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A Bangladeshi immigrant who plotted to bomb New York City's busiest subway station was found guilty on terrorism charges Tuesday and then lashed out at President Donald Trump.
Akayed Ullah, 28, was found guilty on terrorism charges and now faces life in federal prison. Ullah planned to die in a failed Dec. 11 pipe bombing intended to maim or kill commuters. Ullah's attack occurred in a pathway underneath Times Square linking the subway to Manhattan's Port Authority bus terminal.
"I was angry with Donald Trump because he says he will bomb the Middle East and then he will protect his nation," Ullah told the judge after the verdict was announced and the jury left the room.
Judge Richard Sullivan told him: "Right now is not the time for a statement."
Ullah was found guilty on six charges, which included provision of material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, use of a weapon of mass destruction, and a terrorist attack against mass transportation systems.
Emergency service workers load Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi man suspecting of setting off a bomb at New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal, into an ambulance on Dec. 11, 2017.
“Late last year, Akayed Ullah detonated a bomb during the bustle of morning rush hour under the Port Authority Bus Terminal," U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said Tuesday. "Ullah’s sinister purpose was to harm and terrorize as many innocent people in his path as possible, by using deadly violence to make a political statement."
Berman said Ullah’s conviction was a unanimous jury decision and that the timing of the verdict, the day of midterms elections, "fittingly underscores the core principles of American democracy."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebekah Donaleski said that Ullah's bomb was strapped to this chest, loaded with metal screws to serve as shrapnel and triggered by a nine-volt battery in his pocket.
"He designed it. He built it. ... He picked the time. He picked the location," Donaleski said. His goal, she added, was "to terrorize Americans in the name of ISIS."
The crude pipe bomb — which also contained Christmas lights according to a criminal complaint — did not go off as planned but seriously burned Ullah in the process. No one else was injured.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Turner said Ullah pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group prior to the attack, although Ullah's defense attorneys denied that in his trial. Ullah's attorney Julia Gatto said in her opening statements that there was no evidence Ullah took direction from the Islamic State and claimed prosecutors were overreaching in their charges.
Ullah, who has a green card, came to the United States in 2011 after his uncle won a visa lottery program and sponsored his nephew. He was "a deeply troubled young man who wanted to take his own life" to send a message about the mistreatment of Muslims, Gatto said.
Evidence against Ullah presented by the government included a Facebook posting he made while riding in the subway to Manhattan from Brooklyn on the morning of the attack that read, "Trump you failed to protect your nation."
Ullah also posted a statement that he believed would be understood by members and supporters of ISIS to convey that he carried out the attack in their name, according to a criminal complaint from January. | {
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Montreal police have arrested 36 people involved in a protest against the province's Plan Nord in the city's downtown core.
About 200 people rallied in front of the Palais des Congrès on Saturday where the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal was hosting a natural resources networking event Saturday morning.
The Plan Nord — or "Northern Plan" — would touch on energy development, mining, infrastructure, tourism and conservation in a sweeping set of projects that, according to the government, would receive $80 billion in public and private investment over the next 25 years.
The peaceful demonstration, which ended midday, took a turn when some protesters tried to force their way into the building shortly after 9:30 a.m.
"We feel that officers have done a good job this morning. [They were] extremely patient," said Montreal police Sgt. Lafrenière.
"At 9:30 a.m. when people got to the Palais des Congrès with their crowbars, to break windows, then using a flare pistol to set a fire inside, we remove people. We disperse them."
He said no one was injured when the flare gun was shot.
Lafrenière said police decided to make arrests after four attempts to disperse the crowd.
Authorities deemed the protest illegal because organizers failed to give police an itinerary and because alleged criminal acts were taking place.
Sgt. Ian Lafrenière said 32 of the people arrested will be charged with taking part in an illegal assembly.
He said four people will be charged with assaulting police officers and for being in possession of stolen goods.
Plan Nord has been the subject of controversy since plans were unveiled by Jean Charest's Liberal government in 2011.
Police cars vandalized
On Friday, about 200 people gathered in Montreal's financial district to protest.
Police ordered the crowds to disperse early in the afternoon after at least three patrol cars were vandalized.
Montreal police Sgt. Laurent Gingras said protesters also sprayed graffiti and broke a window at the Palais des Congrès. | {
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(CNN) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has likened India's revoking of Jammu and Kashmir state's autonomy to Nazi ideology, and warned the international community that inaction would be similar to appeasing Hitler.
Indian-controlled Kashmir, one of the world's most sensitive regions remains in lockdown amid a communications blackout, with landline connections, internet and mobile coverage all suspended. Tens of thousands of additional Indian troops have also been deployed into the already heavily militarized region to head off unrest after the government in New Delhi moved to scrap the region's special status.
Politicians have reportedly been detained, journalists restricted in their reporting and human rights groups have warned of potential abuses due to the lack of international oversight enabled by the communications blackout.
In a series of tweets Sunday, Khan said India's actions in Muslim-majority Kashmir were an attempt "to change (the) demography of Kashmir through ethnic cleansing" and asked whether the world would "watch and appease as they did Hitler at Munich?"
The 1938 Munich Pact was an agreement between between Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy that allowed Nazi Germany to annex part of Czechoslovakia.
Khan described the scrapping of Article 370 of India's constitution that ensures Kashmir's autonomy as an "impending genocide" and said the Hindu nationalist ideology of the Indian government -- ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- was inspired by Nazi ideology.
The curfew, crackdown & impending genocide of Kashmiris in IOK is unfolding exactly acc to RSS ideology inspired by Nazi ideology. Attempt is to change demography of Kashmir through ethnic cleansing. Question is: Will the world watch & appease as they did Hitler at Munich? — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 11, 2019
The "ideology of Hindu Supremacy, like the Nazi Aryan Supremacy, will not stop" in Indian-controlled Kashmir, "instead it will lead to suppression of Muslims in India and eventually lead to targeting of Pakistan."
The tweets reiterated comments Khan made to parliament on Wednesday, where he said "the current government in India is acting like Hitler's Nazi party."
Khan's office said the Prime Minister is reaching out to world leaders over the situation in Kashmir as he believes India's move to change the region's status is in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In a statement Saturday, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he intends to take the issue to the UN Security Council.
Indian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.
But Modi's government has repeatedly insisted that the special provisions in Jammu and Kashmir have restricted investment and economic growth. Revoking Kashmir's special status was one of the promises made by the Indian Prime Minister ahead of recent national elections.
In a televised speech on Thursday, Modi said the decision to strip the state of its autonomy would free it of "terrorism" and claimed that Article 370 had caused "separatism, terrorism, dynastic politics and corruption." He also claimed the decision would bring stability to the restive territory.
"As a nation, we have taken a historic decision," Modi said. "Due to the past system, the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were deprived of many rights, which was a major obstacle in their development. That is now over."
BJP National Secretary Ram Madhav responded to Khan's tweet, saying the "threat to democratic world is from Pakistan-sponsored Jihadi terror, not from India."
Monday is the first day of Eid al-Adha in Pakistan which is one of the two major Islamic holidays of the year. Pakistan's foreign minister and major opposition leaders are scheduled to attend and offer Eid prayers in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controled Kashmir in solidarity with the Kashmiri people.
Region in turmoil
Kashmir is one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints. Claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, it has been the epicenter for more than 70 years of an often violent territorial struggle between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
On August 6, India's parliament voted to reclassify the state of Jammu and Kashmir as a union territory, giving the government in New Delhi greater authority over the contested Muslim-majority region. The day before, the Indian government announced it was revoking Article 370, a constitutional provision which granted the state broad autonomy in setting its own law, except in a limited set of policy areas such as defense and foreign affairs.
Pakistan responded to New Delhi's decision by downgrading diplomatic relations and suspending bilateral trade. Last week, Khan's office repeated its claim that India's moves were illegal, and urged the Pakistani military, which has warned it will "go to any extent" to fight the changes, to remain vigilant.
The scrapping of Article 370 of India's constitution will allow non-residents to purchase property in Jammu and Kashmir, and apply for jobs or scholarships that had previously been reserved for residents. Experts fear the move could lead to a demographic change in Hindu-dominated India's only Muslim-majority state.
The remote mountainous region of Ladakh, currently part of Jammu and Kashmir, will also be separated and turned into a standalone union territory, the government said. | {
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Indiana State Senator Mike Delph's war of tweets over HJR-3 showed no signs of slowing Saturday as his prolific posts stretched into a third day.
Late Thursday, Delph took to Twitter to vent his frustration over a Senate move that delayed a statewide vote on a gay marriage ban for at least two years.
Delph championed the ban, which originally included language that would also bar civil unions.
Delph drew fire Saturday for suggesting that nothing in HJR-3 would prevent a same-sex couple from solidifying their relationship in a "contract."
"A contract? I am not signing up for a bathroom remodel or a home renovation. I am in a loving, committed relationship," tweeted a user by the handle of @situationgray. "We own a home together, been in a relationship for 14 years, and I was present for our children's births as well as when they were conceived."
On Thursday, Delph lashed out at members of his own party, the media and the "self absorbed Godless culture that is fast tracking our nation to ruin." His focus Saturday shifted to the idea of natural rights, which he said had been "perverted" to include things like clean air and water and health benefits.
"Natural rights come from God and govts. are instituted amongst men to protect those rights. Same God as in the Holy Bible," Delph Tweeted.
Delph went on to say that many of the Founding Fathers were wary of including a Bill of Rights in the constitution "for fear of leaving something out."
"But the liberal view of rights to clean water, air, a decent job, a house, car, health benefits is a modern perversion," Delph said.
When asked for further comment by RTV6, Delph tweeted, "Not everything is a right. I'll leave it at that for now."
The senator's brother, Stephen Delph – who is openly gay – told RTV6 Friday that he doesn't believe the senator is homophobic or anti-gay.
"I will tell you, over the last several years he has met boyfriends of mine and he has been very cordial. He has seen me in full drag," Stephen Delph said. "He has a different view on his faith and he has a very conservative view of the sanctity of marriage."
Stephen Delph said he is more concerned about the vulgarities that have been sent to his four nieces, Mike Delph’s daughters, and the Delph family -- he wants those to stop.
"I can support my brother, and this being a free nation, he can believe what he believes and I can believe what I believe, and still love each other as brothers," Stephen Delph said. "He has never called me an abomination, he has never called me evil, he's never told me I'm going to hell. He's never told me not to be my true self."
Delph denied interview requests on Friday, but tweeted that he will make an announcement Monday morning "that you won't want to miss." | {
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Catholic League president Bill Donohue, a vocal conservative voice who recently warred with The Daily Show over a "vagina manger," has infuriated prominent Jewish leaders with a private email last week to Philadelphia Rabbi Arthur Waskow.
Waskow, a progressive rabbi involved in the Jewish Renewal movement, had criticized the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a Huffington Post op-ed for "attacking the religious freedom of millions of American women and the religious freedom of American nuns" over contraception.
Donohue responded with a note to Waskow that launched an email exchange that ended with a warning, forwarded to BuzzFeed by a source close to the rabbi, that "Jews had better not make enemies of their Catholic friends since they have so few of them" (Donohue writes that this is a saying of Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York). Donohue also includes a postscript saying, "I do not have a long nose."
Donahue also raised a recent child abuse scandal in Orthodox Jewish communities.
"You need to do something about this epidemic right now," he told Waskow, who is not Orthodox, suggesting that Jews follow the Catholic Church's reforms in dealing with clerical abuse.
In an interview with BuzzFeed, Donohue defended his words.
"Waskow is a man full of hate," he said, calling Waskow's op-ed "the kind of thing I'd expect from Bill Maher, not from a rabbi."
"Who the hell is he?" Donohue said. "I don't tell Jews what to do when they have people who are miscreants in their community."
Donohue's "long nose" comment was in reference to something Waskow said in the previous email: "Would you also suggest I keep my long Jewish nose out of some Catholic priests’ rape of Catholic children and some Catholic bishops’ protection of those priests from the law, because I’m not a Catholic? Perhaps you would." (Donohue had told him "you have stuck your nose in where you don’t belong.")
Koch, the former mayor of New York, said that he never said the quote Donohue attributes to him.
"My comments have always been about fostering good feelings between Jews and Catholics toward mutual understanding of our shared interests," Koch said in a statement. "However, I certainly do not believe that Jews, or Catholics, should be threatened for making critical remarks, nor should my name be used when doing so. While I do have a high regard for Bill, his references to me and my remarks were inappropriate and different in substance and tone than what I said on an earlier occasion. My remarks did not and do not refer to the Rabbi's comments."
Donohue told BuzzFeed that Koch "has said that many times. I just heard from Ed last week." He provided BuzzFeed with the first two emails in the exchange with Waskow.
In a statement, Waskow said “Bill Keller of the New York Times reported on Monday morning, ‘The official church has moved far enough to the right that Donohue now speaks for its mainstream.’ Now we will find out whether that includes threatening Jews for disagreeing with the Church hierarchy."
Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center, a prominent figure in the Jewish Reform movement, voiced support for Waskow in a statement, calling Donohue's email "disheartening."
"Certainly, the importance of both the health care rights of women and the social justice passion of the Catholic nuns who serve on the front lines of our neediest citizens’ struggles for economic justice deserve a more respectful response," Saperstein said. | {
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Last year my parents asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I told them they didn’t need to get me anything. I no longer celebrated Christmas. I’ve grown tired of the rampant consumerism associated with a holiday season that originally came about because humans were simple thankful they had survived another frigid, harsh winter. Although I have no problem with people celebrating any of the winter holidays, I can say my life has been amazingly less stressful during this time of the year. Meanwhile others bustle around to buy gifts, half of which well end up in a storage bin anyway.
Diamonds are not rare and their use in marriage proposals is a recent one. De Beers was the originator of the idea that “A diamond is forever,” and through decades of marketing campaigns, they drilled this idea in the psyche of Americans and eventually the world . In the same way, the collective marketing of world industries has turned the Holiday season into one of global consumerism.
Although zealots decree their holiday should be brought back to its origins, they do so ignoring the fact that that story of Jesus in the Bible is not original, but an amalgamation of several other gods such as Krishna from Hinduism . All the while, many of them still hold to the religious beliefs of buying new flat panel TVs, expensive jewelry and smart phones as part of their holiday celebration.
It is a very funny thing how the phrase “…in order to be perfect, sell all your possessions and give all your money to the poor ,” is selectively forgotten or disregarded by those who worship the originator of the statement. As with professional sports and the twenty-four hour news networks, purchasing and consumption have become their own belief system; complete with passionate fervor, zealots, sacrifices and a holiday. | {
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NEW DELHI: The government on Friday said it will infuse about Rs 55,000 crore in public sector banks to enhance their capital base so that they can accelerate lending in a bid to bolster growth.This was the second set of measures announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to prop up the economy and at least one more is expected next week.The announcement formed part of the government's mega plan to merge 10 public sector banks into four with a view to creating fewer and stronger global-sized lenders with robust balance sheets.All the anchor banks in the consolidation process will get capital support. As a result, Punjab National Bank will get Rs 16,000 crore, Union Bank of India Rs 11,700 crore, Canara Bank Rs 6,500 crore and Indian Bank Rs 2,500 crore.Besides, Bank of Baroda will get Rs 7,000 crore, Indian Overseas Bank Rs 3,800 crore and Central Bank of India Rs 3,300 crore.This are indicative figures and the actual capital infusion may vary depending on banks' assessment, Sitharaman told reporters here.Giving details of governance reforms in the public sector banks, she said these will bring transparency and strengthen bank boards.To make management accountable, a board committee of nationalised banks will appraise performance of GM and above ranks, including managing director, and also recruit Chief Risk Officer at market-linked compensation to attract best talent, she said.To enable succession planning, she said boards will decide a system of individual development plans for all senior executive positions.She also said flexibility has been given to boards of large public sector banks to enhance sitting fees of non-official directors (NODs).Boards have also been given the mandate to reduce or rationalise committees, she said, adding that Management Committee of Board (MCB) loan sanction thresholds has been enhanced by up to 100 per cent to enable focussed attention to higher value loan proposals.Executive directors' strength in larger banks has been raised to four for better functional focus and thrust to technology, she said.The finance minister also said that the merger would not result in any retrenchment but rather improve the benefit of the employees.Asked about any plan for giving relief to home buyers, Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar said the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is looking at it and soon some measures will be announced.Commenting on the merger decision, PNB Managing Director Sunil Mehta said this is a very welcome measure taken by the government."This is going to provide lot of strength to the economy because these mergers will bring synergies in operation. The amount of capital provided to the bank will provide an opportunity to grow faster. The decision will be deliberated by the board," he said.Canara Bank Managing Director R A Shankara Narayanan said the merger will add value and it will become the fourth largest public-sector bank.Union Bank of India MD Rajkiran Rai said, "We don't forsee any problem with regard to merger. Similar timeline would be there as was in the case of BoB. It could be even faster."SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar said, "Today's announcements also underline the fact that the government recognizes the importance of a robust banking system in achieving the goal of $5 trillion economy as bigger banks will be better armed to meet the credit needs of a fast growing economy like India." | {
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So this definitely wasn’t a planned thing. I went to a house party with a couple of friends. It wasn’t a particularly big thing and I had only stuck on a pair of jeans and a low cut t-shirt. I wasn’t even wearing sexy lacy underwear, just a pair of cotton briefs and a comfy bra.
So the drinking started and I was a few in before I even met this guy. I was just on my way out of the toilet when he stopped me in the hall. He offered to go smoke some pot with him and a mate. We will call the Dan and Mike. Well how could I refuse. So we headed of to one of the bedrooms. Sat on the bed and Dan rolled us some blunts.
That continued on for a bit, we chatted smoked and got more and more stoned. Eventually Dan of them said “let’s take a vote. All the women have to get naked.” Of course it was a majority vote that I lost. It was at this point I knew that I either left or got fucked by two men. So I got up off the bed and pulled my top over my head. I could feel their eyes on my as I stripped but I was enjoying them looking.
When I was fully naked I jumped back in the bed sitting cross legged. We went back to smoking and talking. I could feel them looking at me, eying what part of me they wanted first. Finally the Mike sitting next to me made his move. Innocent at first he placed his hand on my leg. Slowly he moved it up to my inner thigh. He held it there millimetre from my pussy, I could feel my self throbbing wanting him to touch me.
Mike brushed his finger against my pussy, it sent a shiver up my spine and I breathed in sharply. This encouraged Dan to moved towards me, he grasped my tits as Mike started rubbing my pussy with his finger. It wasn’t long before I was wet and he put is finger inside me and started fingering me. The other guy moved onto my tits. He pinched my nipples between his teeth. I was getting very turned on.
They pushed me onto my back and Dan stuck his head between my legs and started running his tongue up and down my wet pussy. Mike knelt next to my head. He unzipped his flies, popped open his boxers and pulled his rock solid cock out. He let it drop onto my face. I parted my lips and took his cock into my mouth. Using my hand a worked his shaft and sucked his cock. Occasionally enjoying his balls as well. His head shot back in enjoyment which built on my own enjoyment.
Mike moves onto stimulating my clit, flicking it with the tip of his tongue. I could feel my orgasm building. Dan began playing with my nipples that increased the rate of my orgasm. I felt the pressure building till it was almost unbearable. Something had to give. It did. I’m sure if I didn’t have Dans cock in my mouth I would have screamed. My whole lower exploded with pulsating pleasure. It spread to the rest of my body with a satisfying tingle. | {
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The Justice Department has indicted dozens of individuals accused of involvement in a massive business email scam and money laundering scheme.
Thom Mrozek, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California, confirmed more than a dozen individuals had been arrested during raids on Thursday — mostly in the Los Angeles area. A total of 80 defendants are allegedly involved in the scheme.
News of the early morning raids were first reported by ABC7 in Los Angeles.
The 145-page indictment, unsealed Thursday, said the 80 named individuals are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft and money laundering.
Most of the individuals alleged to be involved in the scheme are based in Nigeria, said the spokesperson.
It’s not immediately known if the Nigerian nationals will be extradited to the U.S.; however, a treaty exists between the two nations, making extraditions possible.
U.S. Attorney Nicola Hanna said the case was part of an ongoing effort to protect citizens and businesses from email scams.
“Today, we have taken a major step to disrupt criminal networks that use [business email scam] schemes, romance scams and other frauds to fleece victims,” he said. “This indictment sends a message that we will identify perpetrators — no matter where they reside — and we will cut off the flow of ill-gotten gains.”
These business email scams rely partly on deception and in some cases hacking. Scammers send specially crafted spearphishing emails to their targets in order to trick them into turning over sensitive information about the company, such as sending employee W-2 tax documents so scammers can generate fraudulent refunds, or tricking an employee into making wire transfers to bank accounts controlled by the scammers. More often than not, the scammers use spoofing techniques to impersonate a senior executive over email to trick the unsuspecting victim, or hack into the email account of the person they are impersonating.
The FBI says these impersonation attacks have cost consumers and businesses more than $3 billion since 2015.
Valentine Iro, 31, and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, 38, both Nigerian nationals and residents of California, are accused of running the operation, said prosecutors.
The alleged fraudsters are accused of carrying out several hundred “overt” acts of fraud against more than a dozen victims, generating millions of dollars’ worth of fraud over several months. In some cases, the fraudsters would hack into the email accounts of the person they were trying to impersonate to try to trick a victim into wiring money from a business into the fraudster’s bank account.
Iro and Igbokwe were “essentially brokers” of fraudulent bank accounts, prosecutors allege, by fielding requests for bank account information and laundering the money obtained from victims. The two lead defendants are accused of taking a cut of the stolen money. They then allegedly used illicit money exchanges to launder the money.
Several bank accounts run by the fraudsters contained more than $40 million in stolen funds.
The FBI said the agency has seen a large increase in the number of business email scams in the past year targeting small and large businesses, as well as nonprofits. | {
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CONCORD, N.H. - The capital city's troubled mall and one of its largest commercial properties has been purchased by a New York company with other mall and commercial space assets, according to documents online.
Namdar Realty Group purchased the Steeplegate Mall last week for $10.3 million, under the name of Steeplegate Mall Realty LLC, according to the city's assessor's database, a bargain basement price for an asset that was once presumed to be worth nearly $50 million and assessed at $65 million in 2012. The current assessment is around $25.3 million, which has, in turn, hurt tax collections for the city. Just last month, according to the Concord Monitor, the bank owners of the mall were requesting an abatement to that $25 million, stating that the value of the mall was more in the $15 million range.
The Steeplegate Mall has been in trouble for many years and hasn't really recovered from the retail and real estate crash during the Great Recession. The mall lost a number of key tenants at the property, and then, in 2014, the previous owner, Rouse Properties, couldn't make a balloon payment of nearly $47 million that was due that August. Rouse ended up walking away from the payment, according to Bloomberg.com. It is unknown what plans the company has for filling stores in the mall. An email was not returned by press time from interests at the company, and the news section of the company's site hasn't been updated since 2015. | {
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Mac owners who have recently downloaded Elmedia Player or Folx from Eltima Software may have unwittingly installed malware on their machines, reports ZDNet.
Downloads of Folx and Elmedia player were infected with Proton, a Remote Access Trojan, after Eltima's servers were hacked. The Proton backdoor lets attackers access browser information, keylogs, usernames, passwords, macOS keychain data, and more.
In an email to ZDNet, an Eltima spokesperson said that the malware was distributed with downloads as a result of their servers being "hacked" after attackers "used a security breach in the tiny_mce JavaScript library on our server."
The compromised software was discovered on October 19, and customers who downloaded software from Eltima on that date before 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time may be affected by the malware. The following files will be found on an infected system:
- /tmp/Updater.app/
- /Library/LaunchAgents/com.Eltima.UpdaterAgent.plist
- /Library/.rand/
- /Library/.rand/updateragent.app/
Apple and Eltima have disabled the developer ID that was used to sign the Proton-infected software bundle, and Eltima is working with Apple to figure out what happened.
Anyone who was impacted by the malware will need to reinstall macOS to get rid of it. Eltima says it has taken action to prevent against further attacks and improve its server security. Clean versions of Elmedia Player and Folx are now available from the Eltima website. | {
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The next Democratic debate is set for Thursday. The top ten Democratic presidential candidates will face off against each other on the same stage for the first time all on just one night.
The candidates will have one minute and 15 seconds for direct responses to questions and 45 seconds for responses and rebuttals. Although they will be able to deliver opening statements, there will be no closing remarks.
I think at this stage of the game, most of us know what to expect but what should the various Democratic candidates do? As a Democratic strategist here’s some advice I want to share:
Be prepared
I mean be prepared to answer the questions specifically. You can’t wing it. And I don’t mean with pre-packaged zingers.
In June, during the first debate in Miami, California Sen. Kamala Harris said: "Hey, guys, you know what? America does not want to witness a food fight. They want to know how we're going to put food on their table.
Her comment led to lots of applause, but it was as contrived as it was pre-planned. Her campaign even sold T-shirts afterward, already prepared, with that exact quote on them.
America doesn’t want to witness a food fight, so don’t give them one.
Harris saw a brief bump in her polls numbers after that night and more money flowed in to her campaign treasure chest, but it was short-lived.
Don’t attack other Dems
Harris was right, America doesn’t want to witness a food fight, so don’t give them one. Democrats don’t want to see Democrats attacking each other.
Harris, the first-term California senator, learned that the hard way when she attacked former Vice President Joe Biden on his bussing policies from years back and practically painted him out to be a racist.
She appeared strong and again, what did she get? A small, temporary blip in the polls and in cash.
Now I’m not saying that the Democrats at the debate on Thursday night need to have a kumbaya fest -- like the one we’ve been witnessing with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. I am saying, however, that you can attack the other candidates’ policies and not make it personal.
Remember in 2016 when Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton were all smiles and hugs? That didn’t last long. But when the vitriol started to flow, the party started to form deep alliances and also deep divisions. And then… Democrats lost the election.
Show voters how you differ from the other candidates
Many of the Democratic presidential candidates agree on issues surrounding climate change, health care, immigration, etc. But it’s learning about how they differ that is essential for voters. That’s the kind of information they will need to decide who they want to represent their party.
For example, Sanders and Warren agree about many things, but he’s a socialist, she’s a capitalist. They both need to put that forth and explain why they chose those labels. They need to highlight those differences.
I would counsel each candidate this way: Be specific with your own plans (and guess what --that’s worked quite well for Warren), tout your own successes and focus not only on what you would do differently than your fellow Democrats but explain how.
Remember who the REAL opponent is
Although it will be tempting for all of the candidates to attack Biden because he’s the front runner, and it will be even more tempting for Senators Sanders and Warren, who will sandwich Biden onstage in this next debate.
The Democratic candidates need to remember that President Donald Trump is their true opponent and the voters know it.
Recent polling shows that the majority of Democratic voters want a candidate who can beat Trump more than a candidate who shares their values.
So Democratic voters want to make Trump a one-term president and these candidates have the opportunity to show their base that they’re the one who can truly take down Trump.
So I would recommend the contenders give the audience a sample of what they’re in for. Biden, for example, given all his recent gaffes, could gain the most from this.
Those gaffes have cost him support according to the polls. Although he’s still leading the pack, those gaffes have some would-be voters questioning his age, strength, clarity on issues and his ability to recall them accurately.
Some supporters wonder how can Biden go head to head on a debate stage with Trump and still win? Biden’s got to show voters some of that spunk. So he (and the rest of the candidates) need to attack Trump. And they need to do it not just personally but on his policies (or lack thereof).
Put forth the facts
The candidates need to show would-be voters how Trump has divided our country. They need to mention how he embarrasses us regularly on the international stage.
Democrats should strike hard on issues such as immigration. They need to talk about how the president wants to divert funds from the military to the border, even though immigration levels have been dropping steadily for months.
They need to call him out for wanting to meet with the Taliban -- even though we don’t negotiate with terrorists.
They need to point to the terror group that just took credit for a bombing in Afghanistan and have even threatened American lives since Trump called the meeting off.
All of those issues speak to instability in decision making. They reveal a president who cares about his own agenda rather than the American people’s.
Since “it’s the economy, stupid” (still!) drive home the point about how the Trump tax breaks were for the rich and feed into income inequality. This is an issue that is popular among Democrats and did well for Democrats in the midterms.
Also, the candidates need to talk about how top economists not only are predicting an economic slowdown, they fear we might be headed for another recession.
They should also speak about climate change; about the Obama policies that Trump has reversed and how he thinks’ that climate change is a hoax.
If you believe in something, stand firm and, if you do not, be honest and genuine.
And, finally, they need to talk about health care. What has ObamaCare done? What have Trump and the Republican Party done? And what are they trying to do by repealing and replacing it? And don’t forget to mention what taking away the Medicaid expansion in some states has done for lower-income people, especially in rural areas.
Call out the crazy
Whether it’s about arranging for a meet with the Taliban or using a Sharpie to try to prove you were right about a hurricane, Democrats need to call out the crazy things Trump has done. But even more, the candidates need to highlight why the president’s behavior is dangerous. For example, how dangerous was it for people in Alabama to brace for a storm that was not coming their way, and what about the people who were truly in the path of the storm in the opposite direction!?
Use your common sense
The first piece of advice I gave to all of the candidates at the beginning of this column was to be prepared. It’s common sense that if you’re leading the pack in the polls, you’re going to be attacked from all sides. Be ready for this and be ready to respond to it.
Former Vice President Joe Biden better be prepared to defend any and all gaffes to nearly everyone on stage, but especially to the man and woman on his right and left: Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
And speaking of attacks, Warren should be prepared as well. If it was Harris’s turn to be in the hot seat at the last debate, at this next debate it will be Warren’s turn, especially after her surge in the polls this summer.
Beto O’Rourke & Julian Castro will certainly be targets for each other as both will be fighting to be the Texas favorite.
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Stand up for what you believe
When Sanders talked about a $15 minimum wage or Medicare for all in 2016, it was radical; now essentially part of the Democratic Party’s platform.
Sanders was passionate about it, he really believed it. He didn’t care who it upset or offended. He wasn’t concerned about losing votes over it, and that’s why he gained votes from it.
Look at Julian Castro. After talking about decriminalizing border crossings, his name was searched in Google more times than in the entire history of his career. People might not have liked what he said but people certainly knew who he was.
Don’t be a lemming
If you believe in something, stand firm and, if you do not, be honest and genuine.
Don’t be afraid to hold a more moderate position
Don’t be afraid the far-left will drown you out or vote you out. The majority of Democratic voters are moderates and centrists. Always keep this in mind: the primary is the appetizer, the general election is the main course.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Democratic presidential candidates need to do their homework, be prepared to defend themselves, their remarks and decisions they’ve made throughout their careers on Thursday night. They need to show how much they differ from their counterparts and demonstrate why they would be the best candidate to take down Trump.
If they follow my advice, they might get a bump in the polls, a few more checks and who knows, maybe even wind up winning the nomination.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM LESLIE MARSHALL | {
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A retired NYPD officer reportedly shot his two sons before taking his own life late Sunday night. Irvin Noak, 61, opened fire on Irvin Noak III, 30, and Aaron Noak, 22, inside the family's North Bellport home after getting into an argument with guests gathered there for a party, Newsday reports. All three wounded men were rushed to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in East Patchogue, Long Island, where the elder Noak was later pronounced dead.
Noak, a 27-year veteran of the NYPD, joined the department in 1982, according to the Daily News.
Both sons were treated for critical injuries at Brookhaven Hospital and are expected to recover. In the hours following the shooting, which occurred around 11 p.m., the News describes the Noak residence as a grisly scene of dried blood spattered amongst empty beer bottles and lawn chairs.
“There was never a fight in that house. The real question here is, What went wrong?” a neighbor wondered aloud to the tabloid. “The father was the nicest, kindest guy.”
“A very good family and all that,” an unidentified neighbor told Newsday. “A very respected guy. He went out of his way to say hello. I talked to him last week at the mailbox. He said hello to me. . . . He said something as a typical cop would say, he says, ‘I’m looking out for you. I got your back.’ That’s how he was.” Newsday reports that another one of Noak's sons is an active NYPD officer who was present during the shooting but was not harmed. | {
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In the wake of a somewhat disastrous G7 summit, Poland has a unique opportunity to become a great integrator that will cement the decaying transatlantic bond between the US and EU, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki believes.
