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canadianhitler: They're not trying to pass him off as anything but white therefore it's not brown face. (For example Mickey Rooney in breakfast at Tiffanys played a Japanese man it was obvious. That's yellow face because he's a white guy trying to play a completely different race) I get that you feel oppressed and I too think brown/black/yellow/etc face is a huge problem esp in Hollywood, but its just not the case with Jurassic world and Chris Pratt's character's tan.
Your url is literally canadianhitler. Why would I listen to anyone who would use Hitler so casually?
I don’t feel oppressed, I am oppressed by natural brown skin. If I tan I get more oppressed there’s no uncertainty here but you’re definitely dismissing me by pretending I only “feel oppressed”.
Its a race problem that needs to be addressed and pretending like appropriating a tan isn’t a problem thats directly related to the lack of diversity in Hollywood doesn’t help anyone. |
Not to be confused with Robin Williams
For other people with the same name, see Robbie Williams (disambiguation)
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer-songwriter and entertainer. He was a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995 and again from 2009 to 2012. He has also had commercial success as a solo artist.
After many disagreements with the management and group members, Williams left Take That in 1995 to launch a solo career, in which all but one of his 11 studio albums reached number one in the UK. Williams also released seven number-one singles.[1] On 15 July 2010, he rejoined Take That. The group's subsequent album Progress became the second fastest-selling album in UK chart history[2] and the fastest-selling record of the century at the time.[3] Gary Barlow has since confirmed that Williams had left for a second time, although the departure was amicable and that Williams was welcome to rejoin Take That in the future.[4]
He is the best-selling British solo artist in the United Kingdom and the best selling non-Latino artist in Latin America. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the United Kingdom–four albums in the top 60–and in 2006 he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for selling 1.6 million tickets of his Close Encounters Tour in a single day.[5]
Williams has received a record eighteen Brit Awards—winning Best British Male four times, and two awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music and the 2017 Brits Icon for his "lasting impact on British culture", twelve German ECHO Awards, and three MTV European Music Awards.[6][7] In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted the "Greatest Artist of the 1990s". According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Williams has been certified for 19.8 million albums and 6.8 million singles in the UK as a solo artist.[8] He is also one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold 75 million records worldwide. Williams also topped the 2000–2010 UK airplay chart, racking up almost 50% more plays than the Sugababes at number 2. In 2014, he was awarded the freedom of his home town of Stoke-on-Trent, as well as having a tourist trail created and streets named in his honour.
Early life
Williams was born on 13 February 1974 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. His parents, Janet (née Farrell) and Peter Williams (also known as Pete Conway), ran a pub called the Red Lion in Burslem, before his father became the licensee at the Port Vale FC Social Club; this led to Williams' lifelong affinity for the team.[9] His maternal grandfather was Irish and hailed from Kilkenny.[10] Williams attended St Margaret Ward Catholic School in Tunstall,[11] before attending dance school UKDDF in Tunstall. He participated in several school plays, and his biggest role was that of the Artful Dodger in a production of Oliver!, the musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist.[12]
Take That
1990–1995: first stint
In 1990, the sixteen-year-old Williams was the youngest member to join Take That. According to the documentary Take That: For the Record, his mother read an advertisement seeking members for a new boy band and suggested that he try out for the group. He met fellow member Mark Owen on the day of his audition/interview with Nigel Martin-Smith. Although the majority of the group's material was written and performed by Gary Barlow, Williams performed lead vocals on their first Top Ten hit "Could It Be Magic", "I Found Heaven", and "Everything Changes". However, he had conflicts with Martin-Smith over the restrictive rules for Take That members, and he began drinking more alcohol and dabbling in cocaine.[13]
In November 1994, Williams's drug abuse had escalated; he had a near drug overdose the night before the group was scheduled to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards.[14] According to the documentary For the Record, he was unhappy with his musical ideas not being taken seriously by lead singer Barlow and Martin-Smith; his desire to explore hip hop and rap conflicted with the Take That's usual ballads. Barlow explained in interviews that Williams had given up trying to offer creative input.
Noting Williams' increasingly belligerent behaviour and poor attendance at rehearsals, and worried that he might drop out during the group's upcoming tour, Orange and Barlow took their concerns to Martin-Smith. During one of the last rehearsals before the tour commenced, the three confronted Williams about his attitude and stated they wanted to do the tour without him. He agreed to quit and left the group in July 1995; it would be the last time for twelve years that they were all together. Despite the departure of Williams, Take That completed their Nobody Else Tour as a four-piece. They later disbanded on 13 February 1996, Williams's 22nd birthday.[15]
Shortly afterwards, Williams was photographed by the press partying with the members of Oasis at Glastonbury Festival. Following his departure, he became the subject of talk shows and newspapers as he acknowledged his plans to become a solo singer, and he was spotted partying with George Michael in France. However, a clause in his Take That contract prohibited him from releasing any material until after the group was officially dissolved, and he was later sued by Martin-Smith and forced to pay $200,000 in commission. After various legal battles over his right to a solo career, Williams succeeded in getting released from his contract with BMG. On 27 June 1996, Williams signed with Chrysalis Records.
2009–present: second stint
Williams performing in Take That’s Progress Live tour in 2011. He rejoined the group in July 2010 and is open to another reunion in the future.
By March 2009, Williams had shown interest in rejoining Take That;[16] however, the band completed their The Circus Live without him. In spite of rumours that Williams was working in New York with Take That in September that year,[17] by the day of the Children in Need charity concert at The Royal Albert Hall in November they were still performing separately. However, both did join with the other acts in the final song of the evening, with Williams putting his arm around Gary Barlow and singing "Hey Jude".
On 15 July 2010, Williams reconciled with his former colleaguess and rejoined Take That. In November 2010 the Take That album Progress was released, becoming the fastest selling album since 2000 and the second fastest selling album in UK history.[18] The group traveled across the UK on their Progress Live tour, which included eight nights at Wembley Stadium in London,[19] then continued across Europe. The tour was the fastest selling in UK history with ticket hotlines and websites crashing under the demand.[19]
In August 2012, Take That performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Williams was due to perform with Take That but missed the performance because his wife gave birth at around the same time; the group performed as a four-piece.[20]
Although still officially part of the Take That,[21] Williams chose not to return for group's seventh and eighth studio albums and their accompanying tours, focusing instead on his solo commitments. He continued to write music with his colleagues and performed with the group on several occasions since 2011's Progress tour[22] and plans on returning for a full tour to celebrate Take That's 25th anniversary.[23]
Solo career
1996–1998: Life thru a Lens and I've Been Expecting You
After leaving Take That, Williams launched his solo career starting off in 1996 by covering George Michael's "Freedom", the single reached number two in the UK Singles Chart.[24] Recordings for Williams's first album began at London's Maison Rouge studios in March 1997. Shortly after his introduction to Guy Chambers, Williams released "Old Before I Die" which would be the first single taken from his debut album. The single reached number two on the UK Charts;[24] however, it was largely ignored on international charts. His debut album, Life thru a Lens, was released in September 1997. The album launched with his first live solo gig at the Élysée Montmartre theatre in Paris, France. The album debuted at number eleven on the UK Albums Chart.
Williams released what would be the fourth single taken from his album. "Angels" became Williams' best-seller in the United Kingdom.[25] The song, apart from becoming a hit around Europe and Latin America, caused sales of his album to skyrocket. The album remained inside the British top ten for forty weeks and spent 218 weeks there altogether, making it the 58th best selling album in UK history with sales of over 2.4 million.[26] The album eventually managed to sell over three million copies in Europe.[27] Williams and Chambers started writing the second album in Jamaica in early 1998. The first single, "Millennium", accompanied with a music video featuring Williams parodying James Bond, complete with tuxedo and references to Bond films like Thunderball and From Russia with Love, became Williams' first solo number one single in the United Kingdom.[28] It also became a top twenty hit in many European countries, Latin America and Australia.[29]
When the album I've Been Expecting You was released in late October 1998, it debuted at number one in the UK Albums Chart.[28] The album received more attention outside the United Kingdom, leaving its mark in the European and Latin American markets with hits such as "No Regrets", a collaboration with The Pet Shop Boys' singer Neil Tennant and The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon. A cover of a track from World Party's album, Egyptology, became Williams' second number one hit in the UK.[28] Williams finished the year with a European Tour late in 1999. The album I've Been Expecting You sold almost 3 million copies in the UK and was certified 10x Platinum by the BPI.[30] In Europe, the album sold over 4 million copies.[31]
1999–2001: Sing When You're Winning and Swing When You're Winning
In 1999, Williams was signed to Capitol Records in the United States, a part of EMI. He embarked on a United States promotional tour and released his first United States and Canadian single, "Millennium". The compilation album The Ego Has Landed was released in July 1999 in the United States and Canada. In the middle of promotion and the tours in 1999, Williams began work on his third studio album.
Williams in London in 2000, gesturing to a paparazzi photographer
The first single taken from the album was "Rock DJ", a song inspired by Williams's UNICEF mentor, the late Ian Dury. The video created by Fred & Farid[32] showed Williams in an attempt to get noticed by a group of females, first stripping and then tearing chunks of skin and muscle from his body, and caused controversy in the United Kingdom and many other countries. The video was edited by Top of the Pops for its graphic content and many other channels followed suit.[33] The song became an instant hit, reaching number one in the UK (becoming his third number one single as a solo artist) and New Zealand. The song went on to win "Best Song of 2000" at the MTV Europe Music Awards, "Best Single of the Year" at the Brit Awards and an MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects.[34]
When the album, Sing When You're Winning was released in August 2000, it topped the charts in many different countries.[35] In the UK the album was certified 2x Platinum on its first week of release.[36] After the success of his third album, Williams wanted to take another musical direction. He took two weeks off from his tour to record Swing When You're Winning, his fourth studio album. Born from his lifelong love for Frank Sinatra – combined with the success of the track "Have You Met Miss Jones?" that he recorded for the film Bridget Jones' Diary in 2001 – the album was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.
Williams took the chance to duet with his long-time friend Jonathan Wilkes, Little Voice star Jane Horrocks, Saturday Night Live star Jon Lovitz, Rupert Everett and actress Nicole Kidman. The first single released from the album was a duet with Kidman, on "Somethin' Stupid". Originally a hit for Frank and Nancy Sinatra, the song became Williams' fifth number one hit in the UK.[37] It eventually went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2001.[38] "Beyond the Sea" was featured over the credits of the film Finding Nemo in 2003 and was also released on the film's soundtrack CD. A DVD, Robbie Williams Live at the Albert Hall, was released in December of that year. So far, it has become one of the best selling music DVDs in Europe, being certified 6x Platinum in the United Kingdom[39] and 2x Platinum in Germany.[40]
2002–2005: Escapology and Intensive Care
In 2002, Williams signed a record-breaking £80 million contract with EMI.[41] The contract included a number of provisos, including the label ceding greater creative control to the artist and a commitment to breaking Williams into the US market. So far it is the biggest music deal in British history. The deal was brokered by Ingenious Media, a UK corporate finance advisory business. Williams began working on what would be his fifth studio album, spending a year in the recording studio. The album heralded a new era for Williams. He had taken a more active role in the making of this album. "One Fine Day", "Nan's Song", and "Come Undone" were the first songs that Williams wrote without the input of Guy Chambers. Most of the songs were recorded in Los Angeles.
“For the first time in my life, I'm speechless.” —Williams addresses the crowd during his three record-breaking concerts at Knebworth playing to 375,000, the biggest event in UK music history.[42]
The album's first single, "Feel", written by Williams and Chambers, was recorded as a demo. When they started working on the album and were trying to re-record the vocals, Williams felt unsatisfied with it, so he decided to include the demo version and then release it as the first single. When the single was released in late 2002, it became Williams' biggest international hit, going number one in The Netherlands and Italy, as well as reaching the top ten in many European countries.[43] When Williams' fifth studio album, Escapology, was released in late 2002, it hit number one in at least 10 countries around the world. In the United States, however, it failed to make such an impact. Escapology sold almost 2 million copies by the end of 2003 in the United Kingdom.[44] On 1–3 August 2003, Williams played three consecutive concerts at Knebworth to 125,000 people each night, making it the biggest event in UK music history.[42] Memorable performances included “Come Undone” where he interjected with “Britain, I’m Your Son”, and further interacted with the audience when he brought a girl up on stage.[45] In October 2003, Williams released a live album of the concerts, Live at Knebworth.[46]
In October 2004, Williams released, Greatest Hits, a retrospective of his career, and also, to reveal the new tracks he had been working on with the then-new collaborator, Stephen Duffy. "Radio", the compilation's first single, debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart[28] (becoming Williams' sixth number-one hit). When the compilation was later released it debuted at number one in the UK[28] and was the best selling album of the year in the UK[47] and Europe.[48] Eight years after the release of "Angels", the British public voted it as the "Best Single of the Past Twenty-Five Years" at the 2005 Brit Awards.[49]
After touring Latin America in late 2004 for the promotion Greatest Hits, Williams started working on his sixth studio album. Recorded at his house in the Hollywood Hills, the album was co-written by Stephen Duffy over the course of 24 months. The album Intensive Care was launched in Berlin on 9 October. It became an international hit. In November 2005, Williams took home the MTV Europe Music Award for 'Best Male', but also, entered in The Guinness Book of World Records when he announced his World Tour for 2006, selling 1.6 million tickets in one single day.[50] Williams kicked off his Close Encounters World Tour in South Africa in April 2006, when he finished his European leg of the tour. 2.5 million people had seen the show, and after touring Latin America and Australia the numbers went up to 3 million.[51]
2006–2009: Rudebox and Reality Killed the Video Star
Williams released his much anticipated dance/electro album, Rudebox, on 23 October 2006. It featured collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys, William Orbit, Soul Mekanik, Joey Negro, Mark Ronson, Chris Grierson, and The Orr Boys. It received mixed reviews: Allmusic gave it a four star rating, the NME 8 out of 10, and Music Week and MOJO were equally positive,[52] but it received much weaker reviews from some of the British press. The album sold 2x Platinum in Europe with sales of over 2 million making it the fastest platinum-selling album of 2006.[53] To promote his album, Williams commissioned a series of short films.[54] Goodbye to the Normals was directed by Jim Field Smith and features "Burslem Normals" by Williams.
Williams at a concert in Vienna, Austria in 2006
Rumours of a new studio album co-written with Guy Chambers surfaced in early 2007, along with known commitments required by Williams to his EMI contract. British singer-songwriter Laura Critchley commented that she had sung vocals for three songs, and said that it would not be released until 2009.[55]
In February 2009, it was confirmed that Williams had written material with Guy Chambers and Mark Ronson. A spokesman said that Williams was planning to begin the recording sessions in March and that the new album would be released in late 2009. This will probably be the last Williams album released by EMI.[56] On his official website, Williams confirmed that he was working with producer Trevor Horn on his new album, which would eventually be titled Reality Killed the Video Star,[57] a reference to the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by Horn's former band The Buggles. The album was released on 9 November 2009 in the United Kingdom.[58]
On 11 October 2009 Williams published a 12-track compilation album, titled Songbook, as a free CD for the newspaper The Mail on Sunday. The CD is a one-off album of some of his biggest hits – including several rare live performances.[59] That same evening, Williams made his "comeback" on The X Factor results show, performing his new single "Bodies" for the first time live.[60] On 20 October 2009 Williams opened the BBC Electric Proms at the London RoundHouse.[61] It was his first live concert for 3 years and was broadcast across 200 cinemas worldwide.[62] Accompanied by a string section, horn section, full band and producer Trevor Horn, Williams performed several new tracks from Reality Killed the Video Star and older tracks.[62]
Reality Killed the Video Star was previewed in the UK on the Spotify music streaming service on 6 November 2009, and official released on 9 November.[63] In a high-profile chart battle, Williams' album was pitted against X Factor 2008 runners-up JLS who released their debut album the same day. JLS beat Williams to the number one spot by 1500 sales. The album was also released in the United States (Williams' first album to be released there since 2002's Escapology). In late November 2009, Williams travelled to Australia to perform at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009.[64]
2010–2012: In and Out of Consciousness and Take the Crown
In October 2010, Williams released his second greatest hits album, In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010, to celebrate 20 years as a performing artist. A single, "Shame", was also released, which was written and sung by Williams and Barlow.
On 21 October 2011 Williams signed with Island Records (Universal Music), following his departure from his previous record label EMI in 2010.
Williams was the opening act at the Diamond Jubilee Concert, which was co-organised by Gary Barlow, held outside Buckingham Palace on 4 June 2012.[65] During the end of August his official website began a countdown to the release of information regarding his latest solo material, with an image of his face and his mind unveiled daily as the countdown expired.[66] Titled Take the Crown, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart making it Williams' tenth number one album. It also marked the second time that Williams had a number one single ("Candy") and album at the same time on the chart. The first time was in 2001 when "Somethin' Stupid" and Swing When You're Winning were number one on the singles and albums chart respectively.[67]
The album's lead single, "Candy", premiered on 10 September 2012 and was released on 11 September in most countries and 29 October in the UK. In the UK, "Candy" became Williams' first number one single since "Radio" (2004) and his seventh solo number one single. In its first week the song has sold 137,000 copies becoming the fastest-selling male artist single of the year.[68] On 26 November 2012 Williams announced a 17 date stadium tour of Europe.[69][70] Williams also confirmed that the support act for the tour would be Olly Murs who also duets with him on "Kids". Universal and EMI merged in 2012, bringing Williams' Chrysalis/Virgin recordings full circle to Universal.
2013–2014: Swings Both Ways and Under the Radar Volume 1
In September 2013, Williams announced a follow up to his 2001 swing album, titled Swings Both Ways for release in November. The album features covers and original songs, whilst also including duet recordings with Michael Bublé, Olly Murs, Rufus Wainright, Lily Allen and Kelly Clarkson.[71] In November 2013 Williams made a cameo appearance in the video to Murs's song "Hand on Heart".[72]
Williams released a compilation album entitled Under the Radar Volume 1 on 1 December 2014 through his website, featuring B-sides, demos and other previously unreleased songs. An example of the latter is "Run It Wild" a song that he "once got very, very excited for" and prepared for last year's Take the Crown stadium tour.[73] "[These are] loads and loads of songs that I have written that I am incredibly passionate about, I want you to hear them, otherwise they are just going to remain in my computer!"[74] Williams claims that Guy Chambers “is not happy” about these songs being released online: "He thinks I am a lunatic for not putting them on an album that we have promoted with TV performances and at radio stations and a big tour," Williams said. "But I am an impetuous bugger, and I want them out now, now, now!"[75]
2016–present: The Heavy Entertainment Show, Under the Radar Volume 2 and The X Factor
In May 2016, it was announced that Williams had signed a recording contract with Sony Music. In a statement, Williams said: "They’re [Sony Music] inspired, I’m inspired. I’m more ready than I ever have been and I’m totally convinced I’m in the right place. I look forward to working on this album, which is an album I’m immensely proud of, in this exciting new partnership with Sony Music."[76] The Heavy Entertainment Show became his 12th UK number-one album, putting him level with Madonna.[77] In July 2017, Williams announced a new album, Under the Radar Volume 2, which was released in November 2017.[78] A third edition in the Radar series is scheduled to be released on Valentine's Day of 2019. [79]
On 14 June 2018, Williams performed at the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia.[80] Williams sang “Let Me Entertain You” and “Feel” before he performed a duet of “Angels” with Russian soprano Aida Garifullina.[80][81] Williams then performed an encore with “Rock DJ”, during which he gave the finger.[82] Fox in the U.S. apologised for the incident which they had broadcast live.[82] The incident was not shown on ITV in the UK who had cut away prior to the encore.[82] Williams appeared on This Morning on 19 June and explained what happened, “It was one minute to kick off, I was under a lot of pressure, because there was one minute left and I didn't know how I was going to do half a minute, so I just did a one-minute countdown [using his middle finger].” Asked by presenter Phillip Schofield whether he regrets it, he said: "Yeah, of course, yeah. I cannot trust me. I don't know what I'm going to do at any time. There's no, sort of, plan. The plan was, sing in key, don't fall over. That was the plan and 99% of the plan, I pulled off.” When asked did the idea just enter his head he responded, “Nothing actually pops into my head. There's a block between me and sense... then something happens and then five minutes later, I'm like, 'Did I? Yeah, I did, didn't I?”.[83]
On 17 July 2018, Williams along with his wife, and One Direction star Louis Tomlinson, were announced as the new judges on the fifteenth series of The X Factor in the UK, joining Simon Cowell.[84]
Other projects
Collaborations
Robbie Williams collaborated with Australian pop star Kylie Minogue on the song "Kids". The single peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 2000 and was later selected to be part of the music of Grand Theft Auto V. Williams also collaborated with Australian film star Nicole Kidman on a cover of Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Somethin' Stupid". The single reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart in 2001. His single "No Regrets" featured Neil Tennant, and Neil Hannon on backing vocals. In 2001, Williams recorded "We Are the Champions" with Queen for the 2001 medieval adventure film A Knight's Tale.[85]
In 2002, Williams appeared on the track "My Culture" on the 1 Giant Leap album, alongside rapper Maxi Jazz (which features lyrics from the hidden track "Hello Sir" from Life thru a Lens). Williams also features on a double CD titled Concrete which was released on the same day as Rudebox. The CD features a concert recorded for the BBC featuring the Pet Shop Boys and Williams singing their classic hit "Jealousy". Their joint effort, "She's Madonna", was released as a single in March 2007. On 13 August 2007, a Dean Martin duets album was released, on which Williams sings "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone".
In 2010 he announced the release of "Shame", a duet with Take That lead singer songwriter Gary Barlow, as the first single from his greatest hits collection, In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010, which was certified silver in the UK and charted in 19 countries worldwide. In 2010, Williams and comedian/actor Russell Brand along with Frank Skinner, David Baddiel and singer-songwriter Ian Broudie (of The Lightning Seeds), under the name "The Squad", recorded a new version of “Three Lions”, the England football team’s song, for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[86][not in citation given] In 2012, Williams recorded a duet with Mexican recording artist Thalía for the Spanish song "Te quiero dijiste (Muñequita linda)", included on her album Habítame Siempre.[87]
Other work
In 2005 Williams provided the voice of Dougal in the film adaption of The Magic Roundabout On 26 August 2010, it was announced Williams would become a guest vocal coach on the ninth series of German reality television show Popstars: Girls forever to teach candidates for a girl group.[88]
On 20 September 2010, Williams released his second book called You Know Me in collaboration with Chris Heath. The book features a collection of photographs of Williams from the past 20 years of his career and discussion of them by Williams as transcribed by Heath. Williams launched a radio show titled Radio Rudebox on 6 October 2011 where he played music and interviewed Gary Barlow.
Video games
Williams recorded the song “It's Only Us” as the theme for the FIFA video game FIFA 2000.[89] As part of the agreement to license the track EA Sports included Port Vale, the football club Williams supports, in the game, despite only being in the third tier of the English football league system.[89]
Williams features in his own karaoke video game, We Sing Robbie Williams which was released on 12 November 2010 by Nordic Games Publishing AB.[90]
Los Angeles Vale F.C.
In 2005, Williams founded a soccer team called LA Vale FC. Williams formed the club with other celebrity friends after building his own soccer pitch at his home in Los Angeles.[91][92] The club was named after Williams' hometown club, Port Vale, and its logo was very similar.[93] The club supposedly was disbanded in 2007, reportedly after Williams discovered two players had swindled him out of £200,000.[94][95]
Farrell clothing
In 2011, Williams announced he was working with entrepreneur Peter Jones in developing a clothing line called Farrell in honour of his grandfather Jack Farrell.[96] Although the business had filed for bankruptcy, it was later relaunched in 2014 with support of clothing company Primark.[97]
Musical theatre
Williams and Guy Chambers will provide the music and lyrics (with a book by Mark Ravenhill) for the upcoming stage adaptation of David Walliams' children's book The Boy in the Dress. The musical will be produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company where it will premiere in Stratford-upon-Avon for the Christmas 2019 season (before an anticipated transfer to London's West End in 2020).[98]
Achievements
Wax statue of Williams at Madame Tussauds in London
It has been claimed that Williams has sold more albums in the UK than any other British solo artist in history and has won more BRIT Awards than any other artist to date.[99] His records sales stands at over 77 million worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.[100] Williams was entered in The Guinness Book of World Records when, after he announced his World Tour for 2006, 1.6 million tickets were sold in one day.[101]
“It’s his self-deprecating sense of humour — in person and in his lyrics — that helps explain his wide appeal in Australia. Perhaps only Pink and Ed Sheeran have such a wide mix of demographics at their concerts; that’s why Williams will play to nearly 60,000 people in Victoria alone.” —Cameron Adams on the appeal of Williams.[102]
Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian wrote Williams is “a perfect meeting of ego, self-deprecation and hits”, adding “there really is nobody else, in pop music anyway, who combines monumental hamminess and bone-deep vulnerability quite so effectively.”[103]
He has been presented many awards, including a record eighteen Brit Awards—Best British Male four times, and two awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music and the 2017 Brits Icon for his "lasting impact on British culture", and eight German ECHO awards.[104][7][105] In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, after being voted as the Greatest artist of the 1990s.[106] He appeared in the 2009 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records when his sell-out show at the BBC Electric Proms at London's Roundhouse was screened by more than 250 cinemas across 23 countries to set a new record for the most simultaneous cinematic screenings of a live concert.[107] Williams appears in the list of the all-time Top 100 biggest selling albums in the UK six times–with four albums in the top 60.[47]
In 2005, the British public voted “Angels” the song they would most like played at their funeral.[108] In October 2009, it was announced that he would receive the Outstanding Contribution to British Music award at the 2010 Brit Awards.[109] In September 2010, Williams switched on the Blackpool illuminations, stating that it was one of the greatest honours he had achieved.[110] In October, Media Control named Williams the most successful album-artist of the millennium due to the fact that he had spent No. 1 on the German Albums Chart for 38 weeks since 2000. He also reached that chart's Top Ten 135 times.[111]
Personal life
Since 2006, Williams has spent most of his time in Los Angeles.[112] He briefly moved back to the UK in 2009 when he bought an £8.5 million mansion in Compton Bassett, Wiltshire, nearby to close friend Jonathan Wilkes who lives in Swindon, but sold the property a year later to move back to Los Angeles. In 2017 he sold his mansion in Beverly Hills for $9.9 million to DJ Khaled.[113] In 2016 he moved into a £17 million mansion in Kensington, West London.[114] His next door neighbour in London is Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.[115] In a long-running planning battle between the two musicians, Page delayed Williams' plans for an underground swimming pool in 2018, stating construction work would damage his listed mansion, Tower House.[115]
Health issues
“Two of his biggest hits, ‘ Come Undone ’ and ‘ Feel ,’ were both exercises in melodic self loathing. It felt like a public airing of very private pain.” —Robbie Williams, O2 London, review, The Telegraph.[116]
Williams has reportedly battled mental illness, obesity, self-esteem issues, alcoholism, and substance abuse throughout his life.[117][118] He has discussed how his friend Elton John booked him into a clinic to cope with his drug use that emerged from the depression he was experiencing while still in Take That.[118]
He revealed in 2011 he had been battling lethargy caused by a type of hormone imbalance called andropause for a number of years and thought at first it was a return of his depression.[119][120]
Interests
The Two Ronnies, visible on his neck One of Williams’ tattoos, the spectacles logo of, visible on his neck
Williams has a strong interest in UFOs and related paranormal phenomena, and has pursued this interest during his 2007–08 sabbatical.[121] His interest in the subject led to him taking part in a documentary for BBC Radio 4 with Jon Ronson. The documentary followed them to a UFO convention in Nevada during which Williams connected his interest in the paranormal with the desire to understand his childhood fears of his mothers interest in "the world's mysteries, elves, demons, witchcraft".[122] Williams became an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church Monastery to officiate the wedding of friends.[123]
Williams has a number of body tattoos, many of which are related to British culture: image of an Ace of Spades–commemorating heavy metal band Motörhead, a Fez–common headwear of comedian Tommy Cooper, logo of The Saint–tribute to Roger Moore who played the titular character on the TV show, spectacles logo of The Two Ronnies–commemorating the comedy sketch show of the TV double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, image of the "skip dance" pose of Morecambe and Wise–another TV comic double act Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, image of a Staffordshire knot–Williams ancestors are from Staffordshire, logo of his former band Take That, coat of arms of Burslem–town in Stoke-on-Trent where Williams grew up, and the notes and words of the first line of the chorus of the Beatles song "All You Need Is Love" are tattooed on his lower back.[124][125]
Relationships and fatherhood
Robbie Williams and Ayda Field (pictured) have been married since 2010
Since May 2006, Williams has been in a relationship with the American actress Ayda Field. She was featured in the UFO documentary that Williams did for BBC Radio 4 in April,[126] and took part in a field investigation he did in Trout Lake, Washington in August 2008.[127] There have been questions about Williams's sexuality, with some speculating that he may be bisexual.[128][129] In an interview with the Daily Star, he stated: "I love musical theatre and a lot of the other things that are often associated with gays. I am 49% homosexual and sometimes as far as 50%. However, that would imply that I enjoy having a particular sort of fun, which I don't."[130]
On 26 November 2009, Williams proposed to Field live on the Australian radio channel 2DayFM in an interview on The Kyle and Jackie O Show.[131] A few days later Williams denied the engagement, using his official blog to say "Hey all. We are not engaged. Rob."[132][133] Later it was confirmed that they became engaged over Christmas. She and Williams wed at his home in Mulholland Estates in Beverly Hills on 7 August 2010.[134][135][136]
Williams' daughter Theodora "Teddy" Rose was born on 18 September 2012.[137][138][139] His second child Charlton "Charlie" Valentine was born on 27 October 2014.[140] His third child Colette “Coco” Josephine Williams was born on 7 September 2018 via surrogacy.[141]
Wealth
In the 2011 Sunday Times Rich List of wealthiest people in the British music industry, his wealth was estimated at £90 million.[142] Williams is a lifelong supporter of football club Port Vale, based in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent, and in February 2006 he bought £240,000 worth of shares in the club, making him the majority shareholder.[143] However the club entered administration on 9 March 2012, and as a result Williams lost all of his shares in the club and received only a fraction of his original investment back.[144]
Charity
Williams warming up for the 2006 edition of Soccer Aid
Williams has set up a charity in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent entitled Give It Sum, its goal being to "improve local conditions and strengthen community life by giving money to those who are disadvantaged."[117][145]
Williams, with the help of friend Jonathan Wilkes, has organised charity football matches called Soccer Aid to raise money for UNICEF UK. A mixture of celebrities and professional football players have played Soccer Aid matches in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 at Old Trafford in Manchester and Wembley Stadium in London.[146]
Williams has been the Patron of the children's charity the Donna Louise Trust, based in Stoke-on-Trent, since 2002. The charity offers respite and palliative care to terminally ill and life-limited children who are not expected to live past the age of 16.[147]
Awards and nominations
Williams has won various awards, with some of his more recognised accolades being the Brit Awards. He has won a record eighteen Brit Awards, which also include the Brits he won with Take That, making him the most successful artist in the history of the awards.[6] He has also won 8 Echo Awards from the German music industry.[105]
Discography
Studio albums
Concerts
Tours
Residencies
Robbie Williams band
Along the tours, Robbie Williams had various members in his band.
Current members
Former members
Timeline
References
Further reading |
A fire in Van Nuys damaged two business and left several without jobs on Thursday. Annette Areola reports for the NBC4 News at Noon on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. (Published Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015)
A commercial business was totaled and two others were damaged after a fire broke out early Thursday in Van Nuys, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
The fire was reported around 12:30 a.m. at 14937 Calvert Street in a large commercial building. The blaze produced heavy fire and was called a "major structure fire" requiring 100 be assigned to knock down the fire, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Firefighters reported the structure fire was knocked down at 2:15 a.m. It took firefighters about two hours and four minutes to knock down the blaze, firefighters said.
Officials red tagged the 44,000 square-foot commercial building, which housed a flooring company, a medical supply store and a sound stage.
Firefighters Battle Warehouse Fire in Van Nuys
Firefighters put out a "major" early morning fire at a commercial building in Van Nuys. Annette Arreola reports for NBC4 Today in LA on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. (Published Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015)
"There was a lot of combustables, some flamable liquids," said LAFD Batallion Chief Albert Valle, adding that crews were assessing the damage and hoped to save some materials.
One firefighter was treated for exertion but returned to fight the blaze.
No other injuries were reported, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
An arson investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the fire. |
Get updates about THE BEACH Email
The BEACH is now closed.
July 4, 2015–September 7, 2015
The Museum presents a one-of-a-kind destination for visitors, an interactive architectural installation that brings the quintessential summer experience of going to the beach to downtown Washington, D.C. Spanning across the Museum’s Great Hall, the BEACH, created in partnership with Snarkitecture, covers 10,000 square feet and includes an “ocean” of nearly one million recyclable translucent plastic balls.
The BEACH is contained within an enclosure and built out of construction materials such as scaffolding, wooden panels, and perforated mesh, all clad in stark white. Monochromatic beach chairs and umbrellas sprinkle the 50-foot wide “shoreline,” and the “ocean” culminates in a mirrored wall that creates a seemingly infinite reflected expanse. Visitors are welcome to “swim” in the ocean, or can spend an afternoon at the “shore’s” edge reading a good book, play beach-related activities such as paddleball, grab a refreshing drink at the snack bar, or dangle their feet in the ocean off the pier.
Our snack concession is operated through a partnership with Union Kitchen, a D.C.-based food incubator.
The BEACH is part of the Museum’s annual Summer Block Party, a slate of programming, exhibitions, and events for all ages. |
| RHF Joke Archives |
The Tale of Eric and the Dread Gazebo [email protected] (April Walters)
(chuckle)
The Tale of Eric and the Dread Gazebo
by Richard Aronson ([email protected])
...In the early seventies, Ed Whitchurch ran "his game," and one of the participants was Eric Sorenson. Eric plays something like a computer. When he games he methodically considers each possibility before choosing his preferred option. If given time, he will invariably pick the optimal solution. It has been known to take weeks. He is otherwise, in all respects, a superior gamer.
Eric was playing a Neutral Paladin in Ed's game. He was on some lord's lands when the following exchange occurred:
ED: You see a well groomed garden. In the middle, on a small hill, you
see a gazebo.
ERIC: A gazebo? What color is it?
ED: (Pause) It's white, Eric.
ERIC: How far away is it?
ED: About 50 yards.
ERIC: How big is it?
ED: (Pause) It's about 30 ft across, 15 ft high, with a pointed top.
ERIC: I use my sword to detect good on it.
ED: It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo.
ERIC: (Pause) I call out to it.
ED: It won't answer. It's a gazebo.
ERIC: (Pause) I sheathe my sword and draw my bow and arrows. Does it
respond in any way?
ED: No, Eric, it's a gazebo!
ERIC: I shoot it with my bow (roll to hit). What happened?
ED: There is now a gazebo with an arrow sticking out of it.
ERIC: (Pause) Wasn't it wounded?
ED: OF COURSE NOT, ERIC! IT'S A GAZEBO!
ERIC: (Whimper) But that was a +3 arrow!
ED: It's a gazebo, Eric, a GAZEBO! If you really want to try to
destroy it, you could try to chop it with an axe, I suppose, or you
could try to burn it, but I don't know why anybody would even try.
It's a @#$%!! gazebo!
ERIC: (Long pause. He has no axe or fire spells.) I run away.
ED: (Thoroughly frustrated) It's too late. You've awakened the gazebo.
It catches you and eats you.
ERIC: (Reaching for his dice) Maybe I'll roll up a fire-using mage so
I can avenge my Paladin.
At this point, the increasingly amused fellow party members restored a modicum of order by explaining to Eric what a gazebo is. Thus ends the tale of Eric and the Dread Gazebo. It could have been worse; at least the gazebo wasn't on a grassy gnoll.
[Note - reprinted by permission of the author - ed.]
| RHF Joke Archives | |
As Earth orbits the sun, the planet constantly sweeps up interplanetary debris. This debris often heats the Earth's upper atmosphere until it glows, leaving brief trails across the night sky that people once called "shooting stars" or "falling stars."
This weekend, stargazers in North America could get a glimpse of many of these objects, which are now known as meteors.
Mostly, the Earth hits these meteors at random, so you can never be sure when or where you will see a meteor. But sometimes the Earth passes through denser clouds of particles, and the meteors are brighter and more frequent, producing what are called "meteor showers." [New Meteor Shower from Comet 209P/LINEAR (Gallery)]
Most of these debris fields are leftovers from periodic comets. As these comets make repeated visits to the inner solar system, they gradually shed material, which gets spread along their orbits. When Earth passes through one of these cometary ghosts, the planet gets an increased number of meteors.
Just such a comet has set up the upcoming meteor shower. A rather unimpressive comet with the unromantic name of 209P/LINEAR will make a close approach to Earth on May 29, passing a mere 5 million miles (8 million kilometers) away. Five days before the comet's closest approach, Earth will pass through the object's orbit, and some astronomers predict a major new meteor shower for that night.
Comet orbits are very precisely known, and astronomers predict Earth will pass through 209P's debris field between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. EDT (0700 and 0800 GMT) on Saturday morning, May 24. Further west, the time will be earlier, between midnight and 1 a.m. PDT on the West Coast.
Many people get confused about astronomical events that happen after midnight, forgetting that the date changes at midnight. So this meteor shower will occur after midnight on Friday night, May 23, which is Saturday morning, May 24. So don't wait until Saturday night to look for it, or you will be 24 hours late.
Meteors are not rare events. The only reason most people rarely see them is that most individuals don't look at the sky long enough or often enough, or they look at a sky full of light pollution, which hides the faint meteors. On an average night at any time in the year, anyone who stares at the sky after midnight for an hour should see about half a dozen meteors.
During a meteor shower, the number of meteors seen in an hour might increase by two to three times. But again, unless you make an effort to watch, you won't see many.
Often, when people read about a meteor shower, they actually expect what astronomers call a meteor storm. During one of these events, hundreds of meteors appear, filling the sky with celestial fireworks. However, such meteor storms are exceedingly rare, perhaps three or four per century.
There is a chance, a very small chance, that a meteor storm might occur this weekend, and this has astronomers very excited.
One of the most frequent questions about meteor showers is, "Where should I look?" The answer is that it really doesn't matter, because meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Although all the meteors in a shower appear to radiate from a particular point in the sky, called the radiant, this is not the best direction to look, as the meteors close to the radiant tend to be quite short in length. I prefer to look about 90 degrees away from the radiant, where the meteors will tend to be longest.
The radiant for this shower will be in the dim and little-known constellation of Camelopardalis, the Giraffe. This is about halfway between Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) and Cassiopeia, right under Polaris, the Pole Star.
Having said all that, let me be honest with you: Comets and meteor showers are notoriously unpredictable. There is a very good chance that absolutely nothing will be visible on Saturday morning. But you can bet that every serious astronomer in North America will be out looking, just in case.
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This article was provided to Space.com by Simulation Curriculum, the leader in space science curriculum solutions and the makers of Starry Night and SkySafari. Follow Starry Night on Twitter@StarryNightEdu. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Copyright 2014 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
Researchers at Toshiba have developed a talking robot that functions as a voice-operated universal remote control for multiple home appliances. The 2.3 kilogram (5 lb), 21 x 27 centimeter (8 x 11 in) prototype robot, named ApriPoko, learns how to operate various remote controls by watching and asking questions. ApriPoko sits in the living room and waits for you to use a remote control. When its sensors detect infrared rays emitted by a remote, the robot speaks up: "What did you just do?" it asks. Tell ApriPoko what you did ("I turned on the stereo" or "I changed to channel 321," for example), and it commits the details to memory. Then, next time you want to turn on the stereo or change the channel, simply tell ApriPoko and it transmits the appropriate IR signal directly to the device. The prototype robot is still in the development and testing phase, but Toshiba hopes to have a viable product soon.
[Source: Asahi] |
Hey everyone!
As you may or may not know, a new Judge Center is coming! Tony Pagliocco, Organized Play’s senior digital product manager and I have been working on a new platform for Judge Center for a while now in concert with the lovely folks over at Judge Apps, and I’m excited to share the outcome of those efforts with you. The reason that Judge Center is being revamped, aside from its age, is because Wizards of the Coast is streamlining its patchwork of legacy systems into one that is more unified and user friendly. As a part of this overall effort, we are decommissioning the database that Judge Center relies upon on March 20, 2017.
This work effort has implications for every DCI number holder apart from the new Judge Center that we’d like to help you understand better. There’s an article here that you should read! Don’t worry, I’ll wait til you’ve finished reading.
Ohi! You’re back!
What does this mean for Judge Center?
Due to the size of the project that is migrating our database, new Judge Center will not be turned on the same day as old Judge Center is shut down (March 20, 2017). We expect around *2-3 weeks* of downtime between the time that old Judge Center is shut down and new Judge Center is turned on, putting the release date for new Judge Center tentatively at April 4, 2017.
During this time, I will be collaborating with the Regional Coordinators to ensure availability of paper tests, and they will have more news for you on that soon.
The main thing changing about Judge Center is the way you will log in, and some of the features. Along with the rest of our systems, Judge Center will now require Wizards Account authentication. This is notably different from the DCI + Password you’ve used for many years. Be sure to get your Wizards Account in order so that you’re ready to use Judge Center again the day it comes back up. Now, feature changes!
Reviews will no longer be a feature of the Judge Center. They will be moving to Judge Apps. Below are some words from your friendly Bearz (Paul Baranay ) regarding this change:
I’m incredibly excited to announce that we are officially launching Reviews on JudgeApps. Feedback is the lifeblood of the judge program, and our goal with this feature is to make the process of giving feedback easier and more convenient for everyone. JudgeApps Reviews will be available starting Thursday, March 16. In addition to accepting new reviews, JudgeApps will include all the reviews you’ve previously entered in Judge Center. While JudgeApps Reviews will feel familiar to anyone who’s submitted a review in Judge Center, we’ve incorporated many features and improvements. A partial list: Selecting a judge to review will be a snap, as will specifying which event your review is from.
After you’ve submitted the review, you and your subject can have a conversation about your feedback in JudgeApps itself.
Our new interface is incredibly flexible. You’ll no longer be forced to enter “Strengths” and “Areas for Improvement” if you don’t want to. This project would not have been possible without the work of many people. I’d especially like to highlight Alexei Gousev , who created the initial JudgeApps Reviews framework; Dan Collins , who brought reviews to their current state; Daniel Kitachewsky , who made importing historical reviews possible; Riki Hayashi , who spearheaded our beta tester group; and Jason Lemahieu , who was a steady mentor and guide throughout the project. We’re going to continue improving this feature in the coming months, so make sure to follow the JudgeApps blog for future announcements! We look forward to sharing our work with you on the 16th.
Investigations will also no longer be a feature of the Judge Center. In the short to medium term they will be handled by a Google Form. I will be working with the Player Investigation Committee as well as our internal technology teams to find a solution for the long term. This form will be linked on Judge Apps as well as on new Judge Center.
I know you’ll have a lot of questions about new Judge Center. How does it work, what it will look like? I want to answer those, but I can’t quite yet! There will be more posts as we have more info, but for now I want to make sure you have as much info as possible before Judge Center goes down on March 21, 2017.
You can always contact me by sending me an email through Judge Apps, or if you have questions about the judge community in general, your lovely Program Coordinators have set up [email protected] for you to reach out to them directly.
Happy gaming, everyone! |
UFC adds an estimated $210,000 to Ali Act lobbying in 2017, Viacom joins in Lobbying disclosure reports reveal more money from the UFC spent to lobby the Ali Act. Documents show Bellator’s owner has lobbied the act, too.
In 2016 the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) revealed, through publicly disclosed lobbying reports, that they had spent an estimated $420,000 dollars to lobby H.R. 44 aka The Muhammad Ali Expansion Act. Through the first three quarters of 2017, the UFC has disclosed a further $210,000 in lobbying expenses, bringing their total amount spent in relation to the Ali Act up to $630,000.
H.R. 44 was introduced by Representative Markwayne Mullin [R OK-2], a former MMA fighter, to the 115th US Congress on January 3rd, 2017. He had introduced an identical version of the bill last year, but that bill was null and void once that session of congress ended on December 31st, 2016.
Mullin’s bills seeks, among other things, to protect MMA fighters from coercive contracts, establish an objective rankings system, and to commit promoters and sanctioning bodies to disclosing financial information to fighters.
H.R. 44 was referred to the House Education and the Workforce and House Energy and Commerce committees on the day Mullin introduced it. On January 25th it was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. The bill currently has 58 co-sponsors (32 Republicans and 26 Democrats).
To become law, the bill needs to first pass a vote in the US House of Representatives, then another in the US Senate. The last hurdle is the US President, who can either sign the bill into law, take no action (in which the bill becomes law after 10 days) or veto the bill; sending it back to Congress.
The first document to prove the UFC are lobbying the Ali Expansion Act in 2017 is an LD-2 Disclosure form dated April 20th. That document states that an estimated $10,000 was paid to Farragut Partners LLP (who also handled lobbying for the UFC in 2016). The specific lobbying issue listed in that form is ‘Work on the Muhammad Ali Act.’ That sum of money was used to have lobbyists Jeffrey MacKinnon, Jody Gale, Jeffrey Mortier, Sarah Walter, and J. Daniel Walsh lobby the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives on the UFC’s position regarding H.R. 44.
Another document stating the UFC employed Farragut Partners LLP for ‘Work on the Muhammad Ali Act’ is dated July 20th, 2017. That form discloses an estimated $20,000 for the same team from Farragut Partners, LLP to again lobby the U.S House and Senate.
A separate document, also dated July 20th, 2017, revealed an estimated $80,000 to Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP (another lobbying firm the UFC worked with in 2016) to lobby politicians in the House and Senate regarding both H.R. 44 and issues around piracy of copyrighted programming. William Moschella, Zachary Pfister, and Marc Lampkin are listed as lobbyists working specifically on H.R. 44.
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP received another estimated payment of $80,000 from the UFC according to a document dated October 20th, 2017. That disclosure form is identical to the previous Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP form in listing which issues are to be lobbied, who are the lobbyists involved, and which agencies within the U.S. government will be lobbied.
A separate document also dated October 20th, 2017 disclosed an estimated $20,000 fee to Farragut Partners, LLP. That document states that this payment was in regards to only lobbying done on the Ali Act, within the US House and Senate by the same team previously listed for Farragut Partners, LLP.
In addition to this estimated $210,000 worth of new lobbying spent by the UFC in 2017, the Ali Act was mentioned in disclosure documents from Bellator MMA’s owner Viacom. Those forms reveal over a million dollars in lobbying expenses.
In a form dated May 17th, 2017, it is disclosed that Viacom hired Ogilvy Government Relations for an estimated $50,000. That money was earmarked for lobbying work on:
Content, piracy and privacy related issues.
Tax reform issues including the film production tax credit.
H.R. 44, Muhammad Ali Expansion Act; all provisions.
It is impossible to tell from the form how the $50,000 was split among these three issues or whether the lobbying agenda was for or against the issues listed. What is clear is that Ali Act lobbying was performed by Chris Giblin, Moses Mercado, Dean Aguillen, Gordon Taylor, Karissa Willhite, Timothy McGivern, and Alissa Wilcox. Also clear is that these lobbyists lobbied the U.S House and Senate on the issue.
In a form dated May 16th, 2017 Viacom disclosed estimated lobbying expenses of $1,040,000 -- paid to Viacom International Services, Inc. (that company’s in-house lobbying group). That fund was used to lobby on a host of issues including, but not limited to:
Regulation of Internet Video.
Film Industry Data.
H.R. 5 - “Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017” - all provisions related to film and television.
General Copyright Issues.
Internet Governance.
S. 133 - "Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017" - all provisions related to film and television.
S. 631 - "Drone Aircraft Privacy and Transparency Act of 2017" - all provisions related to film and television.
H.R. 44 - Muhammad Ali Expansion Act; all provisions
Again it is unknown, based on this form, what percentage of the one-million-plus dollars was spent to specifically lobby H.R. 44. What is known is that Hollyn Schuemann was the lobbyists responsible for lobbying this issue on behalf of Viacom International Services. The form also revealed that Schuemann lobbied the House of Representatives on the issue.
Viacom paid Ogilvy Government Relations another estimated $50,000 in lobbying fees according to a form dated October 19th, 2017. Like in the previous form naming Ogilvy Government Relations, the October 19th document shows lobbying work done on various issues including H.R. 44. The same team is listed in this form as was before. The target of their lobbying was also identical to the previous form: the U.S Senate and US. House of Representatives.
Also in 2017 the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Association (WBA) spent money on lobbying the Ali Act. It’s unclear whether they were lobbying for or against the act, which would expand various protections in boxing to the world of MMA.
In documents dated April 19th and October 18th, the IBF disclosed an estimated $20,000 paid to Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs for lobbying of ‘professional boxing related issues’ and ‘H.R. 44’. That lobbying targeted the U.S. House and Senate through lobbyist Noah Reandeau. In an October 10th dated document, WBA disclosed less than $5,000 in lobbying fees also paid to Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs for the same services mentioned in the IBF forms.
To learn more about the Muhammad Ali Expansion Act, and for a breakdown on the Congressional Hearing that took place last week and did not include Conor McGregor, watch/listen to the 20th episode of Show Money. That edition of the combat sports/business podcast aired on November 11th and was hosted by John S. Nash of Bloody Elbow, Paul Gift of Bloody Elbow and Forbes, and Jason Cruz of MMAPayout.com. |
Bangladesh Turning More Radical "Bangladesh is a Muslim country, no culture of statue establishment would be allowed by the people here... all of them must be removed." — Nur Hossain Quashemi, president, Dhaka branch of Hefazat-e-Islam.
"The Quran says: You [women] should stay at your home... Your duty is to stay at the husband's house and safeguard property. Your primary duty is to stay home and look after your family and children only. Do not go out even for shopping." — Shah Ahmed Shafi, chief of Hefazat-e-Islam.
Millions of Bangladeshi youths are increasingly wearing Islamic attire; and freedom of speech and freedom of movement are fast becoming a luxury -- if not a threat to the safety -- of Bangladesh's more secular-minded people, already feeling themselves a minority of sorts. The government of Bangladesh, led by historically known secular political party Awami League, has completely surrendered to the country's radical forces regarding the demands, made by Hefazat-e-Islam and some other Islamic political and religious organizations, including the removal of the sculpture that was designed with the theme of the Greek goddess of justice. The statue was installed in last December following a decision taken by the Chief Justice. On May 26, at night, Bangladeshi authorities, in the name of the "consent of the chief justice", removed the sculpture from the front side of the Supreme Court. The current chief justice, incidentally, is the ever first non-Muslim to hold the constitutional post. In reaction, the next day, after Friday prayers, Islamists, led by Hefazat-e-Islam, arranged a rally and expressed joy and satisfaction over removal of the sculpture and demanded further removal of all existing idols/statues/sculptures -- whatever one might call them -- across the country. "Bangladesh is a Muslim country, no culture of statue establishment would be allowed by the people here... all of them must be removed," said Nur Hossain Quashemi, the president of Dhaka branch of Hefazat-e-Islam, to the media. The Supreme Court of Bangladesh, in Dhaka. (Image source: F2416/Wikimedia Commons) Before the removal of the sculpture, a group of Islamist leaders, on April 11, led by Hefazat-e-Islam, met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence in Dhaka and demanded that she remove the sculpture. "I don't like it myself," the prime minister said. "It is being called a Greek statue, but how will a Greek statue get here?" She also said, "I will sit with the Chief Justice very soon. Have patience and don't create a situation about the issue. Have some faith in me; I will do whatever necessary about the matter." In the same meeting, she also recognized Dawra degree of Qawmi Madrasa education as equivalent to Master's degree of general education, even though it does not allow science or technology. The system is basically based only on Arabic-language learning. The statue was eventually returned to the court, although on its rear side, but the problem remains. Hefazat-e-Islam, a pressure group based in Chittagong, the second largest city of Bangladesh, has become the most aggressive voice in the country. In 2013, half a million Islamists in Dhaka and demanded implementation of 13 points that they launched including banning sculptures in public places. They were supported by almost all the Islamist organizations. Their points were: Reinstate the phrase "Absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah" in the constitution as one of the fundamental principles of state policy.
Pass a law keeping a provision of capital punishment for maligning Allah, Islam and Prophet Muhammad and smear campaigns against Muslims.
Punish the "atheist" leaders of Shahbagh, bloggers and anti-Islamists who make "derogatory comments" about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Stop killing, attacking and shooting Islamic scholars and madrasa students.
Free all the arrested Islamic scholars and madrasa students.
Lift restrictions on mosques and remove obstacles to holding religious programmes.
Declare Qadianis (Ahmadiyyas) non-Muslim and stop their publicity and conspiracies.
(Ahmadiyyas) non-Muslim and stop their publicity and conspiracies. Ban all foreign culture including free mixing of men and women and candlelit vigils.
Stop setting up sculptures at intersections, colleges and universities across the country.
Make Islamic education mandatory from primary to higher secondary levels after scrapping women's policy and education policy.
Stop threatening teachers and students of Qawmi madrasas, Islamic scholars, imams and khatibs.
Stop creating hatred against Muslims among young generation by misrepresentation of Islamic culture in the media.
Stop anti-Islam activities by NGOs, evil attempts by Qadianis and conversion by Christian missionaries at Chittagong Hill Tracts and elsewhere in the country. Common people as well as followers hear the sermons of Hefazat's leaders. In his preaching, Hefazat chief, Shah Ahmed Shafi, tells his followers not to educate girls and not to let women become financially independent: "The Quran says: You [women] should stay at your home... Your duty is to stay at the husband's house and safeguard property. Your primary duty is to stay home and look after your family and children only. Do not go out even for shopping". Considering the politics of voting and the Islamic sentiment, the government has omitted poems and stories from textbooks written either by secular writers or non-Muslims. Bangladesh now resembles the beginning of Iran's revolution. Millions of Bangladeshi youths are increasingly wearing Islamic attire; and freedom of speech and freedom of movement are fast becoming a luxury -- if not a threat to the safety -- of Bangladesh's more secular-minded people, already feeling themselves a minority of sorts. According to the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), Southeast Asian and Bangladeshi extremism are becoming increasingly intertwined. The latest report of the institute examines how extremists come together in different ways. The report says: Radicalized Bangladeshi migrant workers in Singapore and Malaysia are forming cells to plan violence at home (they apparently are not interested in attacking their host countries);
Bangladeshi students in Malaysia are forming partnerships with pro-ISIS groups in Bangladesh;
Bangladeshi and Southeast Asian ISIS fighters are meeting in Syria;
Pro-ISIS Malaysian and Filipinos are recruiting Bangladeshis to fight in southern Philippines; and
Indonesians and Malaysians are seeking to assist persecuted Muslims in Myanmar through contacts with members of the Bangladesh-based Rohingya. Many fear that the country may soon be pressured into allowing more and more extreme versions of Islam. Mohshin Habib, a Bangladeshi author, columnist and journalist, is Executive Editor of The Daily Asian Age. © 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute. Related Topics: Bangladesh Recent Articles by Mohshin Habib Bangladesh: Runaway Muslim Persecution of Hindus, 2017-12-11
Islamists Responsible for Rohingya Refugee Crisis, 2017-09-25
Saudi Arabia's 'Lavish' Gift to Indonesia: Radical Islam, 2017-04-29
Violence Against Non-Muslims Increases in Bangladesh, 2016-12-14
Islam and Anti-Semitism in Malaysia, 2016-08-31 receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free gatestone institute mailing list en 3 Reader Comments Reply-> Reply-> Reply-> |
UPDATE: I’ve been duped! This was all set up by the team, and both parties actually work for the Fresno Grizzlies. That being said, it is still funny, and you should still never kiss a Giants fan. Enjoy!
Thanks to Reddit, where I first saw the hilarious kiss cam failure video embedded below, I will make sure to never be on the phone when I’m at a game with my girlfriend during that part of the game. Although, it stands to reason that nobody should ever want to kiss a Giants fan anyway. They have diseases. Go Dodgers.
Anyway, check out this video and enjoy way-too-busy guy getting dumped at a minor league game for failing not once, not twice, but three times to give his girl a smooch during the kiss cam:
I love that the whole crowd gets involved and the mascot applauds the girl for soaking the boyfriend ex-boyfriend with her drink afterwards. As if we needed any more reason to feel awkward when the kiss cam pops up, we now have this jerk to thank for shining an even brighter spotlight on us if the time comes.
