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The TC Helicon VoiceTone Create XT sweetens your vocals with reverb, auto-tune and automatic tone for less than $200
{rating}VoiceTone Create XTis my take anywhere, use all the time pedal.
TC Helicon calls it a producer in a box.
It adds just enough to my live performances to sound like I have an engineer without paying for one.
It’s easy to use, change-up and has never let me down for years. Singing without any effects sounds flat. No pro allows their voice to be recorded or broadcast without effects.
VoiceTone Create XT adds reverb, delay, chorus, thickening and transducer to your voice with a few simple buttons.
When you are singing and playing guitar, there is no time to fiddle with complicated gear. VoiceTone Create XT is the essence of simple. Just plug it in, click one of 10 pre-sets and you have a polished sound for your voice.
One night I was singing at a lounge and a friend was in the audience. After the set he said “They could give you a little reverb.” Yikes! I had no control back then. With VoiceTone Correct XT I have it all at my feet with this cool pedal.
The effects can be used solo or chained. Before taking the pedal to a club, I auditioned all 99 chained effects and the solo effects. There were only 4 that I liked – two for ballads and two for up tempo songs.
After using the pedal, I settled into only two pre-sets that I tweak for the room. I’m not interested in playing with gear on stage and neither is the audience.
Tweaking is cool. Within any of the pre-sets, you can tweak a little more of this or a little less of that. I prefer a little less under the less is more strategy of voice mod.
The manual tells you what each chain consists of and what the XY tweaking controls. That is too complicated to memorize.
I pick the pre-set I like, tweak and go. My ears tell me all I need to know. If I don’t like the tweak I’ll change it next song.
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I did a gig with a friend and left VoiceTone Create XT on despite his initial nervousness. He was awesome compared to the dry vocal mic. The waitress kept stopping to listen. The audience loved it.
The pedal also has a reliable 48 volt output. I use that with a Neumann KMS 104 performance mic for a gorgeous warm and intimate sound. I’ve also used Create XT with a Shure Beta 58 and it worked just as well.
The VoiceTone Create XT works for any style of music: folk, roots, blues, country, ballads and rock.
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In the recording studio, it is a pleasant addition but would prefer TC Helicon’s big brother VoiceLive 2 for flexibility. In the studio, I could pick up a slight noise floor with the VoiceTone XT.
Things not to like: the power wall warts take up too much room on the power bar if you have other effects. Dialing a pre-set is can be tricky as there are no detents on button. On stage, I never dial anything but use pre-sets. You can lose your pre-set by holding down the button too long but I always knows the ones I like and get it back in seconds.
The best thing about VoiceTone Create is that it works simply and reliably. Having tried the original VoiceLive pedal I understood the limits of my patience. This pedal is essentially all I need on stage. Well, that is except for Correct and Harmony. |
Hua Tou (話頭, Korean: hwadu, Japanese: wato) is part of a form of Buddhist meditation known as Gongfu 工夫 (not to be confused with the Martial Arts 功夫 ) common in the teachings of Chan Buddhism, Korean Seon and Rinzai Zen. Hua Tou can be translated as 'word head', 'head of speech' or 'point beyond which speech exhausts itself'. A Hua Tou can be a short phrase that is used as a subject of meditation to focus the mind.
Origins [ edit ]
Hua Tou are based on the encounter-dialogues and koans of the interactions between past masters and students, but are shorter phrases than koans. The Hua Tou method was invented by the Chinese Zen master Dahui Zonggao (1089 – 1163) who was a member of the Linji school. Dahui was interested in teaching the lay community, particularly the educated Chinese scholar-officials. Support of those "literati" was essential for the survival of the individual lineages, since appointments as abbot of public monasteries were determined by this ruling class. Providing accessible methods of training for layman was a means to gather this necessary support. Hua Tou practice does not use regular interviews and question and answer sessions between student and teacher (dokusan). According to Dahui, Hua Tou is also a form of meditation that "can be carried out by laymen in the midst of their daily activities."
Dahui was also against the intellectualism and literary commentary that had begun to enter into Koan practice with the Blue Cliff Record of his master Yuan-wu. In fact, Dahui burned his copy of the Blue Cliff Record.
Formal Hua Tou practice was promoted in Korea by Seon master Chinul. He was extremely successful in popularizing Hua Tou. According to Robert Buswell:[6]
Hwadu is the predominant technique cultivated in [Korean] meditation halls, and almost all masters advocate its use for students at all levels.
According to Bhikkhu Analayo, a similar practice is found in the Pali commentaries relating to mindfulness of bodily postures. Analayo writes that according to the Papañcasudani "the difference between simple walking and walking meditation as a Satipatthana is that a meditator keeps in mind the question: "Who goes? Whose is this going?" (Ps I 251).[7]
Practice [ edit ]
Dahui emphasised that initial insight is essential for Zen-training. Dahui stressed that it was possible for laymen to achieve enlightenment through this practice. He often gave instructions through letters to his pupils.
Chinul described Hwadu (Hua Tou) in his treatise Dharma Collection and Special Practice Record (Hangul: 법집별항녹절요사기; Hanja: 法集別行錄節要私記解; RR: Beopjip byeolhaeng nok jeolyo byeongip sagi) as a practice that leads to the very limits of speech and acts as a purification device.[6] Because the practice leads students beyond conceptual understanding, Chinul considered an advanced practice for those of particular talent, or those who had already advanced through other practices first.
To practice Hua Tou, one concentrates on the phrase, initially repeating it silently with a questioning and open mind and then thinking about "Who" or "What" is generating the Hua Tou, this brings about "Great Doubt". Hua Tou can be practiced during sitting meditation, after the mind has been calmed through an initial period of breath meditation.
Hsu Yun said of practicing Hua Tou:
The important thing is to stick to Hua Tou at all times, when walking, lying, or standing. From morning to night observing Hua Tou vividly and clearly, until it appears in your mind like the autumn moon reflected limpidly in quiet water. If you practice this way, you can be assured of reaching the state of Enlightenment. In meditation, if you feel sleepy, you may open your eyes widely and straighten your back; you will then feel fresher and more alert than before. When working on the Hua Tou, you should be neither too subtle nor too loose. If you are too subtle you may feel very serene and comfortable, but you are apt to lose the Hua Tou. The consequence will then be that you will fall into the ‘dead emptiness’. Right in the state of serenity, if you do not lose the Hua Tou, you may then be able to progress further than the top of the hundred-foot pole you have already ascended. If you are too loose, too many errant thoughts will attack you. You will then find it difficult to subdue them. In short, the Zen practitioner should be well adjusted, neither too tight nor too loose; in the looseness there should be tightness, and in the tightness there should be looseness.
According to Chan master Sheng Yen, there are three stages of Hua Tou practice: reciting the Hua Tou, asking the Hua Tou and investigating the Hua Tou. Through these stages it is important not to try to answer the Hua Tou intellectually, but to persistently ask the question mindfully with genuine interest and sincere desire to know. It is through this constant practice that great doubt and then insight arises.
Examples of Hua Tou [ edit ]
“What is it?”
“What is this?”
“Who is repeating the Buddha’s name?”
“Who is dragging this corpse around?” (popularized by Hsu Yun)
“Who am I?”
“What was my Original face before my father and mother were born?”
“What is Mu?”[note 1]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
a b Buswell, Robert E. (1991). Tracing Back the Radiance: Chinul's Korean Way of Zen (Classics in East Asian Buddhism). University of Hawaii Press. pp. 68–69. ISBN 0824814274. ^ Analayo, Satipatthana: the direct path to realization, page 139.
Sources [ edit ]
Lachs, Stuart (2012), Hua-t’ou : A Method of Zen Meditation (PDF)
Schlütter, Morten (2008), How Zen became Zen. The Dispute over Enlightenment and the Formation of Chan Buddhism in Song-Dynasty China , Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, ISBN 978-0-8248-3508-8
Yun, Hsu (1970), Practice of Zen , Translated by Garma C. C. Chang, unknown
Yen, Sheng (2009), Shattering the Great Doubt: The Chan Practice of Huatou, Translated by, Dharma Drum publications
Further reading [ edit ] |
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
Jonathan Gitlin
If all had gone to plan, you would have read this article five months ago. After a short ride in Chevrolet's new Volt at CES, I was curious to see how the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle fared on the day-to-day grind. There's only so much you can learn on a few laps of a test track in Las Vegas, after all. Matching—or even bettering—the published economy figures during carefully managed events is one thing, but would the car live up to the promise of a triple-digit MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) in practice, away from the PR people?
The second generation Volt has benefited greatly from Chevy's experience with the first car. Plenty of weight was taken out of the car, including the battery pack and motor/generator unit (MGU). It's quieter and the interior quality is a step up. It's even more parsimonious energy-wise; the official EPA numbers are 106MPGe (and 42MPG on gasoline) compared to 98MPGe (and 37MPG) for the first-gen Volt.
Post-CES, an e-mail was duly sent to Chevrolet asking for some time with the Volt, which arrived during the second week in February. The Volt wasn't the only thing to arrive that week, however. The polar vortex delivered the East Coast some epically cold weather soon after. In fact, it only rose above freezing here in Washington, DC on the day we gave the car back (February 14 in particular was bitterly cold, with temperatures ranging from -3 degrees Celsius to -10 degrees Celsius [26 degrees Fahrenheit-13 degrees Fahrenheit]).
Despite the inhospitable weather, the car got as much use as possible for several days. And as winter transportation, the Volt did itself proud. The handling on snowy roads was predictable, and the fact that heated seats (front and rear) and a heated steering wheel were standard equipment was most welcome information.
But there was just one hitch. When the mercury drops that low, forget all thoughts of gas-free commuting. It didn't matter that we plugged the car in at every opportunity, keeping the lithium-ion battery bursting at the seams with 18.4kWh-worth of electrons. No, when it's that cold, the car's 1.5L range-extender internal combustion engine becomes your constant companion.
Sadly, all thoughts of matching 106MPGe went out of the window. After five days, I was able to slightly better the gasoline-only economy—43.8MPG vs EPA's 42MPG—but some trips fared worse, and numbers as low as 21.2MPGe showed up on the Volt's central touchscreen display.
Several days later, some nice people came to collect the car. Saddened by my poor showing, the article ended up in an ever-growing "Need to write" pile. Finally, a growing sense of shame at having left the idea to rot got the better of me, and it was time for a rematch. Another Volt showed up at my door at the end of July. This time it was a 2017 model painted the same shade of Iridescent Pearl as before; only the all-black interior gave away the fact that it was in fact a different car.
As before, the plan was to use the hybrid throughout the course of the week. No long road trips, but a simulated commute, grocery runs, a trip to the recycling station, and so on. Yet again, the weather had something to say. Yes, you guessed it: this time our loan of the car coincided with one of the hottest weeks of the year to date. (Unfortunately for me you can't get either cooled seats or a cooled steering wheel as an option.)
As with February's test, I made an effort. I modified my driving style with plenty of lifting and coasting, although without certain hypermiling tricks like over-inflating the tires or driving everywhere with the climate control turned off. (To do the latter in February would have ended in certain frostbite, the same in July a nice case of heat exhaustion.) The car was left in Normal mode; after all there's no point selecting Sport if you're trying to stretch a charge.
When you're not racing to every red light, driving becomes a much more serene activity, particularly under electric power with nothing but a little wind noise and NPR for a soundtrack. And with pavement hot enough to fry eggs, there was no intrusion from the internal combustion engine to disturb that peace. In stark contrast to February, even with the AC on blast the car was happy to run in fully electric mode (although I quickly switched from "Max" to "Eco" once that all-black cockpit was close to tolerable).
The car helps out. The normally green ring around the central driver's display turns yellow if you accelerate or brake too hard, giving an easy visual cue to help retrain one's driving brain. With the transmission selector in L, the MGU begins to harvest kinetic energy from the front wheels as soon as the accelerator pedal is lifted, perfect for inching through stop-and-go traffic. With clearer roads ahead, D was my preferred choice. This allows the car to coast, which it did with remarkable gusto. On city streets with 25mph (40km/h) speed limits, a short burst of acceleration goes a surprisingly long way.
Heavy braking was also banished, thanks to the Regen paddle behind the steering wheel's left spoke. Using the paddle to slow the car quickly becomes second nature, and again the car helps out, giving feedback of how many kW are being recovered.
And yet, try as I might, the best I could accomplish in almost 100 miles (160km) was a paltry 90.3MPGe. This took two full battery charges (about six hours) connected to a level 2 (240v) charger, but not once in July did I have to hear the engine rumble into life. That meant I was also not able to quite match Chevrolet's claimed 53-mile (85km) electric range—although Tiffany Kelly did just that during our first drive of the car in 2015.
Even though I was never able to quite match the official economy figures, my combined time with the Volt has left me a fan. I'd go as far as to say that if I still had a commute and somewhere to plug it in at night, I'd seriously consider one as my next vehicle. The interior design is the funkiest we've seen from GM in quite some time, and it's a genuine five seater, although the trunk space could do with being a bit bigger. The 8-inch touchscreen is one of the better ones out there, and there are plenty of USB ports. (There's even wireless charging for phones that support the feature.)
All of that is not to say it's perfect. Although Chevrolet redesigned the front air dam based on customer feedback, it still grounds easily on speed bumps and the like. And the lack of a spare tire (an optional extra) came to bite me after I misjudged the entry into a parking lot. The car's lane keep assist feels dated in comparison to its implementation in something like a Tesla Model S or Audi A4. And while the Volt has cruise control, it's not adaptive. [Update: it is available as an option.] My biggest complaint is the lack of any fast charging option, although Volt engineers have told me that most of their customers are happy charging at night or at the workplace. Once again, the electric car proves more suitable for suburbia than life in the inner city.
Still, 90MPGe isn't that bad.
Listing image by Jonathan Gitlin |
Steven Paul Jobs was an American inventor, designer and entrepreneur who was the co-founder, chief executive and chairman of Apple Computer. Apple's revolutionary products, which include the iPod, iPhone and iPad, are now seen as dictating the evolution of modern technology. Born in 1955 to two University of Wisconsin graduate students who gave him up for adoption, Jobs was smart but directionless, dropping out of college and experimenting with different pursuits before co-founding Apple with Steve Wozniak in 1976. Jobs left the company in 1985, launching Pixar Animation Studios, then returned to Apple more than a decade later. Jobs died in 2011 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Net Worth
In 2011, Forbes estimated the majority of Steve Jobs’ net worth at around $6.5 billion to $7 billion from his sale of Pixar to the Walt Disney Company in 2006. However if Jobs had not sold his Apple shares in 1985, when he left the company he founded and helmed for over a decade, his net worth would have been a staggering $36 billion.
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Steve Jobs: Movies and Books
Several movies inspired by the computer icon's life have been released as well — namely the critically panned Jobs (2013), starring Ashton Kutcher, and Steve Jobs (2015), starring Michael Fassbender and directed by Danny Boyle.
A number of books have also been written on Jobs' life and career, including an authorized 2011 general biography by Walter Isaacson. The book was critiqued for the depiction of its main subject by Apple's chief executive Tim Cook, who succeeded Jobs. Karen Blumenthal also wrote a 2012 young adult biography, and Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli wrote 2015's Becoming Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs' Death
Steve Jobs died in Palo Alto on October 5, 2011, after battling pancreatic cancer for nearly a decade. He was 56 years old.
Last Words
In Mona Simpson’s eulogy for Steve Jobs, his sister said Steve Jobs looked at his sister Patty, kids and wife, then said his last words: “OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.”
Wife and Children
Steve Jobs and Laurene Powell married on March 18, 1991. The pair met in the early 1990s at Stanford business school, where Powell was an MBA student. They lived together in Palo Alto, California, with their three children.
Daughter
Although he remained a private man who rarely disclosed information about his family, it is known that Jobs fathered a daughter, Lisa, with girlfriend Chrisann Brennan when he was 23. He denied paternity of his daughter in court documents, claiming he was sterile. Chrisann struggled financially for much of her life, and Jobs did not initiate a relationship with his daughter until she was seven years old. When she was a teenager, Lisa came to live with her father.
When and Where Was Steve Jobs Born?
Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco, California.
Young Steve Jobs
Joanne Schieble (later Joanne Simpson) and Abdulfattah "John" Jandali, two University of Wisconsin graduate students, gave up their unnamed son, Steve Jobs, for adoption. Jobs’ father, Jandali, was a Syrian political science professor, and his mother, Schieble, worked as a speech therapist. Shortly after Steve was placed for adoption, his biological parents married and had another child, Mona Simpson. It was not until Jobs was 27 that he was able to uncover information on his biological parents.
As an infant, Jobs was adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs and named Steven Paul Jobs. Clara worked as an accountant and Paul was a Coast Guard veteran and machinist. The family lived in Mountain View, California, within the area that would later become known as Silicon Valley. As a boy, Jobs and his father worked on electronics in the family garage. Paul showed his son how to take apart and reconstruct electronics, a hobby that instilled confidence, tenacity and mechanical prowess in young Jobs.
Education
While Jobs was always an intelligent and innovative thinker, his youth was riddled with frustrations over formal schooling. Jobs was a prankster in elementary school due to boredom, and his fourth-grade teacher needed to bribe him to study. Jobs tested so well, however, that administrators wanted to skip him ahead to high school — a proposal that his parents declined.
After high school, Jobs enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Lacking direction, he dropped out of college after six months and spent the next 18 months dropping in on creative classes at the school. Jobs later recounted how one course in calligraphy developed his love of typography.
In 1974, Jobs took a position as a video game designer with Atari. Several months later he left the company to find spiritual enlightenment in India, traveling further and experimenting with psychedelic drugs.
Steve Wozniak
Back when Jobs was enrolled at Homestead High School, he was introduced to his future partner and co-founder of Apple Computer, Steve Wozniak, who was attending the University of California, Berkeley.
In a 2007 interview with PC World, Wozniak spoke about why he and Jobs clicked so well: "We both loved electronics and the way we used to hook up digital chips," Wozniak said. "Very few people, especially back then, had any idea what chips were, how they worked and what they could do. I had designed many computers, so I was way ahead of him in electronics and computer design, but we still had common interests. We both had pretty much sort of an independent attitude about things in the world.”
Apple Computer
In 1976, when Jobs was just 21, he and Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer in the Jobs’ family garage. They funded their entrepreneurial venture by Jobs selling his Volkswagen bus and Wozniak selling his beloved scientific calculator. Jobs and Wozniak are credited with revolutionizing the computer industry with Apple by democratizing the technology and making machines smaller, cheaper, intuitive and accessible to everyday consumers.
Wozniak conceived of a series of user-friendly personal computers, and — with Jobs in charge of marketing — Apple initially marketed the computers for $666.66 each. The Apple I earned the corporation around $774,000. Three years after the release of Apple's second model, the Apple II, the company's sales increased by 700 percent to $139 million.
In 1980, Apple Computer became a publicly traded company, with a market value of $1.2 billion by the end of its very first day of trading. Jobs looked to marketing expert John Sculley of Pepsi-Cola to take over the role of CEO for Apple.
The next several products from Apple suffered significant design flaws, however, resulting in recalls and consumer disappointment. IBM suddenly surpassed Apple in sales, and Apple had to compete with an IBM/PC-dominated business world.
In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh, marketing the computer as a piece of a counterculture lifestyle: romantic, youthful, creative. But despite positive sales and performance superior to IBM's PCs, the Macintosh was still not IBM-compatible. Sculley believed Jobs was hurting Apple, and the company's executives began to phase him out. Not actually having had an official title with the company he co-founded, Jobs was pushed into a more marginalized position and thus left Apple in 1985.
Pixar
In 1986, Jobs purchased an animation company from George Lucas, which later became Pixar Animation Studios. Believing in Pixar's potential, Jobs initially invested $50 million of his own money in the company. The studio went on to produce wildly popular movies such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles; Pixar's films have collectively netted $4 billion. The studio merged with Walt Disney in 2006, making Steve Jobs Disney's largest shareholder.
NeXT
After leaving Apple in 1985, Jobs began a new hardware and software enterprise called NeXT, Inc. The company floundered in its attempts to sell its specialized operating system to mainstream America, and Apple eventually bought the company in 1996 for $429 million. In 1997, Jobs returned to his post as Apple's CEO. Just as Jobs instigated Apple's success in the 1970s, he is credited with revitalizing the company in the 1990s.
Reinventing Apple
With a new management team, altered stock options and a self-imposed annual salary of $1 a year, Jobs put Apple back on track. Jobs’ ingenious products (like the iMac), effective branding campaigns and stylish designs caught the attention of consumers once again. In the ensuing years, Apple introduced such revolutionary products as the Macbook Air, iPod and iPhone, all of which dictated the evolution of technology. Almost immediately after Apple released a new product, competitors scrambled to produce comparable technologies.
Apple's quarterly reports improved significantly in 2007: Stocks were worth $199.99 a share—a record-breaking number at that time — and the company boasted a staggering $1.58 billion profit, an $18 billion surplus in the bank and zero debt. In 2008, Apple became the second-biggest music retailer in America — second only to Walmart, fueled by iTunes and iPod sales. Apple has also been ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's list of "America's Most Admired Companies," as well as No. 1 among Fortune 500 companies for returns to shareholders.
Battle with Cancer
In 2003, Jobs discovered that he had a neuroendocrine tumor, a rare but operable form of pancreatic cancer. Instead of immediately opting for surgery, Jobs chose to alter his pesco-vegetarian diet while weighing Eastern treatment options. For nine months, Jobs postponed surgery, making Apple's board of directors nervous. Executives feared that shareholders would pull their stock if word got out that their CEO was ill. But in the end, Jobs' confidentiality took precedence over shareholder disclosure. In 2004, he had a successful surgery to remove the pancreatic tumor. True to form, in subsequent years Jobs disclosed little about his health.
Early in 2009, reports circulated about Jobs' weight loss, some predicting his health issues had returned, which included a liver transplant. Jobs responded to these concerns by stating he was dealing with a hormone imbalance. Days later, he went on a six-month leave of absence. In an e-mail message to employees, Jobs said his "health-related issues are more complex" than he thought, then named Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer, as “responsible for Apple's day-today operations."
Final Years
After nearly a year out of the spotlight, Steve Jobs delivered a keynote address at an invite-only Apple event on September 9, 2009. He continued to serve as master of ceremonies, which included the unveiling of the iPad, throughout much of 2010.
However, in January 2011, Jobs announced he was going on medical leave. In August, he resigned as CEO of Apple, handing the reins to Cook, and in October he died. |
We’ve just passed the Thanksgiving and Hanukkah/Christmas season, our modern harvest and solstice celebrations, and celebrated them with — if you’re like most people — family feasts: turkeys with all the trimmings for Thanksgiving, latkes on Hanukkah, perhaps a Christmas ham. Perhaps you went around the table taking turns to acknowledge all you were thankful for, or perhaps you began the meal by saying grace. In Jewish households, brachot are recited before meals and birkat ha-mazon afterwards to acknowledge God, the creator and sustainer of all things. Christians households recite grace before meals, thanking the Lord for blessings bestowed.
Zen has its own pre-meal incantation, the Meal Gatha, or Verse of Five Contemplations:
First, seventy-two labors have brought us this food. We should know where it comes from.
Second, as we receive this offering we should consider whether our virtue and practice deserve it.
Third, as we desire the mind to be free from clinging, we must be free from greed.
Fourth, to support our life, we receive this food.
Fifth, to realize the way, we accept this food.
The gatha is extracted from the elaborate, formal oryoki ritual described in excruciating detail by Dōgen in his Eihei Shingi, written in 1237 C.E. Unlike its Judeo-Christian counterparts, the gatha isn’t an homage to a deity, but an attempt to establish one’s frame of mind for the meal to come.
The first contemplation makes mention of seventy-two labors. In the elaborate division of labor within Japanese monasteries, seventy-two positions, from the abbot to the cook, contribute to the conduct of monastery life. Seventy-two labors is a metaphor for acknowledging that our meal doesn’t come to us miraculously like Athena sprung fully-formed from the head of Zeus. Instead, innumerable labors contributed to it — farmers raised the produce, middle-men packaged, transported and sold it, family members prepared it, and an even larger cast of supporting characters built our kitchen appliances, constructed our electrical grid and gas pipelines, and provided the farmer’s seed and fertilizer, tractors and combines. While we’re at it, lets also acknowledge the vital contributions of the sun, the earth, the rain, the atmosphere, and pollinating insects. This meal arrives at our table by virtue of innumerable contributors. It’s an opportunity to both acknowledge the interconnectivity of all life, and to express our gratitude for it.
The second contemplation is an open inquiry into whether our day has been aligned with our vows and intentions, and whether we’re living out our aspirations in accordance with the Dharma. Are we worthy of this meal? The 8th century sage, Baizhang Huaihai, used to say, “a day without work, a day without eating.” Out of all the schools of Buddhism, Zen is perhaps unique in viewing manual labor as integral to practice. Work not only provides the wherewithal for our sustenance, but offers us opportunities for whole-hearted, mindful activity, erasing the dividing line between the secular and the sacred. So the question of whether we’ve earned this meal has both worldly and ultramundane implications. Have we contributed to the world through our labor, and have we contributed to the process of realization through our vows and intentions, through our zazen and our wise and compassionate activity?
The third contemplation is a truncated restatement of The Four Noble Truths — suffering comes from clinging and aversion, and liberation from overcoming greed, hatred, and ignorance. Meals are an opportunity for practicing non-greed — to eat what’s needed for our health and well-being, but not more; to accept the meal as is without comparing it to other meals we’ve enjoyed in the past; to be grateful for whatever has come our way. Unlike countless millions around the world, today we aren’t starving. We aren’t suffering from malnutrition. Can we be grateful for “enough” and “good enough,” even if this meal, right here, right now, isn’t our favorite? Even if it’s too cold, too overdone, too whatever? We suffer today from diseases of too much — diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Just enough is better.
The fourth and fifth contemplations are statements of why we eat — the fourth, a reminder that we eat to live, the fifth that just living is not enough — that we eat to fulfill our vows and realize the Way. The historical Buddha spent years fasting and practicing extreme austerities before discovering that mortification of the body yielded not enlightenment, but emaciation and exhaustion. He attained enlightenment only after ceasing his austerities and embarking on a “middle way” between abstinence and greed. In the Buddha’s day, monks begged in the morning for food, eating once daily, and accepting whatever they received with gratitude. They ate enough to sustain themselves and their practice, but without becoming attached to tastes and preferences. This is a far cry from our contemporary epicurean focus on deliciously prepared food as a cornerstone of la dolce vita. Gourmands eat to enjoy, dazzle the palate, and sate the senses. Buddhists eat to cultivate practice. Dōgen’s Eihei Shingi instructs the monastery cook to give exquisite, mindful attention to the process of meal preparation, but to treat all the ingredients with equanimity.
In preparing food never view it from the perspective of usual mind or on the basis of feeling-tones… If you only have wild grasses with which to make a broth, do not disdain them. If you have ingredients for a creamy soup do not be delighted. Where there is no attachment, there can be no aversion. Do not be careless with poor ingredients and do not depend on fine ingredients to do your work for you but work with everything with the same sincerity… A rich buttery soup is not better as such than a broth of wild herbs. In handling and preparing wild herbs, do so as you would the ingredients for a rich feast, wholeheartedly, sincerely, clearly. When you serve the monastic assembly, they and you should taste only the flavor of the Ocean of Reality, the Ocean of unobscured Awake Awareness, not whether or not the soup is creamy or made only of wild herbs. In nourishing the seeds of living in the Way, rich food and wild grass are not separate… Wild grasses can nourish the seeds of Buddha and bring forth the buds of the Way. Do not regard them lightly.
Does this equanimity seem joyless to you? Not to Dōgen:
This life we live is a life of rejoicing, this body a body of joy which can be used to present offerings to the Three Jewels. It arises through the merits of eons and using it thus its merit extends endlessly. I hope that you will work and cook in this way, using this body which is the fruition of thousands of lifetimes and births to create limitless benefit for numberless beings. To understand this opportunity is a joyous heart because even if you had been born a ruler of the world the merit of your actions would merely disperse like foam, like sparks.
Dōgen even dares speak of love in this regard:
A parent raises a child with deep love, regardless of poverty or difficulties. Their hearts cannot be understood by another; only a parent can understand it. A parent protects their child from heat or cold before worrying about whether they themselves are hot or cold. This kind of care can only be understood by those who have given rise to it and realized only by those who practice it. This, brought to its fullest, is how you must care for water and rice, as though they were your own children.
In engaging in this practice, Dōgen asserts, one cultivates a heart as vast as a the ocean.
This vast heart does not regard a gram as too light or five kilos as too heavy. It does not follow the sounds of spring or try to nest in a spring garden; it does not darken with the colors of autumn.
With right view and right intention, everything becomes practice — shopping, cooking, eating, and cleaning up after — the whole world, a cauldron for our awakening.
I hope you’ve had a joyous holiday season, surrounded by loved ones, enjoying the bounty of the earth. Some of you may have spent the holidays alone, having but a few grains of rice to eat. Whatever your condition and circumstance, may every moment be an opportunity for awakening, may every moment be an opportunity to benefit others. And may the new year be an opportunity to renew and sustain your practice for the benefit of all beings.
Oryoki photo taken from http://www.shambhala-toulouse.fr/shambhala/oryoki |
Australia missing 'crucial conversations' around tackling gun crime
Updated
In the wake of gun-related tragedies at home and abroad, the term 'shooter' has become synonymous with a lot of things.
A close-knit community of self-described 'averages joes', however, is probably not one of them.
As Australia's gun debate rages, sports shooters and academics alike are increasingly concerned about 'knee-jerk' reactions around reform and say the recent discourse is ignoring one key question.
What do we actually know about those driving the demand for stolen and illegally imported firearms in Australia?
"Gun violence doesn't occur in a vacuum, [and] it often seems as if there's a lack of political will here to actually look beneath the surface and tackle the social issues that underpin crime," said Samara McPhedran, a senior research fellow at Griffith University's Violence Research and Prevention Program.
"The debate around firearms tends to be a bit immature, and that's sad because it means we miss a lot of opportunities to focus on the real issues."
Although high-profile attacks, such as the Texas and Las Vegas shootings, have created a political atmosphere for regulatory change, Dr McPhedran argues legislators would be better off investing that energy into addressing the underlying causes of day-to-day crime.
"What we tend to see in Australia in response to these tragedies is an almost very smug type of approach, and unfortunately we often seem to take the attitude of almost finger pointing or victim blaming," she said.
"Rather than framing our debate around [these incidents], why don't we look at them and other countries and say, well what are they doing well? What can we learn from them?"
Social agencies and law enforcement
In the US, a nation gripped by gun-related homicides, one organisation is bucking the trend.
The National Network for Safe Communities, operating out of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles among other cities, is a community-led partnership bringing together social agencies and law enforcement in a bid to tackle gun crime.
Drawing upon on-the-ground networks, its Group Violence Intervention (GVI) analyses pockets of each city to determine who is driving gun crime, and who is most at risk of shooting or being shot.
Each 'target' group is then directed to a 'call-in', where a partnership of law enforcement, social service providers and community leaders extend an offer of help for those who want it.
"Law enforcement cannot be and does not want to be the only solution to addressing serious violence," the network's Jonathan Ben-Menachem told the ABC.
"[This] approach aims to strengthen communities' capacity to prevent violence while reducing arrest and incarceration."
Although simple enough in theory, the initiative has had a significant impact.
Gun homicides have fallen by 42 per cent in Stockton, California, while felony and misdemeanour arrests in Cincinnati dropped by 41.3 per cent and 32.7 per cent respectively.
The organisation is now looking to better implement 'customised visits', targeting at-risk groups in homes, hospitals or jails.
"They can be deployed quickly to help interrupt cycles of violence [and] address active disputes and impact players — including those who are not under court supervision and who are therefore difficult to reach," Mr Ben-Menachem said.
Gun owners 'being treated like Big Tobacco'
Gun owners groups believe Australia too should follow suit, rather than consider new regulatory reforms.
In recent weeks, Lobby group Gun Control Australia has called for an immediate police gun-safe storage blitz for all licence holders who have 10 or more guns.
Such proposals are 'penalising' the wrong people, according to Jack Wegman, President of the Victorian Sports Shooters Association.
"Crime is crime, whether it involves a gun or a knife," he said.
"To own a gun here, we're vetted by police, you have to apply for a licence and we have stringent storage requirements. The community has nothing to worry about from legitimate sporting shooters."
Mr Wegman said moves to conflate high-profile mass-shootings overseas with Australia's gun laws had unfairly stigmatised the sports shooting community.
"I remember being made to feel like the rats under the house because I had an interest in shooting," he said.
"[Criminals] will always get illicit firearms. We as a society need to decide whether we're going to focus on targeting them, or heed the calls of anti-gun lobbies to restrict sports shooters' ability to own a firearm."
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, crime, crime-prevention, vic, australia, united-states
First posted |
A group of former officials from the U.S., Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom are calling on President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to collaborate on issues involving nuclear deterrence.
The group, which includes former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Georgia, is urging Mr. Trump and Putin to take advantage of their first opportunity to meet in Hamburg, Germany next month to coordinate on a series of steps that reduce nuclear and other military risks and to prevent terrorist attacks.
"The starting point could be a new Presidential Joint Declaration by the United States and the Russian Federation declaring that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought," the group wrote in the letter.
Other steps both leaders could take, the group argued, involve increasing communication between their militaries, preventing terrorist groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from acquiring radiological and nuclear material and reaching informal understandings about cyber dangers.
The other officials who signed the letter are former British Defense Secretary Des Browne, former German Ambassador to the U.S. Wolfgang Ischinger and former Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.
Mr. Trump will head to Hamburg for the G-20 summit late next week. Putin is expected to attend as well. |
Metal band Korn have drafted in Tye Trujillo to fill in for regular bassist Reginald ‘Fieldy’ Arvizu for a series of South American dates
What were you doing when you were 12? Getting quite good at Guitar Hero? Clumsily finding your way around a real instrument? Maybe even attempting a jam session with some of your mates?
Let’s face it, you weren’t going on tour through South America with a Grammy award-winning, platinum-selling metal band, were you? Not unless you’re Tye Trujillo, who has just signed up to play for Korn while their bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu is unable to tour with them.
It helps, of course, that he’s well-connected – Tye is the son of Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo – but there’s no denying he can play. You can check out his skills, including some impressive headbanging action, for his other band the Helmets, in the clip below.
Korn’s tour will visit Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru. In a statement on Facebook, they said: “We are bummed Fieldy can’t join us on this run but excited to do a few gigs with a young player like Tye. We look forward to welcoming our brother Fieldy back when we return to the States in May.” |
On October 26, over two million students across Spain walked out of their classes to protest cuts to education, tuition hikes, and the reintroduction of the standardized “revalidation exams.” Tens of thousands of parents, teachers, union workers, and others took to the streets alongside students in several of Spain’s major cities, including Madrid, as a show of solidarity. Organized by the national socialist-led student union, Sindicato de Estudiantes (SE), the biggest national student union in Spain, this historic one-day strike can serve as inspiration for students and workers here in the U.S.
The strike targeted the Organic Law for Improving Education Quality, or LOMCE in Spanish, which will increase tuition by up to 66% and cut resources for scholarships by 50 million euros. Both policies will clearly hurt poor and working-class students disproportionately. A key demand of the strike was to abolish “revalidation exams” – standardized tests that must be passed to move to the next grade. They also want to abolish similar elementary and middle school tests. These exams were last used in Spain under the fascist dictator Francisco Franco, but the government is now trying to reintroduce them. Protesters argue that the education system is becoming too inaccessible to lower-income families, creating an inescapable, determined academic path and a push toward privatized education.
Passed in 2013, LOMCE is a continuation of austerity measures imposed by the Spanish government after the 2008 global market collapse. LOMCE shortens the time needed to obtain certain degrees. The stated purpose is getting students into work faster, but it actually devalues the worth of a degree. This push toward a faster school-to-work path takes away individual stability, further advancing a capitalist education agenda that is plagued by the profit motive. Education is supposed to give confidence and social mobility – but, in reality, LOMCE will hinder students from finding work because of the lesser value of their degrees.
These developments seem all too real to us in the U.S. because of the recent attacks by city and state governments on public education, cutting budgets by tens of millions of dollars in many places. In higher education, tuition costs for U.S. colleges are continuously on the rise, and student debt is a looming disaster.
Sindicato de Estudiantes has declared that unless the Spanish government meets their demands of scrapping the tuition hikes and revalidation exams, there will be another massive student strike on November 24. The Spanish students’ fight against the attacks on higher education is the fight of students and workers in the U.S. and worldwide. J |
For this tamarind soba noodle salad, I actually managed to sneak in two different legumes. The dressing is made from a tangy and satisfying blend of tamarind and peanut butter. Yes, both tamarind and peanuts are part of the legume family! I learned this when I saw a recipe for paleo satay sauce that used almonds, and wondered why peanuts weren’t allowed. Yeah, anyone on the paleo diet is gonna want to avoid my blog until October because this month’s recipes will be categorically inappropriate for that way of eating!
I’ve had this package of soba noodles in my pantry since I picked them up as an impulse buy at Wegman’s. If you have any Wegman’s locations in your area, you will understand that one usually comes home from Wegman’s with a few extra impulse purchases. That’s actually how I originally discovered xanthan gum. I’m not sure what it says about me that I bought a package of xanthan gum without knowing what it was or how to use it.
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You can make this tamarind soba noodle salad with whatever veggies you like/are good quality in your area right now. Just this week we finally got our first red bell peppers of the year! They’ve been green, yellow, and even purple up until now. I have no problem with those, but I just love how the red color pops. And I feel that these red ones are a bit sweeter, too. In addition to the kohlrabi (back in season!) and its greens, carrots, and green onions seen here, this week our CSA had:
Cherry tomatoes
Anaheim peppers
Watermelon (4 weeks in a row, no complaints here!)
Delicata squash (a bit stumped on how to combine this with more summery items)
I came up with a really fun cherry tomato recipe that I may have to deviate from my legume theme and share. 🙂 in the meantime, tamarind soba noodle salad is so delicious. And when eaten cold, it’s also very refreshing. Change it up with your own vegetables and give it a try! I used this brand of soba noodles and I keep this brand of this brand of tamarind paste in my pantry. |
Six in 10 Americans say they are fans of pro football, far outpacing professional baseball and basketball. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)
As the NFL opens its season Thursday night, the league faces myriad challenges. A growing body of science connects playing football to dire brain-related health risks. Ratings sagged last season. Quality of play has been scrutinized. Another high-profile player finds himself enmeshed in a domestic-abuse scandal. Some fans are upset about players protesting during the national anthem, and others are angry Colin Kaepernick does not have a job.
Despite those issues and other apparent threats to the league's health, Americans' zeal for football has shown no sign of abating. Professional football remains the most followed sport in America by a wide margin, and its massive popularity has not waned in recent years, according to a nationwide poll conducted in August by The Washington Post and the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
[Read The Post-UMass Lowell poll results| How the poll was conducted]
Six in 10 Americans say they are fans of professional football, roughly similar to polls in 2012 and up from 50 percent in a 2008 Post poll. Fandom for professional football far outpaces professional baseball at 45 percent of Americans and professional basketball at 39 percent. Asked which sport is their favorite to watch, 37 percent say football, little changed from 35 percent in a 2012 Post poll and more than triple the percentage who pick baseball or basketball.
Football's dangers and drawbacks have not turned away younger fans poised to become the NFL's core fan base. Among Americans between ages 18 and 29, 61 percent say they are football fans, roughly the same as the public overall. Furthermore, adults under age 30 are the most likely demographic to say their interest in football has increased, at 41 percent.
Poll results indicated professional football fans recognize the danger the sport poses to its players but have chosen to watch anyway. In July, neuropathologist Anne McKee published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in which 110 of 111 brains of former football players had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative brain disease associated with hits to the head. While the study was limited to brains donated by players' family members, the results built on an already large body of science connecting football to long-term brain damage.
Americans believe the science by overwhelming majority: 83 percent believe it is either certainly true (45 percent) or probably true that playing football causes brain injuries. Among sports fans, 90 percent say head injuries causing long-term health problems for players is a problem for professional football. Fully 76 percent say it is a major problem, the highest level of concern among nine problems tested in the Post-UMass Lowell poll.
But the acknowledgment of problems has not prevented Americans from watching. Among those who say head injuries are a major problem, 74 percent identify themselves as football fans, 40 percent called themselves "big football fans," and 44 percent say football is their favorite sport to watch.
Toni Hendershot, a 70-year-old from Montana, said she and her family prohibited her grandson from playing football after watching the movie "Concussion," a film based on the true story of a doctor's struggle to get the NFL to recognize the threat of CTE. Hendershot still watches two or three NFL games a week, reconciling the health risks players accept because of the financial incentive.
"What I struggle with is the fact that they are adult men and they should be making good choices for their long-term health," Hendershot said. "But since it is their long-term health, I shouldn't be expected to pay for it. I don't have a problem watching it if they are dumb enough to make those choices for the big bucks."
While football has retained its popularity, at least some Americans are turning away. More than 1 in 5, 23 percent, say their interest in professional football has decreased in recent years, up from 13 percent in 2012. When asked an open-ended question about why their interest had decreased, 24 percent cite politics, including 17 percent naming the national anthem protests that Kaepernick initiated last preseason. Some 10 percent of those with decreased interest say there are too many penalties or delays. Just 7 percent cite injuries.
[Analysis: Kaepernick remains unemployed, and that’s a bad look for the NFL]
The poll finds 45 percent of Americans say the NFL is doing "too little" to prevent concussions and head injuries among players while 40 percent say they are doing the right amount. That marks a shift from 2011, when an Associated Press survey found 57 percent saying the NFL is doing the right amount.
Concerns about head injuries rank as the biggest problem tested in the survey, but the Post-UMass Lowell poll also finds roughly 6 in 10 sports fans say violent crime and domestic violence committed by players are major problems for the sport. Among lesser concerns, 40 percent say players being paid too much is a major problem, followed by 36 percent who say the same about players speaking out about politics and about 2 in 10 who say low quality of play or the number of penalties during games are major problems.
Television ratings dipped last season, dropping 9 percent in the regular season and 6 percent in the playoffs. CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus pointed to several factors that suggest the decrease was temporary.
The biggest reason NFL ratings dropped, McManus said, was the attention viewers paid to the presidential election instead. He also cited the absence of Peyton Manning (retirement), Tom Brady (four-game suspension) and J.J. Watt (injury); the appeal of the Chicago Cubs' World Series run; and a string of non-competitive prime-time games.
"I think those are all factors that contribute to it," McManus said. "Listen, I think the ratings will come back. You've got to look at this relatively speaking: The NFL ratings are still, far and away, the most attractive programming in all of television by a huge margin. So the fact that ratings were down marginally are still of concern. We'd rather be up than down, but nobody is panicking and saying the NFL is slipping in terms of its popularity or in terms of its dominance, relatively speaking to what else is on in television."
[2017 NFL Power Rankings: The New England Patriots have lapped the field]
The Post-UMass Lowell poll was conducted Aug. 14-21 among a random national sample of 1,000 adults reached on cellular and landline phones. The margin of sampling error for overall results is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points and is 4.7 points among the sample of 598 football fans.
Demographic breakdowns of Americans' responses revealed several striking results. While 14 percent of football fans from the South say their interest in professional football has decreased in recent years, this rises to 26 percent in the West.
Nearly a quarter of suburban football fans (24 percent) say their interest in pro football decreased, compared with 12 percent of urban fans.
Among non-white pro football fans, 29 percent say their interest has increased, while 11 percent say it has decreased. Conversely, 17 percent of white football fans say their interest has increased, while a similar 22 percent say it has decreased.
Overall, Americans cited rooting for their favorite team, socializing with friends and "the action of the game" as their biggest reasons for watching. Far fewer cite hard hits and tackling or keeping up with their fantasy football team.
"Look, you got mothers worrying about kids," said former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis, now an analyst for Showtime's "Inside the NFL." "You worry about that. You got to think about it like this: I guarantee across the [country], in every state, there's these babies waking up every day. You know what their dream is? 'Man, I get to play football this Saturday. I get to go to football practice.' That passion they display is something we will never get by."
Emily Guskin contributed to this report. |
GREAT works of art such as Turner’s paintings, Mozart’s concertos or Rodin’s sculptures delight many. Others get their kicks elsewhere. According to the philosopher Betrand Russell, for example, “mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty”. Plato thought along similar lines—nothing without understanding could be more beautiful than with understanding—making maths matchless in his eyes.
