same thing it’s been in previous Kingdom Hearts game, but so far I can’t do normal battles. So I guess it’s just for Flick Rush? Oh well, I just wish Flick Rush had online play because this is really fun stuff.
Onto the boss, Hockomonkey.
I beat him down with minimal trouble with Sora, though, like most of the normal enemies, he had more attacks than he did in the demo. But it was a cinch. Then I did it with Riku, which was surprisingly a huge pain. This version of Hockomonkey appears to float and do twirlies with his hands like some kind of wizard.
Some kind of monkey wizard.
Some kind of box-shaped monkey wizard.
God I love Kingdom Hearts.
Anyway, this time I fought the boss inside the building that Sora’s Hockomonkey eventually drops you down into, which surprised me. Then he obnoxiously grabbed stuff and chucked it at me until I finally got him to come out of hiding and killed him… unfortunately I didn’t have any spells in Riku’s Command Deck so it was hard hitting him in the air. Oh well.
Xehanort’s voice-actor surprised me, but it’s a good fit. Same guy as Szayel Aporro Granz from Bleach. Creepy voice for a creepy dude. I can dig it. Trippy ending scene for the world that I probably could only get if I’d played The World Ends With You (still need to do that), and away to the World Map.
…Whaaaat, I only got 70% of the treasures? Weak. Oh well at least this game has some good exploring and treasure hunting. I’ll leave my thoughts about the Drop mechanic for next time, but for now, I’ll tell you about my Dream Eaters. My Meow Wow is a sky blue color and I named it Poly. My Komory Bat has blackened wings and I named him Kiropty. And finally I have a green Pricklemane named Nettle. I have a lot of recipes, but it seems I can only find the necessary materials to make them in the later worlds. Until next time! |
The greatest challenge Germany’s leaders face is convincing the public that Germany needs to be more active and aggressive.
Germany announced September 1 that it had decided to supply $90.4 million worth of weapons and munitions to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State terrorists in Iraq. While most of the world breathed a sigh of relief and wondered what took Berlin so long, two groups of people were far less pleased about Berlin’s decision. The first, obviously, was the Islamic State.
The second was the large majority of the German public. An August 15 poll by Germany’s Forsa Institute showed that nearly two thirds (63 percent) of the German public opposes the decision by its leaders to provide military aid to Iraqi Kurds (a people routinely beheaded, hung and murdered by Islamic State terrorists).
Throughout the West, the general consensus among national leaders and the public alike is that the Islamic State is evil and needs to be confronted. Most people simply cannot identify with the Germans’ reticence—even just to send military aid. (It’s not like they’re asking Berlin to dispatch tanks or soldiers, or send in the Luftwaffe.) It’s easy to criticize them for being callous and selfish.
But this is Germany. It’s rarely that simple.
Nearly two thirds (63 percent) of the German public opposes the decision by its leaders to provide military aid to Iraqi Kurds.
Truth is, the divergence between Germany’s leaders and the German public on the issue of arming the Iraqi Kurds is significant. It is evidence that Germany is currently experiencing a major identity crisis. Significant changes on the world scene—the Islamic State, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Libya, America’s contraction, Europe’s debt crisis, etc. etc.—are forcing German leaders and people to reevaluate some fundamental questions: Who is Germany? What is Germany’s role in Europe? What is Germany’s role in the world in the 21st century?
We must pay close attention as the Germans answer these questions. Their answers will impact us all.
Understanding Modern Germany
The question of Germany’s modern identity and purpose, and its place in Europe and the world, came about because of World War ii. Tasked with rebuilding their nation, the leaders of West Germany first had to define the character and nature of the new German nation. Naturally, the supreme ambition—especially for America and the nations of Western Europe that were influential in defining postwar Germany—was to prevent Germany from causing future regional or world wars. As a result of this defining goal, postwar Germany was designed to prohibit militarism and limit its ability to participate in, let alone assertively lead, foreign conflicts.
The problem Germany faces today is that it is caught between two worlds. The first is the 20th century, post-World War ii world. Here, Germany is an economically strong but non-military state, and a country among equals in the European Union. On the international scene, Germany is stable and strong, but placid and content playing backup. Like Robin is to Batman, 20th-century Germany is a sidekick to America, the leader and defender of the free world, and the nation responsible for carrying the bulk of the burden. This is the world most Germans live in.
The other world is the 21st-century world, or what might accurately be called reality. Here, Batman is in rapid decline, the forces of evil are rising, and Germany and Europe’s national interests are in jeopardy. This world is dangerous, unstable and increasingly unpredictable. Germany, already a bona fide economic powerhouse, is constantly being asked to contribute more, to be more assertive and aggressive politically and financially, but also militarily. This is the world that most of Germany’s leaders dwell in.
The challenge German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Co. face is obvious: They must lead the German public into the 21st-century world.
The challenge Angela Merkel and Co. face is obvious: They must lead the German public into the 21st-century world—reality.
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To appreciate the difficulty of this task, one must understand the German public’s aversion to militarism and war. This means considering the impact of World Warsandon postwar Germany. Most of us tend to view wars through the lens of the victim. But to understand modern Germany, we need to consider these wars through the lens of the aggressor. Imagine growing up, especially in the decades immediately following the Second World War, with the knowledge that your country was responsible for the two most destructive wars in human history. Living in postwar Germany meant carrying enormous guilt and shame.
Although the postwar remorse diminishes with each new generation of Germans, an enormous segment of the German public still carry significant postwar guilt, and a resulting aversion to German assertiveness and militancy. In fact, it is wired into the thinking of many Germans, particularly those raised and educated in the ’50s and ’60s. It’s important to understand too that postwar Germany—its government, its legal system, its institutions—is a product of postwar shame and guilt. After the war, West Germany was rebuilt, at least to begin with, by America and the nations of Western Europe, together with a select group of pro-West, pro-democratic German leaders. The goal was to create a nation and people incapable—politically, militarily, morally and culturally—of returning to fascism, subjugating Europe, or even participating in military conflicts. In the years following the war, the intent to prohibit the rise of a militant German state permeated Germany’s postwar construction.
This is important to recognize. In many respects, modern Germany was built to avoid militarism and war. Take Germany’s constitution, or Basic Law as it was then called. It was and still is filled with all sorts of laws and stipulations crafted to limit the size, capability and operation of Germany’s military. As the Economist wrote in 2012, “One way of understanding Germany’s army is that it is a new type of institution, created not so much to wage wars, but to atone for the past and make its repeat impossible.” Germany’s constitution, for example, with a few strict exceptions, prohibits the export of weapons and munitions to active war zones. Part of the reason Germany’s leaders took so long deciding whether to send weapons to Iraq was that they had to determine if it was even legal.
The same goes for Germany’s postwar education system and media. These two institutions were infused with strong pacifist tendencies to suppress nationalist feelings and emotions. Both were influential in creating a postwar populace that even today convulses at the notion of active German involvement in foreign affairs. Of course, this is not to say Germany hasn’t been active militarily, especially in the last two decades. The Bundeswehr is more active than most people know. Germany has participated in conflicts in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, to name just three. But within Germany, participation in these conflicts was controversial.
Germany’s constitution, with a few strict exceptions, prohibits the export of weapons and munitions to active war zones.
Convincing the Public
Only a decade or so ago, even the slightest invocation of military language landed German leaders in hot water. Recall President Horst Köhler in 2010 publicly discussing the need for potential military deployments to protect trade routes and other German interests. His remarks were far from a call to arms. “A country of our size,” he said, “with its focus on exports and thus reliance on foreign trade, must be aware that … military deployments are necessary in an emergency to protect our interests.” In any other nation such comments would be entirely unremarkable. In Germany, the public uproar was so powerful, Köhler was forced to resign.
Today Chancellor Merkel and Germany’s leaders find themselves in an increasingly tough position. On one side, major crises are destabilizing the world and threatening Germany’s and Europe’s interests. These crises are compounded by the fact that America’s presence is shrinking, creating a leadership vacuum that many want Germany to fill. On the other side, a significant chunk of the German public lives in the 20th-century world. There, deep reluctance of German involvement in foreign crises remains, especially in a military capacity.
These are the increasingly dangerous waters that Germany’s leaders must navigate.
It’s hard to see how Angela Merkel can survive this. One of her greatest talents, indeed the key to her longevity, has been her ability to appease both the German public and the international community. The Merkel doctrine is one of measured intervention. Whatever the crisis, Merkel has always sought to ensure that Germany contributed significant support and leadership—just enough to satisfy those demanding Germany do more—but never in a manner or to an extent that would overly upset the German public. For Merkel, this approach has been politically expedient. But as far as the crises are concerned, the results have been disappointing. In most instances (for example, Europe’s debt crisis and the belligerent actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin), Merkel’s approach has soothed the crisis temporarily or provided a short-term fix. Yet in both of these cases, Germany has yet to provide any real, lasting solution. In both instances, the trouble not only continues but is intensifying.
Whether it’s Ukraine, the Islamic State or Europe’s political and financial crises, the moment is fast approaching when Germany will be required to finally act: not halfheartedly; not with half measures; not slowly and cautiously—but decisively, dramatically and even forcefully!
Whether it’s Ukraine, the Islamic State or Europe’s political and financial crises, the moment is fast approaching when Germany will be required to finally act.
The challenge Germany’s leaders face today is explaining this to their people (those who elect them) and showing them that Germany no longer has the option of doing little or nothing. Germany’s leaders must somehow rewire the psyche of the German people and help them see that in order for Germany to survive—for the economy to remain stable, for Germany and Europe to remain safe, for energy supplies to remain secure—it must get involved in meaningful ways politically, financially and even militarily.
For Germany’s leaders, this is a tough and risky task. But events increasingly vindicate their message. Consider the dramatic change that would take place if the threats suddenly become more personal. What if a radical Islamist terrorist exploded a bomb in Berlin or Munich? What if Putin turns off the gas this winter and Germans’ energy bills spike? What if Europe’s financial crisis grows worse (which many expect to happen) and begins to really affect the average German? What if Germany’s large Muslim population becomes angry and violent? Any one of these things would undoubtedly help many Germans shake their pacifist tendencies and get behind a stronger, more aggressive policies.
The only way Germans can go on living in the 20th-century world is if the regional and global threats against them significantly diminish and the world returns to the way it was. There is no sign of this happening any time soon. If anything, Germany’s domestic and global environment will continue to change, and in ways that will impair and hurt Germany unless it acts. The danger and instability of the 21st-century world will only intensify, and so will the pressure on Germany to be more aggressive and assertive.
Germany is experiencing an identity crisis. The Germans are being forced to realize that meekness and passivity are ill-advised and dangerous in a world that is increasingly unstable, violent and falling into anarchy. Many of Germany’s leaders already recognize this reality and want to respond. For now, however, their ability to forge Germany into an assertive, aggressive and dominant world power is being limited by the reticence and caution of the German public. But this is changing.
Moreover, as the crises intensify and begin to impact the Germans more personally, their attitudes will change more rapidly and dramatically.
We need to keep an eye on Germany as it comes through this identity crisis. It is producing a new German nation: a nation far more active and aggressive than what we are accustomed to seeing; a nation that is an aggressive political and military powerhouse; a German nation the world hasn’t seen since World War ii—a German nation that historically has been a threat to regional and world peace. |
Valve are needing people to work on Mesa to prepare it for OpenVR, and they will be paying for the effort of course.
Those interested can see this tweet for confirmation:
We're looking to contract experienced Mesa contributors to help us get the open-source AMD stack OpenVR-ready. Please help spread the word! — Pierre-Loup Griffais (@Plagman2) October 13, 2016
This is really great to see, Valve paying for improvements to open source drivers. This will of course involve Vulkan, since Valve already confirmed VR on Linux will use Vulkan as opposed to OpenGL.
Pierre-Loup didn't say where to get in touch, but their Twitter would be a good start, you can also find general Valve contact emails here.
SteamDevDays continues tonight (UTC evening time), so I will keep an eye out for anything interesting again. |
In a late news break last night, FOX announced that their supernatural series Sleepy Hollow will not be coming back for a fifth season. The comes as no surprise seeing as it is one of the network’s lowest rated shows and the once-dedicated fans appear to have mostly abandoned it after that major character death at the end of its third season. The show seemed headed for cancellation last year as it has experienced notable ratings drops, but the network elected to bring it back for a fourth season and put it through a reboot of sorts. The claim at the time was that it played well internationally and was already profitable for the network. With that intangible in place, I have kept the show at On the Bubble status all season upon the assumption that its international audience could save it again and/or that FOX might want one more season to wrap up its storylines to play better in binge-sessions on the streaming services. But as I said previously, I considered it right on the line of Cancellation Likely status, so this move by the network is not surprising. It will end its run with 62 episodes which will not be as attractive for the domestic syndication market, but it should live on in an encore run internationally and on one or more of the streaming services.
Sleepy Hollow follows Ichabod Crane who is revived in the modern world and paired with a police detective to do battle with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. If was created by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and stars Tom Mison, Nicole Beharie, Orlando Jones, and Janina Gavankar.
Next week the broadcast networks will have their Upfront presentations when they unveil their schedules for the 2017-18 season which means the we can expect plenty of renewal and cancellation announcements over the next seven days or so (you can see the full rundown of this season’s cancellations and renewals at this link). Be sure to stay tuned to this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for updates and breaking news.
The Spring 2017 Edition of the Massive List of Airing, Returning, and Upcoming Sci Fi & Fantasy Shows is Now Posted at This Link |
Wednesday, 27 Aug, 2008 Current Events
According to representatives of the History Channel, a team of experts will examine a spate of UFO sightings in the Australia's Northern Territory. The team will shoot an episode of "UFO Hunters", the channel's documentary television series.
Producers of the show spoke to the Northern Territory News shortly after the makers of the show ran a series of reports on UFO sightings. The show features William J. Birnes, who explores UFO sightings together with his team of researchers, including Pat Uskert, Ted Acworth and Jeff Tomlinson.
The official website of the show states: "The team's access to UFO evidence is unparalleled and their expertise allows them to quickly identify bogus claims of UFOs."
It is worth mentioning that William J. Birnes is the publisher of "UFO Magazine" as well as the co-author of "The Day After Roswell", a bestselling book written in 1997 together with Colonel Philip Corso, former Pentagon official.
The second season of the show comes shortly after the first series proved a great success in the U.S. Johnathan Walton, the producer of the show, told the Northern Territory News that the team of experts from the History Channel would arrive to the Territory soon.
"We are looking at an Australian UFO episode for the next season, that's for sure," he said.
The team looks forward to contact people who have spotted strange objects flying in the skies of the Northern Territory. Alan Ferguson is going to be one of the Territorians who managed to take pictures of a disk-shaped object that flew near his home, located in Acacia Hills in July. Mr Ferguson hopes to show his pictures to the team.
"If I can spot (the UFOs) I will point them out to them. They don't know what I know - I know too much," he said.
Source: News.com.au |
A question that has long interested me is how many American Indians were living within the boundaries of the current 48 contiguous states in 1491.
Judging from the number of pre-Columbian tourist attraction ruins left behind in Mexico and Peru, there were many millions living to the south. Mexico, for instance, is full of pyramids beyond the well-known ones at Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza.
This looks like a church on top of a hill, but the church is really on top of the now dirt-covered Great Pyramid of Cholula in east-central Mexico, which appears to be twice the volume of the biggest Egyptian pyramid :
But what about the U.S.? There are distinctly fewer tourist attraction ruins. Maybe American Indians made stuff out of wood or mud instead of stone? Or maybe they didn’t feel the urge as much to listen to the big bossman ordering them to lug stuff to build a giant platform?
The Southwest has some American Indian urbanization ruins left over, so here’s an interesting press release from Washington State:
Ancient baby boom holds a lesson in over-population June 30, 2014 By Eric Sorensen, WSU science writer PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University researchers have sketched out one of the greatest baby booms in North American history, a centuries-long “growth blip” among southwestern Native Americans between 500 and 1300 A.D. … A crash followed, said Tim Kohler, WSU Regents professor of anthropology, offering a warning sign to the modern world about the dangers of overpopulation. … Funded by the National Science Foundation, the study looks at the data from thousands of human remains found over the past century at hundreds of sites across the Four Corners region of the Southwest. … Maize, which we know as corn, was grown in the region as early as 2000 B.C. At first, populations were slow to respond, probably because of low productivity, said Kohler.
It takes a lot of selective breeding to adapt corn from Mexico to the shorter growing seasons of northern latitudes.
But by 400 B.C., he said, the crop provided 80 percent of the region’s calories. Crude birth rates—the number of newborns per 1,000 people per year—were by then on the rise, mounting steadily until about 500 A.D. The growth varied across the region. People in the Sonoran Desert and Tonto Basin, in what is today Arizona, were more culturally advanced, with irrigation, ball courts and eventually elevated platform mounds and compounds housing elite families. Yet birth rates were higher among people to the north and east, in the San Juan basin and northern San Juan regions of northwest New Mexico and southwest Colorado.
Lots of rain in the San Juans. My wife’s nephew is on his way there to go fishing.
Around 900 A.D., populations remained high but birth rates began to fluctuate. The mid-1100s saw one of the largest known droughts in the Southwest. The region likely hit its carrying capacity, with continued population growth and limited resources similar to what Thomas Malthus predicted for the industrial world in 1798. From the mid-1000s to 1280—by which time all the farmers had left—conflicts raged across the northern Southwest but birth rates remained high. “They didn’t slow down—birth rates were expanding right up to the depopulation,” said Kohler. “Why not limit growth? Maybe groups needed to be big to protect their villages and fields. “It was a trap,” he said. “A Malthusian trap but also a violence trap.” The northern Southwest had as many as 40,000 people in the mid-1200s, but within 30 years it was empty, leaving a mystery that has consumed several archaeological careers, including Kohler’s.
40,000 is a substantial number (the Four Corners region isn’t densely populated even today), but it’s not a Mexico or Peru-sized number either. And, it didn’t seem terribly sustainable. |
As an average guy with a day job, I spend about 9% of my waking hours inside my vehicle. This is mostly driving to and from work, but also driving my family around, running errands, and other assorted tasks.
Having a preparedness mindset, I decided that some self extraction tools for my vehicle would be a good idea.
One of the tools I felt best to acquire first was a Benchmade Rescue Hook Model 7 ( previously reviewed by ITS: Cut Your Way Out in An Emergency Situation). The 7 Hook is a excellent piece of gear, but being presented with a MOLLE sheath was a problem. Over time, MOLLE attachments have become pervasive in our environment, but not in our vehicles.
There are seat back panels for HMMWV and other vehicles, but I needed the 7 Hook up front and in reach. So I contacted Jones Tactical for a solution, and we came up with the MOLLE Visor.
Everyday Modular Platform
The design philosophy was to put a stable MOLLE platform in a discrete area of my vehicle, and Jones Tactical came through. The reason for putting the MOLLE platform on the visor was to keep it in an accessible area that was also not likely to interfere with normal vehicle operations. It was also not likely to draw attention if deployed properly.
All items are in subdued colors, hard to see from outside of the vehicle, and do not display any tactical cues from a reasonable distance. MOLLE will catch the trained eye, but it’s not apparent to a person talking to the driver that it’s a MOLLE platform. All around, the system has been successful for me. It immediately solved my Rescue Hook issue by placing it in an accessible position, even from across my body using my left hand.
The visor itself is an extremely high quality piece of custom gear, with the attention to detail that we have come to expect from Jones Tactical. The base is made of two layers of 1000d Cordura Nylon, with milspec type 17737 for the PALS Webbing. The panel was made to the dimensions of my visor, and the end result gave me a PALS grid of four columns and six rows tall. The rest of the visor is loop Velcro.
I decided to shorted the grid to six rows because most of the items being placed would not be that tall. The Velcro is suitable for all my patch needs, but I’ve mostly run a standard full color USA flag.
Visor Loadout
For the past year and a half the MOLLE Visor has remained rock solid and almost unchanged. I did swap out a center punch for a black S&W tactical pen. Primarily I use the visor to carry the following:
Benchmade Rescue Hook Model 7
SureFire E2E in an Emdom pouch
QuiqLite LED
S&W Black Tactical Pen
I also stuffed a black Sharpie under the visor and attached a County Comm SO-LED to a strap on the inside. The interior lights of my vehicle are very bright, so if I want to read something discretely I can use the QuiqLite or the SO-LED without drawing attention, silhouetting myself, or destroying my night vision.
The SureFire E2E is a more discrete flashlight to grab than the Maglite clipped to the passenger seat, and a backup to my EDC SureFire, or a light that a passenger can use; it can’t hurt to have a quality light on hand. The S&W pen, while on the low end of tactical pens, can be pushed into a tactical role, can also be used to pop safety glass, or in a pinch, write things. The Benchmade Rescue Hook Model 7 has been discussed before, but it can’t be overstated how important the ability to cut yourself free in an emergency is.
Final Thoughts
Since I’ve used the MOLLE Visor in my daily driving, it’s been a source of comfort and security for me. I’m not sure how I’d discretely mount a rescue hook in my vehicle without it, and by going this route I’ve gained much more. Because of the modularity of the platform, I could place pouches for any number of items on the visor (although, thin, flat pouches work best).
If you drive often, I would not hesitate to recommend this item as an option for securing gear, especially if you are concerned about keeping your gear secure, organized, and in a discrete manner that is accessible by the driver. I can see use for the MOLLE Visor even if you roll with a patrol bag or seat organizer.
One functional thing to keep in mind about the MOLLE Visor is that the taller the pouches you place on the visor, the less effective a sun visor it becomes; the visor cannot move as close to the glass with pouches mounted on it. Other than that, in the year and half of service it’s provided me the MOLLE Visor from Jones Tactical has given solid performance and I expect it to do so in for years to come.
~ mr.smashy
Editor’s Note: Please join us in welcoming mr.smashy as an ITS Contributor. Smashy is a government IT Engineer in the gun-hostile Chicagoland area. Be sure to check out his fantastic photos on Flickr. |
Southern Methodist University invited, then disinvited, the teenage daughter of a Dallas police officer, who was killed in the line of duty, to hit the honorary serve at a volleyball game this week. The reason they gave for rescinding the invitation was, "In light of recent events and diversity within the SMU community, the demonstration could be deemed insensitive." After an outcry ensued, the university apologized and re-extended the invitation, but failed to give an adequate explanation for why it was spiked in the first place.
Heidi Smith, the mother of Victoria, the high school volleyball player who was told she was not longer welcome to hit the honorary first serve, shared the email she received from a university official Thursday night on Facebook.
Via the Dallas Morning News:
Her husband, 55-year-old Sgt. Michael Smith, was one of five officers killed by a lone gunman during an attack after a July protest. Nine other officers and two civilians were injured in the attack. "Victoria was scheduled to serve an honorary serve at the SMU volleyball game this Saturday to honor her Dad," Heidi Smith wrote in the post. "This is the email they sent me today to back out ... I had to read it to Victoria after dinner tonight." The email said there would no longer be an honorary first serve at Saturday's game against South Florida due to a communication breakdown and concerns about optics. "The volleyball program was not correctly informed that this would be taking place at the game," the email Smith shared reads. It continues saying that "the demonstration could be deemed insensitive."
Smith redacted the name of the sender, who does not explain what recent events would make the honorary first serve appear inappropriate, though there have been demonstrations across the country against President-elect Donald Trump. The email also did not explain what the diversity of the university has to do with honoring a slain police officer. Smith and the four other officers killed July 7 were ambushed as a demonstration against the killings of black men by cops was ending.
After a massive backlash, a university spokeswoman released a statement saying that the volleyball program apologizes for "the mix-up." |
This time two years ago, I took part in the first ever United Kingdom televised leaders' debates ahead of the General Election. With seven leaders from across the political spectrum representing an array of views, it seemed as if the UK was finally entering an age of genuine multi-party politics.
Fast forward to 2017 and the fallout of the UK's decision to leave the European Union, and the picture is different. The EU referendum campaign was the ugliest, most divisive I can recall. For all the Tory government's empty rhetoric on uniting "the country" after June 23 last year, their record so far shows a determination to do the exact opposite.
Last night I appeared on the Question Time panel from Wigan. Sat next to me was the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis. From the outset, his tone was antagonistic and his answers evasive.
When I challenged him over the Tories' appalling legacy of foodbanks and homelessness, the Secretary of State adopted the very traits which have become symptomatic of this scrutiny-shy administration.
Day in day out, government ministers are getting away with swapping meaningful responses for slogans and soundbites. Often, as we saw last night, they will resort to an intimidating or divisive tone to deflect from their failures. There should be no place for this behaviour in our politics.
More concerning still is the fact that the Prime Minister herself has also fallen foul of this malaise. In recent weeks, we have seen Theresa May refuse to take part in the televised leaders' debates, denying people the opportunity to see her challenged on the issues which matter to them in front of an audience of millions. That refusal has given the perfect, convenient excuse for the Labour opposition leader to threaten to do the same.
Only a few days ago, the Prime Minister's astonishing accusations that EU leaders were seeking to influence the outcome of the upcoming UK Election drew warranted criticism. Adopting such a belligerent tone is not worthy of her office and is sure to weaken the UK's hand before the negotiations even begin in earnest.
Plaid Cymru has always acted as a robust and effective opposition whenever placed to do so – in Westminster and in the National Assembly and in local authorities. We believe that the Prime Minister and her government should be held to account and challenged in the strongest possible terms whenever they fail to defend their record or seek to lower the tone of public debate. People deserve better than a government whose agenda is dominated by deflection and disrespect.
In a few weeks' time, the televised leaders' debates will be upon us once again as the UK prepares to go to the polls. I will be taking part, regardless of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition's refusal, and look forward to sharing our ambitious programme for protecting Wales's economy and public services as we prepare to leave the EU.
With a Tory Prime Minister in Westminster more interested in dodging the media than dealing with the issues affecting people who are struggling, and a weak and divided Labour party offering pitiful resistance, it is left to Plaid Cymru to defend Wales.
If this government is to make a success of the UK's departure from the European Union, it must choose diplomacy over dogma. We must continue to hold this Tory administration to account and demand that our nation is treated with the respect so absent from UK politics at present.
Leanne Wood is Leader of Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales |
(CNN) Politicians speak a lot, and they write a lot. But what happens when the words they speak and write aren't their own?
Here are 10 instances when political figures plagiarized.
During the 1988 Presidential election, the then-presidential candidate was accused of mimicking a speech that British Labour Party Neil Kinnock delivered just four months prior.
Kinnock's speech included the following lines:
Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? [Pointing to his wife in the audience:] Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Was it because all our predecessors were thick?
While Biden said:
I started thinking as I was coming over here, why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university? [Pointing to his wife in the audience:] Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? Is it because I'm the first Biden in a thousand generations to get a college and a graduate degree that I was smarter than the rest?
The vice president was forced to withdraw from the presidential race after Maureen Dowd of the New York Times exposed his plagiarized speech. Allegations followed that Biden lifted parts of other speeches from Hubert Humphrey, Robert Kennedy, and JFK.
Vice President Joseph Biden.
2. Russian President Vladimir Putin, 2006: accused Putin of plagiarizing his economics dissertation, stealing 16 out of 20 pages from a paper published by the University of Pittsburgh 20 years earlier. Researchers from the Brookings Institute accused Putin of plagiarizing his economics dissertation, stealing 16 out of 20 pages from a paper published by the University of Pittsburgh 20 years earlier.
"It all boils down to plagiarism," Brookings Institution's Clifford G. Gaddy said at the time. "Whether you're talking about a college-level term paper, not to mention a formal dissertation, there's no question in my mind that this would be plagiarism."
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
3. White House Aide Timothy Goeglein, 2008: The senior White House official resigned after he admitted copying large sections of an essay he wrote for a newspaper in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The senior White House official resigned after he admitted copying large sections of an essay he wrote for a newspaper in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Goeglein wrote a weekly column for The News-Sentinel. Nancy Nall, a former columnist, discovered the matching paragraphs and revealed them online.
White House Aide Tim Goeglein.
4. Guttenberg resigned amidst a scandal involving alleged plagiarism in his doctoral dissertation. Although he denied the accusations, the University of Bayreuth revoked his doctorate title. Guttenberg had been considered a rising star in Merkel's government, but his political career expired with his diploma. German Defense Secretary Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg, 2011: Guttenberg resigned amidst a scandal involving alleged plagiarism in his doctoral dissertation. Although he denied the accusations, the University of Bayreuth revoked his doctorate title. Guttenberg had been considered a rising star in Merkel's government, but his political career expired with his diploma.
The defense secretary received widespread public criticism for borrowing extensively from the Web -- and was nicknamed "Baron zu Googleberg," the "minister for cut-and-paste."
German Defense Secretary Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg.
5. Hungarian President Pal Schmitt, 2012: Schmitt, a former Olympic fencing champion, wrote his dissertation in 1992 for the University of Physical Education, which is now part of Semmelweis University in Budapest. Schmitt, a former Olympic fencing champion, wrote his dissertation in 1992 for the University of Physical Education, which is now part of Semmelweis University in Budapest.
In January 2012, the Hungarian HVG weekly reported that a large part of Schmitt's dissertation was copied, and a university investigation confirmed that more than 200 pages of the 215-page document showed "partial similarity" to other works, or were direct translations.
The university stripped the president of his doctorate, and he announced his resignation to the Hungarian Parliament on April 2, 2012.
Hungarian President Pal Schmitt.
6. Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta 2012: Romania's government became the object of international criticism after Ponta was accused of plagiarizing his doctoral thesis. Ponta dismissed the accusation as a political attack from President Traian Basescu.
In 2014, he handed back his doctorate after a panel of Bucharest University academics ruled that he had plagiarized much of his 2003 Ph.D. thesis on the International Criminal Court.
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta.
7. Senator Rand Paul, 2013: Paul has been the subject of several plagiarism scandals -- surrounding both his speeches and his book. Paul has been the subject of several plagiarism scandals -- surrounding both his speeches and his book.
The first was highlighted when MSNBC's Rachel Maddow pointed out that a speech he made in 2013 was lifted directly from the Wikipedia page of the film "Gattaca". BuzzFeed also reported that he did the same in another speech, pick pocketing from "Stand and Deliver."
They went on to report that Paul's book "Government Bullies" was heavily plagiarized without attribution -- highlighting passages stolen from Forbes, the Cato Institute, and the Heritage Foundation.
Texas Sen. Rand Paul.
8. German Education Minister Annette Schavan, 2013: The University of Dusseldorf stripped Schavan of her Ph.D. after a blogger caught the plagiarism and spent months vigilantly presenting the evidence to the public. The University of Dusseldorf stripped Schavan of her Ph.D. after a blogger caught the plagiarism and spent months vigilantly presenting the evidence to the public.
The blog "schavanplag" (for "Schavan" and "plagiarism") compared passages of Schavan's 1980 dissertation with sections of written works by other authors -- in multiple instances they matched word for word, or nearly. The blog alleges Schavan did not properly source her work and claimed others' work as her own.
The board of the department that awarded her the degree said that there were too many borrowed passages in her dissertation, and found that she had "systematically and deliberately laid claim to intellectual achievements, which she in reality did not produce herself."
German Education Minister Annette Schavan.
9. The Montana Senator was thrown into a plagiarism scandal regarding his master's thesis for the Army War College. Three quarters of the 20-page document, titled "The Case for Democracy as a Long-Term National Strategy" was found to be plagiarized, Senator John Walsh, 2014: The Montana Senator was thrown into a plagiarism scandal regarding his master's thesis for the Army War College. Three quarters of the 20-page document, titled "The Case for Democracy as a Long-Term National Strategy" was found to be plagiarized, the New York Times first reported
The scandal that ensued forced the Senator to withdraw from his reelection campaign.
Montana Sen. John Walsh.
10. BuzzFeed News broke the story that Carson had lifted material from a number of books and online sources for his 2012 book "America the Beautiful." They revealed that several sections of the book were copied from a variety of online articles, a CBS News article, and a website titled SocialismSucks.net. Republican Presidential Candidate Ben Carson, 2015: BuzzFeed News broke the story that Carson had lifted material from a number of books and online sources for his 2012 book "America the Beautiful." They revealed that several sections of the book were copied from a variety of online articles, a CBS News article, and a website titled SocialismSucks.net.
"I attempted to appropriately cite and acknowledge all sources in America the Beautiful, but inadvertently missed some. I apologize, and I am working with my editors to rectify the situation," Carson said in a statement his representative, Armstrong Williams, provided to CNN.
Republican Presidential hopeful Ben Carson.
BONUS. Hillary Clinton 2008 campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson said President Barack Obama had "lifted rhetoric" from Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Barack Obama, 2008. Hillary Clinton 2008 campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson said President Barack Obama had "lifted rhetoric" from Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.
"If your whole candidacy is about words, then they should be your own words," then-Sen. Clinton said about Obama at the time. "That's what I think."
Obama admitted that he used some of Deval's words at a Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Wisconsin.
"Deval and I do trade ideas all the time, and you know he's occasionally used lines of mine," Obama said.
"I would add I've noticed on occasion Sen. Clinton has used words of mine as well," Obama added. "As I said before, I really don't think this is too big of a deal." |
Not from the New Yorker
These comics were never, in fact, published in that magazine
Zach Weinersmith Blocked Unblock Follow Following Aug 19, 2014
“He thought David Sedaris was just okay.”
“This new app worked as expected, like most apps.”
“He started as a young man, full of hope, like me. He wanted to be an architect. But then he saw that he could use his math skills to make more money in finance. Slowly but surely he became more acquisitive. He based more of his self image on wealth. The longer he stayed away from his passion, the more money he required to justify his nihilistic behavior.
One day, like the last little red ember on a charred log in a long-abandoned home, his dream snuffed out. He filled the dream-cavity with power. Power over others. He ruined households, marriages, families, lives, all with the change of a number on a spreadsheet.
He doesn’t do it from desire to hurt. He can no longer imagine what hurt is, because he feels nothing. He destroys like a ghost, seeking no vengeance, but endlessly repeating the pattern that killed him long ago.” |
More than 50 leading public figures out of several thousand celebrities in the country have signed a statement urging people to "Stand up to Trump" and protest against his "divisive politics of despair". The statement describes the election of Donald Trump as "deeply disturbing and a stark warning to us all". It decries the "significant" growth in racism and claims that the tycoon's election is "encouraging and legitimising a backlash against women's and LGBT+ rights" while creating a "possibly devastating impact on climate change".
GETTY Politicians and religious leaders have called for people to protest the president-elect Donald Trump
"We cannot allow racism to seep deeper into society and whatever our other differences, we must unite together to meet this serious threat," it states. "We the undersigned therefore urgently call for anti-racists, trade unionists, community and campaign activists, and above all everybody of goodwill, to join the growing opposition to Trump and what he stands for." Shadow cabinet members including Emily Thornberry aka Lady Nugee, Clive Lewis and Diane Abbott, as well as trade union leaders including the National Union of Teachers' Kevin Courtney and Unite's Len McCluskey, gave their backing to the calls.
Anti-Trump protests erupt worldwide Wed, November 30, 2016 Trump win sparks riots across US as crowds burn American flag and chant 'Not our president' Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 31 Supporters of the
GETTY Statements declared the election of Mr Trump a 'disturbing warning'
Rabbi Lee Wax and members of the Muslim Council of Britain have also supported the statement. Shadow home secretary Miss Abbott said: "There is a link between inflammatory statements by politicians and racist attacks and hate crimes on the street. "There has been a rise in such crimes in Britain following the EU referendum and a similar pattern has emerged in the US. "Now is the time for people of goodwill to unite and stand up to racism."
PA Amongst those calling for protest, is Labour MP Diane Abbot |
Tonight, it's episode seven, series three of Gok's Fashion Fix. He will revisit Tracy Willis from series two "whose biker image contrasted wildly with her role as mayor of Seaford. Having previously shed her masculine look …". Blah, blah. Here we go again.
We're almost at the end of the third series of this programme, and still Gok has a very one-dimensional view of how a woman should look if she wants to be sexy. And, that look is "traditionally feminine". Think floaty floral pieces that show off her "bangers" (Gok's word).
But perhaps a female biker can look good as she is? Maybe not all women want our bangers on show, eh Gok? In 2010, are we still so narrowly constrained in our view of what femininity is to not be able to step away from old stereotypes?
Last week, Gok fans saw him go to Matlock to "meet 26-year-old CJ Rees, who's got a curvy body, but dresses like a teenage boy". Do you see the theme here? Anything a bit boyish or masculine = ugly and dowdy. Did the Androgynous Deyn phenomenon completely pass him by? What about the boyishly stunning Erin O'Connor? I keep watching in the vain hope he'll wise up and put a woman in some double denim or a sharp suit like this, but I fear it'll never happen.
Don't get me wrong, I love Gok. I am so immensely pleased about what he's done to try to make different women's shapes more appreciated. You can tell he genuinely loves women and wants to make them feel good. I've even had tears in my eyes at the end of particularly emotional makeovers, touched to see one of his girl's glowing and happy with herself.
I think most gals, boyish or not, would like a bit of Gok in their life (well, those that aren't offended by having their breasts called "fun bags", anyway). I, personally, would love him to take me on a fabulous shopping spree, stop off somewhere fancy for lunch, have some champers and get my nails done.
I just wouldn't want my "24-piece capsule wardrobe" to involve any chiffon, an LBD or anything with the word "maxi" on the label. I'd feel like I was being dragged up. It's a tougher challenge to find boyish and beautiful looks on the high street – and I don't know if our boy is actually up to that task.
If the programme lives to see another series – and with about 2 million viewers each episode, it should do – I am pleading with you, Gok, do some non-girly girls for us. And ones that embrace their boyishness and understand that they do not have to switch to a stereotypical feminine image to look a million dollars.
Or better still, take Jo from the home counties out of her maxi dress and sex her up a bit with a biker outfit? |
YOU are not going to want to read this: chocolate cannot be relied upon as a source of antioxidants to boost cardiovascular health. But it gets worse: drinking coffee and red wine in the hope it will prevent heart disease doesn't work either.
Fans of Turkish or Greek coffee have now been warned that their boiled coffee contains more bad cholesterol-bearing oil than filtered Italian coffee varieties.
Dark day ... Experts say health claims about chocolate are baseless.
The brutal news was delivered yesterday by the Heart Foundation following a review of more than 100 international studies on antioxidants from the past decade.
The Heart Foundation's national director of healthy weight, Susan Anderson, said the benefits of dark chocolate, coffee and red wine had been overstated, and the review was conducted following concern that these popular beliefs were misleading the community. |
If you don't deal well with stress, these jobs may not be for you. Thomson Reuters
Do you crack under pressure? Crumble when you're stressed? If so, you'd be better off pursuing a career in science or education than you would in healthcare or law enforcement.
