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JERUSALEM — The rhetoric between Iran, the United States and Israel has reached such a fever pitch that even the most staunch skeptics here are beginning to wonder if Israel might actually go ahead and launch a unilateral attack on Iran.
Meir Javedanfar, a top Israeli expert on Iran and a professor at the Inter Disciplinary Center in Herzliya, told GlobalPost that his view of almost total doubt about the possibility of such a strike has shifted in light of recent official statements.
“I am taking the escalation of words very seriously. I no longer think this is just a media game,” he said.
Addressing a crowd of worshippers at Tehran University on Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that Israel is a “cancerous tumor and will soon be removed from the world.”
More from GlobalPost: Has the war on Iran already begun?
Dismissing US President Barack Obama’s statements that no option is off the table when it comes to preventing Iran from achieving nuclear weaponry, Khamenei said, “A war would be 10 times deadlier for the Americans than for us. These threats indicate America's weakness and the Americans need to know that the more threats they make, the more they damage themselves.”
The statement appeared to be in response to several others made at a security conference held this week in Israel.
Speaking at the conference, Israel’s chief of military intelligence, Gen. Aviv Kochavi said Thursday that Iran could be closer to an operational nuclear weapon than previously thought.
“Today, international intelligence agencies are in agreement with Israel that Iran has close to 100 kilograms of uranium enriched to 20 percent, which is enough to produce four bombs," Kochavi said at the Herzliya conference.
“Iran is actively pursuing its efforts to develop its nuclear capacities, and we have evidence that they are seeking nuclear weapons. We estimate they would need a year from when the order is given to produce a weapon.”
Speaking at the same conference, Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak echoed the sentiment.
“Whoever says ‘later’ may find that later is too late,” he said.
Following the same line, US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta confirmed in an interview this week with CBS that Iran could be only a year away from producing a nuclear weapon.
On Friday, the Washington Post published an article claiming that Panetta is concerned about being “blindsided” by a possible Israeli attack. Typically, the logic has gone that Israel would never attack without approval from the United States, which Obama is unlikely to give.
“Israel has indicated they’re considering this, and we have indicated our concerns,” the Washington Post quoted Panetta telling reporters at a NATO meeting in Brussels.
Israeli analysts previously sceptical of a scenario in which Israel might act unilaterally against a possible Iranian nuclear device have started to shift their views. Writing his weekly column in the daily Ha’aretz, the highly regarded defence analyst Amir Oren openly addressed the possibility of Israel launching an attack against Iran without previous coordination with the United States.
“The Netanyahu-Obama relationship is so cold that one tends to discount a permanent factor in the prime minister's considerations in Jerusalem — the fear of the White House's response. An action that goes against the will of a president who is campaigning for a second term in office, especially on the eve of elections, is liable to exact revenge on the person who decides to take that action. But Netanyahu has nothing to lose: Obama in his second term will exact payment from him in any case. He will insist on a diplomatic agreement contrary to the line Netanyahu has been taking in the Palestinian arena, and possibly in the Syrian arena as well.”
Using the nickname of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Javedanfar added, “I don’t think the possibilities of a unilateral Israeli attack are high, but it no longer seems impossible. It would be extremely risky for Israel to do it, but that doesn’t mean Bibi wouldn’t do it. If he’s willing to ignore Obama for so long on the peace process and if he views the Iranian government as a Nazi regime, we just don’t know.”
Javedanfar said Khamenei’s reaction was “a clear sign that he gives credibility to the possibility of an attack against Iranian nuclear installations. The fact that Panetta is also worried proves that Khamenaei’s concerns may be justified.”
Until now, Javedanfar added, he’s been “very skeptical of a possible Israeli attack. But based on statements in the press I’m becoming more concerned that the possibility that Israel may launch a unilateral attack can no longer be ignored.”
“If Israel does launch a unilateral attack it would be because it has considered the current sanctions ineffective, and even more importantly it would be because they have completely lost faith in the possibility that the Iranian regime may show flexibility.”
“What the Iranian leadership doesn’t seem to realize is that right now they have an opportunity through negotiations to improve relations with the West and eradicate the possibility of a conflict. They could use the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA is in Vienna. It is neither in Tel Aviv nor in Washington,” he said. | {
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Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-27 22:55:21|Editor: yan
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ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday invited India for dialogue to counter terrorism and reduce tensions between the two neighbors.
The Pakistani prime minister was addressing the nation amid tensions between the two countries following a recent suicide attack on the Indian police in the Indian-controlled Kashmir.
"Both countries cannot afford miscalculation because of the weapons we have. Pakistan is ready for dialogue to counter terrorism. Let's sit on the table to find out solution to the problems," Khan said after Pakistan army said its air force shot down two Indian fighter jets along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir region.
Confirming downing of the Indian fighter jets, the prime minister said, "Pakistan responded in compulsion" after the Indian aircraft had entered the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
"We hold two Indian pilots," said Prime Minister Khan who reminded India that there had been miscalculations in the previous wars so there was a need to use logic and sagacity.
Pakistan denied any involvement in the suicide attack and the prime minister promised investigation if India shared any actionable and credible evidence.
Khan again offered cooperation to help India investigate the tragedy and hoped "better sense" will prevail and both countries need to resolve issues through talks.
On the same day, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Indian forces fired along the LoC on Tuesday in Nikial and Khuiratta sectors in Pakistani side of the LoC, leaving four civilians dead.
Meanwhile, the Indian acting High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to lodge a formal protest and condemn the "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces.
The Pakistan military said on Wednesday that it did not want to escalate the tension with India and urged New Delhi to accept its "offer of peace."
Tensions grew between the two neighbors after India claimed to have carried out air strikes in the Pakistani side of LoC on Tuesday, and Pakistan said it shot down two Indian fighter jets inside Pakistani airspace earlier on Wednesday.
India confirmed that Pakistan shot down one of its fighter jets MiG-21 and the pilot had gone missing, which Pakistan claimed that he was in its custody.
"India should accept our offer of peace," Major General Asif Ghafoor, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan army's media wing, told a press conference.
He urged the international community to play its role to defuse the current soaring situation to save peace in the region as Pakistan did not want to push the region towards war.
Ghafoor was briefing the media about Wednesday's situation in which Pakistan army said its air force shot down two Indian fighter jets inside the Pakistani airspace and ground troops arrested two pilots of the destroyed aircraft.
Earlier Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said in a statement that "Pakistan has, therefore, taken strikes at the non-military target, avoiding human loss and collateral damage. Sole purpose (is) being to demonstrate our right, will and capability for self-defense."
Pakistan's military also denied Indian media's reports that Indian forces shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet.
India claimed that its air force targeted a camp of the Jaish-e-Muhammad group in Tuesday's airstrikes, which was blamed for the Feb. 14 suicide bombing on Indian paramilitary troopers in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed some 40 people.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "We have no intention of escalation, but are fully prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. That is why we undertook the action with a clear warning and in broad daylight." | {
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When I heard the news yesterday that Roy Halladay had died, I'm guessing I'm not the only Cardinals fan whose mind drifted back to Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS.
I might catch a Halladay start here and there over the years, particularly during the playoffs. I watched his no-hitter in the 2010 NLDS. But so much of my baseball viewing comes through the lens of the Cardinals, no performance of his is burned into my memory with the intensity of that winner-take-all showdown with Chris Carpenter.
The complete game was included on the 2011 World Series DVD - one of many purchases I made drunk and delirious with joy moments after the Cardinals sealed that Championship - so last night seemed like a good time to remember Doc and watch that game again.
The broadcast team featured Dick Stockton, Ron Darling and John Smoltz - just two years removed from his brief closing act as a Cardinal. The late Craig Sager was the reporter on the field.
You probably remember the first inning. Halladay's 4th pitch to leadoff man Rafael Furcal was a fastball up and over the heart of the plate, which he ripped into the right field gap for a triple.
Skip Schumaker followed, and Halladay got him 0-2 with a pair of breaking balls. But Schumaker battled, fouling off pitch after pitch, running the count full, before finally driving the 10th - a hanging curve - into the right field corner for a double.
Halladay had thrown everything to Schumaker around the edges - outside, down, inside - until the 10th pitch got away from him. It was probably the worst pitch he would throw on the night.
Watching the game from a modern perspective, it's also clear that Carlos Ruiz was an absolutely terrible pitch-framer, something the numbers would soon bear out. Once they had Schumaker 0-2, Ruiz began setting up outside with a kind-of Tony Pena leg lean, accentuating his off-the-plate positioning. He lost the call on an outside curveball that should have been strike three.
But while his catcher didn't do him any favors, Halladay didn't quite have a handle on his stuff in that 1st inning - particularly against the left handers. And the Phillies were lucky to only give up that one run.
The Cardinals helped out, with Schumaker getting TOOTBLAN'd after hesitating to advance to third on an infield cue shot from Pujols. Halladay again struggled with the lefty-hitting Berkman, who worked a 7-pitch at-bat before being awarded first base on catcher's interference from Ruiz. Halladay also uncorked a wild pitch which moved Pujols to 2nd and would have scored Schumaker, had he made 3rd.
But Halladay settled-in against the right-handed Holliday and Molina, inducing a pop-out in foul territory and a groundout to get out of the first having given up just that single run. But it was still very much a "stress inning."
Whereas Halladay struggled a bit in the first, Chris Carpenter almost immediately found his preferred weapon for the night: The curveball. He struck out Utley by dropping hammer after hammer, some crossing through the bottom of the zone, others crashing all the way into the dirt.
When Halladay took the mound for the 2nd, he followed suit - relying heavily on his curve, including an at-bat from Freeze where that was all he threw. We think of the Curveball Revolution as a relatively modern thing, but in this - one of the best postseason pitching duels of all-time - both men threw breaking pitches the majority of the time.
What's maybe most impressive about Halladay's performance is how dominant he became after an opening frame where he didn't just give up some fluke dinger, but legitimately struggled, throwing 32 pitches.
Every major league pitcher is capable of putting together a dominant game every now and then, from Mike Leake to Bud Smith. Very few can do what Halladay did that night: Begin a game out-of-sorts, maybe with not their best stuff, and recover to a level of absolute dominance.
Halladay would scatter just four hits over the next seven innings, none for extra bases. His lone walk was intentional, to Albert Pujols, to load the bases in the 8th inning with just one out. With a strikeout of Berkman and a fly out from Holliday, Halladay would complete his 8th inning with a total of seven strikeouts. He threw 126 pitches, 87 of which were strikes.
But due up third and down by a run in the bottom of the 8th, Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel really had no choice but to shake Halladay's hand as he came into the dugout and let him know he was coming out of the game. Halladay walked quietly down the tunnel.
Carpenter would get through the bottom of the 8th relatively unscathed, with only Halladay's pinch-hitter Ross Gload reaching on a dropped third strike and throwing error from Molina. Carpenter himself was due to bat 4th in the top of the 9th, but Tony La Russa had nobody warming up in the bullpen. Carpenter would finish the game with a 1-2-3 9th.
Roy Halladay's line would be 8 innings, 6 hits and one (intentional walk), with seven strikeouts, good for a Game Score of 72. Carpenter would nearly pull off "the Maddux," with a complete game shutout on 110 pitches. He struck out only three, but gave up just three hits and walked nobody, good for a Game Score of 84.
The game would end the season for the 102-win Phillies and effectively end the run of great Phillies teams of that era, tragically and poetically, with Ryan Howard tearing his achilles tendon on the final out of the game and writhing in pain on the field as the Cardinals celebrated.
It was also the last moment of dominance from Halladay. Two months into the 2012 season, he would hit the disabled list with shoulder issues, which would persist for the next two seasons, ultimately leading to surgery on his labrum and rotator cuff, and his retirement. His ERA those final two seasons was more than 5.00.
RIP Doc. We'll always remember your Hall of Fame career and, as Cardinal fans in particular, that one amazing game. | {
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Version 23 - Updated Life Cards, Music, Sounds
What's New
Music and Sound
Music and Sound has been added to the game!
There is only a small amount of sounds in the game right now. Expect the next few updates to add sounds to more actions!
New Life Cards
There are 20 new Life cards that are replacing older Life cards! You can find an album of each of them here.
Due to lack of compatibility due to also removing older Life cards, your profiles will be reset when you next run the game
What's Next
Recently, I have been thinking about a lot of things, and as a result, the next few updates will be massive changes to FTB. I've been playing more varied CCGs, and I've learned a lot along the way. Not to say that I feel FTB is that bad, but there are honestly so many ways to improve it, that I really just want to get it done ASAP.
Unfortunately, real life doesn't actually let me work on games full time, so it's going to take a while. I appreciate every single one of you who tried the game, even if it's not that great right now. Honestly, the views and downloads I get keep me going. I look forward to turning this into an awesome game experience!
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In Macomb County, Mich. — the well-chronicled home of the Reagan Democrats and a county Mr. Trump decisively won — about 6,000 Democrats braved frigid temperatures on Jan. 15 to hear Mr. Sanders and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, among others, defend the Affordable Care Act. It was one of dozens of similar rallies across the country.
The day before, so many constituents of Representative Mike Coffman, Republican of Colorado, packed an Aurora library to confront him over his support for repealing the health care law that he had to leave through a back door.
Yet it was telling that women galvanized the largest protests. Hillary Clinton’s defeat prompted soul-searching about why appeals to feminism did not carry the day. Now a wide range of groups that advocate for women are trying to capitalize on the momentum to turn an event into a sustained movement.
Todd Gitlin, a former president of Students for a Democratic Society and a scholar of political movements, noted that the civil rights and antiwar movements succeeded because of the organized networks that preceded and followed any single mass protest. “The march on Washington in 1963 was the culmination of years of local activism, including civil disobedience, registering voters, protecting civil rights workers and voter education movements,” he said. “Organizations need to be ready to receive the protesters when they’re ready to take the next step. You need to be a full-service movement.”
That effort, the organizers say, is already underway. At the panel Saturday night, representatives from the partner groups made 90-second pitches to the marchers, urging them to sign up for any of the organizations that appealed to them. The key, Ms. Poo said, was to build a continuous relationship with voters and volunteers so that they are not only approached before elections.
Tresa Undem, a partner in the polling firm PerryUndem, said that several years of convening focus groups had convinced her that women’s issues can translate into political momentum. When she showed focus groups a list of specific restrictions on abortion and health care that had been passed on the local level, she said, they immediately began talking about how men were making those decisions. A poll she conducted that was released this month found that outrage at Mr. Trump’s remarks was the primary predictor of whether women would take specific political actions.
Still, the women’s movement faces several potential obstacles.
Leaders believe the only way to mobilize is to sweep in many disparate groups, which risks diluting their message. And the wounds inflicted by the election still run deep. Minority women in particular say they are concerned that the new attention to the white working class might mean de-emphasizing issues of race for fear of alienating white voters. | {
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Na zamjene nekretnina ljudi su se odlučivali u ratu, strahujući za vlastiti život. Radi se uglavnom o slučajevima zamjena nekretnina na relaciji Bosna i Hercegovina, točnije Republika Srpska – Hrvatska. Probleme onima koji se žele vratiti, kao i slučaju obitelji Blažević, ne prave bosanskohercegovački, nego hrvatski sudovi
Ivica Blažević iz Banja Luke već četrnaest godina pokušava dobiti nazad svoju kuću u Banja Luci, koju je s obitelji napustio 1995. godine. Kuću je tad zamijenio sa stanovitim Dragomirom Pejakovićem. Taj je čovjek pod teretom pritiska nacionalne netrpeljivosti bježao iz Siska u Banja Luku, a Blaževići su iz istih razloga bježali iz Banja Luke u Sisak. Kad se rat završio, a situacija koliko – toliko normalizirala, obitelj Blažević tražila je da se ugovor o zamjeni nekretnina poništi, s obrazloženjem da su na pravni posao bili prisiljeni.
Pravomoćnom presudom sud u Banja Luci odobrio im je poništenje pravnog posla, ali da bi nekretnine bile vraćene u posjed starih vlasnika potrebno je da hrvatsko pravosuđe prizna presudu iz Republike Srpske. Na to Blaževići čekaju već šest godina. U Republici Srpskoj sudski proces također su vodili šest godina. U pitanju je, dakle, dvanaest godina zategnutih živaca i puno novca za odvjetnike.
Slučaj Ivice Blaževića ogledni je primjer zamršenog problema s kojim se susreću raseljene obitelji kad požele raskinuti ugovore o zamjeni nekretnina. Na zamjene nekretnina ljudi su se odlučivali u ratu, strahujući za vlastiti život. Neki od njih taj pravni posao sad žele poništiti. Radi se uglavnom o slučajevima zamjena nekretnina na relaciji Bosna i Hercegovina, točnije Republika Srpska – Hrvatska. Probleme onima koji se žele vratiti, kao i slučaju obitelji Blažević, ne prave bosanskohercegovački, nego hrvatski sudovi. O tome se govori i u revidiranoj Strategiji Bosne i Hercegovine za provedbu Aneksa VII Daytonskog mirovnog sporazuma. I tamo se kao specifičan izdvaja »problem stanova koji su bili predmet prijenosa prava raspolaganja (zamjena, prodaja i sl.) na relaciji Republika Hrvatska-Bosna i Hercegovina, uglavnom s područja Republike Srpske.
– Kako u rješavanju sudbine zamijenjene, odnosno prodane imovine na relaciji RH – BiH dolazi do jednostranog izvršenja pravomoćnih sudskih presuda samo u Bosni i Hercegovini, odnosno u Republici Srpskoj, potrebno je u ovakvim pravnim situacijama zahtijevati da se primjenjuje institut priznanja stranih sudskih presuda, to jest da sudovi u Hrvatskoj priznaju takve presude na osnovi kojih bi se po principu reciprociteta istovremeno provodio izvršni postupak i na taj način strankama koje su bili partneri u zamjeni nekretnina omogućio ulazak u posjed svoje imovine i uspostava vlasništva nad imovinom koja je bila predmetom prijenosa prava raspolaganja, navodi se u spomenutoj Strategiji. Kako to izgleda u praksi, rekosmo, pokazuje slučaj obitelji Blažević.
»Pogrešna« nacionalnost
Kuća s dvorišnim objektom i sedam tisuća kvadrata zemlje u Banja Luci pripadalo je Dragici Blažević, koja je u njoj, zajedno s kćerkom, i živjela. U dvorišnom objektu koji je funkcionirao kao zaseban stan živio je Dragičin sin, Ivica Blažević s obitelji, sa suprugom i dvoje djece Na prozor tog dvorišnog objekta 1994. godine nepoznate osobe stavile su eksploziv. Bila je to Blaževićima jasna poruka da će im se, ako ustraju u ostanku u svom domu, raditi o glavi. Obitelj Blažević stoga je odlučila mijenjati kuću s nekim iz Hrvatske. Za to vrijeme, zbog »pogrešne nacionalnosti«, za život je strahovala i obitelj Dragomira Pejakovića u Sisku.
– Ta obitelj Pejaković nekako je čula za nas – bilo je tu i oglasa i svega – pa su nam se javili. Mijenjali smo svoju kuću s dvorišnom zgradom, sve zajedno oko 150 kvadrata, tisuću kvadrata okućnice i šest tisuća kvadrata obradive zemlje za kuću u Sisku, u Capragu. Ta njihova kuća također ima oko 150 kvadrata. Na riječ je bilo dogovoreno da će nam prepisati i četiri tisuće kvadrata zemlje, ali Pejakovići tu zemlju uopće nisu posjedovali. Oni je jesu obrađivali, ali bila je to državna zemlja. Nakon zamjene kuća ja sam ostao u Banja Luci, a majka i sestra otišle su u Sisak, kaže Ivica Blažević.
Ivica je odlučio ostati jer je imao posao u tvornici obuće Bosna, a poduzeće mu je dalo i jedan prazan stan na raspolaganje. Unatoč činjenici da je tih godina u Banja Luci bilo opasno biti Hrvat, Blaževiću se iz grada na Vrbasu nije dalo pokrenuti. U Sisak su otišle živjeti njegova majka i sestra. Sedam godina nakon potpisivanja Daytonskog mirovnog sporazuma, 2002. godine, Osnovnom sudu u Banja Luci obitelj Blažević obratila se s tužbom protiv Dragomira Pejakovića. Tražili su poništenje ugovora o zamjeni i predaju u posjed nekretnina. Prvu presudu u korist obitelji Blažević sud u Banja Luci donio je 2005. godine, ali dvije godine kasnije viši, Okružni sud presudu je poništio i vratio je Osnovnom sudu na ponovljeno odlučivanje. U odgovoru na tužbu obitelj Pejaković je isticala kako smatra da su ugovori o zamjeni nekretnina zaključeni na dobrovoljan i zakonit način te da su sve pravne isprave bile valjane. Pejakovići, naime, nemaju želju za povratkom u Sisak i željeli bi da ugovori o zamjeni nekretnina ostanu na snazi.
U strahu za život
– Obitelj s kojom smo mijenjali kuću nije htjela ni čuti za poništenje ugovora. Nudili smo im i nagodbu, na našu štetu, da nam vrate samo zemlju, ali ni to nisu željeli. Mi smo se, opet, željeli vratiti na svoje. U Sisku nisam želio živjeti, a nisu to željele ni moja majka i teško bolesna sestra. Kad se situacija normalizirala i one su se vratile u Banja Luku, priča Blažević. | {
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Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., argued Monday that President Trump should follow through on his weekend threat and cancel all subsidies that federal lawmakers get to buy insurance under Obamacare.
He also said killing lawmakers' subsidies might be the best way to kill Obamacare.
"I think if he moves swiftly on it, I think you'd see a lot of these members and senators, they would want to work to repeal Obamacare very quickly," DeSantis said on Fox News.
Trump tweeted Saturday that if Congress can't pass a healthcare bill, "bailouts for members of Congress will end very soon!"
Trump reiterated the point again on Monday, when he asked why Congress should be getting a break that others aren't.
"If ObamaCare is hurting people, & it is, why shouldn't it hurt the insurance companies & why should Congress not be paying what public pays?" he asked.
If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
If ObamaCare is hurting people, & it is, why shouldn't it hurt the insurance companies & why should Congress not be paying what public pays? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2017
Lawmakers and their aides get a government subsidy under Obamacare in the form of an employer contribution.
"I decline the subsidy," DeSantis said. "It's not right and I don't take it because I don't think it's lawful."
"I think the president would be absolutely within his rights to cancel the Obama rule that conferred this subsidy on Congress," he added. | {
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Elon Musk called the shelter-in-place orders in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout the US “fascist” actions that are stripping people of their freedom on a Tesla earnings call on Wednesday. Musk’s comments come after a torrent of criticism for remarks he made late Tuesday night on Twitter, in which the billionaire CEO echoed President Trump by writing in all caps, “Free America Now.”
The rant began after Musk said, “We are a bit worried about not being able to resume production in the Bay Area, and that should be identified as a serious risk.” Six Bay Area counties jointly extended the shelter-in-place orders affecting San Francisco, Fremont, and other cities through May 31st, with only some minor relaxing of restrictions.
“Give people back their goddamn freedom.”
“The expansion of shelter-in-place, or as we call it, forcibly imprisoning people in their homes, against all their constitutional rights, is, in my opinion, breaking people’s freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong, and not why people came to America and built this country,” Musk said. “What the fuck!”
“If somebody wants to stay in the house that’s great,” Musk continued. “They should be allowed to stay in the house and they should not be compelled to leave. But to say that they cannot leave their house and they will be arrested if they do... this is fascist. This is not democratic. This is not freedom. Give people back their goddamn freedom.”
FREE AMERICA NOW — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2020
Tesla’s primary factory is located in Fremont, California, and after initially attempting to fight county orders listing the car maker as non-essential, Musk ultimately did close down the facility alongside the company’s Buffalo solar panel plant. Although Musk kept the factory open for five days after the initial shelter-in-place order, Tesla defied the order once more last week by asking some Fremont factory employees to return to work. (The company’s Nevada Gigafactory remains open, despite the state’s governor ordering all non-essential businesses to close.)
Musk said on the call that Tesla would be fine after the COVID-19 crisis, but that small companies would not. “Everything people have worked for all their lives is being destroyed in real time,” he said of the state orders to close non-essential businesses. “I think the people are going to be very angry about this and are very angry.”
Musk has been an outspoken critic of some of the safety measures instituted in the US due to the coronavirus pandemic, primarily taking issue with the state-ordered shelter-in-place guidance that has shut down large swaths of the economy. But Musk’s criticism has at times extended beyond concern for the economy and job market. He has questioned basic coronavirus science and made incorrect projections about the severity of the virus, predicting there would be few US cases by the end of April. Right now, there are about 25,000 new cases confirmed daily, and that is almost certainly an undercount, since there are problems with testing capacity.
As The Verge’s Russell Brandom chronicled earlier today, Musk now has a troubled history with his public communications around COVID-19:
Update April 29th, 7:55PM ET: Added additional context around Musk’s comments regarding COVID-19. | {
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Mercenary of Reaction: Lynton Crosby in Canada
Mercenary of Reaction: Lynton Crosby in Canada
Binoy Kampmark
October 6th
Lynton Crosby has a full schedule. He is the modern electoral PR hitman for parties in dire straits. He is hired to stir the pot of resentment and undermine hopes for change. His very existence suggests that democracies are shadows of their actual function, operating on traditional platforms of populism when required.
Those familiar with the Crosby portfolio should be aware about various hobgoblin practices he has been engaging in over the years. When he has the brief of desperation from governments in trouble, racial and immigration tensions will be fanned. The security state imperative will be encouraged. Sore spots will be scratched. When he has the ear of the aspirant in question, he will suggest a formula of divide and conquer, laced with a lingering sense of fear.
He cut his teeth on conservative politics in Australia, being the dark “architect” behind the return of the Liberal-National coalition after 13 years in opposition. The 1996 campaign that saw the election of John Howard remains his moment of triumph, unseating a visionary prime minister for what became, in time, the established mediocracy of Australian politics. Subsequent victories followed, and word got around on the political grapevine that Crosby was something of a magician.
Each election victory after that was characterised by extreme shallowness – knee jerk populism, a myopic vision, the politics of immediate gain. The political scene has not changed since, and one can almost sense that the reason Australia is a relative pygmy in climate change policies while being an enthusiastic participant in failed US-led interventions can be attributed, in part, to Crosby’s handiwork.
In the Crosby galaxy, the now matters, an immediacy governed by sibilant public relations advisors without a care in the world about what public interest and the welfare of the good. Crosby, in fact, protects the welfare of political survival, a job he tends to accomplish well.
In 2004, the British Tories decided to make use of his services, hoping that another Howard, this time Michael, could mount a valiant effort against Tony Blair. The BBC ran with the headline of “Howard’s wizard of Oz.” Various other descriptions were offered for Crosby: the “master of the dark political arts” and the “Australian Karl Rove”.
Crosby’s remarks on his appointment then are worth noting. “We had [former Australian PM] Keating running a very slick political machine. But the glitz and the glamour can only last so long. Ultimately you have to deliver.” His strategy is that of whipping up hysteria in marginal seats, those where swinging voters will succumb accordingly and deliver a suitable bounty to the political punter. Thought is less important than base sentiment – he is interested in the approach of “getting the barnacles off the boat”.
That particular effort in 2005 proved to be a fizzer, lost in the ether of an electorate yet to be boiled by the prejudices against immigration and asylum. But Crosby, malodorously, hung around, accepting his Tory retainer with the intense conviction of the Inquisition. It initially paid dividends at the mayoral level, enabling a clownish, foot-in-mouth Boris Johnson to win two victories (2008 and 2012). Red London was rinsed in Tory blue.
Eventually, David Cameron succumbed to the allure of Crosby’s black magic. Indeed, Crosby received a cool half million pounds to make sure that the dirt was spread through the electorate for the 2015 election. The winning result was largely attributed to him, vesting Crosby’s strategy with the powers of a deity.
Now, Crosby is hawking his wares through the Commonwealth circuit, moving onto Canada, where he is advising the incumbent, Stephen Harper. It has been picked up that Harper’s team has sporadically sought advice from the Australian strategist over the years. “We were fans of Lynton Crosby,” gushed Harper campaign spokesperson Kory Teneycke, “before many people knew who Lynton Crosby was.”
The appointment has made ripples. Would Harper, speculated David Beers, soften his image of the “ruthless, controlling, divisive character that many increasingly perceive him to be?” Or perhaps an option re-emphasising those attributes by bringing in the “political ‘rottweiler’ who specialises in fomenting wedge issues, abusive exchanges, and winning”? The latter seems like a match made in ghastly heaven.
Crosby comes into his own when the gap between contenders for office seem close, but widening. In the context of this year’s British election, his “cleverest trick of all” notes the Guardian, “was to make it look as if the Tory campaign wasn’t working.” While the commentators and pundits were frothing over Crosby’s techniques, the “infantry” went about the business of netting the marginal seats.
Crosby’s very existence is symptomatic of a broader illness in democratic states, where weasel words and the internal polling mechanism of the advisor holds sway over progressive policies that drive change and transform sentiment. Nastiness pays, if only in the short term. He is the most direct of guns for hire, from being an advisor to Tory winning strategies, to disruptive pro-tobacco campaigns against unbranded cartons. If the latter does not convince you of the contempt he holds for the commonweal, nothing will.
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: [email protected]
© Scoop Media
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In brief: The United States Marine Corps is looking for volunteers to staff its new Cyber Auxiliary. Applicants will not have to wear a uniform, get a buzzcut, or go to bootcamp. They will have to be highly skilled in the use of computers including how to penetrate systems.
Back in April, the Marine Corps announced it would be creating a new computer task force. The cyber security unit would be made up of volunteer civilians and veterans and would not be subject to strict USMC decorum.
“If anybody wants to join, you can sign up. You can have purple hair, too, but no EGA,” Commandant General Robert Neller told Military referring to Marines’ famous eagle, globe and anchor insignia.
This week the USMC announces that the Cyber Auxiliary (Cyber Aux) has been established and is recruiting. The unit consists of experts from the private sector who will “train, educate, advise, and mentor Marines” on cybersecurity and other computer-related matters. The group will assist in simulations and with training, but will not participate in “hands-on” activities. In other words, they will not take part in actual USMC cyber missions.
"Today, we face the modern version of hidden attackers, who seek to undermine our security and economy; now they just use malware instead of torpedoes."
“The Cyber Aux is part of the larger Marine Corps effort to better posture forces to conduct Operations in the Information Environment,” said the USMC's press release.
The new task force is headed up by the Deputy Commandant for Information, Lt. Gen. Lori E. Reynolds.
Volunteers must be US citizens and need to have advanced experience in information systems. Qualifying individuals will be assigned to units or projects that complement their particular skills. No further information such as specific experience they are looking for was released.
Although, judging by General Neller’s purple hair comment, black or white hat hacking experience is welcome as long as they can qualify for a security clearance. So a clean record is undoubtedly required.
Even though it is a volunteer position, that does not necessarily mean there will be no compensation. However, no further information was available in that regard. The USMC will have further announcements as the program develops. | {
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Det här är en text från SvD Ledare. Ledarredaktionen är partipolitiskt oavhängig med beteckningen obunden moderat.
Ingen har någon aning om hur stor migrationen till Sverige blir under 2016. Eller ens inom ett halvår. Om ni trots detta ser några siffror anges så kom ihåg att de som har knåpat ihop dem inte själva tror på dem. Att migrationsprognoser är värdelösa, osäkra och egentligen helt omöjliga att göra tycks de flesta som jobbar med att ta fram dem anse. Så vad är det vi pratar om egentligen?
”Ärligt talat är de där prognoserna vi får rätt värdelösa.” Det var inrikesminister Anders Ygemans dom över Migrationsverkets nya prognos för kommande invandring som skulle släppas ett par dagar senare (SvD 2/2). Värdelös? Generaldirektören för verket Anders Danielsson höll i princip med när han fick frågan om det i Studio Ett (4/2). ”Det är egentligen ingen prognos, utan det bygger på ett antal beräkningsalternativ och ett antal antaganden.”
I Studio Ett fick Anders Danielsson frågan vilket av de tre befintliga scenarierna – 70 000, 100 000 eller 140 000 asylsökande under 2016– som är mest troligt. ”Ingenting kan uteslutas och allting kan inneslutas”, blev hans svar. Det låter mer som om en buddhistisk mystiker fått frågan om meningen med livet, än den ytterst ansvariga tjänstemannen i svensk statsförvaltning. Och i prognosen skriver Migrationsverket att det är omöjligt att med ”någon säkerhet fastställa en prognos för antal asylsökande i Sverige för åren 2016 och 2017.” Men om det alltså är omöjligt – vilket värde har då prognoserna överhuvudtaget? | {
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— If XLR cables aren’t in your wheelhouse, stress less with the Yeti’s simple USB connector. Plug and play into your laptop or PC and start recording instantly without any connection conundrums.
— Unless you have the budget for a studio set-up the
Rolling Stones
would envy, forget overpaying for your first podcasting mic. The Yeti isn’t the
least
expensive mic on the market, but it certainly isn’t the
most
, and you’d be mad to overlook it on price. | {
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Peyton Manning isn’t the only player in Denver with a masterful pump fake.
Rockies first baseman Todd Helton — who, after 17 major league seasons, has seen just about every trick in the book — pulled off a maneuver Thursday afternoon that would make the crosstown quarterback proud.
After a pickoff attempt by Roy Oswalt with St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter on first, Helton feigned a throw back to his pitcher, allowing the Cardinals baserunner to wander away from the bag before tagging him on the backside for the final out of the inning.
Check out the veteran move in the video below.
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We have a bad habit in England of knocking skilful, prodigiously talented players.
Perhaps we don’t appreciate them in the same way that other countries do, like in Spain, Italy, Germany or France. Maybe our systems and tactics don’t always suit.
There is still this notion that if they don’t look as if they are giving 110 per cent, sweating blood and tears every week then they are not really trying and get pulled apart by TV pundits and journalists alike.
That definitely still seems to be the case with some people about Mesut Ozil. I’ll admit that I was asked to write this piece (sorry, ed) on the basis of Ozil’s wonderful goal against Ludogorets showing he is finally becoming the player they bought.
Ludogorets vs Arsenal: Best pictures
It was an astonishing goal. Went clean through, dunked it over the keeper and then dummied two defenders before scoring the last ditch winner.
Well, after all, that’s what they paid £42.5m for, wasn’t it? Solo runs, goals, a world class player winning games on his own. Now he’s delivered.
But if you watch him regularly, this is not a new thing. Ozil has been magnificent for quite some time now. You can always pick out people who haven’t seen much of Arsenal because they still go on about Ozil’s faults.
Not every superstar or record signing is Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. They have set the standard but every player is different.
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty) (Image: Stuart MacFarlane)
I was at Manchester City’s win over Barcelona on Tuesday night. Messi’s goal was a joy, brilliant counter attacking. Kevin De Bruyne’s free kick was sensational. But Ozil’s goal was surely the best of the night.
When Arsenal signed Ozil, they knew exactly what they were getting. A wonderful technician, brilliant vision, great passing and beautiful touches.
It took him a while to settle. In fact, you only saw flashes of his brilliance in his first season and I remember being very critical of an Ozil performance at Bayern Munich in March 2014.
Around then, I was beginning to wonder. But the following season, he was excellent, the year after even better and now he’s consistently superb.
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The accusation is that, rather like Arsenal, he’s a flat track bully. Only does it against weak teams. Well, what’s he supposed to do? Not score a hat trick against Ludogorets because they are not very good?
If you’ve watched Ozil regularly, then he does do it in big games. Whether it’s Premier League or Champions League. People say he’s only good when Arsenal are playing well. Well, that’s because he’s the player that he is.
He pulls the strings in midfield, drives Arsenal forward. He’s not a midfield anchorman putting in lots of challenges.
Yes, he was poor against Middlesbrough when Arsenal drew 0-0 and Ozil looked tired. But are you seriously telling me that not all players have off days? Even Messi does.
(Image: Action Images via Reuters) (Image: Action Images via Reuters)
Yet a couple of days after that, I was listening to Adrian Durham’s show on talkSPORT and he’d written - and performed a song - called Ozil Lover, based on Easy Lover. Basically, he was taking the easy route against easy teams and Arsenal fans over hype him.
I must say I think Durham is great, hugely entertaining and yet I think he’s wrong on this one. If you can’t appreciate Ozil, then I’m not sure you can really love football.
The callers were then asked who they thought the best No10 was. From any era. Glenn Hoddle often cropped up and that’s a good shout.
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But, seriously, are people trying to rewrite history here? Hoddle wasn’t amazing every week. In fact, England managers deemed him so inconsistent that, much to their shame, they didn’t use him half as much as they should.
However, I’d have had Hoddle in my team every week. Because the one quiet game is outweighed by the brilliance in the others. That goes the same for Liam Brady, of course. In fact, there’s a song that will probably get aired about the two of them during Sunday’s North London derby.
After years of functional football under George Graham, Arsenal fans love skilful players. They’ve enjoyed the Arsene Wenger style of football. He’s transformed the club and brought in and indulged great players like Ozil.
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty)
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty)
When I had to name my best ever Wenger XI recently, I put Ozil in. He’s that good. Full of skill, control, touches.
Yes, he might not score a “worldy” every week. But why do we go to football? We go to be entertained. We go for the little touches of magic, twists and turns. Ozil does all that. He may not win a game every week but quite often there will be something there to appreciate.
I’ve interviewed him in the past and he’s quiet, unassuming, would rather let his feet do the talking. But people in the game know. They appreciate him. Even Jose Mourinho claimed he was the best No10 in the world.
Mourinho knows him from Real Madrid and bear hugged him on the pitch after Chelsea had beaten Arsenal a couple of years ago. It was long after everyone else had left. Other clubs appreciate and love him.
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Maybe it’s a failing that we only realise how good these players are when they’ve gone. Maybe that’s why people rewrite history a little bit on Hoddle. I grew up enjoying Brady’s football. But he wasn’t amazing every week. You can’t be.
Dennis Bergkamp is an all time great. Yet, I’ll remember a journalist colleague turning to me during a game at Tottenham (which Arsenal won) and saying: “Bergkamp’s gone missing again.” The thing is, I couldn’t argue with him. He was awful that day.