A new study published in Frontiers of Human Neuroscience, authored by three academics from the University of London—Semir Zeki and John Paul Romaya from University College and Dionigi Benincasa from Imperial College—alongside Michael Atiyah from the University of Edinburgh, has found that the brain activity of mathematicians looking at equations correlates with the same area of the emotional brain which many previous studies (including those of the authors) have reported as active during the experience of beauty in other domains. In other words, formulae can thrill in the way that visual art and music do.
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Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) showed that maths and art excite the same cerebral area: field A1 of the medial orbito-frontal cortex. This in spite of the fact that mathematical beauty derives from intellectual sources whereas, for example, the tears induced by Manon Lescaut’s misery stem from experiencing the opera itself.
Thirteen male and three female mathematicians studying at postgraduate or postdoctoral level participated in the study, as did 12 other volunteers not so mired in maths. The more numerate were asked to rate 60 formulae on a scale from -5 (ugly) to +5 (beautiful) in a survey, allowing the creation of four groups of equations with equal numbers of low, medium and high-rated formulae. The mathematicians then viewed the groupings while having their brains scanned, and were asked to judge whether a formula appeared “ugly”, “neutral” or “beautiful” to them.
A few days after the scanning, participants reported their level of understanding for each formula on a scale from 0 (none) to 3 (profound). The whole process was then repeated for the participants not studying maths.
The first formula below, Leonhard Euler’s identity (which links five fundamental mathematical constants with three basic arithmetic operations, each occurring once) was most consistently rated as beautiful with an average score of 0.8667.
The second, Srinivasa Ramanujan’s infinite series for 1/π, was the least popular with an average score of -0.7333.
One of the most difficult problems involved deciphering beauty from understanding in the study. This was possible for the group of mathematicians, but tricky with the other participants as to separate comprehension from beauty altogether, a group entirely illiterate in maths would have needed to be assembled, actually “a very difficult task” according to Professor Zeki.
Of the 720 equations distributed across the 12 non-mathematicians, 89.6% rang no intellectual bells whatsoever. Nevertheless, less-well understood formulae led to more intense cerebral activity in visual areas.
Hubub in field A1 of mathematical brains suggests then that, neurobiologically, there is an abstract quality to beauty independent of culture and learning. But as other instances of cerebral activity could not be accounted for by understanding, another question arises from the study: could beauty, even in maths, point to what is true in nature?
Perhaps the mathematical formulations of Hermann Weyl, which tried to reconcile electromagnetism with relativity, are a case in point. Pooh-poohed by Einstein because they were thought to conflict with experimental evidence, the formulations were accepted only after re-interpretation in the light of quantum mechanics.
Weyl may prove a model for others wanting to explore the relationship between brains, beauty and the beyond. As he is reported to have said: “My work always tried to unite the true with the beautiful; but when I had to choose one or the other, I usually chose the beautiful.”
Which turned out to be true, anyway. |
John Kiriakou is the only CIA employee to go to prison in connection with the agency’s torture program. Not because he tortured anyone, but because he revealed information on torture to a reporter.
Kiriakou is the Central Intelligence Agency officer who told ABC News in 2007 that the CIA waterboarded suspected al-Qaeda prisoners after the September 11 attacks, namely Abu Zubaydah, thought to be a key al Qaeda official. Although he felt at the time that waterboarding probably saved lives, Kiriakou nevertheless came to view the practice as torture and later claimed he unwittingly understated how many times Zubaydah was subjected to waterboarding.
In January 2012, Kiriakou was charged by the Justice Department for allegedly and repeatedly disclosing classified information to journalists. The Justice Department accused Kiriakou of disclosing the identity of a CIA officer involved in Zubaydah’s capture to a freelance reporter. The reporter did not publicly reveal the official’s name, but his name did appear on a website in October 2012. Kiriakou also allegedly provided New York Times reporter Scott Shane information on CIA employee Deuce Martinez, who was involved in Zubaydah’s capture and interrogation.
After agreeing to a plea deal in October 2012, Kiriakou was sentenced in January 2013 to 30 months in prison. That sentence made him the second CIA employee ever to be locked up under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, which bars the release of the name of a covert agent; the first was Sharon Scranage, who in 1985 pled guilty to disclosing the identities of intelligence agents in Ghana after giving classified information to a Ghanaian, reportedly her lover.
Kiriakou is not without support from former colleagues. His friend and former boss, Bruce Riedel, sent a letter to President Obama, signed by other CIA officers, urging him to commute Kiriakou’s prison sentence. That did not happen.
A father of five children, Kiriakou says the CIA asked his wife to resign from her job at the agency immediately following his arrest, and he is in major debt from his legal fees.
Kiriakou is is scheduled for early transfer out of federal prison in Loretto, Pennsylvania on February 3. In a wide-ranging phone interview with The Intercept, Kiriakou, 50, shared his thoughts on the Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA interrogation techniques, on his incarceration, and on his future after prison.
You don’t have access to the internet in prison, so have you been able to see just one page of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report?
Well, my cousin ended up printing the entire thing and sent it to me. Yeah, he sent it to me in five different envelopes.
So was there anything in the report that surprised you? Did you feel even more despair at being the only CIA officer jailed since the program came into existence?
One thing that I think most everybody has missed is, we knew about the waterboarding, we knew about the cold cells, we knew about the loud music and the sleep deprivation. We knew about all the things that have been ‘approved’ by the Justice Department. But what we didn’t know was what individual CIA officers were doing on their own without any authorization. And I would like to know why those officers aren’t being prosecuted when clearly they’ve committed crimes and those crimes were well documented by both the CIA and the Senate Committee of Intelligence.
One thing that certainly was an eye opener, even to close observers of this program, was the brutal treatment of these prisoners. The tragic death of Gul Rahman, an Afghan, comes to mind.
Gul Rahman is probably the best example. The man was murdered in cold blood, so where’s the prosecution? You come home, you murder somebody in cold blood, you get a promotion and a $2,500 bonus. That is not the message we ought to be sending.
There have been some who have tried to exempt George W. Bush from any blame from the program. They claim that he knew about the specifics in 2006, as the report mentions. Do you agree with that assessment from those defending him?
That’s just simply not true. They knew about it all the way up to the top. I remember sitting at a meeting with one of the top three officials at the CIA when the program was approved. And throughout the conversation, he kept on saying, “I can’t believe the president signed off on that program. I can’t believe it.” He kept saying it. Because it was so radical and violent that even internally we didn’t think there would be permission forthcoming. And there was. And it got out of hand, and it was a slippery slope and the ball kept rolling down the hill. And the next thing you know, we’re killing people.
As a CIA agent for 18 years, what is your summary of this program from both an operating perspective and a moral one?
When I was in the counter terrorism center, an official came up to me and asked me if I wanted to be certified in the enhanced interrogation techniques. And I said, “Look, I have a moral problem with this. I think there’s a slippery slope, I think somebody is going to get killed. There’s going to be an investigation. And a bunch of people are going to go to prison, and I don’t want any part of it.” And ironically, I was the only one who went to prison.
After almost two decades of service, can you talk about the most stressful situation you have been in?
I came within a quarter of a mile of being killed. Twice, twice, I have survived assassination attempts. Once in the Middle East, I wrote about it in my book. And then in Greece. And in Greece, instead of killing me, they killed [British military attaché] Stephen Saunders because he was a quarter of a mile ahead of me [in June 2000]. And they said in their communiqué that they saw me in my car but they knew it was armored and that I was armed. And Stephen Saunders was just in his vehicle he shipped from London and he didn’t have a gun on him. And they killed him instead.
I’ve devoted my whole entire, adult life to the national security. And I’ll go to my grave knowing that I did the right thing.
Now that you have seen the report, did the “rectal hydration” shock you as another detail you didn’t know?
Sickening. I can’t imagine under any circumstances a justification for something like that. There are ways to hydrate prisoners, there are ways to provide nourishment for prisoners who are on hunger strikes. It’s not by shoving hummus up their asses. That’s not how you provide nutrition for somebody that’s in your custody. That was shocking to me.
Another startling detail was the $81 million dollars given to a company set up by two psychologists, James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen. Did you know anything about these two figures?
I remember those guys very well. They had two little offices in the back. The counter terrorism center is a very, very enormous office. It’s a cubicle farm. Everyone else is in a cubicle. But there are private offices around the edges, along the walls. And those guys just sort of showed up one day and got private offices. And yeah, we were like, who were these guys? They’re not even blue badgers, they’re not even staff employees. They’re green badgers, they’re contractors. And we were told, don’t ask questions about those guys.
Did the gruesome conditions at the Salt Pit and other torture sites surprise you?
I had no idea. That was a revelation. I actually took a tour of the new Bagram prison when I was with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Man, that was a nice place. It was great. In many ways, it’s better than what we have here [in Loretto]. But the fact of the matter is that we weren’t housing prisoners in that prison. We were housing them in a dungeon on the other side of the base that has been called a ‘salt pit.’ There were atrocities taking place at the ‘salt pit.’
That fancy prison that we spent millions and millions of tax payer dollars on is completely empty.
Editor’s note: The Bagram detention center was closed in December 2014. It remains unclear what the balance of prisoners was between that facility and the so-called “Salt Pit,” a CIA black site, when both were operational.
Jose Rodriguez, the former director of the CIA’S National Clandestine Service, apparently went against the wishes of his own agency’s lawyers over adequately screening potential interrogators. When they expressed concern over his selection process, he replied, ‘It is simply not your job.’ What are your thoughts on this?
He’s the worst of the worst. With Jose Rodriguez especially, here you have a guy who made the decision to make the tapes… He’s the one who ordered the tapes be made of CIA officers torturing first Abu Zubaydah and others after him. And then he gets promoted to deputy director for operations and he makes the decision to destroy the tapes after being specifically told by (then Senior Deputy General Counsel) John Rizzo don’t destroy the tapes. And he did it anyway. There’s no fallout or punishment. There’s no nothing.
Editor’s note: It’s been reported that the decision to tape the CIA interrogations “was made in the field.” The tapings began taking place roughly around the time Rodriguez became director of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center. Rodriguez said in a 60 Minutes interview, “The reason why we taped Abu Zubaydah was because….we wanted to show the world that we actually had nothing to do with his death.” It’s not clear if he personally decided to make the tapes.
After the House Intelligence Committee heard closed testimony from Rizzo, the committee’s senior Republican member, Peter Hoekstra, stated of Rodriguez, “it appears that he got direction to make sure the tapes were not destroyed.” At the time, Rodriguez’s lawyer disputed that account, saying that “nobody, to our knowledge, ever instructed him not to destroy the tapes.”
Advocates of the detention and interrogation program, like Dick Cheney, continue to publicly defend the CIA programs, and have labeled the torture report as a partisan witch hunt. He has also said they would still implement the program if they had to do everything all over again.
The reason why these guys are on TV all the time, aside from the fact that the corporate media allows them to be, is that torture is their legacy. When their obituaries are written, their obituaries are going to be about torture and their role in it. And they’re desperately trying to spin the story to make it seem like they were patriots and not criminals. It’s utterly nonpartisan. The Senate Committee on Intelligence used primary source information. They used the original CIA cables to come up with this report. Those cables are not partisan, those cables don’t tell one side of the story. The cables are the actual information written as it was happening. So to call it partisan is just simply untrue. It’s not partisan. What’s partisan is that a certain group of political leaders doesn’t want the organization, the agency, to take responsibility for their actions.
You told the RT network in 2013 that you would lose a lot of friends inside the CIA for your actions. Has that still been the case?
I was wrong in what I said to [RT host] Abby Martin. It turned out that the number of CIA friends who walked away from me, I can count on one hand. I’m going to say three dozen CIA officers have written to me here and almost all of them are regular correspondents. My former colleagues at the CIA have rallied for me. It’s been wonderful. Now a lot of them can’t use their names. Some of them are undercover, some of them just don’t want the heat. But they’ve been wonderful. I just have no complaints at all. And some of them are senior CIA officials.
How are your children doing? Do they have the main idea about the decisions you’ve made and what has happened to you as their father?
My two older boys are in college. One’s finishing his senior year at Ohio State and the other is at Cleveland State as a freshman. So they saw all of this, the whole process, and they understood what was happening. But even my little kids (as well). I have a ten-year-old boy, and eight year old girl and a three year old boy. The ten year old and eight year old have very hard felt opinions on things like the FBI and torture. They saw the FBI completely surrounding our house 24 hours a day just like I did. They aren’t blind. They saw the FBI come into the house and take all of our electronics. Had the FBI following us to Target, Applebees and to church.
So what does a former CIA agent do after getting out of prison and no longer being able to work for the agency?
As part of this conviction, I lost my pension. I had $770,000 saved in that pension. And it’s just gone. So, I’ve got to start rebuilding. And I still owe my lawyers almost a million dollars.
I have a temporary job when I get out, doing some business development work for a medical group. But it’s just a temporary position. What I’d like to do is go to a think tank. I like to write and speak and teach, and I think that’s the best fit for me. I got to take things slowly, get back on my feet again. But it’s been hard.
Photo: Cliff Owen/AP |
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Relationship wisdom and several pop songs frequently say trust is a key ingredient.
Trust is like a mirror. Trust is like a piece if paper. Trust is like a rubber. You get the picture - once broken, crumpled or worn down, it's probably not coming back.
Equally, misplaced suspicion isn't ideal. So, if you decide to test someone, then - your own neuroses aside - you're probably on shaky ground.
One star-crossed lover entered such shaky ground recently when, rather than just go through her boyfriend's phone like regular person, she hired porn star Valerie White to essentially honey-trap him.
As you've probably guessed, it did not end well.
The entire debacle was caught on To Catch a Cheater and documented how it unravelled, rather spectacularly.
Initially, the boyfriend had no interest in Valerie's charms, and did not respond to her flirtations. However, he did eventually politely offer to help her, as she seemed "lost".
Tenacious Valerie kept gunning for his phone number, and asked him if he had a girlfriend. The poor man admitted that he was seeing someone, and innocently suggested they could all get together and hang out.
(Image: Youtube/To catch a cheater)
Flustered by Valerie clearly insinuating she'd be up for a cheeky ménage à trois, the man left the scene after asking her why she was interested in him.
As for the girlfriend?
She admitted to "feeling crazy" and "mixed feelings" about her boyfriend giving the porn star his number and added how she hated her for pursuing her boyfriend.
She finally relents: ""Okay, okay. I'm not going to break up with him but I don't like that he got her number and said he would hang out."
(Image: Youtube/To catch a cheater)
But.... as soon as she told him about the set-up, it didn't end well. AT ALL.
Moments later, she's all smiles as she gives her man a call - but she hadn't counted on how he'd react.
Yep, he dumped her immediately for doubting him and questioning their trust so publicly.
He tells her he's done, hangs up on her, as she's left saying: "Are you f***ing kidding me? That's how he breaks up with me after a f***ing year?" |
ATHENS — Georgia star tailback Sony Michel is expected to be available for the Rose Bowl after undergoing an MRI for an injured knee.
“Everything looks good. A little bit of soreness,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Sunday. “He should be good to go.”
Michel left the SEC championship early in the second half after injurying his knee. He finished the game with 45 rushing yards on seven carries and 38 receiving yards on two catches. His 32-yard catch-and-run set up the go-ahead field goal in the second quarter.
The third-leading rusher in school history, Michel enters the playoff with 3,359 career rushing yards, trailing only teammate Nick Chubb and Herschel Walker.
Smart also said that senior Malkom Parrish missed the game with a “lower extremity injury.” There was no immediate word on his availability. |
The heat index (HI) or humiture is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity, in shaded areas, to posit a human-perceived equivalent temperature, as how hot it would feel if the humidity were some other value in the shade. The result is also known as the "felt air temperature", "apparent temperature", "real feel" or "feels like". For example, when the temperature is 32 °C (90 °F) with 70% relative humidity, the heat index is 41 °C (106 °F). This heat index temperature has an implied (unstated) humidity of 20%. This is the value of relative humidity for which the heat index number equals the actual air temperature.
The human body normally cools itself by perspiration, or sweating. Heat is removed from the body by evaporation of that sweat. However, high relative humidity reduces the evaporation rate. This results in a lower rate of heat removal from the body, hence the sensation of being overheated. This effect is subjective, with different individuals perceiving heat differently for various reasons (such as differences in body shape, metabolic differences, differences in hydration, pregnancy, menopause, effects of drugs and/or drug withdrawal); its measurement has been based on subjective descriptions of how hot subjects feel for a given temperature and humidity. This results in a heat index that relates one combination of temperature and humidity to another.
Because the humidity index is based on temperatures in the shade, while people often move across sunny areas, then the heat index can give a much lower temperature than actual conditions of typical outdoor activities. Also, for people exercising or active, at the time, then the heat index could give a temperature lower than the felt conditions. For example, with a temperature in the shade of only 28 °C (82 °F) at 60% relative humidity, then the heat index would seem 29 °C (84 °F), but movement across sunny areas of 39 °C (102 °F), would give a heat index of over 58 °C (136 °F), as more indicative of the oppressive and sweltering heat. Plus when actively working, or not wearing a hat in sunny areas, then the feels-like conditions would seem even hotter. Hence, the heat index could seem unrealistically low, unless resting inactive (idle) in heavily shaded areas.
History [ edit ]
The heat index was developed in 1978 by George Winterling as the "humiture" and was adopted by the US's National Weather Service a year later.[1] It is derived from work carried out by Robert G. Steadman.[2][3] Like the wind chill index, the heat index contains assumptions about the human body mass and height, clothing, amount of physical activity, thickness of blood, sunlight and ultraviolet radiation exposure, and the wind speed. Significant deviations from these will result in heat index values which do not accurately reflect the perceived temperature.[4]
In Canada, the similar humidex (a Canadian innovation introduced in 1965)[5] is used in place of the heat index. While both the humidex and the heat index are calculated using dew point, the humidex uses a dew point of 7 °C (45 °F) as a base, whereas the heat index uses a dew point base of 14 °C (57 °F). Further, the heat index uses heat balance equations which account for many variables other than vapor pressure, which is used exclusively in the humidex calculation. A joint committee[who?] formed by the United States and Canada to resolve differences has since been disbanded.[citation needed]
The heat index is referenced to any combination of air temperature and humidity where the partial pressure of water vapor is equal to a baseline value of 1.6 kilopascals [kPa] (0.23 psi). For example, this corresponds to an air temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) and relative humidity of 50% in the sea-level psychrometric chart. At standard atmospheric pressure (101.325 kPa), this baseline also corresponds to a dew point of 14 °C (57 °F) and a mixing ratio of 0.01 (10 g of water vapor per kilogram of dry air).[2]
A given value of relative humidity causes larger increases in the heat index at higher temperatures. For example, at approximately 27 °C (81 °F), the heat index will agree with the actual temperature if the relative humidity is 45%, but at 43 °C (109 °F), any relative-humidity reading above 18% will make the heat index higher than 43 °C.
It has been suggested that the equation described is valid only if the temperature is 27 °C (81 °F) or more, and the relative humidity is 40% or more.[6] However, a recent analysis by iWeatherNet found the assumption to be erroneous given that the heat index/relative humidity relationship and the corresponding equilibrium temperature (the point at which the air temperature and the heat index are equal) are nonlinear. The heat index and humidex figures are based on temperature measurements taken in the shade and not the sun, so extra care must be taken while in the sun. The heat index also does not factor in the effects of wind, which lowers the apparent temperature, unless the air is above body temperature.
Sometimes the heat index and the wind chill are denoted collectively by the single term apparent temperature, "relative outdoor temperature", or "feels like".
Meteorological considerations [ edit ]
Outdoors in open conditions, as the relative humidity increases, first haze and ultimately a thicker cloud cover develops, reducing the amount of direct sunlight reaching the surface. Thus, there is an inverse relationship between maximum potential temperature and maximum potential relative humidity. Because of this factor, it was once believed that the highest heat index reading actually attainable anywhere on Earth was approximately 71 °C (160 °F). However, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on July 8, 2003, the dew point was 35 °C (95 °F) while the temperature was 42 °C (108 °F), resulting in a heat index of 78 °C (172 °F).[7]
Table of values [ edit ]
The table below is from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The columns begin at 80 °F (27 °C), but there is also a heat index effect at 79 °F (26 °C) and similar temperatures when there is high humidity.
NOAA national weather service: heat index Tempera-
ture Relative
humidity 80 °F (27 °C) 82 °F (28 °C) 84 °F (29 °C) 86 °F (30 °C) 88 °F (31 °C) 90 °F (32 °C) 92 °F (33 °C) 94 °F (34 °C) 96 °F (36 °C) 98 °F (37 °C) 100 °F (38 °C) 102 °F (39 °C) 104 °F (40 °C) 106 °F (41 °C) 108 °F (42 °C) 110 °F (43 °C) 40% 80 °F (27 °C) 81 °F (27 °C) 83 °F (28 °C) 85 °F (29 °C) 88 °F (31 °C) 91 °F (33 °C) 94 °F (34 °C) 97 °F (36 °C) 101 °F (38 °C) 105 °F (41 °C) 109 °F (43 °C) 114 °F (46 °C) 119 °F (48 °C) 124 °F (51 °C) 130 °F (54 °C) 136 °F (58 °C) 45% 80 °F (27 °C) 82 °F (28 °C) 84 °F (29 °C) 87 °F (31 °C) 89 °F (32 °C) 93 °F (34 °C) 96 °F (36 °C) 100 °F (38 °C) 104 °F (40 °C) 109 °F (43 °C) 114 °F (46 °C) 119 °F (48 °C) 124 °F (51 °C) 130 °F (54 °C) 137 °F (58 °C) 50% 81 °F (27 °C) 83 °F (28 °C) 85 °F (29 °C) 88 °F (31 °C) 91 °F (33 °C) 95 °F (35 °C) 99 °F (37 °C) 103 °F (39 °C) 108 °F (42 °C) 113 °F (45 °C) 118 °F (48 °C) 124 °F (51 °C) 131 °F (55 °C) 137 °F (58 °C) 55% 81 °F (27 °C) 84 °F (29 °C) 86 °F (30 °C) 89 °F (32 °C) 93 °F (34 °C) 97 °F (36 °C) 101 °F (38 °C) 106 °F (41 °C) 112 °F (44 °C) 117 °F (47 °C) 124 °F (51 °C) 130 °F (54 °C) 137 °F (58 °C) 60% 82 °F (28 °C) 84 °F (29 °C) 88 °F (31 °C) 91 °F (33 °C) 95 °F (35 °C) 100 °F (38 °C) 105 °F (41 °C) 110 °F (43 °C) 116 °F (47 °C) 123 °F (51 °C) 129 °F (54 °C) 137 °F (58 °C) 65% 82 °F (28 °C) 85 °F (29 °C) 89 °F (32 °C) 93 °F (34 °C) 98 °F (37 °C) 103 °F (39 °C) 108 °F (42 °C) 114 °F (46 °C) 121 °F (49 °C) 128 °F (53 °C) 136 °F (58 °C) 70% 83 °F (28 °C) 86 °F (30 °C) 90 °F (32 °C) 95 °F (35 °C) 100 °F (38 °C) 105 °F (41 °C) 112 °F (44 °C) 119 °F (48 °C) 126 °F (52 °C) 134 °F (57 °C) 75% 84 °F (29 °C) 88 °F (31 °C) 92 °F (33 °C) 97 °F (36 °C) 103 °F (39 °C) 109 °F (43 °C) 116 °F (47 °C) 124 °F (51 °C) 132 °F (56 °C) 80% 84 °F (29 °C) 89 °F (32 °C) 94 °F (34 °C) 100 °F (38 °C) 106 °F (41 °C) 113 °F (45 °C) 121 °F (49 °C) 129 °F (54 °C) 85% 85 °F (29 °C) 90 °F (32 °C) 96 °F (36 °C) 102 °F (39 °C) 110 °F (43 °C) 117 °F (47 °C) 126 °F (52 °C) 135 °F (57 °C) 90% 86 °F (30 °C) 91 °F (33 °C) 98 °F (37 °C) 105 °F (41 °C) 113 °F (45 °C) 122 °F (50 °C) 131 °F (55 °C) 95% 86 °F (30 °C) 93 °F (34 °C) 100 °F (38 °C) 108 °F (42 °C) 117 °F (47 °C) 127 °F (53 °C) 100% 87 °F (31 °C) 95 °F (35 °C) 103 °F (39 °C) 112 °F (44 °C) 121 °F (49 °C) 132 °F (56 °C)
Key to colors: Caution Extreme caution Danger Extreme danger
For example, if the air temperature is 96 °F (36 °C) and the relative humidity is 65%, the heat index is 121 °F / 49 °C.
Effects of the heat index (shade values) [ edit ]
Exposure to full sunshine can increase heat index values by up to 8 °C (14 °F).[8]
Formula [ edit ]
There are many formulae devised to approximate the original tables by Steadman. Anderson et al (2013)[9], NWS (2011), Jonson and Long (2004), and Schoen (2005) have lesser residuals in this order. The former two are a set of polynomials, but the third one is by a single formula with exponential functions.
The formula below approximates the heat index in degrees Fahrenheit, to within ±1.3 °F (0.7 °C). It is the result of a multivariate fit (temperature equal to or greater than 80 °F (27 °C) and relative humidity equal to or greater than 40%) to a model of the human body.[2][10] This equation reproduces the above NOAA National Weather Service table (except the values at 90 °F (32 °C) & 45%/70% relative humidity vary unrounded by less than ±1, respectively).
H I = c 1 + c 2 T + c 3 R + c 4 T R + c 5 T 2 + c 6 R 2 + c 7 T 2 R + c 8 T R 2 + c 9 T 2 R 2 {\displaystyle \mathrm {HI} =c_{1}+c_{2}T+c_{3}R+c_{4}TR+c_{5}T^{2}+c_{6}R^{2}+c_{7}T^{2}R+c_{8}TR^{2}+c_{9}T^{2}R^{2}}
where
HI = heat index (in degrees Fahrenheit) T = ambient dry-bulb temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) R = relative humidity (percentage value between 0 and 100) c 1 = − 42.379 , c 2 = 2.049 015 23 , c 3 = 10.143 331 27 , c 4 = − 0.224 755 41 , c 5 = − 6.837 83 × 10 − 3 , c 6 = − 5.481 717 × 10 − 2 , c 7 = 1.228 74 × 10 − 3 , c 8 = 8.5282 × 10 − 4 , c 9 = − 1.99 × 10 − 6 . {\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}c_{1}&=-42.379,&c_{2}&=2.049\,015\,23,&c_{3}&=10.143\,331\,27,\\c_{4}&=-0.224\,755\,41,&c_{5}&=-6.837\,83\times 10^{-3},&c_{6}&=-5.481\,717\times 10^{-2},\\c_{7}&=1.228\,74\times 10^{-3},&c_{8}&=8.5282\times 10^{-4},&c_{9}&=-1.99\times 10^{-6}.\end{aligned}}}
The following coefficients can be used to determine the heat index when the temperature is given in degrees Celsius, where
HI = heat index (in degrees Celsius) T = ambient dry-bulb temperature (in degrees Celsius) R = relative humidity (percentage value between 0 and 100)
c 1 = −8.78469475556
= −8.78469475556 c 2 = 1.61139411
= 1.61139411 c 3 = 2.33854883889
= 2.33854883889 c 4 = -0.14611605
= -0.14611605 c 5 = -0.012308094
= -0.012308094 c 6 = -0.0164248277778
= -0.0164248277778 c 7 = 0.002211732
= 0.002211732 c 8 = 0.00072546
= 0.00072546 c 9 = -0.000003582
An alternative set of constants for this equation that is within ±3 °F (1.7 °C) of the NWS master table for all humidities from 0 to 80% and all temperatures between 70 and 115 °F (21–46 °C) and all heat indices below 150 °F (66 °C) is:
c 1 = 0.363 445 176 , c 2 = 0.988 622 465 , c 3 = 4.777 114 035 , c 4 = − 0.114 037 667 , c 5 = − 8.502 08 × 10 − 4 , c 6 = − 2.071 6198 × 10 − 2 , c 7 = 6.876 78 × 10 − 4 , c 8 = 2.749 54 × 10 − 4 , c 9 = 0. {\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}c_{1}&=0.363\,445\,176,&c_{2}&=0.988\,622\,465,&c_{3}&=4.777\,114\,035,\\c_{4}&=-0.114\,037\,667,&c_{5}&=-8.502\,08\times 10^{-4},&c_{6}&=-2.071\,6198\times 10^{-2},\\c_{7}&=6.876\,78\times 10^{-4},&c_{8}&=2.749\,54\times 10^{-4},&c_{9}&=0.\end{aligned}}}
A further alternate is this:[11]
H I = c 1 + c 2 T + c 3 R + c 4 T R + c 5 T 2 + c 6 R 2 + c 7 T 2 R + c 8 T R 2 + c 9 T 2 R 2 + + c 10 T 3 + c 11 R 3 + c 12 T 3 R + c 13 T R 3 + c 14 T 3 R 2 + c 15 T 2 R 3 + c 16 T 3 R 3 {\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}\mathrm {HI} &=c_{1}+c_{2}T+c_{3}R+c_{4}TR+c_{5}T^{2}+c_{6}R^{2}+c_{7}T^{2}R+c_{8}TR^{2}+c_{9}T^{2}R^{2}+\\&\quad {}+c_{10}T^{3}+c_{11}R^{3}+c_{12}T^{3}R+c_{13}TR^{3}+c_{14}T^{3}R^{2}+c_{15}T^{2}R^{3}+c_{16}T^{3}R^{3}\end{aligned}}}
where
c 1 = 16.923 , c 2 = 0.185 212 , c 3 = 5.379 41 , c 4 = − 0.100 254 , c 5 = 9.416 95 × 10 − 3 , c 6 = 7.288 98 × 10 − 3 , c 7 = 3.453 72 × 10 − 4 , c 8 = − 8.149 71 × 10 − 4 , c 9 = 1.021 02 × 10 − 5 , c 10 = − 3.8646 × 10 − 5 , c 11 = 2.915 83 × 10 − 5 , c 12 = 1.427 21 × 10 − 6 , c 13 = 1.974 83 × 10 − 7 , c 14 = − 2.184 29 × 10 − 8 , c 15 = 8.432 96 × 10 − 10 , c 16 = − 4.819 75 × 10 − 11 . {\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}c_{1}&=16.923,&c_{2}&=0.185\,212,&c_{3}&=5.379\,41,&c_{4}&=-0.100\,254,\\c_{5}&=9.416\,95\times 10^{-3},&c_{6}&=7.288\,98\times 10^{-3},&c_{7}&=3.453\,72\times 10^{-4},&c_{8}&=-8.149\,71\times 10^{-4},\\c_{9}&=1.021\,02\times 10^{-5},&c_{10}&=-3.8646\times 10^{-5},&c_{11}&=2.915\,83\times 10^{-5},&c_{12}&=1.427\,21\times 10^{-6},\\c_{13}&=1.974\,83\times 10^{-7},&c_{14}&=-2.184\,29\times 10^{-8},&c_{15}&=8.432\,96\times 10^{-10},&c_{16}&=-4.819\,75\times 10^{-11}.\end{aligned}}}
For example, using this last formula, with temperature 90 °F (32 °C) and relative humidity (RH) of 85%, the result would be: Heat index for 90 °F, RH 85% = 114.9.
See also [ edit ] |
Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
For five seasons, Brandon Roy dazzled and awed Portland Trail Blazers fans with his late-game heroics that turned him into a bona fide NBA superstar.
Now it looks like one of the once-promising rising stars will see his career come to an unfortunate end.
On Friday, the Minnesota Timberwolves waived Roy after one season. The former three-time All-Star played just five games for the Timberwolves, missing significant time due to severe knee injuries that forced the Blazers to amnesty him before the 2011-12 season.
Roy may not have helped the Blazers to a playoff series victory. You won't see his name among the all-time statistical leaders in franchise history. But the memories he provided fans have become legendary for those who witnessed his time in Portland.
Roy, who was the 2007 Rookie of the Year, meant much more to Blazers fans than simply as a player.
The Seattle native and University of Washington product represented the transition from the forgettable Jail Blazer era during the mid-2000s to a revival of Rip City. Roy's clutch plays to finish ballgames became a norm at the Rose Garden. With the ball in his hands, you were confident in his ability to do the right thing and will the Blazers to victory.
In 2009, the Blazers at last made the playoffs in Roy's third season for the first time since 2003.
Roy had the best season of his career, finishing ninth in the NBA MVP voting, was voted an NBA All-Star for the second time and was named to the All-NBA second team—the first Blazer to make an All-NBA team since Clyde Drexler in 1992.
With a core of Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and former No. 1 pick Greg Oden, the question was not if Portland was going to win an NBA championship, but when and how many?
The Blazers went 54-28 in 2008-09 with Roy, Aldridge and Oden in their early 20s. They were considered the future of the NBA—what the Oklahoma City Thunder have become today.
While Oden received much of the fanfare as a potential once-in-a-generation center, the Blazers were unquestionably Roy's team. He was their go-to guy down the stretch.
He provided highlight after highlight, including a miracle three-pointer from deep to down the Houston Rockets on Nov. 6, 2008.
Roy holds the Rose Garden record for most points in a game with 52 on Dec. 18, 2008 in a nationally televised game against the Phoenix Suns. TNT analyst Mike Fratello said during the telecast that Roy took "his game to new level" that night as fans serenaded him with "MVP" chants late in the game.
"This is the best game I've played," Roy told The Oregonian. "I've never scored (that many), even in little league."
Let's also not forget the biggest dunk by far of his career when he posterized the Los Angeles Clippers' Chiekh Samb at Staples Center.
Fans were ready to hoist Roy's No. 7 jersey up in the rafters. He was on his way to displacing Drexler and Bill Walton as the best player to ever wear a Blazer uniform.
Entering the 2010-11 season, however, it was apparent after countless knee surgeries that Roy was not going to be the same player. His degenerative knees that had no cartilage had a huge impact on his game, which suddenly was missing the explosiveness and athleticism that made him such a special player.
He started the final game of his career in a Blazer uniform on Dec. 15, 2010 where he totaled four points, two rebounds and five assists in a 103-98 loss to Dallas.
He did not return to the lineup until Feb. 23, 2011, where he turned into a permanent reserve. His final lasting memory among Blazers fans became a truly remarkable performance in Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs.
He helped engineer a 23-point second-half rally by scoring a game-high 24 points in one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history. The Blazers won, 84-82.
Portland eventually lost the series 4-2 to the Mavs, who went on to win the NBA title. But that Game 4 was etched into the minds of Blazers fans as one of the most memorable in franchise history. It seemed fitting that Roy would give one last Roy-like performance to remind the home crowd of the player he was.
Portland decided to amnesty him in the ensuing offseason just one year into a five-year, $82 million contract, which led to his unexpected retirement (h/t Joe Freeman of The Oregonian). It was a big blow to not only Portland, but around the NBA as players reacted on Twitter at the time.
Then-Blazers coach Nate McMillan said it was a tough time to release a player who had been the face of the franchise's turnaround (via Jason Quick of The Oregonian):
The Closer has closed. He was a guy who in the last few years was one of the best closers in the league. When Brandon had the ball in his hands late in ball games, I was really comfortable. You knew something good was going to happen. He was either going to create a shot for himself, or a shot for his teammate. He had some big moments in a short career.
Roy had two opportunities to make his comeback to the RG this past season as a member of the Wolves, but his knees forced him to sit both times. He addressed his return to Portland in March when Minnesota visited and said, "It would have been special for me to come back and play here in this building."
After the Blazers used their amnesty clause, they left the door open for Roy to return in some way down the road should he desire to come back.
His nickname was "The Natural," given to him by radio play-by-play announcer Brian Wheeler. No nickname better suited his game. If healthy, Roy would just be entering his prime today at 28 years old.
His departure from Portland not only was a punch to the gut to fans, but Roy admitted it was difficult for himself (h/t Jason Quick of The Oregonian).
You can walk away from someone who doesn't love you. And you can walk away from someone you don't love. But when the love is mutual, the hardest thing is to walk away.
It's a shame to see a career likely end too early, but Blazers fans who saw Roy play from 2006 to 2011 will no doubt look back on the memories and say, "I was definitely privileged to have witnessed Brandon Roy play." |
The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled goaltender Casey DeSmith from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford.
DeSmith, 26, is joining an NHL roster for the first time in his career. He has made three starts for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season, posting a 3-0 record to accompany his 0.98 goals-against average, .965 save percentage and one shutout. DeSmith ranks second in the AHL in goal-against average and third in save percentage.
Last season, the 6-foot, 181-pound netminder was selected to the AHL's All-Rookie Team after going 21-5-3 with a 2.01 goals-against average and .926 save percentage in 29 games. His goals-against average led the entire AHL.
The WBS Penguins not only posted the best regular-season record in the AHL last year, but DeSmith and goaltending partner Tristan Jarry combined to record the lowest goals-against average in the league, earning the duo the Harry "Hap" Holmes Award.
DeSmith, a native of Rochester, New Hampshire, is in his third professional season. Thus far he has amassed an overall AHL regular-season record of 26-7-3 with a 1.92 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and two shutouts. He has a 7-7 career playoff record in 14 postseason starts for WBS.
DeSmith originally broke into the professional ranks with the Wheeling Nailers in 2015-16, and played the last two seasons on minor-league deals. He signed his first NHL contract on July 1, 2017.
Prior to signing with Wheeling, DeSmith spent three seasons playing collegiately at New Hamphire, where he was 48-36-8 with a 2.32 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and nine shutouts. As a freshman, he was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, and he was a Hockey East Honorable Mention All-Star selection as a sophomore. |
Claims by the Thai military junta that it is monitoring the popular chat app LINE for content deemed insulting towards the monarchy have been refuted by South Korea-based parent company Naver.
The Thai Minister for Information and Communication Technology (MICT) Pornchai Rujiprap stated on Monday that the authorities can “monitor all the nearly 40 million LINE messages sent by people in Thailand each day.” LINE has at least 24 million registered users in Thailand, according to the company’s latest figures in August – while Pornchai estimated the number to be at 33 million users, based on his own claims.
He continued:
“We can see what type of messages are being forwarded,” Pornchai told reporters, “We focus especially on those that are libelous, anti-monarchy, or threatening national security.” (…) “The suspects cannot claim that they were not aware of the consequences of their actions, because the law regards them as conspirators in the crimes,” Pornchai said, “Therefore, if you receive [anti-monarchy] messages, you should not forward them.” The Minister also vowed to seek IP addresses and other information about anti-monarchy websites from foreign companies that host their servers, though he admitted that the process could take a long time. “It could take a long while because there needs to be a negotiation. Some countries have cultures that are different to Thai,” Pornchai explained. “ICT Pledges To Sniff Out Anti-Monarchy Chat Messages“, Khaosod English, December 23, 2014
The South Korean parent company of LINE has been quick to dismiss the junta’s claims:
“No monitoring by the Thailand government has been conducted,” Nam Ji Woong, a spokesman for South Korea-based Naver Corp., which owns Line Corp., said by e-mail today. “Line considers consumers’ privacy as a top priority.” “Line Application Denies Reports Thailand Is Monitoring Messages“, Bloomberg News, December 23, 2014
The draconian lèse majesté law criminalizes perceived criticism of Thailand’s monarchy and carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail. Charges based on this law, where every citizen can file a complaint against anyone and police are obliged to investigate every one of them, have seen a rampant rise in recent years and even more so since the military coup of May 22, 2014. According to the Thai legal watchdog ilaw at least 22 people have been arrested on lèse majesté charges since the coup and also on the equally draconian yet vague worded Computer Crimes Act, which also penalizes digital content deemed a threat to national security.
The military junta – more than ever the self-proclaimed protector of the Thai monarchy and intolerant of dissent and criticism – has also imposed widespread media censorship and set up its own media watchdogs. Not only has the junta reactivated the ‘cyber-scout’ program, which recruits volunteer students to monitor the Internet, it even considered launching its own national social network, and it has also reportedly implemented the technical capabilities for widespread online surveillance.
This is not the first time that LINE and its Thai users have been targeted by Thai authorities. Last year, an overzealous Police Maj.-Gen. Pisit Pao-in of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) of the Royal Thai Police has also sought access to user information and chat logs of the messaging app and was even considering criminalizing Facebook users for ‘liking’ what he thinks is “unlawful” content. Ultimately he was unsuccessful – so much so that even the hawkish then-ICT minister Anudith Nakorn-thap chided him for his overeagerness.
The biggest irony of the junta’s boisterous claims that it is able to monitor LINE (that is unless the parent company is cooperating after all or the junta has found another way) is that it was made at the same event when the military junta was presenting series of LINE ‘stickers’ representing the junta’s proclaimed and much touted “12 core values” (more on that in a future Siam Voices post), aimed at instilling what they think makes a “good Thai” like showing respect to superiors, resisting the temptation of “religious sins”, upholding “Thai customs and traditions”, and sacrificing oneself for the good of the country.
In their continuous, widespread media campaign – including commissioning propaganda short movies (one of which gained infamy for a brief, but bizarre Hitler scene) – the military government hopes (after it has spend 7 million baht or almost $213,000 on them) that LINE users will promote these “12 core values” by sending the stickers to each other – if only the junta can find a way to make sure that actually happens…
UPDATE [Dec 24]: ICT Minister Pornchai Rujiprapa has practically backtracked his boisterous claims:
He said it was merely a misunderstanding that the MICT can monitor ‘Line’ and that it is much easier to find evidences lese majeste and others cases via Facebook and websites which the IP address can be tracked. If he ministry need information on Line, it will have to cooperate with its headquarter. “I merely said don’t send the [lese majeste] messages via Line because the police can make arrests when people file complaints with the messages as evidences. Not that the MICT was monitoring the chat traffic on Line. And warn people to be careful not to share the [lese majeste] messages because it is illegal according to 2007 Computer Crime Act.” Prachatai quoted Pornchai as saying. “Thai authorities say no surveillance on popular chat app“, Prachatai English, December 24, 2014
The Thai office of LINE has also emphasized that there’s no surveillance and the Thai authorities need a court order to do so.
And in somewhat related news and ironic timing, LINE Thailand has a job opening for a “Content Editor and Monitoring”…
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About the author:
Saksith Saiyasombut blogs extensively about Thai politics and current affairs since 2010 and works as an international freelance broadcast journalist. Read his full bio on about.me/saksith. |
Although Joseph Conrad (December 3, 1857–August 3, 1924) remains best-known for penning the high school English curriculum staple Heart of Darkness in 1899, much of his writing bears a profound philosophical quality, exploring the depths of psychology, morality, the creative impulse, and other pillars of existence. From the preface to his era-appropriately inappropriately titled 1897 novella The Nigger of the ‘Narcissus’: A Tale of the Sea (public library; public domain) comes a beautiful and poignant addition to history’s greatest definitions of art and a fine complement to last week’s illustrated insights on art by Susan Sontag.
Conrad writes:
A work that aspires, however humbly, to the condition of art should carry its justification in every line. And art itself may be defined as a single-minded attempt to render the highest kind of justice to the visible universe, by bringing to light the truth, manifold and one, underlying its every aspect. It is an attempt to find in its forms, in its colors, in its light, in its shadows, in the aspects of matter and in the facts of life what of each is fundamental, what is enduring and essential — their one illuminating and convincing quality–the very truth of their existence. The artist, then, like the thinker or the scientist, seeks the truth and makes his appeal. Impressed by the aspect of the world the thinker plunges into ideas, the scientist into facts — whence, presently, emerging they make their appeal to those qualities of our being that fit us best for the hazardous enterprise of living. They speak authoritatively to our common-sense, to our intelligence, to our desire of peace or to our desire of unrest; not seldom to our prejudices, sometimes to our fears, often to our egoism — but always to our credulity. And their words are heard with reverence, for their concern is with weighty matters: with the cultivation of our minds and the proper care of our bodies, with the attainment of our ambitions, with the perfection of the means and the glorification of our precious aims. It is otherwise with the artist. Confronted by the same enigmatical spectacle the artist descends within himself, and in that lonely region of stress and strife, if he be deserving and fortunate, he finds the terms of his appeal. His appeal is made to our less obvious capacities: to that part of our nature which, because of the warlike conditions of existence, is necessarily kept out of sight within the more resisting and hard qualities — like the vulnerable body within a steel armor. His appeal is less loud, more profound, less distinct, more stirring — and sooner forgotten. Yet its effect endures forever. The changing wisdom of successive generations discards ideas, questions facts, demolishes theories. But the artist appeals to that part of our being which is not dependent on wisdom; to that in us which is a gift and not an acquisition — and, therefore, more permanently enduring. He speaks to our capacity for delight and wonder, to the sense of mystery surrounding our lives; to our sense of pity, and beauty, and pain; to the latent feeling of fellowship with all creation — and to the subtle but invincible conviction of solidarity that knits together the loneliness of innumerable hearts, to the solidarity in dreams, in joy, in sorrow, in aspirations, in illusions, in hope, in fear, which binds men to each other, which binds together all humanity — the dead to the living and the living to the unborn.
