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Canada was one of 35 countries that abstained from a vote Thursday during which more than 100 members of the United Nations overwhelmingly condemned the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
“Canada is strongly committed to the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including the creation of a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel. Canada’s longstanding position is that the status of Jerusalem can be resolved only as part of a general settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. This has been the policy of consecutive governments, both Liberal and Conservative,” said Adam Austen, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.
“Canada continues to support building the conditions necessary for the parties to find a peaceful solution. We are disappointed that this resolution is one sided and does not advance prospects for peace to which we aspire, which is why we will abstain on today’s vote.”
At an emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, members of the international organization cast votes on a motion that represents a major global condemnation of Trump’s decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city of Jerusalem, which both Israel and the Palestinian people claim as their capital.
WATCH: Nikki Haley tells the United Nations that ‘The U.S. will remember this day’
The countries that voted with the United States against the resolution condemning its embassy move were Togo, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Honduras, Guatemala and Israel.
The full list of abstaining countries was: Antigua-Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, the Bahamas, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Haiti, Hungary, Jamaica, Kiribati, Latvia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, the Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda and Vanuatu.
The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and China all voted to condemn the move of the American embassy as part of a total of 128 countries voting in favour of the resolution.
READ MORE:Trump threatens to cut aid to UN members over Jerusalem vote
The decision by Canada to abstain was not unexpected but represents a delicate balance the Canadian government is trying to walk as it navigates between not irritating the Americans while NAFTA negotiations are ongoing and also not alienating the roughly 50 Arab states with the power to cast votes in a powerful bloc against Canada’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper made a point of solidifying Canadian support for Israel at the United Nations, voting in concert with the U.S. and Israel at several major votes over the years, and the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not significantly strayed from that path, often sticking with the decision to cast matching votes.
READ MORE: UN Security Council considers call for U.S. Jerusalem decision to be withdrawn
The vote on Thursday, however, is likely to draw more attention for Canada as one of the handful of abstaining countries.
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, doubled down in her opening statement to the General Assembly ahead of the vote and repeated vows to yank American foreign aid from countries that vote to condemn the move.
“The decision does nothing to harm the peace process,” said Haley. “America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. that is what the American people want us to do and it is the right thing to do. No vote in the U.N. will make any difference on that.”
WATCH: Palestinians launched more anti-U.S. protests on Friday, after the U.N. General Assembly rejected Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Several abstaining countries who spoke after the vote stressed in remarks made to the General Assembly that while they remained committed to a two-state solution with both countries able to negotiate a settlement on the Jerusalem issue, the resolution presented Thursday would not do anything to bring both parties closer to peace and warned it would only inflame tensions.
“Canada is of the view that the status of Jerusalem is part and parcel of the solution,” said Marc-André Blanchard, Canada’s permanent representative to the United Nations, in a brief statement following the vote.
“Canada calls for calm and firmly opposes the violence and targeting of civilians seen in recent weeks.”
Neither Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer nor Erin O’Toole had an immediate comment on the vote but NDP foreign affairs critic Helene Laverdiere criticized the decision by Canada to abstain, calling it “deeply disappointing.”
“Canada’s decision to abstain today, and its recent UN votes, are contrary to Canada’s own stated foreign policy on Israel/Palestine,” she said in a press release.
“At a time when Canada should be standing up for international law and promoting human rights, Canada is isolating itself. We urge the Trudeau government to uphold their own stated values, condemn illegal settlements, and finally stand up for the rights of the Palestinian people as well as the rights of Israelis. Canada has been silent on these issues for far too long.”
Colin Robertson, a former Canadian diplomat who was posted to the mission at the United Nations and the consulate general in New York, characterized the resolution itself as a game of ping-pong between Middle Eastern countries.
He also said he thinks Canada was wise to try and keep its nose out of the issue as much as possible.
“I’d say our vote was both prudent and consistent,” he told Global News. “But I’d sure bet having to make the decision was as welcome as the proverbial lump of coal at Christmas.”
WATCH BELOW: Nikki Haley blasts UN during speech before General Assembly |
Army veteran Kate Weber is a survivor of military sexual trauma who now spends most of her time doing MST advocacy. (Preston Gannaway/For The Washington Post)
Thousands of female veterans are struggling to get health-care treatment and compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs on the grounds that they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by sexual trauma in the military. The veterans and their advocates call it “the second battle” — with a bureaucracy they say is stuck in the past.
Judy Atwood-Bell was just a 19-year-old Army private when she says she was locked inside a barracks room at Fort Devens in Massachusetts, forced to the cold floor and raped by a fellow solider.
For more than two decades, Atwood-Bell fought for an apology and financial compensation from VA for PTSD, with panic attacks, insomnia and severe depression that she recalls started soon after that winter day in 1981. She filled out stacks of forms in triplicate and then filled them out again, pressing over and over for recognition of the harm that was done.
The department labels it “military sexual trauma” (MST), covering any unwanted contact, including sexual innuendo, groping and rape.
A recent VA survey found that 1 in 4 women said they experienced sexual harassment or assault. And the problem is growing more pressing because female veterans represent the military’s fastest-growing population, with an estimated 2.2 million, or 10 percent, of the country’s veterans. More than 280,000 female veterans have returned home from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
View Graphic Sexual assault in the military
About two weeks ago, when Atwood-Bell checked the department’s Web site, as she does every day, she was stunned to discover that the agency had accepted her claim for compensation.
“It’s taken over 20 years, and that should’ve never happened,” said Atwood-Bell, who retired as a sergeant first class and lives in New Hampshire, her voice cracking with emotion. “My fight is not over. It’s not done for so many other women out there. I want to help them to get what we are entitled to.”
The Pentagon has been conducting a high-profile campaign to prevent sexual attacks and punish offenders amid concerns that defense officials neglected these assaults for years.
But advocacy groups say VA has been slow to adjust to the rising number of women in the military.
Some health centers, for instance, only recently opened female restrooms. Women who go to VA centers for treatment say they are routinely asked whether they are waiting for their husbands or are lost. And while there are a few showcase centers for female veterans, a third of VA medical centers lack a gynecologist on staff, according to a report by Disabled American Veterans, or DAV. Thirty-one percent of VA clinics lack staff to provide adequate treatment for sexual assault, according to a recent report by the Institute of Medicine.
Female veterans, in part, are pressing for more VA centers that specifically treat military sexual trauma, with separate waiting rooms for women and child care.
VA Secretary Robert McDonald says the department is taking steps to improve health services to address sexual trauma, such as asking all veterans during intake whether they suffered such an assault or trauma and hiring more doctors, therapists and social workers with experience in issues of sexual assault in the military. The agency also says it is increasing the staff responsible for promoting VA benefits to women veterans and helping them with claims, especially those involving sexual abuse.
This month, the department announced it would expand mental health services to reservists and National Guard members who were sexually assaulted while on inactive duty.
“VA simply must be an organization that provides comprehensive care for all veterans dealing with the effects of military sexual trauma,” McDonald said. “Our range of services for MST-related experiences are constantly being reexamined to best meet the needs of our veterans.”
This year, it became easier for survivors of sexual trauma to get treatment because the government ended the requirement that military members produce proof that they were assaulted or harassed before they get health care.
But advocates say thousands of female veterans confront an even larger problem: They are unable to get disability compensation benefits for sexual trauma because they do not have enough paperwork to support their claims. Advocacy groups and VA officials blame a culture of secrecy and denial inside the military that heavily discourages women from reporting sexual assault.
VA officials said that they are encouraging female veterans to reapply for benefits for PTSD caused by sexual abuse and that they are re-reviewing cases.
Elena M. Giordano says she was raped about 10 years ago by two men on separate occasions while serving aboard a Navy aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean as an airman apprentice. When she reported the attacks, she says, Giordano was discharged with “pre-existing personality disorder,” a label that advocates say is often applied by military officers to women who report rape.
Giordano, now 29, said she had never wanted to go public with her complaint. She had originally asked to be assigned to the carrier and didn’t want to leave it. But after the second attack, she said, “I just had to leave. I couldn’t be around men without having a panic attack.”
When she returned home to Arizona, VA agreed to provide counseling and medical treatment. But the department denied her disability benefits, citing the “totality of the evidence.”
Veterans with service-connected disabilities — whether it’s a back injury or PTSD, and including sexual trauma and assault — are entitled to compensation if they are causing lasting pain or make the individuals unable to work. The benefits can run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand a month, depending on the injuries and their impact, according to federal law.
But in cases of sexual trauma, veterans often lack medical records and other documentation required for compensation through VA because the women do not report the incidents. Also, until recently, the Defense Department allowed the destruction of rape kits after one year and of sexual harassment and sexual assault reports after as little as two years.
Atwood-Bell, for instance, said sexual assault was something female troops did not dare talk about for fear that they would face retaliation and be discharged with a “mental health diagnosis.” She said her application for benefits was rejected twice due to lack of evidence.
The Pentagon released new data on Dec. 4 that showed that 62 percent of those who reported being sexually assaulted had experienced retaliation or ostracism afterward, whether from superiors or peers in the service.
Since many survivors of sexual trauma lack a traditional paper trail, VA officials who evaluate claims have to search for what they call “markers,” such as a change in a performance review, e-mails or letters with friends or clergy about an attack, reports of depression and anxiety, weight loss or gain, requests for a pregnancy test or a test for a sexually transmitted disease.
“These are not easy claims. But I am very passionate about this issue,” said Diana Williard, the quality assurance officer with the Veterans Benefits Administration.“And you do almost have to be like a little detective putting it together. But if there is even one bit of circumstantial evidence, we send them to a mental health counselor to see if they have PTSD.”
Anu Bhagwati, executive director of Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), calls the marker system “unfair and absurd.”
Her organization, along with the Vietnam Veterans of America, filed a federal lawsuit against VA in July, alleging that the department’s policies are discriminatory and that claims experts consistently impose a higher burden of proof on military-rape survivors than on other veterans when it comes to verifying reports of PTSD.
The plaintiffs argue that veterans seeking disability benefits for combat-related PTSD do not have to provide evidence other than their own statements and a mental health professional’s review linking their illness to military service.
“It’s just a broken policy. So veterans experience betrayal from the sexual assault, from the way they are treated by their units after the assault, and then by the VA when they file claims,” said Bhagwati, a former captain in the Marine Corps. “The VA became the last place, after a long line of places, where any hope they had left of getting help just dies.”
VA officials would not comment on the pending ligation.
Former Army private first class Katie Weber said she was raped by another soldier when she was 18 while posted in Nuremberg, Germany. She tried to report the attack but was told, “in the same breath,” that it didn’t really happen and that she was not to tell anyone about it, Weber said. “When I told another official,” she recalled, “they said I was ‘jumping the chain of command’ and that I was probably ‘just really confused and a little slut.’ ”
When she went home, she discovered that there was a severe lack of suitable medical and mental health services at the department and little understanding of how sexual trauma can cause PTSD. So Weber started a Facebook group called “Women Veterans for Equality in our VA System” to advocate for the interests of those who suffered sexual trauma in the military.
“We were really isolated,” said Weber, now 40 and living in California. “So enter Facebook.”
It was her encouragement and the Facebook group that ultimately persuaded a weary Giordano to resume her fight for benefits.
Giordano said she got “the letter” in late November, saying she would, indeed, be getting compensation benefits.
“I may never understand why they changed their mind and finally believed me,” she said. “But I am glad they did. That’s my hope for justice and dignity for all of the other women who have suffered this. ” |
Like colonial Europeans carrying smallpox to the Americas, the tiny brown Argentine ant may be harboring a dangerous virus that’s killing the world’s already vulnerable honey bees. That’s the conclusion of a new study, which also finds that the ants have their own disease to worry about—one that scientists could target to limit the spread of this invasive species.
“I think cataloging the viruses that are widespread in invasive species is very important,” says David Holway, an ecologist at the University of California, San Diego, who was not involved in the study. “The authors have made a good start.”
As its name suggests, the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) is originally from Argentina. But thanks to the globalization of human society, the invaders have now spread to every continent except Antarctica. They arrived in New Zealand in 1990, for example, probably on a boat or a plane, and have since formed a super colony spanning the nation.
Unlike most ant species, Argentine ants don’t fight with neighboring colonies. Instead, workers move freely from one nest to another, sharing resources and responsibilities over huge ranges. The ants are so successful and their colonies so expansive that they often drive out all other ant species in the area, sending ripples up the food chain that harm lizard and plant populations dependent on the displaced natives. “They are sometimes referred to as the Genghis Kahn of the ant world,” says ecologist Phil Lester at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Although all this cooperation and movement makes the insects adaptable, scientist have wondered if this also makes them more susceptible to infectious diseases—a hypothesis supported by recent observations that massive colonies sometimes suddenly collapse with no obvious external cause.
To investigate what sort of viruses naturally infect the Argentine ants, Lester and colleagues extracted RNA from two groups of 30 Argentine ants from two separate nesting sites in Wellington, New Zealand. The team then compared sequences of the purified genetic material to a library of known insect RNA viruses, looking for bits that might be similar. The researchers report today in Biology Letters that they’ve discovered a novel virus—which they’ve named Linepithema humile virus 1 (LHUV-1)—in the Argentine ant population.
LHUV-1 is highly similar to another RNA insect virus called the cricket paralysis virus, and is suspected to be harmful to the ants. Whether the new virus is directly responsible for the observed population collapses is still unclear, but Lester thinks it’s a promising candidate.
Usually the discovery of a novel virus fuels research into cures or prevention, but the Argentine ants an invasive blight: The researchers are hoping to one day use the virus to exterminate the insects by adding it to bait traps to exterminate the ants.
If the virus can be used against the ants, it could be a huge boon for honey bee populations around the world. The team’s RNA analysis also showed that the ants carry the deformed wing virus, which has been implicated in the global honey bee decline. And, according to Lester, there’s plenty of chance for the ants to spread the virus to bees, too. “They raid bee hives. That’s a really good opportunity for the disease to be spread directly, he says. “We also know they forage on [the same] plants, so that’s another opportunity for exchange.”
Holway is more skeptical though, saying there’s no evidence yet of which way the transmission flows. The ants could just as easily be picking up the virus from the bees during the same raids.
As for whether the virus could be used to fight the ants, Holway points out that nobody has even determined whether the virus hurts them. “If there was some species-specific pathogen that knocked out the Argentine ant, I would be extremely happy,” he says. But he notes that pesticides could also be killing the ants, he and points out that whether or not the Argentine ant population is declining as a whole is still contentious.
Lester’s team plans to investigate whether LHUV-1 also infects and harms other insects. “The host range needs to be determined,” Lester says. “The last thing we want to do is add to the bees’ problem.” |
I recently watched a mother and her little girl in the grocery store. As they moved past the freezer aisle of the store, the little girl let out a shriek and began to wail in the cart. She yelled at her mother, “I want a popsicle NOW!” This mother calmly told her “no.”
Her daughter immediately started to whine and complain and I heard the mother quietly say, “No Emily, we just have half the aisles left; It’s okay. It won’t be long.”
I was impressed by this mother’s command of herself and the situation. As I continued my own shopping, I noticed that our paths continued to cross. Each time they did, I became a little more impressed. The next time I saw them was in the candy aisle where, of course, the little girl began to shout for candy. She started to cry inconsolably when she was told that they would not be getting a candy today. The mother said, “There, there, Emily; there’s just two more aisles to go and then we’ll be at the check out.”
At check out, I found myself right behind them in line and it happened once again. The little girl reached and cried out for the gum on the checkout line shelf. When she was calmly assured that they would not be getting gum, she began to meltdown into a full blown tantrum to which the mother patiently said, “Emily, we’ll be through the checkout stand in a couple minutes, and then you can go home and have a nice nap.”
I was so impressed. I felt her response was worthy of a little praise, so I approached the woman and said, “Excuse me, I couldn’t help noticing how patient you were with little Emily…” The woman cut in mid sentence and said, “My little girl’s name is Katie… I’m Emily.” (Story adapted from Jokes – News.com)
The sign of a great parent
I always tell parents, “The sign of a great parent is not the child’s behavior. The sign of a truly great parent is the parent’s behavior.” The story above is simply a joke. This didn’t really happen to me, but it illustrates well a mother managing her own emotions despite the behavior of her little tantrumming daughter.
We find it humorous that Emily was talking to herself, but her ability to calm herself and be kind but firm with her boundaries, is exactly the kind of thing we are looking to accomplish as parents.
Tantrums can be a frustrating and strong emotion inducing experience for everyone within ear shot. It can help to have some perspective so we can follow Emily’s example to stay calm; kind but firm. It’s important to have an underlying understanding of what is truly causing our children’s tantrums. Understanding is the key to compassion, wisdom and positive change.
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Get Some Perspective. Why do kids throw tantrums?
If you really stop to think about what drives kids’ tantrums, you can gain a lot of insight by considering what motivates adult’s tantrums. To make it even a little more poignant, ask yourself what induces your own tantrums? We rarely refer to our outbursts of frustration or anger as tantrums, but the only major difference is that most of us have learned some techniques to manage our actions in more socially appropriate ways, even when those waves of strong negative emotions arise.
Consider the following reasons for tantrums…
What they want does not match what they actually get in reality.
They feel a lack of control.
They struggle to express what they want to communicate in any other way.
They seek attention that they feel they are not getting.
Their skills don’t match their needs.
They are experiencing some negative contributing factor. (Tired, sick, hungry, disconnected, developmental stage, poor self regulation of emotions and impulse control, etc.)
Just because they’re grumpy and you or life happened to cross their path at the right time.
The easiest fix just makes it worse.
The easiest way to stop a tantrum, but the most ineffective in teaching our children to regulate their emotions, calm themselves, delay gratification and communicate in positive healthy ways, is to simply give in. Sometimes we feel like a technique “worked” because the immediate behavior stopped. That is why we should not measure the success of our parenting by our children’s behavior, but rather our own. Giving in to the demands of a tantrum does not solve or change the ongoing cycle. Rather it contributes to the negative long term cycle.
So, what do we do?
Tantrums can trigger a lot of things in parents and can often bring out the worst in us. So we need a game plan; some practical ways to cope and intervene with tantrums that do shorten the tantrum and build healthy cycles of growth for our child and ourselves in the long run. The following 6 techniques are solutions that work now to prevent or lessen the impact of the tantrum now and create positive cycles of emotional regulation and communication later.
Solutions that work NOW and LATER
1. Share More Control. Let go of things that don’t matter, but are simply issues of power. Try to say yes more and no less. Turn no into yes. Instead of saying, “No, you can’t go play outside. You haven’t cleaned up your toys inside yet like I told you to,” say something like, “Yes, you may go play outside as soon as your toys are cleaned up inside. Would you like help or do you want to clean them up by yourself?” Give your child choices whenever you can, but keep the choices simple. You could ask things like, “Would you like to wear the red PJ’s or the blue PJ’s tonight?” or “Would you like to choose your PJ’s or would you like Mom/Dad to pick them out?” The bottom line is find ways to share control to a level they can handle.
2. Teach during the good times. It can be helpful to use play, family nights, reading together or other positive moments together to teach self regulation and communication skills and techniques. Identify triggers and signs and practice alternatives together to yelling and other “meldown” behaviors. Teaching these skills during the good times can help to prevent meltdowns altogether.
3. Establish a shared plan. Ask questions like, “How close do you want me to be? What helps you calm down? What are some things you and I can do to help you calm yourself and solve problems? Brainstorm and collaborate together and establish a plan that you can both agree upon. Write it down and post it somewhere in the house where you can both see it.
4. Empathize but don’t cave. Dr. Harvey Karp who wrote “The Happiest Toddler on the Block” offers a parenting rule he calls the “Fast Food Rule.” The rule is to repeat their order before giving any of your own orders or suggestions. An example might look something like this… “You look mad, mad, mad! You want the toy that your brother has sooo bad!” One of the most important parts of calming and stopping a tantrum in its tracks is to seek to understand and validate their feelings first. Realize that this doesn’t mean you have to give in to what they are tantrumming about, just understand why it makes them so upset and be there.
5. Allow natural consequences to occur. It isn’t necessary to punish our child for every inappropriate expression of their emotions. But in the course of their tantrum natural consequences may occur. They may miss out on something and that is okay. It’s also okay if they are upset about that too. For instance, my youngest son has had several occasions, right around bedtime, when he has been angry to the point of a screaming tantrum. We have attempted to share the control and refer to the skills he has learned with consoling empathy, but ultimately, he would not have it. He simply needed time to allow himself to process the situation and calm himself, so that is what we allowed him to do. However, the whole time he was tantrumming, he was missing out on bedtime stories. When he finally calmed down, he had missed the stories and it was time to get in bed. I would be lying if I said that there weren’t more tears when he discovered that he had missed story time. But these tears were less angry and sadder, to which we could empathize and console him. Allowing for natural consequences like this to simply occur can be difficult at times, but helps our children to understand the natural order of things and the effect his emotions and behavior have on his and other’s lives.
6. Connect and Reconnect. Both before and after a tantrum, take time to connect with your child. Reconnect as soon as they will allow you to move toward them or they move toward you. There’s never any need to hesitate to show love and affection.
Tantrums can really take a toll on us and our children. However, we can help them cope with their strong emotions and coach them to a better way over time. Regardless of our specific actions in dealing with tantrums, it is important to always remind ourselves of the TRU principles of parenting and ask ourselves questions that help us evaluate our application of TRU principles. We can ask…
· Do my interactions with my child teach him the skills and values he really needs to manage his emotions and deal with his tantrums?
· Do my actions before, during and after a tantrum build up our relationship and allow my child to trust me or do my actions tear down our relationship?
· Am I managing my own emotions and challenging myself to upgrade my own responses to hard situations and tantrums?
When we can say yes to these questions about our application of TRU parenting principles, we can be confident that we are promoting healthy cycles of regulation and communication. Tantrums won’t last forever. We can give our kids the skills they need to become masters of themselves and to continue to build love through the opportunities that tantrums present.
Question: Tell us a story of one of your most difficult tantrum moments with your child. How did you manage and deal with it?
Don’t forget to download your FREE copy of “5 Jump Starters for Powerful Family Cycles: Creating Happier and More Effective Parenting THIS Week!” |
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Vancouver’s safe injection site is waiting on Ottawa to renew their exemption from the Controlled Drug and Substances Act once again, but the Federal NDP health critic is concerned politics will get in the way of keeping the doors open.
Even though the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2011 Ottawa must allow the safe injection site to continue operating, Vancouver-East Member of Parliament Libby Davies says recent political moves have her worried.
“I guess I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the tremendous support that insite has is enough to be able to convince the Federal Government if they try to close down Insite they will have massive opposition on their hands.”
Davies believes the Conservative Government isn’t even aware of how many lives have been saved by having nurses supervise injectable drug use on the Downtown East Side.
Libby Davies says the proposed Respect for Communities Act introduced in October, along with the Conservative’s online petition coined “Keep heroin out of our backyards,” have her worried.
“The Conservatives have really politicized this issue. This is basically a health service to stop people from dying from overdoses, and help people get the treatment and the help they need. It’s that basic, it’s that straightforward,” says Davies.
If passed, the act would require future safe injection sites go through a long and difficult process before they can even apply to be exempted from the Controlled Drug and Substances Act. That process includes canvassing the community, and getting several levels of government on board, along with dozens of other requirements.
“The conservatives have made it into an ideological weapon if you will. They play on people’s fear. When they brought in this new bill, at the same time they brought in this website to whip up people’s fear and fury about issues like this,” Davies adds.
Meanwhile, Viola Kaminski with Vancouver Coastal Health, who is responsible for operating Insite, says they have applied for the exemption from Health Canada, and are waiting to hear whether they have approval to stay open.
“It might be before March 31st, it may be after, but regardless we’re going to be operating as if we do have the exemption,” says Kaminski, adding “Right now it’s sitting with Health Canada, but we are confident the exemption will be renewed.”
Kaminski says with over 2-million nurse-supervised injections at Insite, there hasn’t been a single overdose death. |
After some other ideas and testing, here some classic lineless art :3I draw the picture in the plane back from Finland, and it wasn't the best.Some proportions aren't right and Celestia's Head wasn't the best. But I likedthe idea and Fafa told me to finish it. And so I improved it in Illustrator to this picture.I like the idea of both being very close. On the one side the trickster and villain on theother side the pure goodness.I just add some lighting and shades in Photoshop very decent,to focus more on their pureness. Mean, their characters behind their long body's :3The expressions are decent too, but everyone understand their intentions.Hope you like the picture and maybe you have a good story around it.And NOO its not a shipping ^^ Discortia is the only one u.uYour RarieDash xDNow on EQD |
Gopezum (I have something to say). It’s been a while… I’m actively trying to figure out how many “moons” it has been (via stack overflow). See here. I will let you know the results of this public inquiry.
Yea, so we got the inventory working, created a bunch of items, developed some character math systems, and built a front end for the character status panel. Now please follow me towards these png-formatted images:
The chugboy. The multitool. These are two of the main physical tools in the game. They are used to harvest air, water, xenon, trees, rocks, and other natural resources. Pate came up with the idea of the chug boy, and it came out really well. The “multitool” was less inspired, is kinda lame, and will probably get redone before we let anyone play this game.
Ok, here’s the final (semi-final) look & feel of our inventory. Basically, each character (you might have as many as 6 under you control) has a backpack with 12 slots. You can have up to 99 same-type items in each slot, but only 12 different kinds of items in the backpack. Additionally, and perhaps more constricting, is the weight (mass) limit. The weight limit is based on the current location of you character, whether it be a planet, moon, or spaceship. In real-science-world (life), heavy gravity makes it hard to carry things.
In order to have a 3D inventory, you need items. Here are some ore pellets, logs, sap, chug-boy canisters, and rocks. These things are a small subset of the things you will eventually be able to gather using the multitool and the chugboy.
So, this here is a png-format image. The character status windows. As characters come under your control, you’ll get access to a window similar to the ones below. In our game, there is no “HP”. Death occurs when any of body, mind, or soul reaches zero. Therefore, these high level windows give you a quick look at your character’s status. You can see them slowly aging, a live feed of them (showing you where they are in the simulation), their species, sex, and a historical graph of their Body, Mind, and Soul metrics.
Here’s a nice video showing these panels & the inventories associated with those characters:
Last – here’s a set of three png-formatted images. |
The hit song "Lightsaber" by K-pop group EXO is the most visible example of how The Force has gripped the country.
During his Seoul tour last week, director J.J. Abrams said he sought the advice of South Korean auteur Bong Joon-Ho for ensuring the success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the Asian country — but there seems to be little to worry about as the film dominates presales here ahead of its release Thursday.
The seventh film in the franchise is leading advance-ticket sales by accounting for 40.9 percent as of Tuesday morning, according to the Korean Film Council's KOBIS database. It is also topping presales at top local cinema brands CJ CGV and Megabox, cashing in a total of more than $800,000 two days before its opening.
Two of the season's most anticipated domestic releases lagged quite far behind in presales, which is unusual for a country where local films usually dominate: Himalayas (CJ Entertainment) ranked second in presales at 21.2 percent, while The Tiger (new), starring Choi Min-sik (Oldboy, Lucy), followed in third at 11 percent.
Meanwhile, the Star Wars craze is building to a fever pitch with a nationwide merchandise frenzy. Shinsegae Department Store partnered with Disney and began selling T-shirts, backpacks and other fashion items, of which more than 80 percent have been sold out since sales began Nov. 27. A spokesperson for top retailer E-Mart said it has sold almost half of the 300-odd types of Star Wars-themed bedding and stationery in just six days. Lotte Mart and top online mall Auction also are offering limited-edition toys and office supplies, for which there is escalating demand.
The enthusiasm for the franchise also extends to the local pop music scene. K-pop boy band EXO, which has a cult following across Asia, released a single, Lightsaber, in collaboration with Walt Disney Company Korea. The music video for the song has recorded more than 5.8 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday, ever since its release last month. The band also serves as honorary ambassador for promoting the film in Korea. |
Saskatchewan, the source province of some of Canada's most progressive politics and politicians, is remarkably regressive when it comes to the influence of money on a democracy. The province allows corporations, unions and individuals to donate unlimited amounts to political parties. The donors don't even have to live or work in the province, as long as they are Canadian citizens.
The consequences are stark. The Saskatchewan Party, led by Premier Brad Wall and in power since 2007, has a lock on corporate donations to political parties in the province.
From 2008 to 2011, the party received $6.1-million from businesses, while the opposition NDP received $951,000, according to a study published in 2012.
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In 2014, corporations gave $895,000 to the Saskatchewan Party, and $28,700 to the NDP. That financial support allowed the party to spend $2.3-million in 2014, three-and-a-half times more than the NDP, according to Elections Saskatchewan.
To further complicate matters, Saskatchewan does not have a lobbyist registry. There is no official record of who is visiting the legislature and to whom they are talking. Mr. Wall's government enacted the long overdue Lobbyists Act in 2014, but the registry is not expected to be up and running until June.
It is imperative that Mr. Wall reform his province's badly out-of-date party finance law. There is a growing perception that incumbent parties that rake in corporate donations are too beholden to their backers. Ottawa, Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba and Nova Scotia have all banned corporate and union donations. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has promised to do the same, after an ugly cash-for-access scandal came to light.
Mr. Wall should join this democratic movement and clean up Saskatchewan politics by ending corporate and union donations and limiting individual donations to $1,000 or less. His government should also limit third-party spending, and that of political parties, year-round. And he should set limits on donations to party leadership campaigns.
Until that happens, his government will be tainted by its reliance on corporate donors, and by the perception that some of its policies may be developed with those donors' interests in mind.
Note to readers: This editorial is part of a series examining party finance laws in every province and in Ottawa. Next up: Manitoba |
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Hero MemberActivity: 798Merit: 1000 Ross Ulbricht faces a potential life sentence starting tomorrow. January 12, 2015, 03:56:53 PM #1 Quote After spending the past year in a Brooklyn federal prison, Ross Ulbricht will finally head to a New York City court on Tuesday where prosecutors will try to prove he is the mastermind behind the anonymous billion-dollar online drug market Silk Road.
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/heres-what-to-expect-from-the-silk-road-trial?utm_source=mbfb
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LegendaryActivity: 1932Merit: 10911JDJotyxZLFF8akGCxHeqMkD4YrrTmEAwz Re: Ross Ulbricht faces a potential life sentence starting tomorrow. January 12, 2015, 06:17:47 PM
Last edit: January 12, 2015, 07:00:00 PM by BADecker #6
Quote UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- V. -
ROSS WILLIAM ULBRICHT,
a/k/a "Dread Pirate Roberts,"
a/k/a "DPR,"
a/k/a "Silk Road,"
Defendant.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
...
In court...
Judge: How do you plead?
Ross: I require pen and paper, and leave of court for 5 minutes to prepare my answer.
Judge: Granted.
NOTICE TO THE COURT
Firstly: i, a man, ross william ulbright, am not represented, do not represent myself, am present.
Secondly: If any man/woman claim wrongdoing angainst me, i wish, order and demand that man/woman present and verify his/her claim against me in open court of record.
Thirdly: If no man/woman verify claim against me, and/or;
Fourthly: if verified claim is not attached to me, then;
Fifthly: i require return of my property, and;
Sixthly: i require payment to me in the amount of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) in repayment for enslavement and involuntary servitude, by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Seventhly: i, say here, and will verify in open court, that all herein be true.
SIGNED
DATED
The attorney for the United States is sworn in and takes the stand.
Ross: Are you UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?
Attorney: No. I have been authorized by the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to present the case before you.
Ross: Do you have a claim of wrongdoing that I did against you, that you will verify here today in open court?
Attorney: No. I am here to present complaints by the UNITED STATES...
Ross to the judge: Your honor, since this attorney is not the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as attested to by his own testimony, and since he (she) has claimed by testimony that i have done no wrong to him(her), i wish require this attorney to step down from the stand.
[The attorney steps down.]
Ross: As stated in my NOTICE TO THE COURT, "If any man/woman claim wrongdoing angainst me, i wish, order and demand that man/woman present and verify his/her claim against me in open court of record."
[Nobody takes the stand]
Ross: As stated in my NOTICE TO THE COURT, "i require return of my property. i require payment to me in the amount of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) in repayment for enslavement and involuntary servitude, by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Obviously things wouldn't go quite as smoothly as this, but with the help of Karl Lentz at
If the courts fail to follow their own rules, Karl will have Ross earning a lot more than $2,000,000 off them. Somebody needs to slip Ross a note telling him that he is being screwed by his attorneys, and that he should contact Karl. Karl is a free man, so nobody knows for sure what he might do. But there's a good chance Karl would love this opportunity, and if he does, he will charge only a token fee for his services, far less than any attorneys, yet having far greater success.
From http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/February14/RossUlbrichtIndictmentPR/US%20v.%20Ross%20Ulbricht%20Indictment.pdf In court...Judge: How do you plead?Ross: I require pen and paper, and leave of court for 5 minutes to prepare my answer.Judge: Granted.Firstly: i, a man, ross william ulbright, am not represented, do not represent myself, am present.Secondly: If any man/woman claim wrongdoing angainst me, i wish, order and demand that man/woman present and verify his/her claim against me in open court of record.Thirdly: If no man/woman verify claim against me, and/or;Fourthly: if verified claim is not attached to me, then;Fifthly: i require return of my property, and;Sixthly: i require payment to me in the amount of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) in repayment for enslavement and involuntary servitude, by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.Seventhly: i, say here, and will verify in open court, that all herein be true.The attorney for the United States is sworn in and takes the stand.Ross: Are you UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?Attorney: No. I have been authorized by the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to present the case before you.Ross: Do you have a claim of wrongdoing that I did against you, that you will verify here today in open court?Attorney: No. I am here to present complaints by the UNITED STATES...Ross to the judge: Your honor, since this attorney is not the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as attested to by his own testimony, and since he (she) has claimed by testimony that i have done no wrong to him(her), i wish require this attorney to step down from the stand.[The attorney steps down.]Ross: As stated in my NOTICE TO THE COURT, "If any man/woman claim wrongdoing angainst me, i wish, order and demand that man/woman present and verify his/her claim against me in open court of record."[Nobody takes the stand]Ross: As stated in my NOTICE TO THE COURT, "i require return of my property. i require payment to me in the amount of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) in repayment for enslavement and involuntary servitude, by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.Obviously things wouldn't go quite as smoothly as this, but with the help of Karl Lentz at http://www.broadmind.org/ this process can have Ross done and out of court very rapidly, with return of freedom, and return of his property.If the courts fail to follow their own rules, Karl will have Ross earning a lot more than $2,000,000 off them. Somebody needs to slip Ross a note telling him that he is being screwed by his attorneys, and that he should contact Karl. Karl is a free man, so nobody knows for sure what he might do. But there's a good chance Karl would love this opportunity, and if he does, he will charge only a token fee for his services, far less than any attorneys, yet having far greater success.
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LegendaryActivity: 1932Merit: 10911JDJotyxZLFF8akGCxHeqMkD4YrrTmEAwz Re: Ross Ulbricht faces a potential life sentence starting tomorrow. January 12, 2015, 06:32:56 PM #8 Quote ...
Karl: Ok, look at this way; Im suing the federal court for gazillion dollars. They handed me two orders and one was 7 pages long and one was 9 pages long. You know what I did? I didnt read them. Why? Why bother? Because its all legalese and I dont speak legalese. So this is what I am saying: you are reading all this stuff that they are writing back to you and you are trying to figure it out. Me? I dont waste my time. To me, I am asking, is this common law? Yes or no? There is nothing in that order that could be handed down except from a verdict by a jury. So if I dont see a verdict from a jury I dont see anything. So I laugh when these guys are sending me orders. I look at the last page just to see if it is actually signed by a man and its not; its all rubber stamped with the signature of the guy (judge).
Karl: I dont bother reading that stuff because Im not going to let it get me upset because it has nothing to do with me as a man. So, I am saying while we still have a common law country, use it. Just drag it over to the common law side. The claim is going to go above their complaint so your claim is going to get heard first. Thats how it works in law. Whoever has paperwork go in last is the first thing heard in court. So they already have a complaint, warrant or whatever nonsense against you. Now you are going to come in and put in an original claim. You are not going to file a counter claim or make a cross complaint. You are going to file an original claim that says, "they are administrating my property without rights; they are trying to tell me what to do and they have no right to do it." They are gong to say that they have a right under this code. NO.
Karl: You dont have rights under a code; you have duties, obligations or privileges under a code. You (meaning they) dont have rights; only a man has rights. A code is not rights and a code is not law. This is so simple, its scary. The government comes after you and they have no right to come after you. You have to establish that. My lawsuit is so simple: "I a man claim I have been harmed and I have rights and those are secured by the Constitution." There you go; thats it. Im done. I dont have to give them my name. You see cases such as Anonymous vs. Anonymous or John Doe vs. John Doe. You dont have to give them your name if you dont want you; you just say, "I am a man." Then the jury will come down and the jury will decide the matter. You have the right to move any claim, any complaint or any case against you.
...
From "How to handle an Arraignment" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy8w3wrvHsY
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LegendaryActivity: 1932Merit: 10911JDJotyxZLFF8akGCxHeqMkD4YrrTmEAwz Re: Ross Ulbricht faces a potential life sentence starting tomorrow. January 12, 2015, 06:46:25 PM #10 Quote from: DrBitcoin on January 12, 2015, 06:40:48 PM They caught the dude swith his laptop open signed in as administrator. He was facilitating the sale of drugs online and not paying taxes on his earnings.
Last time I checked those are serious crimes.
He knew what he was doing and took the risk anyway.
Don't cry for him.
They are not crimes. People might call them crimes, but they are not.
They are code violations. Unless he is employed by government, or unless he is a government official, or unless he has signed a contract with government to not do what he did, he is not liable for code violations.
Nobody is liable for code violations without a contract. People are only liable for "wrongdoing," which is harming someone or damaging his property. The reason government wins in cases like this is, few people stand up as a man/woman and require their rights.
They are not crimes. People might call them crimes, but they are not.They are code violations. Unless he is employed by government, or unless he is a government official, or unless he has signed a contract with government to not do what he did, he is not liable for code violations.Nobody is liable for code violations without a contract. People are only liable for "wrongdoing," which is harming someone or damaging his property. The reason government wins in cases like this is, few people stand up as a man/woman and require their rights.
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LegendaryActivity: 980Merit: 1000 Re: Ross Ulbricht faces a potential life sentence starting tomorrow. January 12, 2015, 08:10:11 PM #12 Quote from: BADecker on January 12, 2015, 06:46:25 PM Quote from: DrBitcoin on January 12, 2015, 06:40:48 PM They caught the dude swith his laptop open signed in as administrator. He was facilitating the sale of drugs online and not paying taxes on his earnings.
Last time I checked those are serious crimes.
He knew what he was doing and took the risk anyway.
Don't cry for him.
They are not crimes. People might call them crimes, but they are not.
They are code violations. Unless he is employed by government, or unless he is a government official, or unless he has signed a contract with government to not do what he did, he is not liable for code violations.
Nobody is liable for code violations without a contract. People are only liable for "wrongdoing," which is harming someone or damaging his property. The reason government wins in cases like this is, few people stand up as a man/woman and require their rights.
They are not crimes. People might call them crimes, but they are not.They are code violations. Unless he is employed by government, or unless he is a government official, or unless he has signed a contract with government to not do what he did, he is not liable for code violations.Nobody is liable for code violations without a contract. People are only liable for "wrongdoing," which is harming someone or damaging his property. The reason government wins in cases like this is, few people stand up as a man/woman and require their rights. He did damage the goverment "property" as he didn't pay taxes from his "shop". The only online casino on which i won something. I made 17mBTC from 1mBTC in like 15 minutes. This is not paid AD!
▀Check it out yourself▀
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LegendaryActivity: 1932Merit: 10911JDJotyxZLFF8akGCxHeqMkD4YrrTmEAwz Re: Ross Ulbricht faces a potential life sentence starting tomorrow. January 12, 2015, 08:30:43 PM #16 Quote from: inBitweTrust on January 12, 2015, 08:16:44 PM Quote from: BADecker on January 12, 2015, 06:32:56 PM
From "How to handle an Arraignment" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy8w3wrvHsY
This is poor advice and rarely works in real life. Courts don't respect common law and the justice system is corrupt and rarely follow their own laws. It is far better to get a high priced lawyer who knows how to manipulate popular opinion and the corrupt system or not participate at all.
This is poor advice and rarely works in real life. Courts don't respect common law and the justice system is corrupt and rarely follow their own laws. It is far better to get a high priced lawyer who knows how to manipulate popular opinion and the corrupt system or not participate at all.
That's right. Things like this don't "work."
When a judge or attorney or prosecutor goes against the law and the rules of the court, he has to shut you up fast. Why? Because you have your copy of his actions that you can uses against him. And if he doesn't take you out right then and there, you will come and take him out by using his own stuff against him, as proof positive that he acted unlawfully.
Karl doesn't get messed with. No judge is going to outguess him. He has enough experience and guts that the judge will only dig himself in deeper.
The neat thing about this is, Karl is training a whole bunch of us to do the same things that he does. And because there are a bunch of us now, we all stand together, holding up the legal actions of each other.
Stay in the slavery if you want. But there are a whole bunch of us who don't like it this way. And we are doing something about it, legally and lawfully.
That's right. Things like this don't "work."When a judge or attorney or prosecutor goes against the law and the rules of the court, he has to shut you up fast. Why? Because you have your copy of his actions that you can uses against him. And if he doesn't take you out right then and there, you will come and take him out by using his own stuff against him, as proof positive that he acted unlawfully.Karl doesn't get messed with. No judge is going to outguess him. He has enough experience and guts that the judge will only dig himself in deeper.The neat thing about this is, Karl is training a whole bunch of us to do the same things that he does. And because there are a bunch of us now, we all stand together, holding up the legal actions of each other.Stay in the slavery if you want. But there are a whole bunch of us who don't like it this way. And we are doing something about it, legally and lawfully.
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NewbieActivity: 124Merit: 0 Re: Ross Ulbricht faces a potential life sentence starting tomorrow. January 12, 2015, 08:33:05 PM #17 DPR knew the risks and is getting unfairly punished. DPR is not much different than a "Sovereign Citizen." These beliefs, while contrary to law, are not something we need to spend millions prosecuting. Paying your taxes is an obligation and not paying them is a crime (while taking all of the benefits of tax payment). At the same time, he's no Aaron Swartz but it is an injustice to punish him so severely for a victimless crime. He did displace violent criminals with an operation that catered to demands from adult humans willing to also undertake risks. Society needs to better implement its laws to avoid injustice at all ends of the spectrum.
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Hero MemberActivity: 658Merit: 500 Re: Ross Ulbricht faces a potential life sentence starting tomorrow. January 12, 2015, 08:37:18 PM #19 Quote from: BADecker on January 12, 2015, 08:30:43 PM
When a judge or attorney or prosecutor goes against the law and the rules of the court, he has to shut you up fast. Why? Because you have your copy of his actions that you can uses against him. And if he doesn't take you out right then and there, you will come and take him out by using his own stuff against him, as proof positive that he acted unlawfully.
Karl doesn't get messed with. No judge is going to outguess him. He has enough experience and guts that the judge will only dig himself in deeper.
The neat thing about this is, Karl is training a whole bunch of us to do the same things that he does. And because there are a bunch of us now, we all stand together, holding up the legal actions of each other.
Stay in the slavery if you want. But there are a whole bunch of us who don't like it this way. And we are doing something about it, legally and lawfully.
That's right. Things like this don't "work."When a judge or attorney or prosecutor goes against the law and the rules of the court, he has to shut you up fast. Why? Because you have your copy of his actions that you can uses against him. And if he doesn't take you out right then and there, you will come and take him out by using his own stuff against him, as proof positive that he acted unlawfully.Karl doesn't get messed with. No judge is going to outguess him. He has enough experience and guts that the judge will only dig himself in deeper.The neat thing about this is, Karl is training a whole bunch of us to do the same things that he does. And because there are a bunch of us now, we all stand together, holding up the legal actions of each other.Stay in the slavery if you want. But there are a whole bunch of us who don't like it this way. And we are doing something about it, legally and lawfully.
I am an anarchist and believe your intentions are well placed but my suggestion is made because many of my brethren have been locked up and harmed using these common law techniques.
watch this or read the book for some background into what happens when you play by their rules:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw3-s172yA4
The battle is better fought from outside of a cage than from within. I am an anarchist and believe your intentions are well placed but my suggestion is made because many of my brethren have been locked up and harmed using these common law techniques.watch this or read the book for some background into what happens when you play by their rules:The battle is better fought from outside of a cage than from within. Cloudmining 101: Identifying scams Secure your Bitcoins Bitcoin only Directory |
Canada's fishing sector needs some relief from the "negative impacts of the temporary foreign worker program," according to a report sent to the federal finance minister.
The federal government should use the upcoming budget to address the issue "in the immediate term," the House of Commons finance committee report said after countrywide consultations.
The committee heard presentations from organizations across the country from a variety of sectors including agriculture, food and fisheries. It recommends a full review of the temporary foreign worker program.
One of the issues raised was the barriers preventing seafood from getting to market.
Limits on the number of workers
The report doesn't specify what negative effects the temporary foreign worker program has had on the seafood industry, but limits on the number of workers companies could hire caused Atlantic Canadian industry professionals to raise concerns last spring.
As recently as January, the P.E.I. Fishermen's Association asked for those limits to be loosened ahead of this spring lobster season in order to have enough staff.
In Caribou, N.S., fish processing plant owner Paul Logan said he'd like to be able to hire workers for a longer period, perhaps three to four years at a time.
"There's not enough people in the fish community, it's so seasonal," he said.
'Good' and 'beneficial'
Logan owns North Nova Seafoods, which was told last year it could hire fewer than 50 temporary foreign workers for its fish processing plant, after normally hiring closer to 70. That limitation was later relaxed, he said.
"It's a good program and beneficial to my community," Logan said.
"It enables us to hire the local people...and helps to bring in a bigger volume of fish because we have a steady workforce."
He said he normally hires around 75 local employees each year.
Some of the temporary foreign workers hired from Thailand and Mexico have married and stayed in Pictou County permanently, he said.
"They're good in the community."
As recently as January, P.E.I. Fishermen's Association asked for limits on temporary foreign workers be lifted.
'Support and employ' locals
In southwestern Nova Scotia on Cape Sable Island, lobster buyer and seller Erica Smith said she has no trouble finding local employees for her smaller business of up to 20 full-time seasonal employees.
"Since Alberta's been having its problems with the oil industry, a lot of people are moving back to Nova Scotia," she said.
She said she might consider using the temporary foreign worker program if her company decides in the future to expand into lobster processing.
"There are people out there that do want jobs and there doesn't seem to be enough jobs to support the local economy as it is," Smith said.
"I consider that giving back to my community."
Newfoundland expert weighs in
Memorial University fisheries school director Carey Bonnell presented to the finance committee to advocate for government support to increase "innovation, competitiveness and overall market development" of the seafood industry.
"Things like support for temporary foreign workers are tools in the tool kit," Bonnell told the committee.
"Whether it's a long-term solution or a medium-term solution, you could debate...but if you don't have the labour to produce the product to sell to the global community, then we have a major issue on our hands." |
In the heyday of the AT&T monopoly era, the telco's legendary CEO John deButts had an acronym for the company's main product. He christened it POTS, aka Plain Old Telephone Service, delivered over Ma Bell's copper wire public switched telephone network (PSTN). A half-century later, AT&T says it's time for POTS to die, and it wants the Federal Communications Commission to schedule its funeral.
POTS and PSTN are "relics of a by gone era," AT&T wrote to the FCC just before the holidays. "Due to technological advances, changes in consumer preference, and market forces, the question is when, not if, POTS service and the PSTN over which it is provided will become obsolete." The company says it wants the agency to solicit public comments for "a firm deadline for the phaseout" of both, "and it should ask what that deadline should be."
POTS going to pot
The FCC, of course, knows it has to get going on this transition. In fact, AT&T is responding to a Notice of Inquiry the agency put out earlier this month on how how to move to an all Internet Protocol phone system. But as AT&T points out, the incumbent telcos don't have the luxury of time on this subject. Consumers are already voting with their feet on IP telephony, glomming onto every kind of VoIP service faster than you can say Vonage.
"Congress’s goal of universal access to broadband will not be met in a timely or efficient manner if providers are forced to continue to invest in and to maintain two networks," AT&T warns, especially if one of the networks is becoming increasingly unprofitable.
That would be the POTS network, obviously. Twenty-two percent of households have already "cut the cord," and given up landline service in favor of a mobile phone, AT&T notes. 700,000 landlines are being dropped every month. Eighteen million households (maybe more) now subscribe to Skype, Vonage, or some other flavor of VoIP. By the end of next year, cable companies will probably be serving up broadband phone service to over 24 million consumers. By 2011, the total VoIP subscriber count could go as high as 45 million.
"Indeed, perhaps the clearest sign of the transformation away from POTS and towards a broadband future is that there are probably now more broadband connections than telephone lines in the United States," AT&T adds. And as millions of consumers migrate away from POTS, those who keep it are using it less. Many have a wireless phone, or communicate via instant messaging, blogs, and social network sites.
And that means that revenue from POTS is sinking fast. It dropped from $178.6 billion in 2000 to $130.8 billion in 2007—a trend that AT&T warns is "irreversible." But while the customer base is falling, costs are rising, the telco claims. That's because incumbents have to maintain their PSTNs over progressively skinnier customer bases. All this is sucking up money and hamstringing investment in the "other network," aka the IP broadband system.
"In other words, a huge proportion of the capital resources available to some of the largest telecommunications providers in the country is being directed, not towards improving broadband speeds or bringing broadband to more customers," AT&T contends, "but rather towards maintaining an increasingly obsolete network that is no longer capable of providing the services and features that American consumers and policymakers demand."
Horse-drawn carriages
So the company wants the FCC to hurry things along. "In most industries, a dramatic fall in demand for an outdated product would lead firms to stop producing the old product and focus their investment and resources on newer ones," AT&T observes. "No one prevented horse-drawn carriage manufacturers from switching to automobiles the moment it became clear that the antecedent technology was obsolete."
But it's not that simple for a lifeline industry that provides not only equipment, but the service for that equipment. Many regulatory questions will have to be resolved, and AT&T's solutions for these dilemmas are not always popular.
The biggest regulatory problem this transition faces is that a huge percentage of revenue that comes into the FCC's Universal Service Fund is based on rules for the old POTS network. The USF subsidizes phone service for low income consumers and subsidizes providers in remote rural areas. It does so by tithing a small percentage of your long distance call costs (if you've got a land line) and by letting those smaller carriers charge a fee to the incumbents for taking calls along their network to completion. This last practice is called "intercarrier compensation."
IP telephony throws a huge monkey wrench into this system by making the whole idea of "long distance" a largely irrelevant concept. As we've reported, AT&T hates the current system of intercarrier comp, because it allows small, competitive carriers to engage in "traffic pumping"—partnering with sex chat and conference services to draw intercarrier-comp-funded calls into their market areas.
So, AT&T argues: "If voice service becomes just another application on a high-speed, packet-switched network, then switched access charges, reciprocal compensation, and any other forms of intercarrier compensation will presumably disappear-along with the inefficiencies, regulatory disparities, and arbitrage opportunities that currently accompany these charges." But it's unlikely that everybody agrees that all these charges should "disappear" as a consequence of the transition.
If the FCC does not "begin the hard work now of moving carriers away from implicit subsidies and arbitrage-based business models through comprehensive intercarrier compensation reform," AT&T warns, "it will be next to impossible to shift to an IP-based framework for the exchange of all traffic down the road." No doubt said carriers will see the matter very differently, and take their disagreements to the FCC early and often.
Expect some opposition as well to AT&T's recommendation that USF compensation be calculated not by the distance of calls, but via a "numbers based methodology," or as AT&T put it in an earlier filing: "per telephone number and connection assessment multiplied by the number of telephone numbers and connections" each consumer has. This would amount to a "flat tax" of consumers, and could rack up huge bills for big institutions like schools, a coalition of educators told the FCC several years ago.
Building upon "success"
Then there's the thorny question of "unbundling"—letting smaller companies connect to the big cable and telco networks at regulated rates to provide residential broadband services. The FCC abandoned this policy in the first half of this decade—its decision upheld by the Supreme Court in its Brand X decision. But it looks like AT&T is worried that a POTS-to-IP phone transition could create yet another window for reconsidering the move, especially since the FCC recently commissioned a study concluding that countries that have embraced unbundling have faster and cheaper broadband networks.
The Commission's "deregulatory policy [regarding unbundling] has resulted in an enormous amount of investment in broadband and made the goal of universal broadband within reach," AT&T insists. "The Commission should seek comment on the best ways to build upon those successes as the industry transitions to broadband and phases out the PSTN."
No doubt then that setting an execution date for land line telephony will bring many issues to a head. But it's just as well that the FCC and AT&T agree that the End Days for POTS are in sight. The Commission and Congress have been dragging their heels for years on intercarrier compensation and USF reform. More often than not, it's deadlines like these that force the system to change—hopefully for the better. |
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Tommy Callahan Jr. is a slow-witted, clumsy guy who recently graduated college after attending for seven years. His father, Big Tom Callahan, owns an auto parts factory in Ohio. When Tommy arrives back home, he finds he has a position at the factory waiting for him. His dad also introduces Tommy to the new brake pad division of the factory and to Tommy's soon-to-be stepmother, Beverly, and her son Paul. But when Big Tom dies, the factory threatens to go under unless the new brake pads are to be sold. Therefore, Tommy must go on the road to sell them, along with the assistance of Richard, Big Tom's right-hand man. Will Tommy save the company, or will the factory, and the town, go under?
Friends and family of the late actor Heath Ledger remember his life and career.
A gubernatorial candidate hires a wormy special assistant whose only job is to make sure the candidate's well-meaning but incompetent brother doesn't ruin the election.
I Am JFK Jr. - A Tribute to a Good Man is an homage to America's fallen prince and the Kennedy legacy. It is the story of a young man destined for greatness, but determined to be good in a world filled with high expectations.
Documentary tracing Evel Knievel's rise from a small town rebel in Butte, Montana, to a cultural icon, and featuring Knievel's greatest jumps, including his first major attempt, over the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the Snake River Canyon jump in Idaho and London's Wembley Stadium jump.
God asks a young girl to help spread his word and influence with a slogan.
Jerry Landers, a supermarket assistant manager and a good yet non-religious person, suddenly finds a note in the mail one day that grants him an "interveiw" with God. Thinking it to be a hoax he tosses it away, but when it keeps reappearing he finally gives in.
Jeff Ross performs stand-up and roasts prisoners at Brazos County Jail in Texas.
Documentary about sixteen actors who detail their ups and downs as they struggle to forge careers in Hollywood.
Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei journeyed from a World War II internment camp to the helm of the Starship Enterprise, and then to the daily news feeds of five million Facebook fans. Join George and his husband, Brad, on a wacky and profound trek for life, liberty, and love.
Two brothers from Miami are in the Mediterranean, enjoying life by scamming money off of rich women. One day, they read about a young woman set to inherit $50 million from her father.
Cheech & Chong are invited to a celebrity party/festival in Amsterdam. When they get there, however, it turns out that the guy who invited them has taken off with all the money, and the rest of the hosts have a VERY limited budget.
In the sixties, Eddie and the cruisers was the hottest band around. But the tragic death of its lead singer broke the band up. Only Eddie is not dead. He works as a carpenter in Montreal. His love of music forces him to create a new band which will have to struggle with its anonymity.
In this documentary/stand-up special, Jeff takes his friends in the suitcase all around the world, performing in places such as Iceland, Norway, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, London, and Israel.
Vancouver-based voice artist Ashleigh Ball has been the voice of numerous characters in classic cartoons such as Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Cinderella and more. When Ashleigh was hired to voice Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash for Hasbro's fourth series to use the My Little Pony name - My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - she had no idea she would become an Internet phenomenon and major celebrity to a worldwide fan-base of grownups.
Barry Crimmins is pissed. His hellfire brand of comedy has rained verbal lightning bolts on American audiences and politicians for decades, yet you've probably never heard of him. But once you've experienced Bobcat Goldthwait's brilliant character portrait of him and heard Crimmins's secret, you will never forget him. From his unmistakable bullish frame came a scathingly ribald stand-up style that took early audiences by force.
