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Apple and advanced battery maker A123 Systems say they have nearly settled a federal lawsuit accusing Apple of poaching A123’s scientists and engineers to build a competing battery business.
The lawsuit, which was filed early this year, lifted the veil on the typically secretive inner workings at Apple. It has added fuel to news reports that Apple is researching the possibility of building an electric car, a project that Apple has not confirmed.
On Tuesday, a federal judge granted A123 more time to finalize the settlement with Apple. In a court filing, the two sides reported that they “have reached an agreement, signed a term sheet, and are in the process of drafting a final settlement agreement.”
Apple had hinted at a possible settlement in earlier court filings. News of the agreed-to settlement was first reported Tuesday by Xconomy.
In its original lawsuit, A123 said that former engineer Mujeeb Ijaz had violated an agreement not to raid A123’s employee ranks after joining Apple. Ijaz and four other former A123 employees were named as defendants in the lawsuit.
A123 alleged that Apple and Ijaz were “systematically hiring away A123’s high-tech PhD and engineering employees, thereby effectively shutting down various projects/programs at A123,” and that Apple was “currently developing a large scale battery division to compete in the very same field as A123.”
Apple had denied any wrongdoing in previous court filings, dismissing A123’s claims as “premised on baseless conjecture.”
The Apple lawsuit has provided another high-profile chapter in the long-winding saga of A123, a once-promising car-battery manufacturer that went public in 2009 but spiraled into bankruptcy after production missteps and a slowdown in the electric car market. A123 is now owned by China’s Wanxiang Group, which purchased the company out of bankruptcy for about $257 million in late 2012.
In early 2014, Wanxiang also purchased bankrupt electric-car maker Fisker Automotive — once a key A123 customer — and sold off A123’s electric-grid battery business in a bid to refocus on the auto industry.
A123 v. Apple Drafting Settlement |
My grandmother died July 4th. I got to be there to say goodbye when it happened. It was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life but I was glad to be with her in her final moments. I'm not going to say some nonsense about how important blood is or any of that, since everyone's situation is different, but I do think it is so important to be able to be with family, whether they are biological or those you claimed. Even during the hard times when life is falling apart or you're so insanely busy that you can't sleep or eat, taking that little bit of time to tell those you love that you you really do is something irreplaceable.The group I admin () is having our first contest in I don't know how long. The theme is Fun in the Sun and it is going on until the 21st. While most people think of beaches and hanging out with friends during Summer, I never really did those things so I guess my idea is a bit different. My summers were spent back and forth between my grandparents or preparing for the next school-year. So for me, the image of "fun in the sun" brings back memories of being with my family at historical sites and monuments. Because my thoughts are filled with sadness, I decided to make the sun not as a bright source of joy, but as a subtle source of love and use more gentle lighting. For my entry, I drew my OC Tigerlilly and her granddaughter Kurohime. Under the cool shade of the trees, the two enjoy each-others company, playing with magic. The time Kurohime spends with her grandmother is most important to her childhood, as her relationship with her mother is non-existent. When she gets older, Kurohime will look back and the sun will seem so much brighter, and the embraces of those days so much warmer.Characters and art belong to me. There's tons of drawings of them in my gallery if anyone wants to know more.If anyone wants it, you can find my Patreon here . My grandmother was so excited I finally got a booth at a con, so I'm going to make it the best damn booth I can possible do.EDIT: The speedpaint for this will be available on Patreon |
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 The Cause of the Destruction Of The World Trade Center Buildings on September 11, 2001 and the Admissibility of Expert Testimony Under the Standards Developed in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Stevan Douglas Looney, J.D.) ABSTRACT: Under the standards established by the United States Supreme Court in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 113 S. Ct. 2786, 125 L. Ed 2d 469 (1993) and its progeny, expert testimony offered to support the official theory and hypotheses concerning the cause of the destruction of World Trade Center Buildings 1, 2 and 7 (the WTC) on September 11, 2001 would probably be excluded from admission into evidence by an impartial judge in a civil or criminal proceeding. In contrast, expert testimony presenting an alternative theory and hypotheses explaining the cause(s) of the destruction of the WTC grounded in and adhering to accepted and reliable scientific principles using the scientific method would satisfy the Daubert test and would be admitted into evidence. If a “Daubert hearing” were held to determine the admissibility of expert opinion evidence regarding the cause or causes of the destruction of the WTC, expert opinion testimony presenting the official theory would likely not satisfy the Daubert test of reliability and would be rejected by an impartial judge after a Daubert hearing as unsupported by science and the laws of physics and, thus, unreliable and inadmissible into evidence under the Federal Rules of Evidence. In that event, the official theory of the cause of the destruction of the WTC would not be presented to and considered by the trier of fact. Conversely, expert opinion testimony and related evidence presenting an alternative hypothesis explaining the cause(s) of the destruction of the WTC that are grounded in reliable scientific principles using the scientific method, or “good science”, would pass the Daubert test and would be admissible into evidence. Consequently, in a civil or criminal proceeding the ruling or verdict on the question of the cause or causes of the destruction of the WTC would be based only upon expert testimony and related evidence presenting an alternative theory or theories. I.Introduction. It is well known that on September 11, 2001 New York City, New York, suffered an attack that resulted in the tragic death of nearly 3,000 people and the destruction of property, most notably the destruction and collapse of World Trade Center Buildings 1 and 2 (WTC 1 and WTC 2). It is less well known that at approximately 5:21 p.m. on that same day World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC 7) also collapsed. Since that day there has been a continuing debate between two schools of thought concerning the cause or causes of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7.1 1 In this paper I refer generally to these two opposing schools of thought as the official theory and the alternative theory.
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 In November 2002 Congress appointed a bipartisan commission to investigate 9/11. 2 The investigation took approximately eighteen months and resulted in the release and publication on July 22, 2004 of the Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, otherwise known as the 9/11 Commission Report. However, the 911 Commission Report said very little about the cause of the destruction of WTC 1 and 2 and nothing about the cause of the destruction of WTC 7.3 In the years since 9/11, many people who are qualified by education, training, and experience to give an opinion on the subject of the cause(s) of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 have come forward and have presented alternative scientific hypotheses and theories concerning the cause(s) of the destruction of these buildings.4 The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) also became involved and over time presented a series of reports presenting the official theory or explanation of the cause(s) of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7.5 The official theory and the alternative theory or theories of the cause(s) of the destructions of these buildings are not in agreement.6 Very briefly,7 the official theory of the destruction of WTC 1 and 2 is that aircraft impact damage combined with intense heat from the fires created by the ignition of the jet fuel on Flights 11 and 175 undermined the integrity of structural support systems in the upper floors of WTC 1 and 2. According to NIST, as a result of this process, “global collapse was inevitable.”8 NIST has, however, been unable to provide a full explanation of the collapse of WTC 1 and 2.9 The official theory of the destruction of WTC 7 is that it collapsed due to fire. 10 The fires were caused by debris from the collapse of WTC 1 which ignited fires on at 2See, National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (Public Law 107-306, November 27, 2002) 3See, generally, 9/11 Commission Report, Ch. 9, Heroism and Horror. 4Among such individuals is a group of over 2,000 architects and engineers who have banned together in an organization called Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. http://www.ae911truth.org/. See also, The Journal of 9/11 Studies at http://www.journalof911studies.com/ 5NIST is a United States governmental agency and is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. It is the science, engineering, technology and measurement laboratory for the United States. See, 15 U.S.C. § § 271 et seq. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also conducted an investigation and issued reports. 6It is worth noting that both the official theory and the alternative theory at their core point to an underlying conspiracy to carry out the attacks on 9/11. Black’s Law Dictionary, Seventh Edition, (1999) defines conspiracy as: “An agreement by two or more persons to commit an unlawful act; a combination for an unlawful purpose.” This is the generally accepted definition of “conspiracy” in all jurisdictions in the United States. 7It is beyond the scope of this paper to completely catalog and discuss in great detail all of the facts that have been proffered to buttress expert opinions offered either in support of the official theory or in support of the alternative theories explaining the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7. I have attempted in this paper to introduce the reader to the subject and to provide sources on both sides of the debate so that the reader may consult the sources and conduct further investigation. A brief summary of the opposing views of the facts and science involved must suffice at this time. 8However, the NIST study “…does not actually include the structural behavior of the towers after conditions for collapse initiation were reached.” In addition, the NIST study did not support the “pancake theory” of collapse which is premised on progressive failure of the floor systems in the towers. 9See, footnote 42 below. 10The 9/11 Commission Report makes no mention of the collapse of WTC 7 on 9/11/01. Since the publication of the 9/11 Commission Report the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published papers that present an explanation of the collapse of WTC 7, as well as WTC 1 and 2. See, http://www.nist.gov/el/disasterstudies/wtc/ 2
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 least 10 floors in WTC 7 which then burned out of control until the building collapsed naturally due to gravity alone.11 According to the official theory of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 there is no corroborating evidence for any alternative hypotheses suggesting that the WTC towers were destroyed by controlled demolition using explosives planted prior to September 11, 2001.12 However, contrary to National Fire Protection Association guidelines and the scientific method, NIST did not look for evidence of explosives.13 In contrast to the official theory, the alternative theory of the cause of the destruction WTC 1, 2 and 7 is that they were destroyed as a result of explosives that had been placed in the buildings prior September 11, 2001. On that date the explosives were detonated causing WTC 1 and 2 to be pulverized from the top down by some form or forms of explosives and incendiary devices, bringing them down smoothly at near free-fall acceleration. WTC 7, on the other hand, was destroyed in a more conventional, controlled manner typical of the means and methods used to destroy similar buildings and bring them down in a controlled manner into virtually their own footprint. According to the experts who subscribe to some form of the alternative theory or hypotheses, neither damage caused by the impact of the planes, nor the resulting fires were sufficient to cause the complete and total destruction of WTC 1 and 2, nor were fires alone sufficient to cause WTC 7 to collapse in the manner it did.14 While there is some disagreement among those who advocate, or agree with, the alternative theory or theories as to the exact means and methods used to destroy WTC 1, 2, and 7, many qualified experts who have studied the available data have concluded that the official theory does not hold up to scientific scrutiny and analysis using the scientific method. Likewise, there are many experts who support the official theory of a gravitational collapse, but who differ significantly as to the mechanism of the collapse (e. g., progressive pancake versus pile driver). Thus, one can reasonably deduce that there is no general acceptance of the official theory or the alternative explosives theory in the scientific community. Attempting to determine which theory or hypothesis is reliable and which is not, or whether they may both have elements of reliability and should be considered by the judge or a jury in an evidentiary proceeding, is fertile ground for a Daubert hearing.15 Indeed, a Daubert hearing is often where the discipline of the scientific method meets the discipline of the law. In the courtroom a Daubert 11Because WTC 7 was not impacted by an aircraft, in the final analysis NIST concluded that fire is the cause of the initiation of the collapse sequence for WTC 7. Similarly, although NIST concluded that aircraft impact damage played a role, in the final analysis NIST identified fire as the primary cause of the initiation of the collapse sequence for WTC 1 and 2. 12See, http://www.nist.gov/el/disasterstudies/wtc/faqs_wtc7.cfm; http://www.nist.gov/el/disasterstudies/wtc/wtc_draftreports.cfm); and http://wtc.nist.gov/reports_october05.htm 13See, footnote 48 below. 14See, e.g., How the Towers were Demolished, http://gordonssite.tripod.com/id2.html. See, also, http://www.ae911truth.org/ and http://www.journalof911studies.com/; and “Areas of Specific Concern in the NIST WTC Reports” at http://www.ae911truth.org/en/news-section/41-articles/926-25-points-of-specific-concern-in-the- nist-wtc-reports.html. (identifying 25 points demonstrating that NIST’s reports on the cause of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 are not reliable.) 15 What occurred at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 is likewise fertile ground for a Daubert hearing. 3
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 hearing is where the judge is required to not only determine whether proffered expert testimony and related evidence is legally relevant, but also whether it is scientifically reliable and, therefore, entitled to be admitted into evidence and considered by the trier of fact—whether a judge or a jury. II. Daubert--The Federal Rules of Evidence and the Admissibility of Expert Opinion Testimony in an Adversarial Evidentiary Proceeding. “If it is a Miracle, any sort of evidence will answer; but if it is a Fact, proof is necessary.” (Mark Twain) In Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 113 S. Ct. 2786, 125 L. Ed 2d 469 (1993) the United States Supreme Court rejected the long-standing test governing the admissibility into evidence of expert testimony that had been established in Frye v. United States, 54 App. D.C. 46, 293 F. 1013 (1923) and followed for decades by virtually all courts. Under Frye, when “novel” scientific expert testimony and related evidence was at issue, a judge could defer to the proffered experts, or perhaps to his or her own judgment, on the question of whether or not the novel scientific evidence had gained “general acceptance” in the relevant field of science.16 If the court concluded that it had gained general acceptance the expert evidence was admissible, unless it was inadmissible and excluded for some other reason. If the scientific evidence had not gained general acceptance in the relevant field it was not to be admitted into evidence. It follows that if the Frye test is applied the argument over admissibility will focus on whether or not the novel scientific evidence was generally accepted in the particular field of science that is at issue. While Daubert did not scrap the Frye test in toto, but rather retained the “general acceptance” factor, it established additional factors to be considered by courts on the question of the admissibility of scientific expert testimony under the Federal Rule of Evidence.17 Daubert was followed about six years later by Kumho Tire Co. Ltd v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137, 119 S. Ct. 1167, 143 L. Ed 2d 238 (1999). In Kumho the United States Supreme Court made it clear that under the Federal Rules of Evidence the courts’ evidentiary gate-keeping responsibility imposed by Daubert applies not just to scientific expert testimony, but also to expert testimony based upon “technical or other specialized knowledge.” In other words, where the Federal Rules of Evidence apply, all expert opinion testimony is subject to the courts’ gate-keeping responsibility under the test established in Daubert. 16“Just when a scientific principle or discovery crosses the line between the experimental and demonstrable stages is difficult to define. Somewhere in this twilight zone the evidential force of the principle must be recognized, and while courts will go a long way in admitting expert testimony deduced from a well-recognized principle or discovery, the thing from which the deduction is made must be sufficiently established to have gained general acceptance in the particular field in which it belongs.” Frye 293 F. at 1014 (emphasis added) 17In Daubert the United States Supreme Court interpreted and applied the Federal Rules of Evidence to the question of the admissibility of scientific expert evidence. Daubert did not rest on an interpretation of the United States Constitution. As such, Daubert is not necessarily binding on the states. Many, but not all, states have adopted the Daubert test. Some states continue to employ the Frye test or a test similar to Frye. For a survey as of March 31, 2006, of the states that have adopted Daubert see The Status of Daubert in State Courts, by Martin S. Kaufman of the Atlantic Legal Foundation. The state in which I practice, New Mexico, adopted Daubert in State v. Alberico, 116N.M. 156, 861 P. 2d 192 (1993). 4
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 Under the Federal Rules of Evidence governing expert testimony,18 Daubert and Kumho instruct that a court is to serve as a “gatekeeper” and must conduct what is essentially a four-part analysis of the proposed expert opinion or theory before the expert testimony is to be admitted into evidence in support of the opinion or theory.19 The purpose of the courts’ gatekeeper function is to allow judges to determine that the expert opinion testimony is both relevant and reliable before the jury (or the judge) is permitted to receive it into evidence.20 Daubert and Khumo, passim.21 Following Daubert and Khumo Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence was amended to take into account the Daubert factors. In addition, the admissibility of all expert testimony is governed by the principles of Rule 104 (a).22 Under Rule 104(a), the proponent of the expert testimony has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the admissibility requirements have been met.23 Rule 702 reads as follows: A witness who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if: (a) the expert’s scientific, technical or other specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue; (b) the testimony is based upon sufficient facts or data; (c) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods; and (d) the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case. As a threshold matter, under Rule 702 the proposed expert witness must be qualified in the scientific or technical field under inquiry. Rule 702 (a), and to some extent Rule 702 (b), mandate that the proposed expert testimony must be “helpful to the trier of fact”. The “helpful” factor is an expression of the relevancy component emphasized in Daubert and codified in FRE Rule 401. The reliability factor enunciated in Daubert is set forth in FRE 702 (b), (c) and (d). In short, under the Federal Rules of 18See, generally, FRE 104 (Preliminary Questions), FRE 401 (Test for Relevant Evidence), 702 (Testimony by Expert Witnesses), 703 (Bases of an Expert’s Opinion Testimony), 704 (Opinion on an Ultimate Issue) and 705 (Disclosing the Facts or Data Underlying an Expert’s Opinion). 19See, Daubert, 509 U.S. at 592-93 and Kumho, 526 U.S. at 141. 20The significance of facts and opinions being admitted into evidence is that the judge or jury may then consider the evidence when reaching a decision or a verdict. In a bench trial to a judge only , i.e., where there is no jury, much more is heard or seen by the judge but it may not ultimately be admitted into evidence and, if not, the judge is not to consider it when reaching a decision even though he or she heard or saw the “evidence.” In a jury trial the judge’s ruling excluding evidence should result in the jury never hearing or seeing the excluded evidence in the first place and, thus, excluded evidence should not be a factor in a jury’s deliberations and verdict. 21The federal and State cases that cite and discuss Daubert or Khumo are legion and it is beyond the scope of the paper, if not the realm of possibility, to delve into and discuss every case. The reader is referred generally to U.S.C., Federal Rules of Evidence, Rule 702, Advisory Committee Notes, Research Guide, and Interpretive Notes and Decisions. 22“(a) In General. The court must decide any preliminary question about whether a witness is qualified, a privilege exists, or evidence is admissible. [ ]” 23See, e.g., Bourjaily v. United States, 483 U.S. 171 (1987). 5
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 Evidence, before a putative expert can give opinion testimony: 1) the expert must be qualified, 2) the testimony must be helpful to the trier of fact (that is, it must based upon facts and data material and relevant to the case), and 3) the testimony must be relevant and reliable. For purposes of this paper it is assumed that in any Daubert hearing the proffered experts will be qualified by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education to give an opinion on the question of the cause(s) of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7.24 Accordingly, only the relevancy and reliability factors are discussed below. 1.Relevancy. In a civil or criminal action in which the purpose, or a purpose, would be to determine the cause or causes of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 on September 11, 2001, competent and material evidence offered to establish the cause of the destruction of these buildings would be relevant.25 Under Rule 401 of the Federal Rules of Evidence: Evidence is relevant if: (a) it has any tendency to make a fact more or less probable than it would be without the evidence; and (b) the fact is of consequence in determining the action. This rule itself, and as construed and applied by the case law, is to be used as a guide by judges to handle the wide variety of relevancy issues that will arise in any given case, which issues are bounded only by the ingenuity and savvy of lawyers as they advocate for their clients. Expert opinion relevancy, like all relevancy issues, is case specific. As a general proposition, scientific evidence ruled to be relevant in one case will not “fit” in another case and will be ruled irrelevant.26 For purposes of the subject under inquiry in this paper, relevant evidence would be evidence that tends to make more probable that the alleged facts in support of the official theory of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 are true or correct, or that tend to make less probable that such facts are true or correct. Conversely, relevant evidence would also include evidence that tends to make less probable that the facts alleged in support of the official theory of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 have been proved, or 24The question of a proffered expert witness’s qualification requires an entirely different analysis and invokes other considerations beyond the scope of this paper. 25The rules of evidence are designed and intended to get to the truth of the facts asserted and to that end only relevant and trustworthy evidence is to be admitted in any civil or criminal trial or other evidentiary hearing in a court of law. The threshold test for admissibility, simply put, is relevancy. That is, relevant evidence is evidence that tends to make the existence of a fact that is of consequence more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence. The goal behind admitting relevant evidence is to get to the truth of the matter asserted, either by proving a claimed fact or by disproving it. This concept applies equally to fact or lay person testimony, as well as to expert testimony. 26See, e. g., Daubert, 509 U. S. 591-592 (“’Expert testimony which does not relate to any issue in the case is not relevant and, ergo, non-helpful.’ [citation omitted] This consideration has been aptly described [ ] as ‘fit.’ ’Fit’ is not always obvious, and scientific validity for one purpose is not necessarily scientific validity for other, unrelated purposes.”) 6
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 that tends to make more probable that such facts have not been proved and are false.27 In that connection, expert testimony and related evidence that presents facts, and that provides reliable opinions, to prove the cause(s) of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 are relevant. Ultimately, the facts to be proved by the expert opinion testimony and related evidence are facts that establish causation, i. e, the proximate cause or causes of the destruction of these buildings.28 Because causation is relevant, expert testimony and related evidence is admissible on the question of causation--provided it is reliable. This would include not only reliable expert testimony and related evidence in support of the official theory, but also such expert opinion and evidence that presents facts and opinions in support of the alternative explosives hypotheses.29 2.Reliability. Once it is determined that the expert testimony, whether based on scientific, technical or specialized knowledge, is relevant on the issue of causation the question then becomes whether it is reliable and should be admitted into evidence. If the court rules that the expert testimony is reliable it may be admitted into evidence at which time it is entitled to whatever evidentiary weight the jury (or judge) puts on it. If, on the other hand, it is ruled unreliable, any such evidence is not to be admitted and as a result will never be considered by the jury and should not be considered by the judge in a bench trial.30 In short, under the courts’ evidentiary gatekeeper function, judges are required to exclude unreliable expert evidence, including opinion testimony. Indeed, unreliable expert testimony is not to come into evidence at all, with the hope or expectation that the trier of fact, whether a judge or a jury, will put no weight on it or outright reject it. The risk that unreliable expert testimony will be accepted as true, for whatever reason, and affect the jury’s verdict is too great to allow it to come into evidence in the first place. Thus, under Daubert and Kumho the judge as the evidentiary gatekeeper is required to keep unreliable expert testimony out of evidence in the first instance and admit only relevant and reliable expert testimony. 3.The Daubert factors. 31 Under Daubert and FRE 702, when carrying out their evidentiary gate-keeping duties under the Federal Rules of Evidence, judges must at a minimum inquire into: 27Evidence per se is not proof. Evidence does not become proof until the fact(s) that the evidence seeks to establish is accepted and believed by the judge or the jury and forms a part of the court’s ruling or the jury’s verdict. 28Black’s Law Dictionary, Seventh Edition (1999), defines “cause” as: “1. Something that produces an effect or result.” and defines proximate cause as: “1. A cause that is legally sufficient to result in liability. 2. A cause that directly produces an event and without which the event would not have occurred.” 29The author is well aware that a probable outcome of a Daubert hearing on the cause(s) of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 would be that a judge would allow expert testimony and related evidence in support of both the official theory and the alternative theory. Nevertheless, the thesis of this paper remains unchanged: under Daubert expert testimony in support of the official theory should, at a minimum, be excluded as unreliable, if not irrelevant. 30See, e.g., Mitchell v. Gencorp Inc., 165 F.3d 778, 782 (10th Cir. 1999) (“Under Daubert, any step that renders the expert’s analysis unreliable...renders the expert’s testimony inadmissible. This is true whether the step completely changes a reliable methodology or merely misapplies the methodology.”) (citing In re Paoli R.R. Yard PCB Litigation, 35 F.3d 717, 746 (3rd Cir. 1994) 31See, Daubert, 509 U.S. at 592-595. 7
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 1.Whether the opinion or theory is susceptible to testing and has been subjected to such testing;32 2.Whether the opinion/theory has been subjected to peer-review and publication;33 3.Whether there is a known or potential rate of error associated with the methodology used and whether there are standards controlling the techniques' operation;34 and, 4.Whether the opinion/theory has been scrutinized and generally accepted by the scientific community.35 Significantly, Daubert established a non-exclusive checklist or guide for courts to use when determining the relevancy and reliability of expert testimony. Both before and after Daubert courts have found other factors important when assessing whether the proffered expert testimony is sufficiently relevant and reliable to be admitted into evidence and considered by the trier of fact. Examples of additional factors considered by courts include: (1)Whether the experts are “proposing to testify about matters growing naturally and directly out of research they have conducted independent of the litigation, or whether they have developed their opinions expressly for purposes of testifying.”36 (2)Whether the expert has unjustifiably extrapolated from an accepted premise to an unfounded conclusion.37 (3)Whether the expert has adequately accounted for obvious alternative explanations.38 (4)Whether the expert “is being as careful as he would be in his regular professional work outside his paid litigation consulting.”39 32“’Scientific methodology today is based upon generating hypotheses and testing them to see if they can be falsified; indeed, this methodology is what distinguishes science from other fields of human inquiry.” Daubert, 509 U.S. at 593 33“Some propositions, moreover, are too particular, too new, or of too limited interest to be published. But submission to the scrutiny of the scientific community is a component of ‘good science,’ in part because it increases the likelihood that substantive flaws in methodology will be detected.” Daubert, 509 U.S. at 593. 34Some courts and commentators have split this factor into two factors thus arriving at five Daubert factors, not four, to wit: “Whether there is a [(a)] known or potential rate of error associated with the methodology used and [(b)] whether there are standards controlling the techniques' operation.” 35“Finally, ‘general acceptance’ can have a bearing on the inquiry. [ ] Widespread acceptance can be an important factor in ruling particular evidence admissible, and ‘a known technique which has been able to attract only minimal support within the community’ [citation omitted] may properly be viewed with skepticism.” Daubert, 509 U.S. at 36Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 43 F.3d 1311, 1317 (9th Cir. 1995) (Under this factor it is reasonable to inquire into whether, independent of WTC 1, 2 and 7, NIST has reached the conclusion in any other cases or circumstances that steel skyscrapers have collapsed due to impact damage of some kind and/or fire.) 37See, e.g., General Elec. Co. v. Joiner, 522 U.S. 136, 146 (1997) (noting that in some cases a trial court “may conclude that there is simply too great an analytical gap between the data and the opinion proffered”) 38See, e.g., Claar v. Burlington N.R.R., 29 F.3d 499 (9th Cir. 1994) (testimony excluded where the expert failed to consider other obvious causes for plaintiff’s condition). Cf, Ambrosini v. Labarraque, 101 F.3d 129 (D. C. Cir. 1996) (noting that the possibility of some uneliminated causes presents a question of weight, so long as the most obvious causes have been considered and reasonably ruled out by the expert) 8
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 (5) Whether the field of expertise claimed by the expert is known to reach reliable results for the type of opinion the expert would give.40 While the four Daubert factors are applicable to all cases generally (where the Federal Rules of Evidence apply or where the state courts have adopted the Daubert or similar test), these additional factors are examples of the types of tests that have been developed by the courts in the trenches of litigation and in the context of the facts and circumstances of real cases playing out in courtrooms every day where, as they say, “the rubber meets the road”. When determining whether the proffered expert testimony is relevant and reliable, additional factors such as these are often as informative and useful to courts, if not more so, than the Daubert factors per se standing alone.41 III.Application of the Daubert Factors to the Official Theory and to the Alternative Theories of the Cause of the Destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7. In this paper the reader has been provided with a reasonably sufficient introduction to the question of the cause(s) of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7, as well as citations to several sources and documents addressing both sides of the debate on this subject. It is beyond the scope of this paper to go into greater detail. Indeed, it is incumbent upon the readers who are so inclined to dig deeper into the available information and conduct their own research with respect to investigating the facts, proved or alleged, and the science and technology involved in connection with the question of the cause(s) of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 on September 11, 2001. I will endeavor, however so briefly here, to apply the Daubert factors to the expert opinions on this important issue. 1.Whether the opinion or theory is susceptible to testing and has been subjected to such testing? a. The Official Theory. Answer: Yes and no. The official theory of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 is susceptible to testing, but, for obvious reasons, the theory has not been tested on full scale replica in the field with an actual steel-structure high rise, whether similar to WTC or otherwise. The tests conducted by NIST used global impact computer simulations and analysis on WTC 1 and 2, and fire dynamics, thermal and limited tests on certain elements using building materials under controlled conditions as to all three buildings. However, the material 39See, Sheehan v. Daily Racing Form, Inc., 104 F.3d 940, 942 (7th Cir. 1997); Kumbo Tire Co. v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 135, 152 (1999) (stating that Daubert requires the trial court to satisfy itself that the expert “employs in the courtroom the same level of intellectual rigor that characterizes the practice of an expert in the relevant field”) 40See Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 135, 151 (1999) (noting that Daubert’s general acceptance factor does not help show that an expert’s testimony is reliable where the discipline itself lacks reliability); Moore v. Ashland Chemical, Inc., 151 F.3d 269 (5th Cir. 1998) (en banc) (clinical doctor was properly precluded from testifying to the toxicological cause of the plaintiffs respiratory problem, where the opinion was not sufficiently grounded in scientific methodology) 41See, e.g., Kuhmo 119 S. Ct. 1167, 1176 (“[W]e conclude that the trail judge must be given considerable leeway in deciding in a particular case how to go about determining whether particular expert testimony is reliable.”) 9
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 and fire tests conducted by NIST did not support its initial findings. Moreover, NIST could not explain the total collapse of the buildings and never conducted tests on scale models as is typically done on other structural failures to verify if indeed “global collapse was inevitable” once initiated. Based only on the computer models conducted by NIST, NIST formulated its hypotheses for the official theory discussed above.42 “Unofficial”, i.e., private, tests of the official theory conducted by qualified architects, engineers, physicists, and demolition and explosive experts have proved to the satisfaction of those performing the tests, as well as many of their peers and lay persons, that the official theory is not scientifically valid.43 Notably, actual fires in all other steel-structured high-rises that have occurred in the field under real-life situations and conditions have never caused any of them to globally collapse--including the Empire State Building, which was impacted by a B-25 Bomber on July 28,1945 and which suffered extensive fire damage. (See, Endnote) b.The Alternative Theory. Answer: Yes. The alternative explosives hypothesis has been tested. Conventional explosives, as well as high-tech explosives, have destroyed, and will destroy, steel-structured high rise buildings in the manner observed on September 11, 2001 in connection with WTC 1, 2 and 7. 44 Moreover, such explosives will produce the same types of evidence observed with the destruction of the Twin Towers, including a uniform downward acceleration, pyroclastic-like flows, and temperatures high enough to melt steel—all of which are impossible with a fire-induced gravity collapse. 2.Whether the opinion/theory has been subjected to peer-review and publication? a. The Official Theory. Answer: No. While NIST had a team of individuals provide support for NIST’s investigation and the preparation and publication of NIST’s draft and final reports on the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7, there is little if any information available suggesting that the hypotheses advanced by NIST in support of the official theory have been subjected to 42NIST acknowledges that “we are unable to provide a full explanation of the total collapse” of WTC 1, 2 and 7. See, September 27, 2007 letter from Catherine S. Fletcher, Chief, Management and Organization Division, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, written in response to an April 12, 2007 petition and request for correction from Bob McIlvain, Bill Doyle, Dr. Steven Jones, Kevin Ryan, Richard Gage, AIA Architect, and Frank Legge of Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice. This letter is available at http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/2007/NISTresponseToRequestForCorrectionGourleyEtal2.pdf. This is the letter to which NIST was responding: http://stj911.org/actions/NIST_DQA_Petition.pdf 43See, Why The NIST World Trade Center Reports Are False, by Kevin Ryan, published in The 9/11 Toronto Report: International Hearings on the Events of September 11, 2001 available at: http://torontohearings.org/2012/12/02/the-toronto-hearings-report-is-now-available/ 44For an analysis of this question, see Why Indeed Did The WTC Building Collapse? By Steven E. Jones, PhD, http://wtc7.net/articles/stevenjones_b7_051122.html. Dr. Jones makes a case that the only hypothesis that accounts for all the available data regarding the cause of the collapse of WTC buildings 1, 2 and 7 is the “explosive demolition hypothesis.” See, also, Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. http://www.ae911truth.org/ and The Journal of 9/11 Studies at http://www.journalof911studies.com/ 10
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 formal peer review.45 In the private sector many architects, engineers, physicists, demolition and explosive experts, and other qualified people have poured over the NIST reports, as well as other documents and available evidence and have analyzed the official theory given the available information they were able to obtain.46 Such reviews of NIST’s reports has resulted in the publication of numerous scientifically valid and in some cases peer-reviewed studies, many of which call into question the validity and reliability of the NIST reports on several significant and critical points that bear on the question of causation.47 b.The Alternative Theory. Answer: Yes While NIST states that its investigation found no evidence to support the alternative explosives hypotheses (contrary to NFPA guidelines it did not look for evidence of explosives),48 many architects, engineers, physicists, demolition and explosive experts have investigated and analyzed the explosives hypotheses and have concluded that that the only hypothesis that accounts for all the available evidence and observations regarding the cause of the collapse of WTC buildings 1, 2 and 7 using the scientific method is the “explosive demolition hypothesis.”49 3.Whether there is a known or potential rate of error associated with the methodology used and whether there are standards controlling the techniques' operation? a. The Official Theory. Answer: Yes The rate of error is 100%. That is, the previous rate of success in collapsing two 110-story steel skyscrapers such as WTC 1 and 2, by a fire ignited by jet fuel (even taking into account aircraft impact damage) and one 47 story steel skyscraper such as WTC 7 (which had no aircraft impact damage) is 0%. The official explanation of the destruction of these three buildings on September 11, 2001 assumes unprecedented 45See, e.g., WTC 7: A Refutation of NIST’s Analysis, by David Chandler, published in The 9/11 Toronto Report: International Hearings on the Events of September 11, 2001 available at: http://torontohearings.org/2012/12/02/the- toronto-hearings-report-is-now-available/ 46Despite several Freedom of Information Act requests for all such data, much of the data and information that NIST had available to it has not been provided to independent researchers. 47See, e.g., WTC Destruction: An Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Technical Literature 2001-2012 by Timothy Eastman and Jonathan Cole, April 2013, http://www.journalof911studies.com/resources/2013EastmanColeVol37Apr.pdf 48NIST acknowledges that it did not test the buildings’ debris or the site of their destruction for explosive residue. See, September 27, 2007 letter from Catherine S. Fletcher, Chief, Management and Organization Division, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, written in response to an April 12, 2007 petition and request for correction from Bob McIlvain, Bill Doyle, Dr. Steven Jones, Kevin Ryan, Richard Gage, AIA Architect, and Frank Legge of Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice. (“Finally, as NIST has noted in the frequently asked questions page on the NIST WTC website, http://wtc.nist.gov, NIST did not test for the presence of explosive residue and such tests would not necessarily have been conclusive. Therefore, your request for corrections [ ] are denied.”) See, this letter at http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/2007/NISTresponseToRequestForCorrectionGourleyEtal2.pdf 49See, footnote 44 above. See, also, The 9/11 Toronto Report: International Hearings on the Events of September 11, 2001 available at http://torontohearings.org/2012/12/02/the-toronto-hearings-report-is-now-available/ 11
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 processes and events in all three cases. Crucial tests were ignored by NIST and, in some cases, results were achieved through unscientific and illegitimate manipulation of data.50 Many qualified experts conclude that the official theory is impossible because it defies the fundamental laws of physics. b.The Alternative Theory. Yes. The rate of error of the tests that have been conducted is 0%. That is, with the exception of demolitions that were only partially ignited or that had “gone wrong,” the rate of success of collapsing steel skyscrapers and other buildings with explosives is 100%. Moreover, samples of the WTC dust were examined by accredited researchers with relevant expertise using standard, established scientific methods and their results have been published in a peer-reviewed journal: the researchers found nanothermite in the dust.51 The widespread presence of nanothermite, which can function either as an incendiary or an explosive, in the WTC dust is a very strong indicator of deliberate demolition of the buildings and evidence that explosives had been planted in the WTC prior to September 11, 2001. Further, the use of Newtonian physics to determine the rate of the acceleration of WTC 7’s collapse has definitively ruled out NIST’s hypothesis of a fire-induced collapse.52 In sum, the alternative explosives-demolition-hypotheses accounts for all the available data and observations regarding the cause of the collapse of WTC buildings 1, 2 and 7. 4.Whether the opinion/theory has been scrutinized and generally accepted by the scientific community? a. The Official Theory. Answer: Yes and No. The official theory as pronounced by NIST (and FEMA) has been scrutinized by numerous architects, engineers, physicists, demolition, and explosive experts. While some members of the scientific community have chosen to accept the official theory, there is no general acceptance of the theory in the scientific community. Indeed, the official theory has been rejected by many qualified experts who have reviewed and scrutinized the NIST reports and the data that NIST has made available. b.The Alternative Theory. Answer: Yes and No. While there are some who accept the alternative hypotheses and some who do not, it appears that the more time members of the scientific community devote to 50See, Why The NIST World Trade Center Reports Are False, by Kevin Ryan, published in The 9/11 Toronto Report: International Hearings on the Events of September 11, 2001 available at: http://torontohearings.org/2012/12/02/the-toronto-hearings-report-is-now-available/ 51See, The Journal of 9/11 Studies at http://www.journalof911studies.com/ 52http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/2010/ChandlerDownwardAccelerationOfWTC1.pdf and http://torontohearings.org/2012/12/02/the-toronto-hearings-report-is-now-available/ 12
Journal of 9/11 Studies Volume 40, March 2015 scrutinizing the evidence, including that provided by NIST and FEMA, the more likely they are to accept the alternative explosives demolition theory.53 IV. Conclusion. Daubert hearings are very well established in American jurisprudence. When scientific and other technical evidence is at issue the right to a Daubert hearing is as straightforward as legal matters can get. In any civil or criminal proceeding in this country where expert testimony is required to assist the trier of fact to reach a decision or a verdict, it is a litigant’s right (and duty) to seek to admit expert testimony in support of the litigant’s case. That right is nearly, if not entirely, absolute and is subject only to the Daubert, or similar, test of relevance and reliability. In virtually every civil lawsuit or criminal proceeding presented in the United States, whether pending in a federal court or in a state court, it is routine, standard practice for our courts to ask the parties very early in a case whether they will need a Daubert hearing. Courts routinely set Daubert hearings and it can be reversible error for a court to fail to conduct such a hearing.54 Many such hearings occur every day in this country in the State courts, as well as the United States District Courts. These hearings give all parties the opportunity to establish that their expert opinion testimony is relevant and reliable and to challenge the relevancy and reliability of all proposed expert opinion testimony and related evidence. To the knowledge of this author, no court has conducted a Daubert hearing and considered the relevancy and reliability of any expert evidence on either side of the question of causation in connection with the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7. 55 Cases that may have required such a Daubert hearing have been dismissed on one ground or another, or in a few instances settled, long before a Daubert hearing would have been held in due course. Given the magnitude of 9/11 and all that has followed in its wake, it is not unreasonable to inquire whether we, the people of the United States of America, indeed the people of the World, are entitled to a Daubert hearing on the question of the cause(s) of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7 on September 11, 2001. ____________________________________________________________________ Stevan Douglas Looney is a 1980 graduate of the University of San Francisco, School of Law. Mr. Looney is a trial lawyer and practices primarily in the courts of New Mexico and the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. Mr. Looney is also admitted to the United States Supreme Court and the United States Tax Court. Endnote: As an interesting and relevant historical side note, unknown to most people alive today, long before 9/11 a New York City skyscraper was hit by a large aircraft. On July 28, 1945 the Empire State Building was struck by a B-25 bomber. The plane lost its bearings in dense fog and struck the 79th floor of the building and burst into flames. According to an article entitled The Plane That Crashed Into The Empire State Building: 53See, e.g., Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. http://www.ae911truth.org/ 54The importance of a Daubert hearing cannot be understated. Appellate courts have vacated jury verdicts in cases where the court failed to conduct a Daubert hearing. See, e.g., Barabin v. AstenJohnson, Inc., 740 F.3d 457 (9th Cir. 2014) (vacating a jury verdict of $9.4 million because the court failed to hold a Daubert hearing) 55To date this author’s research has not uncovered a case in which a court has held a Daubert hearing on the question of the cause or causes of the destruction of WTC 1, 2 and 7. 13 |
The National Park Service has added two properties commemorating the history of America’s gays and lesbians to the National Register of Historic Places, including the Washington home of a separatist lesbian collective in the early 1970s.
Tuesday’s decision to add the Furies Collective, a Capitol Hill rowhouse in Southeast Washington, and San Juan’s Edificio Comunidad de Orgullo Gay de Puerto Rico comes as the Obama administration is making a concerted effort to recognize the contribution of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans to the nation’s past. President Obama is preparing to name Stonewall — the New York City site where gay rioters and police clashed in protests in 1969, considered a watershed moment in the gay rights movement — as a national monument as early as next month.
[Obama poised to create first national monument to gay rights]
In a Facebook post, the Park Service noted that the Furies Collective, at 219 11th St. SE, was “home to a lesbian feminist collective that in the early 1970’s created and led the debate over lesbians’ place in American society.” It is the first historic landmark to specifically highlight the role of lesbians in U.S. society.
Ginny Berson, one of the original members of the 12-women collective, said she welcomed the designation because “lesbians, in particular, are so often forgotten when people talk about gay liberation and the gay movement.”
Furies Collective house. (Patsy Lynch)
The D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board listed the red-brick rowhouse as a historic landmark on the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites in January. Members of the collective lived in three different houses on Capitol Hill and operated in the townhouse between the fall of 1971 and summer 1973, publishing the tabloid-size newspaper the Furies as well as one lesbian feminist edition of the United Methodist Church magazine called motive.
Mark Meinke, who co-founded D.C.’s Rainbow Heritage Network and nominated the site for the national register, said the collective was important because it played a key role in “starting the discussions on what it meant to be a lesbian” when mainstream feminist groups, such as the National Organization of Women, were expelling lesbians.
Berson, who now lives in Oakland, Calif., and is director of outreach for a racial-justice organization, said the collective “existed for a minute, really, and had an impact that was much greater than the time that we existed.”
The members were mainly in their early-to-mid-20s, and they taught classes for other women, including self-defense and how to do electrical tasks at home. They also studied other revolutions and how they had lost their way. And they organized a softball team.
Many straight women were threatened by them, Berson said, because they argued that “living with a man is basically choosing to live with her oppressor, even if he’s a nice guy.”
“What the collective was trying to do was trying to overthrow the patriarchy, and capitalism, which was a part of the patriarchy,” she said. “That was our big goal. I guess we haven’t finished it yet.”
[He’s visiting 411 National Park Service sites — and hoping Stonewall’s the 412th]
With these new designations, there are roughly a dozen LGBT sites across the country that have made the national register or been named as national landmarks, including Julius’ Bar and the Bayard Rustin residence in New York City and the Cherry Grove Community House and Theater, in Cherry Grove, N.Y.
The San Juan building served as “the meeting hall for the first gay/lesbian organization established in Puerto Rico,” according to the Park Service.
“The road to civil rights is a long one, and adding these important places to the National Register will help recognize the LGBT communities’ fight for equality,” said Kristen Brengel, vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. “It is fantastic that the National Park Service is acknowledging more LGBT sites, and we hope the administration will approve its first national park honoring LGBT history with Stonewall soon.” |
When Iowa conservative talk-radio host and former flight pilot Sam Clovis was tapped by Donald Trump to be the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s chief scientist, the choice raised more than a few eyebrows—by law, those who serve in the position must reportedly be “among distinguished scientists with specialized training or significant experience in agricultural research, education, and economics.” Clovis, on the other hand, has a doctorate in public administration from the University of Alabama, but zero experience in science. “In my judgment, I don’t see how in the world he meets the requirements of the law,” Senator Debbie Stabenow said when Clovis was nominated. “I think this is certainly something we’re exploring.”
On Monday, Clovis withdrew his name from consideration, but not because he is woefully underqualified. Instead, he decided to withdraw due to his role supervising Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who earlier this month pleaded guilty to lying to F.B.I. investigators about his communications with Russian contacts. “The political climate inside Washington has made it impossible for me to receive balanced and fair consideration for this position,” Clovis, who is currently serving as the U.S.D.A.‘s senior White House adviser, said in a letter to Trump. “The relentless assaults on you and your team seem to be a blood sport that only increases in intensity each day.”
Clovis was dragged into the Russia probe‘s line of fire when The Washington Post reported earlier this week that he was one of the Trump campaign officials with whom Papadopoulos corresponded. By way of explanation for Clovis‘s apparent encouragement of Papadopoulos‘s outreach efforts to Russians, Clovis‘s attorney, Victoria Toensing, said in a statement that as a ”polite gentleman from Iowa, [he] would have expressed courtesy and appreciation“ for any suggestion made by a campaign volunteer.
Clovis’s nomination had been contentious for other reasons; besides having no academic background in either science or agriculture, he previously suggested that same-sex marriage could lead to the legalization of pedophilia. He also publicly wondered whether Barack Obama was born in the United States and has questioned the roundly accepted scientific view that human-produced greenhouse gas emissions contribute to and cause global warming.
“Sam Clovis was almost a comically bad nominee, even for this administration,” Senator Patrick J. Leahy, a member of the Agriculture Committee, said in a statement Thursday. “But President Trump already knew that when he nominated Mr. Clovis, and that is not why his nomination was abruptly pulled today. Not because of his association with birtherism or as a climate-change denier, or his other repugnant assertions.” Tom Vilsack, the Obama administration’s Agriculture secretary, took a similar view. “It was only a matter of time,” he told Politico.
In his withdrawal letter to Trump, Clovis suggested that he keep his current post, which doesn’t require Senate confirmation. “[I] will continue to serve at the pleasure of you and the Secretary of Agriculture,” he told the president. |
Gallery: Messages from the Stone Age
THE first intrepid explorers to brave the 7-metre crawl through a perilously narrow tunnel leading to the Chauvet caves in southern France were rewarded with magnificent artwork to rival any modern composition. Stretching a full 3 metres in height, the paintings depict a troupe of majestic horses in deep colours, above a pair of boisterous rhinos in the midst of a fight. To the left, they found the beautiful rendering of a herd of prehistoric cows. “The horse heads just seem to leap out of the wall towards you,” says Jean Clottes, former director of scientific research at the caves and one of the few people to see the paintings with his own eyes.
When faced with such spectacular beauty, who could blame the visiting anthropologists for largely ignoring the modest semicircles, lines and zigzags also marked on the walls? Yet dismissing them has proved to be something of a mistake. The latest research has shown that, far from being doodles, the marks are in fact highly symbolic, forming a written “code” that was familiar to all of the prehistoric tribes around France and possibly beyond. Indeed, these unprepossessing shapes may be just as remarkable as the paintings of trotting horses and tussling rhinos, providing a snapshot into humankind’s first steps towards symbolism and writing.
Until now, the accepted view has been that our ancestors underwent a “creative explosion” around 30,000 to 40,000 years ago, when they suddenly began to think abstractly and create rock art. This idea is supported by the plethora of stunning cave paintings, like those at Chauvet, … |
When people are communicating in sign languages, they also move their mouths. But scientists have debated whether mouth movements resembling spoken language are part of the sign itself or are connected directly to English. In a new study on British Sign Language, signers made different mistakes in the sign and in the mouthing -- which means the hand and lip movements are separate in the signer's brain, not part of the same sign.
David P. Vinson, of University College London, and his colleagues Robin L. Thompson, Robert Skinner, Neil Fox, and Gabriella Vigliocco planned to do basic research on how signers process language. They recruited both deaf and hearing signers, all of whom grew up signing with deaf parents. Each person sat in front of a monitor with a video camera pointed at them. They were shown sets of pictures -- for example, one set contained various fruits, another set contained modes of transportation -- and were asked to sign the name of each item. In another session, they were shown those words in English and asked to translate them into British Sign Language. The idea is to show the pictures or words quickly enough that people tend to make mistakes, mistakes which help reveal how language is processed.
The researchers only planned to look at the signs, but the videos also captured the signers' mouths. "We noticed that there were quite a few cases where the hands and the mouth seemed to be doing something different," says Vinson. When people were looking at pictures, the hands and mouth would usually make the same mistakes -- signing and mouthing "banana" when the picture was an apple, for example. But when they were translating English words, the hands made the same kind of mistakes, but the lips didn't. This suggests that the lip movement isn't part of the sign. "In essence, they're doing the same thing as reading an English word aloud without pronouncing it," says Vinson. "So they seem to be processing two languages at the same time." This study appears in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
British Sign Language is a separate language from both English and American Sign Language; it developed naturally, and is mentioned in historical records as far back as 1576. Most British signers are bilingual in English. Vinson speculates that mouthing English words may help deaf people develop literacy in English. |
Forests, grasslands, deserts, and mountains are all part of the Patagonian landscape that spans more than a million square kilometers of South America. Toward the western side, expanses of dense, compacted ice stretch for hundreds of kilometers of the Andes mountain range in Chile and Argentina. Glaciologist Eric Rignot described these icefields as “one of the most beautiful places on the planet.” Their beauty is also apparent from space.
The two lobes of the Patagonian icefields—north and south—are what’s left of a much more expansive ice sheet that reached its maximum size about 18,000 years ago. The modern icefields are just a fraction of their previous size, though they remain the southern hemisphere’s largest expanse of ice outside of Antarctica.
“The rapid thinning of the icefield’s glaciers illustrates the global impact of climate warming,” said Rignot, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of California-Irvine. “We have shown that Patagonia glaciers experience some of the world’s most dramatic thinning per unit area, more than Alaska or Iceland or Svalbard or Greenland.”
The northern remnant is the smaller of the two icefields, covering about 4,000 square kilometers (about a third the size of the southern icefield). On April 16, 2017, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured this rare cloud-free image of the entire North Patagonian Icefield.
While the northern icefield is smaller than its southern counterpart, it still has 30 significant glaciers along its perimeter. Ice creeps downslope through mountain valleys and exits the through so-called “outlet glaciers.” Many come to an abrupt end on land, while others terminate in water. The water-terminating glaciers San Rafael and San Quintín are the icefield’s largest.
San Rafael Glacier starts near the western flank of Monte San Valentin—the tallest summit in Patagonia—and drains westward into Laguna San Rafael. The lagoon is ringed by a ridge of debris, called a moraine, shoveled into place by the glacier in the past when it was much larger. Visitors to the area in the late 1800s described the glacier as having a large bulbous front, called a piedmont lobe, that spread out well into the lagoon. Since then, the glacier has receded and is no longer lobe-like, though it still actively sheds icebergs from its front in a process known as calving. San Rafael is one of the most actively calving glaciers in the world.
Part of the reason why this glacier sheds so many bergs is because of its speed. “Flowing” at a speed of 7.6 kilometers (4.7 miles) per year, San Rafael is the fastest-moving glacier in Patagonia and among the fastest in the world.
It is also the icefield’s only glacier to come into contact with ocean water. Seawater from the Pacific enters the lagoon through the Golfo Elefantes, which connects to the lagoon via the Rio Tempanos (Iceberg River). At 46.7 degrees south latitude, San Rafael is the closest glacier to the equator in the world to connect to the sea.
There was a point when seawater did not reach the glacier. “It used to be a lagoon with fresh water,” said Rignot. “Then an earthquake in the 1960s lowered the ground and connected the lagoon with the ocean waters (the passage for seawater is only a few meters deep).”
San Rafael’s “twin” is the San Quintín glacier immediately to the southwest. This glacier currently ends in a piedmont lobe, and illustrates what San Rafael looked like before it receded. Until 1991, the glacier terminated on land, but with the glacier’s retreat, the basin has filled in with water to form a proglacial lake. (Note that the lake water is barely distinguishable from the ice due to its milky color.)
San Quintín does not flow as fast (1.1 kilometers per year) or calve as many bergs as San Rafael, but it is an impressive glacier on its own, standing as the second-largest in the North Patagonian Icefield. Together with San Rafael, the glaciers drain 37 percent of the icefield.
Like its twin, San Quintín has been receding dramatically. Researchers have shown that between 1870 and 2011, the glacier lost 14.6 percent of its area. For comparison, San Rafael lost 11.5 percent during the same period.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Jesse Allen and Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Kathryn Hansen. |
The infighting in AAP has not affected the performance of the Kejriwal government in Delhi, senior party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said today.
"It (infighting) is not happening in the government. No, not at all, it has no bearing on the performance of the government," Sisodia said responding to questions about the internal rift in AAP.
The question was asked in the wake of recent controversies in the party and some leaders questioning Kejriwal's style of functioning and the exit of founder members Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan from the party's Public Affairs Committee.
Participating in a 'roundtable' conference of five chief ministers at the Today conclave, Sisodia also attacked the Centre, accusing it of engaging in "dadagiri" by taking away powers of the government.
" is the biggest victim of the central government's dadagiri. We are not even allowed to pass laws. government can't even transfer somebody unless the Centre gives its nod," he said.
The comments of the acting Delhi chief minister came against the backdrop AAP pushing the demand for full statehood of Delhi and complaining of central interference in some of its decisions. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Kejriwal is at the moment in Bangalore undergoing naturopathy treatment.
Sisodia rued that while Delhi Development Authority, under the Centre, constructs flats, the state government has to face difficulties in obtaining land for constructing schools and hospitals for the dwellers of such flats.
"Delhi is a slave (of the Centre) unconstitutionally," he said.
The discussion saw a sharp divide between BJP and non-BJP Chief Ministers on issues like Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Gujarat model of governance and devolution of powers and funds vis-a-vis the Centre and the states. |
Right now, almost everyone is thinking about Star Wars: The Force Awakens, even if they'd rather not be. Marketing for the film is ubiquitous, and covers everything from billboards to cans of soup at the supermarket. Its stars are hitting every talk show on the planet and covering every magazine and newspaper; trailers and TV spots are on every channel.
If you're not a fan, that might just be an annoyance, but if you are a fan, it's more than just an enticement to buy a ticket that you likely already purchased months ago: it is a reminder that, finally, we get to know what happens next. The idea that Luke, Han, and Leia are back, played by the original actors, is absolutely intoxicating to Star Wars fans, myself included. But as exciting as The Force Awakens is, my brain's been reminding me of something a lot lately: We were told what happens next years ago, and even if that story doesn't count anymore, it's worth remembering.
That's right, it's time to talk about Star Wars "Legends," or what used to be called the good old Star Wars Expanded Universe.
Though we're all obsessed with what happens next right now, it's important to remember that Return of the Jedi is not a film that particularly lends itself to "...and then" thinking. Sure, the kind of mind that tends toward fanfiction might think like that anyway, but Jedi is a movie that ends on a note of sincere finality. Darth Vader is dead, and so is the Emperor. The Death Star and the mighty Imperial Fleet are destroyed. The Rebel Alliance is having a big party with space bears, the ghosts of Jedi past are smiling, and to put an exclamation point on the whole thing, Luke torches Vader's body, reducing the Dark Side to ashes. Years later, George Lucas added yet another exclamation point: a shot of the Emperor's statue being ripped down on Coruscant to cheers from a jubilant crowd. The message was clear: The Empire's over, and the galaxy is rejoicing. We're done. Mission accomplished.
And yet, someone had the bright idea to tell the next chapter, and we got the Expanded Universe as a result -- most famously stories like The Thrawn Trilogy and Dark Empire, the "official" versions of What Happens Next. Today, these stories are often credited with keeping Star Wars alive in the public imagination in the years between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace, and it's easy to see why.
As we're all learning again in the lead-up to The Force Awakens, the idea of revisiting these characters is so satisfying. When I was a kid, I took it as a given that Jedi was the end, and that there were no more battles left to fight. Then my mother bought me Heir to the Empire, and I was immediately swept up in the galaxy again, in the idea that some Imperial genius could come back and threaten the finality of Jedi, and that Luke would have another lightsaber wielding baddie to duel with.
I wasn't alone, and so the EU grew and grew, getting ever more vast and convoluted, and as a result, Disney pulled the plug, preferring a blank slate to one covered in fanfiction-esque squiggles. The old EU lives on as the "Legends" line, but even as I'm re-reading things like Heir to the Empire and The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy, other fans ask "What's the point? It doesn't count."
It is true that the old EU doesn't "count" canonically anymore, but even as we move into a bold new era for Star Wars, I think it's important to remember that it counts in a massive way when considering the pop culture legacy of Star Wars. In the early '90s, when Heir to the Empire came out and became a massive bestseller, we didn't know if we'd ever seen another Star Wars movie. We were nearly a decade removed from Jedi, and then suddenly there was this story, and Star Wars was alive in the public imagination well beyond the die-hard fans. Suddenly, everyone was encouraged to ask big, soapy, what-if questions about this world and these characters again. "What if a brilliant tactician decided to rip apart the New Republic?" "What if the Emperor cloned himself and managed to turn Luke to the Dark Side?" "What if there was a hidden superweapon that could destroy suns?" "What if Han and Leia had twins, and one turned evil, and his sister was forced to kill him?"
That kind of thinking infected and invigorated the fandom, and stayed there for decades, right up until Disney decided to start over and ask their own "What if?" questions about the universe. It is that invigoration that I remember feeling and sharing with friends and fellow fans, and it extended in all directions, to comics, and video games, and toys, and TV. Like The Force, it surrounded us and bound us together in a time well before we ever thought we'd see something like The Force Awakens. That might sound corny, and it might actually be corny, but for me it's true.
So, as we get the new "official" story of what happened after Return of the Jedi this weekend, I have a simple request: Don't forget the old "official" story, because it was a blast, and it helped Star Wars to endure. |
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Congressman Duncan Hunter is being questioned by the Federal Election Commission after it was discovered his credit card used “campaign funds to pay for video games on 68 separate occasions.”
As the San Diego Union-Tribune report, Hunter’s campaign credit card spent $1302 on “Steam Games” last year, noting that they were a “personal expense” that had to be “paid back”. Problem being that there’s no record of them having been paid back yet.
Hunter is blaming his son for the purchases, saying that he used his father’s card to buy one game, “and then several unauthorized charges resulted after the father tried to close access to the website.”
The Congressman is reportedly trying to have the charges reversed. Which should be an interesting test for Steam’s refund policy.
Interestingly, the FEC’s letter on the subject is available for public viewing, and it shows that...well, a lot more than one game was purchased. There are 68 Steam purchases on the record over a two-month period, some minor ($5), but also plenty of bigger ones too, ranging from $50 all the way up to $96.30.
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For what it’s worth, Hunter is also this guy. So, yeah.
Here’s a selection of the charges: |
A London resident since he was a year old, Andrew Chevis might seem an unlikely recruit to the Scottish National party. Yet at a time when the SNP is planning to spread its message beyond Scotland, the former Labour party activist is one of an increasing trickle of English people who have gone a step further and signed up as members.
“There are thousands of us in England for whom the SNP’s core message on the economy is a very attractive one,” says Chevis, a one-time branch secretary for Labour in Battersea who joined the SNP after the independence referendum.
“I was impressed with the independence campaign and how it just seemed as if there was a ton of folk in Scotland who really believed that they could create a better, more social democratic nation.”
An SNP London branch that meets each month has been gaining Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish members, according to Chevis, a 49-year-old who runs a business providing proof-of-age and identity cards. Some of the branch’s 600 members take part in telephone canvassing and polling of Scottish voters, and a number were on the ground in Scotland helping out with the SNP’s election campaign this year.
Sturgeon’s strong performances in election debates broadcast across the UK was regarded as a factor in raising the party’s profile outside of Scotland. Polls indicated that she was Britain’s most popular leader and that the SNP would get more votes than the Liberal Democrats if it fielded candidates across Britain. Voters were asked by Survation to imagine that the SNP and Plaid Cymru were standing in all constituencies in Great Britain including their own, and the results gave the SNP 9% of the vote, one point above the Lib Dems.
Another new English recruit, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he had joined the SNP because the Labour party was not brave enough to argue for a real political alternative. “I am aiming to move to Scotland next year and they’re the only ones advocating a social democratic alternative to the strands of neoliberalism advocated by LibLabCon,” said the young man, a former Green party member living in Leeds who is from a Tory-supporting family.
“Part of the reason I am moving to Scotland is because I want independence. I’m now firmly of the belief that long-term the only way to get the social democratic policies I want is for Scotland to be independent, as England to me seems too firmly wedded to neoliberalism, especially with Labour not being brave enough to argue for a proper alternative, and with the rise of Ukip.”
Angela Jariwala, another London-based SNP member and a digital communications manager, cheerfully admits to having “adopted” Scotland out of love born from visiting the country several times a year to explore its culture.
“I was brought up in a Labour house where my father was very active in the party so, come voting age, if even there was a glimmer of us voting for someone else we would get a clip round the ear,” she says.
“I’ve enjoyed going along to SNP meetings. Because my friends here in London don’t have the same interest in Scotland, they don’t quite understand it. When they heard I had gone to the SNP conference they were like: ‘Did you get any free shortbread?’” |
The US original (top) and the altered Polish version (bottom)
Enlarge Image
Software giant Microsoft has apologised for editing a photo to change a black man's head to that of a white man.
The picture, showing employees sitting around a desk, appeared unaltered on the firm's US website.
But on the website of its Polish business unit the black man's head was replaced with a white face, although the colour of his hands was unchanged.
Microsoft said it had pulled the image and would be investigating who made the changes. It apologised for the gaffe.
The altered image, which also featured an Asian man and a white woman, was quickly circulated online.
Bloggers have had a field day with the story, with some suggesting Microsoft was attempting to please all markets by having a man with both a white face and a black hand.
"The white head and black hand actually symbolise interracial harmony. It is supposed to show that a person can be white and black, old and young at the same time," said one blogger on the Photoshop Disasters blog.
Others have suggested the ethnic make-up of the Polish population, which is predominantly white, may have played a part in the decision to change the photo. |
According to industry sources, the Yankees are going to be serious players in the Masahiro Tanaka bidding battle next month, hoping to fill crater-sized holes in their rotation with a Japanese pitcher who wowed scouts this year.
A person familiar with the Yankees’ offseason strategy said Tanaka is a priority in the wake of Andy Pettitte retiring, the uncertain future of Hiroki Kuroda and the physical question marks smothering Michael Pineda and Manuel Banuelos.
Not only would landing Tanaka improve the rotation, it would appease a wary fan base.
“The Yankees have seen him a lot,’’ said a talent evaluator who watched the 24-year-old right-hander pitch late last month for Japan’s Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. “Boston, Texas and the Dodgers will be there, too. This guy is very good.’’
The Yankees sent assistant general manager Billy Eppler and respected pro scout and former Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu to watch Tanaka pitch extensively this season.
General manager Brian Cashman refused comment Thursday when asked about the Yankees’ interest in Tanaka.
Tanaka, who went 22-0 with a 1.23 ERA in the regular season for the Pacific League champions, isn’t eligible for free agency, so he has to go through the posting process that can’t begin before Nov. 1 — which is Tanaka’s 25th birthday. If the Japanese series goes seven games, it will end Nov. 3.
Based on several executives’ opinions, the posting price to the Golden Eagles will be in the $60 million range. If the team accepts the bid, the winning team has to sign Tanaka to a contract. If they can’t reach a deal, Tanaka goes back to the Golden Eagles.
A big plus for the Yankees, whose goal is stay under $189 million next season, is the posting fee doesn’t count toward a team’s payroll. However, the contract does, and it could be five years for $60 million.
What is Tanaka worth?
Based on one scout’s opinion, more than Yu Darvish, who cost the Rangers $111.7 million. The Rangers bid $60 million then signed Darvish to a six-year deal worth $51.7 million.
“He is better than Darvish because he is a strike thrower,’’ the scout said. “Overall, Darvish’s stuff might be a little bit better, but this guy knows how to pitch. He is like Kuroda, he has a lot of guts. He throws four pitches but when it gets to [stone]-cutting time, it’s fastball and splitter.’’
Late in games this year Tanaka’s fastball reached 95 mph, and he features an overhand curveball that is 20 mph slower than the fastball.
Some evaluators believe Tanaka could be the best pitcher ever to come from Japan.
Of course, the Yankees have heard that before. Hideki Irabu was hailed as the “Nolan Ryan of Japan.’’ He cost the Yankees $12.5 million in 1997, went 29-20 with a 4.80 ERA in 74 games and never lived up to the hype.
Compared to Kei Igawa, though, Irabu did well.
The left-handed Igawa cost the Yankees $26 million to post and then signed a five-year, $20 million deal. For $46 million, the Yankees got a 2-4 record and 6.66 ERA in 16 games from 2007-08.
The Red Sox know the high cost of bringing an elite pitcher from Japan to America. They bid $51.1 million for Daisuke Matsuzaka then signed him to a six-year contract worth $52 million. For $103.1 million they got a 50-37 record. In the first two years Matsuzaka went 33-15, but in the next four seasons he was 17-22. He finished this past season with the Mets. |
Police Risk Protester’s Life to End 9-Hour Oil Train Blockade
from Portland Rising Tide
Yesterday afternoon, climate justice group Portland Rising Tide and allies from Columbia County erected a 20-foot-tall tripod of steel poles to blockade the Port Westward oil terminal. Dozens of police, working at night under floodlights, were mobilized to remove 27-year-old Glover from the tripod’s apex. After an initial attempt to remove her with a bucket truck—which she foiled by locking her neck to one of the tripod’s poles—the police resorted to far more drastic and perilous measures.
In a surreal scene, the amassed law enforcement officers began using a circular saw to cut through the tripod’s legs in approximately foot-long increments, gradually lowering the structure to the ground amidst a shower of sparks from the saw. Glover’s neck remained locked to a pole the entire time. Each precarious cut threatened to topple the structure. About 40 protesters shouted words of encouragement from a nearby road until she was arrested and driven from the scene around
“The courage my friend exhibited tonight was tremendous,” Scott Schroder said. “Unfortunately, she lives in a world of terrifying scenarios. She can either have her life jeopardized by the police or by catastrophic climate change and exploding oil trains. She chose to resist because she understands acquiescence is the greater peril.”