Using data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), a US Department of Labor database full of detailed information on jobs, we found the 41 professions you should avoid if you really don't like stress.
O*NET rates the "stress tolerance" for each job on a scale from zero to 100, where a higher rating signals more stress. To rate each job, O*NET looks at how frequently workers must accept criticism and deal effectively with high stress at work.
The following are jobs that earned a stress tolerance rating of 93 or higher. We've also included how much they pay, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If you're the type of person who thrives under pressure or can stay cool, calm, and collected in high-stress situations, these jobs may be perfect for you. If you're the crack-or-crumble type, you may want to avoid them: |
Former Microsoft Corporate VP and current EA Chief Technology Officer Rajat Taneja has claimed in a LinkedIn post (thanks, GamesIndustry ) that the Xbox One and PS4's architectures are "a generation ahead of the highest end PC on the market."
According to Taneja's assessment, the Xbox One and PS4's " systems-on-a-chip (soc) architecture" not only outdoes the previous consoles with "magnitudes more compute and graphics power," but also bests current high-end PCs. "Their unique design of the hardware, the underlying operating system and the live service layer create one of the most compelling platforms to reimagine game mechanics," he writes.
Given his position (which does make his claims a bit suspect), it's fair to assume that Taneja has had access to both systems, and he may be referring to AMD's Jaguar architecture or other specific technical improvements—we don't doubt MS and Sony have great R&D teams—rather than overall performance. Aside from "raw horsepower," he praises the consoles for new opportunities to create "dynamic, living worlds" with real time updates, better social features, and the potential of cross-device play.
But use of "generation" in terms of PC hardware is a bit misleading, and why make the comparison at all?
During the launch of the PS3 and Xbox 360, we heard predictions from people such as analyst Michael Pachter and CNET Executive Editor David Carnoy suggesting the new generation would cause a decline in PC gaming. I've had a hard time, however, finding PC comparisons coming from game producers at the time—if I remember 2006 correctly, it was generally accepted that comparing raw power was futile outside of "console vs. PC" flame wars.
And if I remember incorrectly, maybe there was a lesson to be learned—for Pachter and Carnoy, hindsight is 20/20. PC hardware has shot leagues ahead of Xbox 360 and PS3 hardware. The rise of large-scale digital distribution has created new opportunities for smaller developers to create both niche games and massive phenomena like Minecraft. Over 4 million gamers are logged into Steam as I write, and smaller distributors are seeing success, too. eSports are growing, and new free-to-play business models exploded—Dota 2 recently boasted 329,977 simultaneous users . PC gaming is thriving.
The Xbox One and PS4 dramatically expand what EA and others can offer the console market, but claims of technical superiority over PCs still don't impress. They might validate the hopes of those already planning to purchase a new console, but my ears won't perk up until I hear phrases like "mod support" or "a better market for indie developers." Raw power is part of PC gaming's appeal—and we're skeptical of claims that the new consoles can muster more—but it's also about using that power without restriction.
Now, to be fair, we do occasionally enjoy flexing our processing biceps , too, so let's just wait and see what the benchmarks say when we can analyze the Xbox One's architecture and performance ourselves. |
In an effort to make home automation more affordable to the broad market of homebuyers, Control4 and GreenSky are presenting an alternative to traditional financing options.
Control4 dealers and integrators can now offer GreenSky’s financing program directly to their clients. The program can be used to cover the initial cost of Control4 devices as well as the total integration cost.
Starting in January 2016, all of Control4’s devices and third party devices that work with the platform are eligible for the new financing plans, including no interest and reduced APR.
This can help builders market more connected devices regardless of budget. For example, say your clients want a fully-loaded controllable smart home, but it doesn’t fit into their budget. This new financing plan can allow you to meet their expectations while they are given the time to pay it off.
Builders can first determine the level of home control their clients will be expecting and then receive a financing offer for their clients to accept. In order to be eligible, homebuyers must register and apply for their financing online. Within 48 hours the dealer and client will know if they have been approved, and integration can then begin.
The entire financing process is completed online or through GreenSky’s smartphone app. Builders and integrators can use this new opportunity to offer a wider range of automation devices to their clients.
This new partnership may stand out to clients interested in home automation but are also worried about their overall tech budget. |
Just the other day, DICE released a new trailer for Battlefield 4 called “This is Battlefield,” which not only showcased the kind of multiplayer mayhem you’d expect with their flagship game, but they even showed a few brief seconds of the new maps, too.
For reference, the base game itself will come with 10 multiplayer maps, of which, we know two: Siege of Shanghai and Paracel Storm. While we don’t exactly know the other maps’ names aside from Operation Locker and Golmud Railway, we at least have a few details surrounding them.
Shown below are screen grabs of the aforementioned new maps since, y’know, the video itself zooms past them in a jiffy.
Collected by Symthic Forum member J0hn-Stuart-Mill (via Reddit), the images below are broken down into things we know but bear in mind, this isn’t official and not 100 percent accurate. Also, we’ve omitted any screens that shows Paracel Storm and Siege of Shanghai since they’ve been dissected and played to death at this point.
Aside from the two screenshots, all images below are courtesy of the “This is Battlefield” trailer.
Tropical Resort Map
This is definitely not Siege of Shanghai, and not likely the the dam/levee breaking map, since this map you can clearly see palm trees, while in the shots of the Levee map you see deciduous trees. Also the C Flag’s name is “Hotel” so it seems this is a Tropical Resort Map.
For the snow map, we now have official confirmation from BF4 Lead Gameplay Designer Alan Kertz that it is indeed the same map as “Operation Locker.”
Operation Locker
Another thing to keep an eye out here is that we can see frost building up on the player’s FOV (field-of-view), which is a nice touch and if I’m not mistaken, DICE used for the first time in multiplayer in 2010’s Medal of Honor reboot and you can see that in effect below.
Icicles from the ceiling and frost effect around the FOV.
The screens below bear a resemblance with Operation Locker but have no “frost effect” on them. This might mean that they are different maps, or the snow effect is part of Levolution and will come at a specific point in the match/map as an added dynamic.
J0hn-Stuart-Miller noticed that some of these non-frost screenshots were presented in the trailer next to Operation Locker, but they do not resemble it at all, so we really can’t say for sure if they are the same.
In the next screens, it shows the levee that floods the city, and yes, I assume this is the same map shown in the E3 “Levolution” trailer.
Speaking of the levee, here’s a detailed look at the differences behind another stage which has a dam breaking but with no water. We can’t say for sure that it’s not the same map, but J0hn-Stuart-Mill does a very good job of disseminating it.
This shot is from the Levolution trailer, as the levee breaks and floods the city. It is clear there is no water behind this one, and is visually very different from the levee that breaks. I included it because it shows Birch Trees, which are not native to the same regions that palm trees are, and palm trees are outside the fancy hotel seen in the one and only screenshot we have of the third city-looking map, Map #1, which might be a Tropical Resort. My point here is, the tropical resort map is NOT this map, and not likely to be the Levee map, and these two along with Shanghai are the only maps we see of very modern buildings.
Note Giant Dam wall behind it. Patrick Bach confirmed that there is both a Levee map that floods, and a Dam destruction map that does NOT flood the city (ED: Yep, Bach confirmed this). It doesn’t make sense though, why it would violently hurl bits of itself into the city. This is the map from the Battlefield Blog post about Commander Mode.
Next up is a ton of shots of Golmud Railway, which looks to be a map similar in scope and feel to those in BF3’s Armored Kill expansion.
Golmud Railway
First Image shows the Factory, second image shows more of the map.
Factory Visible below as well.
Matching Mountains with above.
And these mountains match the silohette with above as well:
Notice the new jeep on the lower right:
The non-snowy peaks here match the mountains from above as well.
The next map the trailer reveals is the one with a giant radio telescope. It does bear resemblance to Caspian Border’s falling structure, as well as Kharg Island’s towers which was the favorite perch of snipers.
This is likely the new Radio Telescope that just began construction in 2011 and it’s very similar to the Giant Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico called Arecibo Observatory. Notice the base of this pillar matches the support pillar from the first screenshot of this map.
And finally, we have what they’re calling the “Conifer Forest Map” (not the official name).
We don’t see much of the forest map in this trailer, but it is featured in the Levolution trailer more prominently where the player throws a grenade into a rail-car and closes the door, and the reason I am pretty sure it’s a unique map since none of the other maps feature a forest of conifer trees. So this forest map is likely the one we’ve seen the least of.
So, final tally here’s what we can expect from the game’s 10 base multiplayer maps at launch:
1. Island Map – Paracel Storm (Not pictured in this thread)
2. Snow Map (#2)
3. Additional map with a hotel and palm trees as a setting, possibly tropical resort themed
3. 2 or 3 Urban/City Maps (Siege of Shanghai, Levee Flooding Map #3, and Dam destruction map #4
4. 2 or 3 Indoors or Underground Maps
5. 3 or 4 Wilderness Maps (Rural, Radio Telescope Research Station, or Forest Oriented
Again, these are not confirmed by DICE and we are going with what we know so far.
Based on the screens above, what map are you itching to give a go first? Also, might just be me but there doesn’t seem to be a counterpart to Operation Metro in BF4 — which can both be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view.
For more BF4 news, make sure you read on how “100Erect_Penises” has made its way into DICE’s latest trailer, and how EA won’t stop until they take the FPS crown from Call of Duty. |
In response to “Gun grabbers revealed” by Curt Stone (May 3):
Filed in June 2013, Initiative 594 is written in agreement with over 85 percent of National Rifle Association members. If enacted, the initiative would prevent gun sales/transfers to violent felons and those judged to be mentally ill, as in found mentally incompetent to stand trial for a crime already committed. Unfortunately, this being an initiative from the people of this state, Stone was unable to blame President Obama and his ilk. No legislators involved.
Were this initiative passed in the next election, it would not have any effect on the Second Amendment. There are lots of problems in our state; this is yet to be one of them. The only events pushing this legislation are the multiple mass attacks on large groups of people by the mentally ill. Pick any state; same thing applies.
The real issue with this initiative is that the state will never be able to provide an accurate and current database for use by individuals selling or transferring firearms. Our legislators have returned home bragging about their victory over the budget. Nothing was accomplished and all business has been delayed. Sadly, they are proud of this.
Carlos Weber
Northport, Wash. |
Welcome to Wines ‘Til Sold Out! Whether you are a returning member or coming across WTSO for the first time, you've come to the right online wine shop for flash wine sales that will change the way you shop for your wine.
Who We Are
Since our beginnings a decade ago, our online wine store's membership base and service area have grown, but our goal has always been the same: to let our members experience the world's best wine at inexpensive prices. To achieve this, our flash wine sales feature only top wines selected by our team, all at inexpensive, discounted prices.
Over the years, WTSO has made connections with many of the greatest wine sellers, winemakers, and distributors in the world, allowing us to cultivate an unmatched online product selection and pass on significant savings to our members. We are delighted to be able to provide our members with our favorite wines, from the best French White Bordeaux to sweet American Cabernet Sauvignon to that dry yet easy-drinking Italian Chianti wine.
How It Works
WTSO is proud to do business with hundreds of wineries and distributors online, and we are always looking for new brands to feature on our website. Each bottle that we offer is hand-picked with careful consideration toward every aspect of the wine. Once we have chosen a wine that meets the standards that our members have come to expect, we queue it to be featured for sale in our online wine store.
The bottle will then become part of a flash wine sale, wherein we offer that specific bottle for a limited period of time or until it is gone. Due to the high quality and sometimes rare nature of the wines we offer, wine deals online can last as little as one or two hours before selling out.
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Commitment to Quality
A large part of what has made WTSO one of the world's most popular online wine stores retailers of wine is our unwavering commitment to the quality of the products that we sell.
Deciding which wines to feature in our shop is no simple task. As part of our company policy, we would never offer any brand or product that we would not happily drink ourselves. That's why we carefully deliberate over each bottle and select only products we truly feel are good enough to be featured for sale on our site.
It is this dedication to quality that keeps our members coming back week after week and bottle after bottle. With a strong emphasis on finding some of the most unique and sought-after wines available, WTSO's wine retailers guarantee that you will never be disappointed with the product you receive.
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In addition to our current featured offer, WTSO gives members an opportunity to receive extra wine delivery gifts from a hand-selected collection of wines. These inexpensive offers involve a themed group of wines that are grouped together by our team of experts specifically for your enjoyment. They're great for expanding your palate or for when you're gift-shopping.
Since the offer changes approximately once a month, you might find a bonus offer for sparkling wines one month, a group of sweet Italian white wines the next, and wines from a single vintage the month after that. Just like our ongoing current offer, these bonus wines are available to buy at discounted prices.
Marathons
We are always excited to offer WTSO Marathon Days, a fan favorite among members. While we provide our members with the top deals on quality wine every day of the year, we also hold occasional flash sale Marathons, where we typically sell out of over 70 wines in one day.
Each Marathon features various types of wine, from French and Italian favorites to new American varietals of white wine, and includes our company-wide offer of free shipping with minimum purchase.
When it comes to WTSO Marathons, however, it is important to act fast. Each wine variety tends to sell out within 15 minutes or less! To keep an eye out for our next Marathon Day, subscribe to our newsletter.
Weekly Tastings
Yet another popular deal from WTSO allows you to taste different wines every single week - for just $39.99-99.99 per order. When you sign up for Weekly Tasting, you will receive the week's tasting set of four different bottles, with no added shipping cost.
Not only are our wine deals online a good way to broaden your knowledge and wine-tasting palate, but they can also inspire social gatherings that may quickly become the highlight of your entire week. And don't worry if you don't know your dry Italian Cabernet Sauvignon wine from your sparkling Beaujolais wine, or your wine vintages from your varietals — each tasting set comes with educational material so you can learn while you enjoy each bottle!
Each set is themed by origin or varietal. When you shop for our wine online, you can learn more about almost any type, including:
French wines
Italian wines
Red wine
White wine
And it doesn't stop there. One of the things you can rely on with these wine sets is variety. On one week you could look forward to receiving French white wine and Italian red wine. And as you order each new pack, you could expect sweet white wine and a crisp rosé. The possibilities are endless; and you can't find such combinations at just any wine store.
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As an online membership-based wine seller, we believe our members are truly what make it possible for us to do what we do at WTSO. For that reason, we are committed to providing 100% customer satisfaction to each and every person who becomes a member of our online wine shop.
Our dedication to our members includes a store policy of total customer service empowerment. If you are in any way not fully satisfied with your purchase — for any reason — a representative on our wine store's customer service team will grant you a refund or replacement immediately.
Our team can always be reached by email or phone, and is available to answer questions and address wine mailing or product issues. No matter the reason for your call, whether you forget the name of that Italian wine you loved or you didn't receive what you expected, we'll be more than happy to hear from you!
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Once you have become a member, all that's left to do is start shopping to receive the daily wine deals you've been wanting! When you find a bottle (or multiple bottles) that you want, they will be shipped from our climate-controlled warehouse in secure packaging in just a few days.
Become a WTSO member today to experience the best flash wine sale site on the internet! |
A Pakistani court has upheld the death sentence of a Christian woman whose 2010 conviction for blasphemy led to the assassination of two politicians who supported her, a defense lawyer said Friday.
Asia Bibi, a 50-year-old mother of five, had appealed before the Lahore High Court against the ruling, in which she was found guilty of insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad, but the court rejected her appeal Thursday, her lawyer said.
"We have the right to appeal in 30 days, and we will continue this legal battle by approaching the Supreme Court of Pakistan," Sardar Mushtaq said.
Bibi's case drew global criticism in 2011 when Pakistan's minister for minorities Shahbaz Bhatti and eastern Punjab governor Salman Taseer were killed for supporting her and opposing blasphemy laws. Taseer was killed in the capital Islamabad by one of his police guards after visiting Bibi in jail. Bhati was killed months later by the Pakistani Taliban, who called him an "infidel Christian."
Under Pakistani blasphemy laws, insulting the Quran or the Prophet Muhammad can be punished with life imprisonment or death. Experts say the laws often are exploited for personal gain.
Pakistan imposed a moratorium on executions in 2008 and has never executed anyone convicted of blasphemy. Instead, such cases usually linger on appeal.
Mushtaq said Bibi was arrested after Muslim women told a cleric in a village in the eastern Punjab province that she had made "derogatory remarks" about the prophet. He said the trouble began when the women objected to Bibi using their drinking glass because she was not a Muslim, setting off a heated verbal exchange.
"We have a strong case, and we will try our best to save her life," he told The Associated Press.
Another one of Bibi's lawyers, Naeem Shakir, said his client had been involved in a dispute with her neighbors and that her accusers had contradicted themselves. But Gulam Mustafa, the lawyer for the complainant, said the court's decision was correct.
"Asia's lawyer tried to prove that the case was registered on a personal enmity but he failed to prove that," he said.
International and local human rights groups have called for amending blasphemy laws introduced by the military dictator Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in 1980s.
"This is a grave injustice," said David Griffiths, Amnesty's deputy Asia Pacific director. He said there were serious concerns about the fairness of the trial. "Her mental and physical health has reportedly deteriorated badly during the years she has spent in almost total isolation on death row. She should be released immediately and the conviction should be quashed," he said.
Wire services |
Rumor has it that we'll get a long-overdue hardware refresh for the Apple TV set-top box at WWDC this year, along with an SDK that will let developers make applications for the platform without Apple's direct involvement. One feature it apparently won't include, however, is higher-resolution video support: BuzzFeed reports that the box won't support 4K output.
This is primarily because 4K is far from a mainstream feature—it still doesn't have wide support from the studios that produce content, the cable and streaming providers that serve that content, and the consumers who view that content. The report suggests that the storage and bandwidth costs associated with 4K video are high enough that it won't become a mainstream feature for some time.
The current Apple TV box is just over three years old and it's long past time for an upgrade, especially if Apple plans to let developers make apps that do things other than stream video. It has 512MB of RAM and a single-core version of the four-year-old Apple A5 SoC, and while that's sufficient for 1080p video streams, the Apple A8 will run circles around it in general performance. Rumors of a new Apple TV have been circulating for years, but there are signs that Apple is finally ready to move ahead with its plans: the old Apple TV got a fair amount of stage time at the company's March product event, and the Apple TV now "starts at $69" even though the $69 model is the only one you can currently buy. |
The Bank of Canada says the country's job-creation record since the recession is likely a little less impressive than the fall in the unemployment rate would suggest.
The central bank says in a new research paper that the unemployment rate, although the most quoted measure of labour market health, has overestimated the jobs recovery in Canada, and particularly in the U.S.
The paper, by economists Konrad Zmitrowicz and Mikael Khan, estimates Canada lost 430,000 jobs in the recession, with unemployment rising from 5.9 per cent in May 2007 to a peak of 8.7 per cent in October 2009.
It has since recovered those lost jobs and created 600,000 more, but "an unusually large share of the unemployed have
been out of work for six months or more, and many workers who would like to work full time have been able to obtain only part-time employment."
Labour underutilized
The unemployment rate in December 2013 was around 7.2 per cent, but that figure does not accurately measure underutilization of labour in the Canadian economy, the authors say,
Khan and Zmitrowicz create a composite labour market indicator — LMI — that combines factors such as long-term unemployment, wage growth and average hours worked that attempts to paint a more accurate picture of what has occurred since the recession of 2008-09.
In the recovery period between 2010 and 2013, the bank says the unemployment rate fell 0.9 percentage points.
But the LMI fell only 0.5 percentage points during the period, suggesting the improvement in the labour market has not been as good as the drop in unemployment indicates.
Long-term unemployment, defined as being out of work for more than 27 weeks, has been a significant problem in the post-recession recovery, the report says.
"Most alarming, long-term unemployment can be self-perpetuating, since workers who face extended periods of unemployment, in particular, may find new employment increasingly difficult to obtain. Lower wages and loss of employment opportunities could be the result of the loss of skills or the stigma employers attach to workers who have been unemployed for a long time," the report says.
In Canada, the percentage of the labour force considered long-term unemployed doubled to 20 per cent in 2011, with some people dropping out of the labour force altogether. However, Khan and Zmitrowicz say the picture has improved since then in Canada, while in the U.S. there is a larger percentage of long-term unemployed.
U.S. situation worse, bank says
In the United States, the inaccuracy of the picture presented by a falling unemployment rate is worse, because it shows joblessness dropping from 10 per cent to 6.7 per cent, though the labour market is far weaker.
The bank concludes that policymakers need to consider the broad range of employment indicators for a truer picture of labour market health.
In another research paper issued Tuesday, the bank notes that the loonie has gained in prominence as a global reserve currency since the recession, and now accounts for about 1.8 per cent of the total with world reserve holdings valued at about $200 billion US.
The bank also examined the growth of so-called digital currencies, such as bitcoin and Amazon coins, concluding that while they have the potential to challenge more traditional currencies, none is widely used at the moment. |
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber announced last week during the MLS All Star Game that the league would be expanding to 24 teams by the year 2020. Who will these additional 4 franchises be? We reached out to a number of people in the know from prospective MLS cities and asked them, why their city? It's a series we're calling MLS2020. You can join in on the conversation on Twitter using #MLS2020. Next up, we talk to Warren Smith, president of Sacramento Republic FC about Sacramento, California.
Total-MLS (TMLS): The league has released a number of criteria that they will base their expansion decision on. Let’s hit on each of the criteria.
Committed and engaged ownership: Are there any groups currently stepping forward to bring MLS to Sacramento and what is their plan for making these intentions known?
Warren Smith (WS): A group led by Warren Smith has launched a USL PRO club, Sacramento Republic FC, and the franchise will play its inaugural season in early 2014. With past USL PRO franchises serving as a stepping stone toward becoming MLS expansion teams, Smith hopes to follow a similar path in Sacramento.
TMLS: A comprehensive stadium plan: Are there any discussions or plans in place for a soccer specific stadium in the Sacramento area?
WS: The club is evaluating on an ongoing basis a number of potential soccer specific stadium sites and plans, each of which is oriented toward establishing a strong presence in the Sacramento urban core. We are excited about these possibilities, and we look forward to sharing more publicly at the appropriate time.
TMLS: Demonstrated fan support for professional soccer in the market: Soccer has always been big in California. What will the fan support be like in Sacramento with 3 California based teams already in MLS?
We have already seen strong support from our fans. Over 14,000 came out in full force last month for Sacramento Soccer Day. Additionally, we have started taking season ticket deposits and requests have been flooding our phone lines and online deposit system. The Sacramento region has a unique identity and always has been its own market – residents want to support, and have a robust history of supporting, organizations, businesses and franchises that are local.
TMLS: Support from sponsors, television partners and other constituents: What support does Sacramento have in place from these parties?
WS: Sacramento Republic FC has established a television media partnership with CBS13. For Sacramento Soccer Day in July, the club successfully arranged and implemented several key sponsorships, including those from Supercuts, UC Davis Children’s Hospital and Togo’s. (Click here for a complete list of sponsors). We anticipate that the number and nature of the club’s sponsors and media partners will expand further as the club approaches commencement of its inaugural season.
Additionally, both the Sacramento and West Sacramento Mayors have announced their full support of the franchise, as have other elected officials and organizations, including the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, Downtown Sacramento Partnership and Sacramento Sports Commission.
TMLS: Geographic location: With the 3 California teams already in the league, Sacramento would have some great natural rivals. What makes Sacramento a good location for expansion?
WS: As a potential destination for MLS expansion, Sacramento continues to evolve and distinguish itself as the perfect location for professional soccer at the highest level. All indications are that MLS will expand in the West and South. Sacramento is the most prime location on the West Coast and, as you referenced, is ideally situated to foster vibrant rivalries with existing West Coast MLS franchises. Also, with the Sacramento Kings being the only major league professional team in town, the city is one of the most underserved media markets in the country. Additionally, the region already has a massive amount of soccer players, at both the youth and adult levels, as well as a vast multi-cultural demographic. Further, and to emphasize the point about fostering strong rivalries, Sacramento is a rabid sports town known for passionate support of its teams. For example, the Kings have two of the five longest NBA sellout streaks and the Sacramento River Cats has been identified by Forbes as the most valuable Triple-A baseball team in the country.
TMLS: A strategic business plan for the launch and successful operation of the club: What kind of plan do you think Sacramento will put in place to make sure their franchise is successful?
WS: The first step is proving Sacramento as a compelling professional soccer market, by building the Sacramento Republic FC into a successful USL PRO club. A key part of that undertaking is to engage personnel whol are experienced, knowledgeable and committed, not just to the club or sport as a whole, but to the City of Sacramento and its fans. We have been successful thus far in organizing such a front office. For example, we have hired Graham Smith to be the club’s technical director and Preki as its head coach. Both have been involved in soccer at its highest level and bring years of experience to Sacramento Republic FC. In addition, we are keenly aware that a soccer-specific stadium will need to be built – one that is in or near an urban core, much like Downtown Sacramento.
TMLS: Finally, why should Sacramento be chosen for a MLS expansion franchise and what are the chances it does happen?
WS: After talks with MLS representatives, we know Sacramento is on the radar for an expansion team. We know we need to continue to work to build a successful USL PRO franchise and show just how supportive Sacramento-area fans are of Sac Republic FC. We are enthused about meeting that challenge, and we feel that if we do so, then the merits of the Sacramento region as a home for a MLS franchise will become even more evident.
We'd like to thank Warren for his time and if you have any comments or questions you can tweet us or Sacramento Republic FC and use #MLS2020. You can also read more about Sacramento's new USL Pro team at Sacramento Republic FC's site.
(image courtesy of sacrepublicfc.com) |
Updated, 10/27: Six new cases of fungal meningitis have been reported in the outbreak linked to steroid injections manufactured by a Massachusetts pharmacy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Saturday, bringing the total to 344 cases of infection in 18 states and 25 deaths.
Original: Federal health inspectors found "greenish black foreign matter" growing in dozens of vials of supposedly sterile drugs linked to a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis at a Massachusetts pharmacy, plus evidence of bacteria and mold throughout the site, newly released documents show.
When officials later tested 50 of those vials, they found that all 50 were contaminated.
Contamination throughout the facility was documented by the company itself as far back as January and through September, a new report from the Food and Drug Administration found. In some cases surfaces were overgrown with visible mold.
Although documentation by the New England Compounding Center of Framingham, Mass., stated that the raw materials used to make epidural steroid pain injections were sterile, there was no evidence that that was actually the case, according to FDA inspectors who visited the plant on Oct. 1 and 2, Oct. 9, Oct. 15 and Oct. 23.
That's all according to the release Friday of inspection documents tied to the outbreak. On Saturday, the CDC said 337 people developed fungal meningitis, had strokes or other central-nervous system infections, while seven developed infections after injections in joints such as hips, elbows and knees.
In addition, the equipment used for steam sterilization, an autoclave, was tarnished with "greenish-yellow discoloration" and a leaking boiler just outside a clean room created wet floors soiled with "thick white debris" and "thick, black granular material."
NECC was "unable to demonstrate" that the autoclave was capable of sterilizing the drugs, said Steven Lynn, director of the FDA's Office of Manufacturing and Product Quality. In addition, there were several problems with maintenance of the company's clean room. For instance, the company turned off the air conditioning used for temperature control at night, which is not standard practice.
"In a properly functioning clean room, it reduces the risk of contamination," Lynn said.
The federal inspectors' results mirror those released earlier this week by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Officials there said the NECC violated regulations by distributing large batches of sterilized drugs for general use rather than requiring individual patient prescriptions as required under terms governing compounding pharmacies.
In addition, inspectors said the firm released two lots of the recalled steroid drugs before receiving results of sterility testing. NECC also failed to follow proper standards for autoclaving, or sterilizing drugs using high pressure steam. In particular, inspectors said, the firm did not keep products in the autoclave for the minimum 20 minutes required to ensure sterility.
In addition, inspectors found a leaking boiler outside the firm's "clean room" that created an environment ripe for the growth of mold or other contaminants. And, they found floor mats visibly soiled with debris outside the clean room door.
The FDA observed the greenish-black contamination in 83 vials of a bin of 321 vials of methylprednisolone, the steroid tied to the growing outbreak. Seventeen vials appeared to contain "white filamentous material."
FDA officials noted that the inspection document is a snapshot in time and the investigation is continuing.
For more information, including a list of health care facilities that received vials from NECC, go CDC.gov
Related stories: |
Posted 5 years ago on Sept. 2, 2013, 4:14 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: 1%, #S17, Great Depression, robin hood tax
Don't believe this outrageous crap about the rich paying 37% of the taxes in America and the poor paying none. It's a trick. A spin on statistics to make it seem as if the rich are overtaxed. They aren't. But they damn well should be. We're in this mess because of them.
Be careful when you hear or read anything regarding the PERCENTAGE of OVERALL FEDERAL INCOME taxes paid by any particular group. It's a terribly misleading statistic. The rich pay a larger PERCENTAGE of OVERALL FEDERAL INCOME taxes now than 10 years ago because they have a larger PERCENTAGE of OVERALL INCOME in the United States now, than 10 years ago. That statistic regarding 37% of Federal Income Taxes is one of the most misleading in the history of propaganda.
When you account for all FEDERAL, STATE, and LOCAL taxes and fees, the middle class actually pay about the same rate (as a percentage of income) as the rich. The difference is within 5 percent. It shouldn't be that way. The rich should pay a MUCH higher rate simply because they are horribly over-paid. We aren't. They own 43% of all financial wealth in America. We share the rest. But it gets even more disgusting. The devil is in the details.
Corporate profits have been partially subsidized with federal, state, and local revenue. This benefit has been hoarded at the top. Business managers make up the largest group of one percent club pigs (followed by attorneys, doctors, and celebrities). Plus 40% of the market is owned by the top 1%. Their record territory dividends have been partially subsidized by federal, state, and local revenue. The benefits have not been shared proportionally with the little guy. The lopsided division of growth across quintiles proves it.
The income for richest one percent has grown more than 10 times faster than the middle percentile over the last 30 years. This is true EVEN AFTER taxes. When you account for inflation and the actual cost of living (tied to record high profits in energy, finance, and healthcare), the middle class have actually lost relative buying power while the top 1% have drastically increased their income and bottom line wealth.
In 1976 (when their tax rates were much higher), the top one percent reaped 9 percent of all private income and held less than 20 percent of all private wealth in America. Now, they reap 21 percent of all private income and hold 40 percent of all private wealth. Meanwhile, the lower majority (those who are still employed) are working more hours and have less to show for it.
Just to make it crystal clear: The rich do not pay 37% of all taxes. Not even close. They pay roughly 37% of all FEDERAL INCOME TAXES which account for less than 1/2 of total government revenue. The rest is drawn from a number of sources and across income levels. The rich harp on this 'Federal Income Tax' statistic because it leads people to believe that they pay 37% of ALL taxes. They don't. Not even close. Their share as a group represents about their share of income. The difference is within 5 percent. In fact, the 2nd percentile actually pays a slightly higher rate on average than the top percentile.
The richest 500 Americans hold more personal wealth than the lower 150 million Americans combined. These richest 500 Americans pay an effective rate of under 15%.
If the rich want to pay a lower share of the taxes in America, then they should get themselves a lower share of the income in America. In other words, don't be so rich to begin with. After all, this obscene concentration of wealth actually CAUSES economic instability. It CAUSES poverty. It will CAUSE the next Great Depression.
No more excuses.
RAISE THOSE GOD DAMN TAXES ON THE RICH!
There is a simple fix. It is called the Robin Hood Tax. Simply put, the big idea behind the Robin Hood Tax is to generate hundreds of billions of dollars. That money could provide funding for jobs to kickstart the economy and get all of us back on our feet. It could help save the social safety net both here, and internationally. And it will come from fairer taxation of the financial sector.
1% from the 1%?
Why not? Let's dream big for each other, let's do it on Wall Street on September 17th. |
It has been a long time coming but the BMA have finally announced that the “Pun Pun” Bike Rental scheme will launch on 1st May at 12 stations around Central Bangkok. This is a far cry from their original promise of 50 stations and 500 bicycles around Bangkok by February 2013. But it is a good start. Hopefully if it is well used then they will be encouraged to add more stations in the future. The 12 stations include Chamchuri Square, Siam Square, Siam Center, Chula University 1 (Science Building), Chula university 2 (Opposite Triam Udom), MBK, Siam Paragon, Central World 1 (Rama 1 Rd), Central World 2 (Ratchdamri Rd), Krungsi (Ploenchit), Convent (North Sathorn) and Rajanakarn Building (South Sathorn). I will add these stations to the map below as soon as I have confirmed the exact locations.
View larger map
To be able to use these bikes you need to register for a RFID smart card (see below) which I already have. The price on the receipt was 320 Baht which was broken down as follows: 120 Baht for the RFID smart card, 100 Baht credit on the card and 100 Baht membership for one year. From the information that I have so far, it is free for the first 15 minutes which is enough to go between two stations. If you go over this time then it is 15 Baht for the first hour. The longer you have the bike the cheaper it will be. It is 20 Baht for three hours, 40 Baht for five hours and 60 Baht for six hours. For one day the rental fee is 100 Baht. The rental fee includes full insurance. The official website is www.punpunbikeshare.com but there isn’t anything in English yet. I will update as soon as I have more details. |
The Cubs have claimed right-hander Liam Hendriks off waivers from the Twins, reports La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (on Twitter). Hendriks had been designated for assignment last week to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Phil Hughes.
Hendriks, still just 24 years old, makes for a nice buy-low option for the Cubs. The 25-year-old ranked sixth and seventh on the Baseball America's Top 10 Twins prospects lists from 2010-11 and has a solid minor league history. The Australian righty has a 3.61 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 254 career innings at Triple-A and a career 2.99 ERA in the minors as a whole.
Hendriks has been unable to put it together in three Major League stints, however, as evidenced by his bloated 6.06 ERA in 156 innings. He's averaged 5.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in those 156 frames to go along with a below-average 40.4 percent ground-ball rate. Hendriks barely averages better than 90 mph on his fastball, leading to too much hard contact when it's in the zone, as evidenced by a 23.3 percent line-drive rate from his opponents that has helped bloat his career BABIP to .330.
In their most recent write-up of Hendriks (prior to the 2011 campaign), Baseball America noted that Hendriks had the ceiling of a No. 3 starter if he could continue to keep his fastball down in the zone to pair with a solid slider and above-average changeup. |
zANTI is a comprehensive network diagnostics toolkit that enables complex audits and penetration tests at the push of a button. It provides cloud-based reporting that walks you through simple guidelines to ensure network safety.
zANTI offers a comprehensive range of fully customizable scans to reveal everything from authentication, backdoor and brute-force attempts to database, DNS and protocol-specific attacks – including rogue access points.
zANTI produces an Automated Network Map that shows any vulnerabilities of a given target.
Pick your audit
zANTI offers a host of penetration-testing features, including everything from Man-In-The-Middle and password complexity audits to port monitoring and a sophisticated packet sniffer.
End the discussion
zANTI employs advanced cloud-based reporting that makes it easy to demonstrate flaws and rationalize budgeting for necessary network upgrades.
Keep it simple
zANTI offers a user-friendly web-based interface that turns complex audits into a walk in the park; to quote Forbes, it’s “as polished as a video game”. |
4 Ways to Have More Time Each Day
Amy M Haddad Blocked Unblock Follow Following Dec 5, 2017
Find pockets of time to make progress on your goals and get stuff done
Photo credit: Pexels Creative Commons Zero license.
“I don’t have time to exercise during the week,” an acquaintance lamented to me recently. Finding time to pursue our goals and hobbies is a common dilemma.
I’ve faced the same challenge, and found some simple solutions over the years. This article explains where I’ve found pockets of time to make significant progress toward my goals.
1. Reduce Time on Digital Communication Tools
The typical American consumer spends a staggering amount of time — five hours each day — on mobile devices. That’s precious time and mental energy that I can put toward writing an article or reading a book.
I’ve written previously about Cal Newport’s notion of digital minimalism, and how it’s helped me reduce the time I spend using digital communication tools, like email and social media. And it can help you, too, save time and mental energy.
Newport suggests removing “low-value digital noise,” or digital tools that don’t provide value to your life, and improving your use of the tools that matter. For me, that involved deleting my Facebook account and removing many apps on my phone. A digital minimal lifestyle has not only reduced the digital distraction in my life, but also freed up loads of time.
2. Use the Hours Before and After Work
Say that you work a standard eight-hour day and sleep for eight hours each night. That leaves you eight — yes, eight — hours each day to use as you choose. Use a portion of this time to work on something that’s meaningful to you.
I use the early morning hours to make progress on my writing goals before I head to my day job. My energy and attention are at their peak during this time, and working toward something meaningful is a great way to start my day.
To use my non-work hours effectively, I need to know how and where I’m spending my time. That’s why I make an hour-by-hour plan each evening for the day ahead. So on Monday night I create a plan for Tuesday. I allocate time for my goals and note previously scheduled meetings. For example, “6 A.M. to 8 A.M. write ABC blog post” and “4 P.M. to 5 P.M. attend XYZ meeting.”
This planning process is a simple but powerful way to get the most out of my day. I not only know where my time is going, but I know what my priorities are. When something is a priority, I find a way to make time for it.
3. Commute Effectively
My commute has taken different forms over the years, and I’ve used various methods to get the most out of it. When I had a long train ride, I’d bring my laptop with me and work on an article. When I drove, I listened to lectures. When I rode the bus, I’d read. And when I walked to work, I’d listen to lectures by The Great Courses Plus or Lynda.com to increase my knowledge on a range of subjects, from ancient civilizations to creativity.
Despite your mode of transportation, use your commute to increase your education or make progress on a goal.
4. Take a Lunch Break
A 30-minute break is plenty of time to make progress on a goal and leave me feeling mentally refreshed for the afternoon ahead. I often leave my desk and read a book during this time. Reading a few pages each day adds up to a few books a year, just from lunchtime reading! Working out is another option, if your job allows the flexibility. This is a great way to get your exercise in for the day and get a boost of energy.
Above all, simply being aware of how you spend your time is an effective first step. Oftentimes people don’t realize how much time they spend checking email or social media, for example. Ten minutes here and five minutes there checking email add up over the course of a day, let alone a week. Then, cut out the unimportant stuff and find the most efficient way to complete everyday tasks. Doing so will undoubtedly give you more time each day to get stuff done.