A documentary detailing the epic Rogues' Gallery of DC Comics from The Joker and Lex Luthor, Sinestro, Darkseid and more, this documentary will explore the Super Villains of DC Comics. |
By Robert Torrez
New Mexico's history began long before the first Europeans set foot in the Americas. In fact, New Mexico's unique environment, which contains six of the world's seven life zones, first attracted human beings and then persuaded them to remain in this area over 12,000 years ago. The earliest prehistoric residents are known as Clovis Man, named after a distinctive projectile point found near present day Clovis in eastern New Mexico.
These ancient peoples are believed to have emigrated across the Bering Strait from Siberia many thousands of years ago as they followed migrations of now extinct mammoth, bison, and early ancestors of the camel and horse. When the most recent ice age retreated north, these nomadic hunters remained in the Southwest and began to adapt to a greater dependence on plant foods for their survival. Prehistoric sites such as those found at Folsum in northern New Mexico, Sandia Cave along the Rio Grande, and Burnett Cave west of Carlsbad all document the precarious nature of early human life in this region.
During the early centuries of the Christian era, three principal agricultural cultures—the Anasazi, Mogollon, and Hohokam—developed in the Southwest. All of these peoples cultivated and nurtured plants, especially corn, beans, and squash which had been introduced from Mexico at an earlier period.
The Hohokam are ancestors of the tribes that currently live in present day southern Arizona. The other two cultures, however, are of particular importance to New Mexico. The Anasazi inhabited much of northwest New Mexico, southwest Colorado, southeast Utah, and northeast Arizona—the region we now call The Four Corners. They left us the magnificent ruins at Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, Aztec, and Frijoles Canyon as examples of their extraordinary cultural achievements.
The Mogollon were located along much of the Arizona/New Mexico border. The Mimbres culture, a branch of the Mogollon, produced some of the finest examples of prehistoric pottery ever made. The principal legacy of the Anasazi and Mogollon, however, comes from their role as ancestors of the Indian groups which the Spanish called the Pueblos.
By 400 A.D., most of the population in what is now western New Mexico had begun to settle into villages located along cultivated river drainages. In addition to hunting and gathering of wild food stuffs to supplement their diets, these peoples also began to develop distinctive styles of baskets and pottery.
After 500 A.D., settlements within the western two thirds of the state became more densely populated. Housing became more complex, with construction of towns consisting of hundreds of rooms along with specialized ceremonial structures known as kivas. Regional differences in architecture and ceramics became more pronounced as reliance on agriculture intensified and elaborate trade networks developed throughout the southwest.
Then, quite suddenly, vast areas of New Mexico were abandoned. Between 1100 and 1300, many apparently prosperous and elaborate pueblos, such as Chaco Canyon, were deserted. The reasons for this calamity are not yet fully understood, but it is generally believed that a prolonged drought during the thirteenth century along with other population pressures on the environment were significant factors.
The peoples who abandoned these ancient sites relocated along the Rio Grande and its tributaries, as well as to the Acoma and Zuni regions of western New Mexico. Only the Hopi persisted in their ancestral Anasazi homeland, where they continue to farm a region which has no permanent rivers.
It was these consolidated agricultural communities that the Spanish conquistadores encountered when they extended their search for the golden cities of Cibola to the region of the New World we now know as New Mexico. However, these villages, which the Spanish called Pueblos, were not the only Indian societies they found in the region.
Less than a century before the Spanish arrived in New Mexico, several groups of Southern Athapaskan peoples had begun the process of establishing themselves along the periphery of the Rio Grande Valley and its tributaries. These bison-hunting nomads began their migrations from west central Canada about 1000 years ago and are the ancestors of New Mexico's Navajo and Apachean-speaking tribes.
Shortly after the Spanish arrived in New Mexico, the Navajo established themselves principally to the northwest of the Rio Grande, while the Jicarilla Apache were located mostly in northeast New Mexico. Their Western Apache brethren, the Chiricahua and Mescalero, migrated farther west and south into eastern Arizona and southwest New Mexico.
When Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his expedition ventured into New Mexico in 1540, they did not find gold or much other mineral wealth. Instead, they continued the process of encounter and mutual discovery begun by Columbus less than fifty years before. At Zuni and Acoma and along the Rio Grande and its tributaries, the Spanish encountered people who lived in multi storied cities and cultivated the land. Further into the interior of this vast unknown frontier, they encountered nomadic societies which followed the migration of immense herds of strange cattle like beasts with enormous humps.
We can only imagine what these indigenous peoples thought of the white-skinned men who rode astride unfamiliar creatures wearing uncomfortable-looking clothes that reflected the sun, these aggressive and often rude men who carried weapons made of steel and who persisted in looking for cities where a bright yellow metal could be found. It must have been a frightening, yet wonderful encounter. Little did either of these two diverse cultures know that their worlds would never be the same. |
by SUE REID, Daily Mail
The explosive publication of Diana's letter predicting her own death can only fuel the conspiracy theories that have refused to disappear since the tragedy.
As the British and French authorities continue to maintain a stubborn silence, these theories - however unpalatable - will be given a degree of credence by yesterday's revelation.
Whatever the truth, the events surrounding the events of August 31, 1997, are riddled with mystery and inconsistency.
The Daily Mail has shone a spotlight on the days before and after Diana was found lying seriously injured on the back seat of the Mercedes, her life slipping away, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed already dead by her side.
Many of those involved in the aftermath of the crash will still only talk in the strictest confidence, perhaps fearful of being branded conspiracy theorists.
Others believe what they have to say is of vital importance but complain that few have been willing to listen to it.
Here are some of the crucial answered questions from that night six years ago.
Why was the chauffeur so flush with cash?
The driver of the Mercedes, Henri Paul, was being paid just £20,000 a year at the time of his death. Yet he was found to be unexpectedly wealthy.
As deputy head of security at the Paris Ritz, Paul had accumulated an astonishing pot of gold - £102,000 in 13 different bank accounts.
In the pocket of the grey suit in which he died, police found £2,000 in cash - more than he
earned in a month. In 1997, alone he had paid £4,000 cash into his accounts on five occasions. He was spending £600 a week on flying lessons.
There are two other disturbing issues about Paul. The renegade intelligence agent Richard Tomlinson claims to have seen his name in MI6 files. And on the evening of Diana's death, he mysteriously disappeared for two hours before reappearing at the Ritz to take the wheel of the Mercedes.
Why did the CCTV look the wrong way?
The CCTV cameras inside the Alma Tunnel where the crash happened were, according to sources, turned inwards to face the wall on the night of August 31.
They would thus have been unable to record anything of the collision, the people or the vehicles there at the time or during the tragic aftermath.
Not until dawn on Sunday, September 1, as Diana's body was being prepared for its return to Britain, were the cameras turned to face the traffic.
If this seems strange, so, too, was Paris officials' decision to send the green vehicles of its cleansing department into the tunnel only seven hours after the crash. Their efficiency at spraying the whole area with disinfectant expunged for ever all forensic evidence remaining at the crash site.
Why did the 'drunk' driver have a healthy liver?
More clues about what happened in Diana's final hours lie today in a small medicine bottle in a refrigerator in Paris. It contains a small sample of blood taken during the post-mortem examination on Henri Paul.
Further crucial evidence is contained in 27 confidential, buff-coloured files in the Paris offices of the French judge Herve Stephan, who first investigated the Princess's death.
French authorities have always insisted a combination of alcohol and high speed provoked the crash in which only the Princess's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones survived.
They have let it be known that Paul was an alcoholic who was "as drunk as a pig" when he left the Ritz to drive Diana and her lover back to Dodi's apartment half a mile away.
Two medical experts, Dr Gilbert Pepin and Professor Dominique Lecomte, said the chauffeur was twice over Britain's legal drink-drive limit when he took the wheel.
Yet only three days before the crash, Paul passing an intensive medical examination for flying lessons which showed no signs of alcohol abuse.
Was there a mix-up at the morgue?
That phial of blood remains at the heart of the controversy. For it suggests something else quite extraordinary: That Paul had breathed in a deadly quantity of carbon monoxide before he died.
It was equivalent to the amount inhaled by a suicide victim who places a rubber hose through a sealed window of a car to gas himself.
Such a vast inhalation of the poison would have rendered him visibly disorientated, probably unable to stand unaided. It is possible he would have actually been unconscious.
Yet Paul can be seen on CCTV footage from the Ritz that evening alert, smiling jovially and even bending down to tie up his shoelace.
He was killed instantly in the crash. There is no way he could have then drawn breath and inhaled any poisonous exhaust gases in the wrecked car. Mercedes, for their part, insist their airbags do not contain the gas.
Significantly, Dodi's body contains no carbon monoxide. Unofficially, even Judge Stephan has called the presence of the gas a complete enigma.
What if the blood in the bottle containing the alarming readings, now lodged with the French legal authorities, is not really Henri Paul's? Could he have been completely sober as his parents maintain?
That weekend 23 other bodies were taken to the Institut Medico Legal mortuary where Paul lay. Had one of the dead committed suicide by drinking heavily or inhaling exhaust fumes?
Was there a muddle? Or was it a deliberate mix up?
Why did the ambulance take so long?
As Henri Paul and Dodi's bodies waited to be taken to the mortuary at 12.40am on the Sunday morning, Diana was still alive. Three amblances arrived to find she had a torn pulmonary vein in her chest and blood was seeping into her lungs.
One ambulance with four paramedics - never traced by the French authorities - stretchered her on board their vehicle.
The vehicle took the best part of an hour and a half to reach the nearby Pitie-Salpetiere Hospital. On its way it passed two other clinics which could have treated her.
The ambulance stopped twice at the roadside, apparently to give Diana emergency treatment for failing blood pressure, the second time just 300 yards from the hospital.
By the time she arrived it was too late to save her. She was to die of an injury which was life threatening but not necessarily fatal.
When Ronald Reagan was shot, his pulmonary vein ripped open. But swift hospital attention allowed him back to presidential duties in one month.
Was the Uno driver another victim?
The white Fiat Uno which clipped the Mercedes in the tunnel, causing the crash, was driven by a royal paparazzo called James Andanson.
It took two weeks to trace him after the Fiat was discovered for sale in a Paris garage. The paint on the wrecked Mercedes matched exactly the paint from its tailgate.
Andanson insisted he was at home, in central France, during the early part of the night Diana died. He spun a yarn about flying out of the country through Orly Airport half an hour before she took her last breath at 4am. He produced a petrol receipt to endorse his presence near the airport. But that did not prove he was not in the Alma Tunnel a few hours before.
Andanson, who was never reinterviewed by French investigators, apparently committed suicide in strange circumstances two years later. His body was found in a burned-out car, 100 miles from where he had told his family he was travelling that day. It was locked from the outside.
Who were the masked raiders?
A month later, Andanson's offices in Paris - at the French HQ of the photo agency SIPA - were raided by three armed men in balaclava. They shot a security guard in the foot, held screaming staff hostage for three hours before leaving with laptops, hard disks and cameras. The staff's frantic calls to the police went unheeded.
Could the security services have been involved? Renegade MI6 officer Tomlinson, who was sacked by British intelligence, has claimed they use paparazzi because of their skills at tracking the whereabouts of high profile "targets". Was Andanson one such agent?
Was the Princess pregnant?
This is a persistent rumour fuelled by Diana having told
close friends during the Mediterranean holiday prior to her trip to Paris that she had some exciting news.
Because she was a British citizen, no autopsy was carried out on her in France. Yet her body was embalmed from the waist up by Professor Lecomte at the hospital in the late morning of her death in an event that has never been explained satisfactorily by French authorities.
This broke French law, which bans embalming if another post-mortem is to be carried out because formaldehyde fluid used in the process corrupts some toxicological tests.
One of these tests is for pregnancy. The formaldehyde used in embalming the Princess would have ensured any subsequent tests on Diana would have given a false "positive" pregnancy reading.
Whatever the motive for embalming Diana it destroyed forever all evidence which would have revealed - one way or the other - if she was expecting Dodi's child.
Who was the shadowy figure?
Why did the Mercedes head in exactly the opposite direction from Dodi's apartment when it left the Ritz? Henri Paul knew Paris intimately and the correct route was along the wide Champs Elysee.
If he had made a navigational error, why did he not turn back by using a slip road before the tunnel?
One eye witness claims this route was blocked by a helmeted rider on an unmarked motorbike.
Was Paul in the pay of the British and French secret services? Was the bike placed there to make sure the royal party took that fatal route?
Perhaps an inquest into Diana's death would start to unravel the extraordinary enigma.
Last summer, royal coroner Michael Burgess promised to hold one in the near future. A day later he changed his mind and said no date could be set.
In the light of what he knew, Paul Burrell may not have been surprised by that sudden change of heart. Nor, we have to presume today, would Diana have been. |
No, Super Mario Run isn’t too expensive, you’re just too cheap
Jameson Quave Blocked Unblock Follow Following Dec 18, 2016
Like most people, I picked up Super Mario Run from the App Store recently and have been playing it over the past few days. The game is a lot of fun, and for a mobile game the quality is extremely high. The content is more limited than you’d expect from a full Super Mario console title, but we all know what we’re getting with a $10 mobile game.
So why is it getting underwhelming reviews?
A 2.5 star average, largely driven by the 1-star reviews
While most of the reviews are very positive, the average score is only 2.5. What’s bringing the score down is the many, many 1-star reviews.
Overwhelmingly these reviews are about one thing: price.
In an app store where price has been thoroughly driven down by freemium and $0.99 games, it seems a traditional approach to pricing up-front for quality content leaves a sour taste in user’s mouths.
In the console and PC gaming worlds, AAA titles from large publishers are typically retailed at $60, and run a range of playtime between 2 hours for shorter titles, up to 100 or so for the longer RPG types, and up to effectively infinite playtime for those highly repayable competitive games such as Counter-Strike or Overwatch. So it’s not that surprising that a traditional publisher like Nintendo might see $10 as a very low price.
But, this is the app store, where everything must be less than $5, or it gets slammed in the reviews.
So let’s think about those other games for a moment. While Super Mario Run is the top grossing game right now, there are other games that seem to always be top grossers, and they all have an icon with a picture of a cartoon guy screaming.
These games are designed to keep players playing, and eventually, keep them paying. There is no charge up front for most of these, but the game mechanics themselves drive players to spend money on in-game transactions.
These games also have pretty favorable reviews, mostly hovering around 4 stars.
Pay to Play
I think the reason these guys don’t have the same issue is because these games offer a way to play without spending money, even if that “play” mostly consists of waiting around until the next timer kicks in. The timers in these games are designed to manipulate it’s user base, turning their products in to habits. Only then will most of these ask for any payment.
Mario on the other hand, asks for a payment after only playing through a few levels, and continuing to play through tour mode is not an option. It is basically the end of the content after the first world. This isn’t really the end of the content, since player’s can continue to play in tour mode, but the game makes no real effort to drive players towards that after their “trial” ends.
This revenue model is one where the player pays for quality content, in the form of 5 unique worlds. This seems to be the crux of the issue.
Our experiences with mobile apps are, like it or not, driven largely by the revenue model the apps use to generate a profit. Follow the money, and you’ll understand the design intent.
If a game is free, but sells consumable (repeatable) in-game items, you can bet their plan is to keep you playing for as long as possible, regardless of whether or not you’re enjoying the experience. They want to keep you continuously buying more and more in-game items. It’s expensive for these companies to constantly sell new content (like new Mario levels), so instead they sell something that takes almost no effort to create, fake money.
This is usually presented as some themed item from the game world. Whether it’s a “bucket of gems” or “barrels of honey” or just “gold”, there’s always some fake currency to buy. This keeps the player feeling like they are getting something new, although in most cases they are not. This is all designed to keep players spending small amounts of money, for basically as long as they can keep them distracted.
You can easily confirm this for yourself by looking at the top in-game purchases for Mobile Strike, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, or any of these skinner-boxes-in-disguise. Do you notice a trend among the top In-App-Purchases for these top grossing titles? |
Photo Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Kings are buying out Mike Richards, which means he’s now available to anyone as an unrestricted free agent.
Almost exactly a year ago, when there was discussion on the Kings using their compliance buyout on Richards, there were many discussing whether or not the Winnipeg Jets should sign Richards if he shook loose . He is from Kenora, On. after all and has both friends and family in Winnipeg. At the right price, Richards may be a plausible addition.
I responded with a resounding no, when there were others saying Richards would likely cost about 4 million in AAV.
Has anything changed? Read on past the jump.
Of course, Richards’ perceived value has depreciated severely despite his true value being relatively similar to the previous two seasons.
The “slow” decline of Mike Richards into 4 seasons of well below league average performance: pic.twitter.com/INWnTCHKnl — Garret Hohl (@GarretHohl) June 28, 2015
Let’s take a look if Richards is worth a contract from the Jets.
The Winnipeg Jets have three pretty good and young centres in Bryan Little, Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry. They also have Mathieu Perreault, a winger who can and has played centre with exceptional success. There is also the possibility of Alexander Burmistrov making a return, another legitimate top nine player who can play both centre and wing.
There is an available spot centre spot on the fourth line. With Jim Slater currently looking at free agency and no indications of the Jets in conversation with extending the centre, the Jets could use an upgrade at centre.
The Basics
All numbers are from WAR-on-Ice and are for 2011-15
While both players have scored goals at comparable rates, Richards has out performed Slater in assists. Overall, Slater’s point production is about average for a fourth line player, while Richards sits in between third and fourth line average.
There could be some concern though that Richards’ even strength scoring would drop to Slater’s level without playing with stronger wingers linemates like he did in Los Angeles.
One area though Richards does perform exceptionally better in is with penalty differentials. Richards has a knack for drawing more penalties than he’s called for, which is something the Jets could definitely use more of on the fourth line.
Shot Metrics
All numbers are from WAR-on-Ice and are for 2011-15
Richards carries a stronger Corsi percentage and Scoring Chance percentage, as would be expected of someone who played top six minutes in one of the stronger shot metric teams in the league. The relative numbers (team performance with player on ice versus on the bench) though indicates the distance in talent level between the two is closer than the raw differentials.
In fact, Richard’s dCorsi numbers are lower than Slater. This suggests that Richards under performed his usage by a relatively larger amount than Slater. Now, this does not mean that Richards would carry a worse or even similar Corsi, but it is well within the possible.
Additional Value
All numbers are from WAR-on-Ice and are for 2011-15
The truth is even strength numbers only carry so much weight for depth players. Fourth or pressbox forwards play a very small share of ice time, and the bit that they do tends to be in low impact situations (ex: leading by 2 or more goals, not the end of a period, etc.).
Because of these factors, the impact a fourth line has on the team’s wins is far lower than those higher up in the depth charts.
A great way to optimize the roster is to fill the fourth line with players who provide additional value elsewhere.
While Richards only provides a marginal improvement in even strength situations, he has exceedingly out performed Slater on special teams. Richards has been a pretty decent point scorer on the power play and would be a strong enough forward for the Jets second unit. He also is a depth forward that actually performs suitably on the penalty kill with strong numbers there as well.
Final Thoughts
While Richards is no longer a top six performer, he could be a depth option allowing the Jets to fill out a fourth line that could not only take other teams fourth lines, but also provide additional value outside of even strength minutes.
Richards seems like a significant upgrade on Jim Slater, although that does not say much with Slater being one of the worst performing centres in the entire NHL.
At the right price and the right role, Richards could give the Jets acceptable value. |
Seismic waves from the recent earthquake in Chile will have shaken up other faults and possibly made them more likely to slip (Image: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty)
Seismic waves unleashed during Wednesday’s magnitude 8.3 earthquake in Chile could have triggered aftershocks as far as 1000 kilometres away.
That’s because they can shake up grains of rock wedged inside distant faults. According to computer models, even weak waves at the right frequency could be enough to start a new quake by vibrating that grist into a more slippery, liquid-like layer.
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Earthquakes often happen when two tectonic plates that have been pressed together suddenly slip. But we’ve seen that major earthquakes like 1992’s Landers earthquake in California can also send out waves that spark copycat quakes 1000 kilometres away, even though the waves get weaker as they travel.
The mysterious remote triggering of quakes may have also played a role in events in Chile in 2014, and Japan in 2011.
“We were wondering: how could it happen that a very tiny wave with a very small amplitude could trigger earthquakes a thousand kilometres away?” says Lucilla de Arcangelis of the Second University of Naples in Italy.
One idea is that sound waves can lather up the grains between the two plates in a way that decreases friction, to make a slip easier. Now a team including de Arcangelis has built a computer model that shows the process as it happens.
They found that seismic waves could trigger an earthquake in the simulated fault only if they came in a narrow range of frequencies. If the fault was just about to slip, it would hasten the process by starting vibrations in that range. Only the frequency really mattered – weak waves, or even waves that would actually push in the direction against a slip, could still induce an earthquake.
“Each fault will have its own acoustic resonance frequency,” de Arcangelis says. “If a signal arrives at this frequency, the fault that without perturbation would be quiet will trigger an earthquake.”
Combined with a 2005 lab experiment that also showed a resonant frequency could jiggle glass beads in a fake fault into slipping, this simulation could suggest that actual faults have specific frequencies they’re susceptible to. That hasn’t yet been observed in real earthquakes, though, says Emily Brodsky of the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Journal reference: Physical Review Letters, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.128001 |
A Hawaiian woman has accused officials of ignoring the state’s heritage by asking her to shorten her name on official documents.
Janice Lokelani Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele was issued with a driver’s licence that missed the final letter of her last name and did not include her first and middle names at all.
To some people in the world, your name is everything
She told the Honolulu television station KHON2 that truncating her name was “disrespectful to the Hawaiian people, adding: “The county has never accommodated my name on my driver’s licence.”
She once carried a state ID card that gave her full name, but even that was shortened when she recently renewed it. She said it meant she could not travel and that she fell under suspicion during a police traffic stop when the officer looked at her driving licence.
“He [the police officer] looked at it and he goes, ‘Well, where is your first name?’ And I said, ‘Don’t blame me. This is your department.’”
Ms. Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele said officials had asked her to use her maiden name or shorten her surname to make things easier.
But she wanted to retain the full name in tribute to her late husband.
In an email she sent several years ago, which was published by the website Gawker, she said: “To some people in the world, your name is everything. If I say my name to an elder Hawaiian, they know everything about my husband’s family going back many generations, just from the name. When the name is sliced up, changed or altered it distorts the intention and meaning that the name represents. Unfortunately, many people have been shamed into hiding their real names because they don’t fit in with the dominant culture’s lack of respect for the name.”
After being pressured by KHON2, the local department of transportation said it would try to accommodate the full name.A spokeswoman said: “We have been made aware of that issue and I know right now they are working to extend that limit to, I believe, 40 characters so that issue can be resolved.”
(Watch this KHON2 video to hear how Ms. Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele’s name is pronounced) |
About
THE BASICS
Hello Kickstarter family!
We are very excited to bring our creative and innovative project to you - the world's greatest platform for ideas!
SNIFF is a very unique app designed to connect the new world of technology with the old world of meeting real people and having real social experiences.
SNIFF promises to do for "hanging out" what Waze has done for driving in traffic. It will revolutionize the experience and give you super human powers to meet who you want, wherever you are!
The basics of SNIFF are very simple and easy to use. They were designed from the point of view that if a dog was able to use a phone, this is how he would use it. This opens up very real and fun possibilities. Here are the basics:
1. When you are out and about, you can see other users on your local area map.
2. Users close enough to each other, can SNIFF and become connected. They will now be notified of each others proximity and be able to message each other.
3. You can MARK a spot, leaving a photo or message behind that others can SNIFF until the scent fades away.
4. You can HOWL so that everyone in your local area will hear you and choose to howl back.
5. You can BARK to let a user know that you are not happy with what they are doing.
6. And you can BITE to cut ties with another user completely. If you bite too many users, however, you may wind up in the pound - so don't over do it.
WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO?
In order to make the SNIFF app a reality on your phone or tablet, we have to spend money in the following areas:
$20,000 for Software development. This is a tiny fee when it comes to software development. This will pay for the man hours necessary to code a fully functional SNIFF app at a very discounted rate.
$12,500 for Cloud hosting. In order for SNIFF to operate, we will need to connect to and host information on internet servers. In order to have the minimum scale needed for launch, we will need to raise this amount for a year's worth of cloud services.
$4,000 for Graphic design. Lex and John are geniuses, but you want your app to have graphics that are equally awesome, so a graphic artist will be hired.
$4,000 for Testing and test equipment. When we launch, you will want to know that the app has been thoroughly tested before its installed on your device.
The rest goes to producing and shipping the rewards, and the transaction percentages to Kickstarter and Amazon.
TIMEFRAME
Our goal is to have a fully functional Beta version by the end of the first quarter of 2015. We believe it is safe to assume we can have a completed version 90-120 days after this campaign closes.
STRETCH GOALS
We know we can deliver an app if the campaign goal of $50,000 is met. However, we know that we can do much more and much faster if the following stretch goals are met:
$100,000 will allow us to increase our development capacity and be able to produce a more feature rich and robust app in roughly the same time frame. If we meet this stretch goal, we will be able to have version 2.0 available later in the summer with a richer feature set.
$250,000 will allow us to invest much more into software development man hours right from the start and give us a chance to come out on more platforms faster. It will also allow us to spend some money on media outreach to spread the word so that SNIFF winds up on everyone's phone faster.
$500,000 and up will allow us to invest in business, partnership and marketing growth that will take SNIFF to the next level. The app will be way more fun to use if its on everyone's phone!
WHO WE ARE
John Shore
- http://www.linkedin.com/in/jvshore
John is a senior software developer with over 15 years of top level experience. He has founded a successful software company in the past, which is still going strong after a dozen years of operation. He is also a former competitive body builder. He knows how to get it done, and no pain can stop him from accomplishing his goal.
Lex Lvovsky
- http://www.linkedin.com/in/lexlvovsky
Lex is very creative and very driven. He has been a part of half a dozen technology start-ups in his career in Software Engineering. He is also accomplished in the entertainment field, having produced several feature films and having starred, written and performed in many as well.
OUR DOG LOVERS PROMISE
As you may have noticed by now, SNIFF is themed both as a dog simulation and social app, and geared initially for the dog lover community. It is our intent to create something universal, and to give a special nod to dog owners and their dogs. As we grow, we plan to devote lots of efforts to pet related charities and bring our users special offers and perks. We promise that we will forever remember our roots. As the video explains above, this all started when John was looking to connect to fellow dog owners he met while walking his little Mitzy!
ABOUT OUR REWARDS
You may find our rewards to be unusual. It is our belief that the real value in this project is the completion and launch of a really cool app that will improve the way you socialize. For us, that is the goal and the only real reward. We also want to avoid creating extra clutter by sending you little knickknacks. We really do appreciate your contribution and we will communicate with you every step of the way. |
Nintendo is planning to let you play as Zelda’s Link and Cat Peach in Mario Kart 8 in an add-on pack it’s releasing later this month, but some gamers are worried that the content won’t work online.
Earlier today, a report surfaced that claimed the content in the Mario Kart 8 DLC won’t work if anyone in the online lobby doesn’t have it. That’s isn’t exactly the case. We asked Nintendo for the details, and here’s exactly how it works.
When you start an online match of Mario Kart 8, you get an option to either go play with the original 32 courses or with all 40 courses (the original 32 plus the eight DLC tracks). Likewise, when you create a tournament, you can select 32 or 40 courses, but you can also select to only play the DLC levels.
Of course, if you make a 40 course tournament, everyone that wants to join will need the DLC.
So don’t worry, you’ll never get kicked out of a match because someone else doesn’t have the DLC.
Additionally, you can use the DLC characters, like Tanooki Mario, in the 32-course mode. Even if people don’t have that content, they’ll still see you rocking the freshest racers.
The first Mario Kart 8 DLC pack is available for presale now for $8, and it debuts Nov. 13. It comes with an F-Zero-inspired kart, Link, Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, and eight new courses. The second DLC pack, also $8, includes Animal Crossing’s Villager and Isabelle as well as the skeleton-like Dry Bowser. It debuts in May.
If you preorder the two packs at the same time, it’s $12 for both. |
Corinthians boss Tite is tipped as the next man to take over the Selecao after the World Cup winner's unhappy second spell was cut short by the CBF
Dunga has been relieved of his duties at the head of the Brazil national team, after a disastrous showing at the Copa America Centenario.The coach was summoned to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) headquarters on Tuesday, along with coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi.Following a brief meeting, the CBF meeting announced that Dunga, Rinaldi and the rest of their coaching team had been removed from their posts, having taken over from Luiz Felipe Scolari at the end of the 2014 World Cup."The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that it has decided this Tuesday to dissolve the coaching staff of the Brazilian national football team. Coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi, coach Dunga and all their will leave their positions," the body confirmed in a statement."The decision was made in mutual agreement in this afternoon's meeting and the CBF will now start its selection process for a new Brazil coaching staff."The CBF thanks the dedication, professionalism and commitment of the team in its work."A first-round elimination in the Copa sealed Dunga's fate, while a disappointing start to World Cup qualifying also hurt the 1994 World Cup winner's position.Brazil won just one game in the United States, against Haiti, with a goalless draw against Ecuador and defeat to Peru rounding off the tournament for the Selecao.Corinthians coach Tite has been widely touted for the position, although the statement made no mention of the highly-rated tactician. |
'We're just excited to make some noise'
Deftones frontman Chino Moreno has spoken out about the band’s lasting legacy together, and what to expect from them in the future and plans for their next album. Watch our video interview with Moreno above.
The band were recently in town for a huge show at London’s Alexandra Palace in support of their acclaimed 2016 album ‘Gore‘. Having previously told us that he ‘wouldn’t want to carry on forever‘, Moreno says that its brotherhood and passion to push themselves that keeps them going.
“Listen, we’ve had a great time making our records,” Moreno told NME. “It’s not always the easiest thing to do, but the fact that we’re a bunch of 40-something-year-old guys that get together and are still excited to create something from nothing – you know?
“With the end product, we wouldn’t put out a record unless we were into it. Early on, Stefan had a hard time getting into what we were doing. Eventually, he got into the mix, we finished the record and everybody was very much 100% in. When we looked back on it, we though ‘wow – we made this with five different guys with five different ideas’.”
Moreno continued: “We proud of it, you know what I mean? Is everybody going to like it? Probably not, but we’ve never made records for any other reason than to just make something that excites us. We feel like we’re in a winning position, but it’s debatable whether [the last three albums have] been our best work of all time, or whatever.”
Speaking of their plans for the future, Moreno continued: “We know each other oh so well and for so many years that it’s comforting, you know? We grew up in the same neighbourhood, spending every day in the garage together, at school, after school. Then 10, 15, 20 years later, we’re all grown adults with children living in different cities – so when we go back on tour it’s like we get to go back to clubhouse.
Sharethrough (Mobile)
“When we make records, we don’t really talk about what we’re trying to do or what our ideas are for it, we kind of just go in and make music. That’s what keeps it fresh for us. We don’t try to box ourselves in to these pre-conceived ideas, but we have talked about getting together sooner [rather] than later to start making noise together – just out of pure excitement of creating music.”
Next month sees Deftones kick off a lengthy US tour with support from Rise Against. |
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus shut down the other day, shut down for good, after a hundred-and-forty-six-year run, and this habitual old attendee can, perhaps, supply a farewell. My visits to the Greatest Show on Earth began about ninety years ago, when I was six or seven, and I can almost bring back my first awed awareness that the waiting three rings and two stage spaces, along with the overhead tangle of wires and trapezes and rigging, would all be busily occupied for the rest of the afternoon. The aroma was equally thrilling—a heady mix of sawdust, cotton candy, and animal dung. The opening parade inside Madison Square Garden was a blur of circling horses and waving performers, jugglers and acrobats and fat ladies, world-famous trapeze and high-wire artists in capes and tights, and tiara’d young women confidently astride the lofty necks of elephants. Shortly afterward came horn-tooting musical sea lions, and, yes, a vast population of clowns—clowns on stilts, clowns with flapping feet, tramp clowns and firefighting clowns, and a balloon-bellied clown trailing a hawser-sized leash attached to a tiny trotting dog in a pointed hat.
I was taken back to the show almost every year, and, in time, I returned with my own children. I can still recapture the terrifying high-wire Wallendas—a grim-faced family assemblage, with the muscular dads and uncles underneath, grasping horizontal balance poles and supporting an ascending multistory mansion of racks and chairs, with slimmer and younger family members precariously on top. High above the un-netted floor, they inched endlessly along and once again escaped death, to applause and letdown. I preferred the trapeze performers and slippered slack-wire dancers, and, perhaps best of all, the comfortably circling horseback acrobats, who kept their shoulders perfectly level while they stood at ease on the broad rumps of their steeds, and welcomed running and somersaulting male and female partners aboard the lolloping carrousel.
There were various finales over the years, but none better than that of Hugo Zacchini, the Human Cannonball, who waved to us before disappearing into the maw of a gigantic silvery cannon, and shortly reappeared—ka-boom!—from a cloud of flame and smoke, sailed the full length of the Garden, made a tuck, and landed gracefully on his back, in the Eighth Avenue-end netting. Time to head home and start thinking about next year. |
This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-4.4 since the release of bash-4.3. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. There is now a settable configuration #define that will cause the shell to exit if the shell is running setuid without the -p option and setuid to the real uid fails. b. Command and process substitutions now turn off the `-v' option when executing, as other shells seem to do. c. The default value for the `checkhash' shell option may now be set at compile time with a #define. d. The `mapfile' builtin now has a -d option to use an arbitrary character as the record delimiter, and a -t option to strip the delimiter as supplied with -d. e. The maximum number of nested recursive calls to `eval' is now settable in config-top.h; the default is no limit. f. The `-p' option to declare and similar builtins will display attributes for named variables even when those variables have not been assigned values (which are technically unset). g. The maximum number of nested recursive calls to `source' is now settable in config-top.h; the default is no limit. h. All builtin commands recognize the `--help' option and print a usage summary. i. Bash does not allow function names containing `/' and `=' to be exported. j. The `ulimit' builtin has new -k (kqueues) and -P (pseudoterminals) options. k. The shell now allows `time ; othercommand' to time null commands. l. There is a new `--enable-function-import' configuration option to allow importing shell functions from the environment; import is enabled by default. m. `printf -v var ""' will now set `var' to the empty string, as if `var=""' had been executed. n. GLOBIGNORE, the pattern substitution word expansion, and programmable completion match filtering now honor the value of the `nocasematch' option. o. There is a new ${parameter@spec} family of operators to transform the value of `parameter'. p. Bash no longer attempts to perform compound assignment if a variable on the rhs of an assignment statement argument to `declare' has the form of a compound assignment (e.g., w='(word)' ; declare foo=$w); compound assignments are accepted if the variable was already declared as an array, but with a warning. q. The declare builtin no longer displays array variables using the compound assignment syntax with quotes; that will generate warnings when re-used as input, and isn't necessary. r. Executing the rhs of && and || will no longer cause the shell to fork if it's not necessary. s. The `local' builtin takes a new argument: `-', which will cause it to save and the single-letter shell options and restore their previous values at function return. t. `complete' and `compgen' have a new `-o nosort' option, which forces readline to not sort the completion matches. u. Bash now allows waiting for the most recent process substitution, since it appears as $!. v. The `unset' builtin now unsets a scalar variable if it is subscripted with a `0', analogous to the ${var[0]} expansion. w. `set -i' is no longer valid, as in other shells. x. BASH_SUBSHELL is now updated for process substitution and group commands in pipelines, and is available with the same value when running any exit trap. y. Bash now checks $INSIDE_EMACS as well as $EMACS when deciding whether or not bash is being run in a GNU Emacs shell window. z. Bash now treats SIGINT received when running a non-builtin command in a loop the way it has traditionally treated running a builtin command: running any trap handler and breaking out of the loop. aa. New variable: EXECIGNORE; a colon-separate list of patterns that will cause matching filenames to be ignored when searching for commands. bb. Aliases whose value ends in a shell metacharacter now expand in a way to allow them to be `pasted' to the next token, which can potentially change the meaning of a command (e.g., turning `&' into `&&'). cc. `make install' now installs the example loadable builtins and a set of bash headers to use when developing new loadable builtins. dd. `enable -f' now attempts to call functions named BUILTIN_builtin_load when loading BUILTIN, and BUILTIN_builtin_unload when deleting it. This allows loadable builtins to run initialization and cleanup code. ee. There is a new BASH_LOADABLES_PATH variable containing a list of directories where the `enable -f' command looks for shared objects containing loadable builtins. ff. The `complete_fullquote' option to `shopt' changes filename completion to quote all shell metacharacters in filenames and directory names. gg. The `kill' builtin now has a `-L' option, equivalent to `-l', for compatibility with Linux standalone versions of kill. hh. BASH_COMPAT and FUNCNEST can be inherited and set from the shell's initial environment. ii. inherit_errexit: a new `shopt' option that, when set, causes command substitutions to inherit the -e option. By default, those subshells disable -e. It's enabled as part of turning on posix mode. jj. New prompt string: PS0. Expanded and displayed by interactive shells after reading a complete command but before executing it. kk. Interactive shells now behave as if SIGTSTP/SIGTTIN/SIGTTOU are set to SIG_DFL when the shell is started, so they are set to SIG_DFL in child processes. ll. Posix-mode shells now allow double quotes to quote the history expansion character. mm. OLDPWD can be inherited from the environment if it names a directory. nn. Shells running as root no longer inherit PS4 from the environment, closing a security hole involving PS4 expansion performing command substitution. oo. If executing an implicit `cd' when the `autocd' option is set, bash will now invoke a function named `cd' if one exists before executing the `cd' builtin. pp. Value conversions (arithmetic expansions, case modification, etc.) now happen when assigning elements of an array using compound assignment. qq. There is a new option settable in config-top.h that makes multiple directory arguments to `cd' a fatal error. rr. Bash now uses mktemp() when creating internal temporary files; it produces a warning at build time on many Linux systems. 2. New Features in Readline a. The history truncation code now uses the same error recovery mechansim as the history writing code, and restores the old version of the history file on error. The error recovery mechanism handles symlinked history files. b. There is a new bindable variable, `enable-bracketed-paste', which enables support for a terminal's bracketed paste mode. c. The editing mode indicators can now be strings and are user-settable (new `emacs-mode-string', `vi-cmd-mode-string' and `vi-ins-mode-string' variables). Mode strings can contain invisible character sequences. Setting mode strings to null strings restores the defaults. d. Prompt expansion adds the mode string to the last line of a multi-line prompt (one with embedded newlines). e. There is a new bindable variable, `colored-completion-prefix', which, if set, causes the common prefix of a set of possible completions to be displayed in color. f. There is a new bindable command `vi-yank-pop', a vi-mode version of emacs- mode yank-pop. g. The redisplay code underwent several efficiency improvements for multibyte locales. h. The insert-char function attempts to batch-insert all pending typeahead that maps to self-insert, as long as it is coming from the terminal. i. rl_callback_sigcleanup: a new application function that can clean up and unset any state set by readline's callback mode. Intended to be used after a signal. j. If an incremental search string has its last character removed with DEL, the resulting empty search string no longer matches the previous line. k. If readline reads a history file that begins with `#' (or the value of the history comment character) and has enabled history timestamps, the history entries are assumed to be delimited by timestamps. This allows multi-line history entries. l. Readline now throws an error if it parses a key binding without a terminating `:' or whitespace. m. The default binding for ^W in vi mode now uses word boundaries specified by Posix (vi-unix-word-rubout is bindable command name). n. rl_clear_visible_line: new application-callable function; clears all screen lines occupied by the current visible readline line. o. rl_tty_set_echoing: application-callable function that controls whether or not readline thinks it is echoing terminal output. p. Handle >| and strings of digits preceding and following redirection specifications as single tokens when tokenizing the line for history expansion. q. Fixed a bug with displaying completions when the prefix display length is greater than the length of the completions to be displayed. r. The :p history modifier now applies to the entire line, so any expansion specifying :p causes the line to be printed instead of expanded. s. New application-callable function: rl_pending_signal(): returns the signal number of any signal readline has caught but not yet handled. t. New application-settable variable: rl_persistent_signal_handlers: if set to a non-zero value, readline will enable the readline-6.2 signal handler behavior in callback mode: handlers are installed when rl_callback_handler_install is called and removed removed when a complete line has been read. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-4.3 since the release of bash-4.2. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. The `helptopic' completion action now maps to all the help topics, not just the shell builtins. b. The `help' builtin no longer does prefix substring matching first, so `help read' does not match `readonly', but will do it if exact string matching fails. c. The shell can be compiled to not display a message about processes that terminate due to SIGTERM. d. Non-interactive shells now react to the setting of checkwinsize and set LINES and COLUMNS after a foreground job exits. e. There is a new shell option, `globasciiranges', which, when set to on, forces globbing range comparisons to use character ordering as if they were run in the C locale. f. There is a new shell option, `direxpand', which makes filename completion expand variables in directory names in the way bash-4.1 did. g. In Posix mode, the `command' builtin does not change whether or not a builtin it shadows is treated as an assignment builtin. h. The `return' and `exit' builtins accept negative exit status arguments. i. The word completion code checks whether or not a filename containing a shell variable expands to a directory name and appends `/' to the word as appropriate. The same code expands shell variables in command names when performing command completion. j. In Posix mode, it is now an error to attempt to define a shell function with the same name as a Posix special builtin. k. When compiled for strict Posix conformance, history expansion is disabled by default. l. The history expansion character (!) does not cause history expansion when followed by the closing quote in a double-quoted string. m. `complete' and its siblings compgen/compopt now takes a new `-o noquote' option to inhibit quoting of the completions. n. Setting HISTSIZE to a value less than zero causes the history list to be unlimited (setting it 0 zero disables the history list). o. Setting HISTFILESIZE to a value less than zero causes the history file size to be unlimited (setting it to 0 causes the history file to be truncated to zero size). p. The `read' builtin now skips NUL bytes in the input. q. There is a new `bind -X' option to print all key sequences bound to Unix commands. r. When in Posix mode, `read' is interruptible by a trapped signal. After running the trap handler, read returns 128+signal and throws away any partially-read input. s. The command completion code skips whitespace and assignment statements before looking for the command name word to be completed. t. The build process has a new mechanism for constructing separate help files that better reflects the current set of compilation options. u. The -nt and -ot options to test now work with files with nanosecond timestamp resolution. v. The shell saves the command history in any shell for which history is enabled and HISTFILE is set, not just interactive shells. w. The shell has `nameref' variables and new -n(/+n) options to declare and unset to use them, and a `test -R' option to test for them. x. The shell now allows assigning, referencing, and unsetting elements of indexed arrays using negative subscripts (a[-1]=2, echo ${a[-1]}) which count back from the last element of the array. y. The {x}<word redirection feature now allows words like {array[ind]} and can use variables with special meanings to the shell (e.g., BASH_XTRACEFD). z. There is a new CHILD_MAX special shell variable; its value controls the number of exited child statues the shell remembers. aa. There is a new configuration option (--enable-direxpand-default) that causes the `direxpand' shell option to be enabled by default. bb. Bash does not do anything special to ensure that the file descriptor assigned to X in {x}<foo remains open after the block containing it completes. cc. The `wait' builtin has a new `-n' option to wait for the next child to change status. dd. The `printf' %(...)T format specifier now uses the current time if no argument is supplied. ee. There is a new variable, BASH_COMPAT, that controls the current shell compatibility level. ff. The `popd' builtin now treats additional arguments as errors. gg. The brace expansion code now treats a failed sequence expansion as a simple string and will continue to expand brace terms in the remainder of the word. hh. Shells started to run process substitutions now run any trap set on EXIT. ii. The fc builtin now interprets -0 as the current command line. jj. Completing directory names containing shell variables now adds a trailing slash if the expanded result is a directory. kk. `cd' has a new `-@' option to browse a file's extended attributes on systems that support O_XATTR. ll. The test/[/[[ `-v variable' binary operator now understands array references. 2. New Features in Readline a. Readline is now more responsive to SIGHUP and other fatal signals when reading input from the terminal or performing word completion but no longer attempts to run any not-allowable functions from a signal handler context. b. There are new bindable commands to search the history for the string of characters between the beginning of the line and the point (history-substring-search-forward, history-substring-search-backward) c. Readline allows quoted strings as the values of variables when setting them with `set'. As a side effect, trailing spaces and tabs are ignored when setting a string variable's value. d. The history library creates a backup of the history file when writing it and restores the backup on a write error. e. New application-settable variable: rl_filename_stat_hook: a function called with a filename before using it in a call to stat(2). Bash uses it to expand shell variables so things like $HOME/Downloads have a slash appended. f. New bindable function `print-last-kbd-macro', prints the most-recently- defined keyboard macro in a reusable format. g. New user-settable variable `colored-stats', enables use of colored text to denote file types when displaying possible completions (colored analog of visible-stats). h. New user-settable variable `keyseq-timout', acts as an inter-character timeout when reading input or incremental search strings. i. New application-callable function: rl_clear_history. Clears the history list and frees all readline-associated private data. j. New user-settable variable, show-mode-in-prompt, adds a characters to the beginning of the prompt indicating the current editing mode. k. New application-settable variable: rl_input_available_hook; function to be called when readline detects there is data available on its input file descriptor. l. Readline calls an application-set event hook (rl_event_hook) after it gets a signal while reading input (read returns -1/EINTR but readline does not handle the signal immediately) to allow the application to handle or otherwise note it. m. If the user-settable variable `history-size' is set to a value less than 0, the history list size is unlimited. n. New application-settable variable: rl_signal_event_hook; function that is called when readline is reading terminal input and read(2) is interrupted by a signal. Currently not called for SIGHUP or SIGTERM. o. rl_change_environment: new application-settable variable that controls whether or not Readline modifies the environment (currently readline modifies only LINES and COLUMNS). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-4.2 since the release of bash-4.1. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. `exec -a foo' now sets $0 to `foo' in an executable shell script without a leading #!. b. Subshells begun to execute command substitutions or run shell functions or builtins in subshells do not reset trap strings until a new trap is specified. This allows $(trap) to display the caller's traps and the trap strings to persist until a new trap is set. c. `trap -p' will now show signals ignored at shell startup, though their disposition still cannot be modified. d. $'...', echo, and printf understand \uXXXX and \UXXXXXXXX escape sequences. e. declare/typeset has a new `-g' option, which creates variables in the global scope even when run in a shell function. f. test/[/[[ have a new -v variable unary operator, which returns success if `variable' has been set. g. Posix parsing changes to allow `! time command' and multiple consecutive instances of `!' (which toggle) and `time' (which have no cumulative effect). h. Posix change to allow `time' as a command by itself to print the elapsed user, system, and real times for the shell and its children. j. $((...)) is always parsed as an arithmetic expansion first, instead of as a potential nested command substitution, as Posix requires. k. A new FUNCNEST variable to allow the user to control the maximum shell function nesting (recursive execution) level. l. The mapfile builtin now supplies a third argument to the callback command: the line about to be assigned to the supplied array index. m. The printf builtin has a new %(fmt)T specifier, which allows time values to use strftime-like formatting. n. There is a new `compat41' shell option. o. The cd builtin has a new Posix-mandated `-e' option. p. Negative subscripts to indexed arrays, previously errors, now are treated as offsets from the maximum assigned index + 1. q. Negative length specifications in the ${var:offset:length} expansion, previously errors, are now treated as offsets from the end of the variable. r. Parsing change to allow `time -p --'. s. Posix-mode parsing change to not recognize `time' as a keyword if the following token begins with a `-'. This means no more Posix-mode `time -p'. Posix interpretation 267. t. There is a new `lastpipe' shell option that runs the last command of a pipeline in the current shell context. The lastpipe option has no effect if job control is enabled. u. History expansion no longer expands the `$!' variable expansion. v. Posix mode shells no longer exit if a variable assignment error occurs with an assignment preceding a command that is not a special builtin. w. Non-interactive mode shells exit if -u is enabled and an attempt is made to use an unset variable with the % or # expansions, the `//', `^', or `,' expansions, or the parameter length expansion. x. Posix-mode shells use the argument passed to `.' as-is if a $PATH search fails, effectively searching the current directory. Posix-2008 change. 2. New Features in Readline a. The history library does not try to write the history filename in the current directory if $HOME is unset. This closes a potential security problem if the application does not specify a history filename. b. New bindable variable `completion-display-width' to set the number of columns used when displaying completions. c. New bindable variable `completion-case-map' to cause case-insensitive completion to treat `-' and `_' as identical. d. There are new bindable vi-mode command names to avoid readline's case- insensitive matching not allowing them to be bound separately. e. New bindable variable `menu-complete-display-prefix' causes the menu completion code to display the common prefix of the possible completions before cycling through the list, instead of after. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-4.1 since the release of bash-4.0. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. Here-documents within $(...) command substitutions may once more be delimited by the closing right paren, instead of requiring a newline. b. Bash's file status checks (executable, readable, etc.) now take file system ACLs into account on file systems that support them. c. Bash now passes environment variables with names that are not valid shell variable names through into the environment passed to child processes. d. The `execute-unix-command' readline function now attempts to clear and reuse the current line rather than move to a new one after the command executes. e. `printf -v' can now assign values to array indices. f. New `complete -E' and `compopt -E' options that work on the "empty" completion: completion attempted on an empty command line. g. New complete/compgen/compopt -D option to define a `default' completion: a completion to be invoked on command for which no completion has been defined. If this function returns 124, programmable completion is attempted again, allowing a user to dynamically build a set of completions as completion is attempted by having the default completion function install individual completion functions each time it is invoked. h. When displaying associative arrays, subscripts are now quoted. i. Changes to dabbrev-expand to make it more `emacs-like': no space appended after matches, completions are not sorted, and most recent history entries are presented first. j. The [[ and (( commands are now subject to the setting of `set -e' and the ERR trap. k. The source/. builtin now removes NUL bytes from the file before attempting to parse commands. l. There is a new configuration option (in config-top.h) that forces bash to forward all history entries to syslog. m. A new variable $BASHOPTS to export shell options settable using `shopt' to child processes. n. There is a new confgure option that forces the extglob option to be enabled by default. o. New variable $BASH_XTRACEFD; when set to an integer bash will write xtrace output to that file descriptor. p. If the optional left-hand-side of a redirection is of the form {var}, the shell assigns the file descriptor used to $var or uses $var as the file descriptor to move or close, depending on the redirection operator. q. The < and > operators to the [[ conditional command now do string comparison according to the current locale if the compatibility level is greater than 40. r. Programmable completion now uses the completion for `b' instead of `a' when completion is attempted on a line like: a $(b c. s. Force extglob on temporarily when parsing the pattern argument to the == and != operators to the [[ command, for compatibility. t. Changed the behavior of interrupting the wait builtin when a SIGCHLD is received and a trap on SIGCHLD is set to be Posix-mode only. u. The read builtin has a new `-N nchars' option, which reads exactly NCHARS characters, ignoring delimiters like newline. v. The mapfile/readarray builtin no longer stores the commands it invokes via callbacks in the history list. w. There is a new `compat40' shopt option. 2. New Features in Readline a. New bindable function: menu-complete-backward. b. In the vi insertion keymap, C-n is now bound to menu-complete by default, and C-p to menu-complete-backward. c. When in vi command mode, repeatedly hitting ESC now does nothing, even when ESC introduces a bound key sequence. This is closer to how historical vi behaves. d. New bindable function: skip-csi-sequence. Can be used as a default to consume key sequences generated by keys like Home and End without having to bind all keys. e. New application-settable function: rl_filename_rewrite_hook. Can be used to rewite or modify filenames read from the file system before they are compared to the word to be completed. f. New bindable variable: skip-completed-text, active when completing in the middle of a word. If enabled, it means that characters in the completion that match characters in the remainder of the word are "skipped" rather than inserted into the line. g. The pre-readline-6.0 version of menu completion is available as "old-menu-complete" for users who do not like the readline-6.0 version. h. New bindable variable: echo-control-characters. If enabled, and the tty ECHOCTL bit is set, controls the echoing of characters corresponding to keyboard-generated signals. i. New bindable variable: enable-meta-key. Controls whether or not readline sends the smm/rmm sequences if the terminal indicates it has a meta key that enables eight-bit characters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-4.0 since the release of bash-3.2. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. When using substring expansion on the positional parameters, a starting index of 0 now causes $0 to be prefixed to the list. b. The `help' builtin now prints its columns with entries sorted vertically rather than horizontally. c. There is a new variable, $BASHPID, which always returns the process id of the current shell. d. There is a new `autocd' option that, when enabled, causes bash to attempt to `cd' to a directory name that is supplied as the first word of a simple command. e. There is a new `checkjobs' option that causes the shell to check for and report any running or stopped jobs at exit. f. The programmable completion code exports a new COMP_TYPE variable, set to a character describing the type of completion being attempted. g. The programmable completion code exports a new COMP_KEY variable, set to the character that caused the completion to be invoked (e.g., TAB). h. If creation of a child process fails due to insufficient resources, bash will try again several times before reporting failure. i. The programmable completion code now uses the same set of characters as readline when breaking the command line into a list of words. j. The block multiplier for the ulimit -c and -f options is now 512 when in Posix mode, as Posix specifies. k. Changed the behavior of the read builtin to save any partial input received in the specified variable when the read builtin times out. This also results in variables specified as arguments to read to be set to the empty string when there is no input available. When the read builtin times out, it returns an exit status greater than 128. l. The shell now has the notion of a `compatibility level', controlled by new variables settable by `shopt'. Setting this variable currently restores the bash-3.1 behavior when processing quoted strings on the rhs of the `=~' operator to the `[[' command. m. The `ulimit' builtin now has new -b (socket buffer size) and -T (number of threads) options. n. The -p option to `declare' now displays all variable values and attributes (or function values and attributes if used with -f). o. There is a new `compopt' builtin that allows completion functions to modify completion options for existing completions or the completion currently being executed. p. The `read' builtin has a new -i option which inserts text into the reply buffer when using readline. q. A new `-E' option to the complete builtin allows control of the default behavior for completion on an empty line. r. There is now limited support for completing command name words containing globbing characters. s. Changed format of internal help documentation for all builtins to roughly follow man page format. t. The `help' builtin now has a new -d option, to display a short description, and a -m option, to print help information in a man page-like format. u. There is a new `mapfile' builtin to populate an array with lines from a given file. The name `readarray' is a synonym. v. If a command is not found, the shell attempts to execute a shell function named `command_not_found_handle', supplying the command words as the function arguments. w. There is a new shell option: `globstar'. When enabled, the globbing code treats `**' specially -- it matches all directories (and files within them, when appropriate) recursively. x. There is a new shell option: `dirspell'. When enabled, the filename completion code performs spelling correction on directory names during completion. y. The `-t' option to the `read' builtin now supports fractional timeout values. z. Brace expansion now allows zero-padding of expanded numeric values and will add the proper number of zeroes to make sure all values contain the same number of digits. aa. There is a new bash-specific bindable readline function: `dabbrev-expand'. It uses menu completion on a set of words taken from the history list. bb. The command assigned to a key sequence with `bind -x' now sets two new variables in the environment of the executed command: READLINE_LINE_BUFFER and READLINE_POINT. The command can change the current readline line and cursor position by modifying READLINE_LINE_BUFFER and READLINE_POINT, respectively. cc. There is a new &>> redirection operator, which appends the standard output and standard error to the named file. dd. The parser now understands `|&' as a synonym for `2>&1 |', which redirects the standard error for a command through a pipe. ee. The new `;&' case statement action list terminator causes execution to continue with the action associated with the next pattern in the statement rather than terminating the command. ff. The new `;;&' case statement action list terminator causes the shell to test the next set of patterns after completing execution of the current action, rather than terminating the command. gg. The shell understands a new variable: PROMPT_DIRTRIM. When set to an integer value greater than zero, prompt expansion of \w and \W will retain only that number of trailing pathname components and replace the intervening characters with `...'. hh. There are new case-modifying word expansions: uppercase (^[^]) and lowercase (,[,]). They can work on either the first character or array element, or globally. They accept an optional shell pattern that determines which characters to modify. There is an optionally- configured feature to include capitalization operators. ii. The shell provides associative array variables, with the appropriate support to create, delete, assign values to, and expand them. jj. The `declare' builtin now has new -l (convert value to lowercase upon assignment) and -u (convert value to uppercase upon assignment) options. There is an optionally-configurable -c option to capitalize a value at assignment. kk. There is a new `coproc' reserved word that specifies a coprocess: an asynchronous command run with two pipes connected to the creating shell. Coprocs can be named. The input and output file descriptors and the PID of the coprocess are available to the calling shell in variables with coproc-specific names. ll. A value of 0 for the -t option to `read' now returns success if there is input available to be read from the specified file descriptor. mm. CDPATH and GLOBIGNORE are ignored when the shell is running in privileged mode. nn. New bindable readline functions shell-forward-word and shell-backward-word, which move forward and backward words delimited by shell metacharacters and honor shell quoting. oo. New bindable readline functions shell-backward-kill-word and shell-kill-word which kill words backward and forward, but use the same word boundaries as shell-forward-word and shell-backward-word. 2. New Features in Readline a. A new variable, rl_sort_completion_matches; allows applications to inhibit match list sorting (but beware: some things don't work right if applications do this). b. A new variable, rl_completion_invoking_key; allows applications to discover the key that invoked rl_complete or rl_menu_complete. c. The functions rl_block_sigint and rl_release_sigint are now public and available to calling applications who want to protect critical sections (like redisplay). d. The functions rl_save_state and rl_restore_state are now public and available to calling applications; documented rest of readline's state flag values. e. A new user-settable variable, `history-size', allows setting the maximum number of entries in the history list. f. There is a new implementation of menu completion, with several improvements over the old; the most notable improvement is a better `completions browsing' mode. g. The menu completion code now uses the rl_menu_completion_entry_function variable, allowing applications to provide their own menu completion generators. h. There is support for replacing a prefix of a pathname with a `...' when displaying possible completions. This is controllable by setting the `completion-prefix-display-length' variable. Matches with a common prefix longer than this value have the common prefix replaced with `...'. i. There is a new `revert-all-at-newline' variable. If enabled, readline will undo all outstanding changes to all history lines when `accept-line' is executed. j. If the kernel supports it, readline displays special characters corresponding to a keyboard-generated signal when the signal is received. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-3.2 since the release of bash-3.1. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. Changed the parameter pattern replacement functions to not anchor the pattern at the beginning of the string if doing global replacement - that combination doesn't make any sense. b. When running in `word expansion only' mode (--wordexp option), inhibit process substitution. c. Loadable builtins now work on MacOS X 10.[34]. d. Shells running in posix mode no longer set $HOME, as POSIX requires. e. The code that checks for binary files being executed as shell scripts now checks only for NUL rather than any non-printing character. f. Quoting the string argument to the [[ command's =~ operator now forces string matching, as with the other pattern-matching operators. 2. New Features in Readline a. Calling applications can now set the keyboard timeout to 0, allowing poll-like behavior. b. The value of SYS_INPUTRC (configurable at compilation time) is now used as the default last-ditch startup file. c. The history file reading functions now allow windows-like \r