In essence, Conrad’s description falls somewhere between Henry Miller’s conception of the artist and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s conception of the scientist. Conrad proceeds to offer an insightful addition to other famous meditations on truth vs. fiction, extolling music — like Susan Sontag did — as the highest of the arts:
Fiction — if it at all aspires to be art — appeals to temperament. And in truth it must be, like painting, like music, like all art, the appeal of one temperament to all the other innumerable temperaments whose subtle and resistless power endows passing events with their true meaning, and creates the moral, the emotional atmosphere of the place and time. Such an appeal to be effective must be an impression conveyed through the senses; and, in fact, it cannot be made in any other way, because temperament, whether individual or collective, is not amenable to persuasion. All art, therefore, appeals primarily to the senses, and the artistic aim when expressing itself in written words must also make its appeal through the senses, if its high desire is to reach the secret spring of responsive emotions. It must strenuously aspire to the plasticity of sculpture, to the color of painting, and to the magic suggestiveness of music — which is the art of arts. And it is only through complete, unswerving devotion to the perfect blending of form and substance; it is only through an unremitting never-discouraged care for the shape and ring of sentences that an approach can be made to plasticity, to color, and that the light of magic suggestiveness may be brought to play for an evanescent instant over the commonplace surface of words: of the old, old words, worn thin, defaced by ages of careless usage. The sincere endeavor to accomplish that creative task, to go as far on that road as his strength will carry him, to go undeterred by faltering, weariness or reproach, is the only valid justification for the worker in prose. And if his conscience is clear, his answer to those who in the fullness of a wisdom which looks for immediate profit, demand specifically to be edified, consoled, amused; who demand to be promptly improved, or encouraged, or frightened, or shocked, or charmed, must run thus: — My task which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word to make you hear, to make you feel — it is, before all, to make you see. That — and no more, and it is everything. If I succeed, you shall find there according to your deserts: encouragement, consolation, fear, charm — all you demand — and, perhaps, also that glimpse of truth for which you have forgotten to ask.
Conrad speaks to the sincerity and solidarity that bind great art and its audience:
To snatch in a moment of courage, from the remorseless rush of time, a passing phase of life, is only the beginning of the task. The task approached in tenderness and faith is to hold up unquestioningly, without choice and without fear, the rescued fragment before all eyes in the light of a sincere mood. It is to show its vibration, its color, its form; and through its movement, its form, and its color, reveal the substance of its truth — disclose its inspiring secret: the stress and passion within the core of each convincing moment. In a single-minded attempt of that kind, if one be deserving and fortunate, one may perchance attain to such clearness of sincerity that at last the presented vision of regret or pity, of terror or birth, shall awaken in the hearts of the beholders that feeling of unavoidable solidarity; of the solidarity in mysterious origin, in toil, in joy, in hope, in uncertain fate, which binds men to each other and all mankind to the visible world.
Conrad concludes with a beautiful metaphor that captures the essence of art as both construct and context:
Sometimes, stretched at ease in the shade of a roadside tree, we watch the motions of a labourer in a distant field, and after a time, begin to wonder languidly as to what the fellow may be at. We watch the movements of his body, the waving of his arms, we see him bend down, stand up, hesitate, begin again. It may add to the charm of an idle hour to be told the purpose of his exertions. If we know he is trying to lift a stone, to dig a ditch, to uproot a stump, we look with a more real interest at his efforts; we are disposed to condone the jar of his agitation upon the restfulness of the landscape; and even, if in a brotherly frame of mind, we may bring ourselves to forgive his failure. We understood his object, and, after all, the fellow has tried, and perhaps he had not the strength — and perhaps he had not the knowledge. We forgive, go on our way — and forget. And so it is with the workman of art. Art is long and life is short, and success is very far off. And thus, doubtful of strength to travel so far, we talk a little about the aim — the aim of art, which, like life itself, is inspiring, difficult — obscured by mists. It is not in the clear logic of a triumphant conclusion; it is not in the unveiling of one of those heartless secrets which are called the Laws of Nature. It is not less great, but only more difficult. To arrest, for the space of a breath, the hands busy about the work of the earth, and compel men entranced by the sight of distant goals to glance for a moment at the surrounding vision of form and color, of sunshine and shadows; to make them pause for a look, for a sigh, for a smile — such is the aim, difficult and evanescent, and reserved only for a few to achieve. But sometimes, by the deserving and the fortunate, even that task is accomplished. And when it is accomplished — behold! — all the truth of life is there: a moment of vision, a sigh, a smile — and the return to an eternal rest.
The Nigger of the ‘Narcissus’ is available as a free digital download in multiple formats from Project Gutenberg. |
Thailand's prime minister has begged protesters to call off their sustained anti-government demonstrations and negotiate an end to the nation's latest crisis. But the protesters marched instead to new targets, including the national police headquarters, where they cut power lines.
Yingluck Shinawatra issued the plea after she easily defeated a no-confidence vote pushed by her opponents, who are heavily outnumbered in parliament but have taken to the streets in droves to demand not only her removal but changes that would make the country less democratic.
They say they want to uproot the political machine of the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck's brother, who was ousted by a military coup in 2006 for alleged corruption and abuse of power. The protesters accuse Yingluck of being a puppet of her billionaire brother.
"Please call off the protests for the country's peace," said Yingluck, who is facing the biggest challenge to her rule since taking office in 2011. "I'm begging you … because this doesn't make the situation any better."
Suthep Thaugsuban, who resigned as an opposition Democrat party lawmaker to lead the protests, has insisted he will not negotiate.
The demonstrators, most of them sympathetic to the Democrat party, have taken over or surrounded several ministry buildings, which Yingluck said had failed to shut down the government but created the potential for violence.
The police spokesman Piya Uthayo said a total of about 15,000 protesters were grouped at about six locations in and around Bangkok on Thursday.
Yingluck has been reluctant to use force to evict the protesters for fear of escalating the conflict and sparking bloodshed, which would harm investor confidence and the lucrative tourism industry.
"The fact that the government has followed peaceful means does not mean the government cannot administer the country or cannot enforce the law to provide order," she said in a televised speech.
Hordes of demonstrators marched to the police headquarters in the centre of Bangkok where they cut the electrical lines to the compound. Helmeted riot police with shields remained holed up inside, but did nothing to stop them.
The police headquarters is just down the street from the site of pro-Thaksin demonstrations in 2010 that tied up business in central Bangkok for two months. Violence, capped by a military crackdown, left more than 90 people dead.
The crackdown was ordered by Suthep, who was deputy prime minister of the Democrat-party-led government at that time.
On Sunday, more than 100,000 people rallied in Bangkok against Yingluck's government.
Suthep says his goal is to replace the government with a non-elected council – an apparent call for less democracy, not more. He says the change is necessary to uproot the Shinawatra political machine from Thai politics. Thaksin remains highly popular in rural areas, and parties allied with him have won every election since 2001.
Yingluck responded that a change to a non-elected council was impossible under the constitution.
Thaksin, who is living in Dubai to avoid a two-year jail term for a corruption conviction he says was politically motivated, is a highly polarising figure in Thailand. An ill-advised bid by Yingluck's ruling Pheu Thai party to push an amnesty law through parliament that would have allowed his return sparked the latest wave of protests earlier this month.
Thaksin won over much of Thailand's rural underclass while prime minister by introducing populist policies designed to benefit the poor. His political movement became the most successful in modern Thai history.
But his opponents, largely members of the urban middle class and elite, see him as a threat to democracy and their own privileges, and have fought back hard. After the 2006 coup that ousted Thaksin, a new constitution was drafted to reduce his influence. Controversial judicial rulings removed two pro-Thaksin prime ministers, and army-backed parliamentary manoeuvring allowed the Democrat party to form a government.
Since taking office with a landslide electoral victory, Yingluck has managed a fragile detente with the military, and faced major crises including floods that ravaged the country in 2011, the worst in half a century. |
I like to root for the underdog, so I’m always comforted to find Satanism in the news. There are, after all, some two billion Christians in the world, and only about a hundred thousand Satanists; if the eternal war between good and evil is a numbers game, then it would seem the good guys have this one in the bag. And yet Satanism persists—pure evil’s got moxie.
The latest coup from the dark arts is Charlie Charlie Challenge, a Ouija Board-ish pursuit in which players—who tend to be, let’s face it, kids and teens—cross two pencils over a piece of paper and attempt to summon a Mexican demon. According to no less reliable a source than the Daily Mail, four Colombian high school students were hospitalized for “hysteria” after playing the game, which set off an international pandemic of DIY voodoo:
Hundreds of teens have uploaded videos—from the UK to the United States, Sweden and Singapore—in which they ask, “Charlie, Charlie, are you there?” and then flee in terror when the pencil appears to move by itself … “It’s a craze that has gone too far… It’s very dangerous for a young child to play with contacting the paranormal and diabolical,” Doctor Kelven Guerrero, who works at the Hato Mayor del Rey Hospital, told MailOnline. He added: “It can cause a great amount of trauma in a young person … One of the major problems has been that in order to start playing a child must ask permission of Charlie to play. “But Charlie also has to give permission for the game to end,” he ominously added.
The BBC, for its part, has maintained that the whole thing’s a hoax. Let’s hope not. I, for one, laud the efforts of these brave young people to install the legions of hell on earth and bring about the enduring reign of the Prince of Darkness. But I quibble with their methods.
Pencils have always been among the finest weapons in a Satanist’s arsenal; problem is, these kids are stacking with them instead of drawing with them. It’s downright primitive. To behold the true power of an occultist with good draftsmanship, one need only look to an eighteenth-century grimoire called Compendium rarissimum totius Artis Magicae sistematisatae per celeberrimos Artis hujus Magistros, about which the Internet yields little. It’s written in Latin and German; the Wellcome Library, which published a high-resolution scan of the book in its entirety, suggests that it dates to 1775, though its unknown author apparently attempted to pass it off as a relic from 1057. The volume is labeled NOLI ME TANGERE : don’t touch.
It doesn’t take long to see why the illustrator wanted to put several centuries between himself and these drawings. They convey a world of such hyperbolic perdition that you almost want to visit it, if only as a tourist. Genitals spit fire and snakes; hideous, multilimbed creatures sprout heads and pendulous breasts like tumors. In one panel, a string of crimson beads connects a mutated donkey’s knife-cum necklace to the raw end of his penis; he’s carrying a bloody piece of flesh on some sort of fire poker. In another, a litter of flying baby serpents come tumbling from the vagina of a flame-eared, bug-eyed, speckled, bulbous cat-woman. Those are among the two easiest to describe.
You can see all the images below. The lesson is clear: the newest generation of sinful mystics is not doing nearly enough to further their art. Together, we can teach these kids to harness evil as a creative force for a darker, less inhabitable tomorrow.
Dan Piepenbring is the web editor of The Paris Review. |
Kevin Winter / Getty Images Television personality Stephen Colbert speaks onstage during the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
The number have been crunched, and this isn’t just truthiness: According to a new survey by Public Policy Polling, Stephen Colbert is the top choice to replace outgoing senator Jim DeMint in South Carolina.
According to the pollsters, one in five South Carolinians support the faux-conservative TV host to take the two-term senator’s spot. Colbert has publically announced his interest in the seat, asking viewers of his Comedy Central show to tweet at S.C. Governor Nikki Haley, who is in charge of appointing a replacement. DeMint announced last week he’s giving up his Senate seat in order to head the Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank.
(PHOTOS: Stewart and Colbert: Their Biggest Moments)
The Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling group asked registered South Carolina voters to pick their choice for a DeMint replacement. Colbert was selected by 20% of those polled, taking the top spot in the poll. With that, he edged out freshman Congressman Tim Scott by five points. Scott earned 15% of the total, his Congressional colleague Trey Gowdy earned 14%, and Jenny Sanford, ex-wife of disgraced former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, took the only other double-digit ranking, with 11%.
All candidates aside from Colbert are registered Republicans, as is Haley. Colbert, while he plays a right-wing blowhard on television, has said in interviews that he’s a Democrat. But the South Carolina populace has called it for him: PPP explains that it’s “Democrats and Independents — those voters Haley most needs to improve her standing with — who are pining for a Colbert appointment.” Indeed 32% of registered Democrats polled are hoping for a Senator Colbert.
(MORE: Stephen Colbert’s Super PAC Satire Lands Him a Peabody)
However, Haley has found a problem with Colbert’s eligibility – and it has nothing to do with residency. After all, the 48-year-old Colbert and his ten older siblings were raised in Charleston. Instead, in a Facebook post, Haley took issue with the fact that when the two met on an episode of the Colbert Report earlier this April, Colbert didn’t know that his home state’s official drink was milk. “Big, big mistake,” she wrote, with Colbert’s signature sarcasm.
Haley has remained silent so far as to her choice, aside from making it clear that she wouldn’t appoint herself and intends to choose someone with staying power. She plans to appoint someone who would run for reelection in 2014, and the name circulated the most in news reports is Scott’s.
Sure, it’s unrealistic to expect Haley to choose a TV comedian, so why even include Colbert in the poll? For one thing, he’s certainly thrown his hat in the ring: Colbert has mentioned the issue numerous times on his show (and early in this year’s presidential race campaigned heavily to become President of the United States of South Carolina). For another, Public Policy Polling is known for collecting serious data on outlandish subjects. After Mitt Romney’s February stump speech in Michigan proclaiming his love of his his home state because “the trees are the right height,” the PPP pollsters decided to verify the claim. That poll was largely inconclusive, with 55% saying they were “not sure” whether the trees in Michigan were of adequate size.
WATCH: Keeping Sane at the Sanity Rally |
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(I do not own the heading photo, it just seemed cool and yakuza related)
Between August 15 and 17th I was in Leipzig, Germany, for Replaying Japan 2016; a three day academic conference with multiple papers on Japanese games, and with four significant keynote speakers. It was fascinating, and there were some rather surprising revelations regarding Namco's history by three of the keynotes.
It's worth checking out the conference's program to see what else was on.
Below is an abridged version of my talk, related to the sometimes brutally difficult conditions in the Japanese game industry, and also the involvement of the yakuza. This especially interested me because so few people ever examine or discuss it. The only person who I can think of who has done anything significant in this field is Jake Adelstein. One of the post-talk questions related to the fact Japan now has very strict laws monitoring companies involved with yakuza, but as Adelstein points out in, some game developers are quite openly involved. Also, as was pointed out, the anime and manga industries have their own word for hamachi, the word I was told being kandzume (缶詰) or being "canned in" to finish work.
Several sections I have edited, censored, or removed entirely from what was shown at the talk. In the past three years I have won four court cases for false and unfounded allegations accusing me of libel. I don't like it, but crazy people are crazy, and if certain groups are going to interfere with the job of a journalist, then this is the situation we find ourselves in: unable to document the truth.
The talk was based on interviews from my trilogy of books on the Japanese games industry. Most of the images below are the slides used to illustrate my presentattion.
If anyone would like to commission me to write something based on my growing portfolio of work, my contact details are on my Gamasutra profile page.
Conference talk:
Since we're at this conference, we can probably all agree that Japanese games -- and their history -- are hugely important: they are technically accomplished, innovative, and provide distinct styles of enjoyment & originality. But this is not because of some kind of magic, as certain Western fans seem to think. It's because of hard work and sacrifice -- we seldom see the sometimes dark side of development. For this paper I will look at examples of the difficult work conditions developers faced, and then finish with something controversial -- yakuza involvement. Although you might be shocked to hear these stories, these events helped force the industry to grow very large very quickly, overtaking the Western markets of the time. These "dark" aspects are a part of the history of games, and should not be buried because they make us uncomfortable. Understanding how and why Japanese games became so successful, even if it involved exploitation or unsavoury elements, can provide a wider contextual understanding that could benefit future developers. Perhaps the reason Japan dominated American and European markets is because its talented workforce sacrificed so much to pursue creativity, while its managers were willing to bend the rules to protect their market interests.
In 2013 I spent three months living in Japan, interviewing over 80 game developers to produce three books: The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers . My intention was to understand the background to my favourite games - what I did not expect, what surprised me, was how challenging it was for the men and women who created these games. For many, their stories had never been heard, and they were keen to share the good times and the bad times they faced. It occurred to me we have very little understanding of how the Japanese industry worked. In fact, their stories mirrored what developers faced in the West, and there were more similarities than I realised. Crunch time is ubiquitous, implying a solidarity among developers the world over. Having said that, though tough conditions are common in game development, in Japan I heard accounts of worrying extremes. What I hope to demonstrate is that these are not just "products in boxes", people really suffered and sacrificed to bring us these games.
I heard personal accounts describing being locked in offices, underage staff, office raids by the police and regulatory agencies, physical violence, and stories of colleagues literally working themselves to death; intermixed with revelations of the yakuza protecting arcade operators from gangs and intimidating court witnesses in patent cases, of corporate bosses being arrested for tax fraud, and the political machinations that happened behind the scenes.
Much literature has been devoted to the characterisation of Japan as a culture emphasising hard work. Up until the 1980s, it was normal for schools and businesses to operate 6 days a week! There is even a word for death from overwork, karoshi -- high profile cases abound, such as Toyota engineer Kenichi Uchino, whose family received compensation for his death. Although videogames are a leisurely pursuit, the foundation and history of Japanese game development is built on long hours and tough conditions.
Tokihiro Naito, creator of Hydlide , explained the HAMACHI room at T&E Soft. In Japanese hamachi is a type of fish, but the name is a portmanteau of "crunch" (kaihatsu ni HAMAtta) and "people" (hitotaCHI), so hamachi or crunch room. According to Naito: "When you entered the room, the door was locked from the outside. Sometimes we'd throw a programmer in there, lock the door, and say, 'We'll let you out once you finish your coding!'"
Another story was by Yasuo Yoshikawa of T&E Soft, describing how on his first day of work he was left inside a dark apartment for over 6 hours, until he heard a strange creaking sound - someone asleep on the floor next to the desk got up and started working. Yoshikawa said: "I was nervous, so didn't say anything. Finally, the president came around. It was too late to go home so he said, 'Why don't you get some work done?' I ended up working all night. The next morning, when everyone started going back to sleep, I was told to go home."
It's important to consider the context of workplace hierarchy when hearing these anecdotes. If the boss stays late, then all the staff under him stay late. Some bosses were also incredibly strict. Even someone like Keiji Inafune had to fall in line with the demands of his superiors. Keiji Inafune described his boss at Capcom, who could be a bit of a tyrant: "My boss was incredibly hard to please and taught me the necessary strictness of game development. He'd do the checks for our content, but since he was so strict, even if the stuff was good he'd say, 'This is no good!' We really bore the brunt of his drive. If I was to treat my team now in the way I was treated back then, they would quit."
I soon realised most developers had a hamachi room - it was rare to create games without crunch time. Even when bosses - or senpai - tried to arrange relaxation time for employees, they would refuse and wanted to keep working! Masayuki Suzuki, of Masaya, described ignoring his boss' orders: "We would often sleep at the company, working overnight, but sometimes the president would stop in, already drunk, and drag us off to a bar! And we were furious! We'd talk back to the president, saying, 'What are you doing? We're trying to get work done!' "
Despite these struggles, staff did it NOT because they were forced, but because they loved it. Satoshi Nakai, artist and designer on Valken , and colleague of Susuzki at Masaya, recalled the time fondly: "When we were staying overnight at work, we'd end up drinking until morning, talking about new game ideas. Every day was a blur of 'This is fun!' - 'We need more time!' - 'I'm tired!' - 'I had another idea!' It was such a wonderful time. I'm grateful to have been a part of it."
This was a common theme I found. Game developers were on the cutting edge of technology and creativity, and they endured the hardship because of the joy.
Long hours can of course also lead to health complications, even death. Yoshikawa of T&E said: "I never went home for six months, working and sleeping in the Hamachi room. One Sunday I went home, took a bath, and went to sleep. When I woke up I was blind. I was terrified and someone took me to the hospital because I couldn't see anything! The doctor said it was not a condition young people are supposed to get. So I was ordered to take rest from work."
Mikito Ichikawa, who started working at Falcom aged 14, also became ill and nearly died. He says: "I became very ill with collagen disease. The doctor said I had around a year and a half left. The cause was stress, basically. I started working from a very young age, and that took a heavy toll on my body. I'd regularly go for three or four days without sleeping. With the way I was living, I could have contracted any number of illnesses."
An even more startling revelation comes from Kensuke Takahashi of Zainsoft, who described talking with Kouichi Nakamura, the co-creator of Dragon Quest , on multiple occasions at industry events held by Nintendo: "Nakamura said it was not easy, and he was not as successful as he appeared. He said that at the worst times he had faced enormous debts, hundreds of millions of yen, enough to make him contemplate suicide. He had some severe ups and downs."
If the co-creator of such a high selling franchise contemplated suicide, it highlights how challenging things could be. Those of us here think we see success, but it's not always so. For me it's heartbreaking to learn how these young creators were exploited by managers and businessmen - and even the yakuza. That's the trouble with being a creative professional; if you don't care enough about the money you deserve, then someone else will surely take it.
I've already discussed the "hamachi room" - which is entirely different from isolation or quarantine rooms, in Japanese these are " kakuri-beya " or " oidashi-beya" . They are a method by which Japanese firms encourage staff to resign rather than firing them. According to Asahi Shimbun, even large firms like Sony and Hitachi did it. (Asahi Shimbun has since tried to remove this news story, but Wayback still has it!) Googling brings up multiple sources attesting to such events.
One interviewee described how the problem came to a head in 2000. "Sega would put employees alone in a room and give them nothing to do, to make them resign. Former Sega employees sued and won, and were issued a public apology. They didn't just put people behind a partition, they sent them to a completely different floor. Sega didn't just lose a lawsuit over this, their image was completely tarnished. Nobody wanted to buy games from a company like that."
Despite the significance of this landmark court case, which happened around the time of Sega's near bankruptcy and cancellation of the Dreamcast, this event went almost entirely unreported in the West. I could only find one news story online, from IGN. Searching online for "Sega" and "kakuribeya" ( 隔離部屋 ) brings up Japanese articles - but why not any coverage in English? This was a clear abuse of staff, upheld by the courts.
Some of the most shocking revelations regarding workplace conditions came from Kensuke Takahashi, regarding life at Zainsoft. Takahashi said: "Recently in Japan people have started talking about 'black corporations', evil sweatshops that exploit employees. But Zainsoft was on a whole other level. I was punched and kicked regularly. One time, the CEO took a 14-inch CRT monitor and threw it at me. The CEO was a psychopath - once I kept working for nine days with little sleep, and he spotted me dozing off. He came up behind and kicked me as hard as he could. I was so tired the pain didn't even register. I hit my head against the monitor hard enough to make the screen crack."
As he describes it, Takahashi worked at Zainsoft for four years, on average for 20 hours a day, not going home for months at time, and seeing over 60 new staff join and then leave. The urban legend amidst consumers and magazines was that Zainsoft was run by yakuza. As it turns out, the CEO was not yakuza. He grew a moustache and acted tough to appear older, so people would take him seriously. Ultimately he was arrested for defrauding Apple.
Although Zainsoft's CEO was not the organised criminal I expected, it leads to the topic of actual yakuza involvement. Few wanted to speak on record, but it seems many game companies were founded by yakuza. English literature on the history of Japanese games increases each year, but very little examines the yakuza, or how criminal elements protected and nurtured the growth of the industry, especially arcades -- brief mentions by Steven Kent and Tristan Donovan, plus Goldberg and Vendal in Atari, Inc . I think Japanese games are the best in the world, but not because of a "mystical aura" around them -- a close examination of certain developers reveals they survived market difficulties and could improve because of other factors.
At this point I want to introduce "Mister NANASHI" - an interviewee who wanted all discussion on this topic published anonymously. He explained: "In Japan there's a perception that 'play' is bad, the opposite of hard work. So amusement industries inevitably become infested with evil companies and ties to the underworld. Take arcades. In legal terms, they're covered under laws regarding the entertainment and amusement trades. So they're managed under the same laws that regulate the adult, or 'pink', industry. Because of that, the underworld gets involved."
He went on to explain how during the early days of the industry, because of the way Japanese society functioned the yakuza were essential to maintain order. "I did business with Toaplan. I asked them about their copy protection plans. The person in charge went quiet for a minute, and then said, 'Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.' In other words, pay some yakuza to go stamp out the other yakuza making pirate copies. When you are in that situation Japanese society, including the police, won't do anything to help you unless you've already been harmed. Being in that kind of society, you need the underworld to protect yourself."
I want you to try to imagine a scenario. The early days of arcades. Perhaps someone comes in and opens the cabinet to examine the internals, or steal the coins. Now imagine that yakuza are running this arcade, and some of the "employees" catch this person and severely beat them. It's not a good thing, but how else would the operators defend themselves? As Nanashi says: "If stuff like that had never happened, the games industry would not have developed as much as it did."
Challenging companies which are involved with the yakuza can be dangerous though. Nanashi described how he was a witness in a patent trial against a certain arcade developer: "My younger sister was kidnapped. [REDACTED] hired some gangsters to do it. At the time, she had just graduated high school and was a university student. They did it to stop me testifying on behalf of Nintendo. As to how I got her back... I couldn't take them on directly. So I used a truck crane to pick up one of [REDACTED]'s newly released arcade cabinets and smashed it in front of their main offices. I told them, 'Next time, this is going to be one of you.' And after that, my sister came home."
NANASHI described one former company president - who I cannot name for legal reasons - explicitly as being yakuza: "Guys like him, members of the board of directors, were involved in the underworld. Buying and selling game machines was mixed up in that, because it that business attracts yakuza. Now they're involved in the pachinko industry. Members of the board would have short fingers, like yakuza who got their fingers cut off. Originally he was president of an arcade distribution company; back then, those in overseas imports and exports almost always had shady connections. Mostly the bosses behind Japanese slot machine makers are the South Korean mafia."
Roy Ozaki, formerly of Data East, TAD, and later Mitchell Corporation, explained how the yakuza functioned: "Yakuza usually use front companies. There's a couple of big ones that physically disappeared. My partner, Niida, was the youngest branch office manager at Data East in Osaka. He hates yakuza. When you're selling coin-op stuff, yakuza were always coming because people would buy their 'yakuza calendars'. Who the hell wants a yakuza calendar that costs 100,000 yen!" (£660 / $1k)
As Ozaki revealed, the calendars were like a protection fee - you buy the calendar and they don't hassle you. He went on: "So the yakuza came in, and Data East had 11 employees in Osaka. They were scared. Niida sat with these two in the office for 10 hours. He said, 'No! I am not going to buy this calendar!' For 10 hours he starred them down. Yakuza gave up and left. He's a legend for that. Most companies would just buy the calendar."
Photo by Anton Kusters
This explains how yakuza were directly involved in the Japanese arcade industry, but I wanted to know which companies were specifically run by yakuza. NANASHI filled in the gaps: "You know that [REDACTED] is a public company, right? When they went public the president wasn't there. I met the guy on an aeroplane once. The guy that started [REDACTED] couldn't go there because he was involved with - <whispers> - the yakuza! I can tell you which family and the related people, which companies got involved. One American company... This is big money stuff. They asked me to be their agent. You'd be surprised at how many companies are involved. This is very dangerous ground. All the videogame companies were funded by yakuza. Forget this story! It could topple the whole game industry in Japan. This might put your life in danger!"
And that is the extent of what I discovered on the relationship between organised crime and videogames in Japan. Before my trilogy books there were very few sources with inside information on Japanese games development, and I've seen very few stories on yakuza involvement. Jake Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice, is the only one I can think of. Everyone is too afraid of being sued for libel or slander to discuss it. My hope is that as we move on, there will be more investigations into the videogame underworld. My take on this is that the Japanese industry would not have seen the same level of success without it.
/END TALK |
Former UFC Welterweight #1 contender Jon Fitch says unlike the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promotion he now fights for, UFC is shifting from putting on world-class sporting events to “entertainment” spectacles. The transition has been so dramatic that Fitch wouldn’t be surprised if UFC started putting on “fixed” fights to maximize their bottom line. HE told BloodyElbow this week:
“WSOF is staying true to the sport. They’re allowing it to be a sport. It’s about who the best fighter is, whose game is the best and who has the best approach to winning the fight.
“The UFC is really going more towards entertainment; they’re almost fully about entertainment now. It’s almost to the point that I wouldn’t be surprised if fake, worked fights like there were in Japan start happening. They’re so controlling of what they want for the product, because they went the route of marketing to professional wrestling fans, and that’s just not the fanbase for MMA, it’s not the same, but it’s easy money if they provide the level of entertainment that those people are used to, which is fake.” |
Spammers are abusing ill-configured U.S. dot-gov domains and link shorteners to promote spammy sites that are hidden behind short links ending in”usa.gov”.
Spam purveyors are taking advantage of so-called “open redirects” on several U.S. state Web sites to hide the true destination to which users will be taken if they click the link. Open redirects are potentially dangerous because they let spammers abuse the reputation of the site hosting the redirect to get users to visit malicious or spammy sites without realizing it.
For example, South Dakota has an open redirect:
http://dss.sd.gov/scripts/programredirect.asp?url=
…which spammers are abusing to insert the name of their site at the end of the script. Here’ a link that uses this redirect to route you through dss.sd.gov and then on to krebsonsecurity.com. But this same redirect could just as easily be altered to divert anyone clicking the link to a booby-trapped Web site that tries to foist malware.
The federal government’s stamp of approval comes into the picture when spammers take those open redirect links and use bit.ly to shorten them. Bit.ly’s service automatically shortens any US dot-gov or dot-mil (military) site with a “1.usa.gov” shortlink. That allows me to convert the redirect link to krebsonsecurity.com from the ungainly….
http://dss.sd.gov/scripts/programredirect.asp?url=http://krebsonsecurity.com
…into the far less ugly and perhaps even official-looking:
http://1.usa.gov/1pwtneQ.
Helpfully, Uncle Sam makes available a list of all the 1.usa.gov links being clicked at this page. Keep an eye on that and you’re bound to see spammy links going by, as in this screen shot. One of the more recent examples I saw was this link — http:// 1.usa[dot]gov/1P8HfQJ# (please don’t visit this unless you know what you’re doing) — which was advertised via Skype instant message spam, and takes clickers to a fake TMZ story allegedly about “Gwen Stefani Sharing Blake Shelton’s Secret to Rapid Weight Loss.”
Unfortunately, a minute or so of research online shows that exact issue was highlighted almost four years ago by researchers at Symantec. In October 2012, Symantec said it found that about 15 percent of all 1.usa.gov URLS were used to promote spammy messages. I’d be curious to know the current ratio, but I doubt it has changed much.
A story at the time about the Symantec research in Sophos‘s Naked Security blog noted that the curator of usa.gov — the U.S. General Services Administration’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technology — was working with bit.ly to filter out malicious or spammy links — pointing to a interstitial warning that bit.ly pops up when it detects a suspicious link is being shortened.
KrebsOnSecurity requested comment from both bit.ly and the GSA, and will update this post in the event that they respond.
I wanted to get a sense of how well bit.ly’s system would block any .gov redirects that sent users to known malicious Web sites. So I created .gov shortlinks using the South Dakota redirect, bit.ly, and the first page of URLs listed at malwaredomainlist.com — a site that tracks malicious links being used in active attacks.
The result? Bit.ly’s system allowed clicks on all of the shortened malicious links that didn’t end in “.exe,” which was most of them. It’s nice that bit.ly at least tries to filter out malicious links, but perhaps the better solution is for U.S. state and federal government sites to get rid of open redirects altogether.
I generally don’t trust shortened links, and have long relied on the Unshorten.it extension for Google Chrome, which lets users unshorten any link by right clicking on it and selecting “unshorten this link”. Unshorten.it also pulls reputation data on each URL from Web of Trust (WOT).
Fun fact: Adding a “+” to the end of any link shortened with bit.ly will take you to a page on bit.ly that displays the link actual link that was shortened.
How do you respond to shortened links? Sound off in the comments below.
Update, Mar. 22, 6:20 p.m. ET: A GSA spokesperson said that When GSA learns that an open redirector is being used for 1.usa.gov links, “we reach out to the owner and ask that it be shut down. We are also working with Bitly to remove 1.usa.gov links with open redirectors that aren’t shut down at our request. GSA will continue to take the necessary steps to keep .gov domains secure, and we encourage anyone who discovers an open redirector in the .gov space to notify the affected agency so that it can be disabled.”
Tags: 1.usa.gov, bit.ly, malwaredomainlist, Naked Security Blog, open redirect, Skype, Symantec, tmz |
Former Maryland candidate for governor and superdelegate Heather Mizeur has officially endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for president. On April 14, Mizeur and her wife, Deborah, released a video announcing the endorsement.
“Internally, in our household, this has been quite a struggle and a debate because like many of you, we have a split decision.”
Deborah declared that she’s for Hillary. Mizeur, on the other hand, is feeling the Bern.
Deborah admitted that it had been a hard decision for Heather to make, especially with a strong female candidate running for president.
“This has been a really hard decision for you I know because you basically embody both of the candidates. In 2014, Heather’s run for governor looked much like Senator Sanders’. It’s a progressive, visionary, bold grassroots effort that is about really fundamentally changing the way that politics is played and yet you have the pragmatic practical policy wonk aspects of Secretary Clinton and you know how to get things done. So the perfect candidate would be the two of them.”
Deborah believes that Clinton is the most experienced and qualified to be president. But Mizeur’s endorsement of Sanders also came with a measure of balance when she expressed disappointment with his recent criticism aimed at Clinton.
“I was really disappointed recently when Senator Sanders suggested otherwise, and I hope that he, for the rest of this primary race, will take the high road. What inspired me about your candidacy from the beginning was the aspirational aspect of bringing us together and reminding us what we could accomplish if we set our minds to it and saying that you were never going to run a negative race. Continue to remind us what you stand for not what you’re standing against.”
She also reminded voters to “please feel the Bern, don’t burn Hillary.”
Mizeur’s endorsement is exceptional for its sense of balance and honesty in admitting hers was a split household. It was also unique in that she included her wife’s perspective and why Deborah will vote for Hillary Clinton. Her diplomatic admonishment for Sanders’ supporters to refrain from personal attacks against Clinton was a reminder of what his campaign was originally meant to be: a race against the establishment and a campaign based on the issues.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Heather Mizeur, D-Montgomery, waits for a Democratic gubernatorial primary debate to begin at Maryland Public Television's studios in Owings Mills, Md., Monday, June 2, 2014. The candidates are competing for a chance to succeed Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is unable to run for re-election due to term limits. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
That being said, it is difficult for Bernie to run on the kind of campaign he does without pointing out the simple truth that his opponent accepts Wall Street donations. It’s hard to ignore, and if he refrains from doing that, he risks appearing weak or as if he doesn’t care about where Clinton gets her campaign donations and how those donations could affect her decisions as president. But in one sense, Mizeur was correct when she indicated that some of Sanders’ recent comments about his rival could be construed as personal attacks.
Mizeur’s endorsement comes just days before the New York primaries and less than two weeks ahead of the Maryland primaries. As a member of the LGBTQ community and a political activist, this could give Sanders more momentum going into the remaining primaries.
Since the early 1980s, Sanders has stood by as an ally for LGBT rights. During his first term as Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, he expressed support for the city’s first Pride Parade. He also signed one of the nation’s first city ordinances banning housing discrimination aimed at sexual orientation.
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As a Congressman in the 1990s, Sanders opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and also opposed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law. More recently, Sanders supported same-sex marriage and called the Supreme Court decision to legalize it a “victory for same-sex couples across our country” who sought equal rights.
According to Sanders’ campaign website, he is a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which would make it illegal to fire anyone for being gay, lesbian, or transgendered. He also supports efforts to prevent adoption discrimination with the Every Child Deserves a Family Act.
Heather Mizeur has been active in politics since the mid-1990s and was first elected to public office in 2003 when she ran for City Council of Takoma Park and won. She then served as a state representative for Maryland until her 2014 gubernatorial run. She was defeated by her Democratic rival in the primary race.
Eight years ago, Mizeur remained neutral and withheld her superdelegate endorsement until it was clear who the nominee would be. When she knew Barack Obama would beat Clinton, she wholeheartedly endorsed him. This election, however, she has chosen to endorse Sanders before the outcome of the election is even known. A bold move, indeed.
[Photo by Patrick Semansky/AP Images] |
Norway police deal with a combative drunk. Photo: Screen Grab/Live Leak/Nattpatruljen
Footage of the humorous, laid-back way two Norwegian policeman cope with a combative drunk has amazed American viewers after it was posted on the video-sharing website LiveLeak.
The footage from Nattpatruljen, a Norwegian police reality show, shows two policeman in Tromsø, northern Norway, good-naturedly picking up a drunk and taking him off to a drunk tank in the local jail.
“I am not intoxicated for fuck's sake," the man shouts. "The fucking police are hunting me down. I get so fucking angry."
To which the police laugh gently, and then apologize for ridiculing him. "You are a little funny right now," one explains.
"Can I bring my dick with me?" the man then roars.
"Yes if it hangs on," answers the policeman with a chuckle.
"The American version would have ended with 16 gunshots at the 0:03 time mark," wrote one of he 70 commentators on the video.
"With a taze at the 0:01 mark," wrote another.
The video had been viewed 144,700 times by Friday morning. |
[image-50]
NASA will host a media teleconference at 4 p.m. EST today during which agency officials will discuss and answer questions on the selection of an Asteroid Redirect Mission concept.
The mission is to retrieve an asteroid mass and redirect it into lunar orbit, where astronauts will explore it in the 2020s. The mission will test a number of new capabilities needed for future human deep space expeditions, including to Mars.
Participants for the media teleconference are:
Robert Lightfoot, NASA associate administrator
Michele Gates, program director, NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission
Lindley Johnson, program executive, NASA’s Near Earth Object Program
To participate, media must e-mail their name and affiliation to Trent Perrotto at [email protected] before 4 p.m.
Audio of the media teleconference will stream live on NASA's website at:
http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio
Find more information about the Asteroid Redirect Mission at:
www.nasa.gov/asteroidinitiative
-end- |
If You Buy Enough Pizza, You Can Get Final Fantasy XIV for Free
In what can only be called one of the strangest (and best tasting) promotional offers of the year, Square Enix have teamed up with Domino’s in Australia and New Zealand to get more people into Final Fantasy XIV. Those that are really hungry and don’t mind ordering three pizzas, garlic bread, and a drink will get the MMO and its two expansions (Heavensward and Stormblood) for $49.95.
They’re also introducing some special pizzas in their “FFXIV Collection.” These include the Heavensward Hawaiian, Moogle’s Meatlovers, Curious Cactuar, Stormblood Supreme, and Chocobo Chow. All of these can be viewed on Domino’s website. Video games are weird.
Here’s what players (eaters?) will get from this tasty $49.95 deal:
3 Traditional Pizzas 1 Garlic Bread 1 1.25L Drink PLUS FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Complete Edition Download (choose from PS4 or PC!)
Includes: A Realm Reborn + Heavensward + NEW Stormblood
Those that do the order will get a code sent to their email afterwards, so make sure you enter the right details. Alternatively, you can totally put in my email, and I’ll gladly take the code. Just saying. Anyhow, if any Australia or New Zealand residents want to partake, read the fine print:
Simply click the button below to order the Game Bundle through our Online Ordering site or enter code 259920, and your unique code will be emailed to you within 24 hours of paying for your order, along with the instructions on how to redeem your code. For questions about your code contact: [email protected]
Now I’m just going to wait for Domino’s to do this deal worldwide. A boy can dream, can’t he?
[Source: Matt Sainsbury, Domino’s] |
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As he vows to put an end to the opioid epidemic by boosting law enforcement and upping spending on border security, President Donald Trump has, once again, done nothing but mimic his predecessors when it comes to drug policy. Like Barack Obama or George W. Bush before him, he believes government has the answer to the drug problem despite evidence proving the exact opposite.
In August, the president, along with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, reaffirmed their commitment to a tough law-and-order approach to the drug problem the nation is facing.
Echoing comments made by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Trump said “[s]trong law enforcement is absolutely vital to having a drug-free society.”
“I’m confident that by working with our health care and law enforcement experts we will fight this deadly epidemic, and the United States will win,” he concluded.
But what evidence do the president and his team have to claim that “strong law enforcement” of existing drug laws will promote a “drug-free” society?
Running On Empty: The War That Never Runs Out Of Steam
If you pay attention to politicians and government officials when they discuss drug epidemics and how to fight them, you’ll notice they never focus on solutions that have already proven to work. Instead, they seem to simply go back to their trusty old bag of tricks to pull out one of the “safe” tactics at their disposal.
Oftentimes, the tactic in question involves more government spending, more crackdowns, and more focus on going after low-level drug dealers so they may look back later and tell the public: ‘See how many criminal drug dealers we caught by simply being tough on crime? It works!’ In no time, however, the number of drug-related overdoses rises again, and yet again, the nation is faced with another new, dangerous, and “unprecedented” epidemic, one deemed a “new threat” despite having the same basic elements of previous drug epidemics.
To make a long story short, government officials love to show they are acting. The more they act, the logic goes, the more they “do,” and the more people think they are working to keep them safe. Thus, government can never be accused of sitting on their hands as people literally die in the streets.
But this paradigm is what is constantly putting countless individuals in danger.
It’s the very idea that government acts on our behalf that makes it a dangerous organization capable of inflicting great harm in the name of the common good.
It is largely because government officials, like the ones now working under Trump’s guidance, once said that marijuana was a danger to American society thanks to the wave of Mexican migrants in the south that the first anti-cannabis laws popped up in the 1910s and 20s.
Related Reading: Top Ten Marijuana Myths That No One Should Believe
And it’s reportedly because President Richard Nixon and his team were so afraid of the growing anti-war movement and rising African American leaders in the late 60s and 70s that the president declared a full war on drugs, targeting marijuana and heroin and boosting federal agencies, implementing mandatory sentencing, and embracing no-knock warrants.
With President Ronald Reagan, the focus was on crack. The drug epidemic of the 80s prompted yet another unprecedented increase in federal involvement, causing the incarceration rates tied to drug offenses to rise like never before.
With President Bill Clinton, things got only worse.
In his first months in the White House, Clinton did everything in his power to escalate the drug war and reject recommendations from the U.S. Sentencing Commission that asked for reduced sentences involving crack and powder cocaine.
But with Bush, the public was already aware that things were in the dumps.
Considering he was the first president who got to the White House when the public was realizing the drug war had been an immense failure, you would think he would have reconsidered the strategy. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, as he, too, kept on pushing, allocating more taxpayer money to back up and boost the drug war. Under Obama — especially his first term — things weren’t very different, either.
Unfortunately, everyone’s favorite “Hope & Change” president did nothing but take the drug war to new heights, breaking Bush’s records on marijuana farm raids, which were in direct opposition to the growing nullification movement that began to sweep states, making marijuana legal in several parts of the country.
As you can see, Trump has nothing but a great deal of incentive to keep this theater going.
Though his history as a private individual showed he would be willing to put an end to — or at least scale back — the war on drugs, once he entered the White House, his tune changed. It doesn’t matter that evidence shows the drug war doesn’t work. It doesn’t matter that small police departments across the country are already approaching the drug issue differently, stepping away from prosecution, and it doesn’t matter that when push comes to shove, the drug war also fails taxpayers, who increasingly see nothing but a waste of their hard-earned money on policies that ultimately make them more vulnerable.
The Many Government-Backed Origins Of The Opioid Epidemic
As the war in Afghanistan turns 16, one would think the U.S. government would consider coming home promptly, especially after using billions of taxpayer dollars to help locals grow poppy, reviving the country’s opium industry.
After 16 years of U.S. occupation, opium production has only increased, and the country’s opium industry is now stronger than ever thanks to U.S. troops allegedly helping to keep an eye on these farms to fend off Taliban fighters. Though this is rarely discussed in mainstream reporting and conversations, photo evidence abounds. Though motives may not be clear from pictures alone, Ahmed Wali Karzai, Afghan President Hamid Karsai’s brother, has long been rumored to be on the CIA’s payroll and involved in the opium trade. Further, countless U.S. soldiers return from Afghanistan with heroin addiction problems. Unfortunately, there’s little to no record of these purported policies — for obvious reasons.
Over time, Afghanistan’s opium trade re-emerged with such power that it now produces 90 percent of the world’s opium, so it’s no wonder that the U.S. government would be so quick to put the blame on the current epidemic only on Mexican cartels or drug manufacturers pushing for synthetic opioids. Despite their rhetoric, it would be wise to note that as the supply of heroin rose in the past two decades thanks to ramped up production, drug cartels with access to America’s black markets have also benefitted greatly.