Following US President Trump’s decision not to endorse the G7 joint communiqué and to slap tariffs on European and Canadian steel and aluminum, Trump’s European counterparts felt overwhelmed by what German Chancellor Angela Merkel defined as a sense of “disillusionment.”
“Everybody probably notices that the paths of the European Union and the United States have begun to diverge quite a lot,” Morawiecki told the Gazeta Polska weekly, reflecting on the transatlantic tensions at the latest G7 summit in Québec.
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Poland, which has for long been eager to score points with Washington, has proposed itself as “an integrator between these two entities.” According to Morawiecki, there could be no better time for his country to “create the position of a keystone.” Otherwise, he said, Warsaw will find itself “in the uncomfortable situation of constant manoeuvring” between Brussels and Washington.
“It presents a great opportunity for our country,” Morawiecki said, “this is the scenario we are working on.”
In making overtures to Washington, Poland has been actively promoting its anti-Russian stance. Last month, the Polish defense ministry invited the US military to put a permanent military base on its territory and offered to pay $2billion for the privilege. In a 39-page document dispatched to Washington, Warsaw emphasized the “extraordinarily strong” bond between Poland and the US.
Warsaw’s invitation of NATO troops on its territory did not go down well in Moscow, which made it clear that there would be serious consequences in response to any NATO build-up in Eastern Europe.
'Withdrawal by tweet', the next level of breaking up by text – Angela Merkel vs @realDonaldTrumphttps://t.co/zWLwo2kzRq — RT (@RT_com) June 10, 2018
Morawiecki’s new endeavor to bring the transatlantic alliance back together will be a challenging one. While six members of the G7 group recognised the need to resolve pending issues in unison, Trump’s commitment to his “America first” agenda went squarely against that spirit.
Trump’s goal is to make trade deals with single partners who can all be blackmailed into submission (Op-Ed by Slavoj Žižek) https://t.co/UJxls1tNaT — RT (@RT_com) June 13, 2018
Expressing a common sentiment after the latest summit, Angela Merkel pledged that Europe would not let itself be “deceived” or let Trump do “whatever he pleases,” whether it’s withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord and the Iran nuclear deal, or imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
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When it takes control on Thursday, the new House Democratic majority plans on serious oversight of corporate monopolies and the lax enforcement from federal antitrust agencies. It will target tech giants like Google and Facebook and health insurers Aetna, Cigna, Humana and Anthem while making sure Federal Trade Commission regulators are doing their job.
The Dems’ new push will focus on three areas: consolidation of health care markets driving up prices for consumers, the monopolization of big tech platforms and anti-competitive labor abuses like non-compete agreements and wage fixing. Hearings on these issues could even result in the first major rewrite of antitrust law since the 1950s.
Democrats increasingly see antitrust policy in the same vein that they have come to view campaign finance reform ― a fundamental structural problem underlying the many issues of skyrocketing health care costs, lower wages, lack of labor mobility, rising prices, fewer local businesses and less political power. A 2018 poll by the anti-monopoly group Open Markets Institute found 76 percent of respondents believed “big corporations have too much power over your family and your community.”
“There’s been a growing recognition that many of the central concerns of the Democratic Party, namely on inequality and regional inequality, are being driven by concentration and a lack of antitrust enforcement,” Zach Freed, a researcher at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, an anti-monopoly nonprofit, said.
Leading the charge on antitrust for Democrats is Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) who will take the helm of the antitrust subcommittee within the House Judiciary Committee in January.
Bloomberg via Getty Images Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) will lead Democrats' investigations into corporate monopolies as head of the antitrust panel on the House Judiciary Committee.
Cicilline has emerged as an aggressive voice calling for a break with the antitrust status quo that has turned a blind eye to the extreme consolidation across the economy. He helped launch a congressional antitrust caucus and is the lead sponsor of key antitrust reform bills that range from giving the news media more power to organize against digital ad monopolies like Google and Facebook to modernizing the antitrust laws passed during the age of Teddy Roosevelt.
He intends to host hearings to build a record and obtain analysis from experts and to craft legislation to rein in consolidation and anti-competitive behavior in health care markets, the big tech platforms and labor contracts. He will also plan aggressive oversight of the Federal Trade Commission, the main antitrust regulator that has enabled extreme corporate consolidation over the past 40 years thanks to the adoption of pro-monopoly economic theories by lawyers and economists of both political parties.
Proponents of aggressive antitrust enforcement are excited about Cicilline’s rise to the chairman’s seat on the antitrust panel.
“They’ve been doing a great job of elevating the issue of antitrust ― scrutinizing the enforcement of the oversight agency for the first time in a long time,” Marshall Steinbaum, fellow at the progressive Roosevelt Institute, said about Cicilline and Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee.
“It’s gonna be great,” Matt Stoller, fellow at Open Markets Institute, said. “Man, we’re going to kick some ass.”
Cicilline may be a lawyer, but he didn’t come to Congress with expertise in antitrust. After he became ranking member of the antitrust subcommittee, he noticed how the consolidation problems that he was investigating in his oversight role overlapped with the broader inequality issues that Democrats were trying to tackle.
“As I began to do this work I really came to realize that this fundamental question of, ‘How do we get the economy working again for everyone in this country so that working people have a fighting chance to get ahead?’ is really connected to this very serious concentration of economic power, and concentration of political power, and it’s getting worse rather than getting better,” Cicilline said.
Cicilline was one of a number of members who pushed for the inclusion of strong antitrust principles in the Democratic Party’s midterm policy platform. That “Better Deal” platform included very strong language calling for a new antitrust consensus and a focus on breaking up consolidated markets and giving workers more power and more pay.
Although the Democrats’ Better Deal policy program mentioned consolidation in markets from oil and gas to eyeglasses, it notably left out the problem of big tech monopolies. Cicilline, however, is one of Silicon Valley’s biggest critics on Capitol Hill. He told Facebook that it “cannot be trusted to regulate itself” and got Google CEO Sundar Pichai to admit that Google was considering launching a search engine in China.
ASSOCIATED PRESS House Democrats will continue to investigate Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook for monopolistic practices in the social media and online advertising markets.
He intends on hosting more hearings with tech CEOs and technologists who analyze competition on digital platforms to develop a better understanding of how these tech trusts dominate markets and crush competition. This will result in legislation that could enable users to port their data from one social platform to another or mandate the platforms become interoperable with each other and future competitors.
Congressional Democrats are supportive of this push for more antitrust oversight. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told antitrust regulators at an oversight hearing in December that Congress had abdicated its role for too long by allowing “pro-big business administrations,” both Republican and Democratic, to erode antitrust laws.
“The decline in enforcement over the last several decades has also been an economic catastrophe for millions of workers,” Nadler said.
There is even interest in stronger antitrust oversight from Republicans on the Judiciary committee. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), the next ranking member on the committee, has taken umbrage at consolidation in the pharmacy benefit manager market. He introduced legislation to shine a light on the anti-competitive practices in the industry to uncover how they are driving up consumer costs for drugs.
But where the Republican leadership was not interested in prioritizing these issues in the last Congress, the Democratic Party leadership is insistent on pursuing them.
“What has been really remarkable is there has been a really significant kind of renewal of interest in antitrust in the Congress,” Cicilline observes. “I think there is sort of a reawakening of the kind of understanding the critical impact that competition and antitrust enforcement has in getting the economy to work right.” | {
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Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince sent his energy minister to an OPEC meeting last month with a difficult mission: Make a deal with rival Iran but don’t compromise the kingdom’s ability to fight for oil-market share, people familiar with the matter said.
The directive was a departure for Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful 31-year-old son of King Salman who is prosecuting Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen against Iran-backed rebels. Prince Mohammed scuttled previous attempts at oil-production deals with the Organization... | {
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3 Kettlebell Exercises For The Beginner
What’s old is new again.
Kettlebell exercises are back in favour. They’ve been in Russia for a long time, well over 350 years. Soviet strength and conditioning programs used them to train athletes and their soliders. Kettlebells have been so much a part of Russian life that it became their national sport in 1948.
It wasn’t too long after that they were seen in the US. Though it wasn’t until 2001 that Dragon Door and Pavel Tsatsouline developed the first instructor certification program in the USA.
Now you can see kettlebell gyms popping up everywhere. Even many regular comercial gyms include them as standard equipment. As much as I dislike CrossFit I feel as though they’ve created awareness and helped make kettlebell training become more main stream and accesible.
Kettlebell training is fun and effective, I’m a barbell, and dumbbell guy. With that said, there are a few kettlebell exercises I love and happily include in my training routines.
For those thinking of including KB’s in their workouts there are a few exercises I suggest you start with.
How To Get Started With Kettlebell Exercises
Kettlebell training can stand on its own and be your only train tool. Or, what I like to do with myself and my clients is to use the KB to supplement our current training. Where I find kettlebells shine is with core work and conditioning, but, there are a few great strength exercises I like use them for.
Dumbbells, barbells, indian clubs, kettlebells, are all weight implements, so substituting one for another isn’t really that big of a deal. Due to their odd shapes and grips some work better than others for various exercises.
Because it’s so easy to interchange the different exercises, using KB’s doesn’t require you to drastically change up your workout. Anywhere you use a dumbbell chances are you can easily sub in a kettlebell.
But there are a few KB exercises that will fit into your classic dumbbell or barbell routine more easily. Listed below are 3 KB exercises that will seamlessly sub into any workout routine.
3 Kettlebell Exercises To Get Started With KB Training
Overhead Kettlebell Presses
Overhead presses are going to be the easiest and best place to start using kettlebells. Many people actually prefer kettlebells to dumbbells or barbells for many overhead pressing exercises.
1. KB Military Press
This may be the safest and most comfortable way to press weight over your head, making the kettlebell military press an excellent substitution for different pressing movements.
How It’s Done
Pick up a kettlebell and bring it in close to your body ensuring that:
Your wrist is locked, and in the neutral position. You don’t want your wrist bending forward or back. The KB rests in the nook of your arm, the space between your bicep and forearm
Be sure to brace your abs. An easy wat to brace your core is to flex as you would if you were about to get punched in the gut.
Keep your wrists straight and in the center of your chest with a neutral grip. To ensure everything stays tight and locked in, grip the handle of the kettlebell as hard as you can.
With a setup complete it’s time to burn some fat and build some muscle. Start the movement by taking a deep breath, then press the kettlebell overhead. Make sure you rotate your hand as you press. Start with a neutral grip where your palm is facing towards the center of your body. Rotate 90° to finish in the pronated position. Basically, your palm will end up facing away from your body, pointing forward.
Unlike other overhead pressing movements, finish the kettlebell press by locking out your arm. For those of you into bodybuilding, resist the urge to keep the muscle under tension. With many kettlebell exercises, you’re going to finish by locking out. When you press overhead, don’t leave a slight bend in your elbow. Instead, press it out fully, and lock it.
Looking out does require a mention of a few key points…
Your shoulder needs to be down and back, you may hear it called packed or depressed. At lock out the KB finishes in-line or slightly behind your head. Bicep almost touches your ear. If your shoulders are closer to your ear then you havent packed the shoulder
Retuning to the bottom to do another rep is the same, but in reverse. Just make sure you do it in a controlled manner. Watch the video below for a few pointers on improving your kettlebell press.
Improving your Kettlebell Press
2. Kettlebell Front Squat Exercises
The kettlebell front squat is an excellent substitution for conventional squats, or even better, barbell front squats. If you have a decent squat you won’t be able to handle the same weight with KB’s as you can with the bar on your back, but it’s still a great variation. It will work your core like crazy, and take some of the stress off your spine that heavy squats often have.
As with many KB exercises you’ll start off by picking them up and holding them in close to your body.
Make sure that you…
have locked neutral wrists rest the KB on the shelf created by your bicep and forearm maintain a tight core, visualize that punch to the stomach again tight grip on the handels have an up right chest and back is flat
To initiate the squat move as you would with the barbell. With the KB’s in tight push the hips back, and break at the knees. As you drop into your squat spread the floor by pushing your knees out. This keeps your muscles engaged and allows your hips to get nice and deep. Continue dropping until your hips are below parallel.
To stand, push knees out, and drive your heels to the floor.
3. Kettlebell Rows
You have two different substitutions available to you can use here.
If you’re looking for extra core work do renegade rows. If you would rather focus on your back muscles, go with the standard one arm row.
The bets replacement for the dumbbell bent over one arm row, it’s best to stick what the conventional kettlebell row. The mechanics are very simular and this method allows you to use more weight, thus build more muscle.
If you do the row unsupported you’re going to still hit the core because it has to work hard to keep your torso stable. Resting your knee or hand on a support will allow you to use more weight, but does take away from the core stabilization.
Few tips on performing the KB row correctly:
Stand in a staggered stance with feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent. Bend at hips keeping your chest up and back flat. Firmly grip the kettlebell and hold it in a neutral grip. Starting with arm hanging straight down row the KB to your ribs by driving your elbow back. Keep the elbows close to your body. At the top of the movement squeeze your shoulder blade Return to start position.
As you can see, adding kettlebell exercises to your workout is pretty easy. These 3 exercises are perfect for the beginner. They’re simple to do, and don’t require much of a change to your workout.
Replace squats with kettlebell front squats.
Replace dumbbell rows with kettlebell rows.
Replace shoulder presses with kettlebell presses.
If you’re looking to spice up your ab routine you may want to give KB ab exercises a shot next. | {
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Video: Brandenburg aktuell | 03.12.2019 | Sebastian Schiller | Studiogespräch Innenminister Stübgen | Bild: rbb/Schiller
Weiteres Foto aufgetaucht - Cottbuser Polizisten hinterließen rechtes Kürzel "DC!"
03.12.19 | 21:41 Uhr
Die Polizisten, die das "Stoppt Ende Gelände"-Graffito in Cottbus überstreichen sollten, haben den Schriftzug "DC!" zurückgelassen - einen rechtsextremen Slogan. Das belegt laut Polizei ein Foto, das bei den Ermittlungen aufgetaucht ist.
Ermittlungen gegen neun Cottbuser Polizeibeamte haben ergeben, dass die Polizisten beim Überstreichen eines "Stoppt Ende Gelände"-Graffitos das Symbol eines Krebses sowie das Kürzel "DC!" zurückgelassen haben. Das teilte das Polizeipräsidium Brandenburg am Dienstag mit. Beleg sei ein bisher unveröffentlichtes Foto, welches das Graffito nach einer teilweisen Entfernung durch die Polizeibeamten zeigt, heißt es in einer Pressemitteilung des Polizeipräsidiums Brandenburg.
Kürzel für rechtsextremen Slogan
Das Kürzel steht für den rechtsextremen Slogan "Defend Cottbus", also "Cottbus verteidigen", der laut Brandenburger Verfassungsschutz "sowohl von Personen mit Bezügen zur 'Neuen Rechten' (zum Beispiel: Identitäre Bewegung Cottbus), als auch von gewaltbereiten Rechtsextremisten im Großraum Cottbus" genutzt wird, wie ein Sprecher auf Anfrage von rbb|24 mitteilte. In Anlehnung an das Wappen der Stadt Cottbus sei auf den Propagandamaterialien von "Defend Cottbus" ein Flusskrebs zu sehen.
Stübgen: "Solche Tendenzen werden bei der Brandenburger Polizei nicht geduldet"
Brandenburgs Innenminister Michael Stübgen (CDU) kündigte eine rigorose Aufklärung der Vorwürfe an. Stübgen sagte am Dienstagabend Brandenburg Aktuell vom rbb, er könne dem Ergebnis der Untersuchung nicht vorgreifen. Es gebe aber Hinweise darauf, dass zumindest einige der Polizisten die Bedeutung des Kürzels DC kannten. Mit dieser Provokation hätten sie möglicherweise auch eine bestimmte Zielrichtung verfolgt. Solche Tendenzen würden in der Brandenburger Polizei nicht geduldet.
Die Polizeiführung habe unmittelbar nach Bekanntwerden der Vorwürfe reagiert, so Stübgen. Die Polizisten seien identifiziert und sofort aus dem Einsatz genommen worden. Zudem seien sie an unterschiedliche Orte versetzt worden.
Posing-Foto in sozialen Netzwerken aufgetaucht
Hintergrund des Polizei-Statements vom Dienstag ist ein Vorfall aus der vergangenen Woche: Vor dem geplanten Großeinsatz rund um die Klimaproteste am Wochenende in der Lausitz hatten neun Cottbuser Polizisten vor einem Graffiti mit dem Slogan "Stoppt Ende Gelände" in Cottbus posiert. Das Foto kursierte anschließend in den sozialen Netzwerken. Die Polizei bestätigte den Vorfall und teilte mit, mit der Aktion hätten die Beamten gegen das Neutralitätsgebot verstoßen. Die Beamten wurden von dem Einsatz am Wochenende ausgeschlossen. Im Zuge des Disziplinarverfahrens wird inzwischen auch auch eine rechtsextremistische Motivation geprüft.
Polizisten mit Übermalen beauftragt
Laut Polizei wurden die neun Beamten noch am Abend des 28. Novembers von ihrem Polizeiführer beauftragt, das gesamte Graffito, vor dem sie posiert hatten, zu entfernen. Nach ihren Worten reichte jedoch die Farbe nicht aus. Sichtbar blieben Krebs-Symbole und die Buchstaben "DC" nebst Ausrufezeichen. Unklar war anfangs, ob die Polizisten davon wussten, oder ob Kürzel und Krebs später aufgemalt wurden.
Nachträgliche Veränderung ausgeschlossen
Mit dem neu aufgetauchten Foto vom späten Donnerstagabend sei nun aber "klar, dass die neun Beamten bevor sie den Ereignisort nach der beauftragten Entfernung verließen, diesen Schriftzug zumindest kannten und ihn auch dokumentierten", heißt es von der Polizei. Eine Veränderung des Buchstaben "E" zum Buchstaben "C" erst nachdem die neun Polizeibeamten den Ereignisort verließen, sei damit ausgeschlossen. "Die Beamten haben demnach den Ereignisort unter Zurücklassung des Kürzels 'DC!' samt Krebs verlassen." Am Montag seien in der Liegenschaft der Polizei in Cottbus inzwischen Reste von Farbe festgestellt worden, die möglicherweise zum Überstreichen des Graffito genutzt wurde. Farbspuren an der Mauer wurden durch Kriminaltechniker gesichert.
Beamte werden versetzt
Das Kommissariat Amtsdelikte des Landeskriminalamts prüft nun in Abstimmung mit der zuständigen Staatsanwaltschaft den möglichen Tatverdacht der öffentlichen Aufforderungen zu Strafttaten. Nach Informationen des rbb sollten die Beamten im Laufe des Dienstags von der Staatsanwaltschaft befragt werden. Zudem würden die neun Beamten noch in dieser Woche zeitlich befristet zunächst für die Dauer von drei Monaten umgesetzt, hieß es von der Polizei. Ihre weitere Verwendung erfolge vorerst auf verschiedenen Dienststellen in anderen Regionen des Landes.
Weitere Angaben zum Sachverhalt machte die Polizei aufgrund des laufenden Disziplinarverfahrens nicht. Man unternehme aber weiterhin alles, um die Vorgänge rund um das Graffito restlos aufzuklären, hieß es in der Pressemitteilung.
GdP: "Da ist nichts mit rechts"
Die Gewerkschaft der Polizei (GdP)sprach in einer Mitteilung am Dienstag von einer "unsäglichen Diskussion". Der Brandenburger Landesbezirksvorsitzende Andreas Schuster sprang seinen Kollegen bei: "Da ist nichts mit rechts, da ist nichts mit auf dem rechten Auge blind, da ist kein Verstoß gegen das Neutralitätsgebot. Es ist einfach unüberlegt. Dass der Schriftzug im Nachhinein verändert wurde, muss untersucht werden. Ich bin sicher, dass unsere Kolleginnen und Kollegen damit nichts zu tun haben."
Krebs in Anlehnung an das Stadtwappen | {
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In recent weeks the North Koreans have appeared more conciliatory, including expressing a willingness to return to negotiations with the United States, China, Russia, South Korea and Japan, though they have not clarified if they would be willing to agree to the ultimate goal of nuclear disarmament. The United States and its allies, however, have stood firm, saying they would resume the talks on the nuclear program only if the North agreed to eventually give up its arsenal.
Analysts said the re-emergence of steam at the plant — whether real or a contrivance — could well be designed by the North to try to force the United States and its allies into the talks in the hopes of winning economic aid by creating the fear that North Korea is preparing to add to its weapons stockpile.
But the move could have the opposite effect. President Obama has been deeply reluctant to take steps that would reward North Korea for halting activities it had already agreed to stop. His former secretary of defense, Robert M. Gates, once famously said that the United States was “tired of buying the same horse twice.” So far there have been no new offers to the North Koreans, and with attention focused on Syria and the Arab Spring uprisings, the administration has been reluctant to spend much political capital on a country that seems unlikely to give up its arsenal.
David Albright, the president of the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington research group that tracks the North Korean nuclear program, said he had also studied satellite images of the complex and concluded that the venting steam suggested that the reactor had indeed begun working again.
“It implies that the reactor is restarted, but that needs to be confirmed,” he said in an interview. “You want to get confirmation because you never know” with the North Koreans. “They can surprise you,” he added, “but I can’t think of any alternative explanations.” | {
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The band earns its second leader, following "Square Hammer."
Ghost notches its second total and consecutive No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart, as "Rats" rises 2-1 on the list dated July 7.
The Swedish hard rock act first led Mainstream Rock Songs with "Square Hammer," which ruled for two weeks in January-February 2017.
"Rats" reaches No. 1 in its 12th week on the chart, after "Hammer" took 17. Ghost had charted two prior titles on the tally: "Cirice" (No. 4, 2015) and "From the Pinnacle to the Pit" (No. 5, 2016).
Meanwhile, "Rats" ranks at its No. 14 high on the all-rock-format Rock Airplay chart for a second week, reaching a new-best 5.2 million audience impressions (up 1 percent) in the tracking week, according to Nielsen Music. "Rats" is now one spot off Ghost's top peak on Rock Airplay, as "Hammer" hit No. 13.
"Rats" is the lead single from Prequelle, Ghost's fourth studio album, released June 1. It became the band's second No. 1 on Top Rock Albums, launching with 66,000 equivalent album units on the June 16-dated tally, also good for the band's highest-charting album (No. 3) on the all-genre Billboard 200. | {
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Chill them enough and some atoms creep up walls or stay still while the bowl they sit in rotates, thanks to a quantum effect called superfluidity. Now molecules have got in on the act.
Superfluidity is a bizarre consequence of quantum mechanics. Cool helium atoms close to absolute zero and they start behaving as a single quantum object rather than a group of individual atoms. At this temperature, the friction that normally exists between atoms, and between atoms and other objects, vanishes, creating what is known as a superfluid.
To see if molecules could be made superfluid, Robert McKellar of the National Research Council of Canada in Ottawa and colleagues turned to hydrogen, which exists as pairs of atoms. The team created a compressed mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide gas and shot it through a nozzle at supersonic speeds. Once released, the molecules spread apart, cooling and arranging themselves so that each CO2 molecule sat at the centre of a cluster of up to 20 hydrogens.
To test for superfluidity, the team shone an infrared laser at the clusters at wavelengths that CO2, but not hydrogen, can absorb. This set only the CO2 molecules vibrating. Under normal conditions this movement would be slowed down due to friction between the moving CO2 molecules and the surrounding hydrogen. But the researchers found that for clusters of 12 hydrogen molecules, the hydrogen barely impeded the motion of the CO2.
They conclude that these hydrogen clusters are 85 per cent superfluid (Physical Review Letters, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.133401).
As hydrogen is only the second element known to form a superfluid, McKellar says the experiment could be useful for disentangling general qualities of superfluids.
Superfluid molecules might also be used as "nano-fridges", which surround and cool individual protein molecules. Superfluid helium atoms are already used for this but, unlike atoms, molecules can bend and stretch, which might present new ways to manipulate the cooled proteins.
Image by Don Farral/Getty
This post originally appeared on New Scientist | {
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All above plus releases on each major edition and become an active user that can share objects in the online library. Objects in the online library can be used as an open source item in your application and that can be edited by you or all other users.
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What would take you to church? One Taiwanese religious group believes a shoe-shaped church will do just the trick.
The giant structure, which takes the form of a high heel, is hoped to attract female worshippers in particular.
The building is made from 320 pieces of blue-tinted glass, and stands about 17 metres high and 11 metres wide in Ocean View Park, on the island's east coast.
Southwest Coast National Scenic Area spokesman Zheng Rongfeng told local media the church would also include 100 "female-oriented" features.
They reportedly include chairs for "lovers", maple leaves, biscuits and cake.
The church, for which the denomination is unclear, took about two months to build and is expected to open by February 8, before the Lunar New Year.
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March roars in like a space lion (just go with it) with the much-hyped novelization of The Last Jedi, which purports to be full of intriguing scenes that we didn’t see in the movie. But that’s not all there is to read: you might continue with Nancy Kress’s Yesterday’s Kin series; pick up the latest from Tahereh Mafi; consider the implications of Nick Clark Windo’s The Feed; check out Victor LaValle’s take on Frankenstein, now become the Destroyer; or go to an ecologically damaged future with Kelly Robson in Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach, among plenty of other scientifical options!
Keep track of all the new releases here. Note: All title summaries are taken and/or summarized from copy provided by the publisher.
WEEK ONE
Zero Limit—Jeremy K. Brown (March 6, 47North)
For war hero Caitlin Taggart, mining work on the Moon is dirty, low pay, and high risk. But no risk seems too extreme if it helps her return to Earth and the daughter she loves more than life itself. Offered a dangerous, long-shot chance to realize that dream, Caitlin will gamble with more than just her life. By leading a ragtag crew of miners on a perilous assignment to harvest an asteroid, Caitlin could earn a small fortune. More importantly, it would give her clearance to return to Earth. But when an unexpected disaster strikes the mission, Caitlin is plunged into a race to save not only herself, but every human being on Earth.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi—Jason Fry (March 6, Del Rey)
From the ashes of the Empire has arisen another threat to the galaxy’s freedom: the ruthless First Order. Fortunately, new heroes have emerged to take up arms—and perhaps lay down their lives—for the cause. Rey, the orphan strong in the Force; Finn, the ex-stormtrooper who stands against his former masters; and Poe Dameron, the fearless X-wing pilot, have been drawn together to fight side-by-side with General Leia Organa and the Resistance. But the First Order’s Supreme Leader Snoke and his merciless enforcer Kylo Ren are adversaries with superior numbers and devastating firepower at their command. Against this enemy, the champions of light may finally be facing their extinction. Their only hope rests with a lost legend: Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Written with input from director Rian Johnson, this official adaptation of Star Wars: The Last Jedi expands on the film to include scenes from alternate versions of the script and other additional content.
Queen of the Struggle (Memory Thief #2)—Nik Korpon (March 6, Angry Robot)
Overthrowing the tyrannical Tathadann government should have been cause for celebration. But as Eitan City announces its independence, soldiers from the northern province of Vårgmannskjør storm the ceremony and annex the city. The cruelties of the Tathadann soon pale beside their new rulers’ atrocities. Henraek finds himself resettled in the north, in a city where the people seem happy and well… until its labor camps and enslaved spirits come to light. The rebellion must begin anew, in Eitan City and throughout Vårgmannskjør, and now the stakes are higher than ever.
If Tomorrow Comes (Yesterday’s Kin #2)—Nancy Kress (March 6, Tor Books)
Ten years after the Aliens left Earth, humanity succeeds in building a ship, Friendship, to follow them home to Kindred. Aboard are a crew of scientists, diplomats, and a squad of Rangers to protect them. But when the Friendship arrives, they find nothing they expected. No interplanetary culture, no industrial base—and no cure for the spore disease. A timeslip in the apparently instantaneous travel between worlds has occurred and far more than ten years have passed. Once again scientists find themselves in a race against time to save humanity and their kind from a deadly virus while a clock of a different sort runs down on a military solution no less deadly to all. Amid devastation and plague come stories of heroism and sacrifice and of genetic destiny and free choice, with its implicit promise of conscious change.
Destroyer—Victor LaValle & Dietrich Smith (March 6, BOOM! Studios)
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein beseeched his creator for love and companionship, but in 2017, the monster has long discarded any notions of peace or inclusion. He has become the Destroyer, his only goal to eliminate the scourge of humanity from the planet. In this goal, he initially finds a willing partner in Dr. Baker, a descendant of the Frankenstein family who has lost her teenage son after an encounter with the police. While two scientists, Percy and Byron, initially believe they’re brought to protect Dr. Baker from the monster, they soon realize they may have to protect the world from the monster and Dr. Baker’s wrath. Written by lauded novelist Victor LaValle (The Devil In Silver, The Ballad of Black Tom), Destroyer is a harrowing tale exploring the legacies of love, loss, and vengeance placed firmly in the tense atmosphere and current events of the modern-day United States.
Restore Me—Tahereh Mafi (March 6, HarperCollins)
Juliette and Warner’s story continues in the electrifying fourth installment of Tahereh Mafi’s New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series. Juliette Ferrars thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander of North America, and now has Warner by her side. But when tragedy strikes, she must confront the darkness that dwells both around and inside her. Who will she become in the face of adversity? Will she be able to control the power she wields, and use it for good?
The Warrior Within—Angus McIntyre (March 6, Tor.com Publishing)
Karsman has a dozen different people living in his head, each the master of a different set of skills and hoping to gain mastery of Karsman’s body. He survives on a backwater planet dominated by the Muljaddy, a mostly ambivalent religious autocracy, where devotion and prayer can be traded in for subsistence wages and enough food to survive. Surrounded by artifacts of a long dead civilization, the population survives off its salvage, with Karsman eking out an uneventful life as the unofficial mayor of his small town. But that life is soon interrupted, when a group of commandos arrive, coming from the wastelands as only off-worlders could. They’ve come to kill a woman, or so they say. At first the commandos merely threaten as they search. Unable to find what they’re looking for, they begin to ratchet up their measures, separating the men from the women, instigating violent encounters, and eventually staging a coup against the Muljaddy and his Temple. Faced with the task of protecting his quiet town and a woman he might love from the commandos who could want to kill her, Karsman must balance between maintaining his personality and harnessing the personas whose skills he desperately needs.
Quietus—Tristan Palmgren (March 6, Angry Robot)
Niccolucio, a young Florentine Carthusian monk, leads a devout life until the Black Death kills all of his brothers, leaving him alone and filled with doubt. Habidah, an anthropologist from another universe racked by plague, is overwhelmed by the suffering. Unable to maintain her observer neutrality, she saves Niccolucio from the brink of death. Habidah discovers that neither her home’s plague nor her assignment on Niccolucio’s world are as she’s been led to believe. Suddenly the pair are drawn into a worlds-spanning conspiracy to topple an empire larger than the human imagination can contain.
Pacifica—Kristen Simmons (March 6, Tor Teen)
Young adult. Blue skies. Green grass. Clear ocean water. An island paradise like the ones that existed before the Melt. A lucky five hundred lottery winners will be the first to go, the first to leave their polluted, dilapidated homes behind and start a new life. It sounds perfect. Like a dream. The only problem? Marin Carey spent her childhood on those seas and knows there’s no island paradise out there. She’s corsario royalty, a pirate like her father and his father before him, and she knows a con when she sees one. So where are the First Five Hundred really going?
A Call to Vengeance (Manticore Ascendant #3)—David Weber, Timothy Zahn, Thomas Pope (March 6, Baen Books)
After the disastrous attack on the Manticoran home system by forces unknown, the Royal Manticoran Navy stands on the brink of collapse. A shadowy enemy with the resources to hurl warships across hundreds of light years seeks to conquer the Star Kingdom, while forces from within Manticore’s own government seek to discredit and weaken the Navy for their own political gain. It’s up to officers like Travis Long and Lisa Donnelly to defend the Star Kingdom and the Royal Manticoran Navy from these threats. The situation becomes even more dire when fresh tragedy strikes the Star Kingdom. While the House of Winton faces their enemies at home, Travis, Lisa, and the other officers of the Royal Manticoran Navy must reunite with old friends and join new allies to hunt down and eliminate the forces arrayed against them in a galaxy-spanning conspiracy.