If you enjoyed this article, then subscribe to my blog newsletter. I’ll send you an email when new articles are published. Thanks for reading! |
Book Review // Trouble in the Tribe
Trouble in the Tribe:
The American Jewish Conflict over Israel
Dov Waxman
Princeton University Press
2016, pp. 328, $29.95
A Decades-Long Divorce
by Jay Michaelson
If you ever want to convince someone not to be Jewish, invite them to an argument over Israel. The rancor, the ignorance, the accusations of racism and anti-Semitism—there’s a reason the topic is often banned from polite conversation: The conversation is rarely polite.
How did we get to this point, where what was once a uniting force is now so divisive?
Longtime Middle East politics expert and Northeastern University professor Dov Waxman attempts to tell us in his new volume Trouble in the Tribe: The American Jewish Conflict over Israel (too jocular a title for such an important, depressing book). He has succeeded, but has also managed to surprise this bruised, cynical veteran of the “conflict” (I play a bit part in the book) several times—and to make me even more pessimistic about it.
As a primer on the American Jewish machloket (argument) over Israel, Trouble in the Tribe is extremely useful. Its data is copious but skimmable; its charts are handy; its perspective mostly balanced. (Waxman tilts a bit leftward at times, but center-left.) It is an excellent guide for the perplexed.
I suspect that most Moment readers are familiar with the basic contours of the debate, so I’m going to skip to the surprising parts.
Here’s one: Most American Jews aren’t Zionists. Of course, an overwhelming majority supports the State of Israel, but American Jews don’t see themselves as living in exile, don’t see Israel as their primary home and don’t have any real understanding of Zionist ideology per se. They are powerfully attached to the Jewish state, but for tribal, sentimental and religious reasons, not ideological ones.
Moreover, Waxman shows that the love affair between American Jews and Israel is, itself, mostly myth. Waxman shows how little Israel mattered—prior to 1967—to a postwar American Jewish populace struggling to make it here at home. And today, fewer than one-third of non-Orthodox American Jews believe that “caring about Israel is essential to being Jewish.”
In fact, Waxman argues (supported by an impressive aggregation of data), the American-Israeli honeymoon was only ten years long. The Six-Day War was when we fell in love. It transformed U.S. policy toward Israel, shifting from Eisenhower’s ambivalence to Nixon-Kissinger’s full-on support, thus removing the stigma of dual loyalty. Moreover, a growing American engagement with the Holocaust promoted the “from Holocaust to rebirth” narrative that cast Israel in the victorious role not just over Nasser but over Hitler, too. Most importantly, the Six-Day War made Israel into a source of pride for American Jews. Israel was the Jewish Superman myth made real.
According to Waxman, the American Jewish honeymoon ended a decade later with the sudden rise of the Israeli right, whose policies bitterly divided American Jews. The marriage hit the skids in 1982 after the Sabra and Shatila massacre of Palestinian and Lebanese Shiites by Israeli-backed militias. Despite a brief rekindling of the flame in 1993, when Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and P.L.O. Chairman Yasser Arafat shook hands on the White House lawn, the American Jewish community has been undergoing a slow, grinding divorce for decades now.
The divorce is, in part, between American Jews and Israel, but it is more between different segments of the American Jewish community. This is Waxman’s central point: that our arguments about Israel are, in large part, actually about fissures in the American Jewish community itself.
On one side are Orthodox Jews (roughly 10 percent of the Jewish population), the “Jewish Establishment” and the donors and activists to whom that establishment is accountable. Waxman unearths some great quotes from former Anti-Defamation League director Abe Foxman, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations head Malcolm Hoenlein and others, admitting proudly that they represent not all Jews, but only those Jews who care enough to get involved, or at least give money to the cause. Not surprisingly, those most motivated to get involved and give money tend to have higher levels of Jewish pride and patriotism, so the Jewish Establishment inevitably tilts rightward.
On the other side, though, are not the peaceniks—Waxman’s data shows that they, too, are a somewhat small minority of American Jews. Rather, the real other side is the “silent majority” of basically centrist American Jews who are not particularly connected to the Jewish Establishment and thus are not represented by it. These Jews, Waxman says, support a two-state solution and real negotiations to get there—but they don’t really trust the Palestinians, either. They support President Obama’s occasional pressure on the Netanyahu government—but not too much pressure. They oppose settlements—but don’t think they’re a primary cause of the impasse. They would be Labor party voters in Israel, J Street supporters in the U.S.—but they tend not to care enough, in sufficient numbers, to move the needle of American Jewish opinion.
Waxman quotes my Forward colleague J.J. Goldberg as noting, ruefully, that politics is often like this: the extremes are loud and angry, and the sensible majority in the middle is ignored. Of course, the middle isn’t just apathetic; those centrists who do get involved are often pilloried by right and left. Here, while Waxman does discuss the Open Hillel movement and other efforts to carve out space that is pro-Israel but also inclusive of debate, nuance and ambivalence, he pays less attention to how a handful of mega-donors—Schusterman, Adelson and others—work hard to destroy those very spaces.
The divorce is, in part, between American Jews and Israel, but it is more between different segments of the American Jewish community…our arguments about Israel are, in large part, actually about fissures in the American Jewish community itself.
Arguably, there are gag rules on all sides: It’s close to impossible to be an open Zionist in some academic associations today. But the center isn’t just ignored by the Jewish establishment; it is often shunned, silenced and excluded. Ironically, as Waxman observes, these efforts often accomplish the opposite of their objective: Insisting that college students’ BDS-supporting friends are, in fact, inveterate anti-Semites is a good way to alienate those students.
Waxman may also go too far in making his case that the “conflict” is mostly about American Jews themselves. Is it? At the end of the day, if Israel weren’t enforcing an occupation, fewer American Jews would be conflicted about it. What’s changed over the past 40 years is that the Israeli right has moved further and further rightward, and—a bit like Donald Trump in our country—made previously unthinkable policies (transfer, loyalty oaths, indefinite occupation) part of the Israeli conversation.
Of course, that, too, is an American phenomenon: American Jewish and Evangelical dollars are building the settlements, paying for right-wing propaganda (such as Sheldon Adelson’s Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom) and underwriting Israeli right-wing candidates. Maybe the conflict is about American Jews after all—just not in the way Waxman describes.
In dourly looking toward the future, however, Waxman seems spot-on—and devastating. Having noted that Orthodox Jews radically disagree with Conservative, Reform and other Jews on Israel, Waxman traces the trendlines and predicts a Jewish community increasingly fragmented between a growing Orthodox community and, well, everyone else. We are likely moving toward a time in which a religious, conservative, particularistic American Jewish community supports a religious (or religio-nationalistic), conservative, particularistic Israeli one.
In Israel, religious Zionism and revisionist Zionism used to be minority opinions, far outweighed by a mostly secular, mostly liberal consensus (a consensus that, again, American Jews never quite absorbed). But if Zionism now means not “a nation like other nations” but “the return of God’s chosen people to God’s chosen land,” the results will be a lot like what Israel’s government looks like now: anti-democratic, sectarian and despised by much of the Western world.
“Supporting Israel could become merely an Orthodox cause, not one that unites most American Jews,” Waxman concludes. Looking around at the Celebrate Israel parade and the recent AIPAC conference, where Donald Trump was loudly applauded for defaming President Obama, there does seem to be strong evidence for this warning. And that should give pause to all of us who find ourselves between the extremes, praying for peace and overwhelmed by a nasty, alienating shouting match.
Jay Michaelson is an ordained rabbi, a weekly columnist for The Forward and The Daily Beast, and the author of six books, most recently The Gate of Tears: Sadness & the Spiritual Path. |
BlackBerry Ltd. announced Friday plans to raise US$605 million through the sale of convertible debentures to Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. and a group of institutional investors.
The Waterloo-based smartphone manufacturer also said it will recoup about US$1.25 billion in outstanding 6 per cent debentures on Sept. 2.
The new debt BlackBerry intends to issue will have a 3.75 per cent interest rate and come due in November 2020. The company has entered into an agreement with Fairfax and a group of investors, which will subscribe to the new 3.75 per cent unsecured convertible debentures of the company on a private placement basis. FairFax is Blackberry’s second-largest shareholder, after Primecap Management, and has a stake of about 8.9 per cent.
According to BlackBerry, if the US$605 million of new debt were converted to stock it would represent about 11.57 percent of its outstanding shares.
“The restructuring of our convertible debt will enable us to significantly reduce our interest expense and potential future dilution for our shareholders,” Blackberry’s CEO John Chen said in a media release. “I am pleased that Fairfax will continue as BlackBerry’s leading lender, reinforcing its ongoing commitment to the company as we continue to execute on our strategy of pursuing growth and sustainable profitability.”
A spokesperson for Blackberry told the Financial Post that the company will not be making any further comment.
The trading of shares of the company were briefly halted Friday afternoon, in Toronto on the TSX and in New York on the Nasdaq, before it announced the convertible debenture redemption and the new issuance.
The Waterloo-based mobile phone and software company has struggled to stay afloat in the evolving smartphone market. It recently pivoted its business to emphasize software, and doubled its software revenue on a year-over-year in the first fiscal quarter.
BlackBerry posted a loss of US$690 million in its most recent quarterly financial reports. That it’s hemorrhaging money isn’t news either: the company lost US$238 million in the previous quarter and US$89 million in the quarter before that.
While the company has kept a rosy public face, its underlying financials haven’t given much cause for optimism.
In 2009, the company had 20 per cent of the smartphone market share, which has since fallen to 1 per cent. Its handset division sold 500,000 phones last quarter, or about 100,000 fewer than the quarter before. At its peak, Blackberry was selling millions of phones every quarter.
Since late July, BlackBerry shares have risen to their highest levels since spring, hovering around US$8 on the NASDAQ. The company was rated by Raymond James Financial as “outperform,” who boosted its price target to US$10.50 from US$8. With shares where they are, there could be nearly 30 per cent in upside if Raymond James’ estimates bear out over time.
The company’s Nasdaq listed shares are down US$14.71 in 2016. Its stock was trading at $10.28 before shares were halted on the TSX. |
President Obama's National Defense Resources Preparedness Executive Order of March 16 does to the country as a whole what the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act did to the Constitution in particular -- completely eviscerates any due process or judicial oversight for any action by the Government deemed in the interest of "national security." Like the NDAA, the new Executive Order puts the government completely above the law, which, in a democracy, is never supposed to happen. The United States is essentially now under martial law without the exigencies of a national emergency.
Even as the 2012 NDAA was rooted in the Patriot Act and the various executive orders and Congressional bills that ensued to broaden executive power in the "war on terror," so the new Executive Order is rooted in the Defense Production Act of 1950 which gave the Government powers to mobilize national resources in the event of national emergencies, except now virtually every aspect of American life falls under ultimate unchallengeable government control, to be exercised by the president and his secretaries at their discretion.
The 2012 NDAA deemed the United States a "battlefield," as Senator Lindsey Graham put it, and gave the president and his agents the right to seize and arrest any U.S. citizen, detain them indefinitely without charge or trial, and do so only on suspicion, without any judicial oversight or due process. The new Executive Order states that the president and his secretaries have the authority to commandeer all U.S. domestic resources, including food and water, as well as seize all energy and transportation infrastructure inside the borders of the United States. The Government can also forcibly draft U.S. citizens into the military and force U.S. citizens to fulfill "labor requirements" for the purposes of "national defense." There is not even any Congressional oversight allowed, only briefings.
In the NDAA, only the president had the authority to abrogate legitimate freedoms of U.S. citizens. What is extraordinary in the new Executive Order is that this supreme power is designated through the president to the secretaries that run the Government itself:
• The Secretary of Defense has power over all water resources;
• The Secretary of Commerce has power over all material services and facilities, including construction materials;
• The Secretary of Transportation has power over all forms of civilian transportation;
• The Secretary of Agriculture has power over food resources and facilities, livestock plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment;
• The Secretary of Health and Human Services has power over all health resources;
• The Secretary of Energy has power over all forms of energy.
The Executive Order even stipulates that in the event of conflict between the secretaries in using these powers, the president will determine the resolution through his national security team.
The 2012 NDAA gave the Government the right to abrogate any due process against a U.S. citizen. The new Executive Order gives the government, through the Secretary of Labor, the right to proactively mobilize U.S. citizens for "labor" as the government deems necessary and to coordinate with the Secretary of Defense to maintain data to coordinate the nation's work needs in relation to national defense.
What is extraordinary about the Executive Order is that, like the NDAA, this can all be done in peacetime without any national emergency to justify it. The language of the Order does not state that all these extraordinary measures will be done in the event of "national security" or a "national emergency." They can simply be done for "purposes of national defense," clearly a broader remit that allows the government to do what it wants, when it wants, how it wants, to whomever it wants, all without any judicial restraint or due process. As Orwell famously said in 1984, "War is peace. Peace is war." This is now the reality on the ground in America.
Finally, the 2012 NDAA was hurried through the House and Senate almost like a covert op with minimal public attention or debate. It was then signed by the president at 9:00 PM on New Year's Eve while virtually nobody was paying attention to much other than the approaching new year. This new Executive Order was written and signed in complete secret and then quietly released by the White House on its website without comment. All this was done under a president who studied constitutional law at Harvard.
It is hard to know what to say in the face of such egregious disregard for the integrity of what America has stood and fought for since its founding. It is hard in part because none of us thought such encroachments would ever happen here, certainly not under the watch of a "progressive" like Obama.
At one level, the prospect for war with Iran is probably an immediate justification. But the comprehensiveness of the Executive Order, like that of the 2012 NDAA, speaks to something much deeper, more sinister. I would suggest that this Order, like the NDAA, has been in the works for some time and is simply the next step in the logic of the "global war on terror." Our political elites have come to consider democracy an impediment to effective governance and they are slowly and painstakingly creating all the democratic legalities necessary to abridge our democratic rights with impunity, all to ensure our "security." Of such measures do republics fall and by such measures tyrants emerge. |
By Ken Stone
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Edgar Bergen and Shari Lewis were smiling in Ventriloquism heaven Tuesday when Darci Lynne Farmer wowed “America’s Got Talent.” (Charlie McCarthy, Lamb Chop and Charlie Horse were cheering Darci’s puppet Petunia.)
The Oklahoma youngster, who said she had practiced her craft only two years, got the Golden Buzzer from judge Mel B, and was advanced to a live show in the NBC series.
But what do professional ventriloquists think of Darci, who aims to be the variety show’s third ventriloquist winner (after Terry Fator in 2007 and Paul Zerdin in 2015)?
Does Darci have industry support in becoming the second 12-year-old in a row to win the $1 million grand prize — after ukulele-playing singer Grace VanderWaal?
MyNewsLa.com assembled a virtual panel of veterans to assess the giggly newcomer.
Their verdict? Seven thumbs way up.
San Diego’s Joe Gandelman, with 27 years’ experience, notes how the likes of Darci are good for everyone.
“I just booked a bar mitzvah for November in Northern California,” Gandelman said. “The bar mitzvah boy’s mother noted how she and her son love ‘America’s Got Talent’ and the ventriloquists — so good appearances by one ventriloquist can help business for the others.”
Los Angeles-based Justin Milan wrote: “I saw Darci perform for the first time at the Vent Haven International Ventriloquist Convention (Hebron, Kentucky) last summer. My first thought was, ‘She’s better than many adults who are full-time professionals.’”
Our other critics are Matt Bronsil, an English teacher in Taiwan who also does improv comedy and stand-up comedy as a ventriloquist; Steve Chaney of Sunnyvale, who with Corny Crow has performed for 20 years; David Crone of Ohio, a one-time AOL executive who’s been on stage for 30 years; Chuck Field of Chicago and Scottsdale, Arizona, a 60-year-old comedy ventriloquist since age 10; and Brenda Stelzer of Naples, Florida, a “vent” for two decades who has performed at four Mel’s Diners for the past 14 years.
BRONSIL: Technically, her ventriloquism was amazing. She nailed every line perfectly, and the puppet skills were spot on.
CHANEY: Her technical skills are awesome for someone so young. Her mouth movement (or lack of) was perfect, she was relaxed. Someone who is nervous has to fight a little quivering with their lips, she didn’t. Extremely well done. There is nothing a ventriloquist can do to hide any throat movement except wear a turtleneck sweater. Darci Lynne showed very little to no throat movement.
CRONE: Darci has fantastic technique. Not only is her lip control excellent, her vocal separation (being able to distinguish the character’s voice from hers) and clarity are superb. Also, her physical manipulation of the character is very good. She gets 5s (out of 5) across the board from me on technical skills.
FIELD: I thought Darci Lynne’s lip control, and puppet manipulation was top-notch. All was very natural, not forced and believable.
GANDELMAN: She’s doing an excellent job. She is doing a great job on lip movement. As far as throat movement, you can’t really ever hide that and there’s no problem here.
MILAN: Her technical skills are fantastic. Main things I think could be improved upon:
1) At 1:32 of the video, she acts surprised at the puppet covering her mouth BEFORE the puppet’s hand actually landed on her mouth. Her timing was a little off.
2) Toward the beginning of her puppet’s song, Darci’s mouth is in a fake smile. It doesn’t look natural. Later in the song, her mouth is in a more relaxed-looking position. This tells me she probably knew the right thing to do (keep her mouth looking relaxed), but forgot to initially as a result of being on such a big stage at such a young age.
STELZER: Darci has unbelievable skill, especially for only two years at it. I believe having a great coach, ventriloquist Gary Owen, has channeled her amazing talent in a very short time. Her lip control is fantastic! Being female is a plus too regarding throat movement. Females don’t usually have large laryngeal prominences, aka Adam’s apples.
How do you rate her showmanship?
BRONSIL: I rate her showmanship better than most adults I have seen in any area of performance.
CHANEY: Great showmanship. She seemed very honest in her demeanor.
CRONE: Excellent. Clearly she has loads of experience on stage. She really connects with the audience.
FIELD: Her showmanship was way beyond her years. She was very confident, especially for a girl who says she had to overcome her shyness. Many of the most well-known ventriloquists of all time like Paul Winchell have mentioned that this art was a spring from shyness to being very outgoing.
GANDELMAN: She has excellent showmanship. I routinely do a how-to-do-ventriloquism bit that can go from 5 minutes to 15. Kids are VERY fast learners and extremely creative if given a chance and if their parents and others help nurture this creativity. Her appearance got rave reviews by ventriloquists all over the country (or world) on their Facebook pages and on some ventriloquist-related Facebook group pages.
MILAN: Her showmanship is excellent. Even when the “act” was over, she kept Petunia in character by using lifelike manipulation. That, to me, says more than what she did during the scripted performance. She has most likely put in a lot of practice hours to be able to pull that off. From a comedic standpoint, her facial expression and verbal response at 0:58 when Petunia announces she’s going to sing is perfect. She nailed it!
STELZER: Her showmanship is OUTSTANDING! I also had the privilege of attending last year’s Vent Haven Convention and watching Darci perform. Rumor has it that she will make a cameo appearance at this year’s VHC next month! Her stage presence was simply AMAZING! She seemed to own the stage as soon as she set foot on it.
Is singing a special challenge for ventriloquists? Or was her choice an easy lift?
BRONSIL: Singing is hard for most people. Singing as a ventriloquist is even harder. Singers can generally open their mouth and get out what sounds they need. A ventriloquist makes those sounds without that luxury. Few ventriloquists sing well.
CHANEY: Songs are difficult in that you have to keep your lungs full of air while controlling the air/voice pressure with your stomach muscles, much like a singer does.
CRONE: Singing can be especially challenging for a ventriloquist. I’ve had a number of vocal coaches and each has been completely baffled as to how to teach singing when the mouth position is stationary. Her choice was certainly not an easy one. Listen to the range she exhibited. Wow! Difficulty is not really the issue, although I fully expect Darci to continue to impress us in that regard as she continues along in the competition.
More important is ENTERTAINING. You don’t go to a piano concert to listen to the pianist play scales and arpeggios. You go to hear music. Music should touch your soul. The goal is to convey the power of the music, not the difficulty of performing it. It should look easy. So if it looked easy, and you felt moved by the music, then she succeeded. I’d score her highly on that.
FIELD: Singing is a special challenge for anyone. Anyone can sing, mostly very average. Darci Lynne has a talent that other ventriloquists will never acquire. Mixing the two is not easy as you have to differentiate personalities as well as different voices. Like Terry Fator, she overwhelmed the judges with something totally unexpected from anyone, especially a 12-year-old.
GANDELMAN: I disagree totally with those who say singing is difficult for ventriloquists. I’m not a singer and actually started out with lots of music in my show when I went full-time in November 1990. When you are doing a ventriloquism routine, you’re doing a script or ad libbing with many words. After you learn the basics (how to substitute letters) it’s not hard to do that.
Singing is actually EASIER since you are practicing the same song and lyrics with no ad libbed deviations from it over and over. I still occasionally do some music (my main dummy sings “La Bamba,” I do a nutty lip-sync with volunteers who get up and do “Tuitti Fruitti” wearing ratty wigs while I do the singing which is funny since I am not a great singer).
MILAN: Singing is not a special challenge for ventriloquists. It can be an easy lift. In fact, I use singing in my show when I want to gain instant audience approval. Especially if I use a hit song people are familiar with. People are often blown away when a ventriloquist sings. For some reason, they think it must be harder than just making the puppet talk.
Yes, it’s challenging to make a puppet sing, but no more difficult than making it talk. Songs with a lot of “B” and “P” sounds in them are more challenging. Her choice of “Summertime” is smart because it gives her an opportunity to demonstrate her amazing vocals. As an aside, I’ve heard her make her puppet yodel. That impressed me even more. Maybe she’s saving that for the AGT semi-finals. 🙂
STELZER: Darci was blessed with a beautiful voice. Her routine on AGT highlighted her talent, not to mention her adorable personality. I especially loved when Petunia, her puppet, placed her paw over Darci’s mouth.
Do you agree with her statement: “I would really like to keep ventriloquism alive. Because it’s not common, you know”?
BRONSIL: Largely, that is true. Ventriloquists are a niche item in the performance world. 😉
CHANEY: It is an uncommon ability, only because a person has to practice the technique over and over. I teach all ages, but today’s kids have so many distractions and opportunities for other activities, sometimes it’s difficult to find the time to practice, practice and practice.
CRONE: Each generation needs its own leaders to recharge and renew the interest in an art form. Jeff Dunham and Terry Fator have done wonders for renewing ventriloquism’s popularity. With her age, Darci has the opportunity to continue building on that to inspire a whole new group of young people.
FIELD: I do agree. I have been doing this since the age of 10 in an art where Edgar Bergen was the all-time star of ventriloquism. Although he was amazing, there is nothing there to make people feel like this is contemporary, relevant or event COOL. The future of any art form is getting young people interested and bringing freshness as well as taking something old and putting a new twist to make it modern and contemporary, but most importantly highly entertaining.
GANDELMAN: I don’t quite agree with it not being that common. In the early 1990s, when I quit the San Diego Union newspaper to do this, there weren’t a large number of part-time or full-time ventriloquists around. There were many magicians or family music acts that did a LITTLE ventriloquism. All of this started to change with the emergence of Ronn Lucas and Jeff Dunham.
So if you go to Gigmasters or Gig Salad (I’m on both of these sites) you will see lots of ventriloquists — still not as many as magicians, but there are more around now than 20 years ago. And the number I predict will grow. “America’s Got Talent” has helped give the once-vanishing art a boost.
MILAN: Yes. Although there has been a surge in interest in ventriloquism ever since Jeff Dunham gained prominence (2006), and Terry Fator won “America’s Got Talent” (2007), there are still very few who do it well.
One reason is that it requires someone to be a great: 1) Ventriloquist, and 2) Entertainer.
The novelty of doing “ventriloquism” will keep an audience entertained for only so long. After 5-15 minutes, the ventriloquist needs to be making them laugh (or doing something else that keeps them tuned in and on the edge of their seats) in order to succeed.
For your reference, the V may draw closer to 1,000 attendees each year. In 2005, attendance was probably closer to 350. Even in light of increased attendance, Darci is right: Compared with most hobbies, it may still belong on the endangered species list.
STELZER: I do agree. Our youth today are technological wizards. With more and more technology and less time for the arts, it is exhilarating to see someone like Darci bring so much attention to the art of ventriloquism. She is like a breath of fresh air to the entertainment industry!
What else should readers know about ventriloquism or your view of her place in the profession?
BRONSIL: Ventriloquists get along really well. There is a convention every year. Sadly, since I live in Taiwan, I have not attended in over a decade, but it is a big conference in Kentucky every year.
Her place is a welcome place. She will probably have a lot of people that want to talk to her at the next convention if she attends. Her place in the professional world is up to her. She certainly has the talent to go far, but it is up to her if she wants to continue on that path or not. Either way, her skills in this area will certainly carry over to other areas.
CHANEY: Ventriloquism is fun to watch and to perform with. Kids do love puppets (I use soft puppets, similar style to what Darci Lynne used) and bringing them seemingly alive is great fun. I think she will be fantastic and her character, “Petunia,” is wonderful. I wholeheartedly welcome Darci to the profession. Having the art form so well represented by her is a boost to us all.
CRONE: Ventriloquism is about way more than talking without moving your lips. It is a means to an end – entertainment. It’s the theatrical equivalent to a one-man band. It’s one person playing all the parts. After the first 30 seconds, you should stop caring whether the lips are moving, or how difficult it is. You should only care about being entertained. It is a piece of theater with multiple characters that happens to be performed by one individual.
FIELD: The secret to ventriloquism is “There is no secret.” Like singing, it can be taught and learned. But most people will only be average. With the right training by people like “Gary Owen,” who taught Darci Lynne, encouragement by parents to pursue something that you love and lots of practice the possibilities are endless. Most importantly, the art of ventriloquism with the addition of great comedy material, characters as well as combining singing is a recipe for top-notch entertainment from your living room to Las Vegas.
Since she was on TV and has this credit, she WILL be going wherever she wants to go on ventriloquism. Also, she has “it” — the stage presence you can’t fake. Some try to teach it, but you look at ease or you don’t. She also has a great voice. If you add her stage presence, technique, great voice she’s on the fast track.
As always this will mean that some ventriloquists will now rush to get music to insert it in their act like they did when Terry Fator won “America’s Got Talent.” That’s fine — if you can sing well. There are many talented kids who go to the annual ventriloquists convention (where Jeff Dunham virtually grew up) as she does (one is a high schooler who is making me a great puppet).
I need to stress: Adults somehow get amnesia and forget how creative and talented kids can be and are. She reminds those who forget and she’s going to make some kids want to get into ventriloquism.
MILAN: She’s on the right track if she wants to set herself up for a full-time career as an adult. If this is the case, my recommendation is that her next step be to develop distinguishable characters that people can relate to. This will help her to be able to deliver a long show that is consistently enjoyable and has people wanting to come back for more.
STELZER: Many of us still remember Edgar Bergen, Shari Lewis, Paul Winchell, Señor Wences, but many do not. That is sad to me. By the way, did you know that Señor Wences lived to be 103? Yep! Just shows it pays to talk to yourself😆 Darci Lynne Farmer doing so well is great for all of us!
Ventriloquist 12-year-old Oklahoma girl tops America’s Got Talent: Voice-throwing vets wowed was last modified: by
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The scoundrel Lando Calrissian has been one of the most popular “Star Wars” characters ever since he first appeared in 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back.” And actor Billy Dee Williams has repeatedly brought his unique brand of charm and swagger to the role in everything from the sequel “Return of the Jedi” to video games like “Jedi Outcast” and “The Yoda Chronicles,” to the animated sketch comedy series “Robot Chicken,” all the way through to “The Lego Movie.”
Now Lando (still voiced by Billy Dee) has a recurring role on Disney XD’s “Star Wars Rebels” series, which takes place in the years between Episodes III and IV. Lando has thus far popped up twice (once in each season so far) to assist hero characters Kanan, Ezra, and Hera in their ongoing fight against the Empire.
This week in an interview with Star Wars fansite TeeKay-421, Williams revealed that Lando will indeed once again be returning to “Star Wars Rebels” for its upcoming third season.
The two-part second season finale of “Star Wars Rebels” airs this Wednesday, March 30th on Disney XD.
Images Copyright Disney / Lucasfilm. |
Tribal leaders and militia commanders in oil-rich eastern Libya have declared their intention to seek semi-autonomy, raising fears that the country might disintegrate following the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.
Thousands of representatives of major tribal leaders, militia commanders and politicians made the declaration on Tuesday in a ceremony held in Benghazi.
They promised to end decades of marginalisation under Gaddafi and named a council to run the affairs of the newly created region, Cyrenaica, extending from the central coastal city of Sirte to the Egyptian border in the east.
Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston, reporting from the capital, Tripoli, said the announcement in Benghazi was only the beginning of a process.
“It is certainly significant, but we need to put it into context: first of all, they have announced the formation of a new regional council, and this will actually take a couple weeks to form," she said.
"At this stage, they say they would like independence, but they have not declared independence. At this stage they haven’t even declared a degree of semi autonomy."
The gathering in Benghazi also rejected an election law which allocated 60 seats for the eastern region out of 200-member assembly set to be elected in June.
Break-up warning
Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC), the interim central government based in Tripoli, has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the creation of a partly autonomous eastern region, saying it could eventually lead to the break-up of the country.
Mustafa Abdul Jalil, head of the NTC, called Tuesday's declaration "the beginning of a conspiracy against Libyans" and said it would "lead to danger'' of eventually breaking up the nation.
"Some Arab nations, unfortunately, have supported and encouraged this to happen,'' he said, without naming any specific countries.
"These nations are funding this kind of unacceptable strife."
Earlier, Waheed Burshan, a senior NTC representative, said the tribal leaders were looking for political power, whereas ordinary people of the east wanted a unified Libya.
“Well obviously, all Libyans have the right to express their opinion. But the fact is, for Libyans to consider such a split in the country and its governance, I think it is clearly not advisable. The Libyan people will not stand for it," he told Al Jazeera.
"[For] majority of people looking for a unified Libya, the thought of having separate autonomous region it’s definitely not acceptable. I think people will react swiftly on this type of decisions. I think people are discussing the idea of demonstrating for several days to make sure such a thing does not happen."
The Benghazi gathering appointed Ahmed al-Zubair, Libya's longest serving political prisoner under Gaddafi, as leader of its governing council.
Al-Zubair, who is also a member of the NTC, pledged to protect the rights of the region, but also said his council recognisedNTC to run Libya's international affairs.
Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel Hamid, who recently returned from eastern Libya, said the move by the region's tribal leaders and militia commanders will intensify ongoing rivalries.
“People were saying, that according to the 1951 constitution which is now valid in Libya, there are two capitals: Tripoli as a political capital, and Benghazi as the economic capital. They want that status back," she said.
"They also say we are so far away from Tripoli, a 12 hour drive really- and everything is centralised in Tripoli. For any kind of administrative papers, they have to go all the way and back." |
The BBC has been accused of having a lefty, right-wing, pro-Remain, Brexit agenda that brainwashes viewers into questioning opposing points of view.
The accusations have prompted some viewers to call for the £147 license fee to be abolished.
“I don’t pay my license fee to hear views that differ from my own,” said disgruntled viewer Simon Williams.
“It’s bad enough that I have to sit through programmes that aren’t specific to my own personal tastes, but to have my opinions challenged is unacceptable.
“Whoever wrote the words that I’m saying now is an establishment stooge who was probably in the Marxist wing of the Young Conservatives!”
Nigel Farage is amongst several politicians who have questioned the BBC’s impartiality.
“I’ve been a guest on the BBC more times than I can remember, and during those appearances, there have been people who have asked me questions or disagreed with me. How can that be fair?” he said.
“The BBC’s coverage of Brexit should consist of nothing but me saluting the Queen while the Red Arrows make a Union Flag in the sky out of different colour smoke.”
A spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn also hit out at the BBC’s output.
“The BBC says that it’s aim is to inform, educate and entertain,” he said.
“Unless Jeremy is made the next Doctor Who then those words will be hollow.” |
Reportedly telling a police officer it was a “stupid thing to do,’’ a Rhode Island man now faces criminal charges after a tour bus full of passengers said they saw him masturbating in his truck on Route 146 in Sutton.
Robert H. Donnelly, 53, of Smithfield, was arraigned Friday in Uxbridge District Court and charged with lewd, wanton and lascivious conduct and disorderly conduct, the Worcester Telegram and Gazette reports.
Police said they quickly spotted Donnelly’s truck and pulled him over, noting the driver straightened from a reclining position while being pulled over by police.
Gross as the allegations are, they could be weirder: Last September, a flight from Boston to Los Angeles was diverted in Omaha, Nebraska after a passenger allegedly began masturbating and pulling on the emergency exit during a mid-flight nervous breakdown. |
Fallacy: Special Pleading Description of Special Pleading Special Pleading is a fallacy in which a person applies standards, principles, rules, etc. to others while taking herself (or those she has a special interest in) to be exempt, without providing adequate justification for the exemption. This sort of "reasoning" has the following form: Person A accepts standard(s) S and applies them to others in circumtance(s) C. Person A is in circumstance(s) C. Therefore A is exempt from S. The person committing Special Pleading is claiming that he is exempt from certain principles or standards yet he provides no good reason for his exemption. That this sort of reasoning is fallacious is shown by the following extreme example: Barbara accepts that all murderers should be punished for their crimes. Although she murdered Bill, Barbara claims she is an exception because she really would not like going to prison. Therefore, the standard of punishing murderers should not be applied to her. This is obviously a blatant case of special pleading. Since no one likes going to prison, this cannot justify the claim that Barbara alone should be exempt from punishment. From a philosophic standpoint, the fallacy of Special Pleading is violating a well accepted principle, namely the Principle of Relevant Difference. According to this principle, two people can be treated differently if and only if there is a relevant difference between them. This principle is a reasonable one. After all, it would not be particularly rational to treat two people differently when there is no relevant difference between them. As an extreme case, it would be very odd for a parent to insist on making one child wear size 5 shoes and the other wear size 7 shoes when the children are both size 5. It should be noted that the Principle of Relevant Difference does allow people to be treated differently. For example, if one employee was a slacker and the other was a very prodictive worker the boss would be justified in giving only the productive worker a raise. This is because the productive of each is a relevant difference between them. Since it can be reasonable to treat people differently, there will be cases in which some people will be exempt from the usual standards. For example, if it is Bill's turn to cook dinner and Bill is very ill, it would not be a case of Special Pleading if Bill asked to be excused from making dinner (this, of course, assumes that Bill does not accept a standard that requires people to cook dinner regardless of the circumstances). In this case Bill is offering a good reason as to why he should be exempt and, most importantly, it would be a good reason for anyone who was ill and not just Bill. While determing what counts as a legitimate basis for exemption can be a difficult task, it seems clear that claiming you are exempt because you are you does not provide such a legitimate basis. Thus, unless a clear and relevant justification for exemption can be presented, a person cannot claim to be exempt. There are cases which are similar to instances of Special Pleading in which a person is offering at least some reason why he should be exempt but the reason is not good enough to warrant the exemption. This could be called "Failed Pleading." For example, a professor may claim to be exempt from helping the rest of the faculty move books to the new department office because it would be beneath his dignity. However, this is not a particularly good reason and would hardly justify his exemption. If it turns out that the real "reason" a person is claiming exemption is that they simply take themselves to be exempt, then they would be committing Special Pleading. Such cases will be fairly common. After all, it is fairly rare for adults to simply claim they are exempt without at least some pretense of justifying the exemption. Examples of Special Pleading Bill and Jill are married. Both Bill and Jill have put in a full day at the office. Their dog, Rover, has knocked over all the plants in one room and has strewn the dirt all over the carpet. When they return, Bill tells Jill that it is her job to clean up after the dog. When she protests, he says that he has put in a full day at the office and is too tired to clean up after the dog. Jane and Sue share a dorm room. Jane: "Turn of that stupid stereo, I want to take a nap."
Sue: "Why should I? What are you exhausted or something?"
Jane: "No, I just feel like taking a nap."
Sue: "Well, I feel like playing my stereo."
Jane: "Well, I'm taking my nap. You have to turn your stereo off and that's final." Mike and Barbara share an apartment. Mike: "Barbara, you've tracked in mud again."
Barbara: "So? It's not my fault."
Mike: "Sure. I suppose it walked in on its own. You made the mess, so you clean it up."
Barbara: "Why?"
Mike: "We agreed that whoever makes a mess has to clean it up. That is fair."
Barbara: "Well, I'm going to watch TV. If you don't like the mud, then you clean it up."
Mike: "Barbara..."
Barbara: "What? I want to watch the show. I don't want to clean up the mud. Like I said, if it bothers you that much, then you should clean it up." [ Previous | Index | Next ] Home · Site Map · What's New? · Search Nizkor © The Nizkor Project, 1991-2012
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Stock market behavior around "change" presidential elections in the U.S. A. Sinan Unur January 17, 2017
Nothing discussed herein should be taken as investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular investment vehicle or course of action. All statements herein are statements of subjective opinion and for information and entertainment purposes only. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.
While writing yesterday's post on the idea of selling the inauguration, I noticed that the behavior of S&P500 around President Obama's election in 2008 was highly positively correlated with its behavior around the first time President Bush was elected in 2000. This is not something I had expected a priori, so I decided to take a closer look.
Sticking with the basic features of the MarketWatch article, I'll restrict myself to the presidential elections since 1950 where the party holding the White House changed: 1952 (Eisenhower), 1960 (Kennedy), 1968 (Nixon), 1976 (Carter), 1980 (Reagan), 1992 (Clinton), 2000 (Bush), and 2008 (Obama). I will be looking at S&P 500 levels relative to election day performance over the period 100 days before the election to 100 days after the election.
To refresh your memory, here's what things look like if you plot each 201-point series on the same chart:
Clearly, there is a lot of clutter there. One can "identify" some patterns by squinting hard this or that way, but that's rather subjective and error-prone. So, let's try to reduce the variability to its essential components.