The terminal, operated by Massachusetts-based Global Partners, has been controversial since its inception. At the protest were residents of the Columbia County towns of St. Helens, Scappoose, and Clatskanie, whose homes and businesses are within the blast zone should an oil train derail and explode. Rising Tide activists are demanding a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels in order to avert a climate catastrophe that would be felt for millennia.
Protesters were critical of the tremendous mobilization of public resources to dismantle the blockade—there were approximately 40 combined fire, police, and medical personnel on site—saying it amounted to essentially another subsidy for the fossil fuel industry.
“Taxpayers have already given Global Partners millions of dollars in clean energy construction subsidies, when we thought their facility was going to be an ethanol plant,” said David Osborn. “Now the public is handing over thousands more to keep the train tracks free of people outraged by their bait-and-switch.”
This summer, Rising Tide collectives have blockaded oil train facilities in Washington and Oregon five times. The groups say they are working toward mass mobilizations that will significantly impede the ability of oil to be transported by rail in the Pacific Northwest.
“We will be back,” Schroder said. “Over and over again. And we’re bringing more people every time.”
PHOTOS, VIDEO, AUDIO: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B8Tw30qC0uQib2xlLXk0cERaeVk&usp=sharing_eil
ACTION PRESS RELEASE: https://drive.google.com/?usp=folder&authuser=0#folders/0B8Tw30qC0uQib2xlLXk0cERaeVk
BACKGROUND ON OREGON OIL TRAINS AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS:http://portlandrisingtide.org/oil-trains-oregon-bakken-shale-uinta-basin-climate-crisis/
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You're all about thoughtful solidarity. Your favorite word is "problematic." You're constantly on that social justice grind. I mean, come on, you even clicked on this article to better your ally skills.
You're a pretty darn good ally, if you do say so yourself.
But hold on there, tiger. Before you go accepting your award for Ally of the Year, it's time to take a step back and check your vocabulary.
We all know the basics: "Gay" is definitely not a synonym for "stupid," and the N-word is off-limits for all white folks forever and always. But there are some words that lurk in the shadows of our everyday vocabulary that we need to confront. It's all part of the truly never-ending quest for a more responsible allyship.
If one of these 12 words is still in your vocabulary, it's time to reframe, rethink and reimagine your word choices.
1. "Lame"
guys need to stop high fiving over misogynistic lyrics it's proper lame now. Get over yourself etc — Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) May 27, 2015
If you're still using the word "lame," you might want to give your internal dictionary a serious update.
"Lame" was originally used in reference to people with reduced mobility due to physical disability. The word is now tossed around schoolyards and workplaces everywhere to mean "uncool" and "unappealing." Even singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding recently included the word in an activist-oriented tweet addressing misogyny in song lyrics.
For a lot of us, "lame" doesn't have that same bad-word sting many offensive terms have. But that definitely doesn't mean it's OK to use. Disability rights activists have long called for the word to phase out. We have a responsibility to respect that.
2. "Retarded"
We all really need to relinquish the R-word. To catch you up to speed, the term "mental retardation" is a stale, clinical term once used to label what we now call intellectual disabilities. Using the term to mean "stupid" devalues those with intellectual disabilities, which should make you question your word choice.
While adults are guilty of using the term to describe something annoying or unappealing, the word is especially a problem among youth. Stop using it and replace it with more colorful words. And don't forget to politely correct the person, whether grown man or child, who still thinks this term is perfectly fine. It's not.
3. "Colored"
Sure, this is an older term that doesn't lurk in our language all too often, but it's definitely not just a vocab issue for out-of-touch, elder generations. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch was rightfully criticized earlier this year for using the term "colored" while advocating for diversity in film during an interview. (No, the irony is not lost.)
The term Cumberbatch (and you) should be using is "people of color," which is a widely accepted umbrella term that includes any non-white person.
"Colored" is outdated. Let's reframe.
4. "OCD"
WHY do some people not understand OCD is a mental illness not just liking something clean — grace (@graceaprxl) June 2, 2015
When you have your desk all nice and tidy, you might be tempted to proclaim yourself "so OCD." But obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental illness that means so much more than a knack for organization. It means having a lack of control over certain thoughts or activities, so much so that they inhibit daily life.
Though you may think you're just describing your affinity for Windex, there's a whole population of people who don't appreciate you trivializing a major daily obstacle. Try using "particular," "clean" or "organized" instead.
5. "Derp"
@wilw I don't have the spoons to explain in depth, but 'derp' and 'herp derp' are ableist terms. Origin in jokes re: intellectual disability — DeathRay (@LazerCrazy) May 12, 2015
If you are into Internet lingo, you've seen an overuse of "herp derp" or "derp" to address Internet faux pas everywhere. It may seem like a quirky phrase that simplifies saying, "That made no sense," or "What are you even talking about?" But even before its inception as an Internet meme, it has been consistently used to mock people with intellectual disabilities.
A not-so-quick, yet totally satisfying fix? Go the longer route and say, "Hmm...maybe you're not getting the point, buddy." It's worth the extra characters.
6. "Crazy"
If you're using the term "crazy" countless times a day, you're probably in the norm. But that doesn't mean it's OK. Terms like "crazy" — or "insane," for that matter — make light of mental illness in a way no ally wants to support.
Your boss isn't "crazy" for her serious, intense demeanor; she's stern. Your friend isn't "crazy" for dating her ex; she's a little misguided. Your cashier wasn't "crazy" for putting your bread and laundry detergent together in the same bag; he just sucks at bagging.
Other words are always going to be available, not to mention more inclusive. Use them.
7. "Tranny"
It’s not the word itself, but the intention behind the word — RuPaul (@RuPaul) May 24, 2014
...but sometimes it is actually the word, RuPaul — especially with a slur this strong.
The T-word is never OK for a cisgender person to use. Behind it is a history of violence and oppression inflicted on transgender bodies that we need to recognize, and respect those who continue to overcome it.
RuPaul Charles of RuPaul's Drag Race was schooled on this term back in 2014, but didn't take the lesson too well. In response to backlash against his copious use of the word "tranny," RuPaul stated he "earned the right" to use the term because he's "lived the life." RuPaul, however, is a drag performer who does not identify as transgender. He doesn't have the right to reclaim or use a term that isn't oppressive to him. And neither do you.
Instead, become more sensitive to the trans experience. It's a major step in being a good ally to those of marginalized genders.
8. "Illegal"
I am not illegal. pic.twitter.com/fYSWrOED7l — Human writes (@ianw84) April 15, 2015
"Illegal" can refer to the act of stealing a car, but not in reference to immigrant populations.
It's pretty simple to explain: Actions are illegal, people are not. The word "illegal" has been applied and abused by those advocating for harsh immigration policies that are undoubtedly racist and xenophobic.
The more inclusive term you're looking for is undocumented immigrants. Sure, some immigrants aren't in possession of documents, but no person is illegal for existing.
9. "Gyp"
That vending machine cheats you out of a few bucks, and suddenly you're complaining to everyone that you got "gypped" out of your soda. But pump the breaks on that language for a hot second. "Gypped" isn't the term you want to use if you want to keep your ally card.
"Gypped" comes from the word "gypsy," which refers to Romani people who are often characterized unfairly as swindlers. It's a word that has very real implications for the unequal treatment of Romani people today.
Just stick to calling the inanimate vending machine "rude." It's better for everyone.
10. "Exotic"
And why do sooo many of you gauge "exotic ness" (a phrase I hate) by its proximity to whiteness?... — DarkSkintDostoyevsky (@daniecal) May 31, 2015
If your new coworker has a name you've never heard of before, hold your tongue before telling him or her it's "exotic." Using this word ends up exoticizing whomever you're referring to, usually with nasty racial underpinnings. It's a major verbal microaggression we need to undo.
"Exotic" is a term that others. It's also a term usually reserved for animals and plants. So, let's not even go there.
11. "Ghetto"
Suspected to derive from an Italian slang term for waste, the word "ghetto" calls back to concentration camps of World War II. But it has also been used to label the neighborhoods marginalized communities were forced to inhabit due to social and economic disadvantage. Classism and racism run rampant when you call a place, or a person, "ghetto." And that should make anyone cringe.
So, next time you feel compelled to use that term, think twice, and confront why you want to use it to describe a neighborhood in the first place. Chances are, there are racist and classist undertones to that want, too.
12. "Fat"
Image: VICKY CHETLEY
Stop using "fat" in a way that shames others — or even yourself. Sure, fat is something we all have and need to survive. But being concerned about "looking fat" in a dress is a way to shame people who might not fit the conventional beauty standards of our society. It's a way to verbally value thinner people over others.
Allies, feel free to reclaim fat as an empowering identity (here's looking at you, #fatspo). But if you're going to pull a Facebook and say you're "feeling fat" today, refrain. Fat is not a feeling. Fat is not a put-down, nor is it shameful. Fat is a part of your body. |
Map of Jefferson Territory
The Territory of Jefferson was an extralegal and unrecognized United States territory that existed from October 24, 1859 until the creation of the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861. The Jefferson Territory included land officially part of the Kansas Territory, the Nebraska Territory, the New Mexico Territory, the Utah Territory, and the Washington Territory, but the area was remote from the governments of those five territories. The government of the Jefferson Territory, while democratically elected, was never legally recognized by the United States government, although it managed the territory with relatively free rein for 16 months. Many of the laws enacted by the Jefferson Territorial Legislature were reenacted and given official sanction by the new Colorado General Assembly in 1861.
Origins [ edit ]
On August 25, 1855, the Kansas Territory created Arapahoe County, a huge county that included the entire western portion of Kansas to the Rocky Mountains. The boundaries of Arapahoe County were defined as: beginning at the northeast corner of New Mexico, running thence north to the south line of Nebraska and north line of Kansas; thence along said line to the east line of Utah Territory; thence along said line between Utah and Kansas territories, to where said line strikes New Mexico; thence along the line between said New Mexico and the territory of Kansas to the place of beginning.[citation needed]
Occupied primarily by Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians with few white settlers, the county was never organized. The leaders of the Kansas Territory were preoccupied with the violent events of Bleeding Kansas, so little time or attention was available to attend to the needs of the far western portion of the territory. The question of whether to admit Kansas to the union as a slave state or free state dominated discussion in the populous eastern portion of the territory and led to three failed constitutional proposals between 1855 and 1858 (the Topeka, Lecompton and Leavenworth constitutions). The United States Congress was likewise preoccupied with threats of secession by the slave states.[1]
In July 1858, the Pike's Peak Gold Rush began with the discovery of gold at the Dry Creek Diggings in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory (now Englewood in Arapahoe County, Colorado). The gold rush brought 100,000 gold seekers to the area known as the Pike's Peak Country, which included Arapahoe County as well as the unorganized southwestern corner of the Nebraska Territory and parts of the New Mexico and Utah territories.[2]
Kansas, with a growing divide between the eastern commercial centers and the central agricultural populations, had concerns over how the gold rush and the influx of miners to the Rockies could shift the base of power from the northeastern side of Kansas to the mountainous region in the west of the state. Meanwhile, the miners, being 600 miles (970 km) from the capital of the territory, felt that the legislature was out of touch with their needs. They thought a new territory or state would have the benefit of being responsive to their economic situation and consolidate the population that was currently spread across four territories. Denver area leaders decided to pursue both a relationship with Kansas and a bid for separation by sending delegates to the Kansas Territorial Legislature and the United States Congress.
On February 7, 1859 the Kansas Territorial Legislature replaced Arapahoe County with six new unorganized counties and appointed county commissioners for each. However, since the commissioners were not provided a salary, they never took office. The settlers in the region attempted to organize a county on their own and on March 28, 1859, an election was held to elect officers. A total of 774 votes were cast, including 231 from Auraria and 144 from Denver City. A desire for a new territorial government kept the elected officials from taking their offices, as doing so would have given recognition to the Kansas Territorial government. In the meantime, Hiram J Graham, the local delegate to Congress, had successfully introduced a bill to establish a new territory in Pike's Peak Country. Though the bill did not pass, it nevertheless encouraged settlers to establish a separate government themselves.[2]
Establishment [ edit ]
In April 1859, a small convention was held at Wootton's Hall in Auraria about the need for a local government. The name Jefferson (in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States who had authorized the 1803 Louisiana Purchase that included much of the proposed territory) was chosen and a constitutional convention was scheduled for June 6, 1859. The conventioneers met that day, and then adjourned until August 1, 1859, when 167 representatives from 37 districts met to draft a constitution for Jefferson State. The state constitution was subsequently rejected in a popular referendum on September 24 in favor of creating a territory, primarily because the organization of the territory would be funded by Congress while the organization of a state would be self-funded. The original authors determined to hold another convention on October 3 to draft a provisional constitution for the Territory of Jefferson.[2][3]
The proposed Territory of Jefferson included all of the present State of Colorado, but it was 70 percent more extensive. The territory had the same southern boundary as the present State of Colorado, the 37th parallel north, but the northern boundary was set at the 43rd parallel north, 138 miles (222 km) farther north than Colorado's current northern boundary, the 41st parallel north. In addition the eastern boundary was located about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) farther east at the 102nd meridian west, and the western boundary about 50 miles (80 km) farther west at the 110th meridian west.[4][5] The territory was divided into eight council districts and 19 representative districts.
On October 24, 1859, an election was held to approve the formation of the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson and to elect officials for the territory. The formation of a provisional government was approved by a vote of 1,852 to 280 and the following officials were elected:[3][6]
Officials of the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson 1859–1861 Office Officer Governor Robert W. Steele Secretary Lucien W. Bliss Treasurer George W. Cook Attorney General Samuel McLean Chief Justice A.J. Allison Associate Justice John M. Odell Associate Justice E. Fitzgerald Clerk of Supreme Court Oscar B. Totten Marshall John L. Merrick Superintendent of Public Instruction H.H. McAffee Auditor C.R. Bissell
On November 7, 1859, Governor Robert Williamson Steele opened the first session of the provisional Jefferson Territorial Legislature in Denver City with the following proclamation:
Let us then enter upon our duties with a determination of spirit that conquers all difficulties: working for the benefit of the whole commonwealth, encouraging moderation and conservation in all our acts, that we may never be ashamed of having taken an humble part of the organization of a Provisional Government for the Territory of Jefferson.
During this first session, the legislature organized 12 counties. (The Colorado General Assembly would create 17 counties with somewhat similar boundaries in 1861.) The legislature adjourned on December 7, 1859.
Many settlers from eastern Kansas preferred to be governed by that territory. Those resistant to the self-government of Jefferson Territory held an election on December 8, 1859, and elected Captain R. Sopris as their representative to the Kansas Territorial Legislature.[3]
Governor Steele called the second session of the provisional Jefferson Territorial Legislature to meet at Denver City on January 23, 1860.
Many disappointed gold seekers left the region in 1860. The United States Census of 1860 counted approximately 35,000 persons in the region of the Jefferson Territory. Governor Steele pointed out that many gold seekers were working claims in remote areas and estimated that the total number of people in the Jefferson Territory was 60,000.
Governor Steele attempted to reach accommodation with the officials of the Kansas Territory. On August 7, 1860, Steele issued a proclamation requesting that the Provisional Government of the Jefferson Territory be merged into the Kansas Territory. Kansas officials would have no merger with what they considered to be an outlaw government, so the stalemate continued.[citation needed]
On November 7, 1860, the U.S. presidential election produced a victory for Abraham Lincoln and precipitated the secession of seven slave states and the formation of the Confederate States of America. These events eliminated any chance for federal endorsement of the Territory of Jefferson and any role in government for Governor Steele, a staunch pro-Union Democrat and vocal opponent of Lincoln and the Republican Party.
Seeking to augment the political power of the free states, the Republican led U.S. Congress hurriedly admitted the portion of the Territory of Kansas east of the 25th meridian west from Washington to the Union as the free State of Kansas on January 29, 1861. Kansas statehood left the western portion of the now defunct Kansas Territory, which the Jefferson Territory also claimed, officially unorganized. While the federal government refused to sanction the Jefferson Territory, it had effectively acknowledged the eastern border of the region.
Counties [ edit ]
On November 28, 1859, the Territory of Jefferson created 12 counties:[7]
Capitals [ edit ]
Denver City – October 24, 1859, to November 12, 1860.
Golden City – November 13, 1860, to June 6, 1861.
Most administrative affairs of the Territory of Jefferson were handled at the home of Governor Steele at Mount Vernon, Colorado and later Apex, Colorado.[citation needed]
Dissolution [ edit ]
On February 26, 1861, Congress passed a bill organizing the Territory of Colorado. The bill was signed into law by U.S. President James Buchanan two days later on February 28, 1861.[8] On May 29, 1861, William Gilpin, newly appointed Governor of the Territory of Colorado, arrived in Denver City. Most citizens of the region welcomed their new government. On June 6, 1861, Governor Steele issued a proclamation declaring the Territory of Jefferson disbanded and urging all employees and residents to abide by the laws governing the United States.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Coordinates: |
Why these conditions often occur together and how to treat them when they do.
Everyone experiences pain at some point, but in people with depression or anxiety, pain can become particularly intense and hard to treat. People suffering from depression, for example, tend to experience more severe and long-lasting pain than other people.
The overlap of anxiety, depression, and pain is particularly evident in chronic and sometimes disabling pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, low back pain, headaches, and nerve pain. For example, about two-thirds of patients with irritable bowel syndrome who are referred for follow-up care have symptoms of psychological distress, most often anxiety. About 65% of patients seeking help for depression also report at least one type of pain symptom. Psychiatric disorders not only contribute to pain intensity but also to increased risk of disability.
Researchers once thought the reciprocal relationship between pain, anxiety, and depression resulted mainly from psychological rather than biological factors. Chronic pain is depressing, and likewise major depression may feel physically painful. But as researchers have learned more about how the brain works, and how the nervous system interacts with other parts of the body, they have discovered that pain shares some biological mechanisms with anxiety and depression.
Shared anatomy contributes to some of this interplay. The somatosensory cortex (the part of the brain that interprets sensations such as touch) interacts with the amygdala, the hypothalamus, and the anterior cingulate gyrus (areas that regulate emotions and the stress response) to generate the mental and physical experience of pain. These same regions also contribute to anxiety and depression.
In addition, two neurotransmitters — serotonin and norepinephrine — contribute to pain signaling in the brain and nervous system. They also are implicated in both anxiety and depression.
Treatment is challenging when pain overlaps with anxiety or depression. Focus on pain can mask both the clinician's and patient's awareness that a psychiatric disorder is also present. Even when both types of problems are correctly diagnosed, they can be difficult to treat. A review identified a number of treatment options available when pain occurs in conjunction with anxiety or depression.
Key points Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is not only an established treatment for anxiety and depression, it is also the best studied psychotherapy for treating pain.
Relaxation training, hypnosis, and exercise may also help.
Some antidepressants or anticonvulsants may alleviate pain while treating a psychiatric disorder, but be aware of potential drug interactions.
Double-duty psychotherapy
Various psychotherapies can be used on their own to treat pain in patients with depression or anxiety, or as adjuncts to drug treatment.
Cognitive behavioral therapy. Pain is demoralizing as well as hurtful. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is not only an established treatment for anxiety and depression, it is also the best studied psychotherapy for treating pain. CBT is based on the premise that thoughts, feelings, and sensations are all related. Therapists use CBT to help patients learn coping skills so that they can manage, rather than be victimized by, their pain. For example, patients might attempt to participate in activities in order to improve function and distract themselves from focusing on the pain.
Relaxation training. Various techniques can help people to relax and reduce the stress response, which tends to exacerbate pain as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression. Techniques include progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, and mindfulness training.
Hypnosis. During this therapy, a clinician helps a patient achieve a trance-like state and then provides positive suggestions — for instance, that pain will improve. Some patients can also learn self-hypnosis.
In one study, investigators asked 204 patients with irritable bowel syndrome to complete self-assessment questionnaires before, immediately after, and up to six years following hypnosis training. They found that 71% of participants reported the technique reduced both gastrointestinal distress and levels of depression and anxiety.
Exercise. There's an abundance of research that regular physical activity boosts mood and alleviates anxiety, but less evidence about its impact on pain.
The Cochrane Collaboration reviewed 34 studies that compared exercise interventions with various control conditions in the treatment of fibromyalgia. The reviewers concluded that aerobic exercise, performed at the intensity recommended for maintaining heart and respiratory fitness, improved overall well-being and physical function in patients with fibromyalgia, and might alleviate pain. More limited evidence suggests that exercises designed to build muscle strength, such as lifting weights, might also improve pain, overall functioning, and mood.
Avoiding drug interactions Many psychiatric drugs and pain medications are metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes in the liver, creating the potential for harmful drug interactions. Here are a few common examples. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are helpful for both long-term and short-term pain, acting to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. However, both NSAIDs and SSRIs individually increase risk of gastrointestinal bleeding when used on an ongoing basis, so combining these drugs may raise the risk of bleeding even further. Prolonged use of NSAIDs can cause kidney failure in people who already have reduced renal function. Finally, use of NSAIDs and lithium together can lead to toxic levels of lithium in the bloodstream. Acetaminophen reduces pain and does not increase risk of bleeding as much as NSAIDs. But acetaminophen is metabolized through the liver by the same enzymes that interact with many SSRIs and other psychiatric medications. Liver function should be monitored in any patient taking acetaminophen for prolonged periods while also taking a psychiatric drug. Patients with liver damage from hepatitis C or alcohol dependence should also use acetaminophen with caution or avoid it altogether. Lidocaine is sometimes used to treat nerve pain. Both this drug and TCAs affect heart rhythm, however, so they should be used together with caution. Opioid analgesics are used to treat moderate to severe pain. In addition to being mindful of the usual cautions, such as risk of dependency, clinicians and patients should be aware of several potential interactions. For example, tramadol (Ultram), an opioid, can interact with SSRIs to increase risk of seizure in patients who take both drugs at once. Opioids may also interact with benzodiazepines to cause respiratory difficulties. A patient who is taking a benzodiazepine should start an opioid at a low dose and titrate slowly up. Codeine and hydrocodone may be less effective when taken along with psychiatric medications that compete for the same liver enzyme (such as paroxetine [Paxil], bupropion [Wellbutrin], and duloxetine [Cymbalta]).
Double-duty medications
Some psychiatric medications also work as pain relievers, thereby alleviating two problems at once. Just remember that pharmaceutical companies have a financial interest in promoting as many uses as possible for their products — so it is wise to check that evidence exists to support any "off label" (not FDA approved) uses for medications.
Other patients may prefer to take one medication for the psychiatric disorder and another for pain. In this case, it's important to avoid drug interactions that can increase side effects or reduce medication efficacy (see sidebar).
Antidepressants. A variety of antidepressants are prescribed for both anxiety and depression. Some of these also help alleviate nerve pain. (The evidence is less convincing about their ability to treat other types of pain, such as backaches, which are usually of muscle rather than nerve origin.) The research most strongly supports the use of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) or tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) as double-duty drugs that can treat both psychiatric disorders and pain. The findings are more mixed about the ability of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to alleviate pain.
The SNRI duloxetine (Cymbalta), for example, can also be used to treat the pain from diabetic neuropathy or fibromyalgia. Venlafaxine (Effexor) is also used for nerve pain, fibromyalgia, and headaches. Likewise, mirtazapine (Remeron) may help prevent chronic tension headaches.
One randomized controlled trial found that bupropion (Wellbutrin), which affects dopamine and norepinephrine, was helpful at alleviating chronic nerve pain, but not chronic low back pain unrelated to nerve damage. This may be an option for patients suffering nerve pain and depression. Be aware, however, that in some patients, bupropion may increase anxiety and contribute to insomnia.
The TCAs amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor) and desipramine (Norpramin) are prescribed to treat nerve pain (such as diabetic neuropathy) and chronic headaches. When used to treat pain, TCAs are usually prescribed at a lower dose than when they are used to treat depression.
All drugs may cause unwanted effects. SSRIs, for example, may increase risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. TCAs can cause dizziness, constipation, blurred vision, and trouble urinating. Their most serious side effect is a dangerously abnormal heart rhythm, so these drugs may not be appropriate for people with heart disease. An overdose can fatally disrupt heart rhythm, so that danger must be weighed carefully against possible benefits in patients who have an elevated risk for attempting suicide.
Mood stabilizers. Anticonvulsants are also sometimes used to stabilize mood. These medications exert their effects by constraining aberrant electrical activity and hyper-responsiveness in the brain, which contributes to seizures. Because chronic pain in particular involves nerve hypersensitivity, some of these medications may provide relief. For example, pregabalin (Lyrica) is FDA-approved for treating diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, and fibromyalgia, and research also suggests it can treat generalized anxiety disorder.
Combining psychotherapy and drugs
Patients with anxiety or depression sometimes find that combining psychotherapy with medication offers the most complete relief. A randomized controlled trial, the Stepped Care for Affective Disorders and Musculoskeletal Pain (SCAMP) study, suggests that a combination approach might also work for people suffering pain in addition to a psychiatric disorder.
The trial enrolled 250 patients with chronic pain in the lower back, hip, or knee. Participants also had at least moderate depression, as measured by a standard clinical instrument. One group was assigned to 12 weeks of antidepressant therapy followed by a 12-week pain self-management intervention based on principles of CBT. In the "usual care" group, which served as a control, researchers informed participants that they had depression and should seek advice or treatment. Results were considered significant if participants reported at least a 50% reduction in depression severity and at least a 30% reduction in pain. At the 12-month mark, both depression and pain were significantly reduced in 32 of 123 intervention patients (roughly one in four), compared with 10 of 127 usual care participants (about one in 12).
Additional research should better define the applications of such an approach.
Bair MJ, et al. "Depression and Pain Comorbidity: A Literature Review," Archives of Internal Medicine (Nov. 10, 2003): Vol. 163, No. 20, pp. 2433–45.
Kroenke K, et al. "Optimized Antidepressant Therapy and Pain Self-Management in Primary Care Patients with Depression and Musculoskeletal Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial," Journal of the American Medical Association (May 27, 2009): Vol. 301, No. 20, pp. 2099–110.
Landefeld CS, et al. "The Neurontin Legacy–Marketing Through Misinformation and Manipulation," New England Journal of Medicine (Jan. 8, 2009): Vol. 360, No. 2, pp. 103–06.
Nicolson SE, et al. "Comorbid Pain, Depression, and Anxiety: Multifaceted Pathology Allows for Multifaceted Treatment," Harvard Review of Psychiatry (Nov./Dec. 2009): Vol. 17, No. 6, pp. 407–20.
Vranceanu AM, et al. "Psychosocial Aspects of Disabling Musculoskeletal Pain," Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Aug. 2009): Vol. 91, No. 8, pp. 2014–18.
For more references, please see www.health.harvard.edu/mentalextra. |
Carly Fiorina’s presidential campaign may be fizzling out. But her campaign could have an impact far beyond the 2016 race with the questions it's raised about U.S. campaign finance rules.
Federal election regulations are meant to bar campaigns and outside groups from coordinating, but Fiorina and other presidential hopefuls have relied on super PACs to fill crucial roles traditionally handled by campaigns. She is among a handful of Republican candidates who exploited an apparent loophole in the campaign finance system, filming videos and advertisements with super PACs before formally announcing their campaigns. On the Democratic side, one super PAC contends it’s allowed to coordinate directly with Hillary Clinton’s campaign because its work is posted online only.
There’s a financial incentive to this approach: Campaigns can take in only a few thousand dollars from an individual per election cycle, while super PACs can accept unlimited donations. With the Federal Election Commission (FEC) slow to act, the lines between campaigns and outside groups have become increasingly blurred. This is in part a function of the FEC’s structure. The commission comprises three Democrats and three Republicans, and routinely deadlocks on policy decisions — including on the question of whether candidates may record ads with super PACs before announcing their bids.
In the 2016 field, Fiorina’s campaign appears to be working more closely with a super PAC than her opponents. The group, named CARLY for America, frequently handles advance work for her campaign events. Its staff members collect voters' contact information and hand out CARLY for America materials, and often manage the Eventbrite websites where people sign up to attend her events. At event after event, Fiorina can be seen speaking in front of signs bearing the super PAC’s logo.
(The super PAC's name is in capital letters in order to comply with FEC rules prohibiting them from using a candidate's name. CARLY is, technically, an acronym for Conservative Authentic Responsive Leadership for You — and for America.)
In interviews with National Journal and the New York Times, representatives for CARLY for America have said the group doesn’t coordinate with Fiorina’s campaign. They say its staff members learn about Fiorina’s events online through a public calendar and show up with super PAC materials and signup lists.
But an International Business Times review of documents from two public universities and one college where Fiorina attended events suggests it’s not so simple.
The super PAC appears to have played an active role in helping organize a September event at Winthrop University in South Carolina, according to a review of emails between the school’s employees, staff for the Fiorina campaign and CARLY for America.
Carly Fiorina takes the stage to a raucous crowd cheering at Winthrop #Carly2016 A photo posted by @carlyforamerica on Sep 23, 2015 at 3:23pm PDT
When a Winthrop University employee could not reach a Fiorina about correcting details on the Eventbrite website for the event, she reached out to Taylor Mason, a super PAC staff member listed as a contact on the Eventbrite page.
“I have a few questions about the location,” Mason wrote back after fixing the details. “What is the address of the building? Where should people park? Is there handicap parking available? Do y'all plan on putting something out to your students to let them know she'll be there?”
Soon, the super PAC received an advance walkthrough of the event location, after Mason arranged a meeting between a university employee and his group’s field director. The school staff member wrote in a subsequent email to the Fiorina campaign, “The PAC rep who toured the space yesterday said CNN and Fox News was traveling [with] the campaign.”
Asked if it was appropriate to give the super PAC a walkthrough of the event, the university’s vice president for university relations, Jeff Perez, provided a statement to IBT: “We at Winthrop University are very proud that nine presidential candidates have visited our campus, more than any institution on the Eastern Seaboard. More than 15,000 people have visited our campus to attend these events. The university is not in a position to distinguish among the individuals working on behalf of the candidates.”
Perez said the university employee who corresponded with CARLY for America “is no longer employed by Winthrop,” but that her departure was unrelated to the event.
“This fits the larger narrative that the super PAC is basically running the campaign’s events,” said Larry Noble, a former FEC counsel who works for the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, after reviewing IBT’s documents. “The whole thing frankly makes a mockery of the law.”
Noble contends that CARLY for America’s help with setting up Fiorina’s events constitutes providing a free service to her campaign and should be considered an in-kind contribution. Super PACs are prohibited from making such contributions to campaigns. CARLY for America and Fiorina’s campaign have dismissed Noble’s interpretation in the past.
Representatives for Fiorina’s campaign and CARLY for America did not respond to questions from IBT about the role the group plays at her events.
In November, before Fiorina spoke at Keene State College in New Hampshire, a Fiorina campaign staff member wrote to the school with an urgent request to formally confirm the event: “Deidre, our national scheduler needs this so we can list the event on the public calendar and start advertising!”
A picture posted by the college shows the super PAC’s banners displayed prominently behind Fiorina on the event stage.
Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina addresses an audience at Keene State College via KSCs American Democracy Project. Posted by Keene State College on Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Last month, Fiorina attended an event at Georgia Tech. Billed as a “conversation with Carly,” the event appears to have been organized exclusively by the super PAC, according to emails provided by the university. The school did not share any emails exchanged with Fiorina’s campaign.
The event likely did not cost much for the Fiorina campaign, or even for the super PAC, which received an invoice — marked “Presidential Candidate” — from the school. Emails shows the university waived most of the fees for the event, charging only $150.
"The space was reserved by the College Republicans, a recognized student organization, and we waived the fees for the space in keeping with our practice for all student groups," a Georgia Tech spokesperson told IBT.
Pictures from the event show CARLY for America staff members were on hand to sign up volunteers and pass out flyers, and that Fiorina once again spoke in front of super PAC signage. Before her speech started, the group aired footage from “Citizen Carly,” a documentary it filmed with Fiorina and her family before she announced her campaign.
Even though Fiorina is lagging in the polls and is unlikely to be a nominee, the precedent set by her campaign and the super PAC matters, Richard Skinner, a policy analyst at the Sunlight Foundation, said.
“Somebody needs to care about this stuff,” Skinner said. “Otherwise someone else will be doing this. Bigger campaigns — more-competitive campaigns — will start doing this. And the way the FEC is, goodness knows when any enforcement’s coming.”
UPDATE: 1/17/16, 1:30 a.m. -- This story has been updated to include a statement from Georgia Tech, which was provided to IBT after press time. |
The third installment in the found footage V/H/S franchise is headed home in early 2015, and it will include a segment that wasn’t attached to the theatrical or VOD release of the anthology film. So read on for all the details!
Bloody Disgusting reports today that the Todd Lincoln-directed segment, titled “Gorgeous Vortex,” was excised from the film for a reason, and all will be revealed once V/H/S: Viral spreads to home video on February 17, 2015.
“Everyone will soon understand why we’ve been so secretive with Lincoln’s astounding segment,” said producer Brad Miska. “I assure you that fans who grew up in the 90′s are going to explode with what we did…”
Check out a still from the segment below along with full release info.
From the Press Release:
The third installment of the highly anticipated horror sensation, V/H/S: VIRAL, arrives on Blu-ray and DVD February 17 from Magnolia Home Entertainment under the Magnet Label. Written and directed by a stunning collection of terror masterminds including Academy Award® nominee Nacho Vigalondo (Timecrimes, The ABCs of Death), Marcel Sarmiento (The ABCs of Death, Deadgirl), Justin Benson (Resolution, Spring), Aaron Moorhead (Resolution, A Glaring Emission) and Gregg Bishop (Dance of the Dead), V/H/S: VIRAL “is a magnificent collection of horror shorts from both established and newer talent in cinema” (Next Projection).
V/H/S: VIRAL follows four stories of LA-based, fame-obsessed teens hell-bent on posting the next viral video sensation. Yet when a stash of VHS tapes is discovered featuring the wannabe celebrities at the moments of their deaths, it becomes clear that those capturing scandalous videos are meeting gruesome ends.
Produced and conceptualized by Brad Miska, the founder of one of the world’s most popular horror websites, Bloody-Disgusting.com, the V/H/S: VIRAL Blu-ray and DVD is packed with bonus footage including a behind-the-scenes featurette, director interviews and a special short by video producer Todd Lincoln called Gorgeous Vortex. The Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $29.98 and $26.98, respectively.
Synopsis:
A police chase after a deranged ice cream truck has captivated the attention of the greater Los Angeles area. Dozens of fame-obsessed teens flock to the streets with their video cameras and camera phones, hell-bent on capturing the next viral video. But there is something far more sinister occurring in the streets of L.A. than a simple police chase. A resounding effect is created onto all those obsessed with capturing salacious footage for no other purpose than to amuse or titillate. Soon the discovery becomes that they themselves are the stars of the next video, one where they face their own death.
Special Features:
• Audio commentary by the directors
• “AXS TV: A Look at V/H/S: VIRAL”
• “Bonestorm”: Behind-the-scenes featurette, FX storyboards, galleries
• “Dante the Great”: “Behind the Magic,” photo gallery
• Director interviews |
ALMERE, Netherlands (Reuters) - Almost a fifth of Amsterdam’s popular marijuana-selling coffee shops will be closed down because they are too close to schools, the city council said Friday.
Joints containing different types of cannabis are seen in their jars at a coffee shop in the southern Dutch city of Bergen op Zoom November 18, 2008. REUTERS/Jerry Lampen
Of the 228 coffee shops in the Dutch capital, 43 must close by the end of 2011 because they are within 250 meters of a school, the council said.
The Dutch coffee shop policy has come under fresh criticism after the Dutch cities of Bergen op Zoom and Roosendaal, located near the Belgian border, said they will close all their shops within two years to combat drug tourism and crime.
Amsterdam, home to a quarter of the nation’s cannabis coffee shops that are a big draw for tourists, joined with 32 other Dutch mayors or city council representatives Friday to back a continuation of the Dutch “soft drugs” policy of toleration.
But the mayors also called for better rules on the sale and trade of cannabis. They stressed that while a ban on marijuana use was not a solution to the problem, the use of the drug should be discouraged.
The policy on soft drugs in the Netherlands, one of the most liberal in Europe, allows for the sale of marijuana at coffee shops, which the Dutch have allowed to operate for decades, and possession of less than 5 grams (0.18 oz).
But the cultivation or supply of the drug to the coffee shops, the so-called “back door” of the business, is banned.
Annemarie Jorritsma, Almere Mayor, said mayors agreed to push for a system of “heavily regulated toleration.”
“Make it transparent who is dealing, who is delivering it to the coffee shops and take care that there are no criminals entering there, which they are at the moment,” she said.
Gerd Leers, Mayor of Maastricht which earlier angered Belgian authorities by proposing to move its city center coffee shops to the edge of the city, said 60 percent of the people who visit the city’s coffee shops each year are French or Belgian.
He added that the problem is not the fact the Netherlands has coffee shops, the problem is that other countries don’t.
Arjam Roskam, a spokesman for the Cannabis Retailers Association which represents 100 members, said the proposals from the mayors were a step in the right direction.
The government will finalize next year an evaluation of its soft and hard drugs policy and a Justice Ministry spokesman said the proposals from the mayors may be taken into consideration. |
The large intestine, also known as the large bowel, is the last part of the gastrointestinal tract and of the digestive system in vertebrates. Water is absorbed here and the remaining waste material is stored as feces before being removed by defecation.[1]
The colon[2] is the largest portion of the large intestine, so many mentions of the large intestine and colon overlap in meaning whenever anatomic precision is not the focus. Most sources define the large intestine as the combination of the cecum, colon, rectum, and anal canal.[3][4] Some other sources exclude the anal canal.[5][6][7]
In humans, the large intestine begins in the right iliac region of the pelvis, just at or below the waist, where it is joined to the end of the small intestine at the cecum, via the ileocecal valve. It then continues as the colon ascending the abdomen, across the width of the abdominal cavity as the transverse colon, and then descending to the rectum and its endpoint at the anal canal.[8] Overall, in humans, the large intestine is about 1.5 metres (5 ft) long, which is about one-fifth of the whole length of the gastrointestinal tract.[9]
Structure [ edit ]
3D File generated from computed tomography of large intestine
Illustration of the large intestine.
The colon is the last part of the digestive system. It extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body and is the site in which flora-aided (largely bacterial) fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs. Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a major role in absorption of foods and nutrients. About 1.5 litres or 45 ounces of water arrives in the colon each day.[10]
The length of the adult human male colon is 65 inches or 166 cm (range of 80 to 313 cm), on average, for females it is 155 cm (range of 80 to 214 cm).[11]
Sections [ edit ]
Sections of the colon
[12] Average inner diameters and ranges of different sections of the large intestine.
In mammals, the colon consists of five sections: the cecum plus the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and the rectum.[1]
Sections of the colon are:
The parts of the colon are either intraperitoneal or behind it in the retroperitoneum. Retroperitoneal organs in general do not have a complete covering of peritoneum, so they are fixed in location. Intraperitoneal organs are completely surrounded by peritoneum and are therefore mobile.[13] Of the colon, the ascending colon, descending colon and rectum are retroperitoneal, while the cecum, appendix, transverse colon and sigmoid colon are intraperitoneal.[14] This is important as it affects which organs can be easily accessed during surgery, such as a laparotomy.
The average inner diameter of sections of the colon in centimeters (with ranges in parentheses) are cecum 8.7 (8.0-10.5), ascending colon 6.6 (6.0-7.0), transverse colon 5.8 (5.0-6.5), descending/sigmoid colon 6.3 (6.0-6.8) and rectum near rectal/sigmoid junction 5.7 (4.5-7.5).[12]
Cecum and appendix [ edit ]
The cecum is the first section of the colon and involved in the digestion, while the appendix which develops embryologically from it, is a structure of the colon, not involved in digestion and considered to be part of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. The function of the appendix is uncertain, but some sources believe that the appendix has a role in housing a sample of the colon's microflora, and is able to help to repopulate the colon with bacteria if the microflora has been damaged during the course of an immune reaction. The appendix has also been shown to have a high concentration of lymphatic cells.
Ascending colon [ edit ]
The ascending colon is the first of four sections of the large intestine. It is connected to the small intestine by a section of bowel called the cecum. The ascending colon runs upwards through the abdominal cavity toward the transverse colon for approximately eight inches (20 cm).
One of the main functions of the colon is to remove the water and other key nutrients from waste material and recycle it. As the waste material exits the small intestine through the ileocecal valve, it will move into the cecum and then to the ascending colon where this process of extraction starts. The unwanted waste material is moved upwards toward the transverse colon by the action of peristalsis. The ascending colon is sometimes attached to the appendix via Gerlach's valve. In ruminants, the ascending colon is known as the spiral colon.[15][16][17] Taking into account all ages and sexes, colon cancer occurs here most often (41%).[18]
Transverse colon [ edit ]
The transverse colon is the part of the colon from the hepatic flexure, also known as the right colic, (the turn of the colon by the liver) to the splenic flexure also known as the left colic, (the turn of the colon by the spleen). The transverse colon hangs off the stomach, attached to it by a large fold of peritoneum called the greater omentum. On the posterior side, the transverse colon is connected to the posterior abdominal wall by a mesentery known as the transverse mesocolon.
The transverse colon is encased in peritoneum, and is therefore mobile (unlike the parts of the colon immediately before and after it).
The proximal two-thirds of the transverse colon is perfused by the middle colic artery, a branch of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), while the latter third is supplied by branches of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). The "watershed" area between these two blood supplies, which represents the embryologic division between the midgut and hindgut, is an area sensitive to ischemia.
Descending colon [ edit ]
The descending colon is the part of the colon from the splenic flexure to the beginning of the sigmoid colon. One function of the descending colon in the digestive system is to store feces that will be emptied into the rectum. It is retroperitoneal in two-thirds of humans. In the other third, it has a (usually short) mesentery.[19] The arterial supply comes via the left colic artery. The descending colon is also called the distal gut, as it is further along the gastrointestinal tract than the proximal gut. Gut flora are very dense in this region.
Sigmoid colon [ edit ]
The sigmoid colon is the part of the large intestine after the descending colon and before the rectum. The name sigmoid means S-shaped (see sigmoid; cf. sigmoid sinus). The walls of the sigmoid colon are muscular, and contract to increase the pressure inside the colon, causing the stool to move into the rectum.
The sigmoid colon is supplied with blood from several branches (usually between 2 and 6) of the sigmoid arteries, a branch of the IMA. The IMA terminates as the superior rectal artery.
Sigmoidoscopy is a common diagnostic technique used to examine the sigmoid colon.
Rectum [ edit ]
The rectum is the last section of the large intestine. It holds the formed feces awaiting elimination via defecation.
Appearance [ edit ]
The cecum – the first part of the large intestine
Taeniae coli – three bands of smooth muscle
Haustra – bulges caused by contraction of taeniae coli
Epiploic appendages – small fat accumulations on the viscera
The taenia coli run the length of the large intestine. Because the taenia coli are shorter than the large bowel itself, the colon becomes sacculated, forming the haustra of the colon which are the shelf-like intraluminal projections.[20]
Blood supply [ edit ]
Arterial supply to the colon comes from branches of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). Flow between these two systems communicates via a "marginal artery" that runs parallel to the colon for its entire length. Historically, it has been believed that the arc of Riolan, or the meandering mesenteric artery (of Moskowitz), is a variable vessel connecting the proximal SMA to the proximal IMA that can be extremely important if either vessel is occluded. However, recent studies conducted with improved imaging technology have questioned the actual existence of this vessel, with some experts calling for the abolition of the terms from future medical literature.[citation needed]
Venous drainage usually mirrors colonic arterial supply, with the inferior mesenteric vein draining into the splenic vein, and the superior mesenteric vein joining the splenic vein to form the hepatic portal vein that then enters the liver.
Lymphatic drainage [ edit ]
Lymphatic drainage from the ascending colon and proximal two-thirds of the transverse colon is to the colic lymph nodes and the superior mesenteric lymph nodes, which drain into the cisterna chyli.[21] The lymph from the distal one-third of the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and the upper rectum drain into the inferior mesenteric and colic lymph nodes.[21] The lower rectum to the anal canal above the pectinate line drain to the internal iliac nodes.[22] The anal canal below the pectinate line drains into the superficial inguinal nodes.[22] The pectinate line only roughly marks this transition.
Nerve supply [ edit ]
Sympathetic supply : Superior & inferior mesenteric ganglia Parasympathetic supply : Vagus & pelvic nerves
Development [ edit ]
Variation [ edit ]
One variation on the normal anatomy of the colon occurs when extra loops form, resulting in a colon that is up to five metres longer than normal. This condition, referred to as redundant colon, typically has no direct major health consequences, though rarely volvulus occurs, resulting in obstruction and requiring immediate medical attention.[23][24] A significant indirect health consequence is that use of a standard adult colonoscope is difficult and in some cases impossible when a redundant colon is present, though specialized variants on the instrument (including the pediatric variant) are useful in overcoming this problem.[25]
Microanatomy [ edit ]
Colonic crypts [ edit ]
[26] and illustrations were published with Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License allowing re-use. Colonic crypts ( intestinal glands ) within four tissue sections. The cells have been stained to show a brown-orange color if the cells produce the mitochondrial protein cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CCOI), and the nuclei of the cells (located at the outer edges of the cells lining the walls of the crypts) are stained blue-gray with haematoxylin . Panels A, B were cut across the long axes of the crypts and panels C, D were cut parallel to the long axes of the crypts. In panel A the bar shows 100 µm and allows an estimate of the frequency of crypts in the colonic epithelium. Panel B includes three crypts in cross-section, each with one segment deficient for CCOI expression and at least one crypt, on the right side, undergoing fission into two crypts. Panel C shows, on the left side, a crypt fissioning into two crypts. Panel D shows typical small clusters of two and three CCOI deficient crypts (the bar shows 50 µm). The images were made from original photomicrographs, but panels A, B and D were also included in an articleand illustrations were published with Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License allowing re-use.
The wall of the large intestine is lined with simple columnar epithelium with invaginations. The invaginations are called the intestinal glands or colonic crypts.
The colon crypts are shaped like microscopic thick walled test tubes with a central hole down the length of the tube (the crypt lumen). Four tissue sections are shown here, two cut across the long axes of the crypts and two cut parallel to the long axes. In these images the cells have been stained by immunohistochemistry to show a brown-orange color if the cells produce a mitochondrial protein called cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CCOI). The nuclei of the cells (located at the outer edges of the cells lining the walls of the crypts) are stained blue-gray with haematoxylin. As seen in panels C and D, crypts are about 75 to about 110 cells long. Baker et al.[27] found that the average crypt circumference is 23 cells. Thus, by the images shown here, there are an average of about 1,725 to 2530 cells per colonic crypt. Nooteboom et al.[28] measuring the number of cells in a small number of crypts reported a range of 1500 to 4900 cells per colonic crypt. Cells are produced at the crypt base and migrate upward along the crypt axis before being shed into the colonic lumen days later.[27] There are 5 to 6 stem cells at the bases of the crypts.[27]
As estimated from the image in panel A, there are about 100 colonic crypts per square millimeter of the colonic epithelium.[12] Since the average length of the human colon is 160.5 cm[11] and the average inner circumference of the colon is 6.2 cm,[12] the inner surface epithelial area of the human colon has an average area of about 995 sq cm, which includes 9,950,000 (close to 10 million) crypts.
In the four tissue sections shown here, many of the intestinal glands have cells with a mitochondrial DNA mutation in the CCOI gene and appear mostly white, with their main color being the blue-gray staining of the nuclei. As seen in panel B, a portion of the stem cells of three crypts appear to have a mutation in CCOI, so that 40% to 50% of the cells arising from those stem cells form a white segment in the cross cut area.
Overall, the percent of crypts deficient for CCOI is less than 1% before age 40, but then increases linearly with age.[26] Colonic crypts deficient for CCOI in women reaches, on average, 18% in women and 23% in men by 80–84 years of age.[26]
Crypts of the colon can reproduce by fission, as seen in panel C, where a crypt is fissioning to form two crypts, and in panel B where at least one crypt appears to be fissioning. Most crypts deficient in CCOI are in clusters of crypts (clones of crypts) with two or more CCOI-deficient crypts adjacent to each other (see panel D).[26]
Mucosa [ edit ]
About 150 of the many thousands of protein coding genes expressed in the large intestine, some are specific to the mucous membrane in different regions and include CEACAM7.[29]
Function [ edit ]
Histological section.
The large intestine absorbs water and any remaining absorbable nutrients from the food before sending the indigestible matter to the rectum. The colon absorbs vitamins that are created by the colonic bacteria, such as vitamin K (especially important as the daily ingestion of vitamin K is not normally enough to maintain adequate blood coagulation), thiamine and riboflavin.[citation needed] It also compacts feces, and stores fecal matter in the rectum until it can be discharged via the anus in defecation. The large intestine also secretes K+ and Cl-. Chloride secretion increases in cystic fibrosis. Recycling of various nutrients takes place in colon. Examples include fermentation of carbohydrates, short chain fatty acids, and urea cycling.[30][citation needed]
The appendix contains a small amount of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue which gives the appendix an undetermined role in immunity. However, the appendix is known to be important in fetal life as it contains endocrine cells that release biogenic amines and peptide hormones important for homeostasis during early growth and development.[31] The appendix can be removed with no apparent damage or consequence to the patient.[citation needed]
By the time the chyme has reached this tube, most nutrients and 90% of the water have been absorbed by the body. At this point some electrolytes like sodium, magnesium, and chloride are left as well as indigestible parts of ingested food (e.g., a large part of ingested amylose, starch which has been shielded from digestion heretofore, and dietary fiber, which is largely indigestible carbohydrate in either soluble or insoluble form). As the chyme moves through the large intestine, most of the remaining water is removed, while the chyme is mixed with mucus and bacteria (known as gut flora), and becomes feces. The ascending colon receives fecal material as a liquid. The muscles of the colon then move the watery waste material forward and slowly absorb all the excess water, causing the stools to gradually solidify as they move along into the descending colon.[32]
The bacteria break down some of the fiber for their own nourishment and create acetate, propionate, and butyrate as waste products, which in turn are used by the cell lining of the colon for nourishment.[33] No protein is made available. In humans, perhaps 10% of the undigested carbohydrate thus becomes available, though this may vary with diet;[34] in other animals, including other apes and primates, who have proportionally larger colons, more is made available, thus permitting a higher portion of plant material in the diet. The large intestine[35] produces no digestive enzymes — chemical digestion is completed in the small intestine before the chyme reaches the large intestine. The pH in the colon varies between 5.5 and 7 (slightly acidic to neutral).[36]
Standing gradient osmosis [ edit ]
Water absorption at the colon typically proceeds against a transmucosal osmotic pressure gradient. The standing gradient osmosis is the reabsorption of water against the osmotic gradient in the intestines. Cells occupying the intestinal lining pump sodium ions into the intercellular space, raising the osmolarity of the intercellular fluid. This hypertonic fluid creates an osmotic pressure that drives water into the lateral intercellular spaces by osmosis via tight junctions and adjacent cells, which then in turn moves across the basement membrane and into the capillaries, while more sodium ions are pumped again into the intercellular fluid.[37] Although water travels down an osmotic gradient in each individual step, overall, water usually travels against the osmotic gradient due to the pumping of sodium ions into the intercellular fluid. This allows the large intestine to absorb water despite the blood in capillaries being hypotonic compared to the fluid within the intestinal lumen.
Gut flora [ edit ]
The large intestine houses over 700 species of bacteria that perform a variety of functions, as well as fungi, protozoa, and archaea. Species diversity varies by geography and diet.[38] The microbes in a human distal gut often number in the vicinity of 100 trillion, and can weigh around 200 grams (0.44 pounds). This mass of mostly symbiotic microbes has recently been called the latest human organ to be "discovered" or in other words, the "forgotten organ".[39]
The large intestine absorbs some of the products formed by the bacteria inhabiting this region. Undigested polysaccharides (fiber) are metabolized to short-chain fatty acids by bacteria in the large intestine and absorbed by passive diffusion. The bicarbonate that the large intestine secretes helps to neutralize the increased acidity resulting from the formation of these fatty acids.[40]
These bacteria also produce large amounts of vitamins, especially vitamin K and biotin (a B vitamin), for absorption into the blood. Although this source of vitamins, in general, provides only a small part of the daily requirement, it makes a significant contribution when dietary vitamin intake is low. An individual who depends on absorption of vitamins formed by bacteria in the large intestine may become vitamin-deficient if treated with antibiotics that inhibit the vitamin producing species of bacteria as well as the intended disease-causing bacteria.[41]
Other bacterial products include gas (flatus), which is a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, with small amounts of the gases hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide. Bacterial fermentation of undigested polysaccharides produces these. Some of the fecal odor is due to indoles, metabolized from the amino acid tryptophan. The normal flora is also essential in the development of certain tissues, including the cecum and lymphatics.[citation needed]
They are also involved in the production of cross-reactive antibodies. These are antibodies produced by the immune system against the normal flora, that are also effective against related pathogens, thereby preventing infection or invasion.
The two most prevalent phyla of the colon are firmicutes and bacteroides. The ratio between the two seems to vary widely as reported by the Human Microbiome Project.[42] Bacteroides are implicated in the initiation of colitis and colon cancer. Bifidobacteria are also abundant, and are often described as 'friendly bacteria'.[43][44]
A mucus layer protects the large intestine from attacks from colonic commensal bacteria.[45]
Clinical significance [ edit ]
Disease [ edit ]
Following are the most common diseases or disorders of the colon:
Colonoscopy [ edit ]
normal mucosa. You can see spleen through it : the black part Colonoscopyimage, splenic flexure,normal mucosa. You can see spleen through it : the black part
Colonoscopy is the endoscopic examination of the large intestine and the distal part of the small bowel with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. It can provide a visual diagnosis (e.g. ulceration, polyps) and grants the opportunity for biopsy or removal of suspected colorectal cancer lesions. Colonoscopy can remove polyps as small as one millimetre or less. Once polyps are removed, they can be studied with the aid of a microscope to determine if they are precancerous or not. It takes 15 years or less for a polyp to turn cancerous.
Colonoscopy is similar to sigmoidoscopy—the difference being related to which parts of the colon each can examine. A colonoscopy allows an examination of the entire colon (1200–1500 mm in length). A sigmoidoscopy allows an examination of the distal portion (about 600 mm) of the colon, which may be sufficient because benefits to cancer survival of colonoscopy have been limited to the detection of lesions in the distal portion of the colon.[46][47][48]
A sigmoidoscopy is often used as a screening procedure for a full colonoscopy, often done in conjunction with a fecal occult blood test (FOBT). About 5% of these screened patients are referred to colonoscopy.[49]
Virtual colonoscopy, which uses 2D and 3D imagery reconstructed from computed tomography (CT) scans or from nuclear magnetic resonance (MR) scans, is also possible, as a totally non-invasive medical test, although it is not standard and still under investigation regarding its diagnostic abilities. Furthermore, virtual colonoscopy does not allow for therapeutic maneuvers such as polyp/tumour removal or biopsy nor visualization of lesions smaller than 5 millimeters. If a growth or polyp is detected using CT colonography, a standard colonoscopy would still need to be performed. Additionally, surgeons have lately been using the term pouchoscopy to refer to a colonoscopy of the ileo-anal pouch.
Other animals [ edit ]
The large intestine is truly distinct only in tetrapods, in which it is almost always separated from the small intestine by an ileocaecal valve. In most vertebrates, however, it is a relatively short structure running directly to the anus, although noticeably wider than the small intestine. Although the caecum is present in most amniotes, only in mammals does the remainder of the large intestine develop into a true colon.[50]
In some small mammals, the colon is straight, as it is in other tetrapods, but, in the majority of mammalian species, it is divided into ascending and descending portions; a distinct transverse colon is typically present only in primates. However, the taeniae coli and accompanying haustra are not found in either carnivorans or ruminants. The rectum of mammals (other than monotremes) is derived from the cloaca of other vertebrates, and is, therefore, not truly homologous with the "rectum" found in these species.[50]
In fish, there is no true large intestine, but simply a short rectum connecting the end of the digestive part of the gut to the cloaca. In sharks, this includes a rectal gland that secretes salt to help the animal maintain osmotic balance with the seawater. The gland somewhat resembles a caecum in structure, but is not a homologous structure.[50]
Additional images [ edit ]
Intestines
Colon. Deep dissection. Anterior view.
See also [ edit ]
This article uses anatomical terminology; for an overview, see anatomical terminology
References [ edit ]
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1177 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918) |
Dr Diana Rivas displays a human brain on a working surface at the "Museum of Neuropathology" in Lima, Peru (AFP Photo/ERNESTO BENAVIDES)
Paris (AFP) - Personality traits such as moodiness or open-mindedness are linked to the shape of one's brain, a study said Wednesday.
Researchers said they found a striking correlation between structural brain differences and five main personality types.
"The shape of our brain can itself provide surprising clues about how we behave -- and our risk of developing mental health disorders," said a statement from the University of Cambridge, which took part in the study.
Psychologists have previously developed a "Big Five" model of main personality types: neuroticism (how moody a person is), extraversion (how enthusiastic), open-mindedness, agreeableness (a measure of altruism) and conscientiousness (a measure of self control).
Using brain scans from over 500 people aged 22 to 36, the new study looked at differences in the cortex -- the wrinkly outer layer of the brain also known as grey matter.
Specifically it focussed on combinations of thickness, surface area, and the number of folds in different people.
"We found that neuroticism... was linked to a thicker cortex and a smaller area and folding in some brain regions," said study co-author Roberta Riccelli of Italy's Magna Graecia University.
Conversely, openness, "was associated with a thinner cortex and greater area and folding".
Neuroticism, the team said, was a trait underlying mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders, whereas "openness" reflects curiosity and creativity.
The deep folds in the human brain were the evolutionary solution to fitting such a large, super-computer into a relatively small skull.
"It's like stretching and folding a rubber sheet -- this increases the surface area, but at the same time the sheet itself becomes thinner," co-author Luca Passamonti of the University of Cambridge explained in a statement.
- Nature vs Nurture? -
The study was the first to clearly link the "Big Five" personality traits to differences in brain shape, Riccelli told AFP.
This, in turn, was "a crucial step to improving our understanding of mental disorders," she said.
"It may give us the opportunity to detect those who are at high risk of developing mental illnesses early, which has obvious implications for prompt intervention."
The research touches on a question that has occupied the minds of philosophers and scientists for centuries -- are humans more a product of their genes, or of their upbringing and exposure?
The study, published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, could not conclude that brain shape determines a personality type, its authors said.
"We cannot answer the question: 'What came first, the chicken or the egg?'," said Riccelli.
"Hence we can't say if we have a specific personality type because our brain has a specific shape."
Brain shape, in itself, is determined by genetic as well as environmental factors, she pointed out.
The team hypothesised that brain differences may be even more pronounced in people likelier to suffer from neuro-psychiatric illnesses. |
There’s a known issue with Linux dedicated servers right now which prevent them from starting up. We’re working on fixing it ASAP. Sorry!
Hey everyone! It’s been a short while since we’ve pushed out an update for Blade Symphony, but this update will prove to be worth the wait as you see what we’ve been hard at work on. This patch brings a new character to the cast of fighters, Pure, who is Blade Symphony’s first female character. She fights with a elegant and agile Chinese Wushu technique.
Being that Pure is our first female character, she required a ton of groundwork to be done to set the stage for her arrival. An entire new animation rig needed to be created, and all of the “shared” animations (rolls, grabs, etc.) needed to be made from scratch for her. We’re not entirely finished with this process, and Pure currently can’t wallrun, bow or taunt, and has temporary animations for dying, sheathe and walking, but we’ll add those soon.
Also new in this version is an entirely overhauled system for handling game modes. To show off this system, we have “Hero mode” in FFA which can be voted on to be enabled on a server, along with a bunch of parameters to customize the gameplay. Expect more game modes soon.
Changelog for version #1815
Gameplay
Added a new character, Pure Pure is a female Hotuken assassin Her fighting style is based on the Chinese art of Wushu sword fighting She has an air attack, 3 fast attacks, 3 balanced attacks, and 2 heavy attacks
Added Hero game mode to FFA In hero mode, one player is the hero, and the other players are trying to bring him down The hero deals more damage, and takes less damage The hero will be denoted by his flaming sword
to FFA You can now vote to change game mode in FFA via the “Play Online” sub-menu
Added some knockback to parries
Movable attacks now have pinched velocity based on when the attack comes out
Updated and changed timings for judgement heavy left and right to feel faster and made them recover much faster
Added some stance-aware canceling so that heavy stances aren’t so dominated by canceling
Shortened window for intercept timing
When being grabbed, pressing grab will now break out of opponent’s hold
Swords: Scimitar now interrupts again Made scimitar victims interrupt half the normal amount Scimitar now have full knockback again Made longswords do 15% more interrupt time
Movement: Lowering the distance moved a bit for rolls Replacing dash with roll forward Rolling move distance scale from 1.4 to 1.25
Kneeling state: Reduced amount of locktime for kneeling recovery (0.75 -> 0.6) Reduced locktime of kneeling attack (1.25 -> 1.0) Increased damage for recovery attack (25 -> 30) Made kneeling intercept the same intercept as Jian
Ryoku: Updated ryoku air 1 so its much shorter Updated ryoku air left and right so they don’t take over gravity as much Updated ryoku fast left and right t2 so they travel more Removed ryoku balanced 3
Judgement: Slowed down heavy side attacks a bit for judgement Added more lock time to heavy side attacks for judgement
Phalanx: Recovery time for phalanx heavy left T1: 1.4->1.2 / T2: 1.8->1.4 / T3: 1.8->1.4 Recovery time for phalanx heavy right T1: 1.6->1.3 / T2: 1.8->1.3 / T3: 1.8->1.3
Graphics
Community map updates – Added a bunch of storefronts, an art gallery, garden, storage room updated, misc. detailing
Walk animations updated
New Shuffle animations
New Parry upper body animations
Stumble animations updated
Added Ryoku stance icons
New roll forward and back animations for male and female
Samurai mask added for Judgement
Audio
New Foil heavy swing sounds
New Katana swing sounds
Bug Fixes |
Jameis Winston showed up in Tampa Bay last offseason with high expectations, a considerable amount of scrutiny and a lot of Bucs fans wondering if the organization might have the franchise quarterback they have been searching for over their 40-year NFL history. After one season, many think Winston is the real deal and will eventually get the Bucs back into the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
Former starter Mike Glennon deserves some of the credit for Winston’s success, and the former FSU star will be the first to say so. But what might surprise some is, if you ask Glennon, he says Winston has helped him become a better quarterback as well.
“He has been great ever since he has gotten here,” Glennon said. “I am a veteran, but I think I can take some things from everyone. I can learn from Jameis, or even Ryan (Griffin) and Dan (LeFevour). Some of us are better in certain areas of our game than others so we can all take things from each other. And Jameis is a great example of that. Not only with the way he plays, but the way he leads among other things. So I try and help him out as much as I can, and I think without me even asking questions I learn things from him just watching him play and act.”
While most are expecting the Bucs to lose Glennon to free agency next spring, general manager Jason Licht told PewterReport.com that the former N.C. State standout is the consummate professional about the situation and there is no animosity.
“I think if you talk to Mike about Jameis he’s beaming,” Licht said. “He doesn’t have any objections. He doesn’t think he should be starting ahead of Jameis. He gets it.”
Quarterback coach Mike Bajakian earlier this year also raved about Glennon’s work ethic and willingness to help Winston’s development.
“He’s been phenomenal in the meeting room, helping Jameis adjust to being a pro, to the mental preparation that’s involved on a week-to-week basis,” Bajakian said. “Mike’s been around the block. He’s been a part of several different offenses. He’s very intelligent and I’m excited to have him on this team.”
“I think the world of Mike, and I’ve said that since Day One. He is an unbelievable professional. He’s unbelievably talented – Mike can definitely start (for) a lot of teams in this league. Not just start, but start and have very good success. I truly believe that. I’m excited to have him, because if anything happens to Jameis (Winston), I feel we have a guy who can come in and execute at a very, very high level.”
Glennon is very competitive and confident in his abilities and most likely is looking forward to competing for a starting job elsewhere by this time next year. But in the mean time he is taking what he can from Winston, while also giving some back.
“Our personalities are definitely different but at the same time you can take some of the things he says and how the guys react to it,” Glennon said. “For sure two different personalities but there are still things I can grab from him. Like me being a little more passionate and he can grab from me being a little calmer sometimes. So I think we have a good balance of each other and can take things from each other.” |
The much-loved bacon sandwich needs no hagiography from me, the holy trinity of bread, salty fatty pork and piquant sauce being a bona fide national institution. Indeed, so central a part does it play in British culture that it's impossible to imagine any other dish which so reliably raises the national spirits in times of trouble – devoured by hungry builders, peckish pensioners and footsore royal wedding goers with equal enthusiasm, it's the simple pleasure which unites the country. And if you don't eat pork, I'm sorry. Trust me, if you did, you'd love bacon sandwiches just as much as the rest of us.
But, as in so much of life, when passions run high, tempers can flare – the church of brown sauce stands firm against the house of ketchup and the disciples of toast are willing to take up arms against their bready brethren. Back or streaky; grilled or fried; butter, dripping or even mayo – a Britisher's buttie is his castle, and he'll defend it to the end. Personally, I always go for grilled back bacon between sourdough toast with enough English mustard to make me sneeze but ... could I be missing out?