Though he did set the bar insanely low. That’s a plus. And nevermind-I’m-bailing guy from Houston must feel great getting off the hook!
– Jeremy Dorn (@Jamblinman)
Follow @3u3d on Twitter and like Three Up, Three Down on Facebook for all your 2013 MLB news!
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Have you ever noticed that by default there’s a Templates folder in your home directory? In some file managers, there’s an item in the right-click menu to “Create empty file” or “Create new file”. However, Files (also known as Nautilus) lets you create not only simple empty files, but, as the folder name suggests, templates of many kinds of files.
How to create an empty file template
To create a simple empty file template, make an empty file in the Templates folder (~/Templates). Create the empty file with your favourite text editor, or use this command:
touch ~/Templates/EmptyFile
Now, right click in a blank part of the window. The new item New Document is now visible, with your EmptyFile template ready to use.
LibreOffice templates
You can also use a LibreOffice app — such as Writer — to make a template. Create an invoice, or a letter template, with your heading, name, address, and other content always present in your invoices or letters. Save it in the Templates folder with a name like BlankInvoice.odt. Once saved in the Templates folder, you can use the template from the context menu.
Other template ideas
You’ll find a collection of templates here on gnome-look.org, which you can use as a starting point or source of inspiration. Some other template ideas are:
Create a script template, with the shebang (#!) in the first line, and a header with license, author and so on.
Perhaps you like static web sites, and don’t want to use static site generators like Jekyll. Instead, create HTML templates for your web pages, pre-filled with headers and other tags.
Organizing templates
You can also organize your templates in subfolders. To do this, create subdirectories in the Template folder. This way you can have your templates split up by topic or usage.
Localization
If you use a language other than English, the Templates folder name is localized. However, if you have deleted it, or can’t locate it, use the following command to get the location of the template folder:
xdg-user-dir TEMPLATES
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save |
In the low ethereal glow of a hotel bathroom, the dopamine flows. Two pairs of eyes meet across the bubbles, and serotonin streams like sunlight into the 5-HT receptors of the brains behind them. Oxytocin, and a shared sense of elation spreads through both bodies. Monika and Lars are more in love than ever, and they’re on MDMA.
Talking about it three years later, they dive animatedly into the sheer romantic joyfulness of the memory. He embellishes her recollections; she picks up the ends of his sentences. “There was nothing between us,” they explain, “it was like we were merged.” As they gush in their keenness to convey the importance they both place on that particular MDMA experience, there’s something oddly reminiscent of this video series of Ann and Alexander (Sasha) Shulgin, discussing their shared drug-taking episodes in the living room at Beckley Park.
Famed for their chemical synthesis, self-trials and beautifully penned experiential treaties on hundreds of psychoactive compounds, the Shulgins are sharing anecdotes on a visit to fellow psychedelic researcher Amanda Feilding. Like Monika and Lars, they can be seen encouraging threads of the conversation through squeezes of their hands, lovingly correcting one another, finishing each other’s thoughts. Describing exactly the same chemical coalescence Monika and Lars experienced in the bathtub, Sasha, who was famously dubbed ‘The Godfather of Ecstasy’ wrote of an MDMA experience with Ann that, “underneath it all is the feeling that we both belong here, just as we are, right now” (PIHKAL: A Chemical Love Story, 1991, p.203).
But, doesn’t a normal couple, one that isn’t internationally celebrated for self-experimentation like the Shulgins, feel a teeny bit weird retrospectively fleshing out the minutiae of such an intimate moment for the eager ears of a third party (dictaphone in hand), particularly when that moment involves MDMA, one of the UK’s most strictly classified illegal substances? Not when it’s all in the name of psychological research. Monika and Lars are one of 10 couples who have been supplying qualitative data to Katie Anderson of London South Bank University, as part of her PhD project: “MDMA: the love drug.”
“Let’s take MDMA together; I want to love you even more.”
I caught up with Katie after she’d presented her preliminary findings at this year’s International Conference on Psychedelic Research, and here’s what I learned: she has coined the term the “MDMA bubble,” a dynamic which takes the form of a kind of protective casing a couple enters into together as they embark on their high. Having researched MDMA users more generally for her MSc dissertation, Katie was captured by the idea that some of its key effects, openness and empathy, are “the perfect conditions for romance – for crafting a relationship.” She has always seen MDMA as unique in providing a high accompanied by such a strong sense of connectivity: “the couple in the bathtub were experiencing a particular kind of ego dissolution.” Like the kind that occurs in the recent LSD Beckley/Imperial LSD studies, where “the normal sense of self is broken down and replaced by a sense of reconnection with themselves, others and the natural world”? “Yes, exactly! But they enter this space together.”
And how happy were the couples to talk, in general, about MDMA? “There was a range of attitudes, and degrees of openness – most couples were happy talking about their MDMA use with friends, but not with family or at work. None were involved in drug policy or advocacy etc., so there were different levels of comfort.” The interviews were semi-structured, meaning that they took the form of free-flowing conversations, punctuated by some staple questions and activities. As part of the interview process, participants brought 4-5 items (photos, keepsakes, words) that were reminiscent of their experiences.
The relics of romance included a brightly patterned hula-hoop and a set of photos from a party photo-booth, indicating that the festival atmosphere and its paraphernalia is complimentary, even conducive, to these romantic moments of intimate closeness.
Another interview activity involved the couples ranking the importance of their MDMA experiences in relation to other crucial events within their personal relationship timelines. Despite their wide range of differences in ages, financial circumstances, career choices, everyone agreed that they’d had a positive shared experience of MDMA, and that there is something uniquely special about the shared experience of taking it together, in love. 8/10 ranked their MDMA memories alongside the more archetypal fixtures of the amorous trajectory, like getting married and the birth of their children. (An emphasis which tellingly echoes Prof Roland Griffiths’ findings when he conducted a survey on the life-changing potential of psychedelics as part of the John Hopkins Psilocybin Research Project, in which a third of users attributed the highest degree of significance to having tripped on magic mushrooms within their lifetime.)
“I was worried it was just a chemical romance.”
Does MDMA ever create feelings from scratch? Katie mentions one volunteer, Nick, wondering if the heightened level of connection to his partner that he felt could prove “too good to be true.” However, along with many of the other couples, his recollections after the experience reflect a residual but enduring sensation of increased closeness. Like traces left by soap bubbles, most of the couples emerge from the cocoon of the MDMA experience noticing that their relationships are brighter and better than before. Katie evaluates these longer-lasting positive changes as being as “real” as any other relationship dynamics, despite having originated from taking MDMA.
In their seminal editorial; “MDMA, politics and medical research: have we thrown the baby out with the bathwater?” Beckley Foundation collaborators Dr Ben Sessa (University of Bristol) and Prof David Nutt (Imperial College) lament the fact that MDMA was made illegal by “single-minded politicians” in order to prevent an epidemic of people “writhing on the dancefloor,” and assert that MDMA-as-a-medicine has wrongly been “caught in the crossfire of the War on Drugs.” The jurisdiction has for, several decades, interrupted vital research into MDMA as a psychiatric tool. Sessa has more recently, and more viscerally, spoken out on social media against the blinkered political tendency to conflate the clinical administration of MDMA with recreational use when they should be clearly differentiated, asking whether cardiac surgeons writing papers on optimising the safety of medical procedures, would be hypothetically be obliged to nod to it, “if there was some weird recreational pursuit in which some people performed open heart surgery on their kitchen tables with rusty instruments” … Point made.
But, even at variable street-level purity and separated by a canyon from clinical conditions, it is remarkable that MDMA deepened interpersonal connections between 90% of Katie’s interviewed couples. These results indicate MDMA’s empathetic properties are so potent that, against the odds of the adulteration it incurs on the illegal market, and despite it being taken in a recreational climate, the potential benefits of MDMA are trickling determinedly into a proportion of couples’ lives and improving their relationships. In the context of our current drug culture, these results are surprising, but they befit MDMA’s singularly benign historic trajectory as a substance that initially entered the psychiatric arena in the 1950’s after having been found so incapable of producing any emotional effects other than compassion that the US Army deemed it to have no military use.
Other than Monika and Lars, who shared a bubble bath, what did the rest of the serotonin-crossed lovers get up to during their high? The anomaly within the research sample were one couple who “loved taking MDMA and going out to gigs,” but their experiences were “never deep, or life-changing.” More interestingly, nine out of ten couples found themselves indulging, unintentionally or intentionally, in MDMA’s therapeutic conversational properties. So is MDMA masquerading as a party drug, whilst offering these couples something much more beneficial? Katie finds one of her interviewees’ stories particularly symbolic in this regard; they dropped MDMA to dance, but inadvertently succumbed to its propensity to be therapeutic: “suddenly we were talking on the couch for the entire night.” About half the couples planned to take MDMA in a social setting, but then felt a desire to peel away from the party for some one-on-one conversation, inadvertently entering the “MDMA bubble” and plumbing new depths of their abilities to compassionately confide.
Emily and Dan “took MDMA for fun” initially but recall how this resulted in a mutual admission of infidelity. Despite it being “the worst stuff you could hear,” Dan recounts that, “it was as though every word she was saying made me love her even more.” Admitting infidelity during their MDMA experience helped the couple to reach a point of total honesty, such that, after a break-up, they felt able to heal the schism and return to the relationship secret-free. This sense of feeling secure within the drug-fuelled conversation no matter what negative memories or topics come up is the basis of MDMA’s use in psychotherapy, and was replicated by other interviewees: “one person’s going to be really honest and the other person’s going to listen and accept…I think that’s actually a very safe environment to chat through stuff”. For other couples, the use of MDMA to reach a state of conversational openness and mutual self-acceptance was deliberate. Mark and Jenny describe their use as “therapeutic” and walk through the streets of their city for hours “just dealing with all the issues that we have and just flowing with conversation”.
A lasting impression that Katie has taken from her interviews is that there’s “no typical MDMA user.” Users were a wide range of ages and took MDMA in a variety of settings: from the traditional club/festival venues to exploring urban and natural environments. As qualitative research into recreational MDMA use is so unwillingly funded, and consequently so rare, she feels privileged to have been allowed glimpses into “so many worlds.” But the vast majority of her interviewees were similar in one respect: they were recruited from MDMA/drugs subreddits, and RollSafe; online communities dedicated to sharing tips about illicit drug taking, and how to indulge in it, in relative legal and medical safely. Katie recalls being overrun with applicants, but that there was something special about the final ten: “the couples ultimately who took part in the study were all there because – if they wanted to make the time commitment and were brave enough to open up – MDMA was in some way important within their relationship, and they had something important to say.”
These are people who are trying to protect themselves as best they can, arming themselves before they drop with whatever information they can find. Before Sasha’s death, the Shulgins decided to disseminate their collected information about MDMA and other drugs for free: as it was illegal, they had to rely on the rave culture, “interested amateurs” – their purpose was to make sure that what had been discovered about the pharmacology and transformative properties of drugs “cannot be exterminated now.” The couples in Katie’s study are just such amateurs as the Shulgins wished to benefit. By researching and discussing their MDMA experiences online, they are sustaining an important legacy.
Although some of the experiences described by the couples indicate strongly therapeutic effects, a crucial distinction between MDMA therapy and recreational use is “that after 40 years of MDMA research, there has not been a single, serious adverse reaction,” following a clinically-administered dose of MDMA (Sessa, TEDx, Uni of Bristol, 17.45). All “ecstasy deaths” and associated media hysteria are born out of our current recreational culture, in which prohibition makes safety impossible because, “we’re in “the land of the blind,” grappling with assumptions and unknown adulterants, as VolteFace’s Policy Editor Henry Fisher observed after testing festival goers’ drugs with The Loop. The samples of “MDMA” taken by The Loop when they tested punters’ drugs at The Secret Garden Festival this July revealed that unregulated pills could contain anything from a lethally strong dose of MDMA, to concrete!
In his biting analysis of fabric’s closure earlier this month, David Nutt points out that “tragic deaths” are often caused by more toxic MDMA substitutes such as PMA and PMMA, which make their way into the hands of clubbers when the real deal is in short supply. Furthermore, a lack of regulation over the potency of MDMA, and insufficient harm reduction measures form a potentially fatal combination. This makes accidental overdoses, such as suspected for the two 18-year-olds who died after going to fabric, all the more likely.
Katie feels that MDMA can be “demonised and derided” in the mainstream media, and that the unlucky few for whom adulterated, black-market doses of the drug prove fatal are all too often made to stand for users as whole, framing recreational drug use as incompatible with a functioning society. The current propensity of Brits to blunder around in the dark ingesting unknown substances adds, unfairly, to the notoriety of “MDMA,” which is used by a sometimes unscrupulous media as a blanket term for its more toxic substitutes. This reaffirms our drug culture where talking about drug-taking is taboo, drug-testing in the UK has only just become a possibility and has taken years of hard work and careful planning to organise, and most safety-measures involve hearsay and guesswork.
One important thing to note is that all of the couples were only concerned with the illegality of MDMA at the beginning of participating in Katie’s research. Having sussed her out as a non-judgemental interviewer, collecting their subjective experiences with the spirit of an explorer, they focussed entirely on the way taking MDMA together had provided them with a unique platform to explore aspects of their relationships, upholding the Shulgins’ intentions that MDMA be shared and experienced and enjoyed safely regardless of its legality.
According to the 2016 Global Drug Survey results, UK clubbers take the most MDMA per night (up to half a gram), so Katie is doing vital work bringing the droves who take MDMA every week in the UK with no long-term adverse effects into the academic discourse. And she’s valiant for setting out to do this in a climate which is such a far cry from the pre-prohibition perception of MDMA, which, before the “war on drugs,” enjoyed a spell as a mainstay in couples therapy.
And, in step with Katie’s psychological research, MDMA couples psychotherapy itself is making a comeback: on August 2016, a couple took part in the first experiential treatment session of a new trial of MDMA-assisted Conjoint Therapy for PTSD, by our friends at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), monitored by Julie Holland, M.D. Both the partner experiencing PTSD, and their significant other, will take MDMA, reaching a clinically-controlled, psychotherapeutically superintended version of Katie’s “MDMA bubble”; a safe space in which they can emotionally explore together, and begin, within the context of their relationship, to heal the PTSD-suffering partner’s trauma.
Since MDMA was made illegal, its therapeutic potential, the “baby” of Sessa and Nutt’s treatise, has spent years confined to the dancefloor, its potency dimmed by adulterants. By confining the drug to the rave scene and blotting out its medical value, the mainstream media has functioned as a smoke machine, obfuscating the “disco biscuit” in a haze of notoriety and mystery. But, as Katie’s research shows, more and more ravers are stumbling out of the smog and accessing glimmers of MDMA’s stifled healing properties.
Most clubbers’ nightlife careers feature the odd, pivotally important memory of an emotionally-laden, and strenuously gurned, heart-to-heart. But the “baby,” the therapeutic potential of MDMA, has limited applications whilst it remains stuck in the rave scene. The fact that Katie’s couples have had the luck to buy substances that perform like MDMA, and have taken them in the right set and setting to access the drug’s famous therapeutic benefits, show that these properties have not been destroyed, no matter how risky it has become to try to access them. On the contrary, Katie’s findings -and particularly the fact that she sourced most of the couples that provided them from harm-reduction forums- suggest that there is a demand within the recreational community for a safer means of exploring the therapeutic effects of MDMA: the “baby” has been sitting on the side of the dance-floor, teething tetchily on slobbery glow stick, for long enough. Surely it’s time to give it a legally-regulated leg-up into the bathtub?
I’m not positing the MDMA experiences Katie documents as an ideal to pursue: all clinical researchers of psychedelics take great care to distinguish their results from any experiences achieved through recreational drug use. (Think Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris’s qualification, after leading the recent Beckley/Imperial trial of psilocybin as a treatment for depression that, “I wouldn’t want members of the public thinking they can treat their own depressions by picking their own magic mushrooms. That kind of approach could be risky.”)
But while Katie’s findings may not be ideal (from a risk-perspective), the research she is doing- bringing qualitative data about the positive experiences that can and do result from the recreational use of MDMA into the academic and social discourse- is vital. She is documenting the fact that a significant proportion of the population are currently seeking out these MDMA experiences regardless of its Class A status and corresponding dangers.
Research like Katie’s makes it increasingly impossible for politicians to legitimately continue to ignore the non-problematic drug using proportion of the population. It also undermines the prohibitionists when they peddle the idea that MDMA-related deaths are a consequence of MDMA itself, rather than a consequence of the fact that there are no quality controls or instructions to accompany illegally-sold MDMA, and undercuts the oversimplified portrayal of drug use itself as intrinsically bad, incapable of producing effects like the ones Katie records.
If MDMA could be sold officially in the UK, those who want to try it would be able to purchase it from a shop, at standardised purity, with safety and dosage instructions, and could more reliably enjoy the transformative bonding experiences of the “MDMA bubble.” As the country with the biggest appetite for it, this is the future we have to work towards.
Rosalind Stone is the Communications Officer at the Beckley Foundation. She has written for the Londonist and The Stylist. Tweets@RosalindSt0ne |
Islamic Council of Victoria’s president tells anti-racism forum proposed laws to allow the immigration minister to revoke citizenship were aimed at Muslims
Australian Muslims are living in trauma because they had been singled out for political purposes, a leading Islamic leader said on Sunday.
The president of the Islamic Council of Victoria, Ghaith Krayem, told an anti-racism forum in Melbourne that the federal government’s plans to allow the immigration minister to revoke the citizenship of dual nationals found to join or support terrorist groups “would make criminals of people based on suspicion and suspicion alone”.
He said it was clearly aimed at Muslims, as two people fighting with Kurds against Islamic State had returned to Australia without charge.
“But the moment a Muslim says ‘I want to come home’, what does our prime minister do? If you come home, you’ll be arrested, and the full force of the law will be applied.
“Let’s be honest. Let’s not be ostriches. Those laws are designed and they are going to apply to our community our community alone.”
Krayem said the intention to strip dual nationals of citizenship without a court process – and the debate within the government over the suggestion that sole nationals may also lose their citizenship if there is another country to which they can apply – would be based on the minister’s discretion. There would be limited review, and the person would not have the right to know the intelligence provided to the minister.
The forum was attended by about 300 people of diverse backgrounds and revealed the depth of feeling within the Muslim community about what many saw were unnecessary laws and rhetoric that gave ammunition to extreme groups such as Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front. That group held a rally in Richmond at the same time as the forum, with speakers decrying halal certification and Sharia law.
“The Muslim community is a community under siege,” Krayem said, pointing out the small amount of money given to social programs within the Muslim community compared with the $1.2bn boost in funding for intelligence agencies and law enforcement in the May budget. “It’s a community in trauma.”
Rob Stary, a criminal lawyer who has defended several people accused of terrorism offences, said that since the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington in 2001, Australia had passed more than 50 terror-related laws and spent more than $30bn on the “war on terror”. He said the result had been a polarisation of the community as the government used the fear of terrorism to pursue wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
“What we are seeing is a sophisticated and coordinated pattern and attack on the Islamic community … to ensure there is no dissent, no examination of our role in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.”
Many speakers and members of the audience spoke of the everyday difficulty of living as a Muslim, particularly for women who wore the hijab. Others were wary of leftwing groups using the issue to discuss a broader social justice agenda.
Police keep anti-Islam protesters and anti-racism activists apart in Melbourne Read more
“Racism comes from the progressive left as much as the conservative right,” academic Yassir Morsi said.
Others spoke of the fear that Muslims had about speaking out strongly against laws they saw as unfair and about community disquiet over heavy-handed police raids.
The meeting discussed plans to counter Reclaim Australia rallies planned for July. |
Pokémon Identification Quiz
— New batch of questions every time —
1. Sandshrew Omanyte Thundurus Druddigon Unanswered 2. Alakazam Golem Mothim Porygon-Z Unanswered 3. Staraptor Sandslash Braviary Gengar Unanswered 4. Omastar Walrein Scolipede Patrat Unanswered 5. Krookodile Weepinbell Lopunny Chingling Unanswered 6. Dugtrio Nincada Porygon2 Wailord Unanswered 7. Beldum Unfezant Krabby Cradily Unanswered 8. Delibird Bastiodon Gloom Audino Unanswered 9. Chansey Granbull Smoochum Rhydon Unanswered 10. Parasect Tentacruel Chansey Wingull Unanswered 11. Tepig Nidorino Magnemite Arcanine Unanswered 12. Floatzel Cleffa Grotle Cacnea Unanswered 13. Mightyena Mismagius Carvanha Darumaka Unanswered 14. Houndoom Stunfisk Staryu Raichu Unanswered 15. Forretress Dratini Elekid Voltorb Unanswered 16. Deoxys Doduo Serperior Emboar Unanswered 17. Mandibuzz Delcatty Poochyena Nincada Unanswered 18. Abomasnow Blitzle Combusken Machamp Unanswered 19. Grovyle Breloom Spoink Miltank Unanswered 20. Igglybuff Charmander Abomasnow Shiftry Unanswered 21. Manectric Tropius Eevee Arbok Unanswered 22. Gastrodon Luxio Dragonair Sewaddle Unanswered 23. Electrike Doduo Lilligant Pupitar Unanswered 24. Haxorus Sandslash Shelgon Silcoon Unanswered 25. Gabite Drilbur Gothorita Gurdurr Unanswered
How well do you know your Pokémon? Take the quiz below to find out! |
Robert Griffin III came on Sunday in relief, but is slated to start this Saturday. (Julio Cortez/Associated Press)
Update, 3:46 p.m.: With Colt McCoy’s neck re-injured, Jay Gruden plans to start Robert Griffin III at quarterback Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“That’s the plan right now,” the coach said when asked.
Griffin took over for McCoy after he left the game with a recurring neck injury on the first possession of the game. Griffin completed 18 of 27 passes for 236 yards, a touchdown and was sacked seven times in the Redskins’ 24-13 loss to the Giants.
It was Griffin’s most productive game since Nov. 7, 2013. Griffin did well in the first half, but struggled in the second half, and Washington’s offense did as well.
However, McCoy isn’t expected to be available for this week’s game because of the neck injury, and so, Gruden will go with Griffin.
“Robert competed in the first half – did some good things,” Gruden said. “Obviously we didn’t do so well in the second half as a group offensively but I was pleased with the way Robert competed and hopefully we can build on that going forward into next week.”
Asked what stood out about Griffin’s play, Gruden said, “I thought he played with good energy. I thought he took the ball down and ran it when he had to a few times, and was pretty efficient in the passing game. For whatever reason, in the second half we couldn’t get it going. We got in some third downs and weren’t able to convert again, and that was unfortunate. He’s just got to continue to go through the same progressions and see the concepts, but something to build off of from last week, hopefully.”
Kirk Cousins presumably would be the backup, but Gruden indicated that he is not considering the former Michigan State product for the starter this week.
“Kirk’s a heck of a guy and he’s worked extremely hard and he’s dying for another chance,” Gruden said of Cousins, who went 0-5 in his starts this season and lost his job primarily because of his nine interceptions. “Whether he gets it or not this year is to be determined, but I know he’ll get another chance another time somewhere soon. I love the way he works, love the way he prepares, and think he has a bright future.”
Posted, 3:15 p.m.: Jay Gruden met with reporters at 3 p.m. and at the very top, he said “the plan” is to start Robert Griffin III on Saturday against the Eagles.
Here are some quick Twitter outtakes from Mike Jones and Liz Clarke:
Gruden plans to start RG3 vs Philly on Sat — Liz Clarke (@lizclarketweet) December 15, 2014
#Skinscoach Gruden confirms McCoy re injured sprained neck; must start recovery protocol over again — Liz Clarke (@lizclarketweet) December 15, 2014
Gruden doesn't expect McCoy to dress for this game. — Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) December 15, 2014
Gruden plans to start griffin sat. of Griffin: "he competed in the first half … Hopefully he can build on that" — Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) December 15, 2014
Gruden will try to build the offense around Griffin's strengths. Said it's important for run game to be clicking to do things to help. — Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) December 15, 2014
Gruden: "he's got every chance this week against the Philadelphia eagles to take this position and run with it" — Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) December 15, 2014
Gruden laughed when asked of Griffin has reached his ceiling. "No. He's 24 years old" said you can't project his future off of current state — Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) December 15, 2014
E-mail a Redskins question to [email protected], with the subject “Mailbag question,” and it might be answered Tuesday in the Mailbag.
More from The Post:
Five observations from Redskins’ loss to Giants
Steinberg: Gruden gave up at the end, and it was weird and sad
Ten Redskins QBs worse than Griffin | Bog: Career days vs. Redskins
First and 10: Cowboys’ win, Packers’ loss sets up mad scramble in NFC
More NFL: Home page | Sports Bog | Early Lead | Fancy Stats | Fantasy
Follow: @MikeJonesWaPo | @lizclarketweet | @JReidPost | @Insider
The Wrap: |
An image of Saturn and its rings captured by Cassini from the unlit side of the ringplane
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute
Astronomers have used data sent back by NASA’s Cassini mission to analyse and ‘weigh’ the apparently dense centre of Saturn’s B ring – its brightest and most opaque ring – for the first time. The results showed that, while the opacity of the B ring varies across its width, the mass does not vary significantly in relation.
"At present it's far from clear how regions with the same amount of material can have such different opacities. It could be something associated with the size or density of individual particles, or it could have something to do with the structure of the rings," says Matthew Hedman, the study's lead author and a Cassini participating scientist at the University of Idaho, Moscow.
The team were able to weigh the centre of the B ring by analysing what are called spiral density waves. These are fine-scale ring features caused by gravity pulling at ring particles. The structure of the wave is related to the amount of mass in the section of the rings where it is located.
The results have found that there is less material in Saturn’s B ring than had been previously inferred through observations, and that more opaque areas of the ring do not necessarily mean denser mass. According to the team, some parts of the B ring are as much as 10 times more opaque than its A ring, but the B ring probably weighs only two to three times the A ring’s mass.
"By 'weighing' the core of the B ring for the first time, this study makes a meaningful step in our quest to piece together the age and origin of Saturn's rings," says Linda Spilker, Cassini project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "The rings are so magnificent and awe-inspiring, it's impossible for us to resist the mystery of how they came to be."
Further studies of Saturn and its rings are to be undertaken by Cassini before its mission comes to an end in 2017. The spacecraft will fly just inside the rings during the final pahse of its mission, and will collect data to enable the Cassini team to measure the mass of Saturn by itself. When combined with previous Cassini calculations that determined the mass of both the planet and its rings together, the results should reveal the rings’ mass once and for all.
Front image: Saturn captured by Cassini during its cruise around the planet in October 2004
Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
Occupy Wall Street hopes call will re-energise movement after a series of evictions from New York to Los Angeles
Activists at Occupy Wall Street have issued a call to thousands of protesters across the US to reoccupy outdoor public spaces to mark the movement's three-month anniversary.
The Occupy movement has stalled in recent weeks after a wave of evictions swept away a raft of encampments, including the largest in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York. On Wednesday, it suffered a fresh blow as police in riot gear cleared Occupy San Francisco camp on the orders of the mayor, who had been sympathetic to protesters, while Occupy Boston lost legal protection against eviction.
Organisers said they hoped the call to reoccupy on the 17 December would galvanise and grow the movement.
Amin Husain, a press spokesman for OWS, said: "We know that occupation empowers people and eliminates fear. It permits individuals to assert themselves as political beings even although the system doesn't represent them."
"The question is not to make a splash, the question is how are we going to get the space to make that happen."
Sandy Nurse, one of the direct action committee responsible for the call, said: "The need for physical space is one of the top five priorities for direct action. My personal opinion is that people have gotten scared. They have gotten arrest fatigue. They are not willing to put their bodies on the line. But the call would re-galvanise the movement and remind it how powerful it is."
Citing the conference call by mayors across the US to deal with various encampments, Nurse said: "They have identified occupation as a threat to them – that's how powerful it is."
Eleven mayors participated in a conference call in November about Occupy protests in their cities, including those in New York, Denver and Portland, Oregon, but they denied any co-ordination of raids to clear encampments.
The need for a physical space has been on OWS's agenda since police raided Zuccotti Park in November. In a piece published this week in the first issue of Tidal, a magazine published by the Occupy movement, Judith Butler, academic and feminist theorist at the University of California, Berkeley, spoke of its importance.
Butler said: "When bodies gather together as they do to express their indignation and to enact their plural existence in public space, they are also making broader demands. They are demanding to be recognised and to be valued; they are exercising a right to appear and to exercise freedom; they are calling for a liveable life.
"These values are presupposed by particular demands, but they also demand a more fundamental restructuring of our socio-economic and political order."
At one point, the movement had more than 1,000 occupations, but now they have less than 100 – and that number is dwindling daily. With the onset of winter's plummeting temperatures – which was already driving people from Zuccotti Park before the eviction – and the hardening attitudes of city authorities against encampments, notwithstanding the dearth of public spaces in the US, seeking a place to camp is a massive challenge for activists.
Even within OWS, where the movement began, activists have a battle on their hands. In Zuccotti Park, the space's owners have imposed strictly enforced rules which no longer allow tents or sleeping bags, or allow people to lie down, which would make it impossible to set up camp.
The place they want to occupy on December 17, is Juan Pablo Duarte Square, a currently vacant lot on the corner of 6th and Canal Street in Soho, about 15 minutes walk' from Wall Street, named after the founder of the Dominican Republic.
But it has already proved controversial.
It is owned by the real estate branch of Trinity Episcopalian church in Wall Street, Trinity Real Estate, one of the largest real estate companies in New York.
Activists at OWS, which had previously counted Trinity church among their supporters, have repeatedly asked for the use of this space for a winter camp. But Trinity church has refused, drawing criticism from other church leaders and a handful of activists who went on hunger strike, pledging not to eat until the church allowed protesters on the site.
In a statement on its website, Trinity said it offered its continued support of the movement – including providing meeting space at church buildings – but not the use of its enclosed vacant lot at the city-owned Duarte Square, which it leases to the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. The property, Trinity said, is unsuitable "for large-scale assemblies or encampments."
For activists, the matter is simple: they need the space and the church should hand it over.
Husain said: "They're part of the 1% and they are choosing profit over God."
The church is also facing pressure from the religious community.
Reverend John Metz, of the Episcopalian Church of the Ascension, in Brooklyn, who describes himself as a "real mainstream church guy" said: "Trinity church is in a challenging position. They are a church with an enormous real estate holding. It's one thing to deliberate and review grants. It's another thing for a church to respond in real time to one of the largest movement for social change that this country has see for four decades.
"This is an opportunity to engage in mutual actions to transform a space, and make it a catalyst for the revitalisation of public squares that have all been eliminated in the United States, to create a space where the cause for social justice can be forwarded." |
Napoleon Bonaparte was a voracious reader. He had a personal librarian, he always travelled with books, and he took a great interest in constructing the ultimate portable library to accompany him on his military campaigns. Napoleon’s taste in books was primarily classical. He had some lifelong favourite authors, including Plutarch, Homer and Ossian. What else did he like to read?
Napoleon’s love of books
According to his classmate (and later secretary) Louis Bourrienne, Napoleon read avidly from an early age. Whenever they had free time at the military school at Brienne:
[Napoleon] would run to the library, where he read with great eagerness books of history, particularly Polybius and Plutarch. He also especially liked Arrian, but had little taste for Quintus Curtius. (1)
At the École Militaire in Paris and as a young artillery officer, Napoleon continued to read classical scholars, as well as more recent French and Italian authors. He also read a number of English works in translation. An idea of his favourites might be judged by what he chose to bring with him during a leave of absence in Corsica in 1786-87. His brother Joseph recounted:
[Napoleon] was then a passionate admirer of Jean-Jacques [Rousseau]; … a fan of the masterpieces of Corneille, Racine and Voltaire. He brought the works of Plutarch, Plato, Cicero, Cornelius Nepos, Livy and Tacitus, translated into French; and those of Montaigne, Montesquieu and Raynal. All of these works filled a trunk larger than the one that contained his toiletries. I don’t deny that he also had the poems of Ossian, but I do deny that he preferred them to Homer. (2)
Napoleon soon parted ways with Rousseau, but his admiration for Ossian continued throughout his life. He even reads Ossian in Napoleon in America. Ossian’s cycle of epic poems was published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson beginning in 1760. Though Macpherson claimed the material originated from ancient Gaelic sources, many – including Samuel Johnson – criticized the work as a forgery, written by Macpherson himself.
When Napoleon learned, on St. Helena, that the wife of British Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm hailed from Scotland, he asked her if she knew Ossian’s poems.
[Napoleon] said he admired them very much, particularly Darthula, and inquired if the controversy about their authenticity was decided; and whether Macpherson had really written them. He laughed on her replying with quickness, that Macpherson was not capable of writing them. She said the Highland Society had done everything possible to investigate and had proved their authenticity beyond a doubt…. She said [the poems] had been more admired on the Continent than in England. He exclaimed with energy: ‘It was I, – I made them the fashion. I have been even accused of having my head filled with Ossian’s clouds.’ (3)
Napoleon’s librarians and libraries
Napoleon’s appetite for reading books continued as he rose in power. In 1798, about to depart on the Egyptian campaign, he gave Bourrienne a list of books he wanted in his camp library. These included works in Sciences and Arts (e.g., Treatise on Fortifications), Geography and Travels (e.g., Cook’s Voyages), History (e.g., Thucydides, Frederick II), Poetry (e.g., Ossian, Tasso, Ariosto), Novels (e.g., Voltaire, Héloïse, Goethe’s Sorrows of Young Werther and 40 volumes of “English novels”), and Politics and Morals (the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, etc.). (4)
In 1800, Napoleon appointed Louis Ripault, an antiquarian who was a member of the Egyptian expedition, as his personal librarian. When Ripault proved to be too liberal, he was replaced in 1804 by an elderly Italian historian, Carlo Denina, author of The History of the Revolutions of Italy, which Napoleon had read as a student. In 1807, Denina was succeeded by the librarian Antoine-Alexandre Barbier.
Napoleon expected his librarian to be on call at all hours to read to him, to report on new books, to find sources of information on particular subjects, and to summarize content. Dissatisfied with the camp libraries formed for his use, in July 1808 Napoleon dictated from Bayonne instructions for Barbier to create a purpose-built travelling library.
The Emperor wants a portative library of thousand volumes in 12mo., printed in good type, without margin, and composed as nearly as possible of 40 volumes on religion, 40 of epics, 40 of plays, 60 of poetry, 100 of novels, 60 of history, the remainder, to make up the 1,000, of historical memoirs. The religious works are to be the Old and New Testament, the Koran, a selection from the works of the Fathers of the Church, works respecting the Arians, Calvinists, a Mythology, &c. The epics are to be Homer, Lucan, Tasso, Telemachus, the Henriade, &c. (5)
Among the novels were to be the masterpieces of Fielding, Richardson and Le Sage.
For the 1809 campaign against Austria, Barbier prepared a substantial library, arranged in a series of large mahogany cases, which could be opened up into instant bookshelves (the cases were later exchanged for leather ones, considered more durable). Dissatisfied that some books had to be omitted because of their bulk, Napoleon in June 1809 sent instructions from Vienna for Barbier to compose an even larger travelling library of historical works, in even smaller size.
His Majesty would wish the volumes of such a library to reach three thousand, all 18mos, like the works of the collection in 18mo for the Dauphin, having four to five hundred pages each, and printed with Didot’s fine type, on thin vellum paper. The 12mo takes up too much space; and besides, the books printed in this form are almost all poor editions. The three thousand volumes should be put in thirty cases, having three rows, each row containing thirty-three volumes. This collection…should be divided into five or six parts: 1. Chronology and Universal History; 2. Ancient History by original writers, and Ancient History by modern writers; 3. History of the Lower Empire by original writers, and History of the Lower Empire by modern writers; 4. General and Particular History, like Voltaire’s Essays, etc.; 5. Modern History of the States of Europe, of France, Italy, etc.. In this collection must be Strabo, D’Anville’s Ancient Atlas, the Bible, some History of the Church…. When these three thousand volumes of History are finished, they will be followed by three thousand more of Natural History, of Voyages, of Literature, etc. (6)
Barbier estimated the work would take six years to complete and would cost between 5.4 and 6.5 million francs. The project was never carried out. Meanwhile, the existing library was improved from time to time. For example, from Vitebsk during the Russian campaign in August 1812, Barbier was told:
The Emperor desires to have some amusing books. If there be any new novels which are good, or older ones which he does not know, or memoirs of light reading, you will do well to send them, for we have leisure moments here which are difficult to fill up. (7)
During the retreat from Moscow, a number of boxes of books from Napoleon’s travelling library were burned by the French.
Napoleon reading books in exile
During his exile on Elba in 1814, Napoleon maintained a library of “a considerable number of volumes.” He allowed no one to enter the room, which also served as an office, except his secretary and the floor polisher. (8)
In late June 1815, after the defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon was at Malmaison contemplating escape to the United States. He instructed General Henri Bertrand to write to Barbier for “works upon America,” a report on everything published on the subject of his campaigns, “and in addition, several works on the United States.” The library was to be consigned to an American firm, “who will have it transported to America from Havre.” (9)
Napoleon did not make it to America. Instead, he gave himself up to the British, who banished him to St. Helena. On seeing an Englishman reading Milton’s Paradise Lost on board the Northumberland, the ship that conveyed him to exile, Napoleon reportedly said:
Your British Homer lacks taste, harmony, warmth, naturalness. Read again the poet of Achilles. Devour Ossian. Those are the poets who lift up the soul, and give to man a colossal greatness. (10)
Napoleon had plenty of time to read on St. Helena, and he developed a large library there. He brought with him on the Northumberland “six small mahogany cases containing what was called a field library, provided by M. Barbier, the Emperor’s librarian. These crates consisted of good works, and were of great assistance in fighting the boredom of such a lengthy crossing.” (11)
This was supplemented by the arrival, in June 1816, of the bulk of Napoleon’s library. Emmanuel de Las Cases reported:
The Emperor sent for me about three o’clock. He was in the topographical cabinet, surrounded by all the persons of his suite, who were engaged in unpacking some boxes of books which had arrived by the Newcastle. The Emperor himself helped to unpack, and seemed to be highly amused with the occupation. (12)
More books were brought by visitors, or sent to Napoleon by sympathizers, including England’s Lady Holland. One of the gifts, the three-volume Life of Marlborough by William Coxe, resulted in the dismissal of British orderly officer Engelbert Lutyens, as described in my post “General Bonaparte vs. Emperor Napoleon.”
It was customary in the evenings for Napoleon to read out loud to his companions, or for one of them to read to him. His librarian on St. Helena, the valet Louis Étienne Saint-Denis, wrote:
The Emperor was infinitely fond of reading. The Greek and Roman historians were often in his hands, especially Plutarch. … He often read Rollin. The history of the middle ages, modern history, and particular histories occupied him only casually. The only religious book which he had was the Bible. He liked to read over in it the chapters which he had heard read in the ruins of the ancient cities of Syria. They painted for him the customs of those countries and the patriarchal life of the desert. It was, he said, a faithful picture of what he had seen with his own eyes. Every time that he read Homer it was with a new admiration. No one, in his view, had known what was truly beautiful and great better than this author; consequently he often took him up again and read him from the first page to the last. The drama had great charms for the Emperor. Corneille, Racine, Voltaire, often had one or two acts of their pieces read aloud. He preferred Corneille to the others, in spite of his imperfections…. Sometimes he would ask for some comedy which he had seen played, and from time to time a piece of poetry, for instance, ‘Vert-Vert’ [by Gresset]. He also took pleasure in reading some parts of Voltaire’s Essai sur les moeurs et l’esprit des nations, as well as some articles from the Dictionnaire Philosophique of the same author. Novels helped him to relax and broke the seriousness of his habitual occupations. Gil Blas, Don Quixote and a small number of others would be read by him. Those of Mesdames de Staël, Genlis, Cottin, Souza, etc. he read over sometimes, but the novels which he could not bear were those of Pigault Lebrun…. He had nearly always under his eyes all the works relative to the military art and the campaigns of the great captains…. It was only by chance that he took up a scientific work; books of this sort were only occasional. (13)
It was while he was on St. Helena that Napoleon read his brother Lucien’s Charlemagne.
What ability; what time and labour; thrown away! Twenty thousand verses – some few of them good verses – but the whole colourless, aimless, and resultless. (14)
What happened to Napoleon’s library?
By 1821, when Napoleon died, his library consisted of 1,814 volumes, 1,226 of which had been shipped from England. (15) In his will, Napoleon directed Saint-Denis to take care of “four hundred volumes, selected from those in my library of which I have been accustomed to use the most” and to convey them to his son, the King of Rome (Napoleon II), when he reached the age of 16. Napoleon’s companions took what they liked from the rest of his books. The remainder were purchased by the bookseller Bossange and Co., which organized an auction by Sotheby’s in London on July 23, 1823.
The catalogue listed 123 items, 10 of which were letters signed by Napoleon. A few volumes were given to members of Napoleon’s family. When General Bertrand died, all but about a dozen of the volumes belonging to his estate were sold for scrap. Even if you don’t understand French, you will be able to decipher some of the titles remaining, as well as those listed in the auction catalogue, in La Bibliothèque de Napoléon à Sainte Hélène by Victor Advielle (Paris, 1894).
For more about Napoleon’s book reading habits, see the three-part article on “Napoleon the Reader” by Ira Grossman on the Napoleon Series: “The Early Years”; “The Imperial Years”; “The Final Years”. Margaret Rodenberg has written a lovely piece about Napoleon’s reading habits on St. Helena on her Finding Napoleon website.
You might also enjoy:
Napoleon in Alternate History
Napoleon in Historical Fiction
10 Interesting Facts About Napoleon Bonaparte
10 More Interesting Napoleon Facts
What did Napoleon like to wear?
What did Napoleon like to eat and drink?
What was Napoleon’s favourite music?
10 Things Napoleon Never Said
10 Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes in Context
What did Napoleon look like?
What were Napoleon’s last words?
Was Napoleon superstitious?
Weird pictures of Napoleon
When Napoleon met Goethe
Was Madame de Genlis Napoleon’s spy? |
Kārlis Seržants, a high-ranking member of the Latvian parliament or Saeima and part of the ruling coalition, on Thursday delivered a remarkable interview on Latvian public radio's LR4 Russian-language channel in which he blamed "clever Jews" for some of the nation's main problems.
After beginning to talk about changes to Latvia's national security laws, Seržants - a member of the Greens and Farmers Union political grouping and a member of the Saeima's national security committee - then veered into unfortunate territory, as a transcript of his comments shows.
The former journalist and television presenter said people working to undermine the Latvian state were "mostly people of a very smart ethnicity with lawyers [among them]."
Asked if he was referring to Russians, Seržants replied:
"No, I mean the Jewish ethnicity."
He then elaborated once again on these Jewish legal experts' particular skill in operating "on the edge" of the law.
Challenged by the interviewer over his statement, Seržants clumsily attempted to backtrack by praising the cleverness of Jews as a nationality:
"Well, no I'm not saying it's only [Jews], but Girs, Gaponenko... who else do we have... Zhdanoka, Koren [all prominent pro-Russia activists] -- they are Jews I believe. I am not a chauvinist, absolutely not, and that is exactly why I am telling that being of Jewish ethnicity means being very smart."
With the interviewer again intervening to point out that Latvians or Russians might be equally smart, Seržants responded:
"Right, all of them are smart, but they are, let us say it this way, especially smart."
Seržants' outburst is likely to be highly embarrassing to his party colleague in the Greens and Farmers Union, Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis, who is due to leave Latvia for five days' holiday Friday after just one month in charge.
The views expressed by Seržants are even more remarkable given that since 2014 he has been a member of the Saeima group for cooperation with the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. |
Refugees and asylum seekers at the 'grain market' in Bautzen, eastern Germany on September 14, 2016 (AFP Photo/Christian Essler)
Athens (AFP) - Germany called Sunday for asylum seekers who entered the European Union via Greece to be forced to return there, while also urging Athens to send more migrants back to Turkey.
In an interview with a Greek daily, German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere said he wants to reinstate EU rules which oblige asylum seekers to be sent back to Greece as the first EU country they reached.
"I would like the Dublin convention to be applied again... we will take up discussions on this in a meeting with (EU) interior ministers" later in October, he told the Greek daily Kathimerini.
The Dublin accord gives responsibility for asylum seekers' application to the first country they reach -- which put Greece on the frontline of more than a million migrants who arrived in the EU last year.
The accord also says asylum seekers should be sent back to the first country they arrived in if they subsequently reach another EU state before their case is examined. A huge proportion of the migrants ended up in Germany.
But this clause was suspended for Greece in 2011 after the country lost an EU legal complaint which condemned the mistreatment of migrants seeking international protection.
"Since then, the EU has provided substantial support, not only financially," to Greece to improve its asylum seeker procedures, the German minister said.
- 'Greece must expel more' -
In an interview on German television Sunday evening, De Maiziere also criticised Athens for failing to fully implement an EU agreement with Turkey to return migrants there.
The EU reached a deal with Turkey in March to stop the influx to the Greek islands in return for financial aid and eased visa conditions for its citizens. But the deal has looked shaky in the wake of a coup attempt in Turkey in July.
"Greece must carry out more expulsions," he told the ARD television station.
De Maiziere had already in August highlighted the need to reinstate the Dublin rules, provoking an outcry from Athens.
Greece stressed it was already coping with over 60,000 refugees and migrants blocked on its territory after countries further north on the so-called Balkan route closed their borders to the massive influx, notably fleeing the Syrian conflict.
De Maiziere said he was conscious of the "strong reactions" of Greeks, as well as the huge number of migrants being dealt with by Greece as an EU frontline state.
But "that doesn't annul the need" to reinstate the Dublin rules, he said, stressing that "criticism of the convention not being applied keeps increasing in Germany."
The German minister, who has just revised the number of asylum seekers who arrived in Germany last year to 890,000 -- down from a previous estimate of 1.1 million -- reiterated Berlin's commitment to taking its share of refugees who arrived in Greece and Italy in 2015 and the start of 2016.
"Germany is ready to welcome up to 500 people per month" from the two countries, he said. |
The gauntlet has been thrown. We’ve equipped some top-tier Twitch streamers with a coach and challenged them with a simple goal: become the best Heroes of the Storm player they can possibly be, while earning donations for Make-A-Wish® in the process. It’s time to Tryhard – For Good!
How Tryhard for Good Works:
Phase One (April 25 – May 1): For the first week of the competition, each of the contenders will be teaming up with the coaches listed below for some hands-on instruction. Here’s where they’ll learn the ins-and-outs of Heroes of the Storm, sharpen their competitive skills, and get their Hero League game faces on!
Phase Two (May 2 – 11:59 PM, May 16): The gloves come off! For the next two weeks, each competitor will claw their way to the top of the Hero League solo queue ladder with no more assistance from the coaches. Good luck!
Follow Along! Tune in to your favorite streamers’ Twitch channels to learn alongside them during Phase One, and keep up with their progress as they climb the Hero League ladder during Phase Two! Find links to each streamer’s channel in the Competitors and Coaches sections below.
Competitors:
Dyrus Five-time League of Legends world championship competitor who played for North America's Team Solo Mid, and full-time Twitch streamer, Marcus 'Dyrus' Hill will be coached by Jaehyung 'Chu8' Park! Scarra Former professional League of Legends player, coach, and full-time streamer, William 'Scarra' Li will be coached by Derek 'Dunktrain' Arabian! Voyboy Former professional League of Legends player, a master innovator, metabreaker and full-time streamer, Joedat 'Voyboy' Esfahani will be coached by Kurt 'Kaeyoh' Ocher!
Coaches:
Chu8 Jaeyhung 'Chu8' Park is a multiple-time Grandmaster Heroes player, former professional competitor, and is now a full-time Heroes of the Storm streamer. Dunktrain Derek 'Dunktrain' Arabian is a full-time streamer, caster, and analyst and the former team captain of the BlizzCon 2015 Championship winning Heroes of the Storm team Cloud9. Kaeyoh Kurt 'Kaeyoh' Ocher is the former team captain of the Heroes of the Storm team Tempo Storm, turned full time streamer and professional caster.
At the end of the challenge, each sponsored streamer’s rank on the Hero League ladder will determine the donation amount we’ll make to Make-A-Wish:
Requirements Prize Reach Gold Rank $500 Reach Platinum Rank $1500 Reach Diamond Rank $2000 Reach Diamond Ranks 1-5 $500 Per tier of Diamond Reach Master Rank $3500 Reach Grand Master Rank $5000 Win Hero League Matches $100 Per Hero League win Climb to the Top $25k to the Competitor who Reaches the Highest Rank!
NOTE: Each higher tier of prizes will also include the rewards for the ranks below it. For example, if a competitor reaches Diamond 3 they will receive all rewards for Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Diamond 4 + 5, the Hero League win total, and the Diamond 3 prize.
About Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Find out more at www.wish.org.
Our competitors will also be hosting and commentating on the Heroes of the Storm 2.0 launch stream, so be sure to tune in to www.twitch.tv/blizzheroes at 11:00 a.m. PDT on April 25. You won’t want to miss it! |
In compliance with the timely notice provisions of the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Texas Tech Police Department is giving notice of a Sexual Assault reported to have occurred at the Texas Tech University Student Recreation Center.
REPORTED OFFENSE
On April 10, 2011 the Texas Tech Police Department was dispatched to a reported sexual assault that occurred in the men’s shower room at the Student Recreation Center. A male student reported being choked unconscious and sexually assaulted by another male.
The victim described the suspect as a Hispanic male, approximately 20 years of age, 6’3” tall, 200lbs, bald head, black goatee, wearing a black shirt and blue jeans. The identity and last known location of the suspect are unknown.
Police are currently investigating the report.
It can be assumed that conditions may continue to exist that pose a threat to members and guests of the Tech community. It is the duty of the institution to warn of possible dangerous conditions on or near its campus, and at affiliate organizations off campus; an affirmative duty exists to warn persons associated with this university of possible peril at the hands of some third party or parties.
If you have any information about this or any other offense, can identify a suspect, or have witnessed suspicious activity, please contact the Texas Tech Police Department immediately at 806-743-2000, or 9-911 on campus, or contact the Lubbock Police Department at 806-755-2865 or 911 for incidents occurring at off campus locations.
Do not make personal efforts to identify or apprehend anyone matching a suspect described in this or any other crime alert. All suspects should be presumed dangerous. |
Of the hundreds of noble efforts to teach kids to code, Fuze is one of them. Fuze has created its own programming language, Fuze BASIC, a riff on the classic BASIC programming language that was the foundation of Microsoft as a company and a formative experience for anyone who typed a program into an Apple II or Commodore 64. And now Fuze BASIC is coming to the Switch.
The Fuze Code Studio, as seen on Nintendo Today, will let you write 2D and 3D games using Fuze BASIC, with access to the Joy-Con sensors and controls, along with a pack of included game graphics and sounds and the ability to make your own. For typing you can use Fuze's touchscreen keyboard or plug in a USB keyboard — like that new official Nintendo Switch keyboard, for instance.
It's hard to tell how much creative freedom we'll have without actually testing it out, but there's a sample screenshot of a Breakout game, while the code visible on the image up above appears to be a text-based adventure where you eat apples until you run out of apples.
I'm stoked to try this out. Apparently people have managed to make great stuff with similar systems, like SmileBASIC on the 3DS. But really I just wish Nintendo would make it easier for hobbyists to put their own Unreal and Unity games on the Switch, without having to jump through hoops to get into the developer program.
Fuze Code Studio is supposed to launch next summer on the Switch eShop. |
Bella Hulls and Leanne Pereira hardly need another reason to spend more time in the sunshine — but now they have one.
Perth is about to become the first Australian capital city to have “smart benches”, where people can charge their phones and access wifi for free.
The solar-powered benches, equipped with a wireless charging pad and USB ports, are popular in Europe. Ivan Lozic, general manager of the smart benches’ Australian distributor Cleanair, came across the technology in Croatia. “We were walking through Split and there were six park benches, five were empty and one was jam-packed,” Mr Lozic said.
“We went to see what was going on and saw the smart bench. We found out the manufacturer was around the corner, so we talked to them and got distribution rights.”
Cleanair and Synergy are testing the benches at this weekend’s Mt Hawthorn Streets and Lanes Festival.
“Perth has such a great solar resource, so the more we can give residents the opportunity to harness it the better,” she said.
The Steora smart benches are installed in Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and New Zealand.
The benches require four to five hours of direct sunlight a day to operate at full capacity. The batteries last about 12 years.
The smart benches feature temperature sensors that activate a cooling fan at 35C, meaning they provide solace from the heat.
Croation entrepreneur Ivan Mrvos, at 20 years old, designed the benches through his company InClude, which won best start-up company and best innovation product. |
(Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
MGM National Harbor has helped boost the state’s overall gaming revenue since it opened Dec. 8, but the newcomer appears to be eating into the profits of Maryland’s other top casinos.
Monthly casino revenue rose an average of 37.8 percent in Maryland since MGM began operating, according to the state Lottery and Gaming Control Agency’s year-to-year comparisons. The industry, which sends some of its profits to fund schools and other public programs, set its record in the state by generating $141 million in March.
But monthly revenue for Maryland’s five other casinos has dropped an average of 11.8 percent since December, largely driven by dips of 9.4 percent for Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore and 16.6 percent for Maryland Live in Anne Arundel County — the two gaming facilities closest to MGM.
Casino officials and elected leaders say they are not alarmed by the numbers, which fall roughly in line with the projections made by state consultants after Maryland voters legalized table games and approved the addition of a sixth casino in a 2012 referendum.
“These people are still raking in money, just less than they would have otherwise,” said Del. Eric G. Luedtke (D-Montgomery), who co-chairs the state legislature’s gaming-oversight committee.
Maryland Live generated $46 million from slots and table games in May, while Horseshoe pulled in $24 million. Those totals, while hefty, represent declines of 22.3 percent and 18.1 percent, respectively, compared with the same period last year.
MGM, which has consistently outperformed all other casinos in the state since its first full month of operations, pulled in about $51 million.
A poker game at the opening of MGM National Harbor in December included Chad Power, left, who is a pro gambler and was based at Maryland Live casino before MGM opened. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
“Obviously, the presence of a new casino in Maryland has an effect on the revenues of the existing casinos,” said Jonathan Cordish, principal and finance director for the Cordish Cos., which owns and operates Maryland Live. “We will continue to compete and reinvest for the long term.”
A $200 million expansion of Maryland Live scheduled for completion next year includes a new 17-story hotel and convention center with a high-end spa, spaces for live entertainment and private gaming, and new restaurants. The casino also has been offering special promotions, including giving away five Tesla electric cars for its anniversary this month and guaranteeing jackpots up to $100,000 every weekend in June.
Horseshoe is banking in part on its participation in the country’s oldest nationwide player loyalty and rewards program, run by parent company Caesar Entertainment, to remain competitive in a crowded market. Officials with the casino say the establishment’s proximity to Baltimore sports stadiums, and the city’s plans for a new entertainment hub in the surrounding area, could help as well.
“As the southern gateway expands and becomes a diverse entertainment district, Horseshoe is poised to take advantage of the significant growth and development,” said Erin Chamberlin, the casino’s senior vice president and general manager.
When they approved the gambling expansion in 2012, state lawmakers gave Maryland Live and Horseshoe lower tax rates than MGM for slots revenue, acknowledging that the two older establishments were likely to be most affected by the launch of the new venue in Prince George’s County. MGM pays a rate of 56 percent, compared to 51 percent for Maryland Live and 54 percent for Horseshoe.
Industry experts say West Virginia casinos also have reason to be concerned about Maryland’s 2012 gambling expansion, because they now have to compete with venues across the border that offer table games rather than just slots.
Horseshoe, Maryland Live, MGM National Harbor and Rocky Gap Casino, located in Allegany County, are all less than 80 miles from Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.
Rocky Gap Casino, located in Allegany County, has continued to thrive since MGM opened, with monthly gaming revenue up an average of nearly 10 percent since December compared with the same period a year before. The Casino at Ocean Downs, which does not have table games and is located on the Eastern Shore, has seen an average monthly increase of more than 3 percent over that span.
The Hollywood Casino Perryville, in Cecil County, saw a decline, with its monthly revenue from slots and tables dropping an average of 3.5 percent.
Casino gambling generated more than $1 billion in gross revenue for the state in fiscal 2016, with 35 percent of that going to the state’s Education Trust Fund, 5 percent to horse racing, nearly 4 percent to grants for local jurisdictions affected by casinos and about 1 percent for Maryland’s small, minority- and women-owned businesses account.