That Ozil goal in Bulgaria is something truly special. Something amazing. He might not perform in the derby on Sunday and everyone will moan again. But one thing’s for sure, they’ll never be able to take away THAT goal. | {
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Combate Americas’s upcoming trip to Arizona has a headliner.
Mexico’s Jose Alday (12-4-1) will now face Argentina’s Juan Pablo Gonzalez (7-2-2) in the main event of Combate 39, which takes place at Casino del Sol in Tucson on June 7, officials told MMA Fighting.
Alday has already competed once in 2019, losing via strikes in the first-round to Gustavo Lopez this past March. He had won three straight fights prior to that outing, including a vacant bantamweight title win over Lopez via split decision in their first meeting last September.
Gonzalez will be looking for his first win in Combate after dropping back-to-back unanimous decisions to Mario Bautista and Kevin Garcia. He is stepping in as a replacement for Irwin Rivera, who was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Also confirmed for Combate 39 were the lightweight co-main event between Cub Swanson protege Rafa Garcia (9-0) and big show veteran Estevan Payan (17-12, 1 NC), and a strawweight bout between Yazmin Jauregui (2-0) and Codie Wareham (2-0).
Combate 39 will air live on Univision and the DAZN streaming service.
See the updated card below:
Jose Alday vs. Juan Pablo Gonzalez
Rafa Garcia vs. Estevan Payan
Yazmin Jauregui vs. Codie Wareham
Javier Torres vs. Joel Champion
Eduardo Alvarado Osuna vs. Jose Luis Calvo
Justin Rascon vs. Jesus Rivas | {
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As one could have predicted, the squeeze is on. The Brexit party is seeing their poll numbers decrease, with a corresponding increase in the Tory polling numbers, while a lot of people saying they would vote Lib Dem are thinking they are going to vote Labour again because that’s how these things work. The Lib Dems are now polling around 15-16-17%; they need to get back up in the twenties again, quickly, or this election is going to get away from them.
The Lib Dems need to get more people who voted Tory in 2015 and 2017 to vote Lib Dem this time round. They also need to convince this cohort to vote Lib Dem without alienating Labour switchers. Thankfully, there are straightforward ways to do this – I’ve put them into two main points below.
Attack Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. This is possibly the single most important thing the Lib Dems need to get across in the entire election campaign. I’ll say it again: attacking Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal is possibly the single most important thing the Lib Dems need to get across in the entire election campaign. Here’s how they need to do it: the deal, if passed by parliament, would mean that we pay 39 billion pounds for nothing. Say it again: 39 billion pounds for nothing. We don’t get a new trade deal out of that, we just get to try and negotiate a new trade deal with the EU. 39 billion pounds for nothing. The government has said that it won’t extend the transition period past the end of 2020. They are either lying about this or telling the truth. If they are lying, we will almost certainly be in transition for eight to ten more years. Imagine: Brexit going on for eight to ten more years. If they are lying, then we will leave with no deal at the end of 2020. So: a vote for the Conservatives is a vote for either Brexit to go for another decade or a no deal crash out in a year’s time. The Lib Dems aren’t going to raise your taxes, don’t worry. We will be able to fund our spending commitments through the “No Brexit dividend”. Once Article 50 has been revoked and we are clearly staying in the EU, foreign investment will flood back to the UK. The only thing weakening the economy at the moment is Brexit uncertainty – which will go on with the Tories in government whatever happens, as no deal hangs around as a possibility and the deal takes a decade to be agreed. The Tories are the ones who want to throw around taxpayers’ money with no plan for where it will come from. In the end, the Tories may be the ones who are forced to raise your taxes to pay for everything they have promised as well as to pay for Brexit.
To put this all into simple phrases: Boris’ deal means we pay 39 billion pounds for nothing. Under the deal we will either leave with no deal at the end of 2020 or we will be in negotiations for the next decade, meaning Brexit won’t end for a decade. This uncertainty is hurting the British economy. The Lib Dems will end this uncertainty and use the resulting upsurge in the economy to fund our public services. The Tories are the ones who are making unsustainable public spending promises that will need to be paid for through your taxes eventually. They need you to pay for Brexit – the Lib Dems will take this off your plate.
These are just my ideas on the subject. Whether the Lib Dems want to use this stuff or not, they still need some way to attack the Tories and they need to start doing it quickly. And I don’t see any way that that’s possible other than attacking the Brexit deal and having something to say on the tax issue. | {
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France train shooting: Hollande awards Legion d'honneur Published duration 24 August 2015
media caption French president Francois Hollande: "They showed us what can be done"
Three Americans and a Briton who foiled a suspected terror attack on a train have received France's top honour from President Francois Hollande.
Mr Hollande presented Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler and Briton Chris Norman with the Legion d'honneur at the Elysee Palace.
Two other unnamed passengers will receive the honour at a later date.
The passengers overpowered a suspected radical Islamist on a high-speed train bound for Paris on Friday.
French authorities are questioning the suspect, 25-year-old Moroccan Ayoub El-Khazzani.
Mr Hollande pinned medals on the chests of the four passengers at a ceremony in Paris on Monday morning.
"We are here to honour four men who, thanks to their bravery, managed to save lives," he said.
"In the name of France, I would like to thank you. The whole world admires your bravery. It should be an example to all of us and inspire us. You put your lives at risk in order to defend freedom."
image copyright AP image caption Mr Hollande told Mr Stone and Mr Skarlatos: "You behaved as soldiers but also as responsible men"
Mr Hollande said: "A terrorist decided to commit an attack. He had enough weapons and ammunition to carry out real carnage, and that's what he would have done if you hadn't tackled him at a risk to your own lives.
"You gave us a lesson in courage, in will, and thus in hope."
He added: "Faced with the evil called terrorism there is a good, that is humanity. You are the incarnation of that."
Analysis: BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris
This was France's formal thank you to the men who set such an extraordinary example by their courage on Friday's train. The government here is making a big deal of the four heroes (plus their anonymous French helper) - and for good reason.
If the jihadist threat is to remain with us - and nothing suggests that it will stop - the behaviour of individuals towards the imminence of violence could become a crucial factor. If more people are willing to risk their lives by standing up to fight, then that will shift the psychological battle in favour of our societies.
Governments know this - so do all they can to honour the people who make a stand.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and the US Ambassador to France, Jane Hartley, attended the ceremony, along with the head of the French rail firm, SNCF.
The Legion d'honneur was founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. The award is divided into five categories and the passengers are receiving the chevalier, the most commonly awarded.
A French-American passenger who was wounded in the attack, and a French citizen who first encountered the gunman and tried to overpower him, will receive the honour later.
Mr Hollande named the French-American as 51-year-old Mark Moogalian, who is still in hospital. The other man wishes to remain anonymous.
The president said he wished to pay tribute to both of them for their bravery.
Mr Moogalian's wife told BFM TV her husband had seen the Frenchman tackle the suspect and had tried to intervene but was shot in the neck.
media caption Footage showed the gunman in the train carriage after he was subdued
The Americans spoke on Sunday about the incident.
Mr Stone, an off-duty US airman, said he had just woken from a deep sleep when he saw the gunman and moved to restrain him.
"I turned around and I saw he had what looked to be an AK-47 and it looked like it was jammed or wasn't working and he was trying to charge the weapon.
"Alek just hit me on the shoulder and said 'Let's go' and ran down, tackled him. We hit the ground."
Mr Stone was the first of the three to reach the gunman. He was cut in the neck and on the eyebrow, and his thumb was almost sliced off.
Legion d'honneur
image copyright AP image caption Legion d'honneur medals being prepared for American World War II veterans
Established in May 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte
Has five classes (in ascending order) - Chevalier, Officier, Commandeur, Grand Officier, Grand Croix
Chevalier is the most common - awarded for either at least 20 years of public service or acts of military or civil bravery
The other categories require a number of years of service in the category below before they can be awarded. All categories have quotas
The serving president is the order's Grand Master
Mr Stone also tended to Mr Moogalian, who had been shot in the neck.
Mr Hollande said Mr Stone had "probably saved Mr Moogalian's life".
Mr Sadler said: "The gunman would have been successful if my friend Spencer had not gotten up. I want that lesson to be learned, in times of terror like that, to please do something. Don't just stand by and watch."
media caption The three Americans who helped subdue the gunman speak about their experience
British grandfather Chris Norman , an IT expert, said he helped the Americans subdue the gunman because he thought he was "probably going to die anyway".
He said after receiving his award on Monday: "I am amazed and I really appreciate this honour."
Under French law, authorities have until Tuesday evening to question the suspect.
Sophie David, a lawyer assigned to the case for Mr Khazzani, said the Moroccan was "dumbfounded that his act is being linked to terrorism" and that he had said he found the weapons in a Belgian park and wanted to rob passengers.
Mr Khazzani's father, Mohamed el-Khazzani, told the Daily Telegraph in Algeciras, Spain, that his son was a "good boy" interested in "football and fishing".
"I have no idea what he was thinking and I have not spoken to him for over a year," Mohamed el-Khazzani said.
Ayoub el-Khazzani was flagged up to French authorities by Spanish counterparts in February 2014.
He is reported to have lived in France, Spain, and Belgium and to have travelled to Syria. | {
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By Robert Preidt, HealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay)
SUNDAY, Dec. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- People with epilepsy who experienced longer seizures during a simulated driving test may face an increased risk for crashes while on the road, a new study suggests.
About 75 percent of people with epilepsy use medication to control their seizures and are able to drive. The remainder of patients typically keep a journal of seizures, noting how long they last, and doctors use that information to determine whether patients can drive safely, the study authors explained.
The new study included 16 people with epilepsy who used a driving simulator for between one to 10 hours, most for an average of three to four hours. In total, the patients had 20 seizures, seven of which resulted in "crashes."
The longer the seizure, the greater the chance of a "crash." Seizures lasted an average of 75 seconds among patients who crashed and 30 seconds among those who didn't crash.
The study was to be presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society, in Houston.
"Our goal is to identify if certain types of seizures -- coming from a specific part of the brain or causing a particular brain wave pattern -- are more likely to lead to a crash. That information could then be used by doctors to objectively determine who can safely drive and who should not," said study author Dr. Hal Blumenfeld, director of the Yale Clinical Neuroscience Imaging Center, in New Haven, Conn.
Blumenthal, who is also a professor of neurology, neuroscience and neurosurgery at Yale, added that it isn't clear why people who have longer seizures are more likely to crash.
"It's going to take a lot more data to come up with a reliable way of predicting which people with epilepsy should drive and which should not," Blumenfeld said in a news release from the epilepsy society.
"We want to unearth more detail, to learn if there are people with epilepsy who are driving who shouldn't be, as well those who aren't driving who can safely drive," he said.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more on epilepsy. | {
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Shornur: The Kuthiran stretch of the national highway, connecting Palakkad and Thrissur towns in Kerala, has been a nightmare for motorists for long. With the perennial traffic logjam here getting worse with each passing day, the motorists are taking alternative routes.
To avoid the Kuthiran area, drivers are nowadays taking a detour from the Palakkad-Kulappully road to enter the Shornur-Perinthalmanna road to eventually reach the state highway in Thrissur through the Cheruthuruthy Chungam locality. The National Transport Authority had suggested, many years ago, to convert this alternative route into a four-lane stretch.
With perpetual traffic blocks on the Kuthiran stretch, many commuters are travelling through the Shornur route to save precious time. But there is traffic congestion on this route too as heavy vehicles, including trucks, are passing through this road quite frequently.
However, frequent pipe bursts are reported from near Kochupalam just before reaching Cheurthuruthy on the alternate road leading to the Thrissur district border.
Safety alerts are occasionally issued over this.
Recently it was reported that the hilly Kuthiran area along the borders of Palakkad and Thrissur districts is a deathtrap with several fatal accidents being reported from here in the last few years. The delay in the ongoing work to build a long tunnel under the forested hills in Kuthiran is mostly blamed for the traffic mess.
Another route
Instead of taking the Shornur-Perinthalmanna route, vehicles coming from the Palakkad side may proceed through the Mayanur bridge to skip Shornur totally. These vehicles can then enter the Shornur-Thrissur route after passing through Kayampuvam and Vazhakkottu areas.
There will be less traffic on the Shornur route if traffic is diverted through this route. | {
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James Corrigan of the Telegraph was the first to report the story on Johnson and Koepka, who are considered friends and workout partners. They were at a party with the European Ryder Cup team when the incident occurred. Corrigan said witnesses were "clearly shocked and upset by the nastiness, which was very threatening." The duo played together in Saturday afternoon foursomes, losing to Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson. The Golf Channel and the Guardian posted similar allegations to Corrigan's initial report. | {
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Most journalistic defenses of free speech take the form of "shut up and speak freely." The Beast itself provides Exhibit A: Cultural news editor Michael Moynihan announced that "we're one of the few countries in the Western world that takes freedom of speech seriously," and indignantly defended it against "those who pretend to be worried about trampling innocents in a crowded theater but are more interested in trampling your right to say whatever you damn well please." To Moynihan, Rosenbaum could not possibly be sincere or principled; he is just a would-be tyrant. The arguments about harm were "thin gruel"—not even worth answering. Moynihan's response isn't really an argument; it's a defense of privilege, like a Big Tobacco paean to the right to smoke in public.
In contrast to this standard-issue tantrum is a genuinely thoughtful and appropriate response from Jonathan Rauch at The Volokh Conspiracy, now a part of the Washington Post's web empire. Rauch responds that
painful though hate speech may be for individual members of minorities or other targeted groups, its toleration is to their great collective benefit, because in a climate of free intellectual exchange hateful and bigoted ideas are refuted and discredited, not merely suppressed .... That is how we gay folks achieved the stunning gains we've made in America: by arguing toward truth.
I think he's right. But the argument isn't complete without conceding something most speech advocates don't like to admit:
Free speech does do harm.
It does a lot of harm.
And while it may produce social good much of the time, there's no guarantee—no "invisible hand" of the intellectual market—that ensures that on balance it does more good than harm. As Rauch says, it has produced a good result in the case of the gay-rights movement. But sometimes it doesn't.
Europeans remember a time when free speech didn't produce a happy ending. They don't live in a North Korea-style dystopia. They do "take free speech seriously," and in fact many of them think their system of free speech is freer than ours. Their view of human rights was forged immediately after World War II, and one lesson they took from it was that democratic institutions can be destroyed from within by forces like the Nazis who use mass communication to dehumanize whole races and religions, preparing the population to accept exclusion and even extermination. For that reason, some major human-rights instruments state that "incitement" to racial hatred, and "propaganda for war," not only may but must be forbidden. The same treaties strongly protect freedom of expression and opinion, but they set a boundary at what we call "hate speech."
It's a mistake to think that the U.S. system goes back to the foundation of the republic. At the end of World War II, in fact, our law was about the same as Europe's is today. The Supreme Court in Beauharnais v. Illinois (1952) upheld a state "group libel" law that made it a crime to publish anything that "exposes the citizens of any race, color, creed or religion to contempt, derision, or obloquy." European countries outlawed fascist and neo-Nazi parties; in the 1951 case Dennis v. United States, the Supreme Court upheld a federal statute that in essence outlawed the Communist Party as a "conspiracy" to advocate overthrowing the U.S. government. Justice Robert H. Jackson, who had been the chief U.S. prosecutor of Nazi war criminals, concurred in Dennis, warning that totalitarianism had produced "the intervention between the state and the citizen of permanently organized, well financed, semi-secret and highly disciplined political organizations." A totalitarian party "denies to its own members at the same time the freedom to dissent, to debate, to deviate from the party line, and enforces its authoritarian rule by crude purges, if nothing more violent." Beauharnais, Dennis, and similar cases were criticized at the time, and today they seem grievously wrong. But many thoughtful people supported those results at the time. | {
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Homeless man does not know who he is; stranded in Mexico
Update: Is the man in Mexico, Shawn Hale? A family that has been looking for him are pursuing the idea that the man in Mexico is Shawn Hale, who went missing in 1994.
This is the post Looking4Shawn made concerning the missing man in Mexico: “I feel frustrated and angry. I dont understand why the American Embassy would not take fingerprints. They admit he is mentally ill and does not know where he is from. They are the ones who found him after a week of searching. Shawn would be 42 almost 43. My contact at the American Embassy says the person in the pictures is 30. They said he told them is name is Wallace. Micah, Shawn’s brother (the only one Shawn would recognize, has not been able to obtain a passport, he was born at home. I wanted to post the recent pictures, maybe it is not Shawn, maybe there is a 6’2 blue eyed blond hair, 30 year old missing named Wallace. Until I can get Micah to Mexico, I will continue to be haunted.”
We’ll check back for updates.
Original Post: I have had many people sending me the photo of this man in Mexico.
According to the posts about him, he is in Matamoros Mexico asking for food, for the last six months. He can’t remember his name. he asked for a phone to call home, but then he couldn’t remember the phone number or who he was going to call.
This is Spanish to English Translation:
“I’d like to share, this man is lost and homeless in Matamores, Tamaulipas, said to only ask for food and not money, doesn’t remember his name, he has been there in that same spot for about 6 months, he asked to borrow the lady’s phone one who’s asking for help on his behalf and he started crying as he could not remember the phone number of his family member.” Message sent by: Laura Rodríguez
Usually, the homeless in Mexico will move around, but the poster states he has been at the same place for six month. Thankfully, there is a pretty good photo of his face. It even looks as though he may have a black eye.
In Spanish: #davidnostas HOMBRE LLORA DE IMPOTENCIA AL NO RECORDAR CASI NADA SOBRE ÉL. VIVE EN LAS CALLES DE MATAMOROS DESDE HACE 6 MESES PIDIENDO SÓLO COMIDA. AYUDEMOS A LOCALIZAR A SU FAMILIA
Mensaje enviado por: Laura Rodríguez
Buenas noches Sr David, me comunico para que por favor pueda publicar la fotografía de este hombre en su página. Él se encuentra en la ciudad de Matamoros, Tamaulipas , en el Parque Periférico. Me comentó que no tiene documentos es ciudadano americano no recuerda su nombre (solamente anda pidiendo alimentos, no dinero) seguramente su familia debe estar buscándolo. Ojalá alguien lo reconozcs, me pidió mi celular para marcarle a un familiar pero empezó a llorar de impotencia por no recordar el nombre y mucho menos el número con quien desea comunicarse. Publíquelo por favor ya lleva algo de 6 meses en el mismo lugar. Gracias y buenas noches. Les pido a nuestros ALIADOS que por favor se sirvan compartir esta búsqueda.
David Nostas “El BuscaPersonas”
www.youtube.com/davidnostas
If you think you recognize him, please click on this link to correspondent with the original poster.
Please see this list of other homeless American’s in Mexico
Julie Gonzalez missing person austin texas
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By far the most recognizable of Japan’s natural phenomena is the cherry blossom. And why not: Who can resist the cotton candy plumes of the pink-white flower? More than anything, blossom season is a time to celebrate. Spring means warmth and evening yozakura parties with drinks and snacks aplenty. What’s not to like?
Autumn leaves, on the other hand, aren’t as famous. The word “sakura” (cherry blossom) is used as a first name, it’s that desirable; conversely, momiji (autumn leaves) is the name of a witch in a Muromachi Period (1392-1573) play. You begin to get the picture.
That said, momiji (also known as kōyō), are not exactly reviled. Back in the Heian Period (794-1185), when hanami (flower viewing) was lord and master, both ume (plum) and cherry trees were planted within the grounds of the courts and noblemen’s mansions, making hanami a relatively passive activity. Going to see autumn leaves was still a done thing, but was more of an excursion; the activity was, and still is, called momijigari (hunting for autumn leaves).
Chuo Ward’s Hamarikyu Gardens | AKU PYYSALO
The mountains and valleys of Japan, dyed red with the changing foliage, are as irresistible as the blossoms. But 1,000 years ago in the Heian Period, such rugged places invoked dread and posed outright danger. The “hunting” part came into it because momijigari parties would pick up red leaves as a well-deserved memento; there’s a comparison to kinokogari — mushroom hunting (also precarious).
It was during the travel boom of the relatively peaceful Edo Period (1603-1868) that momijigari properly took off. Increased activity along routes such as the Tokaido and Nakasendo to places such as Kyoto or the Grand Shrines of Ise meant that people didn’t have to hunt as hard — they would pass the trees on their journeys.
Publications like “Miyako Meishozue” fanned the fires of interest in seeking out the leaves, describing kōyō no meisho (famous leaf-viewing spots). From the same publisher came Yuzen Hinagata, a kimono pattern book first published in 1688 that was a veritable Vogue of its day and featured designs with names such as “Autumn Leaves of Tatsutagawa” and “Famous Spots for Autumn Leaves,” and sent fashionable people in their droves — and in their brand new kosode (short-sleeved kimono) — to look at the real thing.
Fast-forward to 2019 and, although hanami remains the more renowned activity, the Japanese equivalent of the weirdly named North American “leaf peeping” is going strong. If you find yourself in the capital, here are some of our very own kōyō no meisho.
Autumn leaves reflect in the pond at Rinshi no Mori Park | TOKYO METROPOLITAN PARK ASSOCIATION
Rinshi no Mori Park
Rinshi no Mori isn’t an obvious choice for Tokyo’s leaf-viewing festivities, but it’s actually a prime spot. Born as Meguro Experimental Nursery in 1900, Rinshi no Mori was once an arboretum for the study of trees from across the world. Naturally it’s bristling with them.
There’s a pond with a hexagonal pavilion, where you can sit and admire the view, but the nearby trail through a grove of rakūshō (bald cypress) makes for a miniature woodland walk, while strolling west from the Mochi no Ki Gate yields patches of irohamomiji (bright red Japanese maple).
Koyamadai 2-7, Shinagawa-ku; best leaves from late November to early December
Setagaya Ward’s Todoroki Gorge | SETAGAYA
Todoroki Gorge
Todoroki is an unassuming place; it doesn’t even have a shōtengai (shopping street). What it does have is Tokyo’s only natural ravine, a gorge carved through the earth less than five-minute’s walk from the station. It’s a “Jurassic Park” of a place with a few Kofun Period (250-538) tunnel tombs and burial mounds in the vicinity, the largest being Noge Otsuka Kofun.
A natural spring, dubbed Fudo no Taki, was deemed suitably spiritual for a Buddhist temple (Todoroki Fudoson), complete with a viewing platform for cherry blossoms and autumn colors. From here, you can gaze down on maple, ichō (ginkgo), and keyaki (zelkova) trees before descending the stone steps to warm up with some tea and snacks at the Setsugekka teahouse.
Todoroki 1-22, Setagaya-ku; best leaves from late November to mid December
A closeup of red leaves at Kuhonbutsu Joshinji temple | OSCAR BOYD
Kuhonbutsu Joshinji
One stop out of the city from Jiyugaoka Station on the Tokyu Oimachi Line is Kuhonbutsu Station. The leaf hunt here leads momiji aficionados to Joshinji. This Buddhist temple of the Pure Land sect was established in 1678 and its colloquial name, Kuhonbutsu, comes from its nine Buddhist statues. The handiwork of the monk Kaseki, each of these tall statues of Amida Buddha features a different insō (hand gesture).
It’s also where you’ll find one of Tokyo’s oldest trees: a 700-year-old kaya (Japanese nutmeg) standing beside the main hall. But its neighbor, the ginkgo tree, is the one that’ll turn vivid yellow when the time is right.
The solemnly spacious grounds of the temple feature trees aflame from the end of November — it’s a Technicolor dream.
Okusawa 7-41-3, Setagaya-ku; best leaves from late November to early December
Central park: Originally a duck hunting ground opened in the 1600s, Hamarikyu Gardens is now one of the best spots to see autumn leaves in the middle of Tokyo. | TOKYO METROPOLITAN PARK ASSOCIATION
Hamarikyu Gardens
Starting life as a feudal duck-hunting ground in the early 1600s, Hamarikyu Gardens is a marvel of reclaimed land in Japan that isn’t an airport, incineration plant or skyscraper-clad residential area. The ponds utilize the seawater and are tidal, making for one of the more unique water features in a Japanese garden.
It doesn’t get much more autumn-leaves-viewing-y than this: sitting in a faithfully restored teahouse in the middle of a pond looking out over a manicured garden glowing with maple, complete with futuristic skyscraper shakkei (borrowed scenery). If you’re traveling from Asakusa, it’s possible to arrive in style by catching the Tokyo Water Bus (¥1,040 one-way, 35 minutes). Entrance costs ¥300 and the park is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hamarikyuteien 1-1, Chuo-ku; best leaves from mid-November to early December
Bunkyo Ward’s Rikugien Gardens | TOKYO METROPOLITAN PARK ASSOCIATION
Rikugien Gardens
There are 400 maple trees and 560 ginkgo and other trees that turn fiery shades of red, orange and yellow in this 300-year-old garden. The falls at Takimi no Chaya (Waterfall-viewing Teahouse) add watery goodness to the scene, and you can really feel the autumnal glow at Tsutsuji no Chaya (Azalea Teahouse).
From Nov. 20 until Dec. 12, the park can be enjoyed at night too, when the whole scene is lit up for the autumn colors. There’s a ¥300 entrance fee day or night, and the lights are on from sunset till 9 p.m.
Honkomagome 6-16-3, Bunkyo-ku; best leaves from late November to early December
Kita Ward’s Kyu-Furukawa Gardens | TOKYO METROPOLITAN PARK ASSOCIATION
Kyu-Furukawa Gardens
Japanese gardens don’t usually come mixed with sculpted Western-style ones, or sit on the grounds of Western-style mansions, but this one does. Named for copper mining baron Toranosuke Furukawa, the mansion was built by English architect Josiah Condor in 1917.
The Japanese garden, which arrived two years later than the mansion, boasts 220 maples and can be enjoyed for just ¥150. The chashitsu (tearoom) serves up warming matcha for a real multisensory taste of momijigari.
Nishigahara 1-27-39, Kita-ku; best leaves from mid-November to early December
An avenue of ginkgo at Tachikawa’s Showa Memorial Park | GETTY IMAGES
Showa Memorial Park
The word momiji is written with kanji that literally mean “red leaves.” But come autumn, the ginkgo trees shine gold in Showa Memorial Park. A few minute’s walk from Tachikawa Station on the Chuo Line, it’s the largest park in the Tokyo area and is a destination come autumn leaves or no.
The park boasts not just one but two impressive avenues of ginkgo: Katarai no Icho Namiki (98 trees, 300 meters) and the 106 trees that run for 200 meters along the canal from the fountain near the Tachikawa Gate. For a festive feel in the evening, there’s a light-up event from Nov. 2 through 24 from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Entrance is ¥450.
Midoricho 3173, Tachikawa; best leaves from mid- to late November
The ginkgo avenue of Meiji Jingu Gaien Park | GETTY IMAGES
Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue
There’s a rival, much more central ginkgo-lined avenue in central Tokyo, running up toward Meiji Jingu Gaien Park. Arrive at Aoyama-Itchome Station and walk along Aoyama-dori to find this very urban, very autumnal avenue of 146 ginkgo trees.
It’s made even better with the imposing 1926 Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery at the end. When the leaves start to fall here you’ll practically be ambling along a yellow carpet.
Kita-Aoyama 1-1, Shinjuku-ku; best leaves from mid-November to early December
Fringe forest: Mizumoto Park in Tokyo’s Katsushika Ward is home to a mixture of trees including sweetgum, poplar and ginkgo as well as a variety of trails running through woodland and along the Oba River. | TOKYO METROPOLITAN PARK ASSOCIATION
Mizumoto Park
Tokyo’s largest riverside park has a cocktail of trees for your autumn viewing needs, with momijibafū (sweetgum), poplar, ginkgo and others painting the riverside in a cavalcade of brick-ish hues. The mix of trees, the river and tangle of trails to tread lends itself for a day of exploration; there’s even the Mizumoto Park Bird Sanctuary, complete with observation hides for some avian spotting. Legend has it there’s a haunted phone booth here, too.
Mizumotokoen 3-2, Katsushika-ku; best leaves from early November to mid-December
Finger lake: High up in Nikko National Park, Lake Chuzenji is pictured in autumn hues. | GETTY IMAGES
Further afield
It’s outside the urban sprawl that you’ll find the best momiji. Just as in days of yore, thousands of Tokyoites still make their way to spots easily reachable from the city for some decidedly more rugged kōyō spots.
Mount Takao (599 meters) can be reached from Shinjuku Station. From mid- to late November, it’s an easy climb up through leaf-filled forests to the summit. Under the watchful gaze of another mountain, Mitake (929 meters), you’ll find Mitake Gorge; the rough terrain and red leaves will be lit up from Nov. 9 to 24. Nearby Lake Okutama — actually a reservoir — offers up amazing autumn foliage from early October to mid-November; connected to the city via the Ome Line (and a 20-minute bus ride from Okutama Station), you can get to grips with it all by hiking trails like Miharashi no Oka or Ikoi no Michi.
Though Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, may win in terms of its beautiful scenery and its accessibility credentials from central Tokyo, heading further north may yield wilder rewards. Also in Tochigi, Nasu hides a plateau (best around mid-October) centered around Mount Chausu (1,915 meters) worthy of those Heian Period excursions of yesteryear.
In line with COVID-19 guidelines, the government is strongly requesting that residents and visitors exercise caution if they choose to visit bars, restaurants, music venues and other public spaces. | {
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Megaparsec 7
Published on August 27, 2018
For a while now I’ve been working on Megaparsec 7. Due to the fact that my schedule is more saturated these days, the work hasn’t been progressing as quickly as I expected, but nevertheless I tried to spend my rare free hours on advancing it, and finally I can say that Megaparsec 7 is close to release.
The post is about the most obvious things a user will run into when upgrading. It does not attempt to walk through all the changes, for that there is a detailed changelog available. Thus, we will talk about breaking changes and new ways of doing certain things. Finally, there a bit of benchmarking bravura, because yes, we’re now faster than ever (sometimes a bit faster than Attoparsec).
Simple changes
The good but boring changes you need to know about are the following…
parser-combinators grows, megaparsec shrinks
Megaparsec always contained quite a bit of code that could work with any Parsec-like library. I felt like a shame not to make it available for other packages to use. So, some time ago I started the parser-combinators package which provides common parsing commbinators that work with any instance of Applicative , Alternative , Monad . It’s quite general and depends virtually only on base . Recently I included the code to do parsing of permutation phrases and expressions, so we’re now able to drop Text.Megaparsec.Perm and Text.Megaparsec.Expr from Megaparsec itself:
Text.Megaparsec.Perm → Control.Applicative.Permutations
→ Text.Megaparsec.Expr → Control.Monad.Combinators.Expr
This actually means that you can use these modules with e.g. Attoparsec (I haven’t tried though). I think it’s pretty cool.
General combinators have been moved
There were a few combinators in Text.Megaparec.Char and Text.Megaparsec.Byte that are actually not specific to input stream type and should live in the Text.Megaparsec module. So they have been moved. And renamed.
Now there is the single combinator that is a generalization of char for arbitrary streams. Text.Megaparsec.Char and Text.Megaparsec.Byte still contain char as type-constrained versions of single .
Similarly, now there is the chunk combinator that is a generalization of string for arbitrary streams. The string combinator is still re-exported from Text.Megaparsec.Char and Text.Megaparsec.Byte for compatibility.
satisfy does not depend on type of token, and so it now lives in Text.Megaparsec .
anyChar was renamed to anySingle and moved to Text.Megaparsec .
notChar was renamed to anySingleBut and moved to Text.Megaparsec .
oneOf and noneOf were moved to Text.Megaparsec .
Parse errors story
Megaparsec 6 added the ability to display offending line from original input stream when pretty-printing parse errors. That’s good, but the design has always felt as an afterthought to me:
There are three functions to pretty-print a ParseError : parseErrorPretty , parseErrorPretty' , and parseErrorPretty_ . The last was added because parseErrorPretty' actually doesn’t allow specifying tab width which is necessary to know for proper displaying of lines with tabs.
The functions that try to display the relevant line from input stream require the input stream to be passed to them. Having to keep input stream around just to be able to display nice error messages is a bit inconvenient. In one package I even had to define a product of ParseError and Text to work around this.
I think mmark is a nice example of what Megaparsec can do. But it also showed the limitations of the parsing library. mmark can report several ParseError s at once, and when they are pretty-printed, we display an offending line per error from the original input stream. If we just use the functions that are provided out-of-the-box, we’ll be traversing the input stream N times, where N is the number of ParseError s we want to display. Not nice at all!
It looks like we want:
A bundle type ParseErrorBundle that functions like parse will return.
The type should include everything that is necessary to pretty-print a parse error: tab width, input stream to use, etc.
There will be only one function to pretty print such a bundle, let’s call it errorBundlePretty .
The bundle should be able to contain several ParseError s which are sorted. During pretty-printing it should traverse input stream only once.
So here we go:
-- | A non-empty collection of 'ParseError's equipped with 'PosState' that -- allows to pretty-print the errors efficiently and correctly. data ParseErrorBundle s e = ParseErrorBundle { bundleErrors :: NonEmpty ( ParseError s e ) -- ^ A /sorted/ collection of 'ParseError's to display , bundlePosState :: PosState s -- ^ State that is used for line\/column calculation } deriving ( Generic )
PosState is defined like so:
-- | Special kind of state that is used to calculate line\/column positions -- on demand. data PosState s = PosState { pstateInput :: s -- ^ The rest of input to process , pstateOffset :: ! Int -- ^ Offset corresponding to beginning of 'pstateInput' , pstateSourcePos :: ! SourcePos -- ^ Source position corresponding to beginning of 'pstateInput' , pstateTabWidth :: Pos -- ^ Tab width to use for column calculation , pstateLinePrefix :: String -- ^ Prefix to prepend to offending line (out of scope for this post) } deriving ( Show , Eq , Data , Typeable , Generic )
This is a helper data type that allows to pretty print several ParseError s in one pass. Functions like runParser or parse always return only one ParseError in a bundle, but we can add more ourselves, which is what I think mmark will be doing.
There is a but more about PosState though, and it has to do with the performance improvements in Megaparsec 7.
Performance improvements
I was thinking how to make Megaparsec 7 faster and simpler. One thing I did is dropping stacks of source positions, which felt good, but not enough. So I figured: updating SourcePos in State is expensive, but pretty much a useless thing to do if a parser doesn’t fail.
Why is it useless?
We only care about SourcePos when we want to present ParseErrors to humans. For everything else a simple Int offset as the number of consumed tokens so far is perfect.
Given input stream and things like tab width, an offset determines uniquely the corresponding SourcePos anyway, so keeping stateTokensProcessed and statePos at the same time is a waste.
We already traverse input stream when we pretty-print parse errors. We could at the same time calculate SourcePos from offsets while doing that.
So that’s the idea:
Store Int offset instead of SourcePos position in ParseError s.
Infer SourcePos when necessary on pretty-printing.
Guess what, this gives about 100% of speed-up on microbenchmarks (not on all of them, but on many, and that’s impressive), and this does transform into performance improvements for real parsers too.
Here is the older benchmark comparing Attoparsec and Megaparsec. I used it to compare Attoparsec vs Megaparsec 6 vs Megaparsec 7. Here is a table which shows simplified results (run on my laptop):
Benchmark Attoparsec 0.13.2.2 Megaparsec 6.5.0 Megaparsec 7.0.0 CSV (40) 99.62 μs 137.2 μs 82.75 μs Log (40) 429.4 μs 577.4 μs 453.8 μs JSON (40) 27.01 μs 48.81 μs 33.68 μs
Notably, Megparsec 7 beats Attoparec on the CSV benchmark now. It’s written quite naively of course, if I remember correctly I stole it from some Attoparsec or Parsec tutorial, but still it demonstrates that the machinery in the foundation of the library is getting quite speedy.
Memory (showing allocations because max residency is constant and quite low in all cases):
Benchmark Attoparsec 0.13.2.2 Megaparsec 6.5.0 Megaparsec 7.0.0 CSV (40) 397,952 557,312 357,208 Log (40) 1,181,120 1,485,776 1,246,496 JSON (40) 132,488 233,328 203,824
Now you probably understand the temptation. But there was also the conservative part of me which said: “but hey, people are going to want to get source position from a working parser to attach it to AST or something, and what about indentation-sensitive parsing which needs to know column numbers…”.
Hell, that’s right. But we’re not going to let that spoil the party, are we?
We could always calculate SourcePos incrementally and on demand. Re-using PosState we plug it into parser State :
data State s = State { stateInput :: s -- ^ The rest of input to process , stateOffset :: {-# UNPACK #-} ! Int -- ^ Number of processed tokens so far , statePosState :: PosState s -- ^ State that is used for line\/column calculation } deriving ( Show , Eq , Data , Typeable , Generic )
Exploiting the fact that we can only move forward in input stream, we can write:
getSourcePos :: MonadParsec e s m => m SourcePos getSourcePos = do st <- getParserState -- We're not interested in the line at which the offset is located in -- this case, but the same 'reachOffset' function is used in -- 'errorBundlePretty'. let ( pos , _ , pst ) = reachOffset ( stateOffset st ) ( statePosState st ) setParserState st { statePosState = pst } return pos
Where reachOffset is a new method of Stream that replaces all the old methods that had to do with keeping track of source position. At the same time reachOffset fetches String representation of the right line in input to show in parse errors. And it’s tuned to be incremental, so only not-previously-traversed part of input will be processed. I have confirmed on projects like mmark that even if you use getSourcePos , there is no performance regressions, performance stays the same in that case (that’s if you don’t call getSourcePos on every token, which is a bad idea).
Conclusion
I think that these two changes (parse error bundles and using offsets) complement each other rather well and make the library a lot nicer.
Let me know what you think. It’ll take some time to finish up the whole thing, so if you have a concern about the changes I described, please tell me about it. Once again, the full changelog (so far) is here.
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"The main point is awareness," Paul says, as we sit down for a coffee one morning on the Smithdown Road. Moments earlier, I watch the campaign pitch firsthand as he orders his drink: a polite enquiry about the café's newspaper selection is followed by the flash of a leaflet (met with excitement from the customers sat behind) and the possibility of speaking with the manager about putting one up in the window. "If they agree to stop selling, we promote them on our Facebook page, and if not, we leave them to it," he adds. It is hoped that customers will choose shops that don't sell, thus encouraging other outlets to follow suit. | {
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Latin American countries must employ proven violence prevention policies if the region is going to adequately address crime and violence, according to a new World Bank report presented this week.