Back v streaky
A bacon sarnie as imagined by Jamie Oliver. Photograph: Felicity Cloake
In Class, her seminal anthropological romp through British society, the brilliant Jilly Cooper quotes a shopkeeper on the subject of bacon: "When a woman asks for back I call her 'madam'; when she asks for streaky I call her 'dear'." Lean and meaty, back bacon is clearly the premium choice – but my confidence is shaken when I read the godlike Nigel Slater prefers streaky "because I like the fat as much as I like the lean, and I don't think anything else is right for a bacon sandwich." I like fat too, I think. Why have I never considered streaky worthy of my breakfast table?
Jamie Oliver, as far as I can tell from the grainy black and white picture that accompanies his "bacon sarnie my stylie" in The Return of the Naked Chef, appears to favour back bacon. I'm torn: the fried streaky is utterly fattily delicious, but on its own it's too much of a good thing – like cheese and butter, or a piece of pork belly with more fat than meat. The back, however, is good like a curate's egg – unless folded over to ensure a piece of both fat and lean in each mouthful, it's rather dry and thus disappointing.
Fellow Word of Mouther Tim Hayward, who has investigated the subject in typically forensic detail, informs me that at his Cambridge cafe, Fitzbillies, they favour a mixture of back and streaky, which is the kind of fence sitting I could really get into. (If you can get middle bacon, which is the best of both worlds, even better.) Jamie mentions thicker-cut bacon in his advice – although I agree that wafer-thin stuff is often disappointing, anything too chunky risks jeopardising the all-important crunch factor, so I'm going to stick with a standard cut.
Finding a good piece of dry-cured bacon is essential – you don't want your meat to give off too much water during cooking, or it will boil in its own juices and you can wave goodbye to any hope of crispness (as one Jonny Neale helpfully advises on twitter, if you find yourself with water in the pan, remove the bacon, pat it dry, clean out the pan and add a little oil before continuing cooking).
I find the stuff sliced to order at the butchers tends to be the driest, but, as with most meat, buying the best stuff you can find and afford is usually a good rule of thumb. And it goes without saying that you need smoked bacon for a sandwich – I will countenance no deviation on this point.
Grilling v frying ... v griddling
Fried back bacon (top) and grilled back bacon. Photograph: Felicity Cloake
I generally grill my bacon, more out of habit than anything else – it makes sense for a fry-up, where there's no room in the pan for bacon, and I've adopted the same policy even if it's the only thing I'm cooking. But, although I love the slightly charred dryness of grilled bacon, it strikes me that all the lovely fat which provides so much flavour is going to waste at the bottom of the grill pan, which seems a shame, especially when the back has so little of the stuff to start with.
Ever the maverick, Jamie Oliver eschews both the grill and the frying pan. "If you fancy yourself as a bit of a tiger" the young and still Naked Chef writes, "then acquire a ridged griddle pan" to cook your bacon in. I do indeed fancy myself as a tiger – especially if this smoky, charred stuff is what those noble creatures eat for tea. The flavour is happily reminiscent of barbecued bacon rolls the morning after a big summer party – crisp, but not greasy.
Bread
A bacon sandwich made with slices of milk roll loaf. Photograph: Felicity Cloake
The other important component in a bacon sandwich is, of course, the sandwich itself ie bread. There seems to be rare consensus that it must be white ("unless you need your roughage" Jamie adds), and for once, I agree: much as I love the nuttiness of brown bread, it's too assertive for this dish: the bread needs to be a vehicle for the bacon, not its co-star.
Nigel Slater reckons that somehow a bacon sandwich is "better with factory-made 'plastic bread'", a claim echoed by many on Twitter. Although I have a nostalgic fondness for cheap white sliced bread, following a four slice a day toast habit at school, I can't agree here; it's pappy and squidgy and glues itself to the top of my mouth. The horror.
Out of curiosity, however, I also try something called a "milk roll", after Tim discloses that, after months of experimentation, Fitzbillies settled on a "custom-baked soft milk roll: floury top, long oval shape to take rashers ... ". This stuff is just like slightly sweet, oddly circular cotton wool though, and even worse than the more normally-shaped plastic bread – too late I discover that the Fitzbillies' version is more of a soft bap, with a shot of milk in the dough. "Structural integrity is important" Tim informs me – and this has none of it.
Making baps for bacon sandwiches. Photograph: Felicity Cloake
Clearly, I need to give the roll a try instead. White and floury, and oddly difficult to find anywhere but the kind of bakers that specialises in large, coconut-encrusted jam cakes, I'm in unknown bacon sarnie territory here – but it's a risk that pays off. Unlike my usual robust sourdough, which takes more chewing than the meat itself, the fluffiness of a bap is a lovely contrast to the crispness of the bacon while, as Tim observed, standing up sturdily to the weight of fillings and sauces. I'm not too happy with the flavour, or lack thereof, in the ones from the local bakers though, so I decide to make my own, based on a recipe from Elizabeth David's English Bread and Yeast Cookery: as a concession to the rich savouriness of the bacon, I've replaced some of the milk in the dough with water, cut the salt, and added a little brown sugar instead.
Toasting
Bacon sandwiches with bread toasted both sides (top) and just on one side. Photograph: Felicity Cloake
The bread question doesn't stop once the variety has been determined: there's also the matter of its preparation to address. I like a bit of crunch to my bread, which rules out leaving it in its natural state. But toasting both sides, as is my wont, makes things problematically crisp – you need a lot of tea to wash down a toasted bacon sandwich. Toasting one side, as fiercely recommended by many tweeters, is better, allowing the softer side to soak up some of the ambrosial bacon grease, but this is hard to achieve with a roll, where one side of each slice is covered in a soft crust.
Nigel suggests frying the bread briefly in the bacon fat before assembling the sandwich, which is a nice trick, but even better is Jamie's idea of charring it on the griddle – it picks up a little fat, a little crunch, and a lot of flavour, adding to the whole barbecue effect. I also try adding a little sugar to the pan to caramelise the bread lightly, as Dinan Gunawardena suggests on Twitter, but it smacks too much of French toast, a dish which made me violently sick aged 11 and has never since passed my lips.
Extras
A bacon sandwich made to Nigel Slater's instructions. Photograph: Felicity Cloake
I'm going to keep my opinions firmly to myself when it comes to ketchup or brown sauce (mostly because I prefer mustard and marmalade myself, and I think I'm on my own there), but the array of weird and wonderful toppings suggested on twitter deserve to be shared here. From @LadyVelo's maple syrup (which is actually pretty good – with a dollop of mustard, naturally) to @Helen_Barlett's mango chutney and smoked salmon, via salad cream, bananas and even smoked cheese, toppings really do seem to be very... individual.
I'm with Tim on the liberal buttering of the bread though – the creamy blandness of sweet unsalted butter is an excellent foil to the bacon. Come on – if you're in need of the welcoming embrace of a bacon sandwich, a little extra fat is the least of your problems.
Perfect bacon sandwiches
Felicity's perfect bacon sandwich. Photograph: Felicity Cloake
For the rolls (makes 6):
450g plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
½ tsp brown sugar
100ml milk, plus extra for glazing
200ml water
2 tsp dried yeast
2 rashers dry-cured smoked streaky bacon per person
1 rasher dry-cured smoked back bacon per person
Unsalted butter
1. Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Combine the milk and water and heat until tepid, then stir in the yeast. Mix this quickly into the dry ingredients until you have a fairly soft dough, adding a little more milk or water if necessary. Cover and put in a warm place for 1½ hours until well risen.
2. Preheat the oven to 220C. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and shape each into an oval (to fit the bacon), then space out on a floured baking tray, cover and leave for 15 minutes.
3. Brush the tops of the rolls with milk, sprinkle with flour, and poke a small indentation in the top of each one. Bake for 15–20 minutes until pale gold.
4. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat for about 4 minutes, then add the bacon (depending on how many you're catering for, you may need to do this in batches, in which case have the oven on low so you can keep the cooked bacon warm until it's all ready). Cook, without moving, until the fat begins to turn golden, then turn over. Once it's cooked to your satisfaction, move to the edge of the pan.
5. Split each roll in two (the rougher the cut, the crisper the toasted side will be) and toast under the grill on the cut side for about 30 seconds until lightly charred. Butter, stuff with 2 rashers of streaky and 1 rasher of back bacon per person, and serve immediately.
Is the humble bacon sandwich the nation's favourite dish – and can anything top it as a hangover cure? (What do vegetarians and other pork avoiders turn to after a hard night?) And why on earth would anyone soil them with ketchup or brown sauce? |
“So we put a pencil on a map and drew 150 miles out,” he said. Looking west, they checked out Bethlehem, Pa., a city of 75,000 wedged between Allentown and Easton, which was founded by Moravians in the mid-18th century, and pitched their tent.
Jennifer Lehman may not have the longest commute in this determined fraternity — roughly two hours — but she is a clear winner when it comes to scenery and sociability. A recruiter in the professional services field, she lives in Newburgh, N.Y., about 60 miles north of New York City on the Hudson River. Ms. Lehman, 43, travels by car, boat and train to reach her office, which is blessedly only steps from Grand Central.
For eight years, she lived in a 300-square-foot Manhattan apartment, working at home several days a week. Seeking more breathing room, she moved to Newburgh, enjoying the same schedule. This ended three years later when she accepted a new job at a less-relaxed firm.
In the morning, a short drive takes Ms. Lehman to the 7:05 Newburgh-Beacon ferry. “It’s only 10 minutes, but it’s my favorite part of the commute,” she said, regarding the ferry ride.
Image Mr. Nevins picks up his car for the last leg of his trip home. Credit Douglas Healey for The New York Times
She described her fellow mariners as a caring family. “We know each other’s names and phone numbers,” she said, “and if someone isn’t on the ferry for a day or two we get worried.”
As Metro North trains do not offer Wi-Fi, she passes the morning commute reading and dozing. On the way home, dozing is perilous. “If I miss my stop I may wake up in Poughkeepsie.”
Lengthy commuting is not cheap. For Mr. Ubert, Trans-Bridge Lines, based in Bethlehem, has dozens of runs from eastern Pennsylvania to the city and surrounding area that cost $432.75 monthly to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Another is Bieber Transportation Group, in Kutztown ($439 from Allentown). Rail passes can be higher. |
ISIS wants mass murders in Kumbh Mela, Thrissur Pooram like Las Vegas club; asks members to poison people
World's most dreaded terrorist organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has reportedly exhorted its modules in Kerala to carry out attacks on Indian festivals like Kumbh Mela and Thrissur Pooram.
In a 10 minute voice clip, accessed by NIA and Kerala police, a person is asking its operatives to carry out lone wolf attacks in India.
World’s most dreaded terrorist organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has reportedly exhorted its modules in Kerala to carry out attacks on Indian festivals like Kumbh Mela and Thrissur Pooram. In a 10 minute voice clip, accessed by NIA and Kerala police, a person is asking its operatives to carry out lone wolf attacks in India. The person asking to carry out attacks in the audio is believed to be Rashid Abdullah. As per police record, Abdullah was the leader of the Kasargod IS module who is currently holed up somewhere in Afghanistan. The message was reportedly sent through Telegram app and was intercepted by National Investigative Agency a few day ago, The New Indian Express reports. As per some police officers, the message is getting analysed for past several days and the details have not been published so far. The said clip also mentions quotes from the Quran with an authentic Arabic pronunciation.
Taking note of the clip, Kerala police has also heightened surveillance. Some officers also confirmed to the newspaper that Rashid had sent 50 messages so far through ‘Telegram’ messenger. The said ISIS affiliate, Abdullah, has already been charge-sheeted by NIA under IPC sections 120B r/w 125 and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) Sections 38,39 and 40. What seems to be more threatening is that the male voice in the audio clip calls upon the IS agents to use trucks to mow down crowds at these events. As per a Zee News report, the audio clip released in Malayalam calls for Las Vegas-type terror attacks. It says that one of the ISIS operatives went for an attack in Las Vegas. “You use your intellect. Poison them in food. Use trucks. Drive over them at Thirssur Pooram or at Maha Kumbh Mela. IS Mujahideen are doing it in several parts of the world. In Las Vegas, one of our supporters killed many people at a music concert. At least you should try to derail a train. Or use a knife,” the male voice was quoted as saying in the Zee News report.
The voice further says that if the person is not able to do that (carrying out attack) despite prayers and efforts, then they should financially support Daulatul Islam and Islamic State. V Balachandran former special director of Cabinet Secretariat termed the incident as very serious. “They are going to take the battle to India from Europe and the Middle East,” he was quoted as saying in the report.
Kerala DGP Loknath Behera said that the matter is being thoroughly investigated, as per reports. |
Demo scener with Jello in the previous century, JavaScripter at Q42 in this one.
A Developer Advocate for Chrome. He's thinking a lot about how to make you more productive with tools that improve your workflow help you make slicker, sexier, mobile web apps. He works on tools like Modernizr , HTML5 Please , CSS3 Please , Yeoman , and other bits and bobs of open source code.
Together the hand picked jury will pick the top 10. They are a mix of JavaScripters and demo sceners.
Prizes A competition has to have prizes. Below you see an overview of the prizes and who offered them.
300 EUR Anonymous — For the best demo @
150 EUR Uxebu — Known far and wide for their crazy work. Currently they're working on pixelplant, a flash to html5 translation service. And BonsaiJS, an svg graphics library. The prize will be given in cash. @uxebu
3x 42 eur + Handcraft account Q42 — A bunch of nerds from the Netherlands. Nerds like jury member Sjoerd Visscher. They do projects (like Rijksmuseum.nl and Meethue.com) and create products (like Handcraft) and games (like Quento). They are giving away €42 and a paid Handcraft subscription for a year to each of the three winning JS1k nerds. @q42
65 USD JS1k — Left over from last years competition. A 65$ voucher to use on ThinkGeek @js1k
50 USD FetchNotes — Makes productivity as simple as a tweet. They help people keep track of the things they need and want to do, and they help them get it done too. The prize will be given in cash. @fetchnotes
50 USD Matt Pass — Creator of ICEcoder, has put $50 into the prize fund @matt
50 USD Echo JS — A social news site entirely focused on JavaScript development and front-end news @echojs
50 USD Storenvy — Building a 10 person team of hackers, engineers and designers to re-invent e-commerce @storenvy
50 EUR Levelap — An agile software development team in Quito, Ecuador @levelap
Effective JavaScript Jared Wyles — offers one copy of Dave Herman&pos;s book; Effective JavaScript, to the winner @rioter |
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CTIA-The Wireless Association, Federal Communications Commission and Consumers Union Announce Free Alerts to Help Consumers Avoid Unexpected Overage Charges
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CTIA-The Wireless Association® today announced new commitments by providers that represent more than 97 percent of wireless consumers in the U.S. to send free alerts to help consumers avoid unexpected overage charges. The joint announcement was made by CTIA President & CEO Steve Largent, Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski, and Consumers Union's Communications Policy Counsel Parul Desai. The plan – called the "Wireless Consumer Usage Notification Guidelines" – will provide free alerts both before and after subscribers they reach monthly limits on voice, data and text. In addition, the plan includes a notification to inform consumers of international roaming charges when traveling abroad. Subscribers will be covered by this plan unless they opt-out.
The CTIA "Wireless Consumer Usage Notification Guidelines" will become part of the broader CTIA "Consumer Code for Wireless Service" that provides disclosures and practices for wireless service to individual consumers. By October 17, 2012 participating carriers will provide customers with at least two out of the four notifications for data, voice, text and international roaming and all of the alerts by April 17, 2013.
President Barack Obama said, "Far too many Americans know what it's like to open up their cell-phone bill and be shocked by hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unexpected fees and charges. But we can put an end to that with a simple step: an alert warning consumers that they're about to hit their limit before fees and charges add up. Our phones shouldn't cost us more than the monthly rent or mortgage. So I appreciate the mobile phone companies' willingness to work with my Administration and join us in our overall and ongoing efforts to protect American consumers by making sure financial transactions are fair, honest and transparent."
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, "Last year, the FCC identified a growing problem known as bill shock and took important steps toward a solution, which led to today's victory for more than 97 percent of wireless consumers. These alerts will give consumers the information they need to save money on their monthly wireless bills. Consistent with the FCC's ongoing efforts, these actions harness technology to empower consumers, and ensure consumers get a fair shake, not bill shock."
CTIA President & CEO Steve Largent said, "The 'Wireless Consumer Usage Notification Guidelines' are another step that CTIA and our members have taken to advance consumer interests while recognizing the U.S. wireless industry's incredible innovation and competition. We appreciate the interest and guidance of FCC Chairman Genachowski and Commissioners, the FCC's Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau and Consumers Union in highlighting the need to harness technology to help empower consumers. Today's initiative is a perfect example of how government agencies and industries they regulate can work together under President Obama's recent executive order directing federal agencies to consider whether new rules are necessary or would unnecessarily burden businesses and the economy."
Parul P. Desai, Policy Counsel for Consumers Union, said, "Consumers have been telling us about 'bill shock' for a long time, and we've been pushing for reforms to crack down on the problem. We're encouraged that the industry is offering to provide free alerts to help customers avoid 'bill shock,' and we urge them to do it as quickly as possible. Some companies are already providing free alerts, while others are charging extra fees for them, and we think it's possible – and consumers deserve – to immediately receive free alerts to avoid overage charges. We're going to work closely with the FCC to make sure companies comply, and we're pleased the Commission is keeping this proceeding open to help ensure compliance. Ultimately, this is about helping people protect their pocketbooks, so we applaud the FCC and the industry for this effort to do right by consumers." |
A 23-year-old Russian woman sustained burns and severe injuries on her face, eyes, hands and body after a man whose marriage proposal she allegedly spurned attacked her with acid early Friday morning in Varanasi.
Police said the tourist, Darya Yurieva, arrived in the city three days ago and was staying as a paying guest at Hriday Lal Srivastava’s house, located in Nand Nagar colony in the heart of Varanasi. She had stayed at the same house for three months during a previous visit.
She told the police that Hriday’s grandson, Siddhartha Srivastava, attacked her and hurled acid at her around 4am, when she was sleeping in the balcony of her third-floor room, raising concerns about the continuing easy availability of acid despite orders restricting their sale.
“She sustained serious eye injuries. The next 72 hours will be very critical. A plastic surgeon has also examined her. We are giving her the best possible treatment,” said Dr KK Gupta, the chief medical superintendent of Sir Sunderlal Hospital at Banaras Hindu University where the victim was admitted.
Yurieva said she wanted to go back to Russia as her visa had expired and this allegedly angered Siddhartha, whose marriage proposal she turned down weeks ago. In her statement, the tourist said while she saw Siddhartha as only a friend, he was in love with her.
Sources said she told the magistrate that she belonged to Moscow but police said two passports were recovered from her room -- one Russian and the other Bulgarian.
“A Russian national has been admitted to hospital in a critical condition as she sustained injuries after acid was thrown on her by a youth. A case has been registered following a complaint by her,” said sub-inspector Sanjiv Kant Mishra, station officer of Lanka police station.
Siddhartha fled soon after the incident but police questioned his father, brother and grandfather. Two others were also detained but released later. Siddhartha was being treated by a psychiatrist at BHU, his grandfather Hriday Lal said.
Officials said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) asked Varanasi district magistrate Rajmani Yadav to provide her with the best possible treatment, whose cost the district administration would bear. The Russian embassy in New Delhi has been informed about the incident, sources said. A few officials are expected to reach Varanasi from New Delhi.
“Teams have been deployed to arrest the main suspect. Prima facie it appeared to be a case of spurned love. We are investigating further,” senior superintendent of police Akash Kulhari said.
India made acid attacks a separate class of crime in 2013 amid growing incidents of revenge on women who had spurned sexual advances or rejected a marriage proposal. The courts have promised free medical treatment and the government has moved to stop the free sale of acid but such attacks continue unabated, a fact brought out by women who boldly spoke out against the practice in an award-winning series Stop Acid Attacks by HT in 2013.
Friday’s attack was the latest in a series of crimes reported by foreign women visiting India. An American tourist accused two men of raping her in Dharamsala in September. In February, a Japanese woman accused a tour guide of drugging and raping her in Jaipur.
First Published: Nov 13, 2015 13:50 IST |
A unique synthesis of the latest findings in the quantum physics and chemistry of water that tells you why water is the “means, medium, and message of life” - more
Glyphosate/Roundup, falsely claimed by Monsanto to be safe and harmless, has become the world’s most widely and pervasively used herbicide; it has brought rising tides of birth defects, cancers, fatal kidney disease, sterility, and dozens of other illnesses - more
Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments Concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
The World Scientists Statement dates from 1999. It was superceded by the Independent Science Panel Report in 2003, and by the most recent report Ban GMOs Now in 2013. We are no longer collecting signatures for this statement.
The scientists are extremely concerned about the hazards of GMOs to biodiversity, food safety, human and animal health, and demand a moratorium on environmental releases in accordance with the precautionary principle.
They are opposed to GM crops that will intensify corporate monopoly, exacerbate inequality and prevent the essential shift to sustainable agriculture that can provide food security and health around the world.
They call for a ban on patents of life-forms and living processes which threaten food security, sanction biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and genetic resources and violate basic human rights and dignity.
They want more support on research and development of non-corporate, sustainable agriculture that can benefit family farmers all over the world.
Previous versions of this letter were submitted to many governments and international forums including:
World Trade Organization Conference in Seattle (November 30 Dec. 2, 1999)
Conference in Seattle (November 30 Dec. 2, 1999) UN Biosafety Protocol Meeting in Montreal (24 28, Jan. 2000)
in Montreal (24 28, Jan. 2000) UN Commission on Sustainable Development Conference on Sustainable Agriculture in New York (April 24-May 5, 2000)
Conference on Sustainable Agriculture in New York (April 24-May 5, 2000) UN Convention on Biological Diversity Conference in Nairobi (May 16-24, 2000)
Conference in Nairobi (May 16-24, 2000) United States Congress (29 June, 2000)
Signed by 815 scientists from 29 different countries, including:
Dr. David Bellamy, Biologist and Broadcaster, London, UK
Prof. Liebe Cavalieri, Mathematical Ecologist, Univ. Minnesota, USA
Dr. Thomas S. Cox, Geneticist, US Dept. of Agriculture (retired), India
Dr. Tewolde Egziabher, Spokesperson for African Region, Ethiopia
Dr. David Ehrenfeld, Biologist/Ecologist, Rutgers University, USA
Dr. Vladimir Zajac, Oncovirologist, Genetisist, Cancer Reseach Inst, Czech Republic
Dr. Brian Hursey, ex FAO Senior Officer for Vector Borne Diseases, UK
Prof. Ruth Hubbard, Geneticist, Harvard University, USA
Prof. Jonathan King, Molecular Biologist, MIT, Cambridge, USA
Prof. Gilles-Eric Seralini, Laboratoire de Biochimie & Moleculaire, Univ. Caen, France
Dr. David Suzuki, Geneticist, David Suzuki Foundation, Univ. British Columbia, Canada
Dr. Vandana Shiva, Theoretical Physicist and Ecologist, India
Dr. George Woodwell, Director, Woods Hole Research Center, USA
Prof. Oscar B. Zamora, Agronomist, U. Philippines, Los Banos, Philippines
1.9.2000
Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments
Summary
We, the undersigned scientists, call for the immediate suspension of all environmental releases of GM crops and products, both commercially and in open field trials, for at least 5 years; for patents on living processes, organisms, seeds, cell lines and genes to be revoked and banned; and for a comprehensive public enquiry into the future of agriculture and food security for all.
Patents on life-forms and living processes should be banned because they threaten food security, sanction biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and genetic resources, violate basic human rights and dignity, compromise healthcare, impede medical and scientific research and are against the welfare of animals.
GM crops offer no benefits to farmers or consumers. Instead, many problems have been identified, including yield drag, increased herbicide use, erratic performance, and poor economic returns to farmers. GM crops also intensify corporate monopoly on food, which is driving family farmers to destitution, and preventing the essential shift to sustainable agriculture that can guarantee food security and health around the world
The hazards of GMOs to biodiversity and human and animal health are now acknowledged by sources within the UK and US Governments. Particularly serious consequences are associated with the potential for horizontal gene transfer. These include the spread of antibiotic resistance marker genes that would render infectious diseases untreatable, the generation of new viruses and bacteria that cause diseases, and harmful mutations which may lead to cancer.
In the Cartegena Biosafety Protocol negotiated in Montreal in January 2000, more than 130 governments have pledged to implement the precautionary principle and to ensure that biosafety legislations at the national and international levels take precedence over trade and financial agreements at the World Trade Organization.
Successive studies have documented the productivity and the social and environmental benefits of sustainable, low-input and organic farming in both North and South. They offer the only practical way of restoring agricultural land degraded by conventional agronomic practices, and empower small family farmers to combat poverty and hunger.
We urge the US Congress to reject GM crops as both hazardous and contrary to the interest of family farmers; and to support research and development of sustainable agricultural methods that can truly benefit family farmers all over the world.
We, the undersigned scientists, call for the immediate suspension of all environmental releases of GM crops and products, both commercially and in open field trials, for at least 5 years; for patents on living processes, organisms, seeds, cell lines and genes to be revoked and banned; and for a comprehensive public enquiry into the future of agriculture and food security for all.
1 Patents on life-forms and living processes should be banned because they threaten food security, sanction biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and genetic resources, violate basic human rights and dignity, compromise healthcare, impede medical and scientific research and are against the welfare of animals(1). Life-forms such as organisms, seeds, cell lines and genes are discoveries and hence not patentable. Current GM techniques which exploit living processes are unreliable, uncontrollable and unpredictable, and do not qualify as inventions. Furthermore, those techniques are inherently unsafe, as are many GM organisms and products.
2. It is becoming increasingly clear that current GM crops are neither needed nor beneficial. They are a dangerous diversion preventing the essential shift to sustainable agricultural practices that can provide food security and health around the world.
3. Two simple characteristics account for the nearly 40 million hectares of GM crops planted in 1999(2). The majority (71%) are tolerant to broad-spectrum herbicides, with companies engineering plants to be tolerant to their own brand of herbicide, while most of the rest are engineered with bt-toxins to kill insect pests. A university-based survey of 8200 field trials of the most widely grown GM crops, herbicide-tolerant soya beans - revealed that they yield 6.7% less and required two to five times more herbicides than non-GM varieties(3). This has been confirmed by a more recent study in the University of Nebraska(4). Yet other problems have been identified: erratic performance, disease susceptibility(5), fruit abortion(6) and poor economic returns to farmers(7).
4. According to the UN food programme, there is enough food to feed the world one and a half times over. While world population has grown 90% in the past 40 years, the amount of food per capita has increased by 25%, yet one billion are hungry(8). A new FAO report confirms that there will be enough or more than enough food to meet global demands without taking into account any yield improvementsthat might result from GM crops well into 2030 (9). It is on account of increasing corporate monopoly operating under the globalised economy that the poor are getting poorer and hungrier(10). Family farmers around the world have been driven to destitution and suicide, and for the same reasons. Between 1993 and 1997 the number of mid-sized farms in the US dropped by 74,440(11), and farmers are now receiving below the average cost of production for their produce(12). The farming population in France and Germany fell by 50% since 1978(13). In the UK, 20 000 farming jobs were lost in the past year alone, and the Prime Minister has announced a £200m aid package(14). Four corporations control 85% of the world trade in cereals at the end of 1999(15). Mergers and acquisitions are continuing.
5. The new patents on seeds intensify corporate monopoly by preventing farmers from saving and replanting seeds, which is what most farmers still do in the Third World. In order to protect their patents, corporations are continuing to develop terminator technologies that genetic engineer harvested seeds not to germinate, despite worldwide opposition from farmers and civil society at large(16).
6. Christian Aid, a major charity working with the Third World, concluded that GM crops will cause unemployment, exacerbate Third World debt, threaten sustainable farming systems and damage the environment. It predicts famine for the poorest countries(17). African Governments condemned Monsanto's claim that GMOs are needed to feed the hungry of the world: "We..strongly object that the image of the poor and hungry from our countries is being used by giant multinational corporations to push a technology that is neither safe, environmentally friendly, nor economically beneficial to us we believe it will destroy the diversity, the local knowledge and the sustainable agricultural systems that our farmers have developed for millennia and undermine our capacity to feed ourselves.(18)" A message from the Peasant movement of the Philippines to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) of the industrialized countries stated, "The entry of GMOs will certainly intensify landlessness, hunger and injustice.(19)"
7. A coalition of family farming groups in the US have issued a comprehensive list of demands, including ban on ownership of all life-forms; suspension of sales, environmental releases and further approvals of all GM crops and products pending an independent, comprehensive assessment of the social, environmental, health and economic impacts; and for corporations to be made liable for all damages arising from GM crops and products to livestock, human beings and the environment(20). They also demand a moratorium on all corporate mergers and acquisitions, on farm closures, and an end to policies that serve big agribusiness interests at the expense of family farmers, taxpayers and the environment(21). They have mounted a lawsuit against Monsanto and nine other corporations for monopolistic practices and for foisting GM crops on farmers without adequate safety and environmental impact assessments(22).
8. Some of the hazards of GM crops are openly acknowledged by the UK and US Governments. UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) has admitted that the transfer of GM crops and pollen beyond the planted fields is unavoidable(23), and this has already resulted in herbicide-tolerant weeds(24). An interim report on UK Government-sponsored field trials confirmed hybridisation between adjacent plots of different herbicide tolerant GM oilseed rape varieties, which gave rise to hybrids tolerant to multiple herbicides. In addition, GM oilseed rape and their hybrids were found as volunteers in subsequent wheat and barley crops, which had to be controlled by standard herbicides(25). Bt-resistant insect pests have evolved in response to the continuous presence of the toxins in GM plants throughout the growing season, and the US Environment Protection Agency is recommending farmers to plant up to 40% non-GM crops in order to create refugia for non-resistant insect pests(26).
9. The threats to biodiversity from major GM crops already commercialized are becoming increasingly clear. The broad-spectrum herbicides used with herbicide-tolerant GM crops decimate wild plant species indiscriminately, they are also toxic to animals. Glufosinate causes birth defects in mammals(27), and glyphosate is linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma(28). GM crops with bt-toxins kill beneficial insects such as bees(29) and lacewings(30), and pollen from bt-corn is found to be lethal to monarch butterflies(31) as well as swallowtails(32). Bt-toxin is exuded from roots of bt-plants in the rhizosphere, where it rapidly binds to soil particles and become protected from degradation. As the toxin is present in an activated, non-selective form, both target and non-target species in the soil will be affected(33), with knock on effects on species above ground.
10. Products resulting from genetically modified organisms can also be hazardous. For example, a batch of tryptophan produced by GM microorganisms was associated with at least 37 deaths and 1500 serious illnesses(34). Genetically modified Bovine Growth Hormone, injected into cows in order to increase milk yield, not only causes excessive suffering and illnesses for the cows but increases IGF-1 in the milk, which is linked to breast and prostate cancers in humans(35). It is vital for the public to be protected from all GM products, and not only those containing transgenic DNA or protein. That is because the process of genetic modification itself, at least in the form currently practised, is inherently unsafe.
11. Secret memoranda of US Food and Drug Administration revealed that it ignored the warnings of its own scientists that genetic engineering is a new departure and introduces new risks. Furthermore, the first GM crop to be commercialized - the Flavr Savr tomato - did not pass the required toxicological tests(36). Since then, no comprehensive scientific safety testing had been done until Dr. Arpad Pusztai and his collaborators in the UK raised serious concerns over the safety of the GM potatoes they were testing. They conclude that a significant part of the toxic effect may be due to the "[gene] construct or the genetic transformation (or both)" used in making the GM plants(37).
12. The safety of GM foods was openly disputed by Professor Bevan Moseley, molecular geneticist and current Chair of the Working Group on Novel Foods in the European Union's Scientific Committee on Food(38). He drew attention to unforseen effects inherent to the technology, emphasizing that the next generation of GM foods - the so-called 'neutraceuticals' or 'functional foods', such as vitamin A 'enriched' rice - will pose even greater health risks because of the increased complexity of the gene constructs.
13. Genetic engineering introduces new genes and new combinations of genetic material constructed in the laboratory into crops, livestock and microorganisms(39). The artificial constructs are derived from the genetic material of pathogenic viruses and other genetic parasites, as well as bacteria and other organisms, and include genes coding for antibiotic resistance. The constructs are designed to break down species barriers and to overcome mechanisms that prevent foreign genetic material from inserting into genomes. Most of them have never existed in nature in the course of billions of years of evolution.
14. These constructs are introduced into cells by invasive methods that lead to random insertion of the foreign genes into the genomes (the totality of all the genetic material of a cell or organism). This gives rise to unpredictable, random effects, including gross abnormalities in animals and unexpected toxins and allergens in food crops.
15. One construct common to practically all GM crops already commercialized or undergoing field trials involves a gene-switch (promoter) from the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) spliced next to the foreign gene (transgene) to make it over-express continuously(40). This CaMV promoter is active in all plants, in yeast, algae and E. coli. We recently discovered that it is even active in amphibian egg(41) and human cell extract(42). It has a modular structure, and is interchangeable, in part, or in whole with promoters of other viruses to give infectious viruses. It also has a 'recombination hotspot' where it is prone to break and join up with other genetic material(43).
16. For these and other reasons, transgenic DNA - the totality of artificial constructs transferred into the GMO - may be more unstable and prone to transfer again to unrelated species; potentially to all species interacting with the GMO(44).
17. The instability of transgenic DNA in GM plants is well-known(45). GM genes are often silenced, but loss of part or all of the transgenic DNA also occurs, even during later generations of propagation(46). We are aware of no published evidence for the long term stability of GM inserts in terms of structure or location in the plant genome in any of the GM lines already commercialized or undergoing field trials.
18. The potential hazards of horizontal transfer of GM genes include the spread of antibiotic resistance genes to pathogens, the generation of new viruses and bacteria that cause disease and mutations due to the random insertion of foreign DNA, some of which may lead to cancer in mammalian cells(47). The ability of the CaMV promoter to function in all species including human beings is particularly relevant to the potential hazards of horizontal gene transfer.
19. The possibility for naked or free DNA to be taken up by mammalian cells is explicitly mentioned in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft guidance to industry on antibiotic resistance marker genes(48). In commenting on the FDA's document, the UK MAFF pointed out that transgenic DNA may be transferred not just by ingestion, but by contact with plant dust and air-borne pollen during farm work and food processing(49). This warning is all the more significant with the recent report from Jena University in Germany that field experiments indicated GM genes may have transferred via GM pollen to the bacteria and yeasts in the gut of bee larvae(50).
20. Plant DNA is not readily degraded during most commercial food processing(51). Procedures such as grinding and milling left grain DNA largely intact, as did heat-treatment at 90deg.C. Plants placed in silage showed little degradation of DNA, and a special UK MAFF report advises against using GM plants or plant waste in animal feed.
21. The human mouth contains bacteria that have been shown to take up and express naked DNA containing antibiotic resistance genes, and similar transformable bacteria are present in the respiratory tracts(52).
22. Antibiotic resistance marker genes from GM plants have been found to transfer horizontally to soil bacteria and fungi in the laboratory(53). Field monitoring revealed that GM sugar beet DNA persisted in the soil for up to two years after the GM crop was planted. And there is evidence suggesting that parts of the transgenic DNA have transferred horizontally to bacteria in the soil(54).
23. Recent research in gene therapy and nucleic acid (both DNA and RNA) vaccines leaves little doubt that naked/free nucleic acids can be taken up, and in some cases, incorporated into the genome of all mammalian cells including those of human beings. Adverse effects already observed include acute toxic shock, delayed immunological reactions and autoimmune reactions(55).
24. The British Medical Association, in their interim report (published May, 1999), called for an indefinite moratorium on the releases of GMOs pending further research on new allergies, the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and the effects of transgenic DNA.
25. In the Cartegena Biosafety Protocol successfully negotiated in Montreal in January, 2000, more than 130 governments have agreed to implement the precautionary principle, and to ensure that biosafety legislations at the national and international levels take precedence over trade and financial agreements at the WTO. Similarly, delegates to the Codex Alimentarius Commission Conference in Chiba Japan, March 2000, have agreed to prepare stringent regulatory procedures for GM foods that include pre-market evaluation, long-term monitoring for health impacts, tests for genetic stability, toxins, allergens and other unintended effects(56). The Cartegena Biosafety Protocol has now been signed by 68 Governments in Nairobi in May, 2000.
26. We urge all Governments to take proper account of the now substantial scientific evidence of actual and suspected hazards arising from GM technology and many of its products, and to impose an immediate moratorium on further environmental releases, including open field trials, in accordance with the precautionary principle as well as sound science.
27. Successive studies have documented the productivity and sustainability of family farming in the Third World as well as in the North(57). Evidence from both North and South indicates that small farms are more productive, more efficient and contribute more to economic development than large farms. Small farmers also tend to make better stewards of natural resources, conserving biodiversity and safeguarding the sustainability of agricultural production(58). Cuba responded to the economic crisis precipitated by the break up of the Soviet Bloc in 1989 by converting from conventional large scale, high input monoculture to small organic and semi-organic farming, thereby doubling food production with half the previous input(59).
28. Agroecological approaches hold great promise for sustainable agriculture in developing countries, in combining local farming knowledge and techniques adjusted to local conditions with contemporary western scientific knowledge(60). The yields have doubled and tripled and are still increasing. An estimated 12.5 million hectares worldwide are already successfully farmed in this way(61). It is environmentally sound and affordable for small farmers. It recovers farming land marginalized by conventional intensive agriculture. It offers the only practical way of restoring agricultural land degraded by conventional agronomic practices. Most of all, it empowers small family farmers to combat poverty and hunger.
29. We urge all Governments to reject GM crops on grounds that they are both hazardous and contrary to ecologically sustainable use of resources. Instead they should support research and development of sustainable agricultural methods that can truly benefit family farmers the world over.
See World Scientists Statement, Institute of Science in Society website <www.i-sis.org.uk> See Ho, M.W. and Traavik, T. (1999). Why Patents on Life Forms and Living Processes Should be Rejected from TRIPS Scientific Briefing on TRIPS Article 27.3(b). TWN Report, Penang. See also ISIS News #3 and #4 <www.i-sis.org.uk> James, C. (1998,1999). Global Status of Transgenic Crops, ISAAA Briefs, New York. Benbrook, C. (1999). Evidence of the Magnitude and Consequences of the Roundup Ready Soybean Yield Drag from University-Based Varietal Trials in 1998, Ag BioTech InfoNet Technical Paper No. 1, Idaho. Splitting Headache Andy Coghlan. NewScientist, News, November 20, 1999. Metabolic Disturbances in GM cotton leading to fruit abortion and other problems<[email protected]> Genetically Altered Crops Will We Answer the Questions?Dan McGuire, American Corn Growers Association Annual Convention, Las Vegas Nevade, Feb.4, 2000; see also Biotech News Richard Wolfson, Canad. J. Health & Nutrition, April, 2000. See Watkins, K. (1999). Free trade and farm fallacies. Third World Resurgence 100/101, 33-37; see also El Feki, S. (2000). Growing pains, The Economist, 25 March, 2000. Agriculture: towards 2015/30, FAO Global Perspectives Studies Unit http://www.fao.org/es/esd/at2015/toc-e.htm This is now admitted in an astonishing series of articles by Shereen El Feki in The Economist (March 25, 2000), hitherto generally considered as a pro-business right-wing magazine. Farm and Land in Farms, Final Estimates 1993-1997, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. See Griffin, D. (1999). Agricultural globalization. A threat to food security? Third World Resurgence 100/101, 38-40. El Feki, S. (2000). Trust or bust, The Economist, 25 March, 2000. Meikle, J. (2000). Farmers welcome £200m deal. The Guardian, 31 March, 2000. Farm Aid fact sheet: The Farm Crisis Deepens, Cambridge, Mass, 1999. US Department of Agriculture now holds two new patents on terminator technology jointly with Delta and Pine. These patents were issued in 1999. AstraZeneca are patenting similar techniques. Rafi communique, March, 2000 Simms, A. (1999). Selling Suicide, farming, false promises and genetic engineering in developing countries, Christian Aid, London. Let Natures Harvest Continue Statement from all the African delegates (except South Africa) to FAO negotiations on the International Undertaking for Plant Genetic Resources June, 1998. Letter from Kilusang Mgbubukid ng Pilipinas to OECD, 14 Feb. 2000 <www.geocities.com/kmp.ph> Farmers Declaration on Genetic Engineering in Agriculture, National Family Farm Coalition, USA, <[email protected]> Farmer's rally on Capitol Hill, September 12, 1999. McGuire, D. (2000). Genetically altered crops: will we answer the questions? American Corn Growers Association Annual Convention, Las Vegas, Feb. 4, 2000. MAFF Fact Sheet: Genetic modification of crops and food, June, 1999. See Ho, M.W. and Tappeser, B. (1997). Potential contributions of horizontal gene transfer to the transboundary movement of living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. Proceedings of Workshop on Transboundary Movement of Living Modified Organisms resulting from Modern biotechnology : Issues and Opportunities for Policy-makers (K.J. Mulongoy, ed.), pp. 171-193, International Academy of the Environment, Geneva. The BRIGHT Project: Botanical and Rotational Implications of Genetically Modified Herbicide Tolerance: Progress Report, March 2000, sponsored by MAFF, SERAD, HGCA, BBRO, Aventis, Crop Care, Cyanamid, Monsanto Mellon, M. and Rissler, J. (1998). Now or Never. Serious New Plans to Save a Natural Pest Control, Union of Conerned Scientists, Cambridge, Mass. Garcia,A.,Benavides,F.,Fletcher,T. and Orts,E. (1998). Paternal exposure to pesticides and congenital malformations. Scand J Work Environ Health 24, 473-80. Hardell, H. & Eriksson, M. (1999). A Case-Control Study of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Exposure to Pesticides. Cancer85, 1355-1360. "Cotton used in medicine poses threat: genetically-altered cotton may not be safe" Bangkok Post, November 17, 1997. Hilbeck, A., Baumgartner, M., Fried, P.M. and Bigler, F. (1998). Effects of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis-corn-fed prey on mortality and development time of immature Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). Environmental Entomology 27, 480-96. Losey, J.E., Rayor, L.D. and Carter, M.E. (1999). Transgenic pollen harms monarch larvae. Nature 399, 214. See Wraight, C.L., Zangerl, R.A., Carroll, M.J. and Berenbaum, M.R. (2000). Absence of toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis pollen to black swallowtails under field conditions. PNAS Early Edition www.pnas.org; despite the claim in the title, the paper reports toxicity of bt-pollen from a high-expressing line to swallowtail larvae in the laboratory. The issue of bt-crops is reviewed in "Swallowing the tale of the swallowtail" and "To Bt or Not to Bt", ISIS News #5 Deepak Saxena, Saul Flores, G, Stotzky (1999) Transgenic plants: Insecticidal toxin in root exudates from Bt corn Nature 402, 480, p 480. Mayeno, A.N. and Gleich, G.J. (1994). Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome and tryptophan production : a cautionary tale. Tibtech 12, 346-352. Epstein, E. (1998). Bovine growth hormone and prostate cancer; Bovine growth hormone and breast cancer. The Ecologist 28(5), 268, 269. The secret memoranda came to light as the result of a civil lawsuit spearheaded by lawyer Steven Druker against the US FDA, May 1998. For details see Biointegrity website: <www.biointegrity.com> Ewen, S.W.B. and Pusztai, A. (1999). Effects of diets containing genetially modified potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat small intestine. The Lancet 354, 1353-1354; see also <http://plab.ku.dk/tcbh/PusztaiPusztai.htm> Pat Phibbs, P. (2000). Genetically modified food sales 'dead' In EU Until safety certain, says consultant , The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., Washington D.C. March 23, 2000. See Ho, M.W. (1998,1999). Genetic Engineering Dream or Nightmare? The Brave New World of Bad Science and Big Business, Gateway, Gill & Macmillan, Dublin. See Ho, M.W., Ryan, A., Cummins, J. (1999). The cauliflower mosaic viral promoter a recipe for disaster? Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 11, 194-197; Ho, M.W., Ryan, A., Cummins, J. (2000). Hazards of transgenic crops with the cauliflower mosaic viral promoter. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease (in press); Cummins, J., Ho, M.W. and Ryan, A. (2000). Hazards of CaMV promoter. Nature Biotechnology (in press). Reviewed in Ho, 1998,1999 (note 37); Ho, M.W., Traavik, T., Olsvik, R., Tappeser, B., Howard, V., von Weizsacker, C. and McGavin, G. (1998b). Gene Technology and Gene Ecology of Infectious Diseases. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 10, 33-59; Traavik, T. (1999a). Too early may be too late, Ecological risks associated with the use of naked DNA as a biological tool for research, production and therapy, Research report for Directorate for Nature Management, Norway. N Ballas, S Broido, H Soreq, A Loyter (1989) Efficient functioning of plant promoters and poly(A) sites in Xenopus oocytes Nucl Acids Res 17, 7891-903. Burke, C, Yu X.B., Marchitelli, L.., Davis, E.A., Ackerman, S. (1990). Transcription factor IIA of wheat and human function similarly with plant and animal viral promoters. Nucleic Acids Res 18, 3611-20. Reviewed in Ho, 1998,1999 (note 37); Ho, M.W., Traavik, T., Olsvik, R., Tappeser, B., Howard, V., von Weizsacker, C. and McGavin, G. (1998b). Gene Technology and Gene Ecology of Infectious Diseases. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 10, 33-59; Traavik, T. (1999a). Too early may be too late, Ecological risks associated with the use of naked DNA as a biological tool for research, production and therapy, Research report for Directorate for Nature Management, Norway. Kumpatla, S.P., Chandrasekharan, M.B., Iuer, L.M., Li, G. and Hall, T.c. (1998). Genome intruder scanning and modulation systems and transgene silencing. Trends in Plant Sciences 3, 96-104. See Pawlowski, W.P. and Somers, D.A. (1996). Transgene inheritance in plants. Molecular Biotechnology 6, 17-30. Reviewed by Doerfler, W., Schubbert, R., Heller, H., Kämmer, C., Hilger-Eversheim, D., Knoblauch, M. and Remus, R. (1997). Integration of foreign DNA and its consequences in mammalian systems. Tibtech 15, 297-301. Draft Guidance for Industry: Use of Antibiotic Resistance Marker Genes in Transgenic Plants, US FDA, September 4, 1998. See Letter from N. Tomlinson, Joint Food Safety and Standards Group, MAFF, to US FDA, 4 December, 1998. See Barnett, A. (2000). GM genes 'jump species barrier'. The Observer, May 28. Forbes, J.M., Blair, D.E., Chiter, A., and Perks, S. (1998). Effect of Feed Processing Conditions on DNA Fragmentation Section 5 - Scientific Report, MAFF; see also Ryan, A. and Ho, M.W. (1999). Transgenic DNA in animal feed. ISIS Report, November 1999 <www.i-sis.org.uk> Mercer, D.K., Scott, K.P., Bruce-Johnson, W.A. Glover, L.A. and Flint, H.J. (1999). Fate of free DNA and transformation of the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii DL1 by plasmid DNA in human saliva. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 65, 6-10. Reviewed in Ho, 1998,1999 (note 37). Gebbard, F. and Smalla, K. (1999). Monitoring field releases of genetically modified sugar beets for persistence of transgenic plant DNA and horizontal gene transfer. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 28, 261-272. See Ho, M.W., Ryan, A., Cummins, J. and Traavik, T. (2000). Unregulated Hazards, Naked and Free Nucleic Acids, ISIS Report for Third World Network, Jan. 2000, London and Penang <www.i-sis.org.uk> Viewpoint, Henry Miller, Financial Times, March 22, 2000 See Pretty, J. (1995). Sustainable Agriculture, Earthscan, London; also Pretty, J. (1998). The Living Land - Agriculture, Food and Community Regeneration in Rural Europe, Earthscan, London; see also Alternative Agriculture: Report of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C., 1989. Rosset, P. (1999). The Multiple Functions and Benefits of Small Farm Agriculture In the Context of Global Trade Negotiations, The Institute for Good and Development Policy, Policy Brief No. 4, Oakland. Mruphy, C. (1999). Cultivating Havana: Urban Agriculture and Food Security in the Years of Crisis, Institute for Food and Development Policy, Development Report No. 12, Oakland. Altieri, M., Rosset, P. and Trupp, L.A. (1998). The Potential of Agroecology to Combat Hunger in the Developing World, Institute for Food and Development Policy Report, Oakland, California. Peter Rosset, Food First Institute.
Article first published 01/09/00 |
The staffers at a private nursing home in south Delhi had to hide in the facility's toilets after a scuffle broke out between two groups of Nigerian nationals in the early hours of Saturday. The entire episode was captured on CCTV cameras installed inside the hospital, wherein the foreign nationals can be seen damaging the hospital property, including doors. No arrests in the case have been made, so far.
Chinmoy Biswal, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, said a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered at the Saket police station. According to the police, they were informed around 4.40 am on Saturday about the ruckus inside the Neelu Angel nursing home in Saket.
"Investigation revealed that the two groups first fought at the Eboma Kitchen near the Mehrauli church. Some of them were injured during the clash and had come to the hospital for treatment. The fight then continued at the hospital," Biswal said.
Lairab, who works at the front desk of the clinic, told the police that on the day of the incident, three Nigerian nationals had come to the hospital for medical help. They then told the staff members that the nursing home's prices were high and that they would go to another hospital. Meanwhile, there were nearly a dozen Nigerian nationals outside the hospital as well. Soon, a clash broke out between the two groups.
In the CCTV footage, a group of Nigerians can be seen following an injured person. The footage shows them breaking the door and thrashing him, removing his shirt, and hitting him with a shoe. When the police reached the hospital, they found the reception and the laboratory vandalised. |
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily barred the Italian ambassador from leaving the country, the latest escalation in a dispute over the killing of two Indian fishermen by Italian marines.
Italian sailors Salvatore Girone (R) and Massimiliano Latorre leave the police commissioner office in Kochi January 18, 2013. REUTERS/Sivaram V
India had summoned the Italian ambassador this week to protest against Rome’s decision not to send two marines charged with killing the fishermen while on anti-piracy duty back to India to face trial.
Separately, an Indian politician who heads a regional party has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Italian government over the decision.
The court ordered ambassador Daniele Mancini not to leave India, and to respond to the petition by March 18, raising questions about whether this violated the envoy’s diplomatic immunity.
“The Chief Justice issued a notice to the Italian ambassador stating not to leave the country and has sought a reply from the ambassador by March 18,” said Viplav Sharma, defence counsel for the Italian marines.
The Supreme Court had allowed Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone to return home for four weeks to vote in last month’s general election, provided they returned. They have not done so, and Italy’s Foreign Ministry said the incident had become a formal dispute over U.N. laws.
“(The dispute) has shaken the confidence of the people whether foreign powers can take our Supreme Court so lightly. It is a very serious contempt,” Subramanian Swamy, the politician who filed the petition, told reporters on Thursday.
The Supreme Court said in a long-awaited ruling in January that India had jurisdiction to try the marines, but Italy has challenged that decision, arguing that the shooting took place in international waters.
The sailors arrived back in Italy on February 23, a day before the country’s election, after the Supreme Court granted their request to exercise their right to vote.
Italy’s announcement the sailors would not return has sparked fury in India. The case has caused an uproar in parliament and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government is under pressure to respond forcefully.
Singh issued an unusually strong statement on Wednesday in which he accused Italy of violating “every rule of diplomatic discourse” and warned that if the sailors did not return “there will be consequences for our relations with Italy”.
“We have to take steps, there is no question that we won’t take any steps,” Salman Khurshid, foreign minister, told reporters on Thursday.
“You can be certain that this is a matter that will be treated with the greatest urgency. It will be treated with determination to ensure that we do not suffer.”
A government official said India was weighing what steps it could take, including expelling the ambassador, but that it was unlikely to take any action before March 22, when the sailors are due to appear again in court.
“I am the envoy. I will represent the government of Italy until the very moment when (a competent authority) would declare me persona non grata,” Mancini told reporters on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi late on Wednesday. |
To hear some tell it, dark forces have been set loose upon the United States - forces determined to impose Islamic Sharia law on an unwilling Christian nation.
It's worth remembering, however, that there are more than two dozen countries in the world where a majority of the people are Muslims. Only a few of them could be described as self-declared Islamic states, such as the “Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” or one that enforces the strict criminal code known as hudud spelled out in the Koran.
By that definition there are probably only four truly Islamic states: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan and Sudan. Two other non-Islamic states, Nigeria and Malaysia, have enacted strict Sharia ordinances in some of their subdivisions. My expertise is in Asia, not the Middle East, so I’ll discuss Indonesia and Malaysia in more detail.
Indonesia, though boasting the world’s largest Muslim population, is not an Islamic state. The guiding principle of Indonesia is pancasila, which refers to a belief in one supreme God, humanism, national unity, democracy and justice. As a philosophy, pancasila is really nothing much more than a collection of platitudes, but it has served as a useful unifying creed.
When Indonesia gained independence in 1948, its founders insisted on a culturally neutral identity rather than defining Indonesia by any one religion. In this way the minority religions and their practitioners are officially on an equal plane with the Muslim majority, not second-class, barely tolerated citizens as in other Islamic states.
The central government has allowed Sharia to be enacted and enforced in only one province, Aceh, best known to the world at large as the site of the devastating tsunami in late 2004. Aceh is noted as being exceptionally pious, and for years mounted an insurgency against the central government in Jakarta. It was allowed to adopt some Shariah as part of the settlement that ended an insurgency stretching over two decades.
Learn More About Religion in Indonesia
But even so, Aceh is not allowed to enforce strict hudud law, only “traditional Acehnese Islamic practices and values,” such as wearing a headscarf, which most of the women there would probably do anyway. Jakarta keeps a strong grip on the criminal code, so it would be difficult for any subdivision to become an Islamic state unless the whole country became one.
Both Indonesia and Malaysia adopted their constitutions at independence, which was a time when colonialism and communism were the burning issues, not Islamic fundamentalism. One wonders what kinds of pressures these countries might be under if they had to write them today.
But it is worth noting that as recently as 2002, the People’s Consultative Assembly, the body that at the time had the power to amend Indonesia’s constitution, voted down attempts to enshrine Islam in the preamble. Over the years Muslim groups have sought to establish an Islamic state but the mainstream community has always rejected it.
For the past dozen years Malaysian politics has been roiled by efforts to enact hudud laws in some of the country’s states. Malaysia is a federal union of 14 states in peninsular Malaya and on the island of Borneo. About 60 percent of the population is Muslim, the rest Hindu, Christian or, in the case of Borneo, animist.
The Parti Islam SeMalaysia (better known by its initials PAS) is dedicated to creating an Islamic state in Malaysia through democratic means. PAS has never won more than a handful of seats in the federal parliament, but it controls the state of Kelantan on the east coast and for a while it governed the neighboring state of Terangganu.
In 1993 the Kelantan state assembly enacted the “State Syariah (Sharia) Criminal Bill.” The pure hudud code covers such offenses as drinking alcohol, illicit intercourse, theft, blasphemy and apostasy (renouncing Islam) and applies it to all Muslims. The penalties are whipping, amputation of limbs and death (by stoning for adultery).
No one has ever been prosecuted under Kelantan’s hudud code. Malaysia’s constitution makes the criminal code a federal matter, and the police, answerable to Kuala Lumpur, decline to enforce the code. However, as nobody is prosecuted, there have been no convictions to bring before the Supreme Court. So the issue has never been tested.
Malaysia’s constitution makes religious affairs a matter for individual states, and most have enacted laws and established religious courts to judge personal matters, such as marriage and inheritance for Muslims. Some states enforce restrictions on public drinking by Malays, too.
But with the exception of Kelantan, alcohol is generally available everywhere. Chinese restaurants dish out pork next to Malay restaurants observing halal. Ethnic Chinese women in miniskirts share the pavement with Malay women wearing headscarves. Women are highly emancipated and occupy important posts.
Nobody would ever confuse Kuala Lumpur with Riyadh. |
Three hospitals including a children's hospital in rebel-held eastern Aleppo were take out of operation on Friday, after being repeatedly targeted by Syrian and Russian warplanes, according to activists and aid workers.
Witnesses said that the hospitals were targeted by vacuum bombs and toxic gas on Friday, marking the fourth straight day of bombardment since Russia declared an end to a month-long humanitarian pause on Tuesday.
A spokesperson from the Independent Doctor's Association, which runs eastern Aleppo's only children's hospital, told Middle East Eye that the heavy bombardment had forced its staff to evacuate the medical facility for safety reasons.
Speaking from Turkey where the IDA's offices are based, the spokesperson said that its medical facility and staff had been targeted twice in one week.
Aleppo's health director said in a statement on Friday that every hospital in the eastern part of the city has been destroyed.
"Due to systemic attacks that targeted Aleppo City Hospitals in the last 48 hours by the Syrian regime and Russian regime airforces; We in Free Aleppo directorate annouce that all hospitals in eastern Aleppo city are out of service," he wrote.
Footage taken by Al Jazeera from the hospital showed patients and staff struggling to breath after the medical facility was hit by bombs containing toxic gas.
Three cases of suffocation was also reported by the Al Jazeera team, with many patients filmed wearing breathing masks.
Many hospitals including the children's hospital, were forced to go underground, in an attempt to keep patients safe from aerial and artillery bombardment by Russian and Syrian government forces.
Following the continous bombardment by Moscow and Damascus this week, four out of seven hospitals are still in operation serving about 250,000 civilians living under siege.
Two out of the four hospitals left in operation contained a trauma and intensive care unit.
Other hospitals that were forced out of operation include the M1 hospital which houses a trauma unit.
Earlier this year MEE reported the use of illegal vacuum bombs against hospitals in east Aleppo on the M2 hospital which was taken out of service last month.
Many residents of eastern rebel-held Aleppo spent the night in basements and bomb shelters after one of the most intense bombardments of the renewed offensive.
'It is shocking that healthcare facilities continue to be attacked in Syria'
- WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic
Barrel bombs and other ordnance rained down until midnight, only to resume in the early hours, an AFP correspondent reported.
The bombardment came as government troops pressed an assault on the southern neighbourhood of Sheikh Said, which they briefly entered before being pushed back by rebel fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Days of intense bombardment
Speaking via WhatsApp, MEE contributor Zouhir Al-Shimale said that living in east Aleppo "felt like hell" after days of continuous bombardment.
Al-Shimale also told MEE that the bombing had not stopped since the morning.
Witnesses described the artillery assault as the heaviest they had experienced in Aleppo in years of war.
"I have never heard such intense artillery bombardments," said Najib Fakhoury, head of the White Helmets volunteer rescue group in the rebel-held Ansari district.
"Earlier, we received a call for help to extinguish a fire," he said. "But we cannot go because the shells are falling on the streets".
Activists and aid workers have refused to name the facilities, despite using codes to denote hospitals in east Aleppo, as they feared further retaliation from forces loyal to the Syrian government.
The World Health Organisation earlier this week condemned attacks against hospital and medical facilities.
WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said: "It is shocking that healthcare facilities continue to be attacked in Syria. Only this year there were 126 attacks on health facilities and health workers recorded by the World Health Organisation and partners."
He also added: "We call on all parties to stop targeting health workers and hospitals because this is outrageous, and this deprives (the) civilian population from access to basic health services."
Russia confirmed on Thursday that it had deployed cruise missiles to target "jihadist groups in Syria".
It said Thursday's strikes targeted the Islamic State (IS) group and the formerly al-Qaeda-affiliated Fateh al-Sham Front, but it did not specify where they had been carried out.
Aleppo province is mostly controlled by a rebel alliance known as the Army of Conquest, which groups rebel factions with Islamic militants of the Fateh al-Sham Front.
Rebels hit back
Rebels responded by firing more than a dozen rockets into government-held areas of the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added. Three civilians including two children were killed in western Aleppo, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.
At least 65 civilians have been killed since the offensive resumed on Tuesday, the Observatory said.
No aid has entered the city's eastern neighbourhoods since government troops surrounded them in mid-July, and humanitarian organisations said this week food aid stockpiled there had all but run out.
Once Syria's main commercial and industrial hub, Aleppo has been devastated by fighting since the rebels overran the east of the city in 2012.
The 1.2 million civilians living in government-held areas have come under repeated rocket fire from the rebels. |
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In March 2010, Palin posted a map lawmakers she wanted targeted in the election, one of which was Giffords. The map featured crosshair images on those districts.Kelly points out that after Giffords voted for the Democrats' healthcare legislation that year, someone shot out the glass door and side window of her office and that her staffers "feared for their safety."After Giffords' was injured in the Jan. 8th shooting in Tucson, Ariz., Kelly writes that Palin's "rhetoric came quickly into my head." He notes that when President Obama called to express his condolences, "I told him Gabby and I had found Palin's website troubling." He admits he "vented" to Obama about his frustrations and that the president listened to his complaints without "commenting on them directly."Kelly admits "I don't know if the shooter in Tucson even looked at Sarah Palin's website" but he notes politicians "need to tone it down, speak more respectfully."He writes that Palin, who was contemplating a presidential bid at the time, never called although he was told by Palin adviser John Coale that "Sarah and her husband, Todd, were 'devastated' by the tragedy."Palin, at the time, posted a note on her Facebook page: "My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today's tragic shooting in Arizona. On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice," she wrote.But Kelly writes: "I thought Sarah Palin might call to say she wished Gabby well and that she was praying for her and the other victims. We heard from many Republicans offering heart-felt messages. Given that a lot of the discussion in the wake of the shooting had singled out Palin, I expected she might also want to clear the air."He even imagined what he would say to Palin, writing he planned to "graciously accept her words of consolation" and then add his own thoughts: "'You are not responsible,' I planned to tell Sarah Palin, 'But youirresponsible.'"But "she never called," he notes.Kelly and Giffords' book was released Tuesday. |
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May 27, 2016, 8:30 AM GMT / Updated May 27, 2016, 8:32 AM GMT / Source: Reuters
CAIRO — An armed Muslim mob stripped an elderly Christian woman and paraded her naked on the streets amid rumors she had an affair, the local church, witnesses and security officials said.
Seven Christian homes were also looted and torched in last week's attack in a province south of the Egyptian capital.
According to the local Orthodox Coptic church and security officials, the assault in the Minya province village of Karma on Friday began after rumors spread that the 70-year-old woman's son had an affair with a Muslim woman — a taboo in conservative Egypt.
"They burned the house and went in and dragged me out, threw me in front of the house and ripped my clothes," the woman, who requested anonymity, told Reuters. "I was just as my mother gave birth to me and was screaming and crying."
Police have arrested six men suspected of taking part in the violence and are looking for 12 more, the security officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi KHALED DESOUKI / AFP - Getty Images
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi called for the culprits to be held accountable and gave the military a month to restore property damaged during the violence, at no cost to the owners.
In a statement issued Thursday by his office, el-Sissi said Egypt appreciates the role of "glorious Egyptian women" and that "the rights and the protection of their dignity are a humanitarian and patriotic commitment before being a legal and constitutional one."
Anba Makarios, Minya's top Christian cleric, told a talk show host on the private Dream TV network that the 70-year-old woman was dragged out of her home by the mob who beat her and insulted her before they stripped her off her clothes and forced her to walk through the streets as they chanted Allahu Akbar, or "God is great."
The woman reported the incident to the police five days later, said Makarios, adding that she had initially found it too difficult to "swallow the humiliation" she suffered and go to the police.
Attiyah Ayad, a 58-year-old farmer from a nearby village who witnessed the attack, described how the mob chanted "we must drive the infidels out" as they looted and burned the Christian homes, one of which belonged to his relatives. He said they were armed with firearms, knifes and sticks.
"They emptied magazine after magazine, firing in the air to terrorize us," said Ayad, who suffered a head injury from being hit by a rifle butt and his son Ayad, 30, sustained a deep knife wound in his left shoulder.
Extramarital affairs or sex between unmarried couples are taboo among Muslims and Christians in Egypt. They often attract violent reactions in rural areas, where questions of honor can lead to deadly family feuds that endure for years or result in ostracizing the perpetrators.
Christian men cannot marry Muslim women in Egypt unless they convert to Islam first, but Muslim men can marry Christian women. An affair between a Christian man and a Muslim woman takes such sectarian sensitivities to a much higher and dangerous level and often lead to violence if found out.
Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of more than 90 million people, have long complained of discrimination in the mostly Muslim nation. |
The surface of Pluto is becoming better resolved as NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft speeds closer to its July flight through the Pluto system.A series of new images obtained by the spacecraft’s telescopic Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) during May 29-June 2 show Pluto is a complex world with very bright and very dark terrain as well as areas of intermediate brightness in between. These images afford the best views ever obtained of the Pluto system.New Horizons scientists used a technique called deconvolution to sharpen the raw, unprocessed pictures (you can find daily versions of the 100-millisecond exposures in the Approaching Pluto gallery ) that the spacecraft beams back to Earth; the contrast in these latest images also has been stretched to bring out additional details. Deconvolution can occasionally produce artifacts, so the team will be carefully reviewing newer images taken from closer range to determine whether some of the tantalizing details seen in the images released today persist. Pluto’s nonspherical appearance in these images is not real; it results from a combination of the image-processing technique and Pluto’s large variations in surface brightness.Since April, deconvolved images from New Horizons have allowed the science team to identify a wide variety of broad surface markings across Pluto, including the bright area at one pole that scientists believe is a polar cap.
“Even though the latest images were made from more than 30 million miles [50 million kilometers] away, they show an increasingly complex surface with clear evidence of discrete equatorial bright and dark regions — some that may also have variations in brightness,” says New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. “We can also see that every face of Pluto is different and that Pluto’s northern hemisphere displays substantial dark terrains, though both Pluto’s darkest and its brightest known terrain units are just south of, or on, its equator. Why this is so is an emerging puzzle.”
