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Getty Images The days of shopping online and being able to duck sales taxes may soon come to an end. The U.S. Senate is slated to vote on the Internet sales tax sometime next week, according to Reuters. Internet tax supporters, with backing from Walmart, Macy's, and Best Buy, are hoping a Senate vote will give them enough political leverage to require Americans to pay sales tax whenever buying goods online. This could usher in the first national Internet sales tax ever. According to Reuters, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed a motion on Thursday supporting the proposal. Since Reid filed the motion, the Senate is now expected to vote as soon as Monday on the motion, but it could come later in the week. The way the law now works is that states can only require Internet retailers with physical stores within their borders to collect sales tax. This means that online shoppers are supposed to self-report sales tax when making purchases -- but many don't. Still, several major Internet retailers, like Amazon and Apple, which have opened stores and warehouses in more states, are now requiring shoppers to pay sales taxes on Internet purchases. Smaller retailers and eBay sellers, however, are less likely to enforce the self-reported sales tax. Last month, the Senate voted overwhelmingly, 75 to 24, on a nonbinding version of the bill despite warnings from a handful of senators that the proposal is antibusiness, harmful to taxpayers, and will be a "bureaucratic nightmare." Besides Walmart, Macy's, and Best Buy, other retails backing the tax include Target, AutoZone, Home Depot, OfficeMax, and the Container Store. They argue that online retailers often do not collect sales taxes at checkout and thus enjoy an unfair competitive advantage over the big box stores. Those who are against the proposal say that it amounts to a multibillion dollar tax hike on American consumers. Last month, the National Taxpayers Union set up a petition to Congress saying the tax was "really just a way to unleash state tax collectors on the Internet," and 15 conservative groups also sent a letter to members of Congress saying an Internet tax law is "is bad news for conservative principles and the cause of limited government." Several online tech companies are also against an Internet tax, including eBay, an association of small Internet sellers called WE R HERE, and NetChoice, which includes Facebook, Yahoo, LivingSocial, and AOL as members. According to Reuters, the measure needs 60 Senate votes for it to move forward.
Just days before the 1956 Democratic National Convention, then-Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-MA) had a problem. Adlai Stevenson was the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, and, while rumors were spreading that the young, charismatic politician from Massachusetts could be his running mate, Sen. Kennedy was faced with a serious issue: No one thought a Catholic could be elected vice president. Undaunted, the Kennedy team produced an eight-page memo titled “The Catholic Vote in 1952 and 1956” and quietly distributed it to various publications. It argued that not only was there such thing as a “Catholic vote” but also that Democrats could win the powerful bloc—and thereby defeat Republican presidential nominee Dwight Eisenhower—by making Sen. Kennedy the vice presidential nominee. Sen. Kennedy did not, in fact, become Stevenson’s running mate (he finished second in voting to Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN), a Baptist, at the convention), but the memo succeeded in helping catapult Sen. Kennedy to the presidency in 1960—and ultimately solidified the concept of the American “Catholic vote,” which still makes up a quarter of the electorate, as a demographic to be courted. It also helped to introduce a relatively simple strategy for parties to win Catholic voters—namely, put a Catholic on the ticket, campaign on issues Catholics care about, and court Catholic leadership. Today, half a century later and just days before the 2012 party conventions, efforts to court the coveted Catholic vote continue unabated. Just a few weeks ago, the Romney campaign released a religiously themed ad titled “Be Not Afraid,” complete with images of the late Pope John Paul II. The next day Republican presidential nominee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney drew cheers when he introduced his new running mate Paul Ryan as “a faithful Catholic.” The Obama campaign, for its part, recently launched a “Catholics for Obama” initiative tasked with corralling the faithful. Even as Catholics continue to capture political attention on a national scale, much has changed in the American political and religious landscapes since Sen. Kennedy’s era. Thus the question: What does it mean to court the Catholic vote in 2012? What does the Catholic voting bloc look like, and does the old strategy still hold up? Here’s a glance. 1. Put a Catholic on the ticket It turns out two parties can play at the put-a-Catholic-on-the-ticket game: This year, for the first time in history, both Democrats and Republicans boast a Catholic as their vice presidential nominee—Joe Biden and Paul Ryan, respectively. But while Sen. Kennedy garnered support from many Catholics partially by virtue of being one of the first Catholic presidential candidates, Catholic candidates in 2012 don’t automatically win Catholic votes. Sen. John Kerry, a lifelong Massachusetts Catholic, lost the Catholic vote to Evangelical Christian George W. Bush in 2004. Similarly, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) famously touted his conservative brand of Catholicism during the Republican primary earlier this year. But his prayerful demeanor proved more of an altar call to conservative Protestants than to Catholics; Sen. Santorum won large percentages of Evangelical votes during the primaries but lost the Republican Catholic vote to Gov. Romney by wide margins in almost every state. Even as Catholic candidates become more acceptable to voters, the Catholic voters themselves are becoming more difficult to pin down. So the first step of this strategy, while still helpful to attracting Catholic voters, is no longer the vote-producer it once was. 2. Campaign on issues Catholics care about Historically, conservative candidates have tended to lean on social issues—namely abortion and gay marriage—to galvanize the Catholic vote. After losing to Sen. Kennedy in 1960, Richard Nixon won over Catholics in 1972 by harping on funding for parochial schools. George W. Bush used the same tactic in 2004, when he rallied conservative Catholics around his strong opposition to gay marriage and abortion. Yet American Catholic interests have become increasingly multifaceted over the past few decades. Not only are Catholics more ethnically diverse—unlike the overwhelmingly white Catholic population of the 1950s, almost 30 percent now identify as Hispanic—they are also more economically complex. When broken down by income brackets, Catholics roughly mirror the income distribution of the American population as a whole, with the largest group (31 percent) making less than $30,000 a year and most (51 percent) earning less than $50,000 a year. These changes have diversified the once-unified set of “Catholic issues,” leading some political commentators to begin eyeing Catholics as the bellwether demographic of the 2012 election. Moreover, while Catholics are divided over so-called social issues, conservative talking points on abortion and gay marriage weren’t enough to keep them from voting for then-Sen. Barack Obama in droves in 2008. Also, while polls show that Catholics care deeply about social issues, they aren’t focused on the issues you might expect. A recent RNS/PRRI poll found that 62 percent of Catholics support stricter gun control laws—the second-highest of any group polled, behind African American Protestants. Other polls find increasing support among Catholics for same-sex marriage, and a majority reported that President Obama—who is pro-choice and recently announced his support for gay marriage—reflected their views on social issues. The majority of Catholics believe employers should be required to provide their employees with health care plans that cover contraception, despite the controversy between the bishops and the Obama administration over this issue. Catholics are also especially moved by issues that affect the poor. A 2011 survey found that 67 percent of Catholics consider helping the poor to be central to Catholic identity (by comparison, only 64 percent found the belief that Mary is the mother of God to be a core Catholic belief), and Catholic leaders frequently cite the need to protect the poor as their impetus for political advocacy. 3. Court Catholic leadership Sen. Kennedy didn’t have to do much to win favor with priests and bishops, but today both parties are working harder than ever to get the nod from Catholic leadership. The Obama campaign is appealing directly to progressive Catholics in the pews with their recently launched “Catholics for Obama” initiative, lead by a veritable “who’s who” of progressive Catholic scholars and elected officials. The Romney-Ryan campaign, meanwhile, is making a strong play for the religious hierarchy. Catholics for Mitt Romney is headed up exclusively by former U.S. ambassadors to the Vatican, and Gov. Romney’s previously mentioned “Be Not Afraid” ad was aimed at capitalizing on the debate between Catholic bishops and the Obama administration over contraception. But siding with the established Catholic hierarchy doesn’t necessarily transfer into results on Election Day. A recent poll found that while many Catholics agree with the bishops’ position on the contraception debate, the majority still support President Obama. And while American Catholic bishops remain the undisputed leaders of the Catholic Church, recent polls show that nuns actually have significantly higher approval ratings among Catholics than the all-male clergy. Nuns are flexing their political muscle, too: They played a key role in helping pass President Obama’s Affordable Care Act in 2010 and recently concluded a “Nuns on the Bus” tour that harshly criticized the Republican congressional budget proposal. Conclusion Simply put, the “Catholic vote” just isn’t what it used to be. While remnants of 1950s Catholicism still exist, ever-growing percentages of American Catholics appear to be made of entirely different stuff. Unlike their historical progenitors, the Catholics of today are not necessarily swayed by a Catholic on the ticket. They also aren’t beholden to one or two issues and aren’t even all that influenced by the views of the established Catholic hierarchy. They are, instead, an unusually diverse group that sees their faith reflected in a more complicated string of issues than many give them credit for. If and how political machines respond to this shift remains an open question. The Romney-Ryan campaign seems to be following a somewhat simplistic playbook, so far with limited success. The Obama-Biden campaign, which still enjoys the majority of Catholic support in the polls, has only just launched its diverse, clergy-light Catholic vote operation, so the impact of its efforts remains to be seen. Both campaigns, however, should take heed: The Catholic vote, while not monolithic, seems to be more interested in socially conscious leadership—especially issues that adversely affect the poor–than in 1950s-era prayerful pandering methods. Jack Jenkins is a Writer and Researcher with the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative at the Center for American Progress.
There is an oppor­tu­ni­ty to have the NFA repealed, but it takes action on the part of all law­ful gun own­ers. There are two peti­tions cur­rent­ly, Repeal The NFA and Repeal The Hugh­es Amend­ment. The HPA (The Hear­ing Pro­tec­tion Act, H.R. 367) is like­ly to hap­pen dur­ing the Trump Admin­is­tra­tion, see our pre­vi­ous­ly post­ed arti­cle here “This Is What We Have Won”. I under­stand that there is a sense of trep­i­da­tion when it comes to putting your name to some­thing as brash as these two peti­tions, however.…and this is the impor­tant how­ev­er, I have spo­ken with two dif­fer­ent mem­bers of the ATF and one with the FBI, there are zero reper­cus­sions with any cit­i­zen sign­ing these peti­tion. They are not cre­at­ing a list here. This is sim­ply an oppor­tu­ni­ty for law­ful cit­i­zens to have their voice be heard. A lot of what I have seen from polls on socials is that peo­ple are wor­ried about being on a list if they sign the peitions. This is the far­thest thing from the truth. The square deal is, if there are not enough voic­es say­ing that we want our rights restored, then they won’t be con­sid­ered. Peri­od. I have no inter­est in own­ing a machine gun. I can’t afford to shoot a machine gun. How­ev­er, I would like to see the Fed­er­al tax removed for the right to own a short bar­reled rifle or shot­gun. I would love to be able to put giz­mos like a ver­ti­cal grip on my AR pis­tol with­out the con­se­quence of break­ing the law. For the time being, I have payed the gov­ern­ment. If you fol­low here often, you’ll know I just recent­ly applied for my first Form 1 which I hope to have approved by Sep­tem­ber or Octo­ber. But why? How does pay­ing an extra $200 to the gov­ern­ment make me ‘extra-law­ful’? That’s pay-to-play. If I can be trust­ed after spend­ing the extra $200, why can’t I with­out spend­ing it? Why as some­one who has nev­er been arrest­ed, nev­er been in trou­ble with the law, why as some­one who can legal­ly pur­chase and car­ry a gun do we have to pay the Gov­ern­ment and extra $200 to use a firearm as we see fit? For 23 years now I have owned firearms and nev­er once in that peri­od of time has any of them hurt any­one. Well, I did get slide bite once, but that was my own thumb. We have a unique oppor­tu­ni­ty here. We can stop pay­ing a tax to the Gov­ern­ment for what is a nat­ur­al born right. We can also help ensure that our rights car­ry for­ward. There was a time dur­ing World War II that the Japan­ese and Ger­mans wouldn’t ever con­sid­er an inva­sion of the Unit­ed States because of our cit­i­zen gun own­er­ship. The say­ing went some­thing like “behind every blade of grass is a cit­i­zen with a gun…” does this not make sense today? Pres­i­dent Trump is work­ing on Nation­al Reci­procity. Next will be the HPA. Fol­low­ing those two acts should be the repeal­ing of the Hugh­es Amend­ment and the NFA. They are strip­ping our rights and they have been dwin­dling down year after year. I’m small potatos. So maybe you will lis­ten to two of the biggest YouTu­bers around: As I write this there are only ~6500 sig­na­tures on the Repeal The NFA peti­tion and few­er on repeal­ing the Hugh­es Amend­ment. Lets change that. Please share these links with every­one you know who cares about their free­doms, help­ing to grasp more and end­ing unfair tax­a­tion on law­ful cit­i­zens. We can do this, but we must act quick­ly. You don’t have to believe me. Call the ATF at (202) 648‑8500 and the FBI at (202) 324‑3000. Ask them ques­tions. They aren’t the ene­my, they are Amer­i­cans just like us. They are here for us. Please sign the peti­tions today by fol­low­ing these links: Repeal The NFA — https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/repeal-nfa Repeal The Hugh­es Amend­ment — https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/repeal-1986-hughes-amendment
Mac users have had it pretty good when compared to Windows users, at least on the adware and nuisanceware front. Even Oracle, who has bundled the Ask.com search toolbar with Java for Windows for years, has abstained from infecting its Mac users with adware. Sadly, though, that era now seems to be an end, with Oracle opting to bundle its most recent versions of Java for Mac with the Ask.com search toolbar. ZDNet reports: The unwelcome Ask extension shows up as part of the installer if a Mac user downloads Java 8 Update 40 for the Mac. In my tests on a Mac running that latest release of OS X, the installer added an app to the current browser, Chrome version 41. (In a separate test, I installed Java using the latest version of Safari, where it behaved in a similar fashion.) Although you can opt not to install the Ask.com toolbar, the installation process is now pointedly designed so that a user who is clicking through will accidentally opt to install the extension on their default browser. As a search engine, of course, Ask.com sucks. Compared to Google, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, or even Bing, it offers pretty terrible, low-accuracy search results. That’s why they are willing to pay Oracle to trick users of Java to make it their default search engine. Java, of course, is a necessary installation for any Mac. That said, if you read each step of the install process carefully, you can avoid installing Ask.com on your system to begin with. If you do accidentally install the toolbar, it’s easy to remove: on Chrome, just remove Ask.com from Manage Search engines, and uninstall the extension On Safari, go to Extensions under preferences and just switch the damn thing off. Source: ZDNet
GUEST: Independent investigative journalist Arun Gupta... Brad Friedman Byon 1/28/2016, 4:29pm PT On today's BradCast: We explain that new Microsoft app set to be used at the Iowa Caucuses and get the latest from Oregon following the arrest of the militant leaders (and the shooting death of one of them) at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. [Audio link to complete show is posted below...] First up, independent investigative journalist Arun Gupta, who has been in Burns, Oregon over the past week covering the "Patriot Movement" standoff for Raw Story, joins us with the latest. He is dubious about the FBI's explanation for the killing of one of the leaders of the occupation; explains how the Rightwing protesters are "essentially wanting to overthrow the U.S. Government"; and how the treatment of the armed demonstrators differed from the treatment of Occupy Wall Street protesters, which he had also covered. "There's a lot of anger out there around this," Gupta tells me. "There's a lot of anger about land management issues, about a lack of economic development, and there's a lot of extreme Rightwing groups --- many of them pretty racist, white supremacists --- that can take advantage of this. So I don't think we have seen the end of this." Then, late news on the "debate debates" on both the Republican and Democratic sides of the aisle --- with veterans groups hitting Donald Trump for hiding behind them while pulling out of Thursday's Fox "News" debate and Bernie Sanders playing hardball over the addition of new debates on the Dem side. Next, while we've been working on this story for a while, it seems that everyone today has noticed that Microsoft has created a free app --- two of them, actually --- for the Democratic and Republican parties to use to help tally votes in the first-in-the-nation caucuses in Iowa next Monday. Now that the Sanders camp has become "suspicious of Microsoft's influence in the Iowa Caucus," as MSNBC reports it, a lot of folks have begun freaking out about the matter. "You’d have to ask yourself why they’d want to give something like that away for free," a Sanders spokesman is quoted as saying, even as both the Sanders and Clinton campaigns have created their own apps for tracking local results at caucus sites next week. I explain what the Microsoft apps do and don't do --- for each of the parties --- and if they, or you, should be concerned about it...no matter which candidate that you may or may not support in either of the parties holding caucuses next week in the Hawkeye State. Finally, Desi Doyen joins us for the latest Green News Report on Florida mayors calling out Marco Rubio for his climate change denial, an update on Flint and America's poor bearing the brunt of toxic pollution in the U.S., a win for coal miners in the fight against black lung disease, and much more in another busy BradCast today!... Download MP3 or listen to complete show online below... * * * * * * Choose monthly amount... $10 : $10.00 USD - monthly $20 : $20.00 USD - monthly $50 : $50.00 USD - monthly $100 : $100.00 USD - monthly Tweet The BradCast
CLEVELAND — Top law enforcement officials say they’re stepping up security measures for the Republican National Convention next week amid concerns over public safety sparked by the recent attack in Dallas and police shootings around the country. Jeh Johnson, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, told House lawmakers on Thursday that the federal government is sending roughly 3,000 law enforcement officials to the RNC in Cleveland and Democratic convention in Philadelphia later this month. “I am concerned about the prospect of demonstrations getting out of hand,” Johnson said, adding that he was “concerned about the possibility of violence.” Activists are planning protests at both conventions, but security concerns are especially high in Cleveland, thanks to Ohio’s open-carry law, which allows most firearm owners to openly carry weapons in public. Guns will be prohibited inside a “secure zone” around the Quicken Loans Arena, where the convention will be held and where Trump will deliver his nomination acceptance speech next Thursday, officials said. But the state’s open-carry law will remain in effect outside of the secure zone, which will allow gun owners to carry firearms into downtown Cleveland — including inside the “event zone” where thousands of Trump supporters and anti-Trump forces will hold competing rallies next week. “We’ll follow the law of the state and the law of the state is open-carry,” Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday. Calvin Williams, Cleveland’s police chief, said that the city has adopted new “tactics” after the attack in Dallas last week, where a gunman killed five police officers during a protest over two recent police shootings of African American men. “We talked a lot, of course, since Dallas and other things have happened” about how to prevent gun violence during the convention, Williams said. Williams declined to give specific details, saying only that the city had made some changes to its security planning in response to the Dallas shooting. In addition to the extra security officers sent by the Homeland Security Department and other federal agencies, the Cleveland Police Department will also receive assistance from other law enforcement officials from other departments across the country, officials said. In recent days, the Secret Service has begun erecting metal barriers in downtown Cleveland near the Quicken Loans Arena and the city’s convention center. As security preparations ramped up, some delegates said they were confident violence would be kept to a minimum. “There’s good guys and bad guys,” said Amy Hedtke, an alternate delegate from Texas. “You watch your back, you practice situational awareness, and you’ll be OK.” But others said sounded a note of caution. “I’ll be honest with you, I think it’s a concern for everybody,” said Juliana Bergeron, a national committeeman from New Hampshire.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Buffalo Firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire in the city's Allentown neighborhood Sunday morning. The fire started in a residential building near the corner of Franklin and Allen Streets around 8 a.m. Buffalo firefighters tell 2 On Your Side there were four occupied apartments at the time of the fire. Two people were rescued from a second-floor window. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Barry Rebholz's girlfriend woke him up this morning in a panic and he says he knew immediately something was terribly wrong. "I open my apartment door, and I looked up at the top of the stairs and the fire was roaring out of the back of the apartment. I mean I couldn't even see the wall, I couldn't see the door, flames were just roaring out," Rebholz said. "And the girl that lives across the hall, that was her only door, her entire door was engulfed in flames." Saturday afternoon Buffalo Police tweeted that they have an individual in custody in connection with the fire. A 29-year-old man has been charged with arson. BREAKING: Buffalo fire marshals have individual in custody in connection with morning 2 alarm fire on Franklin Street. — Buffalo Police Dept (@BPDAlerts) July 30, 2017 Fire crews were still working on putting out hot spots more than two hours after the fire started. "This one was a very difficult fire because it is a cut up building, a very odd shape and an older building," explains Buffalo Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom Meldrum. The Buffalo Red Cross says its volunteers are helping five to 10 people who were affected by the fire. Rebholz said he lost basically everything in fire. His family started a GoFundMe page to help him rebuild.
Reviewing Australia Vs Korea Korea 6 – Australia 0 Australia was let down by a weak offense tonight. Coupled together with a few average pitching performances and missed opportunities at bat, Australia’s hopes to qualify for the next round will now hinge on beating the Netherlands in tomorrow’s game by a massive margin and Chinese Taipei beating Korea. Game Report Ryan Searle started the game off with a walk, and it did not get much better for the Australian’s in the first, Searle let in 3 runs before retiring the side. Searle eventually gained control over his command letting one more run in over his 3 innings of work. In the bottom of the first Mitch Denning got on base through a walk, the first walk of the tournament for Australia. Korea’s starting pitcher Seung-Jun Song was judged to have balked and this moved Denning over to second base. Welch also got on base through a walk. With two out and runner on first and second Justin Huber came up to bat, he jumped on a pitch but hit it straight at the Korean third basemen Jeong Choi. Steve Kent took over in the 4th and was impressive, subduing the Korean bat’s over two innings of work giving up only one hit and striking out one. In the bottom of the 5th, Tim Kennelly lead off with a double smacking the ball into left field. This was met with a pitching change from Korea with lefty Heesoo Park taking over from Song. Park dispatched Allan de San Miguel with a strikeout, before giving up a single to James Beresford. With runners on first and second, Mitch Denning popped out to RF then Luke Hughes struck out. Clayton Tanner took over the reigns in the 6th, he looked solid posting a scoreless dig. Shane Lindsay provided relief in the 7th, looking erratic throughout he gave up one run. Brad Thomas came in with two out to shut down the dig. Matty Williams came on in the 8th getting two outs, and giving up two hits before Ryan Rowland-Smith came on to finish off the dig. In the bottom of the 8th. Luke Hughes lead off with another strike out, before Stefan Welch hit a double to left. Unfortunately that was it for the Australian offense that inning with pinch hitter Joshua Roberts and Mike Walker grounding out. Rowland-Smith came on again in the top of the 9th, giving up a run. Korean pitcher Seunghwan Oh came on in the bottom of the 9th and shut down the Australian’s getting two strikeouts. Advertisements
Corsair is using the Computex 2014 conference this week to launch two new mechanical keyboards and a mouse, all of which are aimed at gamers. But each one has a rather unique feature in the form of fully-customizable animated backlighting with access to 16.8 million colors. Most people would be happy with a keyboard backlight that is a single color and just works, but Corsair is pushing the boat out on customization. The high-end mechanical keyboard is the K95 RGB, which uses Cherry MX RGB switches, aircraft-grade black anodized aluminum, 100% anti-ghosting with full key rollover on USB, and on-board memory. That memory is important because you can program the entire keyboard and assign a macro (108 possible) to any key. There’s also 18 G-Keys to allow for presets away from the typical keyboard keys. The cost? $189.99. The K70 RGB is basically the same keyboard as the K95, but you lose the 15 G-Keys. For that you save $20 and pay $169.99. The lighting system is where both these keyboards will, quite literally, really shine. Editing software will allow you to setup unlimited lighting effects. So as well as a light show you can set it up to highlight banks of keys on a per game basis. Or how about triggering lighting animations when you hit a particular G-Key or key combination. Gradients, ripples, and a whole host of other effects are possible, coupled with 10 levels of brightness. Forget games, all your time will be spent playing with light patterns. Such lighting works really well on a large, relatively flat surface like a keyboard, but you wouldn’t expect it to be present on a mouse. That hasn’t stopped Corsair from trying it, though. The M65 mouse integrates the same 16.8 million color backlighting across three zones. Available in black or white, it offers up to 8,200 DPI with a color indicator to show you the current speed setting. It’s constructed from aluminum just like the keyboards, adjustable weights in the base, and has 8 buttons, including a programmable sniper button. Yours for $69.99. If you’re tempted by the mechanical keyboard, programmability, and lighting options, you’ll be able to get the K70 keyboard in July and the K95 in August. The mouse will arrive last in late August if you want to finish off the light show on your desk.
I was the guest of Winnebago County Republican Women where I was branded a communist with Muslim leanings. I’ve been called "a red" ever since I returned from Vietnam and protested that war, so I was a bit weary of the presentation. The two speakers painted, with a broad brush, the red and green axis of evil (not to be confused with Canadian humorist Red Green, though he is suspect). Because Muslims are seeking refuge and escorted by the likes of Catholic Charities and Church World Service, we are all part of the cabal. The first speaker laid down his interpretation of the Qu'ran as demanding every believer to take up the sword and kill the infidel. The second speaker reminded me of my membership in the John Birch Society wherein he drew long lines of connections to prove I was a dupe for the reds. For example, Church World Service, which I support through the CROP Hunger Walk, is part of the National Council of Churches which is part of the World Council of Churches which is “... a communist front run by the KGB ...”; therefore, I am a communist. I was particularly shocked by their statement that diversity creates chaos. That is patently absurd in almost every category of society. I doubt the Republicans will have many supporters left if they continue to paint everyone as an enemy who doesn't agree with them 100 percent. Does that mean if you supported a refugee within the last three generations, you could and probably should be asked to leave? I don't think so, but the speakers sure did leave that impression. Their solutions: stop all immigration, build even more walls, and ostracize anyone who disapproves. I hate to sound trite, but some of my best friends are Republican women and the leader of the meeting is someone who I consider a friend, Gloria Cardenas. I hope they can invite speakers to offer opposing views. I would suggest they immediately call immigration attorney Sarah Dady, Catholic Charities Director Pat Wynn, Professor Brian Wagner of Rock Valley College, and/or Kathy Shihadah from Unity in Diversity. But I doubt that they will seek a second opinion. They said "Diversity is a prescription for chaos. … Diversity is the left’s strength, all under the guise of Kumbaya. It’s all a fraud …” The audience was quite vocal in their approval, and were even more adamant that people should be rounded up and sent back to where they came from, even if it was three generations ago. And God forgive the liberals who want to help anyone in need, because they sure won’t help. Socialism is what they call any organized assistance, and boot straps are the only thing the poor refugees really need. I have worked with political conservatives on issues: industrial strength gambling for one. Most local Republicans are thoughtful, reflective, have a good sense of humor, and can listen to other suggestions. But there was no room for disagreement at the Saturday hate fest and I was glad to have snuck out early and made it to my car without being deported (it would be to Switzerland, which wouldn’t be so bad, I guess. But they speak too many languages, and I can barely master English). I hope the Republican Party in Rockford will go with the strengths of loving freedom and avoid hate messages like the ones I heard at this meeting. Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries.
About The Author Zack Grossbart is an engineer, designer, and author. He’s a Senior Technical Staff Member and Cloud Architect at IBM. He creates the IBM cloud user experience … More about Zack… P Vs. NP: The Assumption That Runs The Internet Smashing Newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our editors’ picks twice a month. Your email Subscribe → Let’s get a few things out of the way first. This isn’t your regular Smashing Magazine article. It’s not a “how to“; it won’t show you how to build a better menu or improve your project tomorrow. This article shows you how a core problem in computer science works and why we’re all pretending we know something for certain when we really have no idea. You’re looking at Smashing Magazine right now because you’re standing on the shoulders of a giant assumption called “P versus NP”. It’s a math problem that protects governments, runs the Internet and makes online shopping possible. Let’s get a few things out of the way first. This isn’t your regular Smashing Magazine article. It’s not a “how to“; it won’t show you how to build a better menu or improve your project tomorrow. This article shows you how a core problem in computer science works and why we’re all pretending we know something for certain when we really have no idea. You’re looking at Smashing Magazine right now because you’re standing on the shoulders of a giant assumption called “P versus NP”. It’s a math problem that protects governments, runs the Internet and makes online shopping possible. You may have never heard of P versus NP, but this article will walk you through it, show you how it works and explain why it matters. There’s a little math, but don’t worry; it’s all pretty easy. P versus NP is a mathematical question masquerading as a philosophical one. It describes the difference between solving a problem and knowing whether you’ve solved it. Let’s start with a simple example known as the “traveling salesman” problem. Our salesman is walking through a town with houses spread across a number of streets. He needs to visit every house once and only once. The salesman wants to find the fastest route that takes him to every house but requires as little walking as possible. Meet Smashing Book 6 — our brand new book focused on real challenges and real front-end solutions in the real world: from design systems and accessible single-page apps to CSS Custom Properties, CSS Grid, Service Workers, performance, AR/VR and responsive art direction. With Marcy Sutton, Yoav Weiss, Lyza D. Gardner, Laura Elizabeth and many others. Table of Contents → Our travelling salesman and the map of houses he has to visit. The salesman doesn’t know whether it’s better to start from the upper right, or to walk to the middle first, or to walk around the town and start from the other side. The only way he can know for sure is to try each route and measure how long it takes. There’s no formula he can follow to figure out the fastest route; he has to find the answer with brute force. Finding the answer is the “NP” part, which we’ll define soon. Knowing whether he’s found the answer is easy. If he’s visited each house, then he’s done the job; if he’s skipped one, then he has to start over. That’s the “P” part. All P versus NP problems are tough to solve but easy to verify. Yeah, There Are Some Big Words The “P” in P versus NP stands for polynomial time. That just means we can predict the maximum amount of time it will take to solve the problem. The classic example of polynomial time is a quick sort. Here’s a set of blocks: Starting point for a quick-sort algorithm. (Image: RolandH) We want to sort them in order from shortest to tallest. The easiest way to do that is by dividing the group in half, pushing the tall blocks to the right and the short blocks to the left. Then, we’d cut each half in half, and repeat. The quick-sort algorithm in action. (Image: RolandH) There’s an algorithm that will tell us how long this will take. It doesn’t matter how many blocks we have or how disorganized they are, we can always predict the worst-case scenario for how long it will take to sort any number of blocks. The predictable part is what makes it take only polynomial time. All of the common math we use — addition, algebra, balancing your checkbook — can be done in polynomial time. NP stands for nondeterministic polynomial time. It’s basically the opposite of P: There’s no equation or formula to predict how long it will take to solve a problem. Normally, the only way to solve this kind of problem is to keep trying answers until we find one that works. Figuring out the best route for our salesman is an NP-complete problem. Let’s look at a few routes our salesman could take. He could start from the top and go down the left: The first route our travelling salesman tries to visit all of the houses. That’s about 75 steps. He could also start by walking to the middle and looping around counterclockwise: The second route our travelling salesman tries to visit all of the houses. That one’s about 95 steps. The salesman could also turn the map around and start from the top right. Now he can avoid looping all the way around: The third route our travelling salesman tries to visit all of the houses. That route’s about 80 steps. While we can measure each route to see which is shortest, there’s no way to tell the lengths without trying them out. We can make guesses, but pretty soon we just have to start walking. The traveling salesman problem is famous because visiting every house along the shortest route is NP (very difficult), but making sure to visit every house is P (very easy). We could figure out this map in a few minutes, but adding a few more houses would make the solution take hours. Add enough houses and the solution would take years. Why This All Matters The traveling salesman is a cute problem, but the implications are giant. Change the salesman to a page request and the houses to servers and you’ve got Internet packet routing. When my computer in Boston wants to send requests to a computer in London, it has to figure out a path to get there by bouncing from one server to another along the way. The data could take thousands of different routes through thousands of different computers in between Boston and London. Finding the fastest route is a bigger version of our salesman problem. Google, Facebook and Apple try to make the problem easier by building data centers near major cities. They’re trying to make the map smaller when people make requests. If you could figure out a better way to route data on the Internet, you could make stock trades faster than everyone else and make billions of dollars. Another version of this problem is all about secrets. Most of the Internet runs on secrets. I want to give my credit-card number to Amazon, but not to the guy sitting next to me at Starbucks. I don’t want to share my bank password with my neighbours, and I don’t want to let my frenemies read my email. You can shop, share and work on the Internet because of secrets, and all of those secrets are based on math. Most of the secrets on the Internet are protected by public-key cryptography. That cryptography is based on finding two large numbers that, multiplied together, equal a very large number. The two large numbers are factors of the very large number. (Think of a backpack full of weights. You may know that the pack weighs 10 kilograms, but you don’t know whether it has one 10-kilogram weight, 10 one-kilogram weights or anything in between.) For example, take the number 26. It has four factors: 1, 2, 13 and 26. Every number contains 1 and the number itself, so we’ll ignore those factors; the important ones are 2 and 13. 2 × 13 = 26 You can find the factors of 26 by trying every number between 1 and 26. It’s a lot tougher with a mindbendingly large number like: 33478071698956898786044169848212690817704794983713768568912431388982883793878002287614711652531743087737814467999489 Can you find factors of that number? I’ll give you one answer. 36746043666799590428244633799627952632279158164343087642676032283815739666 and 511279233373417143396810270092798736308917 Those numbers are dizzyingly large. You could never work them out on a piece of paper, and neither could a computer. There’s no good way to write a computer program to find the factors of large numbers quickly. The best you can do is to discard the numbers that clearly don’t work, and then search for factors one by one among the trillions and trillions of numbers remaining. Finding factors is an NP problem. I had to work hard to find those factors (well, I looked them up on Wikipedia, but someone worked hard to find them). Making sure I’m right is easy. You could write a small computer program to multiply the second and third numbers. If they produce the first number, then I’m right and they are factors. Your job is simple; this is a P-level problem. If finding those factors were easy, then the Internet would fall over. P Vs. NP Having a secret is not very useful if I can’t prove I have it, but I can’t just tell you the secret because then it wouldn’t be a secret. I need to prove that I know the value without telling you what it is. That’s where the factors come in. The larger first number proves that I know the factors without ever telling you what those numbers are. Take a look at “Backpack Algorithms and Public-Key Cryptography Made Easy” if you’re interested in how the factoring turns into cryptography. If you could come up with a way to quickly find large factors, then you could steal my secrets. Robert Redford starred in a movie about this. Many smart people have been working on a way to find those factors, and they haven’t found one yet. We’ve based the entire security of the Internet on the “fact” that there’s no easy way to find the factors of large numbers, but it isn’t really a fact. We don’t know whether a fast way to find factors or get directions for our salesman exists. Maybe it’s out there and we just haven’t found it yet. Maybe someone will find it tomorrow. That’s what P versus NP is all about. P ≠ NP Right now we assume that P does not equal NP. This means that some problems are easy and others are hard. We think our secrets are safe, but we can’t prove it. Mathematics is based on a lot of assumptions. Some of those assumptions last decades before being proved true or false. As long as the assumption that P doesn’t equal NP remains true, then we can keep sharing secrets, email and credit-card numbers on the Internet without any problems. If you proved that P does equal NP, then you could cause some big trouble. P = NP Some people make the philosophical argument that P just can’t equal NP. If it did, then it would mean that finding the solution to a problem has always been as easy as verifying that the solution is correct and that factoring our large numbers is easy. That would break all public-key cryptography on the Internet. SSL would stop protecting anything, and you could never give your credit card safely to anyone. It has even larger implications. If P equals NP, then you could solve anything as easily as you could verify it. Anyone who could drive a car could build one, and anyone who could listen to a symphony could write one. This makes my head hurt, but it’s not the real problem. If you could create a practical example of P equaling NP, then you could solve the traveling salesman problem and change the entire way that Internet routing works. And that’s just the beginning. A practical solution proving that P equals NP would give you enormous control over information everywhere. What Comes Next? Basing the whole Internet on an assumption is scary. We want to know whether or not P equals NP. The answer has practical applications, but it also asks a larger question about how we figure things out. Do we know them first and figure them out second, or do we need to work at a solution before we can find it? Some problems are hard and some just look hard. P versus NP gives us a framework to figure out which is which. If you can prove P versus NP one way or the other, you’d win a million dollars.
Giants once roamed the earth. Oceans teemed with ninety-foot-long whales. Huge land animals--like truck-sized sloths and ten-ton mammoths--ate vast quantities of food, and, yes, deposited vast quantities of poop. A new study shows that these whales and outsized land mammals--as well as seabirds and migrating fish--played a vital role in keeping the planet fertile by transporting nutrients from ocean depths and spreading them across seas, up rivers, and deep inland, even to mountaintops. However, massive declines and extinctions of many of these animals has deeply damaged this planetary nutrient recycling system, a team of scientists reported October 26 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This broken global cycle may weaken ecosystem health, fisheries, and agriculture," says Joe Roman, a biologist at the University of Vermont and co-author on the new study. On land, the capacity of animals to carry nutrients away from concentrated "hotspots," the team writes, has plummeted to eight percent of what it was in the past--before the extinction of some 150 species of mammal "megafauna" at the end of the last ice age. And, largely because of human hunting over the last few centuries, the capacity of whales, and other marine mammals, to move one vital nutrient--phosphorus--from deep ocean waters to the surface has been reduced by more than seventy-five percent, the new study shows. Ignoring Animals "Previously, animals were not thought to play an important role in nutrient movement," said lead author Christopher Doughty, an ecologist at the University of Oxford. But the new study shows that animals are a crucial "distribution pump," the scientists write, transporting masses of fecal matter to fertilize many places that would otherwise be less productive, including ocean surface waters and the interior of continents. These fertilized ecosystems, in turn, maintain natural functions vital to people. For example, the new study notes that restoring whale populations could help increase the ocean's capacity to absorb climate-warming carbon dioxide. Traditionally, scientists studying nutrient cycling have focused on weathering of rocks and nitrogen collection by bacteria--largely ignoring animals. This view assumed that the role of animals was minor, and mostly that of a passive consumer of nutrients. "However, this notion may be a peculiar world view that comes from living in an age where the number and size of animals have been drastically reduced from their former bounty," the team of nine scientists write. "This study challenges the bottom-up bias that some scientists have--that microbes are running the show, and phytoplankton and plants are all that matter," says Joe Roman, a whale expert in UVM's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics. "This once was a world that had ten times more whales; twenty times more anadromous fish, like salmon; double the number of seabirds; and ten times more large herbivores--giant sloths and mastodons and mammoths," says Roman. On land, before the rise of modern humans, there were elephant-like gomphotheres the size of a backhoe, deer with twelve-foot wide antlers, and bison herds to the horizon. These were just a few of the huge animals that could eat huge amounts of plant matter, accelerating the release of nutrients through digestion and carrying these nutrients away from feeding areas to higher ground through their deposit of feces, urine and, upon death, decomposing bodies. Overall, the scientists calculate that this animal-powered, planetary pump may have dropped to just six percent of its former capacity to spread nutrients away from concentrated sources on both land and sea. Whale Work A series of recent studies show that large animals appear to disproportionately drive nutrient movements. To make their new study, the team--including scientists from University of Oxford, University of Vermont, Harvard University, Aarhus University in Denmark, Princeton University, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, and Purdue University--used these findings and other existing data about historic and current animal populations. Then they applied a set of mathematical models to estimate the movement of nutrients vertically in the oceans and across the land--and how this movement changed with extinctions and declining animal populations. For example, whale densities are estimated to have declined by between 66% and 90% over the last three centuries due to commercial hunting, the study notes. Most grievously, 350,000 blue whales, many over one hundred tons, used to inhabit oceans around the globe. Only a few thousand now remain. These and other great whales feed in the depths--and then defecate at the sun-lit surface "in a flocculent, liquidy cloud," says Roman. Limited Phosphorus In particular, the new study examined phosphorus, a nutrient critical for plant growth. Prior to the era of commercial hunting, the scientists estimate that whales and other marine mammals annually moved around 750 million pounds of phosphorus from the depths to the surface. Now that figure is about 165 million pounds--some 23% of former capacity. The team also gathered data on seabird and fish populations that feed in the sea and then come onto land--like ocean-going salmon that move up rivers to defecate, spawn, and die. Movements by these birds and fish once carried more than 300 million pounds of phosphorus onto land each year, but that number has declined to less than four percent of past values as a result of destroyed seabird colonies, habitat loss, and overfishing. "Phosphorus is a key element in fertilizers and easily accessible phosphate supplies may run out in as little as fifty years," says Oxford's Chris Doughty. "Restoring populations of animals to their former bounty could help to recycle phosphorus from the sea to land, increasing global stocks of available phosphorus in the future." Recovery The world of giants came to an end on land after the megafauna extinctions that began some 12,000 years ago--driven by a complex array of forces including climate change and Neolithic hunters. And it ended in the oceans in the wake of whale and other mammal hunting in the industrial era of humans. "But recovery is possible and important," says UVM's Roman. He points to bison as an example. "That's achievable. It might be a challenge policy-wise, but it's certainly within our power to bring back herds of bison to North America. That's one way we could restore an essential nutrient pathway." And many whale and marine mammal populations are also recovering, Roman notes. "We can imagine a world with relatively abundant whale populations again," he says. But have domestic animals, like cows, taken over the nutrient distribution role of now-extinct large land animals? No, the new study shows. Though there are many cows, fences constrain the movement of domestic animals and their nutrients. "Future pastures could be set up with fewer fences and with a wider range of species," the team writes. "The typical flow of nutrients is down mountains to the oceans," says Joe Roman. "We are looking at ways that nutrients can go in the other direction--and that's largely through foraging animals. They're bringing nutrients from the deep sea that could eventually reach a mountain in British Columbia."