The report, “End Violence in Latin America: A Look at Prevention from Infancy to Adulthood,” warned that violence remains a major challenge for Latin American and Caribbean countries and has a high cost on human life and development.
“In order to be successful, the region needs to build a more inclusive social fabric with more equal opportunities, as well as implement prevention policies that have worked to reduce violence, such as reducing dropout rates and increasing quality youth employment,” Jorge Familiar, World Bank vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean, said during a livestream from the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
The authors challenge the idea that crime and violence are symptoms of poverty, inequity and other common issues in developing countries. If that were true, then we should have seen a drop in crime and violence by now. Over the last decade Latin America and the Caribbean have seen unprecedented levels of economic growth and poverty reduction, cutting extreme poverty by more than half (to 11.5 percent) and decreasing overall poverty from 42 percent to 24.1 percent, according to World Bank figures.
Yet the region is plagued by rising levels of homicides and violent crime, in some cases resembling war-torn countries. And the price tag is high: Violence and crime cost around $261 billion for the region, according to a recent estimate from the Inter-American Development Bank. Paradoxically, it also hinders economic and social progress – the very factors once believed to cause such problems in the first place.
“The complexity of the issue (and multiplicity of its causes) is one of its defining characteristics and the main reason why there is no magic formula or a single policy that will fix the violence in our region,” according to the report. “We will not solve the problem by relying only on greater police action or greater incarceration, or through more education or employment.” Rather than these silver-bullet methods governments commonly employ, the report recommends using proven methods to reduce violence and crime. It suggests a multitude of biological approaches, such as pre- and post-natal care and better nutrition, as well as social improvements in early-childhood development programs and improved neighborhood infrastructure. One method mentioned in the report, simply banning the sale of alcohol in bars after 11 p.m., helped a Brazilian city reduce its homicide rate by 45 percent. Laura Chioda, senior economist at the World Bank and author of the study, said crime and drug use was also reduced in Brazil by extending the period of basic education. She noted that the measure paid back the cost invested in additional years of school. “Prevention is possible; It is never too early or late to apply it,” said Chioda during the livestream. “… We do not advocate for an intervention with comprehensive policies, but for a comprehensive approach that is different.” For such methods to work, she said legal and justice systems need to be trustworthy and reliable. Another speaker on Tuesday, Eric Olson, director of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, emphasized the need for autonomous and independent journalism to demand transparency in the use of resources and legitimacy of judicial processes.
Eight Latin American countries exceed the level of violence defined by the World Health Organization as “conflict” (30 homicides per 100,000). According to the report, Honduras and Venezuela experience the highest figures – at 90 and 54, respectively – scoring well above some countries at war. | {
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Zelalem to stay at Arsenal in January transfer window to continue rehab
The highly-rated youngster is recovering from a serious knee injury and won't be heading out on loan
Gedion Zelalem will continue his rehabilitation from injury this month as the youngster aims to work his way back into contention at , Goal understands.
The 20-year-old midfielder suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear just minutes into the United States' match against at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup last May.
Zelalem spent nine months on the sidelines but posted a video on Instagram last month showing that he has returned to running following the serious knee injury.
Tell your friends ⏳ A post shared by Gedion Zelalem (@gedi34) on Dec 4, 2017 at 10:06am PST
His contract expires in the summer of 2019 and Goal can confirm that Zelalem will continue his return to full fitness at the club’s London Colney training ground this month instead of going out on loan.
"I think he’s a player who has quality, top quality,” said Gunners boss Arsene Wenger in 2016.
"He might be a bit longer to mature because he is a little bit behind on the body structure. But I’m sure he will be a great player who matures maybe a bit slowly physically. But, overall, I’m convinced that he’ll have a great career.”
Zelalem, who has previously spent time on loan at Dutch side VVV Venlo and Scottish side , made four first-team appearances for Arsenal before his injury, although he is yet to make his Premier League debut. | {
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LostLettermen.com is a college sports website the regularly contributes to The Dagger. Today, it looks at the genesis of Indiana’s candy-striped warm-up pants.
Of all the traditions at Indiana, none is as perpetually front-and-center as the Hoosiers’ candy-striped warm-up pants.
Prior to each game, Indiana players take the court sporting these blasts from the past, but very few people know the origin of the distinctive pants because the Hoosiers have worn them for so long. Even Bob Hammel, co-author of a new book with Bob Knight called “The Power of Negative Thinking," didn't know how they became an Indiana trademark.
“As well as I know Bob [Knight] and as many conversations as we’ve had, I’ve never thought to ask him the whys of the striped pants,” Hammel said in an e-mail exchange with Lost Lettermen. “I just never thought about it, because they were … there. Not trying to parallel any roles here, now, but asking why seemed sort of like asking God why the sky is blue.”
[Related: College basketball's Top 10 coaching tirades ever ft. Bob Knight]
So what was the genesis of the pants?
Knight’s 1971–1972 squad was the first to play in Assembly Hall and the first to rock the candy-striped warm-ups. There was nothing particularly loud about them in comparison to the fashion at the time, which was dominated by geometric-patterned attire most visibly – and famously – seen on glam rock musicians.
They were, however, unique in the college basketball world.
“I just liked them,” Knight told Hammel earlier this week in classic Bob Knight fashion. “They were different.”
The look was already familiar in the Hoosier State, as the Indiana basketball team had already turned striped tube socks into a fashion statement. But it should be noted that the pants themselves were not original. The Harlem Globetrotters made candy-striped shorts popular decades before Knight brought the pants version to Bloomington.
Whether Knight actually got the idea from the Globetrotters is unclear.
“The pants just happened,” Hammel said. “This was before the rest of us got to know Bob Knight well enough to think how wildly out of character it was for a man so conservative and stodgy in his basketball styling.”
[Related: Top 10 ugliest college basketball uniforms ever]
Knight opting for something different couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. In 1971, college basketball was entering a new era where, for the first time, it was a viable television property. (The highly-rated “Game of the Century” between UCLA and Houston had taken place three seasons before.) For TV audiences, those candy striped warm-ups were a calling card.
“Indiana University has been on … more than any other Big Ten institution as far as being on CBS or ESPN on a nationwide basis,” IU assistant director of event management Kit Klingelhoffer told the Tom Crean Show in 2011. “When people saw Indiana play, they recognized those candy-striped uniforms.”
Soon, they became an iconic part of an Indiana program partially defined by fashion. While Oregon has left its impression of the college sports landscape with bold, fashion-forward choices, Indiana has always been happy with occupying a niche at the other end of the spectrum.
[See also: College basketball's 10 most hated players ever ft. Christian Laettner]
This is a program that has made minimal changes to its jerseys — famously lacking nameplates on the back — and led for many years by Knight, whose red knit sweater became a part of his persona over the years.
Once Indiana settles on a look it likes and has success with that look, they stick with it. Fittingly, those who didn’t embrace that tradition haven’t lasted long with IU.
“The IU coaches who would have dared – and no doubt preferred — to change them have been moved on,” Hammel said. “Tom Crean, who embraces every stitch of glory-days Hoosier tradition, wouldn’t think of it.” | {
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WASHINGTON — Revised concepts for a proposed Europa lander mission could reduce its mass and cost by simplifying its science requirements and doing away with a dedicated communications relay.
In a presentation at a meeting of the Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science of the National Academies March 28, Kevin Hand of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory said that feedback from a mission concept review for the proposed lander last June led to changes in the design to reduce its cost.
“The technology and science were well received. The marching orders that we got out of that review were to see if we could simplify the architecture to reduce complexity and cost,” he said. While there’s been little discussion of the lander’s cost, Hand said there was a “desire” to reduce its cost to below $3 billion.
The concept for the mission presented at that review involved the launch of the lander on a Space Launch System rocket no earlier than late 2025. The spacecraft would enter orbit around Jupiter in 2030 with a landing on Europa to follow no earlier than December 2031. The battery-powered lander would operate on the surface for at least 20 days, relying on a communications relay spacecraft in orbit to return data to Earth.
Hand said the project team looked at options to do away with the relay spacecraft by giving the lander a larger antenna to enable direct-to-Earth communications. That concept uses a flat-panel antenna 80 centimeters across, versus antenna smaller antennas 30 to 40 centimeters across intended for communications with the relay. One quadrant of that larger antenna has been built and tested at JPL, he said, with “encouraging” results.
Another factor that enables the change in design, he said, is a shift in the science requirements for the lander. A report by a science definition team last year had included, as one of the mission’s priorities, the ability of the lander’s instruments to directly detect any life that might exist in the moon’s icy surface.
“That’s a very high bar,” Hand said. “That bar runs the risk of setting expectations too high, perhaps, and also potentially cannibalizing some of the other science that the community sees as very valuable.”
Instead, the mission team looked at what the “sweet spot” for science from the lander mission might be. Hand said that looking for biosignatures of past or present life would simplify the science requirements for the mission, including reducing the amount of data needed to be transmitted back to Earth.
“By moving to biosignatures, we are able to reduce that need for a dedicated comm relay, which enables a direct-to-Earth architecture, which is less costly and less complex,” he said. That approach also preserves the proposed instrument payload that supports both biosignature and other science. “We worked very hard not to remove any instruments.”
He added that by focusing on biosignatures, the lander does not necessarily lose the ability to directly detect life, only that it no longer drives the design of the mission. “If you choose your instruments and your investigations wisely, you have the capability of doing life detection, but you are unburdened from some of the requirements of life detection.”
Another change in the lander is a shift away from the avionics being developed for the Europa Clipper multiple-flyby mission. That was intended to save money but resulted in driving up the mass of the lander. Hand noted that a one-kilogram increase in the mass of the lander on the surface of Europa translated into a 30-kilogram increase in the mass of the spacecraft on the launch pad, given the mission’s fuel requirements.
While refining the design of the lander and its science requirements, other work is in progress on the mission’s technology. That includes development of a “terrain relative navigation” system for precise landings on the surface and cryogenic sampling technologies to efficiently cut into Europa’s cold, icy surface to collect samples.
These efforts have continued despite the lander being caught in a tug-of-war between NASA and Congress. NASA requested no funding for a lander mission in its 2018 budget proposal, focusing instead on the Europa Clipper mission. However, the 2018 omnibus appropriations bill signed into law March 23 included $595 million intended for both Clipper and the lander mission, although not specifying how that money should be allocated between the two. NASA’s fiscal year 2019 budget proposal again requested no funding for the lander.
Hand said he would like to move ahead with selection of instruments for the lander, allowing engineers to design around actual hardware rather than concepts for instruments included in the science definition team report. “We have developed the systems as much as we can for generic applications,” he said. “To take it to the next level, we will need to work with real instruments. That’s what I would hope to see in the next year.”
Jim Green, director of NASA’s planetary science division, agreed. “We feel that one of our next major hurdles is instrumentation, and figuring out our next steps in terms of investing in those,” he said, with a meeting planned at NASA Headquarters next week to discuss some of those options.
“I think you’ll see now that the budget is passed, with congressional direction, we’ll be smartly out in a couple of these areas,” Green said. | {
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Brennan: Athlete of the year a three-way race to finish
Christine Brennan | USA TODAY Sports
Show Caption Hide Caption Serena Williams' dramatic impact USA TODAY Sports' Christine Brennan on Serena Williams' dramatic impact on women's tennis, and her unprecedented late career success.
The end of August usually is one of those in-between times in sports. College and pro football are almost here, but not quite. Summer sports like tennis and golf are wrapping up. Big things are on the horizon, for sure, but because September is full of kickoffs, August sometimes feels like a set-up month.
Not 2015. This year is different. It has been big from the beginning, and it’s not stopping now.
It had us at American Pharoah.
Or perhaps at Jordan Spieth. Or the U.S. Women’s World Cup victory. Or Serena Williams.
Those have to be the four finalists for athlete/sportsperson/sports people of 2015, and, interestingly, while the U.S. soccer team barnstorms the country in a victory tour of exhibition games, the three individual athletes aren’t yet finished with their work.
In fact, they all are competing again in the next few days: American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes on Saturday, Spieth in the FedExCup Playoffs starting Thursday and Williams in the U.S. Open beginning Monday.
In most other years, each one of them would have sealed the deal by now as the year’s top athlete, such was the prominence of their triumphs even before setting out again over the next few days.
A Triple Crown winner for the first time in 37 years? How does that not immediately qualify the horse as the athlete of the year?
A 21-year-old wins two major men’s golf titles and nearly wins the other two (the last as a 22-year-old)? What beats that?
The nation’s most beloved national sports team wins the World Cup for the first time in 16 years? The last time it happened, in 1999, that team was honored with all kinds of end-of-the-year awards. So why not this time too?
And, of course, there’s Serena, who we’ve known for so long that she feels like a member of the family, or at least our high school graduating class. All she has done is win the last four majors in tennis: from last year’s U.S. Open through this year’s Wimbledon, with the 2015 U.S. Open and the first calendar-year Grand Slam in tennis in 27 years hanging in the balance.
If Serena wins the Open, becoming the first woman or man to win the Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988, she would be my choice as sportsperson of the year. How could she not be? She would not only have won all four majors in the same year, she also would have tied Graf for the most Grand Slam titles won by a tennis player, male or female, in the Open era, with 22.
Consider, also, that if Serena achieves the Grand Slam, she will do it at the age of 33, with her 34th birthday less than a month away. That’s extraordinary longevity in a sport often known for relegating young women to the discard pile while they are still teenagers.
Graf was different. She played forever, it seemed. She was really old when she retired, wasn’t she?
She was 30.
Serena has been so dominant for so long that it’s easy for some to underappreciate her. Funny how fans didn’t seem to feel that way when Tiger Woods was so dominant in golf. It’s well past time for all of us to realize how remarkable her run is, coming at the best, most competitive time in the history of women’s sports, including tennis.
So if Serena wins the Grand Slam on Sept. 12, she’s my athlete of the year. But let’s have some fun. Say Spieth goes on to win the FedExCup on Sept. 27. Say American Pharoah wins the Travers Stakes Saturday, then takes the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31. Because the Breeders’ Cup began in 1984, American Pharoah would become the first to win horse racing’s new Grand Slam.
So, in this scenario, we’d have one Grand Slam vs. another, with the top golfer of the year and the best soccer team in the world thrown in for good measure. You could have a nice conversation about all of that. In fact, I think we just did. The dog days of August have never had it so good. | {
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Mara Tasker- Writer / Director
Mara Tasker is an independent writer/director who studied film around the world before moving to Los Angeles to work in Independent Film Finance at WME Talent Agency. Mara received her BFA in Film Production at CU Boulder in addition to studying producing at Oxford Media School in Oxford, England as well as a specialty in Italian Neo Realist filmmaking at John Cabot University in Rome. Before graduating from Boulder, Mara created and produced the avant-garde dance short PLASTIC BALLAD with dancer Esmeralda Kundanis- Grow with whom she formed an artist collective. After working at WME Talent agency for two years, Mara wrote and directed the short film LATENT which earned her an invitation to speak at the Valsele Film Festival in Italy. In 2012, she worked in development with Tobey Maguire before moving on to write for screenwriter Drew Pearce. Aside from her work in the industry, Mara continues to write and produce independently and is currently working on a slate of features as well as launching an independent film festival in Tennessee under her banner, Navona Films.
Laine Rettmer- Actress, Sheila
Laine Rettmer is an actress and director, known for Five Minarets in New York (2010), Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006), and Love Magical (2012). Since graduating from the Experimental Theatre Wing at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, she has also appeared on television in Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Blue Bloods (CBS), and Suits (USA). Laine most recently directed the critically-acclaimed production of La Boheme for LoftOpera, an exciting new company redefining opera for a new generation in the industrial space of Brooklyn.
Crew:
Jane Cottrell- 1st AD
Jane Cottrell is an independent filmmaker and producer whose passion for studying and creating films has led her all over the world. She spent her freshman year of college living in Paris, France studying European film, art, and photography, and her short "Pizza and Pigeons in the Plaza" was selected as the opening piece at the 2007 California Student Film and Video Festival. She continued making 16mm short films while a student at the New York Film Academy in New York City, and earned her B.A. in Film and Media studies from the University of California Berkeley in 2011.While an undergraduate at UC Berkeley Jane started working in production for numerous award winning directors and cinematographers such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Christopher Nolan, and Wally Pfister, ASC. After graduating Jane started working in film and non scripted television development for producers Christine Peters and Ken Mayer at CFP Entertainment, and then in distribution at Sierra/Affinity during the 2013 European Film Market. Since then Jane has split her time between assistant directing and producing a number of independent short films, music videos, web series, commercials and photography campaigns.
Emmy Haskett – Production Designer
Emmy Haskett is a Los Angeles based production designer and writer. After completing her BA in anthropology and social theory from the University of Melbourne, she moved to LA to pursue a career in film. She currently resides in Echo Park and spends time writing pilots at Stories on Sunset when she isn't working on set.
Lowell Meyer- Director of Photography
Cinematography is one part visual creativity, one part technical wizardry. As such, Lowell A. Meyer acts as both a painter and scientist when crafting his visuals. Utilizing precise camera movements, expressive color palettes, and rich photographic tonality, he matches his unique eye and artistic sensibilities with technical precision, dexterity, and pragmatism - always in service of the story. Lowell studied cinematography and photography at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and now lives and works as a freelance cinematographer in Los Angeles, California. He has shot a diverse range of projects, including the award-winning short film "Elko" (dir. Alexander Yan), the MTV-released music video "Stars Align" by Jon Sandler (dir. Nicolas Heller), and his first feature film Project Bigfoot (dir. Ricardo Herrara) set to premiere this year. Lowell is always in search of projects that will further his exploration as a visual storyteller and provide him with more opportunities to work alongside other talented filmmakers.
Lowell’s reel: http://lowellameyer.com/reel/
Producing team:
Riel Roch Decter- Producer
Canadian born filmmaker Riel Roch Decter is currently the Director of Production for the LA based independent feature film company Olympus Pictures. While working at Olympus, Riel has helped the company produce numerous award winning feature films including Stuart Blumberg's debut feature THANKS FOR SHARING starring Mark Ruffalo ,Gwyneth Paltrow, and Tim Robbins, Andrew Adamson's film MR. PIP starring Hugh Laurie, Julian Farino's THE ORANGES starring Hugh Laurie, Leighton Meester, and Catherine Keener, John Cameron Mitchell's RABBIT HOLE starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart, for which Kidman was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress, and Mike Mills' BEGINNERS starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer, for which Plummer won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2012, Riel produced two feature length films for Olympus: BOTTLED UP written and directed by New York filmmaker Enid Zentelis, starring Oscar winning actress Melissa Leo, Marin Ireland, and Josh Hamilton which premiered at the 2103 Tribeca Film Festival, and THE WAIT written and directed by New York filmmaker M Blash, starring Jena Malone and Chloe Sevigny, which had its world premiere at the 2103 SXSW Film Festival. Riel has also produced numerous award winning short films including THROAT SONG, written and directed by Canadian filmmmaker Miranda de Pencier. The short won the 2013 Canadian Screen Award for best live action short film, Canada's highest film and TV honor, and has also been short listed, one of ten, for a 2013 Academy Award nomination in the short film category.
Jess Engel- Producer
Jess Engel began her entertainment career in June 2011, working for Lynette Howell at Silverwood Films. When Lynette teamed with Jamie Patricof to launch Electric City Entertainment in January 2012, Jess stayed on and is now their Creative Executive where her focus is on finding exciting new material and cultivating relationships with writers and directors to help expand Electric City's slate. While at Electric City, Jess has worked on such films as Tim Burton's BIG EYES, starring Amy Adams & Christoph Waltz, and Derek Cianfrance's THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, starring Ryan Gosling & Bradley Cooper. Electric City is currently in production on Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden's MISSISSIPPI GRIND, starring Ryan Reynolds & Ben Mendelsohn.
Pip Ngo- Producer
San Francisco native Pip Ngo is the Manager of Scripted Development for Sierra/Engine Television, where he’s responsible for shepherding projects from their conception through the finance and development process. Sierra/Engine, which utilizes an independent television model to finance straight-to-series network orders, brought to audiences worldwide NBC’s SIBERIA in its first year. It’s currently in production for ABC’S THE BLACK BOX, created by Amy Holden Jones (INDECENT PROPOSAL) and Ilene Chaiken (THE L WORD), and starring Kelly Reilly and Vanessa Redgrave. Sierra/Engine is also distributing for NBC worldwide the currently-in-production CROSSBONES, created by Neil Cross (LUTHER), and starring John Malkovich. Pip formerly worked for CAA’s Film Finance Group as well as sales, distribution, and production outfit Sierra/Affinity, where he was involved in number of titles from Sierra/Affinity’s prolific slate, including Derek Cianfrance’s THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, Gavin Hood’s ENDER’S GAME, Taylor Hackford’s PARKER, and Nicolas Winding Refn’s DRIVE. Prior to joining the independent TV and film worlds, Pip worked on Broadway for Carole Shorenstein Hays, the legendary and prolific producer of multiple Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning productions. With Carole he helped bring to the stage the Tony Award-winning revival of August Wilson’s FENCES, starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, as well as Martin McDonagh’s A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE, starring Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell.
Sev Ohanian- Producer
Sev Ohanian is a 26-year-old filmmaker native to Los Angeles. At the age of 20, he produced and self-distributed MY BIG FAT ARMENIAN FAMILY, a no-budget indie feature-film that became extremely popular with Armenian audiences around the world. Shortly after, he attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts MFA program - using the profits from his film to pay for tuition. While at film school, he focused on producing several ambitious short films in collaboration with fellow students. Since graduating, he was the Co-Producer on FRUITVALE STATION, a feature film written & directed by Ryan Coogler, starring Michael B. Jordan & Octavia Spencer. FRUITVALE STATION premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. The film was acquired by The Weinstein Company and was released in theaters everywhere in July 2013. Also in 2013, Sev was a Producer on THE LABYRINTH, MEMORIA, and YOSEMITE, three feature films for James Franco’s Rabbit Bandini Productions. He was awarded the 2013 Breakthrough Filmmaker Award by the Arpa International Film Festival. He recently finished producing PRODUCE, a feature film shot entirely in Louisville, Kentucky. | {
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Identities
This is a non-exclusive list of terms and identities in the LGBT community. If I have worded something incorrectly, please message me with correct wording. If I have missed a term, or misplaced a term, please let me know as well.
Gender | Sexual attraction | Romantic Attraction | Sex | Other Terms
Gender
Agender
A gender identity, or lack of identity, meaning genderless or non gendered. Can also be termed Neutrois or Genderless. Different people prefer different terms, so thats why there’s more than one.
Androgyne
A gender identity between genders, or combining genders.
Androgynous
Adjective describing a gender presentation or expression that is ambiguous, neutral, or mixed.
Androgynous of center
An umbrella term that includes gender identities that are closer to androgyny than the binary genders.
Bigender
A gender identity that includes two or more genders. Bigender people may alternate between genders or experience them simultaneously, or both.
Cisgender
A person who identifies with the gender assigned to them at birth.
Demigirl
A person who identifies slightly or partially as female or with feminine identities.
Demiboy
A person who identifies slightly or partially as male or with male identities.
Elissogender
A gender which vaguely moves around with no gender. Can be a modifier (elissogender demigirl) or standalone (elissogenders feel that their gender identity meanders).
Fluidflux
when gender moves between two or more genders and fluctuates in intensity.
Genderfluid
Having a gender identity that changes or is flexible. This may happen on its own or change according to circumstances or environment.
Genderflux
When you don’t switch gender but intensity of the gender changes.
Genderqueer
An umbrella term covering all non-binary identities. Also an identity of its own.
Intergender
Having a gender identity between male and female.
Maverique
Having a gender characterized by autonomy and inner conviction regarding a sense of self that is entirely independent of male/masculine, feminine/femininity, or anything which derives from the two while still being neither without gender nor of a neutral gender. Rhymes with antique (mav-reek).
Multigender
An umbrella term for people with multiple genders. Could also be considered pangender. Different people prefer different terms, so thats why there’s more than one.
Neutrois
A neutral third gender; genderless, no gender identity, similar to agender. Sometimes defined as a specific kind of genderless identity.
Pangender
A gender identity where one experiences all, many or combinations of genders, simultaneously or at different times.
Polygender
A gender identity where one experiences multiple genders or combinations of genders, simultaneously or at different times.
Transgender
Someone who identifies with a gender other than the one assigned to them at birth. Mtf is Male to Female, FtM is female to male.
Trigender
A gender identity distinct from being male, female or androgynous; a gender identity including three or more genders, simultaneously or separately.
Two-Spirit
An identity specific to Native American/First American culture.
Sexual Attraction
Asexual
Someone who is not sexually attracted to people, and an umbrella for asexuality-related identities, e.g. demisexual, grey-asexual.
Allosexual
An umbrella term for those who experience sexual attraction.
Androsexual
Sexually attracted to men/masculine identified people.
Bisexual
Someone who is sexually attracted to two or more genders, same and different.
Demisexual
Someone who experiences sexual attraction only after an emotional connection has been formed.A demisexual is someone who is only sexually attracted to people whith whom they have established a close emotional bond.
Gay
Someone who is attracted to the same gender. Can be used for male or female, is usually used for males.
Gynesexual
Someone who is sexually attracted to women/feminine identified people.
Heterosexual
Someone who is sexually attracted to another gender.
Homosexual
Someone who is sexually attracted to the same gender.
Lithsexual
Someone who experiences sexual attraction without the desire for it to be reciprocated.
Lesbian
Woman/feminine identified person attracted to other women/feminine identified persons.
Monosexual
An umbrella term for people who are sexually attracted to one gender.
Multisexual
An umbrella term for people who are sexually attracted to multiple genders.
Non-monosexual
An umbrella term for people who are sexually attracted to multiple genders. Simmilar to bisexual, pansexual, polysexual or multisexual. Different people prefer different terms, so thats why there’s more than one.
Novosexual
Someone who experiences sexual attraction change based on their gender identity. Important for multi-gendered and genderfluid individuals whose attraction changes based on their gender.
Objectum sexuality
Sexual and/or romantic attraction to inanimate objects (though not necessarily all inanimate objects).
Pansexual
Someone who experiences sexual attraction regardless of gender.
Placiosexual
to feel little to no desire to receive sexual acts performed on them but expresses interest/desire in performing them on someone else. not necessarily arospec, but a useful term for the community.
Polysexual
Someone who experiences sexual attraction to some but not all genders.
Phallosexual
Someone who is attracted to persons of any gender qho have male genitalia
Skoliosexual - Now Ceterosexual
Sexual attraction to genders outside the binary. NOTE: this is debated as a potentially problematic term, it would be wise to research and decide for yourself before using it. New info on ceterosexual
Yonisexual
Someone who is attracted to people of any gender who have female genitalia
Romantic Attraction
Aromantic
Someone who does not experience romantic attraction. Also an umbrella term for aromantic-related identities, such as demi, lith, and grey.
Alloromantic
An umbrella term for those who experience romantic attraction.
Androromantic
Someone who is romantically attracted to men/masculine identified people.
Biromantic
Someone who is romantically attracted to people of same and different genders, 2 genders.
Demiromantic
Someone who experiences romantic attraction only after an emotional connection has been made.
Grey-romantic
Someone who is somewhere on the spectrum between aromantic and alloromantic.
Grey-aromantic
Someone who is somewhere on the spectrum between aromantic and alloromantic.
Gyneromantic
Someone who is romantically attracted to women/feminine identifies persons.
Heteroromantic
Someone who is romantically attracted to another gender.
Homoromantic
Someone who is romantically attracted to the same gender.
Lithromantic
Someone who experiences romantic attraction without any desire for reciprocation.
Monoromantic
An umbrella term for persons romantically attracted to one gender.
Multiromantic
An umbrella term for persons romantically attracted to more than one gender.
Non-monoromantic
An umbrella term for persons romantically attracted to more than one gender. Similar to multiromantic, biromantic, panromantic, and polyromantic. Different people prefer different terms, so thats why there’s more than one.
Novoromantic
Someone whose romantic attractions change based on their gender identity. Important for multi-gendered and genderfluid individuals whose attraction changes based on their gender.
Panromantic
Someone who is romantically attracted to all genders.
Placioromantic
to feel little to no desire to receive romantic acts performed on them but expresses interest/desire in performing them on someone else. not necessarily arospec, but a useful term for the community.
Polyromantic
Someone who is romantically attracted to some but not all genders.
Skolioromantic - Now Ceteroromantic
Someone who is romantically attracted to persons outside the gender binary. New info on ceteroromantic
WTFromantic
A term under the aromantic umbrella. Does not experience romantic attraction in the typical manner, does not see the lines between romance and friendship, experiences emotions between platonic and romantic attraction, etc.
Sex
Male
Someone who is born with a penis, XY chromosomes, and male internal reproductive organs, who also identifies as male/masculine.
Female
Someone who is born with a vagina, XX chromosomes, and female internal reproductive organs, who also identifies as female/feminine.
Intersex
Someone who is born with physical or genetic characteristics what cannot be explicitly defined with a binary sex. Can include variation sin hormones, chromosomes, genitalia, gonads, internal sex organs, etc. Being intersex does not define one’s gender Identity, although some do identify specifically as intersex.
Other Terms
Ally
Any person who stands up for the rights of LGBT people.
Amatonormativity
The assumption that a central, exclusive, amorous relationship is normal for humans, in that it is a universally shared goal, and that such a relationship is normative, in the sense that it should be aimed at in preference to other relationship types. Source
Bicurious
Someone who identifies mostly as homosexual or heterosexual, but is open to trying sexual/romantic encounters with the gender that isn’t their main preference.
Bi-erasure
When one’s bisexual identity is erased.
Biphobia
Range of negative attitudes and feelings towards bisexual people.
Cross Dresser
A term for people who dress in clothing traditionally worn by the other gender, but who have no interest or intent to live full-time as the other gender.
Drag King
Used to refer to women who dress as men for the purpose of entertaining others at bars, clubs, or other events.
Drag Queen
Used to refer to men who dress as women for the purpose of entertaining others at bars, clubs, or other events.
Enby
(Noun) A non-binary person.
Feminine of center
An umbrella term that includes gender identities that lean towards female.
Gender
What you feel, in your brain.
Gender Expression
How you express your gender, with clothes, hairstyles, accessories, etc.
Gender Identity
How you identify your gender.
Gender Non-conforming
A term for individuals whose gender expression is different from societal expectations related to gender.
Hijra
People in a divers community of gender identities specific to South Asia.
Hetero/homoflexible
A person who is primarily attracted to same/another gender but there is one or two people you are ‘flexible’ for, of the same/other gender.
Homophobia
A range of negative attitudes and feelings towards LGBTQ people.
Internalized biphobia
Refers to negative feelings we have towards ourselves because of our bisexuality.
Internalized homophobia
Refers to negative feelings we have towards ourselves because of our homosexuality.
Internalized transphobia
Refers to negative feelings we have towards ourself because of being transgender.
Masculine of center
An umbrella term including gender identities that lean towards male.
Muxe
An Identity specific to Zapotec Culture.
Monoamory
Having intimate relationships with only one person at a time.
Monogamy
Being married to only one person at a time.
Non-binary
An umbrella term for gender identities (or lack of a gender identity) that are not explicitly male or explicitly female.
Paper
in which someone is comfortable receiving but not giving sexually. One can identify as stone and be any sexual orientation- heterosexual, bisexual, asexual, etc.
Preferred Gender Pronouns
Pronouns a person prefers. May or may not ‘match’ their gender, or gender expression.
Polyamory
Having intimate, consensual relationships with more than one person at a time, with the informed consent of everybody involved.
Polyamorous
The identity connected to polyamory.
Polygamy
Being married to more than one person at a time.
Queer
The umbrella term for non-heteronormative identities. It is a reclaimed slur, and some people don’t like it being used.
Queerplatonic relationship
An intimate, non-romantic, committed relationship.
Questioning
When one is unsure of where one fits on the queer spectrum, or considering that one might fit on the queer spectrum.
Romantic Attraction
The want for another person to know you intimately emotionally and to understand each other at a deeper level however, this is different from friendship. (link)
Sex
The genitalia between one’s legs.
Sexual Attraction
A desire to have sexual relations with another person and/or vivid sexual fantasies of said person. (link)
Squish
a platonic crush/platonic attraction to someone.
Stone
in which someone is comfortable giving but not receiving sexually. One can identify as stone and be any sexual orientation- heterosexual, bisexual, asexual, etc.
Transition
The period during which a person begins to live as their new gender. Transitioning may include changing one’s name, taking hormones, having surgery, or changing legal documents (e.g. driver’s license, social security card, birth certificate) to reflect their new gender.
Transsexual
One who has changed, or is planning to change, their anatomy to reflect their gender identity.
Transfeminine
Someone who is transgender and feminine of center/female.
Transmasculine
Someone who is transgender and masculine of center/male.
Trans
A short hand meaning transgender. It can be followed by an asterisk (*) or not, both ways are inclusive of all non-binary persons.
Another page of definitions I found
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Luxembourg is one of Europe's smallest countries, bordered by two of its largest - Germany and France. This may be one reason why its national character is, for many people, hard to pin down. Could a peculiar religious dance hold a clue?
Despite centuries of foreign domination, wars and disease, Luxembourgers have never stopped hopping - a bouncy dance to the tune of a polka, in honour of their British patron saint.
For a religious ceremony, it's a surprisingly light-hearted occasion. It has also been a gesture of defiance to all those, often foreigners, who have tried to put a stop to the tradition, and in some cases threatened Luxembourg's survival as a country.
Now it's Europe's largest traditional dancing procession, held on Whit Tuesday, when some 10,000 hoppers converge on the city of Echternach, along with up to 40,000 spectators.
The hero of the occasion is St Willibrord, the so-called Apostle of Benelux, an Anglo-Saxon missionary from Ripon in North Yorkshire, who is credited with driving paganism out of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany in the 8th Century.
Saint Willibrord (658-739 AD) Northumbrian missionary educated at Ripon Abbey and Rathmelsigi in Ireland
Sent by St Egbert to convert North Germanic tribes to Christianity
Founded the Abbey of Echternach in 698 and was interred there after his death
Revered as a healer of epilepsy and nervous diseases
Pilgrims have been flocking to his tomb in Echternach abbey since the Middle Ages. Exactly when the hopping began is unclear, but the Catholic Church viewed it as a pagan ritual, and was the first to impose a ban.
"They were suspicious because the event was created by the people for the people," says Theo Peporte, spokesman for the Catholic Church in Luxembourg.
"They weren't sure if it was based on folklore or part of proper religious rites."
The Luxembourgers paid no notice, and continued happily hopping until, centuries later, the Church came round to their point of view.
"Eventually the Church understood that the hopping was to be taken seriously as a form of physical prayer and meditation. And today, the archbishop of Luxembourg actually leads the procession," says Peporte.
The dance starts early in the morning in the courtyard of the abbey founded by Willibrord in 698 AD, and slowly moves around the town centre.
From tiny toddlers to octogenarians with walking sticks, the participants are split into 45 groups containing rows of five dancers.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Hopping along with the celebration of St Willibrord
Most are dressed in simple white tops and black skirts or trousers. Fancy dress and national dress are not allowed.
While we Luxembourgers do a simple hop, German pilgrims swing their legs more energetically Pierre Kauthen, Willibrord Society president
"You are watching a procession, not a folklore performance, so please show restraint. No clapping, please!" warns a small notice in a brochure distributed to spectators.
A marching band starts up a catchy polka tune, which is played over and over again until the procession ends a few hours later, inside the abbey's crypt.
Once a multi-step affair involving backwards jumps, the modern version of the dance is quite simple - a little jump to the right, a little jump to the left, and hop you go.
"You can learn that in 10 seconds," says Peporte.
"What's harder is to remain synchronised with the others. That's the tricky part."
The secret, he reveals, is a handkerchief. The dancers in each row hold on to a folded cloth, "which helps to connect people and ensures harmonious hopping".
Luxembourg in a nutshell Grand Duchy founded in 963 AD
Spanish, French, Belgians, German and Dutch clawed away at the Duchy at one time or another, shrinking it to a quarter of its original size
In the 1830s alone, more than half of Luxembourg was transferred to Belgium
National motto: "We want to remain what we are"
To the novice observer, the moving crowds seem to morph into one large bouncy mass.
But the expert eye will quickly spot subtle regional differences, says Pierre Kauthen, the president of the Willibrord Society, which organises the procession.
"While we Luxembourgers do a simple hop, German pilgrims swing their legs more energetically and throw them a little higher," he explains.
"Belgians are more relaxed about it and take two little steps."
Others followed the church in trying to ban the procession. One attempt was made by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, and another, a couple of centuries later, by the Nazis.
But in 1941, a group secretly hopped inside the abbey, despite the German prohibition. The act of defiance led to imprisonments and "that was that for the procession", says Kauthen, "but only until the war was over".
The sound of retreating Nazi marching boots was still echoing through the bombed streets of Echternach, when its residents crowded into the streets in 1945.
Image caption Outside the abbey, on hopping day
Accompanied by harmonicas and flutes, they skipped through the rubble of the basilica, which had been blown up by the Germans shortly before Luxembourg's liberation.
A Franciscan monk at this year's procession recalled joining the first post-war procession as a schoolboy.
"It was very gloomy and depressing on the one hand, because the whole town lay in ruins after the Battle of the Bulge," he said.
"The abbey was destroyed and looked horrendous. But there was a real spirit of determination in the air, and that was definitely expressed in our hopping."
In many ways, the procession is testimony to Luxembourg's national motto: "We want to remain what we are" (or "Mir welle bleiwe wat mir sin").
So much so, in fact, that the Willibrord Society fought long and hard to get the tradition protected by Unesco.
In 2010, the hopping parade was finally inscribed on Unesco's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Origins of the hop Legend has it that the people of Echternach wanted to hang a violinist and steal his land, so he put a curse on them, forcing them to jig for all eternity - only Willibrord could break the spell
A more plausible theory is that the procession began as a penance march prompted by the plague and other diseases ravaging Europe in the Middle Ages
"They thought Willibrord was a healer - the pilgrimage was a form of asking for protection, hoping that would get rid of sickness and misfortune," says Pierre Kauthen of the Willibrord Society
The convention safeguards creative practices handed down from generation to generation, which communities and groups recognise as part of their cultural heritage.
"It also means that the government has committed itself to enshrine the procession in its legislation," says Mr Kauthen, one of the main figures behind the Unesco campaign.