“We’re squeezing as much information as we can out of these images and seeing details we’ve never seen before,” said New Horizons Project Scientists Hal Weaver from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. “We’ve seen evidence of light and dark spots in Hubble Space Telescope images and in previous New Horizons pictures, but these new images indicate an increasingly complex and nuanced surface. Now, we want to start to learn more about what these various surface units might be and what’s causing them. By early July, we will have spectroscopic data to help pinpoint that.”
New Horizons is approximately 2.9 billion miles (4.7 billion km) from Earth and just 20.4 million miles (32.9 million km) from Pluto. The spacecraft and payload are in good health and operating normally. |
Naval Rules Online
The following are a collecton of links to sets of naval rules that can be found online. If you have a set that you'd like featured here please let me know.
Last updated 10th December 2015
Ancient - Medieval - Renaissance - Age of Sail - Ironclad - Predreadnought - WW1 - WW2 - Modern - Uckers
Ancient
Corvus - Ancient naval rules by Richard Lee
Mare Nostrum - Italian language ancient naval rules
Nauta - ancient rules by Daniele Varelli
Naval Rules - a fantasy set by M C Gianni that is perfectly good for historical games
Oceanus Strategoi - Ancient naval rules by Jeff Koppe
Ram Speed! - A quick play rule set for Ancient Naval Wargames. Its meant to be fun and flavourful.
Ramming Speed - not to be confused with the above; designed for 15mm figures.
Ram or Die - The Battle of Salamis - part of the Junior General series
Rules for Bert's Trireme Game - Blog-based fast play rules
Trireme - Ancient naval rules by Andy Watkins
Medieval
Away with Honour - Wargames Rules for Naval Warfare in the Middle Ages, by Tony Cullen
Heimskringla - Viking naval
Naval Rules - a fantasy set by M C Gianni that is perfectly good for historical games
Renaissance, Piracy
Armada - part of the Junior General series
Barbarossa! - 16th Century Naval Rules for Galley Warfare by Dave Millward.
Capitana - 16th century galley warfare
La Felicissima Armada - Spanish Armada tactical rules
Lepanto - part of the Junior General series
Piracy! - Rules for ship to ship as well as man to man combat
Renaissance Naval Rules - by David Heading
Scum of the High Seas - Card driven rules from Belgium
Sea Dogs, Attack! - The Junior Generals tackle the Spanish Armada
Spanish Fury, Sail - A complete game of Warfare at Sea, 1560-1603 (offered by "The Perfect Captain")
The Battle of Lepanto - The Junior Generals and galley warfare
The Galleon and The Flame - Land and Small Naval Battles on the Spanish Main in the age of Drake and Hawkins, by Trevor A. Brabyn.
Age of Sail
A Toda Vela - Spanish language naval rules
Admiralty - Fighting Sail Warfare, 1750 - 1815
Beat to Quarters - Hex based rules for 1/1200 or 1/2400 by Don Gifford - Version 4.01 posted July 2003
- Beat to Quarters Quick Reference Card
Full Sail - A "Full Thrust" saling warfare variant
Full Sail (2) - another Full Thrust variant
General Chase - a set of rules I worked on some time ago
His Majesty's Navy - hex based rules (in development as of 27/04/11)
Letter of Marque and Reprisal - small-scale naval engagements in the 'Age of Sail'
Limeys and Slimeys - Rules for use with 15mm or 25mm figures and big ships :)
Master and Commander - rules from Capitan Games
Men o' War - AoS rules from Camp Cromwell , Australia
Naval Wargame Rules 1700 – 1830 - just what it says on the tin :)
Nelson's Wars - Fast play rules by Andy Watkins
Quick and Dirty Napoleonic Naval Wars - Quick, and dirty!
Simple Sails - Quick and simple AoS action
Shot and Sail - Small ship actions
The Immortal Memory - naval wargames rules for Trafalgar
Tough Men with Iron Balls - Fleet action rules (based on the "Piquet" rules, which are required to use this variant)
Trafalgar - part of the Junior General series
We Have Met the Enemy and They Are Armed with Pennies! - The Junior Generals and the batle of Lake Erie . Innovative rules involving flicking pennies (hence the name!)
Ironclad and American Civil War Era
A Hotter Fire - Quick Play rules by Alan Saunders
American Civil War Naval Rules - One page naval rules for quick games, by Jim Brown
Anaconda - Fast Play Strategic Civil War Blockade Game (Junior Generals series)
Battle of Lissa - Fast play rules from the "Junior Generals" series
Corpen:1889 - Ironclad and pre-dreadnought rules inspired by GDSW's "Ironclads and Ether Flyers"
"Damn the Torpedoes!" The Battle of Mobile Bay - part of the "Junior Generals" series
Iron and Steam - Victorian / ACW Ironclad rules by Jeff Koppe
Ironclad Gunboat - a set of quick-moving, hard-hitting rules, best suited to those who wish to sacrifice a certain amount of realism for the sake of the game.
Rules for ACW River and Coastal Actions - by Jeff Peach and Les Booth
Smoke on the Water - Jason Gorringe's ACW naval rules
Steel Ships and Iron Hearts - Pre-Dreadnought Naval rules by Dick Larsen
Noddy ACW Rules - by Andy Callan
Predreadnought
Battlefleet 1900 - Rules for the predreadnought era from the War Times Journal
Damn Battleships Again! - DBA (!!!) for the Ironclad Era, by Phil Barker
-and some useful notes on the rules here.
Naval Wargame Rules for the Russo Japanese War - Based on DBA
Quickfire - WTJ Fast Play pre-dreadnought
Steel Ships and Iron Hearts - Pre-Dreadnought Naval rules by Dick Larsen, used by the Olympic Wargaming league (OWLs).
Togo - Rules for the Russo Japanese War.
Battle of Tsushima Strait (1905) - "Monte Carlo on the High Seas" (Junior Generals series)
WW1
Battlefleet 1915 - WTJ WW1 naval rules (under development)
Coal and the Kaiser - a game of low to moderate complexity portraying tactical naval combat in the period from 1904 through 1918
Day of the Dreadnoughts - The Junior Generals and Jutland , 1916
"Der Tag" - WW1 naval rules by Simon Dennan and Nick Buckby
Dreadnought - Turn of the century naval rules by Andy Watkins
Easy Ship - WW1 naval rules
Firepower - Alienstar naval rules 1900-1945
Great War Naval Rules - Part of GR/D's "Great War" series
Instructions for Tactical and Strategical Exercises, 1921 - The RN's "wargame" rules from the post-war period
Ironclad Draughts - Towards the botonm of the page. Wargame Developments
Jutland - part of the Junior General series
Naval War - Italian language WW1 and WW2 naval rules
Quickfire - WTJ pre-dread and WW1 rules
Russo Japanese War - Another pre-dreadnought DBA set
Theres Something Wrong With Our Bloody ships Today - Staines Wargamers rules for 1/5000 (!) scale gaming
Tojo - Straightforward rules, similar to the Surface Action rules, but for naval battles of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.
WW1 Naval - Steve Burt's WW1 naval rules
WW2
Battle of Midway - part of the Junior General series
Battle of the Atlantic - The Junior Generals and the WW2 U Boat campaign
Brawl in the Dark - Another in the Junuior Generals series, covering battles off Guadalcanal
Coastal Command - coastal forces actions in WW2
Corpen 18 - WW2 naval rules
Destroyer Commander - my variant for Victory at Sea, for smaller ships
D-CATR - computer-assisted naval miniatures rules, latest in the Shipbase series. The main page (with other goodies is here)
EasyShip - fast play WW1 and WW2 rules.
Fire on the Waters - A game of moderate-to-high complexity portraying tactical surface combat in World War II.
Firepower - Alienstar naval rules 1900-1945
High Seas Drifter - fast play rules by Ty Beard
Hunt for the Lonely Queen - as seen at Salute!
Hunters on the Shoreline - PT Dockyard rules for light forces
Midway - Historical simulation of the WWII battle of Midway.
Panzer Eight - a collection of free rules including coastal and "mainstream" WW2 naval
Schnell Rules for Schnell Boote - fast play WW2 coastal forces rules
Sea Battles - Abstract WWII Naval Strategy Game
Seas of War - Naval Rules Construction Program
Seekrieg - The SEEKRIEG site is intended as a resource for naval wargamers who, in this life, have never had the opportunity to shout "open fire" from the bridge of a warship as it plunges through a wind-whipped sea to engage the enemy.
Sea Wings - a game of aircraft carrier warfare in World War II.
Sink the Bismarck - part of the Junior General series
Surface Action - This is a simple, quick play, rule set covering surface actions in World War II.
Surface Warship - by Robert Whitfield
The Coral Sea Campaign - WW2 naval campaign rules with impressively (over) large fonts!
Tonnage War - a card game that simulates a World War battle between an Allied convoy and German submarines.
Tora, Tora, Tora - The Junior Generals and Pearl Harbor
War at Sea - Fast play rules by David Child-Dennis
WW1 and 2 Naval - Rules by Steve Burt
WW2 Naval Rules - by "Faramir of Borg"
WW2 Naval Easyplay - Rules by David Child-Dennis
WW2 Ships - Something a bit different (in wood!!)
Modern
Angels and Bears - Modern air/naval combat by David Child-Dennis
Cold War Naval Battles - the former "Modern Naval Battles card based rules
Cod War - my own rules for these most unusual actions!
EmCon C - Modern naval rules at the operational level
Go In and Sink - Derivative of the old "Sea Strike" game
Modern GQ - General Quarters for modern era games
Modern Naval Rules - Fast Play rules from David Child-Dennis
Red Star White Star - more rules from the prolific David Child-Dennis
Subs and SAMs - by Phil Barker, the designer of DBA, etc.
SF/F
Aquazone - The Game of Deep Sea Exploration & Combat !
Stingray, Stingray! - Anything can happen in the next half hour using these rules for subaquatic mayhem in the Gerry Anderson universe!
Uckers
The ultimate "play at sea" game - a real tradition of the Royal Navy!! |
Amal and George Clooney welcomed their twins into the world earlier this week. On June 6, Amal Clooney gave birth to twins at a luxurious birthing suite in London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. A spokesperson for the couple said that Amal and the children are “healthy, happy and doing fine.”
As far as baby names go, Hollywood is notorious for birthing kids with unique, out-of-this-world celebrity baby names. More often than not, these unusual names wouldn’t be any parent’s first pick when deciding on what they would want to call their child for the rest of eternity.
For instance, Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf named their son Pilot Inspektor after hearing a song from indie rock band Grandaddy. Nicolas Cage and Alice Kim’s son is named Kal-El, after Superman’s birth name. Jay-Z and Beyonce christened their first born Blue Ivy. Jacob Pechenik and Zooey Deschanel named their daughter Elsie Otter. Of course, the Kardashian clan win in this department by a landslide by giving their kids unconventional names from Reign to North to Saint and finally, Dream Renée.
Clearly, that’s not how the Clooneys roll. For a high-profile Hollywood power couple, the names they gave their son and daughter were pretty much ordinary and non-celebrity. In George and Amal fashion, the couple chose classic names for their twins: Ella and Alexander.
Amal and George Clooney picking out traditional names for their children is a reminder for Hollywood that it’s okay not to give kids unnecessarily edgy names or adding awkward adjectives just for creative points.
Amal and George Clooney at the United Nations 71st Session of the General Debate. [Image by Poole/Getty Images] Featured image credit: Pool Getty Images
However, the names Ella and Alexander both have a long-standing popularity. According to Harper’s Bazaar, Ella ranked 17th in terms of popular baby names for girls in 2016, while Alexander ranked 11th for baby boys.
The names themselves also carry beautiful meanings. Ella can be translated to “light,” “beautiful fairy woman” or “fair maiden.” Alexander, on the other hand, means “defender of men.”
The classic names are not only a reflection of Amal and George Clooney’s sophistication, but the meanings befit the children that now bear them as their names.
Meanwhile, George and Amal’s parents have been gushing nonstop about the twins. George’s parents, Nick Clooney and Nina Warren, who live in Kentucky, saw the infants through Skype just two hours after they were born.
In an interview with Cincinnati WXIX, Nick said, “They are gorgeous. Nina swears they have George’s nose.” The 83-year-old grandfather added that Alexander has George’s nose. Both the kids have dark hair, taking after their lawyer mother who is a natural brunette. George’s parents also approve the names the couple chose for the kids.
Amal’s mother, Baria Alamuddin, was present during the twins’ birth in London, and she revealed that it was a “beautiful delivery” and everything went well.
George and Amal Clooney at the ‘Money Monster’ premiere at the 69th Cannes Festival. [Image by Clemens Bilan/Getty Images] Featured image credit: Clemens Bilan Getty Images
Moreover, Alamuddin said that George and Amal are naturals at parenting. “Oh my god, Amal and George were so beautiful, they were so happy, so contented,” Amal’s mother told People. “You just look at them and you feel like they’ve been a mother and father for their whole lives.”
The award-winning journalist was also spotted shopping for presents for his grandkids in London. A witness said that she bought two romper suits made of organic cotton.
News of Amal Clooney’s pregnancy first came out in February.
George and Amal Clooney married on September 27 after nearly a year of dating. The couple reportedly met at a charity fundraiser and were introduced to each other through a common friend. George was a popular bachelor for a long time, and his parents admitted that they thought he would never settle down. All that changed when they met Amal.
“By golly, when we met Amal, we got that figured out in a hurry,” Nick said. “Just as I, George married up.”
[Featured Image by Pascal Le Segretain /Getty Images] |
By Frank Shyong
California's latest political darling comes in a clear plastic bottle with a green top and tastes good on eggs.
Sriracha hot sauce has won the eager endorsement of politicians from both sides of the aisle in recent weeks as the manufacturer has talked about leaving Irwindale amid a regulatory battle over whether the plant sends a spicy smell into nearby neighborhoods.
Council members, state senators, a mayor or two and even members of Congress have weighed in in support of Sriracha in an unlikely piece of political theater over jobs and government interference.
Relocating the Sriracha factory, which relies on long relationships with local suppliers, would be expensive and time-consuming, and it's unclear how seriously Chief Executive David Tran is considering a move.
But Tran has invited potential suitors to tour the factory in Irwindale. The idea of poaching the hot sauce has inflamed politicians' imaginations across the country, especially in Texas, where officials are crowing over the news that Toyota will move its Torrance headquarters _ and thousands of jobs _ to Plano, outside Dallas. Later this month, Texas state Rep. Jason Villalba, a Republican, will lead a delegation from Texas to visit the Sriracha plant and make their case.
"Sriracha may not be welcome in California, but you'd be welcomed with open arms and eager taste buds in Texas," Rep. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tweeted recently.
Residents of the tiny industrial city of Irwindale say the Sriracha hot sauce factory emits odors that cause asthma, coughing, choking and other health problems. City officials have sued and won a preliminary, partial injunction. The City Council is considering further action.
City officials don't buy the idea of Sriracha as a political symbol of excessive government regulation. To them, it's a public health issue.
"There are children and people that suffer from asthma, and when the smell is strong in certain parts of town, you can't go outside," City Attorney Fred Galante said. "If the residents are experiencing these kinds of effects, does their voice not matter?"
But outside Irwindale, the sauce maker is quickly building allies. The Los Angeles County GOP, Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Los Angeles, and state Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, are some of the latest to jump on the Sriracha bandwagon. Hernandez called the sauce maker one of the "shining stars" of the San Gabriel Valley's business community. Cardenas toured the plant last week and spoke with company representatives about tax incentives to keep the business in the state.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari name-checked Sriracha on a recent tour of a charter school in Los Angeles. "It is a greater symbol of the broader poor business climate, or hostile business climate, that we have in California. And it's something the people can rally around," Kashkari told reporters.
On Kashkari's campaign website, a page thanks visitors for "standing with Sriracha." Beneath the Facebook and Twitter share links, a button urges hot sauce fans: "Chip in $7."
Tran's narrative is irresistibly populist. An immigrant and refugee who followed an American dream from Vietnam to a small business in Chinatown, Tran has created an international sauce empire that rakes in more than $60 million in annual revenue. Then he ran into trouble with government regulation _ namely, public nuisance laws in Irwindale.
Tran's story has lent itself to Republican talking points about government overreach and lets local politicians take pro-jobs stances. Some of Tran's comments have fed that narrative.
"I have had the bad luck to move into a city with a government that acts like a local king," Tran said in an interview.
Voter records show that Tran was registered as a Republican in 1998, 2000 and 2002, but he said Friday that neither he nor his company had ever had any political affiliation. He added that he couldn't recall the last time he voted because it was so long ago.
"All parties should have the same goal ... keep jobs here locally and in the United States," Tran said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.
Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College, says it's easy to see why Sriracha is becoming a political issue.
"The speech writes itself," he said. "Though I don't know if any of the politicians siding with the hot sauce are looking to buy property next door," he added.
The city, meanwhile, says they've received more than enough complaints to justify their actions against the company, and an environmental consultant hired by the city corroborated residents' concerns.
(Los Angeles Times staff writer Seema Mehta contributed to this report.)
(c)2014 Los Angeles Times |
Three deputies arrived at a home in Palatka Thursday morning to serve an arrest warrant and were invited inside to find meth and meth labs strewn throughout the home and three people inside, authorities say.
Christopher Darren White, 27, Chad Irwin Parrotte, 36, and Amanda Joyce Hale, 28, were all taken into custody and charged with a litany of crimes around 10:15 a.m., says a spokesperson for the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
White met the three deputies at the door of the home on High Street and allowed them to search the home for the subject of the search warrant. When they went inside, deputies met Parrotte and Hale and also saw a baggie of methamphetamine and numerous other items used in making meth just out in the open.
There were old or used 'one-pot' meth labs, multiple packets of pseudophedrine tablets, lithium strips from batteries and numerous hypodermic needles, deputies say.
White even had a one-pot in his pants.
Vice Unit detectives responded to the scene to help process everything.
White was taken into custody and charged with one count of producing drugs, two counts of trafficking amphetamines and one count of possession of drug equipment. He's being held at the county jail on a $55,500 bond.
Hale was taken into custody and charged with one count of producing drugs, one count of possession of drugs, one count of trafficking amphetamines, one count of possession of drug equipment and a failure to appear. She is being held without bond.
Parrottee is charged with one count of producing drugs. He's being held on a $5,000 bond. |
Recently, my buddy Dave Zantow (N9EWO) told me that his Japan Radio Company JRC NRD-545 could natively decode Motorola C-Quam AM stereo (the “AMS” function). To be honest, I wasn’t aware that AM stereo had ever been an option on a tabletop receiver.
Of course, C-Quam (Compatible—Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) was intended to be used on the AM broadcast (medium wave) band. It was one of several techniques AM broadcasters championed in the mid to late 1980’s to transmit and receive AM stereo.
Incidentally, AM stereo never really caught on. Much like DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale), AM stereo was being transmitted by broadcasters, but there were very few stand alone receivers on the market that could decode the signal. To make matters worse, there were at least five different AM stereo formats being promoted simultaneously and they weren’t compatible. In the end, C-Quam was the most widely adopted.
Of course, C-Quam can be used on the shortwave bands as well, providing there’s enough signal to make a stereo lock. On December 1st, 2013, Dave recorded the shortwave radio pirate XFM who routinely broadcasts in C-Quam stereo. Note that XFM‘s signal was marginal, thus you’ll hear the stereo lock slip several times. Still, pretty amazing to hear:
When Dave sent his recording to XFM, he was told that it was the first stereo recording they had ever heard from a “stand alone” type receiver. Most listeners who listen in C-Quam do so with an SDR like the Perseus.
Here is a good example from YouTube:
If you would like to receive C-Quam AM stereo on your SDR, check out this informative discussion thread on HF Underground.
Many thanks, Dave for sharing your recording!
Readers: Dave’s website has numerous in-depth radio reviews. I encourage you to check them out!
Related |
School bans plastic water bottles
Updated
Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College in Sydney's north has banned the sale of plastic water bottles.
The canteen will no longer stock plastic water bottles and the school also spent $7,500 installing water bubblers for the students to use instead.
The initiative will be launched today by sailor activist David de Rothschild who this week completed a voyage across the Pacific Ocean on the Plastiki, a boat made from recycled bottles.
Year 12 student Claudia Saunders says she hopes the ban will do more than reduce the school's consumption of plastic bottles.
"It's also about promoting it to Monte girls and getting the awareness out there how unnecessary these bottles are and the damage they can cause to the environment, both in their production and then in their disposal," she said.
The school's effort has been hailed as a model that can be rolled out across the country.
Jon Dee, founder of the environment group Do Something, says the campaign will significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste at the school.
"We'll have 1,100 girls at this school who won't have bottled water," he said.
"Now if they can do that at Monte Sant' Angelo there's no reason why other schools couldn't follow this example.
"It will set a great environmental role model for the kids but it will also show kids you can help the environment and you can save money at the same time."
Topics: recycling-and-waste-management, education, schools, secondary-schools, environment, north-sydney-2060, australia, nsw
First posted |
The Pentagon lost track of more than $10 trillion dollars over the past two decades. No one, not even the Department of Defense, really knows what it was spent on, or where the money went.
President Donald Trump’s released budget proposal calls to blindly increase military spending by $52 billion dollars, while the government fails to keep track of its current spending.
$10,000,000,000,000 is unaccounted for since 1996:
Although it’s required to by law, the DoD has never had an audit, something every American person, every company and every other government agency is subject to. The result is an astounding $10tn in taxpayer money that has gone unaccounted for since 1996. “Over the last 20 years, the Pentagon has broken every promise to Congress about when an audit would be completed,” the director of the Audit the Pentagon coalition, Rafael DeGennaro, told the Guardian. “Meanwhile, Congress has more than doubled the Pentagon’s budget.” Legislation in the early 1990s demanded that all government agencies had annual audits, but the Pentagon has exempted itself without consequence for 20 years now, telling the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that collecting and organizing the required information for a full audit is too costly and time-consuming. In the meantime, the GAO and Office of the Inspector General (IG) have published an endless stream of reports documenting financial mismanagement: $500m in aid to Yemen lost here, $5.8bn in supplies lost there, $8,000 spent on helicopter gears that really cost $500.
How did the Pentagon manage to accumulate a missing total of $10 trillion dollars in military spending?
In 2001, the day before 9/11, Donald Rumsfeld announced that the Defense Department was unable to track $2.3 trillion in transactions.
The investigation into the missing money was shelved immediately the next day, the Pentagon was attacked and conveniently, the accounting offices were the target of the terrorist attack.
So, there’s $2.3 trillion dollars missing, where do the trillions of other dollars that are unaccounted for come into play?
Thanks to a Reuters investigation in 2013 by Scot Paltrow, we have that answer. Apparently, the Pentagon used $8.5 trillion of our tax money handed over by Congress since 1996—but has no idea what they did with the money. It’s unknown if the $2.3 trillion Rumsfeld announced is included in the Reuters total of $8.5 trillion missing.
Audits of all federal agencies were mandated by law beginning in 1996. However, the Pentagon has never complied nor have they had an audit. In almost 20 years, the Pentagon has never accounted for the trillions it has spent. In part because “plugging”—fudging the numbers—is standard operating procedure according to a former Defense Finance and Accounting Service employee, Linda Woodford.
“A lot of times there were issues of numbers being inaccurate. We didn’t have the detail for a lot of it,” Woodford said.
Then last year, the Department of Defense Inspector General released a report. This report revealed the Pentagon couldn’t account for an additional $6.5 trillion dollars worth of Army general fund transactions and data, according to the Fiscal Times.
The report by the Fiscal Times stated:
“An increasingly impatient Congress has demanded that the Army achieve “audit readiness” for the first time by Sept. 30, 2017, so that lawmakers can get a better handle on military spending. But Pentagon watchdogs think that may be mission impossible, and for good reason… The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), the behemoth Indianapolis-based agency that provides finance and accounting services for the Pentagon’s civilian and military members, could not provide adequate documentation for $6.5 trillion worth of year-end adjustments to Army general fund transactions and data. The DFAS has the sole responsibility for paying all DOD military and personnel, retirees and annuitants, along with Pentagon contractors and vendors. The agency is also in charge of electronic government initiatives, including within the Executive Office of the President, the Department of Energy and the Departing of Veterans Affairs.”
“I don’t think they’re lying and cheating and stealing necessarily, but it’s not the right thing to do,” Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale said. “We’ve got to fix the processes, so we don’t have to do that.”
While the Department of Defense spent over $10 trillion dollars on war, secret black projects and advancing more destructive technology, women and children in the U.S. starved and went homeless.
In 2015, 43.1 million people in the United States lived in poverty. That means the poverty rate for 2015 was 13.5%. The 2015 poverty rate was 1.0 percentage point higher than in 2007, the year before the 2008 recession. This is the first year in five years the number of people in poverty has decreased from the previous year’s poverty estimates.
The Department Of Defense isn’t the only U.S. agency that needs to be audited. The Federal Reserve and the U.S. central banks also need to have their books opened. The Fed has lost money than the DoD in one year then all of the last two decades combined.
Share this article if you agree that we require more government accountability. |
Alex Ovechkin’s slump, big nights for Abdelkader, Datsyuk and Smith; lineup news, fantasy tips and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking.
Held scoreless in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to Detroit, Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin has now gone a career-worst five consecutive games without a point.
It’s not burying Ovechkin to point out that he’s in a slump (and I’ve already been something of an Ovechkin apologist in the past), but it’s easy to see that Ovechkin is really doing a lot well right now, even if the points haven’t been coming as expected over this short span of games.
In the first nine games of the Barry Trotz era in Washington, Ovechkin has posted a career-best Corsi% (measuring even-strength shot attempts) of 59.4%.
OVECHKIN POSSESSION STATS YEAR CORSI% CORSI REL% 2007-08 58.1% +4.2% 2008-09 57.4% +4.2% 2009-10 57.8% +7.2% 2010-11 53.9% +4.0% 2011-12 47.4% -2.3% 2012-13 49.2% +0.7% 2013-14 49.3% +2.5% 2014-15 59.4% +5.0%
What’s encouraging about these numbers is that Ovechkin is driving play like he did earlier in his career, and a far cry from his 2011-2012 season when his offensive production hit career-low rates (65 points in 78 games).
Like last season, Ovechkin is not getting much help from linemates – his lone assist this year has come on the power play – but thanks to a recent decline in shots on goal, his 4.22 shots on goal per game ranks as the second-lowest of his career.
In the first four games of this dry spell, Ovechkin had mustered just seven shots on goal and that’s some reason for concern, because he’s always been a high-volume shooter, leading the league in shots on goal in eight of his nine seasons but, let’s not overreact, it was just four games.
Wednesday, against Detroit, Ovechin attempted 13 shots, with seven on goal, against the Red Wings, which is a good way to get out of a scoring slump.
Because Ovechkin’s underlying numbers have been so good, there’s not so much reason to worry about this slump, because those signs point to goals and points coming back at a more regular rate soon.
HEROES
Justin Abdelkader – Hard-hitting winger who gets to play a complementary role with some elite players in Detroit and he scored two goals and an assist in Wednesday’s 4-2 win at Washington. He scored a career-high 28 points last season, but has eight points (5 G, 3 A) in nine games this year, riding a 22.7% shooting percentage that won’t last, but he is also playing a career-high 16:30 per game and generating a career-best 2.44 shots on goal per game.
Pavel Datsyuk – The Magician tallied a goal and an assist, with a team-leading eight shot attempts (4 SOG) in the win at Washington. Datsyuk has five points in four games since returning from injury, and the Red Wings have eased him in, playing 18:42 per game. The last season in which he averaged less ice time per game (than this admittedly very small sample) was 2005-2006.
Craig Smith – The Predators’ leading goal-scorer, with 24, last season, Smith buried a pair of goals on nine shot attempts (5 SOG), while posting quality possession stats (17 shot attempts for, 10 against, 63.0%) in a 4-1 win at Edmonton.
ZEROES
Niklas Kronwall – The Red Wings’ No. 1 defenceman had a rough night, possession-wise, on for five shot attempts for and 18 against (21.7%). His worst forward matchups, head-to-head, were against Capitals C Nicklas Backstrom (2 shot attempts for, 10 against, 16.7%) and RW Joel Ward (2 for, 13 against, 13.3%).
Mark Arcobello – Despite not starting an even-strength shift in the defensive zone, the Oilers’ centre had his team’s worst possession stats (9 shot attempts for, 16 against, 36.0%).
SHORT SHIFTS
Red Wings C Henrik Zetterberg had a pair of assists…Predators D Roman Josi had two assists and blocked seven shots…Predators G Pekka Rinne stopped 26 of 27 shots for the win in Edmonton.
LINEUP NEED TO KNOW
Capitals RW Eric Fehr was scratched from the lineup as second-year RW Tom Wilson was inserted into the lineup for his first game of the season after suffering a broken ankle in the summer.
Predators C Calle Jarnkrok, still looking for his first point of the season, was scratched from the lineup in Edmonton Wednesday.
Predators D Seth Jones played a season-low 14:46 at Edmonton, though had a solid possession game (15 shot attempts for, 9 against, 62.5%) in that limited role.
FIRSTS
Predators C Matt Cullen played his first game of the season, picking up an assist while playing 15:18.
FANTASY FOCUS
A few players, available in more than half of TSN leagues, to monitor on a busy 10-game night in the NHL:
Jori Lehtera – Someone in St. Louis has to get the puck to the Blues’ scoring wingers and with injuries to Paul Stastny and David Backes, Lehtera is clearly the best option down the middle. He has six points in seven games and is centering Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko heading into tonight’s matchup with Anaheim.
Michael Raffl – Getting moved to the Flyers’ top line with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek is working well for Raffl, who has four goals and five points in the past five games. Tonight, the Flyers go to Tampa Bay, which isn’t an easy matchup, but Raffl is still available in nearly 99% of TSN leagues.
Seth Griffith – The rookie winger has emerged as the Bruins’ best option on the right side with David Krejci and Milan Lucic, scoring three goals and five points in the past four games. Really, anyone on the Bruins is worth a look since they are in Buffalo to play the Sabres.
Much of the data included comes from www.war-on-ice.com, www.puckalytics.com, www.hockeystats.ca and www.naturalstattrick.com
Scott Cullen can be reached at [email protected] |
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Sep. 20, 2017, 3:29 PM GMT / Updated Sep. 20, 2017, 3:29 PM GMT By Mike Wall, Space.com
New photos by NASA's Juno spacecraft capture the solar system's largest planet in all its complex glory.
The four photos — which Juno took over an 8-minute span on Sept. 1, during its most recent close flyby of Jupiter— show the gas giant's many cloud bands and countless swirling storms (but not the famous Great Red Spot).
"At the times the images were taken, the spacecraft ranged from 7,545 to 14,234 miles (12,143 to 22,908 kilometers) from the tops of the clouds of the planet at a latitude range of -28.5406 to -44.4912 degrees," NASA officials wrote in a description of the images. You can see more amazing photos of Jupiter by Juno here.
The new photos actually represent a collaboration between Juno and citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt Sean Doran, who processed raw imagery collected by the probe's JunoCam instrument into these dramatic, color-enhanced views.
NASA encourages anyone to process Juno pictures in this manner. If you're interested, go to the JunoCam page here: https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam.
The $1.1 billion Juno mission launched in August 2011 and arrived in orbit around Jupiter on July 4, 2016. Since then, the spacecraft has been studying the giant planet's structure, composition, and magnetic and gravitational fields, gathering data that mission scientists say should shed light on Jupiter's formation and evolution.
Juno is in a highly elliptical orbit that brings it close to the planet once every 53.5 Earth days. The spacecraft collects most of its data during these close passes; it has now completed eight of them.
Juno is scheduled to keep studying Jupiter through July 2018, though the probe won't necessarily cease operations then; NASA could end up granting an extending mission.
This story was originally published on Space.com.
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Supernatural just closed out its 11th season with an episode that proves an idea that's fairly unpopular in the Age of Binge: Sometimes it's totally worth it to marry a show and stick with it week-to-week through good times and bad.
Supernatural, of course, is a relic of sorts from a much different time. When the show premiered in 2005, there was no such thing as Hulu, Netflix didn't stream and the very network on which it currently airs, The CW, didn't even exist. But even as TV changed, it stayed.
It wasn't always pretty — hey, who doesn't have a slow season or two out of 11? — but especially in the current season, the show has seemingly made it a priority to reward those who have taken the time to enjoy the slow burn. A prime example of this was the return of the "Samulet" a few episodes back — a storyline 8 seasons in the making.
Going into the finale, we knew the boys were in for yet another epic battle — this one against God's cranky sister Amara, who threatened to let her brother die and the sun's light burn out for good. As much trouble as they were in, it also felt almost too familiar. When Dean prepared to sacrifice himself by volunteering to be a Soul Bomb and handed the keys to his beloved Baby to a weepy Sam, it was hard not to feel déjà vu — maybe even a little bit apathetic about it all.
Someone would save them. Someone would swoop in. Or someone would die and someone would bring them back next year.
Neither of those things happened.
In a welcome twist, they actually saved themselves. Dean talked Amara into mending the fences with God and the two had a friendly reunion that left Amara thankful. Dean had given her back her family. "I want to do the same for you," she said.
Just moments earlier, the boys had exchanged parting words at their mother's grave, so it wasn't a total surprise when Mary Winchester popped up in the closing minutes. Still, actually seeing the boys' long-dead mother reappear in the flesh — not as a ghost, not as a flashback — was as emotional as it gets.
That's not to say, of course, that Mary Winchester's return didn't have an impact on those who binged the show in one month or joined the party several seasons late. Of course they did. But for those who watched her get scorched to death by a yellow-eyed demon in her son's nursery 11 years ago, her return made more than a decade of fun and harrowing adventures with two brothers feel so incredibly satisfying. It was a full circle moment that promises to turn the boys' lives upside down in Season 12 and just the fuel the show needs to continue this wild journey another season.
Rare is the show that can deliver that kind of payoff. And these days, rarer is the show that will ever have the opportunity to do so.
With so many TV options, it's easy to give into a desire to quit any show because it breaks up a couple you root for, kills a character you love or simply hits a snag in the storytelling. You quit one show, you move on to another; that's your right as a TV viewer.
But looking at Supernatural at age 11, everyone who stuck it through the occasional awkwardly bad episode, continuity error, or flat spin-off attempt, should feel good about their investment. Because at the end of some rocky TV roads is a moment that carries the emotional weight of almost a dozen years of storytelling. That's a feeling that really can't be duplicated — sorry, binge watchers.
I know this to be true because I watched 6 seasons of Mad Men in a little more than a month last year, hoping to catch up before the end. It was satisfying and it was good, but my memories were nothing like those of some of my friends, who'd been through breakups, job moves and other major life moments during the show's run. I envied that emotional connection they had to the show that had been their escape for so many years.
So as God recovered from the brink of death and the sun began to once again shine brightly in the Supernatural season finale, the show proved it's nowhere near letting its own light fade away. In fact, it's burning brighter than ever.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments. |
The official Twitter account for the anime adaptation of Natsumi Eguchi 's Hozuki no Reitetsu manga announced on Saturday that the anime is getting a second season that will premiere in October, and revealed a visual for the new season. An event held in Tokyo on Saturday originally revealed the news.
The official website for the anime had teased in December that the event would reveal the third work in the new anime project. The event itself was the second part of the project.
The first part of project is an original animation DVD ( OAD , visual pictured at right) that will ship with a limited edition of the manga's 24th volume on March 23. The event on Saturday screened the new anime. Hiro Kaburagi , who directed the previous television anime series, returned as chief director for the OAD . Midori Gotou also returned to write the script. Studio DEEN animated the OAD ( Wit Studio animated the television anime and previous three OADs).
The manga inspired a 13-episode television anime series that premiered in January 2014. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired, and Sentai Filmworks released the series on home video in February 2015 under the title Hozuki's Coolheadedness . The manga also inspired three previous OADs that shipped with the 17th, 18th, and 19th volumes of the manga in 2015. Advance screenings of the three OADs were held in theaters in Japan in December 2014.
The dark comedy manga revolves around Hōzuki, the fierce aide to the Great King Enma. Calm and super-sadistic, he tries to resolve problems that often occur in Hell. |
President Trump points to a member of the media as he takes questions during a news conference at the White House on Feb. 16. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)
Donald Trump came into office as the all-powerful chief executive of an organization. He quickly learned that, as president, his power was not so absolute.
Instead of simply mandating new rules for immigration, he has had to try to convince the courts that those rules should go into effect. Instead of getting Congress to rubber-stamp his policies, he has had to fight for individual votes. Instead of waving away suggestions that his campaign may have colluded with Russian actors to influence the 2016 election, he has had the matter hanging over his head, frustrating him to no end. Instead of the media falling in line to support the new president, he has found that the press’s skeptical analysis has continued unabated after the election.
That said, Trump also enjoys a level of political protection that past presidents did not. There won’t be an outside investigation of the Russia mess unless he signs off on it, or unless his party decides to buck the rampant partisanship of the moment and forces an independent commission to dig deep. Perhaps as importantly, a new survey from the Pew Research Center indicates that Republican voters are far more disinclined than in the past to think that the media has a role to play in checking Trump’s — or any political leader’s — power.
Since the 1980s, Pew has asked what the effect of media criticism has been on political leaders: Is it to keep politicians from doing things they shouldn’t, or is it to keep them from doing their job? It has historically been the case that members of the party that doesn’t hold the White House have said that the media’s criticism helps keep politicians in line. But from 2016 to 2017 — that is, from Barack Obama to Trump — the partisan flip was more extreme than at any point in the past. The gap between the parties on this subject is now 47 percentage points, with Democrats strongly agreeing that this is the effect and Republicans strongly disagreeing. That’s nearly twice the previous widest margin.
The implications of that are obvious. Republicans are far less likely than they were a year ago to view media criticism of political leaders as valid and useful. Instead, they see it as obstructive.
Part of this, of course, is the long-standing belief that the media is slanted toward Democrats and liberal politics. In Pew’s research since 1985, Republicans have always felt more strongly than Democrats that the media is biased. Here, too, the gap between the parties is wider than at any point before, though less dramatically so.
Confidence in the national media’s ability to keep Americans informed has slipped among Republicans and independents — and risen among Democrats. About 9 in 10 Democrats think the national news media does a very or fairly good job of keeping Americans informed; among Republicans, the figure is 7 in 10, down from 8 in 10 last year.
Distrust in the media has increased in recent years, as Gallup polling has shown. The fracturing of the media landscape and subsequent strengthening of partisan news outlets has played some role. So have high-profile mistakes from mainstream outlets — and a cultural push to offer pointed and often-partisan critiques of traditional outlets. (My bias here should be obvious.)
The net effect? At a moment when the media is examining the most unusual president in U.S. history, that president can enjoy some protection from what is reported simply by virtue of the mistrust his base of support holds for those news outlets.
The corollary question, of course, is whether Trump would have won the White House had Americans not been skeptical of the coverage of his campaign. In a Quinnipiac University poll conducted shortly before the election, 9 in 10 Republican voters — and 6 in 10 independents — said they believed the media was biased against Trump. Numbers like that offer an inoculation against media criticism that clearly plays to Trump’s benefit.
And Trump, as president, does what he can to keep his base skeptical of those reports.
Update: A new Quinnipiac University poll tackled the question directly. It found that 58 percent of Americans disapprove of how the media is covering Trump — including 9-in-10 Republicans and two-thirds of whites without college degrees, a core part of Trump’s base. |
The state of Oklahoma had scheduled two executions for Tuesday, April 29th. This in spite of myriad objections that the drugs being used for both lethal injections had not been tested, and thus could violate the constitutional right to the courts, as well as the 8th Amendment: protection from cruel and unusual punishment. After much legal and political wrangling, the state proceeded with the executions anyway.
It soon became clear that the critics' worst case scenarios were coming true—Oklahoma violently botched the first execution. The inmate "blew" a vein and had a heart attack. The state quickly postponed the second one.
"After weeks of Oklahoma refusing to disclose basic information about the drugs for tonight's lethal injection procedures, tonight, Clayton Lockett was tortured to death," Madeline Cohen, the attorney of Charles Warner, the second man scheduled for execution, said in a statement.
Katie Fretland at The Guardian reported from the scene of the botched attempt to execute Lockett using the untested, unvetted, and therefore potentially unconstitutional lethal injection drugs. Fretland wrote:
For three minutes after the first drugs were delivered, [Lockett] struggled violently, groaned and writhed, lifting his shoulders and head from the gurney.
Some 16 minutes after the execution began, and without Lockett being declared dead, the blinds separating the chamber from the viewing room were lowered. The process was called off shortly afterward.
The Guardian watched as Lockett was covered in a white sheet when the execution began at 6.23 pm. He said "no" when asked for final words. At 6.30 pm, he was found to be still conscious.
Lockett was pronounced unconscious at 6.33 pm, and his violent struggle began three minutes later. He tried to speak, and was heard to say "man" at 6.39pm. An official in the execution room then lowered the blinds so viewers could no longer witness the process.
The capital punishment observation room. Image: Oklahoma Department of Justice
According to Robert Patton, the director of Oklahoma's department of corrections, when doctors felt that the drugs were not having the required effect on Lockett, they discovered that a vein had ruptured. "After conferring with the warden, and unknown how much drugs went into him, it was my decision at that time to stop the execution," Patton told reporters, according to Fretland.
Lockett was pronounced dead of a heart attack at 7:06 pm CST, and Warner's execution, scheduled to begin two hours later, was postponed by the governor of Oklahoma.
"I have asked the department of corrections to conduct a full review of Oklahoma's execution procedures to determine what happened and why during this evening's execution of Clayton Derrell Lockett," Governor Mary Fallin said in a statement. Fallin had objected to efforts by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to investigate the lethal injection drugs last week. "I have issued an executive order delaying the execution of Charles Frederick Warner for 14 days to allow for that review to be completed."
The reason due process is part of our Constitution is to prevent what just happened from happening. It's not clear if Lockett's vein "blew" because of the untested drugs that were administered, or because of the way in which they were administered. Regardless, the inmates had sued the state in order to vet the drugs, the process by which the drugs were acquired, and to ensure that they would be administered in a manner that did not violate the defendants constitutional protection from cruel and unusual punishment. What happened to Lockett was the worse case scenario they, along with five justices from the Oklahoma Supreme Court, were trying to prevent.
Madeline Cohen, Warner's attorney, issued the following statement following Lockett's execution, reiterating much of what she told me the afternoon before:
Without question, we must get complete answers about what went wrong. There must be an independent investigation conducted by a third-party entity, not the Department of Corrections. We also need an autopsy by an independent pathologist and full transparency about the results of its findings. Additionally, the state must disclose complete information about the drugs, including their purity, efficacy, source and the results of any testing. Until much more is known about tonight's failed experiment of an execution, no execution can be permitted in Oklahoma."
At issue is not a question of guilt, but rather the means by which the state legitimates the practice of capital punishment. Protections that are written into the highest law of the land, the US Constitution, are the means of doing so.
When states fail to live up to the standard of law, that legitimacy is thrown into question. Lockett and Warner have not contested their guilt, but only the process by which justice was to be administered. The actions state's court of appeals, the governor, and the attorney general, which prevented a thorough examination of the drugs and processes used in the executions, cast a shadow of illegitimacy over the state-sanctioned taking of a human life. |
The Rocket League Championship Series is back and bigger than ever! Last weekend, more than 21,500 aspiring Rocket League champions took to the field to prove they deserve to be among the elite. Players from both the North American and European regions played hard and the Top-64 teams from each region moved on to Week 2!
Join us for the first broadcast of Season 2, as we find out which eight teams from each region will advance to League Play! Check out the broadcast details:
NA Open Qualifier (Top-64) – Saturday, September 17 at 12pm PT / 7pm UTC
EU Open Qualifier (Top-64) – Sunday, September 18 at 9am PT / 4pm UTC
With the new $250,000 prize pool and over 6300 teams participating in Kick-off Weekend, Season 2 is already the largest Rocket League Tournament ever! Make sure you see all the action at www.twitch.tv/RocketLeague! |
The most important director tools isn’t camera or lighting equipment, it’s the directors own beat sheet and shot list. Let’s take a look at the differences between a beat sheet and shot list, and how to create a beat sheet.
What is a beat sheet?
A beat sheet is a list of emotional moments to be portrayed by actors, character thoughts and feelings that cannot be communicated via dialogue. A director uses a beat sheet to communicate with their actors what emotional moments need to happen in a scene, to make that scene and overall story work. Any given scene or shot can have a number of emotional beats. These emotional beats often portray emotional subtext that isn’t clearly spoken amongst characters.
A beat sheet is split into two columns, one side has what the actors are actually doing (dialogue and action), while the other side has the emotional beats the actors need to convey.
If you’re a writer as well as a director you can create a beat sheet as a precursor to writing dialogue in your scripts. Often times the best dialogue doesn’t directly communicate what the character wants, it’s the emotional subtext (beat) between the dialogue that communicates the characters wants and needs. For example, Jack (5) wants to go home, does he say “I want to go home!”? He could, but that beat is better communicated by him whining, “I’m tirrrrreeeeddd.” The audience will understand he doesn’t want to be wherever he is, and they know Jack sleeps at home.
What is the difference between a beat sheet and a shot list? |
The tobacco industry is having its worst week since 1990, when Congress banned smoking on all domestic airline flights lasting six hours or less. And “worst” for Big Tobacco is good for the rest of us.
On Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a sweeping package of anti-smoking bills that will regulate the manufacture and sale of e-cigarettes in California and increase the legal smoking age from 18 to 21. Then the Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday it would extend federal regulatory authority to e-cigarettes, a $3.5 billion dollar industry that attracted an estimated 450,000 middle and high school students to start the addictive habit in 2014.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it, tobacco lobby.
The FDA decision means that all e-cig products will need to go through the federal agency’s tough approval process, which has been essentially unregulated. It could eventually mean that the FDA would ban the sale of some flavored e-cigarettes — think cotton candy and bubble gum — designed to appeal to youth.
The industry has been spending more than $4 million a year trying to prevent this type of regulation, including tens of thousands of dollars a year to members of California’s Legislature. It explains why the state hasn’t raised its tobacco tax even though smoking kills nearly 40,000 Californians every year.
Fortunately, state senators Mark Leno and Ed Hernandez and Assemblymen Mark Stone, Tony Thurmond and Adrin Nazarian had the courage to stand up to the tobacco industry. They carried the bills that Brown signed Wednesday.
The next logical step for Californians will come this fall, when an initiative for a $2 a pack tobacco tax increase should be on the ballot. The $1.5 billion in annual revenue would go for anti-smoking programs and provide desperately needed funding to increase the state’s atrocious Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for doctors.
The tobacco industry will spend tens of millions of dollars to fight the initiative. Two-thirds of California voters now say in polls they support the new tax, but don’t write off the pro-tobacco campaign.
The governor vetoed a bill that would have allowed counties to enact local cigarette taxes. But Brown did sign five other bills primarily aimed at preventing kids from taking up the habit, including bills requiring all California schools to be tobacco free, closing loopholes in the state’s smoke-free workplace laws and increasing the annual licensing fees for retailers and distributors to help pay for tobacco tax enforcement.
Despite the state’s anti-smoking programs, California still has 3.5 million smokers. The health care costs that result are nearly $18 billion a year.
Anything that will reduce smoking improves the overall health of the state and puts more money in taxpayers’ wallets.
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I was never one for female body builders. The only real experience I’ve had with them was a weird few months where I’d jerk off to videos of the shit. Then there was my little league baseball coach who tried seducing me with his mustache when explaining what steroids does to a clit when I was 12. I guess there was also a group of strippers the local strip club hired who would do sit-ups and push-ups and chin-ups with their fake tits and big strong pussy exposed and I didn’t really dig it.
The only good thing about these kinds of muscular bitches is that they have these insane sex drives, probably from the high testosterone from the muscles, the only problem with them is that going down on a bitch while staring at her abs pulsating, or cumming all over a rock hard muscular ass while her pussy down bicep curls, is enough to make a motherfucker feel gay.
So Mel B and this 6-pack is fuckin’ nuts and not for me, but I figure maybe you’ll dig it and I’m here to help….
Here she is lookin’ less jacked….in some promo pics…
Mel B’s Body is Fuckin Ripped of the Day
Posted in:Bodybuilder|Mel B |
A group of parents, schools have moved court against only Tamil being taught till Class 10
In the 1960s, Tamil Nadu saw violent protests against the compulsory learning of Hindi. Now, in a turnaround, many parents and schools in the state have launched a battle against the monopoly of Tamil and say they want Hindi.A group of schools and parents have challenged a 2006 order by the then DMK government that said only Tamil will be taught till Class 10. Based on their June 5 petition, the Madras High Court has sought a response from the state's AIADMK government.Students in Chennai say not learning Hindi and other languages dents their job prospects both in India and abroad.Anirudh, a class IX student who wants to study marine engineering, says he feels forced to learn Tamil. "If I want a job in north India, I need to know Hindi," the Kannada-speaking teen told NDTV.His classmate, Ashwin, who is from Kerala, says, "I would love to learn French. I could get an opportunity to work abroad."Even Tamil-speaking brothers Jishnu and Manu want to study Sanskrit and Hindi. Manu said, "We speak Tamil at home. It's boring to learn it in school too." His brother added, "Even in other countries they encourage students to learn as many languages as possible."Schools that come under the Tamil Nadu board say they have lost several students to central board institutions that offer multiple languages. They suggest a middle path. "They can learn Tamil up to Class 5; it can be compulsory. After that, why not give them other options?" said Revathy Bonns, Principal, Madras Christian College Matriculation Higher Secondary School.Tamil Nadu's main political rivals are, however, united in supporting Tamil teaching, which they have often linked to regional pride.Sources in the ruling AIADMK said, "Only Tamil can be the language till class 10. Students can study other languages after that." The DMK's TKS Elangovan told NDTV, "Many eminent people studied only in Tamil medium schools, we have scientist Dr Abdul Kalaam." In 2000, the Madras High Court struck down an attempt to make Tamil the medium of instruction in schools. This time too, the court may have the final word. |
The experimental Solar Impulse plane, which has made several trips since its maiden flight in 2009, will take off on May 1st on a transcontinental tour split in five stages.
"We are ready to do this flight across America," said Solar Impulse co-founder Andre Borschberg during a press conference at a hangar in Mountain View, near San Francisco.
Borschberg said the flight is being split into multiple stages for security reasons, emphasising nevertheless that the single-seat aircraft was technically capable of flying non-stop across the United States.
A non-stop flight would take approximately three days travelling at the aircraft's cruising speed of around 43 miles (70 kilometres) per hour.
"We have limited ourselves to fly a duration maximum of 24 hours," said Borschberg, who will share the piloting duties with Solar Impulse president Bertrand Piccard.
Weather conditions permitting, the Solar Impulse will take off on May 1st and is scheduled to make stops in Phoenix, Dallas and Washington before arriving in New York in early July.
The plane will spend up to 10 days at each stop on its journey in order to showcase its technology to the public, schoolchildren and students who will also have a chance to talk with the pilots.
"The people will be able to follow the mission, to speak to the pilot, to ask questions," Piccard said.
"We would like to inspire students, schoolchildren, inspire as many people as possible to try to have the spirit to dare, to innovate, to invent."
The Solar Impulse project was launched 10 years ago before the plane, which weighs about the same as a family car but boasts a wingspan roughly equivalent to a Boeing 747, made its first flight in 2009.
In 2010, the plane was flown 26 hours non-stop in order to demonstrate that its photovoltaic cells could soak up enough solar energy in daytime to power the plane at night.
A year later, the plane made its first international flight between Belgium and France before it set off on a 1,550-mile intercontinental flight from Madrid to Rabat in June.
Borschberg and Piccard are planning an around-the-world flight of the plane in 2015. |
Moto3 rostrum finisher Juanfran Guevara has announced his retirement from professional racing at the age of 22, stating the decision is mainly down to personal reasons.
The Spanish rider, who clinched his maiden world championship podium this year in the Mugello Moto3 race with third place, has pulled out of his 2018 racing commitments despite being announced on the provisional Moto3 entry list earlier this month with RBA BOE Racing KTM.
Guevara says he’s switching focus to “the business world” having combined his studies while racing full-time in Moto3 since 2013. The Spanish rider broke into the championship with a handful of wildcard outings in 2011 and 2012 before securing a full-time deal with CIP Moto3 TSR Honda.
The 22-year-old completed his most successful campaign this year with a maiden podium in Italy plus highs of fifth places at Le Mans and Brno. In his final race Guevara battled to sixth place in Valencia to secure 11th place in the Moto3 riders’ world championship – his best career finish.
Guevara has cited financial and personal reasons behind his decision to quit racing and thanks his family, supporters and team members for their backing during his career.
Guevara’s full retirement statement:
“It was a very hard and thoughtful decision that I made with the help, first of all, of my family, of all the directors of the fan club commission and some of the main sponsors who have supported me throughout this years,” Guevara said in a statement. “My passion for the world of motorcycling has not changed at all, but different economic reasons, and mainly personal ones, have given rise to this irrevocable decision.
“I have decided to focus my career on the business world, studies that I have been combining all these years while racing in the Motorcycle World Championship. A point has arrived where I believe that in this way I will be able to grow more as a person and also dedicate more time to different projects that I have been developing over the last few years and that until now I have not been able to defend as they deserve.
“Everyone who is or has been in this world, knows everything that has to be sacrificed in order to give 100% in the circuits. I want to dedicate more time to my family and to recover, in a certain way, friends and people that I have neglected.
“I want to thank the RBA-BOÉ Racing Team team for their understanding and I wish you good luck in your next seasons in the Motorcycle World Championship. Thanks for the support and for trusting me during these years.
“Also thank to TeaMMurcia for being with me from the first moment and look after my management from the beginning until today. Thanks to all the sponsors who have bet for me since I started my career as a pilot in the Regional Championship of the Region of Murcia, accumulating more than 40 podiums in national championships, achieving the second place in European Championship and taking my name across the different continents through the Motorcycling World Championship, reaching a dream such as climbing to a MotoGP podium.
“Lastly, and for me the most important thing, you are all those fans who have worn the 58 on all circuits as a symbol of support. The Fan Club will be part of me throughout my life. You have been the reason why I have given more to this issue. There will never be enough words to thank you for everything.
“I close a stage of my life that took with me a multitude of moments, and above all, wonderful people that I will never forget. To all of you, my parents and Miguel, thank you.” |
By of the
Hours after a machine gun was stolen from an ATF agent's vehicle in September, police had four men in custody - one who admitted holding the fully automatic weapon before his friend took it back and stashed it under a bed in a north side house.
But as police and federal agents fanned out searching houses and interviewing family members, friends and girlfriends, the gun vanished.
More than six months later, the rifle and another gun stolen along with it remain missing.
And despite a newly filed search warrant detailing a text message that may link one of the original suspects to the theft, nobody has been charged with the crime.
Of all the mistakes by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in its flawed gun-buying sting in Milwaukee last year, the loss of the government-owned Colt M4 stands as the gravest threat to public safety.
"Everyone is on pins and needles every day that this gun is going to be used out there," said a police officer familiar with the investigation, who asked not to be identified.
Police reports on the theft and the search warrant detail the hunt for the stolen guns in the hours immediately following the break-in. Records show agents and police following a hot trail, hitting the house where the machine gun was reportedly hidden and finding ammunition that had been stolen along with the gun - a good indication they were close.
The documents and the timeline raise questions about whether efforts to get the guns were hampered by a desire to preserve the storefront operation and keep an embarrassing episode quiet.
Besides losing the guns, the operation was plagued by other foul-ups, a Journal Sentinel investigation found: The ATF storefront - called Fearless Distributing - was burglarized of what agents reported was nearly $40,000 in merchandise, an ATF ballistic shield was lost, and at least three of the wrong suspects were charged, including one who was in prison at the time.
In addition, agents left behind sensitive documents, damaged the building and ran up utility bills, then refused to pay the landlord and warned him against pursuing the matter.
In the wake of the Journal Sentinel investigation, a bipartisan group of powerful congressional members termed the sting a "failed operation" that put a residential area at risk. On Wednesday, four lawmakers sent another letter to acting ATF Director B. Todd Jones, demanding answers by next week.
The ATF launched an internal investigation into the operation and forwarded it to the Justice Department for review. It is expected to be completed soon. An ATF spokeswoman said there would be no comment on the Milwaukee operation until that investigation is released.
The Department of Justice's inspector general is considering his own independent examination into the operation, concerned about the lack of oversight so soon after the agency's flawed "Fast and Furious" case.
In that operation, agents monitored the sale of more than 2,000 guns to gun traffickers but lost track of them, with many of the weapons ending up at crime scenes including the one where a U.S. border guard was killed.
In Milwaukee, the plan was to buy illegal guns and take them off the street.
About 30 people have been charged, but mostly on minor gun and drug counts; 145 guns were seized, but some had just been purchased from stores such as Gander Mountain and sold to undercover agents for a quick profit.
This time, when agents lost track of weapons, they were their own.
Theft from agent's SUV
Three guns were stolen from an ATF agent's SUV last September, about nine months after the storefront operation, called Fearless Distributing, opened on E. Meinecke Ave. in the Riverwest neighborhood.
The agent's Ford Explorer was parked in a lot beside Alterra Coffee on N. Humboldt Blvd. - a half-mile from the storefront, according to police reports. A witness saw a car with three men inside pull up shortly after 3 p.m. The suspects broke into the SUV, pried open a locked metal box, taking a rifle and two handguns - a Smith & Wesson semiautomatic 9mm pistol and a Sig Sauer semiautomatic .40-caliber pistol. They also stole an ATF radio and ammunition.
ATF agents were the first on the scene, but they quickly called Milwaukee police for help.
The guns were on the move.
Shortly after the break-in, police reports say, Arzell Chison received a call from a friend, Brandon Toombs, telling him he had something to show him. Toombs, who had two earlier convictions for theft, wouldn't tell Chison what it was over the phone.
Chison, himself on probation for theft, went to a house near N. 24th and W. Locust streets. Toombs and another man, Xavier Boone, 24, were there.
Chison, 20, went into the kitchen and saw three guns on the table- 9mm and .40-caliber handguns and a "military looking rifle," the report says.
Chison would later tell police Toombs, 21, showed him several boxes of ammunition and eight magazines loaded with bullets.
Toombs told Chison he and the others stole the guns on the east side, but he wouldn't give any other details.
Toombs then slid the rifle under a bed, put the stolen Smith & Wesson pistol in the console between the front seats of his car and slid the Sig Sauer into his pocket, the report says.
While this scene was unfolding, investigators back at the scene of the car break-in were coming up empty on evidence from the burglarized vehicle. No traceable fingerprints were found.
The investigation turned to old-fashioned police work. Seasoned police officers from various units in the department, all with contacts across the north side, joined the search. Milwaukee police officers worked their sources, getting leads on where the gun might be, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Officers caught a break when they spotted a black Chevy parked near N. 21st and W. Locust streets matching the description of one seen near the coffee shop where the ATF vehicle was broken into.
Police then saw Boone, Toombs, Chison and a 17-year-old youth approach the car and took them into custody on suspicion of the theft.
In the car, officers found four GPS units and other items that matched those stolen in car break-ins earlier that day elsewhere in the Riverwest area.
They didn't find what they were after - the stolen guns.
Suspects didn't cooperate
The suspects were taken to police headquarters. Toombs refused to talk to detectives. There is no indication in the reports if Boone or the juvenile said anything.
But the police reports show Chison was talking.
At first, he said he knew nothing about the stolen guns. When a detective told Chison he would be charged in the theft of the guns, he changed his story.
Chison described how he saw the guns, including the rifle, before Toombs stashed it under the bed. Chison told the detective they might find his fingerprints on the weapon.
But Chison refused to cooperate with prosecutors.
Without that, Toombs and Boone could not be charged, according to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm.
"There is no physical evidence and no weapon recovered," he said. "There is nothing else directly connecting those individuals (Boone and Toombs) to the stolen items other than the eyewitness. Without his cooperation, we don't have a case."
ATF agents were soon at the house where Chison said he had seen the machine gun. Someone at the house let agents search without a warrant. Agents found the boxes of ATF ammunition but no gun.
Fingerprints on the ammunition boxes matched those of a felon named Markeevin Wilder. The 25-year-old, with a 2006 armed robbery conviction, was arrested and charged. He has pleaded guilty in federal court.
The ATF soon got one of the stolen guns back.
The day after the theft, Sept. 14, Marquise Jones sold the ATF its own gun, along with a second, for $1,400 at the Fearless Distributing store, according to court documents.
But ATF agents let Jones walk. It would be about a week before agents questioned him, according to sources familiar with the investigation who asked not to be identified.
The sources said Jones was allowed to leave because ATF officials worried an arrest would expose the undercover storefront operation and embarrass the agency. Court records show agents continued to buy guns at the Fearless storefront in the week after the agent's guns were stolen.
The operation was shut down a short time later. It is unclear if the decision was made by ATF or the U.S. attorney's office in Milwaukee, which had been briefed on the investigation.
Jones might have been the best shot investigators had at quickly retrieving the remaining stolen guns.
Two months later, he was charged in federal court. He has pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen gun and is awaiting sentencing.
Toombs and Boone, who were arrested on the theft and later released, have been charged with other crimes in recent months, unrelated to the Fearless operation.
Contacted earlier this year, before he was arrested in those cases, Toombs told the Journal Sentinel he didn't steal the ATF guns and didn't know who did.
"I'm not going to talk about that," he said. "I am putting that behind me."
Toombs' attorney did not return a call for comment this week. Boone could not be reached for comment. His attorney also declined to comment.
The missing machine gun was mentioned in a search warrant filed March 18 in a different case.
In that case, Willtoniette Johnson is suspected of burning a car related to a fight with Boone, her boyfriend.
Johnson declined to comment this week when contacted by the Journal Sentinel.
The warrant says Boone is still a suspect in the theft of the ATF machine gun.
It also shows Johnson sent at least one text message related to the case:
"Have x hml asap its about the atf nbs." A detective translated that to mean: "Have Xavier hit my line as soon as possible. It's about the ATF, no bull (expletive)."
Ashley Luthern of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report. |
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told CSN Chicago on Thursday that both Montreal and Mexico City are in the sights of the league for potential expansion to 32 teams. Montreal would bring a team back to the city after they moved south in 2004. Mexico City, on the other hand, would be completely new and fascinating for a number of reasons.
First, it would be the first whole-hearted venture of a major professional sports league in any Latin American country. The NFL has played a regular season game in Mexico City, and the NBA has played three regular season games there. But the closest any league has come was MLB themselves when they sent the Montreal Expos to San Juan for 22 games in their final two seasons in Montreal. An expansion team in Mexico City would be almost four times as many games as any league has ever tried to play outside of its “home” market.
While interesting, that’s not nearly as unique as the fact that Mexico City sits at an elevation of 7,380 feet. That’s a whopping 2,180 feet higher than Coors Field, a long dreaded destination for pitchers. This is even despite the fact that a humidor was installed in 2002 and has since reduced home runs to more typical levels. Coors Field, as compared to its peers, has fences around 15 feet longer than the average in all dimensions to offset the altitude difference. A new MLB stadium in Mexico City would have to have much deeper fences.
SCIENCE TIME!
(Editor note: If you’re a scientist and take exception to any of the math below, please contact us so that we can offer a better resource!)
According to Wunderground, Mexico City’s average sea-level pressure, one of the key indicators of air density that is adjusted to an elevation of 0 feet/meters above Mean Sea Level, is 1022 hPa (30.17 inches of mercury), and the average temperature is 18 degrees C, about 64 degrees F. By throwing these numbers together, we see that the density altitude of Mexico City on average is around 9,000 feet.
Presumably, a humidor similar to the one in Coors Field would be installed to remove the effect of humidity upon the equation, and we can assume that the 9100 foot or so density altitude is a representative value. Using the 9100 feet value we found above, we’re able to determine that the air is nearly 25% thinner than at Sea Level. As a comparison, the air at Coors Field is 18% thinner.
What does this mean? Extrapolating the data from University of Illinois Physics Professor Emeritus (and apparently a big baseball fan), Alan Nathan’s analysis of Coors Field, it means a lot.
Due to thinner air, resistance slowing down pitches will lead to pitches being approximately 1.5 MPH faster than the same pitch at sea level. This shouldn’t affect too much.
However, pitches will break only 75% as much as they would at sea level. That nasty 18 inch break on an offspeed pitch is now only about a 13 inch break. Junk ball pitchers beware!
A batted ball in Coors Field, according to Nathan, travels about 5% farther. This is close to what could be surmised from the dimensional differences of around 15 feet, though center field should really be about 20 feet back. Extrapolating this with the data we’ve calculated above about the air being 25% thinner in place of 18% in Denver, we can expect a value of nearly 7% additional flying distance for a batted ball.
With the average MLB left field wall at 332 feet, and the average right field wall at 328 feet, adding 7% to those values would be roughly 355 and 350, respectively. This is about the same distance as Wrigley Field down each foul line. With center field averaging 404 feet, that would require a CF fence of 432 feet, still 4 feet shorter than Houston’s Minute Maid Park. Even still, with 355-432-350, Mexico City would have to have one of the largest outfields in baseball to defend, around 15% larger than the average 332-404-328 outfield. That’s a lot more territory for three players.
Addendum: Professor Nathan was kind enough to comment and add his analysis and an amazing baseball physics Excel sheet and as come to the following conclusions: 32% lower air density than sea level, with a CF fence at about 440 feet, 10 feet farther than Coors Field. Many thanks to Prof. Nathan for his help!!