Share tweet by CALLUM CANT (Plan C, UK) Conflict Corner this week gives space to new forms of struggles arising in the UK from the cooperation of Deliveroo couriers with social movements and supporters. The Rebel Roo bullettin project, led by Plan C, actively contributed to this cooperation that is empowering self-organized labour struggles and fostering their expansion.Thefollowing reports from Leeds and Brighton show the potentialities of new tactics and modes of organisation, new strategic use of trade union’s instruments and the effectiveness of the strike as a political weapon against precarization. It is effective insofar as it has been able to involve workers from different sectors, to create the conditions of a strong social support and pt to link the various struggles, through different cities and workplaces. The workers taking part in these actions are also re-politicizing social demonstrations as the critical mass, starting from their very condition of riders on strike. Therefore, they are imposing labour as a crucial field of struggles that involves and effects the whole society, as well as the organization of the urban space, highlighting the social dimension of the strike. These forms of struggle are finally showing the political importance of a transnational social strike, since only by crossing the national borders it will be possible to give strength and enlarge these processes of organisation, tackling the global chains of exploitation. In February we introduced Rebel Roo, an initiative led by Plan C in the UK to support the self-organisation of Deliveroo couriers. This initiative has started to bear fruit. The isolated struggles in London in the summer of 2016 have spread around the UK in the spring of 2017. Now, two new conflicts are leading the way in Leeds and Brighton. In their fusion of labour movement and social movement tactics and modes of organisation they indicate the potential for a further extension of conflict with Deliveroo. The major point of tactical convergence between the two is the critical mass demonstration/strike. In its classical version, the critical mass was a demonstration linked to the right to the city. It rose to prominence in the UK during the alter-globalisation movement, and then largely subsided in the period after. Now, we are seeing revitalisation of this tactic in combination with the strike. Deliveroo riders are, en masse, leading mobile demonstrations around the city. The participants are a combination of couriers and social movement supporters, and the leverage of the tactic comes both from the withdrawal of labour of the trade union and the mobile blockade/parade of the social movement. All the old dynamics of the critical mass remain at play alongside a new, critical question of labour. What follows are two edited reports from the local struggles, focusing on demands and the patterns of the campaign so far. They are drawn in part from Rebel Roo 5. Leeds Riders in Leeds having been getting more and more pissed off. Working for Deliveroo was relatively well paid six months ago, and offered good hours and helpful management. But now, riders in Leeds face lower average pay, regular cuts to hours and an exploitative, uncommunicative management. In December, rumours that Leeds would be moving from an hourly rate to a pay per drop system was the straw that broke the ’roo’s back. Riders began to organise amongst themselves and then approached the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) for advice and support. Since then union membership amongst Leeds riders has grown to about 30 people. However, in late January managers gained access to the riders’ WhatsApp group and within days reacted by launching a campaign of victimisation. The main organisers had their fixed hours slashed, two activists’ contracts were terminated and five riders were left without the security of fixed hours that they had relied upon before to make a living. Before any direct action even started, management showed that they were ready to play dirty to try and undermine the union. But Deliveroo riders didn’t just sit back and accept this crap. Immediately, we started preparing a series of actions in solidarity with targeted riders, including calls for improved working conditions, with a plan of escalation if they were not met. As in other cities, the continued hiring of new riders has compounded our insecurity in Leeds. Overstaffing has led to a reduction in the average pay per hour, and less available hours. Yet management have tried to prevent us from dealing with this insecurity by working for rival firms. Unbelievably, one senior rider in Leeds was told that if he ever worked for a competitor he would be fired and could «never work for Deliveroo again». Quite ironic since Deliveroo always claim we are self-employed! The thing is, when they make threats like that we know that they might just do it: riders have had their contracts terminated without a legitimate reason and without warning in the past. This eventually led to the manager in question getting sacked for his inability to handle the union. Friday 10th March saw a critical moment in the development of the struggle. An evening critical mass was called by the IWW. It saw 100 plus people, from both Deliveroo and supporting social and labour movements, come together to attack the exploitation of the riders.The critical mass made a point of disrupting the train station to extend solidarity to the unionised railway workers, who are currently in a series of disputes with train operators and taking part in ongoing strike action. The demonstration/strike hybrid saw immediate results. Several of the victimised riders received significant increases in hours immediately afterwards. This has proved to us that with continued pressure on the company, and solidarity from all those opposed to exploitative and precarious working conditions, we can win this fight. The IWW summed it up: «This is a feeling spreading amongst the Deliveroo fleet in Leeds – a great number of Deliveroo workers asked for membership forms on Friday night, and even more spoke of their surprise and pleasure at the events success. We are growing and we are winning»! Brighton In late January we had our first union meeting in Brighton. Pay had suddenly got worse because the number of orders had dropped and more and more people had been recruited. We were pissed off, and started the process of getting organised. Soon after on Saturday 4th February the riders pushed for a spontaneous two-hour strike over low pay and a lack of orders. We later found out just how effective the strike was: restaurants reported up to 50% drop in orders. A strike assembly met and voted to unionise with the Independent Workers of Great Britain union (IWGB) and make three demands to management: A pay rise (from £4 a drop to £5 a drop) A recruitment freeze No victimisation of union members A few days later we sent Deliveroo a formal letter giving them two weeks to respond. They gave into one demand pretty much straight away, and froze their deliberate over-recruitment drive in our zone. But the deadline passed without them budging on the pay demand. We followed up with a critical mass demonstration and a second is planned for the near future. Brighton already has the highest pay per drop rate in the UK, so victory on this demand would set the tone for a national attempt to gain a pay rise across the various pay structures used in different cities in the UK.
Richie Benaud’s influence on cricket on and off the field is being lauded by players and fans alike, as the former Test skipper’s passing is mourned. Former Prime Minister and self-confessed cricket tragic John Howard and businessman James Packer have added their tributes to those pouring in for the former Test skipper. Mr Howard said Benaud was “respected around the world. He will be very greatly missed”. Read Next “Richie Benaud was a remarkably successful Australian captain. He was a gentleman in the proper sense of that term. “I never heard a critical comment made of him by cricket-lovers in other parts of the world. “For cricket around the world, this is a moment in time.” Packer’s father, Kerry, used Benaud to anchor Channel Nine’s coverage back in the 1970s. “Dad and I enjoyed a long, long professional and personal journey with Richie Benaud,” James Packer told the Daily Telegraph. “He was not only for nearly four decades a much-loved figure in the Nine family, but also in the Packer family. “We never had a cross word. Richie’s word was his bond. “Like so many others, we treasured Richie’s quiet but steely integrity, his honesty, his modesty, his sense of humour and his towering skill. But above all, what we always knew about Richie was that he was in the vernacular simply a great bloke. “A lovely, generous, caring human being who was always the very best company. We shall miss him, but treasure the huge part he played in our lives.” Benaud’s ‘marvellous’ commentary style in a turbulent era of cricket from the 1970s to recent times came to rival his feats on the field, which were significant in the 1950s and ‘60s. He earned many imitators of voice and appearance, from the choice of suit to the unforgettable Benaud way of enunciating 2-22. (Fans everywhere hoped Richie was in the commentary box to be able to announce that score, or better, 2-222). His influence stretched from the playing arena to lounge rooms everywhere cricket was appreciated. “Our country has lost a national treasure,” Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards said today. “It marks a profound loss to our nation”. “Richie stood at the top of the game throughout his rich life, first as a record-breaking leg-spinner and captain, and then as cricket’s most famous broadcaster who became the iconic voice of our summer.” Warne’s touching letter Australian bowling legend Shane Warne has hailed Richie Benaud as a “legend on all levels” and thanked the cricket icon for acting as a mentor to him throughout his career. The former Australian captain and commentary doyen died overnight in his sleep after battling skin cancer. He was 84. As tributes for Benaud flooded in on Friday, Warne took to Instagram to post a heartfelt letter to his late fellow legspinner, describing him as “an absolute gentleman”. “Dear Richie, I’ve known you & Daphne for close to 30 years & to everyone you were a legend on all levels & rightly so too,” Warne wrote alongside a close-up portrait of Benaud. “As a cricketer, commentator & as a person, you were the best there’s ever been & to top it off, an absolute gentleman.” Warne wrote it was “an honour” and “a privilege” to call Benaud a close friend and mentor. “We had so many wonderful times together, talking cricket & in particular, our love & passion of leg spin bowling. “I will cherish our entertaining dinners & all the fun times we shared over a long period of time.” Benaud, widely known as the greatest attacking spin bowler of his Test cricket era, eventually paved the way for Warne’s prowess with the ball. “I would also like to thank you & Daphne for all your support & time you made for me as a young cricketer & leg spin bowler trying to make his way as an 18 year old, your tips & advice along the journey meant so much,” Warne wrote. “Richie, you were loved by everyone, not just the cricket family, you were the godfather of cricket & you will be missed by all... R.I.P my friend #BowledRichie.” ‘Great cricketer and a great gentleman’ Gina Rushton writes, former NSW all-rounder Brad McNamara took a photo as his young son placed a bunch of yellow chrysanthemums at the base of the bronze statue of Benaud which guards the Ladies’ Pavilion of the SCG. “I’m really sad about Richie and he was a really good guy,” six-year-old Ollie said. Ex-cricketer and Channel 9 executive McNamara had known the “voice of cricket” for over two decades and was devastated to hear the news of Benaud’s passing. “I’ve been working with Richie for 15 years and had him commentate on a few of my mates,” he said. He explained to his son this morning what a “great cricketer and a great gentleman” Benaud was. “Ollie wanted to come out here and lay some flowers at the statue to pay tribute to him,” he said. Erected at the greens where he played his first and last test matches, the statue was part of the Basil Sellers Sports Sculptures project. Mr Sellers made a brief appearance to place some flowers this afternoon and remembered how “absolutely terrified” he was that Benaud would approve of the final sculpture when it was unveiled in 2008 “But he said ‘I like it’ and it was the most beautiful moment of my life,” Mr Sellers said. The work captured Benaud’s captaincy as well as his prowess on the field, he said. “Richie is changing his field with his left finger and about to bowl with his right hand,” he said. The SCG will keep the gates open for anyone else who would like to pay tribute to the cricketing legend. Shane Warne said Benaud had been an inspiration to him. “It was an honour and a privilege to call you a close friend and mentor,” Warne tweeted. “We had so many wonderful times together, talking cricket and in particular, our love and passion of legspin bowling.” Former Test captain and fellow commentator Ian Chappell added: “I certainly remember him as a great friend and a great help to me in life. A thorough gentleman with at times a very wicked sense of humour. “Yes, he was a great salesman for the game but ... if something controversial happened, he was never frightened to speak out about it.” Richie Benaud with the unveiling of his statue at the SCG in 2008. The SCG has been opened for people to pay tribute to Benaud, who has died at 84. Picture: Phil Hillyard Great loss to cricket Sporting figures across the globe are paying tribute to Benaud, whose family has been offered a state funeral after his death at the age of 84. The Prime Minister said Benaud’s death was the “greatest loss for cricket” since Don Bradman died in 2001, Rosie Lewis reports. The beloved former Australian Test cricket captain, selector and commentator, has passed away in Sydney after a battle with skin cancer. Mr Abbott said Benaud had been “the voice of cricket” since the 1960s and that today Australia had lost “an icon”. “There would be very few Australians who have not passed a summer in the company of Richie Benaud,” the Prime Minister said. “He was the accompaniment of an Australian summer. His voice was even more present than the chirping of the cicadas in our suburbs and towns and that voice, tragically, is now still.” Mr Abbott said the nation would remember him with “tremendous affection” and also recalled his “extraordinarily successful” time as Australian cricket captain. A mark of respect for Benaud at the Adelaide Oval. “This is the greatest loss for cricket since the loss of Don Bradman and for that reason I’m pleased to have offered the Benaud family a State funeral. But this is a sad day for everyone who loves cricket and it’s a sad day for everyone who has felt that Richie Benaud is a part of his or her life.” In Benaud’s native Sydney, NSW Premier Mike Baird ordered flags be flown at half-mast today as a tribute. Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Australia had lost “a legend of cricket and the voice of our summers. A sad day for our country. Farewell and rest in peace Richie Benaud”. Current Test skipper Michael Clarke said Benaud was a gentleman who played the game in the right spirit. “He was a great player and a great captain; a wonderful leader of men and he continued that off the field,” Clarke said. “He loved winning. He helped the Australian team have the attitude where they wanted to win. He played the game the right way.” Benaud was the first player to score 2000 Test runs and take 200 Test wickets. Benaud’s career statistics: 63 Tests between 1952-64. 2201 runs at 24.45. Highest score of 122. Three centuries; nine half-centuries. 248 wickets at 27.03. Five wickets in an innings 16 times. Our thoughts are with the Benaud family at this time, RIP one of the games all time greats! He will be missed by the whole cricketing world. — Darren Lehmann (@darren_lehmann) April 9, 2015 Very sad news about Richie Benaud. A legend of Australian cricket & the commentary box. We've lost a true Aussie icon 😢 RIP Richie — Glenn McGrath (@glennmcgrath11) April 9, 2015 England coach Peter Moores has paid tribute to Richie Benaud: "Richie sums up all that is great about our sport. He was a true gentleman." — England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) April 10, 2015 "Richie Benaud was quite simply peerless. Nobody else had his authority, popularity & skill." http://t.co/jbJY2wwaxK pic.twitter.com/PCeZTeLn6Z — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 9, 2015 Flags at the MCG are at half-mast following the passing of Richie Benaud: pic.twitter.com/BQIPw2HcAw — Melbourne Cricket Gd (@MCG) April 10, 2015 A Richie Benaud baggy green proudly on display in the National Sports Museum at the @MCG. RIP, Richie. pic.twitter.com/25oepJS1kv — Nat'nal Sport Museum (@NSMNews) April 10, 2015 NZC pays tribute to Richie Benaud as a "true legend of Australian Cricket, and a great ambassador for the game" http://t.co/m9N4joqjtL — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) April 10, 2015 Farewell Richie Benaud. Wonderful cricketer, great captain, a master craftsman commentator & top man. Will always be remembered and admired. — Geoffrey Boycott (@GeoffreyBoycott) April 10, 2015 It's hard to explain how I've been feeling since I heard Richie Benaud passed away. I've put my thoughts on paper http://t.co/HcsR7Ty4du — The 12th Man (@12thManHQ) April 10, 2015 Benaud was described as the “Godfather of Australian cricket” by former International Cricket Council, and Cricket Australia, chief executive Malcolm Speed. Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said he had long admired Benaud “as a player and as a leader of men”. “And like all Australians I marvelled at his knowledge and love of the game as a commentator. He was a thorough gentleman,” Coates said in a statement. Current and former cricketers have offered their tributes to Benaud, in addition to Lord’s and the BBC in England, where he was equally loved and respected. Benaud was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1961 for services to cricket and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2007, he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and two years later was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. The calming, constant voice of cricket Benaud was the one calming, wry constant amid the cacophony of cricket commentary. In recent weeks his wife Daphne had contacted close friends in the cricketing world to let them know he did not have long to live. Revered and loved for his approach to the game on and off the field, Benaud had been suffering from skin cancer. The combined effects of a car accident before the 2013/14 Ashes and treatment for the disease had kept him from the commentary box for the past two seasons. Benaud managed, however, to rise from his sickbed and voice a brief, touching tribute to Phillip Hughes which was played at the Adelaide Oval before the first Test and a couple of prerecorded segments for Channel 9. “When I was a kid we never ever wore a cap ... because Keith Miller never wore a cap,” Benaud said late last year. “’Nugget’ Miller never wore a cap on his head, so I didn’t. I wish I had. “If I knew, when I was at school and playing in my early cricket days, the problems that would have come if I didn’t do something about protection of the head and using sunscreens and all sorts of things like that, I’d have played it differently. “It’s one of those things in life; you live and learn as you go along. Nowadays I recommend to everyone that they should have protection on their skin, on their heads, creams and things like that. I can give you one good reason for that — 84-year-olds don’t seem to mend as well as they used to.” Benaud was as well known in the UK for his work with the BBC where he worked each summer from 1963 until the government broadcaster lost its right to the game in 2005. GALLERY: The life of Richie Benaud The English loved him as much as Australians and when Channel 4 announced that it would be ridding its commentary box of “grey haired old fogeys” in 1999 Mick Jagger and British PM John Major were prominent members of a public and eventually successful campaign to have him reappointed. Essential to Channel 9, network boss David Gyngell even proposed that Benaud commentate this summer from his Coogee home, but age and illness took too much of a toll, even forcing him to cancel a planned guest appearance during the Sydney Test. Benaud retired from international cricket in the summer of 1963/64 having played 63 Tests. A dashing all-rounder who fielded close, bowled attacking leg spin and hit hard off the front foot, he was the first cricketer to complete the double of 2000 Test runs and 200 wickets and a celebrated competitor. Australia’s greatest cricket chats to its most loved, Don Bradman with Richie Benaud during a quiet moment in the latter’s playing days. He was, in all aspects, a pioneer of the modern game and one of its most influential participants. His leadership and feats on the field were enough to have ensured him recognition among Australia’s great cricketers, but it was his role as a commentator and elder statesman of the game that lifted him above all his contemporaries and forebears with the possible exception of Don Bradman. Benaud’s first Test as captain in the 1958/59 Ashes was also the first to be partially broadcast live in Australia. He led the team during the famous 1960-1961 “Calypso” tour by the West Indies _ chasing an audacious victory in Brisbane the captain steered his team to within a sniff of victory in the tied Test. Always able to see around corners, Benaud took time off at the end of the 1956 Ashes tour of England to attend a specially arranged BBC television training course as “insurance” against the possibility he should have to be interviewed before or after a match. He was to be in front of the camera for the best part of the next half a century and then some. He captained NSW in the first match ever televised, a Shield clash against Victoria at the Junction Oval played across Christmas in the summer of 1956/57. The game ended in a draw. Benaud was at the helm as the ABC began to broadcast the last hours of Test matches into Melbourne and Sydney over the following years and was always keen on the meeting of his two interests. When Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket challenged the status quo it did so with the former captain as its anchor. When the war ended Benaud had established himself as the pre-eminent television presence. It was Benaud’s economy and dry humour amid the histrionics and excesses of his commentating partners that separated him from the pack. He had trained as a police roundsman on The Sun in Sydney where he learned from the old hands that it was “pointless writing more than you had been asked to write”. He was the same on television, arguing that there was no need to speak unless you could add to the picture. The Benaud pause, often followed by a slow motion “extraordinary” became an almost trademarked summation of some of cricket’s greater moments on the box. An author of many books and a regular newspaper columnist, Benaud could say much in a simple sentence. Often a critic of bumbling boards, he wrote once that: “the ECB showed no qualities other than an extraordinary lack of common sense” during a controversy over ball tampering. Benaud loved the game and it loved him. “It’s a good lesson for everyone; that a youngster who throws a tennis ball up against a wall in a country town can still go on to captain his country at cricket, watch more than 500 Test matches, see cricket played in daylight and, as well, at night. It’s been a fortunate life and one which has been very much enjoyed,” he wrote in the forward to his last book My Spin on Cricket. Benaud was born in Penrith, Sydney, in 1930 and introduced to the game by his father Lou, a schoolteacher and leg spin bowler who once took 20 wickets in a match for the Penrith Waratahs. He often spoke about the first time his father took him to the SCG to see NSW play South Australia at the SCG. Bradman was playing but Clarrie Grimmett took 6-118 and made an impression on the youngster who began to practice in his North Parramatta backyard — the family had moved — from that day on. While Benaud was a keeper of the game’s history and legends, he was never backward looking and nominated a 20 month period between 2003 and 2005 as the best era of cricket he ever saw. The first side Benaud captained was considered so weak that Bradman told the English captain Peter May that he only hoped they would be competitive in the 1958/59 Ashes, but the new skipper moulded a team around him and ambushed the visitors. It was a dour time for cricket fans with defensive batting in vogue, but the following summer Benaud made a pact with his teams and the public to provide more entertaining cricket and insisted that NSW aim to score 400 in a day when batting — they duly made 8-398 in front of the Victorians at the MCG that Christmas. As captain Benaud started a tradition of team only dinners, encouraged his sides to attack and attracted criticism for his jubilant celebrations of wickets that often included hugging a successful bowler. He said captains needed more luck than skill, but created his own by taking 61 wickets on the Ashes tour of 1961, including a haul of 6-70 when he controversially went around the wicket at Old Trafford to pull off an incredible victory. “If you put your head in a bucket of slops, Benordy, you’d come up with a mouthful of diamonds” Derbyshire fast bowler Harold Rhodes said of him at the time. Benaud was named Wisden cricketer of year and awarded an OBE by the Queen for his efforts. He is survived by his second wife Daphne and has two sons from an earlier marriage. The pair were inseparable and for decades split their time between an apartment in Coogee and a home in France. With AAP Peter Lalor Senior Sports Writer Peter Lalor is The Australian’s chief cricket writer and has been a reporter for over 30 years. An award winning journalist and author he has covered Test cricket in all parts of the world for the newspaper. He... Read more Read Next
NIKE, Inc. announced today that it will accelerate innovation in its Golf footwear and apparel business and will partner with more of the world’s best golfers. With this new focus, Nike Golf will transition out of equipment — including clubs, balls and bags. “We’re committed to being the undisputed leader in golf footwear and apparel,” says Trevor Edwards, President, Nike Brand. “We will achieve this by investing in performance innovation for athletes and delivering sustainable profitable growth for Nike Golf.” “Athletes like Tiger, Rory and Michelle drive tremendous energy for the game and inspire consumers worldwide,” says Daric Ashford, President of Nike Golf. “Over the past year the MM Fly Blade Polo, the Flyknit Chukka and Air Zoom 90 have all connected strongly with golfers. We’ll continue to ignite excitement with our athletes and deliver the best of Nike for the game.”
In his 25 years in the restaurant business, Bob Jensen, owner of the Wild Duck Cafe and catering company, has never had to keep such an eagle eye on his employee head count. Between his cafe near the University of Oregon�s Matthew Knight Arena and his catering business, he has about 45 full-time-equivalent employees � a bit more during peak football season. He�s going to make sure his average employee count stays below 50 FTEs this year, Jensen said, because of the federal Affordable Care Act rules that require employers with 50 or more FTEs in 2013 to offer health insurance to employees and employees� children in 2014. The act defines FTE as the number of full-time employees working more than 30 hours a week, plus part-time hours converted into full-time equivalents. For example 20 part-timers working 15 hours a week are equivalent to 10 full-timers. �If I go from 49 to 50, I fall off a cliff,� Jensen said. �Having less than 50 employees means I�m not required necessarily to have health care,� he said. �It isn�t that we don�t want it,� Jensen said. He said he just wants to make sure his business has the money not only to launch health coverage, but to sustain it. With the small margins most restaurants make, �How do we afford it?� he asked. �I can�t charge $14 for a burger. I can�t charge $7 for a beer. It isn�t as if a pool of money is just sitting to be dispersed in that direction.� Jensen said he�ll watch and wait to see how the new reforms unfold. Summing up his strategy, he said, �be wary of the cliff. If you go over, be prepared to have a chute.� Jensen said he�s so concerned about the potential financial impact of the health insurance mandate that he might put off expanding his restaurant. He wants to open the Wild Duck Taphouse in a small retail space near the cafe, which would add two or three FTEs to his payroll. �It won�t be much, but I�m kind of guarded on it because I can�t have it trigger health care and not be prepared to endure it,� he said. �I can�t stress enough it isn�t because I don�t want (coverage) for our employees,� Jensen said. �It�s a matter of making sure we�re going to be viable. The fallacy is there are resources just waiting to pay for this.� The act offers financial help for small employers with 25 FTEs or less, earning average annual wages of less than $50,000. They can apply for a health insurance tax credit generally worth half of the employer�s contributions to a plan purchased next year through Cover Oregon, the state�s online insurance marketplace. However the credit is only available in 2014 and 2015, and at this point it�s not known how much plans on the exchange will cost. A big challenge Out of all the challenges the restaurant industry has faced over the years, this is �the big one,� Jensen said. As a board member of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, Jensen has traveled to Washington, D.C., three times since the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010 to make sure elected officials know how the law is affecting employers and workers in the hospitality industry. Jensen said he had looked into offering health care to employees in the past, but he could never get 70 percent of employees to participate � the amount the insurance carrier required in order to write a policy. Next year, small group plans purchased through Cover Oregon will require a 75 percent participation rate, meaning three-quarters of Jensen�s full-time employees (those working at least 30 hours a week) would have to sign on for Wild Duck�s health plan. �I think there�s going to be a lot of employers that are going to find it difficult to entice their staff,� Cover Oregon Executive Director Rocky King said. One option, he said, is employers always can require enrollment in a health benefit plan. The exchange also makes it easier for a small employer to offer a variety of plans that appeal to a range of employees with different health needs, he said. There are many reasons why an employee might decline coverage. �Sometimes our industry is the second income for families, so insurance may be covered by the primary breadwinner,� Jensen said. Also, in 2010, the Affordable Care Act allowed parents to keep children up to age 26 on their policies, so young adults working at restaurants might have coverage through their parents. Younger employees also might decide to go without health insurance because they�re young and healthy. Spending money on health insurance might just not be a priority for some employees, Jensen and other employers said. �If you�re making $1,500 a month and we�re asking for $150 per month for insurance, a lot of people would choose not to pay it,� Jensen said. If Jensen�s employees don�t get health insurance through his company, they�ll still have to get it themselves under the new rules or pay a penalty of $95 next year and rising amounts after that. �One of the things they�re going to look at is, is it cheaper to pay the penalty?� Jensen said. �Or do I want my income to go to insurance that I don�t want?� Different industry; same dilemma Thomas and Donna Foster, husband and wife owners of Strapworks, a Eugene manufacturer, are in a different industry but face the same dilemma as Jensen. Strapworks has fewer than 50 FTEs, but the company is growing and the Fosters would like to be able to offer health coverage. It�s a struggle just trying to figure out the rules for employers, and some of the Fosters� questions, including how much money they would need to set aside to provide health coverage, remain unanswered. �It�s tough going; I feel like I�m struggling through mud,� Donna Foster said. �We go to seminars, we go to webinars, we go online to try to find out as much as we can,� she said. �Many businesses could go under with this large undertaking � they really could � and we don�t want to be one of those. �So proactively we�re trying to figure out what these costs could actually be. We�ve had various agents in here. When they don�t even know the answer, and the state doesn�t know the answer, and it�s all rolling here toward the beginning of the year when it�s required, it makes it very difficult for business.� The Fosters know the importance of health insurance and how vulnerable people feel going without it. They went without insurance for years while they launched and grew their business. When they finally got coverage, they chose a high-deductible, catastrophic plan. �When our family was growing up, my insurance was (saying), �Please be careful!,� and that is sad and sick and not the way the America should do it,� Donna Foster said. �We are one of the richest countries in the world,� she said. �We should be providing health insurance for all of our people. Instead, we mandate that you must buy it, but people are stretching to pay bills now. Now we have a mandate and penalty regardless of whether the dollar bills are there.� As the deadlines loom, the Fosters continue to collect scraps of information to help them decide whether their company can afford to offer health insurance. �We�re just trying to get to the point where we can decide what to do,� Foster said. �The information is not there.�
You may also purchase physical CD here: www.webofmimicry.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=120 You may also purchase physical VINYL here: www.webofmimicry.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=124 "Utopian cyber-hippie, this is your world now”Web of Mimicry is delighted to open the doors to the FREE SALAMANDER EXHIBIT. For quite some duration of years, 4/5ths of the staff of the legendary Sleepytime Gorilla Museum have been assembling this installation behind the spindly curtains of their collective creative cocoon. Insiders will have heard the rumors — tales told over campfires at their yearly assemblies — of a silent germination taking place somewhere in the wilderness of California. And now, suddenly and without warning, the collective bursts forth — the doors fly open and the Exhibit's long-anticipated unveiling is upon us!UNDESTROYED delivers a genre-damning assault of clarity, confusion, tottering riffage and apocalyptic joy to the listener. What is probably most distinguishing is that, Lo and Behold, Free Salamander Exhibit is a BAND in the truest sense of the word. A very real, well-honed, cared-about and labored-over band that builds upon its ancient and true chemistries with their new ideas. Forgoing any suggestion of cheap imaginary elaborations into digital simulacra, we are rewarded with Free Salamander Exhibit's preference for an arsenal of imaginative homemade musical instruments (in addition to their guitars, basses, and drums).Though it's as difficult-as-ever to characterize much about this collective with any accuracy, Undestroyed sees them embracing their true art-prog-rock (in opposition) calling as never before. Both initiates and newcomers are better off abandoning all expectation as they step into their new curatorial realm.Artwork immersion comes in full-spades with a 6-panel digipac and 4 page insert - a lavish and fitting accompaniment to the barbed rhythms, pungent harmonies, prickly textures and somnambulistic poetics.What better way to punctuate the headlong stumble "Into the night, into the dark, into black silence” than to walk across the threshold of Undestroyed?
This chart comes from the World Economic Forum’s 2014 Global Risks Report, which came out just before Thomas Piketty’s book started becoming the topic of discussion in economic and plutocratic circles.* You can clearly see what you might call the rise of inequality-as-an issue: before 2012 it’s nowhere to be found, but since then it’s been consistently in the top spot. My prediction is that in 2015, thanks to Piketty, the WEF will start talking less about income inequality, and more about wealth inequality. The big question, though, is whether inequality is really much of a risk at all. After all, from the point of view of the average billionaire WEF delegate, inequality would seem to look much more like a reward. Chrystia Freeland has a hopeful thesis. “Piketty’s work,” she says, “and the wider shift it surely portends, poses a new, powerful, existential threat to the plutocrats.” Her argument in a nutshell: politicians across the political spectrum, but especially on the left, have historically used the language of criminality to rail against the rich. (See, for instance, how the WEF said that “corruption” was the third-most-likely global risk in 2011.) In other words, capitalism itself is generally assumed to be a pretty good thing, which works well for everybody so long as everybody plays by the rules. But Piketty has challenged that assumption, by showing that even if everybody plays by the rules, inequality is very likely to increase to obscene levels. It’s not the corrupt and venal robber barons who are the problem, it’s rather that unless we make a concerted effort to impede capitalism’s natural tendencies, the entire middle class is likely to get hollowed out. Freeland limns this debate well: on the one side are the likes of Matt Taibbi and Michael Lewis, always on the hunt for villains; on the other side are people looking at a broader historical sweep, and saying that if you go around blaming individuals you are always going to miss the bigger picture. Piketty, of course, is in the latter camp, but so are people like Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, who see success in the future accruing increasingly to a small group of high-level “ideators”, while the jobs of much of the present middle class become automated. If the broad public stops being angry at individuals and starts understanding that the entire system is constructed so that it benefits the few at the expense of the many, then that system itself will start looking unsustainable and ripe for dismantling. Freeland herself concedes that this is unlikely to happen any time soon: “The only thing worse than having plutocrats is not having them,” she writes. “San Franciscans may be rising up against their tech billionaires, even blockading the Google bus, but the rest of the world, from Moscow to Malaysia, is trying to replicate Silicon Valley.” On top of that, as Paul Krugman explains in his masterful NYRB review, the forces described by Piketty are more likely to be self-reinforcing than they are to carry the seeds of their own destruction: Falling tax rates for the rich have in effect emboldened the earnings elite. When a top manager could expect to keep only a small fraction of the income he might get by flouting social norms and extracting a very large salary, he might have decided that the opprobrium wasn’t worth it. Cut his marginal tax rate drastically, and he may behave differently. As more and more of the supersalaried flout the norms, the norms themselves will change. Which means that ultimately I have to disagree with Freeland. Her syllogism runs something like this: -Capitalism has survived this far because it delivered strong, widely-shared growth. -If capitalism fails to continue to deliver strong, widely-shared growth, then it will fail and die. -Thanks in part to Piketty, the leaders of the major western democracies — both the politicians and the plutocrats — now understand this. -Therefore, they will, of necessity and of self-interest, alter the structure of society to preserve (what’s left of) the middle classes. This starts off well, but becomes increasingly improbable as it goes on. As Piketty shows, capitalism can continue indefinitely with obscene levels of inequality. Politicians and plutocrats are not focused on what’s going to happen decades from now; instead, they’re engaged in a constant battle to maximize their own personal power, even — especially — if that means amassing enormous quantities of wealth for themselves. And finally, for all that it’s the job of politicians (including Freeland) to campaign on the basis that they can change the world in effective and predictable ways, there’s precious little evidence that really they can. Just as the forces of capitalism are bigger than any individual robber baron, so are they bigger than any individual politician or political party. The many reviews of Piketty’s book are surprisingly unanimous on one point: that the weakest part of the book is the final part, where Piketty moves away from diagnosis and starts attempting to formulate a solution. Piketty’s rather French idea of a global wealth tax isn’t getting nearly the same amount of acclaim as the rest of the book is, and is very unlikely to happen: countries will always compete with each other to attract the stateless rich by not taxing them. Which means that my reading of Piketty is ultimately pessimistic. The dynamics of the world economy are bad, and they’re getting worse; inequality is natural in human history, and right now we’re reverting to a state of affairs which is highly unfair but also both sustainable and, in its own way, unsurprising. Piketty has diagnosed a nasty condition. But I don’t think there’s a cure. *Le capital au XXIe siècle was published in French in August 2013, and the WEF is based in francophone Geneva, so it was hovering in the background of Davos 2014 somewhere. Certainly there was some buzz about the book in the Alps this year, even among those of us who don’t read 970-page books in French, thanks to Branko Milanovic’s definitive 21-page review, which came out in October.
Optimising Dash.el 7 minute read Dash.el is a lovely library, and one of the most popular on MELPA. If we can squeeze every last drop of performance out of it, everyone benefits. Let’s take a look at the black art of making elisp faster. Measure First! Chris Wellons has a great optimisation blog post that discusses the performance overhead of creating lambdas with mapcar . If we look at --map , it does indeed create anonymous functions: ( defmacro --map ( form list ) "Anaphoric form of `-map'." ` ( mapcar ( lambda ( it ) , form ) , list )) Creating anonymous functions instantiates a closure, which isn’t free. Let’s write an iterative equivalent: ( defmacro --map-loop ( form list ) ( declare ( debug ( form form ))) ( let (( result-sym ( make-symbol "result" ))) ` ( let ( , result-sym ) ( dolist ( it , list ) ( push , form , result-sym )) ( nreverse , result-sym )))) List Length mapcar (seconds) dolist (seconds) 1 0.000010 0.000028 1,000 0.0027 0.0079 100,000 0.74 1.24 (Full benchmark code here.) Surprisingly, mapcar is consistently faster in this particular benchmark! Other Emacsers have observed dolist outperforming mapcar for short lists. mapcar is primitive, and primitives tend to be fast. dolist clearly isn’t a speedup in all situations. Let’s try something else. Matching Primitive Performance Some dash.el functions are equivalent to primitive functions. For example, -first-item is equivalent to car , -drop is equivalent to nthcdr . We could write -first-item like this: ( defun -first-item ( lst ) ( car lst )) However, this adds the overhead of an extra function call compared with calling car directly. Instead, dash.el does this: ( defalias '-first-item 'car ) Let’s do a small benchmark, to ensure that defalias giving us the peformance we want: Approach time (seconds) wrapper function 0.1399 alias 0.0055 use car directly 0.0050 (Full benchmark code here.) For shame! Our alias still isn’t as fast as using the primitive. Let’s compare the disassembly using M-x disasemble . ( defalias 'car-alias 'car ) ( defun use-car-alias ( x ) ( car-alias x )) ;; byte code for use-car-alias: ;; args: (x) ;; 0 constant car-alias ;; 1 varref x ;; 2 call 1 ;; 3 return ( defun use-car-directly ( x ) ( car x )) ;; byte code for use-car-directly: ;; args: (x) ;; 0 varref x ;; 1 car ;; 2 return Intriguingly, these are not the same. There’s a car bytecode that’s being used with use-car-directly . With a little help from the Emacs Stack Exchange, we can see that byte-opt.el looks for 'byte-opcode properties on functions. If a function symbol has this property, the byte-compiler will replace the function with custom bytecode. ;; Ensure that calls to `-first-item' are compiled to ;; a single opcode, just like `car'. ( put '-first-item 'byte-opcode 'byte-car ) ( put '-first-item 'byte-compile 'byte-compile-one-arg ) This makes performance of -first-item indistinguishable from car ! We do lose the ability to advise -first-item , but that’s not possible with car either. Leveraging the Byte-Compiler What about functions that aren’t just aliases? Can the byte-compiler help us here? It turns out that the byte-compiler can actually calculate values at compile time! Suppose we define a pure function that drops the first two items of a list: ( defun drop-2 ( items ) ( cdr ( cdr items ))) ( defun use-drop-2 () ( message "%S" ( drop-2 ' ( 1 2 3 4 )))) ;; byte code for use-drop-2: ;; args: nil ;; 0 constant message ;; 1 constant "%S" ;; 2 constant drop-2 ;; 3 constant (1 2 3 4) ;; 4 call 1 ;; 5 call 2 ;; 6 return If we annotate our function as pure, the byte-compiler helpfully runs it at compile time: ( defun drop-2-pure ( items ) ( declare ( pure t )) ( cdr ( cdr items ))) ( defun use-drop-2-pure () ( message "%S" ( drop-2-pure ' ( 1 2 3 4 )))) ;; byte code for use-drop-2-pure: ;; args: nil ;; 0 constant message ;; 1 constant "%S" ;; 2 constant (3 4) ;; 3 call 2 ;; 4 return This works because we’re calling drop-2-pure on a literal, and we know the value of literals at compile time. We can even annotate our functions as having no side effects. In this situation, the byte-compiler removes the call entirely: ;; eval-and-compile to work around Emacs bug #24863. ( eval-and-compile ( defun drop-2-pure ( items ) ( declare ( side-effect-free t )) ( cdr ( cdr items )))) ( defun pointless-call-to-drop-2-pure ( x ) ( drop-2-pure x ) "foo" ) ;; byte code for pointless-call-to-drop-2-pure: ;; doc: ... ;; args: (arg1) ;; 0 constant "foo" ;; 1 return The byte-compiler helpfully reports a warning here too: value returned from (drop-2-pure x) is unused Open Source FTW The latest version of dash.el includes all these improvements, so you can simply upgrade to take advantage. If you find yourself needing to squeeze every last drop of performance from your elisp, you can follow what we’ve done here: benchmark your code (with benchmark-run or profiler-start ) or ) disassemble your functions (with diassemble ) ) ask some friendly Emacsers (e.g. the Emacs Stack Exchange) Good luck! May your editing experience never be laggy!
0 SHARES Facebook Twitter Google Whatsapp Pinterest Print Mail Flipboard Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean epically obliterated Donald Trump on Saturday, calling the president’s latest moves on health care stupid and petulant. Dean said Trump’s executive order on healthcare, as well as his decision to cut off subsidy funding, proves that he knows absolutely nothing about the insurance industry and doesn’t at all care about helping people. Video: All this kind of stuff usually blows up in the president’s face because he has no idea what he’s doing. What he’s gonna do is take health insurance away from a million Americans. Those million Americans are going to be spread in a lot of states that he’s going to be awfully sorry about in 2018. … This is just stupidity. It’s based on petulance. Donald Trump no more knows anything about the insurance company than the man on the moon. So, you know, this is silly. This is typical Trump. He gets upset about something, he reacts. This is not going to fix the problems that Obamacare has. As the former governor noted, Trump’s troubling moves this week, specifically on health care, will have damaging impacts on millions of Americans. His executive order alone would wreak havoc on the insurance market by driving younger and healthier Americans out of the Obamacare exchanges, leaving behind exorbitant costs for older and sicker people. Trump’s additional move to dismantle the Affordable Care Act – the decision to cut off critical CSR payments – have even worse repercussions. As Jason Easley wrote on Friday, ending this funding would throw a million Americans off their insurance, spike premiums by 20 percent and increase the deficit by nearly $200 billion. Trump’s recent push to dismantle has nothing to do with making life better for the American people. It’s all an angry and petulant attempt to take a stab at former President Barack Obama’s legacy. If you’re ready to read more from the unbossed and unbought Politicus team, sign up for our newsletter here! Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human:
mogai-archive: cheiragender definition: a fluid gender that’s manipulative towards the being whose gender aligns with it (to make it simple, i’m just gonna refer to them as the ‘owner’). while it is manipulative itself, it can be easily manipulated by it’s owner. typically the gender and owner don’t usually agree with each other, so it’s usually a gender tug-of-war (of course this isn’t necessary or always like this; they can agree on something and they can also just not care at the time, most of the time, etc). the intensity of the manipulation from both the gender and owner can change day to day. tl;dr a fluid gender that you basically play gender tug-of-war with. derived from the greek word χειραγώγηση evaisgender/evainsgender definition: a fluid gender that’s easily influenced by things, thoughts and beings around it, thus it tends to change a lot within a single day. derived from the greek word ευαίσθητος narkissisgender definition: an egotistical gender, viewing itself in a high position and wanting and/or needing praise. should only be used by those who have narcissistic personality disorder. gender can be replaced with fluid, boy, girl, xirl, boi, nonbinary, enby, nb, etc. derived from the greek word ναρκισσιστική egoisgender definition: an egotistical gender, much like narkissisgender but generally it’s not as ‘intense’ as narkissisgender is so to speak. it can be used by anyone. gender can be replaced with boi, xirl, nonbinary, fluid, etc. derived from the danish word egoistisk digigender definition: a digital gender. it can range from any digital thing or file; virus, malware, .txt, .mp3, anti-virus, trojan, email, etc. gender can be replaced with girl, xirl, nonbinary, nb, enby, fluid, boy, boi, etc. derived from the english word digital arithmogender definition: a number gender. it can range from any number/s, positive, negative, decimals, fractions, etc. gender can be replaced with xirl, fluid, girl, boi, nb, nonbinary, boy, enby, etc. derived from the greek words αριθμός and αριθμοί trauatgender definition: a gender that varies; it can change a lot, it could be unknown, it could just be there, it could be nonexistant, etc. whatever it is, it was based from intense trauma. should only be used by those who have experienced or are going through what they consider intense trauma. derived from the prefix trauat- all coined by furryhell​
The three family members that saw an unidentified flying object above the Everett Turnpike in Nashua on Oct. 5, have worked with a graphic artist to come up with some sketches of what they saw in the skies above the city. Jim Bowe posted a screenshot of one the sketches on the Nashua NH Patch Facebook site and later, submitted a gif file with a number of sketches of what he, his wife, and younger son saw around 9:15 p.m. on Sunday night. Also on Patch: A 3D model was created by another son of Bowe's, who is a graphic artist, based on the details described to him, and he submitted that collection of graphics to Patch as well. Bowe stated that what his family saw was hundreds of feet above the ground and about the size of a house when it was flying across their car near Exit 5. A number of Patch readers reported seeing movement in the sky that night including on Queen City Avenue in Manchester. Others say they have seen something similar during the last few weeks in Concord, Pittsfield, Amherst, and Milford. Other readers noted that it could have been Nashua Airport traffic or a plane from Pease. Others stated that there were military jets seen near Mount Monadnock earlier in the day and also in the Portsmouth area. One woman wrote that she had seen a stealth fighter flying quite low in the past in Hooksett and it seemed to have a similar look. Bowe stated that he has lived in Nashua for more than two decades right under the flight path of the airport. He said what they saw was no plane. Bowe added that the object turned at a 90 degree angle at "extremely low speed, altitude, and without sound," adding, "Any plane would have dropped from the sky at the speed this was going. We surely would have seen the marker lights and landing lights." Another commenter noted that they saw something similar early in the morning on July 31, in Milford. "I am very familiar with the look and sound of air traffic and what I saw was NOT anything like a traditional aircraft," the note stated. "The total silence was what really threw me. It could not have been more that 40 feet right above my head flying slowly and I heard nothing at all."