"As a result, Whit Tuesdays will always have to be a bank holiday for schoolchildren, which is very important. Because if the teenagers and children don't come, neither will their parents, and that could spell the the end for the hopping."
For the mayor of Luxembourg City, Xavier Bettel, the event represents an essential cornerstone of local tradition.
With foreigners making up two-thirds of those living in the "melting-pot capital", he sees it as one of the only remaining features of Luxembourgish culture.
"Let's be honest, this isn't just about faith and many of those attending aren't necessarily Catholic," he says.
"We are a tiny country and there aren't a lot of things left that bind us as a people. We have our languages but otherwise not much else. So it's important that this survives." | {
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A new study from anthropologists at University of Tennessee analyzed the skulls of caucasian American men and women from between the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. Their findings showed that the average American’s skull today is larger and narrower than it used to be seven generations ago.
In total, over 1,500 skulls have been analyzed, and though humans are taller, in general, than they used to be, say a hundred or two hundred years ago, the growth in skull size is disproportional to the rest of the body, suggesting other factors are at work.
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“The varieties of changes that have swept American life make determining an exact cause an endlessly complicated proposition,” says Lee Jantz, coordinator of UT’s Forensic Anthropology Center (FAC). “It likely results from modified growth patterns because of better nutrition, lower infant and maternal mortality, less physical work, and a breakdown of former ethnic barriers to marriage. Which of these is paramount we do not know.”
The researchers found that the average height from the base to the top of the skull in men has increased by eight millimeters, or about a third of an inch, resulting in an increase in skull volume of around 200 cubic centimeters ~ just about that of a tennis ball. In women, the corresponding increases are seven millimeters and 180 cubic centimeters.
Are American brains getting bigger too? Well, for one brain size had been found to be correlated with skull size in previous studies, but this has not been proven yet, given the short supply of 1800s brains, probably…
Is the increase in skull size part of a larger pattern of the human body growing in general? Like I said earlier, humans have grown taller than they used to. Body height has increased by 5.6 percent and femur length by two percent, the UT study shows, while skull height has increased 6.8 percent since the late 1800s. Also the study found that Americans are maturing faster than before. A separation in the bone structure of the skull called the spheno-occipital synchondrosis, which in the past was thought to fuse at about age twenty, is now fusing much earlier – 14 for girls and 16 for boys.
One possible reason is America’s obesity epidemic.
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“This might affect skull shape by changing the hormonal environment, which in turn could affect timing of growth and maturation,” says professor emeritus Richard Jantz. “We know it has an effect on the long bones by increasing muscle attachment areas, increasing arthritis at certain joints, especially the knee, and increasing the weight-bearing capacity.”
Previous studies have also revealed an increase in skull size among European populations, however not this significant. The team of researchers presented their findings at the American Association of Physical Anthropologists meeting in April.
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日本気象協会は2015年12月1日、日射量推定サービス「SOLASAT 8-Now」の提供を2016年4月から開始すると発表した。
この情報を用いれば、太陽光発電所に日射計を設置しなくても、推定出力を計算できる。推定出力と実出力と比較することで太陽光発電所の異常を検知できる。電力自由化と合わせた新電力サービスにも役立ちそうだ。
SOLASAT 8-Nowでは、1平方メートル当たりの日射量（ワット）が分かる。情報更新頻度は2分半間隔、空間分解能は500メートルだ（図1）。実データから15分遅れて提供する。
図1 日射量データの一例 出典：日本気象協会（以下、一部を編集）
2015年7月から正式運用を開始した静止気象衛星「ひまわり8号」の観測データを日射量推定アルゴリズムにかけて日射量を求める（図2）。情報更新頻度と空間分解能はひまわり8号の性能で決まった。実データからの遅れはデータ処理に必要な演算時間によるもの。
図2 ひまわり8号の観測データ例 出典：日本気象協会
日射量予測サービスも改善
同協会は運用中のひまわり7号を用いた日射量推定サービス「SOLASAT-Now」を提供中だ。ひまわり7号の観測データは8号よりも荒いため、空間分解能は1キロメートル、更新間隔は30分。実データからの遅延も30分ある＊1）。
「SOLASAT 8-Nowの料金は現行のSOLASAT-Nowよりも高くなる予定だ。サービス内容を改善したためである（図3）」（日本気象協会）。
＊1） 地表は植生の違いなどから反射率が異なる。さらに、一時的な積雪などの影響を受けて値が変化する。SOLASAT-Nowでは、観測データに対して、反射率や太陽高度の影響を加味し、日射量推定モデルを用いて推定日射量を計算している。
図3 従来サービスからの改善点 出典：日本気象協会
同協会は、複数の日射量推定・予測サービスを総称して「SOLASAT」と呼んでいる。現在はSOLASAT-Now以外に3つのサービスがある。例えば6時間先まで、30分ごとの日射量を予測する「SOLASAT-Nowcast」だ。
「ひまわり8号のデータ仕様に合わせて、SOLASAT-Nowcastのサービス内容を2015年度中により高める予定だ。ただし、過去のデータを提供するSOLASAT-DB、SOLASAT-Globalは当面、従来と変わらない」（日本気象協会）。 | {
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Taking a vacation can mean checking out from work, everyday life — and many times, workouts. Coming home from vacation can often be stressful and full of catching up on work, life, and focusing on a workout plan for weight loss! But what if it didn’t have to be this way?
Would you believe it if I told you that some of my weight loss clients actually lose weight on vacation? While this may seem unbelievable, it’s true! In fact, one of them lost eight pounds on a seven-day vacation without paying much attention to food or limiting her cocktails. She “moved” everyday for 15 minutes in her hotel room and slept eight hours a night. It was the winning combination that her body needed to lose weight.
While all bodies are not created equal, hopefully this anecdote inspires you to at least consider putting together “a workout station on vacation” — and integrate a minimal time-consuming exercise plan into your vacation schedule.
I created three yoga-inspired moves you can do that don’t require any more space than the length of a yoga mat — or a bath towel, if you’re in a hotel room.
Pulsing Warrior II
Standing wide on your mat, turn your right toes towards the top of the mat, and turn your left toes toward the front left corner of the mat.
Bend the right knee to track over the right second toe, and keep the left leg straight.
Press down through the outer edge of the left heel. Lift the arms up as high as the shoulders and reach the right fingers towards the front and the left fingers towards the back. Relax your shoulders. This is your starting position.
Straighten your right knee, and then bend again. Repeat this 10 times.
Turbo Chair Pose
Standing with your feet as wide as your hips, reach your arms up overhead.
Relax the shoulders and allow the ears to have space around them.
Bend your knees and reach your glutes back, pull the abs in, and keep the arms reaching alongside the ears.
Press down through the heels to stand up and squeeze your glutes at the top.
Move quickly in and out of this pose to get your heart rate up. Repeat this 10 times.
Flying Warrior III
Standing at the top of your mat, balance on your right foot and reach your arms up towards the ceiling. Then press down through your right heel as you lift the left leg straight behind you, flexing the foot.
Lean your upper body forward as you create a diagonal from the tips of your fingers all the way down your spine through your left heel. Hold this position once you’re parallel to the ground, then slowly come back to the starting position. Repeat this 10 times, then switch sides.
Stephanie Mansour wants you to ‘“step up” your fitness regimen. Mansour coaches private clients in weight loss, provides fitness/health/lifestyles advice on national TV shows, and offers her free 21 Day Challenge online. Check out her fitness tips every Thursday in the Well section of the Chicago Sun-Times. And visit her website at stepitupwithsteph.com. | {
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I want to say this Capitol Hill triangle spun me around in circles all week, but it’s a triangle, not a circle, so that won’t do. However, I can say that much like ships and planes are rumored to have disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle, historians and cartographers are rumored to have done the same trying to figure out what the hell the deal is with this triangle. What is it, how and why does it even exist? Well, you’re in luck, because after spending a harrowing week confined within its absurdly narrow boundaries, I’ve emerged to tell the tale.
It all started as a joke.
On April 16, 1916 Seattle Times broke the humorous story. They described it as a small triangular strip with about 6 feet on E Madison and about 5 and a half feet on E Union with a depth at the widest of approximately 4 feet. It baffled expert appraisers and architects alike who would dare attempt to price it or design a structure suitable to its size. Real estate mogul Henry Broderick claimed it was probably worth less than it would cost for him to properly appraise it and it would be hard to sell because a for sale sign would entirely obscure it from view. Someone suggested you could maybe install a gas pump, but the attendant would be obliged to rent the sidewalk from the city just so he could operate it. Jokes aside, things start to break down when you take a closer look at the matter.
First, the measurements don’t even make sense. How can the base (Madison) be longer than the hypotenuse (Union)? Let’s just assume for simplicity that Seattle Times goofed and flip-flopped the two. This means this parcel of land is roughly 11 square feet. For reference, the ubiquitous Toyota Prius occupies about 86 Square feet. So there isn’t a whole lot you can do with this triangle, except maybe install a pump to fill that Prius. Measurement issues aside, the more important question is, how did it get here?
To answer that, I looked at the 1905 Sanborn map and discovered that Union didn’t always extend through this intersection. It was just a narrow, 30-foot wide dirt road east of Broadway until abruptly turning 90 degrees to the south and merging with 11th. Union then resumed its normal path east of 12th as a wider arterial road.
Around about 1908 city engineer R.H. Thompson and his most vocal and antagonistic supporter C.C. Closson, a realtor, wanted to change that. As part of their larger 12th Ave regrade project, they wanted to widen and extend Union all the way through and fill in the nearby land known today as Division’s Damp Depression thanks to Rob Ketcherside. The only problem was that several properties stood in their way, primarily 1118 E Madison, a commercial building owned by local realtor Charles Dodge.
Dodge purchased the property from V Hugo Smith on August 18th, 1903 and the building was probably already there when he purchased it because about two years later he applied for a $1000 permit to convert it into a commercial space. After investing so much into the building, it is no surprise that he, and many others who stood to lose like him, fought tooth and nail to block the regrade only a few years later.
Obviously, they didn’t win. The city condemned Dodge’s building and by 1912 it was gone. The result is more or less what you see in the 2015 King County Aerial photograph below overlayed by the 1905 Sanborn map. Dodge’s building is filled in with red. The tiny triangle filled in with yellow is what remains of Dodge’s property after the condemnation proceedings. The only question now is why? Why couldn’t they just make Union 5 to 10 feet wider to the south and have it match closer with its width on the east side of 12th and Madison? Or why couldn’t they merge Dodge’s triangle with the adjacent property?
A practical joke
Although there’s no proof, perhaps they designed Union this way just so they could troll Dodge for putting up such a stink about the regrade.
Think about it. The Seattle Times wrote “In some manner, the condemnation proceedings of East Union Street omitted to embrace a small triangular strip where these streets intersect.” “In some manner” is the operative phrase here, vaguely implying that something was amiss. In all honesty it was probably just a mistake, but you have to admit, the possibility of it being a joke is far more entertaining.
Joke or no joke, Dodge ultimately refused to surrender the property. Instead, his neighbors, the James brothers, would have to walk over his triangle every damn day just to enter the new building they constructed after the regrade. A constant reminder of how they profited at Dodge’s expense.
What else of Dodge’s Triangle over the years?
Dodge held onto his triangle until his death in 1943 and passed it, along with his entire estate, to his daughter Florence Philbrick. The triangle’s aassessed value at that time was $50. It remained in the family until Florence sold it for $1,000 to neighborhood interior designer Efaw Lamar in 1994. Lamar then sold it in 2008 to Union & Madison LLC along with the larger property adjacent to it for a grand total of $2,000,000. The assessed value of Dodge’s Triangle alone that year was $56,900.
Union and Madison LLC finally bridged the gap between the two properties in 2012 after completing the construction of the Viva Apartments at 1111 E Union. However, the architect’s original design actually… “omitted to embrace” Dodge’s triangle curiously enough. It was only after the EDG board insisted on a “stronger urban edge” that Viva absorbed the triangle, much to the architect’s chagrin, apparently.
But wait, look closely. The upper floors hang over the first floor by several feet, might the triangle’s location be directly below it? Could that mean a descendant of Dodge’s hypothetical pranksters slipped this and their “stronger urban edge” into the board recommendation and finally got the last laugh? Or is this all just a coincidence? We may never know… and maybe that’s because Dodge’s Triangle is ultimately worth less than the cost of answering that question.
***Hey! if you want to learn more cool neighborhood history like this or want to be a part of finding and sharing it, be sure to check out Capitol Hill Historical Society. Our next meeting will be later this month.*** | {
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Luke Broadwater, Baltimore Sun, January 31, 2018
Baltimore’s Board of Estimates on Wednesday is scheduled to approve a deal that would turn over control of the city’s new $12 million fund for children and teens to Associated Black Charities for one year.
{snip}
Approved by voters in 2016, the Baltimore City Children and Youth Fund was designed to provide grants to youth organizations that have not been able to receive government support in the past. It is the brainchild of Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young.
Mayor Catherine Pugh controls the five-member Board of Estimates, which must approve the deal with ABC. | {
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Of the 67 county elections offices contacted, 47 replied that they did not receive the email. That could mean they didn’t receive it, or that it was immediately quarantined and didn’t turn up in a search of email records. The other option is that employees of these elections offices destroyed the email or lied and refused to turn it over, both of which would be a violation of the state’s public records law. | {
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Gabriel Torres is heading to Houston to join up with the Panama national side ahead of their Copa Centroamericana contest with Nicaragua on Wednesday.
The Rapids forward will stay with Panama until the end of the tournament, on Saturday night, which means he will miss the home game with Portland Timbers (TICKETS).
Torres has been called up following the side's 2-2 tie with Costa Rica on Sunday. The draw was enough for Costa Rica to qualify for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Panama can still qualify for the Copa Centroamericana final, but needs to win by more than three goals against Nicaragua at BBVA Compass Stadium. | {
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Press Release:
(Boulder, CO) – Avery Brewing Company has returned to Oklahoma. Starting in early October Avery began distributing in the Sooner State with the Red Dirt Beverage Co. and for the first time in nearly three years beer fans could once again find Avery beers on tap and on liquor store shelves throughout the state.
Avery pulled out of Oklahoma and Red Dirt in April of 2011 when faced with skyrocketing demand in its home market that at the time outpaced the brewery’s ever-expanding production capability. It was a tough decision at the time and Adam Avery, the company’s founder, knew he wanted to return to the state and Red Dirt as soon as Avery had the capacity to do so. Since then Avery has expanded production at its current facility and has plans to build a new brewery that should be completed at the end of 2014.
“Oklahoma is full of craft beer lovers. Since we left not a week has gone by that I haven’t gotten at least a couple emails from fans asking us to come back,” Adam Avery said. “Plus, we have great partners there with Brian Hester and Tim Rosetano and the entire Red Dirt team. They care about our beer the way we care about it. Passionate fans and a dedicated, capable distribution partner—what else could you want in a market? This one was a no-brainer.”
Representatives from Red Dirt echoed Avery’s excitement over their renewed partnership.
[ADVERTISEMENT BY CRAFTSHACK.COM]
“We are so extremely excited to be bringing Avery beers back in to Oklahoma,” Red Dirt co-owner Tim Rosetano said. “We are a ‘Craft Beer Distributor’ and very proud of it. Avery is the quintessential brand that Red Dirt Beverage could represent. We consider a brewery like Avery the future of not only our business, but of the entire industry. As the industry progresses, it will be strong and complete brands like Avery that are at the forefront. No compromising of quality, no cutting of corners, just the attitude of perfection and pride that you can feel when you walk through the door.”
The Avery beers now available in Oklahoma include the brewery’s flagships of Avery IPA and White Rascal Belgian Style White Ale as well as Ellie’s Brown Ale, Joe’s Pilsner, Old Jubilation Ale, The Holy Trinity of Ales—Hog Heaven Dry-Hopped Barley Wine Style Ale, Salvation Belgian-Style Golden Ale and The Reverend Belgian-Style Quadrupel Ale—and The Czar Imperial Stout from Avery’s Dictator Series.
Established in 1993, Avery Brewing Company has developed a reputation as being one of the most daring and visionary breweries in the nation. They are the brewers of Avery IPA, The Maharaja Imperial IPA, White Rascal Belgian Wheat Ale, Mephistopheles’ Stout and eighteen other year-round and seasonal beers. Please go to www.averybrewing.com for more information on Avery beers. | {
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Exploration is one of the most common game mechanics in all genres: virtually every game including a player character contains objectives requiring the player to move the character from point A to point B. Of course, it's the role of the designer to gently nudge the player in the right direction, and this often includes placing blockades in the game world to restrict the player's freedom of movement. Like any element of the game world, it's important that these blockades are consistent with the aesthetics and mechanics of the game world.
However, all too often designers take the easy way out and include uninteresting obstacles to impede the player's progress. Consider the example of a locked door that the game does not let the player enter. Assuming the game in question is an action-adventure title, the player typically accumulates a large number of tools, weapons, and devices that would conceivably allow him to break down, force open, pick the lock of, or dismantle a locked door. Preventing the player from doing something he has the means and desire to do reveals the hand of the designer holding the puppet-strings, and thus immersion in the game world is damaged. The sense of immersion is further harmed if the player character is capable of surmounting obstacles much more difficult than opening a locked door, or if the player character's motivation for trying to pass the door is greater than the character's conceivable desire to preserve the material integrity of the door.
In short, when the player encounters an impassable obstacle, it's important that the thought running through his head is "this is an obstacle I cannot pass," rather than "this is an obstacle the game is not letting me pass."
As such, it's important that in-game obstacles are consistent with both the rules of the game world and the player's in-game abilities. The locked door trope, then, must be cast aside (and no, making the door an enchanted magical door or reinforcing it with space-age indestructible materials are not better alternatives.) Listed below are much more artful examples of telling the player "no, you can't go here yet" without breaking immersion.
Unkillable monster
In Final Fantasy VII, near the beginning of the game is a hazardous marsh where a giant water snake dwells. The player must cross the marsh to proceed, but the monster is faster than the player and will eventually overtake him. The serpent is too powerful for the party to kill, and the player must flee the encounter.
Design considerations: Some players tend to feel that any enemy the game presents must be able to be defeated, and thus players may try in frustration over and over again to kill the monster. The monster must be designed in such a fashion that the player realizes victory is hopeless, but still has an opportunity to escape. (Final Fantasy VII actually does not trigger a Game Over if this monster kills the party - remember that a Game Over breaks immersion even more than a locked door.)
Unsolvable maze
There is a room in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night that is a dense maze of spikes that guards a vital item. The spikes cannot be walked on without damaging the player, so the player must transform into a bat in order to proceed. However, the room is bathed in complete darkness, and the player cannot see where the spikes are. As such, the player can't cross the room until acquiring a sonar item that allows the bat to see in the dark.
Design considerations: Unless the designer is randomly generating the maze, she must be aware of the fact that the route through the maze can and will be memorized by hardcore players. The designer must take care to define what happens if the player reaches the end of the maze without the ability to know the correct route through the maze.
Unnavigable environment
In the underwater areas of Super Metroid's alien caverns, the player finds his movement extremely impaired: the player cannot accelerate to his maximum running speed, jumps are short and sluggish, and lateral movement is difficult to control. If the player stumbles upon an underwater area before obtaining the Gravity Suit item, he will quickly find himself unable to proceed.
Design considerations: It's smart to design for the contingency that someone will find a way through the unnavigable environment. After all, someone might.
Insurmountable obstacle
There is an obstacle between the player and his destination, and he cannot pass it without first acquiring a certain item. Practically every adventure game ever features some of these, and the Zelda series tends to do them particularly well. Examples are too common to enumerate, but I offer a few to pique your designer muse: you can't traverse the walls of the temple without the grappling hook, you can't cross the pit without creating blocks with the magic cane, you can't walk on the magnetic ceiling without the iron boots, you can't walk through the room of laser eyes without the mirror shield. I could go on.
Design considerations: This should be the bread and butter of any Metroidvania-style level design. The designer should never settle for "blue key opens the blue door" if she can instead create well-placed obstacles and the means of surpassing them. The added benefit to this is that every "key" the player finds actually grants him useful abilities beyond simply opening the door. The challenge to the designer is to make sure that the obstacle is not surmountable without the required item. Bonus points if she can design it in such a way that astute players can find multiple purposes for items (two locks, one key) without breaking the game.
Enchanted environment
The hallway to the final boss in Super Mario 64 is accessible very early on in the game. However, the game informs the player that without gathering the right number of stars from other areas of the game, the hallway will be endless. The player can continue running indefinitely forward and never reach anywhere. Immediately upon turning around, the player is presented with the exit. Mario 64 is filled with doors that require a certain number of stars to proceed, but this is the only one that is memorable - because it's gushing with flavor.
Design considerations: Exploration is a form of mastery over the environment. By presenting the player with an environment that is fundamentally different in some powerful and obvious way, the player receives a strong message that the environment cannot be mastered. This is a great way of forbidding the player from proceeding without breaking immersion in the game world.
Hostile environment
I hate to resort to the same game for two examples, but Super Metroid is a masterpiece and it's filled with enough great level design to merit several articles. There is a certain section of the game's underworld filled with scalding hot gases. As soon as the player enters this section of the dungeon, he immediately begins taking damage and will continue to do so until he leaves. An item must be acquired that grants the player protection from heat before he can explore the area without being harmed.
Design considerations: Like the unkillable monster, the hostile environment must be hostile enough that the player wishes to immediately leave without being so hostile that the player does not have a chance to leave. The designer must also make it obvious when the player has the tool necessary to pass the environment.
Locked door
Of course, sometimes it's okay to have a locked door! Locked doors are only bad when they break immersion. If it makes sense for the game world to have a locked door and it doesn't make sense that the player character would want to destroy it, by all means, put the locked door in. Examples include but are not limited to:
- any game where "break" or "destroy" are not available verbs (say, a detective adventure)
- a door belonging to the player character (such as a house door)
- a situation where attacking a door would be socially unacceptable (e.g., a dinner party)
- a game where damaging a door is contrary to the aesthetics of the title (stealth games, anyone?)
Next time you think about adding a locked door to your game, consider: is there a better way?
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(Originally posted on Chardish Games, the website for my independent game design and development projects. Follow me on Twitter @chardish!) | {
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WALTHAM, Mass. – “We’re in some quicksand right now.”
Rookie Marcus Smart made that comparison after Saturday’s practice in Waltham, Mass. and the Celtics are very much looking for a lifeline to pull themselves out of a 3-0 series deficit. They’re trying to remain focused on the immediate task at hand, which is winning Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and not worrying about the bigger picture, which is winning their next four games to advance to the next round.
“We have to be ultra-desperate and ultra-urgent because of where we are, but we pretty much play that way anyway,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of being down in a 3-0 hole.
The bottom line is this: you can’t win four games in a row without winning one game in a row.
Brandon Bass, who doesn’t talk much, was clear and concise when describing where the collective head of his teammates was at heading into Sunday’s Game 4.
“Fight to play another day,” Bass said of the team’s mentality. “I think Coach is preparing us to go out there to give maximum effort to compete and go out there and win.”
Along those lines, Stevens didn’t mention it to the media, and no one asked him about it, but he may be making some changes to the starting lineup for Game 4. Avery Bradley indicated as much when he talked to reporters, and when Jae Crowder was asked if he was starting, he confirmed that assertion. It’s unclear if those changes are official or final.
“I think our lineup is different tomorrow and we’re just going to go out there and play as hard as we can,” Bradley said. “I think a few people are starting different. I think, I’m not sure, but I think they might change the lineup tomorrow.”
One player who did not see the floor at all on Saturday is Jared Sullinger, who is nursing a bruised tailbone and is considered “probable” for Game 4. Isaiah Thomas, who played just 21 minutes and scored just five points during Game 3, said he’s ready for Game 4 and that it’s on him to “play well enough so that coach can’t take me out.”
Regardless of who starts, who comes off the bench, and who finishes the game, everybody is aware that they have to be better on the glass to have any shot at winning Game 4. Cleveland’s knack for coming up with offensive rebounds has been leading to second-chance points and back-breaking 3-pointers.
“The thing with rebounding, it’s just a mindset of putting a body on the guy you’re guarding,” Bass said.
The other thing that’s killed the Celtics has been the transition game, specifically when the Cavs have put together multiple buckets in a row.
“I think we have to be opportunistic in transition regardless of scenario,” Stevens said. “What we can’t do is have turnovers late in the half, like we’ve had, multiple times now, and let them go on those 12-0 runs.
“Those runs right now, they have really hurt us. It’s happened in each game at one point or another.”
If it continues to happen in Game 4, that will likely spell the end of the Celtics’ season. The slow climb out of the quicksand starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday. | {
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実写「がっこうぐらし！」メインキャスト決定 秋元康が手がける4人のアイドルを抜てき
2018年4月20日 23:30
若手アイドル4人が映画初出演＆初主演
［映画.com ニュース］原作・海法紀光氏、作・千葉サドル氏による人気漫画を実写映画化する「がっこうぐらし！」（公開日未定）のメインキャストが、このほど発表された。秋元康氏が手がけるオーディション番組で誕生した「ラストアイドルファミリー」の阿部菜々実（LaLuce）、長月翠（LaLuce／シュークリームロケッツ）、間島和奏（Someday Somewhere）、清原梨央（Someday Somewhere）が抜てきされている。
物語は、大量のゾンビがはびこる学校で共同生活を送る4人の女子高生が、必死に生き抜く姿を描いた異色の学園サバイバルホラー。阿部は恵飛須沢胡桃（くるみ）役、長月は丈槍由紀（ゆき）役、間島は若狭悠里（りーさん）役、清原は直樹美紀（みーくん）役に扮し、それぞれ映画初出演＆初主演を飾る。
メガホンをとるのは、映画「リアル鬼ごっこ」などで知られる柴田一成監督。キャスティングについては、「みなさんお芝居のセンスがある人もたくさんいて迷いましたが、最終的には演技力に加えて、原作のイメージに合ったルック、年齢や身長のバランスを考えて4名を選ばせて頂きました」といい、「恵飛須沢胡桃を演じる阿部さんは、LaLuceのセンターという華と、立ち姿の美しさ。丈槍由紀を演じる長月さんは明るさと弱さを兼ね備え、そして無邪気な笑顔が印象的であること。若狭悠里を演じる間島さんは優しいルックスと抜群の表現力が決め手です。また直樹美紀を演じる清原さんは姿勢の強さと、役柄への順応性からキャスティングをさせていただきました」と説明している。
（映画.com速報） | {
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Reeling in a big fish is a quintessential Mexico holiday experience.
From the rush of the fight to the smell of fresh Spanish Mackerel sizzling on the grill, a day out with Levi and Surf & Fishing Charters is a surefire recipe for an awesome day.
Spending a few hours out at sea is one of the best ways to see the coastline and truly soak in what Puerto Escondido is all about. You’ll be afforded a completely different point of view on famous Puerto beaches like Carrizalillo, Playa Principal and Playa Zicatela and get a close-up look at the local fishing culture.
From the old bait men selling bite sized huachinango to tempt those monster dorados to the tank-free divers plying the rocks for oysters, lobster and other underwater delicacies. It’s just a totally new and different world out there.
The early bird gets the worm…or in this case, the fish!
OK, so this is the one day of your vacation that you’re going to want to set your alarm clock.
Arriving to the beach ready to climb aboard before the fish wake up is the first secret to guaranteeing a big haul.
On our last trip out with Levi we fired up the motor at 6:30 and were quickly rewarded with two rapid fire bites from a Sierra and then a Barrilete.
Two fish in the hull before there was even time to wipe the sleep out of our eyes and we wound up catching about 80% of the day’s catch within the first hour and a half.
Plus, being an early riser means snapping unbelievable photos of the sunrise.
Your Boat and Her Captain
Levi is an exceptional guide and so you’ll definitely want to track him down when you’re ready for a Puerto Escondido fishing trip.
If you’re staying with us at Gecko Rock, just let us know that you’d like to do some fishing while you’re here and we’ll take care of all the details for you in advance.
Levi comes from a long line of fishermen and his family has been making their living out at sea for generations.
In fact, he’s such a talented angler that he got the money to buy his launch, Marissa, from winning a Marlin Tournament in Huatulco.
But it’s not just skill with the rod and reel that make him such a great guy to take a tour with.
Levi is exceptionally friendly and a lot of fun, and he’s a great teacher if you’re new to the sport.
Some guides can get impatient with total newbs, but Levi is always polite and patient…even when you tangle his lines.
The Marissa is a great boat. It is safe & comfortable and provides shade from the warm Mexican sun. The crew takes care of everything for you, from baiting up to bringing an ice-filled cooler to keep your catch fresh.
Deep Sea or Close to Shore? That is the question.
When booking your fishing trip you’ll be asked to choose between deep sea or close to shore fishing. Both options have distinct pros and cons.
With deep sea fishing you’ll be targeting truly enormous fish and there’s no experience in life quite like fighting a Dorado (Mahi Mahi), Pez Vela (sailfish) or Marlin.
However, fishing for billfish offers less of a guarantee and you’ll need to spend a couple hours of your trip heading out and back from the fishing grounds. Then again, you’ll be able to spot sea turtles, dolphins and maybe even a whale along the way.
If you’re interested in catch and release, Levi’s your man.
With close to shore fishing the action starts just as soon as you’re out of the harbor. These trips target Mackerel, Snapper, Skipjack Tuna and Amberjack. If you’re unfamiliar with these fish, the photos from this blog post were taken on a close to shore trip.
The advantage of going close to shore is that there’s a lot more action. You’ll catch more fish and be able to take home most of what comes into the boat. On our trip every member of our group reeled in two or three.
And while most of the sea mammals reside further from the coast, we did see a few dolphins and turtles along with tons of flying manta rays, pelicans and other seabirds.
A Few Helpful Tips to Make Your Mexico Fishing Trip the Best Ever
First and foremost: choose the right style of fishing to suit your group.
When you book, ask Levi what’s biting at the moment (don’t worry, he speaks pretty good English).
Then, decide whether it’s more important to your group to catch more fish or to have a chance at hauling in a billfish.
The size of your group will also factor in to your decision. If you’ve only got 2 or 3 people then you’ll have your hands on a rod most of the day, but with 5 or 6 you’ll need to take turns.
Therefore, a close to shore trip might be better for a larger party.
But whatever you choose, set your expectations accordingly. If you decide to target billfish there’s a possibility you might come back empty handed or only catch one or two.
Bring along sunblock and a hat. As the boat trolls back and forth the shade will shift from side to side on the boat, so you’ll need additional sun protection.
Bottled water and snacks are also a good idea to bring along and if you are prone to sea sickness, take a Dramamine as soon as you wake up in the morning. Avoid coffee and other foods that might irritate your stomach the day of your trip.
How to Book with Surf and Fishing Charters.
Everyone should experience the Oaxacan coast from this angle. It truly is unbelievable and will be the highlight of your trip. Give Levi a call (954 100 9263) or get in touch with him via his website or on facebook.
During the high season (December-February) it’s a good idea to reserve your trip as early as possible. Rates are 500 pesos (US$40) per hour with a minimum of four hours for the boat.
UPDATE: A couple days after this post went up we received an email from another one of Levi’s happy customers. He said “Hey, I know that guy! I was in Puerto in 2014 and went fishing with him and he’s the best captain I know!”
Check out the photos he sent: | {
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' Trading the British pound has been more fun in recent weeks. Since September 1, the British currency has fallen by...
' Trading the British pound has been more fun in recent weeks. Since September 1, the British currency has fallen by 700 points and then recovered by 200. Such a strong fall was triggered by the activities of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister of Great Britain. The results of his work in recent months are simply "amazing": all rounds of negotiations with Brussels on a trade agreement have failed, and a bill has been initiated that violates the Brexit agreement with the European Union. The...
Trading the British pound has been more fun in recent weeks. Since September 1, the British currency has fallen by 700 points and then recovered by 200. Such a strong fall was triggered by the activities of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister of Great Britain. The results of his work in recent months are simply "amazing": all rounds of negotiations with Brussels on a trade agreement have failed, and a bill has been initiated that violates the Brexit agreement with the European Union. The whole world has realized that the UK can violate the principles of international law and it will be Boris Johnson who is to blame for this. Unfortunately, if the countries of the world understand that London can withdraw from any agreement or violate it at any time, then any diplomatic negotiations with the Kingdom will be held more harshly. Further, some countries will refuse to cooperate with Britain at all. And Boris Johnson will sooner or later leave his post, however, the shadow on the UK may remain for a much longer time. So, from our point of view, former Prime Ministers Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, and John Major are right when they criticize Johnson and his bill. Why was it necessary to sign an agreement with the European Union on the Northern Ireland border at all, if it did not suit London? This is the art of conducting international negotiations in order to reach an agreement with all the parties to the agreement. It was the lack of this skill that cost Theresa May her post. She was unable to negotiate with Brussels in a way that would suit the UK parliament, so she had to go through two votes of no confidence and eventually leave her post. It turns out that Boris Johnson simply deceived everyone and intended to go this way from the very beginning when he simply blocked the work of parliament so that it would not prevent him from immediately implementing a "hard" Brexit. Now it turns out that the Northern Ireland protocol does not suit Johnson and he is going to break it. Well, let's see if the British Prime Minister will really take this step and whether it will cost him his post.
Meanwhile, the same Boris Johnson officially announced that the second "wave" of the "coronavirus" epidemic has begun in the UK. "Now we are facing the second wave. I am afraid that this is absolutely inevitable - we will face this in our country," the Prime Minister said. Johnson also said that there will be no new quarantine because business and the economy are more important than human lives and the health of the nation. "I definitely don't want to introduce large-scale isolation measures, we want to keep schools open. It is fantastic that the work of educational institutions has returned to the previous level. We want to keep the economy as open as possible so that business can grow. The introduction of a nationwide quarantine is the last measure that anyone wants," the Prime Minister said. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the number of cases in the UK has increased in the last two weeks to 3-4 thousand per day. Recall that the peak of the previous wave was 5-5.5 thousand diseases per day.
As for macroeconomic statistics and various events, there will be few of them in the UK next week. Until Wednesday, traders will have nothing to pay attention to at all. Only on the third trading day of the week in Britain, data on business activity in the services and manufacturing sectors for September will be published. It is expected that the values of all indicators will decrease slightly compared to the previous month, but will remain at a fairly high level. On Thursday, there will be a speech by Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, who also did not particularly please market participants last week. And on Friday, only the publication of the report on consumer confidence will take place. So the news calendar for the British pound is very sparse next week.
However, for the British pound at this time, all macroeconomic reports mean even less than for the US dollar. The pound now has two main themes that can easily lower it by another 500-600 points and can return it to the levels of 1.32-1.33. The first is the same ongoing negotiations on a trade agreement with Brussels. The second is Boris Johnson's controversial bill. The first theme is simply the continuation of the main series "Santa Barbara", which began back in 2016. The second topic is a resonant topic of the last few weeks, which is unclear what kind of continuation it will have. On the one hand, the British Parliament has already approved Boris Johnson's bill. On the other hand, the document has been sent for revision, and the very essence of the document does not mean that the agreement with the European Union will be violated without fail. Thus, it may be too early to sound the alarm, but one way or another, the future of the pound will depend on these two topics in the coming weeks.
As has often happened in recent years, the rescue of the British currency may come from the US. 2020 showed that the US currency is not as stable as everyone used to think. The "coronavirus" crisis and epidemic have shown that the American economy is not the pyramids in Egypt, which have stood for several thousand years and will remain unbroken for as long. And against the background of all the economic problems, political ones have also developed. We won't even talk about the elections once again, since this topic has already become a byword. Thus, only a stream of negative news from America can save the pound from further falls. Fortunately for the pound, this option is indeed very likely, since the general situation in the States has not improved much recently. The situation with coronavirus remains very difficult, and the future is uncertain. Thus, it is the pound and the dollar that will fight for the title of the main loser in 2020. The technical picture of the pound/dollar pair so far indicates a very likely resumption of the downward movement. The pair's quotes only managed to enter the Ichimoku cloud, and even then with great difficulty. On Monday or Tuesday, they may return to the area below the critical line, which will contribute to the resumption of the downward trend.
Trading recommendations for the GBP/USD pair:
The pound/dollar pair continues to adjust within the downward trend. The pair entered the Ichimoku cloud on the 4-hour timeframe, but could not even reach its upper limit. The further movement of the pound depends entirely on the fundamental background from the UK, and theoretically, it can continue for as long as you want. In the current conditions, we recommend trading lower with targets of 1.2818 and 1.2612 if the pair is fixed below the Kijun-sen line. | {
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White cranes gather in a wetland in Faku county, Liaoning province. Zou Hong / China Daily
A new dance craze has been sweeping Faku county in Liaoning province. Like the traditional dances performed by generations of locals through the ages, the White Crane, which mimics the movements of the majestic bird for which it's named, is based on the natural world.
The dance, invented by Meng Xiangtai, a professor at Shenyang Sport University, has enjoyed huge popularity since it was unveiled in May, but it also forms a series of daily exercises.
Based on Meng's long-term, detailed observations of white cranes - an endangered species that has the same level of protection as the Siberian tiger and the panda - the dance involves 44 separate movements. Its popularity is partly due to the fact that it's easy to learn and promotes good health, but more important, it reflects the local people's love of white cranes.
Faku is home to Huanzidong National Wetland Park, which lies along an important migratory corridor in northeastern Asia. Every year during spring and autumn, the two migratory seasons, Huanzidong welcomes about 3,000 rare birds - including about 2,000 white cranes - which land to recharge their batteries, staying for 90 to 100 days.
The local government's wetland protection measures have been so successful that the number of migratory birds, especially white cranes, has remained stable during recent years, and Faku has been honored as "China's White Crane County", a name bestowed by the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
Every year, the white cranes migrate twice. They make a round trip, flying from Poyang Lake, China's biggest freshwater body, in Jiangxi province, to Siberia, a journey of 5,000 kilometers each way.
As one of the major stopover points, the dish-shaped wetland with its abundant flora provides a natural nesting place and shelter.
According to statistics from the CWCA, the global population of white cranes is about 3,000, and Huanzidong hosts more than 2,000 every day during the migratory seasons, accounting for about 70 percent of the total.
The rare birds also attract ornithologists and experts from across the world who regard the gathering as a sort of miracle.