In short, no matter how it plays out, should Mexico City get a MLB team in the next few years, expect there to be plenty of offense. The franchise may have trouble attracting talent irrespective of the altitude (while lifestyle in Mexico City can be quite nice, the perception is that it would not be a great place to live, perhaps unfairly), the extra altitude will likely scare pitchers from signing, which could end up being a self-fulfilling prophecy. So my advice for any potential MLB owner in México DF? Stock up on big bats. |
Vanilla extract is called for in just about every baking recipe, but what most people don’t know is that making your own is incredibly easy, and even saves a little cash. (Our vanilla is about 25 percent cheaper than buying it at the store.) Just don’t confuse this recipe with an infused liquor for drinking—the extract is way too concentrated to sip on the rocks.
What to buy: Vanilla beans can be found in the spice or bulk section of most grocery stores. Choose dark, supple, oily pods.
Game plan: Using vodka for the base creates a vanilla extract with a neutral, all-purpose flavor, but we found that other liquors like rum and bourbon could also be used to add different flavors to your baking. Try a rum-based vanilla in rice pudding sprinkled with raisins, or top a steaming mug of Irish Coffee with some bourbon-vanilla whipped cream.
Make sure your jar is very clean or it may impart unintended flavors to the extract.
To get more mileage from the spent pods, tuck them into a jar of granulated sugar for a vanilla-scented sweetener to use in coffee, tea, or cookies.
This recipe was featured as part of our Homemade Vanilla Extract project. |
Combattente nella rivoluzione ucraina. Osteggiato tanto dai reazionari “bianchi” quanto dai bolscevichi della rivoluzione russa, ed esponente di primo piano dell’Anarco-comunismo internazionale.
Di estrazione contadina, le ristrettezze economiche familiari prima e la morte del padre poi, quando aveva solo dieci anni, lo obbligano ad intraprendere le prime esperienze lavorative, facendogli immediatamente scoprire l’ingiustizia sociale imperante nella Russia zarista. A dodici anni lascia la scuola ed inizia a lavorare a tempo pieno come contadino. A tredici anni, per la prima volta nella sua vita, reagisce con estrema violenza alla vista dei soprusi inflitti da un giovane padrone contro un lavoratore. Questa è la sua prima ribellione violenta documentata contro la classe padronale, a dimostrazione del suo carattere indomito, ribelle ed insofferente alle ingiustizie.
A 16 anni entra a far parte di un gruppo formato da giovani rivoluzionari del luogo che sostenevano apertamente il comunismo libertario e si opponevano attraverso l’azione diretta all’oppressione classista.
Dopo la pace di Brest-Litovsk, firmata da Lenin il 3 marzo 1918, che cedeva l’Ucraina alla Germania, le truppe germaniche invadono il Paese e lo occupano militarmente. Gli Anarchici si organizzano in un esercito di liberazione partigiano, mentre Makhno e una delegazione si recano nella Russia bolscevica al fine di ottenere la collaborazione e l’aiuto dei compagni Anarchici russi.
Per contrastare l’invasore tedesco, Makhno forma l’armata Makhnovista, formata da battaglioni di contadini e operai per contrastare l’invasore tedesco. La Germania si ritirerà nel novembre 1918.
Nello stesso periodo i libertari si trovano a dover affrontare la reazione della borghesia ucraina guidata da Denikin. Per sei mesi la lotta sarà accanita, i partigiani libertari sono costretti ad allearsi con i bolscevichi al fine di sconfiggere quelli che erano i veri nemici della rivoluzione; i bolscevichi non si riveleranno sempre preziosi alleati, anzi spesso agevoleranno l’avanzata dei bianchi pur di limitare l’influenza e il fascino che i machnovisti esercitavano sulla popolazione. La paura è tale che Lev Trotsky, nato Lev Davidovic Bronstei, arriverà a dichiarare che sarebbe stato meglio consegnare l’Ucraina ai “bianchi” piuttosto che dare possibilità alla makhnovishina di espandere la propria influenza. Makhno a questo punto fa rientro nel suo villaggio e intraprende il suo lavoro di rieducazione e di organizzazione dei contadini, ma questi progetti saranno spezzati da una nuova offensiva bolscevica che mal sopportava questo progetto libertario.
Dopo numerose altre battaglie, fisicamente debilitato, affetto da tubercolosi e col volto sfregiato ( Louis Lecoin , libertario francese, dirà che “ il suo corpo non è che cicatrici e schegge di proiettili che si muovono sotto la pelle “), muore a Parigi il 25 luglio 1934.
Makhno fu uomo d’azione, ma anche un profondo pensatore ed elaboratore dei principi dell’Anarco-comunismo. Mentre la maggior parte dei rivoluzionari vede negli operai la classe eletta, i machnovisti, essendo per la maggioranza contadini, non ebbero invece preclusioni di alcun tipo.
Furono infatti i contadini che svolsero la funzione di avanguardia (l’avanguardia, dal punto di vista dell’Anarco-comunismo, va intesa in senso libertario ossia non che si eleva al di sopra delle masse, ma che svolge una funzione di guida e orientamento delle stesse) della rivoluzione ucraina.
Le terre collettivizzate furono organizzate in comuni del lavoro indipendenti, senza alcun condizionamento.
Walter Ranieri |
Tomorrow is the anniversary of the single greatest tweet in the history of Twitter. Do you remember it?
Happy birthday to this future president. pic.twitter.com/JT3HiBjYdj — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 26, 2016
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
[Deep breath]
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sorry, Hillary … tomorrow is going to be a very, very long day if these tweets from today are any indication:
Tomorrow is the anniversary of the greatest tweet ever posted. Might not put on pants all day. https://t.co/KHB0WPpv0M — EducatédHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) October 25, 2017
Happy birthday to this future case study on how not to run a Presidential campaign. https://t.co/nemyezFybk — Art Tavana (@arttavana) October 25, 2017
Will always be funny https://t.co/NUeNFO2YlC — Hugh G. McLeod (@HughGMcLeod) October 25, 2017
Another tweet that didn't age well. https://t.co/hXYIJDqali — Ken Webster Jr (@ProducerKen) October 25, 2017
The tradition starts today!
Retweeting this is set to become a yearly tradition for many on the right. https://t.co/hIwmQzzXPG — Alec Kerrigan (@AlecKerrigan) October 25, 2017
***
Related:
Puh-LEEZE! Hillary flack Brian Fallon tries out 3-letter word to replace 'lied' https://t.co/XSLZE6jIWW — Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 25, 2017
Ex Clinton aide mocks GOP focus on FusionGPS story (because Hillary's not president) https://t.co/iS9fZpzudM — Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 25, 2017 |
Image copyright PA Image caption A strike earlier this month closed most zone one stations on the Tube network
One of the unions which was in dispute with London Underground (LU) in a row over staff numbers has suspended two planned strikes.
Members from the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) will not join walk outs on 5 and 7 February.
The RMT union announced the action on Friday after abandoning talks at the conciliation service Acas.
The TSSA said LU's proposals "pave the way for a resolution". It wants further talks with management.
General secretary Manuel Cortes said the offer included the creation of an additional 325 new posts which "goes some way towards restoring adequate safety on our Tube".
But the union's overtime ban will remain in place while TSSA representatives "seek further talks with LU".
Image copyright PA Image caption The TSSA said LU's proposals included the creation of an additional 325 jobs
Members of the RMT will walk out for 16 hours from 18:00 GMT on 5 February, and then hold a 15-hour strike from 10:00 on 7 February.
A 24-hour strike by the RMT and TSSA earlier this month over the same issues led to much of the Tube network being shut.
BBC London transport correspondent Tom Edwards said the TSSA was the smaller of the two unions so the strike would still have a large impact.
But he said the TSSA's announcement could lead to more talks between the RMT and LU.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Buses and suburban trains became very crowded during the last 24-hour strike
A spokesperson for the RMT said "all planned action remains on" but union representatives will return for more talks at Acas on Tuesday.
General secretary Mick cash has accused LU of compromising safety on the Tube because of "cash-led cuts to staffing levels".
Steve Griffiths, LU's chief operating officer, said the proposal had been made "to both unions in order to end this dispute".
"We are available for further discussions this week to provide clarification on the implementation of these proposals," he said.
Transport for London (TfL) has previously said it would address the recommendations of a report which said job cuts had caused "significant issues" for Underground passengers. |
Mark Reinhold, chief architect of the Java Platform Group at Oracle, has confirmed that Java Modules, more commonly know as Jigsaw, will be submitted for public review, despite IBM and Red Hat's publicly expressed concerns. In a thread on the OpenJDK mailing list he wrote:
We do not have consensus in this EG on moving forward to Public Review. That is only because some members continue to insist that we must address goals that were neither mentioned in the original JSR submission nor recorded in the agreed requirements. It is, however, in the best interest of the wider Java ecosystem to proceed so that we can deliver on our actual committed goal. I have therefore submitted the specification for Public Review despite this lack of consensus.
In response IBM’s Tim Ellison has provided some additional background information as to why IBM will be voting no, in a fairly lengthy message outlining his and others' concerns.
While I understand the desire to keep the process moving along, I believe there is value in listening to the collective wisdom of the EG and respecting their opinion. It should not come as a shock that executive committee representatives talk to the EG members and support their position as to whether the specification is ready to proceed.
It is worth reading the entire comment, but amongst the issues he lists a number of technical concerns, including:
Insufficient isolation - non-exported (private) packages in a module should be strictly an implementation detail. The fact that JPMS defaults to a single class loader per layer means private packages can cause surprising conflicts when being loaded at the same time. Automatic module names - modules' dependencies are expressed as module names, so implementers providing a standard API must all use the same module name. However, automatic module names are based upon jar file names which are implementation details. We need to decide if module names are shorthand for a set of APIs, or a specific implementation. Access restrictions break libraries doing reflection - a module must know a priori if it will be open to reflection, and know the reflector's module name. This will break dependency injection etc.
With regards the final point we spoke to Antoine Sabot-Durand, the specc lead for CDI 2.0, currently in public review. As a RedHat employee he, of course, supports Red Hat's & IBM's position, saying
Jigsaw should only have a limited impact on CDI specification, but when it comes to implementation, impact would be huge (reflection parts, proxies handling, class loading). From what I understood Java 9 provides a new Layer API that may solve some class loading and visibility issues, but doc lacks examples and switching to Layers may represents a huge amount of work without no clear guarantee.
However Spring Framework project lead Juergen Hoeller who told us that, with Spring Framework 5.0 RC1 or 4.3.8 running against the latest JDK 9 build 167:
Open modules do not have to know the reflector's name; they may just optionally limit their exposure to specific modules. An application module can easily declare itself as generally open, or declare specific packages as generally open, to any other module. This is convenient enough and certainly not a design flaw in Jigsaw from my perspective.
Reflection on exported types works fine without an open declaration; just populating a non-public field or invoking a non-public method eventually fails. This means that we can introspect any exported class for annotations... and as long as we just find such annotations on public constructors/methods, we can perform dependency injection on them in any case - even without an open declaration.
For dealing with *non-public* members of its classes, a module indeed needs to declare itself or at least the affected packages as open. This affects injection on private fields and data binding to private fields, as well as Spring's use of CGLIB for @Configuration classes and non-interface AOP proxies... which is why we recommend (but do not require) open declarations for use with Spring. All in all, the use of current Spring Framework jars as "automatic modules" on the Jigsaw module path is a smooth enough experience out of the box, with no custom command line flags needed for Spring's purposes. Applications may declare module dependencies on "spring.context" etc in their own module descriptors, following Jigsaw's automatic module naming conventions. As long as such jar-based module names are alright for the time being (I quite like them for Spring's jars and common third-party libraries), Spring-based applications can opt for a fine Jigsaw setup experience already.
That said, Hoeller also stated that he expected most Spring-based applications to remain on the classpath even when upgrading to JDK 9, primarily for easier integration with third-party libraries such as Hibernate.
New Java standards are adopted by a 2/3 majority vote of the 25-member Java Community Process Executive Committee. InfoQ spoke to Christoph Engelbert from Hazelcast, another Expert Group member, who indicated that Hazelcast is also likely to vote no, telling us
I think the situation is extremely complicated as both sides might be correct about different points. One of the issues Mark Reinhold mentioned is that certain features weren’t requirements originally. While this is most probably correct, to still enforce it means that the world didn’t change during the years of development. That, obviously, is also not correct. In general, we at Hazelcast, see the missing consensus of the JSR376 Expert Group (EG) and the way it was handled by the Spec Leads as extremely problematic. We haven’t cast our vote yet but based on discussions with the community and EG members we will probably vote "no". Don’t get me wrong, I mean Jigsaw is an important feature, but it needs some more time or a way to really shut it off. The "big Kill-Switch" is nice but activating it means you get warnings on stdout and those warnings will not show up at the Oracle bug trackers but with our support team (at least for our users and customers). That is the second reason we are most probably going to cast a negative vote. We understand what this means to the release date but we think a better consensus is important and part of being an Executive Member is to keep the Java ecosystem in shape. In the current state, Jigsaw might still be an issue to a lot of libraries, frameworks as well as applications.
However InfoQ has also learnt that another Expert Group member, Azul Systems, is likely to vote in favour. CTO Gil Tene told us
We are a bit torn on this. I agree with some (not all) of the objections about Jigsaw as a useful module system for Java developers. In my opinion, the lack of support for multiple-versions of the same module existing in a single application alone limits its usefulness outside of the JDK due to practical common case concerns in the real world (my applications uses maven central packages A and B, both of which depend on module C, but A wants C.1.1.0 and B wants C.1.2.1). However, I believe we will be voting "yes" in spite of all the objections. Much of them arise from dysfunctional communications and overblown expectations. In spite of the valid objections and wishes for Jigsaw (as planned for Java SE 9) to be much more than it is, I can't justify rejecting it as a module system for primarily in-JDK functional purposes (which is how I look at it from a critical Java SE 9 point of view). IMO, the Jigsaw we now have will see limited use outside of the JDK, especially when it comes to libraries and reusable code posted in the wild. The JDK itself never has to deal with the multi-version problem, for example, so Jigsaw as it stands will work there just-fine. My expectation is that the "real Jigsaw" (Jigsaw 2.0?) with wider benefits for non-JDK developers will arrive later. Java 10? or 11? Hopefully not never.... But the in-JDK Jigsaw is close to done and ready to go, and I cannot justify holding back Java SE 9 in the hopes of completely re-doing it, or addressing some of the big ticket items thereby delaying the overall train.
The majority of people we contacted told us they were yet to reach a settled position. Martijn Verburg, for example, representing the LJC, told us
It is extremely rare for a Spec Lead and an Expert Group to disagree so whole heartedly on the submission of a JSR for review. In the ~5 or so years I've been on the EC, I don't recall this situation ever having occurred before. Voting closes on the 8th of May and the JCP Executive Committee .is currently debating the various positions put out by the Spec Lead and Expert Group members as well as taking into account commentary from members of the wider Java community. They'll be meeting F2F for two days just before the end of the vote and this will be an important topic on the agenda. The London Java Community certainly sees the EC as being fairly representative of the broader Java community, and feel that it is well placed to evaluate whether or not Jigsaw in its current form will be beneficial or harmful to Java and the ecosystem. Modularisation is hard and the Jigsaw team have put in a tremendous amount of well thought out design and implementation work and in particular we'd certainly hate to see the work done on modularising Java itself be delayed. However, if the broader ecosystem refuses to support the current design / implementation, then it will fail to gain broad adoption and will at the very least cause a lot of frustration in the ecosystem.
Interestingly on the comment thread for our original post on this story, Red Hat's David Lloyd suggested it might be possible to incur a small, further delay and reach a solution
I think a few weeks delay to discuss, introduce, and test the changes required to bring this up to a minimum acceptable state is probably the best (and most realistic) option for everyone.
We'll see what happens next week when the vote closes on 8th May. |
The complainant alleged that Owaisi's speech would "promote enmity between different groups"
A case was registered on Friday against AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi over his speech wherein he had said he would not chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' even if a "knife is put to my throat".
The case was registered by Karimnagar Three Town police in Telangana, based on a complaint lodged by one Bethi Mahender Reddy.
In the complaint, Reddy alleged that Owaisi's "defamatory" speech would "promote enmity between different groups".
Three Town Circle Inspector P Sadanandam said, "Based on the complaint, a case was registered against Owaisi under IPC section 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc)".
Owaisi, while addressing a public rally in Udgir tehsil of Latur district in Maharashtra on March 13, had said he would not chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.
"I don't chant that slogan. What are you going to do, Bhagwat sahab," the Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad had said, referring to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remark that the new generation needed to be taught to hail "Mother India".
alleged that the RSS raised the issue of "Bharat Mata ki jai" in a bid to promote "ghar wapsi" (re-conversion) even as he clarified that he is not against "Hinduism" but "Hindutva".
He also attacked the Congress for backing suspension of his party MLA in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and adoption of the censure motion in Madhya Pradesh House today against his refusal to chant the slogan.
"RSS' gameplan is nothing but to try to implement what (Hindutva ideologue) Savarkar said in his book on Hindutva.
When I made that statement (refusal to chant the slogan), I knew this is what RSS wants to do," the Hyderabad MP told PTI.
Owaisi said he had always been against Hindutva and not against Hinduism.
"Even Savarkar says in his same Hindutva book that Hindutva is different and Hinduism is different. Basically, this (raising the slogan issue) is nothing but RSS, by insisting on saying this slogan, this (the issue) is being used and abused for ghar wapsi," he alleged.
He said Constitution guarantees the freedom of expression, freedom of religion and protection of cultural rights of minorities.
"I also accept that it was also part of popular slogans during freedom struggle. But why do you keep on insisting me. BJP and Sangh Parivar...they have different understanding when they talk about that slogan. That is you have to pray to the country...You have to pray to the deity. No one can put this question to me. I don't pray to the country but I am a loyal citizen and fundamental rights in the Constitution guarantees me," Owaisi said.
He also lashed out at the Congress for backing suspension of his party MLA Waris Pathan in the Maharashtra Assembly as the resolution to this effect was adopted unanimously by all parties including the Congress and NCP, besides BJP and Shiv Sena. |
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This post is about a new feature / code restructure in Angular v4.3+ that is pretty well documented, yet, hardly talked about in posts, and worth drawing special attention to.
The feature we are talking about here is Angular helpers for guarding against XSRF attacks in its old and new HTTP modules.
What Is XSRF? (Cross Site Request Forgery)
XSRF (Also knwon as CSRF) is a form of web security attack that can allow others to impersonate your identify and perform some actions on websites that you are already logged in to. Let’s start with an over simplified version of how the attack and protection work (as I understand them).
XSRF Attack
You login to website A and get a session cookie, maybe use it a bit
You open website B in a new tab or even the same tab, you are still logged into website A
The owner of website B (or someone who hacked it) happens to be a user of website A too, and knows what calls it sends to the server to perform different tasks
Website B loads a hidden form with the submit URL going to website A
. It could be sending an email on your behalf, deleting many important items, whatever that is you can perform in website A
. It could be sending an email on your behalf, deleting many important items, whatever that is you can perform in website A Website A takes the request and performs it, because you are still logged in
XSRF Protection
There are many ways to protect against this attack. Mainly you’d use server-generated token stored in somewhere that’s not a cookie.
A classic server side application with a single form each page that submits back to the server can generate a token as a hidden field in the form, and then validate it on submit, and generate a new token for the next page etc. Website B will not have a way to generate a valid token when trying to simulate the server form.
A client side application (SPA) could do the same with headers, sending the token in a header when making any API request (A.K.A AJAX call), and getting the new token in the response of that API / AJAX call.
The initial token may be obtained via a call to a known API, or in a cookie that’s downloaded when the HTML page is loaded. Since the other site can only do only put a form on its own page, it cannot modify headers to inject the token, or call the API directly due to CORS (Cross Original Resource Sharing) policy.
Angular HTTP APIs & XSRF Protection
By default the Angular v2+ Http service (from angular/http HttpModule ) had builtin support for the Cookies To Headers XSRF protection technique we just mentioned.
If it detects a cookie with the name XSRF-TOKEN , it adds an HTTP header named X-XSRF-TOKEN with the same value to the next HTTP request you make.
Since the support is so transparent, I have seen developers who did not even realise it’s there. If you are a front end developer who had someone else on the backend implement the server issuing and validation of the tokens, you may not even realise it’s there.
But things changed slightly in Angular v4.3, that you probably need to be aware of.
HttpClient
In Angular v4.3, a new library for creating HTTP (AJAX) requests was added to Angular.
Instead of injecting an Http object from @angular/http as you did since v2.0, you inject an HttpClient from @angular/common/http . The new HttpClient has several new features but most notably:
Automatically maps responses to JSON by default (configurable)
Added a pipeline for injecting middleware to requests/responses (called interceptors, like those of AngularJS v1.x)
Has some really cool testing utilities that are much simpler than the old v2.0 Http module
Whether you like it or not, you’ll probably end up using the new HttpClient in your Angular applications. This is because starting Angular v5.0, the old Http will be deprecated (so it may be removed entirely in v6).
For the record, the relatively quiet introduction of the new module in v4.3 and the deprecation of the old in v5 still makes me feel anxious regardless of how good the new one is. The old one generally just worked, and the way it’s replaced reminds me of the 3 router versions that were written during Angular v2.0 pre-releases.
XSRF Interceptors
Since the new HttpClient came with proper support for request and response interceptors, it made total sense for the XSRF support in it to be implemented as interceptors as wel, not as part of HttpClient itself.
This is all cool and good design, but there is a catch, which although is well documented, it’s not having enough people talking about on Medium and Twitter etc.
The XSRF in HttpClient is an opt-in feature. It’s NOT enabled by default, unlike the Http service. This means that you could easily migrate your code from Http to HttpClient and not realise that your builtin XSRF support has been lost, until you test the application and you start getting 403 Unauthorized errors from your API of course.
Luckily, all you need to do to get the support back is just import another module, like:
// import { HttpModule } from '@angular/http'; import { HttpClientModule, HttpClientXsrfModule } from '@angular/common/http'; // ... @NgModule({ declarations: [ AppComponent, // ... ], imports: [ // Now this one is gone: // HttpModule, // New replacement HttpClientModule, // Restore Xsrf support HttpClientXsrfModule, // ... ], providers: [], bootstrap: [AppComponent] }) export class AppModule { }
Gotcha
The old HttpModule supported sending the XSRF-TOKEN header for all HTTP requests. While the new HttpClientXsrfModule made sure it doesn’t send the header for GET or HEAD requests.
GET requests don’t make much sense for XSRF attacks anyway because the attack is about changing data while impersonating you (the attacker cannot get the result anyway because of CORS rules). GET requests by definition should not change data.
However, if your API relies on this, your app might break when you move to HttpClient . In that case you might want to look at this Github issue I created and apply the workaround github.com/angular/angular/issues/19885
More Goodies
The HttpClientXsrfModule also makes it easy to change the cookie & HTTP header keys separately if you require that.
Of course you have to remember that both XSRF protection and JSONP require server support as well from the API server you are calling for them to function.
Finally, the same support is also included as opt-in for JSONP requests as well, by adding HttpClientJsonpModule (also from @angular/common/http ) to your imports . This utilizes the power of interceptors that allows them to avoid sending an HTTP request completely and do something completely different instead.
As I said, the usage of HttpClient in general, as well XSRF support (and what is XSRF in general) is well documented by the Angular team.
Check it out at https://angular.io/guide/http.
I still noticed that not enough people are talking about this feature and the actual change, so, hopefully this post can bring some awareness to it.
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Google recognises Palestine
The search engine's local Google.ps is now "Google Palestine".
Storified by The Stream· Thu, May 02 2013 14:01:11
Previously, the tagline (in Arabic below) read "Palestinian territories".
Google Palestinian TerritoriesAJstream
Now, it reads "Palestine".
Screenshot of Google PalestineAJstream
While some netizens dismissed the internet giant's move as insignificant, advocates of Palestinian statehood treated it as a small victory.
:
it always makes me wonder why people seem to think that symbolic gestures translate into real world consequences.blog.foreignpolicy.com
It's 330am and I'm still writing and I think I'm hallucinating because @TIME is suggesting Google just recognised Palestinian statehood.Emilia Terzon
Who needs the UN? Google recognizes Palestine. http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/02/google_recognizes_palesti... Aslan
baby steps towards Palestinian statehood. Today: Google's semantic change. http://atfp.co/18fwf2oMartin Eiermann
Recognizing #Palestine! First the United Nations, now Google | http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/02/google_recognizes_palestine // This is a celebration for those who are oppressed!Anonymous Operations
What do you think of Google's decision to recognise Palestine? Share your thoughts below! |
Are you trying to decide which Architect Conferences to sign up for this year? Want to attend one that was designed with YOU in mind?
Then, you want to Join Us For The Young Architect Conference August 23-25 in Portland, Oregon. We’ll have inspiring keynotes in the morning, workshops in the afternoon, and parties at night. Everything about this conference is about feeding you the connection and knowledge necessary to truly succeed in Architecture.
Ready to save your spot? Space is limited. Read more and sign up now.
The ARE Boot Camp
For the past few months, I have been working on creating a program to help ARE Candidates be more successful with the Architecture Registration Exam.
I have created a 10-week program for first-time exam takers called The ARE Boot Camp. We will:
Create a schedule to get you quickly up-to-speed and studying for your first ARE.
Guide you as you study during these 10 weeks and provide accountability for your work.
Set you up for success, so you have the knowledge you need to finish the remaining 6 exams on your own.
Provide a supportive environment for everyone in the group to learn from and help each other.
Teach you how to save time when studying for the remaining 6 exams.
The first group will begin the week of September 14, 2015, and the second will start the first week of November 2015. Each group will only have 5 members.
Please click here to learn more about The ARE Boot Camp.
The Problem with The ARE Boot Camp
As excited as I am to get this program off the ground, I also realize that it is geared toward the “I’m just getting started” ARE Candidate, and I am only signing up 10 people.
This excludes 98% of the existing Young Architect audience.
Many people have emailed me and told me they are extremely interested, but they don’t fit the specific criteria of the ARE Candidate I am looking for with this group.
The Solution
Well… I don’t have one.
After I run this group a few times, I will be better-informed about how to grow The Boot Camp and serve the larger ARE Candidate community in the future. That should happen around the beginning of next year.
In the meantime, I have also decided to buy and give away $400 worth of Architecture Registration Exam study materials. As part of the kickoff of The ARE Boot Camp, this giveaway is for all the hardworking ARE Candidates living in the trenches of this brutal exam, and everyone is eligible.
The Prizes
I’ve picked out some good prizes.
First Prize
1 copy of Architect Exam Prep (for any division you choose)
$99.99 value
Read the review of Architect Exam Prep.
Second Prize
1 copy of The ARE Advisor Vignette Series—Complete Package
$99.99 value
Read The ARE Advisor Review
Third and Fourth Prizes
2 copies of any of Gang Chen’s ARE Books (for any division you choose, one book per person)
$49.99 value
Read the Gang Chen Review.
Fifth through Eighth Prizes
4 hard copies of How to Pass the Architecture Registration Exam by Michael Riscica
$24.95 Value
Read the How to Pass the ARE book reviews.
Aside from the contribution of my own book, I will personally be purchasing all of this study material, just for this giveaway.
The ARE Boot Camp Giveaway Rules
Sign up at the bottom of this blog post and you will added to the Young Architect email list and registered for the giveaway.
If you are already on the Young Architect email list, you can still register for the giveaway. No, you will not receive multiple emails from me each time I send out a newsletter.
Complete additional tasks to earn a greater chance at winning the giveaway.
Registration for the giveaway closes on September 1st.
Your chances of winning will grow if you share this with your fellow ARE Candidates and they enter this competition.
Follow Young Architect on social media and you gain additional chances to win.
You can only win one prize and only the prize you were selected for. No swapping prizes, only forfeiting them.
You must live in the US to participate.
Good luck!
The ARE Boot Camp Giveaway |
It is the 45th Anniversary Edition of CELEBRATION PIPES. First created on Laie Point, Oahu, as stocking stuffers for Christmas 1973, then happily passed around the SUNSHINE Festival inside DIAMOND HEAD crater on New Years Day, 1974. Each LAVASTONEWARE piece is still handcrafted by DaPiper from our unique ceramic composite, textured with lava rocks, fired to over 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit, and then meticulously plated in either 22kt Gold, Platinum, Opal, Black Coral, Purple Haze, Hanalei Blue, Panama Red, Precious Pink, Victory Green and Rasta Fire finishes. Each pipe is encased in a velvet bag and presented in a custom gift box with a Certificate of Authenticity, signed and numbered.
Over the Years we have been commissioned to present pipes to AEROSMITH, ARLO GUTHRIE, B. REAL, BOB MARLEY & the WAILERS, CECILIO and KAPONO, CHEECH AND CHONG, DARYL HANNAH, HUGH HEFNER, FLEETWOOD MAC, JEFFERSON STARSHIP, JESSE COLIN YOUNG, KALAPANA, LOGGINS and MESSINA, KEITH STROUP, (founder of NORML), WAR, WILLY NELSON, WOODY HARRELSON, and the VOICEYOURSELF.com SOL TOUR crew, ZIGGY MARLEY.
With a 22k Gold bowl, Lavastoneware construction and eleven colors to choose from, You will be starting a celebration for years to come. |
In one of his more infamous (and venomous) live rants, comedian Bill Hicks told his audience, “If anyone here is in advertising or marketing, kill yourself…you are Satan’s little helper.”
Few people would take such an intense stance on advertising and those who propogate it, but so too would few people argue that ads are ubiquitous and, frequently, obnoxious. Of course, there are those that are bizarre and downright clever…and then there are those that stoop to the lowest common denominator. Larry the Cable Guy promoting antacids? Curt Schilling shilling egg sandwiches? There have been ads far worse.
Here are 10 from a time period thankfully bygone, and the advice each seems to suggest as to how a man should treat a woman.
Blow Smoke In Her Face
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that people, especially women, just love having sexy, cancer-rich cigar smoke blown into their eyes and mouth. “Hit her with Tipalet Cherry, or rich, grape-y Tipalet Burgundy.” Sounds like someone’s got a date with the chemotherapy ward in Flavor Country.
Don’t Let Her Drive Your Car
“Dear, I backed the car out of the driveway and ran over the neighbor’s dog. Have some pie.” The old “women are bad drivers” schtick. That’s clever. And true to life. After all, a pudding distraction is how my mother broke the news that she had backed over my father.
Keep Her On the Floor
This ad is the single greatest reason that most men in the 1960s had floors made entirely of women and shoes.
Make Her Do Your Bidding
The subtext to this 1980s ad is seriously disturbing. I’ll bet this woman is so clumsy that she walks into doorknobs all the time.
Force Her to Perform Uncomfortable Sex Acts
Oh, I get it. Her partner shoved his cock in her mouth, and the thing was so big it tore the corners of her lips open like Heath Ledger’s Joker. I’ll bet that’s a common problem for the users of XXL condoms. Sadly, this ad is from just several years ago, so remember it when you start to think that society has gotten more progressive.
Give Her a Spanking
Remember that clever shirt that got you laid that one time? Was there spanking involved? No? Might be time for a Van Heusen shirt. Because if you wear a Van Heusen, women will let you spank the shit out of them. Promise.
No, Really. Give Her a Spanking
What the hell? Was wife spanking a thing back in the days of “Leave It to Beaver”? I’ll remember that next time I hear someone idealize that era.
Beat Her (and Spank Her…Again)
Spanking a little too vanilla for your “rollicking” lifestyle? Move straight to beating your wife, assuming you ever stopped beating her in the first place. I’m guessing the Co-le Sales Company was some kind of alien advertising experiment in human behavioral conditioning. The alternative is too messed up to fathom.
Threaten Her Life
“Is it always illegal to kill a woman?”
Yes. Yes it is.
Pitney-Bowes: The Postage Meter for Psychopaths.™
Cut Off Her Head
And finally, if it isn’t enough to have “your girl” naked on the floor, you can always decapitate her and stick her head on a tiger-skin rug as a warning to other women that you don’t mess around. Then go out by some nice new slacks. All that decapitation got your old ones damp and sweaty. |
Feb 05 2017 - 19:54
Although Real Madrid have been dominant in LaLiga this season, Neymar believes Barcelona can still claim the title.
Neymar believes Barcelona can still catch Real Madrid in LaLiga's title race, despite the European champions' impressive form this season.
Madrid currently lead rivals Barca by a solitary point, but Zinedine Zidane's side have two games in hand and have lost just once in the league this term.
However, reflecting on the way Madrid chipped away at his own side's advantage at the top in the 2015-16 campaign, Neymar remains optimistic of a title challenge.
"I know it's a little hard, but nothing is impossible," he said in an interview with Red Bull. "Last year, we were 12 points ahead of second place - and we only won by one or two [points], if I'm not mistaken.
"There are still a lot of games to go, a lot of matches, anything can happen, and we are really focused. We are thirsty for the title and we're going for it."
Nevertheless, Neymar is in no doubt about the scale of the task ahead of Barca, as he acknowledges LaLiga as the strongest league in Europe.
"I think it's currently the best league, the Spanish league," he continued. "[Spanish clubs] have been winning virtually all the international titles in the last three years ... [with the Champions League] interchanging between Barcelona and [Real] Madrid.
"Also, Sevilla won the UEFA [Europa League], so I think Spain is pretty much ruling lately. There are other clubs and other players that are excellent - real stars in other leagues - but I think Spain is excelling the most." |
Sam Stoddard came to Wizards of the Coast as an intern in May 2012. He is currently a game designer working on final design and development for Magic: The Gathering.
It's time once again to return to the M-Files! Frequent readers of this column will know that Multiverse is our internal database, used to track Magic cards already printed, early in design, and everything in between. One of the duties of being a designer or developer is making occasional passes on the cards in Multiverse and leaving comments. Looking back on the file a year later provides insights on the design and development processes, as well as a few laughs. You'll find both here.
If you'd like to have a face to put with each name, click below to review our cast of commenters:
Click to Reveal ID—Ian Duke, development co-lead for Kaladesh EVL—Erik Lauer, development co-lead for Kaladesh MR—Mark Rosewater, design co-lead for Kaladesh SM—Shawn Main, design co-lead for Kaladesh SPS—Sam Stoddard, developer. That's-a me! DH—Dave Humpherys, developer TABAK—Matt Tabak, editor MJJ—Mons Johnson, designer for Duel Masters AP—Adam Prosak, developer JS—James Sooy, UX designer AF—Aaron Forsythe, The Big Boss Man (senior director) YS—Yoni Skolnik, developer GSV—Gavin Verhey, designer MDT—Melissa DeTora, playtester KEN—Ken Nagle, editor DEL—Del Laugel, editor TJA—Tim Aten, editor (former) JDR—Jules Robins, designer MAGO—Mark Gottlieb, design manager EEF—Ethan Fleisher, designer SVE—Scott Van Essen, designer ELI—Eli Shiffrin, rules manager
When we last left off, we had gotten through all of the monocolor cards in Kaladesh, but there are plenty of multicolor ("gold") cards, artifacts, and lands to look at.
Unlicensed Disintegration
ID: New text. Terminate variant.
DEL: Another card with un-keyworded affinity for artifacts.
MAGO: Saw this card in a draft. I found it disconcerting that it has secret affinity for artifacts, like we're trying to pull a fast one on players. Our policies and philosophy on this don't make sense to me—using the keyword that is exactly defined as this ability (plus reminder text) would make the card (or the set) too complex or busy, but using the ability itself would not?
JDR: Keyword question aside, affinity that can only reduce the cost by two just feels sad. Everything we've printed reduces by at least four except the two cards that turn into free instants.
GSV: I could see, "CARDNAME costs 2 less to cast if you control an artifact."
ID: Was 2BR Terminate with affinity, now 1BR Murder plus damage equal to number of artifacts.
ID: Now deals fixed damage with one artifact instead of scaling. Starting at 3 damage, might have to come down to 2.
The design file of Kaladesh included affinity for artifacts for quite a while, and because of that we ended up with quite a few faux-affinity cards by the time the set was in development. While this card started off that way, we ended up cutting back on the faux-affinity as we moved further along with the set. We found it much more satisfying to have more differing rewards, rather than a lot of affinity.
Veteran Motorist
ID: Added enters-the-battlefield scry 2. A little weird, but necessary to get it to similar power level to the others.
DH: This is pretty weird, but I guess it helps you find your Vehicles or drivers. Doesn't seem correct though given the blue-black uncommon also scrys.
ID: 2/2 -> 3/1
The scry 2 was added, as Dave mentioned, to help you actually get to your Vehicles. Especially in Limited, we wanted the red-white deck to be a Vehicle/Pilot deck, but without some amount of card filtering it was very difficult to get that to work. Veteran Motorist, once it scryed, was able to get to the Vehicles that actually let the cool part of this card work.
Depala, Pilot Exemplar
ID: Now a Dwarf lord in addition to boosting Vehicles.
SM: Cool card, though I'm sad this doesn't have a crew ability anymore. Maybe: "Other Dwarves you control get +1/+1 and have 'Whenever this creature crews a Vehicle, that Vehicle gets +1/+1 until end of turn.'"
ID: Okay, let's try that.
KEN: I can crew my 3/3 crew 1 Vehicle three times with three Dwarves then attack with a 6/6, right?
MJJ: Rather complicated; is this better than just "Dwarves and Vehicles you control get +1/+1"?
ID: That's what it was, Mons, but design preferred this way.
DH: Too much going on here, especially in raising rules questions on top of what else is here. Agree with Mons's note or something like it.
ID: Okay, back to the simpler version.
Depala went through a lot of fidgeting to arrive at the place she ended up. It was important that we get her to a point where she was satisfying for people who wanted to play with Dwarves, while at the same time work for Vehicles. Considering we have some red-white Vehicle decks in Standard that play a number of Dwarves, I think this managed to hit the mark even better than we expected.
Bastion Mastodon
ID: Simplifying this cycle. They were trying to do too much as both energy cards and color-directional artifacts. After talking to Mark, we decided to make these color-directional and make a few other energy cards separately.
ID: 4/4 -> 4/5
TJA: Wow, this wasn't strong enough at 4/4?
ID: Five-cost 4/5 -> six-cost 5/6
ID: Back to five-cost 4/5
The set, early on, was doing a lot. Part of that is just how the design team works—they try to fit as much stuff into the set as possible, assuming not all of it will stick. In the end, with this cycle, overlapping colored artifacts and energy was cute, but too much. We made them simpler to ensure they worked for Limited without being brain-melty.
Workshop Assistant
AF: Why does this need to be exiled?
ID: Okay, no exile.
TJA: People will either appreciate or not notice the parallel to Dutiful Attendant.
EEF: I do not enjoy infinite Gravediggers blocking my biggest creature every turn.
ID: I personally feel the same way, but I'm willing to let people assemble a two-card combo drudge skeleton.
We generally try pretty hard to not have looping Gravediggers, but Ian points out (I think correctly) that a 1/2 card doing this is very different than something that can meaningfully get into combat turn after turn. If you are looping two of these, you probably aren't doing anything very powerful.
Torch Gauntlet
SM: Now just one energy.
SVE: I remember all the reasons we changed this, but I think having the mana equip cost muddles the message, and if we're going to do an energy equip cost, I'd rather commit to it. With our new energy economy, can we try two energy again? Or could we have it auto-equip when it enters?
ID: Trying without enters-the-battlefield energy at EVL's suggestion.
ID: Three to cast -> one to cast
ID: Removed energy alternative equip cost and adjusted numbers.
Another "casualty" if you could call it that of trying to simplify the set and uncross all the streams. It was cool to have an Equipment that dealt with energy, but we found we really didn't need that many more energy rewards than what we had, and the set as a whole would be more fun and accessible if this was just a regular Equipment.
Iron League Steed
AF: Reads like a common.
ID: U -> C
DH: A strong common though. Better than we'd normally give most/all colors for 3C.
This ended up moving back to uncommon for largely the reason given. We can make a 3R 3/3 haste creature in red, but not really the other colors—and this is stronger than that. Part of making an artifact set works means respecting the color pie as much as possible, especially at common. While this still has stats that are much more generous than we would give a blue creature, the fact that we kept it off of common at least helps to preserve the color pie for Limited.
Ballista Charger
DH: Would love to find other ways to make these playable than repeatable effects that work without anybody to board them. ETB effects are the best example I've seen so far.
ID: Trying crew with power. Also moved activated ping to attack trigger.
ID: 6/5 -> 6/4, but trigger can hit players
ID: Crew 2 -> crew 3
ID: 6/4 -> 6/6
Vehicles were really, really hard to get right. They have a ton of knobs, and the difference between where the designers would play them and where the developers would play them was great. Most of the spots we started in with Vehicles just ended up being much weaker than was really needed. Or maybe we were being too down on the type, and we will find out more as we monitor how they did in the real world. Maybe we were too generous—certainly we were on some. If we ever revisit them, we will want to have a better barometer for how to create them.
Multiform Wonder
ID: Removed deathtouch and trample
DEL: Was 4/4, enters the battlefield with four energy.
AP: Future Future League suggests 3/3 and enters the battlefield with 4 energy.
ID: 3/3 -> 4/4, but waterbreathes by 1 instead of 2.
DEL: Enters with three energy again. Menace -> flying.
DEL: Back to ETB four energy (was briefly three).
DEL: Adjustments to all the abilities. Was ETB four energy; flying, first strike, vigilance, or haste; +1/-1 or -1/+1.
DEL: Rarity swap. New list of abilities; was flying, lifelink, or haste.
DH: FFL team suggests: menace, lifelink, vigilance instead of current suite.
Another pretty hard card. Although the final version is probably too weak for Standard, we went through many versions where this was one of the strongest cards in the set. The combination of flying, power pumping, and lifelink lead to some huge swings for the midrange energy decks, and a lot of frustration from aggro decks that quickly saw 10-point life swings.
Bomat Courier
ID: New card from hole filling.
DH: I can't look at the exiled cards, right?
JDR: I'm not sure what the current wording does, but having talked to Scott, the design intent is that you can't look at them.
DEL: Correct. Question also came up during a playtest. Tacking on some reminder text. Don't know if it will stick.
ID: Dies trigger becomes an activation for R.
SPS: Still would be interested in this as a one-mana 1/1.
AF: A lot less appealing as a one-mana 1/1 than a two-mana 2/1. Is it still good?
DEL: 2/1 for two -> 1/1 for one
This is a cool card, and I am pretty happy with where it ended up. I really enjoyed giving red artifact decks a powerful one-mana 1/1, which was what they were lacking on their curve. It also makes the card compete with a number of things in the red-white artifact decks, meaning it is generally better in black-red or mono-red artifact decks—a good spot to be in for this card, in my opinion.
Electrostatic Pummeler
GSV: Would this be more fun at two energy on both sides? Easier to activate, bigger dreams to live.
ID: I think this is already scary enough!
ID: Two -> three to cast. Could be an over-correction. Let me know if we should pull back some (could be a 2/2, for example).
DEL: 1/1 -> 2/2
DEL: 2/2 -> 1/1
This is a great example of a card that is pretty fun when it is the right power level, but was not very fun when we pushed it any harder. We had many versions of this that required either a little less energy or started off a bit bigger, but it made the dream of getting this huge creature a little too easy. We went back to 1/1 at three mana to make it a fun dream, but not something your deck can kind of do incidentally. You really need to be going for it.
Scrapheap Scrounger
ID: 2 -> 3 to bring back.
ID: 3 -> 1B to activate, and removes creatures instead of artifacts.
SPS: I've loved this change.
One of my favorite inputs to the set was pushing for more color activation on Constructed artifacts. Before, when this was three mana and exile two artifacts, it went into a lot more decks, but didn't come back as much. Moving it to black mana all of a sudden gave it more identity, and let it be a powerful option in decks like Black-Green Delirium that don't have much of an actual artifact theme.
Fleetwheel Cruiser
ID: Trying crew with power. Was one creature.
DH: FFL change from vigilance to trample.
ID: Three -> four mana, but auto-crews for one turn.
Another card that went through a lot of changes to get it correct. Whenever we make a new card type, we end up pushing it a bit harder than when we know exactly how strong the cards will be. On the whole, it's better to err on the cards being slightly too strong (especially if this is the card type's one time to shine) rather than to miss low and have nobody like the cards at all.
Smuggler's Copter
ID: Trying crew with power. Was one creature.
ID: No longer loots on ETB.
ID: Attack loot -> combat damage draw
DGH: FFL Meeting—3/4, loot when attacks or blocks
DEL: FFL changes are in. Was 3/2 with saboteur "draw a card."
AP: FFL team recommends 3/3 and vigilance.
Okay. The elephant in the room. Of note, we obviously ended up cutting vigilance (and thank goodness!) pretty late in the process. As I've said, it takes a long time to get new card types right, and it's easy to focus on the long time when the cards were not very strong versus how they ended up. We struggled for a while to get Vehicles into Constructed decks, and part of that was moving to a power-based model rather than tapping a number of creatures. We had to really power them up a lot from where they were when the design team handed them off. People were skeptical that we could get Vehicles to a point where they were strong enough in Constructed and also fun—and on that path, we sort of over did it with the Copter. We pulled back quite a bit from its high point, but the card that we suspected was the strongest Constructed Vehicle ended up even stronger than we'd pegged it. That being said, we knew it was strong, so we were not taken by surprise by its strength, and we definitely developed around it when making future sets.
Panharmonicon
EVL: I love all the Johnny artifacts.
AF: Love this.
DEL: Now with functional words. Functional change for clarity; no longer stacks.
ID: Three -> four mana
Johnny artifacts were something we were trying hard for, as both this and the next card will show off. Four mana felt like a cost that was probably not a standard card, but when we pushed it for three mana, we found that the card was more powerful than it was fun. With the current numbers, it might show up or it might not—but hopefully it will be fun if it does.
Aetherflux Reservoir
MJG: This card made me smile! Fun!
AF: We discussed possible big-dream text in the meeting.
ID: Added some placeholder big-dream text.
GSV: The new text made me smile.
YS: Test of Endurance power creep! Sounds fun to me. Makes me want more alternate win-con cards like this.
SM: This is an adorable addition. However, the number is actually too low for Commander; could it be 60?
ID: Three -> four cost
ELI: That creature knows exactly what it did to deserve this.
TABAK: What's your life total? Doesn't matter. That creature needs to die.
Another fun one for similar reasons. Just make sure not to misclick, unless you are hitting a Jackal Pup.
Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
DH: Greatly prefer ETB solution like this to add more than the "tap and use every turn" function for a Vehicle.
JDR: Strongly agree.
AF: Flying Inferno Titan. Why not.
ID: Trying crew with power. Was two creatures.
ID: Crew 3 -> crew 4
TABAK: I like how the guns fire one time while unattended.
DH: FFL meeting—crew 3. "Deal 3 to target creature or planeswalker" instead.
Del: FFL changes are in. Was crew 4, "creature or player."
Yeah, when this was able to hit players, it tended to end games a lot more quickly than was reasonable. Now it is a nice top end, but at least it takes more than two attacks to kill most people.
Aether Hub
HANDOFF NOTES: Wanted an energy land to represent the Consulate HQ.
AF: Just making energy seems cool enough.
ID: Now just makes energy, doesn't animate.
ID: Now a Tendo Ice Bridge variant. Was "3, T: Get an energy."
AF: Tendo Ice Bridge was a terrible rare. This is almost as terrible!
MDT: This is great in Constructed energy decks! But I agree it's an awful rare.
ID: Okay, uncommon.
Much like some of the powerful uncommons I mentioned last week, there has been a desire to make some more cards like this into uncommons rather than rares. I can't say that any multi-land will end up being there, but Tendo Ice Bridge just isn't a rare by our current standards. Standard is much more accessible when simple cards like this that can go into a lot of decks—but are also weak in Limited—are uncommons rather than rares.
Concealed Courtyard
SM: Placeholder fast lands
This was the only comment only any of these lands, which is actually kind of nice. We knew early on that these would go in here, and there was never much of a question on whether or not they would be in here—other than some questions for a while about splitting them between Aether Revolt and Kaladesh. In the end, we decided that all five in one set was just better, and had a balancing effect on the metagame rather than warping it around the dual lands.
Thanks for reading this trip down memory lane. But, we're not done yet; next week I'll be talking about Future Future League decks that we developed during the Kaladesh FFL period.
Until next time,
Sam (@samstod) |
The nation’s leading veterinarians organization is joining the movement to revise marijuana’s status under federal law.
In a little-noticed development, members of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) approved a resolution at its conference last month urging the organization’s board of directors to “investigate working with other research organizations and medical stakeholders to reclassify cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 to facilitate research opportunities for veterinary and human medical uses.”
The organization, which was founded in 1863 and represents more than 89,000 veterinarians across the U.S., is also being encouraged by its members to develop and distribute literature on marijuana’s legal status, research on its medical uses and “the signs, symptoms, and treatment of cannabis toxicosis in animals.”
The moves come amid dual trends surrounding a growing interest in cannabis’s potential to provide relief to dogs, cats and other animals suffering from pain and a rise in media reports about accidental pet ingestion of marijuana products.
AMVA members are concerned that cannabis’s current classification under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act — a category that is supposed to be reserved for drugs with a high potential for abuse and no medical value — has blocked research into its effects.
“As the national association, we at least need to write a letter and ask the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to approve the research,” Dr. Richard Sullivan said before assembled AMVA delegates at the conference. “Clients are asking us, and it’s our obligation morally and ethically to address these cases. We need the research, and we need our national association to represent us at FDA and get things moving … and get some action done, soon.”
Dr. Michael Ames pointed out that while a growing number of states allow medical or recreational marijuana use by humans, those policies are silent when it comes to veterinary applications for cannabis.
“So while it may be legal for you to use yourself, it’s not legal to prescribe it to animals,” he told fellow AMVA members.
Despite the extra hurdles that Schedule I imposes for research on marijuana, there are at least some studies investigating its potential to help animals.
Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, for example, is currently conducting trials on cannabis’s effects on osteoarthritis and epilepsy in dogs.
“The anecdotal treatments are that it has the great potential to be beneficial,” AMVA President Dr. Micael Topper said. “We’ve seen great potential benefits in human use. Animal systems are a little different, so that’s why we really need to test it.”
The American Medical Association asked the federal government to reconsider marijuana’s Schedule I status in 2009.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) rejected petitions to reschedule cannabis last August. |
Emma Haslett
Official data published this morning suggested UK house price growth has got its mojo back – but things are looking less encouraging in London, where growth fell to a weak (relatively speaking) 7.5 per cent in December.
But analysis of the data by online estate agent Emoov suggests the story is not the same across the whole of the capital: in fact, some parts of London experienced growth of more than 14 per cent.
The figures show growth in Barking and Dagenham, one of the few parts of London with average prices of below £300,000, topped 14 per cent in December.
Growth in Waltham Forest and Bexley was also in the teens, at 13.6 per cent and 13.2 per cent respectively, while prices in Havering rose 12.4 per cent.
Hammersmith and Fulham was the only borough in London where prices fell, dropping 2.1 per cent (albeit to a hefty £772,000).
Meanwhile, growth in Richmond upon Thames managed a measly 0.38 per cent, rising to £641,000.
In two London boroughs, average house prices topped £1m – in the City of Westminster, prices rose 1.15 per cent to £1.01m while in Kensington and Chelsea, prices rose 4.15 per cent to £1.25m.
If you're looking planning to buy a house in the capital, it's best to head for outer London, where prices rose 7.87 per cent to £392,000 in the year to December – compared with a six per cent rise to £554,000 in inner London.
Read more: Bonus bonanza! The London hotspots you need to invest in
London house price growth: the official ranking
Borough December '15 December '16 Change (£) Change (%) 1 Barking & Dagenham £253,145 £288,927 £35,782 14.13% 2 Waltham Forest £386,441 £438,855 £52,414 13.56% 3 Bexley £295,744 £334,634 £38,890 13.15% 4 Havering £314,588 £353,659 £39,071 12.42% 5 Lewisham £374,745 £419,005 £44,260 11.81% 6 Newham £319,493 £353,476 £33,982 10.64% 7 Croydon £330,486 £365,564 £35,078 10.61% 8 Enfield £359,625 £394,691 £35,067 9.75% 9 Redbridge £369,059 £404,344 £35,285 9.56% 10 Hillingdon £380,185 £415,840 £35,655 9.38% 11 Camden £796,767 £866,973 £70,206 8.81% 12 Hounslow £368,802 £400,076 £31,274 8.48% 13 Sutton £341,717 £369,996 £28,280 8.28% 14 Lambeth £484,535 £521,422 £36,887 7.61% 15 Haringey £518,352 £556,116 £37,765 7.29% 16 City of London £713,253 £763,748 £50,496 7.08% 17 Tower Hamlets £444,125 £474,065 £29,940 6.74% 18 Harrow £435,864 £463,166 £27,302 6.26% 19 Barnet £501,293 £532,486 £31,193 6.22% 20 Bromley £411,124 £436,204 £25,080 6.10% 21 Kingston upon Thames £460,578 £487,011 £26,433 5.74% 22 Brent £468,584 £494,913 £26,330 5.62% 23 Wandsworth £594,044 £626,488 £32,444 5.46% 24 Southwark £488,642 £509,634 £20,992 4.30% 25 Greenwich £360,228 £375,188 £14,961 4.15% 26 Kensington And Chelsea £1,264,909 £1,317,424 £52,515 4.15% 27 Islington £638,445 £663,496 £25,051 3.92% 28 Ealing £475,935 £491,441 £15,505 3.26% 29 Hackney £528,858 £545,921 £17,063 3.23% 30 Merton £490,898 £502,551 £11,653 2.37% 31 City of Westminster £1,013,417 £1,025,114 £11,697 1.15% 32 Richmond upon Thames £640,645 £643,071 £2,425 0.38% 33 Hammersmith and Fulham £771,960 £755,759 -£16,201 -2.10% |
Myra Hindley and Ian Brady - the Moors Murderers. Between July 1963 and October 1965, they kidnapped and murdered five children. Four of which were sexually abused before they were killed. The couple were caught after attempting to recruit Myra's brother-in-law David Smith. He was with them as far as viewing people 'like maggots, small, blind and worthless', but drew the line at murdering Edward Evans. Hindley and Brady were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Whilst in prison, Hindley apparently held some highly successful classes in crochet, as reported in the press to an ever intrigued readership.
Colin Ireland - the Gay Slayer. For three months in early 1993, Ireland picked up victims from S&M bars catering towards homosexual clientele. He knew he could easily persuade such gentlemen to allow him to restrain them in the privacy of his home, which made killing them so much easier. He killed five men before police gathered enough evidence to track him down. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Beverley Allit - the Angel of Death. In February 1991, Beverley Allit was taken on as a State Enrolled Nurse at the children's ward in Grantham and Kesteven Hospital, in Lincolnshire. Over the course of the next fifty-nine days, she killed four children, attempted to kill another three and injured six more. The death of the final victim - fifteen month old Claire Peck - was suspicious enough for colleagues to investigate the records. It quickly became apparent that Allit had been alone with all of the children who'd recently died, plus those who'd nearly died, but who had made complete recoveries upon transfer to another hospital. She was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Peter Sutcliffe - the Yorkshire Ripper. Britain's most infamous modern day serial killer was active between 1969 and 1981. During that time, he murdered thirteen women and attempted to kill another seven. He was actually arrested for driving with false number plates, but on a whim an officer asked if he was the Yorkshire Ripper. Sutcliffe duly confessed, shocking all concerned. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Jeffrey Dahmer - the Milwaukee Cannibal. From 1978 until 1991, Dahmer abducted, murdered and dismembered seventeen boys and men. He never actually ate any of them, but Silence of the Lambs was popular at the time. The newspapers saddled him with an epithet which would play into that cultural reference, thus selling even more papers. He was arrested after the 18th potential victim - Tracy Edwards - managed to escape, then lead police officers back to Dahmer's apartment. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Dennis Nilsen - the Muswell Hill Killer or the Kindly Killer. Between 1978 and 1983, Nilsen killed twelve men and attempted to slaughter another two. He did it for the company - arranging their corpses and having them around the house for a while. He believed that his murder methods (strangulation or drowning) were the most humane, hence the press conferred moniker 'Kindly Killer'. His crimes were uncovered after a service worker answered a call to unblock the drains outside Nilsen's home, and discovered that the blockage was caused by a build up of human fat and small bones. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Yoshinori Ueda. During 1992-1993, this Japanese serial killer murdered five people. When the fifth body was found by police officers, their inquiries led them to his front door. Whereupon he confessed to the other four and led the authorities to where he'd concealed his victims' remains. Initially sentenced to death, Ueda later claimed insanity and police coercion in his confession, and walked free. |
Perl has some “numbers” that aren’t really numbers. Or, it has them if your underlying C library supports them.
The first, the “not a number”, is the string “NaN”, in any case. This isn’t a single value. The standard for floating-point numbers, IEEE 754. This value, which isn’t a number, returns itself in any mathematical operation.
Before we look at that, though, remember what Perl does with strings that might be numbers. As we explain in the “Scalars” chapter, Perl grabs decimal number characters from the start of the string. When it encounters something that doesn’t look like it belongs in a decimal number, it stops. Whatever it grabbed so far becomes the number. For instance, "1234fred" becomes 1234 while "fred" becomes the empty string which becomes 0 .
$ perl -le 'print "1234fred" + 1' 1235 $ perl -le 'print "fred" + 1' 1 $ perl -le 'print "1234fred" * 1' 1234 $ perl -le 'print "fred" * 1' 0
NaN
If we applied Perl’s basic rule to the string "NaN" , we’d expect to get 0 , because we didn’t tell you about this special value in Learning Perl. It’s one of the white lies we tell so we don’t fill your head with stuff you probably won’t need. Now here’s some stuff you might not need:
$ perl -le 'print "NaN" + 1' nan $ perl -le 'print "NaN" * 1' nan $ perl -le 'print log( "NaN" )' nan $ perl -le 'print sin( "NaN" )' nan
Any calculations we try to do with this value turns the rest of the results into "NaN" . It won’t accidentally turn into 0 , making you think that your calculation is accurate or destroying all values in multiplication.
But, it gets trickier. It’s more than just the string "NaN" that turns into this special value. Any string that starts with "NaN" also turns into “not a number”:
$ perl -le 'print "Nandor" + 1' nan
Is that it? Not quite. Perl will allow ignore a leading + or - sign as well:
$ perl -le 'print "+NaN"' nan $ perl -le 'print "-Nandor"' nan $ perl -le 'print "+Nandor"' nan
There’s another curious thing. The spaceship operator <=> normally returns 1 , 0 , or -1 . If one of the operands is "NaN" , the operator returns undef . We didn’t tell you that <=> could do that.
Also, "NaN" isn’t numerically equal to itself, which is curious since undef is:
$ perl -le 'print "Not the same!" unless "NaN" == "NaN"' Not the same! $ perl -le 'print "Not the same!" unless undef == undef'
In fact, "NaN" is never equal to anything, so "NaN" != "NaN" if true. This means, then, that to check if a perl supports "NaN" , we can test:
die "This perl does not support NaN!
" if "NaN" == "NaN";
In the case where a perl does not support this, we’re back to the original string-to-number conversion rule that returns 0 .
See the perlop documentation.
Infinity
Similarly, Perl recognizes the special value Inf , +Inf , -Inf , Infinity . These and their variations return "inf" . When we use them in a multiplication, we get "inf" again:
$ perl -le 'print 1 * "inf"' inf $ perl -le 'print 1 + "inf"' inf
Normally, dividing by a zero or a non-number string kills the program:
$ perl -le 'print 1/0' Illegal division by zero at -e line 1. $ perl -le 'print 1/"fred"' Illegal division by zero at -e line 1.
Dividing by an Infinity variant, however, returns its limit, which is 0 :
$ perl -le 'print 1/"inf"' 0 $ perl -le 'print 1/"-inf"' 0
There is the possibility of a -0 too, if the underlying C library handles that. It’s the same as regular 0 . From my normal Mac OS X I switched to FreeBSD to find a negative zero:
freebsd$ perl -le 'print 1 / "inf"' 0 freebsd$ perl -le 'print 1 / "-inf"' -0 |
I’ve always been told that experiences from your life make for great stories. Whether it be tragic or triumph, it draws the attention from most people because they like to hear how you handled a certain situation that they may not be privy to. With music, the case is the same. Since before we could all probably remember, the art of storytelling through music – specifically R&B – has been connecting listeners everywhere.
Soulful veteran, Lyfe Jennings, is a head on example of sharing his story through music. His 2004 debut album, ‘Lyfe 268-192,’ was a 15-track collection of his life up until that point and he didn’t call it quits there. The raspy crooner garnered an immense amount of attention with tracks like “Must Be Nice” and “Hypothetically” due to their content and his distinct sound.
Now, almost 10 years, 4 albums, an impressive roster of collabs and many love songs later, the unique singer is back at it again with his fifth studio album, ‘Lucid.’ Introduced with the lead single “Boomerang” and viral follow-up, “I Wish,” Lyfe continues to prove why he is one of the great musical storytellers of our generation. Taking some time out from promoting the forthcoming album, Lyfe caught up with ThisIsRnB and dropped some info on the album, his current stand on R&B and give us his take on the unfolding situation with label mate, Raheem DeVaughn.
Dive into the exclusive interview below:
You have this new album coming out entitled ‘Lucid’. What was the basis behind creating this album?
Yeah, it’s out October 8th. You know, I really don’t do albums with a basis. Like I’ma write all these songs and it’s gonna be about this. I just do music and then I just pick songs that will fit together. So, that’s what it was.
Is there any particular track on the album that you like more than others?
Um, I have a track that I play more than others. One of my favorite tracks is “I Wish”. Probably one of my top three.
Let’s talk about the lead track from the album, “Boomerang”. You’re known for putting out a lot of tracks that women can relate to. How was your thought process when you penned that?
Actually, “I Wish” and “Boomerang” go together. I wrote “I Wish” first. When all the stuff went down and I went to prison, I wrote that first. After being in prison for a while, I started thinking about my role in that whole situation – even though, I never would have come to court to testify against her, I never would have done that. Like Jay-Z says, “You don’t get ’em back like that” – I just started looking at where is my role? You know, I put some fuckery in the game, you know what I’m saying? So, I had to take some responsibility for some actions and that’s where “Boomerang” came from.
We all know that you are on a different plateau than other R&B artists – you come from a different background then the majority of them. How has your background played a role in your career and where you are now in your success?
You know what, I think that where I come from, I know the type of situations that the street goes through and I write about that. And, that’s what separates me apart from them. You know, the rappers they get on and talk about how they rob a boy with they pistols. You know, with the females and the money and all of that. I really was that. It ain’t no stress for me to keep on it. I’m on another level. What them cats talk about, I actually was that and still am that on some levels. I think that when I write about that stuff, all of the cats on that level, been through that level or on their way to that level, you can’t help but respect ’em.
To stick on the topic of your background, we recently caught an interview that Raheem Devaughn did with Power 105’s The Breakfast Club and he briefly touched on his situation dealing with you. I know I was a little lost. Can you give us a little background on what occurred?
Well, you know…it’s kind of a “no good deed goes unpunished” with that. I’ma keep it 100. I ain’t gone drag the dude under the bus or none of that stuff – I just won’t do that. But, the “ABC” song, it was with some cats that I respected and I’m sure they know we were just trying to make R&B better. R&B is in the gutter right now. Everything is about sex and strip clubs. It was like a challenge to make it better. Raheem Devaughn was actually an afterthought. You know, I don’t listen to that dude’s music a lot. Not to say that he doesn’t have people – I’m sure he does, he sells records. I put him on as an afterthought because me and that guy are on the same label right now. So, I was like you know, let me put this dude on because he got an album coming out or whatever. So the dude took it totally the wrong way. He started talking about how many shooters he had and I’m like you know, I got shooters too…ME [laughs]. I heard on there that he was talkin’ about his radio show is in like 200 different countries and Grammy’s and all this shit., but the last time I checked, there weren’t even 200 countries in the world – there’s only like 193. I don’t know if he streaming to Mars or whatever [laughs]. What I’m saying is right here, this is exactly what happened. I ain’t got no ra-ra for that dude. I’m just hearing so much stuff that he’s saying on like interviews and stuff like that. You know, all I’ma say is I get off of parole in February. I’ma make it to then. Then, we can talk about it. Period. I got an album coming out October 8 – not November like he was saying. Which was cute…it was funny – all of that. But, my album comes out October 8.
Alright, well now that we have your take on it, let’s go ahead and switch gears. I know that you briefly touched on your perspective of where R&B is right now, but how do you think the evolution of contemporary R&B has been? From when you first stepped in the game in the early 2000’s until now, how do you think it has evolved since then?
Um, well…I don’t like that terminology “evolved”. I look at evolution as becoming something better. So, I don’t feel as if R&B has evolved as far as content. I think it has devolved. I definitely recognize that everything changes. This is not to condemn these young cats out here – they got they own style. You know they doin they thing out here, they livin their life and I respect it. At the same time, when you talk about content man, we think these fans are stupid. We think they only want the club stuff and the strip club and females. That ain’t what they wanna hear. They wanna hear something they can grow through. So, that’s how I feel about it in that regard.
Sure. When you create most of your albums, there are never really any features on them. Is there any particular reason why you just choose to keep it mostly you opposed to having other acts like most artists?