This year, industry lobbyists successfully pushed state lawmakers to approve legislation that allows gaming establishments to carry over losses on slots and table games from one day to the next for purposes of determining how much they owe to the state.
Legislative analysts estimated that the measure could reduce revenue for the Education Trust Fund by more than $1.8 million a year. But supporters said it would encourage casinos to offer more high-stakes games by reducing their potential losses, in turn attracting more big-money players and increasing revenue in the long run.
Luedtke suggested that there will be little appetite for similar breaks in 2018.
“I doubt the legislature is in any mood to cut taxes for casinos, and I think the casinos know that,” he said.
Cordish said Maryland Live will not seek legislative or regulatory changes next year. |
A second independence referendum would be a “waste of time”, a former SNP leader has warned.
Gordon Wilson, who was at the party’s helm throughout the 1980s, said question marks over Scotland’s economy must be answered before Nicola Sturgeon stages another vote on leaving the UK.
He suggested the timescale for a second referendum could be anything between “five and 20 years” away.
“My own view is that a second independence referendum isn’t really on,” he said yesterday.
But a perceived raw deal for Scotland on Brexit could alter the picture.
“The only thing that would change things is if there was a sudden upsurge in the opinion polls from people wanting a second referendum, and more to the point be prepared to vote for independence if Scotland doesn’t get what they think it should get,” he said. |
Palestinian girls mourn before the 14 July funeral of their uncle, Adham Abed el-Al, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza a day earlier. Mohammed Asad APA images
As Israel’s relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip claimed more Palestinian lives, Haim Bresheeth, a film scholar at SOAS, University of London, helped initiate an open letter to Israeli academics urging them to condemn the slaughter.
The open letter states in part:
We have been asked by our academic colleagues in Gaza – whose universities have been destroyed a number of times in the last six years, who are unable to teach or study, and who are also in growing need of food and medicines, like the rest of the almost two million Palestinians living in Gaza – to urge you to act urgently, to make your voice heard in Israel and abroad against what the Israeli government is inflicting on the Gaza population.
“We invite you, as fellow academics and intellectuals, to join your voices in an open and resounding protest about these war crimes by the Israeli government – your government. We urge you to stand up and be counted, to answer the call of your Gazan colleagues and make your voice heard,” the open letter urges.
The open letter quickly attracted about a thousand signatures from academics all over the world.
Almost three dozen Israeli academics answered the call and issued the statement at the end of this post in which they deplore the “slaughter of large numbers of wholly innocent people.”
Despite Bresheeth’s and others’ determined efforts, the number of Israeli academics willing to make even such a modest call is remarkably few, a sign of the extremism gripping the country.
In an article published by The Electronic Intifada yesterday, Israeli historian Ilan Pappe writes: “One can witness again consensual Israeli Jewish support for the massacre of civilians in the Gaza Strip, without one significant voice of dissent.”
Pappe adds: “Academia, as always, becomes part of the machinery. The prestigious private university, the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya has established “a civilian headquarters” where students volunteer to serve as mouthpieces in the propaganda campaign abroad.” (I wrote more about this operation earlier today.)
Some may be fearful to speak out because of the relentless incitement, threats and cries of “Death to the Arabs” and “Death to Leftists” that dissenters face in the streets and online.
Regime change
Zochrot, the Israeli group that advocates for the Palestinian right of return and does public education about the Nakba – the ethnic cleansing of Palestine that began in 1947 – issued its own statement.
“For more than sixty-six years, the Israeli regime had been violating, systematically and harshly, the human rights of millions of Palestinians,” Zochrot says.
“The violent reality we are witnessing these days, that takes a heavy toll from many, especially the Palestinian refugees, is a direct outcome of a racist regime which established itself based on an ongoing destruction, dispossession, expulsion and occupation,” the statement notes.
“Ad hoc” ceasefire arrangements would not be enough, Zochrot says. “Only a fundamental change in the regime, which will be based on taking responsibility on the ongoing crimes of the Nakba and the implementation of the right of return of the Palestinian refugees will bring about the ending of the violence.”
Statement signed by Israeli academics
“The signatories to this statement, all academics at Israeli universities, wish it to be known that they utterly deplore the aggressive military strategy being deployed by the Israeli government. The slaughter of large numbers of wholly innocent people, is placing yet more barriers of blood in the way of the negotiated agreement which is the only alternative to the occupation and endless oppression of the Palestinian people. Israel must agree to an immediate ceasefire, and start negotiating in good faith for the end of the occupation and settlements, through a just peace agreement.”
Professor Rachel Giora, Tel Aviv University
Professor Emmanuel Farjoun, Hebrew University
Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, Hebrew University
Dr. Kobi Snitz, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Dr. Anat Matar, Tel Aviv University
Dr Efrat Ben-Zeev, Ruppin Academic Center
Professor As’ad Ghanem, Haifa University
Professor Anat Biletzki, Tel Aviv University
Professor Adi Ophir, Tel Aviv University
Dr. Ovadia Ezra, Tel Aviv University
Professor Zvi Tauber, Tel Aviv University
Professor Vered Kraus, Haifa University
Dr. Yuval Yonay, Haifa University
Professor Oded Goldreich, Weizman Institute
Professor Dana Ron, Tel Aviv University
Professor Gadi Algazi, Tel Aviv University
Professor Mira Ariel, Tel Aviv University
Professor Idan Landau, Ben Gurion University
Professor As’ad Ghanem, Haifa University
Dr. Ayelet Ben-Yishai, Haifa University
Professor Micah Leshem, Haifa University
Dr. Ilan Saban, Faculty of Law, University of Haifa
Dr. Avishai Ehrlich, TAU
Dr. Ivy Sichel, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Professor Yehuda Shenhav, Sociology, TAU
Dr. Hannah Safran, The Academic College for Society and the Arts
Dr. Yael Ben-zvi, Ben-Gurion University
Professor Dudy Tzfati, Hebrew University
Dr. Tikva Honig-Parnass, Jerusalem
Professor David Blanc, math, Haifa University
Elizabeth Ritter, Department of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics, Ben-Gurion University
Professor Tal Siloni, Tel Aviv University
Paul Wexler, Professor Emeritus, Tel-Aviv University |
Eli Thompson, who attracted worldwide media attention after he was born without a nose, died Saturday evening, according to his father, Jeremy Finch.
Eli had turned two years old on March 4.
He was pronounced dead at around 10:40 p.m. at Springhill Medical Center in Mobile, Finch said.
Eli was "very, very bright and happy, always smiling and giving everybody fist bumps," Finch said in a phone interview Sunday morning.
He used baby sign language, and Finch was starting to do speech therapy at home with a speaking valve, he said. "His favorite sign was 'cookie,'" he said. The first thing he did every morning was to ask for a cookie, and he recently received the "Cookie Monster Award" from his daycare.
"He touched a lot of people's lives," Finch said, with tears in his voice. "A lot of people cared about him."
Eli was born at South Baldwin Hospital in Foley, then immediately transported to USA Children's and Women's Hospital in Mobile. He received a tracheotomy at 5 days old.
Through a no-longer-extant Facebook page called Eli's Story, thousands of people followed the tale of the baby born with arhinia, a rare facial anomaly said to affect only one in 197 million births.
When he was 7 months old, Eli met another child, Tessa Evans of Ireland, then 2 1/2 years old, who also had arhinia.
"To get to introduce Tessa to Eli was like a dream come true and it meant the world to us to sit and talk with his family," Tessa's mother, Grainne Evans, wrote after the meeting. "Tessa was totally taken with Eli and hugged him and stroked his head. Watching Eli gaze up at her was too precious for words."
[Related story: Eli the center of attention at first fundraiser]
[Related story: Read about Eli at 6 months old]
Finch said the family is still finalizing arrangements for Eli's funeral service, which will be held at Fountain of Life Church in Saraland. |
Astronomers recently announced that the nearby star Proxima Centauri hosts an Earth sized planet in its habitable zone. The planet is called Proxima b. On the face of it, Proxima Centauri seems nothing like our Sun. It is a red dwarf one thousandth as luminous as the Sun and only one tenth as massive. New research however shows that it is like the sun in one startling way: it has a steady cycle of star spots.
Like sunspots, star spots appear as dark blotches on a star’s surface. Created by magnetic fields, the spots indicate areas where the temperature is not as hot as the surrounding area. A star is made of plasma, which consist of ionized gases. Magnetic fields restrict the plasma’s flow and creates spots. The number and distribution of star spots is affected by changes to a star’s magnetic field.
Our Sun has an activity cycle of 11 years. At solar maximum, more than 100 sunspots typically cover less than one percent of the Sun’s surface. At the solar minimum, virtually no spots are seen.
The new study finds that Proxima Centauri has a similar cycle, but it lasts seven years from peak to peak. Its cycle is however much more dramatic. Some of those spots are much bigger compared to the star’s size than the spots on our Sun. At solar maximum, a full one fifth of the star’s surface is covered in spots at the same time. Lead author Brad Wargelin of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), notes that if intelligent aliens were living on Proxima b, they would have a dramatic view of this phenomenon.
Astronomers expected Proxima Centauri’s interior is to be very different from the Sun’s. They were therefore surprised to detect a stellar activity cycle in it. The Sun’s interior remains relatively still, but the outer third experiences a churning motion called convection, comparable to water boiling in a pot. These two regions rotate at different speeds. Many astronomers believe the shear arising from this difference causes the Sun’s magnetic activity cycle.
As the interior of a small red dwarf like Proxima Centauri is expected to be convective all the way into the star’s core, it shouldn’t experience a regular cycle of activity.
Smithsonian co-author Jeremy Drake explains that the existence of a cycle in Proxima Centauri shows that astronomers don’t fully understand how stars’ magnetic fields are generated.
The study does not report on whether Proxima Centauri’s activity cycle would affect the potential habitability of the planet Proxima b or not. One theory advocates that a stellar wind and flares, both of which are driven by magnetic fields, could scrub the planet and strip away any atmosphere. If that is the case, Proxima b might be located in the habitable zone, but it won’t be friendly to life, just like Earth’s Moon.
Co-author Steve Saar reckons the researchers’ best bet now is to study the star and plug that data into theories about star-planet interactions, as direct observations of Proxima b won’t happen for a long time.
The team noticed the activity cycle when combining space based X-ray measurements by several missions with ground based observations from the All Sky Automated Survey. Mission data from Chandra, Swift, and XMM-Newton was included in the study. |
Osborne's commitment continues an impressive recruiting haul for UW receivers coach Bush Hamdan.
After hauling in three highly touted prospects in Washington’s 2017 recruiting class last week, Bush Hamdan and the Huskies have landed one of the nation’s most coveted wide receivers in the Class of 2018.
Austin Osborne, a four-star recruit from Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School, made a verbal commitment to the Huskies on Friday.
Osborne is listed as a 6-foot-3, 190-pound receiver on his hudl.com recruiting page.
His commitment comes 10 days after Hamdan, UW’s wide receivers coach, got three wide receivers to sign as part of UW’s 2017 class: Terrell Bynum from Long Beach, Calif.; Alex Cook from Sacramento; and Ty Jones from Provo, Utah.
“That’s my man right there, I love Coach Hamdan,” Osborne told Scout.com. “He offered me last February and then I camped with them in the summer. He told me at the time, ‘No one will recruit you harder than me,’ and he was right.
“We FaceTime or text almost every day and he treats me like family. He’s a real person, honest and upfront and I’m excited to have the opportunity to play for him. He’s a great coach as well and will be a great mentor for me.”
Osborne is the third recruit to commit to the Huskies for 2018, joining Bothell High quarterback Jacob Sirmon and his cousin, Jack Sirmon, a linebacker from Brentwood, Tenn.
Osborne had 36 catches for 961 yards (26.7 yards per catch) and 16 touchdowns as a junior in 2016. Scout ranks him as the No. 105 overall prospect in his class. He had offers from Michigan, UCLA, Oregon and others.
“In my mind, there’s not a better college out there for me,” Osborne told Scout of his early commitment. “There’s no other offer out there that would top Washington for me, so when you find the perfect fit, why put it off. I know players commit and then look around but that’s not me, I’m 100% all in with Washington and won’t be taking any other visits or even talking to other schools.
“I really want to enjoy my senior season as well and having this decision out of the way will help that. Our team is going to Hawaii in the pre-season and I just want to enjoy my year and focus on my team and school. Plus I’m going to be graduating early and enrolling in March. My goal is to play right away so I’m excited to get up to school for spring practice and hopefully I can make an early impact.” |
Fox acquires Stan Lee’s life rights to make action-adventure movie
In a rather bizarre turn of events, The Hollywood Reporter brings word that 20th Century Fox has acquired the life rights to legendary comic book creator Stan Lee and intends to make a ’70s-set action-adventure film with Lee as the main character.
The outlet reports that Twilight, The Maze Runner, and Power Rangers producers Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey are attached to produce the project, which they’re describing as having a similar tone to Kingsman: The Secret Service and “Roger Moore James Bond” movies, which were noted for their campy nature, over-the-top scenarios, and one-liners.
Lee is no stranger to the movies himself, having made a cameo appearance in countless Marvel films ranging from X-Men and Spider-Man in the early ’00s all the way to recent films like Deadpool and Captain America: Civil War. Lee has also appeared as himself in some feature films and TV shows including Mallrats and Entourage. In some films, Lee even played characters he created such as mailman Willie Lumpkin in 2005’s Fantastic Four.
Fox has previously made a number of Stan Lee-inspired projects, having made nine X-Men films and three Fantastic Four films. There are currently no writers attached to the project and no official word on whether Lee will cameo in the film.
What do you think of the news of a stylized Stan Lee film based on the creator? What would you title it? Sound off in the comments below!
(Photo Credit: Brian To/Wenn.com) |
Tyler Zeller was a mere afterthought when the Boston Celtics acquired him last summer, but GodZeller is quickly becoming a fan favorite due to his knack for hustling up the floor, rolling down the lane, and scoring efficiently near the rim. However, the 7-footer is actually earning his minutes with the Celtics by excelling on the defensive end of the floor.
"Just continue to be a great presence for us defensively," coach Brad Stevens said when asked about what Zeller needs to do to make an impact. "I think he's added to our team in that way. And I don't know that I would've said that when we first got him here. He's really gotten better on the defensive end of the floor. And in fairness to him, he's played in three different systems in three different years for three different coaches."
Situation matters and Zeller's young journey in the NBA hasn't been easy. The product of North Carolina has never been able to mature in a system, nor has he received a consistent role until this season with Boston.
Zeller excelled as a rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 7.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. However, after a coaching change and an emergency appendectomy on the eve of his sophomore season, Zeller saw his role decline. Cleveland then found him expendable after the return of LeBron James, and he eventually landed in Boston.
Studying Tyler Zeller
Tyler Zeller gained 15 pounds after working on his core strength over the offseason, which has paid off dramatically, since he has transformed himself into a highly reliable defensive player. Zeller has career-highs defending the pick-and-roll and post-ups, according to Synergy Sports Technology.
Zeller ranks as the 18th-best big man in the NBA defending post-ups (with a minimum of 1.5 possessions per game). This is area the Celtics have otherwise been steamrolled this season, as Synergy has them rated as the 23rd-worst team at defending on the low block.
By default, TZ has frequently been tasked with defending behemoths like Roy Hibbert, Dwight Howard, and Marc Gasol, and while the results haven't always been exceptional, his impact has allowed the Celtics to stay afloat defensively, with a 103.2 defensive rating, good for 14th in the league.
Zeller does a decent job of initiating contact with the ball handler and steering them into "no man's land." Or if they do get to their desired positioning, Zeller usually is successful in getting a hand in their comfort zone. If TZ continues to add strength, especially to his lower body, and plays with the same level of intensity and fundamentals that he currently possesses, then he could certainly make even more significant strides next season.
Boston's Achilles' heel this season has been their pick-and-roll defense, as opponents are typically able penetrate the lane, draw help defenders, and then kick it out, where ball movement naturally finds the open shooter.
But the chunk of the blame really can't be blamed on Zeller, who has been serviceable at protecting penetration from reaching the rim, which is where the most advantageous shots occur.
Zeller's pick-and-roll defense numbers on Synergy are right around the league average, but that is largely due to the fact Boston drops or "ices" pick-and-rolls, which encourages opponents to shoot threes. However, the Celtics big man is shining according to other metrics.
Vantage Sports records a statistic called "Keep-in-Front %," which measures the percentage of drives a defender stays between the opponent and the basket. Zeller ranks 3rd in the NBA with an 84.5 Keep-in-Front %, which supports the assertion that his defensive success is largely due to his sound fundamentals. The league average for all big men is 68.9, according to Vantage Sports, which means Tyler Zeller is elite in this category.
Zeller is not a shot blocker, averaging only 1.3 blocks per 36 minutes, which ranks 64th in the league, but he makes up for it by keeping himself between his man and the basket. This action is exactly what prevents many shots from ever occurring, which is the topic discussed in Eric Weiss and Kirk Goldsberry's 2013 study, "The Dwight Effect."
In that paper, Weiss and Goldsberry creatively evaluated how bigs disrupt shooting patterns of the opponents, not by blocks and steals, but by having their sheer presence on the floor to make "invisible plays" that don't show up on traditional stats sheets.
Zeller is by no means a player that opponents "fear" simply due to name or reputation, but new advanced statistics from SportVU -- which were clearly influenced by the Weiss and Goldsberry study -- do suggest that "The Tyler Zeller Effect" is a real thing for the Celtics.
Shooters are hitting just 47.2 percent of their shots at the rim, according to SportVU, which ranks 22nd for all qualified players. This is not a lofty number, but it is significantly better than the 119-player sample's average of 50.9 percent. To put that into perspective, TZ allows 0.944 points per shot at the rim compared to the 1.02 points per shot of the average player.
In the examples above, Zeller is able to disrupt shots by using proper body positioning and technique when contesting shots. This has been a consistent theme throughout the season when he's challenged at the rim, which has been key for the Celtics to remain competitive in so many games, though they have ultimately fallen short.
Let's continue digging deeper and look at Seth Partnow's Rim Protection Value stats from Nylon Calculus. Partnow devised a stat that derives from SportVU data called "Points Saved/36," which is how many more or less points per 36 minutes a player prevents with their rim protection than an average NBA big man.
Zeller ranks 8th in the NBA with 2.26 points saved per 36 minutes, according to Partnow's statistics as of January 13. Here is how Zeller compares to Nylon Calculus' top 10 defensive bigs, sorted by Points Saved/36, using SportVU statistics, as well as some advanced data courtesy of Synergy:
Tyler Zeller fairs well compared to his counterparts here, which includes studs like Roy Hibbert and Rudy Gobert. Zeller ranks in the top half of the grouping for Synergy Sports, and about average in all SportVU metrics, but he is the lone player with fewer than 2 blocks per 36 minutes. Even though Zeller is not a shot blocker, he has still been as effective as they are.
Some names on that list might be surprising, like Hassan Whiteside and John Henson, so you might be wondering if Zeller's success is just a fluke. So, let's see how he compares to 10 big men that are often considered the best rim protectors in the NBA due to their productive histories and their reputations.
Once again, Zeller compares extremely favorably, ranking near the top of every category except for blocks per 36 minutes. Of course, some of the great defensive bigs play most games against the Western Conference, like Marc Gasol and Dwight Howard, so their numbers could be skewed playing against equally-talented players, but the point is to show that Zeller does stand up to these players statistically. In other words, these comparisons aren't being made to say that Zeller is better (or worse) than any of the listed names, but that he deserves to be recognized for his success and development as a defensive player so far this season.
Assessing Tyler Zeller's Future
The Boston Celtics are average as a whole defensively, but Tyler Zeller is not. The big man is an asset that can't be overlooked when assessing the state of the Celtics, because for all the talk about needing to find a rim protecting center, they might just have one on their own roster.
It's easy to forget that Zeller turns just 25-years-old this month, and that he has yet to play for more than a full season in a single system. Zeller still has plenty of room to grow on both ends of the floor, but especially defensively, where additional bulk while maintaining quickness could take his game to the next level. Big men often take longer to develop than other position in the NBA, so for him to even be performing at this level at this stage of his career is remarkable.
Tyler Zeller might not be the preferred long-term starter at the center position for the Boston Celtics, but if the front office is unable to find one of those truly unique and elite bigs, then they should still be able to build a contender with GodZeller in the starting five.
Kevin O'Connor can be contacted on Twitter @KevinOConnorNBA or by email at [email protected]. Thanks to shnts07 over on Celtics Reddit for the inspiration on the comparison section. For my articles on Zeller before he was hot, click here, here, and here.
Follow @KevinOConnorNBA |
While the media obsess over an alleged Russian conspiracy to collude with Donald Trump to affect America’s 2016 presidential election, what about Obama’s interference in the elections of other countries? Most Americans have no idea that President Obama meddled in elections all over the world. And apparently, the media decided there’s no reason for Americans to know about this illegal activity.
Indeed, in 2016, the Los Angeles Times did a story on how America has interfered with other nation’s elections in the past, but they stopped short of mentioning the various foreign elections Obama tried to influence. But the same article reports that Obama “slapped Russia with new penalties for meddling in the U.S. Presidential election… by hacking into Democratic and Republican computer networks and selectively releasing emails.” Hypocrisy check, anyone?
Since that article appeared last December, it has essentially become fake news. The Republican National Committee was never successfully hacked into and evidence is mounting that the DNC was not hacked by Russia. Not only has Wiki Leaks itself insisted Russia was not the source, but a number of cyber security experts, including McAfee antivirus developer John McAfee, disputes this. McAfee says the hack on the DNC “used a piece of malware a year and half old” and was “not an organized hack and certainly not a nation-state that did this.” Moreover, the DNC has never allowed the FBI or any government agency to analyze the computers in question.
Nevertheless, Obama, operating on unconfirmed evidence, abruptly imposed new sanctions on Russia. Many observers believe he did so in order to set the stage for the left to initiate its phony Russian-Trump collusion narrative to be used to remove Trump from office or to defeat him in 2020.
Meddling in other’s elections is a violation of international law. In 1965, the United Nations General Assembly reaffirmed this with a resolution stating: “No State has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal […] affairs of any other State.” And the International Court of Justice also considers such intervention to be illegal. More importantly, U.S. law prohibits the use of tax dollars to influence foreign elections.
Nevertheless, the violation of both American and international law did not stop Obama from intervening repeatedly in the elections of other nations. Moreover, most of Obama’s meddling was known by many foreign correspondents and if it was reported at all, it was downplayed. Most certainly, the media did not condemn it nor drop hints about impeaching Obama.
So let’s get this straight. The media is hysterical about a flimsy conspiracy theory that Russia colluded with Trump to steal the 2016 election but was mostly silent about Obama’s efforts to control the outcome of elections in at least six countries during his tenure. Media bias, anyone? Let’s review the examples we know about:
Kenya
Investigative reporter Jerome Corsi of WorldNetDaily broke this story when he visited Kenya and was able to confirm that Obama, as a U.S. Senator, illegally used a taxpayer-financed trip to campaign for far-left presidential candidate Raila Odinga in Kenya’s 2006 elections.
Odinga, according to the BBC, was distantly related to Obama and both families belonged to the Luo tribe. Indeed, both of their fathers served in the administration of Jomo Kenyatta in the 1960s. According to a document obtained by Corsi, Odinga promised Kenya’s growing Islamic movement that if elected, he would “rewrite the constitution of Kenya to recognize Sharia as the only true law sanctioned by the Holy Quran for Muslim declared religions.” The secret agreement also called for the creation of Muslim “madrassa classes,” a crackdown on Christian evangelical events and gospel programs, and legal protections for Muslims suspected of terrorism, even international terrorism.
Obama’s cheerleading for anti-American Odinga (who named his son after Fidel Castro) “was more than reckless,” wrote former U.S. attorney Andrew McCarthy, “it was borderline criminal (and that’s being generous).” McCarthy also said Obama’s intervention was an “outrageous contravention of U.S. policy and, [referring to the Logan Act] probably, federal law.”
By 2010, this tribal connection resulted in President Obama quietly transferring millions of U.S. tax dollars to Odinga’s government, including $2 million to convince Kenyan voters to vote for a new constitution. According to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, the new constitution would force Kenyans to be “subjected to these [Islamic] tribunals merely by virtue of what religious community they were born into…” Some members of Congress actually called for an investigation but, typically, nothing ever came of it. By the end of 2010, hundreds of millions of dollars flowed to Kenya from a myriad of U.S. agencies such as USAID, all with the likely intent of boosting the popularity of the Odinga regime.
Israel
During Israel’s 2015 elections, the Obama administration — led by Secretary of State John Kerry — illegally intervened when they attempted to defeat the reelection of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by covertly funneling State Department grants to opposition groups. The Obama administration detested Netanyahu due to his refusal to cave into Palestinian demands, a group that even refused to recognize the existence of Israel.
Obama’s State Department gave $350,000 to a group called the “One Voice Movement (OVM),” for supporting “peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine.” However, the State Department then used leftover funds to organize an effort against Netanyahu’s reelection. OVM contracted out a group called “V15,” which in turned hired five campaign experts from the U.S., including Obama’s field director from his last presidential campaign. As the Weekly Standard’s Jim Swift wrote, “once the infrastructure was built, it was used in an attempt to topple the government of one of America’s closest allies.”
An investigation by the U.S. Senate found that the “State Department failed to adequately guard against the risk that resources built with government grants would be deployed for political purposes.” As with most investigations of Obama scandals, emails documenting this illegal election activity were destroyed. And, as usual, no one was held accountable.
Macedonia
The government watchdog group, Judicial Watch, obtained government documents that “show the U.S. government has quietly spent millions of taxpayer dollars to destabilize the democratically elected, center-right government in Macedonia by colluding with leftwing, billionaire philanthropist George Soros.” Indeed, Obama’s ambassador to Macedonia, Jeff Baily, worked to funnel millions of dollars from the State Department and USAID to groups created by Soros which were, according to JW, working to overthrow the conservative government.
More details about this intervention were exposed by Victor Gaetan in a series of exposés in The American Spectator. Gaetan has confirmed that Soros, in conjuction with the Obama administration, “financed a left-wing agenda to divide the nation and bring a socialist-Muslim coalition to power.” Incredibly, Obama’s USAID “selected Soros’ Foundation Open Society Macedonia (FOSM) to manage $2.5 million in taxpayers’ dollars earmarked for oxymoronic ‘democracy building,’ an amount increased to $4.8 million two years later.”
This funding was directed to a coalition of socialist groups that work in conjunction with the Social Democrat Union of Macedonia (SDSM), a socialist party with close ties to Soros. The intervention is, incredibly, still ongoing with the result being chaos and disruptive street demonstrations. Gaetan’s investigative work also indicates that Obama’s agencies intervened politically with a number of other Balkan counties, including Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania and Greece. It appears the Trump administration knows little about such interventions since many leftist Obama-appointed ambassadors continue to hold on to their positions. And USAID funds continue to pour into leftist political groups in the Balkans as if Trump never came to power. Indeed, as one Macedonia Member of Parliament quoted by Gaetan said, “Under Obama’s ideological programs, it [USAID] became the super crack of the left.”
Libya
In 2011, Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, not only interfered politically in Libya but militarily as well, by orchestrating a series of policies designed to remove Muammar Gaddafi from power. While it would be a stretch to call Gaddafi a U.S. ally, he was cooperating with the U.S.A. in fighting Islamic extremists and had turned over all his WMDs to American officials. Western investment was flowing into Libya, the country was becoming more westernized and, most certainly, it was no longer a threat to the USA.
As NR wrote, “all that vanished when Hillary Clinton, Samantha Power, and Susan Rice ordered the bombings that turned Libya into a terrorist paradise.” One explanation for the abrupt attack on Libya was that Gaddafi was a rival to the Saudis over the leadership of the Islamic faith and since the Saudis had contributed at least $10 million to the Clinton Foundation, Secretary Clinton had, as usual, a money motive to intervene in Libya.
The opposition to Gaddafi’s regime was led by the Libyan Transitional National Council, whose leaders include many radical Muslims such as Abdel Hakim Belhaj. Belhaj also headed an al-Qaeda affiliate called the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), which was designated a terrorist organization by the State Department.
Nevertheless, Obama spent at least $1 billion to fund a military operation to topple Gaddafi, with American soldiers actually fighting alongside jihadist-dominated rebel groups. Moreover, the Washington Times reported that the “CIA was providing covert assistance to elements of the Transitional National Council,” again, a group dominated by radical jihadists. Under Obama, Libya was transformed from a moderate Islamic regime which posed no threat to the USA, to a violent wasteland dominated by various ISIS and al-Qaeda linked militias.
Honduras
Shortly after Obama was elected, leftist Honduran president Manual Zelaya attempted to illegally amend the Honduran Constitution so as to allow himself to serve as President longer than one term. Incredibly, Zelaya and a mob broke into a military installation where blank ballots were stored and tried to hold a constitutional referendum without the support of the election authorities. As a result, on orders from the Honduran Supreme Court, he was forcefully removed from office as Honduran law calls for.
Obama attacked Zelaya’s removal, falsely calling it a “coup d’état” and a WikiLeaks cable revealed that Obama backed Zelaya’s reinstatement in order to please Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, who, like Fidel Castro, was an ally of Zelaya. Instead of supporting the right of Hondurans to remove their president for unconstitutional actions, Obama tried to pressure Honduras into reinstating Zelaya by freezing all non-humanitarian aid. That didn’t happen and Zelaya went into exile.
Eventually, new elections were held and a new president elected, but there’s little doubt that the Obama administration meddled in the Honduran political process in an effort to support the hard left in that country. Indeed, when Obama announced that he supported the return of Zelaya from exile, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen announced “Now that everything is in place for Zelaya’s return, there are no more false reasons for the Obama administration to continue its pressure tactics against those in Honduras who opposed Zelaya’s attacks on their country’s constitution and the rule of law.”
Egypt
Like Libya, the Obama administration encouraged opposition to President Hosni Mubarak and intervened in elections to ensure that a radical Muslim Brotherhood leader, Mohammed Morsi, was elected president. Obama’s State Department even gave political training to MB leaders. Again, similar to Gadhafi, Mubarak was relatively secular and Egypt was becoming increasingly westernized. He was an ally of the U.S.A. and an opponent of radical jihadists.
And the Obama administration was open about its efforts. The Los Angeles Times reported that the “Obama administration said for the first time that it supports a role for groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned islamist organization…” The MB’s mission statement states, “Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.” Sounds like a group Obama would support. Indeed, one of the Egyptian MB leaders, Gehad el-Haddad, was actually on the Clinton Foundation payroll while working to help bring the MB to power. Once Morsi appeared to win what was likely a rigged election, Obama poured in $1.5 billion in foreign aid.
The Egyptian people were so upset with Obama’s intervention, they forcefully removed Morsi and installed a pro-American moderate Muslim named Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as president. Morsi was then arrested by the Egyptian military for treason. But even after that, as reported by Western Journalism, Obama’s “State Department hosts Muslim Brotherhood-aligned leaders” in order to “work against this world-be reformer’s government.”
So there you have it. Surprisingly, a group of Senators led by Mike Lee (R-Utah) has sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, demanding that he conduct a full scale investigation into the use of taxpayer funds to support leftist political movements around the world. As reported in the Washington Free Beacon, Senator Lee said the letter was written because “over the past few months, elected officials and political leaders of foreign nations have been coming to me with disappointing news and reports of U.S. activity in their respective countries” which included “diplomats playing political favorites, USAID funds supporting extreme and sometimes violent political activity, and the U.S. Government working to marginalize the moderates and conservatives in leadership roles.”
On the House side, a group of Congressmen led by Republican Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), visited the Balkans last month to investigate such blatant political manipulation but have yet to report on their findings.
Tillerson needs to clean house and expedite the appointment of new Ambassadors before Obama holdovers do any further damage. At the very least, he should cut off all funds to foreign political groups and seriously consider prosecuting State Department/USAID employees found to be involved with illegal political activity. |
Colin Kaepernick has his share of supporters and critics of his decision to sit during the national anthem. On Thursday Shaquille O'Neal made his feelings known by saying he would never sit during the national anthem.
During an appearance on “Fox & Friends” (yeah, Shaq was on “Fox & Friends”), O’Neal said the following about Kaepernick’s protest:
“I don’t know Colin, but again, to each his own. I don’t really have a say on it, but I would never do that. My father was a military man, and you know, he protected this country. Uncles are in law enforcement, you know, they go out and work hard every day. “Just, (there are) other ways to get your point across.”
Shaq also seemed to be confused at Kaepernick’s sudden foray into activism:
“My question is, how come you didn’t do it last year? Or how come you didn’t do it when you first entered the NFL?”
Shaq is certainly entitled to his opinion, but I think the “why haven’t you always had this opinion” argument is weak. People’s experiences and interactions with others change their opinions and their stances on things. All of us have likely encountered situations that have changed our perspectives. That’s an important part of the human experience.
Whether you agree with Kaepernick or not, he certainly has the right to change his stances and grow as a person. |
The short answer to this question, at the present time, is no.
Do a substantial number of individuals struggle to regulate their sexual thoughts, urges, and behaviors leading to significant distress and negative consequences? Yes, and I have worked with hundreds of these patients over the past decade who have sought help for what I prefer to label as hypersexual behavior (rather than sex addiction). In an effort to further understand this population of individuals, I accepted the assignment to be the principal investigator for the UCLA field trial that studied the “Hypersexual Disorder” criteria that were proposed (but ultimately excluded) for the DSM-5. [1] Although the rationale for this decision rendered by the American Psychiatric Association is complex, [2] there are a number of issues to consider before characterizing a phenomenon as a disorder.
Defining a Disorder
Pathologizing any phenomenon has significant ramifications for health care providers, the corporate sector (e.g., insurance and pharmacological companies), the scientific community, the legal field, allocation of public funding, social policies, and the obvious implications for patients having the stigma of a diagnosis. Thus, it is a serious undertaking to evaluate whether hypersexuality constitutes a disorder. Admittedly, how a disorder should be characterized and defined has been an ongoing subject of significant controversy among psychiatry and the broader mental health field. This debate was intensified during the development of the DSM-5 creating a volatile climate for the hypersexual disorder (HD) proposal from its inception.
When all of these domains are evaluated, the phenomenon of hypersexual behavior has insufficient data to make a convincing argument that it meets the high standard required to constitute a disorder. -Rory C. Reid
While there are a constellation of issues related to conceptualizing a disorder, the two issues most relevant for hypersexuality are (1) the need to demonstrate a biological dysfunction or how some internal mechanism is failing to perform its natural function and (2) epidemiological data highlighting the onset, clinical course, and way in which hypersexual behavior diverges from what might be considered ‘normal’ sexual activity. In addressing these two issues, scientific research often employs a number of methods including anatomical and functional imaging, molecular genetics, pathophysiology, epidemiology, and neuropsychological testing. When all of these domains are evaluated, the phenomenon of hypersexual behavior has insufficient data to make a convincing argument that it meets the high standard required to constitute a disorder.
Colleagues at Yale, Columbia University, and I have discussed several factors that need to be considered in order for hypersexual behavior to be classified as an addiction or a disorder. We drew comparisons between the vast amounts of data reported in the scientific literature on gambling disorders (which is included for the first time in DSM-5 as a non-substance related disorder classified under “Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders”) compared to the paucity of data gathered in support of hypersexual behavior. [3] Simply put, despite claims to the contrary, there is not enough research to say that hypersexual behavior (or what’s commonly known as “sex addiction”) is a psychiatric disorder.
Limitations to Brain Imaging Research
While some preliminary data from neuroimaging — those pictures showing how various sections of the brain “light up” in response to desirable substances or situations — suggests parallels between brain responses in substance-related disorders and those occurring in sexually compulsive individuals, these studies are in their infancy, and the methods do not allow inferences about causation. These studies look at relationships but there can be multiple explanations for these associations other than “XYZ is a disorder or an addiction.” Consider a humorous illustration of this concept:
The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. Italians drink large amounts of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. It appears that speaking English is what kills you!
Some brain imaging studies also neglect a host of potential alternative explanations for the findings. For example, one study observed differences in activation in the frontal lobe between hypersexual subjects compared to a healthy control group but they didn’t assess whether the hypersexual group also had adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder which could have also explained these brain differences. [4] Visual sexual stimuli (such as nude images of women or men) often used in such neuroimaging studies are emotionally stimulating and increase blood flow to multiple brain regions also implicated in reward processing, motivation, vigilance, and attention. Thus, one plausible explanation (rather than characterizing brain responses as evidence of addiction or a disorder) is that the subjects viewing the images found them novel, exciting, or simply just liked sexual pictures.
Despite these shortcomings, neuroimaging is an important tool to gather more information about possible underlying neurobiological mechanisms that might be implicated in hypersexuality. Neuroimaging can also help provide evidence, if it does exist, of possible brain dysfunction that might be linked to hypersexual behavior. However, claims being made by some individuals that these few neuroimaging studies provide “proof” that sex addiction is a legitimate disorder are premature. Even the authors of these studies do not draw such conclusions!
…we have a long path ahead requiring substantially more rigorous scientific research to help us understand hypersexual behavior and whether it should be classified as a disorder. -Rory C. Reid
Complicating matters, in some cases conflicting results from data on patients with hypersexual problems have emerged. For example, neuropsychological data exploring executive deficits (e.g., problems with processing information in the frontal lobe of the brain) among hypersexual men has yielded mixed findings where self-reported executive deficits were noted but failed to be supported when executive dysfunctions were objectively tested. [5] The reality is we have a long path ahead requiring substantially more rigorous scientific research to help us understand hypersexual behavior and whether it should be classified as a disorder.
Sex Addiction Causes Damage, How Can it Not be a Disorder?
Although significant consequences such as personal distress or impairment are common denominators associated with many DSM disorders and also occur with hypersexuality, such negative consequences are insufficient to classify hypersexuality as a psychiatric disorder or what people commonly call mental illness. One must consider the vast array of issues in life resulting in harm or significant negative outcomes that do not constitute a mental illness.
For example, negative aspects of perfectionism have been shown to interfere with relationships, contribute to job loss, predict earlier mortality, and have been associated with diagnosable psychiatric disorders such as eating disorders and depression. Perfectionism, however, has been characterized as a personality trait not a psychiatric disorder.
Nevertheless, treatment approaches have been developed for reducing the distress associated with negative aspects of perfectionism. Thus, perfectionism is an issue that attracts serious attention of researchers and clinicians, can result in negative consequences and personal distress, has been studied extensively by the scientific community, and is the focus of treatment by health care professionals — all of this without classifying perfectionism as a disease or psychiatric disorder.
…the great work that has been done in the field of perfectionism can offer a template for those working with hypersexual behavior. -Rory C. Reid
Using this analogy, more research is needed to understand whether hypersexuality constitutes a problem in living, internal conflict around sexual values, a culturally-bound construct, a personality trait, or if this phenomenon meets the more stringent standard required for a psychiatric disorder. Regardless, the great work that has been done in the field of perfectionism can offer a template for those working with hypersexual behavior.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Collectively, the scientific evidence for hypersexual behavior to be classified as a psychiatric disorder is incomplete at the present time. While “sex addiction” is not a sanctioned disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, patients should be told that hypersexual behavior frequently co-occurs with other mental disorders and be reassured that their problems can be the focus of treatment, with the caveat that treatment specifically focused on hypersexuality may not be covered by insurance providers.
Whether or not the HD proposal will end up in subsequent updates to the DSM has yet to be determined. Health care providers should understand there is no current gold-standard of care for treating hypersexuality and current outcome studies have significant methodological limitations. [6] Nevertheless, mental health professionals, researchers, and scientists, should collaborate when possible to find ways to help alleviate the suffering and distress encountered by those experiencing hypersexual behavior. |
Should old ladies be having children outside of divine assistance? Former director of London’s Serpentine Galleries, Dame Julia Peyton-Jones, has become a mother via surrogacy, aged 64, prompting the country to question whether such a thing is ethical or even lawful.
As a strong libertarian, I believe an Englishman’s home is his castle, but at these late stages of life, nature leaves a woman’s womb as nothing but a barren ruin. It makes sense to question how the child will fare when their support network has also come to ruin, if only on behalf of the child’s potential estate, let alone for the effect this will have on society.
The real question is not why older women would want another woman to carry their baby to fruition. Perhaps it is just a valedictory pretence of vitality by those who bought the lie that every woman could and should have it all—postmenstrual howling at the moon, long after the biological clock grew silent. Rather, we must ask why we Europeans have ‘[lost] the will to replace ourselves’, as Prof. William Reville recently put it. How can we end this revolt against nature or voluntary ‘demographic extinction’? Of course, overpowering nature is how we come to not only survive but dominate and flourish on this planet, but ignoring scientific facts and natural laws in the face of expiration is the direct antithesis; it is simply degenerate.
Sadly, Gramsci and Lukacs’ theory that Western culture must be destroyed for communism to emerge has been tested by leftists and neocons since the 1960’s, when cultural Marxism came to dominate the cultural scene. From political policy to popular writing, half of Western populations have bought the idea that white procreation or even any sense of identity is about the worst thing imaginable. Whilst celebrities increasingly promote having children over the age of fifty, every week, another article is published by some young, damaged goods or other, trying to convince the world (by which I mean herself) that she’s just fine without a family. The latest I read, from the ironically named Ms. Chatel, presents the usual platitudes—children will ruin your life—but, apparently of even greater importance, they could increase mankind’s carbon footprint.
Yet, the fact is housewives are the happiest women around and I imagine their husbands are happiest too. Furthermore, traditional families are a great benefit to society as well; they are our most powerful bulwark against high crime rates. For a healthy society, we can only conclude that women at Peyton-Jones’ age should ideally be grandmothers. Grandparents are a valuable pillar of society – the more time they spend with their grandchildren, the better it is for their development and thus, the greater benefit we all receive. Can we really be surprised that this is the case when this is how we have evolved? (N.B. There’s a good reason other familial structures haven’t survived.)
So, the closer we get to the natural order, the more sustainable our society becomes. If this were not the case, men would not have evolved to find youth so attractive and women would not have evolved to age sooner and worse than men, focusing our mating habits towards those stronger, healthier eggs. Of course, women age sooner but live longer because they do not readily outlive their usefulness as grandmothers. The reason we have evolved to find Peyton-Jones’ act so taboo, however, is that she will readily outlive her usefulness as a mother; to display this as acceptable is a direct threat to the society our children must inherit. The threat cultural Marxism poses must, therefore, be stopped.
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But, as I said, I’m a libertarian; so, what about individual liberty? Well, of course, if you don’t like the natural order of things, that’s fine. By all means, go and raise a family of twelve in a highly radioactive environment at the age of 80. I will wish you the very best of luck and, what’s more, I will politely disguise the futility I feel in doing so. But don’t ask me to value what you do or to remain silent when you set about proselytizing society to your bizarre ideas. In order for my children and grandchildren (if you’re capable of thinking that far ahead) to enjoy the liberties I desire for myself, we’re going to need a sustainable environment in which they can flourish. And the purposes for which you propose we use our medical advancements don’t cut the mustard.
Instead, I propose we use our great scientific advancements to restore and enhance the natural order, for the benefit of us all. But how can we usher in a Spring, rather than the coming demographic Winter?
In an interview I conducted with Prof. Richard Lynn, he suggested that states should stop imposing degenerating policies, promoting anything other than the traditional. However, he noted that this has only ever had a negligible effect in swaying the opinions of those Europeans who will not replace themselves. What is needed is neo-eugenics, that is, private services provided by the market, e.g. designer babies.
According to Lynn, such services could provide both an attractive and efficient way to improve demographics and even raise the average IQ of our populations by a standard deviation in just one generation. If the state were so inclined, it could promote the use of such services through subsidies, assistance or tax breaks; thus, encouraging those who were breeding to replacement levels and using these services to select preferable genes for their children, in much the same way that IVF screening currently allows us to avoid relatively undesirable qualities.
So, I ask you again, should grannies be having children? If you like civilization, you won’t love this becoming normal, that’s for sure. Whether it is through legislation or frowning upon this as a social taboo, this degeneracy must certainly be countered by the promotion and protection of traditional families and the freeing of the market to make the prospect of having children far more attractive to young Westerners. Let’s explore every avenue to secure the future of Western civilization with the same vigour that was used to bring it to ruins.
Read More: How Mass Immigration Is Driven By Female Consumerism And Low Fertility |
Dele Alli believes Tottenham have been 'unreal' at home this season and reckons visiting sides are now scared of playing at White Hart Lane.
England midfielder Alli hit a wonderful opening goal in Saturday's comfortable 4-0 win over Watford to give Spurs their sixth straight Premier League victory.
It keeps them seven points behind leaders Chelsea and, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United still to visit, Alli is delighted with Tottenham's home comforts.
Dele Alli scored Tottenham's opening goal on Saturday as they beat Watford 4-0 at home
'We were very clinical,' he said of the win over the Hornets, in which Son Heung-min hit a brace after Eric Dier doubled the hosts' lead.
'When you've played like that it gives the team a huge boost. It was a fantastic performance from everyone, and I don't just mean the players on the pitch,' Alli said.
'The staff and the crowd were fantastic, they drove us on and gave us the confidence and belief that we could go on after the first goal and get more goals.
'Teams are going to be scared to come here, we've been unreal here.'
Alli feels last season's ultimately failed title bid could help Mauricio Pochettino's side this time round as they look to haul in Chelsea.
Alli claims that Tottenham have been 'unreal' at White Hart Lane this season
'We're all enjoying what we're doing and that's important,' he added.
'We've learned a lot from last season, we know we can't get drawn too much into things, we just have to keep doing what we're doing and make sure we win our games.
'That's all we can do. We have to do our jobs.'
Watford were simply not at the races as their two-game winning streak was emphatically ended.
Walter Mazzarri's men have 37 points on the board and forward Stefano Okaka put the performance at Spurs down to fatigue more than failure.
Walter Mazzarri admits Watford lost concentration for a little bit after Tottenham's second
'In this stadium, when you fall two goals behind it's always tough - after that, we tried to stand up to them but it's difficult,' he said.
'It's always difficult to come here, but we started okay and after that their quality came out, with our third game in a week, we were a little bit tired.
'They have a very good team. At the beginning, we were playing with a fast counter-attack but after the second goal we lost our concentration for a little bit and that's when the game was lost.'
Watford can make amends when they welcome struggling Swansea to Vicarage Road next weekend, while Spurs play earlier than Chelsea once more as they face Bournemouth. |
An artist's illustration of NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, the farthest human-built object from Earth, which launched in 1977 and is headed for interstellar space.
At this very moment NASA's Voyager 1 and 2, two spacecraft that left Earth in the 1970s, are exiting the solar system.
The two spacecraft are passing through the magnetic bubbles at its edge approximately 9 billion miles from Earth. Now, 9 billion miles is clearly far, far away, but it's also a pretty difficult distance to imagine. How about we put that into (somewhat) more practical terms.
Measured in cross-country flights, the distance to the edge of the solar system is great indeed. LAX and JFK airports are 2,475 miles (3,983 km) apart, so the Voyager probes have experienced the equivalent of three million to four million red-eyes.
One could also measure the distance they've gone in units of the Earth-moon separation. Our satellite orbits at an average distance of 238,857 miles (384,403 km). Line up 37,679 of those Earth-moon distances one after another, and you'll arrive at the edge of the solar system. [Video: Solar System's Border Lets Galactic Rays Through]
The Sun is close to 93 million miles (150 million km) away from us. The edge of the solar system — and those intrepid Voyagers — are almost 97 times farther afield.
This story was provided by Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site of SPACE.com. Follow Natalie Wolchover on Twitter @nattyover, then join Life's Little Mysteries on Facebook. |
Welcome to the first installment of our annual list of the Top 100 NHL Prospects in the NCAA this season. This project is the culmination of a year of scouting and looking for the college hockey players that could some day make an impact in the NHL. Lists from previous years can be found here: 2016, 2015, 2014.
Here are the players we ranked 96-100 on our list.
100. Nikita Pavlychev, Center, Penn State(Pittsburgh Penguins)
Nikita Pavlychev was part of a group of Russians that came to North America as young teenagers to play for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton AAA program, which included Philadelphia Flyer Ivan Provorov and Penn State top scorer Denis Smirnov.
He is listed at 6-7 212 lbs., though looks extremely lanky and like he still has room to add a lot of muscle. Pavlychev is still developing on the offensive end. He’s not much of a passer and doesn’t generate a ton of shots. He’s most effective offensively using his big frame as a net-front presence on the power play for Penn State.
But what makes him most intriguing as a pro prospect is his potential as a defensive centerman at the NHL level. Pavlychev is a very smooth skater for his size and his length makes him a very effective on the defensive end, including allowing him to help kill penalties.
99. Jack LaFontaine, Goalie, Michigan(Carolina Hurricanes)
LaFontaine has only played about 600 minutes this season because Michigan has used a three-man platoon of goalies. And LaFontaine’s numbers haven’t been overly impressive playing for a Michigan team that is not good defensively. But he hasn’t looked out of place playing college hockey as a ‘98-birthdate—one of only six in the NCAA this year.
LaFontaine has a pro-style frame and very sound positioning. He also has excellent puck-handling abilities. He’s still a long ways from being pro-ready, but should see more playing time next season to help him develop.
98. Alex Kerfoot, Center, Harvard(New Jersey Devils)
After three seasons of falling in the shadows of Jimmy Vesey, this season has finally been Alexander Kerfoot’s time to shine in a Crimson uniform. The senior from West Vancouver, British Columbia has nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points in 22 games played which ranks 17th nationally. A 2012 NHL Draft selection of the New Jersey Devils, he is undersized, but he has above average speed and exceptional vision. He does a good job of creating time and space for his linemates by using his quickness to separate from defenders.
-February 6th, 2017
97. Dominik Shine, Right Wing, Northern Michigan(Free Agent)
Shine was one of the most underrated goal scorers in the country, posting 20 goals in 33 games(14th nationally in goals per game), despite having very little help from his supporting cast on an offensively-challenge Northern Michigan team.
After a slow start to the year thanks to a suspension for an undisclosed violation, Shine was one of the WCHA’s best players when he returned to the line-up. His combination of speed, toughness, and skill make him an incredibly difficult match-up one-on-one and should allow him to play any role at the NHL level.
96. Ryan Zuhlsdorf, Defenseman, Minnesota(Tampa Bay Lightning)
Zuhlsdorf is a prototypical puck-moving defenseman. He has terrific vision and excels at creating space and making strong passes out of the zone to jumpstart transition opportunities. In his rookie year with the University of Minnesota, he hasn’t shown much more than that; he still has a long ways to go in his development. But his ability to distribute the puck is a pro-level skill and as he continues to mature and take on a bigger role at the University of Minnesota, he should be able to develop a more well-rounded game. |
TEL AVIV (JTA) — When Rosh Hashanah comes later this month, Israel’s Jewish farmers won’t just be celebrating the start of a new year. They’ll be marking a year in which they are prohibited from doing their jobs.
Called Shmita, the Torah-mandated, yearlong farming hiatus is felt across Israel, affecting its fields, supermarkets and, of course, its politics.
The genesis of Shmita is Exodus, which commands the Israelites, “Plant your land and gather its produce for six years. But on the seventh let it lie fallow and it will rest …” Other biblical mandates prohibit planting, trimming or harvesting crops during Shmita, amounting to a total prohibition on farming.
In advance of Shmita, which takes place every seventh year, here are seven things you should know about Israel’s sabbatical year.
What is Shmita?
According to the Torah mandates, the Shmita year is something like an agricultural Shabbat. Just like everyone is commanded to rest for a day at the end of every week, Shmita is a chance to let the land rest for a year after six years of work.
It’s easy to calculate when Shmita comes around: Start from year zero in the Jewish calendar — that would be 5,775 years ago — and count off every seven years; this is Israel’s 466th Shmita.
The concept of the sabbatical year has spread to academics and clergy, many of whom receive sabbaticals to travel and study. And the root of the word “shmita” has found contemporary usage in Hebrew. Israelis use the word “mishtamet” to refer to someone who dodged mandatory military conscription.
How was Shmita observed in the past?
Because the commandment applies only in the biblical land of Israel, it became largely theoretical once the Jews were exiled by the Roman Empire after the Bar Kochba revolt in 136 C.E. Generations of Jewish farmers in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere had no religious imperative to let the land rest.
But once Jews started returning to Palestine in the 1880s and founding kibbutzim, Shmita again became relevant — and problematic. At a time when Jewish farmers were struggling just to keep their farms viable, a year of no production would have been a deathblow.
To skirt that problem, rabbis in Israel created something called the “heter mechirah,” or sale permit — similar to the sale of leavened food before Passover. The permit allowed Jewish farmers to “sell” their land to local non-Jews for a token amount, then hire non-Jews to do the forbidden labor. That way, because it wasn’t “their” land, Jews could keep their farms going without sin.
How is Shmita observed in contemporary Israel?
As Israel’s population and agricultural sector expanded, so too has the hand-wringing over Shmita. Here are some of the Jewish legal acrobatics they use to get around it.
The sale permit: Israel’s Chief Rabbinate allows every farm to register for a sale permit like those allowed in the 1880s, and the Rabbinate “sells” all the land to a non-Jew for about $5,000 total, according to Rabbi Haggai Bar Giora, who oversaw Shmita for Israel’s Chief Rabbinate seven years ago. At the end of the year, the Rabbinate buys back the land on the farmers’ behalf for a similar amount. Bar Giora chose a non-Jewish buyer who observes the seven Noahide laws — the Torah’s commandments for non-Jews.
Greenhouses: Shmita only applies if the crops are grown in the land itself. Therefore, growing vegetables on tables disconnected from the land steers clear of violating the commandment.
Religious courts: Farmers aren’t allowed to sell their crops, but if crops began growing before Shmita started, people are allowed to take them for free. So through another legal mechanism, a Jewish religious court will hire farmers to harvest the produce and the religious court will sell it. But you won’t be paying for the produce itself; you’re only paying for the farmer’s labor. You get the produce for “free.” Wink. Nudge.
Not observing Shmita: Most large-scale Israeli farmers use a sale permit in order to obtain rabbinic certification for their crops, Bar Giora says. But some small, nonreligious farmers who sell their produce independently ignore the sabbatical year completely and do not receive kosher certification.
What happens to fruits, vegetables and other plants that grow on their own during Shmita?
Just like Jewish environmentalists can connect to the idea of letting the land rest, social justice-minded Jews can appreciate that whatever grows on the land during Shmita is, in theory, supposed to be free for anyone, especially the poor.
When Shmita is first mentioned in Exodus, the Torah says the crops should be for “the poor of your nation, and the rest for wild animals.” But given that almost all farmers in Israel get around Shmita in one way or another, walking onto a farm looking for a free lunch is ill advised.
How does Shmita affect you if you’re not a farmer?
Because all kosher-certified produce cannot violate Shmita, Israelis shopping in major grocery stores and outdoor markets don’t have to worry about Shmita.
But religious Jews — and businesses — that don’t trust the legal loopholes just buy their produce from non-Jewish farmers in Israel. An organization called Otzar Haaretz, or Fruit of the Land, seeks to support Jewish farmers specifically and is organizing farmers who use religious courts and the greenhouse method to sell to supermarkets in Israel. Customers who wish to buy from Otzar Haaretz can pay a monthly fee to get a discount on its produce.
Shmita has an impact beyond the produce stands, too. Mickey Gitzin, founder of the religious pluralism organization Be Free Israel, says that while the “the idea that the land should rest” is a positive one, Shmita can have a negative effect on public parks. As public property, the parks cannot be sold to a non-Jew. And because they remain under Jewish ownership, some public community gardens don’t receive care during Shmita.
What does this mean for Jews outside of Israel?
Although they’re not obligated to observe Shmita, Jews outside of Israel have found ways of commemorating the year. At Hazon, a Jewish sustainability organization, the Shmita Project aims to engage in a study of the textual sources of Shmita and develop programs to mark the year without letting the land lie completely fallow.
Another group, the Shmitta Association, has purchased a grid of 4-square-foot plots of land in Israel that Jews abroad can purchase for $180 and then let lie idle, enabling them to observe Shmita without being an Israeli or a farmer.
What does this have to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Because they don’t want to buy from Jewish farmers during Shmita, some haredi Orthodox Jews buy from Palestinian West Bank farms. But during the past couple of Shmita cycles, there has been backlash against buying Palestinian-grown produce.
Jerusalem Post columnist David Weinberg urged Israelis last week to avoid supporting Palestinian farms.