As more consumers have become hooked on opioids either by having direct access to heroin or because they were primarily addicted to painkillers, Central American drug cartels have found a way to capitalize on the heroin craze by providing cheaper and more deadly alternatives, such as fentanyl or carfentanil.
With both heroin and prescription painkiller markets booming thanks to U.S. foreign policy and U.S. domestic drug policy, which benefits a handful of drug companies and allows them to push their products and their methods down U.S. doctors’ throats without much competition, this epidemic was bound to be one of the most disastrous of all times.
If The President Wants To End The Drug Epidemic, He Must Pulverize The State
With this information at hand, Trump would be wise to understand that by both putting an end to the Afghanistan war and shrinking the Food and Drug Administration, the opioid epidemic wouldn’t be as deadly. But if he’s truly willing to help all Americans see an end to drug-related murder, crime, and yes, out-of-control addiction, he would be wise to reschedule all illicit drugs, defund the Drug Enforcement Administration, and finally put an end to the U.S. drug war as a whole, which has been a failure ever since its humble beginnings over 60 years ago.
Unfortunately, something tells us he isn’t serious about putting an end to this madness.
Help Us Be The Change We Wish To See In The World. |
Robotic ants the size of a human hand that work together could be the future of factory production systems.
The developers, German technology firm Festo, say it's not just the unusual anatomy of real-world ants that inspired the bionic version - the collective intelligence of an ant colony was also something they wanted to replicate.
Our new overlords? Bionic ants.
The bionic ants co-operate and coordinate their actions and movements to achieve a common aim - in the same way individual ants complete tasks for the whole colony. Festo says that in the future production systems will be based on intelligent individual components that adjust themselves to different production demands by communicating with each other.
The ants are able to complete complex tasks, like transporting large, heavy loads, that they wouldn't be able to achieve individually by working together. |
A bill enacted under-the-radar days ago in Washington, DC could force all employers in the nation’s capital to cover abortion-on-demand in health plans, including pro-life groups and religious schools.
On January 23 — one day after the U.S. House passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and hundreds of thousands participated in March for Life 2015 — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a far-reaching bill that escalates the culture war over abortion policy.
Vincent Gray (R) left office stating his concerns, yet Mayor Muriel Bowser (L) signed the pro-abortion bill (Photo: Adam Fagen / Flickr)
“The bill raises serious concerns under the Constitution,” wrote outgoing D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray in a letter to her, refusing to sign the bill during his term. Mayor Bowser took office on January 2.
“No one should be forced to pay for or participate in an abortion,” says Sarah Torre, policy analyst on life issues at The Heritage Foundation, referring to the “ill-named” Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act passed by the DC City Council.
“We’re talking about surgical abortions here — dangerous, very violent procedures,” she says, noting the differences with recent concerns over abortion-inducing drugs.
“This is a clear violation of conscience for people who know the truth that these children are human beings who have an inherent right to life, worth and dignity,” Torre concludes.
As public outcry over the D.C. abortion mandate has grown, Mayor Bowser has proposed a new bill to “clarify language in the law.” Yet according to the U.S. Constitution, laws passed by the D.C. City Council are subject to oversight by Congress.
Pro-life leaders are urging citizens to bring their concerns to members of the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform including Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) who serves as chairman. Congress has 30 days to review the policy change before it is implemented.
Another bill pending in Congress, the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (S. 50 in the U.S. Senate), would prohibit any government agency from forcing pro-life citizens, medical professionals, religious schools or other groups to pay for or participate in abortions.
Policy expert Sarah Torre notes the potential benefits of this pro-life bill. “You wouldn’t have to wait for what is ‘the DMV of Conscience’: the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights, which takes 1-3 years to respond to complaints of having your conscience rights violated,” says Torre.
For those who think this could not happen in America — faith-based groups forced to pay for violence against defenseless pre-born children — The Heritage Foundation has documented the story of a California church facing this moral dilemma right now.
“As a father, I’ve had the privilege of adopting four children,” says Pastor Jim Garlow of Skyline Church in San Diego, California. “So somewhere out there are four birth mothers who made wonderful decisions. Now [under current California law] to know I was participating in that which would have robbed my own children of life, it’s repulsive beyond words.”
Pro-life leaders are hopeful, Torre notes, that the bill upholding all pastors’ religious liberty rights (S. 50) will proceed soon in Congress.
LifeNews Note: Josh M. Shepherd has served in communications/marketing roles for the past 10 years at Focus on the Family and The Heritage Foundation. Reprinted with permission from Bound4LIFE. |
Boeing has released a video of its groundbreaking microlattice metal, which is “the world’s lightest material,” scientists say.
Microlattice is a 3D open-cellular polymer structure made out of small hollow metallic tubes, and represents a criss-cross diagonal pattern with small open spaces.
The video gives exciting examples of the substance’s possible use, such as new structural components in aerospace. Microlattice could save a lot of weight and make planes much more fuel-efficient.
Another example of the substance’s potential functions given by Sophia Yang, research scientist at HRL Laboratories, was the egg drop challenge: if you wrapped an egg in microlattice and dropped it from the 25th floor, you could easily win a bet as the substance would “absorb the force that the egg feels” and remain intact.
The microlattice was initially created in 2011, with the researchers saying that it is 100 times lighter than Styrofoam.
READ MORE: 100-fold: Origami planes may become reality as new technique makes paper much stronger
"The trick is to fabricate a lattice of interconnected hollow tubes with a wall thickness 1,000 times thinner than a human hair," lead author Dr Tobias Schaedler said.
Other ultralight substances that come to mind - aerogels and metallic foams – have random cellular structure, so they are less energy absorptive and strong.
The study was conducted at the University of California, Irvine, HRL Laboratories and the California Institute of Technology. |
DAVID GREGORY: What about the guy who does have interest in being re-elected. There are some who believe that he’s now heading into calmer waters for re-election and that he looks pretty good. Do you see that as a danger sign. Do you think President Obama looks good to be re-elected?
GEORGE CLOONEY: I think he’s always looked good to be re-elected, even before the field, as we’re still looking to find out what the field is, because I happen to believe that Democrats are just very poor in general at explaining what it is when they accomplish something, I think they’re pretty bad at it. Republicans are very good at it. You know, I’m an old Democrat but I grew up around a lot of Republicans and, you know, if I was a Republican, if Obama was a Republican, I would be selling all of the, you know, you saved the auto industry and you got Osama bin Laden and you passed a health care bill that nobody could pass — if that was a Republican issue. I would be able to sell his presidency as a very successful one. But Democrats are bad at that. We like to pick each other apart. That’s our thing, you know. So I think it’s going to be an interesting time, you know. Listen, The worst thing you could do is feel in any way safe or cocky about it because you will always lose. |
“Doctor, what’s that sound?”
The voice startled me. I was performing brain surgery on a woman with a tumor near the area that controls speech. I was removing much of her frontal lobe, in order to remove the tumor. To map her speech area with an electrical probe, I needed her to be awake. So I performed the surgery under mild local sedation only. The brain itself feels no pain.
It took me a moment to realize that it was my patient, not a nurse, speaking to me from under the surgical drapes. “Just the sound of the instruments,” I replied, not entirely candid. The sound was a lot of her frontal lobe going up my sucker into a canister.
“It’s loud,” she said, half-laughing from nervousness and a sedative. “How’s the operation going?”
“Fine. Everything’s going well. How do you feel?”
“OK. Sleepy. It doesn’t hurt.”
We chatted as I worked. She was drowsy, but quite coherent. She went on to recover nicely. Her tumor had been benign, and her prognosis was good.
Francis Crick, neuroscientist and co-discoverer of the helical structure of DNA, expressed the widespread view that the mind is a function of material stuff: “A person’s mental activities are entirely due to the behavior of nerve cells, glial cells, and the atoms, ions, and molecules that make them up and influenced them.” How, then, is it possible to converse with someone while removing the large portions of her brain that serve thought and reasoning?
I’m a neuroscientist and professor of neurosurgery. The mind-brain question haunts me. Neurosurgeons alter the brain on a daily basis, and what we find doesn’t fit the prevailing view that the brain runs the mind as computer hardware runs software.
I have scores of patients who are missing large areas of their brains, yet who have quite good minds. I have a patient born with two-thirds of her brain absent. She’s a normal junior high kid who loves to play soccer. Another patient, missing a similar amount of brain tissue, is an accomplished musician with a master’s degree in English.
How can this be? It wasn’t until I read Thomas Aquinas that I began to understand.
Aquinas began by reaching back to an earlier thinker. Following Aristotle, he posited that the human soul has three kinds of powers. It has vegetative powers, which serve physiological functions such as heartbeat, respiration, and metabolism. It has sensitive powers, such as sensation, perception, memory, sensitive appetite, and locomotion. The vegetative and sensitive powers are caused by matter, in a purely physical way.
But the human soul also has intellect and will, powers of a wholly different kind. With our intellect, we can think of universal concepts, such as mercy and justice and abstract mathematics. With our will, we can act on abstract principles. Because thinking of abstract concepts entails thoughts removed from particular things, Aquinas reasoned, intellect couldn’t be a material thing. Intellect and will are immaterial powers.
Aquinas taught that our soul’s immaterial powers are only facilitated by matter, not caused by it, and the correlation is loose. His insight presaged certain findings of modern neuroscience.
Wilder Penfield, an early-twentieth-century neurosurgeon who pioneered seizure surgery, noted that during brain stimulation on awake patients, he was never able to stimulate the mind itself—the sense of “I”—but only fragmented sensations and perceptions and movements and memories. Our core identity cannot be evoked or altered by physical stimulation of the brain.
Relatedly, Penfield observed that spontaneous electrical discharges in the brain cause involuntary sensations and movements and even emotions, but never abstract reasoning or calculation. There are no “calculus” seizures or “moral” seizures, in which patients involuntarily take second derivatives or ponder mercy.
Similar observations emerge from Roger Sperry’s famous studies of patients who had undergone surgery to disconnect the hemispheres of the brain. This was done to prevent seizures. The post-operative patients experienced peculiar perceptual and behavioral changes, but they retained unity of personal identity—a unified intellect and will. The changes Sperry discovered in his research (for which he won a Nobel Prize) were so subtle as to pass unnoticed in everyday life.
In the past decade, British researcher Adrian Owen has found using fMRI imaging that some patients with such severe brain damage that they are considered to be in a persistent vegetative state are actually capable of sophisticated thought. The “comatose” patients’ brain scans show that, in reply to questions by an examiner, the patients are in fact thinking and imagining.
The woman on the operating table who was talking to me while I removed her frontal lobe had both material and immaterial powers of mind. Our higher brain functions defy precise mapping onto brain tissue, because they are not generated by tissue, as our lower brain functions are.
Materialism, the view that matter is all that exists, is the premise of much contemporary thinking about what a human being is. Yet evidence from the laboratory, operating room, and clinical experience points to a less fashionable conclusion: Human beings straddle the material and immaterial realms.
We can do better science—and medicine—when we recognize that human beings have abilities that transcend reductionist material explanations. In this century of unprecedented advances in brain research, it’s remarkable that the deepest insights emerge from an ancient paradigm: Thomas Aquinas’s map of the soul.
Michael Egnor is a professor of neurological surgery at Stony Brook University School of Medicine.
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SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian police suspect a body discovered inside a charred vehicle in Rio de Janeiro is Greece’s ambassador to Brazil who went missing three days ago, television channel Globo reported on Thursday.
A police spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.
Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was last seen Monday evening leaving the home of friends of his Brazilian wife in a poor and violent suburb of Rio’s metropolitan area, police had said earlier on Thursday.
A Rio state police official said the ambassador’s wife reported him as missing on Wednesday.
Globo showed images of the burned-out white car in the Nova Iguacu neighborhood where the ambassador went missing. The station reported that the license plates on the car matched those of Amiridis’ rental vehicle.
An official at the Greek Embassy in Brasilia would not confirm the ambassador was missing, saying only that he was on vacation in Rio and expected to return to Brasilia on Jan. 9.
Rio police inspector Evaristo Pontes had earlier told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper that he did not believe the ambassador was kidnapped.
“We’re following some leads, but not that one. If it had been (a kidnapping), those who took him would have made contact by now,” he said.
Amiridis previously served as Greece’s consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004.
More recently he was Greece’s ambassador to Libya from 2012 until he took the top Brazil post at the beginning of 2016.
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said it had no comment on the case, other than to say it was being fully pursued by police.
In Athens, Greece’s Foreign Ministry had no comment. |
Almost everyone who has not been hiding under a rock in highsec and who has had access to community forums such as Reddit is well aware of the fact that there is a great deal of unrest in the South of New Eden at the moment.
Test Alliance Please Ignore and Circle of Two have had a recent falling out
Test Alliance Please Ignore (Test) and Circle of Two (Co2) have had a recent falling out due to an existing diplomatic tension. Not particularly understanding the current situation, many people have decided to jump on the blue donut bandwagon and the tinfoil-hat in support of the notorious russian RMT empire. I am here to shed a little bit of light on the current political drama in as simple a way as possible from the perspective of a line member / occasional lazy skirmish FC from within Test.
This entire mess all started during World War Bee, known as the Casino War among the Imperium, when Gigx of Circle of Two decided to betray the Imperium and switch sides, joining the Money Badger Coalition. The Imperium took this really personally and all of Eve united under the MBC banner due to an universal attitude of “grr Goons”. At the time we welcomed Gigx into the family, happy to have another ally; one already entrenched in Imperium space from which we could launch attacks deeper and deeper into their controlled territory. Test Alliance was riding high at that time, enjoying victory after victory and Test Alliance’s and Co2’s line members developed an incredibly deep friendship and mutual brotherhood while fighting a common enemy. This era of peace and brohood lasted until the action dried up and the Pandemic Family (Panfam) needed someone new to shoot because “content”.
they had lost the single greatest asset at their disposal to the largest super capital force in Eve Online
Co2 was chosen to be the next target of Panfam and they also happened to be our neighbors while living in Vale of the Silent. Having had a close working relationship between our alliances we (Test) jumped at the chance to help out our bros and brought 150+ in literally hundreds of fleets against the aggressors, standing side by side with Co2, fighting and losing against the largest numbers fielded by any military organization ever seen in the game. It was a long and hard fought defensive war and we bled together, but finally Co2 lost their capital system and Keepstar in M-O and was in the process of folding as an alliance. At that point it was over for Circle of Two; they had lost the single greatest asset at their disposal to the largest super capital force in Eve Online and with the massive amounts of time dilation our combined defensive fleet could do nothing but sit and watch as our friends’ home burned to the ground.
This is what people don’t understand, we were family, Test and Co2. We fought and bled together in the trenches in two massive wars against the most powerful people in New Eden. They were the one and only entity that we trusted beyond any shadow of doubt and for which we put everything on the line for. When Co2 fell we felt the loss so greatly and we valued our brotherhood so much that that same night we had announced a full and absolute evacuation of Vale of the Silent, and all of Test space, in order to go with the evacuating Co2 and take a new home for ourselves.
Together we invaded the south, fought Stainwagon, and won spectacularly a series of insanely lucky fights that allowed us to overwhelm and win the south. All of the Russian organizations fell like dominoes with the sole exception of Coven who fought tooth and nail every step of the way, making us fight grueling battles for every system we took. They were a fantastic enemy, and I have nothing but respect for them.
We took the south and Testco (Test/Co2), which would later become Legacy coalition, was born. And this is when things drastically began to change in our relationship.
I still don’t understand what happened, but Co2 became increasingly more and more isolationistic and stopped working with the larger group. Gigx is unstable, he has a powerful personality and a cult of influence about him and would frequently tell everyone to “Fuck off” and then go and do what he wanted. This was not necessarily a bad thing: a strong leader capable of making hard and quick decisions is an incredibly good asset to have. But we were working towards the benefit of all, securing Catch for our junior coalition members, helping them fight off invasions so they could grow and become better as alliances. We took in Brave and gave them a home among other groups who were farmed for content for a long time. We were the underdogs but still some people looked at us as the “big Papa” who keeps members around to just serve as a meatshield. But this is not the case, I have personally heard Sapporo Jones and Dran Arcana on multiple occasions bending over backwards and doing their absolute best to make sure our coalition members have everything they need to succeed. I have led fleets and seen many other show up to almost every single timer that was under threat to help our members.
And throughout all of this I only ever saw Co2, which whom we had been so close with until then, showing up just twice. We were supposed to be brothers in arms and our fates linked together.
But the communication had stopped and multiple times we reached out just to find out why and what was going on. In the end, Co2’s diplomats were fantastic but Gigx just told us to “go fuck yourselves” and that he would not even entertain talking with our Head Diplomat, Test’s de-facto second-in-command. I read the logs on Reddit of his conversation with Dran Arcana and I was heartbroken. I could not understand why our family for whom we’ve risked everything to build up would turn against us in such a fashion. At that point the deployment to the north happened and our deal with the russians was signed.
It was at this point that I took a break from Eve and as such I was not involved in the war in the north. I only have a cursory knowledge of what happened during that deployment, but aside from the cultural victory of retaking our home station of TVN in Vale of the Silent, it seemed to me to be a major defeat for my alliance. Test returned home, but during this time Gigx and Co2 were becoming increasingly more erratic and hostile towards FCON and the encroaching russian expansion. Co2’s diplomats had signed several agreements and pacts, alongside with the coalition, which were violated and thrown to the wayside. Gigx stated that he had not personally signed or made any agreements and according to the logs he was not even made aware that the diplo’s of his own alliance had made such agreements.
His response was “fuck everyone”. He did not personally agree to anything so therefore nothing was agreed to and he would burn everyone to the ground even if it cost him his entire alliance.
This was the moment of no return
This was the moment of no return, in order to use russian space to stage out of we agreed to fight on the russians side should they be invaded, and Gigx chose to throw in with Triumvirate to hit russian space. We had no choice, the council was summoned and a vote to expel our brothers was made. The relationship between Test and Co2 that had been built up through innumerable battles was just casually thrown away because of one single individual’s ego.
Our family was gone and broken apart, but we had forged a new one with the Legacy Coalition and the decisions we made we made for the benefit of the entire group and for the betterment of all. This is how I see things and how the vast majority of my fellow line members and lower ranking individuals feel. We look at the situation that has befallen us and it brings sorrow, but we continue and still hope that things can be resolved.
However, I don’t think it will. While Gigx wants to burn his alliance to the ground to get his way, we still share blood and many still have nothing but love for our Co2 bros. It’s just a shame that their leader has thrown that relationship away in favor of something else and chose not only to put a knife into our back, but to thoroughly twist it as well.
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc, scrambling to survive losses triggered by the credit crunch, unveiled plans to split in two and shed troubled assets, and reported a quarterly loss of $8.29 billion.
A man speaks on a mobile phone outside Citibank's offices in the Canary Wharf district of London, January 16, 2009. REUTERS/Andrew Winning
The banking giant also said it expected more departures from its embattled board, which is losing former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin as a director later this year.
Still, the bank’s shares rose 4 percent in premarket trading, in part because investors hoped the plan to separate its most troubled assets into a new company would help revive the company.
“It’s one of the first steps toward some positive news and the end of this nightmare,” said Michael Holland, founder of Holland & Co in New York, which manages more than $4 billion of investment.
Citigroup, whose shares have plunged 87 percent since the beginning of 2008, said it recorded $28.3 billion of writedowns and credit losses in the 2008 fourth quarter. Losses over the past 15 months total more than $92 billion.
The bank’s fourth-quarter loss was $8.29 billion, or $1.72 per share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $9.8 billion, or $1.99 a share. The most recent results included $3.9 billion of gains from the sale of it German retail bank.
BREAKING UP
Citigroup, once the champion of the “financial supermarket” model, is splitting into two operating units in what is known as a “good bank/bad bank” strategy. Critics of the bank, who argue it had become too big and complex to manage, have demanded a break-up for some time.
Citigroup’s core commercial, retail and investment banking worldwide — the good bank — will be reorganized as Citicorp and led by Citigroup Chief Executive Vikram Pandit.
Related Coverage INSTANT VIEW: Citigroup and Bank of America report results
The other unit — to be called Citi Holdings — will encompass brokerage, retail asset management, consumer finance and a pool of risky assets. The bank is considering selling off Citi Holdings assets, or letting them mature.
The bank said it was searching for someone to run Citi Holdings.
The break-up plan comes three days after Citigroup announced plans to sell its Smith Barney brokerage business to Morgan Stanley. Initially, Citigroup will own 49 percent of a venture comprising the brokerages of both banks. Morgan is expected to acquire full control after five years.
Citigroup will receive $2.7 billion upfront from Morgan as part of the deal, expected to close in the third quarter.
DEPRESSED RESULTS
Citigroup’s fourth-quarter revenue fell 13 percent to $5.6 billion, reflecting weak capital markets. It global credit card business saw revenue decline 27 percent on weakness in North America.
Consumer banking revenue declined 22 percent, driven by a 47 percent drop in investment sales. Its institutional clients group, securities and banking revenue was negative $10.6 billion, mainly due to net losses and writedowns of $7.8 billion.
“Our results continued to be depressed by an unprecedented dislocation in capital markets and a weak economy,” said Pandit.
Citigroup said its Tier 1 capital ratio, a measure of financial strength, stood at 11.8 percent at year-end, well above the level required by regulators.
Slideshow (2 Images)
The bank has sold $45 billion of preferred stock to the Treasury as part of the government’s effort to prevent the collapse of U.S. banks.
Citigroup also disclosed it was reviewing goodwill on its balance sheet to determine if it should record an impairment. Goodwill, the difference between what a company pays for an acquisition and its value, must be written down if a company believes the value of the acquired business will not recover.
Matt McCormick, portfolio manager at Bahl & Gaynor Investment Counsel in Cincinnati, said of the quarterly results, “I think people knew it was going to be bad, but I’m surprised it’s this bad.” |
Posted 03 April 2013 - 12:20 PM
Welcome to April! Teamplay takes a giant leap forward with the addition of new team structure elements. After reviewing the test branch, I'm incredibly excited to get this very important feature into the game. Since my last update, PAX East and GDC have come and gone. We have announced details about upcoming features like 12 V 12, Lobby, DirectX 11, UI 2.0 and Community Warfare. Along with a launch date of Late Summer 2013! This month we see the addition of several new features, consumables, and a new line of BattleMechs called Champions!
New Content:
`Mech of the Month - Highlander (19th)
Hero `Mech of the Month - Heavy Metal (2nd)
Champion `Mech - TBA (19th)
New Patterns - Digital (2nd) and Fractal (19th)
New Cockpit Items - BattleMech Statues (2nd)
New Modules - Air Strike and Artillery Improvment
Team Structure and BattleGrid Improvements
The team has been busy adding new functionality and roles into the command hierarchy. The first phase allows players to join two lances, each with a commander. Players will now see there lancemates name, health status, and grid location on the HUD. Lance Commanders will be able to issue lance commands via the BattleGrid. Company Commanders can now also issue orders to individual lances.
Artillery and Air Strike Consumables
Two new consumable items bring new tactical options to the battlefield, especially for scout players. Using line-of-sight targeting, players can elect to reign down a damaging barrage of focused artillery or linear air strikes on their enemies.
Champion BattleMechs
We’ve decided to add a new style of Hero BattleMech, one that represents the community – the Champion. Similar in nature to the Founder's BattleMechs, a Champion `Mech is based of an existing variant with a special permanent 5% XP boost and lower price point. Our first Champion BattleMech will be revealed on April 12th.
Improved Night and Thermal Vision
We have adjusted both Thermal and Night Vision modes to be better in different situations. Thermal Vision will no longer be the defacto standard, and Night Vision will have more uses than ever before. These improvements bring these modes closer to their intended original design.
Community Events
March saw more event testing, and better results, including an MC event for solo players. Expect two more main events in April as we continue to refine our scoring system! We plan to roll out team events in the coming months after we allow player to officially band together in units.
Performance
Host State Rewind (HSR) for ballistics will be going live on the 19th. Players with high pings will see a dramatic improvement in ballistic hit detection, similar to last month's HSR beam weapon fixes.
Behind the Scenes
A lot of work is going into UI 2.0, Community Warfare, and 12 V 12. Expect to see more details and feature rollouts over during the month of May, June, July. A signifcant portion of the team is dedicated to making these features happen. First up will be 12 V 12! |
Trial by jury, a cornerstone of the American justice system, has become a luxury North Carolina is struggling to afford.
At the current rate, the state court system says it will burn through the $3.6 million set aside to pay jurors by April 1.
To cover the last three months of the budget year ending June 30, the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts has ordered a 30-day hiring freeze and launched a statewide plan to lower the pay grade of all new employees.
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John Smith, executive director of the AOC, broke the news to the state’s judges during their annual meeting in October. It’s the latest in a series of financial setbacks that courts officials say has threatened the quality of justice statewide.
In Mecklenburg County, court officials say everything from a shortage of court reporters and clerks to a technology gap that grows wider by the day have led to longer lines at the courthouse and longer waits for residents to get their cases before a judge.
“If the story of judicial funding were in the Bible, it would be in the Book of Lamentations,” says veteran Charlotte attorney John Wester. “The cuts have come one after the other. ... It harms real people. In the end, the courts could lose the confidence of the very public that counts on them for relief.”
Consider:
• After the General Assembly cut its reimbursement in half (from $2.50 to $1.25 a page, the lowest in the country), two of Mecklenburg’s seven court reporters have left, citing the cut in reimbursement as a reason.
Court reporters, who are salaried state employees, are used in all civil and criminal trials in Superior Court. They receive additional income from preparing court transcripts, and the cut in reimbursement has cost them more than $5,000 a year.
Todd Nuccio, Mecklenburg’s trial court administrator, says that having fewer reporters has forced him to delay Superior Court trials on at least three occasions. In other cases, he says he has given the parties a choice: Hire your own reporter, or we’ll cancel or reschedule your case.
“That’s an unfortunate way of handling the courts,” Nuccio says. “If you have money, you get justice.”
• North Carolina already lags behind many of its peers in electronic filing and other technology advances that would make it easier for judges, lawyers and the public to navigate the judicial system and for all interested parties to know what’s going on.
Over the past five years, the courts have lost 25 percent of their technology staff to budget cuts, and court administrators say they’ve never gotten the necessary money to put electronic filing and other improvements in place. Thus, clerk of court offices across North Carolina suffer from paper bloat.
Mecklenburg County Bar president Carla Archie says the lack of an electronic filing system places an added burden on judges and attorneys – and, by extension, the public.
As a senior attorney for Wells Fargo, Archie says she has regular experience in out-of-state courts with electronic filing systems. To follow motions or otherwise stay up-to-date with a case is “very burdensome and much more difficult in North Carolina,” says Archie, who was elected to the Superior Court bench in November.
• As with many parts of state government, court jobs are being cut. Over the past five years, the state courts have lost 10 percent of their workers – 29 jobs in Mecklenburg County alone.
The end result: Court officials say the pace of justice has slowed statewide despite a steady drop in both civil and criminal cases.
In North Carolina, the median age of a civil case in Superior Court has grown by 20 days, or 14 percent, since 2010. More strikingly, the percentage of civil cases 2 years old or older has almost tripled. In criminal court, it has doubled.
The longer waits in civil court can be crippling for businesses that often must resolve legal issues before starting new initiatives, says Greg Hurley, a senior knowledge management analyst for the National Center of State Courts.
He says many state court systems have not recovered from the recession, when governments were forced by falling tax receipts to make massive cuts.
“The problem with the judiciary is it doesn’t own anything. It’s not like the highway department, which can take an extra year to fix a bridge to save money,” he says. “All the money goes directly into staff and salaries.”
State Rep. Leo Daughtry of Smithfield, a Republican who is an attorney and longtime advocate for the courts in the North Carolina legislature, said the needs of the courts have grown under years of inadequate budgets.
“Our software is something from the 1970s. We’re still all paper,” said Daughtry, co-chairman of the legislature’s Joint Oversight Committee for Justice and Public Safety. “Our courts have been conservative on what they’ve asked for. But if you get down to basics, the judicial branch has not been treated well.”
‘Nothing really changes’
North Carolina operates what is known as a “unified,” or centralized court system, which is run by the Administrative Office of the Courts. While Mecklenburg taxpayers largely built the new county courthouse, the state pays for virtually all the cost of courthouse personnel and operations, everything from the prosecutors to the public defenders, court reporters and judges. (Mecklenburg County appropriates about $3.9 million each year to pay for 69 court positions. Most of the money goes to the district attorney’s office, public defenders and to Nuccio’s operation each year.)
Almost 55 percent of the legal system’s budget comes from fees and other money collected by the courts; the rest comes from the legislature. In 2013, the General Assembly added or altered a number of fees – including the creation of a $20 charge for every motion filed in a civil case.
Court officials say their budgets have been stretched tighter in recent years. According to Nuccio, the statewide problem with juror costs stems from AOC efforts to bolster the budget of Family Court, which handles custody and other disputes in Mecklenburg and other larger counties.
Ironically, the shortfall was announced not long before voters approved a constitutional amendment giving defendants in more serious cases the choice to have a judge decide their cases, potentially cutting the number of jury trials.
In its last budget year, which ended in June, Mecklenburg held almost 270 jury trials in criminal cases, more than 13 percent of the state total. Mecklenburg juries heard 47 civil cases, 16 percent of the statewide total.
The county calls up to 50,000 jurors a year. They are paid $12 for the first day, $20 for the second through the fifth days, and $40 a day from that point on.
Most trials last two to three days, but murder trials and complex civil litigation can stretch on for weeks. The capital murder trial of Demarcus Ivey started Sept. 17 with jury selection. On Dec. 2, it ended with a hung jury. In between, the case ran up almost $25,000 in jury costs – with a retrial still to come.
Nuccio says the dwindling juror money provides another indication of the courts’ stretched finances. This month, the longtime court administrator gave his annual state of the courts presentation to the Mecklenburg legislative delegation. He said he thinks the local lawmakers understand.
“They recognize that there is a problem and that they need to do something about it,” Nuccio says. “But I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. Nothing really changes. We’ve never had the resources to provide our citizens with the proper access to justice that they deserve.”
‘A priority for us’
Daughtry, who also chairs the House Judiciary Committee, says the legal system’s standing in the legislature has been hurt by controversial rulings in both state and federal court – from redistricting to same-sex marriage.
“People want the courts to rule a certain way, and I think the courts having to say ‘no’ on occasion doesn’t make them popular,” he said. “The best thing we can do is explain to the members of the General Assembly that this is the most important of the three branches of government.
“We need to step up and find a way to increase the funding not only for jurors but for every segment of the court system.”
Mecklenburg’s state senators, Bob Rucho and Jeff Tarte, said Wednesday they had not heard about the pending shortage of juror money.
“Obviously that’s not an option,” said Tarte, a Republican. But he added that agencies across state government are pushing the General Assembly for money it doesn’t have or is spending elsewhere. “We operate like a United Way,” he said. “Everybody makes requests.”
Rucho says all state spending depends on the ability of the Republican-led state government to reform and control some $2 billion in Medicaid costs in a $21 billion state budget.
“The courts are a priority to us,” the Matthews Republican said. “When we get our financial house in order, these are the areas that the state should be taking responsibility for first.”
Yet Richard Boner, the presiding superior court judge in Mecklenburg County, said talk of better days ahead is the latest verse in “the same old song.” He says the budgets have gotten so bad in the past that lawyers have donated copy paper. The annual clerk of court barbecue was started to supplement that office’s budget.
“It’s the equivalent of a bake sale,” says Boner, who is retiring next month after 27 years on the bench. “The courts in North Carolina have never, and I underline ‘never,’ been completely funded, and it’s only gotten worse in the last 10 years.
“The courts are being starved.” Researcher Maria David contributed. |
The Jordan effect: Third of young women would swap IQ for larger breasts
They say it’s what’s inside that counts – but most young women in this country would beg to differ, it seems.
Shocking new research shows almost half of young women aged 18 to 25 would prefer to have large breasts than high intelligence - with a third even saying they would gladly swap.
Experts have blamed the growing obsession with celebrity culture among youngsters together with the burgeoning market for plastic surgery.
Shocking new research shows almost half of young women aged 18 to 25 would prefer to have large breasts like Katie Price's, left, than the high intelligence of women like the Deputy PM's wife and lawyer Miriam Clegg
The study, which has alarmed women’s groups, also found a quarter of those surveyed felt bigger breasts would make them feel ‘happier’.
And almost 60 per cent of the respondents believed that men would be ‘more interested’ in them romantically if they had bigger breasts.
It comes amid widespread concern about the pressures put on modern-day women through advertising and magazines.
Kat Banyard from women’s group UK Feminista said: ‘Women face now unprecedented pressures to focus on their body.
‘Industries that focus on the way women look are flourishing – and that means that from a very early age, women are taught that the way they look matters more than what they do.
‘The consequences of this can manifest in eating disorders or extreme measures such as plastic surgery.
‘These figures show that women still loathe their bodies on an industrial scale.’
Despite forgetting her lines, Jordan, who recently took part in a debate at Cambridge University beat the opposing team and got a loud cheer from the audience
The survey of 1,142 women by the discount website by www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk aimed to discover more about the attitudes young women hold towards brains and beauty.
In contrast with bigger breasts would attract more men, just 43 per cent felt that men would be ‘more interested’ in them if they had a higher IQ.
Researchers also found around 40 per cent of respondents would rather have a ‘slim figure’ than high intelligence, with many stating that it would make them feel ‘more confident’.
Almost the same percentage of people said they would swap their IQ in order to be their ‘ideal dress size’.
When it came to relationships, most women felt men ‘valued’ intelligence in women, although two thirds said they felt appearance was more important when attracting a partner.
The same was true in the workplace, with almost half believing that being ‘attractive’ would also further a woman in her career.
Almost 80 per cent also felt they were judged more so on their appearance than their intelligence.
Mamta Saha, psychologist, said: ‘Celebrity culture is much more accessible than it ever was before. We are bombarded with images of beautiful women with enhanced features such as full lips and large chests.
‘It’s easy to look at these women and make the connection between the way they look and success – but this can turn into an unhealthy fixation. |
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a wealthy former businessman who put up millions of his money to help his two campaigns, is refusing to hand over detailed financial information that could answer whether he is violating a state ethics law.
Lawyers for Democratic candidate George Sheldon sought the information as part of their ongoing lawsuit that contends Scott is failing to report his actual wealth as required under the state's financial disclosure requirements. Sheldon, who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for attorney general, filed the lawsuit in October.
Court filings show lawyers hired privately by Scott are vigorously fighting a request to turn over information on trust accounts maintained by Scott and his wife, first lady Ann Scott. Sheldon's attorney is also seeking information on a financial adviser handling Scott's money.
"I was surprised to see the governor of Florida claim his finances are private, when in fact the constitution provides they are public," said Don Hinkle, the attorney representing Sheldon.
Scott's lawyers, who have termed the request "blatant harassment" in court documents, maintain that the information sought by Hinkle is "highly confidential" or irrelevant to the underlying lawsuit.
Scott attorney Pete Dunbar said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the court filings. Scott spokeswoman Jackie Schutz said Scott is following the law.
"This is nothing more than a frivolous partisan attack launched during a campaign," Schutz said in an email.
During his first run in 2010, Scott, a multimillionaire, released his tax returns and a lengthy list of business holdings. Shortly after he took office, he received permission from the state's ethics commission to set up a blind trust to remove direct control over his finances. The trust is managed by a company that includes a longtime business associate of Scott.
Legislators in 2013 passed a law that authorizes blind trusts.
Last summer, though, Scott briefly dissolved the trust and released information about his individual holdings. He also released his joint tax returns with wife that gave a much broader picture of Scott's finances. The tax returns showed that the Scott family earns millions more than the governor reported he earned individually.
Sheldon maintains that Scott is flouting the 2013 law because filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show he had substantially larger holdings in several companies than what he reported to the state. The lawsuit contends there are trusts, separate from Scott's blind trust, that are investing in the same companies, and that the SEC forms list the multiple trusts as being connected to Scott.
Scott's lawyers say the lawsuit is "misleading" and they have explained the differences between SEC filings and state filings as primarily due to the involvement of Ann Scott. Florida law does not require spouses of elected officials to reveal their financial holdings.
Dunbar has asked a circuit judge to throw out the lawsuit because he argues that any complaint about Scott's financial disclosure should be handled by the state ethics commission and not in court. |
Andrew S Tacoma 19 minutes ago The reaction from black male activists will be predictable. No one ever brings up how Black Panther Huey Newton killed a woman for calling him "baby" and got off scott free despite bragging it. Yet a similar crime whites committed towards a black male named Emett Till is still brought up in order to shame whites today.
There are a list of people- Don Imus, Anthony Cumbia, Michael Richards, Paula Deen, Donald Sterling, etc, etc who've had their careers and reputations ruined for slights against blacks. Can anyone think of one black male who has suffered any similar consequences? Imus called black woman "nappy headed hos", Cumbia called a black woman who attacked him "an animal", Sterling made vague comments in an illegally taped phone call, and Deen used a word decades ago that Jesse Jackson used towards Obama recently. Why are these people punished through the teeth by the same lobby groups that will quickly rush to Parkers defense? None of the people above committed anything but thought crimes. Black male egos are treated an though they were more important than anything on earth and the left capitulates to this again and again. Flag
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Ally Faro Philadelphia, PA 19 minutes ago Well, this is disappointing. Dr. Gay is an academic who presumably had to study a canon full of men and women who engaged in atrocities far worse than anything Nate Parker did to get her degrees. Would she recommend that major works in literature be dismissed and ignored only to be replaced with people she deems good and decent? My bookshelves, music and film libraries are littered with people I would unequivocally consider scum. However, I am not inclined to neuter my intellectual and creative development in order to feel at ease in some constructed reality where everything I encounter aligns with my personal values. Flag
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J C 19 minutes ago Mr. Parker seems like a guy I would dislike and perhaps hate. His opinions on women and homosexuals are despicable. But the case Ms. Gay presents against him could be made against almost anyone, guilty or not.
- "solipsism" should not be unexpected from someone who believes--and was judged--not guilty.
- "there is nothing at all to be gained by going public." On what planet does there need to be something "to be gained" in order that someone does something? There are tons of examples where people have made crazed accusations for no apparent or obvious gain.
- you are purposefully confusing his statements that he is "changed" with an admission of guilt for the crime for which he was accused and cleared. He could be--and likely is--saying that he is changed such that he is never put in a position where he would need to defend himself from such accusations. That is, he no longer is having drunken sex with women.
- "the statement seems heartfelt enough, but..." So, do you feel it seems heartfelt or not? How could it "seem" heartfelt to you if you in fact do not believe it to be heartfelt? You speaking out of both sides of your mouth.
Again, there are facts about Mr. Parker that make me dislike him intensely. But your "case" against him is loopy and not grounded in anything but innuendo and an obvious (and I'm sure justified) deep personal injury. I sympathize with your hurt, but reject your right to condemn an exonerated person publicly with basically no evidence. Flag
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Concerned Ga 19 minutes ago Rape is a unique crime
A man was accused of murder 17 years ago. If he is acquitted then becomes a famous actor what would be appropriate. 1. Does he have right to peace since he is "innocent"2. Does the public have a right to cajole contrition, etc? 3. Or is it justice to assume he was guilty and have mainstream media replay this.
The times has written 3 pieces on this in less than 3 days. His past was known, this is not new info. What is new is that he has a movie and is up for awards. The timing of all this curious. If he's a bad person then please don't wait for his success to destroy him
If an acquitted criminal accusation from 17 years ago is forever to linger then we shouldn't bother having legal precedings. The accusation itself should be a scarlet letter to destroy someone. But it's not all crimes. It's just rape. It's sparks an emotional response because it's a terrible crime but I think people lose their sanity. Rolling Stones shows that just the accusations alone leads to a guilty until proven innocent frame of mind. Apparently even when you're acquitted then you must 17 years later be punished by women as if you're guilty.
B rothlisberger, steelers, had detailed rape allegations in 2009 and 10. He settled out of court and never apologized. Shouldn't the times rehash this every time he plays a game. Where's the outrage?
Asking the media for answers. Is rape the unique crime? Does the accusation alone allow media to destroy you. Can you be acquitted of rape? Flag
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CNB Los Angeles 19 minutes ago I know the justice system is seriously flawed, but he was acquitted. Evidence was presented to a jury of his peers and they acquitted him. To continue to hold this incident over his head for the rest of his life is unjust. Flag
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Common Sense New Jersey 19 minutes ago Parker's case sounds like the sleazebuckets on the Duke Lacrosse team several years ago. He is by all accounts a despicable human being. But we can't say that he's a criminal, or a rapist. As with those awful Duke kids, who wrote about skinning a woman alive, we need not have any sympathy for him. But the court system is all we have for criminal guilt or innocence. Flag
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hguy nyc 19 minutes ago Good heavens, everyone dissociates artists from their art. If they didn't, no one would be enjoying anything. Jews have to do this to listen to Wagner or Richard Strauss, to give just one example. There are many more — a myriad of them. Every member of any affinity group deals with this. If it's a good movie, it's a good movie, period. Flag
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Drutas New York 19 minutes ago Beautifully thought through and written. Well done Roxane. Flag
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Karen NYC 25 minutes ago Amen and brava Roxane.
Has Nate Parker considered putting any of that 17 million aside for the ongoing care of his victim's child? Flag
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SteveRR CA 25 minutes ago "Mr. Parker was acquitted...."
Unless you have some personal - and unreported - insights that were not shared in the courtroom - your behavior and your commentary is irrationally reprehensible. Flag
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Allen Roth NYC 33 minutes ago I too, have struggled with this issue.
But there is a difference between the artistic evaluation of works and the personal enjoyment of and inspiration by them. I have not seen any of Woody Allen's films in a theatre since the revelation of his relationship with his then-girlfriend's adopted daughter. I have no opinion about their artistic merit, but I simply cannot bring myself to sit down and enjoy these films.
With regard to Wagner or Dickens, the events of a hundred years ago may not have the immediacy necessary to engage my disgust, and it's difficult to compare them to contemporary events, at least for me.
Consequently, I too am troubled by the revelations about Mr Parker, guilty or not. Flag
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Lucian Roosevelt London 33 minutes ago Imagine if Nate Parker were found guilty, his accuser went on to become an accomplished film director and the media covered the incident as though the woman made the story up and Parker was unjustifiably convicted? Flag
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Yellow Bird Washington DC 33 minutes ago Guilty even if found not guilty. Flag
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Ann VA 33 minutes ago Let's see how he feels when his daughters start dating. He may not understand it now but I bet he will then. Flag
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Emily New York 33 minutes ago The author did a great job of capturing the awful nuance in this situation. Flag
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Lucian Roosevelt London 33 minutes ago A jury of his peers acquitted Nate Parker of all criminal charges against him.
Why is the media assuming the woman was telling the truth and Parker somehow evaded justice? Flag
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Susan H SC 33 minutes ago Some accusations are false. Happened to a relative of mine after he received a small inheritance. Accuser planned to sue him for the money. Turned out after lawyer paid there wasn't any to sue for but my relative got 14 years in prison because he insisted he was innocent so the judge threw the book at him! Flag
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K. NY 33 minutes ago This story says it all about rape culture. This is such a Stone Age crime. We are in the 21st century...aren't we? Thank you, Roxane Gay, for stating it so well. Flag
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Hayden C. Brooklyn 33 minutes ago I can't help but compare the lack of hoopla over this incident and lack of support the victim got when she was being harassed (which is why she got a settlement from the University) to the outrage generated by the accusations of the woman in the Duke Lacrosse case and Tawana Brawley, both which turned out to be hoaxes. White on black rape is very rare but it gets such a disproportionate amount of outrage and media attention that you would think it makes up most rapes in America. Ditto for white on black violence in general.
To those who say "he was found not guilty". Well, so well George Zimmerman.
To those who say it was 17 years ago. Paula Deen had her empire taken away from her when it came to light she made anti-black slurs 2 decades earlier.
There is a hierarchy in America. Slights against blacks from non-blacks are treated like crimes against humanity. Black on non-black violence doesn't generate even 1% as much outrage and past injustices are quickly brought up. Spare me the people who start babbling about Woody Allen and Polanski. How about asking yourself what the consequences would be if Parker was white or Jewish and the victim black? His career would be over. But since it is a black on white incident the race card will be played with great success. And the black race card trumps all in America. A white woman who made a racial slur towards a black man 17 years ago wouldn't be as quickly defended or forgiven as Parker will be. Flag
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MIckey New York 33 minutes ago How Republican.