WEEK TWO
Dayfall—Michael David Ares (March 13, Tor Books)
In the near future, patches of the northern hemisphere have been shrouded in years of darkness from a nuclear winter, and the water level has risen in the North Atlantic. The island of Manhattan, now ringed by a large seawall, is dark and isolated, and crime and thrives in the never-ending shadows of the once great city. When the sun finally begins to reappear, everything gets worse. A serial killer cuts a bloody swath across the city during the initial periods of daylight, and the Manhattan police, riddled with corruption and apathy, are at a loss. That’s when the mayor recruits Jon Phillips, a small-town Pennsylvania cop who single-handedly stopped a high-profile serial killer in his own area. When he realizes that he was chosen for reasons other than what he was told, Jon is forced to go on the run in the dark streets—and in the maze of the underground. Can he can save his own life, the woman of his dreams, and maybe even the whole city before the arrival of dayfall?
The Last Beginning—Lauren James (March 13, Sky Pony Press)
Young adult. Sixteen years ago, after a scandal that rocked the world, teenagers Katherine and Matthew vanished without a trace. Now Clove Sutcliffe is determined to find her long lost relatives. But where do you start looking for a couple who seem to have been reincarnated at every key moment in history? Who were Kate and Matt? Why were they born again and again? And who is the mysterious Ella, who keeps appearing at every turn in Clove’s investigation? For Clove, there is a mystery to solve in the past and a love to find in the future, and failure could cost the world everything.
Obsidio (Illuminae Files #3)—Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff (March 13, Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Young adult. Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion? Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha’s past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heros will fall, and hearts will be broken.
Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach—Kelly Robson (March 13, Tor.com Publishing)
Discover a shifting history of adventure as humanity clashes over whether to repair their ruined planet or luxuriate in a less tainted past. In 2267, Earth has just begun to recover from worldwide ecological disasters. Minh is part of the generation that first moved back up to the surface of the Earth from the underground hells, to reclaim humanity’s ancestral habitat. She’s spent her entire life restoring river ecosystems, but lately the kind of long-term restoration projects Minh works on have been stalled due to the invention of time travel. When she gets the opportunity take a team to 2000 BC to survey the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, she jumps at the chance to uncover the secrets of the shadowy think tank that controls time travel technology.
The Feed—Nick Clark Windo (March 13, Willam Morrow)
The Feed is accessible everywhere, by everyone, at any time. Every interaction, every emotion, every image can be shared through it; it is the essential tool everyone relies on to know and understand the thoughts and feelings of partners, parents, friends, children, colleagues, bosses, employees … in fact, of anyone and everyone else in the world. Tom and Kate use the Feed, but Tom has resisted its addiction, which makes him suspect to his family. After all, his father created it. But that opposition to constant connection serves Tom and Kate well when the Feed collapses after a horrific tragedy. The Feed’s collapse, taking modern society with it, leaves people scavenging to survive. And while the collapse has demolished the trappings of the modern world, it has also eroded trust. Tom and Kate have managed to protect themselves and their family. But then their six-year-old daughter, Bea, goes missing. Who has taken her? How do you begin to look for someone in a world without technology? And what happens when you can no longer even be certain that the people you love are really who they claim to be?
WEEK THREE
No new titles.
WEEK FOUR
Origamy—Rachel Armstrong (March 26, NewCon Press)
High concept science fiction adventure written by maverick scientist Rachel Armstong (currently a professor at Newcastle university), featuring Mobius, a member of an extended family circus troupe that has the ability to travel through spacetime using a technology that can draw fundamental cosmic threads from the ether. They use this ability to keep the universe in balance and the fabric of firmament healthy, but something is awry. A threat which they barely defeated in ages past is threatening to break through into our universe again, and no one knows if they can stop it a second time…
Bash Bash Revolution—Douglas Lain (March 27, Night Shade Books)
Seventeen-year-old Matthew Munson is ranked thirteenth in the state in Bash Bash Revolution, an outdated video game from 2002 that, in 2017, is still getting tournament play. He’s a high school dropout who still lives at home with his mom, doing little but gaming and moping. That is, until Matthew’s dad turns up again. Jeffrey Munson is a computer geek who’d left home eight years earlier to work on a top secret military project. Jeff has been a sporadic presence in Matthew’s life, and much to his son’s displeasure, insists on bonding over video games. The two start entering local tournaments together, where Jeff shows astonishing aptitude for Bash Bash Revolution in particular. Then, as abruptly as he appeared, Matthew’s father disappears again, just as he was beginning to let Jeff back into his life. The betrayal is life-shattering, and Matthew decides to give chase, in the process discovering the true nature of the government-sponsored artificial intelligence program his father has been involved in. Told as a series of conversations between Matthew and his father’s artificial intelligence program, Bash Bash Revolution is a wildly original novel of apocalypse and revolution, as well as a poignant story of broken family.
Flotsam—R.J. Theodore (March 27, Parvus Press)
Captain Talis just wants to keep her airship crew from starving, and maybe scrape up enough cash for some badly needed repairs. When an anonymous client offers a small fortune to root through a pile of atmospheric wreckage, it seems like an easy payday. The job yields an ancient ring, a forbidden secret, and a host of deadly enemies. Now on the run from cultists with powerful allies, Talis needs to unload the ring as quickly as possible. Her desperate search for a buyer and the fallout from her discovery leads to a planetary battle between a secret society, alien forces, and even the gods themselves. Talis and her crew have just one desperate chance to make things right before their potential big score destroys them all.
Void Black Shadow (Voidwitch #2)—Corey J. White (March 27, Tor.com Publishing)
Mars Xi is a living weapon, a genetically-manipulated psychic supersoldier with a body count in the thousands, and all she wanted was to be left alone. People who get involved with her get hurt, whether by MEPHISTO, by her psychic backlash, or by her acid tongue. It’s not smart to get involved with Mars, but that doesn’t stop some people from trying. The last time MEPHISTO came for Mars they took one of her friends with them. That was a mistake. A force hasn’t been invented that can stop a voidwitch on a rampage, and Mars won’t rest until she’s settled her debts. | {
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After the Sandy Hook massacre, someone stated that if the slaughter of elementary school kids didn’t change our country’s attitude towards guns, nothing would. It was sad observation on the state of our nation, but it was very true.
I didn’t think anything would change anytime soon, but the Parkland kids are determined to make sure this never happens again. Naturally, the NRA is terrified. This time, it’s different. These are young adults within a year or two of being able to vote.
They watched .223 rounds rip their friends and classmates to pieces in front of their eyes, and gun nuts harping on about them being the generation that eats Tide pods is only serving to piss them off some more.
The old NRA crowd is dying out. The elderly white men who hoard guns and demand a safe space for their twisted interpretation of the 2nd Amendment are shuffling off this mortal coil daily. They’re being replaced by generations of kids who have lived through the terror of school shootings, kids who bear the physical and emotional scars of witnessing death in their classrooms.
The Parkland kids aren’t interested in the pedantic ramblings of gun fanatics who say that if you don’t know the difference between a .223 round and a 5.56 round, you have no right to speak on gun violence. It is true that there are other assault rifles chambered for other ammunition types, but the AR-15 and variations of it have been responsible for nearly every mass school shooting in recent history.
I hope Parkland will be the last mass shooting in a school in our lifetimes. The children who survived it likely feel the same.
I own guns. I hate the NRA, and I support the kids from Parkland, and from across the United States who say “never again.”
If gun fanatics keep mocking these young adults, they’re setting the stage for stricter regulations on guns than they could ever imagine. I’m perfectly OK with that.
The times, they are changing.
Comments
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A few days ago, I spoke with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry about the politics of the Iran deal (you can find the full interview here), and at one point in our conversation I put to Kerry what I thought was—to be honest—something of a gimme question: “Do you believe that Iranian leaders sincerely seek the elimination of the Jewish state?”
Kerry responded provocatively—provocatively, that is, if you understand Iranian leaders, and in particular the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the way I understand them: as people theologically committed to the destruction of Israel. Quotes such as this one from Khamenei help lead me to this conclusion: “This barbaric, wolflike, and infanticidal regime of Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated.” The supreme leader does not specialize in nuance. (Here is a long list of statements made by Iranian leaders concerning their desire to bring about an end to Jewish sovereignty in any part of the ancestral Jewish homeland.)
Recommended: The Coddling of the American Mind
Kerry’s stated understanding of the regime’s anti-Semitism is somewhat different from mine. He told me, “I think they have a fundamental ideological confrontation with Israel at this particular moment. Whether or not that translates into active steps, to quote, ‘Wipe it,’ you know …”
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Interview: John Kerry on Israel, Congress, and the Politics of the Nuclear Deal
He paused, and so I filled in the blank: “Wipe it off the map.”
Kerry continued, “I don’t know the answer to that. I haven’t seen anything that says to me—they’ve got 80,000 rockets in Hezbollah pointed at Israel, and any number of choices could have been made. They didn’t make the bomb when they had enough material for 10 to 12. They’ve signed on to an agreement where they say they’ll never try and make one and we have a mechanism in place where we can prove that. So I don’t want to get locked into that debate. I think it’s a waste of time here.”
Story continues
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Kerry’s understanding, in shorthand: Iran is dangerous to Israel at this moment (he repeated the term “at this moment” in his next statement, in fact); Iran has had plenty of opportunity to hurt Israel but has chosen not to; and, finally, the answer to the question concerning the true intentions of Iran’s leaders when it comes to Israel is unknowable, and also irrelevant to the current discussion.
I found many of Kerry’s answers to my other questions convincing, but I was troubled by what I took to be his unwillingness, or inability, to grapple squarely with Iran’s eliminationist desires. The way he and President Barack Obama understand the question of Iranian-state anti-Semitism is crucially important as we move closer to a congressional vote on the nuclear deal negotiated by Kerry and his team.
Proper implementation of the deal—and I’m in the camp of people who believe that the president will probably overcome congressional opposition and see the deal through—is everything. Stringent implementation of the deal could be to Israel’s benefit because the limitations placed on Iran should keep it south of the nuclear threshold for many years. (The Arab states may eventually have a more difficult time than Israel in battling the economically strengthened and hegemonically inclined Iran that will most likely emerge from this deal.)
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Proper implementation does not simply mean the maintenance of a strong inspections regime, as well as zero tolerance for Iranian cheating. Proper implementation requires an eyes-wide-open American commitment to countering Iran’s nefarious terrorist activities across the Middle East, and it means that American leaders must have a properly jaundiced view of their Iranian adversaries, including a properly jaundiced view of their intentions toward Israel. This is why questions concerning the Obama administration’s understanding of the regime’s ideology are so important, and it is why I keep raising the matter with the administration.
“[The supreme leader’s] ideology is steeped with anti-Semitism, and if he could, without catastrophic costs, inflict great harm on Israel, I’m confident that he would.”
Late last week—a few days after the Kerry interview—I attended a by-invitation press conference with Obama in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. (My friend and colleague James Fallows was one of nine other journalists who attended; his report on the meeting can be found here.)
Kerry’s understanding of Iran’s intentions was still on my mind, and so I asked Obama the same question: Does the Iranian leadership seek the elimination of Israel? I had already discussed the nature of Iranian-regime anti-Semitism with Obama in a May interview—a discussion that was by turns reassuring and troubling—and Obama made reference to that conversation in his answer last week.
“Well, we’ve discussed this before, Jeffrey,” the president said. “I take what the supreme leader says seriously. I think his ideology is steeped with anti-Semitism, and if he could, without catastrophic costs, inflict great harm on Israel, I’m confident that he would. But as I said, I think, the last time we spoke, it is possible for leaders or regimes to be cruel, bigoted, twisted in their worldviews and still make rational calculations with respect to their limits and their self-preservation.”
In the May interview, I asked him to help me understand a seemingly contradictory set of ideas he has advanced relating to Iran. I noted that he himself has stated publicly that the regime is infected with an anti-Semitic worldview, and that those who are infected with such a worldview generally do not grapple well with cause-and-effect in international politics and economics, and cannot be counted on to interpret reality correctly. I then asked how he squares these two observations with a third observation he has made: that the regime in Tehran is in many ways capable of behaving according to its rational self-interest, as American politicians understand the notion of rational self-interest.
His answer: “Well, the fact that you are anti-Semitic, or racist, doesn’t preclude you from being interested in survival. It doesn’t preclude you from being rational about the need to keep your economy afloat; it doesn’t preclude you from making strategic decisions about how you stay in power; and so the fact that the supreme leader is anti-Semitic doesn’t mean that this overrides all of his other considerations. You know, if you look at the history of anti-Semitism, Jeff, there were a whole lot of European leaders—and there were deep strains of anti-Semitism in this country—”
Here I interrupted him: “And they make irrational decisions.”
He continued: “They may make irrational decisions with respect to discrimination, with respect to trying to use anti-Semitic rhetoric as an organizing tool. At the margins, where the costs are low, they may pursue policies based on hatred as opposed to self-interest. But the costs here are not low, and what we’ve been very clear [about] to the Iranian regime over the past six years is that we will continue to ratchet up the costs, not simply for their anti-Semitism, but also for whatever expansionist ambitions they may have. That’s what the sanctions represent. That’s what the military option I’ve made clear I preserve represents. And so I think it is not at all contradictory to say that there are deep strains of anti-Semitism in the core regime, but that they also are interested in maintaining power, having some semblance of legitimacy inside their own country, which requires that they get themselves out of what is a deep economic rut that we’ve put them in, and on that basis they are then willing and prepared potentially to strike an agreement on their nuclear program.”
Ending the sovereign Jewish state in the Middle East is a paramount political and theological mission of the Iranian regime.
I made a decision on the spot—later partially regretted—not to deploy the H-bomb just then because I am a) very mindful of Godwin’s Law; b) I don’t believe the Iranian regime is the modern-day equivalent of the Nazi regime, in part because the Nazi regime is without peer; and c) the invocation of Hitler’s name in these matters tends to set teeth too much on edge. In retrospect, though, I should have raised it, because Hitler is the perfect, but not singular, example of a world leader who made decisions that seemed, to his adversaries, deeply irrational except if you understood his desire to wipe out the Jews of Europe as an actual overriding policy goal, a raison d’etre of his rule. Anti-Semitism was not simply an “organizing tool” for him. And if you’re paying attention, you will see that bringing about the end of the sovereign Jewish state in the Middle East is a paramount political and theological mission of the Iranian regime.
And so I was glad that Obama acknowledged the supreme leader’s heartfelt anti-Semitism, and I’m glad that he understands that the supreme leader seeks to do great harm to Israel. I suppose I part with the president’s analysis on the question of exactly how much pain the supreme leader believes Iran should absorb on behalf of this goal. Obama believes the Iranian leadership will check its behavior in order to avoid potentially catastrophic fallout. He may be right, but I would like to see his administration place slightly less faith in the idea of regime rationality.
Obama and Kerry both say they understand Jewish anxiety on this issue. (My position on this is simple: If, in the post-Holocaust world, a group of people express a desire to hurt Jews, it is, for safety’s sake, best to believe them.) When I asked Obama, at the end of last week’s Roosevelt Room discussion, to describe what he is learning about Jewish fears from his recent encounters with Jewish leaders, he answered: “Well, first of all, Jeff, as you know, there is a wide range of views within the Jewish community, so it’s not monolithic.”
At which point I noted that that I myself share most of those opinions.
The president continued, “The polls—if they’re to be trusted—would indicate that a majority of American Jews support the deal, but a sizable minority oppose it. Among the organizations, I think that there are those who are fiercely opposed and there are those who are strongly supportive. And then there are a bunch of folks who are skeptical and anxious and still trying to figure it out.”
He went on, “As I said in the speech, the anxieties of the American Jewish community are entirely understandable. Those are amplified when there appears to be across-the-board opposition inside of Israel, not just within Likud, but among other parties. And some of that is emotional—in a legitimate way. You don’t like dealing with somebody who denies horrible things happening to your people or threatens future horrible things to your people. Some of it is based on legitimate concerns about what an economically stronger Iran could do to further enhance their support of Hezbollah.
But I will say this: When I sit down with a group of Jewish leaders—just as when I sit down with members of Congress, just as when I sit down with policy analysts—I do not hear back credible arguments on the other side. I hear talking points that have been prepared. But if you dig deep into it, the anxieties are real, they’re legitimate, but arguments that would carry the day as to why we wouldn’t do this deal I haven’t heard presented in a way that I think persuades the room, much less persuades me.”
The risks are huge: The Obama administration is mortgaging the future to a regime labeled by the State Department as the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism.
The meeting was ending, and I did not have a chance to follow up with another question that has been nagging at me, which is this: Why does it seem to a growing number of people (I count Chuck Schumer in this group) that an administration professing—honestly, from what I can tell—to understand Jewish anxieties about the consequences of anti-Semitism in the Middle East does not appear to understand that the way some of its advocates outside government are framing the Iran-deal fight—as one between Jewish special interests, on the one hand, and the entire rest of the world, on the other—may empower actual anti-Semites not only in the Middle East, but at home as well?
Again, it seems to me that a plausible case could be made that this deal, as John Kerry has enthusiastically argued, is actually in Israel’s best interests—not only when compared to the alternative, but especially when compared to the alternative—and that the administration can make great hay out of the pro-Israel argument, and counter arguments that blame Israel’s well-meaning supporters in the United States for political difficulties surrounding the deal. I suspect that opponents of the deal in the American Jewish community are wrong in their views, but this does not make them warmongers, in the way Charles Lindbergh once understood Jews to be warmongers.
I know a number of things from my email traffic relating to this issue. The first is that, believe it or not, there are non-Jews who are worried about the Iran deal (more worried than I am, certainly). The second is that Jewish supporters of the Obama administration are beginning to feel scapegoated; the third is that supporters of the deal appear to be as sure of their position as those who supported the Iraq War (yours truly among them) were of theirs.
This last point is particularly interesting to me: The deal negotiated by John Kerry and his team may very well prevent Iran from gaining possession of a nuclear weapon for a very long time—and rejection of the deal now by Congress is unlikely to lead to a good outcome—but the risks here are huge: The administration, and supporters of the deal, are mortgaging the future to a regime labeled by Kerry’s State Department as the foremost state sponsor of terrorism in the world, and a regime that seeks the physical elimination of a fellow member-state of the United Nations and a close ally of the United States as well. Given that there is so much risk and uncertainty in what the United States is doing, it would be useful for the administration to make absolutely clear that it understands the nature of the regime with which it is dealing.
This article was originally published at http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/08/iran-israel-obama-kerry-jews/400895/?UTM_SOURCE=yahoo
Read more from The Atlantic
• That’s Not Funny! | {
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Places you expect to see an iPad: in an Apple store, at a coffee shop, on an airplane, near your home restroom, on a nightstand, in someone's hands, you get the point. Places you don't expect to see an iPad: at an outdoor concert being used as a camera, in Bill Gates' office, inside a jail cell and FREAKING WEDGED TO A CAR BUMPER.
This is insane. A woman in Georgia says she saw an object flying at her car but since she didn't hear anything actually hit her car, she didn't pay any extra attention to it. Until she got home and stepped out of her car. What she found was an iPad so deeply wedged inside her car's bumper that she needed to hammer it out. It's incredible! The iPad became some sort of ninja star but, uh, how the hell did it get there?
The woman, who managed to turn on the iPad, found the owner of the iPad's contact information and returned it to him. Apparently, he had left his iPad on top of his car and drove off, thus creating the flying iPad stuck on her car bumper. Amazing. [ABC 57] | {
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a news conference after the talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Moscow, Russia, December 3, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday he was confident Moscow and Washington can reach a deal in talks this week on the withdrawal of all rebels from the eastern part of the Syrian city of Aleppo.
He told a news conference once the deal was reached, rebels who stay in the besieged eastern part of the city will be treated as terrorists and Russia will support the operation of the Syrian army against them.
“Those armed groups who refuse to leave eastern Aleppo will be considered to be terrorists,” Lavrov said. “We will treat them as such, as terrorists, as extremists and will support a Syrian army operation against those criminal squads.”
Russia and the United States will start talks on the withdrawal in Geneva on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has sent his proposals on routes and timing of the withdrawal, Lavrov said.
“We believe that when the Americans proposed their initiative for militants to leave eastern Aleppo, they realized what steps they and their allies, who have an influence on militants stuck in eastern Aleppo, would have to take.”
He added that a United Nations resolution on a ceasefire would be counterproductive because a ceasefire would allow rebels to regroup. | {
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Until now historians had dismissed the region as a possible site believing that it had been submerged since the ice age. But it is claimed new evidence suggests the waters may have receded in time for the Tartessians to build an urban centre, which was later destroyed in a tsunami. | {
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By Deisy Buitrago and Girish Gupta
CARACAS, July 2 (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro raised the country's minimum wage by half on Sunday to just over $12.50 per month at the black market exchange rate.
But given the currency's fall, the new minimum monthly wage of 97,532 bolivars is effectively down 17 percent in dollar terms since the last increase in May.
The currency's fall -- of 99.7 percent since Maduro was elected president in April 2013 -- has exacerbated a brutal economic crisis that has millions struggling to find or afford food.
A thousand dollars bought in local currency when Maduro was elected would be worth just $3 today.
Maduro's leftist government blames speculators and the opposition for the problems.
"Following the immoral campaign that fixes prices through a false dollar abroad ... we are going to put the handcuffs on ... the whole campaign of speculation," said Maduro on state television, adding that the rise would be effective retroactively from July 1.
The monthly salary is accompanied by a food ticket, the value of which also went up to 153,000 bolivars per month --bringing the total to just over $30 a month at the black market rate.
Maduro often describes the salary increases as a "world record," while critics see it as a stark indicator of economic mismanagement.
Street unrest across the country has left more than 80 people dead in three months. (Writing by Girish Gupta; Editing by Sandra Maler) | {
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Last Sunday, militant members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attacked the Mosul Public Library in northern Iraq. According to a recent report by the Inquisitr, the library contained more than 8,000 manuscripts and artifacts, most of which were rare, old, and had incomparable historical value. Some of the contents of the library were books from the Ottoman Empire, books printed in Iraq’s first publishing house, manuscripts from the 18th century Mamluk Dynasty, and even antiques used and collected by ancient Arabic people.
The library was established in 1921, and since then scholars and community members have poured in decades of painstaking effort to sustain the historic library. In a single weekend, ISIS reduced all of the library’s priceless contents to ashes.
It is not the first time the ISIS has shown its derision for books. Just a few months before their most recent raid, members of the terrorist group reportedly destroyed another collection of manuscripts belonging to a separate library in Mosul.
While ISIS members obliterated philosophy, science, and other academic books — sparing nothing but texts pertaining to teachings of Islam — one jihadist was overheard saying, “These books promote infidelity and call for disobeying Allah so they will be burned.”
UNESCO has found ISIS’ abominable habit of destroying non-Islamic books that come across its path disturbing. In a statement released earlier this month, UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova explained why ISIS fervently campaigns against non-Islamic literature. She’s also issued a denouncement of the terrorist group’s book-burning rampage, describing it as a form of “cultural cleansing.”
“This destruction marks a new phase in the cultural cleansing perpetrated in regions controlled by armed extremists in Iraq. It adds to the systematic destruction of heritage and the persecution of minorities that seeks to wipe out the cultural diversity that is the soul of the Iraqi people,” wrote Bokova.
Bokova added, “Burning books is an attack on the culture, knowledge and memory, as we witnessed in Timbuktu recently, with the burning of the manuscripts at the Ahmed Baba Centre. Such violence is evidence of a fanatical project, targeting both human lives and intellectual creation. UNESCO was created 70 years ago to combat this type of violence, through education, science and culture, using the tools of dialogue and peace. Such destruction is a cruel reminder that the nations of the world must remain united to combat such fanaticism today.”
[Image from LearningLark/Flickr] | {
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New Jersey Regulator Fines bwin $81k for Allowing Self-Excluded Individuals to Gamble
Posted at: 21 March 2019
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement imposed a $81,000 fine on the GVC-owned bwin.party and its partner Borgata Casino Hotel for a breach of the Casino Control Act.
According to a Civil Action Order from March 9th, the two companies allowed individuals, enrolled in self-exclusion programs, to gamble online. The Civil Action Order states that the affected players have lost $41,759.49 as a result of the permission to play online.
Under the New Jersey law, players who have self-excluded themselves from gambling must be denied access to licensed online casinos for the time of the self- exclusion period they have set – a week, month, 3 months, 6 months, a year, etc.
This is not the first financial penalty the NJDGE levies against bwin. Back in 2015, bwin and three land-based New Jersey casinos were fined $33,000 for violating various gambling regulations.
In February 2018, the UKGC hit GVC Holdings with a hefty £350,000 fine for misleading bonus offers.
In a separate ruling from March 2019, Borgata casino was ordered to forfeit $68,000 in winnings collected from players who failed to provide the necessary documentation or were self-excluded/ banned from partaking in gambling activities.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has been on the lookout for operators violating the regulations. As a result, Rush Street Interactive was also imposed a $30,000 penalty for allowing minors to take part in casino games.
At the beginning of March 2019, the Assemblyman Ralph Caputo sponsored legislation establishing legal repercussions for breaking the state’s sports wagering law. The new bill will codify the penalties imposed on operators that accept bets on sporting events prohibited on the territory of the Garden State. The violators will face a fine of up to $20,000 and a betting license suspension.
Caputo’s bill cleared the Assembly Panel and headed to the Speaker for further consideration. | {
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The much anticipated outdoor Winter Classic match-up between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings is just under three weeks away and the NHL is busy preparing for the marquee New Year’s Day event. That includes making the perfect sheet of ice.
Just seeing the outdoor ice-pad at the Big House makes Tomas Holmstrom feel like a kid again. The retired Red Wing is getting ready for the Winter Classic alumni game - where he'll play along such hockey greats as Steve Yzerman, Mats Sundin and Wendel Clark.
“Sundin is probably going to skate around out there,” says Holmstrom. “I'm going to have to stop eating, get back in shape, and work on my game."
However, the main event at Michigan Stadium featuring the current Leafs and Wings is just a few weeks away. Now the NHL must convert a football stadium into a larger than life arena.
With all eyes on the stadium- the transition is now underway.
dan craig: "Everybody thinks you can just go out there, put down water, and then we're all good,” says , Dan Craig, NHL Sr. director of facility operations. “If you and I are going for public skating that'd be great, but we have guys making millions of millions of dollars."
Unlike many indoor arenas, it doesn't happen overnight. To make it all possible, a truck arrived in Ann Arbor Friday hauling the world's largest mobile refrigeration unit. The Canadian made and operated ice truck filters 1,400 gal of water onto the eventual playing surface every minute. Operators use state-of-the-art monitoring equipment to make an NHL calibre sheet of ice.
Don Renzulli, Sr. vice president of events for the NHL says it takes about five days to build a good sheet of ice, depending on what Mother Nature throws at you.
"Pittsburgh had rain, and Philly we had nothing but sunshine, so we've kind of gone through all sorts of weather contingencies," says Renzulli.
The real challenge will be in four weeks when the ice truck pulls out of Ann Arbor for its next outdoor game in sunny California. | {
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Transgender Awareness Week occurs during the beginning of November, traditionally culminating in the Transgender Day of Remembrance. This period serves to amplify the achievements of the trans community, as well as illuminate its struggles. The Transgender Day of Remembrance honors the victims of hate crimes, suicide, murder and countless other violences trans folks face daily.
2015 has not been kind to the trans community. Trans celebrities receive awards and accolades, yet 79 trans-identified folks have been murdered this year. Many of them are women of color. Many were killed by people they knew, people they trusted.
Historically, the complexities of the trans community have been overlooked, its activism whitewashed or erased or ignored completely. Hollywood continues to cast cisgender actors in trans roles, reaffirming these revisionist attitudes. Subconscious, thoughtless or intentional, this is insidious. Erasing the experiences of a community—the good and the bad—erases the community altogether.
Every story is, of course, different, though the American media prizes a certain, clean-cut narrative of triumph over adversity. Trans is an umbrella term; it encompasses a variety of gender identities, a million stories.
I hope something here inspires you to reaffirm your commitment to making this planet safe and welcoming and kind and generous, or shows you that you are not alone. Or both.
We remember. We remain.
I mentioned that as a kid, people used to ask if I was a boy or a girl, and that these days the wording has changed. Usually today the question is more often “Are you trans?” Even though my attitude has changed about this, now if someone asks me that I say yes—as a female-bodied person far on the masculine end of the gender spectrum, the term completely fits me; after all, trans refers to a whole complicated spectrum rather than a binary. But this is often a tricky conversation—the moment I say “trans” to someone, they assume I’m planning for hormones and surgery. Actually, I’m happy just the way I am.
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy created a flourishing grassroots support system for trans youth, as well as organizations to help trans women recently released from prison and victims of AIDS. Now in her 70s, she reflects on the Stonewall uprising, staying true to her identity amidst violence, and her hopes for the future of the trans community.
“You can transition, or you can serve.” Through a bureaucratic snafu, Petty Officer Wilson was able to serve in Afghanistan under his preferred pronouns, presenting as male. But when a transfer came up, his past came to light and he was honorably discharged. (The ban on transgender soldiers serving openly in the armed forces may expire in May 2016.)
When the delusions of trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs) are granted credibility, the transgender community is degraded.
To speak for myself, I don’t experience making games as an expression of mastery over a system of code, as a trained programmer might. Instead, it feels like a dialogue or sometimes like a shouting match. I have an idea of what I want to manifest, but getting there requires constant negotiation with an alien structure. This process mirrors the way many trans people talk about our bodies and experiences: wrestling with material conditions to produce something we can work with.
In preparation for his top surgery, Marco Seiferle-Valencia reflects on “how much we can lie to ourselves in the name of protection from our deepest desires.”
There’s no evidence, anecdotal or otherwise, that trans women harass innocent cisgender bathroom-users. Instead, trans folks are far more likely to experience harassment– from verbal abuse to outright violence–at the hands of cisgender people.
At Guernica, Shanoor Seervai interviews Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, an activist who identifies as hijra, meaning “third gender.”
When somebody asks me, “Who are you?” I tell them, “I am the oldest ethnic transgender community in the world, which has its own culture and own religious beliefs.” And we are in four countries in South Asia: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Terai region of Nepal.
Other awesome projects: | {
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My statement and media talk outside session court in Lahore https://t.co/7E21xX7ViH #FaceTheCourtMeeshaShafi pic.twitter.com/5YqfV1ILH6 — Ali Zafar (@AliZafarsays) April 27, 2019
Ali Zafar on Saturday interacted with the media for the first time since he filed a defamation case against Meesha Shafi for accusing him of sexual harassment on social media.Taking to Twitter, the actor summarised his talk with the media in a statement. "Meesha Shafi's case against me has been dismissed alongside the appeal made against the dismissal. The case in the court is my case against her to pay for damages that her false statement has caused me which naturally she's trying to run from."He continued, "I have also filed a case against all the fake and other accounts being used to run a campaign against me on social media.""I am truthful and those who are honest appear without being called. I wasn't asked to come today but I'm still here," said the singer while speaking to the media after his court appearance.
"There was a social media campaign against me," the singer said. "Meesha's lawyer has been following and retweeting fake accounts. We've filed a case against this as well with the FIA since it comes under cyber crime and cyber bullying."
"I can't believe that anyone can come forward and accuse someone who's innocent and decent, has worked hard for over two decades - solely on social media. Those who accused me levelled the allegations for personal gains and then went to Canada. The truth is that I was targeted for personal gains. I don't know whether by doing this she wanted to become another Malala and get fame abroad," he stated.
He then commented, "Malala is a true warrior who stands for truth and justice having made great sacrifices. Meesha cannot become her by lying and running away from justice hiding behind fake profiles on social media."
#Malala is a true warrior who stands for truth and justice having made great sacrifices. Meesha cannot become her by lying and running away from justice hiding behind fake profiles on social media. #FaceTheCourtMeeshaShafi — Ali Zafar (@AliZafarsays) April 27, 2019
The singer added that he filed a contempt case against Shafi a year ago. "It is important to mention that Meesha's case was dismissed as was her appeal. The case that's ongoing is my case of compensation, it has been a year and our witnesses have appeared eight times."