Two important figures came head-to-head at Conway Hall, to discuss Islamic versus Humanist perspectives on science and the modern world. Jim Al-Khalili made the final public appearance of his term as president of the British Humanist Association during this stimulating, and at times provoking, debate with Ziauddin Sardar, chair of the Muslim Institute. Al-Khalili advocated the values of the European Enlightenment, arguing that ever since the “Age of Reason” took hold during the 18th century, Humanists have looked to science instead of religion to explore and comprehend the world. Sardar upheld the view that it is the combination of faith and reason that offers a fuller understanding of the world, maintaining that it was this worldview that enabled the development of science in the Islamic golden Age. A practising Muslim, Sardar is on an independent mission to promote rational, considered thought in interpreting the Qur’an. He explained that when he came to the UK from Pakistan, he found comfort in the familiar language of mathematics, which set him on a trajectory to train as a physicist: “God doesn’t need me, I need him. It makes me a better person and a better scientist”, he said. Science Weekly for February 4: Through the looking glass Read more He described the way in which, as a child, his dissatisfaction with rudimentary religious guidance at home instilled a strong urge for self-enquiry: “Science forces you to ask questions. The more you think, the [fewer] answers you find”. Sardar asserted that religion and reason are two sides of the same coin and feels that conflict between the two is deliberately manufactured. He argued that problems arisewhen Muslims adopt a narrow, reductionist interpretation regarding the holistic concept of ilm – whereas in fact there are many facets to knowledge. In Sardar’s view, the Qur’an is much more sophisticated than a simple rulebook: “it is the beginning of the adventure, not the end.” He also believes in the value of perpetual interpretation: “God is not an accountant. He didn’t give us everything on plate and leave with us with nothing to do. He created us with the agency and freedom to think. God likes a good argument. He doesn’t give full answers, things have been deliberately left hanging for us to explore further.” In short, Sardar’s view is that although human knowledge at times converges with the Qur’an, the text should certainly not be treated as a scientific encyclopaedia. In support of this view, Sardar lamented the emergence of the I’jaz movement, which insists the Qur’an contains descriptions of modern scientific phenomena ranging from quantum mechanics to accurate descriptions of the stages of embryology and geology. In Sardar’s opinion, this stems from insecurity and a personal need to vindicate Islam to others. Jim Al-Khalili agreed that ascribing literal meanings to religious texts can be perilous and that these verses should be interpreted more metaphorically. Likewise, when Einstein famously said “God does not play dice” he was using a figure of speech to acknowledge that there are things we don’t yet understand but this shouldn’t stop us from trying to find out more. Whilst Al-Khalili is a staunch atheist, he adopts what he describes as an “accommodationist” approach in his interactions with people of religious faith: “I don’t think people who believe in God are irrational, I just don’t see a need to believe there is a purpose for why things are the way they are.” Born in Bagdad, Al-Khalili grew up in Iraq. His mother was Christian and his father was Shia, but he never heard them quarrel about religion. By the time he reached his teens he felt that he had distanced himself from needing any form of spirituality and his subsequent scientific training cemented this worldview. He asserted that his core values are empathy, humility and respect, without being driven by a reward in an afterlife: “It’s not just people of religious faith that have a moral compass – morality is what makes us human.” Al-Khalili is a prolific advocate of the Islamic golden age of science: he has authored a book on the topic and has just finished presenting a new TV series about it on Al-Jazeera. Although Al-Khalili questioned if some of the major scholars were culturally religious rather than devout followers, he acknowledges the clear interconnection between faith and science during the medieval period. In support of this he cited Simon Schaffer’s thesis on the subject: once a belief in a single God was established there was an impetus to understand the nature of his creation and discover how things work using the brains He equipped us with. For instance, as the Islamic empire expanded to other lands, Muslims in these new territories were required to know the direction of Mecca for prayer, which led to leaps in map-making and trigonometry, along with a better understanding of geography. The need to establish the schedule for daily prayers, and to forecast the precise timings of sunset and sunrise for fasting during Ramadan, spurred major advances in astronomy by perfecting instruments such as the astrolabe. The importance of cleanliness, coupled with the urge to heal the sick, were incentives for major advances in medicine. “So why we have forgotten the vast contributions of Islamic scientists and thinkers?”, Al-Khalili pondered. Whilst we champion the work of Galileo, Kepler and Newton we still need reminding about earlier influencers such as Al-Biruni, Al-Tusi and Ibn Al-Shatir who had an impact on the work of Copernicus. Similarly, Ibn al-Haytham articulated the scientific method long before Descartes, Al-Khalili emphasised. Whilst Al-Khalili confessed that science could be regarded as a form of ideology, he argues science is substantiated through the mechanisms of experimentation and reproducibility rather than relying on “blind faith”. Whilst individual scientists may carry personal bias, dogma or have vested interests, the process of science itself is self-correcting. He admitted this isn’t always the case when it comes to daily practice. For example, string theory is still a mathematical game rather than a bona fide theory as we don’t yet have a testable way to verify it. In his opinion, we should keep searching for answers – it is intellectually lazy to not investigate further. And what if science proves religious dogma to be incorrect? The heliocentric theory and understanding of evolution have already made previous concepts about the world redundant. “If science conclusively proves something to be true then the preceding religious dogma would have to change”, Sardar conceded .“But the point is, science doesn’t necessarily come up with final answers. Much like religion, science is open to constant revision and reinterpretation”, he argued. Sardar is alarmed by non-rational Islamists advocating worldviews that go against the grain of science. “I find the dawn of creationism in the Muslim world astonishing: historically Muslims were never creationists,” he lamented, referring to the work of Al-Jahiz and Ibn Tufail who wrote extensively on spontaneous generation and pre-Darwinian concepts. Sardar presented the notion that the early Muslim community had enough self-conviction to co-exist successfully in a plural society, but that over time this self-confidence became eroded as a more rigid form of Islam took hold. “Dogmatic people dislike uncertainty” observed Sardar, who further suggested that the outlawing of ijtihad (critical reasoning) spelt the end of Islam’s Golden Age. Al-Ghazali was portrayed as the main party-pooper: he launched a devastating attack on Aristotelian rationalism following a personal crisis of faith. Ironically, this came after being upheld as the beacon of philosophical thought in his earlier years. Caliphs who were initially great patrons of scholarship gradually became increasingly conservative and closed their gates to free thinkers. As Sardar described it, the final nail in the coffin was falling into clutches of western colonialism. This was enabled by European seafaring nations who discovered new territories in 1492 CE and thereby secured unlimited access to human and mineral resources. This provided the cash flow to fund scientific research back home in Europe. Whilst Al-Khalili suggested that having a spirit of adventure and engaging in quests to uncover the unknown could be seen as virtues, Sardar was unconvinced, and argued that the values of western Enlightenment had disastrous effects for the people in the “New World”, who were not encountered with mutual respect: “We must not forget that most philosophers of the Enlightenment were deeply racist and perceived alien cultures, including Islam, as inferior.” Historians currently conclude the Islamic golden age of science began to decline during the 12th Century but this stance ignores the major contributions made during the Ottoman Empire up until the 14th Century. In Sardar’s opinion, Ibn Khaldun was the last great scholar of the age; he died in 1406 CE. But what is the state of contemporary science in the Islamic world today? Al-Khalili acknowledged we need to be concerned about the rise of anti-scientism in certain parts of the world. Whilst some are suspicious of science as a form of authority, there is also a universal race to be world-class leaders in science and innovation. However, Sardar believes such initiatives in the Arabian Peninsula rely on imported labour and imitate research already happening in the west. On highlighting developments in the Gulf in particular, Sardar warned that having “money and no brains” is a dangerous combination: it’s easy to order new buildings and research labs, but unless these are accompanied by a sustained spirit of rational enquiry this kind of movement is vulnerable to crumble. Sardar sees himself as part of a vehicle trying to recreate rational discourse in Islam. Through hosting fellowship programmes and publishing the Critical Muslim journal via the Muslim Institute he founded, Sardar is endeavouring to cultivate a critical mass of freethinkers who can influence positive change. While this may be feasible in Britain, it’s much harder for those living in Muslim nations today to ask intelligent questions without major repercussions. Al-Khalili hopes to see debates on evolution happening in the Middle East, which would signal a genuine rekindling of rational thought. A previous debate on evolution in the UK did generate some groundbreaking discussion, but this initiative has not been sustained on the same scale. Rather than indulging in adversarial polemics, the event succeeded in facilitating lively yet complex dialogue to a riveted audience of 400 Humanists and Muslims. During the three years of Al-Khalili’s presidency of the BHA, he has proved himself to be an effective agent of intercultural dialogue. I hope the next president will continue on this track. Yasmin Khan is the producer of Sindbad Sci-Fi. Follow her on Twitter @Ya5min_BL This article was changed on 9 November to reflect the transcripted version of Jim Al-Khalili’s comments about his atheism.
In honor of the 60th anniversary of Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” National Book Award-winning author Don DeLillo answered some of Grantland’s questions about writing, baseball, and the historic 1951 New York Giants-Brooklyn Dodgers Game 3 that ended with Thomson’s home run. The prologue to DeLillo’s novel Underworld is set at Game 3, and an excerpt of that prologue is available here. Can you explain how Underworld came together? The prologue was first published as a novella, “Pafko at the Wall,” in Harper’s Magazine in 1992, but Underworld wasn’t released until 1997. When you wrote Pafko were you already planning to use that scene as the beginning of a long novel? More Grantland Q&As Click here for all of our interviews with fascinating people from the worlds of sports and pop culture. One day in October 1991, I learned from a newspaper story that this day marked the fortieth anniversary of a famous baseball game played in New York, in the old Polo Grounds, Giants vs. Dodgers. The event was located somewhere at the far reaches of memory, mine and many other people’s. But some lingering aura persisted and finally sent me to the library, where I discovered news that startled me: on that same October day, the U.S. government announced that the Soviet Union had recently exploded an atomic bomb. The two events seemed oddly matched, at least to me, two kinds of conflict, local and global rivalries. In time I went to work on what I believed would be a long story and at some point well into the enterprise I began to suspect that the narrative of the ballgame and the atomic test wanted to be extended — well into the last decades of the Twentieth Century. I was eager to make the leap. When I was working on the novel, I decided that each part’s title would derive from an already existing cultural artifact — painting, book, film, musical composition, etc. So I exchanged “Pafko at the Wall”, now the novel’s prologue, for the title of a Bruegel painting referred to in the text — “The Triumph of Death.” Do you remember where you were on October 3, 1951, during Game 3? Were you a Dodgers or Giants fan (or Yankees, since you’re from the Bronx)? What do you recall about the pennant race, that game, Bobby Thomson’s home run, and the feeling in New York that day? I was at the dentist’s office. Dr. Fish. Crotona Avenue in the Bronx. I was a Yankees fan and since they had already won the American league race, the game at the Polo Grounds was simply, from my viewpoint, a method of determining the Yankees’ opponent in the World Series. The radio was on in the dentist’s office and when Bobby Thomson hit his historic home run — “the shot heard ’round the world” — there was cheering in the office and the waiting room. I sat in the dentist’s chair trying to smile, my mouth tight with clamping devices. What made you choose that game as a moment to portray America on the cusp of the Cold War and the nuclear age? That playoff game occurred only six years after the end of World War II and at the beginning of the era to be known as the Cold War. In retrospect, it seemed to me wedged between significant world events as one of the last times in which people’s enormous joy brought them out into the streets to run and shout and climb lampposts (but not to set fire to automobiles or ransack appliance stores). The game, for Dodgers fans, constituted a wound so deep that it lingered through their lifetimes. Brooklyn’s collective memory still bears the image of [Ralph] Branca’s pitch to Thomson. The significance of baseball, more than other sports, lies in the very nature of the game — slow and spread out and rambling. It’s a game of history and memory, a kind of living archive. If you were going to write a novel of similar scope about post-Cold War America and begin it with a scene at a sporting event, what do you think it might be? To portray America over the past twenty years or so, I would think immediately of football, probably the Super Bowl in its sumptuous suggestion of a national death wish. The prologue to Underworld contains some memorable appearances from historical figures such as Frank Sinatra, J. Edgar Hoover, Jackie Gleason, and Toots Shor. Which of these characters did you most enjoy writing about? How is it different to construct a character whose life is already partly defined by history as opposed to one who is completely fictional? Do you prefer one over the other? Gleason, Hoover, Shor and Sinatra were vivid figures to set into the larger landscape of the ballgame and the nuclear test. But in the novel itself, it was Lenny Bruce who posed the serious challenge. His appearances of course are pure fiction and in the novel they served to trace the deep apprehensions of the Cuban Missile Crisis as experienced by one of society’s more notorious individuals. The test for me, of course, was to be funny in the way he might have been funny, with the danger of missiles flying into range at any hour or minute. I enjoyed the challenge and felt that Lenny’s voice was the urban and ethnic counterpart of the culture of the 1960s that was on the verge of being born. In your 1993 interview for The Paris Review, you described language this way: “… the sheer pleasure of making it and bending it and seeing it form on the page and hearing it whistle in my head.” This reminds me of sports, the feeling we get when we’re absorbed in the game and really playing well. Do you think sports and writing have some common, creative core? When the work is going well, it can reach a level of spontaneity and unpredictability that is exhilarating — but it doesn’t make the writer (not this writer anyway) pound the tabletop. It’s an interior sense of satisfaction that’s often so fleeting it can’t be relived (or even remembered) when the writer revisits the page in a more critical mood the next day or six months later. In the same interview, you say that writing “Pafko at the Wall” gave you more pleasure than any of your other writing until then. Was the process of writing the rest of Underworld as pleasurable? What made writing the prologue so enjoyable? Much of the pleasure derived from the fact that I’d grown up playing ball in the street and then in the playground and then on a field in the East Bronx that represented a plea for urban renewal. Of course I’d also followed the game on a major league level. The language and customs were deeply ingrained — a language, baseball’s, that is unique and detailed and native-born. This represents an interesting challenge for a fiction writer adapting the language to his particular contexts. When I spoke to a group of foreign translators about Underworld, I spent nearly a full day (of three days) exclusively on the idiom and syntax and rules of the game of baseball. They were interested but I think the language remained essentially Greek to them, except for the Greek translator; she didn’t know what it was. Fourteen years after Underworld was published and roughly 19 years after Harper’s first ran “Pafko at the Wall,” how has the way you look at both pieces of writing changed? Every so often I am asked to answer questions from translators and these glimpses of the novel tell me that my feelings about the book have deepened through the years. It seems more ambitious to me now than it did when I was working day to day: five years that now seem compressed into the folds and bends of daily routine. It seems new to me, filled with passages that I’d forgotten. I guess it’s the response of a man to the culture and literature of a country that never fails to be astonishing. CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXCERPT FROM THE PROLOGUE OF UNDERWORLD Previously from Rafe Bartholomew: Spoelstra in the Philippines Kobe Takes Manila; NBA Not Invited The YouTube Highlights NBA Draft A review of Classic Cavs: The Fifty Greatest Wins in Cleveland Cavaliers History
It sometimes surprises me that more folks who study religion full time don’t become atheists. It seems to me that any critically-minded exploration of religion, grappling with the details of faith and myth, would have to lead a person to, at the very least, some very serious questioning. That seems to have been the case for blogger Carly Jurica, whose minor in Biblical and Theological Studies began her journey away from acceptance of Christianity’s claims. “I was ending up with a lot of questions and very few solid answers,” she writes. Things really began to change for her when, after suffering her own traumas, and witnessing those of others, she found how empty the claims of God’s “goodness” sounded. Suddenly, the cop-out answers of “It’s all a part of his plan” and “He works in mysterious ways” just weren’t good enough anymore; it was time to be honest and say, “If there is a god and this is his plan, then it’s the fucking worst and most cruel plan he could have come up with. It sucks.” I decided to come at my reconstruction from a place of reason and began researching Jesus and the Bible from a historical standpoint. What I found blew away my life-long indoctrination in apologetics. For me, there wasn’t so much a straw that broke the camel’s back as there was a mountain dropped on the poor animal–a mountain of evidence pointing in the exact opposite direction of my entire life. Finally, as she attempted to make deeper sense of apologetics, she saw just how flimsy faith’s foundations really are: Did you arrive at your nonbelief in a similar way? Did a better understanding of a former religion make it easier or more obvious to reject?
Photo by Nicole Nodland Courtney Love recently teased on Twitter that she'd be meeting Lana Del Rey in London and there would be "exciting news to come" later. Here's that news: beginning next May, Del Rey will hit the road with Love for her latest live venture, the "Endless Summer Tour". The North American outing kicks off May 5 in the Woodlands, TX, and will run through June 16; a full list of dates are below. Love had hinted previously in an interview that she'd like to collaborate with Lana or Miley Cyrus. Earlier this year, Courtney's daughter Frances Bean Cobain took issue with an interview Lana had done with The Guardian where the singer said, "I wish I was dead already." Cobain responded with a series of tweets emphasizing that "the death of young musicians isn't something to romanticize". Read our interview with Courtney Love. Read our Ordinary Machines column on Lana Del Rey, "Pretty When You Cry". Lana Del Rey: 05-07-15 The Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion * 05-09 Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion * 05-12 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre * 05-14 Phoenix, AZ - AkChin Pavilion * 05-16 Chula Vista, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheater * 05-18 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl * 05-20 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre * 05-22 Ridgefield, WA - Sleep Country Amphitheater * 05-28 Noblesville, IN - Klipsch Music Center 05-30 Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre 05-31 Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre 06-03 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre 06-04 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre 06-11 Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live 06-13 Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion 06-14 Atlanta, GA - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood 06-16 West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheater
Pop culture is nothing without its teen idols. Talent alone is often enough to turn the wheels on the mainstream bus; mix in youth and you have an intoxicating combination, one that can drive an entire generation into fits of screaming, crying, and #hashtags. Tennis is hardly immune to the charms of a Howitzer forehand and a hangdog face, lest we forget the Open Era exploded in popularity in the mid 70s, when a barely legal Bjorn Borg captured the first of his 11 Grand Slam titles. The Swede was Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in one, drawing in legions of fans with a cool refinement, wild blonde mane, and a domination of both sides of the English Channel. These days, teen idols are harder to find at the top of the ATP World Tour. Today’s trophies are truly won by men, and maturity – physical and emotional – is placed at a premium. The last decade has been defined by superhuman stamina and gross gentility; the matches have been classics, the combatants, classy. But there is a new wave teeming its way up to the shores. It is a generation spawned in the shadow of six-hour Slam finals, a brash bunch who grew up beneath the Golden Era of the men’s game, but lack the deference of its denizens. These boys aren’t content with accession; they want to usurp. The tennis world has seen hints of these fearless youngsters in the last twelve months. Teenagers like Borna Coric has already earned two Big 4 scalps in four months. Thanasi Kokkinakis has grabbed the spotlight on the game’s biggest stages, capturing a five-set thriller against Ernests Gulbis in front of a delighted home crowd at the Australian Open. Compatriot Nick Kyrgios has arguably been the most impressive of all, reaching two Grand Slam quarterfinals, all the while waving the flag for Generation Swag. Where the WTA Tour has depended on the seemingly endless supply of Russian talent, the men’s side has seen fewer spoils from the Golden Horde. Andrey Rublev was seven years old when Marat Safin won the Australian Open in 2005, and was hardly older than that when Nikolay Davydenko earned his career-high ranking of No. 3. Named after the iconic Russian painter, Rublev is the youngest of the next generation of ATP talent and, with his mop of strawberry blonde hair, looks more like Bieber than Borg. But the teenager looks to be no passing pop star. The Russian’s results were explosive as a junior, and is enjoying a steady, well-earned transition onto the senior circuit. Son of a former boxer turned restaurant mogul, the Youth Olympic bronze medalist fell for the game at an early age, due in large part to his mother, tennis coach Marina Marenko. “He had a lot of toys, stuffed animals, a soccer ball, but his favorite toys were the racket and tennis ball,” Marenko reminisced in 2013. The childhood coach of Daria Gavilova could well be Russia’s answer to Judy Murray, imparting everything she knew on a son who would grow up to play professionally. “All my life she was teaching,” Rublev said. Like since I was born I had a racket.” Rublev began playing ITF junior tournaments at 13, showing off a prowess for singles and doubles before his true breakthrough came in the winter of 2013, when he reached the final of the prestigious Eddie Herr International – falling in a final set tiebreak. The Russian seamlessly moved from green clay to red a few months later, capping a 16-3 record during last year’s European clay swing with his first junior Grand Slam at Roland Garros. “This win proves that I’m doing the right thing and that I need to carry on the same way,” he said after becoming the first Russian to win the boy’s title in nearly 40 years. Carry on, he did; Rublev went on to win Roehampton a few weeks later, and partner good friend Stefan Kozlov to reach the final of the Wimbledon boy’s doubles event. With a game for all surfaces, Rublev moves well from the back of the court, eager to find openings with his forehand. Top seed at last year’s US Open, the Russian lost an entertaining three-setter to America’s Francis Tiafoe, and hung up his junior career after getting the chance to play with childhood idol, Rafael Nadal. Billion people love him. Big honor for me to work with Rafael Nadal together this week. @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/uPFdmx5cO5 — Andrey Rublev (@AndreyRublev97) September 18, 2014 “He had a few advices for me. The big one was keep working hard. Yes, I know I need to keep working harder.” Resolved to conquer the ATP Tour, the youngster won his first main draw match in Delray Beach. Weeks later, he won his second in Miami, joining Kokkinakis and Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka to make up the first trio of teens to reach the second round of an ATP event in over seven years. Nearly a year removed from his French Open victory, Rublev finds himself back on clay, in Barcelona – Nadal’s home tournament – and playing another Spaniard in Fernando Verdasco in the first round. From a break down in the opening set, the young Russian showed off stellar agility and anticipation, cutting off the former Top 10 player’s would-be winners and cracking a few of his own to win the tiebreak. With his mother watching from the stands, Rublev hit through cramps and a late bout with nerves to close out Verdasco in straight sets, though his football-inspired celebrations evidently rubbed the veteran the wrong way. For a career win, the Russian was as subdued as one could expect, though Marenko could be seen shedding a few tears from the sidelines. But there is an irony in Verdasco rolling his eyes at one unwilling to wait his turn. The ATP’s next generation seems largely unconcerned with winning beautifully; they want to win big. Rublev’s youth may preclude him from idol status, but he is undoubtedly a teen to watch. The Basics DOB: 10/20/1997 Hand: Right (two-handed backhand) ATP Titles: None (4 ITF Futures) Career High Rank: No. 328 (3/02/2015) Best Slam Result: Champion (French Open Boy’s Singles, 2014) Biggest Win: Fernando Verdasco (No. 37, Barcelona 2015) Best Quote: “…Sometimes there is this crazy point where you show your emotion; Ronaldo also does that, but no one says he is being disrespectful.” Advertisements
Also in Slate, Jack Shafer says that Obama is not a plagiarist, and Emily Bazelon analyzes the exit poll data regarding Hillary Clinton and white voters. Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton has been calling Barack Obama a plagiarist. Now she can call him a thief. Obama won the Wisconsin primary by stealing support from blue-collar workers, previously a key Clinton bloc. If Clinton was to survive the string of February losses, it was going to be by holding on to what her chief strategist, Mark Penn, has called her “durable coalition.” White women, Latinos, and older voters would be unmoved by Obama’s flash. No group was more crucial to the Penn argument than blue-collar voters. Clinton aides argued that not only were they bedrock Democratic voters for Clinton, but they had an aversion to Obama. “How can the Democratic nominee win without working people?” asked a top Clinton adviser recently. In Wisconsin, according to exit polls, Obama placed ahead of Clinton among those who make less than $50,000 a year and those with less than a college education. He has now won working-class white men in Wisconsin, Missouri, New Hampshire, California, Maryland, and Virginia. Obama also ate into Clinton’s usual margin with white women voters. (Even if exit polls are tweaked in the coming hours and Clinton winds up with a narrow edge among these groups, Obama will still have won sizable support in areas where Clinton was supposed to be strongest.) And his double-digit victory came without the help of a sizable number of black votes, which Clinton allies had previously cited as a caveat to his victories in other states. The blue-collar votes are important, because Clinton is banking on them for her comeback in the primaries of Ohio in early March and Pennsylvania in April. They also matter because as the two candidates make the pitch to superdelegates, who will determine the nominee, it becomes harder for Clinton to argue that Obama will have a tough general election because his reach is somehow limited. He is not just the boutique fascination of young people and wealthy elites. He has now won in every key geographical area and across racial and gender lines. The Wisconsin result also gives us hints that Obama won’t easily be knocked off track. For the last week, Clinton and her aides have upped their charge that Obama is nothing more than pretty talk. A week ago, Clinton started running ads criticizing Obama for not debating. He’d rather give speeches, she said. As primary day neared, Clinton’s staff pushed the claim that Obama was a plagiarist. None of it seemed to dent his momentum. The competition for the next phase of the campaign started as soon as the results were in. Clinton, speaking in Youngstown, Ohio, launched a string of attacks against Obama that didn’t seem to stir the audience. It is often the custom for the winner to wait for the loser to finish speaking, but watching Clinton’s attacks on television, the Obama camp sent its man out a little early. The cable channels switched to his speech and dropped Clinton, as Obama’s people knew they would. “I guess cable just likes winners,” said a top Obama aide, coyly.
Binge watching TV and movies has become a cultural phenomenon thanks to services like Netflix (NFLX), Hulu and Amazon Prime Video (AMZN). As new consumption habits continue to emerge, so have the traditional means of employing them. Sporting events, live concerts and the news remain the backbone of television networks, which many video services such as Netflix have generally not replicated. Other services such as Hulu's and YouTubeTV's have begun to offer live TV streaming services in conjunction with their video services. However, the convenience of viewing your favorite program at your own leisure on any device makes these video streaming services a mainstay for modern consumers. Video services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video offer a large library of television programs and movies that have already aired or premiered in theaters, allowing consumers to view programs they had previously missed. Contractual agreements with major networks let these services distribute past and current seasons of popular television programs. Similarly, major networks have formed their own platforms for reaching consumers through digital technology. (AT&T's HBO, for example, offers HBO GO and HBO Now through a variety of distribution channels.) Currently, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video operate in the same industry with extensive libraries that often overlap. However, the foundation, financials and business models differentiate these three popular services. Netflix Since its founding in 1997, Netflix has been widely recognized as the premium distribution-to-consumer channel for video services. However, Netflix did not launch streaming services until 2007 and instead operated in direct competition with Blockbuster’s rental services. Netflix’s initial business model challenged brick-and-mortar Blockbusters by offering online movie rentals for a low, monthly subscription. As technology and video services evolved through the early 2000s Netflix recognized an opportunity to tap an undiscovered market. By 2007, Netflix doubled as a DVD rental and video streaming service. Netflix customers can now access video streaming services through major game consoles, internet-enabled TV’s, mobile devices, Apple TV (AAPL), Roku, Chromecast and any other product that supports Netflix apps. Failing to adapt to the evolving landscape of digital technology, Blockbuster was unable to remain an industry leader and closed all brick-and-mortar locations in the U.S. Netflix continues its industry supremacy with 137 million current subscribers and annual revenue exceeding $11.6 billion. The continued growth of Netflix can be attributed to its ability to adapt to the changing environment of both the video streaming and the cable industries. As new competitors entered the video streaming space, Netflix differentiated its service by offering access to original Netflix programs. Award-winning series, including "Stranger Things, “House of Cards” and “Ozark” further Netflix's efforts to differentiate and innovate from traditional video streaming. Hulu While Netflix initially began as a DVD rental service, Hulu’s business model was established as a video streaming service founded by The Walt Disney Company (DIS), Comcast (CMCSA) and Twenty-First Century Fox (FOX) to satiate consumer demand for web-based content. Hulu currently offers a basic service for 5.99/month for the first year, a premium service without commercials for $11.99/month and a service that includes live TV for $39.99 per month. Unlike Netflix, Hulu is structured to source revenue from monthly subscribers and on-screen advertisements. In an attempt to replicate the cable industry, Hulu distributes videos from major networks. With over 20 million subscribers, Hulu’s current business model, in contrast to that of Netflix, supplements cable television rather than replace it. Amazon Prime Video The largest e-commerce company in the United States, Amazon’s (AMZN) entry into video streaming is no surprise. The company rebranded its video services as Prime Video in 2018 and Amazon Prime members have access to a large library of movies and TV shows. Closely replicating Netflix, Prime Video offers instant streaming on Amazon products, major game consoles, set-top boxes and devices supporting the Amazon app. Users of Amazon’s video service can download video content to watch when internet connections are unavailable. Amazon expanded its library with content from HBO. Prime members can view recent shows like “Game of Thrones” and “Sharp Objects,” or watch classics such as “The Sopranos.” They have also started producing their own original content including the award-winning "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and "Transparent." Net Neutrality While each company attempts to differentiate its services, internet service providers have demanded additional fees in lieu of slowing content delivery to consumers. In particular, Netflix has pioneered the movement for net neutrality. Net neutrality is the concept that data on the internet should be treated equally. Some political groups insist that internet users should bear the costs for data-heavy videos provided by Netflix and other video streaming services. In addition to internet and video service subscriptions, users would be subject to possible increased fees from internet service providers. Continued net neutrality will provide video distribution channels consistent profits moving forward. The Bottom Line As the binge-watching culture continues to grow, consumers are offered a variety of video-on-demand services to satiate their viewing needs. Netflix, the undisputed leader, boasts a robust market share, currently operates as a subscription-based service and offers video streaming starting at $7.99 per month. With original content and a robust library, Netflix remains on top of video on demand. Conversely, Hulu operates in support of major cable networks. Offering both free and premium services, Hulu generates revenue through on-screen advertising, premium Hulu Plus subscriptions, and Hulu's Live TV services.
ISABEL CATALÃOResearchers in Portugal studying a rare type of hybrid fish in the Ocreza River have found an individual that is the exact genomic match to his father. While such androgenesis—the reproduction of a male with no female genetic component—occurs in some non-vertebrates and has been induced in vertebrates artificially, today’s report (May 24) in Royal Society Open Science is the first known description of a vertebrate reproducing this way in the wild. “I was very surprised,” said Miguel Morgado-Santos, a graduate student at the University of Lisbon in Portugal who co-authored the study. “I thought maybe it was a mistake and we had captured the father.” But, when the researchers examined the animal’s mitochondrial DNA, which can only be inherited from the mother’s egg, they found that it differed from the father’s. “So, it was definitely an androgenetic individual,” he said. “Although [androgenesis] is very rare, there are a number of species out there that do this and . . . it is interesting that people have found it now in a vertebrate,” said evolutionary biologist Laura Ross of the University of Edinburgh who was not involved in the study. While the females of many species, including some vertebrates, are well known to be able to reproduce themselves without any input from a male—a process called parthenogenesis—“for a long time, biologists thought that clonal reproduction by males was impossible as they are not able to have babies,” said Ross. However, there are now known to be a handful of species—certain types of ants and fresh water clams, for example—where the “males basically use a surrogate mum to clone themselves,” she said. Because there are so few examples of androgenesis, it is not always clear how the phenomenon arises. However, in some species the males are thought to produce sperm with twice the normal genetic content (diploid), and the genetic content of the egg is either absent or eliminated after fertilization. Alternatively, it’s possible that a normal sperm (haploid) can fertilize an egg with either an absent or eliminated genome and the male genome then replicates, or that two sperm can co-fertilize a genome-less egg. Which, if any, of these occurred in the fish is unknown, said Morgado-Santos. “In a lot of these cases,” Ross said, “these bizarre types of reproduction seem to have arisen by two closely related species hybridizing at some point in their evolutionary history and something going really, really wrong with reproduction.” Hybridization often results in unmatched chromosome numbers, and consequent sterility of the offspring, she explained, so in essence the reproductive quirks provide a workaround. Indeed, the fish that is the subject of the new research—Squalius alburnoides—is the result of a natural hybridization event between another fish, Squalius pyrenaicus, and a now extinct species of the lineage Anaecypris hispanica. Members of S. alburnoides are an assorted mix of diploids, triploids and tetrapoids, meaning they carry different combinations and copy numbers of the two genomes of the originator species, explained Morgado-Santos. He and colleagues had been studying an isolated population of S. alburnoides in the hopes of figuring out the complexities of reproduction in these strange fish when, by chance, they found a male offspring that was an exact genomic replica of its father. Although the event was clearly rare—just one offspring out of 261 analyzed—“even at a low proportion,” Morgado-Santos said, “this process could be important for hybrid speciation”—the emergence of a new species from the hybrid. Indeed, said Tanja Schwander, who studies the evolution of reproductive systems at the University of Lausanne, “we don’t know how these strange reproductive systems evolve . . . and what the steps are from normal sexual reproduction to these unusual systems. These rare spontaneous cases could be a route.” “Maybe they could increase [in frequency] gradually and then be coopted into obligate androgenesis,” she suggested, which would genetically isolate the male lineage and create a new species. Asexual reproduction is ultimately a risky strategy for a species, as it reduces variation, which might explain the rarity of androgenesis in nature. “In the long term many of these species would go extinct,” Schwander said, but after all, “evolution doesn’t work with foresight.” From one isolated androgenic event in S. alburnoides it is unclear how important this reproductive method is to these fish, but nonetheless, said Schwander, “It’s nice that [because of this paper] people will pay more attention to unusual reproductive modes . . . There are a lot more of them than one would think, but people just tend to ignore them.” M. Morgado-Santos et al., “First empirical evidence of naturally occurring androgenesis in vertebrates,” R Soc Open Sci, 4:170200, 2017.
What are you doing for National Honey Bee Day this year? It’s coming up soon. Share your own plans or events in the comments section below. August 19, 2017 is officially “National Honey Bee Day” in the USA. Every year around the country, bee clubs and bee lovers gather together for education, outreach, fun activities and honey bee advocacy in celebration of the honey bee. In the year of 2010, Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, Thomas J. Vilsack, declared the first official day called “Honey Bee Awareness Day”. The mission of the organization behind the creation of National Honey Bee Day is: Promotion and advancement of beekeeping. Educate the public to honey bees and beekeeping. Make the public aware of environmental concerns affecting honey bees Since then, organizations and individuals have been gathering to celebrate every year. One such example of this is taking place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this year at the Milwaukee County Zoo in cooperation with the company, Beepods. As explained on their website, the National Honey Bee Day event will consist of their beekeepers hosting a hive-side demonstration with live honey bees to show how bees work and the role bees play with pollination and the food we eat. At this particular event, there will even bee presentations throughout the day that zoo visitors can attend to see if beekeeping might be a suitable hobby for them. Beepods has put together a Facebook event where Wisconsinites (and the general public) can RSVP to show their interest.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Count Norv Turner as a former employee of the Cleveland Browns since he will soon become the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. Turner will join first-time head coach Mike Zimmer. Turner, writes Zach Kruse of The Bleacher Report, will help ease Zimmer's transition from assistant to head coach. Turner can provide Zimmer all the guidance and advice he could ever need to successfully transition to his new role. But Turner's biggest impact will certainly come from leading and developing the Vikings' new offense. As a coordinator and head coach, Turner has led 10 different offenses into the top 10 in scoring production. He once helped the Dallas Cowboys become the league's second-highest scoring offense from 1991 to 1993, and the San Diego Chargers ranked at least fifth or better in points for five straight seasons (2007-2011) when he was their head coach. Kruse writes how it's bogus to think Turner is a pass-first play-caller because he has a storied history of getting the most out of the running back position. Kruse adds how five times a Turner-coached running back has won the league's rushing title; Emmitt Smith did it three times, along with Ricky Williams and LaDainian Tomlinson. Overall, his offenses have been in the top 10 in rushing attempts seven times and in the top 11 for rushing yards 13 times. So having Adrian Peterson is a plus. But Turner's biggest challenge in Minnesota will be developing the quarterback position, something Leslie Frazier and former offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave failed to do over the last three seasons. More Browns and NFL news Davone Bess continues to find trouble (Cleveland.com). Browns will interview Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator (Cleveland.com). Cleveland Browns coaching update (Cleveland.com). John Elway doesn't want Adam Gase to leave to coach the Browns (Ohio.com). Seattle Seahawks will feed the beast (Seattle Times). Bill Belichick can match Peyton Manning's high football IQ (Denver Post). New England Patriots must maintain tempo (Boston Herald). San Francisco 49ers must avoid turnovers in Seattle (SFGate.com). Championships don't get any better than this (CBSSports.com). Scott Fujita writes how the Vikings made a great hire (Fox Sports).
This was the year the Deep Web went mainstream. Edward Snowden’s disclosures about the NSA’s mass surveillance programs started an ongoing conversation about what it means to be anonymous on the Internet. The meteoric rise and ultimate fall of Silk Road cast a new light on the role of technology in the war on drugs. And Bitcoins turn toward international acceptance has put its most notorious customers in the spotlight. For the the anonymous Internet, there’s never been a year quite like this one. Here are the people—or groups—who made it happen, for better or worse. 1) Dread Pirate Roberts, captain of the Silk Road Ross Ulbricht, the man the FBI claims is Silk Road founder Dread Pirate Roberts, is sitting in a Brooklyn jail facing a trial that will decide the rest of his life. What he did in 2013 changed the way we think about the war on drugs. Silk Road, the Deep Web black market, was launched in 2011. By 2013, it was experiencing unprecedented growth. An an anonymous figurehead, Roberts presided over the most successful and sympathetic challenge to federal and international laws that the Internet has ever seen. At least, it was sympathetic for a while. Today, Ulbricht stands accused of four murder plots, among the other major charges. The trial, which will kick off in earnest in 2014, will bring the Deep Web square into the spotlight in an unprecedented fashion. 2) Dread Pirate Roberts II, the heir apparent Dread Pirate Roberts was so influential that his followers enthusiastically took up his mantle, adopted his name, and followed his every footstep. The new Roberts aimed to avoid the security mistakes that ultimately brought down the original marketplace, founding a new Silk Road that quickly became one of the most talked-about black markets on the Deep Web, even as its top competitors crumbled. Over the last week, it appears that the new Dread Pirate Roberts has gone into hiding, abondaning the market, after three of his top lieutenants were arrested. But unlike its predecssor, the new Silk Road will live on. A new leader has already emerged thanks to detailed contingency plans made to avoid the panic that struck the original site. Due in large part to the leadership of DPR II and his staff, the new Silk Road is a hydra: Cut off the head and a new one will grow back in its place. 3) Backopy, the honest anonymous tycoon Once upon a time, there were two lions of the Deep Web world of black markets: Dread Pirate Roberts was loud, charismatic, and at times cultish. Backopy, the man who founded Black Market Reloaded just a few months after Silk Road, was quiet, independent, and smart. Backopy’s market was smaller but still made six-figure profits for much of its existence. Guns were Black Market Reloaded’s speciality, setting it apart from Silk Road, and one of the distinguishing features that made Backopy a muted icon of the Deep Web. When Silk Road went down, the spotlight moved to Black Market Reloaded. Backopy was trusted, his market was time-tested, and the wares were good. Backopy and the vendors likely made millions in the course of that month. The post-Silk Road chaos in the Deep Web eventually took its toll. Black Market Reloaded was proven to be insecure. However, unlike other Deep Web owners, Backopy never did wrong by his patrons. He insured any stolen money and gave weeks to withdraw funds after announcing that Black Market Reloaded would be shut down due to security concerns. Few people know Backopy’s politics, fewer know the man himself, but most everyone who came into contact with him believe he’s honest, which is a rarity in anonymous realms. 4) OptimusCrime, proprietor of your criminal superstore OptimusCrime runs HackBB, one of the top hacking and identity theft markets online. If you’d like to buy stolen credit cards, fake documents, or no-strings-attached bank accounts, HackBB is your criminal superstore. Hackers and thieves can learn to rig ATMs to take down card information or built a network of zombie computers to mine Bitcoin. So much money runs through HackBB that it’s a regular target for hackers and scammers. In March, one of those aggressors succeeded in emptying HackBB’s accounts and completing what was, up until that point, the most lucrative heist in Deep Web history. HackBB suffered multiple attacks through this summer. Today, however, the website has slowly returned to its full glory as the most popular hacking Deep Web site. The criminals are buzzing about HackBB, and the profits are flowing to OptimusCrime. 5) Eric Eoin Marques, t he alleged owner of Freedom Hosting More than just a place to buy drugs, Silk Road symbolizes resistance to the worldwide war on drugs. Dread Pirate Roberts was almost a folk hero among his customers. Contrast that with Freedom Hosting, the Deep Web hosting service that enabled massive child pornography websites to thrive. Freedom Hosting, run by an anonymous creator who the FBI says is Irishman Eric Eoin Marques, also hosted important Deep Web institutions like TorMail, the secure and popular encrypted email service. Silk Road vendors made millions using TorMail as a bulwark against police action. When Marques was arrested on Aug. 3, as many as half of all Tor hidden services ceased to exist. It was, for better or worse, the end of an era. 6) The Czech, the great con Sheep Marketplace launched in early 2013 as yet another alternative to buying drugs from Silk Road. The site took a long time to gain any traction. It wasn’t until Silk Road wfell that potential customers and vendors checked out Sheep Marketplace. The nameless owner promised to fix up the market to accommodate the new migrants. To the new owners, it became obvious at some point that a scam would be much safer and more profitable than running a black market business long term. The Czech owner, whose location we can surmise from a series of security issues that plagued the market, began to lay the groundwork for his plan. A group of other Czech vendors were in on it too and began to collect as much money as possible before the gig was up. Finally, early this month, the site stopped allowing users to withdraw money.All 96,000 bitcoins—worth $95 million at the time—were gone. That’s the kind of money that can get people killed. There had been a handful of big Deep Web scams before Sheep Marketplace, and people will continue to scam for a long time to come. But it’ll likely be a long time before anyone collects as much wealth in one fell swoop. 7) ZZZ Every other person on this list accesses the Deep Web using Tor, the anonymity software used by Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Dread Pirate Roberts, and more. ZZZ heads a project to build an alternative: the Invisible Internet Project, known as I2P. I2P, which boasts about 30,000 active users, is similar in many ways to Tor. However, I2P offers several unique benefits over Tor and, if necessary, can actually be used on top of Tor for an added layer of anonymity. Under ZZZ’s guidance, the project has seen over 100-percent growth over the last year. As numerous major Tor websites are taken down by police, more and more Deep Web users are turning to I2P to supplement their anonymous surfing with Tor or to replace Tor altogether. Don’t get the wrong impression: There’s little in the way of competition. I2P developers believe that a rising tide lifts all ships: Tor and I2P are both fighting together to create a better anonymous Internet. Update: Shortly after this story published, ZZZ reached out to us on Twitter expressing concern over his inclusion in a list otherwise full of criminals, and asked that we remove his name. Indeed, we want to emphasize that there is nothing remotely criminal about ZZZ’s work. He’s one of the most important programmers working on anti-censorship software today and his impact is such that omitting him from this list would go against our better judgement. ZZZ isn’t the only “non-criminal” having an impact on the Deep Web. But the people who use the Deep Web for other purposes, such as journalists and activists, tend to leave no trail. Criminals have a financial incentive to make a name and build a brand. As such, it’s important to emphasize that some of the most important and beneficial work conducted on the Deep Web is untrackable and unsearchable—as it was meant to be. 8) The mayor of Lolita City, the pedophile king To the surprise of no one, the biggest collection of child pornography ever assembled resided on the Deep Web. It was called Lolita City. Although the site went down in early August when Freedom Hosting was seized by law enforcement, its contents are still available for download and its owner is still in possession of an unthinkable collection of illegal pornography. Lolita City has been the target of outside attacks for years. In 2011, the hacktivist collective Anonymous famously took it down, garnering glowing headlines. It was an empty victory. By 2013, Lolita City boomed to 15,000 members and 1.3 million images and videos with more being uploaded every few minutes. It had never been so easy to access so much child porn. Unlike the unnamed pedophile forum also on this list, this was a porn website, not a support forum. And it was the biggest of its kind. On the Deep Web, many people are waiting for its return. 9) Loera and Vladimir, owners of the best drug marketplace that never was Launched in March 2013 and doing $500,000 in business by June, Atlantis approached the black market business like a startup. It added auto-encryption to its website to aid easy security, lowered prices, invested in stability, and engaged in a playfully aggressive war of words with Silk Road, the market dominating the industry at the time. In June, the owners launched a minute-long commercial that shocked the world with its slick production values. On Sept. 20, about one week before the FBI shut down Silk Road and arrested Ross Ulbricht, Atlantis’s executives announced they were shutting down due to “security concerns outside of our control.” Despite Atlantis’s Silicon Valley startup approach to the industry, they weren’t making a dent in Silk Road’s profits. Still, it had a loyal customer base. If it had stuck around for a few more months, there’s little doubt it would have become the de facto king of Deep Web black markets once Silk Road shut down. Instead, Atlantis got out unscathed. The question of whether they knew about Silk Road’s impending doom has been asked over and over again. We’ll never know the specifics, but it seems clear Atlantis knew something. Illustration by Jason Reed
A police officer will face prosecution over allegations he assaulted a 15-year-old black teenager who was handcuffed in the custody area of a London police station shortly after last summer's riots. Joe Harrington, a Metropolitan police constable, is to be charged with assault "occasioning actual bodily harm" over allegations he attacked Terelle Ferguson, now 16, at Forest Gate police station. The decision to charge the officer was announced by the Crown Prosecution Service, which had previously decided there was no realistic prospect of prosecution in the case. Alison Saunders, the chief crown prosecutor for London, said it was regrettable that prosecutors previously came to the wrong conclusion in the case. "I hope the seriousness with which the CPS has taken this matter gives the public confidence that we are an organisation which will review our decisions, openly accept when we've got them wrong and then take the correct course of action," she said. The complaint against Harrington, first reported in the Guardian, was one of 13 alleged racism cases identified by the Met in recent weeks. However, there was no suggestion in the CPS announcement that there was any racial dimension to Harrington's prosecution. The decision to prosecute Harrington is the second time in a month the CPS has reversed a decision not to prosecute a police officer. Saunders said: "In February this year, the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was insufficient evidence to charge PC Joseph Harrington in relation to an alleged assault on a young man in custody in August 2011. "The incident was investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, with CPS involvement beginning in November 2011. The IPCC gave summaries of interviews to the CPS in February, and in the same month the CPS decided that there was no realistic prospect of conviction in the matter. "Grace Ononiwu, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London, directed in April that there should be a new review of this case after concerns were raised with CPS London. That review is now complete and I have decided that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction to charge PC Harrington with assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to section 47 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861." She added: "Occasionally, a new look at a prosecution decision shows that the wrong view of the evidence was taken. That is regrettable. In this case, the conclusion originally reached was not tenable on the available evidence. "When a review shows a previous decision not to prosecute is clearly wrong, it is open to the CPS to rectify that error by reconsidering the prosecution decision at chief crown prosecutor level. "As chief crown prosecutor for London, I have taken the decision in this case that not only is there sufficient evidence to provide for a realistic prospect of conviction, and that a prosecution is required in the public interest, but that a prosecution is necessary in order to maintain confidence in the criminal justice system. "That is the test I must apply under the code for crown prosecutors when reinstituting a prosecution. It is clear that the allegation of using excessive force on a handcuffed 15-year-old in custody is a serious matter." Saunders said she had advised the IPCC to summons Harrington. She added: "All parties have now been informed. Can I please remind all concerned that PC Harrington is to be prosecuted for a criminal offence and has a right to a fair trial. It is very important that nothing is said, or reported, which could prejudice his trial. Proceedings are now active."