White cranes have an almost entirely snowy plumage, orange beaks and red feet. They have a strong attachment to the wetland because the birds rely on insects, fish, seeds, and the roots of water plants for food. | {
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"I'm really proud to be the first woman but I'm not reinventing the wheel," she said. "Lots of women in the services have challenging roles. It's just that I happen to be newsworthy at the moment. | {
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BY RUSS STEWART
This column contains some good news and some bad news about Alderman John Arena (45th). But more on that later.
The good news is that Arena is likely not going to be replacing Democratic County Clerk David Orr in 2018. It is believed that Arena has been eyeing the post.
According to published reports, Orr intends to seek re-election, even though in the past there has been speculation that he would be retiring at the end of his term. Whether or not Orr runs, Arena is likely going to remain as alderman for some indefinite time, and the bad news is that he is going to remain as alderman for some indefinite time.
Blame it all on John Fritchey and Jesse White. But for those two, the 45th Ward could be Arena-less, the 5150 N. Northwest Hwy. situation could go away and everybody could live happily ever after. Or maybe not.
Fritchey, a county commissioner from the Wicker Park area, got the idea that several million in tax dollars could be saved by merging two paper-shuffling county offices: The Recorder of Deeds, which memorializes real estate transactions, mortgages, liens and collects revenue stamps, and the County Clerk, which memorializes births, deaths, marriages, issues requisite certificates, and oversees suburban elections in Cook County. Why not let one office, and one elected official, do it all? Fritchey’s idea passed the county board, and was approved by the voters, with the Recorder of Deeds becoming extinct in 2020.
But, for the Democrats, that creates a delicate political, gender and racial problem. The Recorder is a black woman, Karen Yarbrough, and the Clerk is a white man, David Orr. Yarbrough is an ally of Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle, the most powerful woman in county politics, and is a protege of Speaker Mike Madigan, with whom she served in Springfield. In June, Yarbrough, who was elected to a 4-year term as Recorder in 2016, announced she was running for Orr’s job in 2018. She didn’t announce whether she was going to keep her current job after she is slated in August, nominated and elected to the clerk’s $105,000-a year post – but, well, this is Cook County, and multi-tasking does occasionally occur.
Yarbrough is from west suburban Proviso Township, centered in Maywood, Bellwood, Hillside, Berkeley, Broadview, Forest Park and Westchester. This used to be, at least until the 1980s, an ethnic enclave dominated by Italian-Americans. Now it’s almost entirely black, with an exploding Hispanic population to the north in Melrose Park, Northlake and Franklin Park. Yarbrough’s base is in Maywood, where her husband was mayor, and she ousted Gene Moore, her predecessor as both state representative and Recorder, as township Democratic committeeman in 2006, and then as Recorder in 2012.
But – and there are a lot of "buts" in this column – Jesse White, at Madigan’s behest, foiled everybody’s best-laid plans. The deal, or expectation, was that White was going to retire as Illinois Secretary of State in 2018, after 20 years, that Yarbrough would be slated for White’s job, and that Alderman Walter Burnett (27th), White’s protege from White’s near West Side ward, where White is Democratic committeeman, would then get appointed to replace her as Recorder, a job White held from 1992 to 1998.
But then the Recorder’s office got abolished in 2016 and White insisted that Burnett get his state job. A contentious Democratic primary between Yarbrough – backed by Preckwinkle and Madigan – and Burnett loomed, thereby splitting the Chicago/Cook County black vote, and a white Downstate guy, either state Treasurer Mike Frerichs, from Champaign-Urbana, or some state legislator, was sure to run, and, with a divided black field, could win.
The Secretary of State’s office employs more than 2,000 people, has jurisdiction over the issuance of all driver’s licenses and corporations, and is critically important to the Illinois Democratic Party, of which Madigan is chairman. First, it provides well-paying jobs in Downstate areas, and those payrollers work for Madigan’s legislative candidates. Second, it provides perks, such as vanity license plates, which Madigan and other connected Democrats can bestow upon buddies, cronies and donors. And third, the office administers license renewal examinations to aging baby-boomers, a cause of great anxiety to them, which White and his employees can soothe. Madigan likely did not want to lose the office, so he pressured White, who turned age 83 in 2017, to renounce his retirement and run for re-election in 2018.
White is extraordinarily well-known, well-liked, runs his office efficiently, and is unbeatable. Madigan and the Democrats want to focus in 2018 on beating Governor Bruce Rauner and electing J.B. Pritzker, and not spend $15 million to keep White’s job. So White is running again. But make no mistake: His successor, if a Democrat, will be black.
In local politics, it is understood that an elected office is often filled according to racial lines, with few changes for decades in some instances.
At present, African American leaders have occupied the offices of county board president since 1994, state’s attorney office since 2016, the recorder’s office since 1988, the clerk of court since 2000, and the office of Chicago city treasurer.
Among other offices, Hispanics rule the county assessor and the Chicago city clerk’s office. Joe Berrios, an ally of Preckwinkle and Madigan, is an assessor of dubious competence and probity, but he cannot be dumped. Nevertheless, he will have a tough 2018 primary from Alderman Proco Joe Moreno, from the 1st Ward. Moreno is Mexican-American, and will campaign as a "reformer," while Berrios is Puerto Rican. Inasmuch as Berrios has $1,097,225 on-hand, most from grateful attorneys who get assessment reductions for their equally grateful clients, it will be interesting to see where "progressives" like Arena fit in.
The only white guys left standing, if Orr doesn’t run, will be Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s mayor, and Tom Dart, the county sheriff. Two white women, both of Greek ancestry, occupy the posts of county treasurer and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District president.
Orr, age 72, was briefly Chicago’s acting mayor after Harold Washington’s 1987 death, and was the Rogers Park 49th Ward alderman from 1979 to 1990. While in the council, Orr was part of the anti-Vrdolyak "Washington 21." Orr has been clerk since 1990.
For thousands of ward residents, less than a majority, whom Arena joyfully characterized on social media as "knuckle-draggers" because of their support of Donald Trump in 2016, the alderman is reviled and disdained. For other thousands, more than a majority, Arena is beloved and celebrated.
Arena is the kind of guy for whom the world is black and white. He is intolerant of the intolerant, which is essentially anybody who disagrees with him. He was at the Loop "Sanctuary City" rally in early June, supporting undocumented immigrants and opposing deportation. He wants to colonize his ward, supporting large density increases and pledging to bring at least 50 Chicago Housing Authority rental units into the ward by 2019. These dense developments are mostly in Jefferson Park, where he doesn’t live, and not in Portage Park, where he does live. When Alderman Ray Lopez (15th), from the Southwest Side, proclaimed that opponents of the Northwest Hwy. project in the 45th Ward had "racist tendencies," Arena didn’t disagree.
Nevertheless, Arena is politically impregnable. He won his legendary first election in 2011 over John Garrido by 30 votes, and was re-elected in 2015, again over Garrido, by 1,225 votes. The 45th Ward went 67 percent for Hillary Clinton over Trump last November, with the precincts in Portage Park going 3 to 1 or better for Clinton. Arena panders to and pampers his political base, so much so that Garrido, who is among the most outspoken opponents of the 5150 N. Northwest Hwy. project, which will have 20 CHA-subsidized units and 60 below-market "affordable" units (out of 100), is disinclined to run in 2019.
"At this time," said Garrido, a police lieutenant in the 16th District, "I don’t expect to be a candidate" in 2019. "Voters (in the ward) had a chance to elect me twice, and didn’t," he added.
Democrats in Cook County, to coin a pun, live and die by quotas. Arena has demonstrated that he is a tried-and-true Bernie Sanders leftist-socialist. He endorsed Sanders over Clinton in the 2016 primary.
Had Arena gone on to greater greatness as clerk, there were some potential aldermanic successors, such as Anna Sobor, former president of the Old Irving Park Association, or Arena’s chief-of-staff, Owen Brugh. But all that’s academic now. A 2018 countywide run would have been a win-win situation for Arena, as it would have elevated his name recognition and energized his base, preparatory to 2019. But it is not to be. The 45th Ward is stuck with Arena.
As an aside, I encountered Arena recently at the Jefferson Park CTA station, and Arena, being pleasantly polite, told me that he never reads this column, or ever buys a Nadig newspaper. Hey, nobody is perfect.
Send an e-mail to russ@russstew art.com or visit his Web site at www.russstewart.com.
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The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against a middle school for allegedly violating the Constitution and federal law by segregating classes by sex.
Van Devender Middle School in West Virginia implemented a single-sex education program at the start of the 2010-2011 school year for all incoming sixth graders. Reading, math, social studies and science classes were all segregated by gender.
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“Supporters of these programs make completely unfounded generalizations about boys and girls, but offer no proof that these strategies pay off academically,” said Sarah Rogers, staff attorney with the ACLU of West Virginia. “What has been proven, however, is that these programs foster stereotypes and hurt kids who don’t fit the idea of how a stereotypical boy or girl is supposed to learn and behave.”
The ACLU said boys’ classrooms are more brightly lit and teachers permit boys to move about during class to exert energy, on the theory that boys see better in bright light. In contrast, girls are to sit quietly and share feelings in dimly lit rooms.
Advocates of single-sex education claim that boys and girls should be taught separately because of gender differences in the brain — and some studies back up their claims. For example, researchers at Brown University found in 2000 that women performed as much as 12 percent better on math problems when tested in a setting without men.
But single-sex classrooms have been assailed by educators, psychologists and neurologists. Research conducted by Penn State psychologists in 2011 found that students in sex-segregated classrooms were no more educated than students in coeducational classrooms. Students in sex-segregated classrooms, however, were more likely to accept gender stereotypes.
“The bottom line is that there is not good scientific evidence for the academic advantages of single-sex schooling,” the study’s led author, psychology professor Lynn S. Liben, explained. “But there is strong evidence for negative consequences of segregating by sex.”
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The enactment of Title IX in 1972 outlawed educational discrimination on the basis of sex. But in 2006, the U.S. Department of Education allowed public schools to segregate classes on the basis of sex if they provided a compelling reason for the decision, which was not based on gender stereotypes. The single-sex programs also must be voluntary.
[Young student via Shutterstock] | {
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Six Months On, An Assessment of the July 9 Arrest of Lawyers in China
By Ji Dunhuang, published: January 28, 2016
A summary of the situation
After six months of “residential surveillance at a designated place” (in reality forced disappearance), the vast majority of the human rights lawyers and other activists who lost their freedom in the “July 9 incident” [16 in all] have been formally arrested by the Communist Party on charges of “subverting state power,” or “inciting subversion of state power.” Even after family members and defense lawyers finally found where they were being held, the authorities continued to refuse visits—on the one hand, they claimed that visitation would endanger national security, and on the other claimed that the detained individuals had engaged new lawyers, dismissing those hired by family. Further, only a very few family members have been allowed to go to the detention centers and deposit living expenses for the detained lawyers.
The precursor to “subversion” or “inciting subversion” was “counterrevolutionary crimes” — a crime of a political character, or political persecution. When the Communist Party was revising the Criminal Law, it was a tailor-made provision for human rights defenders, and dissidents who opposed the Party’s dictatorship. Often, it allows the criminalization of speech. Since the 1980s, when Deng Xiaoping established his rule, the Communist Party has resorted to very little use of these sorts of politically-defined crimes to punish political activists or prisoners of conscience (with the exception of its imprisonment of activists around the June 4 incident, or the key figures who led or took part in organizing opposition parties in the 1990s). In particular after Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize, the authorities carefully combed through the Criminal Law to find some non-political crimes to hang on political dissidents: for instance, the crime of “disorderly behavior,” originally classified as “hooliganism,” or “illegal business operations,” which was adapted from the old crime of “speculation and profiteering.” They did this in an attempt to avoid creating heroes through political suppression.
Given that Xi Jinping’s rise to power has been characterized by an all-out assault on multiple fronts, we must remain open to the possibility that the Party could begin the widespread adoption of charges like subverting state power in order to frame and criminalize political dissidents.
Why Did the July 9 Incident Take Place?
The broad background to the mass arrests is the monopolization of power by Xi Jinping—he’s strengthening his personal rule, and rapidly carrying out Maoist-style social and political control. Whether it’s in adopting laws or enforcing them, the suppression of different voices and views is becoming more and more ruthless, making the human rights situation in China increasingly disastrous.
Specifically, in the process of providing legal services, the social impact of lawyers has steadily grown stronger. They’ve not only significantly advanced the connections and solidarity among different sectors of the public, but their sense of group identity, cooperation, and interactions are much greater than that of other professionals (for example, journalists). The Communist Party is always afraid that it’s rule will be threatened, and so it constantly creates new enemies to go out and attack, as a way of preserving its own internal cohesion. A group of human rights lawyers going from strength to strength was inevitably going to become a target.
Tempered through their experiences in trying to see China’s law put into effect, the number of defense lawyers in China who have taken to proactive resistance has constantly increased. They’re no longer content with finding political legitimacy and fairness in the laws of China: they’re looking at matters from the perspective of international human rights conventions, putting in a quandary the Chinese officials who are framing activists as political criminals or prisoners of conscience. Human rights lawyers have even proposed transforming the legal system, or even the political structure—this forms an obvious contrast to the cooperative model of simply acting as defense counsel, and thus effectively stabilizing the status quo.
The large-scale “mop-up” operation conducted against rights lawyers, the top group of the new “five black categories,”[1] is simply a reflection of China’s increasing social contradictions.
The Character of the July 9 Arrests
1) It was led by the highest levels, and involved the joint mobilization of the security and propaganda apparatuses. It involved not only large-scale arrests, interrogations, and threats, but also the comprehensive vilification of lawyers and activists who were detained.
2) It involved broad use of “residential surveillance at a designated place,” which is actually forced disappearance, and includes the possibility of repeated re-applications of new six month terms. This coercive procedure involved the blatant violation and deprivation of the rights and freedoms of citizens.
3) Family members have been widely implicated, with an effective policy of guilt by association. The most typical case was the manner in which Bao Zhuoxuan, the son of Wang Yu and Bao Longjun, was not only prevented from leaving China to study abroad, but also deprived of his personal freedom.
4) Chinese police crossed borders to brazenly carry out arrests: this includes the cases of Jiang Yefei, Dong Guangping, Gui Minhai (a Swedish citizen), and others whom the Thai military government has handed over to China, and includes the disappearances of the Hong Kong book-seller Lee Bo, among others.
5) There have been more use of cross-departmental special investigative teams, with even staff of the lawyer’s association and officials in the judiciary being put on the front lines of persecuting lawyers or morally condemning them.
6) The authorities have openly thwarted lawyers appointed by family members, depriving the right of the accused to choose their own legal representation, and increased such covert, obstructive activities. By doing this, they hope to frame the detained lawyers more easily. (The lawyers appointed by the state cannot truly defend the rights of the accused, but only play the role of “stability maintenance.”)
Civic Resistance in China and the Effect of Support from the International Community
China’s civil society has effected a staunch resistance to the government in this severe, trying time. Lawyers are currently pushing their own counterattack, proactively defending those charged by the government and revitalizing the group of human rights lawyers. The official attempts to frighten lawyers away through high-pressure tactics haven’t met with complete success, as other rights defenders in China persevere, increasingly fearless in the face of the red terror (the masses of people who came out to gather around the courthouse for the trial of Pu Zhiqiang is an example). At the same time, there’s the potential that some individuals in the Party will engage in passive resistance when carrying out the prosecution of lawyers swept up in the July 9 incident—or at least, that they won’t carry on with such arrogant triumph as was on display last July.
The attention, support, and continued pressure on the Chinese authorities is definitely needed to effectively stem the ambitions of some Party officials to engage in similar frenzied, large-scale human rights abuses.
International Community Has to Step Up Its Pressure on Chinese Authorities
The National Security Law, the Anti-terrorism Law, the Foreign NGO Management Law, the Cybersecurity Law, and the Criminal Law Amendment, among others, have suppressed to nearly nothing the pitifully few remaining rights of Chinese citizens. The peril of China descending into fascism has increased, and the country seems as though it’s on the precipice of a state of war. It’s likely that the “Firewalls,” both online and off, are only going to get thicker and higher.
In the face of all this, apart from Chinese citizens continuing to strive for their rights, the international community must also take proactive measures to try to turn the situation in China around, to limit the damage to the existing world order.
It cannot be put more emphatically: taking measures against the July 9 persecution is the most important thing that can be done right now. If this is done well, it will greatly boost the morale of China’s civil society, firm up the confidence of those defending human rights, and deter the inhuman regime officials carrying out violations.
Members of Chinese civil society, including rights lawyers, have made immense efforts thus far, and we are now at the critical stage. What we need now is much more support from the international community.
Ji Dunhuang (吉敦黄) is the alias of a prominent human rights lawyer in China.
[1] In mid-2012, a Chinese think tank belonging to the Ministry of State Security identified five categories of Chinese citizens as people who undermine China’s national security: human rights lawyers are the first category, the others being: unauthorized religious believers (this refers mainly to house churches), dissidents, internet opinion leaders, and disadvantaged social groups. A review of the pattern of China’s systematic crackdown on civil society since Xi Jinping took office shows that these are precisely the groups being targeted. The “Five Black Categories,” a relic of the Cultural Revolution, refer to “landowners, the well-to-dos, the counter-revolutionaries, the bad elements, and the rightists” (地富反坏右).
———-
Related:
Breaking: This Morning in Beijing, One lawyer Gone Missing, Another Lawyer Kidnapped, and Fengrui Law office Visited by Police, China Change, July 9, 2015.
Crime and Punishment of China’s Rights Lawyers, by Mo Zhixu, July 23, 2015.
14 Cases Exemplify the Role Played by Lawyers in the Rights Defense Movement, 2003–2015, August 19, 2015.
Biographies of Lawyers, Staffers and Activists Detained or Disappeared in the July 10 Nationwide Raid Against Rights Lawyers, China Change, July 23, 2015.
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Homeless encampments that have sprung up on the shores and parks of Lake Merritt in Oakland will be cleared in the coming weeks as the city attempts to move the population into sturdier housing units.
City officials and nonprofit contractors Tuesday were putting the finishing touches on Oakland’s third Tuff Shed village installment, located south of the lake, next to the shuttered Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center and across the street from Laney College. Their goal is for the homeless to begin moving in Thursday.
There is room for 40 people at the location — with two beds in each of the 20 tiny homes, and a curtain divider for privacy. A recent census by the nonprofit Operation Dignity, one of the city’s contractors, found there were 65 homeless people living around Lake Merritt. City leaders say some of them will not want to move into the storage sheds, and others may find shelter on their own.
“This is a voluntary project,” said Joe DeVries, an assistant city administrator who heads up homelessness issues. “People are not forced into these, but it’s certainly something that gets people on a path to housing. We don’t consider these houses. We consider this moving from a tent to a bed, and then the next step is to move from a bed to real housing.”
Like at the previous two shed sites farther west in the city — one at Sixth and Castro streets, the other at 27th Street and Northgate Avenue — this one will have portable toilets, wash stations and weekly shower service via a repurposed bus. The area is enclosed with a chain-link fence and has a case worker on site, with storage units nearby for people’s things.
City officials say there are a few minimal ground rules — like no drug dealing on the premises — but that it’s a low-barrier way for the homeless to get help. They say that 55 percent of those who cycled through the first site were placed into housing.
Once participants get housed, others take their spot.
So far, not everyone along the waterfront is eager to move in.
Anthony Thompson Turner, 42, who is living beneath the Lake Merritt Boulevard bridge, said he is homeless by choice and doesn’t want to be in a monitored system or leave his prime spot.
“I know how to monitor myself,” he said. “I don’t need a guideline, a memorandum, a list of rules to exist. They think we are incapable of making proper decisions.”
Turner, who has been homeless for six months, said he might want to get housed again, but not on someone else’s timetable.
His friend and neighbor, Aideen Wells, 30, said he wanted more information before deciding whether to move into the sheds, which he said do not address the root problems of their plight.
More Information SF Homeless Project To read The Chronicle’s in-depth coverage of the homeless crisis, go to projects.sfchronicle.com/sf-homeless/
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“If you’re not living with anybody, going half with someone, you can’t afford rent anywhere,” said Wells, who works as an independent contractor. “It’s like they’re just giving us fish. You got to teach the people how to fish.”
Mayor Libby Schaaf has championed the shed project as an emergency intervention. She said giving people keys to their own units, to come and go as they please, is empowering.
Sutter Health donated $130,000 to build the sheds, and the city allocated another $500,000 for the site’s operations.
“We are using quick, innovative solutions in Oakland to improve the health and well-being of our most vulnerable — to give people the dignity of going to sleep at night behind a locked door with their partner, their pets and their possessions, to know that there are professionals at hand to help navigate that path back to self-sufficiency,” Schaaf said.
But her critics say the shed project is incommensurate with the scope of the problem in Oakland. Some advocates of the homeless population have decried the sites as overly stringent and denounced the city for clearing encampments.
The mayor said doing so is about balancing needs.
“Our unsheltered residents deserve our support and compassion, but so do children who rely on the Junior Center of Art and Science (and) families who rely on Lake Merritt as the place to find refuge and connection with nature,” she said.
City officials said the homeless camps have caused more than $500,000 in damage to a wetland restoration area that Oakland is required to maintain under an agreement with the regional water board. DeVries said one camper’s fire nearly burned down the Rotary Nature Center on the north shore of the lake.
Schaaf stressed that the city’s homeless services go beyond the three shed sites. The city is pumping new state funds and other dollars into projects such as a rapid rehousing program and a second transitional housing building that’s expected to have at least 70 beds when it opens later this year.
Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @kveklerov | {
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Released 26th December (Australia)
Seen 3rd December (Advance Screening)
Directed by Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina
Written by Adrian Molina & Matthew Aldrich
Produced by Disney Pixar
Starring Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt & Renee Victor
Miguel (Played by Anthony Gonzalez) grew up in a household where the only thing that was banned was music, due to it being part of the breakup of the family. All his life he’s known that his family expects him to grow up and be a shoemaker like everyone else, but all Miguel wants is to play music. On Dia de Muertos, Miguel finally decides to take his chance and perform in the talent show, but the only guitar he can find that he can perform with belongs to the long deceased Ernesto de la Cruz (Played by Benjamin Bratt). Miguel sneaks into Ernesto’s crypt and, while apologising profusely, takes the guitar which leads him to be cursed and discover the land of the dead. Now Miguel must find a way to get home, a way that will allow him to follow his dream.
This movie is one of Pixar’s most visually stunning films, the high contrasting colours that flow throughout every scene in the land of the dead is gorgeous to look at. Anything that involves the Aztec Marigold flowers especially just blows you away with how bright and cheerful they make every scene, even ones filled with walking skeletons. Speaking of those skeletons, they all have facial paintings that match the iconic sugar skull imagery we all know and every one of them works and looks gorgeous. They create this world and bring the stories of Dia de Muertos to life in a way that I don’t think I’ve ever seen on film. At least, not in a film made for a mass audience like Disney tend to do it.
A little knowledge of Disney’s past would suggest that handling other cultures in a respectful manner has never really been Disney’s strong suit, you only have to glance at how awkward some of the stuff in Pocahontas could get to see that (Savages… I get what they were going for but come on, we all cringed a little). They’ve tried, but there’s been a lot of times when it felt like a predominately white team telling stories of cultures they knew little about. Moana showed they were improving, Coco shows they got it now. They handle Dia de Muertos in a way that feels respectful, it’s clear they had a lot of consultants on hand to make sure they didn’t screw this up. They still have some moments that play with the idea, for example crossing the barrier between the dead and the living is visually similar to going through Airport security but they use that visual shorthand to pull those of us (Like me, I’ll cop to it) who know nothing of this culture. It lets everyone see how important this day is, explains the ideas behind it in a way that is easily digestible and on top of all that, it uses this day and all the powerful ideas behind it to tell a sweet story of a boy who wants to make music and want’s his family to see how good he is at it.
Scenes that take place in the land of the dead are by far some of the best, especially when they explore the concept that someone only truly dies when we forget them which is why stories of older generations are passed down. This is a major part of the plot as one of the main characters has Alzheimer’s or dementia (It’s never explicitly said which one, but it’s obviously one of them) so her forgetting people from her life has a major impact towards the climax of the film. This is an insanely heavy subject to put in a film, especially one that’s aimed towards children, but it’s so beautifully done and allows the filmmakers to hammer home the idea of passing on stories throughout the generations that I can’t help but feel the same swell of pride that I felt when I realised how they were addressing depression in Inside Out, this is something that Disney Pixar have learned how to do in a way that I didn’t expect a major film studio to do.
My only problem with this movie is that there is one element of the story that they have now done more often than I’d like, mostly I don’t like it because I know for a fact they could do better but this element worked before and they don’t want to let it go until they have too. I do like how after this moment happens that they do their best to earn it by pushing the story as dark as they can go with it but I wish they would stop doing this thing, Frozen did this exact thing in the final act and now you need to try something else, Disney. If you saw Frozen then when you see this moment you should know what I mean (I’m trying hard not to spoil it in case it doesn’t bug you as much as it bugs me) but other than that I was fine with everything. Especially the last shot of the film. Seriously, stay until the credits finish rolling, there’s a touching tribute that needs to be seen. Besides, we live in a post-Marvel world now, why on earth are you leaving any movie before the credit’s finish?
A bright beautiful film that’s filled with life, love and family. Truly touching, sweet and fun with some great music and a brilliant tribute to Dia de Muertos.
9/10
PS: OK, so let’s have a quick moment to talk about that Frozen short that everyone’s complained about. It’s honestly not that bad, it’s a good cartoon and has some good songs and a decent story… it should’ve been put on TV on December 24th. That’s where it belongs, it’s a half hour special you put on TV to get everyone in the Christmas spirit and, undoubtedly, rake in higher ratings than anyone should be getting because you’d be airing a brand new Frozen special. It’s not awful, but it doesn’t fit with this film and should’ve been saved for TV. Putting a 20 minute special before this movie was a bad plan. The shorts you’ve made worked wonderfully before, Lava is still one of my favourite of the Pixar shorts and that clocked in at 7 minutes. Lou was absolutely precious, it was 6 minutes long and you put it in front of Cars 3. Stick to shorts under 10 minutes before your major releases Disney, that’s when they work best.
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The much-sensationalised molestation of a north-eastern woman in Bengaluru, which grabbed the attention of the entire nation on Wednesday, has found a major breakthrough with the Bengaluru city police arresting four perverts while two are still at large.
BCCL
The four molesters are identified as Aiyappa alias Nitish Kumar, 19, Leno alias Lenin Patrick, 20, Sudhesh alias Sudi, 20, Somashekar alias Chinni, 24, all residents of Kammanahalli area. Police Commissioner Praveen Sood said, "I wholeheartedly appreciate Prashanth Francis, a resident of Kammanahalli who helped us with CCTV camera footage installed at his house which captured the perverted actions of the arrested persons."
Also Read: Bengaluru Witnessed Mass Molestation And Became A City Where Cries For Help Were Louder Than Wishes
The woman who had recently come to the city for her studies had fallen prey to these perverts. It was not a sudden act at all. One of the woman's friends was staying near the arrested person's house.
The victim used to visit the friend's house often, and over the last one week, she stayed at her friend's place along with another friend. This is when she caught the eye of the molesters. The molesters hang around in the area near eateries and tea stalls, and one day when she was passing by the road, all four noticed her. Leno told the group that he would like to date her.
Also Read: Three Days After Bengaluru Was Shocked By Mass Molestation, Cops File FIR With 'Credible Evidence'
Since all the accused had seen the woman in the area, on December 31st night while drinking, they discussed how they could get close to her. After that, they carried some more liquor and food to the nearby Rajkumar park. Spending almost two hours there, they realised it was past 12 am.
BCCL
They went around in the area on their two-wheelers wishing people randomly. This went on till almost 2 am. The gang then decided to have fun with some random woman, but unfortunately the victim and her friend were returning home in an autorickshaw, which Chinni saw. He alerted the rest of his friends, especially Leno, as he was infatuated by her. All of them started challenging Leno to wish her on New Year 'if at all he had guts'.
Thereafter, they started following the autorickshaw in their two-wheelers. The autorickshaw stopped at the corner of the road on 5th main Kammanahalli. The victim's friend left the place after which she paid the driver and started walking alone on the empty dark road.
BCCL
Sudesh, Somashekar and two others at large, went ahead the autorickshaw without stopping as the driver was present. They came back to the corner and stopped monitoring the victim. Signals were passed on to Leno who immediately sped on his scooter towards the woman. However, he was scared to approach her, but Aiyappa sarcastically told him he would show him how a woman was to be greeted. The rest is visible in the footage.
After Francis gave the footage to the police, the police registered an FIR and started analysing the video with the help of Cyber Crime experts. The very first thing the police learnt by seeing the footage was the fact that the molesters were locals as they were seen moving around without any confusion.
Also Read: 'If There's Sugar, Ants Will Be Attracted,' SP Leader Abu Azmi's Bizarre Logic For Bengaluru Mass Molestation
Once they suspected the molesters were locals, they analysed the earlier footage at Francis's house. They noticed that on the same day in the morning, a similar scooter passed on the same road. Police now went on tracking CCTVs installed in the area.
BCCL
The major breakthrough came through the footage. Four camera shots showed the movements of the same scooter on another road, but in this case, a face was visible. Then the local crime police went around collecting information about these youths, especially Chinni, whose face was visible. On interrogating him, they zeroed in on three others.
When the news of this molestation was being flashed by the media, these youths started panicking and tried to erase every possible evidence that would give them away. They also planned to leave the state for some time. | {
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History
Etharial
Etharial is the name of the world this campaign will be taking place in. The world itself is universal in nature, every langague has Etharial somewhere in it's vocabulary, however the exact definion does change. Elven, which is the most widespoken langague, belives it to translate as, the seed. Which isn't wrong in any regards, it maybe the most accurate of definitions. Etharial is the cullmination of many worlds. Faerun, Golarion, Greyhawk, Eberron, and many more were failed attempts at creation. Auhway, the creator god, deemed them as such and decided that the world needed a restart, and collapsed all of the differing worlds into one massive landmass. Etharial.
Recent Times
While the world is fairly recent, it still does have a history. When the world was first created by Auhway, he left it to the gods of all the realms, thinking that they deserved one last chance to prove themselves worthy as his creaiton. The god's faught amoungst one another, each god declaring himself the "true" god of his domain. Except for one group of gods, the various gods of the elves lead by a council of three: Corellon Larethian, Yuelral, and the collective undying court, quickly banded together before spreading thier race across the lands. The other gods, created their own races, though no other racial gods worked together, opting to work on recreating their race how they saw fit. However, the elves were far more powerful together than other working apart. So thier species started the Suwan, in the elven tounge it means unifcaiton, to most others it means enslavement. They spread across the world until finally, that had complete control, the elven gods wielded tremendous power due their worshipers and it seemed hopeless. Which it was, for three full elven generations they held power. Until two hundered years ago when the rest of the racial gods ask Auhway for help, who did so by blessing all the other races with innate abilites tied to the land. Elves he cursed, forcing them to have a much shorter life as punishment for thier over zealous nature. Since then the gods have gone silent, granting spells but not answering questions asked of them. The rest of the races pushed the elves back into the small area of land they call home today.
Changes to the elven races and subraces Age: While elves are still one of the longer lived races in Etharial the curse has cut down their life span. Elves can't live longer than 350 years old.
Languages: You speak, write, and read elven and one other language of your choice.
Alingment: After years of unification most elves still are orderly in nature, leaning to the more lawful side of the axis.
Feats: Elves begin play with one feat of their choice.
Changes To Divine Casters The following changes override anything that appears in Paladin, Druid, Cleric, or any subclass that adds divine magic to an exsisting class. Spell removed: Commune is no longer on any spell list.
God forsaken world: While you gain your magic from a divine source you have no proof which god gives you power. For any class that gains a feature based on their god they may pick from any choice avaiable to them.
Divine Intervention: Removed and replaced with Divine Well.
Celestial Patron for warlock has been removed.
Divine Well
Beginning at 10th level the divine energy that you draw your power from grants you another ability. Choose one Domain that you haven't selected and gain the power listed below for it.
Forge: You gain the ability to improve a weapon as an action, once per long rest you may give a weapon +1 to attack and damage rolls for five minutes.
Grave: You may cast any healing spell as a bonus action. When you do so it only heals creatures at zero hit points.
Knowledge: You become proficient in one skill of your choice, you gain expertise in another skill, and learn one language of your choice
Life: Whenever you cast a healing spell with a range of touch you instead may target a creature within 30 feet of you instead
Light: You can't be blinded, gain expertise in perception, and as a bonus action, you can increase an area of bright light radiated by a spell you've cast that doesn't deal damage by 10 feet, or reduce it by 10 feet, up to a maximum of 30 feet in either direction.
Nature: You gain one druid cantrip of your choice and ignore natural difficult terrian.
Tempest: You gain proficiency with martial weapons and resistance against lighting damage.
Trickery: You may cast Disguise self once per long rest and as long as it is active you may spend a bonus action to change the disguise
War: You gain proficiency with heavy armor and once per long rest, as a reaction, you may give an ally within 60 feet advantage on an attack.
Locations:
Every non-elf races (That does include half elves) chooses one of the lands to being their home land. They then choose ONE of the starting character options from that location to take. | {
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Maja Werner
W moim porannym tekście jeden z czytelników stwierdził „Ja bym tak nie gloryfikował tych naszych przedsiębiorców, którzy w dużej mierze robią niezbyt uczciwe interesy”. A ja dalej uważam, że to jednak klienci tych przedsiębiorców, a nie sami przedsiębiorcy, są prawdziwym utrapieniem ziemi. Tej ziemi.
To prawda, że nieuczciwych przedsiębiorców nie brakuje. Ale czy ktoś kiedyś zadał sobie trud poświęcenia uwagi nieuczciwym klientom? Ludziom wykorzystującym błędy sklepów, nadużywającym uprawnień wynikających z rękojmi, celowo uszkadzającym reklamowane produkty? Czy wreszcie uczestniczkom takiej promocji jak ta, która miała miejsce w Lidlu.
Promocja Lidla – Sprytnie i Tanio
O całej sprawie donosi portal Wrocławskie Jedzenie. Lidl przekonany o wysokiej jakości swoich produktów uznał „nasze produkty są tak dobre, że prawie nikt ich nie zwróci do sklepu, a nawet jeśli ktoś się uprze, że nasza kapusta kiszona w białym winie jest daleka od ideału, to i tak pewnie zyskamy więcej stałych klientów, niż stracimy”. No, ale… nie byli gotowi na starcie z pokoleniem „500+” i „państwo daje mi za mało”.
Redakcja Wrocławskiego Jedzenia jakże trafnie wybrała kluczowe z naszego punktu widzenia elementy regulaminu tej akcji:
2. Klienci mogą dokonywać zwrotów produktów marki Lidl… zakupionych w terminie od 27 października do 30 listopada. 5. Za zwrócony produkt marki Lidl Klient otrzymuje zwrot uiszczonej przez niego ceny… 6. Dokonując zwrotu produktu marki Lidl Klient zobowiązany jest przedstawić: II. Opakowanie zwracanego produktu marki Lidl, przy czym jego zawartość może być w stanie nienaruszonym lub częściowo zużytym, bądź zużytym
„Nienaruszonym, częściowo zużytym, bądź zużytym”
Z prawniczego punktu widzenia, punkt II regulaminu mógłby być prawdziwym źródłem debaty. Już na pierwszym roku studiów uczą nas bowiem, że w zależności od tego czy użyto w zdaniu zwrotu „albo”, „lub” czy też „bądź”, sens tego zdania może być zupełnie inny. Problem w tym, że zasad tych nie przestrzega nawet polski ustawodawca, rzadko więc zdarza się, by do zagadnienia „alternatywy” w zdaniu odwoływał się ktoś starszy, niż… student drugiego roku prawa.
Regulamin ten należy rozumieć raczej dość jednoznacznie – promocja Lidla naprawdę dała jego klientom prawo zwrotu towaru, nawet jeśli został częściowo zużyty, bądź nawet zużyty. Prawdopodobnie nie przewidział jednak z jakim typem klientów będzie miał do czynienia.
Wiecie już dokąd ta historia zmierza? Tak, naprawdę znaleźli się ludzie, którzy nakupowali parówek, jedli je przez cały weekend, a następnie zaczęli okupować kasę dyskontu domagając się zwrotu pieniędzy w oparciu o parówkowe folijki…
Wrocławskie Podróże Kulinarne wyliczają:
Otóż mam znajomą pracującą w jednym z wrocławskich marketów Lidla pośpieszyła mi donieść – stosując terminologię używaną w słusznie minionej epoce – o dantejskich scenach, jakie mają miejsce w niemieckim dyskoncie od kilki dni. Przykłady? – ludzie robią zakupy na 1000 zł, wypakowują towary w domu, a na drugi dzień przyjeżdżają do sklepu z koszykiem wypchanym pustymi pudełkami – niektórzy nie czekają całego dnia, tylko robią zakupy po 500-700 zł, wypakowują wszystko w aucie na parkingu i po godzinie wracają zwrócić opakowania. Sporo osób robi to po kilka razy dziennie. – znajoma opowiadała, że wieczorami po prostu brakuje im pieniędzy w kasie, bo tyle mają transakcji zwrotów – spożywka, maszynki do golenia, podpaski, wszystko. Półki właściwie wymiecione
Chcieliśmy zweryfikować regulamin promocji we własnym zakresie, m.in. pod kątem możliwości odwołania promocji. I chyba rzeczywiście taki opis się w nim znajdował, ponieważ promocja Lidla chyba została już wycofana strony internetowej – w każdym razie obecnie nie działa. Trudno się dyskontowi dziwić, mnie zaś pozostaje spalić się ze wstydu z powodu moich pobratymców. Prawdopodobnie niektórzy z nich najgłośniej śmiali się z Jarosława Kuźniara i jego przygody ze sklepem Walmart. Z drugiej strony, Lidlu, czego ty się właściwie spodziewałeś wymyślając taką promocję i jeszcze dając jej taką nazwę?
Lidl – niby sklep spożywczy, a jednak i on ma limity cebuli jaką może zmieścić w ciągu miesiąca | {
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🎥 Modern Workflow & Tooling Talk
Last month I had the privilege of heading out to the Netherlands for Fronteers conference. In addition to some training the day before the conf, I did a talk on Modern Workflow + Tooling.