“Primary reliance on Arab produce is neither realistic nor acceptable for health, nationalistic and religious reasons,” he wrote.
During the Shmita year that began in 2007, Israel’s health and agriculture ministries said there was no elevated risk to eating produce grown in the West Bank. |
Some of the 40 games available at Cobra Arcade Bar.
Good news for anyone fervently awaiting the official opening of downtown Phoenix’s Cobra Arcade Bar: It’s only 48 hours away.
According to co-owner Ariel Bracamonte, the much-anticipated bar and arcade will be unveiled to the general public during its grand opening on Friday night. And from the looks of the place, everything’s pretty much ready to go.
All 40 of its games — including arcade classics like Punch-Out, Tempest, Star Wars, Strider, and 720° — are all in place and are ready to be played. The walls are filled with game-inspired mural work by such artists as Lalo Cota and Noel Martinez. Cobra's island bar is fully stocked, featuring 14 brews on draft and 10 game-themed specialty cocktails on the drink menu. Oh, and the change machine is loaded with quarters. |
Some time ago we had some photos of Russian guys playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game for real. They had a lot of cool hardware like AK-47 guns and Soviet style gas masks. For those who doesn’t know the game it’s game play takes place in Chernobyl, at the powerplant blow up site and so do those guys – they play this game right in Chernobyl where the ground and some metal structures still hold unreal doses of radiation and people don’t live there yet, and it’s said they won’t in the nearest fifty years. /p>
All this don’t stop them. This year they have better hardware, better costumes – just like a real thing. Coming from different parts of Russia and other countries just to participate or see this with their own eyes. You can check it out now. |
Our sages tell us that the month of Elul is a time for looking deeply into ourselves, and so it seemed as good a time as any to undergo my first colonoscopy.
I was a bit surprised when I walked into the gastroenterologist’s office. The man across the desk from me had a large knitted kipah, a long beard, long tzizit, and no lab coat. He was learning Sefer Devarim. Were we going to study the parashah, or talk about my innards?
“Read this carefully,” he instructed me, handing me the prep sheet for the procedure. I had known that there were a list of steps one had to take so that the coast would be clear during the procedure, but nothing prepared me for the halachic treatise he handed me. For example, section 3b read:
On the morning of the procedure, consume the second package of Picosalax powder and a liter of water (Note: it will be difficult to wear tefillin in the hour-and-half after you take the Picosalax. It is recommended to carefully coordinate tefillah times and the preparatory procedures for your examination).
I wondered: had I been given a gender-specific version of the prep sheet? Who could imagine that a colonoscopy prep sheet would include instructions about tefillin? Only in Israel.
Jewish holidays that fall out on a Sunday often have certain leniencies concerning their halachic observance relative to their observance when they fall out on other days of the week. And so I was delighted to discover that my procedure was “a colonoscopy that falls out on a Sunday.” In section 3a of the prep-sheet we read:
On the day prior to the procedure one must not eat past the hour of 15:00. If, however, the procedure is scheduled for a Sunday, then one may consume a slice of challah for seudah-shelishit, and the measure of a ka-zayit for melaveh malkah.
I was puzzled. Either the fast begins at 3pm or it doesn’t. Does the body make special dispensations for our holy Sabbath? And then it all made immediate sense: on Shabbat, just as the calories we put away don’t go to our waistlines, so too, it must be, the solids we consume don’t block our colons.
I don’t normally partake of the customary post-Sabbath melaveh-malkah meal, but I sure wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity this week, especially under orders of my gastroenterologist. But just how big is a ka-zayit, “the size of an olive”? For the mitzvah of eating matzah on Pesach I normally subscribe to the lenient opinion (again, an intersection of halachah and gastronomy…). Could I now turn around and rule for this melaveh-malkah in accordance with the more stringent opinion, and enjoy a larger repast? R. Moshe Feinstein ruled that one could observe mourning during the earlier days of sefirat ha-omer one year, and the latter days of the omer in another. Perhaps flip-flopping was permitted here. To whom was I supposed to direct my question: my rabbi or my gastroenterologist? Who knew that having a colonoscopy could be so halachically complicated?
With the procedure over, I realized that looking deeply into yourself is hardly something you can do on your own. So I asked my wife what it is that I need to work on in the coming year. The procedure was a lot like my colonoscopy. You put it off because you don’t really want to do it. You make yourself vulnerable and exposed before the person performing the procedure. You become aware of some of the less seemly aspects of who you are. But you do so because you firmly believe that you are in the hands of a trusted specialist.
As with a routine colonoscopy, there might indeed be results that require attention. But being told what you need to do is actually empowering, because you can focus on that specific goal, and it might just be attainable. But above all, asking your spouse what you need to work on, just like the colonoscopy, is incredibly liberating. Having made yourself vulnerable, and having received the results, you move forward with the knowledge and security that you have pursued the truth rather than running away from it. |
Nelsan Ellis died earlier this month from what his family claims was complications from alcohol withdrawal, and now a pal close to the late star exclusively claims to RadarOnline.com that the actor had secret ties to the Church of Scientology and a “dangerous detox program” through the bizarre religion.
The True Blood star – who played flamboyant Lafayette Reynolds – was hugely popular with fans and fellow cast members of the HBO vampire show. And according to a former pal, he was a closet Scientologist who secretly attended cult-like group’s dangerous detox program.
Steven Mango, an ex-Scientology poster boy who claimed to have acted as Nelsan’s “twin” in the group’s Purification Rundown — or “Purif” for short — told RadarOnline.com he believes the program could have caused, or contributed to, Nelsan’s death July 8 at the age of 39. “I almost died on the program,” said Mango.
PHOTOS: Sci-Fi Fallout! 13 Scientology Secrets Exposed In Film ‘Going Clear’
Mango claims the program consists of ingesting massive “vitamin bombs,” running on a treadmill and sitting in a sauna for four to five hours daily.
As previously reported by Radar, Nelsan’s father said his son’s kidneys failed, he had a blood infection, his blood pressure dropped and “his dear sweet heart raced out of control.” Meanwhile, his manager, Emily Gerson Saines, attributed the death to the actor’s solo attempt to quit drinking.
Mango, who “escaped” the bizarre religion in 2012, told Radar he met Nelsan earlier that year outside the purification area Scientology houses in the basement of its Celebrity Center. The area contains two saunas, he said. “There was 10 to 15 people in the program in the evening,” Mango revealed. “I was sitting in the sauna and Nelsan was in the corner reading a script. You take five to 10-minute breaks, where you step out of the sauna into a sitting area. My friend came up to me excitedly to tell me that the new guy was Lafayette from the HBO show True Blood.”
PHOTOS: From ‘Prison Camp’ To Gay Discrimination: The 10 Most Shocking Claims About Scientology From HBO’s ‘Going Clear’
“He was down to earth,” Mango added. “Nelsan later became my twin in Scientology. A twin is your partner who you do the program with. You oversee the other person while on the program and you sit with them in the sauna, fill out worksheets together.”
Mango is not aware if Nelsan continued in Scientology — or the Purif program — after he quit the group in 2012 and claims that it branded him a “suppressive person,” an official enemy. Scientology also denied any involvement in Nelsan’s death.
He claims that Nelsan had remained silent about Scientology out of fear the group’s anti-gay positions would sour his career.
We pay for juicy info! Do you have a story for RadarOnline.com? Email us at [email protected], or call us at 800-344-9598 any time, day or night. |
Georgian-Italian archaeological expedition of Ca' Foscari University of Venice in collaboration with the Georgian Museum of Tbilisi has discovered vine pollen in a zoomorphic vessel used in ritual ceremonies by the Kura-Araxes population.
In the archeological site of Aradetis Orgora, 100 kilometers to the west of the Georgian capital Tbilisi, Ca' Foscari's expedition led by Elena Rova (Ca' Foscari University of Venice) and Iulon Gagoshidze (Georgian National Museum Tbilisi) has discovered traces of wine inside an animal-shaped ceramic vessel (circa 3,000 BC), probably used for cultic activities.
The vessel has an animal-shaped body with three small feet and a pouring hole on the back. The head is missing. It was found, together with a second similar vessel and a Kura-Araxes jar, on the burnt floor of a large rectangular area with rounded corners, arguably a sort of shrine used for cultic activities. Results of radiometric (C14) analyses confirm that the finds date to circa 3000-2900 BC Both zoomorphic vessels are an unicum in the region.
The vessel, examined by palynologist Eliso Kvavadze, contains numerous well-preserved grains of pollen of Vitis vinifera (common grape vine), which shows wine's strategic role in the Kura-Araxes culture for ritual libations.
According to professor Rova, this is a significant discovery, "because the context of discovery suggests that wine was drawn from the jar and offered to the gods or commonly consumed by the participants to the ceremony."
It's a key-finding for Georgia, where grapewine has been cultivated since the Neolithic period. Now the Georgian wine culture has been dated back to the Kura-Araxes period, more than 5,000 years ago and is still continuing: in the course of traditional Georgian banquets, the supra, wine is consumed from vessels derived from animal horns in the context of elaborated ritual toasts.
The Kura-Araxes culture (second half of the fourth and first half of the third millennium BC) is the only prehistoric culture of the Southern Caucasus which spread over large areas of the Near East, reaching Iran and the Syro- Palestinian region.
Started in 2013, in only three years Ca' Foscari archeological excavations have achieved this impressive result, thanks also to the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 27 researchers and students from both countries and some local collaborators took part in 2015 campaign season, when the Kura-Araxes vessels were unearthed. The 2016 season will take place from June 17 until July 31. |
Google held their annual Performance Summit on May 24th, 2016 and announced a large amount of updates.
One of which many paid search marketers have been clambering for since enhanced campaigns launched in July of 2013. That would be the announcement that AdWords will now offer bid adjustments for ALL devices.
Gen3 Marketing paid search experts have seen the direct impact most businesses have had to overcome in their PPC strategies as well as the direct impact on mobile SEO. This mobile-first bidding approach (with tablet & desktop being split out) may be an olive branch that Google is offering marketers.
Here is a list of many of the updates from the summit:
Google adding bid adjustments for ALL device types.
Text ads will have longer headlines and one 80 character desc. Line.
New image ad builder is enhanced to convert ads to native formats across GDN.
New promoted pins in the Google Maps app.
Google is extending reach of GDN Remarketing campaigns with cross-exchange inventory.
Adding Similar Audiences campaigns for Search.
Demographics data for Search Ads.
Account home page will be an analytics-like dashboard showing high level data like demographics, device-type, and hour-of-day performance.
These new features will be rolled out through the end of 2016 and into 2017. Google will start inviting larger agencies soon but there will be no account migrations or upgrades needed. |
Kellyanne Conway, senior advisor to President-elect Trump, confirmed Monday that she had turned down an offer to serve as press secretary for the incoming White House, a role she described as critical given that the eventual spokesman will face a "hostile press."
"I have politely declined that job," Conway said Monday morning on the "Hugh Hewitt Show" radio program. "I think it's an incredibly important position to fill."
Although the Associated Press had previously reported that Conway rejected an offer to serve as press secretary, her admission Monday marked the first time she had confirmed so publicly.
"As you can imagine, if it's President Trump's administration, communications will be a very important aspect of it, and there will be a number of people handling that," she said.
Conway criticized the way reporters have covered Trump's transition to date.
"Many of them are election deniers," she said.
Trump has yet to name the person who will serve as the public face for many of his policies.
Rumored contenders for press secretary include Jason Miller, communications director for the transition team, Sean Spicer, communications director for the Republican National Committee, and Laura Ingraham, conservative commentator and informal Trump advisor. |
FILE - In this June 19, 2003, file photo, conductor Charles Dutoit performs with NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, Japan. A Canadian orchestra is launching an investigation in the wake of sexual assault allegations against Dutoit. A spokesman for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, where Dutoit served as music director for nearly 25 years, confirmed Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017, he is the subject of a complaint. (Kyodo News via AP)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Canadian orchestra launched a sexual harassment investigation after receiving a complaint that names renowned conductor Charles Dutoit, a spokesman said Sunday.
The probe by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, where Dutoit served as music director for nearly 25 years, comes after The Associated Press on Thursday reported allegations against him by three opera singers and a classical musician who said he sexually assaulted them in incidents between 1985 and 2010.
Dutoit’s office issued a statement saying those allegations “have absolutely no basis in truth.” An email to his office seeking comment on the new complaint was not immediately returned Sunday.
The Montreal Symphony Orchestra said its executive committee on Saturday decided to have an independent, third party conduct an investigation following the complaint to “establish the relevant facts” and make recommendations on how to prevent sexual harassment.
Spokesman Pascale Ouimet confirmed that the complaint refers to Dutoit. He also said it was not made by two women named in AP’s story.
The four women who spoke to AP said the Swiss-born conductor physically restrained them, forced his body against theirs, sometimes put his tongue in their mouths and, in one case, stuck her hand down his pants.
Eight major symphonies have ended their relationships with Dutoit since The AP’s story was published.
Dutoit has traveled the world as a guest conductor and led several highly regarded orchestras, including the Orchestra National de France, the NHK Symphony in Tokyo and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
His long relationship with Montreal came to an end in 2002 following a dispute with the musicians’ union. |
It's spring, which means that the animal kingdom is feeling as frisky as the rest of us! Birds are welcoming their newly hatched chicks, bees are buzzing merrily around in an attempt to pollinate new blooms, and butterflies will soon be escaping from their cocoons. These are all representations of the season of new life, and are worthy of celebration! Add bird houses and nests to your decorations, and don't forget a few eggs as well. Butterflies, who represent transformation, will be drawn to specific plants, so if you'd like to welcome some to your garden, plant a butterfly bush - for indoor decor, any butterfly artwork will help make your home feel more seasonal. In some cultures, bees are associated with wisdom and the spirit realm - decorate with bees, honey and hives to help keep that communication door open at Beltane! |
Opponents of a major hydroelectric dam project in northern British Columbia were packing up a protest camp outside BC Hydro’s Vancouver office.
The decision came more than a week after the utility filed a notice of civil claim and an application for an injunction in a bid to evict Site C protesters who have been stationed outside the head office 24 hours a day since March 13.
Julia Ratcliffe, one of the people named by BC Hydro in court documents, said she decided to settle with the company outside of court.
“I don’t have the resources to fight a civil suit if it came to it,” she said in an interview.
Between six and 20 people made up the camp, which will be dismantled by Monday afternoon, Ratcliffe said.
BC Hydro won a court injunction in February to remove a separate protest camp near Fort St. John, B.C., where members of the Peace Valley Landowners Association and the Treaty 8 First Nations took a stand against Site C.
The $8.8 billion megaproject will flood agricultural land and First Nations archeological sites, and destroy fishing and hunting areas.
Ratcliffe said she’s not happy about settling with BC Hydro, but predicts the fight against the dam will continue.
“No one’s lost our motivation,” she said.
Several court cases against the project are still ongoing, and fighting to keep the protest camp would detract from those fights, Ratcliffe said.
“More dollars to use for legal aid would have meant less for them, basically,” she said.
“We’re not the people who should be in court. It should be BC Hydro in court, defending the Site C dam.”
A BC Hydro spokeswoman declined to comment. |
As the ancient Sumerian saying goes: Waste not, want not. And it was the waste of a four-course dinner for 200 guests that one couple decided against, after their daughter called off her wedding 40 days before the scheduled nuptials. Instead of simply canceling the event, the parents still held it — inviting 200 of Atlanta’s homeless to a dinner reception.
The couple joined up with a local charity that serves families in need, reports WBUR.org, to transform the former wedding event into the family’s first annual “Celebration of Love” on Saturday.
“We’re very pleased that she’s handling it so well,” says the mother of how her daughter is handling the change in plans (she also attended the event). “She was also very delighted to see and know that others had an opportunity to enjoy something, rather than just allow it to go to waste.”
The head of the charity says she didn’t believe it at first when the couple called the organization with the dinner offer.
“At first, I thought it was a prank call because it was such an amazing offering,” she explained. And then she said she wanted to focus on women and families, that she wanted to focus on children at which 70 percent of the homeless in Atlanta are children.”
Those kids had an especially memorable time at the event. I don’t know about you, but when I was eight I wouldn’t know what to do at such a fancy occasion.
“The passed hors d’oeuvre were very interesting because the children were wondering, ‘could we take the whole tray, or do we just take one off of the tray?’” she explained. “So this was an educational opportunity as well, because now they all know how to eat at a four-course meal and the etiquette involved in that.”
Atlanta Wedding Reception Donated To The Homeless [WBUR.org] |
New York (CNN) A New York police officer of 12 years and mother of three was fatally shot early Wednesday as she sat in a command vehicle in the Bronx, authorities said.
Miosotis Familia, 48, was shot in the head shortly after midnight while she and her partner were in a marked police truck. She was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where she died, the New York Police Department said.
Familia was "assassinated in an unprovoked attack on cops" when a suspect shot through the window of the officer's vehicle, said James O'Neill, the New York police commissioner.
Police encountered a male suspect, Alexander Bonds, 34, running about one block from the scene. The suspect drew a gun as officers confronted him, and he was shot and killed by police, O'Neill said.
A silver revolver was recovered at the scene, police said. The gun was stolen more than four years ago in Charleston, West Virginia, an NYPD source familiar with the investigation told CNN. The gun had two used cartridges in it and two live rounds, the source said.
Dispatch audio of the moments after Familia was shot reveal her partner frantically calling for help.
"Shots fired!" the officer's partner says. "Give me a f****** bus!"
Familia worked in the 46th Precinct, which tweeted out a photo of the officer.
End of Watch P.O Miosotis Familia. pic.twitter.com/MtoLldK3KW — NYPD 46th Precinct (@NYPD46Pct) July 5, 2017
An apparent bystander also was struck by a bullet during the encounter, police said. The person, who was not identified, is in stable condition at a hospital.
Suspect's background
The suspect, also known as John Bonds, was arrested in Syracuse in July 2005 for robbery in the first degree, the Onondaga County district attorney said.
Alexander Bonds, also known as John Bonds, in a 2013 correctional photo.
Bonds received an eight-year sentence, with five years of post-release supervision, and was transferred to Elmira state prison in 2006, according to a statement from the district attorney.
He also had a criminal record for sale of a controlled substance in New York state, Thomas Mailey, spokesman for the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, said.
He went to prison in March 2004 for illegal drug sales, but was out by January 2005, when he was arrested in the Bronx for entering the subway without paying a fare, Bronx District attorney spokeswoman Patrice O'Shaughnessy said.
'Pain and heartbreak'
Familia had three children, the New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association said.
"Fully knowing the dangers that she faced, she suited up in uniform every day and stood tall against those who threaten and terrorize the good folks of the Bronx," the union said in a statement.
A friend, Isabel Roman, said Familia had 12-year-old twins and a 20-year-old child.
"She was a very jovial, happy person," Roman said.
Carlos Corporan, Familia's brother-in-law, said she was an excellent woman and the family was "completely devastated."
In a statement, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Familia was "murdered in a cowardly, unprovoked attack," and he alluded to other recent ambush-style attacks on police such as those in Dallas and Iowa
"This murder in cold blood is a tragedy, and sadly it is the latest in a troubling series of attacks on police officers over the past two years," Sessions said.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio praised Familia and the actions of officers who responded to the shooting.
"She was on duty, serving this city, protecting people, doing what she believed in and doing the job she loved," de Blasio told reporters. "After this sudden and shocking attack, her fellow officers came to her aid immediately."
Officer Miosotis Familia spent 12 years protecting her community and all New Yorkers share in the pain and heartbreak caused by her death. https://t.co/WWJddOkVDg — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 5, 2017
US Sen. Chuck Schumer called the shooting " terrible news ," and Gov. Andrew Cuomo said all New Yorkers "share in the pain and heartbreak caused by her death."
The commissioner sent a letter to the members of the NYPD, calling the killing an assassination. She was "murdered for her uniform and for the responsibility she embraced," O'Neill said.
He told the officers he knows their jobs can sometimes seem thankless. After a terrible tragedy it can seem like cops are on their own, he wrote, but they are not, they are a family.
"Always remember that Officer Familia lived to protect us, and her legacy protects us still," O'Neill wrote. "We pray that she now finds rest, and that her three children find solace and peace. And to every member of the NYPD, watch out for one another and always remain safe." |
The Hermetic Brotherhood Of Luxor
The Occult Society
"In 1870 (and not in 1884, as the Theosophists claimed), an adept of calm, of the ever-existing ancient Order of the H. B. of L., after having received the consent of his fellow-initiates, decided to choose in Great Britain a neophyte who would answer his designs. He landed in Great Britain in 1873. There he discovered a neophyte who satisfied his requirements and he gradually instructed him. Later, the actual neophyte received permission to establish the Exterior Circle of the H. B. of L."
The adept in the above paragraph (from the introduction by Pascal Themanlys to the book Visions of the Eternal Present ) is Max Theon, at the time a mere 22 years of age. I assume the disciple referred to is Peter Davidson (1842-1916), a Scottish philosopher. In London Theon was the Grand Master of the H. B. of L. - Exterior Circle of the Holy Brotherhood of Luxor, and Davidson, its visible head. One of Davidson's other teachers was the Rosicrucian Hargrave Jennings (c. 1817 - 1890). were joined in 1883 by Thomas H. Burgoyne (AKA Thomas Dalton, 1855-1895).
The function of this "Outer Circle" of the H. B. of L. was to offer a correspondence course on practical occultism; which set it apart from the Theosophical Society. Its curriculum included a number of selections from the writings of Hargrave Jennings and Paschal Beverly Randolph.
Theon and Davidson were heirs to an already established tradition, influences of which go back at least to Rosicrucian-Freemasonic ideas and movements of the eighteenth century. There are in fact a number of different, if related and overlapping, references here. As T Allen Greenfield points out, there seems to be
"a parallel tradition running through the eighteenth century Fratres Lucis and Asiatic Brethren on the one hand, and Cagliostro's Egyptian Rite (androgynous) Freemasonry on the other. These fuse with primordial Egyptian traditions during the Napoleonic conquests in Egypt, passed on to Metamon, Theon, Levi, Randolph, Davidson and other nineteenth century luminaries, down to Papus, Reuss, Kellner and, eventually, Aleister Crowley and his successors and heirs within OTO."
Thus Theon and Davidson and the H. B. of L. had an influence not only on Theosophy but also, directly and indirectly, with the OTO and hence Steiner (who was a member before the OTO became mostly thelemite), Crowley and most of modern occultism.
"The interior Circle of the H. B. of L. was formed within a distinct Hermetic Order in consequence of a division that took place in the ranks of the Hermetic Initiates. This division was the outcome of the natural difference between the initiates belonging to the Sacerdotal Caste and those who were seriously tested and graduated in the schools of occultism."
In the last decades of the 19th century, the Order of the The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor had considerable influence in all the milieu of Western occultism. It was the only order of its time that taught practical occultism in the Western Mystery Tradition. This very secretive order, which counted among its members many of the well-known figures of late 19th-century occultism, spiritualism, and Theosophy. The researcher, G. Marvin Williams, wrote that Madam Blavalsky's claim of being involved with the H.B. of L. was just a creation of imagination designed to gain publicity. But, despite Marvin's scepticism, Madam Blavatsky was indeed a member of the Order.
In later years, Peter Davidson emigrated to the United States and there published several books. While in 1889 some the H.B. of L. material in the form of lessons by Burgoyne was published as The Light of Egypt , minus only the practical teachings
The Charter
The charter of the Ancient and Noble Order of H. B. of L. which was signed: "M. Theon, Grand Master pro temp of the Exterior Circle," contains high principles and important data:
"We recognize the eternal existence of the Great Cause of Light, the invisible center whose vibrating soul, gloriously radiant, is the living breath, the vital principle of all that exists and will ever exist. It is from this divine summit that goes forth the invisible Power which binds the vast universe in an harmonious whole."
"We teach that from this incomprehensible center of Divinity emanate sparks of the eternal Spirit,which,after accomplishing their orbit, the great cycle of Necessity, constitute the sole immortal element of the human soul. Accepting thus the universal brotherhood of humanity, we reject, nevertheless,the doctrine of universal quality."
"We have no personal preferences and no one makes progress in "the Order without having accomplished his assigned task thereby indicating aptitude for more advanced initiation."
"Remember, we teach freely, without reservation, anyone worthy of instruction."
"The Order devotes its energies and resources to discover and apply the hidden laws and active forces in all fields of nature, and to subjugate them to the higher will of the human soul, whose power and attributes our Order strives to develop, in order to build up the immortal individuality so that the complete spirit can say I AM."
"The members engage themselves, to the best of their ability, in a life of moral purity and brotherly love, abstaining from the use of intoxicants except for medicinal purposes, working for the progress of all social reforms beneficial for humanity."
"Finally, the members have full freedom of thought and judgment. By no means may one member be disrespectful towards members of other religious beliefs or impose his own convictions on others."
"Each member of our ancient and noble Order has to maintain, human dignity by living as an example of purity, justice and goodwill. No matter what the circumstances may be, one can become a living center of goodness, radiating virtue, nobility and truth."
The T. S. verses the H. B. of L.
According to William Emmette Coleman
In 1875 Mme. B. had claimed to be in communication with an Egyptian Lodge, called the Brotherhood of Luxor, composed of "Adepts" or "Brothers"; Masters in magical lore, and she also caused Olcott to believe that one or more of these "Brothers" had accepted him as a pupil, and that certain communications to him purporting to come from them, and received by the Colonel through her, were the veritable productions of these "Adepts." Olcott asserts that one of them once visited him in his room in a materialized astral form, and as proof of his objectivity left with him his headcovering, which the Colonel retains to this day.
The indication here is that the Theosophical doctrine of Masters is directly based on the H. B. of L. Later however Blavatsky accused that magical order of swindling money from the gullible. The definition in the on-line Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: defines the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor as "a spurious "esoteric" society started about 1884 in England, which later spread to America before it was exposed as a fraud in Yorkshire by theosophists around 1887," and that in August, 1887, Burgoyne "issued to the members a secret circular, the essence of which was that he had studied Chaldean Astrology for eighteen years, but could not communicate the 'lessons' in it and Occultism without a payment to him of $60; that his teachings had the full approval of the Masters...He was 28 years old at the time. He later published the same material in a book, The Light of Egypt , sold for $3.00."
We have seeen that the H. B. of L. was established in 1870, although perhaps it (as the O.T.O. historical documents suggest) only emerged publicly at the later date. Another minor point: if Burgoyne was born in 1855 than in 1887 he was 32, not 28. The reference to the "Masters" is interesting because it seems that the H. B. of L. is where Blavatsky originally developed the idea from. One wonders how much of this material is genuine, and how much slander. There was certainly an ideological difference (apart from her short-lived "Esoteric Section", Blavatsky was very much against teaching practical occultism, considering it too dangerous), and in Lodges of Magic Blavatsky warns members of Randolph and other love-philter sellers. This is evident in a number of letters abnd represents a long-running feud, at leats on Blavatsky's part. For example in a letter A. P. Sinnett, Blavatsky warns him of the "Hindu Brotherhood of Luxor with Davison in it and others working now in the U.S. against us."
It is interesting that most of the few hits on the Web for the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor are Theosophical propaganda of this nature; this stemming perhaps from a number of factors: a falling out between Blavatsky and Theon, and also clearly the puritan theosophists dislike of the controversial sex-magician Randolph who seems to have been associated (rightly or wrongly) with the love-philter con-artists and other quacks that would have been quite numerous at that time.
Links and References
Hermetic Brotherhood Of Luxor: Initiatic & Historical Documents Of An Order Of Occultism by Chanel, Christian et al (Eds.) Publisher: Samuel Weiser, Inc. - biography of founding and important members and presentation of documents; very important for the occulkt historian
T. Allen Greenfield, The Story of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light , Looking Glass 1997 1st Ed Paperback vi + 194pp Illus - another book with of early documents from the H.B. of L.; a lot of material on Paschal Beverly Randolph
T Allen Greenfield, Hermetic Brotherhood Revisited - Thoughts on the Antiquity and Continuity of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light
The Invisible Basilica: Paschal Beverly Randolph by T Allen Greenfield and Notes on P.B. Randolph and the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light - based on a talk by Allen Greenfield
The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett - Theosophical University Press Online Edition
Critical Historical Review of The Theosophical Society [An Expose of Madame Blavatsky] by William Emmette Coleman, Member American Oriental Society, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and Pali Text Society. [Originally published in The Religio-Philosophical Journal , Chicago, Illinois, September 16, 1893, pp. 264-266.] - Published by The Blavatsky Archives Online. Online Edition copyright 1999.
Lodges of Magic, by H. P. Blavatsky
Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary Copyright 1999 by Theosophical University Press.
The Light of Egypt Or The Science of The Soul And The Stars by Henry O. Wagner/Belle M. Wagner/Thomas H. Burgoyne - free e-text versions of vol. 2 of the Light of Egypt
also...
The Influence of Egypt on the Modern Western Mystery Tradition: The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor by Samuel Scarborough. Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition No. 1, Autumnal Equinox 2001
Corpus Mmothra: La Tradition Cosmique- Via Antiquities of the Illuminati and Kheper blog by Jonathan Sellers (Monday, March 21, 2005), includes interesting comments on Theon and the Tradition, and HBoL
The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor: Initiatic and Historical Documents of an Order of Practical Occultism, by Joscelyn Godwin, Christian Chanel and John P. Deveney. book review at The Second-Hand Book-Stall. |
A few reminders for Martin Luther King Day today.
As always, the 1956 Martin Luther King “Montgomery Story” Comic Book is available free to download and read in this link.
March Book One and Book Two by Rep. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell continues the story of the fight for civil rights via the remarkable life of Lewis, retold in graphic novel form in award- winning style. Here’s the trailer for that:
And to bring this up to date, here’s a massive list of webcomics featuring black leads compiled by Joamette Gil. (Illo from As The Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman.)
Heidi MacDonald is the founder and editor in chief of The Beat. In the past, she worked for Disney, DC Comics, Fox and Publishers Weekly. She can be heard regularly on the More To Come Podcast. She likes coffee, cats and noble struggle.
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Less than 48 hours after rugby’s most likeable man Chris Ashton pulled the hair of Alesana Tuilagi and dragged him across the pitch, the RFU have officially condemned him as a ‘big girl’.
Acutely aware of the current criticism from the media and rugby public towards all things emanating from Twickenham, the RFU have moved swiftly to condemn the pathetic and embarrassing actions of the English and Northampton winger.
An emergency committee have declared that Chris Ashton acted in the manner of ‘a spoilt nine year old princess who is unable to play either nicely or fairly’.
The RFU has promised to launch a full investigation and to act decisively to ensure no other rugby player ever feels able to degrade the sport in such a way again. |
Mayor de Blasio urged all Americans to continue protesting President-elect Trump on Monday.
“We have to recognize that all over this country, the more disruption that’s caused peacefully … the more it will change the trajectory of things,” said de Blasio in an interview.
De Blasio said that resistance is entirely necessary, claiming that Trump is likely to lose the popular vote and therefore will ‘not have a mandate to rule.’
“We need to hold Trump accountable for anything he does that encourages hate and division … The more extreme he is, the more people fight back, the more it takes away his power.”
Speaking about Stephen Bannon, de Blasio said, “An organization that’s been closely linked to white supremacists is going to have a representative in the White House.”
De Blasio also said that Trump’s comments regarding increasing stop and frisk will not happen.
“That’s not going to happen on my watch,” the mayor said.
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AURORA — The city’s Urban Renewal Authority began the process of condemning the mostly shuttered Regatta Plaza shopping center last month after more than 10 years of unsuccessful redevelopment efforts.
And area residents got their first chance to see plans for the reconstruction once the city gains control of the land later this year.
Mile High Development and Koelbel and Co. is the selected redevelopment team for the 22-acre site directly off Interstate 225 and Parker Road. Recently, the team presented a digital tour of their vision for Regatta to the community.
In its early stages, the plans include the relocation and expansion of King Soopers, a potentially 12- to 15-story “iconic” office tower, a central park, and diverse housing options that range from high-end apartments layered on top of store fronts to low-income units.
The entire design is meant to transform the site, which was declared an urban renewal area in 2006, from a defunct, mostly vacant grocery center to a versatile, integrated community.
“We’re going to be creating a main street by extending Dartmouth from where it dead ends now into the site, creating a really great, main street with retail on either side of it, including around the King Soopers center,” said George Thorn, CEO and principal of Mile High Development. “It will be a walk-able, pedestrian type neighborhood where people will live and work.”
The redevelopment of Regatta Plaza cannot go forward until Aurora acquires the property, which is currently divided among four separate land owners with varying degrees of cooperative interest in the redevelopment project.
“I would not expect acquisition of those properties to happen before the end of the year,” said Andrea Amonick, manager of the Aurora Urban Renewal Authority. “We’re moving forward, but there should be realistic expectations about when activity will occur on that site.”
On Aug. 24, City Council began the process of authorizing the Aurora Urban Renewal Authority to claim eminent domain over Regatta Plaza after years of unsuccessful negotiations with some of the property holders.
Most of the land — about 15 acres — is owned by a local man named John Buckley. King Soopers, which is among the only remaining businesses open on the site, owns about 4 acres, and Key Bank and Romesh Sharma each control about 1 acre.
“After formal offers by the developer went unanswered or un-countered, staff recommended to the City Council that they consider giving the Aurora Urban Renewal Authority the formal authority to use eminent domain to ensure that the project moves forward,” Amonick said. “It is a last resort.”
The final reading on that order is Sept. 14, and it will likely not go into effect until the middle of October. After that, negotiations with the property owners will pick up again. The city also needs to execute its contract with Mile High/Koelbel, a move they’re ostensibly holding off on until all of the property is secured.
“I feel like we’re going to have to take the rest of the year for the condemnation to play out,” said Charlie Richardson, Aurora’s former city attorney and current Ward 4 City Council candidate. “Even though the city appears to be making progress on acquiring this site, the biggest concerns will come next year when planning for specific buildings and uses take place — which will be adjacent to existing neighborhoods.”
There are about 4,000 Aurora residents who live within a half- mile of the aging shopping center.
Once the project does get underway, it is promised to be a whirlwind of demolition and construction activity. First up would be the move of the currently 44,000-square-foot King Soopers further west on the property, and enlarging it to a 78,000-squar0 foot store. Its adjacent fuel center would also be moved, and early plans suggest that it will nearly double in size, as well.
Housing plans could accommodate several hundred people in the “super block,” as Thorn called it. There would be units supported by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, as well as owner-occupied units ranging from $350,000 to $550,000.
The plans also include a pedestrian bridge that would be built over Parker Road to get people to Nine Mile Station. That portion of the project is not yet funded, but is a priority for city staff and the development team. vmi
“The bridge is a key piece of this project,” Thron said. “We want (Regatta Plaza) to be a gathering place. We have a beautiful central park, and we want a themed restaurant to attract people from around town. We want people to come here and spend time.”
The design plans for the center were shown to a crowd of around 250 residents at a recent community meeting that was so packed that city staff agreed to hold the same presentation at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 17 in City Council chambers.
Megan Mitchell: 303-954-2650, [email protected] or twitter.com/Mmitchelldp |
A suspected terrorist has been reported killed in a shoot-out in Telangana's Shadnagar
A former Maoist and one of the most wanted gangsters across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh was shot dead on Monday in a town 60 km from Hyderabad.Nayeem or Mohammed Nayeemuddin was an extortionist named in over 100 cases, the police say, including the murder of a senior police officer in 1993. He allegedly terrorized politicians, businessmen and realtors for years with his extortion demands.He allegedly also gave information to the police on Sohrabuddin Sheikh, the petty thief whose encounter killing by the Gujarat police in 2005 became hugely controversial and led to a tangle of cases for everyone involved.In recent days, there had been several complaints about threats and demands made by Nayeem. The calls were traced to a residential neighbourhood called Millennium Township in Shadnagar town.Nayeem was allegedly hiding in a car. On spotting the police, the driver of his car opened fire. When the police fired back, Naeem was killed. Elite anti-Maoist Greyhound commandos were also involved in the operation.In 2007, Nayeem allegedly tricked a police team and escaped after a court appearance saying he wanted to use the toilet.It is suspected that Maoist outfits that go by the name "Nallamala Cobras and Kakatiya Cobras", which owned the killing of several civil rights activists in 2005, were operated either by Nayeem or his aides.It is not yet clear why the police were chasing Nayeem at this time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited Telangana for the first time yesterday, was briefed about the encounter in a meeting with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval this morning. |
On Thursday, Ottawa Bluesfest’s reputation as one of Canada’s premier music festivals was smeared.
Festival-goers came out in droves to catch popular hip-hop trio Migos and solo artist Lil Yachty. While the excitement was pervasive, things went downhill fast as hordes of people squeezed in tight, seeking the best spot. Certain individuals started hurling objects and acting violently toward security.
It doesn’t take long to find comments on social media or media websites about the harmful effects of hip hop, many of which decry its incorporation into Bluesfest.
I was surprised to find so many comments of this nature, which, frankly, were loaded with obvious racist undertones.
I mean, I take comment sections with a grain of salt.
But the notion that hip hop is the root of this problem seems to be a perspective shared by more than just a few misguided commenters.
It reveals a significant divide between an older generation, who think they wrote the book on live music, and a younger and more boisterous generation, which has little experience in crowded festivals where drugs and alcohol are rampant.
Hip hop is not the problem. Intoxicants, inexperienced concert-goers and a few bad apples are. People who think hip hop should be banned from festivals are, at best, misinformed, and at worst revealing their inner racist.
Dangerous situations at music festivals are not a new phenomenon and are certainly not exclusive to hip-hop performances.
Over the years, at shows of all kinds, there has been violence, trampling, sexual assaults, suffocation/crushing, overdoses and over-intoxication.
For whatever reason, on Thursday at Bluesfest, some thought being violent and pushing back against authority was OK, while simultaneously harming innocent audience members — some were reported to be throwing beer cans and rocks.
Drugs and alcohol make people do things they wouldn’t normally do. On Thursday night, underage people were taken to CHEO, and more than 200 people were examined for drugs, alcohol use and injuries.
This is a clear indicator of a problem.
Backup paramedics had to be called in to help support the on-site crew, administering treatment for suspected opiate overdoses, as well as injuries caused by falls. Organizers and stringent security can’t prevent people from doing drugs in private settings — they can only try to prevent illicit drug and alcohol consumption in and around the festival site.
In fact, a recent Canadian study found that alcohol and drugs were a main factor in 13 per cent of all reported music festival deaths worldwide between 1999 and 2014, and the majority (75 per cent) of all non-traumatic deaths.
Drugs, alcohol and a gigantic crowd of young people who are not experienced in handling dangerous intoxicants and scenarios combine to make a poisonous concoction.
People need to stop focusing on the rappers — or hip hop in general — as being the catalyst.
We must learn from this incident and continue to develop and institute more preventative measures so that drug and alcohol consumption are mitigated, while also targeting unruly concert-goers before their actions incite more disruptive behaviour by crowds, which can lead to grievous harm at music festivals.
Matías Muñoz is editor of the local online music publication Ottawa Showbox. |
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, a long-serving Bronx Democrat, calls the 1999 repeal “one of the biggest mistakes we ever made.” He voted against it. Given the billions that the city has cumulatively lost, he said, “it was almost a crime what happened.”
What happened was Albany at its most thoughtless. There was no vast public outcry at the time to dump the tax. It had long been an accepted, if unloved, burden, created in 1966 under the stewardship of two Republicans, Gov. Nelson Rockefeller and Mayor John Lindsay, to help a city facing tough times. The rate then was 0.25 percent, which was raised to 0.45 percent five years later.
Almost out of nowhere, the tax became caught up in a 1999 race for a State Senate seat in Rockland and Orange Counties. Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature tried to outdo one another as tax cutters — without consulting City Hall, then under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, about the long-term consequences. Before anyone knew it, the tax was killed.
Much of the city’s anger fell on Sheldon Silver, the now disgraced former Assembly speaker from the Lower East Side. Former Mayor Edward Koch even accused him of treason. It was assumed that Mr. Silver would have his hometown’s back. Instead, hoping to win that Senate seat for a fellow Democrat, he shrugged off the city’s objections, saying that it had a substantial budget surplus and could readily absorb the loss of a revenue stream that provided $360 million a year back then. Ignored was the fact that budgetary black ink can quickly turn red, as it did. (And the Democrat lost the Senate race anyway.)
Resurrection of the tax is highly unlikely at present, especially with 2018 state elections looming. The odds against it are even longer than those that Mayor Bill de Blasio faces with his proposal to pay for subway repairs by taxing the income of the city’s wealthiest more heavily. But bringing back the commuter tax would correct a historical mistake.
Assemblyman Dinowitz suggested that proceeds from it could be spent, “at least in part if not in total,” on mass transit improvements in both the city and surrounding counties. “What more appropriate thing is there to help commuters,” he said, “than a commuter tax?” |
TV Reviews All of our TV reviews in one convenient place.
When the current version of NXT debuted in August 2012, it was fresh off the heels of a little something called NXT: Redemption, one of the most bizarre programs WWE has ever had the pleasure of letting exist (or forgetting existed, based on the circumstances). The original version of NXT was a ridiculous game show that “exposed the business” and made the fans who would watch a weekly game show within the confines of a pre-determined “sport” feel like garbage for rooting for “nerds” and “indy darlings” like Daniel Bryan or AJ Lee (who eventually became huge WWE stars) instead of blank slates like Alex Riley or Lucky Cannon (who didn’t). For a frame of reference, for the longest time, perennial WWE joke (for all of his talent) Heath Slater had the best win-loss of any rookie in the first season of NXT, and Daniel Bryan was 0 and 10 in the entire show. From the commentary to the competitions to the matches, NXT was an experiment in shooting oneself in the foot.
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By the time the fifth season of the show—Redemption, where losing rookies came back for, well, you know what—came along, the show was already on its last legs, moved from Syfy to the WWE website and really just a joke of a show. As the season continued and the quest for Redemption points became one-sided (points for cheap pops instead of skill saw Titus O’Neil “finish” the season with 45 Redemption points), things started getting weird. NXT: Redemption became like the Lost island, with everyone trying to find a way off and failing miserably. Derrick Bateman, one of the biggest balls WWE ever dropped, once did a Glee style into to an episode, as though it were totally normal. Fandango (then Johnny Curtis) was the biggest slime ball ever, with a van and chloroform on hand, and it worked. Maxine (who you may now know as Catrina on Lucha Underground) was the MVP of the entire season, and she somehow wasn’t skryocketed to top Diva tier after that. Watching all 67 episodes of NXT: Redemption was like watching WWE accidentally do some hipster comedy bit for 67 weeks that neither Vince McMahon nor anyone with any real power knew was happening. (The JBL & Renee Show on the WWE Youtube channel is also like that, but it’s not exactly a canonical WWE wrestling show.)
Upon cancellation of Redemption, the last few episodes lost the narrative thread of the show, instead acting like another version of WWE Superstars. But then came NXT as we know it today, from the developmental ashes of Florida Championship Wrestling, FCW.
It’s obviously not a game show, but at this point, especially after seeing another one of its TakeOver specials, it’s insulting to call it “developmental.” The WWE Performance Center itself is developmental. NXT house shows may also be developmental. The NXT that airs every Wednesday on the WWE Network is not developmental. For the most part, if you’re on weekly NXT shows, you’re ready for TV, and that’s the big time.
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If you’re a WWE fan who hasn’t yet joined the cult of NXT—or a person who knows nothing about WWE but knows even less about NXT—there’s a host of reasons why NXT is often touted as being the best WWE program there is and sometimes even the best wrestling show on television (though the argument of Lucha Underground usually comes up, because if there’s one thing wrestling fans love other than wrestling, it’s arguing about wrestling). It’s got some of the best wrestling and wrestlers on “TV,” doing it up big for an audience of millions, just like the main shows. To be perfectly honest, it really is better than the main shows.
That’s where the “developmental” moniker comes into play again, because it feels sacrilegious or simply glib to call what is the second tier show of WWE—it doesn’t even have a cable deal like RAW or SmackDown—better than the main shows. But the thing is, NXT exists where pro wrestling is still about pay-offs; in fact, it’s still about pro-wrestling. Turns and gimmicks aren’t held off until the last possible minute and then blown-off on the WWE app or in a pre-show or a random SmackDown match no one will see. NXT is a world where the women or Divas or whatever you want to call them could and can easily main event the shows, because they’re real people, character, and sports entertainers. NXT is where the tag team division… Well, WWE still has no idea how to handle tag team wrestling, and that’s also trickled down to NXT. When Vince McMahon talks about storytelling and brass ring grabbing on the main roster, it’s actually the NXT roster that’s doing it all. That’s because, simply put, Vince McMahon isn’t the one running NXT. He’s not micromanaging it and literally flipping the script at the last minute or during the show. Just like in the game show days. That’s Triple H’s job, and he’s doing a fine one at that.
And while the NXT of old spat in the face of fans of independent wrestling and the nerds who couldn’t make the cut, current NXT embraces them, as that is where their current stars—and decidedly, the stars of WWE’s future (and now, present)—came from. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, Hideo Itami, Uhaa Nation, and now, Samoa Joe. They were the second rate talents who couldn’t cut it in WWE. Look at them now. What once was a hindrance to getting over in WWE—being an indy darling—is now the greatest asset one can have. To any fan of independent wrestling who has ever been mocked for thinking guys like this could hang in the big leagues, now is the time to say “I told you so” (withing reason).
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It’s not just the indy darlings though. NXT and WWE’s Performance Center are doing wonders for making something out of nothing, which has always been a developmental problem in the days of OVW and FCW. The NXT TakeOver specials are the culmination of all of that, as they’re a reminder that the future is here, and if WWE will allow it, it’s bright.
Now, to talk about that future.
First impressions are always the lasting impressions, and TakeOver clearly knows that, if the first match with Tyler Breeze and Finn Balor any indication. A previous TakeOver special saw Tyler Breeze come to the ring with a “fan” from the audience grabbing him for dear life because she was just so overcome by his beauty. This TakeOver special sees him come to the ring after an impromptu fashion show from a bunch of ladies dressed like Tyler Breeze, because why wouldn’t it? It’s a “This is awesome” moment, and it’s literally just walking.
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Then Finn Balor enters with an evolved version of his demon look, complete with wings and spikes, and Tyler Breeze gets cast aside yet again. That’s perhaps his fate while still in NXT (and the fate for a lot of wrestlers who don’t have the international resume coming into the game), as Tyler Breeze has fallen into a pattern of being great… but not great enough in comparison the independent wrestlers who jumped the line into stardom. Tyler Breeze is ready for the main WWE roster and has been for quite some time; when people talk about the “WWE Style” of wrestling, the only example you need to pick out of a line-up is Tyler Breeze. He’s a guy who “gets it” and has worked hard to do so. He’s constantly evolving, when it would be so easy to stay the same or just in a holding pattern until the call-up to the big shows happens. Everyone compares everyone to Shawn Michaels, but Tyler Breeze is one of those guys who actually deserves the comparison.
But the one problem is, the main roster may just not be ready for Tyler Breeze.
His gimmick is a male model. He has a high pitched voice, wears fur, and cares about his looks more than anything else. If you don’t think the same commentary team that thinks butt cheek kissing and the phrase “Suzy Chapstick” are hilarious or John Cena (or even Dolph Ziggler, despite the irony) is going to tear Tyler Breeze apart, I can’t say that’s optimism as much as it is naivete or even absolute blindness. Even without the obvious hyper-masculinity problems, there’s still the fact that main roster WWE can’t fight the urge to make things “funny.” Tyler Breeze, despite on paper being “Derek Zoolander the wrestler,” is one of the most serious characters on NXT. But the main roster didn’t “get” Bo Dallas or Emma gimmicks either, and now look at them. One misstep and the whole gimmick could be lost in translation, with those who saw him in NXT wondering what went wrong.
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The match itself doesn’t fully live up to expectations, partially because of the fantastic entrances and also because of the fact that it was originally a Triple Threat with Hideo Itami (who was kayfabe jumped in the parking lot before the show), but it’s still a solid wrestling match from two guys who could probably do that in their sleep. Balor’s double stomp to the back of Breeze on the outside of the ring is definitely an inspired move, but it really gets going from Tyler Breeze’s tantrum on. However, it’s all kind of clouded by the worst referee ever, who doesn’t count when Balor is out during Breeze’s tantrum—as one of the NXT crowd’s infinite chants becomes “You’re not counting”—and then counts Balor’s win with a four count.
Between then and the main events, this TakeOver special isn’t reinventing the wrestling wheel, but it does give you more bang for your (free trial) buck. Dana Brooke/Emma versus Charlotte/Bayley functions well as the eight or ninth swan song for Charlotte, as she spends a great deal of the match just trucking the competition. If nothing else, Dana Brooke looks great in the match getting demolished by Charlotte. The MVP of the match, however, is “Evil Emma” (which is an easier chant than “Disenfranchised Emma” or “We’re Here If You Need To Talk, Emma,” of course) and her facial expressions, with or without the awkward “misdemeanor” joke on commentary. And Rhyno versus Baron Corbin has the commentators immediately point out that this is going to be a brawl and “not a wrestling match,” which is typically to mediocre wrestling as “athletic” is to black wrestlers in the WWE. It’s like when Michael Cole called Daniel Bryan “the wrestler” to Roman Reigns’ “the brawler” back at the Fastlane pay-per-view.
As for the Tag Team Championship match, the last match Blake and Murphy had on a TakeOver special was an absolute mess. Since then, they haven’t developed more as characters other than in the case of the characters fans have created for them—a closeted gay couple who are afraid to just be themselves—in addition to awkward (because of the assumed backstory) lechery and weird Chris Jericho hair situations. They wear Chris Benoit tights. They come out to dubstep music with a Titantron video that has surely given people epileptic seizures. (That’s also not a joke—it really needs to change.) They make absolutely no sense.
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Their opposition is the most charismatic homegrown WWE developmental talent there is. Enzo and Cass (and even Carmella) have charisma to spare and are scarily fine-tuned as their characters. Their one flaw is their in-ring skills, but luckily, the match on this special doesn’t become a disaster because of these flaws (on both teams’ sides). In fact, this match is probably the moment it clicks inside the ring for Enzo and Cass, in the form of the scrappy underdog (and not just a punching bag) and the 7’0” tall wall (and not just a tall guy), respectively. It’s a bummer that they don’t win the titles from Benjericho, but the continued hunt also coincides the official heel turn of Alexa Bliss: A Woman Who Hates Feminism. This may sound sarcastic, but I cannot wait to see where that turn goes for Miss Bliss.
And now for the main course.
The best thing about NXT is that is finds a way to somewhat regularly bring out the real emotions that you can only get from loving wrestling. Sure, main roster WWE can do that as well, but it you’ve been paying attention to my weekly RAW reviews, lately, those emotions have come in the form of NXT wrestlers showing just how damn good they are and bringing that quality with them. A couple of months ago, as good of a wrestler as she was finally showing (and reminding) people that she was, Becky Lynch was still “just Becky Lynch.” She was always the fourth Diva in a Fatal Four-Way or the third Diva is a Triple Threat. “Becky was there too,” we would say. She was (okay, and still is) Corey Graves’ commentary punching bag. She was not Sasha Banks. Her match against Sasha Banks, however, made her a star. She arm-dragged her way into our hearts, even with the other arm being faulty and her ending up losing to The Boss. There’s no doubt about it, especially when you have her in the ring after her defeat with the entire NXT crowd singing her theme to her as a show of respect and solidarity. These are the moments of a real wrestling character.
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My recommendation should come as no surprise, but if for some reason you’re going to watch only one match from this special from entrances to exits, make it the Sasha Banks/Becky Lynch match. To any people who have said I was wrong about calling Sami Zayn the best wrestler in the world, I’ll admit you were right. Because Sasha Banks is. Blake and Murphy may wear Chris Benoit tights to the ring, but they don’t have even a fraction of the wrestling ability that would suggest. Ruthless aggression exists in WWE today, and it’s in the form of 5’5” woman who’s related to Snoop Dogg. The way she works the arm in this match against Becky is a work of art, a work of technical beauty. With the exception of the final moments of the special, the only time the “[Insert Wrestler’s Name Here]’s go to kill you” chant works during this special is when Sasha has Becky in the Straitjacket for what feels like an eternity. You want a story through wrestling? Watch this match. Watch the video package. Watch this show. This is what the people are talking about when we say “Give Divas A Chance.” This is what happens when you do—not whatever’s happening on the main roster right now.
Of course, I can’t talk storytelling and characters without talking about Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. While Sasha/Becky is a match that you can probably go into with just the video package without any real prior knowledge, Owens/Zayn is one that’s got 15 years of backstory and will never really be over. It’s now got Zayn’s lingering shoulder injury and the John Cena Open The Dragon Gate U.S. Challenge (at Elimination Chamber) involved in it too. The last time Owens and Zayn faced off, Owens practically killed his former best friend. Here, after all the talk, the tables are somewhat turned, with Zayn staying on Owens like a rabid dog, all around the arena, all while narrowly avoiding another “death” from a well-placed Pop-Up Powerbomb. Eventually, Zayn makes a mistake and the Powerbomb does come, on the apron, and that’s when Owens strikes like a shark with a taste of blood. He won’t let up on him, like the bully he is. He might as well be saying “Yeah! That’s what I thought!” while he looks at a sprawled out Zayn. He says he’ll stop, but he doesn’t. William Regal even has to get physically involved, but this isn’t like those other Regal interventions. Owens just headbutts him and goes on about his evening.
Owens and Zayn are the exact opposite of John Cena and Randy Orton. They could wrestle each other a million more times, and it would be different every time. It would be captivating every time.
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But if you’re ever confused about the case for cool down matches, look no furtther than the booking of NXT specials’ main events. The pattern is to go from the big Divas match to the big Superstars match, but honestly, by the time the former is over, it’s difficult not to be emotionally drained come main event time. As much as I could watch Owens and Zayn again for the rest of my life, I’ll admit to coming up short on what to say about them here after that NXT Women’s Championship match. Plus, the women get the Gorilla position entrances of “IMPORTANCE” this time. Hard not to get that big fight feel there, no matter how many times Corey Graves compares Sami Zayn to Manny Pacquiao.
Now who wants to talk about Samoa Joe’s introduction?
Stray Observations:
RESULTS: Finn Balor (winner) versus Tyler Breeze (#1 Contendership); Charlotte/Bayley (winner) versus Emma/Dana Brooke; Baron Corbin (winner) versus Rhyno; Blake/Murphy (winner) versus Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady (NXT Tag Team Championship); Sasha Banks (winner) versus Becky Lynch (NXT Women’s Championship); Kevin Owens versus Sami Zayn (NXT Championship, No Contest)
Say hello to NXT coverage. Much like with the RAW reviews, once we’re in the groove of the weekly shows, this will be less of a history lesson and more of an excuse to test out my theory that Dana Brooke is a time traveling Diva from the ‘90s.
It’s nice to see that even with all of her training in Kendrick’s school, Eva Maria still doesn’t know how to move like a real human being.
It’s also nice to see everyone in the Full Sail arena lose their collective minds as soon as the camera panned to Uhaa Nation among the other new signees.
Corey Graves (re: the new and Steampunk’d Becky Lynch): “What does she think this is, an H.G. Wells novel?!” Absolutely amazing. Now imagine him saying that on RAW and Michael Cole saying that no one knows who that is.
“What does she think this is, an H.G. Wells novel?!” Absolutely amazing. Now imagine him saying that on RAW and Michael Cole saying that no one knows who that is. Owens wearing the Cena “The Champ Is Here” shirt? I wanted to hug him. |
The second annual exhibition of The Grateful Dead Archive is now open to the public at UCSC’s McHenry Library.
Songs of Our Own: The Art of the Grateful Dead Phenomenon features more than 158 primary works, plus 110 digital images, with signature pieces by band members Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann, as well as works from numerous Deadhead artists.
The exhibition is curated by UCSC’s Grateful Dead Archivist Nicholas Meriwether.
Documenting the extraordinary art that celebrates the band, the works range from Garcia’s student days at the California School of Fine Arts, to the poster renaissance of Haight-Asbury in the 1960s, to the increasingly sophisticated art created by both fans and band members over the past four decades.
“In 2003, lyricist Robert Hunter wrote that ‘I’ve come to realize that the art movement that accompanied the rise of the Dead is as much a part of what we became in the public eye as the songs and our playing of them,’” said Meriwether. “This exhibit shows how that remarkable art informs the Grateful Dead phenomenon and helps define its significance.