Nothing unites Democrats like Social Security. No program has worked so well, for so many, for so long. But what about making changes to Social Security? Well, that’s harder. On Thursday, my colleague Lori Montgomery reported that “Democrats are sharply divided over whether to tackle popular but increasingly expensive safety-net programs for the elderly, particularly Social Security.” They shouldn’t be. I’m on record saying Social Security is the last place in the federal government we should look for cuts. It’s a lean, efficient program that, if anything, is too spartan. In 2009, the average monthly benefit was slightly more than $1,000 — hardly lavish. That makes it one of the stingiest national-pension programs in the developed world, actually. And once we finish phasing in the cuts passed in the ’80s, it’ll only replace about 31 percent of the average beneficiary’s income. In a time of underfunded 401(k)s and high unemployment, that’s just not enough for many retirees. Saying Social Security is too generous is like saying a Mini Cooper is too roomy. But the program’s problems don’t end there. It’s underfunded, ill-designed for certain features and facts of the modern world, and — probably most important — overused. Beyond Social Security, America’s retirement system is, in general, patchy and insufficient, which leaves retirees too reliant on Social Security. They then learn the hard way that the program is not what they’d hoped. We should do better. And we can. Gene Sperling is now the director of President Obama’s National Economics Council. But in 2005, he was just another Clintonista-in-exile with a desk at the Center for American Progress, watching in horror as the Bush administration tried to privatize the crown jewel of the New Deal. In response, he released his own proposal for “a true bipartisan agreement on Social Security reform that increases national savings, individual ownership and ultimately retirement security.” Perhaps predictably, Bush ignored it. Obama should not. Sperling correctly sees that there are two separate problems in our retirement system: Social Security has too little money, and so, too, do most retirees. Fixing the former, as it happens, is the easier task. Sperling suggests a 3 percent surcharge on all income over $200,000, which would wipe out half of Social Security’s shortfall. He suggests the rest could be made up through bipartisan agreement on benefits cuts or tax changes. A simpler solution perhaps would be to uncap the payroll tax that funds Social Security. Right now, income over $106,000 is protected, meaning someone making $80,000 pays payroll taxes on every dollar of income while someone making $1 million pays on barely one of every 10 dollars. Does that make sense to you? Yeah, me neither. Uncapping it would pretty much wipe out the shortfall on its own. Add in some changes to the benefit itself — perhaps benefits for the wealthy could grow more slowly, as they rely on it less — and you’re done. Social Security is fully funded. But Sperling then ventures beyond Social Security and into the broader world of retirement security. He suggests a universal 401(k) that would be layered on top of Social Security. Every American would get one, and for low-income Americans, the government would provide a 2-to-1 match for the first $2,000 every year, while moderate-income Americans would get a 1-to-1 match to the same amount. This would give families a strong incentive to start saving for retirement early and aggressively, all but ensuring that they approach old age with a substantial cushion. As he notes, you could more than pay for this by reinstating the estate tax on those worth multiple millions of dollars. If there’s a flaw in Sperling’s proposal, it’s that aside from closing the funding gap, he pretty much leaves Social Security alone. As Christian Weller, also of the Center for American Progress, points out in a new report, the program itself has developed flaws over time: It’s not set up to handle extreme old age, by which point many Americans have depleted their savings and need a bigger benefit to stay afloat; its rules for dealing with the divorced are archaic; the minimum benefit often leaves seniors beneath the poverty line; and the rich are a lot richer than when we last looked at how the program divides its payouts. Many of Weller’s reforms would complement Sperling’s by fixing these problems. Too often, however, the folks most resistant to reforming Social Security are also those most committed to its mission. Many of the program’s defenders are so concerned that conservatives will slash benefits — now or down the road — that they are afraid to open the pension plan to any reforms at all. I think they’re wrong. This country is better than that. A political party that tries to tell ordinary Americans their retirements are too secure and too long will quickly learn its lesson when the election rolls around. Poll after poll shows the vast unpopularity of cutting Social Security benefits, and Republicans can read those surveys as easily as Democrats can. A politician may as well burn a flag on the Capitol’s lawn. At the heart of Social Security is a simple vision: The richest country the world has ever known can guarantee its citizens a decent retirement. That’s vastly truer now than it was in 1935. Adjusting for inflation, our gross domestic product that year was $865 billion. In 2009, it was more than $12 trillion. And Social Security itself has proven an extraordinarily popular and efficient program. But today, the vision doesn’t just need to be defended. It needs to be completed.
Dorsey (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) Because of his value on special teams, receiver Kevin Dorsey was one of the last cuts as the Green Bay Packers got down to 53 players at the end of training camp. Now, Dorsey’s time has come. The Packers promoted him from the practice squad to the active roster on Monday. Usually, practice-squad promotions come because of an injury creating an opening on the roster. Dorsey’s case, however, was different. The Packers released four-year veteran Ryan Taylor to create a spot for Dorsey. “Kevin Dorsey has earned this opportunity,” coach Mike McCarthy said on Wednesday. “He was clearly a player coming out of training camp that I felt had put together a good body of work to make our 53, which we had a number of guys in that situation.” Dorsey’s value is on special teams. He spent most of training camp as a No. 1 on the kickoff, punt and punt return units, and he was in the mix as a kickoff returner. “Kevin Dorsey was probably one of our best special teams players during the preseason based on the way I saw it,” McCarthy said. “He improved throughout the preseason as a receiver, made some big-time catches. Just to get the consistency of the receiver position is something that he’ll continue to work on. Tough. Tough guy, tough-minded individual. He’s definitely somebody who’s earned this opportunity and I look for him to contribute Sunday.” Dorsey was a seventh-round pick last year who was stashed on injured reserve with a toe injury. While he couldn’t hold off Jeff Janis to be the fifth receiver in training camp this summer, he’ll land an immediate role on special teams with the opening created by the release of Taylor. “Happy for Kevin,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “Kevin is a guy who works really hard, he does a great job on special teams. I think that’s the direct route to the active roster for young players. He does such a good job of selling out on those teams and making a lot of plays. He’s a talented route-runner; he just hasn’t had a lot of opportunities. He was not healthy last year, but they kept him around because they saw some potential. He had a good training camp. That was a deep group; now he’s got an opportunity and he’s got to make the most of it.” .more-stories {margin:20px 0;} .more-stories a{display:block;width:100%; background:#efb900;height: 52px;text-align:center;line-height:44px;color:#202020; text-decoration:none;text-transform:uppercase;font-family:bebas_neue;font-size:20px;position:relative;overflow:hidden;letter-spacing:2px;-webkit-transition:all .15s ease-in;transition:all .2s ease-in;border:3px solid #efb900;}.more-stories a:hover{color:#fff;background:0 0;letter-spacing:3px;background:#121212;border:3px solid #121212;} @media (max-width: 600px) { .more-stories a {height:auto !important;line-height:1.4em;padding:10px;} } See what Packers fans are saying here
Police have arrested a 39-year-old man after he allegedly followed Taylor Swift's motorcade to the airport after her October concert at Circuit of the Americas in Austin. According to an affidavit obtained Thursday, on the night of Swift's performance, Oct. 22, police were dispatched to the Atlantic Aviation Fixed Base Operations at Austin Bergstrom International Airport where her personal plane was leaving from Austin. Swift was leaving with her father and mother when Frank Hoover allegedly arrived at the airport and was attempting to take a picture with Swift. Swift has previously placed a restraining order against Hoover, which means that he is not allowed within 500 feet of her. By the time officers got to the airport, Swift's plane had already left and Hoover was not arrested, according to his arrest warrant. Police later spoke with Swift's security, who said Hoover walked within 25 to 50 feet of the family's motorcade that night and talked to an employee inside FBO. That employee then called the security guard and told him that Hoover was asking questions that "seemed out of place." When the security guard went inside the airport, he said he found Hoover staring out the window at her plane. The security guard asked Hoover what he was doing there. Hoover allegedly said he was there to take a picture with Swift and "possibly accompany Taylor wherever she goes," the affidavit said. In addition to Hoover's attempted contact with Swift at the airport, the Austin Police Department learned that Hoover also sent about 30 "harassing emails" to Swift's father between Aug. 28 and Oct. 27. While most of the emails detailed his infatuation with Swift, he also allegedly wrote about topics such as "earthquakes, God, Satan's lies, forgiveness, job opportunities and partnership," the affidavit said. On Sept. 17, Hoover allegedly wrote Swift's father stating, "Without her, I walk the earth alone forever and she'll continue to experience failed relationships that break her heart." According to the affidavit, the emails "began escalating into threats." Hoover was arrested around 3 p.m. Thursday on a charge of repeated violation of a protective order, a third degree felony. He is being held on a $100,000 bond.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, with defense minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and head of the Russian army's main department of combat preparation Ivan Buvaltsev watching military exercises at Kirillovsky firing ground in the Leningrad region. Thomson Reuters Defense minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday he would not let anyone gain military superiority over Russia and that he would fulfill a plan to modernize the armed forces by 2020. Russia, hit by Western sanctions over Ukraine and a fall in oil prices, is expected to enter recession this year, but Shoigu said he would carry out the multibillion-dollar plan approved by President Vladimir Putin. "The task set by the president — to prevent (others') military superiority over Russia — will be fulfilled unconditionally," Interfax news agency quoted Shoigu as telling a Defense Ministry meeting. "For that, we plan to fulfill the government armament program and reach by 2020 the intended quantities of modern weapons systems," he added. Tensions between Russia and the West have risen over the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where the United States and Europe say Moscow is fueling an insurgency by sending in troops and weapons. Moscow denies this. Russia has criticized NATO expansion in eastern Europe, and Putin has accused the Ukrainian army, which is fighting pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, of being puppets of NATO with a policy of "containing" Russia. (Reporting by Thomas Grove, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
The U.S. Capitol was on lockdown after reports of shots fired on March 28. Capitol lockdown lifted after shooting The incident was not believed to be connected to a larger plot. A man was shot by the U.S. Capitol Police in a visitor screening area after he drew a weapon and pointed it at officers, police said on Monday afternoon. The man was transported to a local hospital and his condition was listed to critical as of late Monday. A woman suffered unspecified injuries during the incident. No officers were hurt. Story Continued Below The incident is being treated as an isolated criminal incident and not as a broader threat. "We believe that this is the act of a single person that has frequented the Capitol grounds before. There is no reason to believe this is anything more than a criminal act," said USCP Police Chief Matthew Verderosa. "It appears that the screening process worked how it was supposed to." The man was later identified as 66-year-old Larry R. Dawson of Tennessee. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a police officer while armed. He will appear at District of Columbia Superior Court once he is discharged from the hospital, police said. The Capitol was locked down for about an hour Monday afternoon, and staffers were ordered to shelter in place on an otherwise quiet recess day on Capitol Hill. The lockdown has since been lifted, and the Capitol Visitor Center is expected to reopen for regular business on Tuesday. At about 2:39 p.m. Monday, the man entered the screening checkpoint at the Capitol Visitor Center, an underground area used for tourist entry, Verderosa said. He was shot by at least one officer after pointing what appeared to be a weapon at officers, police said, and a weapon was recovered. The Associated Press initially reported that an officer had been shot but later updated its report to say it was unclear whether that was true. While the Hill was returning to normal on Monday evening, the scene was far more chaotic earlier in the day, as officials used the Capitol Hill public address system to notify staff and visitors of the shooting and the Senate sergeant-at-arms ordered the complex to shelter in place. Vicente Ruiz, 31, of Spain was visiting the Capitol with two friends when he suddenly saw people running and yelling, "gunshots, everybody run!” They scrambled to an exit door but couldn’t get outside because it was locked. At the same time, people outside the Visitor Center were pushing to get inside, but were unable todo so. Ruiz and his friends ran into a bathroom and hid. "People were running and screaming. The police were like, ‘Run! Run! Go! Go!'” Ruiz said. “People … looked so scared." Wendy Kissman of Chicago was about to start a Capitol building tour with her husband and two children when they were instructed over the PA system to get to a secure area. People flooded into an auditorium where a film to start the tour was about to begin, she said, and were kept inside the auditorium while the situation was assessed. Two ambulances were seen driving toward the Capitol after the incident. Carol Archambeault of California was in the visitor center preparing for her tour of the grounds when someone started yelling "get out, get out!" "At first, I thought someone was yelling at their own family members. It was scary. ... No one knew what was happening," Archambeault said. Hill employees were locked in offices during the incident, and police officers were running through the complex with guns drawn. A previously scheduled drill before the shooting only added to the confusion as the news broke. Most lawmakers aren't in Washington this week, with both chambers on recess. But there was still some official activity on the Hill — Sens. Ben Cardin of Maryland and Joe Donnelly of Indiana were meeting with Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama's nominee to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat. And the Senate was scheduled for a pro forma session. The White House was also briefly locked down after news of the shooting broke.
At the heart of the gloom, of course, is the eurozone, with 90pc of those surveyed judging that the economy of the single currency area is getting worse. One wonders what planet the other 10pc are on. The eurozone is clearly sliding. The European Commission's economic sentiment indicator fell to 95 in September, from 98.4 the month before, plunging at a rate not seen since the Lehman Brothers collapse. German retail sales dropped faster in August than at any time since May 2007. The eurozone – an economy second in size only to the US – is on the brink of a double-dip recession. This grim prognosis, though, is set against a more hideous backdrop – the danger of a "euro-quake". Greece will default. The only question is how the default is managed – indeed, if it is managed at all. A bungled Greek payment failure will spark "contagion", as spooked creditors pull the plug on some big eurozone government, leading to non-payment of wages and benefits, serious social unrest, and a single currency break-up. We face the very real prospect of a major economic shock, the negative impact of which will be felt around the world. "The operational viability of the single currency won't be known until the system is tested by a serious downturn and that moment may come soon," this column warned in December 2007, as the credit crunch began to loom. "The ultimate victim of this sub-prime crisis could be nothing less than the single currency's existence." When these words were written, many in Europe were feeling quite pleased with themselves. "Sub-prime" was America's problem, caused by American excess. The eurozone would majestically sail on. So as the 2008 meltdown came into view, those of us who observed that "every currency union in the history of man has broken up, unless, like the US and UK, it has been preceded by generations of political union, and held together with a federal tax system" continued to be dismissed as "mad", "xenophonic" and "anti-European". I recall these writings not to be smug. I recall them because those who've ignored all previous warnings, waving them away by attacking the character of those making them, remain in charge of rescuing Europe from this mess. And they still don't get it. Far from feeling humbled, or contrite that their incoherent currency union is on the verge of disaster - a disaster which could trigger another global slump when we've yet to recover from the last one - the eurozone's architects remain in denial, continuing to question the integrity of those who advocate straight-forward common sense. Common sense now tells us that any "short-term fix" for the eurozone will do nothing to address the basic incompatibilities which have been there since monetary union began. Yet all the current proposals are just that, "extend and pretend" efforts to buy time in the hope that the single currency's inherent contradictions will disappear given the requisite "political will". Many investors, too, have convinced themselves a quick and easy solution can be found, if only Europe "shows leadership" and governments "act decisively". Equities rallied last Tuesday on leaked reports that a new, more powerful bail-out was near. That rally fizzled out Wednesday, when doubts emerged over the terms of the money Greece would receive. Then, on Thursday, another rally, after the German Parliament approved Europe's latest rescue package, a €450bn fund designed to keep the crisis from spreading beyond Greece and Portugal to "core" eurozone countries. Such euphoria was based on nothing more than blind hope and desperation, namely the impending end of the third quarter, with traders determined to make their accounts look good, or less bad, in a bid to secure pre-Christmas bonuses. Already, reality is once-again breaking through. For Thursday's vote was on a package put together back in July, empowering the European Financial Stability Fund to buy bonds pre-emptively and recapitalise banks, but up to a limit that now looks paltry. In the intervening months, the global downturn has sent debt and interest-payment trajectories rocketing. Spanish and Italian 10-year yields have been pushed above 6pc. The EFSF that Germany just approved was inadequate in July and, in financial terms, now looks irrelevant. So, Germany goes through a massive political palpitation, agreeing to "this far and no further" measures after months of heated deliberation, resignations and constitutional court cases and all the package delivers is a mediocre half-day rally in a market desperate to hear good news. To have any hope of covering the financing needs of Spain and Italy, the EFSF would need to be at least five times bigger than that just approved by Germany. This is basic arithmetic – and assumes, heroically in a rapidly escalating crisis, that sovereign yields stay where they are. Anyone who thinks a pooled tax facility of that size is possible not only doesn't understand the first thing about German politics, but doesn't understand politics at all. Europe's policy-making "elite" wants a fully-blown fiscal union and sees this crisis as a way to get there. It is simply not going to happen, because almost no-one outside of the Brussels salons, or the broader EU establishment, wants it. That is the fundamental truth that must be spoken, repeatedly, to power – whatever offence is now caused. Because this currency union experiment, essentially an exercise in bureaucratic megalomania and hubristic nation-building, is about to do serious damage that extends way beyond Europe. A smaller, stronger eurozone might work. For a while. If everyone sticks to the rules. Not that they will in the long-term, of course, because local electorates always take precedence. That's how democracy works. But if the weaker, peripheral nations are now stripped-out, as their electorates want, the euro being reduced to a Franco-German rump, that would provide Europe with a 3-5 year pause for breath, allowing the global economy to recover, before the single currency is consigned, finally and irrevocably, to the dustbin of history. The EFSF was, anyway, never the "final solution". Proposals are now on the table for the European Central Bank to "lever up its assets to buy up troubled government debt from the financial system". This is a euphemism for "quantitative easing", with mainland Europe following the US and UK down the road of massive virtual money-printing. So the ECB will bail-out bankrupt governments which, in turn, have bailed-out bankrupt banks. Writing-down debts? Too difficult. Restructuring banks? Er, no. The outcome, of course, will be inflation - fine for some savvy investors, but ghastly for ordinary people who have worked hard, saved, and tried to provide a dignified life for their families. Those who deny that QE is inflationary tend to be those who said the eurozone could never break-up. Do these people ever read history? Inflation was how the Western world addressed its massive sovereign debts when they were last at today's grotesque levels, after both the First and Second World Wars, albeit those debts were incurred for a rather more honorable purpose. Inflation will be our response to today's debts too – the debts of pure indulgence. It just goes to show, for all the technological advances of the last century, how little true progress we've made. Liam Halligan is chief economist at Prosperity Capital Management .
We’re spending all month shining the spotlight on Batman: Arkham Origins, but this month also brought word of another game in the Arkham fiction. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate serves as an accompaniment to the console game from Warner Bros. Games Montreal. Designed by the team at Armature, Blackgate is a 2.5D Metroid-style game coming to Vita and 3DS that sends the Dark Knight swooping through the corridors of the infamous Gotham prison. While you may not be familiar with Armature, you likely know them from their previous studio job; many of Armature’s developers were the team leads behind the original Metroid Prime games from Retro Studios. We talked with game director Mark Pacini to learn more about the upcoming game, as well as his studio’s ties to one of the most acclaimed Nintendo game series of all time. GI: Tell me about Armature. Who are you, and what brought you to this Batman project? Mark Pacini: We were established five years ago by some ex Retro employees – myself, Todd Keller and Jack Mathews. I was the game director of the Metroid Prime Series, Todd was the art director, and Jack was the tech director. We broke out from Nintendo, started our own thing five years ago, and we had established a relationship with Warner Bros. They had come to us with this opportunity that they were looking to make a 2.5D-style Arkham game that was in the Metroidvania flavor and they thought we’d be a good pairing to it, since we were really familiar with that style of game. We made three of them, so it was a great fit and we were huge fans. I’m personally a huge fan of the Arkham franchise, so it just seemed like a really good fit. How long have you been working on this project? Since spring of last year. What are some of the mechanics that you have transferred over from the console version? That was actually kind of challenging in the beginning, because we wanted to give the player enough tools to unlock and progress in a world just like in a normal Metroidvania game. What we did is we went through the back log of the past two Arkham games and looked at the things that we thought would work well in our game. Climbing the grapple is our jump, so there’s no jumping in the game, you use the grapple to get up higher. We have glide – you know the glide allows you to go down over longer lateral spaces. Crouching and climbing and things like that are all from the console game so taking that small kernel of abilities, we are actually able to do quite a bit, and then we just supplement it with the gadgets that we thought would work well in a more 2.5D perspective. Things like the batarang and the gel launcher. The gel launcher is a slight adjustment to the explosive gel that’s in the console version, where Batman sprays it against the surface. We’re using it more like the movie version, where you can shoot it over more of a distance, so you can utilize the space on the screen a little bit more. Along with that there’s a bunch of gadgets that he has that we will reveal at another time. You have a mechanic for targeting a particular person or location on the map – how do you handle that in terms of control mechanics? We’re actually still working on that part. Basically, determining how much control and pacing we need for the player to have. Do we allow them to point at an exact place? Do we allow them to use more of soft targets in the world? Right now we are exploring a bunch of different opportunities – nothing’s absolutely locked in just yet. How have you integrated Metroid-style gameplay? It’s a very good blend of the two – of Metroid and Arkham. The one change that we did end up making it that there’s no XP in the game, so everything is item-based. The reason we did it that way is to give the player more of a sense of collection in this game. That was a design decision. If you unlock an ability based on experience, you might not have necessarily traveled to that place and gotten something. It’s the general overall experience that you have in the game, it’s that experience of getting that XP to buy that item, but what we wanted to do is put everything into an item-based system that you place into the environment, that gives you the motivation to explore the areas of the building. So that it gives you that flavor of: “Oh, I want that ability I can get up there,” rather than “I need to beat up some more guys to get the XP to unlock this thing.” I think it fits well for our style of game. How have you brought in elements of the free-flow combat system? We had to build that from the ground up. We made it so that Batman is still moving right to left, but the enemies have depth to them; they can be in the foreground or the background. So all of the free-flow system will still apply, but it’s just scoped for the handheld. What we wanted to do is make sure it felt more like Old Boy the movie than like Old School the game. That it wasn’t just enemies lined up behind each other – that you still felt like that you were encompassed by enemies that were around you but you still have the limitations of right and left. Again, that’s something we are continuing to polish right up to when we’re going to be finished with the game. I think that we are going to have a really good, true feel of that free-flow combat system even though the application of it is different. What are some cool things you can do with the predator-style system? We wanted to stay true to what was cool about previous Arkham games and their predator modes, which is kind of luring people around and picking them off one by one, and see a sped-up stealth aspect to the game. So because you can’t look around in 2.5D, we had to add a few more layers of feedback to the player. For example, you can see the sightlines of the enemies, which immediately allows you to know whether you are seen or not by enemies. When Batman is in detective mode, you’ll change color based on their proximity or based on how close you are to being seen. We have the same sort of vantage points, floor grates, silent takedowns, glide kicks, weapon use, and breakable walls – a lot of the same complimentary things that were in the console game, that you’ll be able to play in this game. But obviously the feel of it is a little bit different because of the perspective. What was attractive about Blackgate prison as a setting for your game? It made sense [laughs]. A prison’s very easy to understand how it would link together. The way we are developing the game is the exact same way we developed the Metroid Prime games. Almost to the tee of how rooms are constructed and snap together and everything. So it’s something that we are very familiar with how it goes. And that’s how we were able to do it in such a short period of time, is that we already knew how to do all this stuff. However, this isn’t using any technology that’s being used in the console, so we had to write it all ourselves. All of the predator stuff, all of the movement – all that was done from absolute scratch, so luckily we knew how to fundamentally make a game like this without having to figure that out. We had a leg up there, but then we had a leg down on the tech side. Where we are right now is a really good place to finish out the game. Yeah, a prison absolutely makes sense for the game. [Next up: Pacini discusses leaving Metroid (and Nintendo) behind] Another feature of Metroid-style games is the save room. Are you doing save rooms, or a different structure? There are no save rooms. We’re not restricting you to save stations or anything like that. It’s more of a checkpoint system. There are checkpoints, but there’s also a system where you can save anywhere. It’s very forgiving. How is the game world structured? One of the one big things in our game is that you can go off to do any boss in any order. So that’s an innovation that we are really trying to push in this game. You can pursue any of the major bosses in the game in whatever order you wish to; you aren’t forced to go in a particular way. We don’t want you to break the game, but if you can exploit it in a certain way that we haven’t thought of, that’s awesome. So it’s conceivable that players will have abilities that don’t necessarily jibe that great with the boss. We’ve kind of taken some cues from other games where if you have a particular item against a boss, you’ll just rip them a new one, but we don’t tell you what that item is. That is something really cool that hopefully will encourage players to play the game more than once to try and find different ways of getting through the game either quicker or exploiting things like that. The game is coming to both 3DS and Vita. On the 3DS are you still scanning by touching on the bottom screen, and then it projects on the top screen? Some features are different. They function a little bit differently because on the 3DS the play screen’s on top, but there will be some differences for sure. What is your mechanic for storytelling moments? They’re going to be 2D animatics that we’re doing in-house at Armature, but they’re very stylized, and they’ll be fully voiced over. Does Blackgate take place before or after the console Arkham Origins game? After. We worked closely with the Montreal studio. We want players to play in whatever order they want. If you want to play the handheld first, console, whatever it is, we’re not spoiling anything in their game, or vice versa. What can you tell us about the storyline of the game? Basically, there’s an uprising in the prison created by some big-time characters from the lore, and Batman has to go in and figure out what’s going on. And obviously there’s a lot more to what’s going on than just a straight up prison uprising. But a strong majority of the game is taking place in a prison? Yeah, the intro level is not in the prison. For the remainder of the game – there are a lot of different areas of the prison. Stepping away from the game for a minute, why did you leave Retro? Do you want to talk about that story a little bit? I was there for eight years. When you work for Nintendo, Nintendo’s an awesome company. They’re great to work for. It’s hard, challenging work, but it’s rewarding at the same time. But given that regard, there’s a limited amount of things you can do in Nintendo. You can’t work on other platforms. You kind of work on games that they would like you to work on, so after doing three of the same games in a row, we were kind of like, we’d really like the flexibility to do other things. And that’s really what it came down to was we didn’t have anything against Nintendo or Retro or anything – they’re all great people, we still talk to them all the time, and we still have a great relationship – but having an independent studio, one day you’re working on Batman, the other day you’re working on something else, and that’s kind of what we wanted to do. We would have never been able to work on Vita, or 3DS – it wasn’t something that Retro was gunning for. And Armature as a studio, we’re hopefully able to make some announcements later this year on what we’re working on next, and those are, again, forward thinking on consoles, and things we weren’t able to do before. Starting Armature when we did was a very difficult time in the game industry. And the game industry continues to be difficult. Right now as a studio we’re in a really good position and there are a lot of opportunities that we’re going to be able to pursue that we wanted to five years ago. How big is the studio at this point? Right now we’re over 30 people. We started off with 10 five years ago. Your team has been one of the big mysteries of the gaming industry in the last five years. You have this great team, and people wondered: What are they working on? Do you want to talk about that gap? As a short answer, we’ve been a heavy victim of the game industry as it is right now in terms of the shift from social, then to mobile, then to micro transactions, then to large publishers not wanting to fund large projects with independent studios – we’ve been a victim of all of that. And we’ve had great opportunities that have slipped off of our fingers that had nothing to do with the quality of the things that we were doing. [Editor's Note: After this interview was recorded, it was revealed that Armature worked on a cancelled Mega Man project] However, we’ve learned a lot as a company in terms of where things are going and how to continue growing; it’s a very volatile environment. Hopefully later this year we’ll be able to announce some original things that we’re doing. Console specific things? I can’t say what it is. Right now we’re concentrated on our relationship with Warner Bros. They are so awesome to us, and this journey that we’ve had so far with the Arkham stuff has been awesome. They’ve given us a ton of creative freedom, and nothing but support. This has been a really great experience for us because it’s been so horrible the past couple years, not from the things that have happened to us, but just the opportunities that just evaporated. The Metroid Prime series remains popular with fans. Do you feel like you can look back at that series now and appreciate it from a distance? Yeah. I never played any of the Metroid games after they were done, just because I was just so sick of them. When you work on something for two years straight, and play it for two years straight, it’s really hard to go back and distance yourself from it. When you’re in it, you don’t understand what you’re making, you’re just kind of trying to get it done and try to make the best decisions that you can. It’s hard to step back. It’s been a long time since we produced something, so for me I want Armature to be not the company that used to do Metroid Prime. I don’t want us to be just the guys that did that. This is going to be the first game that is truly an original Armature game, although it’s based on the property of an existing franchise. It’s our first step, and I think that from there we can continue on with making interesting games. What’s kind of cool now is that more independent games that are not mainstream are being looked at more seriously now, not by publishers, but by other alternate funding. There are a lot of other developers and other publishers that are wanting that sort of content that aren’t the $20, $30, $40 million games. They want to have these smaller games and I think that right now is a good opportunity to be an independent studio that has the potential to make those types of games. Not the indie games, not the big games, the in-betweeners. I think that’s it’s the right time for us. Even though you don’t want to be seen as the ex-Metroid Prime guys, fans are going to be excited when they know ex-Metroid Prime guys are going to be making a Super Metroid-style game. I hope so. I hope we don’t disappoint them. That’s always my fear, because I think everything we do sucks. But that’s just me because I thought all the Prime games suck. At the end of the day all I see are all the bad things. Prime 2 was a blur to me. It was so quick, it was so fast. That thing just went out the door and it was a very divisive game. People either liked it or thought it sucked, and I can completely agree because I couldn’t tell you what that game was because it happened so quickly. Prime 1 was the best designed game. Prime 3 I feel is the most fun one to play. Prime 2 is divisive. You either like it or you don’t. That’s kind of the way I look at it. It is the same thing here with the Arkham game. All I see at this point, because we are knee deep, we’re in the woods right now in development, and all I see is all the crap that’s wrong with it. In my gut I feel like, yeah, it’s going to be cool. I’m excited for it. But at the same time, I hope we don’t disappoint people and I hope that they like it. We’re trying our hardest. I would like to play a game like this, so hopefully everyone else will, too. For more on Batman: Arkham Origins, check out our game hub by clicking on the banner below.
The loyal Arrow fans that discuss the show week in and week out on the subreddit dedicated to the show have given up. The users were not happy with the season finale, even going so far as to say they though certain lines in it were basically directed right at them. "Felicity directly speaking to this sub when she said "you think I was leaving? not a chance" lmaoo," said redditor "Batfleck2015." Basically, that subreddit really does not like Olicity or Felicity's presence on the show altogether. So what do you do when your favorite show has failed this subreddit? This is the internet, you switch allegiances at the drop of a hat, of course! They changed the header image to the logo for Daredevil over Arrow, and put the Daredevil characters across the top. The top pinned story? "Daredevil Discussion Thread - S01E01 'Into the Ring'" From the moderator: "If you're from /r/all and you're confused why this is here, well it's quite frankly because the show's finale sucked donkey balls, and this is what we wanted the show to be like, not some teen romance. So here we are."
TEMPE, Ariz. - There's a lot more than 99 (cans) of beer on this Valley freeway. The Arizona Department of Transportation tweeted Wednesday saying the eastbound US-60 ramp to southbound Loop 101 was closed after a semi-truck carrying beer tipped over on its side. "No crying over spilled beer," ADOT said. According to the Department of Public Safety, the driver lost control of the truck on the transition ramp. The truck rolled on its side and the beer, cans of Bud Light, poured out onto the ground from the top of the truck. And some odd reason, everyone's offering to help with all the cleanup... Browser does not support iframes. Browser does not support iframes. Browser does not support iframes. The driver, according to DPS, had to be extricated and was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening. The ramp remained closed for cleanup as ADOT cautioned drivers in the area. "Caution, it's a little foamy there," ADOT tweeted. Copyright 2017 KPNX
NEW YORK Ukraine has partnered with global technology company the Bitfury Group to put a sweeping range of government data on a blockchain platform, the firm’s chief executive officer told Reuters, in a project he described as probably the largest of its kind anywhere. An interior view of U.S. bitcoin mining company Bitfury's mining farm near Keflavik, Iceland, June 7, 2016. REUTERS/Jemima Kelly Bitfury, a blockchain company with offices in the United States and overseas, will provide the services to Ukraine, CEO Valery Vavilov said in an interview on Wednesday. Ukraine’s blockchain initiative underscores a growing trend among governments that have adopted the technology to increase efficiencies and improve transparency. REUTERS RECOMMENDS China's Ant boosts bid for MoneyGram Hacker documents show NSA tools for breaching global money transfer system How hackers made off with millions in Bangladesh Blockchain is a ledger of transactions that first emerged as the software underpinning digital currency bitcoin. It has become a key global technology in both the public and private sector given its ability to permanently record and keep track of assets or transactions across all industries. Ukraine and Bitfury are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on Thursday, Vavilov said. Though Vavilov said he was unable to estimate the cost of the project, he said it was the biggest government blockchain deal ever so far. It involves putting all of the Ukraine government’s electronic data onto the blockchain platform. “A secure government system built on the blockchain can secure billions of dollars in assets and make a significant social and economic impact globally by addressing the need for transparency and accountability,” said Vavilov. There are other countries that have started blockchain programs, but they are smaller in scope involving one or two sectors, such as land titles and real estate ownership. Countries that have launched blockchain programs include Sweden, Estonia, and Georgia. “This agreement will result in an entirely new ecosystem for state projects based on blockchain technology in Ukraine,” Oleksandr Ryzhenko, head of the State Agency for eGovernance of Ukraine, said in an emailed response to Reuters questions. “Our aim is clear and ambitious — we want to make Ukraine one of the world’s leading blockchain nations.” Ukraine’s deal with Bitfury will begin with a pilot project to introduce blockchain into the country’s digital platform. The areas being explored for the pilot project are state registers, public services, social security, public health, and energy, Vavilov said. Once the pilot is complete, the blockchain program will expand into all areas, including cyber security. This is Bitfury’s second government blockchain project. In April last year, Bitfury signed an agreement with Georgia to pilot the first blockchain land-titling registry.
by Achim Nierbeck This is going to be a sum-up of the experience gathered on various projects done with the SMACK stack. For details about the SMACK stack you might want to take a look at the following blog – The SMACK Stack – Hands on. Apache Spark – the S in SMACK – is used for analysis of data – real time data streaming into the system or already stored data in batches. Apache Mesos – the M in SMACK – is the foundation of the stack. All of the applications do run on it. In our cases we’ve been using Mesospheres DC/OS on top of Apache Mesos for the installation and administration of the stack and our own applications. Lightbend’s Akka – the A in SMACK – is used for fast data stream processing. In most use cases it’s been either used for fast ingestion of data or for fast extraction through in-stream-processing. Apache Cassandra – the C in SMACK – is a fast write and read storage for the fast-data-processing platform. Apache Kafka – the K in SMACK – is the intermediate storage for streaming data. It helps to decouple in and out application logic while still being fast enough to add no overhead of time on the stream of data. In those projects the architecture has looked roughly like this The ingestion, implemented with Akka, is kind of like Enterprise Integration on steroids. Instead of having a lot of different connectors you’ll end up with just a few entry points, but doing so in a very, very fast way. For each of the projects it had been a requirement to have fast input and storage of the data as well as having that data visible in near real-time. That’s where Akka comes into play again – either being connected to Kafka for real-time streaming of data via Websockets or as connector for Cassandra. All of the scenarios running this stack have been build on AWS as cloud provider. This made it especially easy to setup and tear down the stack for development. DC/OS – Apache Mesos Apache Mesos in combination with Mesospheres DC/OS is the foundation for working with the SMACK stack. The Mesos kernel runs on every machine and provides applications (e.g., Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, Elasticsearch) with API’s for resource management and scheduling across entire datacenter and cloud environments. On top of Mesos, Mesosphere’s DC/OS will give you a command line interface and a nice integration with Mesosphere’s Marathon. Especially the first one in combination with Ansible can be used to automate the setup of a whole cluster. The following shell command installs the Cassandra framework used by DC/OS. dcos package install cassandra dcos package install cassandra In combination with the dcos command dcos package list it’s possible to verify the success of the installation. While Apache Mesos is used as “Kernel”, Marathon is used as “init.d” on top of it. Marathon makes sure deployed applications are running successfully. In case of a failure those applications are restarted by Marathon. While Marathon takes care of long running tasks, Mesosphere’s Metronome is in charge of short running cron-like tasks. Marathon and Metronome are so called Mesos frameworks. A framework takes care of reserving resources from Mesos, schedules the application to be launched and sometimes monitors those applications. Apache Cassandra The nice thing about DC/OS is that it is very easy to run Apache Cassandra via a specialized Mesos framework. This framework not only helps in installing a Cassandra cluster on top of Mesos, it also makes sure of handling recovery of failed instances. The configuration and sizing of the Cassandra is crucial for having a high performance fast data platform based on this SMACK stack. Storage For performance reasons it’s best to start with a SSD hard drive, but also EBS volumes can be used. Using EBS we never experienced any shortcomings, though it seemed we had an increase in write queues. This usually happens if commit log and SSTables are written to the same storage. In cases like these it’s crucial to have a fast connected EBS at hand. CPU In short, more CPU will give you more throughput. As Cassandra uses different thread pools for write and read paths, an increase in number of CPUs helps tremendously, as those thread-pools have more dedicated CPUs. Memory As Cassandra had commodity hardware in mind when being designed, a lot of heap is of no use for a cassandra instance. A lot of RAM is rather useful for the underlying system itself, as the page cache will consume all the memory not used by other applications. Therefore configuring Cassandra with 8GB of RAM as heap plus 24GB for the underlying system for page caches is sufficient. It’s rather crucial to make sure the new generation heap is configured properly. As recommended in the Cassandra documentation the new generation of the heap should be set to 1400MB. Which is equivalent to 100MB times the number of CPUs. The rule of thumb is to either use 100MB times number of CPUs or a quarter of the maximum Heap, where the lesser number needs to be used. As the system is run with a Java 8 runtime, garbage collection can be set to the GC1 garbage collector. Apache Kafka Like Apache Cassandra and other Big-Data systems, Kafka has also been designed with commodity hardware in mind. Therefore around 5GB of Heap for the Kafka process is enough. Again here it’s more important to have enough RAM for the hard drive caches as for Kafka heap usage. Regarding storage for Kafka the same principle applies. SSD should be favored but a fast connected EBS storage is sufficient. Kafka and its thread pools also profit greatly by a higher number of CPUs. As Cassandra and Kafka in a production use-case are consuming rather lot of cpu and harddrive, one should consider to run those frameworks on dedicated machines. This does break the rule of “every framework is treated equal”, but especially the page caching mechanism only works if those applications are the only user of all resources. Apache Spark Apache Spark is already optimized to run on Apache Mesos. So after the easiness of installing it via a dcos package install spark, spark is ready to be used. Spark comes with a default Mesos scheduler, the MesosClusterDispatcher also known as Spark Master. All spark jobs will register themselves with the master and in turn will also be a Mesos framework. This driver is negotiating with Mesos about the required resources. From there on it takes care about the executors for Spark. Within this scenario of using DC/OS the executors are docker images with a DC/OS optimized configuration. They already contain configurations for access of a HDFS inside the DC/OS cluster. Metrics Spark metrics are nice while being watched in real time, but it would be nice to have the metrics available all the time, especially since after the death of the driver this data is gone. One way is to use the Spark history server. The history server is nice, but requires an HDFS to be available. This alone isn’t much of a downside but the requirements on running HDFS on DC/OS is rather high. At least 5 instances are required with lots of hard-drive. This just for taking a look at the Spark metrics is rather expensive. Therefore a good possibility is to use ELK (ElasticSearch, Logstash and Kibana) for monitoring. But how do we get to the logs of Spark. In a “regular” environment, you’ll usually just add some logging details to the executors, but as our executors are started by mesos and managed by the Spark Driver this needs some extra tweaking in the DC/OS world. To enable the spark metrics a configuration is needed as the following: # Enable Slf4jSink for all instances by class name *.sink.slf4j.class = org.apache.spark.metrics.sink.Slf4jSink # Polling period for Slf4JSink *.sink.slf4j.period = 1 *.sink.slf4j.unit = seconds # Enable Slf4jSink for all instances by class name *.sink.slf4j.class=org.apache.spark.metrics.sink.Slf4jSink # Polling period for Slf4JSink *.sink.slf4j.period=1 *.sink.slf4j.unit=seconds With these settings Spark logs all metrics available to the std logging mechanism. The tricky part is to actually have those settings enabled inside the docker image provided by DC/OS. Actually this isn’t possible, so we built a custom Docker image already containing these settings. The Dockerfile for such a preconfigured Docker image can be seen below, it’s not much magic. FROM mesosphere / spark:1.0.2-2.0.0 ADD . / conf / metrics.properties / opt / spark / dist / conf / FROM mesosphere/spark:1.0.2-2.0.0 ADD ./conf/metrics.properties /opt/spark/dist/conf/ External Storage As you’ve seen in the previous section, enabling a HDFS system can be quite costly in terms of storage. In this scenario an extra HDFS system isn’t required, therefore storing data in S3 is a quick win. As with the metrics, DC/OS’ own spark image is optimized for HDFS and therefore needs some tweaking for accessing S3. First, it is crucial to have those S3 accessing libraries available in your docker image. Second, you’ll need to make sure those newly available libraries are present in the configuration of your executor. spark-defaults.conf content: spark.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl = org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.S3AFileSystem spark.executor.extraClassPath /opt/spark/dist/extralibs/aws-java-sdk-1.7.4.jar:/opt/spark/dist/extralibs/hadoop-aws-2.7.2.jar:/opt/spark/dist/extralibs/joda-time- 2.9 .jar spark.driver.extraClassPath /opt/spark/dist/extralibs/aws-java-sdk-1.7.4.jar:/opt/spark/dist/extralibs/hadoop-aws-2.7.2.jar:/opt/spark/dist/extralibs/joda-time- 2.9 .jar spark.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl=org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.S3AFileSystem spark.executor.extraClassPath /opt/spark/dist/extralibs/aws-java-sdk-1.7.4.jar:/opt/spark/dist/extralibs/hadoop-aws-2.7.2.jar:/opt/spark/dist/extralibs/joda-time-2.9.jar spark.driver.extraClassPath /opt/spark/dist/extralibs/aws-java-sdk-1.7.4.jar:/opt/spark/dist/extralibs/hadoop-aws-2.7.2.jar:/opt/spark/dist/extralibs/joda-time-2.9.jar In the configuration above, there is an additional section setting the filesystem type to S3A which is needed for a faster access to it. The Apache Hadoop driver supports two different ways of accessing S3, one the default S3 is a block based access on the S3, while the S3N or S3A use object based access on S3. Hadoop now only supports S3A as it’s the successor of S3N (native). The extraClassPath entries are needed for the driver and also for the executor. An additional step of creating your own Docker image is to make sure those libraries are available. Using a custom Docker spark image When submitting Spark jobs via DC/OS usually you’ll issue a command as the following: dcos spark run --submit-args = '--driver-cores 0.1 --driver-memory 1024M --class org.apache.spark.examples.SparkPi https://downloads.mesosphere.com/spark/assets/spark-examples_2.10-1.4.0-SNAPSHOT.jar 10000000' dcos spark run --submit-args='--driver-cores 0.1 --driver-memory 1024M --class org.apache.spark.examples.SparkPi https://downloads.mesosphere.com/spark/assets/spark-examples_2.10-1.4.0-SNAPSHOT.jar 10000000' Now if you want to use your own custom docker image you need to adapt the command to look like the following. dcos spark run –submit-args =’…’ –docker-image=my-own-docker/spark-driver In that case you need to make sure this docker image is accessible to your Mesos agents. Because installing those Spark job can be cumbersome, we used Metronome for an easy installation of those Spark jobs. Throughput After all those technical implications let’s take a look at what can be achieved with such a SMACK platform. Our requirements contained the ability to process approximately 130 thousand messages per second. Those messages needed to be stored in a Cassandra and also be accessible via a frontend for real time visualization. This scenario is build on the basic architecture. Akka Streams are used for ingestion and also for the real-time visualization. The ingestion does some minor protocol transformation and publishes the data to a Kafka sink. While 4 nodes are capable of handling these 130k msg/s, 8 ingestion instances are needed to keep up with 520k msg/s. A high throughput in the ingestion is nice, but how much delay does it produce? For example: are those messages queuing somewhere internally Is the back-pressure to high? While being able to handle the throughput of 520k msg/s the delay has an average of 250ms of latency between message creation and storage and Kafka. If the network and ntpd fuzziness is taken into account, the delay produced by the ingest itself is comparable to be nonexistent. So the ingestion and therefore the visualisation consumer are capable of handling the data in real-time. How does storing the data in Cassandra compare to this? The easiest use-case for Apache Spark in this scenario is to stream the incoming data into the Apache Cassandra database. While Kafka topics are perfectly suited to be consumed in a streaming way, Cassandra isn’t capable of doing streamed inserts. That’s one of the reasons the largest amount of time is consumed by connecting and communicating with Cassandra. Therefore it’s better to have a batch interval of about 10 seconds. The base-line for connection and minimum time to just get going is about 1 to 2 seconds depending on the underlying hardware and amount of CPUs allocated for the executors. The 10 second window frame also helps handling possible but not envied downtimes of the Spark Job. With this time-buffer it’s possible to handle a longer downtime. Another reason to keep the 10 second window, data might happen to be hold back in the pipeline before consuming in Spark. This will also address this issue of a peak-load. So let’s talk numbers: a Spark job storing data into Cassandra batched for 10 seconds takes about 4 seconds for 1.3 Million events within the batch window. To store the 5.2 Million events inside the batch window, Spark takes 8 seconds to store those events in Cassandra. As Cassandra is a rather large stakeholder when streaming data from Kafka to Cassandra via Spark, it also needs to scale horizontally with the amount of data. The following table gives a brief overview of amount of messages, average latency per batch and amount of Cassandra nodes needed to handle the amount of messages per second. msg/s Time needed Batched 10s Cassandra Nodes 130k msg/s 4s 5 260k msg/s 6s 10 520k msg/s 8s 15 When measuring the throughput of simple events of approximately 60 byte size, the initially upper limit was reached by around 500k msg/s. It turned out to be a network capacity limit of the selected AWS box. This limit of 20MB/s correlated nicely with the approximately 500k msg/s and their corresponding byte size. When selecting another type of box with better network settings as entrypoint for the incoming data, processing 520k msg/s was easily achieved. Conclusion Sometimes working with bleeding-edge software is more like grabbing into falling daggers, on the other hand it’s great to see it turn into an extremely powerful and capable stack. With time progressing, the Mesosphere DC/OS provided functionality turned more stable and more sophisticated. The out-of-the-Box frameworks for the SMACK stack play nicely, and due to those frameworks the stack is resilient concerning failures. A “misbehaving” app will be stopped by the framework while being restarted in the same minute. This failsafe and failure-tolerant behavior gives great confidence in the running cluster as it rarely needs operation to be in charge. It turned out to be obvious, but this stack scales linearly regarding performance, throughput and used hardware. But not only does it scale up, it also helps to start with a smaller stack. Especially using Apache Mesos as foundation helps to get the most out of your provided resources. This is especially useful when still developing the stack. In this case Apache Cassandra and Apache Kafka may be on the same node, as throughput isn’t the main goal, yet. While Monitoring is needed it’s still not provided out of the box, a custom solution is needed. For monitoring purposes it’s still required to have your custom solution, with DC/OS 1.10 you’ll most likely will have a solution for metrics. DC/OS provided Frameworks place a collecting module next to the application, collecting the metrics of that process. Those metrics are locally collected and sent to a central server based on Apache Kafka. This will be an exciting new functionality for measuring metrics of your cluster in future.