line terminators. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-3.1 since the release of bash-3.0. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. Bash now understands LC_TIME as a special variable so that time display tracks the current locale. b. BASH_ARGC, BASH_ARGV, BASH_SOURCE, and BASH_LINENO are no longer created as `invisible' variables and may not be unset. c. In POSIX mode, if `xpg_echo' option is enabled, the `echo' builtin doesn't try to interpret any options at all, as POSIX requires. d. The `bg' builtin now accepts multiple arguments, as POSIX seems to specify. e. Fixed vi-mode word completion and glob expansion to perform tilde expansion. f. The `**' mathematic exponentiation operator is now right-associative. g. The `ulimit' builtin has new options: -i (max number of pending signals), -q (max size of POSIX message queues), and -x (max number of file locks). h. A bare `%' once again expands to the current job when used as a job specifier. i. The `+=' assignment operator (append to the value of a string or array) is now supported for assignment statements and arguments to builtin commands that accept assignment statements. j. BASH_COMMAND now preserves its value when a DEBUG trap is executed. k. The `gnu_errfmt' option is enabled automatically if the shell is running in an emacs terminal window. l. New configuration option: --single-help-strings. Causes long help text to be written as a single string; intended to ease translation. m. The COMP_WORDBREAKS variable now causes the list of word break characters to be emptied when the variable is unset. n. An unquoted expansion of $* when $IFS is empty now causes the positional parameters to be concatenated if the expansion doesn't undergo word splitting. o. Bash now inherits $_ from the environment if it appears there at startup. p. New shell option: nocasematch. If non-zero, shell pattern matching ignores case when used by `case' and `[[' commands. q. The `printf' builtin takes a new option: -v var. That causes the output to be placed into var instead of on stdout. r. By default, the shell no longer reports processes dying from SIGPIPE. s. Bash now sets the extern variable `environ' to the export environment it creates, so C library functions that call getenv() (and can't use the shell-provided replacement) get current values of environment variables. t. A new configuration option, `--enable-strict-posix-default', which will build bash to be POSIX conforming by default. u. If compiled for strict POSIX conformance, LINES and COLUMNS may now override the true terminal size. 2. New Features in Readline a. The key sequence sent by the keypad `delete' key is now automatically bound to delete-char. b. A negative argument to menu-complete now cycles backward through the completion list. c. A new bindable readline variable: bind-tty-special-chars. If non-zero, readline will bind the terminal special characters to their readline equivalents when it's called (on by default). d. New bindable command: vi-rubout. Saves deleted text for possible reinsertion, as with any vi-mode `text modification' command; `X' is bound to this in vi command mode. e. A new external application-controllable variable that allows the LINES and COLUMNS environment variables to set the window size regardless of what the kernel returns: rl_prefer_env_winsize ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-3.0 since the release of bash-2.05b. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. ANSI string expansion now implements the \x{hexdigits} escape. b. There is a new loadable `strftime' builtin. c. New variable, COMP_WORDBREAKS, which controls the readline completer's idea of word break characters. d. The `type' builtin no longer reports on aliases unless alias expansion will actually be performed. e. HISTCONTROL is now a colon-separated list of values, which permits more extensibility and backwards compatibility. f. HISTCONTROL may now include the `erasedups' option, which causes all lines matching a line being added to be removed from the history list. g. `configure' has a new `--enable-multibyte' argument that permits multibyte character support to be disabled even on systems that support it. h. New variables to support the bash debugger: BASH_ARGC, BASH_ARGV, BASH_SOURCE, BASH_LINENO, BASH_SUBSHELL, BASH_EXECUTION_STRING, BASH_COMMAND i. FUNCNAME has been changed to support the debugger: it's now an array variable. j. for, case, select, arithmetic commands now keep line number information for the debugger. k. There is a new `RETURN' trap executed when a function or sourced script returns (not inherited child processes; inherited by command substitution if function tracing is enabled and the debugger is active). l. New invocation option: --debugger. Enables debugging and turns on new `extdebug' shell option. m. New `functrace' and `errtrace' options to `set -o' cause DEBUG and ERR traps, respectively, to be inherited by shell functions. Equivalent to `set -T' and `set -E' respectively. The `functrace' option also controls whether or not the DEBUG trap is inherited by sourced scripts. n. The DEBUG trap is run before binding the variable and running the action list in a `for' command, binding the selection variable and running the query in a `select' command, and before attempting a match in a `case' command. o. New `--enable-debugger' option to `configure' to compile in the debugger support code. p. `declare -F' now prints out extra line number and source file information if the `extdebug' option is set. q. If `extdebug' is enabled, a non-zero return value from a DEBUG trap causes the next command to be skipped, and a return value of 2 while in a function or sourced script forces a `return'. r. New `caller' builtin to provide a call stack for the bash debugger. s. The DEBUG trap is run just before the first command in a function body is executed, for the debugger. t. `for', `select', and `case' command heads are printed when `set -x' is enabled. u. There is a new {x..y} brace expansion, which is shorthand for {x.x+1, x+2,...,y}. x and y can be integers or single characters; the sequence may ascend or descend; the increment is always 1. v. New ksh93-like ${!array[@]} expansion, expands to all the keys (indices) of array. w. New `force_fignore' shopt option; if enabled, suffixes specified by FIGNORE cause words to be ignored when performing word completion even if they're the only possibilities. x. New `gnu_errfmt' shopt option; if enabled, error messages follow the `gnu style' (filename:lineno:message) format. y. New `-o bashdefault' option to complete and compgen; if set, causes the whole set of bash completions to be performed if the compspec doesn't result in a match. z. New `-o plusdirs' option to complete and compgen; if set, causes directory name completion to be performed and the results added to the rest of the possible completions. aa. `kill' is available as a builtin even when the shell is built without job control. bb. New HISTTIMEFORMAT variable; value is a format string to pass to strftime(3). If set and not null, the `history' builtin prints out timestamp information according to the specified format when displaying history entries. If set, bash tells the history library to write out timestamp information when the history file is written. cc. The [[ ... ]] command has a new binary `=~' operator that performs extended regular expression (egrep-like) matching. dd. `configure' has a new `--enable-cond-regexp' option (enabled by default) to enable the =~ operator and regexp matching in [[ ... ]]. ee. Subexpressions matched by the =~ operator are placed in the new BASH_REMATCH array variable. ff. New `failglob' option that causes an expansion error when pathname expansion fails to produce a match. gg. New `set -o pipefail' option that causes a pipeline to return a failure status if any of the processes in the pipeline fail, not just the last one. hh. printf builtin understands two new escape sequences: \" and \?. ii. `echo -e' understands two new escape sequences: \" and \?. jj. The GNU `gettext' package and libintl have been integrated; the shell's messages can be translated into different languages. kk. The `\W' prompt expansion now abbreviates $HOME as `~', like `\w'. ll. The error message printed when bash cannot open a shell script supplied as argument 1 now includes the name of the shell, to better identify the error as coming from bash. mm. The parameter pattern removal and substitution expansions are now much faster and more efficient when using multibyte characters. nn. The `jobs', `kill', and `wait' builtins now accept job control notation even if job control is not enabled. oo. The historical behavior of `trap' that allows a missing `action' argument to cause each specified signal's handling to be reset to its default is now only supported when `trap' is given a single non-option argument. 2. New Features in Readline a. History expansion has a new `a' modifier equivalent to the `g' modifier for compatibility with the BSD csh. b. History expansion has a new `G' modifier equivalent to the BSD csh `g' modifier, which performs a substitution once per word. c. All non-incremental search operations may now undo the operation of replacing the current line with the history line. d. The text inserted by an `a' command in vi mode can be reinserted with `.'. e. New bindable variable, `show-all-if-unmodified'. If set, the readline completer will list possible completions immediately if there is more than one completion and partial completion cannot be performed. f. There is a new application-callable `free_history_entry()' function. g. History list entries now contain timestamp information; the history file functions know how to read and write timestamp information associated with each entry. h. Four new key binding functions have been added: rl_bind_key_if_unbound() rl_bind_key_if_unbound_in_map() rl_bind_keyseq_if_unbound() rl_bind_keyseq_if_unbound_in_map() i. New application variable, rl_completion_quote_character, set to any quote character readline finds before it calls the application completion function. j. New application variable, rl_completion_suppress_quote, settable by an application completion function. If set to non-zero, readline does not attempt to append a closing quote to a completed word. k. New application variable, rl_completion_found_quote, set to a non-zero value if readline determines that the word to be completed is quoted. Set before readline calls any application completion function. l. New function hook, rl_completion_word_break_hook, called when readline needs to break a line into words when completion is attempted. Allows the word break characters to vary based on position in the line. m. New bindable command: unix-filename-rubout. Does the same thing as unix-word-rubout, but adds `/' to the set of word delimiters. n. When listing completions, directories have a `/' appended if the `mark-directories' option has been enabled. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-2.05b since the release of bash-2.05a. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. If set, TMOUT is the default timeout for the `read' builtin. b. `type' has two new options: `-f' suppresses shell function lookup, and `-P' forces a $PATH search. c. New code to handle multibyte characters. d. `select' was changed to be more ksh-compatible, in that the menu is reprinted each time through the loop only if REPLY is set to NULL. The previous behavior is available as a compile-time option. e. `complete -d' and `complete -o dirnames' now force a slash to be appended to names which are symlinks to directories. f. There is now a bindable edit-and-execute-command readline command, like the vi-mode `v' command, bound to C-xC-e in emacs mode. g. Added support for ksh93-like [:word:] character class in pattern matching. h. The $'...' quoting construct now expands \cX to Control-X. i. A new \D{...} prompt expansion; passes the `...' to strftime and inserts the result into the expanded prompt. j. The shell now performs arithmetic in the largest integer size the machine supports (intmax_t), instead of long. k. If a numeric argument is supplied to one of the bash globbing completion functions, a `*' is appended to the word before expansion is attempted. l. The bash globbing completion functions now allow completions to be listed with double tabs or if `show-all-if-ambiguous' is set. m. New `-o nospace' option for `complete' and `compgen' builtins; suppresses readline's appending a space to the completed word. n. New `here-string' redirection operator: <<< word. o. When displaying variables, function attributes and definitions are shown separately, allowing them to be re-used as input (attempting to re-use the old output would result in syntax errors). p. There is a new configuration option `--enable-mem-scramble', controls bash malloc behavior of writing garbage characters into memory at allocation and free time. q. The `complete' and `compgen' builtins now have a new `-s/-A service' option to complete on names from /etc/services. r. `read' has a new `-u fd' option to read from a specified file descriptor. s. Fix the completion code so that expansion errors in a directory name don't cause a longjmp back to the command loop. t. Fixed word completion inside command substitution to work a little more intuitively. u. The `printf' %q format specifier now uses $'...' quoting to print the argument if it contains non-printing characters. v. The `declare' and `typeset' builtins have a new `-t' option. When applied to functions, it causes the DEBUG trap to be inherited by the named function. Currently has no effect on variables. w. The DEBUG trap is now run *before* simple commands, ((...)) commands, [[...]] conditional commands, and for ((...)) loops. x. The expansion of $LINENO inside a shell function is only relative to the function start if the shell is interactive -- if the shell is running a script, $LINENO expands to the line number in the script. This is as POSIX-2001 requires. y. The bash debugger in examples/bashdb has been modified to work with the new DEBUG trap semantics, the command set has been made more gdb-like, and the changes to $LINENO make debugging functions work better. Code from Gary Vaughan. z. New [n]<&word- and [n]>&word- redirections from ksh93 -- move fds (dup and close). aa. There is a new `-l' invocation option, equivalent to `--login'. bb. The `hash' builtin has a new `-l' option to list contents in a reusable format, and a `-d' option to remove a name from the hash table. cc. There is now support for placing the long help text into separate files installed into ${datadir}/bash. Not enabled by default; can be turned on with `--enable-separate-helpfiles' option to configure. dd. All builtins that take operands accept a `--' pseudo-option, except `echo'. ee. The `echo' builtin now accepts \0xxx (zero to three octal digits following the `0') in addition to \xxx (one to three octal digits) for SUSv3/XPG6/ POSIX.1-2001 compliance. 2. New Features in Readline a. Support for key `subsequences': allows, e.g., ESC and ESC-a to both be bound to readline functions. Now the arrow keys may be used in vi insert mode. b. When listing completions, and the number of lines displayed is more than the screen length, readline uses an internal pager to display the results. This is controlled by the `page-completions' variable (default on). c. New code to handle editing and displaying multibyte characters. d. The behavior introduced in bash-2.05a of deciding whether or not to append a slash to a completed name that is a symlink to a directory has been made optional, controlled by the `mark-symlinked-directories' variable (default is the 2.05a behavior). e. The `insert-comment' command now acts as a toggle if given a numeric argument: if the first characters on the line don't specify a comment, insert one; if they do, delete the comment text f. New application-settable completion variable: rl_completion_mark_symlink_dirs, allows an application's completion function to temporarily override the user's preference for appending slashes to names which are symlinks to directories. g. New function available to application completion functions: rl_completion_mode, to tell how the completion function was invoked and decide which argument to supply to rl_complete_internal (to list completions, etc.). h. Readline now has an overwrite mode, toggled by the `overwrite-mode' bindable command, which could be bound to `Insert'. i. New application-settable completion variable: rl_completion_suppress_append, inhibits appending of rl_completion_append_character to completed words. j. New key bindings when reading an incremental search string: ^W yanks the currently-matched word out of the current line into the search string; ^Y yanks the rest of the current line into the search string, DEL or ^H deletes characters from the search string. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-2.05a since the release of bash-2.05. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. Added support for DESTDIR installation root prefix, so you can do a `make install DESTDIR=bash-root' and do easier binary packaging. b. Added support for builtin printf "'" flag character as per latest POSIX drafts. c. Support for POSIX.2 printf(1) length specifiers `j', `t', and `z' (from ISO C99). d. New autoconf macro, RL_LIB_READLINE_VERSION, for use by other applications (bash doesn't use very much of what it returns). e. `set [-+]o nolog' is recognized as required by the latest POSIX drafts, but ignored. f. New read-only `shopt' option: login_shell. Set to non-zero value if the shell is a login shell. g. New `\A' prompt string escape sequence; expands to time in 24 HH:MM format. h. New `-A group/-g' option to complete and compgen; does group name completion. i. New `-t' option to `hash' to list hash values for each filename argument. j. New [-+]O invocation option to set and unset `shopt' options at startup. k. configure's `--with-installed-readline' option now takes an optional `=PATH' suffix to set the root of the tree where readline is installed to PATH. l. The ksh-like `ERR' trap has been added. The `ERR' trap will be run whenever the shell would have exited if the -e option were enabled. It is not inherited by shell functions. m. `readonly', `export', and `declare' now print variables which have been given attributes but not set by assigning a value as just a command and a variable name (like `export foo') when listing, as the latest POSIX drafts require. n. `bashbug' now requires that the subject be changed from the default. o. configure has a new `--enable-largefile' option, like other GNU utilities. p. `for' loops now allow empty word lists after `in', like the latest POSIX drafts require. q. The builtin `ulimit' now takes two new non-numeric arguments: `hard', meaning the current hard limit, and `soft', meaning the current soft limit, in addition to `unlimited' r. `ulimit' now prints the option letter associated with a particular resource when printing more than one limit. s. `ulimit' prints `hard' or `soft' when a value is not `unlimited' but is one of RLIM_SAVED_MAX or RLIM_SAVED_CUR, respectively. t. The `printf' builtin now handles the %a and %A conversions if they're implemented by printf(3). u. The `printf' builtin now handles the %F conversion (just about like %f). v. The `printf' builtin now handles the %n conversion like printf(3). The corresponding argument is the name of a shell variable to which the value is assigned. 2. New Features in Readline a. Added extern declaration for rl_get_termcap to readline.h, making it a public function (it was always there, just not in readline.h). b. New #defines in readline.h: RL_READLINE_VERSION, currently 0x0402, RL_VERSION_MAJOR, currently 4, and RL_VERSION_MINOR, currently 2. c. New readline variable: rl_readline_version, mirrors RL_READLINE_VERSION. d. New bindable boolean readline variable: match-hidden-files. Controls completion of files beginning with a `.' (on Unix). Enabled by default. e. The history expansion code now allows any character to terminate a `:first-' modifier, like csh. f. New bindable variable `history-preserve-point'. If set, the history code attempts to place the user at the same location on each history line retrived with previous-history or next-history. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-2.05 since the release of bash-2.04. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. Added a new `--init-file' invocation argument as a synonym for `--rcfile', per the new GNU coding standards. b. The /dev/tcp and /dev/udp redirections now accept service names as well as port numbers. c. `complete' and `compgen' now take a `-o value' option, which controls some of the aspects of that compspec. Valid values are: default - perform bash default completion if programmable completion produces no matches dirnames - perform directory name completion if programmable completion produces no matches filenames - tell readline that the compspec produces filenames, so it can do things like append slashes to directory names and suppress trailing spaces d. A new loadable builtin, realpath, which canonicalizes and expands symlinks in pathname arguments. e. When `set' is called without options, it prints function defintions in a way that allows them to be reused as input. This affects `declare' and `declare -p' as well. This only happens when the shell is not in POSIX mode, since POSIX.2 forbids this behavior. f. Bash-2.05 once again honors the current locale setting when processing ranges within pattern matching bracket expressions (e.g., [A-Z]). 2. New Features in Readline a. The blink timeout for paren matching is now settable by applications, via the rl_set_paren_blink_timeout() function. b. _rl_executing_macro has been renamed to rl_executing_macro, which means it's now part of the public interface. c. Readline has a new variable, rl_readline_state, which is a bitmap that encapsulates the current state of the library; intended for use by callbacks and hook functions. d. New application-callable function rl_set_prompt(const char *prompt): expands its prompt string argument and sets rl_prompt to the result. e. New application-callable function rl_set_screen_size(int rows, int cols): public method for applications to set readline's idea of the screen dimensions. f. New function, rl_get_screen_size (int *rows, int *columns), returns readline's idea of the screen dimensions. g. The timeout in rl_gather_tyi (readline keyboard input polling function) is now settable via a function (rl_set_keyboard_input_timeout()). h. Renamed the max_input_history variable to history_max_entries; the old variable is maintained for backwards compatibility. i. The list of characters that separate words for the history tokenizer is now settable with a variable: history_word_delimiters. The default value is as before. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-2.04 since the release of bash-2.03. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. The history builtin has a `-d offset' option to delete the history entry at position `offset'. b. The prompt expansion code has two new escape sequences: \j, the number of active jobs; and \l, the basename of the shell's tty device name. c. The `bind' builtin has a new `-x' option to bind key sequences to shell commands. d. There is a new shell option, no_empty_command_completion, which, when enabled, disables command completion when TAB is typed on an empty line. e. The `help' builtin has a `-s' option to just print a builtin's usage synopsis. f. There are several new arithmetic operators: id++, id-- (variable post-increment/decrement), ++id, --id (variable pre-increment/decrement), expr1 , expr2 (comma operator). g. There is a new ksh-93 style arithmetic for command: for ((expr1 ; expr2; expr3 )); do list; done h. The `read' builtin has a number of new options: -t timeout only wait timeout seconds for input -n nchars only read nchars from input instead of a full line -d delim read until delim rather than newline -s don't echo input chars as they are read i. The redirection code now handles several filenames specially: /dev/fd/N, /dev/stdin, /dev/stdout, and /dev/stderr, whether or not they are present in the file system. j. The redirection code now recognizes pathnames of the form /dev/tcp/host/port and /dev/udp/host/port, and tries to open a socket of the appropriate type to the specified port on the specified host. k. The ksh-93 ${!prefix*} expansion, which expands to the names of all shell variables with prefix PREFIX, has been implemented. l. There is a new dynamic variable, FUNCNAME, which expands to the name of a currently-executing function. Assignments to FUNCNAME have no effect. m. The GROUPS variable is no longer readonly; assignments to it are silently discarded. This means it can be unset. n. A new programmable completion facility, with two new builtin commands: complete and compgen. o. configure has a new option, `--enable-progcomp', to compile in the programmable completion features (enabled by default). p. `shopt' has a new option, `progcomp', to enable and disable programmable completion at runtime. q. Unsetting HOSTFILE now clears the list of hostnames used for completion. r. configure has a new option, `--enable-bash-malloc', replacing the old `--with-gnu-malloc' (which is still present for backwards compatibility). s. There is a new manual page describing rbash, the restricted shell. t. `bashbug' has new `--help' and `--version' options. u. `shopt' has a new `xpg_echo' option, which controls the behavior of `echo' with respect to backslash-escaped characters at runtime. v. If NON_INTERACTIVE_LOGIN_SHELLS is defined, all login shells read the startup files, even if they are not interactive. w. The LC_NUMERIC variable is now treated specially, and used to set the LC_NUMERIC locale category for number formatting, e.g., when `printf' displays floating-point numbers. 2. New features in Readline a. Parentheses matching is now always compiled into readline, and enabled or disabled when the value of the `blink-matching-paren' variable is changed. b. MS-DOS systems now use ~/_inputrc as the last-ditch inputrc filename. c. MS-DOS systems now use ~/_history as the default history file. d. history-search-{forward,backward} now leave the point at the end of the line when the string to search for is empty, like {reverse,forward}-search-history. e. history-search-{forward,backward} now leave the last history line found in the readline buffer if the second or subsequent search fails. f. New function for use by applications: rl_on_new_line_with_prompt, used when an application displays the prompt itself before calling readline(). g. New variable for use by applications: rl_already_prompted. An application that displays the prompt itself before calling readline() must set this to a non-zero value. h. A new variable, rl_gnu_readline_p, always 1. The intent is that an application can verify whether or not it is linked with the `real' readline library or some substitute. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-2.03 since the release of bash-2.02. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. New `shopt' option, `restricted_shell', indicating whether or not the shell was started in restricted mode, for use in startup files. b. Filename generation is now performed on the words between ( and ) in array assignments (which it probably should have done all along). c. OLDPWD is now auto-exported, as POSIX.2 seems to require. d. ENV and BASH_ENV are read-only variables in a restricted shell. e. A change was made to the startup file code so that any shell begun with the `--login' option, even non-interactive shells, will source the login shell startup files. 2. New Features in Readline a. Many changes to the signal handling: o Readline now catches SIGQUIT and cleans up the tty before returning; o A new variable, rl_catch_signals, is available to application writers to indicate to readline whether or not it should install its own signal handlers for SIGINT, SIGTERM, SIGQUIT, SIGALRM, SIGTSTP, SIGTTIN, and SIGTTOU; o A new variable, rl_catch_sigwinch, is available to application writers to indicate to readline whether or not it should install its own signal handler for SIGWINCH, which will chain to the calling applications's SIGWINCH handler, if one is installed; o There is a new function, rl_free_line_state, for application signal handlers to call to free up the state associated with the current line after receiving a signal; o There is a new function, rl_cleanup_after_signal, to clean up the display and terminal state after receiving a signal; o There is a new function, rl_reset_after_signal, to reinitialize the terminal and display state after an application signal handler returns and readline continues b. There is a new function, rl_resize_terminal, to reset readline's idea of the screen size after a SIGWINCH. c. New public functions: rl_save_prompt and rl_restore_prompt. These were previously private functions with a `_' prefix. d. New function hook: rl_pre_input_hook, called just before readline starts reading input, after initialization. e. New function hook: rl_display_matches_hook, called when readline would display the list of completion matches. The new function rl_display_match_list is what readline uses internally, and is available for use by application functions called via this hook. f. New bindable function, delete-char-or-list, like tcsh. g. A new variable, rl_erase_empty_line, which, if set by an application using readline, will cause readline to erase, prompt and all, lines on which the only thing typed was a newline. h. New bindable variable: `isearch-terminators'. i. New bindable function: `forward-backward-delete-char' (unbound by default). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-2.02 since the release of bash-2.01.1. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. A new version of malloc, based on the older GNU malloc, that has many changes, is more page-based, is more conservative with memory usage, and does not `orphan' large blocks when they are freed. b. A new version of gmalloc, based on the old GLIBC malloc, with many changes and range checking included by default. c. A new implementation of fnmatch(3) that includes full POSIX.2 Basic Regular Expression matching, including character classes, collating symbols, equivalence classes, and support for case-insensitive pattern matching. d. ksh-88 egrep-style extended pattern matching ([@+*?!](patlist)) has been implemented, controlled by a new `shopt' option, `extglob'. e. There is a new ksh-like `[[' compound command, which implements extended `test' functionality. f. There is a new `printf' builtin, implemented according to the POSIX.2 specification. g. There is a new feature for command substitution: $(< filename) now expands to the contents of `filename', with any trailing newlines removed (equivalent to $(cat filename)). h. There are new tilde prefixes which expand to directories from the directory stack. i. There is a new `**' arithmetic operator to do exponentiation. j. There are new configuration options to control how bash is linked: `--enable-profiling', to allow bash to be profiled with gprof, and `--enable-static-link', to allow bash to be linked statically. k. There is a new configuration option, `--enable-cond-command', which controls whether or not the `[[' command is included. It is on by default. l. There is a new configuration option, `--enable-extended-glob', which controls whether or not the ksh extended globbing feature is included. It is enabled by default. m. There is a new configuration #define in config.h.top that, when enabled, will cause all login shells to source /etc/profile and one of the user- specific login shell startup files, whether or not the shell is interactive. n. There is a new invocation option, `--dump-po-strings', to dump a shell script's translatable strings ($"...") in GNU `po' format. o. There is a new `shopt' option, `nocaseglob', to enable case-insensitive pattern matching when globbing filenames and using the `case' construct. p. There is a new `shopt' option, `huponexit', which, when enabled, causes the shell to send SIGHUP to all jobs when an interactive login shell exits. q. `bind' has a new `-u' option, which takes a readline function name as an argument and unbinds all key sequences bound to that function in a specified keymap. r. `disown' now has `-a' and `-r' options, to limit operation to all jobs and running jobs, respectively. s. The `shopt' `-p' option now causes output to be displayed in a reusable format. t. `test' has a new `-N' option, which returns true if the filename argument has been modified since it was last accessed. u. `umask' now has a `-p' option to print output in a reusable format. v. A new escape sequence, `\xNNN', has been added to the `echo -e' and $'...' translation code. It expands to the character whose ascii code is NNN in hexadecimal. w. The prompt string expansion code has a new `\r' escape sequence. x. The shell may now be cross-compiled for the CYGWIN32 environment on a Unix machine. 2. New Features in Readline a. There is now an option for `iterative' yank-last-arg handline, so a user can keep entering `M-.', yanking the last argument of successive history lines. b. New variable, `print-completions-horizontally', which causes completion matches to be displayed across the screen (like `ls -x') rather than up and down the screen (like `ls'). c. New variable, `completion-ignore-case', which causes filename completion and matching to be performed case-insensitively. d. There is a new bindable command, `magic-space', which causes history expansion to be performed on the current readline buffer and a space to be inserted into the result. e. There is a new bindable command, `menu-complete', which enables tcsh-like menu completion (successive executions of menu-complete insert a single completion match, cycling through the list of possible completions). f. There is a new bindable command, `paste-from-clipboard', for use on Win32 systems, to insert the text from the Win32 clipboard into the editing buffer. g. The key sequence translation code now understands printf-style backslash escape sequences, including \NNN octal escapes. These escape sequences may be used in key sequence definitions or macro values. h. An `$include' inputrc file parser directive has been added. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-2.01 since the release of bash-2.0. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. There is a new builtin array variable: GROUPS, the set of groups to which the user belongs. This is used by the test suite. 2. New Features in Readline a. If a key sequence bound to `universal-argument' is read while reading a numeric argument started with `universal-argument', it terminates the argument but is otherwise ignored. This provides a way to insert multiple instances of a digit string, and is how GNU emacs does it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a terse description of the new features added to bash-2.0 since the release of bash-1.14.7. As always, the manual page (doc/bash.1) is the place to look for complete descriptions. 1. New Features in Bash a. There is a new invocation option, -D, that dumps translatable strings in a script. b. The `long' invocation options must now be prefixed with `--'. c. New long invocation options: --dump-strings, --help, --verbose d. The `nolineediting' invocation option was renamed to `noediting'. e. The `nobraceexpansion' and `quiet' long invocation options were removed. f. The `--help' and `--version' long options now work as the GNU coding standards specify. g. If invoked as `sh', bash now enters posix mode after reading the startup files, and reads and executes commands from the file named by $ENV if interactive (as POSIX.2 specifies). A login shell invoked as `sh' reads $ENV after /etc/profile and ~/.profile. h. There is a new reserved word, `time', for timing pipelines, builtin commands, and shell functions. It uses the value of the TIMEFORMAT variable as a format string describing how to print the timing statistics. i. The $'...' quoting syntax expands ANSI-C escapes in ... and leaves the result single-quoted. j. The $"..." quoting syntax performs locale-specific translation of ... and leaves the result double-quoted. k. LINENO now works correctly in functions. l. New variables: DIRSTACK, PIPESTATUS, BASH_VERSINFO, HOSTNAME, SHELLOPTS, MACHTYPE. The first three are array variables. m. The BASH_VERSION and BASH_VERSINFO variables now include the shell's `release status' (alpha[N], beta[N], release). n. Some variables have been removed: MAIL_WARNING, notify, history_control, command_oriented_history, glob_dot_filenames, allow_null_glob_expansion, nolinks, hostname_completion_file, noclobber, no_exit_on_failed_exec, and cdable_vars. Most of them are now implemented with the new `shopt' builtin; others were already implemented by `set'. o. Bash now uses some new variables: LC_ALL, LC_MESSAGES, LC_CTYPE, LC_COLLATE, LANG, GLOBIGNORE, HISTIGNORE. p. The shell now supports integer-indexed arrays of unlimited length, with a new compound assignment syntax and changes to the appropriate builtin commands (declare/typeset, read, readonly, etc.). The array index may be an arithmetic expression. q. ${!var}: indirect variable expansion, equivalent to eval \${$var}. r. ${paramter:offset[:length]}: variable substring extraction. s. ${parameter/pattern[/[/]string]}: variable pattern substitution. t. The $[...] arithmetic expansion syntax is no longer supported, in favor of $((...)). u. Aliases can now be expanded in shell scripts with a shell option (shopt expand_aliases). v. History and history expansion can now be used in scripts with set -o history and set -H. w. All builtins now return an exit status of 2 for incorrect usage. x. Interactive shells resend SIGHUP to all running or stopped children if (and only if) they exit due to a SIGHUP. y. New prompting expansions: \a, \e, \H, \T, \@, \v, \V. z. Variable expansion in prompt strings is now controllable via a shell option (shopt promptvars). aa. Bash now defaults to using command-oriented history. bb. The history file ($HISTFILE) is now truncated to $HISTFILESIZE after being written. cc. The POSIX.2 conditional arithmetic evaluation syntax (expr ? expr : expr) has been implemented. dd. Each builtin now accepts `--' to signify the end of the options, except as documented (echo, etc.). ee. All builtins use -p to display values in a re-readable format where appropriate, except as documented (echo, type, etc.). ff. The `alias' builtin has a new -p option. gg. Changes to the `bind' builtin: o has new options: -psPSVr. o the `-d' option was renamed to `-p' o the `-v' option now dumps variables; the old `-v' is now `-P' hh. The `bye' synonym for `exit' was removed. ii. The -L and -P options to `cd' and `pwd' have been documented. jj. The `cd' builtin now does spelling correction on the directory name by default. This is settable with a shell option (shopt cdspell). kk. The `declare' builtin has new options: -a, -F, -p. ll. The `dirs' builtin has new options: -c, -p, -v. mm. The new `disown' builtin removes jobs from the shell's jobs table or inhibits the resending of SIGHUP when the shell receives a SIGHUP. nn. The `echo' builtin has a new escape character: \e. oo. The `enable' builtin can now load new builtins dynamically from shared objects on systems with the dlopen/dlsym interface. There are a number of examples in the examples/loadables directory. There are also new options: -d, -f, -s, -p. pp. The `-all' option to `enable' was removed in favor of `-a'. qq. The `exec' builtin has new options: -l, -c, -a. rr. The `hash' builtin has a new option: -p. ss. The `history' builtin has new options: -c, -p, -s. tt. The `jobs' builtin has new options: -r, -s. uu. The `kill' builtin has new options: -n signum, -l signame. vv. The `pushd' and `popd' builtins have a new option: -n. ww. The `read' builtin has new options: -p prompt, -e, -a. xx. The `readonly' builtin has a new -a option, and the -n option was removed. yy. Changes to the `set' builtin: o new options: -B, -o keyword, -o onecmd, -o history o options removed: -l, -d, -o nohash o options changed: +o, -h, -o hashall o now displays variables in a format that can be re-read as input zz. The new `shopt' builtin controls shell optional behavior previously done by setting and unsetting certain shell variables. aaa. The `test' builtin has new operators: -o option, s1 == s2, s1 < s2, and s1 > s2, where s1 and s2 are strings. bbb. There is a new trap, DEBUG, executed after every simple command. ccc. The `trap' builtin has a new -p option. ddd. The `ulimit' builtin has a new -l option on 4.4BSD-based systems. eee. The PS1, PS2, PATH, and IFS variables may now be unset. fff. The restricted shell mode has been expanded and is now documented. ggg. Security improvements: o functions are not imported from the environment if running setuid or with -p o no startup files are sourced if running setuid or with -p hhh. The documentation has been overhauled: the texinfo manual was expanded, and HTML versions of the man page and texinfo manual are included. iii. Changes to Posix mode: o Command lookup now finds special builtins before shell functions. o Failure of a special builtin causes a non-interactive shell to exit. Failures are defined in the POSIX.2 specification. o If the `cd' builtin finds a directory to change to using $CDPATH, the value assigned to PWD when `cd' completes does not contain any symbolic links. o A non-interactive shell exits if a variable assignment error occurs when no command name follows the assignment statements. o A non-interactive shell exits if the interation variable in a `for' statement or the selection variable in a `select' statement is read-only or another variable assignment error occurs. o The `<>' redirection operator now opens a file for both stdin and stdout by default, not just when in posix mode. o Assignment statements preceding special builtins now persist in the shell's environment when the builtin completes. Posix mode is now completely POSIX.2-compliant (modulo bugs). When invoked as sh, bash should be completely POSIX.2-compliant. jjj. The default value of PS1 is now "\s-\v\$ ". kkk. The ksh-like ((...)) arithmetic command syntax has been implemented. This is exactly equivalent to `let "..."'. lll. Integer constants have been extended to base 64. mmm. The `ulimit' builtin now sets both hard and soft limits and reports the soft limit by default. 2. New Features in Readline a. New variables: enable-keypad, input-meta (new name for meta-flag), mark-directories, visible-stats (now documented), disable-completion, comment-begin. b. New bindable commands: kill-region, copy-region-as-kill, copy-backward-word, copy-forward-word, set-mark, exchange-point-and-mark, character-search, character-search-backward, insert-comment, glob-expand-word, glob-list-expansions, dump-variables, dump-macros. c. New emacs keybindings: delete-horizontal-space (M-\), insert-completions (M-*), possible-completions (M-=). d. The history-search-backward and history-search-forward commands were modified to be the same as previous-line and next-line if point is at the start of the line. e. More file types are available for the visible-stats mode. 3. Changes of interest in the Bash implementation a. There is a new autoconf-based configuration mechanism. b. More things have been moved from Posix mode to standard shell behavior. c. The trace output (set -x) now inserts quotes where necessary so it can be reused as input. d. There is a compile-time option for a system-wide interactive shell startup file (disabled by default). e. The YACC grammar is smaller and tighter, and all 66 shift-reduce conflicts are gone. Several parsing bugs have been fixed. f. Builtin option parsing has been regularized (using internal_getopt()), with the exception of `echo', `type', and `set'. g. Builtins now return standard usage messages constructed from the `short doc' used by the help builtin. h. Completion now quotes using backslashes by default, but honors user-supplied quotes. i. The GNU libc malloc is available as a configure-time option. j. There are more internationalization features; bash uses gettext if it is available. The $"..." translation syntax uses the current locale and gettext. k. There is better reporting of job termination when the shell is not interactive. l. The shell is somewhat more efficient: it uses a little less memory and makes fewer system calls. 4. Changes of interest in the Readline implementation a. There is now support for readline `callback' functions. b. There is now support for user-supplied input, redisplay, and terminal preparation functions. c. Most of the shell-specific code in readline has been generalized or removed. d. Most of the annoying redisplay bugs have been fixed, notably the problems with incremental search and excessive redrawing when special characters appear in the prompt string. e. There are new library functions and variables available to application writers, most having to do with completion and quoting. f. The NEWLINE character (^J) is now treated as a search terminator by the incremental search functions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright notice and this notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is, without any warranty. |
Greetings, Freshman class of 2021! Welcome to the 40 acres and the dawn of the Era of Alignment. It’s been an eventful offseason, what with the revelation that Tom Herman is in fact 6 separate clones. The Tom Hermans wasted no time, dividing and conquering stadium renovations, a locker room face-lift, and the compilation of the 2nd ranked (as of this writing) recruiting class in the nation. Emphasizing attention to detail, an entire clone was even dedicated exclusively to monitoring hydration levels. His name is Dennis. By employing a replicant strategy that draws the envious eye of Marvel itself, Texas has in one short offseason thrust itself back into the national consciousness. A consensus preseason Top 25 team, much to the chagrin of, well... literally everyone, the Longhorns now have the unenviable task of living up to hype built by lots of internets but very few wins. Par for the course for the boys in Burnt Orange? Only time will tell. Now, speaking of par for the course, have you heard about our beautifully furnished casitas?
A lot has happened since we last met.
Like Osiris, Charlie Strong had to die to ultimately make the program stronger. A good coach and even better man, we should take a second to reflect on his contributions to our errrrrrrrrrbody.
Icing, in excess of several metric tons, was quietly procured by Bellmont over the summer. Speculation continues to abound as to what large baked good could require such accoutrement.
Game of Thrones had that episode where the people did the thing that those people shouldn’t do but you kind of secretly wanted them to do and and that awesome thing that became a bad thing did a cool thing that is not good but was still awesome. #nospoilers
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition, not even this acrostic.
Mark Emmert emerged from his offseason chrysalis, where he solidified his exoskeleton for yet another year deflecting hurled copies of NCAA Football 14.
Eclipse watching took the nation by storm, as the piles of Mayweather/McGregor cash briefly blocked the sun from view..
Nobody showed up for Maryland’s spring game.
Tiger-cats of the CFL called the Night King with a tan up to Canada then promptly reversed course within 24 hours.
Better Know A Roster
Kasim Hill (QB, FR) - There is no way that this is a disguised and inexplicably-still-eligible, Longhorn-abuser Taysom Hill or any of his family members who may’ve been sired while on Mission in Washington, DC...right?
Qwuantrezz Knight (DB, SO) - There is almost an art to the superfluousness on display here. The extraneous “w,” the tacking on of the after-thought, second z to really sell the buzz of it …and don’t even get me started on the silencing of voiceless velar plosives in the anglicization of proto-Germanic cognates going on in that last name!
Jayden Comma (WR, FR) - Jayden can trace his lineage all the way back to Lord Nigel Augustus Comma, a student at Christ Church, Oxford. While exchanging letters with a chum studying at St. John’s, Cambridge, Lord Nigel grew to be very alarmed. He received a note that read “the dinner shall include devilled kidneys, beef and Wellington.” Now this could either mean that they were serving “beef wellington” or killing and cannibalizing Prime Minister Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Racing down the River Thames to get clarification, he came into contact with a boat from Cambridge, which he raced and created a tradition of some sort. Ultimately, he arrived at dinner and the very rich, bourgeoisie laughed at the misunderstanding. To this day, Jayden insists that we all use the pen-ultimate...Oxford Comma. That’s the way I heard it.
Fofie Bazzie (DB, FR) - Sounds like an awful English Grime rapper.
Shane Cockerille (LB, SR) - this kid started as a QB, moved after two years to FB, then became Maryland’s leading tackler and Middle Linebacker last year. If that’s not some terrifying Bill Snyder shit, you and I don’t watch the same program. Also his name sounds like a very southern, civil war general...but Maryland isn’t is isn’t in the South, right?
Max Bortenschlager (QB, SO) - Is illegal in every bar but The Aquarium.
Tyrrell Pigrome (QB, SO) - Recently named the starting QB. Also named after the most delicious variation of bacon, Roman Guanciale. That should keep Poona Ford hungry.
Kevin Woodeshick (TE, JR) - “Woodeshick: for all your manscaping needs.” (Not pictured - Juan Pedrogillete, Steve Wangdollarshaveclub)
Trivia:
TOM HERMAN READS THE PREGAMER! Taking cues from our Presidential tally of 2016, Tom Herman gave the Terps the “Presidential Backfield” nickname, the best thing the University of Maryland marketing team has done in decades.
Bear Bryant’s first head coaching job was at Maryland, on the recommendation of the (even more racist) Washington Redskins owner, who he met at a cocktail party hosted by the Chicago Tribune. He left after one year because the school president reinstated a player he kicked off the team while Bear was on vacation...whoops. It wouldn’t be the only school he used as a launching pad to an actual desirable location.
Jim Tatum, who led Maryland to their only National Championship, died of “Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever” which cut his Hall of Fame coaching career short at age 46. I cannot even fathom Twitter responding to that in 2017.
Queen Elizabeth saw her first game of American football at UMD’s Byrd Stadium during her first trip to the U.S. in 1957. That’s like President Obama catching his first Premier League match between Bournemouth and Huddersfield.
Current UMD Head Coach DJ Durkin apprenticed under 3 of the best coaches in the country:
Urban Meyer Jim Harbaugh Will Muschamp (stop laughing...we all believed this in 2010)
Maryland is kind of The South. They didn’t secede and mainly fought for the Union, but that may or may not have been because Lincoln arrested the dude’s who were going to vote to do so...and led to John Wilkes Boothe, a Marylander, to write that he assassinated Lincoln for the South. S-E-C!
Nick Saban, Texas’ 2nd choice to fill the Charlie Strong vacancy, has a difficult, but uplifting relationship with his coca-cola bottle.
Predictions:
Tejas Chaos: Turtles are amphibious. Tortoises are land reptiles. Terrapins are gonna lose.
Kyle Carpenter: The state of Texas is behind Tom Herman, so much so that Hurricane Harvey took the optimal hydration chart way too far. In all seriousness, writing this from Houston, a win would do a great deal to lift the spirits of a region and all of those affected. Horns come out #TexasStrong and never look back. 35 point win over the fighting Scott Van Pelts.
VY Pump Fake: Maryland’s defense will be surprisingly thin - much like Tom Herman’s Wayne Rooney cut. Texas by 19.
Parting Shot:
Never forget the time in 2014 when the Terrapins laughed in the face of lax NCAA anti-doping rules and created a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Terrapin, loosely based on Vernon Davis’ biceps. I’m calling him the Maryland Scareapin.
This is why Kevin Durant chose Texas over his hometown school... |
Next Week: 2017 Achievement Tracker Rewards
The more you play, the more rewards you'll unlock!
Every time you log into AQWorlds, you've got some goal: meeting up with friends, ranking your newest class, or farming for the Blinding Light of Destiny. The sense of satisfaction when you accomplish that goal is one of the best things about playing AQW! But we want to give you even MORE rewards for playing... and that's where the Achievement Tracker comes in.
NEW Achievement Tracker Rewards for 2017
8 years membership: Swordhaven Castle House
Swordhaven Castle House 500,000 ACs: BrightFall Fortress House
BrightFall Fortress House 9 years played: ShadowFall Fortress House
The 2017 Achievement Tracker rewards will launch with next weekend's Golden Gauntlet release in the Celestial Arena. Each of the 2017 Achievement Tracker houses is an exact replica of the zones themselves. Each house will also have:
Color Customization room
Hair / Appearance room
Bank room
Keep an eye on next week's Design Notse for the new NostalgiaQuest items! NostalgiaQuest is available to all players with the 8 years played achievement badge, and each year will get several new, very nostalgic items added to the zone.
What IS the Achievement Tracker?
If you're just hearing about the Achievement Tracker, it is one of the ways we reward you for staying, playing, and supporting AdventureQuest Worlds!
Time Played Badges track how old your account is (1 week, 1 year, 5 years, etc)
track how old your account is (1 week, 1 year, 5 years, etc) Sagas Completed Badges track which of the main storyline sagas you've finished
track which of the main storyline sagas you've finished Loyalty Badges tracks the support our Legends and AC buyers have contributed
Some of these rewards may take a while to unlock, but don't worry... they will never leave, so you can keep battling towards your goal!
3 different achievement categories: Sagas completed, Time Played, Loyalty
54 badges and 200+ items
3 of the badges are NEW this year: 9 years played, 8 years upgraded, and 500,000 ACs
200+ permanent reward items for you to unlock, including the NEW gear below!
And the best news: ALL of the progress you've ever made count towards the Achievement Tracker!
How to unlock your rewards:
Once you see an achievement unlocked on your Tracker, head in-game Open up your Book of Lore and go into the Achievements tab Scroll through your badges until you find your new badge and its shop Open the shop and get all the gear (0 ACs for free storage!)
Sagas Completed
Keep track of the main sagas in the 13 Lords of Chaos that you've completed! Grey badges mean you have yet to unlock the shop. Colored badges mean you can head in-game and find the reward shop in your Book of Lore!
Prologue: Ascended Avatar's Blade
Ascended Avatar's Blade Shadowfall: Shadow's Fang Gear
Shadow's Fang Gear Chiral Valley: Phoenix Hunter Set
Phoenix Hunter Set Dwarfhold: Mountain's Heart Gear
Mountain's Heart Gear Yokai: Amethyst Enchantment Gear
Amethyst Enchantment Gear Darkovia: Sapphire Enchantment Gear
Sapphire Enchantment Gear Mythsong: Rockstar Armor
Rockstar Armor Arcangrove: Arcana Invoker
Arcana Invoker Sandsea: Sun's Tear Gear
Sun's Tear Gear Bloodtusk: Horcs Master Phoenix Hunter Set
Horcs Master Phoenix Hunter Set Bloodtusk: TrollsElite Phoenix Hunter Set
TrollsElite Phoenix Hunter Set The Span: Ruler of the Deep Set
Ruler of the Deep Set Thunderforge: Blood Summoner Set
Blood Summoner Set Swordhaven: Cyber Ruler Set
Cyber Ruler Set Mirror Realm: Mirror Daimyo Pet
Mirror Daimyo Pet Chaos Realm: Lore's Champion Set
Time Played
Keep track of how old your account is... the longer you've been with us, the more rewards you get! Grey badges mean you have yet to unlock the shop. Colored badges mean you can head in-game and find the reward shop in your Book of Lore!
Time Played mockup
1 week: Ornate Blade of Light
Ornate Blade of Light 1 month: Hunter's Gear
Hunter's Gear 3 months: Vasalkar's Champion Set
Vasalkar's Champion Set 6 months: Emerald Emperor's General Set
Emerald Emperor's General Set 12 months: Beastmaster Ravager
Beastmaster Ravager 15 months: DoomKnight Battlemage Set
DoomKnight Battlemage Set 2 years: Doomknight Shadowmage Set
Doomknight Shadowmage Set 3 years: Prismatic Laser Set
Prismatic Laser Set 4 years: Bright Amadis Set
Bright Amadis Set 5 years: Cyber Dreadhaven General Set
Cyber Dreadhaven General Set 6 years: Gravelyn's Champion Set
Loyalty
The heroes who support the game by purchasing memberships and AdventureCoins are the lifeblood of AQWorlds! Without them, we could not keep the servers running or so much of the game available to anyone who wants to sign up and play. To thank them, we have several inventories' full of exclusive gear!
Each of the items in the Loyalty Achievement category come with a bonus, special item animation... or both as our way of saying THANKS!
What counts for the totals?
Each month of membership you've purchased (total time purchased, not used)
ACs included in membership packages you've purchased
The 5k bonus AC add-on you can choose to add to membership packages
Any regular AC packages you've purchased
ACs earned through doing AExtras offers
1 month: Gandolphin Pet
Gandolphin Pet 2 months: Ultimate Flame Katana
Ultimate Flame Katana 3 months: Celestial Paladin Set
Celestial Paladin Set 6 months: Illusionist Set
Illusionist Set 9 months: Phoenix Armor
Phoenix Armor 12 months: Elite Asgardian Set
Elite Asgardian Set 15 months: Bitterblade Rogue Set
Bitterblade Rogue Set 2 years: Chaos Watcher Armor
Chaos Watcher Armor 3 years: DragonSlayer Inquisitor Set
DragonSlayer Inquisitor Set 4 years: Jade Dragon Mage Set
Jade Dragon Mage Set 5 years: Toxic Flame Biker Morph and house item*
500 ACs: Floating Matrix Conduit Katana pet
Floating Matrix Conduit Katana pet 2000 ACs: Blazing Chaos Gear
Blazing Chaos Gear 12000 ACs: Overclocked Techsuit Set
Overclocked Techsuit Set 25000 ACs: Noxious Symbiote Armor
Noxious Symbiote Armor 50000 ACs: Toxic Symbiote Armor
Toxic Symbiote Armor 100,000 ACs: Necromancer Rising Set
Necromancer Rising Set 200,000 ACs: Platinum GryphonRider Set
Achievement Tracker Rewards: The Whys and Whats
A "reward" is, by definition, something that must be earned. It's given in return for service, merit, hardship, etc.
For players who unlock the "Time Played" badges, the achievement tracker gear is a reward for their dedication and stamina, for staying with our community.
For players who unlock the "Sagas Completed" badges, the achievement tracker gear is a reward for their skill and drive to complete the many in-game sagas.
For players who unlock the "Loyalty" badges, the achievement tracker gear is a reward for having the desire and ability to financially support the development of the game.
Achievement tracker gear is a bonus, an extra bit of "oomph" to make the act of reaching the goals even more awesome!
For those of you unlocking new achievements this year, I hope you enjoy your bonuses! For those of you who are SO CLOSE to beating that saga or reaching that anniversary, keep at it! For those of you who have helped allow us to continue updating each week, thank you for your support!
Remember: none of the achievement tracker rewards go rare. If you can't get the thing you want today, it will still be here tomorrow, next month, and next year! |
Wow! Talk about a great way to end the year. Check out this big news out of Seattle!
SEATTLE, WA — Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn sent a letter to the city’s two chief pension funds on friday, formally requesting that they “refrain from future investments in fossil fuel companies and begin the process of divesting our pension portfolio from those companies.”
“Climate change is one of the most important challenges we currently face as a city and as a society,” wrote Mayor McGinn in a letter to the Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS) Board and the City of Seattle Voluntary Deferred Compensation Plan Committee. “I believe that Seattle ought to discourage these companies from extracting that fossil fuel, and divesting the pension fund from these companies is one way we can do that.”
Over 2,000 people joined 350.org in Seattle on November 7 to kick-off the “Do the Math” tour and nationwide divestment campaign
Along with encouraging the pension funds to divest, Mayor McGinn also committed to making sure that city funds stay out of the fossil fuel industry, writing, “The City’s cash pool is not currently invested in fossil fuel companies, and I already directed that we refrain from doing so in the future.”
Valued at $1.9 billion, SCERS is also the largest investment portfolio yet to consider fossil fuel divestment. While the full value of SCERS fossil fuel investments is still unknown, according to the city’s finance director, the system currently has $17.6 million invested in ExxonMobil and Chevron, which represents roughly 0.9% of the system’s assets.
Seattle is the first city in the nation to join the growing Go Fossil Free divestment campaign, an effort that has quickly spread to over 192 campuses across the country and is now moving off campus to cities and states.
Mayor McGinn helped launch this new divestment movement on November 7, at the kick-off event for the “Do The Math” tour, a 21-city roadshow put on by the international climate campaign 350.org to connect the dots between extreme weather, climate change, and the fossil fuel industry. Standing in-front of 2,000 cheering Seattle residents, Mayor McGinn committed to look into divesting city funds from the industry–on Friday, he made good on his word.
“Mayor McGinn deserves great credit for being a pioneer,” said 350.org founder and Bill McKibben, who has helped spearhead the new divestment movement. “Sandy was a reminder of just how much our cities have at stake from climate change–standing up to the fossil fuel companies isn’t easy, but it’s much easier than standing up to an ever-rising ocean.”
In his letter to the pension boards, Mayor McGinn highlighted the threat climate change poses to Seattle and the reasons why divestment was both the moral and responsible thing to do.
“There is a clear economic argument for divestment,” wrote McGinn. “While fossil fuel companies do generate a return on our investment, Seattle will suffer greater economic and financial losses from the impact of unchecked climate change.”
###
Here’s the full text of Mayor McGinn’s letter:
To the members of the Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System Board:
I write to you today to ask that you refrain from future investments in fossil fuel companies and begin the process of divesting our pension portfolio from those companies. I recognize that this process will require a thorough evaluation of the portfolio’s performance, assets, and investment strategies. City staff stand ready to assist you in this work.
Climate change is one of the most important challenges we currently face as a city and as a society. We have watched in recent weeks as weather influenced by climate change has caused significant damage and financial losses to cities and states on the East Coast. The projections suggest that the problem could get much worse. According to Bill McKibben and 350.org, fossil fuel corporations now have 2,795 gigatons of carbon dioxide in their reserves, five times the amount considered safe to avoid catastrophic climate change.
I believe that Seattle ought to discourage these companies from extracting that fossil fuel, and divesting the pension fund from these companies is one way we can do that. The City’s cash pool is not currently invested in fossil fuel companies, and I already directed that we refrain from doing so in the future. In addition, I am asking the Deferred Compensation Plan Committee to develop options for City employees to allow them to move their investments out of fossil fuel companies if desired, and to offer fossil fuel free investment choices to them refrain from future investments in fossil fuel.
The City of Seattle’s finance director informs me that two of the system’s top 10 investments are with ExxonMobil and Chevron. The pension system has currently $17.6 million invested with these two firms, which represents roughly 0.9% of the system’s $1.9 billion in assets. I understand that it is likely the system has investments in other fossil fuel-related entities as well.