Justifying rape.
And he wonders at their condemnation.
Jeez - the break! Give me a break! Flag
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KVM St. Augustine 33 minutes ago Excellent, well-written article that makes some worthwhile points. This certainly is a lousy story with a tragic ending. Unfortunately, this type of situation occurs all too often with athletes, especially, it seems, in football and basketball, at both the collegiate and professional levels. Both sexes bear responsibility, but males are more responsible than females. Does it take a 'real' man to back away from such a situation and just head home alone? What about team sponsored discussions before the season starts? Coaches and their staffs have to set the appropriate parameters for some success to be achieved. Periodic monitoring during the season is a good idea too. But in the end, it is one's personal morality that is the key factor.
Let's hear some public commentary from some athletes and celebrities on this issue. Flag
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Sasha Love Austin TX 33 minutes ago I can't forgive rape, let alone the gang rape of an unconscious and drunk female, despite the pleading by three men that an unconscious woman she gave her consent. No wonder why she killed herself -- the act they committed against her was soul destroying.
There is a huge list of male athletes and celebrities who have raped and/or killed women including: Oscar Pistorius, Kobi Bryant, Ben Roethlisberger, Jonathan Dwyer, Adrian Peterson, Aaron Hernandez, Bill Cosby, Woody Allen, and now Nate Parker. The violence they commit against women while not in the limelight is a true reflection of the truly awful people they are. Flag
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harrific New York 33 minutes ago This is an age old debate: can one separate the art from the person creating the art? The answer: it depends. For Woody Allen, it seems as though the majority of people deeply revere and continue to watch his films. However, perhaps our disregard for Allen's past indiscretions are due to a) Allen being one of the most influential filmmakers of the past 50 years, and b) his continuing ability to create good films, and c) an obvious detachment from himself and his work that is not seen in the work of Cosby. So, if A Birth of a Nation is a good film, I think it will be judged as a good film, just as is the case with the bulk Polanski's work (Chinatown, The Pianist, etc) Flag
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SAS Los Angeles 33 minutes ago I have an idea... maybe to show his sincere regret and to prove his commitment to protecting women against other men who will later have such "painful moments" to recall as they bask in their success, maybe he could donate a million dollars to a rape crisis center. I'm certain his wife and daughters who he so blatantly and cynically uses as he hides behind their skirts would appreciate it.
I'm an African American woman. I've never been raped but I sincerely feel for all those who have been tortured in that manner.
I will not see Mr. Parker's movie and I will tell all of my friends, male and female, all races, creeds and color to spend their money elsewhere. Has he ever even apologized? Two little words, "I'm sorry". I'll bet the answer is one little word, "no". Flag
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Larry Bole Boston 33 minutes ago "...the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?
During the life of any heart this line keeps changing place; sometimes it is squeezed one way by exuberant evil and sometimes it shifts to allow enough space for good to flourish. One and the same human being is, at various ages, under various circumstances, a totally different human being. At times he is close to being a devil, at times to sainthood. But his name doesn't change, and to that name we ascribe the whole lot, good and evil."
--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, from "The Gulag Archipelago" Flag
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Four cases that could re-shape the country will be heard when the Supreme Court meets this term without Justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia consistently expressed conservative views when reviewing court cases. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)
The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia casts a cloud of uncertainty over a Supreme Court term filled with some of the most controversial issues facing the nation: abortion, affirmative action, the rights of religious objectors to the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act, and the president’s powers on immigration and deportation.
An eight-member court could split on all of those issues. If the court ties in deciding a case, the decision of the appeals court remains in place, without setting a nationwide precedent.
Pending a new justice, the court now has three consistent conservatives — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. — and Anthony M. Kennedy, like Scalia a Reagan appointee but one who often sides with the court’s liberals on social issues, such as same-sex marriage.
The court has four consistent liberals: Ruth Bader Ginsburg plus Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
Here are the key cases to know:
Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin
The Supreme Court in July agreed to consider again whether race-conscious college admission plans are constitutional. Two years ago, the court voted 7 to 1 to send the University of Texas at Austin’s plan back for further judicial review and told the lower court to apply the kind of rigorous evaluation that must accompany any government action that considers race.
That ruling was largely seen as a punt on the part of a deeply divided court: The ruling stopped short of forbidding the consideration of race, significantly altering the court’s prescription of how such programs should operate, or even passing judgment on the UT program at issue.
Upon reconsideration, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit once again upheld the program. In a 2-to-1 vote, the panel said it was applying “exacting scrutiny,” but it concluded that UT’s limited consideration of race was “necessary” and narrowly tailored to meet the university’s compelling interest in achieving student-body diversity.
Lawyers opposed to affirmative action and representing Abigail Fisher, a white woman who was denied admission to UT and filed suit in 2008, said the lower court had ignored the Supreme Court’s instructions.
The court already was working with one less justice in this case; Kagan sat it out, presumably because she worked on the issue when she was Obama’s solicitor general. That means only seven justices would decide whether the appeals court was correct to uphold the program.
Read more about the case.
Washington Post reporter Robert Barnes explains where the Supreme Court stands after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia and how the vacant seat will impact the presidential election. (Whitney Leaming/The Washington Post)
United States vs. Texas
The Supreme Court is also considering whether President Obama exceeded his powers in trying to shield millions of illegal immigrants from deportation. The order protects more than 4 million people who are parents of citizens or of lawful permanent residents and allows them to “come out from the shadows” to work legally, as Obama put it when announcing the program in November 2014.
The executive action was put on hold by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. A split court would uphold that decision and keep Obama from implementing it before he leaves office next January.
Arguments are scheduled for April.
Read more about the case.
Zubik v. Burwell
Also before the court is another challenge to the Affordable Care Act, this time over whether religiously affiliated organizations such as universities, hospitals and charities can be free from playing any role in providing their employees with contraceptive coverage.
The case pits questions of religious liberty against a woman’s right to equal health-care access, and it will be the fourth time the court has considered some aspect of what has come to be known as Obamacare.
Most appeals courts that have decided the controversy found in favor of the Obama administration. But one did not. Presumably, a split court would mean the law is interpreted differently depending on the region of the country.
Read more about the case.
Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole
The Supreme Court next month is set to hear its most consequential abortion case in nearly a quarter of a century, agreeing to determine how far states may go in regulating the procedure without violating a woman’s constitutional rights.
The case from Texas will affect women across the nation. Numerous states have enacted restrictions that lawmakers say protect a woman’s health but that abortion providers contend are merely a pretext for making it more difficult to obtain an abortion or even making the procedure unavailable within a state’s borders.
Abortion providers say full implementation of the Texas law passed in 2013 would reduce from 42 to 10 the number of clinics in the nation’s second-largest state. The court took no action on a case from Mississippi, where a similar law would close the state’s only clinic if it were allowed to proceed. That law was stopped in a lower court.
The outcome of the Texas case will turn on an interpretation of the court’s ruling nearly 25 years ago in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. It said states had a legitimate interest in regulating abortion procedures but could not impose an “undue burden” on a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability.
Read more about the case.
1 of 20 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × The life of conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia View Photos Antonin Scalia, the influential and most provocative member of the Supreme Court, has died. He was 79. Caption Antonin Scalia, the influential and most provocative member of the Supreme Court, has died. He was 79. Oct. 8, 2010 Justice Antonin Scalia at the Supreme Court. Larry Downing/Reuters Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
[Obama says he’ll nominate a replacement]
[What happens when a Supreme Court justice dies] |
Among the “big four” of Swedish death metal – the other three being, naturally, Entombed, Grave and Dismember – Kungsängen, Stockholm’s Unleashed are possibly the least feted, but maybe the most reliable and consistent. Having plied their trade now for over 25 years, 2015’s “Dawn of the Nine” represents their twelfth full-length studio outing, following on from 2012’s acclaimed “Odalheim” and showing no signs of fatigue. These days, their characteristic sound is one most listeners would associate with their more famous national compatriots Amon Amarth, but compared to the younger band’s penchant for splashier imagery and songwriting, there’s something satisfyingly pure and archetypal about Unleashed’s bare-bones, no-nonsense riffcraft. “Dawn of the Nine” indulges in no trickery and no feints in the direction of complexity – just ten explosive, catchy, heavy anthems to atavism and Viking pride.
Unleashed’s appeal is primitive, almost lizard-like in the way that it appeals to the Neanderthal attraction to deep, loud sounds and the impulse to pay them reverence and respect. This is “heavy” music in the most literal sense of the term, in that the instrumental work conveys the impression of great weight and density in motion. Rhythm guitar that sounds like it could carve furrows in the earth moves in lockstep with the bass guitar and the resonant double kick drumming, digging into writhing, undulating grooves ideally calibrated to the rhythms of mosh pits. Johnny Hedlund’s gravelly, insinuating purr is perfect garnish to the instrumentation, thickening the album’s considerable mass still further (if nothing else, this record is the perfect riposte to any non-converts who claim death metal vocals are unintelligible – a great many clean vocalists don’t enunciate half this clearly). Slower tracks (e.g. “The Bolt Thrower”; the title track) flirt with the sense of cavernous mass one would associate with traditional doom metal – faster, more aggressive numbers (“Where is Your God Now?”; “Land of the Thousand Lakes”) weave their way through arcing, serpentine tremolo riffs.
Though the comparison might not be intuitive, Unleashed remind me somewhat of the songwriting principles of Grand Magus, a band advocating the same back-to-basics, pure-and-heavy philosophy on the non-extreme side of the metal spectrum. Much like Grand Magus, Unleashed’s lack of structural or technical complexity belies the craftsmanship at work in their songs – their economic concision, the way they flow organically, each passage feeding into the next while preserving a sense of continuity and momentum.
That being said, “Dawn of the Nine” didn’t ingratiate itself to me right away – the first few tracks err a bit too much on the side of conservatism. “A New Day Will Rise” and “They Came to Die” manage to lapse into repetitiousness even when both of them clock in well under four minutes, leaning too heavily on a single riff idea and a single chorus each (I lost track of how many times I heard “Our time will come! A new day will rise!” repeated), ending before they have the opportunity to introduce any interesting variation.
The album picked up for me a few tracks in with the incendiary lead single “Where is Your God Now?” which ups the aural violence quotient, and “The Bolt Thrower” (a title I choose to interpret as a tribute to the British death metal legends whose style aligns nicely with Unleashed’s own), a pulsating mid-tempo grind that compels the listener to match its menacing rhythm. It’s fair to say that the second half of “Dawn of the Nine” is generally stronger than the first, with songs tending towards fuller structures and catchy, well-phrased guitar solos. The six-and-a-half-minute title track is particularly praiseworthy, probably my favourite song on the album, beginning as a stupendously heavy slow stomp before transitioning midway through into a propulsive bridge with a perfectly timed break.
“Dawn of the Nine” breaks no new ground (indeed, it actively shies away from doing so), and isn’t consistent enough to be an outstanding example of its genre the way, say, Vader’s “Tibi et Igni” was last year – for all that it contains its share of excellent riffs, it has its moments where it feels like it’s idling in third gear. Nevertheless, it’s a worthy entry into the canon of Swedish death metal, and a testament to the longevity of Unleashed that they’re still going this strong twelve albums deep into their career. Pleasingly old-school, and conservative to a fault – it’s an album which you almost certainly already know if you’ll like or not.
Track List:
01) A New Day Will Rise
02) They Came to Die
03) Defenders of Midgard
04) Where is Your God Now?
05) The Bolt Thrower
06) Let the Hammer Fly
07) Where Churches Once Burned
08) Land of the Thousand Lakes
09) Dawn of the Nine
10) Welcome the Son of Thor!
Rating: 7/10
Written by: Andrew
Label: Nuclear Blast Records (US) / CD / NB 32310
Death Metal |
The New York Giants and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul have agreed to a four-year contract, the team announced Friday.
Pierre-Paul received a $62 million contract with $40 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN. The total value of the deal could reach $66 million if incentives are met.
Editor's Picks Giants make massive move by agreeing to long-term deal with Jason Pierre-Paul By agreeing to a deal, Jason Pierre-Paul gets the security he has long desired and the Giants secured one of the NFL's top defensive end tandems.
"This is where I wanted to be," Pierre-Paul said. "I couldn't imagine me being anywhere else. I'm back for four years, and I'm ready to get after it.
"It means a lot to me, because I started here, and obviously I want to finish here. I've seen a lot of guys come and go, especially in my [draft] class. I'm the only one left in my class here. It means a lot. We won a Super Bowl here, and I'm looking forward to putting a fifth trophy in the case."
The NFL Network first reported the terms of Pierre-Paul's contract.
The Giants used the franchise tag on Pierre-Paul last month for a one-year contract worth $16,934,000. The new deal should offer some salary-cap relief to the Giants, who were just $3,918,376 under the cap as of Friday morning, according to NFL Players Association records.
Only two teams, the Los Angeles Rams and the Detroit Lions, had less cap room before this agreement.
Pierre-Paul, a two-time Pro Bowler, posted a photo on Instagram of him signing his new contract.
He also tweeted that the deal was official after initially casting doubt on the reports earlier Friday that he had reached an agreement with the Giants.
Pierre-Paul had been craving long-term security as he enters his eighth season with the Giants.
"I'm not playing on no one-year deal," he said after missing the Giants' season-ending loss to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs following sports hernia surgery. "I've proved it. I've showed it. There is not really another guy like me out here doing it with seven and a half fingers still."
Pierre-Paul, 28, re-established himself last season after a fireworks accident on July 4, 2015, that cost him his right index finger and parts of several others. He had seven sacks in 2016 and was tied for the NFL lead with eight batted passes before the sports hernia surgery ended his season early.
Despite some doubts that he would ever approach his previous form, Pierre-Paul was strong against the run and as a pass-rusher last season despite his limitations. He believed it was enough to earn him the long-term deal he had been seeking for several years.
Pierre-Paul was given the franchise tag in 2015, before the fireworks accident. He played the 2016 season on a one-year deal worth just under $10 million.
A 2010 first-round pick out of South Florida, Pierre-Paul was a key member of the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI team. He had 16.5 sacks in 2011 to earn an All-Pro nod.
"We're happy to get a long-term deal with Jason," general manager Jerry Reese said in a statement. "Not only is he one of our best players, he is one of our leaders."
The Giants also announced Friday that they had re-signed quarterback Josh Johnson and guard John Jerry. |
FFRK - Dragon Quest 5 event - Part 1 - 天の花嫁 a guest Jan 17th, 2016 479 Never a guest479Never
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rawdownloadcloneembedreportprintdiff text 6.19 KB FFRK - Dragon Quest 5 event - Part 1 - 天の花嫁 (The Heavenly Brides) - New Characters: Bianca Whitaker: Weapons: Dagger, Sword, Whip, Staff, Rod Equipment: Bracer, Light Armor, Robe, Hat, Helmet, Armor 5* Support, 4* Celerity, 4* Dancer, 4* Black Magic, 4* Combat Level 80: 5200 HP, 150 ATK, 122 DEF, 140 MAG, 110 RES, 120 MND, 24 ACC, 24 EVA, 145 SPE Default SB: Bounce: Gives Reflect to one Ally RM1: Charm of Whealbrook: Character gains Physical Blink I and Magic Blink I when HP is low. RM2: Uptaten's Gift: Character gains 50% resistance to Instant Death Nera Briscoletti: Weapons: Dagger, Whip, Staff, Rod Equipment: Bracer, Robe, Hat 5* Black Magic, 5* White Magic, 4* Dancer, 4* Celerity Level 80: 4000 HP, 37 ATK, 90 DEF, 180 MAG, 180 MND, 90 RES, 24 ACC, 24 EVA, 118 SPE Default SB: Sage Stone: R35 Cure to all Allies RM1: Charm of Mostroferrato: +20% chance of getting a Potion, Hi-Potion, or Elixir after a battle. RM2: Briscoletti Benevolence: Entire party but the character who equips this RM gets +5% Attack and Magic. Character with this RM gets Sap. Debora Briscoletti: Weapons: Dagger, Fist, Sword, Whip, Hammer, Axe Equipment: Bracer, Robe, Light Armor, Hat 5* Black Magic, 5* Combat, 4* Darkness, 4* Monk Level 80: 4500 HP, 160 ATK, 95 DEF, 175 MAG, 90 MND, 100 RES, 25 ACC, 25 EVA, 165 SPE Default SB: Kasizzle: 250% magical Fire damage to all targets RM1: Wealth of Monstroferrato: 50% chance of gaining 2x Gil after a battle RM2: Briscoletti Insanity. Entire party but the character who equips this RM gets Sap. Character with this RM gets +20% Attack and Magic. - Character Relics: Bianca's SSB - Gringham Whip [+10 ATK] - Whip - 118 ATK, 95 MAG, 95 ACC -SSB: 天の花嫁のオーラ (Heavenly Bride's Aura) : Reduce 20% of all enemies' resistance to Breaks for 50 seconds, followed with a 60% Attack and Magic Reduction (Unique effect) for 25 seconds Bianca's SB - Golden Tiara - Hat - 20 ATK, 70 DEF, 20 MAG, 100 RES, 100 EVA -SB: 100の鬼の援助 (100 Monsters' Aid) : 10 non-elemental ranged physical hits (475% Potency total) and 40% Defense and Resistance Reduction to all enemies for 20 seconds (Unique effect) Nera's SSB - Princess's Robe [+10 MND] - Robe - 80 DEF, 28 MAG, 30 MND, 120 RES, 100 EVA -SSB: 花嫁の高貴な同情 (Bride's Noble Compassion) : +200% DEF and RES to all Allies, Insulate to all Allies Nera's SB - Staff of Antimagic - Staff - 1 ATK, 115 MAG, 116 MND, 30 RES, 90 ACC -SB: 上品な母の献身 (Devotion of a Graceful Mother) : +30% Resistance to all Allies (Unique effect) for 25 seconds, Magic Blink II to all Allies, 40% Magic Reduction to all enemies for 25 seconds Debora's SSB - Diamond Akillics [+10 MAG] - Fist - 100 ATK, 115 MAG, 95 ACC -SSB: 完全に花嫁の懲戒処分 (Bride's Disciplinary Actions to Perfection) : Saps all Allies, deals 1250 fixed damage to all Allies (counts as recoil), +30% ATK+DEF+MAG+RES to all Allies (Unique effect) for 25 seconds, Haste to all Allies Debora's SB - Angel Leotard - Light Armor - 10 ATK, 110 DEF, 10 MAG, 110 RES, 100 EVA -SB: 敵に花嫁の最終的な罰 (Bride's Ultimate Punishment to her Enemies) : 8 Dark magical hits (1500% Potency total) to all enemies, Stuns (100%) all enemies - New Abilites: Insulate - 4* White Magic : Grants one character an immunity to all negative statuses (any effect that can be dissipated by Esuna). Starts off at 4 Uses, gains two after each hone. [Crafting Recipe: 5 Greater White Orbs, 4 Greater Holy Orbs, 4 Greater Earth Orbs] Absorb Magic - 5* Black Magic : Grants self Runic for 15 seconds. NO Magic Lure effect. Starts off at 1 Use, gains one after each hone. [Crafting Recipe: 4 Major Black Orbs, 4 Major Earth Orbs] - Misfortune+ Boss: Priest Ladja: HP: 368,647 Target Scores: Defeat Ladja without Bianca, Nera, or Debora being KO'd Use Dispel on Ladja Do NOT cast Haste, Shellga, or Protectga on your characters NOT resistant to Attack and Magic Breaks, Resists Defense and Resistance Breaks No status vunerabilites, besides positive statuses *Beginning of battle interrupt: "You think you can defeat me?" "Stupid foolish meddlers!" Kafrizzle: Deals MASSIVE fire magical damage to one target. [Nearly a guaranteed OHKO] *50%-100%: Attack: Inflicts 20% Defense break on one target, followed by a moderate physical attack on said target. Kafrizz: Deals heavy fire magical damage to one target. Kasizz: Deals moderate fire magical damage to all targets. Kacrack: Deals moderate ice magical damage to all targets. Kawoosh: Deals moderate wind magical damage to all targets. Kaboom: Deals moderate non-elemental magical damage to all targets. Kazam: Deals heavy dark magical damage to one target. *75% interrupt: "You are testing my patience!" Disruptive Wave: Removes ALL buffs, debuffs, and statuses from all targets, including effects like SG/SS2, Focus, Breakdowns, and regen etc. *0-75%: Interrupts right before his turn, EVERY TURN Disruptive Wave: Removes ALL buffs, debuffs, and statuses from all targets, including effects like SG/SS2, Focus, Breakdowns, and regen etc. *50% interrupt: "Hah hah..." "You think I'm going to lose so easily?!" Fianchetto: Grants Haste, Heavy Regen, Protectga, Shellga *0-50%: Heavy blow: Inflicts 30% Defense break on one target, followed by a moderate physical attack on said target. Kafrizzle: Deals very heavy fire magical damage to one target. Weaker than the beginning of battle interrupt Kasizzle: Deals heavy fire magical damage to all targets. Kacrack: Deals heavy ice magical damage to all targets. Kawooshle: Deals heavy wind magical damage to all targets. Kaboomle: Deals heavy non-elemental magical damage to all targets. Kazam: Deals very heavy dark magical damage to one target. *25% interrupt: "Why won't you die?!" Kafrizzle to each target Ladja starts attacking 2 times per turn Ladja becomes Resistant to Attack and Magic Break and Nulls Defense and Resistance Break *Death interrupt: "Hah hah..." "The Order of the Zugzwang will live on..." "...and you will die with me!" Magic Burst: Fixed non-elemental magic damage to all targets determined by the formula, (9999-300x), where x is the amount of turns Ladja had. If (9999-300x) is less than 0, Magic Burst will miss.
RAW Paste Data
FFRK - Dragon Quest 5 event - Part 1 - 天の花嫁 (The Heavenly Brides) - New Characters: Bianca Whitaker: Weapons: Dagger, Sword, Whip, Staff, Rod Equipment: Bracer, Light Armor, Robe, Hat, Helmet, Armor 5* Support, 4* Celerity, 4* Dancer, 4* Black Magic, 4* Combat Level 80: 5200 HP, 150 ATK, 122 DEF, 140 MAG, 110 RES, 120 MND, 24 ACC, 24 EVA, 145 SPE Default SB: Bounce: Gives Reflect to one Ally RM1: Charm of Whealbrook: Character gains Physical Blink I and Magic Blink I when HP is low. RM2: Uptaten's Gift: Character gains 50% resistance to Instant Death Nera Briscoletti: Weapons: Dagger, Whip, Staff, Rod Equipment: Bracer, Robe, Hat 5* Black Magic, 5* White Magic, 4* Dancer, 4* Celerity Level 80: 4000 HP, 37 ATK, 90 DEF, 180 MAG, 180 MND, 90 RES, 24 ACC, 24 EVA, 118 SPE Default SB: Sage Stone: R35 Cure to all Allies RM1: Charm of Mostroferrato: +20% chance of getting a Potion, Hi-Potion, or Elixir after a battle. RM2: Briscoletti Benevolence: Entire party but the character who equips this RM gets +5% Attack and Magic. Character with this RM gets Sap. Debora Briscoletti: Weapons: Dagger, Fist, Sword, Whip, Hammer, Axe Equipment: Bracer, Robe, Light Armor, Hat 5* Black Magic, 5* Combat, 4* Darkness, 4* Monk Level 80: 4500 HP, 160 ATK, 95 DEF, 175 MAG, 90 MND, 100 RES, 25 ACC, 25 EVA, 165 SPE Default SB: Kasizzle: 250% magical Fire damage to all targets RM1: Wealth of Monstroferrato: 50% chance of gaining 2x Gil after a battle RM2: Briscoletti Insanity. Entire party but the character who equips this RM gets Sap. Character with this RM gets +20% Attack and Magic. - Character Relics: Bianca's SSB - Gringham Whip [+10 ATK] - Whip - 118 ATK, 95 MAG, 95 ACC -SSB: 天の花嫁のオーラ (Heavenly Bride's Aura) : Reduce 20% of all enemies' resistance to Breaks for 50 seconds, followed with a 60% Attack and Magic Reduction (Unique effect) for 25 seconds Bianca's SB - Golden Tiara - Hat - 20 ATK, 70 DEF, 20 MAG, 100 RES, 100 EVA -SB: 100の鬼の援助 (100 Monsters' Aid) : 10 non-elemental ranged physical hits (475% Potency total) and 40% Defense and Resistance Reduction to all enemies for 20 seconds (Unique effect) Nera's SSB - Princess's Robe [+10 MND] - Robe - 80 DEF, 28 MAG, 30 MND, 120 RES, 100 EVA -SSB: 花嫁の高貴な同情 (Bride's Noble Compassion) : +200% DEF and RES to all Allies, Insulate to all Allies Nera's SB - Staff of Antimagic - Staff - 1 ATK, 115 MAG, 116 MND, 30 RES, 90 ACC -SB: 上品な母の献身 (Devotion of a Graceful Mother) : +30% Resistance to all Allies (Unique effect) for 25 seconds, Magic Blink II to all Allies, 40% Magic Reduction to all enemies for 25 seconds Debora's SSB - Diamond Akillics [+10 MAG] - Fist - 100 ATK, 115 MAG, 95 ACC -SSB: 完全に花嫁の懲戒処分 (Bride's Disciplinary Actions to Perfection) : Saps all Allies, deals 1250 fixed damage to all Allies (counts as recoil), +30% ATK+DEF+MAG+RES to all Allies (Unique effect) for 25 seconds, Haste to all Allies Debora's SB - Angel Leotard - Light Armor - 10 ATK, 110 DEF, 10 MAG, 110 RES, 100 EVA -SB: 敵に花嫁の最終的な罰 (Bride's Ultimate Punishment to her Enemies) : 8 Dark magical hits (1500% Potency total) to all enemies, Stuns (100%) all enemies - New Abilites: Insulate - 4* White Magic : Grants one character an immunity to all negative statuses (any effect that can be dissipated by Esuna). Starts off at 4 Uses, gains two after each hone. [Crafting Recipe: 5 Greater White Orbs, 4 Greater Holy Orbs, 4 Greater Earth Orbs] Absorb Magic - 5* Black Magic : Grants self Runic for 15 seconds. NO Magic Lure effect. Starts off at 1 Use, gains one after each hone. [Crafting Recipe: 4 Major Black Orbs, 4 Major Earth Orbs] - Misfortune+ Boss: Priest Ladja: HP: 368,647 Target Scores: Defeat Ladja without Bianca, Nera, or Debora being KO'd Use Dispel on Ladja Do NOT cast Haste, Shellga, or Protectga on your characters NOT resistant to Attack and Magic Breaks, Resists Defense and Resistance Breaks No status vunerabilites, besides positive statuses *Beginning of battle interrupt: "You think you can defeat me?" "Stupid foolish meddlers!" Kafrizzle: Deals MASSIVE fire magical damage to one target. [Nearly a guaranteed OHKO] *50%-100%: Attack: Inflicts 20% Defense break on one target, followed by a moderate physical attack on said target. Kafrizz: Deals heavy fire magical damage to one target. Kasizz: Deals moderate fire magical damage to all targets. Kacrack: Deals moderate ice magical damage to all targets. Kawoosh: Deals moderate wind magical damage to all targets. Kaboom: Deals moderate non-elemental magical damage to all targets. Kazam: Deals heavy dark magical damage to one target. *75% interrupt: "You are testing my patience!" Disruptive Wave: Removes ALL buffs, debuffs, and statuses from all targets, including effects like SG/SS2, Focus, Breakdowns, and regen etc. *0-75%: Interrupts right before his turn, EVERY TURN Disruptive Wave: Removes ALL buffs, debuffs, and statuses from all targets, including effects like SG/SS2, Focus, Breakdowns, and regen etc. *50% interrupt: "Hah hah..." "You think I'm going to lose so easily?!" Fianchetto: Grants Haste, Heavy Regen, Protectga, Shellga *0-50%: Heavy blow: Inflicts 30% Defense break on one target, followed by a moderate physical attack on said target. Kafrizzle: Deals very heavy fire magical damage to one target. Weaker than the beginning of battle interrupt Kasizzle: Deals heavy fire magical damage to all targets. Kacrack: Deals heavy ice magical damage to all targets. Kawooshle: Deals heavy wind magical damage to all targets. Kaboomle: Deals heavy non-elemental magical damage to all targets. Kazam: Deals very heavy dark magical damage to one target. *25% interrupt: "Why won't you die?!" Kafrizzle to each target Ladja starts attacking 2 times per turn Ladja becomes Resistant to Attack and Magic Break and Nulls Defense and Resistance Break *Death interrupt: "Hah hah..." "The Order of the Zugzwang will live on..." "...and you will die with me!" Magic Burst: Fixed non-elemental magic damage to all targets determined by the formula, (9999-300x), where x is the amount of turns Ladja had. If (9999-300x) is less than 0, Magic Burst will miss. |
Of Donald Trump’s vile streak, I needed no more proof. He mocked a handicapped person — physically mocked him, imitated him. He said despicable things about Megyn Kelly and Carly Fiorina. He compared Ben Carson to a child molester. (Turns out, Carson didn’t mind so much, but that’s a different story . . .)
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He praised and defended Putin. He expressed the moral equivalence that one usually hears from the Left: “I think our country does plenty of killing also.”
But Trump’s antics in regard to Heidi Cruz are a new low.
I’ve known Ted and Heidi for many years. In fact, I will have a piece on this subject in the next National Review: the one that becomes available tomorrow. Furthermore, I’ll expand on that piece in my online column.
When I met Heidi, she was Heidi Nelson, an economic-policy whiz and beautiful, sporty California blonde. She had been in faraway places, on missions. She had hiked and trekked all over. She was exceptionally capable, and she was fearless.
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You can see why Ted was drawn to her, and why anyone would be.
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Like me and most other people, she has had highs and lows. Life has a way of being eventful. And Heidi, in my experience, has been a picture of poise, grace, and perseverance. If Ted is president, I think Americans will like him a lot — more than they know now. If Heidi is first lady, they’ll probably like her even more.
She can teach Trump, his supporters, and his apologists a thing or two about how to treat people.
I have nothing against Melania Trump. I’ve liked all of Trump’s wives. I like Trump too, for that matter, except when he’s being vile, or trying to be president.
I think Mrs. Trump No. 2 was my favorite. She was beautiful, like all of them, and I liked the way her husband said her name: “Mawla.” “Mawla, she’s turrific.”
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Melania was once a model (duh). She is Slovenian, and, trust me, even an average Slovenian is attractive. You ever been to Ljubljana? There are few other places like it. Pepperdine University comes to mind. And Ole Miss.
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Naturally, Melania has had racy photo shoots, and an anti-Trump PAC used one. (To read about this controversy, go here.) The Cruz campaign had nothing to do with it. But Trump lashed out at Ted, and Heidi.
I myself wouldn’t use a Melania photo for a political purpose. I think wives ought to be off-limits — until you have a 1992-style situation, in which Bill Clinton offered a “two for one” deal. For years, Clinton played a clever double-game: Hillary was his total political partner — until someone criticized her, at which time she became wifey-poo. Clinton got to play the indignant husband: “If you want to attack me, fine, but you better lay off mah wife! Pick on someone your own sahze!”
It worked very well for him. It was dishonest, of course. But it worked well, like most things Clintonian.
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Anyway, I’m rooting for Heidi Cruz in this race. And her husband.
(Disclosure.) |
Drinking Mug Klein Bottles - for the Thirsty Topologist
This looks like a glass cup. But wait -- it has two big chambers connected by a hollow handle. In fact, it's actually a Klein Bottle.
Hot ziggitty -- a Klein Bottle that delivers liquid straight to your waiting lips. Yep - you heard me right. You can drink right from this cup. Pour in beer and it's a Klein Stein. Would you believe Einstein's Klein Stein?
This cheezy diagram shows a cross section through the Acme Klein Bottle Drinking Mug. With a single hole, it's a true genus-1 manifold and topologically identical to our other Klein Bottles.
Acme's Klein Bottle Mug holds about a pint. There's ~230 mL in the outer chamber (which topologists will recognize as equivalent to the inner chamber) and ~250 mL in the inner chamber (which topologists claim to be the same as the outer chamber). You can fill the inside with coffee and the outside with tea. Or Coke and Pepsi. Or Chardonnay and Zinfandel. However, realize that the outer chamber (which topologically connects to the inner chamber) is almost impossible to clean, so don't pour in any milk.
The handle does triple duty: It connects the inner and outer chambers, provides a topological hole, and gives you a way to conveniently grasp the mug. We've designed the handle to be fully ambidexterous -- yes, your Acme Drinking Mug Klein Bottle fits either hand. Indeed, it's possible to hold it with both hands simultaneously. And since it has no preferred angular momentum vector, you can swish your drink either clockwise or counterclockwise.
And if that's not enough, the outer chamber (which is topologically the inner chamber) insulates the inner chamber (which topologically is also the outer chamber). The 7 mm air space separates the inside from the outside, so ice water won't cause condensation. This extends the life of hot or cold drinks, saves energy, and helps stave off the dreaded local thermodynamic equilibrium and subsequent heat death of the universe. Even better, thanks to the exclusive Acme Concave Mug Bottom, no extraneous feet are needed!
But be careful. As a day-to-day cup, well, this isn't practical. It's hard to get liquids in and out of the outer chamber. A length of flexible tubing can relieve the obvious airlock; otherwise, it's a lot of tilt-and-pour. And once wet, the chamber is difficult to dry -- surface tension holds water up at the very top. (Alcohol is useful in drying, as is an aquarium style air pump). So treat this as a topological novelty - not as a utilitarian drinking mug. (you can tape over the hole in the side, and use it as a regular cup, but that kinda defeats the whole idea, eh?)
Again my warning: THIS IS NOT A GOOD DRINKING GLASS! It's difficult to get liquids in. Difficult to get liquids out. It's difficult to clean. (it's also difficult to make, if that's any consolation. ) Please treat it as a mathematical curiousity rather than a practical cup.
This Klein Stein is ideal for the mathematical physicist who needs a glass of water while accepting her Nobel Prize. Perfect for the Silicon Valley programmer swigging Jolt on an allnighter. Just the thing to quench the thirst of the multibillionaire following a leveraged buyout of the US government. Indeed, think of all the seminars, colloquia, interviews, and funerals that would be jazzed up with an Acme Klein Bottle Mug at your side.
Now, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, this multipurpose Klein Bottle is available for a mere $85 -- cheaper than sending a spaceprobe most of the way to Mars!
To order a Klein Stein for $85, click here: In this photo, the inner chamber is half-filled with green water. The outer chamber is about 3/4ths filled with yellow water. The column of yellow water in the handle shows that the barometric pressure is high. ( Yes, this Klein Bottle also works as a barometer) Refraction of light makes it look like the green water is in the outer chamber. Naturally, The Klein Stein has all the features of Acme's other quality Klein Bottles -- zero volume, nonorientable, 3-dimensionally immersed, and free from any topological boundary conditions. It's made from genuine heat-resistant Borosilicate glass, annealed, stress-relieved, and cooled well below its triple-point. Your Klein Stein happily holds steaming hot Kona coffee, ice cold Nepalese ginger tea, and even Ben & Jerry's ice cream. But please do not freeze water in your Klein Stein. For detailed information on why this is stupid, please see the Important Information for Idiots - Height 130 mm (5 inches)
- Diameter 90 mm (3.5 inches)
- Weight: 425 gm (15 oz) - It's surprisingly heavy.
- Displacement 825 ml (28 fluid ounces) About half a pint inside, half a pint outside.
- Actual volume 0.0 ml (0.000 fluid ounces) Zero inside, zero outside.
- Fully calibrated with removable decal
- Includes Acme's quality topological and physical features
- Guaranteed against lots of problems
To order a Klein Stein for $85, click here:
Here's a Klein Stein with the slightly wider diameter handle. That's Rose Wine in the outer chamber, and water in the inner chamber. Same Klein Stein, except against a black background, so you can see the calibration label. It's hard to photograph these darn things!
Acme - the most trusted manufacturer of onesided, zero volume, locally Euclidean, Riemannian, affine, borosilicate glass manifolds that are fully immersed in 3-space!
Go to Acme's Home Page |
We were classmates — he was just a guy I took English with and saw every day. He definitely wasn’t someone I found attractive, but then one day he walked into class late and something weird happened: I realized I was actually really into him after all. WTF was going on?
He had confidence. There was something attractive in the way he carried himself that I had only just noticed that day. He looked sure of himself and comfortable in his skin. It caught my attention and made him so much more attractive than I’d previously thought.
He wasn’t my type physically. I usually liked guys who were taller and thinner. This guy was definitely not my type, and yet there was just some X-factor about him that was quite alluring. Straying from guys who were my usual type was a great experience because it showed me there were other guys out there who might not check all my boxes but were intriguing nonetheless.
He was an amazing guy. Yes, he had an aura, but his appeal was about so much more than that. He was really a great guy. He was intelligent, we could chat about anything for hours, he was funny as hell, and he was a really down-to-earth guy. I’d enjoyed his company for months, so this built my interest over time.
I fell — hard. Once I felt that spark of attraction, he became good on paper and appealing in real life too. I had it bad! I went from being cool with seeing him whenever to wanting to spend more and more time with him. I’d get nervous around him even though previously I’d always been so chill. Ugh.
He taught me what’s really important in a partner. Good looks really mean nothing. It’s really about the energy someone brings to the table and the personality they have. That’s what makes them a valuable partner.
His personality changed his looks. It’s weird how the same guy didn’t interest me before, but once I got to know him, it’s like he completely changed physically. Obviously he didn’t and it was my perception of him that changed, but it’s similar to how a really hot guy can start to look ugly if he has a nasty personality. Beauty really is so much more than good looks.
It was refreshing to want someone who wasn’t attractive. I’d previously prized good looks in a man, but this guy showed me that there’s so much more to look for. And let’s be honest — a lot of the really handsome guys out there are nothing but trouble and the attention they get can make them arrogant. It was interesting to get to know a guy who was different, who wasn’t relying on his good looks to sail through life.
Chemistry can build over time. This experience taught me that sometimes chemistry can build. It doesn’t have to be there from the first time I meet someone. I’d gone from feeling no spark for this guy to feeling truckloads of it!
I broadened my horizons. I opened up to a whole new world of guys who I hadn’t even considered before. I loved that this guy was shy at times and a bit geeky. I found these qualities so adorable. My friends didn’t really understand why I was so nuts about this guy — they thought he was cool but nothing too special — but I didn’t care.
I need a partner with substance. Those same friends were out dating guys who loved to party and have fun, the guys who were popular and attractive. That had become so boring to me! This crush of mine made me see how desperately I need a partner who has substance and depth — someone who’s much more than just a pretty face. This guy had a lot of substance and it was sexy AF.
When he broke my heart, it hurt more than ever. I eventually plucked up the courage to tell him how I felt about him but he didn’t feel the same. It really hurt me so much, more than rejection from any other gorgeous guy I’d been into before, probably because I liked him for real qualities. Good looks fade but timeless qualities like honesty, loyalty and a good heart last forever.
He changed me. Another reason why it was so tough to move on was that he’d brought much more to my life than just making me feel attraction to a different kind of guy. Without realizing it, he’d changed what I wanted in a partner, what was really important to me in someone I chose to be with. This was huge and something that would stay with me forever! As time went on, I realized that even though I hadn’t had the opportunity to date him, I hadn’t really lost. I’d gained so much more that would enrich my future relationships.
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Rush Limbaugh speaks to Fox News on Dec. 7, 2014. [Fox News]
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh accused President Barack Obama of inflating U.S. rape statistics during his remarks on Sunday during the Grammy Awards, Media Matters reported.
“Did he mention ISIS or al Qaeda at all? He didn’t mention ISIS or al Qaeda in that PSA at the Grammys?” Limbaugh asked sarcastically. “Oh, just some domestic folks. He just confined himself to making up statistics about the number of women that are sexually assaulted in the U.S.”
Obama said on the show that more than 25 percent of U.S. women has experienced domestic violence, and that nearly 20 percent has either been raped or been the victim of a rape attempt. His short pre-recorded statement was followed by remarks from activist and domestic violence survivor Brooke Axtell.
“It’s not okay. And it has to stop,” Obama said on Sunday. “Artists have a unique power to change minds and attitudes. And get us thinking and talking about what matters.”
Limbaugh did not mention that the statistics were drawn from a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study using data collected in 2011.
“This would also mean that, if Obama is right and 25 percent of American women have experienced domestic violence, then 39.51 million women in the country — which is more than the population of California — are victims of such violence,” Limbaugh said.
He then connected the president’s statements to what he called the “war on women theory and meme,” which he claimed intensified in January 2012. Limbaugh did not mention that heavy public criticisms of his remarks against Sandra Fluke, then a law student at Georgetown University, forced him to apologize after advertisers started pulling away from his program that year.
Instead, he said “modern feminism” had fueled “the notion that men are predators and that all men are predators, that’s their natural state and women are at high risk every day of their lives in this country. And Obama is now throwing gasoline on that fire and using totally made up statistics.”
Listen to Limbaugh’s remarks, as posted by Media Matters on Tuesday, below. |
Former President George W. Bush responded to criticism from his father, former President George H.W. Bush, by sticking up for former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Bush 43 said Cheney did a "superb job" as vice president and also stood up for former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in a statement:
I am proud to have served with Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld. Dick Cheney did a superb job as Vice President, and I was fortunate to have him by my side throughout my presidency. Don Rumsfeld ably led the Pentagon and was an effective Secretary of Defense. I am grateful to both men for their good advice, selfless service to our country, and friendship.
In a new biography of Bush 41, the former president criticized Cheney for becoming "very hard-line and very different from the Dick Cheney I knew and worked with."
"The reaction (to Sept. 11), what to do about the Middle East. Just iron-ass. His seeming knuckling under to the real hard-charging guys who want to fight about everything, use force to get our way in the Middle East," Bush told author Jon Meacham, according to Reuters.
In a statement to NBC, Rumsfeld responded to the comments.
"Bush 41 is getting up in years and misjudges Bush 43, who I found made his own decisions," Rumsfeld said.
Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush stood up for Cheney Thursday:
Jeb Bush to @kasie on Dick Cheney: "He served my brother well as vice president" — Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) November 5, 2015
The biography, "Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey Of George Herbert Walker Bush," will be available in stores on Nov. 10.
Read more on George H.W. Bush's comments on Cheney and Rumsfeld here.
This story has been updated with responses from Jeb Bush and Rumsfeld.
Also on HuffPost: |
It’s long been rumored that KTM was working on an adventure version of the 390 Duke and RC390, imaginatively titled the KTM 390 Adventure. Those rumors started back as far as 2013 in an interview with KTM CEO Stefan Pierer. Since then however, not much has been heard about the bike until now.
Indian customs documents reveal that KTM has imported two motorcycles from Austria, code named KT22 which is understood to be the internal name for the KTM 390 Adventure. The descriptions of the bikes for import are for ‘R & D Purposes’ and have an engine capacity of 374 cc – meaning it uses the same single cylinder engine as the 390 Duke and RC390.
That means an engine producing 43bhp of power and 35 Nm of torque, but it’s expected that the bike will arrive in a slightly different state of tune – perhaps with more lower range flexibility. When it goes into production, the 390 Adventure will be produced in India at Bajaj’s factory.
It’s expected that a whole range of entry-level ‘adventure’ bikes will be hitting the market over the next two years. The race is on between Benelli and Honda to be first. Benelli will apparently release an adventure bike based on the BN/TNT 302 naked bike (reviewed here) while Honda continues to tease us with their CX-01 concept which could morph into a CB300X. |
Thank you for choosing the Intel® Graphics Performance Analyzers (Intel® GPA).
This page provides the current Release Notes for Intel® Graphics Performance Analyzers (Intel® GPA). The notes are categorized by year, from newest to oldest, with individual releases listed within each year.
Click a version to expand it into a summary of new features and changes in that version since the last release, and access the download buttons for the detailed release notes, which include important information, such as pre-requisites, software compatibility, installation instructions, and known issues.
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2018
Update R4 Release Notes Overview Trace Analyzer user interface improves your profiling workflow with the addition of a customizable workspace, less capture overhead, and more detailed traces.
Graphics Monitor now intelligently determines which API is currently being profiled and speeds up the process needed to launch a title for analysis.
Open Frame Capture window in Frame Analyzer allows you to quickly share a frame and store it in a more accessible location using the new Show Frame in Folder button.
Update R3 Release Notes Overview Filter resources to only view necessary information during analysis using the Resource Table View in Frame Analyzer.
in Frame Analyzer. Quickly view a summary of the predominant bottlenecks affecting a frame by changing the color coding of the bar chart.