By Tracy Rucinski CHICAGO, Nov 17 (Reuters) - West Virginia's environmental regulator sued Alpha Natural Resources Inc's former management on allegations of fraud on Wednesday, saying top executives should be held accountable for an unusual $100 million funding gap that has emerged just three months after the U.S. coal producer exited bankruptcy. The lawsuit accused six senior executives including CEO Kevin Crutchfield of making misleading financial projections about Alpha so its bankruptcy plan would get court approval. After the plan was approved in July, the executives joined the management team of Contura Energy Inc, which bought some of Alpha's most productive mines. "In knowingly making or allowing to be made, false and misleading projections to obtain confirmation of (Alpha's) chapter 11 plan, each of the named individual defendants committed a fraud upon this court," the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said in the lawsuit. Contura did not respond to a request for comment on behalf of Crutchfield. Alpha said in a Nov. 3 court filing it had uncovered $100 million of "unaccounted-for obligations," including taxes, payroll and royalty payments that were not accounted for when it reorganized. Bankruptcy attorneys said companies rarely return to court to address such a large liability so soon after exiting bankruptcy. West Virginia said the shortfall threatened Alpha's viability and could saddle the state with cleaning up retired mining sites, which is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Lawyers for Alpha and Contura denied the claims in court on Thursday and said they would begin talks with the regulator to address its concerns. Alpha and Contura reached an agreement this month to divvy up the obligations and planned to ask for bankruptcy court approval on Thursday for their settlement. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Huennekens postponed a decision in light of the lawsuit. Alpha's reorganization split the company in two, with its lenders forming Contura to operate more productive mines and the remainder of the company focusing on cleaning retired mining sites, mostly in West Virginia. Alpha has said it has more than $1 billion in environmental obligations, much of which were covered by a federal program called "self-bonding" that exempt companies from setting aside cash or bonds to restore abandoned mines to their natural setting. Alpha and Contura agreed to provide $400 million over the next decade for mine cleanups. In a court filing this week, Contura said it believed that Alpha will have sufficient liquidity to meet its commitment. (Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; additional reporting by Tom Hals; editing by Grant McCool)
California Gov. Jerry Brown and the state Senate leader said Monday they've agreed to changes in proposed legislation that would further restrict interactions between law enforcement officers and federal immigration agents. The agreement came on the same day the state sued the Trump administration over its decision to end a program that shields young immigrants from deportation. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, agreed to changes demanded by Brown following fierce opposition from sheriffs and other law-enforcement officials. The bill would still prohibit state and local police from asking about people's immigration status or enforcing federal immigration laws. However, following Monday's changes, it would preserve the ability of law officers to cooperate with federal task forces as long as the task force doesn't specifically work on immigration enforcement. Police and jail officials would be able to notify U.S. immigration agents if they detain people with convictions for some 800 crimes, including serious felonies, battery, assault and sexual crimes. Immigration agents would still be allowed to interview immigrants in jail, and immigration agents would not be barred from accessing state databases. "This bill protects public safety and people who come to California to work hard and make this state a better place," Brown said in a statement. Brown and de Leon reached their agreement in the last week of the legislative year. The Assembly and Senate must approve the measure by Friday or delay action until next year. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had no immediate comment. California already has some of the most protective laws in the country for immigrants detained by law enforcement. The state has limited the ability of police to detain immigrants for federal deportation agents since 2014, and requires jailers to inform inmates if agents are trying to detain immigrants. Illinois recently passed even more protective legislation that bars law enforcement from detaining immigrants solely for deportation, said Shiu Ming Cheer, senior staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center. A handful of cities including Chicago and San Francisco, meanwhile, are refusing to cooperate with new federal requirements for tougher immigration enforcement, prompting the Trump administration to threaten to withhold funding. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, a critic of the initial state bill, said sheriffs would be discussing the latest version on a call Tuesday and declined to discuss the details. He noted that ICE generally seeks cooperation on people convicted of major crimes. Immigrant rights groups held a noisy rally in the Capitol last week urging Brown and de Leon not to back off from the strict immigrant protections de Leon originally proposed in the wake of Donald Trump's election as president. But the activists generally praised the compromise with Brown. "We hope that it will serve as a model for other states and encourage them to adopt similar protections," said Jenny Pasquarella, immigrant rights director for the American Civil Liberties Union of California. "This is where the dragnet is." The legislative deal was announced the same day that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said he's filing a lawsuit over the Trump administration's decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects young immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from deportation. The lawsuit's legal arguments largely mirror those already filed in a lawsuit last week by 15 other states and the District of Columbia. Attorney generals for the states of Maine, Maryland, and Minnesota joined California's lawsuit. More than 200,000 of the 800,000 participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program live in California. The University of California has also filed a legal challenge to ending the program. Also on Monday, Mexico Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray said he and other Mexican diplomats are urging members of Congress to make the DACA program permanent and that he is not expecting an immediate influx of hundreds of thousands of young people back to Mexico. Associated Press writers Sudhin Thanawala in San Francisco, Amy Taxin in Orange County, Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento and Marine Villeneuve in Augusta, Maine, contributed reporting. Copyright Associated Press
Football is controlled chaos, and no position exemplifies such a contradictory term like linebacker. If a linebacker has to think, he is too slow to wreak havoc on an offense; if he plays with reckless abandon, an offense will easily take advantage of his freneticism. He must know his responsibilities before the snap so that a simple read at the start of the play tells him where to direct his fury. If done properly, we enjoy moments like this: Welcome to part 2 in our offseason Brent Venables Discipleship class. Part 1 highlighted the defensive line in Venables' preferred 4-3 Over front. Part 3 would've explained Pattern Match Cover 4, but Dbbm reminded me he basically rewrote the New Testament on coverages last summer. LINKS APLENTY; PRAISE BE TO OCULUS: Man Coverage; Cover 2; Cover 3; Cover 4; Cover 6 So, I leave part 3 up to you Syracuse-loving commenters -- let me know what you want to read, and I'll trick you into believing in my expertise through an overabundance of gifs and big words. Here, however, we will discuss the multitude of responsibilities Clemson's linebacking unit must process and repeat until an assignment becomes instinctive. If my alleged expertise isn't enough for you, I consulted the up-to-date and foolproof wisdom of my 9th grade cousin, Griffin, who plays Rover in a 4-4 front for his high school team. Every 9th grader knows he's never been wrong about anything, and who am I to doubt such confidence? MODERN LINEBACKING ACCORDING TO A 9TH GRADER: Q: Are you coached to read the offensive line or the running back? I look at the guard at the snap, if he stands up to pass block I know it's a pass and I drop into the flat and watch the QB. If the guard run blocks, I look for the ball and the running back. If he runs away from me, I stay home and and prevent the reverse before I find the angle of pursuit. If he runs towards me, I set the edge and force him inside to my help. Then I SEE BALL GET BALL. Stay hype. Q: So you were coached to read the triangle key? ILLUMINATI CONFIRMED. Alignment You will recall that in Clemson's base 4-3 Over front, the defensive line shifts to the strong side, which leaves 3 "bubbles" or holes in the defensive front. It is the linebackers' responsibility to fill these holes, first and foremost, and generally align over their respective holes in what is called a "Tan-Zero-Tan" alignment: the outside linebackers align over the Tackles and the middle linebacker over the Zero, or nose. This diagram showcases the linebackers' Tan Zero Tan alignment, but bear in mind that gap assignments vary by play call; this is only the most basic of assignments. For example, the 3 tech DT could stunt into the A gap and the Mike could bullet through the B gap. An offense could overload the strong side, shifting the linebackers into different alignments before the snap. No matter the call and alignment, every gap is always covered. Against spread formations, a Sam linebacker is often split out like a third corner to cover a slot receiver or tight end. Sometimes, the Sam is altogether replaced by a third corner, known as the nickel (derived from the inclusion of a 5th defensive back). This does not remove a gap from the equation, it is simply displaced. What Clemson usually does, specifically, against 113 personnel is split the Sam/Nickel out wide on the slot receiver as I alluded to above. Then Clemson walks a safety down into the box to fill the open gap normally filled by the Sam. It is an aggressive tactic, one which Clemson frequently employed thanks to solid cornerback play outside and physically transcendent safeties in Jayron Kearse and TJ Green. With Green in the box to fill the vacant gap, Clemson had enough bodies to fill each gap against the run and comfortably man up on the 3 receivers with 3 corners (as opposed to matching 2 corners and 1 safety on the 3 receivers in a 4-3). The point is no matter the formation, personnel, alignment, or call, every gap is always covered. Read Keys Linebacker is generally considered the hardest position for a defender to mentally grasp, not only because of the various gap and blitz responsibilities, but because after his initial gap responsibility he must drop into a zone or cover a receiver should an offense choose to pass. How does he know what to do at all, much less know it quickly enough to not bust an assignment? The answer, which Griffin alluded to, can be found in knowing where to look. Simply put, a key is the "tell" a linebacker watches which will help him determine whether to charge his gap against the run or drop back to cover a pass. A linebacker may read a running back, which is fine in the event of a handoff, but could prove disastrous with play-action or any sort of counter motion. Or he could watch the offensive line, whose blocking will allow him to accurately determine run or pass, but is slow-developing and could freeze a linebacker into hesitancy. What many defenses -- including both Clemson and Griffin's school -- teach nowadays is a combination of these two, known as the triangle key: a linebacker watches the guard and tackle closest to him plus the running back. The triangle is a compromise which incorporates the speed and aggression of a running back key with the accuracy of an offensive line key. It is still susceptible to play-action (we saw plenty of bites against play-action near the end of the regular season) but thanks to the guard and tackle keys it is not nearly as reckless as a simple running back key. Above, FSU went back to the same counter run with which they gashed Clemson early. The player I want you to watch is Mike linebacker B.J. Goodson, who reads the counter when he sees the pulling guard (offensive line key), then flows to Dalvin Cook and attacks with speed (running back key) to makes the tackle. Were Goodson to read only a running back key, he may have run himself out of position with Cook's first few counter steps away from the eventual play side. With only an offensive line key, Goodson's eyes may have been lost in the scrum and allowed the best running back in the country to zip past him. Below is another example of the benefits of the triangle key, where Clemson's linebackers properly diagnose a screen pass to Cook: It's difficult to tell at this angle, but you'll notice the 3 linebackers are in a Tan Zero Tan alignment behind the 4-3 Over which we previously discussed. With Clemson in a boundary corner blitz, FSU is in a great call for a potential big gain. With a quick play-action fake, FSU wants to draw the linebackers towards the QB and free the line to block downfield. However, Goodson and Ben Boulware read the line's initial pass block and begin to drop into coverage instead of crashing towards Cook. Then, both the offensive line and running back keys reveal the screen and both linebackers break towards Cook before the ball is even thrown. From there, the linemen and the play have no hope but Cook's elusiveness. Clemson's linebackers played the screen beautifully; they read each key and stayed in position. From there the instinctive aggression and speed for which the position is known must take over. The best linebackers don't simply fly to where they think the ball will go; they read keys and fly to where they know it will go.
So all the cool kids are doing it, and I came across the perfect vehicle to start. To back up a bit, I couldn’t believe how easily I sold my ’98 Explorer, and the horror stories of the other “similar” vehicles the three people who came to look at it had seen. Seriously, this isn’t hard: make all the lights work, have it run reasonably well, fresh oil, properly functioning AC, and clean the shit out of the inside. Then post an ad that answers all of the questions people are going to ask, and include a lot of good pictures. It seems most people don’t get this. I’ve been looking for fix and flip vehicles for the last couple months. I came across a 2000 S10 2wd with a 2.2l in it. It doesn’t have compression on 2 cylinders, but appeared to be decent other than that and some expected rust (northeast car). No battery, but I grabbed the jump box and found it had 230k on it. Not a surprise that it would need a head gasket at that mileage. It was sitting at my friend’s gas station/repair garage, and he was ready to get $400 from the junk yard to scrap it. I put together a new(er) PC for the shop out of some parts laying around the office, and replaced the hinges on his laptop in exchange for the truck + towing up to my house. So now it’s here and it’s time to dig in. I started with hooking up my manifold gauges to the AC. Empty. I purged a bit in from what was leftover in my service line, and it’s hissing from the driver’s side near the radiator. Since there are no refrigerant hoses up there, I have to assume that the condenser is bad. Also, the compressor has junkyard paint on it. So who the hell knows what is going on there. Maybe an old repair, maybe not. It also didn’t have any o rings on it when I pulled the line set off. I’ll deal with that later. Hooked up a battery to see if there were any codes to pull. Nope. Probably been disconnected too long. It turns over and sounds OK, so I’m assuming that the timing chain isn’t broken. I’m pretty sure this is an interference motor. So I started with this: and currently am about here: Let’s see what else is broken. Come and share my pain and/or triumph. We’ll know soon enough.
NLV-Solar AG have announced that they will be pursuing a production run on the jaw-dropping Quant electric hyper car, the original concept was designed by the team at Koenigsegg and was displayed at this years Geneva Motorshow where it won over legions of new fans including Prince Albert of Monaco, Kenzo Takada, Roger Moore and many others. The full carbon body is layered with a thin photovoltaic coating to assist with power generation, this may be a first for a production car when the Quant goes on sale in 2011. The Quant is a 4 seater, usually when a sports car claims to have 4 seats you can reliably expect the 2 rear seats to be useless for anything other than chihuahua transportation however the huge double-gullwing doors on the Quant open to show 4 adult human sized seats. The full carbon body and chassis allowed the designers to create such large doors without sacrificing chassis rigidity or safety cell integrity. The Quant weighs in at 1,680kgs (3,704lbs), this isn’t bad when you remember that batteries are extremely heavy, to give you an idea of scale the Tesla Model S weighs in at just over 4,000lbs with about 1,200lbs of that being battery weight. The Koenigsegg influence in the design is obvious, the car has frequently been mislabelled as a Koenigsegg concept car which is partially true although NLV-Solar AG actually developed the running gear and technology used throughout the car and were also responsible for hiring the Koenigsegg design team. The projected curb weight of 1680 kg is very light considering that it is a battery-powered, four-seater, luxury performance car. This is partly due to the four-motor installation– a remarkable achievement which allows the NLV Quant to deliver 0–100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 377 km/h. NLV-Solar AG hopes to have the Quant in limited production by 2011, it won’t come cheap but the technologies it is bringing with it will make their way onto more affordable mass produced cars within the next decade or so making uber-cars like this vital testing grounds for future technology that we can all enjoy. Preliminary Specifications Power: 600 kW ( 4x 150 kW), 800 bhp Rotation speed 12’000 U/min Torque: 1500 nm 0-100 km/h: 2,8 seconds Top speed: 377 km/h Curb weight: 1680 kg Wheelbase 3102 mm Track – Front: 1730 mm; rear: 1729 mm Wheels/tyres ╨ front: 245/35 – 23”; rear: 285/30 – 23” – low friction tyres Width: 2016 mm incl. rear-view mirrors; length: 4879 mm; height: 1335 mm Rear-wheel drive Four-wheel brake regeneration Minimum 4 airbags, ABS and ESP and torque vectoring 2 infotainment panels Adjustable rear seats 3 zone Climate Control system Generous leg room in the rear LED front and rear lights Body covered in NLV photovoltaic thin film solar coating Accumulator with cooling liquid (weight ca. 500kg) Operating voltage 420 V Inverter voltage 350 V Price: TBD -To stay in the loop join our Facebook page grab the RSS feed or join us on Twitter @ElectroVelocity – Blog advertising is good for you. Via NLV Quant
Machines are getting better and better at taking on tasks that until recently could only be performed by humans. Whether you welcome the prospect of labor-saving automation, as I do, or you dread it, few would dispute that it is one of the central facts of economic life in this century. Claire Cain Miller, writing for The Upshot, rounds up the usual suspects, led by Erik Brynjolfsson, co-author of The Second Machine Age, to make the case that while automation has long been seen as an economic boon for flesh-and-blood workers, who can increase their productivity by letting machines serve as beasts of burden, there is at least some reason to believe that things are changing — that instead of enhancing the productivity of all workers, automation might render at least some workers obsolete, or squeeze their wages even more than they’ve already been squeezed. Advertisement Advertisement But which workers will be at greatest risk of obsolescence as technological progress marches on? While Miller observes that some white-collar jobs might in theory be displaced by automation in the years to come, and some already find themselves under pressure, she makes it pretty clear that it is less-skilled workers who are most vulnerable. Elsewhere, in Dancing with Robots, Frank Levy and Richard J. Murnane, two of the leading experts on the impact of automation on the labor force, find that “the spread of computerized work is increasing the importance of education.” This is almost a truism of the ongoing conversation about automation, and for good reason. So what I find odd is that Miller’s otherwise very thorough article never mentions that a disproportionately large share of less-skilled U.S. workers are immigrants, and that we’ve spent the last several years debating whether or not it is wise to welcome more less-skilled immigrants into the country. ​ For example, Miller notes that the average skill level of the U.S. workforce appears to have stagnated. Yet she gives no indication that this stagnation has occurred despite the fact that native-born adults have higher levels of educational attainment than their counterparts in earlier generations. The reason is that U.S. immigration policy, from our overemphasis on family unification over skill-based immigration to inadequate interior enforcement, has been lowering the average skill level of the American workforce. According to 2012 data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), 40 percent of foreign-born adults fall in the lowest two levels of literacy as compared to 14 percent of native-born adults. For numeracy, the picture isn’t much brighter: 48 percent of foreign-born adults fall in the lowest two levels, while the same is true of just 27 percent of native-born adults. So it should come as no surprise that “the American work force has gained skills at a slower rate than in the past.” Given the scale of the less-skilled immigrant influx, it is a minor miracle that the average skill level of the U.S. workforce hasn’t deteriorated. For Miller, the most worrisome sign about how automation might impact the labor market is that the labor market is already functioning poorly for many workers: More than 16 percent of men between the ages of 25 and 54 are not working, up from 5 percent in the late 1960s; 30 percent of women in this age group are not working, up from 25 percent in the late 1990s. For those who are working, wage growth has been weak, while corporate profits have surged. Advertisement Like Miller, I find these numbers alarming. Yet it is important to note that labor force participation is much higher for those with higher levels of education than for those with lower levels of education. The share of adults with less than a high school education who are not in the labor force was 59.9 percent in 2013; for those with a bachelor’s degree, it was 24.6 percent. Many of the immigrants that President Obama celebrated in his recent address will find themselves displaced as (to draw on a few examples from Miller’s article) machines administer sedatives to elderly patients and as robot bellhops help meet the needs of patrons. Or Miller might have cited the so-called “lettuce bot,” which is quickly mastering a task that once required many human hands, or the more prosaic ordering machines that many European quick-service restaurants are using to economize on labor. There will, of course, be non-routine manual tasks that only humans can perform for some years to come. But as workers are displaced from other sectors and job roles, the competition for these positions will likely intensify. Is it urgently necessary that we increase the number of workers who will be competing for these positions even so? To be sure, this strategy might encourage employers to rely on less-skilled labor rather than to invest in labor-saving technology. I’m not clear on how this, on balance, will improve the negotiating position of less-skilled workers, and thus how it will foster wage growth. Assuming that increased automation has a more deleterious impact on labor market outcomes for less-skilled workers than for high-skilled workers, increasing less-skilled immigration seems profoundly unwise. For one thing, it will increase the number of U.S. workers threatened by economic marginalization. For another, it will have an impact on the children of less-skilled immigrants, as less-skilled workers facing severe wage pressure will struggle to provide their offspring with the resources and the foundational skills they will need to successfully pursue post-secondary education. If I’m wrong, I’d like to see someone carefully explain exactly why I’m wrong.
Sometimes on a #spacewalk, you just have to take a moment to enjoy the beauty of our planet Earth. pic.twitter.com/liTnCB60c9 — Randy Bresnik (@AstroKomrade) November 27, 2017 ADVERTISEMENT Being able to walk in space will always be a far-fetched dream for most of us. Only a handful of individuals—particularly astronauts—have the chance to do this, but luckily for us, NASA spaceman Randy Bresnik has decided to share his adventures with the rest of the world. Netizens were treated to an amazing sight, as Bresnik recently tweeted footage from a routine spacewalk around the International Space Station. As seen in a now viral a one-and-a-half-minute clip, Bresnik used a GoPro camera to capture himself while refurbishing one of the station’s robotic arms. The video perfectly captured the splendor of the globe from his vantage point. “Sometimes on a #spacewalk, you just have to take a moment to enjoy the beauty of our planet Earth,” he captioned the post, which has since been retweeted over 14,000 times. Apart from his recent spacewalk adventure, Bresnik has shared other incredible space photos on social media. His twitter handle, @AstroKomrade, has over 47,000 followers. /ra ADVERTISEMENT RELATED STORY: NASA offers $100K to anyone who can design aerosol sensor for astronauts Read Next LATEST STORIES MOST READ
Given the attention afforded towards the stadium and the naming issues, Bain had been unable to recruit new players – even if he had, would any of them been willing to sign a contract for a homeless team with no name? As a result, Meadowbank Thistle began the 1974-75 season with virtually the same squad that had competed so well in the East of Scotland League. In truth, Bain believed this was only fair; after all, the club had been given their opportunity because of his players’ performances. The manager felt it only right they were given the chance to test themselves at the higher level. Their first match as a league club was played on the 9 August 1974 against Albion Rovers in a League Cup tie. Interestingly, the match was played on a Friday night to avoid clashing with a Hibs match the next day. With an entry fee of just 30p, Meadowbank’s senior debut attracted a crowd of 4,000. Although the game ended in a 0-1 defeat, their level of performance was encouraging. However, the match report in the Edinburgh Evening News pointed out that the biggest cheer of the evening was reserved for Wanda, a blonde go-go dancer wheeled out to entertain the crowd at half-time. Despite the players’ (and Wanda’s) best efforts, Meadowbank’s debut season in the 20-team Second Division was, as expected, an uphill struggle. They lost their opening 14 games, with their first ever victory coming at Brechin City at Glebe Park in October. The use of Meadowbank Stadium, meanwhile, was also becoming something of a millstone around the club’s neck. A home game against Brechin was cancelled shortly before kick off when the referee realised the pitch was still covered in blue and red markings from a recent Highland games held on the park, despite 500 supporters having already made their way into the ground. Although Brechin decided not to ask to be awarded the points, they did insist their travelling expenses were reimbursed. Thistle club also had to switch a home tie with Stranraer to Stair Park after the council had double booked a religious festival inside the stadium for the same day. The club did eventually acclimatise to their new surroundings and would eventually finish 18th. The crowds had dwindled from their first night match against Albion Rovers, but had averaged out at a healthy 600. With the next season’s league reconstruction creating a smaller bottom tier, it was believed that Meadowbank could become a more competitive entity. Such notions were dealt a severe blow when Bain announced he was leaving the club on the eve of the new season. After 20 years as the club’s manager, John Bain had decided to take his leave. Incredibly, he had never been paid since he’d taken up the position as his job in the Ferranti factory had forbidden it. The company had been generous and afforded him the necessary time off he required, but with the new league club demanding more of his attention, the balance between work and what was technically his past-time was becoming increasingly uneven. The stress of joining the League had also taken its toll, as did his relationship with the committee, who felt he had been overly loyal to the players. And so Bain departed, refusing an invitation to join the board. Although he would regularly attend matches as a spectator (and eventually join the committee), the summer of 1975 saw the end of an era. The rest of the seventies were difficult for Meadowbank, and over the next few years the average attendance dropped from 677 to 454, something which suggested the team were already in decline. Once again, the council were proving to be a hindrance. After passing a local by-law, no child under the age of 16 was allowed to be in employment within the city – this meant the club had to stop using ball boys. In the vast emptiness of Meadowbank Stadium, this saw long delays every time the ball went out of play. It was hardly conducive to a flowing spectacle of football. The extent to which the club were struggling for cash was particularly highlighted on New Year’s Day 1980. After travelling to face Montrose at Links Park, the team arrived to discover the match was postponed due to a frozen pitch. Manager Willie MacFarlane was insistent that the game go ahead as scheduled because Meadowbank couldn’t afford to hire a coach for the re-arranged game. Referee Jim Renton reluctantly agreed, on the provision that neither side made any tackles. One of Scottish football’s most bizarre games finished 3-3; neither team committed a single foul. With the club showing limited improvement on the park, MacFarlane was eventually dismissed. His assistant Terry Christie, a 37-year-old deputy rector, was appointed manager in early 1980. It was a decision that would kick start the beginning of Meadowbank’s brightest period. The start of his reign was fairly inauspicious but in 1983 he led the team to second place in the league and promotion to the First Division, an outstanding achievement for a club who had never previously finished outside the bottom four places of Scottish football. The club were relegated in 1984-85, but not before embarking on a fantastic run in the Skol League Cup, seeing off Greenock Morton and Premier League sides Hibs and St Johnstone before losing 1-5 on aggregate to Rangers in the two-legged semi-final. Their return to the basement didn’t last long and after the sales of promising strikers Darren Jackson and Alan Lawrence to Newcastle United and Dundee respectively raised over £90,000, Christie embarked on building a side which would win the club’s first ever silverware, the 1986-87 Second Division championship. Meadowbank finished second in the following season’s First Division and only missed out on promotion to the Premier League after further reconstruction restricted the second tier to a single promotion place. The next few seasons saw Meadowbank take a slight step backwards. They were still overachieving as a part-time team hovering around the middle of the First Division table, but the future direction of the club would change dramatically in 1991 when businessman Bill Hunter was invited to join the board of directors. Although Hunter was the new man on the board, he had been well-known around the club as a match sponsor since 1974. He immediately set out his plan to take the side forward – his first step was to sack Christie, whom he felt had taken the club as far as he could. The unseemly boardroom battle over Christie’s removal was played out in the full glare of the media, with the accusations and recriminations an embarrassing episode for a team who had always taken pride in its perception as a family club. The furore lasted until April 1992 when Christie eventually stepped down. He would later join Stenhousemuir and lead the club through the brightest period in their history. The fears surrounding the club’s new direction were assuaged to some degree by the return of John Bain who joined the new-look board, but the team failed to improve under new manager Donald Park and were relegated in 1993. By this juncture, Hunter had identified what he thought was at the heart of Meadowbank Thistle’s problems. He believed that Edinburgh wasn’t big enough to sustain three senior league clubs, with Thistle’s poor attendances lending weight to his argument – even when the team finished second in Division One, their average attendance was only 850. As a result, Hunter began to look for untapped areas which could sustain a successful football team; if Meadowbank Thistle were to grow and improve, they could only do so in a new location. Hunter’s initial plan was to move to Musselburgh, but he was unable to come up with an agreement with the local authority to facilitate a move. The next possibility arose when Hunter had a chance meeting with with a member of the Livingston Development Corporation, a group set up to regenerate the town. The Corporation felt the area lacked a football club – something which could unite the citizens and give them a common purpose to rally around. Livingston’s denizens seemed pleased by the news, as did Hunter, but the supporters of Meadowbank were aghast as they sensed their club was being ripped from their community. For the second time during Hunter’s time at the club, events were taking on a very nasty, very public turn. Threats were made from both sides, with Hunter claiming that he and his family were the targets of abuse, while fan groups said they were banned from the ground for no reason other than disagreeing with Hunter’s views. Despite a petition with 4,238 signatures imploring Hunter to keep the team in Edinburgh, Meadowbank Thistle were moved more than 16 miles away to a custom-built stadium at Almondvale, Livingston. While their move to West Lothian was deeply divisive, equally controversial was the club’s new name. Part of the deal that involved them moving to their new stadium would see the club rebranded as Livingston. Meadowbank fans felt “Thistle” should be incorporated in some way, keeping their 50-year link with Ferranti, but Hunter refused to cede to their wishes and settled on the name Livingston. It was a cruel and unfortunate severance of their past. Livingston made their league debut in the 1995-96 season, although due to a delay in its construction, they didn’t play their first match at Almondvale until November 1995, when a crowd of 4,000 – coincidentally the same figure that watched Meadowbank’s debut in the league – watched the new team’s 1-1 draw with East Stirlingshire. How does one measure whether or not Bill Hunter made the right decision to move the club? Purely based on on-field performances? In that respect, the move has been a success. Livingston have won the Second and Third Division championships twice, as well as the First Division in 2000-01. They finished in third place (behind the Old Firm) in their debut season in the SPL and participated in the UEFA Cup in 2002-2003. In 2004, they won the League Cup, arguably the highlight of their short history. It is impossible to entertain the notion that Meadowbank Thistle could have achieved these feats. But equally, with their financially prudent outlook, it is highly unlikely the would have attempted to achieve success at any cost. Livingston have been plunged into administration by previous boards, not once but twice. The first occasion saw the club saddled with debts of £7.2 million. Another example of the extraordinary way in which the club have been run since their inception is their number of managers – 19 in just 18 years, something that seems even more incredible when Ferranti Thistle had only had one man at the helm for over 20 years. Whatever the future holds, Livingston are a club that should never forget their past. And everyone connected with them should be thankful to John Bain, their Honorary Life President. The sources used in the research for this article were:
NRG Esports Jungler Kennet "Adapting" Ros has a pedigree of consistent top tier Smite play ever since his professional debut in Season 2. Commonly known as "The King of the Jungle" by many fans and peers alike, there is a high base regarding expectations at The Smite Season 3 World Championships. After winning the EU Regionals this fall, the only thing left for Adapting is to take home the Season 3 World Championship to cap off a stellar Season 3 of Smite for the European Jungler. In this interview, Dig Sage talks to Adapting on his style of jungling and what he believes Europe needs to do in order to excel against North American teams. You have had some time to reset before Worlds, what have you been doing with this time? Adapting: After Super Regionals I went back home and had a short break from SMITE. I've mainly spent time with my girlfriend. The focus now though is to prepare for worlds. Adapting and his girlfriend Pixiemix during the offseason. Image courtesy of Adapting's Twitter. You and your team added another title to your resume after the Smite Super Regional, were you a little worried prior to the Regional that another team would push you from that top spot? Adapting: I was incredibly confident heading into Super Regionals, as we were coming straight from our bootcamp which had went amazingly. We felt like we had a really good understanding of the meta heading in, and our synergy was better than it's been in a long time. We didn't go in thinking "this is going to be easy" or anything like that, but we were certain that if we played to the best of our capabilities we would be likely to win. Going onto the topic of your team's synergy, you have been on a team that has not made a roster change in quite some time. Could you explain to me some of these synergy problems that were resolved? Was it resolved because of the amount of time the roster has been together? Adapting: Before Epsilon Invitational we had barely been scrimming at all, since we had a break and we didn't consider the LAN to be very important. After the LAN we went on vacation to Aruba, and once we had gotten back home Fall split started. Our understanding of which picks were strong, what was the best in the meta was weak, as there had been some major changes. This caused us to be a little lost to begin with, we tried to learn too much at once and it just bit us in the ass. Our synergy was getting worse and worse, we were struggling against lower tier teams and realised something had to be done. We all had a sit down, talked everything through. Mostly it was just mental for all of us, we had gotten into our own heads, we started questioning ourselves at every play we made. Once we had our little talk, got everything sorted we started performing a lot better. Scrims were going amazingly and after the bootcamp we felt stronger than we had in a long time. We've been in this sort of situation before, so we knew how to deal with it. You guys qualified for The World Championships pretty convincingly, do you wish you had the opportunity to play the NA teams during regional qualifiers? Adapting: Not necessarily, as fun as it would be, it would most likely be more hurtful than beneficial for us. Whilst I'm sure there are a lot of things we could learn from them, I feel like they are more likely to learn more from us, which could end up hurting up going into SWC. Heading into this World Championship, you and Obey were the only EU teams to qualify for The World Championships. Do you believe the depth of EU region is as strong as NA? Adapting: I think EU is stronger than NA tends to give credit for, and that the depth in EU has definitely grown. There are lots of strong EU teams, but for some reason EU seems to struggle against NA. Generally NA runs pressure heavy comps and focuses on invades, which throws off a lot of EU teams as they don't expect to be pressure as hard as they are. Also in general in EU vs NA matches NA just play their own regular game, whilst EU try to adapt to the NA playstyle. Instead of sticking to what they're good at and have practiced. It usually leads to EU teams having really bad drafts, and not fully understanding how to execute their drafts properly. What do you believe is the best solution for EU teams to thrive against NA? It seems as if it is a double-edged sword to play against NA that will both result in a rough game for EU. Adapting: They just need to be prepared for the early aggression and pressure, and most importantly of all play their OWN game. EU teams just need to stick to what they know. Who do you believe are the top 4 teams at World championships? Assuming you put NRG in finals, who do you see the other team in the finals being and why? Adapting: At this point I honestly have no idea, coming into Worlds it's anybody's guess. I expect us to make finals, hopefully take it all. The most reasonable based opponent against us would be eGr considering Super Regionals performances. You have been heralded as a farm heavy jungler while Eager's jungler, DJPernicus, is known for getting others ahead as opposed to himself. What is your opinion on a supportive jungler compared to a carry jungler? Adapting: I don't think it's good, you're effectively hurting yourself doing it. It can be good if you do it for the right reason, which usually isn't the case. Could you further explain how it is normally detrimental? Is it the way the jungle meta is shaped? Adapting: Putting yourself behind without getting anything in return will hurt you in both teamfights but also in the way you can pressure the jungle. Giving somebody extra farm by not splitting camps or waves so that person who gets extra farm can carry is not optimal. At least not in my eyes. You will be defending your World Championship title this upcoming January. What would you like to do this World Championship that you were unable to do during Season 2? Adapting: Well nothing will beat winning the SWC, so I'm not really sure. All I want to do is win it again, and that's what I'll work my hardest for to do. Adapting (right-center) after The Season 2 World Championships with Epsilon Esports. Image Courtesy of the HiRez Stream Is there anything else you would like to say? Adapting: Shout outs to all our fans, my family and girlfriend for being so supportive! Love you all! And thanks to you for having me! Adapting and his team, NRG Esports, will be defending their championship title at the Smite Season 3 World Championships this January. Make sure to stay posted on updates and new tweets from Adapting on Twitch and Twitter.
Let the competition begin! It’s time to cast your vote for the couple that makes you say “awwwwwwwww!” It’s a rough one this year; with so many amazing couples, adorable stories, and truly inspiring love-a-thons it’s bound to be a close race. Read through our contestant’s stories, flip through their fabulous photos, get some tissues, and be ready for your heart to explode with rainbow-tinted romance! Who will win The L Stop Valentines Day crown, and the adoration of our viewers? Only you can decide!!! Check out last years Top Couples here. How to Vote Click on an image to view the full size gallery of all couples and any information they provided. Click on the image again to leave the gallery view. Vote for your favorite by clicking on the blue “Vote” graphic above the thumbnail to give them 1 vote (you can vote for more than one couple). Refresh your browser to vote again . Couple with the most votes wins. Top 14 Couples will be featured on The L Stop on Valentine’s Day (February 14th). Contest is called February 13th at Midnight. Winner of this contest receives some fun gifts including a gift basket from Early to Bed! Thank you all for voting – Congratulations to Lauren and Bri our Cutest Queer Couple of 2013 – check out the feature here! [nggallery id=6] You May Also Like:
Spokane Washington is just 2 hours north from me and I really had no idea that there were any amazing mid century homes like the Ferris Home by Bruce Walker. I was reading through the 2modern’s blog and they had a story about the Ferris house. The home was designed by Bruce Walker for Mary Jean & Joel E. Ferris, II. The landscape architect was Lawrence Halprin. There are way to many elements to love and list about this house, so maybe you can just make a comment as to what you like about this mid century gem. “The Sixteenth Avenue house built in 1954 is arguably one of the finest, most significant architectural designs constructed in Spokane, mid-century. Its post and beam aesthetic reflects not only the Harvard Graduate School of Design (and one of its notable professors, architect Marcel Breuer) where Bruce Walker was educated, it reflects the influence of Southern California designers such as Craig Ellwood, Gregory Ain, Raphael Soriano and Charles Eames who were receiving substantial coverage at the time in progressive national architectural journals. Its architectural importance cannot be over-stated. Bruce Walker never surpassed the quality of its design in his residential work. – Glenn Davis, AIA and Archivist of Walker & McGough Architectural Documents” http://www.spokanemidcentury.com
After a very public grilling of Verizon over the company's decision to start throttling some customers on unlimited plans, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler is now asking every other major US carrier to provide some answers. This whole saga began last month, when Verizon announced that the top 5 percent of data users on unlimited plans may be hit with slower speeds starting October 1st. The news caught Wheeler's attention, and the FCC chairman called it "deeply troubling." Wheeler took issue with Verizon's targeting of unlimited customers, who pay a flat rate for all-you-can-eat data. Customers on tiered (and often more expensive) plans won't be subject to throttling under the policy. But Verizon wasn't having any of it. In a written response, the largest US carrier insisted its network optimization methods are completely lawful. Verizon told Wheeler in no uncertain terms that throttling is now "widely accepted" throughout the wireless industry. The response letter even included excerpts from AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile outlining each company's respective approach to "network management." Essentially, the carrier's argument was that since everyone else has been doing this for years, there's no reason for the FCC to suddenly pick a fight with Verizon. "'All the kids do it' was never something that worked for me when I was growing up." That reasoning isn't sitting well with Wheeler. "'All the kids do it' was never something that worked for me when I was growing up," he told reporters today. "My concern in this instance — and it's not just with Verizon, by the way, we've written to all the carriers — is that it is moving from a technology and engineering issue to the business issues." So it sounds like Wheeler believes throttling should be an all or nothing, last resort for carriers. At the very least, he wants to know why unlimited users are getting a raw deal, and has asked AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile to offer up explanations. But it's not hard to predict what they'll say, and Wheeler should already be very familiar with the argument. He's likely to hear that unlimited plans lead some customers to burn through a disproportionate amount of data. Carriers will tell Wheeler that unlimited customers have no reason to keep their data consumption in check, a freedom that can quickly lead to network congestion and bogged down performance for everyone. And they'll probably have some numbers handy to help back up those claims. Keep in mind that right now, he's only asking questions. So there's nothing to suggest Wheeler plans to take action against throttling or come to the rescue of unlimited data users. Even so, we're a bit perplexed as to why this controversy has erupted so suddenly, especially at a time when Wheeler and his FCC have another massively important matter on the agenda.