There is a clear economic argument for divestment. While fossil fuel companies do generate a return on our investment, Seattle will suffer greater economic and financial losses from the impact of unchecked climate change. Our infrastructure, our businesses, and our communities would face greater risk of damages and losses due to turbulent weather that climate change causes. As a waterfront city, several of our neighborhoods and industrial districts are at risk if climate change causes a significant rise in sea level.
I believe that Seattle’s pension funds should be invested in companies that can provide a good return on our investment without putting our city and our future at risk. I am ready to work with the City Council and the pension board to make this happen.
Sincerely,
Mike McGinn
Mayor of Seattle |
Perth Zoo orangutan released into Sumatran wild
Updated
Sorry, this video has expired Video: Perth Zoo releases Nyaru into the wild (ABC News)
An orangutan born at Perth Zoo has been released into the Sumatran jungle as part of a world-leading program.
The male orangutan, named Nyaru, is the third to be released from the zoo.
The eight-year-old ape was put through "Jungle School" ahead of its departure - learning to find food and water, make a nest and stay in the trees.
"His natural skills and the skills we had taught him before leaving the zoo enabled him to explore and settle into his new world," Perth Zoo primate supervisor Holly Thompson said.
"It was amazing to watch an animal I have known since birth navigate the jungle canopy."
Nyaru has been fitted with a radio transmitter and will be tracked by biologists for up to two years through the dense terrain.
Perth Zoo is the only zoo in the world releasing Sumatran orangutans into the wild.
A previous release, a male named Semeru, died from a snake bite two years after its arrival in the rainforest.
Temara made world history in 2006 as the first zoo-born Sumatran Orangutan to be released.
The ape was tracked for three years while it settled into the jungle.
Zoo staff said Nyaru had already shown interest in a female.
"The ultimate goal for Nyaru is that he fully adjusts to life in the forest and ultimately fathers young," Ms Thompson said.
"Judging by his strong interest in this female, we have high hopes he'll do us proud."
Nyaru was released into a protected rainforest in Indonesia with other orangutans that had been orphaned or rescued from the illegal pet trade.
It is hoped they will establish a sustainable population in the wild.
Fewer than 6,500 Sumatran orangutans remain in the wild and the species is listed as critically endangered.
The main threats include habitat loss and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade.
Topics: human-interest, zoos, endangered-and-protected-species, perth-6000, sumatra
First posted |
Unhappy with Arsenal's season, Gazidis does see a silver lining.
BURNLEY, England -- With the biggest trophies set to elude Arsenal again, chief executive Ivan Gazidis is "not happy" with the season overall but optimistic the recent resurgence indicates the team's future prospects are brighter.
A potential obstacle to Arsenal's ambitions, though, is the rise in television cash. Gazidis believes the Premier League will become even more competitive and harder for Arsenal -- and their usual top four rivals -- to maintain a perennial presence in the Champions League qualification places.
The Gunners have not won the league since 2004 but have been propelled to second this season with their first eight-game winning run since that title triumph. Earlier setbacks, though, for Arsene Wenger's second-placed team have contributed to Chelsea establishing a seven-point lead with a game in hand.
And Arsenal's shortcomings were exposed in Europe again with a round of 16 elimination in the Champions League, which it has never won.
Asked to assess this season, Gazidis said: "We are not happy but we are going to keep pushing to the end and see how far we can go."
The season could still end in silverware by defending the FA Cup, which produced Arsenal's first title in nine years last May. But the competition's status has diminished and it is the biggest prizes Arsenal wants to be collecting.
The talk for the last decade from Arsenal's leadership -- particularly during the costly process of building the Emirates Stadium -- has been that the team are on the verge of clicking and matching the success enjoyed between 1998 and 2004 again.
Can Arsenal be a force again?
"We are happy with the way the squad has developed and we are very focused how we can make a positive end to the season," Gazidis said. "After that it will be a question of how can we progress the team further so that we can have an even better season next year. We have a squad that's clearly coming together. It's a relatively young squad so it will continue to improve."
Since building Emirates Stadium, Arsenal have largely failed to live up to their fans' lofty standards.
More than $180 million was spent on players in the past two years, largely on attacking players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.
"We had a lot of new players this year who are beginning to gel together," Gazidis said. "We had a lot of injuries at the beginning of the season as well. Also coming off a World Cup year there are a lot of complex issues.
"We were trying to put the jigsaws into the right places at the beginning of the season. I think everyone can see those pieces are now beginning to fit. It gives us great optimism for the future."
But even Manchester City have discovered that heavy spending does not offer a guaranteed path to glory, with the Abu Dhabi-owned club set to fail to defend a Premier League title again. And Southampton have been the surprise package of the campaign, sitting in fifth place despite seeing many of their stars prized away by clubs in the offseason.
"I think the league is going to get more and more competitive," Gazidis said, responding to a question about City's struggles. "I do think that is a long-term trend. People talk about Financial Fair Play inhibiting competition.
Burnley Burnley Arsenal Arsenal 0 1 FT Game Details GameCast
Lineups and Stats
"I think it's completely the opposite because what it means is, you are going to see more Southamptons, more challenger teams coming in because revenue has gone up."
A 70-percent leap in domestic TV rights to $8 billion for the three seasons starting in 2016-17 could see even the bottom-placed finishers earn $140 million in broadcast revenue. The champions could rake in more than $200 million.
"Most of this new revenue is shared very, very equally around the league," Gazidis said. "We are going to have teams ... who will to be able to sign top class players. There will be teams that do it very, very well and they are going to be challenging for those top four places.
"So I think it's going to become more competitive which is going to be more challenging for clubs like us but I think it's going to be great news for broadcasters."
Gazidis spoke to The Associated Press ahead of Arsenal's 1-0 victory at Burnley on Saturday, a game shown live on broadcast television across the United States. It is the growth in international revenue that has cemented the Premier League's status as the world's top domestic soccer competition.
NBC is paying $250 million under its current three-year deal with the league -- a figure that is likely to soar for 2016-19. The league is currently selling those international TV rights, which analysts have said could generate an extra $5 billion.
What makes the league so attractive is being a magnet for leading players. But the English Football Association is trying to impose restrictions that would see Premier League squads restricted to 13 non-homegrown players from 17 by 2020. The FA has already convinced the government to tighten work permit rules for players coming in from outside of the European Union.
"In England we are interested in the development of English players and the development of the England national team, but I think our global audiences are primarily driven by the intensity of the competition and the quality of play," Gazidis said.
"I don't think the new rules make a very significant directional change. I think the rules will rework to make them a little bit more objective. Whether that will lead to fewer non-EU players coming in or not, or whether the players coming in will be of lesser quality than the ones we have had in the past, it's too early to say." |
Nearly two decades after he graduated from the University’s Medical School, Sanjay Gupta will return to his home state to deliver this year’s Spring Commencement speech on April 28 at the Big House.
Gupta, a native of Novi, currently serves as CNN’s chief medical correspondent, where he contributes to various CNN shows and is the anchor of the self-titled show, “Sanjay Gupta M.D.,” which airs on weekends. He is also a practicing neurosurgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and authored two books about medicine, and his first novel will be released tomorrow.
In an exclusive interview with The Michigan Daily on Friday, University President Mary Sue Coleman said Gupta serves as an influential example of what University graduates can aspire to become.
“We thought he so represents Michigan alums and the impact that they can have on the world,” Coleman said. “In so many areas, he has really become a spokesperson who has tremendous influence in the country so I think for young people he really does represent a terrific role model.”
Gupta was on vacation last weekend and unable to be reached for comment, according to his assistant.
Gupta started school at the University as an undergraduate in 1986, and then continued on to the University’s Medical School, specializing in neurosurgery through Inteflex — a program no longer offered at the University that granted high-school students admission to the University for their undergraduate studies and medical school.
At the request of Medical School students, Gupta returned to the Medical School in 2009 to deliver their commencement speech. Medical School Dean James Woolliscroft said he was pleased with Gupta’s 2009 address, and expects Gupta’s upcoming commencement speech to showcase his commitment to humanity.
“He did a superb job then, and I fully expect he’ll do a superb job for commencement this spring as well,” Woolliscroft said.
Woolliscroft said he remembers Gupta’s impressive academic work as a student.
“He certainly was very, very capable,” Wooliscroft said. “He excelled as a medical student, and he also excelled as a neurosurgical resident. He has a very broad interest for many years going back to the time of training.”
In addition to giving the keynote address, Gupta will receive a Doctorate of Humane Letters.
Susan Orlean, a University alum, novelist and writer for The New Yorker, has accepted an invitation to be the speaker at the University Graduate Exercises on April 27 in Hill Auditorium, and she will also receive a Doctorate of Humane Letters.
Coleman said she expects the student reaction to these speakers to be positive because of their status as University alums.
“I think the fact that they’re both well-known, accomplished and from us (will make people) have a lot of pride,” Coleman said.
Gupta was nominated to the University’s Honorary Degree Committee, a group designated to select recipients of University Honorary Degrees, last year and was added to the list of possible recipients nominated every winter and spring when selections are made. The committee and the University’s Board of Regents must approve Gupta, along with the other honorary degree recipients, at their monthly meeting this Thursday.
“We try to balance interests, we try to balance areas across the University … so that we give students a chance to see this broad spectrum of accomplishments,” Coleman said.
Four additional honorary degree recommendations will be recommended at the meeting, including José Antonio Abreu, J. Ira Harris, Richard Sarns and Chris Van Allsburg. Coleman said she is excited for this year’s recipients, calling them a “great fleet.”
Additionally, Coleman is recommending University alum Chris Van Allsburg, the author of “Jumanji” and “The Polar Express,” for a Doctor of Humane Letters.
Van Allsburg has won the Caldecott Medal, an award given annually to the author of an exceptional children’s picture book in America by the Association for Library Service to Children, in 1982 for “Jumanji” and 1986 for “The Polar Express,” according to the ALSC website. Both children’s books have been turned into major motion pictures.
A Venezuelan musician and educator who completed some of his graduate work at the University, Abreu is the founder of El Sistema, a youth program that teaches music to underprivileged children, and he will receive a Doctor of Music degree.
“He uses the string education to bring young people out of poverty and hundreds of thousands of young people in Venezuela are part of these orchestras,” Coleman said. “I think that’s going to be just a terrific (thing) to bring him and honor him for what he’s done in the world.”
Harris, a University alum who served on the University’s Investment Advisory Committee will be awarded a Doctor of Laws degree. Harris, a notable figure in the financial world serves as the chairman of the recently established consulting firm J. I. Harris & Associates.
Richard Sarns, a biomedical engineer and inventor who hails from Ann Arbor, will be given a Doctor of Engineering at Thursday’s meeting. Sarns collaborated with doctors at the University Hospital to develop the Sarns machine, a device used during open-heart surgery which is now used around the world. |
Pierre Desproges (May 9, 1939 – April 18, 1988) was a French humorist. He was born in Pantin, Seine-Saint-Denis. According to himself, he made no significant achievements before the age of 30. From 1967 to 1970, he worked as: life insurance salesman, opinion pool investigator, "lonely hearts" columnist, horse racing forecaster, and sales manager for a styrofoam beam company.
From 1970 to 1976, he worked for the newspaper L'Aurore. Starting in 1975, he became a "reporter" on Le petit rapporteur (The Little Snitch), a satirical TV show hosted by Jacques Martin. He caught the public's attention with unconventional interviews of celebrities, among them novelists Françoise Sagan or Jean-Edern Hallier.
He appeared for the first time on stage at the Olympia theater during a Thierry Le Luron show. Among other things, he became very famous for his Chroniques de la haine ordinaire (Chronicles of Ordinary Hatred), a 1986 radio show.
In the 1980s, he appeared daily on Le tribunal des flagrants délires (a pun on the French term "flagrant délit" meaning red-handed), a comedy show where celebrities were judged in mock-trials. Desproges held the part of the prosecutor for more than two years, a part for which his verve, his scathing humour and his literary erudition were ideally suited.
In 1982, he created La minute nécessaire de Monsieur Cyclopède, a series of shorts for TV, where he played an omniscient professor. He answered to metaphysical and nonsensical questions such as "How to make King Louis XVI fireproof?", proved that Beethoven was not deaf but stupid, and explained why the improbable encounter between the Venus de Milo and Saint Exupéry's 'Petit Prince' was a fiasco. Each episode ended with the catchphrase: "Étonnant, non ?" ("Astonishing, isn't it?")
In 1984, he had his first stand-up show at the Théâtre Fontaine. In 1986, his second stand-up, Pierre Desproges se donne en spectacle was presented at the Théâtre Grévin. He started work on a third stand-up, and the drafts were ultimately published in 2010.
In 1987, doctors discovered he had inoperable lung cancer in an advanced stage, and his relatives, in agreement with the doctors, decided to hide the condition from him, so he could spend his final days quietly. He died in 1988, from a disease he had bitterly laughed at time and time again, often saying "I won't have cancer: I'm against it". He is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. His epitaph reads: "Pierre Desproges est mort d'un cancer, étonnant, non ?" ("Pierre Desproges died of cancer, astonishing, isn't it?")
Books [ edit ] |
Construction crews have been working around the clock for weeks to finish the 6,500-seat stadium, while the Astros and Nationals practiced in separate complexes on each side of the venue. Crews will be putting the finishing touches on the stadium throughout the spring, but much of that construction won't be visible to the teams or fans.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Commissioner Rob Manfred will help usher in a new era of Grapefruit League baseball at 1:05 p.m. ET Tuesday afternoon when the Astros and Nationals meet in the inaugural game at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the jewel of the new Spring Training facility the clubs began sharing this year.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Commissioner Rob Manfred will help usher in a new era of Grapefruit League baseball at 1:05 p.m. ET Tuesday afternoon when the Astros and Nationals meet in the inaugural game at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the jewel of the new Spring Training facility the clubs began sharing this year.
Construction crews have been working around the clock for weeks to finish the 6,500-seat stadium, while the Astros and Nationals practiced in separate complexes on each side of the venue. Crews will be putting the finishing touches on the stadium throughout the spring, but much of that construction won't be visible to the teams or fans.
• Watch Tuesday's game on MLB.TV
"It's been a long time coming," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "To be the road team and only have to travel 100 yards is pretty remarkable."
Video: Hinch, Luhnow excited by new Spring Training facility
Manfred, who was at the November 2015 groundbreaking for the $150 million project, will be in attendance Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Nationals principal owners Ted and Annette Lerner, and members of their family, will join Astros owner Jim Crane, members of his family and executive team, as well as West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County officials at the ceremony.
A flyover will be held prior to first pitch by the U.S. Coast Guard from Air Station Miami, and the national anthem will be performed by the Palm Beach opera soprano Jessica Fishenfeld.
"I'm very impressed because they've been working around the clock," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "I mean, these guys, every day I see something new. Just like I was coming in the front door they had the little railings up there and I was like, 'Man, I saw them two days ago they weren't up.' So I'm very impressed.
"I've only been in the stadium one time when I first got here two weeks ago. So I don't know; I have an idea what it looks like, but I won't know until I get in there actually. I'm impressed at the speed and the quality."
Video: Baker on Nationals' new Spring Training facility
The Nationals moved to West Palm Beach after training in Viera since they were still the Montreal Expos in 2003. The franchise previously trained in West Palm Beach from 1969-71 and 1981-97. The Astros had trained in Kissimmee since 1985.
Washington is the designated home team Tuesday, and the Astros will be the home team for the first time when they play the Marlins on Wednesday. The Astros and Nats will meet each other seven times this spring in the ballpark.
"I'm fired up," Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said. "I haven't even looked in there yet. I wanted to wait until the first game to go in there. I'm excited, man. It's going to be a blast."
Fans can still purchase tickets for the inaugural opener at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Tickets start at just $20 and are available here or in-person at the newly opened Ballpark of the Palm Beaches box office. |
Gottscho-Schleisner Rockefeller Center NYC, RCA Building Sep 1 1933
As fear begins to scare the vanguard of the herd into what may develop into a rampage, the eurocrisis is back with a vengeance. Portuguese bank Esperito Santo leads the way down through missed payments, bringing the Lisbon exchange to its knees with a -4.5% plunge as I write this, with northern EU exchanges showing -1.5% losses and southern ones -2.5%. Markets start to realize than all PIIGS now have much higher state debts than before the crisis started, and that they still are very much big risks, no matter what Draghi and his never fired bazooka say. The same Draghi who, by the way, reiterated once again that Brussels should be given more – and more centralized – power. As if the May election never happened. Of course EU finances were always a mess; it’s just that now we can see it.
So, that taken care of, let’s turn to another mess: energy. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has a nice piece out in which he labels the oil, gas and coal industry “the subprime of this cycle”. And as always, he has a lot of interesting data, and undermines them with his own analysis. It’s what he does. Still, if we simply ignore his personal views, there is plenty to “enjoy”. It’s not as if The Automatic Earth hasn’t but the energy market, especially shale, down to size sufficiently, but it’s always nice to have some new numbers, certainly when they’re absurdly large:
Fossil Industry Is The Subprime Danger Of This Cycle
The epicentre of irrational behaviour across global markets has moved to the fossil fuel complex of oil, gas and coal. This is where investors have been throwing the most good money after bad. [..] Data from Bank of America show that oil and gas investment in the US has soared to $200 billion a year. It has reached 20% of total US private fixed investment, the same share as home building. This has never happened before in US history, even during the Second World War when oil production was a strategic imperative. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says global investment in fossil fuel supply doubled in real terms to $900 billion from 2000 to 2008 as the boom gathered pace. It has since stabilised at a very high plateau, near $950 billion last year.
All that investment looks for production that more and more vanishes beyond a receding horizon. That’s why there is so much of it: it gets more expensive, fast, to find new reserves that can actually be produced. Whether they can, if they are found at all, be produced at an economically viable level is quite another question, and one to which answers are mostly kept conveniently opaque. Big Oil is in a big bind, but oil and gas is what they do, whether it’s available or not. These companies are fighting a bitter fight just to stay alive, and given their economic and political power, that fight is sure to get very ugly.
The cumulative blitz on exploration and production over the past six years has been $5.4 trillion, yet little has come of it. Output from conventional fields peaked in 2005. Not a single large project has come on stream at a break-even cost below $80 a barrel for almost three years. “What is shocking is that upstream costs in the oil industry have risen threefold since 2000 but output is up just 14%,” said Mark Lewis, from Kepler Cheuvreux. The damage has been masked so far as big oil companies draw down on their cheap legacy reserves. “They are having to look for oil in the deepwater fields off Africa and Brazil, or in the Arctic, where it is much more difficult. The marginal cost for many shale plays is now $85 to $90 a barrel.”
Upstream costs are up 200%, output rose just 14%. That’s just plain nasty. A few days ago we saw a report that said a joint Shell and Aramco gas project in Saudi Arabia, which cost tens of billions of dollars, came up utterly empty handed, despite the fact that the IEA claims there are trillions of cubic feet in reserves “available” there. That’s the kind of issue Big Oil runs into. And then they invest more. I think it was the Marcellus play that saw its estimates cut by 95% or so recently. Much of the industry runs on insanely optimistic estimates these days, lest nobody wants to fund their exploits any longer. You better look good than feel good.
A report by Carbon Tracker says companies are committing $1.1 trillion over the next decade to projects that require prices above $95 to break even. The Canadian tar sands mostly break even at $80-$100. Some of the Arctic and deepwater projects need $120. Several need $150. Petrobras, Statoil, Total, BP, BG, Exxon, Shell, Chevron and Repsol are together gambling $340 billion in these hostile seas. Martijn Rats, from Morgan Stanley, says the biggest European oil groups (BP, Shell, Total, Statoil and Eni) spent $161 billion on operations and dividends last year, but generated $121 billion in cash flow. They face a $40 billion deficit even though Brent crude prices were buoyant near $100, due to disruptions in Libya, Iraq and parts of Africa. “Oil development is so expensive that many projects do not make sense,” he said.
The word “gambling” is well chosen. Thousands of billions are laid out on the crap table. Big Oil wants nothing more than rising gas prices. But western economies – plus China, Japan – would implode if prices went even “just” to $150 a barrel. The price itself would increase their profits, but the economic collapse it would cause would take those profits away again.
… the sheer scale of “stranded assets” and potential write-offs in the fossil industry raises eyebrows. IHS Global Insight said the average return on oil and gas exploration in North America has fallen to 8.6%, lower than in 2001 when oil was trading at $27 a barrel. A large chunk of US investment is going into shale gas ventures that are either underwater or barely breaking even, victims of their own success in creating a supply glut. One chief executive acidly told the TPH Global Shale conference that the only time his shale company ever had cash-flow above zero was the day he sold it – to a gullible foreigner. The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies says the Eagle Ford Dry Gas field, the Marcellus WC T2 and “C” Counties, Powder River, Cotton Valley, among others, are all losing money at the current Henry Hub spot price of $4.50. “The benevolence of the US capital markets cannot last forever,” it said.
In 2001, when prices were a quarter of what they are, profit margins were higher. That’s how much production costs have gone up in just 13 years. Many if not most shale plays are already losing money, kept alive by financial speculation, not energy returns. But it may take a while before people understand how that works: shale is still lauded as the big savior. Even Ambrose begs to differ:
This does not mean shale has been a failure. Optimists still hope it will reach a “positive inflexion point” in five years or so, the typical pattern for a fledgling industry. … the low-hanging fruit has been picked and the costs are ratcheting up. Three Forks McKenzie in Montana has a break-even price of $91. Nor does it mean that America has made a mistake. Shale has been a timely shot in the arm, helping the US economy achieve “escape velocity” from the Great Recession, unlike Europe, which lurched back into a double-dip recession. It has whittled down the US current account deficit, now just 2% of GDP. Cheap gas costs – a third of EU prices and a quarter of Asian prices – has brought US industry back from near death, perhaps for long enough to give America another two decades of superpower ascendancy. But making money out of shale is another matter.
Ambrose needs to read up on depletion rates for shale wells. Shale is a financial play, not an energy source. At least, not for more than a few years. “Another two decades of superpower ascendancy” is just silly. And he himself quoted the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, which states very clearly why that is: “The benevolence of the US capital markets cannot last forever.” Nor the benevolence of other capital markets, for that matter.
Then he turns to another issue that faces Big Oil:
Even if the fossil companies navigate the next global downturn more or less intact, they are in the untenable position of booking vast assets that can never be burned without violating global accords on climate change. The IEA says that two-thirds of their reserves become fictional if there is a binding deal limit to CO2 levels to 450 particles per million (ppm), the maximum deemed necessary to stop the planet rising more than two degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels. It crossed the 400 ppm threshold this spring, the highest in more than 800,000 years. “Under a global climate deal consistent with a two degrees centigrade world, we estimate that the fossil fuel industry would stand to lose $28 trillion of gross revenues over the next two decades, compared with business as usual,” said Mr Lewis. The oil industry alone would face stranded assets of $19 trillion, concentrated on deepwater fields, tar sands and shale.
Now those are numbers! Now we’re getting somewhere. Can anyone imagine Shell and ExxonMobil giving up on $1.4 trillion in revenue, year after year, for 20 years? I sure can’t. Look, Germany is supposed to be this green economy, but they’ve increased their – brown – coal use substantially recently, to make up for lost nuclear power. It’s nice to talk about ideals, Obama is increasingly chiming in, but legislating Big Oil out of existence is a whole other thing. And so is collapsing your own economy through $15 a gallon prices at the pump.
By their actions, the oil companies implicitly dismiss the solemn climate pledges of world leaders as posturing, though shareholders are starting to ask why management is sinking so much their money into projects with such political risk. This insouciance is courting fate. President Barack Obama’s new Climate Action Plan aims to cut US emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030. His Clean Air Act is a drastic assault on coal-fired power plants, “industrial sabotage by regulatory means” in the words of the industry lobby. China too is trying to break free of coal after anti-smog protests across the cities of the Eastern Seaboard. It is shutting down its coal-fired plants in Beijing this year. There is a ban on new coal plants in key regions. The Communist Party’s Five-Year Plan aims to cap demand at 3.9 billion tonnes a year up to 2015. Since the country consumes half the world’s coal supply, this has left Australia’s coal industry high and dry, Exhibit number one of assets stranded by a sudden policy change. Peak coal demand is in sight.
Sounds nice, and – almost – believable, but what are we, and our leaders, going to do when these measures raise energy prices beyond affordability? What will be our priority? Cleaner and poor, and richer and dirty? At best, we won’t know the answer to that until we’re forced to provide it; answering it today, from a position of affluence, doesn’t count. As for coal: the harder it gets to find more oil, the more attractive it will seem to switch to the most abundant fossil to keep our feet and our children warm.
In any case, staggering gains in solar power – and soon battery storage as well – threatens to undercut the oil industry with lightning speed, perhaps in a race with cheap nuclear power from a coming generation of molten salt reactors. The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory has already captured 31.1% of the sun’s energy with a solar chip, but records keep being broken. Brokers Sanford Bernstein say we are entering an era of “global energy deflation” where gains in solar technology must relentlessly erode the viability of the fossil nexus, since it goes only in one direction. Deep sea drilling will become pointless. We can leave the Arctic alone. Once the crossover point is reached – and photovoltaic energy already competes with oil, diesel and liquefied natural gas in much of Asia without subsidies – it must surely turn into a stampede. My guess is that the world energy landscape will already look radically different in the early 2020s.
Sure, renewables are developing, but there are so many issues left to conquer that evoking an 10 year timeline for a “radically different energy landscape” looks wild. Our economies, which are very far from healthy, would need to cough up tens of trillions of dollars to build both equipment and infrastructure, and we don’t and won’t have that kind of money available; we’d need to borrow it, and add to our Andes-high pile of existing debt. The switch, if it ever happens, will take much longer, so long that it’s highly doubtful it will ever happen.
And besides, as mentioned above, who among us is going to tell Big Oil, and all of its major shareholders and highly-placed supporters in Congress and other parliaments, that they’re going to have to leave $28 trillion on the table and walk away? And what do we think their answer will be? They’re zombies, but they have a direct line into the blood of both you and the people you vote for.
it’s nice and all to think up cute little scenarios of how we’re all going to have solar panels and windmills and live in a blessed clean world, but in the real world we live in today, there are deeply entrenched economic and political power divisions and equally deeply vested interests that are not simply going to walk peacefully into the sunset and leave the world’s biggest fortune behind, just so we can do what we want. Reality is always dirtier, and in more than one way, than we like to think.
More importantly, we simply don’t have the wealth left that would allow us to make “the switch” from fossils to renewables. The plunging US markets I see now that I’m finishing this piece are just one more confirmation of that.
• If Ever The Stock Market Flashed A ‘Sell’ Signal, It’s Now (MarketWatch)
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking: Is this market going to go up another 10%? I have no idea. But this being a powerful market that can blow your account clean off if you’re wrong, you’ve gotta ask yourself: “Do I feel lucky?” Most investors seem to feel pretty confident that this market will never go down. But if you’ve studied bear markets, you know how this story will end. Don’t forget: Human nature never changes.At the point of maximum giddiness (or pain if you’re short-selling), the market always teaches investors a costly lesson. Right now, investors are chasing yield, but all it takes is one bad day to wipe out a year’s worth of gains. Sentiment indicators such as Investors Intelligence are at historic highs (that is bearish), and the RSI Wilder indicator is telling us the market is seriously overbought. Yes, the market can still go higher, but it’s on borrowed time. Don’t believe me? When you are standing 17,000 points in the air at the top of Dow Mountain, and the market is priced for perfection, there is nowhere to go but down. Although the market still has room to rise, so do interest rates. In fact, the odds are very good that interest rates will creep higher, and this will affect bonds and stocks. There is also an 800-pound gorilla in the room, and that is inflation. Shoppers already know that inflation is spreading. For example, cereal boxes are getting smaller while prices are rising. The price of orange juice and other commodities are skyrocketing. I could give a dozen more examples. The Fed seems to want inflation, as if it’s desirable. Here’s what I say to the Fed: Be careful what you wish for. Here’s how the market odds look to me: At the most, the upside is 5% or 10%, while the downside is potentially 25% or 30%. I’m not saying the market is going to fall that much, but in previous bear markets that’s exactly what happened (or worse) over several months or years. Like the game of three-card monte, while most investors are celebrating the all-time highs, prudent investors are looking underneath the hood. For example, the number of stocks making new highs is shrinking every week. And the stocks that are making new highs are not leading stocks, but many unknowns. That’s a red flag.
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What else is there?
• Art Cashin: ‘Ultra High’ Level Of Leverage In Stock Market (CNBC)
Big moves in a handful of stocks provided traders with a worrying signal—an “ultra-high” level of leverage in the stock market, veteran trader Art Cashin told CNBC on Wednesday. The trend could mean more volatility going forward, he added. Cashin said he saw a dozen stocks make 7% to 8% moves on Tuesday without any specific headlines to justify those swings. That left traders curious, and Cashin said they settled on high levels of leverage as a culprit behind the moves. “People must be three or four times normal leverage,” Cashin said. “We’ve seen margin accounts go up. We knew the hedge funds were playing. But to see extreme moves like that on nonspecific news tells me there’s a lot of leverage out there. … If we start to get a protracted move, it could get very volatile.”
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Over.
• Buyback Plunge Another Sign Bull Market Is Nearing Its End (MarketWatch)
Here’s another sign the bull market in stocks may be nearing an end: Companies have dramatically reduced share repurchases. New stock buybacks fell to $23.2 billion in June, the lowest level in a year and a half, according to fund tracker TrimTabs Investment Research. In May, the total was just $24.8 billion, and the monthly average in 2013 was $56 billion. That’s worrisome, according to TrimTabs CEO David Santschi, because “buyback volume has a high positive correlation with stock prices.” How high? Consider the correlation coefficient, a statistic that reflects the degree to which two series tend to zig and zag in lockstep. It ranges from plus 1 (which means the two series are perfectly correlated) to minus 1 (the two move inversely to each other). A zero correlation coefficient would mean there is no detectable relationship between the two series. According to Santschi, the correlation coefficient between monthly buyback volume and the stock market’s level, for the period from 2006 until this spring, was 0.61. That’s highly statistically significant. A high correlation also makes theoretical sense. That’s because, when a company announces a share-repurchase program, it sends a strong signal that its management really thinks its stock is undervalued — so much so that it’s willing to put its money where its mouth is. So it’s bullish for the overall market when lots of companies are simultaneously announcing such programs. To be sure, the monthly buyback data are quite volatile, so two months of anemic numbers don’t automatically doom the market. Santschi, for one, says that, if the slow pace continues through July, “we will become very concerned.”
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If borrowed money is debt, what is borrowed time called?
• ‘Rotten Rotation’ Signals Bull Market Living On Borrowed Time (The Tell)
Market bulls, beware.The stock market’s push to another round of record highs has hidden a “rotten rotation” that belies investor fears that the economic-growth story isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, argues Mike Ingram, market strategist at London-based BGC Brokers, in a note. Ingram highlights how bulls are now arguing that there is more equity volatility than indexes suggest. It might seem odd that bulls are actively talking up the kind of volatility that investors — often wrongly, according to Ingram — equate with increased risk. But their conclusion is always “unambiguously upbeat,” he says, with bulls arguing that markets aren’t complacent and that investors are very much engaged and placing active bets on future growth. Needless to say, Ingram isn’t convinced: It is notable that some of the best-performing sectors in equity markets this year are highly defensive — utilities and health care — while more economically sensitive sectors such as industrials and banks have struggled. In this regard at least, markets have yet to reflect the recovery that economists have been forecasting. Indeed the consensus view that investors position themselves in more cyclically exposed names did little better than pace the market in Q1 2014 and actually underperformed in the last quarter, even in the U.S. where growth seems reasonably entrenched. He also notes that value stocks are still struggling to outperform growth stocks, which is worrying “because one would normally expect ‘value’ to re-rate as economic growth broadens out and the premium that investors are willing to pay for growth stocks falls.” “This hasn’t really happened,” Ingram says. He observes that even after the occasional “growth scare” over the past few months, notably on the tech-heavy, and therefore growth-heavy, Nasdaq Composite, the index is still poised to challenge its 14-year-old, dot-com-era high. It’s not just equities that are flashing cautious signals, he says. Long-term bonds have defied predictions for a rout to instead rally this year.
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• Fed Moves Closer to Choosing Main Stimulus-Exit Tool (Bloomberg)
Federal Reserve officials moved closer to deciding on the main tool they will use to tighten monetary policy when the time comes, most likely next year. Most participants at the Federal Open Market Committee’s June meeting agreed that the interest rate on excess reserves banks keep on deposit at the Fed “should play a central role” in the exit from extraordinary monetary stimulus, according to minutes released today in Washington. Another tool, known as the overnight reverse repurchase facility, “could play a useful supporting role,” according to the minutes. The tool could be used to set the lowest rate at which holders of cash would be willing to lend. The Fed now pays 0.25% interest on bank reserves deposited overnight at the central bank. By contrast, it pays 0.05% on cash it borrows through its reverse repo facility, which is used by institutions such as money-market funds, which can’t deposit money at the Fed. Many members of the FOMC judged at the June meeting that “a relatively wide spread — perhaps near or above the current level of 20 basis points — would support trading in the federal funds market and provide adequate control over interest rates,” according to the minutes. A narrower spread between the two rates would give the reverse repo facility a bigger role by increasing incentives for depositors to pull cash out of banks and put it in money-market funds in search of higher interest.
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Well, now you know. Want to keep your dough in shares?
• Fed Plans To End Bond Purchases In October (MarketWatch)
Federal Reserve revealed in the minutes of its June meeting released Wednesday that it has decided to end its asset-purchase program in October if the economy stays on track. According to the new plan, the Fed will make a $15 billion final reduction at its October meeting, after trimming it by $10 billion at each meeting up to that point. Fed officials said that members of the public had asked them if the Fed would end the program in October or with a final $5 billion reduction in December. Most Fed officials said that the exact end of the tapering issue will have no bearing on the timing of the first rate hike. The Fed has said that rates would remain near zero for a “considerable time” after the Fed halts its program of bond purchases. An end of the asset purchases will “set the clock on eventual tightening — which we think could start as soon as March 2015,” said Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. Stocks dipped immediately after the Fed minutes were released but quickly moved higher. Bond yields also had a brief move higher after the report. The minutes also reveal that Fed officials had a lengthy discussion of its exit strategy. The central bankers generally agreed to keep reinvesting the proceeds of securities that mature on its balance sheet until after it had hiked interest rates.
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Controlled demolition.
• Rate Rise Chatter Grows As Bond Yields Climb (FT)
The radar screens of investors have long been clear of the one blip guaranteed to sound the alarm for risk taking and financial complacency: interest rate rises by central banks. In the UK and US, economists and bond traders are monitoring when the long period of near zero official rates set by the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England will finally end, a moment that may matter greatly for roaring equity and credit bull markets. Since the financial crisis peaked in early 2009, investors, homeowners and companies have greatly benefited from aggressive monetary policy actions in the US and UK that have lowered the cost of borrowing and muted market volatility. Asset prices have boomed with risk taking in stocks and credit approaching levels last seen at the height of the prior boom in 2007, as bullish sentiment has been nurtured by the easy money policies of key central banks. Such investor complacency has not escaped the attention of policy makers, with this week’s Fed meeting minutes from June raising the topic. That comes after Mark Carney, governor of the BoE, caused a stir by saying the first rate hike “could happen sooner than markets currently expect”. While central bankers, including Mr Carney, stress they are in no rush to tighten policy in the absence of real wage growth, chatter about the timing of rate increases stands to grow a lot louder should economic activity continue to pick up over the summer. Stronger employment figures in the UK and US have already driven policy-sensitive short-dated bond yields noticeably higher in recent weeks. The two-year UK Gilt yield has led the charge, touching its highest level since the summer of 2011, while on Wednesday the US equivalent briefly eclipsed last September’s peak of 0.53%, the high water mark of last year’s interest rate rout. “There is scope for markets to be surprised should the BoE and Fed change course, that’s the nature of monetary policy,” says Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics. But unlike past rate hike periods, he says the eventual peak will be lower. “Both BoE and Fed officials have stressed that they will raise rates gradually and the neutral rate will be lower.
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Yes. They are.
• Are Bond Managers Getting Antsy? (CNBC)
Markets have frustrated widespread expectations for bond yields to rise this year, but some bond managers are still antsy and are looking to protect their portfolios’ liquidity against sudden market moves. “A sudden rise in U.S. short rates could easily entice fast outflows from higher yielding bond funds,” Jan Loeys, head of global asset allocation at JPMorgan, said in a note last month. In the post-financial crisis era, tougher regulations mean banks can’t step in to take advantage of fire sales and parts of the credit market could potentially freeze up in a worst-case scenario, he said. The possibility is one that other credit managers considered. “That risk is always there,” said Harsh Agarwal, head of Asia credit research at Deutsche Bank. “With the heavy amount of supply we’ve seen so far this year, there might not be takers on the way down when things turn,” Agarwal said. But he noted that analysts now expect interest rates won’t rise until 2015, pushing the risks further out. That hasn’t stopped some fund managers from starting to prepare the decks. JPMorgan is trimming the long exposure to bonds in its model portfolio in favor of more liquid assets, such as equities, Loeys said. It isn’t alone in worrying about the risks to bond market liquidity once interest rates begin rising. “We definitely recognize the situation,” said Jonathan Liang, senior portfolio manager for fixed income at AllianceBernstein. “We got a small taste of that last year between May and June with when people panicked.” Since then, AllianceBernstein has bolstered the liquidity management measures in its open-ended mutual funds, he said.
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Abe should be sent to Elba.
• Japan Machinery Orders Fall 19.5% On Month In May (Reuters)
Japan’s core machinery orders unexpectedly fell 19.5% in May from the previous month, government data showed on Thursday, casting doubt over the outlook for a pickup in capital spending. The month-on-month decrease in core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as an indicator of capital spending in the coming six to nine months, compared with economists’ median estimate of a 0.7% gain in a Reuters poll of economists. That followed a 9.1% fall in April, data compiled by the Cabinet Office showed. Compared with a year earlier, core orders, which exclude ships and electric power utilities, declined 14.3% in May, versus a 9.5% gain expected. The Cabinet Office cut its assessment on machinery orders, saying the increasing trend was seen stalling.
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Why trust any number coming out of Beijing?
• China Trade Picture Improves, But Data Underwhelm (CNBC)
China released improved trade data that missed expectations on Thursday, figures that suggest external demand remains weak and domestic recovery fragile, analysts say. The country’s exports rose 7.2% from the year ago period, lower than the 10.6% rise predicted by a Reuters poll and after gaining 7% in May. Imports climbed an annual 5.5%, versus Reuters’ forecast for a 5.8% rise but reversing a 1.6% contraction in May. That brings trade balance to a surplus of $31.6 billion, compared with $35.92 billion logged in May. “June export growth was somewhat disappointing given that most had expected a weak base for comparison to push it into double digit territory. That said, it remains stronger than import growth, which continues to be affected by the slowdown in the property sector,” Julian Evans-Pritchard, China economist with Capital Economics, said it a note. The Australia dollar eased following the news, while most Asian stocks gave up earlier gains while Japan’s Nikkei extended losses. China’s exports gained traction in recent months, helped by an improving U.S. economy and as the government took measures to aid exporters, including providing more tax breaks, credit insurance and currency hedging options. But imports have remained weak on sluggish demand. “We think the downside surprise in June export growth suggests a softer-than-expected pickup in China’s external demand, while the uptick in import growth points to a modest recovery in domestic demand,” said Jian Chang, analyst with Barclays.
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Did we mention China’s as corrupt as can be?
• China Said to Probe Alleged Bank of China Money Laundering (Bloomberg)
China’s central bank and currency regulator are investigating a state media report that alleged Bank of China Ltd. broke rules on transferring money overseas, two government officials familiar with the matter said. The probe focuses on whether Bank of China violated regulations in its operations or aided money laundering, the people said, asking not to be named as they aren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Starting an investigation doesn’t mean the Beijing-based bank has done anything wrong, they said. Bank of China, the nation’s largest foreign-exchange lender, yesterday denied a report by China Central Television claiming that it circumvented the rules by helping customers transfer unlimited amounts of yuan overseas and convert it into other currencies through a product called “Youhuitong.” The bank said it introduced a cross-border yuan transfer service in 2011 with the knowledge of authorities. Chinese foreign-exchange rules cap the maximum amount of yuan that individuals are allowed to convert into other currencies at $50,000 each year and ban them from transferring yuan abroad directly. Policy makers have taken steps in recent years including allowing freer movements of capital in and out of China as they seek to boost the global stature of the yuan. Media reports referring to “an ‘underground bank’ and ‘money laundering’ are inconsistent with the facts,” Bank of China said in a statement on its website yesterday. The cross-border yuan transfer service only allows money to be moved for emigration and overseas property investment, it said. Youhuitong targets customers who wish to invest in or migrate to North America, Australia and some European countries, CCTV reported, referring to documents shown by unidentified Bank of China employees.
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Yay! 1000% more debt!
• China Debt Seen Jumping Tenfold as Stocks Overtake Japan by 2030 (Bloomberg)
China’s corporate bond issuance will surge 10-fold by 2030 and the nation’s stock market will overtake the U.K. and Japan to become the world’s second largest, according to Credit Suisse. Bond sales in the biggest developing country will increase to $32 trillion, while the market value of stocks will jump to $54 trillion, lagging only the U.S., the Swiss bank’s research institute said in a report yesterday. Emerging markets’ share of global equity market capitalization will increase to 39% by 2030 from 22% now, the bank said. With the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 66% from its peak in 2007, the government has been opening up its capital markets by doubling the daily trading band of the yuan and allowing foreign investors to buy the nation’s shares through Hong Kong’s stock exchange. China’s $9 trillion economy is already the world’s second largest behind the U.S. “The disparity between developed and emerging nations in the global capital market universe will close by 2030,” Stefano Natella, the global head of equity research at Credit Suisse in New York, said in a statement. “This should be driven by a disproportionately large contribution from emerging market equity and corporate bond supply and demand.” China’s equity market is the world’s fifth largest with a market capitalization of $3.4 trillion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The U.S. is the biggest at $23.5 trillion.
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Catch fire with fire.
• US Uses New Tactic To Crack Laundering Cases (Reuters)
U.S. prosecutors are using a new tactic to crack down on banks that fail to fight money laundering: systematically asking suspects in a wide range of criminal cases to help them follow the money back to their bankers. The efforts are paying off in probes of banks and other financial institutions now filling the prosecution pipeline, according to Jonathan Lopez, who last month left his post as deputy chief of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit (MLBIU). “Asking criminals the simple question ‘Who is moving your money?’ can lead the Department of Justice to a financial institution’s doorstep,” said Lopez, who declined to identify specific targets. The department confirmed the stepped up reliance on criminal informants in anti-money laundering investigations, but also declined to discuss probes underway. The four-year-old MLBIU, which includes a dozen prosecutors, is responsible for insuring that financial institutions adhere to U.S. laws including the main U.S. anti-money laundering law, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). It has filled in an enforcement gap among federal financial regulators who lack the capacity or expertise to aggressively pursue money-laundering cases. The Justice Department has begun seeking banking information not only from perpetrators of fraud and drug traffickers, but also from suspects linked to the full range of criminal activity, said Lopez, who is now an attorney at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in Washington. Many criminals seeking reduced punishment have pointed fingers at banks, casinos, money transfer businesses, check cashers, broker-dealers and other financial institutions, he said.
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Kick the loonie!
• The Market Could Be Shocked By The Bank Of Canada (CNBC)
The Bank of Canada has a problem: Bank Governor Stephen Poloz was counting on a weak currency to boost exports and drive the economic recovery but things haven’t gone entirely his way. The USD/CAD started the year around 1.06, rose to about 1.12 in March and has since fallen back to around 1.06. In Q1 the CAD was the world’s worst performing major currency, with a total return of -3.5% vs USD; in Q2 it was the best performing G-10 currency, with a total return of +3.8%. The reason for the currency’s good performance is that investors became more confident about Canada’s outlook as the U.S. economy accelerated and energy prices turned up. According to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Commitment of Traders report, speculators had been considerably short CAD since early 2013, but in the most recent reporting week they flipped to being a tiny bit long (about 2,700 contracts). It’s not much, but the fact that they’re no longer short is significant. However, this could be the case of a self-destroying prophecy. Everyone knows a self-fulfilling prophecy: when all investors think something is likely to happen, for example that gold is going to go up, then they buy gold and of course it go up! A self-defeating prophecy would be the opposite: one that might go right, but since everyone acts on it, it goes wrong. That’s what I believe is going to happen here. The Canadian economy is indeed improving, but a good part of that improvement is due to exports. The latest Business Outlook Survey showed that the Canadian economy’s biggest hope remains overseas demand, particularly from the U.S. Exporters seemed notably more optimistic about the future than companies supplying the domestic market. So the Bank of Canada has to keep the currency from appreciating in order to keep the recovery going. Governor Poloz, who was previously the head of Canada’s export-promotion agency Export Development Canada, naturally understands this.
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Draghi’s a fool. Get out of the EU!
• Draghi Says Brussels Needs Higher Powers as Leaders Quarrel (Bloomberg)
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the region needs more-centralized powers to push governments to overhaul their economies. “There is a case for some form of common governance over structural reforms,” Draghi said in a speech in London yesterday. “This is because the outcome of structural reforms, a continuously high level of productivity and competitiveness, is not merely in a country’s own interest. It is in the interest of the union as a whole.” Draghi has repeatedly said the ECB’s ultra-loose monetary policy isn’t sufficient to sustain the euro area’s fragile recovery if governments backslide. European Union finance ministers meeting in Brussels this week signaled a willingness to give politicians extra leeway so long as they take measures to fix their economies. They then clashed as Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi pushed back against austerity measures. “Historical experience, for example of the International Monetary Fund, makes a convincing case that the discipline imposed by supranational bodies can make it easier to frame the debate on reforms at the national level,” Draghi said. “I would see merits in initiating, as a one-off, a new convergence process within the euro area – one which ensures that all countries are truly in a position to benefit from membership.”
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Bail in your banker’s bonus.
• Germany to Force Creditors to Prop Up Struggling Banks in 2015 (WSJ)
Germany plans to force creditors into propping up struggling banks beginning in 2015, one year earlier than required under European-wide plans that set rules for failing financial institutions, according to a senior German finance ministry official.From next year, struggling bank creditors, in addition to shareholders, will have to help financial institutions, covering up to 8% of liabilities, before the banks can tap Germany’s financial markets stabilization fund SoFFin, said the official, who declined to be identified. Germany also plans to operate the SoFFin rescue fund until the end of 2015 to bridge the time until a European-wide restructuring fund is in place. The stabilization fund was scheduled to be dissolved this year. The plan comes as Europe’ banking supervisor, the European Banking Authority, conducts a new round of stress tests aimed at making the European Union’s financial sector more resilient. The results, expected for the end of October, might reveal a need for fresh capital. Banks failing the tests have then up to six months to raise fresh capital from private investors. Bankers say that keeping SoFFin alive longer is a sign that the government wants to make sure that the country’s regional public-sector lenders, or Landesbanken, would have a last resort should the stress test unveil a capital shortfall. The move also underscores that the separate institution winding down the bad assets from former German lender Hypo Real Estate needs to continue its work. Germany’s government earlier this year halted the planned sale of Hypo Real Estate’s Dublin-based Depfa Bank unit, choosing instead to wind down the unit. Germany’s new bail-in rules are part of a package of German legislation on the European banking union, an ambitious project to centralize bank supervision in the euro zone and, when banks fail, to organize their rescue or winding-up at a European level.
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You betcha.
• Mortgage Deals Leave Thousands Vulnerable If House Prices Fall (Telegraph)
A “glut” of mortgage deals aimed at buyers with small deposits pushed the number of homeowners vulnerable to a slump in property prices to a post-crisis high in June, according to the UK’s biggest chartered surveyor. The number of households that took out mortgages with deposits of 15pc or less of a property’s value rose to 10,898 in June, up from 9,750 in May and 7,166 a year ago, according to e.surv. This means that high loan-to-value (LTV) lending now accounts for one in five of all new mortgages, the highest level since April 2008. This compares with just one in nine mortgages a year ago. The e.surv data also revealed a prominent north-south divide in high LTV lending in June. More than a quarter of borrowers in the North West and Yorkshire took out high LTV loans, compared with just 7pc in London. It said lower wages in these regions meant an increasing number of borrowers were struggling to save for a deposit. While the current levels are below those seen pre-crisis, when the number of high LTV loans reached 41,745 in February 2007 – or one in three loans – it means a growing number of households are at risk of falling into negative equity should prices fall sharply. Negative equity occurs when the size of a mortgage exceeds the price of the property it is secured against. Many homeowners were plunged into negative equity after the financial crisis because they took out high LTV mortgages only for property prices to fall in the downturn.
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Lots of economies hide unemployment rates inside “self-employment”.
• Fall In UK Wages 20% Steeper Than Thought (Guardian)
Average wages in Britain have fallen further than official figures show after a huge shift into low-paid self-employment since the financial crash, according to a report by a leading thinktank. The fall in wages could be 20% greater than currently estimated across the whole workforce once Britain’s 4.5 million self-employed people are included in pay figures, said the Resolution Foundation. A real-terms fall of 10% in average wages since 2008 would increase to more than 12% if a 27% fall in self-employed incomes is taken into account. Before the Bank of England’s decision on interest rates at its monthly meeting, the thinktank said the exclusion of pay figures for the self-employed gave a skewed picture of the health of the UK’s labour market. Officials on the Bank’s monetary policy committee, which sets interest rates, are understood to be concerned that the exclusion of self-employed incomes from official figures hampers their efforts to gauge when to increase the cost of credit. Laura Gardiner, a senior analyst at the Resolution Foundation and the author of the paper, said official figures used by the Bank and other policymakers gave “a picture that’s incomplete at best and sometimes misleading”. She said: “What we know about earnings is central to our understanding of the recovery and the timing of interest rate rises so it’s crucial that we equip ourselves with the best possible wage measure.” More than 700,000 people have declared themselves self-employed since 2008, bringing the total number of people who work for themselves to 4.5 million or one in seven of the total. Over the same period only 260,000 workers have been added to the ranks of the employed on a net basis, said the report.
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• Price Of UK Electricity To Double Over Next 20 Years (Guardian)
The price of electricity could double over the next two decades, according to forecasts published on Thursday by the National Grid, the company responsible for keeping Britain’s lights on. The current price of wholesale electricity is below £50 per megawatt hour but could soar to over £100 by 2035 under a “high case” example used in the Grid’s UK Future Energy Scenarios report. The group, which is the main pipes and pylons operator in England and Wales, predicts the wholesale gas price could rise from 70p per therm to around 100p per therm under another high case scenario. The cost of electricity has already risen 20% since 2009 and the company blames future increases on the number of coal-fired power stations being closed plus the cost of subsidising wind farms. “Electricity prices for the high case and base case scenarios are assumed to increase over the next few years due to decreasing margins as coal-fired plants retire due to the Large Combustion Plants Directive [European anti-pollution] legislation and some gas-fired plants are mothballed,” says the document. “All prices increase post-2020 as the costs of low carbon generation increasingly factor into the power price,” it adds. The Grid admits the estimates are based on the lowest “baseload” cost at which the electricity is available rather than any “peak” costs during periods of high demand. The latest forecasts – although combined with more modest price rises under different scenarios – will worry householders and energy-intensive businesses already struggling with the impact of higher bills.
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• Fossil Industry Is The Subprime Danger Of This Cycle (AEP)
The epicentre of irrational behaviour across global markets has moved to the fossil fuel complex of oil, gas and coal. This is where investors have been throwing the most good money after bad. They are likely to be left holding a clutch of worthless projects as renewable technology sweeps in below radar, and the Washington-Beijing axis embraces a greener agenda. Data from Bank of America show that oil and gas investment in the US has soared to $200bn a year. It has reached 20pc of total US private fixed investment, the same share as home building. This has never happened before in US history, even during the Second World War when oil production was a strategic imperative. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says global investment in fossil fuel supply doubled in real terms to $900bn from 2000 to 2008 as the boom gathered pace. It has since stabilised at a very high plateau, near $950bn last year. The cumulative blitz on exploration and production over the past six years has been $5.4 trillion, yet little has come of it. Output from conventional fields peaked in 2005. Not a single large project has come on stream at a break-even cost below $80 a barrel for almost three years. “What is shocking is that upstream costs in the oil industry have risen threefold since 2000 but output is up just 14pc,” said Mark Lewis, from Kepler Cheuvreux. The damage has been masked so far as big oil companies draw down on their cheap legacy reserves. “They are having to look for oil in the deepwater fields off Africa and Brazil, or in the Arctic, where it is much more difficult. The marginal cost for many shale plays is now $85 to $90 a barrel.”
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Flint is Michael Moore territory. Been a desert for ages.
• After Detroit, Another City Ponders Bankruptcy (AP)
As Detroit works to emerge from bankruptcy following a court-supervised overhaul, another Michigan city with strong auto industry bonds could be on the brink of beginning the same process, the latest sign that the spate of municipal defaults may not have ended. Flint, which was the birthplace of General Motors and once had 200,000 residents, also has suffered a spectacular drop in population and factory jobs and a corresponding rise in property abandonment, much like its insolvent big brother an hour’s drive south. If a judge rules against Flint’s effort to cut its retiree health care benefits, the city is expected to join about a dozen cities or counties to seek court relief since the beginning of the recession. “If we don’t get any relief in the courts … we are headed over the same cliff as Detroit,” said Darnell Earley, the emergency manager appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to manage Flint’s finances. “We can’t even sustain the budget we have if we have to put more money into health care” for city workers. Before Detroit, the largest local government bankruptcy filing was in Jefferson County, Alabama in November 2011. The county emerged last year after reorganization of its $4 billion in debt. Court proceedings continue for the California cities of Stockton, San Bernardino, and Mammoth Lakes, all of which filed in 2012. The greatest threat of new cases may be in Michigan, where about a dozen cities, many of them small, and four school districts are under state control. The state unemployment rate still is 7.3%, and some entities remain saddled with underfunded pension plans. That Flint might follow Detroit, which filed in July 2013, isn’t surprising given their shared circumstances. Both once were boomtowns brimming with auto jobs for collars white and blue. General Motors employed about 80,000 in the area in the early 1970s. Fewer than 8,000 GM jobs remain. The city’s population has fallen to just below 100,000.
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Anyone surprised?
• Second Silent Spring? Bird Declines Linked to Popular Pesticides (NatGeo)
Pesticides don’t just kill pests. New research out of the Netherlands provides compelling evidence linking a widely used class of insecticides to population declines across 14 species of birds. Those insecticides, called neonicotinoids, have been in the news lately due to the way they hurt bees and other pollinators. This new paper, published online Wednesday in Nature, gets at another angle of the story—the way these chemicals can indirectly affect other creatures in the ecosystem. Scientists from Radboud University in Nijmegen and the Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology and Birdlife Netherlands (SOVON) compared long-term data sets for both farmland bird populations and chemical concentrations in surface water. They found that in areas where water contained high concentrations of imidacloprid—a common neonicotinoid pesticide—bird populations tended to decline by an average of 3.5% annually. “I think we are the first to show that this insecticide may have wide-scale, significant effects on our environment,” said Hans de Kroon, an expert on population dynamics at Radboud University and one of the authors of the paper. Pesticides and birds: If this story sounds familiar, it’s probably because Rachel Carson wrote about it back in 1962. Carson’s seminal Silent Spring was the first popular attempt to warn the world that pesticides were contributing to the “sudden silencing of the song of birds.” “I think there is a parallel, of course,” said Ruud Foppen, an ornithologist at SOVON and co-author of the Nature paper. Foppen says that while Carson battled against a totally different kind of chemicals—organophosphates like DDT—the effects he’s seeing in the field are very much the same. Plainly stated, neonicotinoids are harming biodiversity. “In this way, we can compare it to what happened decades ago,” he said. “And if you look at it from that side, we didn’t learn our lessons.” In the past 20 years, neonicotinoids (pronounced nee-oh-NIK-uh-tin-oyds) have become the fastest growing class of pesticides. They’re extremely popular among farmers because they’re effective at killing pests and easy to apply. Instead of loading gallons and gallons of insecticide into a crop duster and spraying it over hundreds of acres, farmers can buy seeds that come preloaded with neonicotinoid coatings. Scientists refer to neonicotinoids as “systemic” pesticides because they affect the whole plant rather than a single part. As the pretreated seed grows, it incorporates the insecticide into every bud and branch, effectively turning the plant itself into a pest-killing machine. This lock, stock, and barrel approach to crop protection means that no matter where a locust or rootworm likes to nibble—the root, the stem, the flower—the invader winds up with a bellyful of neurotoxins. “The plants become poison not only for the insects that farmers are targeting, but also for beneficial insects like bees,” said Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) who’s been building a case against the widespread use of neonicotinoids. The pesticide’s top-to-bottom coverage means the plants’ flowers, pollen, and nectar are all poisonous too. Worse still, Sass says, neonicotinoids can persist in the soil for years. This gives other growing things a chance to come into contact with and absorb the chemicals.