Validate the performance and visual impact of using different texture formats within a scene by changing the selected format in the Resource Viewer.
Update R2 Release Notes Overview View all available Intel® GPU metrics metrics in System View on Windows* Platforms, with an ability to switch between these counter sets using the Ctrl+M hotkey.
Search for and pin interesting metrics to the top of the metrics table.
Copy resource names in the Resource Viewer using CTRL+C.
Update R1 Release Notes Overview API Log pane now contains a new Frame Statistic tab, and separate tabs for Resource History and Pixel History. The Resource History tab enables you to select a target resource, and in the Pixel History tab you can select pixel coordinates.
Input/Output Geometry viewer now provides additional information about the topology, primitive count, and bounding box.
New User Interface for DirectX* 11 frames.
2017
Update R4 Release Notes Overview Profile Windows Mixed Reality applications on the Windows Fall Creators update.
New User Interface for DirectX 11 frames with additional features.
Hotspot Analysis mode available for DirectX 12 and DirectX 11 (new UI) frames. Users can now easily find the most problematic events in a frame by bottleneck.
Update R3 Release Notes Overview Trace Analyzer now is the only timeline tool in Graphics Performance Analyzers suite. Platform Analyzer tool has been removed. API Log and Metrics can be exported now.
The accuracy of time-based GPU metrics in System Analyzer has been significantly improved.
Support for Windows Mixed Reality titles in simulation mode added.
Update R2 Release Notes Overview Runtime overhead was improved for Windows* applications.
Graphics Monitor has been implemented for macOS* and Ubuntu* platforms. It has the same functionality as the Windows* version excluding support for Tracing and Triggers.
System Analyzer HUD for OpenGL* applications implemented.
Update R1 Release Notes Overview Improved workflow for opening trace files. Added a new trace file open dialog which includes trace file previews and system information.
The Metrics Viewer now shows primary or potential bottlenecks with detailed descriptions for a current selection.
The GPGPU pipeline was added into the Metrics Viewer to support bottleneck analysis for Dispatch calls.
2016
Update R4 Release Notes Overview Bar Chart now supports grouping draw calls by regions (debug regions, shader usage, etc.) for Microsoft DirectX* 12 and OpenGL* APIs.
Trace Analyzer is a new timeline analysis tool supplemental to Platform Analyzer. At this moment, Trace Analyzer provides the same functionality as Platform Analyzer and adds support of platform analysis of desktop OpenGL* applications on Ubuntu* systems.
Added support for VR games (tested on HTC Vive* and Oculus Rift*).
Update R3 Release Notes Overview Enabled API log export into a text file.
Added Pixel Overdraw view for render targets.
Updated Metrics Viewer in accordance with the latest performance optimization guide.
Update R2 Release Notes Overview Enhanced DirectX 12 profiling capabilities by adding new product features and improving product performance.
Enabled capturing and profiling DirectX 12 workloads on a remote system.
Added Active API drop-down menu for switching between API types in the Preferences dialog box, to replace the Force DirectX 12 Injection checkbox. |
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras traveled to Paris today, where he met with OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Secretary General Angel Gurria in order to discuss a possible Organization event taking place in Greece and focusing on the government’s reforms program. The meeting was followed by an agreement signing between the two men and a joint press conference.
According to Greek government sources, Tsipras reportedly discussed the reforms currently being planned in Athens, aiming to restore public administration and social justice, as well as tackle the long-standing problem of tax evasion. “The OECD will provide Greece with the know-how regarding the design and implementation of reforms, which is the Greek government’s priority. In the long term, it will help the Greek side implement and evaluate not only the progress of reforms but also their effectiveness,” a Greek official explained, while an OECD official has also confirmed that a deal had been signed.
On his behalf, Tsipras highlighted that Greece can meet its financial obligations even if does not receive a further bailout installment. “There is no reason for concern… even if there is no timely disbursement of a tranche, Greece will meet its obligations,” he said. Regarding the meeting concluded earlier, he said that “we are here in order for the OECD to put its stamp on the reforms that the Greek government wants to push on and I believe that this stamp in our passport will be very significant to build mutual trust with our creditors.”
Tomorrow, the Greek Premier will travel to Brussels, where he will be received by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and finally meet SYRIZA MEP and iconic Greek left figure Manolis Glezos in what is seen as an attempt to ease intraparty reactions to governmental plans.
Yesterday, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, in an interview to Athens-Macedonian News Agency noted that “it would be a major mistake to approach the Greek and European crises within a framework of alliances and such bilateral agreements; the Eurozone crisis, which the crisis in the Greek economy is a part of, is a problem for all of us and all Eurozone member-states,” while quoting European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi who recently argued that for the single currency to be successful, it must succeed everywhere. Commenting on the OECD’s role, Varoufakis explained that it will provide technical know-how and seminars on various issues, such as taxation, corruption and reforms in order to compose an efficient program. |
It started with a hunch and ended as a fiasco.
The Montreal police department’s ill-fated spying on journalist Patrick Lagacé came to light after La Presse stumbled upon warrants allowing investigators to track Lagacé’s iPhone calls, texts and location.
Here’s a look at who did what.
Costa Labos
Once suspended for his own behaviour as a police officer, Costa Labos was head of the Montreal force’s internal affairs department, which investigates police officers.
On Friday, after about seven years in the job, he was transferred to the department that runs 911 operations. The move came a day after La Presse learned police has spied on Lagacé; there is no evidence the transfer is related to the controversy.
In an interview Saturday, Labos told La Presse he approved of the request for warrants to track Lagacé’s phone, saying it was the “least intrusive” way to obtain information about police officer Faycal Djelidi.
This summer, Labos was himself investigated by the Sûreté du Québec over an allegation that he lied to a judge in 2014 to obtain a search warrant to wiretap the phones of former police officer Roger Larivière, as well as to search his home.
Labos suspected Larivière was leaking information to a journalist. The Crown prosecutor’s office decided not to lay charges against Labos.
In 1998, Labos received a four-day suspension without pay after Quebec’s police-ethics committee found he had used foul language, threats and pointed his firearm without justification.
The 60-year-old parents of a man police were seeking complained about Labos after a raid on their home. Labos said ”shut up, you bitch” to the mother and pointed his gun at the father, the committee heard.
In September, TVA reported that a Park Extension restaurant owned by Labos’s brother was targeted by arsonists.
Related
Josée De Carufel
Most of the 24 warrants allowing police to monitor Lagacé’s phone were authorized by presiding justice of the peace Josée de Carufel, La Presse says.
Hired in March 2012, she had previously been a prosecutor for 10 years. De Carufel started as a lawyer for an association of construction contractors before working for various government departments.
Appointed for life, presiding justices of the peace work under the Quebec Court’s chief judge. One of their roles is to review applications for warrants. Quebec currently has 38 presiding justices. In 2015, their annual salary was $140,838.
A committee reviewing judges’ compensation last month said justices bear “a heavy responsibility” because many decisions are based solely on documents prepared by peace officers or public officials. It noted the vast majority of them have previously worked for the government, which could lead to “an appearance of institutional bias.”
The committee recommended increasing salaries to attract private-sector candidates.
In the wake of the Lagacé controversy, the Quebec Court said Monday that justices are independent and free “to make decisions without fear of interference, control or influence.”
The court said justices are well-trained on the law, jurisprudence and the importance of freedom of the press.
Faycal Djelidi
Internal affairs detectives investigating Faycal Djelidi, a 16-year Montreal police veteran, told La Presse on Friday they discovered Djelidi had been in contact with Lagacé.
They noted that newspaper articles had been written about cases Djelidi was involved in after his contact with Lagacé, though none were written by Lagacé and some were published by La Presse competitors.
The apparent police leaks were compromising criminal investigations, so internal affairs launched an investigation and decided to target Lagacé’s phone, investigators told La Presse.
In July, Djelidi was arrested along with three other officers with the the street gang, drug and morality squad after an internal police investigation. He faces multiple charges, including perjury, attempting to obstruct justice and breach of trust by a public officer.
Djelidi was also accused of communicating with someone with the aim of procuring sexual services in exchange for payment, and later obtaining those sexual services.
Philippe Pichet
With opposition parties and Montreal’s police union calling for him to be fired over the Lagacé affair, Montreal police chief Philippe Pichet is in the hot seat.
He was appointed in August 2015 by Mayor Denis Coderre, who has said he still has confidence in him.
A 25-year Montreal police veteran, he has been in management since 2005 and holds two management degrees.
Pichet has said he was advised early in the criminal investigation that Lagacé’s phone was being monitored. He has defended the surveillance, saying it was an “exceptional situation” and the measures were warranted.
On Monday, Quebec announced it would tighten rules that allow police to obtain warrants to conduct surveillance of reporters. It also ordered a review of the investigation practices of Quebec’s main police forces, including Montreal’s and the SQ.
Premier Philippe Couillard didn’t answer directly when asked if he still had confidence in Pichet.
On Tuesday, Pichet told reporters he still has the legitimacy to remain as police chief and that his department is reviewing its procedures.
Pichet inherited a department in which officers are publicly thumbing their noses at management, wearing camouflage pants instead of their uniform since July 2014 over a pension dispute.
Patrick Lagacé
A columnist at La Presse, Patrick Lagacé isn’t an investigative reporter but he has written about police issues.
In 2012, he and two other La Presse reporters revealed details about the Montreal police department’s search for a mole who had tried to sell the names of police informants to the Mafia. They identified Ian Davidson, a retired police detective. The day the story was published, Davidson committed suicide.
Two years later, two SQ investigators met Lagacé to convince him to reveal his sources.
When Lagacé refused, the officers told him if he wrote about their meeting it could be seen as obstructing a police officer, a criminal offence. Lagacé interpreted the comment as a threat.
Lagacé later learned a rumour had been started that he was collaborating with SQ investigators. Two weeks after the meeting, Lagacé wrote a column about it in La Presse.
In December 2015, Lagacé wrote about an incident involving Mayor Coderre and two Montreal police officers at a public event in June of that year.
Lagacé obtained a police report in which the officers said they were trying to keep pedestrian traffic flowing but it was being blocked as people stopped to talk to Coderre. When the officers approached Coderre, they said he snapped: “You, don’t touch me!” and “You, you work for me!”
At the time, Coderre told Lagacé the flow of traffic was not being blocked, though he did not deny making the comments.
[email protected]
twitter.com/andyriga |
The Detroit Lions did not want to lose Cliff Avril.
Detroit placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the defensive end Monday, the last day the team could prevent him from becoming an unrestricted player on the free agent market next week.
The non-exclusive tag allows other teams to negotiate with Avril, but gives the Lions the option of matching the offer or letting him go in exchange for a pair of first-round picks from the team that signs him.
If Avril doesn't sign a long-term deal with Detroit or another team before July 15, he will have a one-year contract with the Lions for $10.6 million -- the average of the five highest-paid players at his position.
Detroit general manager Martin Mayhew has said he didn't plan to use the franchise tag and Avril made it clear he didn't want it.
Avril told the Detroit Free Press last month that he would contemplate holding out from the Lions' offseason program and training camp if he received the franchise tag.
The 25-year-old Avril has 19½ sacks the past two seasons and 30 in his four-year career. He was a third-round pick out of Purdue in the 2008 NFL draft.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. |
Last year, a social media monitoring firm called Visible Technologies announced that it had partnered with the C.I.A.'s technology investment arm, In-Q-Tel. Wired reported at the time that "U.S. Spies Buy Stake in Firm That Monitors Blogs, Tweets" and interviewed Visible's CEO.
As I wrote then, Visible crawls over about half a million social content sites twice a day, scores each post as positive, negative, mixed or neutral, and rates the influence of the poster. Many companies use it to monitor their brand reputation. When the story broke in October 2009, users of the news submission and discussion forum Reddit mildly freaked out, with one user posting a thread titled, "The CIA is monitoring Reddit: The CIA has invested in a software firm called Visible Technologies that specializes in monitoring social media sites, including blogs, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and Amazon."
That thread may have been a prescient one. Update: Visible's contract with In-Q-Tel ended in September, but the feds appeared to have come away with a better understanding of social media sites. Today comes news of federal agents stopping by the house of a 20-year-old Egyptian American, after his friend posted photos of a GPS tracking device found on the underside of his car to Reddit, asking "Does this mean the FBI is after us?"
Kim Zetter at Wired reports:
A California student got a visit from the FBI this week after he found a secret GPS tracking device on his car, and a friend posted photos of it online. The post prompted wide speculation about whether the device was real, whether the young Arab-American was being targeted in a terrorism investigation and what the authorities would do. It took just 48 hours to find out: The device was real, the student was being secretly tracked and the FBI wanted their expensive device back... The answer came when half-a-dozen FBI agents and police officers appeared at Yasir Afifi’s apartment complex in Santa Clara, California, on Tuesday demanding he return the device. via Caught Spying on Student, FBI Demands GPS Tracker Back | Threat Level | Wired.com.
Afifi's friend, Reddit user khaledthegypsy, posted these photos of the device to Reddit on Monday:
[daylifegallery id="1286564809793" height="375" width="500"]
Reddit users identified it as an Orion Guardian ST820, made by Cobham, and offered sound advice to contact a lawyer, as removing it could possibly expose them to charges of interfering with a local, state, or federal investigation. "There are multiple charges possible here, from very vague to very specific. What you might be charged with is totally at the discretion of the law enforcement. Make nice fast; they'll charge you with more things if you piss them off," wrote one wise Reddit adviser, who said to act fast. "A FREIGHT TRAIN OF WHUP-ASS IS HEADED YOUR WAY."
The next day, agents showed up at Afifi's apartment, reports Wired:
Afifi retrieved the device from his apartment and handed it over, at which point the agents asked a series of questions – did he know anyone who traveled to Yemen or was affiliated with overseas training? One of the agents produced a printout of a blog post that Afifi’s friend Khaled allegedly wrote a couple of months ago. It had “something to do with a mall or a bomb,” Afifi said. He hadn’t seen it before and doesn’t know the details of what it said. He found it hard to believe Khaled meant anything threatening by the post. via Caught Spying on Student, FBI Demands GPS Tracker Back | Threat Level | Wired.com.
That "blog post" also comes from Reddit. Three months ago, khaledthegypsy wrote:
bombing a mall seems so easy to do. i mean all you really need is a bomb, a regular outfit so you arent the crazy guy in a trench coat trying to blow up a mall and a shopping bag. i mean if terrorism were actually a legitimate threat, think about how many f**king malls would have blown up already.. you can put a bag in a million different places, there would be no way to foresee the next target, and really no way to prevent it unless CTU gets some intel at the last minute in which case every city but LA is fucked...so...yea...now i'm surely bugged : / via khaledthegypsy comments on So if my deodorant could be a bomb, why are you just chucking it in the bin?.
Other Reddit users joked that posting that would lead to Khaled being tailed by the feds. The best jokes have a little truth in them.
(Despite the fact that the FBI is asking questions about him, Afifi's friend, Khaled, cannot resist the urge to keep posting to Reddit, posting yet another thread this morning.)
I reached out to Visible Technologies this morning to ask whether this investigation is an example of their social media crawling success for the U.S. gov. Update (Oct. 11): A spokesman from Visible had no insight into the Reddit success, saying that the company's project for In-Q-Tel wrapped up in September. |
The Florida Gators on Wednesday released a lengthy statement of support from the administration for head coach Will Muschamp, whose football program is currently standing at 4-5 (3-4 SEC) and facing its first losing season since 1979.
Below are Florida’s statements in full. OnlyGators.com will have more on this topic in the very near future, so stay tuned to this website.
Athletic director Jeremy Foley (unabridged):
“As athletic director, I’m a thousand percent convinced that Will Muschamp is the guy to lead this football program. Nothing has changed in what we feel about Will Muschamp from the day we hired him.
“Everyone around here wants the same thing. We want to do what is right for the University of Florida. We understand that this football season has not gone the way any of us wanted it to go, certainly not the way our fans wanted it to go, and most of all, not the way Will Muschamp wanted it to go.
“We have a history of being successful, we have a history of fixing things when they need to be fixed, and that is what is going to happen here, and Coach Muschamp is the one that will fix it.
“I understand the passion and the disappointment. But at the end of the day, we’ve got great fans, they love the Gators and their passion makes this place special. They are hurting, they want the program to be successful and we feel that hurt.
“We will get better under Will Muschamp’s leadership. This is not the quote-unquote dreaded ‘vote of confidence.’ This is just how we all feel around here. We have a strong faith and a strong belief in his capabilities, in his leadership skills, in his ability to evaluate what needs to be fixed.
“Go back to a year ago: we’re 11-1 and beat four teams in the Top 10 and he was SEC Coach of the Year. I don’t think that was a fluke. I think coaching had a lot to do with that. We’ll stay the course here. We’ll get it right. We’re not going to let Gator fans down. We want the same thing they want.” |
Secure Axcess, a company "dedicated to monetization and management of Internet security patents," is suing Nintendo of America and Nintendo Co. for allegedly infringing on a patent concerning the Wii U, The Southeast Texas Record reports.
The patent in question was filed in 2000 and published in 2003 for a "multiscreen personal computer display method and apparatus," or a computer which provides display capabilities on more than one screen. The Wii U supposedly infringes on this patent with the use of its GamePad.
The company is also suing retailers such as GameStop, Target, Amazon and Best Buy for selling the console "without license or authorization." Secure Axcess is seeking compensatory damages, costs, interest and other relief.
Judge Rodney Gilstrap will preside over the case, which will include a jury trial.
Nintendo has been sued for patent infringement before. In 2013, a trial began over the company's use of 3D technology for the Nintendo 3DS. Earlier this year, a judge ruled that Nintendo must pay royalties of 1.82 percent of the wholesale for every handheld sold. Other lawsuits have accused the company of violating legal patents with the Wii Fit balance board. |
Frank Reich's message to LeGarrette Blount was a simple one.
"'Keep doing what you're doing,'" Reich said. "'You're a big reason we're 7-1. You're a big reason we've made the strides we've made in the running game.
"'Your tenaciousness running the football, the attitude that you've brought, the toughness that you've brought, the unselfishness that you've brought, is a big part of our identity.'"
Blount, the Eagles' leading rusher the first half of the season, suddenly found his role up in the air Tuesday when the Eagles made a trade-deadline deal to acquire Pro Bowl running back Jay Ajayi from the Dolphins in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2018 (see story).
Other than the Chiefs game, when he mysteriously had no carries, Blount has gotten between 12 and 16 carries in every game this year. Blount and Ajayi rank 10th and 12th in the NFL in rushing yards, although Blount's 4.7 average is much higher than Ajayi's 3.4.
But Ajayi ran for nearly 1,300 yards in his 2016 Pro Bowl season, and the Eagles didn't bring him here to ride the bench.
So what happens to Blount?
And what happens with promising rookie Corey Clement, second-year pro Wendell Smallwood and veteran Kenjon Barner? Not to mention injured rookie fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey?
There are a lot of backs and only one football.
"LeGarrette continues to be our starter and [we're] just really excited to have that group and add a good player," Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman said.
"We like our running back group. This was an opportunity that came to us. We thought [he] was a good player who could add to our team. He’s a young player who's under contract for the next couple years (through 2018).
"At the same time, everyone has seen the way LeGarrette has run. Wendell has had really good games for us. Corey. We brought Kenjon back, as well. It just adds to the group, and all that stuff with playing time is sorted out by the coaches.”
Roseman said he spoke to Blount as soon as the deal was finalized to reassure him that he wasn’t being replaced.
“LeGarrette's awesome,” Roseman said. “He wants to win. He's won. He's all about winning. He's been in situations before where there have been productive backs on the team. He's been a tremendous team guy since he's walked in the building and a leader for this football team. Nothing changed today.”
The Eagles, who own the NFL's best record at 7-1, have the fourth-ranked running attack in the NFL, although they've been held to 3.8 yards or lower in each of the last four games.
Smallwood has 143 yards and a 3.8 average, Clement 131 yards and a 3.6 average and Barner 34 yards and a 2.8 average (see story).
"LeGarrette has been productive when he's gotten the ball," Roseman said. "He's a warrior. He's a two-time Super Bowl champion and we're really glad to have him.
"So, you know, I really shouldn't get into starter roles. That's really up to the coaches, but we are counting on LeGarrette going forward here.
"This [trade] is no reflection of any of those running backs. This was a good opportunity for the Philadelphia Eagles, and our job is to add good players who fit what we do and we believe Jay Ajayi does that."
Blount, who turns 31 in a few weeks, wasn't available for comment on Tuesday. The Eagles return to practice on Wednesday.
But Reich said he isn't concerned at all about Blount.
"The guy is a pro, man," Reich said. "He's a big part of why we are where we are right now, the leadership, his attitude.
"I really give him a lot of credit. Because you understand, personally — you can say all you want about team, but we all know [running backs want the football]. We all know. So a lot of credit to LeGarrette."
So what does the rotation look like moving forward? Reich wouldn’t speculate but insisted the Eagles are happy with all the backs on the roster (there are seven, including injured Pumphrey and Darren Sproles).
"We’ll have to see how it all plays out," Reich said. "I think that’s the only fair way to say it. We are happy with all the guys that we’ve got in the building.
"This business is a very competitive business. To get a spot in this building is not easy, and when you get a spot in this building, it means we love you and you're ours. You're our family and you get treated like that, with the respect that you've earned your way here.
"So every person, whether it's the top guy or the quote-unquote bottom guy on the roster, every spot is valuable."
And how do you keep five running backs happy?
"Keep winning," Reich said. "Winning has a way of keeping everybody happy." |
There are questions being raised about just how much cab aggregators like Ola and Uber should be allowed to charge under surge pricing. Like in the case of this Bengaluru customer, who had to shell out a whopping Rs 2767 for a trip to the airport.
The customer, identified just as Akash, hired an Ola cab to Bengaluru airport from the Koramangala area of the city. He said that that he booked his ride around 5.15 am and the cab came with a "Peak Time Charge" that was three times the normal rates.
Representational image | Source: Reuters
The charges applied were:
Rate for First 30 km: Rs 540
Rate for 23.59 km: Rs 306
Peak Pricing Charge: Rs 1639.34
Toll/Parking charges: Rs 80
Total Tax: Rs 147.32.
As a result of charges including service tax, toll and parking charges and additional peak pricing charge, the customer had to pay Rs 2767, and he was left wondering if there are any regulations at all regarding how much taxi aggregators can charge, The Logical Indian reports.
And despite the cost of the taxi, he even ended up missing his flight.
Representational image | Source: Reuters
Surge pricing by taxi aggregators has been a problem for some time now with customers questioning just how much they should be allowed to charge. While cab aggregators have argued it is just a case of incentivising cab drivers to pick up passengers, critics have argued that it can't exceed state stipulated cab fare rates.
Feature image source: Reuters |
British TV host and columnist Piers Morgan weighed in on the news of criminal charges against Corey Lewandowski, campaign manager to Donald Trump, by mocking Michelle Fields for pressing assault charges.
On Tuesday afternoon, Morgan took to Twitter, calling the criminal complaint “utterly pathetic” and telling Fields to “toughen up.”
That's it?
This constitutes a criminal charge of 'battery'?
How utterly pathetic. https://t.co/FYgow4cAjr — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 29, 2016
If a male reporter tried to claim this was 'battery', he'd be rightly mocked.
Toughen up, @MichelleFields. https://t.co/JuysRTwRTJ — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 29, 2016
These tweets provoked a wave of outrage from Fields’ defenders.
It was 5 ribs, actually. https://t.co/zwxTfsMelm — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 29, 2016
Now THAT'S battery.
By a Segway. https://t.co/DnqcOvmTmt — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 29, 2016
Morgan reiterated his point by comparing Fields’ complaint to veteran women in broadcast news, such as Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters.
Can you imagine Barbara Walters, Katie Couric or Diane Sawyer claiming 'battery' for this? Just ridiculous. https://t.co/JuysRTwRTJ — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 29, 2016
Then he continued to quote and mock angry tweets, including a missive from former Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large Ben Shapiro.
Mate, I really wouldn't get into an aesthetic argument with that head.
Now pipe down. https://t.co/jQt9A2l0vo — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 29, 2016
Morgan later wrote a full column on the subject for the Daily Mail. He says he has “watched the video multiple times and cannot conceive any sensible interpretation that he is committing any kind of deliberate assault.” He then claims that if Fields were a man, the press would laugh at rather than rally behind the criminal charges. |
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration on Friday came out strongly in support of extending long-term unemployment insurance past its current expiration date.
Top economic adviser Gene Sperling said in a statement to The Huffington Post there is "no question" that Congress should extend emergency unemployment insurance for the more than 1 million workers who could be affected when benefits expire between Christmas and the New Year.
"We have always done so when unemployment is this high and would make little sense to fail to do so now when we are still facing the burdens of the worst downturn since the Great Recession," Sperling said. "It is high bang for the buck for the economy, reduces poverty and helps workers who lost jobs due to no fault of their own get back on their feet."
Sperling's remarks, which echoed similar comments he made Thursday during The Atlantic's Washington Ideas Forum, are a message to Congress to move quickly on the issue with few legislative business days left in the year.
Budget negotiators have been meeting to try and hammer out a deal to keep the federal government running when funding expires in mid-January. And in an interview with The Washington Post, one of those members, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said that an extension of unemployment benefits would be a chief request for the Democrats. But those benefits expire before any new government funding agreement is likely to be reached, making it more imperative for Congress to act on a stand-alone measure.
Since World War II, Congress has always given extra weeks of federal unemployment benefits to workers who use up the standard six months of state jobless compensation.
Reauthorizing the benefits has recently become a painful annual ritual, however, with Republicans lamenting the cost of the extension and Democrats insisting the federal government has never left workers hanging with the national unemployment rate above 7.2 percent.
Since the unemployment rate is on a trajectory to be at or even below 7.2 percent in December, renewing the benefits this year may be especially politically tricky. |
And some of us are pop culture phenomenons cum gay rights activists blessed with the kind of canyon-deep voice that could out-God Morgan Freeman.
Takei is being modest when describing To Be Takei, which will feature at the Queer Screen Film Festival this September. Among the mundanities of married life, Kroot's film also shows the extraordinary: a California boy whose family was interned along with other Japanese-Americans during World War II who would go on to become a pioneer for Asian actors and, when he came out of the closet in 2005 in Frontiers magazine, for marriage equality.
Kroot provides snippets of Takei's film roles - though not of Australian film, Blood Oath, which he starred in with Bryan Brown and a young Russell Crowe he recalls as "eager, enthusiastic, a little bit of a ... sycophant" - and life on the convention circuit. But it's Takei's personal journey that centres the film, from his first experience with a boy (a nighttime liaison with a camp counsellor that was "delicious") to the intense "feeling of freedom" he felt upon coming out.
Sixty-something years was a long time to wait. "I started my career in the 1950s when it was unthinkable to be out and realistically think you're going to have a viable career," says Takei. "Films and film workers live or die by the box office, and for me to be out and insisting that I was going to be an actor was suicidal." He describes those who suggest that it might have been more pioneering to come out earlier - the kind of commentary that flowed in the wake of Ian Thorpe's recent coming out, which he followed - as "arrogant and all-knowing". "That's a very personal decision you have to make."
Closeted life, especially for a star, came at a cost, says Takei: "You are always on guard; every relationship you have, you are fearful". Gay bars offered a reprieve - "You think, at last, I can let my guard down" - but fear of raids and being publicly marched out to a police paddy wagon was "terrorising". "I'm an actor. People recognise you. Every time you went to a gay bar you looked for the exit signs and hung out near them; if there was any sign of the place being raided, you fled." |
Immigrant advocates press for repeal of Herndon day labor law
By Christy Goodman
Social justice and immigration advocates joined with some Herndon residents Tuesday morning to ask the Herndon Town Council to rescind an ordinance they say violates day laborers' civil rights.
The anti-solicitation ordinance prohibits people standing on town roads to communicate to drivers that they are looking for work, distribute pamphlets or ask for contributions.
The council is scheduled to discuss the ordinance in closed session Tuesday night.
Specifically forbidding people to tell drivers they are looking for work instead of outlawing all communication is a violation of a person's First Amendment rights, said Anita Sinha, an attorney with Advancement Project, which has filed lawsuits in similar cases in the past.
Herndon resident Nancy Ramirez said, through a translator, the ordinance is "discriminatory for everyone who lives in the town of Herndon."
"Rescind this ordinance. In the last election I voted for this kind of change, but it seems the council members are forgetting that commitment to us," said Ramirez, a U.S. citizen and six-year town resident.
Herndon's involvement in the illegal immigration debate has quieted recently. But in the past, the town adopted English as its official language; trained local police officers to detain illegal immigrants under the federal 287(g) program; and opened and closed an organized day laborer center in 21 months.
The original anti-solicitation ordinance was struck down by Fairfax County Circuit Court in 2007 for not giving alternatives to free speech, Sinha said.
She said a draft of the current ordinance included an intent statement that said it was designed to remove "visual blight" of day laborers, which she contended violates the 14th Amendment, or the Equal Protection Clause.
The most recent ordinance was passed in June, shortly after the May elections, in which four candidates who took a more pro-immigrant position were elected. Two of the incumbent council members who were against the center lost the election and the other two did not seek reelection.
"They were elected under the premise there would be changes," said Julius Bradley, a Herndon resident. But Bradley said he hasn't seem any.
"They've been sitting on their hands for six months," said Jon Liss, executive director of Virginia New Majority, an organization working to put pressure on the council to rescind the law.
But Bill Campenni, a member of the anti-illegal immigration group Help Save Herndon and a supporter of the law, said, "The day laborer problem has been significantly reduced" due to this and other town laws.
He described the town as "overrun" and "a sanctuary for day laborers" in the past. The laws "control the problem so it doesn't happen again," he said.
Campenni said he thinks the ordinance's wording applies to everyone and that most people in town support it.
If the Herndon Town Council decides to take action on the issue after Tuesday night's discussion, it would be scheduled for a public hearing on Jan. 25 at the earliest, said Anne P. Curtis, a town spokeswoman.
UPDATE, 2:40 p.m.
Herndon Mayor Stephen J. DeBenedittis said, "I'm fine with it as it is. If I thought there was anything wrong with it, I wouldn't have voted for it before."
He said the ordinance "is based on state law, which I don't think would have passed if there was a Constitutional issue there."
The law applies to everyone and targets safety where streets are the busiest, he said. The council is discussing the issue because of community concerns and is "not motivated by outside interest groups or threats," DeBenedittis said.
This post has been modified since it was first published. |
The prevalence of domestic corruption is among Armenia’s worst kept secrets. This, coupled with the country’s historically close relationship with Russia, explains the heavy handed influence Russia was able to exert over the Armenian judiciary in the Yukos CIS trials. Auspiciously absent from any discussion surrounding the nature of this relationship, however, is an understanding of the level of economic control Moscow exerts over the country.
Russia exerts this control not simply through the bilateral trade relationship or regional organizations, but also through sweeping ownership by Russian state-owned enterprises (SOEs) of strategic Armenian assets throughout the country's energy, mining, transportation, telecommunications and banking sectors. This level of strategic control transcends economics and, within Armenia, translates to significant Russian political leverage.
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In Armenia’s post-independence period, debt-for-asset swaps, many of which were negotiated personally by now-President Serzh Sargsyan, turned over critical assets to Russian SOEs in exchange for debt relief. Many top Armenian government officials, not to mention the Armenian public, were left in the dark as these backroom deals were executed.
Since, Russian companies have used various tactics, including debt-for-asset swaps, or the offer of discounts on natural gas prices, to gain economic concessions. As recently as August, Armenia was reportedly mulling the sale of the Yerevan Power Plant to Gazprom (indebted to the company for $52.3 million).
Breaking it down sector by sector, the level of control by Russian state-owned companies is staggering. The country’s energy sector, in particular, is inordinately dependent on Russian state owned, or state linked, enterprises. These companies own or operate an array of power generating assets and chemical plants in the country. Those such assets that remain in Armenian government hands, like the Metsamor nuclear power plant, often still depend entirely on Russian fuel. Many of Armenia’s thermal power plants, for example, are powered with natural gas, the majority (80%) of which comes from Russia and passes through a distribution system fully controlled by Gazprom (via Gazprom Armenia). While the country’s sources of oil imports are more diversified, all oil products are moved via the country’s railway system, which is managed and operated Russian Railways. This Russian economic dominance extends to other of Armenia’s strategic sectors, including mining, banking and telecommunications.
Even in the more traditional soft power realm, Russia holds significant sway over the Armenian public. Roughly 49% rely on Russian television as their daily news source, and just 16% of Armenians watch no Russian television news at all.
Outside of Armenia proper is a diaspora community of roughly 2.3 million, the majority of which resides in Russia. Keeping in mind that Armenia itself is home to just 2.9 million - one-third of whom live in poverty - the country’s inordinate dependence on remittances is blatant. Between 2010 and 2014, remittances constituted roughly 19% of Armenia’s total GDP, and those originating from Russia comprise some 70% of the total.
The question of how exactly this economic dominance translates into political control is not easy to answer, but it starts with the presence of oligarchs friendly to Moscow, who themselves control certain of the country’s most lucrative businesses. Made up of a circle of roughly forty individuals, included amongst the country’s oligarchs are members of the major political parties and Armenian presidents. The deals struck with Russian companies operating in the country serve often to enrich the oligarchs who facilitate the deals or partner with these firms. Thus, Moscow is often able to force Yerevan to make political or economic decisions that fall in line with Moscow’s broader agenda (for example the country’s joining of the Eurasian Economic Union).
There is no clearer recent example of Moscow’s close ties to the Armenian oligarchic class than that of newly appointed Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, who led Gazprom Armenia for some time and was later Vice President of Gazprombank. Even if Karapetyan’s appointment is simply a placeholder until the April 2017 elections, it speaks volumes symbolically. The Prime Minister’s brother, Samvel Karapetyan, heads Tashir Group, which purchased Armenian Electric Networks, which controls the country’s power grid, from Russia’s Inter RAO following the Electric Yerevan protests.
Due in large part to these strong economic ties, Armenia is, in effect, trapped in Moscow’s strategic orbit, despite growing public frustration with Russia. Moscow’s continued defense sales to Azerbaijan continue to be a thorn in the side of Armenia, though the government has found itself able to do little about it. Likewise, Western assistance dedicated to enhancing the country’s democratic institutions, including the recently publicized effort to provide financial support for a new voting process, will not be enough to counter Moscow’s interest in maintaining the status quo. Without accounting for the economic role of Russia in Armenia, any efforts to enhance the country’s democratic institutions will largely fall flat.
Christina Gathman is a Senior Analyst at RWR Advisory Group, focusing on Russia issues.
The views expressed by authors are their own and not the views of The Hill. |
Britain's controversial air campaign in Syria has been branded a “non-event” after it emerged that the Air Force has carried out only one attack on the country in the last four weeks.
Since MPs voted for war over Syria on 1 December, more than a month ago, RAF Tornados and Typhoons have mounted only three strike missions – all in the first five days of the operation.
No RAF manned strikes have been conducted on any Syrian target since 6 December, 28 days ago, it can be revealed. The only further strike was made on Christmas Day by an unmanned, remote-controlled Reaper drone, bringing the total number of British strike missions to four.
“Britain’s air campaign in Syria so far is basically a non-event which can have had little, if any, impact on the balance of power on the ground.”
Figures released by US Central Command suggest that during their missions the Tornados and Typhoons may have dropped as few as 19 bombs.
The disclosures call into question claims by the Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, at the beginning of the Syria operation that the UK was “really upping the tempo” with an “intense focus” on hitting infrastructure. He said that what he called the RAF’s “surge” would take Britain from the “periphery” to the “centre” of the air campaign.
Mr Fallon also claimed that the manned missions in the first week of December had been “successful” and had struck “a very real blow” against Isil.
In fact, however, all of the RAF manned missions were against a target, the Omar oilfield, which had already suffered “long-term incapacitation” at the hands of a much large American raid on October 21, six weeks before, according to a US military spokesman, Major Michael Filanowski, at a press briefing the following day.
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Britain has carried out a number of further reconnaissance missions over Syria, and has continued to make airstrikes on Isil targets across the border in Iraq, both of which it was already doing before MPs voted last month.
“There is an almost complete disconnect between the heated political debate in Britain over Syria and what the Government has actually done,” said Jon Lake, a military aviation expert. “Britain’s air campaign in Syria so far is basically a non-event which can have had little, if any, impact on the balance of power on the ground.”
At a joint press conference with the US defense secretary, Ash Carter, in Washington on 11 December, Mr Fallon claimed that the RAF would be conducting “more precision strikes against key infrastructure,” including “the oil well heads, the ammunition depots, the logistics, the command and control, the supply routes between Syria and Iraq.”
However, this has not happened, partly because both nations, operating under stringent rules to guard against civilian casualties, have largely run out of Syrian targets. On 1 December, the day Britain joined the air campaign over Syria, the main US spokesman, Colonel Steve Warren, said there had been no bombings so far that week because “we didn't have any targets over the last couple of days, or not enough targets”.
Between 1 December and 22 December, according to figures from US Central Command (Centcom), which is running the operation, American, British and other coalition aircraft carried out a total of 148 airstrikes on Syria, an average of just seven a day or 49 a week.
This is lower than the already very low strike rate in the 2011 Libya conflict, less than half the strike rate in the air campaign over Kosovo and a small fraction of the intensity seen in previous campaigns in Iraq.
General Mark Welsh, chief of staff of the US Air Force, said: “This is never going to look like the first Gulf War air campaign. That is just not the intent of the strategy that has been decided on, whether anyone agrees with that or not.”
Of the 148 airstrikes on Syria between 1 and 22 December, the United States carried out 127 and the “rest of coalition” 21, according to the Centcom figures. It is known that French aircraft carried out two strikes in the period, meaning that no more than 19 strikes were carried out by the RAF. A “strike” means that at least one bomb was dropped or missile fired.
British Ministry of Defence reports of the RAF’s three attack missions in Syria speak of them striking at least 17 targets. The unmanned drone attack on December 25 involved firing a single Hellfire missile at an Isil checkpoint south of Raqqa.
The Ministry of Defence said that the RAF’s contribution to reconnaissance over Syria is more significant, with some reports that it is providing up to 60 per cent of the coalition’s entire tactical reconnaissance capability. It declined to specify the number of reconnaissance missions flown, however. |
President Obama hosted the third White House Science Fair yesterday, taking the opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of students who have science fairs and to announce the launch of a new AmeriCorps track focused on STEM education.
After touring the exhibits brought to 1600 Pennsylvania by 100 students from 40 states, Obama said: "Let me just start by saying, in my official capacity as president: This stuff is really cool. And I want to thank these incredible young people for explaining to me what the heck is going on."
As we've noted before, Obama has talked repeatedly about the importance of STEM education, including in his State of the Union address this year. He hosted the first White House Science Fair in 2010. STEM advocates say he's used the bully pulpit to great effect in promoting the cause.
"We need to make this a priority to train an army of teachers in these subject areas, and to make sure that all of us as a country are lifting up these subjects for the respect that they deserve," he said. "And we've got to give the millions of Americans who work in science and technology not only the kind of respect they deserve but also new ways to engage young people."
To that end, the president announced the new AmeriCorps program for STEM education. The new effort will be a "multiyear initiative" to place hundreds of AmeriCorps members in nonprofits around the country to help "mobilize STEM professionals to inspire young people to excel in STEM education," according to a press release from the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees Americorps.
In its first phase, the press release says, 50 full-time AmeriCorps members will be placed with FIRST, a nonprofit founded by inventor Dean Kamen that aims to engage students in the STEM disciplines through robotics competitions.
At the White House event yesterday, Obama also announced that a group of technology companies and nonprofits have launched a campaign to encourage businesses to commit 20 percent of their STEM employees to 20 hours of mentoring or teaching by 2020, according to a White House blog post on the science fair.
A White House fact sheet provides background on these and other initiatives, as well as exhibits on display at the science fair.
On the policy front, meanwhile, Obama unveiled a number of new STEM education proposals in his latest budget request, including a $35 million STEM Master Teacher Corps and a STEM Virtual Learning Network.
You can read about the president's second White House Science Fair here.
President Obama pedals a bicycle-powered emergency water-sanitation station for Payton Karr, 16, left, and Kiona Elliott, 18, center, both from Oakland Park, Fla., to help demonstrate their invention in the White House's East Garden. --Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP |
An Ypsilanti beehive is recovering from vandalism this week.
has two honey beehives in the alley adjacent to the
, 312 N. River St. On Wednesday, May 20, they had split one of the hives to make a new colony. However, at some point that night, someone pushed over the hive causing the frame to overturn. This isn't the first time that vandalism has occurred. According to
, marketing coordinator and beekeeper, this is the third year in a row that some sort of vandalism has happened. She noted that it usually happens in late May or early June. "It's pretty demoralizing and sad," she said of what took place, noting that the hives are a deeply beloved project in Ypsilanti. The Local Honey Project was established in 2010. The frames collapsed outside the box, on top of one another. The 42-degree weather may have injured or killed the brood, which is essentially the baby bees. The collapse likely injured or killed the queen bee. Bashert said that all the damage could be substantial, especially in terms of hours spent caring for the beehive, but losing such a large queen bee in particular would be devastating. "She herself is priceless," she said. According to Bashert, there are about 30-40,000 bees in the hive at this time of year. Part of the issue is the fact that the alley is not an enclosed space. Bashert mentioned that employees and volunteers at the Co-op as well as people who live in the neighborhood often use it cut through. The idea of putting up a fence has been brought up before, but since the alley is in a historic district, as well as a shared right of way with the building next to the Co-op, it's easier said than done. To prevent vandalism in the future, Bashert, with help from local artists and volunteers, plans be proactive and further educate the community about the benefits of beehives. Ideas range from teen outreach programs, placing artwork and signs in the alley to even starting a campaign for a "bee cam," which would stream the bee activity online. As for now, Bashert said the hive is being observed. Unlike last year, Bashert said the surviving bees don't appear to be aggressive, which is a good sign. Bashert said that she plans to give the bees some days to recover from what happened and look at them again on either Monday or Tuesday. According to Ypsilanti Police, there are no suspects at this time.
Jack Walsworth is an intern reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Contact him via email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. |
Obamacare was sold to a skeptical public based on three promises: It would bend the cost curve downward, provide access to care for most of the uninsured, and improve quality of the care we all receive. As many of us predicted, and every honest observer now admits, it has failed to deliver on any of these promises.
The “Affordable Care Act” has exacerbated health care inflation, the number of uninsured Americans remains essentially unchanged from the 30 million cited by former President Obama in his September 9, 2009 address to a joint session of Congress, and the life expectancy of the average American has declined since the law was enacted.
So, how can Obamacare’s remaining advocates still defend it? With increasing desperation. This week, the only “success” they have been able to cite is that it hasn’t completely collapsed. The following headline from the New Yorker was typical: “Obamacare Is Officially Not Collapsing.” Vox chimed in with one of its comical explainers: “Why Obamacare didn’t implode.”
Its gist is this: Because each of Obamacare’s exchanges have at last managed to find at least one insurer willing to sell coverage to the dwindling number of people able to pay their exorbitant premiums. These exchanges, you will recall, were supposed to be models of competition that would drive prices down.
Instead, Obamacare’s perverse incentives have converted the exchanges into a series of regional monopolies where captive customers are required by law to purchase coverage and pay whatever premium the sole insurer deems appropriate.
This is how Obamacare’s shameless pimps are now defining “success.” |
The benefits of linking from Mathematica to other languages and tools differ from case to case. But unusually, in the case of the new RLink in Mathematica 9, I think the benefits have very little to do with R, the language. The real benefit, I believe, is in the connection it makes to the R community.
When we first added the MathLink libraries for C, there were real benefits in farming out intensive numerical work (though Mathematica performance improvements over the years and development of the compiler have greatly reduced the occasions where that would be worth the effort). Creating an Excel link added an alternative interface paradigm to Mathematica that wasn’t available in the Mathematica front end. But in the case of R, it isn’t immediately obvious that it does many things that you can’t already do in Mathematica or many that it does significantly better.
However, with RLink I now have immediate access to the work of the R community through the add-on libraries that they have created to extend R into their field. A great zoo of these free libraries fill out thousands of niches–sometimes popular, sometimes obscure–but lots of them. There are over 4,000 right here and more elsewhere. At a stroke, all of them are made immediately available to the Mathematica environment, interpreted through the R language runtime.
Let’s look at a simple example. While Mathematica supports FisherRatioTest , it doesn’t know the exact Fisher test. (This is a hypothesis test where the null hypothesis is that rows and columns in a contingency table with fixed marginals are independent.)
Well, now it does.