In this talk, I review a handful of tools that every front end developer should know about. From image compression with Gulp or Grunt to JavaScript Modules and using NPM as a package manager.
Follow along with the slides here.
A big thanks to the crew at Fronteers - this was a extremely well put together conference. Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/145138873 | {
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British boyband member Harry Styles has spoken out against the Westboro Baptist Church who protested at a One Direction concert this weekend.
On Saturday (20 July), the ‘God Hates Fags’ church travelled to Kansas City, Missouri to hold up their anti-gay signs.
They accuse the ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ singers for being ‘fag enabling perverts’.
Before the protest, they even tweeted a Gay Star News article about One Direction alongside a poster.
‘These freaks glamorize sin and make a mock of God’s standards. Their one purpose is to encourage the youth of this generation to pursue every lust their evil hearts can imagine,’ they said.
The curly-haired member spoke out against the church, who had spent their Saturday night yelling obscenities at 12-year-old girls behind police barricades in the parking lot.
Styles tweeted: ‘Despite the company outside, I believe in equal rights for everyone. I think God loves all. Thanks for coming to the show though.’ | {
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[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n October 18, 2011, Nicole Fabian-Weber, a blogger for CaféMom, The Stir, wrote an article about a 29-year-old Vietnamese woman who, after becoming upset with her husband, cut off his penis with a pair of scissors and threw it in a river. Fabian-Weber’s article was entirely supportive of the idea, and of the general idea of sexually mutilating men. Fabian-Weber expressed those sentiments in a variety of ways.
The reaction to the article was energetically negative and almost immediate, with many comments posted to the piece by readers who were outraged at Fabian-Weber’s statements and demanding that the article be removed.
MRA’s followed suit. Fabian-Weber was registered as a bigot on register-her.com, and numerous complaints and demands we sent to the editorial team that manages CaféMom.
This included multiple forms of correspondence to three key persons in that organization; Publisher Tracy Odell, Editorial Director Amy Boshnack and Managing Editor Cynthia Dermody.
No correspondence was returned from any of these individuals. In fact the only response so far to the concerns addressed to these key management persons has been that the original article posted by Fabian-Weber has been revised, taking some of the more inflammatory material out. It was, instead of a reasoned and responsible reaction by a team of professionals, an adolescent attempt to revise history, adding insult to the already despicable display of hate speech.
And as the article still contains explicit support for sexual violence and mutilation, it also demonstrates that the management of CaféMom is part of a culture of sexism and promoted violence within marital relationships.
For this reason, Tracy Odell, publisher of CaféMom, is now listed as a bigot on register-her.com, alongside Nicole Fabian-Weber, and alongside the remaining collection of bigots, corrupt public officials, pedophiles, rapists, murderers and other violent criminals that represent the moral equivalent of Ms. Odell.
Though Odell will likely enjoy this distinction, as will her underlings in the future, it will nonetheless create an indelible and irreversible record of the facts about the sickness that permeates CaféMom. | {
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Στις 2 Μαρτίου 1919 ξεκίνησε τις εργασίες της, στη Μόσχα, η Διεθνής Κομμουνιστική Συνδιάσκεψη, η οποία μετατράπηκε σε ιδρυτικό Συνέδριο της Κομμουνιστικής Διεθνούς. Πήραν μέρος 34 αντιπρόσωποι με θετική ψήφο και 18 με συμβουλευτική, που αντιπροσώπευαν 35 οργανώσεις (ανάμεσα σ΄ αυτές ήταν 13 κομμουνιστικά κόμματα και 6 κομμουνιστικές ομάδες).
Το συνέδριο ενέκρινε δύο ντοκουμέντα τεράστιας σπουδαιότητας. Το ένα ήταν το Πρόγραμμα της Διεθνούς που εισηγήθηκαν οι Γ. Εμπερλάιν (εκπρόσωπος του ΚΚ Γερμανίας) και Ν. Μπουχάριν (εκπρόσωπος του ΚΚ Ρωσίας) και το άλλο, οι θέσεις για την αστική δημοκρατία και τη δικτατορία του προλεταριάτου, που συνέταξε και εισηγήθηκε ο Λένιν.
Σε πολλές χώρες γίνονταν τότε ζωηρές συζητήσεις στο εργατικό κίνημα πάνω στο ερώτημα: υπέρ, ή κατά της δικτατορίας το προλεταριάτου. Γι αυτό είχε τεράστια σημασία η διευκρίνιση της ουσίας της αστικής δημοκρατίας σαν δημοκρατίας της μειοψηφίας και της ανάγκης να εγκαθιδρυθεί μια καινούργια δημοκρατία, η προλεταριακή δημοκρατία, η δημοκρατία της πλειοψηφίας με βάση το γκρέμισμα του καπιταλιστικού ζυγού και τη συντριβή της αντίστασης των εκμεταλλευτικών τάξεων.
Ο Β.Ι. Λένιν ξεσκέπασε τους υπερασπιστές της λεγόμενης καθαρής δημοκρατίας αποδείχνοντας πως η αστική δημοκρατία που υπερασπιστές της ήταν ο Κάουτσκι και οι ομοϊδεάτες του, στις παραμονές και μετά την προλεταριακή επανάσταση στη Ρωσία ήταν μια μορφή δικτατορίας της αστικής τάξης. Στο μεταξύ η δικτατορία του προλεταριάτου που στη Ρωσία πήρε τη μορφή της Σοβιετικής εξουσίας, όπως τόνιζε ο Λένιν είχε πραγματικά λαϊκό, δημοκρατικό χαρακτήρα. Η ουσία της «… συνίσταται στο ότι μόνιμη και μοναδική βάση όλης της κρατικής εξουσίας, όλου του κρατικού μηχανισμού είναι η μαζική οργάνωση των τάξεων, ακριβώς εκείνων των τάξεων που καταπιέζονταν από τον καπιταλισμό…».
Το συνέδριο ψήφισε, επίσης, Μανιφέστο της Κομμουνιστικής Διεθνούς προς του Προλεταρίους όλου του Κόσμου, Απόφαση για το συνασπισμό του Τσίμερβαλντ, Απόφαση για τη στάση απέναντι στα σοσιαλιστικά ρεύματα και στη Συνδιάσκεψη της Βέρνης που είχε γίνει το Φλεβάρη του 1919 με σκοπό την αναζωογόνηση της Β` Διεθνούς, Απόφαση για τη λευκή τρομοκρατία, Θέσεις για τη διεθνή κατάσταση και την πολιτική της Αντάντ, Απόφαση για το ρόλο των εργατριών, Απόφαση για την οργανωτική συγκρότηση της Διεθνούς, Εκκληση του Συνεδρίου προς τους εργαζόμενους όλων των χωρών για την υπεράσπιση της Σοβιετικής Ρωσίας κ.ά.
Το συνέδριο ολοκλήρωσε τις εργασίες του με την εκλογή οργάνων της Διεθνούς. Εκλέχτηκε Εκτελεστική Επιτροπή (ΕΕ), αποτελούμενη από έναν αντιπρόσωπο από κάθε κόμμα. Η επιτροπή αυτή εξέλεξε πενταμελές γραφείο, στο οποίο συμμετείχαν οι: Ρακόφσκι, Λένιν, Ζινόβιεφ, Τρότσκι και Πλάτεν. Πρόεδρος της ΕΕ της Διεθνούς εκλέχτηκε ο Γκριγκόρ Ζινόβιεφ.
Μια νέα σελίδα στην ιστορία του εργατικού κινήματος είχε ανοίξει. Η παγκόσμια εργατική τάξη είχε το δικό της παγκόσμιο κόμμα. Η ΚΟΜΙΝΤΕΡΝ ήταν γεγονός.
(Επισκέψεις: 1.441 φορές, όπου 1 ημερήσιες) | {
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The likelihood of Matthew Stafford staying with the Detroit Lions has gone from high to almost definite.
With the franchise quarterback's contract expiring after the 2017 season, Lions president Rod Wood upped general manager Bob Quinn's claim that he is "confident" a deal will get done with Stafford over the summer.
Wood said Tuesday the team wouldn't have a problem making Stafford the league's highest-paid player.
"I'm comfortable in getting a deal done with him, and we'll see where that ends up," Wood told ESPN's Michael Rothstein. "It's going to be whatever it takes, I think, to make it happen from both sides, and whether he becomes the highest-paid or not, it'll be a short-lived designation because, as (general manager) Bob (Quinn) said, and I think it's true, if you're in the top whatever of quarterbacks, when your time comes up, your time comes up and then somebody else's time comes up, and they become the highest-(paid player)."
Stafford hasn't quite qualified as an elite NFL quarterback since throwing for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2011, but his team feels comfortable paying him as such.
"It's a premium position, and you need to have a very, very good player at that position to be credible and be competitive," said Wood. "I think we do have that, and we're working on getting a deal done."
Andrew Luck has the highest average annual salary at close to $24.6 million, but with Stafford, Derek Carr, and Matt Ryan all expected to get new deals in the near future, he'll likely be overtaken. | {
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Cosplay Wednesday – Battletoads’ Dark Queen
Everything is old again with Rare Replay, the ultimate love letter to Rare’s vast library of titles. While gamers brave Battletoads’ turbo tunnel once again, Gamers Heroes takes a look at a timeless cosplay of Battletoads’ Dark Queen.
Mr. Proton (aka Daria Kulikova) shows off her evil side in these shots of Battletoads’ nefarious Dark Queen. In these shots taken (and inspired by) her friend Haji-san, she shows off her love of the game in the finest of forms.
You can find Mr. Proton (Daria Kulikova) on DeviantArt here and on Facebook here.
Do you enjoy a bit of gaming cosplay? Or maybe you’re passionate enough to do it full time. Drop me a line at [email protected] and we’ll feature some of your cosplay. | {
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President Trump formally launched his 2020 re-election campaign Tuesday night before a jam-packed crowd in Orlando's Amway Center arena, and quickly unloaded on the media organizations and government actors he said tried their hardest with "everything they had" to bring down both his candidacy and presidency.
To chants of "USA," Trump took the stage after brief remarks by Vice President Mike Pence and first lady Melania Trump, and recalled his unlikely rise to power.
"We stared down the unholy alliance of lobbyists and donors and special interests who made a living bleeding our country dry," Trump said. "The swamp is fighting back so viciously and violently. For the last two and a half years, we have been under siege.”
And after polling the boisterous crowd, Trump appeared to settle on a new campaign slogan: "Keep America Great."
He went on to tout the economy and the planned Space Force, celebrate the "obliteration" of ISIS, and declare that "Republicans believe that every life is a sacred gift from God" amid a newly energized national pro-life movement.
Just over four years ago, Trump descended through the pink marble and brass atrium of Trump Tower to announce his candidacy for president, the first step on a journey few analysts believed would take him all the way to the White House.
This time, thousands of Trump supporters arrived more than 40 hours in advance to secure a spot in the Amway Center, despite sweltering heat. Some had been camped in chairs for several nights.
Trump told attendees he had begun not only a "great political campaign but a great movement" committed to the idea that a government must "care for its own citizens first."
He called his election that year as a "defining moment in American history" -- and then directed the crowd to "ask them, right there," referring to the media assembled in the back, which many in the crowd jeered.
In one of the most dramatic moments of the rally, Trump charged that Democrats want a "do-over" of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report -- and then, his voice approaching a shout, Trump blasted Democrats' apparent lack of interest in misconduct within their party.
"Our patriotic movement has been under assault from the very first day," Trump said. He specifically called out the "phony" dossier used by the FBI to secure a secret surveillance warrant to surveil one of his former aides, Carter Page.
After Trump noted that the dossier was funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee (DNC), the crowd again broke into a chant, this time cheering, "Lock her up."
"If you want to know how the system is rigged, just look at how they came at us for three years with everything they had, versus the free pass they gave to Hillary and her aides after they set up an illegal server, destroyed evidence, deleted and acid-washed 33,000 emails, exposed classified information, and turned the State Department into a pay-for-play cash machine," Trump said, his voice rising with the crowd's.
"Lock her up," the crowd responded again.
DOJ REACHED DEAL WITH CLINTON LAWYERS TO KEEP CLINTON FOUNDATION EMAILS FROM FBI
"33,000 emails deleted, think of it!" Trump said. "You know, there was a lot of corruption on the other side. But, you know, they get a subpoena from the United States Congress, and they decide they're not gonna give it, so, Lindsey Graham, they delete and they acid wash -- which is very expensive, nobody does it -- those emails, never to be seen again!
"But we may find them again somewhere deep in the State Department," Trump mused. "Can you imagine if I got a subpoena? Think of this -- if I deleted one email, like a love note to Melania, it's the electric chair for Trump."
STATE DEPT INVESTIGATION FINDS 'MULTIPLE' SECURITY VIOLATIONS UNDER CLINTON LEADERSHIP, AS PROBE CONTINUES
For the most part, the rally focused on Trump's policy successes, on a range of matters including criminal justice reform and the economy.
"Our country is soaring to incredible new heights," Trump asserted, to loud applause. "Our economy is the envy of the world, perhaps the greatest economy we've had in the history of our country, and as long as you keep this team in place -- we have a tremendous way to go -- our future has never, ever looked brighter or sharper."
Trump continued: "The fact is, the American Dream is back. It's bigger, and better, and stronger than ever before."
The president emphasized his success in appointing federal judges, and lamented Democrats' treatment of now-Justice Brett Kavanuagh, telling the crowd, "They didnt just try to win, they tried to destroy him with false and malicious accusations" in the name of "political dominance and control."
Trump called Kavanaugh a "great gentleman" who is "highly respected" throughout the judiciary, and said Democrats also targeted his family. Kavanuagh, speaking to Fox News last year, said his wife had received numerous death threats.
"Just imagine what this angry left-wing mob would do if they were in charge of this country," Trump said.
"We just finished [confirming judge] number 107, already approved, sitting on the bench -- how about that?" Trump then asked. "By the time we're finished with the rest, we will have record percentages [of judges appointed] -- our percentage will be a record, except for one person. One person has a higher percentage ... George Washington."
At one point, outgoing Press Secretary Sarah Sanders took the stage, bringing the crowd to its feet.
"We want people to come into our country based on merit," Trump said, after praising Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials as underappreciated heroes securing the border.
He went on to condemn "crazy" Bernie Sanders, and vowed again that America would "never" become a socialist country.
The festive and lively environment was evident both outside and inside the arena. Caps and shirts and mugs and ponchos were being hawked in corners far and wide in Orlando, with slogans ranging from "God, Guns and Trump" to "Trump’s Deplorables" to "Working to Defeat Liberals since 1854."
"Think of this -- if I deleted one email, like a love note to Melania, it's the electric chair for Trump." — President Trump
"Bikers For Trump" volunteer security members managed traffic in and out of the rally areas as jubilant Trump devotees partied to a band while in line, occasionally breaking into "USA, USA" chants.
Others wandered the blocks around the venue urging people to sign a petition to "prevent voter fraud."
"Only U.S. citizens should be able to vote," explained Donny, a Jacksonville native. "That’s what we want in Florida."
Joe Biden, the frontrunner among Democrats in both polling and fundraising, sought to blunt the momentum from the Tuesday launch shortly before Trump took the stage.
ON THE GROUND BEFORE TRUMP'S BIG RALLY, A CARNIVAL-LIKE ATMOSPHERE
"Donald Trump is launching his campaign for re-election tonight and the American people face a choice -- we can make Trump an aberration or let him fundamentally and forever alter the character of this nation," Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement.
"Our country cannot afford four more years of Trump diminishing America's role on the world stage, cutting access to health care, ignoring the climate emergency that is an unprecedented threat to our national security, tearing children from their parents at the border, giving enormous new tax breaks to big corporations and the wealthy at the expense of working families, and dividing our country by embracing toxic bigotry and racism that's antithetical to who we are," Bedingfield added.
Sanders, meanwhile, hosted an "Ask Me Anything" open forum on Reddit on Tuesday. The self-described democratic socialist condemned what he called Trump's "rejection of science," and lamented the "incredible attacks against working families that have taken place under unfettered capitalism."
Sanders, in a video response to Trump's address later in the day, issued a series of personal insults. He called Trump a "racist" and "sexist," among other attacks.
"The working class of this country has been decimated for decades by a coordinated attack from corporate America," Sanders told one Reddit user. "Bad trade deals have allowed corporations to ship millions of jobs abroad, companies have bitterly resisted unionization and the minimum wage has not been raised for almost 10 years."
Not all of the participants in Sanders' Reddit event gave him a warm welcome, however, with some pointing out Sanders' recent, dramatic rise to wealth.
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"People like you have destroyed the working class by taking more of their taxes to fund a corporate-run utopia that never can exist," one user replied. "Wealth is decided by the rarity of your skill set, not how hard you work, Mr. 3 mansions and an Audi R8."
Trump is ahead of his Democrat rivals in key battleground states and "voters overall" support re-electing him, a Republican National Committee (RNC) memo obtained by Fox News claimed. The memo came amid reports of the president struggling in polls putting him up against potential 2020 opponents, including Biden. A Fox News poll showed similar numbers.
But, according to the RNC, its own massive data operation told a different story. According to the committee's numbers, Trump has a higher approval than disapproval rating in the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania while a majority of Florida voters (53 percent) supported re-electing him.
Trump has an unprecedented $40.8 million in cash-on-hand, as of the start of the second quarter of fundraising on April 1. While that would be a massive war chest on its own, the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and their joint fundraising committees had a combined $82 million cash-on-hand going into the second quarter.
Fox News' Mike Emanuel, Hollie McKay, Sam Dorman, Paul Steinhauser, and The Associated Press contributed to this report. | {
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Miriam puzzled over Duterte's bank accounts
Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News
Posted at 04 May 2016 11:26 PM
ABS-CBN News
Says Trillanes is being backed by Malacanang
NUEVA ECIJA - Presidential aspirant Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Wednesday questioned her rival Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in connection with the allegations of hidden bank accounts and ill-gotten wealth against him.
"It seems extraordinary that a person or two persons has 17 accounts in three Metro Manila banks. That, in itself, already calls for attention," Santiago said.
"If the purposes were legitimate, I don't believe they could have run to 17 accounts. There is therefore a need to explain why so many of these bank accounts are mentioned or reported, and why so many properties are listed. The sooner Mayor Duterte explains them, the better for him," she added.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV earlier alleged that Duterte had bank transactions amounting to P2.407 billion in 17 accounts in three banks from 2006 to 2015.
READ: Duterte accounts had P2.4-B in transactions: Trillanes
According to Santiago, it is now the credibility of Duterte that is on the line. But she also said the accuser's credibility is also at risk.
She believes Trillanes has been getting support from Malacañang.
"They are both playing their reputations on the line, Apparently, Trillanes has the support of Malacañang because he was able to access the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) records against Duterte.
"I believe Trillanes is acting as an ally of the administration. The LP (Liberal Party) does not want Duterte to be the next president for many reasons," she said.
"It's very difficult for Mayor Duterte to remain in his present reputation unless he comes up with a reasonable explanation of these anomalies in his life," Santiago added.
Santiago said the LP is afraid of a Duterte presidency because the winning president might put to jail President Benigno Aquino III on charges of corruption.
Santiago, however, said she is more wary about Duterte being linked to the Davao Death Squad. She believes pronouncements of curbing criminality in only three to six months is worrisome.
"Although he was able to restore peace and order in Davao, it was at the price of the so-called death squad. So we'll have to clarify that through the human rights commission. It is a question of whether you can resort to extrajudicial or extralegal means to achieve a good purpose," she said.
"You cannot place a deadline on what you are going to do because there is a danger that you might not meet your own deadline. We do not know whether he (Duterte) can transfer his administrative advantages from Davao City to the entire country."
READ: Duterte on extrajudicial killing charges: 'Bring it on'
BLOODY END?
Meanwhile, Santiago also warned of a bloody end to the election if results would not be in favor of Duterte, noting that the mayor's supporters have seemingly declared violent actions if Duterte loses.
She said this is also evident in how bullying and harassment have intensified on social media.
"Pastor Quiboloy of Davao has already announced he will personally lead a revolution so there is already that danger," the senator said. "His (Duterte's) followers might go out on the streets and there will inevitably be a bloodshed between police and Duterte followers so in both cases, Duterte's endgame for the election is very problematic.
"In effect, it is a threat under the penal code, it might even qualify as grave threat and be punishable by law. So it becomes a question of playing a game, are they playing with our minds?" she said.
Santiago's campaign in Nueva Ecija today was quite different from her previous sorties. She campaigned in the gymnasium in Gapan, and not in the usual colleges or universities. Residents, and not the youth, also served as her audience.
The venue was nonetheless jampacked with supporters, making Santiago question more the credibility of pre-election surveys where her low ratings have not been changing. | {
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Denunziation oder berechtigte Kritik? Kurz vor der Wahl in Nordrhein-Westfalen hat ein CDU-Politiker ein Foto gemacht, das Grünen-Ministerin Löhrmann scheinbar als Öko-Heuchlerin entlarvt. Diese verteidigt sich.
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Zwei Autos halten auf einer Straße. Im Vordergrund eine Audi-A8-Limousine mit abgedunkelten Fenstern. Dahinter ein weißer Toyota Prius. Interessant daran: Beide Autos gehören Grünen-Politikerin Sylvia Löhrmann. Das erste ist der Dienstwagen der nordrhein-westfälischen Schulministerin, das zweite nutzt sie für den Wahlkampf. Dies sorgt nun für Wirbel – denn Löhrmann wurde beim Umsteigen beobachtet.
„Sich im dicken Audi A8 nach Düsseldorf fahren lassen und dann schnell – in der Hoffnung, dass es keiner merkt – ins umweltfreundliche Hybridauto umsteigen. Hoch lebe die grüne Doppelmoral!“, schrieb CDU-Politiker Thomas Eusterfeldhaus am Montag auf Facebook.
Dazu postete er ein Foto der Straßenszene, das er offenbar aus einem Fenster des Landtags in Düsseldorf heraus geschossen hat; dort ist der Bocholter Stadtrat als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter beschäftigt. Löhrmann selbst ist auf dem Foto nicht zu sehen.
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Eusterfeldhaus fährt fort: „Kleiner Tipp an Frau Löhrmann: Beim nächsten Mal das Fahrzeug vielleicht besser in der Tiefgarage wechseln.“
An dieser Stelle finden Sie Inhalte aus Facebook Um mit Inhalten aus Facebook und anderen sozialen Netzwerken zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir Ihre Zustimmung. Soziale Netzwerke aktivieren
Die Reaktionen sind heftig. „So sind die Grünen“, schrieb ein Nutzer. „Da sieht man wieder, wie korrupt unsere Politiker sind, und für wie dumm sie uns halten“, ein anderer. Weitere Nutzer posten Symbole, die Erbrechen darstellen sollen. Rund 8000 Mal wird der Post geteilt.
Ähnlich groß ist die Resonanz auf Twitter, wo Eusterfeldhaus das Foto ebenfalls verbreitet.
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Aber auch Kritik wird laut. Kommentatoren werfen Eusterfeldhaus vor, ein Denunziant zu sein, „der Fotos vom Fenster aus macht und Leute anschwärzt“. Zumal ja die Landtagswahl nur noch vier Wochen entfernt sei.
Ministerin verteidigt sich
Löhrmann reagierte umgehend auf die Unterstellung, eine Öko-Heuchlerin zu sein. Dabei bestritt sie nicht, dass sie von einem Auto ins andere umgestiegen war. „Im Gegenteil!“, schrieb sie auf Twitter. „Saubere Trennung zwischen Ministerinnen-Dienstwagen und Wahlkampfauto. Wie sich das gehört.“
An dieser Stelle finden Sie Inhalte aus Twitter Um mit Inhalten aus Twitter und anderen sozialen Netzwerken zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir Ihre Zustimmung. Soziale Netzwerke aktivieren
Auch den Einwurf von Eusterfeldhaus, warum sie „nicht in beiden Fällen ein umweltfreundlicheres Hybrid-Auto“ fahren würde, konterte sie in einer weiteren Nachricht: „Weil leider die deutsche Automobilindustrie noch nicht so weit ist.“
Für einen anderen Grünen scheint die Herstellerfrage jedoch kein Hindernis zu sein: Umweltminister Johannes Remmel (Grüne) fährt seit Jahresende das Model S 90 D von Tesla. | {
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In our exclusive talk with Xbox boss Phil Spencer, we learned a great deal about just how powerful the next-gen Xbox Series X will be: a GPU eight-times faster than the base Xbox One and twice that of the Xbox One X, a CPU said to be four times more capable, and an ultra-fast NVMe solid-state drive. Well, aside from the SSD which is virtually silent, you might be wondering about how the Series X will handle all that power while staying cool and quiet.
In general terms, Spencer described the console's cooling system, saying, "What the team did, and you [see] it through the top grate, is we went with one central fan in the design." He continued, "What this design does, with the size of the fan that we built around, is it lets us match how quiet the Xbox One X is with all that power inside of the box."
It's not as simple as deciding on a type of cooling system and running with it, of course, as Spencer explained, "There's always this tension between design, acoustics, cooling, and the function of the console, and we were not going to compromise on function. I'm just incredibly impressed with the design that they [came up with]."
Spencer went on to describe how he's been using a Series X at home and that its acoustic profile helps it keep a low profile even for people who have seen it in action. He claimed, "If I don't point it out, it just sits there and plays video games the way I want it to and I never hear it, just like how I don't hear my [Xbox One] X."
The Series X sports a natural, PC tower-like design, which was accounted for in its cooling system, but also the fact that you can set it horizontally or vertically. Microsoft wouldn't get into the specifics of dimensions and hard technical details of the cooling system, but Spencer asserts that the single fan is "able to spin at a low enough rate that it is whisper-quiet." He also said that the Series X has "no secondary fans, probably just passive coil" to keep temperatures in check.
When you take a look at the Series X itself, you see that the single central fan gets a bit fancy. "We did do a nod with our Xbox; it has a green tint and it's a concave design so as you come up [to it]." Considering that one of the goals with the Series X is to sort of unify the Xbox brand and ecosystem, we suppose it seeps into all aspects of its design. Spencer goes into a bit more detail as to what that means in our story about why the console was named Series X. And for all the details we gathered in our exclusive coverage, be sure to read our in-depth feature on the Xbox Series X. | {
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We’ve already looked at our depth chart for the defense and goalkeepers, but let’s take a position by position look at what to expect from the defensive unit.
Goalkeeper
Seitz returns for another season between the sticks. He’s been solid for several years now, and with Hedges and Zimmerman in front of him, he shouldn’t have much work to do. In fact, FC Dallas had the least number of shots saved last season with only 79. Compare that to LA Galaxy whose keeper saved a league high 135 shots. Seitz isn’t called into action much, but there’s no reason to expect anything less than consistency from the 29-year-old.
Left Back
Maynor Figueroa returns, but with stiff competition. Offseason addition Anibal Chala should make a strong push for the starting spot, if Chala doesn’t outright win it, then expect him to compete with Figueroa throughout the season. Figueroa has been decent, but unspectacular, only recording one assist last season. Chala’s speed would offer a more dynamic option on the left side, something that FC Dallas has lacked for a few seasons now. Chala could take some attacking pressure of Lamah by making himself available for overlap, something Figueroa did not excel at. The 2017 season should see improvement in production out of the left back position. The worst case scenario is Chala struggles and Figueroa returns. He did adequately last year and would not be a weakness for the backline, he just cannot offer the offensive opportunities that Chala does.
Right Back
This is a very similar situation to left back. The incumbent, Atiba Harris, returns meaning at worst FC Dallas returns a starter from last year. Harris is facing competition from new signing, Hernan Grana. Where Harris often struggled, going forward, Grana excels. Grana takes his attacking duties almost too seriously and is prone to roam with the ball. Grana offers composure and experience on the ball, which Harris, with his heavy touch, often lacks. Grana should, like Chala on the left, offer a new attacking option from the fullback position. Grana is expected to be the starter, but Harris starting early in the season would not be surprising, granted Pareja’s affection for him.Either way expect an improvement out of already solid right back play either from a motivated Harris or Grana.
Center Back
FC Dallas returns the best center back pairing in the league. Fresh off a stint with the US National Team, including a Man of the Match performance against Jamaica, Walker Zimmerman, and the reigning MLS Defender of the Year, Matt Hedges, look to continue their dominating record. The only change is without playmaker Mauro Diaz, Hedges and Zimmerman may be asked to launch splitting through balls to one of Dallas’ pacey attackers. The only negative thing to be said about these two is that it’s possible asking them to try to play long balls out of the back will take some adjustment on their part and could result in some unnecessary turnovers.
Conclusion:
It’s hard not to be excited about one of the best defensive units returning all starters and purchasing upgrades at the fullback positions. The future, as well as the present, looks bright for FC Dallas defensively. | {
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While the term blockchain was previously enough to gain interest from retail investors, blockchain-related start-ups have had to look for other creative means to capture the same attention. According to Bloomberg, these creative means now include Nobel Laureates who are joining and partnering with a number of blockchain-related start-ups.
Nobel Prize Laureates Partner With Leading Blockchain-Related Projects
Bloomberg reported that there are a number of blockchain-related start-ups partnering with award-winning economists. The most recent example is the Covee Network, a blockchain-based organization with the goal of shifting the future of work from centralized corporations to distributed, decentralized, self-organizing teams. The start-up launched a partnership with Alvin Roth, who shared the economics Nobel Prize in 2012.
Roth by phone said to Bloomberg:
“When I was first approached about joining, I spent a good deal of time thinking about whether I would just be a decoration, or whether I would actually be able to contribute.”
He was, however, persuaded to join when he realized that he could bring his knowledge, skills, and expertise to the project. He added:
“They are embracing game theory as a way of incentivizing participation.”
Prysm Group, a global blockchain economics, and governance design firm led by PhD-level economists from top international universities, is also working together with Oliver Hart, a 2016 co-recipient from Harvard University.
While partnering with one Nobel Prize winning laureate is enough to spark interest, Cryptic Labs LLC, a research institute focused on solving problems in security in blockchain, has partnered with two winners — Eric Maskin, a co-laureate for the Nobel Prize in 2007, and Christopher Pissarides, who also shared the prize in 2010.
Maskin, who won the prize for his work in mechanism design theory, will help Cryptic Labs understand how projects can undergo token economics in a more effective manner. Pissarides will provide the organization with a greater understanding of macroeconomic trends. The two Nobel-winning laureates will fill in the gaps that exist when it comes to economic knowledge in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry.
The Term “Blockchain” Is No Longer Enough
In the past few years, the term blockchain was enough to gain interest and intrigue from venture capitalists and retail investors. The term blockchain has, however, been overused. In many circumstances, it has been used to kick-start zombie companies like Kodak and increase share prices of an unrelated firm, like Long Island Ice Tea’s rebranding to Long Blockchain Corp.
In January 2018, Kodak partnered with WENN digital to launch KodakOne, an image rights management platform. Kodak also launched the KodakCoin, a cryptocurrency token designed to help photographers gain greater control over their images. When news of the token spread, Kodak’s shares increased by 272 percent. Unfortunately, the KodakCoin was not considered a viable blockchain solution to the management of intellectual property and failed dismally.
A similar situation can be seen with the Long Island Ice Tea Corporation. Bloomberg reported that the soft drink company rebranded to Long Blockchain Corporation in Dec. 2017. The rebranding led to an increase of as much as 289 percent for the company’s shares. It was, however, quickly accused by Nasdaq of misleading retail investors and was threatened to be delisted from the company.
While the buzz surrounding blockchain peaked in 2017, the high percentage of scams from initial coin offerings (ICOs) also began to surface. ICO advisory firm Statis Group noted that in 2017, more than 80 percent of ICOs were scams. Autonomous Research also found that in Aug. 2018, the level of ICO funding also dropped to its lowest in 16 months. The cryptocurrency market also fell significantly, with Bitcoin losing over 65 percent of its value from its all-time high in Dec. 2017. According to CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin is valued at $6,605.92 at the time of writing.
Not All Nobel Prize Winners Are Optimistic About Bitcoin and Blockchain Technology
Although many Nobel-winning laureates have joined blockchain-based start-ups, not every Nobel Prize winner in economics agrees with the advantages and benefits of cryptocurrencies. In Dec. 2013, Paul Krugman, a 2008 Nobel Laureate, wrote in the New York Times column that “Bitcoin Is Evil.” He mentioned in an interview with Business Insider that Bitcoin is more of a bubble than the housing bubble crisis in 2008.
Richard Thaler, Nobel Prize winner in 2017, agreed with Krugman. Eugene Fama, Nobel Prize winner in 2013, also believes that cryptocurrencies are not superior over fiat currencies and are only advantageous for criminals. | {
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Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning announced today that the club has recalled forward Alexandre Grenier from the AHL Utica Comets.
Grenier, 25, has appeared in two games with the Canucks and in 54 games with Utica this season where he currently leads the team in points (40), assists (24) and shots (129) and ranks second in goals (16) and power-play goals (7).
A native of Laval, Quebec, Grenier was originally selected by Vancouver in the third round, 90th overall, at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. | {
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This article contains graphic images and descriptions.
(CNN) The photo is haunting, a vivid reminder of the danger many face when they try to cross into the United States. It shows the human toll of a crisis at the border that's often debated with abstract statistics and detached policy arguments.
The image of the Salvadoran father and his daughter lying face down in the water of the Rio Grande, part of the US border with Mexico , is a heartbreaking testimony to the suffering behind the numbers.
Oscar Alberto Martinez and his daughter, identified by officials from El Salvador as Angie Valeria M., drowned in the currents of the Rio Grande on Sunday as they tried to slip into the United States.
Their bodies were found Monday near Matamoros, across the river from Brownsville , Texas. The child was 2 years old, The Associated Press reported.
Read More | {
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Será que temos de ir à falência a cada geração porque a memória se perde? Se ajudar, faça-se um memorial aos resgates externos do país para que as próximas lideranças e gerações não se esqueçam.
Não sei se os socialistas foram vencidos pela realidade ou se, finalmente, estão convencidos sobre as virtudes do equilíbrio das contas públicas para a economia. O certo é que nunca como hoje foi tão amplo o apoio a uma política orçamental que tenha como objectivo principal a redução do défice do Estado, com vista à sua eliminação. Há uma diferença entre o António Costa que, há três anos, lançou a sua candidatura à liderança do seu partido dizendo que “o PS deve orgulhar-se da visão estratégica que enunciou o Governo liderado por António Guterres e do impulso reformista com que, sob a liderança de José Sócrates, assumiu o Governo em 2005” sem uma palavra sobre a tragédia económica e financeira com que tinha terminado essa governação socialista e o António Costa que no início desta semana saudou a saída do país do Procedimento dos Défices Excessivos, afirmando que “esta tem de ser a última vez que passamos por um processo tão traumático” e que “não podemos voltar a perder o que hoje alcançámos”.
Saúda-se esta viragem e só se lamenta que, para termos chegado a esta convicção, tivéssemos que ter passado por mais um resgate externo e a consequente carga de austeridade para pôr as contas em ordem. E não foi por falta de aviso prévio que caímos no buraco.
Será que temos que ir à falência a cada geração porque a memória é fraca? Se ajudar, faça-se um memorial aos resgates externos do país para que as próximas lideranças e gerações não se esqueçam. É isso que se faz com guerras, ditaduras e outras tragédias colectivas. E na nossa vida democrática as três intervenções financeiras externas e as suas consequências foram, certamente, os acontecimentos que mais fizeram sofrer milhões de cidadãos.
Sobre a última, que agora se encerra, assino por baixo a análise feita por Manuel Carvalho no Público (acesso limitado). Deixemos as narrativas partidárias e sigamos em frente.
O equilíbrio orçamental a médio prazo – o que implica conseguir excedentes orçamentais na fase boa do ciclo económico para que possamos ter défices e ajudar a economia nas fases de recessão – devia ser um dado de partida para a generalidade das propostas partidárias alternativas e não uma variável de diferenciação dos programas eleitorais. Dentro de um orçamento equilibrado há espaço de sobra para que os diferentes partidos desenhem políticas alternativas.
Mas esta é uma abordagem que nos é muito estranha. Tão estranha que nem entendemos como é que em certos países europeus o rigor da política orçamental é seguido independentemente do espectro ideológico do partido que governa. Como é possível que o holandês Jeroen Dijsselbloem, diabolizado em Portugal, seja um socialista? Onde é que já se viu um socialista a defender o rigor e a exigência orçamental? E até nos esquecemos que a Alemanha está a ser governada por uma coligação entre os conservadores da CDU – de Angela Merkel – e os socialistas do SPD – do vice-chanceler e ministro da Economia e Tecnologia Sigmar Gabriel. Há quatro anos, quando Merkel perdeu a maioria e teve que fazer a grande coligação com o SPD alguém notou mudanças no rigor orçamental? E nem nos recordamos que as grandes reformas económicas alemãs, que hoje continuam a dar frutos, foram feitas na década passada pelo socialista Gerhard Schroeder.
Não. Por cá, esquerda que é esquerda tem que abrir a torneira da despesa, aumentar impostos sobre as empresas e desprezar o controlo do défice. Qualquer esforço para tentar o rigor orçamental é visto como um desvio ideológico neo-liberal ou, no mínimo, uma “política de direita”. E, claro, depois a dívida vem logo atrás, já que resulta do somatório dos défices.
O exercício orçamental que está a ser feito por este governo, até contra o seu próprio programa, mostra que não tem que ser assim. Como os resultados estão a aparecer, deixando toda a gente satisfeita, esperemos que seja o incentivo definitivo para que se assuma que o objectivo de ter orçamentos equilibrados não é de direita nem de esquerda, é simplesmente uma gestão decente que se exige a qualquer governo. E que diabolizar esse objectivo também não é de direita nem esquerda, é simplesmente estúpido e sinal de delinquência orçamental.
Até porque é preciso ter a noção que estamos no início do caminho. Ainda temos muito que andar para recuperar o que perdemos com o desastre de 2009 a 2011. O esforço terá que continuar para reduzir o enorme fardo da dívida pública e para aliviar a carga fiscal que pesa sobre a economia.
Mas, lentamente, lá vamos indo. Até o discurso da necessidade de uma reestruturação da dívida está a desaparecer. O ministro das Finanças já faz, e bem, contas à descida do endividamento provocado por um orçamento mais cauteloso e pelo crescimento económico. É assim que temos que pensar e gerir as nossas contas, acabando com os tiques de atribuir as nossas desgraças a factores externos e de deixar as soluções sempre dependentes de favores alheios.