Well, first of all, I don’t really put rappers on there because for some reason, rappers never talk about what the song is about [laughs]. You know, a nigga could be talkin about a wedding and we get 8 bars talkin bout poppin bottles, liquid soap, the brand new Jordan’s…it’s like damn, this don’t go together man [laughs]. I try to stay away from rap because of that. Also, if I sing a song, I want person to be from that place. It’s hard to find artists right now who are what they sing about. So, I find it sometimes, I use it. But majority of the time, I don’t use it because I haven’t found it.
Definitely understandable and I commend you for that. Do you think it’s imperative for artists to collab or stick together for the progression of R&B at this point?
You know what, I do feel like for what the preservation of what somebody might term “Old School” R&B. I feel like it enhances all of our chances of sticking around – the genre, not just each person – longer. And that’s how I am. If you read my Twitter or Facebook or anything, I’m always shouting out new artists. You best believe when Anthony Hamilton’s album comes out, it’s gone be on my Twitter page. He ain’t gotta call me and say nothing. Musiq Soulchild, Kem and Jaheim and all them cats. I just really feel like I’m still a fan. I’m one of them dudes that’ll still be leaving messages on them cats Instagrams. Like ‘Oh, this song is hot’. I’m still gone pay money to go to the concerts, I’m still gone buy the CD’s, man. That’s just me, you know?
Sure. On that topic, are there any albums that you’re looking forward to purchasing this year?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m definitely gonna get that Jaheim album, that Musiq Soulchild album is coming – I’m definitely looking forward to that. Um, what else? Anthony Hamilton’s CD dropped already, but I’m sure he’s working on something else. Just stuff like that – that’s what I’m looking for. It’s a new cat too by the name of August [Alsina]. Really dope cat and humble brother. Just waiting on his album too.
With the new inflow of artists coming in like August and Sebastian Mikael – a new artist signed to Slip-N-Slide Records – and acts like Chris Brown and other artists coming in, how do you feel about the current state of R&B? Where do you predict it going in the future?
I predict it going back to what they call “Old School”. I think because it’s so much stuff that’s sounding the same right now. I really consider R&B whack right now because it’s talkin bout the same thing that rappers talkin about…lying. You get on the radio and you talkin bout I hit for 15 hours straight from the back. You lying man. You didn’t do that. You ain’t hit nothing for 15 hours from the back straight. You know, we wanna get back to the real R&B. Where cats was talkin about I made some mistakes and I wanna maybe give this thing another chance and that’s real. I think that maybe people are gonna go back to that.
So with this upcoming album, is there an official tour coming out?
Well, we’re actually doing a few dates. Anthony Hamilton is actually going out too. The Lord is blessing me with another opportunity to go out with a couple dates with Kem, but no set in stone dates for touring. We are compiling one, so we’ll be able to let y’all know soon.
Perfect. How would you compare ‘Lucid’ to the first or second album that you delivered to the public? Where do you feel it stands in relation to your favorite album that you put out for yourself?
This is my number 2 favorite album right here. Number 1 will always be ‘268-192’. That’s my baby. I had my whole life to write that album up until that point. This album right here, every song on this album could be a single.
Your recent release, “I Wish”, was just a viral release for a single, but do you have an official release as your follow-up?
They probably gone be upset with me for telling you this because we haven’t put it in stone yet, but in my mind it’s in stone and you know how hardheaded I am [laughs]. My second single is called, “Rock”. You’ve never, ever heard an uptempo song from Lyfe, but this is an uptempo song. And, let me tell you, this is the step anthem of the year. Last time we had a step song was R.Kelly’s song, “Step in the Name of Love”. So, you know, this one is much needed right here.
Is there any advice that you would like to give to the younger generation being that you are considered a veteran?
Yeah, seriously man, just talk about your life. It’s so many people that talk about “I just don’t know my purpose.” Your purpose is growth – period. And then you get your blessings by sharing your growth with other people. Don’t be so focused on the income, just focus more on the outcome. At the end of the day when I’m done with this R&B thing or what have you, I want to know that I changed the game as far as changing people’s lives. Not just no radio stations or no album sales. I mean, those things are nice and they help you take care of your family, but at the end of the day, you can’t take none of that shit with you. All them lil’ females – the light skinned ones with the breast implants, and I like that, don’t get me wrong…I’m smitten [laughs]. But, I can’t take them with me though. But when I’m on my death bed, I can say I left people with some of my experiences so they don’t have to go through the same shit I went through.
Lastly, if you could interview anyone – dead or alive – who would it be and why?
[Laughs] I would interview Bin Laden. Because, it’s a lot of fake shit going on around this world and I’m talkin bout books and historic history. Whether it be spiritual history or the human history. I’m quite sure that guy had bread and he ain’t just actin like that unless he feels that he truly believes in it. I would like to know why does he believe in that and where is he finding this information that a lot of us are not partial to.
That’s the first time I’ve ever heard something like that. Very interesting. You go down in the book as the most creative [laughs].
Well, thank you [laughs]. I wanna send a quick shout out – is that cool?
Sure!
Alright. I wanna send a quick shout out to Lil’ Boosie – we miss you, mane.
-Interview by Ni’Kesia Pannell
Lyfe Jenning’s new album ‘LUCID‘ will hit stores on October 8. You can pre-order on iTunes now! |
Bangladesh’s central bank has suggested the Federal Reserve Bank of New York had a “major lapse" in allowing hackers to transfer $101 million in transactions that it later flagged as suspicious, according to an internal document seen by Bloomberg.
The document, dated March 13, sheds new light on Bangladesh Bank’s interpretation of a cyber heist in which hackers tried to steal nearly $1 billion last month. It outlines the strategy for recouping the stolen cash, including possible legal measures, and doesn’t appear to include input from anyone outside the central bank.
It also shows the New York Fed and Bangladesh put in place greater security measures on transfers immediately after the theft.
In early February, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York blocked 30 transactions from Bangladesh’s account valued at $850 million because of a lack of beneficiary details, according to the Bangladesh Bank document. However, the New York Fed allowed another five transactions to go through “which they subsequently flagged for due diligence review," it says.
“We view this as a major lapse on the part of FRB NY," the document says, referring to the New York Fed. Bangladesh is engaging legal counsel in New York City “to establish precise grounds of initiating lawsuit claiming recompense," it says. |
A more recent version of this report is available at epi.org/147963.
What this report finds: Income inequality has risen in every state since the 1970s and in many states is up in the post–Great Recession era. In 24 states, the top 1 percent captured at least half of all income growth between 2009 and 2013, and in 15 of those states, the top 1 percent captured all income growth. In another 10 states, top 1 percent incomes grew in the double digits, while bottom 99 percent incomes fell. For the United States overall, the top 1 percent captured 85.1 percent of total income growth between 2009 and 2013. In 2013 the top 1 percent of families nationally made 25.3 times as much as the bottom 99 percent. Why it matters: Rising inequality is not just a story of those in the financial sector in the greater New York City metropolitan area reaping outsized rewards from speculation in financial markets. While New York and Connecticut are the most unequal states (as measured by the ratio of top 1 percent to bottom 99 percent income in 2013), nine states, 54 metropolitan areas, and 165 counties have gaps wider than the national gap. In fact, the unequal income growth since the late 1970s has pushed the top 1 percent’s share of all income above 24 percent (the 1928 national peak share) in five states, 22 metro areas, and 75 counties. Interactive View interactive What does inequality look like in your state? Explore inequality by state, county, and metro area in this interactive feature.
What we can do to fix the problem: The rise of top incomes relative to the bottom 99 percent represents a sharp reversal of the trend that prevailed in the mid-20th century. Between 1928 and 1979, the share of income held by the top 1 percent declined in every state except Alaska (where the top 1 percent held a relatively low share of income throughout the period). This earlier era was characterized by a rising minimum wage, low levels of unemployment after the 1930s, widespread collective bargaining in private industries (manufacturing, transportation [trucking, airlines, and railroads], telecommunications, and construction), and a cultural and political environment in which it was outrageous for executives to receive outsized bonuses while laying off workers. We need policies that return the economy to full employment, return bargaining power to U.S. workers, and reinstate the cultural taboo on allowing CEOs and financial-sector executives at the commanding heights of the private economy to appropriate more than their fair share of the nation’s expanding economic pie.
Executive summary
While economic inequality has been one of the hottest topics this presidential campaign season, much of the focus has been on the fortunes of the top 1 percent at the national level. This report, our third annual such analysis, uses the latest available data to examine how the top 1 percent in each state have fared over 1917–2013, with an emphasis on trends over 1928–2013. (Data for additional percentiles spanning 1917–2013 are available at go.epi.org/unequalstates2016data.)
This third edition includes two new elements: We examine top incomes by metropolitan area and county in 2013.
Our analysis provides a number of major findings that confirm the widespread extent and growth of income inequality that is heightening economic anxiety among the American electorate:
In 2013, income inequality was much higher in many states, metropolitan areas, and counties than for the United States overall. In 2013 the top 1 percent of families nationally made 25.3 times as much as the bottom 99 percent.
Nine states had gaps wider than the national gap. In the most unequal states—New York, Connecticut, and Wyoming—the top 1 percent earned average incomes more than 40 times those of the bottom 99 percent.
Fifty-four of 916 metropolitan areas had gaps wider than the national gap. In the 12 most unequal metropolitan areas, the average income of the top 1 percent was at least 40 times greater than the average income of the bottom 99 percent. Most unequal was the Jackson metropolitan area, which spans Wyoming and Idaho; there the top 1 percent in 2013 earned on average 213 times the average income of the bottom 99 percent of families. The next 11 metropolitan areas with the largest top-to-bottom ratios were Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut (73.7); Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida (73.2); Sebastian-Vero Beach, Florida (63.5); Key West, Florida (58.5); Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada (46.1); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida (45.0); Midland, Texas (44.3); Glenwood Springs, Colorado (42.4); San Angelo, Texas (40.9); Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada (40.7); and Summit Park, Utah (40.3).
165 of 3,064 counties had gaps wider than the national gap. The average income of the top 1 percent was at least 45 times greater than the average income of the bottom 99 percent in 25 counties. In Teton, Wyoming (which is one of two counties in the Jackson metropolitan area), the top 1 percent in 2013 earned on average 233 times the average income of the bottom 99 percent of families.
There is a wide variance in what it means to be in the top 1 percent by state, metro area, and county.
To be in the top 1 percent nationally, a family needs an income of $389,436. Twelve states, 109 metro areas, and 339 counties have thresholds above that level.
For states the highest thresholds are in Connecticut ($659,979), the District of Columbia ($554,719), New Jersey ($547,737), Massachusetts ($539,055), and New York ($517,557). Thresholds above $1 million can be found in four metro areas (Jackson, Wyoming-Idaho; Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut; Summit Park, Utah; and Williston, North Dakota) and 12 counties.
While incomes at all levels declined as a result of the Great Recession, income growth has been lopsided since the recovery began in 2009; the top 1 percent captured an alarming share of economic growth while enjoying relatively high income growth.
Between 2009 and 2013, the top 1 percent captured 85.1 percent of total income growth in the United States. Over this period, the average income of the top 1 percent grew 17.4 percent, about 25 times as much as the average income of the bottom 99 percent, which grew 0.7 percent.
In 24 states the top 1 percent captured at least half of all income growth between 2009 and 2013. In 15 of those states the top 1 percent captured all income growth between 2009 and 2013. Those states were Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. In the other nine states, the top 1 percent captured between 50.0 and 94.4 percent of all income growth. Those states were Arizona, California, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
In 10 states, top 1 percent incomes grew in the double digits, while bottom 99 percent incomes fell. Those states were Wyoming (55.1 percent versus -2.3 percent), Nevada (25.6 percent versus -13.3 percent), Washington (21.6 percent versus -0.8 percent), New York (20.6 percent versus -3.9 percent), Connecticut (17.2 percent versus -1.6 percent), New Jersey (15.2 percent versus -1.4 percent), Florida (15.0 percent versus -4.3 percent), Missouri (14.8 percent versus -1.8 percent), Georgia (12.3 percent versus -2.7 percent), and South Carolina (11.3 percent versus -0.1 percent).
Lopsided income growth is a long-term trend that predates the Great Recession.
Between 1979 and 2007, the top 1 percent took home well over half (53.9 percent) of the total increase in U.S. income. Over this period, the average income of the bottom 99 percent of U.S. families grew by 18.9 percent. The average income of the top 1 percent grew over 10 times as much—by 200.5 percent.
In 19 states the top 1 percent captured at least half of all income growth between 1979 and 2007. In four of those states (Nevada, Wyoming, Michigan, and Alaska), only the top 1 percent experienced rising incomes between 1979 and 2007.
Even in the 10 states in which they captured the smallest share of income growth from 1979 to 2007, the top 1 percent still captured between about a quarter and just over a third of all income growth.
The lopsided growth in U.S. incomes between 1979 and 2007, in which the top 1 percent’s share of income grew in every state, reversed a growing equality in the half century after the Great Depression.
The share of income held by the top 1 percent declined in every state but one between 1928 and 1979.
From 1979 to 2007 the share of income held by the top 1 percent increased in every state and the District of Columbia.
The 10 states with the biggest jumps (at least 13.5 percentage points) in the top 1 percent share from 1979 to 2007 include four states with large financial services sectors (New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Illinois), three with large information technology sectors (Massachusetts, California, and Washington), one state with a large energy industry (Wyoming), one with a large gaming industry (Nevada), and Florida, a state in which many wealthy individuals retire.
These trends have left us with unequal income growth spanning 1979 to 2013.
Between 1979 and 2013, the top 1 percent’s share of income doubled nationally, increasing from 10 percent to 20.1 percent.
The same 10 states that had the biggest jumps in the top 1 percent share from 1979 to 2007 had the biggest jumps (in this case at least 9.5 percentage points) from 1979 to 2013. Again, these are four states with large financial services sectors (New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Illinois), three with large information technology sectors (Massachusetts, California, and Washington), one state with a large energy industry (Wyoming), one with a large gaming industry (Nevada), and Florida, a state in which many wealthy individuals retire.
In 15 of the other 40 states, the increase in the top 1 percent share was between 6.9 and 9.4 percentage points. In the remaining 25 states, the increase ranged between 3.1 and 6.9 percentage points.
The unequal income growth since the late 1970s has brought the top 1 percent income share in the United States to near its 1928 peak.
Overall in the U.S. the top 1 percent took home 20.1 percent of all income in 2013. That share was less than 4 percentage points higher in 1928: 24 percent.
Five states had top 1 percent income shares above 24 percent in 2013. Shares were highest in New York (31.0 percent), Connecticut (29.7), Wyoming (28.7), Nevada (27.5), and Florida (25.6).
Twenty-two metro areas had shares above 24 percent in 2013. Shares were highest in Jackson, Wyoming-Idaho (68.3 percent); Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut (42.7 percent); and Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida (42.5 percent).
Seventy-five counties had shares above 24 percent. Shares were highest in Teton, Wyoming (70.2 percent); La Salle, Texas (55.9 percent); and Shackelford, Texas (54.2 percent).
Introduction
In 2012, the Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities jointly released Pulling Apart, a report on the growth of income in the top, middle, and bottom fifths of households in the United States and each state (McNichol et al. 2012). That report also included information on the incomes of the top 5 percent of earners.
Pulling Apart found that the richest 5 percent of U.S. households had an average income 13 times higher than the poorest 20 percent of households.
As its authors noted, the Census data relied on by Pulling Apart do not permit analysis of trends in the top 1 percent of households at the state level: Sample sizes are too small in some states (even when data are pooled across multiple years), and the data are “top coded.” This means that above a certain threshold, the highest incomes are not recorded at the actual income level reported to Census survey takers. Instead, they are reported at a specified top income. Top coding is used to ensure that small numbers of erroneous outliers do not distort Census data, and to ensure the anonymity of particularly high-income survey respondents.
The present report does permit analysis of state-level trends among the top 1 percent of earners. It uses the same methodology employed by Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez (2003) to generate their widely cited findings on the incomes of the top 1 percent in the United States as a whole. (The authors of this report are contributors to the World Wealth and Income Database.) This methodology relies on tax data reported by the Internal Revenue Service for states and counties (see the methodological appendix for more details on the construction of our estimates).
Following Piketty and Saez, throughout this report we will examine trends in pre-tax and pre-transfer incomes, hereafter referred to simply as income, of tax units (single adults or married couples; hereafter referred to as families). The best way to think about this measurement of income is it represents all the taxable income people earn in market transactions, such as the income earned from working for a wage or salary at a job, through interest on a savings account, and from selling a financial asset for more than it was purchased (a capital gain). What is not included in our analysis is the impact that taxes and transfers (for example, Social Security payments or unemployment benefits) have on these market-derived incomes. While taxes and transfers do tend to reduce inequality by lowering incomes at the top and raising incomes at the bottom, the primary driver of rising inequality, even after taking into account taxes and transfers, is an increasingly unequal distribution of market incomes.
One additional form of compensation excluded from our analysis here is nontaxable compensation such as employer contributions to pensions and health care. While these forms of nontaxable compensation have been growing over time, their exclusion does not materially close the growing gap we observe between the vast majority of people and the highest earners in our economy.
Piketty and Saez’s groundbreaking 2003 study, now more than a decade old, increased attention to the body of work compiled since the 1980s documenting rising inequality in the United States. Their work helped inspire the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 and continues to resonate among the public. Growing public concern over rising inequality has also reinvigorated academic debates about whether inequality matters at all (Mankiw 2013) and about the role of finance and top executives in driving the growth of inequality (Bivens and Mishel 2013), and has spurred interest in how rising inequality limits the number of Americans who actually experience a “rags to riches” story over their lifetime (Corak 2013).
Applying Piketty and Saez’s methods to state-level data provides insight into the rise of incomes among the top 1 percent within each state (a population that significantly overlaps, but is not the same as, the national top 1 percent). This analysis can shed light on the degree to which the growth in income inequality is a widely experienced phenomenon across the individual states.
Before we begin our analysis of state data, it is useful to briefly summarize Piketty and Saez’s updated (2015) findings with respect to U.S. income inequality overall, focusing specifically on the share of income earned by the top 1 percent of families. They find the share of income captured by the top 1 percent climbed from 9.96 percent in 1979 to 23.50 percent in 2007. The share of income earned by the top 1 percent in 2007 on the eve of the Great Recession was just shy of 23.94 percent, the peak in the top 1 percent income share reached in 1928 (the year before the start of the Great Depression). Although the Great Recession reduced the income share of the top 1 percent, to 18.12 percent in 2009, their incomes surged ahead of the growth of incomes among the bottom 99 percent starting in 2010, with the income share of the top 1 percent reaching a peak of 22.83 percent in 2012. The 2012 peak was in part the result of high-income earners shifting income from 2013 to 2012 to reduce their tax liabilities in anticipation of higher top marginal tax rates that took effect in 2013. This tax planning helped reduce the top 1 percent’s take of all income to 20.08 percent in 2013. Income growth for the top 1 percent returned in 2014, the most recent year for which national-level data are available, with the top 1 percent taking home 21.24 percent of all income in the United States.
In the following sections we present data unique to this study by replicating Piketty and Saez’s method for each of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia and for 916 metropolitan areas and 3,064 counties. Our state data extend from 1917 to 2013, and our county and metropolitan area data are for 2013. To remain consistent with the most current national data from Piketty and Saez, all figures are in 2014 dollars.
We begin our analysis in the next section by painting a detailed picture of exactly how high the incomes of the most well-off among us are today. We then turn our attention to trends in top incomes over time, focusing first on the most recent economic recovery, then casting back our gaze to the 28 years between 1979 and 2007 and finally looking at how the fruits of economic growth have been distributed during every economic recovery since 1949. What the next three sections will reveal is that the top incomes we observe today are the direct result of a very lopsided distribution of the gains from economic growth toward the highest earners. We conclude the paper by comparing the share of all income earned by the top 1 percent in 1928 to the share today.
Income inequality across the states, metropolitan areas, and counties in 2013
Table 1 presents data by state for 2013 on the average income of the top 1 percent of families, the average income of the bottom 99 percent, and the ratio of these values. (As with all tables in this report, figures are in 2014 dollars.) In the United States as a whole, on average the top 1 percent of families earned 25.3 times as much income as the bottom 99 percent in 2013.
Table 1 Ratio of top 1% income to bottom 99% income, U.S. and by state and region, 2013 Rank (from highest to lowest) State/region Average income of the top 1% Average income of the bottom 99% Top-to-bottom ratio 1 New York $2,006,632 $44,163 45.4 2 Connecticut $2,402,339 $56,445 42.6 3 Wyoming $2,118,167 $52,196 40.6 4 Nevada $1,386,448 $36,169 38.3 5 Florida $1,265,774 $36,530 34.7 6 Massachusetts $1,692,079 $56,115 30.2 7 California $1,411,375 $48,899 28.9 8 Texas $1,301,618 $48,350 26.9 9 New Jersey $1,453,741 $57,447 25.3 10 Illinois $1,207,547 $48,684 24.8 11 Michigan $834,008 $37,896 22.0 12 Washington $1,100,186 $50,372 21.8 13 Georgia $857,728 $40,095 21.4 14 North Dakota $1,282,551 $61,178 21.0 15 Oklahoma $930,201 $44,849 20.7 16 Louisiana $859,619 $41,600 20.7 17 Arkansas $750,101 $36,421 20.6 18 Arizona $784,469 $38,354 20.5 19 Tennessee $820,373 $40,156 20.4 20 Pennsylvania $926,051 $45,781 20.2 21 Colorado $1,101,214 $54,809 20.1 22 Missouri $833,823 $41,641 20.0 23 Minnesota $1,035,928 $52,689 19.7 24 Kansas $981,279 $50,367 19.5 25 South Dakota $1,025,091 $53,213 19.3 26 Wisconsin $888,121 $46,669 19.0 27 Utah $940,662 $50,367 18.7 28 Rhode Island $884,609 $47,545 18.6 29 Oregon $754,431 $40,719 18.5 30 South Carolina $668,739 $36,950 18.1 31 New Hampshire $1,011,141 $56,475 17.9 32 Ohio $752,582 $42,391 17.8 33 Virginia $987,607 $55,743 17.7 34 North Carolina $745,686 $42,162 17.7 35 Montana $730,864 $42,013 17.4 36 Alabama $665,097 $38,854 17.1 37 Maryland $1,024,110 $60,172 17.0 38 Mississippi $565,813 $33,383 16.9 39 Kentucky $619,585 $37,371 16.6 40 Indiana $717,688 $43,426 16.5 41 Idaho $738,278 $45,254 16.3 42 Vermont $735,607 $45,719 16.1 43 Delaware $768,109 $48,371 15.9 44 New Mexico $593,739 $37,995 15.6 45 Nebraska $872,892 $57,076 15.3 46 Maine $612,494 $41,165 14.9 47 West Virginia $488,634 $34,407 14.2 48 Iowa $714,758 $51,248 13.9 49 Hawaii $690,073 $51,033 13.5 50 Alaska $833,117 $63,226 13.2 11* District of Columbia $1,531,432 $63,100 24.3 United States $1,153,293 $45,567 25.3 Northeast $1,564,388 $49,108 31.9 Midwest $914,248 $45,539 20.1 South $988,670 $43,421 22.8 West $1,188,400 $47,396 25.1 * Rank of the District of Columbia if it were ranked with the 50 states Note: Incomes are in 2014 dollars. Data are for tax units. Source: Authors’ analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2013 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
As shown in the table, New York and Connecticut have the largest gaps between the top 1 percent and the bottom 99 percent. The top 1 percent in 2013 earned on average 45.4 and 42.6 times the income of the bottom 99 percent of families in New York and Connecticut, respectively. This reflects in part the relative concentration of the financial sector in the greater New York City metropolitan area.
After New York and Connecticut, the next eight states with the largest gaps between the top 1 percent and bottom 99 percent in 2013 are Wyoming (where the top 1 percent earned 40.6 times as much as the bottom 99 percent, on average), Nevada (38.3), Florida (34.7), Massachusetts (30.2), California (28.9), Texas (26.9), New Jersey (25.3), and Illinois (24.8).
Even in the 10 states with the smallest gaps between the top 1 percent and bottom 99 percent in 2013, the top 1 percent earned between about 13 and 16 times the income of the bottom 99 percent. Those states include Idaho (where the top 1 percent earned 16.3 times as much as the bottom 99 percent, on average), Vermont (16.1), Delaware (15.9), New Mexico (15.6), Nebraska (15.3), Maine (14.9), West Virginia (14.2), Iowa (13.9), Hawaii (13.5), and Alaska (13.2).
In Table 2 we present for 2013 the 25 highest and 25 lowest top-to-bottom ratios among 916 U.S. metropolitan areas, and in Table 3 we present the 25 highest and 25 lowest ratios among 3,064 counties. See Table B1 for top-to-bottom ratios for all the available metropolitan areas and Table B2 for all the available counties.
Table 2 Ratio of top 1% income to bottom 99% income for the top and bottom 25 of 916 metropolitan areas, 2013 Rank (from highest to lowest) Metropolitan area Average income of the top 1% Average income of the bottom 99% Top-to-bottom ratio 1 Jackson, WY-ID $19,995,834 $93,891 213.0 2 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT $6,061,230 $82,222 73.7 3 Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL $4,191,055 $57,258 73.2 4 Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL $2,519,981 $39,710 63.5 5 Key West, FL $3,193,353 $54,615 58.5 6 Gardnerville Ranchos, NV $2,054,149 $44,529 46.1 7 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $1,789,754 $39,778 45.0 8 Midland, TX $3,364,922 $75,980 44.3 9 Glenwood Springs, CO $2,441,991 $57,634 42.4 10 San Angelo, TX $1,645,923 $40,287 40.9 11 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV $1,459,955 $35,895 40.7 12 Summit Park, UT $4,008,668 $99,468 40.3 13 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA $2,156,193 $54,895 39.3 14 Port St. Lucie, FL $1,393,985 $36,015 38.7 15 Hailey, ID $2,226,561 $61,404 36.3 16 North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL $1,353,983 $38,921 34.8 17 Victoria, TX $1,564,953 $46,636 33.6 18 Reno, NV $1,332,600 $39,726 33.5 19 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $1,344,847 $40,169 33.5 20 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO $1,594,106 $48,151 33.1 21 Sterling, CO $1,192,457 $36,719 32.5 22 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $2,732,379 $85,042 32.1 23 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $1,963,545 $64,135 30.6 24 Whitewater-Elkhorn, WI $1,393,019 $45,600 30.5 25 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA $2,168,628 $70,994 30.5 892 Dover, DE $388,232 $41,349 9.4 893 Tiffin, OH $332,266 $35,560 9.3 894 Fernley, NV $297,456 $31,855 9.3 895 Peru, IN $320,348 $34,949 9.2 896 North Vernon, IN $312,371 $34,081 9.2 897 Fort Polk South, LA $333,273 $36,379 9.2 898 Juneau, AK $635,726 $69,704 9.1 899 Cedartown, GA $248,067 $27,248 9.1 900 Grants, NM $256,868 $28,876 8.9 901 Urbana, OH $348,365 $39,491 8.8 902 Del Rio, TX $326,749 $37,043 8.8 903 Beatrice, NE $408,647 $46,960 8.7 904 Portales, NM $231,775 $26,782 8.7 905 Ottawa, KS $363,966 $42,234 8.6 906 Ozark, AL $278,929 $32,447 8.6 907 Mountain Home, ID $321,410 $37,395 8.6 908 Frankfort, IN $349,651 $41,255 8.5 909 Hinesville, GA $219,224 $26,697 8.2 910 St. Marys, GA $284,555 $34,928 8.1 911 Susanville, CA $244,497 $30,020 8.1 912 Rio Grande City, TX $238,805 $30,948 7.7 913 California-Lexington Park, MD $482,854 $64,837 7.4 914 Los Alamos, NM $534,993 $80,038 6.7 915 Fort Leonard Wood, MO $226,406 $36,144 6.3 916 Junction City, KS $255,704 $43,561 5.9 United States $1,153,293 $45,567 25.3 Note: Incomes are in 2014 dollars. Data are for tax units. Source: Authors’ analysis of county and state-level tax data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012). Core Based Statistical Areas defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division; Office of Management and Budget, February 2013 delineations. Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
Table 3 Ratio of top 1% income to bottom 99% income for the top and bottom 25 of 3,064 counties, 2013 Rank (from highest to lowest) County Average income of the top 1% Average income of the bottom 99% Top-to-bottom ratio 1 Teton, WY $28,163,786 $120,884 233.0 2 La Salle, TX $6,021,357 $47,941 125.6 3 Shackelford, TX $4,585,725 $39,165 117.1 4 New York, NY $8,143,415 $70,468 115.6 5 Custer, CO $3,016,497 $34,823 86.6 6 Fairfield, CT $6,061,230 $82,222 73.7 7 Franklin, FL $1,842,033 $25,102 73.4 8 Collier, FL $4,191,055 $57,258 73.2 9 Pitkin, CO $5,289,153 $76,921 68.8 10 San Juan, WA $3,072,877 $44,728 68.7 11 De Witt, TX $3,689,548 $56,983 64.7 12 Indian River, FL $2,519,981 $39,710 63.5 13 Palm Beach, FL $2,779,439 $44,581 62.3 14 Karnes, TX $3,899,272 $64,845 60.1 15 Monroe, FL $3,193,353 $54,615 58.5 16 Westchester, NY $4,326,049 $80,305 53.9 17 Wheeler, TX $2,289,881 $43,780 52.3 18 Suffolk, MA $2,351,713 $46,142 51.0 19 Martin, FL $2,397,656 $47,328 50.7 20 Union, SD $4,106,670 $85,543 48.0 21 Throckmorton, TX $1,417,813 $30,617 46.3 22 San Miguel, CO $2,463,561 $53,309 46.2 23 Douglas, NV $2,054,149 $44,529 46.1 24 Walton, FL $1,829,740 $40,090 45.6 25 Midland, TX $3,421,188 $76,071 45.0 3040 Osage, KS $274,826 $40,721 6.7 3041 Emery, UT $246,909 $36,827 6.7 3042 Los Alamos, NM $534,993 $80,038 6.7 3043 Northwest Arctic, AK $341,622 $51,445 6.6 3044 Yukon Koyukuk, AK $221,714 $33,705 6.6 3045 Wabaunsee, KS $309,595 $47,134 6.6 3046 Hoke, NC $233,756 $35,763 6.5 3047 Prince Georges, MD $373,119 $57,543 6.5 3048 Gallatin, KY $218,424 $34,148 6.4 3049 Crawford, IN $183,236 $29,103 6.3 3050 Charles, MD $433,721 $68,987 6.3 3051 Pulaski, MO $226,406 $36,144 6.3 3052 Stafford, VA $480,768 $76,940 6.2 3053 Johnson, NE $252,643 $40,593 6.2 3054 Geary, KS $255,704 $43,561 5.9 3055 Southeast Fairbanks, AK $319,151 $54,384 5.9 3056 North Slope, AK $384,228 $65,477 5.9 3057 King George, VA $376,935 $64,333 5.9 3058 Robertson, KY $152,637 $26,076 5.9 3059 Nance, NE $236,440 $40,800 5.8 3060 Chattahoochee, GA $158,749 $27,990 5.7 3061 Aleutians West, AK $504,228 $93,457 5.4 3062 Shannon, SD $174,433 $32,860 5.3 3063 Manassas Park City, VA $320,851 $60,653 5.3 3064 Wade Hampton, AK $149,639 $29,601 5.1 United States $1,153,293 $45,567 25.3 Note: Incomes are in 2014 dollars. Data are for tax units. Source: Authors’ analysis of county and state-level tax data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
According to metropolitan-level data, the Jackson metropolitan area, which spans Wyoming and Idaho, had the largest gap between the top 1 percent and the bottom 99 percent. In Jackson the top 1 percent in 2013 earned on average 213 times the average income of the bottom 99 percent of families. The next nine metropolitan areas with the largest gaps between the top 1 percent and the bottom 99 percent are Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut (where the top 1 percent earned 73.7 times as much as the bottom 99 percent, on average); Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida (73.2); Sebastian-Vero Beach, Florida (63.5); Key West, Florida (58.5); Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada (46.1); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida (45.0); Midland, Texas (44.3); Glenwood Springs, Colorado (42.4); and San Angelo, Texas (40.9).
In the 10 metropolitan areas with the smallest gaps between the top 1 percent and bottom 99 percent in 2013, the top 1 percent earned between 5.9 and 8.6 times the income of the bottom 99 percent of families. Those metropolitan areas include Mountain Home, Idaho (where the top 1 percent earned 8.6 times as much as the bottom 99 percent, on average); Frankfort, Indiana (8.5); Hinesville, Georgia (8.2); St. Marys, Georgia (8.1); Susanville, California (8.1); Rio Grande City, Texas (7.7); California-Lexington Park, Maryland (7.4); Los Alamos, New Mexico (6.7); Fort Leonard and Wood, Missouri (6.3); and Junction City, Kansas (5.9).
According to county-level data, Teton, Wyoming (which is one of two counties in the Jackson metropolitan area from the top of Table 2), had the largest gap between the top 1 percent and the bottom 99 percent. In Teton, Wyoming, the top 1 percent in 2013 earned on average 233 times the average income of the bottom 99 percent of families. The next nine counties with the largest gaps between the top 1 percent and the bottom 99 percent are La Salle, Texas (where the top 1 percent earned 125.6 times as much as the bottom 99 percent on average); Shackelford, Texas (117.1); New York, New York (115.6); Custer, Colorado (86.6); Fairfield, Connecticut (73.7); Franklin, Florida (73.4); Collier, Florida (73.2); Pitkin, Colorado (68.8); and San Juan, Washington (68.7).
In the 10 counties with the smallest gaps between the top 1 percent and bottom 99 percent in 2013, the top 1 percent earned between 5 and 6 times the income of the bottom 99 percent of families. Those counties include Southeast Fairbanks, Alaska (5.9); North Slope, Alaska (5.9); King George, Virginia (5.9); Robertson, Kentucky (5.9); Nance, Nebraska (5.8); Chattahoochee, Georgia (5.7); Aleutians West, Alaska (5.4); Shannon, South Dakota (5.3); Manassas Park City, Virginia (5.3); and Wade Hampton, Alaska (5.1).
Reported in Table 4 are the threshold incomes required to be considered part of the top 1 percent by state, and by region. Table 4 also includes the threshold to be included in the top 1 percent of the 1 percent (or the top 0.01 percent). Finally, the 50 states are ranked, from highest to lowest, according to the income threshold required to be considered part of the top 1 percent.
Table 4 Income threshold of top 1% and top .01%, and average income of top .01%, U.S. and by state and region, 2013 Rank (from highest to lowest threshold) State/region Income threshold of top 1% Income threshold of top .01% Average income of top .01% 1 Connecticut $659,979 $18,725,678 $69,539,454 2 New Jersey $547,737 $9,902,751 $27,543,511 3 Massachusetts $539,055 $12,718,018 $43,377,857 4 New York $517,557 $15,788,964 $61,569,466 5 North Dakota $481,492 $8,604,082 $23,092,316 6 California $453,772 $10,484,559 $34,842,377 7 Texas $424,507 $9,548,502 $30,570,824 8 Maryland $421,188 $6,473,201 $16,448,445 9 Illinois $416,319 $8,634,123 $26,432,216 10 Minnesota $411,022 $6,772,630 $18,115,219 11 Colorado $410,716 $7,517,480 $21,284,001 12 Virginia $406,412 $6,244,774 $15,852,268 13 Washington $387,854 $7,805,465 $24,270,450 14 South Dakota $386,622 $6,946,192 $19,931,296 15 Florida $385,410 $9,503,505 $31,300,153 16 Wyoming $368,468 $16,294,136 $97,682,655 17 Alaska $365,332 $4,781,020 $10,498,675 18 Pennsylvania $360,343 $6,125,315 $16,789,403 19 New Hampshire $359,844 $7,123,629 $22,258,520 20 Kansas $351,497 $6,867,921 $21,256,272 21 Nebraska $346,252 $5,704,685 $15,473,263 22 Georgia $345,876 $5,435,322 $13,716,343 23 Delaware $342,699 $4,402,704 $9,720,082 24 Rhode Island $336,625 $5,958,482 $17,125,434 25 Utah $333,775 $6,606,832 $19,579,787 26 North Carolina $327,549 $4,402,239 $10,452,087 27 Louisiana $325,163 $5,717,205 $15,290,710 28 Oklahoma $324,935 $6,545,212 $19,289,705 29 Iowa $317,234 $4,190,419 $10,051,656 30 Ohio $317,124 $4,610,782 $11,421,990 31 Oregon $312,839 $4,727,899 $12,280,193 32 Wisconsin $312,375 $6,245,825 $18,879,234 33 Nevada $311,977 $10,930,356 $51,576,310 34 Arizona $309,102 $5,090,195 $13,474,023 35 Tennessee $308,834 $5,517,447 $15,788,156 36 Michigan $306,740 $5,705,460 $16,869,663 37 Missouri $305,471 $5,715,368 $16,849,759 38 Vermont $299,259 $4,657,840 $12,055,549 39 Montana $297,689 $4,628,105 $12,429,047 40 Indiana $296,640 $4,448,865 $11,072,021 41 Idaho $292,324 $4,768,525 $12,463,428 42 South Carolina $288,042 $3,988,813 $9,403,004 43 Alabama $283,899 $3,992,394 $9,549,052 44 Maine $282,474 $3,435,796 $7,756,897 45 Hawaii $281,620 $4,357,613 $11,873,650 46 Kentucky $267,635 $3,716,230 $9,130,603 47 Mississippi $264,952 $3,279,541 $7,669,070 48 West Virginia $244,879 $2,522,272 $5,312,294 49 Arkansas $237,428 $5,323,445 $20,606,219 50 New Mexico $231,276 $3,853,057 $10,579,317 2* District of Columbia $554,719 $10,349,151 $27,941,032 United States $389,436 $8,325,378 $26,106,656 Northeast $476,408 $11,835,549 $40,855,345 Midwest $343,059 $6,187,048 $17,580,287 South $352,341 $6,897,923 $20,221,280 West $393,416 $8,685,268 $28,227,857 * Rank of the District of Columbia if it were ranked with the 50 states. Note: Incomes are in 2014 dollars. Data are for tax units. Source: Authors’ analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2013 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
Connecticut had the highest income threshold in 2013 for the top 1 percent, $659,979. New Mexico had the lowest threshold, $231,276.
Table 5 and Table 6 present the 25 highest and 25 lowest income thresholds required to be considered part of the top 1 percent by metropolitan area and county, respectively (to view all 916 metropolitan areas see Table B3, and see Table B4 for all 3,064 counties).
Table 5 Income threshold of top 1% for the top and bottom 25 of 916 metropolitan areas, 2013 Rank (from highest to lowest threshold) Metropolitan area Income threshold of top 1% 1 Jackson, WY-ID $1,650,902 2 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT $1,390,965 3 Summit Park, UT $1,206,863 4 Williston, ND $1,066,541 5 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $964,238 6 Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL $959,229 7 Midland, TX $885,806 8 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA $785,946 9 Key West, FL $773,711 10 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $701,776 11 Hailey, ID $690,535 12 Boulder, CO $683,648 13 Edwards, CO $680,688 14 Dickinson, ND $674,032 15 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA $672,795 16 Trenton, NJ $645,399 17 Glenwood Springs, CO $640,277 18 Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL $617,382 19 Steamboat Springs, CO $616,365 20 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX $606,286 21 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $575,237 22 Vineyard Haven, MA $571,352 23 Easton, MD $559,658 24 Gardnerville Ranchos, NV $553,891 25 Napa, CA $552,799 892 Ashtabula, OH $160,918 893 Jackson, OH $159,791 894 Lumberton, NC $159,460 895 Fort Leonard Wood, MO $158,727 896 Henderson, NC $158,034 897 Palatka, FL $156,861 898 Bucyrus, OH $156,740 899 North Vernon, IN $155,223 900 Malvern, AR $154,742 901 Valley, AL $154,352 902 Newport, TN $154,338 903 Cedartown, GA $153,240 904 Las Vegas, NM $152,989 905 Hinesville, GA $152,556 906 Española, NM $150,842 907 Rockingham, NC $150,132 908 Summerville, GA $148,569 909 Gaffney, SC $147,522 910 Portales, NM $147,232 911 Deming, NM $146,521 912 Fitzgerald, GA $145,130 913 Raymondville, TX $137,185 914 Rio Grande City, TX $136,855 915 Middlesborough, KY $136,814 916 Bennettsville, SC $126,085 United States $389,436 Note: Incomes are in 2014 dollars. Data are for tax units. Source: Authors’ analysis of county and state-level tax data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012). Core Based Statistical Areas defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division; Office of Management and Budget, February 2013 delineations. Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
Table 6 Income threshold of top 1% for the top and bottom 25 of 3,064 counties, 2013 Rank (from highest to lowest threshold) County Income threshold of top 1% 1 Teton, WY $2,216,883 2 New York, NY $1,424,582 3 Fairfield, CT $1,390,965 4 Mckenzie, ND $1,381,080 5 Summit, UT $1,206,863 6 Westchester, NY $1,184,603 7 Pitkin, CO $1,144,624 8 Marin, CA $1,134,183 9 San Mateo, CA $1,128,182 10 Williams, ND $1,066,541 11 Mountrail, ND $1,031,455 12 Goochland, VA $1,021,805 13 Santa Clara, CA $979,198 14 Union, SD $963,384 15 Collier, FL $959,229 16 Somerset, NJ $956,207 17 Karnes, TX $948,752 18 Kendall, TX $929,243 19 Morris, NJ $914,465 20 Norfolk, MA $911,597 21 Dunn, ND $910,131 22 Williamson, TN $908,206 23 Lake, IL $896,371 24 San Francisco, CA $894,792 25 Midland, TX $892,217 3040 McDowell, WV $124,121 3041 Hancock, TN $123,482 3042 Wade Hampton, AK $122,286 3043 Mitchell, NC $120,882 3044 Jeff Davis, GA $120,370 3045 Calhoun, MS $119,941 3046 Martin, KY $119,911 3047 Dixie, FL $118,942 3048 Taliaferro, GA $118,495 3049 Wayne, KY $117,906 3050 McCreary, KY $117,742 3051 Cedar, MO $117,729 3052 Quay, NM $117,238 3053 Murray, GA $117,205 3054 Lincoln, KY $116,246 3055 Scott, VA $112,149 3056 Dent, MO $111,638 3057 Quitman, GA $111,538 3058 Dallas, MO $110,811 3059 La Paz, AZ $108,005 3060 Grayson, VA $107,712 3061 Adair, OK $106,270 3062 Clayton, GA $98,157 3063 Lamar, AL $96,685 3064 Holmes, MS $96,674 United States $389,436 Note: Incomes are in 2014 dollars. Data are for tax units. Source: Authors’ analysis of county and state-level tax data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
In 2013, the highest threshold for membership in the top 1 percent by metropolitan area was $1.65 million in Jackson, Wyoming-Idaho, followed by $1.39 million in Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut, and $1.21 million in Summit Park, Utah. For comparison, the threshold for joining the top 1 percent for the U.S. as a whole was $389,436 in 2013.
The lowest thresholds by metropolitan area for membership in the top 1 percent were $126,085 in Bennettsville, South Carolina; $136,814 in Middlesborough, Kentucky; and $136,855 in Rio Grande City, Texas.
Turning to the county-level data in Table 6, the highest top 1 percent threshold in 2013 was $2.22 million in Teton, Wyoming, followed by $1.42 million in New York, New York, and $1.39 million in Fairfield, Connecticut. The lowest thresholds were $96,674 in Holmes, Mississippi, followed by $96,685 in Lamar, Alabama, and $98,157 in Clayton, Georgia.
The data presented so far have painted a detailed picture of exactly how high the incomes of the most well-off among us are. We now turn our attention to trends in top incomes over time.
Unequal income growth in the current economic recovery
Before we begin our analysis of trends in income growth overall and among both the top 1 percent and the bottom 99 percent of families over 2009–2013, it is important to note trends in income between 2012 and 2013, the most recent years for which state-level data are available. As previously mentioned, the share of income earned by the top 1 percent reached a post–Great Recession peak in 2012 thanks in part to tax planning that shifted to 2012 taxable income that would otherwise have been reported in 2013. As a result, the average income of the top 1 percent fell 14 percent between 2012 and 2013. By region, the average income of the top 1 percent fell 8 percent in the Northeast, 13 percent in the Midwest, 16 percent in the South, and 14 percent in the West.
Although tax planning significantly reduced 2013 incomes for the highest earners, we still observe between 2009 and 2013 a highly lopsided distribution of the income generated by the economy since the end of the Great Recession. Over this period, the average income of the bottom 99 percent in the United States grew by just 0.7 percent. In contrast, the average income of the top 1 percent climbed 17.4 percent. In sum, the gains of the top 1 percent have vastly outpaced the gains for the bottom 99 percent as the economy has recovered.
As illustrated in Table 7, among the individual states between 2009 and 2013, we find evidence of lopsided income growth, both in terms of the top 1 percent’s share of overall growth, and the degree by which top 1 percent income growth exceeded bottom 99 percent income growth:
Table 7 Average real income growth from 2009 to 2013, overall and for the top 1% and bottom 99%, U.S. and by state and region Rank (by top 1% income growth, from highest to lowest) State/region Overall Top 1% Bottom 99% Share of total growth (or loss) captured by top 1% 1 North Dakota 25.7% 61.7% 20.0% 32.6% 2 Wyoming 9.5% 55.1% -2.3% 119.7% 3 Massachusetts 7.5% 32.5% 1.6% 82.5% 4 California 5.7% 28.1% 0.5% 92.5% 5 Texas 7.6% 26.4% 3.4% 63.0% 6 Michigan 4.2% 26.3% 0.3% 94.4% 7 Nevada -5.1% 25.6% -13.3% Ŧ 8 Washington 2.7% 21.6% -0.8% 124.3% 9 New York 2.7% 20.6% -3.9% 205.4% 10 Kansas 5.7% 19.6% 3.3% 50.0% 11 Colorado 6.5% 17.6% 4.5% 41.4% 12 Ohio 5.8% 17.3% 3.9% 41.2% 13 Connecticut 3.4% 17.2% -1.6% 134.6% 14 Minnesota 8.3% 16.9% 6.7% 31.4% 15 Oregon 3.4% 16.1% 1.4% 65.9% 16 Utah 11.6% 15.9% 10.9% 20.8% 17 Rhode Island 4.9% 15.8% 3.1% 46.4% 18 Illinois 5.0% 15.2% 2.7% 55.8% 19 New Jersey 1.6% 15.2% -1.4% 173.5% 20 Florida 0.1% 15.0% -4.3% 3669.6% 21 Missouri 0.6% 14.8% -1.8% 345.5% 22 Oklahoma 8.3% 13.9% 7.2% 27.7% 23 South Dakota 10.8% 13.6% 10.3% 19.9% 24 Indiana 7.3% 13.4% 6.4% 24.7% 25 Idaho 8.2% 13.1% 7.4% 21.6% 26 Nebraska 10.2% 13.0% 9.7% 16.7% 27 Iowa 5.7% 12.8% 4.8% 26.0% 28 Tennessee 4.3% 12.8% 2.7% 47.1% 29 Georgia -0.3% 12.3% -2.7% Ŧ 30 Wisconsin 5.8% 12.0% 4.7% 31.3% 31 South Carolina 1.5% 11.3% -0.1% 102.8% 32 Arizona 3.4% 10.7% 2.0% 50.7% 33 Virginia -3.7% 8.8% -5.7% Ŧ 34 New Hampshire 7.3% 8.1% 7.2% 16.8% 35 Pennsylvania 1.4% 8.0% 0.2% 89.2% 36 Vermont 4.4% 7.6% 3.9% 23.4% 37 Maryland -2.7% 7.3% -4.3% Ŧ 38 North Carolina 0.5% 7.1% -0.6% 219.6% 39 Louisiana -0.9% 6.9% -2.4% Ŧ 40 Kentucky 3.5% 6.3% 3.0% 25.0% 41 Maine 2.5% 5.7% 2.0% 28.7% 42 Arkansas 4.6% 5.0% 4.6% 18.4% 43 Mississippi -3.8% 1.8% -4.6% Ŧ 44 Delaware -1.1% -0.8% -1.1% 10.7% 45 Alabama 2.3% -0.9% 2.8% ŧ 46 Alaska 3.4% -1.1% 4.0% ŧ 47 New Mexico 2.8% -2.0% 3.6% ŧ 48 Montana 7.8% -3.9% 10.1% ŧ 49 Hawaii -3.6% -9.5% -2.7% 33.8% 50 West Virginia 4.0% -14.1% 7.2% ŧ 48* District of Columbia -0.7% -2.1% -0.3% 60.4% United States 3.7% 17.4% 0.7% 85.1% Northeast 3.0% 17.5% -1.0% 125.9% Midwest 5.7% 16.8% 3.7% 44.8% South 2.2% 12.6% 0.1% 97.4% West 4.9% 22.2% 1.3% 78.2% * Rank of the District of Columbia if it were ranked with the 50 states
ŧ Top 1% incomes fell while overall incomes grew over this period.
Ŧ Overall income declined even as top 1% incomes grew over this period Source: Authors’ analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2013 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
By top 1 percent share of all growth
In 24 states the top 1 percent captured between half and all income growth. In 15 states, the average income of the bottom 99% fell while the average income of the top 1 percent increased. These 15 states (in alphabetical order) are Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. In the other nine states, the top 1 percent captured between 50.0 and 94.4 percent of all income growth. Those states (in alphabetical order) were Massachusetts, California, Texas, Michigan, Kansas, Oregon, Illinois, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.
In 19 states, the top 1 percent captured between 16.7 percent and just under half of all income growth. Those states (in alphabetical order) are Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
In five states, the incomes of the top 1 percent declined as the average income of the bottom 99 percent grew. Those states include Alabama, Alaska, Montana, New Mexico, and West Virginia.
Finally, incomes fell over the period analyzed for both the top 1 percent and the bottom 99 percent in Delaware, the District of Columbia, and Hawaii.
By difference between top 1 percent income growth and bottom 99 percent income growth
In each of the top 10 states ranked by income growth of the top 1 percent, incomes grew about 20 percent or more. In contrast, only one state—North Dakota—had bottom 99 percent income growth at that threshold. Bottom 99 percent income fell in 18 states, but top 1 percent income fell in only eight states.
In 10 states, top 1 percent incomes grew in the double digits while bottom 99 percent incomes fell. Those states were Wyoming (55.1 percent versus -2.3 percent), Nevada (25.6 percent versus -13.3 percent), Washington (21.6 percent versus -0.8 percent), New York (20.6 percent versus -3.9 percent), Connecticut (17.2 percent versus -1.6 percent), New Jersey (15.2 percent versus -1.4 percent), Florida (15.0 percent versus -4.3 percent), Missouri (14.8 percent versus -1.8 percent), Georgia (12.3 percent versus -2.7 percent), and South Carolina (11.3 percent versus -0.1 percent).
Lopsided income growth from 1979 to 2007
It is important to note that lopsided income growth is not a recent trend. Its reemergence in the recovery is a continuation of a pattern that began three-and-a-half decades ago, as evident in the following examination of trends in income growth overall, among the top 1 percent, and among the bottom 99 percent from 1979 to 2007. The data in this section start in 1979 because it is both a business cycle peak and a widely acknowledged beginning point for a period of rising inequality in the United States. We end this analysis in 2007 as it is the most recent business cycle peak.
The average inflation-adjusted income of the bottom 99 percent of families grew by 18.9 percent between 1979 and 2007. Over the same period, the average income of the top 1 percent of families grew by 200.5 percent. This lopsided income growth means that the top 1 percent of families captured 53.9 percent of all income growth over the period.
Table 8 presents estimates for the 50 states and the District of Columbia (the states in the table are ranked by the income growth of the top 1 percent). It shows that:
Table 8 Average real income growth from 1979 to 2007, overall and for the top 1% and bottom 99%, U.S. and by state and region Rank (by top 1% income growth, from highest to lowest) State/region Overall Top 1% Bottom 99% Share of total growth (or loss) captured by top 1% 1 Connecticut 72.6% 414.6% 29.5% 63.9% 2 Massachusetts 82.1% 366.0% 51.7% 43.1% 3 New York 60.5% 355.1% 22.2% 67.6% 4 Wyoming 31.5% 354.3% -0.8% 102.3% 5 New Jersey 62.6% 264.7% 41.3% 40.3% 6 Washington 31.2% 222.3% 13.9% 59.1% 7 Florida 38.8% 218.8% 13.8% 68.9% 8 Vermont 42.4% 217.0% 27.8% 39.5% 9 South Dakota 44.8% 216.0% 30.5% 37.2% 10 New Hampshire 53.2% 215.9% 37.6% 35.5% 11 Utah 31.0% 214.9% 15.4% 54.1% 12 Virginia 58.2% 214.8% 44.6% 29.5% 13 Illinois 31.4% 211.6% 12.2% 64.9% 14 Maryland 51.0% 202.1% 37.0% 33.6% 15 Colorado 37.4% 200.8% 21.2% 48.3% 16 Idaho 30.1% 197.6% 16.3% 49.9% 17 California 31.5% 191.8% 13.2% 62.4% 18 Pennsylvania 40.0% 184.9% 25.2% 42.8% 19 Tennessee 35.3% 178.0% 20.2% 48.4% 20 Minnesota 44.4% 175.9% 30.9% 36.8% 21 North Carolina 44.8% 172.0% 32.1% 34.8% 22 Georgia 37.5% 170.9% 23.5% 43.3% 23 Rhode Island 53.8% 170.3% 40.4% 32.6% 24 Nevada 8.6% 164.0% -11.6% 218.5% 25 South Carolina 25.4% 163.5% 12.8% 54.0% 26 Nebraska 43.5% 160.3% 31.8% 33.5% 27 Alabama 33.7% 158.8% 20.5% 44.9% 28 Arizona 17.0% 157.8% 3.0% 84.2% 29 Wisconsin 28.5% 150.4% 17.4% 44.0% 30 Oklahoma 33.9% 149.6% 20.3% 46.6% 31 Maine 39.9% 149.4% 30.2% 30.5% 32 North Dakota 33.7% 147.8% 24.0% 34.2% 33 Montana 22.3% 146.8% 10.9% 55.2% 34 Missouri 31.9% 140.5% 20.3% 42.5% 35 Kansas 37.0% 132.3% 26.6% 35.0% 36 Oregon 13.5% 127.2% 2.7% 81.8% 37 Texas 26.6% 124.1% 13.5% 55.3% 38 Delaware 31.5% 122.6% 21.2% 39.7% 39 Arkansas 35.0% 121.6% 25.6% 34.0% 40 New Mexico 14.0% 119.3% 4.2% 72.6% 41 Alaska -10.3% 118.6% -17.5% Ŧ 42 Hawaii 12.4% 118.0% 3.9% 70.9% 43 Indiana 21.4% 115.3% 12.6% 46.5% 44 Ohio 20.4% 111.2% 11.3% 49.4% 45 Iowa 30.9% 110.5% 23.7% 29.8% 46 Kentucky 19.9% 105.1% 11.2% 48.8% 47 Michigan 8.9% 100.0% -0.2% 101.7% 48 Mississippi 31.8% 93.4% 24.8% 29.8% 49 Louisiana 35.4% 84.6% 29.5% 25.6% 50 West Virginia 12.9% 74.1% 6.6% 53.3% 6* District of Columbia 88.1% 239.4% 65.8% 34.8% United States 36.9% 200.5% 18.9% 53.9% Northeast 59.0% 301.2% 31.0% 52.9% Midwest 26.5% 147.1% 14.4% 50.7% South 37.6% 167.5% 22.6% 46.1% West 27.3% 186.2% 10.5% 65.2% * Rank of the District of Columbia if it were ranked with the 50 states
Ŧ Only the incomes of the top 1% grew over this period. Source: Authors’ analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2007 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
In four states (Nevada, Wyoming, Michigan, and Alaska), only the top 1 percent experienced rising incomes between 1979 and 2007.
In another 15 states, the top 1 percent captured between half and just over four-fifths of all income growth from 1979 to 2007. Those states are Arizona (where 84.2 percent of all income growth was captured by the top 1 percent), Oregon (81.8 percent), New Mexico (72.6 percent), Hawaii (70.9 percent), Florida (68.9 percent), New York (67.6 percent), Illinois (64.9 percent), Connecticut (63.9 percent), California (62.4 percent), Washington (59.1 percent), Texas (55.3 percent), Montana (55.2 percent), Utah (54.1 percent), South Carolina (54.0 percent), and West Virginia (53.3 percent).
The lowest shares of income growth captured by the top 1 percent between 1979 and 2007 were in Louisiana (25.6 percent), Virginia (29.5 percent), Iowa (29.8 percent), Mississippi (29.8 percent), Maine (30.5 percent), Rhode Island (32.6 percent), Nebraska (33.5 percent), Maryland (33.6 percent), Arkansas (34.0 percent), and North Dakota (34.2 percent).
Income inequality in the last 10 economic expansions
Normally during the economic expansion that follows a recession, workers make wage gains that hopefully leave them better off than before the recession started. But examining trends throughout economic recoveries in the post–World War II era demonstrates a startling pattern in which the top 1 percent is capturing a larger and larger fraction of income growth. Between 1949 and 2013 there have been 10 economic expansions, with four occurring since 1979. Following Tcherneva (2014), Figure A presents the share of overall income growth captured by the top 1 percent of families during each of those expansions for the United States and by region. As the figure makes clear, prior to the mid- to late 1970s, the share of growth captured by the top 1 percent was much smaller than in each of the expansions since 1979. Through the 1975–1979 expansion, the top 1 percent’s share of income growth averaged between a low of 8.7 percent in the West to a high of 13.9 percent in the Northeast. In the four economic expansions since 1979, the top 1 percent’s share of average growth ranged between 43.6 percent in the Midwest to 71.4 percent in the West.
Figure A Top 1 percent’s share of average income growth during expansions, by region United States Northeast Midwest South West 1949–1953 1% 0% 3% 0% -1% 1954–1957 5% 5% 7% 6% 3% 1958–1960 8% 4% 9% 11% 7% 1961–1969 10% 11% 9% 11% 8% 1970–1973 10% 0% 6% 14% 16% 1975–1979 23% 63% 20% 20% 20% 1982–1990 48% 39% 38% 46% 93% 1991–2000 45% 57% 28% 35% 58% 2001–2007 57% 50% 64% 56% 57% 2009–2013 85% 126% 45% 97% 78% Chart Data Download data The data below can be saved or copied directly into Excel. The data underlying the figure. Source: Author's analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2012 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), Piketty and Saez (2015), and Tcherneva (2014) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
For ease of presentation, instead of presenting data for each expansion for all 50 states, Table 9 presents four averages: the average share of income growth captured by the top 1 percent and bottom 99 percent in the six expansions up to 1979, and the same averages over the four expansions starting in 1982. It shows that:
Table 9 Share of overall income growth captured by the top 1% and bottom 99% in pre- and post-1980 expansions Rank (by share of overall income growth captured by top 1% in post-1980 expansions) State/region Share of total growth captured by top 1% Share of total growth captured by bottom 99% Pre-1980 expansions Post-1980 expansions Pre-1980 expansions Post-1980 expansions 1 Nevada 11.6% 130.1% 88.4% -30.1% 2 Missouri 8.4% 115.7% 91.6% -15.7% 3 New York -6.4% 94.4% 106.4% 5.6% 4 Wyoming 3.0% 87.2% 97.0% 12.8% 5 North Carolina 11.0% 81.8% 89.0% 18.2% 6 Connecticut 16.5% 79.8% 83.5% 20.2% 7 Washington 10.8% 79.1% 89.2% 20.9% 8 California 9.2% 74.6% 90.8% 25.4% 9 New Jersey 14.0% 72.9% 86.0% 27.1% 10 Oregon 6.6% 62.0% 93.4% 38.0% 11 Florida 15.2% 61.0% 84.8% 39.0% 12 Colorado 6.4% 58.9% 93.6% 41.1% 13 Arizona 11.1% 58.7% 88.9% 41.3% 14 Texas 11.0% 57.2% 89.0% 42.8% 15 Illinois 12.3% 56.6% 87.7% 43.4% 16 Georgia 11.1% 56.2% 88.9% 43.8% 17 Massachusetts 20.1% 55.4% 79.9% 44.6% 18 South Carolina 10.5% 55.3% 89.5% 44.7% 19 Utah 7.9% 53.1% 92.1% 46.9% 20 Pennsylvania 7.1% 52.1% 92.9% 47.9% 21 Tennessee 8.6% 51.8% 91.4% 48.2% 22 Michigan 7.7% 50.6% 92.3% 49.4% 23 Delaware -8.1% 47.4% 108.1% 52.6% 24 Kansas 10.3% 44.3% 89.7% 55.7% 25 Hawaii 6.0% 41.6% 94.0% 58.4% 26 Alaska 14.1% 38.8% 85.9% 61.2% 27 Kentucky 7.0% 37.9% 93.0% 62.1% 28 Idaho 6.5% 36.7% 93.5% 63.3% 29 Oklahoma 10.0% 36.5% 90.0% 63.5% 30 Ohio 8.7% 36.0% 91.3% 64.0% 31 Wisconsin 9.0% 34.9% 91.0% 65.1% 32 Rhode Island 16.7% 34.5% 83.3% 65.5% 33 Minnesota 10.0% 34.4% 90.0% 65.6% 34 New Hampshire 6.4% 34.3% 93.6% 65.7% 35 Indiana 7.4% 34.2% 92.6% 65.8% 36 Nebraska 13.9% 33.3% 86.1% 66.7% 37 Maryland 7.1% 33.0% 92.9% 67.0% 38 Vermont 7.6% 32.6% 92.4% 67.4% 39 South Dakota 5.8% 32.3% 94.2% 67.7% 40 Alabama 7.8% 31.1% 92.2% 68.9% 41 Virginia 7.3% 29.7% 92.7% 70.3% 42 Maine 6.8% 28.6% 93.2% 71.4% 43 Arkansas 4.6% 27.8% 95.4% 72.2% 44 Iowa 9.2% 26.6% 90.8% 73.4% 45 Mississippi 9.5% 22.2% 90.5% 77.8% 46 Montana 6.1% 21.2% 93.9% 78.8% 47 North Dakota -7.8% 20.3% 107.8% 79.7% 48 Louisiana 14.3% 19.4% 85.7% 80.6% 49 West Virginia 3.9% 11.5% 96.1% 88.5% 50 New Mexico 10.0% 0.9% 90.0% 99.1% 23* District of Columbia 11.5% 47.7% 88.5% 52.3% United States 9.5% 58.9% 90.5% 41.1% Northeast 13.9% 68.0% 86.1% 32.0% Midwest 8.8% 43.6% 91.2% 56.4% South 10.4% 58.5% 89.6% 41.5% West 8.7% 71.4% 91.3% 28.6% * Rank of the District of Columbia if it were ranked with the 50 states Note: The analysis in Table 9 was performed after excluding 26 state expansions. See endnote 9 for more detail. Source: Authors’ analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2013 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
The 10 states in which the top 1 percent captured the largest share of income growth in economic expansions after 1979 are Nevada (where 130.1 percent of all income growth was captured by the top 1 percent), Missouri (115.7 percent), New York (94.4 percent), Wyoming (87.2 percent), North Carolina (81.8 percent), Connecticut (79.8 percent), Washington (79.1 percent), California (74.6 percent), New Jersey (72.9 percent), and Oregon (62.0 percent).
The 10 states in which the top 1 percent captured the smallest share of income growth in economic expansions after 1979 are New Mexico (where 0.9 percent of all income growth was captured by the top 1 percent), West Virginia (11.5 percent), Louisiana (19.4 percent), North Dakota (20.3 percent), Montana (21.2 percent), Mississippi (22.2 percent), Iowa (26.6 percent), Arkansas (27.8 percent), Maine (28.6 percent), and Virginia (29.7 percent). In 49 states (New Mexico is the exception) and the District of Columbia, the share of income growth captured by the top 1 percent is higher in the post-1980 recoveries than in the pre-1980 recoveries.
Inequality back at levels not seen since the late 1920s
This lopsided income growth means that income inequality has risen in recent decades. Figure B presents the share of all income (including capital gains income) held by the top 1 percent of families between 1917 and 2013 for the United States and by region. As the figure makes clear, income inequality reached a peak in 1928 before declining rapidly in the 1930s and 1940s and then more gradually until the late 1970s. The 1940s to the late 1970s, while by no means a golden age (as evident, for example, by gender, ethnic, and racial discrimination in the job market), was a period in which workers from the lowest-paid wage earner to the highest-paid CEO experienced similar growth in incomes. This was a period in which “a rising tide” really did lift all boats. This underscores that there is nothing inevitable about top incomes growing faster than other incomes, as has occurred since the late 1970s. The unequal income growth since the late 1970s has brought the top 1 percent income share in the United States to near its 1928 peak.