As of October 3, at least 814 people had been killed by police in the United States in 2016, according to the Guardian. One of them was a man named Keith Lamont Scott, who was shot to death on September 20 in Charlotte, North Carolina. His wife filmed, while pleading with police, “Don’t shoot him,” and informing them he had a TBI, or traumatic brain injury. The following week, police in El Cajon, California, responded to a 911 call about a man who appeared to be in an altered state due to an unspecified “mental illness.” When they arrived, they shot Alfred Olango because they thought he was pointing a gun at them (as it turns out, he was holding a vape pen). According to witnesses, he had a seizure shortly before police arrived. Just days later, the wife of an allegedly bipolar man in Pasadena said he called the police for help — but when they arrived, they tased Reginald Thomas, beat him with batons, and kicked him. He died at the scene. These three men, individually, faced completely different police forces in very different settings. They had three things in common: They were black, they were killed, and they were disabled. Scott, Olango, and Thomas joined the ranks of disabled people killed by police in encounters gone horribly wrong in America, as well as the ever-growing list of black Americans killed by police. The police in these cases almost always go without facing any criminal charges, and those who do are rarely found guilty. Due to the lack of federal record-keeping, we can’t even tell you precisely how many people are killed by police in the US in any given year, let alone how many of them are disabled. But we do know it’s a lot: A report from the Ruderman Family Foundation earlier this year found wildly varying estimates of the number of disabled people killed by police, from 25 percent to more than 40 percent of police shooting victims. For perspective, census data puts the overall incidence of disability at about 20 percent of the population. As with overall police killings, this data is hard to track, and advocates rely on media coverage, reporting from families and witnesses, and the few police departments that do disclose the statistics of officer-involved deaths. Often, disabilities go unidentified or undiscussed, which obscures the extent of disability involvement in the police killing epidemic. Whether killed on scene or dead in custody, disabled people with a huge variety of impairments have systematic problems interacting with law enforcement. Ethan Saylor, killed in a chokehold in 2013, had Down syndrome. Sandra Bland, who died in custody in 2015, had epilepsy. Kajieme Powell, killed just days before Michael Brown in 2014, had schizophrenia. John T. Williams, a deaf Native American woodcarver, was killed in Seattle in 2010. Eric Garner, who died in a chokehold in 2014, had asthma. Daniel Harris, killed by a North Carolina state trooper this year, was deaf. Jeremy Mardis, who had autism, was 6 years old when he was killed by Louisiana police in 2015. Joseph Weber, also autistic, was killed “in self-defense” in August. Melissa Boarts, who had bipolar disorder, was killed in a traffic stop this spring. In July, Joseph Mann, a homeless mentally ill man, was shot 14 times by police after they attempted to run him down with their patrol car. Jeremy McDole, who used a wheelchair for mobility, was shot in 2015. In 2014, Kaldrick Donald was shot by police after his mother called asking for help because he was in mental health crisis. There is a growing awareness among the non-disabled public that to talk about police violence in the United States, it is necessary to also talk about disability and the role it plays in an alarming number of police shootings. But this is not just an issue of disability. It is also an issue of race, because many of the disabled people killed by police in America are people of color, with black and native men being particularly common targets. This is an intersectional issue — we cannot talk about one without talking about the other. It’s also more tangled than many people realize. Disabled people and people of color are both at increased risk of being killed by law enforcement, which puts disabled people of color in a particularly dangerous position. At the same time, people of color in the United States are generally more likely to be disabled, or to lack adequate care, due to factors like environmental racism, occupational segregation, and poor access to health care. This is a systemic inequality that begins long before a fatal interaction with police ever takes place. A huge range of impairments may interfere with someone’s ability to understand and comply with requests from police in even the most optimal of circumstances, including deafness, blindness, and mobility impairments, along with cognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. People with conditions like asthma, epilepsy, or severe migraines might be temporarily incapacitated. Mentally ill people in crisis may not only fail to understand police but could be actively afraid of them, or may turn combative from confusion and stress. The sheer complexity of interacting with disabled people makes police reforms challenging, but it’s an issue that has a great deal in common with the work communities of color are performing to push back on the stereotypes and attitudes that lead to horrific outcomes in law enforcement encounters. In fact, disability is part of the guiding principles of Black Lives Matter, highlighting the intersectional movement work that has been driving conversations about police reform all along, albeit not necessarily in the spotlight. Law enforcement officials in some regions of the country are exploring tools like mental health crisis teams, with officers specifically trained in deescalation and nonviolent conflict resolution. Yet in the Olango case, the clinician who would have been dispatched to go out with the officers was on another call. And after Saylor died in police custody, Maryland mandated disability awareness training for its law enforcement officers, but the training only covers developmental disabilities, not the myriad other disabilities officers may encounter. Multiple cities have an accommodation or “special citizen” registry to allow disabled people to proactively put their disabilities on file, so responding officers may know what to expect when they arrive at a scene, but not always — and knowing what to expect is no guarantee of a safe outcome, as seen in numerous cases of mentally ill people killed by police when they or family members called for help in crisis. Many of these approaches are flawed in that they approach policing on an individual basis but don’t pull back to take a larger look at how and why policing is done. For example, organizers for the movement for black lives argue for a national database of use of force encounters, along with demilitarization of police forces and other moves that would promote a return to community policing. For disabled people, reforms to health care in America, especially mental health services, would reduce the incidence of medical and psychiatric crises that require emergency services, and funding for non–law enforcement response options would keep police uninvolved unless absolutely necessary. Comprehensive training for officers in interacting with disabled subjects, led by self-advocates, should supplement larger reforms, not replace them or act as a stopgap. A rapid series of high-profile cases of police shootings involving disabled people and marked by protests across the United States could prove the spark that brings disability into the wider eye.
What is it about Alex Salmond that makes otherwise sensible people turn into barking loons? The normally equable columnist Alex Massie went into demented Unionist mode the other day, saying that Mr Salmond was a deluded fantasist who believes he is Nelson Mandela. The chairman of the Scottish Tories, Grant Shapps, claimed Alex Salmond was trying to destroy democracy by threatening to vote down a Tory budget; an attempt, he insisted, "to undermine a government chosen by the British people". Labour commentators have been accusing Mr Salmond of revealing his true elitist colours by ordering pink champagne during a lunch paid for by the New Statesman magazine. "Lah-de-dah" jeered Jim Murphy's campaign chief, Blair McDougall, suggesting that this was a scandal comparable to, well, Ed Miliband's two kitchens. Then David Cameron at PMQs accused Mr Miliband of being "Alex Salmond's poodle". You could be forgiven for thinking that the former First Minister was still the leader of the SNP. He is not. He is a former political leader with a book to sell. Yesterday's man. This obsession with Mr Salmond is bizarre on a whole range of levels, but it makes least sense of all in terms of political strategy. The Tories presumably hope to whip the Daily Mail brigade into a lather of righteous anger at a Scottish politician threatening to take over their green and pleasant land. But anyone with an ounce of sense would realise that this is a stupid argument and strategically unsound. UK voters will soon discover that Nicola Sturgeon is the SNP leader, and she's very different. Certainly, no one in Scotland believes that Mr Salmond is still in charge, and those Tory posters depicting him looking as if he has Mr Miliband in his pocket are of benefit only to the SNP. What are they trying to tell us? First, that the only party the SNP looks likely to deal with is the Labour Party, which is exactly what the SNP want people to believe. In Scotland, Labour has been trying to suggest the opposite: that in some way the SNP and the Conservatives are in league with each other. But any notion that the SNP and the Tories could be remotely in the same bed together should have been dispelled by the extraordinary body language of Tory minister Anna Soubry on the Andrew Marr programme at the weekend. She said she was "terrified" of everything Mr Salmond said and tried to edge away physically from him on the sofa as if he were an axe murderer. But Grant Shapps surely killed the Nat-Tory alliance stone dead when he condemned Mr Salmond for suggesting that the SNP might vote down a Tory government. Shock. Horror. End of democracy as we know it. Is he seriously suggesting that Scottish MPs have no right to vote against a Tory government's budget? That is what Mr Salmond was talking about in his interview. What Mr Shapps presumably means is that, if the Tories are the largest party, they should be allowed to form the government and the "little" parties should jolly well accept it. But this is wrong. It has never been the case in Westminster that the biggest party gets to be the government, as Labour also keep saying. Whoever commands a majority of MPs in the House of Commons gets to be the government, and that needn't involve the largest party. Look at the Guardian's latest poll projection on the outcome in May: Conservatives, 274 seats; Labour, 271; SNP, 53; Liberal Democrats, 26; Ukip, four; Greens, one. If this happens, David Cameron may try to form a minority government with the LibDems and Ukip, but his budget would certainly be voted down, letting in Mr Miliband. The scenario Alex Salmond outlined to the New Statesman was perfectly democratic; indeed, voting down the Tory budget would be the only course that the SNP could honourably pursue. The SNP have repeatedly ruled out helping sustain any Conservative government in office, not least because they are opposed to Tory austerity. If a minority Tory PM put forward a budget like last week's, the SNP would be morally bound to vote against it, bringing down the government. It really is as simple as that. It would then be for Mr Miliband as leader of the next largest party to put forward his own Queen's Speech and invite parliament to support it, which the SNP inevitably would, if only to keep the Tories out. This would ensure that Mr Miliband became PM. Some have suggested that Mr Miliband might refuse to be prime minister if it was on the basis of support from the SNP. But that is a ridiculous proposition. He cannot refuse to form a government after winning a confidence vote in the Commons on his legislative programme. Anyway, his MPs would never let him walk away. This doesn't even require a semi-formal "confidence and supply" arrangement with the SNP. It just needs the Nationalists to consistently vote to keep the Conservatives out of power; to "lock them out" as Mr Salmond put it. But wouldn't Mr Cameron call another general election if his budget was voted down by the SNP? He couldn't. Thanks to the 2011 Fixed Term Parliament Act another election requires a two-thirds super majority in the Commons, and the other parties wouldn't vote for a dissolution. After Mr Cameron fell the Queen would summon Mr Miliband and invite him to form a government The opposition leader would have 14 days to submit his own Queens Speech. Only if that failed to win a majority would there be another election. Actually, my tip is for a Labour-LibDem minority government with SNP support. If you look at the respective programmes of the three parties there are remarkable similarities on austerity, Lords reform, home rule, minimum wage, EU membership, immigration and so on. It would be quite possible for the three to agree a basic programme. The LibDems would be mad to go into alliance with the Tories again if they could be back with Labour. They worked very well with Labour in Holyrood. Wouldn't the SNP ruin the party? Why should they? Mr Miliband holds over them the ultimate threat: a Tory government. He would dare Ms Sturgeon to vote down his Lib-Lab government and allow the Tories back in. It would be 1979 all over again, only much worse. Really, Ms Sturgeon would be the poodle, not Mr Miliband. Also, she is not Mr Salmond. She doesn't relish opposition for opposition's sake. She would claim credit for the positive policies of a Labour government and say that the SNP had saved the UK from Tory austerity. Some might argue that it would be better for the SNP for there to be a Tory government in Westminster because they are more unpopular than Labour. That is broadly true, though in recent polls Mr Miliband has been scoring more poorly than Mr Cameron. But the point is that the SNP cannot allow themselves to be harbingers of another Tory term. If they have the numbers they have to vote with Labour. On present polling figures, Labour are home and dry even if the Tories are the largest party. Mr Miliband can't help becoming prime minister.
Known as the Steel Magnolia in her youth, Miss Rice has guided the US through the war on terror, looked tyrants in the eye and faced down terrorist threats during her nation's darkest hours. But a new book reveals that she was not so steadfast in facing down her own more personal enemies within the Bush administration. Instead, Miss Rice was so fazed by former Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that she burst into tears at a meeting in the White House situation room. The floodgates opened for the then national security adviser in February 2004, as the Bush administration was wrestling with growing instability in Iraq and the legal status of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. A new biography of Vice President Dick Cheney, called Angler after his Secret Service codename, recounts how he and Mr Rumsfeld conspired to delay the military tribunals which the president had ordered to be set up to try the terrorist suspects. Miss Rice tried repeatedly to organise a meeting with the most senior figures in the government to discuss the tribunals, but Mr Rumsfeld twice refused to attend, sending his deputy Paul Wolfowitz instead. Pulitzer prize winning author Barton Gellman writes: "He did not regard her as an equal and barely hid it. The opinions of her staff did not interest him." On finding Mr Rumsfeld absent from a second meeting, CIA director George Tenet was so angry that he defied a direct order from Miss Rice to sit down and marched out of the meeting, declaring: "This is bullshit." The book goes on: "Something happened to Rice's face, control melting away. Her eyes welled up and her next words caught in her throat. The men in the room did not know where to look. 'She started to cry,' said one of them. 'And she said - I can't remember the exact words because I was so shaken - something like: "We will talk about this again," and she turned and walked quickly out of the door.'" Miss Rice had the last laugh. Mr Rumsfeld was fired in 2006 as Iraq descended into civil war and Guantanamo Bay became a byword for abuse of power. Now Secretary of State, Miss Rice, assisted by Mr Rumsfeld's replacement Robert Gates, fought and won a bureaucratic battle for President Bush's ear and the direction of US foreign policy that gradually marginalised the influence of hawks like Mr Cheney.
Nov 23, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) passes against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Atlanta Falcons fans, read it and get used to it. “The NFC South remains a division for the taking — a division the Falcons are back atop after a Monday night loss by the New Orleans Saints.” Currently, the playoff standings have somehow found a way to sneak in the Falcons at the 4th seed when the team has an embarrassing record of 4-7. But as long as Mike Smith is the head coach, there is only a very slim chance that the team will find themselves playing in December. Take a look at the rest of the schedule for the Dirty Birds. REMAINING OPPONENTS Atlanta Falcons: vs. Arizona Cardinals (9-2) at Green Bay Packers (8-3) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4) at New Orleans Saints (4-7), vs Carolina Panthers (3-7-1) Let’s give a quick projection on each game! REMAINING OPPONENTS Atlanta Falcons: vs. Arizona Cardinals (9-2) LOSS (Cardinals defense will be too strong for Matt Ryan) at Green Bay Packers (8-3) LOSS (Aaron Rodgers……….Yes that is all) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4) LOSS (They lose to easy teams (Jets), but can also beat very good ones (Colts) at New Orleans Saints (4-7), WIN/LOSS (They beat them before with low hopes, they can do it again. But it’s going to be close, too hard to predict) vs Carolina Panthers (3-7-1) LOSS WIN (Depends on if the Panthers and/or Falcons are still very much alive in the race) The Atlanta Falcons are just not good enough to beat their next three opponents. The Cardinals and Packers are still playing for the top seed, the Steelers are tight in the playoff race (although they did drop a game to the Jets), and the Saints and Panthers are obviously not an “easy” win. Now let’s take a look at the Saints’ upcoming schedule. REMAINING OPPONENTS New Orleans Saints: at Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4), vs. Carolina Panthers (3-7-1), at Chicago Bears (5-6), vs. Atlanta Falcons (4-7), at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-9) Again, quick projections. REMAINING OPPONENTS New Orleans Saints: at Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4) LOSS (Drew Brees is seriously going to test this Steelers defense, but Big Ben should be able to run away with the W) vs. Carolina Panthers (3-7-1), WIN (The Panthers are just bad right now….Oh, and Cam Newton sucks too) at Chicago Bears (5-6), WIN (I’ll give them the win here. The trio in Jeffrey, Marshall, and Forte is rough, but the Saints will be much more motivated to pick up the win) vs. Atlanta Falcons (4-7), WIN/LOSS (Could go either way) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-9) WIN (No comment necessary) It’s going to be a fun ride. Atlanta Falcons fans have been drinking since week 5 nonstop, but it’s a huge early Christmas present that they can even have hopes for a playoff spot even when standing at a pathetic record. But they won’t be playing in January…
Some recurring bad-news stories are so depressingly unchanging that all one can do is sadly to take note of them. The Israeli colonization of occupied territory, which for some four decades has been driving nails into the coffin of a two-state solution in which Jewish and Arab states could live peacefully side by side, continues apace. The word this week is that the Israeli interior ministry has approved construction of another 1,600 apartments in disputed East Jerusalem and that approval for 2,700 more is only days away. Although there is little new to say about how damaging the continued construction on disputed land is to U.S. interests and to Middle East peace (and to the interests of anyone wishing Israel to be over the long term a free, democratic and Jewish state), the consequences are too serious just to let this development slide by unmentioned because of sheer fatigue over this discouraging and long-running story. For a reminder of how much this unilateral action constitutes a slap in the face of Israel's American patron—which has incurred enormous material, diplomatic, political, and security costs on Israel's behalf—I commend Matt Duss's treatment of the subject. One of the recent costs the U.S. has incurred is to expend much diplomatic capital supporting Israel's resistance against a U.N. recognition of Palestinian statehood. The only added point to make is that the colonization program, along with the current Israeli ruling coalition's larger opposition to a two-state solution, is what has elicited the very Palestinian initiative that raised the issue of a new U.N. resolution in the first place. Closely related to all this is another piece of news this week about U.S.-Israeli relations: that 81 members of the U.S. Congress—nearly a sixth of the entire Congress—will be traveling to Israel during the current Congressional recess. The travel is funded by an AIPAC affiliate, the American Israel Education Foundation. House Republican leader Eric Cantor, fresh off his role as chief extortionist in the debt-ceiling debacle, says that through the trips “Members will better understand the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship.” This kind of lobbyist-funded jaunt enables us to better understand something about the members themselves and about their priorities. An appropriate reaction is the kind of indignation voiced by David Rothkopf , who notes that “Every moment spent jumping through a hoop for a potential group of supporters is a moment spent failing to address one of the many urgent issues confronting the United States.” The trip to Israel to sit at the feet of Benjamin Netanyahu also demonstrates part of the extraordinary mechanism that leads legislators of the world's most powerful country to countenance—and even cheer—their country getting jerked around, much to its own detriment, by a small client that, at least under its current government, never stops displaying its ingratitude.
Please select your country: United States Argentina Australia Austria Belarus Belgium Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Canada Chile China Colombia Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Czechoslovakia (1945-1992) Denmark East Germany (1949-1990) Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Malaysia Malta Mexico The Netherlands New Zealand North Korea Norway Philippines Poland Portugal Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Serbia Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Vietnam U.S.S.R. (1922-1991) Yugoslavia (1945-1992) Africa » Cameroon Africa » South Africa Worldwide Other Not an American user? Description Screenshots Promo Images Alternate Titles "最终幻想9" -- Chinese spelling (traditional & simplified) "Zui Zhong Huanxiang 9" -- Chinese title "Finalnaja Fantazija 9" -- Russian title "FFIX" -- Informal name "FF9" -- Informal title "フアイナルファンタジーＩＸ" -- Japanese spelling Part of the Following Groups User Reviews Critic Reviews Forums tells the story of Zidane, the member of a team of theater actors who also happen to be a gang of thieves, and Garnet, the princess of Alexandria. Zidane and his buddies first plan to kidnap Garnet from her mother's palace. But shortly after the kidnapping, they realize the queen of Alexandria is up to something evil. Zidane, the princess, and other characters they encounter on their journey decide to join forces and to find out what can possibly drive the queen to commit her cruel deeds.The game's visual style is similar to the previous entry in theseries, with 3D character models, world map, and battle stages, pre-rendered backgrounds in individual locations, and CG cutscenes that advance the story. However, from the point of view of overall atmosphere and gameplay, the game tends to resemble older installments more. Like in Final Fantasy IV , each character belongs to a specific class (e.g. thief, black mage, summoner, etc.) which cannot be changed, having his or her own unique abilities. Combat utilizes the series' trademark ATB (active-time battle) system. Battles allow participation of four player-controlled characters. The player is able to choose these from a larger amount of available characters during later parts of the game.Character abilities (magic spells, immunity to certain status changes, etc.) are contained within weapons and armor. Each of these allows the player to learn one or more abilities by equipping the item on a character and continuously participating in battles. Ability points are awarded after battles along with experience points, gradually filling the ability bar of the equipped part. Once the bar is full, the ability can be used by the character even after the equipment that allowed him or her to learn it has been removed.The card mini-game from the previous installment is now called Tetra Master, and is featured more prominently. Cards are now placed on a 4x4 grid, and can attack other cards on diagonals as well as cardinal directions. Cards no longer have set stats, and instead have a range of values and arrow positions, making every card unique. Regional rule variations are gone, but at the start of every match one to five positions on the grid will be blacked out, changing the player's offensive and defensive strategies with every game. There are currently no topics for this game. Trivia 1001 Video Games Cancelled PC port References During a visit to one of the villages is a store. When you walk in there should be a boy talking about a huge blade being used by someone with blond hair. Brief mention of Cloud right there! The name of the main character, rendered as Zidane in the English translated version, is another reference (along with Citan Uzuki from Xenogears) to Dr. Gitanes, the protagonist of Square's very first game, The Death Trap. Zidane Awards Game Informer August 2001 (issue 100) - #43 in the "Top 100 Games of All Time" poll Related Web Sites The PS1 version ofappears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott., like FFVII , and FFVIII , was to be ported to the PC. However due to poor sales, offor the PC, the PC version was aborted.Because "Zidane" is the name of the most famous french soccer player at the time, the "Zidane" character has been renamed "Djidane" in the French version.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who has played a central role in negotiating the Senate healthcare reform bill, says a new version of the legislation is expected to be unveiled Monday. The revised bill gives Senate GOP leaders a second chance to round up 50 votes to repeal and replace major parts of ObamaCare, after their first attempt stalled before the July Fourth recess because of divisions within the Republican conference. “We’ve got a new version that comes out today. We’ll get new scores from CBO. And there’s a shot of getting to 50 [votes]. Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PencePence meeting with Senate GOP ahead of vote to block emergency declaration 'And the award for best political commentary by an Oscar nominee goes to...' UN nuclear watchdog: Iran maintains compliance with 2015 pact MORE breaks the tie,” Toomey, who sits on a special 13-member working group that helped put the legislation together, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in an interview Monday morning. A senior GOP aide, however, downplayed Toomey’s statement. “No expectation of today,” the source said. ADVERTISEMENT If the bill comes out today, a score from the Congressional Budget Office would be expected later this week, setting up a vote on the measure next week. President Trump urged congressional leaders Monday to cancel the August recess if they don’t pass the healthcare bill by the end of July. “I cannot imagine that Congress would dare to leave Washington without a beautiful new HealthCare bill fully approved and ready to go!” Trump tweeted. I cannot imagine that Congress would dare to leave Washington without a beautiful new HealthCare bill fully approved and ready to go! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017 Toomey said leaders reworked the bill to appeal to moderates and conservatives who earlier this month blocked the healthcare debate from starting because of disparate concerns over regulatory reforms and Medicaid spending reductions. Toomey said “there’s an opportunity” to win over “both.” “We’re going to get the specifics of a $45 billion commitment for opioid funding,” he said of extra funding in the bill that is a high priority of moderates such as Sens. Rob Portman Robert (Rob) Jones PortmanAddressing repair backlog at national parks can give Congress a big win Texas senator introduces bill to produce coin honoring Bushes GOP Green New Deal stunt is a great deal for Democrats MORE (R-Ohio) and Shelley Moore Capito Shelley Wellons Moore CapitoDems slam EPA plan for fighting drinking water contaminants GOP senator: Border deal is 'a very good compromise' Push to include contractor back pay in funding deal hits GOP roadblock MORE (R-W.Va.). “There’s also a big push to have a change in the regulatory mandates, so that we can have the lower premiums that we’re looking for,” he added. “People can have more control and more choices that will appeal to the conservatives.” Conservative Sens. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 Inviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Trump endorses Cornyn for reelection as O'Rourke mulls challenge MORE (R-Texas) and Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeePush to end U.S. support for Saudi war hits Senate setback The Hill's Morning Report — Emergency declaration to test GOP loyalty to Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump escalates fight with NY Times MORE (R-Utah) have threatened to vote against the bill unless it allows insurance companies to sell health plans that do not comply with ObamaCare’s regulatory requirements as long as they offer at least one plan that does. Critics say the Cruz-Lee Consumer Freedom amendment would segment the market, leading to healthier people flocking to cheap unregulated plans and sending the costs of plans that meet federal requirements soaring. Cruz and Lee, however, say there is enough money in the legislation to stabilize costs for older and sicker people. "There's also a big push to have a change in the regulatory mandates, so that we can have the lower premiums that we're looking for. People can have more control and more choices that will appeal to the conservatives," he said.
THE class divide will be thrust to the fore of the referendum debate this week, with the launch of an explicitly anti-British campaign aimed at mobilising support for independence in Scotland's most deprived communities. Organised by the left-wing Radical Independence Campaign (RIC) which includes the Scottish Greens and Scottish Socialists, it claims Britain is "for the rich", and focuses relentlessly on the UK's chronic social and economic problems. It describes Britain as a place with high infant mortality, poverty pay, staggering inequality between rich and poor, and "the least happy children in the developed world". Its conclusion to voters is: "Scotland doesn't have to be like this. Vote Yes." The Tories said it was a campaign based on "hatred", while Labour called it "appalling". The SNP last night stressed Radical Independence was "organisationally separate" from the party and the official Yes Scotland campaign. Thousands of flyers and posters declaring "Britain is for the rich, Scotland can be ours" will now be distributed around social housing schemes as part of a drive to target the estimated two million people in Scotland who don't vote. RIC organisers, who see the referendum as a class conflict in which the rich are voting No to avoid radical change, say they want to attract people who feel conventional politics is irrelevant to their lives, and who therefore "have nothing to lose" by voting Yes. Around half of the Scottish electorate choose not to vote in elections, a huge reservoir of potential support in the referendum if roused. To help target these people, the RIC plans mass canvas operations in poorer areas to encourage people to register to vote. The first such drive will be on Wednesday evening in Easterhouse in Glasgow. RIC has previously been supported by a range of SNP figures, including MSP Christina McKelvie, who spoke at its conference last year, Treasury spokesman Stewart Hosie MP and Holyrood chief whip Joe Fitzpatrick, who both campaigned alongside RIC Dundee earlier this month. Dennis Canavan, the chair of Yes Scotland, has also spoken at the last two RIC conferences, as have two of his fellow Yes Scotland board members - Colin Fox, leader of the Scottish Socialists, and Green MSP Patrick Harvie. The SNP's attack on Coalition welfare reforms and its promise to end the so-called bedroom tax are aimed at the same unemployed and low-paid workers targeted by RIC. But the RIC's hardline anti-British theme will trouble the SNP leadership as the party wants to avoid criticism for negative campaigning. RIC members, frustrated by the SNP's cautious approach, say the time for holding back is over, and that voters should be told Britain is a deeply dysfunctional and unfair society. One RIC organiser told the Sunday Herald: "It was fine for the SNP to decide not to attack Britain too much, but someone had to do it." RIC members also believe Chancellor George Osborne's flat rejection of a currency union with an independent Scotland - denounced by Alex Salmond as "bullying" - gives the Yes camp an opportunity to take a more aggressive stand. RIC organiser Jonathon Shafi said he was already finding three-to-one support for a Yes in the communities "professional" politics had ignored. He said: "Change is in the air. We are on the verge of a wider awakening. "Corporate Britain is sewn up for the rich. Most people know they are the butt of Tory Britain's 'we're all in it together' joke. "It will not take much to galvanise that frustration into a clear understanding of just how bad Britain has been." Shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran, whose Glasgow East constituency includes Easterhouse, said: "I know people in Easterhouse are too wise to be won over by this scaremongering from the anti-UK campaign. These are appalling tactics. "The SNP and the Yes campaign need to come clean on their involvement with this campaign and whether they signed off these tactics." Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw added: "This makes Alex Salmond's 'positive vision' look very foolish indeed. "These individuals are campaigning on a theme of hatred. "They are basically everything the Yes camp said it would never become, but senior SNP officials are canvassing with them hand in hand." There are some question marks over the accuracy of the RIC campaign. Its claim that Britain has "the worst infant mortality rates in Europe" is despite mortality rates in Bulgaria and Romania being more than double those in the UK. The RIC campaign taps into a significant but under-reported aspect of the referendum: class. Support for a Yes is greatest in deprived areas, while affluent areas back a No. In December, Ipsos Mori's Scottish Public Opinion Monitor reported 47% support for independence in the most deprived 20% of communities, ahead of 45% support for the Union. In sharp contrast, the most affluent 20% of neighbourhoods were 68% for Yes and 26% No. According to the 2011 Scottish Census, around 19% of households are headed by a person in social grade AB, which refers to higher-level professionals and managers. Around 32% are headed by C1 junior clerical and professional workers, 22% are headed by C2 skilled manual workers, and 28% of household heads are DE semi-skilled or unskilled manual workers and the unemployed. It is the DE group which RIC is focused on. Last month, a TNS poll found support for a Yes vote was highest among the DE group, and lowest among the ABs, but also that the DEs had the highest numbers of non-voters. A Better Together spokesman said: "Clearly any pretence of a positive campaign has been abandoned by the Nationalists. "How does this square with Alex Salmond's assertions that those seeking to break up the UK offer only hope and positivity? "There is a strong positive case for Scotland remaining in the UK. Ours is a campaign founded on an idea much bigger than the nationalist vision of division and grievance." An SNP spokeswoman said: "This does not reflect our positive approach to the referendum. RIC is one of many different groups campaigning for independence, and is organisationally separate from both the SNP and Yes campaign."
Last Friday's document release by the FBI revealed a stark contradiction between then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's signed Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement and her July statements to FBI agents, as THE WEEKLY STANDARD reported. Clinton told the FBI that she could not recall "any briefing or training by State related to the retention of federal records or handling of classified information", while the non-disclosure form stated that "I hereby acknowledge that I have received a security indoctrination concerning the nature and protection of classified information." So while Clinton says she recalls no such briefing or training, a State Department publication from 2010, the Diplomatic Security 2009 Year in Review, explicitly states that Secretary Clinton indeed received the training in "the proper handling of sensitive and classified information". The relevant section from the publication is shown here: Up until now, the State Department has avoided directly answering the question of whether or not Clinton was personally trained in the handling of classified material. But when asked Wednesday about the accuracy of the statement in the year-in-review publication, State Department spokesperson John Kirby told TWS, "I believe a more accurate characterization would be that the 302 [FBI interview document] says Secretary Clinton could not recall receiving training on handling classified material. The Secretary and senior staff in the office of the Secretary receive in person orientation on handling classified information and then work daily with qualified professional staff.‎" Kirby's assertion that Clinton not only received an "in person orientation" but worked "daily with qualified professional staff" undercuts Clinton's contention that classified marking are "too arcane for most people", a statement she made in an unaired remarks from an interview with ABC News, as reported by the Daily Caller. The "qualified professional staff" with whom Clinton worked should have been able to help her comply with yet another requirement from her non-disclosure agreement: "I understand that if I am uncertain about the classification status of information, I am required to confirm from an authorized official that the information is unclassified before I may disclose it...I further understand that I am obligated to comply with laws and regulations that prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of classified information." Secretary Clinton also told the FBI that she assumed the "(C)" in certain emails were markings used to alphabetize paragraphs. But if Clinton had any question about classification markings, the State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual contains a concise explanation of the five symbols used: 5 FAM 482.10 Identification and Markings for Original Classification c. Each portion of a document containing classified information, ordinarily a paragraph but including the subject line, headers, summaries, tables or graphics, must be marked to indicate its classification level, or that it is unclassified, by placing one of the parenthetical symbols listed below immediately preceding the portion to which it applies. Subject line and header portion markings may appear after the text. MARKING SYMBOLS (TS) = Top Secret (S) = Secret (C) = Confidential (SBU) = Sensitive But Unclassified (U) = Unclassified As noted previously by TWS, the non-disclosure form Clinton signed on January 22, 2009 also notes that classified information is not always so marked but is still regulated by the agreement. In spite of this, a statement on Clinton's campaign website excuses Clinton's email practices, saying, "No information in Clinton's emails was marked classified at the time she sent or received them." A composite of the FBI documents and the signed non-disclosure agreement is reproduced below:
Winter farmers’ markets are tests of fortitude and patience, even in Seattle, where the climate is reasonably temperate much of the season. Vendors weather the rain and wind, enduring slow sales waiting for the occasional brilliant day when the sun and the customers show. Those of us who set up our tents on bleak January days don’t expect long lines or strong sales; we’re working together to maintain an enterprise that relies on our consistent turnout and ongoing participation: if a critical mass of vendors show up even on the darkest, rainiest days, then the few customers who do make the trek will find what they need, and they’ll be willing to turn out again next time. Some vendors drive just a few miles to the markets; others travel hours from the other end of the state, weathering mountain passes even in the dead of January. The fertile valleys around the town of Carnation, about an hour east of the city, don’t get much snow but they do flood, stranding farmers and forcing them to miss markets. The town of Sequim, to the west, enjoys a disproportionate amount of winter sunshine; farmers from that area pile market tables high with colorful greens and crimson beets, supplementing the scarcity from other parts of the state. Some days we sell out and drive home tired and happy; other days we come away chilled and bone tired without breaking even. Solidarity is strongest on the grimmest days. We entertain each other, sharing the warmth of stoves and war stories from our darkest market days. And we barter, trading our bounty and getting to know each other’s needs and preferences. In fact, the worst days for sales tend to be the best days for bartering because we have more time to visit and exchange, and more product that needs to find a home. Few farmers’ markets are formally organized as cooperatives, yet farmers’ markets are deeply cooperative endeavors. Vendors collaborate to build a thriving marketplace, a whole that is bigger, stronger, and more interesting than the sum of its individual parts. Like members of producer coops, we own our own enterprises, yet together we create a more complex business that transcends each of our individual contributions and draws on our individual and collective strengths. The cooperative dimension of Northwest farmers’ market culture especially shines when we deal with regulatory agencies, especially the health department. Some of the agency’s actions and regulations feel draconian at times, yet vendors understand that a foodborne illness traced directly to a farmers’ market stand would devastate business, not only at the market where the incident occurred, but at all markets throughout the region, -- and even across the country. We keep our stalls clean and our food safe because we don’t want to sicken our customers, and also because we share a responsibility to one another. Several years ago, when a local newspaper published a sensationalist article about health code violations at local farmers’ markets, we enlisted the support of other media outlets as well as the local health department to make the case for our compliance and our integrity. This past fall, when the health department floated the prospect of raising fees for farmers’ market vendors by nearly 50 percent, we wrote letters, attended meetings, and rallied public support to steer the agency towards a more sensible, sustainable solution to its cash flow shortfalls. Solidarity is strongest on the grimmest days. There are dozens of farmers’ markets throughout the Seattle area. Some are serious shopping events, with customers who turn out early on weekend mornings knowing exactly which stalls they will visit and what they will buy. Other markets are more like weekly neighborhood parties, with music, kids’ activities, and extensive dinner options. Vendors see each other at multiple locations throughout the week, and we share our impressions and our experiences. Some markets are organized by nonprofit organizations working for the good of the community. They tend to be well run, albeit a bit heavy on rules. Other markets are run by representatives of municipal governments; these events can be awkward, top-down hybrids run by administrators with little knowledge of food or understanding of vendor culture. Most market vendors agree that the best markets are run by current or past vendors, people who have spent time behind a market table through sunny and inclement days, people who understand the mission and the passion, and know how to balance the needs of the vendors with the needs of the customers to create a vibrant, exciting marketplace. Go to the Regional Cooperative/Solidarity Economy Networks theme page Go to the GEO front page
Goaltender Jeremy Brodeur has signed an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the Toledo Walleye. He is expected to backup goaltender Jeff Lerg in tonight’s game one of the Central Division Finals against the Fort Wayne Komets at the Huntington Center. Brodeur is the son of legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur who appeared in 1,266 games in the NHL. Jeremy has spent the last three years with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. In the Generals playoff run this year, the 20-year-old posted a 5-4 record with a 3.33 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. In his OHL career, Brodeur has a regular season record of 70-40-9 record with a 2.80 GAA and a .909 SVP. The native of Essex Falls, New Jersey won a career-best 33 games this past season against just 14 losses while posting a 2.84 GAA and career-best .916 SVP. He was a member of the 2015 Oshawa team that won the OHL and collected the Memorial Cup.
PARIS, France — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen would win the first round of presidential elections in 2017, beating Socialist incumbent Francois Hollande and any candidate from the right, an opinion poll said Friday. But the leader of the National Front, which has gained tremendous ground this year topping municipal and European elections, would be beaten in the second round by the candidate from the center-right UMP party, be it former president Nicolas Sarkozy, or ex-prime ministers Francois Fillon or Alain Juppe, an Ifop poll for Le Figaro daily said. Hollande, who is battling record unpopularity amid rocketing joblessness and a flat-lining economy, insisted on Friday he would not step down before the end of his term in 2017. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up The Ifop poll asked voters whom they would vote for if the presidential poll was held next Sunday and 30 percent plumped for Le Pen in the first round. Juppe came in at second place at 24 percent while Hollande garnered a measly 16 percent, meaning he would not be eligible for the second round. If the UMP fielded Sarkozy, Le Pen would get 28 percent, compared to 25 percent for Sarkozy. But Hollande’s tally even in this scenario was unchanged at 16 percent. The poll was conducted between September 3 and 4 online among 994 people aged 18 and above.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’d feel like to travel back in time and walk the streets of San Francisco, this might be the closest you’ll get — at least for now. Two developers, Dan Vanderkam and Raven Keller, had the brilliant idea to take all the old photographs from the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection and put them on a interactive map. This map functions similarly to Google Street View, except for when you zoom in on a particular place it gives you photos from as far back as 1850. The project, which is called OldSF, lets you manipulate a slider to change the range of years (it goes from 1850 all the way up to 2000). The pair have geocoded about 13,000 images. Visit the site here, or look below for some of the best photos we saw from the 1800s, marked with their locations in the city. Point Lobos Avenue and 43rd, Dick's Saloon, 1890 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Central Park, 8th and Mission streets, around 1887 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Group of people overlooking the Cliff House from Sutro Heights, 1890 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Bush Street, west of Kearny, 1877 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Palm Avenue in Jefferson Square, 1881 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY View from City Hall, looking South, down 8th st. at Central Park, 1896 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Woodward's Gardens, 1864 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY California Street Looking East From Montgomery, 1865 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Exterior of the What Cheer House on the south side of Sacramento Street below Montgomery, 1865 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Building on northeast corner of Front and California streets, 1890 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Baldwin Hotel Bar, 1880 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Steuart Street, 1864 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY J. C. Flood Mansion, California Street, 1886 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY St. Luke's Episcopal Church, southeast corner of Sacramento street & Van Ness, 1895 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Sacramento St. and Van Ness Avenue, 1887 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Woodward's Gardens, 1874 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Miss Lake's School for Young Ladies, corner Sutter and Octavia Streets, 1890 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Howard Street, looking east from Sixth Street, (horse car), 1866 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY 1919 California Street, 1887 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Southern Pacific Passenger Depot, 1879 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Cablecar at South Park, 1865 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Fire Engine No. 13 at 1458 Valencia Street, 1884 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Shotwell Street, near Twentieth. Snowfall, 1887 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY The Willows, 18th & Valencia Sts., 1864 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Musicians performing outside the 'Haunted Swing' at the Midwinter Fair in Golden Gate Park, 1894 SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY Business Insider Emails & Alerts Site highlights each day to your inbox. Email Address Join Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Portland, Oregon, is known (and sometimes ridiculed) for its staunchly iconoclastic residents and attitude. What not many outsiders know is that the city even has its own iconic drinking fountains, known as Benson Bubblers. These four-headed brass fonts take their name from the man who gave them to the city, the early 20th century lumber baron and philanthropist Simon Benson. After suffering a number of financial blows, Benson moved to Portland in 1880 to start his life over and got into the logging business, where he was able to make himself a reasonable fortune. He built himself a house, and eventually purchased a hotel that bears his name to this day. Having established himself as a prominent figure in his adopted home city, Benson decided to give back. In 1912, he made a $10,000 donation to the city specifically to create public water fountains. Benson’s initial grant funded 20 brass drinking fountains, which cost around $500 each. The water stations had a regal, four-bowl design that gave them a unique look, and they burbled out water all throughout the daylight hours. The first Benson Bubbler was placed at SW 5th & Washington, and the rest were installed throughout a segment of what is now downtown Portland. Just bubbling away the day. thekirbster/CC BY 2.0 Benson’s motivations for donating water fountains to the city are unknown, although a couple of theories have become popular among locals. One story goes that Benson, a teetotaler, provided the water fountains to the city as a way to get workers from the various logging mills to stop getting drunk at lunch. Another, more dramatic version of the story says that Benson witnessed a little girl crying at a Fourth of July parade because she couldn’t find a drink of water. “We think Portlanders are more apt to believe the story about keeping loggers out of bars on their lunch breaks,” says Jaymee Cuti, public information officer for the Portland Water Bureau. Either way, the bubblers proved to be a hit. By 1917, the first 20 water fountains had been put in place, including one in front of Benson’s own home. The city would go on to commission more of the four-headed fountains, including a couple in 1975 that were forged at a local high school to save money on the expensive brass casting. These days, getting a new bubbler put in place is nearly impossible, even within the city itself. “We lived in an area of the city called Irvington that’s designated as a historic district, so I was on the land use committee,” says Thomas Mertes, a history professor at Linfield College who lived in Portland from 2007 to 2015. “They have been trying for at least the last seven years to get a bubbler put in at the corner of 15th and Broadway.” That’s because in the 1970s, the Benson family (Simon passed away in 1942) specifically requested that Benson Bubblers not be installed outside of their chosen boundaries in downtown Portland, since their proliferation would make them less special. A typical Benson Bubbler. Mike Grauer Jr/CC BY 2.0 The Bensons got their wish. Today, there are 52 of the bubblers spread across historic downtown Portland, and that’s pretty much the only place you’ll find them. A single bubbler was donated to two of Portland’s nine sister cities, Sapporo, Japan, in 1965, and Suzhou, China, in 2016, and another ended up in a Washington, D.C., museum, but beyond that, the iconic drinking fountains have managed to remain unique to Portland. There are also a further 74 one-bowled versions of the bubblers that were created later, but purists insist that these versions don’t count. Though many of the fountains are over a century old now, for the most part, they are all still flowing, thanks to devoted conservation efforts. Some small changes have been made to the fountains in order to improve efficiency and conserve water, but otherwise they work just like they did during Portland’s heyday as a timber town, issuing drinking water from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., 365 days a year. Portland continues to cherish its bubblers. “Part of it is that Portland thinks of itself as being so precious,” says Mertes. “Also, I think they’re a sign of community. A sign of uniqueness. It also has a socio-democratic aspect to it. There was a real sense that the working class actually had some influence and strong traditions in the city, and I think these water fountains speak to that working class ethos.” The Benson Bubblers are just another facet of Portland that sets the city apart from anywhere else in the world. Just as most Portlanders would have it.