Finding the right library is more work than phoning Tank, and I skipped over any error checking. But the only complicated bit was extracting the p-value from the result (the “[[1,1,1]]” part) because RFunction returns an RObject that contains additional metadata, which, this time, I didn’t care about.
I can now use this just like any built-in function.
I can plot it:
I can manipulate it:
And I can use it with libraries from other languages in a similar way:
The future is always hard to predict. When I started here (many) years ago, general linking to FORTRAN seemed like the most important thing, but no one ever asks me about that any more–C and Java linking are the most popular. Links to some specific libraries (BLAS/LAPACK, GMP, and others) have ended up being core infrastructure components in Mathematica. Whether RLink finds extensive use in Mathematica‘s future features, or remains a more or less stand-alone added chunk of functionality within Mathematica‘s infrastructure, is not yet clear.
There are also issues that need to be considered. R code isn’t going to handle symbolic arguments or high-precision numbers, so, for robustness, you will want to type-check more carefully than you might with Mathematica code. You don’t always have the elegant design and quality of Mathematica. Some of it is quite raw, while some of it is excellent. But design and quality take time and resources, and so it will be quite a while before we fill out Mathematica to fill every one of these niches, and through RLink they are available right now.
A big chunk of extra functionality just became a part of the Mathematica ecosystem.
Download this post as a Computable Document Format (CDF) file. |
The morning after news broke that special counsel Robert Mueller had filed his first criminal charges in the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential collusion with the Trump campaign, the White House Press Secretary took to social media to lob accusations at the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Specifically, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders pointed to recent reports that a law firm tied to the DNC and the Clinton campaign took over funding opposition research into Trump’s connections with Russia, and did not disclose that connection until the Washington Post uncovered it earlier this week.
The evidence Clinton campaign, DNC & Russia colluded to influence the election is indisputable->https://t.co/nLRAMrJK3c — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) October 28, 2017
Huckabee Sanders did not mention that a conservative publication, the Washington Free Beacon, first contracted the opposition research firm that later produced the Steele Dossier.
As Mueller’s probe into Trump and his inner circle intensifies, other Republicans have similarly attempted to shift the public’s focus to Clinton and the Democratic Party.
In a telling verbal slip, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski called for an investigation into the “continued lies of the Clinton administration” in a Fox News interview Saturday morning.
Corey Lewandowski, apparently on Planet B: "What we should be focusing on is the continued lies of the Clinton administration" pic.twitter.com/FfuwfeVMCq — David Mack (@davidmackau) October 28, 2017
Though the target and nature of Mueller’s criminal charges remain under a judge’s seal, some Republicans on Capitol Hill and former Trump officials reacted to the news by demanding the special counsel’s resignation.
“I take the position that we shouldn’t have a special counsel at this time,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told local reporters in Wisconsin. “[Mueller is] too close to Comey,” he added, referring to the former FBI Director fired by President Trump.
Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) made a similar argument to Fox News, accusing Mueller of being “compromised by his apparent conflict of interest in being close with James Comey.”
Chris Christie, who led Trump’s White House transition team until he was unceremoniously ousted last November, told Fox that “somebody with Bob Mueller’s integrity will step aside and should.” |
Shahid Rafi with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai on Friday, January 15, 2016. (ANI photo)
Shahid Rafi, son of legendary singer Mohammed Rafi, dumped the AIMIM and joined the Congress in the presence of party vice president Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai today.Mr Rafi, a garments businessman and a singer, had contested the Mumbadevi assembly segment in south Mumbai as a candidate of the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate but lost.He met Mr Gandhi in Mumbai this afternoon and was welcomed into the party amidst loud cheers and clapping from the assembled gathering which included Mumbai party chief Sanjay Nirupam and other senior leaders."I want to help and serve the people as my father used to - I believed that by becoming a legislator, I could help the masses. Many parties have come and gone but little has changed. I am requesting the people to give me an opportunity to serve them," Mr Rafi remarked on his entry to the party.Mr Rafi recently grabbed headlines when he demanded that his father, the famed Mohammed Rafi should be conferred the Bharat Ratna posthumously. He had launched the Mohammed Rafi Academy to train young musicians and promote Indian classical and contemporary music in July 31, 2010 to mark the 30th death anniversary of the singer. |
I've just installed Ubuntu 17.10, because it has xserver 1.19.x and up to date kernels for nvidia prime synch for my dedicated card in my laptop.
But it keeps randomly freezing. Mouse moves, but can't interact with anything. Everything is frozen, no keyboard commands respond. I have to hard restart my laptop.
I had issues with prime sync not working, so after contacting support I've disabled Wayland and use xorg , now it finally does and I have no screen tear issues. (in /etc/gdm3/custom.conf uncomment the line #WaylandEnable=false )
I've read in a similar problem that it's maybe because of gnome wanting wayland?
I have gnome extension installed as well. Tweak tool and Ark theme, Paper Icon pack.
Can I fix this by changing from gnome to something else? Is it supported in 17.10?
What can I do to stop this issue? |
Anne Madeleine de L’Isle Marivaux was the daughter of François de L’Isle Marivaux, Marquis de Marivaux and his wife Catherine Caillebot. The couple was married in 1630 and had six children, four sons and two daughters.
Not much is known about Anne Madeleine, called Mademoiselle de Marivaux before her marriage, early days apart from that she was a pretty girl and admired for her spirit. On January 17 in 1657, as Louis XIV was nineteen years old, he met Mademoiselle de Marivaux at a social gathering and was immediately taken with her. It was a ball hosted by Madame d’Argencourt and the young Sun King did a bit of flirting by telling her he got quite the pleasure from chatting with Mademoiselle de Marivaux and how refreshing it was. He then inquired if Mademoiselle de Marivaux intended to go to any other social gatherings any time soon and where she does usually take her supper. Anne Madeleine gave him the desired answers to his questions and Louis showed up wherever she went in the next days with a serious case of heart-eyes going on.
Louis interest in Mademoiselle de Marivaux did not last for long however. As his interest in the young girl was noticed by Anne d’Autriche, she ordered her son to travel to Vincennes in hopes if he did not see Anne Madeleine for a while, he might forget the stomach-butterflies she had caused him. It worked.
Mademoiselle de Marivaux did not manage to make the butterflies return as Louis returned. He already had a other love interest and this love interest made him blind to everyone else. It was Marie Mancini.
Anne Madeleine married Jean Louis de Louet, Marquis de Calvisson, on February 17 in 1661. Her first-born son, also named Jean Louis, later married Marie Madeleine Agnès de Gontaut Biron, who was a mistress of Louis XIV in the early 1680’s. Anne Madeleine, Louis XIV’s 1657 love interest, was thus the mother-in-law of his 1680’s love interest. She died on May 15 in 1698. |
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Who buys a desktop anymore? Laptops outsell desktops, they are almost as powerful, more flexible, are with us at home, at work, on the road, in the air, in bed, in the hot tub ( see update at the bottom), and finally they don’t look ugly at home. I haven’t had a desktop for 8 years now.
And now I am about to take a huge step back… going against a trend. Why? It’s simple: laptops are unhealthy. Well, that’s an understatement. They are crippling us. It’s really simple, says the Harvard Medical School:
“When the keyboard is in the proper position for the wrist, the screen is not in an adequate position for the neck and vice versa. Using a laptop is a trade off between poor neck/head posture and poor hand/wrist posture.”
“In “A”, the laptop is too high and distant, with the user’s arms raised and outstretched, resulting in unnecessary fatigue in the shoulders, neck, back, forearms and hands. In “B”, the user has the laptop in the lap, which facilitates good arm position, but the user’s head is dropped, causing muscle tension in the back, neck, shoulders and chest. In “C”, the laptop is on a “standard” surface that is too low and close for comfortable viewing, and too high for upper body comfort. Notice that the hands are higher than the elbows, the wrists are resting on the edge of the worksurface, and the low back is not supported. This position increases risk for injury to the neck, back, elbows, and wrists.” – explains Working Well Ergonomics
There’s only one way a laptop can be ergonomically correct: by raising the screen (i.e. the entire laptop) on a stand / docking station and using an external keyboard at a proper position. I’ve seriously considered doing just that.
But all that gadgetry is quite expensive and I’d still be limited to a 15.4″screen (anything bigger is a brick to carry), while standalone wide-screen LCD’s are much larger, crisper, and really inexpensive today… so I am about to buy a desktop system basically for the screen.
Have you tried buying a flat screen recently? Not all models are ergonomic (in fact most aren’t) and it’s close to impossible to find out online – you have to touch it live. You get data like analog / digital, all the inputs, aspect ratio, brightness, contrast ratio, response time, and the like, but hardly any site selling LCD monitors tells you if they are vertically adjustable. That should be priority #1. As LCD screens become fashion objects, they are getting lower and lower – many stand so low, that they are hardly any higher than a laptop screen. That’s ridiculous. Look at the chart above – clearly, the only ergonomic screens are those with variable height (unless you want to put your old Encyclopedia Britannica to good use as a screen stand).
Of course I won’t be glued to my desk all the time, so I will still have to fall back to the laptop. This is where the Web comes to help. In the past, switching from my default computer required a bit of preparation: moving my Outlook.pst files and several other essentials, updating settings, old programs ..etc. Since I ditched most of my desktop applications and am using a combination of Gmail and Zoho apps, this is no longer an issue – I’m no longer tied to any physical computer, both my data and applications are identical, no matter where I access them. So, in a somewhat roundabout way, Office 2.0 improves my health
Ergonomic desktops, here I come!
P.S. I was contemplating all this when I found BL Ochmans post. Thanks for collecting all the information!
Update: OK, that hot-tub usage above isn’t that rare after all. I barely posted this and now I am reading Robert Scoble typing away from the beach at Cabo while his wife is at the spa! Robert, get off your computer! There are things like .. the sun, the ocean, the hot tub, the pool to enjoy (hm should I mention the poolside bar?)
Update (7/23): What you put your computer on also matters. See desk buying advice at Web Worker Daily.
Update (8/6/08): Gotta love this by Assaf:
You see, the most expensive piece of hardware to maintain is the one I run: eyes, back, fingers. It’s very, very, expensive to repair, and it requires a lot of downtime. So that’s the first TCO on my mind when purchasing a new computer.
Update (810/08): Opinion: Why laptops will kick desktop PCs to the curb
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I just saw a video demonstrating a new object tracking algorithm developed as part of a Ph.D project. Zdenek Kalal is a Czech student at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom. He demonstrated his amazingly accurate system which can track almost anything a camera sees once it is selected. It does some pretty amazing things. In the video he demonstrates it by selecting his finger as it is filmed by the camera. The selection tracks his hands and follows it almost perfectly. What makes it amazing is that it learns from the movement and the tracking improves. One could train it over a short period of time to track your fingers, face or a car racing down a highway. With something like this we could have truly “Minority Report” style human-computer interface. As amazing as the Kinect was for Microsoft Xbox, this system looks even better.
Kalal has a series of 12 videos that show what his algorithm can do. With a good webcam and this algorithm built into an operating system, a computer, tablet or phone could be controlled with razor fine accuracy using nothing more than a dot on your forehead, your finger tip, or just your eyes as you move your head. A camera outside your house could inform you when someone you know is stopping buy and warn you when a visitor is a stranger. People without the use of their hands could easily interface with a PC. The applications are enormous.
The code for the project is freely available at the Surrey University website. Kalal was recognized by a “Technology Everywhere” award. |
iMacs sold between May 2011 and July 2011 could be subject to a recall if they contain 1TB Seagate hard drives. Apple announced on Friday that it had begun a hard drive replacement program for affected iMacs, offering a support page on its website that lets users look up their serial numbers to see whether their machines are included in the program.
Apple says that the 1TB drives "may fail under certain conditions," but did not elaborate on its site as to what conditions those might be. (It's too bad one of those conditions isn't "hard drive fan randomly comes on and stays on forever until machine is shut down," as that's the particular annoyance I have been living with on my 27" iMac since the end of 2009.) The machines that fall under the recall appear to be those that were updated at the beginning of May with Thunderbolt compatibility, FaceTime HD, and quad-core i5 and i7 processors.
Regardless, once users confirm that their serial numbers are covered under the program, they can take their iMacs into an Apple Retail Store or an Authorized Service Provider for a free replacement. There is a small catch though: you need to bring your original OS installation discs that came with your iMac so that your replacement hard drive will have an operating system on it when you get back. So get to digging in that office closet—you have until July 23, 2012 to get that drive replaced! |
Twitter/Ryan Broderick Google is touting threads from controversial message board site 4Chan as people look to find out who is behind the Las Vegas shooting massacre.
At least six threads on 4Chan wrongly named democrat Geary Danley as the shooter and Google showed them in people's search results.
Google typically shows news stories from credible sources. The company announced on Monday that it plans to make some changes to the types of stories it chooses to surface in its results.
At least 59 people have died and 527 are injured after the deadliest mass shooting in US history took place on Sunday night in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The gunman has been identified by the authorities as Stephen Paddock. Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Casino, aiming into a close-packed crowd of many thousands of people below, who were watching a country music festival.
One publication, The Gateway Pundit, ran a now-deleted story where it said Danley murdered at least 20 concertgoers.
Danley's name is also being circulated by far-right Twitter accounts. He is being called a "neo-liberal" and "alt-left".
Google did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. |
Some local families are celebrating a major victory following the end of Missouri's legislative session on Friday. Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 501, an in-depth bill with new laws aimed at saving lives across the state.
The end of the session also marked the end a five-year fight for changes that could turn the tide for people in Missouri battling addiction and overdose.
“When I heard it I was walking to my car and I just sat in my car and cried,” said Kathi Arbini. She’s been on the front lines of the fight for a 911 Good Samaritan Law. Her son, Kevin Mullane, died of a heroin overdose at a friend's house in 2009.
“He had been in this boy's basement for about 17 hours because the kid, his buddy, was too afraid to call 911,” said Arbini.
The last-minute passage of SB 501 created the Good Samaritan law in Missouri.
“If somebody in a good faith effort calls 911 for an overdose of any drug the people involved, the caller, the person overdosing, will not get arrested for possession. That's it. It's only for possession of user amounts of what may be there,” said Chad Sabora, co-founder of the Missouri Network for Opiate Reform and Recovery.
Sabora is a recovering addict who worked closely with lawmakers for half a decade to craft the bill.
“Thirty-eight other states have laws like this on the books. We've seen anywhere between a 10-20 percent reduction in deaths and upwards of a 30 percent increase in 911 calls,” said Sabora.
The new law won't bring Arbini's son back. But she feels it is his legacy.
“He'd be really proud because we're doing stuff in his name and in his memory to save lives.”
There are many other parts of Senate Bill 501. Click here for a full summary.
The bill still needs Governor Greitens' signature. If signed, the provisions in SB 501 should take effect in August. |
With the Xbox One and Playstation 4 releasing later this year, it was expected by most that the industry would be on a downswing of sorts. For a game like Metro: Last Light that doesn’t feature a huge following, the general feel is that the title may not sell incredibly well.
While we still haven’t received actual sales numbers, comparisons for how well the game has done were made. Deep Silver announced that Metro: Last Light sold through more boxed units in its first week of sale than Metro 2033 has managed lifetime to date in the US.
The game has also done extremely well in various European countries where it has found itself at number one on the sales charts. The team at 4A Games was extremely gracious when being asked about the success of Metro: Last Light.
4A Games are honoured by the reception our latest project has received, said Andrew Prokhorov, Creative Director at 4A Games. We are a small but dedicated team who are lucky to have been given the creative freedom and support to make the kind of experience we dream, as gamers, of playing. Our work on Metro: Last Light continues with new single player DLC, and we look forward to revealing future projects from the team. We want to thank all the Metro fans for support we have received.
Have you played through the game yet? What do you think about Metro: Last Light? Be sure to let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below, or continue the discussion on Twitter and Facebook. |
A major earthquake hit a remote part of western Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 45 people and prompting a new island to rise from the sea just off the country's southern coast.Tremors were felt as far away as the Indian capital of New Delhi, hundreds of miles (kilometers) to the east, where buildings shook, as well as the sprawling port city of Karachi in Pakistan. The United States Geological Survey said the 7.8 magnitude quake struck 145 miles (235 km) southeast of Dalbandin in Pakistan's quake-prone province of Baluchistan, which borders Iran.The earthquake was so powerful that it caused the seabed to rise and create a small, mountain-like island about 600 meters (yards) off Pakistan's Gwadar coastline in the Arabian Sea. Television channels showed images of a stretch of rocky terrain rising above the sea level, with a crowd of bewildered people gathering on the shore to witness the rare phenomenon.Officials said scores of mud houses were destroyed by aftershocks in the thinly populated mountainous area near the quake epicenter in Baluchistan, a huge barren province of deserts and rugged mountains.Abdul Qadoos, deputy speaker of the Baluchistan assembly, told Reuters that at least 30 per cent of houses in the impoverished Awaran district had caved in.The local deputy commissioner in Awaran, Abdul Rasheed Gogazai, and the spokesman of Pakistan's Frontier Corps involved in the rescue effort said at least 45 people had been killed. In the regional capital of Quetta, officials said some areas appeared to be badly damaged but it was hard to assess the impact quickly because the locations were so remote.Chief secretary Babar Yaqoob said earlier that 25 people had been injured and that the death toll was expected to increase as many people appeared to be trapped inside their collapsed homes.Local television reported that helicopters carrying relief supplies had been dispatched to the affected area. The army said it had deployed 200 troops to help deal with the disaster. |
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SINGAPORE: The Presidential Election has been set for Sep 23 if more than one person qualifies to run for the position.
This was announced by the Elections Department on Monday (Aug 28), after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong issued a writ of election.
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Nomination Day will be on Sep 13, at the People's Association headquarters at 9 King George's Avenue.
If there is only one eligible candidate, he or she will start the presidential term on the working day after Nomination Day.
Following changes to the Elected Presidency, this year’s election has been reserved for candidates from the Malay community.
Three potential candidates have declared their interest to contest the election – businessman Mohamed Salleh Marican, Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific chairman Farid Khan and former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob.
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All three said they look forward to the process of contesting next month's election.
With the writ of election issued, the presidential hopefuls must submit their applications within five days, and committees assessing their applications will have at least 10 days after the writ to do so.
So far, Mr Marican and Mr Farid have submitted their papers to the Elections Department.
Apart from the usual Certificate of Eligibility and Political Donation Certificate, interested parties also have to submit a Community Declaration form to the newly established Community Committee. This is to certify that the prospective candidate belongs to the community which the election has been reserved for.
On Nomination Day, a prospective candidate must complete the nomination paper, which must be signed by a proposer, seconder and at least four assentors whose names appear in the current registers of electors, said the Elections Department.
If more than one candidate stands nominated, the Returning Officer will then declare Sep 23, a Saturday, to be Polling Day. It will be a public holiday.
In a Facebook post on Monday, PM Lee said: "We are a multiracial country, and every citizen should know that someone of his community can become President, and does become President from time to time, and thus represent all Singaporeans.
"I hope Singaporeans will support the candidate who will best represent their interests and aspirations, and our nation. Not just at home, but internationally too."
President Tony Tan Keng Yam's term expires on Aug 31, after which an Acting President will assume the office until Dr Tan's successor is elected.
Under the constitution, the Chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers - a position currently held by Mr J Y Pillay - will be Acting President.
HELICOPTER, SHIP AMONG APPROVED SYMBOLS FOR CANDIDATES
A helicopter, a violin, a ship and a pair of binoculars are among the approved symbols candidates can use to represent themselves at the upcoming election.
The symbol selected by the candidate will be printed opposite his or her name on the ballot paper.
Eight symbols, approved by Returning Officer Ng Wai Choong, were published in the Government Gazette on Monday.
The eight symbols approved by the Returning Officer. (Photo: Screengrab from Government Gazette, Electronic Edition)
Candidates can also request to use their own symbol, which has to be approved by the Returning Officer.
They will need to settle their symbol of choice before 12.30pm on Nomination Day, if the election is contested. |
The Worst Project Proposal In History (Case-Study)
I’m going to tell you about the worst project proposal ever written by yours truly.
By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly what NOT to do when writing proposals – saving yourself a large amount of time and money.
But first – let me ask you this: do you remember your first kiss?
I’ll remember mine forever. I was eleven years old, and I kissed the beautiful Sarah, who lived in the apartment above ours.
I was really insecure and didn’t know how to act…
My heart was pounding like crazy, my throat was dry, my lips didn’t know where to go and our noses kept hitting each other.
It was the worst kiss ever…
Despite all that, it was very romantic, and I was sure Sarah and I would be together forever, for good times and bad and in sickness and health.
Well… Sarah had different plans. She dumped me a week later to go out with Dan from the other class. He was taller than me, with longer hair and a better tan. I don’t think it was because of the kiss, but I guess I’ll never know…
Many years later…
I recently went through my Gmail and came upon the first project proposal I’ve ever sent a client. That project is another thing I’ll never forget. Except in this case, there was nothing romantic about it. In fact it was one long nightmare:
I wasn’t compensated properly. I actually lost money (and time) on the project.
I worked much harder than I ever thought I would.
The whole thing took twice as long as expected.
It ended with a foul relationship between me and the client. He too felt like he overpaid, never got what he was after, and that it was a mistake to hire me.
All of this despite the fact that at the end of the day, the client received a fully functional, beautiful website which received great responses!
Meanwhile I lost money, time, and earned myself a very unhappy client who will never recommend me to anyone – and a ton of headaches.
How did the whole thing start? From the worst project proposal in history.
I want to share this proposal with you, analyze it and show you why it was so bad and what made it into one of the reasons why this project didn’t work out well. I’m big on learning lessons and I believe learning what not to do is just as important as learning what you should do.
Learning from those mistakes is what got me where I am today (look ma, no hands!)
The world’s worst project proposal
Dean, a friend of a friend, needed someone to develop and design a website for a non-profit organization. At the time, the organization already had a website and it was ugly as hell. I was hired to revamp and refresh the old website.
After four phone calls and 19 emails (I counted!) here’s what I sent Dean:
The email I got back only read: “Sounds great. Let’s start!”
…
At this point you’re either laughing your ass off, or, what’s worse, have gone back to Facebook.
If you’re still reading this, you might be in the same situation I was in a few years ago. You have no idea how to write proposals, or even worse – you don’t even understand what is wrong with my proposal to Dean, or why I call it the worst in history.
Well let me explain. And don’t worry – the joke’s on me.
Let me go step by step, explaining what’s so bad about the proposal.
1 – Sending the proposal via email
Sending a project proposal via email is a horrible mistake. Think about yourself for a minute. Where do you read emails? In your office, on your desktop? Well good for you. But where else? In the kitchen while eating cereal? In bed, before even waking up? On the toilet? Yep.
Well your client reads emails the same way, and that’s how seriously they will take your proposal.
About half of all email correspondence is read on mobile devices these days. Every notification can interfere with the reading, so while your client is reading your proposal, they might receive a Twitter or Facebook notification and lose focus. Better send your proposal as a PDF, which shows seriousness.
My punishment
– In hindsight I realized the client didn’t remember most of these clauses – probably because he was reading them with very little attention, for two minutes, on his Blackberry, in a traffic jam.
– He saw me as an amateur, meaning he could pay me less and push me around as much as he pleases.
[bctt tweet="The Worst Project Proposal In History..."]
2 – Using a vague project description
“I’ve given thought to everything we talked about” – oh, woopty doo. Nice project description.
Nowhere does it say that we’re talking about a WordPress site, that it needs hosting, that some of the functions I’m intending to create require wordpress plugins.
That means the client hardly knew what he was paying for (nor did he take an interest at this stage.)
Nothing is said about site maintenance once it’s online either, or about how the site will look on mobile devices. These are all things the client took for granted.
My punishment
– The client believed he was getting X, and I believed I was doing Y. Once the website was ready (as far as I was concerned), you can imagine how big the client’s disappointment was – while I was expecting nothing short of a standing ovation.
– When I began talking to him about hosting and further costs, I heard a lot of awkward and angry silences over the phone.
3 – Leaving unpriced gaps
“This proposal does not include QA or moving the content from the old website” – I was sure I was being a total pro for mentioning what was not included in the deal. The only thing I didn’t realize was that this means I will not be able to negotiate for those missing bits later.
Releasing a website without QA – whether for design or development – is something that will hurt both the client and myself, so I won’t have a choice but to do it anyway, for whatever price the client will consent to.
My punishment
After many arguments, the client finally paid me an extra $500 for those two items, even though they took me over 90 hours. In other words, I worked for $5.5 an hour. Damn.
4 – Creating unreasonable schedules
“Beta version within a month, final version within two months”
Can you guess why this schedule makes no sense?
Well, for one, because it’s unclear when the clock starts running. Today I know how important it is to clarify that the project begins after the client is done sending me all necessary material. In this particular project, almost two months passed before I even got the images he wanted for the homepage slider(!)
Secondly, “one month” is not a very well-defined term.
Is it a calendar month? A business month? What if there are bank holidays in the middle (unfortunately for me, there were.)
What about the time it takes for the client to go over the beta version and give me their feedback? It took this client a whole month to do this, during which I couldn’t move forward with the project.
What about QA time?
etc etc.
My punishment
– The project took almost six months from start to finish. Since the client remembered me proposing to do it in two months (the one part he did remember), he kept reminding me I’m behind. And honestly? He was right. Never mind that many of the delays were because of him – he didn’t send me the material on time, he took forever with his comments, he asked for tons of revisions – it’s still a delay, and it’s my responsibility, because I led him to believe it will only take two months.
– I was stuck with the project for much longer than I had wanted, which kept me away from other projects, and left me with a headache even on days when I wasn’t working but waiting for feedback from the client.
5 – Not specifying content well enough
“New pages for the website, just like the ones that exist on the current website”
Wow. I just can’t believe what an amateur I was being. When the original website was created, Facebook and Twitter didn’t even exist yet. It wasn’t customary to ask visitors for their email addresses. Those are just two small examples for things that were not included in the original site, which of course the client expected to see in his new site. At my expense, naturally.
Today I know that I have to specify the project’s content as much as possible, and maybe even include it in an appendix with a prototype or a list of all items, including pages, buttons and required functionality.
As I said, the client and I made four phone calls and wrote 19 emails. The client’s demands were either specified verbally – so there’s no record of them – or in emails, where trying to even begin and understand who said what to whom would make some lawyer very, very rich.
My punishment
– I worked way, way more than I thought I’d have to.
– The client was very unhappy to learn that many things he thought were standard – like a mobile-friendly version – were not available in my beta version.
6 – Pricing the project wrong
Deciding my asking price for the project took me ten minutes. I thought I’d be more than happy with $30 an hour (I was working only part-time as a freelancer, and it was one of my first gigs so I didn’t aim very high.)
Since I thought about it less than 10 minutes, I saw no reason for it to take me more than 100 hours. So the math is pretty simple – $3K.
The most ironic part of all is that when he wrote back “sounds great, let’s start,” I was sure I was superman. I was so excited about how he didn’t even negotiate.
My punishment
What actually happened (my frustration led me to measure everything as so to make it easier for myself to self-pity later):
Using WordPress and designing the website: 90 hours (fairly close to my initial assessment)
Endless calls, emails, fights with the client, presenting the site in his offices three times : 80 hours
: 80 hours Requests for revisions, and a third, fourth and fifth version (about two months in total): 120 hours
Mobile-friendly version and other extras which were not included in the original proposal (about a month in total): 60 hours
Moving in the old content plus QA: 90 hours
Total: 440 hours. Which, had I received $30 an hour, would have been $13,200 – more than four times what I had asked for!
As I mentioned earlier, this took me almost six months in working part-time. Or in other words, I worked for just under $7 an hour. It hurts even to just say it.
Not a day has passed since where I haven’t recalculated these numbers, realized what an idiot I was being and kicked myself. And that’s before going into the headache and heartache that were a big part of the project.
[bctt tweet="The Worst Project Proposal In History..."]
Conclusion
If you’ve come this far, there’s a good chance something similar happened to you too. Maybe you’re even going through a similar nightmare at the moment.
So much money and time was wasted and why? Because I was lazy, and because I couldn’t be bothered to put in more than 10 minutes in writing my proposal. Because I emailed it as is. Because I started the project before everything was clear.
This project was a nightmare for my client too. And for many of the things that went wrong along the way I can’t even blame him – I can only blame myself.
He thought it would only take two months; he didn’t expect to work with a whiny, frustrated freelancer who will go on and on about how ‘this wasn’t in the specifications!’ and ‘we should have been done long ago.’ But how was he supposed to know about being mobile-friendly or about hosting costs? He knows nothing about these thing. I’m the one who’s supposed to explain it to him.
Yeah, I know, writing detailed proposals is annoying. Who even has the time for it?
But next time you submit a project proposal, think long and hard about what you’re doing, and what expectations you’re creating for yourself and for your client. For what should have taken me five hours of serious work, maybe even a day, I ended up paying four months.
Many years and projects have passed since then. I learned how to write excellent proposals. Ones that price the entire work, and even explain to the client why I deserve that much more money. I learned how to ask for more and how to get the client to the finishing point with a big smile on their face.
What about you? What’s your story?
Post by Lior Frenkel Lior is the head of fun and CEO at Bold & Creative. He is a mentor at the Designer's Pricing Class and the author of 'Pay Me.. Or Else!' WebsiteClass
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If you happened to catch the final episode of "Planet Earth II" on BBC America, you're well aware that all types of wildlife have expertly adapted to thrive in the cities that rise and continue to expand across the globe.
Guess what? We might have some fanged friends lurking in our own backyard.
A couple of years ago, we reported on the rapid emergence of "coywolves" in the Northeast United States. Some biologists believe deforestation and hunting helped drive these hybrid canines down to the northeastern states from Canada. Interbreeding between farmers' dogs and wild coyotes produced a fierce, all-terrain predator whose numbers, experts estimate, have risen into the millions.
An official species has not yet been declared, but the inheritance of DNA from dog breeds such as Doberman pinschers and German shepherds may have created a genetic and morphological divergence significant enough to separate them from their ancestors.
Several eyewitness accounts and a recently surfaced photograph of a paw print now strongly indicate that coywolves are dwelling in the Roxborough section of the city.
In a blog post at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, executive director Mike Weilbacher explains that he has been receiving calls about coyotes and eyewitness reports for the past few years. Residents are rightly concerned that the animals pose a threat to pets. They can take down small deer on their own and even hunt moose in packs. In fact, a string of coyote sightings raised similar fears in Cheltenham Township last summer, prompting police to advise residents to keep food inside and properly seal trash cans.
In January, across the Delaware River, a man in Washington Township was attacked by a coyote while walking his dog on the popular Columbia Trail. It was broad daylight. The victim suffered two bight but was able to fight off the attacker with a stick. The coyote was euthanized and the man was tested for rabies.
"What’s different now is that coyotes are acclimating themselves to suburbs and big cities, where they can den under abandoned properties and hunt mammals like raccoons, opossum, rats, and mice, while supplementing their diets with fruits," Weilbacher wrote. "Chicago has already done a coyote count; they’ve been seen in Central Park."
The evidence in our neck of the woods is beginning to mount. Weilbacher analyzes the photo above, taken shortly after winter storm Stella, and concludes it is very likely a coyote print.
"This track clearly shows two forward toes with claws that point forward and are close together, a diagnostic key separating coyote tracks from dogs, as the latter have front toes that are more splayed and point in different directions," Weilbacher wrote.
Another Facebook post from last month appears to show a coyote spotted in Lower Merion Township.
Weilbacher describes the advent of these predators as an example of "evolution right before our eyes," taking place within the span of a few generations. He points out that while coyote biology is controversial, a consensus is growing that this "eastern dog" is bigger and clearly distinct from the western coyotes who have long been targeted, unsuccessfully, for eradication.
If you happen to live in the Roxborough area, be on the lookout. You can report any new sightings to the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. |
Jul 26, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Steven Wright (35) on the mound after a base hit by Detroit Tigers left fielder Tyler Collins (18) which drove in a run in the second inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Red Sox will have to sideline their All-Star starting pitcher Steven Wright after an odd injury that may have been unnecessary. Is manager John Farrell to blame?
John Farrell hasn’t been the most popular man in Boston for the better part of the season. Between the trending #FireFarrell hashtag and the constant berating from Red Sox Nation, the John Farrell hype train from 2013 is running out of steam. If Farrell is trying to improve his image, he definitely took a major step back with the announcement he made Wednesday night.
So Farrell just had to use Steven Wright as a pinch runner out in L.A and now his shoulder is jammed. Atta Boy John! #Redsox #FireFarrell — Matt Bomford (@mattbomford81) August 10, 2016
Steven Wright, the All-Star and potential Cy-Young starting pitcher, will miss his scheduled start on Thursday against the New York Yankees due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder. One may ask, “Did he hurt his throwing shoulder amidst throwing the ball?”
The answer is no.
In fact, Wright hurt his shoulder diving back into second base after an attempted pick-off by Dodger pitcher Joe Blanton. Again, one may ask, “Did Steven Wright pitch on Sunday, get a hit, and was standing on second trying to score?”
The answer is no.
In fact, for some bonehead reason, Wright was brought in as a pinch-runner for none other than David Ortiz. Big Papi had reached base and then advanced to second before he was lifted in the sixth inning. For the last time, one may ask, “Were there any position players who could have ran for Ortiz instead of Wright?”
This time, the answer is YES. John Farrell could have elected to place either Sandy Leon or Hanley Ramirez on the bases to run for Ortiz, a run that didn’t come in to score. But for some reason he decided to put in his All-Star pitcher, on his day off, to run.
Steven Wright isn’t the most athletic guy in the world. In fact, if I saw him jogging in my neighborhood, I might pull over and ask him if he needed help getting home. Flat out, he’s just not an athletic god. I actually question if he could beat Ortiz in a foot race, and if he could, by how much.
Here's the play Steven Wright was hurt on. https://t.co/9sdkEsgrDi pic.twitter.com/KoMcewzpgX — Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) August 10, 2016
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a totally uncommon move to use a pitcher as a pinch-runner. Joe Maddon does it a lot, in fact he will pinch hit pitchers for pitchers. Madison Bumgarner comes off the bench often to pinch-hit for the Giants, and rightfully so. They are National League pitchers who are often called upon to perform on offense.
But not Steven Wright. So why didn’t Farrell bring in Hanley or Leon? Why didn’t he just leave Ortiz out there? Ortiz has more base running experience than most guys in MLB. He might not be the fastest, but Wright is not a more talented base runner than he is.
If he wanted to preserve the bench players for a potential pinch-hitting opportunity, he still had someone else to turn to before Wright. Believe it or not, Clay Buchholz is one of the fastest guys in the league. In a 2012 Bleacher Report article, he was ranked the 15th speediest player in baseball, above guys like Andrew McCutchen and Carl Crawford. In an ESPN article, Buchholz’s father swore that “[Jacoby] Ellsbury couldn’t sniff him,” in a race. He said his son ran a 4.25 40 in football.
To review, John Farrell elected to lift David Ortiz for Steven Wright when Hanley Ramirez, Sandy Leon, and Clay Buchholz were all available to run. By the time the Dodgers had won the game 8-5, Leon was still on the bench and Buchholz pitched a useless eighth inning.
Farrell might hear about this one for a long time. If Wright needs to spend some time on the DL, it might be the inevitable end to his managing career in Boston. The Red Sox have had major pitching issues this season, but Wright has been one of the best pitchers in the AL. Losing him could end the Red Sox season.
Steven Wright hopes it’ll only be one missed start, but if it’s not, look for a struggling man walking in your neighborhood. It may be Steven Wright, and he may need your help. |
Minneapolis Tribune coverage of Roosevelt’s speech is an early example of unintentionally nonlinear storytelling. The disorganized arrangement of stories and photos spread across several pages makes it difficult to quickly figure out who he was, when he arrived, why he came and what he said. Of course, a contemporary reader keeping up with the events of the week probably would have been able to scan the paper more quickly than a 21st-century reader coming to it cold.On the front page, there are just two references to Roosevelt’s visit: a photo of him and Gov. Van Sant reviewing National Guard troops, and an editorial cartoon showing Roosevelt tipping his hat to “Minneapolis labor” (in the form of a thinly smiling, oversize steel milk can). No mention is made of the exhaustive coverage inside. Inside, there’s a blow-by-blow account of his arrival in Minneapolis, where thousands of citizens lined Hennepin Avenue and other streets to greet him as he passed. There’s a blow-by-blow account of the vice-presidential procession to St. Paul. A transcript of Roosevelt’s lengthy speech at the grandstand takes up nearly a third of a page. You have to feel sorry for the poor sap who had to transcribe the opus without a recording device. Or perhaps Roosevelt's remarks were provided to the local newspapers in advance.Helpfully, Tribune editors provided a highlights box — “Extracts from Vice-President’s Speech” — for readers too busy to plow through the sea of 8-point text. The highlights do not include the signature phrase for which the speech became known, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” This oversight is an example of why newspapers are known as the first draft of history.Here are excerpts from Roosevelt’s 5,300-word speech, as reported in the Minneapolis Tribune dated Sept. 3, 1901. (Originally posted here in August 2005; reposting to clean up design, update links and allow fresh comments.)
Keynote of the Opening State Fair Address Delivered Yesterday by Vice-President Roosevelt.
The Duties of One Citizen to His Neighbor Not more Important, However, Than the Duties of the United States as a Nation to Other Nations.
The vice-president delivered his address at the opening of the state fair yesterday to a larger crowd than has ever been seen on the grounds on the first day of this annual event.
The hundreds who listened to him felt they had profited by the experience. His address was an inspiriting encouragement of the right and the strength in the individual as well as the nation. The duties of the citizen of the United States to his neighbor was not more important, according to the vice-president, than the duties of the United States as a nation to the other nations of the earth. He emphasized the fact that “we must raise others while we are benefiting ourselves.”
The strength of the address appealed to the crowd, whose appreciation of its sentiments was shown time and again by the warm applause which it elicted. [sic]
Following is Vice-President Roosevelt’s address in full:
In his admirable series of studies of Twentieth century problems Dr. Lyman Abbott has pointed out that we are a nation of pioneers; that the first colonists to our shores were pioneers, and that pioneers selected out from among the descendants of these early pioneers, mingled with others selected afresh from the old world, pushed westward into the wilderness, and laid the foundations for new commonwealths. They were men of hope and energy; for the men of dull content or more dull despair had no part in the great movement into and across the new world. Our country has been populated by pioneers, and therefore it has in it more energy, more enterprise, more expansive power than any other in the wide world.
You whom I am now addressing stand, for the most part, but one generation removed from these pioneers. You are typical Americans, for you have done the great, the characteristic, the typical work of our American life. In making homes and carving out careers for yourselves, and your children, you have built up this state; throughout our history the success of the homemaker has been but another name for the upbuilding of the nation. The men who with ax in the forest and pick in the mountains and plow on the prairies, pushed to completion the dominion of our people over the American wilderness have given the definite shape to our nation. They have shown the qualities of daring, endurance and far-sightedness, of eager desire for victory and stubborn refusal to accept defeat, which go to make up the essential manliness of the American character. Above all they have recognized the practical form the fundamental law of success in American life – the law of worthy work, the law of high, resolute endeavor. We have but little room among our people for the timid, the irresolute and the idle, and it is no less true that there is scant room in the world at large for the nation with mighty thews that dares not to be great. …
The caption on this front-page cartoon: “Teddy takes his hat off to Minneapolis labor.”
Every father and mother here, if they are wise, will bring up their children not to shirk difficulties, but to meet them and overcome them; not to strive after a life of ignoble ease, but to strive to do their duty, first to themselves and their families and then to the whole state; and this duty must inevitably take the shape of work in some form or other. You, the sons of pioneers, if you are true to your ancestry, must make your lives as worthy as they made theirs. They sought for true success, and therefore they did not seek ease. They knew that success comes only to those who lead the life of endeavor. …
No hard and fast rule can be laid down as to where our legislation shall stop in interfering between man and man, between interest and interest. All that can be said is that it is highly undesirable on the one hand, to weaken individual initiative, and on the other hand, that in a constantly increasing number of cases we shall find it necessary in the future to shackle cunning as in the past we have shackled force.
It is not only highly desirable, but necessary, that there should be legislation which shall carefully shield the interest of wage workers, and which shall discriminate in favor of the hones and human employer by removing the disadvantages under which he stands when compared with unscrupulous competitors who have no conscience, and will do right only under fear of punishment.
Nor can legislation stop only with what are termed labor questions. The vast individual and corporate fortunes, the vast combinations of capital which have marked the development of our industrial system, create new conditions, and necessitate a change from the old attitude of state and the nation toward property. …
Right here let me make as vigorous a plea as I know how in favor of saying nothing that we do not mean, and of acting without hesitation up to whatever we say. A good many of you are probably acquainted with the old proverb, “Speak softly and carry a big stick – you will go far.” If a man continually blusters, if he lacks civility, a big stick will not save him from trouble, and neither will speaking softly avail, if back of the softness there does not lie strength, power. In private life there are few beings more obnoxious than the man who is always loudly boasting, and if the boaster is not prepared to back up his words, his position becomes absolutely contemptible. So it is with the nation. It is both foolish and undignified to indulge in undue self-glorification, and, above all, in loose-tongued denunciation of other peoples. Whenever on any point we come in contact with a foreign power, I hope that we shall always strive to speak courteously and respectfully of that foreign power.
Let us make it evident that we intend to do justice. Then let us make it equally evident that we will not tolerate injustice being done us in return. Let us further make it evident that we use no words which we are not which prepared to back up with deeds, and that while our speech is always moderate, we are ready and willing to make it good. Such an attitude will be the surest possible guarantee of that self-respecting peace, the attainment of which is and must ever be the prime aim of a self-governing people. …
This is the attitude we should take as regards the Monroe doctrine. There is not the least need of blustering about it. Still less should it be used as a pretext for our own aggrandizement at the expense of any other American state. But most emphatically, we must make it evident that we intend on this point ever to maintain the old American position. Indeed, it is hard to understand how any man can take any other position now that we are all looking forward to the building of the Isthmian canal. The Monroe doctrine is not international law, but there is no necessity that it should be. …
Four days after Roosevelt spoke at the fair, President McKinley was shot by an assassin in Buffalo, N.Y.
Our dealings with Cuba illustrate this, and should be forever a subject of just national pride. We speak in no spirit of arrogance when we state as a simple historic fact that never in recent times has any great nation acted with such disinterestedness as we have shown in Cuba. We freed the island from the Spanish yoke. We then earnestly did our best to help the Cubans in the establishment of free education, of law and order, of material prosperity, of the cleanliness necessary to salutary well-being in their great cities. We did all this at great expense of treasure, at some expense of life, and now we are establishing them in a free and independent commonwealth, and have asked in return nothing whatever save that at no time shall their independence be prostituted to the advantage of some foreign rival of ours, or so as to menace our well-being. To have failed to ask this would have amounted to national stultification on our part.
In the Philippines we have brought peace, and we are at this moment giving them such freedom and self-government as they could never under any conceivable conditions have obtained had we turned them loose to sink into a welter of blood, and confusion, or to become the prey of some strong tyranny without or within. The bare recital of the facts is sufficient to show that we did our duty, and what prouder title to honor can a nation have than to have done its duty? We have done our duty to ourselves, and we have done the higher duty of promoting the civilization of mankind. …
Barbarism has and can have no place in a civilized world. It is our duty toward the people living in barbarism to see that they are freed from their chains, and we can only free them by destroying barbarism itself. The missionary, the merchant and the soldier may each have to play a part in this destruction, and in the consequent uplifting of the people. Exactly as it is the duty of a civilized power scrupulously to respect the rights of all weaker civilized powers and gladly to help those who are struggling towards civilization, so it is its duty to put down savagery and barbarism. As in such a work human instruments must be used, and as human instruments are imperfect, this means that at times there will be injustices, that at times, merchant, or soldier, or even missionary may do wrong.
Let us instantly condemn and rectify such wrong when it occurs, and if possible punish the wrong-doer. But, shame, thrice shame to us, if we are so foolish as to make such occasional wrong-doing an excuse for failing to perform a great and righteous task. No only in our own land, but throughout history, the advance of civilization has been of incalculable benefit to mankind, and those through whom it has advanced deserve the higher honor. All honor to the missionary, all honor to the soldier, all honor to the merchant who now in our own day have done so much to bring light into the world’s dark places. |
Does the term ‘budget holiday’ sound like a joke to you? Do you manage to spend more money than you planned on holidays? Do some hidden costs sneak their way into your bank statements?