“The art they produced is a window into American culture—an extraordinary body of work that challenges how we understand the protean fusion of high art and folk art that has become one of America’s greatest gifts to the world,” Meriwether added.
Works on display include an unpublished Jerry Garcia monoprint that has never before been publically exhibited; a mixed media piece by Mickey Hart titled Where Angels Fear to Tread; a lithograph titled The Summer of Love by Wavy Gravy (contributed by Meriwether); Stanley Mouse’s Phil Lesh Workingman’s Dead Portrait; Bill Kreutzmann’s Egg of Life, giclee on canvas; Wes Wilson’s lithograph Bill Graham 51; and and four pen-and-ink cartoons by band lyricist Robert Hunter."
The Brittingham Family Foundation Dead Central exhibition space is located on the main floor of UC Santa Cruz’s McHenry Library, just inside the front door.
Dead Central is open to the public during normal Library Hours.
Admission is free. |
Feeling much better now, though I am still sipping tea with lemsip a couple times a day to keep the chest congestion down. The coughing has largely subsided.Anyway, as I was intending to say before I got the crud, we had a great time in Baltimore and NYC.Balticon was celebrating its fiftieth birthday this year. Half a century of cons, pretty extraordinary. To mark the occasion, they brought back as many of their previous GOHs as they could (some were unavailable, and some had died), to join me, the current year Guest of Honor. It's always great to see old friends like Connie Willis and Joe Haldeman, and especially friends like John Varley, who I hadn't run into for a couple of decades. Of course, a lot of new friends were on hand as well. Balticon moved back downtown for this year's con, so we were right at the Harborplace, across the street from theand the dragonboats, and within sight of the Hyatt Regency where the first Baltimore worldcon was held. Brought back a lot of memories.I did a lot of signing, a kaffeeklatch, a special fund-raising dinner where I changed tables for every course, an interview, the opening ceremonies (crabs and paddleboats and pirates, ph my), and read the Damphair chapter from THE WINDS OF WINTER.And we ate crabs, and pronounced them good.(We also ate "the best pizza in Baltimore" and pronounced it less good).And then it was time for the Acela, and New York City.New York City was mostly business, as it usually is: meetings with my agents, publishers, editors, and of course HBO. But we found time to fit in a couple of pizza tastings, both in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Also managed to get into the Carnegie Deli, which I fear is falling on hard times. We always try to catch a show when we're in the city. This time it was HAMILTON.Guys, gals, go see HAMILTON. Everything you've heard is true. It is going to win a bunch of Tony Awards. The performances are incredible. And after the show, we got to sneak backstage and hang some with King George III, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton his own self.Even that was not the highlight of the New York part of the trip, though. That came a day later, when Parris and I headed over to Bayonne to visit with my sisters and brothers-in-law, my niece and nephews and their partners... and meet, for the first time, my great nephew Brady, born a few weeks earlier. It would appear that I am now a gruncle. |
Copyright 1998-2012 Ken Adachi and Educate-Yourself.org All Rights Reserved Introduction If you are unfamiliar with the subject of chemtrails, you should first read this general overview of the chemtrail spraying operations which began in earnest in late 1997. Without first reading the introductory overview, it's difficult to understand the later informaiton that is being presented here. There are several key points to understand about the chemtrail spraying program.
Parts 1 and 2 are exclusively devoted to chemtrails, while Part 3 has a little on chemtrails, but is mostly about water fuel technologies, which more people should become aware of. I edited Parts 1 and 2 somewhat to only include information relating to chemtrails, orgone generators and Sylphs, but I kept the info on Brown's gas in the April 30 show for people who may be interested in this topic. Don had originally posted an article and many interesting photos I sent him from an April 28, 2008 video that I had taken in my neighborhood. Those photos are not currently on Don's web site, but I will post them on my own page and will put up a link when completed. .
You need to first download and unzip these mp3 audio files before you can listen to them. Once the file is downloaded and unzipped, you can keep it in any folder you wish (or delete it after listening). If you don't know how to download and unzip an mp3 audio file, you can find instructions at this link (http://educate-yourself.org/vcd/podcast31jul11.shtml).
I've done a number of radio interviews with Don Nicoloff on the subject of chemtrails and Sylphs. The three radio show listed here will give you a good idea on the overall agenda of chemtrail spraying and how they are mitigated throuigh the use of orgone generators and focused intent. Air elemental beings identified by the ancient Greeks (& Paracelsus) as Sylphs are stimulated and energized by orgone generators and will literally vacumn up and transmute chemtrails into harmless substances. I realize this is hard to believe by the average person who is unaware of these etheric beings, but the evidence can be seen right over your head if you know what to look for
Write Down this Mirror web site address of educate-yourself.org in Switzerland in case you cannot access any page at this web site (our thanks to Stephanie Meier for maintaining this mirror): http://mirrors.wordsforgood.org/educate-yourself.org/
If you're just finding out about chemtrails, you should read the earlier articles to understand the full extent and gravity of the chemtrail undertaking, but bear in mind that we have turned a corner on combating chemtrails and have now thrown a huge spanner wrench into the Dark Side's finely oiled genocide machine. If you want to hasten the demise of the chemtrail spraying program, please take the time to read about orgone generators , chembusters, and the use of your mind-with focused intent- to rid the sky of these poisons. .
On the brighter side, you should know that methods have been discovered to help neutralize chemtrails and return the sky to a normal blue with real clouds taking the place of the chemtrail soup and overcast which a host of disinformation peddlers are trying to convince you are just ordinary, "cirrus" clouds that "are formed from persistent contrails" (current disinformation spiel from government climatological web sites).
Chemtrail spraying seems to be heaviest and most constant over North America and most countries of western Europe. Some countries in Asia are being sprayed (Japan and Korea), but the greatest exception to any chemtrail activity whatsover is China . The Chinese are being spared completely because China is being groomed by the NWO to replace the United States as the leading nation of the world, both economically and militarily.
I experienced that wake-up call in February of 1998. I had taken my 35 mm camera with me to the monthly meeting of the Orange County Chapter of the American Society of Dowsers and after the meeting, I had stopped off at a supermarket. After getting out of the car, I photographed for the very first time, the strange looking "contrails" that William Thomas had been describing on the Art Bell radio program a couple of weeks earlier. Thomas had dubbed them "chemtrails" on the Bell show to distinguish them from genuine (and rarely seen) short-lived ice crystal trailings properly identified as contrails. "Holy Cow", I thought to myself, ."We're being sprayed right here in southern California!" (Thomas lived near Vancouver, British Columbia). Although I had a number of articles about the NWO and their dark Machiavellian agendas posted at my web site, I was now witnessing (and breathing in) the stark reality of those depopulation plans. The NWO was no longer just words on the printed page.
Nothing brings home the comprehension of the New World Order depopulation agenda than the realization that you and your family are also on the "useless eaters" (Henry Kissinger) elimination list.
Most people discover the reality of chemtrails by initially reading about it on the Internet and then going outside and looking up into the sky. They are shocked to realize that what they had been reading about (and studying photographs of) is also taking place right over their heads. What some people had dismissed as mere " jet plane exhaust " (because there are now scores of internet propaganda web sites trying to convince you that 'everything is well' and 'there's nothing to be alarmed about' and that unaccountable 'jet plane exhaust' plumes are magically being converted into horizon-to-horizon overcasts of "cirrus clouds" !) are dismayed to realize that chemtrails are indeed the toxin-laden aerosols that have been described here and at other web sites since 1998 and they are not being sprayed for any benign or national security reason as the disinformation peddlers would have you believe.
Important Breakthroughs in eliminating Chemtrails! Please Read April 2005 : The massive appearance of Sylphs in 2004 (see next paragraph below- August 2004) and their neutralization/transmutation of chemtrails into non-toxic elements was a huge leap forward in neutralizing the diabolical chemtrail genocide aerosol spraying operation , but apparently we have progressed to yet another level. People are now reporting the ability to clear the skies of chemtrails by use of the mind alone to obtain assistance from unseen helpers (Sylphs and others) and do the job for you based on your focused intention. It's really amazing to see this development. I first posted an article in 2002 by Rich Work about using the mind and the the power of prayer to disperse chemtrails , and now we see this ability coming into reality with many people. You can read more at these links:
Mind Over Chemtrails-Is It Possible?
Mental Weather Modification (Nov. 25, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/mentalweathermodification25nov08.shtml
Chemtrails, Sylphs, & The Power of Prayer (June 22, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailssylphsandprayer22jun08.shtml
The Art of Mental Chembusting & Other Strategies of Etheric Resistance (June 19, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/mentalchembusting19jun07.shtml
Sylphs & Chemtrails, Kim Hits a Home run! (Apr.16, 2005)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/kimshomerun15apr05.shtml
Can Humans Influence the Dispersion of Chemtrails? (Apr. 16, 2005)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/humansinfluencectdispersion16apr05.shtml
August 2004: The very latest reports and photos are now posted on a new index page, Sylphs & Chemtrails (http://educate-yourself.org/cn/sylphandchemtrailindex.shtml), which seems to confirm that Sylphs are neutralizing, converting, and eliminating chemtrails from the atmosphere in any local geographical area where a sufficient number of orgone generators have been deployed to convert the dominant DOR orgone atmospheric conditions into an OR dominated atmosphere. Read these articles to understand what Sylphs are, what orgone generators are, and the difference between a DOR atmosphere and an OR atmosphere. We are talking about nothing less than the demise of the chemtrail spraying operations! Chemtrails cannot exist in the presence of these giant air elementals and are they being destroyed as rapidly as they are being sprayed out of spew planes. You must read these articles and see the photographic evidence for yourself. All of the information posted below is interesting and informative, but it is now HISTORY. We are winning the battle against chemtrails and defeating the satanic traitors at their own game. Spread the word: DEPLOY ORGONE GENERATORS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD and you too will be free of chemtrail laden skies!
June 25, 2004 We have good news: The not-so-secret chemtrail spraying program, intended to keep us from attaining higher spiritual awareness/consciousness, to reduce ethnically targeted populations worldwide, and to induce bioengineered disease organisms in order to reap staggering profits for the pharmaceutical cartels is apparently failing- and failing badly. I have seen the evidence here in southern California and have read of similar reports from different regions of America. Read the articles below for an historical overview of chemtrails and the reasons for their deployment, but don't dwell on the negative aspects of this story because things are beginning to look up and we have good reason for optimism! Get involved with making or obtaining orgone generators in your immediate environment and be part of the 'hit team' bringing down this Luciferian inspired genocide operation.
Jan. 26, 2002 . If you are just beginning to learn about Chemtrails, the introductory article below will give you an overview of how this spraying program began in late 1997 and how the situation stood up to early 2000. The overhead spraying of chemtrails has continued unabated for over five years now. Thankfully, the Goodbye Chemtrails, Hello Blue Skies! article describes a simple orgone transmutation tool called the "C hembuster " which will physically disperse chemtrails and possibly mitigate some of their noxious energies and immune crippling pathogens.You can also obtain a ready made Chembuster along with other types of orgone generators from this web site.
The essay below by Montalk was posted to the Internet in September of 2000, but rings as true today as it did two years ago. Montalk's analysis of the purpose behind chemtrails strikes me as intelligent. He's seems closer to the mark than most writers on the topic. The fourth article describes a metaphysical method to destroy chemtrails that could work better than the physical method if employed by enough people and practiced correctly. Print out these articles and pass them around. The fifth article is a brief description of Dr. Len Horowitz's latest book (Death in the Air) on the chemtrail spraying program describing its sinister goals, It's a valuable resource to have in your library. Lydia Mancini put together a good web site devoted to articles about Chemtrails and Radar Matrix offers some of the most amazing radar graphics of the unprecedented EMF/microwave assault that the military and government are bombarding their own citizens with.
You can just sit there and passively allow these satanic traitors to rob you of your health, your liberty, and your life, or you can do something to stop it. Deploying orgone generators in your immediate environment is an easy, safe, and highly effective way to mitigate chemtrails in your area. Join in the effort to help save yourself and humanity. .
Slyphs & Chemtrails, Kim Hits a Homerun! (Apr.16, 2005) **Important information**
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/kimshomerun15apr05.shtml
Chemtrails: Suppression of Human Evolution by Montalk (Nov. 11, 2002)
http://educate-yourself.org/mnt/ctsuppressionhumanevolution29sep00.shtml
Big Bad Brother's Deadly Schemes -Chemtrails (Nov. 26, 2001)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/2001/cnbbf14bigbadbrotherschemes26nov01.shtml
The Keys to Understanding Chemtrails (Sept. 18, 2000)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/keystochemtrails18sep00.shtml
The Great Dying; The Real Reason Behind Chemtrails (Original Sept. 15, 2000)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/ctsmindalteringability29jun04.shtml
Chemtrails: The Problem and The Solution (Mar. 1, 2002)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/ctstheproblemandthesolution1mar02.shtml
Rense.com Chemtrail Data Index page
http://www.rense.com/politics6/chemdatapage.html
Radar Matrix (http://www.radarmatrix.com/ )
Incredible pictures of not only of chemtrails, but astounding radar images of EMF bombardment and broadcasting that this government is raining down on its citizens. Great pictures of the weather effects from HAARP. Lots of good stuff there. Check it out.
Don't Chemtrail Me Bro! (http://dontchemtrailmebro.com)
Terrific new web site on chemtrails with excellent articles and many video clips of people like Left gatekeeper Sonali Kolhatkar of KPFK radio who wants to avoid the subject of chemtrails at all costs while she runs jingles about exposing "issues of mass dissent".
Strange Days, Strange Skies (http://imageevent.com/firesat/strangedaysstrangeskies)
This site presents an astounding montage of photos and video clips from some of the most prominent people exposing chemtrail poisoning operations. You must view this substantial assembly of photos! However, note that the person who is posting this information does not recognize that many of the photos show Sylphs neutralizing chemtrails, rather than government technology directed at harming the public. With the exception of the EDB petroleum aerosol rings seen around the sun, the majority of photos which reveal a "rainbow" effect are in fact demonstrating the presence of Sylphs who are transmuting the chemtrails into less harmful substances. Other Sylph photos show a large heart-shaped "hole" in the cloud cover which the web master assumes is government technology, but it is not negative technology. It's a huge Sylph who is working on neutralizing those chemtrails! Grrrrr....
Anomalous Phenomenon Associated with Chemtrails
Discs, Orbs, and UFOs
Chris Carnicom Shows Photos of Unusual "Discs" Associated with Chemtrail Spraying (April 21, 2008) http://www.carnicom.com/anomalies1.htm
'Black Beams'
Explanatory Overview
More Evidence of Ionization Beam Activity in British Columbia (April 26, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/zsl/moredisruptorbeamactivity26apr06.shtml
Disrupter Beam Over Mount Ida British Columbia (April 22, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/zsl/disrupterbeam22apr06.shtml
Black Beam Articles
Black Beams & Shadows (Oct. 15, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/blackberamsandshadows15oct08.shtml
Black Beam Appears Briefly over Corpus Christi Airport (July 21, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/blackbeamcorpuschristiairport21jul08.shtml
Amazing Wolf & British Lion Sylphs...& More (July 20, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/rolandwolfandlionsylphs18jul08.shtml
Black Beam Spotted Over Lower Lake, Californnia in Feb. 2007 (Nov. 3, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/blackbeamlowerlakeCalif03nov07.shtml
Parallel Chemtrails & Black Beams over Leicester, England, Oct. 18, 2007
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/leicesterparallelbeamsandcts18oct07.shtml
Close Encounter with Black Beams along Florida Gulf Coast (July 17, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/blackbeamfloridacoast16jul07.shtml
Parish Priest Snaps Latest Photos of Black Beams in Southern California (May 20, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/newblackbeamsSoCal19may07.shtml
Chemtrails and Black Beams over New Jersey, May 8, 2007 (May 10, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/blackbeamsandctoverNJ10may07.shtml
Update on New Jersey and New York Area Chemtrails & Black Beams (May 6, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/updateNJandNYchemtrails05may07.shtml
More Black Beams in Southern California (Mar. 19 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/moreblackbeamsSanDiego19mar07.shtml
Black Beams Over Sedona, Arizona & San Diego, California (Feb. 28, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/blackbeamphotosfredgunn26feb07.shtml
'Black Beams' & Chemtrails over Los Angeles, Dec. 25, 2006 (Jan. 4, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/blackbeamsover LA25dec06.shtml
'Black Beam' & Chemtrails in So. California, Oct. 28, 2006 (Dec, 2, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/sandiegochemtrailsdarkline29nov06.shtml
Brendan James has incredible photos of anomalous aerial objects and strange phenomenon seen with chemtrails posted at his very interesting web site, http://www.chem-trails.org Well worth a look
Videos on-line
Chemtrail Videos posted at The Crow House (Australia)
http://thecrowhouse.com/chem.html
Chemtrails Covered on Mainstream TV News Show (& only 9 years late!) Nov. 15, 2007
Chemtrail Awareness Day from Alex in England
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMmjnFcb-HQ
Political Organization
Citizen Drafts Bill to Prohibit Chemtrail Poisonings & Inhumane Weaponry (May 9, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/unifiedatmosphericpreservatrionact04mar08.shtml
Chemtrails and Disease Proliferation
Chemtrails in Michigan (& The Swine Flu Agenda) Sep. 22, 2009
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/michiganchemtrails22sep09.shtml
Gypsy Moth Spraying & Increased Chemtrails in Southern California (Nov. 23, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/gypsymothspraying23nov08.shtml
California Department of Agriculture Announces San Francisco Aerial Poisoning Program (March 5, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/sanfranciscoareosolpoisoning05mar08.shtml
Physical Symptoms Associated with Chemtrail Spraying (Dec. 27, 2007) http://educate-yourself.org/cn/chemtrailsymptoms27dec07.shtml
NE Florida: Chemtrails, Symptoms, & Demise of Small Animals (April 25, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsneflorida25apr06.shtml
Ethnically Targeted Chemtrail Diseases (July 27, 2003)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/ethniclycreateddiseases27jul03.shtml
Chemtrails Laced with Disease Organisms For Population Reduction & Profit (July 27, 2003)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/sprayingdiseasesviachemtrails27jul03.shtml
Mycoplasma, The Linking Pathogen in Neurosystemic Disease (September 2001)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/mycoplasmalinkingpathogenNexussep01.shtml
Chemtrail Skeptics & Doubters
Commercial Aviator of Ten Years Unaware of Chemtrail Spraying (May 26, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/debunkercalimstobepilot26may08.shtml
Subject: Chemtrails (April 3, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/subjectchemtrails03apr08.shtml
Chemtrails- Real or Fake? (Jan. 15, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsfakeornot15jan08.shtml
Turbine Engineer Dismisses Chemtrails as 'Pure Fantasy' (Nov. 24, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/turbineengineerandchemtrails24nov07.shtml
"I'm not entirely convinced that chemtrails are worse or different from contrails" (June 27, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/sylphsandchemtrails27jun07.shtml
Chemtrails or Exhaust Fumes? (May 4, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsoverpenn04may07.shtml
Wikipedia Dis-Information on "Contrails" (Feb. 18, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/wilipediachemtraildisinfo18feb07.shtml
Chemtrails, "It's as imple as that!" (Oct. 19, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsareimple19oct04.shtml
USA Today Ridicules Chemtrails (Mar. 18, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/usatodayrediculeschemtrails18mar04.shtml
Recent Postings on Chemtrails
Two Month Chemtrail Abatement Noticed over Sacramento, California (Aug. 31, 2010)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsabsesesacramento31aug10.shtml
Noticing More Blue Skies of Late? A Field Report from the Etheric Resistance Team (May 10, 2010)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/noticingblueskies10may10.shtml
Unheralded Bonus for West Europeans: Iceland Volcanic Ash Also Offers Respite from Chemplanes! (April17, 2010)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/icelandashchemplanerespite17apr10.shtml
Heavy Chemtrail Barage on Nov. 10, 2009 over Orange County, California (Nov. 11, 2009)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsorangecounty11nov09.shtml
Chemtrail Spraying Schedule & Agenda Listed (Feb. 22, 2009)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsprayingschedule20feb09.shtml
Sharp Edged "Z" Chemtrail Spotted over South Wales, UK (Feb. 16, 2009)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/zchemtrailoversouthwales16feb09.shtml
Gypsy Moth Spraying & Increased Chemtrails in Southern California (Nov. 23, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/gypsymothspraying23nov08.shtml
Awakening to Chemtrail Poisoning in Southern Michigan 9Aug. 1, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/awakeningtochemtrailsmichigan01aug08.shtml
Fighting Chemtrails in Germany: An Interim Report (July 22, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailbattleingermany22jul08.shtml
Chemtrails, Sylphs, & The Power of Prayer (June 22, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailssylphsandprayer22jun08.shtml
On Fighting Chemtrails in Scotland & Recognizing Sylphs (June 21, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/scotlandchemtrailsandsylphs21jun08.shtml
"I think something is happening in the sky" (May 29, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/somethinghappeninginsky29may08.shtml
Chemtrail Spray Plane Photographed on the Ground (May 10, 2008)
http://www.rense.com/general81/ddthr.htm
Chemtrails over Australia's Gold Coast (May 2, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/australiagoldcoastchemtrails02may08.shtml
Chemtrails Over Northern Italy (April 27, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsovernorthernitaly27apr08.shtml
"I contacted my Congressman about those terrible Chemtrails" (April 19, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailgressrootrevolt19apr08.shtml
Interior View of Smaller Chemtrail Sprayer? (Feb. 11, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/interiorofchemtrailsprayer11feb08.shtml
Yes, we are being sprayed, Part 1 By Carol Pellatt (Jan 21, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/pellattyouarebeingsprayeAnov07.shtml
Yes, we are being sprayed, Part 2 By Carol Pellatt (Jan. 21, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/pellattyouarebeingsprayeBdec07.shtml
Chemtrails- Real or Fake? (Jan. 15, 2008)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsfakeornot15jan08.shtml
Chemtrails & Global Warming (Dec.2, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/chemtrailsandglobalwarming02dec07.shtml
Turbine Engineer Dismisses Chemtrails as 'Pure Fantasy' (Nov. 24, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/turbineengineerandchemtrails24nov07.shtml
Chembuster Producing Positive Results in Yucca Valley, California (Nov. 18, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/CBworkingYuccaValley18nov07.shtml
Chemtrails Covered on Mainstream TV News Show (& only 9 years late!) Nov. 15, 2007
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailcoveragenewssegment15nov07.shtml
Chemtrail Awareness Day (Nov. 11, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailawarenessweek11nov07.shtml
Parallel Chemtrails & Black Beams over Leicester, England, Oct. 18, 2007
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/leicesterparallelbeamsandcts18oct07.shtml
Unusual Color Bands Photographed with Seattle Sylph (Sep. 4, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/sylphcoloredSeattle04sep07.shtml
Thoughts on Fire the Grid and Matthew's Comments on Chemtrails (July 17, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/firethegridandmatthewonchemtrails17jul07.shtml
Close Encounter with Black Beams along Florida Gulf Coast (July 17, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/blackbeamfloridacoast16jul07.shtml
Chemtrail Grid Photographed over California Desert in 1987 (July 17, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailgrid1987desert17jul07.shtml
Fighting Chemtrails in Germany: Update on Gifting July 17, 2007
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/fightingchemtrailsgermanyupdate17jul07.shtml
Chemtrails and Odd Weather in the UK (June 29, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsoddUKweather29jun07.shtml
"I'm not entirely convinced that chemtrails are worse or different from contrails" (June 27, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/sylphsandchemtrails27jun07.shtml
The Art of Mental Chembusting & Other Strategies of Etheric Resistance (June 19, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/mentalchembusting19jun07.shtml
Is Los Angeles Chemtrail Central? (May 23, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/chemtrailsLAcentral23may07.shtml
Parish Priest Snaps Latest Photos of Black Beams in Southern California (May 20, 2007) http://educate-yourself.org/cn/newblackbeamsSoCal19may07.shtml
Black Beams Spotted in the UK (May 14, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/blackbeamsoverUK13may07.shtml
Chemtrails and Black Beams over New Jersey, May 8, 2007 (May 10, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/blackbeamsandctoverNJ10may07.shtml
Update on New Jersey and New York Area Chemtrails & Black Beams (May 6, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/updateNJandNYchemtrails05may07.shtml
White/Silvery Orbs Seen Among Chemtrails over Sedona, Arizona (May 4, 2007) http://educate-yourself.org/cn/fredgunnsedonachemtrailorbsufo30apr07.shtml
Chemtrails or Exhaust Fumes? (May 4, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsoverpenn04may07.shtml
Awakening to Chemtrail Aerosol Poisioning in Pennsylvania (April 6, 2007) http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsoverPAdocumented04apr07.shtml
More Black Beams in Southern California (Mar. 19 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/moreblackbeamsSanDiego19mar07.shtml
Pentagram Chemtrails over Nashville, Tennessee (Mar. 18, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/pentagramchemtrailsovernashville13mar07.shtml
Discovery Channel Chemtrail Coverage: Obfuscation & Misinformation (Mar. 18, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/discoverychannelandchemtrails27feb07.shtml
Fighting Chemtrails in Germany: The Power of Focused Intent & Emotions (March 13, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/fightingchemtrailswithprayer09mar07.shtml
Black Beams Over Sedona, Arizona & San Diego, California (Feb. 28, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/blackbeamphotosfredgunn26feb07.shtml
13 Year Old Uses Positive Thoughtforms to Bust Chemtrails (Feb. 19, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/positivethoughtformbustchemtrails19feb07.shtml
Wikipedia Dis-Information on "Contrails" (Feb. 18, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/wilipediachemtraildisinfo18feb07.shtml
Pentagrams Seen with Dutch Chemtrails (Feb. 6, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/pentagramdutchchemtrails06feb07.shtml
Heavy Chemtrail Bombardment in Costa Mesa/Irvine Area of California Jan. 29, 2007
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/heavybombardment29jan07.shtml
'Black Beams' & Chemtrails over Los Angeles, Dec. 25, 2006 (Jan. 4, 2007)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/blackbeamsover LA25dec06.shtml
Chemtrails and Southwest Airlines (Dec. 6, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsandsourthwestairlines06dec06.shtml
'Black Beam' & Chemtrails in So. California, Oct. 28, 2006 (Dec, 2, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/sandiegochemtrailsdarkline29nov06.shtml
Comments & Questions on the New World Order Agenda and Chemtrails (Nov. 10, 2006) http://educate-yourself.org/lte/questionsonNWOgoals06nov06.shtml
Chemtrails: "What can I do about it? " (Nov. 4, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailswhattodo04nov06.shtml
Remarkable Aerial Objects Filmed Over Connecticut March 20-26, 2005 (June 24, 2006) http://educate-yourself.org/cn/remarkableobjectsfilmedoverCT24jun06.shtml
Stratospheric Ice Dust, a 'Different' Perspective on Chemtrails (June 6, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/stratosphericicedust06jun06.shtml
The Methodic Demise of Hope & Determination by Doom & Gloom 'Concerned Authorities' (May 3, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/methodicdemiseofnaturalearth27mar04.shtml
NE Florida: Chemtrails, Symptoms, & Demise of Small Animals (April 25, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsneflorida25apr06.shtml
Chemtrails: 'Exotic Weapons' Says Space Preservation Act of 2001 (Feb. 26, 2006)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/chemtrailsexoticweapons26feb06.shtml
Aircraft Mechanic Discusses Chemtrail Spray Equipment Aboard Commercial Aircraft (Apr. 18, 2005)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/chemspewermechanics17apr05.shtml
Can Humans Influence the Dispersion of Chemtrails? ( Apr. 16, 2005)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/humansinfluencectdispersion16apr05.shtml
'Jim Phelps' and His 'Chemtrails Overview' (Apr. 15, 2005)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/jimphelpschemtrailarticle15apr05.shtml
"Blasting", Alternative Defense Against Chemtrails (Mar. 4, 2005)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/blastingchemtrails04mar05.shtml
New Chemtrail web site: CHEMTRAILS-POISON FROM THE SKIES
http://home.iae.nl/users/lightnet/world/chemtrailsworld.htm
Chemtrails And Vaccines: What You Didn't Know About Vaccines And Human/Animal Husbandry (Feb. 19, 2005)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/chemtrailsandvaccines14feb05.shtml
Chemtrails Over Pennsylvania (Dec. 29, 2004)
http://www.rense.com/general61/chemo.htm
The Nazi Flu By Dr. Len Horowitz (Dec. 28, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/naziflu28dec04.shtml
Chemtrails, "It's as imple as that!" (Oct. 19, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsareimple19oct04.shtml
Chemtrails Over Bangkok (Oct. 17, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailsoverbangkok17oct04.shtml
Shocking NASA Satellite Photo of SE America, Contrails or Con? (Oct.13, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/nasaconphoto13oct04.shtml
Sylphs vs Chemtrails Over Southeastern Wisconsin (Sep. 13, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/sylphsoverwisconsin13sep04.shtml
Sylphs Over Holland, Part 3 (Sep. 10, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/sylphs3overholland09sep04.shtml
Sylphs Over Holland, Part 2 (Sep. 3, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/sylphs overholland30aug04.shtml
Chemtrails Over New Hampshire (Aug. 25, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/ctsovernewhampshire25aug04.shtml
The Sylph Letter, Part 2 (Aug. 13, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/sylphletterpartB05aug04.shtml
The Sylph Letter (Aug. 5, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/sylphletter05aug04.shtml
Chemtrails or Contrails? Are We Really Being Sprayed? by G. Edward Griffin (July 7, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/chemtrailsbygedwardgriffin07jul04.shtml
Dramatic Improvement in Skies Over Orange County, California since May, 2004 (June 24, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/dc/improvedskiessoutherncalif.shtml
Chemtrails, The final Verdict (June 23, 2004)
http://www.jackblood.com/index/id38.html
Aerosol and Electromagnetic Weapons in the Age of Nuclear War (June 21, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/tb/worthingtonaerosolandelectromagweapons01jun04.shtml
Regarding Chemtrail Naysayers (May 17, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemtrailnaysayers17may04.shtml
USA Today Ridicules Chemtrails (Mar. 18, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/usatodayrediculeschemtrails18mar04.shtml
Chem Trails (Mar. 15, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/chemspacetrails15mar04.shtml
Anatomy of a HAARP Attack: From Mostly Cloudy to Clear in 20 Minutes! (Mar. 14, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/anatomyhaarpattack14mar04.shtml
Aren't Chemtrails Also Poisoning the Secret Goverment Plotters? (Mar. 12, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/arechemtrailspoisoningplotters12mar04.shtml
U.S. Postal Service to Issue Chemtrail Stamp Designs (Feb. 11, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/postalctstamps11feb04.shtml
The Reason for Chemtrails (Jan. 24, 2004)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/reasonsforchemtrails24jan04.shtml
Pink Chemtrail Sunsets (Oct. 28, 2003)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/pinkchemtrailssunset23oct03.shtml
Operation Rain Dance
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/operationraindance.shtml
The Suspicious Case of Dr. Larry C. Ford and BioFem, Inc
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/irvinecanistersandbioweapons10mar00.shtml
Ethnically Targeted Chemtrail Diseases (July 27, 2003)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/ethniclycreateddiseases27jul03.shtml
Chemtrails Laced with Disease Organisms For Population Reduction & Profit (July 27, 2003)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/sprayingdiseasesviachemtrails27jul03.shtml
The Conspiracy of Chemtrails , Ten Problems by Mark Davey (June 9, 2003)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/ctstenproblems09jun03.shtml
Waking Up to Chemtrail Disinfo (May 9, 2003)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/wakinguptoctdisinfo09may03.shtml
Metaphysics of Immunity: SARS and Chemtrails by Montalk ( May 8, 2003)
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/metaphysicsofimmunity07may03.shtml
Channeler Seeks Opinion on Chemtrails (Oct. 15, 2002)
http://educate-yourself.org/lte/channelerseekschemtrailopinion15oct02.shtml
Latest From ZetaTalk on The Chemtrail Genocide Agenda (May 3, 2002)
http://educate-yourself.org/ct/latestfromzetatalk3may02.shtml
The Best Internet site for Chemtrail info is from Cliff Carnicom
(http://www.carnicom.com/contrails.htm)
Good Photos and Articles on Chemtrails
(http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Chemtrails.html)
The most current articles on Chemtrails are posted at this link
(http://www.sightings.com/politics6/chemdatapage.html)
Introductory Overview of Chemtrails (written May 1999) By Ken Adachi
For over a year, the military has been spraying the skies throughout America, Canada, and now parts of Europe (including Britain, France, and the Netherlands) with substances that were initially referred to as "mystery contrails" , but later were named "chemtrails" by investigative reporter and author William Thomas. When questioned, military and government officials either deny any knowledge of these sprayings outright or they offer unbelievable and ludicrous explanations that only a moron could believe. Joe Burton has been aggressively investigating and reporting on this story from early on. Apparently he had been too aggressive, because his house had been targeted for direct spraying by low flying, unmarked aircraft. In a story posted Feb. 15, 1999, Joe reports the physical symptoms that his family and his pet have been experiencing from the sprayings. Joe believes that many of these military tankers responsible for the sprayings are remote controlled aircraft, but Al Cuppet (6 years with the US Joint Chiefs of Staff) has told radio talk show host Jeff Rense during interviews on June 1, 1999, May 16, 1999, and May 7, 1999 felt that many of these tanker planes were more likely being flown by foreign pilots, possibly Chinese or Russian.
Some Background :
Symptoms from Chemtrail sprayings
A One, Two Punch?
On February 20, 1999, strange "Contrails" were reported over Long Island, NY by 'concerned citizens' who also took photos. These photos reveal the characteristic "X" mark seen in almost all cases of chemtrails. Earlier this year, reports by Ken Welch have been posted on various sites on the Internet. His reports are titled Contrail Spraying of Cities is Real Part 1 , Part II, and Part III These articles chronicle Ken's apprehension and dismay at the discovery that the United States government was brazenly spraying the skies of southern Texas on April 9, 1999 with Chemtrails. Ken has also posted E-mails at his web site that were sent to him in May '99 of reports of sprayings over South Carolina and Indiana . In June, a report from Florida said that sprayings had been going on for weeks over the Ft Lauderdale and Jacksonville areas, including military bases.
It is being reported that people with average or below average immunity are experiencing pneumonia-like respiratory symptoms, while people with stronger immunity are only experiencing slight discomfort for a day or two or no symptoms at all. Some people have gotten very ill and the symptoms seem to keep returning after a short period of improvement. It's possible that some of these sprayings might contain special bioengineered pathogens designed to affect only certain racial groups.
Radio talk show host Jeff Rense has offered the idea that these sprayed pathogens might be part of a Binary weapon system. In other words, a second substance might be required (aerial spraying or substances added to the water supply for example) to bring out the virulent phase of the pathogen, but of course this is only speculation. Rick Malinowski's long and detailed article also suggest the notion of a 2 or 3 part piggy back element to the chemtrail sprayings. My own suspicions are that these sprayings are intended for multiple purposes including low level population reduction (see NWO Population Control), mind control and/or tracking, and to foster weakness and apathy among the general population in anticipation of the New World Order takeover agenda which will likely include the imposition of martial law (a sickly population is a lot more controllable and compliant than a healthy, vigorous one).
William Thomas
William Thomas was the first reporter to attract national attention to the chemtrails issue. He has been interviewed many times on the Art Bell Radio show to discuss the chemtrails story and has many excellent articles and Photos posted at his own web site as well as other locations including-Jeff Rense's Sightings on the Radio . Thomas has concluded that these sprayings are genocidal in nature and are intended to reduce or weaken the general population. In a November '99 interview with Art Bell, Thomas also voiced the idea that there might be a mind control element to the most recent spraying, since many people are reporting mental confusion and depression following recent sprayings. Thomas has reminded radio listeners that the government has had a long history of exposing the public to biological pathogens without their knowledge or consent. Thomas has also reported that spraying samples have been analyzed and have revealed that many deadly and toxic pathogens have been found including Mycoplasma Fermetens Incognitus (the SAME bioengineered pathogen that Dr Garth Nicholson had discovered in about 45% of the veterans who came down with Gulf War Illness). Thomas found that Mycoplasma, however, was only ONE pathogen among a group of highly toxic biohazard substances analyzed from the chemtrail residues.
Why?
The evidence is obvious and plentiful that these sprayings have been taking place almost daily since the Fall of '98 and many people have gotten sick and undoubtedly some have died from the effects of these pathogen/toxin sprayings, but the $64 question is WHY ?
Some writers have wistfully speculated that the government is trying to vaccinate us against a coming plague of bio terrorist origin. Most people would like to believe that, but the evidence is too strong in the opposite direction. Of course, sprayings might have different intentions for different sectors of the population: Possible population reduction for the weak and immune compromised; possible vaccine protection intended for certain ethnic groups; and possible ID tracking. It's hard to say. Only insiders know the real story, or more probably know some parts of the Real Story.
What most Americans don't realize is that the upper echelons of the United States government is no longer a government "of , by, and for " the people (See the New World Order). The United States government-as with all other major governments of the world-is under the total domination and control of the Illuminati (architects of the so-called New World Order). The Illuminati's plan to reduce the global population by 4 billion people before the year 2050 was laid out in the Global 2000 report assembled by the Carter administration. in the late 70's.
It should be obvious-that in order to REDUCE the world's population from its present size of six billion down to 2 billion (even over a fifty year span) would require that the majority of people now living would have to be exterminated in some way. The amazing thing about the Illuminati is that they place all their ghastly plans right out in the open for everyone to see , if people would only look and read what they are saying.
Debunkers
A genocidal operation of this size and scope would require the Illuminati controllers to promote contravening propaganda in the opposite direction in order to limit or defuse political agitation, possible retaliatory action, and to quell the concerns of the average American who might stumble upon the chemtrail story. It's Standard Operating Procedure for the Illuminati. For example, when Senate committee hearings took place a few years ago (early '90's) on re-examining the Kennedy assassination, just coincidentally an author (and CIA asset) by the name of Gerald Posner, who had recently published a book titled "Case Closed", suddenly appears on the national scene. In his book, Posner claimed unequivocally that Oswald was the lone assassin , that there was no conspiracy involving others, and that the Warren Commission was correct in its original findings. Reviews of his opinions and that of his book received front page coverage throughout mainstream media . Frontline produced a 2 hour "documentary" on Posner's claims which failed to offer opposing views by other Kennedy assassination investigators/authors to refute or take issue with Posner's position. In 1997, on the 50 year anniversary of the Roswell, New Mexico UFO Crash of 1947, the government offered up a high ranking Air Force officer to make an utter fool of himself on national TV (CNN) by stating that the so called "bodies" of aliens beings-which were recovered from the Roswell crash-were "in fact" really only test dummies that the Air Force had sent aloft to see how they would fare under crash conditions. This orchestrated and staged press conference had already stated that the dummies were deployed in 1954 . When one reporter asked this Air Force officer what the connection was between a 1954 test of crash dummies and the 1947 Roswell UFO crash, the stunned officer could only mumble that apparently "time compression" had "taken place". It was a Golden Moment for those of us who rail against the unending stream of lies and unmitigated deception fostered upon the American public by the (corportate/Illuminati controlled) mainstream media and government spokesmen. [ Update January 2002 ]
The party line from chemtrail debunkers has changed over the past 3 years. Early on, chemtrail disinformation artists wanted the public to think that chemtrails were really just ordinary contrails that were persisting longer than usual due to changing atmospheric conditions and similar tripe. Later, when the persistent contrail theme had worn too thin, debukers needed to create some sort of logical excuse for chemtrails, so they began to peddle the aerial immunization against 'terrorists' biologicals or solar wind "protection" gambit. Lately, the current unofficial party line seems to be
1. protection of the ozone layer,
2. secret military radar blanketing technology,
3. aerosol 'vaccinations' of some sort and
4. some vague reference to 'protection from aliens' (??? you got me).
Debunkers will usually offer themselves as experts or authorities on chemtrails and will always give you a 80-90% dose of real info layered in with their hidden propaganda message. Another trait I've noticed from debunkers is the the sheer volume of their presentation coupled with a lot of technical jargon, scientific looking graphs and pictures to bolster the image of scientific validity and depth of investigation. But if you read their 'reports' carefully enough, you can spot the party line-loud and clear. Lastly, debunkers will always yell "fraud" the loudest for those articles and authors who hit closest to home where truth is concerned. A good place to start honing your discernment skills is with the highly circulated and often referenced "Chemtrails Report". |
The Ubuntu Software Center is withering away.
Canonical has silently discontinued the paid app store without informing developers, Ubuntu flavors are dropping it, and free software enthusiasts aren’t happy with it. It’s still fine for installing free software from Ubuntu’s software repositories—but it can be slow and clunky even for that.
Ubuntu MATE is dropping it, and it won’t be missed
Ubuntu MATE 15.10 won’t include the Ubuntu Software Center by default, as Martin Wimpress announced on Google+ back in July. “There, I’ve done it,” he wrote. “You can stop sending me messages about it now.”
This wasn’t met by widespread outcry in the comments. The Ubuntu Software Center application is considered rather slow and outdated compared to the alternatives.
Canonical’s Alan Pope expressed concern that there would be no way for users who purchased paid apps from the Ubuntu Software Center to reinstall them, but that doesn’t seem to be a real worry. Users already can’t access paid apps on the latest versions of Ubuntu because Canonical has abandoned this side of the Software Center.
The app store is done for
The Software Center is two things. First, it’s a prettier interface to the standard apt-get package manager containing free, open-source software. Second, it’s an app store that sells paid, often proprietary, applications. That app store side is no longer being maintained.
Ubuntu app developer Michal Rosiak wrote a public message to Canonical on Google+ in early July, laying out his “deep frustration related to Canonical’s approach to developers.” He argued that Canonical had failed to make his paid applications available to users of Ubuntu 15.04 and newer versions. “I am currently hosting numerous programs on Ubuntu Software Center and two of the most profitable ones are still stuck on 14.04.” Michal says he tried to get in contact with Canonical via email, the feedback section in the developers panel, and other methods, and had been waiting for a month with no replies before he posted this message.
His public complaint finally got a response from Canonical employees. Canonical’s David Planella wrote the “resources that were initially allocated to the classic desktop store have been put into building the vision of the mobile store, initially released for the phone.”
Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth also replied matter-of-factly. “As David said, we learned that the Deb based package system wasn’t workable for a store. The work on Ubuntu phone led us to snappy, where we put the developer of a typical app almost completely in control of publication.”
In other words, Canonical is done with that desktop app store and is moving on to the new Snappy-based package manager. That is nowhere near ready yet, and even the next Ubuntu LTS release—Ubuntu 16.04—will only feature it as a separate option, with typical desktop users encouraged to use the more standard typical release with the Unity 7 and the old Ubuntu Software Center. Developers will have to wait quite a few more years to target Ubuntu desktop users with paid apps again.
In the end, the developer only got a response and not any help. “Unfortunately, we haven’t fixed your problem because as it stands we can’t afford to. The deb-based store has continued to be a huge problem over time and in fact it has been increasingly expensive to keep running,” wrote Canonical’s Martin Albisetti. “As it stands today, we won’t enable uploads to newer Ubuntu releases. It requires significant manual work that sometimes drags on for weeks.” But, at least he admitted what’s obvious: “We all agree the current situation with the deb-based [store] isn’t one to be proud of.”
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While Canonical’s lack of resources are obvious and the choice is understandable, Canonical should have attempted to communicate this to developers in advance so they wouldn’t waste time and lose potential income by developing for what appears to be a dead platform. This particular developer now says he’s going to work on platforms provided by Apple, Google, and Microsoft—not by Ubuntu.
Quite a few Linux users feel Canonical has been focusing on Ubuntu for phones while largely ignoring the desktop most Ubuntu users actually use, and that certainly seems true here. This feeling is partly why Linux Mint has won so many fans.
Few people purchased apps from the store, anyway
Canonical’s paid app store never appeared to actually take off. Before Steam was available for Linux, the Humble Bundle project partnered with the app store and gave away Ubuntu Software Center codes for Linux games, allowing users to download them from that centralized location. As part of this, Super Meat Boy was added to the Ubuntu Software Center.
A year later, developer Ed McMillan claimed Canonical had sold Super Meat Boy for a year without permission and had yet to pay for those sales. Canonical’s David Pitkin said this was a miscommunication and Canonical would pay for all the copies of Super Meat Boy sold in a year—all 77 of them. This is a game that had sold over one million copies by the start of 2012. The Ubuntu Software Center’s sales were tiny. It’s unlikely paid app sales have picked up since this happened back in 2012.
The game Bastion in the Ubuntu Software Center.
Free software enthusiasts don’t like it, either
There are other reasons to dislike the Ubuntu Software Center, too.
Tony Mobily over at Free Software Magazine accused the Ubuntu Software Center of mixing proprietary software and actual open-source software without correctly labelling which was which. Packages are marked with “free” without clarifying what this actually means. Try to get the information by looking at details and you’ll be confronted by information like “License: Unknown” and “Updates: Unknown.” Rather than being malicious, this just seems like another sign of an app store ignored and left to rot.
It’s a shame, because the Ubuntu Software Center still opens to a section titled “What’s New” with various paid applications available for download. Presumably, there won’t be any new paid applications added to there in the future. |
CLOSE The Michigan Legislature is trying to tackle the thorny issue of no-fault auto insurance reform. Wochit
Buy Photo Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has a plan to lower insurance rates in Michigan by lowering costs and medical coverage. (Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell/Detroit Free Press)Buy Photo
LANSING — Relief from the highest auto insurance rates in the nation took on a bigger sense of urgency last week.
From comments made by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette when he announced his run for governor to a plan offered by bipartisan group of lawmakers, calls to reform Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance rose to the top of the agenda.
Add the two newest entries to the insurance debate to efforts being made by Speaker of the House Tom Leonard, R-Dewitt, who is working with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to come up with a way to reduce rates across Michigan and especially in Detroit, where drivers can pay up to $3,000 a year for insurance.
Read more:
No-fault fixes? How other states reined in auto insurance costs
Free Press report: Why does auto insurance in Detroit cost so much?
CLOSE Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan talks about the need for reform in the state's no fault auto insurance system. Kathleen Gray/Detroit Free Press
Duggan has called astronomical auto insurance rates — Michigan is ranked highest in the nation — “the biggest scandal in the state.”
And Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, also rates insurance reform as a top priority, but has his own ideas on what shape that reform will take.
Lawmakers have been unsuccessful in their multiple attempts over the last several years to reform the state’s no-fault auto insurance system, which carries the highest costs in the nation, fueled in part by lifetime health benefits for people catastrophically injured in vehicle crashes.
And it’s not certain that they’ll be able to cross the finish line this year, despite a renewed push for reform.
“Change happens when good politics meets good policy,” said Jeff Williams, CEO of Public Sector Consultants, a Lansing-based public policy think tank. “We’re seeing momentum on the politics side and a desire for change. So that makes action more likely. But in the policy environment, I haven’t heard new ideas or proposals.”
The proposals
1. A rare show of bipartisanship on the issue emerged last week when 15 members of the House of Representatives — both Republicans and Democrats — gathered at the Lansing Center to announce a package of bills to reduce auto insurance rates, including: a prohibition on auto insurance companies from using anything other than a person’s driving record — such as credit scores, ZIP codes or gender — to determine rates; a guaranteed reduction in rates of 20% to 30% without a loss of benefits; the creation of a fraud authority to root out abuses by both insurance providers and customers; and a fee schedule for both medical services and the amount paid to people who care for car crash victims.
“Insurance companies find excuses to charge people higher rates for their insurance even when they’re perfect drivers,” said state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, D-Detroit. “I’m not saying women are better drivers than others. I’m just saying it’s not fair to charge us more because of our pulchritude.”
The proposal gained some support from organizations that have been opposed in the past, such as the Brain Injury Association of Michigan.
“We’ve been working for the past few legislative cycles to come up with a comprehensive reform package that will improve Michigan’s auto insurance system that will protect the lifetime injury coverage that is so crucial to accident survivors while still reducing the cost for drivers,” said Thomas Constand, president of the association, who was at the announcement. “Today, we have the makings of that lasting bipartisan solution.”
But the prohibition on non-driving factors to be used to set rates has been proposed before by Democrats, going back to former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, and have been shot down by the courts and Republicans.
And the current leadership in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and Senate aren’t on board with the latest proposal.
“I have not had an opportunity to review this or even know what’s in the proposal,” Leonard said. “But I am very excited by the fact that other groups are finally coming to the table, or at least proposing solutions.”
Buy Photo State Rep. Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills, is joined by more than a dozen state lawmakers to announce a bipartisan package of bills to reform Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance system on Sept. 14, 2017 at the Lansing Center in Lansing. (Photo: Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press)
2. Leonard and Duggan have been working for months on an auto insurance fix that is working toward reducing insurance rates by 25%-30%. While specific details haven’t been released yet, an option for customers to buy less expensive plans that would have a cap on medical coverage has been discussed.
Similar proposals have fizzled in the past and Meekhof has declared that any proposal that would mandate the rates insurance companies could charge amounts to “price fixing” that would be “dead, dead, dead” in the Senate.
But Duggan, a tenacious politician unaccustomed to defeat, has been working the Legislature hard, trying to drum up support for what he described in his State of the City address earlier this year as one of the major drags on the city’s comeback.
And Leonard said the momentum is on their side.
“Outside groups are scared and are finally coming to the table because they know that we’re very close to getting something together that will deliver real rate relief for the citizens of this state,” he said.
3. Meekhof said auto insurance reform doesn’t have to be all encompassing in order for customers to realize rate relief. There are three areas that could help, he said, including limits on what caregivers are paid; a fraud authority, and capping benefits for uninsured passengers or pedestrians who are injured in accidents.
“By the time you get the insurance industry and hospitals to agree on those three things, the immaculate conception has just happened,” he said, adding that he has no intention of considering a mandatory rollback in rates.
“When do Republicans get in between a private transaction between a business and customer and set what prices are?” he said. “Anything that interrupts the free market is dead.”
4. When Schuette officially announced his campaign for governor last week in Midland, he said putting money back into the pockets of Michiganders —through tax and auto insurance relief — topped his campaign agenda.
But specific plans haven't been developed yet, said campaign spokeswoman Bridget Bush.
"Bill is closely watching the current legislative activity that is unfolding," she said. "We know a key piece that has to be acted upon is fraud and frivolous lawsuits that drive up costs for good drivers and law-abiding citizens."
Despite the lack of agreement on the proposals making the rounds in Lansing, state Rep. Ben Frederick, R-Owosso, said there is room for optimism.
“We all have certain points from which we start these negotiations,” he said. “What we’ve seen time and time again is a failure in the House to get something done. But everyone should give a little to get something big done.”
It’s hard, however, to balance the needs of severely injured accident victims, who travel to the Capitol to tell their stories whenever the issue comes up in Lansing, and the desire of Michiganders to lower exorbitant auto insurance bills.
“I have never in my life met a legislator who is so hard-hearted and has said those stories have no effect on them,” Williams said. “I use the discussions over repealing the Affordable Care Act as a comparison. Both of those discussions are talking about extreme financial risks on events that haven’t happened yet that have huge price tags for society. But where do you draw the line?”
No actual bills have been introduced yet, but are expected soon from lawmakers.
Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4430, [email protected] or on Twitter @michpoligal.
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June 17, 2013
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Tennessee's football team joins the South Carolina football squad and Georgia tennis player Maho Kowase as the recipients of the 6th annual SEC Sportsmanship Award, the conference office announced on Monday. The winners will be forwarded for nomination to the NCAA for its national sportsmanship awards, to be announced in July.
The two were chosen by a vote of the SEC Directors of Athletics. Kowase is the recipient of the female award while South Carolina and Tennessee received the male honor.
"Sportsmanship, civility and societal responsibility are things that will lead to victories throughout the course of life," SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. "I congratulate Maho and the University of South Carolina and University of Tennessee football teams for this prestigious honor, and for being committed to athletic excellence and overall excellence."
On Oct. 27, 2012, South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore suffered a severe knee injury in the second quarter against Tennessee, the second of his career. While it is customary for the teammates on the field at the time of an injury to gather around, South Carolina's entire sideline encircled its fallen player. It did not take long for Tennessee's team to follow suit.
Despite being engaged in a heated conference game, both teams set aside their battle to show support for a football player, regardless of which uniform he wore. The act displayed both great sportsmanship by the teams gathered as one support unit as well as the impact that Lattimore had on his sport.
At the 2012 NCAA Women's Tennis Championships, the UG team match came down to Kowase's individual match where she was trailing in the final set. An official made an incorrect score call that favored Kowase. Upon hearing the official's report, the junior came forward and agreed with her opponent on the correct score.
The Kashiwa, Japan native kept her poise to go on to win the match, pushing her team into the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. While her match score was still good enough to win the competition, her integrity prevailed. According to the nomination form, "Every moment Maho is on the court, she competes like a champion and shows respect for all opponents. After matches, win or lose, you can usually find Maho talking to her opponent, and usually smiling throughout the conversation."
Below is a list of SEC Sportsmanship recipients:
2013 - University of Tennessee, University of South Carolina Football Teams, Maho Kowase, Georgia (Tennis)
2012 - Matt Walters, Arkansas (Tennis); Joanna Mather, Florida (Tennis); Laura Eddy, Georgia (Soccer)
2011 - Louis Day, South Carolina (Track & Field); Ole Miss Softball Team
2010 - Rodney Scott, Ole Miss (Football); Sam Arbaugh, South Carolina (Softball)
2009 - Dorian Ulrey, Arkansas (Track & Field); Alabama Women's Tennis Team
2008 - Chris Lofton, Tennessee (Basketball); Jessica Yadloczky, Florida (Golf) |
Thursday marked the last four-game day of the SEC baseball tournament and the end of the road for at least two more teams, as we get into the part of the bracket where every day brings another round of eliminations. It also marked the day when a couple of teams found their offenses and might have revived their chances by doing so. And it set up a couple of fine games today, with the winners advancing to the single-elimination semifinals.
DAY THREE
PodKATT of ATVS via farm8.staticflickr.com, with permission and under Creative Commons
LSU 11, Ole Miss 2
The Tigers had a 4-2 even before they broke things open with a five-run eighth inning, which included six hits and an Ole Miss error as LSU batted around. Meanwhile, Bayou Bengals starter Kevin Gausman allowed seven hits but just two runs in seven innings of work, striking out seven batters. The Rebel Black Bears pitchers all shared in the loss, with each of the half-dozen players to take the mound giving up at least one run.
Kentucky 5, Mississippi State 1
The Wildcats finally figured out how to beat the Western Division Bulldogs. It started with a solid outing from Jared Grundy, who allowed just four hits and an earned run in six innings. Alex Phillips relieved him with three hitless innings that featured only two Bulldogs getting on base -- one through a walk and the other getting hit by a pitch. Mississippi State burned through several pitchers, but only Ross Mitchell, who threw just 14 pitches in 1.2 scoreless innings, seemed to be able to figure the Wildcats out for an extended period of time.
South Carolina 5, Auburn 3
The Tigers became the first team to lose at Hoover after scoring three runs in a game. It has not been an offensive showdown in Hoover this year. But Michael Roth and Matt Price pitched well enough to give the Gamecocks their thirteenth consecutive 40-win season, and the Gamecocks offense took care of the rest. Adam Matthews was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run. Tanner English was the only position player without a hit on the day. Auburn exits the SEC tournament and perhaps the season with the loss.
Vanderbilt 2, Florida 1
The Commodores moved one step closer to an unlikely championship by defeating the Gators largely with pitching. Sam Selman walked four but allowed just two hits in six innings of work. He also struck out seven -- which on its own was more than the four hits Florida managed all night. Not that Vanderbilt was that much better; the Commodores never had more than one hit in an inning, including the two-run fourth.
DAY FOUR PREVIEW
(1) LSU vs. (7) Mississippi State, 4 p.m. ET, CSS / ESPN3
Next to Vanderbilt, the Western Division Bulldogs have been the best story of the tournament. But the loss to Kentucky likely blunted the momentum that had carried Mississippi State through the first part of the week. Besides, asking any team to play LSU, Kentucky and then LSU again in back-to-back-to-back games is a bit much. The Tigers take the game and move to the semifinal game.