De igual modo, sabemos há muito e é hoje reconhecido pelo Governo que a Segurança Social vai obrigar a novos esforços dos contribuintes. Pensar que não pesa se forem as empresas a pagar é um logro. Pesa e, no limite, são sempre os consumidores e trabalhadores que pagam a factura final.
Chamem-lhe o que quiserem, mas o esforço terá que continuar. Se não gostam da palavra “austeridade” escolham outra. Mas aprendam com os erros de há meia dúzia de anos e espalhem pelos gabinetes ministeriais quadros com a frase: “Esta tem de ser a última vez que passamos por um processo tão traumático. Ass: António Costa”.
Nota: Por decisão pessoal, o autor não escreve de acordo com o novo acordo ortográfico. | {
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For Christina Pazsitzky, comedy was finally something she enjoyed doing after burning through twenty-two different jobs in the course of four years. She talks with Marc about her troubled teen years, her ineffectual degree in philosophy, her general post-college aimlessness, her stint on MTV Road Rules, and the other circumstances of her life that made the grind of standup comedy seem exhilarating by comparison. Christina also talks about how she and her husband, Tom Segura, are dealing with the early years of parenthood. This episode is sponsored by Stitcher Premium, Squarespace, Away, and Firefox by Mozilla. | {
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Beijing’s ambassador outlines package of measures aimed at defusing the crisis over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme | {
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A man is alive this evening thanks to a woman in north Minneapolis who made a bold, impromptu move.
Peace Activist Kay G. Wilson started rolling on a Facebook Live of a man who appeared to have overdosed. The woman, along with other bystanders and police, saved his life.
Donna Morris first spotted the man slumped over the wheel of his vehicle in north Minneapolis near Broadway and Aldrich Avenues.
“He was kind of sticking out and you could see his head laid back and his mouth wide open,” Morris said.
Donna is part of a peace advocacy group called A Mother’s Love. It’s the group that started carrying Narcan with them around town. Lisa Clemons heads up the group and works hard to help build families and peace.
“You have to see it up close and personal in order to see what’s needed up here,” Clemons said.
And Donna Morris saw someone who needed Narcan. She and another man on scene gave the man an injection and a nasal dose.
“And then when the police pulled up he was still not breathing, still barely a pulse, so they finished giving him CPR and gave him the third installation of Narcan and then he came around,” Morris said.
The man finally became responsive and sat up off the ground.
“It wasn’t just me; everybody in the crowd was helping. It didn’t make a difference what color you were or what you were doing, everybody wanted to pitch in to help,” Morris said.
She says it was major teamwork with people who pitched in and the Minneapolis Police Department.
For Donna Morris, the experience was personal in more ways than one.
“That could have been me 30 years ago. I’ve been blessed and clean from drugs for 30 years,” Morris said.
She says others rescued her, and on Tuesday afternoon, she paid back the favor.
Since “A Mother’s Love” volunteers started carrying Narcan, they’ve done four rescues. Minneapolis Police say since the beginning of the year, they’ve used Narcan 99 times. | {
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Routing is the key aspect of every MVC application – after all, it’s how people get to your application, and how search engines see it. As flexible as routing in ASP.NET MVC has been, one would often end up in frustrating situations where more flexibility was needed (or you simply started getting lost in a maze of routes). One of the finest extensions to ASP.NET MVC I have ever worked with is the excellent library AttributeRouting by Tim McCall.
Last month, through the great work of Kamran Ayub, the library has been extended to support ASP.NET Web API, and is now available on NuGet. Let’s have a look at how it can immediately make your life easier and drastically improve the way you handle your routes.
Getting the appropriate stuff from NuGet
You need to start off with a Web API project, and grab the AttributeRouting for Web API from NuGet. The package name is AttributeRouting.WebAPI and it is dependent on the WebActivator.
Note: If you want to use AttributeRouting for self-hosted Web API, grab the AttributeRouting.WebAPI.Hosted package instead.
What just happened
You’ll notice that upon installation from NuGet, a new folder appeared in your app, called App_Start, which contains a static class, AttributeRoutingHttp. This is how, through WebActivator AttributeRouting plugs itself automatically into the application start pipeline. If you don’t like this setup (like me) you can move the code to Global.asax.
public static class AttributeRoutingHttp { public static void RegisterRoutes(RouteCollection routes) { // ASP.NET Web API routes.MapHttpAttributeRoutes(); } public static void Start() { RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes); } } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 public static class AttributeRoutingHttp { public static void RegisterRoutes ( RouteCollection routes ) { // ASP.NET Web API routes . MapHttpAttributeRoutes ( ) ; } public static void Start ( ) { RegisterRoutes ( RouteTable . Routes ) ; } }
In here, your controllers are scanned for the routing attributes, and the plumbing happens – the routes are generated based on the attributes and registered in your application.
Using the attributes
The concept is wonderfully simple, just decorate your controllers and their actions with routing attributes, defining all kinds of route-specific information:
– route names
– access method/verb
– route constraints
– default and optional parameters
– route areas
– area mapping
– route prefixes
– route translations
– routing conventions
and many more.
Since you do all that at such a low level (action or controller), you get the ultimate, granular control of routing in your application.
To be able to get started, first import the appropriate namespaces to your controllers – for ASP.NET Web API these are:
using AttributeRouting; using AttributeRouting.Web.Http; 1 2 using AttributeRouting ; using AttributeRouting . Web . Http ;
Let’s go through a few examples. For the record, I’ll be using the same simple repository that I used in this blog post.
Example – Basic HTTP methods
Let’s add a controller and a simple get all action.
public class UrlController : ApiController { static readonly IUrlRepository _repo = new UrlRepository(); [GET("links")] public IEnumerable<Url> Get() { return _repo.GetAll(); } } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 public class UrlController : ApiController { static readonly IUrlRepository _repo = new UrlRepository ( ) ; [ GET ( "links" ) ] public IEnumerable < Url > Get ( ) { return _repo . GetAll ( ) ; } }
Now this can be accessed easily:
– /links/ (via GET)
We can add more routes to same action, we can also mix the verbs
[GET("links")] [GET("urls")] [POST("postedlinks")] public IEnumerable<Url> Get() { return _repo.GetAll(); } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [ GET ( "links" ) ] [ GET ( "urls" ) ] [ POST ( "postedlinks" ) ] public IEnumerable < Url > Get ( ) { return _repo . GetAll ( ) ; }
This action can now be invoked:
– /links/ (via GET)
– /urls/ (via GET)
– /postedlinks/ (via POST)
We can easily pass paramters:
[GET("url/{id}")] public Url Get(int id) { return _repo.Get(id); } 1 2 3 4 5 [ GET ( "url/{id}" ) ] public Url Get ( int id ) { return _repo . Get ( id ) ; }
The single item can now be requested like this:
– /url/1 (via GET)
Example – route constraints
We can also very easily add route constraints. In fact, through a terrific work of Xavier Poinas, there is a special syntax for that.
Let’s take the example from previous paragraph, and limit a range in which the ID can be used.
[GET("url/{id:range(1, 3)}")] public Url Get(int id) { return _repo.Get(id); } 1 2 3 4 5 [ GET ( "url/{id:range(1, 3)}" ) ] public Url Get ( int id ) { return _repo . Get ( id ) ; }
This will now respond to the following example:
– /url/1 (via GET)
but not to
– /url/4 (via GET)
Routing constraints can , among there many terrific options, also take in regular expressions
[GET(@"text/{e:regex(^[A-Z][a-z][0-9]$)}")] public string Get(string e) { return e; } 1 2 3 4 5 [ GET ( @"text/{e:regex(^[A-Z][a-z][0-9]$)}" ) ] public string Get ( string e ) { return e ; }
This is a simple example, with the pattern [large letter] [small letter] [number]. So this action will respond to requests which follow such format only, i.e.:
– /text/Ab1 (via GET)
As mentioned, there are many more constraints possible. All are listed here.
Example – default and optional parameters
You can define the default and optional paramteres for the route as well. Let’s use the previous example.
[GET("url/{id:range(1, 3)}")] [RouteDefault("id", "1")] public Url Get(int id) { return _repo.Get(id); } 1 2 3 4 5 6 [ GET ( "url/{id:range(1, 3)}" ) ] [ RouteDefault ( "id" , "1" ) ] public Url Get ( int id ) { return _repo . Get ( id ) ; }
Now, if you request
– /url/ (via GET)
you’d actually get the same content as in
– /url/1 (via GET)
as the route parameter id would default to 1.
You can also set up optional parameters:
[GET("optionaltext/{?text}/{?text2}")] public string GetText(string text, string text2) { return text + " | " + text2; } 1 2 3 4 5 [ GET ( "optionaltext/{?text}/{?text2}" ) ] public string GetText ( string text , string text2 ) { return text + " | " + text2 ; }
This can be requested:
– /optionaltext/ (via GET)
– /optionaltext/hi (via GET)
– /optionaltext/hi/hello (via GET)
Example – route prefixing
Another great functionality of AttributeRouting is the ability to prefix all the routes withing controller with a common prefix.
[RoutePrefix("items")] public class UrlController : ApiController { static readonly IUrlRepository _repo = new UrlRepository(); [GET("")] [GET("links")] public IEnumerable<Url> Get() { return _repo.GetAll(); } } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 [ RoutePrefix ( "items" ) ] public class UrlController : ApiController { static readonly IUrlRepository _repo = new UrlRepository ( ) ; [ GET ( "" ) ] [ GET ( "links" ) ] public IEnumerable < Url > Get ( ) { return _repo . GetAll ( ) ; } }
In this case the entire controller is prefixed by items. This means we access the above action like this:
– /items/ (via GET)
– /items/links/ (via GET)
Example – easy translations
AttributeRouting provides a really easy way for supporting transations. Just decorate your action methods with appropriate key, and in the Application_Start read the key values for a given language. Then initialize the routes by passing the translations in the config.
That will automatically generate translated routes for you. (Note, the example has translations hardcoded, normally you’d read them from resx or XML or DB).
Dictionary<string, string> items = new Dictionary<string, string> { { "de", "german-items" }, { "fr", "french-items" } }; Dictionary<string, string> links = new Dictionary<string, string> { { "de", "german-links" }, { "fr", "french-links" } }; var translations = new FluentTranslationProvider(); translations.AddTranslations().ForKey("itemsKey", items).ForKey("linksKey", links); routes.MapHttpAttributeRoutes(conf => { conf.AddRoutesFromController<aspnetwebapi_attribute_routing.Controllers.UrlController>(); conf.AddTranslationProvider(translations); }); 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Dictionary < string , string > items = new Dictionary < string , string > { { "de" , "german-items" } , { "fr" , "french-items" } } ; Dictionary < string , string > links = new Dictionary < string , string > { { "de" , "german-links" } , { "fr" , "french-links" } } ; var translations = new FluentTranslationProvider ( ) ; translations . AddTranslations ( ) . ForKey ( "itemsKey" , items ) . ForKey ( "linksKey" , links ) ; routes . MapHttpAttributeRoutes ( conf = > { conf . AddRoutesFromController < aspnetwebapi_attribute_routing . Controllers . UrlController > ( ) ; conf . AddTranslationProvider ( translations ) ; } ) ;
Please note that you need to specify to which Controller the translations need to be applied.
And next, the attributes declaration:
[RoutePrefix("items", TranslationKey = "itemsKey")] public class UrlController : ApiController { static readonly IUrlRepository _repo = new UrlRepository(); [GET("")] [GET("links", TranslationKey = "linksKey")] public IEnumerable<Url> Get() { return _repo.GetAll(); } } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 [ RoutePrefix ( "items" , TranslationKey = "itemsKey" ) ] public class UrlController : ApiController { static readonly IUrlRepository _repo = new UrlRepository ( ) ; [ GET ( "" ) ] [ GET ( "links" , TranslationKey = "linksKey" ) ] public IEnumerable < Url > Get ( ) { return _repo . GetAll ( ) ; } }
You can now access both the default, german and french routes:
– /items/ (via GET)
– /german-items/ (via GET)
– /french-items/ (via GET)
– /items/links/ (via GET)
– /german-items/german-links/ (via GET)
– /french-items/french-links/ (via GET)
Summary
These were just a handful of examples, but hopefully it was enough to draw you interest to the wonderful AttributeRouting library.
I have to admit, I’ve been using it for MVC for quite a while and I think it’s one of the best thing that could have happened for MVC developers. Since now it is available for ASP.NET Web API I guarantee you that after using it for a while you’ll never want to go back to the dark ages of declaring routes in a “traditional” way 🙂
Cheers! | {
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Apartment Buildings with four or more units, mixed-use residential/commercial buildings and commercial properties must contract for their own trash/recycling collections services. Click here for information about recycling requirements for businesses.
What Goes in the Trash?
The following materials are listed as trash because they are not accepted by the majority of the recycling facilities. Read below to see which of these materials can be recycled or composted through other means of collection and recovery.
Plastic bags, wrap, and film of any kind Consider recycling plastic film at your business. Click here to learn more.
Chip bags
Candy wrappers
Condiment packets
Food waste Food waste can be prevented and recovered. Click here for more information.
Items smaller than 2"x2" Plastic utensils Straw Portion cups
Juice and flexible pouches
Foam
Diapers and personal sanitary products
Wet wipes (do not flush)
Tissues, napkins & paper towels
Clothing and textiles Consider donating or selling these materials if they are in good condition (dry and odorless). As a last resort, place them in the trash.
What Doesn't Belong in Trash OR Recycling?
Click here to learn how to dispose of these Special Waste items.
Electronics
Batteries
Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs
Hazardous Waste
Paint
Other Trash Requirements | {
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“Not a terrorist” cannot be our standard for potential immigrants. We need to talk about the mores, customs, and beliefs that characterize migrant groups.
When we debate Muslim immigration—as we are again, as President Trump prepares to re-instate a revised travel ban—we mostly think about terrorism. This is a mistake, in part because it can border on fearmongering. Very few Muslims are terrorists, and the proposed restrictions are not well-tailored to stopping terrorists.
But fundamentally, it is a mistake because of what it ignores. Focusing only on terrorism—rather than on the beliefs, habits, and mores of potential immigrants—creates a false dichotomy, in which the opposite of “terrorist” is “moderate.”
This is a fuzzy category. “Moderate” in relation to what? We apply the term to vast numbers of people who have no commitment to political liberalism, the bedrock of Western democracy. As we move beyond a short-term debate about travel bans and refugees, and begin to think about the long-term effects of mass immigration, we must confront its most salient challenge: namely, how to form people into citizens.
Chasms Between the Muslim World and West
Both right and left acknowledge that terrorism cannot be ignored. They also acknowledge that very few Muslim immigrants will be jihadists. What remains is a feverish debate about just how small that small number is, and what sacrifices we should make to get it to zero.
But “not a terrorist” cannot be our standard for potential immigrants. That one has refrained from donning a suicide vest is a paltry indicator of character. The overwhelming majority of Muslims are not terrorists, but we know from survey data that many do sympathize with Jihadists. More importantly, an even larger number hold beliefs that many Americans, on both right and left, would consider incompatible with a free society.
A more serious immigration debate would consider some sobering findings from public opinion surveys in the Muslim world. For example, in 2013, Pew released a comprehensive report entitled “The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics and Society.” Though the report has its bright spots—for example, wide majorities of Muslims express support for democracy—it also reveals chasms between the Muslim world and the West.
Muslim Views On Homosexuality and Honor Killings
Take, for example, Muslim opinion on whether homosexuality is morally acceptable. Remember, this is not a question about gay marriage. Here, Uganda emerges as a relative bastion of progressivism, with 12 percent saying “yes.” In the Middle East and Southeast Asia, the highest figure is 2 percent.
Maybe this isn’t a big a deal. After all, there was a time in the not so distant past when most Americans disapproved of homosexuality. More important than beliefs on sexual morality is whether, and how, they will be acted upon. That is why the responses to another question—whether honor killings are ever justified as punishment for pre- or extra-marital sex—are disconcerting.
Central Asian and Eastern European Islam tends to be more moderate—in large part because of the secularist legacy of the USSR—but even in those regions, between 15 percent and 50 percent of Muslims believe it is sometimes acceptable to execute girls for sexual impropriety. In all but two countries in the Middle East and South Asia, a majority believe honor killings are sometimes or often acceptable.
How Mass Muslim Migration Affects Gender Relations
We might also ask what mass Muslim immigration might portend for gender relations in the West. The chart below shows the number of people—both men and women—who agreed that a wife must always
obey her husband.
The concerns these numbers raise about the prospect for seamless integration into Western society are heightened by the widespread opposition to intermarriage across the Muslim world. The number who would approve of their daughter marrying a Christian range from just 21 percent in Lebanon down to 0 percent in Egypt and Jordan.
As we move from moral beliefs to political beliefs, the picture does not get much brighter. In most countries outside of the old Communist bloc, overwhelming majorities support making Sharia law—that is, Islamic religious law—the law of the state.
We Must Be Aware Of the Threat Sharia Poses
“Creeping sharia”—the fear that Sharia law is already powerful in the U.S.—has become a leitmotif for paranoid right-wing conspiracy theorists. But, in the context of immigration policy, there is nothing paranoid or conspiratorial about paying attention to support for political sharia. As our political idol du jour, Alexander Hamilton, noted in 1802, “foreigners will generally be apt to bring with them attachments to the persons they have left behind; to the country of their nativity, and to its particular customs and manners. They will also entertain opinions on government congenial with those under which they have lived.” This does not mean that we must never admit any foreigners from countries unlike our own. But we cannot be stubbornly naïve about their politics.
But what, exactly, is sharia? Is it fear-mongering to even talk about it? That seems to be the view of many pundits, such as The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, who rebuked Newt Gingrich for even raising the issue. Goldberg explains that “sharia, in many ways, is analogous to Jewish law, or ‘halacha.’ (Both words mean, more or less, ‘the way,’ or ‘the pathway.’)” True enough, and the etymology lesson is a nice touch, but not many Jews want to replace the US Criminal Code with the 613 Mitzvot. He continues, “There are several schools of sharia thought, that range from fundamentalist to liberal in approach. The conservative, Hanbali, interpretation . . . is very harsh by Western standards.”
Ah, diversity! Presumably we are to be heartened by this, despite having no idea how many people subscribe to which school. And what exactly does “harsh by Western standards” mean? Do only half of the kids on the soccer team receive a trophy?
Sharia Law Supports Executions And Stoning
Where pundits equivocate, the data provide clarity about what sharia means to the people who believe it should be the supreme civil law. As the charts below show, for very large numbers of sharia-supporting Muslims, including 86 percent in Egypt, it means executing apostates (those who renounce Islam). As punishment for adultery, execution—actually, not just execution, but stoning—is even more popular.
Consider, moreover, how these questions tend to warp our notion of the word “moderate.” In Indonesia, only 48 percent support stoning adulterers. Does this mean the slim majority opposed are “moderates”? Maybe, but we have no indication how many instead favor the Qua’ranically mandated punishment of 100 lashes.
What to make of all this vis-a-vis immigration? First of all, we must make something of it. We cannot accept the lazy assumption, asserted without any evidence, that selection effects will render all of this null, because only people drawn to Western culture will come to the West. Some immigrants will be dissenters, like the brilliant Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Others will come only for economic reasons. And still others will be like Muslim Brotherhood leader Sayyid Qutb, whose repulsion to lasciviousness in Greeley, Colorado (of all places) spurred his radicalism.
Mass Immigration Will Shape Our Culture
Rather, we must take seriously the possibility that, over the long term, mass immigration will have serious effects on our politics and culture. The birth rate for Muslim immigrants—typically far above the rate for Westerners—makes this possibility even more likely. And even if Muslims remain a small minority, social change will be unavoidable.
Even those who oppose mass immigration tend to shy away from discussing the facts above. Many probably fear being tarred as Islamophobic if they suggest that we should be concerned with Muslims’ inclination toward theocracy. But fear of giving offense means relinquishing the only argument that reveals the paradoxes at the heart of our current immigration politics. Progressive causes will not fare very well if mass immigration has political ramifications, given nearly-uniform views in the Muslim world about sexuality, gay rights, abortion, and the subjugation of women to their husbands. For this reason, it’s not surprising that gays in France are increasingly drawn to Marine Le Pen.
A serious reckoning with public opinion does not mean painting the Muslim world as a monolithically bad. It means precisely the opposite. Opinions vary widely by region and even by country. Clearly, some places have done a better job than other at cultivating a moderate form of Islam. We need to pay attention to this when designing our immigration policy.
We Must Focus On Mores, Beliefs, and Practices
Most significantly, a focus on mores, beliefs, and practices would transform our immigration debate by placing assimilation—once considered essential for successful immigration—back at the fore. The data above does not imply that Muslim immigration should be banned, or even reduced. But it must force us to reevaluate two increasingly common—yet potentially contradictory—attitudes towards assimilation. First, that assimilation is oppressive; and, second, that assimilation—or at least acceptance of tolerance and diversity—will happen inevitably.
The first, opposition to assimilation, presumes either that Western societies are fundamentally flawed in some way—indelibly marked by racism, sexism, colonialism, etc.—or at least that they are no better than any other society. But the second—faith in inevitable assimilation—presumes that Western ways of life are so self-evidently good that any person in the right circumstances would prefer them. At once, Western society is understood as so flawed that it would be wrong to impose our culture, but simultaneously as so good that it doesn’t need to be imposed.
What Does A Healthy Immigration Standard Look Like?
These contradictions help to explain why the progressive position on immigration is weak. Progressives are always eager to identify our shortcomings, the ways in which we fail to live up to our proclaimed values. At its best, this eagerness manifests in a reforming spirit. But at its worst, it leads progressives to take liberal society itself for granted. By contrast, conservatives have always been suspicious about the liberal foundations of modern society. At its worst, this suspicion manifests in outright hostility toward, or rejection of, the liberal order. But at its best, this suspicion has given rise to a deep prescience about the fragility of the liberal order.
Our immigration debate stands to benefit from more of that skepticism, and hopefully more of that prescience. Terrorism essentially presents us with a technical question: how do we keep our citizens safe? That’s important, but ultimately subordinate to deeper political questions about what it means to be a citizen in the first place, and about the capacity of our society to fully integrate immigrants. Unless we move beyond the specter of terrorism, we will not be able to ask, or answer, those questions. | {
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Announcing the AFI AWARDS 2018 Honorees
The American Film Institute has named the honorees of AFI AWARDS 2018, celebrating the year’s most outstanding achievements in the art of the moving image — with 10 films and 10 television programs deemed culturally and artistically significant.
In addition to the 20 honorees, AFI also recognizes ROMA with an AFI Special Award, designated for a work of excellence outside the Institute’s criteria for American film.
AFI AWARDS honorees are selected based on works that advance the art of the moving image, enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form, inspire audiences and artists alike and make a mark on American society.
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
BLACK PANTHER
BLACKKKLANSMAN
EIGHTH GRADE
THE FAVOURITE
FIRST REFORMED
GREEN BOOK
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
MARY POPPINS RETURNS
A QUIET PLACE
A STAR IS BORN
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
THE AMERICANS
THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
ATLANTA
BARRY
BETTER CALL SAUL
THE KOMINSKY METHOD
THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL
POSE
SUCCESSION
THIS IS US
AFI SPECIAL AWARD
ROMA
Marking the 19th chapter in the American Film Institute’s ongoing almanac of the moving image, the 2018 entries join a notable group of previous AFI AWARDS honorees — works of significance that contribute to the rich cultural legacy and define the state of the art form. View all past AFI AWARDS honorees here.
AFI AWARDS selections are made through a jury process where AFI Trustees, scholars, artists and critics determine the year’s most outstanding achievements and provide contextual rationales for each selection.
This year’s juries — one for film and one for television — were chaired by AFI Board of Trustees Vice Chairs Tom Pollock (former Vice Chairman of MCA, Chairman of Universal Pictures) for film and Richard Frank (former Chairman of Walt Disney Television, President of Walt Disney Studios, President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) for television. The juries featured acclaimed artists such as David Benioff, Joan Chen, Courtney B. Vance and Alfre Woodard; renowned authors and scholars representing prestigious universities with recognized motion picture arts and television programs; film historian Leonard Maltin; the AFI Board of Trustees; and film and television critics from media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, TV Guide, Vanity Fair, Variety and The Washington Post.
Honorees will gather on January 4, 2019, for recognition at the annual AFI AWARDS private luncheon in Los Angeles, CA — an event favored by the entertainment community for its informal intimacy and its inclusive acknowledgement of excellence. At the luncheon, AFI will present jury rationales providing artistic and cultural context for the selection of each honoree.
The AFI AWARDS luncheon will be sponsored by Audi, a supporter of AFI and its programs for the past 15 years. The AFI AWARDS luncheon is also sponsored by American Airlines, the official airline of AFI. | {
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Nintendo has announced the first new Switch Lite color since the portable-only console launched last fall. The new hue is “coral,” perhaps belatedly inspired by Pantone’s decision to name “Living Coral” the Color of the Year for 2019. Or maybe Nintendo wants it out in time for cherry blossom season.
Coral joins turquoise, grey, and yellow in the regular lineup. It’ll be available in Japan on March 20th, with preorders starting on March 7th. Notably, the launch of the new system doesn’t appear to have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, unlike the upcoming Animal Crossing-themed Switch.
The coral Switch Lite maintains the same price of 19,980 yen ($182). | {
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Rudy Giuliani’s feisty soon-to-be ex-wife Judith Nathan Giuliani is writing an explosive book about her estranged husband and his inner circle of powerful allies.
A source close to Judith said she has been in talks with at least three publishing houses about her book, which promises to lift the lid on the private side of President Trump’s prevaricating personal lawyer and the wealthy circles he operates in.
The source said, “This isn’t going to be a salacious ‘In bed with Rudy’-type book, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t picking up the poison pen. Judith’s book will talk about how ‘America’s Mayor’ and his powerful friends operate, the secret deals and secret handshakes, what it is like being on the inside with Manhattan and DC’s power brokers. There is also much to discuss about Rudy’s relationship with President Trump, and how Rudy struggled after his own political ambitions to be president failed.”
Judith filed for divorce in April after 15 years of marriage — and shortly after she says she learned he was cheating with hospital administrator Maria Ryan, which he strongly denies.
She has hired powerhouse Manhattan divorce lawyer Bernard Clair, and it won’t have escaped him or Judith that the prospect of personal details emerging about Rudy and his inner circle could be a strong bargaining tool to get what she wants in the eventual settlement — which would likely include a non-disclosure agreement to stop her dishing the full dirt on her soon-to-be ex.
Firing a warning shot, the qualified nurse just said in an interview with New York Magazine about Rudy, “The man that he is now is absolutely not the man he was when I married him … For a variety of reasons that I know as a spouse and a nurse, he has become a different man.”
She wouldn’t explain how or why he changed — only that it was “an ongoing process that began when he lost the presidential campaign,” and he was once a straight talker who is now “dissembling” as Trump’s personal lawyer. In 2008, Giuliani blew his own presidential hopes when he focused on Florida, but came in third in the primary and had to withdraw and endorse Sen. John McCain.
Giuliani — who was seen getting cozy with Ryan at a New Hampshire hotel and has also traveled with her — has insisted that the relationship was purely platonic and that he has instead been dating GOP fundraiser Jennifer LeBlanc since the split.
But Judith doesn’t buy it and insists he was cheating with Ryan — claiming she’s seen recent cellphone bills that show constant communication between the two.
Associates of Giuliani have dismissed Judith as a “detestable person” who can’t be trusted. “She’d cut your throat for a dollar,” one told New York mag.
Judith’s attorney Clair didn’t return calls and reps for Giuliani could not be reached by deadline on Monday. | {
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Vote Compass: Kevin Rudd's asylum seekers policy divides Labor faithful
Updated
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's promise that asylum seekers who arrive by boat will never be allowed to settle in Australia has sharply divided Labor voters, according to data from the ABC's Vote Compass.
Coalition and Green voters are much more firmly locked in behind their parties' policy positions.
Use our interactive charts to explore voters' views on asylum seekers and immigration, and read ABC election analyst Antony Green's take on the data.
Settlement of asylum seekers who arrive by boat
Vote Compass figures show 48 per cent of Labor supporters disagree with the statement that asylum seekers who arrive by boat should not be allowed to settle in Australia, while 40 per cent of Labor voters agree with the party's policy.
Vote Compass respondents were asked for their view on this statement: Asylum seekers who arrive by boat should not be allowed to settle in Australia.
Turning back asylum seeker boats
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's pledge to turn back the boats divides Australians firmly along ideological lines. While more than two-thirds of Coalition voters believe asylum boats should be turned around, a clear majority of Labor and Green supporters do not.
The figures show clear differences in opinion on asylum seekers and immigration between men and women, and between those with and without university educations.
The further respondents live from the inner city, the more likely they are to support turning back asylum seekers' boats.
Vote Compass respondents were asked for their view on this statement: Boats carrying asylum seekers should be turned back.
Total number of new immigrants
Greens supporters are more likely than any other party to support more immigrants coming to Australia. Overall a third of respondents were happy for the level of immigration to stay about the same as now.
There are no notable discrepancies between the views of people born in Australia and those born overseas.
Vote Compass respondents were asked: How many new immigrants should Australia admit?
Restrictions on temporary work visas
Older Australians are far more likely than younger voters to believe restrictions on work visas for foreigners should be tightened.
Labor, with the support of independent MPs, recently passed contentious 457 visa legislation toughening the rules for local businesses seeking to hire overseas workers.
Retired and unemployed people are the most likely group to want tighter restrictions on foreign workers.
Vote Compass respondents were asked for their view on this statement: There should be more restrictions on 457 visas issued to temporary foreign workers.
FAQ
What is this?
When Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called the federal election for September 7, the ABC immediately launched Vote Compass.
Since then, we have received more than 800,000 responses, as people used the tool to see how their views compare to the parties' policies.
Between now and election day, the ABC will reveal weighted data gathered using the application.
This report explores how people responded to questions on the asylum seekers and immigration.
The data has been weighted by gender, age, education, enrolment as a student, religion, marital status, industry and state using the latest population estimates to be a true representation of opinion at the time of the field, resulting in an effective sample size of 376,201 respondents.
Vote Compass is not a random sample. Why are the results being represented as though it is a poll?
Vote Compass is not a poll. It is primarily and fundamentally an educational tool intended to promote electoral literacy and stimulate public engagement in the policy aspect of election campaigns.
That said, respondents' views as expressed through Vote Compass can add a meaningful dimension to our understanding of public attitudes and an innovative new medium for self-expression. Ensuring that the public has a decipherable voice in the affairs of government is a critical function of a robust democracy.
Online surveys are inherently prone to selection bias but statisticians have long been able to correct for this (given the availability of certain variables) by drawing on population estimates such as Census micro-data.
We apply sophisticated weighting techniques to the data to control for the selection effects of the sample, thus enabling us to make statistical inferences about the Australian population with a high degree of confidence.
The Vote Compass data sample was weighted on the basis of: gender; age; education; students; religion; marital status.
How can you stop people from trying to game the system?
There are multiple safeguards in place to ensure the authenticity of each record in the dataset.
Vote Compass does not make its protocols in this regard public so as not to aid those that might attempt to exploit the system, but among standard safeguards such as IP address logging and cookie tracking, it also uses time codes and a series of other measures to prevent users from gaming the system.
Want to know more?
Try it yourself
Find out where you stand with Vote Compass
Topics: federal-elections, australia
First posted | {
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Washington Post/YouTube Screen Capture
Last May, Attorney General William Barr assigned U.S. Attorney John Durham the task of investigating the origins of the Trump-Russia probe. Demonstrating that he is either the world’s worst micromanager or that he doesn’t trust Durham, Barr has inserted himself into the investigation as he traveled the globe with his appointee to pressure foreign governments into supporting conspiracy theories about how the probe began.
According to Natasha Bertrand and Daniel Lipman, the attorney general has a target for his inquiries: former CIA Director John Brennan. They speculate that it is Trump’s personal vendetta against Brennan that is fueling that focus.
Trump, meanwhile, has become “obsessed” with Brennan, who frequently gets under the president’s skin by publicly questioning his mental acuity and fitness for office, according to a former White House official. On Brennan, “it was always, ‘he’s an idiot, he’s a crook, we ought to investigate him,’” this person said, characterizing Trump’s outbursts. Since the beginning of his presidency, Trump has also repeatedly attacked Brennan publicly, tweeting about the former CIA director more than two dozen times. He’s questioned Brennan’s mental acuity and called him a liar, a leaker and blamed him for having “detailed knowledge of the (phony) Dossier,” a reference to the raw intelligence reports on Trump’s alleged Russia ties by British former MI-6 officer Christopher Steele. He also tried to unilaterally strip Brennan of his security clearance—a process the White House reportedly never went through with — and urged the House to call him in for questioning.
That certainly fits what we know about the president’s pattern of seeking vengeance against anyone who criticizes him. But there’s also the fact that, as I wrote over a year ago, Trump has more reason to be concerned about the dossier complied by Brennan than the one written by Christopher Steele.
Back in the summer of 2017, several Washington Post reporters documented how the Obama administration responded to the fact that Russia was interfering in the 2016 election. It was mostly used as fodder to criticize the former president for not acting more forcefully. But in the opening, they chronicle how the whole investigation began.
Early last August, an envelope with extraordinary handling restrictions arrived at the White House. Sent by courier from the CIA, it carried “eyes only” instructions that its contents be shown to just four people: President Barack Obama and three senior aides. Inside was an intelligence bombshell, a report drawn from sourcing deep inside the Russian government that detailed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s direct involvement in a cyber campaign to disrupt and discredit the U.S. presidential race. But it went further. The intelligence captured Putin’s specific instructions on the operation’s audacious objectives — defeat or at least damage the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, and help elect her opponent, Donald Trump.
One of the authors of that piece, Greg Miller, went on to write a book titled The Apprentice: Trump, Russia and the Subversion of American Democracy. In it, he documented that Brennan had spent two days compiling the contents of what was contained in that envelope by “reviewing a small mountain of material on Russia.” What he found was “extraordinary intelligence that had surfaced in late July and reached deep inside the Kremlin, showing that Putin was himself directing an ‘active measures’ operation aimed not only at disrupting the U.S. presidential race but electing Trump.”
What happened next is that the FBI launched the counterintelligence investigation that would later become the Mueller probe, while the CIA set up a task force to collect more intelligence on Russia. That is because the role of each agency is different, as Bertrand and Lipman report.
Brennan allies and skeptics of the Durham investigation note that the CIA played no role in the probe involving Americans, and was narrowly focused on determining Russian President Vladimir Putin’s motivations and how the Kremlin was carrying out its election attack in 2016.
To the extent that Barr is targeting Brennan, this is where his intentions seem to overlap with the debunked conspiracy theories that Trump is promoting with the Ukrainians. He seems to be attempting to undermine the role played by the CIA in assessing Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and Putin’s motivations for doing so.
It is important to keep in mind that this goes against investigations completed, not only by Mueller, but by the Senate Intelligence Committee and, as Natasha Bertrand reported, one completed by Mike Pompeo when he was CIA director.
Just after Pompeo took over as CIA director in 2017, he conducted a personal review of the CIA’s findings, grilling analysts on their conclusions in a challenging and at times combative interview, these people said. He ultimately found no evidence of any wrongdoing, or that the analysts had been under political pressure to produce their findings.
In other words, no one who has investigated any of this has found evidence to question the conclusions reached by John Brennan and the CIA. The fact that the attorney general persists with his own inquiry indicates that he is the one conducting a witch hunt. | {
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Inicijativa građana Siska i Sisačko-moslavačke županije, okupljena oko Facebook grupe "Autić za županicu", i službeno je policiji prijavila miran prosvjed koji će se održati u subotu, 02. studenog, od 12 do 13 sati ispred zgrade Županije u Sisku.
Kako stoji u opisu grupe, koja ima dvjestotinjak članova, građani će ispred zgrade županije pokazati svoje mišljenje o županičinoj kupnji novih automobila i trošenju novca poreznih obevznika, na način da će tamo ostavljati dječje igračke - autiće. Moto im je "Uzmite svome djetetu auto i odnesite ga sisačko-moslavačkoj županici. Ona ih toliko voli."
"Skup je nestranački i organiziran kao inicijativa građana." , ističu organizatori.
Podsjetimo, sisačko-moslavačka županica Marina Lovrić Merzel odnedavno se vozi u novom Audiju A6 za kojeg će županija, putem leasinga, platiti ukupno 432.941 kunu. Zamijenila je tako svoj stari Audi A6, kojeg je 2008. godine platila 413.283 kuna. Ona je kupnju novog vozila ocijenila nužnim, jer " svakodnevno prijeđe 250 kilometara unutar županije, jedne od najvećih u zemlji". No, nije objasnila zašto joj je baš trebao automobil s automatskim mjenjačem s minimalno sedam brzina, snagom motora od barem 150 kW, međuosovinskim razmakom od barem 2900 milimetara i audio sustavom s 10 zvučnika.
U specifikacijama natječala je stajalo da se traži isključivo polovan automobil, kupljen 2013. godine, pa je kupila salonsko vozilo od jedinog ponuđača na natječaj Porsche Leasing Zagreb. Usput je kupila i još dva osobna vozila niže srednje klase – trovolumen, gdje su se tražila isključivo nova vozila i to posljednji dostupni model od proizvođača. Procijenjena vrijednost ta dva vozila bila je 275.000 kuna, u što je uključen PDV, a konačna cijena koju će županija platiti je 248.753,46 kuna. Ukupna cijena za tri nova automobila je 682.000 kuna.
Stranica inicijative "Autić za županicu":
https://www.facebook.com/events/208704539308708/?hc_location=stream
>> HGK je prvo kupio Mitsubishi pa Land Rover, a zatim Mercedes | {
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A more accessible, readable, mobile-friendly and up to date version of this story is available on my personal blog!
After working on my personal portfolio with Gatsby, I took some time to transition my project to Typescript. It was the perfect opportunity to learn how to use it as I have never worked with it in the past.