I have both hands high up in the air! Guilty as charged! But don’t worry. It happens to all of us. But can we cut these nonbudget-friendly hidden expenses? The answer is: YES! (Otherwise, these earlier lines would have been just a cruel reminder)
In this article, I will highlight how to save money when you are already on the trip. So, I am assuming that my blog has convinced you to pack up your bags for next weekend break/holiday. Let’s see if together we can make it a trip of the lifetime without burning holes in your pockets. I am pointing out the most common (and hidden) expenses that fail the concept of a budget holiday.
1. Public transport:
I always use public transport when I am traveling. Most of the places I have been to offer wonderful public transport facilities. It is undoubtedly cheaper than taxis and gives you a peek into the everyday life of the locals. Airports are generally out of the cities and it is expensive to get back to the city with taxis. For example, public transport costs 1.5 euros for normal and 6 euros for express bus service from Nice airport to Nice city center. Taxi/Uber cost about 25-30 euros! It was same for Thessaloniki. The difference is huge. There you go! Already saving money just after landing! And it is environment-friendly to share rides. Saving money and being green can not be combined together in an easier way.
2. Baggage weight:
I have seen many budget fails when baggage exceeds the allowed limit. Always weigh your bags before leaving for the airport. I am a light traveler. (Exception: when I am flying back to Germany, my mother insists to fill all the remaining weight of my bags with homemade pickles. Every time! 😀 ) It costs a lot more money if the bag is overweight and is not worth it (unless it is full of gold/diamond in which case you might be going in your own private jet and this article makes no sense to you! Thanks for reading though). Even when traveling by train or bus, I prefer to travel with minimal luggage. It is easier to handle and keep secure.
3. City passes:
Many cities offer special one-day, two-day or even week-long city passes for visitors. Often it includes free entrance to major attraction sights and museums. We used it in Reykjavik, Barcelona and French Riviera for all the cool museums. We used almost three times of what we paid for the French Riviera pass. No wonder we love city passes! They are well-organized and cheaper (both money and time-wise) than buying each ticket individually. So, do a quick Google search (or ask the visitor information center) to know if it is worth having the pass as per your travel plan.
4. Online tickets:
Even if you don’t want to buy the city pass, try to buy museum/attractions tickets online when possible. Online tickets are usually cheaper (again both money and time-wise). We bought online tickets for Sagrada familia in Barcelona and that saved us from 2 hours in the queue! Most of the times, you can just download it on your phone, so no fear of forgetting it behind. This also helps you to save some paper and join the green parade! Don’t forget to check if they have student discounts.
5. Walk, walk, walk:
I think everyone knows by now how much I love walking. Be it Bern, Freiburg, Lugano, Reykjavik, Rome, Salzburg or Thessaloniki, I have covered most of them on foot. If you ask me if I would prefer to walk 30 minutes or take a bus for 10 minutes, my answer will be walking (Unless it is middle of the night and I have no idea of the streets). I believe walking is the best way to explore a city. It uncovers a lot more about the city and the people living there. I love finding hidden alleys and cafes that are a bit further away from the tourist routes.
6. Water bottle:
I always have a refillable water bottle with me. That means not spending money every time I need water. They can be easily refilled at public places or restaurants/cafes where we stop by for our meals. Plus, the environment is better off without extra bottles of plastic. It is one of the easiest things one can do towards green travel!
7. Don’t eat at touristic locations:
Touristic attractions have plenty of eating options around them. I don’t like them. I prefer to eat at a place filled with locals enjoying the best delicacies. Not only is it cheaper but more representative of the authentic cuisine as well. I prefer to get advice from locals and Airbnb makes it easier. (Use this link to get free credit of 30 Euros for your first booking; I receive the same!). It is a great way to meeting up people and getting useful non-tourist advice about good places to eat. Or just having a walk around. Our host in Milan recommended us this delicious pizza place in the middle of the city. Though central, we would never have found it. Oh, I still remember the aroma, the flavors! (I think I need a pizza break).
We love Airbnbs. We use them often and so far we never had a bad experience (**touch-wood). The best thing about Airbnb is that it is cheaper than hotels. In fact, if you are more than 2 people, it is cheaper than booking hostel dorm beds individually. And don’t forget to weigh in the valuable interactions and advice from the hosts! Great, no? As these places are rented by local people, it helps the economy in a very local way and hence lies around my idea of Go Green, Go Local!
8. Internet and call rates:
Calls and Internet could be very expensive when in roaming. Ask your connection provider for cheaper data/call plans if you need Internet outside your accommodation. Try to find cafe/restaurants with wi-fi if you need it for longer times. This is the one I am most guilty of. I love my phone and internet. I love the feeling of knowing that I can look up things online whenever I want in at an unknown place (Nearest food joint, ATM or bus stop. Anything). I can call someone whenever I want. I can upload pictures whenever I want. So unless going for a long break, I stick to my current data plan where I pay 3 euros per day for calls and Internet in roaming. Not the best way I guess, but I feel more comfortable like this! 🙂
9. Currency conversion:
One of the biggest hidden culprits against an international budget holiday is currency conversion charges. We cannot avoid it. But we can definitely cut the extra costs incurred along the conversion itself. Before traveling international, ask your bank for the best payment options. Some cards are exclusively designed for travel purposes. So, ask for them! Or just ask for the best way to pay overseas. Is it by cash, or ATM or credit card? My credit card allows me to make international payments without extra charges. So, I prefer to use a credit card when traveling. Kshitij’s bank card allows him to withdraw money anywhere without any extra charges. So, we use it abroad when we need cash.
10. Treat yourself once in a while
Traveling is fun and but can get a bit tedious with these calculations all the time. So, relax! You are on a break. It is okay once in a while to indulge in something nice.Treat yourself once in a while. And when you do that say cheers to budget holiday!
Did you notice one thing: most of the cheaper alternatives are environment-friendly. I cannot emphasize enough the importance and ease of being environment-friendly. Traveling or not!
I know that people have different lifestyles and even more different travel styles. One shoe cannot fit all. To know what exactly is failing your budget holiday, just do one thing. Next time when you are on holiday, keep track of all the unplanned expenses you deal with. You will be surprised to know where all your holiday budget is disappearing, sneakily. It might seem like a lot of work the first time, but it gets easier with time. Next time when you plan your trip, translate these budget hacks in planning already. So, no overdue calculations when on holidays. Just relaxing and enjoying the moment!
I hope this article helps you in avoiding the pitfalls in your perfect plan. So, are you ready to make your budget holiday a reality? Go for it! Let me know how it worked out for your next trip. I am all ears 🙂
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How much of a general manager’s press conference can you actually believe just before the draft? On Monday, Cleveland Browns general manager Ray Farmer spoke with the media. Depending on how much you believe him, he may have actually said quite a bit.
The Browns obviously have a plethora of choices with the fourth overall pick. They could select the guy they feel is the quarterback of the future or take a big-time playmaker at another position.
By now, Farmer has to know whom he really wants, right?
“Absolutely,” said Farmer to the media. “The question is, do I get a chance to take him?”
So who is he? Who is this mystery player that Farmer would love to get his hands on? Let’s go through the evidence and try to figure it out.
The first guy who gets eliminated from the equation is wide receiver Sammy Watkins. His praise of Watkins was far too over the top for a guy they will likely have the chance to land. You expect him to say nice things about everyone but never fawn over a guy who many think they actually will select.
“Big. Big. Really big. Ginormous (laughter),” Farmer said when asked how big of an impact Watkins could have. “No, he’s a good football player. He’s explosive and has got really good hands. He’s demonstrated he can run all the routes. He can be productive. Saddle him on the opposite side of [Browns wide receiver] Josh Gordon, and wow.”
While those statements are accurate, if Farmer was really dead set on Watkins as his guy with the fourth overall pick, then he would not want other teams to know how much he loves him. Those types of comments could force a team’s hand into trading up, and then you lose out.
So what about the quarterbacks? Teddy Bridgewater is a guy who could be available at No. 4 but held a terrible pro day. Does that even matter?
“Teddy’s a good college football player,” said Farmer. “Definitely, I think he’s had the burden of dealing with answering the questions of the differences between his pro day and his performance. Oddly enough, I think there’s a lot of media speculation that he was the top quarterback going into the offseason.”
Oddly, he was considered the top quarterback? Yikes, I guess you can scratch Bridgewater off the list at No. 4.
So what about the big name? What about the guy who would instantly divide a fanbase in half? What about Johnny "Football" Manziel?
Farmer said of Manziel:
Exciting, electric. He’s dynamic. You look at what he is as a football player, the guy turned a lot of heads. He went to the SEC and was productive. He won a lot of games and there are things to definitely be excited about. The questions that everybody wants to talk about are: Is he big enough? Is he going to get hurt? Is his arm strong enough? Again, he’s different.
Notice how he gave praise but backed that up with the obvious questions that are raised when discussing Manziel. This one is tougher, so let’s keep digging through the evidence.
Another huge concern with Manizel is his off-the-field persona and dedication to the game. These are things that general managers have to take into account when selecting their franchise quarterback. So are there reservations about Manziel? Farmer went on to say:
I don’t think I have any reservations with who Johnny is. We had a lot of conversations, spent a lot of time with him. He’s a good young man. I think the interesting part about Johnny is that, much like a lot of us, you don’t get a handbook for how to operate in certain instances. When you go from being a kid from Tyler, Texas, to being Johnny Football and winning the Heisman Trophy really quickly, they don’t hand you a manual and tell you how to handle the media swarm, how to handle the paparazzi, how to handle people coming up to you at dinners.
Farmer sticks up for Manizel in this instance. I agree with him that there is no manual to help you deal with the swarm of media. Even I, who thinks Manziel will be very good in the NFL, know that he has some growing up to do before he reaches his full potential.
The most interesting evidence that points toward Manziel being Farmer’s guy was not revealed when talking the draft. It was actually revealed earlier when talking about a pair of quarterbacks who will be invited to mini-camp.
Farmer said that they would have both Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen attend minicamp this week. The common thread between them is that they are both mobile quarterbacks. So was that by request of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan? Farmer had this to say:
I think it’s a piece of the puzzle. I wouldn't say that it’s the top piece. They both are mobile. They both are very good athletes. They both have had relative success. I know Vince easily I’d say more than Tyler, but yeah, that’s a good piece. I think Kyle would tell you that he likes a quarterback that is mobile. The offense definitely is going to require the quarterback to do different things, throw on the move, play outside the pocket to some degree. I think that’s a fair assessment.
Well if that last quote does not point to Johnny Manziel, then I do not know what does.
But what about the owner? There has been plenty of speculation by experts that owner Jimmy Haslam wants Manziel to make the franchise relevant again:
I believe the Browns will take Manziel if he's there. Haslam did not buy this team for $1 billion to see them be irrelevant. He's the pick. — P. Schrager (@PSchrags) April 24, 2014
Farmer was kind enough to shed some light on just how involved in the scouting process Haslam has been:
Jimmy’s been more than supportive. He is involved; he is in meetings; he comes around; we keep him up to speed on what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. He’s not a guy that applies pressure. He’s very supportive, and he wants to make sure that we are doing our due diligence in all factors. Inevitably, I would tell you that he’s not a guy that’s going to impede the process.
He continued to talk about Haslam’s inquisitive nature and if he speaks with all the potential draft picks.
“He’ll ask 40 million questions and he’ll want to know, and that’s OK,” said Farmer. “He has a right to know. Even if he didn’t want to know, we’d still try to inform him.
“He was involved with certain guys, and we made sure that he had time to spend with certain guys.”
Something tells me that those “certain guys” all played the quarterback position and would become the face of his $1 billion franchise if drafted. It is only smart to keep a close eye on your investments, and the Browns are no different.
So while the evidence is certainly not concrete, there are clues to be found. I feel like the Browns are leaning more and more toward Johnny Manziel with the fourth overall pick, and Farmer’s comments only strengthened my resolve.
But then again this is the NFL, and general managers might as well be trained spies. They tell you what they want you to know just so they can mislead you away from what they do not.
I am starting to feel like a government conspiracy theorist. I don’t know what to believe anymore. |
Educators are struggling to meet stricter state and federal mandates, including those of the No Child Left Behind Act, on attendance and graduation rates. The Dallas school system, which, like other large districts, has found it difficult to manage the large numbers of truant students, is among the first in the nation to experiment with the electronic monitoring.
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“Ten years ago the issue of truancy just slid by,” said Jay Smink, executive director of the National Dropout Prevention Center. “Now the regulations are forcing them to adhere to the policies.”
Nearly one-third of American students drop out of school, and Dallas has the seventh-worst graduation rate among large school districts, according to a study released in April by America’s Promise Alliance, founded by Colin L. Powell, the former secretary of state.
At Bryan Adams, 9 of the more than 300 students sent to truancy court this year are enrolled in the six-week pilot program. The effort is financed by a $26,000 grant from Bruce Leadbetter, an equity investor who supports the program’s goals. The bulk of the money pays the salary of a full-time case manager, who monitors the students and works with parents and teachers.
“I can’t do anything with them if they don’t come to school,” said Cynthia Goodsell, the principal at Bryan Adams.
Kyle Ross, who runs the in-school suspension program at Bryan Adams, was skeptical of the electronic monitoring until he saw that it worked. “We’re always yearning for something tangible to use as tools to teach self-efficacy,” Mr. Ross said. “Everyone’s so overwhelmed. We’ll try anything.”
Dallas’s experiments in tracking truancy started three years ago. Last year, case managers used a G.P.S. system to locate a truant student on the verge of overdosing on drugs, and they discovered that a student had skipped school because he was contemplating suicide.
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Ricardo Pacheco, 18, who is no relation to Jaime, said electronic monitoring had helped him get on track last year, despite advice from his friends to “just yank it off.”
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“It was easier to come to school each day, stay out of the streets and be home every night,” said Mr. Pacheco, a father of two young children and a former gang leader. Now he is about to become the first male from his father’s side of the family to graduate.
“They all dropped out or are in jail,” Mr. Pacheco said.
Paul Pottinger, the chief executive of the company marketing the truancy monitoring system being tested in Dallas, said, “With location verification, they can’t sneak through it, they can’t game it like they can game their parents and game their teachers and game their friends.”
Across the state, in Midland, county justice officials started using electronic ankle monitors last summer to track about 14 of the most chronically truant students. The officials hope to double the number of students monitored next year.
Truancy experts say the results in Texas are promising.
“It’s far better than locking a kid up,” and is cheaper, said Joanna Heilbrunn, a senior researcher for the National Center for School Engagement.
But the future of the Dallas program is uncertain. Mr. Pottinger’s company, the Center for Criminal Justice Solutions, is seeking $365,000 from the county to expand the program beyond Bryan Adams. But the effort has met with political opposition after a state senator complained that ankle cuffs used in an earlier version were reminiscent of slave chains.
Dave Leis, a spokesman for NovaTracker, which makes the system used in Dallas, said electronic monitoring did not have to be punitive. “You can paint this thing as either Big Brother, or this is a device that connects you to a buddy who wants to keep you safe and help you graduate.”
Jaime said he did not mind carrying the tracker.
“I’m actually happy about it, that I get another chance to do my work and catch up,” he said. “I never saw myself getting held back a grade.” |
DETROIT - St. Louis Rams tackle Rodger Saffold was taken to an area hospital for a CT scan which head coach Jeff Fisher said he believes is precautionary in nature, and the coach expressed hope that the lineman would be home soon - perhaps as soon as his teammates.
"There's a chance he'll come home with us," Fisher said after the Rams' 27-23 loss to the Detroit Lions today at Ford Field.
Saffold, the Rams' third-year left tackle from Indiana, was placed on a stabilizing board and removed from the field with 9:45 remaining in the game.
He stood, then crumpled, after breaking contact with Lions safety John Wendling on a pass play with which the Rams took a 20-13 lead with 9:45 left.
Saffold fell face down and medical staff worked gingerly to turn him onto his back and onto the stretcher. He was down for several minutes as teammates formed a prayer circle on the Rams sideline.
Saffold demonstrated movement in his extremities before he was removed from the field.
Rams players were shaken by the injury.
"You always know it's serious when the stretcher comes out," said quarterback Sam Bradford, who threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Gibson on the play when Saffold was injured. "You just hope and pray that everything's going to be OK. Especially, I know yesterday there were a couple of hits in college football. One kid, I think, broke his neck. You know, that's scary. You hate seeing things like that happen. Hopefully, everything checks out OK and Rodger will be back with us."
Running back Steven Jackson agreed.
"You just pray that he's going to be OK," Jackson said. "Whatever the situation is going to be, we hope that he has a speedy recovery and we're able to get him back home."
The Rams played much of the fourth quarter without the two starters on the offensive left side, Saffold and center Scott Wells, who left with a foot injury after being limited for much of training camp following knee surgery. Guard Rokevious Watkins also was injured late in the game.
The Rams did their best offensive work in that fourth quarter, when they gained 113 of their 251 total yards.
"You hate to lose two starters," Bradford said. "But you look at what we did in the fourth quarter and that was probably one of our best quarters moving the football. And that was with both of those guys out of there."
Email David Mayo at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo |
Egg McMuffin lovers, take note: 24-hour access to McDonald's breakfast could be a thing of the (near) future.
McDonald's will begin testing an all-day breakfast menu in restaurants in the San Diego area next month, Terri Hickey, manager of McDonald’s U.S. media relations, told Mashable.
See also: 19 breakfast food hacks that may actually get you out of bed
"We look forward to learning from this test, and it’s premature to speculate on any outcomes," Hickey said. "We’re excited to serve our customers in this area some of McDonald’s great-tasting breakfast sandwiches, hash browns and other favorites all day long."
The 24-hour breakfast menu will include popular breakfast sandwiches, including the Egg McMuffin, as well as other items like McDonald's Hot Cakes and hash browns.
Increased competition in breakfast offerings from companies like Taco Bell could explain McDonald's potential plans to make breakfast an all-day affair. Taco Bell tested its own breakfast menu in 10 western states in 2012 and 2013 before rolling it out nationwide in 2014.
Currently, McDonald's breakfast lovers have until 10:30 a.m. (local times) to snag an Egg McMuffin on weekdays, and until as late as 11 a.m. on weekends in certain locations.
Not everyone is feeling the love for the fast food giant, however. As of Dec. 31, 2014, the company's net income fell to $1.1 billion from $1.4 billion a year earlier, CNBC reported. |
At the DConf 2017 hackathon I adventurously led a druntime group (of 2 persons) hacking on D’s GC. After a few hours I couldn’t shake off the nagging feeling “boy, this could use a rewrite”. So I decided to start on the quest of better GC for D, the first iteration being faster classic mark-sweep collector.
To explain my motivation I’m going to describe the internals of current GC, enumerating issues with the design. All in all, one should analyze what we have to understand where to go from here.
Pools, pools everywhere
If we were to ignore some global paraphernalia the GC is basically an array of pool objects. Each pool is a chunk of mmap-ed memory + a bunch of malloc-ed metadata such as tables for mark bits, free bits and so on. All allocation happens inside of a pool, if not a single pool is capable to service an allocation a new pool is allocated. The size of a pool is determined by arithmetic progression on the number of pools or 150% of the size of allocation, whatever is bigger.
Importantly pools come in two flavors: small object pool and large object pool. Small pools allocate objects up to 2kb in size, the rest is serviced by large pools. Small pools are actually more interesting so let’s look at them first.
Any small allocation is first rounded up to one of power of 2 size classes - 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048. Then a global freelist for this size class is checked, failing that we go on to locate a small pool. That small pool would allocate a new page and link it up as a free list of objects of this size class. Here comes the first big mistake of the current design - size class is assigned on a page basis, therefore we need a table that maps each page of a pool to a size class (confusingly called pagetable). Now to find the start of an object by internal pointer we first locate the page it belongs to, then lookup the size class, and finally do a bitmask to get to the start of object. More over metadata is a bunch of simple bit-tables that now has to cope with heterogeneous pages, it does so by having ~7 bits per 16 bytes regardless of the object size.
What motivated that particular design? I have 2 hypotheses. First is being afraid to reserve memory for underutilized pools, which is a non-issue due to virtual memory with lazy commit. Second is being afraid of having too many pools, slowing down allocation and interestingly marking. The last one is more likely the reason, as indeed GC does a linear scan over pools quite often and a binary search for every potential pointer(!) during the marking phase.
That brings us to the second mistake - pool search in logP where P is a number of pools, which makes mark a NlogP business. A hash table could have saved quite a few cycles.
Concluding our overview of small pool, we should also look at the selection of size classes. This is a third issue (not a mistake, but controversial choice) having power of 2 sizes guarantees us up to 50% of internal fragmentation. Modern allocators such as jemalloc typically provide for one more size class in between powers of 2. Modulo by a constant that is not a power of 2 is a bit slower than a single bit AND but still quite affordable.
Let’s have a look at large object pools. First thing to note is that its granularity is a memory page (4kb) for both metadata and allocations. Free runs of pages are linked in one free list which is linearly scanned for every allocation request. This is the 4th mistake, that is not bothering with performance of large object allocation at all. To locate a start of an object a separate table is maintained where for every page an index of the start of the object it belongs to is stored. The scheme is sensible until one considers big allocations of 100+ Mb, as it will likely fail to reallocate in place causing a new pool to be allocated and would waste huge amounts of memory on metadata for essentially one object.
Collection
So far we observed the allocation pipeline, deallocation follows the same paths. What’s more interesting is automatic reclamation which is the whole point of GC. Let me first dully note that D’s GC is conservative meaning that it doesn’t know if something is a pointer or not, and secondly it supports finalizers, actions that are run on object before reclaiming its memory. These two decisions heavily constrain the design of a collector.
From a high level view a collection is surprisingly a whole 4 phase process: prepare, markAll, sweep and recover.
Prepare stage is the most dubious, essentially it should have been “copy of free bits to mark bits” (to prevent scanning of free memory). The waters are muddied by actually calculating all of free space by walking free lists. This is 5th(?) mistake - leap frogging an additional untold amount of pointers is the last thing to do during stop the world pause. A better design would be flipping free bits during allocation/deallocation, especially since free list maintains pointers to pool for each object so pool search is not required.
The actual marking phase is markAll call, that just delegates apropriate ranges of memory to mark function. That mark deserves a closer look.
For each pointer in memory range it will first check if it hits the address range of the GC heap (smallest address in a pool to highest address in a pool). Following that a dreaded binary search to find the right pool for the pointer. Regardless of the pool type a lookup into a pagetable for the current pool to see its size class or if it’s a large object or even free memory that is not scanned. There is a tiny optimization in that this lookup also tells us if it’s a start of large object or continuation. We have 3 cases - small object, large object start or large object continuation, the last two are identical save for one extra table lookup. Determining the start of the object - bit masking with the right mask plus in case of large object continuation an offset table lookup. In case of large object there is a “no interior pointer” bit that allows ignoring internal pointers to the object. Finally check and set bit in mark bits, if wasn’t marked before or noscan bit is not set add the object to the stack of memory to scan.
Ignoring the curious stack limiting manipulations (to avoid stack overflow yet try to use the stack allocation) this is all there is to mark function. Apart from already mentioned pool search, deficiencies are still numerous. Mixing no-pointers memory (noscan) with normal memory in the same pool gives us an extra bit-table lookup on hot path. Likewise a pagetable lookup could be easily avoided had we segregated the pools by size class. Not to mention the dubious optimization of no interior pointers bit that not only promotes unsafe code (an object can be collected while still being pointed at) but also introduces a few extra checks on the critical path for all large objects, including a potential bit-table lookup.
That was quite involved but keep in mind that mark phase is the heart of any collector. Now to the 3rd phase - sweep. Ironically in current D’s GC sweep doesn’t sweep to free lists as one would expect. Instead all it is concerned about is calling finalizers (if present) and setting free bits and other tables. Bear in mind that this is doing a linear pass through the memory of each pool looking at mark bits.
Final stage - recover, this will actually rebuild free lists. It is again a linear pass across pools but only the small ones. Again a pagetable lookup for every page of a pool to learn a size class, it just makes me want to cry. But the main unanswered question is why? Why an extra pass? I tried hard to come up with a reasonable cause but couldn’t, “for simplicity” is a weak but probable explanation. This is the last big mistake by my count.
What’s not there
So far I’ve been criticizing things that are in plain sight, now it’s time to go on to things that are simply non-existent.
Thread cache is one big omission, keeping in mind that D’s GC is dated by early 2000s it’s not that surprising. Every modern allocator has some form of thread cache, some try to maintain a per processor cache. A cache works by each thread basically doing allocations in bulk, keeping a stash of allocations for the future. This amortizes the cost of locking the shared data-structures of heap. Speaking of which there is a bit of fine grained locking present, but not say on per pool level.
Parallel marking is another example of modern feature that is now totally expected of any garbage collector. Also quite popular are concurrent and mostly concurrent GCs whereby the marking and less often sweep/compaction is done while application threads are running.
Closing thoughts
The post got pretty lengthy and more involved then I would hope. Still I belive it carries the message across - D’s GC is slow not because of some fundamental limitation but because of a half a dozen or so of bad implementation decisions. In the same vein one could easily build a precise generational GC that is slow, purely missing out on good implementation techniques.
Now to sum up what my first iteration attempts to change compared to this baseline.
Segregate small pools on size class.
Make O(1) pool search.
Try to use more size classes including non-power of 2, a-la jemalloc, to defeat internal fragmentation.
Segregate all pools based on no-scan attribute, this streamlines marking.
Provide 3rd class of “pools” for huge allocations (16+ Mb) intended for single objects only.
Large object pool allocation needs more thought, a kind of tree keyed on block length might be in order. jemalloc uses red-black trees.
Drop no interior pointer attribute, it tries to combat false pointers due to conservative GC. However it is fundamentally unsafe and the price is too high, lastly it’s completely pointless on 64-bit systems where your servers are.
No whacky multi-phase collection in mark-sweep cycle, it’s mark and sweep, that’s it.
Fine grained locking from the start, I see no problem with per pool locking.
The second iteration will focus on more juicy stuff such as thread cache, parallel marking and concurrent marking utilizing the fork trick.
The third iteration (if we get to it) would be a completely new design - a mark-region collector with design inspired by immix.
This concludes my plans and on this optimistic note I will warn that it’s going to start as Linux specific, slowly becoming POSIX specific with Windows support being a distant posibility. |
week in review After public criticism of a proposal that would let government agencies warrantlessly access Americans' e-mail, a prominent senator says he will "not support" such an idea.
Sen. Patrick Leahy has abandoned his controversial proposal that would grant government agencies more surveillance power -- including warrantless access to Americans' e-mail accounts -- than they possess under current law. The Vermont Democrat said on Twitter that he would "not support such an exception" for warrantless access, a few hours after a CNET article disclosed the existence of the measure.
Leahy's about-face comes in response to a deluge of criticism, including the American Civil Liberties Union saying that warrants should be required, and the conservative group FreedomWorks launching a petition to Congress -- with more than 2,300 messages sent so far -- titled: "Tell Congress: Stay Out of My Email!"
Leahy's proposal would have allowed over 22 agencies -- including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Communications Commission -- to access Americans' e-mail, Google Docs files, Facebook wall posts, and Twitter direct messages without a search warrant. It also would have given the FBI and Homeland Security more authority, in some circumstances, to gain full access to Internet accounts without notifying either the owner or a judge.
Senate bill rewrite lets feds read your e-mail without warrants
More headlines
Samsung's lawyers will be able to see the full settlement agreement made between Apple and HTC earlier this month.
The hacking collective's latest campaign against Israel escalates, with defacements of Microsoft Israel Web sites and the publication of alleged donors to a pro-Israel group.
The mobile application offers free voice navigation, traffic reports, and a host of location-based features.
After an almost 40-year career with the chip giant, Otellini will step down as president and CEO in the second quarter of next year.
The United States denies it was involved in any attack on the French government, calling it a top ally.
Data from a sample of Martian dirt could be earth-shattering, but the space agency is taking time to check its work.
The social network tests two new features for a user's news feed and deploys a new way to track ads.
Federal regulators scrutinizing Google may not have a strong enough case to file a lawsuit targeting the company's search service, Bloomberg reports.
According to The Verge, Microsoft is poised to release an always-on box centered around casual gaming and streaming video. The device is part of Microsoft's two Xbox strategy.
Also of note
Feds aim to kill .Army, other military domains
Obama may have talked Kim DotCom with New Zealand PM
World's oldest working computer gets fired up |
FDA: Deadly blood-thinning drug produced in China may contain bogus ingredient Mike Sheehan
Published: Wednesday March 5, 2008
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Print This Email This A blood thinner tied to the deaths of at least 19 people in the U.S. has a "possibly counterfeit ingredient," a federal agency revealed. Raw components of the drug, heparin, are produced in China, reports The New York Times in a story set to appear on their Thursday front page. "Routine tests failed to distinguish the contaminant from [heparin]," write Gardiner Harris and Walt Bogdanich for the Times. "Only sophisticated magnetic resonance imaging tests uncovered that as much as 20 percent of the product's active ingredient was a heparin mimic blended in with the real thing." Officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say they have not yet identified the contaminant and, according to the Times, do not know whether the presence of the contaminant "was accidental or ... deliberate." Heparin is among the oldest drugs still in widespread use, according to Wikipedia, predating even the establishment of the FDA itself. The drug is derived from tissues of slaughtered pigs and cows. Chinese-made products--among them the world's largest supply of pharmaceutical ingredients--being imported into the U.S. have come under increased scrutiny in recent times, most prominently after the tainted pet food and lead paint toy scandals of last year. Excerpts from the Times article, available in full at this link, follow... # The F.D.A. admitted last month that it had violated its own policies by failing to inspect Scientific Protein's China plant before approving the drug for sale. The agency sent inspectors to the plant last month who found that at least some heparin was made from "material from an unacceptable workshop vendor." ... In addition, Panamanian investigators have concluded that at least 174 people were poisoned, 115 of them fatally, by counterfeit cold medicine linked to an unlicensed Chinese chemical plant. A series of independent assessments, including one by the agencys own Science Board, have found that the F.D.A. is increasingly overwhelmed by its many responsibilities and is incapable of protecting the public from unsafe drugs, medical devices and food particularly from China. The Government Accountability Office recently discovered, for example, that over a six-year period, the F.D.A. inspected just 64 of the nearly 700 medical device plants registered in China. Medical devices can include items like stents and spinal screws. ... The Chinese heparin market has been in turmoil over the past year as pig disease swept through the country, leading some farmers to sell sick pigs into the market and forcing heparin producers to scramble for new sources of raw material. # |
Orcas Island
Orcas Island, part of the San Juan Islands in Washington State, is a popular tourist destination. Most of the island’s 57 square miles are rural and hilly, with curving roads that wind through forests and fields and past artists’ studios. Once in a while they will lead you through a charming coastal village, a great stop to see more art and enjoy a snack or a full meal if you so desire.
Many visitors come to enjoy the islands slower pace of life. Others are lured by the numerous possibilities of outdoor recreation. Swimming and kayaking are among popular water sports. On the ground there are miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and some that are also open to horseback riding.
To get to the island I board ferry in Anacortes. Anacortes is known for the Washington State Ferries dock and terminal serving Lopez Island, Shaw Island, Orcas Island, and San Juan Island, as well Vancouver Island in Canada. The ride to Orcas costs $38.00 for return ticket and it is an hour long. At mean high tide, there are over 400 islands and rocks in the archipelago, 128 of which are named, and some of them come to view shortly after leaving Anacortes. It is a pleasant ride.
The ferry makes a quick stop at Shaw Island which is the smallest of the San Juan Islands serviced by Washington State Ferry System. Vehicles are not allowed to disembark here. It is strictly a walk in/bike in stop on an island with a general store (opened May – September) and a post office but no hotels or restaurants. It’s accessibility makes it a popular day trip destination for those vacationing on one of the bigger islands.
Ten minutes later we arrive at Orcas. It’s shortly before sunset. The light is soft and the descending sun dresses clouds in pink hues. I have a reservation at Lodge on Orcas Island. The property is located in the middle of the island, a distance that can be driven in approximately 25 minutes. By the time I get there the sunset magic has faded and I retreat in my room to finalize plan for the next couple of days.
At 2,410 ft, Mount Constitution is the highest point in the San Juan Islands. On a clear day it delivers panoramic views of the surrounding islands and the Cascade Mountain Range including Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier. I wake up to a cacophony of rain drops beating on my window and in an instant I know that the sunrise I envisioned watching from the top is not going to happen so I change my plan and head to Eastsound, a hamlet about a mile from my lodging, where I stop for a breakfast at Brown Bear Baking. The prices are on a steeper side but if you’re looking for fresh out of the oven pastries, this is the place to go. I have chocolate croissant that melts on my tongue accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate and I take a scone with me as a hiking snack.
According to the forecast the weather should improve later in the morning. I linger in Eastsound for a while longer hoping the clouds would lift. I stroll along the main street which is dotted with small storefronts offering variety of souvenirs, art, and handmade clothing and I also check out the beach. When the sun peeks from the clouds I decide to head to Moran State Park from where I can commence my hike of Mt. Constitution just to find out that the weather has not cleared at this part of the island. The upper part of the mountain is shrouded in clouds and the clouds are dark and threaten to precipitate. It’s much nicer down by the water. And for a pleasant stroll by the water I choose to visit Obstruction Pass State Park. It’s located on the south tip of the island just past the town of Olga. To drive there I leave the paved road for the first time during my stay.
Obstruction Pass State Park offers public access to a 150 yards of saltwater beach. To reach it one must take a hike through a lush forest of evergreens. The forest floor is carpeted by stinging nettle, plant that has a long history of use as a medicine, as a food source and as a source of fibre. The main path is only 0.6 mile long and with minimal elevation gain it is a very pleasant walk.There is a side trail available for the more adventurous ones which is uneven, rocky and sometimes close to the cliffs. But it delivers some very nice views. From the beach which is lined by beautiful madrona trees one can retract their steps or take the 0.9 mile high path back to the parking lot. I chose the loop option and I am surrounded by second growth forest full of beautiful mossy trees that look as though fairies dance on them during moonlit nights.
The clouds are still hugging the summit of Mt. Constitution but generally the conditions improved. I drive the 5.5 miles back to Moran State Park. There are several possible trailheads for the hike. I choose the one on Olga Road, just across the day use area on Cascade Lake. From here it is 4.3 miles to the summit. Other trailheads are higher up along the paved summit road and offer a shorter hike.
From the parking lot I start heading up wide gravel path alongside a small creek. I watch the stream making its way among moss covered rocks. It’s simple yet such a pretty scene typical to the Pacific NW. The path leaves the creek shortly. It narrows to a size of a trail which slowly but steadily gains elevation. Even without the water bubbling by there is still plenty to see. There is a variety of forest greens and among them an occasional wildflower. You will walk past a lake and later you will stumble upon a simple wooden shelter. The last part, once the trail crosses the summit road, is my favorite. The forest thins and the trees stand further apart allowing for views to sneak in. The trail wraps around the mountain and the higher it goes the more extensive the views become. Today I can see many islands and beautiful cloud formations in the sky above them. The grand view is, of course, from the summit, from a small stone observation tower built in 1936. Inside the tower, displays tell the story of the tower’s construction. You can also read about Robert Moran here, a former Seattle mayor who donated the land and worked towards the development of the park.
If there is a downside to Orcas Island it is its lack of public beaches. When I get back from my hike, I have time to catch a sunset and being on an island, a sunset on a beach seems fitting. I’m surprised to find out there are few places I can do so. I have already visited Obstruction Pass State Park. The other beach I can get to is off N Beach Road. It is a small but nice beach with a view of Mt. Baker. I get there just in time to witness the sun dipping below the horizon. The sky turns from red to pink and after that the colors fade to blue before the darkness takes over.
In the morning I stop at Brown Bear Baking once again and pick up bear claw for breakfast and croissant for hiking. Today I’m going to hike around Turtleback Mountain Preserve on the west side of the island. There are two possible starting points. The North Trailhead on Crow Valley Road offers traditional Northwest hike through old growth forest with a view of Waldron Island. From the South net of trails is available including those crossing unique Garry Oak habitat and those offering views of farmlands.
My route starts on the South Trail which I like a lot for the beautiful trees and ferns that can be seen here. In less then half mile it takes me to an intersection with Lost Oak Trail. I follow it for another mostly uphill half mile where it connects with Ridge Trail. The scenery changes here. The trail widens and by the time it drops me off at center Loop trail it is obvious that I am on an old road. Grass claims its place among the gravel but the tire tread is still quite obvious. There are wild strawberries blooming along the road in an amount I have not seen anywhere else in Washington State. And I also notice the birds. They are everywhere. Their song is loud and cheers me up on my way.
This road-to-trail takes me via small section of Raven Ridge Trail to Waldron Overlook from where as the name suggest there is a nice view of Waldron Island. If I continued on the road I would have gotten all the way to the North Trailhead. Instead I take a spur trail to the summit of Turtleback Mountain. Here I am back on trail. The path is narrow and soft under my feet and the color of the dirt contrasts with the bright spring greens. When I think things can get any prettier the trail takes me through a mossy rock garden and onto the summit plateau from where the views are breathtaking.
On the way back I retrace my steps to where Ridge Trail intersects with Lost Oak Trail. There is a third trail commencing from here which goes to Ship Peak and then loops back to South Trail and the parking lot via Morning Ridge. The vistas from Ship Peak include farmlands and roads cris crossing the fields. Later I am descending on a bright open ridge. The views of the world bathing in the first morning light must be breathtaking from here. I can also admire the beauty of old Garry Oaks here, attractive trees with thick grooved greyish bark and deeply lobed bright green leaves. On the ground long leafy vine plant is presently blooming. It covers the slope in numerous places and its scent reminds me of honey.
After descending from Turtleback Mountain, I have just enough time to drive back to Orcas where I line up for the ferry and enjoy 30 minutes by the water before my 5:15 p.m. ferry arrives and takes me home.
Visited: 4/25/15 – 4/26/15
Miles Hiked:
Mount Constitution 8.6 RT
Turtleback Mountain: 9.2 miles
Directions: If you are coming by car and taking a Washington State Ferry, the mainland terminal which serves the San Juan’s is located in Anacortes, Washington, 80 miles northwest of Seattle. Follow Interstate highway I-5 north from Seattle, take Exit 230 and follow Highway 20 west to Anacortes. Once you are in Anacortes, take a left on 12th Street (Safeway market will be on the right), then follow the signs to the ferry terminal and ticketing booths (just 5 minutes away).
Ferry can and should be reserved ahead of time, especially for summer months and weekends. You can make your reservation here:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Ferries/TakeaFerry
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President Trump told governors at a meeting at the White House Monday that his administration will put forward its own ObamaCare replacement plan within a few weeks, according to two governors who attended the meeting.
The message came in one of several meetings between the administration, lawmakers and top state officials as Republicans try to find a path forward on ObamaCare, particularly the law’s expansion of Medicaid. Several Republican governors and lawmakers from states that accepted the expansion are looking to protect it, creating a thorny issue for the GOP.
It appears governors will have to react to a White House plan along with congressional efforts, given Trump’s comments on Monday.
“The way I felt, I think Secretary [of Health and Human Services Tom] Price was going to be coming up with a plan,” Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) told a small group of reporters on Monday after returning from the White House meeting.
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“I felt that way, didn’t you, Brian? It was pretty clear,” McAuliffe said, referring to Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R), who was standing next to him.
Sandoval then said “yes” and indicated the message was that the administration plan would be ready “within a few weeks.”
McAuliffe said Price, who was in the meeting, mentioned the plan would be ready in three weeks. Trump replied, “No, I want it in two,” according to McAuliffe.
“So, poor Tom Price,” McAuliffe added.
There has been some confusion as to whether the administration is putting forward its own plan or whether Trump, in a series of past statements referring to a coming plan, has been referring to joint efforts with congressional Republicans.
Congressional Republicans are looking to move forward with committee markups on legislation in the House within a few weeks.
A separate plan from the White House could throw a curveball into the process and shift the debate.
But congressional Republicans themselves are still grappling with a range of issues, with Medicaid expansion among the most prominent.
An outline of a proposal that House Republicans distributed to rank-and-file lawmakers earlier this month called for effectively ending the Medicaid expansion by abolishing, after some transition period, the federal funds that allow for it.
But Republican lawmakers told governors on Monday that that draft “does not reflect current thinking,” according to Sen. John Cornyn John CornynHillicon Valley: Senators urge Trump to bar Huawei products from electric grid | Ex-security officials condemn Trump emergency declaration | New malicious cyber tool found | Facebook faces questions on treatment of moderators Key senators say administration should ban Huawei tech in US electric grid Senate plots to avoid fall shutdown brawl MORE (Texas), the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, who attended the meeting.
Lawmakers declined to say, however, what substantial changes had been made to their plans for Medicaid expansion since the draft was circulated.
ObamaCare gives states the option to expand eligibility for Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor and disabled, up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line.
Repeal of the expansion would jeopardize coverage for the 11 million people who have gained it through the ObamaCare provision.
That is worrying some governors and GOP lawmakers. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), for example, has been a vocal defender of the Medicaid expansion.
“I understand that there was an initial effort by House Republicans to, for example, phase out Medicaid expansion, which means phasing out coverage,” Kasich said on CNN after the House GOP draft was released. “That is a very, very bad idea, because we cannot turn our back on the most vulnerable.”
Sandoval is another Republican governor defending the Medicaid expansion. When asked if he was worried by the draft, he said he did not want to comment on congressional efforts until a final plan is released.
But he also suggested he would look to make sure his constituents could maintain coverage.
“My baseline is to protect the 300,000 people [in Nevada] that were part of the expansion and make sure that they continue to have coverage,” he said.
Sandoval said after a meeting with congressional Republicans Monday afternoon that they did not say whether they plan to keep the expansion. But he said he was encouraged that lawmakers and Secretary Price said they did not want people to lose coverage.
“There's no specificity and that's one of the things that I want to see, is specificity, but at least in terms of a general statement, [the message] is that no one's going to lose their coverage,” Sandoval said.
Cornyn, who represents a state that did not expand Medicaid, indicated Monday that lawmakers might look for different ways to get people coverage, such as a tax credit.
A tax credit to buy private coverage would be an adjustment, though, for low-income people who currently have almost all their costs covered by Medicaid.
“I don't think we ought to limit ourselves, maybe there's a way to also get people access to coverage through tax credits or some other mechanism,” Cornyn said. |
Discover Haven's Townscreen in details! 01/05/2015 | comments
Hello Councillors,
We hope you had a great time during those end of year celebrations. The team is pleased to welcome you back on the Shadow Council for a new year of Might & Magic! We wish you all the best for this new year and this includes Heroes VII of course :)
Let’s start 2015 among the Haven faction to explore the townscreen of the soldiers of light, center of your strategy to develop your armies and expand your territory.
Please keep in mind that all visuals and elements are work in progress and this until the end of the development! This article only focus on main buildings of the townscreen but the game will offer more variety and options in final version so stay tuned!
Concerning community Q&A, the team is currently reviewing selected topics, stay tuned in the following weeks to discover our answers! Thank you again for you passion and support!
Click for full size
Dwellings:
Marksman Tower: Allows to recruit Marksmen
Beast Den: Allows to recruit Silverbacks
Garrison: Allows to recruit Legionnaires
Proving Grounds: Allows to recruit Cuirrasiers
Justicar's Tower: Allows to recruit Justicars
Cathedral of Light: Allows to recruit Abbots
Halls of Glory: Allows to recruit Swordmasters
Transept of Elysium: Allows to recruit Celestials
Convent of Elrath: Allows to recruit a Healing Sister
Blacksmith: Allows to buy a Ballista
Buildings:
Hall of Heroes: Allows to recruit Heroes
Magic Guild: Allows Heroes to learn spells (4 levels)
Choral of Believers: Light magic spells cast by a hero inside the town's area of control are cast on the next higher rank
Embassy: +X% chance for negotiation with neutral armies inside the town's area of control
Horse Stables: Increases visiting hero's movement points by X until end of the week
Thieves Guild: Provides the town screen window to spy enemies and give overview of the game status
Town Portal: Allows Heroes to be teleported to the town (with the right spell) In Heroes VII we decided not to keep H6 town portal system. The town portal only allows you to be teleported to this town if you hero have the right spell for this. However, like it was on previous games, this spell only can teleport you to the nearest town.
Marketplace: Provides the town screen window to trade resources
Resource Silo: Produces random resources each day
Alchemist Lab: Provides one unit of starsilver each day
Castle: Equips the town with walls and gates in siege combats. Equips the town with level 3 local guards
Artillery Range: Regenerates destroyed ballistas and equips the town walls with shooting towers. Provides the town with 3 towers in siege combats.
Capitol: Raises the daily income to 4000 gold / day. There can be only one Capitol per player and per map
Elrath's Infinite Mercy: Provides 5000 gold / day and additional great bonuses (to discover soon!)
(non official segmentation :)) |
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