(3) Florida vs. (2) South Carolina, 30 minutes after LSU-Mississippi State, CSS / ESPN3
This is sort of the game you wanted to see near the end of the season. The regular-season series between these two teams came while the Gamecocks were struggling to get themselves on the right track in the SEC. Now, we get a showdown with both teams in late-season form. The main question in this game is what South Carolina will do when the game goes to the bullpen; it's hard to see Ray Tanner asking Price to pitch again after throwing 41 pitches Thursday night. But the Gamecocks have used their bullpen more sparingly this week and just feel like they've been playing better baseball lately -- and that gives them the edge in this one. |
General News of Friday, 21 March 2014
Source: XYZ
Diaper-wearing gays need “psychotic” treatment – Mike Ocquaye
Ghanaian Political Historian Mike Ocquaye has argued that homosexuals are “sick” people who need “psychotic” treatment. He said gays must therefore stop fighting for their “deviant” behaviour to be accepted in society as normal.
“It has persistently been argued that homosexuality should be accepted because some men and women are born with hormonal and other deficiencies and that the same applies to lesbians. I wish to submit that whenever this happens, it is an indication that the person involved is sick in some way or the other, and what that individual needs is medical or psychotic treatment, not accepting the deviant conduct, otherwise every disability, every ailment can become a ground for breaking the laws of the country or of society and if that should happen, we’ll be worse than the animals,” the former history Professor put forth strongly.
Ocquaye told an anti-gay forum in Accra, Ghana on Thursday, that Africa must resist attempts by the West to shove homosexuality down the Continent’s throat.
The former presidential aspirant’s anger follows the World Bank’s recent postponement of a $90 million loan for Uganda after the East African country passed anti-gay laws which attracted harsh criticism from the West. The loan was meant to support health initiatives in Uganda. The World Bank is financing $1.56 billion worth of projects in Uganda. Foreign aid from mainly Western countries and Breton Woods Institutions account for 13 percent of Uganda’s gross domestic product.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, in a recent opinion piece for the Washington Post, expressed qualms about the more than 80 countries that have passed anti-gay legislations worldwide. Nigeria passed a law in January to punish homosexuality with a 14-year prison term. There about 12 countries in Africa where homosexuality is a crime. Ghana’s laws are smudgy on the subject. They criminalise bestiality and “unnatural carnal knowledge” but do not specifically mention homosexuality.
In Kim’s opinion: “There is clear evidence that when societies enact laws that prevent productive people from fully participating in the workforce, economies suffer,” arguing that: “Legislation restricting sexual rights, for instance, can hurt a country’s competitiveness by discouraging multinational companies from investing or locating their activities in those nations.”
Uganda’s anti-gay law was enacted in February and accented to by President Yoweri Museveni on February 24, in the full glare of Western and local media. They impose a life sentence for gay crimes and also make it an offence not to report the laws’ violation.
“The west can keep their 'aid' to Uganda over homos, we shall still develop without it,” Ofwono Opondo, a spokesperson for the Ugandan government, said on Twitter. He added: “Slave trade, slavery, colonialism, imperialism, and exploitation, Africa must stand up to Western domination.”
Besides the World Bank, Denmark and Norway have also either withheld or re-directed aid away from Uganda's $90 billion economy, according to Bloomberg. Denmark will withhold $9 million in investments in private projects while Norway will withhold $8 million in development aid. The U.K. will also reportedly redirect $163 million in aid through alternative routes instead of passing it through the government.
Billionaire Richard Branson, in an interview with CNN a day after Museveni accented to the anti-gay law advocated a business boycott of Uganda. “I don’t want to spend money in Uganda. I would rather spend money in countries that treat their people decently,” Branson said.
UK Premier David Cameron, American President Barack Obama as well as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon are all on record to have threatened to withhold aid to African countries that pass anti-gay laws.
Ghana’s Mike Ocquaye however slammed homosexuality as alien to Africa and wondered why the West is bent on foisting it on the Continent.
“Indeed, our socialisation process in Ghana from time immemorial, excludes homosexuality and this is generally African. In fact it was also universal. It was also European. It was also American until some people slept and thought otherwise and if they have changed their minds, we are not about to follow them wherever they go,” Ocquaye said.
According to him, “homosexual adults are enticing, inducing and seducing innocent young people into homosexuality and society cannot sit down unconcerned.”
Ocquaye, who is also a Clergyman, nonetheless conceded that resisting the gay lobbyists would be an uphill task that requires concerted continental efforts.
“One thing I’ll want to emphasise is that homosexuality today has become a cult. It has become a club. It has become a foundation. It has become something that some people are promoting and putting billions of dollars into so that this unusual and abnormal behaviour should be accepted by force by the world. This is the strength of the danger and for which matter we must stand up strongly against it,” he warned.
He said the festering invasion of the Continent by Westerners to promote homosexuality poses a grave danger to Africa.
“Notably, through the internet, foreigners – mostly whites – are contacting our young men in Ghana and other parts of Africa. These aliens fly down to sodomise our youth who accompany them to tourist centres and hotels. The foreigners leave them behind.
“Can we configure the diseases that are left behind? Can we fully imagine what damage this male youth prostitution will do the health of our youth as well as the religious, moral, social and allied fabric of our society? The European leaders seek to promote sodomy and male prostitution. What is their interest and whose interest do they seek to serve? Can Africans afford to sit back unconcerned?”
Branding the invasive trend of homosexuality as slavery, Ocquaye said there was the need for Africa to tighten the noose on homosexuality through legislative means and also punish foreigners who propagate it.
“In the same way that society punishes the big organisers of prostitution, even more, so should we tighten our laws so that persons from Europe who are facilitating a new homosexual and lesbian trade, employing various avenues, including human trafficking of our youth to Europe, should be checked and punished.
“Africa must resist a new sodomy slave trade so that we nip in the bud, a situation whereby lesbian groups, clubs and societies who have huge sums of money, will export our youth, use them for their improper pleasures of the flesh, infect them with diseases and dump them. This is not a joke. The same way they get visas overnight for brilliant footballers, so will they start obtaining visas for our young people using the influence of the powerful gay lobby in the UK and other countries. If we keep quiet now, we shall mourn miserably in some years to come,” Ocquaye said. |
Right-wing political activist and Religious Right pseudo-historian David Barton was recently featured, along with Mike Huckabee, in a DVD called “The Constitutional Christian,” in which he once again falsely claimed that “so many Bible verses [are] quoted in the Constitution.”
After repeating his argument that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two parts of one document (they’re not), Barton insisted that our system of government will never work properly “if you try to put people in office who have no biblical understanding” because they will be unable to recognize the fact that the Constitution is explicitly based on Biblical principles and full of Bible verses.
“One of the things I love to do,” Barton said, “is I will pull out a bunch of constitutional clauses and stick it up in front of pastors and say, ‘What do you see? Constitution? No, they’re all Bible verses.’ There are so many Bible verses quoted in the Constitution, cited in the Constitution, but today we don’t even recognize that because we don’t think about looking at the Constitution as something that has religious tones to it.”
“It’s fun for me to show pastors, ‘Look at this verse out of Deuteronomy 17:15, now read [this clause in the Constitution.] It’s the same language,'” he continued. “That’s the nature of those who gave us that. You don’t get that kind of language in the Constitution unless you have biblically-thinking people or biblically-minded people writing that because they had to know it before they could put it in.”
As we have noted before, Barton’s claim that the Constitution is full of Bible verses is utter nonsense, as his own claim about Deuteronomy 17:15 proves:
You shall surely set him king over you, whom the LORD your God shall choose: one from among your brethren shall you set king over you: you may not set a stranger over you, who is not your brother.
Barton laughably insists that this verse is the “verbatim” source for Article II of the Constitution which says that “no person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President.” |
So, here's the story: prior to this year's Secret Santa, I participated in the Basketball gift exchange two months ago - only my second ever Reddit gift exchange. I waited and waited after I had sent my gift to a random giftee - one month passed, and I didn't receive anything :(
I then waited another month for any re-gifter, and again, I was shafted of a gift. So, two months, and no gift :( :(
On top of that, my favorite sports team, the Washington Redskins, are imploding bit-by-bit, and the basketball team of my alma mater, the Maryland Terrapins, just had 5 of the team's top seven players transfer out of the University in the off-season.
Fast-forward to this past Sunday (December 7, 2014), around the afternoon on Pacific Coastal Time. I receive an email that my Secret Santa has sent a gift! Whooopie! I instantly go to Redditgifts and pull up the tracking number and have the updates sent to my phone.
The package arrived EARLY this morning (like before I got out of bed), and I opened it after work. I find three gifts: one oblong shaped gift; one rectangular gift that feels like a book; and another gift, along with a letter.
I read the letter first, which talked about how the Secret Santa is also an NFL fan (a fan of the New York Football Giants), and is also an alum from Maryland! The letter also goes on to say to open the gifts first, then read the corresponding papers behind the letter.
I open the book one first. I'm thinking it's one of those "History of your favorite pro sports team" kind of books, but I find out it's a book on card tricks. I remember writing in the "Likes | Dislikes" section that one thing I would like to be able to do is shuffle like the pros. Now, I can, and also impress my friends when I head back home to MD during Winter Break!
I open the "other" gift next. I have no idea what's in this package, and I find a Terps necklace. The next paper described how one of the places I wanted to visit is Hawaii - my parents went there years ago - dad, for a conference, and mom, to vacation there - and I've heard it's one of the prettiest places in the world!
The last gift, the "oblong gift", has me thinking... At first, I thought it would be some sort of jersey or shirt... turns out, it's an Orbiez - one of those interestingly-shaped stuffed creatures; this one is of the Maryland Terrapin with a football shape - hence, the "oblong gift".
And, all three gifts are in the Maryland colors - Red | Yellow | Black - I bet that's just coincidental! ;)
Thank you for the thoughtful gifts, Santa!
Sincerely,
Skinsballr |
Recent Examples on the Web
This is not to say that all of the nineties’ non-black hip-hop devotees were poseurs, or that sincere hip-hop fans cannot grow up to be lawyers. Rebecca Schuman, Longreads, "It’s Like This and Like That and Like What?," 2 May 2018
Facebook’s ranking in the Apple App Store went up after #deletefacebook went viral, probably from refusenik poseurs reinstalling the app after deleting it. Susan Crawford, WIRED, "Mark Zuckerberg Plays the Scapegoat for Our Facebook Sins," 17 Apr. 2018
The series was more about Versace’s killer, the deadly narcissistic poseur Andrew Cunanan, than about Versace. Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty column: Xavier Nation, say hello to Travis Steele ... or Porter Moser?," 28 Mar. 2018
Laying it off on senior administration officials will no longer fly given the liars, hustlers, incompetents, poseurs and mountebanks who dominate this West Wing. David Zurawik, baltimoresun.com, "Press gives Trump 'fake news' ammo when it predicts things that don't come to pass," 9 Mar. 2018
Casey Jane Ellison has made a comedy-slash-art career out of walking the very fine line between her abiding love for and hilarious mockery of the art world—or at least of its sycophants, poseurs, and profiteers. Vogue, "Casey Jane Ellison Thinks You Should Call Your Mom," 6 Feb. 2018
Because in rock ’n’ roll mystery and legend seem to go hand-in-hand, appreciation for its unsung heroes often adds another layer to every fan’s favorite argument: self-indulgent poseur or underrated genius. Jessi Roti, chicagotribune.com, "Alex Chilton's legacy as influential cult figure in rock remains thanks to annual birthday bash," 21 Dec. 2017
The Team Rocket stand-in is a gang of lovably useless hip-hop poseurs. Steven Strom, Ars Technica, "Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are the near-instant remakes we deserve," 15 Nov. 2017
There is no evidence to impeach, and various unctuous congressional-committee poseurs have acknowledged that they are reduced to the Steele dossier. Conrad Black, National Review, "The Never Trumpers’ New Strategy," 18 Oct. 2017
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'poseur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback. |
Back in September, the state of California passed a law allowing anyone in the entertainment industry to force sites like IMDB to remove their age or birthday if they didn’t want the information posted. The idea was to protect actors who don’t want studios to know how old they are so they couldn’t be discriminated against because of their age, but the actual legality of the law was outrageously shaky—thanks to this whole “free speech” thing we have in America. At the time, one critic even pointed out that it shouldn’t be IMDB’s responsibility to protect people from discrimination in the first place, but that it should be the actual studios and executives that do the discriminating.
Now, much to nobody’s surprise, it looks like a federal judge in San Francisco is getting ready to toss out the law on the grounds that it’s kind of silly and ridiculous. According to the New York Post, the judge told a lawyer arguing in defense of the law that he couldn’t remember a case “as challenging to defend” as this one, later suggesting that continuing to fight for it would only direct more taxpayer dollars to the lawyers working on behalf of IMDB. The lawyer suggested that the law wouldn’t infringe on anyone’s free speech because it only applied to specific websites, but the judge responded that an argument like that only pokes more holes in the law. After all, stopping IMDB from posting ages or birthdays would do nothing to prevent anyone else from posting that information, which would negate any chance it would have of helping to stop age-based discrimination.
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So, it looks like the many beautiful people of Hollywood must once again submit to the horrors of aging—or at least the women of Hollywood will, since men can age all they want and still get roles. |
Is Hillary Clinton Right About Why She Lost?
In this week’s politics chat, we talk about Hillary Clinton’s new book. The transcript below has been lightly edited.
micah (Micah Cohen, politics editor): Today’s chat topic: The media reaction to Hillary Clinton’s new book, released on Tuesday, “What Happened.”
We’re going to do this in two parts. First, we’ll talk about how the media has covered Clinton’s book. Then we’ll go through the various factors that Clinton points to in the book to explain her loss in 2016.
Sound good?
natesilver (Nate Silver, editor in chief): So we’re covering the coverage of the coverage? Got it.
clare.malone (Clare Malone, senior political writer): We will tell you WHAT HAPPENED — no question mark.
micah: The headline for this will be WTF Happened!
OK, so first up: How would you describe the general coverage of Clinton’s book? As an opener (and Clare has talked about this): I’ve been struck by how much coverage there’s been of the very fact that she wrote a book.
clare.malone: Yeah, I tweeted about this.
I think this is a great laying out of all the reasons it's kinda wild that people want Hillary Clinton to shut up 1/ https://t.co/AzYOBEGMfT — Clare Malone (@ClareMalone) September 11, 2017
But I’ll say again here: People who are out there saying that she should go quietly into the night are sort of being intellectually dishonest about what happens after campaigns. She was one of the major players in the election, she’s entitled to her telling of things, she is the Democrat who got more votes, so she represents a sizable ideological chunk of the party, etc. etc. etc.
perry (Perry Bacon Jr., senior writer): I expected there would be a lot of coverage. There are lots of reporters who covered her. Lots of opportunity for reporters who have slammed President Trump to now slam Clinton to show that they are balanced, will criticize both sides, etc.
clare.malone: Yeah, it’s totally fashionable to slam her on Twitter in a way that I do understand — she’s been around a long time, etc. But it’s out of whack.
natesilver: Are we talking about coverage of Clinton overall? Or, like, reviews of the book itself?
micah: Well, the latter has ballooned into the former, right?
natesilver: On the latter front, The New York Times published a review that was fairly gracious — considering that Clinton (mostly deservedly, IMO) criticized the NYT a lot in the book. Although, that review mostly sidestepped the media criticism parts of Clinton’s book, I think that this quote from Clinton — via Brian Stelter — gets at a key dynamic here:
Hillary Clinton: Political journalists "can't bear to face their own role in helping elect Trump" (https://t.co/ZOCqO5f6eH) pic.twitter.com/iPZnjidlD8 — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 12, 2017
micah: Clinton’s book may be a more accurate 2016 postmortem than most media postmortems.
Before we get to what the book itself lays out, though: How much of the “why won’t Clinton go away?” convo would be happening if Clinton were a man?
That has felt to me like it infuses a lot of the chatter surrounding the book.
clare.malone: Yeah, so I have some thoughts! Some of it has to do with political reporters explicitly; she’s been around a long time, it’s fashionable to hate her, etc. And I think she gets less respect from political reporters than say, John McCain or John Kerry did in the aftermaths of their campaigns. Female reporters play into this too.
But, in part, that’s because politics in general and political journalism in particular has a really … how you say? … masculine energy.
It picks up the inherent biases that we all have — women included — from being shaped in a patriarchal culture.
micah: I mean, Al Gore made a freaking movie after he lost and no one was like, “Why is he making this movie?” (At least, as far as I can remember.)
And Gore is a good comp because he too won the popular vote.
natesilver: There’s something about the overlap between Clinton being representative of the establishment — she is nobody’s idea of an underdog — and her being a woman makes it especially tough for her.
perry: The “she should not write a book because she is distracting from the Democrats’ strategy” crowd is making such a dumb argument that it’s not really worth debating it.
micah: A lot of the criticism of the book goes something like “Clinton is blaming everyone else for her losing” instead of taking responsibility. Now, she very much does take responsibility for losing in the book. But she also points to other factors that helped Trump and hurt her.
clare.malone: “natesilver is typing”
natesilver: That criticism is such a dumb argument that it’s not really worth debating it.
To repeat the quote I linked to above, the media doesn’t want to debate the reasons for Clinton losing because it potentially makes them look really bad. Or some of them, anyway, since there was a lot of variation in how Clinton was covered from outlet to outlet.
micah: Let’s take this tweet from a Washington Examiner reporter:
Only a couple chapters in & here are all the things Clinton has blamed for her election loss so far pic.twitter.com/Twy96X7AYM — Sarah Westwood (@sarahcwestwood) September 12, 2017
clare.malone: It’s the tenor of these tweets that are the problem. Because, to use a favorite Nate Silver metaphor, it takes a lot of things to go wrong in order for a plane to crash.
micah: How dare Clinton do a reasonable postmortem on the 2016 election instead of nailing herself to a cross!
clare.malone: “Blame” vs. “causes of loss” are tonally different.
natesilver: Yeah. Tweets like these are implicitly (or sometimes explicitly) mocking Clinton for blaming all these other factors, apart from herself. And yet, if you look at the list — it’s a pretty darned good list! A lot of those factors were really important!
clare.malone: So, I used to be a fact-checker, and one of the things we would do when we would call around and make sure information was correct was include the context of a quote in a piece, give a person a fair shot at saying, “Hmm, that could be out of context.” And that’s what is really irritating about this kind of coverage — it’s really disingenuous to say she’s not taking responsibility AND it makes the discussion dumber and more boring.
micah: Co-sign.
But let’s go through each of the reasons for Clinton’s defeat listed in that tweet and answer this question: How big of a factor was this?
natesilver: Do we want to use a scale? Like 1 to 5?
perry: Can I reject the premise of this scale and propose my own? (kidding)
micah: lol
OK, first up: “The audacious information warfare waged from the Kremlin.”
There’s been some recent reporting fleshing out the extent to which Russia was playing a media game.
perry: 4. I feel like the whole Russian interference, the release of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s hacked e-mails was a huge factor in October. Maybe a 5 even.
Podesta’s emails were covered massively.
clare.malone: There’s almost two levels to this, right?
The effect of media coverage. The effect that Russian interference/hacking/bots or whatever might have had on influencing disinformation to voters, etc.
micah: Yeah, we probably have to include the media’s amplifying effects for each of these.
clare.malone: I would agree with Perry that it was important from that email coverage angle.
natesilver: I’d say more like a 2.5 or a 3, on the Kremlin.
perry: Interesting. Say more, Nate.
natesilver: It’s certainly hard to prove the connection, in part because it may have occurred in a lot of small ways, not all of which are necessarily uncovered yet.
Harry wrote about this in December.
clare.malone: I’m not sure that we know enough yet to know how influential the bots actually were in changing votes.
micah: But it being hard to measure doesn’t mean it didn’t have a big effect.
That’s some version of the availability heuristic, right? We’re assigning importance to the things we happen to be able to measure well.
natesilver: I mean, I agree. And giving it a 2.5 or 3 isn’t saying it’s nothing.
clare.malone: Now I’m interested to see what Nate gives a 5.
natesilver: I’m just saying — there are a lot of things that had a much clearer effect on the outcome.
clare.malone: Yes, I agree.
natesilver: Some of which are also … problematic. Problematic in the sense of implicating other people’s judgment.
clare.malone: But this is the problem with numbers! (She says to numbers people.)
micah: Clare has always hated numbers.
clare.malone: There are some squishy things that affected people in this election that we can’t quantify.
natesilver: Russia could have been a 1.5, or it could have been a 4.5. I suppose we don’t know. Maybe we’ll never know.
clare.malone: Nate’s gonna give the Comey letter a 5.
micah: Speaking of … next: “The unprecedented intervention in our election by the director of the FBI.”
Nate: 5
natesilver: 4.5
micah: lol
clare.malone: Contrarian
perry: 5
natesilver: It was a big deal. And because it was a discrete event — it happened at one time — it’s relatively easy to measure.
There’s still a range of impacts, from maybe 1 percentage point of the national popular vote on the low end to 3 or 4 points on the high end. But you really have to twist yourself into a pretzel to conclude that the impact wasn’t large enough to cost Clinton the election.
clare.malone: I cosign with the above views.
natesilver: With that said, if the impact was only like 2 points in the polls — that was enough to swing a close election, obviously, but it also isn’t that large. Clinton’s gender could have had a larger impact, for instance. But that’s harder to quantify.
micah: We’ll get to that!
OK, next: “A political press that told voters that my emails were the most important story.”
For context, from the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard, here’s the amount of coverage of various topics on social media and top media outlets:
natesilver: 5
clare.malone: 4
3.5/4
(I hate the numbers scale.)
natesilver: Granted, this overlaps with the Comey letter. The Comey letter was a huge story in part because of the importance the press placed on “email stuff.”
clare.malone: It was important, in part because we have a media environment fed by social media that plays up the easily understood, salacious stories, and this was the salacious story for Clinton, although it obviously didn’t compare to the norm-busting GOP nominee.
perry: 3.5
Yeah, these things are all related. But I happen to think the Russia-related stuff (bots, Podesta emails) and Comey were more damaging than the controversy over Clinton’s private email server as secretary of state. She would have won, I think, if Podesta/Comey hadn’t revived the Clinton e-mail/scandal in the final weeks.
But I could be convinced otherwise.
natesilver: I don’t know. The email story completely dominated media coverage of Clinton.
Every week, it was the thing people heard by far the most about. Here’s a word cloud from Gallup of what people had read/heard the most about Clinton in the media from July 11 through Sept. 18 last year:
And here’s Trump:
clare.malone: I would argue that it was the accelerant on an image problem Clinton already had, which is why I wouldn’t rate it a 5.
natesilver: But, Clare, I think a lot of that image problem was a self-perpetuating media narrative. We wrote about this way back in September 2015. It was apparent even back then.
clare.malone: Maybe you’re right, but this was an election cycle about crusty insiders vs. outsiders, and Clinton certainly falls into consummate insider camp, someone “above the rules.”
natesilver: She certainly doesn’t color strictly within the lines.
clare.malone: And that’s just because of years in the public eye, often not being viewed favorably — and, again, this is where you have to factor in some sexist societal views. But many critiques of her history in public life were also valid. We’re parsing here, I would note. I rate the emails as highly influential.
natesilver: Clinton has been viewed favorably at several points in her career. But usually they were points at which she didn’t threaten a man’s job or wasn’t otherwise being too ambitious.
clare.malone: Right.
natesilver: I’m just saying — there’s a lot of circular reasoning on the part of Clinton’s critics.
They’ll say, “She has a trust problem; therefore the public had a strong reaction to the emails.” But part of the reason that she has a trust problem is because stories are constantly framed as presenting a trust problem for her.
The Comey letter in October was a good example of this. Outlets jumped way out ahead of the story and presented it as “raising doubts” or “casting shadows” over her campaign even though it wasn’t clear what in the hell the letter was all about. It was a triumph of narrative over substance.
perry: I think we all agree about this. And my suspicion is that a lot of the bad coverage came from a desire to find a way to balance the sharp coverage of Trump with coverage that was negative about Clinton. The both-sides model of political journalism left you with 15 Trump scandals and 1 Clinton scandal, so you have to pump up the Clinton scandal/controversy/whatever to make up for that big gap since all of these outlets are obsessed with attacks from the right.
natesilver: Yeah, no doubt a lot of this stems from false equivalence.
clare.malone: Yessss … but can I say that Hillary Clinton also didn’t endear herself to a lot of “women in the center” when she made her first forays onto the national stage? She was not a very good “choice feminist” (the whole, “I suppose I could have stayed at home, baked cookies and had teas” thing), and I think, yes, people didn’t give her credit for evolving … but that’s just the breaks in public life. First impressions last.
natesilver: Basically, half the media’s problems in covering the election stemmed from actual liberal bias. And the other half stemmed from overcompensating for perceived liberal bias.
micah: Next: “Deep currents of anger and resentment flowing through our culture.”
clare.malone: Oh gosh.
natesilver: I’m not quite sure what that means — is she referring to racial resentment? The “deplorables”?
But Trump clearly became an effective conduit for people’s anger, so I have to give this one at least a 4.
clare.malone: I think it refers to that, but maybe also partisanship, right?
natesilver: Maybe that’s too low. Maybe it’s obviously a 5.
perry: 3? Those currents exist. I’m having a hard time seeing them as particularly unique or important to 2016, as opposed to being a part of every event in politics, Obama’s presidency, etc. Racial resentment may have gotten Trump the Republican nomination, but I’m not sure about the general election. (But again, I’m thinking this all through.)
micah: Let’s go to the next one!
“The media gave [Trump] free wall-to-wall coverage.”
clare.malone: 5
natesilver: A 5 in the primary, but like a 2 in the general election. Here’s primary coverage from the Shorenstein Center:
perry: 3. If I were Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush, I would say 5.
Right. What Nate said.
clare.malone: Well Nate … howdya think he got to the general?
natesilver: That’s why I said a 5 in the primary!
micah: Trump also got far more news coverage than Clinton in the general, according to another Shorenstein study:
Though a lot of Trump’s coverage, just like Clinton’s, was negative:
clare.malone: The fact that Trump was Trump is more precisely what I’m talking about —
i.e., free coverage, but also a free pass when he says things about women, doesn’t release his taxes.
natesilver: I’m not sure the media’s constant focus on Trump was necessarily a bad thing for Clinton from day to day, although it did make it hard for her to drive a message. Slightly paradoxically, however, the fact that the media spent so much time focusing on Trump made it hard for anyone to focus on any one aspect of Trump’s behavior.
As you can see from the Gallup charts I posted earlier, people had lots of different feelings about Trump and heard lots of different negative stories about him. But none of them as persistently as Clinton and trust and emails.
micah: Next: “Fox News was turning politics into an evidence-free zone of seething resentments.”
(I don’t know what to make of this one.)
natesilver: Yeesh. I guess like a 2.5? I think Fox News is pretty darn important to the history of American politics since 2000 or thereabouts. I’m not convinced they were particularly important in this general election, since they had a somewhat weird relationship with Trump.
perry: 2. Just if we are ranking things, I rank this lower. Fox’s highest-rated show gets 4 million viewers; more than 60 million people voted for Trump. There is a whole apparatus of Fox-like media that has the ethos of Fox, but if Fox closed tomorrow, that ecosystem would still thrive.
clare.malone: I think Facebook probably had more influence.
micah: Next: “Maybe it’s because I’m a woman, and we’re not used to women running for president.”
clare.malone: I’m sick of defending this, so someone else try.
natesilver: Shit, I was going to defer to you, Clare!
micah: I’ll happily do so. I’d rate this a 20, tbh.
perry: 4. I left this election thinking that many of the things said about Clinton would have been said, with different phrasing, about Elizabeth Warren, for example. Or any other woman.
So maybe I’m a 5.
micah: If you spent any time at Trump rallies, or watching Fox News, or reading the political web, or talking to voters at all, gender suffused EVERYTHING. You could see it in what people wrote on their signs, in the reasons they gave for disliking her, in the coverage of her speeches. It was implicit and explicit. Subconscious and conscious. I mean … good god.
perry: Exactly
micah: This is, again, an example of something that’s hard to measure, so people don’t talk about it enough.
But like … I’m as confident as I can be about anything that if not for misogyny/sexism, Clinton wins. It’s almost prima facie true. But there’s also lots of evidence for it.
natesilver: I’ll give a range of 2.5 to 5. I’m just not sure how to measure it. Which doesn’t mean it’s not important. Keep in mind that Clinton’s gender could have had some positive effects too — e.g., inspiring women to turn out. But obviously, the prior here is that it’s hard for women to advance, especially in traditionally male-dominated occupations, and no occupation has been more male-dominated than the presidency of the United States.
perry: I don’t think it’s worth ranking racism vs. sexism, but Obama, at least in 2008, was able to generate coverage that was not always infused with his race. He was inexperienced, but that was true and not really a racial critique. The things Clinton was criticized for (secretive, ambitious, untrustworthy, craven) were things that male politicians aren’t often criticized for.
micah: Yes.
perry: I want to emphasize, though, that I think a woman can be elected president, maybe as soon as 2020 and maybe in 2016 but for Russia/Comey.
clare.malone: It’s obviously a 5. And by the way, I would really urge men to think about the way that you interact with women on a daily basis as a stand-in for how you might have reacted to Hillary Clinton. Not even the women in your personal life, just take it professionally. How do you talk to women during meetings? Do you talk over them? Are you listening to what they actually say in meetings or just waiting to talk yourself? Do you take their ideas and fashion them as your own? Do you think their voices are kinda annoying sometimes because they remind you of a teacher? Are they always bringing up institutional sexism as part of the problem that they might face in day-to-day life? Do you secretly find that a little annoying to hear? It might be annoying to hear, but it’s annoying because it’s true!
Anyhow. It’s a 5. And by the way, lest anyone misunderstand me — this sexism applies to the portrayal of conservative female candidates as well. They get treated differently than men.
perry: And a 5 should be interpreted as America needs to do a lot of work on sexism — not that Democrats should run Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Tim Ryan, etc., in 2020. And I feel like there has been a bit of a move in the party toward the latter.
clare.malone: For sure.
perry: If Biden was so electable, maybe he should get elected president instead of sniping about Clinton.
micah: Bam!
Second to last from that tweet: “The problems started with history. It was exceedingly difficult for either party to hold onto the White House for more than eight years in a row.”
natesilver: So, I’m gonna give this like a 4.25.
It’s not clear to me whether a party is actually at a disadvantage after holding the White House for two straight terms. But it’s certainly not at an advantage either, and Gore lost in 2000 under highly similar circumstances to Clinton.
perry: 3. I think this is generally true. But once the candidate was Trump, that changed the calculus a lot. Trump has governed like a traditional Republican in most ways. But it wasn’t clear that would be the case during the campaign.
natesilver: Fundamentally, the media treated the election as being Clinton’s to lose, but it wasn’t. She actually overperformed the consensus of fundamentals-based political science models by a point or two. Now, those models are very blunt instruments. But they’re worth something.
micah: OK, last one from the tweet: “There was also a ‘Clinton fatigue’ to consider.” Then I have two more quick ones (Bernie Sanders and not visiting Wisconsin).
But fatigue first.
perry: 2. This may have hurt Clinton in 2008 and in the Democratic primary in 2016. The broader electorate views her husband and his tenure pretty positively, though.
natesilver: I’m not sure about Clinton fatigue in particular, but I buy something to the idea that it was an anti-establishment/anti-incumbent climate. This is sort of tied in to the point above, actually, about it not being an advantage to run as part of the incumbent party once your party has been in power.
clare.malone: Yeah, the establishment vs. outsider zeitgeist was real.
natesilver: Also, it seems important to me that voters who disliked both Clinton and Trump — about 20 percent of the electorate — went mostly for Trump. That was worth a net swing of about 3 points to him, compared with if they’d split evenly.
Anyway, I’m giving this one like a 3.75.
clare.malone: And in that sense, she’s just been around too long if you’re, say, an Obama-Trump voter who’s telling people you’re voting for change to shake up the system.
natesilver: In practice what probably happened was: The environment was pretty neutral or maybe slightly negative for a Democratic candidate. Clinton was a below-average candidate, but not terrible. Trump was also a below-average candidate, but his weaknesses weren’t as much of a liability as the media assumed. All of those worked out to Clinton winning the popular vote, but only narrowly. And Trump benefited from the Electoral College, of course.
micah: OK, now two other “reasons Clinton lost” that have been bouncing around and which Clinton talks about in “What Happened.”
First: Bernie Sanders.
Tread carefully, folks.
natesilver: Anything about Sanders in particular?
I’d basically say like a 2, though.
micah: His “system is rigged” argument against Clinton during the primary set Trump’s message up perfectly in the general.
That’s basically what Clinton says in the book.
perry: 1. I think Sanders was simply the vessel for criticisms of Clinton from the left, the media and Republicans that would have emerged anyway.
natesilver: I agree. On that particular point, you could go to like a 3 or a 3.5. Still, almost every candidate has primary opponents, and those primary opponents usually say a few things that wind up damaging their opponents. I don’t think what Bernie did or said in the aggregate was atypical.
clare.malone: I think that’s underrating it a little. I’d call it a 3.
natesilver: He could have stood down a little earlier, once the delegate math had become hopeless for him. That period — and all the arguing over superdelegates, etc. — seemed to give more resonance to the “system is rigged” arguments.
clare.malone: Without Sanders as the personification of a movement, an explicit anti-establishment foil to Clinton, I’m not sure those feelings would have been so directly expressed. They would have been there in the electorate, but more inchoately expressed.
natesilver: At the same time, like 80 percent of Sanders voters wound up voting for Clinton — which isn’t perfect but is fairly typical for a primary opponent.
micah: Last one!
Clinton’s Midwest strategy. In the book, Clinton says her campaign did not underinvest in the Midwest.
natesilver: So, I don’t totally buy that claim. Clinton definitely did underinvest in Michigan and Wisconsin (and Minnesota).
micah: Here’s the quote:
Some critics have said that everything hinged on me not campaigning enough in the Midwest. And I suppose it is possible that a few more trips to Saginaw or a few more ads on the air in Waukesha could have tipped a couple of thousand voters here or there.But let’s set the record straight: we always knew that the industrial Midwest was crucial to our success, just as it had been for Democrats for decades, and contrary to the popular narrative, we didn’t ignore those states.
clare.malone: She also brings up outspending Obama in those states.
perry: If it is really about going physically to Wisconsin, I rank this a 1. She went to Pennsylvania plenty and lost there in a similar way to Wisconsin. If it is about writing off too many white working-class voters, then I think that’s more valid.
natesilver: Well, it wasn’t about the Midwest per se — it was about campaigning in too narrow a range of states. She could also have campaigned more in Colorado and Arizona, for example.
But in terms of evidence of this mattering? There’s very little of it, actually. There’s basically no relationship between how much the candidates campaigned in a state and how well they did there.
perry: I see their mistake in being too focused on certain kinds of voters (non-white, college-educated, suburban). That is what I came away thinking might be the case after reading the Jonathan Allen-Amie Parnes book. But her staff, when I talked to them, and maybe this is self-serving, said that Clinton visits to some areas in rural Pennsylvania turned off voters. Her campaigning more there would not have helped and may have hurt.
natesilver: Things like advertisements and rallies don’t move the needle all that much, in a race where the issues are as momentous as the ones being debated in 2016.
Also, the math doesn’t really check out. Even if Clinton had won Wisconsin and Michigan, that wouldn’t have been enough to win the Electoral College. She’d also have needed to win Pennsylvania or Florida, where she campaigned extensively.
Anyway, I give that one a 1.5. A good litmus test is that if a reporter says “But Wisconsin” when someone brings up another cause of Clinton’s defeat, that reporter doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
micah: OK, to wrap …
It seems like we thought most of these were real factors in Trump winning and Clinton losing?
clare.malone: Yes.
natesilver: You might even say, Micah, that Clinton got closer to … The Real Story Of 2016 than most of the media’s postmortems have.
perry: Ha. Yes.
micah: So, to bring things full circle, the objections to Clinton pointing them out — in addition to taking responsibility herself — aren’t about substance, they’re about theater … or “manners” … or what Clinton “should” be doing?
perry: I think Clinton, like Obama, should do whatever makes her happy and keeps the checks coming in. And if that is a book, fine. In terms of the party moving forward, fair or unfair, I’m not sure people are listening to her.
natesilver: I’m repeating myself here, but a lot of the admonitions that Clinton is getting from the press are about the media pre-empting discussions that could make them look bad and call into question their editorial decision-making.
perry: We should talk about that. Why can’t The New York Times say “we covered Clinton’s e-mails too much”? The Times admitted at some point that the weapons of mass destruction coverage ahead of the Iraq War was bad. The paper survived that, and my guess is gained credibility from it.
It’s obviously true. They must know that.
We are hinting around about the media stuff so much here that we may want to get just to the issue. I think we are really saying the Times, Politico, NBC News, etc., can’t say “Clinton is right in some ways” without saying “we were wrong.” But journalists are supposed to be for truth, not defending themselves at all costs like businesses or politicians. I should note: I covered the 2016 campaign for NBC News. In my writing and television appearances, I was critical, at times very sharply, of how Clinton handled the email controversy. I haven’t gone back and examined all that coverage, but I’m generally of the view that I personally covered the Clinton e-mails too much.
micah: To that point, and not to end on a self-deprecating FiveThirtyEight brag, but we have a history of saying “we fucked up” when we fuck up. While painful in the moment, it’s really not that hard and has long-term benefits. It’s like eating salad. |
This is Gordy's sister, Meredith Tuttle. She is a married mother of two. gordygordyblog.com gordygordyblog.com
The siblings are so close, they often refer to each other as "twins." But, Gordy wrote on his blog that he hasn't always been the best about giving his sister a birthday gift. View this photo on Instagram Instagram: @gordyyates
He wrote that even though Meredith always gets him a cool gift, he never gets her anything. "I mean, I guess it could be because we live very different lives," he wrote. "I've been living the single life of parties and traveling while she's been married and has two kids. It's like I feel that I'm not quite an adult so I don't need to give people things but they should give things to me."
But this year, Gordy decided it was time to step up and do something special for his social media loving sister: Re-create 28 of her best posts to celebrate her 28 years. gordygordyblog.com gordygordyblog.com
Of course, Meredith posts tons of pictures of her cute kids. So Gordy had to improvise... gordygordyblog.com
By using a cat. gordygordyblog.com
The best part of this may be that Gordy doesn't own a cat, so he had to borrow one from a stranger. gordygordyblog.com
He told BuzzFeed News he asked around his church until he found a family willing to loan him their cat, Sophie. "Since the family has five girls, Sophie's used to being carried around like a baby, so she was the perfect cat-child," he said.
Gordy said that Sophie was (mostly) a good sport. gordygordyblog.com gordygordyblog.com
"She would get a little grumpy after a bit, though, so we'd give her ten-minute breaks to chill out under the couch, then she'd be ready for more," he said.
So what did Meredith think of the whole thing? Gordy said she loved it. gordygordyblog.com gordygordyblog.com
"Meredith thought it was so funny," he said. "The post is full of inside jokes between us and I'm sure no one liked the photos more than her."
He said he never expected his pictures to go viral, but he has been happy to make people laugh. gordygordyblog.com gordygordyblog.com |
The Reds entered Week 10 with a 3 game series at home against the Philadelphia Phillies and a 4 game series on the road against the Chicago Cubs. The Reds in Week 10 went 4-3 with a winning series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The starting rotation had 4 quality starts in Week 10 and had 3 straight against the Phillies.
The Random stat of teams not named with the first letter “C” is at 7-7-1
Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake were scouted by the San Francisco Giants in Chicago. FOX Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal was the source
After news that #SFGiants' Sabean and Elder were at Wrigley for Cueto on Friday, some fans opined that team is more likely to pursue Leake. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 14, 2015
Well, FWIW, #SFGiants' Sabean and Elder also were at Wrigley last night to see Leake. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 14, 2015
STARTING PITCHING
19th SERIES
18.1 IP/26 H/7 R/6 ER/4 BB/13 SO
ERA 2.95/WHIP 1.64
RATES: 32.10% H/8.64% R/4.94% BB/16.05% SO
PER 9: 12.76 H/3.44 R/1.96 BB/6.38 SO
PER PA: 3.12 PA/H, 11.57 PA/R, 20.25 PA/BB, 6.23 PA/SO
20th SERIES
22.2 IP/23 H/14 R/13 ER/5 BB/21 SO/4 HR
ERA 5.16/WHIP 1.24
RATES: 23.47% H/14.29% R/5.10% BB/21.43% SO/4.08% HR
PER 9: 9.13 H/5.56 R/1.99 BB/8.34 SO/1.59 HR
PER PA: 4.26 PA/H, 7.00 PA/R, 19.60 PA/BB, 4.67 PA/SO, 24.50 PA/HR
BULLPEN PITCHING
19th SERIES
8.2 IP/5 H/R/3 BB/5 SO
ERA 1.04/WHIP 0.92
RATES: 15.15% H/3.03% R/9.09% BB/15.15% SO
PER 9: 5.19 H/1.04 R/3.12 BB/ 5.19 SO
PER PA: 6.60 PA/H, 33.00 PA/R, 11.00 PA/BB, 6.60 PA/SO
20th SERIES
13.2 IP/12 H/2 R/5 BB/12 SO
ERA 1.32/WHIP 1.24
RATES: 21.43% H/3.57% R/8.93% BB/21.43% SO
PER 9: 7.90 H/1.32 R/3.29 BB/7.90 SO
PER PA: 4.67 PA/H, 28.00 PA/R, 11.20 PA/BB, 4.67 PA/SO
SO LONG, FAREWELL
The Reds and Phillies completed a 6 game season series in which the Reds won 5-1. This was the third of 19 teams to finish playing the Reds. The Pitching Staff line for the Reds against the Phillies.
55.1 IP/54 H/23 R/21 ER/16 BB/38 SO/4 HR
ERA 3.42/WHIP 1.27
RATES: 23.58% H/10.04% R/6.99% BB/16.59% SO/1.75% HR
PER 9: 8.78 H/3.74 R/2.60 BB/6.18 SO/0.65 HR
PER PA: 4.24 PA/H, 9.96 PA/R, 14.31 PA/BB, 6.03 PA/SO, 57.25 PA/HR
PITCHER RATING: 84.25 Grade as of now: Average 81.21-82.94 BAD 82.95-85.58 AVERAGE 85.59-86.61 GREAT
STRIKEOUT TO WALK RATIO: 2.38
STARTER LINE
Leake’s 2 Games
11 IP/15 H/6 R/5 ER/BB/5 SO/HR
ERA 4.09/WHIP 1.45
RATES: 31.25% H/12.50% R/2.08% BB/10.42% SO/2.08% HR
PER 9: 12.27 H/4.91 R/0.81 BB/4.09 SO/0.81 HR
DeSclafani’s 2 Games
12.2 IP/16 H/3 R/3 BB/12 SO
ERA 2.13/WHIP 1.50
RATES: 29.09% H/5.45% R/5.45% BB/21.81% SO
PER 9: 11.37 H/2.13 R/2.13 BB/8.53 SO
Best and Worst Pitching Games of Week 10
Best Start: Anthony DeSclafani, June 14th Chicago
Worst Start: Michael Lorenzen, June 11th Chicago
Best Bullpen Appearance: June 8th Philadelphia
Worst Bullpen Appearance: June 13th Chicago
Best Staff Game: June 14th Chicago
Worst Staff Game: June 11th Chicago
Week 11 Probables
@Detroit/Detroit: Jon Moscot, Michael Lorenzen, Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake
Miami: Anthony DeSclafani, Jon Moscot, Michael Lorenzen
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In 2009, 30 Rock aired an episode titled “The Bubble” written by Tina Fey which, memorably, featured Jon Hamm playing a man trapped in “a bubble” where only nice things happened to him. Also in that episode, Tracy Morgan’s Tracy Jordan receives a phone call from who he thinks is Bill Cosby, to which Jordan responds, “Bill Cosby, you got a lot of nerve getting on the phone with me after what you did to my Aunt Paulette!”
Again, this was 2009.
Since this episode has come to light again, there’s been some debate about whether this was an actual address of the, then, not-well-known allegations against Cosby, or was this just Tracy Jordan being eccentric, as his character often was?
Earlier on Friday, we spoke to 30 Rock showrunner Robert Carlock — who is promoting his new film, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot — and when asked about this line, he confirmed that, yes, they knew exactly what they were doing. Carlock explains:
“If you go back to ‘Weekend Update,’ Tina [Fey] has been grinding that ax for a long time. That was not an accident. From my memory, the joke was more overt. And because he had not been found guilty of anything – and still hasn’t – we had to reword it to be a little more obtuse. I think ever since the Today show appearance by one of the women, there’s a run or a joke she did on “Update” years ago. And Hannibal Buress was one of our writers – and he took it to the next level.”
The full interview will publish closer to release.
Mike Ryan lives in New York City and has written for The Huffington Post, Wired, Vanity Fair and New York magazine. He is senior entertainment writer at Uproxx. You can contact him directly on Twitter.
Now Watch: Where We Are In The Bill Cosby Proceedings |
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Here’s some exclusive scoop to feed your hunger. Intel will finally launch 8 core CPUs for desktops with the 2014 enthusiast grade Haswell-E platform.
With Intel’s Ivy Bridge-E platform (scheduled for 2H 2013) to be a bummer considering the minor minor specifications and performance bump over the 2012 Sandy Bridge-E platform, all eyes turn to the 2014 Haswell-E enthusiast grade platform. And we may just have some good news that gets your excitement engines started.
Intel Haswell-E
Intel’s next-generation performance oriented platform, Haswell-E is scheduled to make its debut in the 2H of 2014. The world semiconductor leader will be stepping up its game a notch and offer an 8 core desktop CPU for the first time (the biggest leap since the introduction of 6 core CPUs a couple of years back). Perhaps this sudden urge to deliver 8 cores comes with the fact that Haswell will not be succeeded by Broadwell 14nm Tick in 2014 (I’m sorry to break all your hearts on this). Instead, we’ll be treated to a Haswell refresh, most certainly improved clock speeds at the same (never-changing) price.
We will finally have an 8-core desktop CPU from Intel!
With Haswell-E, Intel will do away with 4-core configurations of these GPU-less dies and offer users a choice of 6 and 8 core CPUs, with up to 20 MB of L3 cache. Of course, Hyper Threading isn’t going anywhere giving the CPU a maximum of 16 logical cores. Maximum TDP for the platform will lie in the range of 130W to 14oW and the processors itself will be built on 22nm 2nd generation Hi-k process.
Let’s speculate performance, Haswell-E, owing to 2 more cores (4 more threads) compared to the upcoming Ivy Bridge-E platform, and taking in all architectural enhancements into consideration, should perform between 33-50% better (best case scenario) than the 2013 enthusiast platform. Finally, a real new performance part by Intel. Of course, this won’t be a game changer as AMD continues to be virtually non-existent in competing with Intel on CPU performance (and that scenario will most likely not change in the near future as well, we’re talking AMD Steamroller here). |
MPs cheered in the House of Commons as it was announced that royal assent had been given to the new Bill, paving the way for the first same-sex weddings next spring.
The Queen, who is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, gave her formal approval to the Bill – one of the most radical pieces of social legislation of her reign – this afternoon.
But it marks the end of the centuries-old understanding of marriage as being solely between a man and a woman in the UK.
The Roman Catholic Church described it as a “watershed” in English law and said that it marked a “profound social change”.
Ben Summerskill chief executive of Stonewall, said the move would “bring joy to tens of thousands of gay couples and their friends and families.”
But the Evangelical Alliance, which represents thousands of churches and Christian charities claimed it had turned marriage into a “fluid, gender-neutral institution” defined by “consumer demands and political expediency”.
Many MPs posted messages on Twitter to say they were "delighted" with the news.
Mike Weatherley, Tory MP for Hove and Portslade, said it had been "completely at odds with an open and democratic society to exclude gay couples from the important institution of marriage".
Baroness Thornton, shadow equalities minister in the House of Lords, said there was a "huge 'hear, hear' when the Lord Speaker announced royal assent", followed by "lots of smiles and cheerfulness".
It follows debates in both houses of Parliament earlier this week to finalise approval for the Bill.
Maria Miller, the equalities minister, said marriage would remain the “bedrock” of society but would now be open to same-sex couples as well as heterosexuals.
“It demonstrates the importance we attach to being able to live freely,” she said.
“It says so much about the society that we are and the society that we want to live in.”
But speaking on behalf of Catholic bishops, the Archbishops of Westminster and Southwark, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols and the Most Rev Peter Smith, said an institution which had underpinned stability in society for centuries had now been changed permanently.
“The new Act breaks the existing legal links between the institution of marriage and sexual complementarity,” he said.
“With this new legislation, marriage has now become an institution in which openness to children, and with it the responsibility on fathers and mothers to remain together to care for children born into their family unit, are no longer central.
“That is why we were opposed to this legislation on principle.”
The Archbishop welcomed amendments the Government had made to protect free speech for those continuing to voice opposition to same-sex marriage but voiced disappointment that other protections had not been written into law.
“The legal and political traditions of this country are founded on a firm conviction concerning the rights of people to hold and express their beliefs and views, at the same time as respecting those who differ from them,” eh said.
“It is important, at this moment in which deeply held and irreconcilable views of marriage have been contested, to affirm and strengthen this tradition.”
Mr Summerskill said: “The Bill’s progress through Parliament shows that, at last, the majority of politicians in both Houses understand the public’s support for equality – though it’s also reminded us that gay people still have powerful opponents.
“Stonewall’s volunteers, supporters and staff have worked flat-out for equal marriage in England and Wales, and Stonewall Scotland’s campaign continues north of the Border. “We’ll redouble our efforts in Scotland so that every single gay person in Britain will soon enjoy full legislative equality.”
Benjamin Cohen, founder of the Out4Marriage campaign, said: “Giving gay couples the right to marry will make our nation a more tolerant, open and welcoming place to live in and significantly increase the life prospects of so many people.
“It is absolutely fantastic that this change in the law, almost uniquely in the world, was proposed by a Conservative prime minister and his Liberal Democrat Deputy with the support of the Labour party leader.
“Sometimes politicians can work together for the common good and this is a stunning example of this.”
Rabbi Danny Rich, chief executive of Liberal Judaism, which represents around forty synagogues across the UK, said: “MPs and Peers are to be congratulated for putting equality before prejudice and recognising that the whole of society benefits when we value stable, loving relationships.
“The real risk, were this legislation to have failed, was that religious institutions and rituals would have been terminally associated with upholding outdated models of society making faith less and less relevant to modern lives.
"This week’s decision has ensured that this will not be the case, and Liberal Jewish synagogues look forward to hosting our first full same-sex marriage under the law, in due course."
Meanwhile Dr David Landrum, director of advocacy at the Evangelical Alliance, said: "Marriage has not been extended; it has been redefined and effectively privatised to privilege adult choice.
“The changes have stripped husband and wife of their obvious meaning and marginalised adultery and consummation. Marriage has been made into a fluid, gender-neutral institution defined by consumer demands and political expediency.
“The state has created a form of marriage that is no longer the lifelong union between a man and a woman for the procreation of children and the foundation of family life.
“They have decided that it should be something other than what it has been throughout history and different from its natural and biblical meaning.
“It is now the task of the Church to model marriage to a society which has forgotten what it is.
“In the light of pressures that Christians and others will no doubt face in coming years, this new legal fiction provides a chance to model and preach what marriage really is.” |
Munster JFC final: Kingdom retain title with dramatic win over Cork June 27, 2017
Captain Killian Spillane lead his team to the Munster Junior Crown. Captain Killian Spillane lead his team to the Munster Junior Crown.
Kerry collected their fourth successive Munster junior football crown when beating Cork by 4-24 to 3-20 after extra time at Pairc Ui Rinn.
For long spells it looked like the Rebels would prevail in an exciting see-saw tussle but the defending All-Ireland champions recovered from nine points adrift early in the second half and came good in extra time to capture their 44th provincial title in this grade.
Goals from Philip O'Connor and Tomás Ó Sé in the first half of extra time finally settled this extraordinary match-up, propelling the winners into an unassailable 4-20 to 2-18 lead with ten minutes to go.
In a sensational contest that ebbed one way and then the other, the Kingdom trailed by nine points after 33 minutes but then reeled off 2-5 without reply to surge ahead, with Ó Sé and O'Connor each netting their first goals of the night.
The holders trailed by two with a minute of normal time remaining and surged ahead again only for Killian O'Hanlon to pounce three minutes into injury time to force an additional 20 minutes.
On-song Knocknagree clubman Anthony O'Connor hit seven wonderful points as Paul McCarthy's team came from behind to lead by five at the break, 1-11 to 0-9.
With 929 in attendance, the visitors started best and were 0-6 to 0-2 to the good approaching the midway stage in the opening period before the Rebel County took temporarily complete control of proceedings.
Midfielder Ronan O'Toole finished off a patient Cork build-up to level the scores in the third minute after Conor Cox had opened the scoring at the other end. Ó Sé restored the Kingdom's lead and Tomas Mac an tSaoir made himself big to brilliantly deny Ryan Harkin a goal for the hosts.
Glenflesk's Jeff O'Donoghue supplied the visitors' next point but O'Connor replied with an excellent free from distance only for Ó Sé to fist his second and give the holders a double-scores lead after eleven minutes. Cox won and tapped over a free to increase the gap to three.
Captain Killian Spillane calmly stroked over the next Kerry point but Cork centre back Bart Daly picked out O'Toole in the 15th minute and the Eire Og clubman burst the net … Cox made it 0-7 to 1-2.
O'Connor fired over a stunning Cork point off the outside of the boot and O'Toole rocketed a shot off the Kerry crossbar, with O'Connor tying up the scores from a 19th-minute free after play was brought back as no advantage had accrued.
Wing back Darren O'Regan raided forward to give the home team the lead for the first time and O'Hanlon slotted their fifth consecutive score before the exceptional O'Connor turned the ball over the bar via the fingertips of Mac an tSaoir.
The Leesiders were on fire as they moved four points clear before a 22nd-minute O'Donoghue free from the ground got the Kingdom back on the scoreboard again after that superb period of Cork dominance - 1-8 to 0-8.
Philip O'Connor and Anthony O'Connor - with his fifth - traded points before the latter fired over yet another magnificent score to leave four between the teams again.
Deep into added time, O'Connor whacked over his third on the trot to propel his side in a strong position at the short whistle.
If Kerry came out in determined mode for the second half, they were soon left reeling by corner forward Eoghan Buckey, who finished to the net with aplomb to leave eight between them … half-time team talk seemingly out the window within 25 seconds! O'Connor's tap-over free made it double scores, 2-12 to 0-9.
Cox and Spillane pulled back a couple of points before centre back Daly made a vital block to deny Ó Sé a Kerry goal and Buckley flashed a goal effort wide at the other end. However, Ó Sé then traded passes with the outstanding Brendan O'Sullivan to dispatch clinically to the Cork net in the 39th minute. A sweetly-struck O'Donoghue '45' had the gap back to just three points with 20 minutes left.
Incredibly, after great work by James Walsh, Philip O'Connor drew the Kingdom level with a clinically-finished 42nd-minute goal as this contest really exploded to life.
Substitute Liam Carey edged the rampant Kingdom back ahead approaching the three-quarters stage as their scoring sequence came to 2-4 without reply - 2-13 to 2-12. Cox converted a free following a foul on the powerful O'Sullivan and Carey blazed a Kerry goal chance to the left and wide as the defending provincial and All-Ireland champions remained very much on top.
O'Connor's simple free represented the Rebels' first score in 17 minutes and his tenth point from a tight angle had the sides level again with ten minutes left to play. The hosts spurned a series of presentable scoring opportunities as the tension mounted but Buckley was on hand to fire them back in front on 55 minutes.
Substitute Sean T O'Sullivan supplied the insurance point for the Rebels in the 59th minute but Carey ensured a tense finish when halving the deficit in the last minute of normal time.
In the most amazing denouement, further injury-time points from Carey and Philip O'Connor seemed to have given the Kingdom victory but O'Hanlon tied the scores up again in the 63rd minute.
There was no let-up in the intensity as points were traded in the first minute of extra time before Brendan O'Sullivan kicked a lovely point to fire the Kingdom in front. Two minutes later, Philip O'Connor doubled the gap and brought his own personal haul to 1-3 and the game was over as a contest in the ninth minute of injury time when a purposeful O'Sullivan run created another goal for O'Connor, who blasted to the net with his left foot. Within seconds, Ó Sé struck another three-pointer at the second attempt to leave eight points separating these neighbouring counties at half time in extra time.