Figure B Share of all income held by the top 1%, United States and by region, 1917–2013 United States Northeast Midwest South West 1917 18% 24 13 16 13 1918 16 21 12 15 12 1919 16 22 13 15 13 1920 15 18 13 14 11 1921 16 18 14 14 12 1922 17 20 14 15 13 1923 16 18 13 15 12 1924 17 21 15 16 13 1925 20 23 18 18 16 1926 20 22 18 18 17 1927 21 24 18 19 17 1928 24 27 21 21 19 1929 22 28 19 18 16 1930 17 19 16 16 14 1931 15 16 14 15 13 1932 16 17 14 16 13 1933 16 18 15 16 13 1934 16 17 15 16 14 1935 17 18 15 17 15 1936 19 21 18 19 16 1937 17 18 16 18 15 1938 16 16 15 17 14 1939 16 17 15 17 14 1940 16 17 16 17 14 1941 16 16 15 17 13 1942 13 14 13 13 12 1943 12 13 12 12 11 1944 11 11 12 12 10 1945 13 14 12 12 11 1946 13 14 12 14 12 1947 12 13 11 12 11 1948 12 13 11 13 12 1949 12 12 11 12 11 1950 13 14 12 13 12 1951 12 13 11 12 11 1952 11 12 10 11 10 1953 10 11 9 10 9 1954 11 12 10 11 10 1955 11 12 10 11 10 1956 11 12 10 11 10 1957 10 11 9 11 9 1958 10 11 9 10 9 1959 11 12 9 11 10 1960 10 11 9 10 9 1961 11 12 10 11 10 1962 10 11 9 10 9 1963 10 11 9 10 9 1964 10 11 10 11 10 1965 11 12 10 11 10 1966 10 11 9 11 9 1967 11 12 10 11 10 1968 11 13 10 11 10 1969 10 11 10 11 9 1970 9 10 8 9 8 1971 9 10 9 10 9 1972 10 10 9 10 9 1973 9 10 8 10 9 1974 9 9 8 10 9 1975 9 9 8 9 8 1976 9 9 8 9 8 1977 9 9 8 10 9 1978 9 9 8 9 9 1979 10 10 9 10 10 1980 10 11 9 11 9 1981 10 11 9 10 9 1982 11 11 10 11 10 1983 12 1984 12 12 9 10 9 1985 13 13 10 11 10 1986 16 18 14 16 15 1987 13 15 11 12 12 1988 15 18 14 15 15 1989 14 16 13 14 15 1990 14 16 13 14 15 1991 13 15 12 13 13 1992 15 17 13 14 14 1993 14 16 13 14 14 1994 14 16 13 14 14 1995 15 17 14 15 15 1996 17 19 17 16 17 1997 18 21 16 17 18 1998 19 22 17 18 19 1999 20 23 16 18 22 2000 22 25 17 19 25 2001 18 23 15 16 18 2002 17 20 15 16 17 2003 18 19 13 15 16 2004 20 23 16 19 20 2005 22 25 17 21 23 2006 23 26 18 22 23 2007 24 28 19 22 23 2008 21 24 18 20 20 2009 18 22 15 17 17 2010 20 24 17 18 20 2011 20 24 16 18 19 2012 23 25 19 21 23 2013 20 24 17 18 20 Chart Data Download data The data below can be saved or copied directly into Excel. The data underlying the figure. Note: Data are for tax units. Tax data from 1983 to 1985 were unavailable, hence the gap in regional figures. Income includes capital gains income. Source: Authors’ analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2013 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
The patterns of income growth over time in individual states reflect in broad terms the national pattern. Table 10 presents four snapshots of the income share of the top 1 percent in each state and the District of Columbia: in 1928, 1979, 2007, and 2013. The table shows that:
Between 1928 and 1979, in 49 states plus the District of Columbia, the share of income held by the top 1 percent declined, following the national pattern.
From 1979 to 2007 the share of income held by the top 1 percent increased in every state and the District of Columbia.
Even factoring in the impact of the Great Recession by examining the period from 1979 to 2013, the share of income held by the top 1 percent still increased in every state and the District of Columbia. And as national data for 2014 have shown, top 1 percent incomes are moving higher as the economy continues to recover (the share of income held by the top 1 percent in the U.S. climbed to 21.2 percent).
Table 10 Top 1% share of all income, U.S. and by state and region, 1928, 1979, 2007, 2013 Change in income share of the top 1% (percentage points) Rank (by change in share over 1979–2007) State/region 1928 1979 2007 2013 1928–1979 1979–2007 1979–2013 Rank by change in share over 1979–2013 1 Connecticut 24.2 11.2 36.0 29.7 -13.0 24.8 18.4 3 2 Wyoming 12.5 9.1 33.9 28.7 -3.3 24.8 19.5 1 3 New York 30.2 11.6 35.3 31.0 -18.6 23.7 19.5 2 4 Nevada 18.3 11.6 30.2 27.5 -6.7 18.7 15.9 4 5 Florida 22.7 12.3 30.4 25.6 -10.5 18.1 13.3 6 6 Massachusetts 24.8 9.7 26.8 23.0 -15.0 17.0 13.3 5 7 Illinois 23.1 9.7 24.7 19.8 -13.4 15.0 10.1 9 8 California 20.5 10.3 24.6 22.3 -10.2 14.3 12.0 7 9 Washington 15.2 8.3 22.0 17.8 -6.9 13.7 9.5 10 10 New Jersey 23.5 9.6 23.1 20.1 -13.9 13.5 10.5 8 11 Arizona 17.9 9.1 21.6 16.9 -8.8 12.5 7.8 17 12 Utah 16.4 7.9 20.3 15.7 -8.5 12.4 7.8 16 13 Colorado 19.8 9.0 21.3 16.6 -10.7 12.2 7.6 18 14 Tennessee 21.1 9.6 21.3 16.9 -11.5 11.7 7.2 21 15 Idaho 10.4 7.7 18.8 14.0 -2.7 11.2 6.3 33 16 Pennsylvania 22.6 9.3 20.4 16.7 -13.3 11.1 7.4 20 17 Vermont 17.9 7.8 18.6 13.8 -10.2 10.8 6.0 36 18 Texas 19.2 11.9 22.7 21.1 -7.2 10.8 9.1 12 19 New Hampshire 19.3 8.8 19.5 15.1 -10.5 10.7 6.3 32 20 Georgia 20.8 9.6 20.2 17.5 -11.3 10.7 8.0 15 21 Oklahoma 20.1 10.6 21.3 17.1 -9.5 10.7 6.5 29 22 South Carolina 15.3 8.4 19.1 15.2 -6.8 10.6 6.8 27 23 South Dakota 12.9 7.8 18.2 16.1 -5.2 10.5 8.3 14 24 Alabama 18.0 9.6 20.0 14.5 -8.4 10.4 4.9 42 25 Oregon 15.5 8.7 18.7 15.5 -6.8 10.0 6.9 26 26 Montana 16.0 8.4 18.3 14.7 -7.6 9.8 6.3 31 27 Minnesota 20.2 9.3 19.2 16.3 -10.9 9.8 7.0 23 28 Maryland 27.1 8.5 18.3 14.5 -18.5 9.8 6.0 37 29 Missouri 21.9 9.7 19.0 16.6 -12.2 9.3 6.9 25 30 North Carolina 17.2 9.1 18.4 14.9 -8.0 9.3 5.8 39 31 Rhode Island 24.2 10.3 19.5 15.6 -13.9 9.2 5.3 41 32 Wisconsin 17.2 8.4 17.6 15.9 -8.9 9.2 7.5 19 33 Virginia 19.2 8.0 17.2 15.0 -11.2 9.1 7.0 24 34 New Mexico 17.5 8.6 17.7 13.4 -8.9 9.1 4.9 43 35 Michigan 21.4 9.1 17.9 17.9 -12.4 8.8 8.9 13 36 Nebraska 15.3 9.1 17.8 13.2 -6.2 8.7 4.1 48 37 Alaska 5.3 5.3 13.9 11.6 0.0 8.6 6.3 34 38 Delaware 46.1 10.3 18.7 13.6 -35.9 8.4 3.4 50 39 Hawaii 21.5 7.5 15.7 11.9 -14.0 8.2 4.3 46 40 Kansas 16.1 9.9 18.0 16.2 -6.3 8.1 6.4 30 41 Ohio 21.7 9.1 17.2 15.0 -12.6 8.1 5.9 38 42 Indiana 17.6 8.7 16.5 14.1 -8.9 7.9 5.4 40 43 Kentucky 19.9 9.3 17.1 14.1 -10.6 7.8 4.9 44 44 North Dakota 13.2 7.8 15.6 17.2 -5.3 7.8 9.4 11 45 Arkansas 14.3 9.8 17.4 17.0 -4.5 7.5 7.1 22 46 Maine 21.0 8.2 15.7 12.9 -12.8 7.5 4.7 45 47 West Virginia 16.9 9.3 15.4 12.4 -7.6 6.1 3.1 51 48 Iowa 16.4 8.4 14.5 12.2 -8.1 6.1 3.8 49 49 Mississippi 14.0 10.2 16.1 14.4 -3.8 5.9 4.2 47 50 Louisiana 18.7 10.8 15.8 17.0 -8.0 5.0 6.3 35 14 District of Columbia 24.7 12.9 25.0 19.4 -11.8 12.1 6.5 28 United States 23.9 10.0 23.5 20.1 -14.0 13.5 10.1 Northeast 27.0 10.4 28.2 24.0 -16.6 17.8 13.6 Midwest 21.1 9.2 19.3 16.6 -11.9 10.1 7.5 South 20.9 10.4 21.8 18.4 -10.5 11.3 8.0 West 19.2 9.6 23.2 19.9 -9.6 13.6 10.3 * Rank of the District of Columbia if it were ranked with the 50 states Source: Authors’ analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2013 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
The 10 states with the biggest jumps (at least 9.5 percentage points) in the top 1 percent share from 1979 to 2013 include four states with large financial services sectors (New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Illinois), three with large information technology sectors (Massachusetts, California, and Washington), one state with a large energy industry (Wyoming), one with a large gaming industry (Nevada), and Florida, a state in which many wealthy individuals retire. In 15 of the other 40 states, the increase in the top 1 percent share is between 6.9 and 9.4 percentage points. In the remaining 25 states, the increase ranges between 3.1 and 6.9 percentage points.
Also for 2013, we present in Tables 11 and 12 the share of income going to the top 1 percent and bottom 99 percent for the top 25 and bottom 25 metropolitan areas and counties (ranked by top 1 percent share of income. (See Table B5 for the top income share in all 916 metropolitan areas and Table B6 for all 3,064 counties.)
Table 11 Total share of all income held by the top 1% for the top and bottom 25 of 916 metropolitan areas, 2013 Bottom 99% breakdown Rank (by top 1% share) Metropolitan area Bottom 90% 90th–<95th percentiles 95th–<99th percentiles Bottom 99% Top 1% (99th–100th percentiles) 1 Jackson, WY-ID 17.3 4.6 9.8 31.7 68.3 2 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 27.2 10.8 19.3 57.3 42.7 3 Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 27.6 10.7 19.1 57.5 42.5 4 Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 30.7 11.2 19.1 60.9 39.1 5 Key West, FL 34.8 10.2 17.9 62.9 37.1 6 Gardnerville Ranchos, NV 39.2 11.6 17.5 68.2 31.8 7 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 38.3 11.9 18.5 68.8 31.2 8 Midland, TX 43.0 9.6 16.5 69.1 30.9 9 Glenwood Springs, CO 44.9 9.2 15.9 70.0 30.0 10 San Angelo, TX 46.1 11.0 13.7 70.8 29.2 11 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 42.9 13.0 15.0 70.9 29.1 12 Summit Park, UT 41.8 11.1 18.3 71.1 28.9 13 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 41.3 11.5 18.8 71.6 28.4 14 Port St. Lucie, FL 41.4 13.0 17.5 71.9 28.1 15 Hailey, ID 44.9 10.8 17.6 73.2 26.8 16 North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL 41.0 13.3 19.6 74.0 26.0 17 Victoria, TX 49.4 11.3 14.0 74.7 25.3 18 Reno, NV 43.1 13.2 18.4 74.7 25.3 19 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 42.6 12.8 19.2 74.7 25.3 20 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 47.8 11.2 16.0 74.9 25.1 21 Sterling, CO 49.4 13.3 12.6 75.3 24.7 22 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 44.4 12.2 19.0 75.5 24.5 23 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 45.8 12.0 18.6 76.4 23.6 24 Whitewater-Elkhorn, WI 51.8 11.6 13.0 76.4 23.6 25 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 45.2 12.3 18.9 76.4 23.6 892 Dover, DE 63.8 14.0 13.5 91.3 8.7 893 Tiffin, OH 64.6 12.7 14.0 91.4 8.6 894 Fernley, NV 60.2 14.9 16.3 91.4 8.6 895 Peru, IN 63.7 13.4 14.4 91.5 8.5 896 North Vernon, IN 64.9 12.8 13.9 91.5 8.5 897 Fort Polk South, LA 64.0 12.9 14.6 91.5 8.5 898 Juneau, AK 69.2 9.9 12.4 91.6 8.4 899 Cedartown, GA 59.9 15.0 16.7 91.6 8.4 900 Grants, NM 62.3 13.9 15.6 91.8 8.2 901 Urbana, OH 66.0 12.4 13.4 91.8 8.2 902 Del Rio, TX 64.9 12.8 14.2 91.8 8.2 903 Beatrice, NE 67.0 11.1 13.8 91.9 8.1 904 Portales, NM 60.1 14.6 17.3 92.0 8.0 905 Ottawa, KS 66.5 12.1 13.5 92.0 8.0 906 Ozark, AL 62.1 14.2 15.7 92.0 8.0 907 Mountain Home, ID 66.5 12.1 13.4 92.0 8.0 908 Frankfort, IN 66.1 12.3 13.7 92.1 7.9 909 Hinesville, GA 62.0 14.3 16.1 92.3 7.7 910 St. Marys, GA 62.5 14.2 15.6 92.4 7.6 911 Susanville, CA 58.1 16.5 17.8 92.4 7.6 912 Rio Grande City, TX 67.2 12.2 13.4 92.8 7.2 913 California-Lexington Park, MD 68.1 11.7 13.2 93.0 7.0 914 Los Alamos, NM 67.5 12.6 13.5 93.7 6.3 915 Fort Leonard Wood, MO 67.5 12.8 13.7 94.0 6.0 916 Junction City, KS 72.8 10.4 11.2 94.4 5.6 United States 51.1 12.3 16.5 79.9 20.1 Source: Authors’ analysis of state and county-level tax data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012). Core Based Statistical Areas defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division; Office of Management and Budget, February 2013 delineations. Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
Table 12 Total share of all income held by the top 1% for the top and bottom 25 of 3,064 counties, 2013 Bottom 99% breakdown Rank (by top 1% share) County Bottom 90% 90th–<95th percentiles 95th–<99th percentiles Bottom 99% Top 1% (99th-100th percentiles) 1 Teton, WY 15.7 4.5 9.6 29.8 70.2 2 La Salle, TX 26.7 5.6 11.7 44.1 55.9 3 Shackelford, TX 25.9 7.5 12.5 45.8 54.2 4 New York, NY 19.1 9.3 17.7 46.1 53.9 5 Custer, CO 31.7 10.2 11.4 53.3 46.7 6 Fairfield, CT 27.2 10.8 19.3 57.3 42.7 7 Franklin, FL 29.4 11.6 16.4 57.4 42.6 8 Collier, FL 27.6 10.7 19.1 57.5 42.5 9 Pitkin, CO 32.2 9.5 17.3 59.0 41.0 10 San Juan, WA 31.6 10.2 17.3 59.0 41.0 11 De Witt, TX 33.0 9.9 17.7 60.5 39.5 12 Indian River, FL 30.7 11.2 19.1 60.9 39.1 13 Palm Beach, FL 31.5 11.1 18.8 61.4 38.6 14 Karnes, TX 33.5 10.4 18.3 62.2 37.8 15 Monroe, FL 34.8 10.2 17.9 62.9 37.1 16 Westchester, NY 33.4 11.6 19.7 64.8 35.2 17 Wheeler, TX 39.7 9.7 16.1 65.4 34.6 18 Suffolk, MA 38.0 10.7 17.3 66.0 34.0 19 Martin, FL 34.8 11.7 19.7 66.1 33.9 20 Union, SD 43.7 8.5 15.2 67.3 32.7 21 Throckmorton, TX 36.4 12.4 19.3 68.1 31.9 22 San Miguel, CO 40.2 10.3 17.7 68.2 31.8 23 Douglas, NV 39.2 11.6 17.5 68.2 31.8 24 Walton, FL 36.1 12.4 19.9 68.4 31.6 25 Midland, TX 42.7 9.6 16.5 68.8 31.2 3040 Osage, KS 67.8 12.5 13.3 93.6 6.4 3041 Emery, UT 66.2 13.4 14.1 93.7 6.3 3042 Los Alamos, NM 67.5 12.6 13.5 93.7 6.3 3043 Northwest Arctic, AK 67.4 13.5 12.8 93.7 6.3 3044 Yukon Koyukuk, AK 65.6 13.8 14.4 93.8 6.2 3045 Wabaunsee, KS 69.6 10.3 13.9 93.8 6.2 3046 Hoke, NC 67.4 12.7 13.7 93.8 6.2 3047 Prince Georges, MD 69.4 11.7 12.7 93.9 6.1 3048 Gallatin, KY 65.8 13.9 14.3 93.9 6.1 3049 Crawford, IN 65.5 13.9 14.7 94.0 6.0 3050 Charles, MD 70.4 11.3 12.3 94.0 6.0 3051 Pulaski, MO 67.5 12.8 13.7 94.0 6.0 3052 Stafford, VA 69.6 11.8 12.7 94.1 5.9 3053 Johnson, NE 69.2 12.1 12.8 94.1 5.9 3054 Geary, KS 72.8 10.4 11.2 94.4 5.6 3055 Southeast Fairbanks, AK 71.6 13.2 9.7 94.4 5.6 3056 North Slope, AK 71.8 10.9 11.8 94.4 5.6 3057 King George, VA 69.5 12.2 12.7 94.4 5.6 3058 Robertson, KY 63.5 14.8 16.1 94.4 5.6 3059 Nance, NE 70.0 12.0 12.5 94.5 5.5 3060 Chattahoochee, GA 67.5 12.9 14.2 94.6 5.4 3061 Aleutians West, AK 77.5 8.0 9.3 94.8 5.2 3062 Shannon, SD 72.5 10.5 11.9 94.9 5.1 3063 Manassas Park City, VA 71.7 10.7 12.5 94.9 5.1 3064 Wade Hampton, AK 69.3 12.1 13.7 95.1 4.9 United States 51.1 12.3 16.5 79.9 20.1 Source: Authors’ analysis of state and county-level tax data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
By metropolitan area the top 1 percent share of all income was highest in Jackson, Wyoming-Idaho at 68.3 percent, followed by 42.7 percent in Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut, and 42.5 percent in Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida. Overall in the U.S. the top 1 percent took home 20.1 percent of all income in 2013. Among metropolitan areas the lowest top income shares were 5.6 percent in Junction City, Kansas; 6.0 percent in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; and 6.3 percent in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
By county the top 1 percent took home 70.2 percent of all income in Teton, Wyoming; 55.9 percent in La Salle, Texas; and 54.2 percent in Shackelford, Texas. The lowest share of all income held by the top 1 percent was 4.9 percent in Wade Hampton, Alaska, and 5.1 percent in both Manassas Park City, Virginia, and Shannon, South Dakota.
Conclusion
The rise in inequality experienced in the United States in the past three-and-a-half decades is not just a story of those in the financial sector in the greater New York City metropolitan area reaping outsized rewards from speculation in financial markets. While many of the highest-income families do live in states such as New York and Connecticut, IRS data make clear that rising inequality and increases in top 1 percent incomes affect every state. Between 1979 and 2007, the top 1 percent of families in all states captured an increasing share of income. And from 2009 to 2013, in the wake of the Great Recession, top 1 percent incomes in most states once again grew faster than the incomes of the bottom 99 percent.
The rise between 1979 and 2007 in top 1 percent incomes relative to the bottom 99 percent represents a sharp reversal of the trend that prevailed in the mid-20th century. Between 1928 and 1979, the share of income held by the top 1 percent declined in every state except Alaska (where the top 1 percent held a relatively low share of income throughout the period). This earlier era was characterized by a rising minimum wage, low levels of unemployment after the 1930s, widespread collective bargaining in private industries (manufacturing, transportation [trucking, airlines, and railroads], telecommunications, and construction), and a cultural and political environment in which it was outrageous for executives to receive outsized bonuses while laying off workers.
Today, unionization and collective bargaining levels are at historic lows not seen since before 1928 (Freeman 1997). The federal minimum wage purchases fewer goods and services than it did in 1968 (Cooper 2013). And executives in companies from Hostess (Castellano 2012) to American International Group (AIG) still expected—and were awarded—bonuses after bankrupting their companies and receiving multibillion-dollar taxpayer bailouts (Andrews and Baker 2009).
Policy choices and cultural forces have combined to put downward pressure on the wages and incomes of most Americans even as their productivity has risen (Bivens et al. 2014; Levy and Temin 2007). CEOs and financial-sector executives at the commanding heights of the private economy have appropriated a rising share of the nation’s expanding economic pie, setting new norms for top incomes often emulated today by college presidents (as well as college football and basketball coaches), surgeons, lawyers, entertainers, and professional athletes.
The yawning economic gaps in today’s “1 percent economy” have myriad economic and societal consequences. For example, growing inequality blocks living standards growth for the middle class. The Economic Policy Institute’s The State of Working America, 12th Edition found that between 1979 and 2007, had the income of the middle fifth of households grown at the same rate as overall average household income, it would have been $18,897 higher in 2007—27.0 percent higher than it actually was. In other words, rising inequality imposed a tax of 27.0 percent on middle-fifth household incomes over this period (Mishel et al. 2012). Thompson and Leight (2012) find that rising top 1 percent shares within individual states are associated with declines in earnings among middle-income families. Roy van der Weide and Milanovic (2014) find that high levels of inequality reduce income growth among the poor and boost the income growth of the rich.
Additionally, increased inequality may eventually reduce intergenerational income mobility. More than in most other advanced countries, in America the children of affluent parents grow up to be affluent, and the children of the poor remain poor (Corak 2012). Today’s levels of inequality in the United States raise a new “American Dilemma,” to borrow a phrase from Gunnar Myrdal’s landmark study of American race relations (Myrdal 1944): Can rising inequality be tolerated in a country that values so dearly the ideal that all people should have opportunity to succeed, regardless of the circumstances of their birth?
Millions of Americans feel tremendous anxiety about their grasp on the American Dream. As observers of the 2016 presidential primaries have noted, anxiety could be channeled into support for policies that promote broadly shared prosperity—or into a darker, more divisive politics reminiscent of early 20th century European politics.
Since the “1 percent economy” is evident in every state, every state—and every metro area and region—has an opportunity to demonstrate to the nation new and more equitable policies. We hope these data on income inequality by state, metro area, and county will spur more states, regions, and cities to enact the bold policies America needs to become, once again, a land of opportunity for all.
About the authors
Estelle Sommeiller, a socio-economist at the Institute for Research in Economic and Social Sciences in France, holds two Ph.D.s in economics, from the University of Delaware and the Université Lumière in Lyon, France. Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez both approved her doctoral dissertation, Regional Inequality in the United States, 1913-2003, which was awarded the highest distinction by her dissertation committee. This report is based on, and updates, her dissertation.
The Institute for Research in Economic and Social Sciences (IRES) in France is the independent research center of the six labor unions officially granted representation nationwide. Created in 1982 with the government’s financial support, IRES is registered as a private nonprofit organization under the Associations Act of 1901. IRES’s mission is to analyze the economic and social issues, at the national, European, and international levels, of special interest to labor unions. More information is available at www.ires.fr.
Mark Price, a labor economist at the Keystone Research Center, holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Utah. His dissertation, State Prevailing Wage Laws and Construction Labor Markets, was recognized with an honorable mention in the 2006 Thomas A. Kochan and Stephen R. Sleigh Best Dissertation Awards Competition sponsored by the Labor and Employment Relations Association.
Ellis Wazeter was an intern with the Keystone Research Center in the summer of 2015. He is a sophomore pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.
The Keystone Research Center (KRC) was founded in 1996 to broaden public discussion on strategies to achieve a more prosperous and equitable Pennsylvania economy. Since its creation, KRC has become a leading source of independent analysis of Pennsylvania’s economy and public policy. The Keystone Research Center is located at 412 North Third Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101-1346. Most of KRC’s original research is available from the KRC website at www.keystoneresearch.org.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the staff at the Internal Revenue Service for their public service and assistance in collecting state-level tax data, as well as the staff at the University of Delaware library for their assistance in obtaining IRS documentation. The authors also wish to thank Emmanuel Saez for graciously providing details on the construction of the Piketty and Saez top-income time series and for providing guidance on adjustments to make when constructing a state-by-state time series. This work would also have not been possible without Thomas Piketty’s (2001) own careful work and notes on how he constructed his top-income time series. Thanks to Mark Frank (2009) of Sam Houston State University for sharing unpublished state-level IRS data for 1984 and 1985 and collaborating with us in contributing to the World Wealth and Income database. Thanks also to Frédéric Lerais at the Institute for Research in Economic and Social Sciences; Lawrence Mishel, David Cooper, Lora Engdahl, Christopher Roof, Elizabeth Rose, Eric Shansby, Dan Essrow, and Susan Balding at the Economic Policy Institute; Colin Gordon at the Iowa Center for Public Policy; and Doug Hall at the Economic Progress Institute for their helpful comments and support in the preparation of this report.
Methodological appendix
The most common sources of data on wages and incomes by state are derived from surveys of households such as the Current Population Survey and the American Community Survey. These data sources are not well-suited to tracking trends in income by state among the highest-income households, especially the top 1 percent. Trends in top incomes can be estimated from data published by the IRS on the amount of income and number of taxpayers in different income ranges (Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats various years). Table A1 presents this data for Pennsylvania in 2011. New to the third edition of this report we have assembled SOI Tax Stats for most counties for the years 2010 to 2013. County-level data is then aggregated to generate metropolitan-level data.
Table A1 Individual income and tax data for Pennsylvania, by size of adjusted gross income, tax year 2011 Number of returns Adjusted gross income (thousands) Share of aggregate adjusted gross income All returns 6,183,225 $348,612,836 100% Under $1 82,325 -$4,608,529 -1% $1 – < $25,000 2,419,804 $28,102,112 8% $25,000 – < $50,000 1,458,749 $52,856,101 15% $50,000 – < $75,000 859,952 $52,954,678 15% $75,000 – < $100,000 543,875 $47,004,707 13% $100,000 – < $200,000 633,858 $84,200,638 24% $200,000 – < $500,000 151,006 $43,064,934 12% $500,000 – < $1,000,000 23,476 $15,763,810 5% $1,000,000 or more 10,180 $29,274,384 8% Source: Authors' analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2011 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
Knowing the amount of income and the number of taxpayers in each bracket, we can use the properties of a statistical distribution known as the Pareto distribution to extract estimates of incomes at specific points in the distribution of income, including the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles. With these threshold values we then calculate the average income of taxpayers with incomes that lie between these ranges, such as the average income of taxpayers with incomes greater than the 99th percentile (i.e., the average income of the top 1 percent).
Calculating income earned by each group of taxpayers as well as the share of all income they earn requires state-level estimates in each year between 1917 and 2013 of the total number of families and the total amount of income earned in each state. Piketty and Saez (2015) have national estimates of families (referred to from here forward as tax units) and total income (including capital gains), which we allocate to the states.
In the sections that follow we describe in more detail the assumptions we made in generating our top income estimates by state. We will then review errors we observe in our interpolation of top incomes from 1917 to 2013 and compare our interpolation results with top income estimates obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Next we will briefly illustrate the calculations we used to interpolate the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles from the data presented in Table A1. Finally, the last section of the appendix will present our top income estimates for the United States as a whole, alongside the same estimates from Piketty and Saez (2015).
Estimating tax units by state, county, and metropolitan area
Tax units are an estimate of the universe of potential taxpayers (the total number of single adults and married couples in each state, county, or metropolitan area). In order to allocate Piketty and Saez’s national estimate of tax units to the states, we estimate each state’s share of the sum of married men, divorced and widowed men and women, and single men and women 20 years of age or older. From 1979 to 2013, tax unit series at the state level are estimated using data from the Current Population Survey (basic monthly microdata). From 1917 to 1978, the state total of tax units had to be proxied by the number of household units released by the Census Bureau, the only source of data available over this time period. For interdecennial years, the number of household units is estimated by linear interpolation. From 2010 to 2013 we use each county’s share of statewide total households from the American Community Survey in order to generate from our statewide tax unit counts and county-level tax units. Metropolitan area tax units are calculated as the sum of the county tax units that make up each metropolitan area.
Estimating total income (including capital gains)
We allocate Piketty and Saez’s total income to the states using personal income data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). From 1929 to 2012 we calculate each state’s share of personal income after subtracting personal current transfer receipts. These shares are then multiplied by Piketty and Saez’s national estimate of total income (including capital gains) to estimate total income by state over the period. Because BEA personal income data are not available prior to 1929, we inflate total income derived from the tax tables for each state in each year from 1917 to 1928 by the average of the ratio of total taxable income to total personal income (minus transfers) from the BEA from 1929 to 1939. The resulting levels are summed across the states, and a new share is calculated and multiplied by Piketty and Saez’s national estimate of total income (including capital gains). For the county-level data (2010 to 2013) we allocate state total income to individual counties using each county’s share of statewide adjusted gross income as reported by the IRS. Metropolitan-area total income is calculated as the sum of the county total income for each county in a metropolitan area.
Pareto interpolation
In a study of the distribution of incomes in various countries, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that as the amount of income doubles, the number of people earning that amount falls by a constant factor. In the theoretical literature, this constant factor is usually called the Pareto coefficient (labeled bi in Table A5). Combining this property of the distribution of incomes with published tax data on the number of tax units and the amount of income at certain levels, it is possible to estimate the top decile (or the highest-earning top 10 percent of tax units), and within the top decile, a series of percentiles such as the average annual income earned by the highest-income 1 percent of tax units, up to and including the top 0.01 percent fractile (i.e., the average annual income earned by the richest 1 percent of the top 1 percent of tax units).
Our data series here matches most closely what Piketty and Saez (2001) label as “variant 3,” a time series of average top incomes and income shares that includes capital gains. In generating their “variant 3” time series Piketty and Saez make two key adjustments to top average incomes. We will now describe those adjustments.
From net to gross income, and the yearly problem of deductions
After an estimate of top incomes was obtained via Pareto interpolation, Piketty and Saez adjusted average incomes upward to account for net income deductions (1917 to 1943) and adjusted gross income adjustments (1944–2012). We followed Piketty and Saez and made the same adjustments uniformly across the states.
The IRS definition of income has varied over time. The IRS used the term “net income” until 1943, and “adjusted gross income” (AGI) from 1944 on. In the net income definition, the various deductions taken into account (donations to charity, mortgage interests paid, state and local taxes, etc.) were smaller over 1913–1943 than over 1944–2012. As a result, income estimates from 1913 to 1943 had to be adjusted upward.
To a lesser extent, incomes between 1944 and 2012 also had to be adjusted upward, as the term “adjusted” in AGI refers to various income deductions (contributions to individual retirement accounts, moving expenses, self-employment pension plans, health savings accounts, etc.). As Piketty and Saez note (2004, 33, iii), AGI adjustments are small (about 1 percent of AGI, up to 4 percent in the mid-1980s), and their importance declines with income within the top decile.
The treatment of capital gains across states, 1934–1986
The second major adjustment to incomes made by Piketty and Saez to their “variant 3” series were corrections to take into account the exclusion of a portion of capital gains from net income from 1934 to 1986.
Replicating Piketty and Saez’s capital gains adjustments uniformly across the states would, because of the concentration of income by geography, understate top incomes in high-income states such as New York and overstate top incomes in low-income states such as Mississippi. Unfortunately, state-level aggregates of capital gains income are not available at this time.
Instead, as a proxy we take each state’s deviation of top incomes from the U.S. average top income, and use this figure to adjust up or down the coefficients Piketty and Saez employ to correct for the exclusion of a portion of capital gains income from net income and AGI from 1934 to 1986.
Interpolation errors
Data users should exercise some caution in analyzing the full data series (provided online at go.epi.org/unequalstates2016data). We have identified 19 instances where our Pareto interpolation generated an income threshold that was higher than the next-higher income threshold. For example, in Wyoming in 2010 by Pareto interpolation we estimate the 90th percentile income to be $123,834, but also by Pareto interpolation we estimate the income at the 95th percentile as $119,168. Both estimates cannot be correct. The average incomes interpolated for groups between these thresholds will also be affected by this error. Table A2 presents the percentiles affected in each state by this error as well as the year in which the error occurred. Data users making comparisons over time should examine the entire time series for a state before drawing conclusions about time trends from a single point-to-point comparison.
Table A2 States and percentiles affected by errors in Pareto interpolations used to generate income thresholds, 1917–2011 Percentiles States 90>95 95>99 99>99.5 99.5>99.9 99.9>99.99 Total number of errors Alaska 1948, 1949, 1950, 1955, 1982 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923 1932, 1933 13 Idaho 1960 1 New Mexico 1965 1 West Virginia 1951, 1952 2 Wyoming 2010 1 Source: Authors’ analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2011 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
Even when our estimates of each threshold are lower than the next-higher threshold (in other words, the 90th percentile is lower than the 95th percentile, and so on), errors can still arise in our calculation of the average incomes that lie between those percentiles. For example, in 2011 we estimate the average income between the 90th and 95th percentiles in Alabama was $119,120, while estimating the 95th percentile income as $109,260. Table A3 summarizes the number of such errors in our data set, excluding those that result from the errors reported in Table A2. Most of these errors occur in the bottom half of the top 10 percent.
Table A3 Percentiles affected by errors in the estimation of interfractile average incomes, 1917–2011 Errors Number 90–95>95 221 95–99>99 1 99–99.5>99.5 14 99.5–99.9>99.9 5 99.9–99.99>99.99 3 Note: This table does not include errors reported in Table A2. Source: Authors’ analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2011 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
Comparing imputed top incomes to actual top incomes
The methods discussed here to estimate top incomes from the data contained in Table A1 are not as precise as actually having a database of all individual tax returns from which to calculate average incomes for the highest-income taxpayers. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has generated and published more-precise top-income figures for Pennsylvania taxpayers filing their state tax returns in recent years. This allows us to compare the actual income data with the results of estimates using our standard method (the standard method being our only option for generating estimates in the other 49 states and for Pennsylvania in earlier years). It turns out that our methods underestimate the actual rise in top incomes.
Table A4 presents, using two different methods, the share of all income held by the top 1 percent as well as the average income of the top 1 percent for Pennsylvania. The first two columns present our projections based on IRS tax tables. The second two columns present the actual data on top incomes published by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue for the years 2000 to 2011. Based on our projections using IRS data, top incomes in Pennsylvania grew by 8.3 percent between 2009 and 2011. Actually reported Pennsylvania Department of Revenue data show a rise of 9.3 percent. Between 2000 and 2011, our estimate of the share of income held by the top 1 percent was 2.6 percentage points lower than the actual figures. Likewise, from 2000 to 2011 our projection of the average income of the top 1 percent averaged 87 percent of the actual figures.
Table A4 Comparing projections of top incomes in Pennsylvania with actual levels, 2000–2011 Projections based on Internal Revenue Service data Actual levels as reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue Year Income share of the top 1% Average income of the top 1% Income share of the top 1% Average income of the top 1% Percentage-point difference between actual and projected income share of top 1% Projected average income of top 1% as share of actual 2000 17.5% $988,702 19.6% $1,112,708 2.1 89% 2001 15.5% $823,838 16.9% $901,064 1.4 91% 2002 14.7% $751,226 16.6% $847,263 1.9 89% 2003 15.3% $795,846 17.6% $916,052 2.3 87% 2004 16.0% $876,640 18.9% $1,033,381 2.9 85% 2005 17.9% $994,689 21.2% $1,180,531 3.3 84% 2006 18.3% $1,042,094 21.8% $1,238,940 3.5 84% 2007 18.9% $1,115,166 21.6% $1,273,945 2.7 88% 2008 16.9% $918,147 19.9% $1,086,298 3.0 85% 2009 15.9% $814,912 18.3% $936,591 2.4 87% 2010 17.4% $905,113 20.1% $1,052,402 2.7 86% 2011 17.0% $882,574 19.8% $1,023,723 2.8 86% % change, 2009–2011 8.3% 9.3% Average, 2000–2011 2.6 87% Note: Data are for tax units. Source: Authors’ analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2011 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), Piketty and Saez (2012), and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (various years) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
Calculating the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles for Pennsylvania
Listed in Table A5 are the calculations we use to interpolate the 90th, 95th, and 99th percentile incomes for Pennsylvania. For brevity we present only the equations for calculating the average incomes by fractiles in Table A6.
Table A5 An example of Pareto interpolation for Pennsylvania in 2011 Row # Income brackets Lower bound (si) Number of returns (Ni) Cumulative # of returns (Ni*) Adjusted gross income (Yi) Cumulative adjusted gross income (Yi*) 1 No income <= 0 82,325 6,183,225 -4,608,529 348,612,835 2 1–<25,000 1 2,419,804 6,100,900 28,102,112 353,221,364 3 25,000–< 50,000 25,000 1,458,749 3,681,096 52,856,101 325,119,252 4 50,000–< 75,000 50,000 859,952 2,222,347 52,954,678 272,263,151 5 75,000–< 100,000 75,000 543,875 1,362,395 47,004,707 219,308,473 6 100,000–< 200,000 100,000 633,858 818,520 84,200,638 172,303,766 7 200,000–< 500,000 200,000 151,006 184,662 43,064,934 88,103,128 8 500,000–<1,000,000 500,000 23,476 33,656 15,763,810 45,038,194 10 1,000,000 or more 1,000,000 10,180 10,180 29,274,384 29,274,384 11 Total 6,183,225 348,612,836 Row # (yi = Yi* / Ni*) Pareto Coefficient (bi= yi / si) ai = (bi / (bi-1) pi % = Ni* / N* ki = si * [pi power(1/ai)] 1 56,380 2 57,897 91.77 3 88,321 3.53 1.39 55.37 16,363 4 122,512 2.45 1.69 33.43 26,139 5 160,973 2.15 1.87 20.49 32,166 6 210,506 2.11 1.90 12.31 33,301 7 477,105 2.39 1.72 2.78 24,952 8 1,338,192 2.68 1.60 0.51 18,242 10 2,875,676 2.88 1.53 0.15 14,586 Row # Min [ Abs(pi – 10) ] P90 = ki / [0.1 power 1/ai] Min [ Abs(pi – 5) ] P95 = ki / [0.05 power 1/ai] Min [ Abs(pi – 1) ] P99 = ki / [0.01 power 1/ai] 1 2.31 2.22 0.49 2 81.77 86.77 90.77 3 45.37 50.37 54.37 4 23.43 28.43 32.43 5 10.49 15.49 19.49 6 2.31 $111,535 7.31 11.31 7 7.22 2.22 $142,150 1.78 8 9.49 4.49 0.49 $326,426 10 9.85 4.85 0.85 Note: Money amounts are in thousands of dollars. N* or tax units for Pennsylvania in 2011 is 6,648,369. Source: Authors' analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2011 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
Table A6 Formulas for estimating average incomes by fractile (P=percentile) P90–100=bi * P90 P95–100=bi * P95 P99–100=bi * P99 P99.5–100=bi * P99.5 P99.9–100=bi * P99.9 P99.99–100=bi * P99.99 P90–95=2 (P90–100) – (P95–100) P95–99=[ 5 (P95–100) – (P99–100) ] / 4 P99–99.5=2 (P99–100) – (P99.5–100) P99.5–99.9=[ 5 (P99.5–100) – (P99.9–100) ] / 4 P99.9–99.99=[ 10 (P99.9–100) – (P99.99–100) ] / 9 Source: Authors' analysis of state-level tax data from Sommeiller (2006) extended to 2011 using state-level data from the Internal Revenue Service SOI Tax Stats (various years), and Piketty and Saez (2012) Share on Facebook Tweet this chart Embed Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website. Download image
Comparison of Piketty and Saez to Sommeiller and Price
Table A7 presents the data |
The other day, I thought the unthinkable.
I was reading, with enormous glee, an interview the incomparable, legendary genius Toni Morrison gave to the equally brilliant Hilton Als as reported by New York magazine. Morrison is someone who I have idolized from the moment I was able to decipher the code to her gargantuan intellect. The minute I was able to read a Morrison novel and actually understand—and more than understand, unearth and absorb—the abstruse, intricate language, I felt alive and literate. I felt seen for the very first time. Her words, for me, are salve and a psalm, edification and affirmation.
So I dove, heart first, into Morrison’s marvelous conversation with Als, allowing her words to lift, carry, and shelter me. But my flotation came to an end when I came across one particular passage. Als had asked her about the act of survival and the art of forgiveness to which she responded:
“The really vile and violent and bestial treatment of slaves and their descendants did not succeed in making those descendants reproduce that violence and that corruption and that bestiality. [A contemporary example is] the survivors and the family members who were killed in that church did not say of the killer ‘I want him dead’—it was something grander and more humane. It was eloquent and elegant, the response of forgiveness. We sometimes understand that generosity ... as a kind of weakness, whereas I always thought that that was extreme strength.”
I ignored for a moment the slight pinch I usually feel when I encounter something that, on some buried level, strikes me as a falsehood. It was the easiest and most natural thing to do. I do it every day, every time I wish to deny a reality that would interfere with my own version of it. Joy can be scarce and those who are denied it reflexively act to preserve its lingering; ask any addict. But at base, in the most plain language, I simply wanted to believe what she said was true. What black person wouldn’t? After having endured hundreds of years of barbarism at the hands of those who, bafflingly, imagine themselves civilized, it is a comforting thing, inspiring even, to believe that we are, somehow, a better species of creature than they, that their slings and arrows only serve to make us swifter, more resilient, more holy.
Yet I disagreed with Morrison. The earth did not quite quake, but I most certainly did.
Whatever the justification for our collective denial, yes, the vile, violent, and bestial treatment of our enslaved ancestors—and us—did, in fact, succeed in making us reproduce that violence, corruption, and bestiality. Perhaps we do not perpetrate this foolishness against white people; we are far too acquainted with the consequences to dare attempt such wild abandon; and besides, some of us adore whiteness far too deeply to ever bring it any harm. But nowhere is it more evident than in how we treat the other marginalized peoples among us. One need not even leave one’s own home to encounter the evidence: look at how black men treat black women, how black adults treat black children, how black straight people treat black queer people, how black non-disabled people treat black disabled people, how black bourgeoisie treat black proletariat, how black religious folk treat black atheists, how black cops treat black civilians, and so on, to know that the indoctrination was utterly successful. As a black gay man who simultaneously occupies positions of privilege and oppression, I can say this with the deep certainty and clarity that comes with both participation and resistance.
And I need not evoke anything as fictitious, lazy, and unsound as “black-on-black crime” to make this point. Black people in America are neither exceptionally criminal nor exceptionally violent, but we are, regrettably, American. In this context, we have become part of the murderous machine that crunches lands, plunders resources, grinds spirits and calls all of this democracy (some of us might refer to this as “get money,” but the same underlying principles apply). We, too, conjure the ancient sorcery (or, at least, we hope to) that turns person into property—that is, when the magic is not obsessed with death.
The historical records, thanks to the frightening efficiency of European colonialism, are spotty at best, but what we can glean from the wreckage is that, alongside the great Dahomey Amazons, the magnificence of Timbuktu, and a much more sophisticated understanding of gender and sexuality than infantile and appalled Europeans were capable of grasping, there were also nations and villages and peoples on the African continent, prior to the European invasions, that were anything but utopian bastions of progressive and upstanding behavior. Though Europeans have perfected and globalized it, patriarchal hegemony is not wholly a Western creation, as my play-cousin Chanda Hsu Prescod-Weinstein suggested when I shared my shame with her. The sooner we release Africa from the childishness of our fantasies, the sooner it can live, breathe, and be the recipient of the broad, celestial, and messy antiquity that both white and black people have denied it.
Let us be honest rather than romantic about our past and present. Otherwise, we are just replicating the exact same dangers of white supremacy—master’s tools, as Audre Lorde called them. James Baldwin cautioned Malcolm X against this very thing. He told X that we could not defeat white supremacy by embracing, in remixed form, the very fallacy upon which white supremacy is built. He later reiterated, to Dr. Kenneth Clark, who asked Baldwin about the appeal of the black nationalism practice by the Nation of Islam:
“It is much more sinister because it is much more effective. It is much more effective, because it is, after all, comparatively easy to invest a population with a false morale by giving them a false sense of superiority, and it will always break down in a crisis. It’s the history of Europe, simply—it’s one of the reasons that we are in this terrible place.”
White people are not superior to us and that is self-evident. But we are also not superior to them and to suggest otherwise, however indirectly, is to succumb to seductive, but dangerous mythologies that will inevitably lead to destruction—ours as well as theirs.
Communities built upon the bones of the ravaged and ransacked can only be vicious and, therefore, lifeless, doomed to return to the dust from whence they came. But black people may be in the unique position—if we are vigilant enough; if we remain conscious; if we are unwilling to be deluded; if we refuse to be romantic; if we, unlike most white people, can withstand a veracious self-inventory; if we have the courage to endure it knowing that we could only become more humane—to occupy the coveted moral high ground.
What we have to remember is that, despite the misleading narratives that can be found in many of the Abrahamic philosophies and practices, suffering on its own does not make us divine, nor does it make us singular or move us beyond reproach. It merely makes us human. We are not metal and stone to be banged upon and chipped away, sharper and more slender than before. We are flesh and blood, flesh that weeps, as Baby Suggs Holy urges in Morrison’s Beloved; blood that calls out from the ground, as Abel’s did after he perished at the hand of his own brother Cain. Experiencing oppression rarely makes a people less oppressive. Quite the contrary, it usually makes us emulate our oppressors and, eventually, become them.
I disagreed with Morrison here, too: that our forgiveness is the currency upon which our morality is purchased. There is, by my own measure, nothing gallant or splendid about allowing our grandmothers—the sacred keepers of ancestral wisdom—to be slaughtered in prayer as we stand idly, stoically by, secure in our masochism, giving the sadists the exact thrill they were seeking with our reverent, pristine absolution. Vengeance without just cause is savagery. But to pry open the fingers of the hand squeezing your mother’s throat, your brother’s throat, by whatever means at your disposal: that is hope. For you are saying, in no uncertain terms, that you choose life.
Forgiveness without a strategy—without a means to secure justice, as merely an appeal to the invisible, intangible, and indifferent—is surrender, and not even a surrender to anything as principled as peace. Let us be honest: our forgiveness does not come from a place of moral fortitude or vigor. It comes precisely from the indoctrination that arrived, part and parcel, with the invader’s religion. It comes from an untold weariness and battle fatigue. It comes out of the harrowing realization that we are relatively powerless against the onslaught and have few options aside from acquiescence, amnesty, or suicide. For us, “we forgive you,” as my friend Tiffany Jones suggested when I shared my blues with her, is a less agonizing articulation of “we are afraid of you” or “please don’t hurt us.” And our fears are justified. We have witnessed, for far too long really, the disaster and disarray of which those who call themselves civilized are capable and we know how contagious that chaos has proved to be. Forgiveness is an appeal to people’s hearts and good sense. But what do you do when facing the horror of a heartless, senseless people?
Where does this leave us? Does this mean that we must return to the riverside and retrieve our swords and shields? I do not know. I do not even know if our weapons formed against them shall prosper; those were their god’s words after all. But I do know that as divided as we are, we do not have even the slightest of chances of withstanding the miseries they unleash. And I do know that we cannot be afraid to speak these truths merely because white people will surely take them out of context to use for their own nefarious purposes. That is their folly, but it does not have to be ours.
To love one another—and here, I do not mean love in the sense that you might find distorted in a Hollywood film or misused in a Hallmark card—is to hold each other accountable and be held accountable, to insist upon the humanity of others and of yourself, to refuse to reduce someone else to make yourself feel grander. Love is not merely the presence of fond feeling any more than war is the absence of it. Love is another word for obligation. To love, truly, you must be in everlasting combat against your own desire to dominate those who might not have your strength, resources, or status. And this is the way of the universe: for every action, there is a repercussion. Know yours; know it intimately.
America is hell—distinct from other hells around the world, sure; sometimes appearing heavenly on the surface, but it is hell nevertheless. I do not know if we can make it out. But I will know that we have when a Sakia Gunn, Rashawn Brazell, Relisha Rudd, Islan Nettles, or Nakita Holland can prance down the burning pavement, shimmering in the way that prized people do, and not one of us, not a single one of us, dares to extinguish their shine. Then, and only then, will I be as certain as Morrison that the indoctrination was a failure. Then and only then will I know that we have finally remembered who we are and why we are here: to restore, with grace, love’s precious face.
For Kiesha Jenkins
Robert Jones, Jr. is a writer and editor from Brooklyn, NY. He can be found on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.
[Illustration by Tara Jacoby] |
Kim Drew Wright is the founder of Liberal Women of Chesterfield County and Beyond, a grass-roots organization that helped deliver the Richmond suburbs to the Democratic candidate for governor for the first time since 1961. (Julia Rendleman/For The Washington Post)
In this bastion of Virginia-brand conservatism, dozens of Democratic women roared on a recent night as their organization's leader crowed over their party's historic electoral triumph.
For the first time since 1961, Chesterfield County backed a Democrat for governor — and the driving forces in this Richmond suburb included women who defiantly trumpeted a political label their party has ducked for decades.
"Are we done?" Kim Drew Wright asked members of the organization that she and her allies christened the Liberal Women of Chesterfield County after President Trump's election last year.
"Noooooo!" the women shouted back.
Until Gov.-elect Ralph Northam (D) won Chesterfield County three weeks ago, the stretch of suburban and rural communities southwest of Richmond had been considered reliably Republican.
Yet voters infuriated by Trump, many of them women and Hispanics who have migrated to the county in recent years, are redefining Chesterfield and alarming Virginia Republicans who have depended on the area to make up for the support the party lacks in urban areas.
The results in Chesterfield are also a potential harbinger of what looms beyond Virginia, in suburbs where anger toward Trump is motivating voters bent on defeating Republican candidates in next year's midterm elections.
"That's a huge red flag for Republicans and an opportunity for Democrats," said Jesse Ferguson, a national Democratic strategist. "There's opportunity in these traditionally conservative suburbs with college-educated white voters who are unwilling to back a Republican candidate. It's a function of and proof that Trump has tainted the rest of the Republicans running for office."
Chris LaCivita, a Richmond-based GOP strategist who works on national campaigns, said Chesterfield's results are a pointed reminder of the challenges Republicans face not only to remain competitive in Virginia's suburbs but elsewhere.
"Midterm and off-year elections are defined by whose base is more animated and engaged and right now it's the Democrats," he said. "You're going to have to work harder than ever if you're a Republican in this environment."
As they sift through the remains of their Chesterfield defeat, Republicans hold onto what they describe as encouraging signs, including that Ed Gillespie, their party's losing gubernatorial candidate, got 7,000 more votes in the county than Ken Cuccinelli II, the GOP's 2013 nominee.
View Graphic Virginia general election guide
Yet the growth in Republican turnout was overwhelmed by the ballooning number of Democratic voters. Northam received 16,000 more votes than Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) got in the county in 2013.
The Liberal Women of Chesterfield County is an example of a new breed of Democratic activism in the Richmond suburbs. The group, which says it has admitted nearly 3,000 followers to its private Facebook page, has established 13 neighborhood chapters and canvassed more than 50,000 homes in a get-out-the-vote effort. On Election Day, the group worked with the local Democratic committee to staff all 75 of the county's polling places, something that the local party on its own had previously been unable to accomplish.
Besides championing Northam and the statewide ticket, they pushed local residents running for the first time, including the first openly gay woman elected to the House of Delegates ; a mental health administrator who came within 128 votes of defeating a Republican House of Delegates incumbent; and a British-born accountant who ran her first race and is Chesterfield's newly elected commissioner of revenue.
"I wouldn't have done this every day for the past year if I hadn't gotten so angry about Trump," said Wright, 46, a mother of three who observed politics from the sidelines before last year's presidential election. "Once you wake up and see how important local elections are, it's hard to go back to the shadows and stick your head in the sand. Now we have our eye on everybody, from dogcatcher on up."
Wright and her allies insisted on including "liberal" in the group's name, reviving a political brand that Republicans and even some Democrats have lampooned or avoided. "It was defiance," she said. "My mission is to change that connotation of 'liberal.' "
The group's next target is Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.), whose district includes Chesterfield and who earlier this year complained that "the women are in my grill no matter where I go" — a reference to the activists who protested against efforts by Brat and other House Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Three women and a man who are LWCC members are among the six candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Brat in 2018, a group that includes a former CIA operative, an Army veteran, and a former Marine. "Everybody loves to hate Brat," Wright said. "There's something about his smug little face."
Asked about the group targeting him, Brat in a statement said Northam won because Democrats "nationalized the election and motivated their voters to go to the polls while Republicans did not."
"Overall, when you compare the policies the liberals want and the policies I support," he said, "it will be clear to voters in Chesterfield and throughout the 7th District what the better way forward is."
A half-century of GOP control
The last Democratic candidate to carry Chesterfield was former governor Albertis Harrison — 56 years ago. Harrison had been the choice of Sen. Harry F. Byrd Sr., the former Democratic governor who ran the state's dominant political machine and led the resistance against school desegregation.
In 1965, as Byrd's health was suffering his political influence was waning, A. Linwood Holton won Chesterfield — the first of 13 successive gubernatorial races in which the county voted Republican.
Nearly 30 years later, Republican dominance in the county peaked when gubernatorial candidate George Allen defeated Democrat Mary Sue Terry by more than 31,000 votes. In 1997, Republican James Gilmore's margin of victory in the county was 25,000 votes.
"In presidential years and in governor's races, the county where Republicans had their largest margins was Chesterfield," said Bob Holsworth, a retired Virginia Commonwealth University political science professor. "It was where Republicans did their best."
But the county evolved as its population mushroomed by nearly 25 percent between 2000 and 2016. While the number of whites in Chesterfield declined by 10 percent from 2000 to 2010, the percentage of blacks grew by 4 percent and Latinos more than doubled from 3 percent to more than 7 percent.
At the same time, Republicans' victory margins steadily declined. In 2001, Mark R. Warner was the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate in four decades to get more than 40 percent of Chesterfield's vote. By 2013, the Republicans' winning margin had shrunk to eight percentage points. In 2016, Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by only two percentage points in Chesterfield, setting the stage for Northam to surpass Gillespie.
"I don't think this election was generally about demographics, but in Chesterfield it was," said Quentin Kidd, director of the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. "In the next 10 years, it's not going to be the Chesterfield where you slap an 'R' next to someone's name and they win."
The broader question is whether Chesterfield's political shift is a template for suburbs nationwide, Kidd said. "The challenge for Democrats is, 'Can you transcend Trump?' " Kidd said. "A lot of this is driven by women voters, but can Democrats translate that to a more permanent voter? Or is that woman going back to voting Republican once Trump is gone?"
Republicans in Chesterfield insist that the county's shift is more about Trump than any deeper bend toward the left.
Even as Gillespie lost the county, they point out that Jill Vogel, the GOP's candidate for lieutenant governor, and John Adams, the Republican running for attorney general, both carried Chesterfield, albeit by slim margins.
They both lost the statewide contests to Democrats Justin Fairfax and Mark Herring, respectively.
Adams, who was raised in Chesterfield County and still lives there, said the fact that he and Vogel carried the county but Gillespie lost should not be interpreted to contain any profound lesson.
"I think it's indicative of a lot of energy on the left to vote against Republican candidates but not Republican ideals," Adams said. "I don't think it's as monumental a shift as Democrats are claiming."
Yet Geoffrey Skelley, a political analyst at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said the results suggest that voters' rejection of "Trump's brand of Republicanism" is potent in suburban areas that are "increasingly diverse and/or highly educated."
"These results should scare them," Skelley said of Republicans inside Chesterfield and beyond.
From despair to resolve
On the night Trump won the presidency, Kim Drew Wright became so infuriated that she took a Sharpie and, on poster board, compared the Republican mogul to a slang word for the male sex organ, and added: "And so are you if you voted for him."
She then duct-taped it over the "Hillary for President" sign in her front yard, and was pleased when a few neighbors emailed to thank her for sharing their sentiments (she took it down the next day, afraid that kids on school buses would see her invective). A week later, Wright posted on the Clinton-inspired website "Pantsuit Nation" an open invitation to women to meet at a local tavern to share their angst over Trump.
Ninety people showed up.
Her hands shaking as she made her first public speech, Wright declared that she hated Trump "with the white-hot passion of a billion suns." She urged everyone to "connect with others" and "know that you are not alone."
A year later, she has a slew of new friends.
They include women such as Lynette Clements, 62, a retired computer programmer, and Sara Gaborik, 40, a criminal defense lawyer, and Becky Conner, 43, an electrical designer, all of whom help organize LWCC events, including a recent "speed dating" soiree at which advocates for a variety of progressive causes went table-to-table briefing the women on issues.
Jenefer Hughes, 54, a British-born accountant who was among those who attended the meeting, said Trump's election is what prodded her to join LWCC, where she heard members talk of the need to find Democrats to run for office.
Soon she found herself considering a new career path, one in which she could draw on her experience as an accountant for Fortune 500 companies.
Last week, after winning her first political race, Hughes was sworn in as Chesterfield's commissioner of revenue, a $126,000-a-year post.
"I'd like to run for governor at some point," Hughes said in her British accent, when asked about her future political ambitions.
She insisted that she was serious.
"I didn't even know a person like me could run for office," she said. "I'm just a regular person who stood up." |
Mental health professionals often distinguish between generalized social phobia and specific social phobia.[1] People with generalized social phobia have great distress in a wide range of social situations. Those with specific social phobia may experience anxiety only in a few situations.[1] The term "specific social phobia" may also refer to specific forms of non-clinical social anxiety.
The most common symptoms of specific social phobia are glossophobia, the fear of public speaking and the fear of performance, known as stage fright. Other examples of specific social phobia include fears of intimacy or sexual encounters, using public restrooms (paruresis), attending social gatherings, and dealing with authority figures.
Specific social phobia may be classified into performance fears and interaction fears, i.e., fears of acting in a social setting and interacting with other people, respectively. The cause of social phobia is not definite.[citation needed]
Symptoms of social phobia can occur in late adolescence when youths highly value the impressions they give off to their peers. Clinical experience of the prognosis of social phobia shows that it can prolong for many years but that it improves by mid life.[citation needed]
Treatment [ edit ]
Treatment of social phobia usually involves psychotherapy, medication, or both.
Psychotherapy [ edit ]
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is commonly used to treat social phobia.
Medication [ edit ]
Anti-anxiety and antidepressant medication is commonly prescribed for treatment of social anxiety disorder. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as sertraline, fluvoxamine and paroxetine are common medications which alleviate social phobia successfully in the short term but it is not certain if they are useful in the long-term[citation needed]. Also the MAOI moclobemide works well on treating social phobia in the short term[citation needed]. Patients who have avoided certain situations should make a big effort to become exposed to these situations while at the same time taking antidepressant medication. Anxiolytic medication aids a patient to handle social or professional situations before more lasting treatment has had an effect and therefore it is a provider of short term relief, but anxiolytics have a risk of dependence. Beta-adrenergic antagonists help to control palpitations and tremors unresponsive to the treatment of anxiolytic medication. One must read the precautions of these drugs outlined in the manufacturer's literature and be careful to watch out for the contraindications of these drugs.[2]
Prevalence and distribution [ edit ]
In the past, when the prevalence was estimated by sampling the psychiatric clinical cases, social phobia was thought to be a rare disorder. It is now recognized that this way of estimating is inappropriate, because people with social phobia rarely seek psychiatric help by the very nature of their disorder. A more reliable source used now is community surveys.[3]
Various surveys show that the syndrome of glossophobia is the most prevalent type. An article based on a National Comorbidity Survey reported that 1/3 of people with lifetime social phobia suffered from glossophobia[4] Another survey of a community sample from a Canadian city reported that of people who believed being anxious in one or several social situations 55% feared speaking to a large audience, 25% feared speaking to a small group of familiar people, 23% feared dealing with authority, 14.5% feared social gatherings, 14% feared speaking to strangers, 7% feared eating and 5% feared writing in public.[5] |
Introduction
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GTX 590 Shader Units 512 1792 2048 1536 1536 2x 1536 2x 512 ROPs 48 32 32 32 32 2x 32 2x 48 Graphics Processor GF110 Tahiti Tahiti GK104 GK104 2x Cayman 2x GF110 Transistors 3000M 4310M 4310M 3500M 3500M 2x 2640M 2x 3000M Memory Size 1536 MB 3072 MB 3072 MB 2048 MB 2048 MB 2x 2048 MB 2x 1536 MB Memory Bus Width 384 bit 384 bit 384 bit 256 bit 256 bit 2x 256 bit 2x 384 bit Core Clock 772 MHz 800 MHz 925 MHz 1006 MHz+ 1111 MHz+ 830 MHz 607 MHz Memory Clock 1002 MHz 1250 MHz 1375 MHz 1502 MHz 1652 MHz 1250 MHz 855 MHz Price $380 $380 $450 $500 $579 $700 $750
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680 was introduced just weeks ago and has taken the enthusiast market by storm. It offers great performance at significantly reduced power consumption. NVIDIA's dynamic overclocking algorithm works well and provides a nice speed boost for the card. We are now seeing the first custom GTX 680 board designs pop up.ZOTAC's GTX 680 AMP! Edition uses the reference design PCB and a custom triple slot cooler. The company also included a huge clock increase to 1111 MHz base clock and 1652 MHz memory. Price-wise the ZOTAC GTX 680 AMP! Edition comes at a hefty price of $579. |
DELHI, BOMBAY ~ What should a boy like him do with himself? He’s got a shard of mirror, a little comb and a memory brimful of notes from sitting in a dark theatre damp with years of neglect. Imperial cinema in Paharganj. A red decrepit building that plays movies from the 1980s and 1990s. This is where they come, the street kids. To whistle, clap and dance. He is one of them, but he is no longer a child. He can hold his breath and stammer like SRK. Or deliver filmi lines with just the right affect. Like this one from Ready, a Salman Khan film: “Zindagi Mein Teen Cheez Kabhi Underestimate Mat Karna—I, ME & Myself.” A few weeks ago, he stood shouting “maar sale ko, maar” as Suniel Shetty beat up the villain in Krishna. Bollywood for them is anchor, teacher, escape—the elsewhere realm.
But not the Bollywood of today. Shekhar had gone to watch the recent Imran Khan starrer, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, but he couldn’t sit through it. This was not his world, not the staple he had grown up on, it had none of the underdog-who-finally-made-it pull, a la Muqaddar Ka Sikandar or Deewar, both Amitabh Bachchan starrers. The rejection is mutual. Not only have these narratives gone out of Bollywood scripts, the multiplex theatres of today have no room for these kids. Understandably, their favourite haunts are theatres like Imperial and Sheila in Delhi’s Paharganj area or Gulshan Talkies and Silver Talkies in Bombay’s Pila Haus neighbourhood, which re-run the underdog movies of the eighties and nineties that sustain the dreams of these kids.
Twelve years after he ran away from Kalyanpur village in Bihar’s Munger district, Shekhar Sahni is still on the streets, figuring his way out.
At 24, Shekhar is a bit jaded. He is lean and dark and short. He has sunken eyes, hollow cheeks. Yet, his eyes burn bright. “If nobody will give me a chance in Bollywood, I will give myself a chance,” he says. “I used to say this when I was a tour guide with the Salaam Baalak Trust. I still believe in it.” In the world of Bollywood, “anything is possible. It is a magical world,” he says. Back in the day when he was attending NSD’s (National School of Drama) summer school, he carried a tube of Fair & Lovely in his pocket, and would rub it on his face through the day. They said he would make a great actor.
It didn’t start in NSD, the obsession with acting. The first film he watched at a theatre was Salman Khan-starrer Hum Aapke Hai Kaun. He and friend Javed got on a train to get to the nearest town, Sultanganj, where the film was running. Later, when he came to Delhi as a runaway child, he spotted a tattoo artist at a market, and got Prem, Salman Khan’s favourite screen name, etched on his arms. Later, when he turned into an SRK fan, he’d wear full-sleeved shirts to hide the tattoo. Before Salman, there was Ajay Devgan, whose 1991 debut film, Phool Aur Kaante, Shekhar watched on Doordarshan. He started styling his hair after Devgan, parting it on the extreme left. On Saturdays, when his schoolteacher Sharmaji would ask him to sing for the antakshari class, he’d go full throttle: “Maine pyar tumhi se kiya hai... .” Hand on his heart (to the right of the chest, Bollywood style), he’d sing for the girls in class too.
Drugs have wrecked his body. But he still has a plan to redeem himself. With the little money saved from his delivery boy job, he wants to go to Goa, work there in the holiday season, and study tourism management. When he is not so desperately poor, he will act again.
If Bollywood won’t give him a chance, he will make his own film.
He ran away from a happy home in pursuit of the magic of Bollywood. Like so many others before him, he too fell through the cracks.
Aakash, ‘Dedh Footiya’ to his friends, stands up, awkwardly eyeing the others gathered around him, rushes inside the tin shed, emerges with a cellphone and white earplugs, the blue-and-white bandana now re-arranged around his head. He steps onto the pathway cutting across the park. The crowd moves to a patch of grass.
Aakash plugs in the earphones, and presses Play. To give the audience a cue, he starts singing. “Aai pyar ki rut badi suhani, tu darna na o’ meri rani…” from Kaho Na Pyar Hai, Hrithik Roshan’s debut film in 2000.
Now the others have taken the cue, and he stops singing, and enters his dance trance, copying the moves of the star, even the expressions. There’s competition. In the twilight hours, the park near the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in New Delhi becomes a stage where street children, who live in the shelter homes run by some NGOs here, pay homage to Bollywood.