"The case should be decided fast so my truth and their lie can be revealed," he said.
Previously, Meesha had filed a complaint to the governor of Punjab against the Teefa In Trouble actor, under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010. The complaint was dismissed.
In an earlier hearing of the defamation case, the LHC had given the petitioners and respondents three months to bring the case to a close.Watch his full statement here:Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below. | {
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Posted 02 March 2016 - 12:01 PM
Demand is low for this, I know, but I would love to hear a Nova Cat inspired piece. I'd almost imagine it drum heavy, almost Tool-like. Stoner-rock meets tribalism.
El Bandito, on 02 March 2016 - 01:51 AM, said:
Those who post MWO videos would definitely appreciate some Mechwarrior style music.
(Kanajashi included)
Nooo kidding. Would be nice as an intro song, and there are a couple Nova Cats around.
Edited by Pariah Devalis, 02 March 2016 - 12:02 PM. | {
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A popular line among Washington reporters is that covering the Trump White House is like trying to drink water from a gushing fire hose. The volume overwhelms the effort.
Recent days illustrate the point and underscore the even greater difficulty of assessing the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency. So much is happening so fast that it’s impossible to make sense of what it all means for America.
Last week featured the president leading a televised discussion with bipartisan members of congress on gun legislation, his market-rattling announcement on tariffs and reports about whether Trump will agree to an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller. Those and other big-ticket items were mashed up with tweetstorms and breathless reports about who on his team is up, who’s down and who’s out.
For people outside Washington, the task of separating the wheat from the chaff is made more difficult by extreme media bias. Virtually everything Trump says and does is presented through the darkest possible lens almost everywhere.
Consider how he was accused of being too bellicose in reacting to North Korean threats to bomb the United States, then accused by some of the same people of not being bellicose enough after Vladimir Putin’s boasts about Russia’s nukes.
Then there’s CNN, which invited Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to compare recent events to Richard Nixon’s final days. Nothing subtle there.
From networks to newspapers, rumor and speculation are dressed up as authoritative by citing “sources close to the president.” This is compelling only if you forget how many times anonymous sources were wrong.
Of course, the fever pitch is alive on both sides of the street, with many Trump supporters still believing, as one said recently, that “he can do no wrong.”
The love vs. hate for Trump reminds me of a cynic’s view of the law of averages: If one foot is in ice water and the other is in scalding water, your feet are, on average, comfortable!
None of this is to suggest there is nothing unique about Donald Trump’s presidency. On the contrary, almost everything about it is unique.
That’s precisely why it is so difficult to be certain about the meaning of so many events. He continues to take the ship of state into uncharted waters and that alone explains much of the hair-on-fire reaction.
For example, Trump three times put on a public master class in presidential leadership. He did it with members of both parties on immigration several weeks ago, then at a meeting with governors and last week with members of congress on gun control. The president is supremely comfortable in front of the camera and those sessions allow him to talk over the heads of the Washington media and directly to people in their living rooms and offices, much as he did during the campaign.
In all three cases, Trump showed himself knowledgeable and flexible as he tried to find common ground on vexing subjects. Many ardent Democrats especially were wowed by his eagerness to accuse fellow Republicans of being afraid of the NRA.
I believe Trump was wrong on that point, and that most GOP supporters of gun rights believe the Second Amendment means what it says, and that they are representing their constituents.
Still, there is no denying that Trump broke with his party’s recent record by showing a willingness to meet Dems more than half way on gun and immigration issues.
His CEO style at those events reflects one of the initial hopes for a Trump presidency — that he could break the logjams in Washington because he is not of Washington, and is not beholden to anybody’s orthodoxy.
Yet it remains to be seen whether the approach will yield results. Can Trump bring along enough Republicans, or will he further divide the GOP?
And do Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi really want to make deals on guns and immigration, or would they rather keep moving the goal posts because they want to claim in the midterms that Trump can’t govern?
All things considered, then, here is my current guide to those who want to see Trump succeed but are perplexed by events: Keep your eye on the big picture and begin each day with optimism because betting against him has been a loser.
While no president in modern history has faced such media assaults and entrenched opposition, including from some in the FBI, Trump has work horse stamina and warrior determination to succeed.
His policies are mostly the right ones and his tax changes and regulatory reforms will spur growth and create opportunities for millions of Americans.
I also believe Democrats are more divided and in a deeper hole than they want to admit. Pelosi’s absurd characterization of tax cuts and bonuses for working families as “crumbs” will not be forgotten by voters and could help the GOP hold the House.
Yet I’m not without concern.
Trump’s habit of shooting himself in the foot — why does he diminish himself by attacking Alec Baldwin? — provokes the worry that some voters who like his policies will get tired of the personal pettiness and give up on him.
I also worry that feuds with some Republicans could lead to policy defeats. And I fear that Trump’s habit of beating on his aides in public — even when he’s right, as he is about Attorney General Jeff Sessions — could cost him the services of John Kelly, his chief of staff.
While Kelly has not been mistake-free, he is the team’s MVP because he provides a stable foundation on which Trump and his administration can depend.
My conclusion: Unless Mueller produces clear evidence of wrongdoing, Trump’s policies will produce enough progress that he will finish this term strongly and have a good chance of winning again in 2020.
Farewell to Billy Graham
Count yourself lucky if you were able to watch the moving funeral of the Rev. Billy Graham . I didn’t plan on watching but when Fox offered complete coverage, I thought I would catch a few minutes. I was hooked and stayed until the tearful end.
It was a glorious event befitting “America’s pastor,” with Graham’s sister and children telling powerful stories. Taking place in a tent near his North Carolina library, it was a gospel revival all its own.
‘Bucks’ for Texas pols
Headline: Deer semen donations are fueling Texas political campaign.
This is why they say “don’t mess with Texas.”
Blas schooled
The decision by Mayor de Blasio’s choice for school chancellor to stay in Miami is embarrassing but could be an opportunity. The most important question is not who; it’s what.
What does the mayor want schools to achieve in his second term? So far, he has not articulated a vision that would fix a system where there is too little excellence and too much mediocrity and failure.
Without a vision for true success, no successor to incumbent Carmen Fariña will make much difference in the lives of 1.1 million students. | {
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Αν και ο Αιγύπτιος επιθετικός είναι στην Αθήνα από χθες και έκανε και τις ιατρικές εξετάσεις μέχρι τώρα δεν έχει υπογράψει το νέο του συμβόλαιο
Την στιγμή που η μεταγραφή του Ντανιέλ Ποντένσε στη Γουλβς τουλάχιστον μέχρι αυτή την στιγμή έχει χαλάσει, σύμφωνα με όσα μετέφερε στον «αέρα» του ΣΠΟΡ FM 94,6 ο Κώστας Νικολακόπουλος πάγωσε και του Αχμέντ Χασάν στον Ολυμπιακό.
Αν και ο Αιγύπτιος επιθετικός είναι στην Αθήνα από χθες και έκανε και τις ιατρικές εξετάσεις μέχρι τώρα δεν έχει υπογράψει το νέο του συμβόλαιο με τους ερυθρόλευκους αν και κάτι τέτοιο βάσει των πληροφοριών αναμενόταν να έχει συμβεί ήδη.
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It’s hard to believe that it has been over a year already since Matt and I got engaged. It felt like we had so much time to plan the wedding and somehow, suddenly, it’s only 9 weeks away! We are doing pretty well planning-wise. We were able to get the big things nailed down back in March, while we were in Vermont, like the catering and the tent. The rest of it we have been able to work on from here, like the wedding website, “Save the Date” cards, invitations, having rings made and getting Matt’s suit ordered, etc.. All the while, I have been slowly working on my wedding dress and recently completed my second “wearable” muslin!
I already did a regular muslin, out of actual muslin fabric, without seam finishes, sleeves, etc. and determined what adjustments to the pattern I wanted to make. Since I want my wedding dress to fit especially well and the actual fabric wasn’t exactly cheap, I wanted to make the dress all the way through, with my adjustments, to get a better idea of the fit. I also wanted to see how it was finished and make sure it wasn’t going to be too hard for me.
The pattern said “intermediate”, so I was a bit nervous that it would be outside my skill level. There were some things I hadn’t done before, like french seams, but those turned out to be a cinch. Sewing the yoke to the sweetheart neckline was a bit challenging, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t do.
When I got to the part where you attach the front and back bias binding (to the inside of the dress, to cover the raw edges), I found the directions a bit hard to understand. So I just did it the way I’ve done it for all the oven mitts I’ve made and it worked great! It was a real confidence booster that I just knew how to do it. See, I have learned some things in the past couple of years!
The instructions have you do french seams at the shoulders if using “a delicate or mesh fabric”. This was my first time doing french seams and I thought they were going to be a lot harder and/or confusing to do then they were. It was a piece of cake, worked great and looks good with the black lace.
I have the exact same lace, but in white, for my wedding dress. It’s not very fancy lace or anything. In fact, it was from Joann’s and was super cheap, so I was worried about it being scratchy against my skin, but it’s totally not. Between the french seams and the front and back bias binding (which I did in the rayon), there is no scratch factor at all!
I had originally thought the cap sleeves would be more form-fitting around the shoulders than they turned out to be. I’m sure I could make adjustments to make them fit that way, but I like how they ruffle a bit, so I think I’ll just keep it how it is.
This was my first time making a wearable muslin. I usually just do a traditional muslin just to get a rough fit, make my adjustments to the pattern and then go straight to working on the actual garment. So I am really pleased with just how wearable this muslin is. I wasn’t expecting that. In fact, I have already worn it twice! I wore it once on my birthday and once out dancing. It is the perfect dancing dress as it swishes and twirls in all the right ways!
It was a stashbuster too and was from the sale/remnant table at Pacific Fabrics, so it was cheap to begin with. The print is kind of crazy, but I love rayon (it is easy to work with and so comfy), so I had to grab this one. I knew I could find something to do with it! I think it was meant for this pattern, as I had just enough fabric. Plus, I think the black lace yoke cuts down the loudness of the print a bit.
Matt keeps calling this my “practice dress” and I have started calling it that too, because it was great practice and I learned a lot from doing it. I now know I love this pattern and the way it is finished and that it is within my skill level. Now I just have to make it all over again in white!
It still feels a wee bit big in the bodice but, since there are no side bust darts, altering that will be easy. The pattern has you try on the dress before you install the zipper, so you can make any last minute adjustments to the fit then. I already have plans for a friend to come over and help me do a final fitting at that point.
So take a good look at this dress. Now picture it in white lace and silk. Hold on to that thought, because you are not going to see this dress in full until after the wedding! I may do some progress updates and show some detail shots, but I have to keep something a surprise, don’t I? | {
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(CNN) Oklahoma legislators approved a measure including a $6,100 pay raise for teachers, but the state teacher's union says the bill doesn't go far enough and plans to walk out Monday.
House Bill 1010XX, which was described as "the largest teacher pay raise in the history of the state" passed both the state House and Senate this week. Gov. Mary Fallin signed the bill on Thursday.
"This is a very historic moment in Oklahoma's time," Fallin said of funding measures that included the pay boost. "It was not easy getting here."
For weeks, Oklahoma teachers have been considering a walkout over what they say is their breaking point over pay and education funding. The state ranks 49th in the nation in teacher salaries, according to the National Education Association , in a list that includes Washington, D.C. Mississippi and South Dakota rank lower.
Inspired by the West Virginia strike in which teachers demanded and got a pay raise from state leaders earlier this month, similar efforts have taken off in Oklahoma and Arizona.
The Oklahoma Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union that represents nearly 40,000 members and school personnel, called the passage of the bill "a truly historic moment," but one that remains "incomplete," according to its president, Alicia Priest.
Teachers and school staff will walk off their jobs on Monday and descend on the state Capitol, she said in video comments posted on Facebook.
Oklahoma City Public Schools said all classes and activities are canceled for that day because of the walkout.
"While this is major progress, this investment alone will not undo a decade of neglect," Priest said. "Lawmakers have left funding on the table that could be used immediately to help Oklahoma students."
"This package doesn't overcome shortfall caused by four-day weeks, overcrowded classrooms that deprive kids of the one-on-one attention they need. It's not enough," Priest said. "We must continue to push for more annual funding for our schools to reduce class size and restore more of the 28% of funds they cut from education over the last decade."
The OEA had also called for $10,000 pay raises for teachers over the next three years and $5,000 pay raises for full-time support professionals such as custodians, secretaries, bus drivers and food service workers.
"We asked for $10,000 over three years. This gets us part of the way there, and so we need to have the Legislature guarantee that we are still working to get to that," Priest had told CNN affiliate KFOR
Arizona teachers: 'I don't want to strike, but I will.'
In Arizona, thousands of teachers and supporters wearing red swarmed the state Capitol on Wednesday, calling for higher pay and better education funding under what they called #REDforED
The color red was meant to convey their frustration, which they say has reached a crisis level. Teachers have been wearing red shirts every Wednesday and encouraging supporters to do the same, according to the Arizona Education Association, which has 20,000 members who are teachers, counselors, bus drivers and retired educators.
Educators wore stickers reading: "I don't want to strike, but I will." The rally drew about 2,500 people, the Arizona Department of Public Safety told CNN affiliate KNXV.
Arizona Educators United , a coalition of educators, demands a 20% salary increase for teachers, competitive pay for all education support professionals, as well as education funding restored to 2008 levels.
"Our classrooms go without updated textbooks, basic supplies, and technology. We have among the highest class sizes and school counselor loads in the nation, making it difficult to meet the individual needs of our students," the group stated
Arizona ranks 43rd in the nation in teacher salaries, according to the National Education Association.
Teachers say they are overworked and underpaid. They want better pay and are encouraging each other to organize via social media. They're hoping their very public display of frustration will pressure state leaders, such as Gov. Doug Ducey.
State Sen. John Kavanagh, the Appropriations Committee chairman, told KNXV that tax increases to pay for K-12 education are off the table, as voters have opposed the idea in the past. | {
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Why President? How The U.S. Named Its Leader
Enlarge this image toggle caption Library of Congress Library of Congress
The Presidents Day holiday got us wondering: Why do we call the leader of our country "president?"
When the founders were writing the Constitution in the 1780s, they had no idea what to call the executive officer. King? Absolutely not. They wanted something that sounded impressive but not all-powerful.
Enter the word "president." It was floating around at the time, but its uses weren't too lofty.
"It comes from 'praesidere,' which literally means 'to sit before,' " says linguist Ben Zimmer, executive editor of Vocabulary.com. "It referred to an officer who would sit before a gathering and would serve as the presiding officer."
At the time, the word was generally used kind of like chairman or foreman, although it was used somewhat in more institutional contexts.
"For instance, the head of a college or university. Oxford and Cambridge had presidents all the way back in the 15th century," Zimmer says. "It was also occasionally used for the heads of colonies, going back to Virginia in 1608. They had a president."
In 1774, the presiding officer of the Continental Congress was also called "president," but it was very much a ceremonial title. So Article Two of the Constitution gave the word "president" a whole new meaning.
"They were charting new terrain here," Zimmer says. "This title really didn't fit perfectly well."
And once George Washington was elected to fill the role, Congress had a bit of a panic about it.
"In April of 1789, Washington was making his way to New York City to be inaugurated, and Congress started to have this discussion about how are we going to address him once he gets here?" says Kathleen Bartoloni-Tuazon, a historian with the First Federal Congress Project.
The king was "Your Majesty," while governors at the time were addressed as "Your Excellency." What would they call Washington?
"[Washington] had been 'General' and 'Your Excellency' as commander of the Revolutionary forces," Bartoloni-Tuazon says.
President just seemed too plain to the Senate, and they brainstormed a bunch of alternatives.
"Elective majesty, sacred majesty, elective highness, illustrious highness, serene highness," Bartoloni-Tuazon says. "The Senate actually went on record as recommending, 'His Highness, President of the United States and Protector of Their Liberties.' Now that's a mouthful."
On the other side, the House was unanimously against anything but president alone. They were afraid that anything more would make the executive leader into a kind of monarch.
The debate went on for three arduous weeks — the original Congressional deadlock.
"You can even consider this the first dispute between the House and the Senate over constitutional intent," Bartoloni-Tuazon says.
In the end, the Senate relented, writing they wished to preserve harmony with the House.
Bartoloni-Tuazon, author of a book about this debate, For Fear of an Elective King, says the simple title of "president" established the first principles of the executive branch of the American political system.
"Those principles — modesty and a nod to the people — helped the presidency be accepted by the people in that unsettled time," she says.
It also served as a model for countries around the world.
"Other republics, when they were creating new governments and deciding what to call their heads of state, very often followed this model that the Americans had of naming a president," Zimmer says. "In Latin America, for instance, Haiti had its own president to be the head of its Presidential Republic in 1807, and other countries around the world also followed suit."
Today, dozens of countries around the world call their head of state the president. | {
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Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
NASA has ordered up a series of urgent spacewalks to fix a broken cooling line at the International Space Station, a massive repair job that could stretch to Christmas Day.
Station managers decided Tuesday to send two American astronauts out as soon as possible to replace a pump with a bad valve. The task will require two and possibly three spacewalks on Saturday, Monday and next Wednesday — Christmas Day.
"The next week will be busy with spacewalks so not much tweeting from here," NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio said from space via Twitter soon after the decision was announced.
The spacewalks are taking priority over the launch of a supply ship from Virginia. The commercial delivery had been scheduled for this week, but is now delayed until at least mid-January.
U.S.-led spacewalks have been on hold since July, when an Italian astronaut almost drowned because of water that leaked into his helmet.
NASA hopes to wrap up the pump swap in two spacewalks and not have to do a third on Christmas Day. Astronauts have ventured outside of their spaceship on Dec. 25 only once, way back in 1973 during Skylab, America's first space station. Shuttle astronauts finished a series of spacewalks on the Hubble Space Telescope on Christmas Eve 1999.
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Astronaut Rick Mastracchio is preparing to take a walk in space -- or two or three. NASA
Half of the space station's cooling system shut down last Wednesday, forcing the six-man crew to turn off all nonessential equipment, including some science experiments. Because of the valve failure, one of the two cooling lines became too cold.
The cooling system, which runs ammonia through the lines, is critical for dispelling heat generated by on-board equipment.
While the astronauts are safe and comfortable, NASA wants the system back up to full strength, in case of another failure that could leave the orbiting outpost even more vulnerable than it is right now.
Flight controllers tried in vain to fix the valve remotely, then came up with a plan to use another valve to regulate the temperature. Some success was reported, and for a while, engineers thought the space station could limp along with this short-term solution. But on Tuesday, managers opted for spacewalks right now. Spare pumps are on board.
This is the same pump — a bulky 780-pound bundle — that was replaced by spacewalking astronauts in 2010. Three spacewalks were needed then. The lessons learned may enable Mastracchio and astronaut Michael Hopkins to finish the job more quickly.
Mastracchio, a veteran spacewalker, and Hopkins, a first-time space flier, trained for just such a repair before rocketing into orbit. They have been prepping all week, just in case of just such a decision.
"Have not looked out the window in 4 days," Mastracchio said in a tweet. "Too busy building space suits. Where did I put my gloves?"
The investigation into last summer's suit mishap continues; the problem is believed to be linked to a component in the cooling system for the suit. Other suits will be used for the upcoming spacewalks.
Orbital Sciences Corp., meanwhile, will stand down from its planned Thursday night launch of its Cygnus cargo ship from Wallops Island, Va.
Thes pace station crew includes three Russians and one Japanese, aside from the two Americans. An unrelated Russian spacewalk planned for Dec. 27 remains on track.
| {
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'1-strike' pot-test rule for job hopefuls OKd COURTS
An employer can refuse to hire someone who has ever tested positive for marijuana or other drugs, even if the applicant is now clean and sober, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
In a 2-1 decision, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the "one-strike" rule of the Pacific Maritime Association, which controls hiring in the West Coast longshore industry, doesn't discriminate against rehabilitated addicts in violation of disability laws.
The rule "imposes a harsh penalty on applicants who test positive," and may seem unreasonable because many drug and alcohol users recover, the court said. But it said the maritime association had adopted the rule for safety purposes and did not single out former addicts.
A lawyer for a man who lost a chance for a longshore job because he had tested positive for marijuana seven years earlier said she knows of no other employer, including law enforcement and the armed services, that permanently bars applicants because of a single positive drug test.
"This is a very draconian view that impacts potentially thousands of people," said the attorney, Andrea Cook. She said it also contradicts "public policy that says we want to encourage people to get better."
The maritime association's lawyer was unavailable for comment.
Cook's client, Santiago Lopez, was turned down for a longshore job at the Long Beach port in 1997 after he failed a drug test. He underwent treatment and applied again in 2004, but the association refused to consider him because of the earlier test.
His lawsuit relied on federal and state laws that protect rehabilitated addicts from discrimination. But the appeals court, upholding a federal judge's dismissal of the suit, said the association doesn't bar all recovered addicts, only those who were still using drugs when they first applied for a job.
The association adopted the one-strike rule, without objection from the longshore workers' union, because of accidents and injuries that employers partly blamed on "a culture that accepted the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace," Judge Susan Graber wrote in the appeals court's majority opinion.
Lopez could not show that the rule had a disproportionate effect on recovered addicts, Graber said, because he had no evidence of anyone else in that category who had been turned down. Dissenting Judge Harry Pregerson said the court was imposing an unfair burden because employers and recovery organizations keep that information private.
Cook said Lopez, now 36, has graduated from college, is raising a family and is employed, though for less pay than the coveted longshore jobs. She said he may appeal the ruling.
The ruling can be viewed at links.sfgate.com/ZKWX. | {
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Video editing has evolved from a niche market in the computer world to something that computers are simply expected to do. It's a tall order to be everything to everyone. But if any video editing software comes close to that mark, it's Kdenlive—a KDE Applications star. With a strong commitment and a plan for making major improvements, the Kdenlive team is raising money. Please help out if you can.
Kdenlive is KDE's industrial-strength non-linear video editing application. Like the rest of KDE software, Kdenlive is feature-rich, well-integrated with the rest of the user environment. It's flexible, intuitive and a pleasure to use, even if only for YouTube shorts. Our company uses Kdenlive for professional film production and I've written about it for professional editors.
What many people don't realize is that within the filmmaking community, the number of video editing platforms has been sharply reduced. And some of the most game-changing editing applications have drastically changed how video editors have to use those editing applications. Alienated video editing pros are desperately seeking alternatives. Kdenlive is poised to fill the void, and even advance by leaps and bounds.
One thing that makes Kdenlive unique and attractive for many editors is its ability to ingest media without arbitrary restrictions on how the media is brought onto the computer. There's no requirement for a Firewire port or direct media import from an SD card, as there are in many popular proprietary programs. Kdenlive uses a powerful multimedia backend that puts control into the editor's hands where it belongs.
The user interface of Kdenlive is familiar, using a video editing paradigm that has worked for decades. It is an interface that most professional editors see no reason to abandon. Interestingly, this UI not only works for professionals. It's intuitive and works just as well for new and amateur editors who may not need advanced features. It works fine for simple basic edits on personal video projects. Whether or not the user requires advanced features like proxy clips and chroma keys, Kdenlive is an easy entry point to making movies.
Kdenlive sometimes surprises its users with innovative thinking. Well before other popular video applications featured it, Kdenlive used precise color curves (rather than the more traditional color wheels) for its color correction workflow. Those who know color have consistently been amazed by the power provided by this new take on an old process.
In an effort to add even more features and polish to their fine product, the Kdenlive team has started a modest fund-raising campaign. They have a deadline of April 30th and a goal of $4000. With this funding, the Kdenlive team will be able to do full-time development for two months.
Whether you are a professional video editor looking for the perfect platform for your creativity, or a home user wanting to cut video for fun, Kdenlive is an important and exciting project. Even if you're not interested in video editing, Kdenlive's quality benefits all Free and Open Source Software.
Donate now, and be a part of Kdenlive's success! | {
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It’s safe to say Georgia K Rodrigo Blankenship will remember this week for a long time.
After making two of his three field goal attempts and both of his extra points in the Bulldogs’ huge 20-19 road win over Notre Dame on Saturday night, the sophomore kicker revealed more good news to his teammates in the postgame locker room.
Blankenship told his teammates that coach Kirby Smart had called him into his office on Friday to award him a scholarship. As you can see in the video below, Blankenship’s teammates were thrilled to hear that news:
How do you make a great night even better? Here’s how.
Congratulations, Rod.#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/SnUgkngNJj — Georgia Football (@FootballUGA) September 10, 2017
Blankenship made 14 of his 18 field goals while earning Freshman All-America honors last year and is already 3-for-4 this year.
He’s an important part of what the Bulldogs do (as Saturday night’s win proved) and it’s great to see a young man rewarded for his hard work. | {
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The Countrywide bank is seen in Lakewood, Colorado September 11, 2007. REUTERS/Rick Wilking
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Comptroller William Thompson on Friday expanded a class-action law suit filed against Countrywide Financial Corp CFC.N, naming additional company officers and directors, 26 underwriters and two accounting firms.
Thompson, in a statement, said executives of Countrywide Financial, one the biggest U.S. mortgage lenders, “cashed out to the tune of almost $700 million” while borrowers lost homes and the value of investors’ shares fell sharply.
“We will pursue every avenue to ensure that those who defrauded investors are held accountable for their actions,” said Thompson, who helps run the city’s pensions. | {
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Sheriff Arpaio Sends Publicly Funded Deputy To Hawaii On 'Birther' Hunt
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ross D. Franklin/AP Ross D. Franklin/AP
It seems there's not a month that goes by that Maricopa (Ariz.) County Sheriff Joe Arpaio isn't involved in one controversy or another.
As we've reported, Arpaio is already facing a federal civil rights lawsuit.
But now there's news that Arpaio is using public money on his quest to investigate President Obama's birth certificate. Both the Arizona Republic and Honolulu Star Advertiser report that Arpaio sent his deputy, Brian Mackiewcz, to Hawaii in part because of what Arpaio said were "security issues," related to the investigation.
The Republic reports:
"'It's one deputy, so what? We have security issues, too, that I can't got into,' Arpaio said on Friday. 'For six months we were not spending any money. When you're doing investigations sometimes things change, you put more resources into it.'" ... "The detective assigned to the Obama investigation works in the sheriff's threats unit, and continues to work on other cases while assisting with the posse's investigation, according to the Sheriff's Office. "'He's not going to make any arrests,' Arpaio said. 'I didn't say we're going to keep using him. We're not going to use him constantly. He's not assigned to it. For this trip I feel it's important to have a deputy there. He's just a liaison to give advice if needed. He's not doing anything. The posse's been doing the research. I'm not going to say what other trips they've been taking but they haven't had a deputy with them.'
The Advertiser reported that two men — one of them Mackiewcz — went to the Hawaii Department of Health requesting verification of Obama's birth certificate. The department already issued that certificate at the president's request. They also released a statement in which the Hawaii health director said she had certified the copy.
In a news conference back in March, Arpaio said he had undertaken the investigation of Obama's residency using donations. At that same press conference, Arpaio presented evidence that the birth certificate was "computer generated forgery."
As we noted at the time, some of the evidence was very flimsy. | {
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When I came into this, I said, "Buddy, there are things here about this guy, once you really kind of get in to him, that are very painful." I don't know that they anticipated it resonating or vibrating on that deeper level with me. I don't know that they fully understood my interpretation of the depth of Lee Russell's pain.
Do you consider it part of your job, in a way, to get people to like Lee, maybe despite themselves? Even in the last couple of weeks we've seen him lose his wife under circumstances that he truly deserves and then spend this spring break episode essentially leering after a teen.
He does, in a very harmless way. I also think in that episode he's also saying, "Gamby, just relax, buddy. Kids will be kids. Maybe if they were given some freedom, maybe they won't turn out like us."
I really don't think it is my job to make people like the antagonist that I play. My allegiance is to three things and three things only: First and foremost, making this fictional character three-dimensional and respecting them as an autonomous human being. Second is to the writer, because words are my Bible. What is it that we are trying to say? What is the writer trying to say? The last thing is protecting my director and giving him many different options that are within this tone and that are within the truth of my interpretation of this character. I am very protective of the people that I play. I don't say the same thing the same way twice. Human beings don't do that.
"I don't know that they fully understood my interpretation of the depth of Lee Russell's pain."
I remember one of the criticisms that I saw a couple of times, from the show's very early days, was that it was a show about two guys trying to bring a powerful black woman down. Looking back, do you think that was fair?
I think those two or three critics that talked about that were pandering to their constituents. In my opinion, they thought that they were, in some way, saving the day. They were looking for a pat on the back, standing up to the insensitive nature of this particular narrative when they had no fucking idea what this story was about.
I just think the people that made those criticisms need to ask themselves, "Would you have felt better about this behavior if it was done to a white woman or a white man?" Who is looking at this through the prism of race? It isn't the filmmaker. It isn't. It's you. I understand it simultaneously because of the times that we are living in. But Belinda Brown, who is imbued with such humanity by Kimberly Hebert Gregory, is really the moral center of this entire story.
This was never a show about two white men against a black woman. This show is about two individuals who are deeply flawed, deeply insecure and are looking to fill that void with the acquisition of power. At the end of the day, the only way that you are going to find peace in this life is to examine your own life and live right. That's where real power comes from.
Are there particular Russell moments that you hold close to your heart?
Oh God. There are so many, buddy. We were talking about the spring break episode before—Russell is getting the lap dance and they've been doing cocaine, and Gamby says, "Hey Lee. Do you want to hang out?" So Lee Russell says, "I am fucking hanging out! Why don't you go hang out!" [laughs] It's all of it. I love it so much.
A part from this season that's stuck with me is Russell loudly playing an Avril Lavigne song to get out of an argument.
Yes! Susan [Park], who plays my wife, she's got to sit there with a straight face. She's so wonderful. You talk about favorite moments, the coming-together breakfast with Susan. That was so extraordinary. I laughed so hard. "Look at us working it the fuck out!"
"This was never a show about two white men against a black woman. This show is about two individuals who are deeply flawed, deeply insecure and are looking to fill that void with the acquisition of power."
It it bittersweet, ending things on your terms but also just having to walk away from a character you love?
I'm going to miss it. I think we're all going to miss it. This is one of the highlights. You look for these moments over the course of your career and not just the acquisition of friends, but the seared memories that were forged over the course of this eight months together.
I don't know. Never say never. You never know if Lee Russell and Gamby might come back. It would have to be something completely different. That would be fun.
You and Danny McBride clearly love working together.
Yes. The big scene from the latest episode? Danny directed that episode and he had such a specific idea for the big fight. This one particular sequence happened when I'm running then he hits me in the locker room and throws me through the window, it's almost one take. The stunt guys were doing this one hit, and it didn't look right. I just said, "Buddy, we've got to go over this hill. We can't go around it. Let's go. Let's get in there. Hit me." We did it. Two times. We went and had a big beer afterwards.
I think a lot of people are going to discover this show in a year or two and feel like idiots.
As Lee Russell would say, "I told you so."
Watch now:
Watch Danny McBride and Walton Goggins Absolutely Ruin All-American Icons | {
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Sherman Tank Graveyard
WWII Sherman Tank Graveyard 70 Meters Deep off the Coast of Ireland: Clip of the Sherman tanks from the shipwreck of the Empire Heritage that lies in 70m depth. The wreck is located off the north coast of Donegal in Ireland and is one of the best deep wreck diving sites in Europe. Shot with a Canon 5D2 and 14mm lens in 2010 using ambient light, one of the most memorable sights to be seen by wreck divers.
Read also: | {
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The US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit has found for the second time that the mastermind of the Prenda Law "porno-trolling" scheme should be made to pay sanctions to a defendant.
In an opinion (PDF) published yesterday, a three-judge panel upholds most, but not all, of the lower court's finding that John Steele, Paul Hansmeier, and Paul Duffy should pay more than $90,000 in sanctions. However, they also sided with Steele on one key issue.