Take out your favorite Stats tool, and run a simple Principal Components on the eight variables (I'll be using Stata):
. pca obama bush clinton reagan carter nixon kennedy eisenhower Principal components/correlation Number of obs = 201 Number of comp. = 8 Trace = 8 Rotation: (unrotated = principal) Rho = 1.0000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Component | Eigenvalue Difference Proportion Cumulative -------------+------------------------------------------------------------ Comp1 | 4.52593 2.92298 0.5657 0.5657 Comp2 | 1.60295 .477661 0.2004 0.7661 Comp3 | 1.12529 .798646 0.1407 0.9068 Comp4 | .326645 .14957 0.0408 0.9476 Comp5 | .177076 .0697737 0.0221 0.9697 Comp6 | .107302 .0200748 0.0134 0.9831 Comp7 | .0872271 .0396505 0.0109 0.9941 Comp8 | .0475765 . 0.0059 1.0000 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's look at what those components look like:
. predict pc1-pc8, score Scoring coefficients sum of squares(column-loading) = 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Variable | Comp1 Comp2 Comp3 Comp4 Comp5 Comp6 Comp7 Comp8 -------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- obama | -0.4340 -0.1862 0.1284 0.1272 0.2261 0.1264 0.7981 0.2009 bush | -0.4345 0.0403 0.1023 0.3964 0.5330 0.1474 -0.5363 0.2205 clinton | 0.4327 -0.1531 0.1615 0.1364 0.0452 0.8585 0.0211 -0.0717 reagan | 0.3500 0.4276 0.0707 -0.4628 0.6420 -0.0594 0.1275 0.2086 carter | -0.1901 0.0409 0.8296 -0.3474 -0.2991 0.0386 -0.1445 0.2034 nixon | 0.1406 0.7037 0.0618 0.5238 -0.3036 -0.0032 0.1584 0.2992 kennedy | 0.3629 -0.4763 -0.0587 0.1013 -0.0546 -0.2049 -0.0640 0.7607 eisenhower | 0.3543 -0.1835 0.4965 0.4342 0.2569 -0.4222 0.0933 -0.3909 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We can plot the first three principal components:
pc1
This component represent a steady rise in the index over the period 100 days before the election to 100 days after the election.
pc2
This component represents a volatile increase leading up to the day of the election, a dip on election day with a bump following the election and then a steady decline to pre-election levels, ending up on a slightly up-note.
pc3
The third component represents a rocky road of generally higher index levels leading up to the election with an interesting local maximum on election day, followed by a nice post-election bump which disappears over the course of the following days and ends on a down note.
A combination of the patterns exhibited by the second and third principal components seems to be what most analysts have in mind when they talk about selling the inauguration. If we are in a world that corresponds to such a pattern, then the "Trump bump" has probably gone as high as it could, and will soon disappear.
The focus of this post is on identifying which elections exhibit similarity in the behavior of the stock market around them. To that end, let's restrict our attention only to the first three principal components:
----------------------------------------- Variable | Comp1 Comp2 Comp3 -----------+----------------------------- obama | -0.4340 -0.1862 0.1284 bush | -0.4345 0.0403 0.1023 clinton | 0.4327 -0.1531 0.1615 reagan | 0.3500 0.4276 0.0707 carter | -0.1901 0.0409 0.8296 nixon | 0.1406 0.7037 0.0618 kennedy | 0.3629 -0.4763 -0.0587 eisenhower | 0.3543 -0.1835 0.4965 -----------------------------------------
What do those numbers mean? Let's, for the sake of example, look at the coefficients for S&P 500 around President Obama's election. The coefficients imply that we can approximate its behavior by combining approximately 3.4 parts steady decline ( pc1 ), 1.5 parts pc2 decline with bump on election day and recovery, and one part pc3 increase with a crash around election day followed by a bump and decline.
Just eyeballing these coefficient vectors, it looks like the behavior of the stock market around the 2008 election is most similar to its behavior around the 2000 election. We don't have to trust our eyes, though. We can calculate how similar these vectors are using a simple Perl script:
#!/usr/bin/env perl use v5.24; use warnings; use feature 'signatures'; no warnings 'experimental::signatures'; use List::Util qw( sum ); use Text::Table::Tiny (); my %pc = ( obama => [ -0.4340, -0.1862, 0.1284], bush => [ -0.4345, 0.0403, 0.1023], clinton => [ 0.4327, -0.1531, 0.1615], reagan => [ 0.3500, 0.4276, 0.0707], carter => [ -0.1901, 0.0409, 0.8296], nixon => [ 0.1406, 0.7037, 0.0618], kennedy => [ 0.3629, -0.4763, -0.0587], eisenhower => [ 0.3543, -0.1835, 0.4965], ); my @table = (['', qw( obama bush clinton reagan carter nixon kennedy eisenhower ) ]); for my $i (1 .. $#{ $table[0] }) { push @table, [ $table[0][$i], map sprintf('%6.3f', $_), map similarity($pc{$table[0][$i]}, $pc{$table[0][$_]}), 1 .. $i ]; } say Text::Table::Tiny::table(rows => \@table, header_row => 1); sub similarity ($x, $y) { dot($x, $y)/(norm($x)*norm($y)); } sub norm ($x) { sqrt(sum( map $_**2, $x->@* )); } sub dot($x, $y) { sum(map $x->[$_] * $y->[$_], 0 .. $#$x); }
which produces the output:
+------------+--------+--------+---------+--------+--------+--------+---------+------------+ | | obama | bush | clinton | reagan | carter | nixon | kennedy | eisenhower | +------------+--------+--------+---------+--------+--------+--------+---------+------------+ | obama | 1.000 | | | | | | | | | bush | 0.885 | 1.000 | | | | | | | | clinton | -0.582 | -0.815 | 1.000 | | | | | | | reagan | -0.816 | -0.511 | 0.359 | 1.000 | | | | | | carter | 0.435 | 0.443 | 0.110 | 0.020 | 1.000 | | | | | nixon | -0.522 | -0.082 | -0.105 | 0.883 | 0.087 | 1.000 | | | | kennedy | -0.259 | -0.678 | 0.753 | -0.241 | -0.268 | -0.664 | 1.000 | | | eisenhower | -0.179 | -0.387 | 0.844 | 0.227 | 0.621 | -0.106 | 0.488 | 1.000 | +------------+--------+--------+---------+--------+--------+--------+---------+------------+
In this context, numbers close to 1 indicate high similarity and numbers close to -1 indicate complete dissimilarity. The similarity figure is the cosine of the angle between the coefficient vectors. That is, a similarity of 0.885 indicates that the Presidents Obama and Bush's coefficient vectors are approximately 28° apart.
Indeed, our first impression that the behavior of the stock market around President Obama's election is most similar to that around President Bush's is somewhat confirmed (depending on how much stock you put in the notion that two series are similar if these coefficients are cosine-similar in 3 dimensional space).
Does this say anything about how S&P is going to behave in the near future? Not really. But we can try to figure out what happens when we restrict our attention to the 100 days before and 45 days after the election (which is all we have at the time I am writing this):
. pca trump obama bush clinton reagan carter nixon kennedy eisenhower Principal components/correlation Number of obs = 146 Number of comp. = 9 Trace = 9 Rotation: (unrotated = principal) Rho = 1.0000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Component | Eigenvalue Difference Proportion Cumulative -------------+------------------------------------------------------------ Comp1 | 4.85596 2.61317 0.5396 0.5396 Comp2 | 2.24279 1.35168 0.2492 0.7887 Comp3 | .891104 .48339 0.0990 0.8878 Comp4 | .407714 .156724 0.0453 0.9331 Comp5 | .25099 .0996227 0.0279 0.9610 Comp6 | .151367 .0637735 0.0168 0.9778 Comp7 | .0875935 .00941584 0.0097 0.9875 Comp8 | .0781777 .0438715 0.0087 0.9962 Comp9 | .0343061 . 0.0038 1.0000 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the sake of consistency, let's again retain the first three principal components. Here is how they look:
pc1
pc2
pc3
No huge surprises there.
We have the following coefficients:
----------------------------------------- Variable | Comp1 Comp2 Comp3 -----------+----------------------------- trump | 0.3841 0.2511 0.0595 obama | -0.3914 0.2904 0.0689 bush | -0.3948 0.1512 0.0205 clinton | 0.3936 0.2034 0.0704 reagan | 0.3910 -0.2151 0.0849 carter | 0.0260 0.4494 0.7297 nixon | 0.3469 -0.3498 0.0593 kennedy | 0.1034 0.4743 -0.6629 eisenhower | 0.3223 0.4393 -0.0612 -----------------------------------------
The coefficients are different because we are using fewer observations and we have added one more variable. Let's again look at the similarities using the same Perl script:
+------------+--------+--------+--------+---------+--------+--------+--------+---------+------------+ | | trump | obama | bush | clinton | reagan | carter | nixon | kennedy | eisenhower | +------------+--------+--------+--------+---------+--------+--------+--------+---------+------------+ | trump | 1.000 | | | | | | | | | | obama | -0.322 | 1.000 | | | | | | | | | bush | -0.574 | 0.959 | 1.000 | | | | | | | | clinton | 0.994 | -0.408 | -0.649 | 1.000 | | | | | | | reagan | 0.482 | -0.938 | -0.963 | 0.570 | 1.000 | | | | | | carter | 0.419 | 0.404 | 0.200 | 0.398 | -0.063 | 1.000 | | | | | nixon | 0.213 | -0.955 | -0.898 | 0.313 | 0.958 | -0.247 | 1.000 | | | | kennedy | 0.314 | 0.128 | 0.050 | 0.246 | -0.316 | -0.380 | -0.415 | 1.000 | | | eisenhower | 0.908 | -0.010 | -0.267 | 0.862 | 0.106 | 0.343 | -0.167 | 0.627 | 1.000 | +------------+--------+--------+--------+---------+--------+--------+--------+---------+------------+
The behavior of S&P 500 around the 2016 election so far seems to be most similar to its behavior around the Clinton and Eisenhower elections in 1992 and 1952 respectively.
The similarity between the Obama and Bush elections over this truncated period is also noteworthy.
So what does the near future hold? Let's look at how the Clinton and Trump elections compare:
If you believe the future is going to be similar to what happened in 1993, it looks like S&P 500 is going to keep on climbing.
If you believe the future is going to resemble what happened after Eisenhower's election, it looks like S&P 500 is going start falling soon, but will still be up by about 3% 100 days from the election.
Finally, let's compare what's been happening around the 2016 election to what happened around the election of G.W. Bush in 2000 which is the series that is most dissimilar to the stock market behavior so far:
And, for completeness, here is the comparison to President Obama's election:
We'll see what the future holds.
Here is to hoping that there is no 20% drop in the S&P 500 in the near future. |
View Caption Hide Caption Adidas is the new sponsor of University of Miami athletics. (Photo, illustration by Matt Porter)
Adidas has outbid its competitors to become the new supplier to University of Miami sports, ending the school’s pioneering partnership with Nike.
A source told The Palm Beach Post late Sunday evening Adidas and UM will announce their deal this week, thus beginning the process of replacing a brand connected to the Hurricanes for the last 27 years.
In a message to the Post, athletic director Blake James said UM would announce a decision Thursday but would not comment.
As the Post first reported last month, UM did not renew its contract with Nike, which expires Aug. 31. James said then he wished to explore UM’s value in the retail market.
Adidas and Under Armour submitted bids, both several million dollars richer per year than the Nike-UM deal. UM is a private institution and does not disclose information on such contracts.
Make no mistake: money is the primary factor in the switch. Adidas’ winning bid is believed to be in the ballpark of the eight-year, $33 million pact it announced with Arizona State last month. That pays ASU $3 million more than its old deal with Nike.
According to an August study in the Portland Business Journal that included contract numbers on most of the FBS schools, Adidas pays the four most lucrative contracts in college athletics. At the top is Michigan, which is valued at $8.2 million per year.
A source said Hurricanes coaches and athletes stand to receive more apparel and shoes than they did under the Nike deal.
In 1987, UM became the first college to sign an all-sports contract with a retailer — allowing one brand to “own the school,” as former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro called it after he inked the deal.
That relationship that helped create a culture that now sees top high school basketball recruits steered toward certain colleges because of connections to shoe companies.
“If you go back 30 years, it was an individual coach who had an endorsement contract, in care of an advisory staff, and worked with a shoe company,” UM men’s basketball coach Jim Larranaga said Monday. “Now those same shoe companies are working with athletic departments. They’re working with AAU programs. They’re working with high school programs. They’ve really tried to brand themselves from a grassroots network and up.
“So, there are kids who feel very, very closely associated with a certain shoe company because that’s the shoe they’ve been wearing throughout their high school and AAU seasons. So it does become a factor in recruiting, but I think the major factor in recruiting is being sure a young man knows the quality of your program. If you have a quality product, you’ll be able to recruit quality student-athletes.”
Louisville coach Rick Pitino, whose school has an Adidas contract, has railed against the system he says steers players from shoe-branded AAU teams toward certain colleges. Schools associated with Nike, the largest player on the AAU circuit, have “somewhat of an advantage, because people really put a heavy emphasis on their players going to Nike schools,” Pitino said Monday.
“I don’t think its the players as much as the AAU handlers, runners, agents — they’re all involved in it somehow and it’s a problem that won’t go away because they’re being very competitive,” he said. “We’re taking a lot of money from these shoe companies, so we can’t complain as well. It’s something that’s there. The NCAA doesn’t think it’s a problem, so I’m not going to think it’s a problem.”
Nike outfits 45 of 65 power five conference schools. Adidas has 11, Under Armour has eight and Russell Athletic has one.
At some point in the near future, all Hurricanes athletics teams will receive new uniforms. That means UM will no longer wear the ones unveiled before the 2014 season.
Adidas’ football designs include Michigan, Louisville, Mississippi State, UCLA and Wisconsin but not Notre Dame, which is now with Under Armour. Some of Adidas’ latest flashy football thinking was on display at the 2015 Army All-American Bowl. The company also produced these unique basketball alternates and these colorful baseball throwbacks.
The Adidas deal means new Nike Hurricanes products may no longer be available in retail stores. A new contract often gives a retailer exclusive rights to official merchandise.
Al Golden didn’t wear Nike-branded ties on the sidelines. Maybe Adidas will give him some new options:
Offering my design work to Adidas, free of charge. The Al Golden Collection, Fall 2015 pic.twitter.com/gJ0oAMuRjC — Matt Porter (@mattyports) January 5, 2015
More: see last month’s blog post for a trip through Nike’s Hurricanes designs through the years … click here for a detailed look at UM’s football uniforms from 2004-13 (and a few throwback unis, too) … wonder if any celebs will congratulate the Canes on their uniform switch.
Recruiting: Miami-Edison 2015 safety Robert Knowles committed to Miami, according to WQAM reporter Josh Darrow. Knowles (6-1, 185) is a three-star recruit formerly committed to FIU.
Football: The Senior Bowl said former Miami tight end Clive Walford accepted an invitation to the game. Walford, who will play his first game since Dec. 3 knee surgery, rejoins three former teammates: linebacker Denzel Perryman, cornerback Ladarius Gunter and receiver Phillip Dorsett. The game is Jan. 24 in Mobile, Ala. |
Image copyright Press Trust of India Image caption Pascal Mazurier was arrested in June 2012 after his wife filed a complaint
A French diplomat has been formally charged with raping his three-year-old daughter, at a pre-trial hearing in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.
Pascal Mazurier, 40, who worked as a consular official, denies the charges.
He is set to file a petition with the High Court asking for the case to be dismissed for lack of evidence.
A lower court in Bangalore dismissed a similar plea and ordered police to go ahead and press formal charges. A date for the trial is to be set this week.
At the sessions court last month lawyers for Mr Mazurier argued there was insufficient evidence against him, but Judge Shubha Gowdar dismissed their arguments and ruled he should stand trial.
He was arrested in June 2012, after his wife filed a complaint. He spent months in jail before being released on bail. |
6.
Blake paced the length of the living room, back and forth. The heels of her boots scuffed against the floorboards, which was something she regularly reprimanded Yang for, but she was completely unaware that she was doing it. Her arms were crossed firmly over her chest, fingers agitated and tapping a staccato beat against her arm as she walked, back and forth. She carefully placed herself onto the couch for a moment, her hands dropping to grip at the edge of the seat, before standing again and pacing in circles with one hand on her hip and the other buried in thick, dark hair. Yang could only stand and watch, simultaneously amazed and disturbed that her usually calm and collected wife could radiate such overwhelming and tangible anxiety.
"What if there's no heartbeat?" She blurted, stopping in her tracks and spinning on her heel to face Yang, her eyes wide with fear. Ice filled her belly but she finally felt brave enough to give voice to the words that churned so painfully inside her. "And they have to take it away?"
"There’s nothing to worry about, you're just getting stressed out." Yang said gently as she stepped forward so Blake was within reach. Her smile was wide and comforting, warm and sweet and all Yang. She stroked the bare skin of her arm, aware that one of her regular bear hugs could spook her skittish partner. In all honesty, Blake had every right to be worried. Three lost pregnancies and seemingly endless tears had left the woman terrified, convinced that there was no way she could carry Yang's baby to term. Yang had grieved with her and consoled her, and when she suggested one more try Blake couldn't deny her. "Let's go," Yang kissed her forehead lightly and Blake's lips gave a strained attempt at a smile. "You’ll be happier tomorrow if you wear out the hospital floor instead of ours."
-
"Blake Xiao Long?" At the sound of her name, she snatched at Yang's hand and froze. Yang stood and tugged lightly, helping Blake to regain some of her senses and realise she had to stand up. She stood slowly, not trusting her weak knees with her own weight. After a breath to steady herself her feet started to step, one in front of the other. Easy. She walked forward cautiously and Yang followed closely behind into the examination room. As they crossed the threshold, Blake’s ears flattened against her head and pulled at her bow awkwardly. Her need to pee was intense, but their doctor had told her the ultrasound would work better if she had a full bladder, so she held off and tried to ignore the uncomfortable pressure in her pelvis. Their technician, May, gestured toward the exam table, and Blake crept up onto the surface without letting go of Yang's hand. She lay back against the recline and took a few deep breaths, tugging the waistband of her pants down with her thumbs as Yang gently used her free hand to ease the hem of her shirt up and out of the way.
May snatched a bottle and some tissue from under the scanner, and tucked the soft paper into Blake's pants with careful fingers. She inverted the bottle and cold jelly squirted onto the barely there rounding of Blake's belly, her abdominals tensing at the shock and a tight shiver rippling through her. She closed her eyes and shook her head as the wand rolled over the jelly, spreading it around without a care for the disgust so firmly set on Blake’s features. May looked carefully at the screen. She moved around a few more times before settling the wand in one spot.
"There- look Mommies." She tilted the screen and Yang smiled as she saw the tiny lump on the screen that didn't look at all like a baby in any capacity. Blake kept her eyes shut tight, clamped against the light, refusing to look at the screen until-
A quick rhythm echoed through the room, and tears leaked from the corners of sealed eyes. "And there's the heartbeat." May smiled, and Blake pulled her palms to her face and sobbed into them, hot relief pouring down her cheeks as her muscles relaxed for the first time that day. "It's a little fast, but that's nothing to worry about."
Yang gently stroked and Blake's hair as the sobs slowed. "I did it...." She mumbled into her hands. Relief and fear coiled in her belly with the patient power of a King Taijitu, she had got pregnant and stayed so until the first scan, but there was an entire mountain range ahead of her just waiting to trip her up and eradicate the life inside her. Yang nodded furiously when asked if they wanted a picture, and Blake's teary eyes finally opened to look at the screen as it printed out, her golden gaze flitting across images in black and white showing a hazy curved lump. A small hiccup was followed with a desperate whisper. "We want to meet you so very much."
--
7.
She had wanted to keep it a secret longer, keep it folded and close to her heart like a love note until they'd passed the entire of the shaky first trimester, but it was almost as if Ruby could smell the changes in her hormones as acutely as she could, as if they slapped her as soon as she walked through their front door.
"Hi Blake!" She moved to greet her sister in law with a hug but her body stopped dead on the spot, boots shuffling against the hard wooden floor beneath the soles. A beat passed between them, Ruby’s brow furrowing in an entirely alien expression for the bubbly woman. The expression softened into one of joy almost instantly, as if the querying look had never existed. "Oh my gosh you're pregnant!" Her mouth split widely into that Xiao Long grin, and Blake's eyes went wide with bone-deep fear, her gut clenching and her hands shaking. Nothing was set in stone, nothing was certain, and nothing could convince her that her whole world wouldn’t collapse in on itself in that very moment.
Her mouth started moving and words poured out in no particular order, trying to figure out how this could happen, how her carefully guarded blessing could have bloomed into the mind of someone outside of her home. "No no, you're not supposed to know yet, how do you know? Did Yang tell you? She promised-" The words rushed past her lips, pushed by hastening breath and a keening ache to take the knowledge away from Ruby.
"Yang didn't say anything I swear, you're just glowing." Ruby smiled and booped Blake on the nose with a soft fingertip. It almost calmed the faunus, but her body still twitched with nerves and adrenaline. "It suits you."
--
10.
"Ten weeks, ladies! We should be able to get a clearer picture now, especially since baby seems to be doing so well." May was excited, Blake's bump was a good size which indicated excellent growth. She felt it now, even though it was true when Ruby had said it before, Blake really was glowing. Her hair was braided lazily over one shoulder, her face a little rounder, and her smile soft and content. The past few weeks of watching her body change and measuring her growing belly had reassured her, their baby was fine and healthy and most importantly, still there. She was calm, settled, and so deliriously happy. She had made a habit of lying on the couch stretched out just to revel in the luxury of the new curve to her body, to let her fingers trace lazy patterns over her skin and wait for bubbles and flutters to arrive. Silently, she slid onto the exam table and laid back, tugging her pants down to her hips and her shirt up to her ribs before placing a palm on the tightening skin and smiling.
"Watch out." May tucked the paper towel into her waistband again, and even though Blake expected the cold as she moved her hand, she still flinched at the contact of chilled moisture against her skin. A quick drumbeat of thumps echoed around the examination room as the scanner searched, and May quirked her head at the sound. She moved the wand around, trying to find a good spot. "That's odd."
Blake's calmness evaporated immediately with those words. It was going wrong, she knew it was too good to be true, too soon to have convinced herself it would be alright. You’re going to lose it again, you’re not a mother, you never will be. You were made to destroy lives, not create them. She sat up, her eyes wide and searching the screen for answers she knew she wouldn't be able to decipher.
"What is it, what's wrong?" Blake's voice raised in volume and pitch, laced with panic. Yang's hand came up onto her shoulder to gently push her back down onto the table, and Blake harshly shifted to shrug her off before allowing the pressure to ease her back down, eventually realising that sitting up had knocked the ultrasound wand off her belly and the image had vanished from the screen.
"Nothing’s wrong, I'm just surprised I didn't see last time." May ran her wand over Blake's belly as the woman lay back down, and pointed at the screen. "Here's number one," she tapped, before moving her finger over, "and number two."
"Two?" Yang mumbled, staring at the little curled cashew nuts that she could see were growing inside Blake. Her face blanched and her voice shook, restrained excitement turning the edges of her words to jello. May nodded with a soft smile. "It explains why the bump is a little bit on the large side for this stage."
"Twins?" I couldn't keep one, how am I going to keep two? Blake's heart raced and her stomach flipped over, her face turning pale. The need to vomit crept up her throat and ravaged the back of her mouth. An acrid flavour flickered over her tongue and tainted the lips that had held a smile moments before. There was no way she would be able to carry it- them. How could she possibly keep them safe? They relied entirely upon her body, which had betrayed her and her children so many times before without a second thought. There was nothing stopping it from tearing them away from her.
Yang pressed a kiss to Blake's cheek, snapping her from her reverie. "They're right there and they're fine, just like they always have been." She pressed another to her forehead, and Yang’s hot lips and warm words comforted and grounded her, tearing her attention to the present moment, where her babies were fine and growing inside her womb just as they should be. "You're doing a great job, Blake. I'm so proud of you."
"There's nothing to worry about," May said, taking note of measurements and details and jotting them down onto a pad in front of her, "they look perfectly healthy. A little small, but twins usually are. There's a few extra risks but we'll keep a close watch on them. Let me print you a picture."
Blake took deep breaths to steady herself, silently cursing her heritage. She knew twins were likely, faunus mothers regularly carried multiples to term with no more difficulty than a human with a single baby, but the doubt crept back into her mind. She wasn't like other faunus mothers. She was defective, unable, incapable.Twins had been so far out of her mind that she hadn’t even mentioned the possibility to Yang.
She listened carefully with both sets of ears, committing the sound of her children's heartbeats to memory. Just in case.
--
15.
"Mrs Xiao Long, there is really no need to have another scan so soon. Your doctor hasn't expressed any concerns, and monthly ultrasounds are hardly-"
"I won't risk it, I can't." Blake snapped into her scroll, her patience wearing as thin as the well-loved, threadbare socks on her feet. "Give me the appointment. I'll pay in cash if necessary!"
The secretary on the other end of the call sighed, sympathy and irritation rolling through the sound in equal measure. A few moments later, Blake could hear the sound of fingers tapping a keyboard. Beats passed and a few clicks later, the words she craved passed through the speaker. "I've booked you in for three weeks tomorrow, two thirty."
"Thank you," Blake breathed into the receiver, her relief palpable, "thank you so much."
"That's not a problem, Mrs Xiao Long.” The woman sounded pleased to have parried the rage of at least one pregnant woman that day. “Have a nice day." The dial tone sounded, and Blake jumped as Yang's arms snaked around her waist.
"You know, you didn't have to go and use your 'huntress voice' on her." The blonde kissed the hinge of Blake's jaw, and smiled against the skin when a gentle blip of a chuckle rumbled against her.
"I know." Blake conceded, placing her hands over Yang's and letting her fingers stroke at skin and metal, the contrast in temperatures reassuring her just whose arms were wrapped around her. "I just can't take any chances with them, they have to be okay." They have to be. I can’t lose another.
"And they will be." Yang pressed another kiss to her neck and a ripple of warmth and love danced down Blake’s spine. "Textbook pregnancy, the doc said. You're perfect, and they're perfect."
Blake turned in her wife's arms and smiled. She wrapped her arms around Yang’s neck and kissed her lips gently. She dragged one hand down and fingers traced delicately over a collarbone before one prodded the blonde in the sternum. "I'm still not waiting longer than a month."
--
18.
"I still cannot believe you're having twins." Weiss stared at the ultrasound image pinned to the refrigerator, sipping at the tea in her hand. "I'm so happy for you." She turned and smiled at her teammate. Weiss' shoulder length white hair skimmed at her collarbones as she walked over and delicately sat down at the small table in Taiyang Xiao Long's kitchen. Her hand slid across the wooden surface and squeezed at Blake’s.
"I still can't believe it. I don't think I really will until they get here." Blake stared down into her tea with a careful smile on her lips. Soft and unbound ears tilted upwards in a show of tentative excitement as she tried to imagine whose nose they would each have, what the colour of their eyes would be, and attempting to ignore the possibility of ears and tails.
"They will get here, you know." Weiss squeezed the hand in her own again, and the faunus lifted her head to look into Weiss's clear blue eyes, not an ounce of doubt anywhere in the face of her teammate.
"Gods, I hope you're right. More than anything." She took a careful sip of her tea, then stopped dead for a fraction of a ssecond. Her hands put the cupcdown on the table with less care and attention than usual, and the contents sloshed in a violent wave. Dark, stormy droplets rolled down the side of the porcelain and onto the table. Her spine snapped upright and her hands flew to her midsection, palms slid around the bottom and left hand side of her bump with urgency, but no hint of panic. "Yang!" She barked, and the single syllable echoed sharply around the kitchen. The blonde in question appeared in the room immediately, as if she’d borrowed her sister's semblance but neglected to trail rose petals behind her.
"What is it?" Violet eyes were wide and worried as Blake grabbed her hands and wrenched her forward. She pinned rough palms to her stomach and waited. Yang stayed perfectly stationary, her hands held still by Blake's grip until she could feel it. Little flutters and fidgets and nudges against the flesh from the inside. "Oh, hey." Yang cooed, her body relaxed and the worried edge dropped from her voice entirely as she placed herself onto her knees, closed her eyes, and concentrated on the babies as they moved restlessly within Blake's womb. "There's my girls," Blake smiled as Yang spoke to her bump, "Mama's been waiting for you to say hi."
"Has she felt them before?" Weiss asked with a soft, nostalgic smile quirking her lips as she watched Yang's face fill with awe and adoration. Blake shook her head and lifted one hand to Yang's hair, golden locks now pressed against her along with an ear, as if she was waiting for them to reply to the mumbles against the skin.
Blake leisurely combed her fingers through the thick blonde hair. "They always move more when they can hear her, but it's never been enough for her to feel it." Her lips parted in a grin, and she tilted her head up to look to the ceiling in a silent prayer to stop the tears slipping from her eyes. The gods know I have cried enough.
Taiyang walked into his kitchen, having followed Yang from outside. A worried 5 year old was slung on his hip. "Is Auntie Blake okay, Yéyé?" She mumbled, tugging at the collar of his shirt. He reached up and ruffled pale strawberry blonde hair whilst watching his eldest daughter chatter lovingly to her wife's abdomen.
"She looks fine to me, Poppet. Let's go find your Ma." He walked back out, and Weiss followed, leaving Yang to mutter soft words into rounded flesh, and Blake to continue her gaze to the heavens and mouth thank you to anyone who may be watching.
--
24.
May smiled warmly as she led Blake into the examination room and patted the table. "No Yang today?" She asked, and Blake shook her head as she sat down on the edge and then shimmied further on.
"She's on a long deployment in Vacuo." Blake explained, trying to ignore the slather of cold jelly this time. "She's calling in favours so she can take more time out when I'm closer." Her voice still hitched as the chill touched her flesh.
"Smart girl, I hope she uses that time well to dote on you." May winked and ran the wand over and around, smearing gel all over and making Blake shudder with the unpleasant wetness. She watched the screen, trying to ignore how empty her hand felt without Yang there to hold it, how quiet the room was without her little excited gasps and chuckles. She tried to focus on the process of the appointment, the images in front of her and the soft beats over the speaker. "They are looking fantastic, big, strong and healthy." May tilted the screen and Blake gasped at the view. So much less like fuzzy blobs and more like babies, tiny heads and bodies and limbs pressed up against one another. Blake jerked as the one on the left jabbed at the one on the right. "Oh, fighting already, I see." May smirked.
Blake let out a small laugh and couldn't help but think how Yang would be both delighted and saddened by the tiny punch, a brawler just like Mama, but getting prenatal practice on her sister.
After the gel was cleaned off and the image was printed, Blake sat in her car in the hospital parking lot, the seat far more comfortable than those inside the hospital. She laid the picture on her lap and snapped a picture with her scroll, then tapped lazily at the on-screen keyboard.
- Peanut likes to hit Pickle. I don't know where she gets it from.
She sent the message with a smile and tugged the bow from her head as she started the car and pulled away.
--
26.
-Send me another one, please?
-Why? It's not going to have changed in two days.
-I know, but I miss you and your cute belly :3
-We miss you, too. Attached: 26+3.png
--
28.
"Yang, I... If you can't get home I'll understand. Ruby said she'd come with me this time so I don’t have to go by myself." Blake pouted, one arm resting on her bump and the other holding her scroll to her ear. After postponing her next appointment for two weeks so Yang would be back from her mission, it was immensely frustrating that the tour had been extended due to increased Grimm activity, and Yang was now due back the same day.
"I will be there, I know how much it means to you. It means a lot to me, too." Yang assured her. Blake could hear bustle in the background of the call. Yang was somewhere busy and filled with the chatter of people. That put her well outside of the mission zone, but she could have been anywhere between Vacuo and Vale.
"I want you to see them so much. I've been rocking them all day to keep them asleep, and I bought soda so we can try and wake them up when we're there." Blake had planned everything to increase the chances of Yang seeing their daughters move, reading multiple articles about the best ways to encourage and discourage movement. She wanted terribly for Yang to appear at the door right then with a hey, baby and a smile, but even her timing wasn't so perfect. It had been so intense to see them in motion before, and being unable to share that with her wife was unexpectedly upsetting. It made her even more determined to show her this time, but fate didn’t seem to be on her side.
"I'll be there."
-
Yang rolled up outside the hospital on her motorcycle and killed the engine as she parked up in an empty spot in the crammed lot. She dumped her helmet on the bike and jogged in through the automatic doors, boots followed the path she knew well towards Maternity. Her mind raced, praying she hadn’t missed it, that they were still sitting in the small waiting room outside the examination rooms. She pushed through the swing doors and looked around, spotted dark red hair beside pure black, and sighed with relief.
"Blake!" The two turned their heads at the same time, smiling as Yang walked over to where they were sitting. "I'm sorry I'm late."
Blake launched herself remarkably nimbly from the chair into Yang's arms. "Not your fault. Kiss me." She pushed her lips into the blonde's. Her arms wrapped around Yang's neck as much as she could considering the bulk wedged firmly between them. She had missed the blonde horribly, but the extension of the tour had let butterflies run riot in her stomach and of the worst ideas stampede through her thoughts and dreams. She worried that the blessings growing inside her had to be paid for, and that their previous losses wouldn’t cover the bill. That Yang would be injured, or worse. In sleep and consciousness her mind led her to that place, where the blonde lay unconscious on the floor of the broken and burning cafeteria in a pool of glittering crimson. She lost so much in protecting Blake, and that made the faunus wonder if she would have to lose more in doing the same for their children. She knew that Yang would lay down her life in a heartbeat if it meant keeping them safe, but she shouldn’t have to. They deserved to be happy, but Blake knew that not everyone gets what they deserve.
Ruby coughed and snapped an arm out to slap her sister in the thigh. "Get a room." She sing-songed, her long legs crossing over each other as a grin met her lips, watching the pair separate with a torrent of emotions pouring through the gaze they shared.
I love you-
I missed you-
You’re here-
I'm sorry-
We missed you-
I love you-
You made it-
They caged their words with tight throats that promised to set them free later, and Yang helped Blake sit gently back into her seat. She dropped to her knees on the floor in front of Blake; none of the available chairs were anywhere near close enough to the woman for her liking. Yang kept her left hand on her wife’s ankle, stroking lightly. She wasn't sure if it was to comfort Blake or herself, but it was a show of affection that had been absent from both of their days for far too long. She tilted her head and laid her cheek on Blake's lap, her thick hair pillowing her new resting place. She let her eyes drift shut as fingers combed and scratched absently, and Yang felt a calmness wash over her with the scent of her wife surrounding her. The weeks had been gruelling, and to say that she hadn't been in danger would a lie - hunting was a dangerous calling that had taken many lives and broken many families. Her bones ached with exhaustion, the extra push at the end of the tour had taken its toll on all who participated, and Yang's insistence to leave immediately to make her way home had cut out any rest she might have had between signing off and making the trip.
A pounding ache resonated in her skull, eased by the gentle and loving touch roaming across the top of her head and running circles over her brow. She sighed softly, this woman knew instinctively how to erase her pain and woes with well-placed touches and kisses and whispered words of love and adoration. There was no doubt in her mind that Blake would be able to do the same for their daughters, even though the faunus didn't believe it herself. Blake was filled with confidence in Yang, how as a child herself she had raised Ruby to be strong and optimistic and hopeful, how she interacted with their nieces with effervescent encouragement and firm discipline. Yes, Blake knew that Yang would be an incredible mother, but doubted herself entirely.
A soft smile crept onto her lips as she thought back to the previous summer, playing hide and seek in the forest around her old home in Patch. Ruby counted, eyes screwed shut and her face against the wall of the house. Blake snatched up Poppy, pulling her close to her chest and running away into the trees while Yang slung Coralie over her shoulder and sprinted in the other direction, their raucous laughter giving away their position. Later, Yang had watched as one of Blake's shadow clones tricked Ruby into climbing a tree, before letting itself fall backwards from the branch it was perched on, and waving at her as it disintegrated into smoke in the air. She also saw Poppy and Blake silently giggling together from a much stealthier hiding spot, the girl tucked under Blake's arm and holding tight to her aunt's shirt. There was not an ounce of doubt in Yang when it came to how wonderful a mother Blake would be.
"Blake?" May called from the open door of her exam room, and comforting fingers stopped playing in golden hair. Yang jumped to her feet and helped Blake up too, pecking a kiss to full lips as she stood to her full height.
"I'll wait out here." Ruby smiled, moving to pull her scroll out of her pocket.
Yang grabbed her little sister's hand and pulled her up with some success, but mostly just managing to tug her forward, sprawling out of her seat like a fawn on ice. "Don't be a dummy."
--
33.
"Once upon a time, an enchantress visited a large castle in the middle of a storm, looking for shelter for the night. The prince who lived in the castle turned her away, sneering at the woman in her wet and ragged clothes. The enchantress was furious at his selfishness, and using her magic, she turned the handsome prince into a terrible howling beast. She left behind an enchanted rose. If the prince did not find true love before the last petal fell, then he would remain in his beastly form forever.
"In a village nearby lived a wonderful girl who spent every moment reading and learning. More than anything, she wanted to go on adventures, like the heroes in the books she poured over every day. While reading in the market square one day, she was interrupted by an arrogant man who considered her no more than a lovely item to be possessed. He asked her to marry him, and she refused. In his anger, he took his bright red sword from its sheath and stabbed her in the-"
"Yang!"
"What?"
"That is not how the story goes." Blake lay prone on the couch, poking the blonde head of hair resting against her lap. The golden mess moved and the book shifted down. Yang looked up to Blake's face, a soft smile on her lips.
"It's how our story goes." Yang turned her head and kissed the bump, gently rubbing the tight skin with her left hand. "And our story brought us right here, so it's my favourite."
Blake sighed and muttered under her breath, quiet chastisements rumbling off her tongue as her heart fluttered with the heartfelt words.
-
36.
She was heavy. Her mind was leaden and her body was concrete. Full and bursting at the seams, steel threads of expectation, excitement and trepidation braided together and woven into her bones. True comfort came infrequently. The perfect position in a bath. Her spine being cradled by her lover in a blissful post-coital haze. Sitting in the old tan leather recliner in Taiyang's living room.
She lay in the soft grass, the warm May breeze lifting strands of hair and flicking them across closed eyes. It curled around her bare stomach and thighs and tickled lush blades of green against her feet. An abandoned book rested near her head, the spine reaching for the sky as it lay carefully splayed open at the most recent page. It was forgotten in lieu of the few moments of relaxation that settled in her body, the mere sensation lifting a smile to her lips. The smile only grew when she realised what she had managed to do. She was only a few short weeks shy of her due date, and as much as she regularly trembled with anticipation she knew that she would miss carrying her daughters inside her, and that all the physical discomfort in the world couldn't brush aside the fact that she would carry them another nine months without complaint if she had to. She hadn't griped about being pregnant in any capacity, her mind always acutely aware that it could have never happened, that she could have stayed barren and hollow and never had the opportunity to feel the tired creaky ache that now chewed through her body on a daily basis. She felt a firm wriggle, and a kick, and winced. The bump had dropped and she could feel the two of them sitting very low in her pelvis. As a result, every stray limb or rough jostle connected in a place she wasn’t accustomed to and would occasionally bring tears to her eyes. She let out a tight breath between her lips that turned into a shush, and rubbed low down to try and still her unsettled daughter. Despite Blake's efforts the child kicked, punched, and landed a perfect shot into a kidney. "Fuck!" Blake's eyes shot open and she nearly sat up with the need to curl in on herself.