When Gary Holmes and Aaron Libera opened their home brewery business in downtown Sanford nearly three years ago, their shop was tucked in the back corner of a German delicatessen and consisted of a few shelves stacked with malts, containers and starter kits for people looking to make their own beer. The Sanford Homebrew Shop has since moved out of that tiny space, and today the pair oversees a larger store on Magnolia Avenue. Fifty pound bags of malt are stacked waist-high near the front door. The shelves are stocked with a variety of stainless steel brewing pots, hoses and other equipment. The shop also offers classes for first time brewers. Holmes and Libera will quickly tell you that their shop's success is tied to the growing taste for craft beers and surging popularity in home brewing. And as the availability of craft beer has exploded in recent years, so have the number of hobbyists willing to take a shot at creating their own brews in their kitchens or garages. "What's happened is that more restaurants are now offering craft beers — besides the Budweisers and the Miller Lites — and people will taste these craft beers and ask: 'Wow, can I brew something like this at home?' " Holmes said. "And that's where we help them." The growing taste for craft beers nationally has also caused changes in the beer market. In the past year, overall beer sales have dropped by 2 percent, while craft beer sales grew 18 percent by volume, according to the national Brewers Association. Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel Sanford Homebrew co-owners Aaron Libera (right) and Gary Holmes, with associate Eric Koffsky (center), at their Sanford beer-brewing supply store. Sanford Homebrew co-owners Aaron Libera (right) and Gary Holmes, with associate Eric Koffsky (center), at their Sanford beer-brewing supply store. (Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel) Even President Barack Obama has gotten into the brewing craze. This month, he was honored with a lifetime membership to the American Homebrewers Association after purchasing a starter kit in 2011 and creating a honey ale with the help of his personal chef, Sam Kass. "The hobby is getting bigger all the time," said Mike Urban, a Winter Springs resident and member of the Central Florida Home Brewers, a group made up of brewing enthusiasts that has seen its membership numbers swell in recent years. As an example, his club's annual brew competition gets about 700 entries. Whereas "we would have about 400 or 500 entries four or five years ago," Urban said. Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel Brown bottles are ready for purchase at Sanford Homebrew, the beer-brewing supply store. Brown bottles are ready for purchase at Sanford Homebrew, the beer-brewing supply store. (Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel) Urban, 65, started brewing beer regularly about 12 years ago. He became interested in the hobby after returning home from Germany, where he appreciated that country's distinctive beer flavors over the American beers sold in supermarkets. Today, he cooks up a batch of beer about once a month and says if he were 30 years younger he would probably take a stab at becoming a professional craft brewer. That's not unusual. Many home brewers become so enthralled with cooking up their owns suds that they end up trying to sell their brewed concoctions. But that's when it gets complicated under Florida and national laws, said Trevor Brewer, a Maitland attorney who devotes a part of his law practice toward helping craft brewers navigate through the legalities in trying to sell their own beer and wine. According to state law, an individual can brew up to 100 gallons of beer a year, or a household can produce up to 200 gallons annually. You can give it away, but you can't sell it, unless you have licenses from the state of Florida and the federal government, Brewer said. Brewer has nearly three dozen clients around the state who are in the process of selling their own brews. "Almost all of them started out as home brewers," he said. "People tell them: 'You have a really good product.' Or they decide they are really good at their craft, and they want to open up their own brewery." It's a costly endeavor — at least $100,000 to launch a small brewery. The biggest expense is purchasing the equipment. In the state of Florida, there are about 110 active licensed breweries. Luke Scott, a co-owner HeartsHomeBrew.com, an Orlando beer-making supply store on Edgewater Drive, said home brewing was popular years ago, but then the enthusiasm waned. "But it has seen a resurgence" within the past decade, he said. The main reasons, Scott said, are the large varieties of specialty beers and the ease of purchasing startup kits through the Internet. "But when people dive into [home brewing] they soon realize how complex it can become," Scott said. "It's like a science project." On a recent afternoon, Ronnie Saltzer walked into the Sanford Homebrew Shop and looked around at the bags of malt and the equipment. He asked Holmes and Libera: How easy is it to brew beer? How much will it cost? The co-owners answered his questions. They also explained that their shop offers hands-on classes in which participants take home a six-pack of the beer they brew. "Some of the best beer I've had was from home brewers," Holmes said. "And people are realizing you can create a great brew at home." [email protected]
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The apartment block has continued to smoulder throughout the night A fire has destroyed a high-rise building in Shanghai, killing at least 42 people, state media report. At least 90 others were injured as the blaze tore through a 28-storey block of flats in the Chinese city, Xinhua said. The building was being renovated when the fire broke out. Chinese TV showed people clinging to scaffolding surrounding the building as they waited to be rescued from the flames. Firefighters battled for several hours to bring the blaze under control. Analysis Many people were trapped as fire engulfed the upper part of the building, beyond the reach of the fire hoses. Helicopters attempted to rescue some from the roof. Eventually firefighters rigged up hoses on top of nearby buildings. The fire was brought under control after nightfall, and officials said more than 100 people had been rescued. In Shanghai building regulations are stricter and more rigorously enforced than in other parts of China. An investigation will need to establish what kind of renovation work was going on when the fire started and why it appears to have spread so quickly through the building. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but witnesses say construction materials caught fire and the flames quickly climbed the scaffolding surrounding the building. More than 80 fire engines were called to battle the fire, officials say. It took several hours to bring the blaze - which reportedly started in the early hours of Monday afternoon - under control. Survivors evacuated Orange flames could be seen licking the sides of the building, and a thick pall of smoke was visible several miles away as the fire tore through the structure. Some survivors escaped the inferno by clambering down the scaffolding, while others stumbled over people as they struggled down smoke-filled stairwells. My son took off his socks and soaked them with water, and we used them to cover our noses Li Xiuyun, Fire survivor Shanghai high-rise fire: Your videoIn pictures: China high-rise fire Survivor Li Xiuyun, 61, said she cut her feet on shattered glass as she fled from her 16th floor flat with her husband, son and granddaughter. "My son took off his socks and soaked them with water, and we used them to cover our noses," AFP quoted Ms Li as saying. TV footage showed soot-smudged people stumbling out of the building, and a rescue worker being lowered on to the roof from a helicopter. Survivors of the fire have been searching hospitals for missing friends and relatives. One man who lived in the building said: "All of my relatives and friends have been driving to all the different hospitals. As a family member, what can I do in this situation? How can I calm down? "I have only one thing to say - I ask the Communist Party to come and help quickly." Image caption Firefighters battled for several hours to bring the blaze under control Correspondents say many people were trapped in the upper part of the building, and it could be several hours before the full number of people who died is known. Rescue workers are still combing through the wreckage for survivors. The building was reportedly home to a number of retired teachers, and municipal officials said it housed 156 families in total. Shanghai television said survivors had been evacuated to a nearby stadium where rescue officials had set up a command centre. One of China's commercial hubs, Shanghai has some 20m residents and has seen a frenzy of construction work in recent years.
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Guest post by Shanna Babilonia By now, we are all aware of the unnecessary push to regulate the use of birth control amongst women. Unfortunately, for millions of women across the United States (whose voices are often not heard), some of our leaders and lawmakers are attempting to remove birth control coverage from insurance policies and give corporations the right to terminate the employment of female employees who use contraceptives. Aside from the obvious immoral position of forcing a woman to choose between her career and her own health and family planning decisions, the truth is, women do not use birth control purely to stop pregnancy from occurring. There are several other motives, including some very real life-threatening reasons. Let’s get real about why restricting access to birth control is a horrible idea and is putting women’s health at risk. Here are 8 other reasons women take the pill: To regulate her menstrual cycle so that she can become pregnant at a later time. For some women, becoming pregnant is not an easy task, especially for women who suffer from irregular menstrual cycles. Some women opt to take the pill to create the regularity that will enable them to become pregnant, sometimes even within the first week of stopping the pill. To stop intense and debilitating cramps. Some women have such intense pain during their menstrual cycle that it can leave them incapacitated and unable to tend to important areas of their lives – such as their career and home life. In order to circumvent this problem they take the pill, which can reduce the pain and even shorten the duration of her cycle. To improve her acne and/or hair growth problems. For many of us, acne is an embarrassing problem we suffered during our youth, but this is not so for everyone. Some women suffer from extreme cases of acne and uncontrollable hair growth as adults. Taking the pill helps correct these problems and give a woman back her beautiful and clear complexion. To protect herself against life-threatening cancers such as ovarian cancer. Contraceptives can reduce the rate at which a woman ovulates in her lifetime. Since ovulation itself can trigger cell changes that lead to cancer of the ovaries, this possible reduction in ovulation can lower the risk of ovarian cancer. To prevent the formation of ovarian cysts Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs/growths that can form during ovulation inside a woman’s ovary. Taking contraceptives reduces the risk of a woman developing these cysts when the contraceptive prevents ovulation. Sometimes these cysts dissolve on their own, but if left untreated, they can result in the need for surgery or even become cancerous. To regulate the hormonal imbalance that caused her fibroids. Fibroids are lumps or growths inside the uterus caused by hormonal imbalances in the body. They are usually not cancerous, but can still be life-threatening. Fibroids can produce persistent bleeding, often with blood clots, which can result in severe blood loss. The steady blood loss can cause a woman to become anemic, and even die if the problem is not managed. She may be able to have a full or partial hysterectomy or other surgery to stop the problem; however, if her uterus is healthy her doctor may not allow such surgery, especially if she is young and still able to conceive. The pill can often balance her hormones and stop her constant bleeding without the need for surgery. This is especially useful for a woman who is young, still wants to have children or is, unable at the time, to afford the expensive cost of surgery. To relieve symptoms caused by endometriosis – a painful condition. Endometriosis is an ailment where the endometrial lining of the uterus begins to grow outside of the uterus and into other pelvic organs. Endometriosis can cause severe pain, immune issues, and infertility. There is no cure for endometriosis, but it can be treated. Treatments can vary ranging from pain medication and hormone therapy to surgery, depending on the severity. Birth control (hormone therapy) is one of the treatments for endometriosis. By taking contraceptives, a woman may decrease the painful effects of endometriosis as long as she remains on the treatment. She is not financially prepared She wants to have children – in fact – she wants a large family, but she is not yet in a position to financially support a child. Many women take the pill simply because they are not prepared for the financial responsibility of caring for a child. This is a mature and honorable decision for her (and her spouse if she is married) to make. She is being wise in her decision by building her resources first and ensuring that when she does bring a child into this world, she is prepared to pay the cost of having one. This economically responsible decision enables her to first create her resources, and then start her family. When women take family planning into their own hands and allow themselves the necessary time to first achieve financial stability, it is highly unlikely that they will need the assistance of any government program paid for by tax payer dollars. Every woman, no matter her political, religious, or social standing should be free to determine what is right for her health and make intelligent decisions about how to properly plan her family. It’s time for women to be heard and send a clear message to our leaders that our health and family planning decisions are not up for debate. How do women do this? Through our votes and by speaking out about the obvious necessity for contraceptives. Additional Reading: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs351/en/ http://contraception.about.com/od/hormonalcontraception/tp/Noncontraceptive-Benefits.htm http://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=15428 http://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0801/p288.html
Romanian fans in Budapest earlier this month. Romania will play their next Euro 2016 qualifier behind closed doors after Uefa fined them for racist behaviour by supporters earlier this month. Uefa fined the Romanian Football Federation a total of 110,000 euros (£80,000) for crowd trouble in games against Hungary and Greece. Fans in Budapest disrespected the Hungarian anthem, let off flares and clashed with rival fans. In the home game against Greece they were punished for racist behaviour. Romania - who are a point behind Northern Ireland in second place in Group F - will now play Finland in an empty stadium on 8 October. With the top two sides in each group progressing to next summer's finals in France, Romania are well placed to qualify for a first major tournament since Euro 2008.
After some debating amongst the team here at PocketFullOfApps, we’ve revamped our advertising page with new information and a better look as well. Amongst these changes, most notably is the new spreadsheets for our advertising rates and ad space details. Previously it used to be a jumbled mess of information that wasn’t well organized, however, it’s now much easier to understand. In doing so, we also introduced an advertising model where you can purchase an advertisement in increments of 1,000 impressions. This gives developers more flexibility if they want to test out our service, or have a smaller amount of money for promotional purposes. Next up, we’ve recently began accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment as well. We’re strong believers in the cryptocurrency, so we want to support it as much as possible. Unlike some companies that convert Bitcoin payments back to dollars, we’ll hold the Bitcoin as is and won’t convert it. But without any further to do, be sure to take a look at our revamped advertising page and give us any feedback in the comments. Like this: Like Loading...
Zero Hour! is a 1957 drama film directed by Hall Bartlett from a screenplay by Arthur Hailey, Hall Bartlett and John Champion. It stars Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell and Sterling Hayden and features Peggy King, Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, Geoffrey Toone and Jerry Paris in supporting roles. The film was released by Paramount Pictures.[3] Today, the film is best known for its classic 1980 film parody, Airplane!, which uses parts of the original screenplay almost verbatim. Plot [ edit ] During the closing days of the Second World War, six members of his Royal Canadian Air Force fighter squadron are killed because of a command decision made by pilot Ted Stryker (Dana Andrews). Years later, in civilian life in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, a guilt-stricken Stryker goes through many jobs, and his marriage is in trouble. Stryker finds a note at home: his wife Ellen (Linda Darnell) has taken their young son Joey and is leaving him, flying to Vancouver. He rushes to Ottawa Airport to board the same flight, Cross-Canada Air Lines Flight 714. He asks his wife for one last chance, but Ellen says that she can no longer love a man she does not respect. The routine flight becomes deadly when stewardess Janet Turner (Peggy King) begins the meal service. Meat or fish are the options. When a number of passengers begin feeling sick, a doctor (Geoffrey Toone) aboard determines that there must have been something wrong with the fish. While attending to others, including Stryker's son, the stewardess and doctor discover that both the pilot and co-pilot have also become seriously ill. Although it stays in the air on autopilot, no one is left to fly the airliner. After the stewardess checks with other passengers, she determines that Stryker is the only one with flying experience, but he has not flown in 10 years and has no familiarity with aircraft of this size. Owing to dense fog on the ground, obscuring the runway, Flight 714 must bypass Calgary and all other intermediate airports, to continue on to Vancouver. Stryker's superior in the war, the tough-minded Captain Treleaven (Sterling Hayden), is summoned to Vancouver Airport to give him instructions about how to land the aircraft. Ellen joins her husband in the cockpit to handle the radio. Ordered to remain airborne, Stryker makes another command decision to land the airliner because passengers will die if they do not get to a hospital soon. Stryker lands the plane, saving all of the passengers. He earns the respect of Ellen and Captain Treleaven. Cast [ edit ] Precursor [ edit ] Zero Hour! was an adaptation of Hailey's original 1956 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation teleplay Flight into Danger, starring James Doohan as Ted Stryker.[4] Hailey also co-wrote a novel with John Castle based on the same plot titled Flight Into Danger: Runway Zero-Eight (1958). Principal photography took place from May 8–28, 1957 with retakes on July 23–24, 1957. The primary filming location was Santa Ana, California.[5] Nightclub and television performer Peggy King made her feature film debut in Zero Hour!, recording the song "Zero Hour" for Columbia Records to coincide with the film's release.[1] [Note 1] Reception [ edit ] The New York Times reviewer Bosley Crowther called Zero Hour! an "exciting contemplation of a frightening adventure in the skies" based on a "good terse script ... Dana Andrews as the hero and Sterling Hayden as the captain are first-rate in these roles, keeping them hard and unrelenting."[6] Time magazine, however, called the script a "bloopy inflation of a 1956 television show" and said its "moral struggle comes off fairly well, but the general situation is as patently contrived as one of Walter Mitty's daydreams."[7] In 1971, the film was remade as a made-for-television movie, Terror in the Sky, a Movie of the Week special with Doug McClure in the Ted Stryker role (renamed George Spencer).[8] Zero Hour! was also used as the basis for the parody film Airplane! (1980). Because Zero Hour! was owned at the time by Paramount Pictures, the makers of Airplane!, also a Paramount feature, were able to use the screenplay almost verbatim, including the hero again being named Ted Striker. Screenplay writer Hailey went on to write the popular 1968 novel, Airport, which revisited the air disaster genre and led to a film franchise that was also spoofed by Airplane! and its own sequel. See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] Notes ^ Los Angeles Times reported that Harrison Reeder of Robert Alexander Productions attempted to purchase the screen rights to the Zero Hour story as a star vehicle for actor [1] At the time, thereported that Harrison Reeder of Robert Alexander Productions attempted to purchase the screen rights to thestory as a star vehicle for actor Steve Cochran Citations Bibliography
The Nuggets share many similarities with the Warriors before Golden State took the next step. Can Denver make that leap this season? (1:03) Remember when the Golden State Warriors were just another solid Western Conference playoff team? Yeah, it feels like a long time ago. Flash back to 2013-14 and the idea of framing the entire NBA season around the team from the San Francisco Bay Area would have seemed preposterous. But perhaps the most remarkable thing about Golden State's ascension to the NBA's championship throne is that nobody really saw it coming. A nearly unstoppable dynasty was hiding in plain sight -- and the next one might be too. Look closely and you can see another team out West following the same blueprint that the Warriors laid out in the not-too-distant past. It's not flashy new superteams in Houston and OKC, and it's not Lonzo Ball Plus Two Max Contract Slots In 2018. Nope, it's Denver (yes, Denver!). When you compare these 2017-18 Nuggets to those Warriors from the season before they won the title, the parallels suggest we might be overlooking the NBA's next great team -- again. The strategy laid out by the Warriors and since copied by the Nuggets is to build mostly through the draft, add role players with smart trades and nail one major impact free agent. Among the top eight players in projected minutes for the Nuggets are four homegrown draft picks, three role players acquired via trade and one high-impact contributor signed as a free agent, which is the same distribution the Warriors used in 2013-14. When it comes to the draft, both front offices did it the hard way by nailing picks outside the top five, which is a difficult task. Golden State drafted eventual All-Stars with the No. 7, No. 11 and No. 35 picks, spots that in the lottery era have developed into All-Stars 33 percent, 15 percent and 9 percent of the time, respectively. The chance of finding All-Stars with all of them is about 1-in-200. Denver is following suit with a group consisting of Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay. That sounds crazy? The same thing could be said of Golden State's young core four years ago. Although Stephen Curry had emerged as a likely first-time All-Star entering that season, neither Klay Thompson nor Draymond Green registered on that kind of radar. Jokic, Harris and Murray combined for 15.6 win shares last season, near the 16.1 win shares produced by Curry, Thompson and Green in 2012-13. This season, there are the Warriors and then there's everyone else. "They're going to be the highest favorite we've ever had going into a season, any team in any sport," according to one oddsmaker at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. They've truly come a long way. Entering the 2013-14 season, the Warriors were looking up at an impressive array of contenders out West that included the Spurs (one Ray Allen missed shot away from winning the previous title), Thunder (featuring MVP-to-be Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook), Clippers (with Chris Paul and a healthy Blake Griffin) and Rockets (added Dwight Howard to pair with James Harden). The road to the top of the West went through multiple established star duos and trios, leading ESPN's Summer Forecast panel to project the Warriors for a sixth-place finish in the West. That's exactly where the Warriors finished, winning 51 games in a loaded conference that featured seven 50-win teams and left a 48-win Suns team out of the playoffs. Now there's a real sense of déjà vu as the NBA is once again unbalanced. The Nuggets are looking up at a swath of star-heavy Western Conference powerhouses and figure to be somewhat of a high-quality afterthought. They also were picked by ESPN's Forecast panel to finish sixth. But as the new-look contenders try to find a groove early, there's a real opportunity for the Nuggets to steal some headlines, as they have the NBA's easiest schedule in October and November, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI). Breaking news: Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic do not have similar games. And yet both succeed as offensive wunderkinds, thanks in part to a skill unmatched by any counterpart. Curry's shooting ability is unlike anything we've ever seen. The threat he presents by simply stepping on the floor unlocks defenses in ways that numbers can't fully articulate. Jokic's playmaking presents a similar challenge. Seven-footers simply aren't supposed to thread needles and facilitate offense to the degree he does. Maybe you've heard this before, but it bears repeating: Since Jokic became the starting center in mid-December of last season, Denver -- not Golden State -- led the NBA in offensive efficiency. The Warriors didn't become "The Warriors" until Curry transformed into a transcendent talent, a metamorphosis that began to take shape in 2012-13, gained momentum in 2013-14 and became reality in 2014-15. He's a bona fide superstar and a face of the NBA. Jokic is three years younger and already ahead of where Curry was entering 2013-14. Heading into that season, Curry had yet to make an All-Star team, even though he was coming off a 2012-13 campaign in which he ranked in the top 20 in player efficiency rating (PER), win shares per 48 minutes and real plus-minus (RPM). Though he finished 19th in RPM -- an estimate of a player's true on-court impact -- the then 24-year-old Curry was still a minus defender, as his overall standing was buoyed by being fourth in offensive RPM to offset a defensive RPM of -0.78 that ranked outside the top 250. Jokic ranked sixth in overall RPM last season with a much more balanced profile. He finished among the top 35 in both the offensive (12th) and defensive (34th) components, which should help dispel some of the notion that he's exclusively a one-way player (even if his rim protection will never come close to matching Rudy Gobert's). Contributing 6.7 points per 100 possessions to his team's performance last season, Jokic outperformed Curry's 2013-14 season, in which Curry finished sixth in the MVP race. If you narrow the focus to those special skills -- Jokic's passing and Curry's shooting -- Jokic still reigns supreme with respect to their peer groups. Jokic averaged 6.3 assists per 36 minutes last season, 174 percent greater than the league-average starting center. Conversely, Curry's made 3s per 36 rated 120 percent greater than the league-average starting point guard. Point-center Nikola Jokic is truly a game-changer. Even if Jokic's playmaking doesn't rewrite the record books like Curry's shooting has, the fact that only Russell Westbrook, James Harden and LeBron James had more triple-doubles last season is a testament to his ability to control all facets of the game. Although the advanced metrics indicate that Jokic already is a superstar, all signs point to this being the season that public perception catches up. Of course, Jokic will have some more help this season in the form of four-time All-Star Paul Millsap. A veteran All-Star with a strong defensive pedigree whose on-court impact far exceeds box score contributions joins a young core hungry to compete -- where have we seen that before? When Iguodala joined the Warriors, he was coming off two straight seasons in which he ranked among the top 20 in RPM, despite averaging a pedestrian 12.7 points per game over that same span. The casual fan might have seen a dependable and versatile player, but not necessarily a star. Iguodala's impact was immediate and also severely understated. While Curry made the All-Star team and both David Lee and Klay Thompson pumped in more than 18 PPG, Iguodala averaged his fewest points since his rookie season, while not leading the team in any major statistical category. Without Iguodala on the floor, lineups with those three on the court outscored teams by 3.4 points per 100 possessions. In the more than 1,000 minutes with Iguodala, Curry, Lee and Thompson on the floor, the team's net rating soared to plus-17.1, suggesting that Iguodala's impact far outweighed anything that shows up on the back of a basketball card. Perhaps not surprising then, Iguodala finished third in RPM that season behind only LeBron James and Chris Paul. Millsap provides a similar under-the-radar impact that might not be gleaned from per-game averages. Last season in Atlanta, the Hawks' net rating of plus-2.0 with Millsap on the floor was seven points greater than when he was off the floor. That's a larger impact than Iguodala made in Denver in 2012-13, the season before he teamed up with the Warriors. Millsap is one of just seven players who ranked inside the top 15 in RPM during each of the past three seasons, a club that includes All-NBA mainstays LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Draymond Green. At 32 years old, Millsap is two years older than Iguodala was entering 2013-14, and it doesn't take much imagination to see him starting for one season in Denver before transitioning to the same super-sub role Iguodala has embraced in the Bay Area. "Twenty-three years old with a money stroke from beyond the arc and two-way potential as an elite 3-and-D shooting guard." That same description could have been written in October 2013 about Klay Thompson or October 2017 about Gary Harris. Were it not for his fellow Splash Brother, Thompson would likely be viewed as the best shooter in the world. He's also coming off an NBA Finals in which he spent more time guarding Kyrie Irving than any other Warriors player, while holding him to 38 percent shooting and 0.8 points per play. That's a lofty goal for Harris to match. However, compare Harris to Thompson at the same age and you come away thinking Harris has all the tools to get there. Last season, Harris averaged more points per 36 minutes, shot a better percentage from 3 and finished with more win shares than Thompson did as a 22-year-old. And he did it while playing more than 30 minutes per game, a significant piece of the rotation, even if he didn't yet quite have as large of a role as Thompson did at that same point. Of particular interest is Harris' ability to stretch the floor in Denver's high-octane offense playing off of Jokic. As the charts show, Harris is every bit as effective a catch-and-shoot threat that Thompson was back in 2012-13, though with less volume. Harris also shot a blistering 54 percent from the corners, which ranked second among the more than 100 players that attempted at least 60 of them. Offensively, Harris is every bit as advanced as Thompson was at this same point, which is frightening to consider, given Thompson's ability to go scorched earth. Harris has further to go than Thompson on the defensive end, where he gives up three inches and thus doesn't have the size to check as many positions as effectively. According to Synergy, Harris ranked in just the 15th percentile in points per play allowed in the half-court, though some of that can be attributed to scheme and Denver's generally porous defense overall. Regardless, he ranked among the league's worst shooting guards in defensive RPM last season, despite having the tools to become a plus defender. Golden State's offense might get more attention, but the team also has ranked among the top five in defensive rating over each of the past three seasons. Thompson's ability to check the opposing team's best perimeter threat plays a significant role in that, and if the Nuggets are going to evolve into a dynasty, Harris needs to show similar development. Golden State didn't truly become special until Draymond Green emerged as an All-Star talent. Even with Curry, Iguodala and Thompson, the Warriors needed Green's all-around brilliance to evolve into the unselfish, efficient, 3-point-shooting, switch-everything, two-way force that led to the winningest three-year stretch in NBA history. It was a star turn that few saw coming following Green's rookie season of 2012-13, in which he played just 13 minutes per game while stuck behind David Lee, Carl Landry, Andrew Bogut and even Festus Ezeli in the quest for playing time. Though he didn't truly break out until the 2014-15 season -- during which Green was thrust into a starting role after the injury to Lee -- the writing was on the wall following 2013-14, as he ranked among the top 25 in RPM, sandwiched directly between LaMarcus Aldridge and Russell Westbrook. Denver has a whole cupboard full of malleable young players who could blossom into the key piece, the most promising of which is Jamal Murray. Entering his second season, Murray projects for 2.7 RPM wins in 2017-18, which would exceed Green's RPM wins from the 2012-13 season. While Green contributed far more in his second season, it's also worth pointing out that Murray entered the league three years younger than Green. There's plenty of time to play catch-up. Even if it's not Murray, there are other possibilities. The Nuggets have five other first-round picks, all 22 or younger, in Juancho Hernangomez, Emmanuel Mudiay, Trey Lyles, Malik Beasley and Tyler Lydon, giving them plenty of options to throw at the dartboard. After all, it's not always the prospect you expect to develop that does. Four years ago, if you had to guess which other Warriors player would turn into an All-Star, the house money probably would have been on Harrison Barnes, not Green. That Barnes developed into a useful starter gives hope for Denver, as well, as it's not necessarily star or bust for the young horses in the stable. Of course, the other benefit to building up the bench with young talent is it gives you options to explore trading for potentially attainable star players. Everyone talks about how Boston is loaded in young assets to acquire another star, and yet Denver's treasure chest isn't far off. In addition to the young collection of talent, the Nuggets own all of their first-round picks moving forward. If they decide to fast-track contention, they have a variety of pieces that could be attractive in a bid to land Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, Bradley Beal, CJ McCollum or someone of that caliber. Of course, Denver should not start securing permits for a downtown parade this June. These things take time. And just like the Warriors before them, it's most certainly a long shot, especially when you're doing it without the benefit of an obvious franchise-changer like LeBron. When the Warriors won the title in 2014-15, they became the first champions in the lottery era to win it all without a single top-five pick among their top five in minutes played. But even that team had seasoned pedigree in former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Bogut and former No. 4 overall pick Shaun Livingston. That team entered the season projected to finish seventh in the West. Denver probably won't seriously contend this season. And they might not register 12 months from now, either. But any conversation about who's next absolutely needs to include the Mile High franchise that is doing a better Warriors impersonation than any other team.
Billy Crystal, and Zak Williams, will offer a tribute to Robin Williams. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images) The San Francisco Giants will honor one of their most loyal fans before Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday night in San Francisco. The team will pay tribute to Robin Williams, the comedian who committed suicide in August, by having his son, Zak, throw the ceremonial first pitch to Bill Crystal, a close friend of Williams’, before the Giants play the Kansas City Royals. Another of Williams’ children, daughter Zelda, will participate in the pregame ceremony and the team is expected to show a video tribute to Williams as well. “I lost my father and a best friend and the world got a little grayer. I will carry his heart with me every day,” Zak Williams said in a statement after his father’s death. “I would ask those that loved him to remember him by being as gentle, kind, and generous as he would be. Seek to bring joy to the world as he sought.” Robin Williams, a San Francisco resident, was a longtime Giants fan and the team observed a moment of silence for him days after his death.
By Richard Walker — Pope Francis’s decision to sign a treaty recognizing the state of Palestine infuriated Israel and its backers in Congress and effectively added fuel to the global campaign to punish Israeli companies linked to the building of settlements on Palestinian land. A significant outcome of the Vatican’s signing of a treaty with the Palestinian Authority (PA) will be the imprimatur it bestows on the PA, and the pressure it will put on European countries that have been sitting on the sidelines of the Palestinian statehood issue for decades. There could soon be a growing demand within the European Union for it to declare its formal backing for a two-state solution. Another important element of the treaty is that it confirmed the pope was backing the Palestinians’ demand to have their capital in East Jerusalem, something the current Israeli government has vowed to prevent. The pope did something else Palestinians had been hoping for. In 2013, a Palestinian writer and former Princeton professor, Daoud Kuttab, wondered aloud how this pope would address the Palestinian question. He commented that Palestinians and the “peoples” of the Middle East were looking hard into the pope’s background for answers. No doubt Israel was doing the same research, but neither of them could have anticipated him acting so quickly and decisively to confront Israel and its powerful United States lobby. Israel’s reaction to the pope’s move was fast and furious, and came as a new Israeli government, the most extreme in the country’s history, was taking shape. An Israeli government spokesman told Reuters that there could be “reprisals” against the Vatican, but did not elaborate further. It is unclear what kind of reprisals Israel could possibly take, but a war of words with this pope or any kind of diplomatic move to restrict Vatican access to Gaza and the West Bank could, in the opinion of a European diplomat who spoke to this writer off the record, have negative repercussions for Israel. “Israel has to be careful confronting the power of this particular pontiff,” the diplomat warned. “He is not like his predecessors, who tip-toed when it came to handling Israel. He has acquired an authority and worldwide respect that Israel would be foolish to deny. What makes this Vatican treaty so significant is that it comes at a time when the new Israeli government is filled with people opposed to a two-state solution. By throwing his papal hat in the ring, Pope Francis was telling [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu he was in the Palestinian corner. That will speak loudly to a global audience.” The pope’s predecessor, Benedict, was always careful not to offend Israeli sensibilities. When he visited the region in 2009, he only commented how sad he felt when he observed the 26-foot-high concrete barrier Israel had built to wall-in the Palestinians. In contrast, when Francis visited the region, he made a point of standing and praying beside the wall, surrounded by flag-waving Palestinians. He told the media at the time the political stalemate over the calls for Palestinian statehood was “unacceptable.” The latest papal foray into the prickly issue of Middle East politics drew predictable condemnation from the powerful pro-Israeli lobby in Congress, and the mainstream U.S. media. New York’s Daily News reaction summed up the mood of the pro-Israel press. While it accepted that the pope’s move would provide a “unprecedented imprimatur” to the Palestinian call for a United Nations declaration of statehood, it lamented that the pope was getting involved. The paper even suggested Palestinians would exploit the pope’s “empathy.” Condemnation also came in a wave from our Israeli-controlled Congress, where the pope will speak later this year. Politico reported some congressmen condemned the pope for inserting himself into the Palestinian issue, and one even suggested Francis probably knew little about the issue. Richard Walker is the pen name of a former N.Y. news producer. Are Liberal Anti-Zionists More Dangerous Than Right-Wing Israeli Jews? By John Friend — On May 13, the Vatican announced it had reached a preliminary agreement with the state of Palestine after lengthy diplomatic talks, making clear the Vatican’s official and legally binding recognition of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state, as opposed to the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority. The talks between the Bilateral Commission of the Holy See and the State of Palestine, chaired by Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, the Vatican’s Under-Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States, and Ambassador Rawan Sulaiman, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs of the State of Palestine, led to an agreement between the Vatican and Palestinian officials and representatives, which is set to translate into an official treaty in the near future. The discussion and tentative agreement revolve around “essential aspects of the life and activity of the Catholic Church in Palestine,” according to L’Osservatore Romano, a Vatican-run newspaper. Although the actual text of the agreement has not been officially released, Camilleri said it addresses religious freedom, freedom of conscience, property and tax questions, Catholic-run media outlets, and charitable activities. The bilateral commission is in the process of finalizing the agreement, which will then “be submitted to the respective authorities for approval ahead of setting a debate in the near future for the signing,” according to the Vatican. Over the weekend, Pope Francis went so far as to call Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, an “angel of peace” during a meeting at the Vatican. President Abbas was in Rome to observe and celebrate the canonization of two new saints from the formerly Ottoman-ruled Palestinian territories. Of course, Israel did not welcome the Vatican’s latest diplomatic move. “Israel heard with disappointment the decision of the Holy See to agree a final formulation of an agreement with the Palestinians, including the use of the term ‘Palestinian state’,” said an Israeli foreign ministry official. “Such a development does not further the peace process and distances the Palestinian leadership from returning to direct bilateral negotiations. Israel will study the agreement and consider its next step.” However, Vatican officials see otherwise. The preliminary agreement reflects the Vatican’s “hope for a solution to the Palestinian question and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians according to the two-state solution,” Camilleri explained. Camilleri hopes “the accord could, even in an indirect way, help the Palestinians in the establishment and recognition of an independent, sovereign and democratic State of Palestine.” AMERICAN FREE PRESS recently had the chance to sit down with Israeli-born saxophonist, philosopher and political commentator Gilad Atzmon, who is currently on a speaking tour in the United States to promote his latest book, co-authored with Enzo Apicella, entitled A to Zion: The Definitive Israeli Lexicon. This reporter attended his recent lecture at a public library in Cardiff by the Sea, a small beach community in San Diego County, California. “By taking such an important and necessary step, Pope Francis reinstated holiness, truthfulness and a sense of ethics to the heart of an institution that has lost its way a long time ago,” said Atzmon. “I hope that such a step may help millions of Catholics grasp that notion that the so-called ‘Judeo-Christian’ alliance is just another duplicitous invention designed to support even more Zionist, neocon wars in the Middle East.” Atzmon turned the discussion to the usurpation of the Palestinian Solidarity movement by leftist Jewish activists in order to advance broader Jewish interests and protect the ethnic nature of the Jewish state of Israel. “In an interview a few years back, Philip Weiss, the chief editor of the Jewish pro-Palestinian website “Mondoweiss,” admitted to me in plain terms that in his eyes pro-Palestinian activism serves Jewish ‘self interests’,” said Atzmon. “Such a Jewish activity conveys a misleading image of Jewish political pluralism. It suggests that not all Jews are ‘bad’ and that Jewish politics can even be ethical and universal.” Atzmon argues that the Jewish left is “far more problematic and dangerous than hardcore right-wing Zionism.” Zionism is an open celebration of Jewish identity, nationalism and ethnocentrism, the so-called “Jewish symptom,” as Atzmon describes it. Leftist Jews attempt to deny to the rest of us access to that symptom, Atzmon contends. “If Jewish power is defined as the power to suppress the discussion on Jewish power, Mondoweiss, Jewish Voices for Peace, Democracy Now!, Noam Chomsky and others are there to pursue that task day and night,” Atzmon argues. “They crudely restrict the boundaries of the discourse by means of ‘political correctness’” and defining what topics are permissible to discuss. “Mondoweiss went as far as banning any criticism of Israel within the context of Jewishness,” Atzmon explained. “This duplicitous attempt to subvert the discourse worked for a while. However, not anymore, and I take some credit for it.” During his talk in San Diego, Atzmon explained that in the past the Palestinian right of return defined the Palestinian cause in ethical, political and legal terms. However, “the growing domination of liberal Jews within the movement diluted this elementary right,” Atzmon continued. The discourse relating to the Palestinian struggle was replaced by “a tsunami of misleading, faulty terminology designed to appease some diaspora Jews and whatever is left of the Israeli ‘left’,” Atzmon noted. “All of that was done at the expense of the Palestinians. While the right of return located the Palestinian plight within an accurate historical, political, legal and moral context, the newly imposed terminology, e.g, ‘End of Occupation’, ‘Colonialism,’ ‘Apartheid’ and even BDS (post-2010) is legitimizing the Jewish state within pre-1967 borders. It dismisses the refugees, Gaza and the Palestinian diaspora’s plight.” Despite the setbacks the Palestinian Solidarity movement has faced in recent years, the Vatican’s recent recognition of an independent Palestinian state is certainly a step in the right direction. Time will tell how the Jewish left will deal with this development. There can be no doubt, however, that Atzmon will be watching like a hawk, ready to analyze and critique the ostensible pro-Palestinian positions of these activists. John Friend is a California-based writer who maintains a blog.
If Kool G Rap and Cormega are on the same track together, why wouldn't you listen? Today (May 17), the two rap titans collide on "Capitol Hill" with Sheek Louch and Manolo Rose . You can listen to the song, produced by MoSS, exclusively via XXL below. The track is off G Rap's upcoming Return of the Don album, his first in nearly a decade. The album, produced entirely by MoSS, drops on June 2 and also features guest appearances from N.O.R.E., Raekwon, Sean Price, Crooked I and other rap vets. Peep the whole tracklist below. “I wrote a verse to a sinister MoSS beat and I like what the kid Manolo Rose is doing so asked him to lace the hook,” G Rap commented to XXL about the making of "Capitol Hill." “Manolo’s hook really captured the vibe ("shit is beautiful on Capitol Hill, but down here shit get ugly") and Mega and Sheek just added to that vibe. They are two peers I have great respect for, and they both killed it.” 1. “Return Of The Don” 2. “Mack Lean” Feat. Fred The Godson & AG Da Coroner 3. “Criminal Outfit” Feat. Noreaga 4. “Wise Guys” Feat. Fame (M.O.P.) & Freeway 5. “Out For That Life” Feat. Raekwon 6. “Times Up” 7. “Capitol Hill” Feat. Manolo Rose, Sheek Louch & Cormega 8. “Running” Feat. Termanology & Saigon 9. “World Is Mine” Feat. KXNG Crooked, Willie The Kid & Pearl Gates 10. “Popped Off” Feat. Sean Price & Ransom 11. “Rest In Peace” Feat. Conway The Machine & Westside Gunn
WWE TO TAKE OVER USA NETWORK NEXT MONTH, SMACKDOWN WILL BE LIVE AND MORE WWE released the following: WWE WEEK” ON USA NETWORK KICKS OFF DECEMBER 15 NEW YORK and STAMFORD, Conn., – November 17, 2014 – USA Network and WWE will kick off the holiday season with an action-packed “WWE Week” beginning December 15 with MONDAY NIGHT RAW®, followed by a live SMACKDOWN® and a two-hour TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS® special, along with a week-long daytime roadblock featuring interviews with the WWE Superstars and Divas. Both RAW and SMACKDOWN feature a star-studded cast of WWE Superstars and Divas, and deliver a shot of adrenaline to viewers with over-the-top action, feats of athleticism and high octane-drama. On Monday, December 15 from 8-11pm ET, USA will air MONDAY NIGHT RAW, live from Detroit, Michigan. On Tuesday, December 16 from 8-10pm ET, USA will also air SMACKDOWN live from Grand Rapids, Michigan. On Wednesday, December 17 from 8-10pm ET, USA will air one of the most patriotic and heartwarming shows of the holiday season, WWE TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS. In the tradition of Bob Hope, WWE brings together the best of sports entertainment and pop culture with celebrity appearances and performances from music’s most popular acts for our servicemen and women to honor their commitment and dedication to our country. The 12th annual holiday special will also re-air as a one hour special on NBC on Saturday, December 27 from 8-9pm ET. WWE also takes over USA DAYTIME from 11am-3pm Monday, December 15 – Friday, December 19, as host Cat Greenleaf interviews WWE Superstars and Divas, on her iconic stoop, including The Miz®, Big Show®, Titus O’Neil™ and Brie Bella™, as well as Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie McMahon. MONDAY NIGHT RAW on USA is the most-watched, regularly scheduled, year-round program on cable, airing a live three-hour block every Monday night, 52 weeks a year. RAW has been a cable mainstay for more than 20 years and is consistently a top ten show on television. The three-hour block on USA averages 2.12MM P18-49, 2.18MM P25-54 and 4.73MM total viewers P2+. RAW and SMACKDOWN have reached 53.1MM total viewers P2+ 2014 to-date. Follow the social conversation with #TROOPS on @WWE @TRIBUTETOTROOPS @USA_NETWORK If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more, right now for THREE DAYS free by clicking here!