Ronan O'Callaghan and Ivan Parker (free) traded points and Ó Sé brought his superb tally to 2-4, with a brace of points either side of an Anthony O'Connor reply. Parker tacked on a free for the winners and a mistake in the Kingdom defence gifted O'Toole a last-gasp consolation goal for the gallant losers.
Kerry - T Mac an tSaoir; E Kiely, J Maguire, P Kilkenny; J Walsh, M Foley, D O'Brien; R O Se, B O'Sullivan (0-1); P O'Connor (2-3), J O'Donoghue (0-3, 1f, 1'45), E O Conchuir; K Spillane (0-2), C Cox (0-5, 3f), T O Se (2-4). Subs: L Carey (0-4) for J O'Donoghue, I Parker (0-2f) for C Cox, PJ MacLaimh for M Foley, B Barrett for E O Conchuir (BC), E Cronin for K Spillane, DJ Murphy for J Walsh, S O'Sullivan for L Carey.
Cork - A Casey; K Histon, P Murphy, P Clancy; D O'Regan (0-1), B Daly, J Cronin; M O'Leary, R O'Toole (2-1); R Harkin, K O'Hanlon (0-3), R Downey; E Buckley (1-2), S Hickey, A O'Connor (0-11, 6f). Subs: S T O'Sullivan (0-1) for R Downey, L O'Neill for D O'Regan, R O'Callaghan (0-1) for S Hickey, M Bradley for S T O'Sullivan, D Colfer for P Murphy (BC).
Referee - S Lonergan.
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Donations and adoption offers have been pouring in for the Chinese newborn who was rescued from a sewer pipe on Saturday.
“Baby 59,” known only by his hospital incubator number, was released from Zhejiang's Pujiang People's Hospital on Thursday after recovering from having been trapped in a pipe just below a squat toilet in a public restroom, according to the AP. Some of the very responders who spent two hours freeing the baby who got stuck in a pipe after his mother gave birth to him on her own, according to officials, have been offering up goods to help the newborn.
According to police, one of the firefighters sent clothes, formula, powder and diapers and other rescuers have sent milk bottles and additional formula, CNN reported.
The 22-year-old unnamed mother told police that she became pregnant after a brief affair and couldn’t afford an abortion. She secretly delivered the child on Saturday in a rental building’s restroom and said that that the infant accidentally slipped down the pipe and became stuck, the AP reported.
The woman notified officials after cleaning up the scene and revealed that she was the mother two days later after police confronted her, according to the AP.
The mother was not charged, and the boy’s maternal grandparents took him home from the hospital.
A number of supporters have come forward with offers to adopt Baby 59, who had a low heart rate and suffered some minor abrasions. But Chinese law would preclude such adoptions since the mother is still in the picture, according to the Guardian, and her care will likely not be supervised. |
Confused? Check out the advanced-stats glossary here. Below, a unique review of last year's team, a unit-by-unit breakdown of this year's roster, the full 2016 schedule with win projections for each game, and more.
1. A big, physical foundation
A coach's abbreviated first class is often a space-filler before the real work. But for Bob Diaco and the roster he inherited, it was a different story. Nine of the 16 played as true freshmen, even two offensive linemen. The program Diaco inherited had been flagging. Too good defensively to bottom out, the Huskies had regressed for four years. If it turns out that Diaco knows what he's doing -- how to recruit, develop players, put them in position to succeed -- then we'll look back at 2014 as a necessary Year Zero, a reset for a program in need of one. There was almost nothing redeeming about the 2014 team, but if you are going to stink, you might as well stink with a young team. And if you turn things around, no one's going to care that you started 2-10. -- 2015 UConn guide
The short version (David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)
2016 projected wins: 5.8
Projected S&P+ ranking: 81 (8 in AAC)
5-year recruiting ranking: 77 (8 in AAC)
Biggest strength: A sound, bend-don't-break defense returns a lot of difference-makers.
Biggest question mark: Can the offense do more than eat up a couple of minutes before punting?
Biggest 2016 game: Temple (Nov. 4). A win over the Owls would not only avenge a big 2015 defeat but also bring some regional bragging rights to what could become a fun rivalry.
Summary: In his second year as UConn head coach, Diaco engineered massive defensive improvement and brought the Huskies to their first bowl in five years. Now comes the next test: making offense less of a liability. 5.8: 81 (8 in AAC): 77 (8 in AAC): A sound, bend-don't-break defense returns a lot of difference-makers.: Can the offense do more than eat up a couple of minutes before punting?: Temple (Nov. 4). A win over the Owls would not only avenge a big 2015 defeat but also bring some regional bragging rights to what could become a fun rivalry.In his second year as UConn head coach, Diaco engineered massive defensive improvement and brought the Huskies to their first bowl in five years. Now comes the next test: making offense less of a liability.
UConn had regressed, at least a little bit, for five consecutive years heading into 2015. That's both difficult to do and terrifying. The entire, ill-advised Paul Pasqualoni era had been one of minor slippage, but the fifth year of regression had a purpose.
When former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco arrived on campus in 2014, he basically stripped the depth chart down to its studs. He played a bunch of freshmen and sophomores, and UConn went from playing semi-competitive, pointless football to stinking for a cause.
In 2015, we came to understand that purpose. Granted, the Huskies' offense was still bad -- after ranking 31st in Off. S&P+ in 2009, they have now ranked 94th or worse for five consecutive years and 113th or worse for four straight -- but the defense was legitimately strong. The Huskies rose back to 38th in Def. S&P+ and, with help from a plodding tempo, held eight opponents to 17 or fewer points. And they pulled off this improvement with help from a lot of sophomores and juniors.
Last year we caught glimpses of what Diaco is attempting to build. As it did in South Bend, Diaco's defense intends to combine bend-don't-break principles with fantastic red zone defense and the ability to punish any and every mistake the offense makes. That style of defense isn't as fun as attack-attack-attack, but it can be very effective.
Meanwhile, the offense is going to be a Northeastern special, loaded with size, run-first principles, an old-school tempo, and the ability to bruise.
The offense isn't where it needs to be for UConn to become a true AAC East contender, and maybe it will never get there. But with progress on only one side of the ball, the Huskies still reached a bowl for the first time in five years last fall, and the offense returns nearly contributor. Even if there's still a low ceiling in place, there's no reason to think UConn can't take another step forward in Diaco's third year.
Bottoming out can serve a purpose. If you lose with youth and manage to keep morale from getting too low and turnover from getting too high, those younger players could eventually grow into the example you want to set for your program.
Record: 6-7 | Adj. Record: 5-8 | Final F/+ Rk: 80 | Final S&P+ Rk: 87 Date Opponent Opp. F/+ Rk Score W-L Percentile
Performance Win
Expectancy vs. S&P+ Performance
vs. Vegas 3-Sep Villanova N/A 20-15 W 50% 80% -0.1 12-Sep Army 108 22-17 W 46% 62% -3.8 -2.5 19-Sep at Missouri 75 6-9 L 24% 15% +26.0 +18.0 26-Sep Navy 21 18-28 L 22% 1% +0.9 -3.0 2-Oct at BYU 35 13-30 L 19% 1% +2.4 +1.0 10-Oct at Central Florida 128 40-13 W 75% 99% +19.0 +30.0 17-Oct South Florida 44 20-28 L 56% 40% -4.1 -11.0 24-Oct at Cincinnati 72 13-37 L 10% 0% -16.7 -11.5 30-Oct East Carolina 73 31-13 W 84% 97% +23.6 +25.5 7-Nov at Tulane 119 7-3 W 53% 76% -0.3 -2.0 21-Nov Houston 26 20-17 W 83% 87% +13.4 +3.0 28-Nov at Temple 45 3-27 L 6% 0% -10.1 -12.0 26-Dec vs. Marshall 58 10-16 L 38% 11% +1.2 -1.5
Category Offense Rk Defense Rk S&P+ 19.9 114 23.9 38 Points Per Game 17.2 122 19.5 15
2. Upside emerged
UConn was very good at forcing opponents to play by the Huskies' rules in 2015. That didn't always result in a win -- in fact, with the bowl game, the Huskies still lost more than they won -- but with limited upside on offense, defining the terms of the game gave their defense the best chance to compete and stay fresh.
This team wanted to give you the fewest possible opportunities to get ahead, and from the perspective of underdog tactics, slowing the game to a crawl is a pretty good one.
It becomes an even better approach when you can move the ball at least a little bit. And if you squint, you can maybe see signs of offensive improvement ... as long as you ignore the ending of the season, anyway.
Average Percentile Performance (first 5 games) : 32% (~top 90) | Record: 2-3 | Average score: Opp 20, UConn 16 | Yards per play: Opp 5.1, UConn 4.9
: 32% (~top 90) | Record: 2-3 | Average score: Opp 20, UConn 16 | Yards per play: Opp 5.1, UConn 4.9 Average Percentile Performance (next 6 games) : 60% (~top 50) | Record: 4-2 | Average score: UConn 22, Opp 19 | Yards per play: Opp 5.4, UConn 5.3
: 60% (~top 50) | Record: 4-2 | Average score: UConn 22, Opp 19 | Yards per play: Opp 5.4, UConn 5.3 Average Percentile Performance (last 2 games): 22% (~top 100) | Record: 0-2 | Average score: Opp 22, UConn 7 | Yards per play: Opp 4.9, UConn 3.6
A little bit of an offensive boost in the middle of the year -- the Huskies averaged 6.3 yards per play against UCF, 6.6 against USF, and 6.2 against ECU -- had an immense impact. Granted, there were duds against Cincinnati and Tulane scattered in there, but the simple ability to hit even 20 points made a significant difference. In fact, it made all the difference: UConn was 5-1 when scoring at least 20 points and 1-6 when falling short of that mark.
Offense
Q1 Rk 96 1st Down Rk 104 Q2 Rk 97 2nd Down Rk 83 Q3 Rk 79 3rd Down Rk 94 Q4 Rk 108
3. Staying out of the defense's way
After the offense's dismal showing in 2014, Diaco shuffled his staff around a bit, moving offensive coordinator Mike Cummings to more of a co-coordinator role and handing the main coordinator title to Frank Verducci. This was the first coordinator role for the 35-year coaching veteran; Verducci had spent almost his entire career as either an offensive line or tight ends coach. He was an Iowa grad assistant when Diaco was playing for Hayden Fry, and he ended up spending a full decade coaching under Fry before taking on a new job about every year since.
It appears he's staying for a second year at UConn -- the first time he's held the same job in back-to-back campaigns since 2007-08 -- which suggests that he delivered a lot of what Diaco wanted in 2015.
The identity was clear last fall even if the results were lacking. UConn was going to take minimal risks, run the ball frequently, eat as much clock as possible, and occasionally try to get quarterback Bryant Shirreffs on the edge where he could make some plays. Shirreffs completed 60 percent of his passes and gained at least five yards on 57 percent of his non-sack carries. He got hurt against Houston and missed the dud against Temple, but it probably shouldn't be a surprise that his three best games were UCF (185.5 passer rating), USF (146.2), and ECU (136.9).
Note: players in bold below are 2016 returnees. Players in italics are questionable with injury/suspension.
Player Ht, Wt 2016
Year Rivals 247 Comp. Comp Att Yards TD INT Comp
Rate Sacks Sack Rate Yards/
Att. Bryant Shirreffs 6'2, 220 Jr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.7444 168 279 2078 9 8 60.2% 34 10.9% 6.1 Tim Boyle 31 60 281 0 2 51.7% 2 3.2% 4.3 Garrett Anderson 6'1, 224 Sr. 2 stars (5.4) NR 2 2 53 1 0 100.0% 1 33.3% 15.7 Tyler Davis 6'4, 231 RSFr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8005 Donovan Williams 6'4, 205 Fr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8348
Running Back
Player Pos. Ht, Wt 2016
Year Rivals 247 Comp. Rushes Yards TD Yards/
Carry Hlt Yds/
Opp. Opp.
Rate Fumbles Fum.
Lost Arkeel Newsome RB 5'7, 180 Jr. 3 stars (5.6) 0.8519 183 792 6 4.3 5.1 33.3% 1 1 Bryant Shirreffs QB 6'2, 220 Jr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.7444 120 662 3 5.5 3.1 56.7% 7 3 Ron Johnson RB 5'11, 220 Jr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.8106 88 224 5 2.5 3.2 26.1% 2 1 Josh Marriner RB 17 31 0 1.8 1.3 17.6% 0 0 Max DeLorenzo RB 13 36 0 2.8 3.8 15.4% 0 0 Noel Thomas WR 6'1, 199 Sr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8414 5 22 0 4.4 2.0 60.0% 0 0 Tim Boyle QB 4 6 0 1.5 0.0 0.0% 0 0 Nate Hopkins RB 6'0, 212 Fr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.8214
4. Shirreffs needs help from the run game
Shirreffs was decent if inconsistent, but UConn's biggest problem was that it was a run-first offense that couldn't run very well. Running backs Arkeel Newsome, Ron Johnson, Josh Marriner, and Max DeLorenzo combined to average 23 carries per game but averaged only 3.6 yards per carry. Only 30 percent of their carries gained even five yards, which meant that the primary purpose of these 23 carries per game was killing about 40 seconds of game clock.
Newsome did show a little bit of explosiveness on the rare occasion that he saw open field. His average of 5.1 highlight yards per opportunity was solid, and he averaged 8 yards per target out of the backfield, good for a running back. At 5'7, 180, he isn't the prototype water-carrier, but he's an asset overall. If he can improve enough to prevent Shirreffs from throwing most of his passes on second- or third-and-long, then a seasoned passing game would benefit greatly.
UConn returns two decent receivers in Noel Thomas and Tyraiq Beals (and a lot is expected of sophomore Hergy Mayala) and two efficient tight ends in Alec Bloom and Tommy Myers. Each of last year's top six targets are back, but down-and-distance need to favor this group a bit more than it did last year, through either more varied play-calling (and, in theory, more first-down passing) or.more effective rushing. Shirreffs' dual-threat nature already opens him up to sacks and hits, but having him pass mostly in obvious-pass situations doubles that risk.
Receiving Corps
Player Pos. Ht, Wt 2016
Year Rivals 247 Comp. Targets Catches Yards Catch Rate Target
Rate Yds/
Target %SD Success
Rate IsoPPP Noel Thomas WR 6'1, 199 Sr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8414 92 54 719 58.7% 28.7% 7.8 55.4% 51.1% 1.38 Arkeel Newsome RB 5'7, 180 Jr. 3 stars (5.6) 0.8519 58 45 465 77.6% 18.1% 8.0 53.4% 41.4% 1.79 Alec Bloom TE 6'6, 257 Jr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.8056 36 22 314 61.1% 11.2% 8.7 47.2% 50.0% 1.56 Tyraiq Beals WR 6'0, 183 So. 3 stars (5.5) 0.7933 32 24 275 75.0% 10.0% 8.6 43.8% 43.8% 1.94 Tommy Myers TE 6'5, 250 Jr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.7818 20 16 232 80.0% 6.2% 11.6 65.0% 65.0% 1.59 Hergy Mayala WR 6'2, 203 So. 2 stars (5.4) 0.8126 20 7 80 35.0% 6.2% 4.0 70.0% 30.0% 1.26 Thomas Lucas WR
15 7 83 46.7% 4.7% 5.5 66.7% 46.7% 0.97 Josh Marriner RB
12 8 71 66.7% 3.7% 5.9 25.0% 41.7% 1.41 Max DeLorenzo RB 10 5 35 50.0% 3.1% 3.5 40.0% 30.0% 0.95 Aaron McLean WR 6'5, 220 So. 2 stars (5.3) 0.7826 6 4 56 66.7% 1.9% 9.3 16.7% 33.3% 2.32 Ron Johnson RB 5'11, 220 Jr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.8106 6 4 29 66.7% 1.9% 4.8 16.7% 16.7% 2.40 Brian Lemelle WR 5'10, 170 Sr. 3 stars (5.6) 0.8522 2 2 27 100.0% 0.6% 13.5 50.0% 100.0% 1.07 Chris Lee TE 6'7, 257 So. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7908 Billy Williams
(Northern Iowa) TE 6'2, 245 So. NR NR Frank Battle WR 6'5, 193 RSFr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.8076 Zordan Holman TE 6'5, 250 RSFr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.7633 Quayvon Skanes WR 5'10, 175 Fr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8309 Jay Rose TE 6'4, 225 Fr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.8261
Offensive Line
Player Pos. Ht, Wt 2016
Year Rivals 247 Comp. 2015 Starts Career Starts Honors/Notes Tyler Samra RG 13 26 Richard Levy RG 6'6, 316 Sr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.7519 13 25 Andreas Knappe RT 6'8, 319 Sr. NR NR 13 20 Brendan Vechery RG/C 6'6, 307 Jr. NR NR 13 13 Tommy Hopkins LG 6'6, 316 Jr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.7995 11 11 Ryan Crozier C 6'4, 296 So. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7811 0 3 Trey Rutherford RG 6'5, 309 Jr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.7808 2 2 Matt Peart LT 6'7, 291 So. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7683 0 0 Steve Hashemi LG 6'6, 285 Jr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7433 0 0 Daniel Oak C 6'3, 295 So. NR 0.7000 0 0 Kyle Bockeloh RG
0 0 Kyle Schafenacker OL 6'3, 282 Jr. 3 stars (5.6) 0.8425 0 0 Cameron DeGeorge OL 6'5, 260 Fr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.8466
Nino Leone OL 6'5, 335 Fr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7979
5. Real, real big
Simply having a big line doesn't mean you have a good line. Indeed, a full quarter of UConn's rushes were stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage, and the Huskies had one of the eight worst adjusted sack rates in the country. Even though running backs and Shirreffs almost certainly contributed to those poor stats ... these are really poor stats. With minimal help, the line still wasn't good enough.
But if you're going to stink, you might as well stink while making opponents run a long way to get around you.
Above, I list 12 offensive linemen, 10 of whom are returnees. Nine of the 12 are at least 6'5, and five of six with starting experience are at least 307 pounds. That's some solid beef, and the experience of the beef is a bit stronger than it was last year. UConn entered 2015 with 35 returning career starts; the Huskies boast 52 this time around. This only means so much if the talent isn't there, but it is a sign of what Diaco, Verducci and Cummings want to build.
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Defense
Q1 Rk 45 1st Down Rk 82 Q2 Rk 67 2nd Down Rk 90 Q3 Rk 57 3rd Down Rk 35 Q4 Rk 70
6. Major improvement on D
Only 13 teams allowed fewer 30-yard gains than UConn, only three gave up fewer 30-yard passes, and only 10 allowed fewer points per scoring opportunity. Despite a little bit of inefficiency versus the pass (and a pass rush that didn't help out just a ton), UConn pulled off a respond-and-react style of defense quite well in 2015. The Huskies stiffened when the goal line came within view, and few defenses did as well in short-yardage situations.
Few defenses improved more than UConn's in 2015. The Huskies basically lopped a touchdown per game off of their (opponent-adjusted) season averages, and while there was some injuries luck in there -- if you define a "regular" as someone who averages at least one tackle per game, then 16 regulars combined to miss only 10 games (plus, in a different form of injuries luck, Houston's star quarterback Greg Ward Jr. barely played against UConn because of injury) -- the progress and identity were clear. Now we'll see what happens with more experience and, yes, probably more injury.
Defensive Line
Name Pos Ht, Wt 2016
Year Rivals 247 Comp. GP Tackles % of Team TFL Sacks Int PBU FF FR Folorunso Fatukasi DT 6'4, 310 Jr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7961 12 42.5 6.2% 8.0 7.5 0 0 4 0 Luke Carrezola DE 6'3, 260 Jr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7801 13 36.5 5.3% 11.5 6.0 0 1 2 0 Julian Campenni DT 13 21.0 3.0% 4.0 0.0 0 0 1 0 Kenton Adeyemi DE 12 21.0 3.0% 3.5 2.0 0 0 0 0 Mikal Myers DT 6'1, 325 Sr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8139 12 19.0 2.8% 4.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 Cameron Stapleton DE 6'4, 252 Jr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.7956 13 12.0 1.7% 4.0 2.0 0 2 0 0 Cole Ormsby DE 6'3, 262 Jr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7900 8 9.0 1.3% 2.5 1.5 0 0 0 0 Sean Marinan DT 6'1, 291 Sr. NR NR 12 5.5 0.8% 0.5 0.0 0 0 0 0 Dallas Parker DE 6'4, 251 So. 2 stars (5.3) 0.7844 James Atkins DE 6'5, 278 So. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7333 Kevin Murphy DT 6'1, 285 RSFr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8150 David Ryslik DT 6'4, 307 RSFr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.8292 Philippe Okounam DE 6'5, 285 RSFr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.8118 Felton Blackwell DT 6'2, 331 RSFr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.7891 Noel Brouse DE 6'5, 265 Fr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.8006
Linebackers
Name Pos Ht, Wt 2016
Year Rivals 247 Comp. GP Tackles % of Team TFL Sacks Int PBU FF FR Junior Joseph LB 6'1, 242 Jr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.8306 13 67.0 9.7% 3.5 0.0 1 0 0 0 Graham Stewart LB 13 54.5 7.9% 9.5 2.0 0 1 0 0 Marquise Vann LB 12 36.5 5.3% 2.0 0.0 1 0 0 0 Matthew Walsh LB 6'1, 245 Sr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.7860 13 33.0 4.8% 4.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 E.J. Levenberry
(Florida State) LB 6'3, 245 Jr. 4 stars (5.9) 0.9226 13 16.0 2.1% 1.0 0.0 0 1 0 0 Vontae Diggs LB 6'2, 225 Jr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8322 11 10.5 1.5% 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 Jon Hicks LB 6'2, 237 Sr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.8124 12 8.0 1.2% 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 Omaine Stephens LB 6'3, 232 Sr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7000 11 3.0 0.4% 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 Jalen Stevens LB 6'3, 235 Jr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8309 Chris Britton LB 6'1, 235 So. 2 stars (5.2) 0.8233 Nazir Williams LB 6'3, 252 RSFr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.8190 William Richardson LB 6'2, 246 RSFr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.7988 Connor Freeborn LB 6'5, 259 RSFr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.7973 Ryan Gilmartin LB 6'1, 230 Fr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.8092
7. A few spots to fill (and a lot of candidates)
Of those regulars referenced above, UConn returns four of six on the line, three of five linebackers, and three of five defensive backs. That's not bad, but some talent did leave Storrs. Linebacker Graham Stewart, perhaps UConn's most disruptive defender against the run, is gone, as are end Kenton Adeyemi, tackle Julian Campenni, and linebacker Marquise Vann. There will be new names on the two-deep.
That said, it's hard to worry too much. Ends Cole Ormsby and Cameron Stapleton, tackles Mikal Myers and Sean Marinan, and linebackers Matthew Walsh, Vontae Diggs, and Jon Hicks all spent some time in the rotation. Plus, UConn welcomes a host of redshirt freshmen into the competition, plus Florida State transfer E.J. Levenberry. Stewart might be particularly tricky to replace, but the list of candidates for the new open spots is large and exciting. I'm figuring the front seven probably improves this year.
Secondary
Name Pos Ht, Wt 2016
Year Rivals 247 Comp. GP Tackles % of Team TFL Sacks Int PBU FF FR Andrew Adams SS 13 80.5 11.7% 3.5 0 3 3 0 0 Obi Melifonwu FS 6'3, 216 Sr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8189 13 73.0 10.6% 2 0 2 5 0 0 Jhavon Williams CB 5'10, 190 Sr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.7988 13 48.5 7.0% 2 0 3 7 0 0 Jamar Summers CB 6'0, 185 Jr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.7981 13 32.0 4.6% 0.5 0 8 3 0 0 Junior Lee FS 12 16.5 2.4% 0 0 0 3 0 0 Ellis Marder SS
12 11.0 1.6% 0 0 0 3 0 0 Javon Hadley CB 5'10, 175 Sr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.8248 9 7.5 1.1% 1 0 0 1 0 0 John Green CB 5'10, 186 Sr. 2 stars (5.4) 0.8069 11 7.5 1.1% 0 0 0 2 0 0 Brice McAllister CB 5'11, 193 Jr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7865 13 6.5 0.9% 0 0 0 0 2 0 Jordan Floyd S
8 3.5 0.5% 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Vitale CB 5'8, 175 Sr. NR NR 12 2.0 0.3% 0 0 0 0 0 0 Anthony Watkins S 5'11, 200 So. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7785 Aaron Garland S 5'11, 193 RSFr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8141 Marshé Terry S 6'4, 206 RSFr. 2 stars (5.2) 0.7983 John Robinson IV CB 6'2, 181 RSFr. 2 stars (5.3) 0.7948 Tahj Herring CB 6'1, 188 Fr. 3 stars (5.5) 0.8400 Eddie Hahn S 6'3, 190 Fr. 3 stars (5.6) 0.8318
8. Lucky and good
UConn were a bit lucky in the injuries department, and the Huskies got some decent bounces, too. They benefited by about three points per game in the turnovers department, primarily because they might have been unsustainably good at reeling in interceptions. The trio of Obi Melifonwu, Jhavon Williams, and Jamar Summers combined for one interception and 12 pass breakups in 2014; the same three had 13 picks and 15 breakups last fall. On average, you end up with one INT for every three to four PBUs. A few of those picks hit the turf, and UConn's season might take on a different complexion.
That said, these three are clear play-makers. They have, after all, defensed 41 passes over the last two years while also recording eight tackles for loss (mostly from Melifonwu).
One area of concern in the back: UConn is maybe one injury away from being perilously thin at safety. Williams and Summers are back, as is basically every other cornerback, but the loss of Andrew Adams, Junior Lee, and Ellis Marder means Melifonwu will be surrounded by some new faces. Sophomore Anthony Watkins was evidently solid in the spring, and big redshirt freshman Marshé Terry and junior Brice McAllister are both options as well. If Melifonwu has a solid partner in the back, and the luck of the bounce doesn't swing too hard in the other direction, this could easily be a top-30 defense.
Special Teams
Punter Ht, Wt 2016
Year Punts Avg TB FC I20 FC/I20
Ratio Justin Wain 6'3, 216 Sr. 75 38.2 6 39 22 81.3%
Kicker Ht, Wt 2016
Year Kickoffs Avg TB OOB TB% Michael Tarbutt 6'0, 184 So. 26 57.7 5 0 19.2% Bobby Puyol 5'10, 180 Sr. 25 60.4 12 0 48.0%
Place-Kicker Ht, Wt 2016
Year PAT FG
(0-39) Pct FG
(40+) Pct Bobby Puyol 5'10, 180 Sr. 21-24 12-13 92.3% 4-5 80.0% Michael Tarbutt 6'0, 184 So. 0-0 0-0 N/A 0-1 0.0%
Returner Pos. Ht, Wt 2016
Year Returns Avg. TD Arkeel Newsome KR 5'7, 180 Jr. 19 22.6 0 Josh Marriner KR 4 14.3 0 Nick Vitale PR 5'8, 175 Sr. 3 -4.3 0 Brian Lemelle PR 5'10, 170 Sr. 2 7.5 0
Category Rk Special Teams S&P+ 25 Field Goal Efficiency 23 Punt Return Success Rate 127 Kick Return Success Rate 107 Punt Success Rate 18 Kickoff Success Rate 98
9. Punting on punt returns
Thanks mostly to kicker Bobby Puyol and punter Justin Wain, this was a solid special teams unit last year. Neither kickoffs nor kick returns were a strength, but that wasn't a big issue because there weren't many kickoffs in UConn games.
The biggest issue was punt returns -- UConn didn't really have any. Opponents punted 57 times in 2015, but the Huskies attempted returns on only five of them ... and those five returns gained all of two net yards. Yuck. There are worse things in the world than a fair catch, but if the Huskies can at least generate occasional yardage on returns, it would very much help in the field position battle: UConn ranked only 77th in field position margin last year.
2016 Schedule Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 1-Sep Maine NR 23.1 91% 10-Sep at Navy 66 -8.0 32% 17-Sep Virginia 68 -0.4 49% 24-Sep Syracuse 44 -4.3 40% 29-Sep at Houston 53 -10.0 28% 8-Oct Cincinnati 70 0.0 50% 15-Oct at South Florida 41 -12.8 23% 22-Oct Central Florida 99 8.4 69% 29-Oct at East Carolina 78 -5.5 38% 4-Nov Temple 61 -1.8 46% 19-Nov at Boston College 50 -10.2 28% 26-Nov Tulane 122 16.0 82% Projected wins: 5.8
Five-Year F/+ Rk -16.1% (93) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 83 / 77 2015 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* 9 / 1.8 2015 TO Luck/Game +3.0 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 82% (94%, 70%) 2015 Second-order wins (difference) 5.7 (0.3)
10. Lots of tossups
If the UConn offense becomes less awful and the defense produces at a top-30 or top-40 level, that's a solid team. Because last year was the first sign of hope in a while, S&P+ projections keep the Huskies at a conservative 81st this year, which makes sense. But it's not hard to see them at least cracking into the 70s.
Even at 81st, though, the Huskies have a decent shot at returning to a bowl. They are projected to go about 6-6 with three likely wins, four likely losses, and five games with a win probability between 38 and 50 percent. With a bit more offensive improvement, something like 8-4 is within reach. With a little less luck in the injuries and bounces departments, a regression to 4-8 is an option, too.
I appreciate what Diaco is building. it seems like a sustainable way of building competitive teams in a region with plenty of defensive talent but few offensive difference-makers (at least, few who stay in the region). But in a conference where seemingly every program has made an intriguing hire and is improving, UConn will have to continue growing to maintain a bowl presence. |
Originally slated for release in 2018, The Inhumans was intended to be the film that would introduce us to a new side of the Marvel Universe with the story of Black Bolt and his royal family of superhumans. Instead, we received a much earlier glimpse at the Inhumans during Season 2 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. As it turned out, we didn't need Black Bolt to have the Inhumans. Marvel threw us a curveball with the revelation that Skye was actually Daisy Johnson, known to comic book fans as the superhero Quake. This was a character who was not created to be an Inhuman but it worked for the show, and it provided an excellent point of entry into the mythology of the Inhumans.
Since then, the plan for The Inhumans was scrapped and replaced with a new idea: a TV series. This show will focus on Black Bolt and his family. Who knows what other characters will pop up along the way? Up until a few years ago, Marvel had a limit on how many characters in the comics were Inhumans, so unless The Inhumans focuses on making up new Inhumans, they may have to tweak the origin stories of some of their established characters. Let's have a look at 15 Marvel Characters Who Could Be Inhumans In The MCU.
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15 Blade
At the time that Eric Brooks was being brought into the world, his mother was bitten by a vampire. This caused Brooks to gain the qualities of a vampire but did not completely "turn" him. He grew up to be a talented swordsman and a hunter of vampires and other supernatural creatures. Blade later received further physical enhancements from a bite from Morbius, a pseudo-vampire. Blade put these abilities to use in his fight against Count Dracula and his vampire army.
In the early 2000s, New Line Cinemas produced a trilogy of popular movies focusing on Blade the Vampire Hunter that starred Wesley Snipes. At some point in time, the rights to the character reverted back to Marvel Studios, and it's unclear what Marvel plans to do with them.
Blade has a big role in the supernatural corner of the Marvel Universe, often interacting with Doctor Strange and Ghost Rider. Though Blade could possibility fit in better with those characters, it's possible that Marvel could take a grounded approach to Blade and introduce vampires as a genetic offshoot of the Inhumans. This would set the stage for a potential Blade spin-off series.
14 Tigra
Viewers of the Netflix series Jessica Jones may be aware that Trish Walker is the comic book character Hellcat, but before Trish Walker there was Greer Grant, a cop whose abilities were scientifically enhanced. It was she who first came up with the "Hellcat" identity but she abandoned it when she was transformed by a combination of magic and science into an animal-human hybrid with feline senses.
As "Tigra," Grant became an important part of the superhero community, mingling with many of Marvel's flagship characters. She had a brief stint with the Avengers and was a founding member of the West Coast Avengers. She was also a teacher at the Avengers Academy. With her cat-like instincts, she had a personality that craved attention and was even seen flirting with Jarvis, the Avengers' butler. Her struggles with balancing her human side with her cat side would make her an interesting addition to The Inhumans TV series.
13 Grey Gargoyle
Introduced in Journey into Mystery #107 in 1964, Paul Pierre Duval was a scientist who turned himself into a stone statue, yet somehow he retained the ability to move and speak as a human being. As "the Grey Gargoyle," Duval had the power to touch objects and people with his right hand and turn them to stone. The effects last for one hour. For decades, Grey Gargoyle has been a recurring foe of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and others. All this time, his primary goal has been to achieve immortality but so far it's been kept from his grasp.
Grey Gargoyle's ability to turn himself and others into stone resembles the Terrigenesis process on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. If the Grey Gargoyle were to appear on either The Inhumans, his ability could mirror Terrigenesis, but at the same time could serve as a powerful weapon against the Inhumans themselves.
12 Squirrel Girl
In 1992, Iron Man was in a battle with Doctor Doom when he received help from a new superhero: Squirrel Girl. Doreen Green was a mutant with the ability to control squirrels. She has also had two trusted squirrel companions, Monkey Joe and Tippy Toe, accompany her in her adventures. Though not the most intimidating power, Squirrel Girl has been able to overcome surprisingly difficult opponents in the past. Since the character's introduction, she has gained quite a following and has even starred in her own comic book series.
It was confirmed Wednesday that Squirrel Girl would be coming to TV on Freeform in a new series order for a half-hour comedy series, The New Warriors. There's no word yet on who will play her or how her powers will manifest. Unless they decide on a practical method for her to gain the ability to control squirrels, the Terrigen Mist could be the best way to explain it.
11 Radioactive Man
When Chinese nuclear physicist Chen Lu was ordered by his superiors in the government to find a way to take down Thor, he gradually exposed himself to radiation until he became the Radioactive Man, a superhuman behemoth with green, radioactive skin. Despite his new abilities, Chen was unable to defeat Thor. He received another opportunity some time later when Baron Zemo invited him to join the Masters of Evil with the purpose of destroying the Avengers. Chen's role as a villain continued for several years until he eventually reformed and joined the Thunderbolts. Chen has remained loyal to China and returns to fight their battles for them whenever the need arises.
If Chen were to join The Inhumans, it's hard to say if it would be as a hero or as a villain. His role could be similar to Mr. Hyde's on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., who was originally portrayed as a ruthless murderer but eventually became a sympathetic character whose actions were driven by good intentions.
In the comics, Chen's radioactive qualities make it difficult for him to physically interact with others. This aspect of the character could work well if adapted to the small screen.
10 MODOK
As one of the most grotesque creatures in Marvel Comics, fans have been wondering for years what MODOK would look like in the MCU, and The Inhumans could be the next best chance for us to find out. George Tarleton was initially just a human technician for AIM who was experimented on by his colleagues and turned into the hideous MODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing.) MODOK seized control of AIM and began scheming to take over the world, quickly becoming a foe of Captain America, Iron Man, and the Hulk.
MODOK's trademark appearance is a large part of the popularity he has amassed over the years. Not only does MODOK have a major presence in the comics, but he's also appeared in numerous cartoons and video games, including the crossover game, Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
Would someone like MODOK even work as an Inhuman? It's true that making him an Inhuman would be a sizable change to his origin story, but it wouldn't necessarily affect his character in any serious way. It could be that Tarleton's exposure to the Terrigen Mist is what set the stage for his transformation into MODOK.
9 Man-Thing
In 2005, Lionsgate Films produced the horror movie Man-Thing, about the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It never even received a theatrical release and was regulated to the status of a "Sci-fi Original Movie." Fifteen years have passed since then, and thankfully the memory of the film is starting to fade, meaning it may be time to give Man-Thing another shot.
Before the Man-Thing was a spooky swamp monster, he was just a man named Dr. Ted Sallis who had been working on a new version of the super soldier serum that turned scrawny Steve Rogers into Captain America. When Dr. Sallis crashed his car into a swamp, magical energies hidden with the swamp mixed with the serum to transform him into the immensely powerful swamp creature known as the Man-Thing. The role of magic in Man-Thing's origin could have him placed in the supernatural spectrum of the MCU, but if Marvel were to decide that they didn't need to go down that road with the character, the magic of the swamp could easily be replaced with the Terrigen Mist.
8 Whirlwind
David Cannon is a mutant with the ability to spin at such an abnormal speed that he's capable of generating enough wind to create small tornadoes. When he discovered how useful his spinning power could be, Cannon began a career as the costumed criminal, "The Human Top," but eventually abandoned the name in favor of "Whirlwind." Cannon is a longtime foe of Hank Pym who has also spent time menacing a number of other heroes in the Marvel Universe, including the Avengers and the Heroes for Hire.
When not causing trouble as "Whirlwind," David Cannon kept himself busy with a real-life job. He worked as a chauffeur to Janet Van Dyke, also known as the Wasp. He eventually developed an obsession with her and tried to kill her. Though his relationship with Pym and the Wasp probably won't make it to the MCU, we could see him develop a fixation on a different female character such as Crystal or Medusa. This is the kind of plot that would be perfect for a single-episode story.
7 Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a villain with "photographic reflexes," an ability that makes it possible for him to copy the movements of others, including Captain America's shield-throwing skills, Black Knight's swordsmanship, and Hawkeye's archery skills. Though the character originated in the pages of The Avengers, in recent years the character has been more closely associated with the X-Men, specifically Deadpool.
About a year ago we learned that the rights to the villain known as Taskmaster reverted from 20th Century Fox back to Marvel Studios, meaning that the character is finally available for use. While some fans may have hoped to watch Taskmaster fight Deadpool on the big screen, some would prefer to watch Taskmaster tangle with S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers.
In the comics, there has been some question as to whether or not Taskmaster is a mutant, though it's recently been revealed that he injected himself with a serum that modified his brain's memory potential. However, it might actually be easier just to make him an Inhuman. Instead of hanging out with the royal family, Taskmaster could put his Inhuman powers to work as a mercenary hired to fight the royal family.
6 Justice & Firestar
The boyfriend-and-girlfriend couple of Justice and Firestar are founding members of the superhero team, the New Warriors. Justice has telekinetic powers while Firestar can project microwave energy. Firestar was introduced as part of the trio of heroes in the cartoon series from the 1980s, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. In the late '90s, Justice and Firestar moved on to the big leagues by leaving the New Warriors to join the Avengers.
With the news that the New Warriors would be receiving a comedy TV series, comes the question of which members the show will feature, besides Squirrel Girl? Justice and Firestar are two of the top choices for the roster. As mutants, the characters' origins would have to be rewritten to avoid using the trademarked term, "mutant." What better way to fix this problem than to just make them Inhumans? If these characters were selected to appear in The Inhumans rather than The New Warriors, they would make excellent window characters into the Inhuman world.
5 Morbius the Living Vampire
Dr. Michael Morbius was a scientist searching for a cure for his rare blood disorder. His desperation led him to take a great risk in performing an experiment on himself. The experiment gave him a monstrous appearance and abilities similar to that of a vampire's. Morbius' thirst for blood drove him down a dark path, one that regularly put him at odds with Spider-Man. Morbius eventually befriended Spider-Man, as Spider-Man realized that Morbius was not a bad person, he was just driven by an uncontrollable urge for blood. Morbius has often found himself in the company of other Marvel heroes such as Dr. Strange and Blade. Morbius is the kind of character who can be a villain in one story, and a good guy in the next.
Since Morbius is not a real vampire, he would fit seamlessly into The Inhumans, as opposed to Blade who could be problematic due to his strong connections to the supernatural.
4 Jack of Hearts
Jack Hart is the son of an alien woman and a human scientist who developed a powerful energy source called zero fluid. An evil organization known as the Corporation tried to gain access to the zero fluid and killed Jack's father. In an attempt to escape them, Jack fell into a vat of zero fluid, causing his body to nearly overload with power.
Taking the name "Jack of Hearts," Jack swore vengeance on his father's murderers and started a one-man war on the Corporation, taking on anyone who got in his way, including the Hulk and Iron Man. Jack had to wear a containment suit to keep himself from exploding, and sometimes even that wasn't enough to contain the massive amount of energy stored in his body. After joining the Avengers, he had to be locked in a holding cell several hours a day.
Jack's experience with isolation due to his dangerous power mirrors the life story of Black Bolt, which would give the Inhuman king someone to connect with.
3 Tiger Shark
One of the main characters of The Inhumans is Triton, a fish-like Inhuman who requires water to live. Since the comic book version of Triton is rarely seen by himself, he doesn't have much of a rogues gallery. What this means is that if The Inhumans wants to bring in any comic book villains who could oppose Triton in the water, they'd have to borrow from the rogues gallery of another character.
As a character with almost 80 years of comic book history, Namor the Sub-Mariner has a plethora of villains to choose from, with the most notable of these being Tiger Shark, an Olympic swimmer who was genetically altered with the DNA of a tiger shark and an Atlantean. Superhumanly strong, Tiger Shark is powerful enough to defeat the Hulk while in the water. Ruthless and evil, Tiger Shark is credited for the brutal murder of Namor's human father. There is no telling what tragedy would occur if he were to appear on The Inhumans...
2 The High Evolutionary
A scientist named Herbert Wyndham set up a base on Mount Wundagore in Eastern Europe to pursue his work as a geneticist. As a believer in the theory of evolution, Wyndham wanted to take the theory a step further by using science to "evolve" animals. Calling himself the High Evolutionary, Wyndham succeeded and created a new race of animal-like humanoids called the New Men. Wyndham has operated both as an ally and as an antagonist to the heroes of the Marvel Universe. He has deep ties to Thor and Adam Warlock.
Wyndham played an integral in the controversial twist presented in The Uncanny Avengers which revealed that Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were not mutants at all, nor were they the children of Magneto. They were actually the children of Django and Marya Maximoff (who were thought to be their parents in the first place back in the 1970s) and their powers were the results of experiments conducted by the High Evolutionary.
Though it's a good bet that Maximus the Mad will be the main villain of The Inhumans, the High Evolutionary would be a great fit as well, without much need for any revisions to his origin story. The High Evolutionary's goal could be the same as it was in the comics: to "evolve" mankind. He could believe that Inhumans are superior to Man, and that with his science, he would make them even better.
1 Namor the Sub-Mariner
In April of 1939, a comic titled Motion Pictures Funnies Weekly was released, marking the historic birth of Marvel's first superhero, Namor the Sub-Mariner. Arrogant and bad-tempered, the Prince of Atlantis battled the United States until becoming a reluctant ally of the Allies during World War II. In the Silver Age, Namor was reintroduced in the pages of Fantastic Four and restored his reputation as an enemy of the United States.
Namor was feared by many due to the threat he posed to the country. When wet, Namor's strength was enough to rival the Hulk. Namor's strength level far exceeded the strength of all other Atlanteans due to being the mutant son of a human and an Atlantean.
Does Namor have to be a mutant? If he's ever to appear in any show or movie produced by Marvel Studios, he can't be, so as is the case with other Marvel mutants, the best course of action would be to make Namor an Inhuman, and it would appear that Marvel may be thinking the same thing. It was rumored in February that a production of Namor the Sub-Mariner was being filmed in Hawaii, the same location where The Inhumans is filming. This news hasn't been confirmed by Marvel, but it's been suggested that Namor is the secret project John Ridley has been working on. |
The first geologic time scale was proposed in 1913 by the British geologist Arthur Holmes (1890 - 1965). This was soon after the discovery of radioactivity, and using it, Holmes estimated that the Earth was about 4 billion years old - this was much greater than previously believed.
EON ERA PERIOD EPOCH PIVOTAL EVENTS
P
h
a
n
e
r
o
z
o
i
c
E
o
n
"Visible Life"
Organisms with skeletons or hard shells.
540 mya through today.
P
h
a
n
e
r
o
z
o
i
c
E
o
n
"Visible Life"
Organisms with skeletons or hard shells.
540 mya through today.
P
h
a
n
e
r
o
z
o
i
c
E
o
n
"Visible Life"
Organisms with skeletons or hard shells.
540 mya through today.
P
h
a
n
e
r
o
z
o
i
c
E
o
n
"Visible Life"
Organisms with skeletons or hard shells.
540 mya through today. Cenozoic Era
"The Age of Mammals"
65 mya through today Quaternary Period
"The Age of Man"
1.8 mya to today Holocene
11,000 ya to today Human civilization
Pleistocene
The Last Ice Age
1.8-.011 mya The first humans (Homo sapiens) evolve. Mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, and other Pleistocene megafauna. A mass extinction of large mammals and many birds happened about 10,000 years ago, probably caused by the end of the last ice age.
Tertiary Period
65 to 1.8 mya Neogene
24-1.8 mya Pliocene
5-1.8 mya First hominids (australopithecines). Modern forms of whales. Megalodon swam the seas
Miocene
24-5 mya More mammals, including the horses, dogs and bears. Modern birds. South American monkeys, apes in southern Europe, Ramapithecus.
Paleogene
65-24 mya Oligocene
38-24 mya Starts with a minor extinction (36 mya). Many new mammals (pigs, deer, cats, rhinos, tapirs appear). Grasses common.
Eocene
54-38 mya Mammals abound. Rodents appear. Primitive whales appear.
Paleocene
65-54 mya First large mammals and primitive primates, plesiadapiforms.
Mesozoic Era
"The Age of Reptiles"
248 to 65 mya Cretaceous Period
146 to 65 mya
Upper
98-65 mya High tectonic and volcanic activity. Primitive marsupials develop. Continents have a modern-day look. Minor extinction 82 mya. Ended with large extinction (the K-T extinction) of dinosaurs, pterosaurs, ammonites, about 50 percent of marine invertebrate species, etc., probably caused by asteroid impact or volcanism.
Lower
146-98 mya The heyday of the dinosaurs. The first crocodilians, and feathered dinosaurs appear. The earliest-known butterflies appear (about 130 million years ago) as well as the earliest-known snakes, ants, and bees. Minor extinctions at 144 and 120 mya.
Jurassic Period
208 to 146 mya
Many dinosaurs, including the giant Sauropods. The first birds appear (Archaeopteryx). The first flowering plants evolve. Many ferns, cycads, gingkos, rushes, conifers, ammonites, and pterosaurs. Minor extinctions at 190 and 160 mya.
Triassic Period
248 to 208 mya
The first dinosaurs, mammals, and crocodyloformes appear. Mollusks are the dominant invertebrate. Many reptiles, for example, turtles, ichthyosaurs. True flies appear. Triassic period ends with a minor extinction 213 mya (35% of all animal families die out, including labyrinthodont amphibians, conodonts, and all marine reptiles except ichthyosaurs). This allowed the dinosaurs to expand into many niches.
Paleozoic Era
540 to 248 mya
Paleozoic Era
540 to 248 mya Permian Period
"The Age of Amphibians"
280 to 248 mya
"The Age of Amphibians" - Amphibians and reptiles dominant. Gymnosperms dominant plant life.The continents merge into a single super-continent, Pangaea. Phytoplankton and plants oxygenate the Earth's atmosphere to close to modern levels. The first stoneflies, true bugs, beetles, and caddisflies, The Permian ended with largest mass extinction. Trilobites go extinct, as do 50% of all animal families, 95% of all marine species, and many trees, perhaps caused by glaciation or volcanism.
Carboniferous
Wide-spread coal swamps, foraminiferans, corals, bryozoans, brachiopods, blastoids, seed ferns, lycopsids, and other plants. Amphibians become more common.
360 to 280 mya Pennsylvanian Period
325 to 280 mya First reptiles. Many ferns. The first mayflies and cockroaches appear.
Mississippian Period
360 to 325 mya First winged insects.
Devonian Period
"The Age of Fishes"
408 to 360 mya
Fish and land plants become abundant and diverse. First tetrapods appear toward the end of the period. First amphibians appear. First sharks, bony fish, and ammonoids. Many coral reefs, brachiopods, crinoids. New insects, like springtails, appeared. Mass extinction (345 mya) wiped out 30% of all animal families) probably due to glaciation or meteorite impact.
Silurian Period
438 to 408 mya The first jawed fishes and uniramians (like insects, centipedes and millipedes) appeared during the Silurian (over 400 million years ago). First vascular plants (plants with water-conducting tissue as compared with non-vascular plants like mosses) appear on land (Cooksonia is the first known). High seas worldwide. Brachiopods, crinoids, corals.
Ordovician Period
505 to 438 mya Primitive plants appear on land. First corals. Primitive fishes, seaweed and fungi. Graptolites, bryozoans, gastropods, bivalves, and echinoids. High sea levels at first, global cooling and glaciation, and much volcanism. North America under shallow seas. Ends in huge extinction, due to glaciation.
Cambrian Period
"The Age of Trilobites"
540 to 500 mya
"Age of Trilobites" -The Cambrian Explosion of life occurs; all existent phyla develop. Many marine invertebrates (marine animals with mineralized shells: shell-fish, echinoderms, trilobites, brachiopods, mollusks, primitive graptolites). First vertebrates. Earliest primitive fish. Mild climate. The supercontinent Rodinia began to break into smaller continents (no correspondence to modern-day land masses). Mass extinction of trilobites and nautiloids at end of Cambrian (50% of all animal families went extinct), probably due to glaciation.
Proterozoic Eon
2.5 billion years ago to
540 mya - Vendian/Ediacaran Period
600 to 540 Million Years Ago Vendian biota (Ediacaran fauna) multi-celled animals appear, including sponges. A mass extinction occurred. The continents had merged into a single supercontinent called Rodinia.
- First multicellular life: colonial algae and soft-bodied invertebrates appear. Oxygen build-up in the Mid-Proterozoic.
Archeozoic Eon
(Archean)
3.9 to 2.5 billion years ago - - "Ancient Life" - The first life forms evolve - one celled organisms. Blue-green algae, archaeans, and bacteria appear in the sea. This begins to free oxygen into the atmosphere. |
We hear on the grapevine that Image Comics founder and owner of Top Cow, Marc Silvestri, will be drawing an ongoing Batman comic book for DC Comics in 2015.
Silvestri, who has created and co-created such comics characters as Witchblade, The Darkness and the recent Rise Of The Magi, drew The Incredible Hulk for Marvel back in 2011 to relaunch the comic.
And it looks like he might be about to do similar for Batman. Which title? Presumable not the main Batman title, as Greg Capullo seems ensconced on that book (for at least a year) but could it be Detective Comics? Or a third title, reviving Dark Knight perhaps?
We don’t know. Maybe we will soon… but only after Convergence…
About Rich Johnston Chief writer and founder of Bleeding Cool. Father of two. Comic book clairvoyant. Political cartoonist.
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As many as 15,000 Yemeni civilians have fled their homes as the government pursues a new offensive against rebels in the country's South, officials say.
The fighting is focused on the town of Huta, in the mountainous Shabwa region, where Yemeni forces have said up to 100 suspected al-Qaeda fighters are hiding.
Almost all the town's residents have reportedly fled from deadly clashes that have been raging since Sunday.
The fighting comes during a visit by a top US counter-terrorism official.
Presidential advisor John Brennan is in the country to discuss a military aid package reported to be worth more than $1bn (£640m) over the next five years.
The US stepping up its training, intelligence and military aid to the country following a failed plot to blow up a US plane last December, for which the Yemeni wing of al-Qaeda claimed responsibility.
But many Yemenis believe aid money could be better spent on improving the lives of ordinary people in one of the poorest countries in the Middle East, says the BBC's correspondent in the region, Jon Leyne.
Earlier reports said three militants and two soldiers have died in the clashes.
Al-Qaeda strongholds
"The siege will remain until those elements hand themselves in and we manage to uproot terrorist groups from the region," said provincial governor Ali Hassan al-Ahmadi, according to the AP news agency.
Reports from the area say the displaced civilians have received little or no humanitarian aid.
Shabwa is the home province and suspected hiding place of the radical Muslim cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-Yemeni citizen who is wanted by the US authorities for his links to al-Qaeda.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has established strongholds in the country's largely autonomous tribal regions, analysts say.
The group has been responsible for a number of deadly attacks in Yemen, including a raid on the country's domestic intelligence agency in Aden in June, in which 13 people died. |
(Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – The morning after he aggravated his sprained left ankle, Mikhail Grabovski returned to Washington to be evaluated by team doctors. He will not be in the Capitals’ lineup Saturday when they take on the Boston Bruins.
It’s unknown exactly how much time Grabovski, who was playing in his first game back after sitting out eight straight before the Olympic break with the initial sprain, might miss and what the full extent of his injury is this time around.
“I don’t know if it’s the same spot, they’re going to check,” Coach Adam Oates said. “Those ankle injuries are difficult, as I think everybody’s seen before, and hopefully it’s not bad.”
That leaves Washington without one of their two top playmaking centers heading into the gantlet of the March schedule – 15 games all against teams within four points of a playoff spot including nine games against teams that are among the top 10 in the league.
The lines Oates employed for practice here before the team traveled to Boston were a little unusual, but with Grabovski sidelined indefinitely it’s not entirely surprising.
Marcus Johansson, who has played left wing most often under Oates, was centering a second line with Jason Chimera and Troy Brouwer. Eric Fehr stayed in the middle of the third unit now flanked by Joel Ward and Nicolas Deschamps. Jay Beagle centered the fourth line, which could be rounded out by Tom Wilson and Martin Erat against the Bruins assuming the latter is ready to play.
>> Erat was the only player on the trip who didn’t take part in Friday’s practice. The veteran forward was given a maintenance day that Oates attributed to Erat having blocked several shots on the penalty kill against the Panthers. Aaron Volpatti, who is remains on LTIR with an injured left shoulder, took his spot in the lineup for the workout.
>> Washington reassigned defenseman Julien Brouillette to the Hershey Bears on Friday. |
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Picture the cold metallic nature of titanium, mixed with the warmth of bamboo. Now add in machined aluminum and lightweight carbon fiber, with nary a weld to be found. Innovative materials choices and production methods are just two of the more unusual facets of one of Ford's newest concept cars, the MA. Even its unveiling was a refreshing departure. Instead of a turntable appearance at a major auto show, it broke cover at the opening of "Retrofuturism: The Car Design of J Mays," a Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art exhibit dedicated to the work of Ford's global design chief.
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"[The MA] is an amazingly different form, but it still has the wind-in-your-hair feeling you might find in a sports car of the '50s, all done in a very architectural, elemental way," notes Mays. Unlike many of today's concept cars, which are often marketing-driven pieces intended to gauge the production viability of a particular look or model, the MA is pure fantasy. Penned by Ford Design staffer Jose Paris, the rear-mounted, electric-motor-powered roadster represents what a Lotus Super 7 might be like if it were invented 10, 15, or 20 years from now. The MA shares another similarity with the cycle-fendered Lotus in that it would be sold to the customer in kit form, Mays adds, "from a dealership, hardware store, or via the Internet. Then you and your son or daughter or other family members construct it, and its creation becomes part of the ownership experience."
The MA's target weight is just 900 pounds, some 200 of which is the bamboo that forms the car's horizontal surfaces. The multi-element seat, steering wheel, and simple gauge stalk all fold away. Few parts are painted, and the car's chassis, brake, and suspension components are all clearly visible as design elements. Don't even ask about production possibilities: The MA is a concept in its most pure form, simply an exercise to stimulate creative futurethink. It's hardly practical, but it does look like good fun. Well, at least until it rains. |
It’s easier to put the blame on a Palestinian than reveal the truth. How else can settlement expansion be justified to the world?
It is noted that the Israeli army knows of the information leading to the suspect but refuse to announce or deal with it for political as well as security reasons.
Itamar culprit an Asian worker
NABLUS, An Asian worker is suspected of the murder of the Fogel family, a settler family from Itamar settlement near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, according to Palestinian press sources.
Quds Net news quoted local residents from the area that he was infuriated with an Israeli settler for not paying him his wages carried out the killing of the settler’s family in Itamar, Palestinian press sources reported.
Quds Net news agency on Monday quoted a Palestinian family from Awarta village next to the settlement as saying that Mr. Fogel refused to pay 10,000 shekels in wages which he owed an Asian worker he hired. The worker threatened to kill the settler and his family.
The worker is suspected of committing the crime after midnight Friday using a knife then fleeing the scene to nearby Palestinian villages, the report added.
It noted that the Israeli army knows of the information leading to the suspect but refuse to announce or deal with it for political as well as security reasons.
Meanwhile, de facto Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned the murder crime in the strongest words, describing it as “despicable”.
Speaking at an interview with radio Israel on Monday, Abbas pledged to extend all necessary assistance leading to unveiling the mystery of the crime, adding that he relayed this position to Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in a telephone conversation on Saturday shortly after the crime was reported.
He also invited Israel and the USA to discuss with his authority in Ramallah the curriculums being studied in Palestinian schools in the West Bank to make sure that they do not contain any “incitement”.