"You okay there, baby?" Yang called over from where she was doing squats in the shade of a large tree. She continued the exercise, counting her reps internally, as Blake dropped her head back to the ground.
"I'm fine, Peanut just thinks my insides are a dojo again." She pouted, pointing at the left side of her belly. She watched with lazy eyes as Yang finished her set and walked across the yard with bare feet, her toes gripping at the grass as she stepped. She leant down and picked up the lost novel, saving the page with a bookmark from the back before closing it with a soft snap. Blake heard her wife drop to the floor behind her head and smiled as gentle hands helped her raise her head from the ground and place it into a slightly sweaty lap. Fingers raked through her hair, and she smiled smugly and nuzzled her cheek into Yang's knee as light scratches started at the base of her skull and spread into a careful massage over her head. A soft, pleasured moan dripped from her lips and rumbled through her chest. After a few moments the rough kicks faded into flutters and then nothing, her mother's comforting sounds quickly soothing and stilling her. Yang continued to scratch and stroke, Blake's smile and noises amused her to no end. She felt her wife's body relax, the muscles losing their tension as the need to anticipate hits evaporated, and a small chuckle left the full and parted lips she loved to kiss. "She hits harder than you already."
Yang's jaw dropped in mock indignation. "The nerve! Just wait until you're training again, I'll kick your ass." She took her hand from Blake's head and placed it on the grass beside her.
"Not if I have Peanut on my side." She smirked up at Yang and reached out to her left. She grabbed a wrist with artful fingertips and placed the hand back into her hair. After a beat, fingers and nails resumed their massage and wrung short happy whines from the back of Blake's throat.
--
37.
"Do you want some tea? I could make you tea." To her credit, Yang did ask, but she still walked straight into the kitchen and put the kettle on to boil without actually waiting for an answer.
"Yang, I don't think tea is going to make this better!" Blake started calmly but by the end of her sentence an intense pain in her abdomen forced the words out as a low groan. She'd felt similar cramping before, and experiencing it again made her agitated in ways she should have prepared herself for, but instead she paced the length of their living room with her hands pressed into the back of her pelvis, her mind telling her over and over again you're going to lose them. Yang appeared at her side and paced with her, her terror as obvious as her complete lack of joviality.
"Are you sure you don't want to go yet?" Her voice was sharply edged with concern, the sight of Blake in pain was agonising and this time the cause wasn't something she could tear apart with her bare hands. Instead, she wrung those hands together and set them about destroying themselves, picking at nails and loose skin absentmindedly.
"There's no point," Blake breathed as the tension passed, and she sat down on the couch leaving Yang to walk back and forth by herself, "they'd just tell us to come home." She let her eyes fall shut and pushed her bangs back with her palms, flattening the hair against her scalp. It could be hours yet, but her skin was prickled with sweat and her bones were already tired. She tried to take her mind off the c-section she would probably end up having by imagining the outcome. Two small serene faces looking up at her. Yang rocking a swaddled bundle in her arms. Finally giving real names to Peanut and Pickle.
She took a deep breath to steady herself, and as her lungs reached capacity she felt a small, sharp pop. Her eyes snapped open and she forced herself off the couch as gravity took hold and pulled liquid from her insides. She desperately tried to look down at herself, at her pants slowly soaking through and stuck to her inner thighs. It felt odd, like someone was leisurely pouring a glass of warm water into her lap, and her brow crinkled with how peculiar it was. The moment of contemplation was shattered when her uterus contracted hard and forced a strangled cry and more moisture out of her body. How the pain could escalate into full body agony so quickly was entirely beyond her, and her legs shook with the effort of holding herself up. Yang caught her elbow to steady her, and Blake's hand gripped desperately at the metal limb, a deep roar still being ripped from her throat. "I changed my mind I changed my mind we're going!" The low words erupted as one long, low sound, pushed out from deep inside her body by tense, crushing muscles and followed out by a sharp snapping squawk.
"Okay, baby. We're going." Yang's knees trembled but she didn't move, her brain telling her legs to start walking but the message getting lost along the way. She held Blake up, staring at the moisture soaking its way down black pants, and could tell from the way that her belly was visibly clenching that the situation was getting serious very quickly.
"Yang!" The desperate shout shattered the mental blockade and her body snapped into action, the only thing in her mind to get her wife to the hospital as quickly as possible.
-
Ruby rounded the corner of the corridor and Yang saw her immediately, her expression shifting from blank shock to pure fury in a blink. "They kicked me out! She looked so fucking alone, they made me leave her to do this alone!" Yang's voice rung, reverberating discordantly against the sharp corners and harsh edges around her. A swift fist pounded into the wall, leaving a dent that in all honesty could have been a lot worse had she not held herself back. Ruby crossed the short distance quickly, pulling her sister into a tight hug. "She's going to be fine, they just need to be careful. They're all gonna be fine."
They both snapped their heads towards the door. Blake's pained caterwaul carried easily through the wood and Ruby's jaw clenched in unconscious empathy. "How long has she been in there?" She released Yang from her grip and busied her hands with the edge of her sanguine cape, trying to calm herself for her sister's sake.
"Like, ninety minutes?" Yang's fingers laced together behind her own head. Ruby nodded, and they both acknowledged that there was a long way to go. It was likely that the staff were prepping her for surgery, and that's why Yang had been removed from the room, but just because she understood didn't mean she had to like it. She looked down at the floor and her boot kicked at nothing, trying to block her wife's sobs and cries from her mind.
"Yaaaaaaaaannnnggg!" She pricked her head up and stared straight at the door, the force of contraction elongating her name into a long alto wail, which made her feel even more useless. They wouldn't let her in. She couldn't hold her hand, or pull back her hair and kiss her forehead, or take the blame for every painful spasm that tried to force two babies out of her partner's slim frame. The colour drained from her face and she swallowed. Her bottom lip trembled and she dropped her arms limply to her sides. She was the proverbial chocolate teapot- entirely without use or purpose, and it was harrowing.
The door clicked open and the head of a dark-skinned woman with small white antlers popped out. "It's happening now." The faunus said before disappearing back into the room and leaving the door ajar. Yang did not even spare a moment to look at her sister, rushing through the door and swerving around every medical professional between her and Blake's side. A clammy hand grasped at her metal one and squeezed so hard as she pushed that Yang was glad her prosthetic was only equipped with pressure sensing technology and not artificial pain receptors. Still, she winced. "I'm here, you're doing so great, you're incredible." Yang muttered against the top of Blake's head before pressing a firm kiss against damp hair.
Blake sucked in a deep breath and loosened her grip. "This is the worst." She said, head rolling back onto the inclined bed. Every ounce of her usual eloquence had evaporated when her contractions had started rolling closer together, and Yang smiled at the complaint. "I'll bet, but when you're done it'll be the best." Ears and lips twitched simultaneously and Blake nodded.
"Okay Blake, she's right there and waiting to come out so I want you to breathe really carefully and do your best to not push, okay?" Their consultant asked from between Blake's legs, soft floppy dog ears atop her head. Blake nodded again. "Good girl, it'll help her get in the right place." A few moments of calm passed before a contraction tore through her body again. Blake breathed and her ears flattened against her hair. She ignored what her body was imploring her to do and focussed on Yang's hand in hers. "That is perfect, Blake, just hold on a little longer." The tension in her gut made her want to vomit, but little huffing puffs of breath escaping her lips got her through it. The pressure receded and the consultant smiled. "Next one you go all out."
"Thank god," She wiped the back of her free hand against her forehead, and smiled. A little more effort and she would have a daughter. Again the pain washed through her but instead of resisting she worked with it. A thick groan pushed out of her mouth and she barely noticed the consultant telling her that the head was out. A short tug was followed by a glorious relief of pressure and a screaming, squirming, pink baby was lifted away from her thighs and wrapped in a towel.
"Ears." Blake mumbled, her lips turning down into a cautious frown.
"They are such beautiful ears, kitten." Yang's voice was filled with awe as she looked at the towelled bundle. A midwife unwrapped the baby and placed her onto Blake's chest, so soft new skin could brush against her collarbones. Yang was right, they were beautiful ears. Black fur at the base that met with short puffs of black hair, and tufts of blonde at the tips. She was barely given a moment to appreciate the small face in front of her before her body tensed again and she felt another pop. Her second water was released in a burst with her contraction, and in an instant her eldest daughter was swept from her chest, severed from her cord, and taken to the other side of the room. "Come on Blake, one more and then you can hold them as long as you want." Yang squeezed on her hand and Blake let out a broken sob, torn between her need to hold one daughter and birth the other. Her body decided for her and clenched hard to rid itself of the second.
"She is ready and waiting for you, Blake." The faunus consultant said, and Blake caught her breath in the few moments respite. "Get ready to push." She pushed hard, and just three minutes after her sister, the second of Blake's twins entered the world. The baby gasped but didn't cry, and she was dried swiftly by a midwife before being placed naked on her mother's chest, in the spot her sister had occupied moments before. Blake let go of Yang's hand and cradled their baby with gentle fingers, the tip of one reaching out to trace the edges of a thin ear covered in sandy fur.
Somewhere in the periphery of her mind she was aware that Yang had been asked to cut the second cord, but Blake’s eyes were focussed on the little ones that opened in front of her. "No way." Fell from her lips, her vocabulary still entirely failing her despite the happiness that swelled through her entire body, something that Weiss would later insist was 'just hormones'. "Yang, look." Yang did. She peered down at the tiny baby on Blake's chest and her eyelids peeled open wider at the sight of two bright eyes staring up at nothing, one a pale lilac and one gold. "It's like those flowers in your dad's yard."
The blonde nodded in recognition, her mind flashing to memories of Summer kneeling beside her, telling her they were purple lotus flowers after Yang had realised that the petals were the colour of her eyes and the centre glowed as golden as her hair. Her father whispered that they were lian, and that they only came into the world after Yang was born to celebrate her. Of course, she knew that was a story on her father's part, but the flowers matched perfectly to the hues in the eyes of the tiny child atop Blake’s ribs.
"Lian" Yang said quietly, hoping that Blake was thinking the same painfully obvious thing as her. "How does that sound to you?"
Blake laughed and the sound echoed around the room in a much sweeter way than her screams had. "I think it sounds perfect."
-
The room was empty, save the new family, Ruby, and Weiss, who had arrived after the whole thing was over. The red and white teammates were beckoned in by the enthusiastic blonde to meet their nieces. Blake looked exhausted but so content, gazing from her bed down to the small crib where the tiny girls lay side by side, dressed and nursed, cooing and fidgeting into each other. Weiss went to the side of Blake's bed and took her hand gently while Ruby walked up to the side of the crib and looked over at the girls in their too-large onesies. "Oh my gosh they both have kitty ears this is too cute!" She practically squealed. The moment was so reminiscent of the girl Blake met in their first year at Beacon that she laughed, dropping a palm onto her face. "They're both faunus?" Weiss asked, the edge of her voice worried for the difficult lives the innocent children would have to traverse.
"And they're so little! Teeny tiny! I'm your Auntie Ruby and I am going to spoil you so-" she stopped her word-vomit mid spew as she noticed three amber eyes and one pale bluish lilac peering up at her, "well that's a thing."
"What is it?" Weiss let go of Blake's hand with a squeeze and walked over to stand beside her partner, her hand resting lightly on the edge of the crib. She looked down and a small gasp fell from her smile-curved lips. "Heterochromia, that's incredible."
"Her name's Lian." Yang told them through a huge grin, pride and excitement plastered all over her face, and anticipation bubbling in her gut at whether Ruby would remember.
"No way! That's so perfect." Ruby dropped her hand cautiously into the crib and stroked Lian's ear before dancing over to play with the blonde tips of the other twin's ears. "What about tufts over here?"
"Mica." Blake replied, a soft sleepy smile on her face, satisfied that her favourite of all the names they had deliberated on had made it into use.
"Do you want to hold them?" Yang asked, careful to temper her volume to avoid startling Lian and Mica and breaking Blake’s relaxed demeanour. Her wife deserved the peace.
"Uh, yeah!" Ruby shot across the room like a bullet from Crimson Rose and sat down in the soft chair by the window, holding her arms out. "Lay one on me!" Yang bent over and wrapped her arms delicately around Mica, lifting and carrying her like the precious cargo she was and depositing her into the cradle of her sister's arms.
She went back to gather Lian and gave her to Weiss, who was fascinated and filled with adoration for the little cat-eared girl in her arms. She couldn't believe that for years she had been so callous and ruthless in her attitude towards the faunus, and a fissure of regret split her open, filled with every harsh word and thought that had ever existed thanks to her. Now, she had Blake and Lian and Mica in her family, and it was so far separated from anything that she ever thought possible as a girl, but so much better than living her entire life filled with such hate instead of the abundance of love in her chest. "I will never let anything bad happen to you." She whispered to Lian, lifting her up to place a soft kiss on her forehead. Yang whipped out her scroll to take the first of many pictures of her daughters and their aunts. "How long was the labour?" Weiss asked, tearing her eyes away from her niece to look over at Blake.
"Like, three hours start to finish?" Blake replied, her eyes lazily moving to Yang for confirmation.
"I'd say closer to two." The blonde replied, snapping a few more images before putting her scroll back into her pocket. She walked over to the side of the bed and pressed a sweet kiss to Blake's lips. "You were incredible."
"Seriously? You make it look so easy." Ruby cast her mind back, recalling the seemingly endless hours of pain and discomfort brought her children into the world. Tearing, hideous pain, screams and cries that had lasted long through the night and well into the morning as her body fought its hardest battle.
"It took so many years to get them, it's only fair they arrived with no hassle." Blake mumbled, she was so tired and all she really wanted was to go home with her family and sleep for days, but the thought of closing her eyes and missing anything was heart-wrenching. She smiled and watched her family together, and disbelief washed all around her. One year ago she would have never have even entertained the thought that she would be able to stay pregnant beyond morning sickness, never mind stay the course and deliver two perfect girls who would be showered with love and adoration from all directions, protected from vitriol with fierce strength and sharp weapons. She couldn't wait for everyone to meet them, to show them off and tell people look what we did, to place them into Taiyang's arms and watch his face light up like his namesake, a surge of pride visibly rushing through him at the newest pair to join the strong women he called his family.
Soon her eyes wouldn't stay open any more, and Ruby bade them farewell, leaving the tiny twins in their tiny hospital crib and scooting off home with Weiss to hug their own children. Yang kissed Blake on the lips and sat beside the crib, staring down and starting the first of many years worth of watching, attempting to keep her girls quiet while their beautiful and grateful mother slept. |
That emerging Democratic majority in Georgia due to massive demographic shifts we’ve been talking about for more than a decade now still isn’t close.
At least, that’s what Real Clear Politics’ senior elections analyst predicts.
Yesterday, Sean Trende crunched some numbers using Nate Silver’s “Demographic Calculator” for GA, AZ and TX . (The reason for those three states and his conservative assumptions are explained in the post).
The numbers say 2048 is when Georgia will become a Democratic state again. If immigration doubles, the flip will take place in 2028.
I have to agree with him. As he points out, the PVI for Georgia changed very minimally from 2000 to 2012. Republicans have continued to win and add to their number of elected officials. Sometimes the races are closer than in the past but close only counts in horseshoes. There isn’t any real reason to replace the Republicans. By and large, things are going well here in Georgia, there haven’t been any truly major scandals (let’s see what happens with the Deal allegations) and most of the controversial legislation seems to be “controversial” only to people who would never vote Republican anyway. |
Orbital Sciences Corporation specializes in small- and medium-class space and rocket systems. They are under contract, along with SpaceX, to conduct commercial resupply missions to the International Space Station when needed.
On July 11, Orbital Sciences is scheduled to conduct one of these resupply missions to the ISS at 1:40 p.m. and NASA plans to televise the launch beginning at 1 p.m. Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket is expected to carry the Cygnus cargo spacecraft that will hold over 3,000 pounds of cargo for the crew members of Expedition 40.
The Antares rocket is a medium-class space launch vehicle that has a 95% launch reliability. It was designed to provide low-Earth orbit launches for payloads in excess of 10,000 pounds. The NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services agreement was signed by Orbital Sciences in 2013 for a total of eight resupply missions.
Among the cargo, essential supplies will be sent for the crew members along with science experiments to keep the research aboard the ISS ongoing. The experiments include nanosatellites, which are designed to take images of Earth, and a NASA satellite-related investigation called TechEdSat-4. Other student experiments from the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program will also be sent and eventually brought back to Earth with the results.
The space station is scheduled to receive the cargo shipment on Tuesday, July 15, where NASA TV also plans to cover the capture and installation of the Cygnus spacecraft by Commander Steve Swanson and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst aboard the ISS. Coverage is expected to begin at 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
Earlier this week, Orbital Sciences also conducted a milestone mission with NASA with the launch of the space agency's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite. The satellite, built by Orbital Sciences, is expected to record the first measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere from space. It will record the measurements in different regions of the world as it spends at least two years in orbit.
But the company's next focus is for next Friday, when the Cygnus cargo spacecraft will launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Launch Pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
You can read more about the resupply mission in this NASA news release. |
Ethiopian Israelis took to the streets of Jerusalem on the evening of April 30 to protest police brutality and systemic racism. (Photo: Lior Mizrahi)
Days after her Super Bowl halftime appearance, Israeli outlet Yedioth Ahronoth has confirmed rumors that Beyoncé Knowles will perform two dates in Tel Aviv, Israel this August, which would be in violation of the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions.
Her recent performance referenced the Black Panthers, the Black Lives Matters movement, and Malcolm X. Beyoncé’s dancers wore Black Panthers style berets and black leather, and were photographed raising their fists in an homage to Tommie Johnson and John Carlos salute at the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City. They were also photographed holding a sign that read “Justice 4 Mario Woods,” who was killed by San Francisco police last December.
The day before, she released a video for “Formation,” her latest song which references police brutality and Hurricane Katrina.
In light of her decision to perform in Israel – which would put her at odds with Malcolm X’s sharp criticism of Israel – I have compiled a review of Israeli policy towards people of African descent.
Afro-Palestinians
Afro-Palestinians descend from pilgrims who came from Chad, Nigeria, Sudan and Senegal for religious reasons as well as to take up arms with Palestinians against British and Zionist colonization. Their population size is unknown, numbering somewhere in the tens of thousands. Trapped behind Israel’s separation walls in occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip, their freedom of movement is subject to Israel’s military occupation and they are unable to enter Israel without rarely-issued permits – certainly not to attend Beyoncé’s performances in Tel Aviv. They have been subject to Israeli colonial violence since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, most recently the 2014 mega-assault on Gaza Israel termed “Operation Protective Edge” which killed more than 2,200 Palestinians including 551 children.
African refugees
The approximately 40,000 African asylum-seekers fleeing political persecution and ethnic cleansing in Eritrea and Sudan currently inside Israel would not be able to attend either. Deemed “infiltrators” by Israeli officials, 3,360 refugees are imprisoned in the Holot detention center – what President Reuven Rivlin called a “concentration camp.”
Last fall, when the high court ordered the Israeli Prison Service to release African refugees who had been imprisoned in Holot for more than twelve months, the Interior Ministry banned them from living or working in Tel Aviv and Eilat, effectively creating sundown towns. Mayor of Arad Nisan Ben Hamo extrajudicially erected police checkpoints at the entrances to the town to keep refugees out – a move widely supported by the townspeople. The mayor of Beit Shean followed suit.
Culture Minister Miri Regev called them “cancer in the body” (a statement 52% of Israelis agreed with) inciting mob violence in impoverished south Tel Aviv, where the Israeli government rounded them up and dumped them in a public park years before.
The Israeli police’s Yoav Unit is tasked with rounding up foreign workers and refugees, sometimes entering apartments and sending them to Saharonim, a prison next to Holot.
Exorbitant ticket prices aside, African refugees who could legally attend would likely would not because of the climate of fear these round ups have produced.
Last October, a mob including uniformed Israeli soldiers and security guards lynched 29-year-old Eritrean refugee Haftom Zarhum and prevented emergency medical services from evacuating him after a Palestinian opened fire in the Be’er Sheva central bus station. To date, only four of the nine participants have been indicted.
In 2014, Eritrean refugee Yordanes Yamena was carrying her baby when an Israeli man stabbed the infant with a pair of scissors. He told police that he attacked baby Kako because “I wanted stop black terror,” and deemed psychologically unfit for trial. The Israeli government issued a summons to Holot to the baby’s father, despite the ruling that married men were exempt. The Israeli government refused to grant the family legal residency, and two years after the stabbing, they received asylum in a European country.
Ethiopians
Israeli citizenship and serving in the military has not prevented Ethiopians from being discriminated against. Brought into Israel beginning in the 1980s, they have suffered heavy discrimination from the moment they arrived.
Ethiopian women have complained that their entry to Israel was conditional based on taking Depo-Provera birth control shots or being refused entry to Israel. Others claim to have been unwittingly administered Depo-Provera. This led to a 50% decline in the birthrate of Ethiopian population, and “a ‘missing generation’ of Ethiopian children.”
In 1996, blood donated by the Ethiopians was destroyed by the Health Ministry over fears that it may be contaminated with HIV. In 2013, Member of Knesset Pnina Tamano-Shata was refused donating blood because of “the special kind of Jewish-Ethiopian blood” by the Magen David Adom, Israel’s version of the Red Cross.
Last summer, a video emerged of two police officers beating Damas Pakada, a uniformed Ethiopian-Israeli soldier, setting off protests decrying official maltreatment. These demonstrations were met with police brutality that had previously been reserved for Palestinians only. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the soldier, assuring him that substantive changes would be made. Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein later announced that the police officers who beat Pakada would not be tried on the grounds that Pakada had provoked the beating.
Ethiopian-Israeli Avera Mengistu crossed into Gaza in September, 2014. The Israeli government threatened the family, telling them that he would stay in Gaza for another year if they did not remain silent about it, and placed a gag order that prevented Israeli media from reporting on it. The gag order was not lifted until July, 2015, prompting accusations of racism from the Ethiopian community. Mengistu remains in captivity in the besieged Gaza Strip.
African Hebrews
The African Hebrews, a group of African-Americans who embraced Hebraic traditions and immigrated to Israel in 1969 from the United States, have found similar treatment in Israel. Not officially recognized as Jews, they were not granted permanent residency until 2003.
Last year, nineteen-year-old Toveet Radcliffe became the first African-American to die in the Israeli army when she was found dead on a military base. The army repeatedly altered its story, and the official report delivered to the family last month suggested that the death was a suicide. As journalist David Sheen reported, the explanation of her death appears to be physically impossible, raising suspicions of a cover up. To date, the military has not answered questions the Radcliffe’s family has about her death. Her younger siblings will enlist in the military in the coming years.
Arming despots in Africa
Israel has long been unscrupulous in providing weapons to despotic African regimes, including those accused of genocide. In the 1970s and 80’s, Israel provided arms to apartheid South Africa despite international sanctions. From 2006 to 2010, Israel supplied arms to Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, the Seychelles, South Africa and Uganda.
Israel continues to export weapons to Burundi, despite that “there has been a ‘genocide alarm’ out on Burundi for several months.”
Propaganda coup
Beyoncé’s upcoming appearances would be a coup for the Israeli government, which brings in international touring acts to improve its image as part of an official strategy.
“One of ours goals is to strengthen the relationship of Israel to the young generation in the diaspora, not just for Jews, but for blacks…” Israeli Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan told the New York Times. Erdan recently introduced Tel Aviv’s chief of police to May Golan, a leader at anti-African demonstrations in Tel Aviv and head of the Jewish City party – a political party that backed the governing Likud party in exchange for political power in its anti-refugee agenda. “I am proud to be a racist,” Golan told a crowd at an anti-African refugee demonstration in 2012.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that African Hebrews are eligible for citizenship upon completion of military service. Thanks to journalist Andrew Esensten for the correction. |
What a start this season by the Halifax Mooseheads and their all-star forward Nathan MacKinnon! After 13 games, the team from Nova-Scotia is boasting an impressive 12-1 record along with a +32 goal differential (66 GFs and 34 GAs). This impressive record ranks them first overall in the QMJHL with 24 points, four points in front of the Quebec Remparts and the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada with 20 points apiece.
The star-studded Mooseheads are led by über-talented forward Nathan MacKinnon who is having a dream season so far with 15 goals and 9 assists for 24 points in a mere 13 contests. These numbers rank MacKinnon fourth in the QMJHL scoring race only behind Jean-Sebastien Dea, Sven Andrighetto and Phillip Danault. The Cole Harbour native, who had his most productive week this season, collecting four goals and six points, was named the TELUS offensive star of the week on Monday.
The Mooseheads have won ten straight behind MacKinnon, who is on a seven-game goal-scoring streak and a nine-game point-scoring streak (18 points). As a result, top prospect Nathan MacKinnon highlights the team the QMJHL will use for its games against Team Russia in the 2012 Subway Super Series.
Considered by many scouts as a lock to be the first or second player picked in the 2013 NHL Draft, MacKinnon is one of four players who earned “A” ratings in Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings of players to watch for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft who will play for Team Quebec in early November (Nov. 5 and 7). Two of the players are MacKinnon’s teammates in Halifax, netminder Zachary Fucale and left winger Jonathan Drouin (albeit currently injured), as well as Cape Breton Screaming Eagles centre William Carrier. After the games against Team Quebec, Team Russia will play two games against Team OHL (Nov. 8 and 12) and Team WHL (Nov. 14-15).
With a 5.07 goals-per-game average, the Mooseheads aren’t relying only on MacKinnon to score goals. They can count on Stefan Fournier (6-10-16 pts in 12 gms), Luca Campini (9-6-15 pts in 12 gms), Matthew Boudreau (9-6-15 pts in 13 gms), and highly-regarded prospect Jonathan Drouin (5-10-15 pts in only 7 gms). Defenseman Konrad Abelshauser is also contributing offensively with 15 points in 13 games.
The 5’11”, 180-lb centre is almost a perfect clone of fellow Nova Scotian Sidney “The Kid” Crosby, in that he has dominated at every level where he played and he could very well end up being the first overall draft pick in June 2013 like Crosby was in 2005. Both players attended the hockey factory that is Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school in Minnesota and both players were also drafted first overall in the QMJHL.
With the NHL lock-out currently casting a gloomy shadow over hockey fans, MacKinnon’s emergence and continued progress has become one of the good-news stories in the sport of hockey so far this season. The 17 year-old excels on face-offs, is not afraid to drive the net and skate in heavy traffic to create scoring chances, and is blessed with above-average hockey acumen. He is also very strong on the puck, holds off defenders with his strength and his first few steps are explosive, giving him tremendous speed.
In his first season with the Mooseheads, MacKinnon recorded 31 goals and 47 assists for 78 points in 58 games, still a far outcry from Cosby’s rookie-season production of 135 points (54 g-81 a) in 59 contests with the Rimouski Oceanic back in 2003-04. Crosby followed with a spectacular season of 168 points (66 g-102 a) in 62 games during his second and last year in the QMJHL. With 24 points in 13 games this season, MacKinnon is currently on pace for a little more than 125 points in 2012-13 (he will likely miss some games around Christmas as he will play for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship), which is still a fairly good offensive production despite the 43-point difference with Crosby’s draft year.
While Crosby and MacKinnon are not close friends, they skated together on a regular basis in Halifax last summer which helped MacKinnon learn a lot from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain. Among other things, he learned how to handle the spotlight, talk to the media and give his maximum effort every shift despite the rigour of the long QMJHL season, the long-distance travel from the Maritimes and the studies while playing hockey and practising.
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Should the NHL season be wiped out entirely, it will be interesting to see what happens at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Will a lottery be used as in 2005 when Crosby was drafted by the Penguins? |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For the economy to prosper, major tax reform is emerging as a vital ingredient toward lowering the budget deficit and increasing America’s competitiveness.
U.S. President Barack Obama (R) talks to "super committee" Democrat co-chair Senator Patty Murray (front), "super committee" member Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) (2nd R) and Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) at a bill signing ceremony promoting jobs for veterans at the White House in Washington November 21, 2011. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Yet the acrimonious collapse last week of talks in Congress to start fixing the budget deficit has left the country at a political standstill and limits the prospects for a tax overhaul.
President Barack Obama and his likely Republican challenger in 2012, Mitt Romney, show little zest for making tax reform a centerpiece of their campaigns which would give them a mandate for overhauling a system riddled with loopholes.
That further lessens chances for breaking the budget deficit deadlock this year or even next.
The potential cost to the United States is very slow progress in lowering the national debt burden, lost economic growth, downward pressure on the dollar and eventually the risk of higher interest rates.
It also could speed the erosion of U.S. global leadership as less-indebted emerging economies expand.
“I am pretty pessimistic,” said Howard Gleckman, a policy analyst at the bi-partisan think tank Tax Policy Center. “And yet the need for this grows all the time. The tax code is less and less able to generate the revenues for the size of government that we want. It gets worse with the aging baby-boomers.”
Under the current budget trajectory, by 2018 basic federal programs such as disability support would run out of money, and by 2029 Medicare, the healthcare program for the elderly, could not pay hospital bills, the Center for Budget Responsibility estimates.
The case for a new approach has grown more urgent in the wake of the failure of the congressional “super committee”, after three months of debate, to agree on how to cut at least $1.2 trillion from the federal budget deficit over 10 years.
That sum, which is due to be made in automatic spending cuts, represents just a downpayment on the huge deficit reduction required to get the U.S. budget under control and pay basic bills.
Taxes were the big stumbling block in the super committee.
The two extremes in the tax debate — those on the Republican right and energized by the Tea Party who have signed a pledge to never raise taxes, and those on the Democratic left and personified by Occupy Wall Street who want millionaires to pay more — are sucking the air from the moderate middle.
“It is the only way to save the country — tax reform and fiscal consolidation. Everything else is the road to ruin,” said Kevin Hassett, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.
SEEKING A MANDATE
Republican candidates for the party’s presidential nomination Herman Cain, Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich have proposed major tax reform plans that would simplify the code, lower rates and rid the system of many loopholes.
The corporate tax rate in particular would be slashed. The trade-off is that special interest tax breaks would be sacrificed in exchange for a simpler system.
But all three are long shots at best to win the Republican ticket. Romney, who is most widely expected to take on Obama, has proposed tinkering with the current, labyrinthine system.
Obama is milking the tax debate, painting Republicans as cosseting millionaires at the expense of the poor.
“The debate has gotten stuck in a political standoff,” said Mark Robyn, an economist at the Tax Foundation.
As long as each side demonizes the other, progress on deficit reduction will be difficult.
Several steps are needed to create a breakthrough, and tax reform is central, analysts said.
First, politicians must agree on how much revenue they want to raise, and then decide the tax rates to achieve that.
One starting point could be total federal government revenues at 18 percent of GDP. That is the average level since 1945 but above the estimate of about 15 percent in the 2011 fiscal tax year, the lowest since 1950.
That 18 percent level was used when tax reform was last achieved in 1986, under President Ronald Reagan.
Without a common starting point, the political argument gets stuck on specifics — right now over retaining the Bush-era tax cuts or extending payroll tax cuts.
Secondly, tax reform requires political leadership.
Obama or his Republican challenger would need to seek an electoral mandate for a system that is fairer, more efficient and more competitive. The winner of the November 2012 elections could then press forward with tax reform in 2013 as part of a broader budget deficit reduction plan.
A simpler tax code could broaden the base of taxpayers by removing loopholes, lowering the overall rates and achieving the revenues agreed upon.
“We’re going to keep moving forward with tax reform...It’s probably more realistic to look at 2013 for action because election years are really tough,” said a senior congressional aide, who requested anonymity.
The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus, a Democrat of Montana, wants change. “Tax reform needs to bring efficiency, simplicity and fairness to the system. Done right, tax reform can spark job creation and widespread growth and help U.S. businesses compete in the global economy,” he told Reuters.
Former Soviet states that adopted radical tax plans such as a low flat rate enjoyed strong growth. President Reagan’s 1986 reforms, which after two years of haggling resulted in a cut to the corporate rate, helped lay the foundation for strong economic growth in the 1990s.
COSTLY TAX REGIME
The urgency for action is mounting. Total U.S. debt to GDP hit 100 percent this year and under its current trajectory would exceed 115 percent of GDP by 2016, according to International Monetary Fund figures, above levels that have caused sovereign debt crises in European countries.
It already has triggered a ratings downgrade from Standard & Poor’s with the threat of more to come.
The U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio averaged 62 percent between 1995 to 2004, before the Bush tax cuts threw spending and tax revenues severely out of kilter.
Economists Carmen Reinhardt and Kenneth Rogoff estimate that countries with debt levels above 90 percent of GDP have output that is 1.3 percentage points lower than less-indebted countries. Large public debt can undermine the value of the currency, raising import prices, making it harder to attract capital and pushing up interest rates. This hits growth.
A complex tax code also has hidden economic costs.
Taxpayers spend 6.1 billion hours, or roughly one full working week each year, preparing tax forms and on average fork out $258 on tax consultants, the National Taxpayer Advocate, a watchdog for the Internal Revenue Service, estimates.
No wonder they have to spend so much time and money on tax preparation when the number of special tax deductions have increased 2-1/2 fold since 1980, distorting investment decisions such as whether to buy or rent a home. Tax breaks have multiplied in recent decades becoming a favorite tool of government to achieve policies that would otherwise be blocked by a Congress reluctant to approve new spending programs. The resulting complexity causes somewhere in the realm of $150-$200 billion annually in lost output, tax experts estimate.
“No one in their right mind would have designed from scratch the tax code the way it is now,” said Robyn at the Tax Foundation. “Everyone agrees that the tax code is broken...but no one can agree how to (fix) it.” |
Surprising Facts About Sand Dollars on the Oregon Coast
Published 03/08/2012
All sand dollar photos courtesy Seaside Aquarium.
(Seaside, Oregon) – Oh, the lowly sand dollar. The wafer-like, somewhat surrealistically sculpted circular thing that feels like dried clay in your hands, which you often buy from curios shops along the Oregon coast. You see plenty of them lying around the beaches as well, mostly in pieces. Sometimes you find a whole one while beachcombing, and these almost always become treasured mementos – something you want to take home.
These coveted keepsakes were at one time alive, however. And while they wash up on these beaches all whitish or light gray, they are a deeper gray to lavender when still alive.
A live sand dollar
A little known secret about the north Oregon coast is that the very northern end of Seaside has a ton of them, as well as the southern part of Gearhart – close to the mouth of the Necanicum. So it's no surprise or coincidence that Seaside Aquarium recently issued some valuable information about the small sea-bound circles.
“Sand dollars are live animals and are found worldwide,” the Aquarium's Tiffany Boothe said. “There are many different species, each with their own unique characteristics.”
They are related to sea urchins, Boothe said.
They grow in dense beds just offshore, and the area around the Necanicum seems to have a larger-than-usual congregation of them. This is because of the nutrients in the area, which flow out in great abundance from the mouth of the Columbia and Necanicum. This in turn feeds the phytoplankton and causes a greater population of those, which not only the sand dollars feed on but the clams in the area as well. This is why Clatsop beaches are so awesome for razor clams.
This abundance of phytoplankton also causes the ocean to turn a mysterious brown sometimes around the Seaside area and just south of Astoria at Warrenton and Fort Stevens State Park.
Boothe said the sand dollars break down the phytoplankton with five small teeth. Each resembles a bird in many many ways, and people often refer to them as “doves.”
“The outside of their shell is covered with millions of tiny spines which look like 'fuzz' or hair,” she said. “These spines aid in the movement and feeding of the sand dollar.”
This means if you find a sand dollar that is still fuzzy, you'll want to leave it alone. It's still alive. Grabbing one and putting it in your car will yield an unpleasant surprise.
“They can smell quite badly if taken to your home,” Boothe said.
The beaches around the Necanicum River yield more whole sand dollars than probably anywhere on the Oregon coast. Part of this is because of the nutrient-rich area, but also because once they wash up here, these beaches are deserted enough that they remain unbroken.
Below: the northern end of Seaside and the southern end of Gearhart
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It’s official: Warner Bros TV and Charlie Sheen have settled their legal dispute stemming from Sheen’s $100 million lawsuit against the studio and Two and a Half Men executive producer Chuck Lorre over the actor’s March firing from the show. Here is the official statement:
“Warner Bros. Television, Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen have resolved their dispute to the parties’ mutual satisfaction. The pending lawsuit and arbitration will be dismissed as to all parties. The parties have agreed to maintain confidentiality over the terms of the settlement.”
Financial details on the settlement were not released, but sources indicate that the initial payment to Sheen would be in the previously floated range of $25 million. Because Sheen had not been paid following his termination, the settlement amount is said to primarily cover backend participation owed to him.
Charlie Sheen & Warner Bros TV To Settle Lawsuit
Additionally, with the 8 seasons of Two and a Half Men starring Sheen continuing their syndication run, he is expected to continue to receive payments — though the total will likely not reach the $100 million he was seeking in the lawsuit for wrongful termination. The settlement comes as Sheen’s new sitcom, Anger Management, is being taken out by Lionsgate TV to potential buyers (see Charlie Sheen Cleans Up His Act Ahead Of Taking New Series To Buyers). |
She was there when a hit-and-run driver killed her little girl, and on Wednesday, Yeime Coria shared her pain.
The couple arrested in connection with the deadly West New York hit-and-run appeared in court on Wednesday.
Fabian Rodriguez, 33, has been charged with causing and leaving the scene of a fatal accident and 26-year-old Joanna Rosas-Alvarez has been charged with hindering apprehension, authorities said.
Shayla Pichardo, a student at P.S. 1 in West New York, was holding her mother’s hand when she was struck by a sport-utility vehicle at the intersection of 61st Street and Van Buren Place around 8:20 a.m. Monday, authorities said.
Surveillance video from the scene shows a Chevy Tahoe turning left into the path of Shayla and her mother as they crossed the street, authorities said. Shayla was killed by the impact. Her mother, who was injured, was seen cradling the child.
Authorities said Rodriguez is then seen on the video getting out of the SUV, looking at the girl’s lifeless body on the ground. He then returns to the Tahoe and speeds off, authorities said.
Rodriguez’s sister said he is in the country illegally. She believes that may be why he panicked and drove away from the scene.
Coria told CBS2’s Diane Macedo she can’t forgive the man who allegedly hit and killed her daughter.
“I was walking with my daughter hand in hand, and we were crossing when the car hit me, and I separated from my daughter,” she recalled, speaking Spanish.