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By Bill Black, the author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One and an associate professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Jointly published at New Economic Perspectives
I’ve come back recently from Kilkenny, Ireland where I participated in the seventh annual Kilkenomics – a festival of economics and comedy. The festival is noted for people from a broad range of economic perspectives presenting their economic views in plain, blunt English. Kilkenomics VII began two days after the U.S. election, so we added some sessions on President-elect Trump’s fiscal policy views. Trump had no obvious supporters among this diverse group of economists, so the audience was surprised to hear many economists from multiple nations take the view that his stated fiscal policies could be desirable for the U.S. – and the global economy, particularly the EU. We all expressed the caution that no one could know whether Trump would seek to implement the fiscal policies on which he campaigned. Most of us, however, said that if he wished to implement those policies House Speaker Paul Ryan would not be able to block him. I opined that congressional Republicans would rediscover their love of pork and logrolling if Trump implemented his promised fiscal policies.
The audience was also surprised to hear two groups of economists explain that Hillary Clinton’s fiscal policies remained pure New Democrat (austerity forever) even as the economic illiteracy of those policies became even clearer – and even as the political idiocy of her fiscal policies became glaringly obvious. Austerity is one of the fundamental ways in which the system is rigged against the working class. Austerity was the weapon of mass destruction unleashed in the New Democrats’ and Republicans’ long war on the working class. The fact that she intensified and highlighted her intent to inflict continuous austerity on the working class as the election neared represented an unforced error of major proportions. As the polling data showed her losing the white working class by staggering amounts, in the last month of the election, the big new idea that Hillary pushed repeatedly was a promise that if she were elected she would inflict continuous austerity on the economy. “I am not going to add a penny to the national debt.”
The biggest losers of such continued austerity would as ever be the working class. She also famously insulted the working class as “deplorables.” It was a bizarre approach by a politician to the plight of tens of millions of Americans who were victims of the New Democrats’ and the Republicans’ trade and austerity policies. As we presented these facts to a European audience we realized that in attempting to answer the question of what Trump’s promised fiscal policies would mean if implemented we were also explaining one of the most important reasons that Hillary Clinton lost the white working class by such an enormous margin.
Readers of New Economic Perspectives understand why UMKC academics and non-academic supporters have long shown that austerity is typically a self-destructive policy brought on by a failure to understand how money works, particularly in a nation like the U.S. with a sovereign currency. We have long argued that the working class is the primary victim of austerity and that austerity is a leading cause of catastrophic levels of inequality. Understanding sovereign money is critical also to understanding why the federal government can and should serve as a job guarantor of last resort. People, particularly working class men, need jobs, not simply incomes to feel like successful adults. The federal jobs guarantee program is not simply economically brilliant it is politically brilliant, it would produce enormous political support from the working class for whatever political party implemented it.
At Kilkenomics we also used Hillary’s devotion to inflicting continuous austerity on the working class to explain to a European audience how dysfunctional her enablers in the media and her campaign became. The fact that Paul Krugman was so deeply in her pocket by the time she tripled down on austerity that he did not call her out on why austerity was terrible economics and terrible policy shows us the high cost of ceasing to speak truth to power. The fact that no Clinton economic adviser had the clout and courage to take her aside and get her to abandon her threat to inflict further austerity on the working class tells us how dysfunctional her campaign team became. I stress again that Tom Frank has been warning the Democratic Party for over a decade that the policies and the anti-union and anti-working class attitudes of the New Democrats were causing enormous harm to the working class and enraging it. But anyone who listened to Tom Frank’s warnings was persona non grata in Hillary’s campaign. In my second column in this series I explain that Krugman gave up trying to wean Hillary Clinton from her embrace of austerity’s war on the working class and show that he remains infected by a failure to understand the nature of sovereign currencies.
What the economists were saying about Trump at Kilkenomics was that there were very few reliable engines of global growth. China’s statistics are a mess and its governing party’s real views of the state of the economy are opaque. Japan just had a good growth uptick, but it has been unable to sustain strong growth for over two decades. Germany refuses, despite the obvious “win-win” option of spending heavily on its infrastructure needs to do so. Instead, it persists in running trade and budget surpluses that beggar its neighbors. England is too small and only Corbyn’s branch of Labour and the SNP oppose austerity. “New Labour” supporters, most of the leadership of the Labour party, like the U.S. “New Democrats” that served as their ideological model, remain fierce austerity hawks.
That brings us to what would have happened if America’s first family of “New Democrats” – the Clintons – had won the election. The extent to which the New Democrats embraced the Republican doctrine of austerity became painfully obvious under President Obama. Robert Rubin dominated economic policy under President Clinton. The Clinton/Gore administration was absolutely dedicated toward austerity. The administration was the lucky beneficiary of the two massive modern U.S. bubbles – tech stocks and housing – that eventually produced high employment. Indeed, when the tech bubble popped the economy was saved by the hyper-inflation of the housing bubble. The housing bubble collapsed on the next administration’s watch, allowing the Clintons and Rubinites to spread the false narrative that their policies produced superb economic results.
When we think of the start of the Obama administration, we think of the stimulus package. In one sense this is obvious. The only economically literate response to a Great Recession is massive fiscal stimulus. When Republicans control the government and confront a recession they always respond with fiscal stimulus in the modern era. Obama’s stimulus plan was not massive, but it sounded like a large number to the public. Two questions arise about the stimulus plan. Why was Obama willing to implement it given his and Rubin’s hostility to stimulus? Conversely, why, given the great success of the stimulus plan, did Obama abandon stimulus within months?
Rubin and his protégés had a near monopoly on filling the role of President Obama’s key economic advisors. Larry Summers is a Rubinite, but he is infamous for his ego and he is a real economist from an extended family of economists. Summers was certain in his (self-described) role as the President’s principal economic adviser to support a vigorous program of fiscal stimulus because the Obama administration had inherited the Great Recession. Summers knew that any other policy constituted economics malpractice. Christina Romer, as Chair of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers and Jared Bernstein, Vice President Biden’s chief economist, were both real economists who strongly supported the need for a powerful program of fiscal stimulus. Each of these economists warned President Obama that his stimulus package was far too small relative to the massive depths of the Great Recession.
Rubin’s training was as a lawyer, not as an economist, so Summers was not about to look to Rubin for economic advice. In fairness to Rubin, he was rarely so stupid as to reject stimulus as the appropriate initial response to a recession. He supported President Bush’s 2001 stimulus package in response to a far milder recession and President Obama’s 2009 stimulus package. Rubin does not deserve much fairness. By early 2010, while Rubin admitted that stimulus is typically the proper response to a recession and that the 2009 stimulus package was successful, he opposed adding to the stimulus package in 2010 even though he knew that Obama’s 2009 stimulus package was, for political reasons, far smaller than the administration’s economists knew was needed.
Here’s ex-Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin–one of the chief architects of the global financial crisis–articulating the position of his proteges at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Robert Rubin: “Putting another major stimulus on top of already huge deficits and rising debt-to-GDP ratios would have risks. And further expansion of the Federal Reserve Board’s balance sheet could create significant problems…. Today’s economic conditions would ordinarily be met with expansionary policy, but our fiscal and monetary conditions are a serious constraint, and waiting too long to address them could cause a new crisis….
In the spirit of Kilkenomics, we were blunt about the austerity assault that Rubin successfully argued Obama should resume against America’s working class beginning in early 2010. It was inevitable that it would weaken and delay the recovery. Tens of millions of Americans would leave the labor force or remain underemployed and even underemployed for a decade. The working class would bear the great brunt of this loss. In modern America this kind of loss of working class jobs is associated with mental depression, silent rage, meth, heroin, and the inability of working class males and females to find a marriage partner, and marital problems. It is a prescription for inflicting agony – and it is a toxic act of politics.
Prior to becoming a de facto surrogate for Hillary and ceasing to speak truth to her and to America, Paul Krugman captured the gap between the Obama administration’s perspective and that of most of the public.
According to the independent committee that officially determines such things, the so-called Great Recession ended in June 2009, around the same time that the acute phase of the financial crisis ended. Most Americans, however, disagree. In a March 2014 poll, for example, 57 percent of respondents declared that the nation was still in recession.
The type of elite Democrats that the New Democrats idealized – the officers from big finance, Hollywood, and high tech – recovered first and their recovery was a roaring success. Obama, and eventually Hillary, adopted the mantra that America was already great. Our unemployment rates, relative to the EU nations forced to inflict austerity on their economies, is much lower. But the Obama/Hillary mantra was a lie for scores of millions of American workers, including virtually all of the working class and much of the middle class. As Hillary repeated the mantra they concluded that she was clueless about and indifferent to their suffering. As we emphasized in Kilkenny, Obama and Hillary were not simply talking economic nonsense, they were committing political self-mutilation.
Krugman used to make this point forcefully.
[T]he American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aka the Obama stimulus … surely helped end the economy’s free fall. But the stimulus was too small and too short-lived given the depth of the slump: stimulus spending peaked at 1.6 percent of GDP in early 2010 and dropped rapidly thereafter, giving way to a regime of destructive fiscal austerity. And the administration’s efforts to help homeowners were so ineffectual as to be risible.
Timothy Geithner, a proponent of austerity, is famous for remarking that he only took only one economics class – and did not understand it. In the same review of Geithner’s book by Krugman that I have been quoting, Krugman gives a concise summary of Geithner’s repeated lies about his supposed support for a larger stimulus. Jacob Lew, the Rubinite who Obama chose as Geithner’s successor as Treasury Secretary, was also trained as a lawyer and is equally fanatic in favoring austerity. In 2009, no one with any credibility in economics within the Obama administration could serve as an effective spokesperson for austerity as the ideal response to the Great Recession.
But Romer, Summers, and Bernstein experienced the same frustration as 2009 proceeded. The problem was not simply the Rubinites’ fervor for the self-inflicted wound of austerity – the fundamental problem was President Obama. Obama’s administration was littered with Rubinites because Obama was a New Democrat who believed that Rubin’s love of austerity and trade deals was an excellent policy. Of course, he had campaigned on the opposite policy positions, but that was simply political and Obama promptly abandoned those campaign promises. Fiscal stimulus ceased to be an administration priority as soon as the stimulus bill was enacted. Romer and Summers recognized the obvious and soon made clear that they were leaving. Bernstein retained Biden’s support, but he was frozen out of influence on administration fiscal policies by the Rubinites.
By 2010, the fiscal stimulus package had begun to accelerate the U.S. recovery. Romer left the administration in late summer 2010. Summers left at the end of 2010. Bill Daley (also trained as a lawyer) became Obama’s chief of staff in early 2011. Timothy Geithner, and finally Jacob Lew dominated Obama administration fiscal policy from late 2010 to the end of the administration in alliance with Daley and other Rubinite economists. It may be important to point out the obvious – Obama chose to make each of these appointments and there is every reason to believe that he appointed them because he generally shared their views on austerity. In the first 60 days of his presidency he went before a Congressional group of New Democrats and told them “I am a New Democrat.”
Obama began pushing for the fiscal “grand bargain” in 2010. The “grand bargain” would have pushed towards austerity and begun unraveling the safety net. As such, it was actually the grand betrayal. Obama’s administration began telling the press that Obama viewed achieving such a deal with the Republicans critical to his “legacy.” There were two major ironies involving the grand bargain. Had it been adopted it would have thrown the U.S. back into recession, made Obama a one-term president, and led to even more severe losses for the Democratic Party in Congress and at the state level. The other irony was that it was the Tea Party that saved Obama from Obama’s grand betrayal by continually demanding that Obama agree to inflict more severe assaults on the safety net.
Obama adopted Lew’s famous, economically illiterate line and featured it is in his State of the Union Address as early as January 2010. What follows is a lengthy quotation from that address. I have put my critiques in italics after several paragraphs. Obama’s switch from stimulus to austerity was Obama’s most important policy initiative in his January 2010 State of the Union Address.
The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release January 27, 2010 Remarks by the President in State of the Union Address Now — just stating the facts. Now, if we had taken office in ordinary times, I would have liked nothing more than to start bringing down the deficit. But we took office amid a crisis. And our efforts to prevent a second depression have added another $1 trillion to our national debt. That, too, is a fact.
Why would Obama normally have been thrilled to “start bringing down the deficit?” A budget deficit by a nation with a sovereign currency such as the U.S. is normal statistically and typically desirable when we have a negative balance of trade. No, it is not a “fact” that stimulus “added another $1 trillion to our national debt.” Had we not adopted a stimulus program the debt would have grown even larger as our economy fell even more deeply into the Great Recession.
I’m absolutely convinced that was the right thing to do. But families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions. The federal government should do the same. (Applause.) So tonight, I’m proposing specific steps to pay for the trillion dollars that it took to rescue the economy last year.
Obama admits that stimulus was desirable. He knows that his economists believed that if the stimulus had been larger and lasted longer it would have substantially speeded the recovery. One of the most important reasons why dramatically increased government fiscal spending (stimulus) is essential in response to a Great Recession for a depression is that the logical and typical consumer response to such a downturn is for “families across the country” to “tighten their belts” by reducing spending. That reduces already inadequate demand, which leads to prolonged downturns. Economists have long recognized that it is essential for the government to do the opposite when consumers “tighten their belts” by greatly increasing spending. To claim that it is “common sense” to “do the same” – exacerbate the inadequate demand – because it is a “tough decision” makes a mockery of logic and economics. It is a statement of economic illiteracy leading to a set of policy decisions sure to harm the economy and the Democratic Party. In particular, it guaranteed a nightmare for the working class.
No, no, no. I can feel the pain of my colleagues that are scholars in modern monetary theory (MMT). The U.S. has a sovereign currency. We can “pay” a trillion dollar debt by issuing a trillion dollars via keystrokes by the Fed. What Obama meant was that he would propose (over time) to increase taxes and reduce federal spending by one trillion dollars. Such an austerity plan would harm the recovery and reduce important government services. Again, the working class were sure to be the primary victims of Obama’s self-inflicted austerity.
Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years. (Applause.) Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. But all other discretionary government programs will. Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don’t. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will. (Applause.)
First, the metaphor is economically illiterate and harmful. A government with a sovereign currency is not a “cash-strapped family.” It is not, in any meaningful way, “like” a “cash-strapped family.” Indeed, the metaphor logically implies the opposite – that it is essential that because the government is not like a “cash-strapped family” only it can spend in a counter-cyclical fashion (stimulus) to counter the perverse effect of “cash-strapped famil[ies]” cutting back their spending due to the Great Recession.
Let’s take this slow. In a recession, consumer demand is grossly inadequate so firms fire workers and unemployment increases. We need to increase effective demand. As a recession hits and workers see their friends fired or reduced to part-time work, a common reaction is for workers to reduce their debts, which requires them to reduce consumption. Consumer consumption is the most important factor driving demand, so this effect, which economists call the paradox of thrift, can deepen the recession. Workers are indeed cash-strapped. Governments with sovereign currencies are, by definition, not cash-strapped. They can and should engage in extremely large stimulus in order to raise effective demand and prevent the recession from deepening. Workers will tend to reduce their spending in a pro-cyclical fashion that makes the recession more severe. Only the government can spend in a counter-cyclical fashion that will make the recession less severe and lengthy.
We will continue to go through the budget, line by line, page by page, to eliminate programs that we can’t afford and don’t work. We’ve already identified $20 billion in savings for next year. To help working families, we’ll extend our middle-class tax cuts. But at a time of record deficits, we will not continue tax cuts for oil companies, for investment fund managers, and for those making over $250,000 a year. We just can’t afford it. (Applause.) Now, even after paying for what we spent on my watch, we’ll still face the massive deficit we had when I took office. More importantly, the cost of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will continue to skyrocket. That’s why I’ve called for a bipartisan fiscal commission, modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad. (Applause.) This can’t be one of those Washington gimmicks that lets us pretend we solved a problem. The commission will have to provide a specific set of solutions by a certain deadline.
The Democrats have to stop attacking Republicans for running federal budget deficits. I know it’s political fun and that the Republicans are hypocritical about budget deficits. Deficits are going to be “massive” when an economy the size of the U.S. suffers a Great Recession. We have had plenty of “massive” deficits during our history under multiple political parties. None of this has ever led to a U.S. crisis. We have had some of our strongest growth while running “massive” deficits. Conversely, whenever we have adopted server austerity we have soon suffered a recession. In 1937, when FDR listened to his inept economists and inflicted austerity, the strong recovery from the Great Depression was destroyed and the economy was thrust back into an intense Great Depression.
As to the debt “commission” to solve our “debt crisis,” it was inevitable that such a commission would be dominated by Pete Peterson protégés and that they would demand austerity and an assault on the federal safety net. That would be a terrible response to the Great Recession and the primary victims of the commission’s policies would be the working class.
Now, yesterday, the Senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission. So I’ll issue an executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans. (Applause.) And when the vote comes tomorrow, the Senate should restore the pay-as-you-go law that was a big reason for why we had record surpluses in the 1990s. (Applause.)
For a nation with a sovereign currency, there is nothing good about the “record surpluses in the 1990s.” Such substantial surpluses have occurred roughly nine times in U.S. history and each has been followed shortly by a depression or the Great Recession. This does not prove causality, but it certainly recommends caution. Similarly, “pay-as-you-go” has been the bane of Democratic Party efforts to help the American people. Only a New Democrat like Obama would call for the return of the anti-working class “pay-as-you-go” rules.
Now, I know that some in my own party will argue that we can’t address the deficit or freeze government spending when so many are still hurting. And I agree — which is why this freeze won’t take effect until next year — (laughter) — when the economy is stronger. That’s how budgeting works. (Laughter and applause.) But understand –- understand if we don’t take meaningful steps to rein in our debt, it could damage our markets, increase the cost of borrowing, and jeopardize our recovery -– all of which would have an even worse effect on our job growth and family incomes.
No. It wouldn’t have damaged our markets, increased interest rates or jeopardized our recovery. We had just run an empirical experiment in contrast to the Eurozone. Stimulus greatly enhanced our recovery, while interest rates were at historical lows, and led to surging financial markets. Austerity had done the opposite in the eurozone.
From some on the right, I expect we’ll hear a different argument -– that if we just make fewer investments in our people, extend tax cuts including those for the wealthier Americans, eliminate more regulations, maintain the status quo on health care, our deficits will go away. The problem is that’s what we did for eight years. (Applause.) That’s what helped us into this crisis. It’s what helped lead to these deficits. We can’t do it again. Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it’s time to try something new. Let’s invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let’s meet our responsibility to the citizens who sent us here. Let’s try common sense. (Laughter.) A novel concept.
Let’s try actual common sense instead of metaphors that are economically illiterate. Let’s try real economics. Let’s stop talking about “mountains of debt” as if they represented a crisis for the U.S. and stop ignoring the tens of millions of working class Americans and Europeans whose lives and families were treated as austerity’s collateral damage and were not even worth discussing in Obama’s ode to the economic malpractice of austerity. Austerity is the old tired battle that we repeat endlessly to the recurrent cost of the working class.
Trump is Not Locked into Austerity
I note the same caution we gave in Ireland – we don’t know whether President Trump will seek to implement his economic proposals. Trump has proposed trillions of dollars in increased spending on infrastructure and defense and large cuts in corporate taxation. In combination, this would produce considerable fiscal stimulus for several years. The point we made in Ireland is that if he seeks to implement his proposals (a) we believe he would succeed politically in enacting them and (b) they would produce stimulus that would have a positive effect on the near and mid-term economy of the U.S. Further, because the eurozone is locked into a political trap in which there seems no realistic path to abandoning the self-inflicted wound of continuous austerity, Trump represents the eurozone’s most realistic hope for stimulus.
Final Cautions
Each of the economists speaking on these subjects in Kilkenny opposed Trumps election and believe it will harm the public. Fiscal stimulus is critical, but it is only one element of macroeconomics and no one was comfortable with Trump’s long-term control of the economy. I opined, for example, that Trump will create an exceptionally criminogenic environment that will produce epidemics of control fraud. The challenge for progressive Democrats and independents is to break with the New Democrats’ dogmas. Neither America nor the Democratic Party can continue to bear the terrible cost of this unforced error of economics, politics, and basic humanity. I fear that the professional Democrats assigned the task of re-winning the support of the white working class do not even have ending the New Democrats’ addiction to austerity on their radar. They are probably still forbidden to read Tom Frank. |
The process can be applied to beer, milk and other beverages A material that could lead to beer with significantly longer shelf life has been designed by researchers. The approach works by removing riboflavin, or vitamin B2, which causes changes to beer's flavour when exposed to light passing through the bottle. Scientists at the Technical University of Dortmund designed a polymer "trap" with tiny crevices that capture the riboflavin molecules. The technique could be applied to other beverages such as milk, they said. Because such riboflavin-containing beverages tend to be stored in translucent containers, they are more prone to the effects of light on their long-term storage. In a process called photo-oxidation, ultraviolet light can strip off charged atoms that can go on to degrade other chemicals or proteins in the drink, ultimately affecting its flavour and shortening its shelf life. Lock and key Borje Sellergren of the Technical University of Dortmund made use of a technique called molecular imprinting to design a solution to the riboflavin problem. The process involves chemically designing a riboflavin-shaped cavity into a polymer by moulding it around riboflavin molecules and then removing them. These polymer cavities are then made in high quantities, selectively trapping riboflavin when dunked into a vat of beer or milk. The idea mimics biological systems such as antibodies which are targeted in a similar "lock-and-key" way for mopping up bacteria or viruses. The work was commissioned by Dutch brewery Heineken, but the concept is not just limited to those drinks, Dr Sellergren told BBC News. "The technology itself is more generic than we've shown here," he said. "There are a number of examples where this kind of absorbance can be used for the removal of specific unwanted compounds in food - flavours, impurities, pesticides, and spoilage agents as we've shown here." "The next step is to demonstrate for the brewery industry and food industry that we have this capability now."
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Mike Bobo has guided the CSU football team to a 7-5 record and bowl berth . A win in the Arizona Bowl on Tuesday would make him the first coach in school history to win eight games in his first season. (Photo: Andres Leighton/The Associated Press)
Earle Bruce and Sonny Lubick each won five games in their first seasons as CSU’s football coach, and Jim McElwain won four.
Steve Fairchild’s first team won six games during the regular season and then a bowl game to get to 7-6.
But no Colorado State University coach has ever won eight games in his first season at the school.
Not yet, anyway.
Mike Bobo will be the first if the Rams (7-5) beat Nevada (6-6) on Tuesday in the Arizona Bowl in Tucson.
CSU has been fielding football teams since 1893, and there have been 21 head coaches.
None have been as successful in their first year as Bobo, the longtime Georgia assistant who took over a year ago when Jim McElwain left for Florida.
The Rams, in McElwain’s third season, won 10 games for just the fifth time in school history. Many of the key pieces, though, were gone by the time Bobo took over.
Quarterback Garrett Grayson, the school’s career passing leader, was headed to the NFL, selected in the third round of the draft by the New Orleans Saints. The leading rusher, Dee Hart, decided to skip his senior season. Three starters on the offensive line, including second-round NFL draft pick Ty Sambrailo, graduated, as did two linebackers, Max Morgan and Aaron Davis, who had been the team’s top two tacklers for three straight seasons.
Replicating McElwain’s success wasn’t going to be easy. Winning football games, Bobo said, never is.
Particularly when you’re installing new offensive and defensive schemes, bringing in new coordinators and breaking in a new quarterback.
The growing pains, Bobo said, were difficult. The Rams lost back-to-back games in overtime to Minnesota and Colorado early in the year and eight games into the season had a 3-5 record.
Four games — all wins — later, they’re headed to a bowl game for the third year in a row. They went 5-3 in the Mountain West to finish in a four-way tie for second in the conference’s Mountain Division. And they beat first-place Air Force, downing the Falcons 38-23 on Oct. 17.
They built critical momentum to carry into the bowl game. Beyond it, even, if they’re able to win.
“This team really has always had confidence, even when we were struggling a little bit,” Bobo said. “They’re a confident group. They want to finish the season strong, and the only way we’re going to do that is work and then believe in what we’re doing and believe in the approach of how we’re doing it and how we’re going to get it done.”
The Rams, Bobo said, are “excited about playing a 13th game, excited about trying to get eight wins, excited about playing together one more time.”
Only 14 CSU teams have played in bowl games, and just 11 have won eight or more games in a season.
So winning one more game would be a pretty big deal.
For the players, and the coach.
“I think it would be great for our program,” junior guard Fred Zerblis said. “… It’s a good opportunity for us and for the coaches, as well, in their first bowl game here.
“I think everybody’s hungry to go win this one.”
Follow reporter Kelly Lyell at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news
CSU’s winningest first-year coaches
Mike Bobo – 7-5 in 2015
Steve Fairchild – 7-6 in 2008
Matt Rothwell – 5-1 in 1903
Bob Davis – 5-4-1 in 1947
Earle Bruce – 5-5-1 in 1989
Sonny Lubick – 5-6 in 1993
Sark Arslanian – 5-6 in 1973
•Next up: Nevada vs. CSU, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 29, Arizona Stadium, Tucson
•Watch: KDVR (Channel 31 in Denver), CampusInsiders.com
•Live chat: Join Kelly Lyell and Matt L. Stephens beginning at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 29 at Coloradoan.com. Share your own commentary and questions about the game
•Twitter updates: @KellyLyell, @MattStephens |
Gallup: rising concern over water pollution
Gallup: rising concern over water pollution
Gallup recently released data from its annual environment poll and reported that Americans are more worried about their water than at any time since 2001.
More concern among non-white, low-income Americans
Gallup also reported that non-white and low-income Americans express greater worry about water pollution. “The Flint crisis exemplifies the higher concern lower-income and nonwhite Americans feel about water pollution issues,” writes Gallup’s Justin McCarthy.
Among whites and higher-income Americans, Gallup has also found rising worries about water in recent years, as shown in the graphic below.
Gallup only reported the top-line results shown above, and it would take a more sophisticated analysis of the data to tease out the varying influences of race and income, as well as other factors.
But other polling, such as a recent survey by the Value of Water Coalition, has also found higher levels of concern about water among non-whites and lower-income Americans. Below is a slide from that survey showing much higher support among those groups for modernizing water infrastructure.
The Value of Water Coalition’s pollsters, Linda DiVall and Geoffrey Garin, note that a “coalition of the concerned” emerged from their polling:
“An interesting coalition–women, African-Americans, Hispanics, non-college educated, lower income, and urban respondents–felt it was very important to improve and modernize the water infrastructure system. These groups show the most significant movement towards paying more after being informed of water issues.”
Flint is only one example of a lower-income, non-white community being hit by disastrous contamination. Researchers, journalists, and environmental justice advocates can point to plenty of other examples of minorities and the disadvantaged bearing the brunt of water and other pollution, such as predominantly Hispanic farm communities in California not only facing tainted water supplies but also dry wells during the drought.
Water remains top environmental concern
As I noted in a previous post, Gallup has repeatedly found that Americans are more troubled about water pollution than any other environmental issue. I’ve updated our dashboards with results from Gallup’s March 2017 survey of 1,018 adults, which had a margin of error of +/- 4%. Below is a screen shot of one of the dashboards, showing that water pollution has been the most concerning environmental issue for decades:
Flint and the California drought are two recent events that have shaped Americans’ attitudes to water, but Gallup also notes that the improving economy has influenced public opinion across environmental issues. “Concerns about these issues were highest around the turn of the millennium, and lowest between 2010 and 2012, perhaps reflecting the state of the economy during those times,” according to McCarthy. “Americans tend to give a higher priority to environmental matters when the economy is healthy than when it is not.”
Although the overall level of concern about water has risen in recent years, McCarthy notes that “Democrats have fueled most of the increase in concern about water pollution since 2012.”
WaterPolls.org aggregates, analyzes, and visualizes public opinion data on water-related issues. Stay informed via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, RSS, and email.
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I met Jeorge years ago at Future Music near my house, as Jeorge is super tight with Jack who owns Future Music. Jeorge is a guarded dude and unless you prod him, he will just sit tight and listen. Jack and I, on the other hand, can talk for days and Jeorge soon realized I was cut from the same cloth of gear passion as he and Jack. l think that is why we got the opportunity to interview him at his spot and see unreleased and soon to be released Way Huge gear and vintage one off pedals! So if you are a fan of Way Huge, watch this video of a dude who was on the second wave of boutique pedal building (first wave was the 70's with EHX, MXR, BOSS etc, second being Way Huge, Fulltone, Zvex, Digitech/DOD and the current wave is the third wave maybe going into the fourth)
We loved hanging and speaking with Jeorge. We shot so much footage of our conversation, below is part one, so stay tuned for part two!
-Juan |
European Commission - Fact Sheet Driving Clean Mobility: Questions & Answers on the initiatives that protect the planet, empower its consumers, and defend its industry and workers Driving Clean Mobility: Questions & Answers on the initiatives that protect the planet, empower its consumers, and defend its industry and workers 1. Overview & expected benefits Why is the Commission proposing these new initiatives? In 2016, the European Strategy for low-emission mobility reaffirmed the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport by at least 60% on 1990 level by 2050. In the past 25 years however, transport emissions have steadily increased as demand for mobility grew. Today, transport accounts for around a quarter of the EU's greenhouse gas emission, with road transport alone responsible for 22%. Further emission reductions from road transport are therefore indispensable to achieve the EU's commitments under the Paris Agreement and the EU's climate and energy framework to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 40% in 2030. The Commission's objective is to curb transport emissions to fight the dangers of climate change. At the same time, we want to improve the quality of life of our citizens and ensure that our industries create jobs, generate sustainable economic growth, and drive innovation in renewable energy technologies.With today's initiatives, the Commission aims to increase clean, competitive and connected mobility and improve mobility services for citizens - in particular for those on lower incomes. What is the Commission today proposing? This Clean Mobility package consists of: A political Communication outlining the long-term strategy to fight climate change while improving the quality of life for Europe citizens and fostering competitiveness for its industry.
Legislative initiatives on road transport vehicles, infrastructures and combined transport of goods. The initiatives focus on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutant emissions and aim for a broad take up of low-emission alternative fuels and low-emission vehicles on the market.
Non legislative measures presented in an Alternative Fuels Action Plan to boost investment in alternative fuel infrastructure and develop a network of fast and interoperable charging and clean refuelling stations across Europe. This package's integrated approach is important to ensure a sustained and effective shift towards low emission mobility. Measures on demand, supply and infrastructure for low-emission and alternatively fuelled vehicles are needed. New CO2 standards will stimulate vehicle manufacturers to innovate and integrate new technologies. Targets for the procurement of clean vehicles support Member States, regions and cities to increase their clean transport offerings to citizens by stimulating an EU-wide market for these vehicles. The proposals reaffirm Europe's leadership in fighting climate change and the Commission's endeavour to empower Europe's citizens and defend its industry. The initiatives come at a time when consumers need to regain trust in the reliability of vehicle technologies while the competitiveness of our vehicle manufacturing industry needs to be maintained. The full list is available here. The Commission will present the third and final part of the "Europe on the Move" package in the first-half of 2018. I am a citizen, how am I concerned by the new initiatives? The Commission's proposals will improve health and living conditions of European citizens. They will in particular benefit from better air quality, notably in urban areas, reduced fuel consumption costs and new mobility services. For instance, as a result of the new proposal, net savings for an 'average new car' bought in 2025 are expected to be up to about €600 and up to about €1500 when bought in 2030 considering a lifetime of 15 years. The development of a network of reliable and interoperable charging and clean refuelling stations across Europe will also allow easier travel with alternatively fuelled vehicles. Finally, the Commission is stimulating the development of long-distance bus connections as an alternative to private cars. These services will bring economic and social benefits, being more responsive to consumers' needs and providing real options for people on lower incomes or in remote regions. How will Member States and public authorities benefit from the initiatives? The Commission is proposing to give Member States the necessary tools to better invest in clean vehicles and alternative fuel infrastructure. This will allow them to better tackle CO2 emissions from transport, air pollution and dependence on fossil fuels. Organising the purchase, renting or leasing of very low or zero emission vehicles through public procurement will in particular become easier, be it for the city public transport system or any other use (waste collection, parcel or mail delivery etc.). A clear and simple definition of low and zero emissions vehicles will replace the current complex methodology to calculate lifetime costs of vehicles. New CO2 emission standards for cars and vans will help Member States to reach their binding annual greenhouse gas emission targets for the period 2021–2030 as proposed in the Effort Sharing Regulation. I am a transport or logistics company; how will I benefit from the initiatives? The new initiative on Combined Transport will encourage logistics companies to increase their share of sustainable transport modes. In the past, it was difficult for companies to prove the "combined" nature of their transport operations, and hence benefit from the existing legal and economic incentives. Our proposal extends to domestic operations the benefit of the incentives foreseen by the Directive, will accelerate investments in transhipment terminals throughout Europe and provide more transparency on the financial support (such as tax reduction) operators can receive from the state. It also promotes the use of electronic documents. Small and medium-sized enterprises usingmore efficient vans will also largely benefit from fuel savings. As a result of the proposal setting new CO2 emission standards, additional net savings for an 'average new van' bought in 2025 are expected to be up to up to about €2300 and up to about €3800 when bought in 2030 considering a lifetime of 15 years. Finally, coaches and bus companies will be able to offer domestic long-distance passenger services. Our proposals remove legal barriers to market access and guarantees fair and non-discriminatory access to terminal infrastructure. I work in the automotive sector, how will this impact my situation? Given the gradual shift to zero- and low-emission powertrains until 2030, there will be sufficient time for re-skilling and up-skilling in the automotive sector. The transition to zero- and low-emission powertrains will enable the European car industry to retain technological leadership which is one important condition for future growth and jobs. In order to support workers in the automotive industry to adjust to the transition to low emission mobility, the Commission, in partnership with Member States and stakeholders such as employers, workers' representatives and education and training providers, is addressing skill gaps and mismatches. Key initiatives include the EU Skills Agenda and the Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills.
2. Key elements of the Commission's proposals a. CO2 Standards for cars and vans What is the Commission doing to promote clean cars? The Commission proposes new targets for the EU fleet wide average CO2 emissions of new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles (vans) that will apply from 2025 and 2030. Average CO2 emissions from new passenger cars registered in the EU in 2025 will have to be 15% and in 2030 30% lower compared to 2021. Average CO2 emissions from new light commercial vehicles registered in the EU in 2025 will have to be 15% and in 2030 30% lower compared to 2021. In order to increase the deployment of zero- and low-emission cars the proposal includes also a dedicated incentive mechanism for such vehicles. This will contribute to the achievement of the EU's commitments under the Paris Agreement by reducing CO2 emissions from cars and vans cost-effectively, reduce fuel consumption costs for consumers and strengthen the competitiveness of EU automotive industry and stimulate employment. You propose 30% in 2030. Why? The proposed 30% reduction target for passenger cars is ambitious and realistic. It is the result of a robust and thorough impact assessment. A 30% reduction target provides benefits for the environment, for consumers and for employment: A 30% target for cars will help Member States in meeting their 2030 targets for the non-ETS sectors. It will deliver emissions reduction in road transport in line with its cost-effective potential, while leaving space for additional policies, in particular for trucks.
A 30% target will bring economic benefits for all consumers. The increase in upfront cost to purchase more efficient vehicles is outweighed by increasing fuel savings. The net savings are up to around €600 for new cars bought in 2025 and up to about €1500 in 2030. The user of a second hand vehicle will benefit as much as the owner of a new car.
The overall impact on employment of a 30% target is positive, as it allows a smooth transition to low and zero emission vehicles. More than 80% of the new vehicles will still have an internal combustion engine in 2030. Plug-in hybrid vehicles which have the highest labour intensity as they have both a classical internal combustion engine and an electric engine, are also incentivised. This approach will ensure sufficient time for the re-skilling and up-skilling of workers in the current automotive supply chain. What is the budgetary/cost implication of 30%? The proposed CO2 standards require vehicle manufacturers to introduce new technical measures in order to reduce the average CO2 emissions of their new fleet. In the short term, this is likely to result in increased production costs, leading to higher vehicle prices. For an average new car registered in 2030, additional manufacturing costs are up to about €1000. For an average 2030 van, they are up to about €900. However, these additional costs are significantly lower than the fuel savings from which consumers will benefit over a vehicle's lifetime. Does the proposal mean the end of the gasoline and diesel car? The Commission sees a need for accelerating the uptake of zero- and low emission vehicles in an effort to improve air quality and lower CO2 emissions, while following an approach of technology neutrality. Almost all cars in the current stock are powered by an internal combustion engine. Even with a rapid increase in zero- and low-emission vehicles it is clear that conventionally fuelled vehicles will still make up an important part of the EU vehicle fleet in 2030. While the proposal will speed up the market uptake of zero- and low-emission vehicles, accelerating innovation and reaching economies of scale, the change in the fleet composition will be gradual. It is expected that at least 80% of the new car fleet in 2030 will contain an internal combustion engine. Why is there no negative employment effect given that the manufacturing of electric vehicles is less labour intensive compared to vehicles with an internal combustion engine? The incentive mechanism through the crediting system includes low-emission vehicles since plug-in hybrid vehicles constitute an important stepping stone for the smooth transition towards zero-emission mobility. The higher labour intensity of the production of plug-in hybrid vehicles compared to conventional vehicles and battery electric only vehicles will be beneficial for employment in the car manufacturing sector. In the longer term, employment is expected to increase for the manufacturing of electric vehicles and related sectors, whereas it would decrease in sectors related to conventional vehicles.
Why are there no quotas for electric or hydrogen cars? The EU legislation in this area has always been technology neutral and will continue to be so in the future. The proposal does not include any technology specific quotas or mandates. It is for manufacturers to decide which technologies to apply in order to meet their specific emissions targets. The proposal includes an incentive mechanism which will stimulate the uptake of zero- and low-emission vehicles in a technology neutral way. Why does the proposal include an incentive mechanism for "zero- and low-emission vehicles"? The EU automotive industry risks losing its technological leadership in particular with respect to zero- and low-emission vehicles, with the US, Japan, South Korea and China moving ahead very quickly in this segment, which will be of particular importance for future growth. China has just introduced mandatory zero- and low-emission vehicle quotas for manufacturers from 2019 on. In the US, California and nine other States have successfully established a regulatory instrument to enhance the uptake of zero- and low-emission vehicles. A well-chosen regulatory signal on the future market size will make investors into zero- and low-emission vehicles technologies more confident. Private and public providers of charging infrastructure will have a more credible signal on the future charging demand and can invest with less risk. b. Action Plan on alternative fuel infrastructure What is the Commission doing to promote the use of alternative fuels? The Commission's initiatives support the implementation of a European Directive that requires Member States to provide a minimum infrastructure for alternative fuels such as electricity, hydrogen and natural gas. Today's Action Plan on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure provides measures to support synergies between national plans, close gaps on the most strategic transport network (the trans-European transport network or "TEN-T") and ramp up investment in urban areas. This will ensure continuity of services for citizens and businesses. Charging an alternative-fuel vehicle along the motorway should become as easy as filling up on petrol today. This Action Plan includes new funding opportunities with up to €800 million being made available for blending of grants with loans or for financial instruments (debt, loans) under the Connecting Europe Facility. This will leverage considerable additional public and private investment into fleets and interoperable infrastructure. In addition, the Commission has launched a flagship initiative on batteries alongside this new proposal with additional €200 million to support European battery development and innovation from 2018 to 2020.
Why is there a need for an action plan on alternative fuel infrastructure now? The analysis of the National Policy Frameworks (NPFs)[1] show that infrastructure gaps would remain in the European Union if not further action is taken. These gaps include recharging points for electric vehicles in urban and suburban agglomerations as well as on the road of the TEN-T Core Network. The coverage of ports with LNG refuelling points is also not sufficient in view of enabling circulation of inland waterway vessels and seagoing ships throughout the TEN-T Core Network. Moreover, there is a need to ensure interoperability of services for using the infrastructure (location, booking, access, payments) for which this plan outlines a number of actions. In addition, enabling actions in the urban environment and for promoting smart grid development are addressed. c. Clean vehicles Directive What is the Commission doing to promote clean and energy-efficient vehicles in public procurements? Public procurement can act as a strong demand-side stimulus for the industry. However, public bodies have until now only purchased small volumes of clean vehicles. The Commission is therefore proposing a new initiative covering all relevant procurement practices in a simplified and effective manner. This should increase market uptake leading to lower production costs and lower prices with a positive effect also on private demand. d. Combined Transport What is Combined Transport? Combined transport is a type of multimodal transport of goods where the major part of transport is carried out by rail, inland waterways or maritime transport and is served by a short road leg in the beginning or end of the transport chain. The objective is to support the shift from long distance road transport to more sustainable transport modes. What is the Commission today proposing? The Commission is proposing to revise the Combined Transport Directive to facilitate such operations. First, the Commission proposes to revise the definition of "combined transport", by extending its scope to domestic operations and better specifying the maximum distance of the road leg. Second, the proposal expands the economic support measures to be provided by Member States beyond tax reduction to investment in multimodal terminals and possibly other financial incentives. Third, the proposal specifies what evidence needs to be provided to prove the existence of a combined transport operation and receive support from the state. There, the Commission also proposes to make better use of electronic documents. In all, this will make it easier for companies to claim incentives and therefore stimulate the combined use of trucks and trains, barges or ships for the transport of goods. e. Access to the international market for coach and bus services What is the Commission today proposing? The Commission is proposing to amend the Regulation on passenger coach services with a view to granting access to domestic markets for regular services. This will stimulate the development of bus connections over long distances thereby offering alternative options to the use of private cars and increasing the use of sustainable transport modes. Such services will also bring economic and social benefits, being more responsive to consumers' needs. People on lower incomes are expected to benefit from this development since their travel decisions are typically constrained by the fares on offer and lack of access to a car. Aren't long-distance bus connections competing with train services? This could increase CO2 emissions Our analysis shows that there will only be a limited shift of traffic from trains to buses and coaches. Most of the activity will be either new generated traffic or shifted from private cars and air travel. The combined share of sustainable transport modes (bus, coaches and trains) will therefore increase.
For more Information Press release List of proposals A European Strategy for low-emission mobility (July 2016) Europe on the MOVE: first wave of proposals (May 2017) A renewed EU Industrial Policy Strategy (September 2017) [1] In line with the Directive on alternative fuel infrastructure, Member States had to transmit to the Commission National Policy Frameworks (NPF) containing their national targets, objectives and actions for the development of the market as regards alternative fuels. MEMO/17/4243 Press contacts: General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email |
After an unexpected hiatus, Life Lessons has returned to cover the entirety of the Infant Strife arc! On this episode in particular, Colton is joined by unofficial Gintama translator, Bomber D Rufi, as they cover the first half of the arc in chapters 77 & 78, in which Gin finds an unpleasant surprise on his front doorstep. After both manga recaps, we talk about both chapters titles during our Life Lessons segment, and thats about it for the episode. Stay tuned on Wednesday, February 15th for the second half of the arc with chapters 79 & 80!! Until then, enjoy!
Please take our Life Lessons podcast survey to help improve the show however possible, and look forward to hearing the results this April during our 4th anniversary!!
Download Here
https://archive.org/download/Episode53-BabyGeniuses3/LL_EP_53.mp3
0:00:00 Introduction
0:08:48 Manga Recap Ch 77
0:51:58 Manga Recap Ch 78
1:42:04 Life Lessons 77 & 78
1:49:12 The End
Show Notes
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NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) put itself into a precautionary "safe mode" Friday, March 7, but the venerable spacecraft is now on the mend, agency officials say.
MRO switched over to safe mode after unexpectedly swapping from one main computer to another, NASA officials said Tuesday. As a result of the glitch, science operations have been suspended, and the probe is not relaying data from the space agency's two active Mars rovers back to Earth at the moment.
But things should change soon, as MRO's handlers have begun bringing the spacecraft back up to speed, officials said.
"The spacecraft is healthy, in communication and fully powered," MRO project manager Dan Johnston, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement. "We have stepped up the communication data rate, and we plan to have the spacecraft back to full operations within a few days."
The $720 million Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission launched in August 2005 and arrived at the Red Planet in March 2006. During its eight years in orbit around Mars, the spacecraft has returned more data than all other interplanetary missions, past or present, combined, NASA officials said.
MRO also serves as a vital relay link between NASA's Opportunity rover, which landed in January 2004, and the agency's 1-ton Curiosity rover, which touched down in August 2012. MRO's current issues haven't left the two rovers out in the cold, however; their data continues to come home via Mars Odyssey, a NASA orbiter that has been circling Mars since October 2001.
Spacecraft enter safe mode when they detect an anomalous condition. It's not an uncommon occurrence; MRO, for example, has now entered safe mode five times following unscheduled computer swaps, with the most recent event before Friday's glitch coming in November 2011, officials said.
Friday's computer swap also featured a switch over to a redundant radio transponder on MRO. While the probe can operate just fine with this instrument, engineers are trying to figure out what happened to the out-of-service transponder, and whether or not it can be brought back online, NASA officials said.
Originally published on Space.com. |
The front-runner in the Calgary Centre by-election, Conservative Joan Crockatt, skipped Sunday’s debate to go door knocking.
This annoyed at least one of the people in the audience, Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi.
After calling out Crockatt last week for her plans not to participate, he said jokingly that the attendance issue was “the elephant not in the room.” Nenshi said Crockatt had Tweeted at him at 1 a.m. that she hoped he would talk about the good things the Conservatives had done for cities.
“As I said to her, ‘Gee, you could come and tell them yourself.’ I don’t think it’s the mayor’s job to do the candidate’s work for her,” said Nenshi.
The NDP candidate Dan Meades used the debate as an opportunity to make a case why Conservatives should not be elected in automatically in Calgary.
“We don’t see them between elections. In fact, we don’t even see them during elections either,” Meades said in a shot at Crockatt that drew laughter from the crowd of just more than 200.
Nenshi responted on Twitter by saying that it was a good line, but that it was slightly unfair to the MPs in question.
Crockatt’s campaign did not respond to an interview request with the Calgary Herald Sunday. She said last week she had prior campaign commitments that kept her from the forum.
While Crockett skipped the Sunday debate, she was at a debate on Saturday where she answered questions about CBC funding and U.S. investment in Alberta. You can read more about her comments here.
Calgary Centre voters go to the polls on November 26.
On Monday, Nenshi bet Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on the result of the Grey Cup, to be played this weekend between the Toronto Argonauts and the Calgary Stampeders at the Rogers Centre.
Mr. Nenshi posed the question on Twitter: “the loser donating their weight in food to the winner’s food bank. Plus jersey swap for a council mtg. What say you, @tomayorford?”
George Christopoulos, the mayor’s press secretary, confirmed on Monday that Mr. Ford has accepted the terms.
With files from the Calgary Herald and Natalie Alcoba |
After what turned out to be "the trip from hell" to Vienna, Austria, the Kardashians didn't have an easier time on their first class flight home to Los Angeles, Kim revealed during the latest episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" on June 29.
"Mom had the baby, I fell asleep, I woke up to this woman screaming, 'Kanye West’s baby!' The woman is screaming at my child, I jump up," she recounted, before her sister Khloe interjected: "I would’ve punched her in her face."
"No, we were on a plane. I wanted to," Kim replied. "It was crazy."
"This lady stood up in the cabin in first class and yelled at the top of her lungs, 'She’s with a black guy, and that baby is black! And you need to shut that black baby up!'" Kris told Khloe.
Always the one with the answers, Khloe told her mother and sister, "I would say, 'Hashtag, fact my baby is black. Hashtag, I only like black c**k!' That’s what I would say!"
Kim went on to say that the woman then started talking about her sex tape with former boyfriend Ray J, shouting, "'And she has a sex video with a black guy. How disgusting, with a black guy.' Like going on and on."
According to Kim, the pilot had to come out and told the woman they were going to call the LAPD as soon as they landed, before the woman's husband apparently sat on her and told her to "shut up."
"It was the trip from hell. It was so racist," Kim said. |
This $10,000 crayon set is for sale on ETSY to make a point. Small artisan toymakers and those who support their work are worried about their ability to stay in business after Feb. 10, when the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act takes effect. It requires that every toy intended for children under the age of 12 be tested for lead and phthalates.
For another absurd example and some good perspective on this issue, check out Dale Dougherty's recent column on The $4,000 Rattle. Dale is the publisher of Make and Craft magazines and is well aware of the problems this legislation will cause for many of the makers out there.
As written, CPSIA is going to have a chilling effect on the handmade toy industry. The motivation behind this law is clearly good: We all sat in horror as we learned about lead paint in toddler's toys, and other toxins finding their way into many items we bought for our children.
But surely common sense can prevail. CPSIA is heavyhanded. Lawmakers should be able to figure out some modifications or exemptions from the costly testing regulations that won't put domestic handmade toymakers out of business. It seems clear that where the regulations might make sense for a multi-national conglomerate, they just aren't going to work for the small, do-it-yourself cottage industries. Surely we don't want to punish the little guy making homemade wood toys in his garage because Chinese factories are using unsafe materials in mass production.
Without modifications, CPSIA will stifle a segment of society I really believe we should be encouraging – those who are out there making things.
For more information on this issue and to learn what you can do to help, check out the Handmade Toy Alliance and the National Bankruptcy Day site.
For more, see also this post in an ongoing series about CPSIA at our own Jeremiah McNichols' website, Z-Recommends.
Update: While I focused on toymakers in my post, several people have rightly pointed out in the comments that this law is much broader than that. CPSIA impacts any products made for children, including clothing, school supplies and many other non-toy items. |
“Rush” actor Daniel Bruhl is set to play one of the villains in “Captain America: Civil War.”
Marvel made the announcement on Friday.
Disney’s third “Captain America” feature, that will co-star Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., and feature a significant appearance by Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, is set for release May 6, 2016, and will launch the Civil War storyline from the Marvel comicbooks as Variety first reported.
Sources tell Variety that Bruhl, who co-starred in “Rush,” is not the main villain in “Captain America: Civil War” but could potentially be the top menace in Marvel’s “Doctor Strange.”
“It’s a big storyline,” Marvel’s Kevin Feige recently said of the Civil War, adding that “this is the Civil War of the cinematic universe, inspired by comicbook universe, but the Civil War that’s based on all of the other films, particularly (‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’) and (‘The Avengers: Age of Ultron’).”
Bruhl most recently starred in “A Most Wanted Man” and “The Fifth Estate.” He is repped by WME. |
BOSTON (CBS) – One-third of firefighters, police officers and emergency medical workers exposed to a traumatic call will be profoundly and deeply affected by what they’ve seen, according to research from Massachusetts first responder advocates.
For Hayden Duggan of Westminster, the call that changed the path of his career was a house fire in the 1980’s where a 12-year-old girl was said to be trapped on the second floor.
Read: More Matters Of The Mind
“We gave up on fire suppression and just dumped the house looking for her,” said Duggan. Later Duggan and his fellow firefighters found the girl dead in the cellar of the home.
“I thought I was fine. In this business we say fine is fouled-up, insecure, needy and emotional,” he says with wisdom he didn’t have at the time. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
For Duggan, the job was never quite the same after that particular call. He coped with his guilt by self-medicating with alcohol. Duggan spent eight years in the grips of alcoholism and in the process, quit doing the job he loved.
When he finally got help, Duggan realized there was a need for something to help first responders unpack the heavy weight they carry on a daily basis. He says traditional hospitals are necessary for acute cases and outpatient therapy is critical for maintenance of emotional and mental well-being. But what if there could be something in between the two? With his wife Valerie, Duggan created On Site Academy in 1992, a safe place specifically designed for firefighters, police officers and emergency medical workers to receive peer support and work out their issues.
On Site Academy is a 27 acre farm where visitors check-in for a week and participate in group sessions, as well as more targeted therapy sessions working on techniques like rapid eye movement. It’s a non-profit group that never turns down a first responder in need because of an inability to pay for treatment. Last year they welcomed about 200 residential guests, 98 percent of whom were from Massachusetts. This year On Site has already seen twice as many patients as they did over the same time period last year.
Duggan is a Harvard trained psychologist who also works closely with the City of Boston and Massachusetts’s network of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) teams. Those 17 CISM teams serve as a frontline of support for fellow first responders. Volunteers train for ways to approach coworkers and listen for signs they might be struggling. The CISM teams respond to seven types of critical incident calls that could take a toll on first responders, ranging from a line-of-duty death of a coworker to abnormal threats to personal safety.
“It’s a peer driven, clinically guided approach,” explains Charlie Popp, the state’s CISM network coordinator.
The discussions among CISM volunteers and their coworkers are confidential and voluntary, a necessary provision according to the teams.
“People still see it as a sign of weakness if they have to reach out for help but it’s not,” Meg Carrigan of the Cambridge Fire Department’s CISM team. The 8-year veteran firefighter and registered nurse is one of 20 CISM team members serving Cambridge’s 280 firefighters.
“These are normal reactions from normal people who experience abnormal trauma,” says Popp. “We have the same problems everybody else has, but then on top of that we have repeated exposure to traumatic incidents which takes a toll, even when we don’t like to admit it.”
Supporting stress management for first responders is a movement Duggan says is sweeping the country, and with good reason.
“I would argue to you it’s a public health issue. Who do you want out there? You want a police officer, a medic, an EMT or a firefighter who is healthy? Who is sober and clean and doing the job, well? Who is highly trained and professional? Is that who you want out there? Then take care of them.”
For more information on getting help, please see this note from the reporter. |
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An early prototype of the Horse Race with Fanfare box, equipped with speaker unit.
A deck of outrageous horse-themed playing cards, perfect for playing Classic Horse Race! Oh, and did we mention it comes with a built-in speaker?
Last year, we launched Moral Dilemma on Kickstarter. We are now very excited to introduce something a little different: Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you "Horse Race with Fanfare." The world's first horse-themed playing card deck equipped with sound effects. You're welcome.
The Artist and his amazing deck of cards
Being a talented artist who can take stick figure drawings and turn them into works of art is hard. We know because we tried and failed miserably. It soon became obvious that we needed to hire an artist....
Left: our original concept. Right: what our professional artist can do. Note: this is a draft image, final card design may differ.
We formed a partnership with local Winnipeg illustrator and concept artist Steven Kaul (check out his website!). Steven was able to take our ideas to the next next next level and beyond.
Horsenado!
SuperHorse
Hi, I'm new to the world. What's Horse Race?
Horse Race is an age-old betting/drinking game. There are many ways to play it. Some of you will remember your grandparent's old wooden horse racing board from yesteryear. Us? We prefer the drinking game version. This little video does a good job explaining a popular version of the game:
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The folks over at SpendTimeMoreSocial have a great video on Horse Race game play - check it out!
The most important part of the game: naming your horses
Fun horse names are always a good time. Check out the video posted below (it is unaffiliated with this project. Explicit language warning!). Our cards will be plastic-coated, meaning you can write your own horse names on the Aces with a whiteboard marker. How clever is that?
But we still need your help...
Hiring a professional artist is expensive! We need your help to build the capital this project needs to get off the ground. To date, we've only commissioned a handful of illustrations from our artist... but we have more than enough ideas to fill an entire deck with fun, horse-themed ridiculousness.
Skelathorse
The Grand Plan
With your help, we will get the money needed to hire our artist to draw the remaining cards. Then we will use a trusted, high-quality printer to produce at least 500 sets of this game. After that, we will ship the game from our local Game HQ office. We know that it will take quite a bit of time for the artist to complete the drawings and to get the final card proofs to the manufacturer. If all things go smoothly we anticipate a September 2016 delivery. As with all things KickStarter, we do ask for your patience should unanticipated delays occur... during our last project, we encountered lengthy shipping delays that extended the project over a month.
Want to help even more?