The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films has announced the nominations for their 35th Annual Saturn Awards. Leading the charge was Christopher Nolan’s super-hero crime thriller “The Dark Knight” with 11 nominations. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Iron Man” followed closely behind with 9 and 8 nominations, respectively. While “Valkyrie” spied 7 nominations, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Changeling” received 6 nominations each. In a showdown worthy of a company crossover, Batman and Iron Man will face off against each other in seven categories, including “Best Actor” (Christian Bale vs. Robert Downey Jr.), “Best Actress” (Maggie Gyllenhaal vs. Gwyneth Paltrow), “Best Supporting Actor” (Heath Ledger vs. Jeff Bridges), “Best Director” (Christopher Nolan vs. Jon Favreau), “Best Writing,” “Best Music” and “Best Special Effects.” Adding to the strong comic book showing at this year’s awards are nods for “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (up for two awards, including “Best Horror Film”) and “Wanted” (nominated for “Best Fantasy Film”). The 35th Annual Saturn Awards will be announced on June 25, 2009 Here are the film nominees: Best Science Fiction Film The Day the Earth Stood Still Eagle Eye The Incredible Hulk Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Iron Man Jumper Best Fantasy Film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Hancock The Spiderwick Chronicles Twilight Wanted Best Horror Film The Happening Hellboy II: The Golden Army The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Quarantine Splinter The Strangers Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film Changeling The Dark Knight Gran Torino Quantum of Solace Traitor Valkyrie Best Actor Christian Bale – The Dark Knight Tom Cruise – Valkyrie Robert Downey, Jr. – Iron Man Harrison Ford – Indiana Jones & Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Will Smith – Hancock Best Actress Cate Blanchett – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Dark Knight Angelina Jolie – Changeling Julianne Moore – Blindness Emily Mortimer – Transsiberian Gwyneth Paltrow – Iron Man Best Supporting Actor Jeff Bridges – Iron Man Aaron Eckhart – The Dark Knight Woody Harrelson – Transsiberian Shia LaBeouf – Indiana Jones & Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight Bill Nighy – Valkyrie Best Supporting Actress Joan Allen – Death Race Judi Dench – Quantum of Solace Olga Kurylenko – Quantum of Solace Tilda Swinton – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Charlize Theron – Hancock Carice Van Houten – Valkyrie Best Performance by a Younger Actor Freddie Highmore – The Spiderwick Chronicles Lina Leandersson – Let the Right One In Dev Patel – Slumdog Millionaire Jaden Christopher Smith – The Day the Earth Stood Still Catinca Untaru – The Fall Brandon Walters – Australia Best Director Clint Eastwood – Changeling Jon Favreau – Iron Man David Fincher – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Christopher Nolan – The Dark Knight Bryan Singer – Valkyrie Steven Spielberg – Indiana Jones & Kingdom of the Crystal Skul Andrew Stanton – Wall-E Best Writing Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway – Iron Man David Koepp, John Kamps – Ghost Town John Ajvide Lindqvist – Let the Right One In Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan – The Dark Knight Eric Roth – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button J. Michael Straczynski – Changeling
Last week the Mormon world was set abuzz when Rainn Wilson, best known for his role as Dwight K. Schrute from The Office, posted a picture of sister missionaries on his Instagram, saying, "I was visited by some very nice Mormon missionary Sisters this morning." I was visited by some very nice Mormon missionary Sisters this morning. A post shared by Rainn Wilson (@rainnwilson) on Nov 15, 2017 at 6:47pm PST But how did this picture come about? And what did these sisters share with this iconic TV star? The two sister missionaries, Sister McGuire and Sister Riggs, shared a little about this encounter in an email to LDS Living. While tracting near Church members' houses, Sister McGuire and Sister Riggs knew that Rainn Wilson lived in the area, but they had no intentions of meeting with the TV star. "We just started walking down the street and I heard a voice from by his house, and I stopped and waited," Sister Riggs explained. Wilson was in his yard and came over to the fence, wanting to talk with the two sisters. "It was a huge surprise," Sister McGuire says, with Sister Riggs adding, "He talked to us right away and told us about how much respect he has for missionaries and everything we do! We did not think we would meet him so it was an incredible surprise and made us so happy!" Despite their excitement, the sisters played it cool. "We actually pretended we didn't know who he was at first because we didn't want him to feel bombarded or like that is all we do (because it is for sure not!)" Sister Riggs shares. But it turns out, Wilson already knew a little about the sacrifices LDS missionaries make and the beliefs they teach. "He was so down to earth and nice! He talked to us about his beliefs and we talked a little about ours. He loves what we do as missionaries! We talked a little about the show, The Office, . . . and he loves the cast and only had good things to say about everything we talked about," Sister McGuire says. Sister Riggs adds, "It was an incredible experience to learn his take on religion and what religion he considers himself. He was very open and willing to talk with us. He has read some of The Book of Mormon and said he has one! He was super open to what we had to say and had very positive things to say about the Mormon religion." When Wilson asked if he could take Sister McGuire and Sister Riggs' picture to share on Instagram, the two missionaries saw this as another avenue to share the gospel. But that conversation was only the start of a full day of missionary work. "The rest of the day was FULL of miracles after that, so Dwight definitely set the mood for that day," Sister Riggs says. In fact, Sister McGuire talked a little more about one of the miracles that followed, saying, "That same day, we knocked on a door of someone we thought [was a] member, but turns out this new move in was meeting with missionaries in Las Vegas and she is getting baptized!" While these miracles or chance encounters made an impression on Sister McGuire and Sister Riggs, the two attest that the best part of their mission is how it has helped them grow closer to their Savior. "My mission has shown me the reality of Christ and His infinite and intimate sacrifice. Before I couldn't say that I knew Christ. Now I can say with full confidence that He's my best friend, my Brother, my Redeemer that I have a real relationship with. I know and promise that He loves and knows everyone personally and perfectly. Never doubt that. When life gets hard (and it does for everyone) please never try to fight your battles alone! Christ and our Father in Heaven are there 100 percent," Sister McGuire says. "My mission has helped my testimony grow so much I can't even explain it! My love for the Book of Mormon has only grown and I never get tired of studying it and I never stop learning even though we study it for hours a day. The Book of Mormon is incredible and can bring so much peace and joy into your lives if you will read it! . . . I've developed an even stronger relationship with my Father in Heaven and with His Son Jesus Christ. I know They are aware of me and my needs, and I know They love me and know me personally! I know Jesus Christ lives and that He died for us so that we may live again and that is just the greatest news! . . . I love this gospel with all my heart and I am in love with being a missionary! I hope everyone can get the chance to know Jesus Christ like I do because He does know you and love you," Sister Riggs says, adding, "And if Rainn sees this, I hope he knows how awesome he is!" Lead images from Business Insider and Instagram
Hi again everyone! Today I’ll be talking about my Mother’s pregnancy, and my early years from 0 – 5 years old. I thought this may be a helpful topic to talk about as I have not found much information online while researching this topic myself. Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments or using the contact me page! If you’d like to get updates when I post something new, press the three dots in the top right corner and then follow. What is PFFD? Proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD), also known as Congenital Femoral Deficiency (CFD), is a rare, non-hereditary birth defect that affects the pelvis, particularly the hip bone, and the proximal femur. The disorder may affect one side or both, with the hip being deformed and the leg shortened. Because of this condition, I personally have had to wear a prosthetic leg from birth, and undergone operations to fix the deformed leg including having the foot amputated. Pregnancy and birth My Mother and Father found out about my PFFD around 12 weeks pregnant in 1996. They were originally told that I had no femur bone in my right leg at all – but later found out I did in fact have one, it was just exceptionally small. Initially they were worried, and like most of us – had never even heard of PFFD. One thing was for certain for my parents though – no matter what, I was here to stay. My parents were also told that I may have other difficulties such as being unable to speak and possibly even paralyzed, but this was just speculation from the doctors. I was also tested while in the womb for Downs Syndrome, which came back negative. My Mother spoke to many doctors with my Father about PFFD before I was born to try and find a reason behind me having it – but there were never any clear answers. My Mother is epileptic, and at the time of her being pregnant was told that she could take certain tablets – however, these tablets are now NOT advised for pregnant women at all, as they can cause many problems with the fetus including limb deformities. Doctors still couldn’t say for certain if this was the cause of my PFFD, again, they never really had any clears answers at all. The rest of my Mother’s pregnancy was full of tests on her and visits to hospitals, meeting lots of new doctors & medical students that were fascinated by the case (as PFFD is so rare). She was induced to start labour and I was born early 1997, a very healthy baby weighing 6lb 6oz.. However, there was another surprise! I am also missing the little (or pinky) fingers on both of my hands – this hadn’t been picked up in the pregnancy scans, and 2 of the fingers on my left hand were fused together. As you can imagine, my parents were surprised to learn about my missing fingers also, but were just relieved that I was a healthy baby otherwise. I was sent for an operation in the early months of my life to have the 2 fingers that were fused together on my left hand separated, and then all was well. Early years From very early on, my parents were given the option for me to have the symes amputation and knee fusion. This was a very tough decision for them to contemplate – as I would get around very happily using my ‘little leg’ and ‘little foot’, so they decided to leave it and see how things went as I grew older. I was given my first prosthesis around age 2, but at first I really didn’t like it! I’d always try to take it off and prefer to crawl & hop around without it on. It was a struggle to get me used to wearing the prosthesis, and I only really started properly wearing it around age 4. I remember the prosthesis appointments very well; I found them exciting as I’d get to play with loads of toys and other children that were also visiting the hospital, plus I’d get a chocolate bar after every appointment from the hospital staff! I’d always choose a curly wurly haha! The staff were always really kind and understanding, sometimes I’d have tantrums(as toddlers do) about having to continuously take my leg on & off, but they’d be totally fine with it and just distract me with the toys until I calmed down enough to continue the appointment. My parents would dress me in loose fitted clothing to make room for the prosthesis, I also found it easier to walk with the prosthesis when I was wearing looser clothing. I could only wear shoes that had Velcro or laces to do them up, rather than ‘slip on’ shoes – these would easily fall off as I was running and playing around. I distinctly remember a favourite toy push bike of mine that was supposed to be just sat on, but I’d rest my little leg on the seat and use it a scooter! So much fun! Starting Nursery I started Nursery around age 5, and I only have positive memories from this period in my life. My leg would never even enter my mind, and the nursery were so accommodating to me and any difficulties I had. Other children didn’t even notice my leg, and when they did they were just curious! At this point in time I think I was only just starting to notice that I was different, but again, It really didn’t bother me and I was just as happy as any other child. I’d sometimes take my leg off in class if it was uncomfortable without a second thought! A funny little memory I have of nursery is being in the playground with my friends.. I was wearing shorts and a wasp landed on my prosthetic leg & I watched it attempt to sting it – poor wasp! My friends were very impressed though, and wouldn’t stop talking about it all day. The one thing I remember finding difficult is sitting on the carpet for story time, as my prosthesis at the time had no knee joint so was just straight out in front of me unable to bend – my nursery were always very accommodating, so let me sit on a chair instead of the carpet which was a lot comfier. I’d use all the play equipment outside just like all the other children, and have an amazingly fun time doing so! My favourite memory from nursery is winning the sports day scooter race, I couldn’t believe I’d won – it felt amazing! I’d love to feel that carefree and confident again, and I hope to one day. Pregnancy and early years can be tough for anybody, even more so when PFFD is in the mix! I think the best way to stay positive is to remember that even though PFFD may make you different and have tougher experiences than others – at the end of the day we WILL live very happy, fulfilling lives despite our differences! If you liked this post please feel free to follow my pages! Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/APFFDJourney Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/APFFDJourney Advertisements
Every share makes Black Voice louder! Share To Share To Eddie Conway analyzes the institutional practice of sleep deprivation in California state prisons. On the average, every normal person should sleep eight hours a day to rest their bodies, be revitalized, and remain literally sane. Experts assert to this fact. But sleep is in short supply for prisoners in secure housing units in the supermax Pelican Bay prison in Crescent City, California. That’s because authorities have been conducting loud and disruptive cell checks every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day. Since August, 13 family members of inmates confirmed prisoners have been denied adequate sleep due to 48 guard cell checks per day. This is just another example of how our country’s massive prison-industrial complex dehumanizes inmates. Verbena Lea is a human rights advocate with Prisoners Hunger Strike Solidarity, an organization that emerged from the 2011 prisoners’ hunger strike throughout California. At the moment striking remains the hope for prisoners, who feel so deprived from their rights that they claim for the violation of the Eighth Amendment and Geneva Convention and say “the treatment they have been receiving is compatible to torture.” The warden from Pelican Bay explains the theory behind the checks as attempting to prevent suicide Instead of providing for safety and order in the cells, the checks are told to create even more tension and cause physical and mental harm. This especially touches upon black prison population, being more prone to strokes and mental health problems often resulting from the lack of sleep. Kindly Share this post to protect the human rights of inmates in California.
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TEL AVIV—A day after arriving in the Israeli capital after being pardoned, Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin has called on Armenian to defend Artsakh at all costs and has denied official Baku’s claims that he attempted suicide in an Azerbaijani prison a night before that country’s president Ilham Aliyev pardoned him. “Armenians, you stay strong. These people [Azerbaijani government] want to see you all dead. Period. And if you lose Karabakh as a result of negotiations, or weakening of Armenia’s position – know that they will come to massacre you. Like the Turks did a 100 years ago. Brutality has already surpassed all permissible limits,” said Lapshin in a Facebook post on Friday. “I’m ashamed to admit, but before I went to prison, I sincerely believed that the Karabakh conflict was very controversial and must be resolved with respect for the national borders of Azerbaijan. What an idiot I was! Azerbaijan began the reign of terror against Armenians in Sumgait, Baku, and Karabakh in 1988. In accordance with the Nazi scheme “juden frei,” only with respect to Armenians, not Jews,” said Lapshin on his Facebook page. “Meanwhile, in the indictment against me, signed by deputy prosecutor general of Azerbaijan Rustam Usubov, the following is literally written “…accused Lapshin called the occupied Karabakh region ‘Artsakh,’ which proves, along with his friend on Facebook, Sergey Shahverdyan, his separatist actions,” explained Lapshin who added: “It is indicative that Azerbaijan, which insists on tolerance from morning to night, considers the Armenian name of Karabakh – Artsakh to be illegal.” On the day of Lapshin’s release from the Baku prison, the Azerbaijani press published a letter that Lapshin allegedly wrote on the day of his pardon–and a day after official Baku claimed he attempted suicide–praising Aliyev, Azerbaijan and claiming that he was ill-informed about the Karabakh issue. He added that he wished for the liberation of “Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territories.” His posts on Facebook following his return to Israel suggest that he might have been coerced into signing the letter. In his first blog post since being pardoned and leaving Baku for the Israeli capital of Tel Aviv, Lapshin, who was serving a three-year prison sentence for visiting Artsakh and writing about the country in his travel blogs. Writing from Hof Hacarmel Beaches in Haifa in his Live Journal blog, Lapshin said: “I categorically deny the official Azerbaijan deception that I allegedly attempted suicide in Baku’s prison on September 10, 2017. According to Azerbaijani media, president Aliyev demonstrated humanity and pitied me for the suicide and pardoned me after the non-existent suicide attempt.” He recounts in detail how the night before Aliyev’s pardon, unknown assailants entered his jail cell and beat him unconscious. “Overnight on September 11 of 2017, when I was getting ready to go to bed in cell N10 of the Baku prison, I suddenly heard the sound of a key in the door, and the door opened. I was lying with my back to the door and wasn’t able to stand up when some people took me from the neck and hands and hit me several times. I don’t remember anything else. What I remember next was that I was in the intensive care clinic in Baku where I was hooked to some machines and an oxygen mask. My two teeth were also broken, while my entire back was covered with bruises,” said Lapshin in his blog. “I think the attackers were either intimidated or the goal was to discredit the Aliyev regime in Azerbaijan. My death in a Baku prison would be beneficial for some people who are close to president Aliyev, but who believe that it’s time for Aliyev to resign. I have to emphasize that this is my version despite the fact that it is based on the opinions of a number of Azerbaijani reporters and democratic opposition activists living abroad who are forced to live away from their motherland,” added Lapshin. The blogger added that after a thorough medical examination upon his return to Tel Aviv, doctors said that the injuries suffered by Lapshin were consistent with physical abuse and not a suicide attempt. “The doctors explained that a minor bruise near my neck and my right shoulder, and were not consistent with a suicide attempt since in the event of a hanging, the bruises would appear near the ear,” said Lapshin adding that he would never attempt suicide on his mother’s birthday, which is on September 10 and at a time when his extradition negotiations had entered their final stage. The blogger also said that three days after the incident in his cell, he is still groggy from the medication he was given at the intensive care unit. He also said that he has difficulty eating was given an IV for sustenance.
A Marine accused of causing a wrong-way crash on State Route 163 that killed two medical students has been charged with murder. Meanwhile, family of one of the victims shares more about her life. NBC 7's Liberty Zabala and Steven Luke report. (Published Wednesday, May 20, 2015) A Marine accused of causing a crash that killed two medical students had a blood-alcohol level of .14 and had been warned repeatedly by friends and bar staff not to drive, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Jason Riley King, 21, was arraigned Wednesday from his hospital room on two counts of murder among other charges. He suffered injuries in Saturday’s crash and has been hospitalized ever since. Deputy District Attorney Cally Bright said in some cases, murder charges are appropriate for DUI crashes. "If I can prove this indivudal had a conscious disregard for human life and knew the dangers of what he was doing, then we are going to evaluate and if appropriate, charge these cases as murder," Bright said. 2 Killed in Wrong-Way Freeway Crash King, an active duty Marine from Oklahoma stationed at MCAS Miramar, was driving the wrong way early Saturday morning on SR-163 in Mission Valley when his vehicle collided with an oncoming Toyota Prius. Anne Li Baldock, 24, and Madison Elizabeth Cornwell, 23, who had both just completed their second year of medical school at UC San Diego, were killed. Three others, also medical students, were injured in the crash, officers said. Prosecutors said at Wednesday's arraignment that King had been drinking with friends at the Mission Valley Hotel that night. When he got up to leave, they tried to stop him. Still, he left and met up with a female Marine friend at another bar, prosecutors said. When she went to the bathroom, he took his car keys and left -- but was stopped by a bar manager in the parking lot. The bar manager tried to stop him from driving, as did his friend when she joined them in the parking lot, prosecutors said. Still, King drove off and somehow got on SR-163 heading the wrong way, causing what one officer described as "the most horrific crash he had ever responded to," the prosecutor said. King's BAC level was .14, nearly twice the legal limit of .08, investigators said. A Miramar spokeswoman said the Marine Corps is taking the matter against King, who works with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, “very seriously.” Capt. Melanie Salinas said in a statement that “he will be appropriately held accountable for his actions.” Also on Wednesday afternoon, family members of the deceased women were gathering to honor and remember their lives. Cornwell's brother and sister tearfully addressed reporters and news photographers before their sister's memorial service. They had a powerful message for anyone contemplating driving drunk. "Just don't do it. It's not worth it," said Cornwell's brother, Grayson. Grayson said his sister was always smiling, always thought of others ahead of herself and had high aspirations in the medical field. "Madison was extremely accomplished, but she cared more about helping the world one person at a time," he said. He said her family was so proud of the accomplishments she achieved in her short life. "In the 23 years she lived, she did more with her life than most people could dream of," he said. Grayson and his sister, Sheldon, declined to speak specifically about the driver who caused the wreck. Instead, they wanted to focus on their sister's life. "She's an amazing woman and I wish she could still be here today," Sheldon said.
Swetha, a Hindu woman, says she was forcefully confined in a ‘yoga centre’ in Ernakulam for 22 days, where the staff, paid by her family, had one agenda: To force her to abandon her husband, a Christian. The 28-year-old says that the yoga centre is actually an ‘anti-conversion clinic’ for women who married outside their faith or converted to Christianity or Islam to marry a man of their choice. She says that the staff at the centre subjected her to days of ‘counselling’, asking her to either abandon her husband, or convince him to embrace Hinduism. She further alleges that there are several more people locked up in the anti-conversion clinic – and one of the inmates she saw there was Athira, a woman who converted back to Hinduism from Islam recently.
HTC has a fancy new countdown timer on its website, set to expire on February 19th. There’s no question that HTC is looking to get people excited about it’s upcoming flagship Android phone. The timer itself is a bit bland, but HTC has embedded a video behind it which gives us a small glimpse of the new handset. Since we’re never satisfied with what we’re given, we did a little digging and came across four other video of the HTC M7/One which HTC was probably planning on revealing over the next few days. We’d also like to highlight that the name of HTC’s upcoming device is still up in the air. The HTC M7 name and HTC One names have the most traction right now, but we’d like to point out that the videos we uncovered were located in a folder names “m7teaser.” If you want to wait and watch things on HTC’s schedule, check back in to htc.com every 24 hours or so to catch the next video. If you want to get your HTC M7 fix now, check out the five video embedded below and be sure to let us know what you think.
Image copyright Getty Images The economy is perhaps the most important issue at stake in this general election. And, sitting behind the day-to-day political battle, is the less-discussed issue of productivity growth. For the Conservatives, one of the key economic issues is reducing the UK's government deficit. Labour, meanwhile, have made living standards the key test of their policy. As I've written before, productivity growth could well have a bigger impact on the eventual size of the UK's public sector deficit than the parties spending targets. Similarly, if one is arguing for higher living standards and faster real wage growth, then one key determinant will be productivity. The basic facts on productivity are clear. UK productivity growth (as measured by output per hour worked) has been exceptionally weak since 2008. Productivity growth has actually been weak across the developed economies since the Great Recession but especially so in the UK. Beyond those facts though, there is little agreement. The talk is instead of a "productivity puzzle": solving that puzzle is the key to both a lower government deficit and to higher living standards. Image copyright Thinkstock Today's Financial Times provides four theories as to why productivity has been so weak. It may be a measurement issue. The optimistic view is that productivity is actually higher today than the official statistics are suggesting. More pessimistically, it may be that productivity growth was lower than previously thought pre-crisis. Or it could be that the nature of Britain's recovery explains the low productivity growth. Rather than lower productivity leading to lower real wages (as companies cannot afford to increase pay), it may be that lower real wages have encouraged firms to hire workers rather than investing in new equipment. This could have lowered productivity. Another theory is that capital is being misallocated. The Bank of England's ultra-low interest rates may have distorted the economy. Unproductive companies may have been kept alive tying up workers and capital while newer, potentially more productive, firms have been starved of lending and growth opportunities. A fourth theory is that an important driver of productivity growth in the past - the pace of innovation - has slowed. In previous decades the UK became more efficient each year at using its stock of workers and capital to produce output. That process of gradual improvement may have slowed or ended. As the FT notes, none of these explanations is likely to give the full picture. The puzzle remains. Against the backdrop of a divided economics profession, it is perhaps no surprise that no single party seems to have discovered the magic bullet that will boost productivity. Indeed, in all likelihood, no such magic bullet exists. Last month Prof Karl Whelan blogged on the UK's poor productivity performance and noted a comment from Nobel Prize-winner Robert Solow, the father of modern growth theory. "Every discussion among economists of the relatively slow growth of the British economy compared with the continental economies ends up in a blaze of amateur sociology." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Robert Solow, seen here receiving the Medal of Freedom from US President Barack Obama, says discussions about British economic growth end up being sociological in tone When Solow made that comment the issue of the day was the relatively poor performance of the UK against its continental peers. The economic context is different today but the point holds. Whether it is talk of the need for "long-termism" in company investment strategies or the debate on the quality of management or if Britain undervalues science, Solow would recognise the tone of discussion. Much of it feels more traditionally "sociological" than "economic". But, that might be no bad thing. There is much about productivity growth that conventional macroeconomics cannot explain. The "sociological" may be harder to model but that doesn't mean it is unimportant, especially in the medium-to-longer term. The Bank of England's chief economist Andy Haldane addressed this topic in a speech in February. His theme was whether or not Western economies face the slowdown associated with theories of "secular stagnation". For Haldane, sociological factors (in the medium-to-longer run) may be an important driver of growth. Image copyright Bank of england Image caption Andy Haldane, chief economist at the Bank of England "Technology, by itself, was," he told his audience, "arguably insufficient to explain growth in the past. It may also be insufficient to secure growth in the future. The sociological roots of growth also matter." Under the broad heading of "sociological factors" he listed social and human capital, inequality, infrastructure and short-termism. All of these, he argued, would have an impact. If the sociological, broadly defined, is a real potential driver of productivity, then where does this leave the political debate ahead of May? One potential answer is that if we are seeking to assess which party would be better at boosting productivity (and I admit few votes are decided on that particular issue), then one needs to step back and examine the manifestos as a whole. Looking at just the two parties whom the polls suggest could form the basis of a government, two competing visions are on offer. There is a Conservative vision of the UK becoming the most prosperous of the major economies by the 2030s, based around investment in skills and lower personal and corporate taxes. Then there is a Labour vision of attempting to learn from the experience of other more productive northern European economies, like Sweden, Denmark and Germany. As I've argued before, sitting behind much of the current political debate is a wider debate on issues like, how flexible should our labour market be? In the medium term it is this choice - between an attempt to change the UK's national business model into something more co-ordinated, ordered and European or embrace a flexible, liberalised economic structure - that will have most impact on the UK's productivity. In the longer run the sociological is just as important as the economic.
by M.J. “Manny” Steele, South Dakota Representative (Dist. 12) Greetings from South Dakota. I am proud to announce that South Dakota was the first state to accomplish bicameral passage of its resolution, HCR1013, to affirm our state’s rights. Joining me today to announce the successful passage this year of their respective states’ rights resolutions are the primary sponsors and leaders from the following states: Alaska (HJR27) Passed House and Senate Mike Kelly, Dist. 7, Sponsor Gary Stevens, Senate President Mike Kelly, Dist. 7, Sponsor Gary Stevens, Senate President Georgia (SR632) Passed Senate Chip Pearson, Dist. 51, Sponsor Chip Pearson, Dist. 51, Sponsor Idaho (HJM004) Passed House and Senate Lenore Barrett, Dist. 35, Sponsor Dick Harwood, Dist. 2, Sponsor Lawerence Denney, House Speaker Lenore Barrett, Dist. 35, Sponsor Dick Harwood, Dist. 2, Sponsor Lawerence Denney, House Speaker Missouri (HCR13) Passed House Jim Guest, Dist. 5, Sponsor Jim Guest, Dist. 5, Sponsor North Dakota (HCR3063) Passed House and Senate Craig Headland, Dist. 29, Sponsor David Monson, House Speaker Craig Headland, Dist. 29, Sponsor David Monson, House Speaker Oklahoma (HJR1003) Passed House and Senate Randy Brogdon, Dist. 34, Sponsor Randy Brogdon, Dist. 34, Sponsor South Carolina (H3509) Passed House; Currently in Senate Committee Michael A. Pitts, Dist. 14, Sponsor Michael A. Pitts, Dist. 14, Sponsor South Dakota (HCR1013) Passed House and Senate Manny Steele, Dist. 12, Sponsor Dennis Daugaard, Lt. Governor Tim Rave, House Speaker We have heard great news from Texas that its HCR50 passed committee April 23, 2009. Sponsoring Representative Brandon Creighton expects the House to pass the resolution very shortly. In addition, Arizona’s HCR2024 passed committee on April 14, and per Sponsoring Representative Judy Burges, it is expected to pass the House. The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution expressly reserves all powers to the states which are not delegated to the federal government. Over the course of decades, there have been increasing federal mandates and acts designed to effectively step in and legislate the affairs of our various states from Washington D.C. Federal usurpation into state affairs severely limits the ability of state governments to operate according to their citizens’ wishes. We believe that the best government is one which governs closer to the people. As of this announcement, legislatures in nine states’ have acted on bi-partisan support and have passed their respective resolutions to affirm states’ rights. These are: Alaska (HJR27), Georgia (SR632), Idaho (HJM4), Indiana (SR42), Missouri (HCR13), North Dakota (HCR3063), Oklahoma (HJR1003), South Carolina (H3509) and South Dakota (HCR1013). It appears that there are 25 more states which presently have similar resolutions pending. The current price of erosion of states’ rights exceeds $11 trillion. Without the countless attempts in Washington to duplicate and micromanage our states’ affairs, much of this debt could have been avoided. It is our sincere desire that each of you sees this popular issue as a means to more effectively carry out your duties to the citizens you work so hard to represent. We call on you to join us so that, together, we can make a difference. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or to discuss how our states can work together to bring back government closer to the people. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ORIGINAL .PDF FILE WITH ALL SIGNATURES
The Sandiganbayan has sentenced former Angeles City Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno to at least 12 years’ imprisonment for the unlawful donation of a city-owned service vehicle to a nongovernment organization in 2010. The antigraft court’s Fourth Division found Nepomuceno guilty of one count each of violating Sections 3(e) and 3(g) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, for giving unwarranted benefits to a private party and for binding the government into a disadvantageous contract. Nepomuceno and one private individual, Kapanalig Angeles City, Inc. president Abelardo Pamintuan Jr., were each meted prison terms of at least 12 years and two months to a maximum of 20 years arising from the two criminal convictions. The verdict arose from the June 8, 2010 donation of a Mitsubishi Adventure GLS 2.5 vehicle with the plate number SHL 124 and acquisition cost of P786,000. Because Kapanalig was not a government entity, state prosecutors questioned the donation for violating the Local Government Code. In a 26-page decision on March 27, the Sandiganbayan said “the donation…is without justification because a motor vehicle which is still in use by the city government is not allowed.” Citing the Commission on Audit Circular No. 92-386, the court said only government vehicles that have become unserviceable or no longer needed may be disposed of at a public auction. It added that only “disposable government property” reported for disposition may be donated subject to the approval of the Sangguniang Panlungsod. In this case, the donated vehicle was “never reported for disposition.” The donation was also deemed disadvantageous to the government, with the court pointing out that had Nepomuceno followed the rules on disposable property, the vehicle could have been auctioned off or transferred to another agency instead. The decision also cited the “hasty manner” of Nepomuceno in allowing the donation at Pamintuan’s request. “As soon as he found out that there was an available motor vehicle, [Nepomuceno] immediately set in motion the processing of the donation by giving instructions to the City Administrator to make the necessary request from the City Council to authorize him to execute the said donation,” the decision read. The court also pointed to the Commission on Audit’s findings in Audit Observation Memorandum No. 2010-005-(10) as reiterated in the Interim Report on the Audit of the Accounts and Operations of the City of Angeles. A total of 11 functioning and newly acquired motor vehicles with acquisition cost of P10.21 million were donated to different barangays (villages), government agencies and NGOs without ample consideration for the city’s financial condition and service needs, and without observing the pertinent rules, the said report found. Justice Reynaldo P. Cruz penned the decision, with the concurrence of Justices Alex L. Quiroz and Geraldine Faith A. Econg. READ NEXT Negros Oriental governor seeks dismissal of calamity fund case
Filed on July 22, 2016 | Last updated on July 22, 2016 at 08.13 am Dubai resident can't believe his luck, struck twice by fires in his building Dubai resident Mohammad Ammar Al Bitar (left), fire that broke out at the Sulafa tower (right) Lamenting his bad luck, he said it's time again for him to find a new place to live in. Mohammad Ammar Al Bitar, a Syrian national told Khaleej Times that he's been a resident of two buildings in MArina when they caught fire and he can't believe it. The first time was when he used to live on the 61st floor of Tiger Tower (also known as Pinnacle Tower) and now again in Sulafa Tower. Lamenting his bad luck, he said it's time again for him to find a new place to live in. Al Bitar, who lives on the 46th floor of Sulafa, said he was living in Tiger Tower when fire erupted there and moved into Sulafa just 5 months back. Both times when the buildings caught fire, he was inside the building. He used to live on the 61st floor of Torch. "I like the view from the higher floors," said Ammar, who grabbed only his wallet and keys and started moving rapidly down the stairs in his slippers. Looking at an elderly man, also a Sulafa resident, who was climbing down the stairs escorting two small kids, he said: "I lifted them up and climbed down 46 floors." Pressing his arms as if to relieve the pain, Al Ammar said he was heading to his brother's place and he was left with no cash in his wallet. His brother lives in The Gardens. "At least I will be near the mosque there if I die," he jokes, saying he doesn't want to be in any more buildings that catch fire. "It's too much!" [email protected] Share More > Vote Click/tap here to subscribe to Khaleej Times news alerts on WhatsApp. Make sure you save the phone number under Contacts on your phone for uninterrupted service. ERROR: Macro /ads/dfp-ad-article-new is missing!
WASHINGTON - A procession of law enforcement officers early Sunday escorted the body of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to a funeral home in El Paso, Texas, where officials are waiting to hear whether an autopsy will be performed. Chris Lujan, a manager for Sunset Funeral Homes, said about 20 law enforcement officers arrived early Sunday morning at the funeral home. The procession traveled more than three hours from the West Texas resort ranch where Scalia, 79, was found dead in his room Saturday morning. Lujan says Scalia's body was taken from the facility late Sunday afternoon. Lujan says it was to be taken to Virginia, but he didn't know exactly where. Lujan says an autopsy was not performed. He says Scalia's family didn't think a private autopsy was necessary and requested his remains be flown home as soon as possible. The county official who declared Scalia dead Saturday did not order an autopsy after finding he had died of natural causes. She said investigators told her there were no signs of foul play. The U.S. Marshals Service released a statement on Scalia's death Sunday evening. "The U.S. Marshals Service routinely coordinates with the U.S. Supreme Court police to provide security for the Justices, however, Justices may decline USMS protection," the statement read. "In this instance, the USMS detail was declined for the personal trip to the hunting resort in Texas, so USMS personnel were not present at the ranch. Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Western District of Texas responded immediately upon notification of Justice Scalia's passing." President Barack Obama has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the Supreme Court, where Scalia served for three decades, and other federal buildings throughout the nation and U.S. embassies and military installations throughout the world. As the flags fly lower, the campaign-year political heat has risen over the vacancy on the nine-member court. At issue is whether Obama, in his last year in office, should offer a nomination and the Republican-led Senate should consider his choice for confirmation in an election year. Obama pledges a nomination "in due time." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., thinks it should wait for the next president. The Republican resistance to an election-year confirmation got a thorough public airing on the GOP debate stage just hours after Scalia's companions found him dead in his room at the Cibolo Creek Ranch in West Texas. Republicans argued that Obama, as a lame duck, should not fill the vacancy created by Scalia's death but leave it to the next president - which they hope will be one of them. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday he supports McConnell in his pledge to block any Obama nominee. "There's been a precedent established over 80 years that in the last year, especially in the last 11 months, you do not have a lame duck President make a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land," Rubio said. "It's not just for the Supreme Court, there's a practice in the eight months of the presidency or nine, you stop doing appellate courts, as well. And I would respect that practice." Sen. Marco Rubio on a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia There are about 11 months left in President Obama's second term. Rubio said he would not use a litmus test of a specific issue if he were to nominate judges, but rather this principle: "Does the justice, this person that we are nominating have a consistent and proving record of interpreting the Constitution as initially meant?...What did those words mean to that society at the time in which those words were written in the Constitution?" Retorted Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in Denver: Obama "is president of the United States until Jan 20, 2017. That is a fact, my friends, whether the Republicans like it or not." "Let's get on with it," said Clinton's rival, Bernie Sanders, arguing that the Senate should vote on whoever Obama nominates. Republicans insisted that refraining from Supreme Court confirmations in election years is a longtime precedent. President Obama addresses death of Justice Antonin Scalia In fact, Justice Anthony Kennedy was confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 3, 1988, in the final year of Ronald Reagan's presidency, by a 97-0 vote. That was a presidential election year. Kennedy was nominated in 1987 and confirmed the next year. The example of Kennedy, who is still on the court, shows that presidents in their last year aren't always powerless in shaping the court - and not shy about trying. The reaction to Scalia's passing on social media was swift -- going from surprised to political within about an hour of Justice Scalia's death. Scalia was one of the most conservative members of the court, nominated in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. Most of his positions were not favored by the liberal community -- he was pro-life, did not support gay marriage, and most recently came under fire for suggesting some black students would benefit by attending less-advanced schools. While much of the social media chatter on Scalia's death was positive, many on the left took the opportunity to express dislike for Justice Scalia and his positions.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption David Cameron: "It's not voting against the Queen's Speech" David Cameron has said only his party is offering a "clear choice" about the UK's future in Europe after the Tories published a draft bill outlining plans for a referendum by the end of 2017. The prime minister said the Liberal Democrats and Labour were not willing to listen to the public on the issue. Mr Cameron says he has shown leadership on the issue but critics say he is being dictated to by his backbenchers. MPs will seek to force a vote on the issue of a referendum on Wednesday. The Conservatives have published a bill aimed at reassuring the party's MPs that, if they win the next election, the party will fulfil the PM's commitment earlier this year to let the public have their say on the UK's future in Europe. The bill states that voters would be asked the question "do you think that the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union?" in a referendum to be held no later than 31 December 2017. Many Tories were unhappy plans for an in-out EU referendum were not mentioned in the Queen's Speech - which lays out the government's plans for the next year. 'Compelling choice' But, speaking in the US - where he is on a three day-visit - Mr Cameron said this was not possible because his Lib Dem coalition partners opposed such a step. Asked whether he had consulted his deputy Nick Clegg before publishing the bill, Mr Cameron said he had discussed the whole issue of the UK's future relationship with the EU "in quite a lot of detail". "It is well known that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats do not agree about Europe," he said. "We want a renegotiation, they don't, we want an in-out referendum, they don't. The publishing of a draft bill looks like an exercise in what Mrs Thatcher used to call 'followership not leadership'. "When the dust settles on this, what people will see is one party, the Conservative Party, offering this very clear, very compelling choice in the national interest, reforming the EU, changing the Britain's relationship with it and giving people the chance of an in-out referendum. "And the other two main parties saying they don't want to listen to the views of the people on this issue. That is the truth of... what is actually under debate at the moment." Some Conservative MPs have suggested the prime minister is pursuing the wrong strategy while one, Philip Hollobone, said No 10 had been "in chaos" over the issue in the past few days amid open divisions in the party about whether the UK should remain in the EU or leave. Up to 100 Conservative MPs could support an amendment to the Queen's Speech on Wednesday, signalling their "regret" that legislation paving the way for a future referendum was not in the programme. But their actions have been described as "lunatic" and "offensive" by veteran Conservative MP Nicholas Soames. "This is the most fundamental and important decision this country will have to take for the next generation," he told BBC Radio 4's PM. "It is isn't just about adding some silly little clause to the Queen's Speech - an entirely, in my view, improper thing to do in the first place." 'Misconception' The prime minister said it was a "complete misconception" to suggest the MPs were opposing the Queen's Speech as a whole by tabling the amendment, and repeated his position that he was "relaxed" about how backbenchers voted. Ministers, including several who have said they would vote to leave the EU if a referendum was held now, will be required to abstain although the amendment is unlikely to pass because Labour and the Lib Dems are set to vote against. PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS MPs put names into a ballot Normally the first seven drawn are given a day's debate for their bill Most private members' bills - lacking government support - do not become law There have to be at least 100 MPs backing a bill to ensure it clears the first few hurdles But one with the backing of Tory ministers but not Lib Dems would be likely to fail to get a majority unless a decent chunk of Labour MPs back it No 10 has dismissed any comparisons between Mr Cameron and former Prime Minister Sir John Major, whose government was damaged by ongoing rows about Europe during the 1990s. Mr Cameron said he was the first party leader in "30, 40 years" to offer the public a choice on the UK's membership of the EU on the basis of a "reassessment" of what is in the country's national interest. "The whole reason we are having this debate is because of the act of leadership I took to say it is time now for Britain to renegotiate our relationship, to seek change in Europe and seek a referendum for that change." The draft legislation could be brought to the Commons for debate by one of the party's backbench MPs in the form of a private member's bill, rather than one sponsored by the government. The ballot to choose who can bring forward private members' bills will be held on Thursday and, although they have little chance of becoming law, there is non-government parliamentary time open to them to be debated. 'Navel-gazing' Labour says committing to hold a referendum in four years' time is not the "right choice" for the country and internal Tory "machinations" are causing uncertainty at a time when securing economic recovery should be the government's priority. It could be the worst solution to change Europe Bernard Kouchner, French foreign minister "Our agenda is reform and change within Europe, not exit from the European Union," said shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander. The Lib Dems said the government had already legislated to seek public approval before any further powers were handed to Brussels, and accused their coalition partners of "navel-gazing" over Europe. The UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage - who campaigns for a UK exit - described the proposed draft bill as "nothing more than gesture politics". Former French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner suggested Mr Cameron wanted to stay in the EU and the draft bill was "a political manoeuvre" in response to UKIP's success in recent elections. He acknowledged Brussels was being held responsible for Europe's economic ills and was extremely unpopular in France itself, but urged countries not "to throw the baby out with the bathwater". "Don't play with the referendum," he told Radio 4's World Tonight. "It could be the worst solution to change Europe. We have to convince the people. We need Europe."
WASHINGTON -- Republicans who want to block refugees from the U.S. are finding themselves in conflict with religious groups who say it's their mission to help them. "But I do want a database for those people coming in," Donald Trump said Saturday, calling for a database to monitor Syrian refugees. Donald Trump wants "surveillance of certain mosques," database of refugees It was an attempt to clarify where he stands amid an uproar over last week's seeming endorsement of a mandatory registry for Muslims living in the U.S. "So here's the story, just to set it straight," Trump said. "I want surveillance of these people." Over the last two days, several of Trump's rivals have said the idea of a national database to track Muslims was a bridge too far. But since the Paris attacks, many GOP presidential hopefuls have contributed to the anti-refugee fervor, like John Kasich Saturday in New Hampshire. "I don't want Syrian refugees to come here now because we don't know who they are," Kasich said. How the 2016 candidates would deal with Syrian refugees That rhetoric has been widely criticized by faith-based groups who lead efforts to resettle refugees -- and evangelicals are a key demographic in republican primaries. "There is panic that is being fed for political reasons," Linda Hartke, CEO of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, told CBS News. "I think those who imagine we should suspend the arrival of any Syrians into this country or any Muslim into this country is really over the top," Hartke said. But a recent survey from the Public Religion Research Institute showed 73 percent of white evangelical protestants feel that the values of Islam are at odds with American values. GOP: Pass national defense bill, block Syrian refugees That's a sentiment about Muslims shared by a self-described Christian at Trump's rally Saturday in Alabama. "I have to stop and think about our home country because they have been so vocal to say they want to be the sole people on this earth and it's their way or no way really," the woman said. That survey was conducted before the Paris attacks, but it helps explain why GOP presidential hopefuls are taking a harder line on the refugee issue. Several organizations resettling refugees around the country say they have been threatened in the last week.
Until the last two days, we had made heroines out of two women who beat up men in a bus for allegedly molesting them. They were even going to get felicitated on Republic Day by Haryana’s CM. But the Haryana government has put the award they were getting on hold because of suspicion about the who, what and how of the incident. First, you need to check out this video that’s doing the rounds on social media. If you think this is an attempt to use emotion to sway judgement, think again. The people shown here are willing to go on TV and risk their reputation. Secondly, it was uploaded by Deepika Bhardwaj, someone who has dedicated her life to false dowry allegations in India. Then, you need to think about these questions. 1. Are they on a male beating spree? A total of seven men might have been beaten up in incidents this year by our “bravehearts”; six of them from the same college! A bit odd – do they never try to contact the police? Perhaps, even make a video of just the harassment to show us what they’re dealing with, instead of shooting girl-power straight away? Don't Miss 8.7 K SHARES 2.3 K SHARES 420 SHARES 2.5 K SHARES 2. How come there's a camera person always recording them? deenaguzder It doesn’t make a difference whether you’re a guy or a girl. If you’re beating up someone in retaliation, the last thing you’ll expect is to have your friend whip out a camera. For that matter, where is the camera person this time? Surely their first-person testimony has value? According to the girls, there was a pregnant woman who shot the video. No idea where this person is, though! 3. Why haven't we heard the guy’s side of the story before making up our minds? Is he not a human being worthy of being listened to? Our Constitution believes in 'innocent until proven guilty', but we’ve made him a molester. 4. The bigger question - are we willing to agree with every woman instantly if she cries rape or harassment? Remember the last time the media made an idol out of a woman who was supposedly wronged by patriarchy? You might; the Nisha Sharma dowry case was even published in NCERT books. And that turned out false – Nisha had lied, and we had believed it. This is no different from a mob violence mentality – if everyone says the guy is wrong, he is surely wrong, eh? 5. How come the recording starts only at the point of the men getting beat up? But when a news channel asked the women how come the filming starts at the exact moment when the violence starts, and doesn’t show what led to the fight, they could only say that anyone could have filmed it.