She said what happened next surprised her the most. Coria said the driver looked at Shayla, uttered a curse word, and immediately took off. He didn’t even apologize.
The driver, Coria said, had time to break but didn’t.
“I was in shock. I didn’t even know who to call,” she said.
Police said soon after the accident, Rodriguez’s girlfriend, Rosas-Alvarez, reported the SUV stolen in an apparent attempt to cover up the crime.
The vehicle was later found by police near the couple’s home.
“We were able to impound the car, we took them in for questioning,” said Sgt. Bruce Miller with the Hudson County Sheriff’s crash investigation unit. “After several hours, we were able to place them both under arrest.”
Javier Pichardo, Shayla’s father, broke down from the weight of his grief Tuesday, but somehow found the strength to forgive Rodriguez.
“I hold no anger towards him. I just ask him if he has a family, to step in my shoes,” he said. ” I’m heartbroken. I lost my daughter.”
Coria said knowing the suspects are in custody now won’t bring her daughter back, but the driver needs to be locked up.
AS CBS2’s Valerie Castro reported, Coria said she will keep good memories of her daughter, who she called a beautiful girl that was always smiling and was happy.
Coria said memories of her daughter will give her the strength to move forward. She left the hospital Tuesday night, after being admitted a second time for her injuries as a sidewalk memorial for her daughter continued to grow.
Neighbors were relieved to know arrests were made in connection to the case.
“He has to pay, you know, by jail or whatever,” a woman named Nancy said. “You’ve got to realize they took somebody’s life.”
Both Coria and her fiance said they’d like to see more crossing guards in the area so this doesn’t happen again.
Bail for Rodriguez was set at $250,000, bail for Rosas-Alvarez was set at $7,500.
Neighbors said Rodriguez has a 6-year-old son himself. |
Eric Blair
Activist Post
As the definition of a domestic extremist continues to expand to include activists for peace, animal rights, currency, natural health, liberty and other noble causes, the FBI is ready to make an example out of one group in particular: Libertarians.
The FBI held a press conference Monday to “increase the visibility of the threat” that people who oppose taxes and regulations, government intrusions into their private property, and the desire for sound money allegedly pose to local authorities.
Although the FBI vaguely attempts to label this group as “sometimes known as ‘sovereign citizens'”, the description sounds an awful lot like me, and millions of other liberty-minded people in America that don’t associate with any group.
They also sound like Ron Paul supporters.
According to Reuters:
Anti-government extremists opposed to taxes and regulations pose a growing threat to local law enforcement officers in the United States, the FBI warned on Monday. These extremists, sometimes known as ‘sovereign citizens,’ believe they can live outside any type of government authority, FBI agents said at a news conference. The extremists may refuse to pay taxes, defy government environmental regulations and believe the United States went bankrupt by going off the gold standard.
Notice the resolute use of the word “extremists” but the vague description “sometimes known as sovereign citizens.” Yet the description that these “extremists may refuse to pay taxes and defy government environmental regulations” sounds more like General Electric than average liberty activists who the FBI clearly seems hellbent on demonizing.
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Additionally, the official mission for Sovereign Citizens is to “Protect Property Rights and American Civil Liberties.” As fierce protectors of property rights, they take environmental damage quite seriously. Many would argue that an environmental policy governed by property rights is far more effective than the bloated EPA which is wholly owned by corporate polluters.
“Sovereign members often express particular outrage at tax collection, putting Internal Revenue Service employees at risk,” Reuters assumes. Yet, choosing not to pay taxes is by definition a form of non-violent civil disobedience. And no credible threats against individual IRS agents were cited.
Opposing taxes only seems dangerous to those who wish to perpetuate this prison society. I would even suggest that it’s far more dangerous to continue to fund an organization who wages murderous wars abroad based on lies, who builds a militarized police state at home, who removes all individual liberty in the name of safety, and who bails out criminal cartels while the innocent suffer. The real extremists would seem to be the ones who support such a blood-thirsty organization, not the people who oppose its wicked ways.
But the FBI does their best to convince us that that sovereign citizens are dangerous extremists by warning us they can turn violent “at the drop of a hat,” as Stuart McArthur, assistant director in the FBI’s counterterrorism division, said at the press conference.
As evidence, McArthur refers to one incident where two men claiming to be Sovereign Citizens killed two Arkansas policemen after an argument. Because this isolated and highly suspect incident is hardly worthy of labeling an entire philosophical group as violent, McArthur desperately tries to dignify the reason for the FBI’s alert with other, even more vague examples:
Last year, an extremist in Texas opened fire on a police officer during a traffic stop. The officer was not hit. Legal convictions of such extremists, mostly for white-collar crimes such as fraud, have increased from 10 in 2009 to 18 each in 2010 and 2011, FBI agents said.
Eighteen “such extremists” convicted of white collar fraud! That’s all you can produce with an $8 billion FBI budget? And you wonder why people think their taxes may be better spent elsewhere?
Avoiding The Eye - Ships Free Today! The FBI and the Reuter’s reporter must have forgotten to check the Sovereign Citizens’ own website to see their very clear statement in complete disagreement to all allegations made in this article: We do NOT endorse non-payment of taxes or violence to achieve these changes. We do NOT endorse giving up a social security number and we do NOT endorse violence against the police or the government. But recently, the feds somehow excused the use of a domestic drone of all things in the arrest of farmers accused of stealing a handful of cattle because the farmers were said to be Sovereign Citizens. It appears the federal government is trying to make an enemy out of non-violent activists, especially liberty activists. Imagine, people concerned with peace and liberty are the enemy of the FBI. What’s the opposite of peace and liberty? War and tyranny. Which side are you on? RELATED ACTIVIST POST ARTICLE:
25 FBI Reports That Can Put You on the Terror Watch List Please help us combat censorship: vote for this story on Reddit — http://www.reddit.com/r/Libertarian/comments/pephr/fbi_attempts_to_make_libertarians_the_poster/ |
We adore digital calendars. They sync across all our devices and consistently keep us abreast of all our upcoming engagements.
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Our technical background inspired us to look for new solutions using the latest technologies. Today, we’re thrilled to share with you Slice Planner: a hybrid planning system that maintains the utmost efficiency in your workflow by marrying the worlds of physical and digital. Slice Planner is a brand new hybrid approach to planning, combining an old-fashioned paper planner with a digital calendar. Powered by computer vision and augmented reality, our unique system complements your favorite digital calendars (Google, Apple and Outlook) and provides even more flexibility to your daily planning routine. WHAT MAKES SLICE PLANNER NOTEBOOK SO SPECIAL? We approached the creation of Slice Planner with a dedication to superlative design principles. Throughout the creative process, we examined dozens of size, functional, and material combinations to determine the best fit. We ultimately arrived at a sublime selection of premium Slice Planner notebooks in two different cover materials and a choice of four colors. Genuine Italian leather cover available in soothing Ocean Blue and a tastefully neutral Desert Yellow. This type of soft cover provides for easy paper-insert refills, ensuring that you’ll never run out of space to jot down your thoughts. Durable book cloth hardcover available in striking Coral Orange and elegant Steel Gray. A pleasantly robust surface texture is married to the functionality offered by the included elastic band that matches the cover color. The core pillar of our approach is the radial diagram that is reminiscent of an analog clock. We designed this to help visual thinkers (65% of the population) master their time and plan their activities in more intuitive and convenient ways. The clockface diagram helps to keep a focus on individual tasks and allows users to have a better perception of time. It does this by providing a visual display of the day, all at one glance. The clockface diagram is similar to an analog clockface — 12 hours is the maximum capacity of what you can put into a single diagram. Our survey showed that on average, people do not plan for more than 9.5 hours per day. Moreover, it is not very efficient to commit to many things. This approach literally saves you from overworking. Need to plan for the other part of the day? No problem; simply use the next page with another diagram. Start using the notebook any day of the year. Every clockface diagram comes undated, so you can miss a single day, two days, or even an entire week without wasting any pages. Want to take a test drive of clockface diagram? Download and print these PDF’s:
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- General Motors is not considering bankruptcy, the company said in a prepared statement Friday. The announcement was in response to the automaker's precipitous stock price decline the previous day, a spokesman said.
"Clearly we face unprecedented challenges related to uncertainties in the financial markets globally and weakening economic fundamentals in many key markets, but bankruptcy protection is not an option GM is considering," a company statement said.
"Bankruptcy would not be in the interest of our employees, stockholders, suppliers or customers, and we believe speculation about a possible filing is exaggerated and unconstructive," it said.
GM (GM, Fortune 500) shares dropped 31% Thursday, ending the day at just $4.76, the stock's lowest price since 1950. The stock bounced back 13 cents, or 2.7%, Friday to close at $4.89.
Deteriorating outlook
On Thursday, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services placed its ratings for GM under review for possible downgrade. S&P said the move reflected the weakening of automotive markets across the world and expectations that tight credit markets will make things tough for the foreseeable future.
S&P said it believes GM has enough cash for at least the rest of 2008, but rapidly worsening industry conditions will make things tough in 2009.
Also yesterday, J.D. Power & Associates issued a report projecting an even faster decline in U.S. and world auto markets than the market research firm had recently thought. J.D. Power expects U.S. light-duty vehicle sales to be 16% lower this year, at 13.6 million units, than in 2007. The U.S. auto market will deteriorate even more rapidly in 2009, J.D. Power predicted, while various global markets will either decline or grow much more slowly.
GM has depended on international growth to offset some of the sales declines in its home market.
The company's statement denying that it would file for bankruptcy was clearly needed, said David Healy, an analyst with Burnham Securities.
"I suppose the way the stock has acted, they had to say something," he said.
A GM spokesman dismissed a Friday report by the Associated Press that cited unnamed sources who said the automaker was likely to announce more production cuts and possible plant closures as early as next week.
The company had previously said it would make cuts in engine, transmission and metal stamping operations. Those cuts were related to closures of plants producing trucks and SUVs, vehicles which have seen sharp declines in popularity in the face of high gas prices and a slowing economy.
GM is not planning any cutbacks beyond that, said spokesman Mike Meyerand.
Ford (F, Fortune 500) shares also saw a steep drop Thursday, closing down 22% to $2.08.
"While we are always disappointed to see our stock value drop, the most important thing we can do for all of our stakeholders is to focus on our tranformation plan," Ford said in a statement Friday.
On Friday the stock rose almost 8% to $2.25. |
PORTLAND, Maine — Allagash Brewing Co. turns 20 this weekend. To celebrate, the pioneering Portland brewer is throwing a block party for friends, fans, customers and neighbors.
How does a startup become a leader in the hyperactive craft beer market?
Two decades ago, founder Rob Tod began with a cloudy, fruity wheat beer that got a wan response. Through persistence and skill, Allagash White is now the company’s top brew, amid more than 30 unique Belgian-style ales.
We asked him to share 20 lessons he has learned in 20 years of business. Take it away, Rob:
These lessons have taken me 20 years to learn. If they seem pretty obvious, understand I am a slow learner — just ask any of my school teachers. If we’re lucky enough to be around for a 50th anniversary and the list has grown longer, hopefully it’s not from learning the new lessons “the hard way” — something I have a history of being pretty good at.
Keep it simple. Our Tripel Ale just has one malt variety and one hop variety. Often, beers have pretty complex malt and hop bills, but this simple backdrop gives our Belgian House Yeast strain its opportunity to shine. It drinks like one of our most complex beers, despite the simplicity of its building blocks. To me, the Tripel is an ever-present reminder of the merits of keeping things simple.
When you see trash, pick it up. If everyone’s doing it, it makes a big difference. We have 93 employees who pick up little pieces of trash when they walk by them — literally and figuratively. If something’s not right, they take the initiative to do something about it. It’s just as important to do it when no one’s looking, when you are not going to get any credit for it. It’s a reflection of how much everyone at Allagash cares about what they are doing.
Walk the floor. I probably do this a lot because I can’t sit still for more than 30 minutes or so. But I get a tremendous amount of value staying in touch with what’s happening on the floor and staying in touch with the people who are making it happen. It’s tough to really be in touch when you are sitting in your office.
The little things matter. Our retail merchandise purchaser pores over every item before we put it in our store. Nothing is taken lightly. Where is it made? How sustainable is it? How does it add value to the customer’s experience? We don’t get everything right all the time, but we sure try. A bunch of little things add up to big things. In the case of our retail store, people have a much richer experience because we sweat the details.
Don’t be afraid to delegate. Every time I’ve found the right person for a role at the brewery, gotten out of their way and let them do their job, they’ve done it a lot better than I ever could have.
Listen. We have an incredibly dedicated, passionate, sharp and engaged crew. They are a huge resource and great teachers. I always learn a lot more when I’m listening at the brewery than when I’m talking.
Be candid. It’s a natural tendency to avoid tough conversations, because they are tough. But if someone’s on the “wrong track,” it’s kindest to tell them where they stand. Otherwise, they’ll never have the opportunity to make things right. It’s unfair not to give someone the opportunity to make things right.
Be relentless about improving. Even though we’re constantly making strides with quality at the brewery, we’re never satisfied. Once we make an improvement, we get back to work and look for the next. There is always opportunity for improvement.
Value the community you live in. Maine has been extremely supportive of Allagash Brewing over the last 20 years. We have never taken this for granted. We love Maine, and we love Portland. Our crew’s hard work making great beer has made our philanthropy program possible. We focus our philanthropy locally, and everyone at Allagash is very proud of that.
Get a website. Around 15 years ago, a friend of mine told me we should register allagash.com before someone else scoops it up. My response? We don’t need a website because we have a fax. He said: “I’m going to register the name, send you a bill and someday you’ll thank me.” Listen to people who know what they are talking about.
Don’t be a mile wide and an inch deep. Jerry Sheehan, who runs a number of our distributors, told me this. And we learned it the hard way. By 2005 we were selling about 5,000 barrels of beer in 30 states and frankly not doing a great job anywhere. Around then, we made the tough decision to walk away from a fair amount of this volume and pull back — eliminating territories where we did not think we could be competitive and relevant. Now we’re selling 80,000 barrels of beer in 17 states, and I’m much prouder of the job we’re doing today in all of our markets. Better to do a great job in a small pond than a not-so-great job in a big pond. I think every business has concepts like this that are so simple they easily are overlooked.
Park in the worst spot. One of the most senior people at the brewery, our brewmaster, is here early every day and can probably always get the best parking spot. But he usually parks farthest from the employee entrance to the brewery leaving the best spots for the employees who are out on the floor every day making the beer. This sets a great tone for any leader at the brewery.
Don’t take yourself too seriously. We’ve all heard this one before, but we make sure to remind ourselves constantly at Allagash. We take everything we do here at the brewery very seriously, but we have a good time. I used to light firecrackers in the brewery — probably better I stopped doing that. Who wants to go to work and spend the entire day without laughing?
Smile. Earlier today I walked by our kegging line and saw one of the operators who always has a smile on her face. When she is around other people on the line, guess what they are also usually doing? Smiling. It’s contagious.
Do your thing. When I made our first beer, Allagash White, not too many people wanted it. It was different — cloudy, spicy, distinctively Belgian. For a very long time it was usually the slowest draft line at the bars that were kind enough to keep us on draft. But I thought it was important to be doing something that was different. What’s the point in spending years building a brewery and possibly a lifetime running it just to make something people can already get? We avoid latching onto industry trends. We try to keep doing our own thing at Allagash.
Stick with it. If you are doing something different, sometimes it takes a while to get traction. It took about 10 years for the Allagash White to start catching on, but I’m glad we stuck with it and didn’t switch gears.
Do something you feel truly passionate about. It’s awfully hard to stick with something for years while fighting an uphill battle; but if you love doing it, it’s easy.
Don’t sell out. A high school teacher hand wrote this below a grade he gave me on a final history exam — I don’t remember the grade, maybe a C+ at best. He must have intended it as a parting thought. It really didn’t mean much to me for years, but for some reason it stayed with me. It resonates with me now. I wish I still had the test so I could tack it up on the wall in my office. We have core values at Allagash that include family, passion, caring and innovation. They are kind of a framework that guide us with decisions, big and little, that we make every day. We need to constantly remind ourselves that it’s important we don’t “sell out” on any front at the expense of these core values.
Hire people who inspire you. When I get out of bed in the morning, I can’t wait to get into the brewery because I get to spend time with incredibly passionate people. They are motivating to be around. I love spending time with the people at Allagash Brewing.
Don’t procrastinate. I was only able to come up with 19 lessons because I waited until the last minute to work on this. It’s 11:35 p.m., this is due tomorrow morning, and I just want to relax a little and drink an Allagash White Beer. |
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Character Overview Edit
Kobato Hasegawa (羽瀬川 小鳩, Hasegawa Kobato) is the female secondary tritagonist from the Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai series. She is Kodaka Hasegawa's younger sister and is a student in the middle school division of St. Chronica's Academy. She becomes the sixth member of the Neighbor's Club, (with Yozora's approval) despite her juniority. She is very close to her brother, and behaves in a jealous and clingy way whenever she feels that he is not giving her the attention she deserves, almost to the point where it is obvious that she has a brother complex. She sees Maria as a rival for Kodaka's brotherly affections and often gets into fights with the latter.
The reason Kobato cannot make friends, (or rather, doesn't want to make any friends) is because she is under a constant self-delusion of being a Gothic vampire, and being naturally shy. In fact, she is wildly popular with the other students of her class, boys and girls alike.
Appearance Edit
Kodaka mentioned that Kobato looked more like their mother (a fact Tenma Kashiwazaki also noted), having golden-blond hair and blue eyes. Kobato mainly keeps her hair flowing down but still has two small horse tails from each side. Kobato is usually depicted in her Gothic Lolita dress, thigh-high socks with a black barrette. She also wears a red-eye contact lens on her right eye to match the anime character she's usually cos-playing.
During Summer, Kobato initially was dressed in her home clothes (from 2 years ago) which consists of a pink shirt and a skirt but later, changed to a more summer friendly version of her Gothic Lolita dress. Kobato also owned a pink bikini and it was said that she loved it very much and used to wear it every day in the past.
Kobato also almost always carries a patchwork stuffed rabbit with her (since it is the mascot of the anime character she likes).
Personality Edit
Kobato is a shy person that doesn't tend to interact with the people around her. She is extremely close to Kodaka and gets jealous if Kodaka diverts his attention from her.
During her 7th grade year, Kobato saw the second season of the anime "Kurogane no Necromancer" and after that has developed an obsession with it. She has had a penchant for darkness, vampires and the macabre ever since.
As a result, she often speaks in an affected fashion, claims to be known as the ancient vampire "Reisys VI Felicity Sumeragi", and wears a Gothic dress and a red contact, but this facade quickly breaks down when she gets emotionally worked up and she speaks in a strong Kyūshū accent.
Indeed, her behavior does not, for the most part, differ from that of a regular girl (procrastinating with her homework, staying inside when it is hot, etc.) which Kodaka points out, causing her to be embarrassed and slightly lose character.
Kobato has a rather serious brother complex, as she gets angry when someone else, females, Maria, in particular, gets too close to Kodaka and call him big brother, or onii-chan.
Despite having the tendency to avoid strangers, Kobato seems to appreciate people who would act like a guardian to her, particularly her brother and Yozora. However, Kobato is not particularly fond of people who act aggressively in gaining her attention, particularly, people like Sena.
Nicknames Edit
Reisys VI Felicity Sumeragi (Self-proclaimed)
Sumeragi (By Yozora)
Poopy Vampire (By Maria)
Kobato-chan (By Sena)
Honorable Younger Sister (By Yukimura)
Poopy Sushi (By Maria) [1]
Dummy Vampire (By Maria) [2]
Blood Sucker (By Maria) [3]
Queen of the Hookers (By Maria)
Hook Queen (By Maria)
Little Sister {By Sena) [4]
Abilities Edit
Intelligence Edit
Sadly, in terms of studies, Kobato is not the brightest of the members. She has shown that she is not very good at mathematics and took a long time to try and solve a math problem given to her by Kodaka (which she ultimately, did not solve). Kobato also displays a rather, limited vocabulary, frequently getting words wrong and not understanding other words.
Kobato is also rather naive in some sense as she would sometimes, get tricked by Maria and Yozora (although the latter was trying to trick Maria). She also tends to contradict herself, and if her mistake is pointed out to her, she would often revert back to her old personality.
However, that being said, Kobato does have excellent memory in the area of her favorite anime/manga series, Kurogane no Necromancer, being able to memorize many trivia and facts about the show and would often show anger to those who tried to pretend to be knowledgeable about the series.
Trivia Edit
Just like her brother, Kobato's surname, Hasegawa (羽瀬川) literally means "Shallow River of Feathers".
Kobato's given name (小鳩) means "Little Dove".
Kobato claims to have access to the Akashic Records.
Kobato once said that she prefers Pepsi over coca cola.
Before becoming obsessed and influenced by her favorite anime. Her old hobbies include breaking chopsticks with her buttocks; this was not mentioned in the anime adaptation.
Kobato was voiced by Kana Hanazawa, who provided the voice of Ruri Gokou, a.k.a. Kuroneko from the Oreimo anime series. Like Kobato, Kuroneko likes cos-playing after the main character of her favorite anime series (in the same Gothic Lolita fashion), and shares the same cryptic speech pattern when talking to her friends. Kobato's favorite anime series, "Kurogane no Necromancer" is shortened into "KuroNec" a few times in the anime. KuroNec sounds similar to Kuroneko, however, this might have been coincidental.
anime series. Like Kobato, Kuroneko likes cos-playing after the main character of her favorite anime series (in the same Gothic Lolita fashion), and shares the same cryptic speech pattern when talking to her friends. "Kurogane no Necromancer", Kobato's favorite anime series' name, is an allusion to Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師, Hagane no Renkinjutsushi ) including a similar design on its title card.
(鋼の錬金術師, ) including a similar design on its title card. When in her vampire persona, Kobato would use "Ware" when referring to herself and would call Kodaka "my other half". However, when she reverts back to her normal personality, she would use "ucchi" (An Osaka dialect) to refer to herself and would call Kodaka "An-chan".
Kobato's favorite foods are meat dishes and pork ramen with lots of garlic.
In episode 2 of Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT , the character in Sena's galge physically resembles Kobato.
, the character in Sena's galge physically resembles Kobato. In the light novel, it is noted by Kodaka that Kobato had allergies as a child.
A figure of Kobato appears on the third Light Novel cover of Yomi Hirasaka's Imōto Sae Ireba li.. |
House Republicans are rallying around a measure that would prevent President Barack Obama from releasing any more detainees from Guantanamo Bay until Congress can come up with a new defense policy bill.
The House on Thursday passed the bill on a 244 to 174 vote, but even some leading Republican House members acknowledge privately that it stands almost no chance of being approved by the Senate. The White House has also threatened to veto the bill.
Still, the House's vote represents a final showdown in the eight-year struggle between Republicans and President Barack Obama, who have been fiercely at odds over the future of the detention facility housing suspected terrorists that Obama has vowed to close.
Congress -- with the help of both Democrats and Republicans -- has successfully kept Obama from shuttering the Guantanamo Bay prison camp through a series of maneuvers in annual defense policy and funding bills. But the president has still maintained the right to transfer detainees to third party countries.
In August, the president approved the largest single transfer of detainees -- 15, sent to the United Arab Emirates -- of his administration, leaving the population at 61.
Republicans see such moves as an attempt to shutter Guantanamo by attrition, until the ranks of detainee ranks are so low it makes no more sense to keep the facility open. The bill the House passed Thursday highlights this issue that has passionately divided Americans, just in time for the home stretch of an election season.
But the bill's sponsor, Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., argues that the measure is timely because of increasing incidences of recidivism. A new report from the Director of National Intelligence released Wednesday showed that two more detainees released from Guantanamo Bay had reengaged in terrorist activity.
Walorski faults the administration for trusting former Guantanamo detainees to third-party countries that "don't have the facilities, don't have the wherewithal to keep these people," she said in an interview.
"We wouldn't be seeing 30 percent recidivism if we had true partners in this cause and in these countries," Walorski said.
Her solution is to put a stop to transfers until either Congress passes a defense policy bill or the first day of the new presidential administration on Jan. 21, 2017 -- whichever comes sooner.
Walorski argued Tuesday that Obama's detainee transfer policy "is more about the president running out of time to fulfill his campaign promise than about the national security interest of the United States," adding that "puts Americans at risk."
But Democrats see Walorski's bill as a thinly veiled attempt to stick it to Obama in the last months of his presidency.
"For eight years, the general view here, from some of us, is that the intention was to obstruct this president from doing whatever he attempted to do," said Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla. "Now we come to the end, and you have in many respects, succeeded. . .that said, I think that you get my drift that this ain't going nowhere."
"The young man will have his legacy," Hastings continued, "and most of it will include the negativity that he was presented with and the lack of dignity that was allowed, in many respects, to him as president of the United States."
The specifics of Walorski's bill echo a provision that the House voted to include in their version of the annual defense policy bill in June. That bill is currently being negotiated with the Senate's version, which does not have a similar provision. Both bills would, however, prevent the president from shuttering the Guantanamo Bay facility.
Of the 61 detainees left at Guantanamo, approximately 16 of them have been cleared for transfer to other countries, House Armed Services Committee ranking member Adam Smith, D-Wash., said Tuesday.
"Many of these people have been cleared for transfer for years," Smith said. "This bill would block the ability to do that between now and probably the end of his presidency. . .I just don't see why this president should have that power taken away from him."
Many Republicans have clamored for a ban against the release of any more detainees for fear that Obama is trying to close the facility by fiat, by depleting it of inmates. They warn that could have dangerous consequences if the most hardened suspected terrorists are released, as they could return to terrorist activities.
During a House Rules Committee meeting Tuesday, chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said he supported the bill because "I would hate to look up and find that KSM is gone," referring to Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Democrats have recoiled at such accusations, pointing out the administration has no intention of releasing the so-called worst detainees. Most Democrats argue that keeping inmates at Guantanamo without cause only fuels terrorist propaganda.
Democrats also counter Republican warnings about recidivism among released detainees with numbers indicating most who have gone "back to the fight" were released during George W. Bush's administration. |
For many years, the Brooklyn Navy Yard has been a forbidding presence along the East River waterfront, hidden from the surrounding neighborhood behind walls and fences, with warning signs along its perimeter blaring out antiquated threats: This Installation Patrolled by Military Working Dogs! It Is Unlawful To Enter Without Permission Of The Commanding Officer! Security checkpoints block every entrance to the yard, while inside, patrol cars circle constantly and a security booth is set up at the MTA bus stop to check the identification of anyone disembarking. This month, however, several new projects are cracking open these barriers and granting the public access to parts of the Navy Yard that have been unseen for decades.
The first of these projects launched this past weekend, with the premiere of Creative Time’s new public art project Fly By Night, created by artist Duke Riley, and the opening of The Gatehouses, a new bar and cafe space operated by the Kings County Distillery. On a recent night, hundreds of visitors lined up outside the Sands Street gate, waiting to enter the yard and walk out to the rarely-seen waterfront to experience Fly By Night, an installation where a flock of 2,000 pigeons equipped with LED lights appear like fireflies at sunset, soaring overhead into the darkening sky to create complex constellations. After the performance, many attendees stayed on at the yard to sip cocktails inside one of the old Sands Street gatehouses, which had been closed off and abandoned for the past 40 years. These historic structures will now be accessible year round, and will soon be joined by another unique public space when the grounds of the Naval Hospital Cemetery open on May 20th, becoming part of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway.
A visit to Fly By Night and The Gatehouses provides a good opportunity to reflect on the changing landscape of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Just ten years ago, much of the yard was dominated by a collection of derelict and anonymous military structures, known only by their building numbers. Building 268 - a mostly empty warehouse exposed to the elements. Building 128 - an enormous, hulking ruin filled with debris. Building 121 - a dusty burial shroud manufacturer filled with partition walls and drop ceilings. Many of these buildings have since been reclaimed and renovated by the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC), as part of their ongoing process of redevelopment, and have been renamed by their new tenants: the Dugall Greenhouse, the Green Manufacturing Center, the Kings County Distillery at the Paymaster Building.
As part of this same process, the BNYDC has slowly opened up the yard to the public, allowing open studio days, building a visitor center and museum at BLDG 92, and supporting a full slate of historic tours led by the talented guides at Turnstile Tours. The Gatehouses, the Naval Cemetery Landscape, and Fly By Night represent the next steps in this process of allowing more visitors into the yard. "This is certainly, as far as I know, their first large-scale public art project," said Katie Hollander, the executive director of Creative Time. "The Navy Yard is kind of like a gated community. You can’t access it unless you are invited or on the list, and so it does have this mystique about it. It’s still very old world, in terms of the companies and the businesses and the employees down there, but then it also has all these new tech and design companies that are moving in, so it’s a real merge of both old and new."
Of course, these projects are just a few of the many significant changes scheduled for the Navy Yard. Earlier this May, ground was broken at Dock 72, where an enormous 675,000-square-foot building will rise next to the iconic cranes of the GMD Shipyard, becoming a home for the office-sharing company WeWork. Nearby, renovations are almost complete at Building 128, which will become part of the Green Manufacturing Center and a home to Mast Brothers Chocolate, and at Building 77, where Russ & Daughters will take 14,000 square feet of an enormous 16-story structure. Meanwhile, over at Admiral’s Row, a collection of historic, neglected 19th century houses, demolition equipment is now in place, and the homes will soon be destroyed to make way for a parking lot adjoining a new Wegmans grocery store. These new developments will bring thousands of new visitors and tenants to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and will create a radically different landscape than today’s relatively quiet haven for pigeons, cemeteries, dry docks, and abandoned buildings.
Along the Flushing Avenue edge of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the long-abandoned buildings of Admiral’s Row now await the wrecking ball, surrounded by a verdant and wild forest. Despite the efforts of numerous preservation groups, most of these homes will soon be destroyed.
The walls along Flushing Avenue have been a substantial, impenetrable barrier between the neighborhood and the Navy Yard for decades. They will also soon be demolished, to make way for a parking lot and Wegmans grocery store.
At the opposite end of the yard, the fenced off Brooklyn Naval Hospital campus also contains a long-abandoned collection of buildings. A section of fence here will soon be removed, to allow public entrance to the Naval Hospital Cemetery.
A system of raised paths is being constructed above the cemetery’s grounds. Beginning in 1831, more than 2,000 military service personnel were buried here, according to a sign placed on site. Most were disinterred in 1926, but some remains are still located in the grounds.
At the Sands Street gate, the historic gatehouses are now open to the public after sitting empty for 40 years. "They were just full of lots of dust and debris," said Brianna Halstead, of the Kings County Distillery, which leases the space from the Navy Yard.
The distillery has opened a tasting room, bar, and cafe in one of the gatehouses, after renovating the space. "We didn’t know what was underneath, or what we could salvage, but you can see that we tried to keep as much of it intact as possible," said Halstead. "We were really excited to revitalize it."
The Gatehouses serves Parlor Coffee in the morning, sandwiches from Vinegar Hill House during the day, and cocktails made from the distillery’s whiskey in the evening. "Our license only allows us to sell New York State products."
Just inside the Sand Street gate, the distillery operates out of Building 121, the Paymaster Building, which dates back to 1899. Kings County Distillery moved here in 2012.
The upper floor of the Paymaster building, as seen in 2010. "There was a funerary shroud manufacturer here," said Halstead. "They had all the windows blocked off upstairs. It was all very dark."
The building now houses the distillery on the ground floor and a micro-museum, for tours and tastings, on the upper floor. "We opened it up," said Halstead. "We do tours every Saturday and we get 150 to 200 people coming through during those times."
Further into the yard, the renovation of Building 128 is nearing completion. This structure, completed in 1899, was once used to fabricate and assemble engines and other ship parts.
Work is still being completed on the interior of Building 128, which will become part of the Green Manufacturing Center, a 220,000-square-foot complex.
In 2008, this same structure was in much worse condition, missing roof panels and windows, and filled with debris, including abandoned baseball cards and toys.
Another 2008 view of a section of the Green Manufacturing Center. Creative Time recently held their annual gala in a renovated section of these buildings. "We had over 500 people come to the gala," said Katie Hollander, "at the new Mast Brothers space in the yard. That was really fun, to be able to activate that space for the first time."
Building 268, now known as the Duggal Greenhouse, is a 35,000-square-foot warehouse that recently hosted the Democratic debate between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Prior to its re-opening in 2013, the building, seen here in 2010, underwent a huge renovation to remove asbestos and replace missing windows, walls, and floors.
Before the renovation, it had been an underused storage space, located directly adjacent to a wastewater treatment plant.
The building is now used as an event space, and claims that its first tenant after re-opening was Beyonce, who used it as a rehearsal hall.
Visitors to Creative Time’s Fly By Night installation walk past the Paymaster Building and down a street located next to the Duggal Warehouse, passing by a number of historic structures.
Fly By Night takes place on the waterfront near historic Drydock One, behind the Agger Fish Corp. warehouse, near an area that once housed a smaller-scale art installation by artist Lisa Kirk, a time-share shanty titled House Of Cards.
An old naval vessel, the Baylander, will house the pigeon coops during the duration of Fly By Night. Audience members are situated on bleacher seats, facing out over the ship and into the East River.
As the sun sets and twilight begins, Duke Riley and his team start to roust the pigeons from their coops using flags, whistles, and shouts. The pigeon handlers’ performance is central to the experience of Fly By Night.
With LED lights attached, these 2,000 birds create unique patterns in the sky. Domesticated pigeons have a long history in New York City, including a brief stint at the Navy Yard.
"The Brooklyn Navy Yard station possessed over 200 birds at its peak," according to a history written by Andrew Gustafson of Turnstile Tours, but the birds were decommissioned in 1901.
Against a dark sky, the pigeons resemble clusters of stars. "For us, the goal is really to allow for as many people as possible to experience this project, and feel inspired by this sense of wonder and joy that I hope this project brings to the city," said Katie Hollander.
Nathan Kensinger is a photographer, filmmaker, and curator who has been documenting New York City's abandoned edges, endangered neighborhoods, and post-industrial waterfront for more than a decade. His Camera Obscura photo essays have appeared on Curbed since 2012. |
The Office of the Inspector General for the Justice Department uncovered systemic mismanagement at private prisons, which fueled inmate suffering. However, the office also found the suffering would not have been so severe if government officials had engaged in proper oversight.
Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), GEO Group, and Management and Training Corporation (MTC) has contracts with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to house about 22,660 federal inmates in private prisons—about 12 percent of the federal prison population. The BOP has contracted facilities since the late 1990s, largely because of overcrowding.
While the overall federal prison population declined by 2.3 percent from 2013 to 2014, the system remains approximately 20 percent over capacity today.
According to a report from the Inspector General [PDF], standards for 14 federal private prisons and 14 comparably-sized public prisons were compared between 2011 and 2014, and data showed in “most key areas contract prisons incurred more safety and security incidents per capita than comparable BOP institutions and that the BOP needs to improve how it monitors contract prisons in several areas.”
Investigators uncovered infractions at private facilities, which for one facility included “improper storage of use-of-force video footage, as well as more serious or systemic deficiencies, such as failure to initiate discipline in over 50 percent of incidents reviewed by onsite monitors in a six month period.”
Problems persisted for years because BOP oversight was so lax and ineffective. One onsite monitor told investigators “he would take it as ‘gospel'” if a private prison contractor told him it had identified and corrected deficiencies in its monthly self-audits.
BOP’s weak approach to overseeing its contracts with private prison companies had abysmal effects. Because contractors submit monthly invoices that do not itemize specific costs, investigators could not determine whether contractors’ services were “consistent with the value or quality of service” BOP should receive based on money spent.
In this respect, the BOP violated federal law by failing to comply with transparency provisions mandated in the Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010.
Contractors fixed the problems on this occasion and the BOP determined each prison to be “sufficiently compliant.” However, investigators concluded, “BOP still must improve its oversight of contract prisons to ensure that federal inmates’ rights and needs are not placed at risk when they are housed in contract prisons.”
This is a recurring theme in the report. Investigators acknowledge in just about every case, where serious issues were uncovered, offending parties were notified and specific problems were corrected.
While on one hand this is a good thing, on the other hand, there was no clear accountability for how things were allowed to get so bad.
In another example, investigators found two of the three private prisons they visited had placed newly-admitted inmates in solitary confinement until beds became available in general population. When investigators brought this issue to the attention of the BOP chief, he “immediately directed that these inmates be removed from [solitary] and returned to the general population,” and that “contracts for all contract prisons be modified to prohibit [solitary] placement for inmates unless there is a policy-based reason to house them there.”
Yet, this was not some simple misunderstanding. Private prison management and the BOP had jointly interpreted the contract to allow for such housing of new prisoners because the contractors could not refuse inmates under their agreements. Meanwhile, the BOP included open beds in solitary in its calculation of available bed space at private prisons. It only stopped when investigators caught wind of the arrangement.
Investigators said the lack of oversight for medical care was a “major area of concern,” finding that “communication between staff responsible for these oversight activities is limited, that they do not routinely share the results of the various reviews, and that no one person or office reviews the monitoring results.”
In the case of inmate deaths at private prisons, there are “no procedures for them to require corrective action from the contractor when the BOP’s contract physician identifies deficiencies during an individual mortality review.”
BOP monitors rely on checklists to record their observations of private prisons, but the BOP failed to “substantively review [the checklists] on a regular basis to ensure [they are] the most effective and efficient tool possible.” Administrators also stated that revisions to the checklist were not proactive, and “usually occur only in response to a significant incident.”
Growing unaddressed resentments over quality of life boiled over, leading to the injury and death of inmates and correction officers alike at private prisons.
A riot at the Reeves County Detention Center, which lasted from December 2008 to January 2009, was a result of inadequate staffing that led to a breakdown in security and health services.
Later, in February 2011, inmates assaulted prison staff because they were “dissatisfied with the staff’s response to a medical emergency on the compound that resulted in the death of an inmate.”
In May 2012, an officer was killed and 20 people were injured at Adams County Correctional Center, when around 250 inmates “angry about low-quality food and medical care, as well as about correctional officers the inmates believed were disrespectful,” engaged in a riot.
Inmates set fire to the Willacy County Correctional Center in 2015 because of complaints over medical care and living conditions.
According to private prison contractors, who described the circumstances surrounding lockdowns, “Inmates expressed concerns over specific issues, including medical care, commissary prices, inmate pay, movement restrictions, and television channels.”
Onsite monitors are supposed to discern trends in inmate grievances and incident reports, but monitors generally wrote “no identifiable trends” or “no trends” in their reports and failed to address the subject of trends at all.