Here's a brief recap of the Lightspeed v. Smith case: in 2012, Prenda Law filed a bizarre anti-hacking lawsuit against Anthony Smith, then served subpoenas to ISPs asking for identifying information of more than 6,600 users, whom they dubbed "co-conspirators." The ISPs did not comply, moved the case to federal court, and fought the subpoena.
In the spring of 2013, Prenda's business began falling apart, following a strongly worded sanction order from US District Judge Otis Wright in California. The firm moved to dismiss Lightspeed v. Smith and other lawsuits around the country. Smith's attorneys demanded legal fees. They won $261,025, and the sanctions were upheld on appeal.
The case went back to district court, where the judge overseeing it found Hansmeier and Steele in contempt, ruling that they had hidden their assets to avoid paying the original sanction. The court tacked on a contempt sanction and another fine for violating discovery rules. The Prenda duo appealed again, resulting in this week's order.
Can’t “Stop Digging”
"When last we considered John Steele and Paul Hansmeier’s challenges to contempt sanctions imposed on them, we gave them some friendly advice: stop digging," wrote Circuit Judge Diane Wood, who authored the unanimous 16-page opinion. "Apparently they did not realize that we meant what we said. Hoping to avoid paying additional sanctions, they dissembled to the district court and engaged in discovery shenanigans."
The appeals court agreed with the lower court judge's finding that Steele had moved his money around to hide it, withdrawing more than $300,000 from a Sabadell bank account just before and after a show-cause hearing. That's more than enough to uphold the lower court's discovery sanction, which amounted to $94,343.51, divided equally between Hansmeier and Steele.
"Both the district court and we are entitled to evaluate Steele’s entire pattern of vexatious and obstructive conduct," wrote Wood. "Viewed in this light, the sanctions amount is easy to justify."
In Wood's view, Steele has nothing more to offer than the "weak argument" that Smith and his lawyers should have found evidence of his obstruction earlier. "This approach has little but chutzpah—a quality that Steele and his compatriots have long demonstrated—going for it," the judge writes.
However, the sanction for contempt of court must be reconsidered. That's because the 7th Circuit agrees with Steele's argument that he should have received due process because the contempt sanction amounts to a criminal punishment.
The contempt sanction was punitive in nature and represents a "flat, unconditional fine," unconnected to compensation needs, Wood writes. All of those factors suggest that the fine of $65,263 seems more like a criminal than a civil punishment.
Of course, that might not get Steele off the hook. The sanction has been vacated, but the district court could re-consider a civil punishment or impose a criminal contempt punishment after offering due process.
Two of the Prenda lawyers are out of the action now for different reasons, so yesterday's opinion only relates to John Steele. Paul Hansmeier can't pursue the appeal since he's in Chapter 7 bankruptcy and recently agreed to suspend his law license. Paul Duffy passed away last year. | {
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The planned transition to a sustainable economy within the European Union could have positive long-term economic effects, according to a global credit agency.
S&P Global Ratings made the findings after a recent investigation on the impact of reducing emissions and the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In its analysis, the agency recognises the EU still has a long way to go before it can reach its goal of becoming the first emissions-neutral continent but also rejects the widespread belief that emission reduction would have a long-term negative impact on economic growth.
READ MORE:
The few existing studies on the correlation between emission and GDP growth estimate that a climate rise of 3ºC - with reference to the pre-industrial era - would be an "ideal" in economic terms.
However, scientists believe that global warming of more than 1.5ºC would already have very negative consequences for life on the planet.
In its report, S&P Global Ratings says these previous models are:
Underestimating the negative impacts climate change would have at that scale, because they only take into account the rise in temperature. This, therefore, leaves out the impact of rain and droughts, biodiversity, or the point of of no return that would incur an escalation of costs to control climate change.
Overstating the cost of reducing emissions, since renewable energy is getting cheaper - sometimes cheaper now than fossil fuels.
In short, the report explains that although lower economic growth does lead to a reduction in emissions, emission reductions do not necessarily lead to a fall in GDP.
It said: "Our research corroborates the EU's view that the move to more sustainable economic growth should boost growth. We test the causality between emissions from EU countries and GDP and shows that while lower GDP can cause less emissions, lower emissions do not cause less growth. "
What the report does not specify is how large-scale climate change will impact the European Union - whatever its efforts - if major pollutant nations such as China, India and the United States do not make drastic efforts themselves.
The following graph shows in the last ten years - after the recovery of the crisis in 2009 - the emission reductions (in 2011, 2014 or 2016) do not correspond to equivalent reductions in GDP growth.
S&P Financial Services LLC
Much to do
At the moment, almost no European country is approaching the emission targets set in the EU's Green Pact for 2030.
The worst countries, so far, on working toward this goal are Malta, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Estonia, Ireland and Poland.
Meanwhile, Spain, Finland, Belgium, France or Italy are recovering lost time with additional measures (yellow on the graph) but at the current rate (blue) they would be far from reaching the objectives of the so-called "Effort Sharing" (ESR) , represented by the black line.
S&P Financial Services LLC
One of the problems, according to the S&P study, is that policymakers are still too shy when it comes to imposing higher prices on carbon emissions - which, they say, is the most effective method to reduce emissions.
Nor are sufficient efforts being made to allocate 1.5% of annual GDP to reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency, it said.
The polluter pays, but not enough
The agency also warns the EU will not be able to achieve its objectives set for 2050 alone, and that it will have to tighten the legislation since much of the effort depends on national governments and the private sector.
It ends by saying that although the bloc could reach net zero emissions by 2050, it must also take care of the carbon that it currently imports.
This would involve applying taxes to imports from its main trading partners and major national polluters.
According to S&P: "This would lead to an increase in prices and therefore harm the purchasing power of consumers. It could also increase tensions and uncertainty in world trade, which leads to less investment." | {
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EDDIE Howe says Emerson Hyndman “deserves this opportunity” after handing the midfielder his first Premier League appearance in almost a year on Saturday.
The USA international, 23, spent the first half of this season on loan at Scottish side Hibernian before being recalled in January.
But he did not return to Cherries' matchday squad until last month’s home defeat against his former club Fulham.
Hyndman was again named among the substitutes for the weekend trip to Southampton and was called into action on 53 minutes when Dan Gosling went down with a calf injury, to make just his second top-flight appearance.
His only other Premier League appearance came at Burnley on the final day of last season.
And boss Howe says the midfielder’s work behind the scenes during the past four months has impressed him.
The Cherries manager told the Daily Echo: “I think Emerson has trained very well.
“I think he deserves this opportunity.
“He’s been consistently performing to a really high level technically in training.
“Emerson is very level-headed. He’s very quiet. He goes about his business in a really good way. He trains well every day.
“I’ve got a lot of time for him as a footballer.
“Obviously he’s had big competition in there this season, as he always has since he’s been here (from 2016).
“But with the injuries there’s an opportunity and I was pleased with him when he came on at Southampton. Not an easy situation to adapt to, but he did very well.”
Hyndman broke into the senior setup at Fulham aged just 18, making 25 Championship appearances before switching to Cherries.
Since then he has made eight appearances in league and cup for Howe’s side as well as spending two loan spells away in Scotland at Rangers and Hibs.
There are just two games remaining for Cherries this season with Tottenham Hotspur visiting Vitality Stadium on Saturday (12.30pm) before a trip to Crystal Palace eight days later.
And with the likes of Charlie Daniels, Simon Francis, Diego Rico and Junior Stanislas all ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, Hyndman is not the only youngster in the mix for game time over the next few weeks.
“I think it’s great from the team’s perspective to see the ages of some of the players we had out there on Saturday,” said Howe.
“Jack Simpson, David Brooks, Emerson, Dominic (Solanke) and Chris Mepham are all very young.
“We are bedding some really young, talented players into the Premier League, which is incredibly difficult to do en masse, with everyone together.
“We’re missing a lot of our experienced players that would be showing them the ropes and how to play within the team, so they’re in at the deep end but they’re doing very well.” | {
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Anti-Austerity Alliance is planning to put forward a candidate in almost every constituency in the next general election.
TDs Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy today launched an appeal to people to join the party and form a real left alternative in this country.
Both ruled out aligning with Sinn Fein claiming they would not agree to a genuinely left programme.
Ms Coppinger said: “We are appealing to people to come on board. People talk about unity of the left. The existing left is quite small.
“We have been talking to people. Even if we joined together with People Before Profit and a small number of other left TDs, you are talking about a dozen TDs in the Dail.
“We have to grow the left. This is the biggest anti-austerity alliance we have seen in years.”
People who want to join the AAA will have to pay €10 if they are working but only €5 if they are out of work.
Ms Coppinger said people who have been out campaigning against the imposition of water charges and austerity need to now challenge Government TDs in the next election
Cllr Mick Barry said 200 people joined the AAA after the protest on Saturday in Dublin’s city centre.
He said hundreds have flocked to them since the success of Mr Murphy and Ms Coppinger in recent by-elections.
He said: “We are making an appeal to non-payment to discuss the idea of running non-payment anti-water charges and anti-austerity candidates in the next general election.
(Image: Angela Halpin)
“Together and alongside the Anti-Austerity Alliance and others, we think this could be a major political development encompassing more than the existing left parties and individuals.”
This will be the third party to join the field in the next general election after Lucinda Creighton’s Renua Ireland and Shane Ross and Michael Fitzmaurice’s alliance.
It fielded up to 40 candidates in the local elections in may and was successful in last year’s by-elections.
But it will be new to the next general election and will campaign on an anti-water charge platform and also a repeal of the eight amendment.
Mr Barry said: “The AAA is growing quickly right around the country.
“We can become a major political force which uses the platform of the Dail and Councils to mobilise working class people power on all the key issues.
“The AAA is not just its TDs or Councillors, it is made up of working people who have had enough and want to get involved in fighting back.
“We can be a significant force in the next Dail, as part of a wider challenge flowing from the struggle for non-payment of the water charges.
“While other parties engage in horse trading, we will be clear – the only government we will enter is one that breaks from the logic of austerity and capitalism, which refuses to pay the bankers’ debt and takes immediate emergency action through public investment to tackle unemployment and the housing crisis.” | {
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The Big 12 now has the right to have a championship game.
Commissioner Bob Bowlsby told Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman that seven of nine conferences voted in favor of giving the Big 12 a title game.
The Big 12 only has 10 teams and no divisions, which is why it was previously not permitted to stage a championship game, and now it can without having to expand.
"We ended up with a compromise we can live with," Bowlsby said Wednesday. "We are constantly monitoring the environment. What it does, it keeps us from being forced to expand."
Bowlsby believes a championship game could be worth as much as $30 million in television rights, but there's no guarantee the Big 12 athletic directors will vote a championship game in.
"It is too early to speculate on the impact this will have with our member institutions regarding a football championship game," Bowlsby said in a statement.
The commissioner also noted he's unsure how the top two teams will be determined since the Big 12 doesn't have divisions. Nevertheless, he's happy this came together despite the size of the conference.
"I appreciate that what was acted upon today takes into account our unique 10-team, full round-robin scheduling model," he said. "However, this vote does not automatically mean the Big 12 will implement a football championship game.
"Our membership will continue to analyze its pros and cons, as we now know the requirements should we decide to go down that path." | {
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Lifestyle Photography and Everything You Need to Know About It
Lifestyle is related to everyday trends and lives. Lifestyle refers to the good parts of life and positive moments. Photography in the lifestyle segment is not an easy task as the results have to be inspiring and realistic at the same time. There’s a story in every lifestyle photography with a happy ending in the...
Lifestyle | {
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Bonna Devora Haberman, the founder of Women of the Wall, a group pressing for egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall, has died.
Haberman, a Canadian-born scholar, author and activist who lived in Israel and the United States, died Tuesday of cancer, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Haberman taught at Harvard, Brandeis and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and was the author of “Israeli Feminism Liberating Judaism: Blood and Ink” and “Rereading Israel: The Spirit of the Matter.”
In addition to founding Women of the Wall in 1988, Haberman founded and directed Brandeis University’s Mistabra Institute for Jewish Textual Activism and co-directed, with the Palestinian actor-director Kader Herini, an Israeli-Palestinian community theater project in Jerusalem called YTheater.
She made aliya in 1988, but returned to the U.S. to teach until 2004.
According to a post placed on Haberman’s Facebook page on Tuesday, she died at her Jerusalem home surrounded by family and friends.
She is survived by her husband, Shmuel Browns, and five children.
Haberman was a guest on TLV1's Journeys Podcast on December 11, 2014. Listen to the podcast here:
Your browser does not support the audio element. | {
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Marvel chief Axel Alonso has spoken: Hercules is not bisexual in Marvel’s 616 universe. That time Hercules and Wolverine were in love? Alternate dimension. A uniquely queer dimension where hypermasculine hardbodies could be queer and in a loving, long term relationship.
HERCULES IS STRAIGHT, he shouted from the rooftop of Marvel’s New York office. Our Hercules didn’t abandon Jason and the Argonauts because his boyfriend Hylas died. He just wanted to go to the beach. And Iolaus? Yeah, he loved the guy — but no homo — they were just friends.
HERCULES IS STRAIGHT, he said with a sneer. In our uniquely straight 616 universe, he only pines for women, not Northstar, or Logan, or other male Canadian hotties. I mean, obviously. Don’t be ridiculous. Also, please stop asking about Deadpool. He’s not BI bi — just experimenting.
So Marvel’s Hercules is straight. Well, fine. (She said angrily.) I’m sure many a straight reader is relieved to have reclaimed this good time bro, this goofy bit player from the Bisexual Agenda. Straight Hercules, after all, was the default characterization of Marvel’s interpretation of the classical Greek hero for decades. Years more of Straight Hercules would have gone down without sugar, had Marvel not dangled positive bisexual representation in front of us and then snatched it away like a cruel prank. Had Axel Alonso not felt the need to reassure straight male readers that — no homo guys — there will be no homo in the new Hercules ongoing.
A statement had to be made: HERCULES IS STRAIGHT. Don’t get your hopes up, queer fans. Let no expectations be raised — this one is ours.
But yet, Hercules is ours, Marvel. You and Disney and Kevin Sorbo and starched-up men possessed of the most fragile sense of masculinity, took him from us.
It’s a wonderful thing, being able to look into the past and find yourself represented in ancient tales, and the Western heroic tradition, so often trawled for comic book inspiration, is full of queer and non-binary people, fictional and real.
It’s a wonderful thing, being able to look into the past and find yourself represented in ancient tales, and the Western heroic tradition, so often trawled for comic book inspiration, is full of queer and non-binary people, fictional and real. But you wouldn’t know that, for all the blinding straightness (and for that matter, whiteness) that gets passed down to us through children’s tales, so concerned with modeling a WASPy, straight masculinity.
Classical Hercules, patron god of both virility and young children, strength and hard-earned wisdom, lover of women and men, was an enduring and popular figure. So too has he been a popular subject of modern adaptation, but so often straightwashed: a one-note strong man with family problems and a love of wrestling wild animals.
In Hercules the Legendary Journeys his relationship with Iolaus is strictly platonic. Too racy for the Sunday afternoon crowd, I guess, though Xena and Gabrielle eventually got their kiss.
In Jason and the Argonauts, his lover Hylas still dies and Hercules is still overcome by grief, but there is no homo in this 1953 film, just brotherhood.
In 2014’s Hercules, with Dwayne Johnson, we had a rare non-white Hercules, but still straight, still serially monogamous.
In 2013, Marvel Comics garnered some good press for revealing that firstly, Hercules was bisexual (Hercules: Fall of an Avenger #1) and had been with Northstar, and that secondly, in at least one universe, he was in a long term relationship with Wolverine (X-Treme X-Men).
Do you know how delightful this was? Marvel’s Hercules is a particularly fun and accessible interpretation of the character: adventurer, philanderer, lover, and friend. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente’s The Incredible Hercules (2008-2010), followed by Hercules: Fall of An Avenger and Prince of Power, brought him in from the cold, back into mainline Marvel stories. The series was funny and sweet and action-packed, its Hercules is friend and mentor, trusted comrade and sweetheart, and oh, bisexual. YES.
But two years later, in 2015, Marvel’s Hercules is once again straight. Maybe a bi Hercules would be a harder sell in one of Marvel Studios increasingly paint-by-numbers big screen adaptations. Maybe bi Hercules, like Black Widow, just “wouldn’t sell” in toy form. I can’t quite parse logic of this big announcement; only corporate defensiveness comes through clearly.
As, Marvel and DC, and increasingly Image, compete for “diversity dollars” with their rainbow avatars, hip hop covers, and heavily publicized new LGBTQ and PoC characters, we are blessed with a comics landscape that’s more diverse than ever before — on the surface. The comics industry is still run by the same spandex boys club whose sincerity I can’t help but question. Well, how long will Sam Wilson last as Captain America? How long was Batwoman able to keep up an engagement to her girlfriend before it was overturned by editorial fiat? How many LGBTQ power players are there in comics publishing and distribution? Will Marvel ever hire a black woman for a creative role? I mean, damn. How can I believe in the goodwill of these companies when every good thing eked out from their agenda can be snatched back on a whim? These decisions speak of convenience, not committment.
“You had your time with bi Hercules. Now we want him back.”
Hercules is straight? Hell no he’s not, Marvel, not in your universe or any others. | {
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Students at the University of California, Davis proved you don't need a Bic lighter to desecrate Old Glory -- you just need a majority vote.
The UC Davis Student Senate passed legislation revoking a long-standing rule that required the American flag "stand visibly" at every senate meeting.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN TO FIGHT BACK AND RECLAIM AMERICA! GET TODD'S NEW BOOK!
"It shall not be compulsory for the flag of the United State (sic) of America to be displayed at the ASUCD Senate meetings," the new legislation declares.
Ironically, the author of the anti-American bill is a student who recently became a naturalized citizen.
"The concept of the United States of America and patriotism is different for every individual," Itmar Waksman told the CBS affiliate in Sacramento.
Under the new rules, any senator who wants to display Old Glory must file a petition.
"It will then be at the discretion of the Senate Pro Tempore whether to approve, reject or set the decision to a vote of the Senate," the bill states.
Click here to read the full story on ToddStarnes.com. | {
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David Bailey, CEO of BTC Media, discusses the recent shutdown of BTC-e and its mysterious connection to the MtGox hack which led to the exchange’s demise in 2014. He also introduces Po.et, a revolutionary proof-of-existence blockchain platform. The arrest of Alexander Vinnik and seizure of the BTC-e website by the FBI in late July shed some long-awaited light on the cold case of the 650,000 bitcoins which went missing from MtGox over several years from 2011 to 2013. Upon his arrest, WizSec released a comprehensive report detailing their findings on the matter, and stating that “Vinnik is [their] chief suspect for involvement in the MtGox theft (or the laundering of the proceeds thereof).” [Read more about the developing timeline of the MtGox/BTC-e connection & the lasting regulatory legacy of the hack.] Bailey also talks about BTC Media’s partnership with Po.et, whose proof-of-existence mechanism uses hashing to allow media producers to timestamp and license their content in an unalterable system which will verify and automatically issue digital ownership. Po.et combines this timestamp with metadata about the published content to build an open ledger of media assets which includes information such as the original URL, the word count, the author’s name and the publisher. Po.et also enables split-equity and payments terms for writers whose work is published by BTC Media, as well as different licensing agreements. Other use cases include the re-monetization of old content and individual profile management systems for employees of media outlets. The Po.et platform will ultimately build a digital fingerprint of each author’s history and preserve their portfolio on a blockchain, revolutionizing the way in which digital content is published, leveraged and monetized.
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https://itunes.apple.com//podcast/the-ether-review/id899090462?mt=2
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(Last Updated On: March 3, 2019)
We generally miss our home food whenever we are away from home. And if it’s aboard then we miss the home food like hell. Since, I, being an Indian faced the same problem, when I was in the USA. So, I have discovered some very famous and delicious Indian food restaurants in the USA. Check those out maybe those will help you too:
1) Crispy, Crunchy Vik’s Chaat Corner:
They are proudly serving chaat in the USA for over 25 years. They are certified bay area green business as they use utensils, plates and cups are compostable and biodegradable. They serve everything from potatoes patties topped with chickpeas to pani puri with various chutneys and what I liked the most is chole samosas, pav bhaji and pani puri.
Location: 2390 Fourth St, Berkeley, CA
Tasting Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 11 am to 6 pm
11 am to 6 pm Friday and Saturday: 11 am to 8 pm
11 am to 8 pm Chai & wi-fi: Monday to Friday (2 pm to 6 pm)
Monday to Friday (2 pm to 6 pm) Closed on: 4th July, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas day.
2) Patiala Peg In August 1 Five:
The name of the restaurants is based on the date of commemorating India’s independence from British rule. The bar of the restaurants is featured with Indian inspired cocktails such as turmeric lassi, Patiala peg, the range of 30+ whisky, scotch, gin varietals & more. Traditional dishes with mind blending of international ingredients: brunch means shrimp and grits with Upma while sea bass with wasabi beurre blanc is amazingly delicious.
Location: 524 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA
Tasting Hours:
Brunch: 10:30 am to 2:00 pm (sat-sun)
10:30 am to 2:00 pm (sat-sun) Dinner: 5 pm to 9:30 pm (open until 10:30 pm Fri-sat)
5 pm to 9:30 pm (open until 10:30 pm Fri-sat) Closed on: Monday
3) Modern and Traditional Indian Cuisine In Indeblue:
They always believe in serving the vegan, vegetarian and gluten-friendly menu items that are creative and full of flavors. You can enjoy your evening with an extensive wine, beer and Indian-inspired cocktail. Chef plays with traditional spices to innovate the extremely tasty modern dishes. You can try the exotic dish of the restaurant: spicy chicken and waffles which is my favorite dish.
Location: 205 S 13th St, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Tasting Hours:
Dinner:
Sunday to Thursday: 5:00pm to 10:00pm
5:00pm to 10:00pm Friday to Saturday: 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Lunch:
Monday to Friday: 11:30am to 3:00pm
Brunch:
Saturday to Sunday : 11:00am to 3:00pm
: 11:00am to 3:00pm Happy hours: daily 5:00 pm onwards
4) Creamy Butter Chicken Stuffed Samosa Of Badmaash:
It is a combination of three B’s: Bollywood, butter chicken and Biggie. When you walk into the restaurants you will be moved by the super formal environment with Bollywood movie’s poster on the walls. You can enjoy the vibrant and authentic lip-smacking food while watching the old Hindi movie. You will get the chance to eat the amazing American food with a blend of Indian flavors. The dish which will give you the feel of heaven is spiced lamb burgers, paprika masala fried chicken, chilli cheese naan and chicken tikka poutine, oh god, and I have never felt this taste ever, delicious. Doesn’t matter how much you are full but you can’t skip the ice-cream sandwich crafted from Parle-G.
Location: 418 N, Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, California
Tasting hours:
Sunday to Wednesday: 12 pm to 10 pm
12 pm to 10 pm Thursday to Saturday: 12 pm to 11 pm
5) Grilled Shrimp Of Jewel Of India:
They always strive to bring quality and healthy food. Enjoy the best of India: gourmet north Indian cuisine and south Indian flavor. Palak chat and lamb chops worth to taste. Even you can also taste the Indochinese menu. The place is a true gem. Vegetarian will get the first class services as they will find dozen of vegetarian meals.
Location: New Hampshire Ave, silver spring, USA.
Tasting Hours:
Lunch buffet: 11:30 pm to 3:00 pm (daily)
Dinner:
Sunday to Thursday: 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
5:00 pm to 10:00 pm Friday to Saturday: 5:00 pm to 10:30pm
6) Dairy-Free Food Of Biju’s Little Curry Shop:
Fresh, hearty and healthy southern Indian flavored Indian food is what you get in this shop. Dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan food will be served to you in this shop of Denver. You can’t miss tasting the masala beef which is braised with garlic and ginger which will be served with basmati rice. And X-hot vindaloo chicken bowl which includes the pile of fluffy rice topped with chicken cooked with ground ginger and well extra hot spices.
Location: 26th street Denver, Co
Tasting Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 11 am to 8 pm
11 am to 8 pm Friday to Saturday: 11 am to 9 pm
11 am to 9 pm Sunday: 12 pm to 8 pm
7) Explosion Of Flavors In Paper Dosa:
Owner focus is to bring fresh, seasonal and authentic dishes. Santa Fe is the land of green chiles: you will get almost on all the dishes including omelettes, burger and of course on Indian food. Dosa is made of fermented batter stuffed with ingredients like spiced paneer and peas. Not only the dosa but many other delicious southern Indian dishes like uttapam or dahi vada.
Location: 551 W Cordova Rd, Santa Fe, USA
Tasting Hours:
Dinner:
Tuesday to Sunday: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
5:00 pm to 9:00 pm Closed on: Monday
8) The finest In Indian Cuisine, Junoon:
This was built with careful attention to every aspect of serving food, atmosphere and wine selection. The name suggests the passion of the restaurant is to serve the best, healthy, authentic and classic food which will fill your soul with best Indian flavors. Junoon’s wine program recently awarded as the “best of the award of excellence” by wine spectator. Your visit would be incomplete if you wouldn’t taste the house-made paneer with apricot chutney, apples and Brulee figs, which is marvelous.
Location: 27 W 24th St, New York, NY, USA
Tasting Hours:
Lunch: 12:00am to 3:00pm (daily)
Dinner:
Sunday-Thursday: 5:30pm to 10:30pm
5:30pm to 10:30pm Friday to Saturday: 5:30 to 11:30 pm | {
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GOP Rep. Loudermilk: Jesus 'afforded more rights' than Trump Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., said Wednesday that Jesus was treated more fairly than Trump. "When Jesus was falsely accused of treason, Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers," Loudermilk said from the House floor. "During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than Democrats have afforded this president in this process." Loudermilk: 'Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus' than Trump has been given Dec. 18, 2019 01:23 Trump did not go quite so far in his comparisons regarding the impeachment process, saying in a letter to Pelosi on Tuesday that he was being afforded less due process than those accused of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials. Later during the floor debate, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted a response to Loudermilk, referring to Romans 1:25, which reads: "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen." Share this -
'Learn some history': Mayor of Salem, Mass., blasts Trump over witch trials The mayor of Salem, Massachusetts, said President Donald Trump needs to "learn some history" after he claimed those accused in the city's infamous 17th century witch trials received more due process than he has in the House impeachment inquiry. Mayor Kim Driscoll, a Democrat, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that the trials in 1692 included "powerless, innocent victims" who were "hanged or pressed to death" on scant evidence. Twenty people suspected of witchcraft were killed in Salem, a coastal city about 20 miles north of Boston, during a frenzy stoked by superstition, fear of disease and strangers, and jealousy. Nineteen were hanged, and one man was crushed by rocks. Trump, Driscoll said, is a powerful world leader and the allegations against him come with "ample evidence" and "admissions of wrongdoing." "Right, will they ever learn some history?" Driscoll wrote in a follow-up tweet. "This situation is much different than the plight of the witch trial victims, who were convicted using spectral evidence + then brutally hanged or pressed to death. A dubious legal process that bears no relation to televised impeachment." In a six-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday, Trump slammed Democrats for seeking to impeach him. "More due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials," he complained. "One hundred years from now, when people look back at this affair, I want them to understand it, and learn from it, so that it can never happen to another President again." For the full story click here A lithograph of a witch trial in Salem, Massachusetts. George H. Walker / Bettmann Archive Share this -
Republican Rep. Rooney calls for White House aides to testify and Democrats to slow down Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., who said Wednesday that he would against both articles of impeachment, told NBC News in a phone interview that he wants Trump aides who the White House has refused to make available during the House hearings to testify in the Senate impeachment trial. “It bothers me, yes,” Rooney said Wednesday. “It’s making it hard on everybody. … They seem to want to play this subpoena-executive privilege game.” Democrats have consistently complained about an "unprecedented" lack of cooperation from the White House. Rooney, one of the last Republicans to announce how he would vote on impeachment, said that he took his vote “very seriously,” and that he did “exhaustive” research on Watergate, which he called the model, and President Bill Clinton’s impeachment. He said he also talked to former White House counsels. He said Trump’s conduct is “not good” and criticized him for “beating up” on former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and Ukraine's president, and for deprecating our foreign service officers “who are suffering great hardship.” However, he expressed skepticism about how the Democrats have run the inquiry. He said if the aides are refusing to talk, the Democrats should “look beyond emotion” and “work through it” in court “so you can create a case for the American people.” He said the president’s actions and the process are setting “very bad precedents,” and the remedy may just have to be the ballot box. Congress, he said, should get to work, including “getting after those Russians for trying to influence our election.” Share this -
The Mueller investigation didn't start in Congress Republicans keep saying that Democrats launched the Mueller investigation. The Mueller investigation was launched by ... the Justice Department, which reports not to Congress but to ... Donald Trump. — Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) December 18, 2019 Share this -
Nadler retorts, 'The new president would be Mike Pence, not Hillary Clinton' if Trump is removed; Republicans cheer Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, zinged Republican Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah after he slammed Democrats for trying to nullify the election through impeachment. “They think Hillary Clinton should be president and they want to fix that,” Stewart had said, arguing that the impeach inquiry is a maneuver to “take away my vote.” Nadler shot back, “I would remind the gentleman that if President Trump is removed the new president would be Mike Pence, not Hillary Clinton.” Several Republicans cheered and clapped after Nadler's remarks, including Oversight Committee member Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and Judiciary ranking Republican Doug Collins of Georgia. Stewart: House Democrats 'want to take away my president' Dec. 18, 2019 02:14 Share this -
Sarah Sanders: Pelosi 'too weak' to stand up to liberals in Democratic Party Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders weighed in on today's impeachment debate, slamming Pelosi as being "too weak to stand up to the angry liberals in her party." Nancy Pelosi “feels sad” about impeachment only because she knows this Democrat scam is a generous in-kind contribution to President Trump and every Republican running against a Democrat in a Trump district. Too bad she’s too weak to stand up to the angry liberals in her party. — Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) December 18, 2019 Share this -
Trump appears to be watching, tweets: 'THIS IS AN ASSAULT ON AMERICA' Trump appears to be paying close attention to Wednesday's impeachment proceedings, tweeting, "SUCH ATROCIOUS LIES BY THE RADICAL LEFT, DO NOTHING DEMOCRATS." "THIS IS AN ASSAULT ON AMERICA, AND AN ASSAULT ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!!!!" he continued as the House debated Wednesday afternoon. Moments earlier, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told the press pool that Trump "will be working all day." "He will be briefed by staff throughout that day, and could catch some of the proceedings between meetings," she continued. Share this -
Rep. Jayapal: 'The president is the smoking gun' Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., reprised a line she used during House Judiciary Committee impeachment debate last week. Trump, Jayapal said, “solicited foreign interference before, he is doing it now, and he will do it again.” “The president is the smoking gun,” she said. Share this -
Dems Gabbard and Serrano, Republicans Hunter and Shimkus haven't cast votes yet Wednesday Two House Democrats have not yet voted Wednesday: Reps. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and José Serrano of New York. Gabbard, who's running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, said in a TV interview Tuesday in South Carolina that she was still "thinking through" how she planned to vote on the articles of impeachment. Gabbard added that she had "a lot of concerns" about any "partisan-driven impeachment process" that further divides an already divided country. She also said in separate remarks Tuesday that she planned to introduce a resolution that would censure the president. Serrano has Parkinson's disease and announced in March that he would not seek re-election in 2020. "Unfortunately, my recovery has not progressed as quickly as I had hoped," he said in a statement explaining his absence. "I am continuing to address health issues related to my Parkinson's diagnosis, and other recent health concerns," including the need for prostate surgery this week. "I have been monitoring the process from home however, and were I there, I would vote to impeach Donald Trump on both counts. His actions in office have undermined our national security, our democratic processes, and our Constitution. "While it is difficult to miss these important votes, I trust my colleagues to make the right choices to protect our nation, our laws and our democracy." Other members that have not voted Wednesday include Reps. John Shimkus, R-Ill., and Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. The Ethics Committee has said Hunter can't vote because he pleaded guilty this year to campaign finance violations. Shimkus, who's retiring from Congress, said in a statement Wednesday that before the impeachment votes were scheduled, he had planned a trip to Africa with his wife to visit their son in Tanzania. "At the White House last week I informed President Trump that I would not be present for the these votes, and he was supportive of me visiting my son," Shimkus said. "I told him I did not support his impeachment, and I have requested that this statement of my reasons for opposing both articles of impeachment be entered into the Congressional Record." The offices of Gabbard and Hunter did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment. Share this -
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Critics say the bill known as the Clean Energy Jobs Act doesn’t do enough to combat climate change, and that it doesn’t guarantee that the tens of millions of dollars of subsidies paid out each year translates to jobs in Maryland. Three-fourths of Maryland’s green energy supply came from outside the state in 2017, and much of it came along with carbon emissions and pollution. | {
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True Dunk nuts don’t need to think too hard when pressed with naming some of the best issues of all-time. Before the fat-tongued SB era, Nike dropped a series of awkward colorways built with buttery suede uppers known as the “Ugly Dunkling” Pack, and while the “Viotech” wasn’t officially part of that set, they’re commonly associated with one another due to their similarities is composition. Over the years, Viotechs (which is the shade of purple on the heel and sole) have always been a fan favorite and back in 2013, Nike actually re-issued the shoes to boutiques (a GS-exclusive followed in 2015). The shape was off and the suede was too stiff to be comfortable as the originals, but they were still scooped up with relative ease and resell prices never went above $200.