Learning about how to write Typescript types and how to use it wasn’t much of a problem as I’m used to working with Flow. However, it was the whole set up of tslint, remembering to install type definitions and simply writing custom type definitions that were new to me and not as easy as I would have expected. This is why I thought this would deserve a little article containing an up to date guide explaining how to set up all these tools and get them to run properly on an existing project.
In this post, I will guide you through setting up an existing Gatsby project with Typescript, tslint and Prettier. If you’re new to Typescript, I truly hope this will help you get started with ease and help you write even better code that you already do 😊.
Dependencies
The first step towards having Typescript running on an existing codebase is to install several dependencies. As we are working with Gatsby we’re pretty lucky here: there are Gatsby plugins that provide drop-in support for Typescript and tslint: gatsby-plugin-typescript, gatsby-plugin-tslint. Additionally, we will need some extra dependencies such as:
types: @types/react, @types/react-dom to support specific React and ReactDom types, or any type package from specific packages you might be using. I’m using react-helmet for example and luckily there was a @types/react-helmet package available for it.
@types/react, @types/react-dom to support specific React and ReactDom types, or any type package from specific packages you might be using. I’m using react-helmet for example and luckily there was a @types/react-helmet package available for it. tslint: this will replace eslint.
this will replace eslint. tslint rules: we’ll use tslint:latest, tslint-config-prettier and tslint-react here, but you can add any rules from any package available such as tslint-config-airbnb. The key package to install here is tslint-config-prettier , it will ensure that no tslint rule will conflict with our Prettier config.
we’ll use and here, but you can add any rules from any package available such as tslint-config-airbnb. , it will ensure that no tslint rule will conflict with our Prettier config. tslint-plugin-prettier: this plugin needs to be present in your tslint config along with tslint-config-prettier. It will ensure that Prettier is run as a tslint rule.
this plugin needs to be present in your tslint config along with tslint-config-prettier. It will ensure that Prettier is run as a tslint rule. typescript and tslint-loader: these are required for the gatsby-plugin-typescript to work.
Here’s a simple command you can use to install all of the dependencies mentioned above, feel free to add any type package or additional tslint rules that you might need:
yarn add gatsby-plugin-typescript gatsby-plugin-tslint && yarn add --dev typescript tslint tslint-loader @types/react @types/react-dom tslint-react tslint-config-prettier tslint-plugin-prettier
Set up
Now that we have everything installed, we can start setting up Typescript. It can be a bit overwhelming at first so I’ll break the steps down and give a bit more context below: | {
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Like most of you, I don't want to dwell on this game too much. The offense moved the ball, did just enough running to keep the defense sort of honest, but in the end boneheaded turnovers did the team in. Turner ran the ball much more than I was expecting given the stuff TB run defense, and was somewhat successful to the tune of 4.6 YPC. However, if you take out the Jackie Battle 'And1' play that he busted out, and the game concession Ronnie Brown run , that healthy YPC dips to an anemic 3.0. Was this Turner smartly slowing down the Tampa pass rush, or a simple refusal to adapt to the opponent?
Down Run Pass Total 1st 13 16 29 2nd 9 12 21 3rd 1 15 16 Total 23 43 66
The YPP chart I introduced last week has been enhanced slightly this week. I color coded the actual results of pass plays red, and rushing plays green. I also added a purple line showing the fixed average YPP for the entire game. The flow of this game on offense was much more spiky with lots of 20 yard plays mixed in with plenty of negative plays. The offense started off well, as it has in recent weeks (aided by that one big touchdown), and also started out the 2nd half better than in recent weeks. Both the 2nd and 4th quarters showed some wheeze out and desperation.
So yeah, that's as much as I could stomach analyzing that game.
Run/Pass Balance against Field Position
The season long look at the data for this week is to look at the way Turner calls Run/Pass depending on where they are on the field. Running is especially low from the 30-60 yards lines (own 30 to opponent 40), but pretty consistent in the low 40's everywhere else that extremely close to either goal line. This might explain why drives with this offense tend to be boom or bust. Norv likes to come out swinging. If that swing (passing) whiffs, drives sputter. If the big swing connects, the running game gets going both in terms of play calling share and on the field.
Ball On Run Pass Total Plays 0-10 69% 31% 16 11-20 44% 56% 64 21-30 42% 58% 92 31-40 27% 73% 78 41-50 38% 62% 53 51-60 35% 65% 63 61-70 45% 55% 56 71-80 44% 56% 48 81-90 44% 56% 41 91-100 51% 49% 41
Next Opponent
It just doesn't get any easier from this point. Denver's defense is studly, most especially against the pass. We should expect to see that Tampa Bay game 35/65 run/pass balance flipped against Denver (doubtful right?). The Tampa Bay game actually improved the San Diego standing in yardage and DVOA methods. The offense has jumped from the bottom of the bottom third to the top of the bottom third. Denver is really good against WRs in the passing game, and weakest against TEs and RBs. Hopefully Antonio Gates can snap out of his funk, and Ryan Mathews can get established early.
Den Defense DVOA Rank Yards/Game Rank Run -15.9% #10 98 #10 Pass -16.1% #4 218 #11 Overall -16.0% #4 317 #6
SD Offense DVOA Rank Yards/Game Rank Run -12.0% #23 106 #18 Pass 6.8% #20 229 #16 Overall -7.2% #22 335 #22
TB DVOA vs Skill Players in Passing Game WR1 -5.3% #10 WR2 -14.0% #8 Other WR -41.2% #2 TE 1.4% #18 RB -8.5% #12
Keep in mind that for defense DVOA, negative is good, while negative is bad for offense DVOA. All VOA, DVOA, YAR and DYAR statistical values are developed, calculated and reported by Football Outsiders. Their explanation can be found here.
A Playbook Confidential intro can be found here.
The cumulative 2012 Chargers play calling log can be found here. | {
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Jason Aldean's Tour Bus Strikes and Kills Pedestrian The pedestrian walked into the middle of the roadway, police said.
Oct. 28, 2013 -- Country star Jason Aldean's tour bus struck and killed a pedestrian in Knox County, Ind., this morning, the Knox County Sheriff's Department confirmed to ABC News.
At approximately 1:28 a.m., the pedestrian, Albert Kennedy of Vincennes, Ind., "walked out into the middle of the roadway" and was struck by Aldean's bus on the northbound lane of US 41 North, the police report said.
Knox County Sheriff Michel Morris confirmed that Aldean, 36, was on the bus at the time of the accident.
When the coroner arrived on the scene, he pronounced "the individual deceased from trauma to the head and chest," according to the police report.
The "My Kinda Party" singer took to Twitter to share his condolences for Kennedy and his family.
"With a heavy heart, I'm sad to say that a man passed away last night after stepping out in front of my bus in Indiana," he tweeted. "In all the years I've been touring and all the miles we've driven, nothing prepares you for something like this to happen. I'm praying for Albert Kennedy's family and friends today and ask that you do the same."
An investigation into the accident and death are underway.
Read: Jason Aldean Discusses Going Pink for Breast Cancer
According to the singer's website, he had just raised more than $575,000 in support of Susan G. Komen this past Friday in New Orleans, LA.
"Like pretty much everyone I know, I've lost someone I love to breast cancer and I don't want anyone else to have to go through that," he said on stage during his eighth annual "Concert for the Cure."
Related: Jason Aldean to Speak On Divorce For First Time on Nov. 5
Aldean is a three-time Grammy Award nominee and multiple CMA Award winner.
It's been a tough year for Aldean. The singer and his ex-wife Jessica Ussery filed for divorce in April after he admitted to acting inappropriately with another woman.
ABC News' Hunter Kelly contributed to this report. | {
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Never Not Funny #2002
Breaking windows with Greg Behrendt.
This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com/NEVER) and Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/PARDO code: PARDO). | {
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Russell Wilson is Seattle's magic man, as his teams are never out of the game. I'm curious to see if his magic will take the Seahawks back to the top of the NFC in 2016. The only reason the Eagles stayed competitive in many games last season was because of the pressure Fletcher Cox puts on the quarterback. The guy is an animal on the D-line. Justin Houston is the heart and soul of the Chiefs' D, but I want to see him stay injury-free. He's too good to be sitting on the sidelines. Joe Thomas is the best left tackle in the game. He's overlooked because he plays in Cleveland, but he doesn't give up sacks or get holding calls. Muhammad Wilkerson is a dominant force for the Jets' defense, as he does a great job against the run and sacked the quarterback 12 times in 2015. Since Luke Kuechly's arrival, Carolina's defense has continued to get better. He's the leader and does things that we haven't seen a middle linebacker do. Rounding out this group is a guy who I think is the most impactful defensive tackle in the game: Aaron Donald. The third-year Ram creates pressure from inside and makes plays in both the run and pass games. | {
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INDIANAPOLIS -- Jonathan Taylor has a lot more to lose than to gain when No. 8 Wisconsin (10-3) resumes action in January for their bowl game.
While millions of dollars are awaiting him following the 2020 NFL Draft, where Taylor could be a first or second round draft pick, the reigning and potentially two-time Doak Walker Award winner decided he's not ending his college career with a 34-21 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.
"Especially after today, I want to make sure I help these guys finish out right," Taylor told reporters Saturday night. "We earned the right to be here, we also earned the right to have one more.
"I want to make sure I help these guys finish out right."
Taylor has not officially stated his intentions to enter the 2020 NFL Draft yet, but the junior tailback is expected to put his name in following the conclusion of this season.
Had Taylor opted to wrap up his college career against the Buckeyes on Saturday, his final game would have gone down as a pleasant lasting memory from an individual standpoint.
Held to just 52 yards on 20 carries in the first meeting with OSU back on Oct. 26, a 38-7 win for the Buckeyes, Taylor ran for 148 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries against a defense that entered Saturday ranked fourth against the run (91.2 ypg).
"I really felt like (my offensive line) did a good job of getting to the second level," said Taylor. "Really cutting some guys off, creating running lanes, and really sticking on guys."
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Taylor also became the seventh player in FBS history to rush for 6,000 yards for his career, but just the first to reach that mark in three seasons.
"What a back," OSU head coach Ryan Day said. "I've not seen many guys who have the combination that he has of size and change of direction, body control, power. He's a talented back.
"He deserving of all the credit he gets."
With three weeks until UW has to take the field again, Taylor now awaits a call to New York as a potential Heisman Trophy finalist.
“It was an up and down season for me, I feel like there were some highs and some lows as well," he said. "But that’s why they have a committee to sit down and judge the body of work for me.”
Wisconsin is expected to get a bid in either the Rose or Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day. Should the Badgers drop out of the top 10 in the college football playoff rankings, they'd potentially be looking at a berth in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
Taylor returning for his senior season would be stunning to say the least, but not all of his teammates are 100 percent sold that he isn't thinking about one last go-around.
"You never know if he'll want to stay another year and leave as a Big Ten champ," junior cornerback Caesar Williams said. | {
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A distinguished graduate of Yale University once told me that, as a student in the 1970s, he happened to overhear a conversation at a nearby table between two notable literary critics, Harold Bloom and Cleanth Brooks.
Bloom was lamenting the pressure cooker atmosphere on Yale’s campus as protests over New Haven’s Black Panther trials flooded the nearby New Haven Green. Tensions eventually erupted — quite literally and tragically — when two bombs went off inside Yale’s iconic Ingalls Ice Rink.
Amid these circumstances, a fed-up Bloom told Brooks that he could not believe such times had come to Yale and he mused about seeking refuge on some other campus far away from the protests.
Brooks finally queried, “But, Harold, where on earth would you go?”
Bloom looked up from his Ruben sandwich, thought for a moment and said, “BYU, I suppose.”
Bloom’s remark was likely made in jest. But, quip or not, BYU maintains a reputation — then and now — as the rare school where campus activism hasn’t yet come to define its core culture.
To be sure, in terms of academics, BYU often resembles similar nationally ranked universities. But, in many other ways, BYU is distinct, different — perhaps even peculiar. When juxtaposed with the prevailing social norms of academe, BYU’s honor code in particular stands out.
It’s the nub — the crux, the heart — of BYU’s conformist nonconformity.
Few in society today — let alone academia — are out clamoring for campuses to regulate the legal consumption of alcohol, curb consensual sexual relations or detail the dress, grooming and curfew standards of college-age students.
Indeed, according to recent Gallup polling, nearly 70% of Americans say sex between an unmarried couple is “morally acceptable.” And, among respondents with no “formal” religious identity, the percentage goes up to 90%. At BYU, meanwhile, premarital copulating could get you kicked out.
Ironically, it’s these traditional values that now make BYU one of today’s most countercultural campuses. For the university’s core constituents — students, alumni, faculty, staff, trustees and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — this unanticipated distinction is a source of simultaneous pride and tension.
Pride, because it’s no small accomplishment for an institution — particularly a college or university — to maintain rigorous moral standards at a time when they appear inconsonant with contemporary norms within higher education.
BYU rightly embraces this achievement. With commemorative chocolate milk and knowingly anti-cool congratulatory T-shirts, BYU celebrates the school’s 20-plus-year reign atop America’s “stone cold sober campus” rankings.
But, as recent student protests attest, tensions still remain.
Almost by definition, a nationally ranked research university must engage productively with outside institutions of higher learning and with the broader social intelligentsia. More often than not, however, these realms espouse differing — if not opposing — moral perspectives to those upheld at BYU.
And yet, that’s no reason to disengage or retreat.
It should be a call for the opposite. Granted, that’s no easy task. However, this seemingly precarious, liminal space in which BYU is called to dwell really shouldn’t come as novel terrain. After all, negotiating internal religious identity in the face of external pressure describes so much of the Judeo-Christian tradition, not to mention religious history writ large.
Related All church universities are now operating under an updated Honor Code
Since minority beliefs and perspectives often challenge or even contravene majoritarian norms, society sometimes reacts by seeking to change or reform nonconforming religious minorities. As social commentator B.D. McClay observes in a recent issue of “The Hedgehog Review,” “The sacrifice of Isaac, the sufferings of Job, and Christ’s commandment to hate your own parents and love your enemies are all examples of how religion upsets social and moral systems as much as it enforces them.”
BYU’s honor code simultaneously encourages a moral, religious order while also upending, challenging, provoking, agitating and even irritating prevailing cultural and campus orthodoxies. As Yuval Levin puts it, today’s progressive activists have “become decidedly dominant.” From the corporate world to Hollywood, and just about every professional and social institution in between, “identity politics is the reigning orthodoxy.” Levin expresses his concern with this shift in his recent book, “A Time to Build,” detailing how college campuses have increasingly become yet one more “platform for performative moralism.”
For many of today’s students, in his telling, universities serve more as pulpits from which to evince political opinions or express strongly held perspectives rather than as places within which students seek to be shaped, challenged and changed by a shared and dogged pursuit of truth, self-control, moral ordering and commitment to craft, profession or vocation.
Students, according to Levin, are instead shaped by certain moralistic political dogmas that dictate specific activist obligations.
As important as some of this reformist political spirit can be — and as essential activism is to American progress — on college campuses Levin senses a waning focus on individual reform; a waning focus on students as intellectual and moral agents arriving on campus to be bettered by chosen commitments.
In my judgement, BYU has successfully avoided the temptations which have caused similar campus projects to abandon the effort because the institution remains by-and-large committed to character and educational formation. The school’s honor code is a central component of this formative function.
BYU’s honor code simultaneously encourages a moral, religious order while also upending, challenging, provoking, agitating and even irritating prevailing cultural and campus orthodoxies.
Levin observes: “As (campus activists) perceive it, they act on behalf of justice, and (consciously or not) they do so by deploying some of the forms of religious moralism without the content — at times almost literally the liturgy without theology. They implicitly seek to cleanse and to redeem society through acts of performative outrage against oppression and various forms of calling out oppressors.”
He concludes: “The students vocally championing identity politics today take themselves to be challenging their elders, but they are actually among the most fully assimilated elites in American life — expressing some of our society’s shallowest prejudices as though they were profound, subversive insights.”
If Levin is right, and much of campus life today is defined by performative — and even shallow — moral bull horning, or back-of-the MacBook bumper stickering, then BYU’s model of inviting students to be molded and shaped into sturdier souls and scholars remains a much-needed experiment.
The BYU model is a vital thesis — or perhaps antithesis or synthesis — challenging the college campus as usual. It asserts that formative, moral education — once at the heart of the academy — can still serve as an animating and grounding force for a research university.
From Harvard to Yale and beyond, the temptation to abrogate collective moral codes — or formative religious commitments — is strong. In the face of conflict and social change, many once-religious campuses now bow before strictly secular alters and reap largely secular blessings.
BYU has chosen a different, and decidedly more difficult, path, one that will undoubtedly continue to be a source of ongoing pride and tension. But, for believers (and for the genuinely believing institution) is there really any other road?
Hal Boyd is an associate professor of family law and policy at Brigham Young University’s School of Family Life and a fellow of the Wheatley Institution. His views are his own. | {
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Unspooled #103
Paul & Amy salute to 1942’s Jimmy Cagney musical extravaganza Yankee Doodle Dandy! They analyze the film as a template for modern musical biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody, break down a bizarre proposal scene, and learn how the real life political views of Jimmy Cagney clashed with his subject George M. Cohan. Plus: listeners offer their thoughts on Cabaret!
For Intolerance week, what movie set do you think could inspire a great mall! Call the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824 with your answer! Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall | {
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Ok, you’ve installed the PlayBook OS 2 beta. You’ve rooted your PlayBook. Now it’s time to get the Android Market up and running on your PlayBook.
Why?
Because while it’s certainly cool that PlayBook OS 2 lets you run repackaged Android apps that have been converted to RIM’s .BAR format, it’s way cooler to just install them as if you’re using a regular old Android device via the Market. It’s also a lot easier and makes a wider selection of Android apps available for the PlayBook.
Update: This guide only works with a BlackBerry PlayBook running OS 2.0 beta. If you’re running a newer version of the operating system, there’s not currently a way to jailbreak your device, and the steps below will not work.
Update 2: It’s unlikely the dingleberry tool will be updated to supports PlayBook OS 2.0 or newer software anytime soon. The dingleberry website now redirects to the jailbreak.me blog.
If you haven’t already rooted your PlayBook and installed PlayBook OS 2 beta, go do that now before attempting to install the market. You won’t get anywhere if you skip those two steps.
You’re also going to need an SCP client like WinSCP (use the first link labelled ‘installation package’) and PuTTYgen. Download and install them on your computer before following the steps below, too.
The following instructions assume you’re using a Windows computer, because for now the only way to root a PlayBook is to use a Windows PC.
It’s also worth noting that you’ll need a PlayBook running OS 2 beta for this to work, since DingleBerry cannot yet jailbreak the final version of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0.
Download the current Google Apps package. Extract the contents of the .zip file (you’ll need them later). Download an Android launcher app packaged as a .bar file from PlayBook Bars and install it using DDPb Installer (mentioned on the PlayBook OS 2 tutorial. (Just choose any of the apps with “Launcher” in the name such as Android Launcher, Launcher, or the Honeycomb Launcher).
4.Tap your launcher app to initialize the Android Player on your PlayBook (it should appear on your PlayBook homescreen near the bottom).
5.Launch PuTTYgen on your computer, press the load button, and browse to your Dingleberry folder. Change the file type dropdown to all files and double click the file rsa to select it.
6.Click OK when you see the PuTTYgen notice above and then click save private key. Name your file something easy to remember (like playbook.psk) and save it.
Log into your playbook as root with an scp client (eg: WinSCP for windows). Use your PlayBook’s IP address for the host name and root for the username. Under private key file, click the … button and browse to (and select) the playbook.psk file you just saved in PuTTYgen.
When the WinSCP file explorer opens, your computer appears on the left and the PlayBook appears on the right. In the left pane, browse to the folder where you extracted the CyanogenMod Google apps. Copy the META-INF and system folders to the root directory of your PlayBook (the system folder will merge with the existing system folder on your PlayBook). In the right pane, browse to /system/app/ and delete SetupWizard.apk. Now click the folder icon with the up arrow (again, in the right pane) Again in the right pane, browse to /apps/sys.android.XXXX.ns/native/scripts [enter]. XXXX is different for every PlayBook, and it’s a LONG number. Once you’ve changed directories, click the black box icon that says HOM to open a command prompt in WinSCP. Type ./android-player-cmd.sh kill-android-core.sh [enter] to kill the current Android Player process on your PlayBook.
14.Launch the launcher app you installed in step 3.
Using the launcher app, tap through to the full apps listing (often in the top right corner of a launcher’s main screen). Tap Android Market (or another Google app), and enter your Google account details. If Google logs you in, you’re done! If not, retrace your steps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fzy32o_Z6w
Bear in mind, not every app you download from the Market is going to work.
While the PlayBook can run Android apps, some of the ones you try to install may be dependent upon libraries or frameworks that aren’t included by RIM (like the Google Maps framework, which is missing and prevents apps like Current from working).
Also note that Android apps don’t have access to the PlayBook’s cameras just yet, though that could certainly change when PlayBook OS 2 is released in February.
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Una enorme pancarta ocupa toda la pared en el local de Vamos Unidos USA, un despacho de ayuda legal para inmigrantes en Los Ángeles. “No al pasado. Sí a un nuevo futuro. Salvemos México”. A la derecha, una foto de Andrés Manuel López Obrador, líder de Morena, que encabeza las encuestas para hacerse con la presidencia de México el próximo 1 de julio. Sobre una mesa, cientos de ejemplares de Regeneración, el periódico del partido. Esto no es solo un despacho de abogados. Es un cuartel de Morena en Los Ángeles, la segunda ciudad de México.
Desde esta oficina, el abogado y activista Juan José Gutiérrez recluta gente que reparte información sobre la formación a la comunidad mexicana. Montan un puesto los fines de semana en el centro de la ciudad, hacen llamadas, reparten el periódico en restaurantes, clubes de fútbol o asociaciones de charros. Este fue el primer comité de Morena en Los Ángeles, asegura Gutiérrez. Ya hay 25.
Morena es el partido mexicano más organizado en el exterior. Este domingo, el segundo debate presidencial, que se celebra en Tijuana, será una muestra de que por primera vez se tiene en cuenta a los emigrantes en la campaña electoral. El debate tendrá un bloque específico de sus derechos, en una época en la que la presidencia de Donald Trump ha puesto a millones de mexicanos en EE UU contra las cuerdas. Además, León Krauze será el primer periodista de un medio extranjero (Univision Los Ángeles) en moderar un debate. En este 2018, las elecciones de México han llegado por fin a la comunidad migrante. Pero la política no. Excepto la de Morena.
“Yo no había participado nunca en política mexicana hasta que leí La mafia que se adueñó de México, de López Obrador”, explica este mexicoamericano nacido en California de padres emigrantes. “Me abrió los ojos. Lo sentí como un llamado a participar. Asumí que las cosas estaban en un punto en el que íbamos a perder el país. Me di cuenta de lo grave de la situación y de que nos corresponde a todos ayudar”. Era el año 2010. Pidió una reunión con López Obrador y consiguieron que fuera a Los Ángeles de visita en junio de 2011. “Fue el primer candidato en venir a un acto público aquí”.
Juan José Gutiérrez, en su oficina de Los Ángeles. P. X. S.
Desde entonces, comités como este han ido surgiendo por todo Estados Unidos. En general, son asociaciones muy vinculadas a movimientos de activistas ya existentes. “Cuando empezó había que tener mucha paciencia”, dice Gutiérrez. “Muchos venían de experiencias muy izquierdistas, de grupúsculos muy cerrados y con cultura de derrota, muy sectarios. Simpatizaban porque pensaban que AMLO era como ellos y que iba a hacer una revolución radical”. No es así, aclara Gutiérrez. “Esto es un proceso electoral, y para ganar hay que tener una mayoría de votos”.
Los comités tienen ahora unas normas comunes. Se necesitan tres personas para formar uno. Se tienen que reunir una vez cada dos semanas. En la reunión, se lee el periódico Regeneración y se discute de cómo hacer crecer la base de Morena en ese ámbito. Su objetivo es registrar gente para votar. “Vamos a empezar a hacer un censo de esos 35 millones de mexicoamericanos que hay, de los que 12 han nacido en México”. Pero, sobre todo, “hay que identificar a todos los familiares y conocidos en México y pedirles que no les vendan el voto al PRI o al PAN y que voten por Morena”.
Se calcula que en Estados Unidos viven entre 11 y 12 millones de mexicanos. Junto con sus hijos, los ciudadanos con derecho a voto a este lado de la frontera son más de 30 millones. Los emigrantes pudieron votar por primera vez en 2006, y desde entonces la participación ha ido creciendo muy poco a poco, entre acusaciones de excesiva burocracia y dificultades prácticas que hacen el ejercicio del voto muy complicado (para Gutiérrez, se trata de “supresión del voto”).
El número de votantes en el exterior se ha disparado en estas elecciones. Aun así, sigue siendo minúsculo. Según datos del Instituto Nacional Electoral, están formalmente registrados para votar 181.256 mexicanos, el 84% de ellos en Estados Unidos. La cifra es el triple que los 59.000 de 2012 (de los que al final acabaron votando 43.000), pero claramente insuficientes para ser considerados como un colectivo clave en la elección en un país que se gana con decenas de millones de votos.
La influencia no está en el número de votos. Está en que, como describe Gutiérrez, desde hace un lustro Morena ha logrado una movilización de los migrantes que se traduce en llamadas a México para que voten sus familiares y amigos. Ya en 2014, organizadores de Morena en el sur de California como Cheto Polanco, de Compton, o Regino Visoso, de Santa Ana, explicaban a EL PAÍS que estaban ganando elecciones locales “a puro teléfono”. Por entonces, la indignación con la matanza de Iguala era uno de los catalizadores que despertaron el interés de los migrantes por los sucesos en México, que ha aumentado desde entonces. Ahora, esa maquinaria se va a ver funcionar por primera vez en unas presidenciales.
Los comités de Morena no solamente reclutan gente que llame a todos sus familiares y amigos en México. “Esa información luego se manda a México para que los comités locales vayan a esas casas para incorporarlas a Morena y fortalecer esa voluntad”, explica Gutiérrez. Es decir, la estrategia de los bancos telefónicos (pone bank) y las visitas a las casas (neighborhood canvass) que hacen las organizaciones locales de los partidos en las elecciones de EE UU. “Todo el que no pueda votar, debe saber que puede participar así. Asegúrense de que los que pueden votar, voten”. Es “un phone bank binacional”, dice Gutiérrez. “Es nuestra mayor aportación”.
López Obrador volvió a Estados Unidos en 2014. Esa vez, ya había comités y apoyos como para hacer una gira por todo el país. Gutiérrez es uno de los ocho consejeros nacionales de Morena que residen en Estados Unidos. Son cuatro en California, uno en Arizona, uno de Texas y otro en Minnesota, explica. Hay cuatro coordinadores en el país para recabar información de los distintos comités. Al frente de toda la organización en Estados Unidos está el diplomático Héctor Vasconcelos, a quien López Obrador ha designado ya como canciller en caso de llegar a la presidencia. Gutiérrez destaca el dato de que el próximo responsable de la política exterior de México pueda ser precisamente el hombre que supervisa la organización de Morena entre los migrantes.
En febrero y marzo de 2017, López Obrador volvió a Estados Unidos por última vez antes de las elecciones. Para entonces, sus eventos eran masivos. Y estaba ya en la era de Donald Trump. Morena mantiene un equilibrio en política exterior según el cual no puede criticar gobiernos extranjeros, pero sí al de EE UU, con el argumento de que sus políticas afectan a mexicanos. En los corazones mexicanos de las ciudades, como la plaza Olvera de Los Ángeles o el barrio de la Misión de San Francisco, López Obrador dijo a los migrantes lo que querían oír: que convertirá toda la red consular en oficinas de defensa legal de mexicanos, y que combatirá a Trump "con inteligencia y dignidad". "No es humano desatar una campaña de odio contra los migrantes", dijo.
Ningún otro partido ha logrado tener estructura en Estados Unidos. Lo más parecido fue la influencia que tuvo el Partido de Acción Nacional (PAN) sobre las federaciones de mexicanos, clubes territoriales alrededor de los cuales se organiza la comunidad. El presidente de la confederación de estos clubes (COFEM), Francisco Moreno, explica que surgieron con el Gobierno del PAN “porque nos abrieron las puertas a algunos programas sociales”.
Primero Vicente Fox y luego Felipe Calderón involucraron por primera vez a los migrantes a participar en programas como 3x1, que canaliza el dinero de los migrantes para inversiones concretas en sus pueblos. “Ni el PRI ni el PRD lo hicieron”, dice Moreno. “Mucha gente piensa que somos panistas pero no es cierto. Trabajamos con el Gobierno que apoye a los migrantes en Estados Unidos, sea el partido que sea”. Además, se trata de una organización sin ánimo de lucro, por lo que no puede pronunciarse políticamente. La conexión política con los gobiernos del PAN se ha desvanecido al desaparecer esos gobiernos.
No solo la organización de Morena entre la comunidad migrante no tiene precedente. Es el interés de los mexicanos en el exterior lo que está creciendo. Javier González tiene 50 años y “nunca había visto esto”. González es el responsable del comité de Morena en San Francisco, creado hace cuatro años. “Yo nunca he participado en ningún partido y mucho menos he sabido de organizaciones de otros partidos”. González asegura que, por primera vez, “la gente está más involucrada, porque nos están pinchando por los dos lados, tanto aquí como en México. La veo involucrada y quiere participar. Creo que la gente está tomando conciencia de que podemos hacer algo y participar en un momento histórico”. | {
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Company plans to create digital editions of all 22 magazines by June 2015
Japanese publisher Kodansha decided on plans to publish all its manga magazines digitally on the same day that the magazines ship in print. Kodansha plans to have digital editions all of its 22 manga magazines by June. The company is starting the initiative with three magazines: Young Magazine (print circulation 670,000), Monthly Shonen Magazine (print circulation 660,000), and Weekly Shonen Magazine (print circulation 1.32 million).
The sixth 2015 issue of Young Magazine — which ships on January 5 — will have a simultaneous digital release. Additionally, the February issue of Monthly Shonen Magazine (which ships on January 6) and the sixth 2015 issue of Weekly Shonen Magazine (which ships on January 7, pictured at right) will also have simultaneous digital releases.
Kodansha started publishing its Morning magazine digitally simultaneously in May 2013.
The head of Kodansha's digital business noted that "our rivals are not just other publishers, but also videos and games. I want to come up with a way to get [audiences] to choose [our content] from among all the ordinary content."
Kodansha opened the http://567.kodansha.co.jp/ website last week with a countdown featuring characters from manga serialized in different Kodansha publications. The countdown will end on January 5 in Japan. The "567" title on the website shows Meiko Shiraki from Akira Hiramoto's Prison School (published in Young Magazine), Tsukumo Mutsu from Masatoshi Kawahara's Shura no Mon (published in Monthly Shonen Magazine ), and Natsu from Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail (published in Weekly Shonen Magazine).
Source: Asahi Shimbun | {
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Radio host Mark Levin has fired a Dec. 8 warning shot at Sen. Marco Rubio as he escalates his campaign-trail criticism of rival Sen. Ted Cruz.
I was among the first national radio hosts to support Marco Rubio in his uphill Republican primary campaign for the Senate against the unprincipled Florida Governor Charlie Crist. Back then, he ran as an unabashed Tea Party conservative. I also supported Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, among others, in their campaigns against the entrenched GOP establishment.
But soon after arriving in Washington, Rubio decided to throw in with these politicians – including John McCain and Lindsey Graham and take an active leadership role in the Gang of Eight fiasco. As he runs for the Republican presidential nomination, Rubio has attempted to redefine his position on immigration yet again, resulting in his utter incoherence on the subject.
Moreover, Rubio’s views on foreign policy are also more in line with McCain-Graham pseudo-conservativism. It is a kind of naïve and radical interventionism, involving endless demands for American ground forces, that President Ronald Reagan would never have supported – and did not…
This is a friendly warning to Marco Rubio and his campaign donors, advisers, and consultants that they cannot wash away some of Rubio’s less than stellar legislative actions and related positions and pronouncements by embracing and unleashing Saul Alinsky-type tactics against Ted Cruz or other conservatives. Such unprincipled ambition has not and will not go unnoticed by conservatives.
Rather than proudly standing on his own record, and contrasting his positions honestly with those of Cruz, the latter of whom is clearly the more conservative and anti-establishment candidate, Rubio and his surrogates have launched a propaganda campaign against Cruz in a deceitful attempt to distort his record…
I will stop here. Marco Rubio is a talented man who can potentially contribute a lot to this presidential race in the remaining months. But that will only happen if he abandons his Alinsky tactics for a more Reaganesque approach and treats the conservative electorate with the respect it deserves. If Rubio is proud of his record, then he should defend it. If he objects to Cruz’s record, he should challenge it. But stop falsifying both. | {
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Reports from the Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday night said that many fans left UFC 186 before the conclusion of the main event between flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and Kyoji Horiguchi.
If that was indeed the case, UFC president Dana White didn't notice -- and he doesn't really care.
"I don't give a sh*t what people are doing," White said at the post-fight press conference. "I'm watching the fight."
Johnson beat Horiguchi via submission at 4:59 of the fifth round -- the latest stoppage in UFC history and really the latest possible stoppage there can be in an MMA fight. It was a dominant performance by one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Yet there were boos during the main event and spectators didn't seem to appreciate the excellence Johnson was putting forth. Canadian fans also left the arena during Johnson's title fight with Ali Bagautinov at UFC 174 last June before it was over.
Johnson (22-2-1), for various reasons, has not become a huge draw with fans. He has routinely drawn historically low pay-per-view buyrates when he headlines cards. Johnson is humble, does not talk trash and his style is more tactical and technical than violent. All of those things compounded have contributed to him not connecting with the audience as well as someone with his ridiculously high skill level should.
White said it doesn't matter. Johnson just has to keep doing what he's doing.
"It's kind of sad that Demetrious Johnson has this thing hanging over his head, he's not this, he's not that," White said. ... "He does everything the exact way he's supposed to. He comes in with a game plan and follows it to the letter. He's just one of these guys that has to put his head down, keep doing his thing and you have to respect him."
There is no exact science regarding who becomes a star and who does not. Johnson has now won eight straight fights and defended his flyweight belt six times. There is no doubt he is one of the best in the world, up there with the Jon Joneses and Jose Aldos. "Mighty Mouse" has also finished four of his last five bouts.
White thinks it's only a matter of time before Johnson becomes a draw. The boss doesn't think he -- or the UFC -- has to do anything differently.
"Anderson Silva wasn't the biggest star ever when he was champion," White said. "Chuck Liddell wasn't a big star for a while. His day will come."
And as for people leaving in the fourth round between Johnson and Horiguchi, White seems to think it was foolish.
"It's like you're walking out when you think your basketball team is losing and they come back and win the game," White said. | {
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In a horrifying case in Oregon, a woman was allegedly raped after her call to 911 went unanswered.
The situation is leading many to question how budget cuts are impacting public safety.
In August of 2012, the woman called for help after her violent ex-boyfriend showed up at her door. She was transferred to state police because her local sheriff’s department isn’t staffed full time, but she didn’t receive any help from them either.
SHOCKING 911 CALL: Elderly Woman Dies After Nurse at Retirement Home Refuses to Give CPR
In shocking audio, the dispatcher can be heard telling the woman she didn’t have “anybody to send out there.”
The dispatcher then asked, “Umm, obviously if he comes inside the residence and assaults you, can you ask him to go away? Or do you know if he’s intoxicated or anything?”
When the woman responded that she’d already asked him to go away and that there was no way for her to escape from the home, the dispatcher simply said, “Well, the only thing I can do is give you some advice, and call the sheriff’s office tomorrow. Obviously, if he comes in and unfortunately has a weapon or is trying to cause you physical harm, that’s a different story. You know, the sheriff’s office doesn’t work up there. I don’t have anybody to send.”
The man then broke into the home and allegedly raped the woman.
Fox News contributors Sally Kohn and Monica Crowley reacted to the shocking case on America Live.
Federal Government Posts Whopping 27,000 Job Openings Despite Sequester
Kohn pointed out that much of the policing in this area of Oregon was paid for by federal money. “This is a direct result of some of the cuts that we’re seeing at the federal government,” Kohn said.
Crowley argued that government waste and abuse really trigger the “denial of things that government actually should be doing – like police protection.”
Megyn Kelly pointed out the many are saying the case provides clear evidence that when the police are unable to protect you, people need to be able to protect themselves with guns.
Armed Federal Agents Patrol Tea Party Rallies | {
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Retailers are closing thousands of stores and going bankrupt at a rate not seen since the recession, and tens of thousands of people are losing their jobs as a result.
The effects of these job losses will hit local economies hard, according to Mark Cohen, the director of retail studies at Columbia Business School.
"This is creating a slow-rolling crisis," Cohen told Business Insider. "The people that work in retail stores will lose their jobs, then spend less money in retail stores because they are no longer employed. That creates a cascade of economic challenges."
Since October, about 89,000 workers in general merchandise stores have lost their jobs, which is more than the number of people employed in the entire US coal industry, The New York Times reported. During his campaign, President Donald Trump used coal miners as an example of workers who hadn't recovered from the recession.
Like coal miners, retail workers don't typically have a set of skills that's easily transferable to another industry, according to Cohen.
The retail industry, which employs about one out of every 10 American workers, typically pays low wages but provides employment to people in every age bracket, as well as those who are low-skilled and need flexible scheduling options.
So when these workers lose their jobs, they can have a hard time finding other employment.
"The coal miners are out of luck," Cohen sad. "Retail workers are in the same boat."
More than 3,000 stores are expected to close over the next several months. The scale of the looming job losses hasn't yet been revealed, but it will likely number in the tens of thousands. JCPenney, for example, is closing 138 stores and says 5,000 workers will lose their jobs as a result.
The growing popularity of e-commerce is one reason retailers are closing so many stores.
But the e-commerce industry won't come to the rescue of out-of-work retail employees.
Most warehouses are regional and located far from residential areas, which means they might not be within a reasonable commutable distance for displaced workers. By contrast, retail stores are typically located close to residential communities.
E-commerce warehouses also employ people on a much more limited scale than retail stores, since the warehouses are increasingly automated, Cohen said.
Unfortunately for retail workers, this crisis doesn't appear to be dissipating anytime soon.
"Brick-and-mortar closings will continue to expand throughout the year," Cohen said. "There is no reason why they would abate." | {
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