“While the BOP’s primary responsibility is to monitor the contractor,” investigators wrote, “identifying and analyzing trends is crucial to enabling the BOP to identify potential problem areas that could affect inmate safety and security, to enhance monitoring efforts in those specific areas, and to notify the contractor to promptly identify causes and solutions.”
The inspector general ran the data and found trends including that incident reports had increased 192 percent at one contract prison over two years. Monitors failed to report or analyze anything about trends in incident reports in the case of that facility.
Investigators found inmates at private prisons submitted a greater percentage of grievances in specific key areas than inmates at BOP facilities. They involved medical care, food, conditions of confinement, institutional operations, safety and security, sexual abuse or assault, Special Housing Units (SHU), and complaints against staff.
“With the exception of fewer incidents of positive drug tests and sexual misconduct,” the review found, “Contract prisons had more incidents per capita than the BOP institutions in all of the categories we examined.” This included contraband discovery, assaults, use of force, lockdowns, and guilty findings.
Though the report contends no level of sexual misconduct was acceptable, contract prisons averaged nine allegations of staff-on-inmate sexual assault annually. Fifteen allegations occurred on average at BOP facilities. Neither statistic is heartening, especially when considering there could be way more incidents of sexual assault that went unreported
Similarly, investigators found some of the assault data reported by private prisons was inconsistent and some trends were skewed by individual facilities that had extraordinary problems. The BOP’s reporting was suspect as well. It reported zero inmate-on-inmate assaults, even though guilty findings on sexual misconduct charges were reported.
It’s the BOP’s job to oversee contractors and hold them accountable when they mistreat inmates. They bare a significant portion of the responsibility for the abusive environments nurtured in private prisons over the past few decades. |
The “Pro-Ana” Movement
This post is part of a series of guest posts on GPS by the graduate students in my Psychopathology course. As part of their work for the course, each student had to demonstrate mastery of the skill of “Educating the Public about Mental Health.” To that end, each student has to prepare two 1,000ish word posts on a particular class of mental disorders.
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The “Pro-Ana” Movement by Jennifer Hancock
Anorexia Nervosa is diagnosed when an individual restricts energy intake, which results in a significantly low weight, persistent behaviors displaying an intense fear of weight gain or becoming fat, and disturbances in perception of body image or shape, or a refusal to acknowledge current low weight is serious (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Anorexia may be triggered by stressful life events, adolescent difficulties, or family history among first-degree relatives. In many cases, self-esteem depends on perceived body image and may contribute to anorexia, along with environmental factor like a cultural view of valuing thinness. Athletes and models, and others that rely on the size and shape of their body for professional or recreational activities are potentially at risk for developing disordered eating.
It is not unusual for individuals to internalize images or visual ideals viewed on the internet or television. Eventually, after repeated exposure, the attitudes of others have the potential to become our own unconscious beliefs. Marketing is a billion-dollar industry for this very reason. So what happens when the presented belief portrayed on media sites has the potential for pervasive ramifications for the viewer? As a society, are we trivializing issues with the “ideal” body image by media glamorization of unrealistic body images and contributing to disorders that pose serious or even fatal consequences? Commercials advertising diet pills, weight loss plans, and exercise programs flood the airwaves; advertisements continuously cross lines or propriety and promote individuals extremely underweight. Entertainment shows grip headlines with celebrity scandals of weight gain or loss. Social media, internet-based forums, and the movement to view anorexia as a lifestyle choice that should be maintained is yet another contributor to a negative body image that promotes serious consequences.
What is pro-ana? The pro-ana movement is a subculture that uses the premise of maintaining anorexia as a lifestyle choice, under the disguise of community support. Search pro-ana on the internet and you will find an abundance of websites claiming to offer the best tips and guaranteed success in perpetuating behaviors that maintain anorexia. Some claim pro-ana sites are a judgment-free sanctuary for individuals with anorexia to find comfort and support, yet further investigation reveals that these sites are most often comprised of tips and techniques on how one can escape detection of anorexia while sustaining a dangerously low body weight. Bloggers lure people in with buzzwords like “thinspiration” and “thinspo”, with an abundance of images depicting extremely thin and potentially underweight models. Many pro-ana websites include a body mass index (BMI) calculator, accompanied by charts to record caloric intake and exercise. You become “truly ana” when you follow the guidelines for anorexia, which most often includes a dangerously low body weight. Pro-eating disorder websites typically follow a similar content scheme, as determined in an examination by Borzekowski, Schenk, Wilson, & Peebles (2010). Of the pro-eating disorder websites reviewed, 91% contained content open to public viewing, with 79% displaying interactive material, 85% featured “thinspiration” images, and 83% provided recommendations for following an eating disorder regimen. Although recovery measures were integrated throughout some pro-eating disorder sites, only 38% included some type of information or links to recovery resources, 40% presented warnings of dangerous content, and 27% provided disclaimers of responsibility for dangerous behaviors that might ensure after viewing content. Reoccurring themes of the need for isolation apart from heavier individuals, along with control over weight to maintain an ordered life, perfection, and solidarity, appeared in several of the sites, as well (Borzekowski et. al, 2010).
Ana is revered as a religion with tag lines such as “salvation through starvation,” and ultimate set of rules that must be followed at all costs. The “thin” commandments include ten proclamations that establish ana loyalty (i.e. 1. If you aren’t thin, you aren’t attractive, 2. Being thin is more important than being healthy). These rules are encouraging the continuation of anorexia by extending the cycle of reinforcement and learning history, consequently creating a more difficult task in treatment altering the course of anorexia. One blog in particular provides suggestions for a plan designed to increase exercise and decrease calories until “ana’s standards” are met. With recommendations containing less than the caloric intake needed just to sustain organ function, individuals potentially face the risk of putting their bodies in starvation mode. For example, the ABC diet recommend by one pro-ana blog lasts for 30 days with caloric intake fluctuating from 100-500 calories and sporadic mandatory fast days during the diet timeline. Followers are instructed to always follow the rules and that “when the bones start to show it doesn’t mean you’re skinny, it means there’s more to lose.” Rules include specifics like never eating after 6:00, always avoid binging because of the caloric concern and not because of the associated health risks, and although weight loss pills are sometime endorsed, laxatives and vomiting are not.
The question remains whether these websites are perpetuating a dangerous illness and potentially increasing prevalence rates or if instead, providing a therapeutic community forum that fosters acceptance and understanding. In a seven-year study by researchers at Stanford University, an alarming 40% of patients aged 10-22 admitted to viewing pro-eating disorders sites, when interviewed. Of even greater concern are approximately 61% of viewers admitted to attempting purging and weight loss techniques listed on these sites. Additionally, younger patients were three times as likely to require hospitalization for an eating disorder, when compared to teenagers who did not view pro-eating disorder sites (Wilson, Peebles, Hardy, & Litt, 2006). Pro-ana sites pose the potential for reinforcement of maladaptive behaviors by claiming to provide support and understanding that individuals outside of the disorder cannot comprehend. Individuals that feel alone outside of the internet gain social support for participating in the disorder, instead of attempting treatment, eventually finding friendship and commonality among pro-ana followers. Sharing a common bond strengthens relationships and ultimately reinforces the anorexia lifestyle.
Deciding how to approach this problem is controversial as well. Italian legislature proposed a bill this summer that would fine pro-ana website authors $13,00-$67,00 and comes with up to one year in jail; however, opponents to this stance feel this would only push the ana subculture that much further underground and make detection even more difficult (Arnold, 2014). The concern of pro-ana sites eluding detection when pressured to abandon operation was illustrated in 2001, when Yahoo and MSN shutdown many overtly pro-anorexia or pro-bulimia websites, based on demands from several national health organizations and professionals. Unfortunately, this led to many groups going underground, disguising intent, or using different servers all together, making the sites harder to trace (Borzekowski et al., 2010).
The bottom line is that in the US, the First Amendment allows hosts of pro-ana sites to vocalize thoughts and recommendations, and violating those rights has the potential for creating a slippery slope. Opponents of the pro-eating disorder movement should instead establish initiatives, campaigns, and primary interventions that encourage an overall positive body image, regardless of shape and size. We should promote proactive teaching at an early age and with curriculum covering healthy nutrition, appropriate exercise, and how to locate support resources for those in need or at-risk. Anorexia by its very definition is a pervasive disorder with dire, if not fatal, consequences. Even when treatment is successful, most individuals are left with residual organ damage. Under the guise of support, many individuals professing themselves as pro-anorexia are instead perpetuating a serious disorder. By creating a societal culture of tolerance and health education, we can compete with the pro-ana subculture and move towards a goal of eliminating the movement altogether. |
With the presidential election still months away, we're already reading about accusations of "rigged" systems and "skewed" polls — not to mention dead voters and undocumented immigrants walking in off the street to cast their ballots.
For Hillary Clinton, of course.
One of Donald Trump's more recent headline grabbers was a call-out for election observers to monitor polling places so voter fraud does not cost him a race he seems determined to sabotage on his own.
On the other side of that coin, however, is a new study recently released by the Kellogg Foundation and the Transformative Justice Coalition that indicated 25 percent of the voting-age population — or 51 million Americans — are not even registered to cast a ballot because there are too many restrictions in place and not enough voter education for the poor, minorities, youths, the elderly, people with disabilities, and the formerly incarcerated.
Linda Fechner, executive director of the Aurora Election Commission, could not agree more with the notion we need to get as many people registered as possible. And her office, she added, is "bending over backward" to get the word out, including an information meeting for potential candidates Wednesday evening.
"If people really want to vote, we've got so many means to register now," she said, clicking off online, schools, agency offices and, of course, the driver's license facility where, if a resident says "no thanks," there is always a follow-up letter asking them to reconsider.
So just how hard is it to cast a ballot these days?
Despite Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's recent veto of an automatic voter registration law passed by the Democratic-controlled House and Senate, here in Illinois it is easier than ever, thanks to the aforementioned online registration and early voting that allows a resident to cast a ballot by mail without having to even give a reason.
While increased automation has made casting a ballot less complicated — think same-day registration, for example — it also means more work for judges to keep errors from occurring.
It involves more checks and balances, more security layers in place, and more mailings and postage, points out both Fechner and Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham.
And it means less likelihood of voter fraud, noted Cunningham, as "there's always going to be a voter paper trail."
So just how much fraud are we really talking about?
In his six years as state's attorney for Kane County, Joe McMahon said, his office "has not had a single case referred to us."
McMahon said he even had his staff look back further and could find nothing. Nor have any complaints about fraud come in on the hotline in his office that's been in place for years for all general and primary elections.
"We've had some complaints of sign locations and electioneering, but not one fraud complaint," he said.
And, while no one can ever be 100 percent sure fraud does not exist, McMahon added, it's "not an issue for us here in Kane County because we have well-trained election judges and a good system in place."
As a former president of the National Association for County Clerks and Recorders, Cunningham said he can personally attest to the "high professionalism" of his colleagues who are "not influenced by partisan politics" and only want to "get elections done as accurately and efficiently as possible."
"There may be some irregularities" now and again, he added. And every once in a while "a red flag or two might get raised that turn out to be baseless."
For example, because you can get a driver's license with a green card, some who were not eligible to vote in a recent election still received a voter registration card. That's not fraud but rather voter confusion that was quickly worked through with the secretary of state's office.
"And we are always on the lookout for it," Cunningham added.
Both he and Fechner said their offices continue to encourage as many people as possible to register. The municipal election is especially important in Aurora, Fechner insisted, with spring 2017 bringing the first-ever election of the Fox Valley Park District board, not to mention a replacement for a three-term mayor.
"We don't just want people to vote," she said, "but also to understand the issues."
Which is why Fechner is intent on fostering more of that "civic engagement" mentioned in the study.
On Wednesday, she was pleasantly surprised when more than two dozen people turned out for an informational meeting on how to get on the ballots for school and park districts, city councils and townships.
She's hopeful that increased turnout is a sign more people are taking an active interest in the process.
Whether we're talking about running for office or simply getting out to vote for those who do, the best way to know what's going on in your community is to be educated and engaged.
"Power only comes," Fechner said, "when you are willing to walk the walk."
[email protected] |
Senator denies any wrongdoing and calls for retraction of references to himself in New South Wales Electoral Commission report
Cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos has again denied wrongdoing as he enlists lawyers to fight a New South Wales Electoral Commission report.
Sinodinos is seeking a retraction of references to himself in the report that he says uses “loose language”, which could convey erroneous impressions about the NSW Liberal party political donations scandal.
The commission is refusing to pay the Liberals more than $4.4m until it reveals the identities of secret donors who poured about $700,000 into the party’s coffers before the 2011 state election, when Sinodinos was its treasurer and finance director.
“Despite what Labor says, the NSW Electoral Commission decision does not accuse me of setting up a slush fund or breaking the law,” he said in a statement on Saturday. “I have never been accused of corruption. I deny any wrongdoing or illegality.”
Sinodinos has personally, and through a seven-page letter from his lawyers released on Friday night, called for a retraction of references to himself in the commission report, which was made public on Wednesday.
He earlier slammed the report as “flawed”, believing it erroneously conveyed that he knowingly disguised donations.
Sinodinos has refused to respond to “unsubstantiated rumours, gossip or scuttlebutt” published in the wake of the report, which has again prompted calls for him to resign or be stood aside.
Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek accused prime minister Malcolm Turnbull of protecting the senator by refusing to stand him down.
She said Turnbull wasn’t prepared to take action against his “numbers man” because he needed him in the face of a resurgent right wing of the Liberal party.
“The only conclusion you can draw about the fact that Mr Turnbull is not prepared to act to stand Senator Sinodinos aside is that he can’t afford to,” she told reporters in Sydney on Saturday. |
Orlando is a destination for rollercoaster lovers, but apparently there are unstated requirements for riders. A 17-year-old-girl was told that she could not partake in some of the city's most thrilling rides because she does not have hands.
Katie Champagne, of Michigan, was visiting Central Orlando with her family when she was removed from SeaWorld's Kraken coaster Thursday, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Champagne, who was born without hands, was told she couldn't ride because "the manufacturers guidelines require that a guest be able to grasp the pull-down harness with at least one hand." However, she contends SeaWorld allowed her to ride Kraken before.
Champagne was given the same reasons when she was barred from Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure in December. The family's tickets were refunded afterward.
According to a spokesman for SeaWorld, "Our policies regarding guests with disabilities were written in consultation with ride safety experts, ride design consultants and manufacturers of each of our attractions."
"Making exceptions opens theme parks to liability and park-goers to danger," James Barber, member of the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials, told the Sentinel. "Safety rules aren't just put there arbitrarily. They don't put those restrictions there to be mean.'"
However, an attorney who has been working with the Champagne family told the paper that "the requirement for Katie to grasp the harness 'with at least one hand,' rather than her arm, is an unnecessary distinction and possible violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act."
A July 2011 accident in New York may strengthen Barber's point. Sgt. James Thomas Hackemer, who lost his legs in Iraq, was thrown from Ride of Steel coaster at the Darien Lake Theme Park Resort, USA Today reported at the time. People without legs are not allowed to ride two of the park's other coasters, but, according to Hackemer's family, park attendants never challenged his ability to ride the Ride of Steel.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the ride also has a height requirement of 54 inches. Hackemer was only 36 inches tall after his accident. |
they fixed the spelling and grammar errors! Thus they effectively improved the quality of the reviews on their website. And, correspondingly, they improved the demand for their products.
For the curious readers, Zappos has been doing this at least since April of 2009 , which means that they were doing it even before being bought by Amazon.
But is it ingenious? A resounding yes!
I have been doing research on the economic while . One thing that we have noticed is that the quality of the reviews can have an impact on product sales,A well-written review tends to inspire confidence about the product, even if the review is negative. Typically, such reviews are perceived as objective and thorough. If we have a high-qualityreview this may serve as a guarantee that the negative aspects of the product are not that bad after all. For example, a negative review, such as "" may be perceived as positive by other customers that consider a 24-hour battery life to be more than sufficient.In our recent ( award-winning WWW2011 paper "Towards a Theory Model for Product Search" (with Beibei Li and Anindya Ghose ), we noticed that demand for a hotel increases if the reviews on TripAdvisor and Travelocity are well-written, without spelling errors; this holds no matter if the review is positive or negative. In our TKDE paper "Estimating the Helpfulness and Economic Impact of Product Reviews: Mining Text and Reviewer Characteristics" (with Anindya Ghose ), we observed similar trends for products sold and reviewed on Amazon.com.Being in a business school, these findings were considered informative but not deeply interesting. Do not forget, the focus of researchers in business schools is centered on causality and on policy-making . Yes, we now know that it is important for the reviews to be well-written and informative, if we want the product to sell well. But if we cannot do anything about this, it is not deeply interesting. It is almost like knowing that during the cold months the demand for summer resorts drops!But here comes the twist...Last week, over drinks during the WWW conference, I learned about a fascinating application of crowdsourcing that attacked exactly this issue.An online retailer noticed that, indeed, products with high-quality reviews are selling well. So, they decided to take action. The retailer used Amazon Mechanical Turk to improve the quality of the reviews posted on its own website. Using the Find-Fix-Verify pattern , the retailed used Mechanical Turk to examineof product reviews. (Here are the archived versions of the HITs: Find Verify . And if you have not figured out the firm name by now, the retailer is Zappos.) For the reviews with mistakes,While I do not know the exact revenue improvement, I was told that it was substantial. Given that Zappos spent at least 10 cents per review, and that they examined approximately 5 million reviews, this is an expense of a few hundred thousand dollars. (My archive on MTurk-Tracker kind of confirms these numbers.) So, the expected revenue improvement should have been at least a few million dollars for this exercise to make sense.Ethical? Notice that they are not fixing the polarity or the content of the reviews. They just change the language to be correct and error-free. I can see the counter-argument that the writing style allows us to judge if the review is serious or not. So, artificially improving the writing style may be considered as interference with the perceived objectivity of the user-generated reviews. I still consider it fine to change the grammar, from the ethics point of view.It is one of these solutions that is sitting in front of you but you just cannot see it. And this is what makes it ingenious. |
By Pat Anson, Editor
A natural supplement that most Americans are not familiar with is suddenly being thrust into the national spotlight and debate over opioid addiction.
Nearly 70,000 people have signed a White House petition and many are planning to attend a rally next week in Washington DC to protest plans by the DEA to classify a kratom as an illegal narcotic.
Kratom comes from the leaves of a tree that grows in southeast Asia, where it has been used for centuries as a natural medicine. Only in recent years has kratom caught on in the United States – where the leaves are used in teas and supplements to treat pain, depression, anxiety and even addiction.
Since the DEA’s surprise decision was announced, many kratom supporters have written us saying that kratom is far more effective and safer than pharmaceutical drugs.
“I was amazed at the pain relief, energy, anxiety relief, and mood boost that it gave me,” wrote Connie Fuller, a high school teacher and mother of two who suffers from arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain and other chronic conditions. “I still feel pain 24/7 but it’s quite tolerable most days and I gladly smile again. We MUST keep kratom legal so that I can keep my life.”
“I'm a kratom user of two years and my life has dramatically improved. I'm so scared about this. Not sure what I'm going to do. I don't want to be on pharmaceuticals again. But I don't want to be a criminal either,” said Jordan.
Is kratom really the “hazard to public safety” that the DEA says it is? Does it make people high? Where is the evidence that it actually works?
In an effort to answer some of these questions, Pain News Network has partnered with the American Kratom Association in an online survey to see why people use kratom, whether it is effective, and what they plan on doing if the sale and possession of kratom is criminalized by the DEA.
(Update: The survey is now closed. The results will be released September 20)
“The CDC, DEA and other federal agencies, as well as the media, believe that we are nothing but a bunch of teenagers or young adults who are only using kratom on a recreational basis and are abusing it,” says Susan Ash, who founded the American Kratom Association. “That is simply not the case. Our members are largely people in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. We have a lot of soccer moms, firefighters, lawyers and lobbyists who are members. To paint a truer picture of the kind of people that are using this product medicinally, this survey will be helpful in showing that we’re not the kind of people that they think we are.”
The DEA notice published in the Federal Register last week will classify the two main active ingredients in kratom -- mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine -- as Schedule I controlled substances, the same classification used for heroin, LSD and marijuana.
Although mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are alkaloids, the DEA took the unusual step of calling them “opioid substances,” even though they don’t originate from the poppy plant like other opioid pain medications. The DEA saidkratom has “a high potential for abuse” and was linked to several deaths.
“In the United States, kratom is misused to self-treat chronic pain and opioid withdrawal symptoms, with users reporting its effects to be comparable to prescription opioids. Users have also reported dose-dependent psychoactive effects to include euphoria, simultaneous stimulation and relaxation, analgesia, vivid dreams, and sedation,” the DEA said.
“They did that on purpose,” says Ash. “They put ‘opioid’ in there to get sympathy from all of the Congress people already working on this issue, who will look at that Federal Register notice and say ‘Oh my God, another opioid.’ We need to ban it.”
Another unusual aspect of the DEA action is that there was no public notice or comment period, as there usually is when a controlled substance is scheduled. It will become illegal to possess or sell mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine – in other words, kratom itself – at the end of September.
“This emergency scheduling only gives people 30 days to come up with a solution. Most people can’t even get in to see their doctors in 30 days,” says Ash. “They’re putting tens of thousands of people in a position where they have to decide 'Do I go back to pharmaceuticals?' and 'Do I even have time to see my doctor?'
“We’re leaving people completely in the lurch that count on kratom for their health and well-being. People have been using kratom safely for years and these people are basically being told you need to cut off your use abruptly.”
Ash says the American Kratom Association is meeting with lawyers to pursue every possible legal avenue to stop or delay the DEA's scheduling process. She’s also hopeful that grassroots action, the rally in Washington, and the results of our survey will help educate the public and media about kratom’s benefits. |
Adult Swim unveils first-ever virtual goods for The Venture Bros. on Xbox Live! 11 all-new items, along with limited-time Free Season 5 Episode Download of What Color is Your Cleansuit?
Fans of The Venture Bros., the critically-acclaimed and fan-favorite Adult Swim series, can show their virtual love for Team Venture with an all-new line of virtual goods available starting today in the Avatar Store on Xbox Live. This first-of-its-kind offering of digital swag for the series includes a total of 11 assets from which to choose, including Hank and Dean’s iconic tops, Molotov’s eye patch, Sergeant Hatred’s helmet, Dr. Killinger’s mask, Baron Underbheit’s jaw, Triana’s top and sweet costumes for Dr. Girlfriend, The Monarch, Phantom Limb and Speedsuit. The goods range in price from 80-240 Microsoft Points and can be found at the link below!
These new virtual goods add to an already strong presence of The Venture Bros. in the Xbox Marketplace, which includes the series’ first four seasons available for purchase, as well as an eight-minute series recap provided by Henchman 21 and a season five sneak peek. To celebrate the start of season five, which debuted on Adult Swim on Sunday, Xbox Live is also offering fans a free, limited-time download of the season premiere episode “What Color Is Your Cleansuit?” through June 9. The highly-anticipated episode picks up moments after the stunning climax of season four and hits the ground running for a season of globe-trotting adventure and stay-at-home suspense. To access all of The Venture Bros. episode goodness, visit the link below!
The fifth season of The Venture Bros. picks up moments after the stunning climax of season 4 and hits the ground running for a season of globe-trotting adventure and stay-at-home suspense. But no matter where it runs—from the steamy jungles of Central America, to the sparkling sands of the Greek Islands, to the seedy back alleys of Tangier, to the jagged cliffs of By-Golly Gulch—the Venture family can’t escape the treachery of enemies old, new, and within.
Created by Jackson Publick and written, directed and executive produced by Publick and Doc Hammer, The Venture Bros. Season 5 is produced by Titmouse, Inc. and new episodes air Sundays at Midnight ET/PT. In season five, the series welcomes the guest voice talent of Aziz Ansari, Paget Brewster, Wyatt Cenac, Kevin Conroy, Bill Hader, John Hodgman, Gillian Jacobs, Kate McKinnon, Tim Meadows, J.K. Simmons, and Brendon Small.
Check out the minute-long sneak peek at “What Color is Your Cleansuit?” from Adult Swim!
Connect with us online! Follow @VentureBrosBlog on Twitter and be sure to “ LIKE ” us on Facebook for the latest in Venture Bros. news!
[Venture Bros. Blog] |
It's been seven years since the city of Joliet moved to seize Evergreen Terrace, calling the federally subsidized housing complex a dilapidated, dangerous and dirty place to live.
But the owners, residents and the Department of Housing and Urban Development fought back. They argued the property seizure is nothing more than a racist bid to snatch prime property, which sits across the Des Plaines River from downtown and Harrah's casino, and displace the overwhelmingly African-American residents who live there.
A long-awaited trial over whether Joliet had grounds to seize Evergreen Terrace, home to some 700 families, started Thursday at the U.S. Dirksen Courthouse with highly charged allegations that Joliet officials had made offensive public statements about residents who had come to town from Chicago public housing projects that were razed.
"Their interest (was) in ridding the city of people they've labeled as rats and whores," said Kate Elengold, an attorney for HUD.
There were audible gasps from tenants in the courtroom when they heard the alleged descriptions.
Joliet attorneys, however, argued that Evergreen Terrace, which is owned by New West and New Bluff limited liability partnership, had fallen into terrible disrepair and had become a hotbed of gang activity and drug violence in 2005 when the city initiated eminent domain proceedings.
"It was necessary to take the property to abate the nuisance," Joliet's attorney, James Figliulo, said in his opening statement. "… It was riddled with crimes. It was deplorable. It was a blight on the community."
Figliulo flashed photos showing missing windowpanes and walls that appeared to have been kicked in. He talked of soaring crime rates and "chronic" owner neglect. He told the judge the city moved to take the property so it could clean it up, develop it as mixed-income housing and offer residents vouchers to move if they wanted.
The attorney also denied there was any racial motivation, calling Joliet a working-class, diverse town and saying the city wanted to improve living conditions for the residents.
The attorneys for the tenants and owners said Joliet only filed to seize the property after Evergreen Terrace's owners and HUD made moves to secure long-term financing that would provide cash for major renovations and keep the subsidized housing in town.
They alleged Joliet altered its policies to reduce low-income housing. Even if Evergreen Terrace residents had opted to take vouchers, there was not enough subsidized housing in Joliet to accommodate them, they said.
While the eminent domain has been fought in court, New West and New Bluff, controlled by the family of Ron Gidwitz, secured new financing with HUD and made $5 million in renovations, adding a 24-hour welcome center and new playground and upgrading parking lots and units. Figliulo, however, said for purposes of eminent domain, all that matters is the condition when the city wanted to seize it.
Dean Polales, attorney for New Bluff, said Joliet was never interested in improving conditions.
"When he says blight, he means the people," Polales said. "When he talked about nuisance, he is talking about people."
[email protected] |
A Cincinnati teenager has been arrested and charged with assault after allegedly attacking two female students with a machete at a university in Kentucky after asking victims about their political affiliation.
The attack happened at 9:00am when the teen threatened students and staff in a cafe at the Transylvania University campus in Lexington on Friday.
A Trump Supporter Allegedly Attacked Students At A Kentucky University With A Machete https://t.co/bBpqLafgd8 — Jacob Roberts (@jakeroberts84) April 28, 2017
“A guy came in, banged something, a hatchet or an ax, on the table, and said ‘the day of reckoning has come,” said Tristan Reynolds, a student who was inside the campus cafe when the attack happened, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. “He asked somebody what their political affiliation was, they said ‘Republican’ and the guy said, ‘You’re safe.’ And then I realized what was going on and started getting people out.”
Student attacked by man wielding a machete is at UK hospital with her family. Will be okay. Scary ordeal for anyone pic.twitter.com/DXAJ3mMkxR — Leigh Searcy (@LSearcLex) April 28, 2017
One of the injured students was treated on campus, while the other was sent to the hospital with injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening, according to fire department battalion chief Joe Best.
Mitchell W. Adkins was charged with first-degree assault, fourth-degree assault and three counts of wanton endangerment, according to Lexington Police Chief Mark Barnard.
A Trump supporter allegedly attacked students at a Kentucky university with a machetehttps://t.co/QxUUni0vCwpic.twitter.com/HXSQqKTvum — BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) April 28, 2017
Adkins, 19, was allegedly armed with a machete and knives and had various weapons in a bag. Some 30 to 40 students and staff were in the café at the time when Adkins made verbal threats and attacked the two women.
Campus security officers subdued the assailant quickly who was thought to have been a previous student at the campus.
Adkins was also taken to hospital for “self-inflicted injuries,” according to police.
The university canceled classes for the day. |
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson Benjamin (Ben) Solomon CarsonPuerto Rico governor, White House clash over meeting Puerto Rico governor says Trump won't meet to discuss hurricane relief The Hill's Morning Report - Can Bernie recapture 2016 magic? MORE on Tuesday said he would have confronted the shooter at Umpqua Community College had he been present at the time of the attack.
"Not only would I probably not cooperate with him, I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say 'Hey, guys, everybody attack him! He may shoot me but he can't get us all,' " the retired neurosurgeon said on "Fox and Friends."
A gunman opened fire at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., on Thurday, killing nine people and wounding nine others. Authorities said the gunman shot himself.
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Obama is expected to visit Roseburg on Friday to meet families of the victims. The visit comes amid a previously scheduled four-day swing across the West Coast for political fundraisers and events.
Carson slammed the visit and accused Obama of grandstanding.
"Imagine, a politician politicizing something," the retired neurosurgeon said on "Fox and Friends."
"When do we get to the point where we have people who actually want to solve our problems, rather than just politicize everything?" Carson continued. "I think that's what the American people are so sick and tired of."
When asked during the Fox News interview whether he would make the trip to Oregon on Friday like Obama, Carson said as president, he likely would not make the trip if the community didn't want him to.
"Probably not. I mean, I would probably have so many things on my agenda that I'd go to the next one," Carson said.
Obama argued for action on guns during a press conference hours after the shooting last week, saying that mass shootings are "something we should politicize."
“This is a political choice that we make, to allow this to happen every few months in America,” Obama said. “We collectively are answerable to those families who lose their loved ones because of our inaction.”
— This story was updated at 10:28 a.m. |
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Mark Butler says Coalition government wasting money on windfarm ‘conspiracy theories’ after Andrew Dyer’s salary revelation
The government is wasting more than $600,000 on windfarm “conspiracy theories”, Labor said, after a report revealed the salary of the newly appointed wind commissioner, Andrew Dyer.
Windfarm commissioner appointed with strong credentials in renewables Read more
Fairfax Media has obtained Dyer’s contract and it showed the government is paying him $205,000 a year for the three-year, part-time role.
“Taxpayers are being forced to foot the bill for the Liberal government’s climate scepticism with revelations today its windfarm commissioner is costing more than $600,000 in salary alone,” the shadow environment minister, Mark Butler, said. “The cost of the position is likely to be closer to $1m, with three staff seconded from the environment department.”
Butler labelled it a “shocking waste of money”, and criticised the government over how it spent public funds.
“It says everything about the priorities of the Turnbull government that they have appointed a commissioner for windfarms, but refuse to appoint a full-time disability discrimination commissioner,” he said.
The government cut the funding of the Human Rights Commission in its first budget, meaning disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes’s position was not filled once his term expired in July 2014. Instead, age discrimination commissioner, Susan Ryan, took on the disability portfolio.
In June, the environment minister, Greg Hunt, had promised to create the new position of wind commissioner to ascertain health complaints resulting from turbine noise, as part of a deal with crossbench senators to pass legislation on renewable energy.
Dyer, an academic who serves on the boards of Climateworks Australia and the Monash University sustainability unit, was appointed in October.
Innes was scathing of the decision to create a new commissioner without replacing the disability portfolio.
“It sends a very clear message about where people with disabilities fall in the pecking order,” he told Fairfax Media in June. “Clearly, we fall below strong lobbyists.”
Bill Shorten says Labor's 50% renewable energy goal is a 'declaration of intent' Read more
On Sunday, shadow parliamentary secretary, Terri Butler, criticise the government’s funding priorities on Twitter.
Terri Butler MP (@terrimbutler) 2 unfilled vacancies for federal cct court judges. Cct court gets 90% of family law cases. Yet Aus has a $600k windfarm cmr #priorities
The former prime minister, Tony Abbott, spoke publicly about his dislike of turbines, saying in June that they are potentially harmful and “visually awful”.
In 2014, the then treasurer, Joe Hockey, had labelled windfarms “utterly offensive”.
“I drive to Canberra to go to parliament and I must say I find those wind turbines around Lake George to be utterly offensive. I think they’re a blight on the landscape,” he said in May 2014.
Labor has set a target of 50% of energy coming from renewable sources by 2030, including wind turbines. |
Counterparty, a platform developing an Ethereum Virtual Machine port for the Bitcoin blockchain, has combined forces with Storj, a decentralized cloud storage blockchain startup, to develop payment channel technology for use on the Counterparty network. Storj has developed the initial proof of concept to utilize such technology with Counterparty tokens.
Payment channel technology powers the upcoming Lightning Network and is meant to enable low-cost, almost instantaneous Bitcoin micropayments. In its current state, the technology will facilitate unidirectional payment channels, where Storj and other Counterparty users can stream payments in SJCX or other assets to each other.
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“Payment channels allow for instant, ‘streaming’ payments of SJCX, which is a Counterparty token, in exchange for storage space on our network.” explained Shawn Wilkinson, CEO of Storj.
This development is the crucial first step in Counterparty’s long-time stated goal of enabling bidirectional micropayments for Counterparty assets in return for Bitcoin or other Counterparty assets. Such payments, while eventually settled on the Bitcoin blockchain, will not be subject to Bitcoin’s ten minute block time while being transacted. Storj plans to beta test this technology during the third quarter of this year, according to Wilkinson.
“We’re excited about this development,” added Counterparty lead developer Ruben De Vries, “and appreciate the initiative Storj took here. This is a huge step forward that will truly allow for rapid, almost frictionless Counterparty token payments, as well as eventual use of Counterparty tokens on the Lightning Network.” |
Incumbency delivers many benefits for political parties as they approach elections, not least of which is running advertising campaigns on the public tab. Take, for example, the Moving Victoria campaign promoting the Napthine government’s transport vision splendid.
As these ads flood our screens, airwaves and print, there might be an understandable tendency to collectively shrug our shoulders, for this is just what happens, isn’t it? Both sides of politics do it, right? That’s true. But lately, those Moving Victoria ads are getting me angry.
'We are all aboard Denis Napthine’s election express.' Credit:Getty Images/Graham Denholm
No matter how much the campaign is rationalised as educating the public about new policies, the true intent is to win over voters, and revive the election prospects of a government that is behind in the polls. We are all aboard Denis Napthine’s election express.
The first thing to be said about the Moving Victoria campaign is that, when viewed in terms of persuasion, it is a smart piece of work. For those who have been around long enough, the title could have drawn inspiration from the slogan that defined the Kennett government, and one that made it on to our number plates: Victoria: on the move. |
The award-winning illusionist and magician, David Copperfield, just purchased a 31,000-square-foot residence in the upscale Summerlin community of Las Vegas. According to the Clark County Assessor’s Office, the eight-bedroom property sold for $17.5 million, making it the most expensive home ever sold in Las Vegas. (The record was previously held by a home that sold in 2007 for almost $17.4 million.)
Symmetrical palm trees, tropical landscaping, and an infinity-edge pool grace the property’s 1.58 acres, and a towering 18-foot-tall door serves as an entryway to a large open-layout within. The remarkable amenities—including an office, gym, wine cellar, full-service spa, night club, three antique arcade rooms, golf simulation room, Zen garden, and movie theater—are no illusion. Two elevators provide easy access to the home’s four stories. And the 6,177-square-foot garage has a detailing room for exotic cars. The famed illusionist performs in residence at MGM Grand’s David Copperfield Theatre, so the purchase (which joins his four-story penthouse in New York and private Bahamian archipelago Musha Cay) comes as no surprise. (bhhsnv.com) |
Boeing and Siemens on Monday said the companies will team up to develop and market smart grid technologies for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The DOD is the U.S. government's largest energy consumer.
Under the arrangement, the companies will create collaboration centers to focus on secure microgrids to power military installations. The aim is to combine Boeing's defense knowhow with Siemens' energy management technologies.
The joint microgrid management effort will revolve around implementing energy efficiency tools to analyze and track usage, add smart energy controls to manage use and integrate renewable energy sources and storage.
Meanwhile, the microgrid effort will be designed to adhere to the DoD's security and construction requirements.
The DoD has been on the leading edge of alternative energy use and has been experimenting with everything from hydrogen to solar to biomass to power its equipment.
In March, the U.S. Army unveiled a smart charging micro grid prototype. The micro grid consisted of 25 kilowatt solar power array, 200 kilowatt hours of batter storage and four plug-in electric vehicles. The system could provide backup power to three buildings.
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com |
By the time Mitt Romney formally launched his bid for the US presidency in late summer 2012, the race for the White House was already more or less over. For the preceding 12 months, the former Massachusetts governor had poured all his energy into securing the Republican nomination from his conservative rivals, leaving the Democrats free to bury his reputation as a successful entrepreneur under a volley of personal attacks. These attacks cast Romney, not entirely inaccurately, as a predatory capitalist whose business practices at Bain Capital had put thousands of ordinary Americans out of work or into bankruptcy. The result was that in the weeks leading up to 6 November, Romney spent more time fending off accusations that he was ‘out of touch’ than he did explaining his policies or scrutinising Barack Obama’s record. Romney’s mistake was to allow his public image to be defined negatively by his opponents before he had a chance to define it himself.
A comparison can be drawn between Romney’s experience and the situation Scotland’s pro independence movement currently finds itself in. Since the launches of the official 'Yes' and 'No' campaigns last year, the unionists have been far more effective at setting the terms and conditions of debate than the nationalists have. On a series of issues, most notably the currency and (until yesterday) Scottish membership of the European Union, Better Together, the official vehicle of unionism, has forced the SNP onto the back-foot. Time and time again, Scottish government ministers have been rushed out to provide what seem like hurried or improvised responses to awkward questions. With his relentless emphasis of the apparent "risks" and "hazards" of separation, Better Together chairman Alistair Darling has become an almost ubiquitous presence on Scottish TV screens. Darling’s rhetoric reflects the No camp’s key theme: that the consequences of Scotland leaving the United Kingdom are uncertain and uncertainty is bad for the Scottish economy.