That is, until Virgil Abloh was spotted with them on the ‘gram. As attention began swaying in the direction of the Dunk thanks to the Off-White founder and Travis Scott, pairs of the colorful wonders (both the 2013 and the originals from 2002) began skyrocketing in price (there’s one pair at Stadium Goods for $1,249). Instagram flippers were cleaning and stuffing beaters and peddling them to hypemongers for $350 with mind-boggling ease. The Viotechs are great shoes, but they’re not worth the high resell prices because part of its charming identity was its attainability and the fact that not everyone wanted them. They’re just another cult hit that became religiously sought after, and Nike’s answering the prayers – and cashing in big. Expect these to come back this Fall season.
Updated October 23, 2019: The Nike Dunk Low SP “Viotech” is releasing on December 10th (via @pyleaks) | {
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Captain Robert Posey and Pfc. Lincoln Kirstein were the first through the small gap in the rubble blocking the ancient salt mine at Altausee, high in the Austrian Alps in 1945 as World War II drew to a close in May 1945. They walked past one sidechamber in the cool damp air and entered a second one, the flames of their lamps guiding the way.
There, resting on empty cardboard boxes a foot off the ground, were eight panels of The Adoration of the Lamb by Jan van Eyck, considered one of the masterpieces of 15th-century European art. In one panel of the altarpiece, the Virgin Mary, wearing a crown of flowers, sits reading a book.
"The miraculous jewels of the Crowned Virgin seemed to attract the light from our flickering acetylene lamps," Kirstein wrote later. "Calm and beautiful, the altarpiece was, quite simply, there."
Kirstein and Posey were two members of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section of the Allies, a small corps of mostly middle-aged men and a few women who interrupted careers as historians, architects, museum curators and professors to mitigate combat damage. They found and recovered countless artworks stolen by the Nazis.
Their work was largely forgotten to the general public until an art scholar, Lynn H. Nicholas, working in Brussels, read an obituary about a French woman who spied on the Nazis’ looting operation for years and singlehandedly saved 60,000 works of art. That spurred Nicholas to spend a decade researching her 1995 book, The Rape of Europa, which began the resurrection of their story culminating with the movie, The Monuments Men, based upon Robert Edsel’s 2009 book of the same name. The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art holds the personal papers and oral history interviews of a number of the Monuments Men as well as photographs and manuscripts from their time in Europe.
"Without the [Monuments Men], a lot of the most important treasures of European culture would be lost," Nicholas says. "They did an extraordinary amount of work protecting and securing these things."
The Monuments Men In a race against time, a special force of American and British museum directors, curators, art historians, and others, called the Monuments Men, risked their lives scouring Europe to prevent the destruction of thousands of years of culture by Nazis. Buy
Nowhere, notes Nicholas, were more of those treasures collected than at Altaussee, where Hitler stored the treasures intended for his Fuhrermuseum in Linz, Austria, a sprawling museum complex that Hitler planned as a showcase for his plunder. On that first foray, Kirstein and Posey (portrayed in pseuodyminity by actors Bob Balaban and Bill Murray, respectively) had also discovered Michelangelo’s Madonna, which was spirited out of Bruges, Belgium, by the Nazis in September 1944 as the Allies advanced on the city. Within days, they’d also found priceless works by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.
They summoned the only Monuments Man for the job, George Stout, who had pioneered new techniques of art conservation before the war working at Harvard's Fogg Museum. Early in the war, Stout (given the name Frank Stokes as played by George Clooney in the film) unsuccessfully campaigned for the creation of a group like the Monuments Men with both American and British authorities. Frustrated, the World War I veteran enlisted in the Navy and developed aircraft camouflage techniques until transferred to a small corps of 17 Monuments Men in December 1944.
Stout had been crossing France, Germany and Belgium recovering works, often traveling in a Volkswagen captured from the Germans. He was one of a handful of Monuments Men regularly in forward areas, though his letters home to his wife, Margie, mentioned only "field trips."
Monuments Men like Stout often operated alone with limited resources. In one journal entry, Stout said he calculated the boxes, crates, and packing materials needed for a shipment. "No chance of getting them," he wrote in April 1945.
So they made do. Stout transformed German sheepskin coats and gas masks into packing materials. He and his small band of colleagues rounded up guards and prisoners to pack and load. "Never anywhere in peace or war could you expect to see more selfless devotion, more dogged persistence in going on, much of the time alone and empty-handed, to get it done," Stout wrote to a stateside friend in March 1945.
(Map designed by Esri)
The Allies knew of Altaussee thanks to a toothache. Two months earlier, Posey was in the ancient city of Trier in eastern Germany with Kirstein and needed treatment. The dentist he found introduced him to his son-in-law, who was hoping to earn safe passage for his family to Paris, even though he had helped Herman Goering, Hitler’s second-in-command, steal trainload after trainload of art. The son-in-law told them the location of Goering's collection as well as Hitler's stash at Altaussee.
Hitler claimed Altaussee as the perfect hideaway for loot intended for his Linz museum. The complex series of tunnels had been mined by the same families for 3,000 years, as Stout noted in his journal. Inside, the conditions were constant, between 40 and 47 degrees and about 65 percent humidity, ideal for storing the stolen art. The deepest tunnels were more than a mile inside the mountain, safe from enemy bombs even if the remote location was discovered. The Germans built floors, walls, and shelving as well as a workshop deep in the chambers. From 1943 through early 1945, a stream of trucks transported tons of treasures into the tunnels.
When Stout arrived there on May 21, 1945, shortly after hostilities ended, he chronicled the contents based on Nazi records: 6,577 paintings, 2,300 drawings or watercolors, 954 prints, 137 pieces of sculpture, 129 pieces of arms and armor, 79 baskets of objects, 484 cases of objects thought to be archives, 78 pieces of furniture, 122 tapestries, 1,200-1,700 cases apparently books or similar, and 283 cases contents completely unknown. The Nazis had built elaborate storage shelving and a conservation workshop deep within the mine, where the main chambers were more than a mile inside the mountain.
Stout also noted that there were plans for the demolition of the mine. Two months earlier, Hitler had issued the “Nero Decree,” which stated in part:
All military transport and communication facilities, industrial establishments and supply depots, as well as anything else of value within Reich territory, which could in any way be used by the enemy immediately or within the foreseeable future for the prosecution of the war, will be destroyed.
The Nazi district leader near Altaussee, August Eigruber, interpreted the Fuhrer’s words as an order to destroy any objects of value, which required the demolition of the mines so the artwork would not fall into enemy hands. He moved eight crates into the mines in April. They were marked "Marble - Do Not Drop," but actually contained 1,100 pound bombs.
His plans, however, were thwarted by a combination of local miners wanting to save their livelihood and Nazi officials who considered Eigruber’s plan folly, according to books by Edsel and Nicholas. The mine director convinced Eigruber to set smaller charges to augment the bombs, then ordered the bombs removed without the district leader’s knowledge. On May 3, days before Posey and Kirstein entered, the local miners removed the crates with the large bombs. By the time Eigruber learned, it was too late. Two days later, the small charges were fired, closing the mine's entrances, sealing the art safely inside.
Stout originally thought the removal would take place over a year, but that changed in June 1945 when the Allies began to set the zones of post-VE day Europe and Altaussee seemed destined for Soviet control, meaning some of Europe’s great art treasures could disappear into Joseph Stalin’s hands. The Soviets had “Trophy Brigades” whose job was to plunder enemy treasure (it’s estimated they stole millions of objects, including Old Master drawings, paintings, and books).
Stout was told to move everything by July 1. It was an impossible order.
"Loaded less than two trucks by 11:30," Stout wrote on June 18. "Too slow. Need larger crew."
By June 24, Stout extended the workday to 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., but the logistics were daunting. Communication was difficult; he was often unable to contact Posey. There weren't enough trucks for the trip to the collecting point, the former Nazi Party headquarters, in Munich, 150 miles away. And the ones he got often broke down. There wasn't enough packing material. Finding food and billets for the men proved difficult. And it rained. "All hands grumbling," Stout wrote.
By July 1, the boundaries had not been settled so Stout and his crew moved forward. He spent a few days packing the Bruges Madonna, which Nicholas describes as “looking very much like a large Smithfield ham.” On July 10, it was lifted onto a mine cart and Stout walked it to the entrance, where it and the Ghent altarpiece were loaded onto trucks. The next morning Stout accompanied them to the Munich collecting point.
On July 19, he reported that 80 truckloads, 1,850 paintings, 1,441 cases of paintings and sculpture, 11 sculptures, 30 pieces of furniture and 34 large packages of textiles had been removed from the mine. There was more, but not for Stout who left on the RMS Queen Elizabeth on Aug. 6 to return to home on his way to a second monuments tour in Japan. In her book, Nicholas says Stout, during just more than a year in Europe, had taken one and a half days off.
Stout rarely mentioned his central role campaigning for the Monuments Men and then saving countless pieces of priceless art during the war. He spoke about the recoveries at Altaussee and two other mines briefly in that 1978 oral history, but spent most of the interview talking about his museum work.
But Lincoln Kirstein didn’t hold back to his biographer. Stout, he said, “was the greatest war hero of all time – he actually saved all the art that everybody else talked about.” | {
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View From the Crew: Chris Charucki on Saratoga Springs, 6/20
Today's diary is from Chris Charucki. He began working with the Grateful Dead in 1993 through their sound company Ultra Sound. Since then he's served as "Utility infielder, working with Mickey, Phil and Bobby in all their incarnations." As for his current responsibilities, Charucki explains, "On this particular tour I'm in charge of stage right p.a. and then I take care of interfacing the opening acts, things like that." He's also the audio point person when any guests sit in.
Here are his thoughts on SPAC (reminder: the band plays tonight in Mansfield, MA)…
What time do you get started each morning?
The sound crew hits the stage at 7 to mark the points where our motors are going to hang, where our p.a. is going to fly. Then we begin unloading our truck at 8. On a typical day we have to be ready for soundcheck about 12:30.
What time did you get to town?
I really don't know. I was asleep on the bus when we pulled in. I woke up on the bus around 6:30, rolled out, took a look at the stage, took a look at where our trucks were parked, that type of thing. All the logistics- nuts and bolts type of stuff.
So how much sleep do you typically get per night?
Unfortunately it's pretty minimal, especially when we're on a three or four day run, shows back-to-back-to-back-to-back you're only looking at four or four and a half at night. If you're lucky though, after soundcheck and before the opening act you might be able to lie down for an hour.
Are you able to listen to the music and appreciate it at a given show? And if so, what was your musical highlight from last night?
It really depends on what needs to be done at that particular point. Every once in a while you get lucky. When Winwood sat in with the Dead for "Fantasy" I made it a point to be able to go out in front of the p.a. offstage and listen to it because it was a really cool thing. I was lucky enough not to have a lot to do at that particular moment. During a show there are all sorts of little cues that need to be taken care of although occasionally you do get to stop and enjoy it.
What was the oddest moment on stage?
As far as odd, it was rolling in Mike Gordon's bass rig and then having him come out on a segway while they were playing. Odd is a good word to describe that.
You mentioned that you’re in charge of working with guests. How long in advance did you have to prepare for that?
A lot of times things like that are spontaneous. Yesterday afternoon Steve did come in for the Dead soundcheck and they rehearsed "Fantasy." Mike Gordon, we knew he was coming but there were never any plans for him to play with them. But as the evening progressed, around dinner the band members got together and said, "You should do this." They try to spring it on us as soon as they can but it's usually pretty short notice. You just sort of have to be ready for everything. As my friend Ian says, "We're not in the business of saying no."
Who was the sweetest or most peculiar person you met yesterday and what they did to earn that title?
The caterers took care of me, being a vegetarian. There was an older woman who went out of her way to make sure I got a good vegetarian meal. She was pretty sweet. I thought that was nice of her.
What is your impression of Saratoga Springs from last night or past tours?
I've been at SPAC many, many times and as far as I'm concerned one of the highlights is dealing with the upstate New York union. They've got no necks, they're a little loud and I love seeing them [laughs] I know a lot of them by name going back to the Grateful Dead days. A lot of them are still around. and I enjoy having that little bit of a sparring match with every conversation you have [Laughs].
What song that the band hasn’t performed recently do you most look forward to hearing?
There are a couple of things I really do enjoy like "Sugar Magnolia" and when Bobby gets sensitive for "Looks Like Rain." But that's a loaded question because we're working on seven or eight shows in row, so if you asked me for the setlist from last night I couldn't tell you for sure. | {
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A look at the 49ers Week 7 home matchup against Tampa Bay:
The Basics
Vegas says: Tampa Bay by 2.
TV: Fox, 1:05 p.m./Chris Myers, Ronde Barber, Jennifer Hale (sideline).
Injury issues: Bucs–DE Robert Ayers (ankle) RB Doug Martin (hamstring) and DT Clinton McDonald (hamstring) did not practice. 49ers–RB Carlos Hyde (shoulder) and CB Rashard Robinson (concussion) did not practice.
Did you know: Quarterback Blaine Gabbert had a 64.8 passer rating on third down that is better than Cam Newton (64.4) and Russell Wilson (59.1).
Five Burning Questions
How much better can Colin Kaepernick get in one week?
Hard to refute he was an upgrade over Blaine Gabbert, since Kaepernick is a far superior runner and an equally erratic passer. Kaepernick put fears to rest about his speed and strength in scrambling for first downs, and it’s an area the Buccaneers will have to account for and contend with. Whether Kaepernick can throw with touch, anticipation and accuracy is another matter.
Can the 49ers hope to generate any offense without Carlos Hyde?
Hyde is out this week with a shoulder injury, and with a bye coming up, sitting him out is the right thing to do for the long term. But Hyde is also 49ers best and most consistent weapon, and barring a major surprise from either Mike Davis, Shaun Draughn or both, the 49ers are facing a defense that may have been susceptible to the run without their best offensive player.
Can the 49ers get after Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston?
Tampa Bay has the NFL’s 27th-ranked running game and the leading rusher at present is Jacquizz Rodgers with 173 yards. Yes, the 49ers have been gashed by good running teams of late, but Tampa Bay is not a good running team. That should afford the 49ers to do some damage at the line of scrimmage and pressure Winston with DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Aaron Lynch. Get a sack-fumble or a forced interception or two and who knows?
How much better can the foundation pieces get?
Face it, that’s what the 2016 season is all about for the 49ers. Buckner had a pair of sacks last week and Armstead a sack and a forced fumble. Guard Joshua Garnett got mixed reviews in his first start from Kelly. Cornerback Tramaine Brock has four passes defensed in the last two weeks. Right tackle Trent Brown needs to prove he’s the tackle for the future. These and other young 49ers are likely putting work on film for the 49ers next general manager.
Can Chip Kelly convince this team it can win?
With NaVorro Bowman out for the season and Hyde out this week, the 49ers, with a paper thin roster, will play without the unquestioned top players on both offense and defense. Given the beatings the 49ers have taken five weeks running, Kelly and his staff face a tall order in keep enthusiasm, momentum and professionalism to the point where the 49ers can stay competitive for four quarters.
The Prediction
Tampa Bay 24, 49ers 13
Could be the last winnable game for the 49ers for awhile, given the upcoming schedule. The problem is there’s just not enough offense here to justify picking a win. Their best chance is a game driven by defense and a dominating performance from the defensive line and outside linebackers, forcing Jameis Winston into mistakes. | {
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This chapter from Windows Internals, Part 2, 6th Edition lists the design goals of the Windows I/O system which have influenced its implementation. It covers the components that make up the I/O system, including the I/O manager, Plug and Play (PnP) manager, and power manager, and also examines the structure and components of the I/O system and the various types of device drivers.
The Windows I/O system consists of several executive components that together manage hardware devices and provide interfaces to hardware devices for applications and the system. In this chapter, we’ll first list the design goals of the I/O system, which have influenced its implementation. We’ll then cover the components that make up the I/O system, including the I/O manager, Plug and Play (PnP) manager, and power manager. Then we’ll examine the structure and components of the I/O system and the various types of device drivers. We’ll look at the key data structures that describe devices, device drivers, and I/O requests, after which we’ll describe the steps necessary to complete I/O requests as they move through the system. Finally, we’ll present the way device detection, driver installation, and power management work.
I/O System Components
The design goals for the Windows I/O system are to provide an abstraction of devices, both hardware (physical) and software (virtual or logical), to applications with the following features:
Uniform security and naming across devices to protect shareable resources. (See Chapter 6, “Security,” in Part 1 for a description of the Windows security model.)
High-performance asynchronous packet-based I/O to allow for the implementation of scalable applications.
Services that allow drivers to be written in a high-level language and easily ported between different machine architectures.
Layering and extensibility to allow for the addition of drivers that transparently modify the behavior of other drivers or devices, without requiring any changes to the driver whose behavior or device is modified.
Dynamic loading and unloading of device drivers so that drivers can be loaded on demand and not consume system resources when unneeded.
Support for Plug and Play, where the system locates and installs drivers for newly detected hardware, assigns them hardware resources they require, and also allows applications to discover and activate device interfaces.
Support for power management so that the system or individual devices can enter low power states.
Support for multiple installable file systems, including FAT, the CD-ROM file system (CDFS), the Universal Disk Format (UDF) file system, and the Windows file system (NTFS). (See Chapter 12, for more specific information on file system types and architecture.)
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) support and diagnosability so that drivers can be managed and monitored through WMI applications and scripts. (WMI is described in Chapter 4, “Management Mechanisms,” in Part 1.)
To implement these features the Windows I/O system consists of several executive components as well as device drivers, which are shown in Figure 8-1.
The I/O manager is the heart of the I/O system. It connects applications and system components to virtual, logical, and physical devices, and it defines the infrastructure that supports device drivers.
A device driver typically provides an I/O interface for a particular type of device. A driver is a software module that interprets high-level commands, such as read or write, and issues low-level, device-specific commands, such as writing to control registers. Device drivers receive commands routed to them by the I/O manager that are directed at the devices they manage, and they inform the I/O manager when those commands are complete. Device drivers often use the I/O manager to forward I/O commands to other device drivers that share in the implementation of a device’s interface or control.
The PnP manager works closely with the I/O manager and a type of device driver called a bus driver to guide the allocation of hardware resources as well as to detect and respond to the arrival and removal of hardware devices. The PnP manager and bus drivers are responsible for loading a device’s driver when the device is detected. When a device is added to a system that doesn’t have an appropriate device driver, the executive Plug and Play component calls on the device installation services of a user-mode PnP manager.
The power manager also works closely with the I/O manager and the PnP manager to guide the system, as well as individual device drivers, through power-state transitions.
Windows Management Instrumentation support routines, called the Windows Driver Model (WDM) WMI provider, allow device drivers to indirectly act as providers, using the WDM WMI provider as an intermediary to communicate with the WMI service in user mode. (For more information on WMI, see the section “Windows Management Instrumentation” in Chapter 4 in Part 1.)
The registry serves as a database that stores a description of basic hardware devices attached to the system as well as driver initialization and configuration settings. (See “The Registry” section in Chapter 4 in Part 1 for more information.)
INF files, which are designated by the .inf extension, are driver installation files. INF files are the link between a particular hardware device and the driver that assumes primary control of the device. They are made up of script-like instructions describing the device they correspond to, the source and target locations of driver files, required driver-installation registry modifications, and driver dependency information. Digital signatures that Windows uses to verify that a driver file has passed testing by the Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) are stored in .cat files. Digital signatures are also used to prevent tampering of the driver or its INF file.
The hardware abstraction layer (HAL) insulates drivers from the specifics of the processor and interrupt controller by providing APIs that hide differences between platforms. In essence, the HAL is the bus driver for all the devices soldered onto the computer’s motherboard that aren’t controlled by other drivers. Figure 8-1 I/O system components
The I/O Manager
The I/O manager is the core of the I/O system because it defines the orderly framework, or model, within which I/O requests are delivered to device drivers. The I/O system is packet driven. Most I/O requests are represented by an I/O request packet (IRP), which travels from one I/O system component to another. (As you’ll discover in the section Fast I/O, fast I/O is the exception; it doesn’t use IRPs.) The design allows an individual application thread to manage multiple I/O requests concurrently. An IRP is a data structure that contains information completely describing an I/O request. (You’ll find more information about IRPs in the section I/O Request Packets later in the chapter.)
The I/O manager creates an IRP in memory to represent an I/O operation, passing a pointer to the IRP to the correct driver and disposing of the packet when the I/O operation is complete. In contrast, a driver receives an IRP, performs the operation the IRP specifies, and passes the IRP back to the I/O manager, either because the requested I/O operation has been completed, or because it must be passed on to another driver for further processing.
In addition to creating and disposing of IRPs, the I/O manager supplies code that is common to different drivers and that the drivers can call to carry out their I/O processing. By consolidating common tasks in the I/O manager, individual drivers become simpler and more compact. For example, the I/O manager provides a function that allows one driver to call other drivers. It also manages buffers for I/O requests, provides timeout support for drivers, and records which installable file systems are loaded into the operating system. There are close to one hundred different routines in the I/O manager that can be called by device drivers.
The I/O manager also provides flexible I/O services that allow environment subsystems, such as Windows and POSIX, to implement their respective I/O functions. These services include sophisticated services for asynchronous I/O that allow developers to build scalable, high-performance server applications.
The uniform, modular interface that drivers present allows the I/O manager to call any driver without requiring any special knowledge of its structure or internal details. The operating system treats all I/O requests as if they were directed at a file; the driver converts the requests from requests made to a virtual file to hardware-specific requests. Drivers can also call each other (using the I/O manager) to achieve layered, independent processing of an I/O request.
Besides providing the normal open, close, read, and write functions, the Windows I/O system provides several advanced features, such as asynchronous, direct, buffered, and scatter/gather I/O, which are described in the Types of I/O section later in this chapter.
Typical I/O Processing
Most I/O operations don’t involve all the components of the I/O system. A typical I/O request starts with an application executing an I/O-related function (for example, reading data from a device) that is processed by the I/O manager, one or more device drivers, and the HAL.
As just mentioned, in Windows, threads perform I/O on virtual files. A virtual file refers to any source or destination for I/O that is treated as if it were a file (such as files, directories, pipes, and mailslots). The operating system abstracts all I/O requests as operations on a virtual file, because the I/O manager has no knowledge of anything but files, therefore making it the responsibility of the driver to translate file-oriented comments (open, close, read, write) into device-specific commands. This abstraction thereby generalizes an application’s interface to devices. User-mode applications (whether Windows or POSIX) call documented functions, which in turn call internal I/O system functions to read from a file, write to a file, and perform other operations. The I/O manager dynamically directs these virtual file requests to the appropriate device driver. Figure 8-2 illustrates the basic structure of a typical I/O request flow.
Figure 8-2 The flow of a typical I/O request
In the following sections, we’ll look at these components more closely, covering the various types of device drivers, how they are structured, how they load and initialize, and how they process I/O requests. Then we’ll cover the operation and roles of the PnP manager and the power manager. | {
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Rs.4,500-crore terminal materialises after eight years
Kochi is now on the world LNG map with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dedicating the already operational LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal to the nation. The Rs.4,500-crore terminal, which started functioning four months ago, was officially launched at a function held at Puthuvype here on Saturday.
The project, with a capacity of 5 MMTPA (million matric tones per annum), built by Petronet LNG Limited, materialised after eight years of hard work by the Central and State governments. Dr. Singh urged Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily to coordinate with all the stakeholders to ensure that the full potential of the Kochi terminal is realised.
Dr. Singh said the terminal would contribute to making Kerala an industry-oriented and investor-friendly destination. It would also contribute to the efforts to promote clean energy and reduce carbon emissions, protecting Kerala’s environment.
The location of the terminal is ideal to provide the whole of southern India with a cleaner and greener form of energy for industries, transport and households. The gas could be utilised by a whole new industrial corridor expected to come up along the gas pipeline route. To make full use of the large investment, penetration of natural gas in Kerala should be increased by augmenting the pipeline network in a manner similar to what has been done in northern and western parts of the country. Mr. Moily urged Mr. Chandy to ensure pipeline connectivity for optimum utilisation of gas. He said 15,000-km of pipeline had been laid at various places and efforts were under way to lay another 16,000 km. | {
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Downtown Detroit continues its remarkable transformation, with more and more foot traffic, construction sites sprouting like weeds and new businesses opening up on the reg.
On this episode of the Daily Detroit Happy Hour, we caught up with Eric Larson, CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, for an update on what’s happening in downtown Detroit, how it’s evolved over time and what the future could look like for the rapidly growing central business district.
“We really have tried to use the downtown quite frankly as that case study,” Larson said. “If it works downtown, we really try and make sure it’s replicable in other areas. Not only in other areas of the city, but quite frankly a lot of the public space activation and placemaking activities that we’ve been doing now for over 20 years are being done all over the country and have become sort of the buzz approaches for continuing to turn around urban centers.”
Among the topics Larson touches on:
The DDP’s involvement in the Super Bowl XL in 2006 (around 5:30)
How the DDP works with agencies outside the downtown core (just after 8 minutes)
The 2016 Downtown Detroit Perceptions Report (around 12 minutes)
How downtown is whiter and more affluent than the city overall (around 17:30)
Transportation options, including MoGo, the low marks given to the bus systems and last year’s failed RTA transit millage (19:45)
The present and possible future of the QLINE (26 minutes)
How the new Spirit of Detroit Plaza represents a “civic space where people can congregate” (31:30)
How bike lanes will transform downtown (37 minutes)
Early results — and future plans — for the “mighty MoGo” bike share (41:45)
The future of downtown, vis a vis real estate and autonomous vehicles (46:00)
Friends, this is our longest podcast episode BY FAR, but frankly there was a lot to chew over. Give it a listen and you won’t be disappointed. As always, we welcome your feedback.
Listen to the episode above, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, via Podcast Detroit or wherever fine podcasts are downloaded. There are also more on our website here. | {
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Welcome to MMA Squared, today we look both towards the future and the past. Anderson Silva waltzed into the UFC, demolished its middleweight champ and ruled the division with a striking style never before seen in the Octagon.
Israel Adesanya has turned heads similarly, going 4-0 in 2018 and outshining his opponents with a flamboyance that rivals his striking skills.
The esoteric similarity, and why this matchup might need to happen, is that both fighters have a flair for mesmerizing their opponents as well as the fans. Finding the smallest opportunities and creating magic in those moments.
Even in small ways, like when Adesanya grabs Brad Tavares’ wrist while squaring off from a seemingly safe distance.
In a split second he steps in, and wraps an elbow across Tavares’ face. It’s out of the Jon Jones playbook, as though he can pick up techniques from the best fighters alive for fun.
Anderson Silva gave us innumerable jaw dropping moments, validated the use of a half dozen unorthodox techniques, and brought a sense of magic to the brutality of fighting.
Maybe the Spider has one more trick up his sleeve, but rarely do fighters go gently into that dark night. Perhaps it’s better this way. “The Last Stylebender” will wrest away the mantle of the most dynamic striker of a generation and a torch will be passed.
As always, this is Chris @RiniMMA. I will be posting behind the scenes pencils, sketches, and inks of MMA Squared on my instagram page, chris_rini. Take care of yourself and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. | {
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It’s time for more.
Ryuukenshi Master Pendulum / Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer
Light Dragon / Pendulum
PS3 LV4 1950/0
Pendulum Effect:
(1) You can target 1 card in either player’s Pendulum Zone; destroy it. You can only use this effect once while this card is face-up in the Pendulum Zone.
Flavor:
“Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer” after having gained power from his comrades. He seems to be have manifested draconic power similar to the mysterious hexes used by the clan of the Dracoruler, but he has lost all memories of who he was before he became the Dracoslayer, so the truth is unknown. Believing the “Secret Art of Draconization” is the key to breaking this curse and unlocking his memories, he continues his journey, fighting the evils of the Dracoruler wherever he finds them.
Gouryuukenshi Dynaster P / (Dynaster/Dinoster) Powerful, the Powerful Dracoslayer
Water Dragon / Fusion / Effect
LV8 2000/2950
1 “Dracoslayer” Pendulum Monster + 1 Pendulum Monster
Musts first be Special Summoned (from your Extra Deck) by Tributing the above cards you control. (You do not use “Polymerization”.)
(1) Pendulum Monster Cards in your Monster Zone and Pendulum Zones cannot be destroyed by battle or your opponent’s card effects.
(2) Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 “Dracoslayer” Pendulum Monster from your hand or Graveyard, but it cannot be used as a Fusion Material.
forum thread | {
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New research from South Australian scientists has shown that vitamin D (also commonly known as the sunshine vitamin) is unlikely to protect individuals from multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease or other brain-related disorders.
The findings, released today in the science journal Nutritional Neuroscience reported that researchers had failed to find solid clinical evidence for vitamin D as a protective neurological agent.
"Our work counters an emerging belief held in some quarters suggesting that higher levels of vitamin D can impact positively on brain health," says lead author Krystal Iacopetta, PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide.
Based on a systematic review of over 70 pre-clinical and clinical studies, Ms Iacopetta investigated the role of vitamin D across a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases.
"Past studies had found that patients with a neurodegenerative disease tended to have lower levels of vitamin D compared to healthy members of the population," she says.
"This led to the hypothesis that increasing vitamin D levels, either through more UV and sun exposure or by taking vitamin D supplements, could potentially have a positive impact. A widely held community belief is that these supplements could reduce the risk of developing brain-related disorders or limit their progression."
"The results of our in-depth review and an analysis of all the scientific literature however, indicates that this is not the case and that there is no convincing evidence supporting vitamin D as a protective agent for the brain," she says.
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Ms Iacopetta believes that the idea of vitamin D as a neuro-related protector has gained traction based on observational studies as opposed to evaluation of all the clinical evidence.
"Our analysis of methodologies, sample sizes, and effects on treatment and control groups shows that the link between vitamin D and brain disorders is likely to be associative -- as opposed to a directly causal relationship," she explains.
"We could not establish a clear role for a neuroprotective benefit from vitamin D for any of the diseases we investigated."
Mark Hutchinson, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP) and Professor at the University of Adelaide worked with Ms Iacopetta on the research and findings.
"This outcome is important and is based on an extremely comprehensive review and analysis of current data and relevant scientific publications," Professor Hutchinson says.
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"We've broken a commonly held belief that vitamin D resulting from sun exposure is good for your brain."
Interestingly, Professor Hutchinson notes that there may be evidence that UV light (sun exposure) could impact the brain beneficially, in ways other than that related to levels of vitamin D.
"There are some early studies that suggest that UV exposure could have a positive impact on some neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis," he says. "We have presented critical evidence that UV light may impact molecular processes in the brain in a manner that has absolutely nothing to do with vitamin D."
"We need to complete far more research in this area to fully understand what's happening," says Professor Hutchinson.
"It may be that sensible and safe sun exposure is good for the brain and that there are new and exciting factors at play that we have yet to identify and measure."