We've created a limited number of premium pledge options for those who are looking to be a part of this fun project. For $100 CAD, we'll ship you a copy of the game, but most importantly you get to submit to us your original idea for a horse card. We will pass your idea on to the artist who will then continue to work with you to generate a true masterpiece. You'll get a commemorative 8x10 print of the finished art, signed by the artist! |
Merry Christmas from America's Banks Editor’s Note: As Republicans delay and Democrats divide, many of the urgent tasks of 2009 remain unfinished and seemingly unattainable, including reforms to the banking industry that might help rein in the excesses and prevent another plunge off the economic cliff. In this guest essay, Michael Winship marvels at the arrogance of New York’s big banks and the ineptitude of Washington’s political process: Never mind Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope. It's the audacity of the banks that takes your breath away. Email
Printer friendly Mean old Mr. Potter in “It's a Wonderful Life” seems like Father Christmas by comparison. A recent report that Citigroup and Goldman Sachs may have received preferential treatment getting doses of the swine flu vaccine was enough to give Ebenezer Scrooge the yips. Then came news that in order for us to get back the taxpayer bailout money we loaned them, Citigroup is receiving billions of dollars in tax breaks from the IRS. And there's a new study this week, "Rewarding Failure," from the public interest group Public Citizen, revealing that in the years leading up to the financial meltdown, the CEO's of the 10 Wall Street giants that either collapsed or got huge amounts of TARP money were paid an average of $28.9 million dollars a year. In 2007, that amounted to 575 times the median income of an American family. Now, thanks in part to the banks' monumental malfeasance that led to our economic swan dive, food stamps are now being used to feed one in eight Americans, and a quarter of all the kids in this country. A new poll from The New York Times and CBS News reports that more than half of our unemployed have borrowed money from friends and relatives and have cut back on medical treatment. The Times wrote that, "Joblessness has wreaked financial and emotional havoc on the lives of many of those out of work... causing major life changes, mental health issues and trouble maintaining even basic necessities." Yet according to the non-profit Americans for Financial Reform the reported $150 million that Wall Street is paying itself in compensation and bonuses this year would be enough to solve the budget crisis of every one of the fifty states or create millions of jobs or prevent all foreclosures for four years. All of this wretched excess is occurring as more and more people can't afford a roof over their heads. Foreclosures were up another five percent in the third quarter - 23 percent more than a year ago. Fewer Americans are willing to buy foreclosed properties, and the Obama administration's foreclosure prevention plan has been a bust so far - way too timid, critics say, and many of the banks won't play ball, refusing to negotiate in good faith with homeowners desperate to hold on. We got a first hand look at the crisis this week, when thousands lined up at the Jacob Javits Convention Center just a few blocks from our Manhattan offices to attend a mortgage assistance event sponsored by the non-profit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA). So many showed up for this leg of the "Save the Dream Tour" that on many days, staff and volunteers stayed to help until one in the morning. NACA has had success getting homeowners and banks together to work out a deal to prevent foreclosure. But the big banks' return to the government of the TARP bailout money with which we underwrote them over the last 14 months is a mixed blessing - great to have the cash returned so quickly, terrible because any leverage Washington held over the banks because of the loans virtually vanishes with the payback. They're back in the saddle and not inclined to be of much assistance helping anyone else out, especially those in mortgage trouble. As Andrew Ross Sorkin of The New York Times wrote in the wake of President Obama's Monday meeting with Wall Street's top guns (three of whom failed to show up because of airport delays), "Executive compensation, leverage limits and lending standards were all issues that Washington said it planned to change - and when the taxpayers were the shareholders of these firms, it probably could have done so. “But now the White House has been left in the position of extending invitations, rather than exercising its clout. And in the figurative and literal sense, it is getting stood up." Afterwards, Obama said, "The problem is there's a big gap between what I'm hearing here in the White House and the activities of lobbyists on behalf of these institutions or associations of which they're a member up on Capitol Hill." That's putting it mildly. This week, the American Bankers Association sent out an update and "call to action" memorandum crowing over its success watering down the bank reform bill that was approved by the House and urging its members to beat back similar legislation in the Senate. Self-righteously, it concludes, "As one of your New Year's resolutions, please vow to do everything in your power to show, and to have your colleagues in your bank show, your Senators the right path to true reform." It helps when the right path is paved with silver and gold. As "Crossing Wall Street," a November report from the Center for Responsive Politics notes, "The finance, insurance and real estate sector has given $2.3 billion to candidates, leadership PACs and party committees since 1989, which eclipses every other sector... "The financial sector has also been a voracious lobbying force, spending an unprecedented $3.8 billion since 1998, while sending an army of lobbyists to Capitol Hill to make its case. That's more money than any other sector has spent on influence peddling. Not even the health care sector, which spun up a lobbying frenzy this year over health reform, has spent more." The banks are making a list and checking it twice. And lest we forget, during his run for the White House, the finance sector filled Barack Obama's stocking with $39.5 million dollars worth of campaign contributions, more than any other presidential candidate. God bless us, every one! Michael Winship is senior writer of the weekly public affairs program “Bill Moyers Journal,” which airs Friday night on PBS. Check local airtimes or comment at The Moyers Blog at http://www.pbs.org/moyers. Research support provided by producer William Brangham and associate producer Katia Maguire. To comment at Consortiumblog, click here. (To make a blog comment about this or other stories, you can use your normal e-mail address and password. Ignore the prompt for a Google account.) To comment to us by e-mail, click here. To donate so we can continue reporting and publishing stories like the one you just read, click here. Back to Home Page |
The former 'American Idol' contestant will return to the network.
Chris Daughtry is returning to Fox.
The former American Idol contestant has boarded the cast of the network's dramedy pilot Studio City, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
See more The Faces of Pilot Season 2015
Inspired by the life of showrunner Krista Vernoff, the hourlong pilot tells the story of a young singer's (newcomer Florence Pugh) path to stardom as she comes of age living with her songwriter father, Rob (Will & Grace alum Eric McCormack), who turns out to be a drug dealer to the stars.
Daughtry will recur and play the role of Keith Rhodes, a drug-addicted rock star. Additionally, the lead vocalist/guitarist for Daughtry will also write original music for the dramedy.
The role marks Daughtry's biggest acting commitment to date, following a 2008 episode of CSI: NY. The singer-turned-actor finished in fourth place during the fifth season of Fox's American Idol, after which he landed a record deal with RCA and formed Daughtry. The band's self-titled debut moved more than 1 million copies in just five weeks of release.
Read more TV Pilots 2015: The Complete Guide
Daughtry joins a Studio City cast that also includes Heather Graham, Jeanine Mason, Riley Smith, Samantha Logan, Jordan Calloway and Timothy Granaderos.
Vernoff (Grey's Anatomy) will pen the script and executive produce the Warner Bros. Television dramedy alongside John Wells and his studio-based John Wells Productions exec Andrew Stearn. Sanaa Hamri will direct the pilot.
Daughtry is repped by CAA and Pearl Group Entertainment.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @Snoodit |
Mitt Romney pauses while speaking during the final day of the 2012 Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum August 29, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. Romney accepted the Republican nomination to run as the party's 2012 US Presidential candidate against US President Barack Obama. AFP PHOTO/Brendan SMIALOWSKI (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GettyImages)
Mitt Romney laid out his case last night. The speech was long, stuffed with the sleep inducing poll tested patriotic treacle and banal pieties that have become inescapable on these occasions. Mitt Romney campaigns in prose, with a mind given to power points not poetry.
Romney's handlers labored hard to "humanize" Mitt, but he'll never win a likeability contest. And for all of the prattle about "hard truths," Mitt's tacked to too many prevailing wins and flipped too many flops for anyone -- right, left or center -- to believe he's a man of rock hard principles.
No, Mitt's case is simple: Obama failed. I know business. I do turnarounds. I can fix this.
What is eerie -- Orwellian -- about Romney's case, and the Republican campaign is that it simply airbrushes the worst economic calamity since the Great Depression out of the picture. This Republican Party is more skilled than the Kremlin at rewriting history. Bush and Cheney did not appear at this convention. More notably, the economic and foreign policy disasters they visited on the country warranted no mention.
Look at Romney's speech. It starts with his depiction of our hopes and expectations when Obama was elected:
Every family in America wanted this to be a time when they could get ahead a little more, put aside a little more for college, do more for their elderly mom who's living alone now or give a little more to their church or charity. Every small business wanted these to be their best years ever, when they could hire more, do more for those who had stuck with them through the hard times, open a new store or sponsor that Little League team. Every new college graduate thought they'd have a good job by now, a place of their own, and that they could start paying back some of their loans and build for the future. This is when our nation was supposed to start paying down the national debt and rolling back those massive deficits. This was the hope and change America voted for. It's not just what we wanted. It's not just what we expected. It's what Americans deserved.
Say what? Obama inherited an economy in free fall, losing 750,000 jobs a month, with recession spreading across the world. Americans were staggered as their homes plummeted in value; their wages, hours and benefits were cut back; their employers teetered on bankruptcy or shut their doors. Worse, they had already suffered through a decade of wages that didn't keep up with the price of basics -- and so they had taken on debt to keep their heads above water -- second mortgages, credit cards, student loans. We weren't looking for the "best years ever" -- we were looking for help.
Consigning this reality to the memory hole serves many purposes. It allows Republicans to pretend that Obama caused the mess. It makes it easier to make the preposterous claim that the stimulus made things worse. It allows Republicans like Paul Ryan who championed every catastrophe of the Bush years to be born in innocence again. As Chris Mathews said, "I knew him before he was a virgin."
Most important, if the Great Recession weren't air brushed out of history, conservatives would have to rethink what they believe. They would have to admit, as former Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan (like Ryan another Ayn Rand devotee) did in a rare moment of candor, that they were wrong; that there was a "flaw" in their view of the world. And they would have to lay out what they had learned, how their new stance was different. Instead, Romney and Republicans seek election without changing a word of the conservative gospel.
Romney was nearly 30 minutes into his speech before he offered Americans a fleeting glimpse of his agenda -- and then only tripped through five goals that were more promise than policy. Romney hides his agenda because he knows it is not popular. He would cut taxes even more on the rich and corporations. He would squander more money on the military. He'd pay for this by savage cuts in domestic programs, largely for the most vulnerable -- Medicaid, food stamps, child nutrition, Head Start, education and training, protections of clean air and water, workplace safety and more. He'll declare open season for the big banks and casino capitalism. He'll throw millions off of health care, while doing nothing to make it more affordable.
His "turnaround" for America is premised on the belief that at a time of Gilded Age inequality, the rich need more relief and the poor deserve less help. And for all the talk about uniting America, he'll sell this agenda by telling a frightened, angry declining white middle class that government is taking their money to give to "those people."
Also crammed in the memory hole, of course, is Romney's real business experience. The man from Bain can't admit to the vulture capitalism that made him and his partners rich. Early on, Romney realized that trying to build companies was too hard. The big money came from taking over profitable companies, larding them up with debt, raking the fees and profits for Bain off the top, and then helping management cut costs -- lay off workers, off shore production, shut down less profitable operations -- in the struggle to pay off the debt Bain had burdened them with. It isn't an accident that four of the top ten money earners for Bain headed quickly into bankruptcy.
Romney was an exemplary vulture capitalist. And under his guidance, Bain was expert not at building companies, but at milking them and every tax dodge the private equity lobby could help write into the tax code, every rule it could help rig to make money. The one tax return Mitt showed us -- with its Cayman Island corporate shills, its Swiss bank accounts, its dodgy retirement accounts -- is illustrative. This is a guy earning 20 million a year and paying a lower tax rate than the cops that patrol his many homes.
Mitt was successful at the very form of capitalism that has hollowed out America's middle class, racked up trillions in foreign debt, crushed unions and shipped jobs abroad. Its result was that workers no longer share in the rising profits and productivity that they help produce. The top 1% captured about 93% of the growth in national income in 2010. Mitt and Bain were part of creating the economy that works only for the few. It is exactly the wrong experience and the wrong values for righting this economy.
So for all the talk about "introducing" Romney to America, Romney has to remain an enigma. He can't talk honestly about the economic calamity that Obama inherited because he champions the very policies that led to it. He can't talk honestly about his business experience because it is part of what ails us. |
Congressman Martin Hardy on Rubio's accomplishments. (Screen capture)
Marco Rubio is having terrible luck with his surrogates when they’re asked by the media to come on and talk about why they’re endorsing him. Rep. Martin Hardy is the latest to get a little flustered when MSNBC asked him what Rubio’s accomplishments are.
MSNBC asked for some of Rubio’s achievements on Capitol Hill that demonstrates his character and ability to get things done. “On the Hill, I have not seen that. He’s been running for a presidential race most of this year,” Hardy said in the video below.
He isn’t the only one. The trouble all began when Rick Santorum appeared on MSNBC and was asked what he lists as Marco Rubio’s top accomplishments. The only thing he could list was winning a U.S. Senate campaign in Florida.
Just two weeks ago, snowball loving Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) also struggled to find words to describe Rubio’s accomplishments. “He accomplished great things,” he began. “And for him to, I mean, you know, you, you could start in on his accomplishments going way back to when he was in the state of, er, when he was running the House, in um, in um, ah, Florida. So, uh—” the reporter then cut him off asking for specifics. “Well, he has, he has brought issues out in the public so that the public is aware that the problems that exist. He has been very clear that we have a problem in our military, we have a President who has disarmed America and we have a problem right now he is busy bringing that, focusing on that on the, on the American people, and, but there are limits to what you can do as one Senator.”
The video cut to another Representative before going back to Inhofe who ultimately came up with something. “Now, specific, what has he done? He voted for, as I did, the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act, and he did it because, and there were several other senators who didn’t, two other senators who didn’t do it.” The problem is that Rubio didn’t even show up for the vote that Inhofe referenced.
Check out Hardy’s video below. |
INDIANAPOLIS -- A former IPS counselor accused of having sex with two students will avoid jail or prison time in a plea agreement reached Tuesday.
Taylor pleaded guilty to three felony counts of dissemination of matter harmful to minors.
Taylor's agreed sentence is six years on home detention. She can't have contact with the victims.
She will also lose her teacher's license this week.
State Sen. Jim Merritt criticized the deal, saying:
"In recent years, there have been far too many cases against school employees regarding misconduct with our children. We had legislation last session, and we will have legislation this session to help ensure our kids are safe in school. This verdict flies in the face of these efforts to keep predators out of our schools and sends a terrible message that you can harm our kids and avoid prison time.”
Taylor was arrested in February 2016. She was initially charged with 11 counts, pleading not guilty.
CALL 6 | IPS counselor arrested on child seduction charges
She was accused of having sexual relationships with at least two students on multiple occasions between October 2015 and February 2016.
Five school officials were accused of failing to immediately report the information to the Department of Child Services.
Marion County prosecutors say Taylor will not have to register as a sex offender.
The prosecutor's office gave the following statement:
"As with all plea agreements, our office reached what we believe to be an appropriate outcome based on our experience and several factors, including the strength or weakness of evidence, impact on victims, and likely range of sentence should a case be successfully prosecuted at trial. The likely range of sentence would include an evaluation of mitigating factors which the court would consider, including the absence of criminal history of the defendant."
ALSO READ:
Court docs: IPS officials waited 6 days to report alleged child sex abuse
Attorney: IPS Supt. Ferebee covered up Shana Taylor case to get $60,000 raise
IPS releases long-awaited administrator emails in Shana Taylor case |
Use cases of embedded CSS
Let’s talk about the cases where it makes sense to place your CSS within the head of your HTML.
Mostly one can say that micro sites or single page applications are perfect for this technique since users don’t visit more than one page of your application — they stay on the same page for all of their visit and thus don’t need the advantage of client-side caching – up to a certain extend. This becomes a negative example if you have high traffic from returning visitors.
Another use case are pages that need to be served very very fast as for example home pages or landing pages. You want to avoid the Critical Rendering Path in this case more than in others. Users will wait a few more seconds if you got their attention in the first place.
How to do inlining
This section is only important if you are really really sure you want to embed your CSS in the HTML head. As per my own front-end workflow here is an example on how to integrate this feature with a Grunt build-flow.
There are a couple of Grunt modules out there that do this kind of task and nothing more. For example grunt-inline-css which is basically targeted at HTML mailings but can be easily used for embedded CSS on any web project. Done!
The configuration is easy and an example can be found within the README file of the repo.
Another alternative would be to read the content from a generated minified CSS file with Node’s `fs` API and than use grunt-replace within your build workflow. Also straightforward if you are used to Grunt.
Alternatives
One more thing though: Combined with other techniques to save loading time the idea of inlining CSS in the HTML head might be a good solution.
If you load the content of your “classic” website asynchronously you can leave out the head and scripts for new pages which makes loading pages faster in general but introduces a couple of other problems you have to work around (ie. browser history). There are services optimized for this kind of task. You get the idea…
Apart from that there are several techniques which combine some of the ideas together. I don’t want to go into detail. |
Laurian Bold, 31, became so stressed with her work load, she broke out in rashes and had to take medication (Picture: Cavendish)
Staff at a secondary school in Rochdale have been criticised for working a science teacher to death before she committed suicide.
Laurian Bold, 31, became so stressed with her work load following a job promotion at Hollingworth Academy, she broke out in rashes and had to take medication.
Within three weeks of her new appointment, she resigned from the role and went off on sick leave for two months due to severe anxiety but still marked books from home.
But just a day after returning to work, Miss Bold pulled her car over on the M62 on February 26 and jumped off a bridge.
Laurian, a science teacher, had been off sick for two months with severe anxiety but continued to mark books from home (Picture: Cavendish)
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At an inquest in Heywood, coroner Lisa Hashimi recorded a verdict of suicide and said whilst she accepted the school had not made ‘major errors’, colleagues had ‘too high expectations’ of her.
She said: ‘I am satisfied that work related stress and the temporary promotion triggered the stress and anxiety at this time. The school did have high expectations perhaps too high.’
‘I cannot accept that the school were unaware that Laurian was working at home while out sick.
‘It should and would have been obvious and I do not accept the explanation from the head teacher that some staff prefer to retain work while still off sick – as that was not the case with Laurian.’
Laurian, a keen athlete who regularly took part in 5k runs for charity, had graduated in chemistry and completed a post graduate teaching course at Manchester Metropolitan University.
She then joined Hollingworth in 2007, six years before it was given its Academy status.
In October last year she was appointed as an assistant head in the science department but within weeks she was struggling to cope.
MORE: Family of soldier found hanged after gay sex insist it wasn’t suicide
Staff at Hollingworth Academy have been accused of ‘overworking’ the teacher (Picture: Google Maps)
During a meeting at school in November Laurian broke in tears, quit her new job saying she was ‘letting the school down’ and staff referred her for counselling.
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The following February she agreed to come back to school after a half term break but it was claimed on her first day, she found her work room was in chaos. She died the following day.
Laurian’s mother, Gabrielle, 54, said: ‘As Laurian’s parents we were concerned her illness was not being taken seriously by school.
‘I believe that by their actions, Hollingworth Academy have caused Laurians condition and ultimately her death.’
The school’s headteacher Darren Randle told the hearing: ‘All we wanted to do was support her back into work successfully. We just wanted her to get back and do well.
‘There’s not many days gone by where colleagues have not reflected on what they could have done or couldn’t have done.’
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
MORE: Elderly couple left warning of ‘dangerous gas in flat’ before dying in suicide pact |
systemd not only brings improvements for administrators and users, it also brings a (small) number of new APIs with it. In this blog story (which might become the first of a series) I hope to shed some light on one of the most important new APIs in systemd:
Socket Activation
In the original blog story about systemd I tried to explain why socket activation is a wonderful technology to spawn services. Let's reiterate the background here a bit.
The basic idea of socket activation is not new. The inetd superserver was a standard component of most Linux and Unix systems since time began: instead of spawning all local Internet services already at boot, the superserver would listen on behalf of the services and whenever a connection would come in an instance of the respective service would be spawned. This allowed relatively weak machines with few resources to offer a big variety of services at the same time. However it quickly got a reputation for being somewhat slow: since daemons would be spawned for each incoming connection a lot of time was spent on forking and initialization of the services -- once for each connection, instead of once for them all.
Spawning one instance per connection was how inetd was primarily used, even though inetd actually understood another mode: on the first incoming connection it would notice this via poll() (or select() ) and spawn a single instance for all future connections. (This was controllable with the wait / nowait options.) That way the first connection would be slow to set up, but subsequent ones would be as fast as with a standalone service. In this mode inetd would work in a true on-demand mode: a service would be made available lazily when it was required.
inetd's focus was clearly on AF_INET (i.e. Internet) sockets. As time progressed and Linux/Unix left the server niche and became increasingly relevant on desktops, mobile and embedded environments inetd was somehow lost in the troubles of time. Its reputation for being slow, and the fact that Linux' focus shifted away from only Internet servers made a Linux machine running inetd (or one of its newer implementations, like xinetd) the exception, not the rule.
When Apple engineers worked on optimizing the MacOS boot time they found a new way to make use of the idea of socket activation: they shifted the focus away from AF_INET sockets towards AF_UNIX sockets. And they noticed that on-demand socket activation was only part of the story: much more powerful is socket activation when used for all local services including those which need to be started anyway on boot. They implemented these ideas in launchd, a central building block of modern MacOS X systems, and probably the main reason why MacOS is so fast booting up.
But, before we continue, let's have a closer look what the benefits of socket activation for non-on-demand, non-Internet services in detail are. Consider the four services Syslog, D-Bus, Avahi and the Bluetooth daemon. D-Bus logs to Syslog, hence on traditional Linux systems it would get started after Syslog. Similarly, Avahi requires Syslog and D-Bus, hence would get started after both. Finally Bluetooth is similar to Avahi and also requires Syslog and D-Bus but does not interface at all with Avahi. Sinceoin a traditional SysV-based system only one service can be in the process of getting started at a time, the following serialization of startup would take place: Syslog → D-Bus → Avahi → Bluetooth (Of course, Avahi and Bluetooth could be started in the opposite order too, but we have to pick one here, so let's simply go alphabetically.). To illustrate this, here's a plot showing the order of startup beginning with system startup (at the top).
Certain distributions tried to improve this strictly serialized start-up: since Avahi and Bluetooth are independent from each other, they can be started simultaneously. The parallelization is increased, the overall startup time slightly smaller. (This is visualized in the middle part of the plot.)
Socket activation makes it possible to start all four services completely simultaneously, without any kind of ordering. Since the creation of the listening sockets is moved outside of the daemons themselves we can start them all at the same time, and they are able to connect to each other's sockets right-away. I.e. in a single step the /dev/log and /run/dbus/system_bus_socket sockets are created, and in the next step all four services are spawned simultaneously. When D-Bus then wants to log to syslog, it just writes its messages to /dev/log . As long as the socket buffer does not run full it can go on immediately with what else it wants to do for initialization. As soon as the syslog service catches up it will process the queued messages. And if the socket buffer runs full then the client logging will temporarily block until the socket is writable again, and continue the moment it can write its log messages. That means the scheduling of our services is entirely done by the kernel: from the userspace perspective all services are run at the same time, and when one service cannot keep up the others needing it will temporarily block on their request but go on as soon as these requests are dispatched. All of this is completely automatic and invisible to userspace. Socket activation hence allows us to drastically parallelize start-up, enabling simultaneous start-up of services which previously were thought to strictly require serialization. Most Linux services use sockets as communication channel. Socket activation allows starting of clients and servers of these channels at the same time.
But it's not just about parallelization. It offers a number of other benefits:
We no longer need to configure dependencies explicitly. Since the sockets are initialized before all services they are simply available, and no userspace ordering of service start-up needs to take place anymore. Socket activation hence drastically simplifies configuration and development of services.
If a service dies its listening socket stays around, not losing a single message. After a restart of the crashed service it can continue right where it left off.
If a service is upgraded we can restart the service while keeping around its sockets, thus ensuring the service is continously responsive. Not a single connection is lost during the upgrade.
We can even replace a service during runtime in a way that is invisible to the client. For example, all systems running systemd start up with a tiny syslog daemon at boot which passes all log messages written to /dev/log on to the kernel message buffer. That way we provide reliable userspace logging starting from the first instant of boot-up. Then, when the actual rsyslog daemon is ready to start we terminate the mini daemon and replace it with the real daemon. And all that while keeping around the original logging socket and sharing it between the two daemons and not losing a single message. Since rsyslog flushes the kernel log buffer to disk after start-up all log messages from the kernel, from early-boot and from runtime end up on disk.
For another explanation of this idea consult the original blog story about systemd.
Socket activation has been available in systemd since its inception. On Fedora 15 a number of services have been modified to implement socket activation, including Avahi, D-Bus and rsyslog (to continue with the example above).
systemd's socket activation is quite comprehensive. Not only classic sockets are support but related technologies as well:
AF_UNIX sockets, in the flavours SOCK_DGRAM, SOCK_STREAM and SOCK_SEQPACKET; both in the filesystem and in the abstract namespace
AF_INET sockets, i.e. TCP/IP and UDP/IP; both IPv4 and IPv6
Unix named pipes/FIFOs in the filesystem
AF_NETLINK sockets, to subscribe to certain kernel features. This is currently used by udev, but could be useful for other netlink-related services too, such as audit.
Certain special files like /proc/kmsg or device nodes like /dev/input/* .
or device nodes like . POSIX Message Queues
A service capable of socket activation must be able to receive its preinitialized sockets from systemd, instead of creating them internally. For most services this requires (minimal) patching. However, since systemd actually provides inetd compatibility a service working with inetd will also work with systemd -- which is quite useful for services like sshd for example.
So much about the background of socket activation, let's now have a look how to patch a service to make it socket activatable. Let's start with a theoretic service foobard . (In a later blog post we'll focus on real-life example.)
Our little (theoretic) service includes code like the following for creating sockets (most services include code like this in one way or another):
/* Source Code Example #1: ORIGINAL, NOT SOCKET-ACTIVATABLE SERVICE */ ... union { struct sockaddr sa; struct sockaddr_un un; } sa; int fd; fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0); if (fd < 0) { fprintf(stderr, "socket(): %m
"); exit(1); } memset(&sa, 0, sizeof(sa)); sa.un.sun_family = AF_UNIX; strncpy(sa.un.sun_path, "/run/foobar.sk", sizeof(sa.un.sun_path)); if (bind(fd, &sa.sa, sizeof(sa)) < 0) { fprintf(stderr, "bind(): %m
"); exit(1); } if (listen(fd, SOMAXCONN) < 0) { fprintf(stderr, "listen(): %m
"); exit(1); } ...
A socket activatable service may use the following code instead:
/* Source Code Example #2: UPDATED, SOCKET-ACTIVATABLE SERVICE */ ... #include "sd-daemon.h" ... int fd; if (sd_listen_fds(0) != 1) { fprintf(stderr, "No or too many file descriptors received.
"); exit(1); } fd = SD_LISTEN_FDS_START + 0; ...
systemd might pass you more than one socket (based on configuration, see below). In this example we are interested in one only. sd_listen_fds() returns how many file descriptors are passed. We simply compare that with 1, and fail if we got more or less. The file descriptors systemd passes to us are inherited one after the other beginning with fd #3. (SD_LISTEN_FDS_START is a macro defined to 3). Our code hence just takes possession of fd #3.
As you can see this code is actually much shorter than the original. This of course comes at the price that our little service with this change will no longer work in a non-socket-activation environment. With minimal changes we can adapt our example to work nicely both with and without socket activation:
/* Source Code Example #3: UPDATED, SOCKET-ACTIVATABLE SERVICE WITH COMPATIBILITY */ ... #include "sd-daemon.h" ... int fd, n; n = sd_listen_fds(0); if (n > 1) { fprintf(stderr, "Too many file descriptors received.
"); exit(1); } else if (n == 1) fd = SD_LISTEN_FDS_START + 0; else { union { struct sockaddr sa; struct sockaddr_un un; } sa; fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0); if (fd < 0) { fprintf(stderr, "socket(): %m
"); exit(1); } memset(&sa, 0, sizeof(sa)); sa.un.sun_family = AF_UNIX; strncpy(sa.un.sun_path, "/run/foobar.sk", sizeof(sa.un.sun_path)); if (bind(fd, &sa.sa, sizeof(sa)) < 0) { fprintf(stderr, "bind(): %m
"); exit(1); } if (listen(fd, SOMAXCONN) < 0) { fprintf(stderr, "listen(): %m
"); exit(1); } } ...
With this simple change our service can now make use of socket activation but still works unmodified in classic environments. Now, let's see how we can enable this service in systemd. For this we have to write two systemd unit files: one describing the socket, the other describing the service. First, here's foobar.socket :
[Socket] ListenStream=/run/foobar.sk [Install] WantedBy=sockets.target
And here's the matching service file foobar.service :
[Service] ExecStart=/usr/bin/foobard
If we place these two files in /etc/systemd/system we can enable and start them:
# systemctl enable foobar.socket # systemctl start foobar.socket
Now our little socket is listening, but our service not running yet. If we now connect to /run/foobar.sk the service will be automatically spawned, for on-demand service start-up. With a modification of foobar.service we can start our service already at startup, thus using socket activation only for parallelization purposes, not for on-demand auto-spawning anymore:
[Service] ExecStart=/usr/bin/foobard [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target
And now let's enable this too:
# systemctl enable foobar.service # systemctl start foobar.service
Now our little daemon will be started at boot and on-demand, whatever comes first. It can be started fully in parallel with its clients, and when it dies it will be automatically restarted when it is used the next time.
A single .socket file can include multiple ListenXXX stanzas, which is useful for services that listen on more than one socket. In this case all configured sockets will be passed to the service in the exact order they are configured in the socket unit file. Also, you may configure various socket settings in the .socket files.
In real life it's a good idea to include description strings in these unit files, to keep things simple we'll leave this out of our example. Speaking of real-life: our next installment will cover an actual real-life example. We'll add socket activation to the CUPS printing server.
The sd_listen_fds() function call is defined in sd-daemon.h and sd-daemon.c. These two files are currently drop-in .c sources which projects should simply copy into their source tree. Eventually we plan to turn this into a proper shared library, however using the drop-in files allows you to compile your project in a way that is compatible with socket activation even without any compile time dependencies on systemd. sd-daemon.c is liberally licensed, should compile fine on the most exotic Unixes and the algorithms are trivial enough to be reimplemented with very little code if the license should nonetheless be a problem for your project. sd-daemon.c contains a couple of other API functions besides sd_listen_fds() that are useful when implementing socket activation in a project. For example, there's sd_is_socket() which can be used to distuingish and identify particular sockets when a service gets passed more than one.
Let me point out that the interfaces used here are in no way bound directly to systemd. They are generic enough to be implemented in other systems as well. We deliberately designed them as simple and minimal as possible to make it possible for others to adopt similar schemes. |
We don't know a lot about the internal anatomy of the colossal squid — the inside story is still being worked out. At present no one can draw an accurate diagram of the layout of the insides of the colossal squid.
The scientists wanted to keep the colossal squid intact to put on display, so they could not dissect it to look at the internal organs. However they were able to dissect a smaller, damaged colossal squid. This, and use their knowledge of the internal anatomy of other squid, tells us something about the squid's internal anatomy.
The team also used an endoscope to look inside the thawed colossal squid. The endoscope was inserted into the eyeball, giving the animal-vision scientists a good look at the largest animal eye in the world.
When the endoscope was inserted into the mantle, the team could get a close-up view of the eggs — confirming that the specimen is a female, and that the eggs are immature.
Gills
Squid use oxygen from seawater for respiration. The seawater enters the mantle through the opening near the head, and passes over the gills. Oxygen diffuses from the water into the blood, and is transported to the gill (or branchial) hearts by a network of many blood vessels.
The colossal squid has two large gills, each with 20 to 80 gill filaments on either side, which hang down into the mantle. In the dissected smaller colossal squid the gills are striped with lines of dark pigment.
Heart
Squid have three hearts: two branchial hearts and one systemic heart.
The branchial hearts pump blood to the gills, where oxygen is taken up. Blood then flows to the systemic heart, where it is pumped to the rest of the body. The systemic heart is made of three chambers: a lower ventricle and two upper auricles.
Blood
Squid blood is blue, not red as in humans. This is because squid blood contains a copper-containing compound called haemocyanin. In humans the blood is red and contains the iron compound haemoglobin.
Oesophagus
The oesophagus of the colossal squid leads from the beak into the stomach and caecum, where food is digested. It's only about 10 mm in diameter and passes through the middle of the squid's doughnut-shaped brain. The colossal squid has to cut up food into small chunks so it can pass through the narrow oesophagus.
Digestive system — stomach and caecum
The squid's stomach is a small, shiny white sac that connects to the stomach pouch or caecum. Digestion of food begins in the stomach. The caecum also performs some digestion and is the primary site of absorption of nutrients. Enzymes from the liver and pancreas help digestion.
Waste passes into the intestine, a narrow tube adjacent to the stomach pouch, then empties into the rectum. The end of the digestive system is the anus, from which waste exits into the funnel.
Brain
Squid and octopus have an intricate nervous system, more complex than other molluscs, and invertebrates in general.
The squid brain is enclosed in a cartilaginous head capsule and includes two large optic lobes. These indicate that vision is very important to squid. Up to 80 per cent of the brain is devoted to processing visual information.
The brain is shaped liked a doughnut and surrounds the narrow oesophagus. It is very small in comparison with the overall size of the body — a 300 kilogramme colossal squid has a brain weighing less than 100 grammes!
Statoliths
Squid can tell how they are positioned in the water. This information is provided by two statoliths located within the squid's brain. Each statolith is a small calcareous structure which sits within a chamber called a statocyst. As the little bone moves around within the chamber according to gravity, the squid can work out which way is up, in the dark.
Ink sac
All squid have a sac of ink inside the mantle. The ink is a dark liquid and is expelled through the funnel. If the squid meets a predator, it shoots out a cloud of ink, which hides the squid so it can escape.
No one has ever seen a colossal squid producing ink so we can't be sure what the ink looks like or how the squid uses it. As there is no light down at 1,000 metres in the ocean, dark ink would be useless! It is possible that the colossal squid has luminescent ink.
Gladius, or pen
All molluscs have a shell. The colossal squid has an internal shell called the gladius. The gladius is a rigid internal structure that supports the squid's body and runs through the upper part of the mantle, between the paired tail fin. It is made of chitin — a tough, protective, and semi-transparent substance, which is primarily a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide. The gladius is easy to remove when dissecting a squid, and looks like a long piece of plastic. |
President Donald Trump moved aggressively to tighten the nation's immigration controls Wednesday, signing executive actions to jumpstart construction of his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall and cut federal grants for immigrant-protecting "sanctuary cities." As early as Thursday, he is expected to pause the flow of all refugees to the U.S. and indefinitely bar those fleeing war-torn Syria.
"Beginning today the United States of America gets back control of its borders," Trump declared during a visit to the Department of Homeland Security. "We are going to save lives on both sides of the border.
The actions, less than a week into Trump's presidency, fulfilled pledges that animated his candidacy and represented a dramatic redirection of U.S. immigration policy. They were cheered by Republicans allies in Congress, condemned by immigration advocates and triggered immediate new tension with the Mexican government.
"I regret and reject the decision of the U.S. to build the wall," Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said Wednesday in a nationally televised address.
Trump is expected to wield his executive power again later this week with the directive to dam the refugee flow into the U.S. for at least four months, in addition to the open-ended pause on Syrian arrivals.
The president's upcoming order is also expected to suspend issuing visas for people from several predominantly Muslim countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — for at least 30 days, according to a draft executive order obtained by The Associated Press.
Trump is unveiling his immigration plans at a time when detentions at the nation's southern border are down significantly from levels seen in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The arrest tally last year was the fifth-lowest since 1972. Deportations of people living in the U.S. illegally also increased under President Barack Obama, though Republicans criticized him for setting prosecution guidelines that spared some groups from the threat of deportation, including those brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
As a candidate, Trump tapped into the immigration concerns of some Americans who worry both about a loss of economic opportunities and the threat of criminals and terrorists entering the country. His call for a border wall was among his most popular proposals with supporters, who often broke out in chants of "build that wall" during rallies.
Immigration advocates and others assailed the new president's actions. Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project, said the president's desire to construct a border wall was "driven by racial and ethnic bias that disgraces America's proud tradition of protecting vulnerable migrants."
How Trump plans to pay for the wall project is murky. While he has repeatedly promised that Mexico will foot the bill, U.S. taxpayers are expected to cover the initial costs and the new administration has said nothing about how it might compel Mexico to reimburse the money.
In an interview with ABC News earlier Wednesday, Trump said, "There will be a payment; it will be in a form, perhaps a complicated form."
Pena Nieto said Wednesday, "I have said time and again, Mexico will not pay for any wall." He has been expected to meet with Trump at the White House next week, although a senior official said Trump's announcement had led him to reconsider the visit.
Congressional aides say there is about $100 million of unspent appropriations in the Department of Homeland Security account for border security, fencing and infrastructure. That would allow planning efforts to get started, but far more money would have to be appropriated for construction to begin.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, in an interview Wednesday on MSNBC, said Congress will work with Trump on the upfront financing for the wall. Asked about estimates that the project could cost $8 billion to $14 billion, Ryan said, "That's about right."
Trump has insisted many times the border structure will be a wall. The order he signed referred to "a contiguous, physical wall or other similarly secure, contiguous and impassable physical barrier."
To build the wall, the president is relying on a 2006 law that authorized several hundred miles of fencing along the 2,000-mile frontier. That bill led to the construction of about 700 miles of various kinds of fencing designed to block both vehicles and pedestrians.
The president's orders also call for hiring 5,000 additional border patrol agents and 10,000 more immigration officers, though the increases are subject to the approval of congressional funding. He also moved to end what Republicans have labeled a catch-and-release system at the border. Currently, some immigrants caught crossing the border illegally are released and given notices to report back to immigration officials at a later date.
Trump's crackdown on sanctuary cities — locales that don't cooperate with immigration authorities — could cost individual jurisdictions millions of dollars. But the administration may face legal challenges, given that some federal courts have found that cities or counties cannot hold immigrants beyond their jail terms or deny them bond based only a request from immigration authorities.
Some of the nation's largest metropolitan areas — including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — are considered sanctuary cities.
The president also moved to restart the "Secure Communities" program, which was launched under President George W. Bush and initially touted as a way for immigration authorities to quickly and easily identify people in the country illegally who had been arrested by local authorities.
The program helped the Obama administration deport a record high of more than 409,000 immigrants in 2012. But Obama eventually abandoned the program after immigration advocates and civil libertarians decried it as too often targeting immigrants charged with low-level crimes, including traffic violations.
Among those in the audience for Trump's remarks at DHS were the families of people killed by people in the U.S. illegally. After reading the names of those killed, Trump said, "Your children will not have lost their lives for no reason."
Trump's actions on halting all refugees could be announced as soon as Thursday. Administration officials and others briefed on the plans cautioned that some details of the measures could still be changed, but indicated that Trump planned to follow through on his campaign promises to limit access to the U.S. for people coming from countries with terrorism ties.
Associated Press |
Pest to plate: Our growing appetite for feral carp amid river eradication plans
Updated
Could carp be the new calamari?
Consumer demand for the introduced river pest has been growing rapidly in Australia in recent years.
The introduced species is sold domestically primarily for lawn fertiliser and bait products but it has long been one of the most popular table fish in Asia and Europe.
Last financial year, the Sydney Fish Market sold 83,000 kilograms of carp and it expects sales will continue to increase.
"You are going to see good-looking carp in your local fish shops in coming years," market tour guide Alex Stollznow said.
"In Germany, carp is eaten at Christmas alongside the ham."
Squid and octopus once also disliked
Ms Stollznow likened Australia's aversion to eating carp with the country's reluctance to consume some seafood.
"You go back 50 years ago in Australia and squid and octopus were in that same category," he said.
"It was only Greeks and Italians who ate it and the rest of us used it for bait at best.
"Now good squid is $35 to $40 a kilogram for the really exceptional stuff and you will see it on any restaurant menu in Sydney."
Eating carp boosts river environment and economy
At the same time as consumer taste for carp increases, the National Carp Control Plan is considering the release of the carp herpes virus.
It aims to wipe out a large percentage of the carp population to protect native species and improve river health, although concerns exist about the impact of rotting carp on the river.
While research continues into the carp control plan, eating the pest has environmental and economic benefits for River Murray communities.
"As a delicious eradication program, I couldn't encourage enough people to eat carp," Mr Stollznow said.
"It feeds the family, it's well-priced, it tastes pretty good and you're helping the Australian freshwater systems more than in any other way.
"Before you know it, you have a noxious pest which local towns [along the Murray Darling Basin] are getting paid to harvest and it feeds us."
Better prices a boost for commercial carp fishers
Consumer demand for carp has been a boost for South Australian fisherman Garry Warrick.
He and his son fish carp from the River Murray and Lake Bonney in the Riverland and supply markets such as the Sydney Fish Market.
"[Human consumption] has grown a lot over the last 10 years and we have tripled the amount sent to market," Mr Warrick said.
"It used to be all cray bait and fertiliser. Now there are a lot more people eating it in the eastern states."
Carp has been selling at market for about $5 per kilogram, a similar price to mullet or luderick.
"It's normally at least double the cray bait market. Probably between the $2 to $5 a kilo for human consumption and cray bait is about $1 to $1.50 per kilo," Mr Warrick said.
He said he fishes up to 200 tonnes of carp each year and has a market for all the fish he catches.
"Nothing gets wasted — from the top end to the fertiliser, there's a market for all of the carp," Mr Warrick said.
He said the carp herpes virus would have a dramatic impact on his business but he agreed that fishing alone was unable to control pest numbers.
"They are saying 70 to 90 per cent [of carp] killed at the start but I know overseas they have come back to 50 per cent so it will ruin the business for quite a few years," he said.
'Creamy, delicate flesh' when prepared properly
Carp has a reputation as a muddy-tasting fish but when prepared correctly, can be quite palatable.
"The main reason people don't like it is, if you catch one out of still water where they don't have to work too hard and cook it and eat it, then you're eating the layer of fat they store under the skin," Mr Stollznow said.
"It's that layer of fat that stores the silty, muddy flavour that turns most people off."
He said purging it in fresh water and then putting it in an ice slurry improves the taste.
"You're left with a creamy, delicate curd of flesh," he said.
"You've got to add flavour to it but it's quite nice as a blank canvas for whatever flavours you may wish to add."
Topics: fishing-aquaculture, fish, pests, environment, food-and-cooking, lifestyle-and-leisure, barmera-5345, sydney-2000
First posted |
Footwear giant New Balance reportedly was promised a shot at landing a huge military contract in exchange for dropping its public opposition to an Obama-touted trade deal -- but now the Boston-based company is lashing out, claiming the Pentagon has reneged on the deal.
“We swallowed the poison pill that is TPP so we could have a chance to bid on these contracts,” Matt LeBretton, a New Balance VP, told the Boston Globe.
New Balance CEO Robert DeMartini, speaking on Fox News, also confirmed Thursday that the company had told the administration they’d “remain silent” on the trade deal if they could compete for the shoe contract. But lately, he said, “things just got quiet.”
“We simply can’t get through,” said DeMartini, describing how several recent meetings with a top Defense official have been abruptly canceled.
According to the original report in The Boston Globe, the company now is prepared to speak out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership -- the 12-nation trade agreement that President Obama is eager to pass through Congress, but which companies like New Balance fear will spur cheap imports.
The report threw back the curtain on the apparent backchannel talks to help lower the volume of public opposition to the TPP deal. New Balance’s central charge is that, despite assurances in exchange for support on the trade pact, the Pentagon is now stalling on any proposed shoe contracts.
“The chances of the Department of Defense buying shoes that are made in the USA are slim to none with Obama is president,” LeBretton told the newspaper.
According to the report, the company wants to land a contract to provide athletic shoes to military recruits. Under a decades-old law, the government is supposed to ensure all military recruit gear is American-made, but athletic shoes long have been exempt because of a lack of U.S. options. Several American companies, including the Boston-based New Balance, have been working to produce an all-American shoe, according to the Globe.
And so in 2014, the Pentagon said they were prepared to look at domestic options for athletic shoes.
New Balance, eyeing the job, has been ramping up operations toward producing an all-American athletic shoe, even reportedly buying an expensive and large machine to produce midsoles domestically. According to the Globe, they installed the machine two years ago at their Brighton plant.
LeBretton reportedly said the administration had pushed for New Balance to accept a version of the TPP in exchange for the DOD fast-tracking the purchase of American-made athletic shoes.
But an Obama administration trade official maintained they still support New Balance’s efforts, while suggesting the reason for the hang-up is the company has not yet submitted a proposal that meets the DOD’s needs.
“We support New Balance’s efforts to develop a competitive, Berry-compliant shoe and joined many Members of Congress in asking that the Department of Defense provide New Balance a fair opportunity to make its case. We understand from the Department of Defense that New Balance has not yet been able to provide a model that meets their requirements for our servicemembers,” Matt McAlvanah, assistant U.S. trade representative for public affairs, told FoxNews.com in a statement.
He said the office is “disappointed” the shoe company is changing its TPP stance “based on factors outside the agreement.”
“It is unfortunate that, despite a strong outcome in TPP that advances the interest of U.S. footwear workers, New Balance now appears to be changing its position on TPP in response to the Pentagon’s separate procurement process,” he said.
According to the Globe, the administration also says the delays are due to both cost and concerns over quality. The Department of Defense says none of the three shoes New Balance has proposed met the cost requirements for the agency.
The company's CEO, though, pushed back. Speaking with Fox News, he held up a shoe and said it’s the only sneaker that is “100 percent sourced in the United States.”
FoxNews.com’s Danny Jativa contributed to this report. |
Vintage Masters is a throwback to the “Killer Combos” section in Inquest Magazine. It’s a who’s-who of dangerous banned cards from Standard formats past. We will get a brief few weeks to play with these dastardly cards before Khans comes out, and here are some of the coolest combos that come from years of Magic past.
Big thanks to Nat Moes for the idea on this part and apologies for the unavoidably Buzzfeedy title here : ) The Vintage Masters visual spoiler with correct rarities isn’t in the system yet, so I hope you’re cool with the original frames on some of these cards.
You’ll see this come back again and again. Get to seven lands and cast High Tide. Tap your remaining six Islands, make twelve mana, cast that ‘Chron and then bounce it. You’ve got one mana left over. Do it again and you’ll make three mana. You can keep doing that until you’ve got a billion mana. What do you do with that? Well, the old school play was to cast Stroke of Genius on your opponent to draw them out of the game. In Vintage Masters, you can use this loop to make a bunch of storm for Brain Freeze, if you’d prefer.
OK, this is going to be greedy, but you might open these two cards in your Sealed pool. The concept is simple; you’d use Survival to stock up the graveyard and Recurring Nightmare to pull out all the juicy reanimation targets.
Noticing a theme? Get up to seven lands and you can also loop Recurring Nightmare infinitely with Palinchron. What to do with all that mana? Can you use it to keep reanimating something else? Maybe a Beetleback Chieftain for a bunch of tokens, perhaps!
There are a bunch of Slide combos, but this is my favorite in the set from the oldschool. Get the Slide out and a Scrivener, then cycle an instant like Blessing. You can slide out that Scrivener and when it comes back, you can grab your Blessing back! You get a free blocker and a card, all for W. With all the cycling lands, I wish Tilling Treefolk were in this set…
This is an old Onslaught-block special. You can pay a huge pile of mana each turn and get a guaranteed Slide. You can keep your storm combo draft deck – I’ll be happily losing with a first-picked Slide!
Last Slide combo, I promise. Slide lets you rebuy really good ETB effects, and this one was brutal back in Standard. Four life plus a giant butt was big enough, but if you could slide the Faithful once or twice, few opponents could break through.
Again, with enough Islands out, you can really make High Tide sing. Both Turnabout and Frantic Search will net positive mana, and both have a really cool combo with Thawing Glaciers as well. I don’t know if a monoblue deck is worth playing, since you need a bunch of Islands with High Tide to work. But I know I’ll be trying it.
You can target your own land with Sea Drake and then sacrifice that land before it comes into play. This is also really good with Strip Mine, but that’s downright rude to do to someone!
This was the dread combination of Odyssey – Onslaught Standard. Here’s how it would go: you have eight lands in play at the beginning of your turn. You float all of your mana, then cast Upheaval. Then you play a land, drop that Tog and pass the turn. If the opponent can’t kill that ‘Tog, you’ll probably be attacking for lethal the next turn. Yes, a cumbersome combination like this was actually very good because you could orient your entire deck around existing until turn nine. You needed no other kill cards – just Upheaval and some Togs. In the meantime, you could cast Deep Analysis and use counterspells. If the opponent couldn’t kill you before turn nine, you would just Upheaval, undo the entire game up to that point, then kill them.
If you’re worried about them stopping your Tog, you can just wait until you have nine lands in play and do the same stunt. You can then pass the turn with an untapped Island to power up a Circular Logic and stop anything that gets in your way!
This combination works with any fattie you want to cheat out and it gets even better if you can use Survival of the Fittest to set it all up. The process is simple – just discard the monster and the ‘shifter turns into it.
Get these two engine cards in play and you get to pay a life to get a black mana and burn through your deck. Just what do you turn that mana into? How about pounding through till you hit a storm card like Tendrils of Agony and rebuying all that life! You can also use this to draw into, and cast, any other combo you have around. Unfortunately, there isn’t much lifegain in the set aside from Tendrils; if you don’t have Tendrils, then Bargain gets a lot worse.
Just cast the Tutor and use the LED in response – you get three mana to cast your spell and you then get to use the Tutor. LED works with the “in response” trick on a lot, in fact. You can combine it with anything that will get you cards to cast – you can do Deep Analysis, Timetwister, Burning Wish, or the big daddy of ’em all, Yawgmoth’s Will. Cast that Will, use LED, then when Will resolves, replay the LED to get three more mana!
Okay, you just want to play fair? How about using LED to cheat Arrogant Wurm out early? You can also use this trick to get Roar of the Wurm in the right place and then cast it on the first tun. The combo gets better if you’ve got some Basking Rootwallas to Madness out, too.
That old Alpha combo is back with a slightly better burn spell. You cast Channel with a life advantage, burn up all your life and then shunt it into that Torch. If you pull it off with a Black Lotus on your first turn, I think you should automatically win the event.
This takes a minute to understand so let me walk ya through it. Get that Dragon into the graveyard somehow. Cast Animate Dead on it. The Aura pulls it up onto the battlefield. The Dragon’s ability exiles it, which means the Dragon dies. The Aura comes back, along with all of your other permanents. You then reanimate the Dragon again and keep the loop going forever. You can make infinite mana and get infinite triggers with your ETB effects. While you probably just want to kill with Kaervek’s Torch, I’d rather use Scrivener looping Ancestral Recall back again and again – targeting the opponent, of course!
It’s turn five. That Psychatog attacks. Your opponent counts up the cards in your hand and graveyard, safe in knowing that the Tog can’t get huge. “Just a moment,” you say, as you make it a 10/11 and then cast Berserk on it. This used to be a very potent combo and it can still surprise people!
This old duo makes a reappearance again, too. With Fires down, you can remove three counters for a trio of 4/4s. On their own, with the bonus haste, they’ll attack for 21 damage. Against the slower decks playing Counterspells or trying to get a combo together, you’ll shred them with these monsters.
Blastoderm gets a free mega-swing with Fires out – it was the other scary end of a Fires sitting on the board, aside from Saproling Burst. You get a full twenty damage from these two cards and you’ll either mash the opponent to death or eat three or four of his best guys!
Tradewind Rider is a great lock piece, but how do you feed him? With an angry squirrel army, of course! If you run out of juicy targets for the Rider – if bouncing a land each turn just isn’t doing it for you – then you can bounce your own Hermit with the Echo on the stack to get another chance at his ETB effect.
Yes, this is just as absurd as you think it is. Thankfully, it won’t come up that often due to the rarities involved. But it’s essentially 2B: make a bunch of dudes, over and over. If the opponent can’t kill the Nightmare, they’ll be facing the Hermit over and over.
The first target for your Survival when you resolve it should be a Genesis and then whatever you wanted to get otherwise. Next turn, you can pay 2G and get Genesis back, ready to be discarded again for another monster. This is also a fun combo with Basking Rootwalla, giving you essentially a free creature from your deck if it’s lurking in there.
Saving the best for last!
What is your favorite combo? What’s a combo in the set from long ago that I missed? Post your thoughts below!
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Douglas Linn Doug Linn has been playing Magic since 1996 and has had a keen interest in Legacy and Modern. By keeping up closely with emerging trends in the field, Doug is able to predict what cards to buy and when to sell them for a substantial profit. Since the Eternal market follows a routine boom-bust cycle, the time to buy and sell short-term speculative investments is often a narrow window. Because Eternal cards often spike in value once people know why they are good, it is essential for a trader to be connected to the format to get great buys before anyone else. Outside of Magic, Doug is an attorney in the state of Ohio. Doug is a founding member of Quiet Speculation, and brings with him a tremendous amount of business savvy. More Posts
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If you're unique, Dr Pepper is the mass-produced beverage for you.
So says the brand in a new campaign from Deutsch/LA titled "Always One of a Kind." The centerpiece spot starts off somber, opening on a regular guy in a regular suit stepping off a train into a crowd of commuters. But wait! He's drinking a Dr Pepper. He's no faceless corporate cog. Cracking a smile, he doffs his drab-gray jacket and blue oxford, Clark Kent style, to reveal a T-shirt with "I'm a One of a Kind" printed across its front in the brand's trademark white-on-maroon colors. Our hero struts off, a new bounce in his step, as a processional of other bold personalities takes shape behind him, each sporting a T-shirt that declares a salient fact about its wearer.
The clever cast of characters—the proud cougar, the unlikely momma's boy, the canine wingman—make the spot. They get an assist from the apt soundtrack—an upbeat rendition of Sammy Davis Jr.'s "I've Gotta Be Me," sung by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder. Overall, it's a well-crafted appeal to individualism, despite feeling at moments like an over-the-top fantasy. (It is, in fact, an updated version of the similarly bubbly 1970s "I'm a Pepper" campaign.)
The brand deserves some kudos for inviting fans to design their own Dr Pepper-themed "I'm a …" T-shirts, even though they're charging for them. Of course, there's a bit of a logical disconnect inherent in the whole message—drinking Dr Pepper is liable to make you more of a soda-guzzling statistic than a totally unique snowflake. With 592 million cases sold in 2010, according to Beverage Digest, it's the fifth most popular soda brand in the universe. Then again, it's not Coke or Pepsi.
CREDITS
Client: Dr Pepper
Agency: Deutsch/LA
Chief Creative Officer: Mark Hunter
Group Creative Director: Frank Dattalo
Senior Copywriter: Jed Cohen
Senior Art Director: Karl Haddad
Director of Integrated Production: Vic Palumbo
Director of Broadcast Production: Victoria Guenier
Executive Producer: Tricia Hoover
Production Company: Smith & Jones Films, London
Director: Ulf Johansson
Director of Photography: Andrzej Sekular
Executive Producer/Line Producer: Philippa Smith
Production Manager: Natalie Isaac
Editorial Company: Whitehouse Post
Editor: John Smith
Assistant Editor: Shane Reid
Senior Producer: Kristin Branstetter
Executive Producer: Sue Dawson |
Professional golfers are used to having the ability to change equipment at a tour event, as equipment vans and tour reps are waiting to address any need. During a U.S. Open qualifier, that's not quite the case. But that didn't stop Sam Saunders from switching irons before his 36 holes Monday at Brookside Golf and Country Club and The Lakes Golf and Country Club in Columbus, Ohio. Saunders, who used Callaway's MB1 muscleback blades at the Memorial, borrowed his caddie's Callaway Apex Pro irons -- a model Saunders has used in the past -- and shot 66-66-132 to grab co-medalist honors with Michael Putnam and earn a trip to Chambers Bay. Specifically, Saunders borrowed caddie Travis McAlister's 5-PW as well as his Callaway Apex UT 2- and 3-irons. Curiously, these irons were actually Saunders' before he gave them to McAlister.