Praveen is next. “Body ke andar automatic jhatka,” he says. “Bollywood jhatka.”
Now others join in. Ten-year-old Vishal is wearing patent leather shoes, several sizes bigger than his feet, and breaks into a tap dance routine. Done proving his dance smarts, he breaks into a Bhojpuri song— “Jab lagawelu tu lipistick, hile la Ara district, jila top lage lu, lollypop lage lu.”
All of them live together in the park, in three tin shed shelter homes set up by different NGOs. In one of them, live homeless women. They too are watching the boys perform, crouched under a tree. The evenings would be dreary if not for such things. Pooja, a little girl, has been watching from a distance. She walks over, smiles through her crooked teeth, and starts dancing.
Shekhar just stands by. Later, he tells Dedh Footiya’s story. His mother passed away at an early age and his father was an alcoholic. He dropped out of school, and ended up in this park.
“I want to be someone. Zindagi toh ek aag ka dariya hai, aur ise paar karna hai. Everyone wants to be a hero. But those are dreams. You need talent,” says Dedh Footiya. He is 18, and likes Hrithik Roshan, whose dance moves he has mastered by watching his films many times over. His mobile phone has no connection; he uses it to store songs. He is a serious man, and not used to talking much.
Praveen can talk. He ran away from home, was taken to a juvenile home in Haryana at age eight, then to another in Delhi, from where he escaped in 2005. “I wanted to be an actor but didn’t know how. He started doing drugs. Ab daba ke nasha karta hoon, aur dance karta hoon,” he says.
There are others. Like a shy young boy, who has no hands, and kind eyes. “Mera na ghar hai, na baar,” he says. Or a man who walks on crutches and calls himself Brigadier Suraj Pratap Singh. At 29, he looks older than his age. Street life can do this to you, he says.
“I have a dream. I want to make a film like Dosti on disabled people,” says the Brigadier. The 1964 Rajshri Productions movie told the story of a blind boy and his crippled friend. Singh, who is originally from Patna, wants to do a remake in colour. Maybe act in it too. “In this world, we are the rejects,” he says. “But in the world of films, there’s space for everyone. We can all be heroes.”
“Dilli dilwalon ki,” a man shouts. “Yahan style ke liye aate hai. Then we turn to Bombay, that brutal city where we walk on fire. We will all be tested.”
“You know, I have a plan,” says Anurag. “Let me tell you about it.” He is a first-rate pickpocket, who has spent time in Tihar jail and other prisons. He wants to be a Bollywood star. “I will go to Dadar railway station, then take a taxi from there. It will cost me Rs 25 to Mumbadevi, and after I have paid homage, I will return to the station. I will either become a hero or a pickpocket,” he says. “Those are the only two things I know.”
Cut to platform No. 7, New Delhi railway station.
Shakeel, Salman, Krishna, Vijay, Arjun, Aakash. Runaway street children. Ragpickers, gang members, Bollywood aficionados.
They crawl down the iron columns like monkeys. A few station themselves up on the beams, smiling and waving. “Duniya mein aaye ho toh, doston, mauj karo,” Salman says, as he walks towards the coach of an empty train with a bunch of them inside. They are taking a break. When the next train pulls in, they will resume combing its coaches for plastic bottles, aluminium foil, anything to sell. Salman, they say, never wears a shirt. Not after he saw Salman Khan showing off his toned body in the movies he watched at Imperial cinema. He took on the name, and walks around with a shirt in his hand. When Tere Naam released in the theatres, many of them got their hair styled like Salman Khan. Long, with a middle parting.
Beyond the smiles, there are stories of abuse and deprivation. There is also the spirit of the child to break free. Many ran away from home to be Bollywood stars. They believed the roles Amitabh Bachchan essayed—the saturnine avenger, the quintessential man of the street who is chasing freedom and success.
When he was young, Shekhar’s uncle would take him to the neighbour’s house to watch the serial Mahabharat. He’d stick around for the evening feature film, and then when the village slept, he’d sneak into the neighbour’s house, and watch the 9 pm film. When he was 11 years old, he’d hop on the train and go to Sultanganj to watch matinee shows with other boys. By then, Shekhar had strayed. He bunked school, gambled and smoked beedis. A pious, doting mother, a hardworking father and a comfortable childhood were not enough to hold him back. He ran away and for six months lived it rough on New Delhi railway station before being rescued by Salaam Baalak Trust, an NGO that works with street children.
“I said no to an internship because I wanted to be an actor and spent all my time doing plays. Of course, I didn’t have the looks. I wasn’t fair or tall. But I knew I could make people cry. Now, I think I can make them laugh.”
His friend Javed remembers Shekhar seeing a movie every Friday. “He would work hard for the money to buy the tickets. But his dreams shattered and he got addicted to drugs. Salaam Baalak gave him many opportunities but he was a lost case. He would wear a red bandana like Shah Rukh in Ram Jaane. Because he wanted to be an actor so bad, it ruined him. He said ‘no’ to everything that came his way. He just wanted to act.”
Shekhar has written a script. The story of a street kid, the life he knows best. It’s the story of a girl who ran away and came to Delhi, the story of her journey. “I am wondering if I should play the character of a pimp or the brothel owner,” he says.
“Have you been to Khalsa restaurant?” Anurag asks.
“Where is it?”
The langar at the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara, he says. That’s where they go to eat, and then return to the park. They work odd jobs and live on the streets. Salaam Balak Trust was set up from the proceeds of the highly-acclaimed 1988 Mira Nair film, Salaam Bombay, which chronicles the lives of street children. The NGO named after the film rescues and rehabilitates street children. Now there are other NGOs too that provide shelter homes, training and education. The children live in these cramped shelters, watch television, and learn the alphabet from volunteers of the Trust, often people who come visiting from other countries. The Salaam Balak Trust gets a steady stream of these overseas volunteers. Once they turn 18, they have to leave or join other shelters like the ones run by Prayas in this central Delhi park. Anurag calls it ‘half-way rehabilitation’ because when they leave they are still not ready to make it on their own. Sometimes, they join the staff of the Salaam Balak Trust itself, but those options are limited.
Not all stay or even join the shelter homes. Aakash and Salman, for example, wouldn’t trade their lifestyle for the promise of education. They say only the privileged can find success, the rest just get by. And if you have to get by, they’d rather do it on their terms. A young filmmaker, Aatish Dabral, who spent months with Shekhar and two others, made a film called Badal Gaye Hum as part of his college project. The film is about street children and their lives. Dabral describes them in these words: “Each of them is the hero in his own story.”
“I got to see their involvement with films,” he says. “In one of the scenes, a voiceover goes: ‘Hamari zindagi mein problems toh bahut hain, par in teen ghanto mein, jab film chalti hai, hum kho jate hain.” When he screened the movie for them, they clapped. Shekhar danced. It is one thing to imagine themselves as heroes, another to see it on screen.
Rafiq Sheikh worked out at a second grade gym to get his body in shape. He tried learning English and learnt horse-riding at Bombay’s Chowpaty beach. He figured these were essential actor skills. At the auditions, and he went to many, he got rejected. He’d curse his stars, and everything else. But he kept at it. At more than 6 feet, he says he can beat Salman Khan in screen presence.
“Give me a chance and I will prove it,” he says.
He came to Bombay Central station years ago. His father married a Bangladeshi migrant, Zarina, after his mother passed away. When he died of alcohol, she kicked them out. At the time, they lived in Rajgadh, Maharashtra. Like Amitabh in Khuddar, Rafiq brought his two siblings to Bombay Central and started working as a coolie and sleeping in the yards. The spot where Salman Khan waits for Kareena Kapoor in Bodyguard used to be his spot.
Rafiq is 31 and now married. He is not ready to give up what he has chased for years. He still goes for auditions, still in pursuit of that elusive “one chance”.
“My father was also a big Bollywood fan. He used to tell me, after watching Khuddar, that he would make one son a police inspector and the other a thief. I was the one he had planned on making a cop.”
At the Bombay Central coffee house, he introduces his friend, Ram Naresh. Ram is a bit older than Rafiq. His father was a drug addict and he was forced to work at the station to provide for his mother. “We are like Dharmendra and Amitabh in Ram Balram,” he says.
The two met years ago as children, trying to survive on the streets of Bombay. They remember their first film together at Metro cinema. They were dirty and wearing shorts. Of the ten rupees they earned picking bottles at the station, they spent eight on tickets. From then on, they’d watch at least two films a day in the Pila Haus area. Most of the money they made went on tickets. “Some- times, we went to Film City (the studio in Goregaon), a regular hangout for street kids. In those days, they’d let us on the sets and we’d jostle to get near the camera. Whatever we have learnt, we have learnt from the movies,” says Ram.
He wanted to be a cameraman, and always stood behind technicians who manned the camera. He claims that by looking at a shot, he can tell where the camera was placed. Rafiq wanted to be on the other side of the camera.
“They used to say I look like Akshay Kumar,” he says. “I hunted for those pointed shoes, and used to wear them on our trips to Film City.”
When they were rescued by an NGO, Childline India Foundation, they got invited to the Oberoi Hotel rooftop for an event. “We wore chappals,” he says. “The invite said ‘formal dress’ but we were confident. We had learned to talk like big people from the movies. We were actors, we could imitate anything. So, a lot of people were surprised to find that we were street children.”
Rafiq once went to audition with filmmaker Karan Johar. “He said I wasn’t fit for the role,” Rafiq says. “It was a small role, but I was so angry. I said: ‘You give ten takes to Salman Khan, but for us, you wouldn’t give a second or a third chance.’”
The two are now small-time contractors for freight trains, and spend most days at Bombay Central station. On weekends, they go home to their wives in Virar. Street life is addictive, they say.
“One day we will make our own film. Ram will man the camera, I will act,” says Rafiq. “Slumdog Millionaire is our story. Only that they got there first. We were still figuring out our lives.”
“What’s to learn? Thoda masala, thoda dance, thoda pyar,” Ram says. “Apne ko pata hai, picture mein kya dalta hai.”
Rafiq’s ears are pierced and he wears studs.
“In Dharamveer, Dharmendra wears studs, so I thought I should also do it,” he says.
When Karishma Kapoor and Rahul Roy’s 1992 movie Sapne Saajan Ke was being shot at Film City, both of them were there, waiting for the camera to pan to them. “I tried to run ahead to get into the frame, but I wasn’t there when I went to see the film,” Rafiq says.
On the sets of Andaz Apna Apna, Rafiq and Ram decided they would not run anymore. They would instead try to work their way up. That dream is still far away, but their life still has meaning. Ram and Rafiq volunteer at the Childline NGO and help other runaway children find a footing in life. They didn’t get lost, and they want to see to it that others don’t.
Ram once fell in love with a bar dancer. She’d come to Bombay Central with food for him. She used to wait for him to enter the bar before she danced. They would go for long taxi rides, stay in hotels, smoke and drink. She loved him and he would go shower money where she danced. It didn’t work out eventually. “Such love is doomed. But no complaints. If there was a heartache, I’d listen to sad songs. If there was a happy moment, love songs. Bollywood for every occasion,” he says. |
The first seven days of training camp are in the books, and after careful consideration, I'm pretty sure Carson Wentz is going to make the team. Here's who else we'll project to make the final 53-man roster, which we'll update every week.
Quarterback (2): Carson Wentz, Nick Foles
Wentz and Foles are safe, and Matt McGloin is about what I would have expected. On Saturday, Frank Reich was asked about what factors went into whether or not the team would keep a third quarterback.
"That's going to be a tough decision because I think we have some good quarterbacks here," he said. "There are a lot of roster considerations that get played into it. It's hard to predict what those are going to be and what they look like. I've been places where you can only keep two because of roster considerations. But if everything -- in a perfect world, sometimes you can keep three. I think that is truly a day-by-day decision."
In other words, McGloin isn't exactly a lock, and I don't think he'd be a significantly better option than a guy the Eagles could sign off the street during the season if need be.
Running back (4): LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles, Donnel Pumphrey, Wendell Smallwood
During spring practices, Pumphrey got noticeably more reps in practice than Smallwood, and that has continued into training camp. Undrafted rookie Corey Clement has looked good at times and could push Smallwood for that fourth running back spot. I think the preseason games are likely to determine if Clement deserves a roster spot over Smallwood.
Wide receiver (6): Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins, Marcus Johnson
The newcomer to the projected receiving corps is Marcus Johnson, who has gotten reps with the first team offense and will continue to, according to Doug Pederson.
"He's made an impact," said Pederson. "He's shown up. He's making some plays. He's one of the guys that will continue to kind of give some reps from time to time with that first group and see where he's at. He's a young, talented receiver that filled in well yesterday."
Johnson really has had a very impressive camp so far and is way ahead of fifth round draft pick Shelton Gibson.
Tight end (3): Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Trey Burton
The wildcard here is Billy Brown, who has caught the ball well in practice. That shouldn't be a surprise, as he racked up over 1500 yards and 22 TDs in his last season at Shepherd University as a wide receiver. The challenge for Brown will be whether or not he can show that he can become a competent blocker and special teams contributor. I think he's a little ways away there, but the Eagles can develop those skills over time while Brown occupies a spot on the practice squad.
Offensive line (10): Jason Peters, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Stefen Wisniewski, Chance Warmack, Dillon Gordon, Tyler Orlosky
Even with the trade of Allen Barbre, the Eagles have an over-abundance of depth along their offensive line, which is a great thing. It feels a lot to me like the first nine guys listed here are on solid ground. The question is whether the Eagles keep a tenth lineman. I say yes.
Center Tyler Orlosky got strong offers from several teams out west (Cowboys, Rams, Cardinals) during the undrafted free agency phase of the draft, but part of his decision to sign with the Eagles was to remain close to home. The appeal of making a 53-man roster somewhere will certainly trump the appeal of staying close home on a practice squad, so the Eagles will have to be mindful of a team looking to poach Orlosky.
Defensive line (9): Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan, Derek Barnett, Vinny Curry, Chris Long, Alex McCalister, Elijah Qualls, Destiny Vaeao.
Beau Allen will provide some relief when he is able to return from his pectoral injury, which will bring the defensive line count to 10. For now, we'll project nine. One name to watch is Alex McCalister. Personally, I haven't seen much from him, but it is at least somewhat interesting that McCalister was the first name mentioned by Jim Schwartz when he was asked about the team cutting Marcus Smith.
"I think the biggest thing in not working out, as far as this year, is the other acquisitions that we made, you know, and where we were," said Schwartz. "And it really sort of put us up against, ‘How are we going to get reps for all these guys?’ We do like a good, young player in the pipeline in Alex McCalister. [We] had drafted, obviously drafted Derek [Barnett], and brought in Chris [Long]. You know, so that made it difficult."
Schwartz isn't one to blow sunshine up players' butts, so if he says the team likes McCalister, then they do.
Linebacker (6): Jordan Hicks, Nigel Bradham, Mychal Kendricks, Joe Walker, Nathan Gerry, Kamu Grugier-Hill
Kendricks is still just kind of hanging around. We'll see if the team is able to trade him before the start of the season. One other name to mention here is Najee Goode, who the team released last year at 53-man cutdowns and then re-signed him after Week 1 so his contract wasn't guaranteed. We'll project that fate for Najee once again.
Cornerback (6): Jalen Mills, Patrick Robinson, Ron Brooks, Rasul Douglas, C.J. Smith, Aaron Grymes
We'll leave Patrick Robinson here for now, but he has really struggled so far and is not a lock to make the roster.
As we all know, this corner group is highly alarming. The Eagles could look outside the organization and make a move to replace Robinson.
Safety (4): Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Terrence Brooks, Chris Maragos
Brooks has looked good in the spring. He could unseat Jaylen Watkins as the third safety. To note, Watkins is my 54th guy, so if the team traded Mychal Kendricks, for example, or if someone gets hurt, Watkins would make my 53-man roster projection.
Specialists (3): Caleb Sturgis, Donnie Jones, Jon Dorenbos
No comment needed here, right?
NFI (Non-football injury list): DT Beau Allen, CB Sidney Jones
Practice squad (10): QB Dane Evans (or some other team's released QB), RB Corey Clement, WR Greg Ward, WR Shelton Gibson, TE Billy Brown, OL Darrell Greene, DT Winston Craig, LB Don Cherry, CB Jomal Wiltz, CB Mitchell White
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On June 15, a source from SBS confirmed that SEVENTEEN’s Mingyu will be joining the next team of members to appear on “Law of the Jungle.”
The source said, “He will appear in the episodes following the currently airing ‘Wild New Zealand’ special.”
A source from Pledis Entertainment confirmed the news and stated, “It was recently decided that Mingyu will be joining ‘Law of the Jungle.'”
Reports stated that despite his busy schedule, Mingyu expressed his eagerness to appear on the show. The production staff were impressed with his brightness and determination.
Mingyu will be joining VIXX’s Hongbin, Yang Jung Won, Lee Soo Geun, EXID’s Hani, GFRIEND’s Yerin, Lee Tae Hwan, Choi Won Young, Song Jae Hee, and Lee Wan. The group’s final destination has been kept a secret to fit the concept of the new series. The group will join Kim Byung Man and Kangnam in two teams.
Stay tuned for updates!
Source (1) (2) (3) |
I spent the afternoon hours of August 11, 2014 on a plane six and a half miles off the ground, wholly (albeit briefly) disconnected from the constant refresh of life in the digital age. As I landed in Austin, I was bombarded with texts: Robin Williams, the man who gave life to beloved characters like Aladdin's Genie, Mork from Ork, and Mrs. Doubtfire, had died by suicide.
Like most of you, I felt I'd lost a dear friend. Like some of you, my heart especially hurt because I attempted suicide years ago myself and felt I had the tiniest bit of insight into his pain.
Ironically, I was slated to speak about the experiences of suicide attempt survivors at the annual Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium the next day.
The morning of August 12, I appeared on the Glenn Beck Program. I wasn't sure how my message -- that suicide is an equal-opportunity killer -- would be received by someone who had built his brand on divisive polemics, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Beck handled discussion of suicide with adept sensitivity. He even disclosed having struggled with suicidal thoughts in his own past. This was a huge step for someone so deeply entrenched in the media, especially considering his target demographic (namely white men, who accounted for 29,000 out of the 41,000 suicide deaths in 2013, and gun owners, who are three times more likely to die by suicide than non-gun owners).
My optimism that the media would handle this story safely was short-lived. Over the next several weeks, Robin Williams' death became the worst kind of media free-for-all.
We pored over the coroner's report. We detailed Williams' death in gruesome headline clickbait. We called him a coward and a bad parent. We ripped the Academy apart over their "Genie, you're free" meme.
We found some relief from our collective sadness and confusion at the announcement that Williams was suffering the early stages of Parkinson's disease. This gave us an out. His suicide suddenly made more sense. It was easier to mourn him based on the tragedy of being stricken with a degenerative disease that had the potential to eat away at his body and his great mind than it was to consider the anguish he suffered that apparently compelled him to take his life.
We got distracted from the real issue at hand: Suicide is largely preventable, and something we can each have a hand in changing. A million Americans attempt suicide and over 41,000 die by suicide every year. Robin Williams' death was just one in over a hundred on August 11, 2014. Per Dr. Julie Cerel, President-Elect of the American Association of Suicidology, every suicide affects 65-115 people in some way, from family and friends, to first responders and mental health clinicians, to witnesses and bystanders. Suicide will affect most of us at some point in our lives, if it hasn't already.
In her book Stay, Jennifer Michael Hecht argues that we owe it to our future selves, and to the people around us, to continue living. I'd further that sentiment: we each have a responsibility to help keep one another alive. None of us is alone in this. It takes a village.
Our village turned Robin Williams' death into a three-ring circus. Here are some things we should have done instead (and should continue to do often):
Recognize warning signs (the things that happen right before a suicide) and risk factors (the things that increase the risk that someone may die by suicide), and how these apply to specific populations. Consider marginalized populations -- we often focus on youth, military, and LGBTQ suicide -- but don't forget that suicide rates are highest among those aged 55 or older. Learn how to talk to someone who is, or may be, thinking about suicide. Pro-tip: address it directly and calmly; listen more than you speak; know that even the pros feel anxiety about talking to those who are suicidal, but don't let fear stop you from being there. Identify appropriate resources. While there are many national resources, like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Trans Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, and The Trevor Project, there are also local resources specific to your area. Look for crisis centers, respite homes, and community mental health centers. Use the resources once you've found them. Do your research. Advocate for yourself. If you can't do it, have a trusted friend or loved one help you. Finding the right provider is kind of like dating -- you need to find the right fit for all involved. Does the provider have experience with what you're going through? Can you confide in them? Can you afford their care? If you feel uncomfortable with a provider, find a new one. Learn how to talk to someone who has lost a friend/loved one to suicide, attempted suicide, or witnessed a suicide. Pro-tip: address it directly and calmly; listen more than you speak; don't let fear stop you from being there. Demand safe messaging. If you've been through a traumatic experience, like a suicide attempt or the loss of a loved one, learn how to tell your own story in a way that isn't triggering to those listening/reading. Journalists: learn how to report on suicide, especially in regards to celebrity suicide attempts or deaths. Entertainment professionals: change the way we portray suicide in TV and film (hint: we're doing it very, very wrong).
Robin Williams was a kind man, noted for his good deeds and the joy he brought to so many of our lives. I think he would want us to grow from this loss, to take what we've learned, and to share it with our village.
(Photo: Touchstone Pictures)
He played a controversial English teacher named John Keating in Dead Poets Society. In one scene, he crouches in the middle of the classroom. He tells his students to huddle up. They pull in close.
He quotes from Whitman:
O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless--of cities filled with the foolish...
What good amid these, O me, O life? Answer. That you are here--that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
He continues, "That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"
Indeed, what will your verse be? Our words are the ground note. Words are the least expensive, most valuable tool we have to educate, to turn the tides of public opinion, to affect real change. Let's stop conversations that destroy lives, start conversations that save lives, and redirect conversations that distract us from what really matters.
Our words can save lives. Let's honor Robin Williams' legacy by using them.
If you're feeling suicidal, please talk to somebody. You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255; the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860; or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. If you don't like the phone, check out Lifeline Crisis Chat or Crisis Text Line. If you're a suicide attempt survivor and would like to share your story, take a look at Live Through This.
Thanks to Dr. Julie Cerel, Dr. Jonathan Singer, and Dr. April Foreman for insights/edits. |
The Russian Defense Ministry has rejected allegations that the Russian Air Force delivered airstrikes on Idlib city, Syria. Reuters earlier reported that Russian airstrikes targeted a number of sites in the city, including one next to a hospital.
According to Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Air Force has not conducted any sorties in the Idlib area.
“No combat missions, let alone delivering airstrikes, have been performed by the Russian Air Force in Idlib province,” Konashenkov said.
The information about Russia’s alleged airstrikes has been spread by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an NGO run by an individual residing in the UK.
Man who runs MSM-beloved Syrian Observatory for Human Rights hasn’t been to Syria in 15yrs http://t.co/qQbBh67gMYpic.twitter.com/MFezZfjH6O — RT (@RT_com) October 7, 2015
The SOHR reported that the alleged airstrike was “the heaviest bombardment there since a cessation of hostilities was agreed in February,” as cited by Reuters.
It was also reported that the airstrikes targeted several sites, including one next to a hospital, and that at least 23 people were killed, seven children among them.
MORE: No signs of airstrike at Aleppo refugee camp site - Russian MOD https://t.co/URnmAbA2ILpic.twitter.com/ZUgKpmKAsC — RT (@RT_com) May 6, 2016
In its turn, Turkey said the strikes killed more than 60 civilians and injured around 200, as cited by Reuters.
“We urge people to remain critical of any scare stories spread by the ‘British tandem’ of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Reuters news agency,” Konashenkov said.
The Syrian manipulation: Playing human misery to score political points (Op-Edge) https://t.co/XGtHHxFcbIpic.twitter.com/p8wXWMuzEs — RT (@RT_com) May 8, 2016
The Defense Ministry spokesman also said that in previous cases when Russia had presented official data recorder information that disproved SOHR claims, neither Reuters nor the UK-based organization had published the refutations. |
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A number of commentators have compared President Rouhani’s policies of opening Iran’s markets to Western business with those of China’s Deng Xiaoping following the death of Mao Zedong some four decades ago [1]. A closer look at Mr. Rouhani’s open-door economic policies indicates, however, that they are more akin to those of Boris Yeltsin’s Russia following the collapse of the Berlin Wall than those of China since Deng Xiaoping.
This study makes an argument that both in theory and practice the Rouhani administration is following an economic model that is widely known to create indebtedness, warped industrialization and dependent development, which also often leads to a loss of political/geopolitical independence. To this end, the study focuses on the administration’s approach to trade and development, to foreign capital, and to industrialization and technological transfer.
The opening of China to foreign capital since Deng Xiaoping has been very methodical and highly disciplined. The country’s leaders have been vigilant against allowing their country to become a consumer market for foreign goods and services. They have consciously shunned the deceptive theory of free trade, which tends to punish the economically weak and reward the strong. Instead, they have followed the model of smart or strategic trade, which means protecting one’s infant industries against the mature or more competitive foreign producers while, at the same, promoting one’s exports where one is competitive. Accordingly, they have been very selective in their choice of foreign capital: while encouraging foreign direct investment, or investment in manufacturing, they have steadfastly resisted importation of commercial or commodity capital, that is, capital in the form of finished goods and services.
By contrast, the Rouhani administration’s efforts to re-integrate Iran into global markets has been inspired by the doctrine of economic liberalism/neoliberalism and the concomitant theory of free trade which, as just mentioned, tends to benefit the economically strong and hurt the weak or noncompetitive.
Threat of Deindustrialization
Prior to President Rouhani’s open-door economic policies, Iran viewed economic sanctions as an (unsolicited) opportunity, a blessing in disguise, to become self-reliant: to rely on domestic talents and resources in order to become economically self-supporting by producing as many of the consumer goods and industrial products as possible. And it did, indeed, made considerable progress in scientific research, technological know-how and manufacturing industries.
Iran became self-sufficient in producing many of its industrial products such as home and electric appliances (television sets, washers and dryers, refrigerators, washing machines, and the like), textiles, leather products, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, processed food, and beverage products (including refined sugar and vegetable oil). It made significant progress in manufacturing steel, copper products, paper, rubber products, telecommunications equipment, cement, and industrial machinery. Iran also produced the largest operational population of industrial robots in West Asia [2].
Most remarkable of Iran’s industrial progress, however, can be seen in the manufacture of various types of its armaments needs. Iran’s defense industry has taken great strides in manufacturing many types of arms and equipment. Iran’s Defense Industries Organization (DIO) has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, guided missiles, radar systems, a guided missile destroyer, military vessels, submarines and a fighter plane. In 2006 Iran exported weapons to 57 countries. It is also developing a sophisticated mobile air defense system dubbed as Bavar 373 [3].
Iran’s scientific, technological and manufacturing progress under conditions of war and sanctions shows that, despite the oppressive economic sanctions, it managed to emerge as an
industrialized country. Even the proverbial bible of the world financial elites, The Economist magazine of London, recently acknowledged that “Iran has a diversified economy, including a significant manufacturing sector” [4].
Alas, the Rouhani administration’s open-door economic policy and the resulting flood of foreign goods, combined with the neglect of domestic producers, especially of small producers, have greatly undermined these technological gains. Inspired by the free-trade philosophy, the administration has removed or drastically reduced import duties on numerous foreign goods and services, including imports of products for which there are domestic substitutes.
According to Mohammed Serfi, an Iranian economics analyst, the degree of import-substitution in Iran could be as high as 70%; meaning that as much as 70% of Iran’s imports could be substituted by domestically produced products. Yet, due to the Rouhani administration’s free-trade policy, the crucially important industrialization strategy of import-substitution—vigorously pursued by all the currently more developed countries at the earlier stages of their development—is ignored. [5].
Complaining about the administration’s lack of an economic strategy, Gholam-Hosein Shafe-ei, former chairman of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, points out that while relief from economic sanctions is obviously necessary it is not sufficient; perhaps more importantly are government-championed macroeconomic objectives and carefully-guided ways or plans to achieve those objectives. In the absence of clearly defined economic objectives, Shafe-ei further points out, Iran could become a heaven for foreign producers while many of domestic producers would be driven out of business [6].
Sadly, this is exactly what has happened: “. . . many of domestic producers . . . driven out of business.” According to a recent Fars News report, the excessive flow of foreign goods into Iran’s markets has led to the idling or closing down of 14,800 manufacturing or production units. The report further indicated that, using budget constraints as justification, the administration has even shut down many research projects [7]. According to Hamid Haaj Esmaili, an Iranian expert on the country’s labor market, “65 percent of workshops or production units in industrial parks have gone out of business” [8].
Evidence thus indicates that if these inauspicious developments are not tempered, stopped or reversed, Iran would be experiencing an ominous trend or phenomenon called deindustrialization, President Rouhani’s and his economic team’s good intensions notwithstanding.
Threat of Indebtedness and Loss of Sovereignty
The Rouhani administration has shown atnotwihstanding notwithstanding inancial elite, strong tendency to external borrowing for financing its spending needs: to pay for its imports of goods and services, or for its domestic outlays. This tendency to debt financing threatens to burden Iran with unsustainable debt a la Greece, or other south/east European countries.
Soon after the formal implementation of the nuclear deal on 16 January 2016, the president took a trip to Europe in which he embarked on a shopping spree of big-item purchases and the signing of a number of business contracts that tend to ultimately commit Iran to a debt obligation of more than $50 billion. The office of the French president estimated the total value of the signed deals during Mr. Rouhani’s visit to France would be approximately €30 billion ($32.8 billion). The accord with Airbus alone (for the purchase of 118 aircrafts) is worth €22 billion ($25 billion). President Rouhani and his entourage also signed contracts with Italy worth about $18 billion, which included oil explorations and automobile deals [9].
Details or terms of agreement of these deals are not divulged to the Iranian people. One thing is clear, however: the deals are to be financed through external borrowing. To secure borrowing in global financial markets, however, Iran would need a favorable rating of its creditworthiness by the international rating agencies such as Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch. This explains why the Rouhani administration is actively soliciting credit rating by these agencies. “An official says Iran is in discussions to get its first credit rating as the country is emerging from years of sanctions and seeking to put its economy on strong footing” [10]. That official turned out to be President Rouhani’s Chief of Staff Mohammad Nahavandian, who told Reuters in an interview in London, “We are in negotiations with some of these rating agencies,” adding that he expected the agencies to provide a full rating [11].
Borrowing from abroad is not good or bad as such; it all depends on how the borrowed money is spent or invested. If it is invested productively, that is, in manufacturing projects that would yield a rate of return higher than the rate of interest paid for the borrowed capital, then borrowing can play a positive role in the economic development of the borrowing country, without the problem of repayment. On the other hand, if borrowing is to import consumer product, especially luxury products, it can lead to indebtedness and the inability to pay.
Sadly, President Rouhani and his economic advisors seem to have been oblivious to the importance of this critical distinction when they devoted the major bulk of the debt undertaken in France ($25 billion out of $32.8 billion) to the purchase of aircrafts that, incidentally, can be accommodated by only one airport in Iran, The Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran. 73 out of the projected 118 Airbus airplanes to be purchased by Iran are the long-haul, wide bodied planes, including 12 A380 superjumbos [12].
Inappropriate Choice of Economic Paradigm: Free Trade vs. Strategic Trade
To criticize President Rouhani’s economic policies is not to question his or his advisors’ intentions or objectives of trying to bring about economic development in Iran. It is, rather, to question the means they employ—free trade and economic liberalism/neoliberalism—in order to achieve those ends. They must certainly be eager to pull their county’s economy out of the deep recessionary hole. Why, then, do they insist on pursuing economic policies that have proven—time and again, and in country after country—to be resulting in economic problems of indebtedness, deindustrialization and dependence?
The answer, in a nutshell, is that the president and his economic advisors seem to be infatuated with an economic paradigm that is regrettably detrimental to the goal of self-sustaining development for the less-developed countries. It is an inappropriate, unsuitable and misleading paradigm, crafted by economic ideologues or theorists of the more developed countries as economic “science,” whose practical outcome for the less-developed economies has been trade deficit, indebtedness, dependent development, and extreme socio-economic inequality. It is the notorious economic liberalism of the neoclassical school of economic thought, which postulates that free trade and unrestricted pursuit of self-interest lead to economic expansion and prosperity for all; that state-sponsored social safety-net programs or strategic trade policies are “costly trade-offs” in terms of lost productivity; and that, therefore, government intervention in economic affairs must be avoided.
According to this doctrine, solutions to economic stagnation, poverty and under-development lie in unhindered operations of capital and unreserved integration into world capitalist system. Recessions, joblessness and economic hardship in many less-developed countries are not so much due to economic mismanagement, uneven or unfair competition in international markets, or the nature of global capitalism as they are because of government intervention and/or exclusion from world capitalist markets.
Free trade is a major component of this school of economic thought. It postulates that international trade would be most efficient and most beneficial to all trading partners if it is grounded on an international division of labor that is based on specialization on the basis of comparative cost advantages. Specifically, it means that since country X, for example, cannot produce all its material needs efficiently, or equally efficiently, it should therefore prioritize its production objectives. It should concentrate on, or specialize in, the production of those products in which it has a comparative cost advantage and, then, trade their surplus with other countries in exchange for those products in which it lacks such an advantage. And if this pattern of trade is adopted by all countries of the world, international trade would be a win-win proposition for all trading partners.
There is a prima facie reasonableness to this theory: by forcing producers in the less-developed countries to compete with the producers of the more-developed countries, free trade would lead to increased efficiency and, therefore, economic growth and prosperity for all. Despite this apparent reasonableness, however, this proposition is highly deceptive. It is axiomatic that, to be fair or meaningful, competition ought to take place on a level playing ground. Otherwise, the weak or non-competitive would be crushed.
There is yet another superficial or deceptive reasonableness to the theory of free trade. It stems from the fact that the premise, or the starting point, of the theory—that at any moment in time each country has a comparative advantage in producing certain products—cannot be contested or rejected. It is, indeed, a self-evident premise. The objectionable part of the theory stems from the fact that it portrays this self-evident proposition, the short-term or temporary advantage, as natural or inherent advantage that should serve as grounds for long-term or permanent specialization in international trade. Obviously, trade on the basis of this theory of specialization is bound to condemn or relegate the less-developed countries to specialization in, or production of, primary or less-processed products while leaving the production of, or specialization in, high-tech, high-value-added products to the more developed countries.
A number of critics of this theory of trade have made a distinction between static and dynamic advantages. These critics do not view a country’s endowments or advantages as inherent, natural or permanent, but carefully acquired through deliberate policies and institutions. This means that a country can and should take advantage of its short-term advantages in order to create dynamic advantages over time. More specifically, whatever endowments and advantages a country might have at a given moment in time are, in large part, products of past policies and developments, and that, therefore, they can be changed over time and new, superior advantages can be created [13].
All of the now more developed countries adopted elaborate regulatory strategies in the early stages of their industrialization in order to gain trade advantages. These included not only the somewhat common protectionist policies of export subsidies and import tariffs but also the more intricate and detailed strategies such as regulation of production methods, control of output quality in export industries, training of skilled labor force in such industries, and the like.
The earliest systematic theorizing of international trade in modern times dates back to the classical Mercantilist doctrine of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. As the Protestant revolutions shattered Roman Catholic Europe into competing national states, nation-building absolutist princes embraced Mercantilist policies.
The essence of that doctrine is an extensive state regulation of the economy, especially of foreign trade, in order to mobilize economic resources, both domestically and internationally, in the interest of national industrialization and development. Not surprisingly, the emerging European nation-states from the ruins of the Middle Ages viewed this economic doctrine as the cornerstone of their nation-building strategy.
Mercantilists relied heavily on trade to bring about development. They viewed trade surpluses as a major source of investment, accumulation and growth. From this followed an active policy of export promotion and import curtailment, as this would maximize the net inflow of funds or investible resources into a country. The impact of trade on development was so important in this view that it is sometimes said that to Mercantilists a nation’s balance of trade reflected that nation’s international balance of power, as measured by economic, not military, strength.
While free trade has almost always been the bible of the economically strong, self-righteously preached to the weaker trading partners, the fact is that, historically, all of the now industrialized countries initially adopted the protectionist strategies of Mercantilism to jump-start their economic development. They became champions of free trade only after becoming competitive or dominant in global markets by virtue of earlier policies of Mercantilism/protectionism. This includes the UK, the US, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea.
Free Trade vs. Smart Trade: Static vs. Dynamic Advantages—the Case of the UK
Before achieving international market superiority in the second half of the eighteenth century, the UK diligently shunned free trade doctrine. It relied heavily on Mercantilist policies for economic gains in global markets. This meant that the British government played an active role in mobilizing and channeling both domestic and external economic resources toward industrialization and development of the country. Colonial policies of territorial conquest and transfer of their economic resources to England was a major part of the Mercantilist theory of industrialization. So were the strict policies of protection of British industries against their international rivals, especially against the Dutch manufacturers who were at the time more efficient than the British.
More than two centuries of Mercantilist policies helped England achieve international economic superiority by the second half of the eighteenth century. International industrial superiority, combined with the disproportionately high cost of maintaining a gigantic colonial apparatus, led many of the leading British elite to suggest in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries an alternative to Mercantilism in pursuit of international economic gains.
That alternative view (which was most effectively expounded by a number of well-respected economic thinkers of the time such as Josiah Tucker, Adam Smith and David Ricardo) maintained that Britain’s ability to dominate international markets by virtue of its competitive market forces made Mercantilist policies, as well as most of its colonial military and administrative apparatus, superfluous.
The question the British manufacturers and their political representatives in the Parliament were grappling with at this time was how to end Mercantilist policies and the formal colonial ties, and cut its enormous costs, without disturbing the existing pattern of trade specialization that England had methodically established as result of two centuries of successful Mercantilist policies. The essence of that pattern of trade specialization, also called international division of labor, consisted of Britain supplying its satellites of trading partners with manufactured products in exchange for their minerals and raw materials products.
Proponents of transition to free trade and economic liberalism argued that, once having achieved economic superiority, England’s continued support of protectionist policies of Mercantilism could actually undermine its economic leadership because such policies provided other countries the opportunity to achieve what England had accomplished as a result of pursuing those policies for two centuries. On the other hand, they further argued, if England switched its trade policies from Mercantilism to free trade and, more importantly, prevailed in having its trading partners adopt such policies it could thereby deter them from nurturing their own industrial independence, that is, from adopting protectionist policies vis-à-vis superior British industries. In other words, free trade doctrine was beneficial to England only if it was adopted internationally.
Having achieved worldwide industrial superiority by virtue of Mercantilism and colonialism, England then moved to impose free trade policy on world markets so that it could maintain the existing international division of labor, hence its industrial leadership, through free trade instead of regulated or restricted trade. Whereas proponents of the new doctrine called it laissez-faire, or economic liberalism, always portraying it as freedom or democracy in general, critics called it “free trade imperialism,” signifying a preference by the economically superior to use its market power for economic gains instead of military power [14].
Free Trade vs. Smart Trade: Static vs. Dynamic Advantages—the Case of the U.S.
By the time the United States gained its independence, England had already achieved economic superiority and competitive edge in international markets. Thus as England was gradually abandoning the Mercantilist principles of trade and development in favor of the free trade doctrine, the United States was invoking those principles in pursuit of its own economic development and nation-state building objectives. Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) and Friedrich List offered the strongest policy and theoretical arguments against the emerging doctrine of economic liberalism, which, incidentally, had just received a new publicity boost by the publication of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations in 1776.
Hamilton set out to prove that the laissez-faire doctrine, promoted at the time by the technologically stronger European countries, was inappropriate for the fledgling, non-competitive U.S. economy. Instead, he invoked the major Mercantilist arguments in support of a state-guided trade and development policy.
The arguments that the European champions of free trade counter-posed to Hamilton’s views were similar to those of the free trade advocates of our time. They argued that the best trade policy for the United States was to focus on and specialize in the area of its “natural” endowment or advantage: agriculture, “on the account of their immense tracts of fertile territory, uninhabited and unimproved” [15].
While acknowledging that, at the time, the United States had a trade advantage in agriculture, Hamilton reasoned that it did not follow from this that, therefore, the advantage in manufacturing should be left to Europe; and that the United States, while taking advantage of its superior agriculture, should and must try to create advantages also in manufacturing industry. Industrialization and diversification of the economy was not only important in and of itself, it also enhanced whatever advantage the U.S. already had in agriculture. Industrial diversification, Hamilton further pointed out, would also reduce the vulnerability of the nation’s largely agricultural economy to external economic shocks/forces [16].
Hamilton enumerated a number of specific policy measures that would help the United States achieve international competitiveness—measures that were actually followed by the U.S. before it achieved global competitiveness more than a century later. These included: “Protection Duties—or duties on those foreign articles which are the rivals of the domestic ones intended to be encouraged”; “Prohibition of the Exportation of the Materials of Manufactures,” that is, the raw materials that are needed for domestic manufacturing; “Pecuniary Bounties [and] Premiums,” or subsidies to domestic producers and/or exporters; “The Exemption of the Materials of Manufactures From [Import] Duty; The Encouragement of New Inventions and Discoveries; [and] Judicious Regulations for the Inspection of Manufactured Commodities” [17].
Like Hamilton, Friedrich List (1772-1832) argued that, by throwing the U. S. infant industries into competition with the mature British ones, free trade would impair the process of industrialization and development in the United States. He strongly defied trade specialization endorsed by the British economists Adam Smith, David Ricardo and their co-thinkers as condemning the United States to specialize in agriculture, thereby depleting its soil and mines while stinting its chances of advancing its manufacturing industries. Also like Hamilton, List did not deny the advantages of free trade under “right” circumstances, that is, a level playing or competing grounds, or comparable technological advancement between trading nations. In other words, both List and Hamilton defended protectionism as a temporary or intermediate stage to nurture fledgling industries: once protective policies achieved their goals and trading partners were on an equal technological footing, free trade could reign.
The relevance of List’s and Hamilton’s recommendations for trade and development needs of the U.S. of their time to trade and development needs of many of today’s less developed countries is unmistakable. But because of the competitive edge the United States now enjoys in global markets, it denies the developing world such recommendations—in essence, telling the developing countries: do what we say, not what we do, or did!
Concluding Remarks?
The brief overview of the early industrialization policies of the UK and the US provided here clearly shows that, contrary to what they claim today, these countries diligently shunned the free trade paradigm in favor of strategic/Mercantilist policies in the early stages of their development. Not only did the UK and the US follow this pattern of economic development, but so did all of the other presently advanced countries such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, Japan and South Korea [18]. This overview also shows that the currently more developed countries became advocates of free trade only after they became competitive in international markets by virtue of earlier strategic/Mercantilist policies of trade and development.
Despite the relevance and applicability of these instructive experiences to trade and development needs of Iran, they are altogether ignored by President Rouhani and his economic advisors. The president and his economic team are sometimes criticized as West-oriented or Euro-centric. The real problem, however, is not so much that they are West-centric, but that they are West-centric in a misplaced, inappropriate and mistaken way: Instead of drawing logical lessons from these highly educational experiences, which means following trade and development strategies of the presently more developed countries in their earlier stages of industrialization, the Rouhani administration follows their strategies of today, of mature or advanced capitalism. In other words, instead of pursuing the strategic or Mercantilist paradigm of trade and development, they follow the paradigm of free trade and economic liberalism.
Iran’s economy is severely anemic, and the overwhelming majority of its citizens are under tremendous financial distress. Sadly, though, economic doctors of the country tend to insist on issuing wrong prescriptions for the ailing economy: free trade, unrestricted imports, lack of an export promotion policy (except for oil and other raw materials), tendency to borrow from abroad, lack of a serious banking/financial regulation—in short, lack of any economic plan, guidance or direction. Unless these misguided, anti-developmental policies are modified or reversed, Iran’s economic difficulties are bound to deteriorate: its markets flooded by foreign products, its manufacturing base weakened, its foreign debt escalated and, with it, its national sovereignty compromised.
References
[1] See, for example, Patrick Buchanan, Is Iran Taking the China Road?; and Pepe Escobar, Iran: The New China?
[2] Wikipedia, Economy of Iran.
[3] Ibid.
[4] The Economist, “All that glitters: Assessing opportunities and risks in post-sanction Iran,” A report by The Economist Intelligence Unit, spring 2016, p. 3 (of the PDF version).
[5] Mohammed Serfi, “Gentlemen, the Party is Over,” in Farsi:
آقایان! ضیافت تمام شد!(یادداشت روز).
[6] For one of many sources on the unbridled flow of foreign products into the Iranian markets see, for example, برجام تبدیل به مجوز واردات و تقسیم رانت بین گروههای سیاسی شده.
[7] Fars News, در نشست ۱۰ اقتصاددان ائتلاف اصولگرایان مطرح شد.
[8] Fars News, چراغ 65 درصد بنگاههای شهرکهای صنعتی کشور خاموش شد .
[9] Russia Today (RT), Iran to purchase 118 Airbus planes & set up joint venture with PSA Peugeot Citroen.
[10] Presstv.ir, Iran in talks to get first credit rating.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Russia Today (RT), Iran to purchase 118 Airbus planes & set up joint venture with PSA Peugeot Citroen.
[13] See, for example, Pankaj Mishra and Elif Shafak, “Worldwide Mutinies against Globalization”; or Bela Balassa and Marcus Noland, “The changing comparative advantage of Japan and the United States,” Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Volume 3, Issue 2, June 1989, Pages 174-188.
[14] See, for example, John Gallagher and Ronald Robinson. “The Imperialism of Free Trade,” The Economic History Review, Vol. 6, No. 1 (August 1953), pp. 1-15.
[15] Alexander Hamilton, “Report on Manufacture,” reprinted in The Theoretical Evolution of International Political Economy, by George T. Crane and Abla Amawi, Oxford University Press 1997, pp. 37-47. This quotation is from pp. 37-38.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Ibid., pp. 44-46.
[18] For a thorough discussion of these issues see Michael Hudson, Trade, Development and Foreign Debt, ISLET (2009); for the cases of Japan and other South-East Asian countries see Pankaj Mishra and Elif Shafak, “Worldwide Mutinies against Globalization”; and for the case of South Korea see Alice Amsden, Asia’s Next Giant: South Korea and Late Industrialization, Oxford University Press, 1989. |
MELROSE, Fla.—After being attacked by a pit bull at a home in Melrose, a 22-month-old is in stable but critical condition at UF Health in Gainesville Tuesday, authorities say.
The toddler was attacked by the dog at a property on Melrose Landing Boulevard around 2 p.m. on Labor Day, deputies say. The adult that called 911 reportedly put the toddler in their vehicle and drove around looking for help before meeting rescue workers at a Dollar General in west Putnam County.
Animal control workers took all seven pit bulls off the property and are being held in an undisclosed location, says Captain Gator DeLouch with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. Decisions about what to do with the animals is up to the health department and animal control staff.
A criminal investigation is ongoing by the Sheriff's Office into the home.
Investigators learned Tuesday that the toddler lived at the home with the dogs. He was outside and alone when the dog attacked.
In the ambulance, the child experienced cardiac arrest and then was revived. The child underwent surgery when he got to the hospital after the dog bit his face and arm.
Originally, deputies said the toddler and his mother were visiting the home of a family friend, but later found out that the child lived at the home.
The 22-month-old will likely have to undergo multiple surgeries before being released from the hospital.
This story continues to develop. Stay with First Coast News for updates. |
MOON TWP. (KDKA) — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was back in the Pittsburgh area just days before Election Day.
People lined up early at a hangar located at Atlantic Aviation in Moon Township on Sunday night. Doors were set to open at 5 p.m. and the rally was set to begin at 8 p.m., but Trump arrived around 10 p.m.
The first challenge supporters had to overcome was the traffic, at times at a standstill miles away from the rally’s location.
“We sat out on the Parkway an hour and a half,” said Ken Close.
Then there was the matter of waiting in line.
“I hear it’s about two miles long but that doesn’t stop someone that is determined,” said Sharon Smith.
“If I see him from the curb, that’s good enough for me,” said Tyler Tubbs.
Trump crowd estimate is 8,000 to 10,000. pic.twitter.com/BGQLRGkSov — Jon Delano (@JonDelano) November 7, 2016
.@realDonaldTrump on teleprompter so far focusing on jobs, Obamacare, and integrity in government. pic.twitter.com/lMu7ptQ4RW — Jon Delano (@JonDelano) November 7, 2016
As many as 10,000 were welcomed into the hangar, and thousands more were stopped at the gates.
“When we win on Nov. 8…we are going to drain…the…swamp,” the candidate shouted alongside the crowd.
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Donald Trump didn’t shy away from the subject of Hillary Clinton, saying she “is guilty, she knows it, the FBI knows it, the people know it. Now it’s up to the American people to deliver justice.”
FBI Director James Comey abruptly announced Sunday that Hillary Clinton should not face criminal charges related to newly discovered emails, but Trump continued to reference the subject.
He also promised to repeal “the disaster known as Obamacare,” and to “end government corruption and take the country back from special interests.”
Trump finished by telling the crowd: “We have to win Pennsylvania.”
The Pittsburgh area has been a popular spot for campaigning in the past week. Trump’s running mate, Gov. Mike Pence, appeared at the Atlantic Aviation hangar Thursday. |
Los Angeles has apparently given up its bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, a move that effectively means Paris will host the Games in seven years. LA is then expected to be the host city in 2028.
“To be blunt, LA 2024 has never been only about LA or 2024,” LA’s bid leader, Casey Wasserman, writes. “Even when the issue of a dual award for the 2024 and 2028 Games was initially raised, we didn’t say it’s ‘LA first’ or it’s ‘now or never’ for LA: that sounds like an ultimatum.
Olympic bidders face harsh reality of costs heavily outweighing benefits | Sean Ingle Read more
“We could have used that strategy, but we didn’t because we thought it was presumptuous to tell the IOC what to do and how to think. We’re better partners than that. It has always been our contention that LA 2024 had to make as much sense for the Olympic Movement as it did for the people of LA - and we’ve stuck to that premise.”
On Friday, it is expected that the IOC will confirm the host cities for 2024 and 2028 will be announced at a meeting in Lima on 13 September.
In the wake of Wasserman’s statement, an LA 2024 spokesman insisted it had not yet given up on hosting the 2024 Olympics.
“LA has not conceded 2024. Indeed, LA has a firm belief that it is the best host for the 2024 Games given the current situation in the Olympic movement,” said the spokesman.
The attraction of hosting the Olympics has dimmed in recent years with huge expenses and redundant venues haunting the IOC. Hamburg, Rome, Budapest and Boston have all dropped out of the bidding process for 2024, partly due to protests from citizens concerned their cities would be saddled with debts.
“There is an absolute consensus among sports economists that it is economically damaging to host the Games, unless one puts a very high value on the local population enjoying the party,” David Forrest, an economics professor at the University of Liverpool, told the Guardian in February. “The only publications attributing benefits to hosting are by consultancies paid by politicians to validate their vanity projects.”
LA (1932 and 1984) and Paris (1900 and 1924) would join London as the only cities to host the Summer Games three times, should the IOC confirm that Paris will host in 2024, with LA hosting four years later. |
When it comes to dogs, Seattle trends are easy to spot.
Seattle dog parents: If you’ve got a Lab named Lucy, she may be a faithful, loving companion — but she’s not exactly unique.
Analysis of Seattle Animal Shelter licensing data for the city’s 43,000 registered dogs shows that Labrador retrievers are the top breed, and Lucy is the top name — just as they were the last time we checked back in 2012.
To be fair, Labs are wildly popular everywhere. They are, yet again, the No. 1 breed in the nation, according to American Kennel Club rankings released on Thursday (this is the 24th consecutive year Labs have held the title).
In Seattle, one out of seven dogs is a Lab, and the breed dominates all but two Seattle ZIP codes: Downtown’s 98101 and Pioneer Square’s 98104 — Chihuahuas hold court in both.
While Lucy remains the top name for dogs here, it’s not by such a wide margin. Bella, Charlie and Buddy are, uh, nipping at Lucy’s heels. There are a total of 490 dogs named Lucy in the city, and that’s not including variants of the name, like Lucy Latte (could a dog name get any more Seattle?).
But can you guess how many Labs named Lucy there are in Seattle?
Answer: 90
Want to know more about the dogs of Seattle? Scroll down to check out the rankings and lists we created using the dog licensing records, and explore the data on our interactive map of Seattle ZIP codes.
If you’d like to play around with the data, here’s a direct link to the spreadsheet on Google docs. This version has been (mostly) cleaned up of typos and inconsistencies.
Gene Balk: 206-515-5052 or [email protected]. On Twitter @genebalk |
"Want to see Australia up close? A New Australian TV show gives you the once in a lifetime chance to travel to the heart of Aboriginal Australia," an April 2013 post from one of the show's producers said. The cast of First Contact. The criteria: Participants had to be interested in being on TV and in dealing with the challenges of being in a documentary. After going through over 1000 applicants by October 2013, the show's producers secured a cross section of Australian society, despite struggling to get enough males on board.
The final result was a variety of characters, including 41-year-old mother-of-five Sandy, who said, "God gave black people rhythm and soul but white people have better brains" on Tuesday night, right through to 31-year-old student Alice, "whose views really align with indigenous beliefs". Host Ray Martin said he wanted to become involved with the show because racist opinions were far too common. "I think every Australian realises that the Aboriginal problem, quote unquote, is our festering sore, that we need to understand it": Ray Martin. Credit:Ray Martin He said the people who went on the month-long journey were a reflection of what Australians think.
"Everybody it seems has an opinion, formed from newspaper stories, talkback radio or the ignorance of latter-day Pauline Hansons," he said. Yet social media feeds still erupted in shock and condemnation on Tuesday night after Sandy's comments. And it wasn't long before news broke of her departure from the show, which went to air on Wednesday night. Decades of research underline that the views expressed by participants such as Sandy are not satire, but statistically significant, present in disturbingly high numbers across the country.
A survey conducted by Beyond Blue earlier this year showed that one in five young Australians would move if an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander sat next to them and nearly 50 per cent of young Australians wouldn't consider that a discriminatory act. The study revealed that 42 per cent of participants believed that Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders are given an unfair advantage by the government, while 37 per cent believed they were lazy. It is a statistic vebalised in First Contact by 25-year-old supermarket worker Bo-dene Stieler who believes indigenous Australians are "wasters," that rely too much on the government to provide for them.
The comments come as no surprise to Martin. "They are very Aussie. They are very ordinary, like all of us, in a sense," he said. "I think every Australian realises that the Aboriginal problem, quote unquote, is our festering sore, that we need to understand it." First Contact airs on Thursday at 8.30pm on SBS and NITV. With Nick Galvin and Rose Powell |
Once you've worked as a writer and editor in the world of social media for a decade, the way I have, you start to notice patterns. For example, there are some stories that will never go viral, even if they are brilliant in every measurable way. That's because they lie in the "valley of ambiguity," which is sort of like the uncanny valley for viral journalism.
If a story is circulating in social media, even if it's a fancy character study for the New Yorker or incisive cultural analysis for the Atlantic, it's always chasing the viral tornado. Before the 21st century, stories became popular because people talked about them in other publications, or shared magazine and newspaper clippings with friends. Today, stories become influential if people share them on social media like Facebook, Reddit, Pinterest, and Twitter. In most cases, nobody is going to read a story if nobody shares it.
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This leaves a lot of writers and readers wondering why the hell some stories go everywhere and some never make it past three likes on Facebook. Here is one theory, based on my own anecdotal experiences and those of many other people I've talked to in the industry. It's not a scientific theory, and you'll notice that the diagram I have used to illustrate it is something that began on the back of a napkin. Still, I think it can help us make sense of the way that virality has changed journalism in the 21st century.
Basically, there are two kinds of stories that tend to go viral. On one side of the diagram, you can see the most obvious genre of viral story: the meme, or the single, simple unit of information that we share because it's funny or makes us feel good. The purest version of the meme online is the LOLcat, usually just a picture with a caption, which is the perfect pick-me-up bit of portable content. What the LOLcat shares with self-help guides and human interest stories is an invitation to credulous enjoyment.
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Where Memes Really Come From Though history will probably remember Richard Dawkins as the activist who spearheaded a new atheist … Read more Read
TED videos, often seasoned with cheery platitudes, become viral for the same reason that grumpy cat pictures do. They don't ask us to think critically — just to enjoy, or be amused and enlightened without the time-consuming labor of skepticism and doubt clouding our clicks. Why do we want to share these stories? Because in some sense they are not open to interpretation. You don't have to worry whether your friends will wonder why you shared this – it's obvious.
The same goes for viral journalism on the other side of my chart. These stories, like explainers, how-to guides, Mythbusters-style debunkery, and truth-telling investigative journalism, are in some ways the opposite of a stupid video or a LOLcat. They are about truth, rather than amusement. But in fact, they go viral for exactly the same reason LOLcats do. They are not open to interpretation.
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In fact, the main goal of a lot of these stories is to clear up confusion the way Nate Silver did during the election in his analysis of polling. A how-to story is all about leading you through a process without getting you lost. A hard-hitting investigative report that uncovers a nugget of genuine truth is the ultimate viral hit. It's a story that promises we can at last know exactly what has happened, or how to feel about something. We want to share these stories because they appeal to our urge to have the definitive explanation of what is true and right.
To share a story is in part to take ownership of it, especially because you are often able to comment on a story that you are sharing on social media. If you can share a piece of information that's an absolute truth – whether that's how to uninstall apps on your phone, or what the NSA is really doing – you too become a truth teller. And that feels good. Just as good as it does to be the person who has the cutest cat picture on the Internet.
So that leaves us with the stories that don't make it. These are the articles and essays that have fallen into the valley of ambiguity – reports on important scientific findings with difficult-to-interpret results, political news with a long and tangled back story attached, and opinion essays that require us to account for points of view that may be unfamiliar or strange. There is no satisfaction in knowing that the Higgs boson has sort of been found, but sort of not. And nobody wants to risk alienating friends with a piece of opinion writing that might or might not be offensive – you're not even sure.
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Who wants to share a story that can be misunderstood? Nobody wants to take ownership of a political article where there is no truth – only further information, and complex developments that even experts can't agree on.
It's not that we don't want to be the bearers of bad news. In fact, plenty of stories that go viral are nasty, negative and mean. We just want to share stories that make us seem like we know something.
Most of all, we don't want to say something that we didn't intend. And that is the danger with any story that falls into the valley of ambiguity. We can't be sure how people will take it. We don't want to risk our reputations on a story that can be taken more than one way.
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More than anything, the fear of a smeared reputation is what creates that dip in virality. Sharing a story means that in some sense we stake our reputation on it. That's why sharing a story is not the same thing as enjoying a story, reading a story, or even learning from a story.
I know for certain that there are plenty of stories that get read, but not shared. I have seen the statistics on io9's back end. But when we measure a story's success by virality, which is what we must do in the age of social media, the content of our popular culture changes. We measure success by what people aren't afraid to share with their neighbors, rather than what people will read on their own.
Annalee Newitz is the editor-in-chief of io9, and this is her column. She is also the author of Scatter, Adapt and Remember: How Humans Will Survive A Mass Extinction. |
A "dangerous thunderstorm" could hit the Ottawa-Gatineau area as early as Saturday afternoon, with the potential of "strong wind gusts, large hail and torrential rain," Environment Canada said in a weather statement.
The severe thunderstorm watch, prompted by a fast moving cold front, continues into Saturday evening from Kingston to north of Gatineau.
The weather service also warned that "intense lightning" and the possibility of tornados come with severe thunderstorms. Winds are expected to gust at up to 40 kilometres per hour this afternoon and into the evening.
"An isolated tornado is not completely out of the question," Environment Canada said.
The Pontiac region is not under a weather alert as of 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
The day's high is 26 C and the low is 17 C.
Sunday in the capital is expected to be mainly cloudy in the morning with winds gusting at up to 20 kilometres per hour. The skies are expected to clear in the afternoon with a high of 20 C and a low of 8 C. |
The FBI is indeed interested in a trip that House Republicans made to Israel last summer. But it’s not because Kansas Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder took his pants off and jumped into the Sea of Galilee after a night of drinking.
Law enforcement sources — noting that skinny-dipping usually doesn’t fall under the FBI’s purview — pointed TPM to a New York Times story from earlier this month about a trip to Cyprus that Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) made following his August venture to Israel alongside several colleagues.
Politico, which first reported the skinny-dipping anecdote, said the FBI “looked into whether any inappropriate behavior occurred, but the interviews do not appear to have resulted in any formal allegations of wrongdoing.”But FBI agents were actually interested in Grimm’s failure to file paperwork related to his trip to Cyprus following his Israeli junket, which had been paid for by the Cyprus Federation of America. The president of that company was arrested on federal corruption charges in June. Grimm had reported the Israel trip in his initial filing in May but did not list the trip to Cyprus until he amended it in June, one day after Cyprus Federation of America’s president was arrested.
FBI agents may have asked questions about “who went into the water that night, and whether there was any impropriety,” as Politico reported, but sources indicated the dip in the water certainly wasn’t the FBI’s central focus.
Grimm’s office did not comment about the incident to the Staten Island Advance, but “confirmed that Yoder was the only congressman who swam nude,” according to the paper.
Grimm, a former FBI agent, has been the subject of plenty of attention from federal authorities over the past year. On Friday, one of Grimm’s top fundraisers was arrested for allegedly lying about the source of a loan on immigration documents. That man, an Israeli named Ofer Biton, traveled around the New York area with Grimm in 2010 to raise money for his congressional campaign. At least four of Grimm’s 2010 campaign workers have been questioned by the FBI. Federal prosecutors have also interviewed several donors, according to the New York Times.
While congressional ethics travel rules passed in 2007 ban entities that employ lobbyists from paying for trips that last more than one day, the Israel trip appears to have taken advantage of a loop-hole that allows lobbying companies to set up connected 501(c)(3) entities to pay for trips.
Late update: The Wall Street Journal‘s Devlin Barrett and Danny Yadron confirm our report: |
Ronald McDonald and children cut the ribbon to officially open the new Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region at 141 S. Lake Ave. in Albany on June 27, 2015. (Steve Barnes / Times Union) Ronald McDonald and children cut the ribbon to officially open the new Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region at 141 S. Lake Ave. in Albany on June 27, 2015. (Steve Barnes / Times Union) Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Bitcoin's a gift for Ronald McDonald House 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
It's that time of year again.
Nov. 29 marks the launch of the annual #GivingTuesday, a nationwide "get out and give" initiative dedicated to charitable giving.
The event celebrates and encourages philanthropic activities that support nonprofit organizations by harnessing the power of social media to create a national day of giving at the start of the holiday season, similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become synonymous with holiday shopping.
Many local nonprofits have embraced the initiative. Some are teaming up with businesses, including the Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region, which will receive 10 percent of apparel sales through Nov. 24 from the Bitcoin Store.
"I loved the idea of being able to accept micro-donations over the internet," said Jeff Yule, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region. "We already accept micro-donations from the canisters found in McDonald's restaurants, so bitcoin helped us accept them digitally as well."
Seeing an opportunity to channel the generosity of the holiday season into action, a group of friends, partners and philanthropy experts came together to create #GivingTuesday.
More than 30,000 charities, businesses, families and individuals in 71 countries participate in the effort to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.
With a mantra of "give more, give better and give smarter," the initiative offers creative ways for people and nonprofits to collaborate in charitable endeavors to achieve more meaningful results.
And the global day of giving fueled by social media continues to grow. Nonprofits around the world participate to raise awareness, generate support and demonstrate how philanthropy can transform communities.
"The bitcoin community has a history of being very charitable, and we wanted to continue this pattern by supporting the Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region," said the Bitcoin Store's Stephen Macaskill. "They are providing valuable services for extremely ill children and their families, and we couldn't be happier to see bitcoin make a positive impact on them this GivingTuesday."
The Bitcoin Store is the first to admit: bitcoin is a very confusing phenomenon.
More Information Get connected Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region: for more information, go to https://www.rmhcofalbany.org.
Some people think bitcoin is money, while others think it's a payment system.
Bitcoin is an online financial network used to send payments from one person to another. In many ways, it's similar to conventional payment networks like credit cards or Paypal. But Bitcoin is different in two ways — it's decentralized, meaning no institutions control the money network, and comes with its own currency.
The Bitcoin Store will make its donation to the Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region's Families First Fund via bitcoin.
The nonprofit began accepting bitcoin donations in November 2014 after hearing about the currency from the NY Bitcoin Group.
The Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region provides a home away from home, free of charge, for families with children who are terminally ill or facing life-threatening illnesses.
Staffed by volunteers and funded through donations, the house offers more than just home-cooked meals and a comfortable place to stay. It helps families face the burdens of childhood illness by providing a loving, compassionate environment where they can rest without having to worry about basic necessities.
After opening a newly-renovated residence last year, Ronald McDonald House can now serve more than 750 families per year, up from 550. The average stay is 11 days, but families have lived there for a year or more.
Since opening 34 years ago, the Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region has hosted more than 14,000 families from 37 New York counties, 38 states and 29 countries. Housing costs the facility about $80 per family per night, though neither families nor their insurance, if they have it, are ever charged. Fundraising pays for daily operations, and different volunteer groups buy food and cook dinner every night of the year.
"Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region was one of the first charities we worked with in 2014," said Paul Paterakis, a member of the NY Bitcoin Group. "It's nice to see our work with them lead to partnerships like this."
[email protected] • @JenSPatterson • 518-454-5340 |
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