"Unfortunately however, it appears as if vitamin D, although essential for healthy living, is not going to be the miracle 'sunshine tablet' solution for brain-disorders that some were actively hoping for."
Researchers involved in this systematic review are affiliated with the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP). | {
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Fahrdienst-Vermittler wie Uber und Lyft waren zwischen 2010 und 2016 für die Hälfte der zusätzlichen Staus in San Francisco verantwortlich. Das geht aus drei verschiedenen Maßeinheiten hervor, die die Transportation Authority der US-Westküstenmetropole für einen aktuellen Bericht verglichen hat. Demnach gehen 51 Prozent des Anstiegs von Staustunden, 47 Prozent des Anstiegs bei auf Straßen zurückgelegten Meilen und 55 Prozent der verringerten Geschwindigkeiten auf den Straßen auf die Fahrdienst-Vermittler zurück. Die in dem Zeitraum hinzugekommenen 70.000 Einwohner und 150.000 Arbeitsplätze sind demnach für den größten Teil des Rests verantwortlich.
Immenses Wachstum vor allem in den USA
Vor allem in den USA haben Dienste wie Uber und Lyft den Markt für Personenbeförderung in den vergangenen Jahren gehörig durcheinander gebracht. Beide Unternehmen wurden in San Francisco gegründet und vermitteln über eine App Passagiere mit Fahrern, die die Beförderung in ihren Privatfahrzeugen erledigen. Weil das eine ganze Reihe von Vorteilen hat – nicht zuletzt die im Vergleich zu Taxis geringeren Fahrpreise –, haben beide ein explosionsartiges Wachstum hingelegt. Die einst so ikonischen Taxiflotten in US-Metropolen sind teilweise fast komplett verschwunden. In anderen Staaten hat sich das Taxigewerbe bislang erfolgreich gegen die Konkurrenz gewehrt.
San Francisco ist der Ausgangspunkt für diese Entwicklung, hier lassen sich die Folgen ausgiebig analysieren, wie es die Transportation Authority getan hat. Sie ist unter anderem dafür zuständig, etwas gegen Staus zu unternehmen. Laut dem nun vorgelegten Bericht kamen die Fahrzeuge in San Francisco 2016 jeden Tag zusammen auf 40.000 Staustunden mehr als 2010. Jeden Tag wurden in der Stadt außerdem 630.000 Meilen (1,01 Millionen Kilometer) mehr in Fahrzeugen zurückgelegt.
Die Geschwindigkeit auf den Straßen ist demnach insgesamt um etwa ein Viertel gesunken. Gleichzeitig entfielen 15 Prozent aller innerstädtischen Fahrten auf Fahrdienst-Vermittler. Die Effekte seien aber nicht in allen Stadtteilen vergleichbar. So habe es in der Innenstadt einen deutlichen Anstieg der Stauzeiten gegeben, die zu ungefähr 45 Prozent auf das Konto von Uber & Co. gingen. In Touristenvierteln sei der Anstieg zwar geringer, hier liege der Anteil der Fahrdienst-Vermittler aber bei 73 Prozent.
Carsharing verstopft die Straßen
Beide Unternehmen haben den Bericht kritisiert und die Schlussfolgerungen zurückgewiesen, berichtet Wired. So sei der Anstieg des Tourismus' ebenso wenig eingeflossen wie das Wachstum der Warenbeförderungen. Dass App-gestützte Fahrdienste nicht zu einer Verringerung des Verkehrs, sondern zu einer zusätzlichen Verstopfung der Straßen führen können, ist dabei jedoch keine neue Kritik. Studien haben dargelegt, dass durch die Dienste Menschen nicht auf ein Privatauto verzichten, sondern Menschen ohne Auto auf den öffentlichen Nahverkehr. (mho) | {
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This isn't our first time checking out Birdly. Back in January 2015, our very own Edgar Alvarez got to ride on the same rig at Sundance Film Festival, except that version was based on the Oculus Rift. At the HTC booth, we checked with a rep from the Swiss startup, Somniacs, and he confirmed that Birdly has switched from the Rift to the Vive for good -- not because of the joint promotion at Computex, but because of the Vive's more advanced tracking system.
You see, while the Rift works fine on its own, you'll want to use its external tracking sensor for optimal experience -- which isn't possible on the Birdly as it'd be affected by the fan's vibration, according to Somniacs' rep. The Vive, on the other hand, doesn't have this limitation, as its positional tracker (only one is needed here instead of both) doesn't have to be placed directly in front of the headset -- just anywhere with a direct line of sight would do just fine.
We understand that Somniacs sold its first Birdly just last January, and to date, only eight machines have been sold in total. This goes to show just how expensive the rig is, but the startup is keeping the price close to its chest. The only hint we got was that a Birdly costs more than your average car, so you better start saving up.
Stay on top of all the latest news from Computex 2016 right here. | {
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l'essentiel Il avait trop souvent évoqué dans les médias les violences policières et les lacunes du maintien de l'ordre lors des manifestations des Gilets jaunes. Le policier Noam Anouar a été suspendu par sa hiérarchie, il ne touchera notamment plus de salaire pendant six mois.
Le policier Noam Anouar délégué du syndicat Vigi (ex-CGT), très souvent invité des plateaux télé dont BFMTV pour parler des interventions policières lors des manifestations des Gilets jaunes ou contre la réforme des retraites, a été suspendu 24 mois dont 18 avec sursis par sa hiérarchie lors d'un entretien disciplinaire, ce mercredi, à la préfecture de police de Paris.
Dans sa convocation il était évoqué des manquements "aux devoirs d’exemplarité, d’obéissance, de réserve, aux obligations de rendre compte, de loyauté" et de la "négligence professionnelle", rapporte L'Humanité. Le policier évoquait publiquement les "violences policières" dénoncées depuis plus d'un an par les Gilets jaunes.
"Pendant six mois je vais donc être sans salaire et s'ils trouvent, lorsque je m'exprime, qu'il y a des propos 'borderline' qui portent atteinte à l'image de la police, je peux avoir 18 mois de suspension ferme en plus toujours sans salaire. J'ai une épée de Damoclès au-dessus de la tête", déplore Noam Anouar dans une vidéo publiée sur Twitter.
INCROYABLE : 1ères déclarations de @NoamAnouar et @AlexLanglois_ après avoir été convoqués en conseil de discipline aujourd'hui "suspendu 6 mois fermes + 18 mois surcis "SANS SALAIRE pour Noam le triple d'Alexandre\ud83d\ude33\ud83d\ude31 le monde à #Macron ! #France #retraites SOUTIEN TOTAL pic.twitter.com/1PUBVAfqlK — Le Général \ud83d\udc8e (@LeGeneral00) February 5, 2020
Merci à tous ceux qui sont venus hier, et qui ont patienté. Des soutiens inattendus, comme celui de cette dame en fauteuil, ou encore celui du Député François RUFFIN. Parfois la vie donne des leçons, et hier j'en ai reçu une belle. — Noam anouar (@NoamAnouar) February 6, 2020
"On cherche à me faire payer ma liberté de ton, dénonce Noam Anouar dans L'Humanité. Dès 2016, je me suis beaucoup investi dans les grandes mobilisations de policiers. En novembre de la même année, j’ai publié une tribune dans Le Point, dénonçant les erreurs commises par la police dans la lutte contre le terrorisme islamiste. Depuis cette époque, je suis clairement dans le collimateur, regrette-t-il. En m’attaquant, ils ne font que me renforcer. Je crois toujours qu’il est possible de retisser des liens entre la police et la population, mais cela nécessitera un véritable changement de politique, et il ne peut venir que d’en haut".
Le député France insoumise, François Ruffin a notamment apporté son soutien à Noam Anouar. | {
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Georgia on Wednesday carried out its first execution this year, putting to death a man convicted of killing his 73-year-old neighbor 25 years ago.
J.W. Ledford's time of death was 1:17 a.m., after an injection of compounded barbiturate pentobarbital at the state prison in Jackson, Warden Eric Sellers told witnesses. Ledford, 45, was convicted of murder in the January 1992 stabbing death of Dr. Harry Johnston in Murray County, northwest Georgia.
Ledford smiled broadly as witnesses entered the execution viewing area. When given a chance to make a final statement, he appeared to quote from the movie "Cool Hand Luke."
"What we have here is a failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach," he said, later adding, "I am not the failure. You are the failure to communicate."
"You can kiss my white trash ass," he added, continuing to smile.
As the warden exited the execution chamber at 1:09 a.m., Ledford began talking again, but the microphones had been cut off so his words weren't audible to witnesses.
Records from past executions show that the lethal drug generally starts flowing within a couple of minutes of the warden exiting the execution chamber. Ledford raised his head to look at his right arm right after the warden left and about a minute later appeared to speak to a guard to his right.
He then rested his head, closed his eyes and appeared to take several deep breaths before falling still within two or three minutes of the warden leaving the room.
Ledford told police he had gone to Johnston's home on Jan. 31, 1992, to ask for a ride to the grocery store. After the older man accused him of stealing and smacked him, Ledford pulled out a knife and stabbed Johnston to death, according to court filings. The pathologist who did the autopsy said Johnston suffered "one continuous or two slices to the neck" and bled to death.
After dragging Johnston's body to another part of Johnston's property and covering it up, Ledford went to Johnston's house with a knife and demanded money from Johnston's wife, according to court filings. He took money and four guns from the home, tied up Johnston's wife and left in Johnston's truck. He was arrested later that day.
Ledford told police he had a number of beers and smoked a couple joints in the hours before the killing.
Ledford's lawyers had asked the parole board to spare him, citing a rough childhood, substance abuse from an early age and his intellectual disability. After holding a hearing Monday, the board declined to grant clemency. Following its normal practice, the board did not give a reason for its denial.
Ledford's lawyers also tried to get the courts to stop his execution. The challenges were appealed all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected them shortly after 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Because of changes in brain chemistry caused by a drug Ledford has been taking for chronic nerve pain for more than a decade, there was a high risk that the pentobarbital Georgia planned to use to execute him would not render him unconscious and devoid of sensation or feeling, his lawyers wrote in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday. That would violate the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment enshrined in the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the lawsuit said.
When challenging an execution method on those grounds, a U.S. Supreme Court precedent requires inmates to propose a known and available alternative. Ledford's lawyers, therefore, proposed that he be executed by firing squad, a method that is not allowed under Georgia law.
Ledford's lawyers also asked a state court judge to halt the execution because he was only 20 and his brain wasn't done developing when he killed Johnston. Just as juvenile offenders are considered less culpable and not the "worst of the worst" for whom the death penalty is reserved, the execution of those under 21 is also unconstitutional, Ledford's lawyers argue.
Ledford was the first inmate executed this year in Georgia. The state executed nine inmates last year, more than any other state and the most Georgia had executed in a single calendar year since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the death penalty to resume 40 years ago. | {
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By Tristan Copley Smith
Admission: I’m a progressive Millennial and I f**king love the Internet.
It’s been a strange and wonderful pleasure to watch a politician like Bernie Sanders dominate the beloved datastream that feeds my brain, connects me with the people I love, and helps spread ideas to others. It’s the first time in my life a candidate of this sort has had a realistic chance of grasping the most powerful office on the planet — and to be honest I find the whole thing rather exciting.
But the question remains, why is the Internet backing Bernie?
Let’s be honest: the Internet as we know it in the West has always tended towards progressiveness. Reddit, Facebook, Twitter; the major channels of our social media ecosystem echo loudly with idealism and liberal values (this is of course not the case within certain online echo chambers). The most convincing reason for this undercurrent is that there are simply more young people regularly using the Internet than any other group.
Until recently this was just an implied reality that made us liberal youngsters feel fuzzily-at-home in the playground of cyberspace. But in 2015, something important changed in the political reality of the USA, and it is a fact we all must recognise:
Millennials are now the largest generational group in the USA.
The fact that Bernie owns the Internet now becomes very significant. It means that the largest generation of potential voters in the country are participating in a majoritively pro-Bernie, pro-change, and pro-democratic socialist conversation. It means that we “idealistic, pie-in-the-sky youngsters” have real power to influence the future president of the United States of America.
But this is not a form of power our generation has had a great deal of experience wielding successfully. The most recent populist movement Millennials founded was Occupy Wall Street, and for all its value plugging the “1%” mantra into our social DNA, it did not result in the solid political or legal outcomes we had hoped for (although some key OWS organisers are working on the Sanders campaign). So, we must learn to use this new power effectively, and fast.
We’re the largest group of Internet users, and we’re pissed.
The modern reality of Millennial life in the West is that we are struggling with economic uncertainty, even poverty. We’re being chewed up by the broken promise of capitalism, all the while being criticised as “lazy” and “entitled” by many Baby Boomers and Gen-Xer’s who caused this mess.
The memes below featuring Steve Jobs’ High School photo say it all for me:
Not only are we faced with economic uncertainty, but the natural environment we’re supposed to leave our kids continues to be devastated by the “business as usual” bullshit that helped create many of these economic problems. There’s a lot to be pissed off about as a Millennial, and this is really only scratching the surface.
We have to understand that radical, inclusive, genuine change is our only hope for a future that’s worth-a-damn. In my view, this is the future that Bernie Sanders is opening a conversation about, and it’s only with our support (in the presidential race and beyond) that this new world can begin to emerge.
So…whats up with Hillary voters?
I have a very simple theory on this — Hillary voters are not regular Internet users. I mean, if you’d really done any clicking around on YouTube, or absorbed the majority of political memes that pop up around the Internet, surely you would have come across something like this video…and it would become clear this is not someone we want governing our country?
Don’t get me wrong, Hillary is a shite-site better than the demagogues we’ve got hungrily swarming around the Republican nomination — and in my opinion we can (and MUST) be ready to throw our lot behind her if Bernie doesn’t get the Democratic nomination — but we have the opportunity here not to compromise…so why should we?
If you feel me, here are some things to do:
Keep doing what you’re doing. Create and share those memes, videos and GIFs showing what Bernie is about. Anything less than a continued occupation of our cyber-playground is inadequate. You know what to do. Do more. Don’t just share those memes and videos on Facebook…write a compelling blog post about your honest feelings, email it to your family and friends who aren’t a part of our bubble — get the other side on board. Speak out in public. Be proud of your support and talk about it openly. If you overhear a political conversation at the café, engage and share your opinion! If we keep our feelings locked up online, we’re missing an opportunity to bring more chairs to the table of righteousness. Organize. This might just be the most important one. Check out the Sanders event organiser and start a volunteer drive, a voter carpool, or a phonebank (we did this over the weekend and it was super fun — even got a surprise pizza from some other Bernie supporters).
As the largest generational voter segment in the country, it would be a crying shame to miss this rare opportunity to effectively defy the establishment. As such, it becomes almost more important than the above points to make sure our friends vote. We must end this understandable but misguided idea floating around that not voting at all is somehow more radical than voting. Logically, we have to understand that all abstaining will achieve is letting the bastards win while standing on some imaginary moral high-ground.
Let’s step up and pave the road towards the future we want.
Let’s #FeelTheBern. | {
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The Queen and Prince William are visiting a relief centre helping victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Their visit to the Westway Sports Centre comes after police say some of those killed in the fire at the west London flats may never be identified. | {
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Nackttänze vor dem Pfarrhaus und Liebesavancen über viele Jahre: Wegen Stalkings gegen einen katholischen Pfarrer im deutschen Sauerland (Nordrhein-Westfalen) ist eine 76-Jährige gestern zu einer neunmonatigen Bewährungsstrafe verurteilt worden. Das Gericht kam – anders als in vielen vorangegangenen Verfahren in dem Fall – zu dem Schluss, dass die Frau voll schuldfähig ist, wie es vom Amtsgericht Meschede hieß.
Die Frau habe den jetzt 65 Jahre alten Pfarrer in Meschede-Freienohl im Jahr 2000 kennengelernt und sich derart in eine angebliche Liebesbeziehung hineingesteigert, dass sie ihm seither massiv nachstelle, so das Gericht. Durch ihre auch nächtlichen Kontaktversuche sei der Pfarrer bereits erheblich gesundheitlich beeinträchtigt, leide an starkem Bluthochdruck und Schlafstörungen.
Garten „dekoriert“ und obszöne Zurufe
Bereits mehrfach versuchte der Geistliche die Frau mit juristischen Mitteln zu stoppen, doch sie habe nicht aufgehört, ihn zu belästigen. So habe sie seinen Garten wiederholt mit Phallussymbolen wie Karotten oder Bananen dekoriert, ihm obszöne Worte zugerufen, sich vor seinen Augen entblößt und einen Tanz aufgeführt.
Dass die Frau mit einer Bewährungsstrafe davonkommt, liegt nach Angaben des Amtsgerichts daran, dass bisherige Prozesse im Freispruch endeten oder eingestellt wurden. Auch das neue Urteil ist nicht rechtskräftig. Der Verteidiger der Frau habe bereits angekündigt, dagegen vorgehen zu wollen. | {
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Home Daily News US intends to call Akin Gump lawyer in Manafort…
Trials & Litigation
US intends to call Akin Gump lawyer in Manafort trial; lawyers seek to block storage unit evidence
Paul Manafort/Mark Reinstein (Shutterstock.com.)
Lawyers for Paul Manafort learned Wednesday that the government plans to call a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld to testify in the trial of President Donald Trump’s former campaign chair.
The name of the partner, Melissa Laurenza, had been redacted in court documents, Law360 reports. She reportedly helped Manafort submit forms in which he registered as a foreign agent. Laurenza is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Government lawyers revealed the lawyer’s name during a federal court hearing in Washington, D.C. During the hearing, Manafort’s lawyers sought to exclude evidence seized from Manafort’s storage unit in Alexandria, Virginia. According to Courthouse News Service and Politico, Manafort’s lawyers faced “an uphill battle” as they pressed the argument during the hearing before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson.
The indictment against Manafort alleges a conspiracy to launder money derived from work for a former Ukrainian president, as well as a failure to report Ukrainian lobbying work.
A federal judge had ruled last year that a lawyer thought to be Laurenza could be compelled to testify to a grand jury under the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client and work-product privileges. The indictment said Manafort and Gates had provided false information to lawyers and other professionals.
Manafort’s lawyers cited a recent Supreme Court decision on rental-car privacy rights to support their argument that Manafort had a right to privacy in the searched storage unit, even though one of his former employees had a key and signed the lease. The National Law Journal covered the argument.
The decision, Byrd v. United States, held that a rental car driver who isn’t listed on the rental agreement generally retains a reasonable expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment when police seek to search the car.
The former employee had allowed the government to access the storage unit a day before the FBI used a search warrant to search the unit for business records.
Corrects spelling of Manafort’s name in first paragraph at 1:10 p.m. | {
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5 African Countries Announce Plan To Reject High-Sulfur Diesel Fuel Shipments From Europe
December 12th, 2016 by James Ayre
It’s been common practice for some time now to ship and sell high-sulfur diesel fuels in Africa where emissions and pollution standards are in general far more lax than they are in Europe, as a way of increasing profits on low-quality stocks.
Amazingly, recent research from the Swiss advocacy Public Eye found that some samples taken from pumps in African countries — which were “refined” in Europe, particularly in the ARA (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp) Zone — contained up to 378 times the levels of sulfur that are legal under European regulation standards.
In response to this, a coalition of 5 countries in Africa — Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Benin, and Togo — have jointly announced that they will begin rejecting shipments of high-sulfur diesel fuel refined in Europe in a bid to reduce harmful emissions.
As an example, Nigeria will reportedly begin accepting only diesel fuels with under 50 parts per million of sulfur — previously the legal limit in Nigeria was 3,000 parts per million.
Green Car Reports provides more: “The US-based Diesel Technology Forum advocacy group applauded the move, noting that the US diesel industry still thrives under the strict standards currently in place here. ‘The 5 African nations that recognize the opportunity for bringing in cleaner technology and the need for ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, will move forward,’ said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum.”
An unnamed source in the oil and gas industry with experience in Africa, though, stated (as quoted in the Green Car Reports article): “It’s not clear their populations can afford the cleaner diesel, or that is there enough cleaner diesel (produced in Europe) to meet that demand.”
So implementation may be difficult, or impossible.
Image via Meena Kadri (CC BY-SA)
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As Americans continue to struggle with the rising cost of health care, and service providers grapple with heightened privacy and data-management concerns, could a little blockchain be the cure for what ails us?
The city of Austin, Texas, certainly thinks so. And it’s bringing public and private entities to the table to find blockchain-based solutions to health-care-related problems.
On Monday, the Austin Blockchain Collective announced the formation of its Healthcare Working Group. The group aims to cultivate and promote the many ways in which blockchains can be used to improve the provision of health care in both the local Austin community and across the country.
From the outset, the Collective’s Healthcare Working Group will count with the support and participation of Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin and a half dozen Austin-based blockchain startups, including the crosschain solutions company Factom.
“The health-care space is one of fundamental importance, and delivery of improved and affordable health outcomes is of importance to everyone,” said Pete Harris, executive director of the Austin Blockchain Collective. “It's also hugely complex, and a good part of that complexity is technical,” he said.
And this where blockchain tech can help.
“For example, [the] integration of health-related data and how it is leveraged is likely to result in significant improvements to health-care applications,” said Harris. “We see blockchain’s role in sharing data, securing data, and in allowing patients to be in control of their own data as a focus that blockchain technology is well suited for.”
Harris said the Healthcare Working Group’s founding members are “very focused on data integration and ownership aspects of healthcare”—an area which Dell Medical School has long since spotlighted as increasingly important.
Both the Austin Blockchain Collective and Dell Medical School previously assisted the City of Austin in developing and prototyping a blockchain-based, data-management platform for Austin’s homeless population called MyPass. The MyPass initiative was designed to provide homeless individuals with ownership and control of their own medical and other private records as a way to more easily access services.
Anjum Khurshid, chief of data integration and assistant professor at Dell Med, told Decrypt last October that the technology behind MyPass was always intended to eventually benefit the broader population. After all, “fragmentation of data” is a problem at affects everyone across the entire health-care system, he said.
It appears that the Austin Blockchain Collective’s Healthcare Working Group presents the next phase in that same vision to use blockchain as a way to tackle the various health-care data issues previously identified by Khurshid, who will co-chair the group.
The expectation is that the working group will allow “researchers and clinicians at the University to discuss technical, policy, social, and ethical issues with industry partners for real world applications of blockchain technology in healthcare,” Khurshid said in a statement. “We would like to see the University of Texas and the City of Austin become a hub of research and innovation in this field.”
The group plans to hold regular meetings throughout the rest of 2019, said Harris, continuing the many informal talks the Collective has held with Dell Med on the issue over the last year. In addition to publishing its findings, the group plans to hold free and public events that invite members of the community to collaborate, the first of which is scheduled for August 19.
A community-driven movement to find ways to use new technology to solve old problems? It could be just what the doctor ordered. | {
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Manny Malhotra was skating with his Canuck teammates at practice today after being cleared for light contact by team doctors. Malhotra will still need to undergo another surgery on the eye in the off season, however that procedure is not required for him to return to action in the Stanley Cup Final. Though Canucks fans can’t help but be excited about this latest development, the debate about whether or not Manny Malhotra will suit up for the Canucks in the postseason continues.
You will recall it began a couple weeks ago when Manny was out on the ice alone in a track suit, gloves and a full face visor. This was spectacular news, especially when you consider that nobody in the Canucks’ camp was even sure whether the centreman would ever return to the game of hockey.
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A few days passed before Manny joined the team out on the ice – still wearing that track suit. No big deal. But then he poked a shot of adrenaline into the #Canucks twitterverse by wearing full gear at practice. Some were saying “there’s no way he plays” others were convinced he was prepping for a possible return (or why would he be joining practice – surely, not “just for fun”, as the team claimed).
Despite today’s promising news, he is not yet allowed to join the squad for full contact. However, an injury which was initially diagnosed as a ‘season-ender’ now looks like anything but. The way I see it, we’re gonna see Manny again in these playoffs and here’s why:
1. Injured players don’t practice with their teams unless they have a chance to return. Even if the assistant captain’s return to practice gave a major boost to his teammates (as Mike Gillis stated), hurt players are often in a different mindset and it can disrupt the team’s vibe.
2. Since the initial announcement, nobody other than Rick Bowness (…yes Rick Bowness) has explicitly denied that he may come back. Phrases such as “highly unlikely” and “miracle” have been tossed around regarding a return. So have “it’s incredible” and “amazing” regarding his recovery. Unless I hear something similar to: “He will not play again this year”, I believe he comes back.
3. In rare exceptions, injured players who are important to the culture of a team (like Manny or Sidney Crosby) sometimes stick around a team during a playoff run. But injured skaters – no matter how respected their leadership – don’t centre line rushes at practice if they can’t come back. If he’s in there, it’s because he’s getting his legs back so that he’ll be capable of playing should he be cleared to play, and decide to.
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4. When was the last time AV refused to talk to the media about a player that was around the team? Not to mention his conviction in denying anyone even the tiniest tidbit. It just seems like Vigneault and Gillis are holding this card as close to their vests as they can. My read: the Canucks aren’t bluffing, they’re under-playing pocket aces.
5. Why isn’t the media allowed to speak with Manny? Apparently Matt Sekeres asked this question of Gillis today, and was snapped at. This is weird because, from what I recall, if a player is practising, they’re usually available to media. Excluding Luongo on game days, of course.
So what happens if he doesn’t come back? I’ll be humiliated as someone who is 0-fer in his blog predictions.
But what if he does come back? Well, that’s the exciting part. If he returns you can bet your house that he’s not gonna jump onto an already effective 3rd line. Which means Manny will be centering a 4th line which could be trusted to share “tough minutes” more evenly with the current 3rd line. Lapierre and Malhotra are both strong defensively, on special teams, and in the face-off circle. Throw Oreskovich on that line, and you’ve combined a solid defensive centre with a less experienced and less talented Raffi Torres. The other wing would be reserved for either Jeff Tambellini or Cody Hodgson. Tambellini fits into Hansen’s mould as a speedster and fore-checker. Tambellini’s play isn’t quite as physical as Hansen’s, but he possesses a more accurate shot, and arguably has stronger natural offensive abilities. If you’re not feelin’ Tambellini on that line, why throw not Hodgson out there? He’s smart, he understands his role, and he would greatly benefit from playing with Manny in a Stanley Cup Final. He might even break the five minute mark in ice-time!
The possible line combinations can, and will be debated until Game 1 begins next Wednesday, but the fact that Manny makes this group better can not.
| {
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The dead woman found wrapped in a blanket and dumped in The Bronx was hauled there in a shopping cart by two suspects, police sources told The Post on Sunday, as two suspects were arrested.
A passerby found the body of the 54-year-old woman, identified by cops as Judy Guzman, on West 183rd Street near Sedgwick Avenue in University Heights just before 11:30 p.m. Friday, according to cops.
Guzman’s body was wrapped in a blanket and taped up with duct tape, according to police.
Joseph Howe, 50, and Jorge Torres, 53, were each charged Sunday with concealment of a human corpse and tampering with physical evidence, officials said.
The three were getting high together on Friday night when Guzman suffered a fatal overdose, police sources said.
The two men panicked, bound Guzman’s body in a blanket and loaded it into a shopping cart, sources said.
Sources told The Post that Howe and Torres were seen on surveillance video pushing a cart containing the body, then dumping it.
Investigators reviewing surveillance footage traced the men’s route back to a nearby residence for the formerly homeless — where both Guzman and Howe lived, sources said.
Guzman had previously been busted for drugs and prostitution, the sources said. | {
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The 1950s kitsch is all gone. Classic diner Mel’s Drive-In on Van Ness closed earlier this year for renovations, and now it’s back as Mel’s Kitchen, a totally modernized and sleek and kind of sexy American restaurant with a full bar. The space now sports dark wood, burgundy booths, and soft lighting — the old-school fun and memorabilia have been scrubbed away.
The huge laminated menus with more than a dozen burgers are gone too. Now there’s one dry-aged, $16 burger and the Impossible Burger. You’ll find more bougie offerings, too, like ahi poke, acai smoothies, and avocado toast.
But the biggest change is that Mel’s now has a full bar — and $12 cocktails, such as the Jack Tar with rum, yellow chartreuse, and passion fruit.
Mel’s Drive-In is a San Francisco original, first opening a location on South Van Ness in 1947. Now, it has eight locations in California, including a new and beautiful restaurant in Santa Monica. Bay Area diners who crave the ‘50s nostalgia can still visit Mel’s Drive-In in its more familiar diner format at 801 Mission Street, 2165 Lombard Street, and 3355 Geary Boulevard.
Mel’s Kitchen is now open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., at 1050 Van Ness Avenue. | {
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U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert vowed Tuesday not to change his "open and friendly" approach to diplomacy, as he left a South Korean hospital five days after being attacked by a knife-wielding man screaming about Korean unification.
Lippert told reporters assembled at Seoul's Severance Hospital that he felt "pretty darn good, all things considered" after the "scary incident" on Thursday, when police say an anti-U.S. activist slashed his face and left arm during a breakfast forum in Seoul.
Lippert, his face bandaged and his arm in a brace, would not comment on the specifics of the attack because of the police investigation. He refused to discuss possible new security measures, except to say U.S. officials would take "a hard look" at procedures in South Korea and then make a decision.
He said that since arriving in Seoul this past fall, he has "felt embraced and welcomed by the Korean people."
"In return, we have made it our mission to be open and friendly. And that will not change," he said. (AP)
Find more news related pictures on our photo galleries page and follow us on Tumblr. | {
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NorCal's own resident Super-Skrull expert Hi I'm Nastyy has uploaded part two of his Ultimate Super-Skrull Guide 2.0. This video will go over various techniques such as how to always land the Stone Smite, how to Tiger Knee out of various attacks and many other tips that will help you up your game! Check it out after the jump. | {
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Four people were shot, including a 6-year-old, when a masked suspect opened fire Sunday night outside a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in San Antonio, authorities said.
The gunman, described only as a male, is at large.
Two of the victims, in their 20s, were in critical condition. The 6-year-old, who was shot in the leg, is in stable condition, MySanAntonio.com reported. The victims were all family members.
“The folks were waiting outside to eat when the shooting occurred,” San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said.
The shooting was not considered random and the suspected gunman fired 10 bullets from a semi-automatic pistol, emptying the magazine.
Authorities responded to reports of an active shooter at about 8:45 p.m. McManus said it was not an active-shooter situation because the shooting was not random. | {
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Today the Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, set out Scotland’s delivery plan for raising attainment in our schools. The plan sets out how we will ensure that every child, no matter their background, has the same opportunities and an equal chance to succeed.
Here’s what you need to know.
There is a shared commitment right across education to close the attainment gap between children from the most and least deprived backgrounds.
We will deliver this focus on closing the attainment gap by increasing investment in the Scottish Attainment Challenge and extending its scope over the next five years.
By August the Scottish Government will publish clear, practical advice on assessing achievement in literacy and numeracy and, by the end of the year, advice will be provided on the achievement of curriculum levels in every curriculum area.
The plan will ensure that teachers have more time to teach.
We will reduce workload in schools and de-clutter the curriculum – stripping away anything that creates unnecessary workload for teachers or pupils. To ensure that we have highly qualified and empowered staff we will also invest in teachers and their skills.
We will empower children and young people, parents, teachers and communities to take a much more active role in school life.
We will launch a governance and funding review, focussed on devolving decision making and funding to schools and communities. This will also support the development of school clusters and new education regions. Alongside this we will develop proposals for a fair and transparent national funding formula.
Read the plan in full here. | {
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どうも、やしろあずきです……。
YouTuber風のサムネイルで失礼します
皆さまは「ネカマ」をご存じでしょうか。
ネットゲームなどをプレイしている人はよく聞く用語だと思いますが、ネカマとは「インターネットオカマ」の略、つまりネット上で女性のフリをする男性のことです。
現実世界のオカマはなんとなく見た目で判断できる確率も高いですが（もちろん完全に分からない人もいますが）、ネット上の情報しか頼れないネカマは一目じゃ「この人本当は男だな！」なんて判別できません。アバターが女性で、本人も女性というならそれを信じるしかないのです。
ただ、最近はネトゲなどで自分が男性だということを公言して女性キャラクターを使う人も増えてきており、そういう人は「ネカマ」ではないと僕は考えています。
僕もFF14では女性キャラ使っていますし……。
なのでこの記事では「ネット上で自分が男性だということを隠しながら女性として振る舞う」人たちを「ネカマ」として扱うことにします。
分かったか!!!!! ネット上で自分が男性だということを隠しながら女性として振る舞ってる奴ら!!!!!! おい!!!!