With at least two recent polls showing a decline in support for independence, there is good reason to believe this strategy is working. The unionists have an additional advantage in the fact Scottish political culture is dominated by an essentially conservative middle-class with little enthusiasm for far-reaching constitutional reform. Worse still for the Yes campaign, the Scottish government doesn’t intend to publish its White Paper on Independence, clarifying its proposals for an independent Scottish state, until the end of the year. This grants Better Together yet more time in which to compound voters’ anxieties, increasing the likelihood that, come the final stages of the referendum debate, it will be too late for the SNP and its allies to rescue independence as a credible constitutional option in the eyes of the Scottish electorate.
There is another reason the pro-independence movement has struggled in the referendum PR battle: a lack of structural discipline. Although the majority of Yes Scotland activists are members of the SNP, the organisation itself is made up of a broad coalition of groups, each with their own ideas about how independence should be achieved. To some extent, this laissez-faire style acts as a source of creativity, generating new initiatives, like the Radical Independence Conference, and genuine excitement at the grassroots level. (600 people attended the launch of Yes Glasgow earlier this month.) But it also makes the task of developing a coherent message about independence extremely difficult. By contrast, Better Together is a considerably smaller and less cumbersome outfit, with a much more tightly controlled and clearly defined narrative. Its role - to erode trust in Alex Salmond and reinforce widespread concerns about secession - is relatively uncomplicated.
So how might Yes Scotland regain the initiative? A more effective Yes campaign would balance its aspirational account of Scotland’s ‘journey’ from devolution to independence with a critique of the British state, highlighting the democratic and international costs Scotland pays for remaining part of the UK. In particular, it would make clear the link between Scotland’s abysmal social record (one of the worst in western Europe) and the concentration of political and economic power in London and the south east. It would also aim to systematically undermine the Scottish public’s confidence in the desire and capacity of Westminster to act in Scotland’s interests, even if this means abandoning its much vaunted commitment to positive campaigning. The one thing it can’t afford to do is spend the next 20 months responding to aggressive unionist and media questioning.
Of course, it was the use of exactly these sorts of ‘negative’ tactics that secured Obama’s second presidential term. Recognising that the circumstances of the 2012 election were going to be very different from those of the 2008 one, Obama and his team discarded the transformative rhetoric of "hope" and "change" for a harder, more cynical approach, turning what should have been Romney’s greatest asset - his commercial success - into his greatest weakness through a sustained media offensive. Likewise, the SNP needs to acknowledge that the 2014 referendum will not be a re-run of its 2011 electoral triumph, when it bulldozed its way to victory on the back of what one commentator called a nationalist "juggernaut of joy." The independence vote will take place against a backdrop of high unemployment, recession and austerity imposed by a discredited and corrupt Westminster class increasingly at odds with Scottish political values and preferences. There is a deep well of political dissatisfaction in Scotland: advocates of independence need to learn how to exploit it. |
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has issued a ban on all publicly funded and non-essential travel for city employees to Mississippi and North Carolina. A spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office confirmed with NBC10 the travel ban is in response to controversial laws from the two states which limit anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people.
The North Carolina law directs transgender people to use public toilets corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificate. The law also excludes LGBT people from state anti-discrimination protections, blocks local governments from expanding LGBT protections, and bars all types of workplace discrimination lawsuits from state courts. In Mississippi, legislation taking effect this summer will allow certain workers, including some in private businesses, to cite religious beliefs in denying services to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
Kenney’s spokeswoman did not have details regarding how much the ban would impact Philadelphia’s travel budget or if any previously scheduled trips were canceled as a result.
Earlier this month, Kenney joined a coalition group consisting of several other mayors across the country called Mayors Against Discrimination. The group vowed to ban official travel to any states that enacted anti-LGBT laws.
“Today, I’m proud to count myself among the coalition of mayors taking a stand against discriminatory policies targeting LGBT individuals and families,” Kenney said in a press release about the coalition. “Our city was founded on the ideals of freedom and equality, and we will continue to pursue those ideals in fighting for a fair and inclusive city and government that serves all Philadelphians.”
In addition to Kenney’s travel ban, SEPTA also canceled its participation in the American Public Transportation Conference scheduled to take place in Charlotte, North Carolina from May 15 through May 18. Officials say SEPTA’s decision not to participate isn’t connected to Kenney’s decision but rather SEPTA’s own internal discussion on the issue. |
One of the basic lessons of Sun-Tzu is to understand the enemy. Another of Sun-Tsu’s basic lessons is to understand oneself.
Twitter poster “John Of Argghh!” points out that many on the Right who act like they are still the dominant culture and can talk using terms and definitions they use and expect to appeal to a fundamentally transformed America.
We function in a Base-10 number system. It's why we can agree about math. . The Left has changed our language base. 1/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
So, it does no good to say "All Lives Matter" & marvel at the push back. The Left speaks base-Marxism and "Black Lives Matter" means, 2/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
"We're not going to tell you what it means b/c we're not giving you the language base key …& we'll change it if you guess it." 3/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
This is linguistic disenfranchisement. It's lowest form is goal-post moving. But it has evolved to denial of entrance into speech. 4/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
It's the mainstreaming of the NewSpeak, but unlike Orwell's vision, it is a tool for division. And your children speak this language now. 5/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
You are immigrants in your own culture now b/c you sent your children to public school, watched public TV, ingested the deconstruction 6/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
Like immigrants, your kids speak the new language & understand the culture far better than you, but you keep on with "Rah-bah-bah" 7/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
Millennials roll their eyes, plug in their earphones, & keep suckling at the substitute culture you've neglected them into. So… 8/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
So if you are going to speak to your new world, you had best learn its language. Bible translators have mastered this technique, btw 9/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
Direct push-back earns you nothing. You don't own the field of play any more so stop with the buggy-whips of reason. Persuasion rules. 10/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
BTW, "The Buggy-Whips of Reason" is a great title for the decline of Western Civ. Reason & logic require a base-reality for "logos", 11/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
The "logos" requires truth & reality. We no longer speak in this base-language, thanks to the persuaders. You keeps saying,"No speekee" 12/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
You keep demanding that your new country speak your language & you assume people are stupid, you write them off as savages. 13/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
Until reality kicks in, reason will be a foreign language to the new natives of our country. Elites are protected from ever learning it. 14/ — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
Don't denigrate our Millennials; investigate their language & cheerfully translate to them your own. Reality will do what words cannot. / — Joan Of Argghh! (@JoanOfArgghh) June 20, 2017
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It's called the COVFEFE Act.
A bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, a Chicago Democrat, would ensure that even social media post from the President Donald Trump's personal Twitter account — @realDonaldTrump — are archived in the same manner as his official account, @POTUS.
The title of Quigley's measure employs the word Trump invented with what's presumed to be a typing error in an early-morning May 31 post from his personal account.
"Despite the constant negative press covfefe," the post started, with "covfefe" thought to be an attempt at "coverage," given the context.
Hours went by before the president revisited the word, posting: "Who can figure out the true meaning of "covfefe" ??? Enjoy!" The original Twitter message was later deleted.
Quigley, while having a little fun with the newly invented word, is dead serious about the bill. Officially he's calling it the Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement, or COVFEFE, Act.
In a news release, Quigley's office said that the National Archives offered guidance in 2014 stating its belief that social media merit historical recording. But Trump's frequent use of his personal account — and his deleted Tweets — raised Quigley's concern over whether all would be archived in keeping with the Presidential Records Act.
Quigley is a co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Transparency Caucus. His party is in the minority in the House, so prospects of passage are far from guaranteed.
"We are also soliciting co-sponsors now," Quigley aide Tara Vales said.
The White House had no immediate comment.
[email protected]
Twitter @KatherineSkiba |
HI there! This is the third part of the basic technique and knowledge series i’ve been writing to help out newcomers to the hobby! Check out the Video tutorial on this topic HERE.
Check out the previous posts on Glazing and Layering through the links! All three of these are just tools to help you define volumes described in this article. You can also find all of Pirate Monkey Paintings tutorials here.
If you liked this article and want to see more in depth tutorials come check out Pirate Monkey Painting’s Patreon!
What is Feathering? Essentially it is a unique brush stroke where pigment is drawn out in a controlled (or not so controlled) zig-zag manner. Feathering has many different names, 2 brush blending and loaded brush blending fall within this family of brush stroke in my opinion as they use a similar method of pushing and pulling the pigment.
Why is this technique important? Once it is learned properly it gives someone the ability to create very nice transitions very quickly. It is also helpful in creating high contrast more quickly as well.
1 brush feathering – Is the process where you take a small amount of paint and place it in the area you want that color. Then using a zigzagging motion the paint is drawn back and forth carefully to create a transition over the color underneath it. This is done with paint that is a base coat or layer consistency generally. You can do it with very thin paint as well though to clean up a transition. Large areas of paint can be placed down and then feathered out as well.
There are two different methods within 1 brush blending
Feathering without cleaning – As you can see in the Gif above the brushes tip is loaded with paint and is then feathered until the paint is exhausted from the brush. The trick with this is practicing how much paint should be on the tip of the brush according to the surface it’s applied to. Practice this a lot before transitioning to Loaded Brush.
Feathering with Cleaning – In this method after the paint is applied the brush is cleaned quickly (in water or spit) and then the clean brush is pushed towards the paint creating a damp zone for the water to naturally diffuse through. This makes the transition much easier because the paint doesn’t have to be played with quite do much.
2 Brush Feathering or Blending – This is the method popularized by the Privateer Press Studio Painters. The same process as listed above occurs with the big exception that a damp second brush is used to pull out and control the paint. The second brush is generally held in the main brush hand or in the mouth so that the wet paint can be reworked as soon as possible.
The main advantage here is two part
First being that the wet diffusion area can be effected much more easily
Second being the dampness of the brush can be controlled to a point where pigment is soaked up into the brush the more pressure is applied to the surface while the transition is being done.
These two things are the advantage of 2 brush blending over one brush. The only con is having to hold your miniature a main brush and then a second brush. It’s just a matter of preference though as most things and both methods are highly effective!
I’m not going to get into Loaded Brush at the moment as it is very complex and involves a good understanding of both mechanical technique with brush and consistency as well in part of color theory. I would recommend getting a high level of competence with one brush blending though before attempting it though as it is the foundation of the loaded brush. Ill devote another article at a later date once I cover the basics.
Thank you very much for stopping by! Hopefully you found this article helpful and I would love to continue writing on technical topics in the future please let me know what you would like to see going forward.
Finally I’ve started a Patreon that has some great video tutorials on both NMM and color theory check that out here.
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Friday, February 17, 2012 Richie Porte takes control of the Volta ao Algarve with solo stage three victory by Ben Atkins at 11:46 AM EST
Categories: Pro Cycling, Race Reports and Results, Volta ao Algarve Stage and lead for Australian as he escapes on the final climb after ground work put in by dominant Team Sky
Richie Porte continued Team Sky’s dominance of the Volta ao Algarve, winning the third stage between Castro Marim and the Alto do Malhão, to take the team’s second victory in as many days. The Australian attacked from a very select group on the second category climb to the finish, after Sky teammate Bradley Wiggins had worn down the rest of the stage favourites, and soloed away to victory.
Porte managed to hold off a chase from the Portuguese duo of Tiago Machado (RadioShack-Nissan) and Rui Costa (Movistar), to finish seven seconds clear. Machado won the sprint for second, and time bonuses on the line meant that the overall classification mirrored the top three of the stage, with Porte taking over the yellow jersey from stage two winning teammate Edvald Boasson Hagen.
“It wasn’t hard with that team. They were incredible!" Porte exclaimed after the finish. “You don’t really want to single out one person as they were all incredible. You see [Xabier] Zandio and Kosta [Siutsou] on the front the whole day. It was a hard stage and they got dropped but then they come back with bidons and food with 60k to go. For me that just shows what this team is all about.
“[Chris] Froomey, Thomas [Lövkvist] and Lars [Petter Nordhaug] did brilliant work, then Edvald and Brad on the climb. It just worked like clockwork. I know in cycling it doesn’t always happen like that. It’s a team victory but to then get the glory of riding across the line first is great."
Taking the race lead marks the first time that Porte has held leader's jersey since the 2010 Giro d'Italia; the race where he really burst onto the international stage.
“Even a day in yellow and a stage is great," he said, "as well as Eddy yesterday – it’s just nice to be enjoying riding my bike again and that’s credit to Team Sky.”
The start of the 194.6km stage saw a number of unsuccessful attacks, until an eight-man group escaped after 28km. Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Christophe Riblon (AG2R La Mondiale), Marcus Burghardt (BMC Racing), Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Barracuda), Kasper Larsen (Saxo Bank), Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator), Ronan McLaughlin (An Post Sean Kelly Team) and José Gonçalves (Onda-Boavista) were the riders to get away, and they were allowed to build a healthy lead.
Hugo Sancho (LA-Antarte) tried to make it up to the leaders, but was forced to drift back to the peloton.
As it reached the first feedzone, after 50km, the breakaway’s advantage reached its maximum of 7’30” before the peloton, under the control of Team Sky, began to gradually peg them back.
After 105km, just before the real climbing began, the gap had been narrowed to 5’30”; by the time Gonçalves led them over the top of the Portela do Barranco after 123km though, the eight leaders were just 1’05” ahead.
The eight riders began to split on the climb to Vermelhos after 130.7km, with Trentin, Maaskant and McLaughlin losing contact; the remaining five were still clear over the top though, with the peloton now just 50 seconds behind them.
Just a few kilometres later, the group was finally reeled in, as they neared the top of the climb to Cavalos. On the long descent a new breakaway began, with Carlos Barredo (Rabobank) and Blel Kadri (AG2R La Mondiale) getting clear; at the 160km point, with less than 35km to go, the two riders were 50 seconds clear.
Team Sky seemed happy to allow Barredo and Kadri a little room, allowing their lead to drift out to more than a minute; but as they traversed the rolling roads on the approach to the foot of the final climb the two of them were steadily closed down again, and they were caught with 15km remaining.
Saxo Bank began to move forward as the final climb approached, but Team Sky was not willing to give up control of the peloton, and the speed rose sharply as the British team began to accelerate. With the lower slopes beginning, the peloton began to split as the non-climbers began to lose contact.
Bradley Wiggins took over the Team Sky pacesetting as the climb proper began, and the group began to splinter. Boasson Hagen found the pace too hot with 2km to go, but the British team was riding for Richie Porte, and Wiggins was putting a number of his rivals under pressure, including defending champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Belgian Tour hope Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol), and Andreas Kloden (RadioShack-Nissan); as Wiggins pulled over from the front of what was a very select group, the Australian attacked.
Porte was chased by Machado, with compatriot Costa chasing him, but he was not to be caught as he rode away from the rest of the field. As they passed the final kilometre banner, the two Portuguese riders came together, but they were several seconds behind Porte, who sat up to take his first victory of the season.
Machado managed to hold off Costa to take second place, with the rest of the group crossing the line in ones and twos behind them.
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Subscribe via RSS or daily email Contact the editor about this article Volta ao Algarve, Portugal (2.1) Stage 3 Results: Castro Marim to Alto do Malhão (Loulé) (194.6 km) Click on the arrows at the top of the column to sort the race results. Country Result Name Team Time AUS 1 Richie Porte (Sky Procycling) 04:55:11 POR 2 Tiago Machado (RadioShack - Nissan) 00:00:08 POR 3 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Movistar Team) s.t. NED 4 Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM) 00:00:24 NED 5 Wout Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) s.t. BEL 6 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto - Belisol Team) s.t. USA 7 Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:00:31 POR 8 José Joao Pimenta Costa Mendes (LA - Antarte) 00:00:35 GER 9 Tony Martin (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) 00:00:40 GBR 10 Bradley Wiggins (Sky Procycling) s.t. IRL 11 Nicolas Roche (Ag2r-La Mondiale) 00:00:44 POR 12 Bruno Manuel Silva Pires (Team Saxo Bank) s.t. ESP 13 Jesús Hernández Blazquez (Team Saxo Bank) s.t. ESP 14 Jonathan Nicolas Castroviejo (Movistar Team) s.t. BEL 15 Gianni Meersman (Lotto - Belisol Team) 00:00:49 FRA 16 Amaël Moinard (BMC Racing) 00:00:51 POR 17 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Team Saxo Bank) 00:00:56 ESP 18 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Movistar Team) s.t. ESP 19 Jose Herrada Lopez (Movistar Team) s.t. USA 20 Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing) 00:01:02 BEL 21 Jan Bakelants (RadioShack - Nissan) 00:01:13 POR 22 Andre Cardoso (Caja Rural) s.t. ESP 23 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Rabobank Cycling Team) s.t. POR 24 David Da Silva Livramento (Carmin - Prio) s.t. POL 25 Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) s.t. BLR 26 Branislau Samoilau (Movistar Team) s.t. BEL 27 Bart De Clercq (Lotto - Belisol Team) 00:01:19 POR 28 Henrique Casimiro (Carmin - Prio) s.t. USA 29 Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing) 00:01:22 ESP 30 Ruben Plaza Molina (Movistar Team) s.t. IRL 31 Philip Deignan (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) s.t. BEL 32 Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil-DCM) 00:01:26 SVK 33 Martin Velits (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) 00:01:34 NED 34 Bram Tankink (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:01:41 POR 35 Ricardo Vilela (Efapel - Glassdrive) s.t. NOR 36 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky Procycling) 00:01:56 FRA 37 Biel Kadri (Ag2r-La Mondiale) s.t. BEL 38 Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) s.t. BEL 39 Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil-DCM) s.t. BEL 40 Dries Devenyns (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) s.t. USA 41 Matthew Busche (RadioShack - Nissan) 00:02:20 GER 42 Andréas Klöden (RadioShack - Nissan) s.t. ESP 43 David Arroyo Duran (Movistar Team) s.t. POR 44 Sergio Sousa (Efapel - Glassdrive) 00:02:35 ESP 45 Alejandro Manuel Marque Porto (Carmin - Prio) 00:02:37 DEN 46 Matti Breschel (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:02:47 FRA 47 Mickael Cherel (Ag2r-La Mondiale) 00:03:11 SWE 48 Gustav Erik Larsson (Vacansoleil-DCM) s.t. BUL 49 Danail Andonov Petrov (Caja Rural) s.t. RUS 50 Ivan Rovny (Team Rusvelo) 00:03:35 ITA 51 Matteo Tosatto (Team Saxo Bank) 00:03:46 GER 52 Paul Martens (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:03:55 ESP 53 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:04:12 NED 54 Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM) s.t. ESP 55 Marcos Garcia Fernandez (Caja Rural) 00:04:19 FRA 56 Sébastien Minard (Ag2r-La Mondiale) 00:04:25 AUS 57 Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:04:35 GER 58 Fabian Wegmann (Garmin-Cervelo) s.t. POR 59 Hernani Broco (Caja Rural) 00:04:47 AUS 60 Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) 00:04:49 FRA 61 Christophe Riblon (Ag2r-La Mondiale) 00:04:55 BEL 62 Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) 00:05:07 BEL 63 Laurens De Vreese (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) 00:05:18 POR 64 Hugo Sabido (LA - Antarte) s.t. RUS 65 Sergey Klimov (Team Rusvelo) s.t. POR 66 Hugo Sancho (LA - Antarte) s.t. POR 67 Amaro Antunes (Carmin - Prio) 00:05:24 NED 68 Stef Clement (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:05:29 BEL 69 Pieter Ghyllebert (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) s.t. RUS 70 Dmitry Kozontchuk (Team Rusvelo) s.t. LUX 71 Laurent Didier (RadioShack - Nissan) s.t. SUI 72 Steve Morabito (BMC Racing) s.t. FRA 73 Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r-La Mondiale) s.t. GER 74 Marcus Burghardt (BMC Racing) s.t. POR 75 Sergio Miguel Vieira Ribeiro (Efapel - Glassdrive) s.t. POR 76 Celio Sousa (Onda ) s.t. SWE 77 Thomas Löfkvist (Sky Procycling) 00:06:07 GBR 78 Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling) s.t. POR 79 Ricardo Mestre (Carmin - Prio) 00:06:11 POR 80 Cesar Fonte (Efapel - Glassdrive) s.t. PAN 81 Yelko Gómez (Caja Rural) 00:06:43 ESP 82 Julian Sanchez Pimienta (Caja Rural) s.t. GER 83 Andreas Klier (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:07:09 GER 84 Gerald Ciolek (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) 00:07:12 USA 85 Chris Jones (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) s.t. NED 86 Michel Kreder (Garmin-Cervelo) s.t. GBR 87 Mark Christian (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) s.t. NED 88 Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) 00:07:19 BEL 89 Preben Van Hecke (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) 00:08:18 BLR 90 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Sky Procycling) 00:09:17 NOR 91 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Sky Procycling) s.t. USA 92 Benjamin King (RadioShack - Nissan) s.t. POR 93 Bruno Silva (LA - Antarte) s.t. BEL 94 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) s.t. NED 95 Kai Reus (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) s.t. BEL 96 Nick Nuyens (Team Saxo Bank) s.t. POR 97 Virgilio Martins Santos (LA - Antarte) s.t. DEN 98 Kasper Larsen Klostergaard (Team Saxo Bank) s.t. BEL 99 Ben Hermans (RadioShack - Nissan) 00:09:59 BEL 100 Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) s.t. SUI 101 Johann Tschopp (BMC Racing) 00:10:26 POR 102 Daniel Silva (Onda ) s.t. ARG 103 Enzo Josue Moyano (Caja Rural) 00:12:05 BEL 104 Sep Vanmarcke (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:13:50 POR 105 Marcio Barbosa (LA - Antarte) 00:16:24 ESP 106 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Sky Procycling) s.t. POR 107 Jose Goncalves (Onda ) s.t. BEL 108 Maarten Neyens (Lotto - Belisol Team) 00:17:26 ESP 109 Koldo Fernández De Larrea (Garmin-Cervelo) s.t. BEL 110 Stijn Neirynck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) s.t. BEL 111 Zico Waeytens (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) s.t. BEL 112 Nikolas Maes (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) s.t. POR 113 Luis Silva (Carmin - Prio) s.t. SUI 114 Martin Elmiger (Ag2r-La Mondiale) s.t. USA 115 Jeff Louder (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) s.t. NED 116 Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Cervelo) s.t. NZL 117 Jesse Sergent (RadioShack - Nissan) s.t. ESP 118 Delio Fernandez Cruz (Onda ) s.t. RUS 119 Artem Ovechkin (Team Rusvelo) s.t. FRA 120 Anthony Ravard (Ag2r-La Mondiale) s.t. BEL 121 Sander Cordeel (Lotto - Belisol Team) s.t. ITA 122 Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) 00:17:55 ITA 123 Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar Team) 00:18:15 BEL 124 Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM) 00:20:05 DEN 125 Michael Morkov (Team Saxo Bank) s.t. RUS 126 Nikolay Trusov (Team Rusvelo) s.t. BEL 127 Frederique Robert (Lotto - Belisol Team) s.t. RUS 128 Arkimedes Arguelyes Rodriges (Team Rusvelo) s.t. POR 129 Samuel Caldeira (Carmin - Prio) s.t. POR 130 Filipe Duarte Sousa Cardoso (Efapel - Glassdrive) s.t. LTU 131 Gediminas Bagdonas (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) s.t. ITA 132 Francesco Lasca (Caja Rural) s.t. BEL 133 Michael Van Staeyen (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) s.t. POR 134 Domingos Andre Maciel Gonçalves (Onda ) s.t. BEL 135 Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) s.t. POR 136 Nuno Ribeiro (Efapel - Glassdrive) s.t. POR 137 Bruno Matos Sancho (LA - Antarte) s.t. NED 138 Jetse Bol (Rabobank Cycling Team) s.t. ESP 139 Enrique Alonso Salgueiro (LA - Antarte) s.t. IRL 140 Connor Mcconvey (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) s.t. RUS 141 Nikita Eskov (Team Rusvelo) s.t. USA 142 Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) s.t. ESP 143 Raul Alarcon Garcia (Efapel - Glassdrive) s.t. GBR 144 Tomas Swift-metcalfe (Carmin - Prio) s.t. IRL 145 Ronan Mclaughlin (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) s.t. BEL 146 Niels Wytinck (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) s.t. BEL 147 Olivier Kaisen (Lotto - Belisol Team) s.t. NED 148 Rick Flens (Rabobank Cycling Team) s.t. USA 149 Jason Mccartney (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) 00:20:21 BEL 150 Kenny Dehaes (Lotto - Belisol Team) s.t. NED 151 Karsten Kroon (Team Saxo Bank) 00:20:59 RUS 152 Alexander Khatuntsev (Team Rusvelo) 00:36:16 POR DNF Helder Oliveira (Onda ) BEL DNF Joren Segers (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) BEL DNF Niko Eeckhout (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) GBR DNF Steven Cummings (BMC Racing) General classification after stage 3: Country Result Name Team Time AUS 1 Richie Porte (Sky Procycling) 13:54:41 POR 2 Tiago Machado (RadioShack - Nissan) 00:00:12 POR 3 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Movistar Team) 00:00:14 NED 4 Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM) 00:00:34 NED 5 Wout Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) s.t. BEL 6 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto - Belisol Team) s.t. POR 7 José Joao Pimenta Costa Mendes (LA - Antarte) 00:00:45 USA 8 Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:00:48 BEL 9 Gianni Meersman (Lotto - Belisol Team) 00:00:49 GER 10 Tony Martin (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) 00:00:50 IRL 11 Nicolas Roche (Ag2r-La Mondiale) 00:00:54 GBR 12 Bradley Wiggins (Sky Procycling) 00:00:57 POR 13 Bruno Manuel Silva Pires (Team Saxo Bank) 00:01:01 ESP 14 Jonathan Nicolas Castroviejo (Movistar Team) s.t. ESP 15 Jesús Hernández Blazquez (Team Saxo Bank) s.t. FRA 16 Amaël Moinard (BMC Racing) 00:01:08 USA 17 Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing) 00:01:12 POR 18 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Team Saxo Bank) 00:01:13 ESP 19 Jose Herrada Lopez (Movistar Team) s.t. ESP 20 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Movistar Team) s.t. BEL 21 Jan Bakelants (RadioShack - Nissan) 00:01:23 POL 22 Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) s.t. ESP 23 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:01:28 POR 24 Andre Cardoso (Caja Rural) 00:01:30 POR 25 David Da Silva Livramento (Carmin - Prio) s.t. BLR 26 Branislau Samoilau (Movistar Team) s.t. POR 27 Henrique Casimiro (Carmin - Prio) 00:01:36 BEL 28 Bart De Clercq (Lotto - Belisol Team) s.t. ESP 29 Ruben Plaza Molina (Movistar Team) 00:01:39 IRL 30 Philip Deignan (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) s.t. USA 31 Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing) s.t. BEL 32 Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil-DCM) 00:01:43 SVK 33 Martin Velits (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) 00:01:51 NOR 34 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky Procycling) 00:01:56 NED 35 Bram Tankink (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:01:58 POR 36 Ricardo Vilela (Efapel - Glassdrive) s.t. BEL 37 Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) 00:02:00 BEL 38 Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil-DCM) 00:02:06 BEL 39 Dries Devenyns (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) s.t. FRA 40 Biel Kadri (Ag2r-La Mondiale) s.t. GER 41 Andréas Klöden (RadioShack - Nissan) 00:02:30 ESP 42 David Arroyo Duran (Movistar Team) 00:02:37 USA 43 Matthew Busche (RadioShack - Nissan) s.t. ESP 44 Alejandro Manuel Marque Porto (Carmin - Prio) 00:02:47 POR 45 Sergio Sousa (Efapel - Glassdrive) 00:02:52 DEN 46 Matti Breschel (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:02:53 BUL 47 Danail Andonov Petrov (Caja Rural) 00:03:28 SWE 48 Gustav Erik Larsson (Vacansoleil-DCM) s.t. RUS 49 Ivan Rovny (Team Rusvelo) 00:03:52 ITA 50 Matteo Tosatto (Team Saxo Bank) 00:04:03 GER 51 Paul Martens (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:04:05 NED 52 Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM) 00:04:22 ESP 53 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:04:29 ESP 54 Marcos Garcia Fernandez (Caja Rural) 00:04:36 FRA 55 Sébastien Minard (Ag2r-La Mondiale) 00:04:42 GER 56 Fabian Wegmann (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:04:45 AUS 57 Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:04:52 AUS 58 Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) 00:04:59 POR 59 Hernani Broco (Caja Rural) 00:05:04 POR 60 Hugo Sabido (LA - Antarte) 00:05:32 BEL 61 Laurens De Vreese (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) 00:05:35 POR 62 Hugo Sancho (LA - Antarte) s.t. RUS 63 Sergey Klimov (Team Rusvelo) s.t. FRA 64 Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r-La Mondiale) 00:05:39 POR 65 Sergio Miguel Vieira Ribeiro (Efapel - Glassdrive) s.t. POR 66 Amaro Antunes (Carmin - Prio) 00:05:41 GER 67 Marcus Burghardt (BMC Racing) 00:05:44 LUX 68 Laurent Didier (RadioShack - Nissan) 00:05:46 NED 69 Stef Clement (Rabobank Cycling Team) s.t. BEL 70 Pieter Ghyllebert (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) s.t. RUS 71 Dmitry Kozontchuk (Team Rusvelo) s.t. POR 72 Celio Sousa (Onda ) s.t. SUI 73 Steve Morabito (BMC Racing) s.t. BEL 74 Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) 00:05:47 GBR 75 Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling) 00:06:17 POR 76 Cesar Fonte (Efapel - Glassdrive) 00:06:21 SWE 77 Thomas Löfkvist (Sky Procycling) 00:06:24 PAN 78 Yelko Gómez (Caja Rural) 00:07:00 ESP 79 Julian Sanchez Pimienta (Caja Rural) s.t. NED 80 Michel Kreder (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:07:22 GER 81 Andreas Klier (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:07:26 GER 82 Gerald Ciolek (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) 00:07:28 NED 83 Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) 00:07:29 USA 84 Chris Jones (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) s.t. GBR 85 Mark Christian (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) s.t. POR 86 Ricardo Mestre (Carmin - Prio) 00:08:28 BEL 87 Preben Van Hecke (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) 00:08:58 NOR 88 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Sky Procycling) 00:09:27 BEL 89 Nick Nuyens (Team Saxo Bank) s.t. FRA 90 Mickael Cherel (Ag2r-La Mondiale) s.t. BEL 91 Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) 00:09:31 DEN 92 Kasper Larsen Klostergaard (Team Saxo Bank) 00:09:33 BLR 93 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Sky Procycling) 00:09:34 USA 94 Benjamin King (RadioShack - Nissan) s.t. POR 95 Bruno Silva (LA - Antarte) s.t. NED 96 Kai Reus (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) s.t. POR 97 Virgilio Martins Santos (LA - Antarte) s.t. BEL 98 Ben Hermans (RadioShack - Nissan) 00:10:16 BEL 99 Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) s.t. POR 100 Daniel Silva (Onda ) 00:10:43 SUI 101 Johann Tschopp (BMC Racing) 00:11:03 FRA 102 Christophe Riblon (Ag2r-La Mondiale) 00:11:35 ARG 103 Enzo Josue Moyano (Caja Rural) 00:13:47 BEL 104 Sep Vanmarcke (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:14:00 POR 105 Jose Goncalves (Onda ) 00:16:41 POR 106 Marcio Barbosa (LA - Antarte) s.t. FRA 107 Anthony Ravard (Ag2r-La Mondiale) 00:17:36 BEL 108 Nikolas Maes (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) s.t. NZL 109 Jesse Sergent (RadioShack - Nissan) 00:17:43 POR 110 Luis Silva (Carmin - Prio) s.t. SUI 111 Martin Elmiger (Ag2r-La Mondiale) s.t. ESP 112 Delio Fernandez Cruz (Onda ) s.t. BEL 113 Zico Waeytens (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) s.t. RUS 114 Artem Ovechkin (Team Rusvelo) s.t. BEL 115 Stijn Neirynck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) s.t. BEL 116 Maarten Neyens (Lotto - Belisol Team) 00:18:06 ESP 117 Koldo Fernández De Larrea (Garmin-Cervelo) 00:18:24 USA 118 Jeff Louder (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) s.t. ITA 119 Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) 00:18:35 ESP 120 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Sky Procycling) 00:19:54 BEL 121 Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM) 00:20:09 NED 122 Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Cervelo) s.t. BEL 123 Michael Van Staeyen (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) 00:20:15 BEL 124 Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) 00:20:20 POR 125 Samuel Caldeira (Carmin - Prio) 00:20:22 POR 126 Filipe Duarte Sousa Cardoso (Efapel - Glassdrive) s.t. NED 127 Jetse Bol (Rabobank Cycling Team) s.t. IRL 128 Ronan Mclaughlin (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) s.t. ITA 129 Francesco Lasca (Caja Rural) s.t. POR 130 Domingos Andre Maciel Gonçalves (Onda ) s.t. DEN 131 Michael Morkov (Team Saxo Bank) s.t. POR 132 Nuno Ribeiro (Efapel - Glassdrive) s.t. RUS 133 Nikita Eskov (Team Rusvelo) s.t. BEL 134 Sander Cordeel (Lotto - Belisol Team) 00:20:28 LTU 135 Gediminas Bagdonas (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) 00:20:45 RUS 136 Nikolay Trusov (Team Rusvelo) 00:20:49 ESP 137 Raul Alarcon Garcia (Efapel - Glassdrive) 00:20:56 USA 138 Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) 00:21:31 RUS 139 Arkimedes Arguelyes Rodriges (Team Rusvelo) 00:21:33 ITA 140 Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar Team) 00:21:45 POR 141 Bruno Matos Sancho (LA - Antarte) 00:21:47 NED 142 Karsten Kroon (Team Saxo Bank) 00:22:03 IRL 143 Connor Mcconvey (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) 00:22:09 BEL 144 Kenny Dehaes (Lotto - Belisol Team) 00:22:41 ESP 145 Enrique Alonso Salgueiro (LA - Antarte) 00:22:45 BEL 146 Niels Wytinck (An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S...) 00:23:29 NED 147 Rick Flens (Rabobank Cycling Team) 00:23:35 BEL 148 Olivier Kaisen (Lotto - Belisol Team) 00:23:49 BEL 149 Frederique Robert (Lotto - Belisol Team) 00:26:22 GBR 150 Tomas Swift-metcalfe (Carmin - Prio) 00:30:43 USA 151 Jason Mccartney (UnitedHealthcare Presented By Maxxis) 00:34:47 RUS 152 Alexander Khatuntsev (Team Rusvelo) 00:36:33
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Story highlights The President claims without providing evidence that 3 to 5 million people voted illegally
Brooks said over the course of the past election there has been "unrelenting voter suppression"
Washington (CNN) The head of the NAACP warned Thursday that his group will "resist" if President Donald Trump goes forward with his "major investigation" into voter fraud.
The President claims without providing evidence that 3 to 5 million people voted illegally in the 2016 US election, although this belief has been widely debunked.
"The President has claimed millions of fraudulent ballots were cast. The only place you will find millions of fraudulent ballots are right beside that fake birth certificate for Barack Obama, inside the imagination of President Trump. They don't exist," Cornell William Brooks, president and CEO of the NAACP, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room."
Brooks said over the course of the past election there has been "unrelenting voter suppression."
"We have seen our rights denied as Americans. Particularly seniors, African-Americans, Latinos and younger people," Brooks said. "So, if the President insists upon conducting an investigation into voter fraud as a pretext for voter suppression, the NAACP, along with millions of Americans of every human heritage, will resist. We will push back."
Read More |
Adam Steinfeld’s new experimental short film, ‘HOUDINI…talks Houdini’ is set to screen at the upcoming 16th annual Coney Island Film Festival. The film is a re-imagined final radio broadcast which was set to broadcast the day after Houdini’s unexpected death.
“…Starting out, 30 years ago, as a magician, I have passed hundreds who did not know, that success, was just another name for hard work.” -HARRY HOUDINI
Adam Steinfeld, magician/filmmaker new short experimental documentary film, ‘HOUDINI…talks Houdini’ has been selected to screen September 17 at 7 pm at the upcoming 16th annual Coney Island Film Festival September 16-18, 2016. This is the perfect location for the world premiere of the film considering the fact that Coney Island is where a young Harry Houdini met his future wife Bessie.
The words Houdini speaks are actually Houdini’s real words. “I discovered in a 1926 newspaper article back in college”, says Steinfeld. “The article was published November 1st, 1926, the day after Houdini’s unexpected death. In my film, a radio announcer broadcasts a recent interview, of Houdini and flashes back on his amazing career.”
Steinfeld edited this up to give the internet ‘Generation Z’ and ‘Millennials’, a quick immersion into Houdini’s fascinating life. While it has only been around 100 years since Houdini escaped in that locked box in Manhattan, it has been four or five generations since the nearly 15,000 audience members saw the spectacle at Battery Park, near the aquarium. Steinfeld feels that modern audiences deserve the chance to see the REAL Houdini and not just another actor playing him.
(1 min teaser) Houdini…talks Houdini from Adam Steinfeld on Vimeo.
Much of the footage such as, the Weighlock 1907 bridge, handcuff jump has never been publicly screened and using recently released never-before-seen Houdini photo’s online, from the New York Public Library, mixed with film footage on the Library of Congress site, along with many assorted Houdini images, that brings together 3 important moments in his life;
Part 1: Legendary magician, Harry Houdini’s last radio interview, declares his rise to fame was by hard work, and any supernatural powers is absurd, gives advice to young magicians starting out.
Part 2: Houdini’s epic real-life, packing-box water escape, July 15, 1914, Manhattan Island, the Battery, next to aquarium.
Part 3: Houdini’s first bridge jump, handcuffed, Weighlock bridge, Rochester, NY – May 7, 1907 Noon.
While Houdini did appear on many radio shows in the 1920’s, and as far as Houdini historians know, none of these radio recordings have survived, this film is a recreation, using Houdini’s real words, THE VOICE narration in first segment you hear, is actually, Wisconsin character actor, Michael Huftile, who voiced Houdini’s unusual accent, a mix of mid-Atlantic or Transatlantic accent, with a bit of Magyar (Hungarian) dialect.
Houdini grew up, in Appleton, WI, and his family from Bucharest, Hungary, although the household language was German.
All of the sounds from the narrations, contemporary music tracks and Foley sound effects, of splashing waters etc., were edited in by Adam Steinfeld because of course, the films back then all silent.
Steinfeld also decided to use modern music of today, similar to a Batman or Superman music score rather than music of 20’s. He felt that it fit the great magician’s character better, after-all many consider Houdini to be America’s first real-life superhero.
The Magic Compass published the first story on this historical short film in March 2016 and many of our readers added their insights to the original edit of this film. CLICK HERE to read that original story and see the film. |
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