I interviewed Saunders earlier this year about his thoughts on equipment, including his use of the Apex Pro irons. "I switched in Midland last year [at the Web.com Tour's WNB Classic]," said Saunders. "I was using the muscleback blades and was struggling a little bit with some shots into the wind. I was spinning the ball a lot and didn't get the distance I needed. So I decided to try something with a little more mass to it and these irons nailed it for me. I didn't feel like I had to force anything with these clubs." Sounds like a guy who likely shouldn't have changed irons in the first place, but Saunders also has a bit of his grandfather, Arnold Palmer, in him as he is a self-admitted equipment tinkerer. "The game has changed so much and equipment has changed so much," said Saunders. "There's so much more science than art now. But I still like to mess around. I'm always trying to get better, figure out a little bit of a secret. I'm definitely not afraid to switch clubs and I like keeping up with the technology in drivers. That said, I try not to make a ton of changes during the year because you can get caught up in trying something new every week." Maybe not every week. But the change he made before the Open qualifier turned out to be the right week.
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IN THEORY America's three branches of government are equal. In practice the judiciary is the weakest, as Alexander Hamilton cautioned in “The Federalist Papers”, because it controls neither sword nor purse. Of late, state legislatures and executives have been closing their purses as they struggle to balance tight budgets. At the same time, the federal bench is being weakened by both stagnant salaries and frozen politics. This is now swelling dockets, delaying cases, and reducing access to the legal system.
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Ask, for example, Katherine Feinstein, the presiding judge of the San Francisco Superior Court (and daughter of Dianne, California's senior senator). She says that her court narrowly missed “falling off a cliff” last month by getting an emergency loan. But she expects worse later in this fiscal year because California's current budget, which has already cut court funding by $350m, contains a trigger for even more reductions. Between 15 to 28 of California's 58 county courts could go over that cliff in the coming year, she thinks.
How does a court go over the cliff? In unphotogenic slow motion, which makes the dire consequences harder to see. Since the budget cuts started in 2009, says Ms Feinstein, the court has been muddling through. Service has got slower, waiting times longer. An uncontested divorce now takes about half a year, she says. Without the loan, she would have had to lay off so many people that such a divorce would have taken three times as long. With the loan, it will take merely twice as long. That means lives (not just those of the spouses, but also those of children in custodial limbo) are put on hold.
A typical lawsuit now goes to trial within a couple of years, says Ms Feinstein, but that could soon stretch to five years. The backlog of traffic infractions is already so daunting that it compromises enforcement (and the deterrence of bad driving). And so on. The Californian constitution guarantees criminal defendants a right to speedy trial, but it does not technically require courts to administer civil law at all, Ms Feinstein says. So, in theory, civil adjudication could stop altogether, as it already has on one judicial circuit in Georgia. That, she says would bring about the “unravelling of society”.
Courts are in similar straits all over the country. A report by the American Bar Association found that in the last three years, most states have cut court funding by around 10-15%. In the past two years, 26 have stopped filling judicial vacancies, 34 have stopped replacing clerks, 31 have frozen or cut the salaries of judges or staff, 16 have furloughed clerical staff, and nine have furloughed judges. Courts in 14 states have reduced their opening hours, and are closed on some work days. Even the buildings are not immune; around the country 3,200 courthouses are “physically eroded” and “functionally deficient”, says the National Centre for State Courts.
This affects courts' functioning in many ways. One municipal court in Ohio stopped accepting new cases because it could not afford to buy paper. New York judges' pay has been frozen for a dozen years, even as their caseload has increased by 30%. The state's 1,300 judges have sued the legislative and executive branches. Trial court judges make $136,700, less than the $160,000 (before bonuses) a stammering associate in a top-shelf New York City law firm expects in his first year on the job. Some clerks who have received automatic annual pay rises make more than the judges they serve. The rate of attrition among New York judges has spiked.
This means that the courts are limiting access just when Americans need more adjudication. The recession left a vast legacy of foreclosures, personal and business bankruptcies, debt-collection and credit-card disputes. In Florida in 2009, according to the Washington Economics Group, the backlog in civil courts is costing the state some $9.8 billion in GDP a year, a staggering achievement for a court system that costs just $1.2 billion in its entirety. To make up the funding shortfall, courts are imposing higher filing fees on litigants. This threatens the idea of the equal right to justice, says Rebecca Love Kourlis of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System.
Even criminal cases are not immune. Some crimes, like domestic violence, have increased with the rotten economy. In Georgia, where court funds have fallen by 25% in the last two years, criminal cases now routinely take more than a year to come to trial. This means that jails are full of the innocent alongside the guilty. Their incarceration adds costs far greater than the alleged savings in the court system. Above all, it causes gross injustice.
At the federal level, things are better—but only a bit. Politics, more than funding, has kept judgeships empty. Filibustering of judicial nominations increased under George Bush, and even more sharply under Barack Obama, causing federal cases to pile up. But here too, pay is an issue. Even as the caseload has grown, federal judges' salaries have risen by only 39% since 1991 while the cost of living has gone up 50%. Many good judges have simply returned to private practice.
To many judges, as the American Bar Association puts it, “the underfunding of our judicial system threatens the fundamental nature of our tripartite system of government.” In San Francisco, Ms Feinstein thinks that the judicial branch must start explaining itself more forcefully to legislators. And if that doesn't work, she thinks it may be time to ask voters directly for money. As one revered judge, Learned Hand, said in 1951, “If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: thou shalt not ration justice.” |
You could say the young proprietors of 12welve Eyes Brewing have a vision for St. Paul’s Lowertown, and specifically its historic Pioneer Endicott Building.
12welve Eyes is so named because of its bespectacled trio of founders, all childhood friends from Shoreview now in their mid-20s. Like many young craft brewing entrepreneurs, they’re essentially launching their first business with the beer operation.
But they have plenty of confidence it will not only succeed but add something new to the burgeoning Lowertown social scene when it opens, which is now expected to be in midsummer.
Much of that firm conviction stems from the undeniable attractiveness of 12welve Eyes’ pending location at the Pioneer Endicott, a pair of 1890 office towers converted in 2012 into an apartment and retail complex. Owners Rich Pakonen and Clint Blaiser spent $45 million on the renovation.
The combination of stunningly preserved late 19th-century architecture, the convenience of the nearby Green Line light rail and the surge of new residents seeking downtown apartments with character made the Pioneer Endicott a hit. In addition to its 234 apartments, the connected buildings host a pair of retail businesses on the skyway level: Legacy Chocolates and Revival Wine, Beer and Spirits.
The final frontier in its conversion remained its sprawling basement, tens of thousands of square feet that, over decades, was cut into smaller spaces. Easily the most attractive of them was a 2,500-square-foot garden-level space, which boasts its own separate, walk-down entrance into the Endicott Building from the 4th Street sidewalk between Robert and Jackson Streets. Despite being below street level, its large windows allow in plenty of light.
That was the hook for 12welve Eyes managing partners Elliot Grosse and Karl Eicher, both 26, who say they saw in it a chance to create something they contend St. Paul currently lacks — an intimate, cozy, neighborhood-oriented craft brewery taproom.
“What we want to be first and foremost is a hub for the people who live in Lowertown, and for those who work here and in downtown St. Paul,” said Grosse during a tour of the new space this week. “We want to be a comfortable place for them to hang out and enjoy a brewery that constantly rotates a selection of great small-batch beers.”
He and Eicher figure the visibility of the taproom space from the street and passing light rail line will signal the presence of a new neighborhood hangout, but where things really get interesting for 12welve Eyes is the part most customers won’t see: the brew room. Because of the compartmentalized nature of the basement, their five-barrel brewing system is being installed down the hall in what used to be the Endicott Building’s boiler room.
The buildings’ hookup to downtown St. Paul’s district heating system decades ago made the old boilers unnecessary. As a result, in the most costly and unusual part of the enterprise, Grosse, Eicher and building owner Pakonen carved out a suitable space for the brew room.
This week’s visit revealed a somewhat eerie, deep underground chamber with an 18-foot ceiling, which in this early stage of construction has a dirt floor in which trenches are being dug for a drainage system. Its conversion into a modern brew room will make 12welve Eyes unique in the Twin Cities, possibly in the country, Grosse said.
“With breweries, you’re usually looking for contiguous spaces of at least 5,000 square feet in an industrial building, with the tasting, brewing and cooling room elements all together,” he said. “But here we’ve got them in three separate-yet-connected spaces in the basement of a historic building. That’s something unlike anything the Minnesota market has seen.”
“What’s also different is that because our taproom space is separate from the brewhouse, it has a low ceiling to create an intimate rather than industrial feel, and can be designed for better acoustics,” Eicher added.
Don Jacobson is a freelance writer based in St. Paul. He is the former editor of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Real Estate Journal. |
Invasive species are not generally considered bioweapons, but a few security experts, including some in the US military, are concerned about the damage they can cause to ecosystems and agriculture. For example, Lawrence Roberge, a professor at Labouré College in Boston, published a paper in Biosafety on the potential for adversaries to deliberately introduce non-native species as biological weapons. The Department of Defense is also concerned about invasive species because they can take over training grounds, erode natural resources, injure soldiers, and damage equipment. According to the US Defense Department’s Natural Resources Program, invasive species cause more than $138 billion in annual damage and management costs.
The irony is, we don’t need to wait for an intentional bioterror attack to feel the impact of invasive species. The United States already endures biological attacks from non-native species every year, which arrive in large numbers via the exotic pet trade.
Exotic pets are generally non-native wild animals, including rare or unusual ones, that are not typically domesticated. The definition is a moving target because many reptiles, rodents, and amphibians are becoming increasingly popular as pets. Invasive species—which can take the form of anything from microscopic organisms to plants, fish, and mammals—are those inhabiting a region where they are not native, and where they are causing harm. They displace native species by either eating them or eating their food. In part because they often have no natural predators in their new location, they can disrupt ecosystems, delicate webs of plants and animals that evolved to exist in balanced harmony. This can wreak havoc on environmental, animal, and human health. Beyond short-term health threats that a particular species may cause, the long-term threat to ecosystems and biodiversity poses a much larger risk. Some scientists argue that biodiversity loss in and of itself could be catastrophic for civilization, because of diminished ecosystem function in the form of reduced production of biomass, reduced decomposition of biomaterials, and reduced recycling of biologically essential nutrients.
Space invaders. Invasive species are brought to the United States—legally and illegally, intentionally and otherwise—by plane, ship, train, truck, and car. The exotic pet trade not only creates problems for domestic habitats, but by leaving a vacuum in habitats left behind, can also lead to the extinction of important species in the countries of origin. This is particularly problematic for wild bird populations that are being decimated in many countries by domestic and foreign demand.
One of the worst examples of an invasive species causing ruin to an ecosystem was the introduction of rabbits to Australia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Europeans brought domesticated and wild rabbits to the antipodes for food and hunting. By 1946, these rabbits’ progeny had invaded four million square kilometers (1.5 million square miles) of Australia, making them one of the fastest-colonizing mammals known, thriving in a wide range of habitats including forests, grasslands, and woodlands. Rabbits graze and burrow, causing serious soil erosion, reducing the survival of native plants, altering habitats, and attracting predators like foxes. They can strip a landscape bare, leaving nothing to eat for native animals or livestock. The imported rabbits have contributed to the decline or disappearance of numerous native species including the yellow-footed rock-wallaby, the malleefowl, and the southern and northern hairy-nosed wombats. Australian agriculture is estimated to lose more than $115 million Australian ($87 million US) per year because of rabbit overgrazing. Desperate to reduce rabbit populations, the Australian government resorted to biological agents such as rabbit calicivirus to kill them—infecting the animals with a deadly disease—but the animals eventually developed resistance.
In the United States, invasive species have been particularly devastating to Florida’s delicate ecosystems, where hundreds of invaders thrive. They include giant African land snails (which go by the scientific name Achatina fulica), among the “world’s 100 worst agricultural invaders” according to the Global Invasive Species Database. First imported as pets, they may also have arrived accidentally with cargo. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization the giant African land snail, which favors warm, tropical, humid climates and breeds quickly, consumes at least 500 different plants including common crops like peanuts, peas, cucumbers, and melons. While an ongoing cooperative program in Florida is working hard to eradicate them, these snails still have the potential to cause widespread devastation to the state’s natural resources. They also harbor rat lungworm, a type of parasite that can cause meningitis in humans. (Fortunately, in healthy individuals, the disease is usually self-limiting without medication.)
Burmese pythons, one of the largest snakes in the world and popular as pets, are another invasive species causing environmental, economic, and social concerns in Florida, especially in the Everglades. These animals eat native species of mammals, birds, and even an occasional dog, cat, or alligator, though they rarely attack humans unless provoked. Established populations were first reported in 2000, the result of breeding among animals that either escaped or were deliberately released into the wild. From 2006 to 2012, the US Fish and Wildlife Service spent more than $6 million dollars trying to eradicate them without success.
Lionfish, a species native to the Indo-Pacific region, were brought to the United States for home aquariums. Today, after being released into the wild and breeding, they’ve established themselves along the US East Coast and in the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. They are voracious predators and eat ecologically and commercially important species such as snappers and groupers. They’re aggressive and poisonous. Their venomous spines can sting unsuspecting divers and snorkelers and can cause intense pain, headaches, nausea, convulsions, and paralysis. One strategy people are using to reduce their numbers is to eat them—after the poisonous spines have been removed, of course. Some supermarkets are now selling their meat.
A global problem needs a global solution. Exact data on the extent of the exotic animal trade is not available, but according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the illegal wildlife trade alone—which includes the unlawful trade of live animals as well as parts and products derived from them—is worth billions of dollars. The Humane Society of the United States estimates the illegal global trade in wild animals is worth $10 billion or more per year.
Concern about the illegal wildlife trade goes back to 1900 with the passage of the Lacey Act, the first federal law protecting wildlife by prohibiting the interstate or foreign trade of any fish, animal, or plant taken in violation of US law. Today, criminal penalties for individuals who illegally import or export fish, wildlife, or plants include fines of $20,000 or less, imprisonment for five years or less, or both. Unfortunately, these penalties, which are insignificant for individuals involved in multibillion-dollar industries, do little to deter the perpetrators.
The legal importation of animals poses enormous challenges too. From 2005 to 2008, the United States legally imported more than one billion live animals, according to a 2010 report from the US Government Accountability Office. Regulatory authority over live animal importation is spread across four US federal agencies: the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection. The CDC regulates the importation of pet dogs, cats, African rodents, civet cats, monkeys, and turtles, among other animals, but most are neither quarantined nor tested for infectious diseases.
State-level rules exist too. According to Born Free USA, a nonprofit animal advocacy organization, approximately 22 states regulate exotic animals as pets. This number, though, suggests a poorly coordinated, patchwork response that does little to protect the country as a whole against invasive species.
The trade in exotic animals is a global issue that requires a global solution. In 1973, representatives from 80 countries met under the auspices of the World Conservation Union and agreed on a resolution to ensure that international trade in animals did not lead to the extinction of any species being traded. The resolution enshrined the endangered species list. In response, the United States passed the Endangered Species Act of 1973, prohibiting the unauthorized taking, possession, sale, or transport of endangered species. The new law gave equal authority to the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior for enforcing restrictions on the import and export of listed plants, but unfortunately, did not explicitly mention the exotic pet trade.
There are efforts in place to reduce wildlife trafficking. Officers from the US Fish and Wildlife Service inspect declared shipments of businesses involved in the animal trade. Since 2014, it has stationed agents at US embassies overseas to increase international cooperation, including in Thailand, Tanzania, Botswana, and Peru. In July 2013, US President Barack Obama issued an executive order on combating wildlife trafficking, aimed at working with partner countries to reduce demand for illegally traded wildlife while allowing legal and legitimate commerce. The order does not, though, explicitly call for enhancing regulations and surveillance of the exotic pet trade.
In short, it appears that exotic pets fall through the regulatory cracks much to the peril of our nation’s ecosystems and agriculture. In fact, they should be considered potential biological threats, and the regulation loopholes allowing their unfettered importation should be closed. |
The timing of the announcement of the Bharat Ratna for Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya could not have been better for the BJP and Narendra Modi. For 2014 is the year when the BJP finally came into its own, 10 years after the Vajpayee government had to bow out after unexpected electoral defeat.
Vajpayee, beyond doubt, is the biggest icon ever produced by the BJP – or even the Sangh. Thus far, the BJP has had to honour borrowed icons like Sardar Patel, but now it has created space for its own original icons - as is clear from the other icon it chose for the Bharat Ratna: Malaviya.
So far some 43 people have been conferred the Bharat Ratna, each for a different reason, but this is the first time an icon from the Right of the spectrum has been chosen. And it comes at a time when the secular-communal debate has just begun to heat up. That both Vajpayee and Malaviya were born on 25 December, Christmas day, is fortuitous coincidence.
The Modi government must have chosen the names with care – since, in theory, the Bharat Ratna can be announced anytime. By conferring it on Vajpayee, Modi has sent out a message that he cares for the seniors who built the party, no matter how his critics perceived Vajpayee’s own attitude to him. By conferring it on Malaviya, Modi is emphasizing that he is looking for national heroes beyond the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty. It also deepens his association with his home constituency, Varanasi.
When Modi first visited Varanasi to file his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha, he landed at the Benares Hindu University (BHU), an institution founded by Malaviya, where Modi garlanded his statue. Malaviya’s grandson was one of the eight persons who filed Modi’s nomination papers. The BHU founder’s heritage value for Varanasi is both sentimental and real.
The awards come just a day after the BJP won elections to the Jharkhand assembly and made headway in J&K, a state of great emotional value to the BJP. Reason: one of the party’s founders, Shyama Prasad Mookerji, died in Kashmir to bring the state into the mainstream. This has added to the party’s celebratory mood.
The Vajpayee government, during its six-year stint in power from 1998-2004, had done its bit to honour right-wing political icons. It named Port Blair airport after Veer Savarkar, who was incarcerated by the British in the cellular jail there. The government also put up an eternal flame in the jail to honour the originator of the idea of Hindutva. This was also done to challenge the leftist and centrist narration of India’s freedom struggle. The move was contested and criticised after the UPA came to power.
But Vajpayee’s Bharat Ratna is different. He is one name from the saffron ranks which has few detractors even outside the parivar. The outgoing chief minister of J&K, Omar Abdullah, against whom the BJP fought a bitter electoral battle, also pushed for a Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee.
The only regret Vajpayee’s supporters will have is that he is getting it at a time when his health is very poor – in more or less a vegetative state. He does not talk and is said to express his feelings largely through facial expressions. He, incidentally, had dismissed demands for awarding him the Bharat Ratna when he was PM with his characteristic one liner: how can someone honour oneself?
Modi has now done the honours, but the man himself may be past caring.
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It is no secret that the screaming Twitter man in charge of the United States and scientists do not get along. Everyone knows this.
As if scientists weren’t angry enough from Trump’s rejecting evidence-based facts, they also happen to be human beings, human beings who do not like the fact that the President of the United States finds it difficult to condemn white supremacists and literal swastika-waving Neo-Nazis. In response, one scientist, Daniel Kammen, has resigned from his post in the Department of State’s Science Envoy position.
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The letter contains a secret message: the first letter of each paragraph spells out “IMPEACH.”
Kammen runs the Renewable and Applied Energy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. As a science envoy, his role is to “leverage [his] expertise and networks to forge connections and identify opportunities for sustained international cooperation,” according to the state department website. Kammen’s role, specifically, is “building capacity for renewable energies.”
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In his letter, Kammen lists his decision to resign specifically as the President’s “attacks on core values of the United States,” including his “failure to condemn white supremacists and neo-Nazis,” which has “domestic and international ramifications. He lists the Charlottesville response as “particularly troubling,” as part of a “broader pattern of behavior that enables sexism and racism.”
The resignation comes in the wake of tons of others in response to the President’s post-Charlottesville behavior. CEOs began stepping down from the President’s manufacturing council before he disbanded it. All of the members from the White House Arts Committee also resigned this week. And the assault on science continues—the NOAA under the president disbanded the National Climate Assessment Advisory Committee, also last week.
I’ve reached out to Kammen and the White House for further comment.
Update 8/24/17 8:30AM: A White House spokesperson told Gizmodo that Kammen was appointed by Barack Obama, and that his one-year term would have ended in late September, which Kammen confirmed. |
Academics suffering mental health problems blame their university work directly for their illness, exclusive findings from a Guardian survey reveal.
Heavy workloads, lack of support and isolation are the key factors contributing to mental illness, according to respondents, who range from PhD students to vice-chancellors.
The Guardian survey, which specifically targeted academics suffering mental health problems, found that two-thirds of more than 2,500 who responded see their illness as a direct result of their university job.
Senior lecturers and those aged between 55-64 years feel most strongly about this connection.
Over half of academics, from the UK and overseas, say a heavy workload is having an impact on their mental health. A lack of support is also a key issue affecting 44% of respondents, which is felt across all ages from 25-64 years.
Just under half of respondents say they feel isolated, and others raise concerns around a "bullying culture", job insecurity and a culture of long working hours. A pressure to publish is felt by more than a third of 25-34 year olds.
The Guardian survey raises fresh concerns over the mental health of university staff – and their working conditions.
The area is little-researched, and this groundbreaking study helps shed more light on mental illness among academics.
National figures in 2012 indicated that in UK higher education around one in 500 staff (0.2%) disclosed a mental health condition to their university.
Other studies have focused more on stress and wellbeing among university staff, including one by the University and College Union (UCU) in 2013, which revealed that university staff are more stressed than the average British worker and that the problem has got worse in recent years.
The Guardian survey also uncovered a divide between different ages and types of UK institution.
Unreasonable demands by management
Feelings of isolation are particularly high among PhD students (64%) and those aged between 18-34 years, whereas senior lecturers and those over 45 years believe that unreasonable demands made by management are a key contributing factor to their state of mental health.
This is more true in post-1992 universities, where staff are more than twice as likely as those in Russell Group universities to say their mental health has suffered due to high demands from management.
Well over half (62%) of academics working in post-1992 universities feel they have heavier workloads than those in Russell Group universities, and many point to "student demands" as an issue. Those at Russell Group universities feel more pressure to publish.
"As 21st century academics, the expectations on us are, in effect, impossible," says Rosie Miles, senior lecturer in English at the University of Wolverhampton.
"It is simply not possible at any one time to research effectively, teach well, deal with endless administrative demands, put in major grant bids, be permanently available to students, mark (often lots of) work and have some kind of sensible, balanced work-life ratio.
"Something has to give, and sometimes what can give is an academic's sense of her or his own worth and value."
Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU, says: "Many academics and academic-related staff are clearly under far too much pressure and we know this level of stress in the workplace can be very damaging to mental and physical health."
Hunt adds: "With funding cuts, increased workloads and rising expectations from students and parents paying much more for their education, the situation is likely to become even worse."
A small scale study in 2008 by Universities UK looking into the mental health provision for students and staff at UK universities found that demand for mental health support services in higher education had increased significantly since 2003.
Although there are both in-house and external support services available for staff at many universities, are institutions doing enough to support their staff?
The majority of staff who access the counselling service at Cardiff University come for work-related issues, says Tina Abbott, staff counselling manager at Cardiff University. "These are far-ranging, from work overload to difficult relationships with colleagues or managers, and living with uncertainty and rapid change."
Universities should take findings seriously
Ruth Caleb, head of counselling at Brunel University, says she has seen an increase in the number of staff seeking support for mental health issues – partly because, she says, the university is publicising its services better.
Universities should take these findings very seriously, says Caleb. "These figures outline the way things are going in some universities which are causing people more than a normal level of stress – and if staff are not happy, it has a direct impact on students.
"Part of the issue is universities have changed a lot and the goalposts keep changing," Caleb adds. "People are left with the rug pulled from under their feet – their sense of safety has been wobbled by changes that have been made without their consultation, and there is no control over that."
The survey also uncovered gender differences: more men (59%) than women (45%) say they did not experience mental health problems until they entered academia. While 68% of respondents who are professors and senior lecturers didn't experience problems before beginning their working lives in universities, PhD students and researchers are more likely to have had previous mental health problems.
PhD student Ben Rich at Monash University in Australia, who has himself suffered from depression, says the stresses of contemporary academic life can "exacerbate underlying mental health issues like depression.
"There is a sort of dissonance that develops in academia," says Rich, "whereby those with the traits best suited to delve deeply into the topics they cover are also the most sensitive to the paradoxes in the system that prevent them from achieving their desired ends."
Over half of academics say their mental health problems have held back their careers – with 45- to 54-year-olds feeling particularly affected. And nearly all say it has an impact on their family and social life.
View the findings in full of the Guardian's mental health survey.
Can you relate to these findings? Share your story in the comments below.
If you have been affected by any of the issues mentioned in this piece, contact Samaritans or Nightline.
Join the Higher Education Network for more comment, analysis and job opportunities, direct to your inbox. Follow us on Twitter @gdnhighered. |
I've seen some crappy arcades in my day, mostly tucked into some crummy corner of whatever cheap hotel my mom had stashed us at, populated with well-worn Galaga and Street Fighter II machines. They had a certain kind of charm, though, and still do, considering the fact that the arcade is an endangered species in the US. Then there's this arcade in North Korea, which is almost as bad as the old Soviet ones.
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It makes me sad, especially when I think about the arcades in Japan and the massive Starcraft colosseums to the south. Not because of how old the machines are—a great game is a great game—but because of the poor condition they're in. I realize NK has much bigger problems, like starving people, but that doesn't change my gut reaction to these pictures as a gamer. Head over to UK Resistance to see the rest. [UK Resistance via BBG] |
Image copyright AP Image caption Wprost journalist Marcin Dzierzanowski briefed media at the magazine's offices in Warsaw
Polish PM Donald Tusk has said a snap election may be called in weeks if a row sparked by a secret recording of top officials is not contained.
Wprost magazine published an alleged private conversation where the country's top banker discusses the next scheduled election with a minister.
State security agents raided the magazine's offices overnight.
Chief editor Sylwester Latkowski said physical force had been used in an attempt to seize his laptop.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the largest opposition party, Law and Justice, suggested it was an attack on freedom of speech.
Poland, the biggest of the former Soviet bloc states to join the EU, has been celebrating 25 years of freedom, to mark the overthrow of its communist government and first, semi-free elections in 1989.
'Physical force'
"It may happen that the only solution will be early elections if the crisis in confidence is so deep," Mr Tusk told a news conference on Thursday.
Stressing he wished to avoid any actions impinging on freedom of speech, he said chief prosecutor Andrzej Seremet had assured him the search of the Wprost offices had been legal.
He called on Wprost to release all recordings of private conversations between officials it has reportedly obtained.
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said an early parliamentary election should be called if it proved impossible to resolve the row by "normal" means.
Poland PM's wire-tapping crisis - Adam Easton, BBC News Warsaw
Image copyright AP
This is the most damaging scandal Donald Tusk has faced since taking office seven years ago.
The scandal broke when a secretly recorded conversation was published by Wprost in which Interior Minister Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz and National Bank head Marek Belka discussed ways to boost the economy to help the government win re-election next year.
Poland's National Bank is an independent institution and opposition parties accused the government of violating the constitution by trying to influence its actions.
Mr Tusk said the published excerpts were part of a wide-ranging conversation aimed at helping the country weather economic difficulties and neither man had broken the law.
But the scandal reached a new level when security forces raided the magazine's offices to recover the tapes. Tipped off, news channels broadcast it live and outraged journalists have accused the government of trampling on free speech.
A prosecutor, apparently accompanied by agents of the Internal Security Agency (ABW), tried to search the magazine's offices on Wednesday evening but left without taking any computers after meeting resistance from journalists.
"Physical force has been used against me," Mr Latkowski told Poland's TVN24 channel as other journalists descended on the magazine's offices.
Reuters news agency tried unsuccessfully to get comments from prosecutors and the ABW on why a search had been conducted without a court decision to remove the magazine's right to protect its sources.
Image copyright AP Image caption TV channels broadcast the raid live and journalists flocked to the magazine's headquarters
Warsaw police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski told the agency police were not involved and he had "no idea" what was happening at Wprost.
Denials
After the article appeared in the magazine at the weekend, an official investigation was launched at the request of Interior Minister Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz, acting in the capacity of a victim.
The article featured recordings, apparently made last July at a Warsaw restaurant, of Mr Sienkiewicz speaking to the head of the National Bank of Poland, Marek Belka.
The two men allegedly discussed how the bank could help the government deal with a budget deficit and increase its chances of re-election in 2015.
The chief banker is allegedly heard requesting the removal of finance minister, who was then Jacek Rostowski, in return for the bank's intervention in propping up the national economy in the event of an emergency.
Four months later Mr Rostowski was replaced but Mr Tusk has denied this was as a result of the talks.
The manager of the restaurant has been questioned over the recording.
Mr Tusk and his centre-right coalition won a second term in office at the October 2011 parliamentary election. |
With trusted media sources, including Rory Smith and Tony Barret from the Times, saying that despite some hiccups due to personal terms and agent fees Liverpool are quite close to finalizing a deal for Daniel Sturridge, it may be time to ask…why?
The reported £12m fee would represent a large chunk of available funds and with the Merseyside club having been burnt quite recently with regards to overpriced British talent fans are quite rightly wondering about the reasons for the deal.
Of course it could also be argued that Daniel Sturridge is a smart purchase, being only 23 and already an England international. Perhaps Sturridge can help Liverpool now and be a player whose peak is ahead of him, thus able to be sold for a healthy profit if someone better comes along. To see which argument is correct, as always, one must delve into the numbers.
As the table below shows: Sturridge has only ever truly set the world alight once, in a 12 game spell at Bolton Wanderers where the forward caught everyone’s eye with eight goals. Aside from that his Premiership record looks quite paltry.
[table id=136 /]
Despite growing ever more accustomed to the Premiership and supposedly maturing, the forward’s goals per game has stayed relatively constant throughout his tenure at City and Chelsea, where theoretically with better players around him it should have been much higher than his time at Bolton. Of course it could be argued that Sturridge has played under so many different managers with different styles and in so many different roles that his development has been stunted. Brendan Rodgers could offer stability and improvement for a player that is still very young and obviously talented.
Although Sturridge has repeatedly declared his preference for playing as a central striker his expected results make him close to a perfect fit for a wide forward in Liverpool’s current system. It is also worth noting that Sturridge’s best season with a big club came under Andre Villas Boas at Chelsea, where he was deployed as a wide forward and scored 0.37 goals per game with 0.17 assists per game. Someone who can score 12-15 goals a season and lift some of the burden from Luis Suarez from a wide position is exactly what Liverpool need. The Reds have struggled to get runners into the box to outnumber opposition defenses this season and Sturridge’s natural instincts could only help.
Another worrying thing about Sturridge’s game to many people is his selfishness. To the naked eye it seems that oftentimes Sturridge is greedy for shots, happy to turn down the opportunity to set up teammates in much better positions in order to go for glory himself. It’s worth noting that his breakout loan spell in Bolton had him scoring eight times in 12 league games, but assisting none of his teammates. This makes the player seem like a volume scorer rather than an efficient one, something that Liverpool don’t need.
[table id=137 /]
Examining Sturridge’s two best spells, his time at Bolton and last season at Chelsea, it quickly becomes apparent why he was able to put up the best scoring numbers of his career. Taking lots of shots, and putting a decent amount of them on frame. How this relates to Liverpool could be seen on multiple levels. On one hand, Liverpool don’t need Sturridge taking shots that could be going to Luis Suarez or better positioned teammates, but on the other hand Liverpool are not bursting to the seams with clinical finishers and Sturridge may shoot better than Stewart Downing.
Sturridge’s shot numbers at Bolton could be explained by the fact that he was not on a good side, and that Bolton was often better served by Daniel Sturridge shooting over a less talented player. However, at Chelsea and to a lesser extent at Liverpool that excuse doesn’t hold any water.
Daniel Sturridge is by no means a bad player. In fact it may be worth saying that if the player was from Brazil instead of Birmingham his indulgences would be seen as the mark of a great player waiting to be properly harnessed rather than selfishness. And it is no secret that Liverpool need attacking depth at the wide forward positions, especially if Stewart Downing leaves in January. Sturridge will certainly have a role to play Liverpool if he does join, whether playing that role makes the Reds a more efficient side will have to be seen. |
Four city measures appear on the San Francisco ballot on November 5, 2013. As we do before every election, SPUR researched and analyzed each one. Our Ballot Analysis Committee heard arguments from both sides of the issues, debated the measures’ pros and cons, and provided recommendations to our Board of Directors. The board then voted, with a 60 percent vote required for SPUR to make a recommendation. Below is a summary of our positions on these measures. Download the complete voter guide for our in-depth analysis.
Download the Voter Guide >>
SPUR's Positions at a Glance:
City Measure Name SPUR Position PROP. A Retiree Health Care Yes PROP. B 8 Washington Initiative Yes PROP. C 8 Washington Referendum Yes PROP. D Prescription Drug Pricing No
Made possible by members like you. Join SPUR >> |
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Marine life is facing "irreparable damage" from the millions of tonnes of plastic waste which ends up in the oceans each year, the United Nations has warned.
"This is a planetary crisis... we are ruining the ecosystem of the ocean," UN oceans chief Lisa Svensson told the BBC.
But how does this happen, where is most at risk and what damage does this plastic actually do?
Why is plastic problematic?
Plastic as we know it has only really existed for the last 60-70 years, but in that time it has transformed everything from clothing, cooking and catering, to product design, engineering and retailing.
One of the great advantages of many types of plastic is that they're designed to last - for a very long time.
And nearly all the plastic ever created still exists in some form today.
In July a paper published in the journal Science Advances by industrial ecologist Dr Roland Geyer, from the University of California in Santa Barbara, and colleagues, calculated the total volume of all plastic ever produced at 8.3bn tonnes.
Of this, some 6.3bn tonnes is now waste - and 79% of that is in landfill or the natural environment.
This vast amount of waste has been driven by modern life, where plastic is used for many throwaway or "single use" items, from drinks bottles and nappies to cutlery and cotton buds.
Four billion plastic bottles...
Drinks bottles are one the most common types of plastic waste. Some 480bn plastic bottles were sold globally in 2016 - that's a million bottles per minute.
Of these, 110bn were made by drinks giant Coca Cola.
Some countries are considering moves to reduce consumption.
Proposals in the UK include deposit-return schemes, and the improvement of free-drinking water supplies in major cities, including London.
So how much plastic waste ends up in the sea?
It's likely that about 10m tonnes of plastic currently ends up in the oceans each year.
In 2010 scientists from the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis and the University of Georgia in Athens estimated the figure as 8m tonnes, and forecast that to rise to 9.1m tonnes by 2015.
The same study, published in the journal Science in 2015, surveyed 192 coastal countries contributing to ocean plastic waste, and found that Asian nations were 13 of the 20 biggest contributors.
China was top of the list of countries mismanaging plastic waste, but the US also featured in the top 20 and contributed a higher rate of waste per person.
Plastic waste accumulates in areas of the ocean where winds create swirling circular currents, known as gyres, which suck in any floating debris.
There are five gyres around the globe, but the best known is probably the North Pacific gyre.
More on this topic:
It is estimated debris takes about six years to reach the centre of the North Pacific gyre from the coast of the US, and about a year from Japan.
All five gyres have higher concentrations of plastic rubbish than other parts of the oceans.
They are made up of tiny fragments of plastic, which appear to hang suspended below the surface - a phenomenon that has led it to being described as plastic soup.
And the hard-wearing qualities of most plastics means that some items can take hundreds of years to biodegrade.
However, there are moves to clean up the North Pacific gyre. An operation led by a non-profit organisation Ocean Cleanup is due to begin in 2018.
How bad are things in the UK?
The Marine Conservation Society found 718 pieces of litter for every 100m stretch of beach surveyed during their recent Great British Beach Clean Up. That was a 10% increase on last year.
Rubbish from food and drink constituted at least 20% of all litter collected, the MCS reported.
The origin of a lot of the litter is difficult to trace, but the public contributes about 30%. "Sewage-related debris", or items flushed down toilets that should have been put in the bin, amounted to some 8.5%.
Why is plastic so harmful to marine life?
For sea birds and larger marine creatures like turtles, dolphins and seals, the danger comes from being entangled in plastic bags and other debris, or mistaking plastic for food.
Turtles cannot distinguish between plastic bags and jellyfish, which can be part of their diet. Plastic bags, once consumed, cause internal blockages and usually result in death.
Larger pieces of plastic can also damage the digestive systems of sea birds and whales, and can be potentially fatal.
Over time, plastic waste slowly degrades and breaks down into tiny micro-fragments which are also causing scientists concern.
A recent survey by Plymouth University found that plastic was found in a third of UK-caught fish, including cod, haddock, mackerel and shellfish.
This can result in malnutrition or starvation for the fish, and lead to plastic ingestion in humans too.
The effect on humans of eating fish containing plastic is still largely unknown.
But in 2016 the European Food Safety Authority warned of an increased risk to human health and food safety "given the potential for micro-plastic pollution in edible tissues of commercial fish".
Produced by Alison Trowsdale, Tom Housden and Becca Meier. Design by Sue Bridge and Joy Roxas. |
4th Update: 20 min video response by Dale Drew, the chief security officer of Internet backbone company Level 3.
3rd Update: More details emerging “that some of the infrastructure responsible for the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against Dyn DNS were botnets compromised by Mirai malware.” says Flashpoint. I’ll continue to update with additional information and important links.
2nd Update: 3rd Attack underway. I’m just going to post this and proof read later.
Update: Just as I finished writing this, I had to change the title. This is because, initially, the internet outage this morning was for the most part over. Caused by an attack “of unknown origin” on DNS service provider DYN it took down large chunks of the internet. But DYN just announced that they are under “attack” again! Twitter, Reddit and other sites are offline yet again.
This morning I found it strange that Pingdom, the very service I use to monitor up time of web servers and websites, was unavailable. Then after a few mins of investigation, I realized that this was eerily similar to what I told my cousin would happen in the near future during our late night drive to the Florida Keys over a year ago. Namely, the shutdown of the ‘internet’ in the US for a least a few hours and the possible fallout if that were to happen. Ok, today was not a mass shutdown. However, have a look at DownDetector’s outage map from this morning:
To my recollection, this is the largest attack and subsequent outage ever. Here are just a few of the major website’s and services affected today: businessinsider.com, FT.com, Cloudflare.com, uptimerobot.com, ActBlue, Basecamp, Cleveland.com, Etsy, Github, Big cartel, Box, Business Insider, CNN, Grubhub, Guardian.co.uk, HBO Now, Iheart.com, Imgur, Intercom.com, Okta, PayPal, People.com, Pingdom, Pinterest, Playstation Network, Recode, Reddit, Seamless, Spotify, Squarespace, Starbucks, Spotify.com, The Verge, Twillo, Twitter, Weebly, Wired.com, Wix, Yammer, Yelp, Zendesk.com, Zoho CRM, Credit Karma, Eventbrite, Netflix, NHL.com, Fox ews, Disqus, Shopify, Soundcloud, Atom.io, Ancersty.com, ConstantContact, Indeed.com, New York Times, Weather.com, WSJ.com, time.com, xbox.com, dailynews.com, Wikia, donorschoose.org, Wufoo.com, Genonebiology.com, BBC, Elder Scrolls Online, Eve Online, PagerDuty, Kayak, youneedabudget.com, Speed Test, Freshbooks, Braintree, Blue Host, Qualtrics, SBNation, Salsify.com, Zillow.com… you get the point.
U.S. officials told Reuters that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were investigating. These disruptions come at a time of unprecedented fears about the cyber threat in the United States, where hackers have breached political organizations and election agencies.
The Beginning of a New Era in Cyber Attacks
You won’t see much about this on TV new networks such as Fox News, CNN, NBC, etc. CNN briefly said a few hours ago that everything is back to normal and returned to politics. A clear example of why the internet and open access to it is vitally important for all of us! Details of how this attack happened are still pretty much nonexistent. One thing for sure, this will only help to attract similar and even more sophisticated attacks capable of disrupting the internet enough to impact critical services, stock markets and scenarios we have yet to think about. We may hear about some of these tomorrow and in the days to come.
Strange enough, today also marks the launch of the Word War 1 game BattleField 1 on PC and Console. |
'What joy to set police speed guns off': Spanish driver whose derailed train killed at least 80 people while travelling at 120mph in 50mph zone posted boasting Facebook photo of speedometer
The passenger train derailed outside city of Santiago de Compostela
All eight carriages of the Madrid to Ferrol train derailed
The train was carrying 218 passengers when it smashed into the wall
Many were travelling to the area on the eve of a Christian festival
Foreign Office confirmed a British citizen is among the injured
Driver posted picture of train speedometer at 125mph in March last year
Spanish PM has visited scene and declared three days official mourning
A driver of the Spanish train which hurtled off the tracks and smashed into a wall, killing at least 80 people, previously boasted of speeding on his Facebook page.
Francisco Jose Garzon, one of the drivers on the train which crashed, leaving up to 141 people injured including one Briton, is reported to have posted a picture on the site of a train speedometer at 125mph last year.
According to reports he also boasted about how fast he was going. The webpage has disappeared after images appeared on Spanish TV and newspaper websites.
Alongside the photo, which was published in March last year, he wrote: 'What joy it would be to get level with the police and then go past them making their speed guns go off. Ha ha!.'
It came after a Spanish court said one of the drivers of the train was being held in custody in hospital.
Scroll down for video
Terrifying: A horrifying video has been released of the moment the train hurtled off the tracks near the city of Santiago de Compostela last night
Moment of impact: The train hurtled off the tracks and smashed into a wall, leaving at least 79 people dead and up to 141 were injured
Francisco Jose Garzon (left), one of the drivers on the train which crashed, is reported to have posted a picture on Facebook in March last year of a train speedometer at 125mph (right)
Rescue: A fireman carries a wounded victim from the wreckage of the train crash near Santiago de Compostela The Supreme Court of the Galicia region, which did not say which driver was being questioned, said: 'The judge has ordered the police to take a statement from the driver, currently under formal investigation, in the hospital where he is being held in custody.' A terrifying video meanwhile has emerged which captured the moment the train crashed.
All eight carriages of the Madrid to Ferrol train derailed near the city of Santiago de Compostela last night. Dramatic video footage from a security camera shows the train careering into a concrete wall as it came off the rails on the bend, before flipping onto its side and hurtling down the railway line with its terrified passengers on board. Deadly: The train which had 218 passengers and an unspecified number of staff on board at the time of the accident hurtles down the track after falling on to its side
Admission: One of the drivers told railway officials by radio that he took the bend at 190 kilometres (118 miles) per hour in an urban zone with a speed limit of 80 kph, daily El Pais reported
One of the drivers was trapped in his cabin and told the railway station by radio that the train entered the bend at 190 kilometres per hour (120 mph), reported newspaper El Pais.
The speed limit on that section of track is 80km/h (50mph).
'We're only human! We're only human!' he told the station, the newspaper said, citing sources close to the investigation. 'I hope there are no dead, because this will fall on my conscience.'
Police have put an unnamed train driver under formal investigation - the Galicia government said one driver was in hospital.
Newspaper reports cited witnesses as saying driver Francisco Jose Garzon,who helped rescue victims, had shouted: 'I've derailed! What do I do?' into a phone.
The accident is the worst train accident in 30 years and television footage showed one wagon pointing upwards into the air with one of its ends twisted and disfigured.
Another carriage that had been severed in two could be seen lying on a road near the track.
State-owned train operator Renfe said in a statement that 218 passengers and an unspecified number of staff were on board at the time of the accident.
Clearance: Rescue workers at the accident site at the entrance of Santiago de Compostela Station
Aftermath: Rail personnel clear the area and fix the track at the site of the accident
Wreckage: Part of the train is carried away following the horrific crash
Twisted: The accident is the worst train accident in 30 years and television footage showed one wagon pointing upwards into the air with one of its ends twisted and disfigured
Accident: The train jumped the tracks on a bend just before arriving in the northwestern shrine city of Santiago de Compostela
Horrifying: At least 80 people have been killed and up to 141 injured including one Briton after a packed Spanish passenger train derailed on a bend last night
Derailed: All eight carriages of the Madrid to Ferrol train came off the tracks near the city of Santiago de Compostela
Tragic: Emergency crews work to help those who were injured in the Spanish train crash which happened just outside Santiago de Compostela
Renfe said the derailment happened at 8.41pm local time on a high-speed section that was inaugurated two years ago.
After the crash, bodies were seen covered in blankets next to the tracks and rescue workers tried to get trapped people out of the train's carriages, with smoke billowing from some of the wreckage.
Some passengers were pulled out of broken windows, and one man stood on a carriage lying on its side, using a pickaxe to try to smash through a window. Belongings: Police officers collect baggage at the scene of a train crash Relatives of the victims of a train accident reacts outside the Cersia building for more information
Harrowing: Families wait for further information during the identification of the bodies Difficult: Friends and family waited anxiously for news of their loved ones
Public visit: Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (centre), Public Works Minister Ana Pastor (right), and Galician Regional President Alberto Nunez Feijoo (second left) visit the scene of a train accident in Santiago de Compostela Declaration: The Spanish Prime Minister declared three days official mourning throughout Spain TVE showed footage of what appeared to be several bodies covered by blankets alongside the tracks next to the damaged train wagons and rescue workers entering toppled carriages through broken windows. The crash happened about an hour before sunset after the train emerged from a tunnel and derailed on the curve - sending cars flying off the tracks.
As casualties were taken to hospitals in Santiago and two other cities in the region, authorities appealed for people to donate blood.
Removal: A carriage is lifted at the scene of a train crash Surveying the scene: The crash happened about an hour before sunset after the train emerged from a tunnel and derailed on the curve - sending cars flying off the tracks Statement: State-owned train operator Renfe said in a statement that 218 passengers and an unspecified number of staff were on board at the time of the accident Terrifying: A general view of the train crash. The incident happened as Catholic pilgrims converged on Santiago de Compostela to celebrate a festival honouring St James, the disciple of Jesus whose remains are said to rest in a shrine Investigation: Emergency personnel work through the debris at the scene Cause: An official inspects the train engine amongst the wreckage of a train crash Ownership: The train, which belongs to the state-owned Renfe company, was not an AVE high speed train, but it was a relatively luxurious version that uses the same track as Spain's fastest expresses CYBER CROOKS TARGET CRASH
Cyber crooks attempted to capitalise on the devastating rail disaster by sending out a stream of bogus news emails pertaining to be CNN updates in a scam to steal bank details.
Fraudsters are believed to have targeted millions of people as the death toll rose following the tragedy in Santiago de Compostela. They launched their campaign just a day after sophisticated criminals attempted to cash in on the birth of the Royal baby. A 'steady flow' of messages designed to look like emails from CNN have been sent out this week, according to analysts at web security firm Appriver. In each case, the fraudsters rely on recipients clicking on links in the fake emails which claim to direct them to updates from the American news organisation. But instead, unwitting readers are lured onto a webpage where their computer can be infected by a virus designed to steal their bank details. A CNN spokesman said: 'Our security team is currently investigating these latest emails and we will continue to do everything possible to combat attempts to use our brand in this way'. Neighbours responded to calls from the police to bring blankets and sheets to the scene along with bottles of water. As darkness fell, generators and emergency lighting were brought in to help the rescue teams. Alberto Nunez Feijoo, president of the region of Galicia, described the scene as 'Dante-esque'.
One of the passengers, Sergio Prego, said: 'The train travelled very fast and derailed and turned over on the bend in the track.
'It's a disaster. I've been very lucky because I'm one of the few to be able to walk out.'
Another passenger, Ricardo Montero, said: 'When the train reached that bend it began to flip over, many times, with some carriages ending up on top of others, leaving many people trapped below. 'We had to get under the carriages to get out.'
Lidia Cannon, who previously lived in the city and was visiting for the local fiesta celebrating St James, said she saw a woman who had lost a foot as a result of the train crash. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We heard a big bang, like, we thought it was an air crash, I thought it was a car crash, other people thought it was a bomb. It was very, very loud, the noise.'
Ms Cannon said people went to help and told of one man's experience of visiting the crash site. People living nearby rushed to the scene with bottles of water and blankets Devastation: At least 80 have died and rescue efforts went on through the night
Carnage: People look down from the rail bridge on the aftermath of a devastating train crash in north west Spain
Injured: A woman is carried from the wreckage of the train on a stretcher as emergency service workers try to rescue survivors
Emergency: Rescue workers carry victims on stretchers away for treatment. More than 70 bodies are reported to have been removed from the wreckage
Two victims with head wounds - one with his arm in a sling - are helped by a rescue worker
WORST SPANISH TRAIN CRASH FOR DECADES
The Spanish train crash is the worst the country has experienced since a terrible three-train accident in a tunnel in Leon province in 1944. Due to heavy censorship at the time, the exact death toll for the Leon disaster has never been established. The official figure was given as 78 dead, but it is thought that as many as 250 may have been killed.
There was another serious accident in Spain 1972 when a Madrid to Cadiz express collided head-on with a local train on the outskirts of Seville in the south west of the country. A total of 77 people died, with more than 100 injured.
The Madrid train bombings of March 2004 produced a death toll of 191- but this was a terrorist outrage and not an accident. There were 10 explosions aboard four commuter trains, with the attacks being directed by an al Qaida-inspired terrorist cell.
The latest incident comes less than two weeks after six people were killed and scores injured in a train crash just south of Paris.
Recent bad train crashes in Europe include one in February 2010 in Buizingen in Belgium which claimed the lives of 18 people, a September 2006 crash of a magnetic levitation train on a test track in the Emsland area of Germany which killed 23 people, and a derailment of a packed train outside the Montenegro capital of Podgorica in January 2006 in which 46 people died.
In Britain, no passenger has been killed in a train accident since 84-year-old Margaret Masson from Glasgow died following the Virgin West Coast Pendolino train derailment at Grayrigg in Cumbria in February 2007.
In terms of deaths, the worst rail crashes in recent times in the UK were outside Paddington in west London in October 1999 when 31 people died in a two-train collision after one of them had gone through a red light, and at Clapham in south London in December 1988 when 35 people were killed in a three-train crash.
Britain's worst peace-time crash was in 1952 at Harrow and Wealdstone in north west London when 112 people died in a three-train disaster.
The worst rail disaster in Britain was at Quintinshill near Gretna Green in Scotland in 1915 during the First World War in a multiple-train smash in which a troop train caught fire, killing more than 220 people.
She said: 'He couldn't cope with it. He said he was there 20 minutes but he took out a man that was asking for his wife and his wife was inside, dead. A boy was looking for his girlfriend and she was inside the train, dead.
'He was taking out people that had mobile phones in their pockets ringing all the time. He couldn't cope with it because policemen and doctors and everyone was crying and he had to leave.
'I saw a woman who had lost one foot. But instead of crying or shouting or whatever because of the pain she was looking very, very serious. They were carrying her away and she had her sight, her eyes, were looking to one point - she was in shock.'
Miguel Morado, journalist at local newspaper La Voz de Galicia said: 'Everything points to inadequate [sic] speed - the train driver who survived the crash, when he was being rescued didn't know that people had died, and admitted going too fast with the train...
'He gave a figure he said he was going at 190 km/h - this is part of a network where the speed limit is 80.
'Although it's clear that it was human error, that the driver made a mistake, there's also the question of the line in that part of the network.
Galicia is distant from the centre, it's never been well connected with Madrid... The people who made the decisions were too hasty.'
Officials said they believed the crash was an accident but declined to offer more details, saying an investigation was under way into the cause.
Renfe said that it - and track operator Adif - were collaborating with a judge who has been appointed to probe the accident.
Passenger Ricardo Montesco said: ‘It was going so quickly . . . it seems that on a curve the train started to twist, and the carriages piled up one on top of the other.
The accident occurred near the station in Santiago de Compostela, 60 miles south of El Ferrol.
The train, which belongs to the state-owned Renfe company, was not an AVE high speed train, but it was a relatively luxurious version that uses the same track as Spain's fastest expresses.
It was Spain's deadliest train accident in decades.
In 1944, a train travelling from Madrid to Galicia crashed and killed 78 people. Another accident in 1972 left 77 dead on a track to south-western Seville, according to Spanish news agency Europa Press.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was born in Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia region, visited the site and the main hospital on this morning.
He declared three days of official national mourning for the victims of the disaster
A man covered in dirt and blood is stretchered away
Horror: A woman is evacuated by emergency workers
A passenger with a head wound is helped by a policeman
A man comforts a victim of the crash. A man who was on the train told reporters that the train started to twist, and the carriages piled up one on top of the other
Support: A citizen and a local policeman rescue an injured survivor |
A new round of polling by the professional and usually reliable Kiev International Institute of Sociology is just out. It reveals something which is at the same time expected and extraordinary. Support for the major party of the governing coalition has shrunk to a pitiful 2.8%.
Where in the first parliamentary elections in post-Maidan Ukraine held last year in October Yatsenyuk's People's Front received 22% of all the votes cast - polling shows that just nine months later the party only retains a fraction of that.
If elections were held today the party would actually fail to clear the 5% census required to take seats in the assembly.
Moreover the biggest beneficiary of 'People's Front' implosion so far has been the 'Fatherland' party which previously barely passed the electoral census, but would currently stand to win some 27% of the votes cast.
'Fatherland', mind you, is led by Yulia Timoshenko whose political fortunes had appeared to be finished once and for all after the implosion of the Orange Revolution - but it seems Yatsenyuk has managed to do the impossible and make Timoshenko look good by comparison. |
Lori Fritsinger's home is stuffed with letters and packages for her 11-year-old autistic son Ryan.Last month, Fritsinger had one request after reaching out to ABC7 using #abc7eyewitness: She asked for birthday cards for her son, who has trouble making friends.ABC7 viewers overwhelmingly responded. Hundreds of cards, letters and gifts poured in for Ryan from everywhere."Ryan is so happy now," Fritsinger said. "He has a sparkle in his eye."The community also came together to give Ryan a birthday party, jam-packed with surprises. That included Star Wars stormtroopers and a free trip to Legoland.There were also other gifts from complete strangers who drove in to attend Ryan's special day."We saw the news broadcast about Ryan being sad not having a lot of people show up to his birthday party so we drove from Palm Springs to be here today," said Dawn Jordan of Desert Hot Springs.For a boy who once had no friends to play with, Ryan now has countless friends all over the world."This is the happiest I've ever seen him in three years," Ryan's mother said. |
UN Special Rapporteur: Romania in deep denial about poverty and discrimination
By Bernard Rorke
Despite Romania’s miserable rankings statistics on many poverty and social exclusion indicators, Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, found that “Many Romanian officials are in denial about the extent of poverty and especially about the systemic and deep-rooted discrimination against the extremely poor, particularly the Roma, as illustrated by cases of forced evictions and police abuse.”
(Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe)
Economic and social rights
In his oral statement to the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, on 14 June 2016, Philip Alston stressed that economic and social rights (ESR) must be respected as human rights and not viewed as development goals or welfare programs: “Until ESR are given their full due, we will continue to struggle, both in terms of addressing extreme poverty as a human rights issue, and of restoring faith in the human rights endeavour whose hold on the popular imagination is today very much at risk.
In his report on his mission to Romania, the Special Rapporteur argued that programs and initiatives are doomed to fail unless there is a sustained focus to tackle inequality and a solid foundation for ESR, based on what he called the RIA framework: Recognition, Institutionalization, and Accountability. What is needed is (a) to accord legal recognition to the rights; (b) to establish appropriate institutional arrangements to promote and facilitate realization of the rights; and (c) to adopt measures that promote governmental accountability.
The state of denial
The Special Rapporteur noted that the “state of denial” about the extent of poverty and discrimination in Romania was compounded by a continuing ethos in too many parts of government that resists transparency, consultation and accountability
“The facts are clear, however. On many poverty and social exclusion indicators, Romania ranks last in the European Union. Government services, especially, but not only, for the poorest, are generally the worst in the European Union. The official state of denial about poverty and inequality in Romania is most striking when it comes to the Roma population.”
Despite the wealth of evidence, in a country where the maternal mortality rate among Romani women is 15 times that of non-Roma, senior officials assured the Special Rapporteur spoke that “there is no discrimination against Roma in Romania” and that they “live exactly as they want to live”. Others described the “Gypsies” as criminally inclined, workshy nomads who never send their children to school. Alston was clear about the reasons for higher rates of unemployment and school dropouts: “it is not because Roma are by nature unwilling to work or follow an education, but because of a long and continuing history of discrimination, neglect and isolation.”
Policies, strategies and data gaps
Alston stated that while the Government may have adopted the Roma Inclusion Strategy, it has shown absolutely no political will to implement it: “The strategy floats in space, disconnected from relevant government policies; there is no clear budget for it other than external funds and no ministry or senior politician is keen to lead on the issue.”