……すいません、荒ぶってしまって。
もう察している人もいると思のですが、実は僕はネカマに対してあまり良い思い出がありません。
中学生のころ、ネトゲにどっぷりハマっていたのですが、もう僕のネトゲ歴＝ネカマにだまされていた歴と言っても過言ではないほどにだまされまくっていました。つらい。
夕日を見ながら将来を誓い合ったあの娘も、誕生日を一緒にお祝いしたあの娘も、みーんなネカマでした。蓋を開けたらみんな男。
めちゃくちゃ好きだったギルドの姫についにオフ会で会えると思ったらゴリゴリのオッサンが現れたときは、本気で自殺を考えたほどでした。
僕には分からないのです。
別にリアルだとゲイだというわけでもないのに、なぜネット上で女性のフリをするのか？
なんのためにネカマという生き方をしているのか?? なんで僕をだましたの??? なんで???
……後半私情が入ってしまいましたが、つまり今回は「ネカマがなぜネカマをしているか」をテーマに実際にネカマをしている人、していた人にインタビューをして調査してみよう。という企画です。
1|2|3|4 次のページへ | {
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Having fulfilled one of her childhood ambitions when she became a woman, Melissa Ede, 53, a taxi driver from Hull, hoped to tick off another by becoming part of the Mars One expedition.
So determined to make it into space was Miss Ede, she decided to prove her dedication by getting the project's logo tattooed on her forearm.
But when Miss Ede's application to become one of the first 'colonists' on Mars was turned down, she was left devastated - and desperate to remove the offending inking.
Missed opportunity: Melissa Ede, 53, from Hull, had hoped to be part of the Mars One mission
Miss Ede's bid to go into space began in April 2013 when she read that Mars One was recruiting astronauts willing to become part of a colony on the red planet.
Although taking part in the mission would have meant leaving Earth for good, Miss Ede, who says she dreamed of 'changing the world' as a child, leapt at the opportunity.
'As a child, I had two dreams,' she explains. 'One was to become a woman. The other one was to make history.
'Mars One is a mission about sending human beings to Mars. It's about colonising Mars so you take a trip one way and start a new life.
'The opportunity of taking that challenge on, completing that challenge, was worth everything I had.'
Dedication: She had hoped to impress selectors with her dedication after getting a tattoo of the logo
Devastated: The taxi driver was heartbroken when she was turned down - and now wants the inking removed
Miss Ede, who says she has dedicated her life thus far to 'promoting diversity', duly applied and in July 2014, was delighted to discover that she had made the long list of astronauts.
'Out of a quarter million people who applied worldwide, I was one of 600 overall and 20 in Britain to be chosen,' she explains.
Looking forward to a new life on the red planet but with further selection rounds to go, she decided to get a tattoo of the project's logo in a bid to prove to selectors just how serious she was.
But eight months after getting the bright red inking on her forearm, she was left devastated after receiving an email telling her that her application had been rejected.
'That was one of the worst moments in my life to be honest,' she remembers. 'I've been through so much in my life already and to read that [email], everything just crashed around me.'
Dream: She had hoped to blast off into Space (Discovery pictured) and make a one way trip to Mars
Now, six months on from the disappointing email, Miss Ede is splashing out on tattoo removal in the hope that getting rid of it will let her move on with her life.
'I don't want it anymore,' she explains. I'm not part of the Mars One programme any more so I want rid of it. That's them gone.
'I'm not going to go to Mars. I'm staying here instead. I've got so much more to give. I can't do it on Mars so I'll continue here on Earth.' | {
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With a Philippine flag in her hands, Filipina triathlete Joyette Jopson crosses the finishing line of the 78° North Marathon.
Filipina runner Joyette Jopson overcame all odds and conquered the grueling 42-kilometer 78° North Marathon held near the North Pole last April 16.Jopson, a triathlete, 2014 Ironman 70.3 Philippines Filipino Elite Champion and FWD Financial Wealth Officer, became the very first Filipina to run a marathon in the freezing temperature of Longyearbyen, Svalbard—a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Jopson and the FWD Team Asia runners ran amid a ruggedly icy terrain and freezing temperature. She finished the race with an impressive time of 4 hours, 10 minutes, and 59 seconds—good for third overall and first in the women’s group.. The lone Philippine representative in the marathon, Jopson joined other FWD runners from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand in the marathon sponsored by the global FWD group. Her participation, in turn, was sponsored by FWD Philippines, one of the fastest-growing insurance companies in the country. “The FWD Group had initially been supporting the world’s ‘coolest’ marathon at the North Pole, returning as title sponsor for the third year in a row,” said Peter Grimes, FWD Philippines President and CEO.“The Marathon was cancelled at the last minute because of geopolitical tensions between the Russian and Ukrainian administrations regarding flight plans to the Pole,” Grimes added. Undeterred, FWD stepped in with the idea to create and organize its own marathon at Longyearbyen, which they called the 78° North Marathon, so that runners could still fulfill their ambitions to complete a marathon in sub-zero temperatures and extreme winter conditions while raising funds for their sponsored charities. FWD successfully arranged the marathon against the odds in three hectic days, inviting all registered North Pole Marathon runners to take part. | {
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Cono Sur: poca violencia, mucha preocupación
Pie de foto, Argentina y Uruguay tienen una de las tasas de criminalidad más bajas de A. Latina.
Este jueves habrá una manifestación contra la inseguridad en Montevideo convocada por una organización civil que busca llamar la atención de las autoridades uruguayas. Afirman que es un problema que se agrava.
"El tema es bastante preocupante, las personas de distintas clases sociales no pueden ni salir de sus casas", señaló a BBC Mundo Janio Paiva, coordinador del grupo Uruguay Seguro, que organiza la protesta.
En Argentina, el tema también preocupa. De manera diaria se oye mencionar el asunto entre la población o a través de los medios de comunicación privados.
Irónicamente, ambos países tienen algunas de las tasas de criminalidad más bajas del continente.
Estadísticas oficiales muestran que en 2008 y 2009, en la capital uruguaya la tasa de homicidios se mantuvo en 6,4 personas por cada 100.000, mientras que en Buenos Aires también fue inferior a 5 por cada 100.000 habitantes.
Pero el debate público pareciera más cercano al que se da en las principales ciudades de países como Venezuela, Colombia o El Salvador, por mencionar algunos casos, donde las muertes violentas son hasta diez veces superiores.
Victimización y percepción
La diferencia entre lo que se percibe y lo que realmente es ha sido objeto de estudio por parte de académicos de las ciencias sociales mediante indicadores de opinión pública.
Esta semana el tema fue discutido en un intercambio entre centros de investigación de 17 países de América Latina que forman parte de la Red Iberoamericana de Análisis de Datos sobre la Delincuencia (RIADD).
"En las charlas una de las principales cuestiones que surgieron es que en el Cono Sur hay una percepción absolutamente desfasada con los datos duros de la criminalidad", señaló a BBC Mundo Carola Concaro, directora del Instituto Latinoamericano de Seguridad y Democracia, organismo basado en Buenos Aires que forma parte de RIAD.
"Argentina, Chile y Uruguay están al tope del ranking en victimización, pero son los más bajos en índice de homicidios", agregó.
La victimización es una encuesta que busca saber qué proporción de la población de estudio ha sufrido algún hecho delictivo, con una metodología avalada por Naciones Unidas.
Su contracara es el índice de percepción de inseguridad que busca determinar qué tan segura se siente la población en donde vive.
En 2010, un estudio de Barómetro de las Américas dejó a Perú como el país donde las personas manifestaron sentirse más inseguras y a Argentina en segundo lugar.
Argentina: la mayor brecha
"Pero Argentina tiene la mayor brecha en la región entre la percepción de la población y la victimización", indicó a BBC Mundo Germán Lodola, uno de los autores de la investigación.
"No quiere decir que no haya un problema, sino que hay factores que escandalizan más a la gente, como por ejemplo la actividad de los medios", aseveró.
"Ahora al tener canales con noticias con más frecuencia, la noticia de un remisero (taxista) muerto se transmite 20 veces en un día y pareciera que fueron 20 remiseros (taxistas) que murieron", agregó Lodola.
Al ahondar en la discusión sobre la inseguridad en Uruguay, el argumento de Lodola se ve ejemplificado en el organizador de la protestas de este jueves en Montevideo.
Paiva reconoció que su grupo no maneja datos de criminalidad, sino que "si te fijas por los medios de difusión diariamente tenemos atracos, asaltos a bancos, víctimas, fallecimientos por la delincuencia".
"La información estadística tendríamos que estudiarla, nosotros nos basamos en los hechos reales", afirma Paiva.
¿Estadísticas fiables?
En donde Paiva y los académicos coinciden es en que las estadísticas de cirminalidad que divulgan los gobiernos no necesariamente revelan la realidad.
"En ocasiones su fiabilidad se ve puesta en duda por el grado de corrupción que pueda haber en la compilación de los datos. Y además el grado de denuncia en América Latina es muy bajo en general, por lo que no se sabe con exactitud su magnitud", aseveró Concaro.
"De ahí que el cálculo de la victimización sirve para complementar el registro oficial", acota.
Además, intercede Lodola, está "el uso electoral por parte de los políticos del tema de la inseguridad que contribuye a la percepción de inseguridad existente".
Para muchos estudiosos de las ciencias sociales, y específicamente del área de criminalidad, además hay un problema de fondo.
El saber cuántos muertos hubo, cuántas violaciones se denunciaron y qué cantidad de atracos hay registrados en un año o país determinado no combate la delincuencia, aseguran.
Políticas más efectivas
"A la hora de hacer política criminal este tipo de datos sirve de poco. Te da una foto descriptiva y fiable de la realidad, pero no registra la dinámica del modus operandi del delito por lo que no sirve para elaborar políticas", explica Concaro.
Organizaciones como RIADD buscan justamente el replanteamiento de políticas que sean más efectivas a la hora de combatir la delincuencia.
El objetivo es lo que se denomina el mercado criminal.
"Hace falta estudiar el mercado criminal. Quiénes son sus actores, qué alianzas hay, si hay convivencia con el Estado, cuáles son las redes financieras. Porque está comprobado que cuando se atacan un punto de criminalidad este se termina moviendo a otro lado, no desaparece", explica la directora del Instituto Latinoamericano de Seguridad y Democracia. | {
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking to profit to the maximum from Ukraine's turmoil by implementing the de-facto annexation of Crimea at high speed to wrong foot an indecisive West, analysts said.
The ousting of the generally pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych was a major defeat for Putin and means that the ex-Soviet state is now swiftly aligning itself with the European Union in a historic switch away from the Kremlin.
But with Ukraine in chaos under its new pro-Western authorities, Putin is moving to seize Crimea, a region that most Russians believe only ended up in post-USSR Ukraine because of a catastrophic mistake by Nikita Khrushchev to make it part of the Soviet republic of Ukraine.
The Crimean parliament said Thursday it was asking Putin if Crimea could become part of Russia and would put the issue to the people in a hastily brought forward referendum on March 16.
Russia's parliament is meanwhile already preparing a bill to ease the process for incorporating part of a foreign state into Russia.
While the initial move has come from the Crimean parliament, few doubt this is a plan by Putin drawn up at breathtaking speed so that Russia can gain some historical profit from the Ukraine crisis.
It is move entirely in character for a strongman leader who famously declared the collapse of the Soviet Union to be the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the twentieth century.
The swoop is unlikely to meet with much opposition in Russian society which remains a hotbed of patriotism and often nostalgic for the projection of Moscow power seen in the Soviet era.
- What is Putin's aim? -
Putin -- who has always sought to promote Russia's status as a great power in any situation like the Syria conflict -- wants to show the West that the Kremlin will not leave events like the Ukraine uprising without reaction.
"Putin has decided to show that he does not fear the West or sanctions. He has decided to put the West in front of a fait accompli to show his decisiveness," said leading Russian defence commentator Pavel Felgenhauer.
"Putin cannot and does not want to take a step backwards, especially as the propaganda campaign in Russia has been ratcheted up so much."
Alexei Makarkin of the Centre for Political Technology in Moscow said: "The situation is changing fast –- what yesterday seemed unthinkable now becomes reality."
- How far will Putin go? -
A big question is whether Russia limits itself to just Crimea or also makes a move on eastern Ukraine, which also has Russian-speakers who consider themselves loyal to the Kremlin.
"He is saying that Crimea is ours. Russia is not going to enter the territory of the rest of Ukraine, in as much as Crimea is going to become Russian territory," Makarkin said.
"He is saying give us Crimea and we will not touch the rest. It's not going to work (annexing) the east, it would be too dangerous."
But Nikolai Petrov, professor at the Higher School of Economics, said the idea of moving into the east of Ukraine was still very much on the table.
"Putin wants to consolidate his success and set out the positions for negotiations –- guaranteed inclusion of Crimea into Russia and control over eastern Ukraine."
- What are the risks? -
Russia faces unprecedented post-Cold War isolation, sanctions as well as risks to its already fragile economy, with the ruble slumping again on Thursday.
Traditional alliances may be endangered. China, worried about separatism in the Xinjiang region, may not be impressed by such radical moves. Kazakhstan will fret about being lumped with Russia in a Customs Union at such dangerous times.
"Russia is going to be in isolation at the UN. Ukraine will not acknowledge the annexation of Crimea and it is possible relations will be cut off," said Makarkin.
Meanwhile Felgenhauer said Russia's annexation of Crimea may not prove to be the walk in the park that Russia appears to expect, especially with Crimea's Tatar population traditionally loyal to Kiev and hostile to Russian domination.
"A partisan war could start in Crimea," he said.
Copyright (2014) AFP. All rights reserved. | {
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DARLAND DOES IT AGAIN AT LAWRENCEBURG FOR USAC SPRINT WIN #58
In what became a contest of survival of the fittest, Dave Darland was the last man standing, making his tires last to the finish to extend his all-time USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship career victory tally to 58 in Saturday night’s 30-lap feature at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway. With the win, Darland continued his incredible streak of winning at least one USAC National feature in each year to 24 consecutive seasons!
Darland, of Lincoln, Ind., started 10th and picked his way to the front one-by-one, conserving his right-rear tire as several of the frontrunners fell by the wayside in the latter half of the feature. Justin Grant was the first one to fall victim to tire wear while running in the third spot on lap 19, bringing out the yellow, and moving Darland to third behind Robert Ballou and Thomas Meseraull.
Defending USAC National Sprint car champ Ballou and USAC’s most recent feature winner at Lawrenceburg, Meseraull, battled for the top spot throughout the middle portion of the race as the field began to gravitate toward the bottom of the track to the rubber. Though Meseraull threw everything he could at Ballou, he was unable to wrestle away the position.
With just 10 to go, Meseraull’s right rear tire began to soften as Shane Cottle and Jerry Coons, Jr. tangled in turn two, bringing out the yellow flag. With right rear tire degradation imminent on Meseraull’s machine, all he could do was hold on, but a yellow for fifth-running Chad Boespflug, who lost a right rear tire with eight laps to go, brought a stoppage to the action once again.
On the restart, the right rear tires of leader Ballou and second-place Meseraull began to show their cords. Meseraull’s was the first to give way on a lap 22 restart while Ballou’s only lasted two more laps until the 24th lap. Darland took over the lead and, with his tires appearing to show limited wear, seemingly took control of the event.
Late-race challenger Brady Bacon stood second when action resumed, but he quickly became the next victim, wearing out a right rear on lap 25.
After Aaron Farney’s tire gave way with three to go and a Landon Simon spin in turn three, due to the number of yellow flags and the total laps run under green and yellow conditions during the feature, the decision was made by race control to throw the red flag so that teams could stop for a splash of fuel for the final dash to the finish.
The final restart saw C.J. Leary lined up behind Darland for the final three-lap sprint, but a strong restart by Darland erased all doubt, providing him with an insurmountable lead in the final laps as he wheeled his Jeff Walker/Curb-Agajanian Racing/Jam-It-In-Storage – Hoosier Tire-sponsored Maxim/Claxton as straight as an arrow on the bottom of the racetrack on his way to his first victory of the season over Leary, Scotty Weir, Chase Stockon, Max McGhee, KSE Hard Charger Dallas Hewitt, new series point leader Meseraull, Ballou, Grant and Farney.
Darland earned his first USAC win in the seat of a Jeff Walker-owned car since October of 2012 at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Arizona while Walker’s number 11 found USAC victory lane for the first time since Chris Windom’s triumph in 2013 “4-Crown Nationals” at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
Darland, who dedicated his victory to longtime friend and sponsor Steve Stroud, who passed away in February of this year, netted his seventh career USAC National Sprint win at Lawrenceburg Speedway, two more than any other driver. Darland knew early on that tire conservation was going to be the key to putting his car in victory lane at night’s end.
“I knew from the beginning that it was going to be tough to save tires, but I knew everybody else was in the same boat, so we just had to make the best of it,” Darland said. “We were fast, but had to save our stuff and I’m glad we could hold on and get it done.”
Leary’s maiden voyage in the Michael Dutcher Racing number 17GP went about as smoothly as he could hope for, recording ProSource qualifying time to begin the night and finishing a strong second place at the checkered flag for the second consecutive year in the April Lawrenceburg show.
“I was running up top at the start because I didn’t even really know how much rubber was down on the bottom,” Leary admitted. “But once I moved down, it was just a matter of riding and trying to save your stuff. I hate to run second again, but it was a good first night in Mike’s (Dutcher) stuff, so I’m pretty happy.”
Weir’s run to third in the Todd Keen machine was his best result since April of 2014 when he scored a third at Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway.
“I watched the B-Main and knew it was going to lay rubber, so I had the mindset from the beginning that I was just going to ride and try to outlast everybody,” Weir said. Thankfully, it sort of played out that way for us and we had a solid run.”
Contingency award winners include C.J. Leary (ProSource Fast Qualifier), Chase Stockon (Simpson Race Products First Heat), Chad Boespflug (Competition Suspension (CSI) Second Heat), Jarett Andretti (Benic Enterprises Third Heat), Thomas Meseraull (Indy Race Parts Fourth Heat) and Dallas Hewitt (KSE Hard Charger).
-----------------------------------------------
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: April 2, 2016 – Lawrenceburg, Indiana – Lawrenceburg Speedway
PROSOURCE QUALIFYING: 1. C.J. Leary, 17GP, Dutcher-13.861; 2. Justin Grant, 5, Baldwin-13.996; 3. Robert Ballou, 1, Ballou-14.027; 4. Max McGhee, 17, McGhee-14.224; 5. Brady Bacon, 69, Dynamics-14.304; 6. Shawn Westerfeld, 89, Westerfeld-14.317; 7. Kody Swanson, 71p, Phillips/Wolters-14.339; 8. Thomas Meseraull, 66, Amati-14.350; 9. Scotty Weir, 18w, Keen-14.433; 10. Chad Boespflug, 98E, NineEight/Eberhardt/Zirzow-14.455; 11. Dave Darland, 11, Walker/Curb-Agajanian-14.570; 12. Kyle Cummins, 3R, Byram-14.602; 13. Aaron Farney, 15F, Farney-14.618; 14. Carson Short, 21, Short-14.817; 15. Jerry Coons Jr., 10E, Edison-14.848; 16. Kevin Thomas Jr., 2E, Epperson-14.878; 17. Chase Stockon, 32, 32 TBI-14.883; 18. Jon Stanbrough, 81, Stanbrough-15.050; 19. Jarett Andretti, 18, Andretti-15.073; 20. Shane Cottle, 57, Hazen-15.140; 21. Chris Windom, 21x, Pollock-15.153; 22. Isaac Chapple, 52, LNR/Chapple-15.197; 23. Joss Moffatt, 5J, Moffatt-15.211; 24. Dallas Hewitt, 16, Hewitt-15.222; 25. Kyle Robbins, 17R, Robbins-15.234; 26. Casey Shuman, 4J, 4J Motorsports-15.278; 27. Garrett Abrams, 32A, Abrams-15.304; 28. Brandon Mattox, 04, Burton-15.316; 29. Cole Ketcham, 41K, Ketcham-15.387; 30. Landon Simon, 24, LSR-15.475; 31. Bret Mellenberndt, 97, Mellenberndt-15.517; 32. Matt Goodnight, 39, Goodnight-15.521; 33. Logan Jarrett, 29, Jarrett-15.565; 34. Aric Gentry, 10, GBR-15.774; 35. Kent Wolters, 71wp, Wolters-16.310; 36. Riley VanHise, 96, VanHise-16.883.
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Stockon, 2. Leary, 3. Bacon, 4. Weir, 5. Windom, 6. Farney, 7. Jarrett, 8. Robbins, 9. Ketcham. 2:06.75
COMPETITION SUSPENSION (CSI) SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Boespflug, 2. Stanbrough, 3. Westerfeld, 4. Grant, 5. Short, 6. Shuman, 7. Simon, 8. Chapple, 9. Gentry. NT
BENIC ENTERPRISES THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Andretti, 2. Darland, 3. Ballou, 4. Coons, 5. Moffatt, 6. Abrams, 7. Mellenberndt, 8. Wolters, 9. Swanson. 2:07.35
INDY RACE PARTS FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Meseraull, 2. Cottle, 3. Cummins, 4. Hewitt, 5. Mattox, 6. Thomas, 7. Goodnight, 8. VanHise, 9. McGhee. NT
SEMI: (12 laps) 1. McGhee, 2. Thomas, 3. Farney, 4. Short, 5. Moffatt, 6. Ketcham, 7. Robbins, 8. Shuman, 9. Simon, 10. Goodnight, 11. Abrams, 12. Chapple, 13. VanHise, 14. Mellenberndt, 15. Swanson, 16. Mattox, 17. Jarrett, 18. Wolters, 19. Windom. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Dave Darland, 2. C.J. Leary, 3. Scotty Weir, 4. Chase Stockon, 5. Max McGhee, 6. Dallas Hewitt, 7. Thomas Meseraull, 8. Robert Ballou, 9. Justin Grant, 10. Aaron Farney, 11. Jerry Coons Jr., 12. Brady Bacon, 13. Jarett Andretti, 14. Kyle Cummins, 15. Kevin Thomas Jr., 16. Landon Simon, 17. Carson Short, 18. Cole Ketcham, 19. Shawn Westerfeld, 20. Chad Boespflug, 21. Shane Cottle, 22. Jon Stanbrough, 23. Joss Moffatt. NT
----------------------------
**Wolters and Jarrett flipped at the start of the semi.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-3 Westerfeld, Laps 4-24 Ballou, Laps 25-30 Darland.
NEW USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Meseraull-269, 2-Cummins-268, 3-Stockon-253, 4-Darland-240, 5-Grant-240, 6-Ballou-233, 7-Bacon-229, 8-McGhee-228, 9-Bryan Clauson-209, 10-Leary-208.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: April 15 – Bloomington (IN) Speedway | {
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Uncomfortable Situation Seal
never thought i would have a guy rub iodine on my bells
how do you think i feel
these captions aren't guaranteed to be correct | {
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CINCINNATI – The fatal shooting of Sam DuBose by University of Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing was "not justified" and violated department policy, according to an independent investigative report released by the university Friday.
It also said Tensing was "not factually accurate" in his account of events during the off-campus traffic stop on July 19, rejecting his claim that he was dragged by DuBose's car, as a grand jury did.
The DuBose family's attorney disputed a significant finding in the report and suggested that Tensing - and other UC officers - have been guilty of racial profiling in making traffic stops. Tensing said he followed DuBose a mile off campus because his car did not have a front license plate.
"The whole notion that this was a good [traffic] stop, we have real problems with that because we do believe there is a discriminatory traffic stop policy in place," attorney Al Gerhardstein said.
READ the summary of the report here and the full report here or below.
Otherwise, the report echoed the criminal investigation that led to an indictment of murder and voluntary manslaughter against Tensing. The shooting "never should have occurred" and was "entirely preventable," the 65-page report says.
The report says Tensing, who is white, acted appropriately in stopping DuBose, who was black, but Tensing made "a critical error in judgment" and allowed the situation to escalate, resulting in the deadly shooting, Dr. Robin Engel, Vice President for Safety and Reform, said in reviewing the findings. Engel and other UC officials appeared at a news conference to discuss the report.
DuBose's brother Aubrey was there, too. He said he is still mourning his brother but he did not blame police in general, only Tensing.
WATCH the body-cam video of the shooting below (WARNING: This may be too graphic for some viewers. The shooting takes place at 1:55.)
"I'm sitting here without my brother and it didn't have to happen, it's just hard to put into words what I feel," he said.
"I do feel like this was an isolated incident. I don't feel like cops are like this, just killing people. I feel like he may have been an outlier for that."
When the subject of racial profiling came up, UC officials spoke to separate Tensing from the rest of UCPD.
S. Gregory Baker, UC Director of Police Community Relations, acknowledged Tensing's record of stopping black motorists nearly four times as often as whites.
"There was a distinct disproportion in the number of citations he wrote to African Americans as compared to his peer officers," Baker said.
James Whalen, just hired as Director of Public Safety last month and former Cincinnati Police assistant chief, said: "We have a professional police department that quite frankly needs to be picked up here. They've been the subject of an incredible amount of criticism because of the bad actions of one person."
"UC is committed to working with the community to rebuild the trust we lost," Engel said.
As recommended in the report, Engel said UC would move to build a more diverse work force, hold diversity training for officers in October and conduct a review of all aspects of the UCPD. She noted that UC had already created "an early warning system" to red-flag officers like Tensing.
Contacted after the report was released, Tensing's attorney, Stew Mathews, said he had "no comment at this time. And you can quote me on that."
The report said no UC officers attempted to cover up for Tensing. Two who were placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation, Phillip Kidd and David Lindenschmidt, returned to duty Friday, Engel said.
UC said it retained Kroll Inc., a leading investigative firm, to review the shooting. Investigators repeatedly reviewed slow-motion body cam video from Tensing and other officers at the scene as well as frame-by-frame video stills, the report said. Twenty people - including 16 officers at the scene - were interviewed.
Here are some highlights from the report:
CONCLUSIONS
"Officer Tensing conducted a lawful and justified traffic stop ... His actions were authorized by UCPD policy, state law and the Memorandum of Understanding" with the city.
"Tensing's initial tactics, demeanor, and approach in addressing DuBose were appropriate."
"Rather than de-escalating the encounter and allowing DuBose to drive away and subsequently calling in a request for assistance, Tensing escalated the situation by improperly reaching into the car in an attempt to restrain DuBose. This violated standard police practice."
"Tensing further escalated the encounter by drawing his service weapon within one to two seconds of the moment DuBose started the car. Both of DuBose's hands were visible to the officer and DuBose had not demonstrated any aggression or threatening behavior. UCPD policy permits an officer to draw his weapon only when 'necessary.'"
UCPD policy permits deadly force "to affect lawful objectives" and to protect the officer or others "from an immediate threat of death or grievous bodily harm" but "only the force reasonable and necessary under the circumstances should be used to affect an arrest or in self-defense."
"We have concluded that, based on all the evidence, Officer Tensing's use of deadly force on Sam DuBose violated UCPD policy."
TENSING WAS NOT DRAGGED
"As outlined in our findings of fact, there is no evidence that Officer Tensing was dragged by [Dubose's] Honda Accord or that his arm got caught in the 'steering wheel' or anywhere else inside the car…"
TENSING WAS NOT TRUTHFUL
"Based on our findings of fact and evaluation of the body camera video footage, we find Officer Tensing was not factually accurate - and possibly not truthful - in his statements to the CPD on July 21, 2015 , in an apparent violation of UCPD Rules of Conduct, Section A.43(a)."
KIDD AND LINDENSCHMIDT STATEMENTS
"Officer Kidd made some initial statements on the scene of arguably questionable credibility … Nevertheless, his subsequent detailed statement to CPD and to Kroll reasonably clarified more precisely what he did and did not see in the first few seconds of when he arrived on the scene. "Officer Lindenschmidt appeared to have answered all questions put to him truthfully and accurately…" According to official statements, Tensing, 25, shot and killed DuBose, a 43-year-old musician and father, during an afternoon traffic stop at Thill and Rice streets in Mount Auburn. The shocking video shows Tensing standing outside the driver's door with DuBose at the wheel. The two men talk calmly and politely for about one minute and 50 seconds. But in the next five seconds, the encounter turns deadly. Tensing asks DuBose repeatedly to show his driver's license, but DuBose declines. DuBose finally says he doesn't have it with him and that he's going home. Tensing orders DuBose to take off his seat belt. The officer grabs the door handle and starts to open the door. DuBose closes the door with his left hand and uses his right hand to turn the key to start the car. Tensing yells, "Stop, stop," as his body cam shows him reach through the window and fire a single shot into DuBose's head at point-blank range. Later, Tensing claimed DuBose's car was dragging him and he shot out of fear that he would be run over. But county prosecutor Joe Deters said the body cam video refutes that. Deters called it "murder" and said Tensing falls backward in the video due to the force of shooting DuBose. Initially Kidd and Lindenschmidt backed Tensing's claim that he was being dragged in their body cam videos (Kidd also supported the claim in the UC police internal report). But Deters said they retracted their statements when they testified under oath to Cincinnati Police investigators and the grand jury. The grand jury cleared them of wrongdoing. Tensing's attorney has asked to move the trial out of Hamilton County. The trial, which had been scheduled to start Nov. 16, has been postponed pending hearings. Tensing is free on $1 million bond. UC fired Tensing after the shooting but he has appealed, saying UC violated process by not granting him a hearing. The shooting led to a smattering of angry protests downtown but there was no rioting or violence. DuBose's family publicly pleaded that there be no violence, saying DuBose would have opposed it. The shooting put a harsh light on UC police and campus police around the country. Deters said UC shouldn't be in the policing business and called for the university to disband its department. The Kroll report said its findings about the shooting are "not an indictment" of UCPD, but it recommended changes (See below). After the shooting, UC President Santa Ono ordered his police to stop patrolling off campus, and city council suspended the Memorandum of Understanding that allowed UC police to do it. The two sides reached the agreement after a rash of armed robberies of UC students on the streets around campus last year. The report called into question the huge increase in traffic stops by UCPD since 2013. As of July 31, there were already 2,028 this year - almost three times as many as in all of 2013 (713), the report said. In Kroll interviews, "some officers and supervisors expressed concern that increased focus on traffic enforcement has distracted from the UCPD's mission of crime prevention and protecting students," the report said. Kroll said the flurry of traffic stops - and tickets - "does not appear to have been the result of any official policy or directive of the UCPD." Instead, it attributes that to the growth of the department - from 45 officers in 2012 to 75 - and to patrols off-campus, noting that those patrols "have substantially increased police visibility and been a contribuing factor to the steady reduction in crime in the area." REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS Kroll's report included several recommendations for UCPD: > Leave urban policing to Cincinnati Police. Kroll said UCPD lacks the experience and training necessary "to investigate serious crimes, engage diverse multi-ethnic communities and patrol areas of the city not affiliated with the university or its mission." > Try to modify its agreement with the city and limit off-campus patrols to areas adjacent to the campus where students live or go. > Require any officer involved in a shooting to submit to a toxicology test to prevent speculation that the officer acted under the influence. > Have an extensive review of policies and procedures. > Hold enhanced cultural diversity and competency training. "This is a critical need since UCPD is a predominantly white police force." > Create a more diversified police force that "more accurately reflects the rich diversity" of UC and surrounding neighborhoods. > Beef up training standards that reflect the Ohio attorney general's recommendations following the fatal shootings of John Crawford III at the Beavercreek Walmart and 12-year-old Tamir Rice in a Cleveland park. > Create a training model that addresses traffic stop safety and emphasizes the inherent dangers when an officer reaches inside an occupied vehicle.
Click here to read UC's entire independent review of the DuBose shooting | {
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