Abbas, however, failed to mention the Israeli settlers’ unruly behavior and the army’s collective punishment against Palestinian in Nablus villages following the crime despite the fact that no concrete evidence was found incriminating any Palestinian party in the act.
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The thermochromic urinal is making quite a stir in the web news world. No one really knows who created and designed this innovative and bizarre waste disposal system.
The wall in the picture clearly demonstrates how this unusual system works. The wall is heat sensitive i.e. it is built of materials that when peed on change color and allow the person to etch patterns. The wall it seems utilizes the heat of the spray to change color in this case the blue wall turns orange!
One is not sure whether the thermochromic urinal actually exists or is just a design concept. If at all it does exist, it definitely will give the process of human body waste disposal system a completely new and of course colorful aspect.
Via: technobob |
In just two years, Muslim organizations in France have dragged to trial great writers such as Georges Bensoussan, Pascal Bruckner, and Renaud Camus. It is the Islamists' dream coming true: seeing "Islamophobes" on trial to restrict their freedom of expression. Charlie Hebdo's physical massacre was therefore followed by an intellectual one.
If Emmanuel Macron wins, France as we have known it can be considered pretty much over. By blaming "colonialism" for French troubles in the Arab world, and calling it "a crime against humanity", he has effectively legitimized Muslim extremist violence against the French Republic.
After two years and 238 deaths at the hands of Islamic terrorism, what did France do to defeat radical Islam? Almost nothing.
It was a sort of farewell to the army. During a brief visit to the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle last December, French President François Hollande honored the French soldiers involved in "Operation Chammal" against the Islamic State. After two years and 238 deaths at the hands of Islamic terrorism, what did France do to defeat radical Islam? Almost nothing.
It is this legacy of indifference that is at stake in the looming French presidential elections. If Marine Le Pen or François Fillon win, it means that France has rejected this autocratic legacy and wants to try a different, braver way. If Emmanuel Macron wins, France as we have known it can be considered pretty much over. Macron is, for example, against taking away French nationality from jihadists. Terrorism, Islam and security are almost absent from Macron's vocabulary and platform, and he is in favor of lowering France's state of emergency. By blaming "colonialism" for French troubles in the Arab world, and calling it "a crime against humanity", he has effectively legitimized Muslim extremist violence against the French Republic.
As General Vincent Desportes wrote in his new book, La dernière Bataille de France ("The Last Battle of France"):
"President Hollande said on November 15 that it would be ruthless, we were at war ... but we do not make war! History shows that in the eternal struggle between the shield and the sword, the sword is still a step forward and winning".
In the past two years, France only used the shield.
France's fake war began in Paris with a massacre at the satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo. Twelve cartoonists and policemen were massacred by two brothers who shouted, "We avenged Muhammad, we killed Charlie Hebdo". After a few days of marches, vigils, candles and collective statements such as "Je Suis Charlie", half of the French intelligentsia was ready to go and hide underground, protected by the police. These are academics, intellectuals, novelists, journalists. The most famous is Michel Houellebecq, the author of the book Submission. Then there is Éric Zemmour, the author of the book, Suicide Française ("The French Suicide"); then the team of Charlie Hebdo, along with its director, Riss (Laurent Sourisseau); Mohammed Sifaoui, a French-Algerian journalist who wrote Combattre le terrorisme islamiste ("Combating Islamist Terrorism"); Frédéric Haziza, radio journalist and author at the journal, Canard Enchaîné; and Philippe Val, the former director of Charlie Hebdo. The latest to run was the Franco-Algerian journalist Zineb Rhazaoui; surrounded by six policemen, she left Charlie Hebdo after saying that her newspaper had capitulated to terror and refused to run more cartoons of Muhammad.
"Charb? Where is Charb?" were the words that echoed in the offices of Charlie Hebdo on January 7, 2015, the day he and his colleagues were murdered. "Charb" was Stéphane Charbonnier, the editor of the magazine that had published cartoons of Muhammad. Charb was working on a short book, On Blasphemy, Islamophobia and the true enemies of free expression, posthumously published. Charb's book attacked self-righteous intellectuals, who for years had been claiming that Charlie Hebdo was responsible for its own troubles, a childlike view, popular throughout Europe. It is based on the notion that if everyone would just keep quiet, these problems would not exist. Presumably, therefore, if no one had pointed out the threats of Nazism or Communism, Nazism and Communism would have quietly have vanished of their own accord. Unfortunately, that approach was tried; it did not work. The book also criticized "sectarian activists", whom he said have been trying "to impose on the judicial authorities the political concept of 'Islamophobia'".
As for "the Left", he wrote: "It is time to end this disgusting paternalism of the intellectual left" -- meaning its moral sanctimony. Charb delivered these pages to his publisher on January 5. Two days later he was murdered.
Now, some of these people he was calling out are trying to hide their cowardice by attacking him. In recent weeks, a number of cultural events in France have tried to "deprogram" the public from paying attention this extremely important book. A theatrical adaptation of it, attended by one of the journalists of Charlie Hebdo, Marika Bret, was scheduled to take place at the University of Lille. However, the president of the University, Xavier Vandendriessche, said he feared "excesses" and the "atmosphere", so he eliminated Charb from the program. Twice. The play's director, Gérald Dumont, sent a letter to the Minister of Culture, Audrey Azoulay, mentioning "censorship".
At the same time, Charb's book also disappeared from two events at a cultural festival in Avignon. "How to reduce the dead to silence", tweeted Raphaël Glucksmann. "Killed in 2015, banned in 2017", Bernard-Henri Lévy summed up.
During the past two years, the publishing industry itself has played a central role in censoring and supporting censorship, by censoring itself. The philosopher Michel Onfray refused to release his book, Thinking Islam, in French and it first came out in Italian. The German writer, Hamed Abdel Samad saw his book Der islamische Faschismus: Eine Analyse ("Islamic Fascism: An Analysis"), a bestseller in Germany, censored in French by the publishing house Piranha.
The French courts, meanwhile, revived le délit d'opinion -- a penal offense for expressing political opinions, now an "intellectual crime". It was explained by Véronique Grousset in Le Figaro:
"Insidiously, the law blurred the distinction between the discussion of ideas and the personal attack. Many organizations are struggling to bring their opponents to justice".
It means that the legal system is hauling writers and journalists to court for expressing specific ideas, in particular criticism of Islam.
In just two years in France, Muslim organizations have dragged to trial great writers such as Georges Bensoussan, Pascal Bruckner, and Renaud Camus. It is the Islamists' dream coming true: seeing "Islamophobes" on trial to punish their freedom of expression.
Charlie Hebdo's physical massacre was therefore followed by an intellectual one: today, Charb's important book cannot find a room in France for a public reading; it should, instead, be protected as a legacy of courage and truth.
Even in French theaters, free speech is being crushed. Films about Islam have been cancelled: "The Apostle" by Carron Director, on Muslim converts to Christianity; "Timbuktu" on the Islamist takeover of Mali, and Nicolas Boukhrief's "Made in France", about a jihadist cell. A poster for "Made in France" -- a Kalashnikov over the Eiffel Tower -- was already in the Paris metro when ISIS went into action on the night of November 13, 2016. Immediately, the film's release was suspended, with the promise that the film would be back in theaters. "Made in France" is now only available "on-demand". Another film, "Les Salafistes", was screened with a notice banning minors. The Interior Ministry called for a total ban.
After the massacre at Charlie Hebdo, the country seemed for a short time to return to normalcy. Meanwhile, thousands of Jews were packing up to leave France. At the request of local Jewish community leaders, the Jewish skullcap disappeared from the streets of Marseille, and in Toulouse, after an Islamic terrorist murdered a Jewish teacher and three children in 2012, 300 Jewish families pack up and left.
In the daily newspaper Le Figaro, Hadrien Desuin, an expert on international relations, compared the last two years to the "phony war" that France did not fight in 1939-40. Paris, while declaring a war against Germany, as it now declares a war against terrorism, simply refused to fight. For a whole year, France, crouching behind a Maginot Line that it foolishly believed was invincible did not fire a single gun against the Germans who were spreading throughout Europe at the time. Similarly, General Vincent Desportes explains in his book The Last Battle of France that Operation Sentinel, in which French soldiers are now deployed in the streets, is a "show", and that "the Islamic State is not afraid of our aircraft. You have to attack by land, terrorizing. We have the means to do it, but it takes political courage". According to Desportes, Operation Sentinel "changes nothing".
France's never-begun war on terror also collapsed around the three most important measures: removing French citizenship from jihadists, "de-radicalizing" them and closing their salafist mosques.
There are at least 20 among 2,500 famous radical mosques that need to close now. The Territorial Information Center (SCRT) recommended that there are 124 salafist mosques in France that should close. Only Marine Le Pen has demanded that.
Three days after the November 13 Paris massacres, President Hollande announced a constitutional reform that would strip French citizenship from Islamic terrorists. Faced with the impossibility of finding a shared text by both Houses, as well as with the resignation of his Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, Hollande was forced to cancel the move. It means that hundreds of French citizens who went to Syria for jihad can now return to their country of origin and murder more innocent people there.
The Bataclan Theater -- the scene of a massacre in which 90 people were murdered and many others wounded on November 13, 2015 -- recently reopened with a concert by the performer Sting. His last song was "Inshallah" (Arabic for "If Allah Wills"). That is the state of France's last two years: starting with "Allahu Akbar" ("Allah is the greatest"), chanted by the jihadists who slaughtered 80 people, and ending with a phony invocation to Allah by a British singer. "Inshallah," said Sting from the stage, "that wonderful word". "Rebirth at the Bataclan," the newspaper Libération wrote as its headline.
The director of the Bataclan told Jesse Hughes, the head of American band Eagles of Death Metal: "There are things you cannot forgive." True. Except that France has forgiven everything. The drawing on the cover of Charlie Hebdo after the massacre -- a weeping Muhammad saying, "All is forgiven" -- was the start of France's psychological surrender.
Left: The cover of Charlie Hebdo after the massacre of its staff -- a weeping Muhammad saying, "All is forgiven" -- was the start of France's psychological surrender. Right: When the Bataclan Theater (where 90 people were murdered in November 2015) recently reopened with a concert by the performer Sting, his last song was "Inshallah" (Arabic for "If Allah Wills"). |
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In this Article:Setting up the framePlumbing Part 1: The standpipePlumbing Part 2: The bell siphon and media guardPlumbing Part 3: The ball-valve bypassFinishing upCommunity Q&AReferences
Aquaponics is a method by which you grow plants and nurture aquatic animals together in a system that recirculates the nutrients produced, to the benefit of both plants and animals. The aquaponics approach is gaining in popularity as a sustainable gardening method and if you're curious to try it out for yourself, there are some great hacks for building your own system. This article is one such example using commonly available components from IKEA and a few extras from your local hardware store. The system looks good enough to keep in your living room or bedroom, just to keep your family happy! |
Car Sick
A short, simple factsheet on the impacts of traffic pollution on children’s health
By George Monbiot, published on monbiot.com, 5th March 2017
I wrote this short factsheet for a local school suffering high levels of air pollution, that are caused in part by the parents, sometimes driving their children just 100 metres up the road. Part of the problem is that many people are unaware of the link between pollution and health issues.
When I looked for a summary – in clear and simple language, that most parents can quickly understand – of the damage that traffic pollution can do to children, I could not find one. Nor could the transport campaigns I consulted. So I decided to write my own.
Please feel free to reproduce it, adapt it and use it as you wish. Please also let me know whether and how it can be improved.
If you find it useful, you might like to ask your school to circulate it among the parents by email or on social media, or to print it out and stick it in places (such as classroom doors) where it is likely to be seen.
If we could circulate such materials widely among schools, we could make a material difference to the health of our children (and the rest of the population).
What Traffic Fumes Do to Our Children
Every year, we discover more about the harm being done to our children by the fumes that cars and other vehicles produce.
The more we learn, the worse it looks. In polluted places, the damage to their health can be very serious.
Here is what we now know about the harm that traffic pollution can do to children:
It can damage the growth of their lungs. This means that the lungs of children who have been affected don’t work so well. The damage can last for the rest of their lives.
It raises the risk of asthma and allergies. For children who already have asthma, pollution can make it worse.
It can damage the development of their brains. Air pollution can reduce children’s intelligence, making it harder for them to learn.
It can change their behaviour and reduce their happiness. Air pollution has been linked to anxiety, depression and Attention Deficit Disorder.
It raises the risk of heart disease later in their lives.
It can cause cancer, both in children and when they become adults.
Unborn children can also be affected by the pollution their mothers breathe. Air pollution is linked to babies being born prematurely and small.
Pollution inside your car can be much worse than pollution outside, because the fumes are concentrated in the small space.
By driving them to school and by sitting in our cars with the engines idling, we are helping to poison our own children.
We don’t mean to do this to our children. But once we know how much we are hurting them, we can stop it, by changing the way we travel. Walking and cycling are ideal.
Groups like Living Streets can help schools to turn this around. Together we can protect our children from harm.
…
The information sources for this factsheet can be found at:
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/advpub/2016/6/EHP299.acco.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26825441
http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001792
https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/every-breath-we-take-lifelong-impact-air-pollution
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1306770/
http://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/outdoor/air-pollution/children-and-air-pollution.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/05/the-truth-about-londons-air-pollution |
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In 2007, Governor Bill Ritter took a big step toward ensuring that Colorado kids would get comprehensive sex education by signing HB 1292 into law. The measure requires that, in addition to addressing the benefits of abstinence in eliminating STDs and teen pregnancy, in-school sex-education programs must also supply evidence-based, medically accurate information on the use of condoms and other contraceptives.
Study after study has revealed the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only programs in reducing the number of teen pregnancies and reducing the spread of disease. According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, virginity pledges, a staple of abstinence-only programming, not only did not decrease occurrences of teen STDs, but actually resulted in pledge-takers not seeking medical attention once infected, leading to an increased possibility of transmission.
Abstinence-only programs come under fire for questionable instructional methods and curricula as well. The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) periodically releases in-depth reviews of abstinence-only programs and regularly finds that they often rely on messages of fear and shame to encourage abstinence and promote biased views of gender, marriage and pregnancy options.
Yet Americans have spent more than $1.5 billion on abstinence-only programs over the past fifteen years through Title V of the Social Security Act and other federal legislation. The programs really flourished under President George W. Bush, who created an injection of funding with his Community Based Abstinence Education grants. President Barack Obama did away with this funding stream, but during the fight in Congress over health-care reform, Republicans put $250 million for abstinence-only programs into the Affordable Healthcare Act.
The funds — now being distributed throughout the country — were made available on a non-competitive, state-by-state basis through Title V. All a governor had to do was say that he or she wanted abstinence funding, and a scaled dollar amount was provided to the state. Ritter declined the reported $3.2 million in abstinence-only funding available to Colorado, electing instead to seek funding for comprehensive sex education through the federal Personal Responsibility Education Program. Colorado was awarded approximately $793,000 in PREP funds each year from 2010 through 2014.
But a member of the State Board of Education, operating without board approval, decided to make an end run around the governor and bring the Title V funding to Colorado anyway.
That money is now paying for abstinence programs to go to public school auditoriums, training conferences, churches and community centers throughout Colorado, spreading the message that abstinence-only-until-marriage is the only way to have disease-free, worthwhile sex.
******
On August 25, 2010, Peggy Littleton, then one of the seven members of the Colorado Board of Education, sent an e-mail to then-Commissioner of Education Dwight Jones, stating, in part:
"Give me a call to discuss so that we may move forward as quickly as possible to capture funding.... I will be happy to stop by before another meeting I have in Denver, or have Mrs. Mackenzie stop by CDE today, to pick up the letter..."
The letter was one that Littleton believed the Colorado Department of Education could provide, enabling the board to go for Title V funding even if Ritter had decided against it. Via return e-mail, Jones's office advised Littleton that it couldn't act counter to the governor's wishes and that the CDE could not produce the letter she wanted.
The Mrs. Mackenzie to whom Littleton refererred is Joneen Mackenzie, a nurse who is founder and president of Denver-based WAIT (Why Am I Tempted?) Training. This abstinence-only organization has used over $8.3 million in federal funding since 2005 to implement its training throughout the United States and around the world — and Littleton has worked closely with the group.
Originally from Nebraska, Littleton moved to Colorado with her family when she was just four years old. She graduated from Colorado State University, married, home-schooled her three children, and held faculty positions at Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy and Colorado Springs Christian School. Governor Bill Owens appointed her to be director of Colorado GEAR UP, a program designed to ready low-income students for college. In 2004, she ran for the Colorado Board of Education in the conservative fifth congressional district, which includes Colorado Springs.
Littleton is known for her proud conservatism. During the 2004 election cycle, she and state representative Amy Stephens ran for delegate slots as "Blond Babes for Bush," a distinction that earned Littleton an interview with Fox News pundit Sean Hannity. In 2008, she was appointed to the "Palin Truth Squad," part of the McCain campaign's efforts to fight Palin "smears."
Earlier this year, Littleton did a video interview with Think Progress, a blog of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, in which she faithfully supported the right-wing conspiracy theory that Obama is secretly fueling Islam in America. Littleton told the interviewer that the only reason Obama shows support for charter schools is his desire to allow the "sneaking creep" of Muslim schools across the nation — schools where Littleton claimed children are taught to hate America, among other things. By then, she was off the Colorado school board and was an El Paso County commissioner, a post she won last November.
But Littleton wasn't done with education issues.
In response to a November 21 Denver Post piece on eight Front Range teachers charged with sexual misconduct in six months, she circulated an op-ed titled "Sex Misconduct Haunts Schools, But Why?" In it, she wrote: "Why are we surprised that sexual misconduct haunts schools? Are there clear cultural pro social norms in place to prevent this from happening? I think not. Try to find someone who is willing to expect more from individuals and adolescents when it comes to self regulating around drugs, alcohol, tobacco, violence and particularly sex. If you should find that rare individual, they are probably battle weary from being labeled as fear and shame based, ideologically driven, harmful, old fashioned, unrealistic, religious and uninformed."
Littleton went on to explain that there was more information on sex available than ever before, and therefore people were more confused than ever before. She called the 1960s the beginning of the end of a sexually responsible society, moving through Kinsey on to the development of SIECUS, Hugh Hefner's Playboy and the founding of Planned Parenthood as proof.
Littleton closed with this: "I encouraged the Colorado State Board of Education to request that the Colorado Department of Education apply for the Title V grant. I am happy to say this will happen by December 10, 2010. We can legislate and revoke or suspend teacher licenses all we want as a penalty for after the fact sexual misconduct by educators, but until we empower students to recognize inappropriate sexual advances, learn about risk avoidance and convey the message that sex with anyone, anywhere, anytime is not healthy we will not see any decrease in this type of criminal behavior."
Here's how Littleton "encouraged" that application for the Title V grant: After Jones told her that the CDE would not be sending a letter, Littleton sent the commissioner a note encouraging him not to be "beholden to a governor who is gone by the end of the year when this [Title V] will have an impact for years to come."
Littleton didn't end her quest for Title V funding there. A Department of Health and Human Services program specialist told Mackenzie that an authorized representative could issue a letter that would allow the education department to apply for the funds on behalf of the state. As she noted in an e-mail to Littleton (on which Bob Schaffer, the former congressman who was then chair of the Board of Education, was copied), "All we need is an opinion letter from the AG that the CDE has authority to apply for these funds." So Littleton contacted the attorney general's office, looking for that legal loophole.
That move inspired this September 1 e-mail from Jones to Elaine Berman, the Colorado Board of Education commissioner representing Denver. "Peggy has not given up on Title V and plans to challenge the Governor's decision. She has asked the AG's office for an informal opinion...I think Bob [Schaffer] is going to have to stop this or the board is going to have to make a choice on how they want to proceed. Having one member do their own thing is the beginning of the end of getting the state's work done for students. I'm becoming very concerned about Peggy's behavior and think the board may need to decide how they want to handle their colleague. She has a right to do what she thinks is best, but not working with her colleagues is an interesting way to do it."
In her reply to Jones, Berman said: "An individual board member should not be able to request an opinion from the AG's office. You should talk to the chair about this precedent."
"Governor Ritter made very clear his decision to not apply for this funding," Berman recalls. Given this country's fiscal woes, she says, "every program that is being funded by the government needs to be scrutinized. And funded programs should not be ideologically motivated, which I believe this [Title V] was."
"This is not unusual," Littleton says of her appeal to the AG's office last year. "State Board of Education members frequently interact with CDE staff on many topics and provide direction and conduct inquiry to be well informed before items come to a vote of the board. It is the prerogative of state board members to have access to and advice from the AG's office to clarify statute."
On September 16, 2010, the Colorado Board of Education voted to seek Title V funding — circumventing the governor. This move was made possible by a letter that soon came from the Colorado Attorney General's Office.
A federal provision allows for a state's attorney general to rule on who can and cannot apply directly on the state's behalf for federal funds. According to the Colorado Attorney General's Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contacted the office, asking for an opinion letter stating that the board could independently seek funding.
On September 22, 2010, Senior Assistant Attorney General Tony Dyl wrote a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, citing Colorado law that allowed his agency to seek Title V funding for the Colorado Department of Education without permission of the governor.
Colorado was awarded the funds.
******
A substantial portion of Colorado's Title V funds went to Joneen Mackenzie's organization.
Mackenzie's career in the abstinence-only-until-marriage field stretches back almost twenty years, to the day in 1993 when she discovered that one of her seventh-grade son's textbooks included instruction on condom use.
Kids didn't want to deal with the pressures of sexual decision-making, protested Mackenzie (then Joneen Krauth). What adolescents desired was information about loving relationships, and to be given permission to not have sex — and that's just what she gave them with WAIT, the organization she started that began providing seminars on relationships, not condoms, at her son's middle school. In 1995, Mackenzie trademarked the words "WAIT Training" — a phrase coined by volunteers at Mountain Area Alternatives crisis pregnancy center in Evergreen.
Since those early days, Mackenzie has served on numerous state and federal abstinence and health boards, acted as a federal grant reviewer, and co-authored the WAIT Training curriculum that is available in 42 states and eight countries.
"Pro-Abstinence Groups Show Ten-Fold Growth," a 1997 article in the Baptist Standard, noted the promise of Congress increasing funding for pro-abstinence-only groups. That move "legitimized" the growing movement, said Amy Stephens, who didn't represent Colorado House District 20 then, but instead was speaking in her capacity as public policy representative for Focus on the Family, the influential conservative Christian organization based in the Springs.
Stephens lauded WAIT Training as a group whose success underscored "key gains" by the pro-abstinence movement, and went on to call Planned Parenthood and SIECUS pre-marital sex advocates. Noting that those groups were "wailing and shrieking" about the increase in federal funding to abstinence groups while taking federal money themselves and teaching kids that "you can be straight today and gay tomorrow," Stephens made it clear that "more kids than ever are questioning their sexuality because of the tremendous confusion thrown at them" by comprehensive sex education.
According to the website of the Center for Relationship Education (CRE/WAIT), the organization's current incarnation, WAIT Training has "served" Denver, Loveland, Littleton, Colorado Springs, Cortez, Durango and many other Colorado communities.
During high-energy assemblies, WAIT-trained instructors hook teens with an emphatic assurance that WAIT wants them to have the best sex of their lives. "I want you to have fireworks sex!" a trainer may shout, and then add the caveat: just not now and not until you are married.
See video of the "Fireworks Sex" portion of the seminar.
Shelly Donahue is one of a handful of CRE/WAIT-certified train-the-trainers trainers. During two-day sessions, these super-trainers teach potential trainers — educators, nurses, clergy, etc. — how to implement the WAIT Training curriculum. WAIT's application for the Title V funding lists both Donahue and Mackenzie as potential recipients of federal funds for trainer and speaker fees.
At a WAIT Training assembly held in 2009 at Loveland High School, Donahue asked for a male volunteer to join her at the front of the auditorium. She asked the boy to expose his forearm, then ripped a long piece of clear packing tape off a roll and held it up to the audience. The tape was the boy's girlfriend, she said: clear, clean and transparent with her feelings.
Donahue applied the tape to the boy's arm and rubbed it briskly to ensure that it bonded, talking about how the tape would probably not become the boy's wife and that meant they would break up some day. She then ripped the tape from the boy's arm, holding it up again for the kids to see. The once-clear tape was now tainted — like the girl — and covered with bits of the boy's dried skin and hair, his DNA. Donahue repeated the process over and over again. Each time the tape — the girl — pulled up more debris and lost more of its ability to make a tight bond.
See video of the tape portion of the seminar.
During train-the-trainer seminars, attendees are encouraged to add their own spin to the tape activity, to amplify the message by maybe saying something like Ew, she's dirty! or He's dirty! Trainers are also encouraged to engage kids, get them excited and let them have fun.
According to sexual-education advocates who attended WAIT's two-day train-the-trainer classes, there aren't any breakout sessions or even much discussion about the medical information contained in the WAIT curriculum. Instead, the training focuses on how to present the WAIT Training PowerPoint and several activities outlined in the WAIT Training manual, including activities that these critics say are "shaming" kids.
Mackenzie says her curriculum meets all standards of medical accuracy, and brushes off criticism of WAIT as being fear- and shame-based. Those claims are old and tired, she says.
But Monica Rodriguez, president of SIECUS, was shocked when she watched the video of Donahue at Loveland High School. "It's one thing to read the WAIT Training curriculum and imagine how the lessons might play out in the classroom," she says. "It's quite a different experience to watch a WAIT Training facilitator bombard an audience of high-school students with messages that are sexist, hurtful to young people who are sexually active, and of no relevance whatsoever to the gay and lesbian students sitting in the audience. These messages reinforce the worst gender stereotypes and do little to help young people navigate the complex landscape of present-day romantic and sexual relationships."
Abstinence-only programs have long been the subject of significant study and scrutiny, and WAIT Training has faced several direct challenges. In 2004, California representative Henry Waxman released a report that cited multiple medical inaccuracies in abstinence-only curricula. The report singled out WAIT for erroneously teaching that the HIV virus could be transferred through tears. But Mackenzie has denied that her group ever said that. Any language WAIT used about HIV transmission, she insisted, had been pulled directly from the Centers for Disease Control website.
"The CDC posted that information [tears and sweat a risk for HIV transfer] on their website and then they took it down," she said in a 2010 Colorado Independent interview. "They found HIV in tears; we never said it was transmitted that way," she said, then added, "You can't say there has never been a case or that there isn't a chance HIV can be transferred that way."
The Centers for Disease Control denied Mackenzie's claim that the CDC had posted inaccurate information.
Mackenzie and WAIT also came under fire for the group's support of Ugandan pastor Martin Ssempa, a flamboyant supporter of Uganda's draconian "Kill the Gays" bill that called for the death penalty in cases of "aggravated homosexuality." An abstinence-only evangelist, Ssempa courted media attention by burning condoms during public rallies and making repugnant claims about homosexuals, including one that gays eat feces. Mackenzie and WAIT booked speaking engagements in the United States for Ssempa, printed his business cards and helped him develop his website — although they did not use any federal funds to do so, Mackenzie says.
Mackenzie finally severed ties with the Ugandan pastor after reportedly receiving death threats over WAIT's ties to Ssempa.
******
By last October, any misgivings Commissioner Jones might have had about making an end run around the governor had evaporated. (Jones, who left Colorado last fall and now heads the Las Vegas schools, did not respond to requests for an interview.)
On October 23, he e-mailed Littleton and asked her to pass along thanks to Mackenzie for all she'd done to bring the Title V money to Colorado. "I wanted to send you a message that I received from Diana [Sirko, deputy commissioner of the Colorado Department of Education Office of Teaching and Learning] related to her conversation with Joneen," he wrote. "It will be helpful if you might encourage Joneen to continue working with Diana related to this grant. I have to make sure this grant is done correctly and protects the department. I want our team to work with Joneen as much as we can. We will have to follow state law.... I continue to appreciate all that Joneen has done to bring these funds into the state."
Despite Jones's appreciation for all that Mackenzie had done, CDE officials downplay her role in the process, which required that Colorado submit a proposal to the feds highlighting the state's need for funding and outlining its implementation plan. "We received input from several different sources regarding the state plan, and WAIT Training was just one of them," says Melissa Colsman, director of the CDE Office of Teaching and Learning, who was in charge of overseeing the development of Colorado's plan and submitting it to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Data provided by WAIT about teen pregnancy rates and STDs was incorporated into the final Title V implementation plan submitted to Washington.
In another e-mail to Jones, Littleton conveyed her desire for an "exploration of the bidding process so that the Center for Relationship Education [formerly WAIT Training] can be prepared for the process.... It is the desire of the Center for Relationship Education to train educators in the State Health Education Standard as well as getting them trained and certified in curricula that meets state standards and regulatory guidelines. Once they have the resources and the professional development in the curricula they choose, they will be ready to implement these educational strategies into the classroom."
Once the Title V funding was secured, the CDE issued an open Request for Proposal for the money, with applications due in January 2011.
Colsman confirms that CRE/WAIT was the only organization to benefit from the Title V grants that had also helped the state with its plan to get that funding.
The independent grant reviewers selected by the CDE were given a scoring rubric against which to judge all Title V applicants. In order for an organization to be awarded full funding, it had to achieve a score of 80 out of a possible 115 points and address all required elements.
Only five programs applied for Colorado's abstinence-only funding: CRE/WAIT, Friends First Inc., Pueblo City-County Health Department, Center Consolidated Schools and Healthy Colorado Youth Alliance.
Healthy Colorado Youth Alliance was the only organization to not receive funding: The program focused on development rather than implementation — a requirement of the RFP — and was "not clearly focused on abstinence education," the CDE determined.
Pueblo City-County Health Department and Center Consolidated Schools scored well: 84 and 93, respectively. This made them "first tier" grantees, allowing full funding of each program's request: Pueblo at $58,100 a year and Center at $60,950 a year for the next three years.
The "second tier" grantees did not attain the 80 out of 115 points required for full funding. CRE/WAIT's scoring was the lowest, at only 54 points. Despite this, CRE/WAIT was given the opportunity to revise its application, incorporating improvement recommendations from the CDE to receive partial funding. CRE/WAIT received its first payment in May of this year — the first installment of its $233,500-per year grant.
Littleton-based Friends First Inc. scored only 70 points and was also allowed to revise its application. Ultimately, it was awarded $233,400 per year for a three-year period.
According to state filings, Lisa Rue founded Friends First in the early 1990s as the Colorado Coalition for Abstinence Education, Inc. She co-authored the WAIT Training curriculum with Mackenzie.
In a February e-mail to the Colorado Board of Education, current Colorado Department of Education Commissioner Robert Hammond said that CRE/WAIT and Friends First Inc. were able to receive funding despite their low scores because Pueblo City and Center Consolidated requested so little money.
Healthy Colorado Youth Alliance — which focused on abstinence plus comprehensive sex education — wasn't given a chance to rewrite its application. Although the group declined to comment on being turned down for the Title V funds, it sent a statement: "We urge Colorado parents and community members to investigate the curricula being used in their schools and to demand that students have access to complete information about sexual health that is medically accurate, culturally relevant and inclusive of all youth, free of fear- and shame-based teaching strategies, and that has been proven to help youth delay the early onset of sexual activity and practice safe sex if they do have sex."
The CDE gave CRE/WAIT feedback on how to improve its application, listing its "strengths" and "weaknesses." The CDE asked CRE/WAIT to revamp its application to address high salary costs for program administration, duplicative and excessive costs for video production, high evaluation costs, excessive printing costs, insufficient matching fund resources and a do-over of its video production focus.
The CDE's assessment of CRE/WAIT's strengths was much shorter: "1. Focused on abstinence education, 2. Plan designed to reach a large number of students, 3. Strong letters of support."
Among the many letters of support, a few stand out.
Amy Stephens talked of her years working with Mackenzie and how she has been impressed with Mackenzie's passion and dedication. "Majority Leader Stephens supports the goals of the WAIT Training program and the Center for Relationship Education, and wrote a letter of support as she does with other worthy projects applying for state or federal grant funds," her office explains. "Relationship education skills benefit all youth regardless of sex, race or sexual orientation."
Congressman Mike Coffman's letter related his glowing experience with Mackenzie and her efforts to combat teen pregnancy and poverty during his time as Colorado Secretary of State. And Peggy Littleton, in her new role as El Paso County Commissioner, also submitted a strong letter of support.
******
A 2007 Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) report studying the impact of abstinence-only programming in schools on LGBT kids found that "a significantly greater portion of students in schools that used an abstinence-only curriculum reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and gender expression—64.8% of these students felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation compared to 57.3% of all other students."
The report also noted that "LGBT students in schools that used abstinence-only sex-education curricula also reported experiencing higher levels of victimization related to their sexual orientation and gender expression than other students."
Perhaps as a result, the 2010 U.S. Title V grant circular — the document from the Administration for Children and Families division of the federal Department of Health and Human Services that guides grantees on proper use of Title V funds — included this language: "ACF also encourages them [Title V recipients] to consider the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth and how their programs will be inclusive of and non- stigmatizing toward such participants."
This language "is part of the actual grant," Colsman says. "The majority of the language in our RFP came almost verbatim from the federal program. We pulled directly from there."
The Colorado RFP includes a list of eleven assurances an organization must agree to before it can receive federal money. Number five on that list: "The applicant will not discriminate against anyone regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, color, disability, or age."
"Obviously, abstinence-only programs ignore the needs of LGBT youth," says Emily Greytak, senior research associate at GLSEN. "They are disenfranchised, their existence is ignored, and it clearly doesn't provide them any information on their sexuality.
"LGBT kids feel more alienated by abstinence-only," she adds. "They are essentially being told their future relationships are not valuable."
In WAIT Training's Title V application, Mackenzie addresses the RFP mandate for inclusivity of LGBTQ students this way: "The American Psychological Association Gay and Lesbian Issues Team have vetted the WAIT Training Curriculum for inclusive language and appropriate activities that include all students...only data driven curricula that is inclusive and not stigmatizing to this population will be utilized in this effort."
But while the APA did review WAIT Training materials, "we never conveyed any sort of approval to WAIT Training as being adequately inclusive or appropriate for lesbian, gay and bisexual students," says Clinton Anderson, associate executive director and director of the APA's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns Office.
Several years have passed since he reviewed WAIT Training's materials, Anderson adds, but he recalls that his main concern was "if the theme is delay of sexual behavior until marriage that the trainers needed to be clear that marriage for same-sex couples was affirmed."
At the time, Mackenzie told Anderson she supported affirmation of LGBT relationships, but he says he "did not feel the materials or the trainer training and selection processes were clear enough to ensure that all trainers would be as affirmative as she indicated she was."
WAIT's misrepresentation of his organization's stance is of "personal concern," Anderson says now. Although he acknowledges that the word "vetted" on WAIT's application leaves room for interpretation, "no one likes to be used inappropriately for gain."
Luis Toro, the director of Colorado Ethics Watch, an extension of the Washington D.C.-based Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, has his own concerns about WAIT Training and Littleton's role in the Title V funding and award process.
According to the State Board of Education Code of Ethics, "Although mere appearance of impropriety will not invalidate a board action or subject a board member to liability every board member shall be aware of the appearance of impropriety and its consequential damage to public confidence in government and all board members shall conduct themselves accordingly. Board members will conduct the affairs of the board impartially in the absence of personal, financial, or other official stake in the decision."
After looking over CDE e-mails, Toro suggests that the State Auditor's Office may want to "look at the whole procurement process from start to finish."
He's particularly interested in Mackenzie's claim of LGBTQ inclusiveness and the APA's response. "Regardless of the technicalities that would come into play if the WAIT contract were challenged, Colorado statutes about contracting establish an ethical standard that one should not make misrepresentations when submitting grant applications to the state," Toro says. "It looks like WAIT violated that ethical standard here by claiming that the APA 'vetted' WAIT's LGBT inclusiveness criteria when the APA says that did not happen."
While looking at the documents, Toro noticed that the signature line of Mackenzie's e-mails bears a quote from Maggie Gallagher, chairman and co-founder of the notoriously anti-gay National Organization for Marriage, a New Jersey group. "It is impossible to imagine that an organization whose director uses a quote from Gallagher is going to create a safe and inclusive environment for lesbian and gay youth," Toro says. "Obtaining government dollars by falsely claiming to be inclusive and tolerant of gay and lesbian youth actually hurts those young people."
The CDE has limited resources to monitor grantee activities, Colsman says, since its one reviewer also spends time on many administrative duties. "Within the confines of the resources we have, we approach this with the highest level of sensitivity and with a sense of rigor," she notes. "If we find in any school district under any grant program that there has been intentionally misleading or misinformation, of course we address it with the district or the grantee. That kind of behavior is unacceptable, and we'll work it through within the confines of the law and within the confines of the grant parameters."
Tracy Phariss, an openly gay teacher at Golden High School and chair of GLSEN Colorado, says strides have been made in other areas of school curriculum, but more has to be done. "We have got to make sure that all curricula — be it social studies, history, English or sexual health education — are inclusive of all," he says.
And his group will be keeping an eye on WAIT Training, he adds: "We will work to ensure school districts in Colorado implementing WAIT Training are inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, and that it lives up to a district's non-discrimination policies."
******
Sources close to the process of obtaining and distributing Colorado's Title V money say that Mackenzie's pursuit of the funds was relentless, and that she and Littleton called Jones constantly.
Mackenzie declined to be interviewed over the phone, but she did agree to answer questions via e-mail.
Asked about the role her group played in Colorado's applying for the abstinence-only grant, Mackenzie responds with her own question: "Why would Governor Ritter reject Title V when there are so many teen pregnancies in Colorado? Don't we need all the help we can get?"
As for the APA's adamant denial that it approved WAIT Training curriculum as being LGBTQ-inclusive, Mackenzie writes: "Two gentleman there who were in charge of LGBTQ issues reviewed WAIT Training, had a conference call with me, asked me to change some wording, I did and that is about the extent of it."
Questioned about how she became so involved in the state's push for Title V funding, she replies, "All I know is that the school board voted to go after Title V."
Then she ends the conversation with this: "I have no idea why this is an issue. All we are doing is trying to educate, equip, and empower young people to have healthy relationships and healthy lives." |
Spirited Bar and Bakery View Full Caption
PROSPECT HEIGHTS — A bakery that features liquor-infused baked goods and specialty cocktails is set to open up in the former space of the popular bar and restaurant Beast, DNAinfo has learned.
Spirited, which calls itself a “dessert speakeasy,” is set to take over Beast’s lease at 638 Bergen St. within weeks, according to its proprietor Kimberly Wetherell. The new shop and bar has long been a dream of Wetherell’s, who previously worked as a filmmaker and stage director, but always had a talent for making “tipsy desserts.”
“I found baking to be sort of my meditative art,” she said.
Over the years, she’s perfected recipes for Limoncello and Sorel sandwich cookies, chocolate whiskey pecan pie and Drambuie and honey spice apple Bundt cake, just a sampling of the dozens of items she expects to put on the menu.
“If you can think about it as dessert, we’re going to make it,” Wetherell said.
But desserts are only half the offerings. Wetherell will take full advantage of the location’s 15-seat bar to serve a host of creative cocktails and liquor-and-sweets pairings, like a shot of Cardamaro with a peanut butter cookie, one idea she’s playing with.
“It will be on par with the better cocktail bars in the city,” she said, adding she's in talks with an "exciting" beverage director to join her staff at Spirited, but said it's too soon to identify the person.
The bar will also be true to its “speakeasy” name by creating semi-secret drink specials patrons can order — but only if they provide a secret password, which will be posted to Twitter and Facebook each day, to the bartender, Wetherell said.
While the space takes its theme from Prohibition-era watering holes, Wetherell says the speakeasy name came from the subtle, under-the-radar taste of the booze in her desserts — rather than the quantity of alcoholic content.
“The alcohol’s in there and you’re going to taste it for sure, but you’re not going to get drunk off of it,” she said. “It’s kind of flying under the radar.”
In addition to table service for desserts and drinks at indoor and outdoor seating, Wetherell said Spirited will have a take-out counter for those who want to pop in to pick up pie, cake, cookies, lollipops or pastries. Prices will range from $2.50 cookies to $75 specialty cakes, with most plated desserts falling between $6 and $12. And a note for parents: Wetherell says Spirited is definitely "geared toward adults," meaning all of the desserts will have alcohol, even the lollipops.
Wetherell said she fell in love with the Beast space, which was built in 1912 and restored by Beast’s owner, Debra Bicknese, as soon as she saw it.
“Before I even walked in, I knew this is where I’d want to be,” Wetherell said of the bar space. “[Bicknese] did all this work to make it so beautiful and I appreciate that so much,” she added, saying she plans to give the place “a facelift,” but will keep most of the original details including the bar, tin ceiling and tile floor.
Beyond the building, Wetherell feels the neighborhood is perfect for her shop, as well. She lives in Park Slope just across Flatbush Avenue from Prospect Heights, where she feels there’s an opening for a high-quality dessert place.
“There are people in Park Slope and Prospect Heights who are going to the East Village and Williamsburg and Greenpoint to eat,” she said. “But not a whole lot of people stick around in the neighborhood. So, I wanted to create something that was close.”
“I want to have a nice little spot where people can go after dinner and have a nice drink and a slice of cake,” she said. |
Slackware Linux is still going strong. The Slackware Linux Project released Slackware 13.1 on May 24th.This is just a little by shy of the 17th anniversary of Slackware 1.0 and not quite a year after Slackware 13.0. Delve back into yesteryear with me; you're in for a treat.
Using Slackware is a little bit like entering a time warp, back to a simpler time when Linux was not being backed by billion-dollar companies.
Other distros offer streamlined GUI installers that leave few decisions to the end user. Slackware, on the other hand, provides a very basic installer with text menus that leave most of the decisions up to the user. In fact, when you boot from the Slackware CD or DVD, you'll be told to partition the disk yourself with fdisk or cfdisk and then run setup after partitioning.
The Slack Experience
Partitioning the hard disk is the most challenging step of installing Slackware, which is to say that it's not really that challenging. But it might be a bit off-putting for users who haven't done it before. Once the partitioning is finished, the setup routine is very straightforward. You'll need to set up networking, passwords, and your software selection. Unless you have a very small hard disk, it's probably best to just select the full install of Slackware. A full install takes up about 5.5GB of drive space, which is not a great deal of space on today's systems.
After the install and reboot, users are presented with a bash prompt after login. During the install, Slackware asks which X window manager or desktop environment they'd like to use. But it defaults to a multi-user runlevel without a display manager. If you want to change this, you need to edit /etc/inittab and set runlevel 4 as the default. Otherwise you can fire up your desktop using the venerable startx command.
That pretty much defines Slackware. Want to modify system behavior? You're going to have to roll up your sleeves and dive in. Want to install software? Get used to using pkgtool and other command-line tools. You can also use pkgtool to re-run some of the initial setup scripts, like if you want to change the network settings. One thing that has changed recently is the inclusion of slackpkg, which is similar to Debian's APT. It's not quite as full-featured and dependency resolution (making sure you have all the necessary software to run a package) is not built-in, but it is handy for installing software off the network.
The default selection of software for Slackware, which in my case is the whole kitchen sink, includes several window managers and desktop environments. You'll get KDE, Xfce, Windowmaker, and a few others. The most recent Firefox is included, and KOffice, the GIMP, and quite a few FOSS staples. But you'll need to look elsewhere for GNOME, OpenOffice.org, AbiWord, Gnumeric, and many other popular packages.
Even if you install the kitchen sink, a few things are held back in the extra directory on the CD. This includes stuff like official Java, an MPlayer browser plugin, and a script to create a Slackware package out of the current Flash plugin for installation.
The nice thing about Slackware is that you get to see upstream software pretty much as it was shipped by the projects. Most of the major distributions spend time modifying, customizing, and polishing the upstream software to tailor it to the audience they're trying to serve. This means adding and removing features, ensuring that packages are well-integrated, and branding the software. So the KDE you use with one distro isn't going to be quite the same from distro to distro.
Slackware, on the other hand, takes a very light touch with upstream software. There's very little, if any, branding to be found. Software is mostly presented just as the upstream projects shipped it.
It's All About Audience
You've probably surmised that Slackware isn't for everyone as a full-time OS. It's not. Slackware is for users who like a basic, solid Linux distribution that makes very few assumptions about how the system is going to be used. That approach means that Slackware is perfect for a small percentage of Linux users.
Still, I think Slackware has a certain style that should be appreciated. Criticizing Slackware for lack of modernity would be like criticizing a well-maintained 1957 Chevy for not having power windows or satellite radio. You don't run Slackware to escape from the complexity or configurability of Linux; you run Slackware to embrace those things.
Users turn to Slackware for a Linux distribution that doesn't get in the way. Package up the system software and make it relatively easy to shove on to a computer. Then get out of the way. And that's what Slackware does.
If you've never tried Slackware before, you really should. Find an older machine, or whip it into VMware or Virtualbox and give it a go. Take the time to set up your system just as you like it, and you'll learn a thing or three about Linux in the process. It's a great distro to get under the hood and dig in. At the very least, you'll have an idea how Linux has evolved over the years. Aside from newer versions of everything, Slackware has changed very little. That's not a bad thing. |
The purpose of this post is to expand the on-going debate from an older blog posting, in which many constructive ideas and explanations were bounced around as to the historical verisimilitude of the Jesus story.
Armchair theologians are fond of recalling nuggets of received opinion that stand as unqualified proof that the Jesus of the new testament was a living, breathing single individual who really did perform miracles and preside over a ministry as not only detailed in scripture, but in the narrative of ancient historians such as Josephus.
These third party sources are widely sighted as corroborative proof that Jesus and the Nazarene, as a distinct organised group violently opposed to Roman rule, to which Jesus belonged, were known to and written about by independently reliable sources of information vouchsafed by references made in their extended works to other figures from antiquity, such as various Roman Caesars.
To that end, commentary from Nick, in what I have to say is one of the most succinct explanations of why these historical reference points are not to be considered as the hard evidence of Jesus’ existence as they are often said to be, asserted the following:
Most of the scholarly works on the Testimonium Flavianum agree that it is either partly inauthentic or wholly inauthentic. Origen was clearly familiar with the Antiquities, and writes about a far less significant brief possible allusion to Jesus via James, and yet he not only makes no mention of the Testimonium passage, he further characterizes Josephus as not believing in Jesus the Christ–totally inconsistent with the transcriptions of the Testimonium we now have. Indeed, we don’t have any reference at all to the Testimonium passage from any of the early church fathers until Eusebius, writing about three centuries after the supposed time of Jesus. So 1) the authenticity of the passage is highly suspect. 2) Even if it had been authentic, it would have been written decades after the time of Jesus, based on, at best, second-hand information taken from unreferenced sources of unknown reliability. And 3) As the story goes, the creator of a vast cosmos of (at least) a hundred billion galaxies comes to our tiny speck (after a few billion years) and actually lives among us for a while. Given the limitless power at his disposal, why are we having to scratch for a pathetic few highly-suspect crumbs of transcriptions of second-hand stories written long after the fact? Does that really sound like the modus operandi of a god? If he came to this planet to reveal himself, why did he do so in a secretive way that leaves behind the exact same lack of hard evidence that we typically have for personages of myth?
You can read the rest of Nick’s reply here, but PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP reply in this comment block and not the original Greg Koukl thread linked here–which is too long and off-topic already. Thanks! |
In 1991, Michael Oliver, the first New Democratic Party president, wrote an essay with McGill philosopher Charles Taylor that began: "How do you mix two nations and democratic socialism in a federal state?"
For Oliver and Taylor, the need to supplant the Liberal and Conservative approaches to Canadian politics was what gave rise to the party. Unhappily, ensuring the autonomy of Quebec and remaking the economy were questions left unanswered 30 years after its creation, along with questions about the place of Indigenous peoples and the significance of multiculturalism.
As the curtain goes up for the 2017 NDP leadership contest, the party needs to bring a distinct approach to what matters to Canadians. It would do well to draw on the traditions of social democracy and democratic socialism mentioned in the preamble to the party constitution, and take inspiration from the ideas of Oliver and Taylor.
Today many Canadians are hurting. Years of full-bore capitalism since the adoption of the free trade agreement with the U.S. have produced growing inequalities.
A generation of debt-burdened young Canadians are mired in precarious work, unable to think of buying a house, founding a family, or enjoying a quality of life that was supposed to be accessible to all.
Continental integration with the United States was never a good idea.
Why would the Canadian Parliament limit its own power and place the destiny of the country it was elected to serve into the hands of a foreign government?
With an unspeakable political disaster occurring south of the border, the idea of relying on the U.S. government to provide a stable environment for Canadian prosperity looks even worse than in the mid-1980s when Brian Mulroney divided Canadians over the issue.
Yet, preserving a free trade environment with the United States remains Canada's economic strategy.
Surely NDP leadership candidates can come up with something better, more confidence-building, more worthy of attention and government action than continental monopoly capitalism.
Michael Oliver was the president of Carleton University when in 1980 he founded and became the first president of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (disclosure: I became the third, in 1987).
The NDP needs to take seriously the perspectives developed by the CCPA on trade, investment, federal fiscal policy and taxation.
The incredible NDP "balance-the-budget" gaffe of the 2015 election (the moment I knew we would win, said Trudeau adviser G.M. Butts) would never have occurred if the campaign team had briefed themselves on federal budget basics.
Provincial governments or cities do not have currency-issuing central banks and (exclusive of needed public investment) pay attention to maintaining balanced operating budgets.
Following a budget deficit, when the federal government borrows and adds to the national debt, it adds to the stock of marketable securities, creating wealth for pension funds and other investors. The central bank holds these securities at no cost to the government.
Federal government debt is an asset for those who hold it. Reach into your purse or billfold and pull out a $5 bill. What you have in your hand is government debt. When federal debt is reduced, money and wealth disappear.
Private debt creators, a.k.a. banks, do not want government debt displacing their money-making machines so they oppose deficit spending. Those machines are now stripping students of their capacity to determine their future.
The NDP leadership candidates need to be on the side of the students not of the bankers.
The kind of income redistribution needed to reduce fundamental inequalities in Canada requires progressive income taxation. Canada had a system with 10 tax thresholds until the Mulroney Conservatives reduced it to three, under the erroneous guise of tax "simplification."
Canada's employment insurance scheme needs to become a comprehensive minimum income scheme, financed by progressive corporate and personal taxes. As it now exists, EI is mainly a regressive tax. Precarious workers draw no benefits yet must pay into the scheme anyway.
Three times a federal NDP candidate, Charles Taylor, a highly decorated philosopher has written eloquently on the issues that animate Quebec politics.
In the 2015 election, despite having a Quebec-based leader, the party lost its Quebec compass. It went from 59 seats to 16, when the Conservatives made wearing the niqab in citizenship ceremonies an issue. As a result, the Liberals (39 seats) the Bloc (10 seats) and the Conservatives (12 seats) rebounded.
In the 2017 leadership contest, the winner must be someone at ease with the changing terrain of Quebec politics. Being bilingual is necessary -- but not sufficient. The NDP leader needs to be bicultural as well.
Justin Trudeau has been the main focus by the NDP in Parliament. The partisan preoccupations with Trudeau taking a private helicopter ride or spending excessively on PMO expenses has not diminished his appeal.
Despite questionable leadership, the prime minister is still running 10 points ahead of his party in public opinion polls.
Signs do point to a slide in Liberal fortunes, even with Trudeau as leader. A minority government is a likely outcome in 2019.
Should the next NDP leader capture the public imagination, there is no reason why, at a minimum, the party could not hold the balance of power and bring needed changes to Canadians. The upcoming leadership race matters.
Duncan Cameron is former president of rabble.ca and writes a weekly column on politics and current affairs.
Photo: steve/flickr |
Tesla Wins Battery Innovator Of The Year (#CleanTechnica Original)
March 23rd, 2017 by Matt Pressman
With over 800 battery industry insiders in attendance, the International Battery Seminar featured Kurt Kelty, Senior Director of Battery Technology at Tesla, as its keynote speaker. The house was packed — it was standing room only to hear Kelty’s keynote.
Kelty leads Tesla in forging key partnerships and battery cell material sourcing at the Gigafactory. He’s also responsible for material cost reduction efforts and the overall performance of Tesla’s batteries. Before joining Tesla 11 years ago, Kelty worked at Panasonic for nearly 15 years. Sitting nearby (and listening intently) were competitors from other automakers like China’s BYD. Outside the conference hall, a gleaming BMW i8 was on display.
Above: On behalf of Tesla, Kelty (left) accepts the International Battery Seminar’s “Battery Innovator of the Year” award
Before the keynote presentation, the 34-year-old International Battery Seminar presented Tesla with its prestigious “Battery Innovator of the Year” award. Kelty accepted the award on behalf of Tesla and noted it was “an honor to receive the award. … Everyone recognizes we’re not a battery chemistry company. That’s not why we got the award. It’s more [about] the implementation of the technology.” It’s worth noting that Jeff Dahn, Tesla’s top battery researcher, received the same award last year. Dahn also spoke at the conference (following Kelty), but his discussion centered around very early, preliminary battery research that might lead to incremental advances in battery chemistry in the years to come.
Above: Kelty’s keynote presentation at the International Battery Seminar
Kelty spoke about Tesla’s battery system expertise and noted the fact that Tesla has “7.5 GWh hours of usage so far from our customers. … We’re getting this data in real time from them in terms of how our customers are using our vehicle, how they charge and discharge, so we’ve got a tremendous database.”
In addition, with stationary storage systems: “We have over 300 MWh in market and we’re [also] getting that information.” He noted, “I’m pointing this out because there’s a lot of know-how that we’ve developed over the years that is transferrable between our vehicles and energy storage systems.”
Above: Tesla’s battery system expertise across charging, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems.
When discussing the overarching vision for Tesla, Kelty noted, “Where we see the future [is] in houses [and] we want to be your EV provider. Put your EV in your garage and you charge it up with one of our chargers, you have a powerwall … [and] a solar product [solar roof] that we’ll be introducing this summer. … You see how this could integrate well in your house. You have solar, battery pack, the EV, and you’ve got all the controls on your cell phone and you could control everything. This is the kind of future we see for [your] house.”
Above: How Tesla views the home of the future.
In addition to showcasing energy storage solutions for the home, Kelty also discussed recent Tesla Powerpack microgrid applications in Hawaii and California. He explained, “There are a lot of applications for the Powerpack that we’re just starting to explore. We’re just starting to penetrate the market now and the market potential is absolutely huge.” He also explained that Tesla’s energy storage solution makes the brand a “one-stop shop — it’s all a well-integrated system and it just makes it that much easier for the customer to use.”
Above: Tesla is becoming a “one-stop shop” in order to offer a complete energy storage solution.
Kelty discussed efforts at the Gigafactory to reduce battery costs and reminded us that Tesla is already “the largest battery customer in the world right now.” But trying to reduce battery costs is paramount at Tesla — the mantra is “it’s all about dollar per watt hour” and it guides the Gigafactory’s vertical integration strategy. He pointed to Elon Musk’s first principles approach in order to work through the entire process from “how much it costs to get out of the ground … [and] look at each step along the way.”
Above: Tesla’s “first principles” approach to finding the true cost of lithium ion battery raw materials.
Kelty explained the relationship with Panasonic and the new 2170 battery: “We co-developed and optimized the [battery] chemistry and form factor… [and] Panasonic is unbeatable in terms of their manufacturing capability. They know how to manufacture things with high quality, consistency, reliably, and for a reasonable, low cost.”
Former Panasonic staffer Kelty was effusive in his praise for Panasonic. Yet, he pointed out how their differences allowed the two companies to work so well together: “They’ve got a set way of working that really works well for them and then we come in and it’s just oddball, crazy ideas … [but] the combination of the very conservative [Panasonic] and just crazy [Tesla] works very well for the two companies.”
Above: The red line represents the “hockey stick growth” rate Tesla forecasts for how quickly electric vehicles will penetrate the auto market in the near future.
Pointing to a chart, Kelty says that Tesla sees “hockey stick growth” for electric vehicles unlike more conservative forecasts from the fossil fuel industry and management consultants. Kelty concluded his keynote clearly enthused about the Model 3:
“Our Model 3 is coming out second half of this year — really exciting. It’s where we’re spending most of our time right now. It’s exciting to see what’s going on at the factory. It’s an exciting time at Tesla. Model 3 is a huge next step for us.”
→ Related story featuring Kurt Kelty: Tesla Flashback: “We don’t need a charging infrastructure throughout the country.” |
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