Coherent policies to combat Roma exclusion and inequality are further hindered by data gaps. The confusion generated by radical official underestimates of the number of Roma and the lack of reliable ethnically disaggregated data is, according to Alston, “abetted by government officials who regularly assert that the State cannot collect data that distinguishes between Roma and non-Roma, whether in education, health, employment or housing.” Officials’ insistence that the Government is prohibited from collecting ethnically- disaggregated data is based on an interpretation of the law that “is both unwarranted and patently inconsistent with other official actions.”
Housing
Despite wide acceptance that improved housing is integral to fighting poverty and exclusion among Roma, an estimated 30% of Roma households live in dilapidated dwellings or slums; many have no security of tenure and live under constant threat of forced evictions. When these threats are realised, Roma are often ‘relocated’ to contaminated and isolated areas even more excluded than before. When the Special Rapporteur visited what the Mayor of Cluj described as ‘model’ housing for evictees in Pata Rât, the reality was dramatically different to the photographs he was shown by the mayor: “Four or more family members lived in single rooms of about 16-18 square metres. The rooms are damp, poorly insulated and pervaded by the stench emanating from the adjacent garbage dump. Many children have “unexplained” rashes and stomach illnesses.”
The public housing system offers no succour. Not only is the existing stock of public housing in Romania completely insufficient, but Roma generally do not qualify for such housing. Roma are not listed in the Housing Law as one of the categories of beneficiaries of public housing. Where they could qualify under a different category, Roma face discrimination as local authority housing criteria are set “in such a way as to ensure the exclusion of most Roma.”
Police abuse
Alston was deeply concerned by the widespread allegations of police abuse, and disturbed by the lack of the most basic procedures to deter abuse and utterly ineffectual complaints system. He called for the urgent introduction of stricter rules; the need for more transparent figures and regular reporting; and the establishment of a meaningful complaints procedure. Noting that there is nothing peculiar about police violence the world over, “what is peculiar about the Romanian situation is that the rules that currently apply could be seen as a charter for harassment. The system includes characteristics that make abuse easy and ensure that accountability will be the rare exception rather than the norm.”
Conclusions
Among the many recommendations on Roma, the Special Rapporteur called on the highest Romanian public officials to publicly acknowledge that Roma continue to face severe discrimination. He stressed the need for effective targeted measures in education, health care, employment and housing; urged authorities to collect reliable ethnically disaggregated data; and introduce additional adequate procedural safeguards against forced evictions, in conformity with international standards. He called for legislation on public housing to be amended to include Roma as a category of priority beneficiaries; and for central government to issue guidelines for local governments on the criteria for access to public housing to ensure the reasonable eligibility of Roma for such housing.
In its response to the report, the Government of Romania declared that it aims to lift 580,000 people out of poverty by 2020 in pursuit of its objective that all citizens be provided with equal opportunities; that they should feel valued and appreciated, and be able to live in dignity, that their basic needs to be met and their differences respected. On the evidence of this report, there’s a long way to go. |
In YouTube videos, Timothy Nwokorie calls himself a bishop and preaches about the word of God. But police are alleging the native of Nigeria tried to sexually assault a nursing home patient at this South Dallas nursing home.
Until Thursday, he'd worked at Modern Senior Living as a nurse. His wife says he’s innocent.
“He's a man of God,” said Ngozi Nwokorie, his wife. “Timothy is loved by everyone that comes around him. I'm not just saying it because he's my husband. He is a man people want to have contact with.”
According to court documents, a resident told police that she was sleep and awoke about 2:30 a.m. Thursday to find Nwokorie fondling her breasts. She told police that she pushed his hand away repeatedly, but that he kept groping her. She says he told her, “Look at this,” and that he unzipped his pants and was holding his private parts.
She told police that he reached under her blankets and tried to shove his hand between her legs. The resident told police that as she continued to resist, he climbed on top of her and tried to pull the blankets off while she clutched them.
“A noise in the hall distracted the arrestee who then climbed off the complainant [and] told her, ‘I’ll be back later,’ and then left the room,” the warrant says.
Walter Reed, the administrator, confirmed to News 8 that Nwokorie had been fired.
“Right now, we can’t say anything about it,” he said. “I’m always shocked when something like that happens.”
According to the court documents, Reed also told police that Nwokorie wasn't scheduled to be working in that area of the nursing home. He told police that video shows Nwokorie entering the room and staying for seven minutes.
State records show Nworkie has been licensed as a nurse in Texas since 2005. His wife says she's worked at the nursing home for two years, and has worked at other nursing home facilities in the area.
Ngozi Nwokorie, his wife, says he is very upset by the allegations. She indicated that she thought it could be a misunderstanding.
“People accuse,” she said. “Maybe sometime you will try to get a resident up before you know it they will tell you, ‘don't touch me.’”
His wife says he graduated from seminary and that they hold church in their home.
Nwokorie has been released on $25,000 bond. He faces one count of attempted sexual assault, a third degree felony.
Copyright 2016 WFAA |
Narendra Modi has made up for the lost time today in Mauritius when he outlined a comprehensive framework for India as a maritime power.
It is not easy to recall the last time when an Indian Prime Minister articulated India’s objectives and policy for the Indian Ocean. Narendra Modi has made up for the lost time today in Mauritius when he outlined a comprehensive framework for India as a maritime power.
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Despite India’s growing reliance on the seas over the last quarter of a century and a series of minor maritime initiatives by a number of government agencies, the top political leadership never had the time or inclination to lay out a clear set of goals in the Indian Ocean and the maritime domains beyond.
Delhi had much else on its mind, including the troubles with China and Pakistan and its large and contested land frontiers. India was not alone in its continental obsessions. China, like India, was long consumed by the threats to its land borders. For nearly a decade though, the top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party had made it their business to wake up the nation to its historic maritime destiny at hand.
The CCP leadership never lost an opportunity to tell the world of China’s ‘maritime rights’ and assert them vigorously much to the discomfiture of its neighbours in East Asia. More recently it has proclaimed a grand vision to build a maritime silk road between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans.
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Modi pitched it very differently today when he handed over a warship, the Barracuda, to the coast guard of Mauritius. Declaring that the Indian Ocean littoral is at the very top of India’s foreign policy priorities, Modi laid a five-fold policy framework. It begins with the affirmation that Delhi will do everything to secure India’s mainland and island territories and defend its maritime interests.
The second dimension is about deepening partnerships with friends and partners in the Indian Ocean, especially island republics like Seychelles and Mauritius. The last two days have seen Modi shed many traditional Indian inhibitions in expanding security cooperation with the two island republics that occupy critical locations in the South Western Indian Ocean.
The third level relates to building multilateral cooperative maritime security in the Indian Ocean. Modi said India will help strengthen regional mechanisms in combatting terrorism and piracy and responding to natural disasters.
Sustainable development for all, Modi said, is the fourth element of India’s maritime policy. While talking about the prospects for blue economy in the region, Modi demonstrated Delhi’s new sensitivity to climate change, that so threatens the very existence of the small islands.
Finally, Modi has discarded the long standing Indian self perception as a lone ranger in the Indian Ocean. For decades India made no secret of its reluctance to cooperate with other major powers in the Indian Ocean. Delhi constantly sought to differentiate between itself and ‘extra-regional’ powers, who it hinted had no business of being around in the Indian Ocean.
While insisting that ‘those who live in the region have the primary responsibility for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean’, Modi recognised that ‘there are other nations around the world, with strong interests and stakes in the region’.
Modi declared that ‘India is deeply engaged with other powers’. ‘We do this through dialogue, visits, exercises, capacity building and economic partnership’. This declaration, of course fits in nicely with the joint vision for the Indian Ocean and the Asia Pacific that Modi had unveiled with the U.S. President Barack Obama at the end of January in Delhi.
India is no longer hesitant about taking a larger responsibility for securing the Indian Ocean, promoting regional mechanisms and working with great powers like the United States and France with which India now shares many interests.
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The writer is a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, Delhi and a contributing editor for The Indian Express. |
Something's been bugging me about Karen Klein, the school bus monitor from Greece, New York, who was taunted by children in a video on YouTube, and now seems to have been given half a million dollars by nice strangers who feel bad:
What happened to her never should have happened.
Someone should have been monitoring the kids on that bus.
And clearly it wasn't Karen Klein.
I hope she gets the $500,000. I hope she gets more. I hope she goes to the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Park, Orlando, and has her picture taken with Woody and Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl.
But I can't shake the feeling that she should also take $15,506 and give it back to the people of Greece, New York, who paid her to monitor children on a school bus.
A job she -- while clearly a human being who didn't deserve to be treated like shit -- was also incapable of performing.
Again, not saying the children were right and she's wrong, or she was asking for it, or there's any excuse for making people cry just to see if you can. There's a special ring of hell for people who do that, and it's not Rochester, but you can see it from there.
They're bad and she's their victim.
But why was she there? What did she think her job was? What did the parents who put their children on the bus think?
Because, for $375 a week, to ride the bus twice, she doesn't appear to be preventing very much bullying.
Again: She's a nice lady, a grandmother apparently, and the things that were said to her were horrible, but that's okay, because she says her hearing aid doesn't work that well. Which circles us back to the question of what she saw as parameters of her assignment.
And what she, and the parents who hired her, consider "monitoring."
Here's how Mrs. Klein, a former school bus driver herself, described the ugly incident that never should have happened to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:
"I was trying to just ignore them, hoping they would go away and it doesn't work."
No, it doesn't work. It also doesn't work when children are bullying other children. That's why we put monitors on the bus.
To protect the children.
Again. (And again, and again.) Karen Klein is a person, and no one should be cruel to her. A bad thing happened. She should have never been on that bus. |
Despite several quarters of rising GDP, and the upbeat exertions of Administration spokespeople, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has yet to announce the recession is over. Their reluctance is well-founded. It is beginning to dawn on even the more optimistic analysts that the tepid growth we have seen over the past three quarters is only an interlude in an otherwise grave and prolonged recession. Moreover, the respite will cost dearly as the United States has racked up a generation worth of debt for dubious benefit.
The paltry number of new jobs currently being created still fall far short of the 375,000 per month needed to offset the 125,000 new entrants to the job market due to population growth and to erode the 8 million people laid off in the past year alone. Meanwhile, house prices continue to fall and credit continues to contract. With retail sales dropping in June and the Leading Economic Index (LEI) standing at minus 7.7 per cent, it should be clear that the US economy is heading back towards recession, following a temporary distortion created by some $1.3 trillion in federal stimulus. In short, the stimulus has failed.
While there can be no doubt that an increase in government spending will result in a boost to GDP figures, the evidence of history shows that such growth is short-lived. Unfortunately as leaders around the world look to tighten the reins on out of control spending, President Obama and his Democratic supporters in Congress believe that their stimulus actions have succeeded and should be redoubled. Armed with nothing more than faith in government and a belief that spending is both a means and an end, it appears that the US stimulus policy will continue. The net result of these efforts will not be a more vibrant economy, but the perpetuation of fear and confusion in the business community and the continuing expansion of deficits that will lead inevitably to higher taxes.
The more indebted an economy becomes, the greater the burden that must be borne by the wealth-creating private sector. Indeed, at the present rate of government debt-financing, the private sector will have to contribute some $2 trillion each year in interest costs alone. This money must be raised by taxation or inflation.
This week, in response to their fears of increased regulations, higher taxes, and greater government stewardship of the economy, discontent among business leaders flared into the open. Gathering in Washington, leaders of the US Chamber of Commerce lashed out at current regulatory changes in healthcare. In other forums, business executives and investors questioned the efficacy of the freshly passed financial regulation bill.
Academic economists have identified a phenomenon they call 'fiscal drag.' Their studies show that each dollar raised in taxation incurs a government cost (tax collection and spending administration) or reverse multiplier.
The Administration estimates that the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts will raise additional revenues of some $1.5 trillion over the next decade. In addition, some economists estimate that the Obama Health Act will raise a further $500 billion over the same time period. Using the average reverse multiplier of two, this additional taxation of $2 trillion will suck a further $4 trillion out of the wealth-producing private sector by 2020, or some $400 billion each year.
By facing the stark reality of the above factors (as more and more clear thinking individuals are), it becomes increasingly clear that a continuation of the current Administration's policies will push America into a depression.
As America is still by far the largest international consumer, an American depression would likely reshape the entire global economy. In a world where a huge number of countries, businesses, and individuals are grossly indebted, any sustained crash in asset values could be catastrophic. The dollar would be threatened severely, leaving those who have invested in gold and silver as financial survivors. |
CAPE ST MARY, NL – Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki, known for his activism on global climate change, was discovered earlier this week passed out near a private jet in Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve in Newfoundland, following a week-long pollution bender.
“Uhhhnnn, what have I done?” a confused and very haggard looking Suszuki reportedly said after waking up next to former British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward. “Where am I? Why is Tony next to me? Oh no, it’s happened again”
According to sources close to the 80-year-old Vancouver resident and advocate for environmental responsibility, Suzuki had met with friends from his college days last Friday night. At one point in the evening when he couldn’t find a trash-can for his falafel wrapper, Suzuki was coerced into tossing it onto the sidewalk, setting the stage for the kind of massive pollution bender that, as Suzuki would be the first to say, will one day help bring on the planet Earth’s demise.
“I think I poured oil into a lake,” the disoriented Suzuki said while scanning through photos on his phone. “Oh god, there I am dumping batteries in a salmon hatchery to increase their mercury content.”
Within hours of embarking on his bender, witnesses reported seeing Suzuki joyriding a Hummer down the Trans-Canada Highway while spraying aerosol cans out the window.
“I think he even had the air conditioning on,” said a shocked Trisha Dawes.
But Suzuki’s actions only escalated from there, culminating in him personally lobbying the government for further exploitation of Canada’s oil sands while drinking from a plastic bottle of water.
Scientists have scrambled to gauge the implications of the bender. “We’re still not exactly sure what the impact of this will be on the long term health of the environment,” said Dr. Marvin Gruen of the Sierra Club. “Unfortunately the guy who might be able to answer that question the best is sleeping off a pretty brutal coal hangover right now.” |
Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World
Mark Kurlansky
Walker
"Not a whale, nothing," says a cod fisherman in Petty Harbor, Newfoundland, squinting forlornly out into the Atlantic, toward Ireland. And who is to blame for the dearth of cod?
By the end of Mark Kurlansky's Cod, we know nobody is to blame, except the entire human race, and only because we are such phenomenally proficient predators. Also, the cod are gone because Englishmen crave fish and chips, and Basques want a codfish dish called bacalao a la Vizcaina and kids need cod-liver oil and New Englanders have always had a hankering for cod chowder, which Daniel Webster once orated upon in the U.S. Senate.
By the end of Cod, we know why Kurlansky subtitles his book A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World. In an afterword he gives us 600 years of cod recipes, such as Norwegian dried cod soaked in lye. He provides asides, too, on arcane and intriguing subjects, such as Iceland's dispute over eating cod heads. In 1914, a prominent banker subjected cod-head ingestion to economic analysis (based on a mathematical formula that factored in eating time) and proclaimed the practice nutritionally inefficient. The director of that country's national library countered with a treatise on cod-head-eating's social values, such as the ancient Icelandic belief that it increases intelligence.
But Kurlansky also ponders why the Atlantic cod, which can grow as big as a heavyweight boxer and once thrived by the millions in the North Sea and off Iceland, and on the Grand Banks and the Georges Bank, is now commercially extinct almost everywhere. This book is a cod-angled look at European and North American history. And, as Kurlansky says of the bereft Petty Harbor fishermen, "they are at the wrong end of a 1,000-year fishing spree."
Emile Zola, in 1873, wrote of "salt cod, spreading itself before the drab, hefty shop keepers, making them dream of departure, of travel." History's first known cod-powered traveler, as Kurlansky tells it, was Eirik the Red, thrown out of Norway, with his father, for murder. Eirik and his dad traveled to Iceland, "where they killed more people and were again expelled," too empathically challenged even for Vikings. The bloodthirsty band pushed on to Greenland. And in about 985 Eirik's son, Leif, pushed on to North America. They survived, says Kurlansky, because the Vikings had learned to "preserve codfish by hanging it in the frosty winter air until it lost four-fifths of its weight and became a durable woodlike plank." What they didn't break off and eat themselves, the Vikings traded in northern Europe.
But medieval Basques were the top cod traders. They were whalers, able to travel vast distances whaling because they had learned to salt-cure cod, a better technique than the Vikings' air-drying. They also had a secret source: by the year 1000, the Basques were supplying a vast international market in cod, based on their fishing fleet's surreptitious voyages across the Atlantic to North America's fishing banks, a cod cornucopia about which they kept mum. By 1532, British fishermen were fighting the Hanseatic League in the first of history's many cod wars. By 1550, sixty percent of all fish eaten in Europe was cod.
Kurlansky surveys history from a cod point of view. The Pilgrims, it turns out, planned to thrive by catching cod in Cape Cod Bay, although they knew so little about fishing that they neglected to bring along much tackle. They did not know how to farm, either. Fortunately, they became proficient at pillaging their Indian neighbors' food caches. Capt. John Smith got famous in Virginia, but he would get rich catching cod off New England. Cod fed Caribbean plantation slaves. Cod also fed the Union Army.
Darwin's champion, T. H. Huxley, served on three British fishing commissions, arguing that herring (and by extension, cod) could never be fished out--nature, in the Victorian view, being indestructible. Cod do find lots to eat, swimming with their huge mouths open, ingesting whatever goes in. In 1994 a Dutch fisherman caught a cod with a set of dentures in its belly.
But the species is stable only if each female, in her lifetime, produces at least two offspring that survive. And humans grew ever more efficient at catching cod. With steam engines, Clarence Birdseye's invention of frozen foods, diesels, invincible trawler nets, fish-finding sonar gear, giant factory ships--cod never had a chance. Now former cod fishermen, victims of their own proficiency, forlornly hope for the fish's return.
"Is this the last of wild food?" Kurlansky wonders. Icelanders still fish for cod, but mostly they eat haddock. As a Reykjavik chef explains, "We don't eat money."
Reviewer Richard Wolkomir writes from his home in Vermont |
Indian troops resumed heavy shelling on Wednesday after a day-long lull and targeted a passenger bus in Azad Jammu and Kashmir's Lawat area, killing nine people and injuring 11 others. Indian troops also fired at an ambulance which went into the area for evacuation, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
A total of 10 people have been killed today, and 18 others wounded in Indian shelling.
Passenger bus targeted in Lawat
"Indian troops hit a passenger coaster with small and big arms in the town of Lawat, killing nine passengers and injuring 11 others," said Jamil Mir, superintendent of police (SP) in Neelum Valley.
"Four bodies and all 11 injured persons have arrived in District Headquarters Hospital Athmuqam, but five bodies are still in the coaster," SP Mir said.
The coaster was on its way to Muzaffarabad. Lawat is located some 90 kilometres northeast of here in the upper belt of valley that straddles the restive Line of Control (LoC).
SP Mir said shelling in Neelum valley had begun at about 3:00am, but intensified in the morning. Officials from other areas had similar stories.
'Give an instant and effective response'
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif held a special meeting at the Corps Headquarters Rawalpindi to review the situation along the Line of Control (LoC), with emphasis on the attack by Indian troops on a civilian bus, said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“Deliberate targeting of innocent civilians is unprofessional and unacceptable,” said the army chief.
General Raheel Sharif also appreciated the morale of the troops. He appreciated the “most befitting response given by the troops”.
The army chief directed the troops to give an instant and effective response for any future violations by Indian forces.
One killed, seven injured in Nakyal, Tatta Pani
In a separate incident of Indian shelling in Nakyal, one person was killed and six others injured.
Sardar Zeeshan Nisar, assistant commissioner of Nakyal, in the southern Kotli district said, "Shelling in my area has started at about 8:40 am, and it has been indiscriminate."
The assistant commissioner said six people were injured, and one person who was earlier wounded had succumbed to his injuries.
"So far, four injured persons have been brought to a health facility," Nisar said earlier, "But I am afraid there may be more casualties, as shelling is ongoing."
Tatta Pani sector of district Kotli was also receiving shells. According to an official at the office of the deputy commissioner Kotli, one person was injured in the area.
Locals in Battal, Madarpur sectors of district Poonch said their areas were also hit by heavy shelling.
"There were unconfirmed reports about some people having been injured, but we are awaiting confirmation," a police official told Dawn from Madarpur.
Pakistani troops targeting Indian posts: ISPR
ISPR in a statement confirmed that Pakistani and Indian troops had exchanged fire across the LoC on Wednesday.
Indian forces were targeting the civilian population, ISPR said, adding that a civilian bus and ambulance were fired at.
"An intense exchange of fire is ongoing as Pakistani troops target Indian posts."
Earlier, ISPR said, "Indian resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling on LoC in Shahkot, Jura, Battal, Karela, Bagh , Bagsar, Hotspring sectors today."
Federal cabinet condemns 'unprovoked' Indian firing
The federal cabinet during a meeting in Islamabad today strongly condemned the 'unprovoked' Indian firing along the LoC and extended its condolences to the affected families, Radio Pakistan reported.
The latest incident of cross-border firing comes just a day after the Indian army claimed three of its soldiers were killed along the LoC and threatened Pakistani forces of retribution.
The Indian army also claimed that the body of one of the dead soldiers had been "mutilated."
The Foreign Office however rejected the claim, saying that the "reports are a fabrication and a blatant attempt to malign Pakistan".
'Situation critical along LoC'
AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir who has returned from Neelum valley said the situation was critical all along the LoC.
"I call upon the government of Pakistan to raise the unprovoked shelling of civilian populations as an issue in the UN Security Council to build pressure on India," he told journalists in Muzaffarabad.
He said since Neelum valley was highly vulnerable to Indian guns, "a great trial had begun for its nearly 250,000 residents."
He claimed that Indian troops were not even allowing transportation of injured persons to Muzaffarabad.
Cross-border firing a new normal
Tensions between Pakistan and India have been running high following an alleged 'surgical strike', unrest in Kashmir and the Uri army base attack in September.
Since then there have been repeated outbreaks of cross-border firing in Kashmir, with both sides reporting deaths and injuries including of civilians.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up a drive to isolate Pakistan diplomatically after the Uri army base attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed. Hours after the attack occurred, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed Pakistan a 'terrorist state' and accused Pakistan of involvement.
The Uri attack occurred days before Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was set to address the United Nations General Assembly regarding Indian human rights violations in held Kashmir.
Following the attack, India claimed it had conducted a cross-border 'surgical strike' against 'launch pads of terror' in Azad Jammu and Kashmir — a claim Pakistan has strongly rejected.
Pakistan maintains that India is attempting to divert the world's attention away from atrocities committed by government forces in India-held Kashmir.
Pakistan and India have, most recently, locked horns over Kashmir since Indian forces stepped up a crackdown against protesters after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed by government forces in July. |
Price: $6 – $8.50
Size: Robusto 5″ x 50
Wrapper: Habano Nicaraguan/Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan/Honduran
Initial Impression: The Tempus is pretty good looking. A dark wrapper that almost feels like leather with a fair amount of medium to large veins. I can’t feel any soft spots and the cap is very nice. The wrapper has a sweet tobacco smell and something very faintly akin to a well aged dry cheese (like a Romano). The cap cut very nicely.
Pre-light draw: Sweet tobacco and spice greet my taste-buds and the draw feels great.
1st Third: The first half inch of this stick very spicy. It mellowed after this first part, but I was afraid I had bitten off more than I could chew at first since I had a light lunch. After that first bit the flavor started with pepper, flowed to a strong cedar and had a slightly acidic aftertaste, almost like that of a coffee bean or dark cocoa. The ash looks quite dark, but I never got a chance to examine it very well as it would keep falling at about an inch or less. The amount of smoke it is putting off is fair, although I wish it were slightly thicker.
2nd Third: The coffee is now a stronger flavor in the second third and makes a nice balance with the pepper and the cedar. The pepper has mellowed even more at this point, but I am still getting a bitter taste at the back of my tongue that builds up if I pull too much. Additionally, the wrapper near the cherry began to split so I had to do some correcting before it became more serious. One remarkable thing about this stick is the cool smoke and the even draw. It’s basically my favorite thing about the Tempus at this point.
Final Third: Pretty much the same as the 2nd third, although it did get a bit sweeter and there was a nice earthy flavor left on my lips after each puff. I let it go out at a little under and inch left, and I felt no real desire to light it back up.
Conclusion: There were some nice flavors in this strong stick and the smoke was extremely cool. I tend to smoke fast and one of the interesting things about this cigar is that it refuses to be smoked faster than it wants to. The draw was just fine, but I found myself unable to speed up on this stick. Still, I found that throughout the stick I was underwhelmed overall. It did have some construction issues and it seemed to lack balance at times. Sometimes a cigar just isn’t that interesting, and I found this to be one of them. Give it a try and see for yourself though!
I give this cigar a 3.75 out of 5.
The Best Thing: Slow burning, cool and even draw
The Worst Thing: Lacked balance
Notes: Cedar, Coffee, Cocoa?, Pepper, Sweet Tobacco
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From
Joining conference in 2013
New this season
Leaving after 2012
No change in affiliation
Mississippi State Louisiana State South Carolina Tenneessee Mississippi Vanderbilt Kentucky Arkansas Alabama Georgia Auburn Florida
Missouri Texas A&M
Western Michigan Eastern Michigan Central Michigan Northern Illinois Bowling Green Kent State Ball State Buffalo Toledo Miami Akron Ohio
Massachusetts
Oklahoma State Kansas State Texas Tech Iowa State Oklahoma Kansas Baylor Texas
West Virginia Texas Christian
From
San Jose State Utah State
Nevada-Las Vegas Colorado State New Mexico Wyoming Air Force
Fresno State Nevada Hawaii
San Diego State Boise State
From
Georgia State Texas State
Middle Tennessee St. Louisiana-Lafayette Western Kentucky Louisiana-Monroe Arkansas State Florida Atlantic Troy
South Alabama
Florida International North Texas
North Texas Florida International Texas-San Antonio Louisiana Tech Old Dominion Charlotte
Southern Mississippi East Carolina Marshall Tulane UTEP Tulsa Rice UAB
Southern Methodist Central Florida Memphis Houston
San Diego State Boise State Southern Methodist Central Florida Memphis Houston
South Florida Connecticut Cincinnati Louisville Rutgers
Temple
Pittsburgh Syracuse
Arrows indicate changes occurring in 2013.
Shifting Conference Alignments
Nearly a quarter of the 124 programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision will have changed their conference affiliation between 2011-’13. The reality of conference realignment is that every league is affected, and it will take at least a year or two for most of us to remember that universities like Temple, Nevada and Missouri play in the Big East, Mountain West and Southeastern Conference. A look at the 2012-13 changes. By PAUL MYERBERG
Big East
Sun Belt
Southeastern Conference
Mountain West
Mid-American Conference
Conference USA
Big 12
Atlantic Coast Conference
2012
2012
2012
2012
2013
2012
JOINING IN
JOINING IN
JOINING IN
JOINING IN
JOINING IN
2013
2012
2013
2012
2013
2012
2013
C.A.A.
WAC
C.A.A.
WAC
WAC
Atlantic 10
Pittsburgh Syracuse
Boston College North Carolina Georgia Tech Virginia Tech Florida State Wake Forest N.C. State Maryland Clemson Virginia Miami Duke
Utah State
South Alabama
Georgia State
Texas State
Texas A&M
Missouri
Hawaii
Nevada
Fresno State
San Jose State
Massachusetts
Florida International
Texas-San Antonio
North Texas
Louisiana Tech
Old Dominion
Charlotte
Southern Methodist
Central Florida
San Diego State
Boise State
Houston
Temple
Memphis
West Virginia
Texas Christian
Pittsburgh
Syracuse
The Mountain West has already lost three marquee programs, with Texas Christian joining the Big 12, Utah the Pacific-12 and Brigham Young becoming an independent. The league will lose a fourth once Boise State joins the Big East in 2013. The conference’s response has been to raid the WAC. The end result will be a more competitive conference. But unlike in the recent past, the Mountain West will lack national relevance.
This season, the SEC will take Texas A&M and Missouri from the Big 12, making it the first power conference to move to 14 teams. Adding A&M expands the SEC’s footprint into Texas, potentially giving teams like Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana State yet another talent-rich state to dip into for recruiting purposes. The Tigers’ move to the SEC helped the program land the nation’s No. 1 recruit, wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.
For a few weeks this year, the MAC believed it had finally cemented a 14-team league. This alignment, which would have created matching seven-team divisions, would have sent Bowling Green into the West division while Massachusetts stepped into the East. But with Temple gone, the MAC is left with the same awkward alignment: seven teams in the East, six in the West.
The Big 12 has remained stable despite losing Nebraska and Colorado after the 2010 season and Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC over the summer. How did the Big 12 react to losing the Aggies and Tigers? By adding West Virginia and Texas Christian, giving the league three teams that were conference championship winners a year ago — West Virginia in the Big East, Texas Christian in the Mountain West and Oklahoma State, the reigning Big 12 champs.
What does the nation’s weakest conference do when two of its programs are gobbled up by Conference USA? It gets even weaker, of course. South Alabama started its football program in 2009. Georgia State, which joins in 2013, began play in 2010. Another 2013 arrival, Texas State, is led by the former Texas Christian, Alabama and Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione.
Conference USA took an unorthodox approach to replacing the four programs it is losing to the Big East in 2013. One of the league’s five new teams, Texas-San Antonio, unveiled its football program during the 2011 season; the Roadrunners will play in the Western Athletic Conference in 2012 before moving east. A second, Old Dominion, which is part of the Football Championship Subdivision, did not field a team from 1941 to 2008.
One addition may seem familiar: Temple, which spent the last five years in the Mid-American Conference, was a member of the Big East from 1991 to 2004 before the league’s members, tired of the program’s losing ways and poor fan support, voted the Owls out. Temple is one of seven universities set to join the Big East over the next two years. Four have at least one double-digit loss season since 2006. |
As Expected, House Agrees To Extend Patriot Act With No Discussion, No Oversight
from the civil-liberties? dept
We all knew last week, when the House failed to renew three controversial clauses in the Patriot Act that allow the government to spy on people with little oversight, that it was a temporary reprieve. Indeed, just a week later, with a slight procedural change, the same provision has been approved , and now it moves to the Senate, where there are three separate bills for extending these clauses (and none about getting rid of them, as was supposed to have happened by now). Only one of the three bills, put forth by Senator Patrick Leahy, includes additional oversight. The two others -- from Senator Chuck Grassley and Senator Dianne Feinstein -- do not include any oversight.But, really, we should be asking why these provisions are being extended at all. The reason for allowing them in the original Patriot Act was that they were "needed" in the immediate aftermath of terrorist attacks. But they were put forth with clear sunset provisions, recognizing that those three provisionsbe the norm. Over the years, there has been tremendous evidence of abuse of the Patriot Act, well beyond its intended purposes, so at the very least, there should be much greater oversight. But, even worse, when these provisions were extended last year, thefor extending them was that there wasn't enough time to debate the provisions. So the one year extension was supposed to be. Yet no debate happened. Hell, nohappened. Instead, everyone waited, and when the deadline came, they just agreed to push the deadline out further (and Grassley's plan is to push it out forever).Shouldn't we be askingthere's been no public discussion or debate on the need for these provisions? To date, the extent of the "discussion" has been to have various thinktanks make statements in support of these provisions that are either misleading or flat-out false . Don't the American people deserve better?In the meantime, if you'd like to see if your elected representative voted in favor of the extension, you can see the roll call tally of all the votes. I'm happy to see my Rep. voted against it (after abstaining last round).
Filed Under: house, oversight, patriot act |
WASHINGTON — The long-running debate over President Obama’s foreign policy centered Wednesday on a speech to Congress — not the one the president just delivered, but one that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel will give in three weeks.
A day after the president’s State of the Union address, Speaker John A. Boehner invited Mr. Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress next month for what would effectively be a rebuttal. In the perennial argument over whether Mr. Obama’s approach to the world is wise or weak, Mr. Netanyahu essentially represents the “weak” case.
The invitation stunned the White House, which called it a breach of protocol, but the surprise move was a sign that Republicans, who now control both houses of Congress, intend to use their new majorities to challenge the president not only on domestic policy but also on international affairs. Congressional leaders plan to press their assertion that Mr. Obama does not take the danger posed by Islamic terrorists, Iran or Russia seriously enough.
“I don’t believe I’m poking anyone in the eye,” Mr. Boehner told reporters on Wednesday after announcing his invitation. “There is a serious threat in the world, and the president last night kind of papered over it. And the fact is that there needs to be a more serious conversation in America about how serious the threat is from radical Islamic jihadists and the threat posed by Iran.” |
Shares of Canada's major phone companies slumped today as analysts warned a potential entry into Canada by Verizon Communications Inc. could "disrupt the Canadian wireless market."
Verizon is pushing forward with its efforts to expand into Canada's $19-billion wireless market, putting an initial offer on the table for Wind Mobile and starting talks with Mobilicity.
The New York-based communications giant's opening offer for Wind Mobile values the small Canadian wireless carrier at roughly $700-million, according to two people familiar with the situation.
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Verizon's initial bid for Wind values the carrier at about $700-million.
Shares of Telus Corp., Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc. and Quebecor Inc. fell today.
"We believe Verizon has several advantages it could use to become successful in the marketplace, such as its advantage with U.S. roaming, capital strength and, importantly, its handset-buying power," said Desjardins analyst Maher Yaghi, also noting recent changes by the country's telecom regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
"Given the recent change by the CRTC to limit postpaid contracts to two years, the handset subsidy has become a more important factor in the consumer's decision framework and Verizon's handset-buying power allows it to be more aggressive in subsidizing handsets."
Verizon's initial offer for Wind is just one part of a broader strategy to potentially enter the Canadian market. Verizon has also held talks in recent days with stakeholders of Mobilicity, another small struggling startup carrier, and is also considering whether to participate in the federal government's auction of wireless licences. In total, analysts have put the price tag for getting into Canada at between $1-billion and $2-billion.
Ottawa is trying to salvage its goal of having four wireless competitors in every regional market. The policy is working in places such as Quebec and Atlantic Canada, but it has fallen short in the key markets of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Wind, Mobilicity and another upstart, Public Mobile, have all struggled to break even, and all were put up for sale this year. Public has since been sold, but Wind and Mobilicity remain on the auction block.
Verizon, long barred from full ownership of a Canadian telecom company by foreign investment rules, now has an opening. Ottawa last year relaxed those restrictions on small telecom companies with market share of 10 per cent or less, with an eye to increasing competition for the big three phone companies, Telus Corp., Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc.
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Last week, chief financial officer Fran Shammo publicly confirmed that Verizon was examining the opportunity to enter Canada after The Globe and Mail reported the U.S. carrier was in talks to potentially acquire Wind. At the time, he characterized it as "dipping our toe in the water," and noted that unspecified regulatory issues could present an impediment. The government is expected to give more details about its policy on sales of wireless licences by the end of the month.
It's unclear if a deal will be concluded. But behind the scenes, Verizon is moving swiftly to size up its options. The company's business plan for Canada would likely revolve largely around its size advantage. Verizon's market capitalization is almost twice that of BCE, Rogers and Telus combined. Its wireless business has almost 100 million subscribers, almost four times as many subscribers as there are in all of Canada.
Verizon could use its buying power to acquire the latest smartphones at prices that can potentially undercut Canadian carriers. It could also use its U.S. network to offer cheaper roaming rates there. Its size would also allow for a sizable marketing budget – something the cash-poor upstarts have lacked.
"We think Verizon remains very interested in the Canadian market as a potential growth opportunity. Benefits to the company include the opportunity to acquire an asset at a steep discount to book value, to acquire 700-MHz spectrum contiguous to its U.S. spectrum, to leverage existing Verizon products in the Canadian market and to achieve net roaming savings," Greg MacDonald, a telecom analyst with Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd., said in an e-mail.
Representatives of Wind, VimpelCom, Verizon and Mobilicity all declined to comment.
Earlier this year, Wind's foreign backers, VimpelCom Ltd. of the Netherlands, hired investment bank UBS AG to run a process to sell the Canadian company. Initial estimates of the price for Wind were between $500-million to $1-billion, putting the Verizon offer close to the middle of the range.
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The price for Mobilicity would likely be lower. The company is smaller, and in dire financial straits. Telus offered earlier this year to buy Mobilicity for $380-million, but the government blocked that sale, citing rules that prevent the sale of the spectrum owned by upstarts such as Mobilicity to the Big Three. Those moratoriums expire next year.
Mobilicity is now facing a potential restructuring, and its bondholders have been squabbling about how best to solve the company's cash problems. A bondholder vote on a proposed recapitalization plan is scheduled for July 3. |
The White House is revisiting an increase in the federal gas tax to pay for infrastructure improvements President Trump promised to deliver on the campaign trail.
That news was conveyed to House members Wednesday in a meeting by Trump's chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn.
"Probably whatever we end up being able to do in Washington, it's going to take administration leadership to get out there and push for it," said a GOP House staff member familiar with the long-standing resistance to a gas tax hike by many congressional Republicans.
After campaigning on a promise he would lure private capital to invest in infrastructure, Trump in late April said he would be open to bumping up the federal gas tax, which has not seen an increase since 1993.
Some Democrats, notable among them Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (Ore.), ranking Democrat of the House Transportation Committee, have fought an upstream battle to increase the tax.
"It's totally inadequate if it's 7 cents," DeFazio said, alluding to the increase Cohn reportedly proposed. "With 7 cents, we wouldn't be able to maintain the current level of spending."
The fact that few people are aware of the federal tax was made evident last year when former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell asked a room filled with transportation experts how many of them knew the precise amount Uncle Sam collects at the gas pump.
Only three hands were raised. The tax is 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel.
[Trump says he’d consider increasing the gas tax]
Congress has done endless hand wringing over infrastructure in the past decade, aware that the roads, bridges, transit networks, water and sewer systems and the electrical grid built after World War II have reached the end of their natural lifetimes and are no longer adequate for a population that has more than doubled since 1950.
For all the lamenting of its own inaction, the House and Senate have done little to generate new revenue for the sagging Highway Trust Fund, whose primary source of income has been the federal fuel tax.
With strong Republican opposition to a gas tax increase — even as more than two dozen states, including many red ones, bumped up their own gas taxes — highway and transit funding has been bolstered with what critics have dismissed as fiscal gimmicks.
Trump campaigned on a promise to raise $1 trillion for infrastructure, primarily by offering tax breaks to corporate investors. In an April interview with Bloomberg News, he said increasing the gas tax was "something that I would certainly consider . . . if we earmarked money toward the highways."
When Cohn met with lawmakers Wednesday to push for that increase, he signaled White House eagerness for an initial legislative victory, one that would deliver on a Trump campaign promise.
[The gas tax has been fixed at 18 cents for two decades. Now would be a great time to raise it]
"It's certainly a potential door opening given that this came from Mr. Cohn," DeFazio said. "This is a good and more realistic approach. We need to have a more robust discussion, the number would need to be higher, and it would have to be indexed" to inflation.
DeFazio earlier this year sent the White House a proposal with bipartisan sponsorship.
"Knowing the resistance on the other side of the aisle, I proposed the most minimalistic thing I could think of, which was indexation of the gas and diesel tax, capping the annual increase at 1.5 cents per gallon," he said. "We would issue $33 billion a year of bonds over a 15-year period, raising approximately $500 billion."
That bill has gotten no traction, although House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) says all means of infrastructure funding remain on the table.
"To do 7 cents, they need to roll Paul D. Ryan and others," DeFazio said. "Paul believes that if it's worth doing, the private sector will do it. I can't even get him to agree to indexation of the gas tax."
Ryan's office referred inquiries to the House Ways and Means Committee and did not respond to DeFazio's concern that Ryan opposed the increase.
Another Republican House staff member who, like his colleague, spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the Cohn overture, called the conversation "hopeful."
"It's a good sign that the administration is still focused on infrastructure," he said. "I think that's the takeaway, and not so much anything that was discussed at any particular meeting." |
He'll reprise his role as Professor Ian Duncan in a multi-episode role on the NBC comedy.
NBC's Community is bringing back a familiar face.
The Daily Show correspondent John Oliver will return to Greendale Community College for a multi-episode arc, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Oliver, who recently completed an eight-week gig filling in for Jon Stewart as host of Comedy Central's late-night staple, will reprise his role as Professor Ian Duncan and appear in at least six episodes of the Dan Harmon comedy.
COVER STORY: 'Community's' Dan Harmon Reveals the Wild Story Behind His Firing and Rehiring
The writer-actor-comedian first played the psychology professor in the pilot and recurred during the first two seasons of the cult comedy.
Oliver joins Justified's Walton Goggins, Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks and Childrens Hospital's Rob Corddry with roles in Community's fifth season, which also marks the return of creator-showrunner Harmon and executive producer Chris McKenna.
PHOTOS: Dan Harmon: TV's Most Controversial Showrunner
While a return date for Community's fifth season has not been determined yet, the Joel McHale-starrer will begin its syndicated run in more than 200 markets on broadcast beginning Sept. 16 and air Friday nights on Comedy Central beginning Sept. 20.
Oliver is repped by WME and Avalon Management.
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @Snoodit |
The San Francisco Giants will keep the bulk of their starting rotation together for at least one more season after exercising their 2018 team options on left-handers Madison Bumgarner and Matt Moore, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The team confirmed it will also pick up its option on third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
Bumgarner's option was for $12 million, while Moore is set to collect $9 million next season, according to Baseball Reference. Sandoval will earn the major-league minimum, Schulman reports.
In 2017, the 28-year-old Bumgarner made his fewest starts (17) since 2009 (when he was a September call-up) due to injuring his throwing arm in an April dirt bike accident. He went 4-9 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.
Moore started 31 games for the Giants last season, posting the highest ERA among qualified starters (5.52) in the majors alongside a 6-15 record. He pitched 174 1/3 innings.
The pair will slot into a Giants rotation expected to also feature Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. Over the weekend, Cueto reportedly decided not to opt out of his contract.
Sandoval returned to the Bay Area after a tumultuous tenure with the Boston Red Sox. The 31-year-old hit .225/.263/.375 with five home runs and 20 RBIs during 47 games in his return to San Francisco.
In other Giants-related news, the team officially announced Monday that Curt Young will take over as pitching coach and Alonzo Powell is the new hitting coach. |
From the depth of the ocean
To the limitless sky
Open a book, open your mind
This world is boundless
So let your imagination fly
-----
Happy almost Thanksgiving, everyone!
I grew up in a small apartment in China and was raised by my grandparents. When I'm not studying or doing homework, I would go into the office/storage room where all the books are kept and flip through all the books about animals. The photos and illustrations of all the different species always fascinated me and inspired me to learn, understand, and draw the world around me. It gave me a glimpse beyond the rundown apartments and the grey skies of China that I grew up in. Even though the storage room was no bigger than a bathroom, with those books, the walls opened up and the world became boundless. |
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At the end of January, Legs4Africa collaborated with Physionet, a charity which provides physiotherapy equipment to disabled children in developing countries around the world.
Combining our expertise and resources, we were able to acquire a shipping container, 1000 prosthetic legs and a wide range of mobility equipment, destined for the Ministry of Social Welfare in Banjul, Gambia.
A recently-emerged video shows the official handover ceremony – hosted on live Gambian TV – which took place last month at the Social Welfare Department, in a gesture of goodwill towards contributors.
Gabu Jarjue, the Head of Prosthetics at the Royal Victoria Teaching hospital, began the ceremony with a minute’s silence and prayer – customary in Gambian culture, before thanking Legs4Africa for recent consignment and the 500 limbs brought to the country in 2014.
‘That was the first time we had anything more than 100 limbs in this department,’ he said.
Other speakers included the Director of the Department of Social Welfare, who stressed the impact the 1000 prosthetic limbs brought in 2015 will have in a country in such urgent need of them:
“In the Gambia, there is an increasing number of persons with disabilities,’ she said, ‘mainly due to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and car accidents, these limbs will be distributed countrywide, not only in Greater Banjul, because we also have outreach services.”
It was a touching affirmation of how far this unwanted equipment goes towards changing lives in deprived regions of the world.
With 5,000 prosthetic limbs going to waste every year in the UK alone every year due to health and safety regulations, the case couldn’t be clearer for continuing our efforts in supplying Africa with second-and mobility equipment.
As if to stress this point, Gabu Jarjue concluded the talks by saying: ‘The Gambia is a great nation, and we need more support, not only even in the area of limbs, but in the expertise and the personnel to manipulate those limbs that you send to Africa.’ |
Hey all, exciting news! Skarner is coming to the pbe in the next update with his new reworked kit. Here is the changelist and some explanation for why we ended up with these changes:
Base Attack speed lowered by 1%
Crystal Slash
-Mana cost reduced from 20/22/24/26/28 to 16/18/20/22/24
-When target is hit, applies an attack speed buff for 5s that stacks up to 3 times 4/5/6/7/8
-Slow removed from Crystal Slash (moved to Fracture)
Exoskeleton
-Attack speed component removed
-Cooldown lowered from 18s to 14s
-Max movepseed increased from 15/17/19/21/23 to 24/28/32/36/40 and ramps up over 3s
-Duration remains at 6s
-Shield value increased from 70/115/160/205/250 to 75/125/175/225/280
-Shield AP ratio increased from 0.6 to 0.8
Fracture
-Mana cost reduced from 50/55/60/65/70 to 30/35/40/45/50
-Heal removed
-Targets hit are slowed by 30/35/40/45/50 for 2.5s
-Missile range increased 800->1000
-Missile width reduced 120->90
Impale
-Impale now roots targeted champion during the windup animation
-VO for feel my sting etc will happen on successful grab instead of cast start
Explanations
-The attack speed buff was moved from W to Q to make Skarner more consistent and less feast or famine
-The slow was moved from Q to E to get rid of the frustrating perma slow of his old Q but also to allow him some more flexibility and ability to make catches/plays with the ranged slow on E
-W speed values are buffed to bring him in line with other similar bruisers
-R now has a more consistent ability to grab targets once he has started casting on them
These changes are still not final, and I want everyone to play the new kit and give us feedback.
-Scruffy |
Take a woman in the middle of an intensely polarizing Silicon Valley gender-discrimination lawsuit and put her in charge of cleaning up a tech company known for its mostly male, highly vocal and often controversial user base. What could go wrong?
You could say it’s no surprise that Ellen Pao is stepping down as interim CEO of the message-board site Reddit. Her short and brutal tenure began last fall and slammed into a wall in May when she announced that the site would begin enforcing antiharassment policies that some of the site’s 164 million, mainly anonymous users believe to be antithetical to the community’s free-speech ideals. (Though a for-profit enterprise, Reddit has grown into a powerhouse because it is largely self-governed.)
The company’s decision in early June to ban of five of Reddit’s notoriously virulent and abusive forums, many of which have been condemned by civil rights watch organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and various women’s groups for glorifying everything from racism to rape, was not Pao’s alone. The site’s executives, board and high-profile investors realize that the company has to modernize, i.e. become more commercial. Doing that means shining light on the darker corners of Reddit so the socially enriching part can thrive.
But Pao became the face of change. The controversial, “difficult” female face of unwelcome, unholy change. The resulting clash of an anonymous online army and a perceived lady enforcer is worthy of an HBO epic series.
The announcement about the renewed antiharassment rules, designed to protect individuals from attack, came just few months after Pao lost her high-profile suit against venture-capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. In the suit — she is currently appealing the ruling against her — she alleged the company retaliated against her for calling executives out on endemic corporate sexism. The firm, in turn, alleged that she was not promoted because she was “difficult” and not a “team player.”
Sure, Kleiner Perkins didn’t come out looking particularly good either, especially when partner John Doerr was quoted as saying that the most successful tech entrepreneurs are “white, male nerds.” But Pao’s reputation took the biggest hit. So when she told Reddit’s users that they were going to have to shut down five threads accused of fat shaming individuals among other nefarious deeds, she might has well have been wielding a flamethrower. Even if Reddit management was united about the rules, it sure looked like mom was coming in to make everyone behave. That did not go over well.
A Change.org petition sprung up in June accusing Pao of ushering in an age of “censorship” and calling her “manipulative.” The document — and the flood of anti-Pao threads on Reddit — argued she had attempted to “sue her way to the top.” Never mind that she has better on-paper credentials than most executives. (She is Princeton-educated engineer with a Harvard law degree and an MBA.) Nor was she the most controversial, or abrasive or difficult boss in an industry known for CEOs that sometimes lack, to put it gently, interpersonal skills.
But the rules are so often different for women at the top. Personality matters and the margin of misinformation is tiny. Be very good at your job. And also, play nice. When Jill Abramson was fired as editor of the New York Times she was described with many of the same adjectives used to vilify Pao at trial. Abramson made a fuss over gender inequities, she was “difficult,” she “challenged the top brass.”
By July 2 when Pao made the mistake of firing a popular female staffer who served as an intermediary with the volunteer moderators, the site’s users were already primed to grab their virtual pitchforks. The petition to get rid of her racked up thousands more signatures and moderators started shutting down pieces of the site and writing editorials in the New York Times. Pao apologized, not just for the abrupt firing, but also for a general lack of communication with volunteer-forum moderators, a problem that even many of her critics admit predated her tenure.
Then on July 10 she announced she would be stepping down and that co-founder Steve Huffman would return as permanent CEO. She is planning to stay on as an adviser, though in an interview with TIME, the company’s chairman Alexis Ohanian did not clearly define what that actually means. However, in his statement board member Sam Altman did acknowledge some of the toxic abuse aimed at Pao saying: “It was sickening to see some of the things Redditors wrote about Ellen. The reduction in compassion that happens when we’re all behind computer screens is not good for the world. People are still people even if there is Internet between you.”
Finding a way to curb those baser impulses without crushing the vibrancy and goodness that exists on the 10-year old site will now be Huffman’s challenge. It won’t be easy. In reality, the censorship that some users were so furious about barely nicked at the not-so-subtle undercurrents of hate and misogyny. Sure, the repulsive “creepshots” thread is no more, but “CoonTown,” Reddit’s 10,000-subscriber racist community, rife with the N word is still there. And at a moment when Southern Republicans are calling for the removal of Confederate flags, fighting to preserve those kinds of forums looks as outdated as it does insensitive.
Contact us at [email protected]. |
Glossing over the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi that claimed the lives of four U.S. diplomats, Hillary Clinton on Wednesday night claimed that “we did not lose a single American” due to military intervention in Libya.
Speaking at a veterans’ forum hosted by NBC News, the former secretary of state said she stands by the 2011 decision to take action in Libya and that America suffered no casualties.
“When [former Libyan leader Moammar] Gadhafi was threatening to massacre his population, I put together a coalition that included NATO, included the Arab League, and we were able to save lives. We did not lose a single American in that action,” she said. “And I think taking action was the right decision. Not taking it and permitting there to be an ongoing civil war in Libya would’ve been as dangerous and threatening as what we are now seeing in Syria.”
No Americans were lost in the military intervention itself, but the aftermath was a far different story. Four Americans were killed when the U.S. consulate in Benghazi was attacked by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2012, and Mrs. Clinton has come under intense fire for not taking greater security precautions for her diplomats.
Mrs. Clinton’s opponent in the 2016 presidential race, Republican Donald Trump, said the Obama administration badly mishandled the aftermath of the Libyan military intervention.
“They complicated the mistake, once they bombed the you-know-what out of Gadhafi. They made a terrible mistake on Libya,” he said at the NBC forum.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. |
February 27, 2015
From the Team
On Wednesday, February 25th, we held the third Counterparty Foundation Board meeting to discuss the upcoming elections. The board decided that on April 2nd, the community will be able to nominate and elect three Counterparty Foundation Community Directors that will, together with the Founding Directors – Adam Krellenstein and Robby Dermody, govern the work of the Foundation and shape its direction. After a long discussion, the board concluded that the community as a whole should have the right to vote for and elect its representatives regardless of its membership status with the foundation. For this reason, the Industry seats that were supposed to be elected by the Foundation’s Industry members will no longer exist and the Board will consist of three community and 2 founding seats.
The election will be held on April 2nd, as scheduled. Two weeks before the election we will open a new thread on our forum with detailed information about the election process. The community will then be able to nominate a candidate by listing his or her name and description and Bitcoin address. The only requirement for the nomination is that the candidate hold at least 50 XCP and prove this by broadcasting a message from his or her address.
At the start of the two-week long voting period, the Executive Director will generate a Bitcoin address for each candidate and issue a voting token of 10 million units (divisible and locked). The Director will then issue a dividend to all XCP holders with this vote token as the dividend asset (meaning that all XCP addresses will receive some quantity vote token in proportion to their XCP balance). All candidates that meet the 50 XCP requirement will be listed on a scoreboard, and the community will be able to vote for their favorite candidate(s).
During the voting period, owners of addresses with a vote token balance will be able to send them to one or more of the addresses corresponding to the candidate(s) they wish to vote for. Addresses and names of the candidates, together with their current score, will be publicly displayed on the voting scoreboard.
After the election, top three addresses that receive the highest number of vote tokens will be announced as winners, and their owners receive Community Director positions for the term of one year.
Details about the nomination thread will be published in our upcoming community posts.
From the Community
In February, there was a lot of interesting discussion, new projects and third-party tools developed by the community. Here’s a quick recap:
Our community member built a useful tool, designed specifically for Counterparty-related queries, named XCP Search – a Google Chrome browser extension for Windows and Linux desktops that offers Counterparty-related search (code, open issues, support site docs, addresses, assets) straight from your browser. It can be useful to anyone who frequently needs to search Counterparty-related information. The extension can be downloaded from here.
– a Google Chrome browser extension for Windows and Linux desktops that offers Counterparty-related search (code, open issues, support site docs, addresses, assets) straight from your browser. It can be useful to anyone who frequently needs to search Counterparty-related information. The extension can be downloaded from here. Another tool released in February is the Blockscan Generate Key tool which allows you to check, retrieve and generate your Counterwallet addresses and keys using your 12 word passphrase. The tool can be accessed at https://blockscan.com/tool_generatekey, while the source code is available at https://github.com/blockscan/cw_address_key_generator.
tool which allows you to check, retrieve and generate your Counterwallet addresses and keys using your 12 word passphrase. The tool can be accessed at https://blockscan.com/tool_generatekey, while the source code is available at https://github.com/blockscan/cw_address_key_generator. CoinRepublic have demonstrated the use of Counterparty tokens for voting in their presentation on Inside Bitcoins.
FoldingCoin founders gave an interview in which they thoroughly explain the Counterparty technology and its basic features. You can listen to the entire podcast on MixCloud.
Bittrex integrated XCP – besides Poloniex, Counterparty DEX, MasterXchange, Melotic and ALTS.Trade Counterparty users now have the option to trade their XCP on Bittrex.
Development Updates
During the last 30 days we’ve made significant development progress, both in terms of new feature development as well as code re-organization, testing and quality assurance. We’ve released new versions of counterparty-lib v.9.49.4 and counterparty-cli v.1.0.0. (previously referred to as counterpartyd), accompanied with new versions of counterblock v1.1.0 and federatednode_build v1.1.1 (previously called counterpartyd_build). counterparty-lib has been completely re-architectured and is now a ‘pure’ Python library and a PyPi package, with no wallet functionality or command-line interface. The command-line interface has been abstracted into a separate package called counterparty-cli. Wallet functionalities are still being developed under counterparty-gui and will become available soon. counterblock has been updated to work with the new architecture of counterparty 9.49.4.
Another important development update was the new version of Bitcoin Core with addrindex patch – v0.10.0. The release has been tagged as stable and it is recommended for everyone running the patched version to upgrade to this new release. Downloads are available here.
In February, we’ve also implemented defaulting to OP_RETURN encoding when possible. Since the new version of Bitcoin Core will relay transactions with an 80-byte OP_RETURN output (see bitcoin/bitcoin#5286) we decided to switch our default encoding mechanism (multi-sig data outputs) to OP_RETURN for all transactions that fit into 40-bytes (or 80-bytes once the new version of Bitcoin Core is released). All other transactions will keep using multisig outputs.
This change is currently scheduled for v9.49.5. You can see our discussion on the topic on GitHub #690.
Finally, we’ve added HTTP REST API and updated the API documentation to reflect this implementation. REST API documentation is available on http://docs.counterpartylib.apiary.io/# and in our official API doc.
That concludes our update for this week. If you have any questions you can contact us via our support channel, gitter, forum or github.
Don’t forget to follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly updates via email. |
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